#and also a pudding but that's funny lol

[butterfly-headquarters]

to this day idk if opalheart is corny as fuck or actually pretty decent for sso last names

i'm so jealous of the people who could speak english when they made their sso account, like what do you mean your name has an actual meaning and mine is just random words i liked as a ten year old

[hellboundhimbo]

female characters in whole cake island i love you

[102ki]

sayaka being pleased ceras likes her yasai-san plushies so cutes ♥️

[redlyriumidol]

Also I was searching the wiki for food from Tevinter and apparently there's a dragon age cookbook in which it is spuriously claimed that Dorian likes pumpkin bread which is a Tevinter delicacy. Hmmm .... No.

[tarotchariotpickyourcard]

Should you go for this job? PAC

Wondering if it would be worth your time? Do you have what it takes? Let’s see what the cards say.

please choose between group 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 from left to right

Group 1 (heart box)

Firstly, I got the idea of clinging to something, or sticking to something too long. Is there someone here who is scared of quitting or switching?

Romance

That’s interesting! My first thought is that it romanced you lol. It’s wined and dined you, and it looks very appealing. If we’re thinking in terms of should/shouldn’t, this can hint to a good match.

Something that blends well with your character, something that you’re attuned to, maybe you already have experience in this type of role, or you just know you would be good in it.

It can also suggest that perhaps a partner, love interest, crush so on so forth is involved somehow. It could also mean you might find a crush at work if you do get it.

I’m feeling good energy from this, even if there are some nerves. It’s just a little bit exciting or nerve racking. I get a good feeling from it though. There’s something about freedom, here. Maybe this job would allow a little more flexibility for your life or within your interpersonal relationships.

It looks like you really want it, and to be honest, why not, if you’re interested.

8 of cups

It’s funny, you’re wined and dined and you leave it all behind. Perhaps you’ll lose interest? But if you think deeply, there’s a need for meaning when it comes to your job role or vocation. Perhaps this might not meet your need for true meaning, a sense of purpose and a feeling like belonging.

If you look more into it, you might find that it doesn’t tick all the boxes after all, or you may have misunderstood something. Maybe there’s something important that this just wouldn’t be able to give you. I wouldn’t say don’t go for it, but I would probably advise not to have rose tinted glasses. I get a big feeling that there are some very strong needs that you can’t compromise on, and you only should if it’s safe to. But to be honest, there may be a better fit elsewhere.

Right so let’s look into your skills and if you are a match.

Outlets and Advocacy

What’s this? A remedy for the daily grind? That’s right, here’s the boost you need to experiment with some new past times and hobbies. Work can feel uncreative sometimes, or not aligned with who you are, or completely and utterly devoid of any sort of meaning or value or shred of humanity - but don’t despair! You have the ability to express yourself in other ways, and life is full of meaningful endeavours. There’s no need to chain your life to a boring job when there are gardens to grow, baseballs to throw, and pudding-based performance art installations to show. Get out there!

Interesting, we talked about needing it to be meaningful for you. 

I am my own best advocate. When I have an idea, I share it. When I have a need, I speak up about it. When I tell a joke and none of my coworkers laugh, I make sure to repeat it….and then explain it… and if need be, draw a diagram so everyone gets it.

You might bring some good humor to the workplace lol.

Overall this is good energy of someone who doesn’t sit down and take things. Very active in the workplace, someone who bring their ideas forward, someone who has vision and probably can’t stand a boring or simple type of role. You need some kind of creative input, you need to share those ideas and solutions.

You do have a bit of advice though with outlets, because even if you feel your work lacks meaning right now in this moment, you still have the ability to have meaning in the rest of your life. Your work is not your life, remember you’re more than that and you have meaning no matter what! You give meaning to wherever you are! You add something, wherever you go. You’re important and if you are currently working somewhere now, you are valuable no matter what they say (or don’t).

Now, what does this role ask of you? What does it want from applicants?

Filling the well

Feeling like your brain could use a tiny jump start? It might be time to take a break and go explore some completely unrelated territory for a few days. Wells can only provide so much water before they dry up. And brains are the same way. Regardless, your brain could use a kick in the brain pants, so step away from your routing and head to the nearest museum, park, concert, or chowder cook-off. Do it now! Hurry! Before your boss sees you climbing out the window!

So this role could be adventurous for you, or different than what you have worked in. Could literally involve a public place like museums concert halls etc. Seems kind of cerebral too. Could involve travel. I really feel like saying though, it’s more about your needs than the excitement of it that seems important.

So I think it’ll require more activity, figuring stuff out more, for you to travel from place to place maybe. So if you go for it, maybe ask about that. (It seems like you’re a good match, since you can put yourself out there).

Added note after: So fill your own well with 8 of cups here too. It’s about you finding meaning regardless. You are important and things outside are important. Things you create personally are important and life changing. You are valuable interpersonally! This is a hint to look after yourself right now. You might be overdoing it or expecting too much of yourself currently.

I hope that this helps you understand it a little more and what to keep in mind.

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Group 2 (shell)

I just got really cold then. Lol.

Look for a sign, and forgiveness.

Another interesting one.

Knight of swords.

Did you have an argument with someone? Or a disagreement? Oh dear, looks like someone said something harsh. Is this more about thinking you should leave as a result, to get away from a current role?

This could also be that you’re clashing with someone in your life. Maybe you’re only thinking of this role because your parent is telling you to “get a job already”. I don’t feel that much interest in it to be honest? This gives me the motivations of “i want to get away from this person, or stop the conflict, so this can be an out.”

Look for a sign is clarified by 7 of cups. It really is giving me the idea that you’re not sure you even want this particular role anyway. 

Or - you’re interested but confused if it’s the right fit. There’s just a lot of uncertainty here, and I would say that if you want to know if you should go for something, look at your true desires and motivation. That will give you a good idea on yes or no itself. I don’t think the angels or spirit would encourage you to go for something that doesn’t make you happy, or that doesn’t give you a sense or belonging or that doesn’t ensure your wellbeing. 

I really get the vibe that you’re hearing things you don’t want to hear, it’s unpleasant, and you need a break. If it’s possible, maybe get a day off or a day away from your situation. Let your mind rest, because when I see 7 of cups it’s usually when someone has been thinking so much that they’ve become confused. That’s no way to make a decision. 

And i’m calling you out - don’t worry, i’ve done  it too - you’ve probably been looking outside yourself to be told if you should or shouldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I get it, you’re here after all, but I’m seeing more doubt in yourself here.

It’s like you don’t trust yourself. This can look like going with the motions, asking spirit for signs (but nothing is good enough or convincing enough), feeling the pressure too much from people around you. Indecision in general. I really feel you, here. Forgiveness could be a nod to forgiving yourself. Why don’t you give yourself a shot? If you had to make a split second decision here and now, would you?

I’m just getting the sense of being really harsh with yourself, remembering the coldness or nastiness of others, and other things all accumulating. Please grab your power back - that’s where the self agency is.

And you know what, even if people disagree with your moves or are unhappy with it - let it be. There’s freedom in that too. I see how down some people are here, and I really feel like your self esteem or confidence has taken a hit.

Peoples words seem to really get to you, but I think there’s a partial reason to this - (I got de ja vu, so strong) Maybe you’ve been bullied or put down very often which I’m so sorry for if true - one of the reasons being is that I see your energy has been kind of…ripped? It’s like a shield that’s disintegrated.

One little thing that I think can help you is to cleanse yourself energetically and shield yourself. You can ask archangel michael to come in, cleanse you of negativity and fear, replace it with positive white light and then ask him to put his blue/purple cloak over you to shield and protect you from outward negative energy. Really close your eyes and visualize this if you can.

A skillset of yours is

Ego

When my selfish ego rears its ugly, screaming little head, i calmly toss it a xanax and ask it to leave me alone. I’m a big, generous person, and in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t matter if smeone else gets the credit for my idea. Because at the end of the day when you really stop to think about it, the idea might end up being bad and then they’ll have to take the fall. So there.

I think this is great. This is a hall mark for someone who can move past things and keep working, keep being involved in a team, let the grudges go etc. This is what you want at the workplace! This is a very professional mindset. More people need to be like you. But at the same time, I get the idea of putting yourself down again.

Let yourself have that bit of fire, let yourself be a little more confident or expressive. It’s for the benefit of the workplace in the end after all.

What does this role ask for?

Prep work

I make friends with the quiet loners- organization and planning - and i suddenly realize how cool they are! I start hanging out with them. And I bend to their influence. I even allow them to give my daily habits a makeover. Normally I wouldn’t succumb to peer pressure, but isn’t efficiency the best? C’mon, just let me fill in one more bullet journal…I promise i’ll be able to stop.

So with this if you do go for it, organizational skills are a must. If you have a job history, make sure you focus and highlight this skillset and examples of it. Good luck if you do go for it.

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Group 3 (lightning)

Very strong answer, card popped right out

Oooohhhh, interesting! This is nice imo.

Remain positive

This card talks about there being positive momentum towards this desire, you speed up your dreams with a cheerful or confident demeanour. It may seem like your dreams are taking a long time to manifest, but soon you will see a change. Don’t allow yourself to lose hope when your dreams are so close to coming true!

That’s so funny with the hanged man.

I think straight up it’s probably a good idea, even if you don’t get it, I feel you would be on the right track.

If you go for it, you might have to wait for interviews, there might be a delay in responding, there’s something that might hold it up. Maybe you’ve just been waiting for so long for an opportunity like this. Seize it with both hands! This is clearly something you’re interested in or have been hoping to see this type of role/opportunity. Why on earth wouldn’t you take a shot?

Do you not think you belong there or have a place? Manifestation is strongly hinted here - you can MAKE space. This amuses me, because it could even go so far as making a new role to allow you in. There’s something unusual or different about this situation. If you don’t get this role, you’ll likely manifest something similar or within the same company. The feeling of open possibilities is really strong here for me.

If you wanted confirmation, here it is! It seems exciting. I know it must have been hard. Hanged man comes up usually when we want to do anything BUT wait. When it’s such a drag and we are actively having to practise patience. When we don’t like it or feel frustrated. Maybe you’ve had to give something up, maybe in the past you’ve had to surrender an opportunity like this. Maybe you thought you’ve had signs, but nothing seemed to happen.

Well, you deserve this opportunity. You’ve done the work for it, you’ve put in the energy. I bet the receiving bit was hard lol. 

Your skills:

Faith and tenacity

Wowwww you’ve really stuck it out.

I know in my heart that everything will turn out awesome. So I’m willing tyo have faith and trust that anything that isn’t awesome will eventually lead me to something that is. But I’m ready for awesome whenever you are, universe. Y’hear me? Awesome.

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try…to remember that there’s an old tired saying about this for a reason. Everyone fails sometimes. But failure is only failure if it happens on the very last page of your story, and since you’re sill breathing that’s not where you’re at right now. So if you’ve hit an obstacle on your way to success, don’t sweat it. Dust off your air quote and hang them on that failure as a reminder that failures are a part of succes, and this is all part of your lifelong job. Then, get right back to it! Your next failure is waiting to bring you closer to your dreams.

You’ve got it all! You can do this! You will get where you want to be and it will be because of you. I’m rooting for you!

What the role asks of you:

Modesty

I am willing to be wrong. I am willing to not know all the answers. I’m even willing to admit to my boss that i screwed up. Behind all this humility is the me that knows it’s better to be modest than to be a die-hard, try-hard, know-it-all. Isn’t that mature and gracious of me? You’re welcome. So funny how it talks about “failure” and now its saying being willing to be wrong. Maybe you should highlight where you’ve been wrong or made mistakes, and how you’ve fixed them and grown? The workplace or people involved could value this trait as well in general. You will likely get along better with the right people if you are yourself, warts and all, willing to learn and grow.

No one walks in knowing everything, and being willing to acknowledge that and asks questions till you do know lots is very valued.

Hope this helped!

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Group 4 (sunflower)

It seems like the job role or employer asks for a lot. 

Helpful people

Money’s coming in. That’s so strange to see from this card. But people want to help, or there are people who will want to take you on. I’m getting under their wing as well. You might be in a vulnerable place right now, and that can feel lonely, but there are people or opportunities coming for you. (after a time of clouds hanging over you)

To be honest, you seem like you could be a leader in your field, or someone who has gained experience that is very valuable. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is maybe a step up for you or has an opportunity for you. If you currently have a job then people might go to you a lot for advice, tips, or help. Helpful people might hint to a job role such as customer service, or dealing with the public in general.

You really do have something valuable to bring to the table, and this particular role should be grateful if they get you, because i see that you would be able to help them out a lot.

The angels have something to do with this. It looks like one of them is tapping the lady on the head lol. Like ‘hey, look at this’. I see that you bring a lot of clarity to a place. You could be good with communication (which is sadly not that common actually. Talking up a big game is different from communicating effectively in the workplace.)

The fool is a good sign as well. This talks about having faith and trusting. There’s a little angel and demon on his shoulders here, so you might have a choice to make, or you’re tempted to do something you feel you shouldn’t. It might be simply the temptation to stay somewhere for a certain perk vs going because you feel guided to.

The fool as always, gives the advice of look before you leap. Sure, trust is involved, but you don’t need to do it blindly. Ask people around you for advice or help with looking at the role and responsibilities fully. If you go for this, make sure to look at the contract fully, and ask questions that are specific and important to you.

Overall this is looking good for prospects. 

Your skill:

Oh. My. God.

It’s like I'm psychic or something. I’m turning the cards as I go. 

Communication

I am a masterful communicator with the ability to say what I think and feel in a way that doesn’t invoke conflict. Watch as I dodge the bullets of sass and snark! Marvel as I avoid the traps of passive-aggressiveness and victimhood! Be amazed that even though it’s sometimes stressful, I choose to communicate- an act that saves us all from the grips of certain unspoken seething!

Let me just bow down to you for a minute. THANK **** THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE YOU. THANK YOU.

Moving on. What does the role ask of you?

