#I'm so happy. AND relieved. phew

[carlyraejepsans]

fully and finally came out to my cousin and she took it like a champ!!!!!!!!!!!

[cupidsncheerios]

radiostatic having that bestie vibes only backstory is really funny to me because they don't even try that hard to hide it. alastor confidently calls vox old pal, vox doesn't even bother tearing The Photo properly, rosie still watches their weird tv radio fusion device, and i know this is 10000% just the show dropping hints, but.

i'd like to take it further.

alastor and vox both secretly still wear the matching friendship bracelets they made decades ago, they both think it's embarrassing for the other one. they invite eachother to sleepovers after overlord meetings as a reminder that they know eachother's most intimate secrets. after each fight they do their rehearsed secret handshake because they think it's a cruel reminder that the same fists that healed their wounds decades back can bruise just as harshly.

because of all of this, zestial has no idea they're enemies. he doesn't follow the news so he just assumed this "stayed gone" that everyone was talking about was "phew i'm relieved you hadn't stayed gone buddy!" to the tune of happy birthday

[mayakern]

hi!! i just wanted to say thank you for making such cute skirts :) i got a jack o lantern skirt and its so wonderful. i'm beyond delighted with it!!!!! I've been experimenting with things that fit in the pockets, both on purpose and on accident, and here are my findings so far;

12 inch shadow the hedgehog plush

24oz bottle of vegetable oil

my phone (this makes sense but it still makes me very happy)

a bag of cat treats and a kind of small cat (the fiend tried to climb into my pocket to steal cat treats. the treats fit, the cat does not.)

all of my dnd stuff (dice, notes journal, pencils, etc)

three decks of tarot cards and several large crystals

one bok choy

several small bags of chips

a spare outfit consisting of leggings and a t shirt

i keep losing my phone in the pockets (please help)

my travel sewing kit + current sewing project (it's admittedly just a dice bag so it's relatively small for a sewing project but it's still cool that it fits !! )

3 playstation games and two playstation controllers

Still experimenting more. Thank you again, I can't wait until I have more income because i'm going to be getting so many more skirts and possibly shirts.

HAHA i love the amount of things that you've tried to fit in the pockets omg 😭

i'm glad you love the skirt so much and more than anything, i'm just relieved that shadow the hedgehog fits in the pockets. phew.

[satureja13]

Sai: "I thought you cleaned up already? Why is the photo booth still blocking the entrance to the crew mess? We can barely squeeze ourselves past it. And after eating it's even harder!" Jack: "But we still haven't taken the photos! It was all so chaotic after the New Year's fires..."

Jack, pondered for a while: "We'll take them now. And then Kiyoshi and I will dismantle the booth right after in our free time. Deal?" Sai sighed, but still - some alone-time with Jeb in a dark, tiny booth... "Ok, deal. Let's call the others."

Jeb: "Ok, Ji Ho and Vlad first." Ji Ho and Vlad: "..." Sai mumbling only for Jeb's ears: "Before they change their mind. Clever move."

Vlad went inside immediately. He'd promised Jack to not hold back anymore when it comes to Ji Ho. Ji Ho was hesistant. But eventually he followed Vlad inside. Jeb was relieved: "Phew."

Seems they aren't happy with the results ö.ö

Next couple in the booth are Jack and Kiyoshi.

When Kiyoshi saw that the others hat put Vlad and Ji Ho's photo on the wall: "Uhm... I guess we have to take another shot. These are too...eh..."

Jack: "What? You look super hot!" Kiyoshi: "You too - but we should keep these for our eyes only. Let's take some 'tamer' ones for the photo wall." And so they went back inside.

Jack: "We can take more of the hotter ones later, before we disassemble the booth, hm?" Kiyoshi nodded happily. This feels like a dream. And even after all those years, Kiyoshi is still a bit shy :3 And so in love with Jack.

Who would have thought they'd ever come this far? (To be honest, not even I expected this ö.ö)

(I also love this hairstyle on Kioyshi. He now changed it to all of his outfits. As far as I remember, the first time we saw him with this hairstyle was September 2024 for the Reaper's Rewards outfit.)

Sai hissed. He is eager to finally have the booth for him and Jeb after all the sounds they'd heard from Jack and Kiyoshi...

As it seems Jeb didn't disappoint :3

Finally, the photos!

Ji Ho must have still been mad at Vlad for asking him if Kylo touched him ö.Ö'

It was late. Time to get back to work/sleep. Skully was sitting on his substitute book pile since the original one fell victim to the flames. They are still sorting through the backup files of all the stuff they'd collected about the Boys...

After dinner, Jack and Kiyoshi came back to dismantle the photo booth. But before, they are taking some more photos.

I'm so happy for them <3

Skully interrupted his paperwork to play a matching song for them:

'For your eyes only, can see me through the night. For your eyes only, I never need to hide. You can see so much in me, so much in me that's new. I never felt until I looked at you. For your eyes only, only for you. You'll see what no one else can see, and now I'm breaking free. For your eyes only, only for you. The love I know you need in me, the fantasy you've freed in me. Only for you, only for you.

For your eyes only, the nights are never cold. You really know me, that's all I need to know. Maybe I'm an open book because I know you're mine, But you won't need to read between the lines. For your eyes only, only for you. You see what no one else can see, and now I'm breaking free. For your eyes only, only for you. The passions that collide in me, the wild abandoned side of me. Only for you, for your eyes only.'

Sheena Easton - For your Eyes only linked MV is with scenes from the James Bond movie 'For your Eyes only'. This song was the title track (obviously ^^').

After they finished 'taking photos', Jack stepped out of the booth on shaky legs and said (a bit breathless): "Good choice! I love this song." Skully: "Thanks, Pal!"

And then they started to dismantle the photo booth. Which was a shame. It was so much fun...

From the Beginning 🔱 Underwater Love 🔱 Latest

Current Chapter 'Goats in Space': starts ▶️ here Last Chapter: 'Piglets in Space' from the beginning ▶️ here

📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 23-29

[quitealotofsodapop]

Ok, but in the Mother-Child Preggers Tang au... what if it crosses over with Slow Boiled au?

Referencing this post I made about Tang accidentally drinking from the Mother-Child River while the gang are travelling in S3.

Oh gosh i love the idea. In all the chaos of Wukong having his Stone Egg, Tang accidentally gets himself in a similar postition. XD

Throughout the Slow-Boiled Au, Pigsy and Tang frequently prove themselves to be good parents, and with all the talk of Wukong's overdue baby, the freenoodles pair both start to wonder...

Both brush the thoughts off cus they're in their 30s at least, and MK is enough. But the thoughts still crop up time to time.

Then cue Tang getting so thirsty during the S3 team-split, that he takes a big mouthful of river water without boiling it first. Pigsy initially blames the scholar's cramps on giardia. But they were oh so wrong.

Scorpion Queen pretty much forces herself into the gang because she's the only one around who *knows* how the Mother-Child River works. And she's not gonna let her new friends get hurt with all this bone demon business!

Pigsy, unsure: "Hey, Scorpion? I have something I really need to ask about the River." Scorpion Queen: "Sure thing! Ask me anything!" Pigsy, hesistating: "Will... will the baby look just like Tang? Or is some... river god involved?" Scorpion Queen, catching on quickly: "OH! Oh no no no! Theres no river god baby-daddy!" *starts laughing* Pigsy, relieved: "Phew!" Tang: "Aww! Piggy, you were worried!" Pigsy: "I dont mind our kid being a mini-you. I just dont want some gross minor god to have his mitts on ya'." Scorpion Queen, still laughing: "Nah dude! You guys are gonna have a cute little piglet!" Pigsy & Tang: "Wut." Scorpion Queen: "Couples came to the River to have babies all the time! If the drinker had a mate, then the baby would take on the appearance of their partner by absorbing some of their dao. If it didn't, then the Kingdom of Women would have been overrun with inbred clones!" Tang: "Ah, that makes sense." Pigsy: *completely dumbstruck with joy* Wukong, quiet until now: "...wait. Did the ladies back at the village think Master and Zhu Bajie were a mated couple that fumbled the process!? Is that why they laughed so much!?"

