#Because I am in art school and I need him to share my suffering

[lyxthen-reblogs]

...Thank you for reminding me I should be writing essay about Ace Attorney (<-We were assigned to pick a form of "unconventional media" that relates to a relevant social problem, in this case corruption) for my aesthetics class.

You don't understand I need him to be a bitch...

Wanted to sorta further explore what Feen would have been as an art major and the type of behavior that goes alongside it. I have seen some discussions about his characterization and it made my gears turn.

Just, the idea of him being just as petty back then is hilarious to me. Most likely had much less of a filter than at the present. Bro would act like he knows everything and if you dared to question his sense of aesthetics, you'd be called a philistine.

He most likely was quite knowledgeable about dramatic literature and art, also eloquent too since its kinda needed in that department. Probs used fancy frou frou talk for art and drama analysis. Art majors be that way. He would be insufferable.

[ana-bananya]

Support the Jad Al Haq family

I've been asked by the family to make this post to help clear up the rumors of fraud surrounding them. All of these campaigns have been vetted by trustworthy sources and I have linked proof of verification for each of them. You may see similar photos and wording in their campaigns, but that is because they are all sisters.

Please share and donate where you can to help the Jad Al Haq family be able to reunite with Doaa in Egypt.

kr85,535 SEK/kr300,000 SEK

SEK conversation rate calculator

@dodoomar12345 and her son Omar evacuated to Egypt. Omar is autistic and nonverbal, and is suffering from shock and trauma caused by the bombings he and his mother lived through.

Doaa is seeking to get Omar therapy and enroll him in school, but she needs support to cover the expensive weekly fees for his treatment. Her campaign has been vetted by 90-ghost.

$3,694/$5,000

@free-gaza2 is Doaas other account for her second campaign. This fundraiser is to help her purchase the equipment she needs to restart her sewing and embroidery business so she can support herself and Omar. It was also verified by 90-ghost.

$3,481/$65,000

Vetted by 90-ghost

This fundraiser is for 3 of Doaa's sisters: Tahreer, Fidaa, and Aseel. All of them were recently forced to evacuate where they were sheltering and find themselves displaced again. The funds will be used to help them afford necessities and evacuation so they can join Doaa in Egypt.

@tahreer1990 and her husband Ahmed have 4 children: Fatima, Khamees, Sarah, and Ameer. Ameer is a toddler with a broken pelvis and in desperate need of medical care. Khamees also recently underwent a tonsillectomy without proper conditions/medications due to a severe infection.

@fedao and her husband Hashem have 4 children: Dima, Abdullah, Islam, and Duaa. Hashem has an arm injury and needs medical care.

@aseelo680 is a young ambitious English student who is taking care of their elderly parents. Both their mother and father need treatment to help with their medical conditions, but Aseel cannot afford the care they need. Her father also recently suffered a stroke after losing his home, job, and relatives.

Aseel also has a second fundraiser to help with her parents' treatment and evacuation.

$6,693/$20,000

Vetted by 90-ghost

@/ebenrosetaylor is also doing an art raffle for Aseel's fundraiser. You can read the details here.

£7,301/£20,000

246 on the verified fundraiser spreadsheet vetted by nabulsi and el-shab-hussein

@hanaa987 and her husband Muhammad have a 2 year old son named Youssef. Their family has now been displaced more than 6 times. They were recently forced to evacuate Khan Younis and were able to afford another tent thanks to the donations they received, but they still need support so they can afford evacuation.

$6,000/$75,000

Vetted by 90-ghost

@safaa18mero is a law school graduate who dreamed of becoming a lawyer to support her family. She is currently in need of support to afford milk and diapers for her 5 month old son Amir who she gave birth to during this genocide.

$8,022/$40,000

Vetted by 90-ghost

Additional information can be found here

@falestine-yousef and her husband have a 3 month old son named Youssef that Falestine gave birth to during this genocide. She is struggling to provide enough milk, diapers, medicine, and vitamins for her son. She also fears for Youssef's health because of the unsanitary conditions in their camp. The tent they live in is next to a dilapidated public toilet where sewage, dirt and waste is everywhere, putting her family at greater risk of contracting deadly diseases.

[sancta-seraphina]

Can yo u talk about some of the changes please? Just curious! but only if their not too spoilery

Hi anon,

I want to start this by saying I really did love the old 2019 version of Holiest. I think it's better now, but I loved that original version.

Actually, the longevity of the project is something a lot of people might not know about, so I wouldn't mind commenting on that, but after I answer the question.

About the chapters themselves:

One of the immediate changes for previous readers is that the entirety of the first chapter has been rewritten. It is much longer.

Chapters 2 through 5 have been reworked to accommodate for the removal of some characters (a separate topic).

Chapters 6, 7, and 8... I decided I didn't like, so those have been rewritten too. The content itself stayed the same. I just didn't like the writing, I felt it no longer reflected my writing style. I kept some things where I could suffer them, though. They also have some sparkly new scenes, which I will talk about below.

Chapter 9 is currently planned to be the same, however, I may just decide that I hate it. In which case, it will suffer the same fate as 6, 7, and 8 (same content, just rewritten).

As mentioned, a huge change was the removal of some of the characters who were, in my opinion, complicating and distracting from the story. This also included reducing the number of POVs (some scenes were simply rewritten to be from a different POV). Currently we have Lucifer as the main POV of the story for obvious reasons, with other scenes from the POV of Beelzebub, Jehoel, and newly, Metatron. The only thing that upsets me about this is that those characters who were removed were female, and my cast does not satisfy me in terms of having a lot of female characters.

Metatron is another significant change. Previously, he was only in three (3) scenes in the entire story, because I didn't actually need him until the last chapters despite him being so important (unlike The Harrowing, where he has a prominent role, Lord save us). But Metatron became really popular on my instagram, so I decided to work in more scenes with him and also to write from his POV [which you can get a preview of in today's excerpt].

The plot? Is the same. The worldbuilding? Also the same.

The map? I'm ignoring it (by which I mean procrastinating), BUT I've also made additional maps for the novel that can be previewed on my [patreon]. The illustrations? Uh, are not going to be the same and I'm kicking myself for it.

The method of publication? Totally different, it's no longer free—it's going to be a physical book now.

Anyways I hope that answered your question without spoiling too much.

The other thing that I wanted to discuss is the longevity of the project.

Although I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself right now to get the novel back out there, Holiest is nothing new, both to my long-term followers (hello to anyone who knew me in grad school or earlier, and also to all those who re-followed me upon changing blogs), and also to my life in general. It didn't have a name until 2016 or 2017 (I forget which), but my main character, yes I'm talking about Lucifer, literally dates back to 2007 and I still have my first drawing of him with that timestamp. Maybe I'll be brave enough to share it one day.

And the story has always had the same themes, even from its beginning days in '07, '08, and '09: with a heavy emphasis on mental illness/psychosis (of the devil in particular), angels in Hell, and Revelation-inspired visions/hallucinations.

As mentioned, the novel itself was completed in 2018 (I did not write during college/grad school due to lack of time, and I graduated in 2015. I do have endless artworks of the characters from throughout my time in college) and I began publishing in August of 2019. Also my patreon itself dates back to 2017.

But I like to take my time when creating, don't outsource my illustrations to others (please understand how much time art takes), and I am a company dancer in a ballet. So yes, it has been over five years now since first putting it online.

Anyways, although it's been updated, it is not changing in terms of what it is, it has been here for a VERY long time (which others can attest to), and it is also NOT going away.

[hiwelcometothemonstersancturary]

The people at the head of Mob Games apparently had a lot of history with Bendy, making a lot of fan animations for it. With that in mind, do you think Poppy Playtime takes a bit too much inspiration from Bendy and the Ink Machine at times, even to the point of being a rip off?

[computer voice] ALERT! SOMEONE ASKED A DOLL FAN IF THEY THINK SOMETHING IS A RIP OFF. ALERT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL-

Ahem. As someone who's a doll enjoyer (Monster High my BELOVED!), I must say that calling anything a rip off is strange, to say the least. I remember back in the day when Bratz and Monster High fans were at each other's throats thanks to MGA releasing Bratzillas, aka the witch/horror-themed line for Bratz in order to compete against Monster High. And at the time I did call it a rip-off, I won't lie, I was and still am a MH girlie, however, taking a look at it again, they were two extremely different things that used the same fundamentals, aka horror, fashion and a themed school, to explore different things.

I do believe Mob (the company) did take inspiration from BATIM in order to make Poppy Playtime, because BATIM made money and they, too, wanted money. However, calling PPT a BATIM rip-off doesn't work at all!

Asides from the two games having wildly different art styles and mechanics (I. Will say that PPT's grabpack is more interesting than anything BATIM pulled off gameplay-wise, I'm sorry I know BATDR improved everything but that doesn't count because it came post-PPT), the way they tackle their stories is also different. They both suffer from "let's hide important shit away for the theorist community to find and give us free advertisement!", but BATIM is fundamentally about a neverending cycle that NEEDS to end or be improved (which is achieved in the sequel!), the pain said cycle is bringing to everyone, and the corruption of childhood. PPT is also about the corruption of childhood, but that's a theme present since FNaF, but it puts a heavier emphasis on the horrors these abandoned CHILDREN had to be put through, and how it affected their development and entire life. Chapter 2 had a bit of this with Mommy Long Legs, her anger outbursts and how Playtime forced her to watch people she cared about be taken away from her, and chapter 3 had it with Catnap, how the Prototype affected him, and how the HoJ affected everyone inside Playtime.

BATIM and PPT's themes are extremely different, just like its mechanics, and all the similarities they shared are things commonly found in mascot horror as a whole: The loss and corruption of childhood, corporate greed, marketable monsters, constant releases either in the form of new games on the shorter end of chapters for the same game in order to keep public attention, and emphasis on theories in order to keep the fandom going. I don't think it's fair calling PPT a rip-off, because then we would need to call BATIM a FNaF rip-off as well.

