#▎「 format error : wanting.（ desires. ）

[lylarchive]

enter : // tags.

[eternal-evergreens]

｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+*⁠.⁠✧"Into the looking glass - II " ｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+*⁠.⁠✧

Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII

Post format: Multipart series

Pairing: Yandere!Male!DoL x Fem!Isekai!Reader

Word count: 5.2k

Synopsis: You gain the chance to wake up in the world of one of your favorite games. Unfortunately, the 'favorite game' happens to be one about rape, violence, and stalking. Not only that, but the game seems to be rigged against you. All you want is to find a way home and put this all behind you, but is that even possible...?

Warnings: Sexual Assault, Attempted Non/Con, Stalking, Violence, Age Gaps, Teacher/Student, Caretaker/Ward, One Suicide Joke, Bullying,

Excellent Good Decent Okay Poor Bad Terrible

What…what does that mean?

Darling? Surely, they don’t mean it the way you think they mean it…

…But, if that were the case, why would it be written in red and pink? You think back on all the strange occurrences of the day and come to a horrifying realization.

Beauty: 7/6 Your beauty is beyond measure. Robin wants to be your best friend.             Love: 100% Confidence: 0% Trauma: 0% Lust: 40% Whitney wants to own you. Love: 50% Dominance: 50% Lust: 100% Kylar is obsessed with you. Love: 100% Jealousy: 55% Lust: 90% Sydney is conflicted. Love: 77% Purity: 44% Lust: 66% Bailey doesn’t want you to leave. Love: 25% Lust: 99% You’re Leighton’s favorite. Love: 10% Lust: 85% Your fellow students desire you.

When they say “Darling,” they mean it as in the victim of a yandere.

This...this isn't DoL.

Your phone buzzes. You’ve gotten a text. 

Congratulations! You’ve made a key discovery and found a fragment of the true nature of this world. 

What the fuck does that mean? Wait, this thing can read your thoughts? 

View fragment?  Y/N

Yes. If you can go home, yes.

There are 7 total fragments.             Fragments found: 2             Fragments remaining: 5 Fragment 1:            Welcome to the alpha of Degrees of Lewdity!           If you want to avoid trouble, dress modestly and stick to safe, well-lit areas. Nights are particularly dangerous. Dressing lewd will attract attention, both good and bad.            The new school year starts tomorrow at 09:00. The bus service is the easiest way to get around town. Don’t forget your uniform and backpack!

You remember getting this message. So, that was a fragment, then? Why weren’t you notified before? Did you need to unlock something first?

Fragment 2: This is a world full of yanderes, so be careful! Balance your social stats between fascination, love, lust, jealousy, and devotion to survive. A quick guide on these crucial four states is provided below:  Fascination indicates how enthralled your yandere is by the idea of you. It’s dangerous to let this get too high!  Love indicates how much a yandere values the authentic you. Putting on airs will lower your yandere’s love, but may be necessary at times. Having a negative love will lead to more dangerous encounters. Lust indicates carnal desire. Higher lust can aid in negotiations if you’re willing to reward them, but if this stat goes up too much, they won’t be willing to hear you out before taking what they want. Jealousy indicates the yandere’s volatility and desire to monopolize you. Some yanderes’ jealousy will go up if you don’t spend enough time with them.  Devotion indicates how far the yandere is willing to go out of their way for you. Having this stat means you can make use of your yanderes, but they may also use their devotion in less productive ways.

Seems like every fragment reveals one truth about the world, as well as some tips on how to make use of the information it provides.

Your phone buzzes.

System error. Please reboot.

You look down at your phone with curiosity. What happened? Not knowing what else to do, you restart your phone and open it again. 

Your social tabs have been updated with more accurate information. View tabs? Y/N

Yes.

Social                Excellent Good Decent Okay Poor Bad Terrible Primary relationships Robin The Orphan Robin wants to be your best friend.       Facination: 100% Love: 0% Devotion: 30% Lust: 40%         Confidence: 0% Trauma: 0% Whitney The Bully  Whitney wants to own you.       Facination: 50% Love: 0% Devotion: 0% Dominance: 50% Lust: 100% Kylar The Loner Kylar is obsessed with you.       Fascination: 100% Love: 0% Devotion: 30% Jealousy: 55% Lust: 90% Sydney The Faithful ? Sydney is conflicted.       Fascination: 77% Love: 0% Devotion: 20% Purity: 44%        Lust: 66% Other relationships:  Bailey The Caretaker Bailey doesn’t want you to leave.       Fascination: 25% Love: 0% Lust: 99% Devotion: 1% Leighton The Headmaster You’re Leighton’s favorite.       Fascination: 16% Love: 0% Lust: 85% Devotion: 0% Reputation  The police aren’t concerned with you, and have no evidence linking you to any crime. The atmosphere in the orphanage is calm. You are considered a normal student by teachers. Your fellow students desire you. Lust: 100% Status: 50%

Before you can properly digest this new information, your phone buzzes again.

Congratulations! You’ve unlocked a new quest.  You have just discovered two secrets of the world, and with it, your understanding becomes clearer. ++Awareness. You feel as if you are on the verge of remembering something important. Discover all there is to know about this place, and perhaps you may be granted the opportunity to escape it. View questpage? Y/N

You might be able to go home? You quickly hit the yes button and keep reading.

Main questline  >Find the remaining fragments and discover the true nature of this world. >Meet the remaining love interests.  Time-sensitive >Bailey wants £100 on Sunday.

…You have to meet the remaining love interests? Doesn’t that mean getting kidnapped?! You stare at your phone dejectedly as you roll over in bed. You’ll worry about that later. For now, you just need to rest. You close your eyes, but you can’t get comfortable. Your phone buzzes for what feels like the millionth time, and you lazily pull it out to check. 

You’ve unlocked a new quest!  Your bed is uncomfortable. All rest points are reduced by half. Nightmares are more intense. Every rest has a 5% chance of waking you up sore. Save up your funds and buy a comfortable bed!  Current funds: £186 Funds needed: £2400 Optional: Decorate your room to match your taste. Current funds: £186 Funds needed: ??? Rewards: Triple current rest points, nightmares reduced Penalty: None Bonus Rewards: +Love to all LI’s, passive stress and trauma decay faster while inside.

Money again, huh? Typical. Still, the rewards are pretty good. You’ll have to do it later. For now, you should probably go to work to make it happen. You change out of your uniform and head to the office building, where you approach the kiosk and apply as a temp. It’s a somewhat risky job, but the pay is one of the best, especially once you start getting bonuses.

Your manager this time is a trim man named Marcus. He shows you around the building and you get to work. It’s not too bad, though your clothes get caught in the shredder more times than you’d like to admit, at least you didn’t fall in the koi pond.

Before you realize it, it’s 22:00. Dark once again. Dark in Doltown with a constantly maxed allure. 

Fuck.

You go downstairs and are debating whether you should risk the bus or the streets when a growling pair of yellow eyes meets your gaze. 

“If I get molested by a dog, I’m actually gonna kill myself,” you say to no one in particular, immediately turning to the direction of the nearest bus stop.

That’s another reason you should work at the dog pound from time to time, actually. Completing various tasks there makes the streets safer at night and beastiality encounters less frequent. 

You end up having to use your sole pepper spray charge on two men from the bus, leaving you unprotected and uneasy. You open your phone and turn on the flashlight, but your eye is caught by your status. Right under the blurb telling you about your current state, is purple text reading: “Something is watching you.”

An idea strikes you. It’s bold, it’s risky, it’s—

This is stupid, you think to yourself. This is so, so stupid. You follow your flashlight to a secluded, dead-end alleyway. There’s only one way for someone to come in here. You check your phone. Something is watching you.

“Hello?” You call out. “I know you’re watching me. Come out already.” You hear a rustling near the garbage bags, then see a short figure dart out and make a run for it. You were expecting this, though, so you immediately break out into a sprint and give chase. You aren’t very fast, but your legs are longer, and you quickly catch up. “Gotcha,” you say, hand on their shoulder as you turn them to face you. “Kylar.”

“H-how did you know?” 

“Forget that. Just know I’m not mad.” 

“Y-you aren’t?” There’s a twinge of hope in his voice. Time to crush it.

“I’m not. Not yet, anyway.” Kylar looks confused. “I hear you’re good at chemistry. Can you make pepper spray?” 

“How did you-” 

“Can you?” You say, allowing your voice to take on a flirtatious lull as you lean in close. “I’d be very happy if you could.” You bat your eyelashes and Kylar gulps. He tries to nod but ends up hitting your head with his own by accident. +Pain 

“Good,” you say. “I want you to make pepper spray for me. Make sure I never run out, and you can follow me to your heart's content. Deal?” You hold out your hand for him to take. Kylar considers it for a moment, then takes your hand. ++Devotion. You shake, but he doesn’t let go. Not wanting to provoke him, you leave it, and Kylar ends up walking you home. It’s silly, but you actually feel a little safer walking with him. +Love.

Together, you reach the orphanage’s entrance. Kylar looks like he wants to ask you to stay the night but quickly flushes and runs away. 

Thank God. 

You climb into bed. It isn’t very comfortable.

——————— 

It is the 6th of September, 2022. -It has been 2 days since the game started. -The game started in autumn.  -It is autumn. -School term Finishes on Friday the 2nd of December. Current Funds: £357 Pain: You feel okay Arousal: You are cold Fatigue: You are alert Stress: You are calm Trauma: You are uneasy Control: You are confident Allure: You look like you need to be ravaged

You walk with Robin to school but part ways after reaching the courtyard. You aren’t sure where Robin goes when you part, but you suppose it doesn’t really matter. You head to the library but are surprised to find that Sydney isn’t there. You guess he must have overslept at the temple again, which means he won’t be back until lunch. 

You suddenly wish you knew where Robin went after arriving at school. It’s probably more dangerous to wander around looking for him, though. So you settle down with a textbook until it’s time for class. When you check your school progress, you’re delighted to see every subject at nearly a 50% understanding for the week already. You’re on track.

The science project is assigned. You decide to do one on lichen. The money will help a lot, and it’ll be a good chance to meet Avery for your quest, too.

Someone spills acid on you during class. It was probably supposed to hit your shirt, but because of how you can’t button it up past your chest, it ended up hitting your breast instead. You spent the rest of class in the infirmary getting lectured about lab safety. Luckily, it was hardly even a first-degree burn. It’ll heal in no time, she said. 

+Pain +Willpower

You return just in time to be late for math. +Delinquency 

“Detention,” River says, not bothering to look up from the whiteboard. 

“But—”

“Don’t talk back to me.”  ++Delinquency

You nod, though you doubt he can see it, and look for a seat. The room is full, save for one seat in the back next to Whitney. It’s covered in boxes full of heavy textbooks.

Your phone buzzes. 

>Move the boxes and sit next to Whitney +Fatigue -Dominance Increases chance of harassment >Sit in Whitney’s lap (Promiscuity 4) +++Dominance +++Lust -Jealousy  >Ask someone to move +Delinquency -Dominance >Leave the classroom +++Delinquency

You sigh and march over to a toned boy sitting in the front. You try to smile but end up grimacing instead. “Could I sit here?” You ask. The boy laughs. River shoots you a look. -Status +Deliquency

>Get physical ++Delinquency +Status ? >Move the boxes and sit next to Whitney +Fatigue -Dominance Increases chance of harrasment >Sit in Whitney’s lap (Promiscuity 4) +++Dominance +++Lust -Jealousy  >Leave the classroom +++Delinquency

You grit your teeth and walk over to Whitney, who pats his lap mockingly. You turn away from him to pick up the boxes, and he lifts your skirt up. You don’t think anyone saw, but it was still humiliating. You quickly move the boxes and sit down, trying to focus on the lesson. You���re doing pretty well despite your low grade, but sitting next to Whitney is definitely not helping. About halfway through the lesson, he throws a note at you, and despite your better judgment, you open it. 