Decisiveness

I go with my gut, when faced with decisions, I make my choices quickly and confidently. I trust my experience and skill and I will boldly and proudly go anywhere they lead me! So maybe you could focus a bit on how you’ve made important decisions independently AND leading a group. Maybe how one went well, and if something didn’t, how you mitigated that. There’s lots of leadership/managerial energy. A good mix of independent and group working together.

Good luck in your job hunt! You seem very capable and I hope your workplace appreciates you and your skills!

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For reading. I hope you enjoyed. I have discovered ai imagery. I don't know if I'm into it. Oh well.

[eclipseberrycake]

Poly! MoonBerryCake x Reader Pt. 6.5

AN: Okay i was in the middle of writing a/the clean browser history request when this came in (Idk if it's posted yet or not, depends how i feel lol) and immediately dropped everything to laugh and scribble a few ideas. I did finish the CBH request before starting this but the entire time I was giggling. AND Part 7 will be in the works at some point, but I'm working on some other requests before that <3

I wasn't gonna post this tonight but I hit 50 followers so let's celebrate:)

I haven't posted rules yet, which is coming, I'm just formatting it lol, but I'm comfortable with most things! I originally am a smut writer and so not very much can make me uneasy. That being said, for this blog I will not write any smut to stay respectful to Qwuel's wishes :) But things like this? I think are hilarious and absolutely on the table.

That trend is so funny to. For those who don't know, it's basically one person holding the camera, looking completely fine saying "Us after pound town" and then panning over to their partner, who looks, for lack of a better term, absolutely wrecked. There are a few DW takes on it on tiktok and I like every single one of them. :)

-> Part One

-> Part Two

-> Part Three

-> Part Four

-> Part Five

-> Part Six

Warning: More mature themes, nothing explicit but more mature nonetheless, talks and references to sex/ sexual activity but again, nothing explicit.

☁ Okay, okay, so this can go two ways here.

☁ The Broke take: Astro and Sprout split the roles of the more 'Dom' party.

☁ Both are mains, who are statistically stronger, faster, more evolved than the commons- like you and Cosmo. So it makes sense that they take the more upfront and steady role.

☁ Even on runs in previous parts, I've kind of played with that a bit. Both are settled individuals who have been practically trained to be in front of the camera and spotlight- no matter how much they hate it.

☁ I don't think that changes much after the breakout, honestly. I think after they've returned to their own forms and have had time to become reacquainted with not only themselves, but everyone else, they still hold that aura of main.

☁ Because there is a way about the mains that just...exonerates their status even if they don't mean for it too. It's in their designs and how they walk, and talk, bolstered from their times with their handlers.

☁ So it makes sense that within their relationship, they kind of take that responsibility as well.

☁ I find with Sprout especially as he's protective to a fault this is true? Like I've talked before about how you all stress him out, but it's because he cares so much it practically chokes him.

☁ While he does love good fun and being a menace in his own way- we'll get into that later- he also wants what's best for you all. So he's making sure you're eating and drinking water, taking care of yourself no matter what.

☁ Especially after the pudding cup fiasco. He keeps such an eye on the pudding inventory in the building after that, those who weren't there start worrying for him.

☁ Astro is similar in the sense that he wants the best for you all, but he goes about it in a different way. He's a very quiet individual outside of the private times he shares with you all, so he has to be sneaky about it. He has a reputation or so he's told.

☁ Bro is shadow the hedgehog coded /hj

☁ He shows his love in softer, quieter gestures. Like when he checked your forehead during the Blu incident? It was all he could think to do in that moment without freaking out. He does the smaller gestures because he's always so close to the precipice of panic when it comes to any of yours health. Bro is not chill, will never be chill, never wants to be chill.

☁ He and Shelly are BFFS, and as I said in her thing, she gets frantic when her partner gets hurt. Guess where she got that from. She got it from Baby Astro, crying for the handlers every time she so much as skinned a knee.

☁ He got more discreet about it as he grew up, but it never truly went away.

☁ So now that I've gotten that all out of the way, :)

☁ They are just as generous as lovers as they are as just like...beings.

☁ When it comes to you and Cosmo, nothing is off limits. Nothing is too much to ask for. You guys so much as breath and it has a hint of a thought of want for anything (Except pudding.) and it's yours.

☁ They probably have moods where, like the meme above, you and Cosmo need them to pick up your slack because asking you to do anything other than lay there is too much.

☁ Again, these two have different ways of showing aftercare.

☁ Astro's is soft, gentle massages and damp clothes being held by his star shards so you can reach them when you're ready. He's whispering and cooing all sorts of praises about how well you did for him and carrying you and Cosmo literally everywhere necessary.

☁ I don't know when I made carrying you guys Astro's thing, but it is now.

☁ Anyway, he's never very far from either of you and practically demands you two stick close to each other if nothing else so he can keep a close eye on both of you. If one of you absolutely demands to move somewhere and he's pinned by the other while Sprout is getting snacks or something, he's using his star shards as helping hands.

☁ He's always mindful of your own routines as well. For example, Cosmo puts a lot of care into his tail, which evidently gets ruffled and scuffed during the tussle against the bed, so he goes out of his way to learn how to properly care for it and making sure the process is as comfortable for Cosmo as possible.

☁ If you have a certain lotion or ointment you prefer, he always keeps it nearby so he can help you regardless if you can do it yourself or not.

☁ Whenever you or Cosmo try to do it yourselves, he's swatting your hands and doing it himself anyway, shooting you a stern look if you continue to whine about it. If you continue trying to do it, he isn't against using his extra hands to pin your own to the bed as he goes about caring for you.

☁ If you and Cosmo think there's no way he can catch you both, man oh man do I have some news for you. Because he can and he will. He's got an extra pair of hands and those star shards of his? He's got incredible control over them and literally makes a fool out of whoever thought they could outrun them.

☁ C'mon, you can barely stand and you think you're outrunning those bad boys?

☁ For all Astro jokes about Sprout being the Warden, he actually plays the part much better. By the time Sprout returns, you both are cleaned and subdued with Astro looking like the cat that caught the canary.

☁ Speaking of Sprout, he knows Astro has you both beat even with one set of hands tied behind his back. So once he's sure you and Cosmo are both okay and contingent enough you don't immediately whine when he's out of reach, he's showing his love in the way we already knows he does.

☁ He's getting you and Cosmo your favorite after care treats and water, along with things for himself and Astro, before returning, taking some of the burden off of Astro.

☁ He's the tallest out of all of you, so he too can also carry you quite easily. If by some miracle, one of you stubbornly gets out of Astro's reach, he's right there, picking you up like you weigh nothing. To him? You probably don't.

☁ He's a cheeky little asshole though, poking yours and Cosmo's cheek as you sip on water with that cocky little smirk, making you shove him away with a hand in his face. His go to move when that happens is to grab the hand and use it to pull the rest of you into his lap, nuzzling into your head with a laugh. You just didn't understand how cute you were to him, did you?

☁ Sidebar: I said they had moods, but with Sprout? Practically a given with him. With his stamina, he's got energy for days and knows it, which is why he takes a good portion of the aftercare that requires moving past what Astro can reach with the star shards.

☁ Rest assured though, neither Sprout nor Astro so much as think about moving until you and Cosmo are both soothed enough to handle the lack of personal attention.

☁ They have their favorite ways to end sessions too.

☁ Astro loves watching movies and cuddling in a big pile of kisses and limbs and laughter. It's literally his favorite thing in the world. He admittedly needs the contact for a little longer than Sprout does, loving the constant connection that comes with the bliss. You and Cosmo are quick to fall asleep during that too and he knows you're having good dreams since you're so close to him, so that's also an added bonus.

☁ Sprout can go either way. He likes the movies and cuddle pile, more so if you and Cosmo fall asleep. Not only are you two getting the rest you deserve, but it gives him the opportunity to turn his attention to Astro, smothering the celestial in all the love and adoration he can handle. But-

☁ He also enjoys doing any sort of group activity afterwards if you and Cosmo feel up to it. He's more than willing to hoist one of you on his back and trot into the kitchen, with Astro carrying the other one behind him, going on and on about what he could make or what they want to feel better.

☁ Food is literally such a big love language to him and he tries to show it at every possible opportunity.

☁ Bonus points if you and Cosmo are sitting there, licking your wounds as you groan to each other over all the things that are sore. He doesn't like that your in any sort of pain, obviously, but it makes him laugh at how big of babies you could actually be.

☁ Less bonus points if someone comes in and asks what attacked you two. Sprout can't stop his cackles fast enough as Astro chokes on his spit. It's just too funny watching you two scramble to answer that, turning a bright cherry red as you shoot them both glares. He's sure Cosmo absolutely combusts at the question, making him laugh even harder.

☁ Now, that was the broke take.

☁ The WOKE take: You and Cosmo top their bottom asses like it's no problem.

☁ You and Cosmo are both commons, which while not as strong as the mains, I'd like to argue are much tougher. In game they get an additional hit point, so I like to think if you're a common, you can take a punch or two and still get back up.

☁ This is carried over to the rest of your life of course. You and Cosmo are less likely to whine over injuries like minor burns or papercuts, you probably regularly playfully rough house with Cosmo because the other two whine about it. Hell, even by being a distractor alone, you're fast and don't take anyone's shit.

☁ Because everyone is so quick to blame the distractor if they get hit, you very quickly learned to become assertive and lay out a plan so if they deviate, it's their fault. You've grown accustomed to the other toons whining and snapping at you, especially in the beginning when getting research without Rodger seemed like a hopeless endeavor.

☁ So you have experience with toons fighting you on your every decision and quickly laying down the law.

☁ As for Cosmo, he's a healer.

☁ ...I don't know if y'all main healers, but I do (Alongside Astro) and lemme tell ya. People are mean to healers. He's constantly getting into fights with the other toons if he doesn't heal them well enough or if they simply have a scratch and are begging for a full heal. He had to learn to hold his own fast, much in the same way you did.

☁ Not to mention heals. The reason he drops everything once a heal is called is because before you and the others got experienced and learned how to properly hide and do runs, he had to fight the others for heals. Rodger and him had gotten physical more than a few times as the magnifying glass tries grabbing the med-kit for him and Toodles while Cosmo needed it to heal you along with everyone else.

☁ So while he's sorry for stressing Sprout out when he does it, he admittedly isn't looking to really break that habit for worst case scenarios.

☁ That being said, again, Cosmo is tough. He isn't a soft pastry who's gonna crack at the first sight of conflict. He's used to shutting attitude down as it comes, and he's used to grey walling when arguing gets him nowhere.

☁ Sidebar 2: Cosmo would be such a good gentle parent bro. He doesn't confuse it with dismissive parenting and I just- UGH.

☁ Anyway, suffice to say that you and Cosmo both know how to be a dominant voice no matter where you are. Or who you're dealing with.

☁ One of the notes I've had scribbling for this entire time since I got this message was, and I quote:

☁ "Sprout's a brat. I'm actually his scarf so I know."

☁ And I stand by past me. She was right.

☁ Sprout is the biggest brat. I've said it before in the Healer! Reader one (I think), but he like...refuses to get healed. He'll fight Cosmo and Ginger on it. This, again, carries into whatever he does. He's stubborn and willing to play dirty to get what he wants.

☁ Only child syndrome or something. His handler only had one toon to handle, so it makes sense that he got used to having all the attention on him. He lowkey expects the same in a relationship. He wants you three to be as obsessed with him as he is with you, and while you are, he probably doesn't think that way sometimes.

☁ He thinks because he's taller he can get away with whatever he wants. He pushes and prods when you aren't giving him what he wants and probably thinks he can change your mind. Which is where that assertiveness from early comes in.

☁ Eeny meeny miney- Let's start with Cosmo. Cosmo is quick to just...not interact when Sprout gets into one of his moods. While normally he's all over you guys and your every whim, there is a kind of switch that flicks when the mood strikes Sprout that changes the interaction.

☁ I can't explain it but like, you know when your partner is being a brat for the sake of being a brat or when they genuinely want your attention. Like you know. And Cosmo? He knows.

☁ So when Sprout is being a bit of twat, he doesn't engage, does not interact, barely gives him a glance before returning to what he was doing.

☁ Like, he's not outwardly strong, but he's got enough muscle that when Sprout tries to throw himself onto Cosmo's back, as if to prove a point, Cosmo can hold the weight while also continuing to ice cookies. It's kind of funny actually.

☁ Of course, Sprout does do well with this and when he realizes he's not getting what he wants from Cosmo, he throws his equivalent of a fit. He cries and whines about "You don't love me anymore" and "I've been replaced by cookies."

☁ Cosmo has to really pry on his patience for that one.

☁ As for you, you deal with Sprout however you deem fit. If it's the same way as Cosmo, he's literally like a ticking time bomb, just waiting to blow up in your face. In which case, you and Cosmo have a great night ahead of you! If you chose a different, more punitive approach...it's still a great night ngl.

☁ Astro is like...the polar opposite. He needs to please and is so good at it too. He does have a hiccup in the sense that sometimes he gets too lost in the need to just be near one of you. While Cosmo's dealing with Sprout, Astro is probably with you, quite literally crawling in between whatever you're doing and you, perching himself in your lap to get your attention.

☁ He's like a cat. Worse. Blu isn't even as bad as he is.

☁Also? He bites. When he's not getting the attention he wants, Astro bites. Then acts like he didn't do anything.

☁ So deal with them as you please. They like it, trust, I'm actually Sprout's scarf.

☁ Afterwards, they are shells of the toons the were.

☁ They are such babies.

☁ They need constant attention and will complain if they don't get it- one much, much louder than the other.

☁ While you're trying to get damps cloths ready and towels and Astro's favorite lotion, you have star shards yanking at you, trying to pull you back the entire time even with Cosmo still right there.

☁ If Cosmo is grabbing water and snacks, he can still hear Sprout yelling at him from your room, literally just making noise for the sake of making noise even if Cosmo can hear the strain on his throat.

☁ By the time everything is cleaned and water and snacks are within arms reach, you and Cosmo are pinned. No choice about it. Maybe if you're lucky you'll have time to put on a movie or something, but if not, man sucks to be you.

☁ They need the constant touch. It admittedly comes from a fear of abandonment especially while they're so vulnerable.

