#and correct me if i'm wrong here stiff but

[angeart]

mhm alright here it is

because we made bugsonas and then kept talking about eepy cuddle piles on top of flowers <3 so obviously i went ahead and drew it.

left to right: me, @stiffyck , @wren-kitchens and @loveroped

your local crackers crew

[rocketbirdie]

YOU. You are correct about Cloud Strife. Everything you say about him is CORRECT

Hi I'm going to use your ask as an opportunity to go on an unhinged tangent about him below the cut.

I believe that EVERYTHING about Cloud Strife as a character makes total sense once you realize: it's autism.

Here's a character whose entire arc revolves around the erosion of his identity and his desperate attempts to adhere to an ideal image, at the expense of his own wellbeing; and how self acceptance is the thing that brings him back from the edge of despair.

Youtube theorycrafters waste hours of their lives trying to piece together Cloud's psyche, when the answer is just... autism. It really is that simple. I will die on this goddamn hill.

In Trace of Two Pasts, we learn that even as a toddler, Cloud really was just... like that. Unemotive and awkward. And the entire lifestream sequence in the OG shows us a young Cloud who behaves in baffling ways. Tifa and her friends invited Cloud into their group, but he rejected their friendship while simultaneously harboring a seething jealousy. How the heck does that work, huh?

Viewing this through the Autism Lens™️, his approach make way more sense. Fearing his own inability to read and reciprocate their intentions, he pushes them away, and the resulting loneliness crushes him. He mistakes that loneliness for anger. He turns that anger outwards and gets into fights. Because the other kids don't understand him, Cloud sees them as stupid and immature. It's the perfect recipe for disastrous distrust. The tragic result is that, when Tifa gets into her accident, Cloud is immediately blamed by kids AND adults. He's seen as inherently dangerous and unpredictable, even though he did nothing wrong. It's like they were already looking for the perfect excuse to hate him.

The worst part is, because he struggles to articulate his own thoughts and feelings, he starts to just... accept what other people say about him. He's a pain in the ass. He's a selfish brat. He could try being a bit nicer. Any attempt that he makes to argue, backfires and proves their points even more. He's being childish. He needs to get his shit together. Nothing's ever good enough for him. He stops fighting it and lets people drag him around and violate his boundaries, because no matter how loud he yells or how intelligently he argues, nothing he says ever reaches their ears. He trims away more and more of himself to try and appease others and nurse the constant emotional pain. (And that's not even addressing the entire traumatic *waves hands* everything that he's gone through by the time he reaches Midgar! That would have to be its own tangent lol.)

It's hard to watch as a player; the secondhand embarrassment of Cloud's social blunders is immense. Some people don't like Cloud as a video game protagonist, which is perfectly valid. But a lot of times, they justify their opinion by perpetuating the same damaging language. He's an asshole, he's a weirdo, he hates people. The irony would be hilarious if it wasn't so frustrating. I know Cloud is just a fictional character, he doesn't need to be defended from harsh criticisms. But I can't help but wonder what these players think about the "weird people-hating assholes" that they meet in real life.

It also makes me wonder if they were even paying attention. I think the games make it pretty damn obvious what's going on. He's an asshole because other characters treat him like one before they even get to know him. He hates people because he doesn't understand them, and they don't even try to understand him. He's a weirdo because he has a strange way of showing how deeply he loves and cares, and he's afraid that his love will be misinterpreted like every other emotion he's ever dared to show.

The autism is everywhere. It permeates his entire being. It's in his silly responses when he takes things too literally. It's in his painfully practical way with words. It's in the stiff expressionless look and the flat tone of voice. It's in him constantly adjusting his gloves, shifting his weight, looking down at his feet. It's in his questionable idea of what you're supposed to do with your body at a yoga session. It's in the half a dozen flustered high fives, it's in the motion sickness. It's in the contagious eagerness with his special interests in SOLDIER and materia and chocobos.

It's in the moments where the facade crumbles and we get to see the real Cloud, the one that Aerith knew was in there— the one that Tifa finds in the lifestream— the one that Zack gave his life for— the Cloud that cherishes the whole world. He's got so much of everything inside of his heart, and he doesn't know how to get it out. You'd be a weird asshole about it, too.

[leidensygdom]

hello!! i love your art so much, your colors are beautiful and your characters are just so 👁️👁️ and i adore seeing them on my dash :)

i had a question about how you do the details on your fabrics: how do you keep the patterns on clothes on a body looking so,,, clean and readable while also making it make sense on the form under it?

like the cape/sleeve(? idk what it is but it looks cool as hell) on the magnolia commission pattern looks so cool and it's still readable on the fabric (like, if i wanted i could probably do a silly sketch of it) BUT ALSO it seems to make sense with the folds so it doesn't just look unnatural and stiff?

i'm so sorry this is kind of a long ask but like. would you be down to talk about your process for patterns on clothing? it's cool if you're not, that's totally fair, just figured i'd ask

have a wonderful day!!

OOOH Thank you so much for the ask!! I wanna do a more in depth tutorial, but I tend to make patterns in two different ways, with one being fully hand-drawn and the other playing with mesh transforms or the... Uh, liquify CSP tool? Let me find examples

This is an example of a fully hand-drawn pattern. No trickery here- Only trying to eyeball everything. It's kinda a lot of work to draw it manually, but it's the more convenient option if the character I'm drawing doesn't have files for the patterns, or if the files are a bit too different from my usual style, as they could potentially not look great with my linearted or painted style

And then- For cases such as Nolia's cloak, I did the entire pattern as a separate file, then placed it using Photoshop's mesh transform!

Here's a WIP file from when I placed all the patterns after finishing the lineart, where you can see them in full contrast. I tend to keep my patterns in different files- The black parts here are not joined with the base color of the cloth, so I can bring nice highlights and texturing when they're meant to be golden inlays, for example. Now, the Photoshop mesh transform is a bit finnicky to use, and I don't have any proper step by step of it- I could potentially record how I do it someday. But let's take the humble cylinder and demonstrate it quickly:

So, the mesh warp tool is the one on the right- You can see these sort of blue lines creating a mesh. I'm sure CSP has it in it's pro level or something? Correct me if I'm wrong. You play around with the different sections, move it to the right place, and put it on the cylinder. This is a very simplified form. You can make many subsections to your meshes (that's 3x3- you can have stuff such as 20x20) for when you have multiple folds.

And then you can just shade your pattern accordingly so it fits the volume of the drawing, and- ta-daa!

This is by no means an easy method. Sometimes you can get away with the Liquify tool (which CSP has and it's very decent), which I've used when the pattern in question was over a simpler surface with few folds. It takes some practise to use that well, and it isn't gonna be the best for complex ones, but it's also an option. Let me do a lil compilation of some patterns I've done and which tools I used for each!

The tool I use highly depends on the time I have, the level of finish for the drawing, and so on. CSP's liquify is probably the fastest but gives simpler results, drawing them manually works better with some styles and more organic/less geometrical patterns, the mesh tool takes a bunch of time but it's great for small repeating patterns that are meant to be very precise or geometrical.

If people would be interested in it, I may someday do a video tutorial of me doing a pattern and then putting it over a folded cloth. I do hope this can help a bit tho!!

[jazeswhbhaven]

Do you think Mammon (and the other demons) would get confused by modern slang like saying "this is ass" in a negative way or if something is of poor quality

because Mammon likes ass and he'd most likely get confused about it idk

Ah good thing to talk about, anon. This is going to be long I apologize in advance lol

I will lead in with this, apparently when MC said the word "dildo" Satan, Sitri, and Ppyong had no idea what that was and it confused me because like??? Avisos has a literal dildo vending machine wtf you mean ya'll don't know what that is?

And it makes me think they just call stuff like that something else in their language and that's why they were unfamiliar with the term.

So with modern slang and AAVE (yes there is a difference) the devils in this universe would take the phrases very literal and therefore you'd have to explain.

Now, for Mammon when it comes to phrases like that because he does take it literal. My OC Astra uses phrases like "You've got me fucked up" "On God?" "Catch this fade" "Meet me outside" you know the drill. She always has to clarify because otherwise...lol

Mammon's response to "UGH This is ass..." would be "??? I'm pretty sure the only ass here is yours and mine <3" and then you have to explain.

Satan would try to level with you and understand your "funny words". Leviathan hates it when you speak that way because he deems it "too informal to comprehend" but he's just jealous he sounds incredibly stiff when attempting to say the same things. Beelzebub loves phrases like that and intentionally teases you by having you believe he doesn't know what you mean but he does. Belphie may 50/50 understand since he talks hella informal so he just vibes and doesn't ask for you to clarify.

Funny enough I'll tell you anon who I think would know most of every human speech dialect and that's Lucifer, Asmodeus, and Amy.

Lucifer? Due to age, and his observation of human activity. Asmodeus is a no brainer since he spends a lot of time on earth. Amy? Because it's his hobby to study that and he prefers speaking that way to confuse and upset Sitri because he can't stand how "proper" he speaks when there's absolutely nothing wrong with informal speech if you are conveying the same thoughts and feelings correctly.

But you'd never catch him saying skibidi rizzler in the same sentence.

Also bonus: If Minhyeok was into K-pop and the hip-hop/rap culture that's in Korea, he'd know some phrases. Granted you may have to correct him as some times a lot of AAVE is not used properly so it sounds odd. (gyat being the worse offender lately....)

[mikuni14]

Jack & Joker - Ep 8

I finished the remake of Love Mechanics on Sunday, and a new episode of J&J on Monday - what can I say, watching War's characters not having the best time is a whole experience 💀

Another really good episode of J&J, this show is great, although the first crack in this perfect picture has appeared, which I hope won't go in the direction I predict.

This is of course the introduction of the most infuriating trope in the form of the relationship between Joke and his father (and brother). This is such bullshit. Everything here is wrong and it pisses me off. The gaslighting, that Joke's feelings are invalid and wrong, that he's corrected, told what he 's supposed to feel 😬 The father who is openly cruel and says things that no child should ever hear from their parent. The pathetic attempt to whitewash him by saying that he secretly loves Joke with his stash of soups as a proof, and that he ultimately ate the meal prepared by Joke (ignoring the fact that he did this only and exclusively because he was hungry), after rejecting his peace offering and insulting him again. The Oppan series has shown such a father, who is horrible at the beginning and says horrible things, although in reality he truly loves his children and wants good for them. And what does that father do when he sees that with his intentions alone he will not rebuild the relationship with his children? He apologizes, lets go of his expectations and prejudice, learns how to be a good father, even buys books! And seeing HIS efforts, his children respond to them and to him! Except in J&J it is not even that: Joke's father loves an idealized version of his sons, and the one who fits into this version is always praised and basks in the light of acceptance and parental love, and the one who doesn't fit into this image is an outcast, constantly rejected, mocked and criticized. Loving your child in secret, and rejecting him publicly and to his face is NOT good parenting ffs!! I REALLY don't want to see Joke and his father reconcile, especially if they build their relationship on the conditional love of the father and on Joke's self-sacrifice, trying to fit into his terms.