And ofc because of their shared situation, Tang and Wukong bond over the rest of the roadtrip. Tang would 100% wear a cringey matching maternity shirt with the Monkey King if they had time to stop for some shopping.

Pigsy breaks the news to the rest of the gang in an... unelegant fashion after the Samadhi Fire ritual went belly-up.

Pigsy: "So uh... stuff happened when we all got separated back in the desert." MK: "Yeah, you said Monkey King got amnesia and thats how Scorpion Queen joined the team." Scorpion Queen: *delighted wave!* Tang: "There's more to it MK..." MK, panicking: "Oh gods, you guys aren't hiding a world-ending secret too, right!? Cus I cannot deal with-" Pigsy, cutting him off: "Tang is pregnant. And we've decided to keep the baby." MK: *struck silent* Sandy, joyfully: "Congratulations! I hope the Monkey King didn't hear too much of you guys making it!" Pigsy, blushing furiously: "NOT LIKE THAT!!!" Tang, amused grin: "How else are babies made, Piggy? I'm certainly not having a stone egg.~" Pigsy, red-faced: "'CUS YOU DRANK THAT STANKY MUD WATER, THATS HOW!" MK, frozen stiff: "Wut."

Needless to say, MK is happy for his parents, but the timing isn't ideal. After LBD is defeated though, MK fully embraces his upcoming baby sibling! XD

Unfortunately the timing also means that Tang spends S4 in a very compromised position.

Yeah, Mother-Child River Tang isn't having a fun time...

[pocket-jack]

"Straw Hat's and Heart Pirates met at another island"

Luffy: OOOOOOIII! Traffy!

Law: "Obviously happy to see him" Well, here we go again

"Penguin, Shachi and Bepo nodded to each other, when Luffy was running to his partner. Before Luffy could go for a hug, they covered their captain like a wall"

Luffy: Eh?

Law: What are you guys doing?

Shachi: Alright, Straw Hat! This play dates were going on for quite a while, but we cannot stay silent any longer!

Bepo: Yes, we won't!

Bepo: "Leans to Shachi and Penguin and whisper" Ahh... About what exactly we cannot stay silent?

Shachi: "Whispers back" Dude! Just play along!

Bepo: Ahh! Okay!

Luffy: What's that all about, Traffy? Did they got sick or something?

Law: That is exactly what I'm trying to figure out...

Penguin: Yes, we are sick! Sick of your lies and manipulations!

Luffy: "Confused" Eeeeeeehhh????

Law: Hey, guys!

Penguin: We know, you toying with our captain! You just gonna leave him when you'll get sick, right!? Our captain? But you're not gonna get away with it! We have the evidence!

Bepo: Oh! Wait, he does!? Where did you find the evidence, guys?

Penguin: Bepo! Shush! It's the bluff to make him scare!

Shachi: Yeah, you idiot! We just don't want our captain to get his heart broken, that's all! Who knows, what awful things this Straw Hat can do to him!

Luffy: What are you guys whispering about? Is it meat? Did I eat your meat and that's why you angry at me? Sorry, it smelled too tasty!

Shachi: What!? No! We were- wait a sec!.. Was that you!?

Penguin: Bro, he's changing the subject! Let's just beat the hell out of him, so he won't dare to lay a finger on captain!

Shachi: Ah! That's right! Those guys like you are always trying to seduce our captain! And that's our duty to protect his pure heart from such scumbags like you!

Law: Wha-!? Guys, enough with this nonsense! What the hell are you talking about?

Shachi: Captain! You were a person who laid us on the right track by beating the complete crap out of us that day! We're never gonna forget that!

Penguin: So we're gonna fight for your happiness! You're not gonna suffer from any of those fuckers who decided to toy with your feelings anymore!

Law: !...

Luffy: .....

Luffy: "Cracking his fists" I see... So that's how it is...

Luffy: "Smirking" Well, you left me no choice then!

"Shachi, Penguin and Bepo got scared. There was a big feeling that they're gonna get their asses kicked"

Law: Straw Hat-ya...

Luffy: "Slowly walking to them" You guys...

Shachi: Ahh... H-hey! You didn't heard what we said, huh? You must be deaf! W-we're gonna beat the whole crap outta you!

Penguin: Yes! If you d-do another step then tha-that's it!

Bepo: Guys, I have a feeling that we're the one who get our asses kicked

Shachi: Don't show your fear to him, Bepo! You are the bear! Growl at him or something!

Penguin: Yeah! Eat him, Bepo! Eat him!

Bepo: I can't! I'm a vegetarian!!

Penguin: Oh shit, we're fucked! It's your fault, Shachi! And Bepo's too It's him! Kill him, not me!

Shachi: Shut the fuck up, Penguin!

Law: Hey, Luffy-ya!

"Shachi, Penguin and Bepo slowly turned their heads to Luffy and swallowed hardly"

Luffy: ....I want........

Luffy: "Bowing deeply" To thank you, guys, so much!

Everyone, including Law: HUH!?

Luffy: Thank you for looking out for Traffy! I know, he might be a little grumpy and shy to ask for help, but I'm truly happy that there is people, who cares about his well-being!

Shachi: You... Do?..

Luffy: Yes, of course I am! Phew! I'm so relieved to know he's not alone! You guy's, please, continue doing a great job!

Law: "Blushing" Hey...

Bepo: So you do care about captain?

Luffy: Of course! I love him so much, I can't stop thinking about him! He had some problems eating when we were on our way to Dressrosa... Does he eat well? And sleep too? When I'm not with him I can't stop worrying about his well-being 24/7! But know that I know that you guys care about him as much as I do, I can finally rest at ease!

"Law's Protection Squad stares at Luffy in shock. And then they tear up. And then they gaved him a big hug"

Penguin: NO PROBLEM, STRAW HAT! YOU'RE A PART OF OUR FAMILY NOW, YA LOVABLE BASTARD!

Shachi: YES! KNOW, YOU'RE LIKE A BROTHER TO US, PLEASE, TAKE CARE OF OUR CAPTAIN JUST LIKE WE CARED ABOUT HIM!

Bepo: I ALWAYS KNEW YOU WERE A PERFECT PAIR FOR CAPTAIN! PLEASE, MAKE HIM A REALLY HAPPY MAN!

Law in the back completely embarrassed: You, guys........

____________

I've decided to call this trio Law's Protection Squad (LPS).

[gayuu-the-necromancer]

Ikevil Male Leads in a Job interview

WARNING: This is a joke, please don't act like this in your actual interview!

Liam:

Interviewer: "Tell me about yourself."

Liam: "My name is Liam Evans. I'm a stage actor for the past X no. of years and also works as assassin behind the scenes. I was forcefully put into a mental hospital at a very young age after I was accused of killing my parents and my butler and also burning my family mansion. Due to this, I get frequent episodes where I go completely crazy and do things out of curiosity."

Interviewer: *WTF!!?*

William:

Interviewer: "What are your strengths and weakness?"

William: "Well...I can give orders to people and force them to do whatever I want by just looking into their eyes."

Interviewer: ".........Are you implying that you possess, leadership skills?"

William: "I won't necessary call it a leadership skill because I love seeing people being free and being the master of their own actions."

Interviewer: "..........."

Interviewer: "..........O-Okay, then what are your weaknesses?"

William: "Strawberries."

Interviewer: "........."

William: "....fufu....I'm sorry, that's the only thing I can't share?"

Harrison:

Interviewer: "So Mr Harrison, why do want this job?"

Harrison: "Honestly, I just wanna a job because I want to avoid going to home because there is this annoying old man in house who constantly gives me tasks in the name of Queen Victoria."

Interviewer: "....Was it supposed to be a joke?"

Harrison: "You tell me. Am I lying or saying the true?" *takes out his strawberry milk can*

Interviewer: ".........."

Elbert:

Interviewer: "So Mr. Greetia, how do you put an elephant inside a refrigerator?"

Elbert: "..............Does putting an elephant inside...makes it beautiful?"

Interviewer: "Excuse me?"

Elbert: "I have preserved many animal skins before.......but never an elephant. .....Do you think an elephant is beautiful...?"

Interviewer: "..........Ha?"

Alphonse:

Interviewer: "Can you work under pressure?"

