#This is way longer than I meant it to be lmao

[fallen--starlight]

hi tumblr user if-you-soul i need to preface this by saying i was actually discussing the god awful mischaracterization this fandom inflicts on HMS with my besties & opened tumblr to look for your reblog of that soul fanart saying "YOU fell for the character's facade that was meant to be dismantled by the viewer!" & got hit w this & it MADE MY DAY. i fucking love this album to death & im a soul fictionkin so these things drive me up a fucking wall

cccc is pretty straightforward while also being purposefully vague & left up to interpretation in many areas but soooo many people take interpretation to twisting the narrative until its no longer what it was & it makes me ask myself did we listen to same tracks here?? where are yall getting these things from???? this got rly fucking long so im adding a cut here voilá

when people talk abt the mischaracterization in the fandom its usually focused on heart & mind so im INSANELY glad to see someone talk abt the soul shit. cause what kinda crack are people on?? he never threatens to harm h&m except for at the end of TSE where he is... having a mental breakdown? have people forgotten what it's like to have a breakdown??? you say shit you dont mean bc you're splitting at the seams & falling apart. there is no point in the entire album where soul is portrayed as manipulative/entitled/evil/violent/abusive/erratic, which are descriptions a surprisingly large amt of ppl seem to subscribe to? HE'S A VICTIM !!!! & im so glad you said it! i too have been in a kind of middleman position to parties fighting with each other & its insanely detrimental to one's mental health & had me at an incredibly low point so yeah TSE feels deeply personal to me & soul's character in general (waves in soul kin again LMAO), drives me bonkers how ppl describe him.

mind WISHES he was unfeeling. heart calling him an automaton freak doesnt mean he doesnt feel! it means that he just PUSHES AWAY & REPRESSES EMOTION, or at least tries to. like one has to really emphasize that everything between the heart acoustic & the soul eclectic has mind clearly displaying rage & bitterness & all kinds of emotions. even the end of TME says "maybe my existence might be by design, a simple fact that he'll refuse to see" like bro says its a maybe & then immediately claims its a fact yall are falling for his facade so hardcore its not even funny atp. the way people treat heart is borderline gross, he is NOT an uwu baby innocent boy that doesnt know anything & ppl infantilize him so much idek why. heart represents emotion- ALL emotions. & you're right! emotions are so fucking draining & exhausting at times, especially if you're mentally ill! all this weird portrayal of evil mind & innocent heart is so ?? can i quote TSE with neither is wrong yet neither is right. all 3 of them are neither good nor evil. they're people. they're human. the album really emphasizes this a lot.

the juno incident & RoE in general is made to be a much bigger deal by the fandom that it really is. applies to more than one thing in cccc but RoE takes the cake tbh. & yeah! whole is an entirely fanon thing lololol like im pretty fucking sure even chonny jash has said this someway or another. what we call whole is literally just...chonny. i think ppl took dream's "when harmonia shines, atlas beholds her" & RAN. & honestly i like whole hcs but this brings me to another thing: i really feel like cccc fans come up with so many hcs & interpretations for the album that they forget what the canon is in favor of their fanon. there's so much shock gore & gore in general for lowkey no reason in here </3 its so much & for what. fanon is awesome like everyone should be free to do whatever but i do wish ppl would Remember Canon a bit more & separate their hcs from it more. along with the gore. where are yall getting all this insane amount of gore & violence from. i feel like any violence alluded to in the album is more metaphorical than it is physical bc emotions can be felt violently. internal violence. the album is abt the never ending cycle of mental illness getting better & then getting bad again & so forth as a natural part of life & accepting yourself in those moments.

tl;dr u r so correct & i couldnt agree more & you've voiced the way i've felt abt this fandom for ages we lost the fucking plot & kept running anyways lets pause & find it again thank you so much for sharing ur yapsesh with us

Mischaracterization in the CCCC fandom: a yapsesh (alternative title: Erm... What the Gore is Going On?)

Hi. Woaw. I'm actually making that post I talked about.

So. One thing I've noticed in the CCCC fandom is this weird fixation on gore, torture, violence, etc. Usually a level of graphic content that makes your average horror flick look... pretty tame!

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy horror! I even think a horror story based around psychological conflict similar to CCCC could work well!

But is it just me, or has this fandom COMPLETELY lost track of what the characters are like in the source material?

Like. Let's be real. Nowhere in the album does Soul do gruesome surgeries on Mind, nowhere does Mind go ripping people to shreds like Doomguy, et cetera. The closest thing we have to an implication of violence is what most of us call the "Juno incident"- as even "tines stabbed through eyes" is clearly a metaphor with the next line: "that the sides have condemned."

Im gonna talk ab the characters themselves under the cut

I feel the biggest victim of this mischaracterization is Soul. In the album he's... kind of a victim, really. He toughs out being dismissed and fought over and pushed aside and outright dehumanized for so, so long. Are we seriously just... going to characterize him based solely on his lowest point in TSE? Spring and a Storm and Mucka Blucka are also songs where he's present- along with his presence in Just Apathy that the fandom seems to outright deny to keep their characterization of him as some violent, abusive monster. (Which, again, is quite literally never alluded to! He's honestly kind of a victim, if anything!)

Ohhkay. Next topic. Mind. Oh boy I have thoughts on how people characterize Mind.

He's not emotionless. If you believe this, you've fallen for his stoic facade. All of his songs are just. So full of so much rage. Maybe even a little bit of grief and sadness and fear, masked by said rage. He isn't some emotionless robot- (Heart calls him an automaton as an insult, but that's another rant.) and honestly it feels like such a disservice to such an interesting character with so much unexplored depth to portray him as such.

Heart. Oh boy. Where do I start. Heart what did they do to you.

Heart is the emotional side, yes, but that isn't just some... smol innocent uwu baby who cries all the time. Emotions aren't small and cute and timid. They're INTENSE and PASSIONATE and EXHAUSTING. Strong emotions leave you so, so drained, good OR bad. This is so much more interesting than portraying him as some "uwu hai dere!!" type of character. Which is nowhere in the album.

Whole is hardly even a character. Soul worshipping and praying to whole is fanon.

This fandom's weird obsession with creating shock gore and one-upping each other in a violence competition has spiraled pretty far out of control, and it's honestly crazy. How do you go from an album about internal conflict to violence that would make even the cast of Resident Evil cringe? Brah.