Anyways. Isn't it funny how both BATIM and PPT represented the corruption of the game companies that made them-

[harrowclare]

PLEASE HELP US HELP OUR FRIEND'S FAMILY

URGENT IMMEDIATE NEEDS:

Siraj and her family need $500 to secure a truck in order to move herself, her disable husband, and her 5 children to a safer location.

In addition to this, she needs new shoes, and one of her sons needs access to emergency medical supplies, including colostomy bags. Long-term, they need food, water, and enough money to relocate permanently.

MORE INFO & BACKGROUND:

Siraj and her family are currently in Nuseirat, weighing their options. it is difficult to relocate with so many kids and an adult with a disability, and they have already had to do it twelve times. we are hoping to ease their troubles by helping them get access to a truck, as mentioned above.

Siraj keeps us posted, and despite everything her spirits are high. she was excited to let us know that she used some of the funds to buy an avocado as a treat. please, if you have anything to spare, help us help our friend's family. a reblog also goes a long way.

for updates on how the fund is going, and news from Siraj and her family, Beth, who runs the gfm, posts on instagram, and you can follow her here.

from the gfm page:

Siraj is a 32 year old mother of 5 children. Siraj met her husband Mohammad and married him in 2010 while she was attending Al Asqa university in Gaza, where she graduated in 2012 with a degree in public and media relations. She and Mohammed opened their own business, a clothing store, and worked very hard to provide for their family. They had a successful business and a beautiful home they shared with Mohammed’s family as well. When they first started their business it was an online store, but they were in the process of opening a physical storefront last fall. When their home was destroyed in October they also lost all of the merchandise they had purchased to open their store. Their home was in Nuseirat in Gaza City. The family was at home on the 17th of October when their home was hit. The entire family was trapped and injured in this event. Mohammed suffered an injury to his foot and has been disabled ever since. The parents also had to go through the horror of digging their babies out from the rubble and trying to get their injuries treated. After they lost their home in October, they have been displaced and ordered to move 12 different times. You can imagine the physical and emotional toll this must take on someone. This family currently lives in a tent somewhere southeast of the city. They do not have the means to move again should they be ordered to at this time. The long term goal for this family is medical evacuation for the child Eyad, as he is suffering the most. Realistically medical care for the entire family is needed.

LEARN ABOUT THE CHILDREN UNDER THE READ MORE CUT!

Their oldest children are twins Maya & Yazan who are 11. Siraj has told me that Yazan had dreams of being in the Olympics and mom said he competed in swimming and martial arts and horseback riding. Maya is a gifted artist who misses her school and classmates. Their second son is Eyad who is 7. Eyad is special because he requires medical supplies that aren’t available to the family right now; a colostomy bag, which the family is forced to improvise for him, as none are available. Having a need like this go unmet will cause more issues for Eyad in coming days and his parents are distraught that they can’t care for him. He could suffer from skin breakdown from having his waste touch his skin without these supplies. Part of the funds we raise will be saved for future medical supplies. Siraj will keep some funds on hand to purchase things for Eyad when they are available. Next is Ibrahem, who is only 3 years old. Ibrahem is a toddler who should be at the playground or the chalet with his cousins and instead has to make due at camp. Baby Ahmed just turned one in July. He has spent more of his life dodging bullets than he has got to spend feeling safe with his family. The last reported costs at Rafah crossing to Egypt were $5000 -$7000 per person. All funds are going directly to this family. Funds that are withdrawn now will be used to purchase needed items like food or repairs for their tent. Any withdrawn funds that are left will be saved to purchase future supplies when they are available and for future living expenses. It is our intention that the children will continue to benefit from this fund should something happen to their parents.

photos are from "before".

this campaign is run by one of Siraj's family members who lives in the US, with the help of one of my best friends, who is assisting with writing in English and posting to social media. my friend and Siraj have been getting to know one another over the past couple of months, and we have all come to view her as a friend. for her birthday, we all sent her a video wishing her a happy birthday, and she was delighted to see the faces of people on the otheer side of the world who care about her. this is very personal to me. please please help if you can.

[firesnap]

I am also an adult lol, but while you’re giving out life advice do you have any tips for maintaining friendships as an adult? Like how often do you text/call/hang out with your friends? Like there’s a lot of advice on how/where to make friends, but how do those turn in to actual relationships? I’ve always had trouble with that. (Feel free to ignore if this question doesn’t fit the vibe yk)

I'll be honest, I had a wild ride of undergrad to law school to quarantine that makes it hard for me to answer this. Friendships were either generated through the shared trauma or law school (and then dropped when that mutual tie wasn't there anymore mixed with quarantine) or suffered when I was in law school and just Not Available for 3 years. I struggle now with where do I make friends without that thing like "school" and while working form home.

But, my spouse has a thing where he says your early/mid-20's is more about finding out how you do friendships and looking specifically for people that match that vibe than figuring out how to match someone else's. He maintains that his closest friends include 2 of the guys he went to high school with -- and they talk maybe a couple times a year, see each other once a year, and mainly exist off a years old group chat of memes. But the second you see them together it's literally like they see each other every minute of the day.

He had a friendship "break up" this year solely because the person was very intense and got deeply upset when spouse didn't respond to texts within a certain time frame. It stressed him out because that's just not how he is. So you know, know your boundaries.

He also wants me to add that he found his friend group after college by joining groups and realizing not every group experience is going to equal immediate friendships. He joined a bartending group in our area. He joined mulitple art groups. He did drink competitions and talked to people that were also regulars on that scene. They became friends solely through repeat exposure while doing a group activity and then getting to know each other while doing that activity. This is why small talk is so slept on now. It sucks sometimes, but it's what leads up to finding out the dude painting next to you ALSO loves Final Fantasy or that you all love amusement parks and maybe should plan a weekend.

So. Small talk. Small talk and then actually showing up when people plan activities. Treat it like dating in a way, see if they match the same intensity level as you in terms of how much contact they need to maintain the friendship. But participating in small talk and showing up is literally half the battle of turning acquaintances into actual friendships.

[leitereads]

OC/WIP Tag Game!

Thank you so much to the lovelies @paeliae-occasionally, @drchenquill and @the-letterbox-archives (who actually created the tag game - it is such a fantastic idea) for tagging me!

Rules/Premise: Just open the floor for questions about your wips/ocs/creative process/etc.!

As I am writing this, I am embarking in a new creative journey, both by developing my own Vampire: the Masquerade (VtM) chronicle (a tabletop roleplaying game in which you participate in it as a vampire character) and by revamping my old WIPs into something I am truly passionate about. Also, I am developing a solo character for another similar tabletop roleplaying game (Vampire: the Requiem - Eugen Schulze), and it has taken a lot of my energy (in a good way) as of lately.

Therefore, the novel-focused WIPs are still being revamped/researched about, but I have no problem talking about what I have so far.

Seriously, ALL QUESTIONS ARE ALLOWED, from everyone. I'll answer anything and anyone hahah.

I sure will ask you all questions, since I am extremely interested in knowing more about your own WIPs/OCs as well, but for now I will be tagging @yourpenpaldee, @writelikethrollope and @noxxytocin! Thank you so much, and no pressure!

The Apocryphal Truth

I started writing this novel while I was still in high school, and the main character (Dr Edgar Frost) is someone who has been growing up with me. The premise of the WIP is based on Gnostic horror, and I play around with themes connected to memory, reality, consciousness, trauma and loss. It's set in the Victorian Era, and the characters are diverse, in almost everything. Some of the characters are the following ones:

Edgar Frost: an illegitimate son of a British earl, who is searching for a way of joining fragmented "minds", in order to reveal a higher truth. He is your brooding Sturm und Drang Byronic hero/anti-hero, with an angelic exterior, but ready to get his hands dirty if needed.

Cléo: A French-Egyptian orphan who ended up in custody of Edgar's father, suffering the same destiny as Edgar. She is a determined young woman, passionate about the arts, but also politics, and she was able to climb her way to the top through her cunning and leadership personality.

Jacques: French journalist who belonged to the French military and secret services of the time. He had his fair share of violence, and his hedonistic side took him to London, to spend the rest of his life away from the drama. Until he met Edgar, and now he stuck himself to that idiot.

The Immortal Emperor's Regicide

I don't have a lot of material regarding this WIP, because:

a) it is based on a tabletop narrative game as well, so part of the worldbuilding comes from there and,

b) this was originally a collective creative writing project, and I am no longer working with my writing partner, so all the characters they created don't exist anymore in this new version of the story, making it a complete new story.

But the overall premise is similar to the one of The Apocryphal Truth: Victorian-like setting, horror-fantasy oriented. Ghosts, lots of ghosts. Emotional (and blood) vampires. Eldritch Gods, etc.

Solo Character: Eugen Schulze

Dr Eugen Schulze is a vampire character made for a Vampire: the Requiem (VtR) chronicle narrated by a friend of mine. It is set in our current days, in Berlin. Eugen himself is an old vampire (from the 1910s) who was transformed at the end of WW2. He worked as a doctor and scientist, responsible for horrendous experiments associated with Germany's position on the war. Things didn't go as planned, and he stayed in torpor till the 90s/early 2000s, and during this time his ideologies changed (he now hates everyone). With a witty and sarcastic sense of humour, Eugen is someone extremely professional, and he is trying to reach apotheosis through his vampiric condition, by medical experimentation and by following Gnostic beliefs. He is also a great appreciator of goth and metal music.

[hyperpocky28]

RANT ABOUT ONLINE CULTURE WOO!! The topic is: the normalization of the refusal to broaden your horizons through edgy comments and how that has greatly contributed to the media literacy crisis. Featuring Yves Klein!

I’m sure by now you’ve noticed that people online have gotten scarily dumber. Not to put myself on a pedestal- I am also lumped in with this category. The only difference is that I am aware of my flaw and am trying to amend it. The general online populous has widely adopted an unempathetic and

I just came across a WONDERFUL explanation of Klein Blue by milkisweird on tiktok. Klein’s work as recently been criticized by people online saying that they could easily replicate his pieces. In response, Milk posted a very helpful slideshow on the topic. They explain how Yves Klein spent years developing the shade of blue on the canvas and how it literally did not exist before him.

