cringe--is--dead

[cringe--is--dead]

rewatching Mashle (haven’t read the manga yet) and I’m back on this thought: Dot and Love Cute should date

she talks about how she should be treated like a princess and loved etc and he’s worship the ground she walks on cause of how he is

they’d just be cute together idk

[cringe--is--dead]

i feel like my tell in being able to know if writing is ai or not is if it sounds like a robot voice on tiktok would read it to me while i’m watching subway surfers in the back it’s probably ai

[cringe--is--dead]

Nekoma x Manager!Reader ᵃ/ⁿ﹕ ⁱ ʳᵉʷᵃᵗᶜʰᵉᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ᵈᵘᵐᵖˢᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃᵗᵗˡᵉ ˢⁱⁿᶜᵉ ⁱᵗ'ˢ ⁿᵒʷ ᵈᵘᵇᵇᵉᵈ ᵒⁿ ᶜʳᵘⁿᶜʰʸʳᵒˡˡ ⁽ʸᵉˢ, ⁱ'ᵐ ᵃ ᵈᵘᵇ ᵍⁱʳˡ, ˢᵘᵉ ᵐᵉ⁾

They fought hard, they played well, they exhausted themselves, they did everything and they still lost.

It hurt to accept.

Your team was good, you knew this, anyone who watched them learned this. Your boys fought well, you were so proud of them.

So why…

Why did it hurt so much?

Did you have any right to feel this?

It wasn’t like it was you out there on the court. You weren’t sweating through your clothes or out of breath. You didn’t play match after match, rally after rally.

And yet your heart felt heavy in your chest, and every other breath felt like a hiccup. You did your best to hide this from your boys; the first years were already in tears, the second and third years were trying to keep strong but you could see their pain too. So you bite your lip, sucked in the tears, and bustled along.

The games didn’t stop just because your team lost. You had things to do. Like gather any personal items brought in, make sure the boys had their belongings, check in with the bus that was coming to get you all—

The tears streaming down your cheeks caught you by surprise. They were warm, and you stopped your mindless walking as you came back to the present. You’d ended up wandering, a hall near the locker rooms where it was quiet and empty.

Maybe you could… take a moment.

You didn’t have much of a choice as the tears fell faster, your breath stuttering in your chest.

They worked so hard! They deserved to win. Karasuno just… did better.

God, why wasn’t volleyball a sport where both teams could win? Each takes a set, and it ends in a tie. Everyone wins!

A wet chuckle fell from your lips, and you covered your face with your hands as you tried to stifle your crying.

Could you have done more? Sure you did your manager duties and then some. But what else could you have done?

Maybe you could have studied more videos. Gone to other managers when you had the chances to talk and learn. Had there been books or manuals you could have read? Maybe your moments of advice fell flat. Maybe—

“Hey, there you are.”

You jumped, whirling around before you could think. Kai, Kuroo, and Yaku were behind you, varying looks of concern on their faces. Kai was the one who’d spoken, his hand in the air as if he’d been reaching out to tap your shoulder.

“Oh,” He looked almost startled, and this only added to your embarrassment.

You turned away, back towards them as you tried to quickly wipe your face. Try as you might you knew you weren’t accomplishing discretion. You knew your nose was red and your eyes were puffy. God why did they have to search for you now?

“Sorry, I was, uh, checking the locker room. I wanted to make sure you all didn’t leave anything behind.”

“Check… the boys’ locker room?”

You cursed yourself in your head for jumping to the most easily disproven thing. Without an actual answer you just shrugged, crossing your arms over your chest without turning around.

Kai’s hand laid on your shoulder, heavy and warm. And the tears you’d managed to stop were building back up.

“Hey, it’s okay to be upset.” He spoke softly, moving to stand next to you, but giving you enough space to not feel crowded.

“I’m,” You took a deep, shuddery breath, “I’m sorry. I just—”

You didn’t need to look at him to imagine the smile on his face, and you knew that if you looked the dam would burst. So you kept your eyes on the floor.

“I know you all did your best, and you guys did more than amazing. I just… I wish we could have won.” You wanted to back track right after opening your mouth, “That you- that you guys could have won! Cause you could have- and you should—”

Kai’s grip was a bit more firm as he turned you, forcing you to face him instead of away. There was that stupid, soft smile on his face.

“We could have, but we didn’t. We knew that was a possibility, and we played anyways. We all did our best. And that includes you.”

The dam broke. Just like you knew it would. Tears were quick to spill, and you felt like your were choking on your own air.

“I could have done more! I- I—”

“You did do more,” Yaku spoke up, stepping closer to the two of you, “You did more than anyone asked of you. You were an amazing manager this year, and we know you’ll continue to be an amazing manager next year as well.”