☁I haven't gone into detail about my own headcanons about their handlers and I'm kind of split on it in all honesty. I think their handlers definitely cared for them deeply, but they were still humans and humans are flawed individuals especially when it comes to things like money. We know the founders were bad people, but I think their handlers were genuinely good people who were just told bad things. Which influenced how they cared for the toons.

☁ But that's another discussion for another day.

☁ Not to be that person, but everyone can tell when those two took it lying down, so to say. because even the next day you and Cosmo are always seen with at least one of them following you.

☁ Maybe you and Vee are discussing the aspects of bringing her game show back, but she can barely focus, too busy laughing at the sight of Sprout slumped over you, arms locked around you as he burrows into your shoulder. He hasn't moved since you sat down, immediately falling into you, and Vee is sure he's got no plans on moving or letting you move either.

☁ Or maybe it's Shelly, cooing at Astro, who's hiding in Cosmo's back, as the cake roll copies his recipes into his personal recipe book, laughing as star shards swat at her.

☁ Either way, they cling. They're velco babies at heart.

☁ But either way I think it's safe to say, either party, no matter which way it goes whether it be Fruitcake taking over or you and Astro or Astro and Cosmo or you and Sprout, it's safe to say the next day is a no-run day.

☁ Just in case :D

[writerthreads]

Americanisms that annoy the crap out of me in writing

By Writerthreads

Welcome back to another post! Today is a little rant/PSA for all of you who use American English and terminology.

When I read books that are meant to portray British characters, I get so annoyed when I read jarring Americanisms. Here’s a list of them that are especially annoying (I’m sorry):

“Pants”

Pants = underwear. Every time I read something on Ao3 along the lines of “Harry spilled a cup of tea on his pants” I immediately think of him drinking said tea in his undies which is absolutely hilarious.

Somebody who can’t afford to go to the GP/hospital??

Hello, we have the NHS which is free at the point delivery!!! #rare uk w

I had to fully stop reading a fic when a British character couldn’t afford medical care and that was a whole plot-line.

As a medical student, this scenario is fully bizarre for me to comprehend. The only situation in which someone wouldn’t seem medical attention from my pov is if they don’t want to wait for hours at the A&E

Chips/crisps/fries omfg

Chips= the fatter ones you get with fish and chips

Crisps: potato chips

Fries: the thinner ones from Maccies

Cookies vs biscuits

To this day, I still don’t fully get the cookie/biscuit thing but according to my British friends who get annoyed when I mix them up, biscuits are meant to be crunchier (eg. Chocolate digestives & jammie joggers), while cookies are softer, eg. chocolate chip cookies

Biscuits covered in gravy????

What is that. That is not a thing. The UK equivalent would be a scone (sweet, eaten with jam and clotted cream or smth like that and which one goes first is a whole debacle) or a Yorkshire pudding.

Accent/slang

Different people from different areas in the UK speak differently & have different vernacular. When who’s meant to be posh speaks in roadman talk, it’s the funniest thing ever, so please do research carefully!

Takeout

Unfortunately I do say this quite a bit, but people are saying this more in the UK now imo. Takeaway is the preferred term.

Fall

“It’s fall because the leaves fall form the treeeeees” no bro it’s autumn. I grimace every time I read this in a book set in the UK.

I could care less

Ok, then care less? It’s I couldn’t care less, which makes more sense anyways.

Fanny pack

Fannies mean something else in the UK lol. It’s a bum bag, but this term is used more now maybe?

Freshman year? College? Frats? Spring break?

We have a different education system :) uni is three years usually, colleges are halls at uni or sixth form colleges

Little annoyances:

Math: It’s maths. Mathematics.

Vacation: holiday (more interchangeable now tho)

“Line up”: “QUEUE up”

On accident: by accident

Trunk/hood: boot/bonnet (I do a weird mix and say boot/hood, my bad lol)

I drive stick vs I drive manual (learnt this from my ex). Most people in the UK (and Europe) drive manual because it’s supposedly superior

Movie: film (more interchangeable now)

Principal: headmaster/mistress

There’s probably a longer list somewhere…

Thank you for bearing with me. My friends are now subject to me saying ‘trousers’ every time they say ‘pants’, I can’t help it (help I’m getting colonised)

Also look up slang (esp slang from certain parts of London, or roadman slang), they’re hilarious and I can’t help but say some of them now (I blame my friends but honestly calling a meal a scran is so funny)

Anyways goodbye

[dollyshiftz]

what each stray kids member is like in my dr !

note ! : it’s only my dr and they can act a bit different in your dr, which is totally okay because our drs are different. you can also use this post to script some of their traits in your dr.

in this post i’ll only do hyung line. i’ll post maknae line later.

my first shift happened in january 2025. it was my stray kids dr. when i say that they’re chaotic, i really mean it. the dorm is an absolute mess although i try to keep it clean(i always fail lmao).

bang chan : he’s the best leader ever. he’s the kindest person i know in this dr and he’s extremely patient with us. right after i shifted here i got into a huge fight with felix and we made up only after around 9 months. bang chan was very worried that we hated each other for such a long time and really wanted us to get on well. he was also worried about my relationship with other members, although i didn’t have conflicts with any of them. idk if he did it to other members, but once a month he would come to my room and ask me whether everything was alright. he asked if the boys treated me well and other stuff. bang chan literally has the sweetest soul and i love him so much for that. i just know that if i feel bad i can always count on him.

lee know : yes, he’s weird, but in a good way. he is a master at joking and i often laugh at his jokes. he is the most introverted member among us and he values his personal space a lot. he’s also very good at giving advice. and since he’s the dance leader he is very strict with us, especially dance racha members. i won’t lie, it’s very hard to be the only female member of dance racha. he always wants me to be in the centre, but i’ve got used to it and i don’t mind it too much anymore. anyways lee know is a cutie and i love hanging out with him. i got my pudding obsession from him.

changbin : if he was a girl he would definitely be a girls’ girl lol. he’s a bit overprotective and often asks members not to tease me(they can tease me a lot sometimes, especially if my voice cracks or i make a mistake in choreography). he often makes me laugh and what’s more he enjoys cooking food for me. i remember that one time i got back to the dorms from my solo schedule and he immediately came out and told me to go to the kitchen. he cooked a steak for me and it was so delicious. changbin is the best cook, i love asking him to cook something for me. and the best part is that he always agrees.

hyunjin : i’ve been friends with hyunjin since sopa, so i know a lot about him. he’s basically my best friend. there’s something special about hyunjin. he’s a very deep person and he understands things on a different level. he’s also an artist and he often seeks inspiration from small things like sunset, late night talks, a romantic movie. he’s also extremely hardworking and he always tires himself out to the point that he can hardly walk. i love having deep conversations with him and we often end up drawing something together since we both share the same passion for drawing. when we all just moved into our dorms i often fell asleep in his bedroom with him, because we watched something or just talked. we both have the same mbti and i feel like he’s the other half of me. deep talks with him are very important for me.

yeji : fyi, i scripted yeji from itzy into stray kids, because i don’t want to feel alone. it’s mentally hard to be the only girl in skz. yeji is very funny and she is an absolute extrovert. she loves talking a lot and we have so much fun together. i often hang out with her and sometimes we even gossip about skz, of course not in a bad way. men can be very annoying and weird and you can’t always understand their logic. that’s one of the reasons why i really need my dear yeji in this dr. whenever i have a rough day she always manages to save it. what is more, stays love calling us “princesses of stray kids”, which is so cute. i laughed a lot when stays called us like that for the first time.

dividers credits : sweetparty, si-eunnis

[mitskicodedwukong]

🍭 SWEET TOOTH 🍭 || Macaque x Reader

» sweet tooth (cavetown) « 0:45 ─〇───── 4:07

╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝🍑╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗ AUTHOR'S NOTE ╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗🍑╔⏤⏤⏤╝ ➤ This is reposted from my old account, @nothyenlowz :3 ➤ This is a oneshot. ➤ This is romantic. ➤ Reader uses she/her and is a cat demon, so she has cat-like features/behaviors! ➤ Described the clothes but tried to keep it simple/vague so ppl could add more details if they'd like! ➤ I wrote this quite a while ago and I think I picked foods sort of randomly (I looked up dinner foods I think lol) so if you're reading this and you're like wtf is this dinner... I'm so sorry </3 ➤ I kinda lost the plot a few times I think,, and I got super into the shadow story,, hope this is good!! Also sorry if I switched tenses at some point, it happens rip. Also also if the kiss scene is bad I'm so sorry, I'm awkward asf LMAO. ➤ TRIGGER WARNINGS include use of "name" (couldn't avoid it, sorry </3), profanity, a little bit of angst, referenced toxicity, and referenced murder. ➤ Word count: 3,451

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

❝ A sweet tooth for you, I'm wide awake .❞

Your tail vibrates excitedly as the timer goes off, alerting you that the mango pudding is done chilling. Grinning widely, you almost run to your fridge, throwing open the door and crouching to pull the cooled dessert out. You take a deep whiff as you wander back to the counter, shutting the fridge door with a bump of your hip. It smells heavenly, and an experimental shake of the pan leads you to believe the sweet treat has successfully set.

You set down the pudding and turn to the dishes, rinsing them in the sink and leaving them in the basin to be properly washed later. As you scratch a particularly stubborn splash of dried pudding from the whisk, you look over at your oven, squinting to read the numbers displayed.

5:47.

"Ah, shit," you hiss under your breath, finishing up with the whisk and nearly tossing it into the basin.

I'm going to be late! you fret as you pull off your apron, throwing it upon the counter as you rush to your bedroom to pull on your outfit: a simple white turtleneck over a soft long-sleeve and high-waisted pants, complemented with long socks and short, buckled heels. Once you finish with your outfit and additional accessories, you grab a basket on your way out of your room and quickly fill it with cutlery, cubed mangoes, sugar, and of course, the pudding.

You pause for a second, ears flicking about as you try to make sure you haven't forgotten anything. Your time is cut short as another alarm sings out on your phone.

You squeak, shoving your phone into your pocket and spinning on your heel as you race out of your home, narrowly keeping the basket from slapping against your side.

──────────────

You're fairly certain the only reason Macaque doesn't snap at you slamming the dojo doors is because he heard you coming.

He's curled up on his couch, a hefty book in his lap—probably about something medicinal or historical if you had to guess. Your eyes flicker to his face, scowling as you see his signature smirk, golden-brown eyes scanning your hunched-over figure in amusement.

"Look what the cat dragged in," purrs the demon.

"You—hah—think you're soooo funny," you grit out, shuffling to the couch with a glare.

"When aren't I?" Macaque asks.

The monkey slaps his tail across your face before you can recite the "a" portion of your alphabetized list.

"How come you're so late today?" he teases. "Normally you're here before I am."

You roll your eyes and give a half-hearted bite to the demon's tail, barely grazing the fur, but he pulls it away with a narrowed gaze anyway. You give him a dramatically sweet face, fluttering your lashes as you set your basket on the table.

You make a lazy gesture at it. "I made something for us."

"Oh?" Macaque asks, cocking an eyebrow. "How romantic, starlight."

For a split second, you consider letting your embarrassment at the implication get to you. But then you decide if Macaque wants to be a little evil, you may as well join him.

"Only the best for you, moonflower," you coo back, revelling in the way the black-furred monkey's face heats up around his spiked mask. You immediately laugh at his blush, far more elated at your ability to fluster the stoic demon than you think is normal, adoring the way his ears wiggle as though trying to hide his face.

"Laugh it up, kitty," he grumbles, reaching out for the basket.

You lunge forward and smack his hand before his claw tips so much as brush the handles. "Nu-uh! That's for after dinner, loser."

Macaque frowns and squints at you, shaking his hand and blowing on it dramatically. "What are you, five?"

"Out of five~!" You sing-song, scooping up the basket as you jump to your feet. "Now get cooking, Macaroni."

──────────────

When Macaque announces the food's almost done, you decide to raid his wardrobe for pajamas.

You zoom up the stairs before he can say a word, but to your surprise, he doesn't make so much as a sigh as your thundering footsteps fade into his room.

It's weird. Normally Macaque always whines about you snagging his clothes, complaining about the pastry stains or endless amounts of cat hair that ends up on them—which is a small price to pay when you're constantly making him yummy treats!—but tonight he's oddly quiet.

Come to think of it... he's been acting off for a while.

You noticed it last month. Your time spent with the monkey had turned more... hm, physical. He seemed to have a sudden interest in training, teaching you how to make certain foods, dancing, even cuddling, interestingly enough. And amongst his standard sarcasm and snark, he was complimenting you a lot more, too. You'd even started finding little trinkets around your house! So unless someone else with a penchant for purple aesthetics was breaking into your house to leave you jewelry and pretty flowers, it had to be Macaque.

But simultaneously, Macaque seemed to be... distancing himself. A canceled plan here and there, an excuse to leave the room every now and then, a strange new sense of secrecy within the demon, as though he was guarding something from you—like he was afraid of you coming too close all over again.

It was so confusing. If you allowed yourself to consider the possibility that the demon had fallen for you of all people, what were you supposed to make of his behavior? That he found the notion of liking you silly, or maybe he hated it, and he was torn between making a game of it or completely pushing you away?

The thought strikes you right in the chest, your bottom lip falling victim to your sharp teeth.

Just recently you'd come to terms with just how much you really like the monkey—how much you love the sound of his voice and the way he drags you into trouble and his devotedness to you as a friend. It'd been an catastrophic realization, really, one that left you tossing and turning in bed and damn near ripping your fur out.

How could you be blamed? Macaque was hardened like stone in the aftermath of his past, making him closed-off and apathetic; a "lone wolf" in spite of his nature. It'd taken so, so much time and patience to get to where you two were now, laughing and poking fun at each other in his dojo, his safe space.

The last thing you want is to lose everything because your silly heart loves tragedies.

"Starlight!" Macaque's sharp call comes from downstairs, making you jump. "The hell are you doing? I said dinner's done!"

"Ack—I'm coming, just a minute!"

