#also he has the most sickly little Victorian child look ever

[lostinthewrongfandom]

You don’t know true confused horror until a four year old that looks like the ghost of a Victorian child turns to you and with no prompting says “You’re not dead…”

[nottoonedin]

An ALNST Theory/Hypothesis/Over-analysis/Interpretation of events

AKA: Me slowly descending into madness over an animated web series-

(Btw this is mostly just for fun, don't take it too seriously lol)

(TW: Death, Blood)

Long post warning:

I assume we've all seen the newest posts that Vivinos has put out on their YT community tab (or wherever you get your ALNST updates), and the one that everyone is obviously talking about is the post titled <CURE>

And.. yeah, of course, just goes to show that Round 6 is just around the corner (I am screaming internally) and the attention is going to be focused on Ivan and Till, and how their story will progress (or end, depending on if someone's gonna die, which seems likely, unfortunately).

But the post that really caught my attention.. was this fucking post:

When I first saw it, in my mind I thought ''Haha, how cute and goofy! This is exactly how I saw their dynamic!'' and went on with my day.

But after thinking about it for a while, my brain decided to think up this wonderfully awful thought:

''What if Hyuna (unintentionally) had a hand in what happened to Hyun-woo?''

Now, at first, this sounds fucking crazy. The general consensus (from what I've seen) is that Luka killed Hyun-woo. But I do see some parallels between this post and the incident in Round 5 which might help explain what actually happened, but first:

Why I don't think Luka would have been able to kill Hyun-woo:

Luka is DEFINETELY not known for his muscles or strength, I mean look at him:

He's like a sickly Victorian child, not to mention his asthma, chronic migraines and heart disease. I don't believe Hyun-woo has any health problems (not that I know of anyways), so I feel Luka would have a hard time trying to push Hyun-woo over so he'd fall onto a rock. To put it simply, Hyun-woo could most likely beat Luka in a fight, unless someone interfered in some way...👀

Luka's ''fighting'' tactic:

With the parallels between The Trio doodle and Round 5, I've noticed there's a pattern with how Luka gets rids of his ''opponents'', be it on stage or outside of it (*cough* Hyun-woo *cough cough*).

He initiates the attack, it being mentally or physically depending on his opponent. He's subtle about it however, the only one being aware of his antagonism being the one he's antagonising, preserving his perfect, can-do-no-wrong persona.

2. Obviously, the opponent retaliates. But, of course, Luka expects this, it's what he wants, after all. He knows he'll be seen as the victim by onlookers. How could anyone hurt such a precious, weak, defenseless little guy??🥺🥺He doesn't even bother to fight back at all (may be too weak to).

3. A stronger force, seeing Luka in ''distress'', steps in and takes care of the attacker (the opponent), avenging Luka, who they see as the victim. He isn't the type to do it himself, letting others do his dirty work.

Now, let's apply this to the flashback in the All-In MV..

What may have happened to Hyun-woo:

Luka may have said something to Hyun-woo that deeply distressed/angered him, or perhaps Hyun-woo knew about what Luka did to Hyuna.

2. Angry, Hyun-woo attacks Luka.

(I'd also like to note that in this frame, Luka looks more like he's just had someone pulled off him, rather than he's just attacked and pushed someone over onto a rock.)

3. Hyuna finds Hyun-woo attacking Luka and, naturally seeing Luka as the victim, tries to break them apart (which would have been hard if Hyun-woo was super pissed). There's a struggle, and.. well...

Hyuna accidentally kills Hyun-woo, which doesn't bother Luka. Just means his opponent has been eliminated. As far as he's concerned, Luka wins.

Final Thoughts:

Does this theory leave a lot of questions? 100%. For example, if this theory was true, why would Hyuna be so angry at Luka? Does she later find out about his manipulative nature? How? On the stage perhaps? I find this unlikely, however, since I don't believe Hyuna ever went on stage and escaped beforehand, due to a post Vivinos made a while back:

Can this theory be easily debunked? Oh, ABSOLUTELY (I hope it is debunked in canon, to be honest lol). But it does give ideas for some angsty fanfics, I believe hehehe-

For real though, Alien Stage is all up to interpretation. Some questions may never be answered. It leaves room for different ideas, which is one thing I love about the series. <3

Thank you for reading my batshit little ramble/theory!! Hope ya'll have an awesome day/night!

[arisenreborn]

The Tramont Family

Time for me to scribble down my thought-thinks about Olivia's family that have been kicking around in my head!

Lord Matthias Tramont. A stodgy man rumored to have once-upon-a-time been quite charismatic, but Olivia can’t believe that. He is all about maintaining the families position and adhering to tradition - or whatever Queen Regent Disa tells him will help their position. The family ascended to nobility through a history of service in the military (along with a few clever marriage arrangements), but in the recent past they took a slip down the political power ladder, which seems to have influenced him. He is at regular odds with Captain Brant and Watchhead Gregor. He took great pains to arrange a potential marriage to Regentkin Sven for Olivia, only for her to spurn those efforts and, to his mind, make an utter fool of him. As such, their relationship is quite rocky at the moment. Her becoming Arisen has in some small way ‘mended’ that, but now everything he’s worked for and the connections he’s made are being tested as Disa would rather be rid of Olivia, having seen how her bullheadedness makes her unpredictable and troublesome. So, Matthias presents an air of the most detached support; giving her the most cursory and basic of protections from the Tramont family, but nothing further, while biding his time looking for the most rewarding opportunities.

Lady Claudia Tramont. A noblewoman whom Matthias was arranged to marry by his father, she is the perfect image of a true lady - carefully concealed warts and all. She is deep down a little more understanding of Olivia’s desires to break out on her own and do what she wants beyond her fathers wishes for her. Yet outwardly she goes along with Matthias in all things, and regards Olivia coldly for acting out - something that may stem from a root of jealousy. She dotes endlessly on Ephraim and (not-so-)secretly loathes her youngest son being marched off to battle. Similarly she takes great pride in young Abigail for being everything Olivia failed to be.  As for Oliver… Yes, a mother should be so proud to have such a successful and formidable son… And she will say as much to any who would broach the subject of him, but there is a marked way in which she otherwise avoids ever talking about him that would suggest some level of discomfort. Perhaps even fear.

