#You can't see it but I'm pointing to the café art

[estellan0vella]

A Chance Encounter Older Brother Sukuna AU HFBU

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingles with the faint scent of pastries in the bustling café. You sit by the window, the warm sunlight streaming through the glass, casting a soft glow on your sketchbook. With each stroke of your pencil, a new design takes shape, intricate patterns and delicate lines flowing effortlessly from your hand. It's your sanctuary, a place where you lose yourself in the art, forgetting the world around you.

Suddenly, a shadow falls over your sketchbook. You look up to find a man standing there, his pink hair catching the light, his red eyes locked onto your drawings. He's tall, muscular, and covered in tattoos, each one more intricate than the last. He exudes an air of confidence and mystery that makes your heart skip a beat.

"Those are some impressive sketches," he says, his voice deep and smooth. "Do you mind if I take a closer look?"

You nod, feeling a mix of surprise and curiosity. He studies your drawings with a keen eye, his expression thoughtful. After a moment, he pulls out a business card and scribbles something on the back before handing it to you.

"I'm Sukuna," he introduces himself with a charming smile. "I own a tattoo parlour nearby. I'd love to see more of your work. Here's my card, and I've added my personal number. Give me a call if you're interested."

With that, he walks away, leaving you with a fluttering heart and a business card that feels like a golden ticket. You can't help but smile as you slip the card into your pocket, already anticipating the conversation you'll have later with your flatmate.

That night, you and Gojo settle into your usual routine: wine, face masks, and a cheesy movie playing in the background. The soft glow of the TV casts a cozy ambiance in the room as you recount the events of the day. Gojo's eyes widen in disbelief, his face covered in a bright green face mask.

"Wait, wait, wait," he says, sitting up straight and nearly spilling his wine. "You're telling me a drop-dead sexy man gave you his personal number? This is not a drill, Y/N! We need to talk about this."

You laugh, feeling the warmth of the wine and Gojo's infectious excitement. "I know, right? He owns a tattoo parlour and seemed really interested in my sketches. I think I might actually call him."

Gojo's grin widens. "You absolutely should. This is fate, my dear. Sexy tattoo artists don't just walk into your life every day."

You sip your wine, a thoughtful look on your face. "I mean, what if he was just being polite? Maybe he gives his number to a lot of people."

"Y/N," Gojo says, rolling his eyes dramatically. "Men like that do not just hand out their personal numbers. He's interested. And he owns a tattoo parlour? That's like, instant cool points."

"I guess," you reply, unable to keep a smile from forming. "He was really intense, though. Those red eyes... I felt like he could see right through me."

Gojo leans forward, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Tell me more about him. What else did he say?"

"He asked if I worked anywhere and complimented my sketches," you say, replaying the encounter in your mind. "Then he handed me his business card with his number on the back and told me to call him if I was looking for something more."

Gojo gasps theatrically. "Y/N, this is like something out of a romance novel! You have to call him. Imagine all the possibilities. Maybe you'll get an amazing job and a hot boyfriend out of this."

You laugh, shaking your head. "Slow down, Satoru. It's just a phone number. Besides, what if he's not looking for anything serious?"

Gojo waves his hand dismissively. "Please. You won't know until you call him. Worst case, you have a fun fling with a gorgeous guy. Best case, you get a new job and a fantastic relationship. It's a win-win."

"You make it sound so easy," you say, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. "But what if he's not what I'm expecting? What if he doesn't like me once he gets to know me?"

Gojo places a reassuring hand on your shoulder. "Y/N, you're amazing. If he doesn't see that, then it's his loss. But you owe it to yourself to find out. Take the chance."

You nod, feeling a surge of determination. "You're right. I'll go to the parlour in a few days"

"That's my girl!" Gojo cheers, clinking his glass against yours. "Now, let's focus on this movie and see if the heroine ends up with the handsome prince."

A few days later, you find yourself standing outside Sukuna's tattoo parlour, your heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves. The shop is a blend of modern and edgy, with bold artwork adorning the walls and a sleek, inviting atmosphere.

As you step inside, you're greeted by two men lounging near the reception desk. One has long black hair tied back, and the other is muscular with short, spiky hair. They glance up as you enter, their eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"Well, well, well," the long-haired man says with a smirk. "If it isn't the pretty woman from the coffee shop. Sukuna's been talking about you."

The other man chuckles, giving you a once-over. "I'm Geto, and this is Toji. Sukuna's been in a good mood since he met you. I gotta say, we're all curious."

You blush, feeling a bit flustered under their teasing gazes. "I'm Y/N. Sukuna invited me to come by and show him more of my sketches."

Before you can say more, Sukuna emerges from the back room, his eyes lighting up when he sees you. "Y/N, you made it," he says, his tone warm and inviting. "Come on back, I'd love to see what you've brought."

You follow him into his office, the walls lined with more of his impressive artwork. He motions for you to sit, and you spread out your sketchbook, showing him your latest designs. He flips through the pages, his expression thoughtful and appreciative.

"These are incredible," he says, looking up at you with admiration. "Have you ever thought about doing tattoos yourself?"

You hesitate, then shake your head. "I don't think I could. I have epilepsy, and I wouldn't feel comfortable working on someone's skin with the risk of a seizure."

Sukuna's expression softens with understanding. "I get that. But your designs are too good to go unnoticed. How about this – you design the tattoos, and I'll handle the inking? We can call it a collaboration."

You smile, feeling a warmth spread through your chest. "That sounds amazing. But are you sure? Mixing business and pleasure can be tricky."

He leans in closer, his eyes locking onto yours. "I'll make an exception to the rule this time. How about we discuss it over drinks?"

You agree, and later that evening, you find yourself in a cozy bar with Sukuna, the atmosphere relaxed and intimate. As you sip your drinks, he tells you about his three-year-old brother, Yuji, and how he became Yuji's legal guardian after their parents died.

"It's been a challenge," he admits, his eyes reflecting both pride and a hint of weariness. "But I wouldn't trade it for anything. Yuji's everything to me."

You share a bit about your own background, mentioning your strained relationship with your wealthy family. He doesn't press for details, respecting your boundaries.

"I want you to have this," you say, handing him a small card. "It's instructions on what to do if I have a seizure. Just in case."

Sukuna takes the card, his expression serious as he reads it. "Thank you for trusting me with this," he says sincerely. "I want to make sure you're safe."

You smile, feeling a connection growing between you. "I've got some stories if you're interested."

His grin returns, and he leans in closer, eager to listen. "I'm all ears."

You take a deep breath, recalling some of the more memorable experiences. "Once I learned what the aura was I used it to my advantage so when I'd feel one coming on I'd freak out my asshole family members by saying some freaky shit before dropping into a seizure"

Sukuna's eyes widen with intrigue and amusement. "Freaky shit, huh? Give me an example."

You laugh, taking a sip of your drink to gather your thoughts. "Okay, so there was this one time at a family dinner. I felt a seizure coming on, and my aunt was going on and on about some new business venture. I interrupted her and said, 'Auntie, the spirits are restless tonight. They demand a sacrifice.' Then I started to convulse and dropped to the floor."

Sukuna bursts out laughing, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "No way! That must have scared the hell out of her."

"It did," you reply, grinning. "She screamed and started throwing holy water at me. It was pure chaos. My parents were mortified especially when other family started recommeding exorcists. My aunt, bless her, she never quite looked at me the same way again."

"I can imagine," Sukuna snorts. 

The night continues with more stories and laughter, the bond between you growing stronger. When it's time to leave, Sukuna insists on walking you back to your apartment.

As you approach your building, you spot Gojo waiting by the entrance, his eyes widening in surprise when he sees you with Sukuna.

"Well, well," Gojo teases, a grin spreading across his face. "Looks like someone had a good night."

You laugh, feeling a bit shy under his scrutiny. "Gojo, this is Sukuna. Sukuna, this is my flatmate, Gojo."

Gojo extends a hand, shaking Sukuna's firmly. "Nice to meet you, Sukuna. I've heard a lot about you."

Sukuna nods, his demeanor friendly but reserved. "Likewise. Take care of her, Gojo."

With that, Sukuna bids you goodnight, his gaze lingering on you for a moment before he turns to leave. You watch him go, a smile playing on your lips.

Inside the apartment, Gojo wastes no time. "Okay, spill. How was it?"

You flop onto the couch, feeling giddy. "It was amazing. He's so kind and understanding. And did I mention how sexy he is?"

Gojo laughs, grabbing his phone. "Let's see this parlour of his. If he's as hot as you say, I need to check out his work."

You both gather around the laptop, pulling up the website for Sukuna's tattoo parlour. The screen fills with images of stunning artwork and a few photos of the team.

Gojo points to one of the pictures, his eyes widening when he spots one of Sukuna's co-workers. "Is that one Geto? I want to lick him like a lollipop."

You burst into laughter, the wine and the excitement of the night making everything feel surreal. "Gojo, you're incorrigible."

He grins, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. "What can I say? I have a weakness for hot guys with tattoos. But seriously, Y/N, I'm happy for you. He seems like a great guy."

You nod, feeling a sense of contentment wash over you. "Yeah, he really is. I think this could be the start of something special."

"So, Y/N," Gojo begins with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, "it's criminal that you didn't go home with Sukuna tonight."

You playfully roll your eyes, knowing where this is headed. "Oh, come on, Gojo. We had a great time together. That's what matters."

He gives you an exaggerated sigh, as if disappointed by your response. "Fine, fine. I'll let it slide this time. But," he adds with a pointed look, "you owe me."

You raise an eyebrow, intrigued. "I owe you? What for?"

Gojo leans in conspiratorially, his grin widening. "You're going to start working at Sukuna's parlour, right? Well, since you'll be seeing that sexy man every day, it's only fair that you set me up with Geto."

You burst into laughter, shaking your head at his audacity. "You're shameless, Gojo. But I'll consider it."

"Consider it?" he exclaims dramatically. "Y/N, my dear friend, this is a matter of utmost importance! Geto needs to know that I'm interested."

"You're impossible," you chuckle, picking up your phone to check the time. "Speaking of which, I should probably text Sukuna and let him know I got home safely."

Gojo perks up immediately, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Ooh, can I help with that?"

You raise an eyebrow suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

He grins devilishly. "Give me your phone. I'll text him for you."

You hesitate for a moment, weighing the risks of letting Gojo loose with your phone. But after a moment's thought, you hand it over with a smirk. "Alright, but no funny business."

Gojo takes the phone eagerly, his fingers flying over the screen as he composes a message. "Don't worry, I'll be on my best behavior."

He taps away for a few seconds before showing you the screen. "There. Sent."

You read the message aloud, your eyes widening in surprise. "It's Gojo. Does Geto like men?"

Gojo grins triumphantly, handing the phone back to you. "Now we wait for Sukuna's response."

"You're unbelievable," you laugh, shaking your head as you put your phone down. "I can't believe you just did that."

As you set your phone down, still chuckling at Gojo's audacity, it suddenly lights up with an incoming call. Your heart skips a beat as you see Sukuna's name flashing on the screen.

"Oh no," you mutter, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. "He's calling."

Gojo raises an eyebrow mischievously. "Well, aren't you going to answer?"

You hesitate for a moment, debating whether to let Gojo handle the situation. But before you can make a move, Gojo snatches up your phone with a grin and answers it before you can stop him.

"Hello, Sukuna," Gojo says casually, leaning back on the couch as if he's answering his own phone. "Yeah, it's me, Gojo. Sorry to disappoint, but Y/N left her phone with me. So, does Geto like men?"

You lunge forward, panic rising in your chest. "Gojo, give me that phone!"

But Gojo dodges your grasp effortlessly, grinning as he keeps his attention on the call. "What? Oh, she's fine. Just a bit annoyed that I'm hijacking her phone. So, about Geto..."

You let out an exasperated groan, trying again to grab the phone from him. "Gojo, seriously! Give it back!"

Gojo laughs, evading your attempts with surprising agility as he continues speaking into the phone. "Yeah, yeah, Y/N's trying to kill me for asking. But hey, inquiring minds want to know."

You dive for the phone once more, nearly toppling over the coffee table in your pursuit. "Gojo, I swear!"

Gojo dances away from you, effortlessly dodging your furious attempts to reclaim your phone. "Hold on, Sukuna. Let me put you on speaker. Y/N's dying to hear the answer."

