#It's.... Uh.... not great. But an interesting way to learn for when I'll do the real one

[midnight1nk]

So, this week's episode...

[spoilers below cut]

OH BOY, here we go again!! A bit late but I have returned for the latest episode, and lucky for me, I haven't seen any spoilers and not even the thumbnail....

*turns to Team* why is the Castle in the background? Wha? HUH?

(the following is my live reaction:)

ay, the intro!! it never gets old for me 💙 that's my beloved Saturday Morning Cartoon (TM)

looks like we're continuing on from the last one, if it's what I'm assuming here

I gotta say, quite convenient to have a bunch of stuff at their disposal. not that I'm surprised ofc, haha

also in this household, we respect Toomp! (I mean, have you seen the list of crimes he did. Got the queen, that's for sure)

wait, is that…. deltarune chapter 3 music? no, like I swear it is!! heh, I suppose the Team was gonna use this track sooner or later (who can resist tv time?)

I mean, I already suspected Puzzles made her own robotic body, sooooo she ain't wrong

Puzzles: "No matter how dangerous it may be, it's a risk I'm willing to have you take." *WHEEZE*

Ah, looks like WPNZ did manage to get to the junkyard

He's just standing there. MENACINGLY. <- WPNZ, probably

(c'mon, dude. Toomp's just a silly lil guy ^^)

waitwaitwait, hold your horses!! we're not going let that pass by and not talk about it

"death cube"? well, that's new. The only other cube-related thing I could remember at the moment, was the one 4 and Mario were in (the gamecube 2 one)

Was this what Meggy saw in the sentencing? I mean, it's pretty obvious that the tv literally says "sentenced to death cube" but y'know. gotta think about the possibilities here, especially for me

#RespectForToomp (and watch him being the most important character for at least this arc)

dude, it's a junkyard. Not exactly a five-star quality workshop /lh

PUZZLES, YOU DIDN'T KNOW??!?!?

also hi Pauline (love that she's back in the show after so many years, but it conveniently works out in my OC lore, that being they're related/connected to Pauline ^^)

that's shadowy figure is the death cube? oh, I thought it was a contraption but that makes it way worse, huh

WOAHWOAHWOAH hold up

Puzzles' dialogue text is glitching?

Technically it wouldn't be the first time glitching happens to Puzzles when overwhelmed, most recently being WOTFI '24. The text tho, that's interesting. hmmmmm [Transcript added to the Court Record]

Puzzles: "YOU CAN'T RUSH ART" <- true true 😌↕️ (I pretty much say that about my 20+ WIPs)

THE MARIO BALLOON BODY *WHEEZE* I just imagine WPNZ being held onto by a single string... and potentially floating away

why do I feel like the child of divorce here? /silly

uh. anyway, I present to you this:

la creatura :)

(but I gotta say, what a great scene)

WPNZ: "Hah! You tell 'im, slimeball" aw, that was actually sweet. I mean, look at toomp, he looks so happy like "^^"

whoop, so that's why Puzzles disconnected

A phone call? Is it Meggy?

FRENCH 🫵

IT'S MEGGY

how on earth did the Team capture my phone-call-anxiety perfectly with that? /lh

ah, so it was that. Makes sense, being death row and all. Crazy that Hal came up with this idea, but then again, this isn't the SMG4 universe which you can't exactly "die" the normal way

now, about Meggy's scene here. I do have thoughts about (which ofc I'll talk about them later) but I will say this: I stand by what I said previously about mixed feelings and I do understand what Meggy's doing, while still concerned about meeting up at the Castle. But in the good sense, this arc has me invested

back to the plot in hand... *toomp looming over wpnz* oh hey toomp!

ough, that was like a punch right in the gut

like it really hits when you start learning about the complexities for not only WPNZ but Puzzles too, especially if you were around the time reading the redemption talks I posted

AND and, even more that WPNZ truly opened up about his emotions like that, to Puzzles who he just met for at least a few days

THAT LOOK, I gotta say that wowed me

Puzzles doesn't exactly know how to express her emotions, that much is true, and certainly wouldn't know how to respond to what WPNZ said. The last part, specifically, considering y'know. Puzzles' past. She wouldn't be fond of remembering it so I can see this as coping(??). For the very least, Puzzles could tell that WPNZ meant it tho

back to expressing emotions thing, a lot of characters reacting to Puzzles' said action are confused by it. Or they don't even care at all. WPNZ, other than Leggy ofc, reacted differently. Positive, almost like he's charmed by it

(checking up on the gunshow shippers: how yall doing?)

ALSO also wait, did Puzzles say "play"? It may be a coincidence by the writers themselves, and maybe that's my theorist mind sounding the alarms as usual. But I am also reporter, and I don't forget about the teasers the Team posted

"but the play has just begun" they somehow brought this back, the teaser was relevant after all. I gotta say, Team: well played, either way

so enough about be rambling, let's get back to work!! *passes out dead tired*

oh hey toomp :) I suppose it's time to execute that idea he was holding onto

"I don't trust him" and I would go to war for him, so what? also no need to jump the gun that early (ba dum tsss, I'm not funny)

Puzzles saying "young man" and WPNZ surprised by the talent truly has me convinced that Toomp's their son now ADJK;JKL

break-out time? 👀

"one more task"? perhaps one more episode (before the movie)? :D

oh boy, here we go!!

Puzzles: "Sure...pal" oop, is that complex emotions I see? conflicted thoughts, hmmmm??

YOU CAN'T JUST END IT THERE, I WANT MORE!!

Congrats to BerzackLike for your art being featured at the end credits!! 🎉 fantastic fanart btw ^^

.・-: ✧ :--: ✧ :-・.

Yet another banger episode!! Team, it was so well done, especially the writing. I love the dynamic between our villain team. That recurring bit with Toomp appearing more and more menacing really got me crackling. Some of the lines got to me tbh.

also, gunshow shippers: how were yall holding up? 💙

And y'know me, I've been doing a bit of theorising myself. Some curious stuff indeed. I gotta say: the arc has been going pretty solid so far, props to the Team for that.

So... about Meggy and my thoughts on that particular scene. Immediately after watching that scene, I could sense that there was gonna be some discourse over it. Not only did some of it return from the "Split" episode, but also bc Meggy set the meet-up at the Castle. As a long-time viewer of the show and one to talk about character exploration, I do want to share my perspective on it and hopefully, it'll help some of yall understand it too.

And for our sakes, I'll leave the first part of the scene bc I think it's absolutely crucial:

Yall must know the biggest part of all this, and it bears repeating it: Things aren't as black and white as they seem. They're complex, even complicated/conflicting at times, and we tend to forget that people can have mixed feelings about certain people. This, just as good storytelling pursues, is grounded in reality. Sure, these characters are fictional and it's a silly lil meme show, but viewers can resonate with the characters bc they can see themselves in them. Perhaps having mixed feelings for someone isn't something everyone can resonate with, but for some it does. To feel seen, to feel understood.

I can tell you, from personal experience, I have mixed feelings for certain people in my life. Some have done unforgivable things, others I'm willing to give a second chance to. Ultimately, while I can offer as much help as I can, the choice to change is up to them. After all:

redemption ≠ forgiveness ≠ forgetting

Now, back to Meggy, I've seen people's reactions over this. Believe me, a lot was toxic, saying that "she was stupid for meeting up at the Castle" or "how could she forgive Puzzles after all the pain she went through" <- and that's just the lighter stuff. So, here I say it: Meggy considering (which isn't outright "accepting the job") to be legal rep for Puzzles DOES NOT MEAN she forgives him. As she said, she needs proof that he's changed and only then, she can accept the job. One consultation. Besides, it's not like they're gonna go their jolly way and everything will turn out happily ever after. Puzzles still has to face the consequences, she said so herself. On that note, in this ask I answered previously from my inbox, I have talked about her consideration and character if yall wanna know more.

"Why would she set the meet-up? Couldn't she tell he was faking it?"

She wants the truth, and it isn't the same getting it through a call or a video. It'll have to be face-to-face, and I can imagine it that once she does, she'll make her choice. As she said, no tricks or schemes. The truth, just as it is. While she is offering a chance for Puzzles to prove himself, there is a difference between "receiving help" and "wanting help". Again, that choice to change, it falls on Puzzles.

"Why would she do it at the Castle? Why not in prison, where it's more secure?"

While it is concerning, I can understand why she might've done it. Her last encounter with Puzzles was when she was home alone, and after the trauma she went through being forced to be Leggy, her home's out of the question. Now prison wouldn't be a problem except for one: no one knew about the deal she had with Leggy. Maybe there are some hurdles she can go through to meet a potential client in death row, but if someone finds out she was meeting with Puzzles, they might tell the others. The Castle isn't a bad option, and I could imagine Meggy waiting until 4's out for the day or something. There would be plenty of space, someplace where she's comfortable in, and the Crew would be nearby if things went south. I mean she was careful enough to have her number as "private ID". Yes, it could be understandable, but it is concerning too. Meggy is going behind her friends' backs and likely bc it'll be hard to explain why she's doing it for them to understand. And then on top of that, she lied about not doing the deal with Leggy at all. I had a sense that it's gonna spiral out of control and the Crew might misinterpret it, ironically how the audience toxic discourse has been talking about it. And worst of all, if 4 found out about it. Next to Meggy, 4 went through so much trauma and pain so to see that one of your friends invited the person who caused said thing into your own home, I could see him feeling betrayed. Therefore, causing a rift in the Crew when they need to be more open and understanding.

Also concerning that (1) the Puzzle Park rides 4 got are stored somewhere in the Showgrounds and are the same ones with a goo, (2) Puzzles is certainly aware of the Castle's layout/electricity grid bc of the PV saga, and (3) WPNZ, who Meggy never met, probably believed it is an actual hut on the Crew. Again, it's a "they don't know what we know" kinda thing.

This meeting is going to go wrong somehow, and eventually what happened at the start of the arc is gonna circle back now. Which also means Meggy might face some repercussions for it. What can I say, it's complex, and it's what's getting me invested in the arc!! I know it's what the Team intended too, ever since the end of SOTC:

"Character exploration", it's what the Team are doing with this arc too, with complexity of redemption and characters. Well, these are my thoughts, but I'd say: LET THEM COOK

I tried my best to explain it the way I see it, and do hope it isn't me going about it in circles. Again, while there are actions I don't condone and believe in accountability, it's understandable why. Regardless, I am very excited about the rest of the arc and I honestly don't know what to expect so I can't say I got expectations at the moment. Other than the security cam, but yall know me already. That's all I have, I'll see yall in the next one, and remember: numbers always go first.

....but seriously, I can't be the only one hung up on the security camera from the last episode.

Like, are we not gonna talk about this? Why would the Team do an ominous shot on that cam if it's not gonna be relevant? Something's up, and I swear it's gonna be another "that door..." situation for me. No, I don't need an intervention—

[annewithaneofthegreengable]

Kinktober - Day 4

4th — cockwarming, Max Verstappen

The previous day I The next day I Kinktober masterlist I Main list

Prompt: You are an actress and have been in a relationship with Max for a while. You have been trying to learn all your lines in the upcoming movie, and since this time of the year is off-time, which means no racing for a few weeks for Max, he volunteered to help you remember your lines and practice it with you. 

You and Max sat on the couch together in their comfortable living room. Max had a script in his hand, and the other one was in yours. "Okay, ready to start?" Max asked, a slight smile on his face. You nodded, a look of determination on your face. "Ready as I'll ever be," you replied. Max chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll help you remember your lines. You've got this."

Sometimes you would stumble over a word or phrase, but Max was there to help you through it. He would gently correct or repeat the line if you forgot it completely. "Schatz, there’s another fun way to rehearse all these lines, and you can even memorise it faster. Take a break and meet me in the office.” 

Max's proposal piqued your interest and curiosity. You couldn't help but wonder what new method he had in mind to help you remember your lines more effectively.

With a nod, you got up from the couch and headed towards the office. You found Max already there, waiting for you.

He waves you over to where he’s sitting on his desk chair, motioning for you to sit on his lap. You look at him, confused for a moment, before doing as he wordlessly asked. 

“What are we doing? I thought you would help me with the script.” you half laugh, half ask curiously.

You can feel Max fumble his hands behind you, his cold watch brushing against the warm skin of your tailbone that’s exposed from your dress.

“I’m helping you to study it better with some motivation.” He whispered to your ears. 

You hear his zipper come undone, and that’s when you realize what he’s wanting. Max adjusts you on his lap so you’re hovering, and he aligns his length with your clothed entrance, teasing your clit through your underwear. He pushes the fabric to the side with his fingers, allowing his tip to brush against your wetness. You slowly push yourself onto him, and Max guides himself into you at a snail’s pace. You aren’t quite wet enough yet, so he takes his time. Once he’s wholly sheathed inside your warmth, Max grabs your hips so you can’t move.

“I want you to just sit here and be a good girl while learning, alright?”

“That’s kind of hard with you inside me, Maxie .”

“You can do it, baby. You’re so good for me.”

You aren’t sure what you’d do if you had to act normal while Max’s thick, now-throbbing length is being squeezed by your walls. 

He grunts softly as you shift a little, and he kisses your neck, nipping and sucking on your skin. Max's trying to distract himself by reading the script. "Act 1, Scene 1... Oh, god, you're getting wetter, aren't you?" 

