•REWRITE OF MY STORY

• (Y/N) = Your Name
• (B/F/N)= Best Friend Name

(Y/N) POV:

Such a weird concept it is to «miss dreaming», but to you it made sense. It's been one full year now since you had any weird unexplainable silly scenarios happening in your nightly subconscious, and it made your nights feel oddly empty. You missed dreaming. You missed that strange feeling of trying to remember a dream that had just happened and that had made you happy. Yes, even that frustrating feeling of not being able to remember made you feel less empty than having no dreams at all.

Well, to clarify, your dreams weren't simply inexistent, you weren't just seeing all black for hours. No, you had dreams -Maybe it's a better wording to call them visions- but they weren't normal. They were just like a broken radio. The images were unstable and blurry, same with the sounds, like if you had stuck your head into a malfunctioning TV from the 60's. No idea why that example in particular stuck to you.

It didn't change the fact that you could swear something was happening in those dreams, even if you weren't very able to see it. I know it'd be absurd, because you're supposed to be the center of any dream you could have. Yet when you slept, you could hear some bribes of conversation, faintly see landscapes that weren't familiar to you, and overall feel like you were in spectator mode to a world that wasn't yours.

But you couldn't focus on those details, because they were still dreams, and trying to focus on those was like trying to fight against the effects of the strongest sleeping pills in existence. Speaking of which, you turned in your bed, feeling the comfort of the sheets around you and the relaxing feeling of having your heavy eyelids closed. In those moments, it was like nothing could ever disturb you...

-BEEP- -BEEP- -BEEP-

Spoken too soon. You woke up, very «peacefully», out of your slumber and your arm immediately smashes your alarm clock like it does every morning. You groan and rub your eyes as you glanced at your white ceiling.

You almost drove off to sleep again due to the boredom of the colour but still somehow found the strength to move and put your feet on the ground after a few seconds.

You finally stand up and, while making your way downstairs, you used this time to properly stretch and yawn before facing any social contact. You never knew when exactly your parents woke up.

Moreover, you have more important things to think of, like not spilling all your breakfast on the ground because of your clumsy, tired movements or just checking the time before you leave to go to college.

You had the chance to be close enough to just walk to the bus stop, but somehow you were often late. You always find an excuse in the back of your mind, like how you didn't get much sleep.

However, your best friend never wasted any time to point out how you always fell asleep late because of you staying on your phone, trying to find any more content on your favourite fandom. A fandom you two shared.

While eating a quick bowl of cereals, you see your mother coming. So, you greet her with a smile which she returned with a little ruffle of your hair as she passed. She'll always do those childish gestures to you, no matter your age, you guessed. While finishing your meal, you think a little about how lucky you are to have her and your father.

Fortunately you knew your luck and tried not to ever take them for granted. You know how many people, your best friend included, wished they had parents close and loving to them.

Even though you felt sad for the people that didn't have that, it didn't stop you from laughing with your best friend about the over dramatised families of the protagonist from so many stories you enjoyed, like fanfictions. Some were just... too much.

Your parents both have stable jobs, your mother was a kindergarten teacher and your father a worker in a random industry. Honestly, you three were quite the «normal family», nothing too special that would deserve a specific biography. Nonetheless, it's a good life.

Meanwhile, it's been a few years since you're in college. Of course, you got your yearly exams coming soon and apprehension is high. Thankfully, your best friend, (B/F/N), is in the same case as you. So, to you two, the pressure is less intense when you can joke about it or just spend some time together.

Honestly, it's all thanks to (B/F/N). You always wondered how they could always have their moral as up as it is, seeing the pressures of being a young adult, and the troubles they faced with their family. They always had a smile on and seemed to always have the words to make a situation less stressful. They had such a bubbly presence.

(B/F/N) is always eager to share with you some advices and always knew how to cheer you up. And in return, you tried to do the same, and always made sure that they knew they were loved, and that they could always share their problems with you if needed.

To be honest, you couldn't recall when exactly you met (B/F/N) for the first time. You knew they were here with you through highschool, maybe even middle school. They were always here, to support you, while you two were going through adolescence and had your fill of crises.

You always felt guilty about this. You felt like (B/F/N) was always here to support you, to help you become a better person true to yourself. Yet... You never felt like you ever did the same for them. No matter how hard you tried. This always bothered you.

After all, they weren't a plain support side character you could find in any fiction! It was real life and (B/F/N) is a real person. So obviously they deserved to have the same support and treatment as you.

