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secretlywritingstories · 3 years

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all that kindred eyes can see | Phan teachers AU

Prompt: Dan and Phil are teachers at the same school in a secret relationship. Everything else is up to you. Can end with a relationship reveal but doesn’t have to.

Summary: Teachers Dan and Phil figure that they could quite easily keep their relationship secret while working at the same school. It's only for half a year after all. But the keen eyes of a trio of friends soon start to pick up on little hints and clues. It's a good thing the students mostly just want to admire their love and figure themselves out along the way.

Word count: 16.6k

Tags: Teachers AU, secret relationship, LGBTQ+ themes, partly outsider POV

A/N: Written for @phandomficfests holiday fic exchange for slg05 whom I unfortunately don’t know the tumblr of. This is a fic I could never imagine writing but when I got that prompt something just set off in my head. This fic felt slightly out of my comfort zone but I still wanted to make it come to life as best I could.

Read on AO3 or below

Dan wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to apply for the temporary position that opened up at Phil’s school. It was a good opportunity, a chance to get some actual teaching experience under his skin but it was also scary.

Phil wouldn’t hear of Dan not trying for the position. He had gotten Dan’s resumé and submitted it on his behalf after Dan had dragged his feet for too long. Phil had warned him beforehand that he would do it and Dan hadn’t protested.

They had been together for a long time, years already, and they knew the extend of each other’s boundaries. Dan was incapable of making an impulsive decision. If he had gone over it in his head again and again all the things that would go wrong.

Dan had just finished his teaching degree and he had no real practical experience other than what they had gone through as part of the degree. He was an out and proud gay man who had accidentally made the front page of the Guardian last pride parade. He had argued that he couldn’t work in a place where his partner worked already because it could create all kinds of problems for them. In particularly for Phil with his permanent position as an English teacher.

It had all sort of worked itself out in the end.

Once the acceptance of applications closed, Phil had recommended Dan for the position to the principal, citing him as an old friend instead, and with that he had gotten called in for a job interview that he had absolutely nailed. They had even been excited to have a gay man on staff. It seemed like the tides were finally turning slightly more in favour of LGBTQ+ people, or maybe the principal just wanted to be progressive. None of them knew for sure.

Now only one thing remained for them to deal with.

And that accidentally came quite easy too.

Phil had started at the school last year and he had never come out to the staff, not seeing why his sexuality would have to be a big issue for his work place, and as an extension of that, Phil had never talked about his partner through many years. Everyone just assumed he was single and straight, so no one would suspect that he and Dan were together.

“We can do this, right?” Dan had asked, the night before his first day as the school’s new drama teacher. “Pretend we don’t know each other?”

“We don’t have to pretend we don’t know each other,” Phil reminded him, reaching over to intertwine their fingers. His voice dropped a little low. “Just that we don’t kiss and don’t-”

“Phil, I’m nervous right now. Don’t dare make me horny the night before my big day,” Dan said, half kidding and half serious.

Phil hummed and then let himself roll on top of Dan. Dan let out a snort and looked up at him with bright eyes. They had finally gotten their own flat a year ago and since then both of them had gotten lost in the easy and wonderful domestic life.

Phil couldn’t wait to start going to work with Dan too, even if they couldn’t act as a couple at the work place. It was too late to confirm it now that Dan had gone for the interview and been hired and none of them had said anything.

It would be okay and frankly; it wasn’t anyone’s business what they were doing in their private life. The world might be getting slightly better day by day for queer people, at least in their part of the world, but it was by no means entirely safe or free from judgement and homophobia.

They should only be judged on their ability to teach and nothing else.

This wouldn’t last that long. Dan’s temporary position was only from school start until after Christmas. Less than six months. They could do this. Their lips found each other, soft comfortable kisses of someone who had already shared a thousand like it.

*~*~*

People always seemed to think that three people in a friendship group was a little odd, or like someone always had to be the odd one out. It was never like that for three of the students just starting in Year 6. They had been stuck together since they had started in the same grade three years prior. All transfer students, which might be what had made them gravitate towards each other.

Or maybe it was just a deep sense of sameness. After all, no one could be the odd one out when every member of the trio was an oddball.

Quinn was by far the most outspoken of them, always quick to catch both the good and the bad attention in class. If she ever didn’t know an answer to anything, she would make something up and argue it frivolously no matter the real facts. It could infuriate most of her teachers, and she had learned one time too many that “mouthing off” or “causing a distraction in class” could get her sent to the principal for a chat. It didn’t stop her from talking the next time but she was getting better and better at toeing the line with each passing year. She had naturally taken to care for her two friends and speaking up when they couldn’t or wouldn’t speak up for themselves.

Alex was a kind of opposite of Quinn, being a quiet kid that hardly ever said a word in class despite being able to complete any quiz to near perfection. She hated when teachers would call on her because fear of not knowing the answer was something settled deep within her, even more so because of the “smart” label that had been stuck on her since she was a young child. Now she would usually tug on Quinn’s sleeve and whisper the answer. She was a wonder with a computer, taking to any programmes or games with ease.

Jieun was labelled an “art kid” by everyone in school for her inability to keep her hands from drawing on any paper she was handed. Little illustrations, everything from animals to flowers to people to buildings or landscapes were littered on all of her notes and tests. Some of the teachers had tried to scold her out of it, saying that it was childish and wrong. She never listened to them, mentally turning out the noise, humming under her breath and drawing happily. She had Quinn and Alex to help her out with homework when she needed and she was overall managing. It wasn’t her fault that she’d rather draw than read or do math.

That trio of ragtag children were regarded with a bit of apprehension from all of the teachers at the school, except for one. Where most would try to call them out on their distracted or disruptive behaviours, there was one class that they always looked forward to since they had gotten a new teacher.

Mr Lester was their undeniable favourite and he had actually managed to get them interested in English despite none of them having shown interest in it much prior to his arrival. Quinn had thought it too stupid and based on completely arbitrary standards, Alex did better with topics that had a more structured approach and rules and Jieun had never much seen the appeal for words when a picture was worth a thousand words.

Because Mr Lester had never cut off Quinn’s rambling and instead encouraged her to talk more, to work out why she didn’t like or did like something about the texts, she has started to understand why choices in literature mattered. Because Mr Lester had never forced Alex to speak up in class but instead asked her to stay behind for a beat and give her thoughts to him directly, she had felt more comfortable with it and likewise learned the rules of the game when it came to how to look at language. Because Mr Lester had spoken about how books and literature was literally painting with words instead of paint, Jieun had started to pay attention and seen that the two did actually go well hand in hand.

It was sufficed to say that returning for school in Year 6, the trio were most excited to meet back up with each other every single day after a summer holiday but they were the second most excited to have class with Mr Lester again.

They could never have imagined that they would get another favourite teacher that year.

*~*~*

Dan was nervous for his first day like he had never been nervous for anything ever before. It had nearly spiralled into him wondering why he had chosen to get a degree that would put him in a position to deal with children on the daily.

More so, be responsible to help prepare the children for what they would need to know. At least he was teaching drama, which in general seemed to be considered a bit of a slack subject. The expectations wouldn’t be that high for him, even less so because he was only there for the extent of half a school year before the original drama teacher got back from the leave she had been allowed from the school. Something about travelling the world by boat or something, Dan wasn’t sure.

Phil had stopped him from spiralling too far out, like he always did. On days like these, Dan was even more thankful for Phil’s steady presence next to him in life. It made him feel like he was never quite facing anything alone since he always had someone to talk to and someone to lean on.

“You look fine,” Phil told Dan, physically pulling Dan’s hands away from his own hair so that he would stop messing with the curls. It was a relative new style, no longer flat ironing it to death like he had done when they met years ago. Phil like both equally for different reasons but the look suited Dan.

“They’re going to all laugh at me, Phil,” Dan said. “Children can be cruel.”

Phil hummed under his breath. “True, but it’s our job to try to make them less so. Try to teach them to move forward with kindness and try to inspire them to make the world just a little better.”

Dan nodded in agreement. “Well, you might not be able to change the world but you can change individuals.”

“Indeed,” Phil said, leaning in to press a kiss to Dan’s cheek. “And you’re going to be great at that. You’re so compassionate and soft-spoken. You’re going to teach all of those kids so much more than how to act. You’re going to give them an appetite for the world, for performing and for being themselves.”

“Yikes, cool it, will you?” Dan said but with a laugh bubbling up. “Don’t make me more nervous.”

“I wonder if you can guess my favourite students,” Phil mused, reaching over to correct one of Dan’s curls despite being the person who pulled Dan’s hand back from fiddling with them a moment prior.

“I thought you weren’t supposed to have favourites.”

Phil blew out a raspberry. “That’s parents. Teachers are absolutely allowed to have favourites. And I have mine. Three ten years olds that are too smart for their own good but not in a way that’s always recognised.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for them,” Dan said.

“Please do,” Phil said, pulling his hand back, even if he could have continued to play with Dan’s hair. That was what he was doing now, more than actually styling it. It was Dan’s fault for having such lovely and soft hair.

*~*~*

Quinn, Alex and Jieun were not paying attention to the assembly at all. They were far more occupied with talking between themselves, hushed whispered in an already loud auditorium because they needed to keep each other up on the last couple of weeks where none of them had been able to meet up.

However, almost as if called, they started to pay attention when the new teachers were called. It was an instinctive reaction. Almost exactly a year ago, they had looked up on the little stage and seen who would become all of their favourite teacher for the first time. Mr Lester had looked so nervous, fitting his hands into his pant pocket at an odd angle but he had seemed nice.

Sincere and genuine and it was enough to spark interest from all of the trio.

It had only gotten better from then on out when he had started to modify his teaching methods to be able to include every kid in his class, not just the ones who thrived in a traditional environment. It was Alex who had argued something about that, suddenly interested in different types of learning and quietly citing passages from different books to Quinn and Jieun.

“We have a new teacher joining us this year,” the principal called out. “As you may or may not know, Marge is currently out sailing the seas.”

“Like a pirate?” someone called out from the audience.

“Er… sure, like a pirate,” the principal said.

Alex wrinkled her nose. “Mrs Cornell is not a pirate. She’s a nearly retired drama teacher with frivolous ideas?”

“What’s that word?” Quinn asked, hushed voice and still watching the principal batting away more questions about pirates.

“Someone who is carefree or superficial, basically someone who isn’t serious,” Alex said. This was a relatively new development, a new habit that she had picked up last spring when Mr Lester had told her that every word had a whole bit of knowledge locked into it.

Alex had been reading the dictionary on occasion ever since then. All three of them used that to impress Mr Lester in classes now, because as always Alex shared with her friends first.

“Shh,” Jieun said, for once putting down the sketchbook in her hand. She went through one of those books every single month, after making a set mission to draw enough to fill the pages in a whole month. It was a challenge set by Alex who liked the order and told Jieun how it would make it so much easier to look back at her artistic progress.

The three of them turned their attention back on the stage. A tall adult was stepping up. He was very tall, he might even be taller than Mr Lester. He looked almost more like a kid than several of the dusty old teachers behind him. He had a kind face and curly hair and he moved almost like Mr Lester had done on his first day.

“He’s nervous,” Alex said under her breath. “Really nervous.”

“Hi everyone,” the tall man said. Jieun, who was the smallest out of their group, wondered what it would be like to see the world from that height. Frightening, she would assume. “My name is Dan Howell and I am going to be your new drama teacher until January when Marge Cornell hopefully makes it back after having sailed the seas under her pirate flag.”

“Mr Howell,” Quinn muttered to herself, in contemplation.

The auditorium was instantly filled with voices again, more question about Mrs Cornell being a pirate. Mostly from some of the younger kids. Alex found it endearing but she was still happy to have properly educated herself and her friends.

There was no such thing as pirates from the stories they had read, or seen in Pirates of the Caribbean. A movie most of them were probably too young to watch but there were perks to growing up with the internet.

“He looks… kind,” Alex noted, in a contemplative hum.

Jieun didn’t say anything but she was flipping open her sketchbook and drawing an outline of a new face already. Quinn and Alex both leaned over, itching to see how Jieun would capture Mr Howell on the page. It was always fun to see what she focused on first. She looked at the world so differently than both of them did but that only made them more interested and fascinated and fond.

The curls came first, even more messy than real Mr Howell’s curls and then eyes, big and expressive.

It took a full minute to calm the children down again, and with each passing second another pencil line was put down in Jieun’s sketch. She loved to get like this, all of the world fading around her and becoming absorbed in just working her hand across the page and capturing the image she had in her head for everyone else to see too.

“Oh, and there is something I want to tell you all,” Mr Howell said, stepping back up to the microphone.

Quinn always argued that the auditorium wasn’t that big and anyone who wasn’t a coward would just shout instead of using the microphone. Mr Howell got the benefit of doubt because it was his first time here but all the other teachers and the principal in particular was on thin ice according to her.

“I am gay.”

Unlike with the pirate declaration, everyone went quiet. It was so quiet that everyone’s breaths were the only sound in the room. The trio knew of the word, with Alex as their friend, of course they did, and general access to the internet.

But it wasn’t something any of them really talked much about.

“Gay, a person who is homosexual, as in attracted to someone of the same gender. Usually a man. But it can also be used broader to refer to other sexualities that aren’t straight, heterosexual,” Alex cited under her breath, almost like she couldn’t help herself.

“Very true,” Mr Howell said and Alex jolted when he looked right at her. “To simplify it, I’m a guy who likes guys.”

Someone raised their hand in the back of the room.

“But aren’t adults like you supposed to have a wife? To have children?”

The smile on Mr Howell’s face was a little guarded but still warm and nice. Quinn was busy trying to make sense of this new information. A gay teacher. It seemed like it was something important. She wasn’t sure why but it felt very important. There was something about the whole thing that made her want to sit at the edge of the seat and just marvel in wonder.

An adult talking about liking someone like yourself. It was not something she had ever seen before and he said it so easily, like it wasn’t a bad thing.

“Well, not all adults get married. But if I did, I would have a husband instead of a wife,” Mr Howell said and for the briefest moment, his eyes flickered behind him. Alex seemed to be the only one who caught it. “And I could still have children, I would just need to adopt. Give a child who needed a home a safe and happy one.”

Softly mutters were starting to spread through the auditorium. Some sounded angry or confused, others were soft with genuine wonder. The trio of oddballs were quiet, just watching, thinking and drawing.

Alex’s eyes followed Mr Howell as he walked back to sit against the wall with the other teachers and this time, she was sure he looked off to the left on purpose. She followed his gaze and found Mr Lester.

He was smiling like he did when they got something right in class. Bright and happy. He was happy that Mr Howell was gay that much was clear to Alex.

She bumped Quinn’s elbow.

“What?”

“Look at the stage, look at Mr Lester,” Alex said.

At her words, Jieun also looked up and soon all three kids were staring at Mr Lester while the rest of the room were either staring at Mr Howell or the principal trying to get through the rest of assembly and shut down conversations about adoption and being gay.

“Oh,” Jieun said, a soft and surprised sounds. “He looks like he’s in love.”

That moment was the start of something that none of the three of them knew at the time. Someone with less understanding might call it an obsession with how they would grow to become fascinated with two of their teachers. Those people would be wrong.

It was them finding bits of themselves in what they were convinced that they saw between Mr Lester and Mr Howell’s gazes when they caught each other’s eyes, soft smiles and a complete disregard for the rest of the world around them.

This was the first spark of interest for the trio.

*~*~*

It was on the second day of classes that Phil got question that he hadn’t been prepared for but he was almost pleasantly surprised. It was one of the Year 6 classes and Phil might say that it was one of his favourite classes to teach. The classroom was filled by curious and smart students who might not always do their homework but over the past year, Phil had managed to figure how to engage every single one of them in discussions and conversations.

“Mr Lester, does gay really mean to like boys?” one of the boys chirped up from the back.

Phil should probably have expected it to come up at some point. He had instituted this little segment at the beginning of all of his classes where he allowed students to come with any words they had learned and he would explain more about them.

It had been made into a game now, and often the students would come with the most obscure words that they would think of just to watch Phil stumble and fumble to try to explain. Sometimes he couldn’t and he would have to look it up, but he was honest about that. He felt like it was probably good for kids to learn that no one had all the answers and also that there wasn’t any shame in having to figure out the answer.

Phil felt a smile creep up on his face, just a little. Monday had been a weird day with Dan at the assembly and proudly announcing his sexuality to all of the students. Phil had kept tabs on the calls that had been placed to the school yesterday from parents. There hadn’t been as many as he feared but some were still worried that their kid was to be taught by a gay man.

Oh, the irony Phil thought as he knew almost all of those parents had sat at parent-teacher conferences and praised Phil for how well he was engaging their child. Someone being queer did not make them any worse of a teacher.

Phil sat on top of his desk and clasped his hands in front of him.

“It means boys liking boys and girls liking girls. That someone is homosexual. The first part of that word, the homo, comes from Greek and means “same”, so you like someone who is the same as yourself.”

There were whispers among the classmates. Phil let the kids talk for a moment before he continued.

“Do you want to know something fun about the word too?” Phil asked, leaning his hands forward on his elbows.

“Yes!” Quinn said loudly.

She was always loud. Phil smiled at it, her clear enthusiasm now instead of her interest in just making noise. He was glad all the work she’d put in before the summer was still there. He couldn’t fathom how the other teachers called her a troublemaker just for being a little loud.

But then again, Phil had lived with a man who liked to be loud for a while now. He found it endearing.

“Gay as a word also used to mean happy, or light-hearted. It is not used like that so much anymore but I like to think that’s why the word started to mean homosexuals. Because it’s something good and nice and something to be happy about,” Phil said.

He wondered if any of the kids would carry his words back to their parents. Mr Lester says that being gay is something happy. He might get a few angry phone calls himself for that but he didn’t care.

Alex raised one hand and pushed her glasses higher up on her tiny nose with the other.

“Yes?” Phil said nodding towards her.

It wasn’t often that Alex spoke up at all but it was always interesting when she did. She had an incredible memory and more than once, Phil had thought that she would be much better at running this word description segment because she seemed to be legitimately reading through dictionary and just absorbing words like a sponge.

“On Monday, Mr Howell said that gay could also be used as a word to describe other sexualities that aren’t heterosexual. What did he mean?”

Alex had a piercing gaze when she was hungry for knowledge. It was a little intimidating to be honest but Phil took to the challenge of trying to give her a satisfying answer all the same.

“Well, he meant that a lot of people use gay as an umbrella term,” Phil said and Alex instantly started scribbling. Jieun who was sat to her right, even looked up from where she had been drawing in her sketchbook. “It means that people use it to mean a lot of different things. For example, someone who is bisexual might call themselves gay too, even if bisexuality more specifically means liking one or more genders, from the bi meaning two. And if someone doesn’t feel like the fit into the gender they were given at birth, then they might also use gay about themselves.”

There was a lot of confused looks and a lot of whispering to one another or sharing glances. The trio near the front of the classroom, Phil’s favourites, were the only ones who didn’t speak or look around. Jieun had started drawing an umbrella with a rainbow of colours seemingly raining down inside of it. Quinn was spinning her pen around in her hand again and again, for once silent which meant she was lost deep in thought. Alex looked straight at Phil, eyes squinting just a little and Phil felt very much like an equation she was staring into submission like he had heard she did in math.

“Elaborate,” she requested, and there was a bit of vulnerability in her voice. He had never heard her sound like that before.

Something felt like it dawned on Phil, not anything he would ever voice out loud, because if wasn’t his place but he wondered. He wondered if this was going to be the first introduction to everything queer for a queer person.

They had been supposed to talk about grammar but this was frankly important. Phil pulled a knee up to his chest, foot resting on the edge of the desk, even if he had been asked to stop doing that. He elaborated as best he could, keeping it all simple for the kids who were all between 10 and 11 years old, but he also didn’t dumb it down and act as they were stupid.

If he had learned anything in his year of working her and all his practice stays while he was getting his degree, it was that children were extremely smart even if they didn’t think or understand things the way adults did.

*~*~*

By Friday on Dan’s first week, he was knackered both physically and emotionally. It surely was something to read about kids or going in to teach a couple of test classes to full on being a teacher for a whole room of rowdy children.

Some of them had looked at Dan a little sceptically, like they didn’t know what to make of him. He wasn’t sure if that was because he was new or if it was because they might have been warned by their parents to say away from the gay man. He hoped it was just the former but he didn’t hold any of it against them.