You freeze, realizing you're caught in Gojo's playful trap. You give up your chase for a moment, glaring at him with mock fury. "Gojo, you're impossible."

He grins mischievously, finally relenting and putting the call on speaker. "Alright, Sukuna. Now that we have an audience, spill the beans. Does Geto like men? I need to know if that criminally sexy hunk of man meat is my future husband"

"For fuck sake," You mutter, taking a big gulp from the wine bottle. 

The room fills with Sukuna's laughter as Gojo's audacious questions ring through the speakerphone. You groan inwardly, burying your face in a nearby cushion as you listen to your friend's shameless interrogation.

Sukuna's amused voice cuts through the air. "Gojo, you're certainly direct. I can't say about Geto's preferences, but I'm sure he'd appreciate the attention."

Gojo, undeterred, continues his playful banter. "Alright, fair enough. Now, on a scale of one to ten, how hot do you think my best friend is?"

You shoot Gojo a death glare, mouthing 'stop it' furiously, but he's too engrossed in his antics to notice. You grab a cushion and hurl it at him with all your might, hitting him square in the face.

"Ow! Hey!" Gojo protests, momentarily distracted from the call. "Okay, okay, I get it. Just asking for a friend."

Sukuna chuckles on the other end of the line. "I'd say she's a solid eleven."

You groan again, your face burning with embarrassment as you snatch the phone from Gojo's hand. "I'm so sorry, Sukuna. He's incorrigible."

"No need to apologize," Sukuna replies. "It's been entertaining, to say the least. But Gojo, you might want to tread carefully with those questions."

Gojo rubs his nose where the cushion hit him, his grin undiminished. "Understood, Sukuna. But one last thing – you don't cry after doing it, right? Because if so, you're not allowed near Y/N. She's been through that before-"

Sukuna's hearty laughter echoes through the speakerphone again as Gojo's teasing provokes another exasperated response from you. You grab your sketchbook from the coffee table and fling it at Gojo with all your might. The sketchbook sails through the air, narrowly missing Gojo's head as he ducks, still chuckling.

Before Gojo can finish his sentence, you launch yourself at him with a primal yell, tackling him to the ground. He lets out a surprised grunt as the two of you crash onto the floor, cushions and blankets flying everywhere.

"Gojo, shut up!" you yell, wrestling to pin him down while he continues to laugh uproariously.

You manage to wrest the phone from Gojo's grasp and, without missing a beat, dash toward your bedroom. "Sorry, Sukuna! Give me a second!" you call out, sprinting down the hallway. Gojo's laughter follows you as you slam your door shut and lock it, leaning against it for a moment to catch your breath.

"Finally," you mutter, bringing the phone to your ear. "Sorry about that, Sukuna. Gojo can be a bit... much."

Sukuna's laughter is still present in his voice. "No worries, Y/N. It was entertaining. You have quite the energetic friend."

"That's one way to put it," you sigh, feeling a mix of exasperation and fondness. "So, about what Gojo said..."

"Don't worry, I'm not a crier," Sukuna says and you breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thank God," You say.

"I'm curious to know about the crier," Sukuna's voice has a teasing lilt to it. 

"I'll tell you!" Gojo calls through the door. "Her ex would cry almost every time they-"

"Gojo, I will take the kitchen knife and-" you start to threaten, your voice carrying a mix of genuine frustration and playful menace.

Gojo's voice interrupts you through the door. "And do what? Cut my precious hair? You wouldn't dare!"

"No, I have some garden shears reserved for your hair!" you call back, your tone dripping with mock menace. "Rusty and blunt."

Gojo's laughter booms through the door. "You wouldn't dare. My hair is a work of art!"

"It's a work of something, that's for sure," you retort, a grin spreading across your face despite yourself.

Behind the door, you hear Gojo's exaggerated gasp. "I am hurt, Y/N. Deeply hurt. I thought we were friends."

"We are," you chuckle, shaking your head. "But seriously, stop eavesdropping."

Gojo's voice turns playful again. "Fine, fine. I'll leave you and Sukuna to your romantic phone call in peace. But remember, if you need any tips on handling a tattooed bad boy, I'm your man."

You roll your eyes, the amusement clear in your voice. "Thanks, Gojo. I'll keep that in mind."

Once you're sure Gojo has retreated, you settle back against your bedroom door with a sigh, bringing the phone back to your ear. "Sorry about that, Sukuna."

Sukuna's warm chuckle fills your ear. "No need to apologize. Your friend seems... colorful."

"That's one way to describe him," you agree, feeling a smile tug at your lips. "So, what were you saying before we were interrupted?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to come to the parlour again," Sukuna says, his voice taking on a slightly more serious tone. "But this time, it's closed, and I thought we could have a different kind of date."

Your curiosity piques. "A different kind of date?"

"Yeah," Sukuna continues, his tone gentle yet filled with anticipation. "I have some fake skin for tattoo practice. I thought maybe you could bring your sketches, and I could show you some basics. If you're interested, of course."

The idea sends a thrill through you. "That sounds amazing, Sukuna. I'd love to learn more about tattooing from you."

"Great," Sukuna replies, his voice warm with approval. "How about tomorrow evening? I'll set everything up, and we can take our time."

You feel a rush of excitement at the thought of spending more time with Sukuna and delving into his world of tattoo artistry. "Tomorrow evening sounds perfect. I can't wait."

"Me neither," Sukuna says softly. "I'll text you the details. Until then, Y/N."

"Until then, Sukuna," you reply, feeling butterflies flutter in your stomach as you hang up the phone.

As you hang up with Sukuna, Gojo bursts back into your room with his usual dramatic flair. "So, spill the tea! What did Sukuna say? When's the next hot date?"

You chuckle at his enthusiasm, shaking your head at his antics. "Tomorrow evening. We're going to the parlour after hours."

Gojo's eyes widen in mock surprise. "Ooh, after hours? That's scandalous. Are you sure you're ready for that level of intimacy?"

Rolling your eyes, you play along with his teasing. "It's not like that, Gojo. We're just going to practice tattooing on fake skin."

Gojo raises an eyebrow suggestively. "Sure, sure. Tattooing. I get it. Wink wink."

You laugh, swatting at him playfully. "Stop it, you perv."

Ignoring your protest, Gojo flops down on your bed dramatically. "Seriously though, I'm happy for you. Sukuna seems like a good guy. And hot, let's not forget hot."

"You're not wrong," you admit with a grin, unable to deny Sukuna's attractiveness.

"And what about Geto?" Gojo prompts eagerly, propping himself up on his elbows. "When are you setting me up with him? You promised!"

You shake your head, amused by his persistence. "I'll see what I can do, Gojo. But don't get your hopes up too high."

"I'm counting on you, Y/N," Gojo says dramatically, clutching his heart as if wounded. "My future happiness depends on this."

"Your future happiness depends on many things, but sure, I'll add 'Geto matchmaker' to my list," you reply, teasing him gently.

Gojo grins, rolling onto his back and staring up at the ceiling. "You know I trust you with my love life, Y/N. You've got impeccable taste."

"That's debatable," you quip back, enjoying the banter with your friend.

He sits up suddenly, his expression turning serious for a moment. "But seriously, Y/N. I'm glad you're hitting it off with Sukuna. You deserve someone who appreciates your sketches and makes you laugh."

Your heart warms at his sincerity. "Thanks, Gojo. That means a lot."

"Anytime," Gojo says with a grin, returning to his usual playful demeanour. "Now, back to Sukuna and Geto. Double date soon, perhaps?"

You laugh, shaking your head at his relentless matchmaking efforts. "Let's see how tomorrow goes first, okay?"

"Fair enough," Gojo concedes with a shrug. "But just remember, I'm counting on you."

"I won't forget," you assure him, already looking forward to the next chapter with Sukuna and whatever adventures (and matchmaking schemes) Gojo might drag you into next.

taglist - @sad-darksoul @thejujvtsupost @kyo-kyo1

[moviecritc]

dreamer ⋆ carlos sainz

pairing: carlos sainz x old friend!reader

summary: you leave the city searching a meaning to your life, founding an old friends instead

word count: 2K

warnings: carlos isn't a driver, just a really rich guy with hobbies

a/n: here's the first track of my bewitched department <33 i love reader and carlos so so much tbh

masterlist | wattpad | letterboxd

"I'm sick of all this, Natalie," Y/N declared, throwing her phone on the sofa. Her roommate diverted her gaze from the TV to her. "It's the fourth guy that ghosted me after I ask him out."

"Become a lesbian," said Natalie, turning her attention back to the movie.

Y/N let out a sigh. "I should. I'm tired of all men being assholes and manipulators."

She grimaced, thinking that maybe the problem wasn't men but her. She had studied Art History and had been the best in her class. Now, at 28, she was sharing an apartment and teaching preteens who called her 'ma'am.' Was she wasting her life?

"I need a change," she said to herself.

"The smell goes away with a shower, don't worry." Natalie looked at her, wrinkling her nose.

"No, damn it. A change in my routine," she explained. Nevertheless, she took a sniff at her armpit, regretting it. She'd shower later. "I need to get out of here."

She stood up, grabbed her phone, and headed to her room.

"Hey? And where are you going, if I may ask?" said Natalie, following her.

"Anywhere!" Y/N shrugged. She drank a glass of water and took out a couple of pieces of clothing. "I need to change the scenery as soon as possible, I'm stuck."

She pulled a small suitcase from her closet while her roommate rolled her eyes.

"Y/N, you can't just leave suddenly. Don't you have classes tomorrow?"

Y/N paused for a moment and then shrugged again. "I'll ask for the day off. The week, actually."

"The week!" exclaimed Natalie. Y/N was already looking at flights on her phone when Natalie covered her screen. "Y/N, you don't have the financial or mental stability for this!"

Y/N swatted Natalie's hand away to see her phone screen.

"Madrid is very cheap this time of year," she said, with a small smile.

"But you don't even speak Spanish!"

Y/N boarded a plane to Madrid with the idea of not talking to any men that week. This trip was for her, to reconnect with herself, the Y/N she had lost over the years.

She still didn't have a place to stay, but she would resolve that on the go. The journey from the airport to central Madrid was tedious; she didn't know how the metro worked and people ignored her like she was nothing. Frustrated, she sat in a café. She looked up things to do in Madrid on her phone, but soon the battery died, and she was sure she had forgotten her charger at the apartment.

She let out a long sigh and ran her hands over her face. As she opened her eyes, she heard a voice.

"Y/N?"

She looked up immediately, surprised that someone knew who she was in Madrid. When she met the gaze of the individual, she recognized him instantly.

"Carlos?"

She stood up immediately, greeting him. Was he a man? Yes but Carlos and she had gone to university together; they had been friends for several years. Probably best friends, though they never talked about it. He hadn't changed much; he looked older but in a positive way, with a more flattering haircut and surprisingly stronger.

"What are you doing here?" Carlos asked, leaning in for a short hug.

"On vacation," Y/N nodded. Running into him had instantly lifted her spirits.

"Damn, I haven't seen you in… six years?" Carlos tilted his head a bit.

"Since graduation, right?"

They both nodded; it had been quite a while. Long enough to realize they had lost contact too soon.

"I didn't expect to see you in Madrid," commented Carlos, with a smile.

"It was a last-minute decision," explained Y/N, wrinkling her nose a bit. She formed a smile. "I'm glad to see you, really. Do you want to sit for a bit?" she suggested, pointing to the empty chair.

"I'd love to," Carlos accepted the invitation immediately, sitting down.

A waiter approached, and Carlos ordered a coffee to accompany Y/N's.

"Well, tell me, what have you been up to all these years?" Carlos asked, crossing one leg.

Y/N told him a bit of everything, very sweetened. That she was teaching Geography and History at a public school, that her family was fine, and they reminisced about the time Carlos practically crashed her Christmas party because Carlos Sainz Senior was mad at him for his grades and that she was happy living in her city.

Carlos told her that he now worked at his father's company as an executive.

"Oh, I thought you’d be doing something related to what we studied," Y/N pressed her lips a bit, somewhat disappointed that Carlos hadn't continued doing what they both loved.

"I would have loved to… but there were very few job opportunities. And I didn't want to be a teacher, so I played it safe," admitted Carlos, shrugging a bit. For a moment, he thought Y/N would judge him for it, but her sweet and calm expression told him otherwise.

"Understandable not wanting to be a teacher," agreed Y/N, before sipping her coffee.

"Is it tough?" Carlos mimicked her, lifting his cup too.

