#I wanted to give an example of how close I am to caving

[princesscallyie]

There’s literally no heterosexual explanation for this. Why is he looking at him like that???

[super-ion]

Such Lovely Fur

Chapter 2

[chapter 1 || chapter 3 | chapter 4 ]

“I don't even know your name!” I gasp over breakfast.

The demon blinks at me in surprise from her corner of the shallow cave that we shared the previous night. She is hunched over the carcass of a rabbit and I watch in morbid fascination as she plucks out the heart and pops it into her mouth.

“You… do have a name, don't you?” I ask.

“Aye,” she responds as she chews. “But I have yet to meet a human who can pronounce the language of my people.”

“So, what do I call you?”

She narrows her eyes at me as she swallows.

“Why?” she asks cautiously.

“If we're going to travel together, I can't just keep calling you ‘the demon’ can I? I am afraid I've been terribly rude and you have been…”

I run my fingers through the fur on my arms, taking a moment to marvel at the softness as I have many times in the night.

I realize that she is watching me with a bemused expression and I force my hands to my lap.

“You have been nothing but helpful,” I finish with a blush.

She raises an eyebrow, knowing full well that she had been nothing but crass and mischievous the entire time.

“Well… when you put it that way…” she says with a smirk. “I suppose you may call me Rook.”

“Rook?” I ask. “Like the bird?”

“A very fine, upstanding bird,” she says.

I have some doubts regarding that assertion, but who am I to judge?

And… having asked for hers, propriety dictates that I give her mine.

“I am Astra,” I say.

It likely is not very good practice to tell your name to a demon, but seeing as I have already entered a bargain with her, what harm could it do?

I pack my meager supplies and together we step out into the chill. The blizzard has momentarily paused its relentless onslaught and the air sits silent and heavy on the landscape. The air is still unnaturally frigid, but with my new coat, the cold doesn't bite quite as deeply.

“May I ask you a question?” I ask nervously as we set out.

“You just did. But yeah, go ahead and ask another.”

“You asked me yesterday if I was a man or a woman or something else. What else could there be?”

She narrows her eyes at me, searching my confused expression.

“A person can be any number of things,” she says, “both or neither or something else entirely. Take me for example, I'm whatever I feel like on any particular day. Girl today, but maybe tomorrow I feel different.”

I gawk at her.

“I've… never heard of such a thing.”

She furrows her brow.

“Alright," she says. "Let me ask you something. You were born a boy, were you not? Surely your society tolerates such things?”

“We are an enlightened society,” I say. “But a man is a man and a woman is a woman and it would not be proper to force someone to be something they are not. As is customary for people of my station, upon my sixth and twelfth birthdays, I was presented with a choice between male and female. I chose female as dictated by my inner truth and I was raised as such. I was given a woman's education to fulfill my proper role in society. Sometimes someone doesn't know until later in life, but there are policies in place to accommodate such a thing.”

“How… quaint?” she says with a look of genuine bafflement. “And your whole entire identity is tied up in rigidly defined gender roles imposed by said ‘enlightened’ society?”

I open my mouth to respond, but close it again. she is right.

“Tell me, is it a woman's role to rescue her husband-to-be from a witch?”

The barb lands home and I stiffen. I knew that having this discussion with a demon would be a mistake. I should have heeded my own advice and avoided this topic entirely.

“Do you even want to marry him?” she presses. “Because you have told me of the desires of your society and your family and your bridegroom, but you have told me nothing about your own desires.”

“What I want is inconsequential,” I say, more sulkily than I intend.

She looks at me with something very much like pity, but she holds her tongue for once.

We continue on in sullen silence, me trudging through the snow, her fluttering overhead between rocky outcroppings and stunted trees. The path narrows, traversing treacherous switchbacks and finally entering a narrow ravine.

It is just past midday when the fears that have crept their way into my consciousness are realized. We come around a bed in the ravine only to find that a landslide has blocked the way.

I stare at the rubble and the sheer rock walls in dismay. There is no way I could possibly climb this safely. I could attempt it, but for my efforts, I would receive bloodied fingers at best and a broken neck at worst.

“I could ask for wings?” I suggest to Rook.

She makes a pained face.

“Yeah, you don't want wings. My cousin once gave a man wings. He screamed in agony for hours. First I would have to break all of your ribs and your sternum and your arms and your-”

“Okay, I got it,” I grumble. “Maybe you can carry me?”

“No can do,” she replies. “I can only grant you boons to help yourself. I can't do the work for you.”

I sigh. I know where this is going.

“So, you're saying I need something to help me climb.”

“Yup.”

“Something like claws?”

“Yup.”

I look at my hands. The fur is something I can manage. Claws will be much more difficult to hide. Will my betrothed even accept me if I arrive to rescue him with the claws of a beast?

I shove the thought aside. Of course he will. He has to, doesn't he?

“Fine, let's just get this over with,” I mumble and close my eyes.

I feel the jolt and this time the magic takes the form of an ache in my bones. Despite her prior warning, I let my mind wander elsewhere, desperately seeking solace from the discomfort.

My thoughts wander to when I was a child, and my mother took me to a zoological exposition. I remember being fascinated by all of the strange and exotic animals, but one in particular held my attention more than any other. I must have spent an hour staring at that leopard, captivated by the fluid ease in which it moved, leaping and climbing within its enclosure. I remember trying to imagine such a creature in its own native environment, unconstrained by the bars that caged it. The idea of that freedom stuck in the back of my mind like a splinter for years afterwards.

When the transformation ends and the ache fades, I survey the changes with a weary sigh. My hands are now very nearly paws, more animal than human. My feet are even more so, as I discover when I kick off the shoes that now dig into them uncomfortably. I flex my fingers and toes, watching in fascination as pale, razor sharp claws emerge.

Rook is staring at me. I am expecting smugness, but her expression is uncharacteristically stricken.

I then become aware of the strange weight on my backside, and sensation where there should be none. Dread settles into the pit of my stomach as I crane my neck and pull up the hem of my dress to look at a tail covered with the same spotted silver-grey fur as the rest of me.

I glare at Rook.

"You gave me a tail!?" I shout.

She raises her hands placatingly.

"No... I mean, not on purpose..."

My tail begins thrashing behind me in agitation, the alien feeling of its motion bringing me to tears.

"How am I supposed to hide this?" I demand.

"I didn't do it," she insists. "This was not at all my intention."

"What do you mean, you didn't do it? It was your magic!"

She gasps indignantly, fluffing up her feathers to appear larger. She thrusts a clawed finger at me, pointing accusingly.

"Yes, but you are the one to will the change. Your imagination got away from you, didn't it? What part of ‘try not to think’ did you not understand?"

I am now quivering with rage. I flex my new claws, feeling them emerge and retract dangerously.

"My imagination? You're the one who gave me leopard spotted fur in the first place!”

“That also wasn't on purpose,” she pleads. “But you do have to admit-”

I've heard enough. With a snarl, I pounce at her, catching her off guard. I make contact and she goes down with a squawk.

I find myself on top of her, my paws pinning her shoulders, my face inches from hers as I bare my teeth and snarl menacingly. She stares up at me, panting slightly. When she does finally recover from her initial surprise, her expression doesn't shift to fear, but something altogether different.

“My, what big teeth you have,” she says with a sultry voice.

It is enough to cut through the fog of my anger and I clap a hand over my mouth as I roll off of her.

What on earth had come over me? It was completely improper for me to have lashed out like that. It went against every lesson in etiquette and decorum I had ever been given.

And to make matters worse, my canines are longer.

What am I going to do??

“I will say that was quite a pounce, little cat,” Rook says as she dusts herself off. “As I was saying before so rudely being interrupted - you have to admit that tail of yours will come in quite handy for balance on the climb. I do believe that you have just proven that exact point.”

I stop feeling at my teeth with my tongue and look back to my tail once more. The pounce had been effortless, fueled by instinct more than anything else. She is right of course. I would need all the tools at my disposal to face this obstacle.

The only problem is my dress. I flick my tail experimentally, watching and feeling as it snags against the fabric. The fine material is already frayed and ragged from my journey so far and it surely will not fare well against the jagged rocks ahead anyway.

“Turn around,” I tell Rook.

She cocks her head, and watches as I unsling my pack.

“Please?” I add belatedly.

She smirks and turns her back, giving me a modicum of privacy as I strip down to my small clothes. My chemise is still far too long to be useful, so I am regrettably forced to tear wide strips off of it until it is scandalously short. But… liberated from my dress and wearing naught but my leggings and a makeshift tunic, I feel… I feel…

Rook is staring at me. Her eyes glitter hungrily and she smiles her sharp tooth smile as her gaze traces up the shape of my legs.

My face heats, but I hold her gaze as I shove my cloak into my pack. It will only get in the way and within the relative shelter of the ravine it is hardly necessary with all my fur.

Unfortunately the dress will take up far too much room and will thus need to be left behind.

I am surprised to find that I do not care.

I sling my pack over my shoulders and look at my paws. I flex my claws and meet Rook’s gaze once more. I flash her a toothy grin before quickly turning and making a running leap for the boulders that block the path.

“Hey!” she shouts after me and I hear her begin to flap her wings.

But I'm already scrambling across the rocks. My claws find purchase where my fingers never could. Some deep primal instinct brought on by the transformation tells me where to place my paws, how to orient my tail to best balance my leaps and navigate narrow precipices with feline grace. Soon my heart is thundering and my lungs burn, each breath coming out in a great cloud.

