#otp: if i disappeared no one would notice; i would notice

[laireshi]

xiaoge's journey from "i don't know if i'm even a real person. what's my connection to this world?" to "wu xie is my connection to this world" to *happily asleep on a tree branch in yucun*...

#pingxie #dmbj #otp: if i disappeared no one would notice; i would notice #I cry about him a lot #like they both are codependent messes but like. in a fluffy way really #they need each other but all the pain is in the past now and yucun is the happy fluffy era #(we're not mentioning their respective life spans here :))

[cinderella-ish]

My evolving thoughts on who Yuki should've ended up with, and fanfic's role in changing my mind

So, I want to talk about Yuki Sohma.

Yuki is the member of the main trio in Fruits Basket with whom I most identify. I have little in common with both Tohru and Kyo, and it took me several watches and read-throughs to start to understand their characters/arcs. (I love them, don't get me wrong! I just didn't fully appreciate the depth of their characters/arcs until maybe my third time through the series.)

Yuki, on the other hand, not only had many external qualities in common with me, but the way he grew mirrored some of the ways I changed in early adulthood. His arc felt true to my life, and so he was my favorite character from my first exposure to Fruits Basket.

When I started reading fanfic, I initially limited myself to canon compliant or limited canon-divergence fics, but eventually, I dipped my toes into some alternate pairings. Interestingly, while I truly can't see Tohru with anyone but Kyo, and I can only see Kyo with someone other than Tohru in very specific circumstances, Yuki seems to work with almost everyone he gets paired with. I mean, Yuki and Machi are my OTP, yet I have probably read (and bookmarked) every Yuki/Kakeru fic on Ao3, and some of the most beautiful fanfic I've ever read is Yuki/Kyo.

This confused me at first. Deeply. If Yuchi is my OTP, why do I devour every Yukeru and Yukyo fic?

Well, I think that's because Yuki's arc is, among other things, one where he rejects compulsory romance. This is made explicit in the Cinderella-ish story (why yes this is my favorite part of Fruits Basket, why do you ask?), where he quite literally rejects the role of the prince - the role that's been put onto him by others through the series. I think his arc would have been complete without him ending up with Machi, but there are things about their relationship that make his ending so much more satisfying. In stories where he ends up with Kakeru or Kyo, Machi almost always appears as an important friend for him. I think, for him, having strong bonds outside the Sohmas that he forged on his own was the point, rather than ending up in a relationship.

Anyway, with that out of the way, here are my thoughts on the five most common Yuki pairings on Ao3!

Yuki/Machi

Yes. I love them. 1000/10.

Okay, so the one criticism I have of Yuki/Machi is that Yuki is strongly gay-coded throughout the series, and it would've been awesome to see that play out in the way it was set up. I think that's a huge part of why I connected with Yuki - his arc definitely reminded me of my own experience coming to terms with my own queerness. For more on this, see this exceptional post by @yunsoh

But there are so many moments between them that make me swoon. The chalk scene, first and foremost. I used that scene to talk to my partner about how to support me when my OCD or ADHD is bad. Then there's scene where Yuki figures out why Machi destroys things, then asks to make footprints in the snow together (and tells her he's proud of her! and sees how hard she's worked!). The way he bought her Mogeta memorabilia or figured out she likes red or understood her intent when she chased him around the school to give him a flower and just ended up getting angry at him. The way he understood she bought Tohru a bath set because it's what she would want, just because Kakeru made a similar remark. The way he lit up when he saw Machi's trashed apartment - "the sea of despair."

And the way Machi understood and empathized with Yuki. The way he lit up and started laughing when she called him an airhead. The way she said it took someone like him to notice someone like her. The way she opened up to him and always sought him out. The way Kakeru shipped them. The way he knew she would miss him if he were to disappear, and the way being a support to her was something he needed for himself. The way she accepted him as he actually was, and not the way he thought he was supposed to be. The way she broke the door down with a chair when Yuki was trapped in the storage room. The way he teased her!

They've both been put in seemingly desirable positions within their families, yet those positions are responsible for so much of their pain and trauma. They get each other at a deep level. There's a mutuality to their relationship that Yuki desperately needed. I love them so much!

PS: if you also love Yuki/Machi, come find me on Ao3! I'll be posting some Yuchi content later this week!

Yuki/Kakeru

They have a fantastic and fun dynamic, and they are always touching each other. Kakeru is Yuki's confidant and someone who makes Yuki feel safe in being himself, flaws and all. They help each other grow - Yuki helps Kakeru be more empathetic, and Kakeru helps Yuki become more comfortable with himself. I think this pairing would have also been a satisfying end for Yuki, full stop. I love them, and I will read all your Yukeru fics, please and thank you. (Also, lots of Yukeru writers are just really good writers, so there are some gorgeous works for them.)

Yuki/Kyo

So, I didn't get why this ship was so popular at first, but then I was reminded that Yuki's first thought when he met Kyo was "pretty!" They both secretly admired each other, they're written as foils for each other, and there's a reason enemies to lovers is so popular (and it's called sexual tension).

There's a Yuki/Kyo fic that I'd credit with showing me what fanfic can really do - especially in the ways it expanded the universe, found its own way of handling the curse, and developed the relationship between the two boys in a way that also grew their characters. That fic is The Pursuit of Repeating History by @mistergrass

I do think that Yuki ending up with someone outside the Sohmas is more satisfying for his character arc than someone from the Sohma clan, but his relationship with Kyo is such a key part of his arc that this could be satisfying in its own right.

Yuki/Haru

I absolutely love the relationship these two have in canon. I love how Haru looks out for Yuki, and I love how he drives Yuki a bit crazy. I love how Haru tells Yuki the things he needs to hear, like that it's okay for him to focus on himself for a while, and I love how Yuki braves the Sohma estate to check on Haru. I also love the way Haru can read Yuki like a book.

Haru's words to Yuki about finding someone who will appreciate his fragility and kindness are always so touching. Haru is almost a mentor to Yuki, in a way, or a fairy godmother. (Or a long lost sister?) The fact that he was the one who got Yuki out of isolation at the hands of Akito, or that he was the one person who would check on him just speaks to the strength of his loyalty to Yuki.

I take Haru's statement of "Yuki was my first love" seriously, because he tells Yuki he is serious when Yuki warns him people will take him seriously when he says that. I know there's an argument to be made that Haru is just being his weird self, but that gives me and they were roommates vibes.

Unfortunately, most of the Yuki/Haru fics are dubcon with Dark Haru, which is not something I enjoy reading. What I'd really love to read is an AU where they're together in high school or later, or something that explores Haru's early feelings for Yuki, or just something that explores interesting sides of their characters that are brought out when they're together.

I don't think this would be a terribly satisfying end for Yuki, but I do really love their dynamic.

Yuki/Tohru

Okay, so, full disclosure: I was #teamyuki when I first watched Fruits Basket. Yet now, they're the only pairing on this list that I don't like. Why? Well, as I said above, Yuki's arc is much about rejecting this specific compulsory romance.

Compulsory how? Well, from the beginning, the series seems like it's setting up a love triangle, but kind of tells us (more and more explicitly as the series goes on) that things are not what they seem.

I think the series does a phenomenal job of making the reader/viewer complicit in placing this compulsory romance onto Yuki. A brief aside, making the reader/viewer complicit in the thing a story is criticizing is one of the most effective ways to criticize something, IMO, because it doesn't let the reader/viewer off the hook. We don't get to say, "Look at them, they're so foolish!" We're forced to examine our own expectations and acknowledge that we were made a fool of, too.

I totally got tingles at the spa scene (pictured above), even though upon rewatch, it's obvious how much of an act it is on Yuki's part, and how uncomfortable it makes Tohru. In fact, many of their most "romantic" moments, where the shojo bubbles appear and everything, are when Tohru is acting in an explicitly motherly way to Yuki, and he awkwardly tries to flirt because he's either misinterpreting his feelings or in denial about them.

I also thought his line, "that isn't what I want!" when he tells Kakeru about his true feelings for Tohru is one of the most powerful moments in the series. It's the moment he's finally letting go of being the Princely character and choosing to be himself, for himself, because he deserves to be known and accepted - something he'd never fully believed until that moment.

I think part of why I was initially #teamyuki was because I came to Fruits Basket through the anime first, where much of the development of his relationship with Machi was cut. Also, as I said above, I didn't really get the characters of Kyo and Tohru right away, and I think that prevented me from seeing the power of their romance. The True Form arc was a key moment that I truly didn't understand until several viewings/readings later.

So, all of that is why I don't care for this pairing. I get why people do, but I do feel it undermines Yuki's agency and his character arc. It's a pairing that makes me sad when I see it, as if this character I love has taken a step backward.

(Incidentally, I've been wanting to write a fic where the True Form arc plays out differently and Yuki takes longer to realize the nature of his feelings for Tohru. I truly wonder how he would've come to that understanding without witnessing her running after Kyo. Would he have tried dating her? Would it have been a total disaster?)

