#WE'LL SEE WHERE THIS GOES ahaha

[blujayonthewing]

juniper has one (1) effect on women

[itsahotminuteinbetween]

BAND AU BAND AU BAND AU BAND AU BAND AU OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

would LOVE to hear more about it!!! how does it differ from canon tsams?

RGHHH I TYPED OUT AN ANSWER TO THIS BUT I WAS AT AN EVENT AND TUMBLR DELETED MY RESPONSE-

okay so. everyone works at the pizzaplex, but only Sun, Moon, and Lunar are related. Earth recently arrives to the plex and is given charge of a performance to boost revenue for the theatre; the daycare department isn't making enough profit to justify the money poured in, and management is threatening to shut it down in a few months if it doesn't improve.

The creator just so happens to have a studio rented out (how convenient...), and Earth calls up all the other animatronics in their department to join in and help with setting up an orchestral performance (fun fact: all of them have theatre capabilities programmed into their base code, so they all have the ability to perform and play instruments!), which they do, albeit reluctantly. Finding recruits is fairly difficult considering there are no human staff and only 5 animatronics, but they make do and ask folks from other divisions to pitch in as well.

(Solar and Eclipse do exist in this au, but their backgrounds are a bit...different from the cannon security breach shows.)

[spaceistheplaceart]

Body Swap - The Exorcism Part Two

wanted to do a bit more but ough i am TIRED... this took a lot out of me lmao but i hope y'all enjoy! lmk what u think in the tags/replies/asks :)

masterpost

previous

(Please Reblog! Leave a comment in the tags! They make me very happy :)

SUMMARIZED ID: Reigen and Mob are shown the client's living room, it is in disarray. Reigen begins investigating the room, but begins to feel the presence of spirits... They keep a sharp eye out, as something moves about the room quickly.

FULL ID UNDER CUT

START ID:

(This is a body swap, so I'll be referring to the characters as who they actually are but keep in mind that Reigen is in Mob's body and vice versa.)

Mob watches Dimple fly leave, then goes inside Hiroto's house by shutting the door.

Cut to inside, Hiroto is opening a door for Mob and Reigen. Reigen has his hands on his hips. The client says, "This is where it's been happening." The room inside is moderately sized with a triple pane window on the far left wall. There is a fireplace, a couch, a ripped up armchair, two carpets- both rumpled and one torn, a doggy bed, a toy train, some balls, a tipped over coffee table, some askew and fallen paintings, some shelving units, and a chest of drawers on the right hand wall that has upon it multiple knick knacks. A drawer is missing from it and laying on the floor. There is a book with some pages torn out as well. All in all, it's a room that has seen some damage.

Hiroto lifts a nearby painting, showing three long scratches that were seen previously in the comic as a flashback. "See?" He says, looking at Mob. Mob looks at the scratches, somewhat narrowing his eyes. "Hmm..."

Reigen steps in, leaned over with his hand on his chin, looking at the scratches. Hiroto looks down at him, a little surprised. Reigen asks, "Hmm... have you noticed any strange smells?" "Smells?" The client repeats.

"Yes, like something rotting or damp. Spirits can sometimes carry over scents from their bodies, and that helps us determine which kind of ghost it is." Reigen says, gesturing with one hand while pointing upwards with the other. Hiroto shrugs, smile askew. "No, I haven't smelled anything strange..." He turns to Mob. "What do you think?"

Mob stands in the middle of the room, looking up. "Hmmm. I... don't feel anything." His speech bubble is overlapped by Reigen's, "AHAHA!!!" Reigen laughs, moving to Mob's side and resting one hand on Mob's arm, smiling wide and nervous as he explains to Hiroto: "They must be so weak that my Master is having a hard time picking up on them, but I can sense something in this room... ah, I can sense weaker spirits-- you know. I take care of them for my Master."

Mob gives Reigen a deadpan look. "Is that all you do?" Reigen's smile dims and he sweats.

"Al... right. Well, I'll leave you two to it... I've got to run to the store for a bit..." Hiroto crosses his arms. "And those ghosts better be gone when I get back."

Reigen waves a hand dismissively, using his customer service smile. "Don't worry, Mr. Hiroto, we'll have your spirit problem taken care of in no time!"

Hiroto begins to shut the door. He smiles nervously. "Sure thing..." He leaves.

After a moment, Mob looks down at Reigen, who is now crouching and looking at the scratches. He joins him on the floor.

Reigen says, "Hm... This guy could have a mouse problem. Or termites, possibly... hopefully not."

"I don't think mice could tip over chairs, Master."

"True, but the dogs could chase the mice and knockk over the chairs...." Reigen holds up a finger, his eyes are shut as he lectures Mob. "Always rule out the probable, Mob! Then, you can start looking for the less probable." Mob looks unimpressed.

Reigen stands up, hand in his pocket. "You do have a point, Mob. Although I hate to admit it... This could be a real hauntiiii-IIING!" His speech transitions into a yelp as his back straightens and eyes go wide. The background of the panel is dark with white wisps darting across it. Reigen crosses his arms and glares off to the side, his hair floating up due to his psychic abilities. He shudders. "Do you think the client would notice if we turned his A/C up? It's freezing in here!"

"I'm not cold." Mob responds.

Reigen grits his teeth and narrows his eyes, still tense. He's shivering. "Huh? It's freezing! Are you anemic or... something? Sensitive to cold?"

"No, I think the cold is probably the spirits."

Reigen flinches, then looks off to the side, smiling nervously. "Oh! Yes! Yes. The spirits! I recognize it now. Uh... you don't feel anything, do you?"

"Nope."

"Great." He puts his hand to his chin in thought. "What do you see, then? Anything?"

"Master, I don't have powers right now, remember?"

Reigen stares at Mob, his hair floating up due to his powers again. The background is dark and shadow-y, with the colouring of Reigen being all white. He's pale.

The next panel is of a similar style, dark and silent as they both look at eachother.

Mob angles his head down, looking at Reigen through his bangs and sweating slightly. "... Because we've switches bodies, I only have your powers right now... not mine?" The panel colour is lighter, and Reigen's hair calms slightly.

"Right." Reigen says, sighing and turning away from Mob, arms crossed. The panel is nearly white again, like normal. Mob is looking to the side, too, eyes downturned with a sweat drop on his cheek.

A view of a model train set, turned over. The carpet is rumpled and there is a painting sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. Reigen speaks, "I definitely feel something in this room... but I don't see it. Keep a sharp eye out, just in case. Even if you're having trouble with my powers, I'm sure you can still pull something off."

Mob and Reigen stand back to back, glancing around the room. Then something 'wooshes', represented by a panel with a dark gray background and white lines flowing across it with the text 'woosh' on it.

Reigen startles, turning to look at the far side of the room. There is nothing of note there. He sees only the window, the couch, and the chair.

END ID.

[cainluvr69]

"A Flower for a Rendezvous, Given in the Sunlight" Cain SSR Card Story - A Two-Tone Dahlia for You

As Cain and I passed in front of a florist's, we heard a conversation coming from inside.

Florist: …I mean, no matter what y'say, I've never seen somethin' like what you're talkin' about.

Boy: …Okay, I get it. Sorry for taking up your time.

Cain: Oops, sorry, didn't mean to bump into you. Are you okay?

Boy: No, I should be the one… Wah?! The Master Sage and one of the Sage's wizards…!

Cain: Oh, you know about us?

Boy: Of course I do! Let me see, you must be, um, the former Captain of the Knights…

Cain: Yep. My name's Cain, and this right here is our Master Sage.

Akira: Hello.

Boy: Um! I know we only just met, but there's something I want to ask…

Cain: What is it? Maybe we'll get lucky and I'll have an answer for you.

Boy: Have you ever seen a type of dahlia with yellow petals and red edges?

Cain: …No, I don't think I have. What about you, Akira?

Akira: I haven't either. I'm sure I'd remember a flower that looks so distinctive, too…

Boy: …I see. I'd heard that you went all over the world, so I was hoping you might have seen it.

Cain: Mind if I ask why you're looking for it? Maybe we'll be able to help you look for it.

The boy introduced himself as Dahl, and he carefully began to explain his situation. A girl in his neighborhood, named Lia, was going to be moving away soon, and he wanted to present her with those dahlias as a gesture of appreciation for their friendship.

Cain: I gotcha. But aren't there a lot of dahlias in this city? Is there a reason you need that color of flower in particular?

Dahl: Well, I got lost in the forest nearby when I was younger. There'd been a landslide, and I couldn't find my way home without the path. That was when someone suddenly appeared before me, with one of those two-color dahlias in hand. I don't…quite remember exactly how it happened, but I think they must have been a fairy or something like that. I was able to get home because they guided me out of the forest.