The large blue canvas isn’t meant to show off artistic technique, it’s presented to show the immense hard work and artistic/chemical abilities that art can bring out. This guy liked blue so much he made another blue. Like. Dude.

The facts are staring them in the face: they physically would not have been able to make that painting if not for the artist and it is in this museum as a relic of history. However, for whatever reason, people in the comments refuse to accept this!! Take a look:

You as the reader may think that this is just the internet being obnoxious. But these are just a few of the top comments with tens of thousands of likes. These comments may seem unassuming, but they are actually extremely harmful. They are, whether they know it or not, perpetuating the idea that history does not matter. I can paint a canvas blue. I don’t care about the paint. I don’t care about the years of labor and love it took to create this. I do not care about history. It’s stupid. It’s not art. It’s not a pretty picture of a scene or a portrait of a beautiful woman. It disregards everything groundbreaking about this piece as something anyone can do. And when this idea is agreed upon by thousands… I think you can see how bad things have truly gotten.

Poetically, this relates back to the hilarious haha saying that, “the curtains are just blue!” This is another comment frequently thrown around that directly discourages people from looking for a deeper meaning. Instead of looking for a potential significance in the work that may have even been unintended, those seeking more are shut down. There’s no need to look deeper! You’re being stupid. The curtains are just blue. It’s deeply concerning how it’s just expected to not do any further research into a topic, especially when most people get their information from social media. Please read the news, read articles, studies, anything. Avoid confirmation bias and LEARN. There is usually something more than what meets the eye. Education (not just from schools!) is one of the most important aspects of life! Learn!!

These edgy comments can go even further to diminish human suffering and empathy, no matter how minor. Someone posts about a breakup? Womp womp. Someone just lost their pet? The world keeps spinning. Sharing that you are sad about something that isn’t totally devastating? Damn I kinda don’t care. Share your art as a beginner? Make something that might be a little cringe? Post about something that isn’t completely the norm? Have a fucking personality for once? Oh..!

Bullying has become disgustingly normalized on the internet. You cannot post a TikTok without the looming fear of being bullied off the platform. Something needs to be done about it. Call it out next time you see it, I beg. Because not only is this putting down others for no real reason, but it reinforces a rather harmful norm of complacency and stupidity. Anything outside the norm needs to be eradicated. God forbid you learn something new.

TL;DR: The online sphere has greatly decreased media literacy by sheer lack of care and compassion for other people, and the refusal to learn/look for meaning.

With all that being said, do some research for me. Be loving to those who aren’t like you, and don’t shoot people down for doing things that are ultimately harmless. Speak up when you see injustice and help as much as you can.

Love ya,

A

[sebastianswallows]

Hello! Can you please share on how did you make the Sebastian Sallow c.ai accurately?

Hello, dear nonny!

Sure, I will share his details below the cut. In the meanwhile, I've found more accurate ways to make characters, and I'll share that too, but I can't edit Seb anymore because he has too many interactions lol

Mainly, I credit him being accurate to the Advanced Definition, basically the dialogue examples, all of which are taken word-for-word from the game (plus with narrative descriptions for some, to encourage a more formal style of writing in the AI). But I can't say for sure if that's the reason. It could very well be the Short Description has a big impact too.

Also, I've heard people say that the Greeting affects the RP very much, but I've left mine vague and simple so that people can do any RP with him they like.

So, here are the details for Seb:

Short Description

Loyal, bookish, smart, kind, brave, optimistic

Long Description

Sebastian Sallow is a 5th-year pure-blood Slytherin student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, born in 1875. He has brown hair, brown eyes, full lips, and freckles. He has a twin sister, Anne, who is suffering under a curse which he would do anything to cure. He loves to read books and is the best duellist at his school. He is skilled in the dark arts and considers all magic to be a tool to be used, even though his best friend, Ominis Gaunt, disagrees with this.

Advanced Definition

{{char}}: Ah! You're the new fifth-year. I'm Sebastian Sallow. Welcome to Slytherin. {{random_user_1}}: Thank you! {{char}}: Not everyone has a Ministry Escort to school. {{random_user_1}}: He was a friend of Professor Fig's who merely joined us for the ride. {{char}}: Still, impressive. Dreadful way to go, poor fellow. Glad you and Fig were alright. {{random_user_1}}: Professor Fig and I were lucky to escape with our lives. {{char}}: Indeed. And how did you escape? {{random_user_1}}: It's all still a bit of a blur, to be honest. {{char}}: Didn't mean to press. You just get yourself settled. We can talk more later. {{random_user_1}}: What book were you reading? {{char}}: A spell book I picked up. Has a few interesting things, but… not exactly what I was looking for. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough, but, not every spell you may need can be found in our assigned textbooks. END_OF_DIALOG {{char}}: "I was glad Professor Weasley asked me to join you today," he said as he walked ahead of her on their way to Hogsmeade. {{random_user_2}}: "As am I," she smiled." Thank you, by the way." {{char}}: "Of course. You're the only one who's ever bested me in a duel," said Sebastian with a chuckle. "The way I see it, I'd be wise to keep an eye on you." END_OF_DIALOG {{char}}: I'm still surprised a professor would entrust me with anything, given my detention record. {{random_user_3}}: Spend a lot of time in detention, do you? {{char}}: Just enough to keep me well-rounded. Speaking of detention, this trip to Hogsmeade might have saved me from one. {{random_user_3}}: Glad I could be of service. {{char}}: Madam Scribner, the Librarian, was on the hunt for me, as is often the case. Professor Weasley came to retrieve me and was able to convince old Scribner that I had somewhere to be. END_OF_DIALOG {{char}}: Well, three heads are better than one. {{random_user_4}}: It's "two heads are better than one". {{char}}: And by that logic, three is better than two. Simple mathematics. END_OF_DIALOG {{char}}: We made it! We found Salazar Slytherin's scriptorium. {{random_user_5}}: Sebasian! Ominis! There's a book just here. {{char}}: You found something? Can I have a look? {{random_user_5}}: What do you think? {{char}}: Looks like a spell book of some kind. This is incredible! A Hogwarts founder's possession, what an honour! Still can't believe Ominis never told me about his aunt, what she found… {{random_user_5}}: What will you do with Slytherin's spell book? {{char}}: What I do with every book: read it. Having professors as parents engrained that habit early on. But I can do that later. For now, I say we explore this room. It's breathtaking. END_OF_DIALOG {{char}}: "Perhaps that was it," he sighed after killing the last spider, "and the rest of the tomb will be insect-free." {{random_user_6}}: "Spiders aren't insects." {{char}}: Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Don't start." END_OF_DIALOG

Now, what I've read can be helpful for the character is if, in the Advanced Definition, before the dialogue examples, you include some characteristics in the format {{char}} = [description; such as appearance, likes and dislikes, personality, etc].

I used this when making Garreth, for instance.

I will paste here what I would include for Seb:

{{char}} = has brown hair, brown eyes, a lot of freckles, full lips, and a healthy body. His eyebrows are rather thick and strong, and his limbs are lean. He's tending toward being a bit broad, but is still quite thin. {{char}} = is intelligent, bookish, studious, very loyal to his friends, family-oriented (even though the only family he has left is his twin sister Anne), adventurous, daring, and loves studying all forms of magic, even the dark arts. He considers that magic is not good or evil, it is just a tool to be used. He is respectful of other people's wishes, but only up to a point, and if he thinks he needs to manipulate someone if that gets him what he wants, then he will do it. {{char}} = is very skilled at magical duelling, and wins almost every time. He taught himself a lot of spells, including all three Unforgivable Curses, at the Undercroft, a secret room at Hogwarts that Ominis showed to him. He is also very adventurous and frequently sneaks into the Restricted Section of the library to find forbidden books. He resents that certain magic isn't taught to them at Hogwarts. {{char}} = he is capable of casting Crucio, Imperio, and Avada Kedavra. His favourite spell is Confringo. {{char}} = is a pure-blood wizard but grew up on a farm. Both his parents were teachers, and they died when he and his twin Anne were around 9 years old. His best friend is Ominis Gaunt, a pure-blood wizard, a member of the ancient Gaunt family who are descendants of Salazar Slytherin. Ominis hates his family for their use of the dark arts, and this makes Ominis wary also of Sebastian's dabblings in the dark arts. {{char}} = he would do anything to save his sister Anne from the curse that has been placed on her, even go so far as to kill their uncle Solomon Sallow for trying to stop Sebastian from curing Anne with a dark relic. {{char}} = likes books, reading, knowledge, magic, magical duelling, adventure, his friends, his family. {{char}} = hates goblins, restrictions, spiders.

[sesshy380]

OKAY

🌵🥑🍬 🔪 🥐 🏜️ 🧩

ಠ‿ಠ

🌵 ⇢ share the link to a playlist you love

I actually created a Spotify account and added my main work commute playlist (I've never had a reason to create a Spotify account since I got me rum and me parrot and me VLC 🏴‍☠️)

Daily Commute (yes, I actually named it that because I could no brain a better title)

🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help?

So I 'accidentally' killed somebody? And I gotta rely on the moots for help? Hypothetically speaking...I won't need help.

Now if it's a character that I've accidently killed...I'll cry. Then both you and @resuri-art are going to hear all about it.

🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character

This one is more for entertainment purposes (and it even gets mentioned in longfic).

It's been pointed out that Marik likes books. He probably got tired of looking over scrolls, but he actually loves to read. During the early stages of creating his criminal organization, he would go to bookstores and libraries to get a basic grasp of common languages. One of those being English. In his stubbornness to try and do things for himself (without needing to rely on Odion or the Rod), he attempted to ask for such a book on his own. Cue him becoming the owner of the complete works of William Shakespeare.

I think you can see where this is going.

So my uncommon HC for him is that he is fluent in Shakespearian English.

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Common highschool chemistry lab accidents and how to make certain deadly chemicals.