..............

I'm very happy that first Joke

and then Grandma

said exactly what I think and what irritated me so much about Jack's behavior in the last episode. Jack made the decision himself, without talking to his loved ones, making the decision for them without asking for their consent. It's good that the series addressed this.

I love Joke's pure love, when even in the greatest anger he's able to stop and react to Jack's suffering. I love the scene when Joke is clearly agitated and sees Jack trying to hide the agony he is going through - and suddenly Joke's face changes and he reaches out to Jack… War is such a good actor ✨

Yin is also great. I really like how he shows with his whole body how Jack feels in a given situation. For example, how apathetic he is in scenes when Joke gets mad at him, how his arms hang lifelessly when Joke shakes him or screams at him, how he gives in to Joke's anger.. Also when he is with Rose, how he reacts to her, to physical contact with her, how stiff and reluctant he is, which can be seen for example in the dance scene (although he can also comfort her, which is a natural reflex for him). I like how he hesitates when leaving Joke, following Rose, how he can't help but look at him one last time. Jack also, even when he receives all of Joke's anger, doesn't get angry at him or offended and his protective and caring instincts also take over when Joke is hurt.

And how he embraces Joke WITH ALL OF HIMSELF, melting into him, adjusting to his body. Oh boys... Everyone knows you are together, you even sleep like lovers, who are you fooling 🥺

I also like how you can see that Jack is suffocating with what he has to do, how you can see from him, how he tries at all costs to show that everything is ok, and how it's getting harder and harder for him to act in front of Rose and Joke - that's how I interpreted his stony face during the argument with Joke in the hospital, his sudden silence, because if he let go of his emotions for even a second, he could have let go of all his iron control, on which his sanity now hangs.

The juxtaposition of the cruel games played by the demoralized rich with the kind game played by the grandma was also shown very nicely.

I'm very happy that the episode ended with this scene this time. Very lovely and very natural cuddling, their conversation and behavior very much in their character (very VeeMark too lol). I'm also very happy that we have probably finished the era of the depressed, rejected, abandoned, constantly insulted, jealous, lonely Joke.

(What's with that manhandling Joke's body, Jack? And what about letting him do that Joke? 🤔🤨 not.fooling.anyone.)

(I love them so much.)

[periwinkla]

1-4 ending JP -> ENG comparison

Keep in mind: -Notes are in small text -The / is meant to separate paragraphs (I'll use it when it gets too visually messy) Disclaimer : I only studied Japanese for a little while. AA dialogue is pretty simple though. Also English isn't my native language either. Feel free to correct me on anything wrong here. Also note that I'm not trying to make the translations sound natural, I'm mostly trying to explain what the words are saying, sometimes I'll be more literal than others. Translation =/= localization.

Phoenix 終わったな、御剣‥‥。 Owatta na, Mitsurugi... So, it's finally over, Edgeworth.

Edgeworth ‥‥‥‥‥‥ … 成歩堂。 Naruhodou. Wright.

Phoenix ん？ N? Yeah?

Edgeworth: ‥‥‥‥‥‥ … ‥‥その‥‥、 なんと言えばいいのか‥‥。 ...Sono... nan to ieba ii no ka... I… I'm not sure how to say this.

Maya そういうときはね。 “ありがとう”って言うんだよ！ Sou iu toki wa ne. "Arigatou" tte iun da yo! I know! I know! Try "thank you."

Edgeworth そ、そうなのか。 So, Sou na no ka. I… I see.

‥‥‥‥‥‥ …

あ、ありがとう、成歩堂。 A, Arigatou, Naruhodou. Th-thank you, Wright.

Phoenix ど、どういたしまして。 Do, douitashimashite. Y-you're welcome. They sound fairly stiff here. Phoenix's response isn't exactly formal by Japanese standards... I'd say it's casual/formal, but the stuttering makes it stiffer, I feel. Also compared to how they behave in 3-5, I think it's very different. Will elaborate in a future post when I get to analyze that dialogue.

Maya うーん‥‥イマイチ、 ハリアイがないなあ‥‥。 Uun... imaichi, hariai ga nai naa.. I think you could have done better than that!

Edgeworth ム‥‥スマン。 こういうの、ニガテで‥‥。 Mu... Suman. Kouiu no, nigate de... Oof! S-sorry… I'm not good at this sort of thing.

Maya もう！　ダメだなあ、御剣検事は。 Mou! Dame da naa, Mitsurugi Kenji wa. You got a lot to learn, Edgeworth!

Phoenix （‥‥やれやれ‥‥） (...Yareyare...) (Dear, dear…) (this is not at all important but I noticed it's an expression Phoenix uses a lot: yare yare...)

Gumshoe うおおおおおおおおおおおおおっ！ Uoooooooooooooh! Whoooooooooooooop!

さすがッス！　自分が見込んだ だけのコトはあったッス！ Sasuga ssu! Jibun ga mikonda dake no koto wa atta ssu! Amazing, pal! You pulled through just like I thought you would!

糸鋸　圭介。この恩は一生、 わすれないッス！ Itonoko Keisuke. Kono on wa isshou, wasurenai ssu! I'll never forget this! I owe you one, pal.

今夜は、パーッとやるッス！ 自分がゴチソウするッス！ Kon'ya wa, paa tto yaru ssu! Jibun ga gochisou suru ssu! And tonight, let's party! Dinner's on me!

今月から給料がちょっぴり 下がったッスが、気にしねッス！ Kongetsu kara kyuuryou ga choppiri sagatta ssu ga, ki ni shine ssu! Yeah, my salary went down a bit this month… But who cares!

Maya ほらほらほら、御剣検事。 イトノコ刑事を見ならうの！ Hora hora hora, Mitsurugi Kenji. Itonoko Keiji wo minarau no! See, Mr. Edgeworth? You should take a lesson from Detective Gumshoe!

あんな感じにやると、カンシャの キモチが伝わるんだよ！ Anna kanji ni yaru to, kansha no kimochi ga tsutawarun da yo! That's how you say "thank you"!

Edgeworth ‥‥ム。 な‥‥なるほど。 ...Mu. Na.... Naruhodo. Mmm. I… I see. Note how he basically says Wright's butchered JP name, which is a pun for the game (it means 'I see' / 'I understand') but it also means that the gap between them is somewhat getting narrower. It could just be for comic relief, but...note that when he attempts to thank him the first time, he calls out to him with 'Naruhodou', but now on his second attempt he says 'Naruhodo' before trying to thank him. Unfortunately the subtletly and ambiguity of this cannot be localized. By the way, he also uses 'Naruhodo' before the final trial in T&T, will elaborate on in at a later date. (I don't know whether there are other times other than these two, I haven't analyzed enough transcripts yet)

コホン。 Gohon. ahem

う、うおおおおおおおおおっ！ U, Uooooooooh! Whooooooooooooop! This is, and I'm completely serious here, one of my most favourite scenes. Note the difference between Edgeworth's and Gumshoe's shouts: in the JP, 4 'O's are missing in Edgeworth's shout, while in ENG, 1 'O' is missing - the localization was careful enough to add that tiny difference, and although I am not sure why they reduced it to one single 'O', it's still interesting they differentiated them all the same.

‥‥‥‥‥‥ …

ダメだ。‥‥ヤッパリ、 私なんか‥‥。 Dame da. ...Yappari, Watashi nanka... I… I feel foolish. literal translation: No, that's not right. As I thought, / someone like me... *'someone like me...' : the underlying message seems to be: 'As I thought, something like this/acting like this wouldn't fit someone like me'

Maya まあまあ、少しずつ 慣れていきましょうよ。 Maa maa, sukoshi zutsu narete ikimashou yo. Don't worry. Take it a little at a time. You'll get used to it.

more literal translation: Come on, come on, little by little / let's get used to it! It seems to me Maya says it in a way to mean something like they'll do it together, so he shouldn't worry - implying he's not alone (anymore), again Japanese can be subtle so I'm not sure, but considering Maya's empathic character, I'd say that's what she meant. In any case, she's trying to encourage him. Very sweet! Phoenix （こんなスナオな御剣を 　見るの、１５年ぶりだな‥‥） (Konna sunao na Mitsurugi o miru no, juugo-nen buri da na...) (It's been fifteen years since I've seen Edgeworth this… unguarded.)

more literal translation: It's been 15 years... since I've seen Edgeworth (act) this honest (with his feelings)... Phoenix is saying that it's been a long time since he's seen Edgeworth be honest/sincere with his feelings/upfront with his feelings. The localization gets the meaning across very nicely. Lotta おっ、いたいた！ O, ita ita! Hey, y'all!

Maya あ、ナツミさん！ A, Natsumi-san! Lotta!

Lotta いやー、アンタら。 カッコよかったでー。 Iya, antara. Kakkoyokatta de. Y'all were great in there!

Phoenix ありがとうございます。 Arigatou gozaimasu. Thank you!

Lotta おッ。ニイちゃん。 無罪、おめでと！ Oo, Niichan. Muzai, omedetou! Yo, Edgeworth! Congrats!

Edgeworth ム‥‥お、おおきに。 Mu... o, ookini. Er… thank y'all very much. ookini = 'thank you a lot' in Kansai dialect (which is the dialect Lotta uses) I find it adorably funny that first he tries to imitate Gumshoe to thank people and now he's trying Lotta's ways...

Lotta ウチには、最初から わかってたんやで！ Uchi ni wa, saisho kara wakattetan ya de! I knew you were innocent from the start, of course.

あんたが無罪だ、ってなあ！ Anta ga muzai da, tte naa! Just look at you! You wouldn't stick your hand in the cookie jar even if no one was there! The ENG adds a lot here which wasn't in the original. in the JP, she basically only says: 'From the start, / I knew! / That you were innocent!!' (I think this is mostly done to convey Lotta's character, since the dialect wouldn't have been enough here to convey that I believe)

Edgeworth ‥‥たしか、初日の 検察側の証人だったような‥‥。 ...Tashika, shonichi no kensatsu-gawa no shounin datta you na... You… were the witness on the first day of the trial, weren't you.