Other pairings and larger relationship structures

Out of the other pairings I found, the only one I'm genuinely curious about is Yuki with Saki Hanajima. I'll have to go read those fics. They are each the "cold" half of a "hot/cold" duo (the "hot" halves being Kyo and Arisa, who are basically the same person). I'm very curious what led people to pair them in the handful of fics about them!

(Interestingly, I think it's possible to read Saki and Arisa both as having a bit of sexual tension with Kyo, but not with Yuki.)

The others include Akito, Ayame, Hatori, and Shigure - all pairings that would have a noncon/dubcon element due to Yuki's age, and that's before you get into the specific traumas that these characters have inflicted on Yuki, or the inherent power dynamics between them, or the close familial relationship with Ayame, etc...

The trio relationships are all intriguing and full of possibility. Yuki/Tohru/Kyo? Obviously. Yuki/Kakeru/Kimi? Potential for lots of wackiness. Yuki/Kyo/Haru? Could be the next Mabudachi trio.

(No shade to anyone who enjoys fics with the pairings or tropes I don't like! This blogger believes in "don't like, don't read.")

#fruits basket #furuba #fruba #fanfic #yuchi #yukeru #yukyo #yukikyo #yukiru #yuki x machi #yuki x kyo #yuki x kakeru #yuki x haru #yuki x tohru #analysis #fruba analysis #fruits basket analysis #fanfiction #yuki sohma #romance #kyo sohma #rarepair #ao3 #ao3 fanfic #tohru honda #kakeru manabe #machi kuragi #haru sohma #by cinderella-ish #my meta

[chubbybunyu]

Kazuscara OTP tickle questions

So I saw the OTP tk ask game going around again, and I know this technically isn't how you're supposed to do it but I am. Brainrotting. About these two sO BADLY I HAD TO GET THIS OUT before I disappear back into the void lmao

✨️So here I go ehe✨️

---

1. Who has the cutest tickle laugh? Kazuha! His laugh and giggles are so airy and just the right amount of raspy uGH I wanna hear him laugh all day...

Wanderer's laugh is really cute too but man's screaming half of the time. Tho one thing that makes him almost cuter than Zuzu is that he starts hiccupping if you tickle him long enough~

2. Who is ticklish in unusual places and where would that be? I'm not saying that neck is an unusual spot, but I think Wanderer's made_in_Inazuma mark is ridiculously sensitive-- if Wanderer is acting bratty in public, Zuzu just uses his vision to make a gentle breeze brush against the spot and Wanderer stops whatever he's doing as if he slammed into a wall and turns to pout at the other sdfghfh But also when they're alone Kazuha LOVES peppering it with tiny kisses and Wanderer is in stitchessss hehe

3. Who gets cheer-up tickles? Wanderer 100% and it's so effective and he's sO GRUMPY ABOUT IT like my god he wants to be mad about it bc it doesn't fit his ✨️mean aesthetics✨️ but he can't help but just giggle and feel like his head is getting all fuzzy n happy when Zuzu scoops him up and gently tickles him all over until he's feeling better again

4. Who takes advantage of the other one getting their arms stuck while taking off their shirt? B o t h, but Wanderer definitely learned from Kazuha ahah. And they both wear so many layers that it's a weekly occurrence and at this point they're so used to both of them taking advantage of it that they just automatically start to panic a little when they realize they're stuck, so if the other hadn't noticed it on their own they sure would now sdfghj

5. How did they discover each other’s ticklishness? Wanderer was probably breaking records being annoying and buzzing around Kazu's head, provoking him in one way or another and he just got fed up and grabbed his ankle to pull him down, but to both of their surprise Wanderer fell out of the air on his very own accord (accompanied with an adorably uncharacteristic squeak, I might add) bc the feeling startled him so much lmao and Zuzu did NOT leave him be until he admitted he was ticklish (I think y'all can imagine how Kazuha coaxed that out of him~)

And afterwards Wanderer tried to tease it out of Kazuha too but he just straight up admitted with a chuckle that "ofc I'm ticklish" and Wanderer could Not wrap his head around how he wasn't even slightly embarrassed about it lmao

6. Who can’t take tickle bites? Kazuha oh my gosh, he melts in seconds. I also think that Wanderer's teeth are a bit sharper than normal so his nibbles are DEADLY. And he knows that.

7. Who has to be tickle-forced out of bed in the morning? Hmm, neither has trouble in the morning, but I think Wanderer has to be tickled INTO bed sometimes. Sure, he technically doesn't need sleep but Zuzu wants to cuddle at night and if Wanderer's being difficult about it (which he usually isn't bc Kazuha's cuddles are god tier) he just gets dragged to bed, locked into a hug and tickled until he gets tired enough to actually fall asleep himself too hehe

8. Who gives up in a tickle fight? Wanderer, the feeling still catches him off guard quite a bit, especially when it goes on for a while since tickling has been introduced to him quite recently, so if you manage to pin him down he's done~

But once he gets a bit more used to it he'll be a dangerous opponent for sure///

9. Who is in danger of getting hurt when attacking the other? Kazu, Wanderer f l a i l s. Not a single limb is left unused in his attempts of breaking free if you tickle him hard enough He'll still pout if you stop too soon tho

10. Who always provokes the other into tickling them and how? Wanderer~ His brattiness goes up a notch and he seems to find something to playfully bicker about over everything, and it all is accompanied with a faint blush (that he will deny to the end of time) and an occasional glance at Zuzu's hands. So subtle~

But Kazuha also somehow manages to provoke him into GETTING tickled from time to time. Don't ask him how, Wanderer has no goddamn idea but it just. Keeps. Happening.

#when I say my every waking moment is consumed by these two rn......... #I've been planning on doing art about them as well but work has been Brutal sobs #also kdfhsj if anyone WANTS to send me other genshin pairings for this go for it hahah I'd love to share more headcanons✨️ #genshin tickles #otp tk game #lee wanderer #ler wanderer #lee kazuha #ler kazuha

[fang-and-feather]

Sweet Meetings

Ikemen Vampire - Vlad x Reader, Coffee Shop/Flower Shop AU, pre-relationship

Prompt(s): strawberries

Genre: Fluff

Summary: You had just gotten some fresh strawberries when Vlad came to visit. You weren't expecting his reaction to it, or your reaction to him.

Thanks @violettduchess and @aquagirl1978 for hosting this

Also written for Year of the OTP July, prompt: coffee shop au, from @yearoftheotpevent

I thought I wouldn't be able to finish this one this month... Like most of my other AUs this is just a small scene of what I might make into a bigger fic later...

IkeVamp Masterlist // General Masterlist // AO3 Link

You hummed happily as you cooked. It was a fine summer morning, the kind that easily put you in a good mood. Besides, you had been having the happiest mornings since you got this new job.

The bell at the front door rang, and you smiled to yourself. The shop was still closed and your coworker had a late shift, so it could only be the owner of the flower shop across the street.

Not long after you started working, you had brought some flowers from him to decorate the shop. His bouquets were so wonderful that you started visiting him every morning.

At some point, without reason or warning, you had switched to him delivering the flowers directly to your shop instead.

“I’m in the kitchen.” You informed.

You were busy putting the final touches on the cake you were baking, and he didn’t come to see you either. Footsteps could be heard moving from side to side in front of the shop, occasionally accompanied by the sound of someone searching through the cabinets. You didn’t worry, though. By now, you recognized the footsteps of anyone who frequented the shop.

You chose to look, though, and as you opened the door, Vlad was standing on the other side.

“Having a busy morning?” He smiled, and you stepped back to let him in. “It seems like every time I see you, you are hard at work. So I already set up the flowers. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Like you’re one to talk. Since you started making the deliveries, I can aways count on seeing you at the same time, and your shop is aways so busy afterward.”

“Flowers always make people so happy. I especially lie how you smile when I stop by.”

Vlad smiled at you. He had this friendly smile, with a mystical air. A smile that had lured you from the first moment you laid eyes on him. A smile that tempted you to unravel all the secrets behind.

But Vlad was so ethereal, so fleeting, like he wasn’t even human. Like he wasn’t even real.

Even if he wasn’t, you would want more time into that dream. More time with him. So, at each of those encounters, you tried to buy more time, to delay the inevitable parting.

At first he slipped right through your attempts to grasp just a little more of his attention, but, as time went by, he lingered more and you felt like you were growing closer. It still seemed like he would disappear if you fully reached out, though.

“Are you going to stay for a drink again? A friend brought some fresh strawberries this morning, so I was putting the finishing touches on some mini cakes.” Although you were hoping he’d say yes, you weren’t expecting the way his eyes lit up, like a child on Christmas morning. You chuckled and picked a strawberry from the basket behind you, coating it into the cream you had made for the cakes, and held it to him. “I tried a new cream recipe, too. Want to try it?”

You froze when he ate the strawberry right out of your fingers, lips brushing your skin.