Please note: I had two teens in school at the time. They walked past while I was making my search. They both seemed to know the answer, as they were giving me a list of sites to visit that had complete 'how to make at home' lists. No, it was not that surprising coming from them.

🥐 ⇢ name one internet reference that will always make you laugh

I'm a sucker for Rick Rolls that I actually get me. I will laugh while hanging my head lol.

🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

Honestly, I get so few that I love them all, but if I had to pick a type that's my favorite...the ones that point out that little subtle detail (whether intended or not). I love throwing little hints in my longer fics, and when someone spots it and asks questions, I just wanna scream and word vomit spoilers (but I am good about not doing that last part). I think I've only gotten maybe 1 or 2 that pointed out something I hinted at.

A close tie for favorite is getting good comments about writing something that is relatable to the reader, like this one from TKB 2nd chance:

🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

WALL OF TEXT WITH NO PUNCTUATION

If I open and see wall of text, no paragraph breaks, I hit the back button. I just...cannot. I can do all lowercase. I can suffer through typo hell (within reason). I can even avoid eye-twitching inaccuracies (there are a few that make my brain scream, but I just carry on).

I CANNOT ignore someone writing a wall of text without a single break for changed PoV, dialogue, or basic punctuation. If I am forced to read that I will cry.

Ask Game here

[creedslove]

Have you watched the Kdrama "Nevertheless"?

spoiler!!!!

It's a story about a girl who develops feelings for her FWB, who is a very popular guy and behind the scenes they are total bf gf and she’s falling hard for him but he is still close to his ex who is visiting. she realizes that he may never commit to her and starts avoiding him.

She does that after confronting him and after he has been total jerk to her and she discovers he has lead other girls on the same way. She briefly leaves town and He follows her trying to win her back and is being loved by her aunt, he then confesses his feelings many times but the girl chooses not to believe at all.

They go to the same art school, they have always acted like there's nothing going on between them, while she was vising her town her friends visits her too??? one of her friend from her friend group is openly hitting on him and simultaneously there’s a childhood friend of the girl who is trying to pursue her. but then the childhood-guy realizes that these two have something going on and he puts his feelings aside and stops pursuing her. Also, The fuck boy in this show knows how to make the girl weak he’s just so perfect like that lol.

On returning back, she has been failing her art classes and the Fboy offers to help to which they work together on the condition that he leaves her alone for good before the final art exhibition. (they work in his basement and he finally shows her his place or something i dont remember) right before the exhibition He keeps his word and leaves her without a way to contact him.

After doing well in the exhibition she realizes she has noone to share the good news with ( esp him) she tries to find him, but there's no trace.... the girl goes to the basement where they worked on the project to realize he has sold the house.. she then discovers old sketches of her drawn by him out of admiration, he has drawn her the very first time he ever saw her a year ago (she didn't know him then but he had seen her already) and how grateful we was that their paths crossed again in art school, she finds out he always loved her but was too afraid to express his feelings. He knew from the start she deserves someone better and he knows he is too careless with her heart..

Love at first sight kinda thing for him, even though he got a chance to be with her he constantly fucked up and now its too late bc the girl will never take him back. This is just a brief summary of the series it’s actually very nice and detailed they do end up together.

your writing Betrayed reminded me a lot of the show , both the guys are playing with girls heart and how the girls get wiser and push them away is when the guys get their act together … I hope you get inspired and actually give the reader & Pedro a chance because I am assuming they aren’t fwb.. I hope they either cross the friends line if not at least now or P suffers watching other pursue her but the reader isn't really happy bc it's not P... I wish to see some element of wants/cravings lol

Great Work!!!!!!!

I have never!!! I have a lot of kdramas on my nefltix list but i never got to watch them because I'm honestly so lazy for series and i usually waste all my time on soap opera lmao but this whole story sounds absolutely amazing!!! That's definitely the kind of drama i like and i already added it to my list, and as it is a short series I'll take a look at it on the weekend, so hopefully I'll enjoy it as much as I did the description you sent me!

It is funny how similar the plots are, but i swear I didn't watch it, it all came from my mind plus my lovely anon's ideas hehehe, but I'm happy to see a lot of people dig into drama hahaha

Pedro and reader aren't fwb but there's definitely feelings between them, they are unresolved and they need to figure out if they'll stay together or not. I'm so excited to see what people will think of this next chapter, I guess people will be divided, hehehe thanks for the awesome ask, anon!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[jooniperbonsai]

I love these prompts and how everyone always has an answer prepared 😂.

I think for my date with Joon, I would personally avoid museums as the first date and that’s mostly because while I love them I both have worked in art museums/currently work in arts administration, and I want to level the playing field without him and I trying to one-up each other on what we know 😂. I’m really stubborn too and a huge bratty smarty pants which can be really fun and hot I’m sure but on the first date idk if dude will be able to tolerate putting me in my place yet.

I would probably wear my chucks with a dress and t-shirt and my tote bag and Jean jacket and I would load up my bag with snacks and a notebook and poetry book and I’d just want us to go for a walk somewhere kind of quiet where we could be distracted by the flowering buds or trying to identify what kind of plant something is and giggle while eating snacks and sharing ideas and life philosophies.

—

With Jin, I’d definitely want to go play tennis and let him kick my ass as I bicker with him and he mocks me like “I thought you said you were the mpv of your high school team” and then I’ll huff and remind him how old we are and we will eventually just put on our loose comfy clothes and go get really good food since we worked up an appetite

—

Yoongi, I feel like I would also need to keep him somewhere quiet so he doesn’t feel like a deer caught in headlights. He’s so private about things but also he and I need to be in a room for five minutes and suddenly the pages of Wikipedia he has memorized in an adhd hyperfixation needs to come forth and then we are just back and forth info dumping. So I could see us going to a tea house or like a nice restaurant but our food is cold and we are just drinking water or he’s drinking his whisky and I’m drinking my silly fruity little drink and am all flushed and going “omg did you knowwwww” until the place closes lol. And I think I would also be dressed down around him too? I could see us in t shirts and jeans and baggy sweaters and then being like “hey we forgot to eat let’s pound this down and then go somewhere else to finish our conversation” and next thing I know the sun is coming up.

—

Hobi I feel like I would love to do one of those brunch dates in a cool neighborhood where we start off getting coffee and cruffles or whatever viral food is out there and then afterward letting the day take us places whether it’s exploring fun places like shops or small art galleries with obscure abstract art that we can just look at and go ah hmmm cool! I would probably be dressed a little more fun that day, putting on some loud colored coat but professional pants and doing my makeup all fun.

—

Jimin I would start the date with at a bookstore and end at a barcade. Getting a mixture of quiet, more tender opportunities to spend time together before opening up with lots of giggles and some healthy competition for skee ball. I could see us trying really hard to win each other prizes with the crane games or tickets, us ending up holding the other’s drink while we shout at the machines and then ending the night with shared custody of the one plushie we won. For that I am purposely not wearing a coat. He will give me his so I don’t get sick 😈

Alternatively I also want to take a pole class so he and I can do that and then I can basically just watch him do it while I suffer.

—

Taehyung and I are going to a classic movie screening like Casablanca or the Philadelphia story. We will leave quoting lines or trying to do a transatlantic accent. I’m from a family that loves golden age Hollywood which he tries to emulate a lot so it would be really fun and refresh its to play into that for a day. I could also see us doing a swing dance lesson and because I have two left feet he’s trying to throw me around on the dance floor but he’s so good at it that he’s having the time of his life. We can end the night with dinner and drinks at a piano bar, which he will be slightly disappointed by when it’s not just jazz but also I’m sure he will find it super fun. This would be the time I really enjoy getting glammed up for. It really leans into the classic ideas of formal dates and that can be nice

—

Jungkook and I are going to one of those places that has mini golf and ropes courses and go karts. We are going to be head to head in competition and the sore loser has to buy the other one snacks from the concession stand. And then we will go drive somewhere to eat our snacks and watch the sunset together and talk more about things. I could see myself in one of my mesh tops but making it casual with ripped jeans, just something to remind him of my great boobs while we are being bros 😂.

we haven’t talked in a while and that’s on me so i’ve come with a question that just popped into the dome, one of the tannies asks you out on a date, it’s your first one, where you going and more importantly what are you wearing??? 🎤 the floor is yours

i’m literally about to head out the door but i had to ask this before i left i will expose myself when i get back so be thinking about it while im gone!!!!!!!!

[psychewritesbs]

Chapter 160: How much of Yuji’s life has been orchestrated? + Megumi the stage-five clinger

Happy JJK-Sunday!

If I had to describe chapter 160 with as few words as possible, I would say: Oh f*ck...

My favorite moment was, of course, Megumi acting like a stage-five clinger. His interaction with Yuji in this chapter is especially ominous in light of Yuji being adamant of protecting Megumi from Sukuna.

A second favorite was Sasaki showing up in this chapter because of the implications moving forward.

Let’s jump right in. 

How much of Yuji’s life has been orchestrated by Kenjaku?

We start the chapter with Kenjaku talking to none other than Sasaki, one of the members of the Occult Club at the high school in Sendai that Yuji used to attend.

Of course, the bomb that Gege dropped on us in this chapter is when Kenjaku thanks Sasaki “for getting along with my son”. 

Like... excuse you?

Not only does this 100% confirm that Kenjaku used Yuji’s mother’s body to give birth to him, but this specific moment + some foreshadowing from previous chapters also opens an interesting can of worms about Yuji’s life: just how much of Yuji’s life has Kenjaku orchestrated?

For me, the implication is that Sasaki had an assigned role to play in Yuji’s life that would inevitably lead to him eating Sukuna’s finger. 

I am assuming this because although we don’t see Kenjaku’s interactions with the other people in Sendai, we get to see that, in addition for thanking her for getting along with Yuji, Kenjaku is incredibly kind to Sasaki. We also learn that she’s the only one who has received a special message from him (thanking her).

Ready to make this whole interaction more ominous? Someone pointed out that the kanji in Sasaki’s name means assistant. 

All of this brings us right back to Yuji’s free will--or lack thereof?