You quickly throw on a loose shirt and shorts, struggling a bit with the hole for your tail before finally settling the limb and bounding out of the room. Immediately, an aroma of deliciousness hits your nose. You almost stumble down the stairs due to the distraction, righting yourself with an embarrassed flush (boy, are you glad Macaque didn't see that) and carefully making your way into the kitchen.

Your eyes widen at what you see. A large bowl of chǎofàn sits at the table, neighbored by a plate of tángcù lǐjǐ and another of xiǎolóngbāo. The scent is divine, and you would call the meal a gift from Buddha if it weren't for the smirking demon leaning against the counter.

"Like what you see?" he asks cockily, tail sweeping against the ground in a lazy sway.

"No way you just made all of this!" you exclaim, grinning.

"Maybe I'm just that good," replies the black-furred monkey with a wink, fetching two plates and some silverware out of various cupboards and drawers.

"Not that good," you snort, grabbing your basket from the fridge. "Come on, what's the trick this time, moonflower?"

The demon falls strangely silent at your question. You raise an eyebrow at his back, waiting for a response. Finally, in an uncharacteristically small voice, Macaque says, "I've been preparing."

There's more to it. There's definitely more to it, but you'll be merciful and not push any further.

You set the basket down on the floor and take the plate held out to you, happily filling it up before moving to your seat. Macaque joins you on the opposite side, silent save for the short scraping sound of silverware against glass. The uncomfortable silence threatens to spoil your appetite, and you spend a few quiet minutes praying that the demon across from you will say something.

"Is it good?"

Thank Buddha, you think, immediately put at ease to hear his voice.

"Duh," you say, swallowing another forkful of delicious food. "Your cooking is some of the best I've ever had."

"Oh really?" Macaque leans forward on his elbows, hands laced under his chin, and you feel your face warm ever-so-slightly. "Then where do I rank, starlight?"

"Top ten at least," you tease, reaching for more chǎofàn. Macaque unlaces a hand to pick up the bowl and pass it to you.

"At least," he chuckles. "Well, eat up. I have a play to put on."

"A play?" You repeat, cheeks round with rice.

Macaque nods. "Yes." Quickly, he adds, "for you."

You very nearly make a quip about the romance of dinner and a show, but seeing his tail tense and thud against the floor makes you reconsider.

Instead, you smile. "I'll be there."

The monkey snorts. "Where else would you be?" Then, "if you stand me up for rice and chicken, I'll never make it again."

You fake an angry grumble. "Don't you have to go prepare, smart guy?"

He blinks. Once. Twice.

"Oh," he says, simply at first. Then his eyes widen. "Oh, yes! I have to—there are things I have to—I'm going now." Macaque cuts his rambling short and just barely avoids sprinting out of the kitchen like his tail is on fire.

"Don't—" you cringe at the sound of something falling, followed by a quiet yelp. "—hurt yourself on the way out..."

──────────────

You sit amongst soft blankets and pillows, tails curled around your knees as you wait for the play to start. The light of Macaque's lantern bathes the dojo in a violet hue, shadows dancing with the sway of it as Macaque gets into position. The monkey's innate shadow powers and connection to the artifact make it easy to manipulate it and the dark for his purposes, so part of you is confused that Macaque settles himself so far away from you. You reason that maybe the demon's just feeling extra dramatic for this story.

Or maybe this is it, you think.

You don't know what that means—your stomach twists all the same.

"Welcome viewer, to a shadow play the likes of which have never been seen."

You smile at the signature opening line, a soft purr rumbling in your throat as you listen closely, ears perked in Macaque's direction.

"Here we follow another tale about the tragic Warrior." Macaque's voice reverberates around you, and you watch as a simplified silhouette of hi—ahem, "the Warrior" manifests from the shadows. "Though this story is unlike the others—for instead of our Warrior bearing yet another arduous chapter of life, perhaps he has found his happy end.

"Everyone knows the tale of how the Sun came to betray the Moon. But what very few have to come to learn is that it was the Moon that brought on such a tragedy. You see, many centuries ago, the Moon could only see their dark side—blemished, indecipherable, and lacking in light. So often the moon thought of their dark side and wept, believing that if it was all they saw, it was all anyone could see. And then the Moon realized something. They were the Sun's only companion, their only friend, so surely, surely, the Sun would give their light to them.

"And at first, the Sun did everything they could to show the Moon just how bright they could be. The Sun taught the Moon everything they knew, and the Moon took that knowledge and taught it to others, becoming a beloved warrior. And when the Moon became the Warrior, they changed the Sun into a Hero—a well-shaped, perfect vessel of holiness and goodness.

"The Sun allowed this because they loved the Warrior, so they locked themselves within the Hero. And while the Warrior loved the Hero very much, they were so blinded by love for their light that they didn't see what they were doing to their beloved Sun.

"Years passed and the Warrior had taken almost every bit of sunlight. Only their heart and a small sliver remained, which the Sun branded on to the Hero's golden cudgel and hid beneath stone so the Warrior could not find it. This angered the Warrior, who still could not see what they'd done to the Sun, for they were so hidden within the Hero. He said, "my Hero! Why do you hide your light from me? Is it not mine, too? Have I not helped you shine?"

"The Hero replied, "I hide nothing from you, my Warrior, certainly not our light. I simply have no more to give you."

"The Warrior was displeased, and this displeasure, coupled with the dimming Sun, poisoned their light until nothing remained but a thin halo around the two of them.

"This terrified the Warrior—to see that they were so close to becoming the Moon again, so close to being consumed by their dark side, that they demanded the Hero give them their heart. Only this time, the Hero refused.

""You are not a hero," spat the Warrior. "And you are no longer a warrior," whispered the Hero. The Warrior was very angry, so they attempted to swallow the Sun itself. They peeled away the Hero's stone body to reveal the blazing heart beneath, fully intent to rob them of every last bit of light they had, even if it meant they'd never shine again.

"The Sun broke free of the Hero's perfect body, and, using the light on the golden cudgel, banished the Warrior to a place of no light. No stars. No song. Only darkness.

"A place where the Moon could no longer hide."

While you've never heard the story portrayed this way, you find it heartbreakingly easy to tell he's talking about his death and descent into Diyu. You fiddle with your hands, pressing on the paw pads as you stare, watching the Warrior turn into wisps as a glowing mass of shadows (the Sun?) form into a tendril and strikes them.

It's almost too much to watch, your brain caught up in what preceded Macaque's death. Is this why he's been so nervous? It would make sense—this version of the tale makes him vulnerable to say the least, and it's oozing with painful, regretful honesty. The truth has never been easy for him, so you can't imagine the strength it's taking him to preform this.

The scene changes, shifting in a quick montage.

"For centuries, the Moon rotted in their anger and sorrow. So angry were they that they allowed themselves to be hung from strings like a simple puppet, used as a weapon to harm undeserving victims."

Flashes of burned and otherwise destroyed villages wrap around the dojo, all with a chained Macaque hovering above, eyes burning. The last image you recognize as the Monkie Kid and his group. A shadowy tendril wraps around the kid's limbs, attached to him in a similar way to Macaque's chains. Your stomach twists.

"Even when the Moon finally relinquished their fury and reconciled with the Sun, they still could not find it in them to shine. They'd ruined the Warrior many years ago, and they still couldn't believe the Moon would be any good.

"...or so they thought. One day, the Moon came across a maiden. She was gentle and wild; unapologetic, unwavering, and bold. She was a mountain who stood unblinking before the weight of the Moon's darkness.

"The Moon thought they were doomed to break her, as they so often did to strong things. But then the Maiden produced a mooncake from her robes, split it in half, and said, "Would you share this treat with me, pretty Moon?""

A feminine silhouette appears before the Warrior, dressed in a flowing hanfu and flowers. Most interestingly, the Maiden has tufted ears and a long, fluffy tail just like—

Your face erupts in a shocked blush as understanding dawns on you.

The first time you met Macaque, you'd been out selling mooncakes. It'd been a good day, and by the end you had a single treat left, which you fully intended to scarf down while watching the sun set. But then you'd seen him, leaning against a bridge and watching the reflection of the sun in the river, and he just looked so sad, you thought a mooncake would add a little brightness to his face.

A pity cake it might have been, but you think it was one of the best pity cakes you've ever dolled out.

"The Moon took the Maiden's gift. Together, the two ate at their cakes until they were naught but crumbs and the sun had long set. Before they parted, the Maiden smiled at the Moon.

"And the Moon glowed.

"The Moon glowed so bright that moonlight showed through the craters in their skin, that the stars came down to twinkle in their fur and the sweetest dreams whispered in their ears. For once, the Moon was something shining, something bright, and at last they understood: they had needed someone to glow for, not because of.

"For weeks, the Moon and the Maiden continued to meet. The Moon continued to glow, feeling more and more like the great warrior they once were. But what is a warrior without a home to return to?

The shadows merge into a single ball, gliding towards you and settling before you. The ball reforms, revealing Macaque kneeling in front of you, your hands held gently in his. But what really catches your eye is his glamour—or lack thereof. His six ears, the reason for his namesake, unfurl from his head like flower petals, glowing with shades of blue, pink, and purple that illuminate both of your faces. His fur lengths, shaggy and a little rough-looking; a white halo of fur surrounds his face, shimmering in the soft light.

His eye, blind though it may be, is milky and spotted like the bright side of the moon and you can't help but think it's the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen.

"And now to discover how this story ends," he says softly.

"Macaque—" you begin, only to fall silent when he squeezes your hands.

"I know I'm not a hero," Macaque says. "I think I might always be a little... bad—a trickster, a bit of a thief, a bully every now and then; a shadow of something good. But you make me feel... real. Like I can be something more, something people can love without getting hurt, and I haven't felt that in a long, long time, starlight."

You blink, feeling something wet tease the corner of your eyes. Your heart thumps in your chest, tail unfurling from your knees and reaching out. Macaque meets it halfway and they curl around each other like ribbons.

"I love you," Macaque whispers. Louder, he says it again, and you shiver when he says your name. "I love you, and if you'll have me, I'll be yours for as long as you want me."

Your mouth feels dry, your body nearly numb with—what, shock? Excitement? Happiness? Exhaustion because you're feeling all the things?

Probably.

But still, your heart swells at the confession and your hands slip from his to cradle his face and you say, "I love you too, Macaque."

Macaque grins, eyes shining wetly. His hands go to your cheeks, thumbs brushing under your eyes. His ears flap against your hands for a second, and then he whispers, "can I kiss you?"

Your heart nearly explodes. But you give nothing away as you utter a soft, "yes."

You're not quite sure what to expect when his lips meet yours. Fireworks, or maybe like a puzzle piece is shifting into place. You think you can safely say you feel neither, but you do feel both of your growing smiles, until you're pulling away to laugh and Macaque follows suit.

When your giggles die down, you pet the demon's ears again. "You wanna have dessert now?"

The black-furred monkey huffs, leaning into your touch. "In a minute," he murmurs, and then he's bringing you back to his lips.

❝ I like you—say it back .❞

[jerreeeeeee]

what do u think r important aspects of the IPRE crew that can be easily overlooked or like misunderstood? I'm so obsessed with all ur thoughts towards the characters i wanna hear every thought uve ever had about them LOLL

ahh thank you!!! i think about them SO often..

i don't know that its fair to say its overlooked/misunderstood per se for davenport since he has so little screentime and most characterization for him is more or less invented wholecloth but i wish people explored his wrath more often. we don't really see what that actually is in reference to in canon, but that just means there are a lot of directions to take it and i think it has a lot of potential to be really interesting

merle in general is kind of easy to overlook.. he's a fantastic character but also just like. he's very understated for the majority of the story. and there's a lot of interesting themes but i don't know what to do with them. him and his kids, his tendency to run away, that's interesting. his failed marriage and his response in wonderland's dating game and the way he sees romance, that's really interesting. his relationship to faith and divinity, that's interesting as well. everything to do with john is extremely interesting. but i don't know what direction to take it or how to make it into something coherent if that makes any sense

i think for barry its like. guilt. like the scene where he's talking to taako right before lup disappears, taako talks about feeling weird and out of place in this world that's meant to be home now, and barry says "i would feel guilty being a citizen in a world that i... poisoned." which is in reference to the relics, obviously, and a lot of other characters feel guilty about it too, and are all rationalizing it as best they can. but he denies himself participation in the world because of it. and then also in his coin monologue he feels like his love for lup (and imo widely for the crew) "defined and redeemed" him. what's that about? what did he need redeeming for? all i can think of is that 1. he's kind of a dick with his memories gone, and 2. on the judges' cycle, his sins were sloth and envy, that he never participated in the world and was jealous of those who did. but damn, do those things really need redeeming? that's such a strong word to use. idk i guess it just sorta seems like he's someone with a lot of guilt

god what ISN'T overlooked and misunderstood about taako... i think if i had to pick just one it would be that most people are aware that his idiot wizard thing is a facade, but i think you have to go farther than that too and recognize how deeply intelligent he is. like that is his major character defining trait to me more than anything else, he's pragmatic and shrewd and clever. and actually i can't just pick one because he's goofy too. it gets lost a little bit because its easier to remember the emotional moments in the show and because its a comedy podcast so everyone else is funny too, but like, he's just a strange guy and he is intentionally goofy in-universe in a way merle and magnus aren't as much. like they crack jokes sometimes but taako has pocket pudding and pretends to be godzilla and does silly dances to cheer up his sister ykwim

for lup i think i'd just say the full extent of her effect on the story is easy to overlook because she's only actually present toward the end. the reason lup haunts the narrative is because she is literally a ghost carried in taako's hand but also because she set the whole thing in motion by coming up with the relic plan and then disappearing. she's eminently important to the entire thing because of her choices and convictions. like her relic was the first one the boys encountered !! they come across her body before they even meet lucretia!!

magnus is hard because his arc is so laid out and clear in the show so i think it's pretty difficult to overlook parts of his character? and i'm not much of a magnus scholar lol. i guess i'd just say that he's pretty ruthless and violent sometimes, like he cares about his friends for sure and he loves to pet dogs and everything but he's also murdered a lot of people lmao. which like. i find interesting the way the medium (dnd) intersects with the story. you can characterize your fighter as a rustically hospitable gentle giant all you want but in the end he is going to murder people with an axe because that's how the game works. which is kind of horrific. its odd

lucretia is such a complicated character it's difficult to fully capture her.. but the thing that's coming to mind is how like. unsure she can be. its easy to think of her as someone with a lot of confidence and conviction because she's so in control and has so much gravitas, but in the smaller quieter moments, i'm particularly thinking of her convo with merle at the spa, she seems to be sort of trying to convince herself she did the right thing. like, i'm not saying she's indecisive or plagued by doubt, we see that's not the case, but stubborn as she is, she also seems to second-guess herself a bit, which i think in the end makes her an even more well-rounded character

[when-you-die-you-will-rot]

Last night me and ADAM (@.patchwork-and-paisley) listened to the new episode!! I'm gonna start posting my thoughts on the new ch&t episodes as they come out!!

