#LOOK LOOK I ACTUALLY HAD TIME TO WRITE SOMETHING AAAAAAA

[kittynugg]

Hi!! I love your Lil dilemma au! It gives me life! I had a thought about an au of this au where stan got minified to. The idea just makes me laugh because I wonder if he would be as angry as Ford or just more chill about it. I always envisioned stans innocence and maturity getting along.

okay do you know how badly i've wanted to write this ever since BEFORE I STARTED WRITING THE ACTUAL FIC

stan would be so casual and breezy about it, like ford's trying to shove down that childishness and compensate by being sooo adult but stan would just be running around catching bugs and shit he's frolicking in the fields and ford's just constantly having a mini-panic attack

and he'd do it to himself too no doubt like. he'd walk into the living room one morning all tiny and everyone would just be thinking "oh fuck what did he do"

and when ford inevitably asks (for research purposes because now he's going to have to cure both of them) how it happened stan's like "eh i was bored so i went back to the fair'n bought my own fountain of youth water. its whatever"

(or no i actually envision him being so excited that he's shaking he's running around "AAAAAAA IM SO HAPPY IM SO HAPPY FORD LOOK IM LITTLE LIKE YOU WE'RE BOTH LITTLE I HAVEN'T HAD THIS MUCH ENERGY SINCE I TOOK ADDERALL THAT ONE TIME" and dipper's like "what for adhd?" "how did you know" and he glances up and down stan's form just like with his aura of neurodivergence "..just a hunch")

within the first day stan's entirely used to it and he is HAPPY like. this is is life now. and something about him being a kid too gives ford all these unwanted childish urges so melody ends up the parent figure for a while to keep them out of trouble

alas, trouble is what they do best so like one of the first things stan does after leaving the shack for the first time is get arrested

im imagining this whole scene. so stan scampers outside, ford in tow by the hand, they're both snickering with visions of impending pie theft in their minds, and stan heads right for the car. he still has his keys because he didnt sleep with them in his pocket (i figure they'd despawn along with anything else on the adult body's person, only to return upon re-aging)

and ford snaps out of child brain for a second because "Stan, you can't drive, you're two feet tall."

"the car won't know that"

"..."

"Valid."

and stan actually manages to drive the car fairly well considering how fuckimg little he is, until they get pulled over.

blubs asks him for his license and registration. ford is SWEATING. stan casually hands him his driver's license and durland leans over to look

"..looks alright to me!" blubs nods in agreement and tells the two gentlemen in the car to have a nice day

then they get pulled over a SECOND time by two DIFFERENT officers and are taken directly to the police station do not pass go do not collect 200$ just like IMMEDIATELY asked to step out of the car and cuffed

so stan has to call melody to bail them out while ford cries hysterically on the floor

they get grounded for a month

i feel like they'd switch clothes and pretend to be each other a lot and it'd get really fucking annoying for everyone else to a point where every now and then they'd look reallllllly close and count their fingers to make sure they're talking to the twin they think they're talking to

although what with stan's tooth gap (which i think would give him a lisp until he gets used to it) there'd be a clear difference so idk

anyway there's a little thought about it to go with your other thoughts chances are i'll come back to this, thanks a ton for the ask im always happy to ramble

[desceros]

crawls in. drops off a link for you. crawls away

[d34dlysinner]

Hi ! I’ve been following your blog for a few weeks and I have to say that between the few blogs here in tumblr that write about whb, this is my favorite !

I hope you’re still taking requests, and if you are, I would like to ask for something with the kings + Sitri, Amon and Foras ( the last two are optional since I understand that we don’t know much about them yet and it might be hard )

It would be something like what would happen if fem!MC (or any pronouns, whatever you feel most comfortable with ) played a prank on them there she makes them believe that she is breaking up with them and they actually believe it, like, how would they react at their s/o “breaking up” with them and their reaction when she tells them it was a prank.

It would be amazing if it was angst and fluff (smut if you want to ;) ) at the end.

I hope my ask wasn’t too long, I apologize if it was :(

As someone from a past request said, thank you so much for writing for whb !

I hope you have an amazing day 🤍

Your words literally made me AAAAAAA

Thanks for the kind words 😭

HOPE YOU ENJOY!!

You wanted to test his patience in a way.

"I think we should break up...", you said as you tried to look up at him with the most serious expression pasted on your face.

You definitely wanted to see if he would care if you did this. At the same time you were scared for his reaction as you felt your heart speed up.

Satan was silent for a second. He then laughed. You stood there in shock as you watched him laugh.

"You're lying.", he says somewhat calmly. It was weird for him to be calm which made you nervous in a way.

"You're lying, right? Last week you were crying about how you didn't want anyone else do the things I do to you.", he said casually. Some people wouldn't understand what he meant, but you fully understood what he was talking about. In a way you felt embarrassed and you felt your cheeks heat up.

"See... your face still turns red for me. Are you sure you want to break up?", he says watching af how you couldn't form an answer. "I'll take your silence as a no", he says with a smile before walking away.

Sitri was silent and only stared at you. You almost saw tears well up in his eyes.

"Solomon... you're leaving again?", he says as he became silent after that. "Did anyone catch your eye?... Did I do something wrong?", he asked.

It felt as if someone was putting pressure on your lungs and heart as you watched him panic and ask if he was wrong. You wanted to apologise and tell him that it isn't true, but before you could say something you saw him smile afterwards.

"That was a cruel 'joke', Solomon. Hearing how your heart changes when seeing me cry means that you aren't over me yet... But I'll do my best in making you want me more from now on.", he says.

Mammon watched you with surprise and disappointment. "... You don't want me anymore?... I still want you...", he says as he thinks that someone else caught your eye.

"I don't understand what I did wrong...", he says as he approached you. "If someone else interests you then I'll do my best again to make you see that you'd want me.", he says confidently. He had you once and will make sure that he'll have you at his side again for a second time.

When you told him it was a joke he didn't have much to say except: "... A joke?... Hmmm... I dont understand how this is a joke, but I'll still make you see that it's me who you'll want."

Leviathan had a displeased look on his face.

"Why?", he asked, sterness and anger present in his voice.

"If we're going to break up tell me at least why. Did someone else catch your eye?...", he asked as he walked towards you. He was towering over you as you could sense absolute jealousy around him.

"If you're going to break up to me you should give a reasoning to why you'd do that?", he asked yet again.

You didn't feel threatened, but you also didn't want the situation to escalate so you told him it was a joke. He still wasn't pleased.

"That's not a funny joke.", he says with a frown still present on his face. You didn't know what to do to make him feel good again.

"You should try and apologise in a way. I already have an idea.", he says as a smile was now gracing his face.

"You should be prepared.", he said as he left you. You were worried for what he had in mind.

Foras stopped with what he was doing as be looked back at you with shock.

"I did something didn't I?", he asked as he tried to think of reasons to why you'd like to break up.

"Or... did Sir, His Majesty Leviathan caught your eye?", he asked. He would feel conflicted if that were the case. He did love you, but he's also loyal to his king and if you were truly happy with his king he doesn't have any choice but to let you go.

"Is... Is that it? You fell for the king?", he asked again.

You felt like you had to stop the act before his thoughts would eat him up.

"It's a joke... Foras.", you said as you saw him relax.

He sighed with his eyes closed. Pinching the bridge of his nose while thinking about what you did. "That... wasn't funny MC", he said as he now looked at you. He wasn't amused, but he could atleast relax a little now. You should apologise to him again later.

Beelzebub looked at you stunned before his expression became relaxed again.

"You're lying.", he said as he had a smile on his face.

"If you wanted to break up or not keep this relationship you wouldn't even do this much effort into searching me.", he said as he kissed the top of your head.

"Nice try, but next time try saying it via text. Maybe that would make it more believable.", he says as he walked towards a direction, holding your hand and dragging you with him.

"But since you lied to me. You should be punished, no?", he said as he gave you a cocky grin.

Amon was stunned for a second before looking disappointed. The usually sleepy man looked as if he was a lost puppy when he heard your words.

"Oh...", was what he said as reaction to your words. He thought about it for a while and then asked: "... So... does this mean we can't cuddle anymore... or that we can't eat together?", he asked. It made you feel guilty for doing this as a joke. What made it even worse was what he said afterwards: "... You're leaving me too?"

You stopped the act after that and apologised instantly. He was silent and seemed unamused as usual.

"... I'll... buy us food. And then we can cuddle okay?", you said which seemed to make the demon's mood better.

[xysidhequeen]

Aaaaaaa i went looking the the red knight au like a month ago and couldn’t find it but now I have and life is great!!! Its so fucking good and one of the first things i read when i got into dpxdc and I am having a great time. I really hope you continue it because its so fucking good i love it you write so well

This is an older ask. I have no idea how old, they don't give me dates. However I hope you still love the Red Knight AU.

I picked an ask just because I wanted to share Jason being horny on main. This is pre-editting and I'm a bit delirious from sleep deprivation so don't mind if it's rough. I just thought Jason was being really cute.

~~~~~~☆☆☆☆~~~~~~

The part of his mind that wasn't occupied with feeling all warm and gooey and shit over that was taking the man himself in. As he tended to do whenever the others weren't around. And sometimes when the others were around. And when Danny smiled. Or laughed. Or was incredibly focused on a project and he got that adorable furrow between his brows and he'd stick his tongue out just slightly. And sometimes he looked too when Danny was in his vicinity for longer than a few seconds.

Fine. All the time. Any time Danny so much as walked by him, his eyes were glued to the man unless something forcibly drew his attention away.

Danny was fucking beautiful, alright? Sue him or whatever goddammit. Actually, no, fucking sue Danny. No one had a right to look that damn ethereal and angelic and otherworldly. It had to be a legitimate crime. Somewhere.

He was all long limbs and lithe muscles. Pale skin and constellations of freckles and winter sky blue eyes. Hair like a starless night sky, loose strands painting lines like ink across his lightly scarred skin. He glowed even in human form, it was subtle but so Ancients' damn alluring too. As if he held a light just under his skin that bathed him in its radiance. 

