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cozyfoxy · 4 months ago

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Time is On Our Side part 1

Summary: In 2010, AmazingPhil decided to make a video trying to time travel. He ends up meeting his boyfriend Dan in the year 2023 as well as himself, and he has a lot of questions.

Genre: Time Travel au, 2010Phanx2023Phan

Warnings: Sexual tension/undertones

Read on AO3

“This is a stupid idea,” Phil laughed at himself as he collected everything that he needed for a spell.

“My grandma was a psychic woman, and apparently, she passed the gift on to me. The last time I tried something magic was the tarot reading I did for myself, which you all think was about Danisnotonfire! Well, I thought I would try something more interesting today. My grandma used to tell me a story when I was a kid, about when she was trying to time-travel into the past, to see her husband as a teen. But, there was a mistake and she ended up in the future! She knew the exact date of my birth years before my mum was even pregnant with me. And I happen to have the same spell that she used!” Phil said in an animated voice to the camera.

Phil grabbed three yellow candles and made a large triangle. He lit each candle carefully with a match before turning off his bedroom light. He heaved a sigh and sat in the middle of the triangle he had created, using salt to link each candle.

“I’m going to try to take my camera with me into the future. I want to film all of it if it works. I think it would be fun to see my friends when they’re older. Or if I meet my older self! How awesome would that be?” Phil rambled, looking at the old piece of paper in his hand.

Phil smiled at the camera, grabbing it in his hand. “Alright, here goes nothing.”

He looked carefully at the piece of paper, wanting to be sure that he said the spell correctly. After reading it three times, he felt no different than before. The flames of his candles didn’t move or change, nor did the salt that surrounded him.

“Well, that was a complete failure.” He giggled, shaking his head at himself.

Phil sighed and went to turn his camera off, only to feel a sudden gust of cold wind. He shivered and looked around nervously. It was the middle of summer, there was no reason for the cold temperature. He swallowed nervously and focused on the candles, the flames growing larger and larger right before his eyes. Phil opened his mouth to scream, just before everything went completely black.

The first thing that Phil became aware of was the cold drops of water hitting his back and the sound of cars racing by on the road. He swallowed thickly and whined, willing the cold feeling to stop. He breathed in deeply and smelled autumn leaves and something sugary. An odd smell for the middle of summer, he decided.

“You alright there lad?” A voice asked, someone touching Phil’s shoulder.

Phil cringed at the feeling, whimpering pathetically as he was turned over onto his back. He blinked a few times against the rain before searching for the source of the voice. His stomach lurched a bit when his eyes met with another pair that made him think of hot chocolate. He felt almost like he might vomit, but his stomach was empty.

“Am I dead?” Phil asked weakly, trying to sit up and failing miserably.

The brown-eyed man’s laugh reminded Phil oddly of a hyena, but it was charming nonetheless. He looked the man up and down, taking in his curly hair, dripping from the rain. The man looked a bit familiar, his dimples making Phil’s heart flutter like the wings of a bird.

“Nah mate, but you might be if you don’t get out of this rain.” The man scolded, holding out a hand to help Phil stand.

Phil took the hand thankfully and pushed his black fringe from his eyes. The man in front of him gasped suddenly and moved closer to Phil. Phil was surprised that the man was taller than him, not many people were. He raised an eyebrow confusedly at the oddly familiar stranger.

“Wait… Phil?” the man asked, sounding worlds away.

Phil blinked and wrapped his arms around himself. He was still in just a T-shirt and black skinny jeans, not proper for this kind of weather. “How do you know my name?” He asked brokenly as his teeth chattered.

The man laughed again, shrugging out of his expensive-looking jacket and helping Phil put it on. It smelled amazing and it was comforting, familiar even. The arms were a little too long and they gave Phil sweater paws. He giggled and wrapped his hands with the loose sleeves, feeling warmer by the second.

“It’s me, Dan. I always thought you were insane when you talked about meeting me in the future. I wonder if my Phil is still here? Would he move into the past while you’re here? Or would he still be here? How does all of this work?” The man- Dan, rambled on while absentmindedly rubbing Phil’s arms to warm him up.

Phil blushed darkly as he listened to Dan. It seemed like Dan still didn’t know how to stop yapping, even in the future. “Wait… the spell worked?! I did it as a joke, there’s no fucking way it worked!” Phil argued, reaching for the camera that he had tucked in his jeans pocket. Nothing was there…he had to be dreaming.

“Your camera didn’t come with you. I remember you, well my Phil, telling me that. Here, follow me. I don’t want you to get sick. I’ll bring you to ours.” Dan offered, leading Phil away from where they were.

He somewhat recognized where they were, somewhere in London, definitely near a Starbucks as Dan had a still-hot cup in his hand. Phil looked longingly at the drink, wondering idly how far they had to walk. Dan noticed and smiled, showing off his dimples again. Wordlessly, he pressed the hot drink into Phil’s hands.

Phil blushed again and took a sip, nearly moaning as sweet caramel coffee coated his tongue and throat, “a caramel macchiato, my favorite.”

“I know, you spoon. I got it for my Phil but I’m sure he’ll understand.” Dan shrugged, pulling a car key from his pocket and clicking it.

Phil’s eyes widened in shock when the headlights of a suave-looking black car blinked on and off, “wait… We have a car in the future? I can drive?!” he asked eagerly.

The older man laughed at Phil, shaking his head, “Yes we have a car. Most of the time we still take cabs or whatever, but we live on the outskirts of London so it’s sometimes good to have a car. And no, you don’t drive. You’re my passenger princess.”

Dan opened the passenger door for Phil before hopping into the driver’s side and turning the heat up nearly all the way. Phil sat in awe of the touchscreen on the dashboard but didn’t ask any questions about it. He focused hard on trying to warm up while Dan drove them away from the city.

“What year is it?” Phil asked, nibbling on his thumbnail.

“It’s 2023, it’s the beginning of October. From the looks of you, you’re from sometime in 2010?” Dan questioned, driving carefully down the rainy streets of London.

Phil blushed deeply and nodded, “Uh… yeah, how’d you know?”

Dan chuckled, “I’m Phil trash number one. I know you inside and out if you catch my drift.”

“I…uh, well…” Phil rambled, trying to make sense of what was happening. He felt his cheeks burning and hid his face with his hands.

“Sorry dear, I forgot how shy you used to be. Well, are. Do you have any more questions right now?” Dan asked, smirking a bit at Phil.

Phil pouted a bit at Dan’s teasing tone, “I’m not shy. I’m just not used to talking to someone like you. So, we’re… still together, right? You said we have a place on the outskirts, so we live together? We’re still together?” He asked softly, pushing his black fringe from his eyes nervously.

Dan smiled kindly, “You’ve always been intimidated by older men. And yeah, we’re still together. We built a career together on YouTube and we still have a pretty large audience. A few years ago we started having our house built.”

A rush of pride swept through Phil’s chest at Dan’s words. They made it through all the odds. Sexuality had always been a struggle for Dan and though Phil was as supportive as he could be, he knew all too well that the internet could cause issues when it came to secrets. He smiled to himself while he watched out the window.

“So… are you out of the closet now? Am I?” He asked shyly, turning to look at Dan.

Dan chuckled, “I came out back in 2019, in a forty-five-minute long video. It was one of the scariest times of my life, but I knew it was time. Then, a couple of weeks after my video, you- well, my Phil, came out too. Wanted to give me time to take in all the love and support before he got involved too.” He smiled and blushed, winking at Phil.

Phil giggled at him, “Wow… that’s amazing. I’m proud of you bear.”

“Oi, none of that. You’ll make me emotional.” Dan scolded lightly.

The younger man giggled again and watched curiously as Dan drove towards a somewhat large house. He could tell it was relatively new because of the paint job. He felt cozy just looking at it, the house of his dreams truly. It looked similar to the house that he and his Dan had designed over Skype during one of their late-night conversations. It didn’t feel real.

“Welcome to the phouse.” Dan chuckled, parking the car and climbing out. He shuffled around the car quickly, opening the door for Phil, “Let’s get you inside and out of those wet clothes.”

Phil climbed out of the car nervously. He gnawed on his lip automatically, his anxiety taking control of his actions. Dan linked their elbows and led him up the stairs leading to the front door. There were two pumpkins by the door, sitting on a simple wooden bench. Dan pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked the door, leading Phil inside.

“Oh honey, I’m home!” Dan called, taking his shoes off and setting them to the side, “And you’ll never guess who I found out in the rain!”

Phil copied Dan’s actions clumsily, setting his shoes by the older man’s. He realized quickly how fancy Dan’s shoes looked beside his own worn-down converses. It suddenly hit him just how successful he would be in the future and he felt overwhelmed, a slight dizziness blurring his vision slightly.

The loud sound of heavy footsteps going downstairs filled the hallway, and Phil hid behind Dan. He nervously buried his face between Dan’s shoulder blades. Though he couldn’t understand why, seeing himself in the future felt terrifying. Would future him even recognize who he was? What if this Phil was mean? Could he ever be mean?

“Who’s hiding behind you bub?” A voice asked, making Phil attempt to appear smaller.

Dan chuckled, “You know who it is love. You’ve told me for years that this was the day you traveled to in 2010. I never really believed you until now though.” he shrugged.

“Come on out now. You’re me, you should know I’m not going to hurt you.” future Phil smiled, walking behind Dan.

The younger Phil pulled away from Dan slowly and looked at his future self with a gasp, jumping back and stumbling in shock. He tried to catch himself against the wall but failed, falling towards the hardwood floor with his eyes clenched tightly shut. Dan caught him easily and steadied him again with a smile.

“I… uh thank you, Dan” he whispered, looking into Dan’s brown eyes with a blush.

Dan laughed and wrapped his arm around future Phil’s waist, “I’ve had years of practice. Unfortunately for both of us, you never stop being a clumsy oof.”

Future Phil scowled and shoved him playfully, “You’re just as clumsy, we’re just too long! Anyway, it’s good to see you, Phil. I knew it would happen, Dan! He was right where I said too, wasn’t he?”

Dan groaned and nodded, “Yes Philip, he was. Now go get him some clothes before he freezes!”

Older Phil rolled his eyes playfully before running back up the stairs, his footsteps loud and clumsy. He was clearly excited to have been right about the time travel. Younger Phil however, was very much on edge. He was in a strange place with the love of his life who was suddenly older than him, and the older version of himself that was so attractive, Phil couldn’t process it. Was that weird to think?

Dan snickered beside him, pushing Phil’s black fringe from his eyes carefully, “You’ve always been gorgeous, but damn, your thirties make you look delicious, yeah?” He asked teasingly.

Phil stuttered and turned his face, trying desperately to hide his blush, “I… no, well yeah… but no, that’s weird isn’t it? Like I can’t think things like that.” he rambled nervously.

“You can think whatever you want Philly. Anyone with eyes can see how pretty you get, how pretty you’ve always been.” Dan whispered, leaning closer to the younger man.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded from upstairs, and older Phil appeared, holding a hoodie and pajama pants in his hands, “Dan stop flirting with him and let him get changed.” He scolded playfully, handing the clothes to his younger self with a laugh.

“Um… where can I change?” Phil asked quietly, trying to ignore the teasing between the men in front of him.

Dan chuckled, “Well you can change here… it’s nothing we haven’t seen before, right bub?”

Older Phil groaned dramatically and took his younger self’s hand, leading him to the downstairs bathroom, “Sorry about him. He’s always thinking with his cock, that never changes.” He chuckled, holding the door open for the younger Phill to walk through.

“It’s okay. It’s just he’s so hot and older men… and fuck! Why am I telling you this? Sorry…” Younger Phil whimpered, shuffling into the bathroom.