Lotta まま。まあまあ。 細かいこと、気にしなさんな！ Ma ma. Maa maa. Komakai koto, ki ni shinasan na! Yeah, well, let bygones be bygones, eh?

Phoenix そういえば、ナツミさん‥‥、 今は、何を‥‥？ Sou ieba, Natsumi-san..., Ima wa, nani o...? Speaking of which, what are you doing now, Lotta?

Lotta おー、今か？ 大学にもどったで。 Oo, ima ka? Daigaku ni modotta de. Who, me? Aww, I went back to college.

スクープカメラマンになる夢は、 もうオシマイや。 Sukūpu kameraman ni naru yume wa, mō oshimai ya. I gave up trying to be an investigative photographer pretty quick.

Phoenix そうなんですか‥‥。 Sou nan desu ka... Really? That's too bad.

Lotta あれ？ Are? Huh?

Phoenix ？ ?

Lotta あそこにいるの、公園の マンジュウ屋、ちゃうか？ Asoko ni iru no, kōen no manjū-ya, chau ka? Isn't that the hotdog guy from the park?

Phoenix ‥‥え？ ...E? Huh?

Larry ‥‥死ぬんだぁ‥‥。 ...Shinun daa... It's over, Nick! My life is over!

Phoenix な、なんでおまえが そんなカオしてるんだよ！ Na, nande omae ga sonna kao shiteru nda yo! Wh-why the sad face, Larry!? What happened now!?

Larry 成歩堂ぉ‥‥。 オレ、そろそろ死ぬからさぁ。 Naruhodouo... Ore, sorosoro shinu kara saa. Oh, Nick… I'm not long for this world. (Just funny how he drags Naruhodou's name out in a wail here.)

Phoenix い、いやいやいや。 I, iya iya iya. Uh… you don't look sick… literally like 'n, nonono' but meaning something more like 'wa, wait wait wait' - it sounds like he's about done with Larry's histrionics and possibly shaking his head in denial...

Larry カズミがよお‥‥パリ 暮らすって言い出して‥‥、 Kazumi ga yoo...Pari kurasu tte iidashite... It's Kiyance! Sh-she's goin' to live in Paris! Paris, Nick!

置いていかれちまったんだよぉぉ！ Oiteikarechimattan da yooo! She's leaving me behind!!!

Phoenix （‥‥やれやれ‥‥） (...Yare yare...) (Larry, Larry…) I noticed Phoenix uses this expression a lot. It's quite funny to me, reminds me of an old man that is about done with his youngings' shenanigans.

Larry お。御剣。いたのか。 O. Mitsurugi. Ita no ka. Yo, Edgey! There you are!

Edgeworth ム。そりゃまあ、いる。 Mu. Sorya maa, iru. Um, yes, here I am.

Larry おめでとうな、御剣。 ‥‥コレ、オレからのお祝い！ Omedetou na, Mitsurugi. ...Kore, ore kara no oiwai! Congrats, Edgey! Here… a little gift from me in celebration!

Edgeworth “お祝い”？　‥‥めずらしいな。 "Oiwai"? ...Mezurashii na. Celebration? That's unusual for you.

Gumshoe お。アンタも後で来るッス！ ゴチソウするッス！ O. Anta mo ato de kuru ssu! Gochisou suru ssu! Harry Butz! You come along tonight too! My treat, pal!

Larry は、はあ。 楽しみにしてます。 Ha, haa. Tanoshiminishitemasu. Huh? Uh… thanks! Looking forward to it! （オイ、成歩堂） (Oi, Naruhodou) (Yo, yo, Nick!)

（アイツ、オレを取り調べした 　刑事だぜ‥‥） (Aitsu, ore o toriirabeshita keiji da ze...) (That's the suit that questioned me!)

（ゴチソウって、まさか 　カツ丼じゃねえだろうな‥‥） (Gochisōtte, masaka katsudon ja nee darou na...) (When he says treat… that's not police-talk for prison food, right? Right?)

Phoenix そ、それはないと思うぞ。 So, sore wa nai to omou zo. Uh, I think you'll be fine, Larry.

Edgeworth ‥‥成歩堂。 ...Naruhodou. Wright…

Phoenix ん？　どうした？ N? Doushita? Yeah? What's up?

Edgeworth ‥‥金が入っているぞ。 矢張がくれた封筒。 ...Kane ga haitte iru zo. Yahari ga kureta fūtō. That envelope that Larry gave me. It's got money in it.

Phoenix そりゃそうだろ。 “お祝い”だからな。 Sorya sou daro. "Oiwai" dakara na. Well, yeah. That's not that strange. People give money away to celebrate sometimes.

Edgeworth ３８００円だ。 3800 en da. It's $38.00, Wright.

Phoenix ‥‥また、ずいぶんハンパな 金額だな‥‥。 ...Mata, zuibun hanpa na kingaku da na... Huh. What a weird amount. I mean, it's not a little, but it's not a lot either.

‥‥‥‥‥‥ …

３８００円？ 3800 en? $38.00 exactly?

Maya ‥‥ななな、なるほど��ん！ ...Na na na, Naruhodo-kun! N-N-Nick!

小学校のころ、御剣検事が盗まれた 給食費って、たしか‥‥！ Shōgakkō no koro, Mitsurugi-Kenji ga nusumareta kyūshoku-hi tte, tashika...! Wasn't that exactly the amount of lunch money that was stolen from Mr. Edgeworth in school!?

Phoenix さ‥‥３８００円‥‥？ Sa... 3800 en...? $38…!

ままま、まさか‥‥ Ma ma ma, masaka.... No… (I think the shock-induced stuttering in this line might be meant to parallel Maya's previous one. Cute!)

‥‥‥‥まさかああああッ！ 矢張、お前ェェェェッ！ ...Masakaaaaa! Yahari, omaeeee! No!!! Larry, it was you!!! There is a fun pun lost in translation here. Larry's JP name, Yahari, means 'after all/as expected/as I thought' - so Larry's name can be intended both as a vocative and a figure of speech here. "After all, it was you!" = "Larry, it was you!" The phrases basically overlap in JP, as if he were saying them at the same time.

Edgeworth 何をイロめきたっている？ 成歩堂。 Nani o iromekitatte iru? Naruhodou. What are you so surprised about, Wright?

Phoenix え？ E? Huh?

Edgeworth たしかに矢張は、あの日 カゼで学校を休んでいた。 Tashika ni Yahari wa, ano hi Kaze de gakkou wo yasunde ita. Larry was absent that day from school, right?

だが、だからといって 犯人でないという理由にはならん。 Daga, dakara to itte hannin de nai to iu riyuu ni wa naran. But that doesn't automatically rule him out as a suspect.

Phoenix え！ What?

Edgeworth １５年前の、あの日。 15 nen mae no, ano hi. Think back to that day, fifteen years ago.

休んだはいいが、タイクツだった 矢張は、学校に来てみたのだろう。 Yasunda hai ga, taikutsu datta Yahari wa, gakkou ni kite mita no darou. Larry took the day off, but he was bored, he came in to school anyway.

そして、まあ‥‥、ちょっと 手が伸びてしまったんだろうな。 Soshite, maa..., chotto te ga nobite shimatta ndarou na. Then he saw the money lying there… and the rest is history.

Larry 伸びちまったんだろうねえ、 イヤハヤ、これが‥‥。 Nobichimattan darou nee, iyahaya, kore ga... I never was good at History! Heh… The joke is a bit different here, Edgeworth jokes that Larry's hand must have 'stretched out' , but I suppose 'slipped' is more apt. And Larry is like 'Yeah, guess it must have slipped!' The translation would be something like: Edgeworth: And, well, / his hand must have ended up slipping (must have slipped). Larry: Yeah, guess it must have slipped, / eheh, well...

Phoenix ‥‥‥‥‥‥ …

御剣‥‥まさかお前、 ‥‥知ってたのか？ Mitsurugi... Masaka omae, ...Shitteta no ka? Edgeworth… you didn't know, did you?

Edgeworth ‥‥アヤシイとは思っていた。 ...Ayashii to wa omotteita. I suspected.

literal translation: I thought it was suspicious. (I find it endearing that he suspected but didn't say anything - despite how he acts, Edgeworth is really a softie most times, even towards Larry who he has the rightful urge to murder more often than not) いつもの矢張なら、 お前をかばうのはオカシイ。 Itsumo no Yahari nara, Omae o kabau no wa okashii. I just couldn't picture Larry protecting you like he did that day.

みんなといっしょになって、 ここぞとばかり責めたてただろう。 Minna to issho ni natte, Kokozo to bakari semetate daro. Everyone else was saying you did it. The whole class was against you, remember?

Phoenix ‥‥うむむむむ。 ... Umumumumu. Yeah… too well. Phoenix's blabbering is hilarious here. He's in utter denial. Like he's nodding at what he's saying but he's refusing the knowledge to enter his brain.

Edgeworth 成歩堂。もしかしたら お前は知らないかもしれないが、 Naruhodou. Moshikashitara Omae wa shiranai kamoshirenai ga, Wright, you may not know this, but we used to have a saying back in school.

この男は、こう言われていたんだ。 “事件のカゲにヤッパリ矢張”と。 Kono otoko wa, kou iwarete ita nda. "Jiken no kage ni yappari Yabari" to. "When something smells, it's usually the Butz." The saying actually means : 'In the shadow of an incident/trouble, after all, there is Larry' There is the usual pun 'yappari Yahari' so I think the localization of the saying and his name was done very well to render the original meaning.

Phoenix そのコトバなら、イヤというほど 思い知らされてるよ！ Sono kotoba nara, iya to iu hodo omoishirasa reteru yo! I know, I know. I would translate this more to: 'If you're saying that, why didn't you tell me!'

Edgeworth ‥‥いやあ、成歩堂。まさか、 キミが気づいていなかったとは。 ...Iyaa, Naruhodou. Masaka, Kimi ga kizuite inakatta to wa. Really, Wright. I'm surprised you didn't figure it out! '...Why, Wright. It can't be, / you hadn't realized.' This is so funny to me, in both versions. In JP it sounds a bit more teasing and cocky, but still. It sounds like to Edgeworth, shouting objection and reprimanding his classmates and teacher as a 9 year old was no big deal. So he didn't care to mention, thought Phoenix would figure it out. If not, no big deal. To Phoenix, it was life-changing. Phoenix is having a (mid) life crisis.