Final notes uhhh. Soul is a victim who got pushed to his limit, not an evil heartless abuser. Mind is angry and unstable and hurt, not some emotionless robot. Heart is the entire emotional spectrum, not some innocent baby. Ok i . I think that's all. Have a good one

[nenoname]

stan twins the canon cptsd brothers i will always think about all your unaddressed issues that would make perfect plot fuel for your spinoff

and also the whole 'stan getting that poem by bill via a website which contrasts with bill getting one from the axolotl via a website' foreshadowing thing

like idk i would love something like su future but like more optimistic, aka not an accumulated breakdown that has to be mostly resolved off screen at the end :/// but something thats being kinda addressed throughout? (although would love to see one of them turn into a monster thats always fun lol)

stan having severe issues from his dad and those years of being homeless that we keep on getting more info on but never really getting confronted on (the drifter catalogue and tijuana incident...), him being completely alone for like twenty years when running the shack before soos comes along to the point that 1998 is noted as his low point, and him not really learning about bill+what he did to ford until ages after he killed him if he ever did get the full context

while i think amnesia and everyone seeing him as a hero actually helped with stan's 'i'm a worse version of my brother' thing its still a lingering issue too and we now got him being insecure over his own hands

ford being immediately thrown from 'being tortured by bill' to 'being stuck in the multiverse and being chased by bounty hunters constantly', him fully expecting himself to die when destroying bill, and him only now being safe for the first time in 30 years ....relatively safe, he's still in constant danger because of course he is

idk in the end the series wants them to be happy and they deserve it, its why i wasn't too worried about the book being like 'ooh bill is back!! and the book is haunting ford' thing cos i knew they'll be ok

[doodle-dragons]

finally finished my mane six redesigns! ive been toying around with these for ages now. height comparison and design notes under the cut!

earth ponies are naturally stocky, with tough hooves covered only partially by their fetlocks. very strong tails which they can use to sweep or whack things. their snouts dont curve like other ponies

pegasi are typically lithe, with hollow bones. their coats are thicker than other ponies, designed to keep them warm at high altitudes. their hooves are covered by a thin layer of velvet to keep them protected during flying. they also have excellent hearing! hence their longer ears

unicorns are considered graceful and beautiful. they have cloven hooves, and long fetlocks. their hair tends to be wavy. their have long tails that serve only for aesthetics. they have shorter, more smooth snouts. they also, regardless of gender, have beards!

each of the pony races have a "heart mark" on their back left hoof, which first appears as a simple heart at birth, and later changes to match their cutie mark more closely

applejack; her tail is kept short to avoid it getting in the way of work. the green in her mane comes from her pear blood. her cutie mark is meant to look like a quilt piece. similarly, her handkerchief is filled with references to her family and loved ones. lastly, her hat has stitching of a gem and a heart

fluttershy; i gave her a very deer like appearance, and markings on her wings to resemble birds. her ears are a bit longer, to resemble a bunny! she has small wings that are really only good for gliding. shes part unicorn (idk i just thought itd be cute if one of her parents was a unicorn) she used to keep her mane long but rarity was horrified by how many twigs and leaves she picked up, so she convinced shy to cut it. she quite likes it!

pinkie pie; PIEBALD PINKIE. gave her blue stripes to bring cotton candy to mind. her design is very asymmetrical which just feels very pinkie! even her eyes, they heterochromatic. the left being blue, and the right yellow. she keeps her hair up most of the time so it doesnt get in her way (during baking, party planning, baby sitting, ect) ALSO FAT PINKIE RIGHTS

rainbow dash; i wanted her coat to resemble the sky, hence the markings on her legs. her mane and tail are kept short to keep them out of her way. she is rarely seen without googles, as she wears them when she flys to protect her eyes

rarity; FAT RARITY RIGHTS. ahem. her eyes are green (small play on being green with envy) and she has poor eyesight, so she wears her glasses regularly. honestly, hers is pretty simple but i wanted it to be elegant, and beautiful

twilight sparkle; her design more closely resembles the sky at twilight now. deep purple fading into golden yellow. i had to keep her pink, but swapped purple in her hair for yellow cause the rainbow power ups got One thing right (also lends more cohesion to her design) becoming an alicorn granted star markings across her coat, which you can see constellations in! (only two but.. shush) i also changed her hair to resemble equestria girl's scitwi more. its just a cute look

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

There's a small moment in the Hunter x Hunter 2011 anime that I thought was pretty cute. It's close to the beginning, during the Hunter Exam, when they're looking for pigs in the forest. Gon slides down a hill, and Killua follows him, only for him to crash because Gon had stopped at the bottom of the hill. This scene!

It's one of those rare little bits added by an adaptation that really add to the characters - because yeah, this was not in the manga.

I find this anime is really good at adding little moments that either

are just cute or endearing

are fun extra interactions that show off the character dynamics more

actually highlight something about the characters in question

This one, I feel, does all three. First of all, I just love seeing Killua a bit more involved in their group before the eventual reveal of "he just wanted to be friends". It's really sweet.

But mostly, I think it's interesting that Killua assumed Gon was just messing around, when Gon was actually focusing his efforts on beating the challenge. Because, sure, Killua finds Gon somewhat intriguing, and he really wants to stick around him due to his desire for a friend - but Killua still sees himself as a class above pretty much everyone else there, and also as an assassin in a category so firmly removed from "regular kid".

So, Killua totally misreads Gon here. He assumes Gon is just doing a regular kid thing and attempts to mimic it so he can join in. It doesn't actually occur to him that Gon was tracking the pigs, or focusing on the task at hand.

It's a far cry from later on, where Killua and Gon are primarily a team effort - in sync, aware of the others' strengths, and taking each other quite seriously.

And part of it, of course, is that they just don't know each other very well at this point. But I think another thing is that Killua, during most of the Hunter Exam, is more invested in what Gon represents than who he is, necessarily.

His first friend represents rebellion against his family, childish enjoyment, and the desire for connection and understanding that he is not receiving. And even though, as time goes on, he grows more and more impressed with Gon, I really don't think it fully clicked that he wanted that friend he wished for to be specifically Gon until he was confronted by Illumi.

I also think Killua takes Gon a lot more seriously after the fight with Hanzo, and especially after Gon went all the way to the Zoldyck estate to save him. Before the Hanzo fight, Killua was outright irritated by Gon being ranked higher than him overall, and was even a little bitter at the beginning of the fight ("I could've dodged that easily" comes to mind).