The older man laughed again, “It’s okay Philly, I am you. I know he’s hot but so are you. So are we I could say. And just so it doesn’t get confusing we’re going to call you Philly until you leave, sound good?”

Philly nodded slowly at that, “Yeah…that’s fine. Thank you.”

Phil hummed and shut the door, “We’ll be on the couch in the lounge where we just were. Just come find us. I gotta make my adorable, loveable partner stop thinking with the wrong head, wish me luck.”

Dan looked up when Phil walked back into the room, “I’m ordering some pizza for us all. You said he’ll be here until midnight, yeah? I’m sure he’s hungry.”

“Oi, don’t distract me with food. You’re in trouble, mister! Stop flirting with the younger me! Do you remember how shy I used to be?” Phil scolded, laying on the sofa and resting his head in Dan’s lap.

The brunette absentmindedly ran his fingers through his partner’s hair, smiling mischievously, “Yeah mate, I do. I also remember how horny you would get. But I’ll back off. You said nothing sexy would happen this time anyway. I’m not making you uncomfortable, right? Or him? I don’t want to be a creep.”

Philly walked back into the room, the spare clothes hanging a bit loosely against his pale skin, “you’re not making me uncomfortable… just flustered.” He explained, walking over to the two men.

Dan smiled sheepishly, “Sorry about that. It’s just exciting to have two Phils around.” He explained, patting the space next to him on the couch.

“Yeah, I imagine I would be acting the same way if I had two Dans walking around.” Philly giggled, sitting down carefully.

Phil and Dan snickered and looked at each other knowingly, “Trust me, you would act even worse.” Phil explained, sighing happily as Dan continued to play with his hair.

Philly froze, “You say that like you know…” He whispered, staring at the older version of himself. He couldn’t help but admire how Phil’s shirt was rolled up just enough to show off his pale hips and part of his tummy. The light brown hair that moved from his belly button and down into his sweatpants made Philly nervous. Was he thirsting after himself?

“Well, yeah. You really think we only time travel once? Morbid curiosity tends to get the best of us, and of Dan.” Phil explained with a chuckle, nuzzling his cheek into Dan’s thigh.

Dan shuddered, “don’t do that unless you plan on doing something about it bub.” He scolded, playfully pinching his partner’s cheek, “I just ordered some pizza for us all, should be here in like twenty minutes now.”

Philly nodded thankfully, nervously letting himself get comfortable on the couch. The house was nice and warm, it smelled slightly of cinnamon and vanilla, a scented candle was clearly nearby. He looked around contentedly, trying not to miss his own Dan. They hadn’t seen each other since the YouTuber Jamacian holiday, which had been just a week ago. It felt like a few lifetimes for Phil. What if Dan was trying to call him now?

“Hey, don’t stress about your Dan. He won’t even realize you were gone until you tell him. Time stopped passing in your realm and won’t start again until you go home.” Dan explained, squeezing Philly’s hand in reassurance.

Philly smiled at the touch, “can you read my mind or something?” He asked halfheartedly.

“Feels like it sometimes. I guess when you find a love like ours, you just learn how to read your partner like an open book. I can normally understand how Phil- well, how both of you, are feeling at any time just by the faces you guys make.” Dan explained with a shrug, turning his attention back to his Phil who had fallen asleep.

Philly looked at his older self again, feeling warm, “Do I fall asleep like that a lot?”

Dan paused for a moment, turning to look at Philly again, “Only sometimes really. Yesterday was a bad migraine day, so he didn’t get much restful sleep. He only does this when he’s exhausted or just really comfy. It’s probably both this time. He’s been so excited for you to come, to prove that he wasn’t joking with me. I knew he wasn’t joking, but I still have a hard time believing in this magic bullshit.”

“How else would I be here?” Philly asked quietly, frowning at the migraine comment. He had always gotten migraines here and there, but never so bad that he couldn’t sleep. The thought scared him .

Dan chuckled, “there isn’t any other way that I can think of actually, so I just accept it. Go on now, ask your questions. I can tell you have a ton.”

Philly blushed, not used to being so transparent with his thoughts and feelings, “um… was it hard? Being together I mean. I know you always struggled, especially as we got more popular. Seems like we get famous or something, so how hard was it to be… well, us?” He rambled, playing with Dan’s fingers anxiously.

“Oh dear, it was the scariest and most difficult thing of our lives. We always felt like we had to hide, not just because I didn’t want to be outed, but because what we have is so fucking important and special, we wanted it to be private. There were a lot of scares, a lot of anger between us and fights. We took a break but it didn’t last long, we couldn’t be just friends and we sure as hell couldn’t hate each other. Mistakes will happen to you soon, to both of us soon and it will be hard. It will feel like the end, I will turn into a dick for awhile and hurt you. And I’m sorry, even now. We will hurt each other, worry and hurt our fans and especially worry your family. But we always came back to each other. I don’t like to say soulmates, I don’t think souls exist. But I guess people would say that we are soulmates.” Dan rambled softly, squeezing Philly’s hand again.

Philly chewed his lip nervously, “you can tell me what happens and I can fix it you know? So we don’t have to go through that pain.” He suggested.

Dan shook his head, “No. It was scary, and so fucking hard but it made us realize how much we needed each other. If I had to go back and relive it, I would. And I know one day you will feel the same way. No matter what we go through, how scary it gets, we always find out way back to each other. Back home. Don’t forget that, okay?”

“Oh… okay, I believe you. But I’m a little scared.” Philly whispered, “what if I’m not brave enough? Or strong enough to take care of my Dan when this happens?”

Dan paused and pulled his hand away from Philly’s, using it to cup the younger man’s cheek, “my best piece of advice is to remember that you don’t need to take care of him. You both need to take care of each other. It takes a lot of time, but you will learn to be doted on and taken care of.”

Philly leaned into the touch, closing his eyes as tears ran down his cheeks, “you promise?”

“Yes you spoon, I promise.” Dan smiled, gently moving his Phil’s head from his lap, “bubby, the pizza is here. I need to go grab it.”

Phil groaned and shuffled away from Dan, curling into a ball against the side of the couch. Dan stood up with a hum and ran to the front door, grabbing the pizzas with a thank you.

“Wow. I didn’t expect him to get up and grab the food.” Philly laughed softly, making eye contact with his future self.

Phil smiled, “oh yeah, he spoils me. It’s nice to be his princess sometimes.”

Philly turned a deep red at Phil’s words, “don’t say stuff like that. I’m no one’s princess.”

Phil laughed and sat up completely while Dan shuffled around in the kitchen, the sounds of plates and glasses clattering and the smell of fresh pizza wafting into the lounge. Soon, Dan came walking in with three plates, three glasses and two bottles of Cola.

“We have a meat lovers and a supreme, and some chips of course. I’ll bring the bbq sauce and ketchup in a minute. Lemme go grab the food and some kitchen roll. One Phil is messy, I can only imagine how messy two will be.” He teased, running back out of the room.

Philly sat stiffly, shock painting his features, “Is he always like that?”

“Yep. He spoils me just as much as I spoil him. He’s a bit extra though. Our fans love it though.” Phil smiled, seeming proud of himself.

The three men ate quickly, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer playing on the tv as a way to keep Philly’s nerves at bay. It wasn’t long befor Philly found himself dozing off between the two older men. His head was buried against his future self’s neck and his legs were draped comfortably across Dan’s lap. Both men were holding his hands, thumbs moving across the skin soothingly.

“Is it bad that I don’t want to leave yet?” Philly asked, sleep lacing his voice.

Dan chuckled, “not at all. We like having you here too, but your Dan will miss you otherwise and you will miss him.”

Phil nodded at Dan’s words, “besides, we’ll see you again. Sooner than you probably think too. Next time will be less scary. And you won’t have to worry about your Dan.”

“Wait… Dan will come with me next time?” Philly asked shyly, his cheeks painted pink.

Phil laughed, “I think it’s next time, yeah. You’ll be back, I promise. Now, get some sleep. We’ll see you next time.”

Philly nodded sleepily, a floaty feeling overtaking him as he felt two kisses press against his cheek. Everything went black.

After what felt like hours, Phil woke up, back in the same circle that he had performed his spell in. He was wearing the same clothes that he had been before, not the clothes that he had borrowed from his future self. Everything was completely the same as before and he felt his excitement diminish. It was just a stupid dream. Of course the spell wouldn’t work.

He sighed and heaved himself up from the floor, stumbling a bit at the sudden movement. He put his hands into his pockets and frowned, feeling a folder up piece of paper. Phil pulled it out carefully and unfolded it,

“It wasn’t a dream Philly, I promise you that, We will see you again soon. Next time, wear something warm. It’s close to Christmas when we see you again! Take care!”

“Love, Dan and Phil 2023”

“No fucking way!”

#phan #phandom #phan fic #phanfiction #dip and pip #dan and phil #phan au #2010Phan #2023 Phan

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aimportantdragoncollector · 1 year ago

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Three Weeks of Trioholders Winners!

I’ve been thrilled by the amazing flood of content for my event. Now I’m proud to announce the winners! This will only be the first round of prizes. As a reminder, I extended Three Weeks of Trioholders for a bonus round from Monday November 21 to Sunday November 26, 2023. The details are here. However, I’m not going to make the people who submitted early wait any longer to collect their prizes. It was extremely difficult for me to pick the winners, and I had some very very close decisions. I loved every single entry.

First Place Winners in Writing and Art:

@missremember takes first in writing for [LISTEN], an amazing fic in the form of the Second One for All holder’s old recordings. I both laughed and cried!

For art, I just couldn’t decide on just one winner because the competition was too steep. Therefore I’m awarding a tie for first place in art.

@suugiart did an entire animation for the duoholders. I’ve watched it three times already. Words cannot describe my emotions so I will settle for WHOA.

@fanfictiongremlinao3 blew me away with this gorgeous trioholders piece. The shading is beautiful. I love seeing Yoichi so happy after his tragic past.

Second Place Winners in Writing and Art:

Nana’s Guide To Ending 200 Years of Pining by @samthehyena had me clutching my sides laughing at the oblivious pining trio.

@stealthsuitdeku made me laugh so hard with this drawing of All for One’s reaction to his brother eloping. If only Yoichi had tried this in canon, he might have given his brother a heart attack. I also think it’s a hilarious Dad for One-compliant detail that apparently All for One has laser eyes to match Izuku’s tear attacks.

Writing Honorable Mentions:

For @chaosverse-mainblog who wrote an entire collection for Three Weeks of Trioholders, my greatest challenge was deciding which one to award a prize to. In the end I picked A Foxes Love because it hit all my favorite tropes of kitsunes, Second and Yoichi being cute together, and All for One being a creep.

@teriiphelia for Innocent Accomplice which has my adored gender-swapped Second and Dad Yoichi.

@breeze-tells-tales for heart, don't fail me now because I love Anastasia AUs so much, and cute trioholders interaction.

Art Honorable Mentions:

I had a really hard pick between the two submissions by @thebnha-auhoard but in the end The Dragon and his Vampire won my heart. Just look at those beautiful wings, horns, and teeth!

@palebonedry this made me gasp out loud, the bloody colors are haunting. I’m fascinating by this AU and Nyavka Yoichi and All for One. If you want I’ll write the AU for your prize! (Or pick anything you’d like, it’s your prompt.)

@gracelyn33 this art perfectly captures the tragedy of the duo holders. I adore how you shaded the light across their faces.

@whensaturnfalls how pretty, I love Sleeping Beauty AUs.

