#prompt 20

[writersisland]

"Fine, go ahead. But if you pass out, I‘m not carrying your ass to safety."

"That‘s what you said last time."

"I know."

"And you carried me, bridal style."

"I know."

"And-"

"Okay fine, I get it."

[0perfectimperfections0]

Day 20 - Fake Dating

What? Out of order?

Haven't posted the other days?

I don't know what you're–

____

Imperfection was a small place, it really shouldn’t have been surprising that some friendships lasted a lifetime, and some people were just really hard to get away from. It was a talent, really, that Lou could go as long as he could without talking to people just by keeping himself hidden away in his office. And the extroverts, like Moxy, absolutely thrived.

Unfortunately, it also meant that you had to be extra careful when it came to interacting with those around you. If you made an enemy, somehow, then you couldn’t just move cities or live far enough away to not interact with them. The most you could do was go to the Big World and just…never come back.

Mandy earnestly considered doing that, but a decision like that was extreme for multiple reasons. One, because she would have to leave her friends. Two, it would essentially mean remaining comatose for the rest of her existence.

Not really ideal, even if she felt tempted to do so.

Micheal — not the blue-haired one, there were just too many dolls with the same name that it got confusing sometimes — and her had dated in the past. Way back in the past, like when she had first arrived at the Institute. Before the Spy Girls had recruited her onto their little team. Dating wasn’t something most dolls did back then, considering their literal one purpose in life was to just go to the Big World and love a human child, but some indulged. It helped pass the time for the whole three months they were there for the training. And since Mandy had always passed on the chance for the Gauntlet, anyhow (thinking herself too blind to pass), she resigned herself to a more permanent residence at the Institute.

And then Michael showed up. Emerald green eyes. Brown hair. Tan felt. Granted, that combination of physical traits had probably cycled through about 50 other dolls before Michael had come along, but Mandy had sworn, back then, that he was different. He was a Model/Accountant doll.

What child, in all honest to goodness, would want an accountant doll.

But Mandy was still bitter and petty, so maybe that was just her thinking. Needless to say, it hadn’t worked out. Things had gotten messy and it didn’t help that she had tried to hide her nearsightedness from him. And Michael had eventually broken things off, dated someone else, and then left for the Big World like everyone else had done back then.

Since the portal had been permanently opened, dolls that had gone to the Big World years ago suddenly found themselves able to return. Not all, but some.

Mandy almost hated the fact that she wished Michael had been horribly mutilated. Moxy wouldn’t have approved of such a thought. Friendship and kindness and…whatnot.

But Michael was different.

And of course he had to go flaunting whatever new girl he had decided to go steady with now—

No, that was a good thing. It was fine. It was all good. Mandy didn’t even care that—

“Ah, I’m not surprised you’re still here.” Mandy stiffened at the voice that had approached her from behind. She had been about to head up the platform to go to the Big World for a bit and see her kid. Not that she needed to (she usually wouldn’t this time of day), but she certainly didn’t want to be here.

Mandy turned, pretending as though she had just noticed him and hadn’t intentionally been avoiding him for the last ten minutes. “Oh, hey,” she forced a smile, adjusting her glasses. Only her friends would know that meant she was nervous. She did well to play it off, though. “I was just heading out. Do I know you?”

She did. She wasn’t stupid. But she wasn’t about to let him know that she still remembered who he was.

It worked, briefly, because Michael’s own smile faltered for a second, glancing between Mandy and the girl clutching his arm like this wasn’t how he had expected the reunion to go. Or worse, perhaps he had told this red-head their history and Mandy “forgetting” who he was made him seem like the fool.

“Michael,” he answered with a tight smile back on his face. Right. As if there weren’t a million Michaels in this place already. Thank God the Uglies actually had original and literal naming. “Years ago?” He added, when Mandy still pretended not to remember him.

Oh, she was tempted to keep playing dumb, but her acting skills weren’t that great. So, finally, she widened her eyes like she was remembering. “Oh! Michael- yeah, I remember you.”

Unfortunately.

Michael’s shoulders relaxed, and he gestured with his free hand toward the red-head girl holding onto his arm. “This is Mandy. Mandy? This is Daniella.”

“Hi,” Mandy at least gave a real smile to Daniella, who returned the expression. Well, somewhat. Daniella was subtly looking her up and down, trying to get a read on Mandy. Or maybe trying to gauge if competition still existed. It didn’t. Mandy gestured with a thumb back toward the portal, slowly walking back toward it. “Well, I’d love to talk, but I was gonna head out and see my kid, so…”

“You finally went to the Big World?” Michael asked, genuinely surprised. And that made it worse. Was that supposed to be an insult?

