#ANS Ask Game

[nokaru]

Not sure if you've answered these yet but 25, 28, and 29 for the ask game!

Thank you for the ask hun! ✨ Haven't answered these before kekeke

25. Why you picked it up

Okay listen to my silly little story how and why I picked it up (the anime) - I just finished watching some anime when I was 14 and was looking for something new to watch on a czech anime site that doesn't exist anymore (rip), they didn't have the genre filter but they had alphabetic order of all the animes they had there which mind u wasn't that many I'm still surprised they even translated AnS (both seasons!). So I just clicked on A and scrolled a bit, the name caught my eye so I watched it and became obsessed. I picked the manga after some time cause I just NEEDED more content. So yeah, all this thanks to the long name in a sea of animes like Absolute Duo and Akame ga kill

28. Things you would change about the series

Cut the separation of the ot5 to a third of it's actually length, I just find it unnecessary to be THAT long. Also make more use of the side characters....they don't have to be the main focus I'm just saying it's a pity leaving many of the amazing side characters out when most of them are quite flashed out and nice addition to the story overall.

29. Things you still don’t understand

I was gonna say maybe all the scientific stuff and politics but then again it's not like I don't really understand them it's more the fact I tend to forget this stuff really easily lmao

Hmmm I don't understand how the king of Tanbarun just let Raji be a lil brat and have concubines at the age of 17 cause ??? Bruh you complain about him being a brat but HE IS LITERALLY YOUR SON??!! And the crown prince at that! Shouldn't you make sure he's ready to take over the kingdom?

[sabishi-tomo]

Let's get right to it shall we? >:) 3., 4., 5., and 13. for the AnS ask game ✨

Thanks for the ask 🫶. Full list of questions here.

3. Character who grew on you eventually This might be a bit of a shock to some folks, but I think it was Zen. I was really annoyed by his immaturity in the first few episodes, and I couldn't relate to Shirayuki as a protagonist either, so I kinda dropped the series for a long time. I eventually came back to the series and Zen really grew on me in the post-anime arcs (Ch 40 and beyond). I especially love his relationships with his friends (Kiki, Mitsu, and later Obi) and the complicated dynamic he has with Izana.

4. Character with the best hairstyle I have a soft spot for Tariga's braids, especially because it's pretty unusual to see braids in AnS-verse. I used to love braids when I had long hair too. ALSO, Tariga's hairstyle and appearance reminds me a lot of Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist, who I love. Honorable mention: I really like Hisame's curly messy hair too. Not enough curly-haired characters in AnS.

5. Character with the best design This is so hard since AnS has soooo many pretty characters, even random unnamed NPCs who appear for a few panels and then never show up again. I'll pick Hisame just because he has impeccable fashion sense and is always well-dressed. He's pretty striking on any panel he's on. Honorable mentions: Kiki and Shirayuki look really beautiful whenever they're all dressed up for soirees and events, and I also am obsessed with Kiki's winter outfits (like during the Lyrias vacation arc).

13. Favorite scene or line. I think it's this scene from Ch 127.5 Part 1. I was really blown away by this scene because of how many things are conveyed without words. Kiki falling asleep beside Hisame is a sign of absolute trust (esp since Kiki has trouble falling asleep when other people are around and is also such a guarded person). I was as shocked as Hisame was. And Hisame, despite always masking his emotions, doesn't hide it here since Kiki is asleep. Just a brilliantly executed scene.

[randowwriter]

Hi love! 1, 3, 13, 23 and 30 for the ask game pretty please ✨

Hi! <3 <3 <3 1. Obi was my first favorite in a sense? He was one of the hooks that got me into the series. He's so fun, and that just makes him a wonderful character, especially since he can make me laugh. (Like I love characters that make me laugh!) <3 <3 <3 Nowadays, it's pretty much everyone. (Except Haruka. And Brecker.) But Obi was my original favorite. 3. Raji! I was not a fan of Raji from the very beginning. It took until his character arc/character redemption arc for me to become a fan of his, and he speedily became one of my favorite characters right after that! Raji, I had to warm up to. Also, technically, Hisame. (Shhh....) Hisame when I first found out he is a character was topping my list of characters I could not and would not trust. (It probably helped that I was talking to a lot of people at the time that didn't trust him.) Hisame went from being a character that I didn't trust, to a character that I do have a bit of a soft spot for. Maybe all of the HisaKiki fics I wrote got to me, but he's definitely more trustworthy in my eyes now. Especially since I've begun listening to Sabishi Tomo when it comes to Hisame? And her enthusiasm warmed me right up to him! <3 <3 <3 13. Ooh, what immediately comes to mind is that scene where Zen and Shirayuki are on the steps and she kisses Zen's hand? I absolutely loved that scene! <3 <3 <3 Like, I'm a huge hand for hand kisses. (I blame Miraculous Ladybug for that one!) XD And just the fact that Shirayuki did it back to Zen was incredible! There's other scenes and lines too, I'm sure, but the scene that I often think back to is that hand kissing scene! 23. Oof. Tough one! So, hmmmm.... I really love my old ObiYuki fic for AU Bingo from a couple years ago? (Tumblr doesn't like me apparently, so read fics below.) Also, like most of my new fics! Like I love the MitsuKiki fic I just posted today! It's so fluffy and warm and shares an origin story with said ObiYuki fic. Also, I'm a huge fan of my ZenYuki fluff for ZenYuki Week, particularly this one. And also, the one I wrote for constellations, because I always think of a ZenYuki fic I read years ago and loved! Also, I love the Tanbarun fic I wrote for ZenYuki Week, my brief detour from absolute fluff during that week. XD And to chill with one final link, one of my most recent HisaKiki fics also makes it to the list. (I also loved my Fantasy AU, but I don't feel like digging that one up to reshare it.) XD (Apparently Tumblr does reverse order or at least so far in drafts. So, starting from the bottom is the ones I'm mentioning.) (I also am forgetful of previous favorites if they are older. So, the fact that the ObiYuki one comes up at all, is because it's been on my mind lately. And cheers to the longest oneshot I've written thus far! Which is that ObiYuki one.) <3 <3 <3 (On a non-fanfic note, ZenYuki Month 2021? Like top tier one of my favorite things! <3 <3 <3 Also, Rare Pair Week last year.) <3 <3 <3

30. Saw the first episode of the anime before I read the first manga volume, but not by much. So, I kind of started both right around the same time somehow! XD So, technically anime, but I was reading volume one before I finished the anime!