@unknownreservations you drew too much good art and made it very hard for me to decide which one I wanted to pick for a prize. But in the end I picked this one because I loved the expressions on their faces. It’s obvious how much Second and Third adore Yoichi.

@azzabynes these three are adorable and I love how you made them dance.

@chaosverse-mainblog the one and only entry for the newly named Vault Breakers ship (Second/Third) is worthy of its own honorable mention. I adore the blushes on their faces so much.

Prizes:

First place in both art and writing will receive a fic of a minimum of 3,000 words from me (Katydid on Ao3) based on a prompt of your choice. Second place in both art and writing will receive a fic of a minimum of 1,500 words from me. Honorable mentions will be given at least a snippet based on your prompt (hopefully they don’t all get long like last year.) You can contact me to receive your prize here on tumblr, or on discord where I am katydid1. I’m setting a deadline of December 31, 2023 to claim your prize. I reserve the right to ask for a different request. And please be patient since I gave out quite a few prizes for this contest.

I enjoy writing prompts and I’m excited to receive your ideas. It’s been a blast to host this event.

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cho-aaacho · 1 year ago

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(Flufftober 2023) Protecting

Main Masterlist I Archive of Our Own

Flufftober 2023 Masterlist I Prompts List

Tags : Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Protecting, Bittersweet, Flufftober 2023, Reader is genderless

(Flufftober 2023 Day 18)

Ethan was there and stood with a blank expression. The moon cast a shimmering pearl radiance upon him. Above his head were celestial stars glimmering the night, making his somber drown in despair.

An air of melancholy surrounded him as a memory of his trauma filled the empty space of his mind. His tears, like rivulets of emotion, coursed down his cheeks.

A bittersweet smile curls on his lips. He fixed his eyes upon you, then turned his head to glance, yet enigmatically, at the glimmering night city from the rooftop.

"Why does it always happen to me?" he began, savoring the familiar sadness that seemed a permanent resident in his mind. "It's as though I was born for nothing."

"Why is it, Ethan?" You are trying to calm him. Squeezing his hand and peeking at the nighttime celestial sky.

"Ethan, everyone has the right to feel sad and happy. What are we? We aren't God. We cannot change our feelings that easily."

You two are now drowning in profound silence. Not a word dares to escape your lips after your last spoken truths.

A black thread, as black as a pearl, ties you and him together and brings you to this very rooftop.

"Yes, we aren't God, if we were God. We wouldn't be hurting like this." Ethan fell with trembling hands and left his shoulder sagging.

Ethan's mind is trying to piece together his good memory of Mia and him. But every time he tried, a tear fell like a raindrop.

Ever since witnessing the tragedy of 2017, something bad has been haunting his daily life. It has pulled him deeper into the pit of despair, rendering him lifeless.

You are his trusted psychiatrist. You were hoping that you could change his life to the old Ethan that Mia always knew, trying to cherish Ethan's life and make him blossom again like flowers.

But you and he share the same loss; both of you were touched by the cruel hand of fate.

Losing a beloved figure in life.

Your partner and Mia were coworkers. But Ethan cannot forgive himself for being unable to save them. In that village.

"Ethan," you whisper softly, feeling the soothing yet cold wind blowing through your hair. As you try to talk, you reach for his shoulder. Trying to heal his spirit.

"Ethan, we may not change our past. But I'm sure we can shape our future. Maybe we cannot see Mia or my partner again. But we must carry on. No one asks to be sad for the whole of their life. But I'm sure. Something good will be blossoming in our lives."

Ethan shrugged and lifted his head to face you. To see your calm and warm smile on your face.

A bittersweet smile curls on his lips. But his eyes are still watering from the tears. "Next time. I won't fail again, and when the time comes, I'll protect you."

You shook your head. A symphony of a night breeze danced around your presence.

"No, I should be the one who protects you, Ethan. No one else, just me. I don't want to see you like this again. It's hurting me so much. I'm still trying to find a good place for you to live without sadness and pain floating through your life. Let me take you to that place, Ethan."

Note : Please forgive me if it feels more like angst than fluff. But since the prompt is protecting, I had a terrible idea to write Ethan like this. (╯︵╰,)

#resident evil #resident evil ethan winters #resident evil ethan #ethan winters #ethan winters x reader #ethan winters x you #ethan winters fluff #resident evil fluff #fluff x reader #flufftober2023 #flufftober

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theallegedbird · 11 months ago

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2023 art summary but i try ridiculously hard to make it look like i haven't almost exclusively drawn tma since march

now for mandatory end of year reflection cheesiness <3

really proud of how far i’ve come this year, my arts got to a point i’m really happy with what i’m making, hoping i continue to learn and improve next year!!

also pretty proud of how far i’ve come in general, i haven’t exactly had the best track record when it comes to mental health and was in a really bad place when it came to my depression and anxiety last year and the start of this one, and while it’s had its struggles, including doing gcses and finishing high school as well as other personal matters, overall i’ve been well. a lot happier

i finally came out to my family after what like. two years, and while they still don’t really get it, they’re trying, and that’s a start. i went to a new school for many reasons, i’ve got new friends who share my same shitty taste of humour which is what has led to about 7+ pieces of questionable pale man fanart, i’m doing subjects i’m actually passionate about and for the first time since i was 10 i actually enjoy going to school. and for the last 2 months i’ve been cleaning, tidying and redecorating my room, which to me, many others i’m sure will understand, is a big deal, it’s something i’ve tried and failed to do for so long, and it felt great

sorry for rambling on what i’m trying to say is thank you, might seem dumb but this silly little podcast and its fandom has helped a lot, motivating me art wise especially

every single kind word and has meant the absolute world to me and your support has been phenomenal, i may be just a silly little guy drawing silly little gay people on the internet but i mean it truly

as of posting this it just turned midnight, happy new year!! :D

#id in alt #art summary 2023 #art summary #avery rambles #art #happy new year

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joy-of-life88 · 1 year ago

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Damian Priest x Reader ONE SHOT

First published on Wattpad August 12, 2023

"Damian, could we have a word? We just witnessed how the Judgment Day savagely attacked Edge once again. But yet again, it didn't work out the way you and your mates thought it would. The WWE Universe is curious what you have to say about this.

Why are all your attempts to ultimately take over Monday Night Raw failing? Do you think maybe you were a little too cocky? What are your plans?" I asked Damian backstage.

It was my job to do these interviews and yes, it was part of asking questions that you knew would piss off the wrestlers. That's what the producers wanted to see. Normally it was hard for me to be a little mean. But in the case of Priest, it came easily to me.

He was irritated with me and I was irritated with him. Why exactly? I don't know. Really... I didn't have a clue. We just didn't get along. He seemed a little too full of himself. And I wasn't sure that was just the character he was portraying. I also didn't want to spend more time than necessary with him to find out if I was possibly wrong.

It was better that way. I swear, if he called me spoiled princess one more time, blood would flow. I was so sick of people thinking I was only here because my dad was on the board of the WWE. Hell, I didn't even like my father. And he had nothing to do with why I got this job. That had totally different reasons.

"Well princess... if you understood a little bit more about our business, you would know that you won't get far here if you don't make enemies. We want to get to the top and no matter how long it takes... the Judgment Day will rise above all.

Mark my words, Y/N... even if it's hard for you. We have just begun to spread fear and terror. And anyone who doesn't get out of our way will get knocked out of the way." he replied, and then someone behind the camera said Cut.

"As always a displeasure to work with you, Princess. Now go make yourself useful on your knees somehow." he mocked.

It was probably meant to be funny, but he was talking to the wrong person about that.

"Fuck you, you arrogant asshole. Get the fuck out of my face. I'm getting a headache just thinking about your voice," I retorted.

"I bet you'd like that. But I know what you're really up to.... It's probably been an hour since you demolished that last piece of cake. Hence the headache." He laughed and then left.

-----------------------------

Damian POV

"Why the hell are you always so rotten towards Y/N? What did she ever do to you?" asked Rhea to me.

"Nothing... I just can't stand her and her attitude. And it's not like she's holding back." I replied as we walked further down the hall.

"You're both fucking awful. You bicker like little kids. If I had to guess, I'd say you're attracted to her," Rhea said.

"What makes you think that? She's not my type at all. I don't go for chubby girls with attitude problems. She seriously thinks she's God's gift to manhood," I explained.

"What are you talking about? She's gorgeous. My God so she's got a few more pounds on her than those skinny bitches. Who cares? I think you're not telling me what it really is.... I think you can't stand that she doesn't put up with your shit. Not even on camera." she replied.

"Oh please.... I don't know... She just rubs me the wrong way." I said.

"I bet you'd like her to rub you the right way." she then smirked.

"Not in a million years." i snorted.

"You know... One of these days I'm going to lock you in a room and not let you out until after you talk.

---------------------------------

"Good lord! Can you maybe just do your job? It's not that hard! I'll ask the questions and you answer." growled Y/N as we tried to film a segment for next week.

"I would if you were capable of formulating reasonable questions," I replied in a deep voice.

"Maybe I should just formulate it so you can comprehend it..." she muttered.

And so it went on for another half hour until we finally managed to come up with something decent. I could tell the producer wasn't happy with either of us.

I was walking back to the dressing room when Rhea intercepted me and asked me to follow her. She went into a secluded part of the arena where some empty storage rooms were. She opened the door and practically shoved me inside.

"Rhea what are you doing? I thought you wanted to talk?" I heard Y/N's voice.

"Talking is going to happen. You will talk to each other. In order that you finally get along with each other. It's annoying how you treat each other. Work it out." she said and closed the door behind her.

For a while it was silent. Neither of us said a word. I leaned against the wall next to the door while she wandered up and down the room with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Go ahead, talk," I said at one point.

"I have nothing to say to you." replied Y/N.

"Didn't expect any other way.... If you don't have time to write down the questions beforehand, you can't think of anything." I said.

"Oh he's such a smart one! You can't think of anything new to insult me with. I'm too tired for Rhea's attempt to make friends out of us." she replied.

"As if I ever wanted to be friends with you..." I muttered.

"Yes, because God forbid you should find out that I have brains and not just tits," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, if the shoe fits. But I bet you have a lot of talents that require your other body parts." I laughed.

"So that's what you think? That I'm a slut? Are you offended that I've never offered it to you before?" she asked aloud.

"Oh please... I bet you're not as good as you think you are," I continued laughing.

I just couldn't take her seriously. Even though I just saw the tiniest bit of hurt on her face.

"You know what? I'm going to shut you up once and for all. You think I'm a slut? Here you go, so be it." she then growled and came towards me with quick steps.

I had no idea what she was up to, but suddenly she was in front of me, pushing against my shoulder until my back was pinned firmly against her wall.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Proving a point." she replied and before I knew it she had already opened my pants and pulled them down a bit along with my underwear.

"Woah, woah, woah! Have you lost your mind?" I wanted to know when she already took my cock in her hand and started rubbing me.

I put my hands on her shoulders as I tried to push her off me.

"Hands off." she commanded in a tone I didn't recognize from her.

And at this point... I could no longer resist. Her hands moved faster and faster in a way that blew my mind. Never in my life had a woman jerked me off like that. My breathing became rapid as I looked into her eyes. She cupped my balls and massaged them gently at first, then harder.

"See? You're just like any other man... Powerless when you're being grabbed by the balls. No matter how big your mouth was before. You're pathetic, Damian. Look at you... Being pleasured by a spoiled princess you can't stand. When all you had to do was say the word.... No... or Stop." she said softly and seductively.

And although her words were insulting, they were somehow arousing.

I watched as she stuck a thumb in her mouth and licked it before running that very thumb over my tip.

