#i’m trying though bwahaha

[rowynri]

small comic thing while i try and figure out how to draw them :D not entirely sure what’s going on here,, but it’s definitely. something bwahaha

[winterwhisperz-blog]

Hey me again ☾ ! Hope you're still up for asks cause I really like your writing & I got some ideas >:) (the obsession with this game is real yo). Do you think you could write something with a MC who enjoys cooking and testing recipes + making the LI taste their dish please ? 👀👉🏽👈🏽

We know Vere likes cooking too so maybe some interactions with him would be cute (Him and MC being an absolute menace in the kitchen but still managing to make a tasty meal bwahaha).

Thanks & have a great day <3

This came exactly at the right time— BRO THE WRITING SLUMP IVE BEEN IN?? Siiigh, it’s been tragic. (Also I get the brain rot, the hold this game has is crazy) also i’m so happy you like my writing 😭 and I hope you have a great day too !!

NOW

this did take me awhile because uHHHHH I don’t know anything about food. When I do remember to eat it’s usually cottage cheese and chocolate (not together, obviously- I’m not crazy 🥺)

SO

Here was my plan okay

I have a huge map in my room and I stared at it like this: 🧍🏻‍♀️ and picked about 17? Countries and put them in a spinning wheel. I chose a TS LI and then span said wheel—and whatever it lands on, MC a makes a dish inspired by the meals there (does that make sense ??)

I might’ve made it too complicated but it was fun-

Warnings: None, vere is just vere. Very possibly ooc, creative liberty.

Notes: Fluff, GN mc. Not proofread and finished at 1 am.

LES START WITH AIS

Ais(Boeuf bourguignon (Beef burgundy)

ALR SO, this was originally Vere’s, but I was having creative difficulties—so I changed this to Ais’. This dish is from France!

So, this one, I think Ais is already hanging out with you (he’s lonely ): )

He’s been having a ROUGH time okay, and so you decide to try out a new recipe on him

One you think he’d like.

Instantly, this man is sauntering into your kitchen, hugging you from the back as he watches what you’re doing. He’s quiet for the most part, just curious as you mix and add ingredients.

He snatches a few as well, and you let him until you’re going to be short on ingredients.

As you stop his hand from picking a chopped carrot, he looks nearly comparable to a scolded dog that was caught counter-surfing.

“Wait just a moment, I’m making this for you, you know.”

Smirking, he reaches for the carrot again. “Ah, should be allowed this then,”

As you swat you wooden spoon at his knuckles, he quickly steals one last carrot before offering his hands up in surrender.

You banish him to the counter, where he returns to watching, (he’s the pretty girlfriend that sits on the counter as you cook omg)

Once you’ve finished, you serve the red stew along with some boiled potatoes, placing it in front of the ever so patient Ais (who definitely didn’t find a way to sneak a bit more snacking in)

You eat in silence for awhile, before you notice how Ais’ eyes keep flickering to you. A brow furrowed.

“Something wrong? Does it taste funny? I thought I followed the recipe—“

He lightly shakes his head, swallowing a mouthful of the stew.

“No, not that. It’s…good, really good.”

“Then what’s the matter?”

He draws a hand over his chin, pondering his words. Or, deciding whether or not to say something. “There a reason you made it for me?”

You didn’t expect him to catch on. You commonly make things for him, for everyone, really. But today was different. Special. You had been noticing the drop in Ais’ mood, the added weight to his steps and the tiredness in his eyes. You made this in hopes to cheer him up, but also to see if it’d get him to talk about what was bothering him.

“You’ve just…you look like you’ve been having a bad day.”

He lapses back into silence, chewing on another spoonful. “I don’t want you to think you need to take care of me.”

You freeze, readying a retort before he continues.

“But…thank you.”

You stir your stew, swallowing. “You’re welcome.”

Another silence, before Ais chuckles. “Stew could’ve used more carrots though.”

WEEEEEEEEEE

He’s such a brat, I love him.

ALR, Now unto Leander !

Leander/Kjøttkaker (Meatballs) sided with Brunost(Brown cheese)

Alright, Leander got Norway. I was originally just going to go for meatballs, but then I saw this brown cheese ?? And though it’s not cheese cheese, I thought it’d be fun since Leander likes cheese platters.

You’ve been feeling rather ambitious lately, and decide to take on your biggest task yet: cooking for all the bloodhounds.

It didn’t seem like a bad idea, since you’ve always loved cooking for people. But it’s already proving to be a harder task than anticipated, as Eridia certainly doesn’t seem to be the home of the freshest ingredients.

One morning searching through rotten vegetables was enough to get you discouraged. You managed to find scraps of fresh-enough spices, but if you wanted more, it would come down to stealing from one of the richer streets. And you definitely weren’t in the mood for that today.

All you really wanted to do was take a bath and get that rotten smell off you.

Popping your back, you sigh before stepping into the bar, avoiding the bustle of the bloodhounds as you make for the stairs.

“MC!”

Turning around, you spot Leander, waving at you from the bar-counter. And that’s when you see crates of crates of vegetables, milk, cheese, and meat. Stunned, you walk over, fingers picking through the vegetables—they’re fresh, fresher than you expected from this place. And the meat, milk, cheese—

“How did you?—“

You had told Leander you wanted to make dinner tonight, before you left- you didn’t expect him to go looking for ingredients.

“—how did you get all these?” You finish, picking up a jar of pearly white milk.

Leander only smiles, leaning forward on the counter. “I know somebody. Will these be enough?”

Avoiding the truth, you had grown to expect that from him. If you had more energy you would’ve prodded. Instead, you put down the milk and run a bandaged hand across your face. “Yeah, I think so—well,” you glance around at the full tables of bloodhounds, all probably starved from work and life down in low-town. At your furrowing brows, Leander straightens, looking ready to March back out the door and come back with another crate.

“No, never mind. This is perfect, thank you.”

Thankfully, it was enough to manage. And with Leander’s help, you were able to go up to bathe as he watched over the food. To reward him, you decide to also make brown cheese. And though it’s not cheese cheese, it was enough to get Leander’s face to light up. Especially when he managed to convince you to unwrap your bandages and feed him a slice or two.

Though, you’re still rather confused on where he got everything 🤨 and why he didn’t get you earlier so you could’ve avoided searching through rotten veggies. Thankfully, your hard work also came with the entire bloodhounds seeing you as some holy entity after finishing dinner.

Kuras: Cōng yóubǐng (Scallion Pancake)

Kuras got China, and with this one—I was able to find a few videos on it. And now I want to eat it—though I cannot cook whatsoever <333

So so so so, with this one, I imagine you get the idea because like…people have brought this up before—but does Kuras even like…eat? Do angels…need to eat?

And maybe you notice how very little, or not at all he seems to eat. And how much he just -works- and goes off into places you can’t follow and comes back from the wastelands. Does he even sleep either?

So one day, you decide to make something for him. You’ve made things for others before, your friends, maybe family, before things went wrong. You don’t really know why you hadn’t made him anything before. But hey! Now’s better than never.

You settle on something not too filling, and something he could snack on during the day. Something he could take out to eat in between patients and with him wherever he goes and refuses to tell you.

Scallion pancakes. You wake up earlier than usual to make them, once finished, instantly rushing over to his clinic so they’re still warm when he eats them. The early morning sends a chill down your cheeks—shivering, you wrap the swathe of cloth holding the pancakes into your cloak, praying it doesn’t get cold.

You narrowly miss a patient exiting the door, looking dull and tired. You nod your head in acknowledgment before rushing inside. “Kuras?”

You find him in the process on shutting the door, golden eyes widening slightly in shock before softening. “MC, are you well?”

You nod, unraveling your cloak to reveal the swathe of cloth. “I…uh, made you breakfast.” Holding it out to him, you watch as his expression turns mildly perplexed. Warm hands closing over yours as he slowly takes it from you.

Like it’s some kind of curious artifact, he unwraps the cloth and stares at the stack of flakey pancakes. He lifts it to his nose, taking a few sniffs. Humming, he then gives you a small smile.

“It smells delicious.”

He then doesn’t eat it, instead, the silence stretches on as the two of you stand there. After a few moments, you awkwardly shift on your feet.

“Is there something the matter?” Kuras asks, tilting his head.

“I didn’t poison it, or anything,” You say, gesturing to the stack.

He lets out a small, quiet chuckle. “I would hope not.”

“So uhm…you can eat it.”

blinking, Kuras raises a brow, golden eyes piercing the dim light of morning. “Eat it?”

You nod, feeling more confused. He recovers quickly, slowly putting it to his mouth. Then someone sneezes behind you and you whip around to see a patient, red-eyed and sniffling.

By the time you turn back, Kuras is wrapping the pancakes back up. “I’ll be right with you,” he says, giving you a nod as his hand comes to your shoulder. “Thank you for bringing me Breakfast—are you in need of anything else?”

You blink, feeling a little frustrated. “No, that was all.”

Though it didn’t go as planned, later that day when hanging out with Ais, you hear about how when he was helping around the clinic, Kuras would take a few bites of a stack of some kind of garlic-smelling pastries.

You would receive a thank you note also requesting another stack the following day.

Mhin: Vitumbua (coconut rice pancakes)

Mhin, got Tanzania :D and with this, I wanted to find something still sweet since they like desserts! Thus, Vitumbua! Also these look so good, I want them so bad )): (I also wanted to add that there’s different kinds of these !! Made in different countries with different names and such, these are just specifically Tanzanian coconut rice pancakes.)

Also I apologize if this time around I seem more scattered-this writing slump is eating me alive 🤗

Okay okay, this one actually makes me so happy cause I think it’s cute- these are also kinda pancakes—and you made them for Mhin to take with them on their patrols.

Every moment making you think of them more.

How they’re doing, if they got enough sleep, if they’re even sleeping and not out killing soulless. You hope that somehow, these make things easier for them. And remind them how much you care. Especially since you’re losing sleep baking for them.

Once the heavy dark night is lifted into a sulking grey, you stack the rice pancakes into a box and head for outside.

Before Mhin can leave, you catch them, offering the cute little box, wrapped with bow and all. You had been up all night baking them, along with a caramel sauce to top it all off.

“What is this?” They ask, tentatively reaching for the box.

You scrub at your eyes, trying not to yawn. “Just a little something warm to remind you of me~” You sing-song, wiggling your brows at them. Chuckling as a blush skates across their pale face.

“I don’t…need anything,” they mutter, glancing away. Shy rays of morning light casting shadows over their features.

“Of course you don’t, but I thought you’d like it anyway.”

Grumbling, they hide the box in their cloak. “…Thanks.”

You cup a hand over your ear, humming. “Huh, what was that?”

“I said…thanks.”

“Hmm, sorry, seems something is plugging my ears!”

They clear their throat, “I said—“ they stop, eyes narrowing. “Don’t press your luck.”

Laughing, you fold your arms, trying to ignore the chill. “Alright, alright. If you end up wanting more, come get me okay? I can show you how to make them.”

They open their mouth, evidently going to ask what ‘them’ are, but you’re already heading back, stretching your arms over your head in a loud yawn. “Have fun on your patrol, say hi to the kitties for me!”

Once you’ve left, Mhin gives the box one more curious look before peeling open the lid. Inside, are ten golden, round pastries resting alongside a jar of bronze sauce.

Gingerly lifting one with their fingers, they take a slow bite. The chilly air of the dreary morning melting in a blooming sweetness. Swallowing, they feel a blush creep over their neck.

You were right, they really were warm.

Somehow, even when killing soulless, or after an annoying, unwanted conversation with Vere, one bite of the rice pancakes made them feel a bit lighter.

And, though they would never admit it, it reminded them of you.

Vere(Spaghetti/Caprese Salad)

So like I said with Ais, this was originally his— but I switched them. These dishes are from Italy!

Okay okay, so something I think would be really cute is Vere not only tasting your new recipes, but helping you to prepare it

Like for spaghetti sauce, maybe you prefer to peel your tomatoes first, and Vere, who was on his way to annoy you, caught the curious smell of fresh vegetables, (or fruit, since uhhh tomatoes) and spots you carefully peeling the ruby skin

Your face is locked in concentration, unknowingly sticking out your tongue as you gingerly avoid cutting your fingers.

It’s such a goofy expression Vere can’t help but stare at you with a hand covering his chuckles—until of course, he can’t resist the urge to scare the crap out of u 😇

Too caught in your work to notice anything amiss, Vere skulks closer until peering over your shoulder, lightly grazing his jaw over the side of your neck. He opens his mouth to whisper something in your ear but—

Taken by surprise, you yelp, squeezing the life out of the tomato you were peeling. It explodes over the both of you, shooting it’s guts very impolitely across your faces.

Vere reels back, a hiss of disgust escaping his lips as he blindly searches for something to clean the tomato remains off his face. He reaches for you and you swat him away.

“Idiot,” He seethes, finding an abandoned wash cloth.

“You were the one that scared me!”

“Still jumpy, hmm? I don’t know how you’ve lasted so long in this pig sty.”

Flicking tomato off your face, you snatch the wash cloth from his fingers. “With you constantly breathing down my neck? It’s a mystery to me too.”