It sounded like a very dear memory to him. He had a very gentle expression on his face as he recalled it.

Dahl: So I wanted to give Lia one of those dahlias, like as a way so that she'll find her place no matter where she goes.

Figaro: …Sounds like that flower holds a lot of wonderful memories.

Cain: Figaro!

Akira: When did you get here?

Figaro: Oh, just a little bit ago. I'd lost sight of you, Master Sage, so I went looking.

Cain: Well, you showed up at just the right time.

Akira: He did?

Cain: Yeah, he can help us look for what this kiddo's looking for. He wants to do something for a friend who he's going to be separated from--doesn't that make you want to help him out?

Figaro: I see, I see. Sounds like the more hands we have, the better. In that case I suppose I can help out.

Akira I'll help, too! Let's all look.

Dahl: Thank you so much…! Master Sage, Master Sage's wizards, this means so much to me!

Cain: Ahaha. You don't have to be so formal. Well then, first things first, let's gather what information we can.

✦✧☾✧✦

We split into two groups to try and cover more ground and thus get more info--Figaro was with Dahl, and Cain was with me. Dahl said he'd checked through the forest many times, but never found the flowers he was looking for, so we were asking around at all the local florists about it. But time passed, and we had not a thing to show for it…

Cain: Master Sage, how about we start asking some of the street vendors about it? They go all over the place, so it's possible they've sold the kind of flower we're looking for, or at least heard of it before.

Akira: You're right, I didn't think of that! Let's see if they've got anything for us.

We stepped up to an old man who was opening up his stall for business and explained our quest and the special traits of the flower we were looking for.

Stall Shopkeep: Ahh… I think I've seen it, but that'd be a good several years ago now.

Cain & Akira: !!

✦✧☾✧✦

With the old man's story in hand, we set off for the forest--and who should we find standing at the treeline but Figaro and Dahl.

Figaro: …Oho? I guess if you two are here too, that means there really is something to this forest.

Cain: Wait, are you not here because of what that one travelling merchant said?

Figaro: Nope. We got a bucketload of absolutely nothing on our end. So I flipped the question and started looking for the fairy he mentioned, and that led us here.

Cain: Oh, so you're headed for where he first met the dahlia fairy. We still don't know the precise location attached to the info we got, so we'll go with you.

✦✧☾✧✦

Figaro: Hey, Dahl. When you met that fairy, was it raining at the time?

Dahl: Yes. I remember it suddenly getting so dark and cold. After I got out of the woods, I came down sick and spent a long time in bed after…

Figaro: I guess that means your guide also saved your life, huh.

Dahl: Yeah.

Figaro: …

Something about Dahl's words made Figaro pause. He looked thoughtful. I watched him from the corner of my eye. Figaro was staring into the depths of the forest--until he noticed my gaze and spoke, his voice low.

Figaro: Master Sage, there are no fairies in this forest.

Akira: …Huh?

Figaro: To be honest, I had my suspicions since Dahl first told us his story. I didn't feel any sort of presence like what he described in this city. I thought perhaps it was just so weak that I couldn't sense it while we were still in town, but now we're in the forest itself and I still sense absolutely nothing.

Cain: Then what did Dahl see…?

Figaro: That's why we're here. To find out what this "fairy" really is.

Dahl: …Oh! Look!

I looked up, and Dahl was pointing at something…at someone. Someone with arms full with dahlias.

Dahl: Are you the one who-- Wait!

Cain: Master Sage, Figaro! We need to follow Dahl.

✦✧☾✧✦

We chased after him, but very suddenly, I realized we were not in the forest anymore. My feet fell against the brick road of the city streets. The sunlight was so bright I felt dizzy. Just like that. We were out of the forest, just like that.

Dahl: Waaiit…!

Lia: Huh? Dahl, is that you yelling?

Dahl: …Lia?

Akira: (Lia is the friend who's going to be moving soon, right…?)

✦✧☾✧✦

Figaro: What an adorable fairy we've got on our hands.

Lia: Fairy?

Dahl: N-no, don't worry about it! More importantly, those flowers…

Lia: These? Hehe, they're pretty unusual, right? I got them when I was little, from my grandpa who lives far away. But they won't grow in our garden. I guess the soil doesn't have the right nutrients or something. So I've been secretly growing them in the forest. Oh, that's right… Dahl, you and I first met while I was picking some to bring home.

Dahl: …Huh?

Lia: It was raining so hard that day… You got sick after that and had to stay in bed for a while. It must've been rough.

Dahl: Oh, um. Yeah…

Akira: (Which means our wayward fairy was this girl.)

Dahl went completely silent. I totally got it: the person he wanted to give the flowers to was, in fact, the person who had grown them in the first place. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he pressed his lips back together without a word. Cain put a gentle hand on his back and pushed him forward a step, encouraging him to get those words stuck in his throat out.

Cain: …

Dahl looked up at Cain, and Cain nodded. It's okay. Be brave. I could hear those words conveyed to him.

Dahl: Um, do you think I could have one of those flowers?

Lia: Yeah, of course. I wanted to give you one, actually.

✦✧☾✧✦

Figaro: I suppose it being a dark and stormy night, plus how he was already weak and not fully conscious, is what turned her from a regular girl into a fairy guide.

Akira: Yeah. But Lia was definitely a fairy either way in Dahl's eyes.

Cain: Yep. I guess this'll make for another precious memory for him. But he's so embarrassed by it he didn't tell Lia about why he wanted that flower.

Figaro: Well, that's just how kids are. They're so pure and innocent I felt kinda icky watching the two of them.

I thought back to the, walking home side by side, hiding their shy little smiles by looking at the dahlias in their hands. A gift brought by Lia's departure.

Akira: Well, now that we've seen the real thing, it really was a lovely flower, wasn't it?

Cain: Red and yellow go well together. And red and yellow dahlias are already a common sight in this city… So I'm sure the recipient of a dahlia with both colors would feel very loved.

Akira: Yeah. After all, red dahlias are the first present a man gives his wife after they get married.

Cain: You heard what Dahl said, right? He was talking about how he was going to raise those dahlias in the woods now. Once they grow up and get to meet again, he's gonna have those flowers in hand for her. Parting is always a sad thing. But I'd hope that their happy memories will make the flowers bloom beautifully when they reunite.

Cain nodded to both Figaro and I. His two-color eyes, the same colors as the dahlias, were gentle.

Training Episode: I Can't Wait Centuries

Akira: We can plant the dahlias in this part of the garden, right?

Cain: Yep. No one'll step on them by accident here.

Akira: I'm glad we could find a place for the dahlias we got after that mission.

Cain: Yeah. And they're still as beautiful here as they were there.

Akira: Yes. Red and yellow are so vibrant together…

Cain: I heard that the color of flowers can differ depending on what soil they grow in, so I kinda wanna plant some in the nearby forest, too.

Akira: Let's invite Figaro to help us when we do that. He's out on a mission today, so he couldn't help us plant these ones.

Cain: Tell that to Figaro and he'll say that given how long a wizard's life is, in a few hundred years this place'll probably be covered in dahlias.

Akira: Ahaha, yeah, sounds like him. I'm sure it'd be beautiful. I can't even imagine how this place would look in a hundred years…

Cain: …Man, I definitely can't wait a few centuries.

Akira: Hm?

Cain: I mean, I want to see the dahlias again with you. And I wanna ask you if it's really just how you imagined it would be, or is it even more beautiful than that?

Akira: Cain…

Cain: So I hope these dahlias bloom in full force while you're still by my side.

[trilobitepunch]

What are some of your favorite character relationships/dynamics in TMNT, and why? Is there anything that you particularly like seeing explored with them in fan works (art, writing, comics, etc)?

Awww I gotta get my brain into answer-questions-mode...

Le's see....

What I really love is the exploration of family bonds, especially in the last two show iterations for 2012 and 2018. The original 198something one didn't really seem to dip too much into it, from what I remember, anyway, and only in hindsight do I realize they didn't really seem very teenagerish either, or at least that aspect just seemed lost to me. It's been a bajillion years and I know I never watched its entirety. Not even touching the comics realm- no idea what's going on there.

I completely missed 2003, but 2012's version was the first one that made it clear that they were- aside from being mutants trained as ninja in the sewers by a rat father- teenagers who loved each other but also could be annoyed at each other and mad at each other, tease and fight but still remember who they are to each other by the end of things. I'll tell you now, I've never been a big romance-oriented person and I don't think those relationships in that show really added much to anything. Funny at times, amusing, yes, but that seemed to be about it. Friendship bonds can be just as strong and meaningful!

