#//this is my second proper animation so forgive

[momo-doez-art]

soo i decided to have a proper go at animation and decided to do sm related to my fic !! spoilers for chapter 10 ! ( ´ ▽ ` )

(slight flash warning)

https://youtu.be/zZ1AJ8bqHck?si=FGjORVEIIb_XRqVC

i know it’s annoying but this took 29 hours and reblogging helps SO much more than liking as i’m trying to grow my acc! i genuinely appreciate y’all sm !! ♡

[anundyingfidelity]

THE MERMAID AND THE COOK — Sanji x mermaid reader

Summary: once the Straw Hats begin their journey, Sanji notices a figure floating in the waves of the ocean after a storm. Nothing will be the same for him.

Pairing: Sanji x female reader, who is also a mermaid.

Word count: 2.03k.

Warnings: reader mermaid suffered, some angst and fluff, language, nudity, suggestive stuff. Written in third person, female pronouns. No use of Y/n this time. As all my works, no skin color, hair color, or any kind of specific physicial description is mentioned.

Notes: This is situated after the first season. I just saw the netflix live action and barely starting watching the anime, so I am sorry for any discrepancies with the One Piece universe. And forgive my English. Thanks lol.

I had to write something for Sanji. This man is consuming me. Thanks to this show because I am on a writers block and it was a miracle I finished this. ;-;

☕ if you like my writing, support me with a ko-fi !

GEN MASTERLIST!

The morning was sunny, the sky looked clear, and the crew barely finished washing and cleaning the deck. Thanks to the storm last night, they woke up to a whole mess of fishes, wood, seaweed and a lot of shit Sanji didn't want to remember by now.

Finally, the deck of the Going Merry was how it was supposed to be. The last storm they encountered was so strong that the blonde man thought they would not make it this time. But they survived a lot of shit now, didn't they.

Once Luffy and Usopp set everything, they ordered the crew to come to the kitchen and have a proper breakfast after all the hard work, even if it was noon already. Sanji followed last, tired and all sweaty because of the sunlight. However, something caught up his attention as he walked near the rail before he could get inside. A wood plank floating in the ocean, and on top of it a figure lying face down. He couldn't see clearly, but he was sure it was a woman.

Nami stopped his steps once he did not follow. "Are you not coming?"

Her voice disappeared in the air as Sanji got closer to the rail to observe the woman floating in the middle of the ocean. The waves were still a little big even after hours passed since the storm completely stopped, and they guided the plank with the figure closer to the ship. He knew he had to do something.

"Oi! There's someone in the ocean!"

Nami quickly came by his side to see what he was seeing and left, calling the crew to help. Sanji took some ropes, Usopp appeared to assist with them. Nami arrived with Zoro and Luffy, and they helped the guys to bring the plank to the ship. Once the plank was up, they settled it on the deck carefully. Everyone looked in awe at what they caught.

"It's a mermaid," Nami whispered.

The crew went silent.

The brilliant tail gave it all away. Sanji was the first to get closer, kneeling by her side, making sure she was still breathing. The long hair and the soft scales adorning her body enamoured his blue eyes in seconds. He still had yet to see her face, but he felt attracted to the mermaid after seconds of saving her from a fatal fate.

Softly he pulled some locks of wet hair, with some seaweed tangled in them, to look at her face. Or at least try to.

"Is she okay?" Luffy sounded worried. "We have to help her."

"She is wounded," Usopp said, pointing at a tiny trail of blood coming from her tail.

"Let's take her to my room," Nami said.

Sanji nodded, calling Zoro for help. Both of them took the plank with the mermaid, still in deep sleep, to Nami's quaters. There, Sanji used some of Zeff's old teachings to treat wounds with bandages and fish skin. Nami assisted in turning the mermaid around and cleaning her skin and hair. The rest of the crew silently watched them assisting the mermaid.

Finally they were able to see her face. Sanji thought she was as beautiful as the sunrise. Two shells covered her breasts, which Nami made sure to fix along with the pearl necklace hanging on her neck. It was precious. Everything about her was to the cook's eyes.

Suddenly her tail sparkled softly and two legs started to form little by little, the human skin making its appearance starting from her feet.

"You guys have to leave," Nami announced, turning to Luffy, Usopp and Zoro.

"Why only us?" Usopp questioned. "Why doesn't he leaves too?"

"Sanji's knowledge is essencial right now," Nami explained. "And we don't want her flustered with all these eyes."

Zoro sighed, forcing the so called captains out of the room between protests. "She's right, let's go."

Nami murmured a silent 'thank you'.

"If you need anything I'll be outside," that was the last thing Zoro said before closing the door.

Sanji started to remove quickly a small bandage around her waist, which was still covered with her tail, however, it converted in skin before he could finish. So now here she was, with to legs and half naked before the eyes of two pirates.

The mermaid let out a breath and her eyes opened wide, encountering herself on a ship. A new ship.

"Is okay, you're safe," Nami whispered in a motherly way. "We just want to help you."

The mermaid was visibly scared. She looked first at the woman with the orange hair before taking a sight of the blonde man. His hands were still in the bandage around her waist. Sanji could swear she gasped once they looked directly into each others eyes. Yes, she was absolutely stunning.

She smiled softly.

"I'm not with them anymore..."

Nami and Sanji finished treating her wounds and cleaning her skin as much as they could. Nami gave her some clothes and they let her rest and sleep before asking more about what she went through.

During the next few hours, Sanji couldn't stop thinking about the mermaid. On the way her eyes were shining and the delicacy of the scales on her skin and tail. Even with legs she was beautiful. And the picture of the bare woman waking up will not be forgotten in a long time. Once he heard her name when Nami asked, Sanji knew he will keep it in his mind forever.

The crew reunited for dinner that night and Sanji made sure to have a plate for the mermaid. While his mates played some card games, after making a lot of questions about the mermaid, he walked to the room Nami was sharing with her. Hopefuly she would like to eat something by now, he thought. Sanji knocked twice before entering and found the mermaid sitting on the bed with a book.

"I believe you'd like to have something to eat," Sanji smiled and made his way to her.

"This is so nice from you, thank you," she said, placing the book aside and taking in the plate in her soft hands.

Sanji served a cup of water on the little wood nightstand for her and he took a seat on a wood bench near the bed, watching her eat the meal he prepared for the crew with joy.

"It's delicious," she beamed. "I don't recall having something like this in a long time."

"I feel pleased knowing you like it."

They embarked in a kind conversation soon after and it felt like they knew each other for years. Sanji was his normal flirty self again, speaking about the Straw Hats and his life as a chef, and now, as a pirate, to seek the All Blue. He soon found out he loved hearing her talk about the sea and everything she encountered on her numerous journeys with mystical creatures and cities built deep in the ocean.

Sadly, her last adventure was not a happy one. She had been kidnaped by some pirates who looked for fantastic and rare creatures, mermaids being one of them. They wanted to trade her for gold and berries, but then the storm came and destroyed the ship, drowning the pirates with the savage ocean waves.

"Thankfuly I am here now," she finished her story.

"I am so glad I saw you," Sanji whispered. With a lot of care, his fingers caressed a lock of hair, placing it behind her ear. They were so close that the blonde man could hear her heart beating on her chest.

He observed her eyes and lips, the pretty features of her face and he wanted nothing more but to finally kiss her.

Sanji slowly leaned, feeling like a spell was casted on him to absolutely fall head over heels for her, yearning to have a taste of her lips–

"Can we go outside?" she mumbled before their lips could touch. "I would like to have some air."

Sanji's eyes traveled between her eyes and her biting her lower lip.

"Of course, my lady. Anything you want."

So he took her to the deck, giving her his coat before they went out. And this repeated for days. The strolls on the deck became her favorite thing as time passed.

The mermaid was welcome by the crew as she healed little by little. The Straw Hats eventually knew what happened to her, mostly from Sanji's words, and they treated her like one of them already. And though nothing was really clarified, Luffy and Usopp made her laugh through the day, Nami slowly became a good friend, Zoro was a cold but interesting guy and Sanji made her feel at home.

She would spend most of her time with him on the kitchen and helping the blonde man around the ship to pass the time and most important, to say thanks to all of them.

On the seventh night after her arrival, Sanji took her to the deck after dinner. He gave her his coat, as usual, just in case it was too cold for her. But in reality, he loved her essence on his clothes.

They walked to the rail and she wrapped her arms around his right one, feeling the air of the night as the Going Merry sailed to their next adventure. It was good that the weather was a lot better and the waves seemed quieter than before.

In silence, Sanji felt the warmth of the mermaid, wrapped around his coat and wearing one of Nami's dresses. And still, with that few fabric over her figure, Sanji thought she looked like a princess. They stayed like that for a long time. No words were needed as they enjoyed the cold air of the ocean and the sight of the clear sky above them.

"I would love to see the All Blue," she said after a while, leaning more on him.

His lips curved in a smile. "Why don't you come with us?"

A soft chuckle left her lips.

"Don't you need to ask your captain?"

"I have the feeling we can have some help from a mermaid," Sanji said. "Luffy will say yes with no hesitation."

"Well, I have some abilities that might be useful," she left his arm and turned until she was face to face with the cook. She studied his features. As much as she was trying hard not to admit it, he was handsome and kind. A gentleman. The exact definition of a gentleman. After all she went through it was such heaven to have him. "Do you flirt with every mermaid you encounter?" she asked in a playful way.

It was Sanji's turn to laugh softly.

"Only the ones that like my food."

"I like you," she smiled. "As much as I liked your food."

Sanji came closer to her, trapping her body softly between his own and the rail on her back.

"Please tell me I can kiss you now," he whispered against her lips. "I've been holding all these time..."

She nodded. "You may kiss me now."

No further words were needed as his lips finally got a taste from her. His hands grabbed her sides in a delicate manner and her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. Her lips were soft, as much as he imagined they would be.

Sanji loved the heat of her body against his, how she played with his hair and the way her fingers tangled with his blonde locks as they pressed their chests together, not wanting to let go forever. The kiss soon grew heated and a soft moan left her lips. A moan he swallowed through the kiss, and he wished it would never end. He knew it would not be the last kiss they share, though.

Once they fell out of breath, they pulled away slowly ans Sanji rested his forehead against hers.

"Stay," he said.

"You know I will," she smiled. Sanji pecked her lips until an annoying voice was heard.

"Finally the lovebirds!" Luffy shouted some meters away from both of them, announcing the crew that the mermaid and the cook were together.

[venus-as-aboy]

Thinking about how Bakugo loves to watch you and Kirishima fight.