“Uh-” maybe she shouldn’t take it as one just yet. “Yeah, I did, actually.” She fidgeted with her glasses again, and Michael finally clicked the pieces together about her eyesight. But he didn’t say anything outright about it.

“Well, congrats, Mands,” Michael straightened. Oh, the audacity to call her that nickname like they were still friends! It wasn’t even creative! He had replaced all of one letter. “Didn’t think you were interested in the Big World at all, since you stayed here for so long.”

Okay, valid, but wrong. She had stayed because she thought she hadn’t had a choice in the matter. But valid because she did keep coming back to Imperfection for a reason–

“Probably have yourself a special someone, too, huh?”

Not that reason. And, again, he had said it so genuinely. And glanced over at Daniella like a personal example of a “special someone.”

Mandy’s eye twitched. Was that why he had returned? For her? It sucked that she didn’t have the full story behind these two, but she didn’t want to make them think that she cared by asking about it. “Well I don’t really-”

Wow, they looked so disgustingly in love. And why did it make her jealous?

Screw it.

Mandy straightened, pushing up her glasses a bit further up the bridge of her nose. Expression serious. “Uh, yeah, actually. I met someone a while back. A…special someone.”

Those two things weren’t inherently wrong. He was special (in one way or another) and he was, indeed, a someone.

Michael’s eyes met hers when she said that, suddenly looking more interested. Daniella relaxed, seemingly appeased that her “competition” was with someone else. “Really?” Michael asked, trying to appear nonchalant as he did so. “You’re dating someone?”

“Mhm,” Mandy pursed her lips, arms folding neatly behind her back. Now would be a really good time for Moxy to pop in like she usually did whenever it was an inconvenient moment. No such luck this time. And she knew Michael would want to know who. “You might know him. Goes by Lou? Louis?” She rolled her eyes dismissively.

Michael’s smile froze on his face. “The…teacher?” Okay, when he worded it like that it sounded bad. “Is…that how you passed the Gauntlet?”

And it sounded worse when he said it like that.

“What?” Mandy choked, then quickly shook her head. “No! What?” She couldn’t even protest the thought enough. “I- It’s a new thing,” she explained (lied). “And, no, I made it to the Big World on my own, actually.”

“Right,” Michael nodded once. And man, did it sound like he didn’t believe her. “Well, maybe if you two are free this afternoon, the four of us could go out to eat?”

“Hm?” Mandy blinked, smile freezing on her own face now.

“A double date!” Daniella beamed, speaking for the first time since this conversation had started. And she looked genuinely excited to go on one. “It’ll be nice to see Lou again!”

Ah, right, they were from Before. Before things had gone South. So they didn’t know about all the drama. Which didn’t matter, anyhow, since it was all water under the bridge in Imperfection. They would probably have questions for him, though.

“Double…,” Mandy murmured under her breath, trailing off and then looking away like she had to think about it. “I- That…yeah, that works. What…time did you guys-”

“How about 6?” Michael suggested, giving Mandy a skeptical look now that she really didn’t like. Did he think she was lying? She was, but, like, there was no way he would know that.

And Mandy met his gaze evenly, accepting the silent challenge to prove whatever doubts he had about her totally not fake relationship. “6 sounds perfect, actually,” she nodded and walked past them, not toward the portal now. “I’ll go and…let him know about the plans right now.”

“Yeah,” Michael squinted as Mandy walked past. “Tell him we said hi.”

“I will.”

———

Mandy quickly shut the office door behind her, back pressed to it and glasses slightly askew on her face. Lou was sitting at his desk, pen twirling in one hand and the other hovering over the keyboard like he was half-heartedly typing something. He arched a brow when she barged in, looking unimpressed. “So, there’s this thing called knocking—”

“We’re going on a double date,” Mandy blurted out.

Lou blinked, still not really reacting beyond the eyebrow raise. “Who’s…we?”

“You, me, Daniella, and Michael.”

Lou sat back in his chair, twirling the pen still like this was just a regular Thursday. “Well, tell Daniella that I don’t know her well enough to go on a date, so-”

“You’re going as my date, idiot.” Mandy finally pushed herself off the door and approached his desk, fixing her glasses in the process. “And, before you ask, I don’t know why I dragged you into this. I saw Michael, tried avoiding him—”

“Wait,” Lou held up a hand. “Blue-haired Michael?”