Oliver “The Bull” Tramont. As a child, Olivia idolized him; he was a strong and powerful knight who protected the people and would slay dragons, to her mind, and she would one day do the same. Now, however, the naivete of childhood is long gone, and she knows him to be little more than an opportunistic mercenary who upholds everything she hates about the nobility.  While his father prefers to bow and scrape to the other nobles, Oliver prefers a more hands-on approach, proving their indistinguishable value through the wholesale slaughter of any enemies. He is equally feared and revered on the battlefield, a beast of a man who sends monsters fleeing before him. While he gets his men out alive (and mostly unscathed), he will also hire Pawns for particularly dangerous work and bears them only the least amount of respect afforded them in Vermund, often enough using them as fodder.  While he seems to care only for battle, however, he secretly has designs on the throne, throwing in his lot with the likes of Allard… He also holds great disdain for his elven heritage, going so far as to cut the pointed tips of his own ears off, and 'encouraging' Ephraim to do the same.

Ephraim Tramont. Though your classic sickly Victorian child in his youth, he is now training to follow in his fathers and older brothers footsteps as a soldier in the Vermundian military. Perhaps needless to say, Olivia couldn’t help but to be jealous and bitter towards him for this, though she’d never actually act out in such a way towards him. Indeed they were very close, and in his youth she would often bring him trinkets and gifts when he was confined to his bed. Alas, eventually he started parroting Matthias and Oliver by telling her she needed to simply accept her lot in life - in part out of his love for her, and in part his jealousy. As much as he loves her, he also hates her for being so ‘free-spirited’ about everything. (By then, however, she was already enlisting under their noses.) He’s a rather weak-willed sort, doted on endlessly by his mother and not at all cruel at heart, but desperately tries to make up for his shortcomings by emulating the strength and demeanors of those around him.

Abigail “Abby” Tramont. The youngest of the Tramont’s and Olivia’s favorite. She is everything her older sister is not and more than happy to follow in her mothers footsteps, enjoying all of the dancing and needlework and such. But she loves her big sister dearly, ever enamored by the tales of adventure Olivia would put her to bed with, and Olivia’s romantic dreams of the ideal knight.  After Olivia’s return as Arisen, she would send her letters or even sneak to her house to visit her, gifting her embroideries she made. She loves to listen to all of Olivia’s own adventures now, while sipping on tea and the tasty treats she brought that she knows Olivia loves so well. And while she had next to no opinion on Pawns before meeting them so much more up close and personal through Olivia, upon doing so she’s quietly disturbed by how her eldest brother speaks of them in comparison to the reality she sees. She is very fond of Emrys and somewhat unknowingly regards him like a big brother - she’s certainly never had a brother like him, who is actually fun to be around.

[the-rarest-sexiest-coinkydink]

*breathing heavily*

Vampire Mikey. Male reader. please-

*collapses*

I ran all the way here

Boy, You Look Like Death (But Healthy Guys are Such an Eyesore) - (Mikey Way x male!reader) 

Summary: Mikey’s really been struggling to find the right time to come out to his boyfriend. Not as gay, obviously - it would be a bit concerning if he didn’t know that by now - but as a vampire. Unfortunately for him, he’s the least subtle person in the world, and his boyfriend has more than two brain cells to rub together... 

Word count: 2790 

Warnings: very brief mention of drugs and alcohol (no use by either Mikey or the reader) 

AN: take a moment to catch your breath, dear requester! Recover from that run of yours and enjoy the sweet little tale under the cut 

Also, this title is taken from a song called Eyesore by a band called Salem, they’re a kick ass band and you should definitely go and listen to them because all of their songs are just a wee bit slutty and very vampire-y (the frontman also leads Creeper, one of my favourite ever bands and the loves of my life, and they also slap and you should absolutely listen to them too) 

Anyway that’s enough trying to brainwash you into loving my favourite bands too, on with the story! 

(y/n) knew for a fact that Mikey had no idea that he knew that he was a vampire. The poor, gorgeous boy had been trying incredibly hard not to give the game away, but by the fifth date it had been pretty obvious. And they’d been a couple for three whole months now. So he’d known for a while. 

It had been lots of little things together that made him add all the pieces up and come to the right conclusion - it was the only one that made sense. They’d been to an Italian place for the third date, and Mikey had needed to take some tablets before eating. He claimed he had a slight intolerance to garlic, which (y/n) had believed at the time. There were stranger things to be allergic to, after all, and lots of people were allergic to stuff that others might find surprising. Another thing was, Mikey had only ever taken him on dates after nightfall. This had been explained away by the fact that, as he was in a band, a lot of his life happened at night! Before the dark came he would stay in whichever venue they were performing in, declining offers to go out for food with the excuse that he wasn’t hungry. He often woke up late in the day anyway, given that the parties he’d go to after the shows were over would last until the early hours of the morning. It wasn’t that much of a surprise that he was a little nocturnal. 

But other things in combination had started to make him wonder. Mikey got sunburnt very easily. He hated having his photo taken, blaming it on his insecurities, and photos of him never seemed to come out clearly. There was always some kind of blur, or fuzziness, or strange shadow falling across his face that obscured his features. He was the same around mirrors, always turning his head away whenever he walked past. The first few times, (y/n) had believed the insecurity theory; there’d been times in his life when the thought of looking at his own face for any extended period of time had made him uncomfortable too. 

Then one day, he’d stumbled across an online forum aimed at freshly minted vampires - yes, he’d been surprised to see that they actually existed, too - and everything had started to make sense. For one, Mikey was incredibly pale, and had a bone structure that could almost be called skeletal. He always looked a little bit sickly, like a Victorian child recovering from some deathly illness. It suited him, really - some people just suited being whiter than a sheet of paper - but it definitely made more sense when the vampire idea was applied. Gerard was nowhere near as pale unless he was wearing his stage makeup, and their parents were fairly ordinary in terms of skin tone, so it was one of the most logical explanations. And whenever he stayed over at his flat, he had a mysterious habit of disappearing in the middle of the night for relatively long periods of time. His reasoning for this, when (y/n) had sleepily begged him not to leave again one morning, was that he often had nightmares and didn’t want to wake his lover up. So he would go and hide in the bathroom to calm down before coming back. Again, if it had been that excuse on it’s own, (y/n) probably would’ve believed it in a heartbeat - but along with everything else, it just made his suspicions even greater. 

Now all he had to do was wait for him to come clean about it. 

(y/n) really didn’t want to start that conversation - there was still a miniscule chance that he was wrong, and he really didn’t want to imagine the argument that incorrectly accusing his boyfriend of being a vampire would cause. And unlike his past relationships, this one was going incredibly well! He really didn’t want to risk ruining this over something like that. So his plan was just to wait - either until Mikey slipped up and did something that would make it obvious, or until he flat out admitted it. 