Everyone knows Bakugo hates it when you spar with anyone but him.

Today you had no choice.

After Aizawa partnered you up with Kirishima, the blond was livid staring daggers at the poor boy the moment you two were assigned together. Kirishima tried his best to soothe his friend's mind, trying to tell him how “he won’t get too close” and how he’s “only fighting you because Aizawa said so”.

He lied obviously. He’s been dying to get his hands on you. The boys not blind, he sees how you’re not afraid to get all close and personal. How you’d use your thighs to strangle your opponent into tapping out or sit on the shoulders of his friend to keep him pinned down. And he definitely hasn’t fantasized about the dirty shit you say to throw your partner off. I mean it’s not his fault your so damn hot.

The rules were simple. No quirks, no leaving the circle, and to win you need a proper three-second pin.

Even though close range was your specialty Kirishima dominates you in size and strength. To say this was gonna be a difficult fight was an understatement. The fight consisted of you trying your best to get out of his grasp, but of course it's even harder when you're getting so turned on by how rough he's being with you. You know it's wrong, especially because your temperamental boyfriend is only feet away. But you can't help it when he has you like this. Your arms are held behind your back, as his other hand grabs at your waist to keep you from turning, with your face smushed into the floor. You are already so wet, with his crotch nestled so perfectly on your ass. You arched your back to get just a little more friction on your aching heat and try your best to not think of what your boyfriend would do if he knew how desperate you were for his best friend.

Little do you know Bakugo is harder than he's ever been watching you too fight so hard to win. A snarl creeps onto his face as his ruby eyes burn into the sight before him. He wants so badly to be mad and rip the two of you apart, but he can’t ignore the growing ache in his pants.

The creep wants to cum right then and there. Fuck the consequences, fuck the rest of the class, he wants to fuck himself watching you two fuck fight like wild animals.

“Let go of me asshole” you said through gritted teeth as you struggle for a way out. The redhead feels you thrashing around, pushing right up on his now hard dick. “Just give up then” he groans as he leans down to rub himself on you get you off your feet. “Like hell, I will” You struggle for a second, before quickly dropping to your knees and sending ur head back to headbutt the now off-balance man. You move quickly to straddle his shoulders, grabbing him by the hair to keep his head down. But you aren’t strong enough to keep him down. He quickly grabs the backs of your knees folding you in half. The red perv used his body weight to keep you there, knees to your ears.

He started counting in a teasing tone “Onee… oh come on love, you're not done are you?” You can do nothing but pant as you feel his erection planted firmly on your back. “Twoo…” he leans in, breath ghosting on your thigh. “You don’t think I felt you grinding on me? Such a needy girl for me baby.” His voice drips with lust in a deep raspy tone. You whimper letting out the softest “please” before Kirishima quickly jolts off. Bakugou now standing above you, Kirishimas shoulder in his tense hand.

Before you can even get the words out he speaks first. “In my room right after class or you're dead” releasing his grip on Kirishima, letting him fall to the floor. “Both of you” he demanded before storming off to the locker room.

——

Thank you so much for reading🙏🙏Please forgive any mistakes this is my first fic and it’s not fr proof read.💀

[giggly-squiggily]

I humbly request Giorno distressing our favorite Capo with tickles. Bruno totally deserves it.

Oh you don't have to tell me twice! *dancy dance* I love Bruno so much, and I love Giorno! I've gotcha covered, anon! :D

CW: Swearing, very very light restraints (Giorno's stand ability- nothing truly constricting)

Cloud 9 (Taglist Peeps):

@gladdygirl18 @t-wordiiish

So many zippers…

Giorno knew he was staring- likely an unreasonable amount so, but he couldn’t help it. Bruno’s suit was weirdly hypnotic. Black speckled fabric, the longer he looked at it, the more he realized they were zipper heads. Gold stripes of teeth across various parts of the outfit that logically made no sense, yet still came out incredibly fashion forward. He wondered if the zippers worked or not.

“Can I help you, Giorno?” Bruno hadn’t looked up from his gaze out towards the horizon. Giorno felt himself flush at being caught, suddenly shamed. “You look as if you have questions.”

“I…sorry, Bucchirati. I was just thinking about your suit.”

“My…suit?” Bruno looked back at him. “What about it?”

“It’s just so…odd.” Giorno winced at his lack of word choice. Bruno raised a brow. “Not in a bad way, by any means! I’ve just never seen anything like it! The design especially catches the eye.”

“Oh? Well, thank you.” Bruno seemed pleased by the comment, amused at the younger boy’s ramblings. “Your own suit is eye-catching as well. It’s not everyday you see someone wearing such a getup.”

Was…was he making fun of him? Giorno didn’t know how to feel about it. He cleared his throat before turning back to the horizon, trying not to stare.

It lasted exactly five seconds before he was sneaking glances at the patterns once more.

“Would you like a proper show?” Bruno asked, turning to him completely. Giorno was about to apologize again, but Bruno waved it off. “It’s fine- I am rather fond of this suit. I picked it out for the same reasons.”

“So you also thought it looked like a dalmatian?” Giorno asked, then froze. Oh merde, he let that slip.

Bruno, to his credit, burst into laughter. “Given your love for animals, I’m not surprised that’d be your first thought. I was thinking of dominos myself.” He stretched his arms out and did a slow turn, his back to Giorno to give him the full view. “The zippers were something I had added when it was tailored.”

“Ah..” Giorno nodded, shuffling closer. “Could I touch it?” At Bruno’s nod, he reached out, running his hand against the fabric along his upper back. “Wow, it’s good quality too. Why the zippers though?”

“Surely I don’t need to explain that one to you, do I?” Point taken. Giorno’s eyes caught the glint of the zipper teeth, tilting his head curiously at it. He poked at it, wondering if it was as cold as it looked.

“Eh!”

“Bucciarati?” Giorno flinched back, suddenly concerned. Was he hurt? “Wait..”

“F-Forgive me..I was surprised.” Bruno tried to play it off, but Giorno’s brain was already running a mile a minute. He had jumped, but the sound he made wasn’t one of pain. The spot he poked was rather close to Bruno’s neck…

Feeling bold, he poked again.

“Giorno!” Bruno yelped as he twisted around, eyes narrowed. “What-”

“You’re ticklish?” It wasn’t a question. Red flooded Brunos’ face. Giorno felt himself starting to smile. “Bucciarati…”

“That’s enough of that. As your Capo- Giorno!” Bruno tried to jerk back, but the blonde was fast. Too fast. Bruno’s feet were suddenly wrapped in vines, keeping him in place as Giorno dived behind him. “Release me at o-oohohnce!”

“Whoa, no wonder you’re always gone when Mista and Narancia act up.” The blonde was amazed, grinning as his fingers wiggled along Bruno’s neck. The older man was struggling to escape, scrunched up and slightly bent over. “If they knew just how sensitive you were, they’d be all over you!”

“Doohohn’t assume! I’ihll hahahahve you knhohow I’m rahahther goohohd at tihihickli-eeheheh!” Bruno’s argument was cut short by growing mirth, jumping and twitching at each press and flick of the blonde’s fingers. It didn’t help that the vines by his feet seemed to grow, wrapping around his legs up to his calves and squeezing gently. “Yhohoohu’ll rehehehgret thihihis- ahehahaha!”

“I’ll take my chances.” Giorno chuckled as he dragged his fingers down Bruno’s back, finding the action rather effective. Bruno went from scrunched and giggly to arching sharply with a startled cackle. “Your back is this ticklish?”

“Aheahhaha! Dhohohon’t shahahy thahahaht! Gehahhaha!” Bruno nearly lost his balance from the pokes along his spine. It felt like he was in an elevator, and Giorno was an annoying child who pressed every button from the bottom up. “Rehehehaleahahse me thihihs instahhahnt!”

“Sure- just after I figure out which one of these black dots will get you to scream.” Giorno was rather enjoying himself. How often did their beloved Capo let himself laugh like this? He poked and prodded at all the different dots along the back of Bruno’s suit, relishing the yelps and shouts he let out. “I suspect there’s one that’s especially bad.”

“Ah! Ehehe! Heh! Thehehere ihihisn’t-GAH!”

“Found it!” Giorno dug his index finger into the one aligned with Bruno’s hip, twisting while the older man spasmed and shrieked. “The great tickle spot of Bruno Bucciarati! I’ll keep it a secret for a price.”

“GIHIHIORNO!” Bruno was begging now, cheeks red as beets and laughing near hoarse. “MEHEHERCI! MEHEHEHRCY!” At his please, the blonde did as requested- if not a bit reluctantly. The vines retracted back, acting only as a net to catch Bruno when he stumbled free. When he was steady once more, they returned to normal. “Ehehe..hehehehe…thahahnk you for the sahahve…”

“Didn’t want our Capo to break his nose.” Giorno shrugged, not used to gratitude. Bruno raised himself back up with a long sigh, smoothing down his suit. “I got a little carried away at the end there, huh?”

“Never mind that, it wasn’t out of malicion.” Bruno seemed fine with it. If anything, he looked rather proud. “I believe that’s the first time you’ve done something like this, Giorno. I hadn’t expected such a playful side from you.”

Giorno winced, averting his gaze with a blush. “Forgive me, that was so-”

“I told you, nevermind that.” A hand rested on his shoulder from behind. “I’m glad. For the longest time, you’ve been so stiff around us. I was starting to get concerned. It makes me happy to know you’re not all business.”

“Bucciarati..” Giorno started to smile, looking up-

He found his Capo before him. Smiling the most devious of smiles.

Wait, but if he was there, who was…

Zipper Man. Uh-oh.

“Of course, it wouldn’t be wise of me to not address this. You’re brave, Giorno Giovanna, but like Mista and Narancia in the past, you must learn what happens if you decide to target me.”

Giorno had no time to react before Zipperman’s hands shot out, grabbing his sides and ribs. “Bu-ehahahahahahhaha!”

“Ah youth.” Bruno sat back on the fencing, elbows on knees and folded hands to his smiling lips as he watched Giorno squirm and laugh before him. “So bold, yet so quick to forget. Allow me to remind you just who you’re messing with.”

Thanks for reading!