[sabishi-tomo]

No worries!! Tumblr can be pretty finicky at times.

I didn't know you loved Kazuki so much!! He's a sweetheart, and such a cutie!! He definitely has good chemistry with Shirayuki (and looks up to her so much). Probably an overlooked ship since he has little brother vibes. I think he's probably older than he looks though. Maybe a couple of years younger than Shirayuki at most.

If I think of AnS as an otome, then Kazuki would probably be the route where they become besties. Kazuki helps Shirayuki reconnect with her dad (mostly Kazuki cajoling Mukaze into it), and you learn a lot more about Mukaze in this route. Kazuki is secretly pining for her, but Shirayuki thinks it's completely platonic despite Kazuki's best efforts, since her dad kinda took Kazuki in. It's also awkward for Kazuki because he's closer to Mukaze than Shirayuki herself and he feels guilty about that. It would be a slow burn for sure 😂. Mihaya would probably be in the mix teasing Shirayuki about it (but she totally misses the direct hints in those too lolz).

@sabishi-tomo So sorry I messed up the ask box and seem to have lost your ask request😭. But I took down the numbers so I'll answer them in this post! Thanks for the ask and this wonderful game!!💕💕

6. Character you would date in real life

After some serious thinking I would say🤔……Kazuki!😋 (Wait he's underage isn't he???) But let's just say if it's not illegal to date him x), I think it'll be fun to date someone who's a bit (you sure it's 'a bit'?) younger than me and who's always so cheerful and energetic wherever he goes. He's also simple-hearted and I think it's super cute(ˊ˘ˋ*)♡. Last but not least, JUST LOOK AT THAT FACE💗💗😍😍

Oh and yes I would date Tariga too just for his pretty face tyvm💕💕���🥰

8. Character that is most like you

Hisame, I suppose🤔?

Fun fact: I totally anticipated it when I found out Hisame was ENTP (tho ENTJ works for him too) cause I myself am an INTP and I can't help but notice how we both enjoy being snarky and sarcastic just for the fun of it x). And also in @sabishi-tomo 's quiz I got Hisame. I guess we do have more in common than I expected lol. For example I'd be a great match for Kiki YES🧎‍♀️

18. Your favorite rare pair

KAZUYUKI IS UNDERESTIMATED.

34. If you could ask Sorata-sensei anything, what would you ask?

Aside from the loads of questions I have about AnS, I'm genuinely interested in what influenced her most as an author/artist. I love the consistent positivity in almost all of her works and really wonder what works or things perhaps have influenced her in this regard. Or does this positivity just innately run in her blood? Lol. But it's not just the attitude and vibes in her work, I'm overall curious about what influenced her most as an artist.

[cozymochi]

Question, and ya ain't gotta answer

If Crowley somehow ever found a way to get Tia home, would she take the opportunity or would she stay in Twst?

Short answer: Yes, she would go home.

LONG ANSWER: Also yes, she would go home because she still has a life, family and friends to return to, and all of the work she has put into her dreams that can’t be for nothing. It’d be hard obviously cuz it’s not like what happened in twst was meaningless. She would has learned many lessons that gave her a new perspective on life that she can hopefully take back with her (assuming she remembers any of it, high key with how twst treats it’s own isekai plots with those book things— I feel like she wouldn’t remember entirely beyond just… vibes. Almost like a dream. But, I digress. That’s getting into meta analysis territory.)

👍

But!!! WHAT IF—— [BECOMES DELUSIONAL] in a fucked up twist I HOPE SHE MEETS PARALLEL VERSIONS OF THE TWST CAST IN HER WORLD!!! AND SHE CAN RE-MAKE CONNECTIONS ALL OVER AGAIN ONCE UPON A DREAM ANd—-

[moonshynecybin]

hi callie. i have come to bother you about pedrenzo again specificallyyyyy the fco au… either what they are up to in the og universe — what source of shenanigans are they starting, is Jorge single-handedly feeding the press with choice inadvisable quotes — OR. consider it an au of an au where they are forced to come out…

xoxo thank u

i DO think. dani and jorge are aware of what is going on and i think it’s met with. remember this is in the wake of vale turning the gun on marc and jorge and the nation of spain. minimal but still present sympathy. like the interesting thing about the aliens in this time period where they’re all beating the snot out of each other every weekend is that no one else is on their level or really understands them OR spends as much time with them as EACH OTHER. especially bc they’re paired off as teammates and in the same presscons and for podiums !! like they have to socialize !! it’s a necessity !! but they’re ALSO all in a four way collarbone dependent high stakes stand-off for the same fucking goal. so everyone (not dani really. he’s like that is fucked up but also trulyyyyy none of my business. a lil miffed but not like. marc level hurt or jorge level GOD i hate everyone in this bar. you know.) is RIGHTLY pissed off at vale but also. not really aligning with each other. they are not unionizing this is motogp we don’t do that here. or at least with marc lol. like they recognize it’s all wackadoodle clownshow but are also very much not close enough to marc at this time to really be the shoulder he leans on. and he doesn’t want to lean on them !!

so all this to sayyyyyy that they would be the only two people besides marc and vale with the full emotional context of the FCO plot universe. and would have no one to talk about it to but each other ❤️ and this is a gut feeling but i feel that they would LOVEEEEEEEEE to shit talk the rosquez-crazy, despite they themselves ignoring their five alarm level repression issues that are just barely keeping them from making out in the hallway outside the presscon room multiple times a weekend. they’re like wow thank god we aren’t that bad [was much worse for many years]

and then a fco au for them independently is. jorge addicted to instagram lorenzo and dani if i ignore it hard enough it will go away pedrosa. maybe the yaoi couple on the motogp grid LEAST equipped to deal with the fallout of a situation like that, ESPECIALLY in comparison to smiling assassins incorporated, who are happily (miserably.) lying to the press across the garage. like do pedrenzo even rope hondayamaha pr into it ? i don’t think so !