Where 2012 dipped into relations between the brothers, 2018 pushed it further. The lads were mostly on their own due to a negligent father, although this new aspect of Splinter was refreshing and I love the idea of all of them basically trying to find their way around things and this nebulous duty bound to their family. I love that April's become more of a big sister to them and still shares some bond even with Splinter, similar to 2012's for the whole master and student angle. I think her relationship with Donnie is a fun one, her go-to for technical issues, for hanging out and homework checks, but she's not afraid to speak her mind and set the boy right when his brain is working too much.

The layers and directions they take with each character just makes it a fun mix when they throw everything together. I love that they don't even outright hate the villains and some of the villains don't even know why they hate the turtles but hey! We'll fight 'em just cuz! Ahaha, these poor kids. I do have to add that I'm also glad that no one's overly lamented about the fact that they've been mutated in this show except for poor Splinter at first, but all the villains basically kinda vibe with it like 'oh, I guess this is how my life is now /shrug'.

I like Raph's self-instated role as the oldest to be the protector, and how he especially looks after Donnie when things get sweaty. Or tries to, anyway, look- his heart's in the right place, even if half the time he ends up smashing his squishy brother by accident. I like the competition that goes on between Mikey and Leo, whether it's just at who's better or who's right, it's a fun dynamic. Of course I love Leo and Donnie antics too, and even though there aren't too many, the implications that they have dove into many a hair-brained scheme is just too funny. ...just going to go through all of them I guess. I'M SORRY, THIS GOT SO LONG AGH Right, Mikey and Donnie, a classic team-up, I love that they support each other so much, and the chaos they can get up to. Even funnier, I love that they actually succeed most of the time. And then Mikey and Raph's little bro vs oldest bro dynamic, which is in a way the same as Leo and Raph in that they can see eye-to-eye and get along, but when they clash, they clash hard. Classic.

...sorry I'm still not done, one more section...!!

When it comes to fanworks, I just like to see more of what was set up in the shows and the movie, but I also like being pleasantly surprised by wild and creative takes now and then. It's like... the reason I RP a character is to get more story, to see how so-and-so goes through and deals with this situation or another, the friends and enemies they might make in a different setting or opportunity. Fanart has glimpses of such things, fanfics and comics explore them in depth. Y'all are amazing, for the record, just saying.

OKAY SHUTTING UP NOW, here's my term paper *hits submit*

[tgrailwar]

Tumblr Holy Grail War, Another End: Night 1 (ALL SERVANTS)

Team Foreigner got Van Gogh's composure to 0! Something is happening!

-

Laughter.

Echoing laugher. Triumphant laughter. The laughter of a Servant who had lost everything. The laughter of a Servant who had gained everything.

Van Gogh. A patchwork Servant from beyond the void. Laughed.

VAN GOGH: "Ah... my deception ends here. Look upon 'Van Gogh'... the false Servant named Van Gogh... isn't it horrible? Isn't it beautiful? Ahaha... AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

A pulse emanating from the Servant shattered the bounds of the digital landscape that had been called 'reality'. This was the power of the Foreigner-class. The true power of the Foreigner-class, when deprived of the chains of 'logic' that bound it.

Six other Servants were hit by the pulse, the world around them collapsing, throwing them into hell. Havoc overwhelming. Chaos overflowing. A wave of utter madness, grabbing the minds of the enemy Servants and rending them asunder.

First, the Assassin.

Assassin: "...Where the hell am I... what the hell is that?!"

The Assassin drew his sword, uncharacteristic fear filling his mind and body. A shadow formed, vaguely in the shape of a Servant, unsettlingly enough. It lunged forward, as he stepped back, trying to defend himself as more shadows appeared.

Shadows from his peripheral, shadows that he couldn't see but hear, shadows that he couldn't hear but see.

Shadows that weren't real.

Shadows that were far too real.

Then, the Rider.

Rider: "Back off! Get away from me!"

He yelled, trying to add as much authority as he could as the false illusions patched together by real madness inched closer.

Archer: "...You're not real! You're an illusion, like Caster's Noble Phantasm!"

He yelled, as he tried to lie to himself, fingers rending at the stark white of his clothing, causing it to dye red. His own fingertips rent asunder as the skin on them began to wear down and redden as he scratched and screamed at nothing.

Saber: "Come at me! I'll cut you to pieces!"

She yelled, her sword swiping forward. It drew blood, before she screamed, clutching at her own shoulder as it bled profusely as it was struck in an identical spot.

Lancer: "Heh. You think you're cute, huh? We'll see how cute you think you are when this spear goes right through you!"

...An alliance, formerly airtight, splintered in seconds by the maddened wave of the unleashed Foreigner. Their identities began to crumble, as they engaged in bloody warfare.

Only two Servants stood in the wave unaffected. Perhaps both of them had already reached the crux of their madness to begin with, or perhaps they had already witnessed hell, and so this void was nothing but a reprieve.

Tortured Youth: "...So this is what you can do, Foreigner? I hope you're not plannin' on killin' me like the others?"

Patchwork Servant: "Ehehehe! Play with me, Avenger! Spin with me! Dance with me! Sing with me! Paint with me! Create with me! Don't mind the pain! Thrash and scream! Let's kill each other, and use our blood to repaint the world!"

Tortured Youth: "...Thought so. And here I wasted that mana boosting you up. Well, that's just my luck. Whatever, this little game sounds like fun either way. Let's play, Foreigner!"

EVENT: [ VOID SPACE ARMAGEDDON ]

Reality itself began to unravel, already thin threads snapping apart under the pressure of the Foreigner-class Servant!

Team Foreigner got Van Gogh's composure to 0! Team Foreigner used 'Wave of Madness'! With Van Gogh's composure at 0, she temporarily gains access to all of her skills until the battle ends!

Alliances are temporarily severed within Void Space! It's utter chaos! This is a battle for survival!

If Van Gogh wins first place, she'll inflict 2 wounds on every Servant!

If Van Gogh doesn't get first, then any Servant that scores under Van Gogh will sustain 1 wound!

Any non-Foreigner-class Servant that ends up in last place will sustain 3 wounds and be destroyed instantly!

Any non-Foreigner-class Servant that ends up above Van Gogh will be safe!

If Van Gogh gets last place, she'll sustain 3 wounds, but will lash out and inflict 1 wound on every Servant! if she gets anything other than 1st, she'll simply sustain 1 wound!

Skills such as 'Battle Continuation' or 'Independent Action' are nullified! Servants who perish in Void Space are gone!

Van Gogh's 'Wave of Madness' gives every other Servant a -10% demerit! …Angra Mainyu's been spared from the demerit?!

Angra Mainyu gave Van Gogh a +5% boost!

Musashi and Arjuna have been cursed by 'Soul of the Water Channels'! They have a -3% demerit for this round! This will stack with the current application of 'Soul of the Water Channels', meaning Musashi and Arjuna have -6%, and the others have -3%!

Final Score Augmentations:

Van Gogh: +41% Angra Mainyu: -40% Miyamoto Musashi: -29% Mandricardo: -36% Okada Izou: -36% Cu Chulainn: -21% Arjuna: -39%

Active Servant Skills and Current Statuses:

Van Gogh (Foreigner):

Het Gele Huis (A+) - When winning first place in a Free-for-All, inflict 2 wounds on the bottom Servant, rather than just one. If engaged in a one-on-one, inflict 2 wounds instead of one upon victory. Additionally, reduce Servant bonuses by 10%, and if the gap between scores is greater than 35% when winning, recover from a 'wound'.

Soul of the Water Channels (EX) - When fighting in a free-for-all, gain a +10% boost, and inflict a persistent 3% demerit on enemy Servants for this round and the next. When fighting one-on-one, gain a +5% boost, and inflict a -2% demerit to them for this round and the next.

Void Space Fine Arts (B+) - If receiving a demerit from enemies larger than 10%, convert it into a +10% boost. Gain a +5% boost, and add another +3% if going against a Servant who has been cursed by the demerit from 'Soul of the Water Channels'. Gain the ability to sustain one more wound than normal.

Existence Outside the Domain (A) - Gain an immunity from demerits, and also reduce enemy Servant boosts by 5%.

Insanity (C) - Gain a +5% boost.

Item Construction (B-) - Lower the victory gap for the 'recovery effect' of "Het Gule Huis" from 35% to 25%.

Divinity (B+) - Lower enemy boosts by -5%, and increase own buffs by 3%.

Curse of Sunflower (A) - When on her final wound, gain a +7% boost.

Van Gogh has [2/7] wounds!

Angra Mainyu (Avenger)

Zarich: Right Fang Grinder (C) - Reduce enemy Servant boosts by -3%.

Tawrich: Left Fang Grinder (C) - Gain a +3% attack boost.

