aaaaand pyrrhic with characters of choice

won at too great a cost

when they'd been shown to the cabin the first time, their bag and the minotaur horn had been in the middle of the floor, surrounded by a handful of others. it was fine, for a moment, but then declan was suffocating, and something about the look on their face must've screamed please don't make me do this today because negotiation for a spot against the wall goes quicker than they thought it would. they wrap the blanket around their shoulders and huddle against the wood, staring at a spot that's been painted and re-painted so many times that the chips are coming off in every color they can think of.

"hey," someone says, a little like they're trying to coax some scared animal. declan turns their head to stare, and staring back at them is a kid their age with bright green hair and darker brown roots, smile pulling at the scars covering half his face. "hi, yeah, you. declan, right?"

"yeah," declan answers quietly. they try for a smile and regret the effort immediately - it comes out wobbly and makes their eyes water, and they duck their head away again, blinking. "hi. sorry."

"'s whatever. 10 throws me at all the traumatized new kids, i'm used to it." that startles a giggle out of them, and he grins, all cat-who-caught-the-canary. "and now you know why. 'm echo."

"does that work on- everybody?"

"about fifty-fifty. you care if i sit?" he's already settling next to them on the sleeping bag as they nod, tugging at the blanket until they acquiesce and pull themself away from the wall. his eyes catch on the horn, tucked against their chest, and they instinctively clutch it closer. "don't worry. if i wanted to steal it, you wouldn't notice."

declan's nose scrunches, and they move it between their thigh and the wall, where they can feel every groove of the keratin, the jagged-sharp edge where it broke off. echo snorts. "they left it out- in the open in the thief cabin," they mutter, "i don't know why 'm bothering. i don't want it, anyway."

"if you say so," echo hums, disbelief evident. they look back at the wall and he sighs, poking at their shoulder until they stop. "nobody's gonna try n' take it for a while if they know what's good for 'em, trust me. you've got me, you've got 10, and 'm pretty sure rassel's been stalking you from across camp so if anybody's got dibs it's them. you won it, fair and square."

"i don't-" their voice breaks, and they bare their teeth at him, fists clenching. "my fucking dad died- and all i got was some- some credit to pass around a summer camp? i don't want it. i don't care what happens to it, i don't care-" what happens to me- "the minute i see the- i'm gonna kill them."

echo blinks, slowly. stays silent.

"i'm gonna kill them," declan repeats, miserable and tired and angry, angry like they've never been before. "whoever- whoever- i dunno. i dunno." there's bile at the back of their throat, and the longer echo looks at them the worse they feel, guilt at snapping closing up their throat. "sorry. sorry. that- 's not your fault."

"you should keep that anger." a note of approval marks echo's voice, even his expression sharpens. like there's respect, there. "camp's easier that way. and- if you find them? we'll help."

they don't know what to say to that. so they nod, again, and lean away from the wall, resting their shoulder against his. he doesn't move away - just reaches over to grab the horn and set it in his lap, instead.

the gesture almost makes them smile.

Abel info dump 2 me about ur ocs challenge

alright its 12am and i dont expect this to make sense, read at your own risk but heres a bullshit couple paragraphs on ashley underwood, 

this is mostly ash because i think about her the most and this will make no sense because i haven't talked about her in literal months. ash is very complicated to me because i messed a lot with her characterization for a while and i still do, and i constantly wonder if I'm just shoving her into something convenient and stereotypical and therefore lessening her value, and then i decided that shes not real and i can make characters that don't make sense to anyone else but myself and i no longer also have to watch someone else take away pieces from her while i sit silently confused and hurt like i did before. anyway, she's very special to me because i put myself in her in a lot of small ways because she was the first oc i properly created. i made her originally for a fantasy storyline i was doing with some friends, and i thought she was very cool because she could do magic (doctor strange-esque, im not original) and then i gave her some trauma because its the next logical step. now i mostly think of her in all the modern aus that were created, and a lot of its with her old love interest (they had a very cool dynamic, sometimes childhood best friends to lovers, both with no idea how to be functional members of society, but i dont know if I'm like legally allowed to discuss them anymore so if i mention it once or twice my bad i just like knowing how my ocs act in relationships).  i don't really know how I'm supposed to write things so I'm just going to put some general information and then ramble for a billion words cool sorry

general things!! shes a disaster bisexual whos 5′8″ and surviving on coffee and spite, she has freckles and tan skin (half Spanish on her mom's side- speaking of her parents died when she was 10 either in a car accident or a murder I didn't make my mind up) very curly brown hair and worrying bags under her eyes. she can look intimidating at first because she has one of those resting bitch faces and a dislike of being alive (there's a little bit of mental illness as a treat) also I'm really tired writing this I'm so sorry

