#I actually kinda like how it turned out though

[grumpchump]

Adding the full yap because a few people asked for it !

(no fast pass spoilers, I'm not caught up yet anyway!)

I feel like this theme applies to almost every character in the main cast.

First of all, we all know that one of Chase's biggest aspirations is to be a famous singer, even though nobody in his life really thinks he can do it. He seems perfectly aware of this. He knows that everyone thinks his dream is impossible, and maybe part of him thinks the same thing, but he just doesn't care. He's still extremely determined to realize his goals despite what everyone thinks of him.

Buddy especially doesn't think very highly of him (at first!)- throughout a good portion of the season, he constantly assumes Chase is going to give up the stories as soon as they get hard. But as Chase says in Sick Day, it's not his style to give up. He is so much more than what a lot of people expect him to turn out to be and he's so cool and I love him so bad

This applies to Buddy pretty obviously too. He's meant to be a cold and ruthless villain, and he certainly does try to be that. He's tough and more than a little mean at times, but we can see pretty consistently that he isn't as heartless as he might want people (Chase) to think. Even from the beginning when he's determined to antagonize Chase and get his key, he drops hints and helps him to finish the stories.

I always thought the scene in the Cinderfella arc where he tells Chase that he can eat the storybook food was really interesting. Like, he has no incentive to do that. He has no reason not to sit by and watch Chase suffer wanting to eat the desserts. But instead he does this small act that is, whether intentionally or not, actually kinda nice of him. It's just another small moment that shows that the villain persona people expect of him isn't really all that he is.

(This is a smaller thing, but I think with his exterior and how he acts in the books, we kind of expect him to be cunning and hard-working. I believe Punko said in a Q&A that in his free time he's actually an extremely lazy person, contrary to how we usually see him. I'm just mentioning that because I think it's funny and I love him a lot.)

Deacon is an extremely complex character with so many layers that I honestly am still grappling with, this guy's really cool.

A lot of his struggles are with the expectations placed on him. We know his whole life and career have been planned out for him by his parents. There's constantly a lot of pressure on him to work hard at this path that has been chosen for him, but in reality, he doesn't want any of it. My man just wants to read his shitty fantasy novels and chill with horses, give him a break !!

He's also constantly trying to defy his role as the helper key (specifically in Sick Day and The Book of Deacon). I think it's really interesting how he struggles to accept his role. Chase and Buddy don't actively try not to be the hero and the villain, they just naturally are more morally grey with it. Deacon, on the other hand, is almost a little desperate to go beyond being a helper and fall into another alignment, acting carelessly and causing trouble because of it. And the thing is, it makes perfect sense why he'd do it.

Books are very much a source of escapism for him. Actually getting to LIVE OUT the books is extremely exciting. Inside the books, he has a chance to escape his parents' expectations- being the helper, though, he just feels like he has a new set of expectations placed on him. Once he actually gets to be the hero in The Book of Deacon, he learns that this role is just as tough- again, he's trading one set of expectations for another. There's really no winning for this man lol. but im getting a little off topic here.

What Deacon needs is to reject the expectations his parents have placed on him and do what will make him truly happy. We can see how Buddy and Chase sort of naturally deviate from their expectations just through being themselves, but Deacon is still struggling in this process. Deacon is struggling to be himself in the way Buddy and Chase do.

There is still that level of acceptance he needs to have for his current situation though, specially in his helper role. He's still struggling to grasp all that being a helper means and how it's still just as important a role to take on as the hero or villain. He needs to find a way to balance his responsibilities and his happiness.

In Prunella's case, it's a bit harder to say- as of Friends and Family, we haven't gotten to spend as much time with her as the boys, so we're still learning more about her. I think the irony of this little girl getting to play the role of the big strong hero is sort of a subversion of expectations in itself lol.

We've also seen her upbringing. We've seen her mom. We've seen her house. It's a big awesome fairytale mess, and she doesn't really fit into it at all- being more into wilderness survival, she's not really what most people would assume her to be when they see her home life. Nothing wrong with that of course, just worth mentioning. We also learn in Friends and Family that she's very advanced for her age- she's extremely smart and probably a lot more understanding and level-headed about all the key business than I think a lot of other kids would be. I'd say she deviates from what a lot of people would expect of a child her age.

I'd love to hear if anyone has any other thoughts about her character !! I like her a lot and I'm excited to get to know more of her in the story :)

I wanna touch on the Keys last, specifically Silver. This part will be more speculation, so take it with a grain of salt.

In line with the theory about Silver possibly betraying Chase, this theme would apply perfectly. The way we've gotten to know Silver, she's extremely sweet and caring. She acts very selflessly for her family and friends and is eager to lend Chase a helping hand in saving his mom.

What we need to remember is that her first priority is to take care of her family. Helping Chase with his thing is definitely a means to reunite everyone (since he'll need all 12 keys to make his wish anyway), but it may not feel like she's doing enough. Helping her family and taking care of the Keys is her ultimate goal. If she's the heroine of her story, it makes perfect sense that she would take whatever actions necessary to do this.

The problem is, Cinderella Boy follows CHASE as the protagonist. We're rooting for Chase to evade Ex Libris, collect the keys, and save his mom. From this perspective, Silver betraying Chase, going behind his back, etc. would technically be an antagonistic action.

Am I saying that makes her a villainess? No, I really don't think so. But we've come to know Silver as a kind, supporting force for Chase. All I'm saying is, if she really were going behind Chase's back in some way (referring specifically to the letter she writes to Violet at the end of Friends and Family), it would absolutely subvert ours and Chase's expectations of her. It would line up with the theme of defying these expectations.

This theme is another of the many reasons why the Beach Boys arc is so important.

Circling back to Chase and Buddy, the core relationship at the center of the story- up until this point, Chase and Buddy have not cooperated with each other. Just a few episodes ago was the Toffee Break arc, where Buddy was an absolute menace and Chase straight got him thrown off a boat, lol.

But then Chase sees Buddy struggling to light a fire, and he does something unexpected. Even though he and Buddy have spent pretty much every moment together as rivals, he offers Buddy a tip on how to start the fire. He completely subverts what we've come to expect of their relationship. And then Buddy does something even more unexpected by returning the gesture and sharing his fish.

They're meant to be the hero and the villain- complete antagonists to one another. But in this moment they both choose to defy their expected roles and share a small, nice moment.

Later, Chase offers to help Buddy get out of the dangerous situation he's living in, and Buddy assumes he's lying. He doesn't expect Chase to be genuine about it. But like he says in Beach Boys (VI), Chase gets mad at him for doing the same thing, and he realizes he's been wrong about Chase maybe the whole time. Chase is not at all like Buddy expected him to be.