Phil always said that children were often a product of their environment. It meant that their homelife had a huge sway over how they acted, but it also meant that school was another environment that could help them, in particular if they were being taught the wrong thing at home or they needed help.

Phil really was too gentle a soul and Dan loved him very much.

As Dan had promised, he had tried to look out for Phil’s favourite students every time a class that he knew Phil also had come in for his drama classes. He did know that it was a trio of kids that always seemed to be stuck together because Phil had shared anecdotes about all of his students but those three seemed to pop up again and again.

He hadn’t seen anyone he thought would be the right kids so far and he had wondered if he could have missed them, but then Friday came and three kids strolled into the room, arms literally linked together.

And there they were. Dan was sure of it. The tallest of the girls who was speaking loudly and talking with her hands, the smallest one clutching onto a sketch book and looking like she was itching to get it out, and the last one nodded and hummed at the first girl’s stories while her eyes constantly darted around the room.

When they did the name game that Dan had planned, he got their names as well. Quinn, Alex and Jieun.

“Okay, I will try to remember all of your names,” Dan said, smiling even though he was tired after a long week. He felt like he had already forgotten half the kids’ names already but the name game was more about getting them engaged anyway. “Today is the first day of class, so we’re just going to fool around and have fun. Let’s take a break and then do a little improv. Okay?”

The kids nodded and then conversations started up again. Dan sat leaned against the wall, flipping through the name list he had printed beforehand and trying to properly memorise all of the names. This wasn’t something he had considered when he had chosen to be a teacher but getting so many new names at once was a lot. They weren’t required to remember them, of course, but Dan wanted to. It meant something.

“Mr Howell?”

Dan looked up from his list to see someone had approached him. That name came easy. Quinn. It was hard to miss her, with her loud voice and the bright red shirt and cyan overalls that she was wearing. She might be a relatively little girl, but as she stood opposite him, hands on her hips, Dan got the feeling that she wasn’t someone to be messed with.

“Yes, Quinn?”

She didn’t look impressed that he knew her name.

“Can I talk to you outside?”

It left Dan confused but he nodded all the same. The rest of the class could mind themselves for a couple of minutes. It wasn’t like there was much havoc they could wreak inside of the drama room unless they decided to dig out the props.

“Are you okay?” Dan asked, as soon as the door shut behind them.

She crossed her arms and squared her jaw a little. “Oh I’m all good. Drama is like my favourite subject. No, actually that would be English now. Ha. I wouldn’t have said that a year ago. Man, I hated English then, you know? But then we got this new teacher and he’s just the bomb. Mr Lester, I’m sure you know. But I do love drama because it gives me an excuse to be loud and dramatic without being scolded for it and I-”

“Quinn,” Dan said gently, cutting off her word vomit. She seemed like she could just keep going. And he almost wanted to let her, in particular when he heard her talk about Phil. He would have to pass her words along; Phil would be over the moon. “I’m really happy that you’re excited. But you seemed like something concerned you?”

“Oh, right! Of course, sorry. Just. Brain, you know? Runs too fast sometimes. Yeah, I… I’m not here for me. I can do anything; I’m not scared of making a fool of myself. Hell, I joke that I was a clown in a past life and-” she cut herself off this time, just because Dan scrunched his eyebrows together. “Right. Rambling. Ehm… it’s about my friend, Alex. She doesn’t like drama very much, and improv legitimately frightens her. So… can she sit that out? Like, you can make up extra exercises for her or something. She’s literally the smartest person I know and she’s capable of doing anything at all, but being in front of people? Having them all look at her? It’s a no-go.”

“Okay,” Dan said, and tried to think. He had never intended to force participation anyway and he was thankful for the heads up. She could just join in with the group exercises, maybe if she was with her friends, it would be fine.

Quinn seemed to take his silence for something other than it was, which was just a moment to think.

“Listen,” Quinn said and Dan had never heard a ten-year-old sound so angry. “Mrs Cornell made her really upset. If you make her upset, I’ll kick your ass. And you can send me to the principal for saying that but I don’t care. If you make her cry, I will be a menace in all of your classes.”

Dan was legitimately stunned into silence and then a beat later he felt such a protective flare in his chest. Of this girl and her friend. This was a prime example of friendship, the kind of friendship that Dan had never had with anyone growing but but what he had longed so desperately for.

“I’m not going to make her or anyone do anything they don’t want to do,” Dan assured Quinn. “Do you think she’d be fine doing it in a smaller group? And she can sit out the big group things and I’ll find something for her to do an learn.”

“Oh,” Quinn said and let her crossed arms fall down. “Wait, really? Mrs Cornell got so mad when I told her all of this. She said it was mandatory or something stupid like that.”

Dan cracked a smile. “I’m here to teach her about drama. I’d love to help her get comfortable performing too, but I’d never throw anyone into the deep end when they don’t know how to swim.”

Quinn gave him a once over, and Dan felt like he was being scrutinised. But then a big smile blossomed on her face and Dan felt almost taken aback but the quick change.

“Good, then we’re going to get on,” Quinn said happily. “Oh, and don’t make Jieun put her sketchbook away. She likes having it with her and I promise you that she’s listening even when she’s doodling. It’s how she listens best.”

Dan could see why Quinn was one of Phil’s favourites if he had gotten a similar speech about respecting her quieter friends.

“Okay, thank you for telling me. As long as she pays attention, she can keep it.”

Quinn nodded. “You know, Mr Howell, you’re not half bad,” she said and then patted his arm and strolled back into the class room.

Dan smiled and shook his head. Oh, he was going to have a handful with this class, he was sure.

*~*~*

“So, how was your first week?” Phil asked when they were snuggled up in bed on a Saturday morning. Dan had fallen asleep almost immediately after returning home yesterday.

It had been the easiest choice in the world to sleep in and cuddle late into the morning. It might already be noon, but none of the boys cared. Going back to school was both exciting and exhausting for kids and teachers alike.

“So good,” Dan said and buried his face properly in Phil’s shoulder.

They were entangled, skin touching skin, and a bundle of warmth. None of them wanted to leave their little cocoon. This was too nice.

“Yeah?” Phil asked, hands finding Dan’s curls just to run his hands through them.

“Oh, and I met your favourites,” Dan said and lifted his head to look at Phil. “Quinn gave me a big warning not to make Alex cry or take away Jieun’s sketchbook.”

Phil chuckled. “I can see that. She’s fierce. I wish I’d had her confidence at that age.”

“I was a little intimidated to be honest,” Dan admitted. “But not in a bad way, and I just… that’s what friendship is, you know? I… I never had that. I didn’t have a best friend until I met you at eighteen.”

“Dan,” Phil said and his voice sounded a little strained, a little wet all of a sudden.

“Well, it’s true,” Dan said, feeling the emotions creep up on him too. “And don’t get me wrong, Phil, you are the best thing to have ever happened to me. I love you so, so much but there’s something about kid friendships.”

“I know what you mean,” Phil said and he got that distant tone, deep in thought. “It’s precious and pure. And those three? A force to be reckoned with. Quinn is the one you’ll get to know first, because she’s out there and not afraid to step up. Alex is much, much quieter but she’s whip-smart and she sees and hears everything. I mean, everything. Jieun seems like she’s off in her own little world but she just thinks differently, sees the world differently.”

“Sounds like someone I know,” Dan said and poked Phil in the ribs.

“Well, it’s a compliment but I don’t think I can compare in artistic ability. You know that painting that’s hung in the teacher’s lounge above the sofa?”

Dan nodded. It was a relatively small canvas but a beautiful painting. A landscape, perspective from a hill, and a lush forest unfolding underneath. A rainbow through the sky. Dan had instantly liked it.

“It was painted by Jieun. She gave me it on the last day of school.”

“Wait, why didn’t you bring that home? It would have suited the flat so well!” Dan complained.

Phil laughed. “I will, sometimes, but for now, I wanted to hang it where the other teachers could see it. A reminder for when they tell her off for not paying attention to them and only her sketchbook.”

“You’re a big softie.”

“So are you,” Phil countered and poked Dan in his stomach, and then his cheeks. “My squishy Dan. The best squish.”

Phil moved Dan until he was lying on his back and then nuzzled into his collarbones. He breathed in deep, sleepily taking in the warm and familiar scent.

“Let’s nap.”

“We haven’t even gotten out of bed yet.”

“Exactly, perfect time for a nap. We’re already in the perfect position.”

Someone’s stomach grumbled but neither of them made a move to get up. Falling back into sleep when you had your arms around the love of your life was quite an easy feat, hunger be damned.

*~*~*

The first month of school always passed too fast for most people. It was the opposite for Alex, who had usually been unable to resist the urge the read at least a little ahead. It wasn’t her fault. Summer holidays were long and boring and Quinn and Jieun had both been away for some of the summer.

Books had been a companion since she was just a little one.

And now, it seemed like everything passed even slower than normal. She hadn’t been able to get Mr Lester’s words out of her head from the first week. They had spent a whole half our talking about being gay and sexualities. Objectively, perhaps a waste of time when they had to do their scheduled topic but Alex had for once not even thought about calling a teacher out for wasting time.

Even if she would already have been slower to do it to Mr Lester because he had favourite points and therefore she had a higher tolerance for him.

But in the last month, it meant she had been researching everything she could about other sexualities and gender identities. The LGBTQ+ community. So many letters. She made sure to wipe the iPad’s memory after each use.

“Hey Alex,” Mr Lester called after class had been dismissed. “Stay behind for a moment?”

It wasn’t anything new. Mr Lester tended to do this once in a while just to check in with her and make sure that she was all good. At first, she had thought it was to check that she had actually been paying attention and she had treated each talk like a test.

It didn’t quite feel like that anymore.

Jieun and Quinn stopped on either side of her. Jieun’s hands tight around her sketchbook and Quinn already crossing her arms and evaluating. Alex really did appreciate how they were always so quick to have her back, but she was fairly sure that she didn’t need it with Mr Lester.

“I’m okay,” she whispered to them with a small smile.

“If she’s not, remember I know where you live, Mr Lester!” Quinn called out before looping an arm around Jieun and dragging her outside. The threat was playful through, and Mr Lester was the only one Quinn was this playful around. It was the only one who wouldn’t put her into trouble.

Not that she shied away from trouble. Alex had quite never figured out how someone could go into the world with so much attitude and confidence. She was very glad Quinn was her friend.

“That’s not true,” Mr Lester said.

“I could have Alex find out!” Quinn said, throwing a wink over her shoulder.

It made Alex laugh.

Mr Lester looked over at her. “You probably could, couldn’t you?”

“I could,” Alex said. Addresses for most part was easy to find on the internet, and even if Phil’s home wasn’t listed, then it would be in the school’s records. It was easy to find if you were a little clever. “But I won’t. You’re the best teacher.”

Mr Lester got all shy when he got complimented. Alex liked it.

“I just wanted to have you stay to tell you that I’ve noticed you raising your hand more in class and I’m really proud of you for that. I see you trying and you’re doing so well. You’re teaching all your fellow classmates something too.”

Now it was Alex’s turn to be a little embarrassed.

“But I think, and correct me if I’m wrong, but you’ve been a little distracted. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Alex had thought that she had been so good at hiding that something else preoccupied her mind and frankly she wasn’t sure how Mr Lester had noticed. He was a very good teacher but he shouldn’t have been perceptive enough to see through her. She had even made sure to speak up more in classes not to call attention to her absentmindedness.

It had gotten easier each time she raised her hand, just like Mr Lester had told her when she first joined.

“How did you know?”

“Mr Howell told me,” Mr Lester said and it wasn’t what Alex had expected.

She was reminded of the first day of school and how the two of them had shared a look. Her, Quinn and Alex had talked about them on and off throughout the month. It was inevitable. Mr Lester had been their favourite but Mr Howell had become a new favourite too. He hadn’t pushed Mr Lester off his spot but rather it was like he had joined him there.

“Talk to him often?” Alex asked.

“Yes,” Mr Lester said. A truth, Alex observed. “I know what it’s like to be the new teacher around here and I’ve been helping him settle in.”

Something about that description seemed a little lacklustre. Lacklustre, Alex thought to herself, lacking in force or conviction.

“How did he see anything with me? He doesn’t even know me,” she said defensively.

Mr Lester sat down on top of his desk like he always did for conversation time.

“He’s… He is very observant, not unlike yourself. And no, he didn’t notice because he thinks you’ve been doing poorly. The opposite in fact. He praised you for trying so hard with something that comes difficult to you. We’re just here to help.”

“Not all teachers understand,” Alex said but the urge was suddenly overwhelming to talk to someone.

She couldn’t talk to her parents. They wouldn’t like it. She thought about all that she had read about gender and how too much of it had made it feel like something clicked. She had always been labelled as a tomboy, shying away from dresses and playing house. It made sense. But then she got angry. Red hot in a way that she’s seen in Quinn often when she watched something, she seemed unfair but not felt herself so much.

It was so clear that gender was nothing. Something that society had just decided. It came with stereotypes and all sorts of bad stuff. She didn’t want to be a girl if she had to be how society had decided. She didn’t want to be a boy either. Neither label seemed to fit. She didn’t want a damn label.

“I can’t speak for anyone other than myself, and probably Mr Howell, but you can talk to us. We will never judge you; we will never break your confidence unless we’re worried someone is about to get hurt.”

“I’m hurt,” Alex said. “It hurts to think about all of this.”

“All of what?” Mr Lester asked, gentle and coaxing.

Alex hadn’t even dared to tell Quinn and Jieun yet.

“I… after that first class where you talked about being gay?”

“Yes,” Mr Lester said and he was right that Alex was observant. She saw something shift in his eyes. They turned a little softer, and he looked like he understood. Alex hadn’t even said anything but Mr Lester looked like he got it.

“I… I’ve done research. Looked things up. About sexuality but also… gender identity. It’s… gender is stupid, isn’t it?”

Mr Lester hummed. “It is a social construct.”

“Social construct, an idea that has been created and accepted by people in a society,” Alex said. It was one she had encountered in this last month of figuring out things.

“Exactly,” Mr Lester said and he looked so proud. Mr Lester always looked so proud when she did well. It was the man thing that was helping her speak up more, she wasn’t even sure if he knew that. “In that sense, it can get a little silly, you know? People decided on all of these things. Often a long time ago and it just sticks. In reality, gender can be fluid. You know, I have a friend who was born and called a girl at birth but he was really a boy all the time.”

Alex wrinkled her nose and adjusted her glasses. It was a lot to take in.

“But he… had ladyparts?”

Mr Lester nodded. “But your gender is all up to you. It can be anything you want it to be. It can be how you present yourself, or what pronouns to use. All of that and more. Gender can be important or it can be silly. I… I also know someone else who jokes that he’s a formless blob. He doesn’t want any labels from society at all.”

“Hmm,” Alex said.

“Is all of this too much?” Mr Lester asked.

She shook her head. “But… if I wanted to be… like none of it, not a boy, not a girl. Just me. A formless blob. Could… could I be that?”

Mr Lester nodded very seriously. “Yes, of course.”

“That would make me gay, right? Or queer?”

“It could, if you want it to. There are a lot of definition for people who feel like they don’t fit into a set gender. Nonbinary. Genderfluid. Many more.”

Alex pulled out her phone and started making a note of the words.

“And that’s okay?” Alex asked, looking down at the words. She wrote formless blob underneath it too. It looked quite neat and it sounded fun.

“Of course, it’s okay. It’s just like how Mr Howell being gay is okay, you know? And…” Mr Lester said and then hesitated. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Alex considered for a moment. “Can I tell Quinn and Jieun?”

Mr Lester smiled in a way that was hard to decipher. “Okay then, but only those two. Pinky promise?”

Pinky promise was a sacred bond, Alex linked her finger with Mr Lester’s and squeezed.

“I am gay too, just like Mr Howell.”

Alex was most surprised that it didn’t feel all that surprising. In fact, it felt more like something clicked into place. That look of understanding made all the more sense now. Alex smiled wide.

“Do you like him?”

“Huh?”

“Mr Howell.”

“Err…”

“Is that a bad question?” Alex wondered. All of this was so new. Exciting but a little scary. But her heart was beating fast in the best way. Her favourite teachers were kind of like her, not exactly but close. It felt nice.

“No, it’s not. But you should assume two men who like men are together just because.”

“Oh, I didn’t. It’s because of how you look at each other. Every time I see you pass each other in the hallway, you do this little smile. Just for the two of you. But I’m sorry if I said a bad thing.”

Mr Lester looked a little confused.

“It’s not… I… No, it’s not bad,” Mr Lester said.

“Okay,” Alex said with a nod.

“Anything else?”

“Not for now, no.”

“Well, you know where you can find me if you need me,” Mr Lester said and Alex wondered why all teachers weren’t like him.

*~*~*

“I think I just came out to a student,” Phil hissed to Dan after he’d run away to the teacher’s lounge. He couldn’t have planned it better, both him and Dan being the only teachers in it at the moment.

“You what?” Dan asked, putting down his mug and stepping closer. His hands were on Phil’s shoulder and Phil’s cheek instantly, looking intensely and worried. None of them seemed to remember that they were at work.

“I… it’s… Alex just talked to me about gender identity and being confused and I just… I couldn’t help myself. She looked so lost. Wait, they looked so lost? I forgot to ask about pronouns. I… what. I think I blacked out in there. Dan, what if I said something wrong!”

“I’m sure you didn’t, Phil,” Dan said, hand warm and soft on Phil’s cheek but the one on his shoulder was holding firm. “You’re compassionate and kind. I’m sure you did well.”

“I… I just… I didn’t mean to do that. What… what if Alex tells everyone? It wouldn’t be the end of the world but just… not good. I did make a pinky promise with them but.”

“Well, kids take that kind of thing seriously,” Dan said and there was a hint of laughter in his voice.

“Dan, don’t laugh at me,” Phil whined, and grabbed Dan and tried to shake him.

“I’m sorry, but you’re just too cute. You’re wonderful, Phil.”

“Stop,” Phil complained.

“Never,” Dan said and leaned in really close. Phil was sure there was going to be a kiss coming but at the last second, they heard the click of the door and they sprung apart. It was the gym teacher and he gave them a weird look but then just went to fill his cup with coffee and left again.

“No kisses at school,” Phil reminded him.

“It’s torture, you know,” Dan said and then took his teasing voice one step further. “And it’s not like you didn’t just come out.”

“Stop teasing me!”

“Okay, okay. Are you actually upset and worried? That Alex will out you?”

Phil took a moment to consider it and feel in his chest. The same emotion that had embarked when he had suddenly wanted to come out to Alex still remained. It wasn’t fear or worry. He still felt like he had done the right thing in showing Alex that they weren’t all alone.

“I’m not. Alex will tell Quinn and Jieun but no one else.”

“Hmm, and Quinn and Jieun?”

“I don’t think they’ll say anything either.”

“Then you’re okay,” Dan reminded him and there was kindness and compassion in his voice now. Teasing tone was nowhere to be seen. Dan knew how terrifying it could be to come out to someone. Children were usually pretty good about it, much less guarded and weirded out than adults but it didn’t take away from it being slightly scary.

“I need a nap.”

“How about this, I’ll cook your favourite tonight and you can take a nap from the moment we get home until the food is ready,” Dan proposed.

“You’re the best,” Phil said and allowed himself to reach up and cup Dan’s cheek, thumb falling into the dimple that showed on his face as he smiled.

*~*~*

Jieun had been lost in her drawing, only vaguely registering that Alex made it back to them. She was playing around with shading a lot these days and she was fascinated how they could change the whole feel of a drawing. She could tell that Quinn and Alex were talking but it was just a nice background murmur to Jieun’s focused brain. They were sat in the corner of the courtyard, their designated spot where no one came to bother them during break time.

“So, you’re a formless blob and Mr Lester is gay like Mr Howell,” Quinn said, a little loudly, only to be hushed by Alex.

“What?” she asked when she heard that, pencil stilling on the page. “What is a formless blob?”

Alex looked a little embarrassed but Jieun saw how she took a deep breath and then spoke again. “It’s me. For now. I might call myself something else in the future, but for now. I like it. I… I don’t like being a girl. I don’t want to be it. But Mr Lester told me that it’s okay to be something between a boy and a girl.”