Spoilers for the new episode ofc

First off, I love how the opening scene of season 2 mirrors the ending scene of season 1, with a chess game, and Lucille even says some of the same lines ("But don’t let it distract you from our game", "Don’t be distracted", etc)

Also, I think it was pretty funny when Lucille asked how they were and Jedidiah got so flustered and said "But we're, um, uh, nf6" Idk, that was just funny to me

Speaking of Jedidiah, something's been nagging at me for quite a while-- His new voice sounds familiar to me, but I can't figure out from where. And then it hit me: IS THIS A KIN MEMORY KIND OF THING????????

Also, this description made me go HDIHFISDOFHEWKLHRWK

Aaaanyway! I LOOOOVE all the callbacks to season 1 so far. "Yes, I must address the elephant in the room – not that one!", and "Let’s show some camp spirit, not… whatever the opposite of spirit is. Camp murder?", specifically.

When the flag of Camp Over Where was described, I immediately said, "Natsume drew that." And I kid you not, A SECOND LATER, Sydney said "I’m guessing Natsume drew this"! AND THIS ISNT THE FIRST TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS HAPPENED EITHER LOL. (Ask me about the time it happened with Gravity Falls if you wanna know more.)

When Sydney said that Jedidiah's great with hearts, I immediately went "No he's not." But when he clarified "anatomically", my JAW DROPPED. But what REALLY broke me was the line "He’s a pretty good guy to call if your heart ever stops." AND THE WAY THAT LINE WAS DELIVERED. THE TONE OF HIS VOICE. HEARTBREAKING. (pun not intended.)

SALMON INFEsTATION??? God, these salmon sound terrifying. CLAWS?? TUSKS?? WINGS?? FLUFFY TAILS?? ANTLERS?? I can see why "salmon" was put in quotes in the episode description. Those are NOT normal fish.

Also! "Beaks the size of centipedes" -- I guess we can check "centipede mention" off the bingo card haha. Right off the bat!

As soon as Sydney mentioned they were calling in extermination, I KNEW that the Super Slaughter Bros were gonna be the Tonies.

When Sydney said "when we die...................we rot" I went HE SAID IT HE SAID THE THING (I think I started bouncing around the room, too, haha.)

I can't help but notice that the Super Slaughter Bros were described as "copper-smelling"....... Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

NOT THE VOICE LEECHES

WHAT ARE SALMON PLIERS AND GOAT SWORDS?????

This is an incredibly trivial, very small detail, but the fact that Sydney's Joshua-imitating voice has changed ever so slightly is BOTHERING me for some reason

And no, pretty sure there are NOT any adults working at Camp Over Where.

HIGHLIGHTER SOUP SOUNDS DISGUSTING! Also, "Can't beat blue"... Blue Wolfe, I see you not-so-subtly calling yourself the best in your own podcast. (But in all seriousness, this got a good laugh out of me.)

AHA!!!! I KNEW it was the Tonies. ADAM can tell you that I totally called it. Also, I'm wondering if Tony 2 was affected by the voice leech spitballs that Camp Over Where unleashed upon the campsite... Maybe that's how they'll explain his voice change, too.

I think we all know who that letter is really from.... (ADAM got VERY excited listening to this part!)

While I think it's entirely possible that Adam lied about being the Camp Over Where director, wouldn't it be funny if he actually was? If anyone could find an actual demon to run their camp, it'd be Natsume. I wouldn't put it past him!

WHAT IS THE NEFARIOUS SHADOW SKULL?????

I am very concerned by Delightful Mystery Pudding Cup. Kids, I advise against eating Delightful Mystery Pudding Cup.

JEDDIE MAKES ME GO UUUUE😢😢🥺UE😭💧💧UEUE😢

I feel so bad for him but at the same time WHY IS HE LIKE THAT

It feels a liiiiiittle rude to me how he kinda yelled at Sydney. And I hate to say it, but I think I understand what Sydney said in the ghost recorder segment. Hopefully he'll get better though, right....?

.....right?????

Well, I guess all I can do is hope for the best.

That guy by the lake? Sounds suspiciously like..... micheal distortion from tma......

okay, but jokes aside, I think that's probably Adam. The way Sydney said "It felt kind of like a dream I had once" kind of confirms this suspicion, because the two of them originally met in dreams.

I decided to listen all the way to the end, since I am a patron and I wanted to see if my name made it into the credits.

When I heard "callmetroy" I actually freaked out because I KNOW THAT PERSON!!!! Well, I'm not sure if I'd say I know troy personally, but I've seen him around.

And then! I HEARD MY NAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UNFORTUNATELY SYDNEY IN ALMOST EVERY WAY IS ME!!!!!! THATS ME!!!!!!!!!!! When I heard that I REALLY freaked out, like, actually bouncing and flopping around the room. I did NOT know how to react!! It felt VERY special to hear myself thanked in the credits of this show that I love so dearly.

Also SHITNEY??? I don't know who that is but hearing that made me laugh (same with Juniper's Weirdly Long Neck)

AAAAANd I think that's all!!!! Now for the bingo card....

If you guys have any thoughts on this episode that you wanna share with me I'd love to hear them ^^ Thanks for listening to me ramble!

[thesharktanksdriver]

I love everything determination lol it’s the highlight of my day so I have 3 questions!

1: do other Charlottes like Oven or Pudding know us or is it only Katakuri?

2: is the world government activity looking for us and do we know any CP agents?

3: how do the beast pirates treat people who have met us like X-Drake?

I hope you have an amazing day/night and can’t wait for more updates!!!

Awwww thank you so much! I’m glad it lightens so many people day! :D

1) id say all the Charlotte’s know if y/n in some comparability due to both Katakuri and Linlin herself (though these two are the only ones that had met y/n in person.). I imagine Linlin in her more sane moments (however few there may be) she’d occasionally talked about her childhood friend that had “suddenly” disappeared on her birthday. It would be kinda a known thing between all the charlottes that their mom sometimes calms down from her rages when she’s reminded of them or their brought up, along with the fact she gets actually sad about the topic. Meanwhile the whole friendship with Katakuri and a random kid is definitely one that the other siblings take more notice of. Some are more upset about it since how can this kid be good enough for Katakuri while others like Brûlée would be genuinely happy that Kata made a friend.

The siblings nor Kata have connected the dots yet (though to be fair how could they? The friend of their mom would be well into adulthood). But big mom herself has her suspicions, for as crazy as she is she’s also observant enough to notice how Kaido had a somewhat similar friend along with rumours of the sea.

Is it a stretch to everyone but her (yes) but unfortunately for everyone else her delusions are actually correct this time lol.

(She’s sooo gonna rub that in Kaido’s face lol)

2) ohhhhhhh yeah the world government is definitely looking for y/n. They’ve been looking for years for y/n but unfortunately for them pirates don’t narc, no one expects y/n to be a literal child and they don’t have a picture of y/n because of their devil fruit bullshitery.

Several dispatches of CP9 agents have been looking for years now with little traction in their searches. Not knowing they’ve walked past y/n in crowds several times over the years.

But this makes it even more funny when y/n eventually ends up in water 7 and meets Rob Lucci and the gang.

Fuck, the warlords are supposed to help find y/n too but almost all of them have a personal connection to y/n that won’t make them narc lol. And even if they didn’t or don’t have a personal connection, none of them would turn y/n in on the basis of their usefulness. Their paid pirates connections won’t narc and then some of their own navy are the same too, Garp for sure would definitely cover for y/n as would Koby and maybe even Fujitora (add an even bigger maybe with Kuzan too).

Y/n for several years has been under their noses without them knowing much to the frustration of the world government and especially the five elders.

3) oh god do the beast pirates be petty to poor X Drake.

This poor man is just there to be undercover for a mission and when the other Tobiroppo and all stars realize he’s met y/n he’s being grilled for information. He’d think for a minute his cover was blown till Maria starts asking how her darling little messenger is and if they’re safe and if she needs to crush someone’s skull for hurting them- you get the picture.

They’re all asking him about that random kid he met in Sabaody who’s apparently on straw hats crew and became the central fighting point for 3 supernovas. If he was concerned for y/n then, he sure is fucking terrified now.

Cause how?!???

And more accurately why????

How the fuck is he supposed to answer Queen the plague when he’s asking if they signed a music deal with anyone other than him?, when king the motherfucking wildfire is glaring daggers at him from across the room and inquiring if they’re safe?, or how apparently Kaido is asking for information regarding them????????

The rest of his Tobiroppo aren’t making it better either. Black Maria is acting like she’s their mother and grilling him for every detail about if they looked healthy and well fed. Sasaki and Who’s-who team up against all odds to corner him, haggle him into drinking with them and then proceed to try and use that to make him spill the beans about whatever other information he has and who’s-who keeps bring up some weird shit about the stars (king did the same too for some fucking reason). Then there’s Ulti who keeps insisting that she’s their friend and that he has nothing on her as if being this random kid’s friend is a competition like pause what???

X Drake going through it with the interrogation he goes through along with some petty jabs about how he doesn’t know shit. The good thing about Drake though is that he has a moral compass, so when he does talk about y/n he doesn’t mention their with the straw hats and makes up a story that he met them briefly (technically not a lie).

Maybe for someone else he wouldn’t go through the effort but he’s genuinely cornered for y/n. Why are they looking for a literal child????? And moreso why does this child know literally everyone on the seas??????. The same kid who gushed over him being a dinosaur and politely asked if they could pet his scales is also friends with an emperor????

Huh?????

This man is so concerned, confused and stressed to the max.

[honeymochibubbletea]

You’re stuck on a 24/7 hour flight:

To make things easier and interesting, i’ll give all the characters names in the game/meme:

1° front row (left): Black Dahlia and Kcalb (Skullgirls and the Gray garden)

2° front row (left): Walnut cookie and Ice juggler cookie (Cookie run games)

Middle (left): Caramel choux cookie and Cream puff cookie (Cookie run games)

1° back row (left): Choco chess cookies and Licorice cookie (Cookie run games) (Yeah, yeah: i know that’s cheating but… can you blame me? It’s so hard to choose between them!)

2° back row (left): Timekeeper cookie and Dr. Phantasmo (Cookie run games and Fluffpillow’s oc)

~♡ Characters in the middle: Bill cipher; Shadow weaver; Sunny; Zeus; Poseidon; Kel; Idate; Feathers mcgraw; Snake fruit cookie and Affogato cookie. (Gravity Falls, She ra and the princesses of power, Omori, Neal illustrator’s original character designs from Epic the musical, Omori again, Wadanohara and the deep blue sea, Wallace and Gromit’s films and for the last two: Cookie run games)

1° front row (right): Hydrangea cookie and Cortney brushwork (Cookie run games and Jencilthepencil’s/Lemonlysunny’s oc)

2° front row (right): Charlie champ and Hero & Mari (Yes, i know: i cheated but… honestly… can you blame me? Just so you know, i wanted to put even more characters that i like… oh well, might as well do a part two of this poll, lol) (Lemonlysunny’s/Jencilthepencil’s oc and Omori)

Middle (right): Strawberry cookie and Pudding a la mode cookie (Cookie run games)

1° back row (right): Dick hardly and Baguette Cookie & Coffee candy cookie (Powerpuff girls and Cookie run games) (Yes, i’ve cheated 3 times now… but eh 🤷🏻)

2° back row (right): Marble bread cookie and Zooble (Cookie run games (it’s the last one, i promise, lol.) and The amazing digital circus

Now here are the Pros and Cons of sitting beside each one of them! :D

(The only ones you won’t be able to sit right beside are the ones in the middle, but if you decide to pick either 15; 16 or 22, you might be a little bit more likely to be closer to them ;3):

1° front row (left): Black Dahlia and Kcalb: you’ll be more closer to BD than Kcalb but you can still have some sort of interaction with him! (If you want to, of course, shout out for my introverted, shy and/or simply wanting to be on their own space without interacting homies! XD)

Pros: Black dahlia is a smoking hot grandma and Kcalb can be very cute and funny if you’re nice with him. (And you’ll get to be on the window! Yay!)

Cons: both are killing machines on their own right (although Kcalb wouldn’t murder anyone inside a plane because he doesn’t want to seem rude or inconvenient, lol) and probably BD and Kcalb would want to be too chatty at first…

2° front row (left): Walnut cookie and Ice juggler cookie: you’ll be between them so you can interact with both with no problems! :3

Pros: you’ll be next to a very smart girl and a cute juggler that might show you some tricks while you three wait!

Cons: you might need to be a very patient person because Walnut can (and will) talk about any type and form of detective visual novels or mystery and suspense and ice juggler… let’s say she/they are a very blunt person… (and might at first think being next to you is torture if you’re the extroverted/chatty type)

Middle (left): Caramel choux cookie and Cream puff cookie: you’ll be more closer to CC than Cream puff but as the same thing with Kcalb and BD you’ll can also interact with her if you want! :3

Pros: you’ll have a very peaceful flight because these two girls are little angels! They are both kind and sweet! (And you’ll get to be on the window! Yay!)

Cons: you wouldn’t want to disturb their sleep during night or even during afternoon…

1° back row (left): Choco chess twins cookies and Licorice cookie: you’ll be between them so you can interact with the 3 of them with no problems!