Larry 意外だねこりゃあ。 Igai da ne koryaa. Well, this is sure an unexpected turn of events, eh?

Phoenix ‥‥御剣。 ... Mitsurugi. Edgeworth…

Edgeworth ん？ N? Hmm?

Phoenix 言えよ！ Ieyo! You should have told me! Here it may look like a whole different thing but it's mostly that there is no other natural way to translate this. 'Ieyo' is just the imperative of the verb 'ieru', 'to tell'. It kinda gives the feeling of 'But (then) tell me, dammit!'

Maya まあまあ、なるほどくん。 もう１５年前のコトでしょ？ Maa maa, Naruhodo-kun. Mou juugo-nen mae no koto desho? Now, now, Nick. It was fifteen years ago!

これって“じこう”ってヤツ だよね？　御剣検事。 Kore tte "jikou" tte yatsu da yo ne? Mitsurugi Kenji. Don't you think the "statute of limitations" has run out, Mr. Edgeworth?

Edgeworth そういうこと、だな。 Souiu koto, da na. I'd say so, yes.

Larry そういうことだよ。 Souiu koto da yo. There you have it! In JP version, I found it funny how Larry parrots Edgeworth's words. 'Souiu koto' means 'it's like that'.

Phoenix ‥‥まったく‥‥。 ...Mattaku,,, Grr…

お前らにカンシャして弁護士に なったぼくの立場はどうなるんだ？ Omaera ni kansha shite bengoshi ni natta boku no tachiba wa dou narun da? Where does that leave me!? I became a defense attorney because of what you two did!

Edgeworth 感動的なまでのお人よし、 といったところだろうか。 Kandō-teki na made no o-hito yoshi, to itta tokoro darou ka. Well, I'd call you a goody-two-shoes to the extreme.

Larry とんだお調子モノ、とも 言えるよナ！ Tonda o-chōshimono, tomo ieru yo na! Yeah! And you get worked up too easily, too!

Phoenix し、死刑だ！ コイツを死刑にしてくれェッ！ Shi, shikei da! Koitsu o shikei ni shite kuree! D-death! The death sentence for both of you!

‥‥こんなことなら、 検事になりゃよかったあ！ ...Konna koto nara, kenji ni narya yokattaa! Man, if I only had known, I'd have become a prosecutor!

Edgeworth ‥‥それは私も同じだ。 ...Sore wa watashi mo onaji da. The same goes for me, only the other way around…

“もしかしたら、自分は父親を 撃ってしまったのかもしれない” "Moshikashitara, jibun wa chichioya o utte shimatta no kamoshirenai" For the longest time, I thought that I might have killed my own father. These are provided as literal phrases he thought: 'Could it be, I myself was the one that ended up shooting my father.'

“自分は罪人かもしれない” "Jibun wa zainin kamoshirenai" I thought I might be a criminal. "What if I'm a criminal, myself.'

‥‥私は、そういう自分を 罰する意味もあって検事になった。 …Watashi wa, sou iu jibun o batsu suru imi mo atte kenji ni natta. I became a prosecutor in part to punish myself.

Basically the same, but instead of saying 'in part' he says that was one of the reasons. He says he became a prosecutor for that reason as well (among others), the reason being that of punishing himself. ‥‥こんなことなら、 弁護士になりたかったよ。 ...Konna koto nara, bengoshi ni naritakatta yo. If I had known the truth, I might have become a defense attorney after all. 'If it were like this (if I had known), I would have wished to become a defense attorney.' The way he says it seems way more heartbreaking in Japanese. Naritakatta = wanted to become, which here becomes 'I would have wanted to become' because of context. I translated it as 'would have wished' because it seems more apt here. Naritakatta expresses a desire for something you had wanted in the past. 'I would have gone for being a defense attorney'... It indicates that someone wanted to become or achieve something at some point in the past, but for some reason, they were not able to fulfill that desire.

Phoenix ‥‥御剣。 ... Mitsurugi. Edgeworth…

Edgeworth かわるか、成歩堂。 Kawaru ka, Naruhodou. Want to switch, Wright? Says the same thing... and it sounds so resigned in both versions. It's curt, and their conversation ends just like that. Breaks my heart.

[professional-yapper]

Fingertips

RDA! Jake x Omaticaya! Reader

(first attempt at smut wish me luck)

Warnings: smut obv, sub Jake, hand kink, dacryphilia, dom reader, piv sex, mild choking, does reader sticking their fingers in his mouth count as a warning, pretty mild ngl I'm just testing the waters, Jake's probably horribly ooc tbh

Jake has always been... a little interested in your hands. Maybe it's the three fingers as opposed to his four. Maybe it's their dexterity, the ease at which you can do things he finds difficult, with his clumsy demon hands.

Whatever the reason, it's beginning to catch your attention more and more, how he'll allow his own hand to brush against yours as you walk side by side, how he insists you do things for him so he can watch your slender fingers at work, and even when you talk, he watches them instead of you.

You've observed this little quirk of his for weeks now. You don't want to make mountains out of a molehill, after all.

But those weeks of observation conclude that, yes, yours are the only hands he stares at so shamelessly, and yes, you're not seeing things when his expression grows almost longing and hungry when he looks at them.

So you've decided to do something about it. After all, Jake is beautiful, for all his odd ways and alien features. You'd be the stupidest girl in the tribe not to make a move, knowing what you know.

Which, if you're correct, and you're sure you are, is that Jake Sully has a thing for your hands.

You're on a walk with Jake, talking quietly in Na'vi, gently correcting him when he stumbles over a word here and there, making unnecessary hand gestures just to watch the way his eyes instinctively track them.

You smile to yourself at that, deliberately gesturing right in front of his face. He goes almost cross-eyed trying to follow it, and you laugh abruptly.

Jake startles, eyes darting to your face as his cheeks flushing like a child caught misbehaving.

"You're staring an awful lot, little demon," you hum, slipping your hand under his jaw, tilting his face upwards. "Something wrong with my hands?"

You feel his Adam's apple jump against your knuckles as he swallows hard. "No," he manages, watching your face as his flush deepens in hue.

"No?" you repeat. "Then what is it?" you coo innocently, tilting your head to one side in mock curiosity.

"Nothing!" he said defensively, batting your hand away and turning his back on you.

You can't help but smile, running a hand up his tail and along his spine as you draw nearer, revelling in the way he shudders and presses back into your touch. "I think it is something, little demon," you say, pressing your body against his back, looping your arms around his neck playfully, your tail coiling against his thigh.

"And so what if it is?" Jake demanded, folding his arms and keeping himself stiff under your touch. "I can stare at what I want, can't I? No rules saying I can't."

"So fiery," you tease, resting your chin in the crook of his neck. "My intention is not to upset you, little demon. I am merely curious about what is so interesting about my hands."

He huffed but didn't push you away, his ears tilting backwards to catch your words. That alone gives you an idea.

"In fact," you say airily, tilting your face up and nipping at the tip of his ear, delighting in the way he gasps and jerks in your arms, "I find it rather endearing."

"You do?" Jake said, sounding like he was trying to disguise the pitiful hope in his voice.

"Mhm. I just want to know what it is that makes them the object of your attention," you prompted as he turned in your arms, keeping them lazily draped around his neck. His pupils are blown wide, chest rising and falling a little unsteadily as he looks at you, ears pricked forward.

"They're- they're pretty," he admits, swallowing dryly, searching your face for any sign of disgust or judgement. He finds none, which gives him the bravery to soldier on. "And your fingers are really long, and-"

"Why is them being long so appealing to you?" you said amusedly, shifting one of your hands to take a hold of his chin, thumb pressing into his bottom lip.

He draws a trembling breath at the touch, mouth falling slack.

Fucking perfect, you think as you look at him, drawing on your limited knowledge of demon curses to form the thought.

That mouth is practically an invitation all its own, and you accept it eagerly, slipping your thumb between his lips, and press down on his tongue.

Jake whines around the digit, a sound you never thought you'd hear him make. "Yeah? you like that, little demon?" you murmur, watching in rapture, your own pupils blown wide as you force him onto his knees, pressing steadily on the floor of his mouth.

He looks up at you, his own hands finding homes at the backs of your knees.

You could get used to this, honestly. The sky demon on his knees for you, lips wrapped obediently around your thumb as he looks up at you. He's normally so cocky. Rebellious and loud, tearing up the quiet village with his alien language and strange ways.

Not that you hate it, but you love this much more.

"Just look at you, little demon," you purr. "If you could see yourself now, on your knees with my thumb in your mouth."

He moans at the thought, grip tightening your knees.

You decide to indulge his love of your hands a little further, freeing your thumb from his warm mouth with a wet pop, ignoring his whimper at the loss. He's hard already, you note, spreading his knees and trying to rut into the forest floor like some kind of desperate whore.

His noises only grow louder as you make your next move, which is forcing two of your fingers into his mouth, practically down his throat, keeping his tongue pinned down and the walls of his throat fluttering helplessly against your fingertips as he chokes a little around your fingers, eyes growing glossy.

He makes a garbled noise around your digits, eyes wet and hopeful as he looks up at you. You have to give him credit for never once breaking eye contact.

"What was that?" you prompt, eyes glinting as hot desire pools in your stomach, but you don't remove your fingers, instead forcing him to try and speak around the intrusion in his mouth.

"Please," he manages, or something that sounds enough like it to get his meaning across.

You smile. Victory. You don't even know what the competition was, but this feels like a victory nonetheless. "Please what?"

He just whines with frustration, bucking his hips up against nothing, seemingly too embarrassed to say what.

You force your fingers deeper into his mouth, until you feel the back of his throat. He gurgles incoherently, fat tears beginning to roll down his cheeks, his grip remaining ever-tight on your legs. "Little demon."

He still doesn't say anything. Probably because your fingers are halfway down his throat.

But you relent anyway, pulling your fingers out of his mouth momentarily, kneeling before him, forcing him onto his back- making sure he doesn't injure himself as you shift his legs to lie flat. You straddle his hips, feeling his erection press up against your core. You hum with satisfaction at the feeling.

Jake looks up at you, practically quivering, face wet with tears, lips glossy with drool, his hands on your hips as he tries feebly to buck up into you.

"Beautiful," you muse, before leaning down to capture his lips.