Though you sound irritated, your hands still carefully reach for his face, gently wiping away the spots he missed. When he flinches, you soften your expression. “I forgive you. Come on, you got some on your neck.”

Slowly, but softly, Vere relaxes, though he still watches you with that same confused look he gives every time you offer affection.

It doesn’t take long for his fingers to caress your cheeks, sweeping off the tomato juice and then licking it off his fingers. Eyes taking on a devilish glint.

Hand it to Vere for making cleaning tomato guts off your face seem sensual

Eventually though, you do return to cooking. Vere helping you with peeling, chopping up basil, (sneaking extra spices into the sauce) and stirring the noodles.

Once everything is made, including an extra salad, you find a secluded spot to eat everything. Vere’s eyes watching your face the entire time.

“Do I still have tomato guts somewhere?” You ask, lifting a hand to check your cheeks.

Vere props his chin on his palm. “Did you know you stick your tongue out when you’re focusing?”

“I do not.”

“It’s so cute,”

“You’re just making stuff up so you can make fun of me.”

“I don’t have to make things up to do that, sweetheart.”

You toss your napkin at his face.

————-

Alr, we have reached the end. I am, so so sorry for taking two thousand centuries. Again, thank you so so much for the ask <3 though I took forever, these were fun !!

I hope you take a really good nap, eat your favorite snack, and try something new !! (Also you should totally search these dishes up, they all look so good !!)

[merakiui]

I’m adding onto anon’s academic rivals with Jade… academic rivals WITH SPICE (+Yandere)

Maybe one or both of you find out a nasty secret about the other, catch the other, and w/o risking your reputation, you decide to come to a compromise so you two can stay hush hush about it. Imagine it’s like literally academic rivals with benefits BWAHAHA — in class and anywhere else in public you two hate each other omg but in private you two are fucking like rabbits (angry sex ftw) like “GODS you are SO ANNOYING >:( better keep my secret”

I could totally see Jade falling first though or at least playing the long game and being SOOOO infuriating during your little trysts together. He’s obnoxiously smart and sleazy and menacing and all, but hey at least the sex is good. Not that you’d ever admit it— Jade will make you say it sooner or later tho ;) it’s probably exhausting for him to keep up the act of “hating” each other when clearly, you’re so meant for him ^,^

YES....... and everyone around you keeps commenting on how well you and Jade work together when they see you interacting in class for assignments or partnered work. The chemistry is so there and it's so obvious, but you refuse to acknowledge that (so the others will point it out for you). This dynamic is really just "you wanna kiss me so bad it makes you look stupid." >:D

You're fuming every time Jade opens that annoying eel mouth of his to tease you about how he scored higher on Professor Crewel's most recent exam or how he always has to offer his help with your study habits and whatnot, even though the both of you know there won't be any studying happening the moment that door shuts and locks. <3 it's all loveless sex meant to scratch some obscure itch until it isn't and Jade's being so uncharacteristically sweet with you.

OTL AAAAAAAA and maybe you push him away even though he's trying to get closer to you. :( it's easier if the two of you just hate-fuck, so when he's being so soft and personal and vulnerable with you?????? T_T you're not sure how much longer you can keep denying yourself of these good things because, much to your horror, you're falling for him, too.

[beestriker015]

Princess Peach x male s/o headcanons

S/o is one of the few humans living in the Mushroom Kingdom, and has been a friend of the princess since they were babies.

As time went by and the two grew older, that friendship began blossoming into something more.

Eventually, with some encouragement from both Mario and Luigi, the princess confessed her feelings to s/o.

“I love you s/o, and I wish to be with you. Please know that if you don’t feel the same way about me, the two of us will always be friends.”

She says with a smile, awaiting his answer.

“Peach, I had no idea you felt that way about me. To tell you the truth, I’ve had feelings for you for a long time now. I love you too Peach.”

Upon hearing this, Peach brings s/o into a warm embrace, thus marking the beginning of their relationship.

News quickly spread throughout the kingdom that the princess has found a suitor, much to the couple’s dismay.

“I’m so sorry s/o, I didn’t expect word of our relationship to get out this fast.”

“Well, everyone was bound to find out some time. I just hope we won’t be hounded by the press too badly.”

Much to the pair’s surprise, the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom were very respectful of their privacy and were happy that the princess found someone to love.

“Thank you, all of you. I am honored to be the princess of such amazing people.”

Peach addresses her subjects with a grateful smile on her face during the official announcement of her relationship with s/o.

“If the princess has a suitor, that means she’s gonna get married right?”

A Toad asks as the crowd begins chatting amongst themselves.

Before Peach could speak up and tell them that she and s/o aren’t planning on getting married at the moment, another Toad joins the conversation.

“Yay! Let’s give a big cheer for Princess Peach and s/o! Congratulations lovebirds!”

The crowd begins cheering as Peach and s/o blush and exchange glances.

“I mean, it’s not like I’m opposed to getting married to you s/o, but I don’t wanna rush things.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I definitely wanna marry you someday Peach, but only when we’re both ready.”

He kisses her, flustering the princess as a series of awws are heard from the crowd.

By request of his girlfriend, s/o moves into the castle.

“Welcome to your new home s/o! If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thanks babe, I guess this means no more slinking off to my place huh?”

He smirks as the princess laughs a little.

“I suppose not. As long as I get to be with you though s/o, it doesn’t matter.”

Before s/o moved in with her, Peach had a tendency to sneak out of the castle to go visit her boyfriend, causing everyone (specifically Toadsworth) to panic that their princess has gone missing.

Speaking of going missing, whoever Bowser kidnaps the princess for the umpteenth time, s/o joins Mario to go rescue her from the Koopa King.

“Bwahaha. I heard Princess Peach was dating someone, but I didn’t expect it to be someone so wimpy! You and that stupid plumber should just go home! The princess is mine now!”

“We’ll see about that Bowser! Mario, let’s take him down together ok?”

The mustachioed jumper nods as they prepare to fight, with Bowser ending up defeated as per usual.

“We make a great team man, now let’s save Peach!”

After rescuing the princess, she rewards the two with a cake (and giving s/o an affectionate kiss).

“Thank you s/o for helping Mario rescue me.”

“You’re welcome babe. Besides, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t do anything to save you?”

The princess smiles and gives her boyfriend another kiss.

“You are an amazing boyfriend s/o. I love you so much.”

“I love you too Peach.”

Being incredibly wealthy, Peach loves to spoil her boyfriend with gifts.

“I love you Peach, but you don’t have to get me all these things, not that I don’t appreciate it.”

“I know, but I just can’t help it s/o. I’ll try not to overdo it.”

She says knowing that she already bought him a really expensive thing he’s always wanted.

Whenever Peach competes in a kart race, s/o can be seen in the stands cheering her on.

“Go babe! I know you can win this!”

Hearing her boyfriend’s support always drives her to do her absolute best to win.

Even if she doesn’t get first place, s/o always runs up to her after the race ends and praises her nonetheless.

After being together for quite some time, s/o decides it’s finally time to propose to his girlfriend.

“I’m nervous Toadsworth, I don’t know if I can do this.”

“There’s nothing to be nervous about my boy! The princess absolutely loves you, I’m sure she’ll be incredibly happy when you ask for her hand.”

“It’s not that I think she’ll say no, I just…what if I mess it up?”

“As long as you speak from the heart, you’ll be fine s/o. Now chin up! The princess is waiting!”

S/o nods and thanks Toadsworth for the confidence boost as he goes to the balcony where his girlfriend is waiting.

“Oh. Hello s/o. Why did you want to meet me out here?”

Not answering her, s/o gets down on one knee and pulls out a beautiful ring as the princess gasps.

“Peach, being with you has made my life worthwhile. I love you with all my heart, and want to spend the rest of my life with you. My love, will you marry me?”

She nods rapidly with tears in her eyes.

“Yes s/o, I will!”

Once she puts the ring on, Peach pulls her now fiancé into a passionate kiss.

When the day of the wedding comes, Peach has Daisy as her bridesmaid, with s/o having both Mario and Luigi as his groomsmen.

“Do you Princess Peach take s/o as your husband for as long as you both shall live?”

The minister Toad asks as the princess smiles.

“I do.”

“And do you s/o take Princess Peach as your wife in sickness and in health?”

S/o nods.

“I do.”

“Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife!”

Peach and s/o seal their marriage with a kiss as the entire kingdom celebrates the two’s marriage, except for a very upset Bowser, who was watching the ceremony from aboard the Koopa Cruiser.

Going from childhood friends to lovers, there’s no doubt that Peach and s/o’s love for each other is so strong that not even Bowser’s constant kidnappings can put a strain on it.

[sister-lucifer]

i raaarely send asks, and not to sound like a fanboy, but OHHHH MY GODS I LOVE YOUR WORK SO MUCH!!! your fics r genuinely one of my faves (seriously i love your writing style) and the characters from your dating sim have such cool designs...

might i ask — what's your creative process? and how long have you been writing for? i'm just curious bwahaha

yall are being so nice to me tonight what 😭😭 thank u omg i needed to hear that jsksjsjsjjdjdhu

please don’t worry about sounding like a fanboy i really enjoy and appreciate it

my creative process is sort of …hard to explain. some of my ideas are fully original, but i’d say about 2/3 of them are at least partly inspired by other media; a few times it’s been other fics, but usually it’s fanart or sometimes i decide to yoink the framework of an idea form a movie or tv show or game to build around and make my own. my creative brain is just going 24/7, so i’m always taking in new ideas, its just that most of them don’t inspire me and get thrown out, but the ones that do inspire me get filed away for later

my ideas list for fics is very long right now. as you could imagine

i’ve also found that there’s a sweet spot between ‘writing an idea as soon as i get it’ and ‘sitting on an idea so long i have no motivation.’ if i write the second i have an idea, it won’t be developed enough, and i’ll get stuck trying to smooth out all the rough patches as i write, which will discourage me because ill get frustrated trying to force it. i like to let my ideas marinate a bit, give me time to do some mental planning and naturally develop the ideas to patch up all the plot holes. then i write when it feels natural to, instead of making myself because i haven’t written in a while. for me it’s all about just trusting my mind and writing only when i have the energy, motivation, and inspiration, because forcing myself just gets me nowhere

basically, i just try to keep my mind open, because ideas are everywhere if you look, and i let myself work at my own pace

also i’ve been writing since…basically forever? for as long as i can remember, even when my age was in the single digits, i constantly created original characters and wrote stories about and with both them and characters from my favorite TV shows (which at the time was like. TMNT and wild kratts). i only started getting serious and posting my writing + writing smut like two years ago though, but even since then i’ve come a loooong way. i’m much better at writing sex scenes now. holy shit, i used to be terrible 😭😭 but we all have to start somewhere i guess

thank you for your ask! i really appreciate questions like this. it’s little things like this that push writers and artists like me to keep going:]

[hard-boiled-criminal]

A Witch Adrift

Chapter 3 - Food Before Fools

< Ch 2 | Ch 4 >

>Ch 1<

Masterlist

Ao3 Mirror

“Gwah! It’s pouring out there!”

You turned to see the same cat from earlier, sopping wet but its ear flames still burning strong. You barely had a chance to react before the cat shook itself dry, splashing a good amount of water on your face, as well as your clothes. Using one of your singed bell sleeves, you slowly wiped the water off your face, already exhausted from the long hour you had suffered through. A cackle made you pull your sleeve away, letting you see the cat laughing at you as if you were the best comedian it’d seen in ages.

“Bwahaha! That look on your face is priceless! Like a bat that got blasted by a water gun.”

‘...A what?’

“As if I wouldn't just sneak back onto campus the second I escaped pryin' eyes. You all got no idea what I'm capable of!”

‘No, I think I have a pretty good idea.’

“I ain't givin' up on goin' here just 'cause I got kicked out one measly ol' time. And if you think otherwise, you don't know Grim!”

“So, your name’s Grim, huh?” I guess I should know that with how many times he’s called himself such. “Why are you trying so hard to get into this cul–school?” Because I seriously don’t see the appeal. Though perhaps I’m just biased considering I was kidnapped, almost killed, and then placed in a sorry excuse for a dorm.’

“I was born to do this! I'm a magical prodigy who's got the makin's to become one of the greatest mages who ever lived! So I've been waitin' and waitin' for that black carriage to come for me. And yet…” He sniffled a little, as if trying to hold in tears.

‘Well now I feel a little bad for him. He looks like a kid that dropped their ice cream.’

“Hrmph! That Dark Mirror's got no eye for talent!” He schooled his expression fairly quickly. “That's why I took the initiative and came here myself. You humans don't understand what a mistake you're makin'! Not lettin' me in is a great loss to the world!”

“Well, I have to agree with you on the Dark Mirror part. After All, it decided to kidnap me, and I can’t do any of that flash-bang-boom magic you’ve been throwin’ around.” ‘But I can do other magick… I wonder if they have my kind of magick here… I’ll have to do some research later…’

“Wha? You can’t use magic? Pfft! You’re useless–MRRAO!” Grim shrieked some water dripped on him, a quiet hiss sounding as his ear flames instantly evaporated it. “Mrrao! C'mon, scoot over! I'm getting dripped on here!” He moved out of the way, but it was no use as another drop hit him from a different leak. “Bwah! Another hole in the roof! These flamin' ears are like my trademark, y'know? I can't let 'em get doused!”