Y/N shook her head a bit. "I'm sure there are worse things. But having a twelve-year-old try to cut your hair because his dad is bald is rather curious."

Carlos almost choked on his coffee from the sudden laughter. "Really?" He tried to stifle the laughter as best as he could, but Y/N was already glaring at him.

"No, no. It's not funny, it happens every damn day," she nodded vigorously. Carlos let out a laugh that ended up being contagious for Y/N too.

The conversation continued for the rest of the afternoon. It was like going back to university for a few hours, a time she missed a lot. When they decided to get up from the table, they had finished four coffees and at least one glass of wine. It was even starting to get cold outside.

"Shall I walk you to your hotel?" Carlos asked with a smirk.

Y/N grimaced, remembering she still hadn't sorted that out. She bit the inside of her cheek, embarrassed. "I haven't booked a hotel room yet."

"Oh," he pursed his lips and quickly said, "You can stay at my place, I have a spare room."

Y/N, hearing him speak, was already shaking her head. "No, no, no. I don't want to bother you."

Carlos clicked his tongue, looking away for a moment.

"How are you going to bother me? Come on, bring your suitcase. My car is parked nearby."

Y/N was intrigued by Carlos's initiative but kept shaking her head.

"Really, it's not necessary, Carlos," Y/N extended her arms a bit for Carlos to return her suitcase, but he even moved it away from her hands. "I'll manage."

She said that last part to ease him a bit, but it only sounded like she needed more help.

"Y/N, I'm not going to leave you out on the street," Carlos put his hands on his hips and she let out a sigh. "That's not very gentlemanly of me."

"You were never a gentleman, you idiot," noted Y/N. Carlos smiled, knowing that if Y/N started to insult you, she was about to agree with you. "Alright, but just for one night. Then I'll find a hotel."

"Whatever you say, cariño," Carlos smiled triumphantly, and Y/N tried to hide her smile while he put her suitcase in the trunk.

His apartment was huge, truly huge. A dream kitchen, a large living room, and definitely more than one spare room. As they entered, a beautiful brown and white dog greeted them, heading straight for Carlos's legs.

"And who is this?" said Y/N, petting his head a bit, enough for the animal to focus all its attention on her. He sniffed Y/N's shoes and licked the hems of her pants.

"His name is Piñón," said Carlos with a smile, surprised that Piñón hadn't started barking because of a stranger's presence. "I adopted him almost after we graduated."

Y/N crouched, petting Piñón's neck and behind his ears. "Hi, Piñón. You're so pretty."

"I'll show you the room," Carlos said.

Y/N got up, giving Piñon one last pet. "Thank you, really. I feel like an abandoned cat, but thank you."

They both chuckled softly.

"It's nothing," Carlos said as they went to the room.

Y/N left her suitcase in a corner and turned to Carlos. "Do you have a charger?"

She felt like she was taking advantage of him too much, even if it was just for a charger, she felt bad.

"Of course, here," Carlos handed her the charger, their hands touched for a millisecond. She tried so hard not to feel anything. He kept a flirty smile. "Are you hungry?"

"Well, yes," Y/N nodded. "But give me a few minutes and I'll help you cook."

Y/N took a couple of things out of her suitcase and went back to the kitchen to help Carlos. They quickly cooked some pasta with burrata. Y/N noticed how Carlos would get close to her or brush his hands against hers casually.

While cutting some tomatoes, the knife slipped from Carlos’s hand. "Shit!" Carlos looked at the cut and put his finger in his mouth, letting out several whimpers.

"Did you cut yourself?" Y/N went over to him, Carlos took his finger out of his mouth, showing her a small cut. Y/N pursed her lips, remembering how dramatic he could be. "It's nothing, Carlos. It's barely bleeding."

Y/N cradled his hand, gently caressing his fingers almost unconsciously. The room went silent, Carlos looked into her eyes, he adored that look. Y/N lifted her eyes, connecting them with Carlos��s. He leaned toward her, listening to her breathing and matching his to it.

"Can I kiss you?"

The question hung in the air. Y/N held her breath. This was the opposite of what she wanted. She blinked and slightly opened her mouth. To Carlos, it felt like an eternity.

"I'm sorry," Y/N said in a faint voice. She looked at him with pity and Carlos stepped back, feeling more embarrassed than ever. "It's just… it's not the right time. I'm in a bit of a strange phase and things aren't going well for me, I don't want to mess things up for you." Y/N fidgeted with her rings as she said it.

"I understand," Carlos said, nodding slowly. "I shouldn't have asked you that, it was out of place."

"No, I should have told you before," she contradicted, with a grimace.

"Don't worry," he said. "It's just that…," Carlos hesitated a bit. "In college I had a huge crush on you and seeing you again brought everything back."

Y/N blinked, absorbing those words. She had always wondered why Carlos barely dated any girls during their time in college, it never crossed her mind it could be because of her.

"You had a crush on me?"

"You didn't know?"

"No…"

"Damn, we spent so much time together,"

"Because we were friends! That's what friends do!"

They both laughed and Carlos leaned against the counter, crossing his arms.

"So, you're not having a good time?" he inquired, with a calm look.

Y/N lowered her gaze. "I'm trying to sort out my life."

"I understand," he bit the inside of his cheek. "Anyway, if once you sort out your life you feel like going on a date, I haven't changed my number."

That felt so good in Y/N's chest, as if her heart expanded a little. She laughed like a fool, taking a few steps back.

"I'm going to go to sleep,"

"You're not having dinner with me?" Carlos extended his arms, with a sad look.

"Maybe tomorrow," Y/N turned around and smiled over her shoulder before disappearing down the hallway.

taglist; @theseerbetweenus

[thexmistress]

Hi🥸i saw that your requests were open so could you maybe write a part 2 of "the dilemma" where sukuna either gets it together or reader moves on with gojo (or nanami) and sukuna starts regretting how he was in the relationship🙏 cause him just replying with ❤️ after not texting reader for 2 days was crazyyy

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒟𝒾𝓁𝑒𝓂𝓂𝒶 𝓅𝓉. 𝟤

ˢʰᵉ/ʰᵉʳ | ˢᵘᵏᵘⁿᵃ ˣ ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ ˣ ˢᵃᵗᵒʳᵘ

<ᵖᵗ.¹

ఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌ

Y/N stared at the '❤️' message from Sukuna, the brief moment of relief quickly fading into a familiar emptiness. She wanted more than just crumbs. She deserved more. As she wiped her tears and put away her painting supplies, she knows she has to make a decision

ఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌ

Y/N held onto the brief moment of relief that Sukuna's heart emoji brought, but deep down, she knew it wasn’t enough. It was just a temporary balm on a wound that refused to heal. The following days were no different. Sukuna remained distant, wrapped up in his own world, while Y/N felt increasingly isolated.

One evening, after a long day, Y/N decided to confront Sukuna. She needed clarity, an answer, or at least some semblance of resolution. She arrived at his apartment, her heart heavy with dread.

"Sukuna, we need to talk," she said, her voice steady but filled with resolve. She felt like she was about to commit a terrible crime. This felt wrong.

Sukuna glanced up from his game, irritation flickering in his eyes. "What now, Y/N?" She can hear Kenjaku and Choso voices peeping out of his headset.

She took a deep breath, trying to keep her emotions in check. "I can't keep doing this. The constant neglect, the emotional distance. I need more than this."

He sighed, pausing his game. He muted his headset and took it off, he turned to her rubbing his face in the process, "What do you want from me? I'm here, aren't I?"

"But you're not really here," she replied, her voice trembling. She started second guessing if she was doing the right thing.

This feels wrong.

"You're physically present, but emotionally, you're somewhere else and I need a partner who's fully invested, who cares about my feelings…….. it just feels like you don’t care about me….. It feels like you don’t even like me." She didn’t even realize she started picking at her fingers, a habit he hates.

Sukuna's expression darkened, rolling his eyes and he stood up. "You always want too much. You're never satisfied."

"Maybe I am asking for too much," she admitted, tears welling up in her eyes.

This is wrong.

"But is wanting to feel loved and valued really too much?"

His silence spoke volumes, and that was the final straw for Y/N. She realized then that she couldn't keep sacrificing her happiness for someone who couldn't meet her halfway. She lost herself trying to get him to love her to the point where she didn’t even realize she lost the love for herself.

‘I was never enough’

"I'm done, Sukuna," she said, her voice breaking. "I can't keep doing this to myself. I deserve better."

As she walked out, a wave of despair crashed over her while a wave of relief crashed over his. Sukuna was a little baffled about her breaking up with him but like always he pushed it to the back of his mind and realized he got what he wanted.

Freedom.

The weeks that followed were some of the darkest she had ever known. She fell into a deep depression after witnessing Sukuna’s club and fling escapades on his instagram and Snapchat. She started struggling to find purpose and joy. Falling victim to bed rotting for half a year her art suffered, her friendships strained, and she felt like a shadow of her former self.

2 years later, while sitting in a café, she ran into an acquaintance of hers Satoru Gojo. His bright blue eyes sparkled with genuine concern as he spotted her while he was waiting for his order. If he were to be honest….. she looks terrible and by terrible he means her demeanor, something was off and he couldn’t tell exactly what. She lost that spark and youthful look he remembered seeing her wear when he would see her hanging with Shoko.

His legs carried him towards her and he towered over her as she was glued to her phone, "Y/N, you look like you could use a friend," he said, his voice gentle as he flashed her his signature grin.

She smiled weakly. "Yeah, I guess I do."

Gojo became a constant presence in her life, offering support and a listening ear. He never pushed, never demanded, just offered his companionship and understanding. Slowly, Y/N began to heal. She started painting again, finding solace in her art, and with Gojo's encouragement, she rediscovered her passion for life.

Months passed, and Y/N felt herself growing stronger. She smiled more, laughed more, and started to feel like herself again. Gojo's unwavering support had been a lifeline, pulling her out of the depths of her despair.

One evening, while they were sitting on a park bench eating the food they prepared earlier that day together, Gojo turned to her, his expression serious. "Y/N, I care about you a lot. I don't want to rush you, but I need you to know that I'm here for you, no matter what."

She looked into his eyes, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. "Thank you, Gojo. You've been my rock. I don't know what I would have done without you."

He leaned in slowly taking in her features, his sudden gaze making her feel self conscious. She could feel her heart beating through her chest as he leaned closer, his eyes locked on her lips and she could feel his breath on her lips, “Just call me Satoru from now on. Okay?” Was the last thing she heard before he closed the gap and captured her lips with his.

For the first time in a while Y/N truly felt at peace.

Their relationship blossomed naturally, built on a foundation of trust and mutual respect. With Satoru, Y/N felt valued, cherished, and truly loved. She found herself looking forward to the future, no longer haunted by the shadows of her past.

Meanwhile, Sukuna watched from afar, his regret growing with each passing day as he clicks on Satoru’s instagram story watching their love story grow. He saw the light return to Y/N's eyes, the way she laughed with Satoru, and he realized just how much he had taken for granted. The weight of his mistakes pressed down on him, and he knew he had lost something irreplaceable.

One day, unable to stay silent any longer, Sukuna approached Y/N as she was leaving an art exhibit.

"Y/N," he called, his voice rough with emotion.

She turned, surprised to see him. "Sukuna, what are you doing here?"

"I needed to see you," he said, struggling to find the right words. "I see now how much I messed up. I took you for granted, and I'm sorry."

Y/N looked at him, her eyes kind but resolute. "Sukuna, I loved you. But you were right—you can't change, and I do deserve better."

Sukuna's heart ached at her words, knowing they were true. "I know. And I'm glad you're finding happiness, even if it's not with me."

With that, Y/N nodded, a sense of closure settling over her. She watched as Sukuna walked away, feeling a mix of sorrow and peace.

Y/N's relationship with Satoru continued to flourish. He was attentive, loving, and always made her feel valued. With him, she found the emotional connection she had craved.

In the end, Y/N realized that sometimes, letting go was the only way to find true happiness. And while Sukuna would always be a part of her past, she looked forward to a brighter future with Gojo by her side.

ఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌఌ

Thank you for your request (*^‿^*) maybe I’ll have a new way to gain motivation to finish some of these short stories now lol. Hope you enjoyed the story ( ´ ▽ ` ).｡ｏ♡

[giorno-plays-piano]

Thorns In His Mouth

Part I

Pairing: fae!Steve Rogers x reader

Warnings: obsession, dubious consent, minor character death, drugs (neither reader nor Steve are involved), slight eating disorder, mentions of tumor, high tech elves.