The conversation finally happened one night after a post-show party. They’d been at someone’s house who’s name they’d forgotten before the two of them had even got in the door - it belonged to a friend of a friend of one of the crew, from memory, but there had been so many different people there that names had slipped away like smoke in the breeze. In any case, the two of them had spent most of the time loitering in corners with the rest of the band or tucked away with their tongues down each other’s throats, so it wasn’t like anyone else really mattered. Everyone was sweaty after being packed into a tiny venue all night, and the vast majority of the room was drunk out of their minds. (y/n) was pretty sure that he’d seen some questionable substances being passed around in the corridors - and he knew for certain that Frank had gone outside to join the group smoking weed - but neither he nor Mikey were too interested in that. In fact, the pair of them were pretty much sober, just riding out the adrenaline high that had come from the evening’s gig. 

They’d been together for almost the whole evening, only separating so that Mikey could go to the bathroom. He’d been gone almost fifteen minutes by the time he came back, but that didn’t worry (y/n) at all. He simply assumed that there was a queue, or that his lover had felt unwell and used it as an excuse to get a breather away from everyone for a few moments. When he’d returned, there was something visibly different. His eyes shone a little brighter, there was a new confidence in his step. Something had changed. And he had an idea of what. 

The two of them had left not long after that, craving a cosy evening in with each other, and on the walk home (y/n) spotted the perfect in to that mammoth topic he’d been dancing around for the last few months. There was a little dark smudge at the corner of Mikey’s mouth. And whenever they passed underneath a street lamp, that tiny mark flashed a deep red. The colour of blood. 

Mikey had fed at the party. 

Deciding to wait until they got back to his flat, (y/n)’s heart raced beneath his ribs for the rest of the short walk. His idea was pretty much completely confirmed now, but he still wasn’t exactly sure how to approach things. Saying things the wrong way could still cause a fight even if he was correct in his deductions, and that was the last thing he wanted. 

He switched the light on in the living room, and an idea flashed into his mind like the spark of electricity illuminating the filaments in the bulb. 

“Oh, Mikey! I think you’ve chewed through your lip, baby. There’s some blood on your chin.” 

It didn’t seem physically possible for Mikey to get any paler than he possibly was already, but in this light it really looked like the rest of the blood had drained out of his face. “W-what?” 

“Yeah, there’s not much but it’s still there. Let me clean that up.” As he raised a hand, wanting to brush the dark liquid away with a stroke of his thumb, Mikey flinched back a little. 

“No, don’t, I- it’s not mine...” He trailed off, looking incredibly uncomfortable, wringing his hands anxiously. 

(y/n) stepped back a little, wanting to give him the space to say it. “I don’t understand.” 

“I... oh God, I’m so sorry. I, I should have told you sooner, should’ve been honest with you right from the start so you could get out easily, I-” He stopped, running a hand over his face. “I’ve been lying to you. Well, not exactly lying, I just haven’t been honest. And I’m so, so sorry for that.” 

Seeing just how panicked Mikey was - the poor boy was almost on the verge of tears - he stepped closer again, offering a comforting hand. “Hey, talk to me. I’m worried about you more than anything else. I just need you to be okay.” 

“I... (y/n), I’m a vampire. And I know I should have told you way sooner than this, I was just so scared-” 

(y/n) cut him off with a swift kiss, taking him completely by surprise. Using this to his advantage he slipped his tongue into his boyfriend’s mouth, a little shocked by just how much he liked the hint of iron on his lover’s tongue. It was a surprisingly arousing addition to Mikey’s usual taste. When he pulled away, Mikey’s eyes were almost as wide as dinner plates, and he offered up a reassuring smile. “Baby, I’ve known for a while now.” 

“I-you... what?” 

“Yeah. It wasn’t hard to figure out when I put all the little pieces together. Kinda like, two plus two is four, you know? Pretty simple.” 

“I...” He was pretty much speechless, trembling as the tension he’d been retaining in his muscles all started to fade away at once. He let (y/n) lead him over to the sofa, guiding him to sit down and tucking an arm around his waist. He still struggled with his words for a moment, before managing to spit out a single word. “How?” 

“Well, it was kinda obvious.” He giggled sheepishly, ticking things off on his fingers. “A garlic allergy and scary paleness - which is incredibly sexy on you, might I add - combined with you being mostly nocturnal, disappearing randomly in the middle of the night, and never being clearly visible in a single photo? All together, it only pointed towards one thing.” 

“And... you still stayed?” 

The way his voice cracked broke (y/n)’s heart, and he kissed him with even more passion than the last, desperate to get his point across. “Mikey, I love you! Of course I stayed.” 

There was a moment of dead quiet - neither of them had been brave enough to say those three little words before. 

“Do you really mean that?” 

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.” He stroked the other man’s thigh, trying to soothe him as much as possible. “Look, I wouldn’t have stayed if it wasn’t something I was totally okay with! And honestly? I wasn’t a hundred percent sure until I saw the blood today. All those things added up, but I didn’t wanna bring it up to you and then be wrong. I didn’t wanna fight with you... the thought of losing you was just too much to handle.” He sighed, nudging his forehead against Mikey’s shoulder. “You really do mean a lot to me. I didn’t wanna spoil things by bringing it up before you were ready to talk.” 

Mikey looked entirely baffled: he hadn’t prepared for a reaction like this. In his head, he’d dreamt out a variety of scenarios that could arise in this situation. He’d rehearsed how to handle anger at being lied to, tears stemming from feelings of betrayal, fury, name-calling, the love of his life walking straight out the door and never looking back. But he had simply never pictured pure acceptance - or the fact that he might have calculated the truth all by himself. Maybe he should’ve done. His boyfriend was an incredibly intelligent person, so maybe it was an insult to assume that he wouldn’t work it out. Either way, he had no clue whatsoever on how to handle this. 

And so he settled for crying instead. He hadn’t thought he’d cry in a situation like this, at least not in front of (y/n), but he was just so overwhelmed by the genuine love streaming from the other man that he didn’t know what else to do. He was vaguely aware of (y/n) moving to hug him even tighter, murmuring soothing words in his ear as he rubbed his back. He could hear (y/n)’s blood rushing beneath his skin, his heart beating steadily in his chest. He could smell his usual scent, sweet and strong and so uniquely him. And most importantly, he couldn’t smell any fear. Fear had a scent that was unmistakeable, and there wasn’t a hint of it on him. (y/n) genuinely wasn’t scared of him. And that made him sob even more. 