[taesnix]

hear me out: Connor and Mitchell but have their first proper interaction be going on a quest (3rd quester is Lou Ellen because I need more Lou Ellen + Hermes kids shenanigans content) to retrieve a special conch shell that requires the cunning and craftiness of a Hermes and Hecate kid and a connection to the sea that only an Aphrodite kid has. Percy offers them a few pointers on sailing but after that, they're on their own.

not sure what exactly the quest would entail but at one point they stop by a port town and Connor steals a bunch of pearls from an extractor. Mitchell reasonably panics a bit when he finds out because oh gods barely a day in and he already has to charmspeak someone into forgiving and forgetting them but Lou Ellen discovers that the extractor was doing detrimental damage to the sea life, so not being able to profit off of the pearls and harming the business is actually perfectly alright in her books.

Connor: perfectly alright, you say?

Lou Ellen: yeah, why allow some assholes to make money off of animal abuse?

Mitchell, seeing the glint in both of their eyes get brighter: ... sigh. Fine, I guess we can fit ruining their operation in today's itinerary.

They go haywire. Lou Ellen works the mist to give them more cover than usual, allowing Connor to have his fun completely messing with the extractors by setting up (relatively) harmless traps and stealing a little more with each passing second, while Mitchell distracts and deflects any concerns the extractors have

One of the extractors: oh, uh, yes! I can definitely show you where we keep the metal pliers, it's somewhere in the back. Let me just—wait, where the hell are my keys?

Mitchell, leaning in heavy with charmspeak: I think you left them near the back door, right? We can just go there now.

Exactor guy: ... yeah, of course. I always do that, easy access you know? Follow me.

And when they reach the door, Lou Ellen knocks him out and Connor unlocks it, a silver set of keys appearing in his hand seemingly out of nowhere. He winks when he catches Mitchell staring.

The rest of the quest follows pretty much the same: with one of them getting sidetracked and the others jumping in to "have a little fun", as Connor likes to put it. They eventually find the conch shell and return to camp, a little wounded but a whole lot closer.

As soon as Connor is let out of the infirmary, he dashes to the Hephaestas cabin. Mitchell is curious, but no one seems to know anything. Lou Ellen just cackles like a madman when she hears. "Ha, he was so antsy for most of the quest. Glad he's able to do something about it now."

Mitchell has no idea what on earth she's talking about, which takes him more off guard than he'd ever thought it would. Because he really believed that him and Connor had become close friends after everything they'd gone through. And surely, he would’ve known if Connor had something else going on. But apparently not. And Lou Ellen did.

And so what if it makes something burn in his chest? To know that Connor is keeping something from him when he thought they'd passed that hurdle long ago. To have that one conversation under the stars, afloat at sea, just drifting calmly and releasing their worries to the wind, that meant so much to him, not hold that same weight?

So what if he had feelings for Connor?

Mitchell doesn't sulk, because an Aphrodite kid will always retain most of their pride in the face of rejection, dammit. Connor seems to be—not avoiding him, but a little distant than he'd grown familiar with, and it hurts a bit. He can admit that.

It isn't until a few days later that there's a tentative tap on his shoulder after lunch and Mitchell turns around to see none other than Connor Stoll with a face so red, Mitchell is genuinely concerned he's going to pass out.

Mitchell: Connor? Are you okay? You look like you're going to explode or something.

Connor, fiddling with something in his pocket: ah ha ha, um, well. I have—something. For you.

Mitchell, completely taken aback: what? For me?

Connor: yeah, I— uh, I had to ask Nyssa for some help and then I had to go steal—I mean, borrow another one of yours because I wasn't sure how many to use and Nyssa wouldn't stop teasing me even though it had to fit perfectly—but t-the point is! This is for you.

And carefully, he pulls his hand out from his pocket and opens it. Laying gently in the center of his palm is a pearl bracelet. It's beautiful.

Mitchell: wait, are those...?

Connor, fingers tapping restlessly and somehow blushing harder than before: the pearls I stole on the first day? Yeah. I saw them on that boat when we were pulling up to the harbour and I just—

He pauses to let out a low, quiet breath, as though steeling himself.

Connor: I noticed your weren't wearing your favourite bracelet when we left for the quest and Lou Ellen told me that it took some damage from the lava wall the other day and you were heartbroken about it— so, I figured... well, you deserve something as beautiful as you.

And Mitchell is just speechless. His heart is pounding so loud and he melts on the spot because it's the sweetest thing he's ever heard and Connor is the sweetest person ever and gods, it was all for him?

Both of their hands are shaking as Connor helps Mitchell with the bracelet's clasp. And of course, it fits perfectly. Snug but not tight, a comfortable weight like it had been there all along.

Connor begins to pull away but Mitchell grabs his hand properly before he can. With hesitant maneuvering, Mitchell interlocks their fingers. The pearl bracelet subtlety reflects the light from the sun, making it look like it's glowing between them. Mitchell softly gazes at Connor, who tentatively matches his smile.

Mitchell: I love it, I really do. Thank you so much, Connor.

Connor: I'm, I'm really glad you do.

Mitchell: I want to take you somewhere. Follow me?

Connor: of course, anywhere.

So Mitchell leads Connor to his favourite spot near the strawberry fields, where there's enough shade under the sturdy tree but still bright and alive with the sun. Somewhere where they can once more lie down and hear the distant waves, free to drift off calmly and release their feelings and dreams, not just worries, to the winds, side by side.

They run into Lou Ellen on their way there. She takes one look at their intertwined hands, the new bracelet around Mitchell's wrist, and she lets out a triumphant whoop!

Lou Ellen: oh let's GO!!! Connor Stoll, bless your little heart, Cecil owes me 10 drachmas now!

Mitchell: huh, so I'm guessing you knew about this?

Lou Ellen: Mitchell, sweetheart. Every time you looked away, he had the worst case of lovesick puppy eyes I've ever seen. I thought it was bad at camp but this guy was clearly holding back. And I had to put up with Solangelo getting their shit together first-hand.

Connor: wh— I— wait. Did Cecil bet against me? Also...Solangelo?

Lou Ellen: Will and Nico, their last names. And Cecil didn't think you'd ever get the guts to properly talk to Mitchell after the quest, never mind enough to give him the bracelet. I, on the other hand, am familiar with what the sheer powers of long time pining can do. Also, having to stare into each other's eyes for like, 5 minutes while holding the conch shell pretty much sealed the deal.

Connor and Mitchell, now BOTH bright red:

Lou Ellen, snapping her fingers with a wild grin: hang on! Connor, Mitchell, conch shell... holy shit maybe this was fate.

And that, folks, is how Conchell came to be.

[ultimateshixiongfuckertournament]

Round 2, Match 4: Jiang Cheng vs Yoshikazu Miyano

Match 4 is between Jiang Cheng (shixiong: Wei Wuxian) from Mo Dao Zu Shi vs Yoshikazu Miyano (shixiong: Shuumei Sasaki) from Sasaki to Miyano

Propaganda under the cut (Miyano's propaganda is going first due to how long the Jiang Cheng propaganda got)

Yoshikazu Miyano:

A fudanshi who bonds with his senpai over BL. Sasaski actually fell for and confessed to Miyano first but Miyano is took his confession very seriously and made sure to sort his own feelings out before giving a proper response (which took like a year lol) beause he didn't want to be careless with Sasaki's feelings.

Jiang Cheng:

Clinged to WWX constantly for 7+ years, wanted to have WWX as his right hand man forever after becoming sect leader, cried after WWX left, cried when he discovered what WWX sacrificed for him, was TORN APART when it got explained to him that if they were more outwardly close knit, WWX might not have died

PROPAGANDA!! to start, i'm still very bitter about how fairy lost the sentient animal poll and i want to win this badly. very very badly. current stats are 50.6 in favour of jc but that's too less of a gap for me. jc should be winning this by a landslide, y'all hear me? anyways. starting with a class act, like the clown i am->

a few links ( because i'm chengxian trash, as always and i'd love if poll-guy could copy paste them on the og post): one, two, three, four (gif), five, six, seven (gif), eight (thoughts on different wavelengths), the absolute circles of them saving each other, the fucking golden core reveal scene. golden scene reveal part 2, jiang cheng will always forgive wei wuxian

to start with. jiang cheng is literally the picture of "i knew from the moment i met you that i'd spend a lifetime forgiving you".

the earliest dynamic of jiang cheng and wei wuxian is jiang cheng giving away his dogs (the only gift his father has ever given him, btw) because wei wuxian is scared of the dogs. tis only the start of it.

his father very obviously prefers his shixiong over him, his mother berates him for not being as good as wei wuxian and tells him his inheritance is in danger, and his sister (in my opinion) has more care for him (visibly. maybe jiang yanli doesn't show it because jc is an emotionally complicated purple grape, maybe because jc doesn't need it, or wei wuxian is traumatised but that's my opinion). but still. still. Jiang Cheng loves Wei Wuxian. so much. jealousy is like. the most tame response i can think of. and jiang cheng is proud of wei wuxian, okay? he'd believe his big brother if he'd said anything. want proof? well, here you go-> link

to paraphrase the link:

Jiang Cheng had just lost his family, his home, and his very golden core, and his older brother - his brilliant older brother who could fix anything, who could sneak wine into Cloud Recesses and defeat an ancient turtle nearly-god and make Jiang Cheng share a smile when Jiang Cheng’s mother was disappointed and furious at both of them - His big brother smiled and said, “I can fix this.”And Jiang Cheng believed him then, and believed him three months later when Wei Wuxian crawled out of the Burial Mounds (just the second miracle in three months), and believed him every day of the next seventeen(?) years until the pieces were shoved into place for him to see.

also. the circle these two go in protecting each other. (gif set by @sandushengshou), the 'if one of us is to die, then, i beg, let it be me' that they both do for one another in a seemingly neverending loop of sacrifice. via this post a la my lovely @backtoyunmeng

jiang cheng is a cannonically ruined woman archetype, justified via the countless posts you'll get in the top posts of jiang cheng tag. he keeps chenqing, wwx's flute in perfect condition even when he hates wei wuxian, even when wwx, if only indirectly, has a part in jiang yanli's murder and oof okay someone pointed out to him that he's known to have killed wei wuxian and he almost cries. he absolutely believes, with his whole heart, that wei wuxian lives even when the world is sure he doesnt. and it always read to me like, i'd know if he was dead. he's a part of my soul, so i'd know if he was dead. he can't be dead.

this is getting too long, so, to sum up, some absolute poetry by @jiangchengsjawline

#JC On The Other Hand Has His Entire Life Shaped By His Shixiong And Ended Up Cast As The Ruined Woman By The End

#jiang cheng though. wasn't able to fuck his shixiong but his shixiong definitely fucked with him

#hello?? the answer is Jiang cheng pls#he's the shixiongfucker or all shixiong fucker you wish you could be as pathetically in love with your shixiong as he is#chengxian

#i do not go here (chengxian) but the propaganda is incredibly correct they are insane abt each other#also sorry jiang cheng ik you're suffering but they are so funny to me#neway VOTE JIANG CHENG FOR CLEAR SKIN

#look I rarely go here#(here being chengxian)#but by GOD their lvoe compels me#they’re tragic and doomed and they love each other without knowing how to say it in words the other would understand#or in words at all because communication??? we don’t know her???

he didn't even think about sacrificing himself, and consequently his entire bloodline, his sect, pretty much everything that depends on him for his shixiong??????????

is this not convincing->

#had to vote jc though i have more feelings about chengxian#i think jc should have a huge gege kink

#like. jiang cheng should win the entire tournament hands down period

[labselkie]

THE NEXT BIG ONE! WHO BOOED!

i hate these two with half the fibers of my being. although i do hate some people just a bit more so maybe that weighs out! n e ways.. dumb and dumber week five

05/10/2018

Just at 10:40, a few brisk knocks sounded at Lucielle’s apartment door. Olivia looked out of place in the hallway, just like she had riding her bike to the complex, and walking down the hall.