He gasps into your mouth, and you can feel his chest jerking against your palms as he struggles to even his breathing out. You don't know if you want to let him. You like him like this, teary and drooling and breathless and desperate.

But you're impatient. You've indulged him enough, you think, as you roll your hips against his, sighing at the delicious friction, but it's nowhere near enough.

You shift back onto his thighs, fumbling with the strings of his loincloth while he watches blearily, half-broken pleas falling from his lips in a ready river, mostly incoherent and entirely pathetic.

Finally, you manage it, and his cock springs free. It's as pretty as the rest of him, and you tell him so, smiling rather pridefully as he whines and thrusts into air, precum already dripping onto his stomach.

You raise your core above it as it twitches in the cool air and, though it seems impossible, his pupils dilate further, and he grows louder, tugging at your hips, trying to encourage you down. "Please, baby, please-" he gulps.

"Hush," you say firmly, and force your fingers back into his mouth, effectively shutting him up as he lets out a strangled moan around them.

Slowly, painfully slowly, just to tease him, push him a little further, you sink onto his cock, gasping at the stretch, head lolling back, back arching as he bottoms out inside of you.

He fucks up into you like a feral animal, eyes rolling in his head as your warmth encases him entirely. For a few moments, all you can do is let him, moaning shrilly yourself as his thrusts punch the air out of your lungs.

But you regain yourself, albeit less sane and more intent on fucking him into the forest floor.

You adjust your grip on his chin, your fingers in his mouth, his drool bubbling around your knuckles and down his chin. "Poor dumb baby," you coo with mock-sympathy, beginning to ride him like a thing possessed.

He makes a shrill noise, fingers digging purple bruises into your hips, tears still steadily trickling down his cheeks.

Then one of his hands finds your clit and rubs a harsh circle into it, and you gasp, jerking atop him, your vision flashing white for a moment, familiar heat welling in your core.

Jake's hips begin to stutter against yours as his eyes roll once more, the walls of his throat pulsing against your fingertips.

You, at the last minute, yank your fingers free and crush your lips to his, both of you moaning as you come. Hard.

He sobs a little into your mouth, holding you down on him as his thrusts grow feeble, his seed filling you with a comfortable warmth. "S'good, so fucking good," he blabbered, like he couldn't bear to shut up now he didn't have your fingers down his throat.

"I know, I know, little demon," you pant, pressing your nose to his tear-wet cheek, taking in the scent of him, your arm locking around his shoulders, holding him against you as his movements finally still.

You sit there for a moment, cuddling him close as he wheezes into your neck, his cock still twitching inside you as you both come down from your highs.

"So..." you manage finally, pulling back a little to grin at him. "Hand kink much?"

Jake groans at your use of English, covering his eyes. "Shut up."

First smut down woohoo it's only uphill from here folks

[mouwrites]

Hiiiii! <3 been scrolling through your Ninjago masterlist and I saw there was no HC/drabble/fanfic about a reader who has a culture (or I'm just blind and didn't see it T~T ) anywho, it made me think....I hadn't seen any head cannon of reader x ninja (+ pixal my baby✨) who the reader had a Portuguese culture (and I'm just deprived to see no Portuguese babies in there).

Just the basic stuff like speaking the language, or the food? The habit? I don't know how to explain but it's not something really in research or deep, just the basic stuff.

Here some ideas to help ya if you got no idea ! <3 :

-men usually shake hands with men as a greeting

-we usually smile to anyone and anything in politeness

-We do small talks with anyone, also a sign of politeness

- family events are a somewhat must

-we like to dress nicely (sometimes fancy) to meet family

-PDA is appreciated and somewhat encouraged in public

Etc...

Also, if you feel like you can't write it because it's too complicated, ten thank you for reading! ✨

Of course!!! I really hope this turned out okay ^^ I’ll admit that I didn’t really know too much about this culture beforehand, so please let me know if I’ve gotten anything wrong!! It was fun to do research though, super interesting stuff!!

Ninjago - Ninjas With a Portuguese s/o

Cole

He LOVES hanging out with your family

Ever since he reconciled with his dad, he’s realized just how important family is

So of course he admires your family’s closeness!

Whenever you invite him along to a family function, he’s already putting on his shoes and a nice button-up shirt

He makes sure that you approve of his clothes before you leave

He has an okay sense of fashion, but he just wants to make sure his outfit isn’t inappropriate for the occasion or anything

He’s always super careful to make sure he doesn’t offend your family

Sometimes it’s kind of cute to watch him balk or scramble to correct himself

Even your family finds it amusing

Of course, he’s never actually said something offensive, but he’s still super cautious

He also just tries to have fun and get along with your family!

They adore him ofc, he’s the perfect balance between respectful and friendly

As time goes on, they start to ask where Cole is when you show up to family gatherings alone

You have to explain that sometimes he just can’t make it, especially because of his ninja responsibilities

That’s another reason they love him btw; he has the coolest stories

And he’s a great listener to their stories in return! :)

Jay

He is ALL OVER the PDA thing

He’s a very physically affectionate person, whether he likes to admit it or not

Actually, it was you and your family that helped him realize this

Of course he likes being affectionate with you, but he learns to be affectionate with others too

It started when one of your friends/family members gave him a hug

He was really stiff and awkward at first, but after it was over he realized how warm and fuzzy he felt

From then on he was hooked

He immediately transformed into this super affectionate person

Not just with your family/friends, either; he starts being super affectionate to his family/friends too

The other ninjas tease him about it at first, but he doesn’t care

He’ll hold hands, hug, sit shoulder-to-shoulder, anything that involves touch

He just LOVES being able to show his affection like that!! So much easier than words

(I headcanon that he’s not very good with words when it comes to showing love)

And he loves having the favor returned! (By you or your family/friends)

Makes him feel accepted :)

Congrats, you’ve found a way to finally validate our anxious boy

Honestly he might get a bit carried away with it, so beware

Zane

Zane’s more of an explicit learner than an implicit one when it comes to social culture

(Meaning he can’t really pick up on cues; you’ll have to verbalize things)

So you’ll have to explain your culture to him

But he really loves hearing you talk about it!!

His eyes literally sparkle while you speak

For one, because no one’s ever done him the favor of actually explaining social culture

But also because he can see how important it is to you, and he thinks you’re positively lovely when you’re impassioned

He’ll remember every word, and do his best to practice what you preach

Sometimes it comes off as mechanical or forced (it kind of is), but he gets the hang of it the more he practices

And he’s eager to get practice, which means…

More family time!!

Though it does make him nervous, he likes being around your family so he can practice your teachings and learn more

Your family probably thinks he’s a little odd, but he’s got the right spirit

Being accepted by them would be so validating for him… like all his hard work paid off

AND he’d be close to the people who are important to you!! Double win

Lloyd

He’s another one who really likes being physically affectionate

He’s a huge cuddle bug; this we know

So when he learns that he can hug your friends/family too, not just you, he takes the opportunity

(He still loves you the most, of course, he just likes showing others some love)

It’s mainly the hugs that he likes

Hand holding is a bit uncomfortable when it’s not you, but he won’t reject a hand he’s offered

Cheek kisses are great though :]

He always gets this dorky shy smile whenever someone (especially you) kisses him on the cheek, even if it’s just a greeting/goodbye

It takes everything in him not to giggle like a schoolgirl when he gives one back (for the first little while, anyway)

At first he was a bit awkward giving kisses back, but he warms up to the practice pretty quickly

He used to be just a cuddle bug in private, but by the time you’re done with him he casually practices PDA like it’s nothing

Kai

I’m going to be so honest with you rn. He is going to struggle with the politeness thing

As much as he tries to be cordial and put things gently, if he’s mad that’s all going out the window

If, for whatever reason, you or your friend/family member sets him off, he’s not going to waste his energy on being nice

Cold stares and crossed arms are the least of it; consider yourself lucky if that’s what he does

At the worst…. Be ready to hold this man back

This is pretty rare though, he does try really hard to stay positive

On the topic of trying hard, though, he’s really worried about your family liking him

He knows how important they are to you and he wants to be liked by them

So he’ll always try his hardest to control his temper and follow their polite customs

Unfortunately you will have to be the outfit police when it comes to family gatherings, though

His idea of “nice clothes” is very different from the actual definition

Like, you’re expecting a nice button up and slacks, then he comes out in a tank top and varsity jacket and jeans ripped like he got into a motorcycle crash

He is devastated to learn that, no Kai, those are not appropriate clothes

He’ll still change though, dw

And he’ll be happy about it if/when one of your family members compliments his outfit :)

Nya

Ohhh man….. she LOVES learning about your culture

She wants to know all the details

And she’ll go beyond what you tell her; she’ll do her own research

She’s super eager to test out what she’s learned

She impresses your family first try

Especially because she’s so eager to listen to them

She grows really close with your family, and she secretly starts to consider them an extension of hers

Totally not because she was raised with little to no actual family

She will cry if they start to think the same of her

It might be a little weird for you, with her being so enthusiastic to partake in your customs, but she’ll cut back if you let her know it’s weird

She’s just so excited to learn, especially about something that involves you :(

And she’ll be happy to teach you about her culture in return!

(I headcanon that she’s Chinese :) so if you’re interested she’s glad to share)

Overall she’s just super enthusiastic and supportive regarding your culture!!

She will fight anyone who isn’t

Thank you for this request!! And thanks so much for reading, take care doves <33

(divider by saradika)

[b0r3dtod3ath]

Andrey fic where he gives reader a mini tennis lesson pls

an: thank you for requesting!!! i hope you like it

cw: russian pet names (im pretty sure they are correct as i learned a bit of russian few years ago, but let me know if they are wrong)

You and Andrey sat side by side on a bench by the tennis court where he just finished his practice. Your fingers intertwined, you watched as the last few players finished up their games, leaving the court empty for you.

“I have always wanted to play tennis properly.” you said, not putting much thought to it. Andrey smiled with mischief. “Well, lucky for you, you have your very own personal trainer tight here.” You laughed “You think you are going to teach me?” you tilted your head. “Why not?” Andrey replied “You will be like a pro in no time”. 

Few days later, just before the sunset, excitement bubbled up inside you as your boyfriend led you onto the court, his hand on your lower back. "Are you ready for a little tennis lesson?" he asked, his voice warm with affection. “I don’t think I will ever be ready.” Andrey chuckled softly, his heart swelling with love. "I'm here to help you". 