Annihilation Wish (A) - When fully healed, gain a -20% demerit to his final score. With one wound, the demerit is reduced to -10%. With two wounds, the demerit is changed to a +20% boost.

Grail Curse, All The World's Evils (EX) - When part of a battle that results in a Servant dying, absorb a part of their essence. Take a random one of their combat skills for Avenger's own use and recover one Command Spell. Those are the only effects. ...Probably.

Angra Mainyu is uninjured!

Miyamoto Musashi (Saber)

Heavenly Demonic Thundering Eye (EX) - When fighting in a free-for-all, gain +10% to your final score, and reduce their scores by -5%. If fighting a Servant one-on-one, if the gap between scores is above 20%, inflict 2 wounds.

Battle Continuation (EX) - If she loses a confrontation while on her final wound, if there's only a 10% difference between the scores of her and her opponent (non-allied Servant), she can slip out unscathed.

Musashi is on her last wound! 'Battle Continuation EX' is nullified within Void Space!

Mandricardo (Rider)

Brigliadoro's Neigh (A) - Increases the Rider-class trait to +5% rather than +3% in free-for-all brawls.

Armor of the Nine Worthies (A) - When attacked, reduces the amount of the Servant's final combat poll result by 10%.

Mandricardo has [1/3] wounds!

Okada Izou (Assassin)

Man-Slayer (A) - When fighting a Servant that possesses a wound, gain a +3% boost. When fighting a Servant that possesses 2 wounds, gain +5% instead.

Izou has [1/3] wounds!

Cu Chulainn (Lancer)

Rune Magecraft (B) - When fighting in a free-for-all, gain a +5% to combat score results. Additionally, any skills that reduce scores against Lancer will have their effectiveness reduced by 1%.

Battle Continuation (A) - Is able to take 4 'wounds' instead of the normal 3. On his last ‘wound’, gain a permanent +5% boost to final combat poll results.

Protection from Arrows (B) - When going against an Archer, Caster or Assassin-class Servant, gain a +5% to final combat poll results, and reduce their results by 5% as well.

Cu Chulainn has [2/4] wounds!

Arjuna (Archer)

Hero of the Endowed (A) - If fighting an enemy Servant, and the difference between scores is within 3%, take the win.

Mana Burst (Flame) (A) - Gain a +8% boost to combat poll results when attacked during 'playing defensively', rather than +3%. When not ‘playing defensively’, gains a 5% boost to final combat poll results instead.

Independent Action (A) - After receiving his third 'wound', he has one more round to attempt to attack before fading away. (Cannot be healed during this period via Command Spell).

Arjuna is on his final wound! Independent Action is nullified by Void Space!

[tj-dragonblade]

1, 18, and 37 :)

1. Compliment your writing Alright alright, okay. Uhm. I am very good at evoking mood, be it soft and sappy or desperately horny or anything in between. I'm very particular with my word choice and phrasing and what goes where because sometimes the same words in different order convey the feeling very differently and I want to make sure I'm putting across exactly what I intended, and hopefully the reader gets the right mood from it too.

18. What trope have you not written yet, but want to? Hmmm. There's a lot I haven't done, that I would like to try with the right idea. Omegaverse, possibly? There's a lot of interesting things that can be built in that framework

37. Pick one of your fics and share three songs to go with it Ahaha, oh no, you asked one of the hard ones. Uhm. Fics have song associations maybe 40% of the time? And generally just a single song that feeds the vibe or inspiration. BUT, okay, let's see what I can come up with on the fly. Uh. 'I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm' draws on the song of the same name in a medley with 'I Love the Winter Weather' so both of those plus the medley counts as three right? No? Okay. Uh. Fic: I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm Songs: The mentioned Medley by Tony Bennett O Tannenbaum by Vince Guaraldi Trio Let It Snow by Dean Martin That's a cohesive mood, at least, okay - we'll go with that.

Send Me Writer Asks!

[dumplingsjinson]

naurrrrr, so a lot has happened since thursday last week ('tis now a tuesday). the long distant dude i voice called on thursday (took us 6 months and a fucktonne of communication issues in between) hasn't been answering my messages since the call and long story short, i'm kicking him to the curb for the meanwhile and if he ever replies then gg. ion need a partner OR a friend like that, ngl, because he's been inconsistent for the longest of fucking time, and i don't wanna agonise over someone like that any longer.

on friday, i went out with another guy. we'll call him... the cat dude, cause he loves cats and has one himself (she's the cutest thing ever, with the pics he's been sending me). first half of the date was a little boring, ngl. he's a lil' awkward. he was probably also a lil' nervous, which i don't blame him for.

and then we got drunk as shit for the second half, and i was leaning against him and everything while we were trekking around the city, and uh... AHEM. we ended up making out during karaoke. several times at that. i initiated most of them, too, because i wanted someone to kiss (mayhaps kissing is quite fun, imma tell you that much), so i'm like... LKFNEWLKFN. TAKE ALCOHOL AWAY FROM ME RIGHT NOW. a complete menace to society, your honour!

like, i still remember our first kiss where i turned around to face him, looked at him for a second or two then pulled him in by the nape of neck to kiss him. i don't remember how the other ones happened but i remember he initiated one of them. i remember him cuddling close to me, with me leaning against him, while we sang into our mics; him kissing my face (do guys just like... do that after you kiss them or what is this????). the karaoke room was like... right near reception and there's like a small window where people can see us so if workers/guests were walking around, they might have caught us doing that. so yeah. no decorum whatsoever.

i kissed him goodbye at the train station when he dropped me off (I WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING WHEN SOBER, I WOULDN'T EVEN HUG SOMEONE WHEN LEAVING UNLESS THEY GO IN FOR THE HUG FIRST SO BITCH), before i hopped my drunk ass on the train to get home (and now i cannot stop thinking about it for the life of me!!! fuck me!! and i also can't stop wishing i kissed him for longer LMFAO). he ended up staying at a hotel (i'm so thankful i didn't stay with him or else things might have happened and i would have woken up to true regretfulness).

saturday morning, i wake up with a slight hangover (so worse than what happened the week before this when i got drunk as shit) he messages me and says he enjoyed my company, both drunk and sober and i was like... oh. because i thought he didn't enjoy my company while sober LMFAO, but i guess i was wrong (or maybe he was being polite, i have no clue). and now i'm seeing him again this week saturday for a small picnic with the promise we won't be drinking any sort of alcohol. AND IDK MAYBE I'M STUPID but i think he might be feeling me a little? he's more fun over text than in person tbvh, but again, first meet ups are usually a lil' awkward ahaha. and like... he's chill and i wanna see where this goes. (all i can say is, guys definitely get vvvv clingy when they're drunk! you break that touch barrier earlier on and they'll be all up in your personal space esp when you decide to add a few drinks to the mix lmfao. and yeah i only got drunk with like two dudes so the sample size isn't big but ya know??). i know his ass remembers what happened even if we never explicitly talked about it, but i ain't even embarrassed about it at this point. i just find it so funny lkwnfklwenf

as for the mixed signals guy... the dude who kissed me while drunk and got all clingy with me? the one who told me a few days later that he liked someone else? the one who was supposed to watch the fuckin' barbie movie with me? he flaked on my ass LAST MINUTE so he could go have a study date with the girl he likes. (that girl, according to him, doesn't like him back, and he's been pissy about it ever since.)

this guy is a MESS. he keeps reiterating that we're friends and nothing more so i'm acting like a friend towards him even though he probably doesn't fucking deserve my friendship considering how he could so easily flake on a friend after they planned a hang out with him over a WEEK in advance. a whole fucking week, with solid plans, and he fucking flakes. all because he wants to see the girl he's simping after. rude ass fucking bitch! that is not a good friend quality to have at all. inconsiderate, if you ask me. thank fuck i was able to find another friend to go with me.

there's also a lot of shit going on with him and the more i talk to him, the more i'm like... my god, i should probably drop him. i've been telling my friends about it and they're like "is this man okay? you sure you still wanna talk with him?" and i'm starting to think - no, i don't. he has hella issues, thinks getting into a relationship is the only means of having someone care about him (completely disregarding the fact that friends can care about you, too, sometimes even more than a partner does), and he's done questionable shit in the past. he also says really questionable shit.

and, like, don't get me wrong, i wanna be there for him and like... i can partially see why he might be the way he is today, but we had a conversation about it last night and he basically tried to push me away and i'm out here like - why would you ask me to be your friend when your end goal is to push me away? why ask for someone to care about you when this is the shit you do???? you can't be there for someone who simply just doesn't want to get their shit together. it gets draining really fucking quickly.

oh, not to mention, he ghosted all of his friends when he got with his now ex so fucking gg, mate. he seems to expect me to do the same with him when i get into a relo and i'm like... motherfucker, i'm not you. assuming i'd do that, just because you did that yourself, is just so hurtful. a complete red flag of a human being, if you ask me. if he continues to be like this then i'm taking the left exit. i don't need this shit in my life, right now or ever.