I think the point Chase makes in this episode about their roles as the hero and the villain is extremely important to the story as a whole. Buddy is meant to be the villain, so he's supposed to be a horrible person. Chase is meant to be the hero, so he's supposed to be patient and forgiving. But Chase says it himself- he doesn't care about that. He isn't the perfect protagonist we might expect him to be. He's an extremely kind and good person, yes, but he also has no trouble standing his ground and acting the way HE wants to, despite what everyone thinks of him. And Buddy, while harsh and standoffish, has plenty of moments that showcase how he's actually quite a caring person when he starts to let down his guard around someone.

Hell, even the entire concept of Cinderella Boy as a whole is kind of a subversion of expectations in itself!!!! A boy finds a magical artifact that lets him enter and play out any story he uses it on, but, ironically, he always has to be the princess?? it's amazing i love it

Cinderella Boy shows us consistently that nobody is stuck playing the role everyone expects them to. Nobody is bound to the perceptions that other people have of them, and everyone is free to defy these expectations and be the person they want to be. Chase says it best in Beach Boys (IV): "Nobody should have to accept being the villain if they're trying their best not to be."

To rap up my yap session, Cinderella Boy is a narrative about defying expectations and other people's perceptions of you and being a person of your choosing and everyone should go reread it one billion more times !!!!!!

shout-out to Cinderella Boy and its ongoing theme of defying the expectations everyone has for you and being more than your roots and upbringing, gotta be one of my favorite genders fr

[cigarettesaftersae]

Homesick 08 - about you

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ Series: sae x f!reader | childhoodlovers!au

Stuck in a small town near the coast with a previous crush on a boy who returns after years

The lullaby your mother used to hum now resonates clearly in your ears, transforming from gentle hums into a soft, lovely melody. It never sound more beautiful, it kept you connected with your soul. Oh you loved this lullaby. Glancing at your hands, you notice a wedding ring adorning your finger. Looking up, you see your father delicately strumming a guitar. Realization dawns—you are experiencing this moment through your mother's perspective. Is this a dream? Though everything appears slightly blurred, certain details stand out.

As the final note fades, your father rests his hands away from the instrument. Why was he here? I hate him. I hate him,

"So... what do you think?" Jasper asks, glancing shyly up at you—or rather, at your mother.

"You composed a song for me?" Lakia murmurs in awe.

"Uh... yeah, I actually wrote a few, but this one is my favorite." Jasper chuckles, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.

"You wrote multiple songs!" Lakia exclaims excitedly, leaping into her beloved's arms. He lifts her off the ground, twirling her in a warm embrace. "Can I turn it into a lullaby for our future children?" Lakia asks joyfully.

A gentle nudge pulls you from the dream. Your vision is blurry, but you discern a red-haired man adjusting your blanket. As your sight clears, you recognize him moving away.

"Mmm... Sae?" you murmur.

Before Sae closes your bedroom door, he pauses, waiting for you to speak.

"Hmm?"

"What time is it?" you ask sleepily.

"It's 6:38 PM. Go back to sleep."

"Mmm, I don't think I can," you say, sitting up.

Sae returns to your bedside to keep you company.

"Are you still feeling unwell?"

"Yeah, and I had a dream."

"Was it the one where food tries to eat you again?”

"No... I can't remember clearly. But I heard my mom singing a song. Or was that you?" you tease gently.

"I don't sing," Sae replies hastily.

“I’m just teasing you, I thought you confess something like ‘I can sing like pretty princess,’ Can you?”

“I don't sing” Sae repeats with the same tone

You look out the window, and see harsh windy snow. How will Sae get out of this mess? “Would you…like to stay tonight?”

“Why?”

“It’s like a blizzard out there, it’ll be dangerous for you.”

“So?”

“Oh so you’re immortal you can survive that?”

“No”

“Please It’s the best I can repay you somehow.” You beg with your hands intertwined

“Why do you care?”

“Uh— I don’t I just… don’t want people to see the famous cool Sae Itoshi die from frosty the snowman on the news tomorrow you know?”

“You don’t even have a guest room, and I want a good bed to sleep on or my neck hurts.”

“The sofa I have is so comfortable, your neck won’t even hurt.”

“You think I sleep on sofas?”

“…I do sometimes..you can take my bed I’ll take the sofa.” You suggest

“You already slept in your bed while sick, now you want me sick?”

“No, I was suggesting ideas— okay then what do you have in mind?” You notice Sae’s quietness meaning he didn’t have any ideas to contribute in

“Right, exactly. So it’s sofa or my bed which I’ll be on the sofa if you choose the bed.”

“I’ll just go home”

“But you’ll meet frosty the snowman”

“Whats with you and frosty the snowman, bum?”

“Uh—I am not a bum, and frosty the snowman tried to kill me in my dream once when all I did was ask for a cat plushie for Christmas.”

“Your dreams are weird.” Sae sighs

“Do you not also dream?”

“That’s none of your business bum.”

—

Chapters

note (please read) (＾Ｏ＾):

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ITS SUCH A SHORT CHAPTER BUT I WANTED TO GET THIS OUT I like to add jasper means treasurer, Lakia means treasure. These two are your parents. If the beginning was kinda confusing basically the song your mom hums is something you love but your father made it and you hate papa for reasons and also you don’t know that your father made it because you keep rejecting it in your subconscious. and if it helps to you think I’d like the song to sound something like ‘About you” by 1975. I exactly chose this because in the song you hear a female voice which is actually one of the producer’s wife which parallel’s to the reader’s parents.

[aeyn]

An angel disguised in pink!

Aged up! No curse AU!Megumi Fushiguro x Jirai Kei! Reader

Summary : Megumi just turned 21, and has already received an invite from Gojo Satoru - to go drinking. It's Gojo, after all. He's seeing faces he vaguely remember from college, but fresh faces were uncommon, even in a Gojo party. You, dressed like an angel in pink, piqued his interest.

WARNINGS : people getting DRUNK, you can tell i've never been to a party and drank, mentions of addiction to host clubs, a smudge of angst maybe if you squint really hard, mostly fluff though

Word count : 1.4K (it's so short!!)

AUTHORS NOTE!!: Hello everyone... I started writing this like yesterday and wasn't aware today was his actual birthday..... ALSO this is my first time writing and i'm not 100% in my english..!! I'm not familiar with posting on tumblr as a whole, so with the layout and all that, i'm not quite familiar. Please give me some leeway with that kind of stuff. also, my laptop kind of broke while i was trying to post this, so im typing this from my touchscreen ipad. It's a little annoying, but oh well..

This was also LIGHTLY inspired by @lokissweater 's mlb megumi... i know its not anything close to their levels of writing, but i was kinda inspired to write megumi for my Landmine reader from her and how she writes Megumi.

I talked too much, i'll just let you read it already ^^"...

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

The club Megumi found himself in wasn’t particularly big, but it buzzed with energy. The space was packed with familiar faces—classmates, acquaintances, and a handful of people he’d crossed paths with at one point or another. As soon as he’d turned 21, Gojo had dragged him along to this club, boasting about it being owned by one of Geto’s many “connections.” What Gojo failed to mention was that it was a private party. Not that it mattered much; Megumi realized he wasn’t exactly out of his element.