‘Instant karma, bitch. That’s what you get for being rude.’ You sighed, “I guess I’ll go looking for some buckets.”

“I dunno why you don't just magic those holes away. You could have it fixed in half a jiff.

Ahhh, right. You can't use magic at all.”

‘You know what? I take back what I said about feeling bad for him.’

“Yeah, yeah, I can’t make things go boom, I get it. If you’ve got such a problem with the leak, why don’t you fix it yourself, you knock-off Pokémon?” You said over your shoulder as you walked to the door to collect one of the bowls from outside.

“Heh? You want me to help you? Ha! You got the wrong idea. I'm just a stranger takin' shelter from the rain. You ain't the boss of me. And what’s a Pokémon? If it’s something that helps humans, then I definitely ain’t one of them. I don't work for free.”

“How about you help me and I won't kick you out, hmm? How does that sound for compensation?” This cat was quickly getting on your nerves.

Grim didn’t give you a chance to act on your threat, dashing underneath the couch by the stairs. “Y-you can’t threaten me, human!”

You sighed, not about to deal with pulling a cat out from hiding, especially not a magic cat. “Alright, well, don’t blame me if there’s deadly mold under there,” you said, hearing a little yelp under the couch, followed by the scrambling of paws. You smirked to yourself, “I’m off to go find some pots or buckets.”

You peered into a nearby hallway, feeling anxiety returning to you as you stared down the long, dark corridor. ‘This feels like a horror game, and I hate it.’ You tentatively took one step forward and then another, the rotting floorboards creaking with even the slightest amount of weight pressing down on them. You made it about five slow steps in before you felt the temperature of the room suddenly drop.

 ‘I just had an interesting thought: Actually, fuck this.’ You spun on your heel with false bravado, your entire body now tense. As you stiffly walked back towards the lounge, you froze in place as you felt the familiar tingle of eyes watching you. ‘Okay. Don’t look back. Just… Just keep walking. If you look back, you’ll die, according to horror movies. Put one foot in front of the other.’

It turns out it didn’t matter if you looked back or not because three ghosts suddenly appeared in front of you. They… didn’t look how you’d expect ghosts to look like. These ones looked more… cartoonish. They weren’t half as scary-looking as some of the monsters you’d seen in Scooby-Doo.

‘Ghosts huh. Surprised I can see them. Or maybe that’s normal here.’

“Yee hee hee... Bwa ha ha ha ha ha,” One of the ghosts attempted to laugh menacingly.

“We haven't had visitors in ages!” 

“Oh, I'm just itchin' for new friends! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!”

“Hey, Grim?! Is it normal to see ghosts?!” You shouted, temporarily ignoring the ghosts.

‘I need to know if this is normal or if I’m just hallucinating from stress.’

You hear the small pitter-patter of tiny footsteps against the damp floor. “Hah? Ghosts? What are ya talking’ about, dumb hum–AAAAAH! GHOSTS! GHOOOOOOSTS!” Grim screamed in fright after he turned the corner.

‘Guess I’m not crazy then… Should I be scared?’

“All the people who used ta live here got scared of us and ran away.”

“We just want a new ghost to play with! What do you say, buddy?”

“Eeeeep!” Grim shrieked, terrified of the cartoonish ghosts.

“Uh-huh… Yeah, no, I’ll have to pass on that.” ‘Plus, last I checked, ghosts can’t kill you. Unless they can use magic. I hope they can’t use magic when they’re dead.’

“I'm a master sorcerer! I ain't afraid of any dumb ghosts! Myahaaa!” With his eyes closed, Grim shot a stream of flames up in the air, narrowly missing your head while completely missing all of the ghosts.

“Wah–Grim! Careful!”

“Nuh-uh. Not even close.”

“Over here! Over here! Ah ha ha ha!”

“Hey, it’s not my fault they keep disappearing and reappearing!” Grim shouted at you as the ghosts continued to taunt him as his attacks kept missing.

“Well maybe if you stopped pretending to be blind and kept your eyes open, you wouldn’t miss!” You shouted back. “Now stop trying to burn the dorm down! Fire isn’t super-effective on ghosts in the first place! Don’t you have any other magic?”

“Shaddup! I don't need any lip from you, human!”

“Ugh, I don’t have time for this. If you burn the building down you’ll never be allowed to even go near this school, you know? And maybe if you get rid of the ghosts the headmage will let you enroll for your grand achievements, hmm?”

“Myah...?! Hmph, then what am I supposed to do, huh, human? If I don’t blast them, they won’t leave us alone! Not like you can do anything; You’re magicless!”

“Here, I’ll aim you so,” You picked him up and he mewled in displeasure. “Fire when I say so!”

“Mrrgh, fine! But only because it’ll show off my greatness! Don’t go thinkin’ it's because of you, human!”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s another achievement under your belt, oh great Grim. Now stop talking and fire!”

You spent the next few minutes pointing Grim at ghosts and watching as he burnt them. It was odd to think about holding a living flamethrower in your hands, especially one that would complain between each use. Turns out magic cats can also get dizzy.

“Nice! That actually worked! Hey, human! What should I do next?” Grim turned his head to look at you. “Give 'em the works? Heh! Can do!” He didn’t even give you a chance to respond before spewing out more fire. “Myaaah... Eat THIS!”

“Hwaaahhh! We gotta get out of here! Before we get disappeared for good!” The ghosts fled, vanishing into thin air.

“H-huh? Did we... win?”

“Yep, so you can open your eyes now,” you carefully put Grim down on the floor, watching as he struggled for a second to get his balance.

“Aw, geez, I was scared outta my–I mean, they didn't faze me one bit! Just a walk in the park for a mage of my caliber! Whaddaya got to say now, ghosties? That's right!”

‘Well, if nothing else, he definitely has the attitude of a cat.’

Now even more exhausted in every sense of the word and with no buckets in spite of your, admittedly minimal, efforts in searching, you and Grim head back to the lounge. You waste no time collapsing on the couch Grim had hid under earlier, a small cloud of dust erupting from the disturbance.

‘I’d love to sleep in a bed, but I can’t help but think about bed bugs and mold infesting the rooms… I really don’t wanna be here anymore.’

The pleasant quietness of the room, save for the comforting pattering of rain, was a nice contrast to the scream-fest Grim had with the ghosts. The silence was regrettably interrupted by Crowley magicing open the door again, the loud squealing of the hinges grating on your ears. 

“Good evening. In another gesture of my immense kindness, I have brought you dinner.” In one hand he held a bag and the other he used to close the door and place the coffee table strewn across the room in front of you, right-side-up, all with magic, of course. He placed the bag down on said table and looked up at you, only to see Grim sitting on the couch next to you, “Wait. That's the creature we ejected for causing trouble at orientation! What is it doing here?!”

Grim stood up, placing his paws on his hips. “Takin' care of yer ghost problem, that's what. You're welcome, by the way! Ya better gimme some tuna as a reward!”

Crowley was about to respond, but you quickly butted in, “Mr. Crowley, it’s easier to just go along with him, so please, don’t argue.”

Maybe it was because of how tired and awful you looked, but Crowley heeded your request. “Well, I do seem to recall that this dorm had a mischievous ghost problem. Ah, yes... That's why it was abandoned, in fact. The ghosts scared away all the students. And you're saying that you two joined forces to drive them away?”

‘Ah, I see. You oh so conveniently forgot that this manor was haunted by ghosts. How does somebody just forget that a place is actually haunted?’

Crowley continued to talk as you started to unpack the takeout containers from the bag. Out of the three containers, the round one, typically meant for soups, caught your attention. It smelled absolutely divine. 

"’Joined forces’ ain't exactly how I'd describe it. More like I drove 'em away, and the human watched,” Grim bragged.

“Well, someone had to watch and aim for you, seeing as you kept your eyes closed the whole time,” you said with a little sass.

“Would you two be so kind as to demonstrate your ghost-eradication methods for me?”

You gave Crowley an unamused stare, about to open the food containers. ‘Is this some new kind of torture? Bringing me freshly cooked food and then distracting me until it becomes lukewarm and unpleasant?’

“One, no, 'cause I already wiped 'em all out. And two, no, 'cause where's my tuna?!” Well would you look at that. It seems you and Grim agree on something. 

“I will play the part of the ghosts. As for the tuna, you'll receive it when you defeat me. Oh, what generosity, Crowley…”

“W-wait, wait a minute–Mr. Crowley, I really don’t think this is a good idea!” You tried to protest. The ghosts were one thing since they couldn’t crash into anything, but having a fight with a physical being in a run-down place like this did not seem like a good idea. This dorm was just waiting for an excuse to collapse.

“Nonsense, it’ll be fine! Now, to chug this transmutation potion!” Disregarding your concerns, Crowley pulled a potion out of nowhere and took no time to uncork and down it.

“Ah, you gotta be kiddin' me,” Grim whined. “I gotta work together with the human again?”

“Grim, please, just put up with it. The sooner we do this, the sooner we get to eat.”

“Hrmph. All right, but this is the last time. And I better be up to my jowls in tuna afterwards!”

You stood up and made a point to walk away from the table with all your food on it, watching as the headmage slowly turned transparent, transforming into a ghost version of himself.

‘So you can just turn into a ghost by drinking something in this world? Hmm, interesting. I mean, there’s no way to do that back on Earth unless you drank…poison…’ You came to a ghastly realization. ‘Did he… did Crowley just kill himself? To become a ghost? What? No, that can’t be; he’s too calm. Also, who’d kill themselves for something as stupid as this? …Well, I suppose I won’t have to worry about him running into anything at least.’

Crowley didn’t wait around before he began his assault, causing you to quickly snatch up Grim to use as a sentient flamethrower once again. Seeing as Crowley was probably much more well-versed in magic, and perhaps combat as well, than the ghosts, the fight was much harder, despite there only being one of him. When seemingly satisfied with what he saw, or maybe the potion’s duration was up, Crowley backed off and transformed back into a corporeal being.

Grim was panting from exertion, tired from the back-to-back battles. “Hah…Well? How was that?”

“Incredible... I've never seen anyone bend a monster to their will quite the way you have,” Crowley said, actually impressed by you but in a positive way.

‘This man’s definitely never played Pokémon. Which’d make sense since it’s another world, but still. What sad lives these people must live. Guess I’ll just have to become a Pokémon trainer and show these magic people what they’re missing out on.’ For the first time since you arrived in this strange world, you felt lighter, hopeful, even. Maybe you could find a whole team of magical monsters; who knows what creatures exist here?

You sat back down on the couch, the food thankfully undisturbed from the fight. Crowley picked up a turned-over rocking chair and placed it on the opposite side of the table from you, taking a seat. Starved, you did not hesitate to grab the spoon from the set of silverware and chopsticks Crowley had brought with him and opened the soup container. A puff of delightful-smelling steam escaped as you opened it; your mouth started to water. It was an opaque, yellow-orange soup with thick noodles. You dipped the spoon into the broth and brought it to your lips. Without bothering to blow on it, you quickly slurped it up, a familiar taste hitting your tongue. Miso.

“I must confess, my educator's intuition did sense something about you after the brouhaha at orientation, (y/n).

‘...Brouhaha? What? What even is that?’

I could tell you had a certain animal trainer-y, beast master-ish quality to you. Oh, yes.

That said, I…” Crowley trailed off, mumbling to himself, coming up with some absurd idea, no doubt.

“A trainer, huh?” You mumbled before putting down your spoon on one of the napkins you pulled out of the bag. “Mr. Crowley, what if… what if I became Grim’s trainer?”

“Oh?” Crowley sounded intrigued.

“Myngyaah?! What are ya talking about, dumb human! I ain’t anybody’s to train, especially not by you!” Grim, on the other hand, was extremely offended.

“Hold on, lemme finish speaking first,” you said to Grim, but it did not placate him in the slightest. “Mr. Crowley, if I became Grim’s trainer, would you let him enroll in the school?”

“WHAT? A monster?! Stay here!?” Crowley’s interest quickly became disbelief.

“Whoa, did you just...?” Grim also looked at you in disbelief, but he looked more so touched by your actions.

“I’m magicless and new to this world. Seeing as there are ghosts, who knows what else there may be. I need someone to help protect myself, assuming you won’t be able to always be around to help me.” ‘Plus, it’s hard to catch pokemon if you don’t have one of your own.’ You grabbed the chopsticks, dipping them into the soup to grab one of the noodles. The udon noodles were just as delicious as the soup. This was the perfect comfort food you needed after today.

“Hmmm... I suppose I cannot deny your plea. Very well,” Crowley agreed, a little reluctant, but unable to refute your reasoning.

“Myah?! Really?”

“Let me be clear!” Crowley didn’t let Grim celebrate too soon. “Under no circumstances would I admit anyone to Night Raven College who has not been selected by the Dark Mirror– especially not a monster!” 