“Honestly, leaving this team in your hands is the only reason we feel safe graduating,” Kuroo was quick to make the mood feel lighter, your three upper-class-men looking far more proud than you felt, “You did amazing this year, okay?”

You didn’t feel like you had, but what could you argue against them? The tears weren’t stopping, and you worried they wouldn’t be any time soon. Kai’s hand dropped from your shoulder, but he pulled you into a hug right after.

“You can be upset, you worked hard along side us. Don’t let it linger, though. Next year? You’ll continue to make us proud.”

“Ugh,” Your nose was all stuffed now, and breathing was harder to do, but you didn’t try and pull from his hug for a moment, letting yourself calm down, “Why you gotta know exactly what to say?”

You could hear Kuroo and Yaku snicker nearby, and you pulled back from the hug, still hiccuping but no longer crying.

“You ready to go back? We got some more matches to watch.”

You nodded, that was far better than wallowing in self-pity and your own tears. Yaku handed you a tissue, and you didn’t bother questioning where he had gotten one.

“How are the others?”

The three of you started walking, and you were doing your best to clean your face off. You didn’t need your first years to see residual tears, odds are they’d start crying again. Your heart couldn’t handle seeing that again.

“Emotional, but overall they’re okay. They’re probably already planning their revenge for next year,” Kuroo made sure to shoulder you playfully, “Led by their badass manager.”

“Badass is not a word I’d use to describe myself,” You rolled your eyes, but nudged him back, putting more aggression in yours, “But thanks.”

“It’s how I’d describe you, so shut up and accept the compliment.”

The three of you were around the crowds of people now. Other teams, families and friends. You passed a few merch tables, mentally making a note to stop by a table before you left.

“Oh!”

The gasp seemed to catch the attention of your upper-class-men, and the three stopped, you following as you turned to see who it was.

“Wow, he’s even taller in person!”

Daishō and Mika were there, Daishō seemed almost shocked to be seeing Kuroo this close, whereas Mika looked almost thrilled.

“He’s just making himself look taller by spiking his hair up.”

“I can hear you, thanks!”

[cringe--is--dead]

HE’S JUST A LITTLE GUY

HE’S JUST A LITTLE BABY

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I’m bored and re-watching Bungo Stray Dogs and realizing how easy and fun it is to just make oc’s for this world??? like you straight up can take damn near ANY author or book you’re a fan of and BOOM!

so here’s American author Laura Ingalls Wilder whose ability is just “Little House on the Prairie” and is somewhat similar to Lucy’s?

but she has a homestead/log-house basically in a different dimension, literally like an old log-house. fireplace, fur rugs, no electricity, salted meat, etc. and she can send herself or others there as a safe place— she can only use it for 9 hours out of the day (so 9/24 hours) and it doesn’t all have to be used in one sitting (there’s 9 books in the book series)

she’d definitely be an independent woman, very adventurous and “slow to speak but quick to act”. out of canon characters i imagine she’d get along really well with kenji (farmers unite)

if i had any art skills i’d draw her so fast 😮‍💨

[cringe--is--dead]

Me behind the screen smiling deviously as I read a fic where the reader is called ‘clingy’ or ‘needy’ and in response the reader stops being ‘clingy’ and now the character I’m reading about is left with regret (the little girl who was always afraid of being too much and was no matter what she did feels loved):

[cringe--is--dead]

[cringe--is--dead]

The New Girl In Town Pt. 4

Jiji x Reader

Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3

Okarun remembered your parents, they were his aunt and uncle, of course he did. He had been hopeful that the years away and recent changes would have mellowed them out, but when dropping you off, was faced with the reality that they hadn’t.

You were quick to retreat back into your shell, gone was the smiling person you were back at the Ayase household, and in her place was the meek cousin your parents forced you to be. As much as he hadn’t wanted to drop you off and run, he knew he had to. Everyone was waiting for him to return.

So, he pushed down every uncomfortable and annoyed feeling and promised you he’d see you later, making his way back.

“So, she get back okay?”

He just nodded, kicking his shoes off as he returned back into the household. Seiko was laid out on her back, lit cigarette between her lips. Turbo Granny was laying on her back near her, appearing to be asleep. Judging by the look on Jiji’s face they’d informed him.

“Now,” Seiko sat up, propping one elbow on her knee, “What is it you had to tell us?”

- - -

“Yes, I saw the reports dear. But straight-A’s are expected, your father and I aren’t going to celebrate meeting expectations.”

“Hey, you good?”

“Dearie, I understand you think that’s a decent career path, and for others it might be, but you need to think practically, okay?”

“Helloo?”