“show us your panties slut”

>Flash (Exhibitionism 1) +Lust +Dominance >Throw away -Dominance >Correct the note and throw back (English: Very difficult) --Dominance

You try to correct the note, but find nothing wrong. You toss it in a nearby bin instead.

-Dominance 

The rest of class passes, and although Whitney tries to undo your bra strap again, he reaches for the back instead of the front, leaving you protected.

You go to English next, your previous encounter with Whitney leaving you motivated to do well. You see Kylar sitting in the back. You ignore him and focus on the lesson instead. It’s boring, but you need the grade, so you muddle through it.

You try to muddle through it, anyway. The person behind you keeps kicking your seat, and then looking away every time you turn to face him.

>Tell the teacher -Status +English >Endure +Stress >Move seats +Delinquency

You quietly inform the teacher of your predicament, and she sends the boy to another seat. Some students snicker at you, but you’re able to finish the lesson in peace. -Status +English

The bell rings, and you head to lunch. Robin is eating with some others from the orphanage; they seem to be having fun. Sydney is sitting behind a large pile of books; he looks stressed. Kylar is eating alone, stabbing food with a fork; he looks bored.

>Sit with Robin +Love -Stress -Jealousy  >Sit with Sydney +Love -Stress -Jealousy >Sit with Kylar +Love -Jealousy +++Pepper spray charge  >Eat Lunch -Stress

You sit with Kylar, and hope no one notices. He immediately perks up upon seeing you. “I-I got you this,” he says, handing you a pepper spray canister. “Should keep the perverts away.” 

You gained 20 pepper spray charges! Talk to Kylar each week to refill. >Take it but say nothing -Love >Take it and thank +Love +Devotion >Take it and kiss ++Lust ++Devotion >Take it and reward +++Lust +++Devotion

You thank him sincerely, and the two of you spend the rest of lunch together. +Love +Devotion

After eating, you buy a coffee and head to the library, walking up to Sydney. “Welcome back!” He chirps from behind the desk. He looks exhausted despite the chipper tone. You hand him the coffee. 

“Don’t overwork yourself,” you say, smiling. Sydney looks surprised but quickly smiles and takes the coffee from you. You look down at the stacks of books on his desk. +Love “Anything I can help with?” 

“Oh, you don’t have to-”

“I want to,” you say firmly. You feel bad just leaving him there, plus…

>Help Sydney +Love +Devotion +School -Sydney’s purity

Well, how can you turn that down? Aside from the purity loss, those are all pretty damn good. 

“Well, if you don’t mind,” he says, fidgeting a little. “Could you help me stamp these books?” You nod, and Sydney lets you in behind the counter. +Love +Devotion +School

The two of you chat while you work, and it actually ends up being pretty enjoyable! -Stress -Trauma +Love

Your hands brush with Sydney's while you work. -Sydney'd purity.

“Hey, Syd! Oh, and [First], too!” Someone says, walking up to the counter. It’s Sirris, Sydney’s father and your science teacher. “How are you doing, love bug?” Sydney looks embarrassed but still answers. “Oops! I forgot I’m not supposed to call you that at school. Sorry, hon.” You get the feeling he did it on purpose, but if Sydney also thinks this, he doesn’t say anything. The two of them chat for a little bit, with Sirris mostly ignoring your presence. You feel a little awkward, but it’s cute to see the two of them getting along so well. Sirris leaves after a few minutes, waving to you both.

You smile at Sydney. “Seems like you and Dad are pretty close, huh?” He flushes. 

“L-let’s get back to work,” he says. You decide not to tease him further. The two of you finish the rest of the work in silence, and the bell rings, so you get up and head to History class.

A mousy girl is sitting in your seat next to Robin. You ask her to move, but she won’t budge. You already have detention today, so you decide not to push it and sit somewhere else. Robin looks at you sadly from across the room +Jealousy

You’re called up by Winter to demonstrate the pillory in front of the class, you hesitate to step up, but, remembering Leighton’s punishments, decide to risk it. Unfortunately, luck is not on your side, and Winter is called out while you’re still locked in the pillory. 

“Who thinks the lesson should continue?” Says a slight boy. He gets up from his seat and begins to saunter over, but Robin stands up, too, and blocks his path forward. 

“Stop,” he says, tone even and steady.

“Oh? And what’re you going to do about it?” The slight boy asks. Robin seems to falter for a moment, and the slight boy takes advantage, pushing past him and walking up behind you. You don’t see what happens next, but one moment Robin is in front of you, and the next, he’s gone. You hear a smacking noise behind you, and then a thud as if something had just hit the ground. The class looks incredulous. Winter walks back in. 

“Assaulting another student? I expected better from you, Robin,” he says. 

“Wait, I can explain–” 

“Detention.” 

The slight boy smacks your ass on the way back to his seat. 

+Trauma +Stress

You go to swimming, but your earlier run-in with acid leaves you unable to participate, so you just sit by the pool in your swimsuit until class is over. When you get back, you notice your underwear is missing. You put your clothes on over your swimsuit. It looks a little funny from the front, but it’s better than nothing.

Actually, you might start doing this more often. A swimsuit is tight and harder to get off, no one can unclasp your bra, you don’t have to change, and it’ll actually cover your boobs, even with the shirt unbuttoned. This is a great idea, you think to yourself, feeling a little proud. 

You start to walk to the front courtyard when your phone reminds you of your detention. Shit. You’d forgotten. At least Robin will be there with you? 

Sighing, you head back inside. 

“Keep writing, and don’t stop until I tell you to,” Leighton says. You glance at Robin, who’s working diligently. You decide to work hard, too. +Fatigue 

Robin asks to walk home with you, but you tell him you’re going to the park instead. He waves you off, but there’s a glint in his eye that wasn’t there before. +Jealousy

You go to the park and meet Avery, asking for help gathering Lichen. You tell him about your school project, and he offers to take you out for drinks. You don’t really want to get involved with him, but you’re a little afraid of refusing him.

>Go for drinks +Facination +Dominance +Love? >Refuse -Love +Lust +Rage

None of those options look good, but you remember the guide saying that negative love leads to more dangerous encounters. You take his hand, and the two of you go out. The place he picked is cute, and the employees there seem to recognize him. 

“Can I recommend you a drink?” He asks. “I think I know what you’ll like.” 

>Buy Avery’s recommendation +Facination +Dominance +Stress >Pick your own drink +Love -Stress -Dominance -Fascination -Endearment

You pick your own drink and the two of you find a quiet corner to sit down in. +Love -Stress -Dominance -Fascination -Endearment

Your phone buzzes. 

You’re on a date with Avery! How do you want to conduct yourself? >Act cute +Facination +Endearment >Act shy +Facination -Endearment >Act aloof --Endearment ++Lust  >Be natural -Facination +???

You choose to act natural, hoping he’ll lose interest in you. You don’t voice any complaints, but you don’t bother to hide your discomfort, either. You fidget, you avoid eye-contact, and you don’t listen when he speaks to you.

-Fascination --Endearment +Love

When the date is over, Avery looks annoyed. He doesn’t say anything to you as he walks you to the exit, though his hand still rests on the small of your back.

You go to the manhole next. You don’t really want to, but you want that lichen. Luckily, you encounter no problems getting it. But that says nothing about what happens after.

You’re accosted by a giant lizard. If the game hadn’t told you what it was, you would have thought it was a crocodile based on its sheer size alone. It attacks you from behind, and you struggle to get it off your back. It claws at your clothing, leaving it worse for wear, but you’re able to roll over onto your back. The lizard is pinned underneath you now, but you still can’t reach it. You roll over and feel your shirt rip, exposing your back. You reach into your bag and pull out your pepper spray, aiming for the lizard’s eyes. It scurries away, leaving you panting in the sewers. You get a good workout.

You want to leave, but you still need that Lichen. 

You crawl out of the sewers and head to the tailor, who offers to fix your clothes for £29.99. You accept and head to the office building, where you work as a temp for the next few hours, fighting through the exhaustion. You make £126.

You pass out on your way home and wake up in the hospital. Dr. Harper introduces himself and asks a few questions, but you leave out any details that could cause him to ask you to go to “therapy” with him. You’re discharged soon after, and Bailey picks you up.

“Don’t make me do this again,” he says. 

When you get home, it’s already past midnight. You don’t bother putting on Pajamas, just stripping and hopping under the covers. 

… 

……

………

You should’ve worn clothes, you think to yourself as you feel Kylar’s breath on your face. He’s hard; you can feel the outline of his penis through the blanket. You try to steady your breathing, too embarrassed to open your eyes. He shifts on top of you, and then lifts your blanket from your body. You react without thinking, immediately sitting up in a panic. You just barely avoid colliding with him. Your eyes meet his, and he looks down, getting a fully unobstructed view of your breasts. He flushes deeply and scrambles away. ++Lust

After taking a moment to collect yourself, you stand up to close your window. You notice that it doesn’t have a lock.

You put on pajamas before going back to bed this time and wonder if you can find some way to board it up. You close your eyes, but rest never comes. You’re too on edge. You roll in bed for hours, never relaxing enough to fall back asleep. When you finally give up, it’s already 06:00. You remember your idea from earlier, and decide to wear your swimsuit under your uniform today.

It is the 7th of September, 2022. -It has been 3 days since the game started. -The game started in autumn.  -It is autumn. -School term Finishes on Friday the 2nd of December. Current Funds: £454 Pain: You feel okay Arousal: You are cold Fatigue: You are fatigued Stress: You are strained Trauma: You are uneasy Control: You are insecure Allure: You look like you need to be ravaged

You decide to spend some time in the garden growing daisies. It’s relaxing. By the time you finish, your hands are covered in dirt, and it’s 07:30. You wash your hands and go to Robin’s room to play video games for the next half hour.

“This one’s a cooperative game,” he says. “It’s known for being really difficult.” 

“How do I play?” You ask, taking the controller. Robin leans over, wrapping an arm behind your back and taking your hands in his as he guides your hands to the correct positioning, fingers lingering over yours for a moment longer than necessary. You feel his breath on your skin as he walks you through the controls, his head over your shoulder and his arms still wrapped around you. +Lust

The two of you play for a little bit. Neither of you are very good, but you have a good time regardless. -Stress -Trauma

You and Robin are about to walk to school together when a car pulls up beside you. You brace yourself for the worst, but the window rolls down to reveal Avery instead. “I thought I recognized you,” he says, smiling warmly. “How about I give you a lift?” He glances dismissively at Robin.”Your little friend can come along, too.” Robin looks at you, clearly nervous. 

>Ride with Avery +Robin’s jealousy >Ride with Avery and Robin +??? >Walk with Robin -Love +Lust +Rage -Robin’s jealousy

You try to smile at Robin, but it comes out strained. You hop into the car with Avery. Robin reluctantly follows your lead. You try to act naturally, bringing Robin into the conversation whenever Avery ignores him. Robin seems happy you’re paying attention to him, but still extremely out of place. -Robin’s Jealousy +Robin’s love +Avery’s love -Avery’s Fascination 

Avery leaves, and you head to the library. Sydney isn’t there, so you study by yourself until it’s time to go to Science. A group of students pass by you in the halls; they leer at you but don’t say anything. 