Pros: Licorice is a funny and cute guy and the CCT are even cuter! They might even ask you to play chess with them! (and Licorice might even thank you for distracting them from him… he needs a break…)

Cons: the problem is, you are going on a 24/7 hour flight and the twins might want to play a lot of rounds of chess with you… and Licorice can be a heavy snorer, lol

2° back row (left): Timekeeper cookie and Dr. Phantasmo: you’ll be more closer to Dr. Phantasmo than Timekeeper but you can still have some sort of interaction with her/them! (Again, if you want to, lol)

Pros: . . .(is there any pros for these two?) well… TK can be very funny annoying the hell out of Phantasmo, lol. (and Phantasmo is sexy, you might even catch him sleeping cutely on your shoulder)

Cons: oh dear… TK can quickly turn annoying to you if you’re a more reserved person… she/they’ll steal your treats that you get from the air-hostess and act really childish for her/their age… and Phantasmo will try multiple times to snatch your soul and occupy as much space as he can

Snake fruit cookie: they would be at your left if you chose to sit next to Phantasmo and TK… although they would be a little distant from you than if you directly sat next to them.

Pros: they are really intelligent and knowledgeable, they might teach you some things to kill time and they are also really cute while sleeping

Cons: they are very entitled and arrogant, so they might also not want to talk with you because they see you as inferior to them… (honestly it’s a 50/50 % chance depending on their mood)

1° front row (right): Hydrangea cookie and Cortney brushwork: you’ll be more closer to Hydrangea than Cortney but you can still have some sort of interaction with her if you would like to!

Pros: both of them are really cute and Hydrangea is very chill and calm while Cortney is really nice and friendly! (Hydrangea might tell you some facts about flowers or stories about her work at the palace and Cortney will share her crayons with you if you want some to draw to pass time!)

Cons: if the plane is failing or about to land on the ocean for whatever reasons, Hydrangea will be way too calm about the whole situation, heck, she might even fall asleep while everyone screams their heads off and Cortney will be screaming a high-pitched scream and cry loudly… and she might even puke on you or Hydrangea…

Shadow weaver: she would be at your right if you chose to sit next to Hydrangea and Cortney… although she would be a little distant from you than if you directly sat next to her.

Pros…?: she is hot and she MIGHT tell you a fact or two about tea and daises… (or how to get rid of a body or poisonous flowers)

Cons: everything else and a little bit more: she’s a walking red flag and has a short temper… might be wiser not to interact with her too much

2° front row (right): Charlie champ and Hero & Mari: you’ll be between them so you can interact with the 3 of them with no problems!

Pros: they are very chill and friendly, there’s not much to say other than that they are nice to be near to!

Cons: Charlie’s a heavy snorer and if you aren’t the lovey-dovey type well then… i have some bad news for you: Hero and Mari will be flirting and saying cheesy things to each other the whole flight…

Middle (right): Strawberry cookie and Pudding a la mode cookie: you’ll be more closer to Strawberry than pudding a la mode but you can still have some sort of interaction with them if you would like to!

Pros: Strawberry is similar to CC and Cream puff, she is sweet, nice, polite and friendly! Although she’s a little shy and introverted. As for pudding a la mode, they are very energetic, chatty and curious!

Cons: it is more cons about pudding a la mode than strawberry, if they sense that you are somehow a threat to them, they will blow you up with their robotic arms/hands!

Kel: he would be at your right if you chose to sit next to Strawberry and Pudding a la mode… although he would be a little distant from you than if you directly sat next to him.

Pros: Kel is nice, friendly, energetic and charismatic! He’s also funny and brought with him a lot of card games you four could play!

Cons: he’s a heavy snorer and might annoy you after a while of being bored after the last 3 hours, although he doesn’t have the intention of being annoying on purpose, he’s just a kid/teen!

1° back row (right): Dick hardly and Baguette Cookie & Coffee candy cookie: you’ll be more closer to Baguette & coffee candy than DH but you can still have some sort of interaction with him if you want to! (Although if you know him you would agree with me that you would prefer to only interact more with B & CC…)

Pros: the three of them are very good looking and Baguette & Coffee candy are very nice and friendly! (Although Baguette is more reserved and cold faced than her girlfriend, but if you aren’t a Dick, you can see a softer side of her) and the two women have a lot of topics to keep the conversation going on for hours. (Not to mention: you get to be on the window!)

Cons: literally two words: D I C K H A R D L Y, the guy is just an asshole on purpose with malicious intentions, seriously, it is better if you three ignore him.

2° back row (right): Marble bread cookie and Zooble: you’ll be more closer to Zooble than marble bread but you can still have some sort of interaction with them if you want to!

Pros: they are literally very chill and mind their own business if you aren’t the chatty type of person

Cons: they both probably brought in some weed to smoke… if you aren’t a fan of that i’m sorry but good luck to you buddy, lol

Aaaand that’s it! If you guys want a part two of this little “game”, hit that ✨REBLOG✨ button and tell me in the comments why you chose to sit next to “X” characters~! (Also let’s try to tag at least 5 friends so more people can vote and tell me which characters from this meme should return for a part two!)

@malin5520

@cabasasa

@terroristis3638

@eastwardtuna955

@dreamdoll12-blog

[eco-lite]

OH. MY. GOD. I didn’t remember much about volume 3 going into my re-read, but it’s so significant. I was actually struggling to get through it, especially the final story, because I was relating to all the characters too much. It’s was getting too real, y’all. Have fun reading my MANY LIKE WAY TOO MANY thoughts below the link. And you can find notes from my last read here.

“The Sought-After Topaz”

* For some reason I’m picturing Teiichi as George Takei lol.

* Couples fighting in front of you is so awkward omg.

* “‘You know, we’ve been married for thirty years, and I still don’t feel like I understand her at all’” (17). Bro that’s because you don’t let her have even a second to express her own wants and opinions! Do better!

* Not Richard heavily implying Seigi should practice his conversational skills by himself so he’ll stop putting his foot in his mouth. 😅

* Bravo, Hagino! We love a woman using creative means to make her voice heard!

* Take that, Seigi! A taste of your own blunt medicine. 😂 It’s still so funny to me how salty he is for being so blatantly single.

* Note to self: recipe for royal milk tea on page 38.

* Hagino and Teiichi’s dynamic really reminds me of my parents.

* I still love the image of Richard diligently eating his hard-earned pudding like a little kid. 🥹

* “‘Oh, we’re doing this again’” (43). 😂😂😂

* “I had to wonder what an adventure it must be to spend that long with someone you choose” (45). You’re going to embark on that adventure soon enough, Seigi. And what an adventure it’s going to be, especially after the end of volume 10!

* About Seigi finding the right timing for a romantic relationship: “‘To the best of my knowledge, you’ve spent the last six months letting this right timing slip by. I have nothing but admiration for your ability to blame everything on a lack of opportunity’” (45). Absolutely roasted.

* Well Seigi, you’ll definitely end up going to a different country soon, but not exactly in the ideal circumstances you’re describing…

* I wonder what specifically about his interactions with the Tamuras made Richard sad and reflective. Maybe just contemplating what his relationship with Deborah could have been like had it continued. I do think he’s moved on with his life, but sometimes you can’t help but wonder “what if?” And maybe he’s also reflecting on his new desires to have a relationship with Seigi. I think seeing how Hagino accepted Teiichi’s flaws and cared for him in her own way made him crave that from Seigi. And when Seigi did show that care by answering his melancholy with sweets, I think Richard was very grateful while simultaneously mourning that Seigi’s romantic affections aren’t aimed at him right now. Relationship envy is very complicated. I think Richard had a little cry in the back office before the next client. 😔

“Unsettling Turquoise”

* Seigi, you can’t describe a guy’s “soft eyes, handsome face, lightly sun-kissed skin,” etc. and then immediately be like “uhh he looked a bit shady too.” What??

* Lmao not Seigi lying to avoid bringing Richard to a mixer. To be fair, both Seigi and Richard would hate that.

* “If he thought simply being able to call a bad person bad, or offer to help someone when they’re in need was enviable, he must be holding a lot back every single day” (70). I mean, yeah, he is holding a lot back. Mostly about his own feelings. Yes, his passion for gemstones and his anger when people misuse them, but also all the loneliness and frustration and sadness he’s carried with him his whole life. That’s what leads him to punch pillows in the back room sometimes. I often say that Seigi needs to go to therapy, but Richard really does too.

* I guess Seigi was right in his assessment of this guy as attractive but sketchy after all…

* Richard just wants to unleash his theater kid self on these assholes. The ultimate retribution. 😂

* “Gentle, fluffy curls” 😌😌😌

* But for real I just know Richard looks either incredibly hot with his hair slicked back, or incredibly chilling. To Seigi, I think it’s both lol.

* I thought of Seigi lowering his voice for this role is so funny to me. I just can’t picture it. His voice is kind of medium-high in my head.

* “Mountain rice paddy” or “center of the rice paddy,” huh? I kind of wish Seigi had gone with Tanaka since it’s the reverse of his real family name.

* Not Seigi questioning Richard’s entire personality because he acted well in front of him one time. 😅

* Seigi just saying these stock lines they prepared. 😂😂

* “‘Is he really implying that there’s something more dreadful than being in this shop?’” (81) RICHARDDD.

* Richard really takes the interpersonal aspect of his job seriously. I admire that a lot. He probably puts so much emphasis on trust because people have broken his trust so many times in the past, and he doesn’t want anyone else to experience that. I don’t think Richard is inherently a trusting person, because of his past, so it’s especially interesting that he was able to trust Seigi so quickly after meeting him. That’s Seigi’s special charm, I guess.

* As much as Richard would hate this, I do think his beauty plays a part in his success at selling gems. People are more inclined to trust someone beautiful than someone who’s not. However, while I think his beauty gets people in the door, it’s Richard’s kindness and vast knowledge of gems that seals the deal for people, and allows them to trust Richard with a large purchase. It seems like Richard despises Sasaki so much because he sees an alternate version of himself, where he uses his beauty to deceive people, instead of earning their trust through merit.

* Richard looking up how to take care of their pomegranate tree is really heartwarming. 😌

* Richard: “Hello. ☺️🔪🔪🔪”

* “‘You know, this whole thing made me realize it’d probably be safer if you had someone keeping an eye on you.’ ‘That is absolutely none of your concern. Tea!’” (93). It will be Seigi’s concern soon enough. Foreshadowing for the personal assistant arc!

* “Maybe he envied me in the sense that if he had my physical strength, it wouldn’t be such a big deal for him to, for example, go after someone like that. In much the same way that if a compact car floored it into a wall, it’d leave a very different impression than an eighteen-wheeler doing the same” (94). Honey, that’s not it at all. What?? Richard is perfectly capable of fending for himself. He is a boxer, after all, (Another Sherlock Holmes parallel!) but I guess Seigi doesn’t know that yet. I would truly love to witness Richard go sicko mode sometime.

* How did I write so little about this story on my first read???

“The Jade Inheritance”

* Lol Seigi being annoyed that this random man is interrupting his Richard time.

* This guy owned a mountain?!?

* Seigi has a lot to learn about the history of colonialism and theft/claim of cultural items… I’m kind of surprised Richard didn’t go into a lecture about it, although I suppose it’s not really the case in this situation.

* The imagery of Seigi running around the moat of a castle waiting for Richard to let down the drawbridge to let him in is a very effective metaphor.

* It’s clearly very discomforting, even frightening, to Richard to have someone from his past intrude into this new life he’s made for himself in Japan. It feels especially violating that Singh did this in front of Seigi, who Richard doesn’t want to know about his past. Richard has tried very hard to curate a specific image of himself for Seigi, and that’s all starting to crumble down.

* Richard must have an insane metabolism to eat all this cake and shit and still be skinny. Or he’s up all night boxing. He must be doing something at night, since he’s certainly not sleeping given how much sugar and caffeine he’s consuming every day. I’m very concerned for his health.

* “I was angry because he wouldn’t let me worry about him” (122) is such a revealing line because it shows that Seigi doesn’t care that Richard lied by omission about who he really is. He’s angry that Richard won’t allow himself to feel close enough to Seigi to share that information naturally. Let down the drawbridge, Richard!

* “‘I don’t think I’ve ever heard such an adorable threat before’” (121). 😂😂

* It must be infuriating to have your integrity questioned just because of how you look. This is shedding more light on Richard’s anger at Sasaki in the previous story.

* I have a bit of a more nuanced take on how Richard equates Seigi pulling back from asking the question to a man pulling back from a kiss now. Clearly Richard associates romantic intimacy with the intimacy of knowledge about one’s partner. But he’s purposefully withheld that information from Seigi until he asks for himself. Richard wants Seigi to take that step and ask about his romantic history as a test to see how close Seigi actually wants to be with him. Seigi’s kindness and Japanese cultural norms are getting in the way, but seriously Richard, if you want to take that step in your relationship you have to make that known yourself!

* “‘My point is, I’m not the kind of man who gets cold feet and pulls away from a kiss. I just hate the idea of valuing yourself so little that you feel like you have to kiss someone you don’t want to’” (126). WOAH WOAH WOAH. So Seigi got the analogy of knowledge = intimacy, but missed the point of it entirely. Typical. 🤦🏽 But the rest of his rant—go off!

* Seigi passed the test.

* This poor waitress. 😅😅😅

* “Something sweet I could cram into Richard’s mouth was exactly what I found myself wanting in that moment, though” (129). This phrasing is hard to ignore…

* Hehehe, yes Richard, you do have a cute side. Even when you’re being a petulant little baby.

* “‘I hope you don’t regret it.’ ‘Huh? Regret what?’ ‘Saying that you like me.’ ‘Should I be scared? Is your fan club going to fly over from England and kick my ass like a bunch of holligans?’ ‘Don’t be ridiculous, I do not have a fan club.’ ‘Oh, I bet you do, but you just don’t know about it’” (131). 😌😌😌 I love banter.