Most of the crowd blurred together as people he vaguely recognized, but there were a few exceptions. Two were Shoko’s friends, chatting animatedly by the bar. The third was a girl—you—whom Megumi didn’t recognize at all. The strobe lights bathed the room in eye-numbing neon green, but even through the haze, the soft pink of your blouse stood out.

You caught his gaze from across the room, and when your eyes met, you offered a small, awkward smile accompanied by a polite nod. Megumi’s eyes widened in surprise, his cheeks warming with the faintest blush—thankfully hidden by the poor lighting. Still, he managed a curt nod in return, stiff and reserved as ever.

Nobara, watching the interaction from her spot by the bar, smirked to herself. She’d invited you along partly because she knew you enjoyed the club scene, but mostly because an idea had begun forming in her head. You… and Megumi… Yeah, that had potential.

While most of the party (including a very drunk Gojo and Shoko) had taken over the dance floor, Megumi stayed firmly planted at the edge of the chaos, arms crossed. He sighed, his gaze flicking between the reckless dancing and his untouched canned beer.

Adults.

Gojo, currently in a drunken dance battle with Itadori, was reason enough for Megumi to swear off drinking tonight. Witnessing the sheer level of intoxication his mentor had achieved was enough to keep him sober.

Lost in thought, Megumi didn’t notice you approach until he felt the chill of a bottled green tea press against his arm. He startled slightly, turning to find you standing beside him, a tentative smile on your face.

“Figured you might want this. You didn’t touch your beer all night,” you said, holding out the tea.

For a moment, he just blinked at you, caught off guard. Then, taking the bottle, he muttered a quiet, “Thanks. Uh…”

“Oh, right. Um, I’m Y/N.” You dug into your pink MCM bag before pulling out a similar bottle of green tea for yourself.

“So… you’re not a fan of alcohol?” you asked, idly adjusting the lace on your skirt.

Megumi shrugged, taking a sip of the tea. “Not when Gojo’s around. Someone’s gotta stay sober enough to drag him home.”

“Fair enough. He does seem… like a lot.” You cast a concerned glance at the “honored one” himself, doing the Worm on the floor.

“That’s putting it mildly,” Megumi said, the corners of his lips lifting subconsciously. For the first time, he felt like he was actually enjoying himself that night.

A comfortable pause settled as you both observed the other guests.

“You’re… friends with Nobara, right?” Megumi turned his attention to Nobara, who was on the dance floor with a cocktail in hand, her face flushed red from the alcohol she’d ingested, and a feather boa draped across her shoulders like something out of a ’90s movie.

“Yeah. She dragged me along tonight. Said it’d be fun. And I just figured I’d come over and say hi since you looked kind of… out of place.” You laughed softly, his plain shirt and baggy jeans a stark contrast to the vibrant, flashy outfits in the room.

“Is it that obvious?” he asked with a small sigh, running a hand through his hair he hadn’t cared to style.

“A little. You’re the only one here who looks like they’d rather be anywhere else.”

“I’m just not big on crowds. Or neon lights. Or drunk people.”

Another moment of silence passed as you nodded in understanding, observing the dance floor growing even more chaotic.

“You seem like you’re enjoying this,” Megumi said, cocking his head toward the unfolding disasters (Geto spilling his drink onto a very pissed-off Nanami).

“I, uh, I’m used to the nightlife. I used to frequent a lot of bars and nightclubs.”

Megumi raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. “Used to? You don’t anymore?”

You hesitated for a moment, swirling the green tea bottle in your hands. “Not as much, no. I… got addicted at one point, I guess. I was filling a void in myself. But I realized it wasn’t healthy.”

Megumi’s expression softened, his usual guarded demeanor giving way to curiosity. “Addicted?”

You hesitated before nodding. “Yeah. Not just clubs—host clubs, mostly. I’d go out all the time, spending way too much money just to be around people who’d tell me what I wanted to hear. For a while, I thought it was fun, but… I guess I was filling a void. They hook you in, you know? They leave you alone, and when you start getting desperate, you spend more.”

He frowned slightly, tilting his head. “Host clubs?”

You glanced at him, gauging his reaction, and let out a small laugh. “Yeah, I know. It’s not the most… admirable thing. But when you’re feeling empty, it’s easy to get addicted to the attention. They make you feel special, even if it’s just an act.”

Megumi took a moment to process your words, his gaze steady but without judgment. “What made you stop?”

You smiled faintly, your expression a mix of self-awareness and vulnerability. “I realized it wasn’t real. I was paying for affection, not earning it. And honestly? It wasn’t making me happy—it was just a distraction. So I quit and started focusing on myself. It’s not easy, but… I’m trying.”

He nodded, his eyes thoughtful. “That… takes a lot of self-awareness. Most people wouldn’t even admit they were doing it to fill a void.”

You looked at him, surprised by the sincerity in his tone. “Thanks. I’m not sure if it’s self-awareness or just running out of money.”

That earned a soft chuckle from Megumi, and for the first time that night, the tension between you eased.

“What about you?” you asked, shifting the focus. “You don’t seem like the type to… well, pay for attention.”

He leaned against the wall, thinking. “Not really my thing. I guess I’ve always been more focused on the people I already care about.”

You nodded, impressed by his grounded perspective. “Must be nice. Knowing you’re enough without needing to hear it from someone else.”

He glanced at you, his expression softening. “I think everyone needs to hear it sometimes. Just… not in that way.”

A quiet moment passed between you, the chaotic energy of the club fading into the background.

Finally, you broke the silence with a teasing smile. “So, if clubs aren’t your thing, what is? What would you do for fun?”

“Honestly?” Megumi said, his lips quirking in a rare smile. “Probably stay home with a book or go to a quiet park. Somewhere peaceful.”

You grinned, leaning closer. “A book and a park? You’re a walking cliché.”

He rolled his eyes but didn’t seem annoyed. “And you’re not, Miss ‘Host Clubs for the Guys’?”

“Touché,” you said, laughing softly. “But hey, if you ever get curious, I can recommend a few places.”

“Pass,” he said, shaking his head, but the amusement in his voice made it clear he wasn’t dismissing you.

“Your loss,” you teased, taking another sip of your tea. “But seriously, thanks for not judging me. Most people wouldn’t be so… understanding.”

He looked at you, his expression earnest. “Everyone’s got their reasons.”

Your chest tightened slightly at his words, and you found yourself smiling in a way you hadn’t in a long time. “You’re a lot deeper than I expected, Megumi.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he said, but there was warmth in his tone.

And just like that, the club felt a little less overwhelming, and the two of you felt a little more connected. Fein by Travis Scott played in the background of the packed bar at 1:23 a.m. Gojo and Geto slumped over each other groggily as the alcohol took its toll. Itadori darted around, still inexplicably full of energy, while Nobara stood barefoot, heels in hand, complaining to Maki. 

Somehow, amidst the chaos, this moment felt peaceful.