“Honestly, you’re lucky you’re relatively attractive. With grades like these it’s a miracle if you could even become a coffee runner.”

“Hey!”

You jumped, the loud thud against the table in front of you snapping you out of your thoughts. Momo was leaning over the table, her palm still flat against it, a worried look on her face.

“Huh?” Was all you managed to get out.

“You’ve been staring off into space for like ten minutes,” She leaned back, pursing her lips, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Oh. Oh! Yeah, sorry! I’m just a bit tired!”

She didn’t look like she believed you, but dropped it with a sigh. “Are you sure you’re good to be entertaining us like this?”

This being a “study session” your parents allowed. After Okarun had dropped you off, you’d gotten torn into, yells and insults hurled around. Once you were given any grace to speak you made up some story, telling them how you’d met Okarun’s friends and joined them at their place for a study session. Though still annoyed, their anger dimmed at this. They’d told you to call your new friends over for a study session the next day, and that they’d decide whether they believed you or not.

Through some miracle or cousin-telepathy, Okarun and his friends had pulled through. The group showed up sharp at 9 in the morning, a girl you hadn’t met prior in tow. They were all polite, bowing appropriately and bringing refreshments and flowers, carrying textbooks and expressing how honored they were to be invited into your home.

Your parents, once suspicious and stern, were charmed within minutes. You, meanwhile, were baffled at the display before you. You weren’t one to judge a book based on its cover but…

“I’m fine! Really,” You brushed your fingers along the book edge, the words on the page still unread, “It’s… nice to have you guys over, honestly. The house has been so gloomy.”

She smiled at your words, though there was something unreadable in her eyes. Okarun was seated next to her, and he fidgeted where he sat. Jiji had taken a seat next to you, and appeared to be trying to make some sort of origami shape. The new girl, you had learned was Aira, was seated on the opposite side of your cousin. She was rather pretty, and she had been the first of the newcomers to charm your parents.

- - -

He fidgeted, hands clasped tightly in his lap as he stared down at them. This wasn’t a topic he really wanted to involve others in, especially when it wasn’t his place to say, but—

“She… had an older brother,” His voice felt thick as he tried to speak factually.

You had had an older brother.

He had had two older cousins.

“He was five years older than her, and six years older than me. He was a really smart guy, their parents would brag about him at every family event we had. The- the two of them didn’t really get along.”

He remembers a lot from when you two were little. The confessions of jealousy and hurt, you crying while asking why your parents didn’t love you. As a kid he had never known how to comfort you; even now he didn’t know.

“Like we had said, they moved away when we were kids. But they moved back because- because he took his own life.”

He heard the sharp intake from Ayase-san, and the sympathetic almost pained noise from Jiji.

“Auntie and uncle care a lot about their image. They thought this would tarnish them, so they moved back. They packed up a week after his funeral and came back here. We weren’t even told he had died until after his funeral, and I didn’t know till I saw her that they had moved back.”

He felt a warmth on his hand, and it took him a second to register that it was Ayase-san’s hand. She had reached out, taking one of his trembling palms into hers. Normally he’d panic at contact like this, but in this moment all he felt was a drained sense of relief.

“So- so the shibogami attached itself to her after her brother died?” Jiji asked, and after looking up Okarun could tell he almost didn’t want to.

Seiko shook her head, “No. My guess is that it had it’s hold on her brother, drove him to the point of suicide, and without a living host, latched onto her.”

There was a wave of anger that hit him, a fierce feeling of protectiveness.

“i’m not going to let it hurt her.”

Seiko let out a puff of smoke, “We’re working on that, kid.”

- - -

“Wow! Your room’s so clean!”

With your parents out of the house, the faux study session turned into an impromptu tour for your new friends. Momo and Aira were rooting around your room curiously, while Jiji and Okarun looked around with some semblance of reservation.

“Thank you,” You rubbed the back of your neck awkwardly, “My parents like a clean house.”

You learned quickly as a kid anything not put away or tidied up got thrown away. It took watching three stuffed animals get thrown into the garbage truck for you to keep your room spotless. It took one more for you to stop collecting junk like that.

You missed the sad look on your cousin’s face, as he exchanged a look with Jiji.

“Oh, this dress is so pretty!” Aira had made her way into your closet, and was combing through the clothes there, “You could wear this to a festival!”

You walked over, seeing the one she was talking about. “Oh, yeah! I haven’t been to one since I was a kid, my parents say they’re too loud. Do you want it?”

She looked startled at your question, “What? No! I mean, I’d love to know where you got it. But- you- no!”

She seemed almost flustered as she spoke, and you glanced at her curiously.

“What she means is,” Momo snuck up on the two of you, throwing her arms around your shoulders, “Save it! Next time there’s a festival in town we’ll take you!”