She ditched the lab coat Lucielle was used to for a dark tan jacket. It was layered over a long, plant patterned high waisted skirt and a loose-fit button up. She pulls a light scarf through her fingers, waiting for a response. She had been there for ten minutes, deciding to get there just at the time she had planned. Maybe going early would’ve been better for Lucielle, she had always arrived early to their appointments, so maybe Olivia putting in that effort would show that she cared.

Although, the doctor was nervous, shifting on her feet and constantly looking around the empty hall every few seconds. Another minute, another knock, she thought she was getting ahead of herself.

But there was nothing, no answer, not a sound. Olivia idly reached out a hand, her left one still tugging on the end of her scarf. She can’t explain how her heart beats quicker, how her mind overflows with emotion. She swallows, her hand on the doorknob almost shaking.

As Doctor Octopus, she’s committed plenty of crimes, dozens worse than just waltzing in to someone’s house with no ill intent. She still worries, though- What if Lucielle never forgives her? What if she was kicked out? Screamed at? She can’t help but panic, even if the last proper crime she committed was two days before she met Lucielle.

Olivia feels frozen, her thoughts running back to her last meeting with Spider-Man. She hadn’t been the one to initiate the fight, rather having to stop him from yet another attempt at wrecking some work. “You’ll only hurt her,” he had said when Olivia let it slip that she was meeting a friend, “It won’t work, doc! It never does.”

Her right hand tightens, and the knob clicks… It wasn’t fully locked, and the dark wooden door slowly swings open.

“God…” Olivia breathes, yanking her hand back like she touched a charged wire. Her brows furrow and her face feels hotter than ever. The cracked door calls to her, one magnet to another, and through the slit she can catch a glimpse of warm colors and bright windows. She takes a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever she could see, or whatever could possibly happen.

It was quite the quaint place, a main studio area connected to a bedroom and bathroom. She’s immediately met with vibrant colors and sweet decor, older furniture sets dotting the dark wooden floor. Olivia quietly closes the door behind her, surveying the place like an animal adapting to a new enclosure. She quickly locks onto the open bedroom door and steps up.

“Hello?” The doctor calls out.

Olivia lets her hand brush against a vase of fake white flowers on a table, and enters the bedroom. The faint sound of water splashing can be heard from the bathroom, and she has to tear her focus away from a tall bookshelf and the lightly colored bedsheets and outfit laid out beside piled pillows. A chill shoots down her spine, and not from the coolness of the room.

She runs a hand through her hair, freezing up right before the doorway. “If I don’t have an excuse, Lucielle will kill me,” her mind argues with itself, “I should go, I’m being rash.” But she still enters, and her eyes aren’t drawn to a young woman standing there.

Instead, she stared right at a dark harbor seal napping in an almost full bathtub.

The beast was as large as a retriever, practically motionless as it slept. Its pelt was dark, almost a slate blue, and absolutely coated in black spots. It was familiar, and as Olivia battled through her shock, a hand gripping the doorframe, she couldn’t help but feel excited that she was right about Lucielle’s mutant power.

Long whiskers rose and fell with each breath as it laid its head on the bathtub’s edge. Its back flippers faintly kicked whenever it exhaled, sending small ripples through the water. Olivia’s worried frown shifts into a weak grin. The sweet animal caught her off guard, and she has to bring a hand to her mouth as she holds back her laughter. A thin rug muffles her steps when she finally approaches the tub, and the idea of slipping out her phone to take a picture doesn’t even pass her mind.

She leans down, hands on her thighs as the seal sniffs in its sleep. Once, twice, then like a dog who caught onto a scent, its eyes flicker open. The beast panics, floundering around in its tub at the sight of Olivia, letting out a sharp bark and gracelessly slipping into the water.

Olivia steps back before she can get splashed, and she raises her hands with wide eyes. “Luce! It’s me!” She exclaimed as it tried to regain its footing, “Honey, hi! It’s ok!”

The seal was finally able to hook a front flipper back over the bathtub’s edge. It bares its fangs, out of breath from the sudden scare. It closes its eyes, and in a flash something moves- Not the seal, but something beneath its fur.

Olivia couldn’t see the transformation, no one really could, but in a quick moment Lucielle peeks out her head from under a now lifeless pelt. Her hair’s a bit disheveled, and she’s scrambling to cover up her body, but one thing shines through: shock.

“Liv?!” She barks, her chest heaving with worried breaths. Olivia takes another step back, studying the little lady below her. Lucielle has clearly just woken up, the makeup she had put so much effort into was smudged around her eyes, and it was a miracle that the massive pelt could cover her where she sat in the tub. “What the fu- How the hell did you even-“

Olivia’s eyes soften, and her face falls. Her lips part, and she fights to find her words. “The door- I figured I’d come on time and it was unlocked! So I-“ The women lock eyes. Lucielle had been crying sometime before shifting into seal form. Olivia swallows, unable to get that lump out of her throat.

Lucielle sinks a bit more into the bath’s scarce soap bubbles, pulling her pelt closer to cover herself. She sighs faintly, before mumbling, “I fell back asleep.. God, oh shit I am so sorry.” She doesn’t bring her hands up until she knows the pelt is tied just enough to cover her front. “I mean- You should be sorry, who would do that!”

“I am sorry!” Olivia adds quickly, unsure how to react to her normal cold demeanor shattering, “I didn’t want to be late, I can leave and call this all off, ok? You can go back to your little nap, and-“

“Stay.” The selkie butts in, finally standing her ground. She sniffs, taking a quick breath, “Please, could you just wait in the living room for a minute..? I’ll get ready, we can still go, I still want to go.”

Olivia raises a brow, and a small frown dims her expression. If anything, she was confused- Why hadn’t she been cast out, why hadn’t she been shouted at? Was Lucielle ok?

The doctor takes a small step back, adjusting her jacket nervously to try and keep herself occupied. “Do you want to talk about it here?”

“No, we can-“ Lucielle wrings her hands together underwater, “We can discuss it over lunch.”

Olivia found Lucielle’s small apartment adorable. It was a miracle how she could afford to rent her own, less than 600 square feet, but open enough to feel comfortable. The doctor stood in the main living area, barely leaning on the couch by the door. She could see herself here, sat on that very couch, over in the little kitchen corner, sat by the window with a mutant by her side. She didn’t like to settle, she was barely ever at the penthouse provided by Fisk Industries, but with that inability to leave her work came a yearning for something personalized.

Olivia removed her jacket, folding it over one arm and stretching out the other. The dark metal harness plastered on her back was faintly visible through the white fabric of her shirt. Her gaze trails the wall in front of her: a crowded coat rack, a grand set of bookcases around a quaint television, a taller potted plant, and much more. Apart from the bits of marine themed decor and small figures from movies or games, the place looked like it could be from a magazine. The last thing she picked out from the decorations was a familiar machine, the last functional light beginning to quietly blink in a quicker succession.

Ten minutes, that’s how long it took Lucielle to finally exit. Olivia whirled around at the door’s creaking, eyes wide under her large glasses. Lucielle was in the same outfit laid out on the bed: high rise, loose cut shorts, a simple pastel tank, and a necklace with a dark seal claw on its chain. Even if her curly hair was still damp, she seemed to put on a faint bit of eye makeup, like she felt the need to look her possible best at any time.

“Sorry again.” She begins, just standing in the doorway with the lamplight behind her still bright, “I’m alright, just- A few things went wrong at once last night, and then I got scared I’d be late.”

Olivia notices how the mutant stayed still, so as she turned, she didn’t approach either. “And then it all falls apart,” She muses calmly, glancing to her side and the macine she caught a glimpse of, “It’s alright, I get it.. How about we go for a walk, you can show me the way to that cafe, ok?” She wasn’t used to having someone to look over, let alone someone who looked out for her as well.

Lucielle took a small step back, reaching into her room to grab a little crossbody bag. She finally exits the room when she slings it on, and finally smiles. “That’s perfect.”

They were both silent until they stepped out of the building, and Lucielle is the first to chime in.

“Spider-Man,” She talks slowly, just as she tries not to walk ahead, “He found me last night, and he sounded scared.. Of you.”

Olivia was about to look terrified at the prospect of Spider-Man ‘finding’ Lucielle, but at the rest of the story, she just frowned. “So that’s why you had the Observation Device, I didn’t even notice he took it yesterday.”

“You fought him yesterday?” She turns her head as she walks, nearly hitting her shoulder on a lamppost.

“He broke in.” Olivia corrects, fixing up her posture in a subconscious attempt to seem calmer, “I have no clue what his motives were, but yes, I fought him yesterday..”

“And…” Lucielle pauses to double check the road she’s about to cross, “You mentioned me.”

As Olivia follows, she’s still on high alert. Not for her surroundings, but for the emotions of the woman she’s walking with. Her brows furrow, and her lips purse some. “Not… Really. I said that he was getting between, well- ‘A friend and I,’ I only ever mentioned you were a mutant!”

Lucielle knew where she was going, so she was able to slow down and process at her own pace. “A friend..?” Tears threatened to well in her eyes, she’d be able to make an excuse that the wind made her tear up, but it most certainly wouldn’t work.

Olivia looked to the road, and stopped at the next crosswalk. “Mhm… A friend. I didn’t want him to trash the lab while we fought like usual,” She was usually the one to wreck the laboratory, “Because- Because I like your company, and I don’t want to scare you off.”