The two of them stayed like that for several minutes more as Mikey hiccupped his way back to calmness, ever soothed by his boyfriend’s loving words. His tone never wavered, constantly steady and gentle as he held him. (y/n) was overcome with emotion at the thought of how scared Mikey had been, and wanted - no, needed - him to know that he wouldn’t ever be scared of the man he loved. 

When Mikey was finally breathing normally again, (y/n) gently tipped his face upwards, needing him to see the honesty in his eyes. 

“Listen to me, baby. I love you more than I could ever really describe. It’s like you’re the Earth and I’m the moon - I’m constantly being pulled towards you, and now you’re in my life I don’t want to think about you not being a part of it. And besides, you want my honest opinion? I think the fact you’re a vampire is stupidly attractive.” 

Mikey actually managed to laugh at that, wiping away the tears and the last of the blood that lingered on his lower lip. “Really? You’re not just saying that to make me feel good about myself, are you?” 

“No way. Trust me, it’s hot. If I wasn’t into it, I would’ve made an excuse to go back to being just friends with you the moment I came to that conclusion. Pinky promise.” 

“I... I don’t think anyone has ever had that reaction before. Normally most people are... freaked out. Scared of me.” 

“Well, I’m not most normal people, am I?” (y/n) grinned, kissing him on the forehead. “Look, if... if you’re not ready to say, you know, the big three words just yet, that’s totally okay with me. I’m not expecting you to say it back, I swear. I just really, really needed you to know how I feel about you. How much you mean to me. Don’t feel bad if you still need some time.” 

For the first time in that whole conversation, (y/n) looked nervous, and Mikey took very little time to think before responding. This time he was the one to initiate the kiss, passionate and forceful and tender, pouring every ounce of love into that one intimate act. He needed him to know that he felt exactly the same way, and for now words didn’t seem strong enough. 

He didn’t pull away until (y/n) tapped him on the thigh, red in the face from lack of air, and he smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. Sometimes I forget that normal people need to breathe.” 

“I don’t mind that much.” He giggled, kissing the tip of his nose. “I find that kinda attractive too.” 

Mikey blushed as much as he was able to, rubbing his forehead against his boyfriend’s like a cat seeking affection. “(y/n), I am so in love with you. And this? I imagined every possible reaction except this one. I didn’t tell you because I was terrified that you’d turn me away, or hate me. So...” 

“Baby boy, I could never hate you. Not in a million years. I have, like, a million questions I’m dying to ask you though.” He grinned, squeezing Mikey’s hands between his. “But I think we should save that for later on. Right now, the only thing I want is to cuddle up in bed with you. Get all cosy in our little blanket nest and just forget about the rest of the world for a little while. Sound good to you?” 

“Sounds great to me.” 

The duo got up and headed towards (y/n)’s bedroom hand in hand, already dozing off as they got through the door. After a little arguing over which way the spooning situation was going to go, Mikey gave in and let (y/n) be the big spoon, every muscle relaxing as he pulled him against his chest. He turned back for a second, just about managing to press a kiss to his incredible boyfriend’s cheek. 

“I love you so much, (y/n). More than I can ever really say.” 

“I know, Mikey. I love you too - for as long as you’ll let me.” 

“Forever, then.” 

“Yeah, forever. I like the sound of that.” 

[snaggletoothedbastard]

rating insults my best friend has given me

because this was fun last time

you look like a five-year-old gremlin

in response to me telling him he looks like a 35-year-old man

i was not being serious, he looks more like he's in his mid twenties

but still, it was not much of an insult from me and then he comes out with this shit

i'm more offended by the idea that i look five years old than the idea that i look like a gremlin

i already know i look like a gremlin

6/10, it's probably the most creative height joke i've ever heard but not the most creative insult i've heard from this guy, i know he can do better

you walk like a drunk ape

now this is not one i've heard before

very true

the full sentence was "for someone who walks like a drunk ape you've got surprisingly good balance when you're kicking my punchbag"

so it's actually part of a compliment?

7/10, still not the most impressive but i like it

your arm is the size of an anorexic snake

in response to me showing him my bicep and asking how it looked

i then instantly pretended to punch him

he's not wrong though

he proceeded to flex his muscles and ask me how they looked so i said "like a fat snake"

4/10, it was amusing but the image of an anorexic snake makes me sad. i'm just imagining a literal noodle with a face

it really completes the tiny tim look

in response to me showing him my first cane like ten minutes after i bought it (i say first because last week i got a new one! and it's adjustable so i can make it exactly the right size!)

i was literally the james acaster meme (see one of my previous posts)

i was wearing a newsboy cap at the time which didn't help

i do happen to look like a sickly victorian child so i get it

9/10, probably the most creative out of these

i refuse to believe that you could win a game of pool without cheating

sir?? sir??? excuse me???

he once "won" a pool game against me by cheating

and by cheating i mean he got up on the table and used the cue like a fucking golf club

he was drunk

last week i actually won a pool game without cheating

and when i told him he said this

2/10, outrageous

and now...

rating compliments my best friend has given me

or just generally nice things he's said to me because i don't want the conclusion of this post to be that he's an asshole

you've got the voice of an angel

in response to me singing in front of him for the first time

a month or so later he told my crush that i had "an insane singing voice"

shoutout to him for being the best wingman

8/10, it's a little cheesy but i like it

numerous variations of "don't be sorry for being ill, we all love you anyway and we're happy to take care of you"

has been said several times throughout the summer because i got sick with vitamin d deficiency and have been getting the Symptoms(TM) a lot and feeling bad about it because it makes spending time together difficult

last time he said this to me i'd been drinking apple cider, which i found out the hard way is stronger than pear cider, and halfway through him saying this to me i felt extremely sick. kind of ironic

also i said it to him a few weeks ago because we'd planned to hang out at my house the morning after a night out but he messaged me saying he'd accidentally eaten gluten and was having a reaction so he had to go home, and he said he felt like a dick so i basically gave him the same advice he always gives me

9/10, wonderful advice and a good reminder, it's just a shame he had to say it so much

you're so sweet :)

nice and simple

he always says it after i give him anything that vaguely resembles advice

10/10, no notes, perfection

this poem's only mediocre because you wrote it, if it had been written by anyone else it would be amazing

now this one confused me for a second because it doesn't sound like a compliment

i'd just shown him a poem i'd written which wasn't bad but it wasn't as good as my other poems

basically he meant the poem was only mediocre by my standards because my poetry is good

but by anyone else's standards it would be really good

7/10 because it was confusing but once i understood it was very sweet

i didn't think anyone could love me until i met you

i can't

i can't handle this

so lovely but so sad, mate are you okay??