​​He starts moving his hips slowly, pushing himself in and out of you, his thick length stretching you open with each movement. He keeps his hand on your hip, holding you in place as he sets a slow, steady pace. "Focus, baby... Focus on the script..."

Max thrusts into you, disguising it as a minor shifting in his chair, and you have to clear your throat to stifle a moan, “Uh … Oh, a chapel. Do…Do you think dad will be able to cross the threshold,” you try to read the line outloud. 

“You are doing great, Schatzi. Can you go on.”

“Of course,” you nod your head, rubbing your palm along Max’s thigh out of sight. 

Max's breath hitches slightly at your touch, but he keeps his face neutral, continuing with the script. "That’s a good question…" He punctuates each phrase with a measured thrust, maintaining the facade of simply coaching you through the scene. His voice grows huskier.

You begin to feel restless on Max’s cock, wishing for nothing more than to fuck him senseless. You want to end your learning session, spin around, and bounce on him for hours. But of course, until he gives the word, you can’t move. Max's intense gaze bores into you as he slowly trails a finger along your jawline. 

“Please,” you whimper, “Let me move.” “Then move.”

With his permission, Max's hands move to your backside, gripping firmly as he helps guide your movements. His hips thrust up to meet yours, the two of you finding a rhythm together. The sound of your labored breaths and wet, slapping bodies fills the room, the script is long forgotten on the desk.

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[uzurakis]

HERE TO SEND YOU BLUELOCK HEAD CANNONS! >:D

Can you do headcannons of the guys and how they would be like if they were teaching us how to play soccer? Hope this is interesting for you ^^, if you're interested to make them thanks in advance!

TEACHING YOU SOCCER?!

featuring: michael kaiser. itoshi rin. oliver aiku. isagi yoichi. bachira meguru.

n. yees darling, i was invested to write this (it's a challenging one because i don't really play soccer myself). hope i nailed it though, thank you to u too <3

MICHAEL KAISER. "nice shot!" kaiser exclaimed, clapping you on the back. "but don't get too cocky, mein liebling."

"learned from the best, i guess," you teased, nodding toward kaiser. "after all, my boyfriend's the world's number one striker, hmm?"

kaiser's eyes widened in mock surprise, a beam spreading across his face. "well, when you put it that way," he said, puffing out his chest with pride and sliding back his golden locks. "i suppose i am pretty amazing."

"ah, but if i'm the world's number one striker," he continued, trying to tease you with words, "then that must mean you have to kneel before me, right?"

you lifted an eyebrow, unable to stop snickering at his exaggerated claim. "huh, is that so?" playing along with his joke. "i guess i'll have to remember to bow down to the soccer king himself."

the guy grinned, clearly enjoying the playful exchange. "that's more like it," now his voice filled with mock superiority, typical kaiser. "but don't worry, i'll be a generous king."

ITOSHI RIN. "fine, i'll try my best, but just so you know, i'm not really good at teaching," rin confessed, feeling apologetic because he’s not used to teaching others. and now, his girlfriend wants to learn how to play soccer.

rin took a deep breath, trying to muster up some confidence as he began to explain the basics of dribbling. "uh, alright, first, dribbling. just try to keep the ball close to your feet for now," he instructed, a bit hesitant.

"oi, dont look at me, look at the ball," he reminded you. "sorry," you chuckled, truly didn't realize you weren't paying attention. come on, just look at him. "if i’m being honest, you look really hot like this," you teased, but, it’s true though!

rin's cheeks flushed slightly at your comment, but he quickly regained his composure. "focus," he replied. though there was a hint of annoyance, you couldn't help but sneak a glance at rin's face as he continued to give you instructions, his cheeks flushed slightly from your earlier comment.

suddenly, rin's voice broke through your reverie, snapping you back to reality. "i said focus!"

OLIVER AIKU. "keep your eye on the ball and follow through with your kick," aiku instructed while you attempted to pass the ball to him.

even when you struggled or made mistakes, aiku remained patient and supportive, offering gentle guidance to help you improve. "try to angle your foot a bit more next time," he suggested, as you missed the mark with your pass. "you're doing great, sweetie. just keep practicing."

by the end of the session, you were exhausted but thankful for aiku's patience and support. he wrapped his arm around your shoulders, a proud smile on his lips.

"you're making progress, sweetie," he soothed, genuine and affectionate. "with a little more practice, you'll beat me out here."

BACHIRA MEGURU. "okaaay, let's start with some dribbling drills," he said, bachira was overjoyed since this meant he had another friend to play soccer with. "try to keep the ball under control as you move around me, kaay?"

you nodded, determined to give it your best shot. as you began to dribble the ball, you stumbled a bit, but bachira was quick to offer a push. "nice job, baby! you're getting the hang of it," he cheered, clapping his hands in support.

with each effort, you gained confidence and dribbled past bachira with greater ease. bachira congratulated you on your small wins every time you successfully escaped him. "woah, that was awesome! baby, i’m so happy!" he exclaimed, giving you a high-five.

"great effort, babes! keep it up, and you'll get it," he encouraged, his words filling you with determination. “lets keep playing together!”

ISAGI YOICHI. "hey, it's okay," isagi said gently, stepping closer to you. "here, let me show you."

he moved behind you and gently guided your legs into the correct position, his touch firm yet gentle. "see? keep your body low and your touches light," he explained, moving your legs in rhythm with the ball. "you've got this, angel.”

with isagi's guidance, you began to feel more confident, dribbling the ball with increasing control. whenever you made a mistake, your boyfriend always offered gentle correction and encouragement.

"nice try, but try to keep the ball closer to your feet," he would say, his tone encouraging. "like this," demonstrating the correct form before guiding your legs to mimic his movements.

@uzurakis

[laurieluvrr]

Sup do you have any head cannons for Laurie? Or any other characters from win or lose

😶 GEHDJS YESSSS

- when Yuwen invited Taylor over to his house for the first time, he wanted to impress her by making cookies but he's straight dog shit at baking and bought store ones instead , claiming he made them but they were so good so she always requests them and his allowance is GONE every week to keep up that charade lol

- if / when frank and Vanessa date: Frank feels insane guilt because he subconsciously starts giving special treatment to Rochelle.

- Laurie is horrible at literally everything and constantly fixates on random hobbies / interests to try and find something that sticks after quitting softball

- Laurie's long bangs were originally inspired by her sisters bangs, she really wanted to be like her sister and thought she was super cool but one day they got into a fight and that made Laurie decide to cut them at the sleepover lol.

- ira will eat stuff off the ground cuz sometimes in his imagination it gives him power ups lol (he has a great immune system, compared to Taylor)

- Laurie makes lots of puns and everyone hates her for it.

Example:

[insert scene with Laurie and Kai at lunch and Kai spills some ketchup on her shirt]

Laurie: uh oh, guess you'll have to *ketchup* on some laundry today huh, Kai? Haha!

Kai: Laurie...

- Laurie doesn't honestly have a clue on how to play softball, she just follows what the person in front of her does. (If she even pays attention) ((LAURIE WILL DO ANYTHING BUT PLAY SOFT BALL BRUH))

- Laurie is terrified of bugs, could even be a lady bug, butterfly, you name it. Yuwen terrorizes her with grass hoppers lol

- Laurie does NOT play when it comes to mermaids. When they have a pool party and they play mermaids if you're not in character Laurie will drown you (Yuwen learned this the hard way)

(I'll add more as I think of some...ty for this ask OMG)

[theresattrpgforthat]

a ttrpg for teenagers going on an I'll advised roadtrip?

THEME: Teenage Road-trip

Hello there! I've got games about teens and games about road-trips: I'm sure between all of these you'll find the right fit!

Along The Open Road, by Thorne.

Are you ready to head on a Journey Along the Open Road?

Along the Open Road is a simple road trip storytelling TTRPG that allows a group of 3-5 players to work together to tell the Journey of a group heading down 'The Open Road', discovering new Stops along the way, learning about cool Points of Interest, and meeting Unique Characters.

And the best part of all of this? Your group creates the story you want to tell.

Along the Open Road, as a storytelling TTRPG, is a game that allows every one of the players to be in command of the story at some point. There is a great focus on Characters, of course, but there's as great of a focus on Players, too. And just in case there are Players who aren't as experienced in storytelling or running sessions as others, there's a whole host of ideas tables right at the back of the book.

Along the Open Road is a road-trip game before anything else. This means that you can decide the setting and circumstances that will affect your characters: it cares about your car, your cash, your inventory and the journey you go on. Advice in the game also seems to hint towards holding at least one session per character in order to experience the fullness of the game, which tells me that the game likely also allows you to dig into emotional depth if you so desire. Because it's kind of setting-agnostic, I do feel like you can play teens in this one, although there won't be anything that makes them distinctively teen-like compared to other possible characters.

Delinquent Goons, by Veri.

Delinquent Goons is a system hack of the Tunnel Goons system submitted to the One Page RPG Jam 2024. Designed for playing with 1 Narrator and up to 4 players aka Delinquents.

Explore a time when everybody expected you to behave a specific way, grow up at a specific time, and only exist in specific spaces. And reject all of that. Form a ragtag group of teenage dirtbags as they reject expectations set upon them and uncover the covert conspiracies of authority figures and classmates.

Delinquent Goons is inspired by media such as Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated (among others), so I think putting a bunch of teens in a van and sending them off to deal with strange happenings is totally in its wheelhouse.

I think the piece of the game that is the most emblematic of teenage themes is the Peer Pressure gauge, which is meant to represent the stress or dread of being a teenage delinquent. Your teen doesn't just have to deal with the threats against the group, they also have to manage the pressure of having to live up to a certain social expectation in their group of friends. Despite the core game rules of Delinquent Goons being rather simple (it is, after all, using the same engine as Tunnel Goons), the Peer Pressure gauge gives your group a tool by which you can imbue your story with drama and emotion.

Interstate 10 1/2, by PsychHound. @psychhound

The van is gassed up. The tunes are playing. The road is clear.

Well … the van is running on something, the tunes keeping remarking on achingly specific details of our travels and inner thoughts, and the road is clear of other cars but nonetheless something keeps cropping up in the rear-view that looks different to every person who gazes upon it.

But, that’s, uh … normal for a roadtrip. Right?

In Interstate 10 1/2, you and your friends will hit the road in a possibly-alive van, working hard to keep everything in operating shape, keep food on your plates, and not let your fellow road-tripper's fascination with the possum who has his same eyes freak you out too much.

Interstate 10 1/2 is a short 2-page game by Luka Brave, also known as PsychHound Games online. It uses his Horseshoe System, which centres around two tracks that help keep the story moments punchy with a peak and a nosedive in the fiction attached to when your characters succeed and fail.

Character creation is simple, but it isn't limiting: the tables that help you put your little blorbo together offer short, evocative phrases that demand that you add emotional depth to your backstories. You don't have to be a teenager in this game if you don't want to be, but you can absolutely start with the premise that all of the folks on this road-trip are young, and perhaps a little bit foolish, and Danger is sure to follow you regardless.

The Book of Brushwood Lullabies, by Hex Culture.

The Book of Brushwood Lullabies is a tabletop RPG made for the time of year when seasons turn and leaves change color. Play as a group of wayward children as they attempt to navigate and their way through the strange and wonderful Brushwood. Make friends along the way, avoid enemies, stray from the path, and (with a little help from fate) find your way back home.

This game is best with 3-5 players, and requires both a set of tarot cards and polyhedral dice for full enjoyment.

Inspired by media such as Over The Garden Wall and Tales From The Loop, The Book Of Brushwood Lullabies appears to aim for somewhere between the magical and the surreal. It isn't really a road-trip per se, but it does carry the pieces of a travelogue that you might be looking for from a road-trip story. Your kids are trying tog et back home, through a woods that harbors witches, magical creatures, and a scarecrow looking for his items of power. To add to the feeling of enchantment, the game uses a deck of tarot cards to create unique abilities for each character, as well as a mechanic that involves reading a 3-card spread to interpret what happens in a scene.

If you want a highly interpretive game, I recommend The Book of Brushwood Lullabies.

Along the Road To Everywhere, by loamington.

ALONG THE ROAD TO EVERYWHERE is a post-apocalyptic road-trip tabletop role-playing game. It sets the aesthetics and ideals of the Beatnik and Hippie movements of the mid 20th century against the backdrop of a vast, magical wasteland. It’s relatively low-key and role-play focused, dealing with ideas of community and regrowth. Part of the idea is to tell the stories that happen between larger stories—between dots on the map.

Branding itself as a rules-lite game, Along the Road to Everywhere embraces the themes of a road-trip by classifying the GM as the Engine, and the players as the Passengers. The game claims inspiration from Art Nouveau, Medieval Revival, Beatnik & Hippie culture, and Transcendentalism. I'm not familiar with most of these sources, so I'm not sure how much of those inspirations shine through in this game, but the idea of an art & cultural movement feels like it might be in tune with teen culture, if you don't mind blending genres a little bit.

The setting for this game is both post-apocalyptic and medieval in nature, with vans that are powered by plants instead of gas, and a world that's meant to be built collaboratively with some suggestions for beautiful and vibrant locales. I think the biggest dissonance with this game and your request is the part about "ill-advised" road-trips. The trips in this game don't feel very creepy: they're dangerous, but the aesthetic of the game takes a turn more towards the hopeful than anything else.

