#should i post this on ao3?

[inexplicablymine]

Time for an ask!

How do you think Alex’s introduction to David went? Who was more excited?

Short Answer: They are equally excited and Henry is a little butt hurt that Alex is able to get along so easily with David (but secretly thrilled).

Long answer: a canon-compliant if you squint Ficlet for you because this ask SENT ME PLACES. (see below to keep reading)

My Two Favorite Royals

“Oh stop wait you know what would make this better,”

“What Alex,” Henry asks in an exasperated tone, he is already hanging on by a thread at seeing the object of his every fantasy in threadbare joggers and glasses. Alex grabbing his hand only moments ago to take a photo for Instagram almost made him vibrate out of his skin.

“Where is your dog?”

Henry sputters back, “My, my dog? What on earth- how do you know about my dog?”

Alex sends a lazy smile his way, “It was on your fact sheet sweetheart do keep up.”

Henry tries not to let the momentary confusion or the nickname get the best of him. He knows with certainty that anything about David wasn’t on that blasted fact sheet that was so wrong it could have been made for a complete stranger.

Alex is standing now pushing his laptop closed and looking up at Henry eagerly. It's a face Henry couldn’t possibly ignore.

With a resigned sigh Henry turns and walks towards his bedroom. He can’t help but think about how he has never had a boy in his bedroom. Sure Pez, but that didn’t count. And now… now his inescapable insufferable crush was going to be waltzing into his bedroom of all things looking like a wet dream walking.

Henry is ripped from his internal monologue by a shout and Alex running in front of him to David.

He can’t tell who is more excited, his beagle, who is shaking so much his entire body is wiggling with every tail wag, or Alex, who immediately drops to the floor arms open wide to accept the wriggling dog into his arms.

“Ohhhh such a good boy, yes you are, what a handsome dog, the most important royal yes you are,” Alex coos. Henry can feel his heart bursting at the sight. Alex’s uncontrollable laughter when David starts licking him, and the way he sits fully against the wall legs splayed out and glasses askew is giving him heart palpitations.

Alex looks up smiling, “Not sure how such a cute dog got stuck with such a stuck up owner but I might just have to take him home for myself.”

“Excuse me! Stuck up? You can’t take David he is the only thing that keeps me sane in this prison cell.”

Alex looks a little startled by the outburst and pauses to pat the ground next to him.

“Want to elaborate on that sweetheart.”

Henry isn’t sure when the nickname came to be but he isn’t going to ask for it to stop. So he sits down, completely undignified in his jim jams, and lets David break the ice between them.

The next two hours are spent with their hands accidentally touching while they pet David. Alex pesters Henry for more answers, real answers, about his life than he has ever been asked before.

They argue about David’s name and Alex says his only saving grace is that he is no longer a mystery to Alex but the rest of the world can stay that way. It warms him up from the inside. He doesn’t want to look too hard into anything or give himself a false sense of hope.

Maybe Alex is just this touchy with everyone. Maybe the nicknames aren’t just for him. Maybe he also holds someone’s hand in his own as he puts his number into their phone demanding daily updates of David or incurring his wrath.

When Alex is somewhere over the Atlantic he gets a notification link on his phone to an Instagram post.

Alex in his glasses and sweats holding David mid laughter. Henry next to him also laughing. The Crown is going to kill him for looking so unprofessional, but the caption is what stops him short.

“Had to hop across the pond to visit my two favorite royals (don’t tell Henry that David is really my favorite)”

Henry can’t stop the way his heart jumps at being called a favorite anything of Alex’s.

He scrolls down to the comments and sees a wave of support.

Comments about how real their friendship is, how cute David is, how real friends wouldn’t have photos like this together, how the bromance is real.

His heart doesn’t stop thumping with every text back and forth with Alex that evening. Or the next.

His heart is in his throat with every phone call, it pitters restlessly when he receives selfies from the bed, it leaps when he gets a phone call at thanksgiving, and clenches dangerously when he finally ends the call on Christmas Eve.

A year and a half after that selfie was posted to Instagram they are sitting on a low leather couch in a brownstone in Brooklyn. A place that Henry never expected to call home. Alex is in sweats and Henry is wearing one of Alex’s NYU sweatshirts. They are currently arguing over which season of The Great British Bake Off to watch when Alex gets an alert on his phone.

He looks down and laughs. Henry doesn’t have a moment to ask what it’s about before Alex is dragging David up from his place between the two of them into his arms. David lets out a small huff but quickly relaxes back into Alex, where he has found home in the past year just as easily as Henry.

“Smile babe,”

Henry has learned not to question Alex so he leans in and smiles, realizing just how easy it is now to let the corners of his mouth curl up.

A few moments of tapping and Alex sets his phone down on the table with a flourish.

“So are you going to share what that was about?” Henry lightly pesters.

“Only putting an online debate to rest, you might want to mute your notifications sweetheart.”

Oh god what has he done now, is all Henry can think as he pulls his own phone up.

Posted on his Instagram Alex has created a slideshow of photos. The one he just took at the front of the group. As Henry swipes through he can’t help but smile as image after image of the three of them, Alex, Henry, and David are together. The final photo makes his breath catch. There they are on the floor of Kensington Palace, long before anything happened, long before Henry knew just how wonderful his life might turn out to be.

The caption is simple and sweet,

“Just wanted to update y’all on how it’s going with my two favorite royals. (Don't tell David but Henry is my favorite.)”

#inexplicablymine answers #inexplicablymine writes #ficlet #rwrb ficlet #rwrb #firstprince #truly the truth about David coming out here in my fast and furious flurry of writing #listen I just think first meetings between dogs and people can be so wholesome #should I post this on AO3?

[bqu1nns]

intermittently - brian q.

my first fan fic ever!! [clap] [clap] in this fanfic, brian is a minor, 16-17 years old???? and the reader is a minor as well so no freaky stuff!!! leave comments on how i can improve PLEASEEE i love ya bye bye !

word count : 713

january 29th 1992

“i think i love you”, brian says to you, as the confession echoes through the late winter air. his words are pouring out more than he would have hoped. his gaze remained focused on your eyes only, observing your reaction with a mixture of embarrassment and uncertainty. 

he is certainly not the type of highschool teenager to get all shy and nervous around other people but whenever he was around you, brian's demeanor shifted in your presence. he became a gentle and caring soul, a stark contrast to his usual self. from the first day you stepped into high school, he took it upon himself to ensure your well-being, guiding you through the hallways and making sure you found your classes.

the place of confession, in all honesty, isn't ideal. but, it does hold sentimental value – just right outside the back doors of your highschool that had witnessed countless moments between the two of you. from accidental hand touches in the cafeteria line, exchanging silly faces in the hallway and sharing lunches by the football field, this place held a trove of shared memories.

 you always thought to yourself that it was impossible to ever get bored of him. brian had a knack of turning uncomfortable moments into wholesome jokes, gently caressing your shoulder in hopes of making you feel better. everytime he leaves those innocent touches against your skin, you can't help but blush, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible. 

with the help of the cold january breeze nipping against your neck, you snap back to reality. the very boy that you've liked for a year just said the words that you've spent nights fantasizing and giggling against your pillow about. the soft wind tousled his soft brown hair, revealing his furrowed eyebrows, still awaiting for an answer while you were daydreaming.  

a subtle tension lingers in the air between the two of you, like a red string tied to the both of you. brian senses that you felt contemplated in the moment, took a step back, and let you figure out what you were going to say next. he places his hands over his face in complete embarrassment, letting out a nervous laugh and says, “look, i didn't mean to put you on the spot or anything. i just wanted to let you know how i feel for you since i've been sensing some things have changed between the two of us.” 

god! hes sickeningly sweet.

“i.. i never would have expected this,” you say, trying to control your heart from jumping out of your chest. you finally look up to brian to see how beautiful he looks. the winter sun had casted a soft glow on his face, accentuating the sincerity of his brown eyes. 

i wanna kiss him. badly. 

brian, who can't stop smiling, stood in front of you, softly brushing the hair from your face with his fingers. his hands then moved down to your jacket, anxiously playing with the zipper. the awkward silence was filled with unspoken emotions. 

“you know, brian,” you begin softly, “this might sound crazy but, i've been trying to muster those words for the longest time myself.” his lips part gently, waiting to hear what you’ll say next. 

“i love you,” you confessed. his eyes, wide with surprise and joy, met yours, and the entire atmosphere shifted. brian’s mittens, warm against your gentle skin, cupped your cheek. “i've been waiting to hear those words for so long,” brian whispered against your forehead, pressing a kiss against it. 

a moment of hesitation flows through the both of you as your bodies are close against one another. everything is silent except for the sound of the two sounds of breathing and giggles leaving the both of you. he leans in closer to your face, merely inches away. without any needed words, both of your lips met in a kiss. 

you finally feel the lips you've been wanting to kiss ever since the day he lended you his coat when you were feeling a “bit cold”. since the day he held you gently in his arms as you cried in his arms. since the day he “accidentally” kissed your cheek when you accomplished something that you've been wanting. 

since forever. 