"So desperate for attention.... With no regard for anyone else's feelings or past. You need to learn that there are consequences." She continued almost in a whisper as her hands continued to work on me.

"What do you mean?" I gasped, very close to coming.

At that moment Y/N let go of me, yanked open the door and marched out of the room, leaving me just like that. Exposed and very unsatisfied. And on top of that, confused and frustrated.

#damian priest #wwe #archer of infamy #live forever #wattpad #my writing #wwe one shot

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lovova · 11 months ago

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I see artists doing little showcasings of what they've accomplished creatively in the last year, decided that looks fun, and decided I'd do for myself an little inventory of what I've written in the last year as well, based on archive posts and what I can recall (I specify 'what I can recall', because I was not keeping track of when I did or did not update my main fanfic "Video Game Cruelty Potential" so...guestimates for that fic! I have 36 chapters, I can probably guess it was updated at least every other month) ~ So! For 2023: January: Did a fan-fanfic for my friend Lex called "The Other Rooms" where I explored off-scene implications of his cool-ass fic Room No.5 February: Created an alternate version of VGCP called "VGCP: Characters at their best" where I tried to explore some of the chars in the same setting being more well adjusted. I haven't gotten very far in it, but I am determined to get back to it this year! Also probably updated VGCP March: Did two short Kaito stories, an Oumota called "Playing with Phobias" where Kokichi messes with Kaito and a Saimota called "Luminary Hero of the Track Field" where Shuichi worries over Kaito's enthusiasm to sports while sick. April: Started what was MEANT to be a multi-chaptered Homestuck!V3 Kaito fic called "The Devotion of the Luminary of Skaia", but I haven't gone back yet to figure out what happens next yet. Thinking about it now, I think I was to make it a three chapter fic, but I just need to save some space to go back and outline it someday. VGCP? Maybe? May: A short Oumota piece called "Carnation: Please Handle Gently" that I got some awesome art commissioned for by the incredibly talented Ere. This short story inspired me so much that I'm actually basing a new original novel on the same concept~

June: I (believe) this was the month I finished Kaiden! An omegaverse original story I was writing and posting to Kindlevella. I am super proud of finishing that piece, and while I want to go back and create a more refined second draft before selling it as an Amazon book, I still LOVE this version as well. Very proud~ And VGCP!

July: Two Oumota short stories, "Touring Mortality" and "Execution Failed". Touring Mortality was especially fun to write, though I was amazed at the positive feedback Execution Failed got. It was very uplifting XD This was also the month I (re)started my original story "Pearls and Shackles". Also probably VGCP August: More Pearls and Shackles, more VGCP. September: Pearls and Shackles! Probably more VGCP! Can't remember! October: Can you guess? PEARLS AND SHACKLES! VIDEO GAME CRUELTY POTENTIAL!! November: This was a purely Pearls and Shackles month, and that was because I dedicated NANO (National Novel Writing Month) to finishing it. AND I DID! It super needs a second draft, its not ready to show off, but it EXISTS! So hell yeah!

December: A funny short V3 story called "Soulmate Goose of Enforcement!" I had a lot of fun collaborating with this one with Lex, and am hoping to do a chapter 2 with another great writer added to the mix too, Andromebaa. I also started the first two chapters of a new novel manuscript, a Hanahaki story about a pair of lesbians struggling with love in their own ways, but both trying their best! And, also, I updated "Video Game Cruelty Potential"

Did I overestimate how often I updated VGCP this year? Underestimate? I have no idea, that fic is almost 300,000 words long by this point, let's call an update every other month a generous average of how often I add to it. Other then VGCP, I did 8 Short Fanfics, finished a book, started and finished another book, and started a third book. And I'm not counting stories I had to write for my school year. Just ones I did out of the passion in my damn heart.

So, yeah! I'm pretty proud of this year, it was a good one. I hope anyone reading this had just as good a year! Writers, steal this idea, go looking back the year and brag about what you accomplished! You deserve it!

Have a good 2024 everyone!

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dustedmagazine · 11 months ago

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Ian Mathers’ 2023: J'suis fatiguée tu sais pas c'que j'suis fatiguée

a picture of Mandy, Indiana by Chris Hogge

It has been, if you’ll pardon the language, a stupid fucking year (or maybe it’s just, as Yo La Tengo correctly diagnosed, this stupid world). On any number of levels: for me, personally; in terms of international politics (although “stupid” is treating multiple ongoing genocides with a bit too much flippancy); the endless buffoonery of local politics; the people we’ve lost, even as the now pretty totally unchecked global progress of COVID thrashes peoples’ immune systems if not taking them out itself; and all of this means I barely have any energy these days to worry about our imminent environmental collapse (remember?). It’s been a grind, but as always music is one of the things that make life worthwhile, despite it all.

Even musically, I felt a bit adrift at times in 2023; one of my longstanding methods of music discovery, the esteemed group review site The Singles Jukebox, called it quits in 2022. And except for one last round of our traditional year-end Amnesty picks (where each writer gets to pick one song for coverage with none of the normal criteria for selection), that very much appeared to be that. And then a stray Discord comment late this year led to getting the band back together, and starting in late November the Jukebox has made a pretty amazing (temporary!) return. As always, that led to me encountering a ton of stuff I simply never would have heard of otherwise (and some new discoveries even slipped onto the lists below, just one more reason the practice most places have of running year end stuff early December makes me wince). It didn’t shift my existing favourites from 2023 much, nor did I expect it to, but it did make me feel like I had more context on the year as a whole, across more places and scenes and genres than I did before (but still incomplete, always incomplete).

This in turn feels tied to a change in my year-end list methodology. At this point I feel like I’m never going to settle on a consistent format forever and ever amen; different years pull different things out of me (both in terms of listening and in terms of sharing), and there’s also a bit of a pendulum-swing effect. For the past two years I’ve gone expansive, 40+ records, various other lists to get more things in. This was me chafing at (entirely self-imposed!) restrictions from years past, and it gave me a sense of freedom, even relief. I still stand by those lists (as much as I stand by any part of my past self). But this year looking at my account of what I’d listened to, realizing my shortlist was around 50 LPs and that if I was applying the kind of criteria I’d used recently I could easily include them all… I could feel myself wanting to go in the other direction. It took me a lot longer than I expected to pare that shortlist down to 20 albums (still an arbitrary number!), and I found the process oddly satisfying. Trying to decide what made those last couple of spots had me thinking harder about what I currently value and what my year has been like (and what my differing experiences with all these pieces of music were like) than I’d had to in a while.

Those longer lists have virtues this one doesn’t, of course; I have an even keener than normal feeling of leaving things out, of failing to adequately represent myself or music or… something. So while it’s true every year that there are records I loved that I don’t represent in any list, I feel the need to re-emphasize that truth here, specifically. Sometimes what made the cut over the days I spent putting this together surprised me; there are albums I wrote positive things about that I fully expected to be here that are hovering just out of sight in the 21-25 range. Some of them are represented in the accompanying list of songs that either don’t have albums or just stood out from their surroundings (and as last year I’ve tried to track down music videos, a form I still love, for all of those). From past experience, some of those standouts will wind up representing albums that, if I’d gotten more time with them this year, could have made it onto the main list. I also couldn’t let go of one of my secondary lists; I just really love EPs, and I wish more people made them (even if one of the entrants this year is long enough I’d normally consider it an album, if not for the band themselves dubbing it an EP).

As always these lists are alphabetical instead of ranked (and where I wrote about them, I’ve linked to it here); as I said, just narrowing them down was hard enough. I have no idea how to assess the relative merits of (say) L’Rain’s playfully, kaleidoscopically deep I Killed Your Dog versus a.s.o.’s self-titled, lush trip hop throwback versus the Drin’s gnomic, garage-bound bad vibes. They’re all great. But I did have two that felt like albums of my year, in different ways. The first of the National’s two 2023 records, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, was already a favourite when some of the personal stuff I alluded to above made me profoundly grateful that they’d put out this record, about mental health and the ends of things and mixed feelings, in this particular year (and then they put out a second record, which is not here because nobody gets to double dip, but it’s also good). I had a less specifically autobiographical resonance with Mandy, Indiana’s incredible debut i’ve seen a way but it did blow me away on purely sonic grounds in a way few bands have in the last decade or so. The greatness of that record to me is in more than just how stunningly different it felt the first few times I played it (although that was an experience I loved); as I said when I made their “Pinking Shears” my Amnesty pick for the Jukebox this year, it felt like a second miracle when the album did cohere into a set of songs that they wound up being some of my favourite songs of the year. Despite all the other ways I’ve been tired in 2023, it’s never been with music, and artists like the following (and the prospect of whatever I’ll encounter next year) are the reason why.

20 LPS

a.s.o. — a.s.o. (Low Lying Records)

ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT — “Darling the Dawn” (Constellation)

Avalon Emerson — & the Charm (Another Dove)

Brìghde Chaimbeul — Carry Them With Us (tak:til)

Carly Rae Jepsen — The Loveliest Time (Interscope)

Chappell Roan — The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (Island)

The Drin — Today My Friend You Drunk the Venom (Feel It)

Eluvium — (Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality (Temporary Residence Limited)

Ghost Marrow — earth + death (The Garotte)

The Hives — The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons (Disques Hives)

L’Rain — I Killed Your Dog (Mexican Summer)

Ladytron — Time’s Arrow (Cooking Vinyl)

Mandy, Indiana — i’ve seen a way (Fire Talk)

Mute Duo — Migrant Flocks (American Dreams)

The National — First Two Pages of Frankenstein (4AD)

Pearly Drops — A Little Disaster (Cascine)

Spanish Love Songs — No Joy (Pure Noise)

Tacoma Park — Tacoma Park (Self Released)

Tørrfall — Tørrfall (De Pene Inngang)

Yo La Tengo — This Stupid World (Matador)

5 EPS

Babygirl — Be Still My Heart (Sandlot)

Death of Heather — Forever (Big Romantic)

hkmori — forever (Self Released)

Tara Clerkin Trio — On the Turning Ground (World of Echo)

Weaklung — We Bring About Our Own Demise (Self Released)

20 MORE SONGS

100 gecs — “Hollywood Baby”

Blur — “Barbaric”

boygenius — “Not Strong Enough”

Caroline Polachek — “Dang”

Dua Lipa — “Houdini”

Eslabon Armado y Peso Pluma — "Ella Baila Sola"

Jiraya Uai & MC Tarapi — “Hoje Tem Rodeio, Baile De Favela”

Kesha — “Eat the Acid”

Lexie Liu — “delulu”

Maria BC — “Mercury”

Mitski — “My Love Mine All Mine”

Olivia Rodrigo — “bad idea right?”

Picastro — “Earthseed”

Raye ft. 070 Shake — “Escapism.”