I have never felt so alive.

I crest the top of the rockfall when Rook’s shadow falls over me. I pause for a moment to look back at her, a great dark shape blocking out the sun. I am briefly captivated by the way the light refracts through her feathers. I have to admit to myself that I have caught myself admiring the powerful muscles in her shoulders and chest that power those wings.

She starts to dive, sailing over me smooth and deadly.

I return my attention to the slope and make my next leap. In my descent, I find myself on all fours more often than not. It just feels right in a way I cannot put into words.

I reach the bottom just as Rook flutters to land atop a stray boulder. She studies me with a gleam in her eyes.

“Not bad, little cat,” she says with a grin. “Not bad at all.”

(next chapter)

[starsopinions]

Damsel is surprisingly good!

I am going to be honest with you, going into this film I was fully expecting a classic Netflix tween empowering movie. Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Starting with the good! Firstly, I really enjoyed the femininity and girlhood aspect. This theme is woven through a lot of aspects of the film and it makes it feel well-rounded and shows multiple different examples of woman- and motherhood. It was shown through Elodie's birth mom dying, her relationship with her step-mom and obviously Elodie's connection to the previous victims. I really enjoyed how all the women/offers/victims helped each other indirectly. Victoria's messages helped Elodie get out alive even though she couldn't herself. (Victoria is the definition of a girls girl). Think about Elodie’s relationship with her sister Floria, marriage, The dragon's children being murdered and the dragon's reaction to that, Lady Bayford's relationship with Elodie and Floria and Elodie being sacrificed by her father.

Another thing I liked was Elodie’s dress. It obviously restricts movement and is a symbol of Elodie’s freedom and control, or lack thereof. That, however, isn’t the only thing it is used for. Throughout the movie, Elodie repeatedly uses her dress to survive. For example, She is saved by it when she jumps over the ravine and she uses the sleeve as a bag for the light worms. This shows that Elodie is being resourceful and smart by using all the available material. Besides that, it also shows that she isn’t giving up like she is expected to which is nice to see. It would have been so easy for her to conveniently find a bag in a cave somewhere and use that, or for her to simply be able to jump that far. Instead, the movie is clever and makes Elodie innovative which makes her more likeable and more deserving of survival. Additionally, it is also really cool to see all the different iterations of the dress as time goes on and it makes for an epic transformation.

And now, a speed round of parts I enjoyed: Prince Henry not having a redemption arc (he threw her in that cave without a second thought). The CGI looked amazing and the dragon was honestly terrifying. The costume- and set design both did an amazing job. Floria was adorable.

There are a few things that I would have done differently. Starting at the beginning, it feels a bit rushed. I would have liked to see Elodie’s people actually struggle, there was a lot of telling that they were poor but Elodie is married off before we actually get a chance to see it for ourselves. And while we're at it, although I liked the bond and dynamics between Elodie/Floria, Elodie/Lady Bayford (her stepmother) and Elodie/Lord Bayford (her father) they should have spent more time exploring their relationships. Especially Elodie and her father's bond should have been stronger, right now we only get a few scenes of them together, so imagine how much harder his betrayal would have hit if we were shown how close they really were. That is not to say that it is bad right now, but it is definitely something that could be improved upon.

Another aspect I would have liked to see more of is the colonizer plot which is implied but not developed further. It is mentioned briefly that the people of the kingdom Aurea invaded the land and tried to slay the dragon and her children. It could have been delved into more by showing another flashback, for example. It also would have been cool if that was also one of the reasons the dragon was upset. For me, the dragon's redemption arc isn’t really a redemption at all but more of a 180°. I think the dragon getting tricked is a good plot point but the dragon was EVIL before (taunting and playing with her victims) and it could have been dragged out a bit more in my opinion. It is also quite weird to me that the dragon goes with Elodie at the end. You would think that the dragon wants her land back and with the kingdom gone, she can have it back. It is also weird to me that Elodie would want the dragon to go with her because although it is obvious that the dragon isn’t the actual evil in this scenario. She still tried to kill you, your sister and she actually did kill your father. So overall it would make more sense to me if the dragon stayed behind to claim her own land back or they should have more scenes where the dragon comes around and isn't evil anymore.

The last thing I want to complain about is the set-up for Elodie being sacrificed. There were some great starts on that. Queen Isabella getting Elodie’s name wrong, The girl on the balcony, the creepy masks. Those are all great beginnings but I want it to be WAY more suspicious and weird. I liked how Lady Bayford stormed in and tried to stop Elodie from marrying Prince Henry but I wish it came from a more creepy place, right now she just thinks he isn't right for her. Maybe she heard people on the market talk about a ritual, or maybe she talked with the family of the other girl who was sacrificed, that kind of thing would be an amazing set-up. I don’t think it was bad how it was but it just could have been better.

Overall, I feel like I have been very negative in this review but that is not my intention at all. I actually really enjoyed the movie. It obviously isn’t a cinematic masterpiece but I don’t think they intended it to be. It had potential to be even better but I honestly think they did a fantastic job.

This is my first time writing a review without watching or reading anybody else’s opinions, so I am completely in the dark about what the general opinion is. My prediction is that it is written off as a classic tween movie just because it has a “girl boss” female lead when in reality it is so much more than that and I had such a good time watching! Would 100% recommend!!

Obviously, these are my opinions! If you feel differently, then that is 100% okay and you are always free to share your thoughts!

Thank you for reading all the way to the end (I would be eternally grateful if you liked/reblogged) <3

Until next time,

Star ☆

[razzle-zazzle]

give us the essay, coward

Okay.

The first example of how Skylor and Cole's flaws and personal issues will drive the conflict of the story can be seen in the lines, "High achiever / don't you see? / baby nothing comes for free / they say I'm a control freak / driven by a greed to succeed / nobody can stop me" as they are excellent for Skylor's character; she has learned from her father how to manipulate and play to expectations, and many of her actions in the AU are motivated by Chen's plans and desires due to Skylor feeling unable to escape being his daughter, his tool, raised with love that is wholly conditional and bound to go away if Skylor cannot fulfill expectations.

The next line "'cause it's my problem if I wanna pack up and run away" is an essential Cole line; it is seen both with Lilly and Zane's death that Cole's response to grief is to first assume extra responsibility, then cave and run away when that self-imposed pressure becomes too much for him. As he enters the Tournament still grieving Zane and facing the sudden inevitability of a marriage he's unsure about, he finds himself wanting to run away from the reality of it. "It's my business if I feel the need to smoke and drink and sway" both works to how Kai processed his grief over Zane with self-destructive tendencies and to how Skylor schemes and manipulates for her father's benefit—and thus, her benefit by remaining in his favor—despite these actions going against her nature and personal desires.

"It's my problem / it's my problem if I feel the need to hide" is again another Cole line about how he ducks away from emotionally difficult situations and prefers to stay closed off, as shown during multiple prior points in the series, not the least being the love triangle and how there was a lot Cole could have and wanted to express to Jay but simply didn't until they were all but forced to reconcile in the arena on Chen's island. This also foreshadows how his refusal to tell the other ninja about the engagement comes back to bite him later, prompting him to nearly close off further.

"And it's my problem if I have no friends and feel I want to die." That's just a Skylor line straight up. It's made pretty clear in canon that Chen is a shitty father, and it's also either said or heavily implied that Skylor had never left the island prior to ToE. Thus, there is an aspect of isolation to her character that Chen undoubtedly takes advantage of, and allows her to connect with Kai so quickly over little commonalities.

And that's not even getting into the rest of the song! That's just the second verse! The very opening lines of the song, "I was pulling out my hair / the day I got the deal / chemically calm / was I meant to feel / happy that my life / was just about to change" are like. Ohhhh they are so "Cole getting the invite to the tournament & Skylor spotting him on the ferry" vibes as they both realize that oh, yeah, that whole marriage thing is about to come up, isn't it? From a more literal standpoint the whole "the day I got the deal" line would imply when they first got their pendants, but they were small children at that point who didn't even really understand what being married would actually entail so reuniting at the ferry seems more poignant.

And the next lines "One life pretending to be / the cat who got the cream / oh, everybody said, / 'Marina is a dreamer' / people like to tell you / what you're gonna be" can apply to either Skylor or Cole! Skylor having to be the loyal daughter (the useful tool) or Cole having to live up to one of his parents' legacies (not to mention the whole phase where he was pretending to be a dancer and lying to Lou about it, especially since in Betrothal Cole also lied to Skylor in the exact same way until s01e09 "The Royal Blacksmiths").

"It's not my problem if you don't see what I see / and I do not give a damn if you don't believe / my problem / it's my problem that I never am happy / and it's my problem / it's my problem on how fast I will succeed" is a little less clear to me; "my problem... will succeed" are very clearly Skylor lines, while "it's not my... you don't believe" could be interpreted in a number of ways. If I was making an animatic, I would likely use imagery on those lines that likens to the biggest complication of the whole engagement situation: Chen. He doesn't care what anyone else has to say about the engagement, least of all the engaged pair themselves. It's all a ploy meant to buff up his own power and prestige—which makes it all the more ironic in the end when it's the connection Cole and Skylor make that ultimately causes Chen's downfall.