Jieun considered it for a moment and yeah, that made sense. She had always liked to mix up different clothing for her characters, finding it so damn boring that some clothes were supposed to be reserved for one of the either. Why limit yourself if you didn’t need to?

“That’s cool. Would you wear a suit now?” Jieun asked.

Alex let out a snort and then leaned over to give Jieun a hug. There was a kiss placed on her head too.

“She gets a kiss and I don’t?” Quinn pouted.

Alex rolled her eyes but leaned in to embrace Quinn too and press a kiss to her cheek.

“Satisfied?”

“What if I’m gay too? That felt nice. Would you kiss me for real?” Quinn asked, hands going to her cheek. “Wait, it means liking the same gender right. So, would it work for you? No then? Hmm. Or is gay only for boys liking boys. What about girls liking girls?”

“There’s something called a lesbian,” Alex said helpfully. “It’s for girls that like girls.”

“I thought that was normal though. How can you not like girls? They’re soft and smell nice,” Quinn said. “Who wouldn’t like girls? Like, we’re awesome.”

“Everyone can be awesome. Boys and girls,” Jieun said and then looked over at Alex. “Formless blobs. It’s all just people, right? Gender is a weird thing anyway.”

“Yes! Thank you,” Alex said happily.

“You’re welcome,” Jieun said, even if she didn’t quite get the excitement.

“Hmm, much to think about,” Quinn said to herself. “Wait, you also said that Mr Lester told you that he’s gay. Like Mr Howell. Or did he say he likes Mr Howell.”

“He didn’t say he liked Mr Howell. I asked him though.”

“Brilliant,” Quinn said. “What did he say?”

“He evaded the question but… I think he likes him. He got all flustered when I told him I’d seen how he and Mr Howell pass smiles in the hallway. Flustered, feeling embarrassed or nervous,” Alex said.

Jieun looked down at the drawing on her sketchbook and she hadn’t realised that she had flipped over the page and started drawing Mr Lester and Mr Howell again. It happened at least once a week where she wanted to draw them. Separately, and together. It was happening again. The vague outlines were holding hands this time too. That was new.

“Wait, it would be so cute if they could date, wouldn’t it?” Quinn said. “They’re both excellent teachers and they clearly already like each other. Isn’t that a match made in heaven! Oh, I know, there’s the sleepover at the school in November. I think both of them are signed up to watch us. We’ll get them together! It’s been decided.”

Alex seemed a little sceptical. “Mr Lester said that you shouldn’t assume two gays would go together just because of their sexuality.”

Quinn blew out a raspberry. Jieun hummed under her breath and just listened to them talk as her drawing started to take form. It was turning out well, something warm and safe blooming in her chest. She had never paid much attention to gender and sexuality. Why would she? They were kids. It wasn’t like it had mattered much. Jieun just ignored it when her parents talked about finding a nice boy to marry when she was older. It was so far away anyway.

She agreed with Quinn though. Girls were nice and pretty and it was baffling that anyone would exclusively pick boys over them.

“It’s not because of that,” Quinn argued. “It’s because they would look good next to each other. Because they are good and kind men and they should get to find someone like that. And because they would look really good together. See, Jieun can’t stop drawing them.”

Jieun might be lost in how her hand worked across the page but she was sharply attuned to Quinn’s voice in particular. On reflex, she turned the drawing towards her two friends. It was far from a finished drawing yet, mostly just scribbles and outlines but it was enough to be able to discern that it was their two teacher’s holding hands.

Jieun had practice speed-drawing, having just a couple of minutes to capture someone’s likeness. It was a nice exercise to pass time on the bus.

“Okay, maybe they would look cute together.”

“Great! Let’s initiate plan, Lester-Howell.”

“It needs a better name than that,” Alex argued.

“Soulmates,” Jieun said. “They feel like soulmates. In that old definition, you know? Humans were too powerful and the Greek gods or whoever spilt them up into two and condemned them to walk the earth searching for their other half.”

When she looked up, both Quinn and Alex were looking at her. She didn’t hesitate to swing her sketchbook at Quinn who was closest.

“Ouch, what did you do that for?” Quinn complained and rubbed her arm.

“I can pay attention when I want, or when it’s exciting stuff.”

“Of course, we know that,” Alex said. “It wasn’t that. It’s the topic. Soulmates. Quite romantic.”

“Well, maybe I’m the most romantic out of all of us,” Jieun argued, snickering.

Quinn wouldn’t hear of that.

“Oh, I’ll show you romance. I can be so romantic! Both of you, you will be romanced and eat your words. And then we’re going to make Mr Lester and Mr Howell romance each other too. Everyone just wait! I will out-romance you all!” Quinn exclaimed and jumped up onto the table in one smooth movement.

Jieun and Alex both burst into laughter.

*~*~*

It was a confusing couple of weeks for Dan and Phil. Random chocolate and flowers started showing up in their respective classrooms, all labelled from “a secret admirer”. None of them had sent each other anything else.

“Do you think there’s legitimately two someone crushing on us at the same time?” Dan asked, when another beautiful flower had turned up on his desk.

“I don’t think so, I have begun developing a theory though. You know how Quinn have been even more over the top lately? Like she had always been loud and appreciative and protective of her friends but I swear it’s even louder now. And one day both Jieun and Alex turned up with flowers in their hair and it was the same kind of flower that showed up in the drama room that day.”

Dan stopped his pacing. He hadn’t even noticed that he had begun it.

“You don’t think…?”

“I’m not sure what, I think,” Phil said with a shrug. “But they are up to something and they are too clever for their own good.”

“It almost seems like match-making then,” Dan said and then his eyes went wide. “Phil, what if they are trying to get us together? They know we’re both gay now.”

“I told Alex not to make assumptions like that.”

“Sure, but they’re still children. It’s a natural leap.”

“Actually, it’s a little more than that,” Phil said and he realised he had never told Dan about how Alex had said that they fit so well together or the smiles in hallways that they had both been sure that no one had seen.

“What do you mean?”

“Alex had picked up on us being friendly, smiling at each other when we thought no one were looking. All that. So it might be more than about our sexualities. They might just think we’re cute together.”

“Wait, if that’s true then that’s precious. Phil!”

“I know,” Phil said and smiled.

“Well, if they’re messing with us, why don’t we mess with them?” Dan asked and he had his mischievous grin on. Phil was entirely too weak for that smile. It had gotten them into trouble before but it had always been fun trouble.

“What did you have in mind?” Phil asked.

“We give them more of what they want obviously,” Dan said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Dan was lucky that he was so cute and Phil was absolutely in love.

*~*~*

And boy, did it serve to confused the girls.

It started with Mr Lester randomly coming into put lip balm on Dan while the class was on break, saying something about Dan’s lips being too chapped.

It evolved to Mr Howell asking if he could have the drawing that Jieun was working on, even if it was pretty clear that it was of him and Mr Lester.

On Halloween, Mr Howell and Mr Lester dressed up in matching outfits, even if it was just cat ears and whiskers drawn on cheeks and a black spot on the nose.

The trio eventually stopped with the random secretly admiring gifts, even if Quinn still insisted to bring gifts and do nice things for Jieun and Alex. She said that she was just having so much fun with it and it became a thing that got incorporated into their friendship.

Quinn, Alex and Jieun watched in wonder as the secret admirer gifts somehow continued after they had stopped orchestrating them. Once Quinn had almost been so baffled that she had given their whole play away and revealed that they were the ones that had started with it, but Jieun had been quick to shut her up, pinching into her thigh so she only let out a real squeal instead of a metaphorical one.

It was a bit bizarre though, even if the trio eventually figured that they must have started giving each other real secret admirer gifts. After that realisation settled in, they felt quite accomplished.

*~*~*

Jieun was angry. She was fuming but unable to express it. It was made worse by both Quinn and Alex being outside of school for the day. It happened very rarely but when it did, those were already the worst days.

The fact that stupid Mr Conan had taken her sketchbook was just icing on the cake. If Quinn had been in, she wouldn’t have let that happen. She would have wrestled the sketchbook away if that was what had been needed and then happily gone to the principal to explain herself. She couldn’t do that, out with a very snotty nose and being ordered to stay home by her parents. She had given in, only because she wanted to make sure that she was well for the sleepover at the school where she had plans for Mr Lester and Mr Howell. Alex was out too, even if only for half the day because of a dentist appointment that always made them feel a little anxious and on edge.

It had been a new thing to think of Alex as them but Jieun’s brain had made the switch quite easily. If Alex was a formless blob, they could pick any and all pronoun they wanted. Jieun had promptly searched up all the potential pronouns one could have and written them into a big collage-like art piece. Alex had nearly cried which had made Jieun nearly cry in return.

For now, it was only herself and Quinn that knew about the new pronouns but Alex had commented that they had noticed that both Mr Lester and Mr Howell never referred to them in any gender specific way anymore.

Teachers like that were nice. Mr Conan was not.

Jieun’s hands felt empty without her sketchbook. It was a clutch; a safety blanket and she had been paying attention in math. As much as she could. It was just hard when Alex wasn’t next to her and able to say it much simpler ways. She could understand math like that.

“Oh, there you are.”

Jieun looked up from where she was digging her hands into her palms, only to see Mr Howell come walking up to the bench with her missing sketchbook in hand. She didn’t even think. She just acted reaching out and grabbing hold of it firmly and pressing it against her chest as if Mr Howell would take it away from her. It was illogical. He was the one who had handed it over.

Jieun sniffled a little. The cold was biting out here, but this was their corner, even if they didn’t use it much in the cold part of the year. She had needed comfort and gone to a place that would give her it.

“How?” she asked, looking up, hands still locked securely around the sketchbook.

“I saw Mr Conan with it in the teacher’s lounge,” Mr Howell said. He had a kind smile, one prominent dimple on one side and a little patch of skin that went rosy in the cold. Jieun took in the details and the look in his eyes and she flipped open the sketchbook and started drawing.

She wondered if he would scold her. Sometimes, people didn’t like being drawn. He didn’t say anything for a while, but he leaned a little closer, glancing on her page.

“Make me look good, would you?” he asked.

She looked up just enough that she saw the gentle smile on his face remained.

“Why did you help? Teachers can take things from students,” Jieun recalled. Alex could cite the school regulations. They had memorised them and used that knowledge to help all of them when they got into trouble. Mostly when Quinn got into trouble.

“They are, but you are always sketching and paying attention all the same. It’s not a disturbance for you. It’s a tool.”

“Mr Conan didn’t think so,” Jieun said bitterly.

“He is wrong then.”

“He’s wrong about a lot of things,” Jieun said.

“Oh?”

“He is the only one who insists on calling Alex by her full give name. Alejandra. Alex doesn’t like it. They said that they never liked it but they didn’t know how to tell teachers to stop calling them that. Alex, Quinn and I all started in the same years. Transfers,” Jieun said, hand working over the page. Talking was easier like this. She was imaging Mr Howell’s expression as he listened. “Alex first, then me, then Quinn. Quinn had only been here for a week when she suddenly started announcing something at the beginning of every single class. She told them to stop calling Alex Alejandra and not force them to answer questions when they didn’t raise their hand. She told them to stop thinking that I was stupid just because I looked like I wasn’t paying attention and she told them to stop trying to take my sketchbooks away.”

“Sounds like a good friend,” Mr Howell said.

“The best. Her and Alex are the best. I would be lost without them. Quinn likes to take care of us, but we take care of her too. Everyone needs someone to take care of them and someone to care for. Do you have someone like that, Mr Howell?” Jieun asked, looking up. There was an interesting expression on Mr Howell’s face. He looked like he was thinking about something that happened long ago.

“I do,” Mr Howell said. “I only have one someone like that but he’s the best thing to ever happen to me.”

“How long have you known him?”

“Since I was eighteen. He’s my very best friend in the whole wide world.”

Jieun wrinkled her nose. “Eighteen? That’s old.”

Mr Howell laughed. A proper laugh. It was a nice sound. Teachers usually acted like they were too high and mighty to properly laugh.

“Eighteen is not old.”

“It is. It’s almost twice my age,” Jieun argued. She hoped that math was right. If Alex were here, they would have given an encouraging nod or gently told her the real answer.

“Okay, I suppose that’s fair. You must think me old too, in my mid-20s.”

“You are old, but not compared to the other teachers. You and Mr Lester are the youngest ones here. Maybe that’s why you’re the nicest.”

Jieun was lost in the drawing so she didn’t really notice the hesitation from Mr Howell. Mr Howell on the page was coming alive nicely. He looked like a kind man. It was fitting considering the inspiration was the whole reason Jieun had the sketchbook right now.

“You think Phil and I are the nicest teachers?”

“Phil? Oh, Mr Lester, you mean. Yeah. We all agree,” Jieun said. Alex would sometimes get embarrassed that she just spoke her mind, Quinn would just laugh and cheer her on. Jieun just didn’t see why one needed to be so secretive. “Me, Alex and Quinn. You’re the best.”

“I’m very glad to hear that,” Mr Howell said.

“Can’t you stay for longer? Christmas is soon already. We will miss you,” Jieun said and she looked up from her page to see that Mr Howell looked like he was tearing up. “Are you crying? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry. Did you not hear me? I said we really like you and want you to stay.”

“I heard you,” Mr Howell said but there was a tear running down his cheek.

“Why are you crying then?”

“Do you know how people cry when they’re happy? These are happy tears, I promise. I’m glad you like my classes.”

“Oh, it’s all good then,” Jieun said and put the final brush of the pen across her page. She didn’t like to tear out pages from her sketchbook but something made her do it this time. She held the drawing out for Mr Howell. “For you,” she said and then jumped down from the bench and ran inside.

*~*~*

Saturday mornings had turned into cuddles and lie-ins without either Phil or Dan deciding to make that the rule. They were happy just lazing around together, lost in their lovely domesticity.

“I’ve only got over a month left,” Dan said. “December has snuck up on me.”

“I know, it does every single year,” Phil said. “I can’t believe you only have half a year left. You’re so much better than Mrs Cornell, no offence to her.”

Phil noticed a warm smile blossoming on Dan’s face.

“Jieun told me this week that you and I were her and her friends’ favourites. She just said it. Like a statement, like it was no big deal, while I was trying to keep my heart from melting.”

Phil could feel it now, his own heart turning warmer and softer at the mention.

“She really said that? I mean out of all of them, I’m not surprised it was her. She doesn’t really believe in having a filter, I’m sure she would be even more forthright if she wouldn’t rather be drawing than talking.”

“She asked me if I could stay in the new year too,” Dan said. “It made me almost want to, you know?”

“Dan,” Phil said, gently but chastising. “It has literally only been a week since you got offered a permanent employment on another school. In London, I might add. I’ve been making plans for moving out there together. Are you changing your mind?”

“No,” Dan said but he looked a little sad. “The move will be good for both of us. You talked to your principal too, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I’ll stay for the rest of the school year and then there’ll be a spot for me at their sister school in London.”

“At least you get to finished out with those kids. They’re onto secondary school next year anyway.”

“I’ll miss them still. I’ll miss all my students but those in particular.”

“Me too.”

“I’ll miss the free chocolate as secret admirer gifts.”

“Speaking of chocolate, how is the stash doing?”

“We’re almost through it, I think,” Phil replied.

Dan hummed and then rolled around and reluctantly got out of bed. He returned with the rest of their box of gift chocolate and picked out a piece to munch on.

“I’ll miss the chocolate a lot, I think,” Dan said.

Phil knew he wasn’t actually talking about the chocolate this time.

“I’ll not let the chocolate forget about you, and you can come visit. At least once before we see them graduate to the next level.”

Dan seemed satisfied with that. He plopped another chocolate in his mouth.

It was hard to think about leaving the school behind. Phil had only been there for a little over a year and it was a good place but they needed somewhere away from where they had met and grown into proper adults. London seemed like a good place to start. End of one era just for another one to begin.

*~*~*

“Okay, so this is the plan,” Quinn said and rubbed her hands together. “We get them to play truth or dare with us.”

“And how are you going to do that?” Alex asked.

“You could just ask,” Jieun said, not looking up from her page.

It was the school sleepover. All the kids were allowed to stay overnight, a full 24 hours of being at school property. A day filled with classes and activities and then an evening and night with fun times and games. It was only for Year 6, as the oldest level in this school, and everyone always tried to stay awake the whole night even if they had all been forced to bring sleeping bags.

“I will make it happen,” Quinn said confidently and she didn’t doubt herself. She had found that doubt didn’t help things along, it only stopped them in their tracks. So, obviously she had decided to toss that out of the window whenever she encountered it.

She saw every situation as a challenge and an opportunity and so far she hadn’t meet anything she couldn’t conquer. She was still quite proud that Mr Lester and Mr Howell had started sending gifts of their own back and forth, or so she had to presume, but she almost wished that they would ask her for advice.

Objectively, her gifts had been better. Those boys would need all the help they could get.

It was surprisingly easy to get both Mr Lester and Mr Howell into a game of truth and dare. She had sent Alex to go fetch Mr Lester and Jieun to fetch Mr Howell and then she had just found an empty classroom and waited.

She already knew how they would handle the task. Alex wouldn’t explain, other than they needed help and Mr Lester would come easily. Jieun would just straight up invite Mr Howell for truth and dare and he would go along with it because he was a good sport and he always talked about the “yes… and” thing in his classes. He’d play along and Mr Lester would too once he was in the room.

It happened just like she had predicted.

“Wait, what is going on?” Mr Lester asked.

“Truth or dare,” Quinn said. “We’re playing. All five of us.”

“There shouldn’t be two teachers here, someone has to watch-”

“A couple of rounds, Phil,” Mr Howell said, so casually and flashed Mr Lester a smile.

First name basis. Not that weird since it was a school policy that students had to address the teachers’ formally but there was still something in Mr Howell’s tone that even Quinn managed to pick up on and she was not the most perceptive of them.

“Perfect!” Quinn said. “Now sit down.”

The five of them sat in a circle on the floor. Mr Lester and Mr Howell had sat down next to each other.

“We’re starting with you, Mr Howell.”

“Dare,” he said without any hesitation.

Quinn had kind of figured.

“I dare you to hold Mr Lester’s hand for the whole time that we’re playing,” she said.

Mr Lester and Mr Howell looked at each other and then Mr Howell promptly reached out and took Mr Lester’s hand, even pulling both of the hands back into his lap.

“Okay, Phil, truth or dare,” Mr Howell said.

“Truth.”

“Scaredy-cat.”

“There are children here, Dan, and your dares-” Mr Lester cut himself off and then looked at Quinn, Alex and Jieun. “Okay, whatever. I say truth.”

“When did you have your first kiss?”

“Dan,” Mr Lester said.

“You have to answer,” Alex said. “It’s the rule of the game or we have to come up with a forfeit.”

“No, no, it’s okay. I’ll answer. I think I was thirteen?”

“Old,” Jieun mumbled.

“Even thirteen is old now?” Mr Howell asked and bumped his shoulder into Jieun. It was enough to make her look up.

“Yes, anything older than me is old,” she said.

“Hardly seems right.”

“Why are you complaining, Dan? You’re exactly the same!”

“Hey, I only tease you because I-” Mr Howell cut himself off.

Quinn looked over at Alex who was grinning but trying to hide it. “Do you two think you’re being subtle?”

“I… we… it’s,” Mr Lester said. He only stopped stuttering when Mr Howell squeezed his hand.

“You, dear child is too observant. Let’s focus on the game, shall we?”

They went back to playing but it wasn’t possible to pry a confession out of either Mr Howell or Mr Lester. However, they did keep holding hands the whole time and the way they talked to each other, it definitely seemed like they were close.

The game was cut short with Mr Lester’s phone rang and it turned out one of the teachers were looking for some help clean up after a kid that had been sick after eating too many sweets.

Alex only spoke up after both Mr Howell and Mr Lester were out of the room.

“Oh, they are definitely together,” they said, and it wasn’t like Alex to speak with so much confidence. Alex usually doubted the answer even when they had just double checked it. Quinn was proud to see that they weren’t so scared about speaking up more. Kind teachers had definitely helped with that.

“Their hands certainly look like they were made to fit each other,” Jieun said and showed the sketch she had been drawing during the game. It was just two hands clasped together but it was a familiar image, a near perfect copy of what they had just seen for minutes on end.

“Then we were successful. They are together and happy,” Quinn said and stuck a power pose. That didn’t feel like enough so she jumped up on the table too. She almost wobbled and fell but Alex and Jieun quickly moved to catch her.