Sho Madjozi — “Chale”

Tinashe — “Needs”

Tyla — “Water”

Troye Sivan — “Rush”

Victoria Monét — “On My Mama”

Water From Your Eyes — “Barley”

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muddyorbsblr · 2 years ago

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monthly wrap-up :: may 2023

Welcome to smth I’m gonna try this month: a wrap-up! I’ll be giving you all a lil recap of the fics I’ve read & written over the last month and hopefully this will get me to actually chip away at my TBR and get y’all on some non-Loki/Tom stories that I occasionally do read 🫡

Everything under the cut

Loki x Reader

Don't Be Shy by @lokisgoodgirl

The way that shy Loki being nervous about not satisfying Agent Y/N has me running around in circles in my living room I can't 🫠🫡

Hostile F*cks: Public Relations by @lokisgoodgirl

A perfect epilogue to this series that was a masterclass of holding your emotions hostage and giving the best payoff. And the fencing pants got a return cameo?? This had me giggling and squeeing and the second the fencing pants came out to play…running laps once again 🫠

An Interesting Theory by @infinitystoner

Completely obsessed with the dynamic between Loki & Reader in this piece. And the ending with Loki deciding that he needs more "data" to "confirm the hypothesis"? I see you, Mischief 😏🫠

The Prince is Dead by @lokisgoodgirl

The beginning had me all teary eyed and ready to fight; the end had me filled with hope and chortling at the tasteful dick joke. LGG really do be a master at holding our emotions hostage with a satisfying payoff at the end 🥹 I live in fear thinking what she could be capable of if she ups and decides to make a piece of just pure angst 😳👀

A Gentlemen's Agreement by @lokisgoodgirl

This had me having some good reminiscing moments of back when I was a Steve girly for a few months in 2015 and also deciding that Bucky's a second simp subject. Distant second, but a second nonetheless. The fact that there's even a second got me doing the Blinking Man at myself--

She is Beauty, She is Grace, She Will Stab You in the Face by @clandestineloki

The adorable dynamic between them when he caught her and saved her from tripping?? Her singing Hamilton without a care in the world? Their whole exchange in the jet after she offed 3 henchmen for hurting her mans?? I love them, your honor.

A Lesson on Behaving by @multifandom-worlds

Reader edging Loki and "suffering" the consequences? With a brief cameo from besties Nat & Wanda trying (and failing hilariously because Reader tried to go and get a snack) to hide her from said consequences? Sign me up and don't expect to be able to contact me for the next few hours because I need to recover from the smut 🥵🫠

Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Under Your Spell by @holdmytesseract

A Model AU where Reader's a photographer and she's been hired to do an underwear shoot for Calvin Klein…and Tom's tatted and pierced and--and--*melts on the spot* 🫠 Head empty all thots…that is all 😮‍💨

Bucky Barnes x Reader

shouldn't have gone by @imyourbratzdoll

This had me clutching at my heart going "why would he do this to Reader what the hell"…like no joke I needed a good few mins to start breathing right and not in the fun I just read toe curling smut way. I mean in the "If I try now I might start crying" way 🥲

Ari Levinson x Reader

Like a Broken Record by @howdoyousleep3

Ari with a plus size reader making her feel so empowered & beautiful in bed? The “I’m keeping you” vibe?! This had me 100% completely deceased when I read it while I was out doing groceries (bc y’all know me I should know better than to read smut in public but I never do and I might never will lol).

self-conscious ask by @imyourbratzdoll

This one hit me so close to home and honestly where can I get a boyfriend like this I would very much appreciate one 🥺💖

Give Me One More by @saiyanprincessswanie

This character + this trope = Ally dead in the water. Thank you and goodnight I am not available for comment at this time 🫡

Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Fall Kiss by @animnerd

Besties becoming lovers after months apart and having some fluffy wholesome fun on a pile of leaves before having their first kiss? Lemme melt in my spot real quick aaaaaa

Clark Kent/Superman x Reader

It Got Worse by @hannibals-favourite-meal

Clark being a soft lil simp for his fiance while her brother Bruce has a hilarious mix of "I'm happy their happy" and "Why did I ever set them up" is such an adorable dynamic and I need more 🥹

Loki x Reader

rules of conduct: the checkout queue

Thomas Sharpe x Reader

the final Lady Sharpe part 2: a risky endeavor

#rec list #monthly wrap-up

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kirchefuchs · 1 year ago

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(this is a long one lmao)

OKAY SO.

It was like 1am last night so I decided to sleep before sending this ahahahagsggs

ANYWAY

Regarding this wonderful reblog chain we had

(I don't know how and where to start ahahahahaaa)

hmmm. well, yk how I mentioned that The Eye of Michael (gasp. a rare instance where I don't forget a name??) took Stanley's voice? well, on the mask design I very much failed on, there was a clock (lmao TK reference) on the forehead part. originally, I wanted the mask to just be covering Stanley's mouth, because... duh. blud ain't got a voice no mo 😞✊ but anyway !!

(additional info: I took inspiration from a bunch of mask designs I found on Pinterest so it was very far from original)

the idea for the clock was for the ticking to be some sort of, uh, warning that he's nearby? like, just imagine finding yourself in an empty corridor, and all of a sudden, you hear a clock ticking in the distance. yeah, that's what I mean

(also I decided to change a bit of the backstory here. basically, The Narrator and Stanley are separate people. The Narrator was Some Dude™ who was in the middle of writing a story about—you guessed it—a man named Stanley. I already have his whole lore figured out but yk I'll cut it short for you so uhhhh blah blah blah The Eye of Michael finds him and encases him in a capsule where live wires that make him forget who he was before he became The Narrator are injected into his system. his voice is used as a way to trap and control Stanley—whose original identity/name was Jim (in this AU, at least)—and. yeah. The Narrator is trapped in a narrative facade whereas "Stanley" was the star of a lonely masquerade)

anyway, you can basically picture Stanley as wearing a full face mask or half of one, but either way, there's meant to be a clock somewhere and one of his eyes are meant to be covered in some sort of. uh. criss-cross threading technique. there's also the addition of some, uh, earphones? I think? they're not really that visible but uhh.. just think of them as the wireless ones, I dunno, I forgot what they're called, but anyway– Those are for The Narrator's voice. Just imagine a pair of. um. those things that help deaf people hear. wait.

HEARING AIDS. hearing aids, yes, uh, just imagine hearing aids, except that they're purposefully rigged to also provide a connection between The Narrator's voice and Stanley. It still functions like a normal pair of hearing aids, it just has the unfortunate annoyance of some angry British voice controlling Stanley's every move

As for the theme of his general outfit? I really wanted to make it fit the theme of the good ol "office worker" thing, so I had a little thought where Stanley pretends to be a tired worker at the start—wearing an ordinary face mask with the excuse of "trying not to breathe in the sand," as was written on a piece of paper (his lips/mouth is bruised as heck and the EoM did not want to take any more chances for instant suspicion), but during the times where Vash was alone, he'd (or, in this case, The Narrator would make him) wear his masquerade mask and put on some sort of blue (masquerade) outfit, with the cane that's totally not a sword/gun in disguise and all. With that being said, maybe the gang won't know his name until Wolfwood realizes who he is? I mean, Stanley can't talk, and. uh. sorry I'm going off-topic hahaa ahem anyway

maybe his title could be "The Masquerade"? not too sure but I like to think that he was trustworthy at first. anyway uhhhh that's about it! do whatever you wish with my two favorite brainrots :D and, sorry if I got a bit too-into the lore I made for him and The Narrator :')

— 🅰️non || Aug. 7 2023

This is gonna be a long one my guy....

🅰️non..... my dear beloved 🅰️non..... I don't know how to break this to you but the masquerade outfit, while a cool idea, is a flippin nightmare to try to translate into the Trigun universe. I tried so hard but it just want working.

Suffice it to say, venetian masquerade and space western do not mix

And it not for lack of trying! I have proof I tried!! The mask works, it's great! That's fine. But the clothes do not :(

I've got a lot of doodles here I gave up on cuz it just wasn't working. I kept having the problem where it either looked too pirate-y or too vampire-y, which is to be expected since masquerades were quite popular in the 18th century (the Golden Age of Piracy if I recall). And unfortunately, neither pirate nor vampire really scream "space cowboy times on desert planet"

Now.... this is an option....... and that is to forgo the masquerade outfit, the mask can stay, but I honest to goodness cannot make an outfit that works. So basically, my proposal for a solution would be to go with the aesthetic that pretty much every member of the Eye Of Michael has in 98 and Maximum. And that's the priest aesthetic.

You see, the Eye Of Michael has always been a religious group in universe, at the very least they pose as one. In reality they train orphans into mindess assassins, but they keep that church front. Hence why Wolfwood and Livio (and Chapel and the other EOM members in Maximum) have cross shaped guns. Also, fun fact Wolfwood was dubbed "The Punisher" because that was the name of his gun. I assume this would apply to Livio, and his guns are "Fangs" giving him the name "The Double Fang", and we know this applies to Razlo too, as he is "The Tri Punisher of Death" (you'd never guess, but he's got 3 Punishers :O).

Anyways, I did try drawing Stanley in the priest aesthetic, just to see if it worked. Make of it as you will.

I kinda imagine if we were to go this route, Stanley's cross would be a sniper rifle. He's already got a sort of stealth going for him, being mute and all, so I think it would fit. I could by no means draw said gun as I am only really good at drawing characters. But I can imagine the gun :')

Now, feel free to take my opinions and throw them in the trash if you don't like them, it's your character after all, it's up to you. But I do want to make it clear that I do love this idea so much and I wanna hear more of the story and how you think it would go. I'm curious if Stanley has a way to communicate back to the Narrator, because that could lead to some cool tandem character development. Like what if after Stanley starts wanting to break free of the Eye Of Michael, Vash agrees to help him free the Narrator as well. Since Stanley is mute, it could be cool if he communicated to the Narrator through his thoughts, so they would have to be on the same page for the escape plan to work. I mean, these are just my silly little ramblings, but this is all just to say that you've got a really good thing going here and I really wanna know more. I really hope my personal struggle with aesthetics doesn't bring you down, cuz I really truly love your idea here and I want it to work so badly.

But, yeah. I might end up drawing more at some point, cuz the idea is so cool and I just love all the story potential with Stanley being used by the Eye Of Michael like this. Anyways, I hope you have a good day, and sorry again for my inability to make the aesthetic work :')

#tspud #the stanley parable #tsp #ask #tsp narrator #tspud narrator #traditional art #tsp stanley #tspud stanley #trigun #trigun 98 #trigun 1998 #trigun stampede #tristamp #trimax #trigun maximum #kirche rambles #🅰️non

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danpuff-ao3 · 2 years ago

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I'm afraid to inform you all that Megs (@greenmegsnoham) is not a human person, but a m a c h i n e.

Just kidding, but you probably believed me for a second there. What Megs actually is is the pure personification of Virgo, running laps around the rest of us mere mortals.

This lady writes fic, records podfic, records a podcast, makes art, runs various Discord servers, runs various fandom fests, and somehow finds the time to read and comment?? She is super openminded and openhearted. She is encouraging to others. She is creative, hilarious, and helpful. All of this in fandom spaces alone, but she also has like...a real life?? Outside of this?? How, though?

And even though real life has been kicking her tail of late, she was still making stuff happen????

Not to mention, my first podcast I was featured on was because of Megs reaching out to me! And her presence in the same episode helped me stay calm and sane. We've done multiple episodes together on both Snape Chat and her own podcast, Care of Magical Shippers. She is such a blast to chat with, and listen to. And I have to credit her big time with me opening up to new opportunities and trying new things, however scary they were. And her always being such a rock through it all.

And I'm not the only person she's positively impacted. The communities she's built have been so important for so many people, making connections and building friendships and finding support and encouragement, from people all across the HP fandom. And other fandoms, now! Multi-shipper, multi-fandom, multi-talented QUEEN.)

Anyway, Megs is a big ole rockstar and I love her to death.

Fics

Exceeds Expectations

James/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 12,000. Underage. Crack treated seriously. Minor Jegulus. Minor Snegulus. Himbo James. Size difference. Enemies to lovers. Love/hate. Jealousy. Top/bottom stereotypes. Light dom/sub. Call Me Daddy Fest 2023.

No one understood.

Yes, James was tall, fit, and a Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He was handsome and extremely popular, it was just always the wrong sort of attention he desired. He knew he gave off those fuckboy vibes. One look at James, and he was clearly ready to pummel them into the ground. And that's precisely what he did, again and again, but it wasn't enough. It never would be. No one looked at James and thought, 'Damn, I'd love to wreck that arse.'