Words: 1.8k

Summary: Maybe it was a good idea to chat with a waitress a bit more once she brought you your order. Perhaps she could at least tell you with whom you should speak because you simply couldn't force yourself to look at others, most of them already high, shouting something loudly or laughing or weeping. You could constantly hear the flapping of someone's wings, weird whispers and noises, and the sound of boots and hooves that made your hair stand on end.

________

This place gave you the creeps. You certainly didn't expect it to be the same as those lovely little cafés you enjoyed visiting on your days off, but this hellhole was by far the scariest place you had ever been, and it took all your strength to stay seated at the dirty little table instead of running out to the street.

When you saw one of the fairies to your right preparing a needle as her friends giggled, already drunk or high or whatever, you quickly stared at the table top, praying not to see or hear anything at all. If not the promise given to the elf, you would never ever come here. In fact, you wouldn't even know a place like this existed at all.

You still couldn't believe it when you stumbled upon a man who had healed a stray cat when he thought nobody looked. It was way past midnight, and the street was empty if not for you, stopping to rub your bruised feet - you had worn a new pair of shoes that evening to brag about them to your friends. And then, when you saw the man bringing his glowing hand to the cat's torn ear, you thought you were just drunk. You were certainly old enough to know magic didn't exist, and as you stared at the perfectly shaped cat's ear, you wondered if you're sick or drugged or insane.

You weren't, you realized when the elf rose to his feet, startled by you, his own ears too long and sharp for a human, his too-graceful features making you stare at him with your mouth agape while he stilled, unsure what to do with you. He was most likely to wipe your memories like most of the fair folk did if mortals spotted them in the human realm, but you were lucky to convince him otherwise.

"Hey human," a young woman's voice made you rouse from you thoughts, and you stared at the waitress with bright pink hair and pointed ears in front of your table, her once pretty deep blue uniform soiled and unkept with oily stains covering the fabric here and there. "What's your poison?"

You stared at her, unsure what you should say. Was that some kind of code? The elf didn't mention anything about it. He just said you were most likely to meet fallen elves and other creatures in this place, but he said nothing about poisons. You hoped you didn't have to take any.

"I'm sorry," you smiled meekly at the girl. "I don't think I understand."

The waitress blew a big pink bubble and popped it with her sharp teeth, chewing gum as if she couldn't care less, "If you found this place, I bet you already know who we all are. We're the fair folk, hun. The exiled."

"I know," you said quickly, becoming more and more nervous as if feeling other creatures suddenly started paying attention to you.

"Well, then you should know each of us have our own poison. What's yours?" she narrowed her sharp, cat-like eyes at you, growing impatient. "If you don't have any, you can't be here."

Ah. Yes. An obsession. Each and every of the fair folk living away from the Sacred lands had a certain mania, the elf you met on the street said. Missing the magic surrounding them from the moment they were born, they were bound to have an unhealthy attraction to something else in the world of humans, so foreign to them. When you asked if it was arts or an obsession with human technology, perhaps, the man only chuckled.

"It's drugs," he said, cutting you short.

When you stilled, a troubled expression on your face as you had a hard time processing his words, he added, "But not always. Sometimes, it's alcohol or cigarettes. I heard some have battled their addictions and picked something less heavier to obsess over, but I don't think my brother did. I bet you can find him among drug addicts."

Ah, and so you were there, among the drug addicts and drunks and misfits whose sick smiling faces nearly made you retch as you thought of how to find a man you never saw before and knew nothing of him except for very few details the elf from the street was willing to share. It was nearly impossible, he said, but you couldn't back down on your promise because something much more important was at stake.

"I have an eating disorder," you gave the waitress a polite smile you had been showing to the especially demanding customers of yours over the years. "Does it count?"

Her face suddenly changed, and you saw her smiling widely at you in return as if you having unhealthy relationship with food somehow made you one of them. "Sure! What would that be? Sugar, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"I'll be back in a minute, hun," she said too happily and flew back to the counter, passing your order to someone on the back while you nervously licked your lips. What was she going to bring you? Just cubes of sugar? A whole cake? A poisonous cake?

Hiding your hands under the table and clenching the fabric of your wide workpants, you took a deep breath, trying to concentrate on your goal. You needed to find a man the elf was looking for. Maybe it was a good idea to chat with a waitress a bit more once she brought you your order. Perhaps she could at least tell you with whom you should speak because you simply couldn't force yourself to look at others, most of them already high, shouting something loudly or laughing or weeping. You could constantly hear the flapping of someone's wings, weird whispers and noises, and the sound of boots and hooves that made your hair stand on end.

Why were you here, again? Ah yes. For the sake of your sick mother who the elf you met on the street had been treating faithfully for the whole week.

You could do it. You just needed to be careful and stay out of troubles. You only needed to find a lost man and bring him back to the elf.

But, perhaps, it wasn't in your nature to stay out of troubles, you thought when you saw a stranger with rather long bleached hair and pointed ears joining you at the table, his face, certainly very handsome once, looking tired and grim.

"It's not often we have new faces here," he said nonchalantly, tilting his head to the side as you gaped at him, wide-eyed and slightly scared. "Especially human faces. What's your name?"

For a couple of seconds, you debated whether you should tell it to him. You knew the fair folk were prohibited from putting spells on humans, and it was one of the few laws the exiled magic creatures were abiding by, but giving your name to a weird-looking stranger didn't seem like a good idea.

You still didn't know why you told him your name.

"Steve," he replied quickly, throwing a glance at the waitress who was coming back to your table, a cupcake on her tray. "What a sweet obsession you have."

"That's not funny," the pink-haired girl cut in, placing a plate with a bright red cupcake and white frosting on its top on the table for you. "Your usual."

She then handed him a thin black box people used to store CDs, and you eyed it with curiosity. What was that? There was no label on it, no name, nothing that would help to identify it. You weren't even sure it was a CD inside, but you thought it was unlikely to be used for drugs. The disc box looked way to shabby as if it could open any time, and you suddenly found yourself wondering what Steve's obsession was.

Following your gaze, the man grinned, showing you the box. "There's just a CD inside, nothing else. You see, I'm a very boring creature."

"Yeah, sure," the waitress said, narrowing her gaze and quickly returning back to the counter before you had a chance to talk to her.

Irritated, you forced yourself to stay civil, smiling to the stranger sitting in front of you. You just lost your chance to figure out anything at all, and now you had to get rid of him, too.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" You asked politely, hoping he would leave you alone.

"I just said it. We rarely have fresh blood here," he said and then added immediately, seeing your bewildered expression. "Don't fret. I don't mean any harm. I'm just curious to see why a decent human woman ended up in this hole. As you can see, we have very little entertainment here except for booze and stimulants."

Stimulants. What a lovely synonym he found, you thought and ordered yourself to stop, knowing your disgust would soon show clearly on your face, and you certainly didn't want to upset the elf on the other side of the table. You came here for information, nothing else.

"I, uh, I'm looking for someone." you mumbled, staring man in the face and seeing his eyes were blue like the opening sky, and that his cheekbones were high and wide, and his lips, albeit dry and cracked, were full and well formed. He'd look lovely if not the shadows beneath his eyes, hollow cheeks, and wrinkles on his forehead and around his mouth that looked strangely unnatural on his young face.

The more you looked at him, the more his strikingly handsome eyes seemed hollow to you.

"Searching for a friend? A lover?" The elf asked you as if he didn't mind you staring at him intently, and you snapped out of your thoughts, chewing your lips as you glanced at the cupcake waiting for you on a plate.

"Neither. I'm looking for a relative of my... friend." The second you said it, he gave a hearty laugh, shaking his head as if you said something amusing, and your cheeks heat up. Why was he laughing at you? You did your best to swallow your protest, acting as polite as a store clerk in the presence of their boss. "Why is it funny?"

_______

"Don't mind me," Steve chuckled, wiping his lips with his thumb. "I don't suppose you know what it's like to deal with the fair folk from the Sacred lands. To put it simple, they just love it when somebody's willing to do their bidding. That's what it all is about, right? Some elf or fae or phooka asked you to search for their relative in exile."

Part II

Tags: @finleyjayne @alexakeyloveloki   ​@helenaeisenhower @villanellevi @inlovewiththefictionalcharacters @navegandoaciegas @rosalynshields @sllooney @angrythingstarlight @lookiamtrying @buckysbunny @soleil-dor @stargazingfangirl18 @dillybuggg @literate-lamb @cosicas-cuquis @sarge-barnes-sir @buckybarnesplumwhore @jaysayey @megzdoodle @gotnofucks @lux-ravenwolf @biiskuitx @stupendouslovegardener @melodierin @yeolliedokai @what-is-your-wish @lou-la-lou @gachawipes133 @eralen @magnificantmermaid @lovelydarkdaydream @illyrianprincess @youngdreamer3214

[squiddokiddo]

So I know you've seen this one before but I'm trying out a bit of writing and I wrote a snippet for this drawing and I want the fic and the art to be together. Criticism is welcome but please be gentle, this is my first posted fic.

Edit - I originally made the mistake of thinking Whitby was in Cornwall so that line has now been changed.

‧₊˚꒷︶꒷꒥꒷‧₊˚ ꒷︶꒷꒥꒷‧₊˚꒷︶꒷꒥꒷‧₊˚ ꒷︶꒷꒥꒷‧₊꒷︶꒷꒥꒷˚₊‧

"Carry me?"

–• Fandom: Thunderbirds, Thunderbirds are go • Genre: Fluff • Characters: Gordon Tracy, OC (Seasquirt Tracy) • Pairings: None • Warnings: None •–

• • • • •

Gordon had booked the day off to give himself and his so called apprentice a break, they'd both been training hard all week and had definitely earned a little down time. They'd taken a trip to Whitby, an old seaside town located in England, it definitely wasn't his first choice mind you but Lady Penelope had highly recommended the location for a relaxing day out.

Gordon and Squirt had had a chilled morning browsing little village shops and stopping for a light breakfast and coffee in one of the cafés, maybe filling a 12 year old with caffeine wasn't the best idea but it was Squirt's treat and no one was going to tell him off for letting the kid have a little fun, not Scott, not Virgil not anyone. Gosh his brothers could be so overbearing sometimes.

Currently they we're waiting for the sun to reach a high enough point to make the sea warm enough to swim in, in the meantime they'd both decided that sight seeing would be a good time killer, that and hopefully all the wandering around would use up that coffee energy. First stop the 199 steps.

They'd just arrived at the bottom where cobblestone streets turned into paved stairs, Gordon gripped the black painted railings and started his assent, one, two, three, four steps up when suddenly:

"Carry me?"

Gordon halted and peered over his shoulder at the source of the request standing a couple of steps below. Good god he'd wished they hadn't decided to ask this now.

"Aren't you a little old for that, Squirt?" He replied half smirking, turning around to face them.

"Scott carries Alan and he's 16." Squirt protested, jokingly pouting a little.

Squirt was right, there wasn't technically an age limit on being carried in the Tracy family, heck in their line of work it was common to need a little help to get around after exhausting themselves with missions.

"Yeah well Alan's a wimp." He chuckled "All that space flight is making his knees weak." Obviously not a true statement but since when did taking jabs at your siblings have to involve facts?

Squirt rolled their eyes biting back a laugh "Gords, you know that's not what I mean!!" They hopped a couple of steps up to meet their bro.

"I want a piggyback ride, wait no - uhh - a squiddyback!!" They exclaimed reaching their arms up "Please?"

Gordon laughed "Squirt I love you bub but I am not carrying you-" he paused to mentally count the steps "another 195 steps up the hill, come on you can't be that tired already."

He went to climb another step when Squirt grabbed the arm of his T-shirt.

"Pleeease."

Suddenly Gordon realised what this was about, it wasn't about not wanting to climb the steps or being tired or lazy, Squirt just wanted their big brother. Piggybacking was an expression of affection between the Tracy siblings and it hadn't really occurred to him that Squirt hadn't experienced that kind of love before becoming a part of their family.

He thought for a minute, it was a long trek up the hill but he could make an exception just this once. He sighed, turned away from his little sib and knelt down.

"Hop on."

The kid beamed and wasted no time in clambering onto the aquanaut's back, wriggling around and getting comfy as Gordon stood up and steadied himself under their weight.