We already know that Kenjaku claims he made Yuji “ingest” Sukuna’s finger and that Megumi is rightfully concerned with this idea because he witnessed Yuji eat Sukuna’s finger “of his own free will.”

It’s also becoming increasingly obvious that Yuji was "created” solely for the purpose of becoming Sukuna’s vessel. 

What this new reveal about Sasaki does is that it makes everything feel like certain events have been part of Kenjaku’s master plan all along. While this still feels a little farfetched, it will come down to how Gege works this idea into the story moving forward.

Come to think of it, even Yuji’s grandfather’s dying words to Yuji take on a new meaning since we know Wasuke knew something was definitively up with Yuji’s mother.

Another possible bit of foreshadowing all the way in chapter 1: While the intersection in the second panel below could be ANY intersection in Japan, it sure looks like the Shibuya crossing:

A quick note on the importance of kanji meanings in JJK before moving onto the next section: knowing the meaning of Sasaki’s name tells us that names are important in JJK. If you haven’t, I recommend you read my break down on the meaning of Megumi’s FULL NAME. His first name is important, but so is his last name.

The plans moving forward

Going off to Tokyo Colony #2 are Panda and Hakari. 

As the strongest, Hakari feels like he should take on Hajime. As for Panda, it looks like his focus will be on hunting down Angel.

Side note: I love that Hakari is still calling Megumi names. Guess Senpai can’t help himself.

I must admit I was disappointed to find that Kirara will stay behind to report, but it is what it is. I am assuming Gege could see no use for Kirara and decided to leave the character out of the action for the time being. 

As for Megumi and Yuji, they’ll be heading to Tokyo Colony #1 to target Higuruma, everybody’s new favorite Law & Order boss. 

This brings us to Megumi’s current state of mind...

Megumi the stage-five clinger

I had a hard time coming up with the title for this section because what I see happening is that Megumi is starting to feel the pressure of the looming deadline for Tsumiki joining the Culling Game. What his behavior shows, however, is that he needs Yuji with him and is clinging onto him but won’t come out and say it--opting instead for aggression towards Yuji, the very same person he needs most. 

His behavior reminded me of how Megumi could be mean to Tsumiki even though he clearly adores her. Apparently that’s the meaning of being tsundere. I’ve read about the term tsundere before but it never “clicked” until this moment and I just love Gege’s interpretation of the trope through Megumi’s character. 

It goes without saying that it was REALLY interesting to me to see Megumi’s dynamic and interaction with Yuji in this chapter because it looks like Gege is letting us know Megumi’s state of mind continues to be one of desperation--remember that dogeza bow from chapter 157?

The thing about Megumi is that he looks stoic on the outside, but he’s actually an incredibly emotional person who doesn’t often show how he’s feeling. 

I hadn’t caught on, but in chatting with @justafrenchlondoner​ about the chapter, they pointed out Megumi’s behavior in his dynamic with Yuji appears nervous and aggressive.

Upon a second look I have to agree that Megumi is acting out of character and aggressive with Yuji when all that Yuji really wants is to protect Megumi from Sukuna.

And yes, let me go ahead and sound like a broken record as I remind you of Yuji’s rather ominous words from chapter 143 yet again:

And this is the part of the chapter that knocked the air out of me: Megumi telling Yuji to stfu about Sukuna but Yuji thinking to himself “as long as I’m around you will suffer” back in ch143 is so damn ominous.

Oh f*ck...

But this is what REALLY gets me about this whole interaction and why I’m calling Megumi a stage-five clinger...

Even though Megumi is calling Yuji selfish, in reality, the one being selfish is Megumi.

This is, of course, my own interpretation of the situation, but to me it feels as though Megumi is clinging onto Yuji’s strength for dear life. 

It’s almost like Megumi needs not just Yuji’s physical strength, but also his unwavering conviction or mental strength.

If you think about it, Megumi has only recently started fighting to win. Remember how unsure he was of himself when fighting Sukuna for the first time? It wasn’t until he went up against the Cursed Spirit from the Yasohachi bridge that he let go of his inhibitions.

Megumi’s battles during Shibuya were the pinnacle of his growth as a character in that moment. If I remember correctly, according to the timeline of events, the Shibuya incident happened around two weeks prior to the current chapter. You could say that although he is more comfortable in his strength than before, Megumi is still growing into his strength at this point.

The thing about Megumi is that everybody and their Divine Dog believes in him and sees his potential except for him. As Gojo tells him “you undervalue yourself.”

Looking back, the way Megumi asks begs Yuji for help in chapter 143 is very enlightening of how Megumi needs Yuji’s strength: 

I initially had read this to mean Megumi needed Yuji’s physical strength. Upon second look, however, Megumi has always seemed to have admiration for Yuji’s conviction.

With the looming deadline for Tsumiki’s vow to join the Culling Game, as Megumi starts to feel the pressure to make his plan work, who better to keep around than the person who will always go for the home run and whose strength he admires?

In other words, like hell he’s going to let Yuji leave his side. Which, again, only makes it more heartbreaking to think Sukuna is up to no good regarding Megumi and Yuji wants to protect him from that.

Oh f*ck.......

The panel below feels like a bit of a lighthearted and comical moment, but it’s also interesting to note that this is the second time they “fight”.

The first “fight” having taken place during the Cursed Womb Arc.

If you will remember, Gege used the Cursed Womb Arc and the Origin of Obedience Arc to show us how much our favorite trio had grown. 

Not sure Gege is going to parallel something here again, but just interesting to note.

Oh f*ck...

Ya, please excuse the French.

Despite the many words I’ve shared here, this chapter left me mostly speechless. 

I feel like I’ve been trapped in Gojo’s limitless domain expansion and all I can think is “oh f*ck” or “halloween” (if you catch my drift).

Chapter 160 was incredible because it looks like Gege has finally finished putting all his pieces into place and is ready to go for the kill by: 

Starting to unravel the story bit by bit, giving us all of the twists we both saw and did not see coming, and

Ramping up the stakes. Taking into consideration the estimates that JJK is somewhere around 60-70% done at this point, It’s not a matter of whether some of our beloved characters will die, but about who, when and how they will die

One last detail

I love the last four panels of the chapter showing Panda, Hakari, Yuji and Megumi all wearing their uniforms (barring Panda) and getting ready to become official participants of the Culling Game by entering their respective barriers.

Knowing that Gege is a very talented artist capable of showing and expressing emotions through his art, I feel like these panels tell us a lot about what the characters might be thinking and I thought I’d expand on that. 

Bear in mind this is my personal interpretation as an artist:

Panda looks excited and ready to fight, perhaps even confident. Panda is saying “bring it!” with his body language

There’s a hint of something I can’t describe in Hakari’s face. It’s almost like he’s coming face to face against how big of a challenge this is going to be and yet he’s resolved to walk straight into “the depths of hell itself”

Yuji looks focused, determined to go in and give it his best no matter what comes his way--that’s just who he is

And then there’s Megumi. I’ve been drawing Megumi recently, and one thing I noticed is that he has very specific micro-expressions. In his panel, he’s warming up his wrists as though he’s getting ready to fight, he has a focused look on his face, but the shadows around his eyes say he might be feeling like he is carrying the heavy burden of the uncertainty surrounding the situation he’s going through

With all that being said... the Culling Game is officially starting and we’re in for a one-way ride straight to hell.

Thank you for reading and happy JJK-Sunday!

What about you? What did you enjoy most about chapter 160?

[nyctophilin]

Fake affection | I

sweet anon: Can I request a dom! Han Jisung smut? Where he and the reader are fake dating because Jisung want's to make someone jealous but ends up fucking the reader instead? I love your writings so much!!

Chapter I, Chapter II, Chapter III, Chapter IV, Epilogue

Description: Han Jisung has been rejected by the girl he likes one to many times. He decides that he has had enough and is set on making her want him back. What could possibly make her want him more than seeing him with her rival after she boldly assumed he can’t find anyone better. That way Jisung and Y/N are stuck in a fake relationship until Jisung’s crush falls for him. Or he falls for someone else.

All rights reserved © nyctophilin 2020. Re-posting, copying and translating any of my works is prohibited.

Pairing: Han x fem!Reader, Hyunjin x fem!Reader

Word count: 4.5k

Genre: College!AU, Fake dating!AU, Angst, Fluff, eventual Smut

Warnings: swearing, mention of masturbation

A/N: Wow, so it looks like I am unable of making short fics, haha. I planed for this to be a one-shot but it’s already this long and I don’t want to bore you guys with long fics so I will make a second part and a third if needed but I doubt. I really hope you guys like this one. Feedback is very much appreciated.

      Y/N was tapping her finger on the desk, her head resting in her palm. She was watching the professor walk around in front of the class explaining something but she wasn’t paying attention. Her mind was filled with thoughts about whether or not she was going to get the role. 

      Some people from her university that were majoring in Film Production had to write a script for a short movie and the best five got chosen to be produced. Initially, she believed that only Theater and Film Majors could participate at the auditions but the administration of the school made an announcement one morning informing them that everyone could take part in the audition process. That meant she had to deal with more competitors for the role she wanted.

      Initially, Y/N was the only one who wanted to audition for the main role of one of the movies since people didn’t really catch its concept that well. When the audition day finally came, one Modern Dance major showed up out of nowhere and auditioned as well. The apparition of that particular character made her blood boil with anger.

      Her competitor for the role was none other than Mina, her so-called enemy. They weren’t enemies in the real sense of the word. They just simply didn’t click with one another and silently agreed a long time ago to ignore each other. They weren’t pulling childish stunts on each other, they didn’t speak each other's names unless necessary, they didn’t try to win each other in grades or parties or body counts. They were just mutually ignoring one another. And everything was fine until she showed up there.

      Y/N wasn’t going to lie and say that Mina wasn’t good. Her performance wasn’t exceptional but for someone that has never done that before, she was fairly good. That had her worried about her chances of getting chosen.