#brian quinn #impractical jokers #brian quinn x reader #brian quinn x female reader #brian quinn x female oc #impractical jokers fanfiction #joe gatto #james murray #sal vulcano #fanfic #ao3 fanfic #should i post this on ao3? #my writing<3 #tell em steve dave #podcast #kevin smith #clerks

[chemdisaster]

every time scar died in 3rd life, grian screamed.

a shocked exclamation as the creeper went off and scar's stuff exploded around them. "SCAR, NO!" as scar missed a step and slammed into hard stone, feeling agony shoot up his legs in a blink before he was gone. sobbing out apologies as his fists rained down on grey skin, yelling at the sky for the universe to hear.

no one ever screams when scar loses his lives anymore.

grian laughs when he steals scar's first life, and smiles grimly as he threatens scar into giving away two more. etho pierces him with a cold stare as he transfers a life to bdubs, and cackles as he wraps the fishing line around his waist and slashes at his back before scar can even realise what's going on. cleo squeals in joy and calls him a friend, but at the end of it all leaves anyway. no one stays, and scar gets used to the coldness of death and the echoes of silence.

grian screams again when scar shows up, trembling and desperate, and falls into their trap. but he goes up to his mountain in the dead of night and does not mention it when he finds him curled up and shivering under his blankets. scar waits for grian to say something, anything, but all he hears is the placing of a chest and the sound of wind rushing through his front door. by the time he rolls over in his bed, grian is gone. scar does not know what he expected, but he burned in lava and he thinks that maybe all the poppies and lilacs burned with him.

when he dies for the final time, all he hears is the sounds of battle and the squelch as the arrow splits his skin. but scar thinks of grian. and he thinks of the cactus ring. and he thinks that maybe he'd die a slow death over and over again, if only someone would care.

#gtws #gtws angst #gtwscar #goodtimeswithscar #desert duo #third life #last life #grian #should i post this on ao3? #i'm not sure #worddisaster #textdisaster #trafficfic

[scrunklyshinyguy]

fuck it here's some damerina angst hope y'all enjoy!!

Marina stares at the clock on Dame’s bedside drawer, the numbers reading 1:00 AM glaring at him in the dark. He’s been here for a week, he should be used to the timezone change. He IS used to the timezone change, but something’s keeping him up tonight.

Meeting Dame’s family was…ok. They were good people and it was plain to see that Dame loved them. Marina was briefed on who’s who and the recent news about the family on the ride to Dame’s family home. He was so excited to meet his boyfriend’s family and made sure to be on his best behavior, determined to make a good first impression.

He’s not sure what he did wrong, or if he even did anything wrong in the first place. He knew coming in that French people wouldn’t be as hospitable as Filipinos are or be completely welcoming and accepting of foreigners. But something about how they acted towards him, something in how they looked at him stung. Something in how they talked to him through Dame, or how they responded to his compliments with tight-lipped smiles.

Marina blinks back tears that he didn’t even know were coming, using the blanket to wipe most of it away. He tries to rationalize their behavior towards him, tries to come up with reasons that fall completely flat. The truth is, he knows why that is. He’s completely aware of the real reason why they acted like that but he tries to push it back down, tries to see the best in them.

But it’s no use, and the tears flow and he sobs into his pillow. He should have expected it, should have expected that what happened was going to happen. But Dame….his sweetheart, his love. He truly wanted to meet the people that raised such a kind, sweet, silly man. He wanted to meet the people that made such a good man and see if they were too. And they were, for the most part. 

They really were such kind and sweet people, just not to him. Not to somebody like him. More and more tears flow and he has to bite his fist to quiet himself, to keep Dame in his restful slumber. As much as he wants Dame to console him, to soothe him, he knows he has to deal with his sorrow himself.

So he decides to fall asleep, as difficult as it is. He hides his tear-stained face in the covers and lets sleep take him.

#writing tag #i keep putting marina in situations #sorry to her #but shes my chewtoy it seems #damerina #should i post this on ao3?

[fool16k]

Between skin and felt - part 1

It was a very boring day in the studio today, you did your job as the prop manager well enough that Mr. Darling never had to yell or scream at you to do your job correctly unlike most of the other seasoned employees that worked on Welcome Home. At least.. that’s what you thought. You happened to be having an off day, thinking about those weird dreams you were having about Mr. Darling and his literal bodyguard had you on edge, it didn’t help that they were also RIGHT there a few feet away from you.

As you go to lower the giant, exaggerated, cartoonish sun prop, your grip on the old rope they still used from refusing to extend the prop and maintenance budget slipped and the heavy plywood painted prop crashed to the ground.. narrowly hitting Janet.

“WHAT THE FUCK ASSHOLE!? YOU COULD’VE KILLED ME!!” The resounding crash the prop had made as it hit the ground caught the attention of almost everybody in the room and suddenly all eyes were on you.. Including Mr. Darling and Max. Your palms sweat as you nervously look everywhere except at all the eyes staring at you in the moment,

“It was an accident! The rope slipped out of my hands- it’s old and ratty.. and quit being so dramatic Janet. It wouldn’t have killed you.. just… seriously maimed you a bit..” The blond haired jerk of the studio had her mouth agape, and your comment got a few snickers out of the more dark humored interns that were currently working. She mumbles a few things underneath her breath as she angrily ushers past you to go somewhere else, and it’s quiet before a voice cuts through the air.

“My set.. is ruined.” Your eyes turn over to Wally, who is angrily staring at the main set for the show.. which is in pieces.

His rage is intense, white hot rage if you will. But he sounds so calm that it scares you way more than hearing him yell and scream ever would.

“You’re staying late and fixing this.” He turns to look at you, his eyes are in slits and you can see hints of teeth poking through the grimace he’s wearing on his yellow felted face. You can only seem to muster the courage to swallow thickly and nod lightly before staring at the floor as everybody goes back to discussing their plans, albeit much quieter, and you can still feel Wally and Max’s eyes on you.

But this point, everybody has long since gone home - but you were still stuck cleaning up the mess you made. Hopefully, this experience will show how much better equipment is needed for the set pieces and props. You were VERY late to a party you had gotten invited to. The fraggles were hosting it, and you had no idea how you managed to get put on their radar or invited to a party thrown by some of the most iconic puppet actors of all time but you weren't complaining. It took forever to break down the giant sun prop that crashed into the stage, and it was almost 9:00 at night and you were still here.

"Maybe I can just get here early tomorrow.." you look around and go to the employee locker room where you kept all your stuff, changing out of your work clothes and into the extra set you had brought with you, but as you’re changing you hear Wally Darling himself talking to Max.

“Oh Max.. you’re the only human who I trust enough to bring to this party.. I’m so glad you decided to come with me!”

“Hmph. Only because you would cry and bitch at me if I didn’t agree.”

“Language Maxxy.”

A party?? Maybe they were also going to the fraggles party.. you’ll just have to avoid them then. You didn’t want to imagine the look on Mr. Darlings face if he caught slacking off at a celebrity’s party and not fixing his set. You soon have your casual clothes on, and you’re driving up to a remote modestly sized mansion in the heart of Hollywood. The house is big and modern looking, the flashing colored lights and loud bass boosted music tells you you’re in the right place and you park down the road and walk up the winding gated driveway to the building..

The winding line of people trying to get in reveals that this is in fact the house of a celebrity, but as you’re about to get in line someone stops you.

“Oi’!! Get over here! You’re part of VIP.” You look over and see.. Boober. THE Boober is talking to you- and you listen- I mean, who wouldn’t?? You follow him to a side gate, that leads to the backyard. It’s the most lavish outdoor space you’ve ever experienced, there was a minibar. the gigantic pool had lights in the sides seemingly making the normally crystal clear water change colors magically and the gazebo had fairy lights hanging from it, along with a few tiki torches.

Boober leads you to the gazebo, having you sit down he has the bartender a few feet away make you both some cocktails before speaking.

"So... we've heard good things about you. I'm coming forward on behalf of all the Muppets and asking a huge favor..." You take a sip of your cocktail before speaking meekly.

"Well... I don't know what you've heard about me, but I hope I can help you." Boober seems to perk up a bit, his mouth twitching upwards into a small smile.

"I thought you'd say that. The directors for welcome home that move around say that you help out with a little bit of everything, and not just props..." That was true... you did tend to overwork yourself a bit. But you liked being helpful, and that is how you were raised.

"The writers' strike going on right now, has really dropped the amount of people on our writing team, and we're falling behind on production... since we heard you're a decent writer and storyteller from what we hear, we would like to ask you to-" Boober is interrupted, his head turning towards the person who spoke.

"Hey Boob'! Max wanted me to ask you if he could..-" It was your boss. Wally, and he was staring right at you, having not finished his sentence out of surprise and anger.

what would you do now??

So.. this is my first time ever actually posting a fanfiction I've written. I do plan on continueing this but i feel like it has sat in my drafts for too long already, so enjoy part one!

Actor AU is by @frillsand.

#welcome home actor au #welcome home au #wally actor au #actor au #diva wally #actor wally au #my writing #should I post this on Ao3?

[ziltoidcoffee]

CK Drabble: Mail-Order Omega

(A Silverusso drabble based on old photos of Ralph where he looks absolutely bratty.