[chaos-and-sparkles]

My second favourite fanfiction phenomenon is when a writer says "ahaha yeah this was supposed to be a silly one shot, we'll see where it goes, it might stretch out to three chapters max" and then you scroll up and it is Fifty One Chapters Long

[taiyaki-translations]

Happy Charm - Educe 4

Season: Spring Characters: Sora, Subaru, Jun, Eichi, Yuzuru Translators & Proofreaders: taiyaki-translations, citrinesea, toujokaname

<The day of recording for the treasure hunt show>

Sora: HaHa~♪ The cherry blossom petals are sparkling!

Subaru: Mm hm! It's the perfect starting point for a treasure hunt, right? The staff has good taste~☆

Sora: Yeah! Our adventure starts here~♪

Subaru: But for that, we need to meet up with our last team member ASAP. He's not here yet?

Jun: Sorry to keep you waitin'. Did I make it in time?

Sora: Ah, Jun-chan-senpai! Hello!

Subaru: Junjun, yaho~☆

Jun: Haha. You guys are as lively as ever, huh.

Sora: HiHi~! Sora is always full of energy, right~?

Subaru: If I remembered correctly, you had another job in the morning, right? Looks like it went smoothly?  

Jun: Yeah. I wrapped it up quickly for this~

Naturally, I didn't cut any corners, so don't worry.

Sora: HuHu~♪ Sora is happy that Jun-chan-senpai is looking forward to the treasure hunt!

Jun: Well, you invited me, Harukawa-kun. It's only natural, right?

Though I did only get invited 'cause I happened to be there asking about the next ASOBI Club activity.

Subaru: It was nice timing, Junjun ☆

We asked a lot of people, but everyone’s schedules were full. 

But it was then that Junjun appeared gallantly before us!

Sora: Yeah! You really were our savior then… A hero~! 

Jun: Callin' me a hero's an exaggeration, though. ...Well, I'll do my best to meet your expectations~♪

In Eden, we usually show up in talk-based variety shows...

But bein' on this kinda recreational show's pretty rare.

The fact the other teams aren’t just idols is refreshing too.

Subaru: Now that you mention it, that's a trio of comedians over there, isn’t it? 

And that guy… I think I also saw him in a drama that Hokke~ was in before? 

Jun: I think he's an actor that's been gettin' popular. It also looks like there's a team of just child actors.

Sora: Hmm~… Would it be childish of Sora if he went all out against children that are younger than him~? 

Subaru: Hm? This is a competition. On the other hand, wouldn’t it be more disrespectful if we just went easy on them? 

Jun: Well, how about we just enjoy the treasure hunt without overthinkin' it?

From what I saw in the rules, the way they do the ranking’s not about finding the treasure chest first, but about how many chests you find.

Subaru: Ohh, is that so? I thought there was only one treasure.

Jun: No way, it was clearly written in the project proposal~?

Subaru: Ahaha ☆ The only thing on my mind was finding the treasure.

But I do remember how to get clues to locations of hidden treasure chests.

We'll be given hints if we clear missions from the staff around town, right? 

Sora: HeHe~♪ That's right!

Clearing missions and collecting lots of hints will tell us where the treasures' locations are~

Subaru: Ahaha, when I hear the word "mission", it makes me feel like a spy ♪ What kind of things will we have to do? 

Sora: Hm? "The missions are simple quizzes and minigames"?

Subaru: Ah, it's Anzu! Yaho yaho ♪ Did you come to see me? 

No? …You're coming along for the treasure hunt!? 

Jun: So you're joining as part of the ES team’s staff.

Sora: HoHo~! More friends are joining! 

Subaru: Yay~☆ With Anzu, it's like we have the strength of a hundred men on our side! First place will be ours! 

Eh, you can't help us with the missions?

No, no, that's okay! As long as Anzu is by my side, I'm invincible ♪

Sora: HaHiHuHeHo~! Sora is also fired up~!

Jun: Since I was chosen for this party, I've gotta show my good side ♪

Subaru: Al~right, let's find the most sparkling treasure together ☆

Yuzuru: Thank you very much for your hard work with the interview, Eichi-sama. 

Eichi: The same goes for you, Yuzuru.

When it's just the two of us, we sure can finish the job without a hitch, hm?

Yuzuru: The way you say that makes it seem as if you'd rather have some sort of incident occur though, Eichi-sama? 

Eichi: Hehe, oh, it's nothing like that ♪

Thanks to you, we finished the job earlier than planned.

Time is money. It's delightful when we have the luxury of time as a resource.

Yuzuru: It's my honor to be of assistance to you. 

What are your plans after this, Eichi-sama? This should be your last bit of work for today. 

Eichi: I plan to return to ES to tidy up some affairs... But first, I do have an errand to run.

Yuzuru: An errand? …It seems you will be having fun with it.

Eichi: Oh? Does it look that way?

Yuzuru: Indeed. You look like a child who is planning a prank ♪

If I may, I can arrange a car for you. 

Eichi: No, you don't need to worry about me. I can take care of the errand near here. 

Rather, shouldn't you join Tori at his job site? It'd be best to get there quickly. He's sure to be delighted.

Yuzuru: Understood. Then, let us be off. 

Previous | Directory | Next

[lisutarid-a]

[Gakuen K] Yatogami Kuroh Route Translation

King of the jellyfishes

LIST OF CHAPTERS

[Translation under the cut]

Neko: Mhmmm…

Saya: Neko-chan, you're quite today.

Shiro: Aren't you going to scream something like "It's the sea!"?

Neko: Wagahai doesn't like the sea very much.

Kuroh: …Why?

Neko: I hate water! Besides, it's moving…

Saya: That's because…it's the sea. I think it's natural…

Neko: Anyway, Wagahai doesn't want to go near the sea!

Shiro: If you don't swim, it's only the beach hut…And playing in the sand…

Neko: Beach hut? What is it?

Shiro: It's like a resting area where they sell food and drinks.

Neko: Do they have rice!? Wagahai is hungry, I'm going to the beach hut!!

Saya: She ran away.

Shiro: We'll have to pick her up later. Now, let's get in the sea!

Saya: Uhm!

Kuroh: …Wait.

Saya: What's wrong, Kuro-kun?

Kuroh: Preparation comes first.

Shiro: Ah, I see. I totally forgot about that.

Kuroh: People with such an easy mindset are the ones who get into accidents at sea.

Shiro: Ahaha. Thanks for letting me know. Let's make sure we're properly warmed up before we go in!

Saya: Umh, I agree.

Saya: …Haahh.

Saya: (Really, we're the only people here...It feels kinda strange)

Saya: (I'm glad they brought me to a very secluded place)

Saya: Okay, let's dive one more time!

Saya: (The blue color of the sea is turning white from the light coming in)

Saya: (Even the air bubbles I exhale reflect sparkles, beautiful…)

Saya: (…Eh)

Saya: (There′s something in the distance, but I think it's…a jellyfish)

Saya: (Looks like there's quite a large number of them…I have to get out of here before I get stung…Ah)

Saya: (Something is pulling my arm…!!)

Saya: Buwaa…ha,ha.

Kuroh: Are you all right?

Saya: U-Umh…

Saya: (I was so scared…! It was Kuro-kun…)

Kuroh: If you go this far, it'll too…*cough*

Saya: What's wrong…Ah.

Saya: (Oh, it's so big…!)

Kuroh: …You are the king of the jellyfishes who dwells in this land.

Saya: King of the jellyfishes…?

Kuroh: Haven't you ever heard of it? The legend of King of the jellyfishes who dwells in this area.

Saya: I've never…heard of it…

Kuroh: I see. I've heard it from Ichigen-sama. This island is protected by a sleeping jellyfish king.

Kuroh: The gentle waves are the breath of King of the jellyfishes. The gentle wind is the sleeping breath of King of the jellyfishes. The gentle climate is the dream of King of the jellyfishes.

Kuroh: When people leave the coast in the Bon festival (Festival of the Dead), it wakes up and eats a year's worth of food. …That is what Ichigen-sama said.

Kuroh: We apparently interrupted that meal. …Right, King of the jellyfishes?

King of the jellyfishes: ---

Kuroh: Your anger has not been calmed down yet. …Then it can't be helped.

Kuroh: I'll protect my comrades. If you stand in my way, I'll show you no mercy.

Saya: Kuro-kun…

Kuroh: Don't worry. Even though he is the king, I am dealing with a marine creature. I will not lose easily.