~~~~~☆☆☆☆~~~~~

Jason is gone. So gone. He knows it. Everyone but Danny knows it. He's just really good at procrastinating doing things. Ironically, him running off on this mental tangent is him procrastinating something else. I love him.

Jason just. Pushes off anything that's deeply emotional when it comes to other people specifically. He's scared of getting hurt. It's that fear of rejection and abandonment rearing its ugly head.

Anyways. Part 16 is at 2.9k words now, so that's going swimmingly.

[almostyours]

absolutely LOVE hiraeth and everything about them! their lore has me so invested and i love how you have and talk about it! quick question if you don’t mind, but how did you come up with hiraeth’s lore? i’m currently working on a group and their lore so i would love some advice/tips from the loremaster themselves! have a good day/night!

aaaaaaa!  u have no idea how happy this ask makes me because not only is their lore is my pride and joy,  but it just makes me soooo happy to know that someone is enjoying my group!  :D  also,  loremaster?  that made me giggle and kick my feet,  not gonna lie...  and of course i wouldn’t mind,  it actually flatters me that ur asking me.  :)  i’ll put all the yapping under a read more so i don’t disturb the dash,  but if you have more questions or an @ to drop  (because i need to know what u are cooking),  just let me know,  either in dms or here.

before i start,  i just want to mention  (and sorry if i sound like a broken record to those who skim through my yapping posts)  that i created hiraeth because a friend and i thought it’d be fun to throw our ship into an idol au.  you could say that hiraeth and their lore grew from that ship,  as we thought it would be fun if there was a kind of “call and response” theory between the two groups.  while this didn't really need to be said,  some of hiraeth’s essence definitely comes from the little world we built together.

finding a group name that fit was essential,  i think.  when my friend and i started brainstorming,  i only had a rough idea of what i wanted,  which was a mix of red velvet,  loona,  dreamcatcher,  exo,  and aespa.  i wanted angels!  garden of eden!  magical girls!  a group that was deemed as a cult!  some horror!  the concept of the two sides of the same coin!   more than what meets the eye!  but funny enough,  i didn’t really see the whole picture until i finally settled on the name hiraeth.  the word means a homesickness for a feeling you can’t return to,  a feeling that maybe never was.  that’s when i realized i wanted hiraeth to capture not exactly my initial ideas,  but i wanted the meaning to actually make sense,  so my idea started to expand until i finally settled into what i have now.  and i’m sure my ideas will keep expanding as time goes on!

i was also inspired by my two ults,  red velvet and loona,  especially loona’s unit yyxy.  and,  yes,  i 100% admit i was deep in those loonaverse reddits trying to get a feel for what i wanted because i wanted something like that.  my lore started out very similar to theirs,  just with some changes because who was going to check me!  only my friend and i knew about the group so i could totally get away with it!  but,  as some may know,  i got really attached to the idea of them and the potential of their lore,  and as time went on and i got a clearer idea of what i wanted  (thanks to pinterest,  video games,  photography/photoshoots,  books,  tiktok edits,  music,  my ship,  and even the bible and no i'm not joking),  their lore slowly started to evolve into whatever i have going on.  don’t be harsh on urself if ur “base” idea isn’t as developed as u'd like or if it’s similar to something ur taking inspiration from,  u just need to let the creative juices do their thing,  even if it takes time. 

another tip:  always write down ur ideas,  and if something makes u think,  “oh! this would fit into their lore!”  immediately jot it down,  so u can look back at it and find a way to work it in.  for example,   hiraeth is a little bit of everything i’ve enjoyed or found interesting in literally everywhere,  even if it has nothing to do with the idol scene or the girls themselves—  let it be a quote or a video game arc or even just a single picture.  everything is an inspiration if u look close enough.

now,  poppy,  kaia,  and yvan are characters i’m really attached to  (especially poppy)  since they’ve been with me for a very long time.  so,  i thought it’d be really fun if their lore actually mirrored their actual personalities and struggles,  like a subtle reflection of their thoughts,  actions,  pasts,  secrets,  and their current life that is being showcased to everyone in the eyes of an overly-exaggerated visage of themselves.  obviously,  the lore is really extra and not literal but their actual essence is there,  you know?  almost as if they are building up their own fantasy book with themselves as main characters!  their fans can’t pick up on any of this because they don’t know the girls deeply,  but…  little spoiler,  i guess?  i don’t know if this makes sense so i will show some little examples below:

summer realizes that she,  spring,  and winter can almost become god-like once they begin to "sin,"  leading them down a path she believes is "better" for them.  but she doesn’t fully see that some paths might not be the best,  as their sins  (especially hers)  cast a shadow over them,  keeping her from thinking it all through and sometimes getting them in trouble—on the other hand,  kaia sees that she and her members could achieve so much more once nari is out of the picture.  as their leader,  she earns their trust by guiding them to see beyond the empty promises of an abusive management that didn’t care for them the way she did.  yet,  they’re still being held back as a sense of guilt looms over them and their careers,  making every move feel risky.  this burden falls the heaviest on kaia,  who made a drastic choice for the sake of herself and her members.

spring feels stuck,  with no real desire to “bloom” after things went wrong the first time she “sinned.”  she feels the urge to make a change and stir the ship,  but hesitates to the point of doing nothing—versus poppy,  who feels trapped as an idol facing high expectations,  especially as a chronically ill woman carrying deep trauma.  though she doesn’t particularly like being in the spotlight,  she remains in the “safe” zone because it feels like the only secure option,  and it is because she does a really good job at her job because if she’s going to be forced to do something,  then she’s going to be the best at it. 

winter treats everything as a joke,  believing that everything will always go their way because they’ve been convinced that they’re the "center of the universe."  that is,  until spring’s warmth reaches them,  revealing that not everything is perfect and that there’s more to life outside their own bubble—versus yvan,  whose high popularity and top-tier status changed how they see the world.  however,  yvan has been learning that things won’t always go their way,  and that support won’t always be there.  poppy herself is a reminder that someone “better” will always be around,  even if many hold yvan higher than her.  random but i loooooooove their relationship because it’s a whole  always an angel,  never a god  situation.

the  ‘aengel cult’  started when the angels left behind their old doctrines,  preaching  individuality,  self-love,  and self-expression instead of sharing words that didn’t resonate within themselves—versus hiraeth’s fans,  who are deemed a cult because of their intense loyalty towards them,  but also because of how fucking defensive they are towards the aes because the music,  the concept,  their vibes,  and the girls themselves are TWE GOOD not to defend!  they are not as insane as *rmys / bl*nks / st*ys though…  they are pretty funny and just don’t take anything seriously but when someone calls The Never Has Flopped Group a Flop…

and yes,  i know.  that is really fucking extra and literally this is something u literally didn't ask,  but that’s what makes creating lore fun!  be extra!!!!!!!  do ur own little twist if that’s what u want!!!!!  don’t limit yourself and overthink it,  friend!  it’s your group and your lore,  so have some fun and do whatever you want  <3 

ALSO A LITTLE REMINDER!  it literally took me a year to feel content with their lore,  so don’t rush it.  the creative juices will come to u eventually.  :)

WHEN U DROP UR GROUP LET ME KNOW PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!  i really hope all this yapping made sense and that it helped u.  :)  if not i’m really sorry……………..  🙏

[valkyrieblogs]

continuing my concurrent firefly wedding reread in both english and japanese! posting about chapters 6-9 this time. lots of character analysis and a few little translation things.

man i love how shinpei has been watching this whole time, but specifically waits until nitobe declares that he'll protect satoko that it sets shinpei off. like the way that it's just such an immediate follow-up to the conversation he had with her about how he's the only one who can protect her...

AND then the way that he specifically reacts and is about to attack nitobe when he reaches up to touch satoko's hands when she covers his eyes (to stop him from seeing shinpei)..... tbh with his declaration of him not wanting nitobe to lay a single finger on her, i'm surprised he wasn't going to attack him already when he took satoko's hands? but maybe he was only waiting because of the offer to buy her out, since that was part of their plan. it was just continuing to physically interact with satoko beyond that he couldn't abide...

lksjdgjlsj i get get over how childish he sounds too when he's begging satoko to let him stay in the room. something in particular about the way he's like, "i promise i won't kill him!!!" this dark thing paired him being a literal child about this. it's!!! genuinely something i find so interesting about him, the way that he's functioning as an assassin but feels so immature in so many ways. i really find it hard to imagine being raised with more regular socialization on the island, honestly? in a lot of areas...

absolutely dying at the fact that he wIPES SATOKO'S HANDS BECAUSE NITOBE TOUCHED THEM

aaaaaaa okay this line in english is "he's not the one who will protect you. it's me" but in japanese there's a stronger emphasis on it being shinpei's role/duty specifically to protect satoko, which i feel hearkens back to him being a tool for her to use

man the reveal with satoko's scar... i really wonder exactly the type of surgery she had. some kind of open heart surgery, but to achieve what, i wonder. in general i really need to refresh myself on the symptoms she would have... i have a lot of serious health problems myself, so i really enjoy writing disabled characters, and would want to do her justice.

but god the way that nitobe manages to really cut right at satoko in this scene. calling the scar ugly, then calling it fatal to a woman to have such an ugly scar... talking about the way it would make a man feel to look at it.