‘Is the Dark Mirror really so important that its selection is a criteria considering that it was apparently responsible for summoning me? It also didn’t say I couldn’t be a student. It just said I wasn’t suited for any of the dorms.’

“Nor do I intend to allow you, (y/n), to freeload until you're able to return home.”

‘...Excuse me?’ You stopped eating and sat up straight, giving Crowley a death glare.

“Hrmph. Never shoulda got my hopes up…” Grim grumbled.

“N-Now, allow me to explain,” feeling your intense glare, Crowley backtracked, quickly starting to elaborate. “It was the Dark Mirror that transported you here.Therefore this school does bear some responsibility for your well-being. So I will allow you to remain in this dorm, free of charge. However, you will need to pay for your own food, clothing, and incidentals. As to how you will do so, penniless as you are... Ah. Ah ha. Yes, a fine plan. How about I have you do some odd jobs around campus?”

Crowley was about to keep talking but you cut him off, “I’m sorry, what?”

“W-Well, you see, I can’t just allow a magicless person who is not a student to just stay here, it would–”

“Oh, no, we are not doing this.” Anxiety be damned, you were too tired and fed up with today to stop your words from coming out. “It was your mirror that brought me to your school, of which you are the oh-so-gracious headmage of. As far as I’m concerned, you kidnapped me! So, you are going to take responsibility for your subordinate’s actions.”

“Well, the Dark Mirror is not so much my sub–”

“Shut it and don’t interrupt me.” Crowley closed his mouth real fast. “Now listen here, you ostentatious birdman,” You leaned forward, glaring straight into the yellow pinpricks that you assumed were his eyes. “You ripped me from my home, a world of the mundane with none of this dangerous magic you show off all the time like it’s nothing. What’s more, you’re saying you can’t send me back. You expect me to live in this dilapidated building, which definitely has more than a few health and safety violations, and on top of that, work in order to simply survive? I have nowhere to go. I am stuck here and I know nothing of this world. For all I know, if I even try to leave, there could be some other monster lurking around off campus that’s ready to kill me and have me as its next meal. I don’t think you realize just how terrified I actually am! This situation I’m in, it’s as if I’m stuck in a prison and you’re trying to use me as free labor in exchange for the right to live! If this is a school of magic, that means everyone I may pass by on this campus could kill me with a flick of the wrist, whether on purpose or on accident, and I can do nothing about it!” You sniffled, feeling your nose start to run as tears start to fall from your eyes. Everything has been so overwhelming, and this was the last straw that broke you. 

“I’m all alone, Crowley. I have nobody! I have nothing! These clothes aren’t even mine! Don’t you see?! You’re making it so that I have no choice but to listen to you! Because if I don’t, you can rip everything away from me!” You can feel a bubble rising in your chest. You struggle to get your words out as you start to hiccup between them, trying to keep the sobs in. You pause before trying to speak more calmly. “Listen, Crowley… I’d be happy to work for you, truly, but,” you take in a stuttering breath, “I don’t know if I can trust you. Who’s to say you won’t try and extort me? I know nothing about you or this world. I don’t know what’s considered fair or common sense, here. I am completely and utterly alone.” You’ve fully broken down into sobs at this point.

You bury your face into your hands and just cry. Crowley flounders a bit, unsure of how to comfort a person in this situation. It’s not everyday that he has to figure out how to comfort what is essentially an alien. He settles for just placing a hand on your shoulder in comfort, patting you a few times as if to say ‘there there.’ Grim seemed just as, if not more, confused about the situation than Crowley, and opted to just not do anything. It takes a couple minutes to compose yourself, sniffling as you right yourself back up. Crowley slowly removes his hand, his face twisted in a worried frown.

“Sorry, I just–” you sigh, “today has been a lot.” Another sniffle. “At the very least, I need this all to be put in writing in a contract with a separate party as a witness to make sure the conditions are fair.”

Crowley’s face softens at you. “Of course.”

“And, if I could ask, could you please at least supply me with the necessities for the first week? As you said, I have no money, so I have no way to care for myself.”

“Yes…I’m sorry, it seems I failed to comprehend the situation from your point of view.” Crowley’s shoulders slumped a bit out of guilt.

You sniffled again, rubbing the vestiges of tears from your eyes. “Thank you, Mr. Crowley.”

“I suppose I shouldn’t expect my common sense to apply to you either, what with you being an alien.”

“Oh, yeah… That reminds me of some other concerns I had.” You saw Crowley tense a bit. “But that can wait until tomorrow.” He relaxed again. “For now, can I just ask you to maybe bring me some soap and a change of clothes.

“Oh, um, ahem, yes of course. I’ll bring you some right now,” Crowley moved to stand up, but you stopped him.

“Just– just bring them tomorrow morning. I’m sure we’re both tired after today. We can talk about my other concerns then, yeah?” You gave him a weak smile.

He awkwardly smiled back, “Yes, well then,” he cleared his throat, “I shall see you in the morning.”

Standing up fully, Crowley turned and walked towards the door. He glanced at you over his shoulder once more. You gave him a small wave goodbye. He nodded and opened the door to the main hall, gently closing it behind him. For the first time since you met him, he didn’t use magic to open the door.

A while after Crowley left, you managed to finish off the soup. Your appetite had disappeared after the argument, so you had to force yourself to eat. You had offered Grim some of the food, which he readily accepted, polishing off all the food in one of the containers in a heartbeat, finishing long before you did. You looked at the last full container still on the table, definitely cold by now. You slowly stood up, grabbing the leftovers and started to wander. If you could find a kitchen, there might be a fridge. Luckily, the kitchen was through the door on the wall to the right of the fireplace, so you didn’t have to look around for long. You were worried about there being no electricity to power the fridge, or worse, to find old, rotting food in it. You were surprised, however, to find the fridge running and empty, the chill coming from it hitting your skin when you opened them. The quiet hum of electricity was missing, though, and was strangely off-putting. Perhaps the fridge was magic-powered? Just when you thought you found something familiar, it turned out to be different. You quietly put the food away and walked back into the lounge.

The rain was still going strong, the occasional rumble of thunder resounding in the distance. With a yawn, you considered going upstairs to look for a bedroom that wasn’t falling apart or wet. With how sore your body was, you winced with every step up the stairs. You could hear the light pattering of Grim’s footsteps following you, a yawn leaving his mouth. It took a few doors before you found a room that was in a passable condition. It was in a state of disarray, but the ceiling wasn’t dripping and the windows were intact. It even had a fireplace. The only part that made you uneasy was the obnoxiously large mirror above said fireplace.

‘Hmm… I don’t know if that mask can travel between mirrors to spy on people or not. Plus, mirrors are gateways and this is a magic world, so who knows what sorts of things could come through a mirror of that size… I better take it down sometime.’

Ignoring the mirror for now, you approached the bed and pulled off the covers, lifting then snapping it a couple times to shake all the dust off. Spreading it back over the bed, you did the same with the singular pillow before also placing it back. Sitting down on the bed, you gently took off your shoes and placed them to the side as Grim jumped up and made himself comfortable on the pillow. The only pillow. You gave him a deadpan look.

“What?” He asked, genuinely confused.

You sighed, “Grim, if you really want a pillow, could you please go and grab one from one of the other rooms?” You carefully nudged Grim, trying to gently coax him off your pillow. “I’m too tired to put up with you right now.”

With a grumble, Grim jumped off the pillow and landed on the center of the bed. The wooden bedframe whined before breaking, making Grim yelp as it fell through to the floor. You stared at it for a few seconds but shrugged it off. A bed was a bed. You picked Grim up and placed him on the ground.

“H-Hey! What gives?!” Grim protested as you climbed under the covers and laid your head down on your rightly earned pillow. Seeing as you kept ignoring him, he grumbled before curling up against your side instead, seemingly also too tired to get back up. It didn’t take long for sleep to take you, the sound of rain and thunder lulling you into your dreams with a sense of security. Whether it be false or not, only time would tell.

A/N: If any of this chapter feels vaguely familiar, it’s because I recycled some of the old text into this chapter. Not a lot, but I decided to keep the parts I liked. I’m hoping to give Crowley a deeper character than what we see in the first few parts of the game. He feels super unreliable and if he’s supposed to be handling important documents, then he should be at least a little more reliable. You know, just have him act more like an adult.

Here’s the ramshackle dorm layout I’ll be using and referencing in this fic. Reader’s/MC’s room is 203.

Edited

Next Chapter >

[kindheart525]