Daniel is an omega whose mother signs him up for an alpha-omega dating agency. Refusing to marry some random alpha, he tries to sabotage himself, but an alpha named Terry Silver is still interested. When the alpha flies to Newark to visit him, Daniel is forced to go on the date, but he spends the entire time trying to get Terry to hate him. It doesn’t quite work.)

At nineteen years old, Daniel has no interest in getting married.

He just finished high school and has his whole life ahead of him. Only he’s an omega, the rarest of the second genders. This means nothing really, except that he has a heat every other month and got picked on by every alpha growing up. Thankfully, he started reading about karate sophomore year and was able to fend for himself—at least for the most part. But being an omega also means he’s a very eligible bachelor.

Most particularly to alphas, who are almost as rare. Therefore, omegas are often arranged to marry and mate them, and their families are given a hefty paycheck. But Daniel wants to marry for love, not money. Always has, always will.

Yet he’s riding the bus on his way to an arranged date with an alpha he’s never met before.

It’s all his mother’s fault. She signed him up for this arranged marriage agency through the mail. Not against his will. Daniel agreed. But not without a fight. At first, he refused and threatened to move out. Then she revealed how far behind they are on the mortgage payment. She got let go from her job a month ago and hasn’t been able to find work since.

Daniel didn’t want to lose the family house, the one his father bought for them. So he tried to help, applying to hundreds of jobs around town. But apparently, an omega is worth more as a fiance than an employee. Especially one with no experience and only a high school diploma.

He kept searching though. Cause there’s no way he was marrying some random alpha, no matter how much they were willing to pay. That’s what Daniel told himself. Then he walked in on his mother crying over a picture of them with his dad.

“Fine, ma. I give up. Call the agency,” he told her at the time. “But I doubt anyone will wanna marry me.”

That was two weeks ago.

Since then, his mother found a new job, and they’re no longer behind on mortgage payments. So Daniel assumed she’d drop the idea. But his mom played the guilt card and begged him to go. She claimed she wanted Daniel to have what she and his father did. That world for like a minute—until he had to pose for photos and fill out some long-winded survey. He felt like a piece of meat up for sale.

Disgusted with himself and the whole idea, he took the worst photos and gave the most annoying answers, guaranteeing no alpha would want him

Except one stupid alpha did.

His mother broke the news to him last night. A wealthy, older alpha from California was interested in Daniel. So much that he apparently flew in last night and arranged a date at the most expensive restaurant in Newark. He begged his mother to cancel the date, explaining that any alpha who wanted him was probably crazy. But after accidentally revealing his plan to sabotage, he gave her fuel to guilt trip him into going.

Only he wasn’t going to “behave” like she urged him when he stomped on the bus. Daniel’s going to make this alpha hate him, even if he had to embarrass himself in front of the entire town.

Because there’s no way he’s marrying this alpha. He wants to mate with someone he loves—not for money or status.

Daniel’s plan begins when he arrives at the restaurant. The bus dropped him off a block away, but he doesn’t walk in the door until his date’s already been sitting there for ten minutes. He almost feels bad. But after clocking the snide look from the hostess at his cheap suit, he’s reminded why tonight has to be a failure. This alpha isn’t from his world, and after tonight, he’ll know Daniel isn’t made for his either.

Yet the alpha seems completely unbothered when the hostess leaves him at their table. He smiles wide, stands up, and offers his hand. “Hello, Daniel,” he greets. “Terry Silver. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

His voice sends a shiver down Daniel’s spine, as does the alpha’s rich, intoxicating scent. He smells of the ocean on a sunny day with hints of cherry blossoms, leather, and sandalwood. It’s so strong that he can hardly think and even takes a second to respond.

“Uh, you too,” he manages and shakes the alpha’s hand while trying not to stare. Because if the scent of him wasn’t enough, Terry is one of the most handsome men he’s ever met, with his dark blue eyes, statuesque proportions, and charming smile.

But this changes nothing.

Terry may be an attractive alpha, but he’s still willing to spend money on an omega he doesn’t even know. Clearly, there must be something wrong with him, and Daniel isn’t willing to marry him to find out. He sits down across from Terry and brings his attention to the leather-bound menu, preparing to launch into plan a: acting like a rude, spoiled brat. Hopefully, the restaurant staff will forgive him, and if not, it’s not like he’s coming back

“Did you already order?” he snaps, changing his tone entirely.

“Oh, no. I assumed you’d want to order your own meal.” When Daniel glances up, he half expects the alpha to be laughing. They’re known for walking all over omegas, some going as far as controlling what they eat. Yet Terry is smiling innocently and adds, “Please, order whatever you’d like. This is all on me, of course.”

Daniel scoffs. What a typical alpha, assuming he has no money. He might not. But he should at least get the opportunity to split the bill. At least he doesn’t have to pretend to be angry. “Of course? Because I can’t afford it?”

Terry frowns. “Would you like to pay for your share? I’d love to treat you, but maybe we can get dessert somewhere after where you can pay.”

His eyes go wide. He must be joking. “What?” Daniel never expected some wealthy, older alpha from L.A. to suggest eating somewhere in Newark—beyond their finest, most expensive restaurant.

The waitress arrives before Terry can answer. She asks what they’d like, and he orders the most expensive dish, tagliolini pasta with lobster and truffles. Daniel doesn’t even like seafood, but it's worth pissing off the alpha. Or he thought so anyway. Terry smiles and says he’ll have the same, along with a bottle of red from their top shelf.

He grits his teeth. Maybe the alpha is being polite, or he doesn’t know the price. It doesn’t matter though. Daniel is straying from his plan. But Terry beats him before he can even speak, asking, “So, how was your day, Daniel?” His tone is so friendly that a real answer almost comes out of Daniel.

Instead though, he crosses his arms with a pout. “Shit, I hated it.” Simple but effective.

Terry frowns. “Why? What happened?”

God, that sounded genuine. Daniel pretends to be unphased. “Oh, nothing particularly. I just fucking hate it here. Everyone sucks, and there’s nothing to do.” Which is such a lie. “You wouldn’t understand.” But that isn’t.

“I have bad days sometimes too,” Terry tells him. “Yesterday, I had a difficult work meeting, and then I sat in two hours of traffic.” Daniel rolls his eyes. Like that could even compare. “I remember you said in the letter that your favorite place is the Bahamas. Have you ever been there?”

Shit, he completely forgot everything he wrote. Now he’ll have to come up with an excuse that isn’t “I picked somewhere expensive and impractical so you’d be annoyed.” Daniel shrugs and says, “No, just thought it sounds—I don’t know…peaceful. Why? You hate it? Or been there too many times to count?”

A laugh rumbles out of Terry. The sound makes Daniel’s heart flutter, more than he wants to admit. “Only once or twice. For business. That’s how I’ve done most of my traveling. Or with a friend if he isn’t busy.” His lips draw into a smile. “But I would be open to doing more traveling, preferably with a mate to enjoy the trip with.”

Daniel hates how amazing the idea sounds, being able to see the world with someone you love. “Sounds nice.” The comment comes out before he can restrain himself, and his tone is hopeful, nothing close to rude.

Terry’s smile widens. Before either can speak, the waitress returns with the wine. She pours them both a glass, sets the bottle in ice on the table, and notes the food will be ready soon. Once she leaves again, the alpha lifts his glass into the air with a smile.

“To a wonderful evening,” he cheers, and Daniel smirks at the perfect opportunity.

“We’ll see,” he mutters and ignores Terry’s toast to take a drink.

The wine is fine, really. Not that much different from cheap stuff Daniel’s had at family gatherings. But that answer isn’t rude enough. He’ll have to take it up a notch. “Ugh.” Daniel slams his glass down with a groan. “Gross. It tastes like cheap grape juice.”

Any decent person would be annoyed. Instead, Terry hums and stares at the bottle. “I think you’re right. Perhaps she got the order wrong.” He looks around the room with a frown. “I’ll ask the waitress to double-check when she comes back around.”

Oh God. The last thing Daniel wants to do is get someone in trouble. He’s fine pissing off Terry but not a hardworking innocent woman. “No, don’t,” he blurts, then remembers he’s supposed to be rude and crosses his arms. “She’ll just fuck it up again.”

For a second, he swears the alpha’s lip quirk up, almost looking amused. But whatever was there is gone in a flash. Terry frowns and glances toward the back of the restaurant. “I just hope the food is acceptable. This was supposed to be the best place in town. I had my assistant Margaret check.”

Terry did research for their date? Did he care that much about trying to please him? Daniel’s heart flutters in his chest, but he ignores the feeling, remembering his mission.  “We should’ve gone to the city.” He slouches against the booth and lets out a loud groan. “God, this town’s going to the dogs.”

It hurts Daniel to talk trash about Newark, but at least his performance is successful. Everyone nearby turns to stare at them, and Terry looks less than enthused, glancing around the room. Daniel pretends not to care, sipping his glass of wine. When silence follows for several minutes, he’s ready to declare a victory. But then a hand settles over his on the table, bringing the alpha’s scent closer, and his gaze jumps to Terry who smiles back.

“I’m sorry you’re not having a good time” He rubs his thumb across Daniel’s. “If you wish, we can leave now, and I’ll take us somewhere more acceptable. I know a chef who owns a restaurant on the upper east side. I’m sure he can find a table for us.”