actually, i'm thinking about the way that satoko tries her best to present herself and carry herself with such dignity (particularly before coming to the island), and i wonder if that's partially out of compensating for how her body makes her feel. not just in terms of symptoms (or how she feels like a burden), but the indelible mark. the scar, but even her being unhappy when shinpei comments on how light she is (because for her it's a sign of bad health). being sick, and particularly being that sick, really can make you feel disgusting to others.

thinking about the differing priorities when nitobe agrees to buy satoko out versus when shinpei agrees to marry her. nitobe (at least his other personality) is exclusively focused on her connections to kirigaya house and her looks. right from the get-go shinpei (even before he seems genuinely attracted to satoko) only agrees after he sees her as accepting who he is on some level, and is not interested in the connections (or money) at all.

hm. small translation thing here. in english nitobe talks about the problem prostitutes at the brothel that satoko is at, and he says, "women with a man in their hearts." but in japanese he's actually referring to women who planned on participating in a double suicide with a man who was already married. not sure why that part got cut out of the english translation.

godddd okay the way that he's referring to satoko too when he says "defective merchandise", and the way it just reduces her to an object again. something to be bartered and traded. unpersoned.

okay i do also love that in this situation she's technically found a man who suits the criteria she has to appease her father (good title), she's decided she won't settle for this even if she doesn't have a choice. even if this is her only way off the island. it's!! a good moment of satoko finally choosing something for herself. there's also really something about her still having the guts to refuse him despite being threatened with sexual assault in this scene. being in this impossible situation and yet still refusing to back down from her ideals. there's a lot going on with her autonomy but she's really strong-willed in this scene... and again, her making this choice despite the coercion.

it's also interesting to me that her criteria is so focused on title to offset her so-called burden to the family, but her father himself sounds like... he mostly just wants her to be happy? it sounds like it's satoko who, out of obligation, feels she has to raise the bar for who is acceptable...

but then, in the next line of thought she has to herself, she's still phrasing it as though her father wouldn't be happy with this!! rather than satoko, herself!! and that's when she doubles down refusing nitobe!! aaaaaaa the way she is so ruled by her perceived debt to her father... i can appreciate why she is the way she is, but there's something about the way she just won't allow herself to make decisions just for her own sake. satoko!!!!

GODDDD and the way that he says that she's the most defective merchandise of them all by virtue of being ill.

honestly kind of amazed that shinpei managed to stay away from the scene for even this long. i do love that he only did stay away for as long as he did because she commanded it; something something the way that he feels like an attack dog with her and it's so good. (a poorly-trained one at this point as he does not listen to her when he continues trying to kill nitobe.)

mannnn i honestly love the way that shinpei specifically refers to satoko as his wife here. the uncontested claim on her as his just feels like such a power play against nitobe. plus also just, the re-assertion of his relationship with satoko in the face of what he's seeing play out in front of him. (particularly some other man trying to make claims on her.)

mannn the way that after shinpei gets shot, nitobe makes a threat to kill satoko if shinpei gets any closer, but that doesn't stop her from trying to struggle out of his grasp to reach shinpei!!!! the way that it's like... yes her moving closer to shinpei is not necessarily part of nitobe's threat, but her life is the one being threatened? but she is so much more concerned about shinpei's life rather than her own. despite this!! being a person who she has a really complicated relationship with. the way that in many ways she continues to be so willing to prioritize others before herself... even the way she values her own life is more to do with the potential value of it for other people (her father), rather than for herself.

actually, i think this scene might be the first time she actually uses shinpei's name? before she usually uses あの人 (that person/that man) or 殺し屋 (killer)...

god, after shinpei gets shot and it switches to the brothel owner talking to one of the employees... i love how unclear it is who exactly said not to go into nitobe's room no matter what until you see the shot of shinpei standing back up. that while he didn't orchestrate it, he was anticipating a situation like this in which he could prove his usefulness. that he could protect satoko again and make her love him more... it's also clear because of the calm of the brothel owner. he knows shinpei and knows that he can protect people. i think if nitobe requested it he wouldn't be so calm.

losing my mind at this entire page, honestly. like. not to say that shinpei is playing up the pain of being shot. but somehow he is managing to play up the pain from getting shot. JUST TO GET SATOKO'S ATTENTION AND TO PROVE HIS LOVE FOR HER. and again throwing around that he's her husband!! making these very strong claims to satoko being his wife!! god the way he also emphasizes just how far he'll go. i don't necessarily think he got shot on purpose here, but i absolutely think he would get himself injured on purpose if it would get her attention and affection. because that proves how far he would go for her, right? and her doting on him in return would be a confirmation of her affections for him. the way there is just so much potential for it to create this violent feedback loop to get satoko's affections...

GODDDD this scene where he talks about doing everything for satoko. also how it confirms that he was SPECIFICALLY waiting for satoko to make up her mind about whether or not to have her freedom bought!! it's especially interesting to me the way he was erring on satoko rejecting this guy no matter what. (because she has him, obviously. because he already was beginning to object to this.) but it also means he was watching what was happening and was waiting until he heard that confirmation, even through nitobe starting to undress her, degrading her... i can only imagine what he was thinking at that time.

but also just!!! the way that he's proving his love to her through his actions and inactions. i love how he also includes that he didn't try to kill nitobe, even though he very much seemed like he was continuing to try and kill nitobe. (it's very possible he could have continued even without satoko getting out of the way.) he's so!!!! attack dog here it's incredible. the loyalty he tries to display through it all.

also GOD i love how satoko does not lose sight of the situation at hand despite everything and manages to wrangle the gun from nitobe. love her not just being a damsel in this scene despite everything. how she still manages to have agency throughout and isn't saved just by shinpei, but also through her own actions.

the way that realizing she hit shinpei hard enough to make him bleed sends satoko into a panic, but he immediately switches modes so he can be pampered by her...

i also love him bringing up her using the handkerchief again, as if making a reference to the first time she wiped the blood from his face... also the way that he makes a bigger deal of this little wound (possibly for this reason and the attention to his face) moreso than the gunshot wound he very much has...

and i love how she indulges him anyway.

i also love how his plan to get satoko to like him more also backfires completely!! her flatly telling him that it didn't work!! but that then she clarifies—it's not that it didn't make her like him more, but she takes issue with his methods. i love her very clearly laying out that while he helped her, doing this in this way did not make her happy. it's interesting also that she says this is the case not just for when he's doing something for her, but for anyone. which puts interesting limitations on his job as a killer! if he wants to make her happy, he essentially cannot continue doing what he does.

this is a really interesting scene where she is recognizing the culture he's grown up in and works in, and attempts to teach him these absolute basics for interactions, like "hitting people is bad" (also consider not killing them). it again makes me think back to the fact that his mother died when he was really young, and the first person he killed was the person who killed her. the way he grew up without being socialized like other people might be...

i like how shinpei does seem to really be listening in this scene, but he's especially affected by when she shifts focus to how he should conduct himself when he's injured. he's so full of scars that i doubt anyone has ever been really concerned for him before. especially when we see how everyone else broadly acts like he's unkillable and takes him for granted.

i love him immediately hooking into that and asking her if that means she doesn't want him to die, and then her absolutely refusing to answer. it's not something worth answering to her, but to him it's again that confirmation of her affections if she says no... or frankly it might be a confirmation of her affections even if she says yes if it's to die for her. he's so!!!!! ........lonely, i guess.

even though we see how other people act with him, it's like... okay he's a killer for hire, so in that context he's a tool. he's prized for that and nothing else. the brothels and prostitutes like him because he keeps the prostitutes safe. it's again a transaction and an extension of his ability to be a weapon. he does have relationships, but we see that they're shallow. in particular with the one prostitute, he even says how she never meant anything to him. he just has sex with her. he says what people want to hear in a relationship because that's what's expected (to get what you want). again, a transaction. we also know he's had to kill women who can't handle what he does for a living when he tries to tell them. it just doesn't sound like he's had any kind of a relationship with anyone that goes beyond a transaction of some kind, or where he can just be... himself? rather than a version of himself he creates for other people. interestingly, the version of himself as a killer is probably truest to who he is, because then at least he has nothing to hide. so it makes sense that meeting satoko while he was already operating in that mode created the best opportunity to actually connect with him... and all of this explains why being accepted by someone is so important to him.

and again, how he's lonely. it's no wonder he's so desperate for satoko's affections and why no one else will do.

goddd this scene where she shows shinpei her scar. of her own volition, also!!! but i love that it's a thing she's been sensitive of her whole life, and how the scene with nitobe was so mortifying and awful, only for shinpei to try and cheer her up by comparing with the scars on his own body... and then satoko who is SO private and who get so shy about her body actually shows it to him. it's so good.

satoko coughing up blood. god i wonder when the reality of the severity of satoko's illness is going to hit him. when he made light of it before now...

love satoko also being referred to as a tool by her step-mother... the way that both satoko and shinpei experience this.

thinking about satoko very consciously choosing to share something personal with shinpei when she tells him about her nightmare, and about how she grew up with her health.

godddd the line about setting satoko free. the way it's both about making her feel like she's not just trapped in a room (by bringing the outside in) but also makes her sound like those same fireflies he just released.

i love how this scene also seems to be where she starts thinking much more favourably about shinpei.

the way that after the firefly dies on shinpei's fingers, again satoko ends up relating to the fireflies with their short lives and releases them, so at least they don't have to be trapped in this room like she does... i love the way she keeps relating to these things with short lifespans.

man this is such an interesting line. "without killing, i'd have nothing left." in japanese it's like... "if you take killing away from me, i'd have nothing left." it's not like the meaning is dramatically different, but i feel like it emphasizes that there is something about the action of killing that is at his core of who he is. which... again, i think, shows how important it was that he specifically met satoko when he was already in that mode as a killer. it really is who he sees as his true self...