Wayward Highway, by Capacity for Wonder.

Civilization is a strange web; places strung together with highways and telephone wires. A loosely woven net that holds together society. Sometimes things slip through the net; they are lost, or too strange to be found at all. The map is the thread that connects these places. It leads to lands of legends, where mysteries are born and prayers are answered by strange gods.

Wayward Highway is a game inspired by road trips and the places between where you are and where you want to be. It is about experiencing the journey; the joy and agony of distance. There will be many disparate stops along your trip, and they may or may not add up to a cohesive narrative. Ultimately a road trip is not about a grand plot, but those little moments and how they shape you. The trip you take together may or may not be fantastical, but it will always be strange.

This game is part of the No Dice No Masters tradition; there is no Game Master, no dice. All you need is in this one document.

Wayward Highway feels like a great source for nostalgia and melancholy. The author calls upon media such as Alice isn't Dead and American Gods, so expect Americana and the strange, tied in with the collaborative magic of No Dice, No Masters. This is a GM-less game, allowing each player to embody both characters and locations, giving personality to the setting just as much as the people within it.

This game isn't necessarily about teenagers, but I don't see anything within it that prevents you from playing teens anyway, and it certainly gives you the tools to create an unsettling or strange atmosphere.

Melancholy Trip, by ThatAceGal.

"The smell of discount, gasoline that's still fresh from being poured into your van's engine. Tamara is nervous. The two big wings on her back always twitch when they are. Aiden's tired, eyes that normally are full of fire, falling close at the wheel."

"Keep awake, Aiden. Miles to go before we sleep."

Melancholy Trip is a game that requires 3-5 players and a deck of cards. It's about being trans, super-powered and on the run in a ramshackle car from your superheroic mentors who know damn well why you ran.

I don't know much about this game, other than what it says on the cover, but it's got teens, it's got a road-trip, and it looks like it's also about angst! Since the teens are super powered, I have a feeling that pitting them against horrors and strange happenings is to be expected, if not encouraged. I also think that this might be a great game for fans of the movie Logan, what with all of the allegories in the X-Men franchise that I think might overlap with this one.

Games I've Recommended in the Past...

Roadspire, by glempy.

Last Caravan, by Ted Bushman.

Apocalypse Roadtrip, by Mynar Lenahan.

Dead Ends, by kay w.

You can also check out my travel-themed games post, my recommendation post inspired by Pacific Drive, and my Isolation and Desperation recommendation posts!

If you like what I do and want to leave a tip, you can check out my Ko-Fi!

[tizeline]

I’ve never seen a separated au with Leo being raised by big mama, what do you think that would be like? (Since he’s kinda rebellious)

For the record, there are AUs where Leo's been raised by Big Mama, the ones I know of are Gemini AU by tangledinink and True Colors AU by v-albion. I'm not super familiar with either of them, but they're there if you wanna check them out.

That being said-

LEO being raised by BIG MAMA omg I have THOUGHTS

Listen, I don't see enough people compare Leo to Big Mama, but he's quite similar to her. Splinter and BM never got a kid together, BUT IF THEY DID that kid would literally be Leo he's basically just a fusion of the two of them!!

As I've mentioned several times before because I love bringing it up, Leo is strategic, quick-witted, observant and good at talking. In the show (as well as in my own AU) Leo's strengths aren't really recognized, let alone aknowledged for a big portion of the story. Because of that, for a long time he doesn't really get the chance to develop these skills, as much potential Leo has to become a master planner his impulsiveness and inexperience has a tendency to get him into trouble.

BUT! All of these skills also happen to be skills that Big Mama has and would value in Leo. So if he were to actually have to opportunity to not only be raised by BM but also trained by her for his entire life. If he got to properly learn strategy, planning, manipulation...?

... Holy shit Leo would be terrifying.

Think about it, canon!Leo managed to out-smart BM in Many Unhappy Returns without any real experience, just imagine what he could do with a whole life-time of training.... yikes!

Not sure what exactly Big Mama and Leo's relationship would look like. In my opinion she would view him as her son and love him dearly, especially if she knew that he's Splinter's biological son.... it's just that BM has interesting ways of showing affection. ("The love of my life just proposed to me?? Great! I'm gonna lock him up in my gladiator fighting ring for the rest of eternity!") She'd at the very least be quite controlling, I imagine.

As you pointed out, Leo can be quite rebellious, so that mixed with Big Mama's obsessive need to be in complete control of everyone around her would certainly cause some tension. Actually... considering how clever Leo would be in this AU... uh oh.

All of these qualities that BM initially appreciated and encouraged in Leo, what if, as Leo became more and more capable, Big Mama started to eventually view them in a more negative light? If she feels like she's loosing control over Leo, if she interprets Leo's rebellion as not just a normal teenage need for independence but rather him malicously working against her. What if she starts viewing him not as an asset or as a tool, but rather a threat?

If BM has reason to believe that Leo might try to overthrow her and take control over her criminal empire, she might take preemptive action and get rid of him before he has the chance to get rid of her.... Not like murder-get-rid-of, I don't think she'd just kill him, lol! But like lock him up, maybe throw him into the Battle Nexus, I dunno. Anything that would allow her to remain in control of both him and her business.

As for Leo, maybe he would actually try to overthrow BM. Considering he was raised by a literal mafia boss, his moral compass is gonna be a bit wack. Maybe Leo's desire for control over himself would cause him to try to seize control over his mother's business. Oooooorrrrr maybe Leo just wants some independance but doesn't actually want to compete with BM, so when she interprets his actions and behavior as malicious he's not prepared for that at all and, as a result, is more than a little hurt that his own mother would take such extreme actions against him. Who knows?

Hhhhhhh there's a lot of fun posibilities here but MAN I'm not really in the mood to work on an entirely new AU. Maybe I'll create some art for it I dunno, this concept is really fun, but I'm not gonna turn this into a proper Thing, so if anyone else wanna steal this concept and explore it for themselves, feel more than free to do that!

[platonic-writer]

I love your account so much, I want to cry every time I read smth with dadttore

Almost every fic with him includes !child reader with his interests and personality, basically his copy. But what about GN!Dottore's child reader who is opposite of him? Like, the scientist and his theater/art kid.

Imagine him trying to teach reader something, while they are like "Oh yeah, by the way I got lead role in school theater" or "Wow, that's great, but can I go sew/paint now?"

Omg opposite reader 🙏

You're Request has been made!! Im so sorry it took so long!!! I am drawing a lot these days because i entered an Art Competition!

OPPOSITE GN!CHILD READER & PLATONIC DOTTORE

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

Dottore doesen't know how Reader became the opposite of him-

He's a Scientist, he raised you to be one too!

How did you turn into his opposite!?

Since you were a child he tried making you into a Scientist like himself but it never did work

At the age of 3 you started running away whenever Dottore would take you to show you an experiment

You would hide behind a Box and secretly do whatever you desired

You learned how to sew, draw and even dance while hiding

At 5 years old you told Dottore with a presentation that you wanted nothing to do with Science

" My presentation is called 'How to let your child be themselves.' Dad! You have to Listen carefully!( ͡ᵔ ͜ʖ ͡ᵔ)"-Reader

" ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°) " -Dottore

It somehow worked...?

He now lets you go whenever he experiments and now you get to show him everything you do!

The drawings you gave him are displayed in his Laboratory

And he brags about them while he experiments on the victims💀

You and him have yap sessions

Every day either he or you yap

You talk about new books or what you painted today, and Dottore talks about what experiments he did and has to do

At the age of 8 you got your first Role in a Play!

"OHRHR DAD DAD! LOOK IM THE MAIN LEAD IN MY PLAY!!WAA IM SO HAPPY!!ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ"-Reader

"Thats great kiddo! I'll be sure to watch you in that play! Now, i have to tell you about this experime- " -Dottore

" nuh uh. (￢_￢;)" -Reader

Yep, reader walked away

As time went on Reader became more and more interested in the World

So whenever Dottore went to a Mission, Reader asked for different Items and so

Dottore always bought things that he thought reader would like back

He gave reader different Instruments whenever he came back

And now Reader plays lots of different Instruments in the Laboratory

The Drums are Reader's favorite Instrument because its so loud💪

You play it at the dead of the night or when Dottore is focused on something

Dottore hates that Instrument so much because of you

But he can't just destroy it! Its your favorite!

He bears with it for you😭💕

Summary: You may not be like Dottore, but he loves you for what you are . He loves your art and whenever you show him something New! You may not be a Scientist but you will always be his Partner in experiments! He tries to understand your view on things and will always listen to you whenever you yap about stuff!

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Ty for reading! I hope you liked it. Check out my other works!σ(≧ε≦σ) ♡

[westanleovaldito]

Just Below (pt two)

Spencer had noticed the moving van, but was more focused on the case ahead. Now, he sat on his balcony, listening to her voice above him.

CW: Mentions of cannon typical violence, reader is portrayed femininely, music? also it's early seasons Spencer, but with modern music, description of bullying/violence towards a child, addiction

UPDATE: i decided to make it an X OC fic, so that will be a present aspect. And i gave her a mild stutter, because i, myself, have one. So this trait is derived from my personal experience so please no hate

The next day, Spencer learned that the song was called Desert Song, written by My Chemical Romance, and was about the lead singers drug addiction. The lyrics made sense, and the actual song made him shiver. It was very understood why they liked it, why he came to relate to it, and why they sang with a voice so rich with emotion. Maybe it was even a little... impressive, to him... not like he would admit that without knowing their name, though.

Spencer only went out of his way to share when it was something exciting, and he never really found himself exciting. Or interesting, really.

But he still grimaced when Garcia asked why he was interested in learning about so many new songs. The weight of it hung on his shoulders- which was strange, because he always kept secrets! Especially about his own life!

"Please Reid?" Penelope begged. she had spun around in her chair with her hands clasped under her chin, repeating "pleasepleasepleaseplease-' like it would help her case.

"Fine!" Spencer grumbled. He sighed and glanced around before leaning in. "I have a new neighbor and-"

Penelope gasped, or shrieked, as she beamed and clapped her hands. "Did she recommend these?- Is she sweet?- Of course she's sweet- if she wasn't you'd be all bitter and-"

"Can you not?!" He snapped, clenching his fists as he grit his teeth

Garcia nodded quickly, lowering her voice to a whisper as she scooted closer. "Right- right I'm sorry!"

She looked up at him with wide and eager eyes, almost holding her breath while he scrunched his face up. There was a moment of silence as Spencer took deep breaths, before he spoke, low and gravelly.

"I... They live right above me and..." he sighed shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. "I don't even know her name- I don't even know if it is a her!"

Penelope seemed shocked. Or excited? Either way, her mouth was on the floor. She gathered herself and shook her head as she patted his shoulder. "That's okay! I have online friends who I don't know-"

"Garcia- I haven't even seen them!"

That earned him an expression of true shock. "I- Uh- That's ok!" She attempted to assure. "But- Why do you need the songs then?"

Spencer sighed once again, biting his lip. "They... They really like to sing..."

Her brow furrowed in sympathy as she rubbed his arm. "I'm so sorry, lover boy..."

"You sound like Morgan."

"I know- I'll stop."

Spencer Reid, in all his intelegence and secret love of romance, would never have expected to come home to a girl at his door. Much less a very pretty girl, with her back turned, as she held a plate.

He shifted into his 'silently listening' mode as he crept up the stairs behind her. The woman wore ripped denim shorts, a cut up and cropped tee, and vibrant purple hair in a ponytail.

She sighed and adjusted her hold, before giving six firm knocks in a triangle patern with three in the middle.

Spencer took a step, tilting his head "Hello?"

"Holy!-" she jumped, nearly throwing the plate at him. "I am so sorry- do- do you, uh, live here?"

He nodded hesitantly while eyeing the tinfoil covered plate. Spencer then moved his eyed up to scan her. She had tired green eyes, a bleach stained, self cut AC/DC shirt, and multiple tattoos. One on her shoulder looked to be a blue carnation, and there were ferns poking up on either side of her hips, but he looked back to her face before he looked strange.

"Oh! That's great- I uh- I made cookies!" She fumbled a bit with both her words and he gestures, clearly deciding what to do, before stepping to the side and extending the plate. "To uh- welcome you- well no- to say hello and get myself more- more acquainted!"

Spencer hummed and took the plate in both hands. He was well aware that the tradition of giving gifts to neighbors was dying, and he was happy that it was kept alive by the girl.

"What kind are they?" He asked, glancing up to her.

Her eyes went wide and she began gesturing with her, now free, hands as she rambled. "Well- I was unsure of the preferences of the people around me, so, I simply went with the classic chocolate chips- Oh! But I used dairy, gluten and eggs- so if you have any dietary restrictions- o-or if you just don'tlike them, please let me know and I'd be happy to make another batch!"

It almost amused him, having a girl in torn up clothes and metal band merchandise, speaking almsot as he did.

A smile graced his face as he shook his head to assure her. "No, these are just fine." He said as he carefully displaced the foil. Nimble fingers grasped a, still warm, cookie, and placed it between his teeth.

He hummed in satisfaction. "How did you perfect the salt ratio?" He asked through a mouthful.