“No, a different one,” Mandy waved dismissively before going back into her rant. “But I tried avoiding him and it didn’t work and he has a new girlfriend named Daniella and it’s just a really long story because him and I used to date, but it didn’t work out, and so I told him about you because something in his tone sounded judgy and you know that I hate judgy—”

“So, you…thought that I was the best choice for fake partners,” Lou gave her an incredulous look, “considering you…hate judgy.”

“Well, no one’s perfect,” Mandy rolled her eyes. “But that’s not the point. He asked if we were available at 6 to go on a double date with him and his girlfriend so I said yes and now…here we are. And I need you to basically just pretend you’re my boyfriend.”

Lou finally leaned forward in his chair, elbows resting on the desk and the pen fidgeting between his hands. “For how long? Won’t he be here for, I don’t know, forever?”

“Just for at least tonight,” Mandy clasped her hands together in front of her chest, giving him a pleading look. “And then we can say we broke up or something.”

“Well, that’s entirely unbelievable,” Lou grinned. “Who in their right mind would break up with me? He’ll just think you’re crazy if you give him that story.”

Mandy deadpanned down at him. “Neither of them know about your little ‘destroy the portal’ thing from last year. So I could totally tell them about that and maybe I won’t seem so crazy.”

Lou’s grin didn’t falter. “If you’re trying to threaten my reputation in order to get me to agree to this, you’re a year too late, sweetheart. Two people finding out is hardly a threat when I don’t even know who they are.”

“Then I’ll tell Luckybat about the fake fortunes you’ve been stuffing into his cookies.”

…

“Just for tonight?” Lou squinted.

“At least for tonight,” Mandy crossed her arms and stood her ground. “I can’t guarantee we won’t have to fake it for longer, but it won’t be a permanent thing.”

Lou rolled his eyes, sighing heavily. “Fine.”

[healerstail]

Alexois Evrardoux. I had honestly thought I'd never see him again. The last I saw him was many years ago, when we were children. Those were not happy memories, mind. Though I am pleased to learn he has long since learned better manners.

As it turns out, being in the higher echelons of society doesn't protect you from having your walls proverbially and literally torn down by an Elder Primal.

From the ashes of that came a man built of integrity and honour, much better than a mean spirited bully he used to be!

[amalthea-felsblood]

𝓜𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓬 𝓞𝓯 𝓕𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓾𝓷𝓮

[alphieshplife]

University - @wolfstarmicrofic - wc: 100 - nsfw

“And where have you been?” James asks, an eyebrow raised, when Sirius saunters into their shared dorm in the same clothes he had on the night before. “Last I saw you, you were on your way to your hot Lit Professor’s office hours.”

The smirk Sirius gives him tells him everything he needs to know. 

“You slag,” James laughs. “What happened to waiting until the semester’s over to shag him?”

“Hey!” Sirius exclaims, a hand to his chest in fake offense. “I’d like to see you try being in close proximity with Professor Remus Lupin without dropping to your knees.”

[crownprincessoftherusalkas]

Home for the Holidays

@flufftober

Prompt: Fake Relationship

Fandom: Disney Crossover (Modern AU/College AU)

Pairing: Hercules x Cinderella

~

As Cinderella set up the coffee stand, Snow, who was placing the fresh pastries in the display case, started up the song. It was a little thing they did ever since Cinderella began working at the on-campus cafe Bella Notte: singing during their shift together.

As always, Snow would start it, and then Cinderella would catch onto the tune. It was a wonderful bonding opportunity. And it helped Cinderella feel a little more comfortable, singing just like she did when she was alone back at the house she grew up in. It was so much better, however, with a friend.

Just as they finished up their rendition of a classic, the first few students came strolling in, bringing with them orders of pumpkin-flavored drinks and breakfast pastries. She was loving this time of year, with the warm drinks and spices. Although there was a chill in the air, her dorm room was warmer than the room she slept in back there, and the complimentary Mirror Valley University hoodie she recieved when she moved in was so warm and soft, if a touch oversized. She felt positively cozy.

"That's it for breakfast, let's go ahead and get the sandwiches and snacks out for the lunch rush." Snow said from the other end of the counter.

"Alright, I've got it." Cinderella replied, being closest to the pantry.

