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sibyl-of-space · 3 years

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I’m on an adventure learning the basics of Nintendo DS ROM hacking/modding because there is a very stupid, very self-indulgent, very spoilery ROM hack/mod I want to implement for Ghost Trick. It has been a journey and I’m going to be recapping my adventures on here with the tag #leo-tries-modding-ghost-trick so it can be blocked as desired. Anything pertaining to the actual in-game spoilers down the line will be posted under a readmore.

Now.... for “progress” I’ve made so far, if you can call it that. The first thing I need to figure out is whether I can implement a talk sprite-swap. So I set out to try and isolate the talk sprites.

I started by checking out the Ultimate Nintendo DS ROM Hacking Guide, which seemed as good a starting place as any. I also downloaded the big zipped file with all the referenced programs, but as I found out later, some of the programs didn’t zip properly so I had to procure them elsewhere.

At any rate, I tried to open up the Ghost Trick .nds file in CrystalTile2, and that much was a success.... and just about that much only. Ghost Trick doesn’t use the file types referenced in the guide. There are .xml.lz files and .bin files. I didn’t know what to do with these yet, so I decided to just mess around in the tile viewer and see if I could find anything. After some aimless scrolling, I did find something that gave me hope that I was in fact looking at meaningful data:

(don’t mind the windows 7 and pesterchum and malwarebytes this is my old 2011 laptop from undergrad, it just so happens that a lot of tools for NDS hacking work great on windows 7 because shit’s old)

That right there is very unambiguously the Ghost Trick logo. It gave me a glimmer of hope. And CrystalTile lets you highlight a selection of tiles and export them as an image:

rearranged in mspaint to:

My rudimentary knowledge of How This Works tells me that it obviously needs to reference the right palette for the colors to be right, but whatever, this is CLEARLY IMAGE DATA so ALL IS NOT LOST.

...but, for a while, that was about as far as I got. Some googling brought me to this thread, where OP states that allegedly the “cpac_2d.bin” contains all of the sprite data in the game [this is Capcom standard, it seems?], but having trouble actually accessing said data. Viewed as-is it’s a jumbled mess, haven’t been able to make heads or tails of it in CrystalTile although this could certainly be because they’re out of order in a way that’s not obvious. It is really, really difficult to just parse like this.... it’s a massive portion of the ROM, too, so even figuring out what general area of this I should poke around in is quite an undertaking. [looking w/ tile form GBA 4bpp as that is the only tile form that gave me a visible image for the logo above]... although I found some things which look promisingly like visual patterns, and might help me figure out how to re-order these tiles so i can maybe see something approaching an image. I uh... haven’t figured out how to customize the tile ordering in CrystalTile (like column widths) very well, that’s next on my to-do list. This one in particular I may come back to later:

(^Viewed at offset 4AD9E0)

There are plenty of others but this is among the more promising as far as likely actually being uncompressed visual data. There’s so much besides just this one though that I would be here all day posting screenshots; At any rate, there are patterns that may be worth looking into, but the sheer volume of data corresponding to this “.bin” file is going to make that REALLY tedious to try and comb through with any sort of reasonable efficiency. This could also be a fool’s errand, as it could be the data is compressed or out of order somehow and it is necessary to extract the true files hidden within that “.bin” to actually make proper sense of them. I don’t know. If I haven't made it clear, I'm a newbie at this and don't really understand what I'm working with yet.

So I briefly tried another approach. I thought, heck, I have the dev version of DeSmuME on here, let’s boot that baby up.

(oh boy did it chug.)

I learned some neat stuff.

First, I learned that for most of the game, the “main screen” is the bottom screen as opposed to the top screen, which makes complete sense if you’ve played it. Just goes against convention which is interesting. Except for during the title screen, where it is the expected order, for... reasons?

Anyway, I first tried isolating what layer the talk sprites were on on the “main” screen, which was unsuccessful but interesting. This is with every other layer turned off on the bottom screen (tools -> view layers, toggled off all except for “Main BG 0″)...:

It looks like a lot of things are on that same layer. Now we know.

(Worth noting that if you isolate just the “Main BG 3″ layer you get a nice view of the backgrounds!)

My next task was fiddling around in the tile viewer in the *emulator* to see if that got me anywhere. And, well, it did... I think! I don’t know what it means just yet but launching the tile viewer (tools -> view tiles) and selecting “LCD - 0x6850000″, at the 0x140 tile there is a very clear image of the current talk sprite. And this image DOES update when the sprite changes, so whatever this tile is pulling from is where I want to be.

...Unfortunately, I’ve more or less hit a roadblock here and am calling it a night. I have absolutely no idea how to figure out where that tile is getting its information from, and I don’t understand enough about NDS files to know how to parse the information in CrystalTile any better at the moment. I tried using this tool by Luigi Auriemma to dive into the .bin file after exporting it but it spewed out a billion .dat files that are no easier to make heads or tails of than the original.

That's all I got for the time being. If anyone reading this happens to know any directions they can point me toward I am all ears, otherwise I will continue to just poke at this from various angles until it decides to succumb.

#leo tries modding ghost trick #long post

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mikkock · 3 years

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Hey hi your murder mystery art is super totally cool and amazing and I'd like to Extra! Extra! hear all about it *rattles bells*

haha wow i cant believe ud ask me THIS! unbelievable! now im gonna have to make a long post!

all info under the cut cause im kind like that ♥

For reasons I felt like making a Fancy Ass murder mystery story, with you know, hella complex secret storylines and everyone having drama and shit, and one person died but the more the story goes the less people care about who did the murder and the more they want tHE JUICY DETAILs. X and Y had an afFAIR you say!!! well that’s thousands time more interesting than that murder that happened, who cares about the culprit its not like any of us are going anywhere anyway! tell me more about the marital issues!

The ultimate Vibes are Clue (the game, ya kno, it had a movie too, and that movie was shot with three different endings -fun fact- so that movie theatres could play one alternatively that way people wouldnt get spoiled or even if they did they would not get the ending they were spoiled or even if all three were spoiled you couldnt know which ending you were getting anyway, big dick move, cause its an old movie and film is expensive, also that movie stupid and campy, ALSO I ONLY LEARNED MAKING THIS AU THAT IN ENGLISH THE GAME’S CALLED “CLUE” wE CALL IT CLUEDO therefore my wip playlist is called cluedo. because. fuck it.)(i just have an emotional attachment to that game i even had a cd rom video game version and it was the spookiest shit for a 6 years old, trust me, i played it so much tho i didnt even understand the rULES i was just making scenarios like gathering the characters in rooms n making conversations outloud cause honestly the banter is the best part of a murder mystery) ANYWAY that sure is a whole paragraph of tangent.

BUT YE the inspo from the Clue game. you can tell it from the Colours obviously, everyone’s colour codded.(even everyone’s name is colours as well you’ll see it’s real dang fancy! im just remaking that game but with 2932020 characters and more behind the scenes drama and also for gay people.)

So BASIC PLOT!

Sir Belyy, the dude in white, is The Rich Powerful Respected Fancy Boss, and he throws a Fancy Reception Party with his closest friends and associates to celebrate the opening of a new branch of his business. All the lads gather in his wonderful little very isolated mansion in the middle of nowhere, like ok he got a death wish or something or he’s very trusting of his business partners, but not a good move, cause in the middle of the reception, as A Phat Storm Starts (for plot convenience, we going with a campy vibe if you couldnt tell), his body is found, it’s awful, there’s a killer on the loose! All the guests gather, and attempt to maybe contact the authorities, to not avail, since The Storm ya know, phone lines are Broken my dude. Its clear that the culprit is among them, since no one could have entered the house, or left it (cuz once again, ThE sTORm). And then it’s all about interrogating each other, distrust, alliances and betrayal, revealing one’s deepest secrets when they form an alibi and revealing someone else’s deepest secret for they could be a motive! Meanwhile there’s a dead body in the mansion just chillin there.

So as I mentioned, I changed everyone’s name to be colour related (or ya know, food or flowers of that colour cause sometimes a colour in a language would not work as a name given the way names work in that culture all that jazz) which is the trippiest thing cause tHATS NOT YALLS USUAL NAMES but its fun (also changed so many ages hgfhs it was a trip)(still no one’s really old i guess i got boomerphobia). The “Cast” is clearly the most important part, and if ur a True “My OCs” Connaisseur (hdfghd the most useful skill to have, knowing *MY* Charactersdshgd) you may have recognised some faces and can already read some vibes and predict who will be progressing the plot and who will be yelling at people throwing accusations ghdfgd.