With that, Andrey began to guide you through the basics of tennis, his movements graceful as he demonstrated each technique with precision. "Okay, first things first," Andrey began, stepping up beside you. "Let's work on your grip."

He gently adjusted your grip on the racket, his touch sending shivers down your spine. You couldn't help but admire the fluidity of his movements, as he demonstrated the proper stance and swing. You loved to watch him. Visible work of each and every muscle in his body deserved your admiration. "Got it?" Andrey asked, snapping you out of your trance. You nodded eagerly, determined to soak up every word of his instruction. With gentle guidance, he led you through the fundamental techniques of tennis. You started with simple drills, Andrey leading you every step of the way. With each swing of the racket, you felt yourself improving, yet it still wasn’t perfect. 

“You’re too stiff” Andrey couldn't help but notice a tension in your movements. “I’m sorry” you said, avoiding any eye contact. “Is everything okay, milaya?” he bent to get a better look at your face that was turned towards the orange clay. "I'm afraid of making mistakes, of letting you down. I guess I don't want you to get angry or frustrated with me. Sorry." it was a common thing for him to lose control a bit if something doesn't go right. Although he never poured his negative emotions on you, you still were a bit hesitant. His heart sank at the thought of you being scared of him. With a gentle touch of his shaky hand he lifted your chin. "Listen to me. I could never be angry with you, especially not when we're out having fun together. I'm here to teach you, to support you. We all make mistakes. And I promise you, no matter what happens, I'll never do anything to you. I swear to God”. He looked deeply into your eyes. Once he saw the worries escape your mind he grabbed and squeezed your hand “Now let’s play and have fun. Trust me”. 

As you moved on to more advanced techniques, Andrey's patience never wavered. He praised your progress and offered gentle corrections, his encouragement fueling your determination. “You're doing amazing, Malyshka” or “Rybka! Great serve” definitely made you feel more confident.

Before you knew it, the sky turned dark and it started getting more chilly, signaling the end of your lesson. You couldn't believe how quickly the time had flown by. "I knew you could do it." he whispered, his voice filled with pride as you gathered your things. He gave you his hoodie so you weren’t cold on your way back. “Thank you Andrey, for teaching me” you said as you two left the court, holding hands and both smiling from ear to ear. "No problem, just let me know when you're ready for your next lesson".

May 12, 2024

[lily-alphonse]

Sam/Haley?

(Saley? 🤭)

Saley? Or Ham. LMAO

Hmmmmmmm this one. This one irks me. They sure would be pretty though.

I'm itching to put them in some kind of AU because my mind screams that they don’t make sense in their current context. There has to be an inciting factor like both working as camp counselors in a nearby town or going to college together or something. (Or… Scooby Doo AU? A little Fred/Daphne dynamic perhaps?)

Like maybe Haley has considered it, kinda liked the rogue skater, class clown thing Sam had going on. But she was always expected to be with the star athlete.

Ok wait maybe the inciting incident is Alex coming out as gay. That could work. Farmer shows up, we have an “oh no he’s HOT 😩” moment and Haley is left in the dust.

She’s pissed at first but then realizes she’s free. She can truly do whatever she wants. Who is going to care, now that the rumor mill is abuzz with Alex’s scandal?

She experiments with her fashion. Tries new hobbies. She goes to visit Emily at work and even gets a little tipsy and dances. And one Friday night she sees Sam there playing pool with Sebastian and she can’t help herself. He’s so fucking tall and edgy, it’s an exciting kind of intimidating. But Haley can be intimidating too, despite her size.

“Sebastian. Sam.” She greets them both with her arms crossed and an easy smile.

“Uh. Hi.” Sebastian is the first to respond, straightening up from where he was lining up a shot.

“In light of recent events I feel the need to ask if either of you are gay,” Haley starts.

“What?” Sebastian asks in disbelief.

“No,” Sam says immediately.

Haley meets his eyes with a predatory sort of smile. “Alright, prove it. Dance with me.”

Sam kind of chuckles and bites his lip, looking over at Sebastian. “Man I know we’re in the middle of something but…”

Sebastian rolls his eyes and points to Haley. “You, wait there two turns. If you still want him after I kick his ass you can have him for tonight.”

Haley chuckles. “Deal.”

It’s actually kind of torture, in a good way. She has a front row seat to watch his body move, his eyebrows furrow and tongue sticking out when he’s concentrating.

She doesn’t know much about pool, so she doesn’t care that Sebastian is right about kicking his ass. All she cares about is the man rounding the table to meet her, as Sebastian goes off to find Abby.

“Hi,” Sam says with a cheeky smile down at her. He isn’t shy, getting close and personal already.

“Hi,” she gives him her best flirty smile.

“Still up to dance with a loser?”

“Can’t really be considered a loser with the hottest girl in here on your arm.”

He chuckles at that, taking her hand to guide them to the dancefloor. She’s caught a bit off-guard by his forwardness but damn if it isn’t sexy as hell. And his hand is big 🫠

His hands move to her waist on the dancefloor and they sway with some distance between them to continue speaking.

“I don’t know how you can be so confident about that by the way," He says once their settled into a rhythm.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I mean, just look at Pam. You’ve got some stiff competition.”

“Oh har-har very funny,” she rolls her eyes but fights a smile.

“Ooo tough crowd.”

“I’m tough to please.”

“I can imagine. But correct me if I’m wrong Princess, seems like you’re already sold on me.”

The sudden nickname almost gets her flustered. She decides to ignore it. Ignore it and definitely not file it away in her brain to obsess over later. “Not sold at all, that’s why I asked for a dance and not your hand in marriage.”

“I see. This is my test drive then?”

“You could call it that.”

“You look beautiful.”

It’s obviously a line. But it comes so suddenly that Haley does get flustered this time. “I know,” she blurts, and then, “thank you.”

His smile widens at her blush. “I’m serious, I like the new look. You seem more like yourself.”

“Myself? And how would you know?” she raises a perfect eyebrow at him as its his turn to get sheepish.

“Oh, well I just mean like, I don’t know. It suits you. You seem happier.”

She thinks about that, looking at his shirt instead of his eyes. She has been feeling happier. She sighs and leans into Sam, closing the distance between them to lay her head against his pounding chest. He stops swaying, surprised. She smiles at how fast his heart is going under his facade.

“I am happier, I think.”

DAMN OK I DONE GONE AN CONVINCED MYSELF LMAO these two are kinda fire ngl I think theyd both be sassy and flirty the banter is top tier

Send me any Stardew Valley rarepair and I will tell you how I would make them work! (Even non-marriage npcs) If youre lucky you may get a mini fic out of it. Check the list below to see if Ive already answered yours

Rarepair Masterlist

[karlachismylife]

Oh no when I say pressure I mean I haven't been able to crack my back in over a year now, never been able to pop my hips intentionally and the times I have it was painful, if I sit wrong I can feel each notch of my spine due to the pressure, my neck always feels stiff, the whole nine lol. I feel like it would be a hassle initially working all that out pfft

I know it sounds bad and it is but I've lived with it since I was 18, so it's just kinda my daily now. I just like to imagine having 4 men who most of them know what they're doing to help, Soap would learn after that first scare probably.

But also the image of Simon just sneak attacking me to pop my back is hilarious, ambushed with love and care lol

(for people out of the loop - first post here)

I have actually tried to imagine OVER A YEAR worth of tension and pressure and I think my fucking hips started hurting just from that. I'm so sorry, love, that must be really messing with, like... everything. You're so strong for going against that and pushing through, wow. I probably wouldn't be able to.

But yeah, no, sure, Price is like totally relating cuz that man avoids doctors better than he avoids getting his spine all fucked up, so he also has years of fuckuppery in those intervertebral discs and everything. He's there to hear you out whenever you want to just vent about this shit, and he'll offer you advice on how to cope when it gets bad. Ghost will fix both you and him up, can you imagine though Price's face if you handle everything being cracked better than him? All red and panting while his Lieutenant pushes a vertebra into its correct place, but trying to put a brave face in front of you, because you didn't even squeak! How the fuck do you do that??

Soap sure learns after that first time, even though he's still apalled at how long you had to endure it. He's so impatient, he'd get fed up with constant stiffness and pain too quickly and would be clawing at the walls, and you went so long?? Honestly he'll probably try to coax you do some "stretching" and "flexibility training" so it doesn't get so bad again. But if you're actually limited in those departments, he isn't the one to push. He's the one who tries to be the most helpful in all the other aspects of it, like helping around the house if you get nasty pains or somethng. Also the god of nape and neck massages, that he can work out the best out of all of them!

And Gaz is just going all-out to be romantic about it. Ghost is practical and efficient, sure, and he is immensly loving with that little ambush of his or when he just lays you and Price down and goes ham on your backs (does he do it shirtless "for convinience?" yes he does. also he gets hard from being able to help you out, sorry), but Gaz is next level when he offers you a massage and help with fixing your hips up. Candles and shit, even music to drown out the cracking if you don't feel like listening to your bodily symphony. He thinks it's beautiful in a way, though - cuz that's the sound of him helping your body feel better. And if it gets too painful, he'll make sure to soothe you, tender kisses all over your skin and gentle hands stroking you while he praises you for being strong and good.

Also they find the comfiest chairs and matress for you 100% to help with the pains.

[thoughtsonhurtandcomfort]

Shun the Light - Ch. 6 - Thin Mints

Slow Burn | Refuge | Decision | Mend | Hunger |

Author's Notes: I wanted to lighten things up a bit so here, have this. Sorry I haven't made a taglist yet.

Content Warnings: vampire whumpee, werewolf whumpee, exhaustion, mention of being burned alive, hunger

----

His visitor sleeps for so long that Dante checks in a couple times just to make sure he isn't dead...and to remind himself that what happened was real.

Exhausted by the ordeal, Dante ends up sleeping through the next day himself. At nightfall he wakes as usual, still a little weak and sore but feeling almost normal.

He checks the other bedroom. Sure enough the man is still there, still real, still asleep. Dante has to force himself not to stay in the room and stare at him, or worse, touch him just to feel warmth again. To distract himself he heads down to the piano and practices from one of the few songbooks he hasn't mastered yet.

That's what finally reaches Matteo through the thick fog of sleep. The soft music and even softer bed provide the gentle sort of wakeup his worn body needs. He comes close to dozing off again just because he can, but he's just awake enough to remember where he is and why.