Girls were really the best, and her girls were the best of the best. It was important to have someone and she really hoped that Mr Lester and Mr Howell could be there for each other.

*~*~*

December had the ability to move lightning fast. Dan hated it. It meant he was always late on shopping for gifts and attending too many social gatherings. He wanted to just curl up on the sofa with Phil, a hot chocolate and a corny Christmas film. It was the perfect way to spend December.

It didn’t help that he was also trying to organise being able to move to London to a flat that him and Phil had finally found with a stroke of pure luck. It was difficult to start setting it up when you were across the country.

Moreover, he felt like he had a sadness hanging in his chest. His final days as a teacher at his first ever school would be over soon. Mrs Cornell had come by one day, apparently home a little before the holidays from her grand sea adventure.

Dan didn’t like her much.

Even so, he handed over the notes on all of the students that he had prepared.

“Wait, you got Alex and Jieun to participate? Or did Quin threaten you? She might be scary but she’s just a little girl,” Mrs Cornell said when she flicked through his notes.

“Quinn is a force to be reckoned with but no, I wasn’t coerced. We just took it at their tempo. All of them are really talented, but Quinn blossomed in particular. For the spring musical, you might want to encourage her to go for the lead.”

Mrs Cornell didn’t look like she believed him and he supposed that was fair. All of the teachers, except for Phil, had warned Dan about Quinn and her bulldozing tendencies. She was pals with the principal at this point with how many times she’d been to see him but yet she was never severely punished. Silver tongue on that girl. Between that, Alex’s observant eyes and Jieun’s blunt honest, they were a force.

Dan was reminded of that when the three of them showed up at the drama room where he was tidying his stuff on the final day of school. He had made sure to thank all of his students throughout the week for making this such a welcoming place for him. He had kind of wanted to talk to the trio in particular but he wasn’t sure if that would be seen like a good thing.

And he couldn’t be sure that they wanted to hear from him anyway.

He was very wrong.

They came in with too many gifts. Framed drawings from Jieun of both him, and him and Phil together. A very specific collection of various flowers that he was sure meant something in flower language that he’d have to look up later from Alex. A close envelope and a box of the same chocolate that they had used a few months back from Quinn.

“What is all of this?” Dan asked, trying to keep hold of all the gifts that had been showed into his arms. He was struggling not to drop any.

“Gifts,” Jieun deadpanned and narrowed her eyes like she couldn’t believe he could be that obtuse.

“They’re just token of our appreciation,” Alex elaborated. “We really liked having you as a teacher. You… you made this first half year better than before.”

“And it’s because we’ll miss you. You will kick ass in London, we’re sure of that, but don’t forget us, okay?”

Dan felt the tears come on and he just about managed to put the gifts carefully down before he kneeled down and opened his arms. Three big kids came tumbling into them. Dan was thankful that he had very long arms so he could hold onto them all. They were nearly taller than him when he was on his knees but he liked that.

He liked looking up at the future generations.

Kind, compassionate, sharp and resourceful. The world would be a very different place once they started to become adults, if only they could remember themselves like this. Dan had so much faith in them.

“Dan, are you ready to-” Phil had been talking already before he was pushing open the door but he froze when he saw the group hug. “Oh, I’m sorry, I’ll-”

“Mr Lester,” Alex called. “Get in here. Only the kindest teachers get hugs.”

“Yeah, Phil, come join in the hug,” Dan said and he knew his voice sounded tight and he was sure that there were tears in the corners of his eyes. Phil knelt down too and soon it was five people wrapped up in a hug.

Dan would miss this so much.

“You all are going to do so well,” Phil said. “Even when Dan isn’t here anymore, even when I’m not your teacher anymore, you will do so well.”

“Only if you promise to take care of each other,” Quinn said.

“You have to pinky promise,” Alex said.

“Or we will come haunt you,” Jieun added.

Dan and Phil both chuckled and the hug broke up only for pinkies to be locked around pinkies all the way around in the new circle that formed.

“They you are going to promise to look out for each other too,” Dan said.

“Don’t forget us,” Quinn said and some of the tough bravado dropped away.

Dan and Phil looked at each other. Dan could see what Phil was thinking just as easy as he could feel the answer in his own heard. They spoke together.

“We could never forget you,” Dan said.

“Not for a hundred years,” Phil added.

Pinkies squeezed around pinkies and it was a sacred promise.

*~*~* 10 years later *~*~*

“No way,” Alex muttered under their breath and jumped up from the armchair, phone clutched tightly in hand.

They had only just sat down, intending to go over a quick scroll through the London pride hashtag to reminisce about the yesterday. It had been such a fun day, the first time they had gotten to attend properly.

“What did you see?” Jieun asked, crouched over a painting on the floor that was definitely not allowed in the terms of their flat agreement but neither her or the rest of the people in the flat cared much about that.

Jieun was lost in painting rainbows overlapping, incorporating all of the LGBTQ+ flags he could manage. She had been up since early this morning, even if all of them had been tired after such a long day.

“What it going on in here?” Quinn asked, walking from the cramped kitchen into the less cramped living room. She still insisted on carrying three mugs at all times, even after multiple spilling instances.

Alex had stopped trying to warn her off of it. It was no use. They smiled as Quinn handed them the green tea and instantly cupped one of their hands around the mug while the other held onto the phone valiantly. They looked at the screen again, just to see if the image had vanished.

It hadn’t. It was still as clear as day.

Quinn dropped Jieun’s hot chocolate next to her left arm and gently touched her elbow to remind her. Jieun moved almost automatically, reaching over and taking a big gulp. It was good that Quinn now always added cold milk and marshmallows and cooled down significantly because of it.

Quinn squeezed into the armchair with Jieun. They could hardly fit but they curled around each other, months of practice making it a lot easier.

“So, what have you got?” Quinn asked and took a sip of her coffee.

“Do the two of you remember Mr Lester and Mr Howell? From Primary School,” Alex asked.

Quinn quirked an eyebrow and nodded while Jieun for a moment abandoned the painting and turned around the face them instead. She shuffled a little closer, hot chocolate and art momentarily forgotten.

“Duh,” Quinn said. “I loved those teachers. We all did. It’s crazy to think that one was just our teacher for six months. Heck, we only had Mr Lester for two years. But yeah, how could we forget them? They were the two first adult that I can remember talking about being queer. Mr Howell was the first out adult we ever met like that.”

Alex nodded and clutched their hand closer and the phone. They took a sip of their tea even with two sets of intrigued eyes on them. Alex still mostly liked speaking when they could sort their thoughts out.

“You know, I’ve read recent studies about how queer people tend to find each other and group together, even before they know that they are queer sometimes. It’s almost like you can just tell. There’s something there. You being kindred spirits without ever saying it.”

“Makes sense,” Jieun said. “We found each other after all.”

Still so blunt but also loving. Jieun’s smile softened and she looked a little embarrassed but Quinn was reaching a hand out, grabbing Jieun’s wrist and pulling until she could pull her up in the arm chair with them.

It was a chair for maybe a person and a half. All three of them knew how to pile up on each other though.

“Look at this,” Alex said and handed their phone over to Quinn who had the longest arms. She extended it so that they could all see.

“No fucking way!!” Quinn shouted, pulling the phone in to look closer and then back so the others could see again

“Oh, they look pretty,” Jieun said in that contemplative tone of hers. Her mind was already working over the details taking in every pit of the photo.

Alex looked at it again.

Mr Lester and Mr Howell at London Pride. Rainbow stamps on their cheeks. Big smiles and bright eyes. Hands slung around each other. A huge rainbow flag around their shoulder. The commentary was not complex or long. It was overwhelmingly simple but it said so much.

first pride 🌈 15 years together

“Those fuckers,” Quinn said but her voice was a mix of affection and surprise. “They were together. Back then. In school, they were together. God! Remember how we used to think that they would be nice together? The gifts! Secret admirers? We got that started and then we thought they started falling in love and just continued it but the jokes on us! They were already together.”

Quinn started laughing loudly and it made the whole chair shake a little but Alex just smiled and reached out to feel Quinn’s cheeks as she smiled widely. Jieun had taken the phone and she was still studying the photo with intense eyes.

“They’re really happy,” she said. “So happy.”

“Wait, let me see again!” Quinn said and grabbed the phone.

They fell back into reminiscence, old stories of their ten-year-old selves. As they spoke more histories came up and the afternoon was lost to nostalgic talk. It was a couple of hours down the line when Quinn posed a suggestion.

“We should send them our photo too, the one we took yesterday.”

“Say thank you,” Jieun said with a nod.

They had eventually untangled and Jieun was back on the floor. Different painting this time. She hadn’t finished with the old one but she had a revolving door of works in progress so this wasn’t new territory. One of Mr Lester and Mr Howell. Phil. Dan. Dan and Phil. It was weird to think of them like that but Alex quite like the sound of their names together.

“We should, shouldn’t we?” Alex said and scrolled through their phone. They found their favourite photo quite easily. “This one?”

They showed it to their girls who both nodded enthusiastically.

Alex sent the photo and then went back to the one of Dan and Phil. They wondered if they knew how much they had mattered to a trio of young kids a decade ago.

*~*~*

Dan as a rule didn’t really like looking too closely at his dms. It was usually just weird things, but there was something that made him check it that morning. The photo that he had posted of him and Phil had gotten a surprising amount of likes and so many lovely comments.

It was the first couply photo Dan had ever shared of them together, and he had been pleasantly surprised but the massive rush of love and support. Maybe that was why he checked his dms because already yesterday more lovely comments had been poured into those.

The username was @acealex, a nice alliteration Dan noted. Next, he saw the photo, three young people who couldn’t be more than in their late teens or early twenties. They all looked so happy. A blonde with a huge smile wearing a shirt with the lesbian colours, someone with a nonbinary hat over a mop of curly hair and an asexual pin to their chest and the last one covered in body paint and holding up both the bi and the pan flags, photo caught mid-wave. There was something familiar about it but mostly it just made Dan smile. It looked like it was taken at London Pride yesterday and Dan wondered if he and Phil had walked past them and not realised.

Lastly, he read the text and he only got through about half of it before he was getting up from his spot and going to find Phil who was making dinner in the kitchen. Dan walked up behind him, giving him a back hug, and then handing the phone over.

“Dan,” Phil said sounding amused. “I’m cooking. Unless you want to switch days and cook for me today, then get out of my way, love.”

Dan’s heart melted. Even after all of these years, his love for Phil still burned so bright.

“You’ll want to see this,” Dan said, handing Phil the phone and pushing the pan off of the heat.

Phil indulged him. He always did.

“Wait, what? The… the kids from our first school? I can’t believe it.”

Dan looked over Phil’s shoulder, taking in the details of the photo. It was easy to see now that he had seen the names on the greeting. Quinn, Alex and Jiuen. They had turned into young adult. It made Dan feel a little old but there was also a pride blooming in his chest. His kids for however brief it has been had already grown up so much and they were out and proud. All of them queer. Dan wasn’t really surprised at that part but he was still fond at the thought that they had been able to figure themselves out, even if the labels might change over the years to come. No label was necessarily forever but right now they looked so happy to be able to fit themselves into some broad categories.

“Read the message, would you?” Dan asked. He felt like there were tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

This felt like such a big thing. Dan and Phil had both wanted to be teachers because they wanted to set a good example for kids and teach them. For them to be able to grow up in a kinder and warmer world.

Phil cleared his throat and he didn’t sound unaffected either. Dan hugged himself closer to Phil’s back and buried his nose in Phil’s shoulder.

“Hi Mr Lester and Mr Howell, I don’t know if you remember us but you both used to be our favourite teachers. We were the little trio of trouble makers that none of the other teachers seemed to like much, except the two of you. You helped us so much, not just getting better at both of your subjects but also with figuring ourselves out. We just stumbled across a photo of you at London Pride and it made us so happy. We are really happy that you have been together for so long and so happily by the looks of it,” Phil read up and now his voice was really shaking. He sniffled.

Dan looked up from Phil’s shoulder and reached around to take the phone from Phil’s hand. Phil turned around, pulling Dan into a proper hug and hiding his face in the crook of Dan’s neck.

Dan could feel him overflowing with emotions. Yesterday had been an emotional day. It had been the first time that they had dared to go to pride together. At their current schools, both were out gay men but it still felt like a different kind of vulnerability to post a photo together.

Even so, it had felt like time. It had felt so right.

Dan cleared his throat too. “We all live together and go to the same university now. We’re still figuring ourselves out, in more ways than one, but we know for sure that we are queer and that we love ourselves and each other. You two helped with figuring that out indirectly. Thank you again. Love, Quinn, Jieun and Alex.”

Dan was pretty sure that there was at least one tear escaping his eye. Phil sniffled against him.

“I think they always knew, you know?” Phil said. “That we were together or would be nice together. I’m not even sure how but I always felt so laid bare in front of those three. So perceptive in each of their own ways. But they never used it. They were kind kids.”

“You want to hear my theory with how they knew?” Dan asked.

“Is it going to make me cry more?” Phil asked, pulling back to look in Dan’s eyes.

Dan shrugged but smiled.

“I think queer people can sense each other. I think we gravitate towards each other, potentially even before anyone has come out. Just… this instinctive sense of belonging when you meet? Kind of like when we met and I just instinctively knew you would keep my heart safe when I started to fall.”

“Dan!” Phil complained but there was a smile on his lips and love in his eyes. “I’m already emotional over our lil queer kids and now you’re going to make me cry over our love too. I am getting too old for so many emotions.”

“Never,” Dan said triumphantly and pulled Phil into a kiss.

Two pride photos shared between five queer people had spread so much joy. The teachers had meant so much to the students but the students had also meant so much to the teachers in return.

The two gay teachers who had been secretly together had changed and improved at least those three students lives.

#phanfic #phanfiction #my stories

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crisisdparity · 3 years

Text

Game Master Akuma AU

(Note: Originally submitted to @justanotherpersonsuniverse, on their advice I will be using my own tumblr for anything in the future related to this AU.)

Xavier Duchamp was rather proud of himself. What he had before him was an absolute masterpiece of a campaign if he did say so himself. The product of over six months of study, research, and rebalancing efforts followed by two weeks of discussion with his five players to hash out schedules, meeting times, characters, backstories, potential character arcs, and getting them set up with a messaging app that was really good for sending discrete messages between the GM and the players.

Valentine and her boyfriend Justin were onboard in an instant. Within days, he'd greenlighted their Half-Elf Bard of the College of Glamour whose spell list was 100% Illusion spells and Half-Orc Fighter (Eldritch Knight) who was focusing entirely on Abjuration as Rena Rouge and Carapace respectively.

Olivia had spent a few days coming up with a Halfling Rogue and debating subclasses with him until settling on Scout. Along with some discussion over how her special magic item's stunning and paralysis effect would work with Sneak Attack, the campaign had its Vesperia.

Jeanette had gone back and forth with him for a week looking at various homebrew subclasses for her Gnome Artificer before they both agreed on one particular Master Tinkerer entry that would be balanced and do the character justice. And with that they had their Ladybug.

Even Matt was on board with a stealthy human Chat the Barbarian using the Path of the Beast. The class choice was something Matt had insisted on (and that Xavier would have suggested anyway just for the high hit point totals given Matt's history with characters dying) and he'd even come up with a backstory that Xavier felt was quite compelling compared to Matt's usual efforts. Morally ambiguous, likely to be tempted by promises of power, but with a great deal of story potential to work with.

Which was a relief. Getting a new player into their group to replace Matt was not something Xavier really felt comfortable with. There were too many unknowns with introducing a new person, far too many for him to risk his masterpiece on an unknown factor. He knew Matt. He could work with Matt. Despite the history.

He'd put everything he had into this. Every known Akuma ever fought by the heroes had been made into a boss-tier foe. He'd carefully documented each and every power the heroes had shown to craft special legendary magic items based on the Miraculous. Hawkmoth and Mayura themselves were going to be the final bosses of his campaign.

In response to criticism about the difficulty of his campaigns (he tried to make them fair, but still challenging enough to be memorable), he'd made several guest NPCs based on every other hero that had ever been called upon, statted out like player characters that might show up in a pinch to help. He even had a genuine Deus ex Machina that he was ready to use to get the players out of a truly impossible jam if they found themselves in one.

Not always, but a few times at least. Enough to get them to the point where they wouldn't need it anymore.

-----

It was thirty minutes in, right in the middle of exposition from the Guardian NPC, when Xavier got his first message on the app.

Matt/Chat - Chat's going to wait until everyone breaks up and follow Ladybug stealthily.

Xavier/GM - Starting party conflict on the first session? Not what I'd advise, but it's your character. Go ahead and make your Stealth roll now.

Matt/Chat - <photo> 17

Xavier/GM - Yeah, that beats everyone's passive Perception easily. You'll sneak off handily without anyone noticing.

-----

"Jeanette, Ladybug is grabbed from behind by an unknown assailant. Roll to resist the grapple."

"Geez, already? Okay, what did my assailant get for their grapple? How screwed am I?"

Xavier pretended to roll a die while consulting the message from Matt.

"19."

"Okay, difficult, but not undoable... Crap."

"What'd you get?"

"Nat 1..."

"Hah! I rip off her earrings and claim them for myself! The Wish is mine!"

"Seriously Matt?! What the hell?!"

"Because it's payback time! Payback for every character of mine killed in these hellish campaigns!"

"Oh, come on! You're not the only person whose had a character die at this table! Xavier runs some pretty challenging campaigns, but they're always fair!"

"What about the time he killed Allric the Allmighty in a single round of combat?"

"Dude, you tried to Leroy Jenkins straight into melee with a 4th-level Wizard that had a CON penalty. Even at full health you had like 10 hp."

"14!"

"Not much better, dude."

"Guys, it's fine. I can handle this. Okay, Matt. Chat the Barbarian managed to get the earrings-"

"Yeah, Ladybug screams bloody murder when he rips them out. Good luck getting out of this in one piece."

"The moment Rena hears Ladybug scream, she bolts for the sound."

"So does Carapace."

"Vesperia too."

"-and with their current locations and movement speeds, I assume you're all using the Dash action?, you've got maybe one round to decide on your Wish before they're all over you, so choose carefully. And be aware that I plan to grant whatever you wish for in the worst possible way, just as I would if any of the others pulled this."

"Rena screams 'What the HELL, Chat?! We're supposed to protect the Miraculous, not use them for our own selfish purposes! Didn't you listen to the Guardian? Such actions always bring misfortune upon those who misuse the Miraculous!'"

"Because I am Chat, avatar of Destruction and I WISH THIS WORLD NEVER EXISTED!"

There was dead silence at the table.

"Matt... What... just... WHAT?!"

"Hah! You like that?! How does it feel now that the shoe's on the other foot, huh?!"

"What the hell is your problem, Matt?!"

"My problem? MY problem?! Do you know how much time I've spent making characters for these shitty campaigns only to have them turned into paste in one session?!"

"Because you made primary spellcasters and played every last one of them like a barbarian, charging in headfirst without thinking! All of us breathed a sigh of relief when you revealed that your character finally matched your playstyle!"

"I HATE BARBARIANS! THEY'RE BORING! I SHOULD GET TO PLAY CHARACTERS THAT CAN AT LEAST CHUCK FIREBALLS!"

"THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULD STOP RUNNING THEM FACE FIRST INTO ENEMY SWORDS!"

"NONE OF YOU COULD EVER HANDLE THE FACT THE I MAKE MORE AWESOME CHARACTERS THAN ANY OF YOU, SO YOU JUST LET THIS DOUCHEBAG KILL THEM OFF SO YOU WOULDN'T GET OVERSHADOWED BY HOW AMAZING I AM! WELL NOW I KILLED SOMETHING YOU ALL WORKED HARD ON, SO SUCK IT! I'M DONE WITH ALL OF YOU FOREVER!"

"MATT! HEY! GET BACK HERE YOU JERK! MATT!"

"Crap, I think Olivia might actually kill him this time..."

"It's going to take all of us to stop her from getting arrested at least."

Xavier just watched numbly as the rest of the group ran out of his apartment. Over six months of work. Gone in less than an hour.

He'd given so much to making sure this would work. He'd apologized to Matt at least twice for every character of his that had died to get him to come back. He'd agreed to demand after demand just to keep a familiar face on board, never dreaming he'd pull something like this.