(god i wish i hadnt slacked off making the portraits of everyone in that AU i only have 3 tho that’s so sad so ill just make little sketches just cause <3 only text??? i got too many hoes with no attention span for that)

Sir BELYY (the one who dIEs lmao)

(bust shot missing the fact that this man is the tallest beefiest lad around)

Intimidating, powerful, composed, wealthy, carries the name of a family who has generations of control to it’s reputation, he’s The Man that hoes who believe in the economy wishes they were. As in, the “self made” man who only just happened to benefit from having a wealthy background to uplift his plans. In his youth, he wanted to prove his worth, seperated himself from his father, started a business, that business became big, then got attached to the family’s business, bam back to square one but with Reputation now. There seemed to be VERY big tension between him and The Father, some speculate it had to do with his unknown mother, and some family drama there, and it never got resolved as old man Belyy died quite young (the jUICY speculations are that current sir Belyy mURDEREd old man sir Belyy, fucked up if true!). People love him though in general, as he has that reputation of “Cold Lad With a Gold Heart” aka he takes people under his wings, donates, doesnt treat his employees like the absolute worst garbage etc... you know, he’s rich and a half decent person, so obviously he’s an angel on earth. But does it matter though, he’s dead! that’s the concept of the story!

Mr.GRAY (the grey guest)(who could have guessed from the name)

He’s one of Sir Belyy’s oldest employees, and benefits from a high rank in the company. But, sadly for him, he’s been stagnating lately, as newer, youngest employees seem to have Belyy’s favours, and are his prefered associates for important tasks and positions. Therefore he has Some Bitterness, Some Salt, Some Distaste, some unbriddled but professionally muted hatred for Specific people in the company. He can be an antagonistic figure, but the amount of time he spent in Belyy’s circle grants him an immense quantity of information about the man, but mostly, about his business. Anything about the company’s history, dealings, operations, he’s aware of, either having been told of them, or having snooped around to obtain, immune to being questioned due to his legitimacy in the company.

Mr.LIM (the green guest)

Remember when it was said that Gray had beef with some employees cause they were younger and rose to high ranks faster than him and became Belyy’s favourite over him? Yeah well here comes the one he hates the most for that (ofc he’s belyys fave cuz he’s Mine <3) Our lad caught Belyy’s attention for his Exploits in like, em fancy high school tournaments of smart people, it’s a thing its ridiculous, making kids compete on Smart stuff for the pride of their schools n shit, well homie Lim got clout when doing that, and Belyy was extremely interested cause that kid’s main thing was how “this young lad got mad strategic skills tf are u a war general or smth how fancy”, and that’s a coveted skill for ruthless business. So as soon as the kid is an adult, bam, join the company my dude. And because he’s just that Cool n Sexy ofc he met the expectations Belyy had, and old man Belyy got attached cuz it do be such a young lad, a kid, mentally i am adopting. That’s how you get a youngas employee becoming the right hand man of one the phatest CEO in a few years, and even make your way into being a Good Lad on top of a business partner. And that’s how you get Gray to hate your ass too. Now though, fine lad with mad strategic skills, rising to power that fast, and even infiltrating Belyy’s private life? If I were Gray I’d call suspicion there’s surely some shady stuff going no way we’re just dealing with a nice fella who just happens to work good and be friendly to the boss right?

Herra MUSTA (the black “guest”)

Belyy’s newest butler, assistant, house keeper, he multitasks. His family has been tied to Belyy’s for generations, fullfilling roles of help, but also of confidents. He’s been the head butler since only a short time, after his mother passed, and as such is still “in training” you could say, despite having served the family his whole life. There are rumours going around that the contract tying his family to the Belyys may end on his generation and need to be resigned. He known the manor by heart, and carries all keys to any locked room (and mostly, The Master Key, cause in an old house, some doors may be locked beyond all still existing keys). He also knows secrets of the family that no one else knows, but good luck getting em out of him, he’s under contract not to divulge em bro.

Mr. HASSEL (the brown guest)

Belyy’s childhood friend. They grew up together, pictured their dreams together, sworn to flourish together, worked together when starting the company, and then Hassel felt he should create his own thing instead of depending on his friend’s existing wealth, and while Belyy’s business went wild, his never took off. They still stayed very close, despite the massive difference in wealth. Belyy considers him his closest friend, the one person he can trust (fucked if hassel did the murder lemme tell u). So of course, he’s still always invited to the Prestigious meet ups where’s he’s free to feel uncomfortably out of place amongst all the rich and powerful people that he could have been a part of had he had a tiny bit of luck and a small loan from a wealthy relative...People LOVE saying he’s still hanging out with Belyy so much to leech off his wealth, cause of course they do! His bestie status means he has a whole different brand of information of Belyy than his butler does, the Most Intimate Stuff, the Childhood Stuff. The Juicy stuff ya kno...But Bro Code, its all secrets...

Sir RUZH (the red “guest”)

Deep dive into Belyy’s personnal history, the man has many employees working at his house keeping it working, clean, ya know the vibe. They live on the premice, one has a kid who’s just a Joy to be around, all the employees just vibe with that lad, he’s just a born socialite you know? Belyy gets to meet the kid, and also hella vibes with him. And because human are influenced by their feelings, he gives the kid’s mum a bit of a preferencial treatment, in the tasks she fullfils and all, til he gives her an important-as mission, and then there’s an accident n mama dies, and now Belyy got guilt and there’s this kid who just Vibes. So naturally the move is to take the kid in, and play on how his vibes are just so clean, and raise him to be the Perfect Entertainer for guests, bam, its soft power propaganda, if everyone loves your now son’s vibes, they associate them with you too. And also that’s kind of a clean rep, the selfless man who adopted his employee’s son to not have him fall to the streets, how heartwarming. Not at all traumatising for the kid too I bet! But anyway now the lad is just the most charming young adult, mission accomplished. He’s always present at any reception, ready to work his people-pleasing magic, and then going back to a gigantic empty manor to wait for the next and curate the perfect vibes to meet the expectations of dad. On the plus side, he knows everyone, and those who don’t know him cannot wAIT to, he’s just got that aura ya know. People skills for miles, and the insider knowledge that comes with being the son of the CEO, all this hidden behind the personna of the fresh innocent bashful party lad.

Dr.FEN (the pink guest)

Do not get mistaken by the title, he’s no doc, he will not diagnose you with anything, he just studied long enough to get the sexy title. Study in what? Haha. Nothing shady. Just toxicology. He’s a world reknown poison expert basically, that’s his main thing. Oh but don’t worry, of course studying substances that may kill people is only for finding out how to cure them from it of course. What brings him in this circle? Simple, Belyy may or may not have started to suffer some weird illness that no doctor has been able to find the source, let alone cure, of. Him and Dr.Fen had met previously on some event, cause some rich man also love flexing how smart they are and attending sciencey shit, and he was contacted as sort of a shot in the dark. The lad does know how to treat some things, maybe he can treat The Mysterious Unwellness, since no traditional doctor was able to. He knows science, he’s trustworthy, bam, you’re hired to work on My Case Exclusively. Thanks to this, Dr.Fen has access to the whole health history of Belyy and his family, to many mANY dangerous substances, and also has The Respect of the hoes at the party. He HAS a doctorate after all. Epitome of knowledge. And he’s a kind to people and he wears pink like dang how can you nOT pour your wHOLE trust in him.

Sir MOREVITCH (the blue guest)

Youngest son of an affluent family, who used to be close the the Belyys. The two families fell slightly appart after the death of the previous head of the family on the Belyy side, as they do nOT vibe with the current one (well current, til the first night of the story ig). But, unbeknownst to all, one strong link had been kept, between the youngest of the Morevitch, who dislikes his family and wishes to emancipate himself from them while also assuring his depart will not throw him basically in the streets, and our beloved Sir Belyy, who also dislikes the Morevitches but loves to see the rebellious energy of the young one (and ya know, my enemy’s enemy’s my friend or however you say that). So Belyy’s basically offering tips and helping Morevitch plant himself safely out of his family’s grasp, but it’s all taking quite some time isn’t it, slow and steady is fine until your parents try to arrange a wedding to secure more political power, and suddenly it is all quite urgent that you escape that situation because No Thank You Parents I Do Not Want A Wife I’m Too Young And Also Huh <3 Stuff You Won’t Like Hearing For Sure <3. The people who know they’re working together also know that it’s a big point of argument between them, the difference in vision between “you have to go slow and steady to be safe” and “I have very limited time to get to that safety anyway so I gotta risk it” “hell no you cant i can’t follow through if we’re going that quick that’ll put me at risk and you’re family’s gonna send gunmen to take me down”. A mess, it’d be much quicker to just obtain a few million bucks out of nowhere and bolt for sure...