and then shinpei asking satoko about what she really wants... i think it's interesting that she dodges the question and redirects to ask more about shinpei, again going back to working as a killer.

i also really like that he brings up how he doesn't have any attachment to the island. it's no wonder that satoko nails him on wanting to escape.

god this whole convo is so interesting. shinpei talking about it felt good to kill the man who killed his mother. it's honestly hard to judge how he really feels about things, but it does sound to him like... killing is one of his few pleasures? i always imagine the things he enjoys in life feel really... transient. killing, for one. having sex. shallow relationships... it all feels really... catered to physical desire, i guess? all of it visceral. i keep trying to picture more of shinpei's life on the island, but it's difficult.

and then this part where he asks if satoko thinks he's pathetic. in english, afterwards, he says, "if so, then comfort me." in japanese it's more or less the same, just slightly more direct. "if so, then i want you to comfort me!" voicing a want, not a command.

and then this part where satoko accuses him of fooling himself. god she's so intuitive about these things. he really does always play up these things, or even when it seems like he's taking it more seriously, he shifts into that playful mode again so he doesn't have to address how he actually feels about anything... he really is unhappy.

and then this line!! about becoming free and escaping together!!! god.

i love how satoko's gotten so much more comfortable physically with shinpei... again, she's so sensitive about these things, and she's had so little experience interacting with men. but in this scene she even offers to help him with his bandages (knowing that he's playing up that they're difficult), in part because she wants to reward him somehow for what he does for her... it's such a contrast to the bath scene earlier on.

satoko asking him if there's anything else she can do... it's interesting how she's still strongly in this transactional mindset. to me it feels again like it's an extension of how all her life she's felt like she's a burden to people, so she has to make up for this somehow... i love how in shinpei saying he doesn't need anything in return, it has the potential to make their relationship stop being (so) transactional? obviously they still want things from each other, but i think it still introduces the potential of a different relationship dynamic than satoko has typically known. i think at this point material things are still what she's most comfortable with, and that's obviously the case because she still agrees to bandage him if he gets injured again.

i also love her knowing that he absolutely WOULD get himself injured on purpose for her attention, and immediately tells him to not let himself get injured. SHINPEI...

YES, THIS!!!! being a burden. exactly. god the way she thinks so lowly of herself. always searching for something to be of value to others... in japanese it doesn't use "burden" here specifically so much as feeling like she'll become... troublesome? but the intent is still the same.

goddd the way that this feels like an indirect answer to satoko's fears about not being able to do enough for shinpei.

man this line where shinpei talks about how all the girls he's carried like being called light, and it suddenly clicks for her that this is a thing he Just Says. i think it stands out to her especially because of her health, being light is tied to being unhealthy. but also shinpei's emphasis on how he's said this to so many girls...

and then this part where she realizes shinpei doesn't love her, not really. that he would be happy with anyone who accepted him... he might want her love, but his understanding of his own love is incorrect. i really, strongly feel like he just doesn't have the framework to understand it (yet), in large part because of how he was socialized.

goddd satoko asking if he even understands love. the way she links his lack of understanding of love with his being a killer. in her thoughts she's acknowledging how these things are absurd, and it's clear that she's panicking like this specifically because she's realized that shinpei doesn't actually love her like he thinks he does. and it's clearly actually upsetting to her to realize this. she was starting to like his love for her. only to understand it isn't what she thought it was...

the way that satoko cannot answer what love is when pressed by shinpei. the way she continues to panic because she realizes that she also doesn't have a good understanding of love. that all her life love has never been a priority, never something she had to consider in a marriage...

god and shinpei not understanding why she's upset. i really wonder how much of this part of the conversation he followed, particularly because of her jumbled accusations... i do feel like at the heart of it that she's correct: he does not love her like he thinks he does. he wants to be accepted. he wants to be loved by satoko. he certainly wants her love and wants to be used by her. but what he feels towards her isn't love yet. i feel like she just got a taste of him going through the motions of saying what girls want to hear and now it all just feels fake to her. so it really does feel like he has to prove himself all over again to her...

THE WAY HE GETS so insecure and upset so instantly AGAIN once she makes a threat to the marriage. again resorting to making her feel guilty, to threatening to kill her after all—

god it's so fascinating to me. like. again. i really do firmly believe he doesn't have a proper conception of what most people would consider love. but at the same time he's still so needy for her affections, of being used by her (so that he has value to her), the promise of a life that has something better... he's obviously trying his best to manipulate her here, but you also feel the sheer desperation he feels at the idea of having that taken away from him.

and satoko doesn't buy it. i love that she's in close quarters with this assassin who could effortlessly kill her and she just brushes him off. it makes their dynamic feel much more equal!! and again, like she's still calling the shots despite everything. that she still has agency. and it works!! he leaves her. because of course he'll still obey her. and it does kick him out of his tantrum, and make him feel like maybe the reason she's not answering him properly is because she has to rest first. but he's still clearly stressing over it and feeling rejected.

also trying to understand shinpei's perspective on what love is. love is being a weapon? love is being used by the person you love. love is saying whatever the person you love wants to hear. love is being willing to kill for the person you love. love is being willing to do anything to protect the person you love. love cannot be separated from being a weapon.

also god i hit the image limit on this somehow ljskdgljlj so many thoughts about these chapters. i wrote a lot but genuinely if anyone has differing perspectives or anything to add i am so happy to hear it and talk about it

[lackeyhenchman]

you're the only poster ive seen who Gets It and i need someone to tell about my Tav & Ascended Astarion's dynamic. basically i'm a huge oblivious moron who accidentally entered his romance route without trying (??? help) and then did a "branching timelines" save file where i ascended him just to see what would happen.

that's basically turned into a sort of AU where my tav, who is also oblivious, ended up with astarion head over heels, and when he ascended he decided they needed to get together. tav, who just thought he had a cool vampire BFF and who is really bad at saying 'no' to people, was confused.

astarion's train of thought is that he did everything right, they went through all the steps you're supposed to, and so now that he has everything he wants, he's going to have the 'perfect' romance with tav. tav does not want this tav would prefer to go back to his ilmateri abbey Please.

it's been very fun to explore how tav, as a pacifist cleric who portrays himself as "pure" and pacifistic, represents the unattainable ideal of perfection and finally being happy that AA lacks. he has everything he wants but he isn't happy, so obviously there's something missing. and he's not even going to think about himself making the wrong choice- if he can just get the right thing, he'll be happy forever.

whereas tav, who actually has a lot of trauma and substance abuse issues, is ilmaters most devoted soldier of Just Keeping On Trucking. he's not the perfect being that AA sees him as, he doesn't want to be a trophy husband or whatever, but because he feels he's been abandoned by ilmater, he thinks that suffering through this and sparing others the pain of a monster's affections will finally be what gets his god to speak to him again.

it's two people who don't really love each other trapped in a mutually awful cycle where they're both these abstract representations of a sort of love that neither can provide to the other. AA thinks he loves tav, tav pretends to love AA. it's terrible. i need to write fanfiction about it but i dont want to do that right now so i'm in your inbox. have a great day

First of all, joke-shame on you for only making this an AU! This is such a rich mine for angsty hijinks and philosophizing about the purpose and ephemeral nature of happiness. And for siccing two idiots on each other.

Honestly I love this, it works great with AA's whole "they're the first person who's been truly nice to me... holy shit I should keep them in a cage" thing. But this time with someone who's essentially a nun?? A nun who craves performative suffering, which it turns out is the central appeal of your boyfriend's awful personality??? I daresay your Tav is almost worse than Astarion for using him, but since AA is such an unlikable bastard it'll never look that way from the outside. What would happen if Tav really truly acknowledged the horror of what he's doing, or worse, admitted it to Astarion? And I'm assuming Tav got turned into a spawn for this to work... aaaaaaa

Also why won't Ilmater pick up the phone. Is it because he accidentally nailed both hands to the cross again

[lunarleonardo]

as soon as I saw the warning for arguing i knew this was gonna EAT. That may or may not be one of my weak spots and its like in half the things ive wrote LOL my fav parts were when shuichi was like did you rlly want me to die, would YOU hit me and all those QUEESSSTIOPPNNSSS AAAAABNYNSNSS oh my god you have no idea what your fics do to me /pos :3 also the way shuichi was talking reminded me if my dad which made me oh so sad - i dont mean this in a bad way my dad is very awesome guys I just so happen to be like kokichi and lash out at the wrong people:< but anyway. shuichi. said. i. love. you. to. KOKICHIIPH MY GOQKXNNDJ OH MYMDN that was so heartbreakinf because DAMNIT that moment was so....aaaaaAAAAJAJSJNS pls tell me you get what I mean I am unable to like put any of my thoughts into words OH and dont get me started on shuichi making kokichi his little fort bc that was SO sweet!!! And then they had a fight...whoopsie!! That was rlly sad because for some odd reason i feel extra guilty arguing with someone AFTER they did something for me and if that person just so happened to be SHUICHI (aka the biggest sweatheart ever) oh boy I would SHATTER. Their whole like dialouge was so good kokichi getting mad at everything even when HE brings it up and shuichi just being scared and confused oooohh i love them >_< and when kokichi said he got dressed up for tea parties i was like awh till I remmembered like wait no he was getting TORTURED. oh and getting punished for spilling it JESUS that one hurt ohh my sweet little angel we need to kill him. ALSO kokichis reaction to shuichis lil confession ooohh i could basically feel shuichis heart breaking now kokichi WHY would you do that :( /jk i know he has quite the problems right now but owie _(:‚‹」∠)_ anyways yeah. im just a huge huge fan of the whole arguing thing. and im also pissed at Tsumugi. your writing overall is a big comfort for me its so fun, creative and interesting and WUAAHAHSBS like where do you get these ideas :oo i love getting these little bed time stories once a week and being able to tell my friend all about it ive always been a huge fan of whump before i even knew what it was so finding actual GOOD whumo content of my 2 comfort characters gets me all xbhdjdjxjss yaaayyjyjy and sometimes I even see myself in some of these stories which has been helping me a lot so thank you for your writing o7 as a younger person I get told often that i dont have any problems so seeing stuff like this....♡♡♡ AAAAAAA not only that but its also kind of helped with my art- im not trying to be corny or anything but if someone were to scroll down my page almost all of my old art was just fully copied sprites/cgs like strand for strand i was NOT creative :< but when I read your fics for the first time i was like wowie i NEED to make something for this which kind of forced to me to try to come up with my OWN way of making faces, hair, etc...and I think its safe to say ive improved!! :> the first art ive submitted here was the kokichi angel one im pretty sure...? I dunno i really like the idea of it but looking at it you can pretty much see i was struggling trying to combine thjngs- i have a lot of WORSE works where ive tried doing something on my own but those will not see the light of day LOL but yeah might recreate that one bc I rlly like the idea:3 now I feel confident drawing my ocs and just doodljng around so...thank you :) again sorry if this comes of as kinda creepy- im really not trying to be i was just REALLY happy to discover basically what ive always wanted and I am now also more comfortable researching more about the topic and have read some rlly cool fics!! :3 anyways this is getting WAY longer than it was supposed to O_O but yeaaahhh thats all i have to say... i think LMAOO