“Sorry.” He said, when he noticed your reaction. His smile was the same as ever, though. He neither looked like he was sorry, nor like he’d done it on purpose. Then why was your heart beating so hard over an honest mistake? “It was delicious, though. I always love to try your cooking. Would you join me, though?”

“Sure. Take a seat while I make the drinks.”

Good thing you could dismiss him for a moment. It was difficult to recompose yourself with him right there. At least you would have time to calm down before facing him again.

He had invited you so smoothly and you were already in a fluster that you had hastily agreed. But, except for you preparing and serving the food, it sounded like you being invited on a date.

“Don’t read too much into it.” You whispered to yourself, trying to ground your overexcited brain. “Friends eat together all the time.”

Your brain still insisted that, even if this wasn’t a date, you had just found a way to his heart. But since when did you want that? You had never considered your interest in him in such a way. When had Vlad become more that the friendly neighbour shop owner to you?

Your time together would be short. There was little time left before you had to finally open the shop. But they would be some long minutes if you had to endure your new fixation. You only hoped that, next time you met, you had already sorted your feelings.

IkeVamp Masterlist // General Masterlist

#summer days sultry nights ccc #YOTP 2023 #ikemen vampire #ikevamp vlad #coffeeshop au #flowershop au #ikevamp #fanfiction #ikevamp fanfic

[allylikethecat]

January OTP Prompts

I have attempted to go back to my roots and write a "Fictional!Matty breaks his wrist" prompt fill. I'm not totally happy with how it has come out but I am not allowing myself to obsess over these the way I sometimes do my chaptered fics, so alas here it is, being tossed into the world as is. Thank you so much for reading and being so lovely with your support!

26. Broken

George knew it was broken the second Matty hit the ground. A loud crack echoed in his ears even though he knew it was impossible to have heard it over the roar of the crowd, over the sound of their music filling the arena. It would have been impossible to hear, competing with the cheers of thousands of fans. Matty’s face had gone white, and he instinctively brought his wrist to his chest, missing the next two lines of People. Thankfully the crowd didn’t notice, enthusiastically screaming Matty’s lyrics back at him, filling in the gaps. 

George waved to the crowd, tossing his drum sticks into the sea of people before the platform lowered them out of sight. He knew that people were going to over analyze the end of the show, rewatching fan video after fan video. George felt a surge of annoyance for the TikTok groupies who only seemed interested in capturing them at their worst, shoving their camera phones into Matty’s face instead of appreciating the art he was trying to share with them. They would be positively salivating when they realized they had caught the moment that Matty broke his wrist on video. George’s heart ached, hating that he was unable to protect Matty from being violated in that way. 

They were quickly herded backstage, Matty looked unsteady on his feet, stepping into George’s space, seeking out comfort when he typically peacocked his way through the crowd.  He was still holding his wrist to his chest, his face pale and his nose scrunched up in pain, like he was hyper focused on trying to control his breathing, trying to appear unaffected until they were out of sight. George tried not to think about the way that from what he could see, Matty’s wrist was bent at an unnatural angle. 

The second they were backstage, out of the line of fans' sight, Matty was doubled over a trash bin, throwing up a watery mix of bile and the wine he had drank throughout the course of the show. George rubbed his back as he was sick, murmuring sweet nothings of comfort. 

“I think it’s broken,” said Matty wetly, his voice horse from their two hour show, and from vomiting. George winced. 

“I think you’re right, love,” he said softly. Hann appeared a moment later holding a water bottle. He unscrewed the cap and handed it to Matty who took it gratefully and rinsed out his mouth, spitting into the trash can. 

George felt helpless. He needed to get their tour manager, he needed to find one of the paramedics milling around the backstage area. He needed to tell someone that Matty was injured. He needed to tell them that he needed to go to the hospital, he needed to be taken for x-rays. He needed the doctor’s to fix him, to patch him back up because he was Matty. Instead he did not do those things, not wanting to leave Matty’s side, not wanting to remove the hand that had settled on his hip in comfort. He was worried if he stepped away, Matty would disappear. Matty wasn’t allowed to disappear. 

Day: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25

#allylikethecat #January OTP Prompts #Matty Fic #Gatty #Prompt Fill #Prompt Fills #I think im getting a little burnt out on these if i'm being perfectly honest #thank goodness we have almost made it the entire month!

[logo-comics]

Fortune Lover By Ai Fortuna Software

Coming Soon

Welcome to the Sorcier Academy of Magic! Amongst the magical nobility, you play as a commoner born with a rare gift. Can you win the hearts and minds of the Capture Targets?

Pictured: Maria Campbell and the main cast of Fortune Lover.

As promised, fandom response, early theorizing, and a couple of memes under the cut.

PirateKing-Fan Martin?! whitebishop1252 I knew I wasn't the only one who saw it! That's our King! the-fortuna-amata Guys, I know we love him, but what if they wanted to make a new game? whitebishop1252 These are the finalized designs, but did you forget that the original design for "Maria" that they released was dressed like Captain Natalia. And that is obviously Martin's floofy hair! That is totally Martin! This must be some sort of midquel. the-gentleman-pirate What if this is how he came to be able to lead people the way he does? fortunesfavoriteson ...Wait. The floof. The eyes seem lighter based on the setup on the black and white we've got here.... What if they're blue? whitebishop1252 ...No way. No way. MY OTP HAD A BABY!

CaptainNatalia9430 Top left! Look at her! I know which route I'm going for! kingbishop2014 Same! Maybe she's the Princess? martincampbell2012 What if she's a Terni? Maybe they're childhood friends? Golden Sands is Martin's main port of harbor. martingiulia-otp But Martin had to end up with Giulia! How else would he be able to keep staying in Golden Sands? kingbishop2014 Because as Natalia's heir, he's official considered the Trusted Friend to the Barony? It's not like there was an arranged marriage or anything. Besides, she had that prince she was writing letters to all the time.

jeomaria-stan1123 So, top right boy is apparently named Prince Jeord, bottom left is Noel Flores, bottom right is Prince Alan, and furthest right is Nicol Ascart. I couldn't find a name on the girl Capture Target, though...

Pictured, Left To Right: Sophia Ascart, Tatiana Terni, Mary Hunt

martincampbell2012 TERNI CONFIRMED! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE CONFIRMED TATIANA TERNI! BEST GIRL NOW HAS A NAME! CaptainNatalia9430 ...Can we talk about the fact that ghosts are canon in the setting as of Pirate King? Now can we talk about how Sophia Ascart looks just like one? commonpirate1123 Are we getting a murder mystery? Or is it a revenge story? fortunesfavoriteson I swear, they just keep building up the anticipation! When are we getting the game?!

queenmaryhunt I keep seeing all these theories about Tatiana being half-pirate, Sophia being a ghost, why G-boy's name keeps changing between reveals, and that Noel's disappearing glasses are proof that he's going to be a sweet shy good boy, but everyone is sleeping on the real best girl. Look at all those flower themes my girl Mary is packing in her look. Look at that cool expression! I'm telling you, Tatiana isn't going to be our female love interest, that's going to be Mary. fortunesfavoriteson People. People...

mariaxtatiana9430 So, has anyone noticed that Noel had his name changed? martingiulia-otp Yeah, what kind of name change is that? Noel to Keith? What kind of slander...? queenmaryhunt My guess is that they don't want to confuse him with Nicol, but why change his name to Claes? geomaria-stan1123 I wonder how that would feel. that must be so annoying. fortunesfavoriteson Pour one out for those brave souls that love Prince G-Boy.

Pictured: Katarina Claes

mariaxtatiana9430 Guys, I'm not gonna lie, I've got a bad feeling about this... martincampbell2012 What do you mean? mariaxtatiana9430 Keith's setup seems to be that he has a dark and troubled backstory. Given that he's Keith CLAES and Tatiana has been turned into Katarina CLAES... fortunesfavoriteson

nicol-ascart-lover

queenmaryhunt

I would love to romance Mary, but it doesn't seem like we're getting it... martincampbell2012 But... Tatiana... marikata9430

#hamefura #bakarina #my next life as a villainess #fortune lover meta post

[rawmeknockout]

Could you do some mer-cygate with human reader or just the two dorks with reader. I love them, mega OTP

They're lovely and terrifying when you first meet, Tailgate kicking up clear water with his powerful fins. You just can't help yourself, you move closer to the river bank to peer into the dark green depths, your basket of forgotten mushrooms dropped haphazardly. The blue mer is cute and wide, frame clearly strong, while the dark purple mer behind him drifts further away from your sight. Red, glassy eyes never flinching as he watches you with shark-like intensity. When you dip your feet into the water, that light blue mer almost shoots away, but curiosity wins out as he draws just a touch nearer. You're still several feet away, it would take you too long to get through the water to even harm him, but he isn't taking any chances.