every time i feel insecure i remember that he said this and i just

10/10 i have no words

and bonus

apparently after i left a party early he drunkenly asked me if i was ok. twice. and had to be reminded by the others that i wasn't there.

in between bouts of violently throwing up <3

and that, my friends, is true love

10/10

[shieldherostuffs]

ren is from a more tech advanced world, right? what if it's also extremely polluted too, like, overworld type. he has many breathing and health issues. hes basically a Frail, Sickly Victorian Child and his party has no clue how hes fighting (they've almost brought him to naofumi many times). do with this what you want

I just got a little Prompt Idea from this :D might elaborate at a later date. Also, I love how you described Ren as a Frail, Sickly Victorian Child.

The air, water, food, earth, basically everything in Ren's world is extremely polluted, like extremely. The stars can't be seen without an observatory because of light and air pollution. Everyone has some sort of chronic disease because of the pollution. Health Care in countries where it isn't free is so expensive most people can't even buy plain old allergy pills or cough medicine.

This includes Ren. He's ok, his family is middle class so they were able to buy food with less than 50% fake ingredients and less than 20% plastic.

The thing is, the world has been like this for so long, no one has any hope for the planet ever surviving the next 2000 years, and this has just become normal.

Now, Ren has been confused as to why it felt so easy and light to breathe once he was summoned. Was this place at a higher altitude or something? And why was it so warm? Even when the sun was out in the middle of a summer day in his world, the highest they got was 10℃.

Much later, during a trip for Team Bonding between the Four Heroes, Ren starts coughing after inhaling a cloud of tree pollen. He says he's okay when his party asks. However, he keep coughing during the next hour, and when he inhales yet more pollen, and his eyes start iching, suddenly he bends over, sounding as if he's trying to hack up his whole lungs.

When he finally finished, there's blood on his lips, chin, and on the grass. As Ren casually stands back up, wiping the blood on his sleeve, he's offered multiple healing potions by his party, despite them never having spent enough time to genuinely worry about his person.

However, he declines all of them, confusing them once again, as this has happened multiple times.

However, this time, it ends up worse. Only a few minutes later, Ren becomes dizzy, but tries to carry one with everyone else, only to fall to the ground, wheezing even as he's passed out.

Quickly, his party calls for help, and everyone else rushes over.

Quickly, Naofumi pushes himself through to look closer at Ren, only to see the teen wheezing on the ground, with a pain expression on his face.

"Does he have Asthma or something..." Naofumi mumbles to himself, before checking Ren over for any wounds or poison, only to find nothing.

However, or pouring more power into checking over Ren's stats and body, he finds something shocking.

(Don't ask me how, but somehow Naofumi can see how polluted Ren's body is.)

"What the hell..." Naofumi mutters to himself, before conjuring up multiple Healing Potions, and a bottle of Holy Water, hoping to at least help a little against all the pollution in Ren's Body.

After getting the teen to drink four bottles of Healing Potion and a bottle of Mid-Level Holy Water, Ren weakly opens his eyes and tries to push himself to sit up, only to fall back into Naofumi's arms.

"Wha..." Ren mumbles, gasping at the clean air, wondering why everyone is worrying about something as normal as coughing up a little blood and passing out for a little while.

"How the hell do you not have Lung Cancer yet?! Your lungs look like you've been smoking daily since you were three!" Naofumi exclaims worriedly, his arms still supporting the weight of Ren's upper body.

"It's... Normal?" Ren rasps out, making one of his party members pull out some water, and handing it over to Ren

"What do you mean it's normal? To have decades-daily smoker lungs as a teenager?!" Naofumi exclaims

"It's... The air is dirty in my world. Everything is polluted. Everyone is sick, and passing out or coughing out of nowhere is normal. You don't need to worry, I'm used to it." Ren explains, schooling his expression into something trying to fit his loner-bad-boy persona

"How the hell are you still fighting then? You should be trying to clean out your lugs and stomach, not fighting with the risk of passing out any second!" Naofumi scolds

"And you guys, have you done anything to help since this has apparently happened before?" Naofumi asks, turning to stare menacingly at Ren's Party

"We... We considered taking him to see you, Sir Shield Hero, multiple times because you're so well-versed in healing. But, Sir Ren refused each time." A girl from Ren's party responded

Naofumi was quiet for a few moments, before speaking up.

"We're going back to the capital this instant. We're not gonna do any of this damn team-building until Ren's better. " Naofumi speaks up, clear authority in his voice

As Naofumi stands up, he quickly bends down again, to swiftly throw Ren over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. While Ren stutters and complains, everyone else keeps quiet, unable to find a reason why they shouldn't prioritize the well-being of the Sword Hero.

—————

Tagging because I really like this concept: @rosesinbloom7love, @zachy-akaya, @maloteddy, @crypid-called-ash, @eli-elien, @tinygenderfluid, @wisdomismyloweststattm, @bluelovestoship

[littlemouserat]

Jervis Tetch HCs (TNBA Ratter)

Basic Info & Fun/ Not So Fun/ Facts:

• Cis guy. 

• Pansexual, but is in denial (dealing with some internalized negative feelings). But has had crushes on many people regardless of their gender (whether he wants to admit it or not.)

•  Has a lazy eye

• Was born in the UK, but moved to America when he was 5.

• Is insecure about his height and appearance in general. He cracks jokes about it, but it bugs him more then he leads on. 

• Jervis was bullied relentlessly as a kid. His peers mocked him for his looks, for being the shortest one in class and for his love for Alice and Wonderland. Even some adults would make whispered remarks at his expense.

• Laughs at his own terrible puns/jokes and it has been his downfall in the past (ex Animal Act )

• Gives big over the top monologues to strangers when he’s committing crimes, but is very shy/timid when it comes to one on one conversations (like asking for help reaching the top shelf while grocery shopping or small talk with the cashier)

•sneezes like a kitten (yes I’m plugging my own comic X’D)

• Vegetarian, but will eat meat out of politeness if it is offered to him. Someone is willing to feed him and he’s just gonna turn it down? How rude.  

• A master of technology, but shit at using social media  

• Other then his knowledge of technology and neuroscience, he is multi talented in other regards: he can play the piano, chess, cards (solitaire is is favorite), bake, sew, ect. 