Lucielle sighs, rubbing a free hand over her cheek before her fingers brushed through her hair. For once, she was the one studying the other woman’s expression. The nearest traffic light flicked green, and the light across the street clicked to life. She reaches out a hand to tap the doctor’s.

“I’m sure I’ve said this before.. But it’s not easy to scare me,” She reassured with a smile, “I just forgot- I forgot you were on his bad side and I forgot about all the things you’ve done” Lucielle stepped out to the open crosswalk, and Olivia takes a quick step forward to catch up. The doctor’s thinner hand darts out to try and take Lucielle’s, and her attempt is met with success. Her cool skin against the mutant’s warm palm was an odd feeling, but not too uncomfortable.

“But that’s not all I am-” Olivia’s words came quicker after she took the mutant’s hand. As they got just a touch closer, Olivia could see the faint redness around Lucielle’s eyes from her earlier breakdown, could notice the strands of hair that just wouldn’t flatten with the rest of her curls. “It’s for work.. That’s all it is,” She wouldn’t admit the excitement she garnered from the rush of battling, nor the ecstasy of having so little regulations on her work, at least not yet, “Let me make this up to you- I didn’t know he would show up, I swear.”

There really was a corner bookstore within a mile of her home, Olivia would have to keep that in mind for when she stayed in Fisk Tower. There’s a cafe connected to it, and the store itself stretched across two floors. Lucielle is the one to open the door, gesturing Olivia to enter, and smiling when thanked. It’s not the largest spot, but with its connection to the bookstore, it’s more than enough. A few tables and even a set of booths, all lit from a few warm lights and the large windows near the entrance.

They’re seated quite quickly, with two little cups of black tea and a couple of pastries. Neither of them were used to this, Lucielle quietly adds some sugar and creamer to her tea, and Olivia just goes right into drinking hers. Lucielle couldn’t be upset for long, so after she finally takes a sip, she speaks back up.

“I wasn’t even mad about you coming in.” She says nonchalantly, reaching out to a small plate between them to pluck out an apple fritter. “There was just a lot going on, if anything, you smelling like coffee helped me get up.”

“You could-“ Olivia blurts out, “You could smell that?” She leaned forward in her chair, forearms folded on the table.

“Of course! Seal form, clearly.. Plus, it was new, I don’t drink coffee so I know something was up.” Lucielle takes another drink, and finally goes to bite her pastry before saying, “That’s why I got you the bag with the least caffeine too.”

Olivia almost chokes on her sip, before finally getting it down and laughing. “God, Luce- I thought you were devastated this morning!”

Lucielle took a big bite of the fritter, snickering to herself. “I was… But seeing you made it much better.”

[lovedreamer11]

I need all of us to form a PETITION to make another show for princess and the queen, the rogue prince and the respective parts of F&B, ANOTHER NEW Show, because the failure called “House of the dragon” is just a complete disappointment and disgrace. (Haha the name’s ridiculous too, “HouSE oF THe dRaGon” as if the entire F&B isn’t worthy of this title, as if only the blacks and greens constitute the house of dragons.)

We need to make a PETITION for hiring NON-SEXIST, NON-FAKE FEMINIST, actual professional writers who just have to have proper reading comprehension and have to have thoroughly read F&B to know what to write, and they don’t have to be creative to add sh1tty scenes and changes, they just have to follow source material accurately as possible with acceptable filling with thier own ideas the gaps left due to the unreliability of F&B. And if they are ACTUAL FEMINIST, if they know what feminism actually is, then they would know that there won’t be feminist writing involved because what they are writing is about something rooted in misogyny.

We need to make a petition for Writers who have actual BRAINS for understanding complex characters, and STRONG writers who don’t get hurt on writing any ruthless, evil female characters, and writers actually give them agency.

Till then, let’s protect the others, Rhaena the queen in the west, Rhaenys the conqueror, Baelor Breakspear, Alysanne my good queen, Saera and Daeron I, I don’t want these pookies to get ruined.

(forgive me for any grammatical errors, English is my second language)

I would gladly sign the petition if it existed. Although I don't think the show would be remade. It would be exactly like when a million and a half people signed a petition to remake season 8. It would have no effect.

And yes, I agree. "House of the Dragon" is a really shitty name for a show.

I think this show would have been much better if it had been made fifteen years ago (which is impossible, unfortunately, since the war between blacks and greens was written only in 2018), when the showrunners were not so obsessed with changing the canon to suit their fantasies.

I think it would have been nice if they had made an animated series about the Dance of the Dragons instead of a live-action show. Then at least the creators could have make as many scenes with dragons as possible.

What really makes me happy is that I don't believe HBO will do an adaptation of Jaehaerys' reign or Blackfyre's rebellion. I'm more inclined to think that the last show about the Asoiaf universe will be Conquest.

[saltnpepperbunny]

SPB's Webcomics: Masterpost

"Rabbits are so human. Or perhaps, humans are so rabbit?" -Ronald Lockley, 1966

This masterpost is an assembly of my webcomics, all of which can be read on Tumblr! You will find links to each comic here, as well as links to story navigation and the original comic sites (which are a great place to binge). My comics are all heavily thematic and focus on things like queerness/LGBTQ, neurodivergence, disability, etc. Some are Pokemon comics and some are original stories. Enjoy!

Finding Your Roots is a pokemon nuzlocke comic depicting the story of Cedar, a mudkip from Littleroot who sets out on a journey to save the life of an orphaned egg. The region of Hoenn can be a dangerous place, especially to pokemon like Cedar and her friends. But together, Team Hearth can overcome even the greatest challenges. FYR explores themes of identity, race relations, disability, and queer existence.

Started in July 2018. Updates Tues/Fri.

@findingyourrootscomic First Page Story Navigation Comic Site

Children of the Light is an original comic featuring a dysfunctional family of light spirits. The second-youngest child, Tashi, wants to prove they're capable of being a forest guardian just like the rest of their siblings. To do so, Tashi must pass the Spirit Tree's test and successfully raise their newborn sibling Ru, who hears hallucinatory voices from plantlife, into a proper forest guardian. As fellow defective spirits, can Tashi and Ru overcome the odds? COTL explores themes of neurodivergence, ableism, abuse within families, and queer identity.

Started in October 2022. Updates Mon/Thurs.

@childrenofthelightcomic First Page Story Navigation Comic Site

Percy hasn't been here for a long time. In his place is his big sister Piper, who is determined to make sure no one notices he is gone. Now his life is her responsibility, but the bustling life of a gifted high schooler isn't easy to maintain. Thankfully, Piper has the Warren—the group of animals who live in her head and share her body. Can Piper prove to the world that nothing is wrong? Or will everything change when Percy's best friend Kai discovers the truth? PU explores themes of adolescence, queer identity, neurodivergence, and plurality. This is a collaborative project with co-authors TinySweetBunny and @thetruegge.

Started in January 2024. On hiatus till February.

@pipeupcomic First Page Story Navigation Comic Site

After losing their mate in an accident, one young rabbit must navigate the challenges of the wild, bear the loss of their closest friend, and endure the cruelty of the herd's superstition. What becomes of the rabbits who have faced the unimaginable and endured the greatest suffering? What does it mean to lose your soul? TTWH explores themes of grief, trauma, mental illness, and survival in a cruel, uncaring world.

October 2020 - February 2022

@thethingswehavecomic First Page Story Navigation Comic Site

Little Lapses is a PMD comic about a trio of friends: Holly the yungoos, Cinnabar the scorbunny, and Blue the phanpy. It's the last day of school, and things should be perfect... so why does Blue seem so sad? Holly and Cinnabar team up to cheer up their friend and make today the best day ever! But good intentions pave the road to trouble, and this trio of friends may be in for more than they can handle. LL explores themes of childhood, forgiveness, femalehood, and friendship. This is a collaborative project with co-author @zeropro.

August 2021 - July 2023

@pmdlittlelapses First Page Story Navigation Comic Site

[shadowwolfmemes]

Liana with a random speak-kit. (Mimic idea by @cosmica-galaxy)

Story time:

Liana wanted some quiet time to get her mind off of things. During the last frustrating encounter with Foley (@striderl 's OC), Liana straight up said to them, "I'm trying to make you feel better by giving you a peace offering because my 'friend' has harassed you for no apparent reason and you give me a death threat instead? Fuck you, get yo ass Thanos'd!"

And then she Thanos snapped Foley out of existence using the Infinity Gauntlet she randomly pulled out of her ass....

Just kidding! Even though Liana could actually eradicate them within seconds in many gruesome ways, she will refrain from doing so because it won't make things better.

Here's what actually happened, though. Liana just transformed into her dire wolf form and wondered off to cool her nerves. Although Liana wanted to stay and argue because she's not afraid to back down, she knew it was no use and it would only make things worse from here.

She decided to just let it go and try again some other time because she's annoyingly stubborn (for the right reasons in this time). However, Liana will not continue to pester and annoy the speakerman until he forgives her because that will still be overstepping boundaries.

Since Liana can summon astral wings, she can travel far and wide, so she did that. 20 minutes later, she landed onto a random spot, well, she assumed she landed onto random, unclaimed land at first.

She ignored the strange scents surrounding the area because her mind was still thinking about the conflict that happened earlier. After an unknown amount of time of walking aimlessly in the mimic territory, Liana heard a rustling noise.

Liana trotted over to the source of the noise and found a small speaker-kit desperately trying to escape a snare trap.

Hearing its strangled cries nearly broke Liana's soft heart, so she did what was best and used her teeth to cut off the rope. Doing that allowed better breathing to the now freed speaker kit. She used her jaws to gently remove the remaining rope around its neck to ensure it doesn't choke again.

The speaker-kit didn't run off because it was too dazed and confused to know what has just happened. Meanwhile, Liana took her time to process what kind of creature it is. She knew it was one of those mimics, but she has never met a speaker mimic before, let alone a young one.

Liana suddenly realized that those strange scents she was smelling most definitley belonged to the kit's kind and should probably take a leave before its parents arrive and tear her limber from limb. It's most likely because Liana, in her dire wolf form, is a large carnivorous animal that can shred her prey with just her jaws in a matter of 5 seconds.

However, Liana is not a monster or a complete animal, so she has no reason to kill the kitten.

Wait a minute...

Why is this speakerkitten all the way out here alone? Liana thought to herself as she looks around her surroundings. No one was around.

"Hey there, kid. Where are your parents? Do they know you're out here by yourself?" Liana spoke in her baritone voice because she's still in her wolf form.