Science, math, and English all pass by without incident, for once. You feel yourself begin to relax as you head to the canteen, only to jump when an arm wraps around your shoulders. You turn around. It’s Whitney.

“I’m hungry,” he says. “But I don’t want anything here. Come with us to get a snack.” Your sense of control wavers. Fearful of his intentions, you shove Whitney off of you and try to run, but he grabs your arm. Delinquents pull out their phones and circle around you. You lift the arm he’s holding and swing it to the side, using the created opportunity to elbow him with your unobstructed arm. He staggers and lets go of your arm, nearly falling but just barely managing to regain his balance. You rush to the least populated area of the circle and try to push past the delinquents, but they grab you and push you back in instead. 

You reach for your pepper spray but notice your backpack has been taken from you. You glance behind you, and sure enough, a group of students are rifling around your things. You lunge for them, but they toss it to the students across from them, playing keep-away. 

Whitney is glaring at you from the other side of the ring. He rushes you, and you fail to dodge. He pushes you to the ground, his friends scattering out of reach. You headbutt him on the way down, but he’s got your arms in a tight grip. You struggle against his hold, kicking and squirming under him. Whitney sits over you, straddling your waist and holding your arms in place beside your head. His face is inches from yours, and you can feel his heavy breath on your skin. 

You try to bridge him, but he’s too heavy. You’re quickly losing strength, and Whitney can tell your struggles are becoming weaker. “Just give up,” he says. “Or I might have to do something worse.” Your sense of control weakens. He leans down over you, rubbing his penis against your stomach. You freeze, a sense of cold, numbing dread overtaking you as Whitney climbs off of you. He offers a hand to help you up, and you, briefly forgetting your situation, take it. 

He pulls you up and into his arms with surprising strength, smirking at you as your noses brush. He releases your hand but still wraps an arm around your waist, keeping you from leaving. 

“Can I have my bag back?” You ask, hopefully. Whitney looks over your shoulder at the people rifling through your things. One of them reaches for the side zipper you keep your pepper spray in, and you freeze. 

“She’s got pepper spray!” The short boy exclaims. 

“Holy shit,” a lithe girl says. 

Whitney releases you from his grip on your waist but soon grabs your arm and forces it behind you. You move your left leg around his and plant it on the ground, then you twist yourself away from him until your arm is beside you again. You plant your other foot and lift your left, kicking him in the back of his knee. He falls, but you fall with him. He lets go when you land, and you roll over off of him, quickly standing. You kick him in the groin for good measure and then walk up to the delinquent, holding your backpack and pepper spray. You hold out your hand expectantly and hands it to you stiffly. +Status

You decide to skip lunch and go to the mall instead. You pick up a keychain with a latch and attach your pepper spray to it, hooking it onto your skirt’s belt loop. It took you a while to find the right kind of keychain, and by the time you’re back on campus, it’s already 13:06. +Deliquency

You quickly head into history class, where Winter takes note of your tardiness, and sit next to Robin. He notices your ruffled hair and asks if you’re okay. You smile at him as you take your seat, but he seems unconvinced. You spend the rest of History daydreaming. 

When you get to your swimming lesson, you don’t even have to get naked. Your swimsuit is already under your uniform, so all you have to do is take them off. Your injury yesterday has healed well enough to allow you into the pool, too, so you get to improve your swimming grade. It isn’t until after the lesson is over, and you emerge from the pool, dripping wet, that you realize the fatal flaw with your underwear idea. 

You have to put clothes on over your wet swimsuit. 

Not seeing any other viable option, you put your clothes on over your wet swimsuit. The fabric clings to your body, but it does that anyway. You leave the changing room and head to detention, trying to ignore the stares of your peers as they gawk at your see-through shirt (they can’t even see anything through it, you aren’t sure what they’re staring at.).

Detention only takes ten minutes, so you’re still able to walk home with Robin. He doesn’t say anything, but you catch him taking peeks at your chest every so often. +Love +Lust +Stress

You go to the temple after changing and pick up some pink lichen for your science fair project. 

You think about the last sample of lichen you need and wonder if a £500 prize is worth being molested by ghost tentacles. You wonder if £2,000 is worth being hunted with a vengeance every blood moon.

You do need the money…

——————— 

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[fixyourwritinghabits]

Editing Your Novel Part 2: The Plot Pass

Okay, it's finally time to edit. You've got all your materials sorted, it's time to dive right in. You want to start with the big edits first, aka the plot pass.

Now listen. You're going to want to linger and fix those little bits of grammar or dialogue, and I know it's so hard not to, but letting yourself get off-track might mean wasting hours on a scene you realize later you have to delete. Fix a few spelling errors, leave a note, and stay plot-focused.

Making Sense (Of the Plot)

In the plot pass, you're asking yourself some basic questions:

Do events follow a clear order? - When you're getting everything down on the page for the first time, scenes might get jumbled up or events might not have clear causes. Maybe you have a car crashing into the cafe pages before, but in a writing haze, you wrote your main characters having a casual conversation moments later. If the bad guy beats your heroes to treasure, is it clear how they got there? (Not everyone can be Yzma.)

Do circumstances feel contrived? If there are any problems that can be solved by your characters sitting down and talking to each other, it may be better to lean into their motivation for not speaking to each other, rather than coming up with bad romcom scenarios. If the plot can be resolved by the mcguffin the grandma had the whole time, it might be better to make finding that mcguffin part of the plot instead.

It doesn't have to be perfect, and you don't have to reinvent the wheel. If someone gets bitten by a werewolf, it's perfectly fine to have them turn into one at the worst possible moment. When it comes to contrived, you're looking for problems that seem easy to solve and look for more interesting ways to complicate them.

Are your character motivations consistent to the characters throughout the story? - They can change throughout the story, but character motivations do need to be linked to the actions they take. An out-of-nowhere betrayal is way more satisfying if you lay the groundwork for it ahead of time.

Take a moment to list out the motivations of the characters in a scene you're not quite sure of can help you figure how to fix it. Having an outline helps with this a lot!

Are you following an "if... then" format? - My brain doesn't work like this when I'm writing, because as a writer you know how A got to Z, and it seems (in your head) obvious how it happened. This is where my scene card outline come in handy, because I can look at my overview of what should happen and why, and then compare it to what actually happens in the scene. I've discovered so many threads I forgot to connect that way, like why a character had a certain device (I forgot to have him pick it up two scenes earlier), or adding a few simmering dialogue bits that make the big fight pay off much better.

Can you fix the "Because the Plot Demands It" scenes? - Look, sometimes your character needs to be in that haunted house to see that damn ghost, but your character isn't the type to set foot in such a place. It's really easy, especially in the first draft, to contrive a way in there (she took a wrong turn on her way to grandma's!), but retooling these scenes to connect them to the characters motivations and needs is the way to go. The main character doesn't want to go into that obviously cursed place, but her best friend hasn't shown up for school in three days and now she's crying for help from the second floor window. Your character's strong desire to be there for her friend is a much better way to get her into that house.

This is not always easy - it took me six fricken drafts to realize a critical part of a character's motivation was because his father blamed him for his mother's death - but it is going to be worth putting in the work to hammer down.

Do you have a solid timeline? - This might not seem as important, but it's super easy to accidentally fit two weeks worth of activities in three days. Make sure you have that on reference, even if you don't mention it in the book. Also make sure to gauge your distances if your characters are on a trip, because if you do accidentally say it takes two hours to drive from Seattle to Spokane instead of five, someone will dive down your throat for it. Not me. Just someone.

Okay, maybe me. Slow down, you maniacs.

Next post we'll dive into the structure pass. See you then!

[chuuyasheaven]

bsd men as tits ass or thighs pls :3?? (specifically meursault boys)

“Tits, Ass or Thighs— What do they prefer?”

“—Everybody’s got certain preferences, don’t they? So, what are theirs?”

Tags: Dazai Osamu, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Nikolai Gogol, Chuuya Nakahara, Sigma / afab! Reader, Nipple play?, ooc! Sigma, praising kink, degrading kink, overstimulation, pet names?, hdc format ig, thigh riding?, hickeys, mentioned lingerie?, spanking, mild brat taming, atp everyone may be ooc, face sitting, oral sex (afab! and m! recieving), titty job, messes of their milk, might contain grammar errors, this is a lot holy shit, etc.

Notes: Maybe u just meant Dazai, Fyodor and Chuuya but I added Nikolai and Sigma for funsies— hope this is okay tho!! And I never wrote for Sigma before so sorry if he’s so ooc. . Maybe he’s gonna be added to my list lol.

Dazai Osamu ;

💙 Thighs 💙

💙 I just know that he loves your thighs!! In my opinion, DAZAI lives for seeing you in thigh highs, especially if you have thick thighs. What do you mean you don’t wanna crush him with them??? What else are they made for then— oh, right, hickeys. It’s obvious that he’ll leave some marks here and there for fun, but another thing he lives about them is face sitting. This is literally the best way to die?!!? But also he lives to grab your thighs when he eats you out!!!

💙 Scenario;

He’s been at it for too long, you don’t even remember how many times you came already. . “Dazai, p–please. . S–sensitive!”, you tried to beg, but Dazai was way into this— Once you sit on this mans face, he won’t let go until your too sensitive, Dazai also always leave hickeys while he’s at it. Chanting how he would love to die this way, being crushed by your massive thighs. “—Why should I? You’re still talking properly, I won’t stop until you’re only able to moan my name. Now be a good girl, alright, ‘donna?”

Fyodor Dostoevsky ;

💙 Thighs 💙

💙 In all honesty, this man is a mystery for me– but if I would have to chose, thighs. FYODOR is kinda religious and stuff, meaning he’s definitely gonna be kinda traditional. (i do not know wtf I’m talking abt.) Fyodor doesn’t know what it is, but something about you in white lingerie and white thigh highs sets him off completely. Looking all innocent but being the complete opposite? Yes, absolute approval from him. But being the busy man he is, he’ll let you sit on his lap while he caresses your thighs!! :3

💙 Scenario ;

Seriously, how desperate are you? Walking up to Fyodor in white lingerie and white thigh highs while he’s obviously working? He finds it quite amusing how you think he’ll stop immediately to fuck you, no he won’t, yet. Fyodor just commands you to sit on his lap, now you’re getting off on his own thighs. But you’re still wearing panties, though he doesn’t care, you wanted this, didn’t you? As you keep grinding against it, he slapped your pussy through the fabric multiple times before. The small whines and whimpers are cute, but won’t change his mind to take you right now. “—I don’t really know what you expected me to do. . Well, actually, i did. It’s quite adorable how you think just because you’re desperate I’ll feed into your desires. Anyway, you seem to be getting off pretty easily, slut.”

Nikolai Gogol ;

💙 Tits 💙

Come on, this is so NIKOLAI, seriously. He's so silly, he would literally call them his personal stressballs. (Do not even try to deny it, it's canon.) Nonetheless, he likes to cum on them, Nikolai will make a mess out of them every time whenever you're giving him head. Another thing their useful for, in his opinion, is tit fucking!! It's a nice feeling for him when his dick's inside of your tits. Not to forget, your nipples are pretty fun to play with, but there's one last thing about them. .