[fluffypotatey]

i feel like i wouldn't be surprised to see a deathswap au from you. "x dies instead of y" or "x never got out/didn't survive/wasn't revived/etc". to me those exist on two sides of either overworked grief porn or immaculate character analysis and you'd definitely knock it out of the park in the latter

DUDE THE FACT THAT I DO HAVE A CONCEPT FOR THAT akskdkdk

it’s an au of “What if Odysseus’s crew returned to Ithaca without him because he chose himself for Zeus’s punishment?” with a heavy dose of Eurylochus and his guilt over Odysseus that examines their relationship and the royal family like—

[splatcat64]

i had a really long convo with my friends about this but it really seriously feels like ppl get rhys and fionas characterization switched up HARD. this is bc of the u choose the path thing but also a heavy hand in the misogyny and racism (and general way ppl tend to approach pandorans due to being effected by how jack talked about them . LOL) fiona is such a sweetheart whos working her hardest to protect the people she loves + imo shes the one who helped vaughn grow into someone who adores pandora as well. it makes me blow up. i have a few songs that have been making me go nuts about her . hai i got excited sorry

NOOO DON’T APOLOGIZE FOR GETTING EXCITED I totally get it my god,,, this blog is becoming so tales centric I’m sorry not sorry here we go. If you haven’t seen tales and want to be mindful of light spoilers. ⚠️

This has been talked about on my side a bit but I tooootally agree, Both of their characterization gets switched up BAD and it’s absolutely insane, both Fiona and Rhys are good people, but flawed. Flawed, but good people, and it gets constantly jumbled around in the fandom. I feel like a lot of people have a really hard time grasping that “choose ur own adventure” protags still have a core personality set, especially telltale. I always use Lee TWGD as an example, because sure you can portray him as either very very confrontational, or more soft spoken and sweet, but in the end of th edgy he still killed someone. In the end of the day he still ALWAYS cares about Clem. It’s not any different for those two idiots, they still have their respective arcs and the such.

I feel like Fiona gets a lot of shit specifically BECAUSE she’s snarky and she. speaks her mind. And god forbid a POC/Black coded woman do ANYTHING. Jack really messed up ppls views on Pandorans but the look into Sasha and Fi’s life is literally just more, HEY, they’re people!! Maybe don’t listen to the GENOCIDAAAAL [big arrows pointing to the word] MANIAC. It’s thrown right at your face. People take wtv the fuck Jack says way to seriously when he lies. So much. All the time. And I don’t get why no one takes it with a pile of salt constantly. When really she does just have a heart of gold, most of her being mean is literally just playful banter like hello. Sasha’s meaner than her by a mile but Fi still gets slaaandered for it. And even tho Sasha does have her really mean moments I will defend her to the grave with strangers bcus “hating her” without a valid reason gets veeerry racy really quick and as a black person it really does rub me the wrong way sometimes. So much mischaracterization everywhere. It’s a weird mix of a patriarchal, misogynistic, racist deal with EVERY character in The Group and I’m just… how do you manage to mischaracterize everybody from a game that’s all story.

And the point I made in a post somewhere about how Rhys is written differently than a LOT of men in borderlands and ppl have ran with it and decided hey this guy actually sucks. Or hey haha this guy can’t do anything. He’s completely out of his element on Pandora, of course he’s stumbling somewhat but bro is brave as hell for that shit. He’s a completely capable dude, yes he cares about Fiona and Sasha and Vaughn. Yes they care about him. I feel like people also get it twisted because of Fiona and Rhys in the intros, but people gotta remember that they’re acting like that because the game was episodic and we weren’t rlly allowed to know that they’re super buddy buddy. That’s one gripe I have w the game is that they made Fiona seem like she HATED his ass in some of the future settings in the beginning of episodes and people took it way too literally. Please I beg they’re besties,,, you’ve never boxed with a bestie before??? Either way it’s obvious that it’s blown out of proportion especially after Rhys’ whole arc concludes. You’re supposed to be like oooh he’s like that cause we couldn’t know. You look at Fi and you’re supposed to like daaamn she really cares about him/them they were all just split apart after extremely traumatic events. [I’m gonna stop here with this point cause it’s starting to be a run on but people do not talk enough about how traumatic both Helios’ crash, the wreck, and Gortys’ first fight was for all of them.]

I’ve talked extensively with a friend about this too but Tales had a looot of budget issues during its making cause of Telltale nuking itself, and the game was meant to have more time. ALL of them were!!! I always think about maybe if they all got more time they’d be treated this way less. But yknow,, whatever I guess.

AND THE VAUGHN THING UR SO CORRECT GOD. I think she really help him crawl out of his shell for a lack of a better term, both the sisters tbh I feel like they’re a very rare and cute friendship pairing and I need to see more of Sasha daring him to do shit like in the Chimera dome. They all care sooo deeply for each other and people even manage to miss that like god. One of Rhys’ core traits if you don’t make him abysmally evil is loyalty. LOYALTY. Fiona hasn’t had many, hell if any friends since tales started, She is SUCH a caring person of course she’s gonna ride or die for her friends. Like that one scene on Helios where Rhys can ask her not to leave, And she’s like “If I wanted to leave, I would’ve done it a looong time ago.” There’s so many points in the game I could,d bring up that show how great all of them are, Fiona, after knowing him for not too long at all, tries to convince Vaughn to be brave, and that he can survive Bossanova’s race. Yes, she had to do that so they wouldn’t die, but she went out of her way to say it in a way that was reassuring enough. That’s sweet. If she didn’t care about them she wouldn’t have played cards on the roof with Rhys, or play bunkers and badasses with the boys, or I don’t know, let them LIVE IN WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY HER HOUSE FOR A YEAR. /ref ep.3 of tales. I’m being dramatic, of course there are factors that didn’t let her kick them out. But, my point stands.

That wasn’t meaaan that was playful reassurance, she’s telling him she’s THERE FOR HIM. They all care sooosososo much. If none of the, cared about each other, any “betrayal” wouldn’t mean that much. People get hurt like that because of their bonds and yes, YES I’m being opinionated but they’re like the found family ever, god. Fiona is fucking amazing and she wouldn’t put up with anyone if she didn’t either have to, or care, and after a certain point it’s very obvious that it’s not the first one.