"All set?" He asked.

"Aye aye, captain!!" They replied giving a little salute.

"Next stop, step 199!!"

• • • • •

[quills-of-freedom]

Historia

Relationship, vibe & various

😇

👹

💕

👄

🐁

🦢

🌸

🍾

🌞

🥇

🎽

🧸

Historia can sometimes be a pretty complex person - she's trying to figure herself out and find who she really is. So patience is a must if you want to be close with this angel.

Adores and has shelves full of exotic bubble baths, lotions, moisturisers, bath bombs, face masks etc.

She's pretty organised and tidy her house is always super clean and has the modern furniture and latest trending modern wall art.

She takes care of herself well, so her skin is always satin soft, hair smells gorgeous and her nails and smaller features are always tidy.

Ideal Dates

Historia is royalty. So she doesn't expect anything less than the best things. She's not spoiled or materialistic though; from her background and how she was raised she is very humble. She won't turn her nose up at a gift but see the beauty of the meaning and be super happy. But - she personally likes the finer things.

So although she would be happy with just a homecooked meal in the garden, that's only after you've already won her heart. To impress her at first, you're going to have to pull out all the stops.

If you can't afford the best, she'll still adore it if you improvise. Flower petals all over the floor, light some candles, run her a bath... its the quality of the idea over the price-tag.

Pick her up some flowers before you see her and she'll melt like butter.

Once you earn her trust, then her heart she'll always shower you with small tokens of affection. Small gifts (big ones on special occasions) little love notes, words of affirmation and so on.

Modern AU

Prom queen / head cheerleader vibe. That stereotype. Everyone wants her, no one can have her. You have to be really special for her to want you. And by special I mean kind-hearted and strong.

Remember those bubble baths I mentioned? She has a walk in closet that's full of perfumes, fancy soaps, hats and shoes. Always organised and some are even labelled.

I can't really see her being career orientated. She's naturally well off from her family. She'll still do part-time shifts at a café or something though, to kill time.

Volunteers litter-picking and environment control.

If she does decide to start a career, she'd be a Kindergarten teacher.

NSFW

Okay so there's two extreme sides to Historia. One is this gorgeous, innocent girl who is so small, you can see the indentation of your cock on her lower stomach when you're really pounding her. She's tiny down there and super tight.

Then there's... her dom side. Where she will literally make you her bitch.

Again, she's just figuring herself out. But just... prepare yourself.

When she's being dom she's second only to Yelena. I'm talking whips, paddles, toys, chains... if that's not your thing then cool, but she sometimes would really like to sit on your face until you tap out.

The more submissive side to her, she blushes heavily (She'll 100% be submissive until she's totally comfortable with you) squeaks, she gets embarrassed and squirms by how good you make her feel.

"N- no - I can't it's too good, I can't take it..."

"You're so strong..."

"You're too big! It's too good!"

You can skull fuck Historia, she'll just take it.

Kinks

Mommy kink. When she's dominating she'll be the mommy. "That's it baby... drink deep from mommy..."

Pillow Princess. She uses this when she's submissive and Dominating. Will order you to pleasure her and make her feel good.

Size Kink. With her being so small she gets a kick out of how far your dick or strap can stretch her - the bigger the better. But she's so tight down there, even a smaller one would be more than enough for her.

Stuffing. Enjoys feeling filled up to the point she could just burst. Fingers, toys, dicks, strap on... you name it she wants it all in her at once. She'll act all shy about it but she'll orgasm over and over again as you absolutely ruin her.

Aftercare

This poor lass will need to be looked after if she's feeling more submissive. You'll actually leave her unable to walk for at least thirty minutes.

She bruises easily so tight grips on her leave small marks. Kiss them better, please.

If she's destroyed you then after she'll order you in some food, stroke your hair / tickle your back until you fall asleep.

Dates 10/10

Thoughtfulness 9/10

Affection 10/10

Sex 10/10

Aftercare 5/10

[secretsonicshowdown]

The winner of the Secret Sonic Showdown is... Competitor 5, Ebony!

Congratulations to her, and thank you to everyone who participated, be it by entering characters, sharing this tournament, or voting in polls. This tournament wouldn't have happened without you

Second place went to Saffron Bee, third to Simpson the Cat, and Thunderbolt the Chinchilla followed up in fourth

Here is the full bracket, with names:

Now to answer the big question...

What's next?

For tournaments:

If you would like to follow Ebony, @sonicuniversesmackdown is a tournament pitting the winners of 64 Sonic tournaments against each other, including this tournament! As Sonic Universe Smack-down (or SUS as I like to call it) can't begin until all of the tournaments have found their winners, it will be a bit until it begins, but you can give them a follow to make sure you see when they start

I'm also hosting another tournament, @bestfakesonicshowdown. The goal is to find the best Sonic copycat (think Metal Sonic, Scourge, etc.). If that sounds interesting to you, head on over! Submissions are closing Wednesday night, so get any entries in soon

For this blog:

As there are still many characters who need their doodles, this blog will continue posting art until I've gotten through all of them. Aside from that, I'll be a lot less active here, though I'll still answer asks and promote other tournaments. I might also reblog other posts related to our competitors

If there is enough interest, I may run a second Secret Sonic Showdown at some point. It would probably be at least a few months out, maybe even next year. If that's something you'd like to see, be sure to let me know!

If you're curious about your host here, you can find my main @eldritchgriffin. It's not a Sonic specific blog, but I do post about Sonic a fair bit

The bracket for the bonus round, and links to all the character reveals, are below the cut

Bonus round winner: Madge

Second place: Veg-Heads

Third: Dive the Lemming

Competitor 1, Speedy/Battle Kukku XVI

Competitor 2, Saffron Bee

Competitor 3, Jani-Ca

Competitor 4, Zonic the Zone Cop

Competitor 5, Ebony

Competitor 6, Simpson the Cat

Competitor 7, Pyjamas

Competitor 8, Lara-Su

Competitor 9, Shortfuse the Cybernik

Competitor 10, Gold the Tenrec

Competitor 11, Filch

Competitor 12, Larry Lynx

Competitor 13, Tommy Turtle

Competitor 14, Cyrus

Competitor 15, Captain Metal

Competitor 16, Has Bean

Competitor 17, Regina Ferrum

Competitor 18, Amadeus Prower

Competitor 19, Extra Life

Competitor 20, Thebes

Competitor 21, Chaos

Competitor 22, Pseudo-Sonic

Competitor 23, Princess Alicia

Competitor 24, Thunderbolt the Chinchilla

Competitor 25, Fabian Vane

Competitor 26, Princess Alucion

Competitor 27, Forelock

Competitor 28, Walt Wallaby

Competitor 29, Bartleby Montclair

Competitor 30, Princess Undina

Competitor 31, Cam

Competitor 32, Spectre the Echidna

Competitor A, Porker Lewis

Competitor B, Gae-Na the Echidna

Competitor C, Jade the Jade Wisp

Competitor D, Veg-Heads

Competitor E, King Solomon

Competitor F, Madge

Competitor G, Dive the Lemming

Competitor H, Racecar Driver Danica Patrick

Competitor I, The Wienerville café waitress

Sonic???

[paleparearchive]

Reason for Anger

Bazille's Peaceful Tea Time 4★ story (3/3) ( 1 - 2 - 3 )

Location: city (evening) ; café (evening) | Characters: Bazille, Renoir, Monet, Sisley

Bazille: Hm? That's…

Sisley: What a huge crowd.

Bazille: Right. Is it some kind of street performance? No, that's wrong. That's…

Sisley: Huh!? Monet and Renoir…?

Bazille: Jeez. What are those two doing?

Monet's voice: Aah! Found you, Bazille!! Everyone, thank you! Let's go, Renoir!

Renoir's voice: Ah, that's true. Ladies, thank you. I found who I was looking for, see you soon.

Monet: BAZILLEEEE! I'M SORRYYYY!!

Renoir: I'm really sorry about that. I'll be careful from now on... as much as I can.

Bazille: … Sigh. Did you guys go to all that trouble to gather all those people and go on a big search just to tell me that?

Monet: 'Cause I felt bad…

Renoir: Also, those ladies earlier told me about a nice café. We'll treat you to a little something to make up for it, okay, Bazille?

Bazille: … God. Guess I have no choice, I'll take a drink.

Monet: Hooray, that's it! Aight, let's get goin'!

Renoir: Thank you. Now, quick, quick! Over here, Bazille! You too, Sisley!

Bazille: H-Hey, you two! Don't pull my arms like that!

Renoir: I hear that their grape tarts are very delicious. The grape tea is also recommended.

Monet: They got grape juice, grape ice cream and grape parfaits! And then…

Bazille: Hold on. I can't eat that much at once.

Monet: Let's all share it. I'm lookin' forward to it! Alright, let's hurry!

Bazille: Wait, Monet! I'm coming, so let go of me! Sisley's not laughing either... Wait, not you too, don't push me! Hey!

Sisley: Fufu. It's how we feel, so give it up, Bazille.

Bazille: … Jeez. I can't help it.

—

Monet: Wooah! This cake's super good! Here. Try it, Bazille!

Bazille: Okay. I got it. Don't point the fork at me. I'm not saying "aaah", okay!?

Monet: Huuh, but it's okay. We're friends, so no need to be embarrassed now, riiight?

Bazille: It's not like I'm embarrassed.

Renoir: Now now, Monet. We're outside. Even I would be embarrassed, you know?

Sisley: Right, I'll get another plate.

Monet: Mmmmh. But it's so good…

Bazille: I'm not saying I won't eat it.

(Sure, everything at this cafe is delicious… Did they go out of their way to find my favorite grapes? I guess they both learned their lesson this time. Did I look that angry to them? Well, this will make them put the art supplies in order for a while... I hope so.)

Sisley: Come to think of it, you went to the general store, right, Bazille?

Bazille: Yeah. And the art supply store. Monet, take this.

Monet: Hm? What's this…?

Bazille: A new paintbrush. I broke yours when I stepped on it.

Monet: Huh!? Ya went out of your way to find the same one and buy it for me!?

Bazille: You would've been in trouble if you didn't have it. You've been doing well lately, after all.

Monet: No way, even if it's my fault… Thanks, though.

Renoir: Ah. Is that why you were late getting back?

Bazille: No? I was purposely wasting time, hoping to give you a little scolding.

Monet: Uuuh…

Bazille: … I was only half joking. I've destroyed an important tool for a painter's job. I was also reminding himself of this. I, too, need to be a little more careful.

Renoir: Yeaaah… If you get any more stoic, I don't want you to be suffocating.

Monet: That's true…

Bazille: You guys need to be a little more stoic.

Sisley: U-Uhm… In moderation, right, guys…!

[msfbgraves]

Do omegas “present” in this verse? Is it something that’s “requires” or just “instinct” with their mated Alpha or maybe something that happens during a Heat? Or does it not exist? I feel like Daniel would resist doing so, but Terry would gobble that right up. Speaking of which…

Does Apollonia lowkey think her omega-in-law Daniel is a slut for all those Heat sex-marathons he has (and totally enjoys) with his hubby lol? Considering she doesn’t get to engage in that with poor Michael, haha.

Are omegas with Alphas thought of as being the “proper pair” vs. omegas with a beta or another omega? Like, is there a social hierarchy?

Considering Daniel and Terry are traditional, would they object or support one of their pups being in a “non-traditional” relationship? (Alpha/Alpha etc.)

Thanks for your questions, Nonnie! To start with the saucy one first:

Sure some omegas may be taught to "receive" their Alpha in the "proper position", I mean, fundies gonna fundie, here and anywhere. But Daniel was not educated to be a broodmare, and Terry knew in the first conversation they ever shared that this not what he ought to expect. I don't think Apollonia was taught that, either. Maybe Anoush, but Louie isn't the type for that, much as the idea may have turned him on. In canon, he's proud of his sis being a smart, strong gal, he wouldn't want it in this verse from a mate.