Mr.GANG (the orange guest)

Morevitch’s trusted assistant. He hears the concerns, he helps the secret businesses, he lies to the parents about the whereabouts, and mostly, he’s basically a budget spy. The lad got that talent where people just don’t notice him popping behind them and catching all their dirty laundry as they confess it to someone they trust, and he always manages to break into places, get the intel he was looking for, and escape, putting everything back into place as if no one was ever there (wonder where he got all those skills from damn!). But what he’s even better at is being sneaky not only to benefit his boss, but himself as well <3. If he can catch all the info in the world, go any places, nothing’s stopping him from playing double agent and also going behind Morevitch’s back. After all the assistant life isn’t the most glamourous and rewarding, who can blame him from going and using his talents to build his own little exit route, right? Everybody sort of knows he cannot be trusted, but also no one managed to really incriminate or stop him, and as much as he has tea on many people, no has it on him, but bet once found that would be heeeella juicy.

M.MOUTARDE (the yellow guest)(this one is straight up the name of the yellow player in the french edition of clue too when i say its my main vibe)

Moutarde was an influential celebrity. He had a big break acting in a movie that the whole country stanned so hard they basically turned the script into their national anthem (they would have if it was a true democracy where the people really decide), he was so handsome and elegant, everyone’s dream husband. And then the fame fiddled out because it’s how fame is, one moment you’re the sexiest dish on the table and the next someone brings in dessert and baam, its all about that fresh cake, and no one pays any mind to your delightful aroma anymore, you’ve gone cold, they had a bite, their interest is somewhere else. Belyy really admires his work though, and mostly finds his image fits with the brand of his company, therefore the two are working on a collaboration to make Moutarde a representative. This WOULD boost Moutarde’s reputation, for his ads would be displayed on every imaginable surface of the country, and it would also benefit the company cause being represented by thAT sexy motherfucker? clearly that’s a deal. The freshness of the partnership means Moutarde is a newcomer in the guests, a fresh face, with no reputation, no relationships, no unfair biases against him. He’s just the new handsome charismatic lad with a squeaky clean image. Emphasis on “image”. After all, no one really knows anything of his background, right?

Kun.LAWENDER (the purple guest)