TLDR; Tales is great, stan Fiona, stan Rhys, Stan Sasha and Vaughn,,, my glorious queens and kings. Forgive any typos or grammar I wrote this on a passionate whim,

[madame-mongoose]

tell me why when i told my sister i was playing fallout new vegas just to see a robot character she asked me "oh the one you were drawing porn of?" WHO FUCKING TOLD HER

[sabraeal]

Be Here With Me

[Read on AO3]

Written for @another-miracle, who longed for some good old WFB Established Obiyuki, and asked if I had any particular plans for when Obi finds out about that kiss he missed...:3c

There’s been more than a few first these past few days— Doc’s first time, of course, and her first second time, followed a few more hours (and a couple more interesting firsts) later by the first not-sick sick day she’s taken since she faked a fever to finish the last Warrior Cats book at age ten (the original series, she informs him precisely, I didn’t know there were more until I returned it to the library and there were two more on the shelf)— but Obi has to admit, this is the first time he’s walked into a sit-down dining experience before noon. Well, sober, at least.

Woulda been nice if it was something fancier than just the diner off campus, more accustomed to collapsed college freshmen and four am walks of shame than actual able-bodied academics playing hooky. Not that they particularly look it; he’s managed to get on a pair of jeans— under extreme duress, and only after a particularly daring set of thumbs made some pretty promising forays beneath his waistband— but Doc’s swallowed whole by his hoodie, hiding a set of pajama shorts that stop too far up her thighs for his neurons to fire right. The whole walk here, he’s been trailing behind, engaging in the sort of speculation that reminds him he knows just how far down Doc’s blush can go. Not participating in any higher level thought, that’s for sure.

“Oh good.” He settles into the booth— across from Doc, like a good boy; the kind that knows they’ll have more than just making the best of a morning to put their best foot forward— vinyl squealing under his weight. Last thing he needs is to let his wandering hands get them into trouble, not when all it takes to get those unshakable morals of hers to start trembling at the knee is a kiss behind her ear. “Couldn’t remember if this place had pictures on their menu or not.”

It’s wicked, the way that mouth of hers curls; like she doesn’t know for a fact that a little mischief will get him going all over again. And yet, when her own eyes glance up over the menu, bright and wide and far too green, there’s concern there too. “If you’re that tired, we could have slept in a little more.”

There she goes again with all the we stuff. And sleeping. Practically implying beds. All in the same sentence. Holding a bone in front of a hungry dog, that’s what she’s doing.

“Not tired, Doc.” How could he be, when he’s got more than eight whole hours the past two nights, dead to the world while she was tucked into his arms? “Jaw just aches. You know, from all the hard work I’ve been doing lately.”

He doesn’t need to add the wink, not when she’s already pink all the way from the zipper of his hoodie to the arch of her hairline, but he does anyway, grinning as she ducks behind her menu.

“Do you know what you’re going to get?” she asks, just a little too loud, the tips of her ear burning pink where they peek out from her ponytail. “The parfait looks good to me! I wonder if they make their own granola, or…?”

She runs out of steam, unable to imagine a world where someone with an industrial kitchen would buy kashi wholesale instead of making the house smell like burnt cereal at eight am. “I think you’ll be lucky if there’s real fruit at the bottom and not just Danimals scooped into a glass. Their usual crowd doesn’t really care about where the food comes from, just as long as they can get it in their mouth.”

Doc swivels in her seat, surveying their fellow diners— retirees, mostly, in groups of two or three, or sometimes a solitary man with his paper— and frowns. “I don’t know if that’s very nice to say…”

“I meant the drunk kids, not the geriatrics. You don’t make bank off of grandpas buying a coffee and an egg, over easy.” No, they’re looking for the stoners who shell out for a whole cheesecake, or the post-club crowd looking to soak up all the Bicardi they’ve drowned themselves in. “Dunno why you’re bothering with your bird food when your body’s got to be dying for carbs. Gotta replenish all those calories you’ve burned going hard like that for the last— what, thirty-six—?”

“Obi!” Her hands clap to her cheeks, blushing right down to her palms, and haah, what was he thinking, letting her sit all the way across the tabletop, right where he can’t press his lips to her neck and really make her squeak. “We’re— there’s people—”

“Don’t worry, Doc, I’ll behave.” Badly, maybe, but hey, that’s a type of behavior, isn’t it? “As for me, I’m getting whatever sounds like it’s describing the Big Guy. You know, Lumberjack’s Best Breakfast, or Hungry Man’s Brunch Special, or Eight Inches of Sausage—”

“I get it!” she yelps, holding up her hands, like somehow a show of surrender would slow him down, let alone stop him. But he gives her the satisfaction this time, snatching up one of her hands and kissing it soundly across the knuckles. “You’re incorrigible, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told,” he hums, letting his tongue flick out between her fingers before she snatches it away. She can scowl all she likes, but it’s no good— he can see the smile she’s hiding too, sneaking around at the corners of her mouth. “I think it’s one of my best traits.”

“Hey there, friends, y’all ready to order?”

Doc nearly jumps out of her skin, glancing up at the server like she'd been caught with her hand caught in the cookie jar. “Ah…um…I think so.”

The woman smiles, too knowing as she darts her eyes between them— and thankfully, too subtle for Shirayuki. “What can I get you two?”

“Oh, well, hm.” She frowns down at the menu, the wrinkle between her eyebrows just begging to be kissed. “The pancakes do sound good, but…”

*

For all her waffling over potential breakfast options— the server had barely turned her back before she started in with those forest nymph fueled seconds thoughts; maybe I should have asked for yogurt on the side, or do you think there was a whole wheat option? Fiber is important for gastrointestinal health, Obi— Doc wastes no time in packing away the pancakes, all of her bird-like appetite gone north for the summer.

He should be chowing down on his own breakfast— god knows he could use the calories, the way they’ve been going at it. The way they’ll still be going at it, if he gets his way, once they top off. And it’s not like he isn’t eating— there’s a perfect strip of bacon pinched between his fingers, nearly chomped down to the knuckle, and he’s already got his next victim picked out from the plate they’ve crowded next to his other two— it’s just that he can’t bear to take his eyes off her, can’t even let himself blink in case this all turns out to be a dream. Because this can’t be his life, right? Sitting across from Doc, half-naked under his hoodie, the memory of her soft and squirming under him— and over him, and curled against his chest— still fresh in his mind.