Alphonse: "Of course. Not only working under pressure, I can also help others in my team to work effectively."

Interviewer: "Oh, how?"

Alphonse: "I can give them blissful dreams to help them relieve their stress."

Interviewer: "B-Blissful dreams...?"

Alphonse: "Want to find out? *removes his gloves* Let's have fun together, shall we?"

Interviewer: "NO!" *runs away*

Roger:

Interviewer: "Can you tell me about a time you had to deal with an unsatisfied customer?"

Roger: "As a part of my job, I do encounter various types of patients. But there is this one bastard who is always ungrateful. He's my regular customer and always comes to me for check up and no matter how much I work hard to treat his injuries and lung problems, this son of bitch calls me a quack and then smokes right in front of me! After I treated his lungs! Seeing him makes me wanna pull out my gun, shoved it his mouth and shoot him. But I have to control myself because I'm a doctor."

Interviewer: ".............."

Roger: "Your heart rate is fast....are you okay?"

Ellis:

Interviewer: "So tell me why you quit your last job?"

Ellis: "Well....I was doing a contract job with my previous employer. But no matter how much I tried, I just couldn't make my boss happy."

Interviewer: ".....................Huh?"

Interviewer: "E-Excuse me...what kind of job were you doing before?"

Ellis: "I was working in a trading company as my boss's assistant and carry out whatever orders my boss gives me. It could range from simple collections to straight up assassination and cleaning up. But no matter how much I worked hard, my efforts couldn't bear a fruit. I couldn't make my boss happy....*sad face*

Intervierwer: "E....Erm...."

Ellis: "Will you give me a job here? I promise I'll make you the happiest person in this entire world." *smiles*

Interviewer: *runs away feeling embarrassed*

Ellis: "Did I make them sad too?" *sad face*

Jude:

Interviewer: "Phew....that was a lot...In my entire career, I have never interviewed a bunch of weirdos....*sighs* please call the next---"

*gunshot*

Interviewer: "WHAT THE HELL!? Was that a gunshot!?"

*Door opens*

CEO: "Please! please help me! He's after my life!"

Jude: "Where's that bastard who stole my money? You think you can steal my money and get away huh? Now how should I punish you?"

CEO: "Mr. Jude....please...I'm sorry...I just wanted to start my own company..."

Jude: "If you wanted to start your own company, you should have done it with your own money, you jackass. *lights his cigarette while standing in front of the 'no smoking' sign board* Tch....Usually, I would let Ellis handle these kinds of errands, but now I have to do it myself."

Interviewer: (Wait....so this guy was Ellis's...previous boss)

Jude: *Shots the CEO in the head*

Jude: "Now I'm taking over your company. Since it's technically build from my money" *laughs manically*

Interviewer: *faints*

Jude: "Hm? *looks at the fainted interviewer* What the?"

[riyangiis]

CHERRIES AND ROSES

you try and confess to ricky through a diary about your thoughts about love and your crush on ricky. (valentines special!!)

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 , ricky x gn! reader

𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞 , fluff

𝐰/𝐜 , 2.5k

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 , bad writing, second lead syndrome.., one-sided love, i feel like this is more abt kazumi than ricky or reader BYE..

𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 !

it wasn't hard to fall for ricky, never. he's so elegant, majestic, talented, everything! you thought that it would be a bother to be friends with him since it would get harder to hide the fact that you were astronomically down bad for him.

you weren't the only one like this. not at all. of course there were other people who like him as much as you do, he has a whole fan club.. you weren't that delusional to even show the fact that you had a crush on him or to show that you have a chance with him, you're insanely far from that. you know that there are people worthy enough to be with him, it's not bad to admire from afar. for now.

sometimes when you try to sneak a glance at him, he's already looking at you. you stop staring , or admiring, after a millisecond. you can always feel that someone is watching your every move whenever ricky is nearby. maybe you're really delusional. you've told your close friends about this problem.

"look for a little longer to be sure!"

your friend rocks you back and forth after hearing your thoughts, she seems more excited than you're supposed to be.

"do i look like i have the guts to do that?"

your friend looks disappointed in your shyness. to be fair you we're actually considering it.. but really, you don't have the guts to do that even if you wanted to do it.

"well maybe? please do it?"

your friend looks at you with puppy eyes. you roll your eyes.

"fine, just not now."

"yayy!"

(try to guess who the friend is in the end!)

"do you really like [name]?"

gyuvin asks ricky. they're currently in an empty classroom with gunwook reviewing his notes for an upcoming test. it has always been their secret meetup spot since they all became a trio.

"gyuv, i really do like them. they're funny, kind, attractive, just everything. i'm sure about this."

ricky reassures gyuvin. even though ricky is popular around the school, gyuvin is just worried that ricky might get used for fame and money. gyuvin also knows well that ricky has been in situations like that. he knows what to do.

"yeah, ricky's fine-"

yujin barges in the door, cutting off gunwook. he just got out of class after a chemistry test. everyone in the room got silent and just stared at him. the classroom was secret indeed, but they had to let yujin know. he was practically begging for them to tell him and it won't hurt to let him join?

"how's the test?"

gunwook asks yujin, breaking the awkward silence. he proudly waves his papers to gunwook, showing a noticeable 18/20 in red.

"happy?"

"phew, that long night of reviewing you didn't go to waste."

gunwook sighs relieved after having to explain everything in detail to yujin for 6 hours just for that quiz. for. free. yujin sits down beside the boys and starts talking about drama from his class.

"did you know kanghee cheated on eunji?"

gasps emitted from the boys, completely leaving the conversation about ricky's crush behind.

when february started, you bought a cute cherry notebook and turned it into a diary to write how much you like ricky and give it to him once the day comes. everyday you fill at leaat 5 pages with whatever seems romantic and cute.

you knew ricky likes diaries, you thought it would be nice to put this in his collection as a valentines gift. of course you saved some pages for him incase he wants to put anything in the diary.

it took you 3 sore fingers, a load of stickers, you preparing to get rejected, also you hoping that this will work, and other stuff. you're lucky that you don't have a busy schedule when valentines is near because this is probably your only way to confess to ricky. you're pretty embarrassed to actually give someone you have a crush on your thoughts about them when they don't even know you. whatever, you had to get this off of your chest somehow.

perfect. your diary is finished. you're planning on putting this on his desk. well, hoping that nobody would just open up and read everything that's been going on in your mind. can't do that.. you can't just put it on his locker, you don't know the code. even if you did, it's probably full of love letters that he won't even notice the notebook. gosh, i'll just ask my friends.

from what your friends said, they told you to put the diary in his bag while he's practicing. you asked your friends, kyungsoo and kazumi, to go with you. kazumi has a friend there that's also in the basketball team so you three were able to go to practice without any suspicions.

"do you think this will work?"

kyungsoo asks nervous. to be honest, you were extremely nervous as well. you've never done stuff like this before. kazumi just scoffs as if he was an expert even though he's new to this as well.

"trust me. when i'm around, we can never fail."

kyungsoo's face softens, she avoids trying to worry or ask a question like that when all she'll get is kazumi being a narcissist as usual. you're close to the court. you see gyuvin, ricky's best friend, on the way.

"[name]! you're here! did you invite your friends?"

gyuvin greeted you, he's also a part of the team. he's currently holding a soda can on his hand that's from the vending machine, is it their break right now?

"yeah! kazumi got invited by minho to watch them and kyungsoo just wanted to go with us since she had nothing to do! how's valentines for you?"

gyuvin scoffs and casually drinks the soda as if he was gets admirers all the time. gunwook walks up to him and barges in the conversation and cuts gyuvin off.

"it's going well for me, as expecte-" "he's lying."

gyuvin tries to silence gunwook and convince you that he's just as famous as his best friend is. they start bickering and forget that they were talking to you in the first place.

"let's just go, we can't waste time."

kazumi whispers to you and kyungsoo as a signal to escape the whole thing. you finally entered the basketball court. you check the seats where ricky's bag usually is. some places are with admirers. too suspicious but you can fit in somehow.

"let's go there."

kyungsoo pointed at an empty spot that's not noticeable and you three can easily watch your surroundings. it's the spot that kristine recommended. as soon as you three were about to go up to the bleachers, ricky walks up to you.