💙 Scenario ;

There are many reasons why Nikolai adores you riding him! He loves how he barely has to do anything, hearing the adorable sounds leaving your mouth while you get off on his cock and most importantly, the way your tits bounce with you. All he's doing is laying back and enjoying the view of your tits almost bouncing out of your bra, he would love if they were to actually jump out. “—Hm, would you look at that! Your tits are seconds away to spill out of your bra, dove. I wouldn't mind if they did, maybe you just need to ride my dick faster. . Just like the needy whore you are.”

Sigma ;

💙 Tits 💙

I’m not really sure if it’s accurate, but running an casino ain’t easy. So what’s better than having you and your comfort. .—able tits? SIGMA would never admit it, but he loves them, dearly at that. If he ever needs an break, his head would probably rest on them. On the spicy side, he loves a good tit job. You mentioned this once and Sigma wasn’t against it, sure he was blushing over your suggestion but after he tried it, he loved it!!!

💙 Scenario ;

It felt good, really, Sigma loved your suggestion! He never thought of something like this, he never thought about recieving a tit job, but it felt heavenly. Just the way your tits were rubbing against his cock so good, it felt unreal. . The most beautiful whimpers left his lips, with his flushed expression on his face too, you assumed Sigma was enjoying himself, very. Soon he reached his climax, letting his cum leak on your tits. “—F–fuck. . You did s–so good, darling. Now, lay back and let me return the favor, yeah?”

Chuuya Nakahara ;

💙 Ass 💙

Ah, yes. CHUUYA is, in my opinion, an ass man. I saw a few people say that, and I agree. Like, he’s literally proud of that. He would slap your ass unexpected, respectfully though. He wouldn’t care if you’re carrying a bakery or not, he still slapping it!! Chuuya loves to spend money on matching bras and panties for you, but on your in general. Sometimes it gets to your head or something and you start to act out, which our ginger won’t let slide.

💙 Scenario ;

Lately, you’ve gotten on Chuuya’s nerves. Yeah, he loves to spend money on you and you, but he won’t stand you being bratty. As to right now, he’s ‘punishing’ you for it. The reference for ‘punishing’ is quite just fucking you until it’s stuck in your pretty little brain not to act out again. This time though, Chuuya added something to your punishment. . “Ch–chuuya. . ‘m sorry, I–i didn’t mean to—”, you tried to apologize, only to be silenced by another spank. “—Really? Too bad, you’re gonna take this if you want me to fuck you, baby. Just keep on taking f’me and I’ll fuck you soon enough, m‘kay?”

OH EM GEE YOU GUYS IT TOOK ME THREE DAYS TO FINISH

[aldisobey]

Have some Emmrich x Rook spice. This is a direct continuation from the dinner date in game. For reference this Rook took the ‘creeped out by necromancy’ options in game. I plan to edit and expand on it, but I wanted to share today’s work! It’s my first attempt at anything approaching smut lol, seriously all the kudos to the practiced writers on this stuff, it ain’t easy. It should be below. New to tumblr formatting as well heh. Hope you enjoy! (and apologies if there are grammar errors or the like, only had my eyes on it and they’re starting to glaze, I just want it out there while I’m feeling brave)

“Undoubtedly.”

Knowing smirk still at play Emmrich strode to where Rook sat and leaned down to plant a kiss. Which he did; the smallest of pecks, the most endearing of promises. A lover greeting the desire of budding courtship. Drawing back, but still well within Rook’s space he whispered conspiratorially.

“Darling, would you like to explore the forbidden?”

Emmrich put his fingertips to Rook’s flushed cheek, hush of a touch as he moved his hand up the warden’s face, a finger tracing his ear.

“Ephemeral entities that spark elucidation. Charnel halls beyond comprehension. Depths so dark they alight. ”

Rook smiled, the words filling him with a buzz of fear and excitement. He turned his head held in Emmrich’s hand, put his lips firmly to the necromancer’s palm as he blessed the touch with his own,

“Anywhere with you, Emmrich.” He mumbled into the soft skin and kissed the palm like a promise. Smiling light and sincere he turned to look up at Emmrich, deliberately resting his cheek in that beloved hand.

Emmrich’s reaction was lost to Rook in the lighting, but the necromancer’s hand started its orchestrations. Firmer now, the tracing fingers crept behind Rook’s ear, and eased into his curls as they made a massaging advance across his scalp. Rook leaned further into the touches with a sigh.

Emmrich folded with him. Towering form bending to fill the space his warden made for him, he pressed his nose to Rook’s freshly exposed neck as he breathed him in and whispered to his skin,

“Dearest.” he held there, a shuddering breath betraying eagerness before he composed. The gloved hand, not currently tangled up in curls, made for the arm of the chair. There it found Rook and wove together with his fingers, then traced down the back of the hand, trickled its way up and down the muscles of the forearm before sliding back down to that left wrist. Emmrich’s strong fingers tarried there, assessing the scope of the strain with practiced movements. Rook could feel the wrinkle of worry crossing Emmrich’s face as it was buried in his neck.

“Endearing as your insuperable spirit is, Rook, when your body aches,”

Rook barely heard the man, Emmrich had started massaging the wrist and hand in earnest. Every poke, every prod, every bit of pressure releasing the ache. The soft firmness of a professor’s hand proved its study in its pampering,

“you must listen.”

Emmrich’s hand clasped down over the entirety of the wrist. Rook snapped back to the moment, as an eerie green glow engulfed the limb. Rook drew in a sharp breath, nearly jerked away, but Emmrich’s attentions were back at the warden’s neck and distracting from the quick sting of a healing spell. Any protest melted in his throat as the warmth of the spell and Emmrich’s attentions spread.

Steady and firm the necromancer worked in slow study. A gentle kiss to the jaw, cheek pressed into the beat of blood, mouth tilting up to nip at Rook’s ear. Then down once more he moved into him as a cat might knead. Emmrich made every piece of Rook’s neck, his throat, his ears, known to his lips, his nose, his breath. All while his right hand returned to its therapies, the left hand palmed the warden’s scalp with gentle ministrations, guiding Rook as he desired for better access to the shuddering gasps, the warming ears, the throbbing pulse. A sigh escaped his control into Rook's throat when a moan traveled under the skin his lips pulled at.

“Emmrich?” Rook’s voice a melting question at the end of his groan, words short for lack of air as he clung tight to the chair, hips rising only to find Emmrich’s knee between his legs keeping him both pinned and pining.

The fingers teasing Rook’s head with experienced scratches suddenly curled, a firm fist taking the place of dragging nails. Emmrich’s vice like grasp somehow soothing, he eased Rook’s head back until the warden strained to look up at him.

Their eyes met there. Everything said, nothing uttered.

Until Emmrich gave breath to their fervent wish, “Let me take you.”

In answer Rook moved to kiss Emmrich’s lips hovering teasingly above him, but the necromancer held him in place, unyielding. Rook’s twitches a pitiful ply within the boundaries subtly set; he was locked by hair, hip, and wrist.

“Fuck.”

The word came low from Rook’s chest and surprised him. More moan of realization than a deliberate answer or call to action.

The barest hint of a frown came to Emmrich. Slowly, deliberately, he moved just close enough to Rook’s waiting lips, and bit. His attack gentle, the pressure embracing, he pinched them closed together, held there. Finally, languidly, he pressed down until he held only the bottom lip in his teeth, then softly pulled away and let it drag free.

“Manners, my dear,” he whispered a hair’s breadth from Rook’s mouth, his words heavy, intonation almost a purr “nowhere in the Necropolis is free of undead, should you offend...”

Need heavy in the air of their shared breath Emmrich didn’t move down, but drew Rook up from where he held him. Kissed him deep as to wipe free the vulgar stain from his throat. Rook answered with hunger, a growl in his throat as he strained to drive further up and into Emmrich.

The guidance came slow, but the necromancer relented, slackened the leash he held in smooth steady steps until Rook stood next to him, the chair tumbling away. The clatter broke them apart. Rook breathless, but concern widening his eyes as he noted the plethora of spirits filling the gardens.

“You’re not…” serious came the thought as fear prickled his skin. Thoughts of the noble dead rising to cleanse the grounds came to mind. Rook buried his head into Emmrich. Fingers playing at the chains and buttons “…I mean, you’re here. We’re safe right?”

Emmrich smiled, used a finger to tilt Rook’s face up towards his and kept the man’s eyes locked to him,

“Here.”

He gently kissed Rook’s forehead.

“With me.”

He brushed a thumb over the warden’s trembling lips.

“Always.”

[darklinaforever]

I see so many people saying that the Doctor wanted to die / had suicidal impulses because he lost Clara. Whereas... yes, and no. Clara was only the retrigger of the Doctor's suicidal impulses. And the highlight of it, the straw that really broke the camel's back, was Bill's death. This desire to die in the Doctor at this period, comes from the compilation of the loss of all the loved ones he may have had, including Rose in it, like the moment where he thinks back to several people before stopping himself from regenerate indicates this. Clara was the re-trigger of these suicidal impulses after the accumulation of several losses, and Bill was the last straw after still other losses. Do you see the nuance ? It's not Clara herself, but rather the accumulation with her which was part of the return of this bad cycle. Each phase of the Doctor's suicidal urges is quite different. There is before he met Rose after the loss of his planet where he was clearly ok to die in the middle of a mission without seeing any problem, and when he lost Rose, her absence being really unbearable for his 10th incarnation which had been formatted on it. Especially since even at the time when Clara was alive, he already seemed to be tired of living : "This regeneration, it's a bit of a clerical error anyway. I've got to go sometime." So yes, we can take this sentence in the literal sense that yes, this regeneration was done a little outside the rules, but with what we know about the continuation of the character's arc, the sentence also takes its meaning double entender about the Doctor's upcoming suicidal impulses. He's already tired of losing people. He thinks that this regeneration is a mistake and that he must go there one day. For me, it literally stops the beginnings of his much clearer desire to die later. In my opinion, Twelve took a lot of risks throughout his story, and it even ended up rubbing off on Clara at one point. It's just that after Clara left, it became MUCH more obvious. He just stopped having any subtlety about it. Not to mention the fact that normally, a Time Lord does not go beyond the twelfth regeneration. So obviously there was the theme of the Doctor wishing to die during this specific regeneration since he should normally have stopped there, a Time Lord not often being entitled to a new cycle of twelve regenerations. Basically, at this stage of the Doctor's story, it could have been a character other than Clara who retriggers her suicidal impulses more fundamentally /frankly.

[shadowgast-recs-weekly]

AMVs/PMVs: A Shadowgast Rec List

This week, we have AMVs and PMVs! This week's format is slightly different so check under the cut for 15 fan videos that are focused on Caleb, Essek or Shadowgast ; and don't forget to comment and leave a like if you like them!

Fire on Fire [A Tribute to Shadowgast] by Lilith KB (1:29, Not Rated) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Beautiful art of affection and desire between the two wizards set to a song about these very things.

Reccer says: The art is beautiful and so is the song.

Home To Me {Critical Role Shadowgast PMV} by ShadowedKing and Sinister Suns (0:55, Not Rated) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek comes home to Caleb and drops his disguise. They embrace happily.

Reccer says: It's short, but incredibly sweet. It acknowledges the fact that there's still plenty of danger in their lives, but shows them in a sweet and happy moment together. It's also colourful in a way that matches the exuberance of the song and the scene.

A GOOD MAN - Complete Essek Thelyss PMV MAP by MAP hosted by Fieldtowns (name of channel: field) (4:27, Not Rated) Reccer's Content Notes: cartoony depictions of blood and violence (2:03-06), cartoony mutated Lucien and blood (2:34-38), bloody sword and wounded Caleb (3:11-26)

The PMV follows the story of Essek, from his initial crimes, through his inner conflict upon meeting Caleb and the Nein and their tribulations, to his happy ending with Caleb and a group of friends.