she's an English major- she loves books, spent most her teenage years with her nose in one because it was easier than talking to people and also they're Fucking Good, she has shelves filled with them and two copies of her favourites so she can fill one with notes and annotations and she cries is she ever accidentally ruins one, she never sleeps when she should, staying up till the early morning and then napping at every chance she gets (she has fallen asleep on all of her friends so often, and never makes it through the second hour of the movie unless it's important), she starfishes when she sleeps and is a nightmare to wake up because she will tell you rather impolitely to “leave her the fuck alone” (getting out of bed means dealing with the world and it's so tiring to do it over and over), she’s constantly cold, wrapped up in sweaters and if she's comfortable enough, clings to the closets human heater. speaking of, it takes her a while to warm up to people, used to absolutely shut herself off from getting close to people in fear of them leaving before going to ~therapy~.  she gets top grades in school because she works until shes burnt out and puts an overwhelming amount of pressure on herself, breaks down when she cant understand something in the first few tries because it feels like a failure, she does debate and writes poems and lyrics in beat up notebooks, hides them when people come over and owns like 3 guitars, sings unreasonably well and has scarily specific playlists, has round glasses she only wears when she has to because she cant see shit far away, catches colds often, brushes them off till shes forced into a bed, she studies the stars because theyre beautiful and unattainable and reads psychology books and likes true crime but only when theres a satisfying ending, she shows love through acts of service and physical touch, likes receiving quality time and words of affirmation, she takes polaroids of all her friends and sticks a bunch to her wall so she can stare at them and know that things are worth it now, has posters and art to remind herself of the little joys in life, will fight you about the star wars movies, overly competitive in a lot of things (mario-kart is a dangerous fucking game), curses a lot, stress bakes and cries when something goes slightly wrong, accidentally collects a following on tiktok from shitposting at 4am and having a nice aesthetic (and being pretty), would be the mysterious girl who you see/works at the bookstore/coffee-shop and fall a little bit in love with, writes essays last minute due to chronic procrastination and still aces it, is a ravenclaw, would be a child of hades in the pjo universe, would play outside hitter in volleyball (yes there was a haikyuu au), would be bassist in a band. i think this is all i can think of tonight because my eyes hurt but feel free to ask questions/ say anything honestly i really missed talking about my ocs and i have: many more that i will also talk about if anyone wants me to, (please. my inbox is so open please tell me abt ur ocs too i think its so fun)

marichat may day 2

day 2: greek au

note- i literally forgot everything abt greek myths i haven’t read a pjo book in like a million years don’t roast me if i get stuff wrong

ao3 ko-fi

“You know, they say Adrien’s mother was a goddess,” Alya tells Marinette, braiding her hair as she rests in her lap.

“I wouldn’t doubt it,” she responds, looking at the sky and feeling Alya’s gentle fingers touch her scalp. “Which goddess do you think she was?”

“Perhaps nature? Or maybe music. It’d explain how he’s so talented with instruments.”

“Who knows. Maybe Apollo’s muses seduced his dad. It would explain the glow that just surrounds him.”

“I think that’s just you who thinks that,” Alya laughs. “It’s not hard to see that Cupid has stricken your eyes and made you oblivious to everyone else.”

Marinette smiles, picturing his face. Adrien, son of the city’s best artisan. Oh, how amazing could it be to be a demigod, and a sweet and caring one at that. While she wasn’t fond of Alya’s teasing, it was easy to see how one could think she had gotten a blessing by Cupid himself, bewitching her heart and making her fall for Adrien.

Although, a part of her hoped it hadn’t been all up to the gods to decide and was Fate itself drawing the two together.

A gentle sound causes her to turn her head, looking across the fountain and spotting a small black cat.

“It looks like your little friend is back,” Alya says. She motions her hand for it to come, and the two watch it dart over, resting just inches from Marinette’s face.

She raises her hand up a bit, gently rubbing his head hello. The cat purrs, head brushing against her hand. Marinette glances at his eyes, watching as his eyes open and shut with each gentle pat.

“He’s such a cute little thing,” Alya comments. “I wonder who his owner is.”

“Well, until someone comes looking for him, he’s mine,” Marinette says. The cat makes a sound almost in response, as if pleased with her sentence.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that cat was in love with you. Perhaps it’s a nymph, ready to reveal its human form and beg you to marry him.”

“How romantic,” Marinette says, laughing as she watched the cat near her face now and nudge her forehead. “But my heart belongs to only one, and nothing in the stars can rewrite that.”

“Well, maybe if you actually spoke to Adrien other than fumbling about whenever you dropped off the bread, there’d be hope of a marriage.”

“You tease me too much,” Marinette says. “I’ll gain the courage of Ares one day, mark my words. I’ll rise up and tell him how I feel, or curse me and make me a cat, just like this cute little one right here.”

“The gods don’t forgive such promises like that,” Alya warns. She looks down at her best friend, watching how she tunes her out, playing with that little black cat instead.

“Maybe the cat can help us. Cat, go out and find Adrien and tell him just how strongly I feel, by Aphrodite’s blessing herself.” Marinette giggles, looking at how her animal friend tilts his head and runs off, almost as if sending the message along.

“I better sacrifice more tonight during supper, should the gods hear my prayer and Adrien receive my message of love.”

Alya smiles. “If Adrien himself confesses to you, consider my sacrifice in your honor.”

And when he does, black coat over his arm and green eyes blinking up at her, Alya’s finding herself sacrificing to Aphrodite’s temple everyday of the week, begging the goddess herself will make the musician Nino down the road fall for her.

1, 3, and 12!! 🤩🤩🤩

— fanfic end of the year asks!

1. favorite fic you wrote this year

kill steal !! by far one of the fics i still re-read fondly without criticizing it and i am in love with the world. and if i fall :3

3. favorite line/scene you wrote this year

literally this whole part in if i fall:

“You can stay, Chan.”

You said it so softly Chan wasn’t sure if he was still talking to the same person. Your voice was quiet, gentle as the breeze that nipped against his bare skin. He had seen rooms full of people fall silent under your command, on par with a thunderclap whenever you were seething with anger (which was most of the time). He never thought he’d see you in a state so far from what everyone else was used to. You were still you; a thunderstorm who shot streaks of lightning towards anyone who dared to get too close. You held a well full of secrets behind the glaze of your dark stormy eyes but tonight you were tranquil—a hurricane stripped of its most violent winds. Chan felt like he was standing in the center of it all, in the eye of a storm where the drizzles were light and the air was calm.

12. favorite character to write about this year

han jisung in the checkmate universe! he's just so easy to write and i just feel relieved whenever i write abt him (and his whipped ass) :(( i think i talk about this too much. another close favorite is the mc in the pjo!au series :")