"[name]? out of all the days you decided to see us practice, it's before valentines?"

"we're supposed to be out there gossiping about the confession wall but [name] insisted on going here. i also got invited by minho so i have no choice. kyungsoo just has nothing to do so she followed us."

kazumi offers an explanation, a fake one to be specific, he's a really good actor you have to admit. ricky looks at the cherry notebook you held in your hand, it reads "for you ᰔ." he starts to become curious about the notebook.

'who will you give that to? is it someone from the basketball team?' ricky was about to ask but just sucked it in. it's not his business anyway, you might get uncomfortable.

"alright. see you!"

ricky goes back to his seat and relaxes after a tiring practice. he's still thinking about that notebook, 'did you come here to confess to someone? is it him? gosh, don't get your hopes up quanrui. it's just some.. silly notebook.' he looks back to the three of you, mainly you. he just brushes it off and told himself to focus on practice.

you're finally free from the.. conversations. you don't hate talking to ricky or gyuvin, it's just weird considering the whole reason you went to watch basketball practice is.. you know it. just when you guys were about to go to the seat kristine recommended before it gets taken by.. another admirer, minho stops you from doing so.

"sorry, i just need kazumi for a minute."

kazumi signals for you and kyungsoo to just go to the seats and he will follow later. you nod and leave him and minho be. minho grabs kazumi's hand and gently drags him to a private spot.

"how's the plan going?"

minho asks quietly.

"we haven't even started yet, people like you just keep on disturbing us."

kazumi scoffs, what an introvert (loner)..

"sorry, just let me know if anything happens okay? you can go now."

"also i saw ricky looking at the notebook. just so you know."

kazumi nods and quickly goes to the two.

"i'm back."

kazumi sits down on the spot that they reserved for him. he checks his phone to see any updates from kristine.

time passes by as you watch your surroundings to find the perfect moment to sneak up and hide the diary in ricky's bag. eunha distracting yoonmi, the basketball team focused on practice, others just hanging around the bleachers to find a not really crowded place to review or just have time to theirselves. this is perfect.

"i think i should go do it."

as soon as you stood up and try to walk away, kazumi grabs your hand and drags you back. he grabs your other hand. he's now holding both of your hands.. or wrists?

"don't do something stupid or mess up. i'm counting on you."

"err.. ok?"

he lets you go, kyungsoo just gives you two thumbs up and a pearly smile. you quickly get down and start your 'sneaky' mission. you try your best not to get attention. you sneak to the side of the bleachers, near ricky's bag. you stop for a second.. kazumi looks at you confused, why did you stop?

how exactly do you put it inside his bag without getting noticed? no wonder kazumi warned you before you went here.. you slowly walk closer to the bag, lift it a little, slowly put the notebook under, adjust the bag so that the only way you'll see the notebook is when you lift it up.

you look back at the two, kazumi stares at you giving you a 'seriously?' look while kyungsoo just gives you an ok sign. whatever. what happens happens. it's good enough.

you walk back to kazumi and kyungsoo. you remain standing in front of them, waiting for the signal to leave the place since you honestly can't stay here anymore.

"let's just go, it's boring here. i'll tell minho first."

you finally got out of that place. you're currently going to the school playground to meet with the others. when you three arrived you see haruki up the place with the slide because the signal is great there, rin and jiwon in the seesaw, kristine in the swings.

"you're back!!"

haruki rushes to get out and hug you, jiwon rapidly gets up and hugs kyungsoo, rinjusy gets out the seesaw and calmly walk up to her brother.

"kazu we.. need to talk."

rin drags kazumi to a private place in the playground where no one would hear their conversation.

"are you okay with this thing? after all you liked [name].. you sure you can handle everything?"

rin questions kazumi worried. kazumi just smiles and tries to reassure his younger sister.

"yeah, i don't see [name] that way anymore. i've already got my eyes on someone else.."

"you sure?"

kazumi nods, not wanting to be a bother to his sister.

"okay. i'll let you be. let's go back to the others and tell them we'll go home. or maybe we can hang out? we haven't went out that much recently.."

"yeah, let's go to that café with the cute bunnies. my treat."

practice is finally over. no admirers around, fresh air. he was about to get his bag to get changed. when he lifted it, he saw a notebook. a cherry notebook. with that same note. was that for.. him? no way.. he opens the notebook to read what's in it.

a diary about my.. love life? what i think about love?

to: ricky

from love: [name] ᰔ

he closes the notebook. planning to read it when he gets home.

today is finally valentines. you're kind of nervous and scared that you'll get rejected. but you don't really expect ricky to like you back anyway, there's other people better than you. don't get your hopes up.

you entered the classroom, seeing a lot of chocolates, flowers, and whatever gifts people give on valentines. ricky's desk catches your attention. it's full of love letters, diy gifts, crochet roses, candies, and other stuff. near his desk was a cherry notebook.. a cherry notebook? in his hand.

you swiftly look away and rush to your seat. still having the feeling that someone.. ricky is staring at you. perhaps you should try what your friend, rin, told you. to look at him.. longer than usual. you look over to ricky still reading the diary, he's currently somewhere around the middle. he stops reading and looks at you, he then smiles. not his usual smirk like you see him do with others. a genuine smile.

he signals you to look under your desk. you quickly do it without any hesitation, curious about what kind of stuff he put there. you see roses and a piece of paper. you get them and put them on your desk to see it clearly. the bouquet is full of paper roses and crochet roses surrounding the real rose in the middle. you see the same note that you put on the front of the diary, "for you ᰔ."

you open the paper that comes with it. it's a page from the diary, you can tell because of the cherries scattered around it. a piece of ripped paper on the empty space. it's the first page of the diary, except he put correction tape over the original names and reversed it. the actual paper is a page titled "what i think about love ─ flowers." the change of handwriting is seen at the bottom, it's ricky's.

after reading the whole thing, you look back at ricky, who's admiring you in pure adoration. you smile back at him and keep the roses and the paper before your strict teacher scolds you. you nod, his smile grows bigger. but your interaction gets interrupted by that exact strict teacher.

"that's how it all started."

ricky ended the story. your friends (not the anti-romantics and the broskis they know it all..) were curious about ricky's valentines and anniversary gift.

"happy valentines and.. anniversary."

ricky gives the diary to you. the diary is now full with your side and ricky's side. it's finally done. when you opened the book, the first page was the page that led him to give you multiple roses on that exact day. you smile at the precious memory. the one that started it all. you never had to worry about anything after all.

[milkyst4rs]

Hi hi! Can i request diluc childe and thoma (seperate) with reader thats gentle and dosent get mad easily but whenver theyre alone they curse like a sailor over anything that made reader pissed off. Reader dosent like showing theyre anger so they release theyre anger alone and got caught by them one day (maybe even caught violently stabbing raw chicken and vegetables while making dinner hahshs)

(Sorry this was long)

You good?

diluc, childe, thoma x gn reader. crackfic

thanku for ur request! Hope u like it🫶🏽 Thomas one is so fluffy☠️ can yall tell i love him

Diluc

Flowery, angelic, soft. Those were the 3 descriptors diluc would often tell people when they would enquire about you, his s/o. You were like a saint, always understanding, talking to the children of the town, picking flowers for him everyday.

So why were you angrily cursing at a pile of burnt cookies in the kitchen?

Diluc had just gotten home from his nightly batman duties and was concerned when you didn't reply to his usual, "I'm home, dear."

He heard a commotion in the kitchen.

"I swear on the 7 fucking archons, if this next batch of cookies doesn't turn out perfect I will actually kill someone."

Diluc's eyes widened. What was going on in there? He had to see if everything was alright. He slid the door to the kitchen open.

"Dear? Is everything oka-"

"holy shit- oh hey honey! Welcome home! How was your day, love?"

Momentarily ignoring your change in vocabulary, he took a scan throughout the kitchen. A burnt mountain of chocolate chip cookies stood there on the counter.

"I, uh. I see that you're baking cookies..."

"Mhm! I got a little bored, all the ingredients I needed were all here so I thought of making something sweet for you!"

"I see, thank you darling. It seems like you're having...some trouble? I've never heard you so frustrated dear, though I must say it is quite amusing."