By Heavens Arena, I feel they both have a much firmer grasp on, and appreciation for, who the other is as a person. Killua is more consciously aware of his investment in Gon as an individual rather than an abstract, and Gon is aware of Killua's crappy upbringing and is quick to be very supportive of him as he figures things out for himself.

During the Hunter Exam though, a lot of the interactions between them feel a lot like Killua is either mimicking or acting out "regular kid" behaviours, either because that's what he thinks Gon is already doing, or he wants to see if Gon will respond in kind.

Aaaaand... he does. :)

So, while they do not have what I feel is a true depth of bond here yet, the foundation is already being laid down for their powerful friendship - Gon and Killua both show an immediate willingness and enjoyment to go along with what the other wants to do and to try out what the other is good at, and they wind up having a whole lot of fun together right off the bat.

[harundraws]

Vampire Taivan Vampire Taivan Vampire Taivan Vampire Tai--- the comic is based on @novelconcepts vampire au yj fanfic !!

👉🏼the link to novelconcepts’ post to the fic ✨

SOOO since i couldn't finish this during halloween (it was a spontaneous decision... i didn't even mean to draw a comic, the pages just started appearing... !!!!) i decided to not rush w/this and wow would you look at that, the pages doubled (4) but right now here's the first 2!

[m4gp13]

this is kind of inspired by @bvckbiter and their TA hybrid/shifter au and I love it because I love demigods being weirder! They're only HALF human.

I love the idea of demigods having a very noticeable aura around them (that they canonically have and can be canonically picked up on by other demigods) that mortals can vaguely feel, like a bad vibe, in a similar way that gods have a very strong aura of power. When Percy meets Hades, he can feel his divinity and feels like he should be deferring to Hades. Demigods could (*cough cough* should *cough cough*) have a watered-down version of this.

It lends itself really well to this sense of the 'perpetual foreigner' that demigods must experience. They're too human for their godly parents and they're too godly for the mortal world. This is why places like CHB and CJ are important. These characters can only find solace and community with each other and this is why the characters fight so hard to protect these places!

Aside from illustrating the gap between demigods and the mortal world, it also plays very nicely into the disability metaphor from which the series is built. As someone with hidden disabilities, I know how common of a thing it is for people to know there's something off with me, but they can feel it. We just have a 'weird vibe' that neurotypicals find off-putting. It's no fault of our own and it's not something we can control, this is just what we're like but it serves to push away the people around us and act as a barrier to their ability to understand us. Sound familiar????? It should! The og series is so laden with themes and metaphors surrounding hidden disabilities that this has to be intentional and I wish Rick had gone further with it.

It would have been great to see more of the completely regular mortals in the pjoverse and how they interact with this totally alien world and characters who only have one foot in each world. We should have gotten more from Paul, from Rachel, from Piper's dad, from Annabeth's stepmother (AND BROTHERS!!!)

Demigods may only be half god, but they're also only half human, and that side of their lives is criminally under-explored.

[camels-pen]

warning: eating disorders/food issues

-

"Something wrong with it?"

Usopp startled and snapped his head to the side. His nose jabbed Sanji's eye and they both hissed. Usopp jerked away to rub the tip of his nose.

"Fuck, I forgot about that," Sanji grumbled. There was a contrasting, fond smile on his face as rubbed his eye. "Anyway, the food?"

"What about it?"

"What's wrong with it?"

Usopp turned his gaze back to his plate. Plenty of pork chops piled high- at Luffy's request for a meat-filled dinner- and mashed potatoes with green beans on the side. His mouth salivated again just staring at it.

"Nothing," he said. "Just taking my time."

He could feel Sanji's unimpressed stare. "You've been 'taking your time' through the whole dinner. Everyone's already finished and left. The moss ball even finished the dishes, and we both know how he likes to dawdle."

Despite himself, Usopp giggled quietly. When it was his turn to do dishes, Zoro always took his time, waiting for Sanji to get frustrated with his speed and leave him to finish it alone. It was the perfect strategy to steal booze when Sanji wasn't looking, but it seemed Usopp had unknowingly thwarted his first sake stealing attempt after their reunion.

As if reading his mind, Sanji said, "I let him steal that alcohol, you know. I'm not that stupid." He huffed, voice sounding like he was pouting as he added, "It's the only damn way I can keep an eye on his shitty drinking habits. He'd constantly drink us dry otherwise, that damn mossheaded bastard."

Usopp giggled again and made the mistake of glancing up at him. Sanji was staring across the room at the kitchen, probably the place he'd put all the good booze. He'd confided in Usopp, once, that he had two hiding places for drinking alcohol: one, more obvious place, by the fridge for the cheap stuff, and another, hidden somewhere he wouldn't say, for all the more expensive and high quality stuff. He'd confidently crowed, on more than one occasion, that despite the cheap stuff always going missing, he'd never lost a drop of anything else. He always looked so smug saying that, and well, Usopp now knew why.

But then his eye- the left one now, and despite looking right at it, the change had still caught him off guard more than once- turned to Usopp and Usopp clammed up. Sanji stared at him, his eyebrow- this one curled on the opposite side, closer to his nose bridge than his ear- raised high on his forehead. "If you're well enough to laugh at Zoro, it can't be that bad."

Usopp gulped. Looked away. "I'm not sick," he said quietly. "The food looks great, Sanji, really. Eating is just..." He trailed off. Neither of them spoke for a long moment, only the sounds of their distant crewmates enjoying the sight of their descent to the ocean's floor filling the galley.

Sanji's arm slowly, hesitantly, laid on the back of his chair- Sanji didn't used to hesitate, but, he supposed, things had changed. He settled himself in the chair next to Usopp, rather than continue to lean over him, and said softly, "Eating is just...?"

Usopp stared at the grain on the table, studying the lines and deviations with an intense and sudden fascination.

"Usopp."

"It's hard," he mumbled.

Another silence, this one less expecting and more confused. Awkward.

"You ate fine at breakfast...?" Sanji said, voice lilting up at the end, almost in question.

Usopp snorted. 'Ate fine' was a kinder way of putting it. Usopp had demolished breakfast, nearly rivaling Luffy with how much and how quickly he ate. The usual sense of desperation had dimmed slightly, now that he was with his crew, but it was still there, dictating his eating habits. He would've felt more ashamed if he hadn't seen Luffy, Franky, and Brook eating in the exact same disgusting manner. Instead, he felt right at home.