The kitten took a while to respond, she eventually said, "Bigsspha!" while pointing up at the towering Liana.

Liana didn't know how to respond to the kitten's gibbering reply. She figured the kitten was still learning how to speak full proper sentences, it looked as if it was about a year and two months old, so she shouldn't be surprised.

"Should've expected that." Liana said as she huffed. "You probably don't know what I'm saying yet, but I should probably skedaddle before your parents go full on mama bear on me. Until that happens, it'd be cruel of me to let you fend for yourself. That'd be like kicking a 6 month month old human baby out of the house and expecting it to provide for itself. With that being said, we'll search for them together."

"J-Jell-J..."

"What're you trying to say, kid? Jelly?"

"Jella-Jellbeen-Jellbean!"

"Jellbean? Are you trying to say your name is Jellbean?

...

Oh! Jellybean! Is that what you wanted to say?"

"Yeah!"

This wholesome interaction she has going on with a small child warmed Liana's heart.

Then, we skip to the part where Jellybean's mother finally found her daughter, nearly rip Liana's head off because she thought her child was in danger only to find out Liana bared no threat and apologized sincerely, and they all went their separate way after the mother flew her no longer lost daughter home.

The End....

*Taco bell fart sfx*

[cyber-corp]

2023: The year of all time

This felt like the first year post-COVID where things really kicked into high gear for me personally. My new year's resolution was that I would go out and have fun for once.

And had fun I did.

I did some voicework reading for a story podcast, I went to a bunch of amazing concerts (nothing beats seeing Weird Al for my birthday!), and I sorted out a bunch of RL stuff and put a neat little bow on it. Thank goodness.

But fuck all that sappy shit: Here's a small collection of things I really enjoyed this year!

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: An excellent sequel to a seemingly unfollow-uppable first film. Takes everything from ITSV, and amps it up to twenty with a stunning visual style, a sonically fitting soundtrack, and a meta-commentary on the nature of Spider-Man's character and whether they really deserve all the tragedy thrown at them.

Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe: The guys who made Pud did another show, this time with funding from the Australian Government! While stripped back in its setting, they continue to provide the same stupid bullshit that put me into laughing fits as they did with their Netflix show. Haven't they done well.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off: I think when people heard about "An animated Scott Pilgrim show with the live-action cast and Edgar Wright producing", they did not expect "A proper dissection of Ramona Flowers' character and her motivations, as well as her own journey of forgiving the Evil Exes. Also lots of yaoi." Scott Pilgrim continues to dominate as the premier "guy learns not to be a shithead" franchise.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Live in Accor Stadium: The Peppers prove their pertained power as performers by playing the purest psalms in their prospectus from the past 35 years (eugh, what a mouthful). Flea came out, did a 30-second handstand, waved and said hello to the moon and then got up some people littering in the crowd. Their life is more than just a read-through.

Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You: I had absolutely no clue who Caroline was before I listened to this album. I now realise that she might just be the person that pop needs right now. A soaring collection of songs destined to become classics down the line, like a greatest hits compilation that doesn't exist. We're all on Caroline's island, and we ain't leaving.

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk: I kept my eye on this game as it was developing, and it was absolutely worth it to see it come through in the end. Satisfying gameplay that requires you to learn how to combo to progress, an addicting artstyle inspired by Y2K, and the soundtrack. Holy fuck the soundtrack. I just can't get enuf.

Weird Al Yankovic - TUROTRSIIIVT: Man, what a title. Emu Phillips come out swinging with jokes I did not expect, and then Weird Al comes out aggressively swinging, with all the songs you don't know him for. He then did a polka melody of his parodies, did a ritual halfway through, and then ended the concert on a high note. Only the best from Strange Alfred.

Doctor Who 2023 Specials: That bastard David Tennant returning led me down the rabbit hole known as watching Doctor Who, and did it ever pay off more than these specials. A trans woman saves the day and the Doctor realises he's bi, black, and needs therapy. A magnificent close on a chapter of one of the greatest sci-fis ever, and a bright step into the future.

The Hyperfixation of the Year award goes to none other than

Homestuck, everyone's favourite webcomic! Everyone's.

And I think that's partly because I joined this website to begin with. I probably say this all the time, but leaving Reddit was probably the best decision I could have made at that time. As much as I reminisce, the communities I was in began to get a little stale. Same jokes, same shitposts, a different day. Tumblr in some strange way, is not that. It feels less like a big communal website and more like a collection of small towns spread across a large spot of land. Calm and village-like, you know?

So to all my mutuals, my followers, to the people that liked and reboggled my stinky posts, to all that offered mealworms and crickets in my askbox, thank you. "Gecko Boy" might just be a silly lil joke in the grand scheme of things, but it's a fun joke to play into.

Whatever comes next year, I know I've got the energy to keep going. Have a good 2024 everybody. <3

[theghostnugget]

My YYH AU is as follows:

Literally the only change is that Hiei and Yukina meet as children. Hiei gets the Jagan, finds the floating ice island, and instead of finding Yukina happily playing with some animals, he sees her getting lectured by an older ice maiden who is telling her that her emotions are shameful and she’s just like her whore mother. Hiei descends from the trees to stand between his sister and the emotionless shell calling her horrible names. He insults her back and threatens to set her on fire if she doesn’t apologize to his sister. The ice maiden flees to sound the alarm, but Yukina grabs Hiei’s hand and begs him to take her somewhere free. So, like the doting big brother he is, Hiei takes her to the most free place he knows - the woods (where Yukina promptly begins playing with the forest animals). They chat and bond, and when Hiei tells her he’s leaving she begs to go with him. And once again, like the doting brother he is, he obliges. Suddenly, through his lonely crimeful traipsing through the Demon World, his precious sister is tagging along.

As they grow up, they become nearly unrecognizable compared to the Hiei and Yukina we know. They’re similar in the most important ways – Hiei is still a violent criminal and Yukina is still a soft-hearted sweetheart, but they balance out the damage in each other.

Hiei’s biggest flaw (when you boil down the rage, violence, and criminal behavior) is two-fold. The first fold is poor modelling – His role-model (which he actually admits is the closest thing he had to a father) was a thief who was perfectly happy to murder a baby until he found out that the baby had something valuable. Violence, murder, and insults are the only tools that Hiei was given to interact with the world. The second fold? Hiei was never loved unconditionally – and in fact has never been loved at all. He was allowed to continue existing if he was useful enough, but no living person has ever treated Hiei with care or affection. EVER. This leads to someone who is violently and fiercely determined to be viewed as strong. Because that’s literally the only redeeming quality he thinks he has.

Yukina has been treated like a burden her entire life. Her father doesn’t know she exists, her mother killed herself when Yukina was young (kind of implying that Yukina wasn’t worth living for), and her entire community treats her like a freak. She’s an orphan, raised (at best) by her mother’s ex-best friend who’s crippled with guilt. Every Ice Maiden in the village is afraid she’ll turn out just like her mother (who’s crime, as far as we know, is being curious about other cultures – which Yukina is – and having an open heart – which Yukina does… Also sex, but that’s not conducive to my point). I’d be shocked if she didn’t develop some kind of complex about “proper behavior”. The Yukina we see in the show is polite and demure and easy to deal with – She’s even kind, forgiving, and unobtrusive about the fact that she was kidnapped and tortured ruthlessly for years. She’s helpful and sweet every single second that she’s on screen, because she feels like that’s the only way she can be accepted. She also has never been loved unconditionally. No living person has ever treated her with care or affection unless she buried her feelings deep down and behaved like an ice maiden should. And even then, the affection she received wasn’t really affection so much as her elders reluctantly acknowledging her self-control.

Then they meet and everything changes. Suddenly, Yukina’s “emotional outbursts” become something her brother loves about her. She gets angry, snapping as someone loudly and in public, but before that shame can even sink in, Hiei is laughing. If she can’t hold back her tears, Hiei nervously wraps his arms around her in the best approximation of a hug he can give. And Hiei’s “signs of weakness” become something he can connect to his sister with. He wakes from a nightmare, gasping in fear, and instead of being beaten for waking everyone up he receives a hug and reassurance. When he feels like a failure after losing a fight, his sister is there to comfort him.

 A Hiei with the love of his sister isn’t as volatile as the Hiei we see. When someone insults or threatens him, he’s not defensive. Because sure, maybe he’s never played rock-paper-scissors, but his sister loves him exactly the way he is so fuck you. A Yukina with the love of her brother is much more wild than the Yukina we see. She’s not afraid to react with fierceness or anger or tears, because she knows her brother will do anything he can to rectify the situation – and he would never judge her for her feelings.

They meet Team Urameshi because Yukina is curious about the human world and Hiei takes her there because he’s powerless in the face of his sister saying “Please”.

Listen, all I want is for Hiei to know he is safe and loved (which Yukina would constantly remind him of) and for Yukina to know that she’s so valid and unbelievably loved (which Hiei would never let her forget). Please.

[ultfreakme]

Riki's Thai BL drama recs!

I'm pretty sure 99% of anyone following me don't usually watch these considering I was an anime/manga blog, then a comic blog, an ATLA blog and only very recently an unhinged Thai BL blog but hey! Maybe I can convert some of y'all to the dark side so here are my recs in no particular order!

A Tale of Thousand Stars

I lied about the order, this one's my top favorite hands down.

Plot: Tian is rich, young and spoiled but his seemingly perfect life takes a turn when he learns that he's suffering from a terminal heart disease which requires a transplant to save his life.

With little time left to live, he grows reckless and is rushed into a heart transplant after a car accident. He learns that his new heart is from a young volunteer teacher named Torfun who died in a car crash.

Feeling undeserving of his second chance at life, he follows Torfun's footsteps and becomes a volunteer teacher, using her journal to learn that she wanted to fulfill a wish- to count a thousand stars at the remote and distant Pha Pun Dao Cliff. He also learns that she was growing very close to a forest ranger named Phupha.

Phupha thinks Tian is just another city kid volunteer here to take a few pictures for his socials and leave, without giving proper care to the children and villagers he protects, but as time passes, Tian and Phupha grow closer as they learn more about one another and themselves, with Tian realizing that his motive to stay at Pha Pun Dao has grown from being about Torfun, to his own blooming ties to the villagers and the children he's teaching and perhaps... a particular forest ranger too.

My Thoughts: OKAY this??? This is a freaking beautiful show. The plot and pacing is very well done. The show sinks you into the village of Pha Pun Dao and makes you fall in love with the village the same way Tian does. The side characters and village residents are all unique and charming, the children Tian teaches are adorable and you really get to know the setting and understand why both Torfun and Tian are so attached to this place.