And I haven't even gotten into the refrain or the bridge yet! The refrain is just... ough it works so well. "Are you satisfied / with an average life? / Do I need to lie / to make my way in life?" Works so so well with how, for all that the marriage would bring major change to Cole's life, Skylor's status quo of being just another asset for her father remains unchanged. And then of course the line about lying both plays into Skylor and Cole's fake dating schtick and to how Skylor can't live a normal life with her own interests because of the role Chen forces her to play.

"Are you satisfied / with an easy ride? / Once you cross the line / will you be satisfied?" In some ways, just going along with the current would make Cole and Skylor's lives easier, for all that Chen would still continue to make everything a thousand times more difficult. Chen lives in blatant luxury despite his exile, and it's implied that the same is afforded to Skylor (so long as she stays in line and acts the perfect daughter, perfect useful tool)—and in this AU, he explicitly uses this luxury to try and tempt Cole into turning against the other ninja, offering an "easy ride" to being on the "winning side" when Chen's plan goes through. And indeed, though Cole is steadfastly loyal to the ninja and Skylor manages to go against her father in a way she can't hide or take back in the end, there a multiple points in the story where it almost seems like they won't and Chen will effectively "win" at convincing them. But not only is crossing the line almost seen with Cole seemingly turning against the ninja—it's actually seen when Skylor fully turns against Chen, thus crossing the line. As such, the refrain applies to the AU in how Cole and Skylor are both presented with opportunities to "go with the flow" or to go against the grain, and whether they can be satisfied with the actions they take.

The bridge is a bit more general Skylor childhood angst, but could also be applied to the slow death of Lilly and how that impacted Cole as a person. Really, it's the second verse and the refrain that carry this song for this AU, and work wonderfully to showcase how Cole and Skylor's particular issues come into play and drive the story forwards—and how Chen also drives things, in his own awful Chen way.

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers CHAOS LINEAGE ー Subaru [10]

Monologue

After leaving the cave,

Subaru-kun and I successfully made our way,

to the Scarlet Manor.

We were very lucky to make it here without having to fight anyone,

as to lessen the burden on an already injured Subaru-kun.

Yet, I became worried.

While Carla-san’s pursuers,

might have not yet picked up,

on our actions.

Our opponents should be wary,

of people from other Houses wandering around their territory.

So how come that the Scarlet Family,

despite having surely noticed our arrival by now,

not come to attack us in any way, shape or form? 

ー The scene starts outside of the Scarlet Manor

Subaru: ...Don’t you think somethin’ is off?

Yui: Yeah, we made it here much more smoothly than I expected.

Subaru: Knowin’ Reiji, I didn’t think he’d allow the enemy to get close to his manor but...

Yui: What should we do next?

Subaru: I mean, we don’t have much choice now that we’re here. We’ll go see Reiji.

Yui: Let’s try ringing the doorbell then. Also to show them that we haven’t come here as an enemy.

Subaru: Guess we don’t have another choice. ーー Hm? Oi, keep quiet. Someone’s comin’.

Yui: Eh...?

*Thud*

Reiji: Welcome to the Scarlet Manor.

Yui: Reiji-san...!

Reiji: The two of you are very much welcome here. Please, come inside.

Subaru: ...

Yui: ...

ー The scene shifts to the dining lounge

*Cling*

Reiji: Please have a cup of tea. That should help ease you up a little.

Yui: Thank you very much, Reiji-san.

Subaru: Oi, why are you servin’ us tea?

Reiji: The two of you appeared to be rather shaken up.

Subaru: We’re pretty much enemies, right? I can’t imagine you’d give us a warm welcome for no reason. What’s your deal?

Reiji: The Familiars dispatched outside of the manor informed me of your arrival.

It is my philosophy to treat visitors with the utmost of respect. It would seem that the two of you are in quite the pickle as well.

Subaru: ...You know everythin’, don’t you?

Reiji: Exactly. For example, the fact that the people from the Violet manor are looking around for the two of you in an absolute frenzy.

Yui: I see...

( A frenzy, huh...? I can only imagine Carla-san is enraged. )

Subaru: ...

Reiji: What happened?

Yui: Subaru-kun...I believe Reiji-san might understand if you try to ask him for help.

Subaru: Y-Yeah.

Listen, Reiji. Are you also aiming to become the Supreme Overlord?

Reiji: Well, yes. That is the duty which I have been entrusted with.

Subaru: ...Is that your true objective?

Reiji: I beg your pardon?

Subaru: I mean, think ‘bout it. Can you give me a solid reason why you want to become Supreme Overlord so badly?

Reiji: Such a strange thing to say. Regardless of my reasoning, it is my wish.

Subaru: See!? You can’t give me a proper reason!

Reiji: Because I do not need to. I am the one meant to become the Supreme Overlord after all.

Subaru: ...Che. This conversation isn’t going anywhere.

Yui: ( From the looks of it, there’s no signs of Reiji-san’s memories coming back... )

( I wonder what would happen if we try to use something else besides the Supreme Overlord. )

Hey, Reiji-san. Shuu-san is a part of this family as well, right?

Reiji: Yes, he is my younger brother.

Yui: Younger brother...Are you sure about that?

Subaru: Hey, doesn’t it feel kinda weird to treat him as your younger sibling?

Reiji: ...The two of you have been talking in riddles this whole time.

Could you please tell me already what you are trying to achieve by having this conservation?

Yui: ...

Subaru: Reiji. You might not believe me but your real younger brother is me.

Reiji: Hooh. That is a very fascinating take. Care to explain to me how a member of the Violet family such as yourself could be my younger brother?

Subaru: That’s what doesn’t make sense in the first place! Whether it’s the Violet or Scarlet houses, as well as Eve and the legend revolvin’ ‘round her.

It’s all a load of bull!

I don’t know how this happened, but we’ve had over memories altered and are fightin’ each other in this place.

You’re all fightin’ for nothin’ after havin’ these weird memories ‘bout the Supreme Overlord and such planted inside your head.

As a result, you’re fightin’ over her because she’s supposedly the ‘Eve’ who’ll allow you to become Supreme Overlord...

But she’s my...my girlfriend! I can’t let anyone else have her.

Reiji: I see. I doubt Carla will allow for that though. He should be looking for the way to become Supreme Overlord as well. 

Subaru: Yeah, exactly. Carla demanded I hand her over so he can find a way to become Supreme Overlord.

I tried to explain everythin’ I did just now to him as well. But he didn’t even seem interested in listenin’ to it.

Reiji: I can hardly blame him. I too am still somewhat doubtful while listening to you explaining all of this.

I cannot imagine that someone as level-headed as Carla would bother paying attention to such a story.

Subaru: ...

Reiji: ...Ah, I see. So that is how the two of you decided to run away and hide from him, making your way over here.

Subaru: Yeah. When I made it clear that I’m not giving her up, I got labeled as a traitor.

Reiji: I understand the situation. So, Subaru, what exactly are you hoping to achieve?

Subaru: ...

I want to protect her. That’s why I’m here to ask for your help.

I honestly wish I didn’t have to be so pathetic as to ask someone else for help, I want to fix this myself. 

But I also realize that if I give in to my own stubbornness, I won’t be able to guarantee her safety.

So please help me out. I’m beggin’ you! I have no other choice but to rely on you two, my actual brothers!

Yui: Subaru-kun...

Reiji: ...

In that case, please feel free to stay at this manor. We shall provide you with shelter.

Yui: ...Really!?

Reiji: I do not mind. We can discuss our upcoming plans and how we will tackle the future some other time.

Please rest up tonight.

Yui: Thank you very much!

Isn’t this great, Subaru-kun!?

Subaru: ...Yeah.

Say, Reiji? In the end, do you believe me or not?

Reiji: ...

Let me get a room ready for you. I can assure that you will have a comfortable stay.

ー The scene shifts to an empty room in the Scarlet Manor

Yuma: Here ya go, it’s this room. Make yerself at home.

Yui: Yeah. Thanks, Yuma-kun.

( Yuma-kun is now Reiji-san and Shuu-san’s younger brother, isn’t he? )

( It feels kind of strange to see him follow Reiji-san’s orders. )

Yuma: Feel free to call any of us for help if anythin’ were to happen. Altho, I’m probably the only one who’d bother showin’ up.

Yui: Gotcha. In that case, I’ll call you if anything comes up.

Yuma: Sure thing. See ya.

��� Yuma leaves the room

Yui: We’re so lucky, Subaru-kun! I guess we can take a breath of relief for now.

Subaru: Yeah, guess so.

Yui: It’s all thanks to you. Because you convinced Reiji-san.

( Besides, I was really happy to hear him voice that he wants to protect me. )

I guess your family bonds still exist even without everyone’s memories.

Subaru: Whatcha grinnin’ for?

Yui: I mean, I genuinely am happy that Reiji-san is helping us out...

Subaru: ...Well, I am grateful they’re willin’ to shelter us like this.

But don’t let down your guard too much, ‘kay? We don’t know how much of my story he exactly believes.

Yui: Fufu, you say that now, but you actually think it’s reassuring as well, don’t you?

Subaru: Shut up.

Yui: Fufu. I hope the two of them regain their memories and will help us look for clues to return to our old world together.

Subaru: Well yeah. The more people helpin’ out, the better.

Yui: Yeah...

( Besides, if we can avoid these brothers having to fight each other, that’s the way to go. Subaru-kun... )

Anyway, why don’t we call it a day?