A low, rumbling call from his partner makes the little mer pull away and disappear below the water's surface. But that skull-faced one watches you for a moment longer, eyes narrowed something fierce, before he, too, dives down to escape your sight. You end up stumbling home in a stupor, mouth hanging open as you cross the threshold of your home. Only your wet feet evidence that you saw them at all.

It's a week later that you see them again. This time the little one is braver. He slips under the water before appearing again, much closer than before. His eager blue eyes sparkle as he watches you intently, but you try your best not to be intimidated. Instead, you turn your focus back to the berry bush that you had been rifling through. If you don't make any sudden movements, maybe they'll come a bit closer.

The blue mer trills a high note, eyes darting over you before letting himself drift just a hair nearer. He's leaned over, though, and clearly very interested in what you're doing. Once again, the purple one calls in a low wail, but the blue fish creature doesn't pull away. Instead, he draws so close you can make out the white-to-blue gradation of his scales. You don't even notice you're staring with mouth agape, hand hovering over the berry bush you've nearly picked dry.

The smaller mer-creature, rather large to you, is just a couple feet away and staring at you with the most bright eyes you've ever seen on anyone. Man or animal. You hear the slightest movement of water as the larger mer comes closer, lurking ever closer like a nightmare, but you're too taken with this charming little thing in front of you. Heat rushes to your cheeks when you jump at the frustrated howl from the other creature, your new mer friend shooting away from you to sheepishly duck under the water.

For a long moment the other one just... Stares at you, a mix of exasperation and resignation warring across his features, before he gives a long-suffering sigh and dips under the water himself.

It's only the next day the blue mer sneaks up behind you on the river bank to see what you're up to, giving you a near indecipherable warble of his name. Tailgate. The purple mer is closer this time, but has refused to leave the water. He's still giving the two of you that exasperated look. When Tailgate smugly tells you that his companion is named Cyclonus, you get to see the purple mer up close for the first time as he yanks Tailgate by the tail back into the river. Your breathless giggles are covered by frantic splashing and bickering.

#txt #asks #reader insert #reader imagine #transformers #transformers idw #tf idw #transformers mtmte #tf mtmte #merformers #tailgate #cyclonus #tf tailgate #idw tailgate #mtmte tailgate #tf cyclonus #idw cyclonus #mtmte cyclonus

[sofya-fanfics]

She Does Not Feel The Same

Fandom : Boruto : Naruto Next Generations

Relationship : Boruto x Sarada

My Year of the OTP 2023 contribution for the prompt : (seemingly) unrequited love.

I’m sorry for the mistakes, English is not my native language. I hope you like it.

Summary : Boruto put his hand on his chest. He would have never thought he would suffer so much by imagining her with someone else. If only things were different. If only Sarada could love him as much as he loved her. But he knew that it was impossible.

Disclaimer : Naruto and Boruto : Naruto Next Generations belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Ukyo Kodachi and Mikio Ikemoto.

@yearoftheotpevent​

AO3 / FF.NET

Team 7 was back in Konoha after a two-day mission. Mitsuki and Sarada made their way home, while Boruto and Kawaki did the same. Kawaki took a few steps before realizing that Boruto was not following him. He turned around and saw Boruto staring at Sarada. It was not the first time Kawaki noticed the way he looked at her. Every time she walked into a room, Boruto's face lit up. Every time she spoke to him, he smiled. He would have had to be blind not to see that Boruto was in love with Sarada for years.

Once Sarada disappeared around the corner, Boruto joined Kawaki. He frowned when he saw him staring at him.

“What ?” Boruto asked. “Can I ask you a question ?”

Boruto nodded.

“When are you going to tell her what you feel ?” “What are you talking about ?”

Boruto started walking and Kawaki followed him.

“You know very well what I'm talking about. When are you going to tell Sarada that you love her ?” “You're talking nonsense.” “Stop lying. I saw that you were in love with her from the first day I met you. And I know you inside out. I know that even after all these years, your feelings have not changed.”

Boruto stopped walking. He looked at Kawaki and smiled sadly at him.

“It doesn't matter. Sarada doesn't feel the same way I do, so forget it.”

Kawaki did not answer. He knew there was no point in continuing this conversation. He had never met somebody as stubborn as Boruto and when he made a decision, he never went back on it. Even if it hurt him. He only hoped Boruto would open his eyes and would change his mind before it was too late and he lost Sarada for good. After all the hardships he had been through because of Momoshiki and the Otsutsuki, he deserved to be happy.

******

Kawaki, Boruto, Chocho and Sarada were at the Thunder Burger. The Uzumaki brothers had met Sarada and Chocho by chance on their way to the Thunder Burger and decided to go together.

Several weeks had passed since the conversation between Boruto and Kawaki and since then neither of them had talked about it again. Boruto and Kawaki were about to eat their second burger, while Chocho had turned to look in the queue where Sarada had gone to get drinks.

“What is she doing ?” Chocho said. “It's been hours since Sarada left to get the drinks.”

Kawaki rolled his eyes. It had barely been two minutes. He had a quick look at the queue and he saw what was delaying Sarada. She was talking to one of the waiters. It was Shun. By dint of going to the Thunder Burger with Boruto, Kawaki had come to know all of the employees. Shun was a pretty nice boy, but Kawaki had always found him uninteresting.

Kawaki frowned when he saw Shun's flirty smile and Sarada's blush. He did not see any good coming of all this for Boruto. Sarada returned to their table with the drinks. She put them on the table and sat down next to Chocho.

“What took you so long ?” Chocho asked.

Sarada’s cheeks turned redder.

“Shun asked me to go out with him tomorrow evening.”

Boruto's hand shook. He hid it under the table, hoping no one would notice. Chocho quickly turned her head towards Shun. Her eyes shone and a huge smile lit up her face, like every time she heard about the beginning of a love story.

“What did you answer him ?” She asked. “Did you accept ?” “Not yet. I don't know if that's a good idea.” Sarada answered.

She looked shyly at Boruto.

“What do you think ?”

Boruto smiled at her.

“You should agree. Shun is a good guy.” “Maybe you're right.”

Sarada looked down. Kawaki opened his eyes wide. Sarada looked disappointed. As if she was hoping for another answer from Boruto. Chocho took Sarada's hand and forced her to stand up.

“You have to accept. Then we'll go shopping to find you an outfit.”

Sarada had no time to protest. Chocho took her away to meet Shun. Kawaki looked at Boruto. Being next to him, he saw him clench his fist under the table.

“Shut up,” Boruto said. “I didn’t say anything.” “She's my friend, I'm happy for her.” “If you say so.”

If a look could kill, Kawaki would already be dead. If only that idiot could realize that this love was mutual, Kawaki thought. If he waited any longer, it would soon be too late.

******

The next evening, Boruto was in his bedroom playing video games. At the end of the third lost game, he threw his joystick on the floor. Video games had always changed his mind, but this time he could not concentrate. He only thought of Sarada. He stood up and walked to the window. She was on a date with Shun by now. Boruto did not lie to her, Shun was really a good guy. He had known him for years and he knew he would treat her well. But yet, Boruto could not help thinking that Sarada should be with him, not Shun or anyone else. He put his hand on his chest. He would have never thought he would suffer so much by imagining her with someone else. If only things were different. If only Sarada could love him as much as he loved her. But he knew that it was impossible. He heard someone knock on his door.

“Come in !” He said.

The door opened and Kawaki entered. Boruto sighed. He really was not in the mood to hear his opinion on his feelings for Sarada.

“What do you want ?” “I came to see how you were doing.”

Boruto said nothing and looked out the window. Kawaki closed the door and approached him.

“Sarada must be home by now.”

Boruto felt anger growing inside him. He violently grabbed Kawaki's jacket and pulled him towards him.

“Why are you doing this ?” “To make you react.”

He jerked free from Boruto's grip.

“Why do you persist to not talk to her. This situation is hurting you.” “Even if I tell her that I love her, she doesn't feel the same way I do. By doing that, I might lose her and that I will not stand it.” “Even if things don't work out with Shun, one day there will be someone else and then you will lose her for good. Can you really stand to see her in someone else's arms ? To see her settle down with him ?”

Kawaki suddenly saw something clicked in Boruto's eyes. Without waiting, he opened the window and went out. Kawaki smiled. Boruto will soon get the happy ending he deserved.

******

Boruto jumped from roof to roof and landed on the tree in front of Sarada's window. The bedroom was lit, indicating that she had returned from her date. He took a deep breath to give himself courage. Kawaki was right, he had to talk to her. Even if losing her friendship would be unbearable for him, remaining in this uncertainty was worse. He jumped out onto the balcony and knocked on the window. Sarada opened the curtain. When she saw him, she opened the window and she stepped aside so he could enter.

“Boruto ? Is everything alright ?”

She closed the window behind him. He breathed slowly to calm down. Despite all the fights against Momoshiki, Kara and the Otsutsukis, telling Sarada how he felt seemed insurmountable.

“I came to see how you were and how your date went.” “It was... good.”