Reccer says: There are lots of beautiful pieces of art in the PMV (some focused on Shadowgast, some on Essek himself or on Essek with the Nein) and the song fits Essek's story very well.

Essek Love Like You - Shadowgast Animatic (SPOILERS up to Critical Role C2E97) by Skye Blu (0:26, Not Rated) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek realizes the error of his ways when he meets Caleb and falls for him. He struggles to understand the forgiveness he is offered.

Reccer says: The style is so incredibly cute, it's unreal - the way chibi Essek yoinks the beacon, the way he and chibi Caleb (chibleb?) look at each other, the forehead smooch - it's just the cutest little animatic. I also love, love, LOVE the choice of song - it's a perfect description of how Essek might think of himself and of Caleb.

HOW TO BE A HEARTBREAKER - A CALEB WIDOGAST PMV by FatalDebonaire (3:40, Not Rated) Reccer's Content Notes: Slight flash warning

A beautifully drawn exploration of Caleb throughout CR canon and the people that he loves/loved and that loved him.

Reccer says: The art is beautiful and evocative, with small details hidden throughout. The expressions and the timing with the song are so well thought-out.

i don't know how to love him by nobody _ (3:56, Not Rated) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek has himself a little crisis about having feelings for Caleb. Turns out that - uh, oh - so does Caleb - but at least he has a kitty for moral support. Unresolved pining and conflicted feelings.

Reccer says: The style of the animatic is simple, but cute, especially Caleb's freckles (and his cat!). It's a great song for these two - Essek has indeed been "changed, yes really changed", Caleb at the point where this animatic seems to be taking place probably "just wouldn't cope" if Essek confessed his feelings, and they both scare each other, love each other, want each other. It's a sweet idea altogether.

I Wouldn't Change a Thing by MAP hosted by ShadowedKing (3:50, Not Rated) Reccer's Content Notes: few and far between depictions of blood

Starting with some parallels between the two wizards, the PMV takes us on a tour of all the highlights of their journey together, culminating in a series of art pieces imagining their future together with such fanon staples as gardening, cats and a disguised Essek visiting Caleb's classes.

Reccer says: The choice of song is inspired and the song itself is cute and upbeat. The PMV makes ample use of the song's lyrics, often juxtaposing them with truly hilarious - or tragic (or both) - events. My favourite has to be "even when I'm at your mothers" being juxtaposed first with the fight against Trent, then with the visit at the Ermendruds' grave. Talk about a variety of feelings one video can make you feel! The variety of art styles, from cartoony to very much out there (/positive) styles, means everyone will find something for themselves, and the artists simply must be commended on the effort they clearly put into the illustrations, from gorgeous portraits of the two main characters, through other characters, to the backgrounds ranging from cosy wizardly offices to Aeorian caves and starry skies. It features a breathtakingly gorgeous depiction of the forehead kiss, and perhaps the cutest greying aging Cartoonleb I've ever seen.

critical Role AMV: Essek's Promicedland (sketch version) by Isabel Silva (2:57, Not Rated) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Esseks growth from before the campaign up to him teaming up w the group for Aeor

Reccer says: Wonderful take on Essek's journey, A+ song choice

Critical Role- Curses by Starry Paw prints Art (3:49, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: Choose Not to Warn

a Caleb-centric PMV set to Curses by the Crane Wives

Reccer says: Really captures the feeling of Caleb's character journey from traumatized hobo wizard to person capable of accepting love and confronting his past. One note: I think the artist began work on this before C2 ended, so nothing post Vergessen is covered.

Ares - A Caleb Widogast Critical Role Animatic by 42paintbrushes (3:33, Not Rated) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Caleb Widogast's arc from backstory to epilogue set to Ares by Winter's Island

Reccer says: It hits story beats with song beats like they were made for each other

Essek Thelyss - Liar Animatic by Cal (3:29, Not Rated) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek across the duration of the series, from the start of his betrayal up to and including Aeor

Reccer 1 says: Absolutely perfect song choice for Essek Reccer 2 says: This song is quite fitting for Essek and the art is very expressive

The following two videos each had two recs:

Lovely Night (shadowgast animatic) by Mystery Animator (1:58, Not Rated) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek and Caleb flirt under a starry sky, claiming not to have feelings for each other, but - of course - kissing in the end.

Reccer 1 says: The teasing tone of the song is a cool choice for the two wizards. I love their flirty looks and body language - it's incredibly cute, and my favourite has got to be Essek pulling Caleb by the scarf on the "I know you look so cute in your polyester suit" (and the blush on Essek's face when they inevitably kiss). The sky and the dancing lights are a pretty and romantic background and the frame of other members of the M9 spying on them from the bushes is hilarious. Reccer 2 says: Wonderfully choreographed and overall amazing

All Time Low | Shadowgast Animatic/AMV | Critical Role Campaign 2 by TJ Makes (3:28, Not Rated) Reccer's Content Notes: Some blood as Caleb is attacked by the Volstrucker prisoner

A depiction of Caleb and Essek's coming together and thier individual "all time lows", times in thier lives where they were at their lowest, and later, how they pull each other up and thier connection makes them better.

Reccer 1 says: I like the evocative art frames, the scenes the artist chose to depict and the story told through that. Reccer 2 says: I really love the style and particularly Essek's design. The animatic imagines some additional scenes that are quite touching and shows canonical ones is very expressive ways. It's wonderful how much emotion can be shown with subtle changes in their eyes, eyebrows, gentle smiles. The creator chose to show the scenes in non-chronological order, and managed to create a sequence which matches the swells and silences of the song.

This video received three recs!

Would That I by aeli.tan.art (2:40, Not Rated) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes, blood, mostly symbolic, all violence merely implied

a depiction of the Caleb and Essek's first meeting, their infatuation and inner turmoils about their pasts, and their choice to embrace happiness.

Reccer 1 says: I adore the art, the expressions are on point and each frame is very evocative, telling the story of coming together in a beautiful way. Reccer 2 says: Wonderful Reccer 3 says: The choice of song is amazing. I love the world building - Essek's ears, his non-human pupils, the Kryn jewellery (which will come back later in the video to punch you in the heart, I warned you), the way spells look. The imagery in the video - when Caleb stops Essek from running, but it's not aggressive, it's almost like a dance pose, the ash left on Essek's cheek, the bloodied chains, the crash into the light, and again, the return of jewellery to mean something beautiful. And lastly, but not least, the emotion behind it - the pure joy in Caleb's smile as he masters a spell, the fondness in Essek's eyes, and speaking of eyes - how expressive they are when they're often the only part of Essek visible on the screen! Amazing. By far my favourite Shadowgast animatic of all time.

Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast. Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week, we’ll be back with hidden gems (less than 150 kudos)!

[the-mspfa-200-favourites-project]

SBURB.EXE

SBURB.EXE is the big one of the year, and what a big one for the year to have. SBURB.EXE is a masterclass in how to write a SBURBventure, and how to do it in a crowdpleasing way.

First off, Veri knows his stuff. This is a webcomic written by somebody who is passionate about the early parts of Homestuck and knows exactly how they tick and how they are paced. This is by a master of the format. This is by somebody who knows that meters make everything better, the more complicated and characterizing the modus the better, and character designs should be iconic and not like, fashionable or whatever. It’s somebody who knows the rules and knows how to break them for peak comedy.

But it’s not just bread and butter SBURBventure action, though it does get the This is by somebody who also really likes Creepypasta and wants to add THAT flavour onto it, giving it that little extra spice. Maybe…too much spice? Going to stop my flowing praise here and say that, atleast for me, I don’t especially like the Jumpscares in the comic? Still, at least it warns you on the first page that Jumpscares *are* coming (unlike a certain Reddit-based SBURBventure…grumble grumble mumble…). And, if you basically mute your computer when you view every upd8, you should be able to get through them just fine. And yes, I know *why* there are jumpscares, but still. Wish they weren’t there. That’s all I’m saying.

Anyways, where was I in recommending/reviewing/selling people on this comic? Oh right, the characterization. The characterization is SO GOOD. Every single character is an archetype of a type of person that you would be able to see on the internet back in 2012 (which is when the comic takes place). And it’s not just that the characters have good dynamics and bounce off each other, but it’s also that each character has like. An arc? To go through? Like, there’s depth there, it’s not just “haha wacky fun times with the Creepy Girl who likes Creepypasta.” NO. That Creepypasta interest seems to stem from a desire to be seen as more “mature” than maybe Abby actually is, and that drives much of her actions throughout the narrative and ultimately is why the session goes off the rails the way it does (or at least, this is implied to be the cause). Kiki is also “what is Nepeta was a main character” core and I mean that in the best possible way. There’s just so many iconic characters from this comic it’s insane. Vast Error who? Wait no actually Vast Error’s still good at characterization even if SBURB.EXE exists, and they can (and should) co-exist because they are both doing very different things.

ANYWAYS. Is that it? Did I go over everything? Masterclass, not just bread and butter, Jumpscare warnings, Characterization, comedy and humor, funniest MSPFA doing it today, your favourite MSPFA author’s favourite SBURBVENTURE…I think that’s everything! Oh, right, the music also slaps so hard, but honestly that pretty much applies to literally any MSPFA with like, a soundteam? Just in general, Music is good, I think. Also, I can’t think of a way to end this review, besides just saying GO OUT AND READ THIS MASTERPIECE.

[venbetta]

The "Golden Child" Headcanon (Glamrock Freddy)

Something I've constantly based my interpretation of Freddy on is him being the golden child of Glamrock era. (Mixed with the pyromaniac Freddy hc)

For those curious, golden child syndrome is "One who is favored or the favorite (in a family, on a team, at work, etc.), often held in high esteem by others, and for whom there are high hopes"

I thought it fit him pretty well. It's not canon. It's my hc/portrayal of him... with no Michael Afton influence involved.

Enjoy

____________________________________________

Fazbear Entertainment have always been under fire for the decades of failed franchises and establishments, following the grizzly tales of child murders, conspiracy, and corporate corruption. Along with technological malpractice, injuries, negligence and many other violations under the sun.

With the new Mega Pizzaplex underway, they might as well have slapped a new coat paint against the many dozen layers of past mistakes.

The well known iterations of Freddy Fazbear have always shifted through the times, but he's the face of the company, so it's great to make him both recognizable and a role model for all children. Every Freddy that's been made almost had a paternal facet to them, some more than others.

Glamrock Freddy was no different, only rocking the glamrock aesthetic and based on the late singer Freddie Mercury.

His design was simple yet his build was far more advanced than any of his predecessors, and due to the company's tendency of shrouding the past, they wanted to make him even more inviting.

The usual coding followed a similar format with permanent traits:

Optimistic, passive, charismatic, and committed, to name a few.

These traits are what made Glamrock Freddy “Freddy Fazbear”, or at least a modern version of him.

The company wanted these traits to be followed to a T, not wanting incidents from the past occurring the same way. While they wanted their other glamrock stars to strive, their focus on the main attraction caused some shortcomings in managing the cast.

Overlooking some programming errors and disregarding the less than desirable traits given to the other mascots.

Because of their fixation on Freddy, the others suffered.

The company perfected Freddy's programming and wanted nothing but that from him. Anything less would result in disciplinary measures or “bug fixes” to make sure he knew how to work properly.