Aira pushed her arm off, and the two began bickering, playfully you hoped, as you did your best to diffuse the random tension between the two. Away from where you could hear, Jiji and Okarun were still looking about, though as neither of them appeared to find anything out of place, frustration seemed to grow.

“Do you see anything? At all?”

Okarun shook his head, “I don’t feel anything either.”

Jiji sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, “I was sure we’d find something up here.”

He just received a shrug in response, “I think it has more to do with her mentality than the physical place?”

A moment of silence, and then Jiji turned to look down at him, eyebrows furrowed, “You mean it doesn’t matter where we look, we’re not going to find anything?”

“I’m not sure. Earlier when we saw it, she was zoned out. I think whatever she was thinking or feeling was causing the shibogami to come out, but now that she’s around us and having fun it has no negative emotions to feed off of.”

“So her being happy is ruining our hunt right now.”

“Don’t phrase it like that,” There was a beat, and Okarun couldn’t help but sigh in defeat, “But I think so, yeah.”

That made it a bit more difficult. If your negative emotions were the reason the shibogami came out, then to lure it out intentionally they’d have to make sure you were miserable. Okarun glanced over where Ayase-san and Aira were still bickering, but his attention was drawn quickly to how you were smiling, appearing to be giggling at the pair.

You’d looked so sad and defeated when he dropped you off there the night before, so being able to see you happy was such a change. A welcomed one.

“Yeah,” Jiji pat his shoulder, a sympathetic look on his face, “We’ll figure something out, man! No worries!”

“Yeah, no worries at all…”

- - -

You knocked on the door, tentative but loud enough to be heard. Seconds passed with silence being the only response, so you tried again. That one resulted in shuffling from in the room. You swallowed, biting back the annoyance building in you.

“Urei, mom says dinner’s ready.”

Nothing. You knocked once more, “Urei? Mom says she made your favorite.”

Always his favorite, never yours. At least she hadn’t made okonomiyaki fritters again. A simple curry was always nice, even if your request for it to be a little more spicy was shot down.

“H-Hey,” His voice was muffled, and the door didn’t open, “Uh, tell mom I’m going to have to skip dinner tonight.”

What?

“What? Urei, mom made dinner for you. Dad even went out and got some fancy beers as well.”

“Urei got a promotion! We all knew it was coming, but still, this calls for a celebration!”

“I know, I know!” He sounded closer, like he was on the other side of the door now, “I just… I have a lot of studying to do for uni, you know? And- and I forgot about a paper I had due. So I’m going to focus on that.”

Urei was not one to forget any homework, or fall behind on his studies. You wanted to call him out on that, but for a moment, you took this as a blessing. Maybe without Urei there at the table you’d be able to get some semblance of attention from your parents.

“Fine, but don’t get mad when they come banging on your door soon.”

He chuckled, and it sounded so… unlike him. Your brother was the definition of someone being put together, and he had trained every aspect of him to be like that. From the way he brushed his hair to the way he drank his coffee to the way he laughed. But right now he sounded almost broken.

“That’s fine.” A pause, your feet felt glued to the floor beneath you, the familiar carpet a stain in your memories, “Enjoy dinner, okay? I- I have some of that chili oil you like hidden in the pantry behind the lentils mom ordered from over seas. She never touches it.”

So that’s how he had been dealing with your mother’s bland cooking. Sneaky.

“I’m going to re-hide it,” You threatened, “Somewhere you can’t use it.”

“That’s fine. It’s yours.”

Whatever weird issues he was dealing with weren’t your problem. So you turned away, ready to head downstairs and find his hidden chili oil.

“Hey, I love you.”

You almost hadn’t heard him, it was whispered so softly you fear you weren’t supposed to have heard him. Your stomach felt like you had swallowed lead, and your steps paused. Ultimately, you stayed silent, no response falling from you as you made your way downstairs, the scent of curry wafting in the air.

[cringe--is--dead]

*affectionately* god what a little freak

[cringe--is--dead]

The New Girl In Town Pt. 3

Future!Jiji x Reader

You hated to admit it, so you never would, but Momo’s grandmother was hot. That thought made you feel like some perverted old man, and you did your best to avoid any redness from spreading to your cheeks. This was a thought you’d take with you to the grave.

She was also, as it turns out, an amazing cook.

Momo had lent you some of her clothes, a comfortable pair of relaxing shorts and a soft sweater with some character on it. She wore a similar outfit, her hair now pulled into a ponytail. By the time you two had gone back downstairs there was a spread of snack foods, and Jiji looked seconds away from jumping on the table to stuff his face. Okarun looked up at the two of you with a small smile.