The woman resembled more of a puppy spinning at the door as she bounced up and down on her tiptoes. "I-I- I make this recipe quite a bit- s-so I had learned to tweak the measurements." She explained with a smile so bright with genuine happiness.

Spencer nodded as he swallowed. "I will pay you to make me these again-"

"I only made you half a batch- I-I'm sorry- I didn't realize you'd like them-"

"Don't apologize!" He said, glancing her over again. "You made a valid choice! But if it's not too much trouble..." Spencer's shoulders rose as he gestured toward the plate.

She nodded, still smiling. "I will most definitely be making you more." She affirmed, before turning to walk back up the stairs.

"What's your name?" Spencer called, quickly stepping foreward too.

"Estelle." She smiled, turning back to look at him.

He cocked his head with a smile playing on his lips. "Like- the French word for 'star'?"

"C'est un problème?"

"Non- non! j'étais juste surpris!"

Estelle smiled wider and took a step down. "Not most can counter in french." She said, leaning on the railing. "Awkward, but understandable."

Spencer nodded, going back to unlock his apartment. "You'll find that I am indeed 'not most.'"

[devochive]

Corporeal.

Caine/Fem!Reader

caine wants to learn more about humans, so why not become one himself? surely, these new waves of emotions and new desires won't become an issue.

requested by: @kenenergy

tags: mutual pining, eventual smut, fluff, human!caine, lingerie, reader is down bad for caine but won't admit it.

Chapter one.

"I just don't know bubble! After letting them all down about the exit I feel... a little guilty?" Was that the correct wording? Humans were far more complex than he could imagine. But, oh, so interesting.. what could he do to learn from them better? He tapped the bottom of his jaw with a gloved finger in thought.

"Well, maybe you could—" Bubble began but Caine cut him off before he could get a word out, "Gadzooks you're right bubble! To understand them, I have to become like them! Of course! What a great adventure that'll be!" He exclaimed and extended his arms out in delight.

"I'll get a brand new.. body! All equip with artificial human emotions, looks, the works!"

Caine said , happily agreeing with himself. All it'd take was a snap of his fingers.

"Can I have body too, Caine..? I'd absolutely.. love to.. hug everyone.." Bubbles voice drifted off strangely at the end of that sentence and Caine stared... that certainly wasn't a good idea.

"Uh.. no!" He said just as cheerfully as if he were to agree.

SNAP!

the following day..

Knock, knock, knock!

The noise broke you out of your extremely light sleep. You got out of bed without issue, feeling groggy wasn't exactly a thing here. "Coming.. coming.." You sighed and pushed aside the fluffy comforter, rubbing your eyes and stretching out your body. It was still taking some getting used to.. you dragged yourself to the door and swung it open, Ragatha stood there, hands clasped in front of her. She gave a small wave, "Hey, y/n! Uh, Caine called everyone to the main hall, so I just came by to.. get you." Her sentence trailed off with a little chuckle as she pushed some of her red locks from her face.

"Oh, thanks Ragatha." At the mention of Caine you seemes unconsciously adjust your clothing and hair, what can you say? He's a charismatic man.. it was hard not to be a little attracted to him. Not like it would lead to anything, he certainly didn't seem to be interested in you humans, not anymore than playthings at least.

"Let's get going then, don't wanna keep everyone waiting." You flashed a kind smile at the doll like woman and you both walked together to where the others were already gathered, exchaning mundane conversation on the way.

"Well, well well glad you ladies could make it!"

"C.. Caine..!? What the [censor] !?" Your eyes were nearly popping out of your sockets and even ragatha seemed taken aback, mouth agape.

"We can't have that, y/n but I will give you a pass because I'm sure you are quite surprised by my apperance!" He said followed by a wacky sound.

"Yeah........" Zooble chimed in , "Welcome to the party."

Caine was.. human? His face was chiseled like an old timey talk show host. Dark brown hair was skicked back except a single curled strand hanging above his forehead ... he, of course, had on his iconic red suit and still held his baton, but he was just.. human now. And fuck was he handsome. Just what his goal?

"I'm sure you're all wondering why exactly I look—"

"Who cares," Jax said, arms crossed. Clearly annoyed, it almost seemed like Caine was mocking them in his opinion, "What about us? Does this mean we can get our human bodies back?"

Oh.. oh. You didn't even think about that, he's right. At least you'd feel a bit more normal here, surely there had to be a way. With a tinge of hope in your eyes you looked at Caine, waiting for his answer.

"Ah—" Caine raised a finger, but it soon fell. "Well.. no. This is simply coding, ones and zeros, Jax! Nothing more." He said, his grin a bit more charming when hes human, though now that you get a good look at him the 'coding' on him was too perfect. His skin had zero imperfections and his teeth were inhumanly white.

"So, our adventure today will be a little different! None of those devious little gloinks to steal your things away, no no! Just different trials for human emotions! Who will crack first!? Who will cry first !? Oh, the horrors! And I will be standing by to drink up everyones reactions!"

Everyone stood in silence, some annoyed some just downright confused. But, they didn't exactly have a choice but to follow through with the new adventure.

"Now go on my little superstars! Head to the dining area with the other NPCs!" He shoos you off but you purposely linger behind, waiting for the others to head off first.

"Yes, y/n, can I help you dear?!" He said , unknowingly in your personal space. But it quickly became apparent as his expression seemed to shift a little, usually it wouldn't bother him.. being this close to you but now, as a 'human' it felt a little strange. Causing him to clear his throat.

"O.. Oh nothing, I just.. wanted to say being a human.. kinda suits you Caine." You laughed a little and skipped off into the dining area leaving Caine with a flushed face. He touched his cheek, confused by the weird reaction he was having.. humans sure are interesting creatures.

Inside the dining area everyone was sat down with a the wooden mannequin NPC, they spoke to each person differently. Trying to provoke a reaction out of them, it must have been apart of Caine's way of getting you all to release different emotions he could learn from.

You took your seat in front of the wooden doll, [Y/N, welcome, you're late you should be ashamed of yourself.] The voice was robotic and out of habit you almost snapped back, but that's what Caine wanted probably. After all everyone was either close to strangling the faux mannequin or getting up to leave out of frustration. Caine made sure the trials pushed their buttons.

"God.. what is Caine thinking, this is so .. weird." Zooble commented, leaning back against their chair as their mannequin had been.. well out of commission thanks to them. "Hey.. where'd y/n go..?"

You found a way to sneak off, seeking out Caine again. You had more questions about this.. human transformation of his, not only that there had to be a way to get him to turn you all human again. It could be the first step to getting out of here.

You rounded the corner and shuffled back behind it, peeking past it to see Caine getting a haircut from bubble. "Anddd.. There!" With comically large scissors he snipped off a ungodly chunk of hair, without thinking Caine popped bubble and made all the chair he was sitting in disappear. His hair reappearing perfectly as if it hadn't been cut at all!

Your mouth dropped.

"Oh, y/n! Shouldn't you be at the trials? What slippery little snake you are, come now let's get you back!" He got close to you and you shuffled back, to avoid being instantly teleported back there. "W.. Wait! Caine.. I had a few questions."

"Questions? What about?" His eyes studided yours, "Oh, right, of course! This must be about my handsome new human face correct?" He said with a all to charming grin.

"Well, ... yes.. Don't you think you should have a human test the validity of your new... er.. body." You said attempting to close the distance between you, and he allowed it. You extended a hand and caressed his face, he looked at you with wide eyes.

"Did I.. perhaps get something wrong here?" He said a little confused, the close proximity between you two was causing him to flush uncontrollably. "Well, your face is a bit.. too perfect? Still so.. did you make yourself attractive on purpose?" You caught yourself tracing the features of his face and had to pull back.

"Well.. yes! Humans seem to respond well to, a more attractive face!"

It was getting a little awkward for the both of you, Caine cleared his throat. "Note taken! Will ..there be anything else y/n? If not then chop chop, your trials are almost finished!" He didn't let you answer, too confused and taken aback by these feelings coursing through his veins. He snapped his fingers and you were back in the chair with the damn mannequin.

Great.

Meanwhile Caine was still hovering in place, touching the same place you had caressed him a moment ago. "Humans sure are.. interesting, what a strange feeling!" He said and lifted his hat where bubble emerged from. "Day one, I will call a success bubble! One step closer to understanding these bundle of emotions we call humans!"

Later that night, Caine was sure everyone else was in their rooms before he too attempted to "sleep" it was apart of the learning process he thought. He desperately tried to push back the unraveling emotions in his body. Your fingertips, lips and even voice was encompassing his every waking thought.

Perhaps it would be smart to stay close to you throughout this experience. You are making his body and mind react in such strange ways and you've hardly done anything.

Surely, this won't have any repercussions later.

(next chapter.)

[numberonetacostan]

I remember reading a headcanon once where the contestants can only be programed to know the emotions that Mephone knows (not he unable to feel them, just knowing what they are when they do feel them) and romantic love was brought up (as well as the other not platonic kind but we don't need to get into that) but basically they'd be on their own to figure out what it was (with the theme of this blog it's kind of inevitable this gets related to tacopad/Tacomic, although more tacomic here tbh because Mepad could probably just pull up the dictionary definition or something, if that would even help I'm not exactly sure)

Hello!!!^^ Welcome, and thank you for sending in an ask!!! :] I am unfortunately having a bit of trouble reading the first part, so I apologize if I get anything mixed up.

The contestants learning about romantic love on their own is a super sweet idea actually?? We see in canon that payjay are already figuring it out, and it's interesting to note that our first canon couple consists of a season 1 exclusive character and a season 1 + 4th s3 boot who didn't stay on indefinite island. It's almost as if the game gets in the way of the contestants forming healthy, loving relationships. Weird.

But yes, the contestants would be on their own for learning about and navigating romantic love!! There will be a lot of self-discovery going on post-canon, and this would fit right in!! I'll write a bit about Tacomic and Tacopad since you mentioned them, but I actually don't mind talking about other characters or ships at all!!!^^ I love every ii character, other than maybe Salt, but then I feel bad about leaving her out so. Taco just happens to be my favorite :).

SO Tacomic would uh stumble and fumble around a lot I think. They're still working on their friendship at first, Taco has a lot to learn, and she's currently grieving Mepad. Mic still has growing to do too, even if she's gotten better and grown since s2 episode 14, yeah? I think it gets easier as things go on for them. Taco always has her little crush on Mic, but it's Taco she is shoving those feelings as far down as she can, because she doesn't want to lose Mic again. It would be when Mic's falling for Taco that things would really be getting started, because I think Mic seeing Taco changing and working so hard to be better because Mic is so important to her might make Mic's heart explode one day and she realizes oh she wants Taco. She probably had some feelings during their partnership, but that dynamic wasn't as healthy or strong in it's emotional connection, so Mic ends up falling again later on.

TACOPAD!!! Uh neither of them are too incredible with their own emotions. I mean, Taco is just bad with feelings in general, but Mepad is a pretty great therapist, yeah? But it's important to keep in mind how his emotional range and intensity has changed since the beginning of season 2. He's been watching the contestants all along, learning about feelings from Toilet, but his own are an entire other ballpark!! And we see how intense these feelings are, he loves all the contestants so much that he died for them. And intense feelings can be a lot for a guy who used to feeling very little at all!!! I am a Tacopad learning about feelings together truther actually. Mepad helps Taco to manage hers and express them in a healthy way and Taco makes Mepad feel a whole hell of a lot and helps him learn to communicate his at all!! I have so much to say about Tacopad. I can't believe we only got four months of it instead of four years as god intended based on the old season 2 upload schedule. I have so many feelings about them!!!!!

[krispycreamcake]

sakamaki with a latin gf!!! pleasee

From author: I fucking love poc asks so much. Also to make this just a tiny bit easier on myself since I have writer's block rn, I'll just do something a bit short today

Sakamaki's with a Latin gf

Shu Sakamami

🎻- Slightly intrigued by the culture

🎻- Would honestly ask a couple questions if he was up to listening to you rant about your customs

🎻- Honestly likes the music you play sometimes (he has a playlist of Celia Cruz but shh)

🎻- Also yes yes before you shoot me, I know he likes classical but he seems like the type of guy who could appreciate the way how salsa music incorporates different instruments to have a specific kick to the genre

🎻- Once you told him about paella and now he asks you to make it for him almost all the time

🎻- Terrified of meeting your family and avoids it at all costs but tries to pretend it doesn't bother him

Reiji Sakamaki

☕️- Extremely educated on Latin culture

☕️- Asks you for local book recommendations

☕️- Genuinely wants your opinion on Japanese culture and how much of a difference it is compared to your own

☕️- Like Shu, he enjoys the music and if he had to pick he'd say Los Tres Diamantes was his favourite band from that genre

☕️- Invested in learning Spanish and takes pride in tackling another language alongside German

☕️- Since Latino culture is extremely diverse, he'd ask you about your OWN personal experience a lot of the times

Ayato Sakamaki

🏀- "Of course the great ore-sama could obviously get any girl he wants from around the world!"