You got startled when you accidentally splashed milk around. You cursed yourself for gazing off and starting an entire monologue in your head. As you wiped the mess, you thought about how weird it was that you always tried to explain your life in your head, even unconsciously.

After all, it was stupid. No one cared about what a silly human like you could think. You're not some protagonist of some fanfiction.

Right?

'...'

Such a dumb thought.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

After an hour and a half, you finally leave your house to go to college. Or at least, the stop bus. Arriving there, you see your best friend scrolling on their phone. You smiled as you walked up to them.

-"Hey, (B/F/N)!" You called out. They looked up and finally noticed you. They also smiled and put down their phone.

-"(Y/N)! How are you?" (B/F/N) asked, a bit of concern in their voice despite their smile. They knew about your sleep troubles. Your parents didn't. You simply shrugged a little and smirked.

-"As good as someone can be on Monday. What are you up to?" You tilted your head, gesturing to their phone, they held their phone a bit closer but replied nonetheless, a mischievous look in their eyes you knew too well.

-"I'm looking at countryhumans fanarts." They replied, smiling. You chuckled a bit, amused by how stuck you two were to this fandom despite the years that passed and how most of the fans are young teens while you're in college.

-"Of course you do..."

-"...On Google." They finished. You stopped yourself and gave them a weird look.

-"You know very well that there is some bad crap on Google. Demonic things that shall not be uncovered." You told them dramatically, internally disgusted by images forever printed in your head... A horrible fate that cannot be undone. (B/F/N) simply snorted and rolled their eyes.

-"You're one to talk. You literally draw fanarts." They said, making your cheeks rosy. You'll be forever embarrassed when they say that out loud. However, your honour was hurt when they compared you to the things found on Google.

-"Shut up, you! At least I'm not drawing some cursed ships and other atrocities! And stop mentioning them! It's just a little hobby and they're not so good anyway!" You tell them, but (B/F/N) scoffed at your last comment.

-"«Not so good»? It's literally art!" They exclaimed, making you more embarrassed by them complementing your drawings than mocking them.

After all, you always enjoyed drawing countryhumans fanarts even if at first they weren't so good. You were doing it only to relax anyway. But as time passed, the more skilled you were at it.

Now you consider yourself having a pretty decent level. Of course you couldn't compete with some creators found on the internet but it was always great to be complimented on your artwork.

You can still recall how you found the countryhumans fandom. It was years ago. You discovered it a bit accidentally while scrolling on the internet and as you talked about it to (B/F/N), you realised how well they knew it too!

Since then, it was one of your shared passions, and one of your favourite topics to talk about to distract yourself from a tense discussion you'd have prior for example.

Of course, there was (B/F/N) that would ramble about all the countries they found attractive and who they had «crushes» on. Meanwhile, you were always more discreet on that point.

So yes, you couldn't deny that some artworks of the fans made some characters very attractive, but at the same time, the history that sticks to them always leaves a bitter taste in your mouth any time you'd consider «fangirling» over your favourite countryhumans (Which somehow always sticks to be the most horrible of them).

Anyway, sometimes it was hard to stand up against some ugly traits of the fandom which unfortunately were sometimes very popular. Fortunately there was starting to be more people criticising the stereotypes of it. After all, we should never ignore the reality behind those seemingly harmless characters and what they represent.

After a little small talk with (B/F/N), the bus successfully arrives. A few hours later and now you were in history class. (B/F/N) was a few seats away from you.

It was just a normal lesson but it didn't stop you from focusing on what the teacher says. It's true that personifying the elements they were talking about made it easier for you to learn.

Another reason why you loved countryhumans. It sparked the inner passion you had for history, giving you a bit of knowledge on the different flags along the way.

Meanwhile (B/F/N) was more on the joking side and gave you looks each time it was talking about a country you knew they liked. You just rolled your eyes playfully and kept listening.

You liked to register any detail you could. Aside from it being good for your general knowledge, it was also a better source of information if you needed more details for the silly scenarios you made in your head. Who cares if you're apparently «too old for this»? Let yourself enjoy your fandom in peace.

You know that people would also tell you that this fandom takes too much of your time and that you should focus more on your new adult life or your studies. Well, mind you but this fandom is one of the only ways for you to properly relax and think about those things!

Plus, you're currently in college with good grades while also looking for a summer job and maybe even your own little apartment to share with (B/F/N) since god seems to make your love life inexistent. Overall, you had quite the big amount of savings so you didn't need to worry for now.

Needless to say, this fandom is a big part of your life. And honestly, you didn't know what could possibly make you hate it one day.

Little did you know....