Kuroh: Let's….fight!

Shiro: Oooi! We bought drinks and food at the beach hut--

Shiro: Eh, what is this? What is Kuro fighting against?

Saya: The king of the jellyfishes.

Shiro: Eh, the king? Amazing!

Neko: Ama-aazing! It's hu-uge!

Saya: What's should we do? We should help Kuro-kun, right?

Shiro: Hmmm, I think he's going to be okay, don't you think? He looks so happy to find a worthy opponent.

Saya: But…

Shiro: Don't worry, just leave it to Kuro. If something goes wrong, we'll all do something together! Here, your juice.

Saya: T-Thanks.

Saya: (I'm a little worried…But if Shiro says so, I'm sure he'll be fine)

Neko: Go-ha-n! Let's build a sand castle with Wagahai!

Saya: …Uhm!

[Prev chapter][Next chapter]

[slytherinshua]

He's just precious. I definitely need to watch some of his live performances! I love it when artists really get into the music. Yechan is quite fun to watch, he seems to get quite into it. And Wonsang!! I love it when he is making faces while playing bass (generally I'm reacting the same way to his parts ahaha)

People are honestly so tough to deal with sometimes lol. I'd become a recluse if I could ahaha. I was talking about this with my brother once, when I finally have enough money to move out (not anytime soon 😭) I NEED to live with someone else. Partly for safety, but also because if I don't I'll become a hermit and never leave ahaha (also because I despise cooking and there is a very real possibility that I'll just starve instead lol). I'm glad you enjoy talking to me, I do too! (Feel free to message me anytime too!)

That's exciting, I hope it goes well!! Are you working towards grades or anything? Or do you just go along with music that you want to learn? Lessons on zoom seems interesting, online classes were hard enough sometimes so music lessons must have been something else. It is literally so hard to find motivation to practice! Like I want to be better, but I don't want to practice ahaha. Although I use to really have to practice because my mum taught me for a while so she'd definitely know if I didn't 😭

Oh wow you were so close to them!! I'd probably forget to how to pose as well, although I can't really pose in general without it being awkward lol. That's really cute that he was telling you what he was going to do

i remember my favourite hyunsang song (or maybe favourite song of all time in general) is snowflake and i watched the live of it and there's this one part where he looks back at his band/orchestra behind him and just smiles so widely before he goes up onto the lifted platform to do his guitar solo AND IDK IT MADE ME EMO CAUSE I NEVER SEE THAT BIG SMILE FROM HIM HES SO CUTE (here if u wanna see it btw)

yechan is always so mesmerizing to watch he gets SO into the music and playing you just can't take your eyes off of him!! wonsang always has fun with it and dances, smiles so wide, or focuses really hard when hes doing hard parts on the bass i just love him i could talk about him all day

yeah and its pretty bad i don't have like any interaction irl its all online and im kinda thankful for that because its a lot easier to deal with interactions online than in person its a lot less stressful 😭😭 but i never go outside i swear 😭😭 i feel like i would get so lonely if i was living alone even though i don't tend to think of myself as someone who needs in person social interaction... but i think it would build up and hit hard if i no longer had people around me to talk to even a little every day like my family.... hehe i will its so fun to talk to you ^^

rn i do plan to take another music exam probably grade 6 since that'll be the easiest to do. i need it for a high school credit so we'll see how it goes. i've done grade 3 and grade 5 in the past and got first class honors both times i think but it's still extremely stressful i think i cried both times lmao 😭😭 technically im more grade 8 or 9 piano but i don't want to do a higher level when i don't need to and haven't been playing for a year so we'll see how grade 6 stuff goes.... online lessons for piano were interesting for sure 😭😭 it was harder to do stuff like ear training and having the teacher not like exactly there with you made it harder to progress... i also forgot abt my piano lesson times a lot and would oversleep 💀 i really lost motivation to practice around the same time i was getting burned out because of school idk... back in 2020 i was so motivated with piano i would practice so much and that's actually why after i finished my grade 5 exam i progressed like 3 levels right after. i remember getting the grade 6-7 books but all the pieces were so easy in them all of sudden just cause of how much i practiced lol. but now i think i'm gonna struggle a bit to pick things back up before it gets easy again. damn having your mom as your teacher must've been hard but also nice in a way i assume?? i remember my mom used to bribe me with stuff to get me to practice, and one time i wanted to quit and she would not let me which was good cause i would've regretted it so hard but at the time i was not happy that i couldn't quit 😭😭

i remembered a pose for the second pic we took but for the first one my mind was just so blank, party cause i didn't know we were gonna do group photo immediately and also cause sangyeop was RIGHT there talking to ME. like he literally told me to sit i prob would've been fine if he hadn't spoken but like he did so ITS HIS FAULT FR 😭 i wanted to follow the pose he said he was gonna do and i did for the second pic since he said a heart pose but like damn my brain didn't want to understand what a flower pose was....

[hideyseek]

5, 9, 12!

crab!! hi hi hi hi hi hiiiii~! ty for quastions :3

from fanfic asks for the new year

5. Which WIP is first on your list to complete this year? Will you post a snippet?

aha, well. technically the first is mini heist!au but none of it is written that is in the shape of the final thing that i haven't already posted on here so i'm gonna cheat and say uh. wow huh okay then i kind of have no idea. ah! maybe my arthurcobb fic then! cos it sure won't be narrative!fic, lol!

here is a snippet from the current draft which is uhh three and a half years old (by which i mostly mean to say, there are a couple things in here i would write differently now.):

Arthur brings his coffee up to the counter where Dom has already deposited his onion rings and says, “Excuse me, can I purchase a — a temporary phone?” If he doesn't call it a burner maybe he will come off as more the kind of person he actually is. The cashier puts up a finger in question and Arthur nods but behind him Dom says firmly, “Two.”  Arthur turns, surprised. “Why — we don’t need two?” They’re traveling together, after all. Arthur’s not about to leave Dom alone, so it’s not like Dom will need his own phone. It’s not like Dom’s super functional, anyway. The three days he’d spent on Arthur’s couch before they read the news and had to leave town extremely suspiciously, he’d really just spent on the couch. “We don’t need two phones, Dom,” Arthur repeats.  “What if we get separated,” Dom points out. “How would we get in contact with each other again? You should have your own phone, too.” Arthur would rather not think about circumstances that would separate them. Dom says, “Arthur,” and it feels pointed. Something like panic hollows Arthur’s chest. Things are already out of control, apparently. Two days into being on the run and apparently Dom can call these shots but he can’t be on the run by himself.

9. Short term goals… what do you hope to complete this week or in January?

ahaha actually, getting this ask made me decide that i'm going to try my absolute best to finish the project i've been calling "mini heist!au" (which ... at this point ... is just an au of heist!au without any heists in it, lmao) this month! i used answering this ask as my bribe for reading through all the existing material and drawing up a revision plan / new fic story structure actually. i'm not sure i'll be able to, i suspect there are 2-4 drafts and i simply do not write that fast (at least one from scratch based on a new outline, possibly a second from scratch, and then a second/third that's just like. content/theme/cadence/character arcs etc revisions. though that might get complex enough to be two drafts). but we'll see! there are still 24 days so at this current moment i am optimistic :3

12. Will you change anything about the way you edit or rewrite this year?

YES I SURE FUCKING WILL. I HAVE BEGUN IT ACTUALLY, mostly i'm continuing to test a thing i tried in december 2023 to see if it still works for projects that aren't the specific situation of the beginning of devotion (so far, yes!) anyway the way that process goes is like this (recipe below):

first, write a terrible draft. some scenes can just be a note of what needs to happen. ideally: expend as little fucking effort on this as possible bc like. almost none of this will stay. just write enough to get the vibes of what you're going for.

second, read through that draft taking notes of what you like or don't like (or, the way i phrase it for myself to make the goal clearer "what feels like it is aligned with my vision for the fic vs what isn't") but most importantly. WHY.

for me doing this second step has 2/2 turned into "here is a rough outline of the story, completely restructured" but also, with no ending (which is fine, i just have to trust that the ending will appear when more of the draft is written).

third, compile those notes on a new draft into a narrative-order outline (linear for me).

fourth, write the new draft.

fifth, try to do step 2 again. but what i found for the beginning of devotion and therefore what i'm to a certain extent expecting, is that i will just have a bunch of Ns/dislikes and then go. ah. because the things i dislike are too granular to require big-picture story structure changes now.

sixth, copy the most recent draft into a new doc. and read through and revise directly on the page. maybe title at some point so that revision stuff is aligned with the mood/tone/content/vibes/whatever of the title. and maybe come up with initial tags and a summary here also to make sure the vibes are all aligned. hopefully the content of the ending will become clear at this point and you'll draft that for the first or second time.

seventh, idk i like to do an out-loud readthrough bc reading cadence is important to me personally. and also i am scared to lose the skill of reading aloud considering i do it about zero times a year other than this.

that's it basically.