He'd nearly gotten fired from his job trying to rearrange his schedule to fit with everyone else's. They'd somehow, miraculously, gotten the whole day with no other obligations among any of them and decided to make the first session a true marathon. They'd meet in the morning after breakfast and eat both lunch and dinner at the game table before calling it a night late in the evening.

It was barely 10:00 in the morning and the whole campaign he'd slaved over for months was kaput.

He never noticed the butterfly landing on his custom Miraculous-themed Game Master screen and being absorbed into it.

"Game Master, I am Hawkmoth. Few people appreciate the kind of effort that goes into making something truly grand and memorable. I shall give you the power to bring your entire world to life and in return, I ask only for a few simple things."

This was wrong. Hawkmoth was the worst of the worst. The kind of person who would be at home among all the final bosses he'd ever made for his campaigns. Heartless, manipulative, cruel.

"Not enough? Ah, but what is a game without players? How would you like to have the Miraculous heroes themselves run your great campaign? Surely they would be far more appreciative than those ungrateful peons that left you alone with nothing but the broken remains of your efforts."

He knew all these things, but the allure of bringing the world he'd spent so much time on to life... What creator could ever turn down an offer like that?

"I, the Game Master, accept... Hawkmoth."

"Excellent. And in exchange, you shall bring me one of two things: The Miraculous, or the identities of their wielders."

"No."

Hawkmoth was silent for a moment.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said no. I am the Game Master. I make the world. I craft the challenges. I decide the rewards. But I do not do anything for anyone. If you want these things, get them yourself."

"If you refuse me, it shall be very unpleasant for you."

"No. As Game Master, I decide the limits of all powers within my realm. And I decide that you have none over me."

And with that, he unleashed his creation over all of Paris, drawing everyone and everything within into his sphere of influence.

-----

Ladybug blinked the spots (ha) out of her eyes as the flash of light died down and looked at herself. She didn't remember transforming, but she was clearly in her spots. Except her red and black superhero uniform didn't usually look like it was headed to a steampunk convention. Looking around, she tried to figure out what had happened and her eyes landed on a familiar belt and pants combo.

Problem. Whoever this was, their groin was at eye level for her.

She looked up.

And up.

To find a grinning Chat Noir, sans anything resembling a shirt and having put on at least a foot of height and apparently a hundred pounds of pure muscle, grinning down at her.

"How's the weather down there?" Chat Noir chuckled as he flexed his unfairly attractive muscleman physique.

"I WILL END YOU!" the heroine snarled, already 100% done with whatever new insanity Hawkmoth had cooked up.

Characters:

Ladybug - Gnome Artificer (Master Tinkerer - Homebrew)

Chat Noir - Human Barbarian (Path of the Beast)

-----

Vesperia had to admit, as Akuma attacks went, this was pretty dope.

She was currently a halfling. A halfling! If it wasn't for her fantasy ensemble being yellow and black, she'd have thought she stepped straight out of Lord of the Rings.

Of course, fantasy setting or not, there were still things she'd have rather left back in the real world. Like racism. And stigma against mixed couples. Not directed at her, but rather at the two walking down the street next to her.

"You know, people are staring..." she said as she craned her head to look at her companions.

"Let them," the Half-Elf Rena Rouge (who looked like a cross between a musician and a belly dancer) said from her perch atop the shoulders of the heavily armored (and surprisingly buff) Half-Orc Carapace. "They're just jealous because their boyfriends can't carry them everywhere."

Characters:

Vesperia - Halfling Rogue (Scout)

Rena Rouge - Half-Elf Bard (College of Glamour)

Carapace - Half-Orc Fighter (Eldritch Knight)

-----

Ryuko blinked as she studied the apparent snake-man-thing before her who claimed to be Viperion. She lifted a hand to study it and found what appeared to be bronze scales covering every inch of her skin.

She sniffed herself, smelling the sharp tang of ozone. What was she?

And why did she appear to be wearing wooden armor?

Characters:

Ryuko - Dragonborn (bronze) Druid (Circle of Storms - Third Party)

Viperion - Naga Sorcerer (Divination Magic - Homebrew)

-----

Polymouse giggled as her friends ran over her. Okay, she'd freaked out a little to find a swarm of mice (with hair like hers no less) crawling all over her surprisingly mouse-like body when she'd come to in the middle of some forest somewhere. But she'd gotten over it pretty quickly. It helped that her new friends were adorable.

It might help more if she could figure out where she was.

Or find another person.

Characters:

Polymouse - Kobold (rodentlike) Ranger (Swarmkeeper - Reskinned)

-----

Purple Tigress sighed as she felt the hair (fur?) on the top of her head being shifted around and twitched her new catlike ears in mild annoyance.

"Are you quite done?"

"Almost!" Pigella's cheerful voice answered. "Your fur is so comfy!"

Tigress sighed. Of course Pigella would end up being a fairy, and having her normal cheerful enthusiasm cranked up to previously unimagined levels.

"I love you dearly, but if you start shouting 'hey listen' I will stick you in a bottle."

"Aw, I love you too! Hey, what's that?"

"I think it's my character sheet?"

Characters:

Purple Tigress - Tabaxi Paladin (Oath of Glory)

Pigella - Fairy Cleric (Order Domain - Reskinned)

-----

"According to my analysis, we have been placed into what appears to be a Dungeons and Dragons campaign under 5th edition rules," Pegasus stated in a mechanical monotone. "I am apparently a Warforged Wizard using the School of Conjuration whose spells create portals to bridge dimensions and summon or banish my intended targets. You are what is known as a Simic Hybrid, with the class of Monk, following the Way of the Drunken Master."

"Aweshum," King Monkey slurred, his generally human appearance clad in monk's robes marred by his monkey-like hands and feet as well as the monkey tail swishing behind him.

"Why do you keep slurring like that? According to my sensors, your gourd is filled with only water."

"Gotta keep up appearanshes!" King Monkey grinned as he continued faking drunkenness.

Characters:

Pegasus - Warforged Wizard (School of Conjuration - Reskinned)

King Monkey - Simic Hybrid Monk (Way of the Drunken Master)

-----

Hawkmoth studied the dark red horns growing out of his head in the mirror. The change in appearance was disconcerting, but he felt a rush of power in this new form that he'd never felt before.

"Hmm... perhaps I can work with this..."

"Speak for yourself..." Mayura muttered off to the side, ruffling her peacock-like feathers in annoyance as she tried to glare at the beak on her own face.

Characters:

Hawkmoth - Tiefling Dark Lord, Warlock Patron, Contracted by Lila Rossi, Volpina, Queen Wasp, and many others.

Mayura - Kenku Assistant to the Dark Lord, Creator of Monsters

-----

"Oh, come on!" A figure in a cyan and white hooded robe complained as they waved a similarly colored umbrella around angrily. "Everyone else gets to be part of this adventure, why can't I join them?"

"Because you're too OP. You'd completely break everything and remove all challenge from the adventure."

"But sitting around is no fun at all!"

"If you like, I can put you in the position of the main quest giver. Your job would be to direct them towards their enemies and means of becoming stronger."

"That's it?! I'm on 'mysterious hooded figure' duty? Boo! Why can't I fight with them?!"

"Because you're too OP. But if you insist, I'll allow some Deus ex Machina interventions."

"YES!"

"Five."

"I'm sorry?"

"I'll allow five interventions at your discretion to aid them when they are in peril. Once you have come to their aid five times, I will allow no more meetings save to impart quest information."

"That's it?"

"Yes. Choose your interventions wisely."

"So... if I manage to save one for when they fight Hawmoth and Mayura in the final battle...?"

"Then I would allow you to join them of course."

"Score!"

Characters:

Bunnyx: Mysterious Hooded Figure, Deus-ex-Machina (5)

Game Master: Akuma Lord of the Miraculous Campaign

-----

Addendum

When the Game Master is finally purified and the damage reversed, it turns out that he took the effort to trap all of Paris in a temporal stasis bubble so that no matter how long passed inside no more than a few moments passed outside. Meaning that after what seemed like months in the bubble, it's basically less than a minute after he was akumatized when everything is put back.

All his friends, minus Matt, come back in bringing a new person named Zack that they vetted themselves to take Matt's place in case he pulled something like what he did. And while he has a similar playstyle to Matt, he's savvy enough to know what kind of characters that is suited for and he loves playing barbarians.

They all sit back down and restart the game they were all looking forward to.

#game master akuma au #miraculous ladybug #fanfic #writings

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9worldstales · 3 years

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MCU Loki: Speculations on the “Loki” series

So, for the fun of it I’m gonna speculate on the whole “Loki” series.

For start Time Variance Authority.

In the comic the TVA seems to represent the lawful alignment. It doesn’t mean it will do the same in the “Loki” series, Marvel sometimes change things but let’s pretend they left this unchanged.

Before you start thinking this is a good thing, let’s remember the lawful alignment doesn’t define the moral axis of something, merely the ethical one. General Thunderbolt Ross and the Krees can be considered as lawful as Captain America and Rhodey, only the first two are lawful evil while the last two are lawful good.

Karl Mordo in “Doctor Strange” instead moves from lawful good to lawful evil.

For the TVA what matters are the rules. They are, of course, sure that respecting the rules is a good thing, and if this requires to wipe out an entire temporal line… well, no problem of theirs.

In short the TVA are your sort of guys who might decide that no, the Avengers shouldn’t have gone back in time and hamper with the timeline and save half of the universe because… it’s against their rules.

Here they seem worried that Loki has changed things. I would argue that it’s the Avengers that went back in the past and change things but let’s explore what it means if Loki didn’t met up the same fate as the one of the ordinary timeline.

Well, for start the Bifrost doesn’t get repaired as Thor used the Tesseract to repair it.

This might mean that, for start the Nine Realms will have to do without Asgard’s protection but, in more MCU terms that Thor won’t be able to go back home. There’s to wonder if he’ll manage to make peace with Jane and reach for her when she will be possessed by the Aether.

If he doesn’t, as a result, the Aether can fall more easily in Malekit’s hands, who will attack Earth directly instead than Asgard.

We might not end up having Thanos because the Dark Elves win and wipe away people themselves, turning the whole series in a variation of “War of realms”.

Okay, no, I don’t think we’ll get “War of realms” but it’s a pity.

What I wonder if the fact that they have Loki and Moebius interact is because one is chaotic and the other is lawful and the theme of the story is going to be this.

Chaotic again, isn’t necessarily evil, it only means you don’t respect the rules.

Scott Lang from “Ant-Man” is chaotic good for example. The Vulture from “Spider Man Homecoming” is chaotic evil.

Same as Karl Mordo Loki tends to change his moral axis at need. Prior to “Thor” he’s chaotic good, in “The Avengers” he’s Chaotic evil, in “Avengers: Infinity War” he’s back on being Chaotic good again.

So the whole show can open the discussion of how respecting or not rules should be tied to moral values. We shouldn’t respect a law aimed at hurting others… but we shouldn’t break law carelessly either as there will be consequences.

For example…. There’s a scene showing Loki in Pompeii.

Should the people in the city be warned mount Somma (yeah, it’s mount Somma which erupted, what will remain of it after the eruption will be named Vesuvius) is about to erupt and therefore saved or should we let them all die because, after all, their death is kind of already happened from Loki and Mobius perspective?

It’s a question that, in a way, was opened and ignored in “Avengers: Endgame”. The Avengers decide to save all the people that were blipped away by Thanos… but what about the ones he killed previously?

The half of Asgardian refugees, Heimdall, Loki, the dwarves on Nidavellir, the people on Xandar he wiped away to get the power stone, the people that die in the battle of New York, that was still caused by Thanos even if he didn’t oversee it personally, Gamora’s family and people?

Thor arrives in Asgard and is forced to face that most of the people there will be dead… would it have been really bad if he warned them against Hela so that more could survive? If he saved his mom and then asked her to find an alternate way to get the same ending with the Dark Elves only this time it doesn’t include her dying?

It’s questions worth making because they touch our moral axis as, if we do nothing, we let those people die/dead.

For a greater good? How can we know the result and for who’s the greater good? For us?

So anyway this has the potential to be cool, because when the lines on the moral axis blur and you don’t know anymore if something is good or evil, the decisions are taken by the ethical axis.

And someone lawful would just say ‘the law says so therefore letting those people die has to be the good choice’ while someone chaotic would say ‘screw the law, it can’t be good, I’m gonna save my mom and worry about consequences later’.

And this is awesome material for a story.

Though, of course, they can also take inspiration from “Agent of Asgard” in which old Loki, despite thinking that nothing would change even if Loki were to try to be good, still changed the past so that Loki could have a better chance at life and could make a more informed decision in the end.

(the scene of Loki’s decision is “Agent of Asgard” is AWESOME and way better than whatever redemption arc the MCU came up with by the way so I’m all to get that if they do the appropriate work)

Going on.

In the comics Mobius is a bureaucrat, cloned for his job and who knows nothing else but it.

Of course Marvel can portray him differently but let’s assume they’ll run with this.

So it can be that for Mobius everything is just ‘data’ and people are merely ‘entities’ and this not because he’s evil but because that’s how he has been taught to live.

He studied all of Loki’s life, but that’s it, for him they probably were data, not someone’s life, just a list of facts with no emotional value attached.

Studying Loki’s life is a job, and he might dedicate to it with the same mind setting of a student studying Caesar’s life.

He might not stop to wonder how painful the stabbing was, how horrible it could have been to see that his son was among the stabbers, how desperately he attempted to protect himself as he tried to flee and how brutal the others were as they continued to stab him even when he fell and lay there defenceless.

All he might care for is he died in 15 March 44 BC, attacked by around 60 men and stabbed 23 times, one of the stabs given by Brutus and that’s it. And then on March 15th put on Tumblr a stabbed Caesar salad and joke on his death because, by now Caesar is no more viewed as a person, just as a historical record.

For Mobius Loki might be just a record and even if Loki sits in front of him, he’s no more than data and someone to use. If Mobius gets an arc in which he develops he might learn to view Loki as a person, which doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll stop being lawful.

He might learn to feel sorry for him but still say ‘but the law says this is it’ or he might shift his ethical axis.

It would still be an interesting plot.

And for Loki too there’s potential for things to be interesting because he might, for once, to feel in control.

Most of Loki’s life is dictated by him not being in control.

He didn’t get to decide to be a Frost Giant, picked up by Odin, raised by an Asgardian and revealed the truth too late. He didn’t get to decide to be the less favoured son and he came to believe nothing he would do would make him worthy in Odin’s eyes. He was sent by Thanos to conquer Earth, manipulated by the sceptre. And now the TVA has captured him and they’re forcing him to cooperate.

If he’s given the power to affect the past he might grow to believe he’s actually not forced to submit to other people’s choices but that he’s in control of his fate.

It’s part of the point of “Agent of Asgard”.

Old Loki came to believe no matter what he did, he couldn’t change things, he would always be the ‘god of lies’, but the Loki of “Agent of Asgard” instead decided he would be something else and became the master of his own fate.

It would be a good development.

Of course, I’ve not the slightest idea if Marvel will go according to this route.

There’s really too little to judge and I’ll admit I won’t like it much if the point is not so much to save Loki but save Lady Loki because, no offence to Lady Loki who might have an even worse past than Loki, but it’s Loki the character I grew to love and I wish would be saved.

Last but not least, as I feared the whole ‘You've literally stabbed people in the back like fifty times’ quote produced a lot of discussing when it shouldn’t have.

Like, we miss most of the content but, from the look of it, it’s not like Loki, on his own, decided to pay a visit to the TVA and to help them. They captured him, he even though they wanted to kill him, they very likely forced him to cooperate.

Now, in this case any guy with an ounce of brain does what Tony did when he was held captive by the Ten Rings and they asked him to build them weapons if they don’t want to end tortured or killed. They say ‘yes’, gain their trust and then build a Iron-Man suit behind their back with whom they can stab them. In the back, yeah, because that’s what people with a modicum intelligence and no magic hammer should do with guys who overpower them and held them captive.

It’s a basic survival skill, not a proof you’re untrustworthy. People don’t own captors to be trustworthy to them and this message must never be allowed to pass.

You has to be trustworthy with people who deserve it, not with people who force you to be subservient.

So yeah, I hope Loki will stab the TVA in the back because no matter how lawful an righteous they feel, they clearly impose to everyone their law and no matter how much they claim they make the world better, they’re clearly sacrificing people.

#loki #loki odinson #mobius m mobius #mcu loki #9 worlds study

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undertale-deltarune-prompts · 3 years

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FAQ

Some common tags include: Undertale AU, Undertale AT, Deltarune AU, Deltarune AT

What is this?

Do you have too many ideas you don’t have time to write/draw? Do you want more ideas to use in your stories? Do you have an idea, but don’t want to make it yourself? Then this is the place for you!

This is a prompts blog! For prompts about Undertale and Deltarune, both for AUs and canon-aligning stories!

What can I submit?

Anything! As long as it is related to Undertale or Deltarune related. And as long as it is a prompt.

They can be silly or serious, detailed or minimal. Let your imagination go wild!

I ask that you please keep things relatively PG13. Some swearing is ok.

What’s the difference between AT and AU?

Alternate Timelines (AT) Prompts include small changes and prompts aligning with canon. For example “Papyrus wears a hat” or “Frisk goes to school post-pacifist”. They also include Deltarune theories, as the game is still in development.

Alternate Universes (AU) Prompts are a little broader. They can range from entire universe changes (Swap, Outer, etc.), to timeline changes that effect the story and world (Fell, Horror, etc.) These also include Outcodes, OCs, and character-focused AUs.

You didn’t post my submission!

I reserve the right to not post submissions if I deem them inappropriate or unrelated. As stated above, keep posts PG 13, if your submission contains adult content, I will not post it.

I may also refrain from posting your submission if it is too confusing. I will, however, reach out to you for clarification of your prompt so that I can post it.

If your prompt follows all these guidelines and you still haven’t seen your submission pop up, send an ask. It is also possible that tumblr has eaten it.

What do you mean by “Adult Content”?

Adult content refers to any NSFW sexual acts, pedophilia, incest, bestiality, and other illegal and immoral things. This also includes excessive use of drugs and alcohol by minor characters.

This includes prompts involving fr.ans, pa/para, fon/tcest, and such. Please refrain from those prompts on this blog.

Did you edit my prompt submission?

The only thing I change about submissions is fixing grammar and spelling. Occasionally I will add or remove content from a submission to help it make more sense and be more prompt-like.

I will stay true to your original submission and never change the original intention (or what I assume is the original intention).

I want to see more prompts related to X character or about X, but don’t have any ideas.

Send an ask about the type of prompt you want and I (or anyone) can make something up for you.

I can’t draw/write but I want to give some sort of response.

*Slaps you with a MTT steak* You can draw/write, I believe in you. Papyrus believes in you.

It doesn’t matter how bad you think your writing/drawing skills are, I think they’re great, and as long as you follow the guidelines, I will reblog it because I love all responses.

But if you still don’t feel confident in your drawing/writing skills, you can always respond with a bullet point list of your ideas and maybe someone else can help build off of that!

Some prompts are very similar to each other / I have a prompt that is similar to another prompt.

This is ok! If you have a prompt idea that is similar to another prompt, submit it anyways. Everyone interprets prompts differently.

Where can I submit?

Please please please, use the submit button to submit prompts. Prompts sent to the ask box will be deleted.

Who “owns” the AUs that are submitted here?

Short answer: no one

Long answer: Once you submit something here it basically becomes public domain. I cannot control what happens to the AUs and do not take responsibility for anything that happens to them.

And being public domain that means that you can do anything you want with the AUs submitted here. Afterall, this is a prompt blog.

Can I write / draw something based off of these prompts?

Yes!! I highly encourage that you do!

Do I have to follow the prompt exactly?

Nope! Interpret the prompt however you like, let your imagination go wild!

Can I respond to someone else’s response?

I can’t stop you. But it would be nice if you asked the original responder if you can continue their story.

You didn’t reblog my response!

If you have recently added a response to one of the prompts, give it a few days at most for it to be reblogged. If you believe I have missed your response, send an ask with a link to the post, or contact the mod.

While I can’t restrict the type of content you make, I do restrict the type of content I reblog. I will only reblog responses that remain PG 13. This means I will NOT reblog adult content (see above), situations where a minor should not be in, drug use by minor characters, alcohol use by minor characters, excessive swearing (like a lot), etc. I will also not reblog responses that are negative reactions either to the prompt or to another response.