Private investigator, very useful to be around at a party it’s almost like it was expected there’d be a body to investigate, he’s a very close associate of Belyy, as there’s nothing more important to business than investigating the rivals and finding dirt on them to make them fall through infamy. He’s not exactly the PI who goes look for justice to be served, he’s just here for cash bro. He’s got intel on everyone, and will only let it out if offered the right thing in return (money, or sometimes other pieces of very secret intel, trade is good). Wouldn’t advise letting him and Gang team up tbh but they probably wouldnt, as Lawender is really more of a lone wolf player, going on his own for himself. The one thing that negates his usefulness as a PI on an accidental crime of scene is that even if he knew the whole truth of the event he would not spit it out unless he benefitted from saying it. He sure is a polarising lad, but at the same time, an untouchable one, he’s too knowledgeable to be taken down. Rather than sneaky, he’s extremely observant, noticing the tiniest details and engraving them in his memory, ready to be linked up to other details to deduct the big picture. He’s the upfront tea gathered basically (as opposed to Gang’s shadow tea gathering if you will, they are similar forces but using opposite methods)(also one of em got a licence n the other does not hAH).

~~~~

Now the secrets, all of em have them. One of em at least got the secret of having KILLED Belyy that’s that. But that’s to be kept for later (for if i ever use this story for more than daydream material gfhjgh) bet you can imagine what some of em may be just out of Knowing what i do, from having seen the characters in other contexts, or just because you’re a genius and reading the character profiles immediatly lit up the bulbs in your head forming the perfect theory, props to you, mad genius.

Honestly my thoughts are just how lit of a game that would be, you get to pick one hoe (maybe sum are locked til u find their secrets for juicy purposes) and you do your invetigation using your character’s perks and disadvantages, and maybe there could even be Multiple scenarios and outcomes, to spice it up, give replay value, i just think it’d be a game id spend hours on. tryin to get the spicy details of everyone’s life. walking around n digging through a rich man’s stuff, witnessing the drAMA of people fighting cause they’re locked in with a murderer and that’s stressful ngl. That or a long ass show @ netflix wanna give me a show maybe? give me hella budget we’re making it animated cause im too cultured for live action.

whatever i make of it though, i hope i can make this story Flourish, just so that i can lay down all those secret backstories i’ve written. i want the satisfaction of throwing out the craziest secret drama between character n seeing peeps loose their minds, it just is a tasty experience.

also i gotta say, i plug the hell out of Clue for an inspo but when i was building the basics of the story my mind immediatly went “oH MY GOD THE VIBES,, THE BACKSTABBING AND tEAMING UP and all,,, its The Genius, that one tv show where peeps have to do the wildest games that require strategy n they’re in that fancy set that looks like a rich ppl mansion oh god the vibes” so yeah, i rewatched the whole first two seasons cause they’re my faves and that had an impact if only minimal in the aesthetic.

Anyway hope that quick presentation gave you a lil taste of the story, and maybe,,,, got you curious,,, craving to learn more like you never did before (im exaggerating the only real question we all got is just “so who’s fuckin with whom then how many of yall secretly dating” this the real deal)

#doodlin every lad's face at one rly be like 'welcome to the cheekbone festival'#they got antti AND said at once like the cheekbonage is out of this world!#that's musta n gang btw #also every single time i draw cream (blue lad) im like 'i havent drawn u in ages' n it isnt #that i dont draw him much anymore #but that ive drawn only this bitch for months back in the days #him bein in this without his lover....criminal #cuz his boo wouldnt fit a murder mystery au like #hoes would find the corpse he'd just be like 'welp on that imma go to bed aight bye'#anyway u can tell which of my ocs i simp for v easely #like fr #they the ones i spend the longest drawfigfdj cuz i draw em n then go 'not hot enough do it again'#a struggle!#anyway the secret is that i prepares a motive AND an alibi for all of em #so that i can pick who murdered belyy at the last moment <3 #its all abt the contextual clues on the scene of crime <3 #none of the drama tells u anything its all for the treat of gossip <3 #sad part of this project is how much ive planned n written yet i can barely tell anythin if i want to make it #n ive drawn nothingbhd #i hav a dari n a weiwei in their coloured clothes lookin handsome cuz ofc i do #im predictable i have faves #ask if they're in love in this one too take a fuckin guess #u rly think hoe going to his boss's house so much to see the ceo ???? HAH #the real question isnt if theyre smooshin we all kno that answer the question is if dad white suit knows thATs whats important #are yall secret lovers or is green boy climbing the ladder of the company cuz he's smashing the boss's son #who knows #i do i aint telling pay me

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oh-phineas · 3 years

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Emma’s 2020 Questionnaire!

Your Name: Emma Characters: Phineas Flynn, Tiana Truitt, Aquata Triton, Henry Charming, Evelyn Deavor Pick one of your characters and talk about their growth (we recommend choosing an older character, but it’s up to you!) What about their story has surprised you? What are you proud of? How have they changed from their original inception to now? I’m going to talk about Phineas because I’ve had him for the longest and I think he’s the one I’ve been able to spend the most time developing. So basically something I struggled with when I first picked up Phineas was how he deals with people he doesn’t like, because in the show I don’t think he really dislikes anyone. And I feel like this drama with Tony recently has finally helped me crack what Phineas’s deal is when it comes to conflict-- he doesn’t really feel down about it unless he feels like his character is being questioned, and that’s why with Wilbur he’s mostly like whatever while with Tony and Lock (in the past) Phineas has gotten petty and vindictive-- he doesn’t like the role he’s found himself in and he takes that personally if that makes sense. (Also Phineas just way prioritizes his job with Cornelius over getting back at Wilbur, even if he’ll make the occasional jab at Wilbur in Among Us or on Twitter). So that’s been really cool to explore. And I think he’s also gotten a little less finance-bro-y than I originally intended, but I think that side of him will definitely come out once he graduates and goes to uni. I think the thing I’m most proud of with him is kind of maintaining that balance between being totally likeable and fun while also pretty infuriating and obtuse, like he’s a sweet and well-meaning person who’s also really annoying and idk I think I do that balance well.

Pick another character (or the same character if you only have one) and talk a little about where you WANT them to go. What are your plans for them going into the new year? I’m really excited to see where Tiana goes! Ever since I picked her up, I’ve been focused on this goal of getting the restaurant to happen and now that I’ve done that, there are a lot of possibilities. I want to see Tiana burn out from the stress a little bit-- maybe take on more than she can handle because a big part of her arc has been learning to accept help and collaborate with people, and I got to do that a lot with planning Tiana’s Place, but I would also really like to see that continue because those tendencies don’t really go away. I also want LOVE for Tiana even though I keep saying she doesn’t have time for it-- I want her to get a stupid crush that distracts her from work lol I think it could be really fun. And I’m also really excited to keep developing all her friendships, I love all of her Swynlake native connections and PRINCESS HOUSE and other small business owners and now that she really feels like she has put down roots with her restaurant, I want to see her branching out more.

Pick a thread or a plot that you’re proud of and talk about why you loved it. In terms of your own writing, identify 1-3 strengths and talk about why you think it’s one of your strengths. Ok sorry to keep talking about Tiana I promise I have other characters but I’m really proud of all of the different characters I incorporated into the Tiana’s Place opening. My goal was to make a real community effort to show that, no matter how much she wanted to do it on her own, she still has a whole group of people supporting her and who have a stake in it-- from Nuka and Ratigan in the beginning with the financial stuff to Clara and Toulouse and Laszlo with the music/art to Jun and Al for business advice to all the people who donated to the raffle. And the raffle was so fun and I hope people use that for plots!!

I also gotta shout out one more: writing the pirates AU Phineas and Ferb stuff was so much fun and really pushed me as a writer I think. I was a little uneasy going into pirates because action/movement/fights are not my strong suit and I knew there would be a lot of that. But the generated stuff was really helpful in kickstarting some ideas and Sid was so great to work with on that. I thought we got really creative and personally I had so much fun and I hope other people did too.

In terms of strengths for my writing-- I think I’m good with flaws? Like even characters who are really sweet and nice (I’m looking at you Henry) I think I try to show the different sides of them and explore how you can be both really well-meaning and really misguided at the same time. And I think that’s good because it has the potential to cause conflict and drive forward more plots where there’s no clear ~bad guy~ just flawed people trying their best and that’s the most interesting stuff to me. Of course I also love big bads! I think macro plots are really important. I think my niche though is those petty little conflicts and I think I do a good job with them.