Once. Just once. Was that too much to bloody ask?!

James Potter just wants to be bred.

Wait For Me

Albus Severus/Draco. Rated: E. Words: 85,000. Underage. Unrequited love. Denial of feelings. Mutual pining. Slow burn. Time skips. Secret relationship. Drama & romance. Past relationships. Background relationships. Some Drarry, endgame Dralbus. Next Gen Fest 2022.

Draco had always believed that Harry had been the one that got away. His one great love—his best friend. He had tried to let go, to find that love in another. But he had failed. He'd accepted his fate—if he couldn't have Harry in that way, just having Harry in his life could be enough.

Despite his unrequited love, Draco’s life had changed for the better in so many ways. But nothing had changed him more than holding Harry's son in his arms—darling little Albus. That day, he became the most important person in the world to Draco.

Watching the boy grow into the brilliant and determined young man had been a treasure, as tumultuous as it was. Be it teenage angst or failed relationships, Draco had always been there to pick up the pieces for his boy.

Even when his feelings took a turn for the unexpected, Draco wouldn't trade their journey for the world.

Not when his great love had been there all along—waiting for him.

30 years of thirsty pining for a Potter.

Worship Thy Master

Tom/Abraxas. Tom/Avery. Tom/Mulciber. Tom/Lestrange. Tom/Nott. Tom/Rosier. Underage. Pillow princess Tom. Body worship. Denial of feelings. Slither In Fest 2022.

It's their last year at Hogwarts, and everyone is tense about passing their N.E.W.T.s. Tom isn't, and he has an excellent idea as to how he can help his fellow year mates destress.

Tom gets ALLS the dick and refuses to fall in love. Because he's Tom.

Podcast

Care of Magical Shippers (Host)

Ep. 13 | Snotterly (James/Lily/Severus)

Ep 30 | Fleurmione (Fleur/Hermione)

Ep 35 | Snaco (Draco/Severus)

Snape Chat (Guest)

Ep 5 | Cokeworth

Ep 7 | Snape Lives!

ProtegoCast (Guest)

S3E3 | Vegan Dating and Relationships

Podfics

For You

written by bisexualronaldweasley, narrated by Megs. Draco/Harry. Rated: T. Length: 2 minutes. Angst. Hurt/comfort. Loneliness. Blood & injury.

It was the stack of newspapers shoved against the front door. It was the stove, cold and forgotten. It was the creaks of the old house. It was the unused Floo powder, sitting in jars on the mantle. It was the Owls that took off every day and never returned with replies.

One week without him, and you were ruined.

Don't Fuck With Florists (They'll Fuck You Up)

written by MayMarlow, narrated by Megs. Harry/Tom. Rated: T. WIP. Time travel. Fix it fic.

Unsatisfied with his post-war life, Harry decides to get to the root of all of his problems when that root was still working at Borgin and Burkes shop in the late 40s. He’s the Master of Death, damn it, he can do what he wants for once in his life.

Tom Riddle isn’t particularly happy about working at a small, dingy shop for magical artefacts, no matter how interesting those artefacts are. He’s even less happy when an insufferable stranger sets up the most obnoxious flower shop right across the street.

What follows would be a romantic comedy, if it weren’t for politics.

for an explanation about Mutuals March, or to figure out why i wrote you a thing, please check out this post.

#mutuals march #greenmegsnoham #fandom friends #megs is the best

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nym-wibbly · 3 months ago

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AI, Oh My

I've been using the generative-AI-free Ellipsus for failing at writing for the past few days. Using it to keeping track of notes about the long fanfics I've been sampling to help me write feedback, too. So far I love it to pieces. I love the clean interface. I love that it's in my browser like Google Docs but isn't Google Docs. It's really nice to create text away from that constant push to incorporate generative-AI into the process somehow. Or to click the annoying, distracting thing that sits in the corner of my vision that wants me to pay for an upgrade to some AI feature I didn't want in the first place, and wouldn't save me time or effort if I did. (Grammarly. Just fucking stop and tell me when I use a comma wrong or double a word, okay?)

I did play with AI writing tools while I was ill last year, mainly to pass the time and get up to date with what all the fuss and controversy was about. I squirted a simple 2000-word fanfic I wrote in the 1990s into each one and played to see what the various tools could do with it. Then I tried to get them to generate a similar piece from scratch using prompts. The whole unethical, 'this model was trained on everything we ever put on AO3, wasn't it?' aspect quickly became glaringly apparent once I introduced the subject of fanfiction - or even just asked a factual question about a character from a TV show. (ChatGPT totally 'ships the Thirteenth Doctor with Yaz, a 'ship which must've been at its peak AO3 output when all that data was hoovered up.)

Sudowrite came the closest to being able to do what I need from an automated writing assistant, which is to help me keep track of a long piece by creating and updating a beat sheet and character profiles as I go, or to generate an accurate set of chapter summaries from a giant dollop of existing text. None of these tools can handle a million word epic without going into a death-spiral of confusion and spouting nonsense. None of them can, yet, follow a lengthy or detailed plot well enough to help me re-remember things when I need to. ChatGPT could manage quite large chunks of text for a while in early 2023, then it went downhill fast, started limiting input hard, and started making shit up instead of summarising what text I fed it. I swear to god that thing got incrementally less useful as it got upgraded and as features were added. Nothing else I've tried even felt remotely useful to a writer of fiction, but getting to know the various options did train me to spot and avoid AI-generated articles at two hundred paces, even just from the title or headline much of the time, which has to be a good thing.

I don't want writing done for me, not ever, but if tech can someday help with the remembering-plot-things and keeping-character-things-organised, that would be spiffing. If I could someday rely on it to go, "Whoa, girl, you just contradicted line 23 of chapter 19 with [insert offending text and line number here], at a level of detail that it'd be unreaonable to expect a beta reader to spot in a spread-out WIP, I'd actually pay a lot of money. I want help managing what I write and coping with my cognitive disabilities so I can keep writing stories that are too big for my brain to hold in one dollop. We ain't there yet, but maybe, one day? If we can ever get past the ethics of training the models on other people's data in the first place, and the environmental impact of using these tools at all?

Sudowrite is nowhere near being able to do this for a long story, yet. And the free version is plenty if I just want a quck summary of the story's vibe, tropes, or themes for reference. That I do find useful for clarity, because condensing ideas and summarising fiction is not something I'm good at doing myself. I think Sudowrite might, eventually, be able to help me understand how I write.

So far, so underwhelmed.

#technology created to solve the problems created by earlier technology #fanfic writer problems

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yuriko-mukami · 1 year ago

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The Eternal Flame and Blood

The Wedding Ceremony at Kozima Inari Shrine, April 23rd 2023

Yuriko had visited this pavilion only once; when she and Ruki had checked out the place with her great-grandfather, Kozima Kenjo, a few weeks ago. Yet, now it looked totally different in her eyes. The red of the pillars was brighter and the wooden floor sang under her feet as they walked toward the altar table on which were spread out three sake cups, a candle, a bowl, and a piece of paper along with two tiny boxes.

Even with the ancient court music playing in the background, Yuriko could hear the shrine maidens and masters, and guests behind them, but there was no way she could have peeked around with her wedding cap that blocked everything other than the front view.

Which was a good thing. For Yuriko would have probably fainted if she had seen the faces of everyone right now.

Had the air been this heavy during the last visit? Yuriko couldn’t tell. Her heart was bouncing faster with each step. Was it possible to mess up your own wedding? The ceremony would have so many different parts, and with some of them, she would need to use her kitsune skills accordingly. Of course, she had practiced, but would that be enough? She couldn’t fail Ruki now, not on this important day of their lives.

As the couple stopped in front of the table, Yuriko tried her best to smile at the man before them. Looked like he was in his fifties, but she knew he was about 200 years older. Kenjo nodded to his white-haired head with red strikes to his great-granddaughter and her fiancé.

Fiancé. Soon-to-be husband. Yuriko played with the words in her head.

Kenjo’s face was unreadable. Yuriko remembered their first meeting clearly. Never had she thought she would have living relatives in Kaminashi City until her brother Yuuto had told her. Now, she had gotten back her great-grandparents but also three cousins who would be attending the wedding too.

For Yuriko, Kenjo seemed like a father figure. Gentle and wise but a bit old-fashioned and tired of the world. But today the man had straightened his spine, wearing the priest outfit and radiating the aura of authority around him. As Yuriko reminisced about the past months she realized that the man had already spoken the welcoming words. Blinking, she tried to focus. No time to linger with the past, since this was the definitive moment for Ruki and her.

Clearing his throat, Kenjo began to speak, not to the couple but to someone else. Yet, this was not a surprise, because Yuriko had witnessed the same thing also at Yuuto’s wedding with Nalia. Kenjo’s words echoed in the pavilion with a strong, almost magical vibe that captured Yuriko’s attention once and for all.

“...your blessing for this couple on this day. They wish to join their hearts along with the flame and blood under your blessing arms.”

A brief wind brushed through the pavilion, making the corners of the tablecloth dance as a tall figure appeared behind Kenjo. Not quite visible and still very much so with hair longer it was possible to imagine and kimono with a complex embroilment on it. The being was ethereal and their presence filled every corner of the room, slithering its way into Yuriko’s very heart as well. She couldn’t help but bow her head in front of this divine being who honored her wedding by appearing.

It would have been possible that the kami wouldn’t have shown up, for all the vampires we have here… The corners of Yuriko’s mouth curled up. The kami’s presence was a good omen for the wedding, right?

There were rustling and quiet gasps behind the couple. Again, Yuriko couldn’t peek but she could easily guess that not everyone in the room would be used to the otherworldly energy that filled the space. She wasn’t either but at least she had experienced this a few times already.

Squeezing Ruki’s hand, Yuriko tried to steady her jumping heart but kept her gaze on the kami.

“For my child has come with her loved one beside her, wishing to join their hearts, I give my blessing to them.” The kami’s words vibrated in the air… or maybe they spoke directly into everyone’s minds. Yuriko honestly couldn’t say but she knew it wasn’t only her ears that received the message.

“With this, the bond between a Kitsune and a Vampire is strong. Her flame will burn brightly for both of them, and their shared blood will tie them together,” Kenjo continued with a smile. As the kami faded invisible without losing the feel of presence, he kept talking. “For confirming the blessing, the bride and groom will now drink the blessed sake that ties their destinies together.”

Behind Kenjo, a shrine maiden arrived, carrying a sake bottle. The room stayed quiet as she poured the liquid into one cup only, handing it to Ruki with a bow. While Ruki sipped three times, Yuriko curled her fingers against her palms and opened them again. A way too soon, it was her turn.

One cup, three sips. As simple as that, yet Yuriko almost couldn’t stop her hands from trembling. It took a while before she was able to lift the cup on her lips and take the sips. The soft taste of the alcohol embraced her tongue, sending a sense of security and peace through her cells. Suddenly it was easier to breathe as if the sake had magically soothed her heart and mind.

Two more times the same was repeated. Each time, Yuriko felt how warmth spread through her, swaying her into mushiness that eased the tenseness from her muscles and made her spirit sparkle. The love she had gathered in her heart was growing more still, filling her from the tip of her head to her tiny toes.

“The couple has been blessed with the sake too. It’s time for the candle and blood. With them, the tie between the couple will last forever.” Yuriko had difficulties keeping at the pace of Kenjo’s words, but the meaning sank slowly into her head. “Please, rise.”

With slightly shaky legs, Yuriko stood up and turned to look at the table and the candle that was waiting for her. But even though she could feel the inner quivering, at the same time she was oddly calm as she reached her hands and took the candle between her palms, placing in it front of her chest.