Have a good night/day!! \(>○<)/

(　 Д )　ﾟ　ﾟ Holy Guacamole

I cannot formulate words !! To respond to this Because I have no idea how to respond to praise (´ﾟωﾟ｀) BUT THABK YOU!!!! hfhrhehgGEGDH AAAAAA<33

I loved reading whump before I knew what it was too. The problem was there was hardly ever any whump that was fit to my ... admittedly picky... tastes. And I figured, Well. Hey. I can't be the only one alone in this (ノ_･､) So!! Here we are!

(also, people of all ages can have problems! anyone can be struggling no matter how old they are!! don't let anyone tell you otherwise (´ﾟωﾟ｀))

:D I'm glad to hear art is going well for you too!!! I've been having art block . BAD. i've also just been busy (playing dandy's world) so all of my drawings look like this

Drawing takes lots of practice and patience with yourself, but the most important thing is to just have fun with it!! σ(≧ω≦*) Writing so much has definitely helped me improve too, especially with people encouraging me to keep doing it!! (*^▽^)/★*☆♪ Keep drawing!! Keep doing what u love!! Get SILLY with it!!! And thank you again for the long message I really really do appreciate it <33💕💕

[merakiui]

I'm glad your bday went well :D!! Always very nice to hear. So so sweet of everyone. Also glad you're doing alright woooo!!!!

Ough I love catboy Floyd that's so good. Honestly thinking about it Floyd really would be one of those strays with like a bite taken out of his ear and stuff he's going through it out here 😭. but also it reminds me of that "if you're cold, they're cold. let them in your home" joke people make about silly creatures, cryptids, etc. I'd let Floyd in, catboy or not tho,, the silly goose. Could never go wrong ever actually. Totally not.

Riddle so would chase him away poor thing </3 but I see omg :0 I don't actually think I've heard that vocaloid song... I'll have to give it a listen soon !! But ough I love catboy fish <33

That's so exciting w/ the tmdg stuff though! I can't wait to read it when it's posted :D!!! I should go through your tag or something for it on here and see what you have shared because I have caught very little I fear 😔

Yeah but no the vision is just Like That sometimes. I'm sure it's a banger though.

- :3 anon

Omg catboy Floyd with a bite taken out of his ear,,,, AAAAAAA T^T I'm adopting him in a heartbeat. He can live happy and safe from now on. <3 that meme is so perfect for him. Nothing will ever go wrong when you bring the sweet stray catboy into your home. He will definitely not get unhealthily attached and develop separation anxiety that compels him to be glued to your side at all times. Definitely not. :) he will be a normal, sane catboy (he won't). "Ah, it's a wonderful cat life" is a very catchy song!!! I hope you'll enjoy listening to it. It's a fun concept for our beloved catboy eel!!! >w<

And The Vision has such a grip on me... orz it truly is Like That sometimes. I couldn't help getting carried away with this story. It's just such a fun plot!! I had to write it unrestrained!!!!! Thank you so much for looking forward to it!! It will indeed be a banger. >:D I've posted a lot about it throughout various months, so I hope you can enjoy the previews I've posted in the meantime!!

[httpiastri]

i am so in love with paul x popstar!reader, any chance you would write something new for them?🙈 i wish i could give you any ideas but i am so uncreativ, i‘ll leave that to the professionals 🤪 lots of love, hope you have an amazing dayyy

aaaaAaA!! im so so so happy you like it!! 🥺 i definitely have plans to write more for them in the future but i dont have anything specific rn… however, i do have this headcanon that i thought of the other day 🤭 okay basically it's like this: during one of y/n's concerts in her tour which is kinda in the beginning of her relationship with paul (when only certain fans are kind of gossiping about them possibly being together), one fan shows up to the concert with a massive sign – and this sign doesn't have any song lyrics or such on it, but it's a giant picture. and im thinking it's like either one of these three:

like blown up so that she can see it from the stage. and when she's up there, just looking out through the crowd as the intro of her next song flows through the speakers, she stops and stares at the picture and goes like "-is that… is that who i think it is?!" and she dies from giggles and almost misses when it's time for her to start singing bcs she's so like 😭 and thennnn later when she's performing like juno ?? (ACTUALLY I KNOW I HAD A VERY SPECIFIC IDEA TO WHICH SONG SHED BE PERFORMING AND WHAT LYRIC THIS WOULD HAPPEN TO BUT I DIDNT WRITE IT DOWN SO NOW I DONT REMEMBER AND IM PISSED BUT LETS JUST SAY ITS JUNO FOR NOW) she sings her little "you make me wanna make you fall in love" and guess what she does instead of dance? point towards the sign of course. and like most fans have no idea whats going on but those f2 fans standing there in the crowd are dyingggfgfgg at her basically confirming the relationship

[player1064]

I lost access to my tumblr account years ago and you are the only one who has moved me to get a new account with your fics! Slag Gary has me dying!! Dad Roy and Wrighty has me screaming! I know you said no more snippets from slag gary (we are all waiting for the full fic and will do so happily) but any chance of a snippets of Dad Roy with his favorite son Gary and maybe some overprotective Dad Roy with Carra involved? Well, now I'm to regain my account to follow you or make a new one!

AAAAAAA tysm again I'm SO glad that people are excited for slag gary.... it's got me very motivated to keep writing kdghdfgkfdjg

And yes of course here's a bit of Dad Roy.... no Carra bc the Carra bits are outlined but not actually written yet 😭

---

"Becks, I know I said the kids'd be out for a couple of days while we filmed, but --"

Becks' eyes drift to a spot behind Roy and his face splits into a grin, the 'I'm trying to seem friendly to a kid' sort of grin. Sure enough, when Roy looks over his shoulder he sees Gary hovering awkwardly at the foot of the stairs, wide-eyed with his mouth hanging slightly open.

"Hiya," Becks says with a little wave. "I'm guessin' you're Gary, right?"

"David Beckham," Gary breathes, then he turns on his heel and sprints back up the stairs.

"Scholesy makes out like he never shuts up," Becks says with a chuckle. "Did I scare him?"

Roy is wondering if maybe he should have warned his son that they were expecting company - he normally does, he just hadn't been able to decide if this time it'd cause more or less stress to know that David Beckham was coming over. And with Wrighty currently on the long drive down to Alton Towers with the twins, he'd had to decide what to do on his own. It's possible he may have made the wrong choice.

"Something like that," he mutters, with a glance back up the stairs. "Here, let me make you a cup of tea and I'll go check on him."

*

When he's got Becks seated in the kitchen with a cup of tea, he heads upstairs to gently knock on Gary's bedroom door.

"I hate you," Gary calls out through the door, but it's not a go away so Roy cracks the door open a fraction and pokes his head round.

Gary's lying face down on his bed, a pillow pulled over his head, but he turns to his side to glare at Roy when he walks in. The overall effect of this is somewhat weakened by the posters plastered on the wall behind him - of which at least three feature Becks front and centre - and by the neat line of David Beckham trading cards and stickers on the pinboard above his desk.

Roy carefully sits himself down on the edge of Gary's bed and pats him on the leg. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you Becks was coming to visit, Gal. I have to do some filming for this documentary he's making, and he came up with the crew because we've not seen each other in a little while. But y'know what he just asked me? He has to hang around while I'm doing my interviews, and he wanted me to see if you'd go kick a ball around in the garden with him while he waits."

"I can't, I'm so embarrassed," Gary groans. "Bet he thinks I'm just this stupid kid now."

"A stupid kid who plays for England schoolboys." He gives Gary's ankle a little squeeze, then he stands back up. "Why don't you come downstairs, just for a minute? He doesn't bite, I promise."

Gary mumbles something which Roy can't make out, so he cocks his head and waits for him to repeat it.

"Can I 'ave some of Dad's secret chocolate if I come?" he asks, just a fraction louder this time.

He makes a mental note to send Ian a text to call him a pushover, because the only way the kids could know about the secret chocolate is if they've been given some of the secret chocolate, and now he's gonna have to find it a new hiding place.

"Fine," he says, and he holds out a hand to beckon for Gary to get up. "Come on, then."

[kunekojo]

Hello there, I'd like to request a poly scenario for Jushiro and Shunsui. I have brainstorms about teaming up with Shunsui to softy praise Jushiro. Overwhelm him with affection.