His tone is so sincere that Daniel almost groans in annoyance. Clearly, Terry isn’t bothered by his bratty behavior, but he’s not willing to act any more rude than he has already. Which means it’s time to switch to plan b: acting like a slut. Because while the alpha doesn’t care if he’s impolite, there’s no way he’s going to want an omega who’s slept with half the town. Only Daniel’s never been past second past—with only one beta no less. Thankfully, he’s prepared an act for this strategy too.

“Nah, might as well stay. We’re already here.” Daniel slides off his suit jacket and undoes the top few buttons of his shirt, exposing a sliver of his mating gland. As expected, this draws the eyes of Terry instantly, but his expression doesn’t change.  “It’s just—I know the chef. He might spit in our food.”

The alpha’s brow raises, eyes coming back to his face. “Really? Why’s that?”

Daniel glances back at the kitchen door. “Let’s just say the alpha couldn’t get enough of what I was serving,” he says with a smirk, and Terry’s lips press together tightly.

Jackpot. Now he’s getting somewhere. “Didn’t help that was cooking for his beta brother too.” Daniel shrugs. “But what can I say? I’m an experienced chef.”

There’s silence for a moment, as Terry simply stares at him. Daniel can’t help but curl his fist in victory under the table. He’s going to be asked to leave, maybe even yelled at. But then a laugh escapes the alpha, and he stiffens in confusion. “Well, that’s good to hear…because I can’t cook at all,” Terry says with a grin. “Maybe you could give me cooking lessons sometime. Or at least share your recipes.”

God dammit. He rolls his eyes. Is this alpha stupid or what? Didn’t he catch the innuendo? “Christ,” Daniel mutters under his breath. He’ll have to get more obvious. But before he can say anything else, the waitress returns with their food and places a dish in front of each of them.

“Looks better than I thought,” Terry chuckles, reading for his fork and knife. “Have you had this before?”

“Uh—” Daniel unwraps his utensils while he thinks of a response. “Yeah, but I don’t remember the taste much. Had too many garlic knots that night.” To punctuate the words, he winks and stuffs a helping of the pasta in his mouth.

Terry nods but doesn’t respond until he’s taken a bite himself. “I’ve never been one for garlic,” he admits. “But maybe you could convince me” Daniel coughs, almost choking in shock at his ignorance, and the alpha’s eyes widen. “Are you okay? Here, let me—”

He swallows with a gasp and pushes away his hand, wanting the alpha’s addicting smell as far away as possible. “I’m fine. Just went down the wrong pipe.”

“Good, you had me worried.” Terry smiles, and Daniel looks away, irritated at the failure of his plan. Maybe he has to be more obvious. Even though he hoped to leave with some dignity.

An opportunity arises when the beta waitress returns to their table. “How is everything?” she asks with a smile Her friendliness only makes Daniel feel worse, but hopefully, she’ll understand. He can always come back later and explain someday.

“It’s—” Terry begins, but he cuts the alpha off. “It’s wonderful!” Daniel exclaims with a smirk.

She nods. “Good to hear. If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask.” “Well, there is something else I want,” Daniel purrs, leaning in close enough to smell her faint rose and vanilla scent. “What time do you get off tonight?”

He brushes his hand against her thigh, and her eyes go wide. “I—” She glances between them. “That’s—”

“That’s all.” A low, commanding voice cuts in. He sucks in a breath, snapping his gaze to Terry leering across the table. Daniel pulls his hand back, reacting to the alpha growl before his brain can catch up.

This seems to please Terry. He smiles and nods at the waitress who scurries away. But his eyes narrow again when he turns back to Daniel, still frozen for some strange reason. “Are you done yet?” he asks with a sigh, tone dripping with irritation.

Daniel blinks at him. “What?”

Terry takes another bite before answering. “This—” He waves the fork between them. “Your act.”

His stomach drops at the accusation. Does he mean—he can’t possibly know—was Daniel being that obvious? He clears his throat. “W-what do you mean?” Despite playing dumb, he can’t strip the nervous stutter from his words.

“You know very well.” Terry’s chuckle sounds more amused than angry.

Still, even if he’s not mad, there’s no way Daniel’s confessing. Not until he has to. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” he snaps, slamming his fork on the table. “I’m not doing anything!”

His rising voice earns the attention of a few guests nearby, but Terry doesn’t react more than glancing at the silverware before returning his gaze to the omega. “Yes, you are,” he declares while reaching for his glass. “But I’ll play your little game and explain—this time anyway.”

Daniel swallows, waiting for an answer. He swears the alpha takes longer than necessary to drink his wine. But once he sets the glass back down, Terry smiles and steeples his hands on the table. “Where shall I begin? Perhaps the beginning. When I first received your application.” Daniel shrugs like he doesn’t care, but his heart is thumping in his chest.

Terry nods. “First, let me be honest. I wasn’t really interested in an omega—or mating. Not in the slightest. But my assistant Margaret—she’s ‘concerned’ about me, apparently. So she signed me up for this alpha-omega matchmaking agency—behind my back.” Daniel snorts. She sounds like his mom.  “Anyway, I glanced at a few applications, but nothing stuck out. Like I suspected. I am a man of particular taste…But then yours came across my desk, and your picture alone interested me.”

Heat rises to Daniel’s cheeks. He never thought a man like Terry would be interested in him. At least not for his looks. Though that would explain why the alpha still wanted to meet him after the photos and answers Daniel sent.

“But,” Terry continues with a growing smile. “Your photos—they looked very…staged.”

The word is like a kick to Daniel’s face. But to avoid looking phased, he swallows and stares straight ahead.

“So I did my own research, of course. Or rather, Margaret did.” Uh oh. Daniel didn’t like the sound of that. “She was able to get a hold of your school yearbook. But those photos looked posed too. So I reached out to the agency, and your mother sent out some more photos the next. Didn’t she tell you?”  His jaw tightens. No, she didn’t. God dammit. He got played by his own mother. “Well, the Daniel in those photos seemed nothing like the brat you were trying to portray in the first batch—and today.”

Before he can stop himself, Daniel lifts a hand to palm his face, But once he realizes and pulls back, it’s already too late. From the grin on Terry’s face, he clearly saw everything. “So, you see.” The alpha glances at the door then turns back to Daniel. “The jig was up—long before you even walked in here and put on that act.”

Daniel’s heart stutters in his chest. He’s been caught. Terry knows everything. But wait—what about the questionnaire? He still has that at least. “Think whatever you want. But that was me, and this is me,” he defends. “Didn’t you get my survey? Everything I wrote was the truth. It’s not my fault if you can’t handle me.”

A bark of laughter erupts from Terry. “Oh, Danny-boy,” he chuckles, the nickname a shiver down Daniel’s back. When did that start? “I can handle you well enough. Even if this—” He spreads his arms wide between them. “Is the real you.” Daniel’s hand curls to a fist under the table. Fuck, he embarrassed himself for nothing. “But I know it’s not,” Terry adds. “At least, not to this extent.”

That’s a hell of a claim. “How could you know?” Daniel growls. Did his mom redo the questionnaire too? He swears she sent the letter as is.

Terry shrugs. “I did my homework, like any good businessman would.”

Daniel raises a brow. “What the hell does that mean?”

“Exactly what you think,” he answers. “I hired a private investigator to look into you. He spoke with your friends and family, pretending to be a potential employer, and they painted an entirely different picture of Daniel LaRusso. One that looked nothing like the person you pretended to be today, or in those photos, or the survey.”

A shiver runs down Daniel’s spine. He’s not sure what’s more unsettling, that Terry sent a stranger to investigate him or that the man knew who to ask and where. “I can’t believe you did that,” he hisses. “You’re crazy."

The alpha barks a laugh. “You really think I’d fly all the way here without doing a little digging first?” Daniel’s face burns with self-consciousness. Maybe he was stupid for assuming, but still, a phone call would have sufficed. “But I’m not saying that to offend you. I would do the same for any omega I was interested in.” He leans in closer, and the distance makes his scent grow stronger. “And it’s a good thing I did because all that talk about you ‘cooking’ around town might’ve fooled me. But we both know that’s not the truth, is it?”

Shame burns like a flame under Daniel’s skin. He can’t believe this is happening, that the alpha would go that far. “Jesus Christ.” He starts to button his shirt back up, feeling like a fool. “What the hell did he ask them?” Because he can only imagine the worst.

“Relax,” Terry chuckles, but Daniel doesn’t miss his gaze flickering to Daniel’s chest. “I told him to be discreet. But let’s just say…your family likes to gossip. He didn’t have to say much before your past relationships came up. Or should I say relationship?”

Daniel groans and drops his head back against the booth. “God dammit.” Having a big mouth seems to run in his family, and sadly, he’s not an expectation from that rule. They know way more than any relative should about his sex life, which means Terry was right when he said “the jig is up.” His act was a complete waste of time.