As they started stocking up the display, the bell over the door jingled, disrupting the relative silence of the cafe, just a few students and faculty settled at the tables between classes. In walked a tall, athletic young man, with hair the color of copper that hung over his sweatband in a surprisingly attractive array of curls, his skin tan from sunlit days of training.

"Hey!" he called out, lifting a hand in greeting as he approached the counter.

"Hello, Hercules. The usual?"

"Yep. I need my refuel."

"Oh, of course." She nodded knowingly, smiling as she brought out his beef sandwich and yogurt. Hercules was tall and strong as an ox, and that meant that he often snacked between meals to keep up with both his studies and his training.

"Thanks, Cinderella. I like your shirt by the way."

"Thank you."

"The color of the writing, it kinda matches your eyes," he smiled. Cinderella beamed at him, her eyes brighter than before.

When he left the cafe, she continued setting up with a smile on her face. But when she'd placed the last of the newly-washed cups on the shelf, she recieved a cruel reminder.

"Hey, Snow!" Somebody was coming up to the counter. "Where are you going on break?"

Cinderella tensed up, then started wiping down her section of countertop.

"I'm going back home again," she leaned over the counter and continued in a whisper. "I'm taking my boyfriend home to meet my family."

A gasp.

"That's wonderful!"

Snow giggled, but in spite of the joy, Cinderella could only feel the heavy weight of dread.

She'd been trying not to think about it, but ignoring the problem wouldn't make it go away. The dorms didn't hold students over break periods, with the exception of specific summer semesters. And Cinderella did not want to go back for break. Not back there, not now.

The rest of her shift, she was plagued with intrusive thoughts. She clocked out to get to class, momentarily distracted by the daily grind, going the extra mile to maintain her scholarship. But the time came when she was about to head off to her waitressing job off-campus - the reason she had any money to spend and save at all - and once again worry consumed her every thought.

Just as she was about to walk off the campus property, a single car rolled up to the crosswalk. A familiar face peered out of the window.

"Cinderella?"

"Oh, hi, Hercules."

"Where are you going? It's gonna get cold out tonight." He said, and she remembered her hoodie. She was so distracted she forgot her jacket, the only one she had.

"I have a second job." She said, getting a little embarrassed.

"You want a ride there?" He offered, no hesitation whatsoever. Taken a little aback, she sat and stared, until she finally came to her senses.

"Yes, that would be nice, thank you." She heard a click, he unlocked the passenger door. She looked around to make sure it was safe - technically he was idling in the street - and quickly stepped to the passenger door.

When she sat inside, she was immediately warmed. She hadn't realized she'd gotten so chilly.

She belted in, and the car started moving again.

"Where are we headed?" He asked, turning onto another street.

"Oh, um, that first restaurant on Main Street, The Plaza."

"Got it." This was a new situation for her.

"So, where were you going?"

"I'm meeting up with some other guys from the wrestling team for pizza. Coach Phil says it's a good idea for buiding team friendships."

"That sounds fun."

"I hope so. Last time we went we ran into a high school wrestling team, and two guys started a brawl in the parking lot." He laughed nervously. "That was awkward to explain."

"Oh, dear."

"Yeah..." he glanced at her. "I don't mean to overstep, but are you okay?"

Her eyes widened, and she fumbled for a second.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. You just seem kind of upset."

She sighed, thinking, before she looked back in his direction. "Yes, you're right... it's just, the holiday break is coming up." She hesitated.

He nodded, making another turn. "Yeah."

'I don't want to go home for break...'

'I don't have anywhere else to go...'

'I don't have a home.'

"I don't want to go home," she said, surprised at herself for her openness. She thought of Hercules as a friend, she saw him every day, they bantered back and forth. They talked about whichever class and that one funny thing when they had time. But she was startled to discover that she really trusted him.

"That's awful," he said, sympathetically.

She swallowed hard. He wasn't judging her?

She looked out the window and saw that they were driving into the parking lot.

When he slowed to a stop in front of the restaurant, she got ready to thank him and get out, when he gently grabbed her hand. His hands were even warmer than the heat in the car.

"Hey," he started, and he also hesitated. She stared at him with wide eyes, her mind blank on what he could possibly be about to say.

"You could come home on break with me. If you want. Absolutely fine if you don't." He rushed out, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

She blushed herself. Going home together? Why, that's what Snow was doing with her boyfriend. But the two of them were just friends.

"I-I'd love to," she began, biting her lip. "But, do two platonic friends go to each other's homes for break?"