• Values manners and politeness, but can be a selfish, rude little bastard lol 

• He does not swear. Well, okay, he does ‘minor swears’ like hell or damn sometimes, but rarely goes any further. Unless it’s for a funny reason like this comic

• A side sleeper. On a good night he’s out like a light and sleeps so still and quietly it looks like he’s dead. On a bad night he’s tossing, turning and whimpering from a nightmare.  

• Sleeps in a Victorian nightgown .In fact all his clothing are accurate to the Victorian area when he can help it. Also he makes all his clothes.

• Sleeps hugging a pillow or a rolled up blanket. This has caused him grief from Arkham inmates and guards to the point where he doesn't do it anymore to stop the taunting, but it causes him restless nights.

• A hugger and a cuddler. However he does not have many people in his life who would enjoy to receive hugs or cuddles from him. Touch starved bastard. 

• Is scared of doctors thanks to mistreatment by Arkham staff and bad memories of his frequent visits to the doctor as a child thanks to his poor immune system (poor fella seemed to get ill with just the slightest gust of wind). Also Don’t tell Scarecrow.  

• As a child he would hop around like a rabbit at the park/ playground (I'm late I’m late), other adults found this endearing and so did some kids. But with Jervis’ shy nature he played alone most of the time. When he did get the courage to ask to play with others it hardly went well.  

Relationships:

• He was not close with his parents; they were emotionally distant, strict, and hardly ever said an encouraging thing to him.  They were never outright abusive, but they did the bare minimum in childcare and Jervis felt emotionally neglected. Jervis’ mother passed away from cancer when he was 8 and his father passed a year after Jervis got his job at WayneTech. He mourned them, misses them, and loves them despite their treatment of him, but the feelings are complicated... mostly, with them gone, he just feels alone. 

• However, he had a special connection with his grandmother. She was overjoyed when he was born; taking any excuse to hold him and coo with her wee grandson. When others would question/ mock Jervis’s features as an infant (”What are his ears so pointy?” “He looks small and sickly” “Who’s nose is that? he didn't get it from my side” “His teeth are coming in funny” “Are you sure this is mine? Looks nothing like me”) She would shut them down. He was the most perfect and adorable little boy in the world in her eyes. She encouraged his creativity and played a long with his imagination and games; she was always happy to play tea party. She also taught him to bake and sow (despite his father abjections to his son learning ‘women's’ work *eyeroll*). However when Jervis and his parents moved to the USA (for his father’s new job) She stayed in the UK, but would send him letters and gifs by mail. After a while the the gifts stopped coming and his letters would be returned to sender. He’s tried to ask his parents about her, but they do not approve of her (for reasons Jervis is not aware of... for now) so they always brushed off his questions. Jervis has no idea if she is dead, moved away without telling , or, worse, she stopped loving him.

• He gets a long well with most of the Gotham Rouges or at least tolerates ( more likely is tolerated by) them. His strongest bond is with Jonathan Crane / The Scarecrow. With their mutual love of science, literature, and hating batman ,among other things, they slowly but surely build a rapport . Also, unbeknownst to them, they seem to treat each other rather tenderly ? Well, tenderly  in the Scarecrow sense is speaking calmly and offering the short man his jacket when he’s visibly shaking despite his multiply layers (”Oh, Dr. Crane, I’m Fine. Put your jacket back on, you’ll catch cold.”  “Nonsense Jervis, You’re shaking like a leaf, come on now” “*sighs reluctantly* Oh, honestly. Causing such a fuss...Thank you, dear” “Don’t mention it”)  and Jervis offering John any teacup from his collection to call his own and sewing up his clothes when they get torn.

As Ivy puts it “They're too stupid and gay to realize that they’re stupid an gay for another.” 

• Has a soft spot for Harley Quinn. Not in a romantic sense (though he must admit he thinks she’s pretty , but even if he view her romantically ,do you think he’s try to get in the way of Joker or Poison Ivy ? Hell no ) she is just not his type. She is too hyperactive, dangerous and visits with her leave him exhausted (”I’m not as young as I use to be Miss Quinn”). He thinks of her as a niece, someone he doesn't have responsibility for, but is oddly protective of  (idc that scene in ‘over the edge’ was a dream it’s canon to me!) and he tolerates her infantilizing treatment towards him because the man is a sucker for any positive attention even if it’s a bit humiliatingly (ex. Harley picks him up bridal style and spins him around humming carnival noises in the Arkham rec hall just cause she can). 

• He’s one of the few rouges that treats Mary Dhal as an equal adult and they get a long well for the most part. Although they both have a tendency to act immature together. Honestly, they are a bad influence on each other. When Dhal starts acting like Baby Doll and Jervis goes full Mad Hatter mode, it’s a recipe for disaster for everyone involved. Also if caught the mere sight of them is confusing; “Why is that old man lighting a cigarette for a child!!??”

• Jervis and Arnold Wesker don’t talk too much, but with both of them having  trouble with fantasy and reality, they have a mutual understanding. They share advice and coping skills with each other  and play chess on occasion in Arkham.  Being roughly the same age they can relate on that level as well. Arnold is more a long the path back to his pre crime days so they don’t see each other much, but if they happen to cross paths they acknowledge each other with a smile and a ‘take care dear’ as Jervis runs from the bat. 

[st-agatha-city]

St. Agatha Gazette 🦋

Hello, citizens of St. Agatha! Welcome to our first ever weekend update! If I am able to keep up the steam, I’d like to release weekly updates on progress. Naturally, these will slow down once I am again meaningfully employed, but for the time being I believe this could keep me sane until then!

I think Saturday is as good a day as any! Okay, on to the updates!

Traffic

Well, things are chugging along just fine! Everyday without fail, since it’s conception, St. Agatha City has been worked on - adding code, scenes, art, and sometimes (on rougher days) just fixing my grammar throughout the dialogue heavier scenes.

Though I usually put in about three hours a day, as pacing yourself is important to avoiding burnout, I’ve spent a fair few nights up until the early hours working on St. Agatha City, as it’s incredibly fun and rewarding, if time consuming, work.

As such, I have finally started work on the intro/Chapter 1 of St. Agatha City, which introduces you to Pixy, who has just moved, and her roommate, Norman. This will of course lead to exploration of our fair city, and some of the games first and most formative choices.

Weather

It looks like this week it’ll be sunny and hot hot hot here in St. Agatha, and while there might be low chances of rain, we are likely to see me working on the interactive town map!