“Fine.” He slams a hand on the table. “You’re right, okay? I was faking it.” His hands come together to clap slowly and sarcastically. “Congratulations, you found me out. Can I go now?” Daniel glances around, looking for the waitress. “Maybe I can get this to go or—”

Terry’s hand on his stops him mid-sentence. He freezes and glances up at the frowning alpha. “Wait, Daniel, hear me out.” His plea sounds sincere, and he even retracts his touch, earning Daniel’s silence to continue. “I wasn’t lying when I said I was interested in you, and despite everything, I still am. So let’s start over and make this a real date.” He holds out his hand with a charming smile. “I’m Terry Silver. Nice to meet you.”

He stares at the alpha’s fingers in silence, trying to decide what to do. On one hand, Terry has been creepy and manipulative, and every instinct in Daniel is saying to run, as far away as possible. But then again, he hasn’t been much better, lying and playing the alpha because he can’t stand up to his mom properly. So in a way, he feels like he owes him a genuine date, and when he was acting earlier, Terry was being a gentleman.

Plus, he’s probably the most handsome man that’s ever shown interest. And he smells ridiculously good, better than any alpha Daniel’s ever met. Even now, with his hand so close, Terry’s scent is wafting across the table, and Daniel has to close his eyes a second to concentrate on making a decision.

Ultimately, he comes up with the same answer. “Sorry,” Daniel starts, and the mere word makes Terry drop his hand. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. I’m not really interested in dating right now, and I don't even know you. But thanks for the offer.” He tears his gaze from the alpha whose smile has faded to glance around the restaurant. “I wonder if I can get a box from the—”

A sigh from Terry cuts him off. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do this…”

“Do what?” Daniel asks as the alpha reaches into his suit jacket and retrieves a small device that he sets on the table. “What’s that? Is that a recorder?” He’s seen them a few times in movies, but that doesn’t explain why Terry would have one. “Were you recording this? Why?”

“Leverage.” Terry shrugs. “I told you, Danny. I’m a businessman, and a good one at that.”

Is he really calling him Danny at a time like this? “Stop calling me that,” he hisses. “And what leverage? Nothing I did is illegal.” It isn’t, right? “Not illegal per say but certainly against the contract you and your mother signed.” Terry slides a hand into his jacket again, this time to pull out a folded up piece of paper that he slides across the table. “Take a look at section a, sub-section d.”

With a sneer, Daniel snatches the contract and unfolds to find the specific section, which he reads out loud. “If the omega provides false information or lies on the application or attached documents, such lies are grounds for contract termination.” He shrugs. “So what? Void it? I don’t care.” That’s exactly what he wants.

Terry taps the paper with a finger. “Go on.”

He rolls his eyes but continues. “Once the contract is voided with proof of falsification, the alpha has the right to seek payment for any—” Daniels goes silent as he reads the rest of the sentence then peers up at Terry with wide eyes.

“I take it you understand, yes?” Daniel nods, still too stunned to speak. “Good. Then if you still want to end this date and void the contract, you’re now responsible for the bill and my plane ticket here.” Terry takes back the paper and winks. “And I only fly first class.”

Daniel swallows. He can pay the restaurant bill. It might be everything he has left in savings, but he can, if he has to. But the plane ticket—there’s no way he can pay for that. His mom probably can’t either.

He runs a hand over his face and lets out a sigh. “What do you want? Cause I’ll finish this date. Whatever.” Daniel points at him with a glare. “But don’t expect me to be in a good mood now. Not when you’re sitting there threatening me.”

This earns him a laugh. “Oh, the offer’s changed now,” Terry says, reaching for his glass of wine. “We’ll finish this meal, but that’s not all I want.”

“What then? What more do you want? Cause I ain’t got much to offer.”

“You’re more than enough,” Terry purrs, and Daniel hates how that warms his cheeks. “I want you to come out to California with me—for at least a week. Give me that long to plead my case, or rather, court you. And don’t worry, you won’t be responsible for paying for anything while you’re there, and you’ll get to stay in my mansion, in your own bed. I promise.”

The offer sounds too good to be true. A free trip to California where he’ll get to stay in a mansion with a handsome alpha? Daniel would say yes in a heartbeat—if Terry were anyone else. But right now, he wants to be nowhere near the man who threatened him and interrogated his family. Well, technically he didn’t, but still.

When he doesn’t answer right away, the alpha sets his glass down with a frown “Fine, I’ll leave,” he sighs, setting the napkin from his lap on the table. “The agency will be in touch with you and your mother about payment. Have a good day, Daniel.”

Terry only gets a foot away before Daniel blurts out, “Wait.” He turns around slowly and sits back down.

“I’m listening.”

“I’m probably gonna regret this,” Daniel starts, but when Terry’s jaw tenses, he rushes to finish. “Sorry. I’m just—” He sighs and forces out the words. “I’ll do it. I’ll go with you to California. For a week. That’s it. As long as you leave my mom alone…and don’t ask us for any money. That’s my offer.”

A sharp smile worms itself to Terry’s lips. “You got a deal.”  Daniel sighs in relief but startles when his plate is pushed toward him. “Eat up, Danny-boy. Our plane leaves in a few hours.”

He sucks in a breath. Yeah, he’s gonna regret this.

#my writing #fanfic #should i post this on ao3? #silverusso #cobra kai #terry silver #daniel larusso #terry silver x daniel larusso #the karate kid 3 #abo #silverusso au #alpha terry x omega daniel #arranged marriage #sort of #terry is terry and he gets what he wants

[over-rated-cheese]

And I still got those stupid butterflies

I just loved this idea sm (I didn't rly edit this before posting and i also wrote it in like 2 hours so yeah)

This is inspired by this post @watchmenanon

“It’s not my fault you don’t like girls!” Those words still echo in Mike’s mind late at night. Things haven’t been the same ever since then, something was off… Will and Mike didn’t talk the way they used to, it’s like they were ignoring the gaping hole between them. 

The worst thing is that Mike knew this was all his fault. 

He should have been a better friend, maybe then things would be all right. 

That’s not what the voices tell him though. 

“How could you do that to your best friend? He’ll never forgive you” 

“You know what you are, you're just too scared to ambit it”

“He’ll think your disgusting because you are”

“No one could ever love you, not even El”

“You're better off dead!”

The sudden jolt of the plane landing seemed to stop any more thoughts from materializing. 

That’s right, Mike’s In California now. He can leave all those thoughts behind. They didn’t mean anything anyway.

Mike wouldn’t tell anyone this but he was extremely nervous. The thought of seeing El and Will after all this time sent a wave of panic through him. 

What if they didn’t care about him anymore?

What If they have new, cooler friends?

What if they don’t need you anymore?

“Mike!” The thoughts seemed to evaporate at the sound of El’s voice, maybe she does need him.

“But she doesn’t Michael, she never will again”

El wraps her hands around Mike, he squeezes back. He missed her so much. 

They share a kiss, “careful, careful, you're squishing your gift” Mike steps back and hand’s El the flowers. El seem’s disappointed, like she was expecting more, maybe he should have bought her a real gift instead.

Wait

“Where’s Will?” 

It comes out forced, Mike didn’t even mean to say it. Mike’s brain goes over all the possible places Will could be

“He hates you, he never wants to see you again”

“He was better friends to be hanging out with”

The letter, Mike thought.

The Girl…

El finishes that thought for him, “Oh Will is already at the roller rink with Angela, 

…His Girlfriend” 

Mike's world shatters, along with his heart. 

No

Will couldn’t have a girlfriend…

“Why can’t he have a Girlfriend, Micheal?”

“Does that make you jealous?”

“What kind of best friend are you?”

“Don’t you want him to be happy?”

Mike wants to run, so far and so hard that he loses all feeling. He can’t bear this. Will was his best friend, he wasn’t supposed to be with this stupid girl.

Mike doesn’t process the rest of the conversation or walking out of the airport or driving to the roller rink. All he can think about is Will…

Why does he need a stupid girlfriend?

Why can’t he just be happy without one?

Why does Mike care so much…?

Mike should be happy for Will, he was happy so Mike should be happy too but Mike wasn’t happy, he wanted to tear this fucking world apart.

“Why can’t you just be happy for him like everyone else?”

“What’s wrong with you...?”

What is wrong with him

Mike and El walked out of the pizza fan hand in hand, Jonathan shouted something, Mike didn’t care enough to listen.

Mike's eyes scanned the room for Will. He needed to know if Will hated him.

He needed to know if they were still friends, best friends.

“Why aren’t you paying attention to your girlfriend?”

“Do you even love her?”

“You care more about your best friend that your girlfriend, that’s not normal”

This wasn’t normal, Mike was messed up. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, you need socks” El was sitting next to Mike on the bench. 

Oh yeah, socks

Mike made his way to the counter, he felt like his head was spinning. 

Something felt off since he landed, maybe this is just the California vibe, things are different here than back home. Mike looks to what looks like a gay couple having a date,

A lot different.

That’s when Mike sees Will

His heart seemed to come alive again 

Will meets his eyes and shuffles over with his friends. Mike didn’t know that Will made so many friends since he moved. 

“Of course you don’t know anything, you barely call him”

Mike feels a simile escape his lips, Will returns one. 

He doesn’t hate Mike after all.

“Hey, Will” Mike goes in for a hug, it's been so long. All he gets in return is a pat on the shoulder. 

Nevermind maybe Will does hate him.

“Hey Mike” Mike says nothing, he’s in awe. Will looks so different. He looks good.