🏀- Cocky asshole

🏀- See it's one thing being able to charm those around you that you share similarities with, but it takes something special to make someone completely different than yourself fall in love with you

🏀- And Ayato knows this, takes pride in it even

🏀- Hmm when it comes to how interested he is about the culture I'd give it 5/10

🏀- He cares about you more than all those fancy songs and food, but that is YOUR culture, so by extension he kinda has to care even if it's just a little bit

🏀- Asks you to speak Spanish and if you can't, he'll make fun of you for it and tease you by telling you to go learn a thing or two from Reiji

Laito

🃏- Lorddddddd

🃏- LORDDDDDD

🃏- Well before I start, let me just say that he's also educated on the culture just maybe not as much as Reiji, so anything he does is a means to tease you by playing coy and outright stupid

🃏- Just also would like to add, if you're from Brazil and happen to have a curvy body, he WILL comment on that

🃏- If you have a flatter body type, he'll tease (annoy) you by asking how come you don't have more uh curves in certain areas because that's supposed to be what you're "known for"

🃏- Trust me, he's only saying this to get a reaction, he loves you in his own weird fucked up way

🃏- But expect a lot of comments like that and at some point you'll probably need to tell him off

🃏- Midnight salsa dancing because well, do you honestly expect anything else from him?

🃏- One of his favourite things to do is watch those cliche over dramatic Spanish dramas and eats it up every single time there turns out to be a twin brother

Kanato Sakamaki

🧸- Like Ayato, doesn't care that much about the culture, rather his main focus is on you

🧸- Probably likes to hear you tell scary folklore stories from wherever you're from

🧸- And on that note, he already knows about La Lloronoa and Sihuanaba

🧸- Makes Teddy™ cover his ears when you get to the scary parts

🧸- Comments on how he'd still love you as a vengeful ghost and might even prefer it that way

🧸- Like Laito, he has this preconceived notion that you're meant to be curvy but doesn't care if you aren't

🧸- Besides if he only liked you for your body, he'd kill you and preserve you somewhere, hiding you away from the rest of the world where only he could see you. But he'd never do that riiiiiiight?

Subaru Sakamaki

🥀- Learns how to salsa when no one is around so he could impress you one day

🥀- Like Laito, he also watches those cliche Spanish soap operas but pretends he doesn't like them and think they're overrated (He's on the second season of Monarca)

🥀- Secretly interested in the culture and would ask Reiji for some books so he could learn more

🥀- Doesn't want to seem dumb in front of you but also doesn't want make a fool of himself by saying words he doesn't understand or asking dumb questions

🥀- If you speak Portuguese or Spanish, likes hearing you talk in your native tongue

🥀- Out of all the brothers, he'd be the one to treat you the most "normally" by not pestering you with questions or flaunting you off like a trophy he just won

🥀- You try to teach him your native language so you could both shit talk his brothers right in front their faces

From Author: It has been so long since I opened this app omfg but I've been busy with a lot of irl things so now I should have a bit more time to produce more content yay (I'm this close to jumping off a bridge with how dead the fandom is rn)

[sximsoc]

𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐦𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐚

synopsis: nari hwang is a normal girl living in south korea with her older sister, nayeon, who loves nct dream. what happens when nari hwang has a run in with mark lee of nct dream? nayeons favorite group?

STARSTRUCK INSPIRED

word count: 7, 058

chapter 010 now playing…

Nari was in her room, the lights off, except for the few lamps she had turned on and the one on her desk. Nari liked the soft lighting as she studied, trying to come up with an idea for an editorial. Nari could have sworn her ideas were horrible and not interesting. She had no idea what to report on, what to write about or what to even be interested in.

Nari heard a knock on her door and hummed, signaling for Nayeon to come in. "You okay?" Nayeon asked, concerned for her younger sister. "You haven't left since you got home from class"

"I should be asking you that" Nari sighed out, leaning back in her chair, looking at Nayeon who stood at her door. "How's studying for the LSAT?"

Nayeon groaned, shifting her weight on the other leg. "Annoying, but anything to get into Law School"

"I could never do law" Nari replied softly, shaking her head looking at her laptop. Journalism was stressful, especially since she was nearing the end of her undergrad. Nari couldn't comprehend how Nayeon does it. "Journalism is stressful enough"

Nayeon chuckled at Nari's comment. She knew how stressful undergrad could be, but seeing it, see Nari struggle with it was funny in a way. Not funny haha, but funny in the sense that Nayeon used to be Nari. Struggling with college, keeping up with classes and being a good student when everything was coming to an end.

It was only 2023, Nari was in her last year of university and still had no idea what she was going to do with her degree. All she knew was that she valued truth, valued facts and valued her unbiased opinion unless it was an opinion she wanted to share. It's why Nari was drawn to journalism in the first place, that and she did like writing. It was a pass time at first, writing down her opinions, researching things and creating her own interpretation of things. Then she got to high school and did the school newspaper and reported on small things, an editorial here and there and that's where she learned to not be biased and she loved that even more. It was like crack to her, writing and throwing her self into these situations she'd report on.

"You'll do great" Nayeon encouraged and smiled at her younger sister. "Anyways, I'm ordering food, want any?"

"Uh" Nari glanced over at her clock and her eyes widened. "It's eleven?" Nari questioned and Nayeon nodded, humming that she was right. "Yeah, I'll have food"

Nayeon nodded and went to order food for the two. "Nari!" Nayeon yelled from the living room, Nari getting up from her chair to see Nayeon.

"What?" Nari asked, standing near the couch where Nayeon was laying down.

"Can you go to the convenience store?" Nayeon asked. "I kinda want that matcha thing they have"

Nari sighed, but nodded. Nayeon was ordering food for them, least she could do was get her favorite dessert. Nari went into her room, grabbing a random hoodie, throwing it on, grabbing her keys and going to her front door.

"I'll be back soon!" Nari yelled into the apartment, putting on her bunny slippers, not caring which shoes she chose for a late night store run.

Nari was walking down the street, her wired earbuds playing music into her ears. Nari made it to the convenience store, giving a small bow of her head to the person working at the counter.

Nari made a beeline for the freezer, looking for the small matcha cake Nayeon would kill for. Nari spotted it, sliding the door open to grab it. When she did, she heard the door ring, not really caring she went over to the snack section and looked at the selection they had. Over her music, she could hear the faint conversation happening, she could make out the voices and a few words, but nothing specific, until she heard her name being mentioned.

"You saw Nari again?" One of the voices asked. Has to be another Nari, Nari is a common name, at least this Nari hopes so.

"It was by accident again" The familiar voice replied, entering the same aisle she was in, but on the other end of her. "Besides, it's not like I'm actively looking for her, it kinda just happened"

"That's a lie" The voice she didn't know replied. "Mark, you literally go to that bookstore any chance you can" They pointed out and Nari heard Mark sigh.

"I like that bookstore" Mark defended himself as they continued to talk.

Donghyuck tilted his head, lolling it back to eye Mark with such suspicion. "The bookstore or the worker?"

Nari heard a rustling of fabric, which she could assume was Mark hitting the guy he was with. "Just shut up and grab the chips"

"I'm waiting for that girl to leave the aisle, I don't feel like dealing with a potential fan" The voice Nari still couldn't pin point say. Nari then realized that they were the only ones in the store which means they were still talking about her.

Mark shook his head and looked at the girl, not noticing who it was due to her hair covering her face. "Just go say sorry and grab the bag of chips" He instructed, shoving his hands into his jacket.

Nari continued staring down at the bag of chips in her hands, not wanting to move, too scared to get caught.

Nari heard the guy scoff at Mark. "If you want the chips so bad, you grab them"

"You're so difficult" Mark mumbled out as he began walking over to Nari.

"Says the one who's doing what I say" The guy called out softly.

"Hey, I'm sorry" Mark said quietly, not wanting to startle the girl who was standing there. Nari was startled, she was overly aware of his presence and aware of the fact that they were talking about her. Mark noticed how the girl in front of him still wasn't looking up and smiled awkwardly before speaking again. "I just need to—" Mark paused as when he leaned his arm across her body to grab the bag of chips, Nari looked up slightly and Mark's words for caught in his throat.

The two caught each other's gaze, Mark quickly snatching his arm back to himself and Nari, blushing profusely in embarrassment, making clear distance between the two.

"H-hey, Mark" Nari stuttered out, avoiding his eye contact as much as she could.

"Nari?!" Mark questioned in shock. This whole interaction was gaining the attention of the boy that was standing on the other end of the aisle.

"Nari?" He mumbled out, walking towards the two.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Mark asked quickly and before Nari could respond, Mark realized something. They were talking about her infront of her. Donghyuck said he was obsessed with her, he was embarrassed. "You didn't hear what—"

"No, no of course not" Nari replied for him, quickly and trying to brush it off as quickly as possible.

"Nari so heard what we were talking about" Donghyuck said as he made his presence known, standing next to Mark. "So you're Nari?" He questioned, finally looking at the girl who stole the attention of Mark. "Wow, you're pretty, no wonder Mark is obsessed with you"

"I'm not obsessed!" Mark quickly called out.

Nari smiled awkwardly, feeling more uncomfortable by the second. "Who are you?"

"Huh?" That was a first for Donghyuck, usually everyone knew who he was. Even the locals. "You don't know who I am?"

"No, I'm sorry" Nari apologized and realized her words, so she quickly tried to compensate. "It's also kinda hard to tell with you being covered up too, don't take it personally"

"It's Haechan" Donghyuck replied, using his stage name, knowing that most people knew him by that.

"Oh!" Nari said, her eyes wide as she realized who it was and now she knew why his voice sounded familiar. "My sister likes you"

"Does she?" Donghyuck said in a teasing tone. "Am I her bias?"

Nari shook her head, innocently as she didn't think much of his ego. "No, Jaemin is"

"Stupid pinky pie" Donghyuck groaned out, his lip twitching in annoyance at the pink loving boy.

Mark finally found his voice after composing himself. "I'm so sorry about him" He apologized, but Nari shook her head at him.

"Don't be" Nari assured him, giving him a small smile, forcing it out in this awkward situation. Truth be told, Nari wanted to get out of this situation as fast as possible.

Not because she didn't like Mark or Haechan, but because it was getting too weird, meeting Mark like this time and time again.

"It was nice seeing you Mark, nice to meet you Haechan" Nari said, giving her goodbye and waves. She walked past them, when Mark turned around to look at her.

"You're leaving already?" He asked and Nari turned around and nodded.

"Y-yeah! Nayeon is waiting for me" She replied.

"Oh, okay"

Nari didn't know why she said what she said, but if felt like the right thing to say. "See you later?"

"Yeah, see you" Mark replied with a smile that was hidden by his mask.

Donghyuck looked between the two and cleared his throat, looking at Nari. "Can I see you later?"

Nari furrowed her brows at the boy standing next to Mark who looked annoyed the second he opened his mouth. "If you want? I don't know"

"I want to see you later" Donghyuck said with confidence.

"Okay?" Nari said, it sounding more like a question than a reply. Nari again waved at the two. "Bye"

As Nari disappeared, Mark groaned and looked at his friend. "Hyuk, bro, really? You made her so uncomfortable" He pointed out and Donghyuck rolled his eyes at him.

"Don't be jealous because she wants to see me later too" He teased, knowing Mark had a certain attraction to Nari, he didn't know if it was looks or personality, but it was something and Donghyuck found it all amusing.

Mark could feel himself feel embarrassed at the comment. "I'm not jealous" He defended.

"Yeah, okay" Donghyuck laughed out, the two hearing the door ring, knowing that Nari left the store.

Mark narrowed his eyes at him and sighed, shaking his head. "Just grab the chips"

"You want any?" Donghyuck asked as he finally grabbed the chips he wanted since they got inside.

"No"

Nari put the key into the lock of her door, opening it up, her mind still fuzzy over seeing Mark and Haechan. Nari shook her head at the resurfacing thoughts. "You okay?" Nayeon asked her, looking concerned at how far away Nari's mind looked.

Nari's mind snapped back in, looking up at Nayeon. "What?" She asked, taking off her shoes and walking into the house.

"I asked if you were okay" Nayeon replied, watching how Nari threw her keys on the kitchen counter. Nari hummed and walked over to her, throwing the plastic bag containing the matcha cake and bag of chips on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" Nari asked, sitting down next to Nayeon, grabbing the food that was waiting for her.

Nayeon shrugged her shoulders, unpausing the movie Nayeon had put on. Nari's eyes went wide as she saw the familiar characters on the screen. Jessica Olson and Christopher Wilde were running around Los Angeles and all she could think about was how Taehyung and Kangdae said her interactions with Mark related to Starstruck.

"No way" Nari mumbled as she continued watching the normal girl and famous pop star interact. "Not real, not real"

"Of course it's not real" Nayeon picked up on Nari's small mumbles to herself. "In what world would a super famous singer hit some normal person in the street with a door and then fall in love?"

Nayeon had no idea that it would happen in this world. Nari had no idea it would happen to her, but it did. What made it even worse was that, even after months of what happened, after only ever seeing him on billboards and on television, and honestly believing that she'd never see him again, she did. Nari saw him more than once, more than what was normal and more than just a chance meeting. Nari didn't want to believe it was Mark conspiring against her to mock her or dare she say, tease her about the situation, but it didn't feel like chance. Nothing was ever an accident to her. Nari valued truth, honestly and knowledge. Chance was never in her favor or values.

"Yeah, crazy" Nari mumbled out, putting a piece of food in her mouth, chewing away, but thinking about her encounters with Mark.