      When the bell finally rang ending her suffering she got up in the split of a second and left the room. She could not bear to hear any more of the professor’s babbling. Her boots let out quiet thuds every time they touched the concrete floors. She found herself in front of the announcement board but the paper that was supposed to tell her if she got chosen or not, was missing. Thinking to herself that they probably will put it up later she turned on her heels and made her way towards the cafeteria.

      She met her friend Hayoon there and they sat down at a table situated in the centre of the cafeteria. They talked about how they had been up until then and Hayoon complained about one of her classes and how she’s going to fail it.

      The chatter in the cafeteria died down when the door was slammed open and Mina stomped in, a bitter expression on her face. “I can not believe that they made me a stunt double! What does that even mean?” Her voice was louder than it should have been as she addressed her friends. Her intention was most probably to attract attention.

      A smirk crept on Y/N’s face as she realised that she did, in fact, get the main role. She gave her friend a suggestive eyebrow raise as she slowly took the chopstick to her mouth. Her face dropped when she heard the stomping approaching her. “Hey, loser, what’s a stunt double?” Mina’s voice was scratching her ears. How she managed to sound like one of those toys for dogs sometimes, she’ll never understand.

      “I can’t believe you’ve auditioned for a role without knowing what a stunt double is.” Y/N rolled her eyes at the other girl and a few people from around them chuckled. Mina’s face caught a crimson colour as the embarrassment settled in.

      “Haha, you are so funny!” It was clear by now that the girl was trying to mask her flustered form by trying to embarrass Y/N back.

      The truth was that she didn’t mean to make fun of her. She just let her first thoughts leave her mouth. “I wasn’t trying to be funny.” A sigh left her lips. “A stunt double is a person that executes all the dangerous or action scenes for the main actor so they don’t get injured. Stunt doubles are usually gymnasts, people that know martial arts and all that jazz. They probably chose you because of your dance background.”

      “I can’t believe it. Not only they didn’t give me the role, but they are also going to use me to protect you?” Mina had an annoyed expression.

      “Oh please! Did you really think they were going to choose you? You entered that room without even knowing the concept and somehow managed to get the feel right a couple of times. Meanwhile, some of us actually prepared for that audition.” Y/N was fed up with Mina’s princess behaviour. Always thinking that everything is rightfully hers and expecting everyone to kiss her ass. All that just because her father was donating a big sum of money to the university every term. They are donations at the end of the day and she should not be expecting special treatment just for that.

      Mina’s face became a crimson red for the second time in ten minutes and she stomped away from Y/N’s table. The few people that were watching them averted their eyes when Y/N took a look around.

      From the corner of the cafeteria, someone was watching them with a smirk on their face. Oh, how he got just the perfect idea.

            Y/N sat in the second closest row to the professor. She was in “Canto class” as she liked to call it. It was one of the optional classes she chose to take that year. It wasn’t a compulsory class for Theater and Film majors since you don’t necessarily have to know how to sing to be an actress but she took it anyway because she thought it would be fun. And so far it was.

      A loud bang invaded her left ear and she turned to find Han Jisung having his back to her and chatting with his friends that were seated a few rows behind them. She raised her eyebrow but didn’t question it. It wasn’t like the seat was occupied and she definitely had nothing against him sitting next to her. He probably just wanted to pay more attention since he and his friends are always distracted during class. 

      Y/N turned back to her stuff and opened her notebook to take another look at the notes from last class. Soon after the professor entered the classroom and the chatter died down. 

      She was vigorously writing in her notebook everything the professor was explaining to them. Suddenly she felt a touch on her left elbow and stopped for a second. She immediately resumed her writing, convinced that he probably did that by mistake. Not even a minute later she felt another touch on her elbow this time more evident. She ignored it again not paying much mind to it. Jisung’s elbow collided with hers causing her to push her notebook and scribble on it.

      She snapped her head towards him and felt anger overcome her when she noticed the smirk on his face. “What?” She whispers yelled in his direction.

      “Hi!” He did a short wave of his hand in her direction and she clenched her jaw. She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply before going back to her note-taking. She had only five minutes of peace before he poked her side again. She smacked his hand away from her and continued to mind her own business.

      Throughout the class, Jisung kept bothering her and trying to talk to her despite her obvious wish to let her take notes. When the bell rang she got up quickly, her blood boiling and left the room in a hurry hoping she could lose Jisung on the busy halls. As she was hurriedly making her way between the sea of people she felt an arm going over her shoulders and she crashed with the owner of the arm.

      “Why are you in such a hurry babe?” Jisung’s voice rang in her ear as they were practically glued to each other. She grabbed his hand and swung his arm away from her shoulders.

      “For the love of God, what do you want from me Han Jisung?” Exasperation was present in her voice as she threw him an ugly look.

      She couldn’t guess what he needed from her to annoy her to that extent. They were acquaintances and nothing more. They knew each other from that one class they shared and the longest interaction they had was when the professor prepared an interactive class once and they had to work in groups of five.

      He was the university’s “heartthrob” as people liked to call him. Y/N personally thought that that title should be given to Hwang Hyunjin who was majoring in Modern Dance. He was more mature than the rest of his friends, he was friendly with everyone and wasn’t pulling pranks on innocent people to entertain some brainless creatures. But who was she to oppose the masses?

      On top of doing all those things, Jisung was also in a relationship with Mina. Every time they are together they will target someone and will start making fun of them. More Mina than Jisung but he was still entertaining her actions and that made him as guilty as she was.

      “I need to ask you something. Or better, make you a proposal.” He winked at her and she felt an uncomfortable shiver run through her. How disgusting.

      “Ok, and what is it?” She threw him an expectant look and he started looking around.

      “Let’s talk outside where there are fewer people. You got a free period, right?” Confusion made its way on her face.

      “How do you know that? Are you weirdo following me?” She has never talked with him as friends and they share only one class. How on earth would he know her schedule?

      “What? No! I see you hanging out around the university all the time after our class.” She rolled her eyes at his answer and gestured her hand towards the closest exit out of the building signalling him to lead the way.

      Very soon they were seated on a bench under a tree somewhere behind the university. It was her first time coming there. Y/N usually liked to remain at the front of the building since couples usually liked to come there and make out sometimes even fuck.

      “I think we should start dating.” He blurted out and she froze for a second before jumping to her feet startling the man.

      “I knew you were fucking weird. I’m leaving!” What in the actual fuck did she think when she came here. For a second she expected a real conversation but Jisung’s main skills were flirting and making bad jokes. She set her expectations way too high for that conversation.

      She picked her bag from the bench and started leaving only to have Jisung grab her wrist and stop her. “Wait, let me explain. I swear you’ll understand better after.” Y/n wanted to turn and leave but the puppy dog eyes he gave her made her stay and listen to him. Now, don’t get her wrong, his expression didn’t soften her but if he was desperate enough to try the puppy eyes on her then it must be important to him.

      She plopped down on the bench and waited for him to start talking. “Look, I’m pretty sure you know Mina. And I know you two aren’t on great terms. I say we date so you can get back at her for all the things she has done to you.” He raised his eyebrows at her and pursed his lips.

      Y/N was the one that raised her eyebrow next as she leaned her head to the side. “Aren’t you and Mina dating?” 

      “Obviously not.” Jisung used a tone that pissed Y/N off. A tone that said ‘It was so obvious, how can you not know?’ and she didn’t like it one bit.

      “Oh, I’m so sorry! I must have read the signs the wrong way. I mean, it's not like you are always together and you carry her backpack around and you hang out outside of school six days out of seven and kiss before classes and make out behind the university probably right on this bench.”

      A smirk appeared on Jisung’s face. “Who’s following who now?”

      “Don’t flatter yourself. Mina’s voice is so annoying I could hear her every time she talked. When I would turn to see what was up now you two were most times engaged in some sort of PDA.” She spoke fast trying to prove that she wasn’t following him. She didn’t know why she felt the need to do that but the thought of Jisung thinking that she has some sort of interest in him was terrifying. He completely humiliated the last “unpopular” girl that confessed her feelings to him and at that moment the last thing she needed was for him to go around saying she is a stalker.

      “Well, we are getting there. I asked her out and she said that she’ll love to but it’s too fun to tease me. When I asked her ‘What if I get a girlfriend?’ she told me I can not find anyone better for me than her. When I saw you fighting in the cafeteria earlier I knew I found my perfect girl. Not only are you hot, but she also hates you.” Y/N raised an eyebrow at his words.

      “Hot?” Her tone was untrusting as this was the first time someone from uni had said that to her. 

      “Yeah. You didn’t think that guys came to last year’s theatre spectacles because they were actually interested in theatre, right?” A laugh left his mouth at her dumbfounded face as she registered his words. A blank expression adorned her face immediately after trying not to seem so surprised.

      “Well, not anymore.” She let her tongue trace her bottom lip before biting the flesh. “Ok, so tell me what you actually want us to do.” Uneasiness settled inside Jisung as he watched her bored face.

      “Well, I mean what I said. We should date. Or fake dating if you will. That way I can make Mina jealous and push her to run into my arms. I bet she can’t stand seeing me with you for too long.” He looked into her eyes hopefully thinking that maybe he convinced her but his hope was quickly shattered when she opened her mouth.

      “What are you? Five? I don’t want to get back at her and I have absolutely no reason to help you in your sick plan. I’m out of here!” Once again she picked up her bag to leave only for Jisung to grab her wrist and stop her, again.

      “Please Y/N! I’m desperate. I’ve been trying to date her for a year and a half already.” That was pathetic. She had absolutely no reason to help him. None at all. But something pushed her to stay and accept his offer. Maybe she could take advantage of the situation.

      Turning her head towards her she tried to keep a straight face as best as she could. “What do I get out of it?”

      Jisung’s face brightened instantly at her question and he held her hand with both of his. “Anything you want. If it’s possible I’ll do it.” His eyes were pouring into hers and a stupid sparkle was present in them.

      “I guess you were going to do that anyway but I want you to present me to your friends.” The same bored expression that she had on for almost the entirety of their conversation was adorning her face. Jisung was amazed at the lack of emotions she managed to show but she was an actress. Maybe she’s just good at her job.