There’s a pause for juice between pancake one and two, and Doc lets her eyes flicker up over the rim, searching for him with the ease of habit— god, how many times has she done that and he’s been too stupid to notice? Doesn’t matter, not when their eyes meet, that endless green nearly swallowing him whole, taking the breath right out of his lungs— before it skitters away, leaving only the faintest hint of pink behind. The only proof that anything happened at all, and haah, he’s definitely missed that before. Caught only the blush and thought it was exertion, or nerves, or a hundred other things that weren’t about climbing him.

But he knows different now. Knows that when he had her pressed up against the wall after exams, she’d wanted him to close that space too. Knows that when they shared that bed at conference, she’d been dying for him to try something, anything just to have a reason to jump his bones. That she’d sat in a booth for two whole hours with Bob and Gayle, thinking about about how much she wanted him. Not just his mouth on her, introducing her to a whole new spectrum of color, but this. The idea of just being able to reach out and know he’d reach back. That she belonged somewhere. With him.

His hand claps over his mouth, real casual, hiding his grin. As if that’d ever been a question. She had him at, go hug a tree.

“Are you okay, Obi?” Doc’s eyes aren’t skittering away now; no they’re fixed dead on him, dropping only to take in his meager contributions to his meal, before bobbing back up with even more concern. “You’ve barely touched your breakfast.”

“What, me?” He shakes his head, hoping it might clear it, just a little. Enough to actually hold a conversation, instead of just staring dreamily at her, ridiculously down bad. “Nah, nah, don’t worry about me, Doc. Just got distracted.”

That smooth brow of hers furrows, begging for him to press his mouth to it. “Distracted?”

Haah, busted. “It’s nothing, really. Just thinking that this wasn’t really how I saw our first date going.”

Her eyelashes flutter, not coy but confused, and god, why the hell did he think sitting across from her was a good idea again? He can’t even kiss her from here. “Really?”

“Yeah, I really thought it’d be somewhere nice. One of those really bougie places where you gotta dress up all nice. No ripped jeans and hoodies, you know? Really try to impress you.” His mouth slants before he can catch it, flashing teeth. “After all, you’re used to the finer things now, aren’t you?”

“Hah, no, I really”—her hand snakes out, slipping under where his sprawls across the table, so warm compared to the formica— “I really like this. Just being with you. I don’t need all the other stuff.”

How’s he supposed to eat if his mouth’s gonna go dry on him like this? “But the other stuff is nice right? That’s what everyone wants, isn’t it? Something special.”

“It’s special whenever you’re with me. I don’t need all the other stuff. Really. I”— she flushes guiltily, fingers flexing around his— “I always thought all those garden parties and art museums and galas and stuff were kinda…stuffy?”

“Really?” That was the kind of stuff girls were supposed to like; dressing up and riding in limos and being treated like a princess. The sort of stuff he’d never be able to manage with a bank account he’d only just stopped struggling to keep in the black. “But you always seemed to like it?”

“Because you were there.” There’s too much honesty shining in those eyes of hers as she says, “I think I’d like anything, so long as I did it with you.”

His breath catches, burning in his chest, and— and he can’t take this kind of shit. Oh, he can handle her wanting him, can handle her looking at him and seeing skin and teeth and a cock that can make her meet Jesus on demand, but this—

Well, he’s come a long way from throwing fists just to feel something, but there are some things that are still too good for him. “So we’ll be booking our root canals side-by-side, eh, Doc?”

She’s too polite to roll her eyes, but he earns every bit of her deadpan, “It’d be better than doing it alone.”

God, she really is too good for him. Real stealing-an-angel-from-heaven territory.

“Besides, it’s not like this our actual first date.”

Obi’s chin jerks up from where he’d been shoveling in pancakes, eyes too wide. He relaxes them, his whole body easing into a laugh he only half feels. “What do you mean, Doc? We’ve only been together forty-eight hours, and this is the first time we’ve made it out the front door.”

“Oh! Well, sure. But there was the dating auction too, right?” Her fork rests against her plate, smile softening into something too warm, too fond to be wrapped around a memory of him. “You took me out to the aquarium, remember? And then did dinner down by the harbor, and stayed in the nicest hotel I’d ever been in. At least at that point.”

Five stars were a dime a dozen now that Izana had them running around playing nicey-nice with board members and billionaires. But back then he’d still been used to motels and Holiday Inns, thinking anything with a better star rating than a van parked down the river was a luxury. Having Kiki put him up in some high rise and apologizing for a lack of a penthouse suite had been nothing short of living out one of those movies where some ten year old found a blank check and cashed it for millions of dollars.

But that’s not what he’s thinking about right now. Not when she’s looking at him, all earnest, reminding him of that stupid date, and all he can remember is— is—

The way the tank lights had fallen across her, waves of blues and greens and the bleeding edge of purple, muting the normal riot of red down to something softer, something he could reach out and touch. How she’d looked up, wonder radiating from her like his own personal sun, and he’d known down to every last cell in his body— he was fucked. That every other person on the planet would pale next to how she made him feel, so overwhelmed and full and…

And something he’d have to take to the fucking grave, because she was supposed to belong to someone else. Because it was impossible for her to want someone like him when the Boss Man existed, willing to give her the sort of life only Cinderella could dream of. And now—

Now all he can say is, “I thought you said that wasn’t a real date.”

“Oh, I…” She flushes, pink all the way past his zipper, but it’s not pleased, it’s flustered. No, sad. “I wish I’d never said that. I didn’t mean it like…”

It was stupid of him to say anything in the first place, a real fucking mood ruiner, but he still can’t stop himself from saying, “Like…?”

“It was just easier than…than admitting that I…” She shakes her head, as if it might help the words fall into order like one of those sliding puzzles. “We were just about to leave for Lyrias, and everything was changing, and I just— I was trying so hard to keep everything. For the first time in…in a long while, it felt like I had everything right, and I just wanted to keep it the way it was. Especially when…”

“When you already had Zen?” That’s when they’d been the closest, after all. They’d disappeared the night before she left, and he’d been sure, been certain that they’d sealed the deal, and not just blindly fumbling to second base. It’d even seen fitting then, a really romantic now-or-never situation that even his lovelorn ass could appreciate.