Boruto was surprised when he heard her hesitation.

“You don't look sure.”

Sarada smiled slightly.

“Yes, that was good. But there will be no second date.” “Why ?” “It's just that I would have preferred to be with someone else.”

She looked down and blushed.

“I would have preferred to be with you.”

Boruto opened his eyes wide, wondering if he had heard correctly. He had to be wrong, there was no way she felt the same way he did. Yet, he could not help hoping.

“Sarada...” “I know I shouldn't have said that. That I might ruin everything between us. But I can't stop thinking about it.”

She twiddled her hands, like she always did when she was nervous.

“I don't want to be with Shun or anyone else. It is with you that I want to be. It is you that I love. I know you don't feel the same way I do and by telling you my feelings, I'm terrified of losing you. But not saying anything hurts me even more. I love you Boruto.”

Boruto was not dreaming. Sarada loved him. Without thinking about what he was doing, he took her in his arms and kissed her. He wanted to pass on to her all the love he felt in this kiss, all that he had not managed to confess to her. Surprised at first, Sarada wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled up to him. Nothing mattered around him except Sarada. He lost himself in that kiss. For the first time in a long time, he was finally happy.

The end

#YEAR OF THE OTP #Year of the OTP 2023 #boruto: naruto next generation #borusara #boruto x sarada #boruto uzumaki #sarada uchiha #borusara fanfiction #fanfiction #My writing

[merlinsbudgiesmugglers]

5. A fic I haven't read yet from you, but I want to: (Tedromeda long fic) 👀 👀 I mean I do want to read it but I’ll gladly wait as much time you want until it’s ready ❤️ I’m looking forward in reading, Blinding White. The summary has me hooked and I can’t wait to get some time to properly sit down and read that story.

15. A question I have about one of your fics: In the fic, The Hard Choice, was it difficult coming up with this moment in particular:

mudblood scratched into his trunk when he arrived in his dorm after being sorted into Hufflepuff, the other first-year boys explaining what it meant with horrified whispers. ‘And whether or not you marry me, the blood that runs through my veins means that I will always have to deal with bullies and bigots.’

I love LOVE LOVE! The way you write Tedromeda, both as individuals and moments with one another. I don’t know why but something with the way you write Ted Tonks going through struggles/pain just squeezes my heart.

When writing scenes/flashback moment like the one I mentioned above, is it difficult to choose a moment. I know that I tend to get stuck when writing fluffy fics and it sometimes feels like I’m forcing words onto paper, but when I’m writing angst it’s like my mind knows what will be the next line before my fingers even type the current line.

As I was looking through your works I realized two things:

1) I need to catch up, you have sooo many great stories and I’m looking forward in reading them. I didn’t realize you have a couple of Romione fics, I’ll definitely check those out! (I’m currently reading your Hannah Abbott fic, Prepared)

2) I noticed I read a lot of your Tedromeda fics because as I was scrolling down the list I could imagine some scenes/lines play out in my mind. It was almost like, YouTube autoplay but so much better! I’m so happy to have stumbled upon your fics here on tumblr because I truly adore your writing. Each Tedromefa fic you write makes me love them more, you have a wonderful talent with writing out scenery and the plot, gentle touches, and don’t get me started with the “staring across from the room” 😍😍😍 so good!

Ted takes a step towards her, needing to be closer to her. ‘I love you.’ Now that he’s said it once, he can’t help but say it again. ‘I’ve loved you for so long that I’ve forgotten how to live without loving you.’ He takes another step, and another, closing the distance between them, reaching for her.— The Hard Choice

🥹🥹🥹

You have such a way with words, this is my favorite line from this fic. It’s like Ted is talking from the deepest and most loving part of his soul to the woman he loves. 😩 if only there were more men like him in the word, life would be more beautiful.

Thank you!! This is so sweet! I actually went back and reread The Hard Choice after you sent this.

So part of my Ted headcanon is that his mum got pregnant to a boy she knew when she was 18, but when she told him he disappeared and left her on her own. So Ted was raised by his mum, but also spent a lot of time with his Nan and Pop (and his Pop was the local doctor, which inspired him to become a healer).

Basically he's been teased and bullied about the circumstances of his birth his entire life, then he goes to Hogwarts and they don't care that his parents weren't married, but they do care about his blood status. So he never removes the mudblood that was scratched into his trunk. It's who he is, he isn't about to let a word make him feel bad about himself.

Ted's confession of love here is also heavily inspired by many of the Austen confessions.

And you're completely forgiven for not realising I have some Romione fics, they do get a bit lost in all the Tedromeda, but they were my first ever OTP, so I'm a little bit fond of them.

[ichinoue]

Another thinng about IR is when I started getting into the ships, I actually shipped IR. But some of the popular fanfictions I read, Ichigo and rukia would be in character but everyone else (for the sake of their epic lovestory) was out of character.

Renji (who loves being around rukia even if it means to just argue) was either distant or in some far away battle duty, Tatsuki and Keigo barely make appearances in Ichigo's life post-Rukia. Orihime is either mentally unstable or married to Ishida (lmao) or *special entry* Ichigo marries Orihime but is abusive to her because he doesn't love her and couldn't marry Rukia

Whereas after getting past the few poorly written fanfictions (the ones that only see Ichigo ending up with Orihime for sexual reasons) You notice that ichihimes/origos will write everyone in character. The dad, his sisters, their friends don't just disappear from their lives because they're in love, Renji still comes to the human world and is friends with Ichigo not just suddenly distant, Kon, urahara, soul society- everyones plot is still normal & involved in IH story

I think the reason they have to change so much for their fics is because if you look at the manga, the source material, none of it lines up with an IR ending being confirmed in the final two chapters lol. Ichigo would have to go from supporting a RenRuki romance in canon, to suddenly being married to Rukia. And likewise, Rukia would have to go from supporting an IchiHime romance in canon, to suddenly being married to Ichigo. Renji and Rukia were attached at the hip and rarely separated ever since they reunited in the SS arc (for which Renji literally credits and thanks Ichigo for lol). They spent over half the manga being this inseparable dynamic duo but then all of the sudden that changes and Rukia and Renji aren't "back to the way they were" anymore because now she's married to Ichigo instead. Orihime loved Ichigo throughout the entire manga and never showed a flicker of romantic interest in anyone else, but now suddenly in the final chapter she's married to Ishida (as if that wouldn't have been a complete asspull? Like, they say IH "came out of nowhere!!" but they really think Orihime suddenly falling in love with Ishida with zero explanation and zero resolution to her 865 chapters' worth of feelings for Ichigo makes perfect sense?) And the being abusive to Orihime thing is mind boggling. Like, you're writing this romantic love story for your OTP...and one half of your ship is an abuser? But somehow it's okay because he's only abusive to Orihime. He would only treat Orihime like shit, while he would be the best, most devoted husband in the world to his true love, Rukia. As if that's how abusers work.

[aragarna]

For the Character ask :D

Henry Morgan ✨

oh Henry my beloved <3 (you were tired of that musketeer nonsense and wanted to bring this blog back to what it was supposed to be, uh? LOL just kidding! And thank you for the ask!)

How I feel about this character

I love him <3 My rewatch buddy @imelopsittacus made me watch Forever over 2 years ago now, and it's not just that I fell in love, I fell head over heels. Since then I've watched virtually everything Ioan Gruffudd has ever done. But it all started because of Henry Morgan. He's such a great character. He's a little closed-off, a little hard to crack, but when you realize all the sh*t he's been through, it's a miracle he's even functioning at all. He's kind and curious and smart and he didn't deserve any of the terrible things that happened to him (the curse itself, his first wife's betrayal, the asylum at a time where it basically was medical torture, his second wife disappearing while he thought they'd still have a bit of time together, etc...) There's that quote going around "all this and it just made him kind" and that's the type of character I just can't resist. Of course he's a little quirky, a little excentric, but he does have a good heart, always had (hell, that's his good heart that got him killed), so yeah, Henry Morgan needs all the hugs.

Also, he dresses well. I can't resist a man with style.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Jo, as does everyone else on the show LOL They have an obvious bond, it's just a matter of when they'll feel confident to make the next step.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

There's the obvious relationship with Abe. Which is awesome and adorable. Judd and Ioan brings so much familial chemistry that they succeed to make it believable and natural. I love that now that they're both old men, they're at times both the father to the other, or just old roomies.