[cainluvr69]

"Special Gifts for a Celebratory Night" Cain SSR Story - The Flowerfall Game Hall, With You ~ Invitation for Cain

Akira: (I wonder where Cain is. If he's not in his room or in the lounge, then…ah!)

✦✧☾✧✦

Mithra: Are fwe fone yet.

Cain: I just have one more question. You were alone with the Sage inside, right?

Akira: Did I do something?

Cain: Master Sage! How long have you been listening…?

Akira: I only got here a moment ago. I was looking for you, Cain. Are the two of you eating some snacks together?

Cain: Something like that. Did you need me for something?

Akira: Yes. It's almost your birthday, so I wanted to invite you to the Flowerfall Game Hall…

Mithra: Oh, what good timing. Then I will leave the explanation to you.

Akira: Huh?

Cain: !

Mithra: He's been pestering me endlessly about what kind of place it is. He could just ask one of the other--

Cain: Mithra, Mithra! Here, take the rest of my snacks. You can have all of them. Thanks for giving me your time.

Mithra: Mm, thank you.

Cain: …Whew. Sorry to cut that short, Master Sage.

Akira: Oh, no. But if you wanted to talk about the Game Hall, then…

Cain: I heard about it from Arthur, and I've been really curious about it since. It's a miniature garden that one of Shylock's old friends left behind, right?

Akira: That's right. Their magical power is in its decline and it's making it difficult to take care of the hall, so Shylock's been holding onto it and I've been borrowing it. At least, I wanted to ask if you wanted to go to the hall with me to celebrate your birthday?

Cain: Of course. I'd be happy to, Master Sage.

✦✧☾✧✦

And so, the day we agreed to go to the Flowerfall Game Hall together arrived.

Cain: Did you hand-make this invitation? You decorated it with all sorts of my favorite things.

Cain: You really know me well, Sage.

Akira: Ahaha, I'm just happy you like it.

Cain: So by using a little magic, the door to the hall opens, right? Alright… <Gladius Procella>

The invitation began to glow with a gentle light, and slowly, the door to the hall began to open. And we were enveloped in white mist--

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain: --Woah, this place is amazing?! This is the first time I've ever seen that, or this over here! And this outfit… If I heard right, this is an outfit that the Hall itself prepared for each one of us, right?

Akira: That's right! It suits you well, Cain.

Cain: Ahaha, I'm glad to hear it. Since I'm getting the chance to escort you today, anything less than the best wouldn't feel right.

Cain's smile was so bright that I started to smile too, just seeing it. But then I straightened my back, trying to be a bit more serious. I'd practiced how to properly escort someone who knew how many times before today. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for that pose, the standard one for something like this.

Akira: …Cain. Allow me to take you to the Hall proper. Please, give me your hamb!

Cain: …

Akira: (…I messed up…)

Cain: Pfft, ahaha! Thank you for the wonderful invitation, Master Sage.

Akira: I want to dig a hole and bury myself in it…

Cain: You can't do that. Then I'd have no one to escort me. So, once again. I'd be happy to, Master Sage.

As Cain said that, he gently placed his hand on top of the one that I'd reached out to him with. His hand was so warm. Warm enough to melt away all my stress and embarrassment from screwing up.

Akira: …Thank you, Cain. Let me show you this area first! First up, this is sort of like a rollercoaster… Umm, I was wondering if you might want to ride this with me. It's like a…ride that goes really, really, really fast.

Cain: That was one I heard about from Arthur, where you go down a fast-moving current of water with a swim ring? It sounded really fun, so I asked him about it.

Akira: That sounds just like you. But this is a different one, where we'll go round and round around a volcano.

Cain: Top speed around a volcano… That sounds super fun!

We walked while we talked, and before I knew it, we were already at our destination.

Cain: A mountain of little flowers…? No, wait, there's flames coming out of the top. Is this the volcano you were telling me about? Akira: Yep! We're going to ride around it in that cart made of woven vines. There's a lot of rides that go really fast, but I want this to be the one we ride first!

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain: Woah, there's so many hills on this ride! But doesn't that mean it can't go very fast?

Akira: It's probably about to start speeding up! This is actually the first time I'm riding this one too, so I don't know what kind of speed it's going to have.

Well, that's what I said, but I sure do know about this rollercoaster. When Shylock told me that we had one, I thought it'd be fun to take Cain on it, so I didn't really get to do a test drive--

Akira: Gyaaaahhhh!! We're fallingggg!!

Cain: Ahaha, that's one hell of a scream! But yelling from your gut really makes riding this even more fun.

The cart we were riding in hit such a speed that I thought we were going to fall right into the volcano's crater, and we did get close enough that I could've reached out and touched the flames--but then we hit a turn and went back to the mountain's surface. On a normal rollercoaster, you could tell where it was going to go by looking at its rail, but on a magical one that moved freely, it was impossible to tell what was going to happen next.

Akira: Th--that was actually a scream from my heart… But, Cain. You're fine letting go of the vines holding you in place, even at a speed like this?!

Cain: Well, it feels better like this, yeah? Oh, Master Sage. There's a phantom boulder chasing after us now-- Oh, now there's a whole waterfall of magma! A magmafall! Alright, then let me-- Woooooooooooo!!

Akira: Gyaaaaahhhh!!

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain: Ahh! That was super fun.

Akira: You…were able to ride it ten entire times… That's some energy you've got…!

Cain: Ahaha. If you wanna go again, I'm still good for it.

Akira: (He's so powerful… But, it looks like he's completely satisfied.)

As I was staring at his smiling face, Cain suddenly stood up. And then he looked at me, staring deep into my eyes.

Cain: Master Sage. Could I have a moment of your time?

Akira: ? Yes, of course you can…

Cain put one hand to his chest. It was such a sincere and gallant…and knightly pose. He bowed to me, like a proper knight would.

Cain: Master Sage. I thank you kindly for giving me this wonderful present, this wonderful, unforgettable time with you. Thanks to you, I've been truly, genuinely happy. Which is why I wish to offer you the same favor.

Cain held out a single white envelope. I couldn't read whose name was written on it, but still, I had a feeling I knew exactly what it said.

Akira: Is this…for me…?

Cain: Yes. It's an invitation I've addressed to you.

He knelt down on one knee, and respectfully, almost reverently, extended his hand to me.

Cain: I want to make you exactly as happy as you made me today. So next time, allow me to escort you as best as I am able, so that I may be the one to make you smile.

The expression on his face was a straightforward and sincere one. His words and movements didn't have a single trace of hesitation, and I felt the tension drain from my cheeks.

Akira: (I really am no match for you, Cain…) Please, I would be delighted!

As soon as I said that, flower petals began to dance around us. Cain and I glanced at each other, and then up towards the ceiling.

Cain: It's so beautiful… Is this the sign that it's time to go home?

Akira: Yes. The flowers begin to fall once the wizard that's activated the Hall is satisfied…

Even as I spoke, mist began to cloud over my field of vision.

✦✧☾✧✦

And before I realized it, we were back inside the manor.

Akira: Ah…we're back. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself in the hall, Cain!

Cain: Yeah, it was amazing! Thank you, Master Sage. But to tell the truth, I was nervous the whole time. I kept thinking about when our time together was going to end. Even though I talked to Mithra and the others so I could get a surprise ready for you in advance… Like, it'd be really uncool if you were escorting me and the hall up and kicked us out early, right?

Akira: (Oh, I see… So him asking about the hall was so he could surprise me.)

Cain's smile was lighthearted, like he was joking around, but my chest felt warm. That warmth made me want to do something to make him happy, one last time. I gently took his hand and squeezed it, and he made an odd little expression at me.

Akira: (There are so many things I want to tell him, but…) Cain. One more time, happy birthday! I hope that this coming year is a year full of smiles and happiness for you.

I'd never be able to match Cain, but I still did my best to look cool about it. There's no special power in my words, but-- May these seeds one day bloom into flowers. May magic one day turn plain stones into jewels. May my words one day become blessings so powerful they can protect his heart. With these wishes all wrapped up in my words--

Akira: …That's my final surprise gift for you. Was I cooler than when I first tried?

Cain: … Yeah. You were the coolest, Akira!

Gifts Painting the Future

Akira: Cain, what are you reading?

Cain: Oh, Master Sage. Tada! Check it out. This was a birthday gift from the other Central wizards.

Akira: Wah! Does that mean it's handmade?