He had wondered, privately, if something similar had happened to them. Had tossed around the idea of asking them about it. Then he would think back to how they used to eat, before. How it was exactly the same. How they had all basically cried that they'd so dearly missed Sanji's cooking. He couldn't blame them, he nearly sobbed over Sanji's pancakes- and then did sob over his hashbrowns.

"The island got hungry at dawn," he started. Stopped. Stared at the little vase of daisies at the centre of the table that Robin had gathered from her garden- now shared with Usopp. "It would close up. Then open. After, everything was... safe. For a little while."

He gulped again, cringing at his dry throat. He stared at the glass of water, a little wet stain under it. Luffy had bumped his glass earlier when he stole a few chops off of Usopp's pile.

Usopp didn't reach for it.

"You know, I was expecting grand stories of your heroics when you finally talked about where you were." Usopp shrunk in his seat. "No- no, come on I didn't mean it like that. I was just trying to make a joke."

"You should leave the jokes to the experts." Usopp's lip quirked. "Even Brook's better than you."

Out of the corner of his eye, Sanji scowled. "Brook wouldn't know a good joke if it kicked him upside the head."

Usopp giggled again, relaxing. "Admit it, you missed his skull jokes."

Sanji huffed. "...Maybe a little."

In the background, they could hear Zoro talking about taking a swim followed by a familiar thud and Nami yelling at him. They both giggled this time, leaning into each other.

"God, I missed everyone. I missed-" Sanji cut himself off and Usopp turned to look at him. There was a wobble to his lips and his visible eye stared intently at him. Usopp would almost say Sanji looked longing- yearning, even- if he didn't know better.

"I know," he said. "I missed everyone too." Sanji's eyes pinched a little at the corners, but Usopp didn't know why. He didn't linger on it long though, what with Sanji's smile as he pressed his temple to Usopp's for a moment. Usopp's heart would've beat wildly two years ago, but now all he felt was warm and content.

Sanji hummed in agreement and pulled away. Patting his pockets, likely for a cigarette. Usopp pulled the one tucked behind his ear, admiring the feel of soft blond hair a moment too long before handing it to him. Sanji chuckled and accepted it with a quiet thanks.

He lit it and sat back in his chair, relaxing with the first inhale. "Back to the important stuff." Usopp would argue all of that was important stuff. "You only felt safe to eat breakfast?"

Usopp shook his head. Then tilted it side to side. "No- well, sort of. It was never really safe, but..." He rolled the words around his mouth, feeling out the right ones while discarding others. "It was... easier. To eat a lot in the morning. Gather food later in the day. Then sleep when I got hungry closer to sunset."

Sanji blew out a puff of smoke. "You didn't have anyone to watch your back while you were eating?"

"I did." Usopp nodded, a sense of pride filling him as he puffed out his chest. "Heracles'n was a great friend and teacher! We took turns watching out for each other and, well, he's the reason I survived that island in the first place." He flexed one of his biceps. "He also helped me get a whole lot stronger!"

Sanji pursed his lips around his cigarette. "But you didn't eat dinner. Or lunch." Today nor in nearly two years, though Sanji likely meant the latter.

Usopp deflated, arm settling back down in his lap. "We couldn't stop moving until sunset. By then it was better to sleep and eat heap loads in the morning rather than risk dinner and not getting enough rest." He sighed. "Heracles'n was always telling me to eat more berries and fruit throughout the day, but..."

Sanji stared at him. "You had this-island-is-too-scary-so-I-can't-eat-anything-itis?"

Usopp scowled. "I'd like to see you keep up an appetite when you're constantly running and hiding from giant-"

Sanji used his arm to tug Usopp closer, so their sides were pressed together. He pressed his nose to Usopp's hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"What for?" Usopp whispered back.

Sanji didn't answer, his breaths warming Usopp's head. The galley had grown silent when he finally spoke, the others having found quieter activities or retired to their rooms.

"If I was stronger then- or quicker-"

"Sanji," Usopp said. "There's no way you would've been able to beat Kuma, back then."

Sanji shook his head. "I know, but maybe we could've been sent somewhere together."

There was a bittersweet, choking feeling in the back of Usopp's throat. A burning in his eyes. "You wouldn't have liked it there," he said, laying his head on Sanji's shoulder. "You would've hated it, actually."

"But I would've been with you."

Usopp laughed, the sound wet and brittle. "I wouldn't wish that island on anyone, Sanji, but least of all you. I'm not worth-"

A hand cupped his face, cutting him off as he was turned to face Sanji. His nose was bent, pressing against Sanji's cheek. "You worth a lot, Usopp. You're worth it to-" Sanji's cheeks dusted pink all of a sudden and he looked away. "You're worth a lot. And it would've been nice if I could have watched your back. Made sure you were eating well."

At a loss for words, Usopp turned back to the table, staring at his plate. The mashed potatoes were surely cold and hard by now and he was fairly certain a thick pork chop wouldn't stay down.

The green beans, maybe. Those could work.

He picked one up. His stomach rumbled. He lifted it to his mouth.

His hands shook.

He gulped again. Stared at his hand intensely.

Sanji's hand covered his own. A sudden, terrible spike of anxiety overwhelmed him and he held his breath, hoping Sanji wasn't going to just force him to eat it. He hated wasting food after all and it was already in Usopp's hand and Usopp himself just needed to quit cowering and just eat it already-

Sanji pulled his hand away from his mouth. The tension left Usopp in a rush. Shame took up where anxiety had left, but he forced himself to meet Sanji's eye. He knew what came next.

Before Sanji could say anything, Usopp blurted, "There was food. On the island. Not just fruits and berries and whatever game we could hunt. Pre-cooked food, I mean." Sanji's brow furrowed, but Usopp continued on. "There were these plants- and rivers- that had cake and burgers and ramen and- well, you get the idea. And the closer you got to the centre of the island, the more tasty the food got." He gulped. Coughed a little. Sanji reached for his glass, but Usopp grabbed his wrist in a tight hold. If he didn't get it all out now, he never would.

"I didn't meet Heracles'n immediately. I was on my own at first and- and I didn't completely trust him at first either." He laughed, the sound as self-deprecating as it felt. "The centre of the island, that's where its mouth is."

Sanji's eyebrow furrowed further. "So when you said the island 'got hungry'..."

Usopp nodded. "It was a trap to lure in prey." Quietly, he added, "Like me."