Warning: Mention of Animal Death

~~~~~~~~~~

The guys gave no thought to their experience in the fortune teller’s shop—it was just something to waste time when they had nothing else to do. In fact, they forgot about it as soon as they left the place, moving right on with their lives. 

At least for a little while.

“Dude, you okay? You barely touched your hayburger at lunch.”

Golden Opportunity had been sullen and quiet all day and his friends took notice. They both followed him down the hospital halls where they worked, trying to tease a response out of him.

“Who would want to touch those burgers? That shit’s nasty!”

Lemon Wedge cackled and Swift Valor laughed along with him, but Golden was hardly responsive to the joke. Instead he stopped and snapped at them.

“Fine, since you won’t get off my back!”

Then he took a deep breath, trying to keep his composure with the news he delivered.

“Noodle died last night. And no, I don’t want to talk about it.”

For Swift, a tiny pang of guilt shot through him at the news.

“Oh, your ferret? Sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, uh, that sucks.”

He and Lemon both issued awkward apologies, not really knowing how to deal with such a situation.

“Wasn’t she getting old? She lived a good life and everything, right?”

“She definitely had a year or two left on her. It just came out of nowhere!”

A dark shadow of realization suddenly passed over Golden’s face.

“That psychic mare. Prophecy. She said I’d lose a dear friend. Oh Gaia, is this it? Is the universe punishing me for something I did? Why Noodle!?”

Instead of sharing in his fear, or trying to reassure him, or any other halfway decent reaction, Lemon started outright guffawing.

“BWAHAHA! You think that horseshit was REAL?”

“Maybe! You never know!”

Golden tried to defend himself, growing increasingly hurt and irritated at his friends’ reactions. Even Swift was stifling laughter himself.

“I’m sorry—the ferret thing is terrible. Seriously.”

Unlike Lemon, Swift really did feel bad about being so insensitive. But he was more baffled by the sheer illogicality he saw in this situation, and he felt compelled to point it out.

“It’s just…you can’t really believe that, right? Psychics are wrong all the time, you don’t have any evidence that she was really seeing the future. What happened is awful but it’s a coincidence, she was just trying to get in your head and scare you! You’ve got to see that!”

“Besides, she says you’ll lose a ‘dear friend,’ and all she takes is a stupid rodent?—OW!”

Lemon received a sharp kick in the side from Swift, but his words were already a slap in the face to Golden.

“That rodent was all I had in high school! And she was a better friend than you assholes!”

It took every ounce of effort Golden could muster to not break down in tears, to not let out a sob—though he was really close to it.

“If shit like this starts happening to you, you’ll see! That mare was on to something!”

“If being the key word…”

Swift mumbled under his breath, totally unfazed by this threat. But before he could try to reason with the stallion, he had already stormed off.

Fate would catch up to the rest of them later.

~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile: Iconoclast Previous: Rotten Tomatoes Next: Spilled Salt

Background by CloudyGlow

[writing-for-life]

I live for violence! How about #2 and #19? (*gleeful giggle*) Sandman, obvi.

Oh, my partner in crime, you’ve come to the right ask box (not that you didn’t know, bwahaha!)

2: a compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom

You might, just might (!), be aware that I recently completed an over 4,000 word strong… erm… essay entitled “On the Nature of Pleasure”. And I kid you not, that’s the actual chapter title, at least while it’s a WiP. I like the ring of it though, so it might stick. Should I use stick in this context? I don't know...

Naturally, I need to make this about our boy, because… of course I would. So, in no uncertain terms: There is no compelling argument why he would never top or bottom, because he would do both with abandon. And everything in between and outside of what our puny little minds are able to grasp. In that department, he epitomises, shall we call it… service? Unless you wanted to use the very limiting definition of "top" as "giver". Then he'd be totally that. But his brand of giving would also include being a bottom if you're into it, so, back to square one. He would do everything because *you* are into it. It’s never for him, it’s for you because *you* fantasise about it. Which somewhat makes it his fantasy, too. Sort of tricky enmeshment there, but it is what it is. And he might *think* it’s for him because *you* think it’s for him, but therein lies the rub. 

Did I just say rub? Well, that’s an entirely different topic. If you’re into watching, he’d be into it and would probably get off on it, too. Doing it for himself though? Oh, we found the sore spot. Not a thing in its own right. And even if he could be convinced: Fine line, fine line. There’s pressure relief (I mean, major case of the horrors--it's worth a try), and there’s self-love. That's a hard nut to crack, or bust (soz!), but if we did, we might be on to something...

19: you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...

I don’t know, people might have gathered at this point that I’m not easily horrified or ashamed. I’m really trying to think hard here. Should I be horrified that I am part of the unholy conglomerate that brought “Murphy and his cool hat” into existence? Maybe I should, but I’m afraid to say: I’m not. That *might* change once I write that fic. Because the ideas are definitely… manifesting. And they’re not pretty. But then again, we never said they would be pretty or sparkly, did we? The question is just: Will I ever be able to erase it from my brain after the deed? And will I ever be able to watch the TV show again and not hear Cthulhu’s whispers? I might have irrevocably damaged myself, so yes: Maybe it’s the helm that horrifies and compels me in equal measures...

[alovelyburn]

Can confirm that 2chan wasn’t as enthusiastic about g*tsca as western fandom. Most discussions were about their plot predictions or calling Miura a lazy schmuck (apparently he paid his entry level staff really well for little work). They loved Skull Knight & didn’t care for Schierke that much for some reason. I remember in one thread after Miura died one anon was like “Now we’ll never know what Griffith desired :(“ and some replies we’re like “his kingdom” or “to usurp Void” but most said “Guts”

Bwahaha! I love it when people who follow Japanese fandom chime in and add their experience, because obviously it makes me sound less crazy! And I can't be everywhere at once (nor do I try to be) so it's good to have a larger sample size.

So yeah that does basically line up with my own experience - a lot more discussion of plot points, a lot more G/G-friendliness and a lot less Gutsca.

That’s not meant to imply that the Japanese fandom all ship G/G or hate Gutsca I’m just talking in relative proportions here. Agreed that it was mostly theories and plot discussion.

The thing about Skull Knight is fascinating because I feel like whenever a trend or consensus emerges from Japanese fandom it explains certain things, right like for example.... why there are so many Skull Knight figures and statues and so few of characters who appear far more often. Presumably because those choices reflect the interests of the people who make them, and the primary demographic purchasing them.

This is something that clicked for me a while back when I kept seeing Western fans frustrated with the lack of Casca merch and then realized the Japanese fandom really didn't talk about her very much.

And lmao I did hear that about Miura's assistants - that he was known for paying his staff unusually well even though he did most of the work himself. It's always been one of my favorite Miura factoids, especially because of how difficult the manga industry can be.

Thanks so much for sharing, this is the best way for me to end my night!

[dumpsterfireofsubtext]

just popping by to say i am head-over-heels for the 30s au. you have created the ultimate Beatrice, the lotr One Ring of Beatrices. the whole au is just incredible i feel exactly as though i’m reading a novel (right down to having a ‘thinking in a 30s register for a half hour after i read a chapter hangover 😂 which is amazing). yeah just thank you so much for this bright little gem of an au i’m already trying so hard to ration chapters for myself & be like ‘oh no that’s a treat i’ll read that later with a nice drink and a comfy chair’. which is to say that your fic is bringing me so much joy and peace and it’s brilliant so yeah, this is my kudos x1000 for you 🥰

Ouugghfhdhdh anon this is so kind 😭😭😭

Imagine what I go through writing it. I’m stuck in pretentious Received Pronunciation mode for days afterwards bwahaha.

But I’m happy you’re enjoying it :’) because it’s such a pleasure to write, like genuinely so so so much fun. I’m just so stupidly happy other people are getting some joy out of it too 🥲🥲

Thanks for taking the time to leave such a nice message… oouughh my heart.

[libertys-lovers]

Guess who's back! Back again! I hope you're doing well and staying healthy☆

I am here with another round of the good oll' 'Gush syndrome', and this time the victim is..*drumroll*

Affogato!!!

H n g h, this man- Okay, first of, BOLD move walking into my kingdom completely unannounced when Licorice and Caramel Arrow are right there! (And Crunchy Chip too now☆) And secondly.. He amuses me.

Is he suspicious? Yes. Is he still power-hungry and definetly will try to take over my kingdom? Absolutely. But is he funny to me though? HOLY DOUGH-

Look, i know he's probably giving me those sweet compliments just to butter me up and i know the coffee and medicine and everything he makes "Special, just for you." is super cunning and conniving, but- Yeah no i have no excuse, he has charmed me and i think he's funny, especially when i jokingly asked if he's poisoned anything and he has to hurrridly assure me "Oh no no, my liege, i promise everything is perfectly safe!" He thinks he's stringing me along to his whims, but i'm letting him! And seeing him slither around all suspiciously is just *chef's kiss*.

Regardless, he is a wonderful asset in battle and is an amazing advisor - i tell him this every time, since i noticed just how taken aback he was when i first said it.. Maybe his search for power is just.. a search for recognition? Bah, it might be yet another act he puts on..

Oh well, everyone's calmed down a bit from the snow, so i'm very much not suspicious of him at the moment☆

Though speaking of suspicious individuals!

I've opened up a bakery for my lovely kingdom, and i'm making all the cakes myself! It's all very nice.. but Licorice.. He's been to my shop twice in a row! Ordered a 4-layer choco cake, went out anad came back for a 4-layer strawberry one.. And then some suspicous person with a VERY familiar cloak came in for a 4-layer blueberry cake..! Please keep an eye on Licorice, it would be a shame for him to get sick from all the cake!

(Live footage of me hearing that you’re coming back for another gush session)

I’m doing quite well, thank you!!! Still kicking, still got a pulse lmao. I hope everything’s going well on your end too!

But LMAAOOOO- He’s such a lil bastard BWAHAHA 😭. Good for him though; that’s a power move, honestly. I hope he hasn’t caused too much turmoil over there-

Omg though, not you teasing him about his stuff being poisoned 😭😭- I’m almost tempted to suggest that you pretend it actually DID somehow poison you, but that’s probably a bit far. Sounds funny on paper though; he’s be so caught off guard by that lmao. No, for real though, it’s nice to hear that he’s actually helping your kingdom out! That’s already a bit of progress for him, considering his… last project SKSJWKD

And MATE?!? You’re already cracking through his shell, hmm?! Like yeah, you’re right, we could consider that as another part of his act, but I don’t knooooooowwww~! I’ve had the pleasure to see him lose his composure once or twice (one of the many benefits of following both Gingerbrave AND Licorice around; I got dragged to Dark Cacao’s kingdom and saw almost everything go down myself). It’s definitely possible that his… shall we say… flustering is a genuine reaction! He doesn’t seem to hide his true thoughts the best when he’s encountered with an unexpected situation, and I’m sure genuine light-hearted praise was one of those situations! Still, I’d keep an eye on him! Though, I don’t think ya need me to tell you that for you to do it 😉

Also hUH?!?! What the?!?! You mean to tell me he’s been buying all of that and I have yet to see a single slice?? Jail! Jail for him for a thousand years!!! ( / j & lh of course)

No, for real though, that sounds absolutely lovely!! I bet you’re making the finest desserts out there! Gee, maybe I’ll head over there myself and pick one up lol. In any case, the kingdom I’m at rn just opened a bakery too… I’ve volunteered to make some cakes once or twice, but I haven’t had much time to do it consistently! Ya know, dimension-hopping nonsense sure takes up a lot of my schedule lol.

[marinehero-a]

why are you here ?

DUSTY TOYBOX

ლ.    It felt as though there’d been nothing but sunny skies and clear weather since the War. A sign good as anything that they’d done the right thing. A sign that there was peace. That the Marines triumphed. That Justice prevailed. As it would have, and as it always would.

     Victory, the press and public cried. Victory, they cheered, with eyes closed towards the countless burning islands now left unprotected, eyes closed to the chaos Whitebeard’s final words and reignited, eyes closed to his grief and the grief of hundreds. Justice. They called it. And it was. Because they’d been pirates, criminals. Because it didn’t matter how much good Whitebeard had done, or how Ace had died for reasons unrelated to his crimes. They’d been pirates. It’d been Justice.

     It made him want to laugh, really, to choke on the revolting taste left in his mouth; but an ear-gratingly familiar voice called out and dragged him out of his spiraling thoughts. Garp’s shoulders stiffening, spine straight and arms crossed over his chest as he pointedly refused to turn around and see who was one of  ( potentially second to Sakazuki )  of the last persons he wanted to talk to at the moment.

“ I do what I want, Red Hair, ”   he replied tersely, epithet spat out, though his voice lack its usual venom it would hold whenever near the Emperor  ( still a cabin boy, in his eyes ),   “ I’m here off duty, that is the only reason I haven’t arrested you. ”

     Voice mechanic, lacking any real heat. As if that’d ever stopped him in the past. The excuse was flimsy at best and he knew they both knew it. But he couldn’t find it within him to give a damn. Who was he even trying to kid ?  Shanks ?  Or himself ?

     The ridiculousness of the situation made him huff in amusement, really. The Marine Hero and an Emperor of the Seas, both standing before the grave of their rival to mourn him sounded like the start of a shitty joke. And Garp’s life was filled with those. It made laughter bubble up in his chest, a rumbling noise that started as a quiet chuckle before turning into a booming noise not long after. Spilling out freely without care for how he might look, because what the hell could they do if they didn’t like it ?  Kill him ?  Hah !

     He’d been doing that a lot it lately. Laughing.    ( it was all he could do ).

“ Bwahaha !  Ah, I suppose I have to thank you, huh ? ”   he managed to get out between wheezes, voice light and cheery while his insides curled at the thought of ever thanking Shanks,   “ Bet they would have liked it, the decorations are a nice touch. ”

     And that sent him on another bout of laughter at the irony of it, because they would have. He knew they would have. Because he’d known them both, far better than and far longer than Shanks had. Damn grandson stealer   ( while he was a grandson killer, but so would Shanks be one day, he knew ).

[cakeinthevoid]

Drink rum, drink rum, drink rum...

Whumptober No. 1: “But now this room is spinning while I’m trying just to fill in all the gaps.”

Safety Net | (drunken) Swooning | “How many fingers am I holding up?” —— (2, 3)

Content: Heavy drinking, drunk character, loss of a loved one, memory struggles, dual pov, lowkey apocalypse setting

This is a one shot that came to me at the crack of dawn. As always, if you want to see or learn more, send an ask! I create nearly a whole world for all my little writing whether I like it or not bwahaha