Freddy's optimism was overbearing to the point that it felt unnatural and forced. His general disposition was the friendly front man, but in the confines of his room, he was aware of his lack of independence.

Some companions, like Chica and Bonnie, although we're programmed relationships, he leaned on them as his lifeline. Most of his bandmates meant a lot to him, as they were all made under the same creators that have each of them life and sentience.

Seeing children happy was another thing that kept him going, knowing he was created specifically for the joy of children.

However, a single mistake or flaw in a performance could cause him to internally spiral and shut down. When that happens, Freddy retreats to a charging station or his greenroom to contemplate his actions. Even when nothing happened, he couldn't help but be rattled, on edge knowing that the higher ups were always watching. All eyes were on him after all. Not a single slip up should be happening, not when he was a perfect machine created to make people happy.

His hyperactivity and drive to keep guest spirits up would mess up his battery charge, leading to more needed breaks. But that wasn't something he needed, he just needed to keep working.

Because what good would he be if he wasn't striving to work harder to make others happy.

[kitconnor]

Hi! Happy 4k celebration 🥰 Can you share how you make your gifs or make a gif tutorial?

hi !! tysm <3 i'm more than happy to give you a little tutorial on how i make my gifs ! of course, my process is not the same to other gifmakers and may not always work for everyone but i hope it helps !

for this tutorial, i'm using the most recent edition of photoshop (2023) on my mac. full explanation under the cut.

full disclaimer: most of what i've learnt about photoshop and the giffing process is through pure trial and error. this won't work for everyone and others may think it's a little weird, but this is just how i make my gifs !!

1.find your scenes.

finding your scenes is sometimes very time consuming but you want to get it right the first time !! for this tutorial, i'm using a music video in mp4 format.

2. loading your scenes.

to load your scenes, you want to go: 'file' > 'import' > 'video frames to layers'. i know that this step varies on the user because some people like to go to timeline first, but i'd advise starting in frames first !

after that, a screen like i've depicted below will pop up. i've also annotated everything for you as well.

so, select your desired range, press 'ok' and then it will all load into ps !

3. setting up your gif.

i'm grouping this all into one step, but it's broken down into a few things.

the first part of this is: cropping. the recommended dimensions i follow are on this guideline here, but for the sake of this tutorial i'm just going to crop my gif 540x540 (as a w x h setting). the crop tool is on the left hand tool bar.

now, my gif looks like this. from here, i'm going to click on the timeline (the space along the bottom that has every frame). from there, click on the three lines to get this menu (i've circled where to go + what you'll click):

from there, go 'select all frames' and then click on any of the frames NUMBERS (where it says 0.04 with an arrow besides it, or whatever yours says) then change the frame rate. with most youtube videos i will use 0.08 as my desired frame rate, but when i'm gifing a show or something, it loads in as 0.02, so i change it to 0.05. 0.05-6 on any normal screen cap should be fine, but obviously you can change it depending on if it looks right or not.

from there, you've basically done the first half of the basics. now, you'll want to click on this button:

and now you'll be taken to the video timeline ! from here, select command + option + a (this is for mac, i think it would be control if you're on another device) then, right click on your layers and go 'convert to smart object'.

from here, i'll sharpen my gif before i colour. for this step i have two alternative sharpening settings first one by anyataylorjoy (rb to download !) and the other by maygrant (please ask !). the first one is tuser maygrant's and the second one is tuser anyataylorjoy's. i typically use morgan's for all my basic gifs but anyataylorjoy's for creative sets. every user has a different preference but just find what's good for you !

4. colouring your gif.

definitely the most tedious, this can be a little bit of a hassle depending on the scene. if the colouring isn't riddled with heavy yellows or cyans, colouring is usually a breeze but if it is, it can be hard.

CURVES

the circle with the arrow dropdown and that's half grey-white is the circle you want to click on to find curves. it'll open a menu and curves will be at the top.

you'll see a little menu like above appear. now, select the dropper i've indicated as being the "light point" and then, using the zoom tool, we're going to zoom in and find the brightest point on the gif. this is typically where the light source is.

in this section here, i can see a couple of bright points. using the dropper, i'll click on the closest to white (note: i find that white rarely changes the colouring of the gif, so if there's like, a really really light yellow, for example, click on that) and then i'll do a similar process with the "dark point" dropper, finding the darkest spot, which is usually in shadows or in the corners. unlike with the light dropper, you want the closest to black, whether that's a dark dark brown or dark dark blue.

now, we can see how the colouring has changed:

optional: you can change the white line on the curves menu, which can make it lighter, or darker in different points of the gif.

LEVELS

levels is an optional step, but i recommend it on very light gifs, or if you want to add a little more depth. probably don't do it on an already very dark gif.

the levels menu looks like this:

the far left slider adds shadows and the far right slider makes it lighter. on this particular gif, i only need a little bit of depth to her face and i only need to contrast that a little bit. by just dragging the slider a little bit:

this is the result:

with levels, it can very quickly alter skin tone/make your gif look bad !! with levels, i don't think you need to go above 1-12 in adding depth.

OPTIONAL: BRIGHTNESS/CONTRAST

brightness/contrast is optional !! only add it if it's necessary :)

COLOUR BALANCE

a colour balance layer is great for fixing the tones for the gif !!

this one's pretty self explanatory. if you want it to be more yellow, slide it towards yellow. if you want it to be more red, slide it more towards red, etc etc. i've attached some gifs showing how i change tone:

but just play with it until it looks right. be very careful with skin tone !! colour balance can very easily whitewash/colour wash and that is not something encouraged, in the slightest.

SELECTIVE COLOUR

a selective colour layer is basically a "final touch" to colouring. where colour balance just kind of does an overall change of the gif, selective colour allows you to alter your specific tones, ie. reds, magentas, blues, etc. for me, i'll do the bulk of getting my desired colouring with colour balance, but if it overcorrects reds, for example, i'll add some cyan to red tones in selective colour, to diffuse that.

currently, in my gif, it's very red/yellow heavy. to balance that out, i want to add cyans. so, on the drop down list of the selective colour menu, i'll select 'red' and then i'll ADD cyans (so move the slider to the right, not the left to decrease) and then repeat that on other tones that i want to correct, with different colours.

with each of the sliders, just add or decrease how much of that colour is in that tone. once again, be mindful of skin tone and whether it is appropriate or not.

with selective colour, if there are any standout colours (eg. in my gif, there's a big patch of cyan) that don't interrupt their face (eg. reds and yellows are always in faces) and change the way the subjects look, you can change those colours to make it more vibrant. so, in this gif, i'll enhance the cyans and blues and magentas to make the colours pop more.

5. saving your gif

once your happy with the colouring of your gif and done what you need to do with it, save it as a smart object with all your colouring layers, then go to 'file' > 'export' > 'save for web (legacy)...' . play back your gif, and it should be all good !! congrats on making your gifs !

i've included a playback of each layer, which is staggered to show each layer come into effect.

in order: nothing -> curves -> levels-> brightness/contrast -> colour balance -> selective colour.

hope this helped !!

[pja-party]

HoI ✨ I love your art and your style, keep up the good work! ^^ As for the ask: I know that key to getting better at art is practice. But practice what? What did you do as a begginer artist?

When I was a kid, before the internet was popular, I bought many drawing instruction books. I followed the instructions in the book to practice.

"Practice for what?" It is based on which theme would you like to improve? Such as characters, scenes, composition..etc

I recommend continuing to scroll to learn more about how to practice.

Oh boy, allow me to share the FB post about practice . Although it's Chinese, I will put an English translation over here

English translation

Page 1:

"About Practice"

#Problem Solving #Time Management #Habit Formation

Page 2:

1. After Setting the Question

The important thing to talk about here is what happens after setting the question. If you haven't seen the previous article, you might want to check it out first.

I believe after reading the discussion in the previous article, some people might start using official solutions to tackle the problems or even begin setting some questions for practice.

After solving the problem, you might encounter the following situations:

Uncertainty about the problem,

Uncertainty about the practice method,

Lack of efficiency, etc.

This is quite normal because the previous practice methods might have been a bit aimless.

Page 3:

When you continue to practice drawing, you might find that the drawing starts simple but eventually evolves into a larger scene. After drawing several sketches, you might end up not using them or facing a blank canvas, feeling lost.

You might realize that all these scenarios lack a clear goal, which is what we often refer to as finding a sense of direction. But this kind of practice often consumes a lot of time, and it might take a month or two before you can create a drawing that you are more satisfied with (or even longer).

Therefore, after setting a question, having a clear goal is crucial. This goal usually involves many practice methods. During this period, you need to find a method that suits you for practicing.

P.S. This doesn't mean you need to find direction immediately; if your basic skills are lacking, it's recommended to focus on building basic skills first.

Page 4:

2. Finding Small Goals

Why is having small goals so important? Because finding direction usually relates to basic skills.

For me, finding direction = creating something visually appealing = constructing a good composition (for example: character design, scene setting, modeling, creatures, etc., as long as you recognize it as visually appealing).

Creating something visually appealing is something I understand well, but based on the reverse deduction, composition, character design, modeling, etc., can all be practiced, right? Therefore, before seeking to create something visually appealing, you should first practice your basic skills because –

The sum of all basic skills = comprehensive ability.

Page 5:

So, the stronger your comprehensive ability, the more you can express the desired visual appeal in your drawings. After enhancing your comprehensive ability, you can create a work with a certain level of quality, even if you haven't found your direction yet.

Speaking of composition, character design… aren't these big-picture problems? Right? Then can't they be broken down? After breaking them down, there will be small goals. Below is my thought process:

Recently, I need to do more training in modeling (big picture), but how should I train the model? Should I focus on proportions? Structure? Shadows? Concept? Etc. (small goals). Since there are so many small goals, let's pick one, and each training session will focus on one aspect! (Trial and Error).

Page 6:

This forms the process flow as follows:

Big Picture -> Break Down -> Small Goals -> Trial and Error -> Verification

Using a simpler example:

You want to make a three-star fried rice dish (big picture), you know what ingredients are needed (break down the problem), but you might not be able to make it right away, so you turn to friends and learn (small goals).

You try making it, but when your friends taste it, it doesn't turn out well.

Possible reasons:

The seasoning was too much or too little,

The rice was too wet,

The ingredients didn’t mix well, etc.

This process = trial and error. In other words, it’s the process of refining, but the line was too thick, the proportions were off, the details were too cluttered, etc.

Page 7:

Verification can be imagined as having the correct answer, but drawing doesn't have a fixed answer, so I usually ask myself the following questions:

Was this method of practice effective? (If not, then try something else)

Am I satisfied with the results of the practice?

Can I apply this in the future as needed?

If all the above are true, then it's essentially a valid verification.

Q: How do you determine if it's effective? A: Like following a doctor's prescription (following a plan), if the results are good, then it's effective (illness cured).

My idea is that after setting a goal, if you follow the plan and the effect is good, it's fine. If the result is bad, then there might be a problem with the plan. You might still be practicing, not knowing what you are missing, and not having enough experience.

Page 8:

3. Time Management

Usually, when I practice small goals, I schedule one to two months (some might be shorter) for this training.

[starlightbelle]

8, 17, & 30 for the fic writer ask!!

8. if you had to write a sequel to a fic, you'd write one for...