Moving feels like trudging through thick mud. His limbs are heavy, his joints stiff, and he's so, so hungry. Twice he nearly trips down the stairs but he safely reaches the lower floor and follows the music to a nearby room. There he stumbles and falls, bumping into an end table holding a lamp. All three go down with a crash.

The music stops abruptly.

Matteo breathes tremulously through gritted teeth. He props himself up and rubs his aching side.

"Ow, ow..."

I'm so sick of being in pain.

Across the room the vampire stands but only crosses halfway before hesitating. Matteo can sense him holding back, lingering. Afraid.

Matteo is afraid, too.

He gets back to his feet. He must look as pitiful as he feels, because the vampire takes one look at him and visibly relaxes. The tension shifts into awkwardness.

"Are you alright?"

"No. No, I'm really not."

He glances out the window, across the overgrown lawn that disappears into a pitch black forest. Wind howls, the harbinger of a coming storm.

"Um. Do I need to leave?"

"You should," the vampire replies, but when Matteo's face falls he's quick to correct himself, "I mean that someone must be looking for you by now. And they can't...they can't find me."

Matteo swallows around the growing lump in his throat. He understands, of course he does. To be caught by the wrong person would be a fate worse than death. But...

"Trust me. No one is looking for me."

The vampire's piercing gaze softens.

"So you're - you're a drifter or something?"

"Or something."

Matteo's stomach chooses that moment to growl. He rubs at it and sighs.

"No, you're right. I should go. But, um. Any chance you have some food around?"

"No - wait. Yes."

--

"...okay, I have to ask..."

"I had to get them to go away somehow."

"So you bought all the Girl Scout's cookies?"

Stacks of colorful boxes line the counter, unopened. Matteo checks several for expiration dates and finds they're still good.

"I can't eat them. Everything tastes bitter now."

"No thin mints? That's worse than being burned alive," Matteo jokes as he starts tearing a box open. He pauses, realizing that just maybe the vampire didn't want to be reminded of his immense suffering...

But when he looks over there's a strange look on the vampire's face. It might almost be called a smile. He quickly turns away, but not before saying,

"Have as many as you want."

[body-face-words]

Olivier Awards

We'll be looking into mainly photos so take this with a grain of salt.

Facial expressions can be lost and because this is an award show people pose and try to look their best.

The body language in this post will be more prominent because it could be an unconscious decision on how DT/MS/GT/AL show themselves. On the other hand, they've been taught (most likely) how to be in award shows and in front of cameras. The facial expression can be forced because they're aware that they are being photographed.

I most of the videos and images are sourced from @ingravinoveritas @/fuckyeahgoodomens and @/michaelsheendaily (not tagging on purpose) plus a few others. Because there's many videos here I'll be linking the posts.

First off, we'll be looking at MS/AL during the red carpet. That includes the videos and photos taken. The photos and videos happen at the same time so we'll have a better image of the body language and facial expressions.

The first thing want to point out is how Michael and Anna smile. Michael, throughout the carpet, had the same smile. One way that people try to make their smile look real is by smiling really big. Even though his eyes are smaller and the corners of the lips are lifted, the cheekbones aren't engaged, just lifted because the wide smile is stretched (except for the last two images).

Here we can see how he goes from his genuine smile to his default 'photograph' smile. Doesn't mean he wasn't happy to engage with people, he was just posing for the camera.

Something to note about Anna is that she doesn't smile much in her daily life so when she does smile, real or not, she doesn't know how it really feels and it looks off. It's asymmetrical, her lips stretch out but never curve up and her eyes + eyebrows stay the same. Her cheeks are always tense as well (I'll go more into details on another post). The only instances of her where it seems like she's really smiling is one on her instagram from Michael's 54th birthday and the image below.

This is them arriving (please correct me if I'm wrong) to the awards. Michael walks along side Anna, not too in front, just enough to guide as they spot the cameras or people.

They aren't looking at each other, but Anna is naturally smiling. Her face isn't tense, eyes smaller, corner of lips raised, cheekbones also raised and her eyes are soft.

Michael acting surprised at the sight of the people. His eyebrows are raise and hit mouth open, but the white part of his upper eyelid isn't visible. He's just putting up a show. That could be why Anna is smiling or they couldn't been talking or any other reason.

These three videos are also from the event. The first two on the carpet and the third before the posed pictures.

As far as body language goes, Michael is more often than not, in front of Anna while she holds his arm. In a dynamic/relationship whoever stands in front or leads while holding hands is the one who's the 'leader'. This role is usually taken by the man in a man/woman dynamic/relationship.

Michael doesn't tug at her or drags her along. He gives her a cue 'okay let's go' doesn't wait for a verbal response, then they both move and walk semi-parallel to each other. He's not dragging her or walking ten steps in front, they're walking as a unit. They've been to enough award shows to have a good idea of where to go and how to look.

Now the third video (before the carpet photos) is them taking pictures with people. That's also where the gif above took place.

The video starts on 00:10. Anna moves past Michael while touching his left shoulder to go greet/take pictures with fans. Michael turns at the touch then goes back to the fans. Even though he's far away from the camera, a smile can still be seen.

She stops for a second next to him before she gives her autograph to a fan. As she's walking to Michael, she's looking down then looks to her left until she see's the man signaling to her, asking for an autograph. She's surprised - eyes widen, stiff face. Anna takes pictures with two other people.

Throughout this video, neither of them interact except for one second during the beginning when Anna touches Michael.

Michael continues going down the line as Anna takes pictures with a few people then follow Michael. They both don't look at each other, even when Anna is waiting for Michael, she looks around or at other people. Michael is focusing on the people in line and not paying attention to where Anna is. He continues to move without her.

He never turns to where she is. They never touch each other, only when the press are taking pictures.

Overall they aren't hostile to each other. They just don't care what the other is doing. Michael is there to give an award and Anna is there as his plus one (most likely). When they are not longer close to the fans and it's just them two in front of the press, then they pay attention to where the other is. However, there is never any eye contact there either. Michael gives her the cue then they move, but never look at each other. In couples (or people who have feelings for each other) eye contact or the want to look at their partners faces is mostly present.

Focusing just on Michael -

He's tired. His smile throughout the evening, let's his smile fall when people aren't looking directly at him very and picks it back up quickly. In the video where he tells Anna to go, his smile stiffens and the corner of his lips go more horizontal.

Here, Michael is leaning towards Anna, but his body isn't touching her much and she's standing with her back straight. He has his picture smile (really forced) while she's trying to do a smile. The left corner of her left (our right) is slightly raised, but her eyes and brows stay the same.

The name for the line that runs from the corner of the nose down to the corner of the lips is called the nasolabial fold or nasolabial furrow. Her left fold is also raise (because of her lips) making her face be in a sneer, which shows disgust, displeasure, viewing something/one as inferior, despise, viewing something/one as worthless, and is usually always tied with feelings of superiority. Depending on the situation that face is also made when feeling impatient and wanting to move things along.

Her left eye, if you zoom in, you can see that it's slightly more closed than the right eye, but that has nothing to do with this. She tends to smile asymmetrically all the time. People usually always have one eye smaller than the other and with time it can change which eye is smaller. Morphosychology talks about this personality traits tied with the facial structure (if you would like a post about that let me know).

----

Now in this video MS/AL and DT/GT are edited to be side by side.

With David and Georgia, David in most award shows, looks down to speak with her during pictures (it happens a lot so it could be planned or a habit).

David's and Georgia's smile look more bright. We can see their face relaxed as they smile for the camera after they speak to each other. He is also leaning towards her as we can also see in this image:

Their chests are pressed together and his hand (a guess) is probably located on her mid to lower back. Georgia's head is tilting up, to where David's head is. Their smiles are stiff because a picture is being taken but all in all, they are comfortable with physical contact. David's chin is also up, but that's his default so it doesn't play much of a role. Like stated in previous analysis, sticking your chin out is a way of defiance, aggression, or self confidence in some cases.

In this video David is talking about how he hadn't done any Shakespeare plays in over ten years and how he never thought he would do Macbeth. His composure is relaxed, but still nervous. He took two breathes in which means he's trying to calm himself because he's nervous or agitated.

David and Georgia, like MS/AL, had forced smiles for the camera. Stiff, eyes stayed the same, cheekbones aren't lifted.

The first image shows pure smugness and pride. Left lip corner is raised while the right one stays neutral. With asymmetrical smile, they usually mean smugness, feelings of superiority that's why you see a lot of people who label themselves as "alphas" smile like that.

David, perceives himself as attractive or feels like he looks good.

The second and third images are him smiling genuinely. Between David and Michael, David was more relaxed and felt content with most of the evening.

Here's more pictures of him genuinely smiling.

The forth image is a fake/forced smiled. There's more pictures of him forcing a smile, but like Michael, there's too many and would be overkill to put point out all of them.

How to spot a fake/forced smile: tense face, eyes and/or brows stay the same, cheekbones are only lifted but not engaged, corner of lips stretched or horizontal, and the eyes look neutral/without emotion. There's a sweet, happy, or prideful look in the eyes when it's a sincere smile.

In regards to Georgia, her presence there doesn't bother David and he makes sure to include her. They communicate throughout the evening and Georgia, from what I found, kept to herself. Her composure was neutral, no outward discomfort.

I already talked about the video backstage where she is signaling and probably telling the other three what should happen.

---

During the award ceremony -

Michael in this video is presenting an award. He appears on 0:30.

This is his main face throughout the video. Tense smile. Not saying it's not real, because there are moments in the video where it looks real, however we can also see how forced it is after every pause in his sentences. It is real, just tense. Could be out of nervousness or some sort of inner conflict/tension on his part.

David during the ceremony, was genuine in his reactions. His surprise -

also genuine. The times the camera was on him, showed his real reaction.

----

Now moving onto this moment:

The second image is edited by me and the black is there so the lights in the back doesn't hurt our eyes too much.

Getting this out of the way: their smiles are fake because is picture is being taken and they're aware of what their faces are doing. So we'll be looking at the body language.

Now, Georgia isn't entirely comfortable with Michael.

He's touching her waist, not holding. Michael isn't pulling her closer, just resting his hand there. His left hand could be on David's waist or somewhere on his back.

Georgia is also resting her right hand on Anna's waist. Anna, from the look of her shoulder, is resting her left arm on Georgia or Michael.

David's right hand somewhere on Michael's back.

Edit: it's been pointed out that David could have his right hand on Michael's right shoulder. If you zoom into the image, you see something on his shoulder, that doesn't look like part of the suit.

Looking into Anna and Georgia, they both seem to be comfortable enough around each other.