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

(I hope everyone liked this... I probably will write a continuation or maybe make it a series when i have the time to.)

[acupofinkedblood]

Dom (Megaphone) x reader

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

• Everyone across Inpherno knows about the Flipside brothers, because who wouldn’t? They have everything that everyone can dream about: Fame, fortune, talents…And do I have to mention their status as royalty as well? Firebrand’s grandsons — Valk and Dom — that’s who they are, are gifted with the path of celebrity since birth. Their fanbases are everywhere in every single factors, just a mention of their names can get the paparazzi going wild. They shine bright as the sun and the moon, so it’s understandable to think that there is no such thing as a miracle for someone like you to have a chance in a relationship with them, right? After all, you’re just the little stardust

• Or that was what you used to think. Fate is such a joke, isn’t it? Yet it has brought you from one surprise into another. And this one, my dear, is probably the best favor fate has granted you without a warning ahead

• To think that you actually have a chance with one of the most famous hotshots of all Inpherno, you might think that you’re just dreaming after a long day at work. But when you wake up again, the realization just hits when you find out that you’re currently lying against one of the most worldwide idols known to every demons out of all people while he is holding you close against his chest. That’s your reality now my dear, you have done the thing you thought was impossible: You are in a loving romantic relationship with one of the Flipside brothers!

• You don’t really understand how did that happen, but that’s still good news nonetheless. Whether it’s you noticed at him first or he noticed at you first is quite debatable. Who knows, you might have caught his interest first when he was in disguise. You don’t know how unexpected the event can turn out to be. Hell, imagine giving a guy you think that he’s kinda cute your number, and turns out he is an idol in undercover? Your mind is going crazy that night with mixed feelings, though you soon come into terms with it

• And for your information, he doesn’t just strike his luck immediately when the topic of letting you know who he is actually comes up. He is currently seeing you under his disguise, and keeps his actual identity away from you. Honestly it makes him feeling rather conflicted: On the one hand, he is able to freely express his opinions to you without having to put up a facade that he uses to appear in front of the public. The fact that you have made him genuinely feels like himself is endearing. But on the other hand, what is he going to do if you find out who he is? He definitely doesn’t enjoy being treated differently just because of his status, at least not from you. It will make things between you and him awkward

• Trust me, it doesn’t really make him less tense when he realizes that he actually loves you, in a serious manner. He wishes for you to know the truth, hiding things away from you just sounds wrong to him. I’m not exaggerating when I say he has to talk things out with his older brother not less than ten times in the middle of the night because he doesn’t know what to do. Then again, it’s not like he can keep this a secret forever, it’s just the matter of time before you get suspicious because of his reticent behavior. When he finally finds his courage, just so you know, he has spent who knows how long organized his thoughts in places. It’s definitely a long time period for him

• When he breaks the news, there are actually three scenarios. Although I’m going to assume the first when you were completely stunned by the news and had to take a moment to understand the situation at hands, then accept it after a while of sorting your mind out. It is quite the serious thing that he shares to you, and your reaction is valid. He trusts you enough to know that you won’t go telling everyone about this, and yes the pressure is there, but it’s still lovely nonetheless

• The other two are pretty odd in certain aspects though: First is that you actually have no idea what’s up with the showbiz and has no idea who the hell is Dom. Sure, you might have listened to his music before, but do you care who is the artist? Not really. Dom will be more than just shock when you just smile and understand his career as an idol without making a fuss over it like he thought you would do. Honestly Dom might be a bit of a drama queen when you don’t know who he is. Then again, all is well. Second is when you just smile and tell him you already know who he is. Let’s face this, with your observations in this specific case, he doesn’t hide it that well. You just give him this knowing smirk while his jaw is on the floor. Well, your choice with the said scenario!

• Everyone knows him as Dom, but you? You know him as Megaphone. Dom is there on the stage, bathing in glorious spotlight with the applause from his supporters from everywhere from afar. But Megaphone is here with you, leaning his back against yours with a calm demeanor while talking about his interest lately with you as he can finally have some peace of mind without the paparazzi flashing his eye 24/7. You like Dom as an idol, but you love Megaphone as who he is. There is a difference in that, mind you

• You think this man is just as quiet and calm like how he portrays his image over the media? Honey, let me hold your hand when I break the news to you. Do I have to remind you how he just loves teasing the heck out of Valk over and over again whether there is a camera or not? He is that much of a prick in the most affectionate way ever around those he cares a lots about. When he is around you, he can finally be himself, and that’s the best part because it catches you off guard. You will understand why his brother wish you good luck with him, because goddamn, this man is definitely anything but mysterious as he wants himself to be behind closed doors

• Sure, he is still generally a reserved and soft-spoken individual who typically carries himself with an air of formality, showing little emotion to others when dealing with the outsiders. That doesn’t mean he just switch face immediately when no one is around. The similarities between his idol persona and himself are still there, but it’s just tamed down in this part and more expressive in another. He just seems more casual, if you understand what I’m going with

• He has quite an attitude, and pushy as well if I might add. He does pick up a thing or two from P. Bucket, especially a bit of her words choice. But it’s still in his default nature. He is made out of love and sarcasm, he just doesn’t show it too much in front of his fans. You however, get the taste of that clearly. Maybe it’s just how he gets his confidence from having privilege. Like, he is rich, he has an attitude and to top it all he has look and talent. Jokingly calling him a diva isn’t too wrong if I’m being completely honest with you. He does act like one, that’s for sure

• Valk — or as you also prefer to call him by his real name, Microphone — knows the thing between you and his brother. There is no room for argument that Microphone is more than supportive of the two of you. Knowing him, he will probably drag all of the stories about his older brother for you to listen. He personally doing so to get back at Megaphone for making fun of his height on the daily basis, considering this a little sibling bantering with love. You are in for a field trip with those personal tales. Microphone might update you on his brother if he is busy too — basically like when Megaphone is dozing off after finishing a tour and he can’t really text you — so rest assured, he got your back!