This is not to say that I am telling you cannot make content of this nature, I physically cannot stop you, I just will not reblog it.

(always tag your warnings!)

Some of these prompts sound like fics/works that already exist. Can I link it to the post?

It is bound to happen that an AU similar to a prompt already exists. And this is fantastic! If you link the existing work to the prompt I will reblog it with the tag #UT Rec or #DR Rec.

How often do you post prompts?

I read through and queue them at the end of the day (unless I’m busy). At most I can queue 50 a day, but it’s unlikely that will happen (maybe?).

Who are the mods here?

The mods are harmonytre.

What inspired this blog?

I have too many ideas QUITE often and @steven-universe-au-prompts inspired the blog itself!

#utdrprompts #undertale-deltarune-prompts #FAQ

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obsessivedilettante · 4 years

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20 in 10: A Drama Retrospective

Since I’ve been all quiet on the drama front this year because of life reasons, I thought it would be fun to go back and pick out 20 of the most memorable dramas of the last decade. Maybe not necessarily the best dramas or even my favorites (although some are!), but two dramas each year that were somehow notable moments in my drama-watching timeline.

2009: Gateway Drugs

Boys over Flowers (KBS)

This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a good drama. It is not one I think I can ever really rewatch (although I will happily revisit the 2005 Japanese version, and I had a hellava fun time watching the latest Chinese version). But! It was the first kdrama I remember watching, and the first step on the slippery slope of eventually becoming a Drama Addict. I mostly remember it being crazy popular on places like mysoju (RIP), and so I checked it out due to curiosity, and the rest, as they say, is history. Or, should I say, almost paaaaradise!

You’re Beautiful (SBS)

This one I also watched because it became crazy-popular online, and curiosity got the better of me. I really didn’t know much about k-pop prior to dramas, so I had no idea until after this drama that k-pop was more about pretty people in crazy fashion, dancing in syncopation in bizarrely lit rooms, rather than playing instruments. Because it was thanks to this drama that I got my crash-course on k-pop as a phenomenon -- both the fandom side, and the crazy things that artists have to go through to claw their way into the public’s view (nevar 4get the glorious ramen dance). Since Angel was a group that played instruments, and Hongki and Yonghwa were also from groups that played instruments, I assumed that all kpop were groups that played instruments. Oh, sweet summer child...

But it did get me started on my k-pop journey, first falling in love with FT Island and CNBLUE, before falling into the rabbit hole of the other prominent groups of the day. (SNSD! The Wonder Girls! Super Junior! DBSK! SS501! Kara! 2PM! 2AM! Shinee! BEG! Epik High! U-KISS! All the debut groups, like 2NE1, MBLAQ, B2ST, 4Minute, f(x), T-ara, After School... basically 2009 was a magical year in k-pop.)

If I had just watched Boys Over Flowers, I don’t know that I would have become a Drama Addict. But You’re Beautiful pushed me closer to the edge, with the zany humor of the Hong Sisters (and the desire for a pig-bunny of my own!). It would really be Coffee Prince that would push me over the edge, but that aired in 2007 so it doesn’t count for this list. But I had to mention it anyway, because, well, it’s Coffee Prince and where my love for Handsome Oppa began.

2010: More Than Candy

The Woman Who Wants To Marry (MBC)

A lot of the dramas I watched at first had that typical “Candy” character, the poor-but-scrappy girl who would somehow be saved by the guy and become the Cinderella she never knew she wanted to be. So it was a delight when I encountered women who were not only older than high-school-age or early twenties, but in their thirties, with rich full lives! Plus, this was one of my earliest introductions to the concept of the “noona romance” (a concept that I’ve since heartily embraced, of course). I started it primarily because Kim Bum was my favorite of the Flower Boys, but I stuck with it because I fell in love with the women (and I still have a girl-crush on Bu-ki).

Harvest Villa (tvn)

This show is insane. But in the good way, the way that the writer intended, and not in the “are a bunch of monkeys typing this script?” train-wreck way. There was basically no buzz about this show, and I feel like I somehow accidentally stumbled over it, but it was love at first sight. I’ve never forgotten the late hours binging it, being so sucked into the story that I absolutely had to finish it as soon as I could, disappointed that there wasn’t more of it to enjoy when I finally finished, bleary-eyed and sleep-deprived, but satisfied.

I then later gobbled down this writer’s next drama, and her next drama, and the next, until everyone else finally realized thanks to Signal that Kim Eun-hee was as amazing a writer as I kept insisting to anyone who would listen (aka no one).

2011: To Binge or Not To Binge?

White Christmas (KBS)

I did not watch White Christmas in 2011. I actually watched it in 2013. I was always a steadfast binger, preferring to wait until the buzz about a show would sway me into spending my precious free-time watching something that would be worth my while (not that my drama choices were always good, but at least I tried to avoid the duds). I still prefer to binge, since waiting weeks for new episodes is vaguely frustrating when I want to know what happens next, right now! Plus, I’m very good at forgetting that I’m watching a show in the week-long wait for new episodes, and then just... never picking it back up again.

Despite watching White Christmas a couple years after it aired, it remains one of my favorites, and one I love to rewatch, even though I’ve already experienced whodunnit cliff-hangers and psychological rollercoasters. It became a tradition of sorts here on tumblr for a bunch of us to rewatch it over the holiday season -- alas, I haven’t joined in that tradition for the past couple of years, but I hope that somewhere in this blue hell hole that there are a loyal few keeping the tradition alive.

At least we have this drama to thank for bringing us all the model-actors that were new and clueless in White Christmas, but would later go on to be leading men in their own right. Of course, some of them haven’t exactly made the best drama choices (*cough*SungJoon*cough*), but then there are others (*cough*SooHyuk*cough*) that I’m impatiently waiting for to pick up a new drama so I can see those post-army abs.

Tree With Deep Roots (SBS)

This is the first drama that I recall live-watching. I vaguely remember regretting it at the time, since it was agony waiting for new episodes, but it was also fun to have a week to speculate and ponder the show. And what a beautiful show to ponder! This was also one of the few sageuks I actually watched, being generally intimidated by anything longer than 16-20 episodes, and my historical knowledge was a little shaky (before embracing my inner nerd and diving into mundane historical stuff just so I could better understand whatever drama I was watching at the time).

I don’t think I intended to continue live-watching shows, preferring the ease of binging at my own pace and schedule. But that was when I was still a casual, innocent addict, and not someone who would eventually make dramas a huge part of her life.

2012: The Joy of Overthinking

Gaksital (KBS)

Having had a taste of live-watching, I started to live-watch enough dramas to the point where I began to make notes about the premiere weeks. It was only a couple at a time, and binging was still my preferred way to watch, but now I was delighting in being part of the fandom, sharing in speculation each week, posting my thoughts on dramas and analyzing them to my heart’s content -- even though I knew no one except me would read my ridiculous essays.

But I started to feel more comfortable sharing my opinion with the world, interacting with fandom and not merely content to be a consumer, but gradually becoming a producer as well.

Reply 1997 (tvN)

This is it. This is when I went full-on Drama Addict. This is the tipping point from casual fan who quietly kept to herself, to becoming someone who stood on the mountain top yelling about ALL THE DRAMAS ALL THE TIME. I began to interact with other fans! To swap theories and share squee-worthy moments! I even watched episodes RAW just because of how desperate I was to know what happened, and even though the Busan accent stumped me more than once, it made me realize that my casual study of Korean was something to take seriously since I understood more than I gave myself credit for.

It was also the first time any post I made got more than a handful of notes, since I’d mostly hovered in the “less than 10 notes per post” category at the time. I was so proud of myself back then!

(This drama also notably marks the start of my Hoya obsession, which continues to this day.)

2013: Tumblr Friends (and Foes)

Flower Boy Next Door (tvN)

Having made myself comfortable on tumblr as a Drama Addict, I then discovered some other dedicated fans -- many of which I still follow to this day and who are now just a permanent part of my dash, no matter what their current interests may be -- in the FBND squad.

But I also discovered Kim Seul-gi as the Webtoon Editor (who I still love and adore and continue to use as my avatar), and her adorable romance with Dong-hoon remains one of my forever OTPs. As much as I enjoyed the drama romances, I’d never fallen so deeply for one to be so obsessed by it as I was Webtoon Editor and Dong-hoon. And tbh I still am. They’re just so adorable and pragmatic and she buys him a bag. Ugh. I love her so much, you guys.

Heirs (SBS)

Ah, yes. This hot mess.

I don’t know what possessed me to live-blog each episode. But I did. With snarky commentary and terrible screencaps. And suddenly I went from maybe 200 followers to over a 1000. That was a total shock! I met a lot of people because of that (and made some friends, as well as a few enemies who didn’t appreciate my opinion of certain characters), and ensconced myself as part of the drama-blogging crew.

It was from this that someone suggested I apply to be a minion at Dramabeans. Back then, I had a lot more free time than I do now, and I was watching a lot of dramas that Dramabeans didn’t cover, and wished they did so I could read more opinions about those shows. So I thought, “Eh, why not? It can’t hurt to submit something because the worst that would happen is I’d waste their time making them read my take on episode 10 of Let’s Eat.”

I fully expected them to turn me down. No one was more surprised than I was when I found myself agreeing to dive into the world of recapping.

2014: It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times

Trot Lovers (KBS)

Recapping. It seems so easy when you’re reading the recaps. But actually creating them is a bitch. Hours out of my life were spent on this disaster of a trope-laden show with no plot. This was the third show I worked on for Dramabeans, and I hated it to the point where I seriously considered handing in my notice. (Immediately following up this show with the mediocre My Secret Hotel certainly didn’t help matters!)

However, it turns out that what I actually hated was being forced to watch a terrible rom-com and pretend to come up with insightful-or-at-least-neutral thoughts about it (since we were still new and couldn’t go full-on snark yet).

Misaeng (tvN)

This is what saved me. Being given the chance to immerse myself in such a unique, ponderous, thoughtful show restored my faith in dramas and the drama community. I loved spending hours on this show, soaking up all the little details, and then sharing that love with the world.

Misaeng made dramas magical again.

2015: Fight Me

Valid Love (tvN)

Realizing that I only seemed to enjoy rom-coms at arm-length, I discovered that my tastes often ran counter to the general drama-viewing public. Not all the drama-viewing public -- I’m not a “not like other fans” kind of fan -- but enough that I began to realize the whether a drama was popular or had good buzz was not necessarily the primary reason to watch it.

I began to have more faith in my own taste, based on past experiences with various writers and directors. Even if the premise (or first couple of episodes) seemed kind of weird and out-there, I at least wanted to give these artists the benefit of the doubt that I would enjoy their work, like I had previously.

So many people seemed to hate Valid Love, but I adored it. Still do (and still desperately wish Kim Do-woo would come out with a new drama -- it has been too long, writer-nim!). There were a lot of opinions about this show, even among people who seemed to enjoy it, but I vividly recall having to repeatedly insist that it wasn’t about the romance and argue that the knee-jerk infidelity-is-BAD opinions should make space for something more nuanced.

Ho-gu’s Love (tvN)

DramaFever was a pretty great site. It brought together so many drama fans and gave them a place where they could legally (and without fear of downloading random viruses) watch dramas to their heart’s content. Yes, there may have been some lingering resentment that they were the primary reason that so many amazing other sites were shut down (RIP mysoju and daebaeksubs), but dramas were more accessible than ever!

Eventually, DramaFever started to sub shows themselves and upload them weekly (instead of just using fansubs and uploading older dramas), and while they weren’t the best translations, they were at least better than machine translations from the Chinese subs. As I became more and more familiar with Korean, I found myself more likely to migrate to Viki since I liked the extra detailed translations. I could get the gist of a show without any help -- I wanted to instead delve into the nitty-gritty of the language.

But I never really hated DramaFever or felt they were particularly awful. Until they mistranslated something so terribly that it changed the entire meaning of a scene and ruined people’s perception of a drama, forcing me to continually defend the true translation.

That was the molehill I died on that day, and never again did I touch DramaFever. I feel bad that it eventually got unceremoniously shuttered. But I don’t think I’ll ever forgive them for the “condom” incident.

2016: Free Solo

Dear My Friends (tvN)

For two years I’d been happily working on one episode a week, sharing a show with someone else, until I was asked if I’d like to tackle a show by myself. I wasn’t sure how I could handle it, but I had the time in my schedule so I said, “Sure, why not?”

I was originally going to recap Another Oh Hae-young, but there was a last-minute switcheroo, and I’m so incredibly glad because this is perhaps my favorite recapping experience of all time, even more so than Misaeng. There was something so special about the luxury of having an entire show to myself, especially one with such a fantastic cast of characters and thoughtful themes. I didn’t have to try and figure out if I agreed with another person’s take -- it could all be my opinion.

Is that arrogant? Perhaps. But it was also therapeutic, as it reminded me once again how incredible and amazing dramas could be, and the privilege I had to share such an exquisite and thought-provoking drama with the rest of the world.

The Good Wife (tvN)

Surprisingly, this was what I had really wanted to recap that year, and the true reason I got Dear My Friends, since it aired just prior in the same time-slot as The Good Wife. I was desperate to have this show, willing to do anything to get it because I needed to see Jeon Do-yeon back on the small screen, to see Yoo Ji-tae smolder, to know how Korea would adapt such an ambitious show.

And I wasn’t disappointed! This is, perhaps, my favorite adaption of another work of art that I’ve seen in dramaland. It remained true to Korean sensibilities, but it also properly felt like The Good Wife. The cast was phenomenal. The costumes were exquisite. I wished I could spend more time in that world.

But I was also thankful, because without The Good Wife, I would have never have had Dear My Friends.

2017: Serial-Killers Are Cool

Voice (OCN)

I can’t remember how I got assigned to this. Maybe it was a scheduling thing. I do know that I really, really wanted it, since it would be Handsome Oppa’s first drama appearance in three years.

But it started me down a road of recapping a lot of serious and serial-killer-centric shows. Except for the times when I’d beg for a break and tackle something lighter, I was generally assigned the darker mystery shows with meaty plots, since apparently I had a knack for condensing complicated shows into something that made sense. (Also literally darker, and I eventually learned to automatically brighten every screencap I posted. You’re welcome.)

Not only did I love working on something with Handsome Oppa, I also had fun recapping the start of what would eventually become OCN’s stock-in-trade -- creepy serial killers. At the time, Voice shattered OCN’s viewer ratings (which would then be shattered again and again as more people would tune in to OCN shows). But Voice really helped put OCN on the viewership map -- as well as catapult Handsome Oppa into the public eye and lead him to a path of getting to choose whatever script he wanted to work on.

(Okay, maybe I made that last bit up, but he did begin to garner a larger following and remind everyone that just because he was gone from dramaland for so long, he hadn’t lost his acting chops -- or charisma -- or cheekbones.)

Black (OCN)

Oh, this show. It was basically my whole life while it was airing (well, the non-day-job part of my life). Each episode was over an hour long and jam-packed full of details that were pertinent to the story, and I had to somehow condense that all into 3000 words or less (I was not always, ah, successful...). It felt like I was back in recapping bootcamp, but the dial had been turned up to 11.

I’m weirdly proud of what I produced (although you’ll never get me to reread my old work). It was one of the most challenging shows to work on, but in the good way, not the Trot Lovers way.

Until the ending, that is. Sigh. That ending will live in infamy. I still, to this day, will get a few comments on the finale from people who watched it on Netflix, went searching online for an explanation of the end, and then discovered that they were not alone in being confused by the utter wtf-ery of the last twenty minutes.

2018: Fighting For My Love

Misty (JTBC)

So, Dramabeans kind of disappeared for a few months. Well, the site was still live. There were a handful of recaps. But... it basically just... stopped.

Those of us on the other side know about as you do as to why that happened. Minions are kept in the dark just as much as anybody, it seems. All we knew is that we weren’t being assigned anything and we seriously wondered if the site was going under, since adsense has become worthless these days.

But Mary and I kept talking about how much we adored Misty and were sad that we couldn’t talk about it with the world (and convince them to watch it with us), so we pleaded and begged and got the go-ahead to do a kind of chatty “open thread” which has apparently been a spring-board format for other shows. We didn’t get paid for this, and we were totally fine with that. We just wanted to provide some kind of content (while swooning over Kim Nam-joo’s pantsuits!).

Let’s Eat 3 (tvN)

This was my first real assignment after the dead period, and I once again got to do full recaps (with pay!). I started watching, thinking I’d merely tolerate the show (since I loved the first season vastly more than the second season), but it turned out to be my favorite of the three. Plus it felt fortuitous that the series I had submitted my application would be a series I’d work on four years later.

Sometimes it’s nice to spend time with a character you met years ago, to see them grow, to see how they became what they became. Drama trends (and love interests) will come and go, but Goo Dae-young’s love of food (and love of explaining the proper way to eat food) will never change. It was a really comforting drama for me to spend my summer on, and I’ll remember it fondly, even if I’m forever sad that it had to suddenly wrap-up two episodes early.

2019: Ten Years Later

Item (MBC)

This was the Trot Lovers of 2019. It was a nonsensical disaster.

I also had the added chaos of my real-life job -- one very different from the one I had when I was working on Trot Lovers -- as it began to increase exponentially in responsibilities and in stress. I reached a breaking point where I began to hate opening my computer where I’d have to spend hours attempting to explain a show that I wanted nothing to do with. I was miserable and depressed and couldn’t do it anymore. I never before asked to be taken off a show because I hated it so much, but there’s a first for everything.

Her Private Life (tvN)

I actually haven’t finished this show -- I’ve yet to watch the last two episodes. But I’m including it because, well, I didn’t finish any other show in 2019 except for Item.

As some of you may know, this has been a difficult year. It started with the unexpected stress of my job, when we suddenly lost one of our directors who passed away, and another director was let go (in a complicated situation that is ongoing, but the important thing is that it was during our busiest time when we really couldn’t afford to lose anyone), and another director left for a different job and I was basically the one to pick up all the pieces she left behind. It was exhausting and we were all past the breaking point but somehow miraculously holding it together.

I was looking forward to finally getting a much-needed vacation in September, and then, well, you all know how that went: the first night, on our layover in New Zealand before what was supposed to be three weeks in Australia, my father was taken to the hospital, and then, two days later, he passed away. Life has gotten even more chaotic and stressful and bizarre since then.

So no, I haven’t finished this drama, but it was one of the most wonderful moments of the year for me, watching this fizzy rom-com with my favorite actor, where he got to be charming and handsome and charismatic and finally kiss the girl he loves and have her love him back (and not die or be dumped, as he had been in so many dramas that had gone before). Lion Oppa was everything my heart could desire, and living in his world helped me endure the insanity that I wish I’d known would seem so much more tolerable than what would eventually befall.

Her Private Life reminded me of when I first fell in love with dramas ten years ago, when I would giggle and be delighted by the charming nonsense on screen -- of beautiful people falling in love and fighting against the obstacles between them (some more ridiculous than others, perhaps, but there are always obstacles), and ending up happily ever after. Pure escapism, of the frothiest kind.

A Drama-filled Decade

So, after ten years of dramas, what is the takeaway? What have I learned?

I suppose I’ve learned to trust my instincts and put more faith in writers and directors than actors. That analyzing dramas is fun, and it’s even more fun sharing it with others, and sometimes even more fun if you get paid to do it -- but everyone eventually reaches a breaking point. That I’m too earnest and optimistic to embrace a life of snark. That I want every drama to be good but most of them aren’t, except sometimes they are. That I’m not even sure which genres are my favorite; I just know what I don’t like.

That dramas are best as escapism, and not as work.

I don’t know how many dramas I’ll watch in 2020. I haven’t paid any attention to what’s airing, and I’m okay with that. Perhaps I’m entering a new phase in my life, or perhaps I just don’t have the capacity to escape right now.

But I am pleased to have had dramas in my life, and to have eventually made them my hobby. I’ve met a lot of amazing people and made some genuine friends through a shared love of dramas (or, at times, a shared hatred). I’m honored that all of you are still here and following me, even during this period of fandom silence.

May 2020 treat us all better, and may Kim Do-woo finally write another script.

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flameontheotherside · 4 years

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Frustrating, am I a pushover?

Said before that I'm a natural problem solver and this is another situation I can't really fix...Or maybe I did.