-@dragon-anon 🐉

Aaaaaaa if it's one thing I love so much, it's overly praise and affection. Jushiro’s precious when it comes to these and I can't put into words how excited I am for this idea. Please do keep these lil brainstorms coming!!! I sincerely hope you enjoy it 🥹 this is my very first time writing anything for Junshiro and I honestly hope I did him well. Just the way he deserves to.

Love bomb

Pairing: Jushiro Ukitake x Kyoraku Shunsui x GN!Reader

Tags: praise, lots of praise to Jushiro from you both, and don't forget the immense amount of affection!!!

WC: 1,1k

•••

Noticing the quietness of you two, Jushiro promptly halts his words, shifting his body to see what’s wrong.

He’s never had you both silent at the same time before, so it’s a little worrying. Every time he finds himself talking for a little longer than he anticipated, either you or Shunsui accompany him in the discussion while the other observes comfortably, making tiny comments occasionally. Maybe it’s something he said that caused this result so it’s for the best to check up as soon as possible, and learn the meaning behind this odd behavior both you and Shunsui are showing.

Upon the turn, his eyes dart to the spot where you two are supposed to be, in each other's arms. Truthfully, the option of you two lovingly gazing at each other is a possibility and one he'd much rather see than his initial guess. Yet surprisingly, it's neither of them.

His brows draw together with a hint of uncertainty, finding himself being yearningly peered at by two sets of heavy-lidded eyes. You two are simply standing there, maintaining eye contact with him while wearing laid-back eyes and beaming smiles. It’s like you’re enjoying his company just by staring at him, even if he hasn’t actually done something noteworthy.

Despite this, he still feels the need to clear the air and ensure nothing bad is happening. He can’t dig the thought of one of you feeling unwell, distressed.

“Is there something wrong?” his body leans towards you and Shunsui, a look of puzzlement crossing his face.

“No, why do you think that?” you promptly reply, a little taken aback by what he said.

Shunsui remains silent but nods in agreement with you, curious himself regarding Jushiro’s concern.

“You’re both silent, which is a little unusual. “ he pauses, looking intently at you and then at Shunsui. “Is it about something I said?” there has to be an explanation?

“Not at all, dear. Why would you think that?” Shunsui lifts himself in his arms, observing Jushiro’s expression with a wide smile blooming on his face.

You two have just been paying attention to him. Paying attention to his motions, paying attention to the joyous excitement covering his voice as he went on to elaborate on various ideas preoccupying his mind.

Both you and Shunsui like to call these moments “Junshiro loving hours”. A time in which you both comfortably enjoy his presence together, occasionally giving content looks to each other. Junshiro rarely notices you with how captured he is by his own discussion, but at last, he seems to have figured out your little activity.

“You’re both just silently staring at me.” He states plainly, still clueless.

“Not in a negative way.” the brunette hums, a little amused with the lack of observation from Junshiro’s side. He turns his head to look at you as you give him a wide grin that shows how equally thrilled you are.

It’s a little precious that he can’t tell that all you’re doing is adoring him.

“Then in what way?” His genuine curiosity makes you wonder how he can’t figure out what you’re doing. Perhaps it’s because of the looks on your faces, they probably don’t look as soft as you both think.

Both of you allow for a brief moment of silence, but you can’t bear to leave him in the dark with the way he’s glancing at you. You slowly raise your body and walk to him, placing a loving hand against the skin of his jawline. The little gesture gets a gasp out of him, making him melt into your touch. Shunsui on the other hand waits in the same position, chuckling as he eyes you both.

“We’re just admiring you, you silly goose.” you enlighten him, drawing soft circles with the pad of your index. “Haven’t you heard of lovingly gazing at your significant other?” The hint of teasing in your voice sends shivers down his body.

“Oh, ahh, I didn’t notice.” He replies shortly, reaching to scratch his neck.

“Why else would we give you big idiot smiles, eeeh?” Shunsui purrs. “You handsome thing.”

He is quick to follow after you, pushing himself to get up on his legs and approach Junshiro alongside you. One of his hands wraps around your waist while the other binds to Junshiro’s, getting a faint reaction of pleased surprise out of him. He pulls you both against his chest, holding you close to feel yourbits of warmth.

Being faced with these circumstances, Junshiro shakes his head wryly, only now grasping the situation he’s in. Your stares gain a new meaning now that he thinks about it. He didn’t even do much, just ramble about his things like usual, but he welcomes your kind thoughts with open arms. Though, he can’t help but wonder, what made you suddenly feel like this?

He means to question you but you absorb his curiosity just by looking into his eyes, cutting him off right when he opens his mouth by placing a finger on his lips.

“I mean, how can we not look at you when you’re this precious?” You further trace it to his cheeks, rubbing him firmly while you place soft kisses after each touch. “You’re so adorable when you talk about your favorite things..”

“Don’t forget the tiny hand motions he does, Y/N,” Shunsui exclaims, cherishing the fresh image inside his he kisses Junshiro’s other cheek, then locks his gaze on him so he can enjoy the glimmer of astonishment in his eyes. “You ought to love it when he moves his hands while he talks like that.” He twists his head to look at you, eyes widening as you both fuel each other to ponder on all the things you love about your beloved.

“Oh god, absolutely. But did you notice when he fiddled with his fingers, hmmm?” You playfully test him.

Shunsui hums in amusement. “I can’t believe you think I’d miss tiny details. Of course, I did! There's no way I would break the rules.” he clamors, pouting at you while he tugs Junshiro closer.

On the other hand, Junshiro stares at you both, dazzled by the abundance of soft praise. He indulges himself in your affection so much that he holds hushed, smiling extensively as a smooth tint of rosy pink flushes his cheeks.

Maybe it’s the weight of your words that makes him so undeniably loved, but it’s what he deserves. He has to know he’s treasured by you and Shunsui, even if it means it’ll overwhelm him a little. In the same way, you're both deserving of equal treatment. He can't just stay there and not send waves of appreciation and love to you too.

“I love you two so much.” he mouths softly, snatching both your attentions with kisses returned to your cheeks as he holds you both dearly.

[lissomelace]

*Kicks down the door, eyes mad*: LISSO! Lisso you absolute master of writing, fuck, this last chapter? Why did you do this to me! AAAAAaaaaaaa!!!! In my haste to read it I was late to work. *Starts chewing on it like on a piece of jerky*

One. I want a Russo now. He is just. Soft. Squishy. I died on that scene where Finno goes at him and Russo just, narrates things to Ingo. The hand-holding?!?! The hand-holding over Russo's hair?!?!? Ingo having him in his lap basically?!? Why do you do this to me?!?! THE BEGGING?!?!?! The initial scene where Finno just sees them cuddling constantly?!

Finno is damn feisty there, and it's also a good look on him, ngl. Just. In my head I have this mental image of him doing the Toothless growl-> sudden switch to "it's actually fine" when he notices that Ingo is Ingo and not anybody else. And that bite? Mhhhh, yes, that was hot.

AND SEEING INGO DO SO WELL WAS SUCH A TREAT! I re-read the first chapter, and oh, my heart, we have come so far!

Also the BANTER?!? They are actually BANTERING?!? Nature has healed. I'm in heaven.

This chapter was so sweet, and soft, and yes, hot, but so sweet at the same time. It's so good to see them happy. I want to chew on your smut scenes to extract your methods, those are so well written. (Tho I miss the politics a bit...I kinda want to see the reforms...I know this was not the goal of this fic, but I got attached to The Grandma Of Law, XD.)

Anyhow. Enough of my deranged howling. Here, have something of a treat. (I would have draw the hand-holding scene, but I do not trust myself with nakey bodies to draw. And the angle would be tricky. So. Cuddling it is.)

The tengwar that points to Russo you will have to decipher yourself, XD.

AAAAAAA THAT PICTURE AAA YOUR ART AAAAAA

AAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAA I am SO glad you enjoyed it so much!!! I am very sorry you were late to work, but I am SO GLAD the chapter was SO EDIBLE!

Russandol is DEFINITELY the best (in my interpretation in this particular fic, at least!) And I did it to you because you and everyone else who has been having to deal with the literal TONS of agonizing yearning and massive angst for *checks count* 30+ CHAPTERS quite deserves a great deal of squishy payoff. So long as the payoff you want is what happened in the chapter. Which, uh. It seems like it might have been.

Yes! Let Findekano be feral! Let him take a bite out of Russo. He's REALLY going through it in that chapter, he totally deserved it (and russo also deserved it, of course, and had tons of fun!)

Ingo HAS come so far! He deserves ALL THE GOOD THINGS RUSSO AND FINNO ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE HE GETS!

I have to say, I don't really have concrete methods for writing smut (that I'm aware of, at least). I guess...having read a lot of smut helps? And research? (that isn't a euphemism i promise, more like a looooong internet search history that includes a lot of stuff like 'how does [body part] work,' 'how to [sex act],' and '[insert big cat here] reproduction.')

We will probably get a bit more politics before the end! (no promises, my 'outline' for the rest is...sparse. like 8 sentences with one being 'a bit on the legal side of things'.) I'm so glad you love Niquelote (lol, she is SO The Grandma Of Law XD). The direct aftermath of the reforms will probably not be a huge focus for now, but they will factor significantly into the plot of future installments in this series.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THAT PICTURE IS SO PERFECT THEY ARE SO SWEET THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!! CUDDLES! INGO GETS ALL THE CUDDLES! I"M SO OBSESSED WITH THE WAY YOU DRAW CLOTHES THOSE TUNICS AND CUTS AND TRIMS AND INGO"S JEWELRY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

SO SWEET! SUCH TENDERNESS! AAAAAAA

...Thank you very much! They are absolutely perfect and it looks amazing!