He said chuckling, he walked over to the burnt cookies and took out a...cheese grater? He walked back to you and pushed the cookies and grater toward you, was he expecting you to do something with this orrrr?

"Adelinde taught me this trick, if you have burnt your cookies, just grate the charred sides and it will look and taste perfect."

"Shit, really? Thanks love!"

He has no clue how your choice of words can go from vulgar to sweet and loving, but he finds it kinda hot.

Childe

You and childe were polar opposites. He was a bloodthirsty son of a bitch and you were caring and nurturing, against violence and hate.

The people of Snezhnaya have no clue how the two of you got together but hey, it seems like it's working out well.

Whenever you and your boyfriend would go out for dates, people would hesitantly greet the two of you so they don't get put on the Fatui's hit list. You noticed this, however, and decided to tell people that you aren't going to hurt or put in a bad word about them. After awhile, everyone was happy to see you waltz into their shop, taking a look around and initiating small talk.

Today, you had asked childe to help you with physical combat, he gladly accepted of course.

He brought you to his usual practice area so he could teach you tricks on a dummy. Practice went well, you managed to build up stamina and strength in your arms.

"Phew! You learn quick babe! Let's take a break, wait here I'll go get us some drinks."

He pressed a kiss on your forehead and walked out of the practice grounds. You decided to practice a little more while waiting for him.

You were fired up. Landing hits and punches on the dummy like it was your worst enemy.

"Fuckin' bitch."

A kick to the head.

"Argh! Yeah that's right, cry little fucker!"

A punch to the jaw.

This was fun! It's a great stress reliever too.

While you were cursing at the poor dummy, unbeknownst to you, your lovely boyfriend was standing behind a wall giggling at your vulgar choice of words.

He had come back 3 minutes ago, no harm in watching his precious s/o completely obliterate his training dummy right?

"I didn't know you were such a fighter [name]! You can land hits physically and mentally, very impressive sweets."

You flushed the moment you saw childe walk to you.

"Don't you dare tell anyone about this. I was in the zone."

Childe chuckled and passed you your drink,

"Ok ok! You're really cute when you get all fired up ya' know?"

Thoma

Ah my sweet sweet boy. He thought he knew everything about you, that you two were made for eachother. Imagine his shock when he sees you repeatedly stabbing a boiled chicken while cursing at it.

Where did the soft and loving [name] go? Is the chicken okay? (Obviously not since it's boiled but thoma is too concerned to think logically.) He remembered you saying that you'd be the one making dinner today, he's never seen this kind of cooking method before. Ah! Maybe you're using a technique from...what's his name? Gordon Rambly? Corden Ramsly?

He jumped out his thoughts and rushed to your side, worried that you might stab your hand accidentally.

"[name]! What's going on?? Are you alright?"

"Oh! Thoma! Thank the archons, please help me. This dumb crusty ass of a chicken won't cook properly! I've been trying to make it nice and tender but IT KEEPS. GETTING. STIFF."

Thoma's eyes went wide as frisbees.

"Ah! [name], mind your language! People can hear you! And, the water has got to boil on medium heat, you set it way to high!"

"I DID SET IT ON THE STUPID MEDIUM HEAT THINGY. IT'S THE FUCKING CHICKENS FAULT!"

"Shh! Okok, come here. Calm down.."

He pulled you in for a warm hug, immediately your mind went blank at your anger dissipated. You felt him press a kiss to the crown of your head and you blushed.

"Sorry, I've just been a little irritated today.."

He laughed and held you closer.

"It's ok love. Come on, let's make dinner together!"

"But I wanted to make this awesome meal for you so you could relax...now you have to do all this. Sorry.."

He lifted your chin with his thumb and index finger, his gaze soft and loving.

"I am always at peace when I'm with you, love. No matter how mad you get."

He mumbled the last part but you heard it and giggled, leaving him a sweet kiss on the lips.

[chanothy]

Butler's Christmas 2042

Episode two

previous | all | next

One day nearing Christmas, i was invited by Lono to come to the town of Espoir.  As Lono says it seems like the whole town is decorated for Christmas.

(Carriage stopping noise)

LONO :: My Lord, we’ve arrived in town!

LONO :: Please watch your step as you get off.

[Thank you]

Espoir, the center land

Step….step…step..

LONO :: Wow, just like Espoir before Christmas!  There are a lot of people in the market

LONO :: Lord. Please hold my arm tightly so you don’t fall, even if you get pushed

LONO :: It will probably be especially busy near popular items!

[Thank you, Lono]

LONO :: Even so, the town is completely filled with the Christmas atmosphere

LONO :: The ingredients on display in the stores are all typical CHristmas dinner items

LONO :: What should i make for Christmas dinner this year

LONO :: I’ll keep the standard menu in mind… is there anything you’d like to eat, Lord?

[Hmm, i guess so…]

LONO :: Hehe, when someone asks you “What do you want to eat?” it’s hard to decide

[Yeah, i’ll think about it]

LONO :: Please feel free to tell me anything!  You don’t have to be shy!

LONO :: Ah, i mean…. Will you be spending Christmas at the mansion this year?

LONO :: If possible, i would like my master to spend some time relaxing at the mansion

LONO :: Please enjoy each and every Christmas dish slowly….

LONO :: Of course, i have prepared a preset for you!  Hehe, the contestants are still a secret though.

[I’m sorry if i made you do that]

LONO :: That’s terrible, my Lord, I'm the one who feels so sorry!

[Lono? Why?]

LONO :: Because….

LONO :: Thanks to you, Master, i am able to live such a fulfilling life every day…. The only thing i can do is cook and give presents.

LONO :: Lord…?

[I get a lot from Lono]

Lono always…. Does his best for me.  As feelings of gratitude welled up inside me…i suddenly had the idea of giving Lono a gift in return.  It was just a idea, but…. I told Lono that I wanted to give something back.

LONO :: My lord, give me something in return….

LONO ::........Um… I think that this is probably a situation that a butler should not take seriously…

LONO :: But…. well, if you, Master, want to give something back to me

LONO :: From here on, i don’t want people around me to hear me

[Understood]

Lono quietly comes close to my ear

LONO :: If you’d like, would you like to go on a date with me?

[Date?]

LONO :: ….Yeah, it’s a date.

LONO :: It’s not random idea… it’s something i’ve been thinking about for a long time.

LONO :: Is it true?  As proof of this, i have thought up plan for dates with you many times before

LONO :: I haven’t actually done it yet though…

LONO :: What do you think….?  A date with me… are you not interested, Master?

[I’m happy…. Let’s go on a date]

LONO :: Heheh… that was good! I was sure my master would say that.

LONO :: Ok!  Now that that’s decided, we need to make some plans!

LONO :: Let’s have as much fun as we can together on the day!

[Yeah!]

LONO :: ….Hutu. Ha… that was good

[Yeah?]

LONO :: Ah, ah… sorry!  I was just talking to myself, but…

[Was it good…?]

LONO :: Um, well….

LONO :: Actually, i’ve been wondering for a long time when I should ask you out on a date.

LONO :: But i just can’t make up my mind…

LONO :: See, timing is important, isn’t it?

LONO :: If i get turned down….then….

[Hehe….]

LONO :: Oh my Lord, that made me laugh!

[Lono thinks the same way]

LONO :: I’ll think about it! Since i’m serious this…. It makes me feel down.

[I’m more than happy to hear that]

LONO :: Damn… let’s stop talking about this!

[Yeah]

LONO :: Phew.. hehehe….

[Hehehe]

LONO :: Ah, i’m so relieved. I’m so glad.

LONO :: Ah, that’s right, my lord….can you please listen to me one more time?  Hehe, i’m sorry….

LONO :: Let’s keep our date a secret between the two of us

[....!]

LONO :: Sharing secrets like this is sure to add some spice to your date and make it more fun.

LONO :: Hehe….how is it?  I think about it a lot too, don’t I

LONO :: I told my master that it was a way to give back to me, but…

LONO :: Personally, i see it as a opportunity to entertain you in a way that i normally can’t

LONO :: Oh no… i said “date” out loud.

And then, Lono and i made a secret promise. We enjoyed our time alone together.  