You can't fix stupid, entitled and ignorance

You can't fix Tumblr asks

I do free readings on my other blog because I like doing them.

Until I started getting harassed when I have specifically told these people that I can't fix how Tumblr sometimes doesn't let you submit an ask and that I will not answer their ask ahead of others who are waiting patiently for their turn. It wouldn't be fair, they have to keep trying to submit an ask. And then....WAIT.

But no....a handful decided to badger me with their ever so important questions to the point I had to shut off asks and the ability to send me messages on my other blog until I can get through at least half of the 40 asks I currently have.

One actually had the audacity...

To acknowledge that there were 40 people ahead of them, that they were "probably stressing" me out and still badgered me to answer their question anyway. No, I'm probably not going to answer their ask now. Like, they wanted the specifics about their future husband and felt entitled to an immediate answer ahead of others. You know what, that already smells like they are not headed in the right direction and that piss poor attitude will be the reason they won't see their spouse or whatever for a long time if at all! Such selfishness!

Am I wrong for being offended and frustrated? Am I doing the right thing?

I was so hurt that I ended up crying. If someone has made me cry, they done fucked up. Its overwhelming. Why do people have to be like that at a time the world and my country is all fucked up? I don't understand it.

This has been an emotional month, I'm already an emotional wreck...

People are so selfish, so entitled and so rude. I won't be a doormat or a pushover. I have to look out for my mental health and well-being. I can't believe I had to do what I did. I can't fathom why and how this is happening.

These are people who think their problems are more significant than people before them. If they want to behave with such impatience and disregard for the rules I set in place, it already speaks volumes. It means whatever their issues are, is only going to get worse because a shitty attitude like that, gets you only so far!

Then making me stressed and overwhelmed when I'm already dealing with things ruins it for everyone else. I cant let people drag me down this way. I'm still doing readings because I love doing them but holy shit dude. I never thought I would have to rant like this. Its bullshit and I don't deserve to be treated and disrespected this way.

For fucks and coconuts, I wish people wouldn't be so selfish.

It doesn't hurt just me but think of the other people in line to get their questions asked. They are waiting patiently and understand the rules. It hurts all of them if I bend over backwards by allowing a handful of rude, entitled people get their way. It hurts my credibility for being fair even if they may not know, I know and I will assume they would know if I bent the rules in favor of a few.

Sorry about the rant. I needed to get it off my chest so that I can move forward.

I love you guys

😘💕 Please vote, stay safe and stay warm

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hetalia-wishers-au · 4 years

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Rules

This AU functions by American laws, because the admin is an American. This means anyone under the age of 18 is considered a minor, and anyone above the age of 18 is considered an adult.

- DON’T LIE ABOUT YOUR AGE! This can cause legal problems. Just be honest. You can put -18 or 18+ if you don’t want to state your exact age, but you MUST tell us whether you’re a minor or an adult. (By American standards, at least.)

- This is essentially a soulmate AU. Legally, to be on tumblr or discord you must be at least 13 years old, but due to the AU's nature, and the fact that I, the admin, am 26 years old, I am uncomfortable with having members that young. So to join this AU, you must be at least 16. Ideally older than that still, but I recognize that most of the fandom is that age. If issues arise, the age restriction will be increased later on.

- On the same note, as this is a soulmate AU, please make sure your partner is of an appropriate age compared to yours, even if your characters would be a platonic soulmate. (ex: I am 26, if you are 16 then your character will NOT be partnered with my character no matter what, but if you're 18+ then that's fine. Or, if you are 16 and someone 20+ asks to have your characters paired, DO NOT accept. Let me know immediately so I can handle the situation.)

- As most of the members of this Fandom in general are minors, I must ask that 18+ members be cautious of what they say around younger members, and keep all NSFW content in their respective discord channels and/or tagged properly.

- Please understand, while the island these characters live on isn't located in America, the age of consent there is still 18. As a 26 y/o American admin, it feels wrong to see 15 and 18 year old characters in relationships, even if it's fictionalized.

- No shipping wars! As long as a ship isn't inherently harmful (pedophilia or CONFIRMED incest between family members, things like that), don't start arguments/debates over ships

That being said: Relationships are going to be different than canon (or even one's personal headcanons) in this AU. Not everyone you expect to be related will be related, and vice-versa. Ask, don't assume.

For the most part, there won't be any family relations in this AU, due to the lore. There may be some exceptions, but still please ask instead of assuming.

- This AU is application-based. This means you must fill out and submit an application, and have it approved, before making a blog. This is so we don't have any misunderstandings or doubles of characters.

If you make a blog before your application is accepted, you will not be allowed to join even if you submit a proper application. This is not an open AU for anyone to make blogs for.

- Once your application has been accepted and you've been cleared to make a blog, the URL of your blog should be “ask-wishers-country”. i.e. ask-wishers-prussia or ask-wishers-2pamerica. This keeps it organized and allows people to find blogs easier!

- Please state clearly, on your blog, which role you chose ( Destinian or Wisher), your character and their human name, and the character's age

- Please come off anon or leave a URL if you wish to reserve characters! Reservations will not be accepted if there’s no way to verify your identity!

Reservations last 30 days from when the reservation ask is answered. Meaning, if you send in an ask to reserve a character, and it's answered on 11/26/2020, it'll last until 12/26/2020. (Using mm/dd/yyyy format!)

- Don't try to control, change, or rewrite someone else's characters or interactions. You can provide advice and constructive criticism, but also keep in mind not everyone may want it.

Muse Rules

You may only apply for one muse in the beginning. If you prove you can handle two muses, and update regularly (i.e. several times a week) for at least one month, you may apply for a second muse.

After getting your second muse, you must prove you can handle a third muse, and be active on both blogs/with both muses for an additional two months before being allowed to apply.

Don’t try to bring a second/third muse in without applying for it/before your application is accepted. Just because you’re in the AU already doesn’t mean your application will be accepted.

If you try to apply for a muse before you’ve reached the minimum time requirement, or while you’re inactive on your blogs, your application will be denied. We check these things.

some exceptions may apply here as well, if you wish to start out with two characters, please send a message and we can discuss how that would work

- 2Ps, Nyos, and OCs are allowed!

- Muses will be addressed with their human names, not their country/representative names.

- If you wish to change a large aspect of your muse's character (such as age, role, stuff like that), you must ask a moderator! This way, things don't get messy. Please also discuss the changes you want done to your muse with your partner to make sure they're still okay with the pair!

#Rules of the AU

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en241 · 4 years

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Revised Syllabus for Spring 2020

the long version (tl:dr version w/ specifics in next post)

PRINCIPLES

1. Nobody signed up for this situation - not for the disruptions to our own personal lives - not for the changes to our collective present and future - and definitely not for the changes for how we teach and learn

2. In spite of that, we have to carry on - you need assignments, grades, and course credits - I need to provide those in a way that fits the situation

3. The best response to difficult situations is a humane response, so here's mine: - I will prioritize you and your needs - I will prioritize simple solutions - I will prioritize communication & support - I will prioritize flexibility & accommodation

4. We can't just do the same things but do them online - some assignments are no longer possible - some expectations are no longer reasonable - some learning goals are no longer valid

PROMISES

1. I will not ask anyone to learn a new learning platform and nothing I ask you to do for this class should require anything beyond a smartphone

I will continue to use the class blogs on tumblr to post assignments and information

all reading and study assignments can be done using free materials easily available from the internet

you may turn in any work using email

any discussion opportunities will use free and basic social media

participation in any discussion will be optional

2. I will provide clear reading and study assignments on a predictable schedule

weekly learning and study assignments will be posted on Mondays

additional notes and information responses will be posted on Wednesdays and Fridays

I will also post answers to submitted questions on Wednesdays and Fridays

every assignment will be presented in a clear and consistent format

3. Under the current circumstances, the only thing I feel I can require for successful completion of the course is basic participation

I believe I have already taught all the essential skills, terms, and concepts in our courses -- it's all practice and improvement from this point on

I just ask that you stay in touch by sending me a question or comment on the course material as often as you can or wish -- preferably at least once a week

it won't be a class unless I know you're out there, so I have to hear from you

if I don't hear from you, I'll have to assume you are no longer taking the course

if you can't stick with the schedule because of your circumstances, but still want to complete the course, contact me and I'll try to work something out

4. I will not change the overall course learning goals, but under the current circumstances I will reduce the amount of material I assign, and I will change the grading system

each assignment will always focus on a single topic with clear recommendations for study

I will also provide a few additional options or resources -- and if you, personally, want more depth or suggestions for further learning, ask me for them

the new grading system is basically a pass/fail system:

if you were present and completed at least some of the assignments in the first half of the term, you have already earned a B in this class

if you are present and complete at least some of the assignments in the second half of the term, you will earn an A in this class

if this seems like a gift, all right maybe it is, but I expect you have more important things you're dealing with than this class at the moment . . . so maybe pass the generosity on to someone else, ok?

5. Of course I will not change the basic academic expectations for higher education

plagiarism remains unacceptable

no claims without evidence

seek information from ethical, high-quality sources

any question or comment you send me must be clear, concise, concrete, and connected to the themes and issues of the course -- don't send me anything you wouldn't want to see posted on the blog

civility and respect for one another is essential -- practice good netiquette, not just in this course, but always -- (i.e. don't be a d*ck).

6. I will be here for you

I will be available via email, on twitter, and possibly via other social media (but not Tik Tok -- hard pass, don't ask)

I will respond to emails and other messages as promptly as I can

I will hold online office hours on a regular schedule, during which I will try to respond immediately to emails and messages

I'd like to expand my office hour availability using a face-to-face platform like Zoom or Skype, but I'll do that later

I can't be available 24-7 because I have stuff going on too -- but that's true for us all, right?

I will be posting media and informational snacks, comfort food, and nutritional supplements, because that's just what I do I can't help it sorry not sorry

HOPES

I hope you and all your loved ones stay safe and healthy and well

I hope we all come out of this feeling more connected instead of more isolated

I hope you all know and remember that Caz is a special place where everyone is doing their best for you

I hope you will stay curious and value learning, and encourage others to do the same

I hope you use everything you know and everything you are to make your world safer, healthier, and better

I hope that this is all over soon

. . . and I hope that if I've made any errors in this syllabus, or if you have any questions about it, you'll let me know

PS - it would be great if you sent me an email saying you’d seen this

PPS - did you notice that I used the explainer format?

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k-llama-llama · 5 years

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Coffee Date

Monsta X AU: 8th member

Zoey x Monsta X

25 Days of Zoey: Day 6

Absolute nonsense of Zoey and Jackson out for a coffee. Because I felt like we all needed to see their friendship in a bit more depth.

A/N: no links in my posts until tumblr sorts itself out.DM me or head over to my ask box!

Please submit your requests to my Ask Box!!

“So how did that go for you?” Zoey teased, taking a sip of her coffee.

Jackson rolled his eyes as he sat back down. “It would’ve gone fine if she didn’t think that I already had a girlfriend.”

Zoey snorted, pushing a donut his way in consolation. “Please, I am way out of your league.”

“Yah, I am a catch!” He angrily took a bite of the donut. “This is really good.”

“Told you, vanilla dip is where it’s at.” Zoey stole a look over at the waitress, who kept casting nervous glances their way. “Honestly though, I think you can do better than her.”

Jackson raised an eyebrow. “Are you shading her? What happened to ‘girl love’ and all that other shit you preach?”

She kicked him under the table. “It is not shit, Jackson Wang! And for the record, she’s wearing a Chris Brown shirt, and I cannot get behind that.”

“I’m not even going to ask.” He took another bite. “So how did the wonderful Zoey, in all of her busy December madness, actually find time to hang out with the lowly me?”

Zoey winked. “I was bored.”

“And I’m the cure for your boredom? I’m touched.”

Zoey decided to change the topic. “Are you going home for Christmas?”

Jackson shook his head sadly. “We’ll be promoting and schedules are insane. Hopefully I’ll get to go back soon though.”

Zoey nodded in understanding. “That sucks. I miss your mom.”

“Were you going to come with me?” He teased, leaning forward on the table.

“See, that right there,” Zoey pointed at him. “Is why people think you’re my boyfriend.”

“I’m leaning! How is that boyfriend-y?” He demanded.

“Because you’re the boyfriend-iest best friend that has ever existed.” She pointed out. “And for the record, I just like talking to your mom. It’s not like I’m going back to Ulsan for Christmas.”

“Good, because I swear the second you come home with me for Christmas my mom is going to adopt you.”

“She can fight Wonho’s mom. She apparently wrote me into her will.” Zoey said, only half teasing.

“Anyways, if you aren’t going back to Ulsan, are you going to be working. Maybe on that song with Tori?” He asked.

Zoey shrugged. “Probably.” Noticing the hopeful look on his face, she added. “Not that you are getting a spoiler, mister. You can hear it when everyone else does.”

He groaned dramatically. “But I’m the one who made this happen. You should thank me.”

“Thank you. You still aren’t hearing it.” She said sternly. “If you can convince Tori, then go ahead.”

“I already tried.” He pouted. “Why do you think I’m here?”

“For the enjoyment of my company, I assume.” She winked.

He groaned and took another bite of the donut, glancing out the window. “Don’t look. Three O’clock, you’ve got some admirers.”

“Fans?”

“The other kind, Z. The kind that think you’re hot.”

“My fans think I’m very hot, thank you very much.”

“Well,” He tried to sneak another look. “They look single, and very interested. Want to give it a shot.”

Zoey snorted. “Not a chance.”

He shrugged. “I tried. Here, I’ll get rid of them.” He gave them a pointed look, and the boys outside the window scattered, thinking they’d been noticed by her boyfriend.

“You da man.” She winked.

“I know.” He stood. “I’m going to try again. Do you want another donut?”

“Yes. And you can definitely do better.” She reminded him. “Don’t settle just to prove a point.”

“You’re like my mom.” He frowned.

“Your hot mom.” She tilted her head. “Not that your mom isn’t hot.”

“Gross.” He shook his head. “I’m leaving. We’re officially broken up.”

“I’m heartbroken.” She said dryly. “I’ll drown my tears in this coffee.”

“Good, I hope you suffer.”

231 notes · View notes

bakudekuficlibrary · 5 years

Text

BakuDeku: Angst One Shots Part I

Click here for Part II & Part III!

84 Works.

Fallout by limesicle ( T | 2,505 | 1/1 )

Katsuki does everything the hard way. Falling in love isn't an exception.

It doesn't take him long to realize he's falling, but it takes him ten years to admit it to himself. It takes another ten before he says it out loud.

For the Future by limesicle ( T | 2,886 | 1/1 )

In which All Might doesn’t arrive in time. In which Katsuki watches his childhood friend fall by his own hand. In which he realizes too many things after he’s lost too much.

[Major Character Death | Suicidal Thoughts]

Words They Didn't Say by crushingblue ( G | 1,804 | 1/1 )

Bakugou doesn't know how to say enough. Deku is scared to say too much.

Series Part 1 of Future Feelings

Crossroads by atosei ( T | 1,493 | 1/1 )

“I already told you,” he said steadily, “I’m leaving for good. As of today, I’m resigning as a Pro Hero.” Bakugou laughed harshly. “You’ve got to be kidding me – you, resigning? Best joke I’ve heard in years.”

If you really knew Bakugou, you’d be able to hear the hint of fear he was trying to hide behind those cruel words. And if you really knew Midoriya, you’d be able to see in his eyes that he was dead serious. And they really did know each other that well, to that extent, to be able to pick up on the emotions that they’d tried so hard to lock away and it was then that something broke between them, something irreversible and Bakugou knew he couldn’t keep this up any longer.

Series Part 1 of Intersection

imbalance (he knocked the world from under your feet) by dovedapple ( G | 506 | 1/1 )

/ɪmˈbal(ə)ns/ noun the lack of proportion or relation between corresponding things.

Taraché by Funky Hanji (Temari) ( T | 4,571 | 1/1 )

- «Hey Bakugou. […] You ever been afraid of your quirk? It’s hella strong, I bet it was scary until you learned to control it…! » -

Choices by stardustacademia (cosmiclarents) ( T | 576 | 1/1 )

The only summary I can think of for this is what's in the tags, honestly. Angsty vague bakudeku w/ a splash of plot. Just a bit.

Series Part 1 of Drabbles With Potential

opia by Ramabear (RyMagnatar), timeto-explode (NoWayApril) ( T | 2,169 | 1/1 )

In an attempt to breach the wall put up between Bakugou and Midoriya, All Might and Aizawa try something a little unorthodox. The two teens are set down in chairs across from each other with the instruction to stay there and look into each other's eyes.

The strange vulnerability that follows spurs a confession that Bakugou isn't prepared for in the least.

Так бывает by Serpentaria ( G | 705 | 1/1 )

Так бывает, что ты не предназначен своей родственной душе.

Fearless by ukiinas ( G | 1,434 | 1/1 )

Izuku's fiery spirit and compassion were so dazzling that it blinded him; his strength and endurance were so captivating that it scorched him like an inextinguishable flame. They’d never come on equal terms as to even try and begin to understand one another, and perhaps Katsuki was to blame, but it was precisely due Izuku’s brilliance that he found it hard to approach him.

Series Part 1 of Fear, Pride, Denial

Tempo by ichikonohakko ( G | 2,081 | 1/1 )

He promised Katsuki the world.

But Deku was a villain. And no villain should be trusted.

--- Or in which Deku let himself slip up in a moment of weakness.

Series Part 7 of Villain!Deku AU

reconnect: extended version by Ramabear (RyMagnatar) ( T | 4,639 | 1/1 )

After a brief meeting at Yuuei, Izuku takes Katsuki back to his small apartment for conversation and dinner.

{ Curator’s Note: This work is tagged with “Exes”. }

Screaming never helps Screaming always helps Don't scream Do scream by inspectorwired ( T | 551 | 1/1 )

Don't look at me that way

Tears by frostyoctopus ( Not Rated | 436 | 1/1 )

lil one shot i made of kaachan/deku.... i rly like bnha haha. i dont read the manga OOPS so idk if these characterizations are 100% accurate... kaachan ponders the real reason why he hates deku so much but he cant pin-point the specific emotion he feels towards deku...

Make Every Moment Last by osakakitty ( E | 6,885 | 1/1 )

There are days where Izuku Midoriya wakes in a different world. It is usually a world very similar to his own, but with noticeable changes. The thing that changes the most is Katsuki Bakugo. Sometimes he's a friend, sometimes he's not, and sometimes he's something else entirely.

Canon-Divergent story where Midoriya has the uncontrollable ability to travel to parallel universes. He sleeps in one, and may wake up in another. By seeing through the eyes of many different 'Izuku Midoriya,' he learns things about himself and Bakugo.

Terrible Losses by AshREvans ( T | 1,339 | 1/1 )

rasm835g asked: Could you write a scenario describing Bakugou or midoriya having to react to the other one dying, and how their reactions would differ from one another

From my BNHA scenario blog https://myheroscenarios.tumblr.com/ Feel free to submit requests!!!

Series Part 4 of Multifandom Tumblr Requests Part 3 of BNHA Tumblr Requests

[Major Character Death]

Your sorrow, pouring out of your skin by tandum (nea_writes) ( T | 3,433 | 1/1 )

Izuku dies in Katsuki's arms, and he becomes intimately familiar with the long shadow of regret.

He's so full of regret he wishes he could vomit it out.

Every time he hurt Deku, every moment he rejected him, every single instance he made Deku's smile fade, haunts Katsuki.

What he should've said to Deku long ago, what he never said, what even in his dying moments he held back, he says now, to the only person who'll understand, and who will never forgive him.

Series Part 1 of Even though all I wanted to do was become strong like you

[Major Character Death]

blindness by umbrage ( M | 1,771 | 1/1 )

There's a fine line between love and hate, but Bakugou's willful lack of nuance proves both to be equally painful.

Here Comes a Thought by myraj ( T | 600 | 1/1 )

"Kacchan, I'm here"

Snap Out Of It by ReturnToZero ( Not Rated | 1,068 | 1/1 )

There was a time in his childhood where he had hopes and dreams of being the best, with the full support of those all around him. Everyone knew he could be a top hero, and he was just waiting on finding a suitable sidekick early on, to ensure they both would be top notch and tightly knit.

“Mom has the ability to pull small objects to herself, I might get that as my quirk!” the quiet voice muses, the joy of imagining his soon to be quirk filling his words with hope unlike any other.