“Oh, these are my friends by the way” Will’s friends give Mike a kind smile. He wants to punch them in the face. “This is Stacy, Chad and my lovely girlfriend Angela” Will wraps an arm around her waist. They smile at each other. They look so happy.

Mike wants to throw up.

He hates this and he hates stupid Anglea and Will’s stupid friends. 

“Normal people don’t feel like this”

Will seemed to notice Mike’s disapproval, “Okay guys, I'm going to hang out with Mike for a little. See ya later” Will have Anengla a kiss on the forehead, just like Mike did at the airport.

Mike is glad it’s just the two of them, It’s been so long since they had a real conversation. 

Mike and Will sat down on a bench on the other side of the room. Mike met eyes with El. She nodded. She seemed to understand.

“Why do you ignore your girlfriend?”

 “How are you liking California so far?” 

“I love it here, it’s so much better than Hawkins! The people here are so cool and real. Back in Hawkins everyone feels like the same person”

That hurt like hell

Will has changed so much.

“How is life in Hawkins?” 

Life in Hawkins sucked without Will by Mike’s side.

Will didn’t seem to think that way though.

“It’s fine, I miss you guys though” Mike was grasping at anything he can to have a real conversion.

He just wanted Will to miss him too.

“Hawkins must be so boring without the crazy monsters” 

That's not what he wanted to hear.

And there are still monsters in Hawkins,

Mike being the monster.

“Yeah”

Mike couldn’t take it, he had to ask about Will’s girlfriend.

Just thinking about it sends goosebumps down his arms.

“So, tell me about you and Angela?”

The name hurt to say.

“I’m so glad you brought her up, I love her so much, she’s so kind and such a good person. She would never scream at me or blame me for anything” 

Mike could see as Will’s beautiful eyes looked towards him.

“He blames you”

“Plus she’s like so hot”

Mike wished he never heard that.

“Why don’t you think shes’ hot?”

Will looked down at this watch, “I need to go, bye” 

What, no

It was so early

They just started talking

“What, already?”

Will looks at his clock again

“Yeah, I gotta go see my girlfriend”

His stupid girlfriend. 

She wasn’t supposed to be with Will.

Mike was.

Mike loved Will and he couldn’t let him go this time.

“So you finally admit it, your messed up in the head”

“Your disgusting”

“He will never love you”

The tears start to form in the back of his eyes, he’s searching for any words that could possibly make Will stay. 

One seems to force its way out of his mouth.

“So you're just going to bail on me for some stupid girl!”

Mike has no time to take it back before Will shouts back

“Angela’s not stupid! It’s not my fault you don’t like girls! Even when you're with El we can all tell that you don’t love her like you love me!”’

Mike heart drops

Will knows

“We aren’t kids anymore! We aren’t going to spend the rest of our lives playing video games and DnD! We are going to grow up, Get married…”

“Reproduce and Die”

The tears were streaming down Mike’s face.

But that wasn’t Will

That was something else.

“Mike don’t you get it?”

Mike turned his head around, no one was there.

What was happening and why is no one moving? Who was talking?

Is this what happens when the love of your life rejects you?

“You hurt Will just like this”

“But that was real”

Everything seems to snap together all at once.

This isn’t real

Mike’s not in california

He’s in Hawkins

And he’s getting Vecna’d 

He’s going to die

“Yes Mike you will die”

“But it’s what you deserve”

Mike bolts for the front entrance, he feels his body being yanked and before he knows it he is slammed into the ground.

All the wind is knocked out of him while he desperately tries to hang onto something. 

He is slammed up against the wall

“I know what you really want”

“You want him, you want Will”

Mike feels his body being dropped.

He lands on the floor of his basement.

Mike doesn’t want it to end like this, he runs up the stairs searching for an exit.

In the back of his mind he was hoping his friends were coming to help.

“There not coming to save you, no one is”

Mike is shown a scene from his life, or more like a daydream,

Mike and Will are sitting on the couch, there watching a movie neither one of them are paying any attention too. There sitting there hand and hand, under a blanket. Mike leans over to plant a kiss on Will’s lip.

Even though Mike knew this wasn’t real he still got those stupid butterflies. 

Mike is struggling to free himself

Maybe he should just give up

They don’t need him anyways

No one needs him

He’s useless

“Yes Mike, you are useless”

“No one will ever need you”

“Not after what you’ve done”

“You hurt so many people just because you couldn’t face your own feeling’s”

“What kind of person are you?”

The tears roll down Mike’s face

He thinks of his family, his friends 

Of Will

He will never love Mike

It’s over, Mike’s done fighting

“It’s time Mike”

“Join us”

Mike lets his body go limp, his body is breaking and still all Mike can think about are those damn butterflies. 

#byler #byler fanfic #mike getting vecna’d #fanfic #long post #wrote this in like 2 hours so don't junge #should i post this on ao3? #my fan fic #its 1 am😐 #gn yall

[onth3cusp]

Shiny New Fanfiction: lună de lup (Subspecies)

The Scene: Radu returns to Romania and Castle Vladislas in the early 1990’s to kill his father and claim the throne. Stefan arrives fashionably late as usual, but fails to kill his older half brother…fleeing with his tail between his legs. Michelle and company don’t get their research grant approved so there’s no trip to Ye Olde Transylvania and they all live happily ever after. 

Welcome to this reimaging on how things might go for Radu if he never fell afoul of Michelle and spent a decade or so just chilling in his dad’s fortress. Alone. Until…

The hike up to the castle ruins took longer than she thought it would. Stopping in a bit of shade, Fia wiped the sweat off her brow and squinted up into the bright midday sky. Who knew it would be so hot in Romania this time of year? She’s stripped off her jacket hours ago and contemplated skimping down to her sports bra now - this far out in the woods there was no one to see her anyways.

According to the map she’d picked up in Prejmer, the castle was only an hour’s distance through the dense brush. Fia didn’t have the best sense of direction, but she was almost positive she’d been going the right way. Why hadn’t she reached it yet?

“A GPS would be awfully handy right now,” she groused, hoisting her backpack up onto her shoulder and continuing her trek. 

The stop in Prejmer wasn’t a planned one, but Fia found the town to be rather quaint. She’d spent the previous night in a little inn run by a very sweet married couple who spoke virtually no English and they’d managed most of their interaction via pantomime. Judging by how long it took for them to grasp that she wanted a room for only one night, Fia knew she’d never win a game of charades. 

Hence, she now had an English-Romanian pocket dictionary downloaded on her phone. It had been only marginally helpful in ordering a coffee at a cafe across the street from the Prejmer fortress. That place, on the other hand, had a plethora of guides that spoke passable English - and she quite enjoyed the tour she had been given of the incredible, ancient structure. 

Her guide that morning had been a willowy teenage girl who hadn’t been able to resist rolling her eyes just a bit when she got to the part about vampires. Until recently, Prejmer had even held an annual festival honoring the undead, something about the village making a truce with a vampire way back in the day. Her guide didn’t remember many of the details about the festival or the vampire, but assured Fia that one of the older guides could probably tell her more.

“They’re just silly stories, of course,” her guide laughed. “Let us go inside the church now. Please follow.”

Just silly stories. Fia snorted. The poor girl had no idea what kind of monster in sheep’s clothing she’d been entertaining. 

Finally, the lush trees gave way to a small stone arch that led out onto a grassy graveyard. The rotting remains of wooden crosses dotted the field and just beyond, the castle loomed. For a moment, Fia simply stood and took it in. There was nothing this picturesque back home.

Time hadn’t been kind to this castle. Much of the outer structure was crumbling and aggressive ivy climbed along one entire side, finding purchase on the rough stone. One lone tower remained, its red roof flaked and open in patches. Despite its dilapidated nature, there didn’t appear to be an easy way inside. 

That wasn’t a problem for Fia. As much as she would love the idea of stealth camping inside, the weather promised to hold out and a night under the stars wouldn’t be terrible if the temperature dropped a little. Still…

Exhausted, she dropped her backpack on the hill overlooking the graveyard and plopped down next to it. She could explore later, right now she desperately needed to rest her aching feet and catch her breath. 

The wind lifted wisps of caramel colored hair away from her face, carrying with it the fresh scents of spruce, fir, and beech from deep inside the forest. A deeper inhale brought the richness of the soil into her nostrils. The staleness of old bones buried deep reached her next.  Something else tickled her senses, something she couldn’t quite place. 

Fia exhaled it away. Strange places always smelled strange. Rather than dwell on it, it was time to explore the outside of Castle Vladislas and try to find a way inside. She followed an old footpath up past the main gate and into the castle courtyard, which was surrounded by crumbling stone. There were a few still standing structures that she ducked into, surprised by how much cooler they were compared to the heat of the sun outside.

“Well, now I have to get inside,” she mumbled. “Nature’s refrigeration. Beats sleeping outside in this heat…”

It took some stumbling around the backside of the castle before she found it. It was an ornate wooden door that looked to be in pretty good shape, but the rusty hinges it sat on had definitely seen better days. Cautiously, she pushed at the door. It did not budge. 