Sanji gasped, his eyes darting down, and wow, Usopp really should've re-thought the whole 'show off his new muscles by going shirtless' plan. He pulled away from Sanji, and pulled up the waist of his pants. "Staring at my stretch marks isn't going to change anything, y'know."

Sheepishly, Sanji said, "Sorry- sorry, I should know better." He held out his arms, with a sad little pout. "Come back?"

Usopp held out for a few moments, glaring at him, but he sighed and eventually gave in. "I hate you," he mumbled into Sanji's shoulder. Sanji patted his back in response.

The two of them sat there in silence once more. Usopp savoured the contact between them, like he had always dreamed of on Boin.

"You had to train yourself to avoid delicious looking foods, then," Sanji said quietly. Usopp nodded. "That makes sense. But then, breakfast?"

A new wave of shame, far heavier than the last. He dug his forehead into Sanji's shoulder. "I don't want to talk about it."

He didn't know how to explain how he had become some kind of wild animal during meals and he didn't want to explain. Heracles'n was already one person too many and earlier, the entire crew had seen him. His heart beat hard and fast in his chest at the reminder, a belated rush of fear to make up for his single minded focus at breakfast.

"Then I won't ask," Sanji said. "You should tell Chopper though-"

Usopp grimaced. "Eventually, but..."

Sanji sighed, pressing his cheek to Usopp's hair. "Okay, but can I make you something? Just a snack or tea or...?"

Usopp huffed. "Sanji-"

"I know, I know! But letting you go to bed hungry is..."

"Hard," Usopp finished for him, pulling away. "I know."

He wasn't going anywhere before Sanji fed him, of that he was sure, but it made Usopp's stomach queasy just thinking about all the snacks Sanji used to make before they were separated.

Some of it must have shown on his face too, since Sanji was already holding up his hands and starting to look even more concerned. "It doesn't have to be anything special. I could just peel a tangerine for you or slice up some apples or juice some pears- I mean oranges! Why would anyone juice pears- oh, hm, I should check that sometime; remind me to write it down. Oh and maybe I could steep a really bitter tea, so you don't have to worry about drinking too much because I know you hate bitter things-"

And Usopp couldn't help himself. He laughed.

Sanji deflated, his brow furrowed in confusion, or maybe it was concern. Usopp didn't know, he was too busy laughing at the absurdity of Sanji being so anxious and speaking every rambling thought. It was adorable and Usopp couldn't help but reach up and squish Sanji's cheeks.

"I lo-" Sanji's eye widened and suddenly, Usopp didn't feel brave enough. "Lost my notebook. We'll have to use one of yours."

"O-Oh, yeah, sure." Sanji nodded, voice slightly muffled by his squished cheeks. He stared at Usopp, his eye asking another question.

Usopp looked away, his eyes landing on the fruit bowl on the bar counter. There were apples, bananas, and pears. He pulled his hands away. "...Nami will be mad at you." he said quietly, weakly.

Sanji sighed, a shaky, relieved little thing. He wrapped his arms around Usopp's middle, crushing him to his chest. "I think she'll forgive me," he said.

Boldly, Usopp added, "What if you made coffee?" The only coffee in the pantry was a fancy jar brought along from a Revolutionary base near a village that prided themselves on their harvest.

Sanji chuckled. "Robin would forgive me too."

Usopp hummed. "You seem awfully confident."

"I am," he said, pulling away completely, his chair squeaking against the floorboards as he stood. Sanji held out a hand, a smile on his lips. "If you don't believe me, let me show you."

And right here, Usopp could've chosen to laugh it off. Said something about not wanting to face Nami's wrath, much less Robin's. Fled the galley completely with an excuse or three and sleep in his workshop while ignoring any and all feelings of guilt. It would've been easy.

But he'd already accepted it. Acknowledged the inevitable consequences instead of turning down those anxious suggestions. How could he do anything else, in the face of such genuine care and concern? To leave now would just hurt them both and the last thing Usopp wanted to do was hurt Sanji.

And, well, he trusted Sanji, to do what he couldn't. Planned to trust him with his heart, at some point.

Trusting him with his stomach, in comparison, was as easy as breathing.

So, Usopp placed a steady hand in Sanji's own, a small, teasing smile on his face, and said, "Lead the way."

[zutaras-where-its-at]

zutara prompt: au in which zuko doesn’t know how to swim and katara teaches him while she’s still unsure whether they can trust him (at the beginning of his redemption arc)

she hates him. really, she does.

he’s a no-good, lying, son of a bitch, and if he hadn’t betrayed them in ba sing se, aang wouldn’t have a scar cratered in the skin of his back. she hates him.

except—

he just looks so…pathetic right now.

everyone else is carving graceful arcs in the water, whooping as they dive headfirst into the frigid-but-still-functioning pool they found in the western air temple. even toph—who notoriously can’t swim and hates being in water—wades casually in the shallow end next to teo.

but zuko won’t even get in.

the heavy look of dread that muddles his sharp features and curls his proud shoulders inward is enough to elicit a stab of sympathy in her for the scorned prince, and katara wonders at the fact that sympathy and hatred are apparently not mutually exclusive.

it’s pity that leads her to brush past him with hardly a glance as she says, “if you don’t know how to swim, you don’t have to get in.”

“i know how to swim,” he snaps, then flinches when he sees who he’s speaking to. calmer, he repeats, “i know how to swim.”

she just ticks a brow speculatively. “you sure?”

zuko has tried very hard to be extra civil with her the last week, but now, she can see just how difficult it is for him to keep the glare off of his face. “i’m sure.”

there’s something there, then. something hesitant and anxious and dark that twists his mouth and keeps his eyes from really looking at her. and katara—observant as she is—recognizes it for what it is.

“okay. so you’re scared.”

he looks stricken, suddenly, adam’s apple bobbing once up and down in his throat. he still won’t look at her. “i’m not.”

it’s sharper now, sitting just under the surface, so katara sinks her talons into it and tugs—“you don’t like the water. you’re afraid of it.”

“i’m not afraid of the fucking water, okay?” he inhales and bites his lip and balls up his fists, “it’s just cold, is all.”