Michael was on his fourth… no, it must’ve already been his fifth drink in half as many hours. More or less. Time escaped him. 

Liquor was stronger now than it was in the Days Before—luckily for him. It took less drinks to disappear under a fog. Michael admired efficiency. He was an engineer after all. 

Well, many would say had been, but he still wore his iron ring, despite it all. He still tried, in one way or another. He still… 

He took another swig, killing a thought before it could even form. He put his bottle back down on the workbench that became his bar table somewhere between the first week after the Revolution and the day… the day when—

The bottle came back up to his lips, but stopped shakily an inch before. It was the day she died. She… she… he couldn’t remember her name. He suddenly felt extremely nauseous. 

His eyes darted about his makeshift lab, looking for a memory trigger, but he hid it all away. Except... he kept one thing—a picture—signed, it was signed, he was sure!

Broken thoughts were coming to him in desperate panic. The picture, the picture, he tried to envision it. It was upstairs where Kyle was likely passed out on the couch. An insignificant corner in the living room. There wasn’t much living nowadays. Only surviving. 

He wrenched back control of his thoughts, slamming the bottle back down on the table. Dark liquid splashed and stained forgotten blueprints and notes. 

He gripped the bottle tightly. As soon as he could envision the picture, he’d see her face and the name would come back to him. He wouldn’t forget. He couldn’t forget. 

Michael began to hyperventilate. He could barely imagine a frame, let alone what she looked like. Was her hair a flaming red like his? Or was it darker, more dirt brown? Was her face round and bright like the sun? Or sharp and rugged like mountains? 

“Fuck,” he croaked, the first word of the night. 

He knocked the bottle over as he pushed himself off the stool and to his feet. Blood rushed to his head, and he could only hear roaring and ringing in his ears. He didn’t even hear a bottle shatter. 

He let go of the bench to make his way to the stairs, but promptly doubled over, nearly falling down on the bare concrete floors. 

He grumbled and swore to himself, pulling himself upright on sheer force of will alone, because God damn it, he was a Cosat Engineer and he saw hell on this dusty earth and still did his fucking job. 

A few drinks were nothing. So what if the room was spinning like a top. 

He stumbled towards the stairs, crashing into the hard walls around them. It was dim and his depth perception was shot to shit. He rode out a wave of nausea before crawling up the stairs. 

The ten steps felt like a hundred. It took much too long to reach the door to the entrance hall. But Heavens above, he did it, and he smiled a bloody grin at a task accomplished. 

He shoved the door open, unaware that he didn’t lock it properly in the first place, and tumbled into the shoe rack. Or maybe it was that hat rack Kyle insisted on getting to clutter up their entrance. 

He slurred profane curses, making some up as he dragged himself back up with difficulty. With a clear goal defined in his mind—find the picture with her in it—he forced himself towards the living room knocking a variety of items over as he went along. 

Why was it so fucking bright? As though the auditory nightmare that was his ringing ears and pounding head weren’t enough, it felt like the living room had all the lights on and then some. 

He blinked, but the room was spinning—when did he get to the middle of the room?—and his head hurt and he could feel consciousness slipping away as he tipped over—

And was caught. 

“Woah hey, I said what the fuck is going on, not ‘pass the fuck out,’ jackass.”

“Shut the fuck up Kyle and let me go,” was what Michael was trying to say. It came out as more of a slurred mumble. 

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Kyle muttered as he dragged Michael to the couch. He dropped him there, pulling his feet up and pushing his chest down to lay down.

Michael resisted, pushing against the weight on his chest and trying to swat at Kyle—missing terribly. 

“Oi, can you shut up?” Kyle gave him a halfhearted shove. What a big dumb idiot. “Bloody hell, Mikey—can you even tell me how many fingers I’m holding up?” But now he was his big dumb idiot so he had to… help him, he guessed. 

Michael growled something at him. Kyle snorted. “You didn’t even let me put up a hand, because I’m too busy keeping you down! Stay down!” 

Michael fought for another few moments before sinking into the couch. Kyle noticed tear tracks on his cheeks. 

His friend muttered something, choking on the words. 

“Say again?” Kyle asked carefully.

“…name, her name, her name…” Michael brought a hand to his head to pull at his hair. 

“Hey, none of that,” Kyle pulled his hand back down. Michael was a strong son of a bitch but now Kyle was stronger. “Whose name?” 

“Picture,” he said in reply. 

When it hit him, Kyle sighed a harsh breath. No wonder he was in shambles. 

He put his hand on his shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting manner. 

“Saffya, Mikey. Her name is Saffya.” Was, his mind corrected. 

“Saffya,” Michael sighed in relief, lines softening on his weathered face. He repeated the name to himself, again and again. 

“Yeah bud, here,” he patted Michael on the shoulder and went to grab the photograph. 

Kyle picked up the frame from the small round table in the corner. In it, stood two young kids, arms over each other in a half hug and grinning at the camera. The trees were a vibrant green in the background, a sharp contrast not only to the bright red hair of the boy, but to the dull colours of the present. 

He admired the photo as he carried it back. The girl’s long hair seemed alive with dark curls, matching with the black engineering company logo on the boy’s shirt. With the amount of contrast and matches in this single snapshot, Kyle thought it was something worth hanging up in a museum. 

“Picture,” he said simply as he gave it to Michael. 

He took it with a shaky hand. Kyle saw how he rubbed a thumb over Saffya’s cheek and looked away, as though intruding on something far too intimate. 

Tears flooded Michael's eyes again and Kyle knew that he had been drinking far too much. And he thought he was getting better. 

Knowing Michael would likely kick his ass if he knew Kyle was seeing this, he made his move to go.

“I’ll be in the kitchen, Mikey, don’t fall o—“ Michaels free hand shot out and grabbed Kyle's wrist. Kyle looked down and back up to Michael’s eyes, but he was focused on the picture. 

When after a few beats nothing was said, Kyle tried, “…You want me to stay?” 

Michael just tugged his arm down fiercely enough that Kyle nearly lost balance. “Shit, okay sure. I’ll just… sit right here.” He sat on the floor, back against the couch. If he tilted his head back, he’d bump into Mikey’s chest. Instead, he turned his head to his left and up, so he could see the picture again. 

Michael and Saffya always had stunning green eyes. He turned back to look at the coffee table in front of him.

“I miss her too,” he said at length. 

Time passed. He sighed as he heard snores, but didn’t get up.

FIN

[sen-no-kotowari]

PGR Roland Character Profile

As promised, I will be slowly filling up the character profile content. This time, it's Roland's Character Profile. There won't be any particular order of which one will I be releasing next since I'm also juggling with interlude stories as well as getting the raws myself. However, I am thankful to everyone who enjoys my fan translations despite how slow it is. With all that said, you can learn more about Roland on the cut down below (*´ω`*)

Voice Line Data

Motion Voice Lines

Lobby Voice 1

Roland: I talk too much? Fine, I'll try to be more careful from now on. But... Hm. You see, someone also said the same thing to me before. As to what happened to them... Fufu, care to take a guess?

Lobby Voice 2

Roland: Hola, amigo! Hahah, guess I've been playing the fool for so long. Even my usual quips laced with deceit would still naturally come out of my lips. What are your thoughts about this tomfool such as myself?

Lobby Voice 3

Roland: "I wish I had met you sooner"—'tis such flight of fancies that humans cling on to in every story. When I'm faced with an apt scene, I can't help myself but utter those words. ...For instance, right this very moment.

Raise Affection Level

Roland: If you're going to treat me this kindly, it's about time that I become honest with you. What I truly want is love, sincerity, and a dream! ...Bwahaha! I'm just kidding, I don't need those things, because I already found a replacement for them.

Repetitive Taps

Roland: Humans reaffirm their existence to other individuals through this body-touching skinship, right? I understand. If that's the case, do you not wish to try and touch me differently?

Log-In

Roland: A pleasant day to you... (chuckle) Since you're here now, today's also going to be a fulfilling one indeed. And so, do you have anything in mind as to what you'd like for us to do together? Yes, you heard me, together.

Online for a Long Time

Roland: Okay, you have zero ability to make a sound decision with how exhausted you are right now. I won't let this chance slip by. Come now, lean your head here and rest. That's right, beside me. It's fine if you mistake me for someone else, I'll act as that person and let you take a nap...

AFK

Roland: You sure are sleeping deeply. If you knew you were holding my hand in your sleep, would you think that you're still dreaming? Once you awaken from your slumber, what kind of joke should I use to lead you on I wonder? Or are you telling me it's fine for me to hold your hand in mine, then...?

Shake

Roland: Aaaaah, I fell over~ I can't do anything now. My only hope is to wait for you to help me. ...Hm? That looked like it was on purpose? (sigh)... I expected this kind of plot twist to happen.

Offline for a Long Time

Roland: The world around me felt like it had stopped and everything had become a lie when you weren't here... And so, that's why the distorted time I've idly spent shouldn't have felt this long, you know.

Introduction and Formation

Structure Acquired

Roland: Hola, amigo! The name's Roland. You know why I reveal myself here, right? Ahahaha, no, there's no way you wouldn't know—it's because you never knew anything about it. In any case, I shall be under you from here on out, so let's get along with each other.

Level Up

Roland: Yeah, I get it, my model's gotten a level up. Have you heard of that one story about a farmer who is raising a dragon?[1]

Advancement

Roland: A star rank increase? Placing ranks as a means to bind people down on shackles, humans sure have great preferences there. I look forward to what would you do from here on out, as the fool whom you've given a high level of obligation.

Model Improvement

Roland: If you were to completely replace all my parts, will I be able to survive in my new model as an innocent newborn?

Skill Upgrade

Roland: My fighting abilities have improved even further. Go on, keep on training me. You won't be rewarded back for it though.

Equipment

Roland: How this weapon feels in my hand, it's not bad. A perfect tool for this fool to wield.

Add in Team

Roland: Okay fine, I'll do anything so long as you order me to do so. Although, you'll have to be careful that I don't get sidetracked and do something unnecessary.

Assign as Captain

Roland: Damas y caballeros[2]—the show is about to start.

Mission Accomplished

Roland: Mission's done now. So, would the reward be some meaningless golden mechanism of sorts? Ahahaha, I jest. It's just a joke.

Daily Small Talks

Voice Line 1

Roland: What my wish is? For the world to be destroyed, the Punishing becomes widespread, for Earth to be thrown into chaos... How was it? Were my answers per your expectation?

Voice Line 2

Roland: I talk too much? Fine, I'll try to be more careful from now on. But... Hm. You see, someone also said the same thing to me before. As to what happened to them... Fufu, care to take a guess?

Voice Line 3

Roland: Sincerity sure sounds like a nice word, huh. To be able to stop thinking about things and let other people handle just about anything. So long as they'd follow the orders given to them and just read documents, people who have that quality have it easy... Hm? What's with that look? I only remembered about an old "friend" of mine, that's all.

Voice Line 4

Roland: Hola— ...Hm? Ahahahaha, that look on your face. You never have any good memories whenever you hear this phrase, right? Nice, really nice. I shall make these words be burned into your heart even more, so look forward to it then.

Voice Line 5

Roland: Since I've decided I won't be doing any funny business in front of you, feel free to ask me things you're curious about. It can be anything—from the entire truth about the Ascendant's Network, down to my strange, personal preferences. Assuming you have a compensation fitting as payment that is... Ahahaha, I'm kidding.

Voice Line 6

Roland: Now try to imagine this—the Punishing never existed in this world and we're ordinary citizens who're abducted and betrayed by an evil organization, decide to cooperate with each other to escape... Were you able to imagine it? Okay, good, we'll be heading out now and face the reality in front of us.

Voice Line 7

Roland: Hola, amigo! Hahah, guess I've been playing the fool for so long. Even my usual quips laced with deceit would still naturally come out of my lips. What are your thoughts about this tomfool such as myself?

Voice Line 8

Roland: Have you heard of the "Normal Troupe?" They're an extremely violent group of people who have no regard for neither their own life nor other people's lives for the sake of their ideals during the Golden Age Era. Now then, have you ever thought that I was also a member of the said group? ...Ahahaha, of course, that's obviously impossible—I made that story up right on the spot.

Voice Line 9

Roland: Humans are good at making stories. Even though it's a made-up story, you can feel how realistic it is with how the creator has included their experience and imagination. That is, if one were to excellently narrate it, fiction can fool others as if it's actually a part of one's life. Don't you think so?

Voice Line 10

Roland: I've watched this "Operation: Recapture Earth" comedy of Eden for the longest time now. Even though the facets of the protagonist's struggles, depravation, and madness are interesting, it's too long—because it has been too long, even the audience has now become involved in the story and wants to distance themselves from it.

Voice Line 11

Roland: To have a reason to live—my wish since long before hasn't changed. There were times that I have to face the music until now, whether it be publicly performing or the Ascendant's Network. Heh, it's okay for me to look for my own reason to live, you say? For someone who plays the fool, without a doubt that's quite an awful.....and honorable circumstance.

Voice Line 12

Roland: If it's stories and fables, then I've read quite a lot of it. While there were plenty of dull ones, they aren't as dull as my own life though. But so long as you're here, maybe my stupidly cliche life could become a little bit more interesting. Ahahaha, it truly is— Truly......What is it that I should truly call this then?

Voice Line 13

Roland: All five senses of a Structure are implemented with devices that imitate the sensory organs. Perhaps that is why the person projected in front of me may not be the real you, but an existence glorified by the programs from those devices. ...Then again, that never bothered me. Because I already engraved the real you in my own eyes.

Voice Line 14

Roland: Actors cannot change the scenario, nor can they have any obscure expectations. Right now, however, a certain actor wants for you to remain up on stage so much, that person has been wishing for this play to reach its conclusion right now. Ahaha, I'm kidding, it's just a joke.

Voice Line 15

Roland: "I wish I had met you sooner"—'tis such flight of fancies that humans cling on to in every story. When I'm faced with an apt scene, I can't help myself but utter those words. ...For instance, right this very moment.

Raise Affection Level

Voice Line 1

Roland: Uhh, if I were to express what you guys will say in these situations... "I appreciate the consideration you've given me! From here on, I, Roland, will do the best I can in my abilities for the sake of fighting. By all means, let us get along well!" ...Or something like that. How was it? Have I met your expectations for me?