But I also really like Henry's relationship with Lucas. I love how it develops through the show. Henry and Lucas are very different people. Both nerdy but in different ways. They have totally different cultures and references, but they do understand and accept that, and they do care for each other. It's obvious Lucas sees Henry as a mentor, but Henry also respects Lucas. They've noticed each other's quirks and they accept them and they're patient about it. Lucas knows Henry someone misses social cues, but that's alright, that's Henry. Henry knows that Lucas talks too much about stuff he doesn't understand but that's alright, that's Lucas. And Henry does try to be a good boss, tries to remember to give him kudos every once in a while, and covers for him if necessary.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I honestly wouldn't have minded to discover Henry had had a previous family had season 2 happened. I actually think it'd make sense and it would explain why he was so against having a child with Abigail, because of the upcoming heartbreak. He'd been there before and doesn't want to live it again.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Just wish there'd been more seasons. More episodes, more Henry. And most of all: an explanation to the curse. My rational, scientific brain doesn't live well with the absence of explanations for things. So yeah, it actually takes a bit of self control not to drive myself mad about this LOL (it doesn't have to be scientifically realistic, I understand the principle of fiction and supernatural, but at least an in-universe explanation would have been nice).

Wooh I had lots to say about Henry! Again, thanks a lot for the ask <3

#a meme! #henry morgan #forever #forever tv

[laireshi]

Wu Xie thinking Xiaoge is dead, ch. 54 vol. 8

All the quotes (in block quotes) are from merebear’s translation here, and yes, it’s all canon.

Wu Xie goes into the Zhang Family Mansion to save Xiaoge and finds him unconscious, badly hurt--he thinks Xiaoge died. He does Not deal with it.

I froze, my whole body suddenly going rigid and my mind blanking out.

I couldn’t describe the desolation in my heart and suddenly didn’t know what to do.

Dead?

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Is he really dead? Hey, what kind of international joke is this? “Wake up. Let’s go home.” I patted his face, suddenly finding it all very funny. I turned to Pangzi and laughed. “Look at Xiaoge.” “I know,” Pangzi said in a low voice. Then, my hands began to shake uncontrollably. When I looked at them, I found that even though there wasn’t any sadness in my heart and my consciousness didn’t react, my body still instinctively felt despair.

Starting with denial.

He’s really fucking sitting there, I said to myself. He’s really fucking dead. Menyouping is really fucking dead!

A bit of anger.

There was still such a thing in this world… Menyouping was unexpectedly mortal.

The Zhang family’s ancient building was really amazing. I had always felt that Ghost was just an alarmist, but now I only felt like the sky was spinning.

Menyouping was a walking miracle, so his death suddenly made me feel that the whole world had become extremely real and cruel. Couldn’t all miracles be eternal in this world? Or was there no such thing as a miracle, and everything was a coincidence that had finally ended?

After a long time, I began to feel a touch of sadness. My instincts were pushing down my collapsing emotions, but there were still all kinds of uncomfortable feelings leaking from the “pressure cooker” of emotions. I knew that I couldn’t let my emotions go. If I felt that sadness, I may just die here, too.

Straight into depression here, which is where he’ll stay now. Like... Please look at the third paragraph in the quote above, I can’t. Menyouping was a walking miracle. The whole world had become extremely real and cruel. Also then at the end, If I felt that sadness, I may just die here, too. Wu Xie is so !!!!! about Xiaoge. I Can’t.)

The feelings in my heart were very strange. It wasn’t only sadness, but I didn’t know if others would be able to understand my complicated mood.

First, there was despair. Then, there was disbelief at what I was seeing in front of my eyes. My mind was blank for a long time, and all kinds of emotions came out.

I always wondered how I would feel if Menyouping died. I thought I might be extremely sad or maybe a little numb since I had built up the idea of their deaths in my mind so much in order to bear it. But now that I had really encountered it, my mood was so strange that I couldn’t handle it by myself.

After this, I was in a bind, unsure whether I should be sad or pretend to be calm and endure the pain. Finally, the former gradually gained the upper hand and I couldn’t do anything besides stare at his body blankly.

Not only can no one else comprehend the depth of Wu Xie’s loss: he can’t handle it. He’s going to stay there and die at his side because he can’t even move. The pain. The angst. The delicious co-dependency. The life that’ll ruin you.

I’m not that cruel, so I’ll add the next sentence here, too, for a happy ending:

But just when I felt the tears about to flow down, I suddenly saw Menyouping’s hand move and scratch the floor!

#pingxie #xieping #dmbj #the lost tomb #zhang qiling #xiaoge #wu xie #otp: if i disappeared no one would notice; i would notice #every now and then i reread this scene and then i am ruined FOREVER #FOREVER!!!

[zerger33]

How about pmd Darkrai for the character ask thing?

favorite thing about them: I love how unabashedly evil they are. They don't feel remorse for their actions at all, only feeling upset that their first plan failed. Being evil enough to tell the two fairly young heroes who stopped him that they should off themselves while disguised as a god everyone trusts. They're a villain full on and straight up an I love it.

least favorite thing about them: There is unfortunately so little lead up to them and they feel thrown in at the end with no foreshadowing. I would have loved for Darkrai to at least get some mentions earlier on or perhaps point to some kind of sleeping problem going on. Or at the very least give them some more time to show just how horrible they are.

favorite line: "Your very existence, is pushing the world towards ruin." "The world toward ruin?!? How am I doing that?" "Because you are in this world. Because you... exist here... If you remain, the world will be destroyed."

brOTP: Dusknoir & Darkrai. They are not friends but I love seeing the two interact, especially if it's before the story happens.

OTP: Darkrai/Hero. Yes I'm talking about the one fic, yes it changed my perspective on this, might also be talking about that other person.

nOTP: Darkrai/Dusknoir. A little too manipulative for me.

random headcanon: Due to his control over nightmares, this one is so powerful he can give people vivid hallucinations and cause distortions in perception. These can even last after he disappears.

unpopular opinion: We should focus on Darkrai as a villain more instead of just the afterwards or the headcanon of them being Hero... even though those are both very cool.

song i associate with them: Devils train by the lab rats.

favorite picture of them: This one by @oneluckydragon

The quiet subtlety of it, the only color being Hero, and the noticeable shadow along the ground as well as the almost but not quite new moon. It all weaves together to give this sense of foreboding that's hard to explain. I love it, easily my favorite piece of Darkrai.

#pmd #ask game #This one was a good ask I enjoyed it

[fang-and-feather]

by  @xxsycamore and @queengiuliettafirstlady

Day 5 - Soulmates AU

Also written for Year of the OTP June prompts proposal and soulmate au from @yearoftheotpevent

Bonds of Fate, Bonds of Love

Ikemen Vampire - Jean x OC (Amy)

Of all the things that usually get on the way of my writing, the cold is a new one, but that's exactly why this was finished so late... although I also almost didn't finish this because I had a very different idea when I was almost finishing... But i decided to preserve this version...

AO3 Link / IkeVamp Masterlist / General Masterlist

Jean smiled down at his girlfriend, caressing her hair while she laid on his lap.

Amy hummed in response, reaching to hold his free hand, interlacing their fingers and Jean’s attention shifted to the thread tied between their pinkies, invisible to all but the two of them.

Years ago, he would never have imagined such happiness was possible and, when he first saw the bond, he wished it would disappear.

“What are you thinking about?” Amy’s hold on his hand tightened, making Jean look back at her.

“About how the meaning of this bond has changed since it appeared. When I first saw this, it was almost as if it were mocking me. That I would receive one then, when I had no future to share with another person, neither did I deserve to have. It felt like a cruel reminder of what could have been, had my fate been different.”

Her melodious laughter gave him pause.

“Funny. I also thought it was a mean joke the first time I noticed mine.” With her free hand, Amy touched his finger where the red thread was tied. “For it to show when I was stuck centuries in the past. Our circumstances might have been very different, but I guess neither of us was exactly pleased by this turn of fate.”

Amy had never told him that before. She always gave the impression that having a soulmate was the best thing to happen to her. But, just like to him, it was probably because he was her soulmate.

“When I realized you were my soulmate, I also thought it was cruel to you. You didn’t deserve to be bound to someone like me, who couldn’t offer you what you would expect from a partner.”

“How did you realize I was your soulmate?”

“You were the only other change in my life. And at first I thought you noticed too, and that was why you kept chasing after me. But when we started to actually get close, I realized that was just how you were. And that was good. As long as you didn’t know, you could go home without getting hurt.”

“But I fell in love with you either way.” Amy sat up and kissed him. “Now this is a proof of our bond, even when we are apart.”

“I don’t think this is enough.” Amy turned to him, eyes wide in confusion, and Jean reached out to caress her face, smiling when she closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. “I wanted something more tangible. Something that would make you happier.”

“Happier than I am now? That would be hard. Whenever I am with you, I am so happy that I feel like it will start flowing out of me.”

Since they had gotten together, Jean often felt like that, too. That wasn’t a bad thing. Quite the opposite.

“Then let it flow. You always make the world brighter when you are happy.”

And he would continue making her even happier. Always. And that was probably the best time to start, so Jean stood up, gently pulling his girlfriend along.

“Jean? Are we going home already?”