“Thanks grandma!” Momo’s shout startled you, but you regained your composure, moving to sit, legs folded beneath you.

“This looks amazing!”

Momo looked proud, a smug look on her face, “Yeah, my grandma’s pretty amazing.”

“That she is!” Jiji threw both hands in the air, excitement clear in his voice.

On the walk here they’d explained that he and Momo were childhood friends, and he himself had recently moved there. He avoided giving any reason why, so you suspected it may have been a normal move. Though the way he held himself made you wonder if it was similar to your situation— you hoped not.

“So, kid,” Momo’s grandma, Seiko-san as she told you to call her, wandered back into the room, a lit cigarette between her lips, “How long have you and your family been back?”

You attention was stuck on the cigarette for a beat too long, and you cleared your throat, “Well today was my first day—”

She held a hand up, “No. Not when was your first day at school, how long have you all been back in town?”

“Oh,” You blinked, counting in your head, “We’ve been back for about four days? Mom and dad wanted to focus on unpacking before I was able to go to school. We’re still not entirely done, though.”

She just nodded, the expression on her face making you think whatever you said confirmed something she was thinking. She didn’t elaborate. Just rolled her cigarette to the other side of her mouth, heading to the kitchen.

The scent remained, and you couldn’t drag your gaze from where she had been standing. In truth you hated the scent more than anything— it clogged your nose and made your throat itchy, your eyes watery. But—

“What was the big city like?”

Momo had a knack for making you jump, and you turned, your attention back on her.

“Huh?”

She was chewing, cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk. “The city! How was it there?”

“Oh! I didn’t live in Tokyo, just on the outskirts of it. But it was pretty, sometimes it was super busy though. I got lost in the main train stations a few times when I was allowed out on my own.”

She sighed dreamily, “I wanna live in a big city one day.”

“The city life’s overrated!” Jiji leaned forward, butting into the conversation, “That’s why living here is so great!”

“It’s fun to visit,” Okarun adjusted his glasses, “We went once or twice to visit when I was younger.”

You remembered that. A year after you had moved he and his parents had come for half a week. You all had gone sight seeing, and you and Okarun had a sleepover like you did when you were younger. It had been so much fun, but unfortunately for you, that fun ended the moment he went back home.

“I’m glad to be back here,” You admitted, taking a sip of tea, “It’s more peaceful, honestly. It got weird there. Uh, like the city, you know?”

You missed the uneasy glances they sent towards each other, gaze focused on the drink in your hand. You did your best to shake off the feeling draping over you, smiling as you glanced back up.

“Honestly, I’m ready for a peaceful year!”

“Momo!” Seiko-san called from the kitchen, nearly barking her granddaughter’s name, “Get your ass in here real quick.”

Momo groaned, head dropping onto the table, “Grandma—”

“Bring four-eyes with you!”

Okarun sighed, adjusting his glasses almost subconsciously as the pair stood up, making their way to the kitchen.

“Sorry, we’ll be right back!” Momo pressed her hands together apologetically, bowing her head quickly before disappearing.

It was just you and Jiji now, whatever conversation happening in the kitchen far too quiet for you to hear. You could feel the jitters coming back, tingles in your fingertips. Your heart rate picked up slightly, nerves hitting you all at once.

“You’re in college prep classes right?”

You blinked, realizing you’d begun squeezing your fist, nails biting into your skin painfully. You forced your body to relax, processing his question.

“Yeah.”

“So you’re like… wicked smart?”

He was grinning as he asked the question, and you couldn’t help but snort.

“I wouldn’t say I’m wicked smart, I just dedicate a lot of my free time to studying.”

“Mhm,” He nodded, “So what I’m hearing is yes, you’re wicked smart.”

“If that’s what you want to call it.”

“It is what I want to call it, so call you wicked smart I shall,” He looked proud of himself, crossing his arms, “How are you liking Kami high?”

Your head tilted, thinking on how your first day had gone down, “It’s nice so far. My classmates were nice, very nosy.”

He groaned, “They are! I swear, when I first came here everyone was asking every few seconds why I moved here, where was I from, did I have a girlfriend.”

You giggled, his tone mimicking different classmates of his as he complained.

“If you’re curious though,” He pointed at you, closing one of his eyes playfully, “My parents got sick, I’m also from here originally, and no, I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Is this your way of asking me those same questions?”

He shrugged, but his expression turned into something more sheepish. Before you could respond, or even think about whether you wanted to respond, Momo and Okarun made their way back in. Both had matching looks on their faces, though you couldn’t quite place what it was. They changed quickly though, Momo smiling confidently, and your cousin a bit less than her.

“Sorry! Grandma can talk your ear off when she gets started!”