I’m adding another too because you know what why not. I think I've gotten pretty creative recently?? Like I’ve done some really weird fun stuff this year-- Henry and Jake’s acapella audition is up there as one of my favorite threads, and I’m really excited about Tiana and Aurora’s fake date and Greg and Q doing Santa’s Workshop and I think Henry’s first open was one of my favorite opens I’ve done. Idk I think one of my insecurities about RP has always been that I worry I don’t bring enough ideas to the table with plotting and I think I’m getting better at letting my brain dream up weird cool stuff.

In terms of your own writing, identify 1-3 areas of improvement.

Like I said, plotting is still something I struggle with-- I spent the majority of my early RP experience in a very gif-chat-heavy open-heavy fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants rp, so coming to BDRP even back during round 1 in 2017, plotting was a big surprise to me. And this is also something that I struggle with in my non-RP writing-- story arc and structure is something I have always wanted to improve. But I think I’m getting better at fleshing out ideas and not putting too much pressure on myself. And I think I’m also getting better at stepping out of my comfort zone and messaging people I don’t write with as often which is important because literally everyone here is so fun and talented! So I want to keep doing that. I know I can be a little shy sometimes (this sounds SO weird I never shut up lol but it’s how I feel) and I don’t want that to hold me back

In terms of actual writing stuff, I’d like to expand my vocabulary a bit more? I think I use certain words and phrasing so often that it annoys me and maybe it annoys no one else and my writing will be worse if I try to throw in unnecessary words but yeah. I think reading more will help with that. And in general I just really want to get better at thinking stuff through and building story arcs.

Pick one of your plots, or even just a character, and come up with a list of 3-5 “mentor texts” where you can look for inspiration or research, then write a short (2-4 sentences) why you picked those texts. (They don’t have to be books, either!)

Ev is the one I feel like I need to do the most development on so here goes!

1. Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, specifically the character Nora

Messy nerd girls! Messy nerd girls! Please recommend me more things with messy nerd girls! Nora is basically Ev’s exterior, the person people know her as. She’s chaotic and fun and relatable, and also kind of a genius.

2. Macbeth, specifically the character Lady Macbeth

This is one I wanna dive into! I’ve seen a heavily abridged version of Macbeth and that’s about it but I have a copy sitting on my desk. I love a villain who likes to stay behind the scenes and pull the strings, and while Ev is in this for “moral reasons” (lol) she’s also in this for #power. I’m not used to playing manipulative villains-- I’m usually more of a henchperson type deal, so the ultimate 4-D chess gal would be some good inspo.

3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, specifically Professor Quirrell.

Ok I am really sorry to bring Harry Potter into this but I think something that’s important about Ev is that one of the things distracting from her villainy is her vague air of incompetency. We know she’s very smart and she has the whole nutty-professor thing going, but she’s kind of a mess and I want characters to underestimate her. I think Quirrell’s vibe of being nervous about everything is similar to Ev’s messy exterior and I would love a good end-of-the-book villain reveal. And now, a wishlist! Jot down a few themes or stories or genres etc that you want to maybe pursue in the upcoming year! (i.e. a good ol’ fashion forbidden romance, maybe you want to dig deep into racial identity etc) This doesn’t have to necessarily be attached to any characters or stories you have now– it’s just meant to help you see for yourself what kind of stories call to your heart.

Oooh so many things. Generally more romance-- I always hesitate a little with shipping IDK WHY maybe it’s insecurity about jumping into what always feels like a bit plot to me lol. But I wanna take that plunge more-- especially with Tiana! But I’m pretty much open to stuff with anyone, especially really silly rom-com type stuff. I also think that my shipping niche is super complicated stuff with villains (the irony and craziness of the Henleigh situation is so FASCINATING and FUN and I want MORE OF THAT) so just saying a I’m-flirting-with-you-because-you’re-a-good-ally-to-have-on-my-side-oh-no-I’m-actually-falling-for-you thing with Ev could be really fun (LISTEN her entire tag is just shipping content. I scroll through so much of it so of course it gave me some ideas)

I’m also REALLY jazzed about the uni stuff going on right now. Like I’ve said before, I think college is a really interesting place and so much weird shit happens there because you have all these 18-22 year olds living in close quarters and they come up with weird ways to entertain themselves. The secret santa/RA stuff has me loling every day and I just love stuff like that. Like, I’d love to have shenanigans like people sneaking into dorms and staying up until 3 am in the library and all that stuff. I just love that stuff.

Also I am really trying to do big bad stuff with Ev!! As I have mentioned... plotting and story arcs are a major thing I’m trying to work on, so it’s a lot to think about, but I would really just love to do all kinds of things-- I’d love to have her enable small-time villains, or manipulate people who are easily swayed, or to trick people. It’s a new area for me, but it’s something I’m excited about and I want to challenge myself.

OPTIONAL: Why do you RP?

Because I literally can’t stop apparently lol. No but the thing I love about RP is getting to collaborate on a story and getting surprised by people, getting to geek out about something that I can also participate in, and having NO RULES. I think there’s something really special about having an interest that I can’t monetize or market, that I can do for pure fun out of my love of creating and writing. And I love having a community of people on the ride with me. It’s so much fun and I’m so grateful for you guys!

I always end with a gif so here’s my favorite gif it legit makes me laugh out loud

#bdrptask #this is just word vomit #enjoy

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mattzerella-sticks · 6 years

Text

Cuffed to an Angel - Chapter 2 (Dean/Cas Rom-Com Holiday Story)

Dean Winchester has a lot going for him: he's beloved by his students, he's finished writing his first book, and he's living comfortably in New York City. The only problem is... he's single. That wouldn't bother him much if his family wouldn't be visiting for the holidays. With cuffing season over, Dean has to face his family alone... or will he?

Castiel DiAngelo is a simple detective who hasn't really celebrated Christmas in over 9 years, holidays and family being a sore spot for him. But after taking Dean up on an offer, he finds that you can't really avoid the holidays.

Will these two be able to pull off a seminal holiday trope? Or will certain developments get in the way...

(AO3)

Dean is never drinking again.

He knows he said that the last time he went out, but this time he’s going to stick to his word.

…At least he’ll try.

“Ugh, my head,” Dean groans, smacking his lips together, “ugh, my mouth.” He tries to get up slowly, every inch of his body screaming in protest. His vision is spinning and just sitting upright is too much of a hassle.

He kneads at his eyes with his palms, trying to adjust to the morning light. It takes a few minutes, but soon enough Dean can see more than just vague shapes and blurs.

Like the suspicious glass of water he spies sitting on his nightstand.

“What?”

Dean picks it up and takes a sip, then a gulp. Then, he practically drains it of every last drop. He pulls it away and gasps for breath, wiping away some wetness that clung to the side of his mouth.

“I so needed that…”

He’s about to put it back down when he soon spies a folded piece of paper that must have been underneath it. Cocking a brow, Dean reaches over and opens it up.

Dean,

I’ll take you up on your offer. Call me when you can.

347-923-8990

-C.D.

He blinks at the letter, reading it again, and then a third time. By the sixth time, he looks up and inhales sharply.

“Shit,” he mutters, “What the fuck did I do last night?”

His mind is a blur – he doesn’t even remember coming home. One second he was boozing down at his favorite dive and the next thing he remembers is – well, reading the goddamned note.

‘C.D…’ Dean thinks, ‘Who are you?’

Sighing, Dean places the note back onto his nightstand and scrubs both hands down his face. He stands, groaning, and heads towards his bathroom.

‘I’ll worry about this later,’ he thinks, ‘First… I need a shower.’

He undresses, wincing at the musty odor clinging to his undershirt. His jeans aren’t that bad, but they take forever to peel off.

Soon enough, Dean is stepping under the hot water and sighing in relief. Whereas drinking helps him not think, showers are the complete opposite. His mind shifts into overdrive, and Dean tries to recall what happened the night before.

Unfortunately, the shower doesn’t help that much. The only other image he can conjure up from the night before is a tan trench coat, which leaves him with more questions than answers.

“You did a damned good job of getting fucked up, Winchester,” Dean sighs, shutting off the water, “Seriously, A-plus.” He steps out of the shower and reaches for a towel. He pats at his face, looking at it in the mirror. His skin is a little paler than usual – just enough that his freckles stand out as well as the bags under his eyes. He takes the towel and wraps it around his head before reaching behind the mirror for some ibuprofen. He swallows them, and then palms some water from his sink to wash the pills down.

Slapping his face a few times, Dean steps back into his bedroom to let the cool air dry his body.

He picks up his jacket and pulls out his phone before picking the note back up. He reads it again, staring at the numbers. He’s playing with his phone – turning it on and off and on and off.

He makes a decision.

“You better have a good reason to be calling me, Winchester,” Charlie says, “Like that you’ll be sending me your book, pronto.”

“I will… later –“

“Later –“!

“But, I need to ask you something!”

“…Make it quick, Dean.”

“Okay, so… look. Hypothetically, let’s say you get… completely hammered. So much so that you don’t remember anything that happens,” Dean says, pacing his room, “Anyway, you wake up to find a note that says someone is taking you up on your offer and a number. Would you call the number or not?”

“…Are you telling me you chose to go drinking last night instead of finishing your book?”