That is my desired mode of transport through St. Agatha, very much inspired by the old flash dating sims of yore. It will be challenging to draw little buildings, however, and something resembling a real city map might be hard to accurately represent or read due to St. Agatha being fictional, so I’m going to see about making our fair city’s nav system resemble a subway map :) besides, taking the bus is significantly greener than driving solo, and it’s great fun to people watch! If you’re not trying to avoid eye contact with strangers (sometimes scary.)

The map and introduction to using it is something you’ll likely get from Norman, as he is the first person you really meet in St. Agatha, besides of course Pixy.

Sports

It’s summer! With Fourth of July coming in hot on our heels, families are finding the time to spend it together. And I am using that time to do this! 🚃

The sports section going forwards will be to highlight and touch upon current developments, as traffic focuses on progress, and what I have recently accomplished, the past, and weather what I hope to achieve, in the future. Maybe those lines are a bit blurred, and this section will be changed or fazed out entirely, but I digress!

~

Ooo~! Home run!

Great news, citizens! We have developed a list of potential canon characters for this game, and I finally added a third character model to St. Agatha City! You may have guessed already that it’s Norman, Pixy’s new roommate, who is now joining the ranks of Pixy and Denver as ‘people who have faces.’ While this is a relatively small development, I’m still pretty proud of myself, because I have to do all of the art myself, as needed (unless I require an asset such as backgrounds or music - which for the time being I am finding from lovely folks and sites online who offer license free options.)

Now, here’s a bit of insider info. Every character I model and who appears in this game will get an intro here on this blog! Pixy’s comes out tomorrow, and Denver’s I believe is two days from now, since I’ve got my queue set up to post once a day. Norman’s will be arriving shortly, but for the time being, here is a photo of this cryptid man.

I know it’s risky having this sickly Victorian child be the first person you meet in a ~romantic dating sim~ but I want to measure people’s expectations. Also, please consider this fact: I love him 💕🍲

Closing Thoughts

Alright, folks! Thanks for being here for the first issue of the St. Agatha Gazette. Short and sweet, but I don’t want to fall into problems similar to Yandere Simulator where I spend all of my time making updates, and never actually updating.

We’ll close out with a Weekly Fun Fact!

This time (and probably most times, I’ll be real) about our game’s development! The placeholder title for St. Agatha City was originally ‘pixydays’ as my biggest inspiration for the dating sim elements of this game was Pacthesis, who as a teen (I believe) made flash dating sims that she released on DA, that I played instead of talking to real people. Each title ended in the word “Days” so this is just a little hidden homage to my cringey past, and a nice hello to my cringey future.

~ Fairyfly

[eurekq]

got my full fanganronpa designed with names and backstories and personalities and everything... character info is under the cut! all the bios took about a week to put together so i hope you give them a look <3