“Okay,” she said, dropping her pack. She rubbed her hands together and braced them against the door once more. “Please don’t break on me.” It was silly to plead with a door, but she could only hope the wood wouldn’t splinter as she heaved with significantly more force. The hinged protested but slowly gave with a loud squeal and the door swung inward marginally. 

Fia grinned. “Just a little more.” Once she had enough space to squeeze in, she stepped back and admired her work. No damage - at least, none that was visible. Her backpack was kicked inside first and then Fia slipped sideways into the cold, stone interior of Castle Vladislas.

Line break

Awareness came back to him quickly that night. Often it was slow, consciousness trickling back into him like water dripping down limestone, but not this night. Stiffly, he rose from his crypt and let a stale wheeze escape from unused lungs. 

Radu slid his body from the stone slab and scrambled upright onto ungainly limbs. Already, his thirst clawed at him and he ambled towards the long spiral staircase that would take him from crypt to the upper levels of the castle. There, in the throne room, the bloodstone awaited him.

It wasn’t long into his ascent before a wisp of panic slithered into his head and he tuned in to what his creatures were trying to communicate to him. It was a confusing jumble of observations but one rang clearly in his mind. Intruder. Girl. 

A grin curled the edges of his mouth. If his minions’ fears were true, there was a girl somewhere inside the castle. How long had it been since a mortal had wandered into his domain? He had tried to content himself with the bloodstone, but he longed for the chase. The hunt. Nothing could compare to the rush of hot blood against his tongue. 

Bloodstone forgotten, Radu climbed upwards with a new intention.

#subspecies #bloodstone #Radu Vladislas #vampire #Full Moon #fanfiction #no beta we die like men #should i post this on AO3?

[bardofavon]

not to be controversial bc I know this is like…not in line with shifting opinions on fanfic comment culture but if there’s a glaring typo in my work I will NOT be offended by pointing it out. if ao3 fucks up the formatting…I will also not be offended by having this pointed out…

‘looking forward to the next update’ and ‘I hope you update soon!’ are different vibes than a demand, and should be read in good faith because a reader is finding their way to tell you how much they love it. I will not be mad at this.

‘I don’t usually like this ship but this fic made me feel something’ is also incredibly high praise. I’m not going to get mad at this.

even ‘I love this fic but I’m curious about why you made [x] choice’ is just another way a reader is engaging in and putting thought into your work.

I just feel like a lot of authors take any comment that’s not perfectly articulated glowing praise in the exact manner they’re hoping to receive it in bad faith.

fic engagement has been dropping across the board over the last several years, and yes it’s frustrating but it isn’t as though I can’t see how it happens. comment anxiety can be a real thing. the last thing anyone wants to do is offend an author they love, and that means sometimes people default to silence.

idk where I’m going with this I guess aside from saying unless a comment is outright attacking me I’m never going to get mad at it, and I think a lot of authors should feel the same way. ESPECIALLY TYPOS PLZ GOD POINT OUT MY TYPOS.

#ao3 #archive of our own #fanfiction #tbh even if I got a comment that said ‘I hate you I’m going to kill your family’ on chapter 75 it still means they read 75 chapters first…. #it just makes me sad to see so many writers shouting into the void #and also see ppl complain openly about the specific types of comments they receive #posting screenshots on Reddit like ‘should I be mad at this’ CALM DOWN #sigh

[iamanartichoke]

I don't know who needs to hear this, but as a creator -

I am fine with "the audience" -

downloading my fics

printing my fics

copy/pasting or screenshotting my fics

sharing your saved copy of my fics with anyone else who might want them in the unlikely but never impossible case that my fics are no longer available on ao3

making a book of my fic(s) and running your fingers across the pages while lovingly whispering my precioussss

doing these things with anything I create for fandom, such as meta, headcanons, au nonsense like 'texts from the brodinsons,' etc

I am not fine with "the audience"

doing any of the above with the purpose/intent of plagiarizing my work or passing it off as their own in any capacity

feeding my work into ai for any reason whatsoever

Save the fandom things. Preserve the fandom things. Respect the fandom things.

Enjoy the fandom things.

#fanfic #ao3 #archive of our own #fandom things #tumblr things #i may have said this at some point #i'm sure i have #but whatever - just in case #i don't say this with the presumption that i'm so amazing and people are clamoring to save my fics #but just if anyone is so inclined that's all #ftr i don't intend on ever removing my fics from ao3 or deleting fandom things from this blog #i've always shared my fandom things with the intent of keeping them shared bc that's the whole point of posting #but the fandom atmosphere and ao3 constantly being under attack who knows what can happen #not that this applies to anyone but should all else fail you can also reach out to me and i will personally give you a copy #at least of fics bc i save everything #not so much the tumblr things but this is a good reminder to myself that i should do that for the things i care about #that i've made or done and only posted here #anyway sorry i have now used up my quota of the putting words into sentences doing for today #i have plans to stare into the void now

[californiatowhee]

old fashioneds and tipsy daydreaming

bonus: the subsequent drunk texting

extra bonus, if you made it this far: what happens next, in fic form (spoiler: Phoenix and Miles kiss)

Behavioral Phenomenon | Phoenix/Edgeworth | 2.5k

#narumitsu #wrightworth #phoenix wright #ace attorney #citsiurtlanu art #citsiurtlanu fic #// haha wow a multimedia post #// this was originally just going to be just texts inspired by a prompt from the nrmt discord event #// and not actually for the discord event cause texts alone seemed like not enough but i didn't want to do more #// and then i was like i guess i should draw something so that it can go on my “art” blog #// and tipsy phoenix is a cute visual #// and then i was like ok but what if i actually... did do more #// so now there is fic too #// thank you discord event (more about that in the AO3 link)

[musashi]

i also heard my co worker say 'i dont read dead dove' the other day like what the FUCK does gen z think it means??? are they just, like, changing the meaning??? what do you mean you dont read dead dove. you don't read ANYTHING? cause dead dove is not a genre or a trope it's a tagging system fdghdfh like???

#wordy wendy #i think we should make ppl under 25 take fandom 101 before theyre allowed to use AO3 #turning the reblogs off because some fuckwad added some dumb shit onto this post #and it is no longer educational #also if you put the words proshipper or anti in my tags im blocking you. die. go outside

[theorderofthetriad]

anyways... here's why i think Loki and Matt Murdock should be each other's narrative foil(romantic):

• Loki- famously known liar, Matt Murdock- able to tell when people are lying

• Both wear helmets with horns on them, but Matt's are small and practical and Loki's are large and gaudy.

• Matt Murdock- Practicing Irish Catholic, Loki- Norse "God" of Mischief

• Loki- Presents himself as selfish and self preserving, Matt Murdock- Presents himself as selfless and self sacrificing

• Loki- Will flee if he knows he's gonna get his ass kicked for no gain, Matt Murdock- Knows he's gonna get his ass kicked for no gain and does it anyway

• They simply seem like prime material for a "We vehemently dislike each other up until we (whoops!) realize we love each other so much we can't live without the other" type romance that I am always obsessed over.

• Thor would enjoy it, and, frankly, he deserves the entertainment.

#this WAS a rant i made about some ao3 discourse i saw on my dash. but now it's better #frostdevil #<- the ship tag which you should check out #im fully serious about this btw. this seems like a joke bc it's inherently funny but im also 100% not making a joke #otp: horned helms something about lying #santagno #loki #matt murdock #daredevil #Top Tino Post

[swordsmans]

today on ao3 tips, here's a quick follow up to this post about the ao3 "mark for later"/TBR/save for later function! ive seen some stuff going around lately lamenting that there's no easy way to filter out "character x reader" or "character x OC" fics from search results, but there absolutely is!

very quick and simple fix, just add "-reader" and/or "-original*" to the "search within results" bar (not "other tags to exclude", which might be where the confusion is coming from). it looks like this:

here is what it looks like with both filtered out:

the "*" after original is an indicator for the filters to catch the "original female--", "original male--", and "original character" tags, which is why is should be included! as a caveat, this also removes anything that has the word "original" in the summary or tags, so do be aware of that. (meaning this will also grab anything that has original characters tagged even if they AREN'T in a pairing, plus anything that uses the word "original" in the normal sense)

also, || designates "OR" for the filter search, so it is optional (and can be replaced with just a simple space) but i like to include it to be extra sure. i have checked and both results work.

anyway, happy reading, everyone!

#ao3 #ao3 etiquette #ao3 tips #archive of our own #maybe i should start a series of these posts

[sarasade]

One of the most generally useful things to come out of Hbomberguy's plagiarism video and Todd in the Shadows' similar video on misinformation is how they bring transparency to the internet phenomenon of "I made up a guy to get mad at".

Seriously, I've seen people make up a lot of stupid shit on the internet over the years and it's often just a manipulative attempt to paint a group of marginalized people in a bad light.

That's the TL;DR version of this post. 

ANYWAY here is the long version

Those videos are mostly about James Somerton's plagiarism of other queer people's work. However I'd like to talk about that 20-30% of Somerton's original writing- and oh boy. It's mostly about complaining about White Straight Women and misgendering well-known trans creators such as Rebecca Sugar and calling Becky Albertalli a straight woman while it's pretty common knowledge that she was forced to out herself as bi because she received so much harassment over "being a cishet woman who appropriates LGBT+ stories".