When the night was winding down even more, the clock hitting two am, Nari laid in bed, looking up at her ceiling. Nari began to wonder how she got herself in this predicament, was it karma? No, Nari thought herself to be a good person, maybe that's where she jinxed herself.

Nari held her hand up and began counting down the amount of times her and Mark ran into eachother. The door fiasco, her head hurt thinking about it, the first time at the bookstore, that was coincidence, had to be, then there was the second time at the bookstore where he called her his biggest fan, crazy assumption in her mind, then again at the bookstore, Nari was beginning to hate the bookstore, then there was today. A total of five times that they ran into one another. Either he was stalking her or she was stalking him, and Nari Hwang would do anything but stalk a boy.

"He's not a stalker" Nari mumbled to herself, feeling weird that she even thought of that. "He's an idol, way too busy to stalk a nobody like me"

But Haechan or Donghyuck—she didn't know what to call him—said that Mark was obsessed with her.

"No way he would be" Nari mumbled to herself again, her brain feeling scrambled as she tried to make sense of this whole thing.

This isn't possible, her life isn't a movie. Honestly, last thing she wanted was to be involved with a boy during her college years, let alone a kpop idol and a well known one at that. No way they would even last as acquaintances, that's what they were. Nari and Mark are only acquaintances and down the line, there's no way that they'd ever be friends.

Nari scoffed at her thoughts and her thinking process. "He's an idol, Nari. Get serious" She sighed out, turning on her side to finally get some sleep after her run in today. God, she only hoped Mark wasn't thinking about her the way she was overthinking about him. That would be embarrassing.

"We've ran into eachother five times, how does that even happen?" Mark asked as he paced the floor in Johnnys room.

Johnny was too tired for this, sitting on the edge of his bed, half awake and trying to comprehend Mark's lack of telling a story. "Crazy" He mumbled out.

"Like, it's insane!" Mark exlcusked, his own brain not being able to wrap around it all. "I don't even know why I'm reacting, it's not like we're friends"

"Exactly" Johnny nodded out, a yawn escaping his mouth as Mark stoped pacing, but he kept thinking. "Besides, you're an idol and she's like a normal girl, you'll probably stop running into her again when the schedules start picking up more and more"

Mark but his lip as he thought about Johnny's words. "You think?" He asked, still on edge but the thoughts of others helped him see the bigger picture he was missing.

"Bro, chill" Johnny yawned out, leaning back in his arms. "Besides, even if you keep seeing her from time to time, it isn't such a bad thing."

"How? Cause like what if we get caught?" Mark began to question, pacing the room again.

Johnny groaned as the pacing got louder the more Mark overthought. "You guys aren't even friends, what would there to report on?" He asked, sitting up and clearing his throat. "Breaking news, Mark Lee from NCT has a friend? We all thought he was a total loser"  Johnny said in his best reporter voice.

Mark stoped walking and rolled his eyes at Johnny. "Okay, well one, I have so many friends. Two, I'm not a total loser, and three, she's a girl! Dispatch would have a fucking field day" Mark exclaimed, sighed and running a hand through his hair.

He didn't know why he was stressing so much about this. Like Johnny said, he'd be getting even more busy soon with the end of the war approaching. End of the year meant more performances were lined up, including going to the U.S for Jingle Ball. Mark barely had time sleep and think, what made him assume he'd have any chance at seeing Nari again?

"I know" Johnny nodded as he felt his snark grow on his face, remembering what happened last time Mark overthought about a girl and dispatch. "I still remember your story post, guys please, let's keep loving each other, be nice" He mocked and Mark groaned.

"I thought we agreed to not talk about that"

John shrugged, a smug look plastered on his gave, trying to hide his sleepy laughter. "Not my fault you had a one night stand and thought you got caught"

"Shut up!" Mark exclaimed, feeling himself get embarrassed at the memories and panic he felt when reading how dispatch was going to release their new years couple. "It wasn't even a one night stand, we just kinda kissed"

Johnny scoffed at his words. "Having a full on make out session in public and appearing the next day with hickies all over your neck doesn't sound like a kinda kiss to me"

"Yeah, okay Mr. Let me accidentally call Mark Lee while making out with my girlfriend" Mark scoffed out, rolling his eyes at Johnny, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It really was an accident" Johnny replied, nonchalantly, like if it was a normal reoccurrence. It wasn't, Johnny just wasn't apologetic to the accidental phone call during a make out session.

"I was traumatized" Mark said bluntly.

Johnny shrugged his shoulders again, not caring for the uncomfortable position he put Mark in. If anything, Johnny was enjoying himself too much kissing his girlfriend than worrying about Mark's well being. Mark got over it of course, only bringing it up to take jabs at Johnny. Never did work in his favor.

"Not my fault I have a beautiful girlfriend and you don't" Johnny bragged, smiling ah the thought of his pretty girlfriend.

Mark shook his head at Johnny's words. "I couldn't care less about having a girlfriend" In Mark's line of work, keeping non idol friends was hard enough, but putting effort into a relationship full on would prove to be difficult for him.

Mark loved his job, a little too much at times despite the way he was overworked like the rest of them. Mark threw himself into his work, loving music and loving to write lyrics, it was his calling. Mark considered himself blessed and he thanked God everyday for it. Having a girlfriend was never on his list, sure he had crushes here and there, sure he kissed a few girls when he had the chance. However, Mark never put effort into having a girlfriend, never having much time for one. He had a talking stage with a girl he met, a model from another agency, but even then it didn't work out due to his busy schedule and her growing popularity.

Nari was a normal girl. Too normal that even she thought herself as bland at times. So why was he so obsessed with the idea of being caught and exposed? Why was he so scared of seeing her again and scared of it going too far before he could stop it? He didn't know. It's not like he knew Nari well enough to even like her or think of her that way. Mark was just overthinking to the extreme.

"Yet you're obsessing over Nari and seeing her five times" Johnny pointed out, but then his eyes winded in shock. "You kept count?!"

"Kinda" Mark replied bashfully, feeling his cheeks flush in embarrassment.

Johnny let out a puff of air as he looking at Mark. "Wow, you are such a loser"

"Johnny!" Mark yelled.

"What?! it's true!" Johnny replied, holding his hands up in surrender. "No one keeps count on how many times they've met an acquaintance"

"Yeah, well I do!" Mark defended, but it wasn't making his case any less looser-ish.

"Sounds like loser behavior" Johnny clarified. But, Johnny sighed as he knew Mark wouldn't calm down until he heard reassuring words. It's why he was here now and Johnny could use sleep, so here came the reassurance.

"Mark, calm down. It's not that personal" Johnny said, standing up to put a hand on Marks shoulder, another way of showing comfort to him. "So what you see her every now and then, it's not like you guys are gonna date or get married or have kids and then have grandkids and then die together of old age"

Mark furrowed his brows at Johnny's hypothetical life plan for him and Nari. "Why did you plan a whole non existent future?"

"It's three in the morning and I'm tired because you keep talking about a girl you're obsessed with" Johnny replied, taking his hand away from Marks shoulder.

"I'm not obsessed!"

A few days after her encounter with Mark Lee at the convenience store, Nari was in the library of her school, typing away on her computer about an essay over a work of art she couldn't care less about. Nari moved her head around, trying to get rid of the pain in her neck, annoyed at how much work her professors were throwing at her.

"Should have taken this class in the summer instead" Nari mumbled out as she continued writing down any little thing she could as a first draft.

But again, the words and letters on her screen and keyboard were getting jumbled up again. She kept seeing the red line under her words and furrowed her brows, did she not spell them right? She knew her Korean wasn't good, at most maybe a ninth grade level, considering she lived in America her whole life, she knew it was good enough to get her by. But when she got to university, her Korean skills were tested to their limits.

Nari looked around in hopes of seeing someone she knew, wanting ask them to proofread the one small section that had many misspelled words. Word check wasn't helping either, considering it had no idea what she was trying to say or spell. Nari sighed as she shook her head, continuing to write away and making note to ask Taeseol later in their ethics class.

Nari looked in the corner of her laptop to see the time. It was nearing two, which meant she had a lecture to go to. Nari closed her laptop, putting it in her backpack to head out. Her earbuds were playing soft music, a song she didn't know and didn't care to change it. Nari walked across the campus, heading into her designated building, up the stairs to the lecture hall. It was small, but her class was small, didn't seem to matter much.

Nari sat in the back, putting her backpack in the seat next to her, saving it for Taeseol.

A few minutes into the lecture, Taeseol finally walked in. She mumbled a small sorry to the professor who let her in regardless of being late. Taeseol walked up the small steps to the back of the hall, taking her seat next to Nari.

"Thanks bae" Nari thanked, taking a sip of her london fog tea latte. "Best thing to exist"

"What did I miss?" Taeseol asking, putting her backpack down and pulling out her laptop and notebook. For Taeseol, writing down her notes helped her more than typing them up.

Nari sighed as she gently whispered to Taeseol. "Other then the annoyance of his voice and ethics, nothing much"

"Really?" Taeseol asked, she was only a couple minutes late, maybe ten, fifteen tops.

"Yeah, but he talked about a project due at the end of the semester" Nari pointed out and they had a little prior knowledge to this project they had. An essay, a powerpoint and an outline of their powerpoint they were going to present to the class.

"What should it be over?" Taeseol asked.

Nari shrugged as she typed away. "Anything regarding ethics”

"Have you decided anything?" Taeseol asked, staring to write her notes from where they were now, pulling up the slides he had up.

Nari thought about it and had two ideas she was leaning into. "Either organ donation ethics or Journalism ethics"

"Do journalism, it is your major" Taeseol suggested, gently bumping shoulders with Nari.

Nari shook her head slightly. "Yeah, but that's also why I don't wanna take it. Seems like an easy way out"

"You and always pushing your academic virtue" Taeseol sighed out, wondering when her academic validation will die out slowly so Nari didn't stress so much.

"My academic validation runs deep" Nari replied, a little proud about it. "What are you gonna do it over?"

"I don't know, I just got here"

Nari scoffed as she glanced at the coffee next to Taeseol. "Not my fault you were falling asleep in music production"

"Two words Riri, Stardew Valley" Taeseol replied, holding up two fingers. Nari chuckled and the two went back to note taking.

Taeseol then cleared her throat, glancing over at a focused Nari. "Speaking of two words, what's going on with you and Mark Lee?"

"Nothing" Nari replied quickly, too quickly that Taeseol found it suspicious.

"You replied too quickly, what happened?"

"Can't get anything past you" Nari sighed out. "Ran into him at the convenience store"

"Really?" Taeseol asked with wide eyes. Taeseol then began to think and wondered, "If he went to the one near your house, that must mean his dorm is near yours"

Nari glanced at her with wide eyes at her assumption. "That's an insane assumption, no way" She shook her head, not believing that they two lived close to one another.

"Think about it" Taeseol whispered, leaning closer to Nari, her body facing her. "Out of everywhere in Seoul, he comes to your bookstore and goes to your convenience store"

"We don't live anywhere near the SM Building" Nari pointed out and Taeseol rolled her eyes.

"Duh, that's the point" Taeseol sang out quickly. "Nari babe, if idols live near the building everyone would camp out trying to catch a glimpse. It's only common freaking sense that they live far away enough that they won't be found"

Nari's eyes squinted as her face contorted into one of pain. The thought of having no privacy and people standing outside your work and home was a painful thought to her.

"God, the lack of privacy for them is ridiculous" Nari said, shaking her head at the idea of it.

Taeseol sighed as she agreed whole heartedly. "Tell me about it, it's scary"

"I wonder if they ever want to be normal, you know?" Nari questioned, and Taeseol looked at her with such attention.

This was new for Nari, at first she didn't really care for idols, not giving them a second thought or even a first. But now, after meeting Mark she can't help but wonder. He was always with security, always covering up and always looking over his shoulders.

"Live a life of normalcy, no cameras and no schedules" Nari answered her own question, her wonder of his life and of their what ifs bugged her from time to time, writing it in her journal.

Taeseol smirked as an idea poped into her head."If you wonder so much you should ask your biggest celebrity crush, Mark Lee"

"As if Mark Lee could ever be my celebrity crush" Nari scoffed out, her notes like forgotten as she looked at Taeseol.

"Never say never"

"Never" Nari said and Taeseol's smirk fell. "Besides, I don't wanna think about seeing Mark Lee ever again, five times is enough, if I see him a sixth time, I'm gonna think he's stalking me"

Taeseol raised an eyebrow at her. "Babe, he doesn't have time for that"

"Well it's not like I'm stalking him, so someone's stalking" Nari pointed out and Taeseol shook her head at her.

"Or it's the universe putting you guys together"

Nari scoffed in disbelief. "No way, chance doesn't happen as often as this"

"And you say i'm ridiculous" Taeseol said, going back to writing down her notes.

Nari looked her up and down. "Cause you are, remember confessing to Mina"

"I confessed to a straight girl once and all of a sudden I'm ridiculous" Taeseol mumbled out, gently smacking Nari's shoulder.

Nari tried using her laughter with her hand. "It was so obvious she was straight"

"No straight girl dresses the way she dressed" Taeseol said in distress, their voices slightly rising that the people close to them could hear.