“Charlie I’ll finish the damned book, alright!” Dean shouts, “But first I need to make sure I didn’t do something stupid!”

“Dean, if drunk you was in control then it was most likely something stupid,” Charlie sighs, “Remember when you had too many Long Island Ice Teas last Halloween and thought all windows were made of Plexiglas?”

“I might…”

“Then you remember that we had to spend the rest of the night in the hospital getting stiches for your hand!”

“Alright, I get it, drunk me isn’t the best at making decisions.”

Charlie scoffs, “Neither is sober you…”

“Watch it,” Dean scolds, “Anyway, what should I do? Should I call the number?”

“Call the random number from the person you don’t remember meeting,” Charlie says, “That sounds like the perfect plan if you want to get murdered in an alley somewhere in New Jersey.”

“He can’t be that bad,” Dean starts, “I mean, he did bring me back to my apartment.” Dean’s eyes widen. “Crap,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair, “he was in my apartment.”

“Do you think he could have stolen something?”

“If he could have found it,” Dean sighs, “God my place is a mess.”

“That’s what you’re worried about?” Charlie asks, “Not the fact that a total stranger knows where you live and agreed to something your drunk ass asked them to – but that they saw your mess?”

“Listen, they could have killed me if they wanted to alright,” Dean sighs, “But instead they take me home and leave me a glass of water for when I wake up. Does that sound like someone who is a murderer or worse… who lives in New Jersey?”

“…No,” Charlie replies, “So it sounds like you’re gonna call this person?”

“I guess?” Dean says, sitting down on his bed, “I do want to know who this person is – I have to thank them. Plus, I want to know what kind of offer I made.” His eyes widen, “I hope it wasn’t sexual.”

“If it was I doubt you’d have been in that bed alone,” Charlie says, “Now shoo, finish checking your facts so I can have something to turn into my boss later today.”

Dean pulls his phone away from his ear and stares at it. He takes a deep breath before he pounds the number of C.D.

The ringing seems to go on forever. Dean’s tapping his foot erratically, chewing on his lip, waiting for anyone to answer.

When they do, he wasn’t expecting… that.

“Hello?”

The deep, gravelly voice instantly sends a chill down Dean’s spine. His face flushes.

“H-hey,” Dean says, swallowing, “Um… this is Dean. I’m just… doing what the note says.” He offers a pitiable laugh.

“Dean,” the voice continues, confirming Dean’s suspicion, “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Dean shrugs, “Woke up awful. Thanks for the water – and for, uh… everything else.”

“You were a mess at the bar last night,” the man chuckles, “it’d be a crime to let you out of my sight.”

“Cool, cool,” Dean nods, tapping his feet against the floor, “So, look, about my… offer.”

“Right,” the man nods, “I was wondering when you’d get to that. Look, we should probably discuss this in person. I don’t have a break until 3 o’clock. Would you care to join me for a late lunch?”

“No – not at all!” Dean laughs, “I, uh… I’d love to!”

“Great, you can meet me at…”

Dean nods, taking a nearby pen and writing the address on the other side of C.D.’s note.

“I’m really glad you called, Dean,” C.D. says, “I was worried you might wake up and not even remember anything from last night. You were pretty far gone.”

“Well… what can I say,” Dean laughs, “I got the mind of a steel trap.”

They bid each other goodbye not too long after that. Dean gulps and leans back on his hands.

“…Fuck.”

He doesn’t know why he did that. He had an out – a chance to admit that, not only did he not know what his offer was, but that he also had no clue who he was talking to. The voice did bring back a few other memories, however. They were all words, no visual component to them at all. But whoever he is he was one sassy bastard, that’s for sure.

Dean gets up and heads towards his drawers. He pulls out some slacks and a Henley and pulls them on, getting dressed for the day. He also chances a look at his alarm clock: 10:23.

“Thank God I don’t have class until tomorrow,” Dean mutters walking out of his room. He looks around and places his fists on his hips.

He’s got time to kill, and depending on how the meeting goes, he doesn’t want to have C.D. think he’s a slob.

Castiel hangs up, smiling down at his phone. The butterflies in his stomach that have been churning since he woke up have calmed down. He’ll admit that he was having second thoughts about his note the second he got into Uber. The drive back was just him listing all the reasons why Dean’s plan wouldn’t work or how it could go wrong.

But each time he thought of calling it off, he remembered that picture of Dean’s family and Dean’s words.

He had missed celebrating the holidays with others. After his family practically ex-communicated him, there was no one for him to celebrate with. He didn’t particularly have any friends before, and after… he didn’t try to make any.

That doesn’t stop his partner.

“What’cha smiling at Clarence?” Meg asks from her desk. She’s leaning on her hands, smirking at him.

“Nothing,” he says, pocketing his phone.

“…Right,” she says, “Because to me it sounded like someone’s got a date.”

“It’s not a date,” he says, “I am meeting someone, but it’s to discuss a deal –“

“I’d be careful if I were you,” Meg laughs, leaning back in her seat, “You know how the Chief’s ears perk up when he hears that word.”

She’s right. Chief Crowley, their boss, while being on the right side of the law just loves things like gambling, bets, and especially deals.”

“To discuss a… plan,” Castiel chooses his words carefully, “for the holidays.”

“You holding out on me, Clarence?” Meg frowns, squinting at him, “Just what are you ‘planning’?”

“Nothing that concerns you, Meg,” Castiel stands, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll get some coffee. Would you like a cup?”

Meg crosses her arms and pouts. “Black,” she says, “But don’t think this means I’ll stop pestering you!”

“I’ve lost any hope of that happening,” Castiel fires back, walking away from her. He passes a few other officers, nodding hello before he makes it to the Keurig in the Break Room. It doesn’t take long for the coffee to brew, but he lets his mind drift back to Dean.

He doesn’t know what Dean will be like sober. But he does have some idea of who he is. The Internet is a wonderful thing and, coupled with his training, he was able to glean a few pieces of information about him.

Dean wasn’t kidding when he said he was writing a book. There was an entire article about him in the Washington Square News. Apparently the book has been a passion project he was working on since his early days in his PhD program. He was also a professor beloved by all his students. He’s a history professor, but he wasn’t able to determine just what he teaches. Probably because all the reviews from ‘Rate My Professor’ only talk about his gorgeous green eyes and perfect jawline and cute drawl.

They’re not wrong – but he wants to find out things he doesn’t already know.

“You like your coffee cold, Detective?”

Castiel startles, turning to find Chief Crowley behind him. He’s got a brow raised and is smirking at him.

“Sorry, Chief,” Castiel mutters, pulling the coffee cups away. He heads towards the cream and sugar while Crowley gets his coffee. Crowley drums his fingers on the counter, waiting, while Castiel rips open a packet of sugar. Then another, and another: after his fifth packet he adds the cream.

“It’s not like you to be distracted,” Crowley starts, “Is there something on your mind?”

“No, Chief,” he says, “nothing that’s important.”

“Well that’s good, seeing as I need your mind to be sharp.”

“Chief?”

“I just dropped a case on your desk. You and Masters need to look into a robbery on 44th and 8th. Shouldn’t be too hard.”

“We’ll get right on that.”

“Glad to hear,” Crowley smirks. He takes a sip of his piping hot coffee, and then turns on his heel. “Pray you’ll be done before your date!”

Castiel gapes after him.

“…How does he do that?”

Dean stands rooted to the spot, staring at the place C.D. asked him to meet at. He pulls out the note from earlier and looks down at the address. It matches the one he put into his phone that led him there, and the numbers both match the street numbers and the building’s numbers.

It’s a small deli, wedged between a Starbucks and a gift shop. Dean pockets the note again and enters. He wipes his boots across the carpet and pulls his hat off, looking around. No one he sees sparks any memory.

But he does see a menu, and that jumpstarts his stomach. It gurgles, and he pats at it.

“Don’t worry buddy,” he whispers, “I’ll get ya something.” Even though it’s past lunchtime, he wasn’t able to eat anything. His mind was too focused on either his book or on cleaning or C.D.

“What will you have?”

Dean’s searching the menu until his eyes land on exactly what he wants. “I’ll have the hamburger deluxe – medium well,” he tells the girl, “and can you make the fries curly fries?”

“That’ll be an extra $0.75.”

“Worth it.”

Dean steps back, but hits into a solid figure. Dean turns.

“Sorry – woah…”

Dean is stunned. The man he had banged into was… gorgeous. There was no other way to describe him. His dark hair was styled messily, as if he spent the entire morning just raking his fingers through it. He’s rocking a serious five o’clock shadow and was blessed with a soft-looking pair of lips. And his eyes… there’s no name for the shade of blue they are.

Dean’s trying to regain his senses, but he’s soon floored yet again when the man smiles at him.

“Hello Dean,” he says, “I’m happy to see you again.”

‘Holy crap,’ Dean thinks, ‘he’s C.D.?’

“Yeah,” Dean mumbles, blushing, “It’s great seeing you, too…”

C.D. tilts his head, squinting. “Is something the matter?”

“No, no, it’s just…” Dean bites his lip, “you look… really good today.”

“Thank you,” he nods, “Would you like to join me?” He motions to a nearby table in the back – out of sight from nearly everyone.

‘No wonder I didn’t see him,’ Dean thinks before looking at C.D. and jerking his thumb at the counter, “In a minute, waiting for my food.”

He glances behind Dean then nods at him, before returning to his seat, “I’ll be here when you get it.”

Dean nods in return; turning around so C.D. won’t see the fierce blush he’s working up. He starts to sway, trying as hard as he could to remember anything about last night before he has to talk even more to C.D.

…Like his name, for starters.

Time isn’t on his side, because just as he starts to focus, the girl is calling out his order, handing him his tin. Dean takes it and grimaces before moving towards C.D.’s table.