“Still not as good as my quirk though! Cmon Izuchan, you have to do better than that if you wanna be my sidekick.”

Bakudeku Week Day 2: Cotton Candy / Childhood / Sloth

Series Part 2 of BakuDeku Week 2k17

Happy Birthday Deku! by LionellLim ( M | 3,566 | 1/1 )

15th of July was the day of our hero special day but can he celebrate it with his lover without getting interrupted with his work?

Series Part 4 of Katsudeku compilation of one shot

skin shouldn't look like that by HummusKing ( M | 3,007 | 1/1 )

“How about I cut you a deal! You’re a prideful kid right? How about I’ll stop if you get on your knees and beg.” Tomura took his hand off Midoriya’s face, the flesh blistering red as blood began to trickle down the boy’s cheeks. Midoriya’s eyes began to flutter, the pain causing him to slowly lose consciousness but he kept his gaze locked with Bakugou’s. Something in his emerald eyes had pleaded for him, maybe to tell him to give up and to get out, or maybe it was a plea for help – Bakugou didn’t know.

[Graphic Depictions of Violence (Torture & Blood)]

I'll Wait by ZoZoTheTaco ( T | 489 | 1/1 )

For BakuDeku week.

"I waved goodbye to you knowing that you'd come back home to me."

Katsuki falls apart waiting for Izuku to come back home. (inner-monologue style)

I was not born to drown by yabakuboi ( T | 2,645 | 1/1 )

One more night, Izuku thinks. He’ll stay with me one more night.

another old space odyssey by sorethroat ( T | 2,058 | 1/1 )

“Car-di-o-meg..aly,” Deku fumbles around the words. “I can’t see the moon with you.”

He stands there, Deku smiling tight like if he moves his tears will spill over, and they’re too young to laugh at the idea that the insurmountable obstacle in front of them is a heart that’s just too big.

Bakugou is an astronaut but he's forgotten why. Midoriya wants him to come home.

Lovesick by halcyonwhispers ( M | 2,652 | 1/1 )

Izuku must’ve felt sorry for him more than Katsuki first thought. There’s always some stupid penalty ‘date’ that’s supposed to make Katsuki feel better because Izuku’s made of fucking rainbows and stupid sunshine.

He couldn’t even let his fuck buddy feel like he’s been used.

"Care" by The_Simpatico_Writer (AjhayLee) ( G | 826 | 1/1 )

Your life was a movie Scene by scene You had your thoughts that he would soon be Your Teenage Dream And with your fire, you assumed he Would put it out But he couldn't

Come on and make your mind up Love ain't so hard to find ya When he was standing there Waiting for you to care

Waiting for you to care (3x) You thought he had landed All maxed out You let him fall and leave him stranded Without a doubt And you're here beggin' for a lover Well turn around because you missed it Oh you missed it Come on and make your mind up Love ain't so hard to find ya When he was standing there Waiting for you to care Waiting for you to care (3x) Look at yourself Is this really what you wanted Is this really what you wanted Look at yourself Look at what you started Waiting for you to care (3x) Come on and make your mind up Love ain't so hard to find ya When he was standing there Waiting for you to care

[Major Character Death]

Rose Knows by origami_soul ( Not Rated | 501 | 1/1 )

Bakugou meets a younger Deku in his dream.

[Bullying]

Aquiver by stardustacademia (cosmiclarents) ( Not Rated | 4,083 | 1/1 )

This is supposed to be their happily ever after.

Unfortunately, 'Happily Ever After' doesn't always guarantee unconditional satisfaction.

Radio Silence ( T | 1,634 | 1/1 )

When making a dangerous plan one must consider Murphy's law. For those who are unfamiliar, the law states, "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." But there's a hidden side to this rule that comes into play when you least expect it, "If things are ok, expect them to get bad. And if they do, expect them to get worse."

[Graphic Depictions of Violence (Blood and Gore)]

Walls by chancellorxofxtrash (PhoebeMurdivine) ( T | 5,245 | 1/1 )

Official sources had announced, that the two students from UA’s Class 1-A, who had been missing for the past three days, had been recovered during a raid led by Heroes, with the participation of their classmates. There had been no official statement regarding the state the two students are in, but hospital sources had confirmed that they are alive, and their lives are not in danger.

[Graphic Depictions of Violence (Torture) | Psychological Torture]

syzygy by shousanki ( T | 2,151 | 1/1 )

The thought of being apart never even crossed Izuku's mind until it became a reality, and then a nightmare.

we run in antiparallel. ( T | 1,181 | 1/1 )

there are different ways in which a boy can be saved.

katsudeku week: day 2 - heroes/villains

Sleeping With Ghosts by lalazee ( M | 1,003 | 1/1 )

“I guess even heroes have to do their grocery shopping.” “Villains, too,” Katsuki said tightly. “Villains?” Deku blinked, gasping softly as he went to his tip toes and looked over the aisle divider. “Where? Shit, Kacchan, you’d better get on that!”

Written for KatsuDeku Week 2017, Day 2: Heroes/Villains.

the way you are is like a dream. ( T | 4,001 | 1/1 )

nothing makes sense in this world. especially bakugou katsuki.

bakudeku week: day 3 - fantasy (a different kind of au)

[Implied/Referenced Bullying]

I'm Sorry by Viciedy ( Not Rated | 1,074 | 1/1 )

Suicide. Late apologies. Lack of self-expression. Depression. What more is left?

Bakugou Katsuki sulking in his locked room with a cutter in his hand.

[Major Character Death | Suicide]

“if it could be you…” by holdingoutforahero ( E | 1,508 | 1/1 )

Loving Katsuki is something Izuku just does.

Only in My Memories. by aeyongdarling ( G | 1,703 | 1/1 )

He always sees him talking, sees him sending a message and always hear him muttering his usual things. But it seems he was always ignored, always talked over. As if he doesn't exist in other's lives.

Mentiroso Pierrot by Stasawe ( G | 2,663 | 1/1 )

"No tienes que soportarlo tú solo." Ser capaz de hacer sonreír a la gente era su mayor sueño. Izuku haría cualquier cosa con tal de conseguir ver a las personas felices. Por otro lado, Katsuki estuvo reprimiendo la libertad que le correspondía.

Count of Three by lalazee ( M | 1,522 | 1/1 )

“You asshole,” Bakugou said, numb fingers fumbling as he shucked off his gloves and threw them aside. “Save two dozen people and then do this? Not on your life.”

Quirkless Vigilante Deku AU.

Series Part 1 of Vigilante/Quirkless!Deku AU

[Graphic Depictions of Violence (Blood & Mild Gore)]

Deku please don't go... by miiba_chan (marichat_girl13) ( T | 531 | 1/1 )

Series Part 2 of Bakudeku oneshots!

[Suicide]

Bound to You by Magefeathers ( T | 5,751 | 1/1 )

There were a few moments of nothing but the static, and Izuku feared that maybe the demon had disconnected after all. But then the voice spoke again, and this time it was flat, listless, without any of the anger and fire Izuku had come to expect from it.

“I exist to destroy you, Midoriya Izuku,” he repeated. When he continued his voice was bitter, and almost sad. “I’m bound to you. I am going to steal your breath from you, because that’s the only way for me to be free. Sooner or later, one way or another, I will destroy you.”

there are listed buildings by semiautomatichearts ( M | 3,309 | 1/1 )

Katsuki first sees colors bloom when he is only three years old. It is timid Izuku, hiding behind the cover of his mother's leg who looks upon him with wide eyes, and Katsuki's world explodes in shades of greens and pinks and blues, and he is so startled, he begins to cry.

His life is then on defined in color, in shades his peers can't see, by the forlorn, timid stare in Izuku's eyes that always lets off more than he is willing to tell. There is a schism driven between himself and his fated other, and Katsuki strives to be better than fate, better than what is defined for him. He is more than the written pages of a book, to be cracked open and read by the gods.

He wonders if it is possible for colors to bloom for someone who will never love you back.

Healing Process by shewizzard ( M | 10,962 | 1/1 )

When an injury leaves Deku out of commission, Bakugou steps in to help the healing process. Between all of his friends feeding him up and Bakugou pushing him Midoriya ends up putting on some pounds.

Let the Petals Fall by limesicle ( T | 4,976 | 1/1 )

In a world where hanahaki emerged around the same time as quirks did, it's a disease that doesn't happen to many. But it does seem to run in families. Ever since Katsuki heard that his mother had it, he wondered if he'd get it, too. When the first signs occurred, he tried to fight it. But as the green flowers kept spilling from his lungs, it got harder to ignore.

In short, it's the katsudeku hanahaki AU that no one asked for.

Series Part 1 of Tiger Lilies and Crysanthemums

Our Dream by Purplemerald ( G | 1,176 | 1/1 )

"Izuku, what do you really want? Die never accomplishing your dreams? Or live and...?" Katsuki didn't continue but the words were already said.

Live and be with me.

[Major Character Death]

11 Miles by Dragonbooks249 ( T | 3,752 | 1/1 )

Is there something you want? Something you need? How far are you willing to go to get it? Bakugou Katsuki would go anywhere to get what he wants. What he needs.

[Major Character Death]

Близко by Explodocat ( G | 1,175 | 1/1 )

Сигареты. И вещи, озвучивать которые вовсе не обязательно.

Punishment by Purplemerald ( G | 1,314 | 1/1 )

"You who have done evil, you are a sinner, you do not deserve happiness, you will never forget your sin."

Deku..

I want to be your friend again..

But I'll never forget that I hurt you. Even if that pure smile is given to me, I can never forgive myself.

[Major Character Death]

Pained Lotus by VoidRune ( T | 1,732 | 1/1 )

Katsuki was still working out the toughest parts of understanding his boyfriend, of rediscovering the childhood friend he lost somewhere along the way. Most of the time, it wasn't expected, but endearing in ways he had simply never seen before.

At times, they just looped back into some old wounds.

Katsuki hated not knowing what to do, but he tries.

Series Part 1 of Lotus

Loving Him is Painful by ioooriiii15 ( Not Rated | 321 | 1/1 )

She's there whenever you're in pain.

She's there when the world turn its back to you.

Why did you let her go?

'Til Death Do Us Part by reijeux ( T | 2,448 | 1/1 )

Izuku is the world’s greatest hero. It doesn’t take long before Katsuki notices he’s changing; it doesn’t take long for Izuku to realize what’s happening to himself, either.

[Major Character Death]

Start At Ground Zero by lalazee ( T | 1,551 | 1/1 )

The longer Katsuki knew Deku, the more he realized how much he didn’t know.

Hospital scene, aftermath.

Series Part 2 of Vigilante/Quirkless!Deku AU

A Hero by Purplemerald ( G | 822 | 1/1 )

Trapped under a villain attack, Izuku could only scream his name as Katsuki makes his decision.

Chewed Up by warschach ( E | 30,693 | 1/1 )

Zombie apocalypse, more than a third of the population currently dead or in the state of undead, and Katsuki still somehow managed to get his shit stolen by two chicks and Freckle boy.

Fuck this new generation.

Scattered Anemones by gaytodoroki ( T | 3,582 | 1/1 )

"Fuck you for making me cough up a ton of shitty flowers," is what Bakugou might say to him, if he had the courage to actually confess and wasn't stuck panicking over his stupid crush.

[Panic Attacks]

we make homes out of people and we forget that they are bones and blood and stardust and all of them can perish as well. by moonblossoms ( G | 854 | 1/1 )

katsuki reflects on his life with and without izuku.

[Major Character Death]

silk by holdingoutforahero ( G | 669 | 1/1 )

Katsuki is anxious, Izuku can recognize that even from the slightest signs. He is going to snap any second and this time Izuku has to let it slide instead of letting out a weary sigh and a sharp “Kacchan”. Katsuki’s hand is slightly trembling as he ties the obi of his inner underrobe. Izuku steps closer to him and pulls the narrow belt out of his hands.

“Here, let me."

For the Flowers that Bloom Inside by limesicle ( T | 8,457 | 1/1 )

Hanahaki develops in approximately two out of a hundred people. The strength, the prognosis, and the outcome depend on the person afflicted and, of course, the person who made the disease present in the first place. Izuku has known these things for as long as he can remember–for as long as he’s seen his mother coughing petals. Two out of a hundred–and he would be one of them–like being quirkless wasn’t bad enough.

Izuku’s side of the story of the katsudeku hanahaki AU (you don’t need to read the other half first to understand it)

Series Part 2 of Tiger Lilies and Crysanthemums

A Classical Storm by oceanswrath ( T | 1,400 | 1/1 )

In that moment only the two of them existed, a force to be reckoned with greater than the storm raging outside.

i have seen every single one of your life milestones and i’m really glad i’m one of them. by moonblossoms ( G | 1,072 | 1/1 )

izuku reflects on the milestones he and katsuki have shared together aka i write a terrible fanfic at 3am and say the word milestones a lot.

[Major Character Death]

Odd Combinations by whatthefuckisupkyle ( M | 1,813 | 1/1 )

Katsuki called Izuku over to his house because he was just a mess at 3AM.

[Graphic Depictions of Violence | Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-Con | Implied/Referenced Self-Harm | Implied/Referenced Abuse]

{ Curator’s Note: None of the Rape & Abuse warned about above is between Katsuki and Izuku. It is from Bakugou explaining all the things that were wrong in the relationship he was in that he had just ended. }

Green Haze by reijeux ( T | 2,408 | 1/1 )

Denying his soulmate the first time brings a nightmarish consequence to Katsuki as he's forced to live through different lifetimes where he dreads the coming of Christmas.

[Major Character Death]

stained glass variation of truth by cheaperthantherapy ( T | 3,717 | 1/1 )

It has been six years.

Well, it has been six years, ten months and four days.

Twenty-Four by SharkbaitSekki ( T | 15,874 | 1/1 )

Izuku gets himself kidnapped, and Katsuki is dragged into it with him as they face villains with particularly terrifying illusion Quirks.

It ends up being a living nightmare, but Katsuki can't bring himself to regret following Izuku into it all. Because between the pain and the terror, between the lies and the illusions, between life and death, at least they can always hang onto one another. Even if everything else is fake, they know that they will always be real.

[Graphic Depictions of Violence (Torture)]

This is Grinder, not Christian Mingle... by Crandberrycrush ( E | 7,568 | 1/1 )

The quality of the video was horrible, fuzzy green hair was all he could see for the first few seconds, before a flushed and freckled smile much too close to the camera appeared, followed closely by a gratuitous amount of laughter.

“Kaaaaachaaannnn…. What are you doooooin’?”

The screen wobbled and refocused on the face, round cheeks glowing in the red and yellow lights of some unknown bar. Cheesy pop music cracked through his speakers - trash that Katsuki would never be caught dead listening to. Suddenly the image switched from Izuku’s face to the flat wooden surface of what Katsuki could only assume was the bar and ended. Fucking Deku.

Do you Regret it? by MadamBlue ( M | 1,331 | 1/1 )

A rescue mission goes horribly wrong

[Graphic Depictions of Violence (Blood and Gore)]

saltwater knives & saltwater lives by writedeku ( T | 1,580 | 1/1 )

Before.

(Before is a time Katsuki doesn't like to think of now. Before was before, now is now, but it does deserve reflection.)

Series Part 2 of the saltwater saga

[Bullying | Physical Abuse]

to know you by Anonymous ( T | 7,645 | 1/1 )

They were the Wonder Duo, the saviors of the innocent, and it took that reminder to get Izuku through yet another sleepless night.

defluo by managician ( T | 1,165 | 1/1 )

defluo: verb. to flow down, waste, disappear. “I probably should have thought about the consequences of selling my soul first.”

[Major Character Death]

Ожоги by Explodocat ( T | 3,356 | 1/1 )

После достижения четырнадцатилетия человек не может прикасаться ни к кому, кроме своего соулмейта, не вызывая ожоги.

I've Loved You Since Forever by BeanPasteMan ( G | 289 | 1/1 )

Katsuki and Izuku went on a mission together and Katsuki died. Izuku never got the chance to tell him how he felt before Katsuki passed away.

[Major Character Death]

Am I Ready? by Ryxmas ( G | 6,226 | 1/1 )

Even after one and a half years after his disappearance, Izuku never really stopped thinking about Katsuki. After all, Katsuki always had a habit of barging into your life, even if you never expected it.

Don't Phunk With My Heart by yamarik ( T | 7,972 | 1/1 )

Deku wakes up with a hangover in the worst possible place. Now he’s in fear for his life. Meanwhile, Kacchan just wants to return Deku’s train pass...

heaven in hiding by halcyonwhispers ( T | 8,827 | 1/1 )

After years of without contact, Izuku's suddenly thrown into playing seven minutes in heaven with Kacchan at a dumb house party he didn't even wanna go to.

He didn’t expect how things turned out.

Endless by chancellorxofxtrash (PhoebeMurdivine) ( T | 3,582 | 1/1 )

It’s been six months since the pro hero Ground Zero’s last stand, and Izuku was determined to make things right.

[Graphic Depictions of Violence | Major Character Death]

One More Time, One More Chance by limesicle ( T | 3,256 | 1/1 )

Katsuki knows he’s made mistakes–some worse than others–but none as bad as letting Izuku walk into that fight alone.

Series Part 2 of Spring BakuDeku Week 2018

let our proud fossils prove who we were by shousanki ( T | 2,622 | 1/1 )

Katsuki does not die. He does not kind-of propose to Izuku while in the throes of near-death delirium either. And they are not talking.

Series Part 2 of 青春ノンストップーSpring Bakudeku Week 2018ー

Lie by chancellorxofxtrash (PhoebeMurdivine) ( T | 1,883 | 1/1 )

The timer on their wrists, written with black numbers were different for everyone, constantly counting back the seconds. Everyone knew that the moment you first touch your soulmate, the timer on both of your arms will reach zero.

The timers on the arms of Izuku and Katsuki kept counting backwards.

Lost, but lost together by Tsulivy ( T | 1,660 | 1/1 )

"Kacchan... It's too late... It's already spreading, I can feel that I'm losing my last grip on whatever's left of my sanity," Deku said weakly to Katsuki, who was holding him in his arms, silently shaking trying to comfort the other. "you need to leave... Before I go after you, I don't want you to be lost, too."

"Shut the hell up," Katsuki said out of breath because of an upcoming panic attack. "I'm thinking, let me fucking think for one goddamn second, we'll figure it out."

"Kacchan..."

[Major Character Death]

Meeting Again by Dana91 ( G | 1,141 | 1/1 )

Bakugo never thought he would see him again. Not there. Not at the Hero License Exam. But most of all, what the hell was quirkless Deku doing with Shiketsu uniform?

Series Part 1 of Shiketsu AU

The Me you don't know by Dana91 ( T | 1,391 | 1/1 )

Sequel to "Meeting Again", same AU.

Just a really emotionally constipated Bakugo and a new "Deku" he is not familiar with. Someone should switch off those emotions for him anyway.

Series Part 2 of Shiketsu AU

Love That's Left Behind by ploThief ( T | 1,439 | 1/1 )

The trio flinch when they hear the tale-tell guttural moan of hungry zombies. Two new zombies have heard the commotion. One looks savage, face twisted forever in an angry scowl. The other is plainer, moving with a slight limp. The two are bloodied and dirty, but in much better condition than most zombies they cross. Newly turned, Ochaco’s mind supplies. It leaves a bitter taste in her mouth.

[Major Character Death]

Into the Night by MadamBlue ( M | 1,721 | 1/1 )

He takes a step.

The world doesn't need me.

Another step.

I'm useless.

He braces himself on the low wall.

I can't control my quirk.

In one swift movement, he scales the wall and stands tall, looking out into the night one last time. In a strange way, he felt at peace. The day was already cold and calm, just how he wanted to feel.

I can't protect anyone.

Izuku takes one final breath and closes his eyes, his foot outstretched to take the final plunge.

[Suicide Attempt]

Being Alive is the Most Comforting Thing We Have by Mrs_AgustD ( M | 1,135 | 1/1 )

“'Suki, please no” The typically violent tempered blond freezes all movement, just like the blood in his veins freeze. 'Suki 'Suki 'Suki The word echoes and bounces around the inside of his skull, and he feels bile rise up his throat and he panics. Only one person calls him 'Suki, but he’s dead, he is so very dead.

[Anxiety Attacks | Mentions of Self-Harm]

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