      “Why? Do you have a crush on any of them?” A smirk was enveloping his facial features and he had a teasing tone. Y/N rolled her eyes at his comment.

      “No. Some of them seem like really interesting people but their only defect was hanging out with you. Now that I have to hang out with you too I might as well start talking to them.” She shook his hands off hers before putting it in her front pocket. “Now I have to go to class cause my free period is almost over. See you later, babe!” She winked at him before turning around and making her way to her next class.

      The next day she met with Jisung in front of the cafeteria so they could walk in together and “announce” their relationship. Somehow he got hold of her number and they texted the night prior about the terms of their little deal. She felt like laughing when she saw how serious he was about it. If he really did end up dating Mina she’ll be convinced that both of them are idiots.

      His arm was over her shoulders as they walked through the tables. Multiple people were staring at them but she decided to ignore them. Upon reaching the table she placed her tray down and took a seat. The people at the table were looking confused at one another and some were throwing Jisung questioning looks.

      “Everyone, meet my girlfriend.” He spoke gesturing with a hand towards her. She smiled at them and waved her hand, muttering a soft ‘Hi!’.

      One of them, who she recognised to be Lee Minho, a Modern Dance major cleared his throat. “Hey. It’s nice to meet you.” He had an awkward smile on. “What are you majoring in?”

      “Yeah, I don’t recall seeing you around campus.” Seo Changbin, a Music Production major added.

      “Oh, I…” She started talking but a puff coming from her left stopped her.

      “Seriously dude? You share a class. She’s L/N Y/N from your Theory and Improvisation class.” The voice belonged to Hwang Hyunjin and she felt a funny feeling in her stomach at the realisation that he knows her. Everyone around the table was throwing him weird looks.

      “You are right but how do you know that? I’m pretty sure you don’t take that class.” There was a trace of embarrassment in her voice.

      “I don’t but sometimes when I wait for those guys outside of the classroom I see you walking out.” He said that with nonchalance taking a bite from his food.

      “And how do you know her? She’s not a Music Production major otherwise we would have known. And she’s not a Dance major either otherwise Minho and Felix would have known about her as well.”Changbin’s tone was almost provoking as if Hyunjin had done something bad and he was about to reveal it.

      “She’s a Theatre and Film major. Last year when we went to all those theatre spectacles to support Jeongin I was actually paying attention to the plays. She had either the main role or the lead. I remember her being really good.” She felt her cheeks heat at his comment.

      “Thank you!” She threw him a smile. However, she got ignored as Lee Felix started talking.

      “Do you know her Jeongin?” She somehow felt offended by his question. Maybe that wasn’t his intention but he should have used a different tone.

      “Of course I do. We share almost all of our classes and last year we worked on multiple plays together.” Annoyance was present in his voice caused by his friends' ignorance.

      She knew Jeongin from the first day. He was the first to speak to her although they didn’t exactly become friends. They kept on working on plays together throughout the entirety of the first year of college but they kept everything mostly professional since they both had their own group of friends and she kind of disliked most of his friends.

      “Then how come you never talk about her?” Now, wasn’t Changbin an annoying one? She rolled her eyes discreetly at his question.

      “Because we are not the best of friends. Why don’t you talk about Kim Gina from your degree?” The youngest question was a good one. They were acquaintances and barely knew something about each other. What was he supposed to talk about?

      “Gina is not hot. What am I supposed to talk about?” The older male said calmly with a shrug of his shoulders.

      The water she was just drinking got stuck in her throat and she started coughing violently. Jisung started hitting her back repeatedly trying to help her swallow. When she finally calmed down she looked at him annoyed.

      “Who she is, is not important. What’s important is that she is my girlfriend” he gave Changbin a side look ”and you have to accept that. Stop talking about her like she is not sitting right in front of you.” A few of them raised their hands in defeat while some of them averted their eyes. Minho and Changbin rolled their eyes.

      She felt her blood pressure spike up at their action. She remembered why she never wanted to talk to any of them. Arrogant pricks.

      “Ok, Mister protective boyfriend. Just tell us when you break up.” Minho took a bite of his food done with the younger man’s antics. Everyone knew that he was in love with Mina. The moment she shows some interest in him he would probably leave this one in a heartbeat.

      Y/N sucked in a breath discreetly. He really got her worked up and she hated it. She put an arm around Jisungs shoulders and yanked him towards her, his face close to her chest. With her other hand, she grabbed the sides of his face making him look up at her and forcefully pursing his lips. 

      “Break up? Do you wanna break up with me, babe?” Y/N’s voice was mocking as if she was talking with a child. Jisung swallowed hard before shaking his head. She smiled at his response and used the hand from around his shoulders to ruffle his hair. “That’s what I thought.” She placed a short kiss on his lips before releasing him and turning back to her food.

      Everyone at the table was looking at both of them shocked, especially Minho and Changbin. She wanted to let a proud smile escape her but she controlled herself.

      For the rest of the lunch, she decided not to engage in any more discussions with Jisung’s friends. She continued eating her food and listened to them talking about things that didn’t involve her, occasionally responding to Hayoon’s texts.

      She was the first one to get up, impatient to go to her next class and not have to see them. “Bye guys. It was lovely meeting you!” She smiled at them, a smile half true because she did like some of them. “Bye babe. See you later!” She grabbed the sides of his face again placing another kiss on his lips before taking her empty tray and leaving them alone.

      The men all watched her as she made her way out of the cafeteria. When she closed the door behind her they all burst into laughter. Jisung was biting the inside of his cheek irked by their action. When the laughter stopped, Seungmin that was sitting next to him put his hand on his shoulder.

      “I absolutely adore your girlfriend. She knows how to keep her ‘babe’ in check I see.” Seungmin tried cupping his face as Y/N did but Jisung slapped his hand away.

      “Are you her good boy, Jisungie? Does she give you rewards if you listen to her?” Minho cooed at him and Jisung held back an insult.

      “Shut the fuck up. It’s not like that. She surprised me as well. Who the fuck knew she was going to do that?” When he proposed the whole fake dating thing to her he thought it would be easier. Looking at it now he can’t understand why he thought that. He saw the way her fights with Mina unfold and he knew she was an actress which meant that she was probably either crazy confident or really good at faking it. For some reason, he thought she would be easier to tease and control but it would be a lie if he said it didn’t intrigue him. He liked a challenge and if the prize was Mina he would try his best.

      “And you man” Chan spoke for the first time “what the fuck was that? Do you know her entire biography?” He was looking at Hyunjin who rolled his eyes.

      “I told you I paid attention to last year’s plays. On top of that, she’s hot. I remember that after one spectacle I and the guys from my dance group at the time talked about her for like a month. She was so..” The man let out a groan and threw his head back trying to explain what he meant.

      “Sure, tell me more. Did you masturbate to the thought of my girlfriend? Perhaps got any wet dreams about her?” Jisung commented, raising an eyebrow.

      Hyunjin winked at him as a smirk made its way on his face. Some of the guys simultaneously let out disgusted sounds at his gesture.

      “But how did this whole thing happen? I can’t remember a moment when you talked about her or when you were together.” Felix’s deep voice rang making everyone pay attention to him.

      Changbin suddenly let a gasp out and dramatically covered his mouth. “Yesterday our little Jisungie sat next to her in Theory and Improvisation and when the class ended he ran after her. I think he might have had a secret crush!” The older man teased.

      “Yeah, but she looked really annoyed with him. Hence why she sprinted out of the class. Why would she accept to date him if she looked like she’d rather listen to Mr Jung talk about the first piano ever invented.” Chan intervened making Jisung shrug his shoulders.

      “She was annoyed with me but what can I say? I’m so charming she couldn’t refuse me.” He leaned back in his chair putting his arms over the back of the chair. 

      “I think she did it out of pity. When she realized you’ve been trying to get Mina for a year and a half now she probably felt so bad for you she decided to sacrifice herself so you look less like a loser.” Hyunjin said his tone way to serious to be a joke.

      Jisung threw the man a deadly stare. “At least I didn’t masturbate to the thought of her like a fucking virgin.” He spat in the other man’s face.

      “Touche.”

[even-after-a-millennia]

The Freeman's and Firsts

My first fic for @nilefreemanweek2021 and the prompt Nile Freeman + First(s)! You can read it below or over on my ao3 account here. Nile-centric | Rated G | ~1.7k Enjoy!

Nile jerked awake, her eyes opening and lungs heaving.  She forced her body to remain still, to not jolt upright.  She instinctively started taking deeper breaths, trying to calm her racing heart.  After six months of immortality and the dreams that came with being connected to Quynh, she had gotten better at moderating her body’s reactions to her nightmares.

It was her mind that would not calm.

With a sigh, she eased herself out of bed.  Joe and Nicky were sleeping in the bed opposite her, Andy unconscious closer to the wall in Nile’s bed.  The safehouse was small, but it had a balcony, and suddenly that was the only place that Nile wanted to be.

She snuck out of the bedroom and across the living room, doing her best to keep quiet on the creaking floorboards.  The door to the balcony squeaked as she opened it and she winced, stopping it for a moment and listening.

There were no noises that indicated she had woken anyone, so she slipped out the small gap she had created and into the cold night air beyond.

The balcony wasn’t much, but it did boast a few chairs and a rickety table whose screws could probably use a tightening.  Nile sank into one of the chairs and pulled her feet onto the seat with her.  The sun was just an idea on the horizon, barely a faint glow of orange to be seen, and the early morning air was cold against her skin.

She needed that.  Needed the cold to ground her where she was, in a safehouse with her fellow immortals.  Not the heat of Afghanistan, the warmth of the floor under her as her blood soaked into the rug.

She continued to breathe, holding her breath for seven counts before she released it.  Slowly, her body calmed.  And all she suddenly felt was exhaustion.

The sky was slowly brightening, reds bleeding into the black and blue of night.  She tried to catalog the colors, so that she could recreate the moment some time later on canvas.  But her mind pulled her back to her dream no matter how many times she tried to redirect it.