Closing her eyes, Yuriko breathed steadily. She had practiced this, melting several candles in the kitchen of the Mukami manor until she had finally mastered the right amount of heat and the correct size of the flame.

Seeking her inner fox, Yuriko focused. Tingling ran through her body but she let it be, for she wished for something else. The fire that seared in her very being. Calling it towards her hands, Yuriko opened her eyes. Pushing all her concentration into her palms she guided the tiny flaring into the candle, to its heart. With a sizzling sound, it kindled as the blue-shaded flame appeared.

Bless our marriage and give us happiness. I’m sharing my soul with the love of my life and wish to grant him bliss and stay by his side as long as I’ll walk on this earth. With her prayer, Yuriko lifted her gaze and met the eyes that always caught her in their storm. Yet this time the storm had settled and clouds sailed away, revealing the ocean-deep glimmering blue.

Holding out the candle, Yuriko waited. Would Ruki accept it and show his willingness for this union?

But was that really a question? Yuriko already knew Ruki wouldn’t leave her, no matter what. He had made it very clear many times, starting with the day when Yuriko had finally agreed to give him her blood without fighting back.

And without a sign of hesitation, Ruki accepted the candle. He moved it to the candle holder on the table, bowing together with Yuriko right after.

“Ahem… And now follows the final part of the heart-tying ritual.” Yuriko noticed a slight edge of Kenjo’s voice. It had also been there when she had talked about the wedding with her great-grandparents. While they both had finally come to accept her reasoning, they probably weren’t happy with her decision.

But this was something unnegotiable. The marriage with a Vampire couldn’t start without the ritual made for them. So, without questioning it, Yuriko had agreed to add this part to the Kitsune ritual… even though it had stirred trouble with the family.

Ruki nodded at Kenjo before taking Yuriko’s hand. He lifted her arm, pushing the kimono sleeve down at the same time. For once, there weren’t any bite marks on the skin that was revealed. Yuriko was probably more unblemished than she had been in the whole past year.

Picking up the bowl from the table, Ruki smiled. Yuriko locked her gaze with his as he raised her wrist to his mouth, sinking his fangs through her skin ever-so-gently. Even with such a careful bite, Yuriko gasped slightly. The pain was not unfamiliar, for the very same fangs had pierced her over and over again, but this time the pleasure that followed was painted also with a bliss of knowing how important that bite was for the rest of their lives.

My blood…

Ruki turned Yuriko’s arm a little, letting the blood drip into the bowl. Just a few seconds later, he licked over the fresh wound, closing it but leaving the mark of their bond. Yuriko couldn’t help her shivering as she felt the cool tongue sliding over her skin before Ruki handed the bowl to her.

Now it was the time for the other task Yuriko had practiced over and over again. Yet doing this in front of everyone, made her tremble inwardly. She closed her eyes, focusing on her center.

Teeth… She needed to allow her fox teeth to surface.

Calling again her inner fox, Yuriko concentrated. Only the teeth, nothing else. Focusing… focusing… She could feel a slight ache in her mouth. Her canines stretched and sharpened slowly until they were beastly enough to break through thick vampire skin. She opened her eyes, taking Ruki’s arm and lifting it. She moved his sleeve aside, revealing the skin she had never dared to bite like this.

There was the first time for everything. This would be the first, the last and the most important bite mark Yuriko would ever leave on Ruki’s skin.

Warmth ran up Yuriko’s cheeks when she laid her lips on the cool skin, feeling how Ruki tensed. Slowly she opened her mouth and touched the barely visible vein with the tips of her canines. She could hear all too clearly the gripe of skin breaking as she sank her teeth through. Metallic stickiness hit her tongue, numbing everything else for a moment.

His blood…

The liquid of undead life rushed into Yuriko’s mouth. Hastily, she pulled back and set the bowl under the gash, letting the blood drip into it before the wound closed itself, the bite mark slowly disappearing. Yuriko let Ruki’s wrist go and held the bowl in front of her heart, lifting her gaze and meeting unreadable ocean eyes.

Ruki settled his hands over Yuriko’s, frowning as it was his turn to focus. Like he couldn’t have lit the candle for them, Yuriko wasn’t able to use vampiric magic that set the blood on fire. As the black flames started to dance in the bowl, her heart jumped. Ruki had done it!

I’ve never actually drunk blood… Yuriko eyed the bowl. Their combined doze of the life’s elixir looked almost black now and wafted an odd scent of the Vampire and the Kitsune to her nose. Ruki lifted the bowl as they held it together and pushed it toward her. There was only one way to go; Yuriko parted her lips, allowing the blood to flow into her mouth.

Warm. Sticky. Metallic. Not truly tasty at all.

But Yuriko swallowed every drop that met her tongue without complaints, licking even the last driblets from her lips as shivers speeded down her spine.

The taste didn’t leave Yuriko’s mouth but she raised the bowl now for Ruki, pouring the other half of the mixed blood onto his tongue. His eyes narrowed for a moment in distaste. But he said nothing and swallowed. The tip of his tongue glided over his lips in a manner that was familiar to Yuriko. How many times she had witnessed this gesture already?

It mattered not.

Something sparkled in Yuriko. The blood settled in her, giving her a part of Ruki, binding them together even stronger than before. Yuriko wasn’t able to see it but it was almost like she could feel how the red thread of fate grew from her heart towards Ruki, tying them both with an everlasting bond.

Yuriko lowered the bowl to the table.

The sake. The candle. The blood.

Three bonds for the three parts of them: human, Kitsune, and Vampire. All that tied into a knot that probably even the kami couldn’t pull apart anymore.

As if knowing Yuriko’s thoughts, Kenjo coughed. “The bride and groom have now tied their hearts with the sake, flame, and blood. Now, it’s time for the vow.”

Ruki nodded, picking up the paper on the table, staying silent for a moment.

“On this great day, before the Okami, we are sincerely thankful for this ceremony. Going forward, we will love each other, trust one another, share the good times and the bad, and swear that this will stay unchanged throughout our lifetime. In Kaminashi City year 2023 April 23rd.” Ruki’s voice was clear and steady as he looked at Yuriko. “Husband.”

“Wife.” Yuriko smiled.

Returning Yuriko’s affection, Ruki put the paper back on the table. A shrine maiden stepped closer, handing two branches with green leaves to the couple. Taking the branch assigned to her, Yuriko lifted it in front of her head and leaned her forehead on it.

Let us have a happy life and see many times to come and go. Let us walk together endlessly and love each other eternally. Yuriko put the branch on the table and bowed at the same time as Ruki, wondering if he had said his prayers too. She knew he didn’t believe in these matters but with a kami standing in the same space with them… Perhaps, perhaps even Ruki had to believe in that. Yuriko clapped her hands twice and bowed again, hearing Ruki doing the same.

“And now, the couple will continue with their personal vows,” Kenjo said.

Were Ruki’s hands trembling? Maybe Yuriko imagined it since she could feel the quivering raising in her again as their gazes connected and Ruki linked their fingers, his thumbs rubbing her knuckles.

“Yuriko, my angel. A few days ago you said something to me that made me think. Something that makes me see things differently. It took me a while to understand the deeper meaning of your words. But now everything is so clear…” Ruki squeezed Yuriko’s hands slightly. “Before we met, I was a stubborn iceberg whose immortal life had no meaning or significance. Unable to harbor any romantic feelings, I wandered around like a ghost. Plagued by boredom, hoping to kill some time by reading, I forced myself into the school library on that fateful day. Again and again, I went through each shelf. At first, it looked as if there would be nothing suitable for me there. Disappointed and lost in thoughts, I stared at the spines of books. But then I suddenly found it.”

Ruki stopped for a moment and swallowed. “The book that completely captivated me. That book changed everything. The book that gave my life meaning and significance.” He grinned with a tiny chuckle. “Heh, this book literally stumbled into me.”

With a serious look in his eyes again, Ruki continued to speak. “Blinded by my dark past, I couldn't initially see the beauty of this masterpiece. Only the intoxicating fragrance of the fragile-looking tome caught my attention. Curious, I decided to give this piece of writing a chance, opened it, and began to read. I discovered that the story wasn't complete. Empty pages that wanted to be written jumped at me. Over and over again I stared at the blank paper and wondered what was missing here…” He took a deep breath. “While I was doing this, I unwantedly got into unpleasant situations that made me constantly lose my composure. Never before had anything like this happened to me. And never before had I questioned myself over a seemingly meaningless nothingness. Though it was neither nothingness nor meaningless.”

Again, Ruki swallowed, making Yuriko repeat the gesture.

“It took me a while to understand. When I finally opened my eyes and looked properly, I could suddenly see everything clearly. This book was the story of my life and it had just begun.” Ruki offered a smile. “Together with you, I will write on the blank pages and tell my story—”

Shaking his head, Ruki took a moment before continuing. “No. Our story.” He cleared his throat. “Yuriko, this book, this precious treasure... It is you. Without a doubt, my favorite. My great love. My fate.”

A silence. Ruki closed his eyes for a moment, then blinked, yet Yuriko was still able to see the glimmering in his eyes. She couldn’t help but flutter her eyes as the corners of her eyes began to burn at the same time as her lips curled into a smile.

“I have to remind myself to breathe — almost to remind my heart to beat. Would I breathe and my heart beat, those would be the words I'd utter every time I drown in your eyes.” Once more, Ruki’s Adam’s apple went up and down. “Existence, after losing her, would be hell. You are the air I need to breathe. Without you, I'm suffocating. I can no longer imagine my life without you.”

Letting go of one of Yuriko’s hands, Ruki wiped the tears. “You are my heart, my life, my one and only thought. You are my light in the dark. The one who saved me. To me, you are the most precious existence of anyone or anything.” Pausing for a little while, Ruki blinked. “You are my very own Yuriko.” He took her both hands again and smiled. “I vow to make you happy. I vow to work on myself and to be the husband you deserve. I vow to love you unconditionally and cherish you. For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, I vow that I will stay by your side.”

Squeezing Yuriko’s hands, Ruki quoted: “Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love.” He made another pause to wipe away the tears. “No matter what... My love for you will never change. Let's be together all times and live by each other's side. Let's fill the blank pages of the book together.” He brushed Yuriko’s cheek. “Yuriko. It was you. From the very first moment. And it was and will always be you. My very own. Forever. I love you, my angel. From the bottom of my heart.”

The silence lingered in the ceremony room for a while as Yuriko gathered herself. She linked her fingers in between Ruki’s, locking her gaze with his. She had practiced these words already so many times, yet she couldn’t completely hide the trembling in her voice.

“Ruki… I… I… when we met, I didn’t imagine this moment. My days were dark, I was running in a labyrinth without a way out. Honestly, I don’t even know if I was looking for one anymore. More than living my life, I seek another from the realm of literature. And then I stumbled on you.” Gasping slightly, Yuriko took a moment before she could continue. “I can’t say our beginning was easy. It wasn’t a soft and sparkling story, nothing like sweet romances but something almost ominous. Yet… the first time in ages, I was needed by someone. Even if it had been only because of my blood, I knew that it was better than being ignored, a forgotten tool in the back of the toolbox. Even just for that, I was ready to take your offer.”

Squeezing with her fingers, Yuriko leaned a bit closer. If only she could have written her wow as well as Ruki had done but she wasn’t that skillful with choosing the right words.