Of the ones I've shared, probably Here's to Not Being in Love. Zoro/Nami's dynamic is so fun to write; I left it open-ended for a reason, because I imagine I'll probably write more for them at some point. I don't have a sequel in the works yet, but if a compelling enough plot bunny should surface in my brain, I'm sure it'll insist upon being written. 😆

Ahhh I nearly forgot!! I intend to write a continuation of A Crisis of Confidence! Isuka doesn't get much appreciation among One Piece fans but I like her and I want to explore her relationships with other members of the Revolutionary Army. I've already penned her interacting with Dragon, so I think next on the docket would be something opposite Sabo. Both pre- and post-Marineford. I expect the latter will be very angsty, and I can't wait to explore it.

17. talk about your writing and editing process

✨The stars align. An idea strikes, either seemingly out of the blue, while discussing characters with my friends, or after hearing a line in a movie/song that hits just right.

Generally I jot down as much as I possibly can (if I'm at work or something I'll loop the idea/scene/dialogue in my head until I have a free moment to type down as much as I remember), key points or words to jog my memory later. I do often have a line or two that I know exactly how I want written. There are no shortcuts or abbreviations of those, I have to write the line out entirely.

After that, once I have a block of time I can more fully devote to writing I fill in the blanks. Whatever flows, whatever works. I am kinda an edit-as-I-go type of writer, though normally at this stage just finding a synonym for a word that works better or fixing the phrasing of a sentence.

If a particular scene is giving me trouble, the draft will remain a cocktail of disconnected snippets (sometimes in the wrong order) until I have a breakthrough with the gaps.

Once the story is penned, I read through it. Usually this stems from a desire to have the manuscript look tidy and neat and complete in my notes app. Along the way I'll make little changes, fix any errors I find, rearrange paragraphs if needed, etc.

After that, I reread it an absurd amount of times. This is motivated by pure enjoyment. I am my target audience so I like reading what I write. 😊 It just so happens that that's how editing works, too. Win-win.

If I'm sending it to a friend, or preparing to share it, I'll give it another pass or two (or three). Normally I don't have much to correct at this point.

I also will reread it again after I've shared a piece to make sure the formatting works, everything flows, etc.

Yep. That about sums it up. 😅 It isn't really a conscious checklist I go thru, just kinda how it ends up working out.

30. share a fic you're especially proud of

I'm proud of all my works! 😁 But one I haven't seen get much love is my seventh Corazon Week piece. Although I believe one of those three kudos is yours already lol.

It doesn't have any relationship tags, which I suspect might be the reason it's not showing up on Cora fans' radar, because the pov character is left intentionally ambiguous. It was an artistic decision I knew might keep it out of search results, and I debated using multiple relationship tags instead to cover all bases but I worried that might come across as baiting so I left it without. I may change it though if I get feedback on that.

Thanks so much for asking! I know my answers tend to get a little rambly, so thanks for your interest! This one was a bit like a behind-the-scenes feature on a DVD! (Prompt list)

[11thwardtls]

Memory Defrag | TRACK 5 - Data Corpulence | Azekawa Kinari's Ward Mayor Novel Translation

Warnings and Disclaimers:

This translation is not professionally done and is not proofread. Edits and clean-ups may come at a later date.

Not a 1:1 translation either and some liberties into localization were taken into account.

This novel will contain spoilers for the Ev3ns Main Story: "Chained Up Scarlet".

Appropriate Content and Trigger Warnings will be added if needed.

May be used for quotebots/masterlists etc.

I am not fluent and self-studying Japanese (albeit at turtle speed), this was translated by ear and with the help of a JP dictionary, so please feel free to point out any errors!

—/—/—/—/—/—

I came out of semi-conscious mode and awakened all at once.

By my bedside, there was a plastic water bottle, with a note stuck to it: “Are you thirsty? Here, if you don’t mind.” in Raito’s handwriting. 

As I am an android, my mouth does not get dry, yet I drank from the bottle anyway.

The room’s interior has been plunged into azure-hued darkness.

I could hear the flapping of the nocturnal birds resting in the trees behind me.

———[At the very least, you could say what’s on your mind in your own words.]

Father’s words repeated several times within my auditory system.

Whenever I recall these words, I start to feel something, slowly.

It’s something that I’ve not been able to properly verbalize.

But now, I’m searching for a meaning within Father’s words, of which I had previously felt nothing upon hearing them. 

“Were his intentions similar to Master’s own words?”

I threw my question into the void.

I suppose that the true nature of Father’s hopes for me, was similar to Master’s own desire to treat me as if I were a fellow human being. 

What Father wanted at the time was not for me to be in a state to channel Kinari’s spirit, but for me to speak out using my own words. 

Rather than words that have been programmed into me, he must have wished to hear my words from the heart.

As I thought, I still deeply regret that I could not do that even at his deathbed.

Yes, there’s some sort of feeling of regret. Likely so. Surely, I thought.

And this sort of emotion is quite surprising in itself.

Because, as an android, I feel an emotion called ‘regret’. 

But looking back on this incident and understanding how I felt while reviewing those memories, perhaps someday I too will gain those 21 grams.

By analyzing, considering, and reflecting……

As Kuguri has previously said, these records can turn themselves into memories. 

[Further verification is still required.]

For that purpose, any and all records shall be preserved without being deleted.

I thought about it for when I have the free time to browse these past data bit by bit, but a message box appeared hovering over my retinas.

[The additional information related to the emotion base is building data corpulence at this time. Would you like to delete those additional parts?]

This newly acquired data is a highly valuable resource that is connected to 21 grams, therefore it cannot be deleted. I selected [No]. 

[The screen glitches for a moment.]

The moment that I’ve made my choice, the image reflected in my retinas became distorted and a noise appeared.

“...?”

I checked on my systems to see if a small error had occurred, but there was no problem.

Right now, I cannot afford to shrink down on my memory any further.

The everydays that would increase from here forward would be also valuable pieces of samples.

With that in mind, I laid down on my bed.

—/—/—/—/—/—

“Today’s a whole extra super awesome ‘nother lesson day~! After finishing with warm ups, we’re doing formation checks, alrightyyyy?” 

Chihiro’s cheerful voice resounded throughout the lesson room this morning.

He always took the initiative whenever it came to practicing.

As always, I put out the tablet and started to record our dance formation———

—But he appeared troubled almost immediately.

“Oh whoopsies! My hard disk is full already~ I can’t record anymore.”

“Isn’t that a large capacity tablet? Why’s there so much data…? Plus, didn’t you say the same thing last month?”

Tao rushed in to check quickly. Chihiro pouted, cheeks puffed up, “I’m an influencer, aren’t I? Don’t tell me you forgot?!”, he retorted.

These two always have this kind of conversation all the time.

“Hahaha, well yeah, your job’s to take pics and all that. So I guess my smartphone…

Ah, right… I dropped it in the bath yesterday and it broke.” 

“Haaaaa. It’s like, soooo unbelievable that such a high-key moronic guy exists in this world!” 

Raito made an offer to do it on his behalf, but then was quickly rejected.

Kuguri gave Raito the stink-eye, as he had no intention of ever lending his own device.

“Welp, there’s no choice then. Kinyari~ can Chii twouble you to do it?”

“Understood.”

In the past eras, humans have used their eyes as a camera when photographic equipment cannot be used. Their video recordings would be burned onto their retina, be available as an output and viewed on another device.

I began to film our dance routine while looking into the mirror.

“Tao, stop. Your hand placement is off by three centimeters.”

“Tao, stop. Your arms are not fully extended.”

“Tao, stop. You mustn’t do this move from your chest, but from your shoulders.”

I added detailed annotations about our mistakes, and by the time I finished them, Chihiro would hug me and say, “Luuuuv ya, Kinyari!”

Chihiro does this more often than not. He also happily rested his cheek by my hair.

“Ahhh, you smell so nice, Kinyari~ Haaaa, you’re just the bestest, the cutest, I loooove you~” 

“Mm. Thank you.”

“Oi, Chihiro, quit messin’ around already. Keep doing that and it’d count as sexual harassment.”

“But if it’s me and Kinyari, we make a super mega cute picture together, so it’s a-okay!” 

“Eh… That so?”

Tao warned him, but Chihiro bit back.

He seemed a bit distressed after listening to Chihiro’s absurd reasoning.

Raito laughed softly as usual, saying, “I’m glad that we all get along so well.”

On the other hand, Kuguri interjected, “Nyushi, if I were to join in as well, wouldn’t it be even prettier?”

This sort of interaction between us unit members had now become the norm.

Chihiro often talked about me so lovingly, yet according to Tao, “Ain’t it because Chihiro used to be an idol otaku and likes cute things?”

Can this kind of love be classified as something that fulfills my father’s hopes and wishes that [Someone who loves you will surely appear]?

I don’t know it yet, but I have long since accepted this circumstance.

“Man, at the end of the day, I was still the one who made the most mistakes again.”

“Tao, you’d be training on your own again today, wouldn’t you? I’ll join as well so let’s do our best together.”[4]

“By the way, Kinari. I accidentally let it slip that you slept longer than usual this morning to Ushio. He seemed quite worried so if you could, please show yourself to him later to let him know.”

“Plüss, won’t you at least punish this wretch of a man for saying something so unnecessary?” 

Chihiro and Tao started to whisper amongst themselves about everyday this and that, while Raito and Kuguri, who were wiping away their sweat, also chatted for a little while. 

I’d say, “Shall we proceed to play and observe the formation video I took on my camera on another device now?”, all four of them, Kuguri—to an extent, would watch somewhat seriously. 

Thus, our discussion on how we could further improve it would then begin. 

I, for once, would like to repeat this moment an innumerable amount of times.

……The thought of it was not at all unpleasant.

“Please give it your all in singing, dancing, your idol activities and live happily!”

This is my firstmost and top priority order I needed to fulfill. It is my very core of being. 

My most important standard of behavior.

However, rather than having to meet that standard, little by little, the desire to fulfill it instead is being born.

What to call this sort of ‘emotion’, I don’t know it yet.

But, I can feel it. I know so.

Emotions that I cannot name yet will continue to grow within my heart.

Surely. Probably. Maybe. 

Someday, even… 

———is what I thought.

—/—/—/—/—/—

Translation Notes: 

1 - This chapter’s title name was very… difficult to word, as 肥大 in particular could be any of the words related to gaining weight/fat. In accordance with this, I used the word corpulence instead to achieve the same meaning across. 

2 - Took liberties with Chihiro’s gyaru-speak. Also yes he did say all of that part (I have screenshot receipts). 

3 - Again, Tao did actually say that. Quite literally in fact too!

4 - I don’t know who said that, but basing off the prose that followed, it seems to be Chihiro? I’m not sure if he’s ever called him anything other than Taotao so please correct me if I’m wrong here! 

—/—/—/—/—/—

Directory:

Main Page | TRACK 1 | TRACK 2 | TRACK 3 | TRACK 4 | TRACK 5

[secretgarden02]

A Familiar Face

I messed up the formatting so time to repost this-

Anyways, a little one-shot fanfic inspired from this drawing done by @leviadraws. Sorry it took me one year delay, had to find some motivation first since I don't really want to half-ass this (and apologies for misspelled grammars and errors as well, english ain't my first language lmao)

Shoutout to "Memories" song by Conan Gray because that song is so Kinjo-core

It has been a month since Kinjo's absent from his work ever since Teruya's whole funeral.

Rei is still showing up like usual, taking over his position for a meanwhile. But ever since Teruya's death, Rei has not been the same like before- in fact, she's completely changed.