Your ask (your ART) made my day! Thank you so much!

(asl;dkjfasldjfasd;lkjflksjjdklskjf he absolutely will!!!!!!)

[fairystar111]

I don't remember correctly which one but when i found one of yours stories since it had it some of the tag i was looking for, it wasn't in my plans to simply have met THE MOST AMAZING, CREATIVES AND SUPER SWEETS STORIES I HAVE EVER SEE IT IN MY LIFE AAAAAAA

Seriously, your writing is sooo good!! It mostly felt to me like i was reading a book of a professional writer, i absolutely adore that way you write so well all the characters and stuff!! i can't even point out which one is my mostly favorite bcuz them are all SOOO GOOOOO!!!, i have always caught myself even re-reading some or most of them and still get the same feeling i have like the first time i read!!

You are a really incredible and wonderful writer!!, the way you write everything is just so magnificent and delightful, i don't even have word to really describe how wonderful your stories are, i hope to see your next works soon, i will be here waiting patiently to see your future masterpieces!!, take your time and hope you have a wonderful day today and everyday during this whole year!!! (⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧

Omg this was so incredibly sweet! Thank you so much! I was having a pretty awful day so this was so nice to hear!

I always get so excited when I hear people actually reread my works. Like wow you liked my stuff enough to read it multiple times! I must be doing something right!

Thank you so much sweetie! I hope you have an amazing year too!

[fluideli123]

What is your favorite fic you've written?

If you were to ask me what my favorite fics I've ever read were, I feel like this would be easier to answer. Not because I look down on my own creativity to such a degree, but because I enjoy the affects art has on people.

Usually I am drawn to a piece of media and creativity because it stirs something within me. That applies to my own work too. Because, yes, obviously, everything I write something from Me, something within Me that compels creation and emotion to the point that I've spent years of my life writing to bring it to life. But, that is a given, it comes from me for me.

So, it would be moments in my own writing where I poured my heart and soul into, instead of an entire piece of writing.

But, that's also not how I'mma answer this question because I think this is a great time to showcase these:

[IMAGE ID: A series of Ao3 comment screenshots. The first is by random_alien_winn, stating:

How dare. You don't understand, I'm literally crying! I relate to Alberto in this story a little too much…

Beautifully heartbreaking, 11/10 /END ID]

[IMAGE ID: User JustAnother Fool states:

Wow. Okay. Let me just say your fic is great and I had to take a good break after reading to process it before commenting. In a good way. It brightened my day.

The part about Alberto doesn't knowing what drowning was like, but being far too familiar with suffocating? Beautiful! And the whole part with Luca's mom and the gate! And Massimo's story to cheer Alberto up!

And I don't know how to explain but the hot shower scene was exactly what I needed to read today. And Alberto's thoughts and how everything piled up.

The abandonment issues and how good things are so scary when you are used to neglect. The imaginary clock ticking to when everyone will inevitably leave.

I also loved when Massimo arrived! Alberto's breakdown felt really natural. Like how he didn't even feel the words leaving his mouth and started talking in circles. And how Massimo's approach at comforting was more physical and silent. Surely suits him. The part with Alberto struggling against the embrace just to become limp afterwards? Beautiful.

So… Thanks a lot for writing it. I bookmarked it already and I wish I could articulate more how your story helped me today. Thank you again. /END ID]

[IMAGE ID: User, YouramenacetosocietySlashpos (Guest), states:

How dare you. You can't just STROLL in here and plop down a fic that calls me out SO ACCURATELY you made this so accurate that it hurts my very core and soul of my very being, heaven may as well of fallen down and hell might of well had a earthquake due to how well written this fanfiction this is i swear to god, not in my 8 years of mindlessly reading fics on wattpad and here have I gotten as viscerally GUT- PUNCHED as this fic has achieved.

>:(

Very amazing fic tho [cried my eyes out/10] /END ID]

[IMAGE ID: User, Lizord_Lord, states:

AAAAAAA oh my god you have no idea how excited i am to see someone fully UTILIZE the System! Raph headcanon!! I've seen it done a couple times and while I don't think any of them were particularly offensive (though i am a singlet so i might have missed stuff) i do feel like they didn't take full advantage of having a system in your story. Seeing one of the alters actually fronting, some co-consciousness, mention of the fact that alters look different in the inner world and their mannerisms might carry over, alters not always being aware of the same things, and the comment from Raph about being pushed back to front implying Red is a gatekeeper in their system is just so fun to see! /END ID]

[IMAGE ID: User, ciaobay, states:

i'm crying /pos, the way you portray systems and plurality is so real and normal. it's so comfortable to read and seems so realistic… I'm sorry you're going to have to deal with my rambling on all of these chapters because this has already become my new favourite comfort fic you have no idea I am attached attached /END ID]

[IMAGE ID: User, ExtraTiredOfYourCrap, states:

Seriously though, the way that you describe mental illness and all that fun stuff is so realistic, a lot of the things that the brothers talk about are things that I know that I myself have thought or experienced and it's so cool to see them out on paper like this, keep up the great work!! /END ID]

[IMAGE ID: User, disastor, states:

i think its so fucking funny when its like

really devastating and like highkey relatable fanfic "follow me on tumblr <3"

anyway, I really felt this. shadow is literally just autism. thank you for your time /END ID]

These, right here, are my favorite fics I've ever written because of what they did for the people who read them. I always enjoy writing emotions, real-life situations, conditions, and not often represented minorities. Because of the way it resonates with people, the healing and rawness of it.

Everything I write its is for me, yeah, but it's also to the people just like me, and when they reach those people who need it most, or see themselves within something I created with my own two hands, it means more to me than anything else. Because it's fulfilled it's second purpose:

To make you feel.

[styrmwb]

I beat Persona 5 Royal

aaaaaaa AAAAAAAA a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a

a

Knocking another game off the list of games I should have played a long time ago, and this one is just... so so so so good. Ever since I booted it up I was absolutely absorbed into the game the entire way through. I don't think I really had Persona in my sight until Joker was announced for Smash a while back, and then this game was always like "I really need to at least interact with it like I have every other character in Smash", but that obviously took a while. I am glad I waited though, cause from what I've heard, Royal is just objectively the better experience. For what is my first entry into the series, it completely hooked me and I am in for the rest (and also SMT but that's later)

Gameplay

Turn! Based! RPG! Of course I'm gonna fucking like it I love turn based RPGs. But like actual shit, there's two aspects to this game and I love them both.

Battling/Hanging out in the Metaverse is very fun. All turn based needs to really pop off in the modern day is fun options, and I feel as though I am given that. Baton passing alone is all I really needed, as it makes me think of the optimal order to take down each enemy for the best result. I absolutely loved the magical elements used. Like yeah you got the classic Fire, Ice, Wind, Electricity, but then you also got fucking Psy, Bless, Curse, and my new favorite of all time Nuke???? I love Nuke so much it's such a cool concept! They each have like, their own unmentioned counters/duos which is super cool! Also Almighty goes incredibly hard. Then you add on the buffs and debuffs. I FREQUENTLY used all of them and felt like they were critical to fights which is awesome. Combine these two for technicals, certain statuses making a weakness when hit with certain elements, it's just such a joy and it makes battles where I can actively use all of these something I look forward to (and then when you have a stupid bullshit fight and your name is Okumura, I hate you forever and I'm going to date your daughter in revenge, FUCK that fight eternally it was the only boss I actively disliked).

The other half of the game is your slice of life student simulator. The other half of the game is also like crack, and I swear they put demons in the game cause something would possess me whenever I got to roam the world. Despite the limited clock, I relished managing my time. I loved thinking of who to spend my time with, when to focus on skills rather than confidants, how to optimize my Mementos trips, knocking out an entire Palace all at once so I could have maximum time for the rest of the month, it was so addictive! It really came to a head in the Royal Third Semester section where I literally created saves and calculated if I had enough time to do everything I wanted to, and finished it on Literally the last free day. Also, when like 75% of your game is writing, it helps when the writing is good, and I absolutely loved reading everything, but maybe I'll talk about that more later.

Last bit that I'm gonna expand on why I love more later, but I was NOT expecting this game to be a monster collector. Regardless, I loved the flow of collecting new guys, then seeing what I could fuse together to obtain.

Characters

I! Love! This! Cast! I love them to the bottom of my heart! The best way to make me love an RPG is by making me care about the core group to the bottom of my heart and I do. When I write these, I mean the tag of game ramblings literally cause this is all just stream of thought, so I have a feeling this is gonna be the longest section. Sorry in advance.

The Phantom Thieves of Hearts is a name that goes incredibly hard (and I wish they didn't make me name the group separately cause I just stuck with the default anyways (I'm a default daniel)), and a group that I hope keeps their group chat open for the rest of their lives and is always friends.

Ryuji is my fucking BOY. I don't care if he's an idiot and needs to keep his damn mouth shut sometimes, I'm ride or die with that dude for life. I thought his backstory as a former track star now dealing with his physical disability and ruined record was really interesting, and added an extra layer to the usual delinquent + stupid best friend energy. In battles, I would bring him in when I needed to smash shit, cause he does that Very well. Captain Kidd is a sick design and namesake, and I really wish I could have kept the basic design.

Morgana :) kitty (despite what he says). I'll admit, he's not my Favorite of the bunch (this does not mean he is bad! B tier is still good, but it is ultimately below A and S!) as his bits of I'm NOT A CAT and Lady Ann~ didn't really hit it for me, and I didn't usually use him in battles, as Joker tended to take over the wind damage role (although I always used him for healing outside, or in harder battles), but I cannot deny that he's a very good companion. It was nice to have your little buddy always by your side. He's with you when you're playing games. He's cheering you on while you eat a big burger. He lays on top of you at night like a cat is best at doing and he confides his secrets in you. I get why he had his moment of weakness and insecurity, but if that was me in there, I'd be giving Morgana as much love and appreciation as I could.