I know there’s a lot we have to consider, but I’m worried about your injuries as well.

Subaru: Ah? ...Don’t you think it’s a lil’ early to hit the hay?

Yui: Eh?

ー Subaru moves closer

*Rustle*

Subaru: We finally have some alone time at a place where we can relax. So let me have some quality time with you, ‘kay?

Yui: ( He’s whispering in my ear...! )

N-Not right now! Even if Reiji-san and the others seem willing to help us out, we can’t let our guard down just yet...

Subaru: You say that, but I bet deep down you want me to dote on you as well?

Yui: W-Well...

( You’re playing it dirty, Subaru-kun. How am I supposed to say no to that? )

Subaru: Hah. You’re blushing up to your ears. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing you get all flustered like that.

But, I guess you’re right that now’s not the time for this.

Yui: ( What a surprise! Was he joking...? )

Subaru: We’re on enemy territory right now. We might be playin’ a dangerous game, but we have no other choice but to trust those guys for now.

*TIMESKIP*

Yui: Ready? I’ll turn off the lights, okay? 

Subaru: Yeah, go ahead.

*THUD*

Subaru: Watch out!

Yui: Eh!?

( A knife came flying out of nowhere, hitting the bed...! )

Subaru: ...Shit!

Yui: Eh, what!? What’s happening!?

Subaru: Fuck! They tricked us! Anyway, let’s escape through the window!

Yui: Eeh...!? 

Selection

→ Be frozen in place (🖤)

Yui: ( What is he saying all of a sudden...? )

Subaru: Oi, whatcha dawdlin’ for!? Open the window already!

Yui: B-But...! Why is this happening all of a sudden...?

Subaru: Does it look like we have the time to think ‘bout that!? Come on, just trust me and open the damn window!

Yui: ...O-Okay!

→ Trust Subaru-kun and get moving  (♡)

Subaru: Come on, open the window right now!

Yui: ( I don’t know what he’s got planned. )

( But I’m sure he’s got something in mind. ) 

...Okay, Subaru-kun! 

*Thud*

Yui: ( Anyway...That actually was a knife, right? )

Why would someone...?

( We’re they aiming for the place where we’d be sleeping? )

Subaru: Show yourself, bastards! Don’t be hidin’ like lil’ cowards!

ー The Scarlet members appear

Reiji: I did not think you’d be able to dodge that attack. I suppose I have to give your credit for your agility. 

Shuu: Or maybe the guy who threw it just did a bad job?

Kino: Yuma, he’s talking shit about you.

Yuma: You’re the one who threw it! Don’t try to put the blame on me!

Yui: ( Reiji-san, Shuu-san, Yuma-kun and...a guy named Kino. )

Kino: Guess so. I guess I’m a bit rusty because it’s been a while. 

Reiji: Did I not tell you to get regular training in? 

Shuu: You really are useless at times like this. 

Kino: Ouch! No need to attack me like that!

Subaru: Oi, whatcha fuckers playin’ at, huh? Lil’ dangerous to treat your guests like this, don’t you think?

Yuma: It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what’s goin’ on here, does it? Ya guys are no longer our guests.

Thanks for bringin’ Eve straight to us. Now hand her over already.

Subaru: ...I see. So you deceived me, huh?

Yui: No way...! We trusted you...

Shuu: I’m surprised you can say that when it was you two who walked straight into the enemy’s territory. You’ve only got yourself to blame.

Yuma: Oi, just give Eve to us already.

If ya do, I guess we can spare yer life.

Subaru: Fuck off! In your dreams!

ー Subaru approaches Yui

Subaru: Oi! We’ve got no time to think! I’ll lift you into my arms and get out through the window. Okay?

*Rustle*

Yui: ...Kyah!?

Subaru: Let’s go! Hang on tight!

ー Subaru jumps from the window

Reiji: Halt...!

ー The scene shifts to the outside

Yui: ...Kyaah...!?

Subaru: Pipe down!

ー Subaru sprints through the forest

Subaru: Anyway! Right now we just gotta focus on gettin’ away from them!

Yui: Yeah...

Subaru: ...Fuck! So I can’t trust anyone after all...!

Yui: ( Subaru-kun seems to be having a hard time...Of course he is. The people he trusted stabbed him in the back... )

But you’re not alone. I’ll be on your side, no matter what happens.

( That might not make him feel any better right now, but I still wanted to get that message across. )

Subaru: ...Yeah, you’re right. I have you.

As long as you’re with me, that’s all I care aboutーー

Monologue

That is how the two of us,

ended up all alone in this World. 

However, fortunately,

we at least did not lose,

the person who is most important to each of us.

That was the only thing keeping us sane,

in this twisted World.

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

[swedebeast]

So, I've been sitting and stewing on something for a week - and I've talked to friends about it and I've managed to mostly get over it, but it still bothers me - and I think I'll just give an incomplete re-telling here of social encounters, rudeness, lack of respect, and me feeling betrayed by one of my close IRL friends.

And all I wanted was to have a few beers and play games.

Story is that for some time I have been planning to host a TTRPG of "you all play 4 level 0 peasants each, no heroes are around, and you gotta clear the cave of goblins - whoever survives turns into a level 1 hero", and there'd be beers involved. A genuine beer n' pretzels game

What ended up happening was that one of my gamer friends, also a close friend whom we can call Mister P, said he could get people interested in trying it out, also newbies to the RPG stuff. He managed to get two people from his job - a place I worked at for a couple months as well - and we would play at one of their houses close to where I live. Mister D, and Mister R. Mister R is hosting.

Turns out I actually remember D, and we got real chummy. This was a boys' meet-up, we drank beers, joked, had fun. Crude jokes, no filters - they all knew each other since before and their favourite pass time was to joke about how they would fuck each other's mom. All in good fun, that sort of crowd. This all lasted about 8 hours, with the game only starting about 2 hours into it.

And then what happened was that Mister P took it upon himself - while we all sat at the same table - to coach me in social etiquette. I talk too much about myself, I was told, and I was implied to be rude. I did not ask about other people when they talked about something to show interest in them, and that would come off as elf-absorbed and so on and so on, and it fit with a neurodivergent pattern. And he knew all about it - because he has ADHD!

And there I am, not expecting a one-man intervention, and even Mister D gave off a "Awkwaaaarrrd". We had good laughs, and I was telling my dear friend very politely, and this is not sarcastically, that I came there to play games and have fun, not to be "outed" in front of strangers on something that isn't even true, as the guy was very much implying I was autistic. And I know I was checked for it as a child, but I had doctors tell that I did not have it - at worst I had "traits" of it.

And of course, we play tabletop games and I collected Warhammer, so statistically I would have a case of the 'tism, but I told him I did not appreciate what he was doing. Oh, he said he did it because he cared about me, he is a friend, and we all can be honest at the table with friends. And then he proceeds to suggest we should ask the other two at the table if they agree on my behaviour.

I flat out refused, because I have no interest in putting them on the spot, and if they are so bothered by my behaviour, I trust them to be adults about it and let me know. And Mister P then goes on, it all goes all over the place and just things he brought up bothered me greatly. He and another friend talked about me, we all talk about each other after all. He mentioned a mutual friend that, when he talked about his mother passing away, I brought up my mother-in-law had died. Just bringing up examples of "transgressions" I had made - and I do not see myself in what he is describing. And I gave it an honest think. I thought reeeeal hard about what he was saying, and I remember the topic came up, but I was not dismissive. I said it was an awful thing, but what I DO remember that when his father-in-law passed, I also brought up my mother-in-law having passed away. I do not even remember what he was talking about, our mutual friend talking about his dead mother and I instantly blathered about my mother-in-law instead, as he suggested I did.

But what this... friend, does not know, is that I have long discussions with our mutual friend when he is not present. We have talked about those topics at length. And I told Mister P that I am not interested in hearing him talking about that anymore, because I did not ask for this. But then he brought up a thing that happened last year, in that he swung over and talked to a neighbor I had - and I went to grab things as we were going elsewhere - and he learned that guy was mad as hell at me for not cleaning the shared laundry room once (and this was something I only did once, having not read the small note what it was about) - and my friend Mister P then tells me the guy was "going to beat you up", and it is the other side of the same coin of what he is trying to do. Looking out after me.

And I am furious at that point. I did not call bullshit on him, I was not interested in fighting. It died down, he brought it up again, yadda yadda.

And what bothers me so much is that this "friend" was more than able to criticize me, but not Mister R - our host. Cocky, arrogant, the kind of man who is around 40 - thinks he is hot shit because he is a manager of 10 people at a customer service company and "doesn't care what other people think at this point". Once the game got going, I could explain the game and Mister P would interrupt me and talk over me, and them two would flat out not hear me and have their own conversation when I was doing the Game Master thing and explain the game and describe the situation. But then came the other thing that bothered me, perhaps very much so in the context of me being the only one getting an "education". We all joke, and I bring up, and ask, if anyone gets random friend requests from old classmates. Mister R says no.

And me, in the spirit of "your mom" and "holy shit, your brother pranked you and potentially emotionally scarred you when you were 4 - he's a boss!" (that was a statement at my expense) floating around - with a smile - I ask if it is because he is friends with everyone already, or because he's so unpleasant.

"Be careful calling me unpleasant when I am friendly enough to have you in my house", with a sneer, says nothing else.