"They do"

"Point taken" Taeseol said and the two heard a 'shh' from the person across from them. Taeseol and Nari mumbled an apology and went back to whispering and pretending to write notes. "I'm still hoping you see Mark Lee again"

"No way" Nari whispered out in a harsh voice.

Taeseol then looked at Nari's phone. "Do you follow him on insta?"

"No? I'm not a fan of his, remember?" Nari reminded her and Taeseol rolled her eyes again.

"Yeah, yeah, you're a broken record with that"

"Kill yourself" Nari groaned out.

"Only if I get to see you in hell"

"Miss Hwang, Miss Yang" Their professor said and it echoed in the hall. Nari and Taeseol's hearts dropped as they felt their faces flush.

"Shit" Taeseol muttered as the class turned to look at the two friends.

"Do you perhaps happen to have an opinion on moral judgements and how we apply them to contemporary issues?" Their professor asked as he glanced at the powerpoint slide that was pulled up.

Nari cowered her throat. "Well, uh, I know Taeseol has a good idea on it" Nari said as she put a hand on her shoulder.

"What?!" Taeseol exclaimed as she gave Nari a bewildered look.

"She does?" Professor Kim asked and Nari nodded while Taeseol still stared at her like she was an alien. "Okay, say your idea then Miss. Yang"

Taeseol was at a loss for words. She looked over at their professor and bit her lip, feeling anxious at the amount of eyes and pressure was on her. She'd get Nari back later and she knew exactly how.

"I don't have an idea, actually" Taeseol replied, embarrassed at being called out.

"Then stop talking and pay attention" Professor Kim told them and the two girls nodded.

"Yes Professor Kim" They said in unison and when he turned around to look at his slides again, Taeseol pressed her heel deep into Nari's food.

Nari's mouth opened, wanting to let out a yelp of pain, but knew she had to keep quiet. Nari quickly brought her fist to her mouth as she bit her hand, not wanting to make a sound. Taeseol lifted her foot off of her heel and Nari sighed with relief. That wasn't how Taeseol was going to get Nari back of course, no she had a way better plan.

Taeseol and Nari were at a small cafe near their university. The two after their ethics class decided to go down there to eat and study when they stopped talking. They stopped talking three hours into their so called "study session".

Nari was editing her photo spread for her photojournalism class while Taeseol had her headphones on, doing the work she kept sleeping on in her music production class. Nari was bouncing her leg up and down as she needed to go to the bathroom, but she was so in the zone she didn't want to go.

Push comes to shove as Nari waved her hand infront of Taeseol to get her attention. She took of her headphones and asked her what. "I'm going to the bathroom"

"Why did you have to tell me that?"

Nari rolled her eyes, sighing as she put a hand on her hip. "Because if I don't you'll still ask me anyways?"

"True" Taeseol replied, brushing her off as she watched Nari run to the bathroom. Taeseol then went back to looking at her computer when the phone next to Nari's laptop caught her attention. This was the time.

Taeseol glanced to the area where the bathroom was to see if the coast was clear. It was. So, Taeseol grabbed the phone, the face ID not recognizing her, but she knew Nari's password. Unlocking the phone, Taeseol went straight to instagram, searching up Mark Lee's instagram. The second she found it, she followed it and began liking all of his posts, from the recent ones all the way to the ones when he first opened his instagram.

Taeseol then went to message him, assuming he'd know who she was and assuming (and hoping) that he had full access to his instagram. Taeseol typed up the perfect message and quickly hit sent, putting the phone back to the original spot on the table. Taeseol smiled to herself as she got back at Nari, knowing she'd be so freaked out at who messaged Mark.

Nari came back from the bathroom, sitting back down and working on her stuff. Taeseol felt herself fill with pride and smirk at not being caught.

The two continued on with their study session, getting most of their work done to not worry about it later on. Nari felt content with the amount of works and notes she reviewed and got done. It took a few hours, but it was worth it in her mind.

Nari and Taeseol bid their goodbyes as they both had to get on different buses to get home. The sun was setting, the sky turning into shades of pinks, oranges, purples and blues. Nari looked up at the sky, smiling softly at how pretty it looked, wondering why it didn't look real and if that added to its beauty. The bus came closer and Nari looked away, waiting for the doors to open to enter. She took her seat, relatively close to the exist, wanting to make a fast escape as to not disturb anyone in the back.

Nari had her earbuds in, music playing softly as her mind wondered off into relentless thoughts. Most of them belonging to Mark Lee. Nari's didn't know why he was taking up her mind with thoughts, let alone why she saw him so many times. Mark Lee was a mystery to her, she didn't know him, didn't care to know him and yet she couldn't stop running into him and thinking about him.

Of course, she couldn't admit that to her friends, they wouldn't let her live it down. But deep in Nari's mind, when she had nothing else to think about or to journal about, she'd write and think about him. About how weird it was that they ran into each other so many times, how weird it was that their conversations got somewhat easier recently, even if it was short, and how weird it was that she even met him in the first place. Nari honestly thought that if they ever, and it was such a hypothetical in the beginning, that if they ever saw each other again after that night many months ago, he'd ignore her and she'd ignore him.

Nari knew that being an idol was difficult and so different from her own life. Nari knew that if it had been a different situation, if Mark lived a normal life, she wouldn't ignore him on the streets or try to keep as much distance as possible. But Mark wasn't normal, he was famous, too famous, that she knew that no matter how many times they ran into one another, it would always just be that, a small run in.

It's not like Nari wanted anything to happen anyways. She as happy with her life, happy that she didn't have or want Mark Lee in it. Nari didn't expect anything from him and she hoped he didn't expect anything from her. Nari knew where the line was and she didn't want to cross it. Nari knew her place when it came to Mark Lee and their small coincidences. And yet, she didn't understand why her mind would think about what ifs.

What if Mark was normal, would there still be a hard line she didn't want to cross? Would she still keep her distance as much as possible? Would she still find it all weird and think there were no coincidences of their run ins? Would she be thinking about him whenever she didn't have anything else to think about?

Nari didn't know. All she knew was that everything in the past few months was weird. She wished she didn't run into Mark that day and wished that they never ran into each other after that. But she'd never say those words out loud or to her friends. Only would she ever write them out in her cream colored journal when she ran out of things to write about.

Nari felt her phone buzz, not caring to check as she noticed her bus stop approaching. Nari pulled the small wire above her head to single that her stop was coming up. The bus pulled over and Nari grabbed her backpack, heading out the bus.

Nari walked home, climbing up the stairs she hated so much and went inside her apartment. The sun had gone down by this time, the moonlight gently entering their apartment and dimly lighting up. She knew Nayeon was asleep, noticing how no music was blasting and no Nayeon in the living room.

Nari headed straight to her room, closing the door and getting ready for bed. After her nice shower, Nari was patting her hair dry, when she decided to open up her phone. There it was. Or maybe she was hallucinating.

Nari's eyes went wide as she saw the instagram notification. It was staring right at her, like a teasing demon that wanted to freak her out and maybe ruin her day.

"Not possible" She mumbled, dropping the towel from her hands. "This is so creepy and weird" Nari whispered to herself in fear of what she's staring at.

Nari began pacing her room, her phone in her hand as she gently slapping it on the palm of her left hand. She began running through every possible scenario that prompted this message. Did she text him by accident? Did she follow him and forgot that she did? Did Mark find her instagram? Did Haechan find it and then showed Mark? No way, they're way too busy for internet stalking. Unless they had free time—

"Be serious Nari" Nari said to herself, running a hand through her damp hair.

Nari took a deep breath before opening her phone again. The message was sent about an hour ago now, oh God, he wasn't waiting for her reply, was he? No way, again his life is way too busy for him to be waiting for a reply. Oh my God, what if he found her weird and dm'd her to say that it was weird how much they ran into each other and now he was planning on suing her for soemthing.

Naei shook her head again, gnawing at her nails on her right hand as she tried to think of something. Nari doesn't even know what he said and she's thinking of ways to diffuse the situation.

"Just open the message, Nari. Hes not gonna call you a sasaeng" Nari tried to remain calm, turning her phone on again, but groaned in worrisome as she saw his name again. "He definitely called me a sasaeng" Nari shook hee head as she took a deep breath again. "H ma didn't raise no bitch. Just do it. You're gonna do it. Open the message and read it"

Nari turned on her phone again, she went to the instagram app and hit her dm's. She saw his name be the first one on the list as she only ever used instagram for her friends and occasionally Nayeon. Nari took another deep breath as she clicked on their messages.

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: @multifandomania @slayhaechan @iluv7tn @scoobysnackszoo @bbykaixx 𝗈𝗉𝖾𝗇 !

*gigis thoughts*

sorry for the disappearance and inconsistency with updating 😔😔😔😔 i’m ngl i was working on a separate book and forgot to move this book from wattpad to tumbler so my b for that also i hate doing graphics so rewriting all the texting scenes, i literally curse myself with how much texting i make my characters do, but i’ll go back to being consistent trust trust 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

𝗆𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍 | 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝗈𝗎𝗌 | 𝗇𝖾𝗑𝗍

[bunnisplayground]

Meet Cute... Not Really

Warnings: Does cursing need a warning? Really bad translations (my other languages are a bit rusty)

This story begins with two total strangers meeting on a disgustingly rainy day. Some may enjoy the rain.. Reyanni does for sure.. But there are those who prefer the sunshine or even the snow compared to what pain the rain usually brings... for once it brings a meet cute? Not really?

The moment Lance went for a walk down the streets of Switzerland in a thin jacket and an old umbrella while skies were dark, would be one he'd remember for a lifetime... How could he forgot afterall it was the day he met our darling main character....

November 9, 2022~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

The moment she saw that man enter her bakery she knew she was in for a journey. Some people say that they don't believe in an automatic interest.... but for Reyanni, the moment she locked eyes with him she knew three things.

She loved the way the rain seemed to make him look like a wet puppy.

She hated the way he entered her bakery with a scowl

She knew cleaning and tending to her Aphrodite altar before she left home that morning was a great idea.

So of course she decided to get closer.. by working the register (because in her words it's her bakery and she can do as she pleases). When he finally got to the register and she asked if she could take his order something in the air shifted. This feeling however shattered the moment he harshly placed an order for a black coffee and a slice of banana bread while looking down at his phone. He was quite snarky with it which rubbed her the wrong way 

Reyanni POV

If he wants an attitude, I'll give attitude. 

“Your total is 7.50 and I need a name for the order” 

At that moment he finally looks at me. And I feel what little integrity I had left slip away like the sun behind the clouds on a rainy day. Now I know what you may be thinking….. Reyanni don’t fold for a random ass man on a random ass monday…

“Could I also add a cheesy hashbrown bagel to that order”

“Uh sure… your new total is 11.25”

And just as soon as he came… he left.. Leaving nothing but curiosity and a tiny bit of unbridled rage… But i’d probably never see him again.. How stupid of me to believe that

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

A few days later that same handsome stranger walks in. but this time she talks to him beyond taking his order and he responds… from there he becomes a not so regular customer until they exchange numbers. It’s only after five months of texting and phone calls that she learns that he’s no ordinary man, but a formula one race car driver. Despite his worries she doesn’t care one bit about that.

Quick little note: I'm not feeling too confident in this chapter but I wanted to get it done (mother nature snuck up on me so now all work is grueling) Anyways hope you all enjoy and the next part should be up within the next two days, it's exam season so I don't have a set schedule.

[pigeon-dyke]

Feathers & Petals

Chapter 3: "Can it be temporary?"

Written with our friend Zoë! (Zoapie_621 on Ao3)

I woke up, but I didn't open my eyes.

I'd learned to take rest when I could get it, and to wake up on my own terms.

My surroundings were comfortable and familiar. I could feel the pile of plushes against my arm. Definitely my bed, in my hab.

It was pretty quiet.

I heard the sounds of people walking and talking outside.

I heard the sound of terran breathing.

There was someone in my room.

This should've made me panic, yet every time an anxious thought formed, it quickly melted into nothing.

A soft, gentle whisper broke the silence.

"Hey. I'm almost done with your vitals. I understand you might be overwhelmed, so just tap twice if you want me to leave you be. They'll check up on you in an hour if you want."

She sounded nice. But, she was also another terran in my room! Someone I've never met before! Oh stars, oh stars, oh stars, I'm not safe anymore, I'm not -

My brain slowed down even more, thankfully cutting off the anxiety loop before it got worse.

I decided to be polite, and open my eyes. I sat up, and the motion felt much more fluid than I was expecting.

The visitor was unusual for a human.

She sat in a chair a few feet away from me, with a pen and clipboard in her lap.

Rather than the usual bright, comfortable clothes most sophonts wore, her outfit was neat and black under a clean white lab coat. Long, platinum blond hair was tied into a tight bun.

Her demeanor was intelligent, but kind. I wasn't used to this.

Not long after I joined the Kompania, I tried making friends with other independents. They always felt desperate, bitter, or scarred in some unknown ways. (This included me, of course.)

This terran was nothing like that.

She was looking at me. Patiently, but expectantly.

I forced myself to speak.

"O,oh, uhm. You're good, I think?"

Her expression shifted into a concerned smile as she looked me over.

I avoided meeting her gaze. She might've been a kind terran, but I still... felt vulnerable, interacting with her.

"Well, you certainly don't look any flavor of sick... How do you feel, Esther?"

"Mmm, mostly just, out of it? Everything's all floaty.... Class-Es, right?"