Try to make Daniel do it outside of a heat and now you're in for him going furious Italian Mama on your ass - or.... It's all in the timing, hm? Sometimes it is quicker, or if Terry says just the right thing, or puts him just so during lovemaking... it's an art. During heats, it's actually a bit cruel to leave an omega in that position for long, because then they desperately crave relief from their need of it all. If Terry somehow finds his love in that position from the start, he'd be more likely first stroke and reassure him and take the edge off, because it should happen while they're both already deep into lovemaking. So to make an omega do it without their Alpha touching them, in heat or not, it's a bit weird, isn't it? A bit cruel? Isn't the point of having a mate that it doesn't have to get this far for more than three seconds? Really, if your omega does that, you'd better get them to heaven stat. Leaving any kitty untouched like that, all alone, let alone a mate? That's neglect. That's not right. But putting them like that during lovemaking? That's different, and requires patience and skill and timing and sometimes Daniel is still not having it and will leave you with sandwiches for dinner for three days and no ragú on Sundays so tread very carefully.

Apollonia has always felt heats are more of a curse than anything. To her, there wasn't much difference between being an omega or a beta girl in lifestyle, so why all the fuss? It's not like there were any rich Alphas to be had anywhere if she'd not been bartered off to the mainland or America. It's one thing for boys, they can't have puppies otherwise, but girls? I'm sure there are tales of heats being part of original sin for omegas, and it feels odd being one, there were so few around at home. They all vanished, somehow, omegas. She might have vanished, had she not been a goldmine for the café just by existing. So to see that Daniele relish it all? She'd disapprove except that she first knew Daniele in a very, very vulnerable part of his life, sold to that horrible foreigner, too, so maybe that's what you get for sin, to her. Not her, though, with her strong, smart, beautiful Miguele. She's lucky. Because not gonna lie, she likes being around her father in law, too. He's a respectful man, a strong provider. She has her mate, then, and a strong Alpha figure that doesn't leer and understands everything she says even when Miguele doesn't always. She has her pups, and a third on the way, but she doesn't need 7, or 8 or 12. So don't get her started on those heats, they're crass, and the fewer she has the better!

There's a strong social hierarchy. Daniel is sickeningly perfect for an omega, properly mated with a huge first litter and an Alpha who is head over heels. Alpha/beta woman is next, then beta/beta. Beta/omega is accepted more for second marriages. Gay beta couples are also thought of kindly. You can't have beta women die in childbirth all the time, hm? And some betas (mostly men) can't find an omega or beta, not till later in life. That's where Alpha/beta man comes in. Not ideal, and not forever, but when both are young, it happens. Alpha/Alpha and omega/omega are not acceptable. They should be getting into Alpha/omega pairings, or trying to, and though there are throuples with omega/omega/Alpha, that's seen as excessive - really, that's imperial harem shit, and Alpha/Alpha/omega is seen as unfair on the omega. It happens because omegas are so scarce but it's frowned upon - a poor kitty trying to serve multiple masters, not to mention the pups with no idea who fathered them.

Terry wouldn't care who his Alpha and beta pups dated as long as they made a good match in marriage. Anthony meanwhile is lucky he and Daddy are on the same page because it is filthy rich Alpha or nothing for him, and it would be that way for Luna, except that Luna, is well, Luna and doesn't think that way at all.

Daniel is conflicted. He wants to be traditional and strategic but he cares far more for his puppies' hearts. Terry resents the implication that he doesn't but he's never lost his heart to someone the world wouldn't let him have. Daniel reaches out to Amanda a lot when talking marriage, and he's very, very worried about Anthony's potential match. And then, of course, that strange rivalry between Sam and Tory...

[nerdsandthelike]

First Lines Meme

Rules: Share the first line of your last ten published works or as many as you are able and see if there are any patterns!

I was tagged by @icannotreadcursive and I wound up doing more than 10, because I think there are some interesting data points outside of my most recent 10!

these inward wars once out of hand (T, Original Work)

Avrin sat on the floor of his cell, waiting.

Poured Out Like Water (T, Jesus Christ Superstar)

Judas never expected to wake up.

The Rumour (G, "The Duel"- Georgette Heyer)

Charlie had not been entirely conscious of the events of the afternoon.

With heart so full I can't explain (T, Leverage)

Things were finally falling into a rhythm with Megan living with them.

A Hell of a Lot of Hope (M, The Old Guard)

Quỳnh was still in shock.

Rubbers and Revolution (T, The Old Guard)

Travis Johnson had his hands more than full as the vice principal of Central High School.

Gender and Sexuality for Immortals: or how not to start fights in gay bars (and other queer spaces) (T, The Old Guard)

Of all the things that Nile had expected to be doing with her new immortality, getting kicked out of a gay bar because three of the world’s four oldest queers had gotten into a fight with a drag queen was not one of them. 

people on the edge of the night (M, Stranger Things)

When Will first hears the slur yelled, he ignores it.

Rust On Their Love (T, Stranger Things)

Robin thinks she won’t be able to sleep that night.

Rust In Their Eyes (T, Stranger Things)

Robin is not an optimist.

Nobody Told Us (Cause Nobody Showed Us) (T, Stranger Things)

Robin would not consider herself an expert in social situations.

Them That Hope in His Mercy (G, Tanakh)

When he had still felt young, David had been taken to the palace at Gibeah to play the lyre for King Saul.

A Lot of Space Between Your Ears (T, Good Omens- book)

It was a sunny June day, nearly a year after the end of the world when Crowley returned to his flat from a leisurely afternoon of sitting outside a café with his feet just slightly too far into the pavement.

Nobody Knows It (T, Stranger Things)

It is just Robin’s luck.

Be Ace, Do Crimes (G, Leverage)

“And then Breanna will come in and flirt with him,” Sophie continued.

Practiced at the Art of Deception (T, Leverage)

“Eliot.”

So there's a lot to learn (and feel deeply called out by) here! Clearly I'm a big fan of starting with the feelings of the PoV character. I'm slightly less likely to do that if I'm intentionally mimicking someone else's style, like in the Good Omens fic, where I was very intentionally trying to sound like the book or the Tanakh fic where I saw trying to sound a little more biblical. But the fact that all of my Heart Attack fics (the first three), start in exactly the same way suggests that a short sentence with the PoV character's name and how they're feeling is a pretty strong default start for me. It's what I did consistently when I didn't have time and wasn't editing much. And only Leverage fics get to start with dialogue, I guess!

I was also really interested to see that "Rust On Their Love" started EXACTLY the same way as the others because that's actually a missing scene. that was never intended to be the first sentence of a fic! So maybe this is something about how I start scenes in addition to how I start entire fics.

But more than the actual sentence structure (which I could obviously mix up sometimes), what's interesting to me is that I so often start fics with my characters somehow vulnerable or unsure. A lot of these start with characters confronting something unexpected or feeling out of their depth in some way. Even the ones that start with dialogue, that dialogue is something that is going to shock or unsettle the main character of the fic. And thinking about it, that makes sense to me! Especially from the PoV character, it's a fun way to get the reader inside their head and make them feel relatable. Narratively, it also gives the character room to grow and that insecurity is often what kicks of the plot. So honestly, I may start making my characters vulnerable at the beginning on purpose. Or if I make a different decision, maybe I'll do it more intentionally. What kind of story and what kind of relationship to the PoV character do you get if they start out from a place of power or confidence? That'd be fun to write!

Anyway, lots to think about! I'd love to see anybody who wants to do this, but especially @when-did-this-become-difficult. If anyone does it, please tag me, this was fascinating and I want to see what other patterns are out there!

[esmiara]

I'm just terribly shy so I never send asks but. This also got incredibly long and rambling whoops. I first discovered your art through that atsulucy post where you said you draw other things than ygo. Which fate sealed right there fellow bsd and ygo fan. And also gosh your art is just gorgeous, every time you post I have to pull out my pen and paper, it's just too inspiring. And and I love the texture you put in your sketches wow, I'm in a state of awe always, all the cross hatching and varying line weights is so lovely. One of my favs is the at the café drawings, god. The way Dazai looks up at Chuuya is just perfect, with all the lines criss-crossing over, it makes it feel so alive. And and and, the posts with multiple drawings in them I love clicking on the pictures individually to just see them one at a time, such great stuff. And of course your coloring too!! That first pic in the aforementioned atsulucy post, that looks like an official art of some kind like wow, I couldn't not want to see more. So I hope you have a great day/night!

Ps I'm also wholeheartedly in support of seeing the bsd ocs wooo.

I- I don't have words anymore at this point. Everyone just continuously sent me wholesome support all day and now i'm crying man. Thank you so much?? I'm so happy to know I inspire you that much and thank you for telling me despite being very shy!! You can't realize how much I appreciate your ask, it means a lot to me. I'm repeating myself ahah but hearts and hugs to you! (and to everyone telling me wholesome things in reblog tags and such, I see and love absolutely everything <3)

Have a great day/night too!

[squish--squash]

Yes yes, a Ramen restaurant, but see my vision here:

-Scar is the one who actually own the restaurant (a small one)

-Scar is the one who know how to make hand made noodle and it's the only cook, it's actually damn good at cooking

-The shop is open to the kitchen so he can make trick while cooking and show off (does it goes well all the time? It's Scar)

- unfortunately he can't for the love of god manage with other stuff like: insect, and has the habit of offering food to the client, and chatting too much,

-Grian actually just wanted a job for a bit, but at this point he feels bad leaving Scar on his own (wait how was the line in the series? "Now i don't feel good leaving him alone")

-Grian gets a lot of money out of this job actually

-Grian does scare and mess with Scar, the client do know that and keep quiet when something is up

-this only brings Scar to joke and mess with Grian back

-one more thing one time Scar bought the wrong beer brand and it tastes like shit but decided to sell it at an higher price, and pretend it's a special beer. Grian try to warning his friends form the terrible tasting beer but every time Scar menage to sell it. (Put here a clip of Grian telling people not to trust Scar)

Also, picture late night end shift after closing the shop, hanging out, and been too loud on the street, because they have one brain cell and not realizing the volume of their voices, and they are so tired, drinking together, and going home together. Maybe they don't live together but live close to each other, and have this moment of "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LIVE HERE?"

Hope I'm writing well, anyway, if you write a fic of this, i would fucking jump on the walls.

the end bit reminds of smth I have actually:

I have a coffee shop au where grian, pearl, mumbo, and impulse all live in an apartment together (tight squeeze, but they make it work) and grian, pearl, and mumbo work at a little café called the happy hermit (which pays very well; impulse is also a mechanic) where the three have the opening shift of around 6am-2pm; impulse has a normal 9am-5pm workshift tho

scar is a high school art teacher and loves his job and upon a recommendation of a student, tries the happy hermit one morning and the first thing he does walking in is slip because mumbo spilled his coffee in the doorway and pearl was mopping it up for him. he takes the fall and embarrassing moment with kind humility and grian, the jaded af cashier/barista is like "what."

kinda your regular coffee shop au after that, with a bunch of nonsense, but the plot twist is this:

impulse has an off day and decides to tag along to help open the happy hermit and snag a fresh coffee, and upon watching scar walk in, greets him with, "Oh! Howdy neighbor!"

scar replies "Oh hey neighbor! What are you doing here?" while grian, pearl, and mumbo are too stunned to speak.

turns out scar actually lives in the apartment across from hall from them, but the trio's chaotic work schedule prevented them from running into scar leaving/coming back; impulse, on the other hand, runs into scar a lot, and even witnessed him fall halfway down a flight of stairs one morning and stand up unscathed.

anyways your au is funky /pos, but I'm not gonna take your idea alsdkgh I have enough ideas floating in my head as is!

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1100: Morning Coffee With the Uncles (SSBU X Persona 5)

11:42 a.m. at LeBlanc Café..........

Sojiro: Okay. (Gives Out Three Different Beverages to his Customers One by One) Here's one Frappuccino for the former king of Dreamland......

Dedede: (Instantly Puts on a Deadpinned Look on his Face) Really? This is was we're going back to? Me being ex-king?

Sojiro: (Shrugs) Sorry, De. Your peers said it, not me. (Gives Out the Next Order) Here's one mocha for the former right-hand slugman.

Escargoon: (Happily Nodded at Sojiro) Thank you kindly.

Sojiro: (Gives Out his Final Order) And here's an extra black coffee for the fallen angel.

Rodin: Much obliged. (Picks his Cup of Coffee Up From the Counter and Taking a Sip) Hm. So this is what coffee taste like.

Sojiro: Wait, you never had coffee before now?

Rodin: Can't say that I have. 'Lived my whole life coped up in hell fighting off demonic fuckers and securing my establishment after my exalt, so I hardly ever get the chance to fully experience the outside world until now.

Escargoon: (Turns to Rodin) What do you think if it so far?

Rodin: It's loud and obnoxious. (Shrugs) But I suppose spending time here for the day is better than workin' my ass off at the bar 24/7.