It's a story about gaining back freedom, about finding yourself and finding community. Tian is an amazing protagonist who grows and learns from his mistakes(and boy does he make a lot of mistakes). Phupha is a little cold and closed off but he's charming and so clearly cares and puts his entire heart into the village.

If you enjoy classic slow-burn romances with amazing chemistry and character development with an almost fairy tale-like quality, this one's for you.

2. Triage The Series

Plot: Tin is a third-year ER resident student who's forced into a time loop until he is able to save his patient, a university student named Tol, who seemingly got into a drunk-driving accident. Tin is forced to figure out a way to extend the time he's been given to save Tol, and in the process, he learns more about him and the two fall in love. But what do you do when your lover forgets you every time the clock resets? How do you save the man you love?

My thoughts: The plot is exquisite chef's kiss. The execution is so good every episode makes you want to immediately catch up on the nest. Tensions are high, and while at the start you wish for the time loops to just stop much like our main character Tin, we start wishing for more loops, more chances, as we get to know Tol.

It's a story about how people can change and should be given the chance to do so. How forgiveness, communication, empathy and understanding are key to better ourselves and others. Tin starts the series off as an indifferent, jaded medical student who believes there is no justice due to a past tragedy in his life. He has no motive to save Tol other than to get back on with his life but as he gets to know more about Tol, he starts seeing how significant and important every decision is. Tol is arrogant, spoiled and unaware of the effects he has on the people around him but he grows through his relationship with Tin and does his best to better the lives of people around him.

The side characters are so fleshed out and play important roles, the romance is interwoven with a much darker storyline that starts unfolding through the side characters. The time loops are done really well and the show tries to be medically accurate when it can.

If you're looking for some time travel, plot-heavy, character-driven stories with a bit of an epic romance, this one's for you.

3. Laws of Attraction the Series

Plot: Chan is a high profile lawyer who takes cases in terms of how rich and influential he can get, and in this pursuit takes on the case of a rich politician's son who kills a 11 year old girl in a drunk-driving incident. He hopes to clear the son of charges and gain the politician as a client but the politician fires Chan with no warning. In his quest for revenge for this slight, and growing suspicious of the politician's motive for taking him off the case, Chan finds himself a client in the form of the 11 year old girl's uncle, Tinn, who has been seeking justice for his niece to no avail due to how powerful the politician is.

Tinn hates Chan's methods and motives, Chan thinks Tinn is naive for seeking justice in a system he knows is broken beyond repair. Despite this, they find themselves growing ever close to one another.

My thoughts: The story keeps you on the edge. Like you think you've got all the information, everything seems clear, until you start uncovering the case in further details along with Chan and Tin. You start off thinking 'yeah of course Tinn's right' and he is for wanting to seek justice for his niece, but Chan is also unfortunately right about navigating the legal system. The side characters are so distinct, I think this is the one drama that has you just as invested in the side characters as the mains. You will adore all of them, especially Chan's bff Rose and her gf Maya, and Tinn's grandma-Galaxia. The little girl, Tankhao is dead by ep 1 but she is a prominent character throughout the series and you grow so attached to her, it makes the case so much more personal and painful.

The production value is kinda...not the best, out of all the shows I'll be recommending I think it's visually the least good but you won't even notice it with the plot and the romance going on.

If you like plot-heavy crime and mystery stories with a morally dubious protagonist, this one's for you.

4. Moonlight Chicken

I'm giddy and already crying at the thought of this one

Plot: Jim(or better known as 'Uncle Jim') is the owner of a small chicken rice shop in a tourist hot spot that has faced a huge hit after COVID-19. He struggles to keep his restaurant afloat and raise his rebellious nephew, when one night, he sees a customer passed out drunk in the store. The customer- Wen- is instantly attracted to Jim and after a night out together, they have a one-night stand with Jim stating he isn't looking for romance.

But Wen's fallen hard and fast, finding a sense of comfort and safety in Jim who greets everyone with food and a smile, building a little safe place through his restaurant. Jim, who refuses to let any more people into his life finds himself falling for Wen, who is lonely and unable to move on from his past relationship.

In between this, Jim's nephew Li Ming finds love with an isolated boy named Heart whose parents keep him away from people due to him being deaf. Li Ming's isolation and hopelessness from hsi financial circumstances, and Heart's isolation due to no one around him accommodating his disability leads the two boys to learn from one another and let each other find company and community through one another.

My thoughts: Look, look I know this story sounds basic as fuck, but this series is so on the nose about the queer experience. You see the generation divide between the young queers and older queers. The loneliness is so palpable and heavy.

Jim is the oldest, he's like 40, he's raising his nephew and running a business. He grew up in an environment where being gay was shameful with zero family support so though he is out about his queerness, he's still holding onto a lot of shame that was unfortunately instilled in him. Wen is about a decade younger and he's a lot more open, but understands where Jim is coming from and slowly shows him that lowering your walls and letting people in isn't bad. Jim especially is affected very much by all the restrictions queer people face legally(his ex's parents exploiting him and taking away all his money and assets because he and the ex shared a bank account but the parents claim it was solely the ex's).

Li Ming and Heart are teenagers, Gen Z. Li Ming doesn't understand Jim's apprehensions and worries and just wants to be himself. They're both gay, you'd think Jim would be immediately accepting but Jim's past experience is making him worry. Being gay has not been great for Jim, he had to run away from home and start anew.

This is also one of the few shows that show the effects of COVID. It's ALWAYS there. Every single thing in the plot is affected by it. Wen's relationship with his ex, his loneliness, Jim's restaurant, the entirety of Jim's neighbourhood being torn down- ALL FROM COVID. You just can't escape it and this entire show IS SO RELATABLE.

ALSO, Jim and Wen's chemistry!?!?!?! I feel high looking at them, Wen looks at Jim like he's the last glass of water in a desert where he's been lost for weeks, like he wants to eat that DILF alive, like he's addicted to him. Their kisses are just, so.....[unholy screech]. THIS is CHEMISTRY. If you didn't realize, they're the same actors from A Tale of Thousand Stars(ATOTS). They have perfected the art of longing gazes. If anyone looked at me like these two look at each other, I'll melt, I'll combust, I'll dedicate my life to them. And I think Jim and Wen's actors, Earth and Mix respectively, are super hot and very very good as actors(Earth is 29. this man looks young. but the way he ACTS fully sells the life-weary 40-year-old father figure to a teenager thing). Mix has the strange ability to make honorifics sound hot as fuck. In ATOTS, Mix calls Earth 'Chief'. In Moonlight Chicken, Mix calls Earth 'Uncle'. Now you might think the latter just cannot be hot under any circumstance but hear him say it, and you will understand.

If you enjoy slice of life romances that are character driven, focusing on the queer experience, you'll love this.

5. KinnPorsche: La Forte the Series

This is actually the Thai adaptation of Goncha-[gets shot]

Plot: Porsche is a down on his luck bartender who's trying to pay off his family debts in any way he can, participating in illegal underground fights to scrounge up money. On his break from his bar tending shift, a stranger runs up to him and offers him a hefty sum of money to protect him from people chasing after him. Porsche does so but doesn't trust the stranger- Kinn- to make good on his promise so he steals his watch.

Turns out Kinn is the heir the Theerpanyakul mafia family, and tracks down Porsche to hire him as his bodyguard.

My thoughts: You've likely seen extremely beautiful gifs from this series in wondrous colors as characters fuck each other senseless. Or torture each other, It really depends. All the shows I've recommended, I think, are better appreciated by an older audience, but this one is firmly 18+ officially. There's violence, gore, torture, sexual assault, drug abuse, alcohol abuse and a million other things that I forgot because my god this series goes to some dark, dark places.

Yes the sex scenes are great we stan but despite how thirsty the fandom can seem and how the show presents, there's so much more going on in the show in terms of plot.

It's kind of a tragedy, actually, especially for Porsche. The show is his corruption arc. He does things and acts in ways that he doesn't want because he fell in love with the wrong guy. They're trying to protect their love in a world filled with mistrust. I think the story is about cycles of abuse and violence, and the attempts to escape them.

For Porsche, he's stuck in a cycle of debts and being passed off from one ruling figure to another. In the beginning of the series, the debt collectors rule his life. As a bodyguard, the mafia rules his life. He's always under someone's thumb and he's trying so hard to get out.

For Kinn, it's the mafia. He doesn't want to be the heir, he doesn't want to do any of this but he has to because that's just what his family does. Porsche is a brief glimpse at escape but unfortunately, they're both dragged in.

It's not perfect, but it's so fun to watch.

If you like mafia romances that actually show the mafia side, angst, action and mystery, and are chill with all the trigger warnings this show has, this one's for you.

[prisoner-000]

Hey, here's a fun question: Which lines are sung visually/directly by the characters in each MILGRAM MV?

T1:

Weakness: Haruka's 'Ah, ah, ah's' are also shown in video form in the chorus. He definitely does have that manner of laughing in canon, but I'm not sure there's much to say about it. He has every disease

Umbilical: No lines are sung/said. This might resemble Yuno's whole 'innocent girl with little agency' thing that people saw her as at first. She doesn't even get to say anything in her own story.

Bring It On: Nope. No lines sung/said. Like with Yuno, I think this might be taking away from Fuuta's agency on purpose. To portray him as more of a follower that got out of hand instead of the group leader. Though this may also be a budgetary issue, as Milgram's animation was pretty limited at first, they couldn't afford much lipsync animation.

After Pain: Arguably, her part with holding on to Rei's sleeve can be lip-read as 'I'm sorry/gomenasai' which would sync up with 'gomen' in her lyrics, though I think it's supposed to be more of a parallel than a direct spoken line. It's still a very fun detail that I don't see people talk about that much!

Throw Down: No spoken lines. This time, I think it's just Shidou putting up that barrier between the audience and what actually happened with his backstory, making it more vague and unclear.

TIHTBILWY: "I'm sorry!" In the scene where Mahiru looks at the camera, and maybe also her monologue on the phone? The lipsync doesn't quite match up, but it's possible. The fact that the only proper thing she says is "I'm sorry" hurts, though: She really does know she did something horrible and wants to atone for it, but doesn't know how.

half: "The curse of reuniting with you puts a dagger in my heart; I imagined you saying "See you" was the same as "It's over"; Only if your heart would change, but that's not possible; Please tell me what I should do, feelings shrouded in lies will float and away and disappear" (essentially: the entire chorus). It's notable how this is all sung during Kazui's performance on stage, once while wearing his mask, once without.