“Is everything okay?”

They took their seats, tucking back into the table.

“Yeah! Everything’s fine!”

You weren’t entirely convinced, not from the nervous fidgeting Okarun was showing or the way Momo was smiling so hard her eyes were closed. But who were you to pry? You hadn’t seen your cousin in years, and you had just met Momo.

So you sighed, smiling back, “That’s good.”

The conversation was shifted quickly, Momo leading most conversations. You all talked about anything from school to weekend plans, teachers and tv shows. It was easy to fall into conversation with everyone, the banter felt natural as you talked. You felt more at ease here than you had in years.

The comfort had to come to an end, your phone buzzing near you. By the fifth time you couldn’t ignore it, grabbing at it and checking. Your eyes widened, and you stood up quickly, the talking coming to an end.

“Oh go— I have to go!”

You could feel the panic in your chest, and you stumbled in place for a second, unsure what to do first. Momo and Okarun stood up, Jiji still sitting cross legged on the floor.

“Is everything okay?”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s so late! I have to get home— my mom’s pissed!”

The three glanced outside, blanching as they realized how dark it had become. Hours had passed far quicker than anyone had noticed.

“Momo, is it okay if I change in your room real quick?”

She nodded, “Yeah! You can just leave the pajamas on the floor, I’ll wash them later!”

With her agreement you raced to her room, nearly pulling the sweater off before you got there. You changed in record time, grabbing your bag and hurrying back outside.

“I’m- I’m so sorry to rush off like this!”

Momo waved you off, and Jiji had moved to stand now as well. Okarun was grabbing his own bag.

“It’s okay! I’m sorry we kept you so late.”

“Yeah girl! Don’t apologize for us having fun!”

You smiled despite the panic you could feel, and you were grateful in that moment your baby cousin had made such nice friends.

“Oh— I should thank your grandma before I leave!”

“She’s… busy right now,” Momo seemed to hesitate, glancing towards where the kitchen was then back at you, “But I’ll tell her you said bye.”

You were worried it’d be rude, but you didn’t want to interrupt her if she was busy. So you nodded, eyebrows furrowing and easily distracted as Okarun came to stand next to you.

“You ready?”

“I— yes? Are you coming with me?”

He nodded, a determined look on his face, “It’s dark! So I’ll be walking you home. Also, I want to say hi to auntie and uncle.”

That… made sense. Also if they saw you were with your cousin they may be less hard on you. You smiled at him, he was such a sweet kid. Bidding the others a final goodbye, the pair of you took off outside in the dark, phone flashlights illuminating the paths before you.

Once you were out of sight, Seiko came out of the kitchen, Turbo Granny following her to the other two. She was on what was probably her third cigarette at this rate.

“You’re sure she has no idea?”

Seiko let the smoke fester in her lungs for a moment, bordering on painful, before she let it out in a puff, shaking her head.

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

Jiji looked between the two, curious look on his face, “Is this related to the impromptu meeting you all had without me?”

“We couldn’t just leave her by herself without it looking suspicious!” Momo snapped at him, crossing her arms, “But yes.”

“Besides, sounded like you were just fine out here with her Romeo,” Seiko lightly tapped his head with her fan, taking a seat, cracking open a can of beer, “Sit down.”

“I wonder if you attracted all these weirdos before,” Granny Turbo grumbled, laying on her back, arms crossed behind her head.

Seiko grunted, “Probably. Just seems more extreme now.”

“She wasn’t weird!” Momo was quick to defend you, but the worry that had built in her chest didn’t diminish, and she sat, looking worriedly at her grandma, “Can we do anything?”

Jiji sat next to her, hands in his lap as he mimicked her worried look.

“Not yet.” Seiko shook her head, “It’s a shibogami. They’re tricky fuckers.”

“Wait— she’s got some kinda ghost on her?” Jiji thought you had seemed normal, it was almost surprising.

Though as he thought back on it, there had been a few times he could feel the Evil Eye’s powers crawling under his skin. He thought it was random, really, but now he thinks it may not have been.

“A yokai. But yes.”

Turbo Granny rolled onto her stomach, propping her head on her little paws, “Stranglin’ spirit, as some people call it. They’re cowards, really. Never ran into one myself, cause on top of bein’ cowards, they’re rare.”

“It’s more like a parasite,” Seiko rolled her eyes as Momo threw the closest item she had at Turbo Granny, the cat-bound spirit yelping.

“It attaches itself to a person, their host. Most people who deal with them have some type of strong negative emotions; depression, anxiety, grief, insecurity. Take your pick. It feeds on the host’s negative emotions. You know when you can feel Evil Eye, that itch under your skin?”

The question was directed at Jiji now, and he nodded aggressively.