Voice Line 2

Roland: Thank you very much, I feel immensely grateful. Well then, I shall graciously take up your offer.

Voice Line 3

Roland: Humans seem to blindly seek the significance of things. Wouldn't that mean they're just looking for benefits after all? Then what kind of benefit are you seeking from me? I'm dying to know about that, you know.

Voice Line 4

Roland: I won't refuse any presents or requests from you. If it's by your command, then I shall take care of it no matter what. If you can bear the consequence of it, that is.

Voice Line 5

Roland: Accepting a phantom[3] and showing it mercy will only grant you ambiguity. Does this commander of Eden prefer wasting all the good things in life?

Voice Line 6

Roland: Do every commander in Eden just casually show their grace like this?

Voice Line 7

Roland: Ah, well it's fine, showing this kind of friendly behavior in our candid relationship is relatively refreshing.

Voice Line 8

Roland: (Sigh)...You know, what are you expecting from a phantom? At this rate, I don't know what to do about this...

Voice Line 9

Roland: Hmm... ...Why am I always looking at you? It's nothing, really. I'm just observing you on what you want as a present. My findings? Hm. I have no idea.

Voice Line 10

Roland: Each time you give me something, I find myself smiling. Eh? I'm always smiling though? Ahahaha, that's true I guess.

Voice Line 11

Roland: Did you know? The more you observe a person, the more you'd be interested in them. And once that said person is gone, the observer will be extremely bothered by it. Now then, I wonder how long am I going to stay by your side now?

Voice Line 12

Roland: It makes me wonder why I become strict whenever you give me a present, even though I shouldn't be complaining about it... Could it be perhaps I'm looking forward to what you're going to give me?

Voice Line 13

Roland: I thought that self-deception shouldn't be moved by the words of others, but you've proved me wrong ever since I met you. Quite a far-fetched story. Tell me, how will you handle this fake version of me who'd spout needless affections?

Voice Line 14

Roland: If you're going to treat me this kindly, it's about time that I become honest with you. What I truly want is love, sincerity, and a dream! ...Bwahaha! I'm just kidding, I don't need those things, because I already found a replacement for them.

Voice Line 15

Roland: I can't understand whatever it is you're thinking, no matter what. So why not try to guess what I'm thinking about then? A certain pierrot saw the good in others and has now begun to think to himself that perhaps he could devote his loyalty to his master. And so, why did he think that way?

Voice Line 16

Roland: Starting now, I will be telling you a single lie. The me who used to be popular has received tons of presents. Among them were boring, ordinary things as well as tremendously strange things. However, the presents I received from you were neither ordinary nor strange—Now, where-is-the-lie-in-that?

AFK

Voice Line 1

Roland: A nice dream is just like a song? We shouldn't disrupt this peacefulness then. It's just that my singing voice might call forth an even bigger danger[4], however... Hehe.

Voice Line 2

Roland: Dreams are the easiest, most luxurious illusion humans could easily grab ahold of. Though if you stay inside that dream for too long, the whole world may be destroyed by the Punishing once you wake up from it, you know.

Voice Line 3

Roland: Keep up with that carefree attitude, and you might meet the same end a certain corrupted Structure did... Hahaha, well it's not like that Structure in question is living a miserable life right at this very moment though.

Voice Line 4

Roland: If you're going to be this defenseless in front of me, does it mean that it's okay for me to be myself and put down this fabricated mask I wear? ...I'll always watch your sleeping face, just like this.

Voice Line 5

Roland: You sure are sleeping deeply. If you knew you were holding my hand in your sleep, would you think that you're still dreaming? Once you awaken from your slumber, what kind of joke should I use to lead you on I wonder? Or are you telling me it's fine for me to hold your hand in mine, then...?

Online for a Long Time

Voice Line 1

Roland: Devote everything you have for that single goal and spend your free time sparingly... even if that goal is nothing but an illusion. How lamentable... Haha, I'm not talking about you. I simply remembered how I used to be.

Voice Line 2

Roland: I know quite a few method—ways of how to actively keep working without any sleep. I tested them myself and without a doubt, they're effective. Do you want to try them out? Fair warning though, it's going to cause irreparable damage to a human's body, no matter which method you pick.

Voice Line 3

Roland: Getting tired? Well then, shall I tell you a story 'til you fall asleep? Most of it surely contains a nightmare-inducing plot though. If it's you, you'd definitely find something wonderful even in a nightmare.

Voice Line 4

Roland: They say that one's more prone to have a lapse in their judgments when they're tired, right? This is just a what-if but, what if I were to perfectly pretend to be a Structure? Will you be able to think that's who I really am?

Voice Line 5

Roland: Okay, you have zero ability to make a sound decision with how exhausted you are right now. I won't let this chance slip by. Come now, lean your head here and rest. That's right, beside me. It's fine if you mistake me for someone else, I'll act as that person and let you take a nap...

Log-In

Voice Line 1

Roland: Good day to you, Commander. I, Roland, shall always be waiting for you right here! ...Ahahaha, were you surprised? I thought you'd like this kind of greeting though.

Voice Line 2

Roland: You came at a right time. So I remember some things about my past, are you interested in it? If you wish to hear more, you definitely wouldn't want to talk to me ever again.

Voice Line 3

Roland: I'm so glad to see you. Okay then, let's celebrate whatever happens today and take a commemorative photo— ...Oh dear, sad to say but it looks like you don't show on film with my built-in photography function.

Voice Line 4

Roland: This is simply a premise of a frequent discourse during the Golden Age... But I made all that up, a few seconds just before you came here. If I tell you that, would you believe me?

Voice Line 5

Roland: Ciao! Ahahahaha, for me to be here would mean that I would very much like to see you. It's true. That's right, I'm not lying today.

Voice Line 6

Roland: I've been thinking long and hard—about what I should do so you'd frequently wish to see me more often. Ah, ahh~ I guess I should strike a conversation just like this and keep you talking, huh...

Voice Line 7

Roland: Did you come to see me again? Heh, you're saying that there's value in looking at a phantom like myself? Could it be that you were thinking that I am your truth or something...?

Voice Line 8

Roland: A pleasant day to you... (chuckle) Since you're here now, today's also going to be a fulfilling one indeed. And so, do you have anything in mind as to what you'd like for us to do together? Yes, you heard me, together.

Offline for a Long Time

Roland: The world around me felt like it had stopped and everything had become a lie when you weren't here... And so, that's why the distorted time I've idly spent shouldn't have felt this long, you know.

Shake

Voice Line 1

Roland: Aaaaah, I fell over~ I can't do anything now. My only hope is to wait for you to help me. ...Hm? That looked like it was on purpose? (sigh)... I expected this kind of plot twist to happen.

Voice Line 2

Roland: Ahahaha, why not put your back into it? My internal parts would be flying out from my body, just like popping champagne back in the Golden Age—that's going to be exciting for sure.

Voice Line 3

Roland: Are you that desperate to see me flustered? If you want to see me all worked up, maybe your words would surprisingly be more effective than this kind of behavior, you know.

Repetitive Taps

Voice Line 1

Roland: For you to be this immersed over me, could it be perhaps you thought there's some kind of magical button somewhere in my body that could make you rich in an instant? It might be a button that would destroy this world after several centuries instead, though[5].

Voice Line 2

Roland: I'll be honest here, this is quite ticklish. I'm only putting up with you because I want to see your face... If not, I would've already been rolling around, writhing in pain from laughing. No really, I'm...aha, hahaha (cough) ...Okay fine, I give up~ you can stop now.

Voice Line 3

Roland: Humans reaffirm their existence to other individuals through this body-touching skinship, right? I understand. If that's the case, do you not wish to try and touch me differently?

Activity Task Full

Roland: Activity level's at max now, good job. I wonder, what kind of determination did you have for you to do your best?

Battle Dialogues

Battle Start/Character Switch

Roland: I'll show you how to properly utilize a tool for its intended purpose then.

Voice Line 1/Successful Dodge Counter

Roland: Where do you think you're going?

Voice Line 2

Roland: Let me hear more of your genuine scream!

Voice Line 3/Finisher Move

Roland: Everyone in the audience is watching with bated breath now.

Ultimate Skill

Roland: And now! It's time for the climax!

Light Damage

Roland: That hurts now, you know~

Heavy Damage

Roland: Should I make my pained expression more believable then?

Incapacitated

Roland: This is why...illusions are but a waning thing...

Friend Support

Roland: I'll be making a special appearance then.

QTE

Roland: Would you like to see a clown show?

Battle End

Roland: With this, the curtain draws to a close. Did you enjoy this burlesque[6]?

Structure Documentation

Document Detail 1

Roland was born as an ordinary citizen in the Golden Age. His closest appearance can be seen on the many movie posters in the previous area. As he was a former Ascendant, he has shown up in every part of the world.

Document Detail 2

He was one of the experimental subjects during the Structure's initial development stage. Even though his former model's abilities were excellent, Roland trained both his reflexes and strategic skills to make up for his shortcomings to sufficiently demonstrate his current model. The history behind his old model, however, is often ambiguous.

Document Detail 3

Roland is stoic when it comes to the goals he chose and once he set his heart to them, he would ensure those goals would be fulfilled no matter what the cost is or if the whole world has to burn to the ground as if it was the only goal existing in the world. This was evident in one of his fights with the past Gray Raven Unit.

Document Detail 4

"Now then, it's showtime." Maybe it's because he used to be an actor, Roland constantly exaggerates his expressions. It remains the same even when he's alone, as though he is under the spotlight, looking at the camera the entire time.

Document Detail 5

Although he practically laughs off grandiose stories, Roland holds respect for people who remain steadfast and insightful in the face of reality and applauds them. It doesn't guarantee he would save those people, however.

Document Detail 6

"Please give me the order. I guarantee to try and follow through, for real." While there are several meanings behind both Roland's speech and attitude, he requires a careful choice of words as he interlaces the truth and the lies. Whatever the true madness behind his speech and attitude may be, nobody ever knows what it truly is.

Rumors and Secrets

Secret 1 Even though Roland could speak several languages, he isn't exactly fluent in them—he only knows specific vocabulary or proverbs. He provokes others with it and to see their reactions, he purposefully speaks in a language they couldn't understand from time to time.

Secret 2 Roland spaces out during his missions and can do it continuously for 24 hours. Even though it puts a strain on his body to an extent and had to bear unimaginable things, his Sea of Consciousness seemed to be used to that kind of feeling.

Secret 3 Although Roland is devoted to pop culture enough that he could hold a conversation with enthusiasts of every genre whether it be songs, visual arts, or games, he usually shows indifference or contempt towards that kind of culture.

Secret 4 He has read plenty of literature or theatrical works, ranging from the classics to modern works. While Roland changes his answer daily when asked what his favorite work is, his answer to what his most disliked work remains consistent—"my own life."

Secret 5 He is surprisingly discrete and uses other people's inconsistent actions to irritably criticize them—even the most perfect person will be compelled by their sense of self-reproach during an interrogation. Roland calls it "fault-finding."

Secret 6 As much as his usual words include different meanings in them, Roland treats people who truly can't understand his words like children by giving them snacks and treats, joking around them, or even enjoying a magic show with them.

Secret 7 His feelings toward his "family" are quite complicated. Although he's compelled with a strong destructive impulse whenever he sees a scene of a happy family, Roland would never take any action against it, and there even are times he would wish them all the best instead.

Secret 8 Back when Roland was still an actor, smiling was an expression he takes pride in. He can express several varieties of emotions while the corners of his mouth are lifted. Perhaps there aren't that many individuals who could understand what he truly feels behind that smile.

Secret 9 As much as Roland places high regard on outward appearances and his garments seem to be "something he thoroughly thought of," his aesthetic sense is niche. He would willingly adjust to other people's appearance if he needs to.

Secret 10 Roland is the type of actor who puts his acting into practice—he can hold a conversation with "himself" and he always talks to himself even with people around him. Whether he's teasing other people, it's difficult to discern if he truly is talking to his imaginary self.

Secret 11 Roland summons 6-phases of himself inside his Sea of Consciousness if he needs to, and holds a "round-table meeting" to discuss the next step he must take. The codename he gave to the attendees of the meeting is R, O, L, A, N, and D—the informant is Roland, the person himself.[7]

Secret 12 His forte is handicrafts and his true hobby is making dolls and stuffed toys. It's perhaps one may be able to take a glimpse of who Roland truly is from the "marionette" he created. However, it seemed like he hasn't been able to devote himself to his hobby for quite a long time.

The story Roland was referencing here is J.R.R Tolkien's "Farmer Giles of Ham."

Damas y caballeros is a Spanish phrase which translates to "ladies and gentlemen."

While 虚空 could mean "void" or "empty space," it could also mean something as "non-existent" or "fictional." I chose "phantom" instead to reflect Roland's wording choice towards theatre and literature.

Roland is drawing a similarity to sirens in Greek mythology.

This may be a reference to the "Daily Struggle"/"Two Buttons" internet meme.

Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. It is derived from the Italian word "burla" (TL: joke, ridicule or mockery)

This is in reference to a trope in anime "脳内会議" (TL: Internal Meeting). A few example of this trope is "Umaru Meeting" (Himouto Umaru-chan), "Catarina Five" (My Next Life as a Villainess), and Shinomiya Kaguya's (Kaguya-sama: Love is War)

[cerastes]

What do you make of Specter's operator record? Personally I liked it, but that's with the knowledge we're getting more Specter backstory soon.

Ok, so! Just as you pointed out, I went into it with the knowledge that:

We're getting Under TIDES soon.

Specter gets a second Operator Record later, some time after Under TIDES.

And with that in mind, I'm fine with it, but if I was a CN player and all we got was Specter's first Operator Record without any knowledge of the future, I would be pretty pissed, lmao. In fact, CN players were pretty pissed, the reception to her Operator Record was pretty bad. Specter is a popular character both in terms of gameplay and character (the latter more so in China, she gets a steady influx of cosplayers, fanart and fanfic in Weibo, Lofter, and such). It's believed that Hypergryph announced her second Operator Record because of this backlash.