• Since Banhammer learned how to play a guitar from him and his brother, you know for sure that Megaphone is a jack of all trades whenever it comes to musical instruments or just talents in general. His preferred instrument is the classic piano, just name your song and he will play it almost immediately after a few seconds of mumbling the notes in reminders. If you ask him to play his song though, do expect that all high and mighty grin on his face as he obliges your request. He has the right to be proud of that

• Of course, he has to be in a disguise when he is hanging out with you or just stepping out of his place without being disturbed. The last thing he wants is the paparazzi tailing him like crazy when he is going out to see you. Risking his image is one thing, but he doesn’t play about your safety. If he wants to see you, he has to be extra careful about it because he can’t be sure if there is anyone around that will notice. He loves spending time with you in person whenever he is free from work after all

• Megaphone loves to dress up for special events. You will be baffled when you see how spacious his dressing room is. He needs space to store those outfits after all. He has asked you to help him pick out his clothes a few times, mostly during when you two are doing a FaceTime with each other. It makes you feel inclusive too, it’s like you’re actually there to help him out. Sometimes you do have the chance to actually be there in the studio with him though. Sneaking in as a staff will do you plenty favors, just let him know beforehand so he can help you prepare. Just be careful, don’t draw too many attention to yourself

• Speaking of clothing, when he is spending time at your place, you help him deal with his binder as well. Yeah, those things do make him appear more androgynous to his liking, but have you ever wear a binder for too long? I’m speaking out of experience here because it can be so damn suffocating. Especially in hot weather. That’s just the prefect combination for a heat stroke. Plus, wearing a binder for a great amount of time does make him uncomfortable if we take his wing in account, not to mention his chest too. You help him take it off from time to time when he’s with you, and Megaphone just mutters out words of appreciation to you for that

• He actually has a fascination for avians, especially those like ravens or crows for their admirable intelligence. Although he doesn’t specifically own one, he still enjoys talking about them. Hell, he actually has this whole list of quirky traits of some birds he has done his research about in which he is going to share with you. It’s surprising to see your boyfriend just geek out all of the sudden when you’re asking him what type of bird is the one you are looking at. New thing learned about him, a win is still a win. On that note, he also likes birdwatching as well. He might take you to the quiet spot that he always goes out to relax just to see the birds there. Imagine him feeding the pigeons that surround around him like an old lady, it’s actually funny

• Actually has a huge sweet tooth like his brother, especially when it comes to chocolate. There are a few times he has a sweet treats before performing to keep his spirits up with enough energy too. If you know how to bake sweets, consider this man smitten for you immediately. If you have a specific kind of sweet that you always mention or carry around, maybe you might see him bring some of that and eat it before show as a good luck charm. It soon becomes a new habit of his, thanks to you

• About the nicknames that he gives you, some of it is pretty interesting since he might call you by your favorite flower or the sweet things that remind him of you. Megaphone is definitely creative with the nicknames stuff, so buckle up buttercup because he knows which of it will make you melt. And don’t get me started when he calls you by your real name like honey on his tongue. Let’s see how long can you keep your composure when he cooing your name by that soft voice of his

• He do have a hobby of writing poem. And now that you have officially became his beloved, he can read it aloud for you to hear. Most of the lyrics are his doing after all, which is why you know that his poetry skill isn’t one that should be underestimated. Some might be a bit corny considering that the topic is about his love to you after all, but it’s actually pretty beautifully written. And he won’t tell you this, but he actually still keeps a bunch of love poems he wrote when he first fell for you. He would rather do the tango than telling you that, it’s embarrassing to him

• Megaphone loves holding you close to him while mumbling sweet words in your ears. He is pretty big on physical affection once he has placed his trust in you, which you know takes him a lot of effort to not be afraid whether you might hurt him or not. You have his heart, and now you have his faith. When hugging you, he will use his wing to cover you in a protective embrace. Megaphone wants to let you know how much you mean to him, putting it into words is not enough, he wishes to make you aware of his feelings for you both verbally and physically

• Occasionally he still has phantom pain in his lost wing and eye because of the incident. Although it isn’t anything too new to him anymore as the pain slowly becomes more tolerable, it doesn’t mean that he won’t be able to feel the pain. Usually he will take medication for it, but you are more than welcome to help him massage his back gently if you want to. Just be careful, he might flinch a few times before, but soon his other wing will let you know that he has relaxed. He won’t tell you what happened, like how he wants to keep his parents out of topic of conversation, so you respect his wish and just let it slide

• Let’s get one thing straight, he will be away for tour quite often. That’s just the nature of being a worldwide famous idol that everyone adores. He still keeps in touch with you, even calling you after each finished performance of his to let you know that he’s doing well or not. If he’s in a rush, maybe just a few texts to let you know that he is a bit busy at the moment will do. Once he’s finished with touring around, the first thing he does is to face-timing you to let you know he will be back soon, or in the very least a voicemail will be delivered if he’s too tired

• Megaphone definitely spoils you rotten, and I mean it. He does that mainly to make up for his lack of presence around you because of his work. And money isn’t a problem for him, he is a famous idol and royalty, of course he will buy you anything that you set your eyes on which a swipe of his card like it’s just something small in price — and it’s in fact not small in price at all — and he does that with good intentions. Honestly he will buy you anything including a new apartment or jewelry if you let him, but then again, you’re pretty contented with your current life now so you don’t want to bother him much about materialistic issues

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

Note: I have to dig through wiki and listen to a bunch of song with his vibes to write this. But in the end, it still worth the shot ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

Note2 : I thought Dom was older but turned out he’s younger this whole time- Like, they are the same age, but Valk’s spawnday is 22/2 which makes it obvious that he was born before Dom. Damn that was embarrassing (＞人＜;)

[glamourscat]

oh, another idea!

Kuroko realizes there's a new girl in school that is able to notice him. Turns out she's really cute too.

What do you think would happen?

SUDDENLY I SEE | Kuroko Tetsuya x reader

a/n: i decided to do a short drabble. I kinda have an idea for a possible series for this? Idk, let me know what you think! :) also, sorry for the wait <3

KUROKO was used in being invisible, not being noticed. After all, he was a shadow, on and off the court. Even his own teammates, who were accustomed to his presence, sometimes struggled to find him. So, nothing unusual there.

What was unusual, though, was the opposite. Someone acknowledging him right away. Someone who didn’t walk past him, but instead stopped and actually listened. Someone who saw him.

And maybe, just maybe, that freaked him out a little. Because... how? When? Why?

“Kuroko-san?” Your soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and his blue eyes blinked as he returned to the present moment. Right. What had just happened?

You, a new classmate, had accidentally walked into him... and saw him?

“I—no, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” His voice was as quiet as ever, but there was a trace of softness in it.

And just like that, you smiled at him; he couldn’t help but notice how your whole face lit up when you did. You waved him goodbye and skipped off to join your friends nearby. He was left standing there, wondering what had just happened. But most of all, was he blushing?

© GLAMOURSCAT (all rights reserved. do not share, modify, translate and re-upload my work outside of tumblr)

[calissarowan]

how do you think the wizards would interact with the other villains? I esp need to know how they would get along (or not) with selina

Alrighty! Let’s do this!

Icy: The Trix come as individuals. It bugs me when they get judged as a group. She and Ogron would butt heads right away. They both want to destroy the Winx, or whatever it is they’re doing, but they don’t want to do it together. If either one tries to start saying something to do with a plan, the other will cut them off. In the end, it devolves into insults and name calling. Anagan just has to calm Ogron down and mediate. He’s probably unsuccessful. She and Gantlos get along fine; if they’re teaming up, then they find that their powers work well together. Icy creates ice walls, and Gantlos shatters them to fire the shards at their enemies. Duman’s just helping Ogron argue. And following Icy around with a hairdryer until he winds up as a popsicle for an hour.