C.D. looks up from his own sandwich as Dean makes his way over and smiles. It’s a chicken club, and it looks pretty damn tasty.

‘Maybe I should have gotten that.’

“I know,” C.D. chuckles, wiping at his mouth, “the food here is really good. Plus, it offers a discount for officers.”

“So you’re a cop?” Dean asks, getting his food out.

“Well… used to be,” C.D. shrugs, “I’m a detective.”

“No friggin’ way,” Dean gapes, eyes widening, “That’s so cool!” His eyes light up, “Is that what the ‘D’ stands for in your note?”

C.D. blushes and looks away. He scratches at his cheek and smiles. “My apologies, that’s just how I usually sign off on messages. They’re my initials – the… ‘D’ is for my last name, DiAngelo.”

“DiAngelo?” Dean chuckles, swallowing around a piece of his burger, “Fitting… you sure do got the face of an angel.”

DiAngelo’s blush grows only fiercer. “Just as precocious now as you were drunk I see,” he mumbles.

“What can I say,” Dean shrugs, taking another bite of his burger, chewing, “I’m a charmer.”

DiAngelo raises a brow.

“Wha’” Dean says, bits of food flying out of his mouth, “Got somethin’ on my face?”

“Never mind,” DiAngelo says, taking a bite of his own sandwich. They sit and eat, neither wishing to speak next. It’s an awkward silence, filled with stolen glances and worried thoughts.

“So,” DiAngelo starts again, “About your… book!”

“My book?” Dean asks.

“Yes… your book,” DiAngelo says, deflating, “you said you were writing it… how far along are you?”

“Just finished it actually,” Dean chuckles, “Checked a few facts, made some edits, and I shipped it to my editor who will no doubt tear it to shreds and re-structure it before sending it to the press –“ He stops, as if a huge weight has settled into his stomach. “Was… was that what my offer was about,” Dean asks, “Did I… promise you a copy of my book?”

DiAngelo blinks at him. His face betrays no emotion, and Dean can’t help but let his mind whirlwind out of control. That weight has become a black hole, sucking up all the good feelings he had about this. He’s not even hungry anymore, pushing his food away.

“Look, I’ll find out when that is later,” Dean starts, getting up, “I have your number so –“

“No!” DiAngelo’s hand shoots out and grabs Dean’s wrist, trapping him.

“I’m… sorry,” DiAngelo starts, face turned away, “I didn’t mean to… I should have…” He looks up, “Do you remember what happened last night?”

Dean gnaws at his lip again. “No,” he says slowly, “To be honest… I don’t even know your name.”

DiAngelo looks pained, but soon enough he hides it so Dean can’t see it anymore.

“Then where are my manners,” DiAngelo says, letting go, “I… should have introduced myself properly. My name is Castiel DiAngelo.”

Dean settles back down and raises a brow at Castiel.

“That’s a pretty fancy name there, Cas,” he chuckles, then freezes, looking up at Castiel, “Shit, are you okay with that? Or are you one of those guys who hates nicknames.”

“No I… I don’t mind,” Castiel says, blushing, “In fact, Cas was much easier for you when you were drunk as well.”

“Sorry if I butchered it –“

“You tried,” Castiel shrugs, “Some people don’t bother.”

“Cool… cool.”

Dean picks at his fries while Castiel cleans up his own meal. Dean hazards a look at Castiel – Cas – through his lashes. His motions are awkward and choppy, like he doesn’t know what to do with his body.

“So,” Dean says, scratching at his neck, “What happened when I was…”

“Wasted?”

“Under the influence,” Dean glares, pressing his mouth into a hard line.

“Well,” Cas starts, folding his hands in front of his face, “I don’t know about most of your evening… but by the time I met you, you were… really gone. You tried to flirt… really badly.”

“Now hold on –“

“And you could also barely stand. I… took you home so I wouldn’t feel guilty if I had just abandoned you there.”

“Ouch,” Dean mutters weakly, “It wasn’t because of my good looks?”

“You don’t need me to tell you how attractive you are,” Castiel says, “Your students already do enough of that.”

“…How do you know –“

“Anyway,” Cas continues, blushing, “After I got you to your apartment I helped you undress and got you some water and I left…”

“After…”

“After….”

“After writing me that note,” Dean says, pulling it out, “Where you said that you… agreed? To an offer I made you?”

“Look, Dean,” Cas starts, “I just wanted to make sure you were alive in the morning – you were far gone and I was feeling a little tipsy, so I don’t think we can really hold ourselves to anything we might have said when we were drunk –“

“What did I say?” Dean demands, leaning forward on the table.

“Really, Dean, it’s –“

“What… did… I… say?”

“You – uh, you proposed that we…” Castiel motions between the two of them, “we should… pretend to be together for the… for the holidays.”

You could drop a pin between them – that’s how silent it was. Dean didn’t have a pin, so he just dropped his jaw instead.

“You,” Dean starts, “You agreed to do that? To date me?”

“Only for the holidays,” Cas continues, looking away, “You said that it’d be the perfect way to both come out to your family and let them think you’re doing okay.”

Dean squints, “And what are you getting from this?”

“Look, it doesn’t matter,” Cas says, “Obviously you’re having second thoughts –“

“I’m not.”

Cas does a double take. Now he’s having a hard time keeping his chin from hitting the table.

“You’re,” Cas gulps, “You’re not?”

“I mean – maybe?” Dean shrugs, “This plan seems a bit too-much like a cheesy Hallmark movie you usually see playing this time of year but… if it works on TV?”

“So you think we should still do this?”

“I mean – you look like you’d be one hell of a catch Cas,” Dean smiles, “And you already said yes. So… might as well see if we can make this work.”

“You are… very trusting,” Cas laughs, his whole body shaking in mirth.

“Trusting’s a nice word,” Dean shrugs, “Most people would just call me an idiot.”

“I don’t know,” Cas says, “if anyone here is the idiot, it’s probably me.”

“Hey,” Dean chuckles, “no take-backs!”

“I know,” Cas sighs, looking at his watch, “Listen, I’ll have to return to my shift soon. You have my number… I have yours. Do you know when your family will be coming?”

“I… I should, shouldn’t I?”

“Why don’t you text me a time for us to meet,” Cas says standing up, “We can work out more of the details later.”

“That sounds great, Cas!” Dean joins him, picking up his trash. They exit, standing inches apart in the middle of the sidewalk.

“Here’s to hoping this goes off well,” Dean says, grinning.

“As well as it can given the situation,” Cas says, rolling his eyes.

They stand there, unsure of what to do next. Dean is flexing his hand, debating if a handshake would be the appropriate way to end a meeting with someone who is agreeing to be his – quote unquote boyfriend.

“Should we –“

“Are you okay if I –“

They stop, giggling at having interrupted each other.

“I’m just going to,” Cas steps forward, into Dean’s space. Dean feels his heart stop, and he can’t stop gazing into Cas’s eyes. Cas doesn’t stop, and quickly pecks Dean on the lips. He hovers near Dean’s face after, looking at Dean strangely.

“Was that,” Cas starts, licking his lips, “Was that okay?”

“Yeah,” Dean whispers, voice warbled. He clears his throat, “I mean, we’ll have to work on it but… good start.”

“Okay,” Cas smiles, stepping back. “I’ll just,” he jerks his thumb behind him, “I have to –“

“’S’all good,” Dean chuckles, “Get back to work.”

“Okay,” Cas says, nodding, “Okay. Goodbye, Dean.”

“See ya, Cas.”

Dean watches Cas walk away, his tan trench coat fanning out behind him as if they were wings. When he sees it disappear behind the corner, he slumps over and lets out a strangled breath.

‘Holy crap,’ Dean thinks, ‘What the hell did I just do?’

This seems like such a terrible idea – a classic Drunk Dean idea. But… the detective with the heavenly blue eyes and the sexiest voice Dean’s ever heard decided to go along with it. He doesn’t know why he said yes but… that doesn’t matter to him so much. Maybe he actually wantsto spend more time with him?

It’s not like Dean’s lonely – he’s got friends. But when Cas kissed him it was… it was… it was something. It wasn’t the best kiss – it felt too ‘middle school crush’ and was over all too quickly. But he’s still reeling from it so… Dean doesn’t know what to think.

All he knows is that he wants to be close to Cas, for as long as he’ll let him. Since, as Cas reminded him, it would only be for the holidays. Because obviously Cas needs something from Dean as much as Dean needs something from him.

‘That’s all this is, Winchester,’ Dean thinks sadly, walking back to where he left Baby, ‘Besides, you aren’t lucky enough to land a guy like him anyway…’

#Supernatural #Spn #Spnff #Spn fanfic #Spn fanfiction #Supernatural fanfiction #Dean Winchester #Castiel #Destiel #Destiel fanfic #Destiel fic #Holiday rom/com fanfic #fake relationship au #Bisexual Dean Winchester

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thran-duils · 7 years

Text

Dreaming

Title: Dreaming Pairing: Reader/Wade Wilson Summary: Challenge entry for @imamotherfuckingstar-lord . Prompt was Deadpool x Reader with “Dreaming” by Blondie Words: 2,171 Warnings: Language

Masterpost

You hummed to yourself as you stood over your sink, washing your teacup. It was early in the morning and you didn’t expect Wade for another hour – possibly more. He was always one to sleep in on the weekends even if he didn’t sleep well. He had always enjoyed lounging around.

It was tradition he would visit you on Sunday’s, quoting it as a “day of fucking rest and who better to throw shit around with than his favorite gal”.

Still his favorite girl. It always surprised you.

<> <> <>

Even though you only ordered water, you still paid Weasel as if you were buying a drink. He was a business man, even if he was a friend, and lounging around in his bar without buying anything wouldn’t do. Slipping your cigarette into your mouth, you inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, your eyes running over the newspaper from earlier that day. You always searched the counter and tables, looking for left over news magazines and newspapers from that day. Sure, there were TVs in the dive but you preferred written news rather than hearing repetitive and over-exaggerated stories.

Plus, it was extremely hard to hear a news station over the ruckus that usually was going around you at the pub. Even on Sunday nights, the nights you most frequented, it was still quite packed.

Someone slipped into the booth on the other side of the table and you groaned internally, not in the mood to socialize.