“cold?” she drawls disbelievingly. in the background, aang hollers loudly as he cannonballs into the deep end. “aren’t you a firebender?”

at that, his gold gold gold eyes finally find her face, and she’s startled by the raw panic she sees in them. after a long moment, he seems to make up his mind about something. she watches as he gathers his words properly in his mouth and confesses quietly, “i almost drowned. in the north pole.”

she puts two and two together in record time—because she’d always wondered how he’d snuck into the heart of the northern water tribe under such intense war-time surveillance, had always been confused and resentful of the fact that he’d stolen aang out from right under her nose when she’d least expected it—and frowns.

she thinks about her childhood, how hakoda taught them to check for thin ice, carefully pick their fishing spots, and above all, what to do should they fall in. it’s been drilled in them since they were young, that the ocean is no joke, but the poles are a nightmare should you step wrong. hypothermia, hidden icebergs, the disorienting dark beneath the surface—

katara hates him.

but it’s just so pathetic and sad the way he watches them all with lonely eyes and a fear anyone could see from a mile away.

because all too soon, she’s convinced aang that there’s absolutely no way he and zuko are strong enough firebenders to heat up the swimming pool, and surely zuko hasn’t taught him well enough that they could actually do it in under five minutes, and really, she doubts zuko even knows how to control the temperature so it doesn’t boil them.

she hates him, but maybe—maybe she doesn’t.

[dapperceature]

I'm gonna be gone for a week starting tomorrow so if KOSA passes before I'm back, then I love y'all

Even if there wasn't the threat of being shut away looming over my head, I still love y'all

I'm in a conservative home in a rural area and while I DO love my family, I am still missing out on a community apart from here. Here I can share my art, and see other's art, and be silly, and laugh, and cry, and stand up for myself and others, and learn about ways to help people when I can't give money, and learn what's going on in the world from a whole new perspective!

I love EVERY SINGLE ONE of you!

(at least probably all who are gonna see this, of course there are people on here who suck, but they don't really interact with my posts at all lol)

thank you for giving me a place that feels like home in a way I didn't know places could! I still have a good life outside of here, but this fills that bit that's missing

Thank you <3

And if KOSA IS stopped and I CAN come back then I'll celebrate by making a banger art piece and maybe something out of clay

[manasurge]

1/3 of the way done of this last page, then I can finally post it all o|-<

[kohakhearts]

❛ please don’t leave me. ❜

This with satogou would be so cute 🥰💯

Thank you for doing it if you get round to it!!! ❤️

“please don't leave me” wc: 2576 read on ao3 here

They’re deep in northern Sinnoh when Ash starts sneezing.

“It’s n-nothing,” he says between chattering teeth. “Let’s keep looking.”

Pikachu, nestled in the front of his jacket, shoots Goh a look he can only really describe as mildly threatening. Not that he needed Pikachu’s confirmation, but the message is more than received.

“We could come back another day,” he says, carefully. “Snowpoint City is pretty close to here, right?”

“But it’s a beautiful day. Why would ya waste the chance?” He sneezes again and pats Pikachu’s head apologetically. “Sorry, buddy. I think your fur got up my nose.”

It’s true that the weather is perfect for Pokémon-catching today, and that the unpredictability of the northern climate may very well mean it will be weeks before an opportunity like this presents itself again. And Goh feels fine—he suspects Ash is feeling the chill a bit more deeply because of all the sleep he’s lost recently getting up early in the morning to train with his team. 

Which is a…weird thought, because this is a quality of Ash’s he has always admired. When does tenacity morph into something more hostile to the eternal optimist espousing it? He files that away for later contemplation.

Finally, he heaves a sigh. It billows out in front of him dense and fluffy, like the wings of a Swablu.

“If you’re sure… But you could go back without me, too. I don’t really mind.”

Ash’s expression hardens. “You can’t stay here alone. If it starts to storm, you’ll be trapped. Let’s stick”—he sneezes again—“stick together. ‘Kay?”

“Well…okay.” Goh eyes him dubiously as Pikachu chitters in mild disapproval. “But if you need to go back, just say the word.”

Really, Goh should know better, but he doesn’t want to lose his chance to catch Pokémon he otherwise doesn’t see much. It’s only a few hours later when Ash collapses against a tree and his legs give out on him that Goh realizes it’s a lot more than a budding cold.

“Pikapi!” Pikachu pushes himself up in order to press his nose against Ash’s face, while Ash raises a weak arm to pat his head—or push him away—and mutters, “’M fine, Pikachu, don’t fuss.”

Goh picks his way over the snowbank between them and glowers down at him.

“You are not fine,” he snaps. “I thought you were going to tell me if you felt worse! You need to—”

He stops abruptly, as he feels a snowflake land on his nose. When he lifts a tentative hand in the air, more flakes than he can manage to count dissolve on his palm; some of them sting against the exposed skin between his glove and the sleeve of his jacket.

Ash groans. It sounds more as if he is in pain than irritated at the sudden turn of the weather.

“Look, let’s just—we can make it back to the Pokémon Centre, okay? Let me help you.”

Goh steps forward, but has to stop before he can reach a hand down to Ash as a sudden forceful gust threatens to knock him off his feet too. He grits his teeth and looks down at Ash and Pikachu, his frustration melting into alarm almost immediately when he sees sweat beading his forehead beneath the brim of his hat.

“Okay, Goh, think,” he mutters to himself. “What’s the quickest way back to the Pokémon Centre…?”

He stops as he sees Ash fumbling for one of his Poké Balls. A sense of immense stupidity washes over him when it opens up to reveal Dragonite, who immediately leans down to pull her trainer back up to his feet.

His grip remains on her even once he is standing, clearly the only thing keeping him upright. His other hand comes up to pat her arm weakly in thanks. “’S’not too far to fly,” he promises. “Not a blizzard yet, but ya never know. C’mon, Goh.”

It’s the sound of his own name that finally forces Goh to approach. Ash doesn’t climb on Dragonite right away; the fierce trembling in his legs tells Goh he ought to do so first, so he can pull Ash up after him. It isn’t easy, but they manage, and once Dragonite lifts off from the ground, he slumps against Goh’s back and sucks in a deep, rattling breath.

“Sorry,” he says, very quietly. “Cold.”

Goh swallows hard against the lump trying to form in his throat. “Yeah. It’s okay. We’ll be there soon.”

It thankfully is the truth, too, for in only a handful of minutes he makes out a faint glow of red beneath the flurry of white. The snow has picked up somewhat, but Dragonite doesn’t let it deter her. For Ash’s sake, Goh supposes; there is no doubt of the fierce loyalty he has earned from all his Pokémon.

She lands just in front of the Pokémon Centre, breathing hard from the exertion. When Goh helps Ash come down from her back, he falls against her and does the same.