Darcy: Gantlos doesn’t trust this woman as far as he can throw a planet. He’s strong, he can throw most things a long way, had to go for a planet to make the saying work. She’s far too manipulative, and he doesn’t want her near him and his friends. She finds him frustrating because he just sees through all her manipulations. She and Anagan are both kinda flirty, so I think they’d get along okay, and probably banter back and forth quite a bit. She’s trying to manipulate him, he’s just having fun. She and Ogron are both trying to play the other, but actually get along pretty well when they have to take someone else down. Duman thinks it’ll be funny to screw with the queen of illusions, so he shifts into Icy for a day to find out all of Darcy’s secrets, and she’s ready to kill him when she finds out, but then realises these powers are actually pretty useful, and she won’t kill him if he’ll use them to help her screw with people.

Stormy: Thinks all of the wizards are kinda pathetic, frankly. The fact that they ran from so many of their fights…ugh, it makes her sick. They weren’t overpowered, they just left when they could have destroyed the Winx. It’s disappointing. Though she gives them props for the plan where they set the building on fire, that was badass. She’s only gonna listen to Icy, Ogron doesn’t get to try and boss her around, so if he tries, she will zap him. Eventually it just turns into her electrifying everything he touches and giving him static shocks, mostly because it’s funny. Duman knows, but doesn’t say anything because he also thinks it’s funny. He and Stormy get along pretty well, they like messing with the Winx, and she and Gantlos just break everything together. She thinks Anagan is boring, because he’s quite calm and doesn’t really do much, or lose it that easily, and she thinks a bad guy should have a much hotter temper and if your job on the team is to keep everyone calm, do you really need to be on it? So she ignores him, or tries to provoke him into snapping, because she wants to see that.

Darkar: He thinks the wizards are…fine. Not the greatest evil to come from his darkness, but has to give them credit for making Earth so miserable. He’d likely command them all immediately, which would tick Ogron off, because he’s the leader, not a bird insect bird man, but Darkar would have him aware of the power dynamic very quickly, and the wizards would serve him. Gantlos would be annoyed about being ordered around, probably start a fight, and Anagan is just trying not to rock the boat. Duman’s impressed with this guy’s power and his aesthetics, and wondering what he could do with them, while Ogron’s trying to take cues from the source of all evil so he can finally end his enemies. Maybe Darkar shows them how to be better villains, and helps them to overcome their remaining humanity, the compassion or care that keeps them from achieving their goals. They’d all be conflicted about that, because they’re evil, but they’re shades of grey rather than black and white, and so maybe in the end they forgo his teachings and have to give up evil in order to escape him.

Valtor: @devilheartsblog has a really cool au where the wizards wind up working for Valtor which I totally love, actually! I just thought I’d bring that up. Now…he and Ogron would definitely be competitive with each other, since they both sorta see themselves as the best (and the most dramatic). Valtor repeatedly hits Ogron with the argument that he almost took over the universe, while Ogron couldn’t take the wings from an untrained teenager. Valtor would also very much like to be in charge, and Ogron would very much like it if he was not, so there’s plenty of arguing over leadership. Anagan and him get along fine, but Anagan isn’t letting him try to edge out Ogron. Gantlos…kinda secretly thinks maybe Valtor might be good at leading? Just that their last plans have crashed and burned so much. Though they’d clash in a fight because Valtor wants to do this with finesse and thinking it through and Gantlos wants to punch everyone until the problem is solved. And Valtor just can’t with Duman, this man is too much for him, just leave him alone. In response Duman messes with him as much as humanly possible. He’s not his friend, he owes him no maturity.

Tritannus: I am not great with Tritannus, but I know someone who is, so I hope it’s okay, but I put this question to @tritannus, and here is his take: He would probably be closed off towards the wizards, refusing to even give them any glance mainly due to his experience with older male figures, mainly his father. He slowly warms up to Anagan first, being the most approachable. Duman might be next, but Tritannus would hate him sometimes whenever Duman taunts him with his mutant form. Gantlos is probably the third. It was clear Gantlos is kind of a protector for his friends in a sort of way. If they ever met, Tritannus would not want to even look at him, believing he would be the exactly the same as Neptune. To his surprise, anytime the wizard talked, he would open up without doubting. He probably would hate Ogron the most. Ogron has a plan for the Earth fairies, he somewhat refuses to listen to the other wizards, especially Gantlos (taken from canon episode ideas). He might just take up Duman’s offer in pranking the redhead.

Selina: Ogron likes this one. She’s smart, she’s got strong magic, and she’s pretty ruthless. Immediate student and mentor energy. He wants to know everything about her book, and she wants to know every dark spell he’s got. She’s heard all about them from Eldora, so she already thinks they’re cool, but she finds out that the stories of them being heartless and pure evil are kinda bull***t, and they do care about each other, and about her. She and Gantlos have some issues when he tries to teach her how to use her powers for brute force, since she prefers manipulating and tricking and sending her creatures to fight, and Gantlos dislikes the idea of hiding behind monsters, and thinks she has to be able to hold her own in a real fight. She and Duman screw with the Winx together, and she shows him new creatures he can shift into, and Anagan listens to her about all the problems that brought her to evil, like Bloom, and being pressured to be a fairy when she’s always been a witch.

Kalshara: All the wizards: “Who the hell is this sad Duman ripoff?” They have to admit she has a few decent moments, but they can all agree, she’s a disappointment. She can only turn into a few things, can’t even mask that it’s her, and Gantlos thinks she’s a coward for repeatedly hiding behind her brother and his magic rather than just time travelling for herself. Duman challenges her to a shapeshifting competition and wings two minutes in, Ogron tries to fix her Allan but gives up and Anagan is the only one actually being cordial. He still kinda thinks she sucks, though. And Kalshara actually also thinks they suck, because they couldn’t steal the wings from a kid, and they got frozen in Omega.

Brafillius: The sentiment from everyone is just…how has this guy stayed alive this long? He’s just something of an idiot, but his magic is surprisingly powerful. Ogron just ignores him because he can’t listen to him blather, and Gantlos and Anagan actually feel kinda bad for the guy, he just gets ignored and degraded repeatedly, despite having come through with actual results a few times. Gantlos tells him to just ditch Kalshara and do his own thing, trap the Winx in that hat of his, and Anagan gets the feeling he’s mostly just being evil for his sister, so tells him he doesn’t have to do this. Brafillius likes Gantlos and Duman the best, because they just kinda just…do whatever they want, and they get results and he wants to do that. He wants Ogron’s approval, since he blatantly dislikes him so much, but Ogron still thinks this is an idiot with a dumb hat, he’s avoiding that at all costs.

Obscurum: …I don’t have much for him, honestly, but here we go. He likes to act like he’s above them, and the wizards all just think this is a tiny weirdo with stupidly-named creatures. Duman takes hordes of Star Yummies to mess around with, then realises Obscurum, despite being tiny and kinda bad at naming stuff, is actually quite dangerous. Ogron is jealous this guy also has dark vortexes and teleportation, and Obscurum is a lot less meek with them than they’d expected. He’s like that with Valtor; to anyone else, he’s the servant of freakin’ Valtor! He’s the best! These guys should be bowing down and hoping his master doesn’t obliterate them!