“Yeah! I felt it a few times when she was here, but I thought he was being antsy.”

Seiko’s eyebrows raised, “Oh? So it was reacting to the shibogami. Interesting.”

“I thought I felt something too, but honestly I thought it was just you,” Momo looked at Jiji, an almost guilty look on her face.

“Moving on. That feeling you get, that’s mostly what the shibogami feels like. Which is why it’s so hard to see, which means it’s hard to kill. It only becomes super reactive when the host is feeling negative emotions, otherwise it lies low and waits. If the host suffers from severe negative emotions it manifests a physical form, some people who have been recorded to have seen them say it tends to take the appearance of either themselves or someone they know.”

The two teens say in silence, taking all the information in, trying to process it.

“Do you know how to kill it?”

Seiko pondered for a moment, “I know of several ways listed, not sure which one it would actually take.”

Momo groaned, leaning her head onto the table. Jiji, though also looking relatively forlorn, pat her on the back.

“Hey, better this than me saying I have no idea!” Seiko snapped, snuffing out the butt cigarette, fighting the urge to light another, “There’s some specific seals I can make, you can trap it with those. Some blessed iron is supposed to do some damage.”

“Just do damage?”

Seiko sighed, head falling back for a moment, before she sat up straight, “I didn’t wanna tell you two back there, but you need to know. The records on the shibogami are all over the place.”

“There ain’t no record on killing it ‘cause most times the host kills themselves.”

Seiko didn’t even look as she kicked Turbo Granny, no reaction from the strangled yell sent her way. Momo and Jiji stared at her, eyes wide.

“What?”

She sighed, rubbing her temple, “Yeah. In most cases when the emotions the host feels get so intense it creates its physical form, the recordings state that the host either loses their sanity or kill’s themselves. I don’t recall finding anything about killing or stopping the shibogami.”

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Nekoma x Manager!Reader Blurb

When you decided to become Nekoma’s manager, there were many things you hadn’t anticipated. In your mind it would be a simple, after school activity. You’d show up at the gym for a few hours; set things up, fill up water bottles, hand out towels, clean things up, then go home.

The team was somewhat intimidating to you in the beginning. Several of them were tall, and the amount of yelling and bantering had you scared.

What you hadn’t anticipated was everything that had happened since.

Coach Nekomata, as much as you respected and looked up to that man, found the team dynamics entertaining. You overheard him say to Naoi that it felt like watching actual cats sometimes.

He wasn’t wrong.

“Lev!” As if on cue, you heard Yaku’s voice echo through the gym.

You sighed, not even bothering to turn around from your task. They were given a quick break, and you were finishing filling their waterbottles. Kuroo was next to you in a flash, arms crossed and snickering as the first year was getting scolded.

“What did he do now?” You handed the captain his bottle, turning to watch the scene unfold.

It was always slightly entertaining to watch Yaku yelling at Lev. Lev, in all his height and glory, was doing his best to shrink in on himself.

“He started kicking some of the balls away and Yaku tripped over them,” Kuroo snickered, wiping his face, “Sad you missed it, it was rather funny.”

“No it wasn’t!” Yaku’s wrath was quick to turn, and Kuroo’s spine straightened so quickly you swear you heard it pop.

“How the hell did you even hear me?”

“You and your loudass voice can be heard around the world!”

“That is just hurtful.”

You rolled your eyes, continuing your job. Lev sidled over, head drooping and a sad expression on his face. You handed him his bottle with a smile.

“You shouldn’t kick the volleyballs in general, Lev,” You lightly chided him, not wanting to tear into him more after Yaku, “They’re not soccer balls.”

“Ugh, I know,” He took his bottle with a pout, “They were just in my way and I didn’t want to bend down to move them!”

“Lazy,” Yamamoto muttered under his breath, snickering as the first year turned to him, pout turning into a glare.

“Be nice,” You kicked his ankle lightly, only slightly reveling in the way he deflated at your light scolding.

“Sorry.”

Lev cackled, over his pouting and delighted in the deflated Yamamoto. Your glare silenced him quickly, however.

“I’ll never understand how you all have so much energy to fight after running around as much as you have been,” You sighed, taking a seat on the bench as they all wandered over.

“We’re growing boys!” Inuoka was nearly bouncing on his toes, “A constant flow of energy is normal!”

As usual his smile was nearly blinding, and for a moment you were reminded of a puppy. You rolled your eyes at his comment, shifting slightly as Kuroo sat down next to you. You could feel the heat radiating off of him, cringing at the sweat on his skin.

“What’s that face for?”

Turning his way, your nose crinkled, “You stink.”

He threw his hands up, “Why is everyone going all agro on me right now?”