“Thanks a bunch,” he tells her. His words string together, barely perceptible through the heaviness of his fatigue. “Take a good rest, ‘kay?”

Goh takes Ash’s arm and wraps it around his own neck to keep him standing after he has recalled Dragonite. Pikachu peers up at him from where he is nestled in Ash’s jacket with wide, pleading eyes.

“Inside,” he says with a small tug to get Ash’s feet moving. “Almost there.”

Neither of them speaks again until they make it through the door and Nurse Joy greets them. Her smile falls as soon as her eyes land on Ash, however. In no time at all, she is there helping Goh guide him to a chair.

“Caught in the storm?” she asks, sympathetic.

Ash has slumped over in the chair and gives no response, so Goh tells her, “I think he’s sick. I thought… He said he wasn’t, but the cold…”

Nurse Joy hums. She kneels down in front of Ash and Pikachu, peering up to get a look at his face.

“Ash?” she probes. “Can you look at me? It’s Nurse Joy at the Snowpoint City Pokémon Centre.”

He lifts his head slightly, though doesn’t seem completely aware of her. Gently, she reaches a hand out to touch his face, lips turning down in a concerned frown as she does.

“I think you’d better stay the night,” she says. Turning back to Goh and standing at her full height, she adds, “Some warm fluids and rest are the best solution. He’ll probably be feeling better in the morning. Let me find you a room for the night, all right?”

Despite his best efforts, the lump lodged in his throat has gone nowhere. His voice is very small when he says, “Okay.”

She turns away and makes her way back to the counter. Goh only watches her a moment before a feeble “Pikapi” draws his attention back to Ash and Pikachu.

Ash reaches a hand up to stroke Pikachu’s head. It is shaking so badly he nearly misses. “Don’t worry ‘bout me, Pikachu. I’m okay s’long as you are.”

Goh can only manage to stand and watch, uncomfortably aware that there’s nothing he can do. He should have insisted earlier. He should have noticed sooner than he did. He should have…

“Ash,” he suddenly remembers. “Ash, you should leave Dragonite with Nurse Joy. She’s probably weak from flying through the snow.”

Ash pulls his hand back away from Pikachu and places it over the Poké Balls strapped to his belt. But he does not take Dragonite’s off; his fingers twitch over top of it, as if defensively.

“Dragon types don’t do well in snow,” Goh reminds him. “She might have some frostbite or something. You’re not in any condition to do anything about that yourself.”

Ash recoils slightly. Upon closer inspection, Goh sees that his eyes are glassy; his teeth are chattering too much for him to speak.

At that moment, Nurse Joy returns with a room key, which she hands off to Goh. She smiles kindly at them both.

“Is there anything else you need from me? I was already preparing some soup, so I’ll have it brought up to you once it’s ready.”

“Ash’s Dragonite flew us back here. She seemed tired, so…”

Nurse Joy nods in understanding, then turns to face Ash. “I can take a look at her, Ash.”

Ash’s hand wraps around her Poké Ball, but he doesn’t take it off his belt. “Too cold,” he mutters. “They’ve gotta stay in their balls.”

Goh frowns. “C’mon, Ash, we’re at the Pokémon Centre. It’s perfectly safe here.”

After a beat wherein Ash does not move at all, Pikachu reaches down to pry his hands away from Dragonite’s ball. The reaction is immediate.

“Pikachu! Stop!” He tries to get his hand back in position, but is shivering so violently he doesn’t quite manage before the ball clatters to the floor. His lips thin and he lets out a little hiss, but Goh stoops down to pick it up before Ash can even think of it.

“Just a quick check-up,” Nurse Joy promises as Goh wordlessly passes Dragonite’s ball off to her. “She doesn’t even need to come out of her ball for it. I’ll send it back up with the soup. Why don’t you go get some rest?”

She turns away before Ash can respond, but he doesn’t seem keen on doing so anyway; his head is bowed, hands braced in trembling fists against his knees. Pikachu crawls up from his lap to his shoulder and rubs against his cheek. He doesn’t relax even a bit, which seems just as concerning to Pikachu as it feels to Goh.

Goh leans down to offer Ash his hand. A long moment passes before Ash reaches up and grasps it; Goh releases his held breath in a relieved sigh and tightens his hold to hoist him up to feet. It is effortful work, but they eventually make it to the room Nurse Joy assigned them to. A testament to her charitable insight, it is not far from the front at all.

While Pikachu jumps down and rushes for a bed immediately, Ash stands at the door a moment, swaying slightly on his feet. Goh takes him by the elbow and directs him to follow Pikachu. He sinks into the mattress and wraps his arms around himself. In spite of the warm roof over the head and all the wintergear he’s wearing, he is still shivering.

“Why don’t you take off your jacket?” Goh suggests. “You’ll overheat if you leave it on.”

If anything, he just wraps his arms around himself more tightly. He takes in a deep breath and pushes himself up on the bed so he can lean against the headboard. Pikachu jumps up on his lap and settles down there, apparently with no intention of leaving anytime soon.

Goh sighs. “That can’t be comfortable. Come on.”

“Cold,” is the whining response he gets.

“That’s just— It’s because you have a fever, Ash. Your brain is telling you you’re cold but your temperature’s actually higher than usual and you don’t want to make it worse, so…”

Before Ash can protest further—as Goh can tell he wants to, even as he lacks the energy for it—they are interrupted by a knock on the door. Goh opens it to see a beaming Nurse Joy. She pushes a tray with two steaming bowls and Dragonite’s Poké Ball toward him.

“I hope you’re both getting comfortable,” she says cheerfully. “If you need anything at all, don’t be afraid to ask. It’s quiet tonight, so I don’t mind helping out!”

Goh accepts the tray, careful to position it so that the fine trembling of his hands doesn’t result in spilled soup. He forces a smile on his face. “Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy. We really appreciate it.”

“It’s what I’m here for.” Her eyes slide briefly to Ash, but she must not see anything too concerning, because then she steps back and says, “Good night!”

When the door closes again, Goh is quick to find somewhere to set the tray down. He hands Dragonite’s Poké Ball back to Ash, who immediately relaxes once it is back on his belt.

“Thanks,” he manages after a moment. “What smells so good?”

Under any other circumstances, Goh would have rolled his eyes at that, but Ash’s renewed interest in food is so relieving he instead finds himself smiling a bit, genuinely this time.