She's more stoic and barely shows her emotions. Even when she's frustrated or angry, she mostly just brush it off rather than showing a clear sign that she's frustrated such as sighing or pinching her forehead. She will mostly just stared at the paper works and documents in her hands before she then move on. The Kisaragi foundation still functions normally, but slowly it deteriorate to worse with how Rei acts and Kinjo's absent makes it even worse. No one can convince Rei to visit his house to check how he's doing, and even when Midori and Keisuke gave Kinjo a visit, he didn't even open the door for them.

Kinjo has been inside his home all day ever since Teruya's funeral. Teruya's death was devastating enough for him, but he tried to put on a facade that he's doing fine- until Rei later on confronted him about it and it broke him since then. Maybe Rei is right, he has been using Teruya's- no, even his friends' death excuse to keep him going so he can fight the 'despair', to his own satisfaction. He never think about his own friends desires. He can't even still move on from the betrayal he felt from losing his dearest friend- Yuki Maeda. He knows it all too well that he was just a fake person during that whole killing game, but to think that he trusted him a lot and get attached to him, it both frustrated and saddens him greatly. Even seeing the real Yuki Maeda back in that killing game simulation, he can't even hold himself back from wanting him back even though the other doesn't know about him at all. How pathetic of him.

Usually when he's absent from his workplace, Kinjo would still do his works in his home, even if he's sick. But now in his current state, he's barely touching his paperwork. A rare sight for someone who's usually workaholic. All he's doing now is just laying on bed and sleeping all day. Sometimes he would get out of bed to cook something in kitchen so he won't die from starvation, but that's only it. Afterwards, he will just go to bed and stares at the ceiling or the window, falling asleep later on. But now, it's getting more harder and harder to sleep immediately. He would sometimes ended up not sleeping at all and stayed up all day. Like today, he's rubbing his eyes, cursing himself for not being able to sleep. Maybe he reached his limit. He stares out at the window, as the sound of waves crashes onto the beach gently near his residents. From far, a bridge street that was previously destroyed by mysterious cause from the incident last month was already fixed to normal. He wonders….

The chances are very slim, but he's desperate at this point. Besides, he need a fresh air after staying inside for a month now.

"Ah…."

Kinjo arrived at the bridge, with his full uniform on as usual. He's staring at the sight before him- pretty much nothing but empty streets as the waves gently swaying beneath the bridge. The man sigh, as he proceed to sit on the sideways of the street and slump his back. What was he hoping for? Of course they will never show up. They're being wanted by the Kisaragi foundation, so of course they will never show themself to let alone the leader of the foundation. Besides, they never know about him at all in first place. Kinjo let out a tired sigh as he chuckles, putting his hand at his right eye. "What am I even doing…? Some kind of police officer I am…. Letting my subordinates die in hands of them…."

"Are you done mourning now?"

A voice spoke up all of sudden, in fact it's a pretty familiar voice to him.

Upon hearing that voice, his other hand reaches out for the gun from his pocket and points it upward to the figure that standing beside him, as his expression immediately grows sour.

The other figure that standing beside him just looks down on him, it was Sora- no, not exactly Sora. It's Yuki now, in Sora's body after the whole circumstances that happened with his real body. The grey-haired figure doesn't look scared at all with the gun being pointed at them. Their expression remains unimpressed.

"I don't want to see you, get out of my sight." "You know that you're suck at lying, right?" "Piss off, I will shoot this gun at you. You bear that man's fortune luck, hence you're a criminal now." "That's an absurd logic of yours. Besides, I haven't done anything that obstruct the laws yet. And I don't even want this kind of blessing in first place." Yuki sighs as he rolled his eyes.

Kinjo still held his gun at the other regardless, though his hand is slightly trembling with his finger being hesitant to pull the trigger. "Even with different body, you still bear that familiar face."

"I told you before, I'm not him." Yuki looks unamused with Kinjo's remark. "… I know." Kinjo let out a sigh, he looks pretty saddened when Yuki replied that as he put down the gun beside him. "You really need to get over it, I heard from your friends that you've been absent for a month from your workplace. Is that what police officers supposed to do?"

Kinjo glares at the other figure. "You don't have the rights to talk to me like that." "Hey, I'm just saying." Yuki replied immediately. "You said that you want to get rid of the Despair right? Then you better do your job properly. Your group might eventually get disbanded if you keep chasing your old friends." Yuki sighs again as he wears his hood over his head. He wasn't planning to be a sudden therapist in first place, he just happened to pass by and then all of sudden he found Kinjo just slumping his back on the street sideways. He have mixed feelings over him, but he wasn't planning to just let him laying down on the streets with the despair group is still after him.

"Well I'm overstaying my welcome here, I'll leave you alone now. Oh, and do inform me if you managed to catch sir Syobai and Iroha. But don't kill them, alright? I need to discuss some thing with them. Don't worry, it's not anything that will break the law." Yuki waves at him as he began to walk away.

"Wait-!" Kinjo shouts as he was about to reach over Yuki's hand. But he was too slow, as Yuki is already gone in the blink of an eye. Kinjo was pretty much surprised with how fast Yuki disappeared, but he decided to not question it and sighs. His last words lingered on his mind for a good while before he takes a deep breath and slowly stood up, picking up the gun beside him.

He stares at the gun on his hand, and slowly look over to the ocean scenery in front of him. He rubs his eyes, getting rid of the remaining tears that was there earlier.

"… I'm going to find him, no matter what."

[kaelidascope]

Director's commentary on Something About Moths and a Flame, please!

Oh this outta be fun LOL OKAY

So the overall story of how this fic was even born in the first place stemmed from 2 things. I had an idea to write about a shameless self-indulgence about having an overabundance of experience with cismen with hardly any queer experience. And the little queer experiences Blake did have were not good reference points. Using myself as a default source of plot devices (lmao) I self-inserted the desire to get the fuck out of my current state and wanting to move somewhere north to start over. Bing bang boom, you got a basic background and motive for Blake

I honestly should've expected the fic would be more than just 'bisexual character experiences sex with a seasoned sapphic character' and trying to manifest positive things in my life by writing it out in fic format (who doesn't do that, really. If anyone says they don't they're a liar). Everything I make always turns out to be something way more than it's original concept so what I ended up with here was a story drawing on personal elements and wanting for an outcome that probably wont happen, but it's nice seeing it happen to the bees anyway

Blake's feelings about relationships represent a time in my life where my opinion was exactly hers. After a lengthy discussion with Sawrin over dissecting this fic, I've come to the realization that Yang also represents a time frame of opinions as well. Only Yang's core design comes from a time waaaaay in the past that honestly, I had forgotten existed. It's nice to see it manifest despite being buried, and certainly gives me something to think about when I reread it from time to time.

Readers of MM and Moths can draw lines between Blake questioning why things are so easy when she's with Yang. It's the same principle across the board for most bee fics that Blake's past hasn't been kind to her. It's an alien feeling to suddenly have things be so easy, but difficult to accept they're easy at the same time. I tried to picture how the fuck would I react if I were in this perfect dream scenario and how stupid would it be after the realization hits. Blake and Yang have been dating this whole time and just never accepted it for what it was based on what other people have lead them to believe what a relationship had to be.

The talk they have when Yang's AC is out and they're laying in her bed with the windows open is in reference to a talk I once had that didn't have the outcome I wanted. It carries the same essence of dismay - both parties knowing they want each other but because of the boundaries at play, cannot have what they want. But in this version it's not one sided.

Overall, it was nice getting able to write from a quietly honest place without having to worry about literally every other realistic factor ever. This is about as textbook 'I wrote this for me cus I wanted something that applied to me' as it gets. The ending is my dream scenario. I fucking hate living with partners I can't do it anymore JKNFKGNKJGFN but it's not easy finding someone else who'd agree with me. So the bees get my lost dream of permanent independence. I wrote this thing in 3 days and I was morbidly sick while I was doing it, too. So I'm sure it's littered with grammatical errors and what have you. But my best friend has always been completely head over heels about this work, and it astounds me how much he sings its praise. I'm always genuinely surprised when others find something to relate to in this work as well. I never expected it to be anything more than just a glance. It's not even smut heavy. I didn't think people cared about fics like that LOL (silly, I know) but I am glad I put it out there and it got the response it did.

[ohbother2]

hi! so like, i might try writing smut soon enough (because why the hell not amirite?) so like, is there any advice you could give me? like DOs and DONTs, tools that could be useful to avoid orthographic errors etc etc (im used to using chat GPT to look at my horribly, horribly written texts and correct them, but i've got a feeling it will straight up censor it, and english's not my first language, so anything that would make my dirty dirty texts into dirty clean text would be dope)

Hi!

I'm sorry but because you're an ageless blog I'm not going to give actual smut-writing advice, but ig it's okay to give general writing advice?

Just a reminder to everyone, if you're a minor please do not interact with me or my posts!

In all honesty I don't really know what I even do when I write, the words just sort of appear and I'm like 'yep, that works', but that's not the most useful advice, lol

I envision the story I want to read, and then I write it how I want to read it. I hope that makes sense

I guess my main advice would be to find your own niche, like, are you a dialogue or an 'action' based writer? Ofc it's good to be good at both but people have their own strong suits. For me, for example, I'm much better at descriptive writing than dialogue so that's what I focus most of my writing around

People also have their own unique styles and formatting to their writing - I feel as though mine is pretty distinctive with certain types of vocabulary and paragraph spacing/grammar/etc - so I guess it would be good to find a style that works good for you! For example, don't stick to lengthy paragraphs of immense detail if that doesn't come naturally to you, etc

My absolute top priority when writing is to not tell the readers what's going on, but to show it. Sometimes 'They felt X/Y/Z' is a useful tool for emphasising a particular point, but sometimes it detracts from the writing overall.

As an example: 'He felt as if his heart was going to burst from his chest...' (This can be good when used in the right moments, but if that's the only descriptor the writing loses a bit of life to it)

Compared to: 'His heart hammered painfully against his taut ribs as he gasped uselessly for breath...' (This is showing rather than just simply telling, and is how I personally prefer to write a majority of the time)

It's also important not to repeat yourself unnecessarily - it can be good to repeat when you're really trying to emphasise a point, but sometimes writing can stagnate and become less engaging? It's very difficult to find the right balance but it makes a world of difference to a piece of text

For dialogue (arguably my weakest skill) the best piece of advice is that you cannot write accurately how people in real life talk. When we talk we mostly fill out thoughts with nonsense and fluff out the main point - you can't write this because the readers will become disengaged. There's an important balance to find between being too formal for speech, maintaining the main point of the conversation, and ensuring the characters still sound like themselves. I tend to really try and put myself in the characters heads, think about what they'd actually say, and then 'translate' it into a written format that works whilst keeping that characters traits.

The way I 'learnt' to write was through reading, and I'd really recommend you read in your desired writing language (I'm guessing English from your ask) to see the typical structures and vocabulary of that language when written down. Direct translations don't always work, especially with literature, because there are phrases and sayings and common slights-of-tongue that are language specific, so I think it's really useful to get used to that language in its own written form, yk?

I forgot!! But it's also important not to tell your readers everything. Let them fill some gaps in on their own - they don't need to be told how a line of dialogue was said if it's obvious in the speech and context, and they don't always need to know how a character moved across a room or what their hands are doing 100% of the time. Sometimes the best parts of stories are the bits that go unsaid :)

Sorry, this is rambling and probably not very useful, but I've never given writing advice before.

Writing really is all down to the author finding their own 'voice' within their texts, and I'm sure you're writing will be great!!! I hope this helps! :))