Sojiro: (Smiles a Little) Glad to hear it. Speaking of which, how's Ren been doing there as of late? He hasn't caused you too much trouble, has he?

Rodin: Not at all. In fact, he has been doing hell of a good job holding the fort down whenever I'm off somewhere. Hell, one time he used two of one of my finest drinks and mixed them together to make an intriguing work of art. (Forms a Proud Smirk on his Face) Just like his old man before you.

Escargoon: (Smiles Brightly) Well, that's a great to hear!

Sojiro: (Smiles Proudly) Great? This is excellent! My kid's really growing up into a responsible adult.....

Dedede: And a crafty one too! Which bri.gs to what I want to discuss with you fella today.

Rodin: You wanna get a kid of your own or somethin'

Dedede: Yeah- (Eyes Widened a Bit) What? No! I wanna talk about us forming a unit of our own together!

Sojiro: (Raised an Eyebrow in Confusion) A unit huh? You mean like how the moms formed theirs?

Dedede: (Happily Nodded) Exactly! Like Certified Uncles or whateva'! I feel like we're all here are already qualified as being ones ourselves.

Escargoon: Wait, even me?

Dedede: (Turns to Escargoon) Yeah, man. The kids back home already love ya enough as it is.

Escargoon: (Heart Begins to Flutter in Happiness) Oh my gosh, that's so sweet~ I love them too~

Rodin: Never thought being an uncle to two angels, a pink puffball, and a human would actual give me recognition and brown points. (Smirls a Bit) Lit.

Sojiro: I'm mostly seen as a Coffee Dad if anything. (Smiles a Bit) But it's nice to see the younger generation look up to you every once and a while, uncle or otherwise

A red demonic portal suddenly appears out of thin air where Hades popping his head put of it with a shit-eating grin on his face.

Hades: Did somebody say uncle?

Escargoon: ('Sigh') Oh god......

Dedede: (Rolls his Eyes) Here we go.......

Rodin: The fool is here.

Sojiro Morning, Hades, what brings you here today?

Dedede: Besides being a headache as usual.....

Hades: Ohhh nothing of the sorts!~ (Walks Out of the Portal Before It Disappears Entirely) I was taking a lovely stroll around another dimension and I couldn't help but notice you gents were talking about forming an Uncle only group and I would like to personally sign up for the part.

Dedede: We haven't made it official yet. And even if we did, there ain't no way in hell we'd let your conniving ass join!

Hades: And why not? I care about the kiddies!

Escargoon: (Glares at Hades) Yes, to mess with them every chance you get! Don't think we forgot about what you did to Pitto in the past!

Sojiro: (Raised an Eyebrow in Curiosity) What do you mean by that exactly?

Rodin whispers in Sojiro's ears about all four videos Hades showed Pitto, causing the old café owner's eyes to slowly widens at each detail given to him.

Sojiro: He showed him all of THAT!?

Rodin: (Simply Nodded) Yep. He did all of that for shits and giggles.

Sojiro: (Glares at the God of the Underworld) Damnit, Hades, what the hell is wrong with you!?

Dedede: We've been wanting to know that for years now.

Escargoon: And we STILL don't have a clue......

Hades: ('Sighs Heavily') Alright, alright. Listen, I apologize for traumatizing Pitto more than once, even though it was funny seeing him squirm.

Rodin: (Rolls his Eyes) Of course you are......

Hades: I am! Seriously! I got my ass handed to me by his two girlfriends and the rest of his posse as proof of that.

Dedede: (Let's Out a Heartdy Laugh) Hehehhh! Yoshi told me all of that beatdown! They whooped your ass bad that day!

Escargoon: (Starts Laughing as Well) The Great Lord Hades of the Underworld, beaten by a group of mortal teenagerhehrss!

Rodin: (Starts Smirking Again) Not as bad as what Palutena did to him afterwards. This poor sucker been scared shitless of her ever since.

Hades: (Rolls his Eyes in Complete Annoyance) Yes and now I might possibly will never leave it down for all eternity. P-Plus, Selphie and I DID saved him and Yoshi from being taken from that one eyed prick that day, so....that's SOMETHING at least!

Sojiro: ('Sigh') I suppose that was good of you two to do that.....Just don't pull that crap ever again or else.

Hades: (Gives Sojiro Smug Smirk on his Face) Or what, Sojiro? You're gonna call Goddess Paulie on me?~ Well, unfortunately, for you, she's in an important God related meeting right now, so you're not a allowed to call her!

????: Maybe so, but you're gonna have to answer to me!

The gang turns around to see Futuba Sakura standing in behind them with both of her hands on her hips.

Futuba: His Coffee Daughter!

Hades: Good 'ol Four Eyes! Good to see you. (Snickers a Bit) But really now? What makes you think you could take on without your little group of friends to back you up?

Futuba: (Walks over to Hades) By doing this~ (Place a Hand on Hades and Says the Following.....) Vanishea.

Hades: (Raises an Eyebrow in Confusion) Vanish-AH!- (Suddenly Vanish into Thin Air)

Dedede: (Quickly Gets Up From his Chair in Shock) WHAT THE FUCK!?

Escargoon: HE'S GONE!

Rodin: (Lowers his Shades Down in Genuine Surprise) Did that girl made the literal God of the Underworld disappeared just now?

Futuba: (Smiles Brightly and Proudly) Yep! I was reading Lavvy-Chan's spell book as of late, and I've been dying to give one of these spells a test run. Can't believe it actually worked!

'Ahem'

Futuba's smile goes down real quick once she sees Sojiro glaring at her in a fatherly fashion.

Futuba: ..........You're disappointed in me again, aren't you?

Sojiro: A little bit, yeah. Why would you make Hades disappear like that?

Futuba: I-I was only looking for you is all! I saw Hades being a jerk again, so I decided to take matters to my own hands. No one messes with Coffee Dad and gets away with it!

Sojiro: (Let's Out a Light Chuckle) Appericate it, kid. (Frowns a Bit) But you can't go around using that spell on anyone so recklessly like that. Even if it is Hades.

Futuba: ('Sighs in Defeat') I knoooow....I'll make him reappear right away!....After a few minutes or-

Everyone (Except for Rodin): Futuba!

Futuba: I'm on it, I'm on it! (Quickly Takes Out the Spell Book From her Book Bag and Quickly Skim Through the Pages) Okay!....Rainsparcis....Tornadospection......Hellfire.....(Gasps as She Puts her Finger Down on the Page) Found it! ('Clears Throat') Reappearadyne!

And just like that, Hades reappears to where he was standing.

'Pop'

Hades: AH! Wha- Wha- (Quickly Starts Looking Around the Café) What the hell happened to me just now!?

Futuba: (Shyly Turns her Head Away While Twisting her Upper Body Around and Twiddling her Fingers) I....may or....may not have made you disappear from existence a minute ago.......

Hades: (Eyes Widened in Genuine Surprise) Well shit. I knew you were smart, but I didn't think you had THAT much potential in you....

Futuba: (Starts Smirking a Little) Yeah, well, I am the Oracle of the Phantom Thieves after all~

Sojiro continues to glares at his daughter in silence.

Futuba: (Quickly Lowers her Head to Hades) T-That...still doesn't excuse me for what I've done. I'm sorry.....

Hades: (Simply Shrugs) Eh it's fine, don't dwell on it. It's a whole lot better than getting pummeled by that nut case goddess that's for sure....In the meantime, I just remembered I have a few errands to run, so I'll see you lovely people later! Is my membership of the Certified Uncles still on the table?

Dedede/Escargoon: (Rolls Their Eyes) We'll think about it.......

Rodin: Assuming you won't get the hell off our backs by then......

Hades: Alright, alright, I'm going. Hades out. (Disappears Once Again But in a Red Portal This Time)

Futuba: Wait. You guys are forming a Certified Uncles group?

Dedede: (Happily Nodded to Futuba) Yep! Just us uncles against the universe.

Sojiro: And I'm classified as one apparently.

Futuba: (Turns to Sojiro With a Bright, Excited Smile on her Face) Duuuude! You gotta join the crew, you'll fit right in!~

Sojiro: You think so? I feel more like a dad figure if anything.

Futuba: Yeah, but uncles are just as cool and responsible as dads are, so-

??????: Futuba Sakura!

Futuba turns around to see Lavenza glaring at her.

Futuba: Oh! Uh...(Chuckles Very Awkwardly) H-Heyyyy Lavvy-Chan!~ H-How's it going?

Lavenza: I do not know, Futuba? How does it feel to use my all powerful spell book without PERMISSION!?

Futuba: Un....necessarily powerful?

Lavenza: (Raises an Eyebrow in Silence)

Futuba: You're not too happy with me right now, aren't you? It's written all over your cute face.

Lavenza: Yes, well, let's just say that you are hereby banished from ever setting your lurking four eyes on my spell book until further notice! (Snatches the Book Away From Futuba's Hands Before Storming Off)

Futuba: (Follows Behind Lavenza) C-Come on, Lavvy-Chan, you don't really mean that, right? Lavenzaaaaa!~

Rodin: ......Hm. Sp that's one of Igor's daughters....

Dedede: (Raises an Eyebrow in Confusion) Igor?

Escargoon: Who's that?

Rodin: Let's just say he's an old friend of mines from way back.

@keyenuta

@cyber-wildcat

@caleb13frede

@albion-93

@princekirijo

[icharchivist]

ICHA ICHA ICHA! How do you like GranFes so far??? I am in LOVE with the Relink trailer, it looks so good! The new Versus does too, but I'm a bit bitter that they're releasing a whole new game to buy all over instead of adding to the existing one, ha ha,,, AND THE COSPLAYERS ARE SO HOT???

HEYYYYY!!

I like it a lot!! it's been a whole time of fun and it's always impressive!

the trailers are amazing, i'm genuinely sooo into the relink one and i really hope to be able to play it.

On Versus, it looks hella cool but yeah, i agree with you, it's a bit bitter to know you gotta buy it again... though i would assume there will be something for the people who already have the base game or something? Listen i'm just glad the gbvs only people are going to stop complaining about rollback, this was a thorn at my side lmao

I've been in love with the hologram shows, they're all full of life it's so fun to watch!! and the fact we got Eternals: The Boysbands edition is worth everything. I feel like for one minute we got sent in Seofon's dream dimension or something because i don't know how in our reality Seox or Feower could have been blackmailed enough to accept to do it, but i'm so glad for the fever dream.

and the cosplayers ARE SOOOOOOO HOT IT'S INSANE. Everytime i see them my jaw drop!!!

Yesterday i was talking on here about how just, unwell i was about Fediel's cosplayer, she's so hot and for what??? but tbh all of the dragons are INCREDIBLE, they look straight up out of the VN it's uncanny.

I love to see the oldie cosplayers come back too, the dragon knights and the society's cosplayers are always fun to see around, seeing the fox family always makes me teary, and BOY the wmtsb gang knows how to offer a show. The Belial cosplayer lives in all our mind rentfree ahah.

Also huge shout out to Lyria's cosplayer who captures so well what it is to be The Babiest Baby You Would Die For (And Already Have, Twice). Like i see her and i'm just "oh yeah me too i'd die for her, great job". She makes me happy everytime i see it.

also omg the fashion show was such a cool idea??? it was so wild to see recreations of costumes that only appeared in obscure promo arts from the way back, and it was so amazing to see how all those cosplayers, who have been trained to behave like their characters so much, wear it with so much grace and elegance and, so in character. It's so amazing.

Also huge shout out to THE SETS????? Like holy shit the whole Canaan's stained glasses are eVERYTHING, the huge statues of Bahamut, Galleon and all, are just so fucking gorgeous, and i'm always in love with the café and the sets made to hang out. It makes the whole environment feel so real it always look so dreamy.

And personally i'm a huge fan of the seiyuu shows, as a big seiyuu fan, and one of my fav seiyuu was on stage today so i was really having tunnel vision LMAO, but the games were sooo fun and i loved to see them all blatantly cheat at weighting plushies. I can't believe we're getting rewards out of it. (and also i want the Galleon big plush so bad after all of this, they're taunting me so much).