“Soup,” he says. “And you can have some as soon as you take off your jacket and everything.”

Ash grumbles about a bit, but eventually sheds his winter clothes and drops his backpack on the ground beside the bed. Though he doesn’t look happy about it, Pikachu vacates his lap and curls up beside him instead.

Goh passes him one of the bowls. He wastes no time in digging in.

“It seems like you’re feeling a bit better already,” Goh remarks.

“Hm?” Ash swallows, blinking. As the comment registers, a guarded look crosses his face. “I guess. I don’t really like the cold.”

“That feels like an understatement,” Goh says before he can even really think about it. He regrets it as soon as he sees Ash’s shoulders hunch up.

“Bad memories,” is all he says, and Goh is too uncomfortable to ask for anything more.

They finish their meal in silence, except for the occasional sniffle from Ash. Aside from any sinus issues, though, he looks significantly better when Goh takes his empty bowl back. Eyes wide and alert��present, rather than…whatever they were before. His expression is somewhat grave, but not any more so than would be expected for someone riding out a fever.

Goh sets their dishes aside, then straightens up and says, “She didn’t bring any food for our Pokémon, so I’m gonna go get some, all right?”

Ash doesn’t respond right away; when Goh glances back at him, he looks…small.

“What? Do you need something?”

“I just…” He looks away. Sniffles. Says, very quietly, “Please don’t leave me.”

Goh stares at him. He blinks a few times. Opens his mouth, and then closes it, and then finally manages to ask, “What?”

If his face weren’t already so flushed from his fever, Goh wonders if it would have reddened from the same emotion that clenches his hands into fists in his lap.

“Never mind,” Goh says, quickly. “I can stay a while longer. Do you…?”

Without a word, Ash nudges Pikachu and they both scoot over to make some space on his other side. Ash still doesn’t look up at him, but the message is more than received.

Goh has barely sat down before Ash is leaning against him. He’s still trembling, but suddenly Goh isn’t sure that’s entirely thanks to his fever. Awkwardly, he wraps an arm around him and holds him closer, as if he could put a stop to it if he tries hard enough.

It doesn’t stop completely, but he feels when Ash begins to relax. He looks over at Pikachu, whose head rests against Ash’s thigh, and knows that their Pokémon won’t mind waiting a few minutes longer for their dinner. It isn’t just his own Pokémon’s loyalty Ash has earned, after all.

Once his breathing has deepened a bit, Ash murmurs, “Thanks.”

Goh doesn’t say anything. He just holds him a bit tighter, content to stay where exactly where he is until Ash falls asleep.

send me a prompt + a character/ship!

[judasisgayriot]

I can’t do this without you, Nathan.

[greatgoddyke]

forgot to post these whoops

[cyan1decandy]

Once you get this, you have to say five things you like about yourself, publicly. Then you have to send this to ten of your favourite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool) 💜💜

Oh man, this is tough for me 🤣

My creativity

My match-making ability (for everyone but myself)

My perseverance

My glasses are pretty neat?

I do have a nice ass tho 👀

[angorwhosebabyisthis]

for the prompt 'nive, NL!nine, picking up the pieces.' cws for blood and Poor Mental Health.

---

"Fuckin'," and Nine takes a ragged breath, on the verge of tears.

"Hey. Hey. Shhh. It happens."

"I just wanted some cereal, man." His voice is thick, and yeah, those are tears. Five doesn't need to be able to see him in the dark to tell. "Fuck."

"Yeah."

"I'm not used to this shit." He doesn't just mean the arm. Nine doesn't like to use his telekinesis these days; says it gives him headaches. Five gets the feeling that's not the only reason, but he's not about to pry. He's needed and that's all he needs to know.

"Yeah," says Five, again, because he knows by now when Nine needs understanding more than words. "Me either."

Nine says nothing, just stares down at the shards of bowl around his feet. Five can't tell if there's blood mixed in with the milk that's reached every corner of the kitchen floor. "Did you get cut?"

It's a moment before Nine replies. "Yeah. I think so."

"Alright," says Five. "I'll get you some shoes. And antiseptic. Stay where you are, okay?"

Nine nods mutely. After a moment's hesitation, Five picks up a spoon off the counter and holds it in his fist. Glass crunches under his feet as he crosses the kitchen to stand by Nine; he doesn't need to worry about it, like this.

"Hey," he says, and holds out his hand. Nine stares at it, head turning for the first time, as the moon reflects dully off the metal through the kitchen window. After a moment's thought, Five shifts his feet, feeling out the shape of the glass--where it won't cut under his weight, as long as he doesn't move--and braces his legs; stands solid. And then he drops his Externa, and his hand is pale flesh in the moonlight again.

Nine stares at it for a long time. Five waits. He won't be offended if he doesn't take him up on it, but sometimes he needs a minute.

Just as he's about to lower his hand again, though, Nine reaches out to lay his own on Five's upturned palm. It's clammy and cold, large in his hand as Nine's fingers wrap around him in a death grip that lasts a few seconds. It grinds Five's knuckles together, but he doesn't mind; instead he squeezes back until Nine lets up again. His grip is loose, almost weak, just as suddenly as he'd borne down.

Nine is still staring down at their hands; his eyes are wet in the dark. Five holds him a moment longer. Then he squeezes again, rubbing his thumb across the back of Nine's knuckles, and gently lets him go.

"I'll be right back."

A pause. Another nod. And then Five's skin is silver again, and he's crunching away from Nine's looming silhouette by the window to get the broom and dustpan.

[lovelesslittleloser]

Loveless the peasants are asking for more of the yummy plague doctor prompts.

Also, I miss you, friend.

I’ve missed you as well! I really need to get used to having relationships to upkeep. I’m rusty and my friends are growing dusty

Brain exercise I guess: select any inedible object, anything from an empty cup beside your bed or a low resolution image of the Taj Mahal, and tell me what it’s texture and taste would be, whether it’s a plant, meat, or a just a fun guy. Tell me if you can slice into it and if it’s rigid or fold-y, or if it crumbles. Is it dry? Crunchy? Spicy? Does it taste like a banana or black licorice?

How would you prepare it? Roasted, boiled, fries, grilled, in a sandwich, frozen, with spices or condiments or sugar, or just plain? How much could you eat in one sitting? What situations would this item be prepared in a meal for? Parties? Balls? Announcements? Weddings? Meetings? Is there any cultural or religious significance to it?

Just a little brain massage~ have fun! :D