“No.” He hesitated, taking a deep breath. Not because he wasn’t sure that this was exactly what they both wanted but, for a moment, Jean wondered if his words would be enough, or if he shouldn’t wait for the opportunity to make something really special for his lover. But when he looked into her eyes, inquisitive, a little hesitant, but still sparkling with wonder as she smiled at him, Jean knew the answer to these questions. “Amy. I already told you how much I look forward to tomorrow with you, to all the new things to discover and to new ways of making you happy. Your smiles make even the worst days worth living. You always give me so much love and happiness and I always want to return as much, if not more, happiness. I want something we can share, a bond stronger than fate.” Amy’s eyes widened when he dropped to one knee and started to fill with glistening tears as her smile grew brighter when he took the small box he’d picked from the shop earlier from his pocket. “Will you marry me, mon amour?”

Amy moved fast, hugging him with such force it almost knocked him down.

“Of course I will, Jean. You really… I… How…”

Seeing Amy trip over her own words, Jean chuckled and kissed her. A kiss that tasted salty by the tears, but sweet by the overflowing love they shared.

Jean carefully wiped her tears before putting just enough distance between them to take her hand and slip the ring on her finger, kissing it.

“Thank you for loving me, Amy. For being my light. I love you.”

Her answer was another kiss. Not that same gentle brush of lips from before. A deeper kiss that attempted to convey all the feelings she had failed to put into words.

And Jean understood, because their hearts were in synchrony, beating to the same tune.

IkeVamp Masterlist / General Masterlist

#different universe same love ccc #YOTP 2023 #ikemen vampire #soulmates au #ikevamp jean #oc: amy #ikevamp #fang's writing #fanfiction #ikevamp fanfic

[allylikethecat]

January OTP Prompts

Instead of scrambling at night to try and finish my prompt for the day, I decide to attempt it first thing in the morning. I hope this one came out a bit better! I was smiling to myself while working on it. Thank you so much again to everyone who has been so lovely and supportive of this little adventure! I can't believe we're two weeks in, and almost halfway through it and I haven't missed a day or given up yet 😂

14. Old bookstore on a cold day

The warm and comforting, yet musty smell of dust and old paper tickled his cold nose as he looked through the shelves. Books, their covers worn, some with age and some with love, their pages yellowing, were piled higher than he was tall, an impressive feat when considering his six foot four frame. The stacks covered every available surface, titles spilling out of the displays with no discernible order. He felt overwhelmed, unsure of where to begin as he spun in a small circle, looking for any titles or authors he recognized. He knew he wasn’t the biggest reader, but he listened when Matty spoke with bright eyes and sweeping hand gestures as he grew more and more excited about whatever book he had most recently picked up. 

George gritted his teeth and continued deeper into the shop, wrapping his arms around himself against the chill he couldn’t seem to shake, even as he ventured deeper amongst the stacks. The exposed yellow bulbs hanging from the ceiling reminding George of the warm tones used in movies to depict a summer day, as if it wasn’t snowing outside, his boots having left wet footprints on the mat as he stomped his feet, trying to dislodge the icey powder lest he track it inside with him. 

He could see why Matty liked the little old used bookstore, tucked away on a side street that George would never have even noticed if Matty hadn’t mentioned it before. 

“Can I help you find something this evening?” a voice asked and George spun around in surprise, coming face to face with an older gentleman, his gray hair spilling down past his rounded shoulders as he leaned heavily on his cane. Rationally, he knew he couldn’t have been alone in the shop, there had to have been someone working, but the clerk’s sudden appearance was still a shock. He swallowed hard. 

“I’m em, looking for a gift,” he said, “for a friend,” he winced, friend didn’t seem like a strong enough, like a powerful enough word to describe what Matty was to him. He was George’s best friend, but he was more than that. He was his soulmate, his other half, his partner, even if Matty might not fully understand the depth of George’s feelings yet, even if George didn’t fully understand them himself. 

“Dark curly hair, about yea tall, big glasses?” asked the man with a smile describing Matty perfectly. George flushed, and nodded the man grinning back with a sparkle in his eye. George wondered how he knew that. 

“I have the perfect thing,” he said, disappearing behind a stack of books and reappearing a moment later with a worn hardcover. 

He handed it to George who flipped through the pages, the dust jacket was missing but the title and author were embossed onto the side. On the Road by Jack Kerouac.

“It’s a first edition,” said the man, “it will make a phenomenal gift for your friend, it will really show him how much you care.” 

“How much is it?” George asked carefully, dread pooling in his stomach at the realization the book, while worn, if it was a first edition was most likely out of his meager budget. 

“It’s on the house,” said the man smiling, “just make sure that lad knows he’s loved.” 

George swallowed hard, not sure what to say as he ran his fingers over a smudged inscription on the first page.

“Are you sure?” He asked carefully and the man nodded. 

“He’s supposed to have that book.” he said sagely and George nodded, closing the book with the inscription still burnt into his retinas.

1 June, The 1975.

The 1975. 

Day: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

#allylikethecat #January OTP Prompts #Prompt Fills #Prompt Fill #Keep it Kind #Matty fic #gatty #i hope this is okay since fictional!Matty isn't physically in it #but i saw the prompt and was like THE BOOK #and then i decided it was important for fictional!george to give it to him #also the bookshop man is magic ive decided #and so is the entire bookshop lol #anyway thank you again for reading and being so lovely #you are also welcome to continue ignoring these

[simon-x-billy]

Simon x Billy

Year of the OTP: February

Chapter 2: The European plug situation

February prompt: Different

AN: Simon x Billy is a slow-burn m/m fic using the first-time-bi trope; turns NSFW (male/male, consensual) beginning tamely at Chapter 7 (July).

Meet my OTP: Simon Lewis, author of a best-selling paranormal book series, who keeps writing himself into his novels; and Billy Delaney, Irish handsome devil and nomadic man of mystery, who chefs internationally; and Italy. It’s sort of like a threesome. Simon x Billy is a slow-burn m/m fic using the first-time-bi trope. TW: References to the pain of being cheated on, bad language, bad humor, puns, Irish-isms, making fun of Americans, massive rewrites.

Read it all: All: on ao3 || Start: January Ch.1 || Next: March Ch.3

Chapter 2: The European plug situation

———/Simon/———

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. This is not going the way I planned. I hate it when that happens. I was prepared.

Except for the European plug situation.

First off, my bad. My responsibility, my fault, my dead phone. On day 1, in another country that speaks a language I don’t parlo. Except when I’m having an internal scolding session. Apparently, io parlo Italiano just fine when I least need it. Like when I’m conducting a conversation behind my face. Behind my fucking face. (Whose lip I can feel curling to express distaste and low key angst.)

Ugh. They have to have cell phone chargers at the gift shop. I sigh. Looking around, it’s pretty obvious that this was originally some kind of old, schmancy vacation villa. Something tells me there’s no gift shop. It’s not that kind of hotel. Under my breath I whimper, “Fuck.”

“All right?” It’s Billy. I jump because why is he standing behind me?

I pivot and fix him with my very best suspicious glare. I went to theatre school. Ok, fine, summer camp. Point is, I give good face when needed. This is one of those times, one of those faces. “Jesus! How long have you been standing there, creeper? Were you listening in on my conversation?”

“You mean, the word ‘fuck?’ That was a pretty quiet, short conversation.” He’s grinning at me now.

“Did you go to theatre school?” I clarify, “Like, ever?”

Billy snorts. “No, man. Where’d that come from?”

He’s all good humor and it’s so totally inappropriate, I try willing him to stop. His eyebrow — oh my god it’s humongous wtf — one arches while the other frowns. How does he do that? At least the top half of his face isn’t grinning anymore. That’s progress.

“What?” he demands. “Why’re yeh lookin at me like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like you’d like me to feck right off, leaving you alone to realize you’ve not got your room key.” He jangles it at me.

“That would have been the topper to a very shitty day.” Having stopped rolling (not molly - the other kind of rolling), my eyes pop out of my head. Because he has handed me the keys. “Whoa,” I say reverently. “These are sooo cool.”

I have to keep myself from fondling them. “Skeleton keys,” I whisper.

“Glad they cheered you up, man. You were havin a mope there for a while.”

My mope returns. Sort of an exasperation + anxiety x annoyance, to the power of a lingering ache in my stomach that I know from recent experience is a bone deep sadness.

“And now it’s back,” he says. “Whatever’s goin through your head can be moped over later. Mate, you’re in Italy. Yeh haven’t seemed to notice that yet.”

“Is there a gift shop?”

“Sorry, what?” he asks. Is he laughing at me?

“A gift shop.”

“This isn’t that kind of hotel, mate, sorry. Is there something I can help yeh with?”

So many things. “I just remembered the plugs are different here. I have arrived in Italy with a dead phone and no compatible plugs. I feel so betrayed.”

He laughs and his eyes twinkle. They twinkle.

At least he can tell when I’m joking. That’s a thing.

“Don’t worry, Seemon. I’ll get it sorted.” He gives a small salute and disappears into the bowels of the hotel.

Oh shit. “Wait! Billy! Billy?”