* Talking about the strawberry parfait Richard ordered for Seigi after having that intimate conversation: “…this is, like, really good.’ ‘…It’s almost like manna from heaven.’ ‘I don’t know if I’d go that far’” (131-132). Anyone else think the strawberry parfait tastes especially good to Richard right now because of the intimacy he just shared with Seigi? I mean, he ordered another parfait because he wanted Seigi to share this specific dessert with him. We already know sweets are Richard’s love language, but this takes things to a new level. Sharing a dessert is very intimate for him.

* But Seigi, don’t think about Tanimoto during this intimate moment!! 😡

* “A violent kind of beauty”—Richard did not come to play, y’all!

* Page 136 is still crazy. Guys, don’t flirt this heavily in front of Itou-san! I can’t believe Richard instigated this in front of another person. Wild!

* “‘Does he…like it when you compliment him like that?’” (136). Itou-san being like “Is this a kink thing…?” 😂 And then Seigi goes “I don’t really think so” ??? Dude, you haven’t caught on yet?!

* “If I just kept going on about how pretty and handsome and incredible and attractive he was, he’d get mad at me, so maybe he’d decided to let me get it out of my system now to save having to hear me going on about weird stuff later” (136-137). JESUS CHRIST.

* Itou being too embarrassed to even look at Seigi after that display lol. I would feel the same. Why did he even come with them only to not even get out of the taxi??

* Richard offering Seigi the candy when it was supposed to be for him. 🥹

* “‘Richard, hold my bag’” (144) is still so funny. “Sometimes a bag boy has more important things to do than hold bags.” Hell yeah! You get him, Seigi!!

* “‘Go drown your sorrows in a nice dessert’” (145). Seigi is so sweet even his threats are pretty nice.

* What the hell is Singh’s problem, anyway? What did Richard even do to him? Maybe he’s just envious of Richard’s beauty and natural ability to sell gems.

* Richard, you can’t fool me. I know you’re so interested in who the jade goes to not just because it might get lost or end up with an overseas buyer, but also because of your personal inheritance issues. You’re a softy who can relate.

* Grown men should be able to cry without your judgement, Seigi!

* “‘Whenever I’m feeling really exhausted, or when I’m in a bad mood, I just wanna do something nice for anyone I run into’” (159). God, what an angel. But does that mean Seigi’s kind of exhausted all the time? It seems like he’s constantly doing nice things for people… And he just wants to feel useful to people. Honey, your value doesn’t come from being useful. You’re incredible, but please have more respect for yourself.

* “Richard, on the other hand, is so much more level-headed than me, so I’m sure he’s better at this sort of thing, too” (160). I actually snorted. We’re talking about the man who had to go punch pillows in the back office because you complimented him. 😂

* “‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to make things weird. Just pretend I didn’t say anything—‘ ‘I’m tired of pretending you didn’t say things. Then next time you’re feeling exhausted, you should come see me’” (160). WOAH 😧

* You can pretend it’s because you want pudding, Richard, but I know you want to be there for Seigi now. Pudding is just a bonus. :P

* What is it with these two having important/flirty conversations right in front of people in this story? The poor waitress, Itou-san, and the cab driver don’t deserve this embarrassment! 😅

* Richard’s smile continues to take Seigi’s breath away. My heart can’t take this.

* Interesting that Seigi is choosing now to tell his mom about Richard, after Richard has finally opened himself up to Seigi in the way he’s been waiting for. That conversation at Shisedo Parlor solidified their mutual care for each other, not just to Richard, but to Seigi as well. Seigi feels even closer to Richard now, and knows he will continue to be an important fixture in Seigi’s life. That’s why now felt like the right time to tell Hiromi.

* “‘Who would let a total amateur lay hands on something they could damage or steal like that? I’ve never heard of jewelry shop that hires random part-timers’” (162). My thoughts exactly, Hiromi! But this is Richard, we’re talking about, who experienced instant attraction and trust in said part-timer from the get-go.

* Hiromi is a very insightful person. She sees right through Seigi’s description of his relationship with Richard in an instant. I appreciate that she’s a supportive yet pragmatic mother who wants her son to be happy in his relationship with another man, but sees the potential challenges they would face. Of course Seigi denies it, but Hiromi knows her son very well.

* “‘You really don’t have anything better to do, do you?’” (164). Absolutely annihilated. 😅

* “‘…maybe that’s how it seems to you. But he might not see it that way. You’ve always had a tendency to get too invested in things no one asked you to, and end up hurting people. You don’t even realize you’re doing it’” (165). Hiromi can even see through Richard without having even met him lol. Also, foreshadowing for volume 4.

* THIS IS NOT HOW YOU SHOULD FEEL ABOUT AN OLDER BROTHER FIGURE.

* “Even if I had wanted more, he wouldn’t have given me an answer” (166). This is not just about the text…

* “I guess she did have a point about the fact that we really didn’t feel like boss and employee. But when I tried to think of a way to describe what exactly it was that we had, I couldn’t find the words” (166). You don’t have the word yet, Seigi, and you won’t for a very long time. But I have confidence that you’ll figure it out.

* It was not enough for him…

* This was such a significant story. Idk why I had completely forgotten about it before, but this story makes the biggest jump in Richard and Seigi’s relationship since the very first one. It feels like such a beautiful privilege to watch these two open up to each other.

“Angelic Aquamarine”

* “‘I always thought it was weird when I visited my friends’ houses as a kid. I always wondered where their mineral specimens were’” (171). God, I love her. 🥹 Every house should have mineral specimens.

* I really relate to Tanimoto’s experience of people calling her childish for not doing “the whole romance thing.” I was called mature my whole life when I was growing up, but if you don’t date anyone, have sex, drink alcohol, or do drugs by a certain age, people start to give you the side eye. Tanimoto and I are just over here vibing but people are very judgemental of our life choices.

* What a wild opener to this story though, omg.

* “When college students talk about their love lives over drinks, no one’s talking about who they want to date. They talk about how things went when they went out with someone. I don’t understand it myself, but everyone else seems to be very direct about this sort of thing. How could everyone else just make up their mind and tell someone they liked them? Everyone else but me” (173). STRONG RELATE. That’s how it is when you’re on the aro/ace spectrum. You’re constantly questioning whether your feelings for someone are romantic or platonic, or somewhere in between, because your attraction to people blurs the lines of those categories. I truly wonder whether Seigi has romantic feelings for Tanimoto at all. Yes, he loves spending time with her and thinks she’s really cute, but he’s never expressed a stereotypically romantic or sexual desire towards her. I think he interprets his feelings as romantic because Tanimoto is a cute girl and that’s how he’s supposed to feel about cute girls. He can’t categorize his feelings for Richard either, probably due to internalized homophobia, but also because the lines of platonic/romantic love are so confused for him.

* I don’t blame Richard for letting his feelings show and being a bit snarky to Seigi as he’s moping over Tanimoto. It’s really hard to listen to the person you have feelings for pine over someone else. I know from personal experience.

* Even when he’s pining over Tanimoto, he’s still thinking about Richard…

* “Humans aren’t stones. They’re alive and they have legs, so they can walk away and never be seen again” (177). Devastating. Also foreshadowing for volume 4.

* “She smiled at me so beautifully as she walked away” (177). 😐 This story is making me feel so much in just the first few pages. Time for bed.

* Poor Homura-san was so hopeful for this new relationship. Hhhhh. Not super loving their 8-10 year age difference though.

* “‘…I have always thought of her like my adorable little sister” (182). Okay so that’s a reason to not get married to someone!

* Not Seigi wishing Richard would magically show up in his car after getting his heart broken again! Oh, honey.

* I really admire and respect Tanimoto for discussing her feelings (or lack thereof) with Seigi. It’s so hard to explain to people what it means to not have romantic or sexual attraction. Everyone thinks these are universal experiences, and sometimes they get angry when their world view is broken like that. It’s pretty heartbreaking that she wants to get married just so people will stop questioning her about her love life.

* Two people who feel pressured to get married for different reasons, neither of which are for love. Definitely a recipe for success…

* I hate that Seigi thinks he needs to walk on eggshells around Tanimoto now. 😔

* I respect Seigi so much for valuing Tanimoto as a person, and their friendship, over whatever romantic feelings he has for her. What she needed in this moment was a friend to listen to her, understand her, and validate her feelings, and that’s just what Seigi did. As someone who has been in both of their situations, I’m really moved by this conversation.

* “‘I think the only person who would object…is the kind of person who thinks all stones are just stones and they’re all the same…’” (191). I truly teared up at this.

* “‘It’s kind of embarrassing to admit this, but people still tell me I’m cute or pretty all the time, but isn’t the underlying implication of things like that someone wondering if you’re a potential romantic partner? So, I’ve always found words like that a little scary. But when I was talking about stones, you called me “cool,” and that really put me at ease. I’m so glad I made friends with you, Seigi’” (191). I love their friendship so much. It’s so important to me.

* “‘Like, sure, maybe if I asked her to reconsider because I’m in love with her, something might change, but I don’t wanna be insensitive enough to say that to someone who just told me that she doesn’t like romance in general and wants to get married to avoid that sort of thing. It’s be like telling someone trying to escape an uncomfortable situation that they were better off suffering’” (194). This is a perfect analogy. Women have to suffer through uncomfortable situations at the hands of men every fucking day. Especially when it comes to romantic relationships. Bravo, Seigi.

* “I love her. I know that for sure. That’s why I want to do whatever I can to help her do what she thinks is best for herself” (194). I love Seigi so much for this. But it’s pretty interesting to contrast this reaction with how Seigi thinks about Richard being in a relationship with someone else in later novels. On the surface, they may look the same, since he’s saying he just wants the other person to be happy, no matter who they end up with. But contrast his mature response to Tanimoto with his breaking down crying on Richard in volume 9 when he thinks about running the Ginza shop alone and having to greet Richard’s wife and kids when they come to visit. Of course Seigi would let Richard go if that’s what would make him happiest. But the amount of devastation he would feel in that situation is far more than he’s feeling about Tanimoto now. And we’ll get a taste of that in the next book!

* I’m appreciating for the first time that Richard deeply respects Deborah’s decision and holds no resentment towards her. All of his resentment is towards himself.

* Richard cuts Seigi off immediately when Seigi says “If I were that special person” (197). He can’t allow Seigi to compare himself to Richard’s special person. It hits too close to home.

* “‘You are far too inclined to choose the easy road’” (198). I have to stop you there, Richard. How the fuck is letting the person you love go the easy road? You were in this situation yourself. You know exactly how hard it is! Stop letting your feelings about Seigi and your past make you bitter.

* Richard sees himself as a subconscious replacement for Tanimoto and it’s truly heartbreaking.

* The contrast of Richard opening up to Seigi in the previous story because Seigi has demonstrated he genuinely cares about Richard, and Richard opening up to Seigi here out of spite because he’s had to deal with a barrage of Seigi’s feelings for someone else. Please hold it in your mind that Seigi can care deeply for multiple people at once. I understand Richard’s bitterness here, but he’s being very unfair to himself and to Seigi. The whiplash in their dynamic between this story and the last one is crazy.

* “‘It’s because you’re afraid of being disappointed if you show her who you are and she doesn’t like it. You’re afraid because you’re already well aware of the fact that letting your own emotions guide you doesn’t always lead to favorable results’” (200). Everything Richard is saying here he could say about himself. Major projecting going on here.

* Ugh, now he’s just deluding himself. Hurting Seigi’s feelings won’t keep your heart safe, Richard.

* It’s so disastrous that they’re having this conversation right after Richard was (presumably) reading papers related to his inheritance issues. I can’t stop thinking about that.

* So letting Seigi’s emotions guide him will lead to unfavorable results, but now you’re telling him to do just that?? You’re not making any sense anymore, buddy.

* “‘If you need something to blame, perhaps you should blame your own inability to hide your feelings’” (201). Yeah, because you’re doing such a great job of that right now, Richard. 🙄 I see right fucking through you.

* “‘…like and love can both mean a lot of different things’” (202). YES! The thesis!!

* “Sometimes I felt the urge to say, ‘I like you’ instead of ‘Thank you.’ I think it happened when I didn’t know what, specifically, to express my gratitude for. It was an almost-physical feeling that didn’t go away…” (203). Yes, Seigi. That feeling is the ache of love. It’s what you’ve been feeling this whole conversation.

* Seigi intending to come back to see Richard after he confronts Tanimoto is so telling. He had no intentions of confessing to her, and thank god Richard couldn’t convince him to.

* I’m not even going to talk about Seigi saying Richard is a special person to him or what he shouted up at Richard in the window. There’s so much going on in this scene!

* Oh god, not the white teacup with gilded edges! 😭😭😭

* This story is so hard for me to read. I can relate deeply to Tanimoto, Seigi, and Richard in this situation, so I’m feeling all of their pain as well as my own. It’s hitting me like a ton of bricks. Time for bed again…

* “Sorry, potentially life-changing moment about to happen” (206). 😅

* Poor Tanimoto. She just wants to talk about stones with her friends. 😔

* It still doesn’t sit right with me that Seigi basically told Tanimoto to wait for the right person. Of course people’s romantic/sexual orientations can change over time, but telling her to hold out hope is discounting what she knows about herself now. You can’t keep waiting around for something that might never happen. There are so many kinds of love in this world, why shackle yourself to one specific kind?

* “‘Oh… I guess love might be like a stone I just haven’t heard of yet, huh? I see…’” (213). NO! Be confident in your feelings! You know all about stones, you surely would have heard of this one by now!

* Did you really have a big heart-to-heart with Richard, though? To me it seemed like Richard dumping his bitterness onto you and you just taking it. You may have felt like you expressed how much you like him at the end, Seigi, but that shit went in one ear and right out the other. Richard had already made up his mind to leave…

* Time for Homura to dump his bitter feelings onto Seigi too. Join the party! Please, Homura. Respect yourself more than to try marrying a girl way younger than you, who you fully know doesn’t love you, just for convenience. And why is he fine with Seigi trying to convince Tanimoto to be with him? Sacrificing your own feelings so your partner can be happy, but also trying to stay with them, is becoming a pattern for you, Homura.