“But you promised me the new world and your love,” Yuriko continued. “Slowly, by pulling me into your darkness you showed me the light. Or perhaps… we found it together. It was always in you, deeply hidden, but still there. It might be that it was in me as well, buried down with shadows of my heart. How I see it… we needed each other to kindle that light once more.” Hot rivulets ran down Yuriko’s cheeks but she didn’t bother to fight them. “And ever since that flame of our light has only grown stronger. I can see it whenever I look into your eyes. I can feel it every time you take my hand in yours. With every gaze, every touch, every spoken word pull our hearts closer and there are times when I don’t know where I end and you begin. That will be even truer from this day on, for today we have tied our hearts and destinies with an eternal bond of flame and blood.”

Yuriko bored her gaze into the storm of Ruki’s eyes. “With this tie, I belong to you in every possible way, I’ve become fully yours and wish nothing more than to stay like this. For you changed everything and showed me the true meaning of love. Ruki, you set me free. Finally, I can be who I was always supposed to be. With you.”

Shifting a little, Yuriko cleared her throat. “I wish to love and support you always. In good or worse, in rain and shine, no matter what the world offers us, I wish to face it together with you. For you are the piece that made me complete.” She leaned in and lifted her hands, touching Ruki’s cheeks and wiping his tears away before retaking his hands. “Ruki, I am forever yours. I love you. With the flame of tenderness and searing passion. Eternally.”

When Yuriko stopped talking, Ruki’s hands left hers only to reach for her face. The cold fingertips slid on her cheeks as he tried to dry the tears, yet glimmering was already pooling in his eyes too.

“Yuriko…” Ruki coughed. “And I am yours. Forever. Let’s keep the flame burning together.” He smiled. “Our eternal flame.”

“Our eternal flame.” A mere quivering whisper but it didn’t matter for Yuriko knew Ruki was able to hear her words.

Ruki caressed Yuriko’s cheekbones with his thumbs for a little while before reaching for a tiny pillow. Faint light sparkled from the white gold and diamond that was placed between two lilies. “This ring has no beginning and no end. No matter how many times you spin it, it's endless. Like my love for you. I will give you this ring as a sign of my affection and devotion to you.” He took Yuriko’s hand in his and slowly pushed the piece of jewelry on her finger. “My very own wife.”

“Your very own…” Yuriko picked up another ring. “Umh... as you said... The ring has no end or beginning. It is eternal and endless. We are different, very much so... but we are also the same. So, my love for you is also endless. And I will give this ring to you as a sign of my promise, my wishes, and my devotion to you.”

Taking Ruki’s hand, Yuriko pushed the simple white gold ring on his finger. “The love of my life. My husband.” Still holding him, Yuriko smiled until a cough poked her ears, making her cheeks flare. Hastily, she turned together with Ruki, bowing to end this part of the ceremony.

“Congratulations.” Yuriko’s great-grandfather offered the couple a tiny smile. “You have now tied your hearts alongside the flame and blood. Now, we all shall drink the sacred sake to bless this matrimony again.”

“Thank you, Kozima-sama.” Ruki’s words made Yuriko glance at him since they weren’t supposed to talk right now. “I sincerely apologize for the following rudeness. But I have to do this…”

Ruki turned his eyes to Yuriko. The storm was gone and replaced with something Yuriko could only call the blue flame that burned deep within her.

“My angel…” Ruki cupped Yuriko’s cheeks and leaned in. As his lips met hers, she gasped against them. She curled her fingers around his wrists, holding him while catching his bottom lip into a tender smooch. She could hear distant wheezing but also clapping, all the sounds that didn’t belong at this moment, yet they fit perfectly.

“That’s the fuckin’ spirit!”

“Ruki! You wolf!”

“Ruki… just broke… the rules… for real…”

“Cool! I said he is cool!” Yuriko’s cousin’s voice bounced through the air on top of everyone else. “Ouch! Don’t kick me, Toshi-nii!”

Not minding the reaction of the others in the least, Ruki brushed Yuriko’s cheeks while enjoying the moment. His fangs grazed her soft petals, not breaking them, only teasing sweetly.

“I love you.” A vibrating whisper stumbled on Yuriko’s tongue from Ruki’s lips, making her giggle.

“And I love you.” She finally let his wrist go at the same moment he released her from this tormenting prison of smooching. Yet, she wished to be imprisoned right in this instant again.

“We can continue.” Ruki chuckled, gazing at Yuriko’s great-grandfather again. As Yuriko peeked at the man she couldn’t tell if he was mad or impressed. With a stiff nod, he went on as if nothing at all had just happened but the rest of the ceremony blurred in Yuriko’s mind for she was hazy from the kiss, from the sake… from everything else. Perhaps from the simple fact that now she truly was fully Ruki’s.

Eternally.

The edit is made by me with help from @eri-talks. Thank you so much!

The story is based on a private wedding RP with @ruki-mukami-dl. Gosh, that was such a beautiful day. I cried a lot, and now again when I read this final time before publishing it. Thank you, honey, for this wonderful and meaningful moment. I will never forget it.

#ruki mukami #diabolik lovers #diabolik lovers fanfic #yuriko mukami #diabolik oc #rukiko #rukiko wedding #ruki mukami dl #rukiko arts

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starres-stuff · 1 year ago

Text

FFXIV Writes 2023 | Day 6 | Ring

TW: Survivor's Guilt, Self-Destructive Tendencies, Alcoholism, Trauma Symptoms

--Back home after the events in Garlemald, Dimitri tries to cope with the loss of his friends.

“Last person I ever expected to see here.” a voice murmured from behind Dimitri, he turned his head the alcohol in his system making everything in front of him including the face of the person speaking to him blurry.

“What’s it to you.” he slurred, then sloshed more of his drink past his lips. The low lights and the warble of voices coming from the stage made his ears ring. It was an annoying sound, this low hum that just seemed to go on and with no way to drown it out.

“Hey I’m not looking for trouble, I noticed you sitting here alone Professor, and I came over to say hello. I’ll leave you be if you need it.” Somewhere in his fog, Dimitri managed to piece together who he was talking to. It was one of the custodians from the Studium that was responsible for cleaning up after the hordes of students that moved through the halls every day and like anything else on Sharlayan it had a standard of how it should look at the end of the day.

“Jeozoix Traiberuet” he suddenly heard himself say, that ringing was just getting louder now, the guitars on the stage aggravating him far more than he expected they would. “That’s your name, I remember meeting you on my first day at work. They told me after that you were quite the flirt and I should watch myself around you.” The blurriness seemed to clear after a few times blinking his eyes, his long ruby lashes seeming to flutter as if he was flirting himself. The truth was that Jeozoix was an attractive man, far more than some of the others he saw around the school, but he was also very open about his preferences for a partner, something that Dimitri could not risk with his Father’s stance on the matter.

“How have you been Professor?” Jeozoix seemed concerned, he even pulled down a chair and turned it around, then straddled the seat, leaving his arm to wrap around the front of it and rest on the table. “Haven’t seen you back at school since you went to Garlemald. Heard you had a tough time of it there. People have been talking about what happened, and I don’t want to pry but..” He trailed off then, raking his free hand through the short crop of black hair and settling his purple eyes on Dimitri’s face. “Wanted to give you someone you could talk to, if you needed it.”

This had been Dimitri’s life since he had gotten home from Garlemald. If it was his parents dreaming up some form of activity to help him stay busy, it was random strangers he barely knew asking him how he was. It had gotten to the point that he would much rather lay in his bed for days on end with the covers over his head. At least sleeping took away the ache he felt, unless the nightmares came again. Which they did over and over again to remind him how he had failed his friends and caused their deaths. He was in a rough place, far rougher than he admitted he was and the more these people asked what they could do for him the more he descended into the pits of the Hells he didn’t even believe in.

“I am fine.” He would eventually say for the one-hundredth time that day, he had started keeping count of just how many times he was asked the same question “The wounds are healing nicely now, they think the stitches can come out soon. A lovely memorial service has been planned for those we lost.” At times it startled him how robotic he sounded, the lack of emotion appeared one day after he tried to ring Saewara’s linkpearl for a chat only to realize she wasn’t there to answer it and she never would be there to answer it again. It was the same day that the ringing in his ears started and he was ushered off yet again to see the Medic. The physical had been fine, but later he overheard his Mother talking with the one Dimitri had seen about the symptoms of trauma and the types of teas or potions to give him to help him cope with what was happening to him.

“Dimitri, most of us down here know you aren’t fine.” He motioned around to the noisy makeshift tavern that popped up here and there along the dock when the City itself was sleeping. It was run by those who sought a new future for Old Sharlayan, who didn’t agree with the scrubbed version of life that those in the City itself lived. “You never came here before, you were one of the pure as we call your sort. You believed in the Sharlayan vision vehemently, and you defended the Forums' decisions for fuck sake, but here we are and most important here you are. None of us were alright when we found this place.”

Sloshing more of the bourbon he was drinking into the glass that was now empty, Dimitri found himself looking into Jeozoix’s eyes, he could see the sympathy there, the pity and it made his stomach tighten just like it had the morning after the attack. He didn’t deserve sympathy, he was a murderer after all! No, he didn’t hold the knife that took his friends from him, but he paved the path to their door through the snow and laid down the welcome mat for the tragedy to occur. “You're right I’m not fine, but I’m just not reading to talk about Jeozoix. Four of those we lost were my best friends from the summer of our sixth cycle. We were inseparable. They have always just been part of my life and now they aren’t.”

As he spoke of them, Dimitri felt his throat go dry despite drinking, and the room before him began to spin. He could feel the anxiety rise in his chest, and the desire to run pour through his limbs. What was worse was the ringing in his ears had gotten louder than it had ever been before and for a moment he thought he was about to get the ending he had begged for since he found out he was the only one who remained, the survivor who had no business still being here.

“Hey.” Jeozoix’s hand reached out to touch Dimitri’s arm. “Maybe we should get you out of here, You are looking rather pale and you are shaking in your seat. When was the last time you ate? Come on, I’ll buy you a burger or something, I know a place where the food is good if you don’t mind the grease.” It seemed like he really cared, at least in Dimitri’s drunken stupor he did, and before he realized what he was even doing he said “Yeah sure let’s go get something to eat. I’m hungry.”

Rising from his seat then, and practically falling right back into it as the ringing became louder and louder feeding the dizziness he already felt and increasing its hold on him. “I think I’m going to come back here and sing one night.” He chuckled as he felt Jeozoix’s arm go around him to hold him up. He must have been worse than he thought he was because the arm helped him to feel his legs under him.

“A lot of us do. A good way to get things out singing. Might want to be careful, next time the person who finds you sitting alone at a table having a drink might not be someone who actually has your best interests at heart.” Carefully Jeozoix led him away from the area at a slow pace and down the pier they began to walk, Dimitri trying with all he had in him not to fall over his own two feet.

“I have no best interests left, I don’t even know what to do with myself now. Hey, we should go back and get the bottle. I paid for the whole thing and I need it.” he tried to turn but Jeozoix just tightened his arm and shook his head. “No, Dimitri, you don’t need it. What you need is food and sleep. Let the bottle go, for now, there is nothing good at the bottom of it. It just dulls the pain for a little while, trust me. Once it wears off it is worse than it was before.”

Eventually, the redhead gave in and just flowed with the pace that Jeozoix set as they moved down the Pier. Somewhere in the fog, he heard the other Elezen talking on his linkpearl to someone and eventually, he found himself right in front of his house with his Sister, Patience waiting outside. “Hey, you tricked me.” His voice was shrill and sharp, another telltale sign of how drunk he was. No one answered his protest and before long he was helped inside, the all too familiar surroundings looming over him. For now, despite being angry. Dimitri was safe.

#ffxivwrite2023 #my writing #ffxiv rp #can contain spoilers #dimitri stories

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