[dramadramallama]

Love Supremacy - brain rot part 3 (hopefully that's it, last part, i'm done PHEW)

As stated here, the story within a story structure makes for a cool viewing experience. Different readings for different levels.

Layer 1 - Myung-ha abandons himself Layer 2 - Limbo: an intermediary, temporary, blurry state Layer 3 - The Game, roleplaying yourself (Layer 4 - Us, watching the show haha)

It grants both the audience, and the characters a chance to get a new perspective. 

As Myung-ha sinks into himself, he has to rise back up.

The game framing is interesting, as it makes Myung-ha an active participant in his own fate. He is more likely to act in the safety of a game, with defined, clear goals, and “easy” missions to complete on the side of the main quest. It compartmentalizes the universe in neat little game notifications, and relieves some of the pressure of the hardest part of life. Finding happiness? Pfff, EASY, right?

Myung-ha is given the opportunity to do what all of us have probably wished at one point: re-start, from the latest save point, where it all went wrong. As argued in part one, the characters aren’t just words on paper, or pixels in a game. They have agency, just like Myung-ha.

1. Mirrors/Symmetry

2. Fate, Free Will, and Happiness

▶️3. Game/Reality

Very soon, it appears the lines between the so-called game and so-called reality are getting extremely blurry. 

First, the stakes are incredibly high for a simple game. The penalty is death. 

Myung-ha doesn’t seem fazed by the threat of death, he’s not scared of it. It could be because it's "just a game," but I personally think it's because he's technically already "dead." He ignores the penalty and focuses on his mission(s) at face value. Subconsciously, he works towards changing his own fate, and he gets there!

Debuffs (negative effects) need to be corrected

His efforts are slightly slowed by “debuffs.” These incidents happen due to Yeo-woon’s general dislike for everyone (including himself). They slow the process down enough to teach Myung-ha how to build friendships and relationships. The trick here is that Myung-ha is supposed to learn by proxy, through Yeo-woon’s self-love journey, how to love and be loved, and speak his true feelings.

“Bad” things seem to happen because Yeo-woon isn't quite ready for that unstoppable wave of affection Myung-ha unleashes. At first, the debuffs are incredibly mild and inoffensive (Fondness/Affection level around -10 or -5 = a LEAF falling on his face, a defective streetlight, and spicy tteokbokki lmao) and are easily transformed into something positive, bringing them closer.

But Yeo-woon’s affection is directly related to how honest Myung-ha is with himself and others. For example, he is disappointed to realize the urgency of Myung-ha’s text was fake (="Myung-ha doesn't trust me like I trust him"), and he doesn’t reassure Yeo-woon about the fact that he smells like someone else (lol cat energy). By refusing to open himself up to be cared for, it backfires with direct consequences. 

Myung-ha is allergic to listening to his own advice. All "do as I say, not as I do." When he told Yeo-woon "when someone cares for you, just accept it, why do you have to [question it?]" I almost screamed. We're all mental health experts when it comes to someone other than ourselves lol.

As for most things in life, the answer is balance. His side quests involve, for example, making other friends, who can be reliable and provide help in return. Kyung-hoon helps with a part time job and Sang-won offers to drive him to Yeon-woo.

Also interesting to note, his knee jerk reaction to anyone trying to enter his sphere is to close himself off, keep some distance. The above is in response to someone using casual honorifics (hyung/oppa).

Kyung-hoon, as if expressing Myung-ha's interiority, explains he's ok with long distance dating. Why? Simple: he likes his boyfriend, and wants to enjoy every moment until it ends. This is in direct opposition to what Myung-ha chooses: he places the certainty of pain/suffering above the mere possibility of happiness.

(...relatable tbh)

Myung-ha's inner desires clash with his depressive state constantly, and it gets worse after Yeo-woon’s affection levels dramatically drop from a positive number, back to zero, and then negative again, due to Myung-ha struggling to accept, and balance his own feelings. Too much love for everyone but himself, too scared to need anyone who might end up leaving him. The debuffs get more serious (Grandma gets hospitalized), and he starts fainting. Myung-ha is falling back into old traps, and like vicious circle, by trying to fix the errors incorrectly, in turn, makes the system shut down.

Thankfully, he does come to understand things remain worthy, even though he cannot have them forever.

The mysterious texts from an unknown number

Myung-ha faints several times, like things aren't quite going right. The nonsensical texts keep pouring in.

These read, to me, like close friends/family grieving, like they're in a columbarium (?). Besides the one from his sunbae at the end, they're all unsigned. There's one text saying they have "followed someone wearing the same clothes as [Myung-ha], knowing it couldn't be [him]", and one about a broken vase. Are they all from his sunbae, relaying the things said to him once? Or after his death? At his funeral? As a prayer? Thinking of him?

While the game server experiences extreme instability, memories, “real-life” happenings parasite the safety of the game.

Very personal elements keep permeating the game play; lines go beyond blurry, and disappear entirely.

Elements outside of the game keep popping up. Soon, the edges of the gameplay aren’t so clear-cut anymore, as Myung-ha gets more precise with defining happiness. His own handwriting shows up in the game notifications.

The answers are his own: he filled in the blanks himself. But he constantly tries to apply them to someone else.

It becomes impossible to dissociate the game from Myung-ha’s existence. I’m sure I haven’t caught them all, but there are many instances where Myung-ha's reality bleeds into the game.

Bubbly, water sounds are heard at key moments, and before long, his "memories" with his sunbae also get a underwater backdrop. To say nothing of the water/wave imagery around Myung-ha.

His world is leaking through the seams, the wave is rolling him over, and he’s sinking deeper. Which way will he come up? Water symbolism is always, MUAH, chef's kiss.

He is given ultimate freedom - a symbolic pen, to overwrite the program, and solve the system errors

Myung-ha for better or for worse, whether he likes it or not, is in control, quite literally, of the game, and by extension, of his life. When he starts to understand he's the origin of the errors, he panics, chooses to end it early, and saves Yeo-woon's fate over his.

That same pen has been used to write all the answers to the questions that appear in the game. He chooses Yeo-woon over himself. The game fails, the universe wavers. Beautiful contradiction: he fights to stay. Just like the way he regretted it after walking into the water. His true intentions come bubbling back up to the surface, and he runs to Yeo-woon, away from death and towards life. He doesn't want to disappear.

Time's up

In the previous post, I went more in depth about how he only gives, never takes. He doesn’t reach out to be pulled out of the water, thinking himself to be alone, and his system slowly starts shutting down. 

The scenes end abruptly, we jump from seemingly disconnected locations, faster, while Myung-ha frantically tries to outrun his own errors. I’ve seen some criticism of the pace and editing getting a little hectic in the later episodes, but I think it was purposefully reflecting Myung-ha’s state. 

Yeo-woon, with his newfound agency, defies his own story ending. By changing the game’s core mission to “make Myung-ha happy” he counters Myung-ha's one-sided choice and the balance can be restored.

CONCLUSION // PLEASE LET THIS END

"Despite knowing the journey and where it leads, I embrace it and welcome every moment." (Ted Chiang, Stories of Your Life and Others)

It is unclear whether Myung-ha gets a redo in a new reality, or if he gets to enjoy his own personal heaven after death. The game might be a physical representation of Myung-ha’s mind. It’s as real as any other intangible concept, like love, or happiness. There's definitely something to be said about the aspect ratio changing depending on where he is, but...

But to me, it doesn’t really matter. It's not where he ends up, it's how he got there.

I love that we open with Myung-ha abandoning his life at sea, and close on him returning to the water for a new start.

And I love that Myung-ha loves his own story: on his date with Yeo-woon, he gets emotional over the movie because the Monster Croc is "an alien" (COUGH Myung-ha) who joins the Zombie Gorilla (COUGH Yeon-woo) in his world to "save it"...

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

A Gentleman Boyfriend

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors.

Blank, ageless, and suspicious blogs will be blocked.

Kicho: "Change your perspective."

Mai: "Kicho?"

He emerged from the trading post and looked at both of us.

Kicho: "I believe Motonari is trying to convey something along those lines."

Motonari: "What? You were eavesdropping?"

Kicho: "I heard your argument through the window."

Mai: "Sorry."

(We shouldn't have argued in front of the trading post, especially with customers coming and going.)