* “‘I half expected you not to show up here because Richard didn’t pass along the message… He must really like you.’ ‘I do think of him like a great older brother.’ ‘Do you really think that’s what I meant?’” (220-221). Even Homura can see Richard’s feelings for Seigi are something other than platonic.

* Ugh, everyone is being way too self-sacrificing here!

* Okayyy Seigi is starting to sense a romantic pattern to Richard’s behavior. Please keep this in mind!! (I know he won’t for long 😔)

* Homura is now encouraging Seigi’s romantic life with both Tanimoto and Richard. He’s really all over the place. 😅

* “‘I’ll leave you with this: You are far too trusting. And although you will get hurt from time to time, that is the nature of life. I would encourage you to listen to your head over your heart. That is all’” (223). Richard giving Seigi the advice he’s taking for himself right now. Except this advice is all wrong! 🤬🤬🤬

* God, this ending is so rough. The next book is one of my favorites, but I forgot how much pain it took to get there. And there’s more to come…

“Fluorite by Your Side”

* Who was this woman’s sister, again? I feel like we found out at some point but I don’t remember.

* All of Richard’s belongings fit in one carry-on suitcase because he never feels at home anywhere he goes. He never tries to make a home.

* “‘I can’t pretend to know anything about your sister’s circumstances, but sometimes it can be difficult to say goodbye’” (236). Yes, you would know a lot about that right now, wouldn’t you?

* The sister is the woman from “Sinhalite Beckons”! Just looked back at my notes lol.

* I bet Richard actually sold that fluorite to the sister. That’s how he already knew it would phosphoresce.

* I think this conversation reminded Richard that human emotions and relationships can be very complicated, and that he acted very uncharitably towards Seigi at their last meeting by pouring out his worst feelings and not listening to Seigi’s side at all. “‘I believe I’ve done him quite a wrong’” (239). Yeah, you did.

* “I turned back to see him still sitting on that bench in the lobby. Maybe he had fallen asleep. No, I could just make out the blue of his eyes. He seemed to be staring off into the distance” (239). Oh, honey… I think this is truly one of the hardest things Richard has ever done. He knows hes walking into nothing but unhappiness. But self-sacrifice is all he thinks he has left now.

Oof, this was a tough one to get through… I hope y’all enjoyed my mini breakdown while reading “Angelic Aquamarine” lol. I’m very excited to get back to volume 4, though. I enjoyed it so much on my first read.

[velvetures]

omg hey just here to shoot a request, idk if you do gaz as well but only soap is ok too. maybe something like soap x reader where the reader is a transfer from the american sector and she's just this super energetic, "AMERICA SCRAAAWWW" kind of person but is also super in learning about cultures and stuff. then the boys take her to this texas themed pub that she just criticizes the shit ton as she's from texas. i think it'll be funny to see a scot x texan lol thxx

God Bless Texas... and Scotland

A/N: I believe my goal here is to make something a little more on the joking/humorous side here... I'm not trying to get into politics or country pride on a deep level. This is just for fun. Nevertheless, thank you for requesting, I hope you enjoy the direction I went with this. This is sooo damn cheesy... Summary: On shore leave, you and Soap get into a conversation about what it was like in your home countries. A couple funny stereotypes and light-hearted argument later, the 141 decide that experiencing both sides of the coin are necessary to settle the score. T/W's: stereotypes ofc, cursing, friendly banter/teasing, and as always not proofread.

It all started when you came out of your private quarters into the shared living room with an old t-shirt on with the admittedly cliche statement 'God Bless Texas' printed boldly over the front inside of a state-boundary shape. Out of all of the members of the 141, you were undoubtedly the most... shall we say... patriotic. At least in terms of your state pride and your unwavering happiness of having family still living there who were so in support of you and your work. Having family in the first place was something different compared to the rest of the squad, and it made the whole pride of where you came from a lot more difficult to understand.

You'd spent years at this point being around the 141 and learning all kinds of very unique and traditional habits that they carried with them despite oftentimes not having a family to share them with. Most of those, they shared with each other, and after getting comfortable with you was extended as a way to bond with you outside of the missions and other job requirements that you did together. From Soap's requirement of the "First Footing" tradition on New Year's, Captian Price never missing a Soccer World Cup no matter where he is, and Gaz's refusal to have a Christmas dinner without Christmas pudding, there isn't a time when someone isn't explaining their desire to incorporate some country, cultural, or family tradition in one way or another.

So, naturally, Soap was ecstatic when he found out about some little niche place that had opened up an 'American, Texas-Themed' restaurant. He knew it would be totally overdone, as did everyone else, so they all thought it would be something of a light-hearted way to poke fun at your loyalties by taking you there as a "resident expert" that could point them in the right direction and away from everything else. Truly the idea of having at least on full hour of teaisng you with everything they could just sounded like a damn good way to spend an afternoon.

The place was a little hole-in-the-wall pub with a little bit of seating that wasn’t directly at the bar. Dim lighting made it feel pretty inviting, but the obvious country music choices including Texas natives: George Strait, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson made it feel a little cheap. Especially with the taxidermy Longhorn head above the bar and the “cowboy” style of practically everything hanging on the walls. Although it wasn’t quite the most miserable place you’d even been, it certainly felt like a little more than just a healthy appreciation.

“Home away from home, right lass?” Soap’s devilish grin only made the wound sting your pride that much more.

"Ya know... actually, not one bit." You answer a bit awestruck and looking around the place with bated breath and the hope that it wouldn't get much worse than it already was.

To your irritation, it got worse. Much worse.

After getting seated by an -obviously- British woman forced to fake a deep and southern drawl, you were all handed menus that named off the most "popular" foods in the Southern United States that not only made you chuckle out loud with disbelief but actually voice the total inaccuracies of certain dishes that the men sitting around you actually thought were legitimate staple items.

"You actually eat rattlesnakes often?" Gaz thought it was a bit far off since he spent quite a bit of time in his service in South Carolina, but thought he'd clarify with you anyway.

"For Christ's sake, Garrick. No!" You roll your eyes, taking a drink of the iced sweet tea you were actually shocked to see was listed as a drink option.

That in itself was the largest contention point with Ghost who stared at you with an iron-clad will of hatred seeing you pleasantly drinking iced sweet tea like you were enjoying the abomination. To his horror, you were quick to compliment that they'd actually gotten it pretty close to how you made it yourself or people at home did.

"What is a pecan pie?" Captain Price was quick to question the dessert menu before a waitress had even come back around to take main course orders.

His question sounded somewhat confused and downright scandalized at the same time. And to be honest, you really didn't know how to explain that it was simply a pie with corn syrup and brown sugar-based sweet filling, covered with pecans that were baked in a regular pie shell. You attempted to describe the basic ingredients and how it was made to the table of interested men, only to have them all stare in guarded horror... Save for Gaz. He'd actually tried it while in the States and said he'd enjoyed it. Luckily he was on your side for that particular topic.

The men as a whole hilariously didn't order anything that you -or they- considered uniquely "Texan" or "American". Soap insisted that you pick a meal that sounded the most authentic to you and that they would try some of the food off of your plate. Of course, the idea sounded good to them, but you weren't sure you wanted to share a plate of food that could possibly be decently "American" when it would still be months before you could go back home.

You folded quickly and picked a meal that you believed would be safe enough to keep them from being outwardly horrified with you but would still be interesting to compare to the meals you grew up with at home. The most simple and safe option was what they called the 'Home Run Special', most certainly a knock-off of the American chain breakfast restaurant. It came with pancakes, fried eggs, bacon, biscuits, sausage gravy, grits, and hashbrowns.

When the platter came out, you were pleasantly surprised at the look of everything, seeing as it visually had promise and even smelled just about right as well. With one glance around the table, you saw every single man staring at the three-plate meal sitting in front of you and couldn't believe that all of that food was supposedly for one person. That comment alone did make you laugh. It was one thing that you weren't afraid to admit. You could eat a whole lot. And it was a family thing that you never could be shy to not own up to. Eating all of that breakfast to them might've seemed totally unacceptable, yet for you, it looked very accomplishable, given the food tasted good. They each wanted you to give your own personal opinions before they tried anything and watched you intently for any sign of your acceptance or lack thereof.

By the end of the meal, the men had all tried everything and had mixed opinions of what they thought was actually good or not. You believed the biscuits and gravy were totally garbage and vowed that you could make them better, and wouldn't even allow them to taste them for fear of cementing an even more concrete belief that biscuits weren't meant to be savory. They were half-and-half on the bacon, some saying it was really good while others complained it wasn't enough meat for so much grease. You... were quite pleased. Eggs were fine, they all didn't really pay them much mind, while the grits were such a contested topic that you weren't sure if they lost respect for you since you finished the entire serving.

"Although I've enjoyed the majority of the food and I was surprised with it... this isn't anything legitimate." You mutter with a full stomach, looking around the place and beginning to feel a little more homesick than you thought such a tacky pub could produce.

Soap, who was finishing off your pancakes nudged your shoulder a little and smiled. "You'll have to take me home with ya. Then I ken' really find out why ye' think Texas is so damn special."

"You have to take me home with you too Johnny," You take the fork out of his hand and eat one more bite of pancakes. "So I can see if God blessed Scotland, too."

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[torahoes]

(IDOLiSH7) Haruka Isumi - An Idol's Daily Life Rabbit Chat: Part 1 - "kome up with"

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Please note that I am not a professional translator. If you come across any mistakes, feel free to let me know and I will make the necessary corrections.

Haruka Isumi: Takanashi-san, good work today.

Haruka Isumi: Are you with Yotsuba right now? He hasn't read my text on Rabbit Chat yet

Tsumugi Takanashi: Isumi-san, good work today!

Tsumugi Takanashi: I'm not with him at the moment. He's currently doing a magazine photoshoot with Iori-san, so he might not be able to check Rabbit Chat for a while...!

Haruka Isumi: Ah

Haruka Isumi: So that's why Izumi hasn't read my text either

Tsumugi Takanashi: Was there something you wanted to tell them?

Haruka Isumi: I accidentally took Yotsuba's vocabulary book home with me, and I was wondering what to do. We have a test coming up, so I should probably return it soon

Tsumugi Takanashi: Ah! The English vocabulary test, right? I heard you all studied together for it after school.

Haruka Isumi: Yup. Yotsuba was panicking, so I helped him make the vocabulary book

Haruka Isumi: But the fact that he hasn't noticed it's with me tells me he didn't try to review it yesterday lmao

Tsumugi Takanashi: He mentioned this morning that he gave in to his temptation to watch a TV show and couldn't study… > <

Tsumugi Takanashi: Should I inform him about the vocabulary book?

Haruka Isumi: Nah, it's fine. He'll probably read it after the shoot

Haruka Isumi: I did think of taking it to the dorm right now if it was urgent since I have some free time

Haruka Isumi: But I'll just give it to him at school tomorrow

Tsumugi Takanashi: Sorry for the trouble and thank you!

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Haruka Isumi: By the way, Yotsuba misspelled a word lmao

Haruka Isumi: "kome up with"

Haruka Isumi: So funny

Tsumugi Takanashi: "come" turned into "kome"... > <

Haruka Isumi: And to top it off, he drew a character next to it that looks like a rice grain [1] lmaoo

Haruka Isumi: It's kinda got a relaxed face

Tsumugi Takanashi: Tamaki-san is good at drawing!

Tsumugi Takanashi: He's always doodling King Pudding sketches in the corners of his scripts; they're adorable...!

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Haruka Isumi: Yeah, he is pretty good

Haruka Isumi: Though everything he draws is kinda round.

Haruka Isumi: I'll write down the correct spelling next to the rice grain

Tsumugi Takanashi: Thank you very much!

Tsumugi Takanashi: Speaking of which, I heard your seats recently changed, and now you're sitting closer to each other.

Tsumugi Takanashi: I also heard you always wake up Tamaki-san when he's sleeping during class while you're distributing handouts...!

Haruka Isumi: Seriously, that guy falls asleep during class all the time

Haruka Isumi: Especially on days when we have classical literature in the fifth period; he's out cold

Tsumugi Takanashi: I wonder if it's because he gets sleepy after having lunch... > <

Haruka Isumi: That's probably part of it, but our classical literature teacher is a sweet old lady who speaks super softly

Haruka Isumi: I get drowsy too, so I understand

Tsumugi Takanashi: When a teacher has a soothing way of speaking, it does make you sleepy...

Haruka Isumi: What did you used to do when you were sleepy during class, Takanashi-san?

Tsumugi Takanashi: I would intentionally drop my eraser and pick it up, just to stretch my body a bit...!

Haruka Isumi: What if it rolled in a weird direction? Wouldn't that make you stand out more

Tsumugi Takanashi: There's a trick to making it roll to a good spot!

Haruka Isumi: What? lmaoo what kind of trick is that lol

Haruka Isumi: But yeah, moving around does help wake you up. I also do stuff like taking off my jacket or rolling up my sleeves to cool down

Tsumugi Takanashi: It must be even more exhausting for you all, considering you also have work… > <

Haruka Isumi: But if you're going to school anyway, it's better to just listen to the classes so you don't have to do any reviewing later. Plus, it saves you from last-minute studying before tests

Tsumugi Takanashi: That's impressive, especially with how busy you are!

Tsumugi Takanashi: I heard you occasionally even pack your own lunchbox.

Haruka Isumi: Yotsuba and Izumi talk about stuff like that too, huh? Lol. Only sometimes, when I don't have work

Haruka Isumi: I just pack what my grandma's already cooked or use frozen food, so it's not that big of a deal

Tsumugi Takanashi: That's more than enough...!

Haruka Isumi: It'd be nice if I could quickly whip up something with whatever's in the fridge

Haruka Isumi: But I don't have that kind of repertoire at all

Tsumugi Takanashi: Would you like me to recommend a recipe app?

Tsumugi Takanashi: I use it too, and it's very convenient because it suggests meals based on the ingredients you have in your fridge!

Haruka Isumi: There's an app like that!?

Haruka Isumi: I kinda want to check it out

Tsumugi Takanashi: I'll send you the link later!

End of Part 1.

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[1] Tamaki made a drawing of a rice grain because "kome" (米) means rice in Japanese.