"Well, someone knows their stuff!"

She giggled in an interesting way. Almost Affini-like.

"Hey, answer a few questions for me and I'll be out of your hair, okay? I know new people can be scary, but I gotta do my part, alright?"

Her hand softly brushed the fabric on the bed, enough distance away to make sure i didn't get uncomfortable. I appreciated the amount of care she was putting into this.

I nodded, still feeling somewhat skittish.

"Okay, first things first. How are your senses? Can you feel everything, no weird brain fog?"

I moved around slightly, rotating my head, poking myself in the arm. The usual things I'd do in this scenario.

"I mean, I've got the usual slower thoughts from the drugs, but everything else seems fine, I think?"

Her pen clicked twice.

"Good! Good, okay, that's a good start!" She furiously scribbled something on her clipboard.

"Okay, question two! Can you tell me what year it is?"

"Oh, uh, 2555, right?"

At some point, I'd started hugging one of my plushes, a large corduroy shark. I would've been embarrassed by this, had the Class-Es not flooded my system.

Her pen clicked twice, again.

"Good! Hey, you're doing great. Are you okay to answer a few more for me?"

I nodded, a bit more eagerly now.

"Yeah, uhm. Sure!"

"Okay. Question three. This might be a tough one. What's the last thing you remember?"

It took a moment to recall the memory, and a further moment to put it into comprehensible words.

"I was... in an elevator. Yeah. Elevator. I messed something up, and I was freaking out, I think."

Two pen clicks.

"Good! Yes, you were found in an elevator."

Now her tone was very matter-of-fact.

"Let's not think too hard about the bad details, just in case. Where... were you coming from?"

"Oh, Miss- uhm. Falonia Albnis's home, I was there to work for her, and I uh. Yeah."

I started nervously shifting. Something was bugging me, right at the edge of my consciousness. (And it gave me the opportunity to change the subject.)

"Wh-why do you keep clicking your pen like that?"

"Oh! O-oh, that's, uhm--"

Her face visibly flushed.

"S-sorry, that's instinct! I work a lot with florets, and I guess it just kind of becomes habit after a while. I can stop, if you'd like?"

I was a bit confused by this. Was it one of those clicker training things I'd heard about?

My visitor was noticeably embarrassed, so I didn't push any more.

"No, I don't mind it? Was just curious."

"Yeah! No, totally fair. Good er... instinct? Anyways, uhm... Last question!"

"Do you need anyone to stay with you, or someone to talk to immediately? Maybe another dose of class-E's for the anxiety?"

I froze up slightly, trying to word my thoughts. On one hand, company was nice, on the other, I couldn't allow myself to get too comfortable again.

"N,no I should be ok. Thank you though!"

"Okay. I trust you."

Her tone became playful, like the sound of jingling bells.

The visitor got up, and gave me a small wave, before finally introducing herself.

"My name is Dr. Mana Pōkole. It was a pleasure to meet you, Esther."

It took effort, but I made eye contact with her for the first time since we met.

"Y-yeah, it was nice to meet you too!!"

She smiled again, almost looking relieved, before turning and heading out the door.

Just before she closed it, she poked her head in one more time.

"Ah, almost forgot! Someone's still going to check up on you in about an hour! Take care of yourself, and don't forget to drink some water!"

The door shut, and my home became quiet. My thoughts grew loud again.

I knew who they were sending. I wasn't ready for this. Usually I had more time to prepare before a session. I wasn't ready.

-------

One Week after being rescued.

I'd never had a therapist before.

I'd never seen a giant covered in 6-inch long thorns.

Furthermore, I'd also never cried in the lap of a 20 foot, cactus-based health professional.

Today was full of firsts.

I wasn't being stabbed (she was able retract her thorns), but I wasn't quite comfortable either.

Hilden's voice was rich and sweet with a musical quality audible, even in these delicate hushed tones.

"These are dangerous, complex memories for a sophont. You'll be much happier with them removed, Esther."

I wiped away hot tears and I shook my head.

"No no no no. I-I can't, it's too important. I'm the only one who remembers them, y'know? If I forget, they're gone forever, and I can't let that happen, I just can't."

"You also cannot keep living like this, petal. You're not eating, you're being rude to other sophonts, you're forgetting your medication. This is unacceptable."

The tears were streaming again. Maybe they never stopped.

"I,I know. It's bad. I need to fix it, but that's not how I want to fix it."

"If these behaviors continue, you may not have the choice for long. Multiple Affini have expressed interest in you, and under emergency circumstances,"

"N,n,no, please, not yet. When I'm ready, but not yet, please, I don't want it yet."

I was fully sobbing now.

She let out a sigh, and ruffled my hair.

"Then what should we do with you, Esther?"

I was silent for a while. Hilden waited patiently for my response, all the while giving me calming pets and scritches.

I finally negotiated with myself enough to find some semblance of an answer.

"The forgetting thing..

...Can it be temporary?"

------- 

Thank you for reading!

The Kompania ship setting was created by Zoapie_621 and Ms0tterly over on Ao3, and we really appreciate them not only letting us use it, but also answering all of our annoying questions. Go read their stuff!!

- Holly & Esther

[stargazer-sims]

First Steps

Mishka: Ready for your first ride?

Nikolai: I am. Not going to lie, though. I'm feeling something like pre-game anxiety.

Mishka: I think that's normal, and I think I'd be concerned if you weren't.

Golden: Well... this should be interesting.

Mishka: Do you need help getting on?

Nikolai: No, I've got this.

Mishka: Good. When you're ready, swing your leg up and over.

Nikolai: Like this?

Mishka: Yes, that's perfect.

Nikolai: How am I doing so far?

Mishka: The fact that you can get into the saddle by yourself is a great start, and Golden held nice and still for you which says a lot about how well-trained she is.

Golden: I promised I'd give him a chance, didn't I?

Nikolai: Wait! Whoa! Uh... why is she dancing like that? I didn't tell her to do anything... did I?

Mishka: It's okay. Try to stay calm. She's probably never had an inexperienced rider before. She can feel it if you're nervous, and it's making her a little anxious too. Just take a few deep breaths and try to relax. You're doing fine.

Mishka: Good girl, Golden. You try to relax too. I know this is different for you, but I promise it'll be okay.

Golden: I know I said I'd give him a chance, but I didn't realize he was this inexperienced. His seat is terrible! Tell him to stop shifting his weight so much. It's distracting.

Mishka: Let's just stay like this for a minute until you get comfortable up there, and let her get used to having you on her.

Nikolai: Do you think I might be too heavy for her?

Mishka: No. She can carry you. Don't worry.

Mishka: When you're ready, tell her to walk forward and follow me.

Nikolai: How do I do that?

Mishka: Press your legs against her sides and tell her to walk. Once she starts moving, you can stop squeezing.

Nikolai: Okay. Uh... Golden, can you walk forward, please?

Mishka: *smiling* Not like that. All you have to do is say the word. Like this. *clicks tongue* Walk on, Golden.

Golden: This is going to be a steep learning curve, isn't it?

Nikolai: We're actually doing it!

Hat Trick: zzzz...

Phoenix: I can't wait till I'm big and I can carry people. I'm gonna be a famous athlete like you, Golden!

Golden: Former athlete. This is hardly what I'd call athletic, but I'm giving the human a chance, so maybe some day I'll get to do something close to athletic activity again.

Everything was going well... until it wasn't.

Nikolai: Golden! What—

The second Mishka looked away, Golden reared up and threw Nikolai out of the saddle.

Golden: *laughing*

Hat Trick: That wasn't funny, Golden.

Golden: No, but it was fun for a second, and there actually is a point to it. Now, let's see if he passes the test.

Hat Trick: What test?

Golden: Watch and see. I think he's going to be a keeper, but it depends on what happens next.

Mishka: Kolya! Are you okay?

Nikolai: Yeah, I will be in a second. Just have to get my breath back.

Mishka: I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken my eyes off you.

Nikolai: I don't think there's much you could've done about it, even if you were watching. It happened so fast.

Mishka: Are you sure you're not hurt?

Nikolai: I just got the wind knocked out of me, that's all. I'll probably be sore tomorrow, but it's nothing serious. It's not like I've never fallen before.

Mishka: Yes, but you've never fallen from a horse before.

Nikolai: Why did she throw me off like that?

Mishka: I don't know for sure, but horses are smart and they like getting their own way. She might be testing you. Trying to see whose will is stronger, hers or yours.

Nikolai: What should I do?

Mishka: Do you think you can get back on?

Nikolai: Yeah.

Mishka: Then get back on, and be firm with her this time. It's not unkind to tell her who's in charge. Think of it like how you work with your students. You have to be firm with them sometimes to get the results you both want, don't you?

Nikolai: Yes, I do.

Mishka: And you're still the coach, even with your most experienced students. It's just like that. Golden is an experienced horse, but she still has to respect you and listen to you.

Nikolai: Right. That makes a lot of sense actually. Thanks.

Mishka: I'm not going to talk to her this time. You try to get her walking on your own.

Nikolai: Got it.

Nikolai: Golden, we're going to make this work. I forgive you for throwing me off, but you're not doing that again, okay? I could've gotten hurt, and then what would you do? We'd probably have to send you back to the horse sanctuary. I don't want that, and I'm sure you don't either, so how about working together now?

Golden: Congratulations. You got back in the saddle. You passed the test.

Nikolai: Okay, let's do this. Squeeze with my legs and... Walk on, Golden.

Golden: Much better. You might not know what you're doing, but I like your confidence and I like that you didn't quit. Maybe you were right after all. Maybe this will work out.

[theamityelf]

how do you think a daemon would work with the whole hajime izuru thing

Uh-oh, Danganronpa Daemons AU? Let's go!

I think, in a scenario where:

everyone has a "daemon" (your soul living beside you in talking animal form)

daemons "settle" (meaning they stop changing at will into different animals) when you mature (adolescence)

they can't go far from you

their pain is your pain and vice versa

Hajime's daemon settled when he got into the reserve course, but before he actually started attending Hope's Peak. Like, around the time of that flashback where all his normal classmates are like "Really, you can pay your way into Hope's Peak?", his sense of self really solidified. Most people's daemons settle sometime in middle school.

During the Kamukura Project, I'm going to say the objective (in addition to all the talent stuff they were also doing) was to have him live without a daemon. Killing a person's daemon kills them, but they're trying to basically reverse-engineer that whole connection and figure out how to have an Ultimate Hope who doesn't have the same vulnerabilities as everyone else.

They "succeed", in that there's a point in the experiment where his daemon vanishes and doesn't return, and he stays alive. It's an understood truth that Izuru Kamukura doesn't have a daemon, and therefore he doesn't have a soul.

Really, his daemon learned to become incorporeal, as a projection of Hajime's desperation for the scientists to stop hurting him, and it will become corporeal again if and when Izuru feels safe indulging in emotion again.

When that happens, the daemon (and it's "she" pronouns for the daemon) won't appear to Izuru himself; she'll appear near someone important to him (like Fuyuhiko, Sonia, Nagito, Makoto), and she might be severely injured. She's remained incorporeal because she needs someone to tend to her injuries (from everything they did to warp Hajime's selfhood), and she's been waiting for someone who will care for her and won't just kill her. Letting one of Izuru's friends tend to her wounds requires her to let them touch her, which is extremely intimate. (She knows there's a non-zero chance that Izuru might kill her, if she appears to him pre-character development. She won't appear to Izuru until she's healed, and even then she still trusts the touch of Izuru's friends more than Izuru himself. They have to grow back together.)

TL;DR: His daemon vanishes during the Project, but he still has one. It'll come back when it feels safe. It now has the ability to become incorporeal and travel some distance away from him.

I'm going to say Hajime's parents named his daemon Minami (which I borrowed from Hajime's voice actor), and she settled as...you know, in a vacuum, I'd find it fascinating to say a tortoise, but I'll put that aside because, while I like it reflecting his defensiveness, I don't want it to actually have a way of defending itself. Which sounds monstrous of me. 😊

I'm leaning chipmunk or tree sparrow. Both fairly plain and unassuming; he cannot have an interesting daemon. Chipmunks: known for fitting an absurd amount of food in their mouth at once, hearkens to his ambitious side. Sparrow: bird, flight, freedom. Hearkens to Chiaki's statement that not having talent makes him freer than those who do have talents. (Plus, when she's injured, a broken wing symbolizes the loss of freedom.) Either one is a small, helpless animal that would look great 1. secretly appealing to Izuru's friend(s) to help it heal, and 2. sitting on Izuru's shoulder once he's accepted it as his daemon again. (Or he finds it at the wrong point in his character arc and just steps on it real hard. Sorry, lol.)

I'm going to go with sparrow. Yeah, Minami is a sparrow. Pre-Project, she has a nervous energy, where Hajime himself usually tries to mask his nervousness as other feelings. (Basically, her behavior gives away how nervous he often is.) After the Project, she has the vibes of an Oracle. She's seen a lot, she knows generally how stuff is going to go, she's no longer nervous, but she still cares about things on about the same level as Hajime did.

Below, I have taken the liberty of sketching Hajime and Minami. She's kind of flying around his head, saying stuff, and he's swatting at her a little because he's annoyed. Basically, this is him going, "Stop that; you're embarrassing me. Keep your voice down."