She grimaces. “When I didn’t think you could possibly like me. Not like that, I mean. You’d already said you didn’t really do dating, and I'm not really, um…”

God, he’s such an idiot.

“Doc, you gotta learn: I don’t mean half of what I say.” He squeezes her hand, fingers knitting together. “I thought I was going to crawl right out of my skin I liked you so much. I’d never really…”

Loved anyone before. It’s right there, at the tip of his tongue, and— it’s obvious, isn’t it? That he does. It’s just— it’s too soon. Not something you just come out and say, no matter how natural it seems.

“Wanted anyone the way I wanted you,” he finishes lamely. It’s close enough to what he means. They trick-or-treat in the same neighborhood, at least. “Really, I can’t believe I even slept. I thought I’d be up all night, thinking about…”

What you’d do if I tried anything. Another thing he should keep to himself. Not necessary to admit is that he ended up being ten-for-ten on noises he thought she’d make during sex. “Stuff.”

“Stuff?” Her mouth twitches, and it’s his only warning before she hums, “Oh, because you’ve been…how did you put it…’crazy about me since you met me?’”

He’s not the sort to blush— hell, he’s not even the kind of guy that regularly experiences shame— but apparently every blood vessel in his cheeks has simply been biding its time for this moment, right here. “D-Doc, you may not know this, but you can’t hold a guy responsible for things he said when you were holding his dick.”

Her teeth sink into her bottom lip, worrying it as she asks, “So does that mean…it wasn’t true?”

“Hrgh…no.” His hand flexes, wanting to dig into the ache in his shoulder, right where the knife went through-and-through, but it’s busy, currently. Holding her. “It’s true, it’s just…not nice! You gotta know, guys don’t have any control over their mouths when you touch ‘em like…like that.”

“Oh…?” There’s a mischievous glint in her eye as she lifts her fork, ready to start in on pancake three. “I’ll have to remember that.”

What on earth was he thinking, letting her be this far away. Sure, civilized people keep a table between them, but that’s the thing— smiles like that don’t make Obi want to behave. No, he wants to be just like the jerk he was in Georgia, crowding Doc into the corner of the booth, barely able to keep his hands off her and not really trying. Riding the line of public decency, just because—

“Is it always like this?”

She blinks up, head tilting in question. “Is what like what?”

“Getting together. Being together.” He’d fucked a lot of girl before, but he’s never done this— dating. “You know, comparing notes. Finding out how much you liked each other when. Knowing that you wanted me to kiss you every time I wanted to kiss you the last few months. Really changes like…everything.”

Certainly puts it into perspective, at least. Even if knowing that stupid ringtone was what sent her over the edge does make him want to shove his head in the sink. Just the fact that she was thinking about him every time they sat next to each other, just as much of a live wire as he was, waiting for him to make a move, or for her to get up the courage to make her own—

The whole world might as well be different now. A nicer place. One where everything’s coming up Obi, or whatever.

“I don’t know.” It’s so soft, he almost doesn’t hear it, lost beneath the cowl neck of his hoodie. “Zen and I never actually got to this part.”

Well. That certainly wasn’t on his bingo card.

“I guess it would have been obvious for you guys,” he admits, trying not to scratch the itch that’s settled right beneath his skin. “Don’t need to ask when sparks flew with a meet cute like that.”

“No, it’s not…not that.” A finger curls over her mouth, tracing her lips in an absent way that is torturous, considering how much he’d like to be kissing them. “It’s just…we could never really admit that there was something. We had all these moments, but we couldn’t string them together into anything like a relationship.”

His jaw hangs open, only managing a, “Huh.”

“He wasn’t mine.” She isn’t looking at him, just furrowing her brow down toward where the rest of her pancake sits, untouched. “So I wasn’t really ever…”

His. Obi licks his lips, trying on a grin for size. “So you’re trying to say you’re mine, Doc?”

“Am I?” She shakes herself, a smile burning bright when she aims it at him. “You’re the one who always said we come as a matched set, aren’t you?”

“Haah.” He scrubs at the back of his neck, heat simmering too close to the surface of his skin. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

He just hadn’t expected it to be true. With a glance at Doc, happily tucking into pancake number three, he decides: it’s kinda great it is, though.

*

“At least I can say I did our first kiss right.”

It’s a bit from left field, he’ll give it to her, but still, there’s no reason for her to stop mid-chew, stiff as a deer in headlight. No, more like a rabbit caught in a fox’s path; frozen and actively looking for exits. “O-oh, really?”

“Yeah, I mean, we got a little more…hm…convincing later for the other kids, but” — he twitches his shoulder, trying not to look directly at her— “I was a gentleman under the mistletoe, wasn’t I? Not too much tongue. Treated you like a lady.”

“Oh.” She slaps a napkin over her mouth to keep ground up pancake from falling from it. “That kiss. Right, yes. Of course. Very…gentlemanly.”

That’s not…a typical response. “That kiss?”

“Yes.” Doc can’t lie for the life of her, and clearly she’s not about to start now. Not when she's too busy trying to look anywhere but at him to come up with anything convincing. “That kiss. The one we both think of as our first kiss.”

“Doc…” It seems impossible, but the more she squirms, sweating— as Gayle would say— like a sinner in church, there’s not a whole lot of other explanation. “You can’t be trying to tell me we kissed before that. I’d remember. It’d leave an indelible mark on my soul, or whatever.”

Or at least have been fuel for possibly the guiltiest jack off session he’d had since he was thirteen, but that’s not the sort of thing he’s about to tell her. They haven’t even paid the check yet.

“That is what you would think, isn’t it,” she says, noncommittal, her too-big eyes rolled skyward. Or at least ceiling-ward. “As a rational, thinking person.”

“No way. You have got to be kidding me.” He taps his fingers on the table, restless. “What, was I drunk or something?”

By the sudden bloom of pink over her cheeks, he can’t be far off the mark. “I was drunk?” he coughs out, hoping he’s not as flushed as he feels. “Really? I was drunk, and you took advantage—?”