“You make it too easy for them,” Surprisingly it was Kai chiming in on the teasing, and Kuroo just groaned in response.

A beep from your watch grabbed your attention, and you glanced down at it, “Alright guys, breaks over!”

A mixture of groans were heard in response, everyone setting down their bottles and dropping their towels to walk back to the court. Their feet were dragging, exhaustion on their faces.

“Can’t we have a minute more?” Shibayama was always the one sent to you when the first years had requests, his puppy eyes were hard for you to resist.

Under normal circumstances, you may have agreed and given the team an extra two minutes. But it was late, you were tired, you had a lot of homework this weekend, and the less they practiced now the longer you all would stay. So you shook your head, doing your best to ignore the twinge in your heart at his deflated expression.

“Ask me again next practice and I might say yes,” You wanted to perk him up some, and your statement did just that, a grin on his face.

“Ugh, why not now and not next practice?” Lev wandered over, standing behind Shibayama with a way too exaggerated pleading expression.

You narrowed your eyes at him, and Shibayama tried shoving Lev towards the court, shushing him.

“I can just say no next time too?”

Lev clearly didn’t take this threat to heart, “Or you could say yes this time and next time!”

Inuoka had come to join the first year group, both him and Shibayama trying to get Lev to just join the rest of the team. You wandered off, letting them bicker for a second longer as you grabbed your clipboard.

You’d been taking notes during their practice, though they were only but so detailed but still, you felt proud of them. You’d only been the manager for a handful of weeks now, but you’d learned a lot since then. Coach Nekomata had told you about a training camp that was coming up, and you were doing your best to be prepared for that yourself.

“Lev,” You kept your gaze on your notes, hearing the three first years go quiet at your voice, “If you don’t get on the court in the next five seconds you’re doing clean up duty solo tonight.”

You weren’t even sure if he fully processed your threat before he was rushing off, sneakers squeaking against the floor as he rushed back to the court. Shibayama and Inuoka were laughing quietly, but followed suit, not wanting your threats directed to them.

“You’ve come far as a manager.” Coach Nekomata was laughing at the first years, arms crossed as he sat on the bench, watching the boys get back to their practice.

“I feel more like a babysitter sometimes.”

His quiet laughter grew louder, and you couldn’t help but laugh along quietly. You were glad you’d stumbled upon the gym when they were practicing, being their manager truly was the best thing to happen to you since coming to Nekoma.

A/N: I’m also working on getting back into writing. And I’m re-watching Haikyuu. Again.

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I feel like (yes I’m rewatching Haikyuu again for the 292939th time) there are so many themes throughout Haikyuu

friendship, not giving up, working hard, etc. but I also feel one is the idea of losing. like in a sense every single character and every team loses, and it’s devastating to them, but the way it’s shown is really encapsulated in the quote “for today you happen to be the defeated, but what will you become tomorrow?”

for something I wanna work on in the future— are there any instances, quotes, or characters that fit this theme anyone can think of?

like I feel like you could see Oikawa as someone who takes loses too close to heart and pushes and pushes and pushes himself in an almost unhealthy way, then there’s Asahi who (at first) takes the big loss, gets scared of it, and quits

please leave comments for me regarding this 🙏🏻🙏🏻

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A few years ago while trying to find ways to commit suicide as painlessly as possible, I came across a PDF of Dr. Paul Quinnett's The Forever Decision. Thinking it might go into actual methods of suicide (I read an article once that actually did that and was trying to find it again) I started to read it, and I think I only got about two pages in before I was crying too much to actually see the words.

I downloaded the PDF to my hard drive and I open it again whenever I'm feeling too suicidal to do much else, but not enough to start booking a ride to the hospital. And every time without fail I only go up to a few pages before backing off and choosing to live another day just because suicide suddenly seems even more unbearable than whatever the hell upset me in the first place.

All the book really does is [I'm pulling a summary from GoodReads here as, again, I've read no more than 5 pages] "discusses the social aspects of suicide, the right to die, anger, loneliness, depression, stress, hopelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, the consequences of a suicide attempt, and how to get help."

But it also starts with the author kindly asking the reader to complete the book before going through with anything, and for some reason I'm compelled to really just try to read it all before finalizing everything. Despite not yet completing it (hopefully never will) I think I can safely say it's saved my life at least a few times now.

It's intentionally legal to copy and redistribute this book to keep it as accessible as possible, and it's very easy to find, but here's a link for it anyways.

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Yup returning to necromancy, I’m so back. And you’re so back, and you’re so back, and you’re so back, and you’re

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as of the 1st i am officially 23 years old !!!

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Free to use SD Illustrations from the official Wind Breaker account! More here!