Magic: "See?" (From 'See, isn't it a great thing?') and "God/Wise One" ("Kami-sama" from 'Dear Wise One, is this ok?'). To me, the 'See?' is directed at herself, convincing herself that the things that happened to her were actually good. The whole song is just Amane trying to justify all the horrible things she went through.. And the visual cue just makes that more obvious :(.

MeMe: "Why am I here? It must be a mistake, right? Take a good look at me" and "Never forgive" (from "I will NEVER forgive you if this is happening to me even though I'm right"). First one is pretty self-explanatory, I feel like the second one has some implications about Mikoto's judgment of other people, mayhaps.

HARROW: No spoken lines! Due to the lines being more general in establishing Kotoko's goals and not really towards any one person in particular, it might have been awkward to fit a speech segment into the video. So. Hmm.

T2

All-Knowing and All-Agony: No lines are sung directly except for mayyybe an "Ah" in the middle. I think they might be trying to highlight Haruka's tendency to Ah, eh, hm, in his speech mannerisms, with these being his only visually spoken lines.

Tear Drop: "Shut up" (from "Just shut it, will you? You know it all") and "So nauseating... So creepy... will you please disappear". These are very clearly said to a person in particular; though also possibly just her clients that infantilize her in general. Love that these lines get emphasis considering Yuno's character.

Backdraft: "So worthless!/What a load of crap!" and "Come up to the ring and face me!". Very much still Fuuta's tough guy act talking to the people that judged him.

It's Not My Fault: "We are just the same" (from "I am doing this just because I'm bored, we are just the same" and "I'm always so pitiable!" (Translated as "I'm always the drama queen" but this sucks as a translation so.. lol). Aimed at Rei, mayhaps? The first line carries some very interesting implications with it. Wasn't here for the drop of this MV so it's probably already been analyzed to death..

Triage: "I want to be forgiven, I want to live!" Ohh Shidou.. be careful with that developing savior complex. Basically Triage's whole message summed up into two lines.

I Love You: Just a simple sigh. She's too exhausted to say anything more than that.

Cat: "Phew, wow, I'm drunk.. Hey, if I said I liked you, what would you do?" and arguably him breathing out smoke/sighing at the end. Infamous confession scene. IMO, this is still him confessing his feelings for his friend, which leads to that insane downwards spiral that ruins his life.

The Purge March: No lines spoken. Due to most of the MV taking place before the murder but the lyrics being about her motivation for murder... Yeah, it's natural no lyrics are visually said. (Since they also want to keep her actual murder scene vague).

That's all we've got so far!! Hope you enjoyed :-) if you have any thoughts feel free to add on!

[sidhewrites]

Seventeen! I've got all these notes about how I want Mr. Ngo to be more involved, and that he deserves to also be a Graveyard Lesbian but I can't figure out exactly where he'd fit in so for now, he's a supporting character instead.

Fun fact number 2 this is going very different than intended, where MagnusRenfield was going to get major spooky powers that would allow him to open up a portal to the spirit world and suck the town into it.

I uh...don't think that's gonna happen anymore but we'll see how it goes.

Project Info

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

There's no such luck waiting for me. A light's on in the front office, with Mr. Ngo waiting for me.  Mr Ngo is waiting for me. I'm exhausted as it is, and I brace myself for a proper chewing out. "Good morning."

"Hiya boss. You're here early."

"Everything okay at home?"

"It, uh..." I rub my arms, feeling the gauze under my sweater's sleeves, and shrug. "It's been a time."

"It seems like it. Maybe you should take another day off. Come back when you're ready."

Something in his tone sets me on edge, heart leaping to my throat. "No -- no, it's fine. I'm fine, I can--"

"Kaz," he says. "I had a weird message on the answering machine yesterday. I'm very worried about you."

Oh no, I think, and try to smile. “What’s up?”

"Those nice people who filmed here the other day, they say you’re calling them and want them to come back."

"I..."

"Kaz, that's very unlike you. What's going on? Do you know how unprofessional that is? "

I know. I know it is. But I don’t know how to sit down and explain to him that not only are ghosts apparently real, but that Mick and Lourdes accidentally summoned an evil one and it’s now possessing my ex girlfriends cat except they thought they were talking to my new kind of girlfriend, who, it turns out, is also a ghost and I’m somehow a medium caught up in the middle of this. “I can explain,” I lie. I have no idea how to explain any of it.

"Kaz."

"Mr. Ngo, listen... things -- it's..." I falter.

He sighs, and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Go get some rest, Kaz. You look like you haven't slept in days. I can handle the graveyard until you're feeling better."

"No -- no, Mr. Ngo, please. I'm fine, really -- I...It won't happen again, I promise. It--"

"Kaz." He looks almost sad. "Get some rest. You've been working very hard lately. I think it would be good to spend less time among the dead, and a bit more among the living for a few days."

I want to argue. I want to beg forgiveness. I want to fall to the ground and tell him everything, if only so he'd stop looking at me like that. But I don't.  I do as I'm told. I apologize one more time, and then I go home, dragging my sorry ass back to the apartment, and fall right back into bed to sleep as long as I possibly could. Somehow, I sleep through the day again -- the week of all-nighters finally catching up to me, and only stir hours later, when the familiar sound of kitty feet patter across the floor.

Renfield doesn't get the zoomies often anymore, but it happens occasionally. I'll wake up in the middle of the night, waddling around like a wild animal, traveling at the speed of slow. He takes his little ramp up to the bed, pounces on my foot, and meeps for attention. Just like always, I roll over and mumble out a little, "Go to sleep, little boy."

Renfield pads across the bed again, leaps down to the ground, and waddles out, then back in and up onto the bed once more to tap my face.

"C'mon, baby," I mumble, still half asleep as he trots around the apartment. "I'll get you breakfast in an hour."

"It's not breakfast I'm looking for."

Suddenly I'm wide awake. Renfield sits there, fur almost glowing in the light that shines in from the street outside, eyes glowing yellow. "Good morning, dear Kaz. It's been far too long."

"Jesus fuck!" I bolt up, nearly falling off the bed. He doesn't move, just watching me scrabble uselessly for a second before I find purchase and leap to my feet.

"Are you done?"

"What the fuck!" I shout.

Magnus sighs. "Let me know when you're done with the hysterics. I have a proposal."

"Leave my cat alone."

"That's part of the plan."

"What? Wait -- but--"

"How am I here? Please." He makes a show of licking his paw, letting me get a good look at the dried blood around his mouth.

"Did you...You didn't..."

"I'm an expedient man, Kaz. I had to get out the door somehow."

[Something.]

"Here's the deal, dearest Kaz. There's something interesting going on lately. The moon's getting full, and I'm pleased to find out what day it is. In a few days, it'll be Hallow's eve, and I have a few suspicions. I don't need much from you, of course. Just get me outside, into the crowds. I'll take care of the rest."

But before he can say more, his strength wanes. Renfield's pupils dilate once more, and he returns to himself. He's confused again, not sure how he got there.

I pick up my phone right away and call Josie. "I think we're running out of time."

Tag List

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@carnelianflames

@feather-dancer

@halfbloodlycan

@nadunacreates

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@vigilantdesert

[gikairan]

Mmm so i tried to play some of that Wuthering/*/*/Waves game that came out today

Bc its a Genshin-like and hey its sort of the time of the Genshin update where not much is going on. Why not try it out?

Especially as my pathway into Genshin was "haha, lets see how bad this Chinese BOTW-like is" to "... oh no i'm actually having a LOT of fun"

And... boy i dont think i've ever played a game thats so shamelessly a rip-off of another one, and fails to carve even one iota of its own identity.....

Look, i'll admit. My play time is probably less than 3 hours. Mostly just trying to follow the main story. Until i unlocked the gacha, and tried to run around and see what the open world had to offer for a bit.

And its.... its Genshin. Its Genshin with a slightly more sci-fi skin, made by a company that isn't quite to the same standard of quality.

The combat is different, and i WILL give it the fact that its got good punch. Long term, I can see this being more interesting than Genshin's (Which i admit is a little button spammy and not very strategic anymore - especially as i ignore Spiral Abyss)

..... But its about the only system that i felt had the right level of polish? Jumping felt wrong, climbing felt wrong. I tried to do the fast climbing up a wall and the main character just went into the sprint animation. The subtitles dont scroll down when youre not in a proper "cutscene", and it doesnt seem to be scrollable, so you miss entire sentences. I dont know if you can change the dub language, since I just want to play my games in English, but if you did change your language... thats.... not great? Theres also weird pacing issues with the voice acting, where it seems like they didn't quite give the English voice lines enough time to be said, pause for breathing, and move onto the next line. It feels unnatural. Plus - some of the translation is a little odd? You get a dialogue option like "What happens when someone Overclocks" and the response from the character is "Overclocking is *thing*". Like... the option was "what happens when you do this thing?", not "what is thing (You just explained 2 seconds ago)?"

UI wise, it all felt overly familiar. Everything is in exactly. the. same. place. The pause menu is a little different, but not a huge amount. Many character systems are the same.

Overworld, the bit i explored seemed a little... empty? There wasnt really a lot i could see to do. I found a mechanic that is basically seeles..... I found a domain that had the same kind of UI going on. I found a puzzle that isnt directly ripped from Genshin.... because its the magnesis/ Ultrahand Korok block puzzles from BOTW/ TOTK....

Theres nothing i played that felt unique to this game? Maybe the echo system, which I probably havent played with enough, but i dont think that alone is enough of a draw on its own? It feels like it needs something more significant to really set it apart and let it be its Own Game.

But truly the worst sin - they gave the main character the title of "Rover". Which sure feels like "Traveller", but not. Except.... they dont put an article before "Rover". And the translators really really should have. Because Rover.... is a stereotypical dog name. "The Rover" would sound a looooooot better.

The thing is tho, i bet none of this would bother you if you never played Genshin? A game which, honestly, I do not recommend you picking up if you havent played it yet. Because youre looking at 100+ hours of cutscene just to catch up. This... might actually be a good option if you want to try that kind of game, but are daunted by the amount of content in Genshin? It needs a bit more polish but I dont think its bad. Just obviously a little lower budget, or the team isnt quite as experienced. But i cant play this game and not go ".... this isnt as good as the game that its clearly trying so hard to be???" And maybe if Genshin was a typical story-based game that just released in one go, and i'd finished it, i'd be more forgiving? Like an "oh boy, two cakes!" kind of situation? But side by side... and I can't help but compare and find this new game lacking.