“I would never—!”

“No, I change my mind, that’s kinda hot,” he decides, giving her his most wolfish grin— and is instantly rewarded with her shiver. “You crowding me into some dark corner, telling me to come bend down and—”

“Excuse me!” she shrills, primly. “You were the one cornering me!”

That hauls him up a bit, working through that mental math. “Okay, I can believe it. But what I can’t believe is that you wouldn’t give me the business about it. I can accept that maybe it was a surprise, but you could fend me off, even if I was trashed six ways to Sunday.”

“Well,” she starts lamely, “you picked me up!”

My, my. Isn’t that a picture?

“I picked you up? Drunk?” Now that’s some skill, on his part. Almost too bad he missed it. “Still. Mihaya doesn’t piss himself for nothing when you walk by. I think you coulda taken me.”

Pink deepens to a red so hot he’s half tempted to ask the kitchen for raw eggs, just to see if they’d cook. Even ducked behind his cowl he can see it, burning bright right on the apples of her cheeks. So biteable, in his opinion. “I…maybe…wasn’t trying very hard to stop you.”

A laugh bursts out of him, half a honk, and she admits, “I maybe was trying to encourage you. A little bit.”

“Encourage me? Really now.” He leans closer to purr, “Now you really gotta paint this picture for me. Where’d it happen?”

“The…the lab Christmas Party,” she squeaks, eyes meeting his for a second before scurrying off to survey the sugar packets. “It was time to head out, and I couldn’t find you in the restaurant, so I had to go into the—”

He holds up a hand, stopping her short. “Please don’t tell me it was in the bathroom.”

The last thing he needs is to find out drunk bathroom hook ups are his MO. That it’s a thing. His closer, or whatever. He can’t even remember if this place had nice ones or not.

“Um…” Her head tilts. “No, it was…outside them? I met you as I came out.”

“Thank god,” he mutters.

“Excuse me?”

“Never mind.” He waves his hand before dropping it to the table. “Continue.”

“Ah, that’s…mostly it. I asked if you were ready to go home, and you, um…” Oh, by the way even her neck goes pink, whatever play he made, it worked. “You said you’d take me home anytime. And then I said that I was taking you home, and you, um…suggested you weren’t very partial to the particulars.”

Not his best work, but clearly Doc was an obliging audience. “And then I picked you up?”

The sugar packets must be riveting. “Some other things happened first.”

His mouth curls. “But it was good, right? Even though I was three sheets to the wind.”

“Four sheets by that point.” She glances up at him, and oh, the shade of pink she turns is answer in itself. “And yes. Really good. Wait, where are you—?”

Obi flashes her the receipt in his hand. “I’m going to go pay for this, and then we are going home.”

She blinks. “Why?

“Because I feel like I’m missing a few key details here.” His smile must be wound just as tight as he is, at this point. “I’m going to need a dramatic reenactment.”

*

When he finds his voice again— much, much later— Obi rumbles out, “Well, I suppose I’ve got a few things to apologize for.”

Doc lifts her head from his chest, sweat-soaked at her hairline. “What do you mean?”

“I kissed you like that and barely a week later we were at Bob and Gayle’s, sharing a bed.” A shark’s smile spreads his lips, earning him a very skeptical furrow of her brow. “And then we kissed. A very gentlemanly kiss, when you knew I could do all that…”

“Well,” she murmurs, pressing her lips to where his scar cuts across his collarbone. “Not all of that.”

“Still.” He’s got to press his advantage now, before she figures out that shiver is for her, or catches his toes already curling. “Musta been hard for you…knowing how good I could kiss you. Having to pretend everything was the same. Not a single other soul to tell that you’d tasted of…forbidden fruit…”

He earns every inch of the grimace she gives him, but still, there’s something else to it. A hesitation. A lie.

Obi blinks. “You told someone?”

“No! No. I didn’t tell anyone…”

There it is, that flinch again. That…omission.

“Someone saw us?” Ah, there it is, the wince of truth. “Who? Don’t tell me it was Lata, I don’t think I could live it down if—”

“Not Lata,” she assures him. Still, it’s a moment before she brings herself to mumble, “It was Suzu.”

“Suzu?” Oh, the betrayal runs deep on that one. Bro knows how he feels about her, and he still—

“It’s not his fault,” she’s quick to inform him, firm enough to sweep the retribution from his mind. For now. “I sword him to secrecy.”

Doesn’t that just figure. Get drunk once in a whole calendar year, and not only does he miss kissing the girl of his dreams, but, worse, doesn’t see her threaten a man head and shoulders taller than her into keeping quiet. That’ll teach him to drink those cute little cocktails again.

“Really?” It’s a struggle not to laugh. “Why?”

“Because I never planned on telling you.”

This time a laugh does rumble out of him. “I think that’s my line.”

“Well, sure, but…” A frustrated flush breaks out over the highest parts of her cheeks. “I wasn’t your type.”

“Doc.” He’s already reaching out for her, crushing her closer. “You’re my only type.”

“Well, I know that now,” she huffs, muffled against his chest. “But you were…handsome! And…experienced! So if you were interested, clearly you would have— Obi!”

The yelp is satisfying, but it’s the way she softens beneath him that’s really going to get him in trouble, her legs hitching around his hips with no encouragement from him. Like they belong there.

“What are you doing?” she breathes, already pulling him closer.

“What I should have done months ago,” he hums, pressing a kiss to where her pulse thrums through her neck, earning himself that sweet little sigh. “I’m going to show you just how much of my type you are.”

[good-beans]

Hi! "ML Up until now it's been like a dream" sounds interesting!

Aw thanks! I'm impressed you could scope out my one Mikoto wip...

It's a little normal au 0309 thing from Fuuta's pov. The general premise is that Mikoto crashes his bike on his way to work, gets a concussion, has (non-John-related) memory issues, and Fuuta is compelled to look after him. I wanted a fun comparison of videogame restarts/second chances -- Fuuta says something rash and the conversation gets weird, until a few minutes later when Mikoto has a lapse in short term memory, and Fuuta gets to try the exact same situation again. By the end of the day, Fuuta is using the situation to very carefully test out compliments/confessions since there's no pressure it'll be remembered and he'll have to deal with the consequences. It's basically my timeloop fic without a timeloop 😂

The title was the first thing that popped into my head (as all my first working titles are) and comes from a story from my dad's childhood when he got a concussion and his short term memory kept resetting. He kept telling his family "You know, up until now it's been like a dream!" until his brother quoted it back to him and he went "how did you know I was gonna say that??" It started as a silly joke title, but Mikoto has the whole line about dreaming, so I'm keeping an eye out if there's a way I can actually work it into the fic !!