One thing that irks me especially is how in his Killing Stalking and Gay Shipping videos Somerton brings up how straight women/ teen girl shippers exploit gay men for their personal sexual fantasies. This gets brought up several times in his videos.

Being all up and arms about Somerton being a "White Cis Gay Who Hates Women and Queer People tm" is not that useful because the kind of rhetoric he's using is extremely common in fandom and LGBT+ spaces on Tumblr, TikTok and Twitter. We really don't need to bring Somerton's identity to this since he is in no way an unique example.

It's hypocritical to make this about an individual person when I've seen A TON of posts, tweets and videos where queer people talk about these Sinister Straight Women who are supposedly out there fetishizing and exploiting queer men. It's pretty clear to me that this is just an excuse to shit on women and queer people for having any sexual interests. At worst these comments are spreading misinformation about BL, a form of media that has been excessively studied by both Asian feminists and Asian queer women.

This all sounds really familiar and I think it's good that people are calling it out as what it is: misogyny and transphobia. I'd also point out the potentially racist motives behind being this hypervigilant about Asian media.

People can absolutely be misogynist regardless of gender or orientation. I really don't know why we need to create some kind of made up enemy to get mad at. I actually think it's almost sinister how "anti-fujoshi" people call Slash shippers and fujoshi misogynists or claim that they have internalised misogyny while being dismissive about women's interests and creative pursuits under Japanese obscenity laws, China's censorship, book bans in American schools and various other disadvances that are part of being a queer and/or female creator.

I think we shouldn't be naive about the bad faith actors who want to turn queer people against each other. For example Fujoshi.info mentions anti-gender (TERF, GC etc) movement using this kind of rhetoric as well.

Anyway if you want to read more:

- about the false info around BL fandom fujoshi.info

-There is the scholar Thomas Baudinette who studies gay media in Japan. Here is a podcast with him and the scholar Khursten Santos

-James Welker is a BL scholar as well. Here is a podcast interview about the new international BL article collection he edited.

-I've already talked about this Youtube channel by KrisPNatz and his great Killing Stalking video that actually engages with the themes of the manhwa

- There is also HR Coleman's thesis DO NOT FEED THE FETISHIZERS: BOYS LOVE FANS RESISTANCE AND CHALLENGE OF PERCEIVED REPUTATION where she interviews 36 BL fans and actually breaks down why fetishization has become such a huge talking point in the fandom discourse. Spoilers, it's mostly about young queer people and women being worried that they will get judged and pathologized for their interest in anything sexual.

-Great podcast about Danmei and censorship with Liang Ge

#Also I don't mean that you can always tell if someone is a transphobe or a TERF based on a couple of things they have said. #My point is that sometimes ok people can have very regressive ideas too. #This is not a call out post about how we should go around accusing anti-fujoshi people #todd in the shadows #hbomberguy #sarasade text #even I've got those “Fandom is mostly straight women fetishizing gay men” comments once and it begins to sound kind of passive-aggressive #when you're a bi woman. Lot of fandom stats at AO3 show that fandoms are montly bi women. who are these people calling straight exactly hmm #also straight women are completely ok leave them alone. I know I know Yes I'm so brave for saying this #cw: transphobia

[thevoidstaredback]

Enough Caffeine to Kill an Elephant

Listen. It was an accident. He didn't mean to! It just kinda happened.

So maybe he brought a drink with enough caffeine in it to kill an elephant within a few minutes, and maybe he forgot to put the sleeve on his cup so he could tell it apart from the others, but it's not his fault! He didn't think anyone else was going to have the exact same Yeti cup as him! It's not like he'd seen any of the others carry one before. Besides, he worked with superheros. They should be smart enough to check before drinking someone else's drink.

Danny had been summoned by the Justice League Dark a few years back in order to help with a world ending crisis and he just didn't leave. It's not like he could go anywhere anyway. His ghost half hadn't grown past fourteen and his human half had stopped visibly aging at eighteen. He'd had to leave town as Danny Fenton, but he'd stayed in Amity Park as Danny Phantom. When his parents died of old age, thank god, he'd closed down the portal, stuck around for a few more years, before traveling the world as Danny Fenton.

Anyway, he'd taken up residence in the House of Mysteries after the JLD had summoned him. Constantine, at first, had been wary, but he and the rest of the JLD had grown to accept him. He was an honorary member of the team.

At some point, just after Robin had become Red Robin, Danny had been introduced to the Justice League. He liked those guys, too, and worked with them sometimes. Though, he usually only went to bug them.

Red Robin had been very interested in the fact that his was fourteen and working with grown heros, like he was one to talk, but Danny hadn't explained anything other than saying that he had died and come back. The following conversation was an interesting one that lead to Danny knowing that Nightwing was the Batman he'd met and that Batman was lost somewhere. He'd confirmed that the man was not dead, but he hadn't offered to help look for him. He probably should have, in retrospect.

Back on topic! Everyone in the JLD knew not to touch Danny's drink. They'd all seen him make it before and had been horrified on varying degrees. It's not like it could kill him. He's already half dead! So long as he only drank this specific brew as Phantom, he'd be fine.

The Justice League, apparently, didn't get the memo. He blames Constantine because Zatanna and Raven can do no wrong. No, John, he's not biased.

The point is, Red Robin just had a sip of Danny's drink. The horror he now felt was akin to the fear he held when he'd told his parents he was Phantom. (An interaction that had gone very well, thank you very much.)

Danny knew the exact moment that the vigilante realized he grabbed the wrong drink. His eyes widened to an astonishing degree, and, if he'd been able to seen his eyes behind the mask, Danny knew that the man's pupils would've completely overtaken the irises. His hands started shaking, too. Oh, no. The man's already addicted to hellish amounts of coffee. This is only going to make it worse!

Quickly, and without drawing any attention, thank the Ancients, Danny rushed over. "You, um, you okay, man?" Obviously not, but he tends to talk when he's anxious and he was certainly anxious right now. He could've possibly just killed a man via poison!

"What the fuck is in this coffee?" Red Robin asked, going to take another sip.

Danny pulled the Yeti from his hand and gave him the proper one. "Enough caffeine to kill an elephant."

"Obviously not, seeing as I'm still alive."

"Yeah, I can't tell if that's a good thing or not."

"Excuse me?"

"I-I mean-! I didn't-! You know what I mean." Caffeine is poisonous in excess, and his drink was way beyond excess, but it's the only thing that works for him as a ghost! Superpowered metabolism and all that.

"Do I?" The laugh in his voice answered for him. He took a sip from his drink and frowned at it. "I don't think any coffee will ever be enough again."

"And that's my cue to get my drink very far away from you." Danny turned, fully intent on moving to the other side of the room. Besides, the meeting was going to start as soon as the Flash and Kid Flash arrived, which would be soon. Something about one of their Rouges getting out?

"What?" Red Robin asked, "Why?" If he was a little desperate to get another sip of that coffee, he'd rather not acknowledge it.

"Because you don't need anymore lethal coffee," he muttered, "The sip you took will already keep you awake for three days at least, and it probably jump started an addiction. Best to stop it now. Besides, I need to go have my crisis on how the hell you're still alive after even a sip of this stuff."

"Again, rude." The bird themed vigilante crossed his arms as best he could while holding his cup. "If it's so dangerous, why do you drink it?"

Danny took a deliberate sip as he locked eyes with the technically younger man. "I'm dead. I don't need to worry about my heart stopping or having a seizure."

"Excuses."

"No, it's not 'excuses'. I'm saving your life."

"You're a kid. If I can't have that coffee, then you shouldn't be having it."

"First, I'm older than you. Second, I already told you: I'm dead. This isn't going to hurt me. Third, you can't tell me what to do."

"There's no way you're older than me. You're like, ten."

"I'm thirty-eight!" He balked, "I only look fourteen because I died when I was fourteen. We've been over this."

Neither noticed the entire Justice League looking at them. The two they were waiting on had arrived a few minutes ago and everyone was ready to start the meeting, but they'd been distracted by the two's conversation. Was that true? Had Phantom really died so young? They'd all been made aware he was not living, but they didn't think he'd died so young! Though, that was probably the denial speaking.

The Justice League Dark had been fully aware of this and didn't really bat an eye. Though, someone should probably get this meeting started. A potentially world ending threat was the topic, and that was a pretty important thing to discuss.

Captain Marvel was the first to pull himself together, though that was only after Atlas and Zeus had mentally slapped him out of his stupur. "As, ah, riveting as this conversation is," he stepped between the two boys- er, boy and man? "we really need to start this meeting."

Batman did not clear his throat because he'd not lost his voice in the first place. "He's right. Everyone take your seats."

Part 2

#I wrote this instead of working on any of my current wips #dc x dp #justice league #justice league dark #red robin #danny phantom #writing prompt #brain child #no ships #should I continue this? #I've never written these characters (on my own) before but I've fallen down a rabbit hole and I felt the need to jump on the train #should I post other stories here? #would y'all be interested in seeing some of my other works? #I should actually link my ao3 here #I'll stop now #captain marvel #shazam #coffee #caffeine #justice league meeting #word ending threat #writing #fanfic #fandom #phandom #dcxdp #Enough Caffeine to Kill an Elephant