Ann is so strong, both story wise and game wise. Seeing her rise up against the constant bullshit she has to deal with, from the teacher, her best friend's struggles, and other models, was inspiring, and I rooted for her constantly. I essentially always had her in battle, with the magic SP usage down passive, her fire damage being usually relevant, and her buffs/debuffs being Very useful. Ann was the goat in the whole playthrough. I almost chose her as the romance but sadly I held out and was rewarded for doing so. Also, her third awakening Persona SLAPS

Yusuke is... probably my least favorite member of the group. Again, not bad. Not hated. Just least favorite. I rarely ever used him in battle, but his up to evasion did very much come in clutch. I couldn't really mesh with his love for the arts, but that's mainly on me over the actual writing of the character I think. I did, however, really appreciate the fact that he was clearly struggling in life and had a group to back him up. I also quite enjoyed his literal starving artist shtick. Poor guy, let him eat the sushi and have more than sugar water and slice of toast for dinner.

Makoto is amazing. Such a sudden turn around from stuck up student president to the MVP of the group. Her design is so cool, I loved the biker aesthetic, the fist weapons, the fucking motorcycle! Her role as someone to bring thoughts and logic to the group, as well as the connection to an "antagonist" with her relation to Sae was very needed. I wish her confidant storyline focused a little more on her, but that's ok. The girl's an absolute badass, and a joy to have in the group. She was another essential part of the team, usually being my team buffer, but also nuke damage is goated (again it's like, my favorite element in this game). Plus both of her showtimes are amazing lmao

Futaba is my little sister, and deserves a hug. Her palace is absolutely heartbreaking, and it is something that makes me so so glad to see what happens to her afterward. Seeing her grow from a severely traumatized teen wanting to die to someone that enjoys and loves life and her friends makes me so happy. She didn't deserve ANYTHING that happened to her. Gameplay wise, once I started to get her levels up and max her confidant, she absolutely came in clutch, and somehow always consistently gave me whatever support I needed. I also quite enjoyed her constant nerd references that came really close to lawsuits (she straight up said gym leader)

Haru :) <3 I love Haru. The moment I saw her, acting like a dramatic masked hero, and then she fuckin pulls out an axe and grenade launcher, it was over. I've seen a lot of people lamenting her screen time, and while I do wish she got more, it certainly didn't stop me from enjoying her character (although maybe Royal helps that?). She's sweet, silly, caring, soft, and somehow brutal. Like Kirby in human form. I feel like she really got it rough out of the party, her dad getting assassinated, and still having to deal with the burdens of a company, but she still made it through. She's the best. Gameplay, I feel like she very much came in clutch with her Psy affinity constantly comboing for technicals, and her reflect spells protecting Joker from dying. Fuck you Okumura and the stupid fiancee you picked I'M GONNA GIVE HARU THE BEST LIFE EVER TO SPITE YOU

Akechi is interesting. The moment I see this fucker, my brain connects him to Light from Death Note. I'm constantly waiting for him to hit his villain arc. Then he joins the party, and I'm surprised! Oh shit, that's the second big rpg I've played this year that has a surprise party member I didn't know about! How cool :) Then pancakes happen, and I realize the game sucker punched me into forgetting that THE DUDE WAS SUS AS FUCK FROM THE START THE BASTARD! I really enjoyed him in the third semester though. Completely dropping the act, and powering through full of anger and spite regardless of his inevitable fate. Akechi is a cool character. I didn't use him much in battle, but he was great for big physical/gun numbers. Also Loki is a sick ass Persona.

Then the last member, Sumire. i do feel like she felt... a little forced in? Like I could definitely tell she was extra Royal content. I wish she had more scenes with the group, and longer playability. Regardless though, I still enjoyed her character. A story of someone dealing with self-esteem and aspirations of death really hits close to home, and I loved seeing her accept herself, still walk forward in life, and thrive, finding a group she belongs in. I can't say much gameplay wise cause she just wasn't there for long, but her big physical moves were very appreciated in the final battle.

Now everyone else. The other confidants were very enjoyable. Sojiro is like, EASILY the best one out of the whole group. He's my actual literal dad, and I wish Joker could have stayed with him cause fuck his real parents, if no one got me I know Sojiro got me! I also really enjoyed Iwai I'm just a sucker for dad type characters. While I don't really fuck with the whole maid-master shit, I did still really like Kawakami too. The only one I didn't really care for was Ohya. I just like... couldn't lock in with her or her story line (we love Lala though!) Everyone else, even Shinya, I wanted to see through their story, and was excited for each bit I got. (Shoutouts to Yoshida, the ONLY good politician. This is how you can tell this is a fictional game)

The villains as I look back, aren't exactly the peak of characters compared to most of the list, but they were still enjoyable. Kamoshida was the perfect introduction, an absolute scumbag the game made sure you would hate, and someone that set the tone for me of what the rest of the game would look like. Like, once I noticed the middle name of his boss fight being one of the princes of hell, I got really excited. Madarame and Kaneshiro were fine, I more appreciated what they served narratively over their actual characters. Okumura is a piece of shit and I hate him forever (but jokes aside there was something very cathartic about a game presenting a CEO as a cartoonishly evil pile of garbage), and Shido I felt was a nice way to tie everyone together, having connections to everyone from the start. I can't really call Sae a villain per se, but I will put her here anyways. I thought her palace was super cool, and her turn from antagonist to support was appreciated. Yaldabaoth I think was a cool reveal character, and an awesome classic JRPG ending, but overall I think I appreciated Shido more.

Now since this is Royal, the real MVP is Maruki. I love this dude. I appreciated him at the start, a therapist character I feel like, isn't something super common? I loved how much it seemed like he genuinely cared about people. And that was his whole deal, even to the end. He wasn't a bad guy, he honest to god cared about people. Like yeah, he wasn't doing anything the right way, and even his outfit being like a bishop or a pope showed that he was Not there mentally, but he was such a cool character. A hurt and sad man who lost too much, wanting to prevent others from feeling the same way. I think he especially makes me appreciate how the Phantom Thieves' methods don't kill, because it gave him a semi happy ending. Now, I think I've rambled about characters long enough, but again, I did really enjoy this whole cast.

Story

I think the fact that I played this game at this time in my life rather than when it came out is nothing but a benefit, because the story of a group of people hurt by society fighting back against the shitheads and taking down the corrupt really hits different (although it does have a bit of an FFVII effect where the mass popularity and marketing of the game kinda goes against the original message, I can't help but think of the possible Okumura or Kaneshiro in the background). But regardless. I was locked in the whole way through. Most of my love for the writing of this game comes with the characters and their interactions and stories, but that major theming of rebellion, fighting for the people, just sits well in my heart.

Like I mentioned before, this was my first Persona game. It also feels weird to like, Say this, but I am a big fan of Jojo as well, Part 4 being my favorite. Persona hits that same itch, that slice of life setting, a group of high schoolers having fun, enjoying their life, but also fighting against the people harming their city and way of life. It's like, a venn diagram that's a circle (I've heard 4 is even more similar and I'm looking forward to playing that next).

The writing felt very modern, like whoever was behind it was in tune with what they were portraying. The dialogue, the subjects, things that felt real, even if they were caricatured or something like that, I could see that this was a real world, and I really appreciated that.

The Look. The Vibe.

Holy fuck this game is aesthetic incarnate. The style imbued into every single pixel; the menus, the transitions, the bits where the model of like Joker, or Iwai, or Takemi moving around; the ransom letter aesthetic with the flat colors and everything MY GOD it's such a good looking game!

The music is an essential part of this as well. There's a joke I've seen occasionally (it might just be exclusive to a community I'm in but I could be wrong) that Persona 5 invented jazz, and I'd believe it honestly. The soundtrack feels like, perfect background music. It's usually not the Highlight of the scene (save for any vocal track stealing the show), but it's ALWAYS the enhancer of any moment. I can feel the stress of battle, I can feel the chill vibes of a rainy day, I get hyped when we're stealing a treasure, etc.

This game is an A+ class example of style, making any activity you're doing enjoyable.

Hoo Boy.

I mean. Fuck. I don't think I've felt this entranced by a game in a good while. VII Rebirth was up there for sure, but something about Persona just felt addicting.

Something I really really really loved about this game that I couldn't quite fit anywhere else, but makes me super excited to check out the rest of the series, is the usage of mythology. Mythology is sick as fuck. But what really got me hooked, is how EVERY sort of mythology was used. You got your classic Greek and Egyptian. You have plenty of Japanese Yokai, but then you also have gods and monsters from like... things that people still actively worship??? From religions that are in my head as "religion" and not "mythology". Seeing angels and demons from Abrahamic religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, and even seeing some old Zoroastrianism in there? Also like, to bring it back to the start, using mythical creatures from everywhere! I saw European monsters, Celtic creatures, American cryptids, the whole thing was so cool! This alone is a huge part of what made me addicted to this game. I wanted to keep seeing just where they would pull inspiration from, and I was constantly surprised and overjoyed, reading the backgrounds for everything, and going to look up where some of them came from, trying to guess what else would be next. I genuinely cannot wait to play more Persona and later Shin Megami Tensei to get more of this kind of stuff, but also I think I need to take a break so I don't get burned out hahaha

I loved my time playing this game. I can see why it's so loved. Sure, there were a couple things that I wish hit my heart or I connected to a little more, but overall I am very satisfied with my experience.

9.7/10. Great characters, great concept, amazing style and super cool inspiration. Some things just needed a little extra to really hit home for me for a perfect 10, but still an experience that will stick with me.