Cain: Yeah, it's a story about a wizard that becomes a knight. Apparently Riquet was the one who said they should do this. "This is the Cain of the future," is what he said to Arthur, his eyes blazing with passion.

Akira: You must be so happy to hear that…

Cain: None of them really have much experience with writing stories, so they also drew pictures to make sure the flow of the narrative is properly communicated. Here, look.

Akira: Oh, wow! Would this brave little boy be you, Cain? Who drew this… Could it have been Oz?!

Cain: No, Arthur was the one who drew that. He's super intense and cool, right? And these kind of stiff parts are by Riquet, and the backgrounds are by Oz.

Akira: Ahaha, each part is so them.

Cain: I know right--oh, wait. I need to get going soon.

Akira: Do you have plans later today?

Cain: Yeah. Owen told me to come to his room later so he could give me a birthday present. It's…definitely not going to be something very respectable.

Akira: (Yeah, I don't think so… That's beyond suspicious.)

Cain: But I don't want to reject his feelings, so I'm going either way. So, see you later!

Akira: (…Cain's the kind of person who would go if someone asked him to, even if he knew something bad was waiting…)

[wetbloodworm]

i'm still (slowly, occasionally) working on the notes from zenith's travels with his previous group. one thing i know though is that right at the end he gets into a fight with cobwynn (half-elf paladin). i've generally been assuming that he kills them but we'll see how that turns out when i get there.

essentially, he travels with this group for the equivalent of three levels, and this is before he gets the brooch that masks his creature type. from the beginning he's more worried about wiris, who is a monster hunter, considering by some definitions that could include him. while people might’ve had suspicions about him not being human before, no one's ever confronted him about it. he's unsure how it would go over, considering his understanding of 1) people being wary over Different things, 2) people being scared of the things that predate on them, and 3) the illegality of his being here. so largely he tries to avoid causing specific kinds of trouble around this group. hunts outside of the party unless they're camped too far from anyone else, mostly. takes extra care not to do... non-human things, like crawling up walls etc. still open about getting his magic from the far realm, still claims to have interacted with an aberration which caused this, but maybe avoids talking about that too much.

wiris definitely doesn't LOVE all that, think zenith is weird for it, but largely she figures it isn't her business as long as his aberration friend stayed where it was. with zenith being like ahaha sure sure. sure. cobwynn is more vocal about not liking all of this, being a bit skeeved out by some of the things zenith can do and disapproving of his continued interactions with this aberration. EVERYTHING is cobwynn's business, you see. zenith tries to avoid arguing with cobwynn too much but also riling them up is fun lmao. he still thinks of wiris as the bigger threat, cobwynn just has opinions on everything and hates fun, but he figures it'd be best to keep things on the DL as much as he can with everyone. (vinzin, the last member of the party, really couldn't fucking care less)

however. cobwynn finds out one time the group is split up. they cast detect good and evil, which zenith hadn't encountered before, and he pings as an aberration. cobwynn is incapable of being cool or biding their time so they immediately confront him about it. zenith tries to keep things chill and explain once he realizes what's going on, like okay yes he's an aberration, sorry for lying, he just had to be careful yknow? but it's fine! he's just here to explore and earn money and do fun things, just like the rest of them! and he's saying this with a smile but his eyes are on cobwynn's hand resting on their sword. cobwynn interrogates him and makes it clear that they're immediately interpreting him as a threat, and zenith tries to de-escalate, but the instant cobwynn starts to draw their weapon he attacks first.

i'm not sure how the fight goes yet because i want to play it out. if zenith wins and kills cobwynn I imagine it's a close fight, cobwynn is strong and has some buffs that could really fuck with him. but zenith can spiderclimb out of reach and has magical attacks. if push comes to shove, he also has no problem running. get the hell out of there. so either he kills cobwynn, loots and hides the body, then leaves the group without alerting the others, or zenith bolts when he gets a chance. first one is better for him because then cobwynn can't go back to the others and tell them what happened with their own spin.

either way, zenith leaves the encounter feeling like he really needs to keep the aberration thing a secret. people don't take that news well, apparently! researches how to get around that spell, finds his brooch. also avoids the general area where his previous party was stationed.

[ibarap]

[Event] A Match on the Sugoroku Board / The Die is Cast 2

Natsume: ...

<A few days later, at the meeting to explain the 'Match on the Sugoroku Board' project.>

Hinata: He~ya, Rinne-senpai!

I never thought we'd get to work together at CosPro! I'm looking forward to the match between agencies. ♪

Rinne: Well, if it ain't Hina. Yer on your own today.

I woulda thought you'd come here with yer twin, sayin', "2wink are two people workin' as one!", nah?

Hinata: Me and Yuuta-kun aren't joined at hip like we used to~. We're doing a thing where we can take turns showing up, so it's just me this time around.

Ah, and thanks for the hard work, Vice Pres~. Salute~. ☆

Ibara: Whatever. Salute.

Hinata: Ehh, you're so mean! Vice Pres~, you're no fun, you know?

Ibara: It's annoying if you pull the same joke over and over again. It's enough that variety shows are always seeking a reaction from me as is.

Anyways, Switch are the only ones not here yet.

They're a running little later than scheduled. Mikejima-shi, Narukami-shi, would you happen to know why?

Madara: I don't have a clue about what goes on at the agency.

I do take on odd jobs around there and all, but I try not to poke my nose into anything related to the units or idols.

Arashi: Me neither. Lately, whenever I see Aoba-senpai, it's like he's always at the office. Maybe Natsume-chan is stopping him, thinking he should to take a break...?

Ibara: Hm. I tried to call someone from each of your units to let my ever-busy Eden rest.

But as a result, it's not hard to imagine that they're fighting over who should be the one to come represent Switch.

Well, shall we proceed with the people we have here?

I ask that someone from NewDi will tell Switch about what we'll be discussing today. With that out of the way—

Natsume: ...

Hinata: Ah, it's Sakasaki-senpai! Everyone was worried, wondering if you'd come to the meeting or not, you know~?

Natsume: ... (Ignores him.)

Hinata: He's super mad?! What happened?!

Natsume: Nothing 'happened'. Does everyone here know about NETV?!

Arashi: What do you mean...?

Natsume: That venomous snake offered all of us a job, but something felt off, so I conducted an independent investigation.

And wouldn't you know it — I was right. Did you know the director of A Match on the Sugoroku Board was blacklisted in the entertainment industry for committing an act of violence?

Madara: Huh, that's the first I've heard of it.

Natsume: Well, he was going by a different stage name at the time, so it's impossible to find that out from his name alone, but I took the liberty of gathering evidence using connections I have in the industry.

Don't play dumb. You knew, and yet you dragged NewDi into it, didn't you?

Ibara: Ahaha! As expected of your information network~, I'm in awe!

I can't help but admire the fact you never trusted a word I said to that extent. What you said is true.

But don't you think getting mad over that is a bit much?

Natsume: ? What are you saying?

Ibara: The director already regrets what he had done and even paid his fines. The legal process is over — moreover, the victim had settled with him out of court.

For him, who has since reformed, this program might be his chance to make a comeback.

Don't you think it's a waste for him to get held down by his past and even lose his job because of it?

Natsume: The problem here is that you were hiding that fact from us.

Ibara: Are you upset I was 'hiding' the fact I was considerate enough to not make you waste your time by looking into this~?

Or are you saying our individual freedom should be decided by the powers that be?

For you, Natsume-kun, to have won over a man who had lost his way and yet hold that kind of opinion... It seems I've judged you incorrectly as well... ♪

Natsume: ...

Rinne: You two're bickerin' before things even start. Y'all're gettin' so heated, it's like I can see fireworks between y'all.

I'm with ya on that — don'tcha think he made up for the crime he did back then?

Us Crazy:B folks gotta give him respect for that.

Hinata: Rinne-senpai's right~. As for me, I'm fine with it as long as it's interesting.

The project proposal was done properly, so all that's left is deciding to go onto the film set. Doesn't that sound good?

Madara: Rather, if he were still committing crimes, maybe we could even help prevent a future crime before it happens.

I also want to get shown around NETV this one time.

Natsume: ...I understand. I was the one being close-minded here, we'll go with that.

But there won't be a repeat of this. My doubt has grown stronger than before because of your sneak attack.

Senpai also wants to participate in the project, but I took the liberty to confirm things myself.

Ibara: Yes, yes, thank you for doing that!

If you were to ask me, I felt nothing but sympathy for him, knowing his choices for the future became narrower due to the circumstances of his past.

In the event something comes up with A Match on the Sugoroku Board, I'll be there to get all of CosPro's idols out the second it does!

Well then, let me explain what A Match on the Sugoroku Board is! Everyone, please pay attention... ☆

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