I apologize, apparently that touched a nerve. I make a joke, and get threatened to get kicked out of the house, and I am needing an impromptu course in social graces in a room where people have 20+ times made remarks in the vein of "yeah, your mother knows my vein"and my joke about him - choosing to answer for himself - if he is nasty -or- friends with everyone he knows?

Not sure if I took everything to heart, but I did doubt myself severely after that. We continued being social. Got home at 3 AM, got a ride (despite the multiple remarks from the corner of the eye of Mister R that I "didn't need the ride"), and the day after I was on the couch for almost 5 hours, doing nothing.

I don't know if what I felt was valid, or thinking too much, worrying too much, deflecting, not seeing genuine problems with my behaviour - but I know I work very, very hard to include everyone in a conversation. I make everyone feel a part of a group, I ask the quiet person something so they can chime in, I avoid touchy subjects not to upset people, I put in the conscious effort to be friendly and a warm person to be around. I am not oblivious to other people. I am not a self-absorbed person.

And all I felt there was that this one guy, who cannot fix himself, took it upon to try and fix me because that is all he can accomplish. I am furious, upset, sad, feeling betrayed and wracked with doubt. Now, when I talk to people? I spent days wondering if what I was saying was natural, or if it was this guy speaking for me? I am just so thankful I had people online I could talk to. Ask for opinions, check things up, confer in and draw examples. "So, I was going to say this but I didn't, would it have been awkward?" And they all said no.

Favourite response was "Fuck, the right answer there would have been 'your mom knows how unpleasant I am' - he couldn't take a joke".

I am getting heated as I am writing this. Fuck knows if this is outing myself, because this isn't the first time someone has said that they suspect me of having Asperger/Autism. And to be frank, ever since I was a kid and had that label thrown at me, I have had a complicated relationship with it. Sometimes leaning into it and accepting it, others chafing at the label and completely rejecting it.

And now I wonder if this thing is going to define me, overshadow everything else that makes up the person that I am - or if it says more about the people that care than about me, making a hen out of a feather, and not accepting what would just be a little quirk of personality if it didn't have the word "disorder" tied to it. I still haven't decided on that one.

What I do now know however is that I will struggle hard not venting with shared friends about his behaviour, and that I will severely limit my interest in hanging out with the guy when alcohol is involved. He said he wants honesty, but I do not think I can have that conversation again and not raise my voice at the man. Maybe that's what's needed to make people understand that a line has been crossed, but I would rather he respects me when I tell him "no" in a calm manner.

[practickles]

Tickletober Scenarios Day 3: Full Moon

Shiho and Saki (This one is mainly rambling lmfao, this prompt is HARD)

Okay before I begin, I am fully aware this is a huge cop out. And technically not even part of the prompt but it's my blog and I do what I want so sue me.

This card right here.

Shiho = wolf = full moon. Therefore I am perfectly in my bounds to give Shiho headcanons. Like I said. Cop out.

This card gives MAJOR ler vibes to me. Just her sitting all confident with her hand curled like that. Like she's about to pull someone into her lap and absolutely destroy them with teases before even touching them.

Which is really funny because I see her as a shy ler until provoked in which case she immediately goes to furiously tickling them.

I do however, like to imagine she could get all teasy like this only in the case of Saki. That girls softens her more than anyone else. Saki would have to be really getting on her nerves but in a way where Shiho is more annoyed at her personally, rather than the action itself. For example, Saki humming the same four notes over and over would be an action that annoys Shiho and therefore equivocates instant wreckage. Saki neglecting her health in favor of practice, however, concerns Shiho more than it annoys her, so it constitutes a more indirect approach.

I could see Shiho sitting next to Saki on the couch and asking her about how much she's been practicing, and Shiho immediately knows what's wrong by how sheepishly she answers. Before taking her frustrations out on her directly, though, she'd pull her into a side hug of sorts. When Saki inevitably makes a comment like "Aww, you're so sweet! I don't need a hug right now, but it's nice especially from you!" She's immediately met with fingers between her ribs but not quite moving and Shiho mumuring in her ear.

"You may not need a hug but you for sure need a break whether you like it or not." She'd very gently trace and poke all over until Saki finally caves and agrees, probably also asking for less teasing tickles.

Once all is said and done, it would finally hit Shiho what exactly she just did (it was working too well to really think about it earlier) and my girl would just be an absolute MESS. However flustered Saki is after all that, multiply it by a thousand and you don't even get close to how Shiho feels. She couldn't look Saki in the eyes for a couple days after that, but because it worked, she wouldn't regret it one bit.

[purplelupins]

ok hi hello im back and have read the new chapter twice haha

obviously excellent, enjoyed the entire thing!! ive found your deviations from the show super interesting in that they are realistic enough that i don't even question it while reading; and it keeps me guessing despite knowing the story so well already. it also gives you so much room to yank my beating heart out with moments like ali :'(. (i love it don't ever stop)

FAV SPECIFIC MOMENTS TIME WHOOT WHOOT

"John finished and closed his eyes as he found his patience for you."

there's a headstone just in front of me that reads "your dignity". this sentence is engraved on it.

the idea of having the space to be the feral, scared animal i am? and him just being a steady, patient man waiting for the panicked lamb in his arms to stop writhing? good lord. i dont know how you read my mind so well but damnit you did!! there's of course more to be said about him (a damned man) reaching out to god still to find strength to deal with his charge, but this section is plenty long enough haha.

"but he knelt in front of you and tucked the blanket around your hips and thighs, then began putting the socks on your feet like it was the most normal thing in the world."

i see you!!! you thought you could sneak a feet washing as a metaphor for love reference in here and i wouldn't notice!! you fool! but seriously this is wonderfully subtle and ties in SO SO well with when John talks about the similarities in his own company he preferred to keep and Jesus's.

it's from the first episode, "No, he seemed to go straight for those folks who weren’t in a state of grace. They were his favorite people, turns out. They were the ones he called friends." another excellent example of how well you characterize him, and evidence of the dedication put in to this fic! :3 (had me also digging through screenplays to get accurate dialog lol)

less specific but still moments i want to mention!

all of the hunter/prey metaphors and references are done so nicely and perfectly encapsulate the raw, slow build of panic that flanagan brings to his works. <3

every time there is a nod to the creature that john is now i am squealing and kicking my feet. the idea of being the one person he'd really struggle but force himself to restrain it around is downright delicious. it's also no longer he that is holy and being tempted, he is tainted and being tautned by divinity in his own living room. which of course is such tasty angst i have to approve.

also every time john would be over the moon excited about something and have to choke it down lest he spook his lamb, perfection.

and finally, the sunrise. he would have stayed there and that drives me up the wall. the battle of wills that happens is so good, and it ending with acceptance is beautiful. and terrifying for what it could possibly foreshadow (≖_≖ ).

but no matter how it ends i will be SAT i am loving this story and cannot wait to see where you take it! its been like a real solid meal i can sink my teeth into :)!

ok thank you once again and im now off to hide in a cave after sending you this essay (please tell me if it's weird btw) lmao - 🌟c

I don’t think you understand. I am SQUEALING.

I don’t even know where to start but just the fact that you clocked so much of the subtle things that I put into my writing to build different emotions and connections has me so giddy.

Ah yes. I too am completely and absolutely feral for the patience of a man. And John has much of it.

I’ve been really enjoying their back and forth with each other too. Just him trying to be so reserved and slow with her while she’s really trying to trust him because he’s all she really has right now to help her through this. Their little moments of togetherness I think really shows how humans truly do desire some kind of connection.

Ngl I screamed a little when I saw you noticed the sock/foot thing. Didn’t think anyone would notice. She truly is his saving grace and he is going to give her the best possible care he can, even if she doesn’t like it.

I am over the moon and just wiggling in my seat with happiness. Thank you thank you thank you for all of your thoughtful analysis and comments and thank you for being here to read it!!!

Please don’t feel weird about sending me long asks or comments, they are really what keep me going and writing because without the feedback it’s just like sending writing into a black hole! I love you so much for sending me all this truly!!

-Nora

[solalunar-eclipse]

I am thinking incredibly hard about ancient secrets! Shadow and him pretending to be an organic person who breathes and is harmed by fire and can’t contort his body in ways that would absolutely be painful for anyone else. I haven’t read pt 3 of shrodinger’s hedgehog in a while before writing this so please forgive me if I mention stuff that’s noncanon lmao- I remember that he was raised like a normal person so maybe all the stuff I’m gonna mention is habit by now. I dunno.

He’s gotta run actlikeanormalperson.Exe like constantly. Except when he’s alone in the woods. Mental checklist.

- when’s the last time I blinked?

- am I breathing?

- how long have I just been standing here unmoving for?

- am I touching something commonly considered harmful?

- what are normal human joint limits like again

- have I been seen ‘eating’ recently or am i gonna have to worry about people thinking I have an eating disorder

First of all, I just wanted to briefly say how utterly delighted I am that even one person has Ancient Secrets on the brain at all. I’m so happy you’re enjoying it!!