[cloudymistedskies]

CLOUDY OMGGGG I HAD A CUTE IDEA

can you draw Milo and Tanjiro slow dancing in the rain pls??

…Well… Close enough!

Usually, I wouldn’t really color and shade my art reqs buuut I really needed to make up for not doing this asap so jdndnJSHSNSBSNSJJS

Hopefully this is a satisfying result, Milo !!! Sorry for the late req

[loganelfreeces]

Hey sorry I took fucking forever to reply to your post, life happened! But first of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING SO INTERESTED IN MY POST! I'm honoured that you enjoyed it enough to write your own in response, and that you promoted it to others with that link, thank you so much!

I agree with you about Umemiya modelling himself after Shitara's example. I mean, after his parents died, Shitara raised him and probably had the biggest impact on the person Umemiya turned out to be. Especially since Saviour kinda just gave Umemiya a major life lesson and left Shitara to help him work through the emotions after that. Like, just, look at this:

Are these not the same pannel twice? A goofy guy raging about his favourite things while his friends judge him for it. Umemiya definutely learned a lot from Shitara in his time at the orphanage and I mean, at this point he's spent at least 8 years there, so it makes sense that he'd pick up some habits.

It could also be a sense that like. Shitara probably didn't talk to Umemiya about his talk with Saviour while Umemiya was unconcious, but Umemiya likely picked up on the fact that Shitara was connected to Furin. So in a way, he was doing the one thing his second Dad wasn't able to do in his generation: unite the school and protect the town. BUT I could be wrong and Shitara did talk to Umemiya about it, after all, why else would we see that conversation in a flashback when Umemiya wasn't awake for that conversation? We can't be certain until we see Shitara turn up again.

We do know from one of Nii Satoru's sketches of Umemiya's morning hair routine that he is probably still living in the orphanage. So if ever Sakura has a reason to visit Umemiya's house, he's probably gonna deal with a bunch of little kids grabbing at him and asking him to play until Shitara shows up to distract the kids with pudding so he can talk to Sakura.

As for how close we are to Umemiya's graduation, the Japanese school year works like this: It starts in April and ends in March next year. I'm gonna make a proper timeline post later on, but it's only late July when we have the barbeque party, so it's only been 4 months since Sakura came to Furin. Umemiya's graduation is at least 8 months away, so we have a lot of story to get through first.

I can see why Saviour not having any details could throw you off, but the thing is, I do think he'll come back. Nii said in this interview that he initially planned for Umemiya to be the protagonist, so I imagine he's at least had concepts for Umemiya's mentor figures and inspirations since the concept sketches. Given that he's supervising the anime (which added more visual metaphors in the Shishitoren arc and included how Togame and Tomiyama met), I think there's a lot to the story that Nii hasn't said yet, but is slowly being revealed as we go.

I also noticed how in Sugishita's character profile which we got in the first Volume of the manga that he uses Tsubaki shampoo and guess what we saw in the most recent manga chapter?

Tsubaki giving Sugishita hair oil when he enters middle school for the first time.

From the smallest details like this, to the biggest story defining stuff like Shishitoren/Roppo-Ichiza/Gravel saving Furin and the whole A Fight Is A Conversation thing coming back in the Noroshi arc, I feel like Nii-sensei is an author who loves building on what he's already written to make it all come out better than expected. This is why I think Saviour is going to return around Umemiya's graduation.

Though I also love your idea of Nirei being the one who figures out the connection between Saviour, the Silly to his Serious and Shitara all being Furin students before Umemiya was. I also believe in our notebook boy!

As for there being no teachers at Furin, there actually are some we just don't see them because it's not relevant to the story; we know this because the character profiles list the things at school the Bofurin boys are good at (thank you @orange-cheetah for translating them). But that's not to diminish what you said about Shitara being the only responsible adult we see in the series. @begrudging-fudanshi mentioned in this amazing analysis here about how themes of responsibility and the lack of authority in the series feels very purposefully done by Nii-sensei and @perpetuallyexhaustedlibrarian has their own theories that this is due to the implied extreme poverty the town is in. I agree with the two of them, that it really does mean something that there are no adults in the town who aren't local business workers just giving the Furin guys free food.

So yeah, those are my 3am thoughts, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me!

hey, remember when I thought literally no one was talking about umemiya's backstory's backstory?? yeah, well this guy @loganelfreeces just opened my eyes with the most insane analysis I've ever seen, bc these characters appear in less than two chapters and I'm not really the kind to overanalyze stuff but this made me think more than Im used to and I'm grateful for it.

seriously, if you havent read their post please go, its amazing!! what I'm about to say its practically just a response to what they were saying so I recommend reading it either wya

first off i want to start saying that i cant shake the feeling that umemiya and shitara share the same personality in the sense that they act all friendly and goofy to protect others from unnecessary trouble, like if we're talking about how umemiya acts i can tell he somehow copied or adapted himself to shitara's sense of responsability when it comes to emotional support

then there's that conversation shitara has with the other caretaker about the old furin, and i did get the feeling that shitara was talking about himself in some way, tho i wasnt sure if he had been a furin student, but just some acquaintance to the people there. him being a former student makes sense given that he knows a lot about furin insights and takes responsability on what they do around town

i can see shitara playing a major role in the future, but since the last time qe saw him was when umemiya was 14 years old, i hardly think we will see him again, OR as you pointed out, when umemiya graduates.

if im not wrong, it has been aprox five months (?) sicne sakura entered furin, so i think we're close to that

the one person i really dont think will appear again is umemiya's savior. why? because he couldn't see his face, it wasnt shown, we didnt got a name, not even a nickname, and as you were saying, he's an adult probably out of town that will never appear again

it will be one hell of a twist if the savior happens to be related to someone else, like being suo's martial artist brother or sakura's acquaintance, but i hardly believe he will appear again. yes he was influential in the story, and yes he shared with us some very important information about the old furin, but that was his role at the moment, and the story was going on about umemiya and shitara.

so, yes, shitara will probably appear again in some important scene, and no, the savior will probably not appear ever again

and IF we're talking about a third party, the other guy shitara and the savior mentioned, I hardly believe they will give us more insight on this. there's still a high chance this will get more focus in the series as the events starts to unfold in something more large. i think, if anything, nirei can crack the code of this mysterious saviors and the old furin secrets, I believe in my notebook guy!! (tho I really like how you connected the "serious/calm and goofy/loud" duo, it makes total sense)

OTHER THING THAT I REALIZED I THOUGHT YOUVE POINTED OUT BUT TURNS OUT I JUST IMAGIEND was that shitara and the other girl mention that because of all the gangs messing up the town the police had turned a blind eye to all these and left the town without doing their proper job, so that lefts us with no reliable adults available to put a stop to those crimes. there's no teachers in furin even tho its a school. the townsfolk rely on the furin boys. there's hardly any picture of parents anywhere, not even in conversations. shitara is the first adult to be relied on by someone in the entire series, and i think that alone says a lot about the guy and the future of the series in general.