And the announcements!!!! The New class is so cool, Vikala getting her 5* was long overdo thanks god, AND LU WOH!!!!!!!!!!! Would almost forget he was planned at this point i'm just so glad he's not a fever dream LMAO. And personally i'm just thrilled because while Seiyuu fans have been theorizing ever since he came out, we didn't know his seiyuu until now, and they confirmed it's, also, one of my fav seiyuu, so now i'm forced to stan harder than i did before 😩✌

but even without the seiyuu angle i'm just so glad he was finally announced, it's been long overdue and i sure hope he saves Light from the state it's in right now.

That said they're keeping some announcements for tomorrow and i'm SO curious about what's to come. It's so bewildering to see so many things come out of all of it! And we're likely getting the anni trailer too then so i am really curious what it will be!

so so far i've been having a total blast and i cannot wait to see what awaits tomorrow :3c

So glad to hear you're having fun and i hope you'll enjoy yourself tomorrow too!!

take care!

[technicolorfamiliar]

Life & Trust Oct 13, 2024

It goes without saying that I went into L&T with a healthy amount of skepticism. Pretty much everything about how the show was marketed pissed me off, and all of the early teased info about the experience itself (the stupid masks with antlers, the fact that the show is basically a carbon copy of the Punchdrunk format, etc) made it sound ultra annoying. When I walked into the building last Sunday evening, my expectations were low. Which, inevitably, led me to find myself pleasantly surprised by the parts of L&T that worked, and to be massively ticked off by the things that didn't.

Spoilers below, including 1:1 info.

Preshow:

On arrival, I was escorted by a bar staff member to a small café table in the middle of Conwell Hall. Even with all the hype and photos on social media, the space is impressive, from the marble floors and columns to the antiqued brass fixtures to the massive Diego Rivera style show-specific mural hanging above the bar. It's cavernous, opulent in an Art Deco kind of way. There's a lot of cute paper ephemera on the tables, but between the menus, the business cards, the full-size old timey newspaper (full of in-world easter eggs), not to mention the drinks, the canapes, the votive candles… it's a lot of clutter. There's piped in music that's not quite period appropriate. I know there's some concern about disturbing the residents who actually live on the upper floors, but there's no reason they can't have like one person at a piano or something. They don't need a whole band, but some live entertainment would be nice.

Because I knew that people attending the 6pm "cocktail hour" get first admittance into the performance space, that's the entry time I booked. But that meant I had to stand around for the better part of an hour before doing 3ish more hours of standing, walking, and running inside the show. Other people, primarily couples and groups, got put at tables with seats during preshow. Because I was solo, I had to stand. Infuriating. There's no reason those tall café tables can't have bar stools or chairs. L&T seems to cater to couples and groups, which makes sense financially, but if they want to encourage repeat visits, they should make the preshow more accommodating to and comfortable solo guests. Just sayin'.

The Show:

The staff member I met during preshow escorted me and a handful of other guests to a small waiting room where we were held before being shown in to meet "the CEO", aka an older actor playing Old Faust J. G. Conwell. He was great, but the whole intro announcement/exposition scene is too long. Conwell's monologue is fine, but the second half of the scene with the demon? witch? goes on and on for no real reason other than to buy time for the previous group of audience members to filter into the performance space. (Maybe I'm just a broken shell of an immersive theater fan at this point, but I thought this scene and a few other moments in the show reveal too much of the bones of L&T's structure, feeling like ways to fill time rather than opportunities to pull me into the world. But again, maybe that's my fault.)

And what a space. Each subfloor is absolutely massive, yet all of the rooms (except the finale hall) feel a little claustrophobic because of the low ceilings. I know there are entire sections of the set I didn't see, but because it's at least four or five floors of disorienting, labyrinthine spaces, I don't feel like I was missing out.

The first room I walked into was what I can only describe as The Poodle Room… because it was a dark, creepy little office full, like floor to ceiling, of poodle figurines of various sizes. There are definitely some areas and rooms that you can tell a lot of care went into the design and detail -- the Conwell family suite is beautiful, something like an Egyptian tomb is bizarre and eerie, an old tavern and a series of tenements feel lived in.

There's also a Magical Devil Juice Forest with twinkling, color-changing fiberoptic lights on every branch and leaf. There's a dingy vaudeville theater, a nickelodeon running loops of early silent short films, a grimy artist's studio, a plush boudoir with a broken crystal chandelier in a heap on the floor, a coal mine. It's a lot. And yet, some of the spaces in the show have seem unfinished somehow or appear as an afterthought.

Based on what I'd read online, I was expecting the weird devil deer masks all the audience members wear to be super uncomfortable. In reality they're no worse than the Sleep No More masks. The antlers are a little annoying and totally unnecessary. But like a lot of things about Life & Trust, the masks seem to be the product of a certain aesthetic or viral moment the creators are desperately striving for. As Paul Hollywood says, most of what I saw felt like "style over substance."

The performances, all of the ones I saw anyway, were excellent. I tried to avoid characters that had excessively large groups of audience with them. Unfortunately, most of the familiar performers whose work in this new show I really wanted to see all seemed to have huge crowds with them at all times. Luckily, I didn't have to wander around for long before finding another character with few or zero people following them -- which may have been purely by chance or how the creators and performers designed the character tracks. Appreciated either way.

I saw a selection of scenes with the Miners, the Vaudeville Couple, Evelyn, Naima, the Maid, and Dorian, all of whom were played that night by extremely strong and engaging performers. I liked the tone shift with the Vaudeville Couple's scenes, how their sincerity and silliness turns performative and degrading as soon as they're offered money to entertain. I liked the working class Miners balance of hope and despair, the secret affair and role reversal between Naima and her Maid, and Dorian's shapeshifting physicality as his brittle and decadent façade begins to decay.

I followed the tarot reading Con Artist, basically from the top of the show. I should have made more of an effort to stay with them through their entire loop, but it just got to be too difficult to navigate the space as more and more people latched onto the character. The performer in this role was just subtle enough, just intimidating enough, which is no small feat because I imagine the character is extremely difficult to like, especially if you don't get the 1:1 early in their first loop where they explain some of their motivation. Interestingly, the 1:1 reveal of the Con Artist's lack of empathy gives them more humanity. They manipulate and steal from other characters in a way that feels curious, not outright evil. They made pointed eye contact with me in the scenes following the 1:1, marking me as an accomplice. When they eventually confront their own reflection in a hall of mirrors, they are at their most shattered and vulnerable. They collapsed, reaching out to me again for stability and comfort, but even this could have been a kind of manipulation. But you know what? I didn't mind, it was one of the few times in the show I forgot about the outside world all the other audience members around us and was actually… you know… immersed.

By the end of the last loop, my whole body hurt, I was sweaty and exhausted, and fully ready for the show to be over. But ohhh no, the finale had to happen first.

I'm sorry to say, unless you followed Faust Young Conwell or Mephisto -- or have a basic understanding of the primary framing narrative -- the finale makes no sense. The use of the finale space was smart, having the performers up on platforms allowed the audience to see most of the action (unlike some other recent immersive shows *COUGH*THE BURNT CITY*COUGH*), but the whole sequence was waaay too long. The lighting is cool, Conwell does a sick slow motion Matrix backbend at one point, and there's a striking final visual of the straightjacketed body in the water tank, but the whole thing could have been cut down to half the time and be just as impactful. And there was a curtain call?? I get wanting to honor the performers at the end of a show, but it took me right out of the moment. I mean, if you're going to do a show that's so similar in structure and style to Punchdrunk, why not end with character walk outs like they do? Although walk outs may have been difficult because because there's literally only one exit out of the finale space. Still. One of the things I like about immersive theater is that it doesn't feel like a play… I can stay in the world longer if there's no button on the end of the show, like a curtain call, you know?

Final Thoughts:

Reading back over this write up, it sounds like I had a bad time. And that's not the case, really I swear. There's a lot about L&T that works. It's beautiful, the original music is a nice touch (some people hate it, I really enjoyed and appreciated it), and the performances are truly pretty outstanding.

Mostly what doesn't work are the story and the structure. It doesn't have that hard-to-define Special Something that Punchdrunk shows have or even Third Rail Projects had with Then She Fell.

Life & Trust isn't going to haunt me the way other immersive shows do. It's trying too hard to be Instagramable, and thus sacrificing the soul and spirit it needs to be a lasting influence on this particular format of theater.

I'm glad I went and I absolutely did not hate the show, but it's simply too expensive to be worth multiple visits. Nor am I going to be thinking about it 10 - 15 years later.

P.S. I genuinely don't know if I'm going to do a write up on the Sleep No More show I saw on this trip. There's really not a lot to report. I might just write something when it finally closes… whenever that actually happens.

[paleparearchive]

The Jar of Happiness

Millet's 1st initial 3★ story (2/2) ( 1 - 2 )

Location: café 2 | Characters: Millet, Courbet, Mucha

Millet: I wonder if the person who sold me the jar is really a scammer…

Courbet: I'll make it clear in today's discussion.

Man: –Sorry for keeping you waiting.

Courbet: Finally, here you are, you scammer.

Millet: H-Hold on, Courbet! It's rude to talk that way…!

Courbet: Hmpf, what's wrong with telling the truth?

Anyway, sit down. I want to talk to you about this jar. Prove to me that the pricing of this jar is appropriate.

Man: Ooh… You're saying you're not satisfied with the price of this jar?

Courbet: Exactly. In the first place, I heard that the price of this jar was determined solely by your discernment, am I right? Is it really worth the price Millet paid? It's typical of a scam to sell something with unrealistic words such as “it will bring happiness”, to begin with.

Man: Whatever the method of pricing was, Mr. Millet was convinced to buy it. So there's nothing wrong with that, right?

Millet: That's right, Courbet. I'm happy I bought this jar, see?

Courbet: You shut up.

… Anyway, I demand a full refund. Immediately return the money this guy paid.

Man: Ah, that would be impossible. It's written right in the contract. No refunds for any reason.

Courbet: I would've missed it if it was written in such small print. Millet, was this explained to you at the time of purchase?

Millet: Uhm… I wonder if that happened…?

Man: Of course I did. So I think there is a properly signed contract, right?

Courbet: That's a rule you've decided on your own. It isn't something we necessarily have to follow.

Man: However, Mr. Millet and I agreed to the terms of the contract and the sale was concluded. Right, Mr. Millet?

Millet: Y-Yes…

Courbet: But…!

Man: Haah, I don't think I can keep up with you any longer. That's all for now, if you'll excuse me.

Courbet: H-Hey! Wait!

Millet: Courbet, that's enough!

Courbet: But he's clearly a scammer. We can't just let him go on like this…!

—

Courbet: Sigh… Looks like we'll have to take legal action. The point is that you were brought into the store. In other words, under the Specified Commercial Transactions Law…

Millet: Hey, Courbet. I really appreciate your concern, but I think I made a good deal, okay? It's not every day you can buy a jar that brings you happiness. I hope this will help me do better at my job so I can send more money to my parents.

Courbet: You... You should learn to be a little more skeptical of people. That's bullshit.

Millet: You're the one who needs to trust me a little more, Courbet. This jar is pretty good, isn't it? See, this coloring. I think it has a depth that mass-produced products don't have.

Courbet: … If you ask me, the picture is certainly not bad. I was looking at it with a prejudiced eye, thinking it was a con artist's jar, but…

Mucha: Oh, what a coincidence to see you in a place like this. Are you two dining together?

Millet: Oh? Mucha-san. Is something the matter?

Mucha: I had a meeting with an art dealer. I was about to leave when I saw you were here.

Oh my… that jar…! Where did you get such a precious jar?

Millet: …? Well, I bought it in town a while back…

Mucha: Amazing... It is well preserved. A gem like this is hard to find.

Courbet: Hey, what are you excited about?

Mucha: This vase has excellent value. Unless you are very wealthy, I do not think you could afford it…

Courbet: What!? Is this jar really that expensive…?

Millet: Um, so does that mean it's worth many times more than a month's salary…?

Mucha: You were able to buy it for that price!? It should jave been many times that... dozens of times more expensive.

Millet: Huuh, seriously!?

Mucha: If you are willing to sell it, I can introduce you to an art dealer. This is a first-class piece that everyone wants.

Millet: … I see, it's such an amazing thing. Then it better be in the hands of someone who really wants it.

Courbet: I can't believe it... So that scammer didn't realize the value of this jar either.

Mucha: ! Scammer…? May I ask you for more details?

Courbet: Yeah, actually…

Millet: (I can't believe that it could be a month's salary multiplied dozens of times… I knew it was a jar that brings good luck! I'm so lucky someone this kind gave it to me.)