Feeling apologetic, I lowered my voice and asked Kicho.

Mai: "But what do you mean by changing perspectives?"

Kicho: "It means not just thinking about what to sell but considering the perspective of the wearer or the buyer."

Kicho: "Normally, that's what you do."

Mai: "The wearer or the buyer一ah!"

His words helped me realize something.

Mai: "You're right. I've been so focused on what to sell that I've neglected what the wearer would appreciate."

(I might've neglected the important aspect of how to make the wearer happy.)

Kicho: "By thinking about what would make the person wearing it happy, you should be able to create something that truly represents you."

Mai: "Okay, thanks! You really understand me."

Kicho: "I'm not sure if I completely understand you, but I always strive to."

(Kicho...)

Having a supportive lover was really reassuring.

Motonari: "Hey, how long are you going to keep showing off?"

(Crap! I forgot that Motonari was here.)

Kicho: "Motonari, you're here for business, right?"

Motonari: "Of course. I didn't come here just to tease her."

Kicho: "I thought so. Let's talk inside."

He took Motonari and started returning inside. However, as he was leaving, he gently brushed the back of his fingers against my cheek.

Kicho: "I look forward to seeing the designs you create."

Those words lightened my mood, and the stiffness that had settled in my heart began to melt away.

(Right. I should rethink my ideas again!)

(Considering the perspective of the wearer and the buyer...)

(I just need to make something I want to wear and something I want to give as a gift, right?)

I immediately started sketching in my notebook, letting my imagination run wild.

(I should also jot down things that might serve as inspiration.)

I started writing down recent memorable experiences.

(During our negotiation, Kicho held my hand and led me to sit on the sofa.)

(And the gentle way he touched my shoulders and cheeks.)

Mai: "If I were to walk beside a wonderful partner like Kicho, what kind of dress would be perfect?"

Ideas for designs naturally came to mind.

Then, I suddenly heard the sound of a bell ringing from outside and was startled.

Mai: "Whoa! It's already this late!?"

Without realizing it, I'd become engrossed and had drawn several designs.

(Wow, I've made a lot of progress today.)

With a sense of accomplishment, I looked at my sketchpad, and my notes about Kicho caught my eye.

(Weird. Ideas keep popping into my head whenever I think about him.)

(I think I'll continue making notes about him for a while.)

Kicho: "Mai, I'm coming in."

Mai: "Kicho!?"

(I can't let him see these notes!)

I hurriedly put my notebook face down on my desk.

Mai: "C-Come in."

Kicho entered the room and briefly glanced at my desk.

Even though I'd hidden my notebook, the ink and brush were still out.

Kicho: "Were you working on something?"

Mai: "Um, yes. I was just brainstorming some ideas."

Kicho: "I see. It's good that you're working hard, but you should consider going to the bathhouse soon."

Kicho: "They're about to turn off the furnace."

Mai: "O-Okay. I'll get ready and head there."

He nodded and left the room.

Mai: "Phew."

Feeling relieved, I reopened my sketchpad, full of several compliments written about him.

(I can't let him see this. It's too embarrassing! I need to keep it a secret!)

The next day--

I was out shopping with Kicho in town.

Mai: "There seem to be more people than usual."

Kicho: "It's probably crowded in the market, too. Be careful not to get swept away in the crowd."

Mai: "Got it."

Passerby: "Move out of the way!"

I turned towards the voice and saw a cart forcefully rushing through the crowd.

Kicho: "Mai."

(Whoa!)

Kicho placed his hands on my shoulders and instinctively positioned himself in the middle of the road to shield me.

Mai: "Thank you for protecting me."

Kicho: "I just acted on instinct. It wasn't anything special."

He took my hand and interlocked his fingers with mine.

Kicho: "If I'm going to protect you from the crowd, I might as well do it this way."

He firmly held our intertwined hands in a lover's grip.

Kicho: "Don't let go of my hand."

My heart started beating faster as we held hands and gazed at each other.

Mai: "Okay, I won't."

I replied in a slightly trembling voice, and he responded with a gentle smile.

Kicho: "Thank you."

He lifted our joined hands and placed a tender kiss on my fingertips.

(He's incredibly kind, yet he never imposes himself on me.)

(This delicate balance is what makes him a true gentleman.)

I decided to make a note of this in my design book.

The next day, while I was sketching until late at night, I heard a voice from behind the door.

Kicho: "Mai, can I come in?"

Mai: "Kicho?"

I closed my design book and went to greet him.

Mai: "What's wrong? It's already late."

Kicho: "I noticed the light in your room has been on for a while, so I thought you might be overworking yourself."

Kicho: "I brought some tea and snacks. How about taking a short break?"

I looked at the tray and saw a tea set and some rice crackers.

Mai: "Wow, it looks delicious. The tea smells wonderful, too."

Kicho: "I'm glad I found something you like."

He placed the tray on the table, poured tea into the teacup, and offered it to me.

Mai: "I can do it myself!"

Kicho: "We may not have much time to share tea, but please allow me this."

(He's so kind.)

Mai: "You've done so much. Please let me return the favor next time."

He suddenly stood up and gently touched my cheek.

Mai: "Nn..."

Then kissed my lips.

Kicho: "You don't need to thank me. This alone is more than enough."

(Just with a kiss?)

Kicho: "Of course, looking at your face is also soothing."

Mai: "........."

(I'm so lucky to be loved like this.)

At that moment, the snacks and my thoughts about my designs faded into the background. I felt the urge to embrace him, but he gently stepped back.

Kicho: "I'll leave before I become a distraction."

Kicho: "Make sure not to overwork yourself."

Mai: "Okay. Good luck with your work, too."

(Why is he so cool?)

I touched the spot where he had kissed me and watched him leave.

(As expected, talking to him sparks my creativity.)

(I should also jot down today's events while I'm at it.)

Work progressed smoothly, and my compliments about him in my notes doubled in number.

Several days later, I was with him, visiting Darren's mansion.

Maid: "Please, have a seat. The master will be with you shortly."

We were led into a room and had to wait for a while.

Kicho: "It's finally time. How confident are you?"

Mai: "I've prepared several designs that I think are good."

Mai: "I hope there's something Darren will like among them."

As I was about to take out my designs, I noticed something.

Mai: "Huh?"

(No way. Why?)

Part 1╎Part 2╎Premium End╎Epilogue

[gigai-translations]

(Project Sekai) Yoisaki Kanade Side Story - Trial! Mouth Piece

I don't have this card so I don't have a recording myself. I took the script from Sekai Best. This one is cute so I'd be happy if y'all could give it a read! I might do Touya's card for this event next.

Anywho, transcript under the cut!

Side Story 1

[Kanade's Room] 

Kanade: Phew, a lot happened today. 

-Flashback-

Young boy: I'm really sorry. I've bothered you ladies…

Young boy: I only keep playing weird noises… That's why I was excluded from participating in the ensemble.

Young boy: Why am I so bad? I feel so frustrated…

Touya: If you just want to be able to sound stable, I might be able to teach you. 

Touya: If you keep holding onto that feeling of wanting to play a sound that's beautiful, then please, I don't want you to give up. 

Touya: One day…music will surely meet you halfway. 

-End of Flashback- 

Kanade: A sound that's beautiful, huh…

Kanade: (For me, a beautiful sound would be something like that day when dad played for us.)

-Brief Flashback to Kanade's family picnic- 

Kanade: Being able to make a nice sound is difficult but… 

Kanade: I'm glad that boy didn't quit trumpet-playing. 

Kanade: (When we parted, that boy seemed relieved.) 

Kanade: (It's as if something he thought he lost came back to him…) 

Kanade: …I just thought of a nice melody. 

-Kanade fiddles with her computer- 

Kanade: (It's a bright melody so I won't release it as a niigo song but…) 

Kanade: (Following this direction, I might get an idea for our next song) 

-Kanade fiddles more with her computer- 

Kanade: It sounds a bit too much like pop. If I slow down the tempo and lower the sound then…

Kanade: Rather than something that sounds trendy, let's bring out something like innocence and child-likeness. As well as have that instability slip in and out. Then…

-Kanade fiddles more with her computer- 

Mafuyu: Kanade, what will we have for dinner? 