Now, with the context and preamble on the table, I want to say: Great idea, not so great execution. Overall, I enjoyed it, but again, that's only with knowledge of the future. Despite that, I sincerely praise Hypergryph for actually having the balls to try a narrative approach like this one on a mobile game. The thing is, just because an idea is interesting doesn't mean it's good, and I think a lot of aspiring writers and designers need to hammer that in their head, especially armchair game designers that like to theorize oh so much about how cool it would be to have a game that did this or that. I don't care if it's cool or not, is it enjoyable to experience?

And that's just the thing with Specter's Operator Record: It felt lackluster in many regards. The approach was definitely interesting, bold, I'd even say, but that doesn't really matter too much if the result isn't a success, now, does it? Let's immediately address the Originium Slug in the room: Specter doesn't even appear in it. Now, is that an interesting approach to an Operator Record? Sure! Is it good? I don't really think so, especially with a character that fans really have been clamoring to see more of in actual cutscenes, given the wealth of clues they've put regarding Specter in other places:

Blue Poison' Files -> We learn that Blue Poison knew Specter personally before her descent to madness, addressing her with her real name.

Skadi's Dialogue -> Skadi implies that Specter was on a very important mission, and more or less confirms she knew her before she went crazy.

Several pieces of official art -> Specter is associated with the phrase "All seas are singing your name".

Ceobe's Fungimist -> It's implied the cursed painting depicting the end times is the same confusing painting Specter painted in her Token.

Rosmontis' Files -> It's confirmed that Specter's spinal cord is filed to the brim with originium fluid, and the Medical Team theorizes that, just like Rosmontis, her infection was artificially induced. It also confirms that they have no idea how Specter is able to fight such an insanely high level of infection.

So, see, this has been a character that fans have really been clamoring to see again. The only cutscene Specter's ever been is the secret cutscene of Grani and the Knight's Treasure AKA the very first event in the game. Understandably, after two years of the game existing, people were a bit miffed that once again we just get breadcrumbs and a non-participation 'appearance', to say the least, in what's supposed to be her day in the limelight.

Now, personally, I kind of get how they are handling her, and the Operator Records are a very faithful reflection of this: Specter is meant to be this mysterious force that we don't have clearance to know about, as Kal'tsit herself is the only one authorized to treat her or even enter her containment quarters. And, in this regard, I think the Records succeed:

It all starts innocently with Suzuran drawing Specter in a Secret Santa and then having to start deep diving to find out who the hell even IS Specter, because absolutely no one knows of her. Eventually, Suzuran lucks out by asking Meteorite, who did participate in a mission with Specter once, to which Suzuran immediately reacts: "Hey hold on, don't they send you on pretty dangerous missions all the time?", and Meteorite's answer is, "Yeah, and she's right at home there."

Now, this is really interesting because we, as Doctor, have some level of clearance: We know things about Specter and can even converse with her to a certain degree, because Doctor is a high authority in Rhodes Island, but the average Operator, like Suzuran, Aosta and Chiave, doesn't even know of her existence. She's one of Rhodes Island's well kept secrets, even within Rhodes Island. Even Meteorite, a veteran Sarkaz mercenary and a bombardment expert, only knows about Specter in a need-to-know basis (because they deployed once together). More telling is the fact that Meteorite doesn't think she'd get along with Specter, simply based on the fact that, just on that one operation, the level of violence and carnage brought upon by Specter unnerved even her, a Kazdel Sarkaz veteran. Well, to be precise, it's not the sheer level of destruction that Specter is capable of that unnerved Meteorite, it's the fact that she does it all seemingly without a care in the world, expressionless, soundless, simply following orders to the letter without showing or taking in a single emotion. To paraphrase Meteorite, "someone that can unleash such destruction and violence upon others so easily, and that can then just not mind it in the slightest, has something wrong and concerning going on with them, no doubt".

Next up, we also learn that Folinic has very restricted, also on a need-to-know basis access to Specter. Keep in mind that Folinic is extremely competent and not at all a stranger to danger: She handles Phantom. So this is a huge hint: There's perhaps more to the secrecy regarding Specter than just her being a dangerous, unstable element. Folinic could reasonably handle Specter professionally, but it's not about whether she can or not, it's about information, and this brings us back to Grani and the Knight's Treasure: Kal'tsit makes it clear to Skadi that Specter is, as a whole, inaccessible to everyone but her, that only she has clearance to access Specter's quarters. Keep in mind that Skadi does not operate in the same conditions, despite also being an Abyssal Hunter. In fact, it's well known that Skadi is infamous among other Operators for being unreasonable and obstructive in operations, as well as unapproachable outside of them (unless you are Grani, who managed to successfully befriend Skadi and vouches for her). There's things about Specter that are so sensitive, so important, that Kal'tsit can't risk them getting out, and even using her as an Operator is something reserved for very dangerous operations. Not even Warfarin, senior staff and Operator that's been with Rhodes Island for a very long time, has full access to Specter, but she clearly knows the importance of keeping her under curtains, given she immediately diffused the Folinic-Suzuran situation by coming up with a compromise on the spot.

There's another interesting contrast between Files and the Operator Record: Meteorite describes Specter as "dead silent". Mind you, we knew from before, thanks to Specter's Files, that the shark is completely silent in battle, but we also do know that she incoherently rambles quite a lot. Folinic sheds some light onto this, explaining that Specter intentionally stays silent most of the time so as to not say anything that could be misunderstood when around others. When she's in a more private setting, however, she does let loose with the insane talk. This is confirmation of something that had been hinted at before: Even though she's insane, there's a fervent part of her clinging onto sanity for dear life with bloodied, splintered fingers, and it manifests itself in how she'll never harm an ally, and how Specter is, to a certain degree, aware of how far gone she is, and thus keeps her mouth shut around others that aren't Doctor or Kal'tsit, so as to not spook them out or accidentally threaten them with her insane rambling.

Then, at the very end, after Suzuran managed to get her present to her, Specter does in fact deliver a thank you present back to Suzuran: A music box, consistent with Specter's love for the arts. Of course, the gift might have been chosen by a proxy of hers (Skadi or Blue Poison, both known to also enjoy music), but the message is all the same: Specter clearly appreciated the gift, and was mentioned to see an improvement in her condition after receiving the doll Suzuran gave her.

So, in paper? All of this? I love it. Of course I do, she's my favorite character, and it was such a bold way to present her Record, too, I respect them trying out new things, it managed to capture the essence of "the mysterious, terrifying fighting machine Operator they don't want us to know about that's actually a pretty sweet and decent person, just going through some really hard stuff" that they've been going for with Specter, it's just, I can also understand (and agree with) fans because... It's been two years, bwahaha, let us see her again, you know? It's her Operator Record, we've gotten some VERY good insights into the lives and days of other Operators through those, like with Angelina's or Kroos'! Of course we also wanted something like that, bwahaha.

What I would've loved, and what I think would've made it all better with fans, is if the final scene had Specter actually show up in Suzuran's room like the cryptid she is, with Suzuran noting the security door had just sort of been casually pried open, Specter's perpetual smile on her face as she's holding her thank you gift before Warfarin and Folinic just sort of storm into the room like "DUDE, WE SAID YOU CAN'T--", she thanks Suzuran wordlessly, gently hands her the music box, and then she calmly turns back and walks back to her confinement quarters.

But, yeah, I've gone on for long enough. I appreciate it overall, knowing what's coming, and I appreciate the idea, I just think they could've handled it better, but the whole essence and message of it, I think lands pretty nicely.

[tickly-trashcan]

Pranking a Prankster {Shinso and Ojiro}

A/N: ough i feel like they ended up a bit ooc in this one, sorry. I had a fun time getting to write for shinso though! and i dont think i’ve written for ojiro before, that was really fun! I hope you enjoy this one~

Summary: After a week of being pranked, Shinso decides to try and prank Ojiro. When he succeeds, how will Ojiro react?

Word Count: 1.2k (under the cut)

It had taken almost a week of careful planning, but it was finally done. Shinso had been cooking up a prank for his good friend, Ojiro, for a while now. He had been pranking the purple-haired boy almost daily a week prior, and Shinso had sworn revenge. He had to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike, and that had just happened to come by today.

Ojiro was in charge of getting groceries for the dorm, and Midoriya had invited Shinso over to hang out, so he had the perfect chance to execute his plan. He excused himself from Midoriya’s room, saying he needed to use the restroom. He walked into the lobby of the dorm, setting up his prank.

He put a bucket of water over the dorm door, tipping the door open slightly and he set up a fan and a pile of flour not too far away from it. He glanced through one of the windows and saw Ojiro heading his way, and was more than ready to finally get back at him.

He ducked behind the couch, right by where he had the button to turn on the fan, and waited for Ojiro to walk in. He did, tipping over the water bucket as it dunked him in the cold water, making him screech in surprise. Shinsou quickly clicked the button before Ojiro could move out of the way, and he was dusted with flour immediately. 

Ojiro spit the flour out of his mouth, dropping the groceries he had in hand as he heard loud laughter from behind the couch, a laugh he could recognize from anywhere.

“You!” He exclaimed, running over and pointing at the hysterical boy.

“Bwahaha! You should see the look on your face, oh my God!” Shinso wailed, clutching his stomach for dear life as he shook with laughter, Ojiro standing next to him, very much not laughing. 

Ojiro tried to wipe the flour from his face, but it stuck like glue because of the water, Shinso doubling over in laughter as Ojiro struggled to scrub off the flour and water. Ojiro glared at Shinso, who continued to cackle madly, his laughter dying down and immediately coming back tenfold as he took another look at Ojiro. 

Ojiro seethed as he stared at Shinso, an idea of revenge popping into his head. He needed something quick, something immediate, to show Shinso just how unfunny his prank was compared to Ojiro’s from the week before, which had been innocent pranks such as opening a can full of worms.

A lightbulb finally went off in Ojiro’s head and he sent a glare at Shinso, taking a few steps closer as he raised his hands.

“You think that was funny? I’ll give you something to laugh about,” He threatened, and, still wheezing, Shinso sat up, wiping a tear from his eye as he looked at Ojiro. 

“Oh yeah? What’re you gonna do?” Shinso quipped, quickly widening his eyes as he saw Ojiro wiggle his fingers, realizing what he was planning.

“I’ll give you five seconds to escape,” he said, and Shinso wasted no time in bolting off, Ojiro hot on his tail. Shinso ran through the dorms, almost knocking over Midoriya who had come to check on him.

“Whoa! Shinso? Wait, why’s Ojiro covered in flour?”

Shinso had no time to explain, only time to run. He looked behind to see Ojiro right behind him, and as he looked back Shinso somehow managed to trip over his own feet. He wailed as he fell to the ground, about to jump back up before Ojiro pounced on him, immediately digging his fingers into Shinso’s hips, making him screech.

“NOHOhohoho! That wahahahasn’t f-five seheheheconds!” Shinso complained, and though he was right, it didn’t make any difference given the situation he was in. 

Ojiro kneaded his hips, digging his thumb into the bone as Shinso laughed hysterically, shoving at Ojiro’s shoulders as he threw his head back, kicking his legs behind Ojiro as he attacked Shinso with ease.

“What’s happening?!” Midoriya suddenly said, popping out from the corner to see Ojiro already reducing Shinso to a giggly, red mess with just a few squeezes on his hips.

“Oh, just a bit of… revenge. Nothing too serious, don’t worry Midoriya!” Ojiro said quickly, not taking his eyes off of Shinso as he scribbled up his ribs, making him shriek before dissolving into uncharacteristically high giggles.

Midoriya nodded slowly and backed off, Shinso begging for help from him as he watched his only chance of getting away from this ticklish torture slip through his fingers.

“STAhahahahap! Pleheheheaseee!”

“This is what you get for pranking me, Shinso,” Ojiro said simply, continuing to dig his fingers into Shinso’s ribs, which was easily one of his worst spots. He shook his head around, tears pricking the corners of his eyes as he cackled frantically, squeaking and squawking everytime Ojiro changed it up by switching spots or tactics.

“Is this a giggle button?” Ojiro had teased when he started poking right below Shinso’s navel, making him squeak with every touch as he shook his head.

“Dohohohohon’t!” He whined, and Ojiro had only chuckled at his poor friends mirth.

Eventually, Ojiro slowed his fingers, and Shinso thought he was done. He continued to giggle as he caught his breath, barely registering as Ojiro grabbed his wrists and held them above his head. He struggled weakly, begging for mercy as Ojiro merely clicked his tongue.

“I need to show you what happens when you prank a prankster.”

And with that, he lifted Shinso’s shirt with his free hand, exposing his tummy as his fluffy tail end plopped right in the middle of it. Shinso’s eyes widened, but he couldn’t make quick enough pleas as Ojiro wiggled his tail around his bare tummy, the soft, feather-like sensations driving Shinso completely up the wall.

He wailed, laughter bubbling out of his throat as hysteria took over, his frantic cackles probably echoing throughout the whole dorm, much to his embarrassment. Shinso snorted as his tail brushed over his lower ribs, making Ojiro bark out a sudden laugh.

“Did you just snort?” He exclaimed, and Shinso shook his head, whining.

“I did nohohohohot!”

“Oh, I think you did. Let’s hear it again,” He teased, dragging his tail slowly across Shinso’s lower ribs again, making him snort once more as he kicked his legs, squirming from side to side in an attempt to get away from Ojiro’s ticklish tail. 

At some point, Ojiro had decided Shinso had had enough, given by his red face and the tears that were trailing down his cheeks. Shinso practically gasped for air when Ojiro pulled away, immediately curling up and rubbing his tummy and ribs, trying to rid himself of the ghostly tickles that still lingered.

“Did I go too far?” Ojiro asked, slightly worried that he might’ve upset his friend. Shinso only grinned, shaking his head as he sat up, nudging Ojiro with his elbow.

“Nah, but I hope you know I’m gonna get you back for that,” Shinso said confidently, and Ojiro smirked. 

“Oh yeah? How-”

Ojiro’s eyes suddenly went blank as Shinso grinned.

“Lay down and put your arms up,” He commanded, and Ojiro did so, completely taken over by Shinso’s brainwashing Quirk.

Ojiro was soon the one in hysterics as he dug under his arms. Revenge seemed to be a popular theme with those friends today, and it likely would be for a while.