basic premise: 16 fresh-out-of-highschool prodigies are invited to star in well-respected and widely-watched reality tv show, which takes place on a cruise ship. what they weren't expecting was for the show's 25th season to be a killing game! the students: TOMOKO KAITA: a peppy and outgoing astrology guru who can read your deepest flaws and strengths with just your date and time of birth. known worldwide for her extremely accurate personal horoscopes. despite this, she strongly believes in the ability of an individual to defy their fate through hard work and self improvement. she dislikes giving negative horoscopes, and does her best to focus on the positives that the stars hold in store. her smile brightens the whole room! she is intensly loyal to her friends, to the point of self-sacficing emotional labor. KENJI MINAMOTO: a formal and eccentric olympic fencer whose strange insistance on not wearing protective gear during practice (he believes it makes him better by giving him a stronger motivation to not get hit) has earned him many a scar over the years, and has left at least half of his joints in braces at any given time. he follows his own bushido-esque moral code, although he will not put himself above whapping the occasional really annoying person in the ankles. his épée is his best friend and he carries it most everywhere. most of the scars on his face and hands are actually from trying to put in his very sharp industrial piercings while drunk. despite his oddities, his lightfooted and elegant fencing has been compared by many to a graceful dance. HAZUKO KAGENO: a secretly sweet and polite orphan who took up puppetry as a child in an orphanage to amuse the younger kids. years of retreating into her puppets' personas has left her unable to communicate normally, and she prefers to talk through her puppets, her favourite being lady ravensdale, a proper lady in victorian fashion. she doesn't take very good care of her actual appearance, with long, tangled, split-ended hair and rips in her clothes. the only exception is her hands, which she keeps meticulously maintained and manicured, since they're the only part of her body visible during shows. her creepy smile and wide, glazed-over eyes are offputting to most she meets, but she is a truly kind and passionate person whose animated and lively puppet shows can bring a smile to any childs face. EISUKE ITOU: eisuke grew up sewing clothes for his younger sisters barbie dolls, and he particularly loved dressmaking. he gained exposure in his first year of highschool by handmaking gorgeous outfits for his class's booth at the school festival, and, through application to various junior fashion competitions, he was eventually noticed by a big-name designer in paris. however, he found learning french next to impossible and has spent the year prior to the game in relative isolation, unable to have any real human conversation. his pyschological state was fairly severely impacted by his long hours spent sewing and designing on internship with no company to get him by, and he is now debilitatingly socially anxious and finds conversation difficult and awkward. SHIN TOKUGEN: a silver-tongued and charistmatic human interest and general news reporter who specializes in getting personal accounts from those affected by newsworthy events. growing up billingual in english and japanese due to his american mother, language comes as easy as breathing to him. in addition to his mother tongues, he fluently speaks chinese, korean, arabic, spanish, and russian. news outlets pay hefty prices for his emotionally provacative and insightful interview stories, which covers all his travel expenses. he has a unique talent for getting complete strangers to reveal to him things that they might not even tell close friends. actual casual conversation with can be a little offputting, since it always feels like an interview, even when he's trying his best to not. MARIKO MIKAMI: mariko was a sickly child, and spent a large part of her elementary school years in hospitals. around the age of seven, she began folding paper cranes as something to do, and wished to live normally after she folded her 1000th. she soon recovered, and feels that she owes her life to origami. she is precise and calculating in everything she does, which shines through in her art: every delicate, artful piece of origami that she makes is creased and folded perfectly. she also dabbles in wet-fold origami. she's most famous for her dry-fold though, and her pieces are well known for their complex, precise, mathematical beauty. she refuses to fold paper cranes anymore, feeling that they are too sacred for her to touch after they saved her life as a child. a calm, slightly disconcerting smile is always on her face, no matter the circumstance; her manner is consistantly cool and polite. YUU IROIKE: yuu iroike isn't even his real name, and it's a mystery as to how show staff even tracked down his mailing address to get him on the show. he's a well-known public figure for painting huge, sprawling, colorful murals in tokyo, yet who he really is remains unknown. he paints faster than his murals can be scrubbed away, and has somehow never been prosecuted for vandalism because his graffiti is generally considered an improvment. he's sly, mysterious, and teasing in person, and gets a bit of an itchy trigger finger when he hasn't painted in a while. His skill with spray paint is so great that it seems as if the paint bends to his very will. MARIYA HAN: born and raised in rio de janeiro, mariya moved to her father's home country of japan at the age of eleven. inspired by the more vibrant trends in brazil as opposed to japan, mariya broke out of her mold at the age of 13 by experimenting with dramatic makeup and dying her hair blonde. she has adopted a delinquent-ish persona over the years due to general disapproval from teachers because of the looks she presents. her impeccable sense of all-around style has made her one of the very few half-japanese models to appear on the covers of magazines like kera and zipper. she has an uncanny sense of color and structure and is able to create attractive and stylish looks for almost any face. HARUMI HAMANAKA: harumi is a sweet and bubbly girl, if almost cloyingly so. her good luck is a fairly stable force (nowhere near as chaotic as komaeda, for example), generally acting in the favor of wishes of people around her. her mother intensly wanted for her to be on the show because of the exposure it provides, and this is what harumi attributes to her being selected. despite the way her luck operates, shes no doormat and in fact has an overwhelming force of personality, and her sweet demeanor can become rather passive aggressive if challenged on pretty much anything. MOMOTAROU KOBARA: momotarou, born into a rich family that fufilled his near-every want, made a name for himself in the world of collecting at the age of just eleven by, through luck and love for the series, collecting every pokemon card. from then on he set onto collecting just about anything non-perishable: pins, collectors set bandaids, vinyls, etc. he has exceptional luck in finding deals on ebay and other sites. he cant really be called a hoarder, since he likes to have just one of everything; he resells, gifts, or uses any duplicates. his mood swings between a dreamy, chilled out, flirtatious persona and periods of numb depression when it hits him that his whole life revolves around material possesions and that he has no real human connections. CHOUMI YUKIYAMA: exceptional among even her fellow shsls, choumi made her historic mark on ballet by becoming the world's youngest ever prima ballerina at the age of 13 and japan's first ever prima ballerina assoluta at 18. fans flock to her ethereal, angelic grace on stage as well as to the percieved sense of otherworldlyness surrounding her albinism. on the darker side of her popularity, repeated sexual harassment from fans and male dance partners alike has hardened her world view to make her not quite cold, but definitely reserved in her emotions. she adapts fairly easy to stressful situations and pushes through pain with almost no visible outward struggle due to her all too common experience with dancing through foot and ankle injuries. because of this she usually ends up taking initiative in difficult scenarios if no one else steps forward. she is also a quite talented hobbyist figure skater and is fluent in both english and russian. REN KIKUHARA: a fairly odd florist in that instead of ordering flowers to arrange into bouquets, every flower he sells is grown himself. although this means that his selection is seasonally and fairly regionally limited, he has an incredible talent for working with plants and can even sometimes coax out-of-zone flowers to grow. he's fluent in hanakotoba and is surprisingly good at flirting through flowers without it seeming cheesy, although he doesn't do it very often. people often remark that his bouquets often seem to have more love and life in them than store-bought ones. ren is a calm and kind soul and prefers listening to talking, with what he does say always seeming to be just the right words for the situation. JUN TENSEI: born jun harada, many believe that his spiritual connection is the real deal, but a few critics hold that he is most likely just an incredibly talented bluffer. the real truth about him is unknown, but many say that his seances do accurately reflect the personalities of their deceased loved ones and help them feel at peace. he is deeply religious, but not to any one traditional faith (although he does use traditional christian symbols such as crucifixes and items such as holy water on occasion). he believes strongly in the power of the soul and its ability to exist beyond death. his voice is soft and low, and he has a penchent for gentle teasing and riddles. he comes off as pretty shady to most, but he's fairly harmless. SARA KUROKAWA: a talented young woman from a long line of popular backalley tattoo artists. she combines traditional symbolism and youthful influence in her designs to make something new and more appealing for the younger generation, and is a huge proponent for tattoos being shown off for fashion rather than hidden away in the traditional style. sara does have (illegal) tattoos done by her older siblings on her arms despite the minimum age being 20, although her being homeschooled, looking older than her actual age, and having a tendency to wear long sleeves year round has led her to encounter few problems. she and her family are among the many who simply choose to ignore the statute requiring a medical license to tattoo. sara is a fairly rude person in a backhanded way, acts stereotypically catty, and enjoys making herself the center of attention, whether through her appearance (dyed pink hair and white contacts) or the things she says. the only two things that can break her shell and make her excited and genuine are tattooing and piano, which she has played from a young age and loves. SHOU KATSUKI (PROTAG): pushed to succeed in the game from a very young age, shou is japan's reigning chess champion, a FIDE-certified grandmaster, and went to international competition the year before the killing game. he played through to the finals with influenza, which worsened through the matches due to lack of treatment and culminated in debilitating pneumonia that left him in the hospital and unable to play for first. because of this, he's cultivated a sort of inferiority complex that he tries to cover for with self-confidence, which actually comes off as condescending rudeness. he has a natural talent for cause and effect analyzation and is good at planning ahead. he gets flustered easily over trivial things and is a sore loser, but tends not to crack under actual pressure. shou doesn't like to be associated with his family due to the intense pressure they put him under only to steal his winnings the second he began to succeed and thus prefers to be referred to by his given name, even by near-strangers. he does genuinely love chess, but his favourite board game is actually risk. (no one ever wants to play with him, though.) MIKI SHIMAZAKI: a child prodigy from a family of cheerleaders, miki learned to love the sport over years of family pressure. famous for winning back to back nationals from age 13 to present, she's well aware of the image of unintelligence and sexualisation that comes along with being a young girl in cheerleading, and these two topics are sort of trigger points for her. after a while she grew tired of people telling her that they were suprised she was nice and were expecting her to be a bitch, so she adopted a fake-nice, popular girl type persona to basically give people what they were expecting. miki trusts very few people due to the many creeps shes encountered, but her few friends are the most important thing in her life and she would stop at nothing to protect them.