As for Shadow, he absolutely does have to pretend about a lot of that stuff…which is an extremely helpful but unintentional (on his part) bonus of living alone in the woods in a cave! (Also, you haven’t mentioned anything non-canon at all—actually, I didn’t want to infodump too much about Shadow’s schematics in the fic because I was worried it would bore some people, but I’m totally going to take the chance to do it now :] )

By the way, I love the title “actlikeanormalperson.exe”, it’s just perfect both for Boom and Shadow XD I’ve actually only previously considered two out of these six, the others I hadn’t thought of (I was focusing more on “how can I make his body mimic an organic one as closely as possible” than what the differences were, so hopefully my answers will be good enough!)

-I didn’t even think about him blinking, but you’re so right! He does do it in the show, and it looks very natural, so I’m torn 50/50 between “he has an actual program for that” and “when he was little he saw Luna blinking and then practiced it in the mirror for days”, haha.

-as for breathing, that actually is something he does naturally, but not for the reasons organic creatures do! He circulates air to keep his electronics from overheating, because while the Ancients were very technologically advanced, they weren’t perfect (see Sonic’s mech for an excellent example). Luna wanted him to be able to live a life as close to organic as possible, so she tried to find reasons to give him various “living” behaviors. This does mean that she gave him coding for things like hyperventilating when having a panic attack too, though, even if she hoped he’d never have to use it.

-oh he would ABSOLUTELY forget to move sometimes. I feel like he probably learned to do this one while he was fighting Lyric in the defense forces, because people would give him weird looks when he just sat there not doing anything and going over battle plans in his head. Once again, I totally didn’t consider this, but honestly it’s such a good idea!!

-“touching something commonly considered harmful” is a tough one, because he’s had enough self-sacrificial moments that have impacted him to the point where he actively puts himself between harmful things like fire or poison and organic people. If asked about it he’d probably just brush it off and say something like “well, that seems like a you problem” prior to his friendship arc. The thing is, he acts like many people’s interpretations of game!Shadow where he does things that make his Ultimate status obvious but then treats them as things he’s obligated to do.

-luckily for him, he doesn’t have to think of joint limits very often, since most of his interactions with other people have involved fighting (which isn’t designed for people who can rotate their arms and legs 360 degrees, haha). It’s not really something he does much because he hasn’t seen organic people model that kind of behavior—although he did do it a couple of times when he was young and startled Luna, so he has a bit of a “hey maybe I shouldn’t reach over and backwards to pick something up from the counter behind me” reminder in the back of his head XD

-and as for food, eating it actually does give him energy! It isn’t needed to power his body, per se, since the crystal inside him can run indefinitely so long as it isn’t damaged, but he can absorb the Chaos energy from it and it’ll give him a little boost. He can work just fine without food, but he works even better with it. Of course, he doesn’t care what other people think (or he didn’t, rather), and he couldn’t be bothered with food, so he’s eaten very infrequently prior to spending time with his friends. Now, though, he usually gets an average of about one meal every 1-2 days, but his friends don’t know that he eats so little. If they did, they’d probably be trying to get him to eat more often.

[mushiewrites]

hellooo

can you do lee sapnap + c, d, e, g, h, j, l, and q :) ik there's a ton but also he is my angel so,,, he's worth it <3 also I already warned you there would be a lot so it's fine lmao

- cal / awkwardtickleetoo

anything for u 🥰

from this post!

(i also answered for the ler questions for the questions that asked for lee + ler bc i’m insane and need to gosh about every single thing involving my baby puppy squishy scrunchy nose boi ❤️‍🔥)

C:��Chase | What are their chances in a chase, both as a lee and ler?

okay as both lee AND ler, sapnap could outrun anyone. in terms of being the lee, he is a tiny race car like lightning mcqueen who just like….ka-chows himself away before the ler even realizes what happened. when he’s ler, he loves a good game of cat and mouse - he loves making the lee feel like his prey, and he does everything in his power to make them feel like he’s the predator. he takes his time because he loves to play with his food (: the lee may think they’re in the clear because sapnap gives them a chance to run, but he always catches them in the end ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 😵‍💫

D: Death Spot | What is their most ticklish spot?

hmmm.. you know me, i have a few spots that i think are absolute torture for our lil baby boy here. i will scream it from the rooftops - ANKLES. ankles ankles ankles!!!!! i am insane i don’t care!!!! he has such tiny sensitive ankles and he can’t handle anything there my poor lil baby puppy ): i also think his feet in general, under his arms and his collarbones/chest area are death spots as well (:

E: Expression | How do they express their wish to tickle/be tickled?

sapnap is a provoker in his own lil way, from both ends. when sap wants to tk, he makes sure the lee doesn’t fully know if he’s intentionally being ler or not. i’ll use dream as an example - dream and him would be hanging out, and sapnap would make little remarks that could be insinuated as teases. he’d brush up against dreams side “accidentally” while going passed him to the living room, saying something like “oh, jumpy today huh?” even though sapnap absolutely tkled dream on purpose. he’d continue to accidentally tk and comment on it until he either can’t contain himself anymore and wrecks the lee, or the lee caves and asks sap to tk them (that’s his favorite especially with george bc he’s usually too prideful to ask).

i think it kind of depends on how he expresses when he’s lee. i think with someone like karl he’s more likely to melt and admit that he wants tks, whether he says it out loud in some form or agrees when karl accuses him of wanting them (cal and i go on about lee!sap/ler!karl for days at a time tbh). same thing with dream - he’s more likely to be soft for dream and more likely to not fight it as much with him. but for george or sometimes dream, punz, even sometimes karl depending on his mood, he’s an absolute menace and a brat. he does everything he can to provoke - he curses, he annoys them, he takes their stuff, he tks them until they retaliate - that kind of lee behavior 🥰

G: Gentle | How do they react to gentle tickles?

oh my baby sap, my baby honey ): sap LOVES gentle tks. i think they’re his favorite. he loves them so so much!!!!! they make him feel so safe and secure and warm and nice and LOVED!!! he loves them most with karl, because karl manages to make him not feel embarrassed or stupid for his laugh or his whines or anything he normally is self conscious about. if he gets tks on his sides or his tummy or ribs, he does little kickies and he throws his head back with his eyes closed and tries to stay as still as possible bc he just loves the feeling sm. there are some spots (like his ankles and feet and under his arms, and also hips!!!!!) where gentle tks still make him cackle and laugh hysterically. but he still adores them ):

H: Habits | As a lee/ler or both, do they have specific habits when it comes to tickling?

absolutely he does. when he’s lee, he hides. he hides behind anything he can to “escape” the ler. he runs! because again, he’s a lil speed racer and can zoom his way out of any lers loose grip (he always winds up somehow getting cornered! funny how that happens!). he also curses a ton if he’s caught without his own self-sabotage methods. when he’s a ler, again i love the idea of him treating the lee like prey. just being super playful, growling and chasing the lee around and just teasing the shit out of them before pouncing and absolutely wrecking their shit.

J: Joy | Their absolute favorite thing about tickling?

the trust and intimacy that comes with it! sapnap is a lil tough boy, HOWEVER, he loves that he can do something so vulnerable with someone he truly loves and cares about in a way that is just so warm and happy and carefree ):

(also he loves the teases 😎)

L: Laughter | What does their laughter sound like when they are tickled?

SCRUNCHY NOSE GIGGLY BABY ):! this clip here !!!! just giggly and trying to talk through his laughter but he CANT bc he’s laughing too hard!!! he also would get super squeaky and quiet and curse through his laugh too depending on the spot and the technique being used 🫠

Q: Question | Their response to the question ‘are you ticklish’?

oh my poor little honey bear baby ): he absolutely Cannot handle it. there are some days where he tries to be confident about it, where he puffs out his chest and either replies truthfully or denies it if he’s feeling playful. but most times, his eyes get wide and his face and ears go bright red within seconds. he’s like a baby deer caught in headlights!!!! and when that happens the ler knows they have him right where they want him. and one of his favorite things ever is for someone to make him admit it (: <3

[melanielocke]

I've not got the chance to send a proper ask until now, but congratulations for 150 followers, Nina!!!

I'm very glad you're on this hellsite and in the tsc/tlh fandom, with all you've done and in the general special sense of being mutuals <3

So I thought, perhaps:

💭 for Edwin and Robin (I checked A Marvelous Light after I saw your recommendation btw, and generally enjoyed it!)

📃 whatever fic/story you worked on last, tell me how's it going and how do you feel about it? :3

And lastly, ✨ if I wish to send you a cute little gif of your favorite animal, what animal would that be?

I hope it's not much, and I wish you have a great week ahead of you! Congrats! 🥳

💭 I love them! I relate to Edwin especially (and am pretty sure he's autistic), but generally they're a very sweet and at times awkward couple which really stands in contrast with what will come in the later books (Hawthorn especially, since his romance story will essentially be asshole x asshole).

📃 I am currently working on an as of yet untitled m/m fantasy romance set in a world inspired by ancient Greece and the Roman empire.

The main character is Marius, the autistic husband of the Vallerican emperor. He is Kristeian originally, and his homeland was conquered by Vallerica not long after he was born. It was Marius' father who made this all possible by betraying his country, which is why they're close enough to the imperial royal family that Marius got to marry into that family.

When unrest and rebel activity in Kristeia becomes impossible to ignore, Marius volunteers to go back home and see if he calm down his people. While he understands their anger, and believes Kristeia should be free, he does not think that is realistic and worries that rebellion will only get a lot of people killed.