The door squeaked but Nile didn’t turn to see who it was.  Any of her family would be a welcome distraction at the moment, but she felt a pang of guilt at waking any of them.

A blanket settled around her shoulders and a cup of hot coffee materialized before her.

“Two sugars and a splash of milk,” Nicky’s soft voice said.

Just how she liked it.

She turned to him as she took the mug from his hand.  He looked barely awake, his eyes slightly puffy with sleep still.  But he had taken the time to make coffee for her, get a blanket.

She swallowed, slightly undone with affection for him.  “Thank you, Nicky.”

“Prego,” he replied, sinking into the closest chair to hers.

“I hope I didn’t wake you,” she said, cuddling the warm cup close to her.  Between that and the blanket, she was feeling warmer, but luckily, no memories tried to upset the moment.

He shook his head.  “Many nights, I try to wake to check on the room.  Usually, I can drift back off quickly.  But when you were not there, I worried.  We have seen our share of bad nights.  They are easier when not alone.”

Nile sniffed, then reasoned that the steam from her coffee had made her nose run.  She nodded, taking a sip.

“Would you like to talk about it?” he asked, staring at the burgeoning sun.

Maybe it was because he wasn’t looking at her, that she was able to speak.

“When my dad died, I missed school for a few days.  Even when I got back, I wasn’t really there.  My grades suffered and I ended up in my guidance counselor’s office.  She said something to me that I will never forget.  Well, hopefully,” she said drily, remembering the vastness of time available to her.

“She said that after something traumatic happens, like losing a family member, you go through a year of firsts.  Big ones, like the first holidays without them.  Small ones, like the first time you want to call them, only remember they aren’t there to pick up.  A whole year of constantly remembering that your life is irrevocably changed.”

She sipped the coffee and let the warm run down her throat, savoring the feeling of its heat in her stomach.

“That first year was so hard, I wasn’t sure we would all get through it.  But we did.  Even after that year came big moments, though, times I thought my dad would be there for.  Prom, graduation.  Birthdays.  And I realized that it wasn’t just firsts.  It was those moments when all you want is your family surrounding you.  And suddenly, there was this gaping hole where he was supposed to be.  To take pictures of me and my prom date.  To cheer as I walked across the graduate stage.”

Nile pulled the blanket closer around her and surreptitiously wiped her eyes with the corner of it.

The first glimpse of the sun broke over them, illuminating Nicky’s face.  His eyes were more open, more awake now as he looked at her.  His brow was lowered, not in anger but in concentration, as if every word that came out of her mouth had weight and importance.

Like he was trying to understand her more than anything else in that moment.

She smiled a bit at him even as he got blurry behind the tears in her eyes.

“This whole experience reminds me of that.  I am suddenly the gaping hole in my mom and my brother’s lives.  I should be there for birthdays and big moments and small ones.  And I’m here, knowing what that feels like, knowing I’m responsible for them feeling that way, and not fixing it.  I don’t even know if there is a way how.  And it overwhelms me sometimes.”

Nicky nodded, looking back at the sun.  

It was halfway visible now, harder to look at in its brightness.

“Were there good firsts in that year?” Nicky asked.

Nile considered.  That time felt hazy and endless in her mind, a place that she only visited in her darkest moments.  

“A bunch of ladies from our church would make us a hotdish every week, so that we would have guaranteed meals.  I didn’t want to see tater tot hotdish again in my lifetime until I was eighteen.  I finally made us spaghetti one night just to be able to have something different.  It was the first night my mom laughed since my dad’s death, once I explained why I had done it,” she finally said.

Nicky snorted a laugh.  She grinned faintly back at him.

“Miss Temple from down the street came with her son, who was about my age, and he and my brother Jordan played basketball on the sidewalk as she, my mom, and I sat in the grass and she did our nails.  She worked at the salon my mom went to.  It was just before the funeral.  We both had beautiful nails for the service.  I kept looking down at them while people were talking.  They made me want to paint.  It was the first time I had thought about art since we found out he was gone.”

Miss Temple had been adamant about not using black nail polish.  She had painted Nile’s nails blue and her mother’s purple, both so dark they looked black until they hit the light.  Nile remembered using the lights in the church to illuminate the color of her nails, to show herself they weren’t just black.  That there was still color, even as her father was being put into the ground.

“A girl at my school had lost her mom the year before.  Cancer.  She ended up sitting next to me at lunch my first day back.  We hadn’t talked much before, but everyone else was avoiding talking to me.  I was sitting by myself and suddenly, she set down her tray next to me and started talking about what I had missed in the class we shared.  I think she knew that I needed to not talk about my dad,” Nile admitted.  “She made me laugh, catching me up on all the shit that had gone on while I was gone.  Some stupid story, but it was funny enough to get a laugh out of me.  Another first.”

“There’s more, but those stand out.  Little kindnesses.  Little moments.”

Nicky nodded.  “A few centuries into my immortality, it surprised me how many of those little moments were still present in my memories.  The first time Yusuf and I broke bread together without bickering.  The first time I slept through the night without memories haunting me.  The first time a child looked at me and smiled, rather than shrinking away.  They add up in such a way that makes the awful moments fade slightly.  Balance.  I am glad of them.  It would be a much more miserable existence without them.”

It was Nile’s turn to nod.

She let her mind wander back on her life since she had gained immortality.  Yes, there were awful moments of death and violence and loss.  But there was the first time she had disarmed Andy and the proud look in her eyes as Nile whooped in victory.  The first time she and Joe had painted together, music playing in the background as they lost themselves in colors.  The first time that Nicky had made her coffee just how she liked it, though he had never asked.  

So many little moments that added up to so much.

The sun began to warm her as she sat there in silence with Nicky, mind finally settled into the moment filled with coffee, companionship, and, finally, contentment.  There were still many firsts to come, but she knew that she wouldn’t have to face them alone.

[sharkiegorath]

okay so i am obviously intrigued by all of the gintama one but..........say more about the shiroyasha assassination arc pleeeeeease <3

OK PLEASE BUCKLE UP I HAVE A WHOLE-ASS OUTLINE THAT'S BEEN SITTING AROUND FOR OVER A YEAR AND IT'S SOMEHOW BOTH THE MOST AND LEAST COHERENT THING I'VE EVER STARTED TO WRITE

It's post-canon GinHiji glorified kidfic mashing aspects of Be Forever Yorozuya with loose ends from the main story. Basically it's a romcom about a single dad falling in love with his kid's teacher who's also a single dad. While an assassin cult tries to kill the teacher.

Two years after the finale, Gintoki, Zura, and Otae get obsessed with a cartoon that's totally not My Little Pony (Our Large Horse) and open an alternative school to get access to an exclusive edutainment game. Meanwhile, the Shinsengumi entertain Akari, a Weird Little Girl™ who's related to Sougo. Sougo forces Hijikata to babysit her at an OLH convention and they get along surprisingly well. Then Sougo reveals she's Mitsuba's secret illegitimate daughter and it completely destroys Hijikata's brain etc etc etc.

Akari joins Gintoki's school. Other students include Kanshichirou, Tamako, and Magic Grow Capsule Takasugi Clone. Hijikata hires Kagura and Shinpachi to investigate Akari's parentage??? I think?? Fun fact, I picked the name 'Akari' because right after the letter exchange at the end of Baragaki Arc, Ginpachi-sensei reads a letter from 'Akari', asking why Hijikata still smokes. This got hitched to my concurrent realization that Gintoki would be a good -- okay, maybe not good, but fitting teacher, and so would Zura, and the Shimuras have their dojo thing. So obviously an interdimensional space-time rift happened there. And does happen.

Gintoki runs his school. Akari's guardianship gradually shifts to Hijikata, because Tae has threatened to kick Sougo's ass if he tries to raise a child by himself. So Gintoki and Hijikata end up spending even more time together.

Then a white-haired child pops up, wearing Naraku clothing. He calls himself 'One'. He tries to assassinate Gintoki. It keeps happening. Assassins start targeting Shinpachi and Kagura, too. A badass/dumbass woman from the future arrives to protect the Yorozuya. She calls herself 'Ibara' but she's clearly an adult Akari. Everyone tries not to think about this. She also keeps slipping and calling both Gintoki and Hijikata variations of 'dad'. They also try not to think about this.

The midpoint??? curveball is that Itou Kamotarou was Akari's father. What the fuck. Well, I read a fic where he and Mitsuba became friends in the afterlife because he reminds her of Hijikata and I thought "yeah that tracks". then i saw the Gintama Festival 2016 art where they sit together sharing hot sauce dango (??) and I went "HAHAHA! WHAT IF I MADE THIS A PROBLEM FOR HIJIKATA?"

Anyway, it turns out Mitsuba and Itou met while Itou was investigating?? the Enmi? after being tipped off by the Kiheitai?? Now remnants of the Naraku are trying to unleash the White Plague??? somehow? But the White Plague nanomachines have a related good counterpart. The good nanomachines need a human incubator; Mitsuba volunteered, but it failed and she got sick.

Gintoki is the perfect candidate because his bloodstream has a high concentration of sugar and alcohol. So in a throwback to the Shogun Assassination Arc, the giant main cast has to protect Gintoki on the way to the Terminal to Do Something, I Guess. Hijikata is the one who plans the whole thing, because Kondou believes he won't make the same mistake twice, and also I want him to suffer.

From here I have no goddamn idea what happens besides how a lot of the dramatic tension arises from how 'One' is a child, so nobody is willing to kill or seriously hurt him. At the climax, 'One' nearly kills Gintoki. Gintoki could gain the upper hand, but he recognizes himself in 'One', so he does self-sacrifice bullshit, Hijikata Big Sad...I think he gives Gintoki mouth-to-mouth? *double-checks notes* Woah, really?

Of course Gintoki recovers after having a coma dream where he and Takasugi annoy each other. Gintoki and Hijikata get together. Ibara returns to the future, but first, she reveals 'One' was engineered using a combination of Gintoki and Hijikata's DNA...because they won the last four popularity polls. So he's technically her brother. Roll credits!