“Those things are going to kill you,” a surprisingly cheerful voice piped up.

Raising your eyes, looking annoyed, you were met with none other than Wade fucking Wilson, dressed to the nines in his red and black spandex suit. There was some blood still splattered on his suit. He must have been out working.

Maybe you were up for socializing. You would be lying if you didn’t admit you always found him intriguing.

“And hanging around here won’t possibly do that?” you quipped, taking another inhale.

“Touche. Speaking of which, why are you in here?”

“I’m always in here.”

“Doesn’t answer my question.”

You put the cigarette out and took a drink of your water. “It’s entertaining. And close to my apartment.”

“Are you inviting me home with you?”

Jesus, you knew he had a mouth but you didn’t think he would jump in this quickly.

“Or was that just… an actual reason?”

Smirking, you replied, “It was an actual reason.”

Snapping his fingers, Wade muttered, “Damnit.”

Closing the newspaper, you locked eyes with him. “Are you having anything to drink?”

Wade perked up and leaned in across the table. “So, I didn’t completely blow it,” he observed and you couldn’t help but smirk broader. He gestured at his mask, “I don’t mean to be rude, but I can tell you aren’t blind. And I’m sure you can guess how hard it is to drink through this.”

“Can’t you push it up.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to see what’s underneath it.”

“I can handle it. I’ve seen it before.”

Wade’s eyes narrowed suspiciously and he remarked, “I don’t know if you’re being a tease or if you’re telling the truth…”

Leaning back in the booth, you told him simply, “Your bet with Jared.”

Groaning, he leaned back in the booth as well, dropping his head back dramatically on the seat. “You were here for that? How have I NOT ruined it on that alone? You must be hard to gross out and piss off!” He sat up straight again and crowed, “I love it!”

Laughing, you said, “You can put the drinks away. And you’re pretty talented to not have to take the mask off completely. Isn’t that tight around your face though?”

“I deal with a lot of tight things on a regular basis. This,” he gestured down at his outfit. “Not to mention a lot of tight spaces.”

“Charming.”

“I try.”

Tapping the table, Wade held up a finger. “Before we dive further into drinks, we need to set the mood. This music sucks.”

Before you could protest, he was away from the table and making his way towards the jukebox across the bar.

To be honest, you were getting a little hungry. And it was hard to keep yelling over the noise in here. If you wanted to get to know him properly, you wanted to be somewhere quieter. Not your apartment but somewhere where you two could at least hear each other.

Grabbing your bag, you got out of the booth as well and followed him.

Not surprising knowing his temperament, he was arguing with another regular bar patron, Terry. What about, you didn’t know exactly.

Wade was in his face, although Terry had a couple inches on him. “You better shut that asshole sucking mouth, Terry, or I’m gonna have to beat the shit out of you in front of the lady sitting at the table with me. And I am trying to make a good impression, so please, one, save yourself the embarrassment. And two, don’t push my fucking buttons!”

Terry scowled before walking away from the jukebox and Wade let out a happy sigh, closing the rest of the distance to the music.

You touched his arm and he whipped his head to look at you. “Christ, you are quiet!” he exclaimed.

“It’s loud in here.”

“Still. Like a little mouse in a church.”

You smirked as he looked back at the jukebox. You stated, “How about instead of hanging around these shitbirds, we go get something to eat? Or is that not something you do?”

Wade’s eyebrows rose and he let out a hearty, over exaggerated laugh. “Me? Not eat? That’s a laugh.”

“There’s a diner on 45th.”

“Does it have chimichangas?”

“No.”

He groaned to himself, looking to be fighting with himself. His fingers clenched and unclenched before he raised a finger towards you, his eyes narrowing. “I’m only agreeing to go to this place – this horrid place you speak of that doesn’t have chimichangas – because you’re hot.”

Snorting, you responded, “Thanks for being so blunt.”

“I’m a gentlemen. I don’t lead women – or men, for that matter – on. Polite, that’s what you should always be!” Wade informed you before he called out to Weasel, “See you later, fuckface!”

Polite. Right…

<> <> <>

Wade rubbed his hands together, standing in front of the jukebox at the diner. He had immediately let out a gasp of happiness, seeing it. He obviously really wanted to listen to some music. The diner – unlike the dive – was pretty empty, the only other patrons being a couple of people around your age.

You opened your menu, scanning it, although you already knew what you wanted. Fish and chips. It was your staple when you came here.

Tapping your shoulder, Wade cleared his throat. You looked up at him and he gestured for you to move over. Furrowing your brow a bit, you scooted over and he sat down next to you, snatching the menu from the other side of the table.

He opened the menu and flipped through it wordlessly.

Zoning in on the music he had chosen, you smiled a bit. “Really? Blondie?”

“How dare you!” Wade scolded you. “Talking about Debbie with that tone! She is one of the most bangable women that has ever lived and she deserves your respect!”

Deciding to tread some uncharted waters, openly being sexual that is, you leaned in and whispered, “Would it make you feel better if I told you I might have masturbated to her once?”

Wade’s eyes widened, seeming at loss for words for a second, which was completely unlike him. You must have surprised him and you felt proud of yourself. Just as quickly as he had paused, he jumped out of the booth, grasping your hand. “Be my wife. I won’t take no for an answer.” You couldn’t hold in the laugh that came instantly. “A laugh is not a good sign…”

You covered your mouth with the back of your hand, looking down at him still grasping your hand, “Being proposed to on a first date is something I can cross off my bucket list.”

He was at attention in a second, jumping off the ground. “I’m sorry, is this a date?” You slapped his arm playfully and he shrugged as he slid back into the booth, “Didn’t think I would be landing someone as easy as this!”

Cocking an eyebrow, you questioned with a teasing tone, “Who says you are landing anything?”

“You don’t dance with just anyone you just met to a teeny bopper pop song in a diner like a rom com!”

Giving him a confused look, you pointed out, “We haven’t done that.”

Wade sighed loudly, “Shit! I’m imaging things again.”

“You are positively one of the weirdest people I have ever had the fortune of meeting.”

“Right back at you.”

Smiling at him, you locked eyes. After a few seconds, you realized how long you had been staring and you cleared your throat, thankful the waiter was coming up to take your orders.

Snatching up the menu again, Wade muttered, “Fuck, I didn’t even see what bullshit was on this.”

Yes, you’d made a good choice going out with him tonight.

<> <> <>

You wrung your hands, the memories coursing through you, staring out the window.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Whipping around startled, you faced Wade. He was leaning against the wall, surprisingly dressed in his suit rather than a hoodie and jeans as he usual was. Or sweatpants. That was another one of his favorites.

You couldn’t help but look disappointed. “Are you not staying?”

Wade cocked his head and questioned, “What makes you think that?”

Gesturing at him, you stated, “Your suit…”

Looking down quickly at himself, he let out a short laugh, “Oh, right that. No, uh, it’s actually stupid and I am gonna be embarrassed about it. But, who gives a shit? If I can’t be embarrassed around you, then I should just go find Hulk to beat me to death. Anyway, I found this – “ he whipped out a tape from somewhere on his person and you recognized it immediately. He had made you the tape and brought it on your third date. It had all the songs he had requested at the diner, including your Blondie song. “And was feeling nostalgic and… yeah.”

Your heart clenched a little bit. How was it that you two always seemed so connected?

Smiling softly, you told him, “I was just thinking about that…”

Giving a triumph fist pump, he exclaimed, “Great. I’m not the only sap here! Shit, I thought I was gonna be alone.” His eyes narrowed and he added, “But, one of the biggest reasons I brought this was because you never did dance with me for real. And I feel like it’s long over due.”

“I’m not in my twenties anymore, Wade. It’s not gonna be graceful.”

“Forties are the new twenties.” You shot him a look and he told you, “I masturbated to the thought of you last night. Just like I did twenty years ago… and also at least once a week.”

Teasing, you asked, “Instead of just waiting until today?”

“I had a lot of pent up frustration. And instead of shooting the fuck out of someone else, I decided to blow a load. Furthermore, I was trying to be romantic and keep my dick in my pants for once. But, if you would rather me swing it around and try to hit my target, then by all means, take off that nice dress – or keep it on, that’s hot too –”

You had closed the space between the two of you and slapped your hand over his mouth. There was a twinkle in your eyes as you suggested, “How about both?”

“I’m dream, dream, dreaming again,” Wade sang out of tune behind your hand. You let out a laugh, removing your hand, and he moved off towards your radio that had a CD player, tape player, and record player on it. “Dreaming is free!”

Watching him put it in, you smiled. The melody poured out of the speakers and Wade turned it up, shaking his hips to the music as he did so. Turning around, he sashayed towards you, holding out his hand for you to take. You took it gingerly and he pulled you close, moving quickly.

When I met you in the restaurant, You could tell I was no debutante You asked me what’s my pleasure

A bark of a laugh left your throat as he ground himself into you with that line. He wiggled his eyebrows at you.

A movie or a measure? I’ll have a cup of tea and tell you of all my dreaming Dreaming is free

“Dreaming is free!” Wade sang along, still very off key, with the line.

He was an idiot. But he was your idiot. And no matter how old you got – despite if you felt self conscious – he was always going to love you.

#deadpool x reader #wade wilson x reader #ivonne's song challenge #marvel fic #my shit

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