Lysander is a gladiator, fighting for people's entertainment rather than for the empire. But he's also a rebel, and wants nothing more than free his homeland and restore it to the way it used to be, something he's only heard in his parents' stories. When Marius comes to Kristeia, Lysander and his sister kidnap Marius with the idea of ransoming him back to the emperor in exchange for Kristeia's freedom.

Marius will have to choose between his husband, and what is right for his people, and in the cave system where he's held captive he discovers signs of an ancient weapon, something that might give Kristeia a fighting chance against the empire.

I am currently editing my first draft (nearly finished) and am really loving it. Marius is a very sweet and soft character, but at the same time he's lived in a position of immense privilege and has to figure out how to do what's right. Emperor Ambrosius was an interesting villain to develop because he's also Marius' husband and Marius loves him at the start of the story, so I had to develop him properly to show why Marius loved him, even if that love is misguided and the relationship is very unhealthy and unequal.

There's magic too! Essentially, in Kristeia everyone has magic (In Vallerica it's a bit more restricted) and it's given to people through a ritual when they're babies. Powers are typically small and limited. Marius' power is related to time. Specifically, he can reverse time a limited amount of times for up to five minutes, which is very helpful because he's autistic and in an environment with little room for error, so when he messes up, he can reverse time and try again. He can also slow down time and speed it up. Lysander's power is that he's immune to magic (unless he allows it in, for example to be healed), so when Marius reverses time he remembers everything and when Marius slows down or speeds up and Lysander is in his proximity, he'll join Marius at his speed. And Ambrosius (the emperor) can read a person's desire by touching them, and his biggest limitation is that he only reads one desire at the time and it's a little random what it is.

My biggest struggle is the title. For some books, it's easy. For example the Witch in the Woods is an obvious title since it's pretty much about a witch in the woods (and it refers to both the wicked witch and Gretel). Whereas with this book? There's a lot going on, there's magic, but that's not the main plot, there's romance, rebellion, what should the title even refer to? If someone has any title ideas pleas send them my way

✨ This is a difficult question but lately I did work on the Stars Collide a little and introduced Rostam being obsessed with penguins so I'm going to go with penguins

[zacharyja]

Independent Excursion - Media Reflection - Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium and Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen is a very popular relatively newly created Manga series, written and created by Gege Akutami. This series has been featured as a piece of the Shonen Jump weekly Shonen magazine, joining the likes of industry titans such as One Piece, Bleach, and Naruto. This series started in March of 2018, and has since ammassed a staggering 265 chapters, 47 anime episodes, and 1 movie.

After my roommate binge watched the entire first season of Jujutsu Kaisen on his own, he begged me to watch it with him for weeks until I finally caved and decided to check it out. After the first few episodes I was already hooked on it and was wanting to finish the entire series as fast as I could. We then binged the show for an entire day straight and I was caught up to the newest episode by no time. Jujutsu Kaisen also gave me an interesting perspective on Japan as a whole, as much of the show takes place mainly in Kawasaki City, in the Kanagawa prefecture of Japan. In chapter 70 of the manga, and season 2 episode 3 of the anime, we see the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan depicted with some of the characters from the show. One of their friends ends up getting kidnapped, and the crew travels to Osaka to rescue them, which explains why they were in this area to begin with. This inspired me to come and visit the actual location as seen in the anime/manga, as I am a big fan of marine life in general and was captivated by this portrayal of the aquarium.

After seeing the show and loving it, as well as its portrayal of Japan overall, I found that it is closely accurate to how I have seen things firsthand during my time in Japan. It makes a lot of sense to conclude that Gege Akutami put a lot of his own experiences into the making of this series, as much of it is realistic.

After seeing how things operate in a University in Tokyo, I can imagine that a High School would be decently similar. So this gives me a pretty decent understanding of how realistic the high school setting and characters of the series are to reality. I can say that many of the depictions are fairly accurate, from the desks, to the classrooms, and even the outfits all seem to fit how Japanese High schools would actually be.

While at the aquarium, Luke and I made it a mission to find a spot closely resembling the actual Osaka Aquarium manga panel, with the shot of the whale sharks in the background. For some context, during this scene, one of the characters, Riko Amanai, is attempting to have a good send off on her last day before being absorbed - more than likely ending her life, for the good of Japan as a whole. One of the places that she goes to is the Osaka Aquarium, and is so impressed by the beauty of the whale sharks and other animals, that she begins to connect with the sheer size of the whale sharks and feels that the world is too big and has too much to offer to be willing to end her life prematurely. I have attached the manga panel depicting this below.

Getting to actually walk through this aquarium and see the whale sharks for all of their gargantuan beauty was pretty life changing, and I can see why Amanai would have changed her mind after being so enthralled in the wonders of these marine behemoths. Being in Japan as a whole has honestly given me a new perspective on the world and life in general. Getting to experience such a different culture so far away from home really shows you how much there is out there in the world that I have yet to explore. I have definitely seen my fair share of new places, but I have never gone somewhere as far away or different as Japan, and it has given me a bit more hope that there is reasons to keep chugging along in this world, as there is so much out there to see and so little time to see it all. There also honestly were not too many slippages between the series and reality, another example is how accurate Shibuya was to real life from the anime portrayal. They did an amazing job of portraying the city and I was pleasantly surprised to see that It was just as grandiose in real life as I had seen in the anime.

[wishiwashisushi]

Hey Everyone I'm no pro at Elden Ring but I love helping other people get through boss fights or caves/tombs. Here's some things I've picked up and thought I might share:

• If you are summoning others to help fight a boss...PLEASE turn OFF your matchmaking so we don't get invaded by PvP players.

(Also to those who like to do invasions... have the common sense/decency to recognize when this is the situation. So don't impede their preparation for the boss or stop them from starting the boss fight. I can understand the fun of competing against others but they are there to help with a boss not to fight you so don't be a jerk. It doesn't make you god tier to kill players that aren't geared for PvP)

• If you are the Host remember your priority is to survive (I know crazy right), but seriously, don't overdo it drawing all the agro or throwing yourself at the boss.

• Rotate drawing agro from enemies/bosses. This prevents them from attacking as much, opens them up for attacks, and helps give each other time to heal.

• Please don't pull a Leroy Jenkins and just run through the boss door as soon as your cooperators spawn in. I always buff everyone and typically see other cooperators doing the same so wait to make sure everyone is ready!

• Plus if it is your first time fighting a boss you start significantly closer to them so don't fight them right off the bat, move away. I can't tell you how many boss fights I've entered just to watch the host die instantly cause they don't realize we are still half a mile away.

• Try to summon 2 people, this gives you the best odds of winning. I don't mind waiting for a third so don't feel rushed to start the fight.

• Keep in mind to not cancel out the frostbite someone's building on a boss with your fire abilities. (This is important especially for Malenia where frostbite is the most helpful)

I'm sure a lot of you are already aware, but for those that aren't, here's some individual tips for bosses I often help people with:

• For Godfrey- Someone stay close to him when he starts his stomping phase or at least try to knock his health down quickly enough to start the second half of the fight. Staying close will reduce how much he darts around and stomps. However when it comes to his grappling phase keep your distance and focus on dodging. basically play hot potato drawing his agro so the others can hit him. If you can manage to give him Scarlet Rot time will handle the rest of his health.

• For both Godfrey and Radagon jumping is your friend. While the timing window is smaller for Radagon's attacks jumping around him, or in general, can save you from getting hit or at least reduce the damage.

• For Malenia- Utilize weapons/skills that take out poise easily. Malenia is easily staggered so take advantage of that. If you give her too much breathing time she'll either take you out or she'll steal health from you.

For example: I spam her with the Death Ritual Spear's Spearcall Ritual, I've had fights where she never gets to move from me doing this along with others attacking up close. I'd also recommend learning the pattern to avoiding her Waterfowl Dance, there's videos and forums on how to pull this off.

I'm sure I'll think of more notes to add in the future but if anyone wants to add on their own please do! Like I said before, I am not a pro at this game I just enjoy helping others!

[loosejournal]

Poems from BABY, I DON'T CARE by Chelsey Minnis

V.I.P.S

This is a matter of life or death, probably death. Your bullet is very close to my heart. You're way off base, darling. Let's put some ice on our fingers. By ice, I mean diamonds.

You know how I am. Oysters for lunch, dinner and breakfast. A broken heart is not for me. Now, don't I want some mink? Don’t tell me you're a bloody communist!

When you say it with feeling, then you're wonderful. Going out of my mind wouldn't be hard. You need to be kicked under the table. Let's go sell another polo pony. I'm worn my diamonds down to the bone, darling.

I'm afraid someone's not going to give me my favorite thing! Then I would bite their head or face. This could be a long turnaround. Baby, don't be gruesome! I only wanted one stuffed grizzly bear in my study, not two.

I like to scream in a satin bed and get a baby bunny as a present. I can't stop thinking of myself and what might be to my own advantage! For example, I love to go to bed sober which means I have to start drinking early.

Don't keep saying "down the hatch" all night long. Something matters but what is it? A window with a very long fall underneath? One time, someone refused to give me a pink topaz and I fainted. Let me be the first to pour your tears down the drain.

From INTRODUCTIONS

Am I laughing? On the contrary. Please let me think of the right self-reprimands. I assure you, this will be a conventional poem. Now let me introduce you to a hungry tigress, me.