"I don't know," he confessed.

He suddenly let go of her hand, and her face fell slightly. He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck, before he suddenly looked back at her.

"We could pretend."

"What?"

"We could pretend we're dating, right? That way it's not weird." When she didn't respond right away, he started panicking. "Sorry, that-that's also weird, isn't it?"

"No!" she said, then dialed it back. "I mean if we're just pretending, it's just the two of us that knows, right?"

"Yeah, that makes sense!"

"So it's not weird for everyone else."

"Yeah, exactly!"

"I think it's a good idea," she said, not entirely sure that it was. But Hercules was kind enough to offer her a way out. And the break only lasted a week. They could pretend to be dating for a week. It's not like they'd have to get married immediately after she met his family.

"Well, good. That's great!" he said.

A car honked behind them, startling them both.

"Sorry!" Hercules called out the window, turning back to her with a nervous grin. "I guess I gotta go."

"Yeah. Thanks Hercules... for both things." She said, a little awkward, but very sincere.

He smiled, this time not nervous. "You're welcome."

She stepped out of the car, and he carefully drove away, and out of the lot. Once outside, she started catching a chill, and headed in quickly. Waving to another staff member, she headed into the back, where she could change into a uniform and fix her hair bun.

Her face was pink the whole time. Just what kind of situation had she gotten herself into?

[a-drabble-a-day]

Prompt #20

First Kiss (Write about your a first kiss)

~~..~~..~~..~~..~~..~~..~~..~~..~~..~~..~~..~~..~~..~~..~~..~~..

Yibo glanced at the accolade in his hands. A hefty chunk of glass, awkwardly artistic, the outward reason for his presence on this stage.

Before him was a sea of people and the flashing of lights. The voices of the host and hostess boomed across the large auditorium, inciting the audience to thunderous applause.

Yibo gave a crooked half-hearted smile. 

The prize, the fame, the adulation— none of these were his reason for being here tonight.

His one and only reason stood further down on his right, along the row of recipients. Zhan-ge, with his radiant smile, beaming at the cameras and the audience. His eyes wrinkling at the edges, his thin red lip lifting to reveal brilliant white teeth, his mole proudly on display.

Zhan-ge, who felt Yibo’s unswerving gaze and boldly returned it with a smile that only grew in brilliance, the smile reserved only for him. Him alone.

Yibo’s half-smile immediately transformed into a dopey grin that lit up his face.

Years and years of hard work, of secrecy, of job after job after job. Of missing each other, of hiding, of slowly gaining a foothold, of slowly building a stronghold. Of being there and not being there. 

And now here they stand, almost together, on the same stage, looking directly into each other’s eyes.

The other recipients began leaving the stage. Zhan-ge alone remained, deaf to his ushers, gaze still transfixed, smile still unwavering, 

How many times have they joked about this? And how many times has Zhan-ge warned him never to put it into practice? That they had their careers to think of, their lives, their reputation, their staff. 

But, it was different last night. 

Last night, when once again they’d joked and bantered, a curious look had appeared on Zhan-ge’s face as he said instead, 

“I’ll leave it up to you, Wang Yibo.”

With long, slow strides, Yibo began walking towards Xiao Zhan.

If it was up to Yibo, then he had an answer, has had an answer for many years. The same one since they first met.

Three paces.

Two paces.

One.

Zhan-ge was only a breath away. 

Without hesitation, Yibo reached his hand behind Xiao Zhan’s neck and gently drew him in until their lips met. 

Deeply they kissed, a single moment drawn out into eternity, softness mingled with passion. To Yibo, it felt like home, the familiar contours of Zhan-ge’s lips aligning perfectly to his own.

All around them, the crowds exploded with screaming and shock. Reporters were shouting into their microphones. The very earth beneath them began to shake.

But, to them, there was no one else.

Only them. 

Alone.

Sharing their first kiss before the world.

~~~~~~~

[hetakinkmeme]

South Italy has been jealous of Spain and Austria's past marriage for years and finally reaches a breaking point on it. He kidnaps Austria and decides that punishment is long overdue. (Human AU or nationverse! Author can decide if Spain and Austria are currently in a relationship or if it's just the fact that they were that S Italy is jealous of; Author can also decide how S Italy decides to punish Austria (physically/sexually?), all kinks on the table.)

((I do feel like I've read a fic that had this premise before so apologies if it's a repeat...))

.