[nokaru]

For the AnS asks: 13, 15, 16, 23, and 32 pleaseee.

(I'll answer yours too soon, I promise!!)

Lmao no worries hun I will be waiting patientally :) ty for the ask! I let my toxic side out 💀

13. Favorite scene or line

ohh definitely this Obi line when he was talking to Torou about Zen and Co.:

If we're talking scenes my favs are whenever the OT3 or OT5 are just vibing together and living their wholesome and silly slice of life all together (OT3 Lyrias date, OT5 sleepover before coronation ect ect...)

15. Your controversial take

Lyrias👏arc👏wasn't👏that👏good👏 it was quite boring in fact IM ENDING MY SILENCE

It will never be as good as the other arcs no matter how cool the winter aesthetic is and no matter how cute and fun the new characters are. The plot itself was ehhh and the pandemic and OT3 date was probably the most interesting thing that had happened there. It will never be Tanbarun or Bergatt arc and that's on that 💅

AND ANOTHER THING! omg I just remembered. Shirayuki leaving her patient in the Perfume arc just like that (girlie was traumatized and recovering still) and going with Obi and Eisetsu to rescue Ryuu and Kageya was quite pointless imo (and bit ooc for Shirayuki? Is it just me??) Like I understand it was about Ryuu so ofc she came but I don't think she played that crucial part in the rescuing (she noticed the secret msg from Ryuu and knew about the herbs effects so she was a good addition but I just can't get over 'leaving your sick and very traumatized patient moments after the accident' move) 🤷🏻‍♀️

16. Something that you had wished had happened

I wish we got to explore more of the characters pasts and backstories. AND BRING TOROU AND MIHAYA BACK! Torou could have been a great fuel for Obi and his character development....a missed opportunity man 😭 I think sensei makes the mistake of making interesting and appealing side characters just to forget about them later a lot (?), even when they are relevant to the plot or not. It's a shame, really. But I can't blame her I suppose.

Like you also mentioned before: wishing the separation arcs weren't as long. AMEN! OT5 should get more time to spend all together. That much of a separation was just ...??? uknow

23. Favorite fancontent that you've created

You guys should appreciate me for this masterpiece and I'm super proud of this one and this one from the early stages of my art :)

and this zenyuki cause I even suprised myself with that.

32. The best part of the fandom

yall my darlings <33 everyone in the discord server made my fandom experience so much more enjoyable so thanks yall for that <3

also ppl who are big fans of side characters are the real ones i know we've got quite lot of these. I also feel like we have so many talented writers, artists, editors and creators! and ppl who post ans news, manga panels and analysis are so amazing too!

Ohhh plus I think our fandom has a great attention to detail (just like sensei!) and just seeing ppl pinpoint stuff I otherwise wouldn't notice myself is pretty cool.

[sabishi-tomo]

yes hello hi me again <3 Let's also throw in 16., 18. and 32. ^^

16. Something that you had wished had happened From a narrative perspective, I really wish Shirayuki had moved into Wilant already... it's been dragging a bit longer than necessary. I've probably exhausted everyone by how many times I've mentioned that of late 🙈.

18. Your favorite rare pair Answered it here in length! In short, RajiYuki, TarigaYuki, ObiZen, MitsuZen. Also HisaKiki if it counts as a rare pair but everyone knows I'm maniacal and insufferable about them, lol.

32. The best part of the fandom This is the only fandom I've seriously been a part of for any extended amount of time, and honestly it's because of how welcoming and warm the community is. The AnS Discord feels like family. It was also a place of solace during a really difficult period in my life, so thank you guys 🥺🥺. This community means a lot to me.

Thank you for the asks ❤️❤️. Full list here.

[staryarn]

Care yoooou i hope you can have a bwttwr time evntually

YOu deaerve the world(/platonic/lighthearted)

Tyty

[blackberry-bloody]

Among Us AU and/or Pirate AU - @emmettverse

SO- I wanna do both. So this is going under a cut.

Among Us AU:

Research ship with a bunch of my ocs. (I believe iirc; Jane, Phoenix, Ian, Ryan, Berkley, Octavian, Dayzel, Mibium, Rupert, and Nox). With a bunch of cliques and distrust.

Imposter/Alien ends up on board somehow and takes the form/place of someone but keeps them alive but hidden.

Others start to notice things off about the replaced person. But it's hard bc not everyone is as close to them.

People start getting super paranoid. And they end up locking one of them in the brig until things start getting better. Spoiler alert... It doesn't

Imposter then realizes too much sus on the form they're currently taking. so they take another person and take their form. keeping the og person as well, but now mostly drugged up and unconscious.

Basically it's a lot of emotional whump and mindfuckery between couples and friends

---

Pirate AU:

MORE DAYZEL AND MIBIUM

Rival pirates <3

All human

Dayzel is the husband of a Pirate Captain, Nox, and best friend to his first mate Rupert

Mibium is a Pirate Captain!

They end up running into each other and Dayzel and Mibium end up flirting in between sword battles

They actually start to get feeling for each other- Uh-oh!

Dayzel is contemplating leaving Nox and tells Rupert. Doesn't say why.

Rupert's like "Sure!" and stages a coup and leaves Nox for dead

Before taking Dayzel for himself

Dayzel is distraught and is freaking the fuck out

Mibium of course catches up and finds Nox and finds out what happened

Mibium goes to rescue Dayzel and confronts Rupert leading to a huge battle

Eventually Dayzel takes advantage of the chaos and escapes

Joins the fight alongside Mibium and they kick ass together

Dayzel runs Rupert through and kills him

---

Ask from here

[fish-at-fish-fish-resort]

getting emotional about splatoon again. god. that fucking squid makes me feel things about my own life im crying all over my yogurt