What do you want with me? I'm just a dirty little shoplifter. I'm like a woman in a sequined gown in a dark cave. Can you tell me I'm worse than others? Ok, yes, I'm worse than others, but can you say I'm the worst of all?

Now, let's be reasonable with ourselves. If you show me a man in a turtleneck sweater on the beach then that is beyond my resistance. If you show me a liquor cart on wheels, I will just climb on.

Who am I? Someone who kisses your shoulder when they're not supposed to. I'm wearing high heels by the pool so that makes everything OK. Now don't be charming, darling. There could be a lot of smashed vases in our future.

What should I do? Mind my manners? I'm the type of person to lose an emerald ring. I might drop it in my champagne and drink it. How can I be such a swine? Oh, darling. I hate to be thirsty.

Let's have a drink, medicinally. I'll stand on the couch and introduce myself. This isn't a drink; it's pure leopard sweat! You shouldn't be allowed to run around with me. I'll only give you a good time.

From BUSINESS

Let's settle our accounts. Let's conduct our interviews from the bathtub. Now hand me my robe. There's a pretty good chance I love you, but I'll have to take it up with my board of directors.

What in the name of heaven can they do? The contract's signed. Anyway, I like to be pawed over. I believe in keeping up your standards at night. Don't be such a sterling character, darling.

There are a lot of compliments lying around. Why don't you give me some? You're the kind of darling I hate. Now let's get ritzy. I'm a pair of diamond earrings away from sleeping with you.

I just want to get a smell of the money. I'm fed up with this kind of living. Will you help me with the zipper, darling? I never can get a zipper to close. I think that's good business.

I'm the kind of person who breaks heirloom ashtrays I'm the kind who whirls a jumbo globe. Have I said something awful? Why not? I like it when I have a bad idea. Why don't you make me your beneficiary, darling?

[more-than-a-princess]

Continued from here for @litoredeem!

It was kind of him, Sonia thought, to play along with her whims. Though, beyond protecting her life, that was what Riku was hired for. Except this time, Sonia's whims were entirely focused on his appeal and benefit. Not that she greatly opposed a beach day: it was rather like having a small holiday. Once that would unfortunately end sooner than she'd like, but that made it all too similar to a week or two spent in St. Tropez, or Cannes, or Capri.

Just as well: it wasn't anything like her extravagant beach holidays at home, but it seemed to bring peace to him. For once, he didn't look so stone-faced: he actually looked content, which was close enough to happy for Sonia. "Yes you, of course," She smiled, pushing her hair out of her face in order to keep the wind from blowing it back in. "You are the one between the two of us who had a childhood by the sea. Mine was surrounded by mountains, lakes, rivers, and plenty of green hills. At least when there wasn't snow on them. But no beaches to be found."

It stood to question then, if Riku was asked to accompany her to Novoselic, how much he'd enjoy it there. The climate, for one: not only a lack of beach but summer was only three months out of the year, and it didn't get terribly hot to boot. Nothing like the heat and humidity of a Japanese summer. Breezy weather, rain, and snow were much more prominent: excellent for that multitude of green hills, but not so much ifone preferred the tropics.

"I am not sure about that, I can imagine all sorts of things," Sonia retorted as she, with her sandals in one hand and her tote bag in the other, stepped into the surf in her bare feet. She shivered: she hadn't expected it to be so cold, but it wasn't unpleasantly so. Just a surprise, and a refreshing one at that. "Have you, for example, ever cut a watermelon with a sword whilst blindfolded like they do in the anime?" She asked, wiggling her toes in the water and clumpy, wet sand. It felt nice all the same. "Or built a large fire and told stories deep into the night? Both of those sound like great fun!"

But Riku seemed to have other plans, ones that made Sonia's eyes light up as she stepped out of the water and back onto dry sand, to see where he was pointing. "I have not been in a rowboat!" She exclaimed, far too eager to tell him that they were against the rules with a big smile on her face. "My family always deemed them far too unsafe for me, like motorcycles and roller coasters are. Though I would very much like to experience all of them! There was a park, near my old high school, that in the spring and summer they would have similar boats with oars, or grandiose boats shaped like swans or some such thing that you pedaled, rather like a bicycle. I remember during the cherry blossom season I wanted to try them, but I was determined to row and pedal myself! My friends or lovers at the time, well, they did not have much faith in my abilities to keep the boats afloat and moving along on my own so we never tried them. I wonder, then, if it would be the most awful thing to capsize."

If anything, it was a rowboat, not a ship lost at sea in a violent storm. They'd probably just need towels and a warm drink after. And besides, she doubted Riku would hold the same scruples. At least if she asked nicely, he'd likely let her row for a bit. And she wouldn't take no for an answer this time, or give him a chance to talk his way out of it. "Come on," She said, taking his hand in hers, beginning to lead him towards the boats. "Let us inquire how we may go about renting one! And you could tell me about the places you've rowed to at home. Perhaps Okinawa has caves or lagoons of some sort to explore?" It wasn't the sort of boat one took for travels, but for a day's, or a couple hours at least, excursion? It looked ideal, and far more exciting than going laps around and across a pond.

"I have never used oars, but there shall be a first time for many things!" Would she be taking their lives into her hands? Possibly. But certainly it was worth it, for the smile on her face.

[lionheartslowstart]

Bummer

The last several weeks, I have really, really, not been doing well. It honestly feels like I’m just getting worse and worse. I’m angry and depressed all the time. I can feel myself sinking deeper into a pit of despair. All I do is hate everything and complain.

Because I have rejection sensitivity on top of everything else, I’m terrified of irritating my friends. No one likes a complainer. No one wants to be around someone so negative. I don’t want to bum my friends out. Nor can I bear the thought of someone I care about secretly thinking I’m annoying, or tiresome, or that they wish I’d shut up, or anything like that. And sure, there have been times the past few weeks where I’ve been able to slap a smile on my face, throw all my walls up, and dissociate just enough where I can pretend everything is fine. But that shit is exhausting. And the more despondent I get, the more difficult that kind of masking becomes. Frankly, I don’t think I can do it anymore. I am so full of doom and gloom, I swear any second now I’m going to explode and a horde of screeching bats are going to come flying out in every direction...I’m not sure why that’s the imagery my brain came up with, but it makes sense to me somehow. Point being, I think I’ve hit the point where I’m just not capable of pretending to be less of a husk than I am. I feel absolutely empty inside. (I know, counterintuitive to the bats thing...I guess maybe I’m the cave, and the bats live in the cave? Whatever.)

In addition to having to mask the depression so much, the rejection sensitivity itself is in full swing. No doubt an additional symptom of the aforementioned depression. Hooray. The subtlest remark from a friend or family member will send me spiraling. For example, I overheard a family member making plans to hang out with my brother in a few weeks, and my first reaction was to feel hurt because the two of us had discussed scheduling something a couple of times, but had never actually committed to anything. So I interpreted that interaction as my relative being more invested in actually spending time with my brother, which hurt even more than it normally would because this is a relative I consider myself to be very close with. For the record, I don’t think this relative loves my brother more than me or anything, but I can’t change the way I feel. I can’t make my brain work differently. It’s like my logic brain has shut down completely, and my emotion brain has staged a coup. And this was only one example! Some version of this has happened far too often for my liking these past few weeks; Someone will say or do something, and my brain interprets it as a form of rejection. It seems like it’s been happening more and more often, and I can feel myself losing control of my ability to not have a reaction, whether that reaction be a verbal response, or a physical one involving a change in body language, or, gods forbid, tears.

As a result, I have violently pulled away from my loved ones. I don’t want to be around them because I don’t want them to think of me as a chore. I don’t want to be a burden, a bore, or a pest. So I’m alone most of the time, which only gives me more time to wallow, which then results in me growing more depressed. It’s a vicious cycle, and I don’t know how to break it.

I have made a tiny amount of headway. I texted one of my best friends that I missed her the other day, and she texted me back saying she missed me too. The conversation didn’t really go anywhere after that, but I’m still counting it. I did end up making plans with that relative of mine, and they seemed really excited to spend time with me, so that’s nice. I also reached out to a friend I haven’t seen in a while and he is coming to the city to spend the day with me in about a week. I’m looking forward to it, but I’m also a little anxious because I don’t know how much I want to reveal about my current mental state to this friend, but I also don’t know how well I’ll be able to mask by then. I have a few days with no real commitments, so maybe the downtime will recharge my battery a little bit? I guess we’ll see.

The truth is, I’m not even sure how ready I am to talk about how I’ve been feeling. With anyone. Even if I was, I really don’t know how I’d start. People are often surprised to learn that I’m not good at expressing my feelings. At least, not when they’re related to my current psyche. Past trauma? Easy. Every day conflicts? You betcha. Mediating other people’s arguments? I could do it blindfolded with my hands tied behind my back. But if it has anything to do with heavy, internally inflicted emotions? I flounder. It’s like I’m just constantly dancing around what I’m trying to say, but the words themselves are never actually within reach. I just end up rambling, then leaving the interaction feeling like the other person still doesn’t understand and it was all a huge waste of time.

So why bother? I might as well just sink into the shadows of my mind and continue to self-isolate. I can’t deal with more rejection or disappointment. I already feel myself slipping.

It feels like no matter what I do, whether I choose to be alone or expose my loved ones to...‘this’...nothing helps. I’m not getting better. I’m in pain all the time. I’m miserable all the time. I cry almost every single fucking day.

I just want it to stop.