-Kanade’s too focused on her computer- 

Mafuyu: …Guess she's already on work-mode. 

-Mafuyu leaves the room- 

Kanade: I think it was able to take form but… 

Kanade: (Compared to our songs, this feels like it has a refreshing vibe to it.)

Kanade: (Right now, I can listen to it as a draft. I could stop here–)

-Mafuyu comes back in- 

Mafuyu: Kanade, dinner is ready. 

Kanade: Eh? You prepared dinner by yourself? 

Mafuyu: You were so focused working it seemed like you couldn't hear me.

Kanade: Ah…sorry. I didn't notice. 

Mafuyu: Are you working on the next song? 

Kanade: Oh, no. You know that boy we met today? I wanted to try making a song in his image. 

Kanade: Wanna take a listen? I'll lend you my headphones. 

Mafuyu: Sure. 

-Mafuyu is given the headphones- 

Kanade: I suddenly thought of a nice melody, so I wanted to try my hand in composing it. I don't plan on releasing it as a Niigo song but–

Mafuyu: ….light…

Kanade: Eh? 

Mafuyu: It has that feeling of finally finding that light, holding onto it so you won't lose it. 

Kanade: If that's how you interpret it, I guess the song really brought out that image I had in mind. 

Kanade: (An image is really important after all…) 

Kanade: (If that kid wasn't able to smile in the end, I don't think I could come up with this melody.) 

Mafuyu: ….

Mafuyu: Thanks for letting me listen. 

Kanade: No problem. 

Kanade: Oh, right. As for dinner? 

Mafuyu: Nitsuke. It's already heated. 

Kanade: Thanks. Then let's go have dinner? 

Side Story 2 

[Central Street]

Mizuki: This upload celebration was fun!! We went to the cake fair and ate lotsa cake!

Kanade: There was a lot of assortment of cakes. Each of them were bite-sized but they were stacked up like a pyramid cake. 

Ena: Right? I took so many pictures! I'm so glad we ordered them! 

-Bell sound-

Mafuyu: Ah… There seems to be a lot of people there. 

Kanade: Yeah. I could hear something like the sound of a bell. 

Staff: The Renewal Opening Celebration Lottery is only until today! You can enter with your shopping receipt!

Mizuki: Oh yeah, that building was under construction for a while, right?

Ena: Yeah. Originally, it had a lot of established food places but now it seems like everything's been changed to apparel shops. 

Kanade: Huh, that so…

Ena: Though…could they actually draw in customers just by lottery draws? 

Mizuki: Oh? Though Kanade got tickets to the Shibuya Instruments day from a lottery, no? 

Kanade: Yeah. But we didn't go shopping just for a lottery. We rarely do these sorts of things so I guess I wanted to try my luck. 

Ena: It's a break from the usual, yeah. Though without great prizes–

Ena: …Ah! 

Mizuki: Wait, Ena?!

-They run after Ena- 

Mizuki: Hey, why'd you run off all of a sudden?

Ena: Look at this! Look! Second prize! 

Kanade: Uhm… fruits parlor: "Eden" course menu pair tickets? 

Ena: That store…my mom and I have talked about wanting to go there once! 

Ena: The course menu is especially super popular that reservations were booked all year round! 

Kanade: Eh? All year? 

Staff: Oh!! Got interest in the Eden tickets? 

Staff: By getting these invitation tickets, you can make special reservations within three months! 

Ena: Eh!? Ain't that too good to be true!? 

Mizuki: Uwaa, that's some huge bait. 

Mafuyu: And she said earlier how they could expect to draw in customers through the lottery. 

Kanade: Ahaha…..

Ena: Say, since we're here, how about we check out that building? I feel like walking off the cakes we just ate. 

Mizuki: Sure, sure. You wanna take a chance at the lottery so we'll do some shopping, yeah? 

Kanade: How about you, Mafuyu?

Mafuyu: I'm fine with anything. I don't think we'll be able to win that lottery though. 

Ena: Hey! Don't will that thought into existence before we make our pull. 

Ena: Geez… Just watch, I'll definitely win! 

[Several hours later]

Staff: Alright! We verified the receipt. You have two chances. Now make your pull!

-Ena makes a pull-

Ena: Parlor, parlor, parlor parlor….!

Staff: Out it goes! We got white, a participation prize! You won a shop discount coupon!

Ena: Nooo….! 

Mizuki: Well, today's the last day. Can't imagine getting the second prize would be that simple. 

Kanade: You still have one more chance though. 

Ena: ….

Ena: Kanade was able to pull for the Shibuya Instrument Day tickets, right? How about you lend me your hand. 

Kanade: Eh? ….me?

-Ena grabs Kanade's hand- 

Kanade: Wa–! E-Ena?

Ena: So that I could get the parlor tickets, I need you to pass off your luck! 

Kanade: Uh- sure…

Mizuki: Passing off her luck… Grabbing her hand just to pass off her luck ain't gonna fly. 

Ena: Shut up. Just be quiet and watch. 

Staff: Well then, please make your last pull!

-They pull on the lottery machine- 

Kanade: (If the ball that comes out is blue then that's the second prize…)

Kanade and Mizuki: Ah…!

Ena: I…

Ena: I got it!! 

Staff: Congratulations! You got the second prize: fruit parlor "Eden" course menu pair tickets! 

Mafuyu: Looks like that luck actually shows results. 

Mizuki: Y-yeah.

Mizuki: I wonder… I could also grab Kanade along the next time I apply for an event lottery. 

Kanade: Ahaha…

Ena: Kanade! 

Ena: Thank you so much! I can finally go to that parlor! 

Kanade: I don't know if I did anything but congrats, Ena. 

Ena: Luck was at our side thanks to you! As thanks, I'll buy you lots of souvenirs from the parlor! 

Kanade: Hehe, You seem to look forward to it so have fun! 

[ivorydragoness44]

Maul Monday Update

Sketches Edition

Hi! Welcome to another Darth Maul Adult Coloring Book Update. I wanted to show you more of what I've been working on, so TWO sketch WIPs.

This back view of Maul, once sketched digitally, was not looking right lol. His neck and head angle looked so uncomfortable. You do not know how relieved I was when I only had to do one sketch to readjust the angle. So happy. But his pants... I'm leaning towards re-sketching them again.

Maul sitting on the throne of Mandalore. I spent so much time on sizing, positioning, and angling the lines and details on his belt. Phew. Sketch layers over more sketches to refine and better define lines and details. This one is taking longer than I initially thought. But that's okay :) Also...he needs hands and a facial expression hahah

~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~

If you're interested in supporting, and inturn receiving this coloring book, please check out my post here for more details ✨

[whencallstheheart]

10x07:

THEY'RE JUST FRIENDS!!!!!!!! 🙌🎉 It better stay that way. Let me tell you... I was SHOCKED when Faith came out with that but I'm so relieved. I fully expected them to be together the way they were trying to force it but phew! I have no idea what happens now but it'll be interesting. And why does the door feel even open wider for Nathan and Elizabeth? It's making me crazy. What are these writers trying to do to us?

I thought it was funny how Lucas was called out for never learning about his surprises for Elizabeth... because he clearly never learns.

The radio stuff was fun. Obviously they should've just listened to Fiona from the start. Stupid men.

"I need her to be okay more than I need forgiveness." UGH! Henry continues to be so fantastic as a character. This Rosaleen plot is really interesting and one I'm surprised we haven't gotten for Henry yet. It feels like it's the final piece of the puzzle when it comes to him feeling like he deserves to be happy and like he's a part of the town. Him anonymously starting the scholarship fund was really sweet.

I enjoyed Hickam pretending to be a doctor. That was fun. The ending with Faith standing up for herself with the patient was good.

Bill was really funny trying to get everything for Madeline but that twist... oh boy! Things are heating up next week for sure.

What'd you think of the episode? Are you as relieved as I am that Faithan is over?

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

Dawntrail Benchmark Trailer...

(everything else under a cut for so many pics)

I am relieved. *phew* The only thing I'll have to do is start changing skin colors to make everyone darker, which I'm only all too happy to do so :D

I also may want to darken Riven's hair some, seeing the color in the Benchmark under the new lighting surprised me.