I BELEIVE IN NII-SENSEI TO GIVE US AN ASNWER TO ALL THESE, THEY'RE AMAZING ON WHAT THEIR DOING AND I CANT WAIT HOW ALL THESE TURNS OUT!!

aAaaAaA im done.

[aerequets]

the mortifying ordeal of being known

--

I think with Yor being so perceptive, she picks up on little things often (like we saw in ch 103). i believe this would impact loid more so than the usual person, because he is a spy and fakes every part of himself, so to be seen is simultaneously desirable and horrifying. like, it makes him torn between wanting to accept and reciprocate the love, or distancing himself so that it doesn't happen again.

thats mostly what the last panel is about, that dichotomy between 'omg this person noticed this about me, is this love' and 'oh shit this person noticed this about me, is this Doom'

just some thoughts i had🤪

[screwpinecaprice]

I was trying to eat noodles neatly and for some reason I got sad midway. So I drew them messy eating a biscuit and a strawberry to combat sad noodle blues.

[murdleandmarot]

@acuriouscat THE THEM FOREVER 🫶🫶🫶

[torra-and-the-toons]

Yakko D. Warner

He's gonna be King of the Watertower and find the one piece swimsuit or something like that.

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

Our Lady Of Mysterious Ailments & The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle

books 2 & 3 in the Edinburgh Nights series

paranormal mystery set in a climate-ravaged future Scotland, plagued by ghosts and magic

follows a 15yo Black girl who’s finally gotten an in to learn scientific magic properly - but it turns out to be an unpaid internship, so she has to take more jobs delivering ghost messages and investigating mysteries to take care of her gran and little sister

in book 2 she’s investigating a strange illness centred on a magic school for boys

and in book 3 she’s attending a global magician conference held in a creepy castle - when someone’s murdered, and they’re locked in until she figures out the culprit

Zimbabwean magic, friendship, disabled characters, no romance (so far)

[tinystepsforward]

ngl it makes me want to die a little bit that it's so often trans people who feel that sex is mutable but oppression is always-forever based on asab in ways that allow them to demand that information from other trans people. like it feels fucking bad. it feels bad when it's people holding up someone who posts a lot of selfies as transition goals to a degree they have to clarify what they have or haven't done or what "direction" they're going in, it feels worse when people are out there like "caster semenya is not tma" or whatever the fuck. i am, as always, not a trans woman, but here's a sentiment echoed by many of the trans women around me who log the fuck off, quoted directly from one: "people who draw a clear line where they say that semenya or khelif are tme and then call me tma are just calling me male at this point".

like i get it. i really do. we seek community and shared experiences, and we feel betrayed when people have less in common with us than we thought they did. [*more on this later.] but that's not those people's faults and my god in the case i'm seeing play out on twitter rn this poor person did absolutely nothing to intentionally mislead people, just posted pictures of their actual kid self. who looks a lot like i did, because shockingly enough "we can always tell" doesn't fucking work for trans people either!

on the one hand i move in intersex circles which are unapologetically welcoming in cis "dyadic" people with pcos, because it serves nobody to draw a clear line where mutilation or genetics or some ineffable childhood suffering are what make somebody intersex, especially when most of us (esp in places like nz) have never been karyotyped and are being treated for symptoms without a pinned-down cause anyway. the more of us there are the stronger we are, the more pressure we can exert on a medical profession which doesn't like to consider how common outliers are, how uneasy sex is at all. and then on the other hand there's dyadic trans people on the internet who've yelled me out of spaces because a couple of traumatised incarcerated trans women i worked with as a prison abolitionist assumed i was also a trans woman and i didn't immediately tell them my entire csa-involved history of being sexed in varying ways as an infant and child and/or exactly how big my phallus was at birth or where in my junk config my urethra lives so they could decide i was tme or whatever.

returning to the * for a related but not identical thought: i think presuming shared experiences leads to some fucked shit in general! "oh we all had a radfem phase" or "oh we all were channers" no we fucking weren't and it's particularly obnoxious when me & mine are trying to build trans community locally to organise and resist the growing wave of far-right backlash against our existence, and there's just white people in there on a spectrum from "straight up being antisemitic and trying to get the n-word pass" through "handwringing about how they need to make space for people who aren't politically correct" to "handwringing about how brown people are right to be mad at them but doing shit fuckall". and then the other fucking brown people in the space are on some identity politics shit where they're like "trans joy inherently excludes those of us who could get deported" or "big city white queers are killing us by being visible instead of going stealth bc it stirs up the discourse" or whatever the fuck i've heard pulled out this year. there's a bunch of reasons i primarily organise outside of trans spaces and that's one of them. i've never felt more alone in spaces where people claim we're all the same than being left as the brownest moderator or organiser in a space full of people to whom "this is a safe trans space" apparently means they get to abdicate all other responsibilities not to lapse into presumed shared patterns that are fucking racist or otherwise alienating. i've never felt more alone than surrounded by exclusively trans people who sort people into boxes and assume everyone in those boxes has the transition goals they have. like i was on cypro until it disagreed with me to the point of endocrine crisis and now i'm on t and at both those points people were so fucking presumptive or entitled to my reasons or journey or personal relationship w my body

literally just submitted on (and was invited to consult on) the nz law commission's review of the human rights act and like. it's straight up fucked how many nz trans people fully do not comprehend that any "sex assigned at birth" type definitions fundamentally exclude migrants who have no way of proving it and many intersex people who happen to have been reassigned later or many times or never assigned at all as a baby. we can't make law with this shit and that's why we have to have symmetrical protections for all genders/sexes/expressions/presentations, bc naming and defining a protected class here often leaves the people who already are left out from those shared experiences of marginalisation out in the cold when they face violence

[daemon-in-my-head]

Like do y'all see why this is so fun for me?

The flat colours r hella off-putting, yeah, kinda, ig, I actually don't hate em sm, but the egg is so, not egg. It looks human. So quickly. I don't have to tell myself to trust the process 24/7 cuz the process is visible nearly immediately. My awfully detailed knowledge of facial shadows is finally paying off proper.

I love this. I'm in love with this approach. Art is fun again.

Though I can't use the overlay blend mode anymore which kinda sucks cuz when I tried his lips started looking ultra violet and like, yeah okay sickly or a tint of blue is fine perhaps even desired but brother looked like he ate neon blue text marker.

[mechieonu]

it actually hadn't occured to me until just now but love & betrayal are @ the site of every villain's spiral. like. "Shifu had to destroy what he had created. But how could he?" vs. "They loved you so much that having to send you away killed them." vs. "I loved him like a brother, and he betrayed me."

it's super neat how love isn't only one of the major themes of the series but also a vicious motivator too