A woman appears in his place from some dimly lit doorway. She reminds me of my mother. But with fewer anxiety and worry wrinkles criss-crossing her face.

Damn. Ma would be so wounded by that thought, so I put it out of my mind.

“Signore?”

“Oh, um, si, io non parlo Italiano. I like to start all my sentences that way,” I say with an attempt at charm. Billy doesn’t get to own charming.

She gives me a strange look, and responds with the old classic “Okaaaay,” in heavily accented English. “Why do you stand in the doorway? With the baggage around you like goats.”

Apparently neither one of us is very funny in English. I feel so lost in translation.

“Come. Let me make you checked in, and we will settle you. Come in from the doorstep,” she says as she turns away with her neck craning. “Leo? Leo!”

A young man (boy?) — A young man-boy hurries out of what appears to be an office. She’s peppering him with instructions that I can’t understand. My suitcases are being pulled right out of my hands. Rude! (But helpful. I guess.) Don’t try that in New York.

While she futzes with her computer, I finally take a moment to notice the amazing carved wood segment of wall behind her. I wish I could see it in detail. Figure out what story it’s trying to tell. It has something to do with nudity. I try squinting, but that’s all I can tell from here.

A bright, clashing array of intricately painted tiles are framed throughout the room. Chaotic, yes. Neutral, no. We’ll go with chaotic good. It’s also delightful, which I’m so not in the mood for at the moment.

She tells me about the amenities, breakfast times, the famous restaurant, blah blah blah as she leads me up three flights of stairs, and down a long, narrow hallway with many doors — none of which are mine. I’m starting to lose my bearings, but it’s only one more flight of stairs, atop which she pauses to unlock a door. “It is good, Signore Laywees? You have the face of a dog who is whining.”

“Wow,” I say, taken aback. Taken-aback has now officially been added to my repertoire of faces. Officially.

“Did I say something in a way that is wrong?” she asks, with a worried look.

“I don’t know. You might have actually wanted to call me a whining dog.” I start to chuckle.

“Yes. Exactly. A whining dog. I remember for next time.”

I blink.

She nods, “Si certo. Certo. And I tell you that what is here is the finest suite at Hotel di Limoni is here.” She ushers me on to the top floor. “You look around, you. See that there are no other doors here to this floor. You are here alone.”

“Yes. Yes, I am,” I nod, thank her, “Grazie,” and close the door behind her.

———/-/———

My mood disappears instantly.

Oh my god I’m in Italy.

The room before me has pale yellow walls the color of butter imported from Irish cows. That’s specific and descriptive, Lewis, nice one. (I try to encourage the writer within, whenever I can.)

Source Right: Hotel La Tonnarella. I stayed there, but not in that room. I wasn’t trying to get in that much debt.

Everything is in shades of sea and sky blues, bright lemon yellow, and pale Irish butter, with more of the chaotic good tiles here and there working their delightful magic. The bed cover is also in pale Irish butter. I will sleep in pale Irish butter tonight. Oh yes, I will.

The overall effect is an airy room, full of light, that recedes into the background against one hell of a view.

Large french doors lining the exterior wall lead out to a massive deck. One that I and I alone can access. The doors have been thrown open, with sheer curtains rippling into the room. The breeze off the Mediterranean Sea is fresh and cool.

Oh my god. That’s the Mediterranean Sea!

Or Tyrrhenian. Whatever.

I watch as boats speed across my entire view, appearing and disappearing between the open doors. They leave their long white slashes behind them, literally left in their wake. From inside the room, they look like dashes, stuttering white lines in each window darting through the perfection of the blue Medi/Tyrrhenian Sea.

Waking up to this is going to be amazing. She would have loved it.

“Fuck her. She can’t have it.” It’s mine, and mine alone.

———/-/———

I acknowledge that I need to stop. Stop with the moping. Fuck Billy for trying to be friendly and helpful, the bastard. That charming Irishman is right and I temporarily hate him for it. But only hyperbolically.

I walk out onto my balcony and into the bright sun. I immediately decide that this is worthy of a sunburn, and shuck off my shirt.

Oof. I’ve just realized that my eyes are watering because that distinctive odor is coming from me.

One would think a shower after a sunbath would be the rational, intelligent option. Nah. Intelligence has fewer hit points than stacking a 24 hour odyssey of jet lag, rumpled hair, eau de pit, and a bad attitude. I’m winning today.

“Chin up, Simon. Chin up.” That was Ma’s pearl of wisdom for this trip. The sum total of her empathy. She didn’t even like What’ser Name. So where’s the sympathy? The empathy? Apparently empathy dims in direct proportion to the glamorousness of one’s vacation destination.

Maybe I can wash the mope off. And the headache. And the me.

Grabbing my stuff, I head for the bathroom and stop dead.

“Dove il bano!” I cry. ‘Bathroom.’ Feh! What an absolutely disgraceful excuse of a word to describe something as magnificent as this. Look at it. So majestic, while also being mindfully calming. Everything everywhere is blue, and I can’t tell the inside from the outside.

Turning on a shower should not be this difficult. I am a grown man, goddammit. I should be able to figure out how to turn on a freakin shower. I mean, I figured out what the extra toilet was for. Correction: Not a toilet but a bidet. Though I admit to having called the front desk about it. What can I say, Italians like to have fresh butts.

“You will not defeat me, vile mechanism of demonkind, I will not be deterred, oh no! I will have my shower, and dammit, it will be good.”

———/-/———

I am happy to report to you, oh devoted fictitious audience in my head, that it was good. It was the best shower of my life. Or at least one of the top five, as I may have better showers even than this magnificent one at some point in the future. At least I doubt I will ever smell so good again. It’s the bath stuff made from a “beneficial” mineral spring somewhere around here. I want to smell like this every day for the rest of my life.

But first. The sun.

I feel unencumbered, unrestrained. So I skip the swim trunks and just wear my towel onto my massive deck. Deck. Not dick. Deck. I do want to let it all hang out there, but then, I also want to disappear into this experience, and the specter of horrified travelers covering the eyes of their crying children is enough to reinforce my modesty. I don’t want my dick ruining anyone’s vacation, so I keep the towel on.

———/-/———

I’m drooling as I wake up on my side with my ass half hanging out. It’s not a good look.

Turns out I couldn’t care less. Four uninterrupted hours of sun, in the peace and quiet of the apocalyptic visions usually filling my head these days. Whenever I think about the book I owe my editor — Noooo! Duck! Run! Hide! — See? I can’t. I won’t. You can’t make me.

And yet I have already double-crossed myself because I’m thinking about it anyway. Yesterday I was still slogging away at Book Four’s first chapter, and hating every single word I wrote. It was a whole pile of nothing. Less than nothing. It was tripe. So I gave up and rashly trashed it, deleting the offending text while I waited to board my flight.

All of it. It’s gone. And that’s a good thing, because every turn of phrase I had managed to wrest from my uninspired noggin just failed like a lead weight. Total fail. I’m used to having a tiny, yet enthusiastic filmmaker living inside my creativity. He’s really good at pulling forth the sweeping torrent of imagery I see like a movie in my head when I’m on a roll. (Again, not that kind of rolling.) But now? I can only manage six or so paragraphs at a time, and hatefully hate every one of them. “Whyyyyyyyy?” I ask the sky.

So here’s what I know: Half my characters will eventually be about to die unless Simon saves them. With the help of super-vamp Raphael and maybe a nymph or two. Looking up, I can see the islands they call the Syranusas, after the sirens who so callously call sailors to their deaths. So now I’m thinking maybe I’ll pull in some expendable mermaids, too. I dunno.

It all just sounds so played out. At least to my eyes. Like, I’m writing another war, with all the same characters, having the same powers, and using them all the same way, to rescue the same loved ones + world from evil the same way. Except I’ve stuck them all on the Mediterranean and added a bunch of mermaids. What’s next? Introduce zombies into the series as if they actually exist — for the first time in book four? Holy hell, writer’s block sucks. God.

This is supposed to be the book that finally focuses on Simon as the main character. The fans just will not shut up about wanting one. I groan. And not in a sexy way. I mean, I know I should be flattered that they like the whole twisty ‘he’s me’ thing, but how do I write a whole book about a character I based on me? Isn’t that kind of self-serving? Cringe?

I am such a dick. Only I would write myself into a book.

My eye-rolls are practically deafening at the mere thought of it. A whole book about me who is not me. And I have only me to blame. (Other me.)

———/-/———

Read More: All on ao3 || Start: January Ch.1 || Next: March Ch.3

#year of the otp 2023 #year of the otp #simon x billy #february chapter #simon lewis #billy delaney #february chapter 2 #the European plug situation #chapter 2 #february #the year of the otp 2023 #robert sheehan character fic #tmi fanfic #tmi fic #simon #billy #robert sheehan #otp #simon is simon #pin #pinned #my pins #year of the otp event #year of the otp event 2023 #year of the otp prompt event #prompt event #event #ao3 event #writing event #fic writing