Georgia's lips are pressed thinly against each other. She's either not comfortable with Anna - being this close to her or having to touch her - or she's not comfortable with Michael touching her waist. There's discomfort on her part.

Anna is just trying to pose her best for the picture. She's probably leaning closer to Georgia so the picture turns out good, or because she's comfortable with Georgia and naturally leaned in. Could be either.

Georgia's left arm is stiff. Maybe because she's holding her clutch back and/or doesn't want to touch Michael too much. He's a step back to where she's standing, probably so they all fit in the picture.

Looking at it the other way, she's blocking him. Kind of like when you don't want to speak to the person next to you, so you just turn your back to them. In this case, Michael does have his hand on her waist so her discomfort could come from there. Or that's her forced smile face.

Both David's and Michael's smiles are for the camera. Doesn't mean that they weren't happy or anything like that. Just means they were posing for the camera.

Moving onto the body language. Because they are taking a picture, we have to take into account that both David and Michael are leaning both to the right (their right) so that they all fit in the picture.

Usually, when two (or three) people lean towards each other or lean in the same direction, that means they get along well. In couple, this is an excellent sign that they are getting along in recent times.

David and Michael both leaned in, while Georgia and Anna stayed standing straight.

David having the Olivier's folder in front of him could be in order to show the logo or because there isn't any other comfortable way for him to hold. Based on the situation, it doesn't seem like he felt the need to hide or somehow defend himself by putting the folder (a barrier) in front of him.

Over all, for David and Georgia, the evening was tranquil even when we take into consideration the backstage video.

Michael felt the need to have to plaster on a big smile. Could be that he was having a rough day/week or just wasn't feeling at 100%. Anna was like usual.

I feel the need to reiterate that just because their smiles for the cameras weren't all that genuine, doesn't mean that they weren't happy to see each other and by they I mean David and Michael. We don't have any images or videos of them interacting normally. Mostly just with Georgia and Anna and the backstage video, we only see the from above, not their faces and we don't know for certainly what they were talking about.

If I missed anything, please let me know! This day was very long and full of images and videos, so I could've missed something.

[leggerefiore]

Empty Café

cw: fluff, confession fic

pairing: Ingo/Reader

Summary: A strange man lingers in your café, catching your attention. You think he's cute.

----

You giggled at the man who had been sat at your café for hours now, just scribbling away at a pile of paperwork and going onto his computer. He was quite a looker, with his dark, knitted mock-neck top and slacks complimenting his natural paleness and light hair. You smiled at him as you took his cup again for a refill. His order had just been a plain dark-roast coffee. Seeing as he drank it all, you could only presume that is how he normally took his drink.

His presence was not unwanted, seeing as your café was a smaller, out of the way one, but the amount of work he seemed to be going through was strange. You wondered if he was usually busy or if this was normal for him. The sound of the saucer being placed on the table caught his attention from the sheets that had consumed him. His neutral facial expression, yet gentle eyes, made you all the more curious about him. You smiled at him softly.

“Are you okay?” you asked finally, “... You've been here for so long and haven't taken a break from your work even once.” It was concerning to see someone possibly overworking themselves. You typically did not bother people with conversation, but something about him was so distantly familiar.

“Ah, thank you for your concern,” he started, voice strong and a bit laid, “I'm quite fine, I assure you. I was just trying to get caught up on some things I had let fall behind.” His words were a bit reassuring. Still, you also could not help but notice his lack of eating, too.

“We sell sandwiches,” you told him, “... I'll make you one, on the house.” His eyes grew wide as they finally took a glance at the clock on the wall. The soft pink that dusted across his cheeks was a pretty sight. Who was he? You wanted to assume he was a model. If he was not, he certainly could be.

“No need for that, I'll pay,” he shook his head, “... Do have a muffuletta sandwich?” He asked, trying to gaze at the menu board hung up behind the counter. You nodded.

“Mhm, sure do,” you beamed at him, “I'll have that right out for you.” And, you were still going to give it to him for free. His company had been enough for the day, as it did get quite lonely when you locked customers. The sandwich was easily prepared as you brought it back out to him. His thanked you so politely and finally took a break from his work to eat. You tried not to watch him too much, as you went back to the counter.

Time passed as it usually did, a few customers lingering and most taking their drink to go, but he remained. You felt oddly attached to him, even though you barely said a word to each other. When he finally started to pack up and came to pay at the counter, you genuinely grinned at him.

“Say, are you a model?” you questioned him as you worked your POS machine. His stiff expression broke as a small laugh came from him. He shook his head.

“No,” he replied as he placed his card back into his wallet, “You're the second person to ask me that since I moved here.” The small smile on his lips warmed your heart. Well, your intuition may have been wrong, but at least you made him smile. “I work in the subway,” he explained, “... If you ride it, you'll probably catch me around the Gear Station.” Suddenly, it stuck you.

He looked so different out of his uniform!

“Oh,” you gasped, “Are you Emmet?”

The sudden laughter from him alongside the shaking of his head made you fall into hysterics, too. Well, he certainly looked like Emmet! “I'm his twin brother, Ingo,” he corrected, “Thank you for letting me stay here for so long… I really do enjoy venues like this.” You nodded, a bit stunned at the thought the odd Subway Boss you met on a late trip back from Undella was a twin.

“No problem,” you told him, “Feel free to come back whenever. I really did enjoy your company.” Ingo agreed to return and bud you farewell for the night. You sighed and got ready to close.

You regretted not trying to talk to him more now.

Well… You supposed you would just have to wait for his return. Or, maybe, you could actually try your hand at the Battle Lines.

~

A week had passed since then, and you rode the train back home after closing late one night. Few people joined you on the train, most choosing to ride back into the city rather than out of it. You yawned and rubbed at your eyes as you shifted your bag around. The gentle movements of the train were seriously about to rock you to sleep. You closed your eyes for a moment and…

… Felt a firm hand on your shoulder, shaking you awake. Startled, you tried to jump away from the tight grasp. Your eyes surveyed around you and found a familiar face gazing at you. His clothes may have changed since then, but you could recognise him easily. Ingo seemed a bit startled, too. He released your shoulder and stood up tall. “… We meet again,” his voice was still loud, yet the gentleness was there, “You fell asleep on the train. It's come back to the station, now.” Heat rushed into your face as embarrassment coursed through your veins.

Averting your eyes, you let out a sigh. Nimbasa. You were stuck in Nimbasa. Standing up, you politely bowed your head at the man. “I'm sorry for this,” you spoke courteously, “Thank you for waking me up.” You had been a bit tired as of late, but you did not think it was enough to fall asleep on the train. Ingo remained with stiff body language.

“… How far is the station from your home?” he asked, clearly concerned, “I hope I do not sound like a creep, but I simply am worried about letting someone like you walk alone so late at night.” He was worried about you? You felt a small smile on your lips.

Shaking your head, you replied, “Don't worry, Ingo. I'm not too far away.” You readjusted your bag and stood up tall. It was a lie, honestly, but you were not about to burden someone apparently as overworked as him with that. “I'll call a friend, and they'll come get me,” you explained, “Once again, thank you for waking me up.” He nodded and led you off the train and into the station proper. You quickly sent a text to a friend letting them know your situation.

“Please do be safe on your return to your home,” Ingo's voice was softer now, “… Do not overwork yourself, either.” You smiled at him.

~

You were working a few days later and cleaning some dirty equipment when the bell chimed, signalling the entrance of a customer. You chirped out a greeting as you turned around but stopped midway. Ingo stood near the counter alongside… You presumed, Emmet. He was truly a twin. While you had not disbelieved him, it was more stunning to see two identical people in person. Ingo gave a polite grin to you, while Emmet beamed brighter than the sun.

“Ah, hello,” Ingo greeted you, too, “Did you make it home safely the other day?” You nodded as the smiling twin took his time to eye your dessert display. “I believe you mentioned knowing of my younger brother previously, but I wish to introduce him again,” he pulled Emmet away from the sweets, “This is my twin, Emmet.” His brother waved excitedly at you.

“Oh, you are who brother was verrry worried about,” Emmet's tone almost sounded like he was teasing, “Check safety, do not fall asleep on the train!” You laughed at his tone. He was certainly more animated than his older brother. Their fashion styles were completely different, you noted. Emmet wore a baggy sweat shirt, while his brother had taken to a fitted sweater and overcoat.

“I don't plan on it,” you assured them both, “What would you two like today?” You quickly took down their orders. Emmet seemed to want to drown his coffee in sugar and sweet cream in comparison to how Ingo still took his plain. The younger also ordered a slice of marble cake. They sat down at a table and quickly feel into an easy discussion about the subway and pokemon battles. You continued your cleaning until you heard coughing. Turning around, you saw Ingo's face bright red and Emmet lightly patting his back.

“I-Is he okay?” you asked in a panic. Emmet nodded and motioned you over.

“He is just flustered,” Emmet's eyes cut into his brother, “Thank you!” You calmed down as Ingo regained his breath and shot a glare at Emmet.

“My brother made an ill joke,” Ingo explained, “I am sorry to have worried you.” You shook your head. You backed away as you headed back to the counter. “… Hey,” he called out, “Er… Are you free any time soon?” You flinched.

“… Shop's closed on Mondays,” you told him, “That's my day off, usually.” Emmet giggled at his brother as he switched his gaze between you and his brother eagerly.

“Could… Would you mind meeting me at the Gear Station?” he asked, “I would like to spend some time with you…” You felt warmth rush to your cheeks as you realised his words. Was he waking you out? Judging by how Emmet was acting, you felt like he was.

“I'd love to, Ingo,” you told him.

The sweet, relieved smile he gave you made your heart warm.

[manchasama]

Self-indulgently, this final chapter is nearly as long as the first four chapters combined. :> I am very proud to have finished this mini series! Now to work on those big stories! Here's hoping for mooore~

Hard to Swallow Part 5 (Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4)

-

Returning to his proper station had been one of the scariest things Ingo had done in recent memory.  Not that his memory was to be trusted.  That was the heart of the issue, after all.  Akarei had come to him one balmy afternoon, and while he'd anticipated an exciting battle to be had, instead they had told him they had a way to send him home.  If that wasn't shocking enough, apparently his home hadn't even been in that time.

It had explained a lot, of course.  Why he never felt quite like he fit in with the others, no matter how much they opened their hearts to him.  Why the pokemon never seemed correct to him, even though he had such an instinctual knowledge of how to handle them.  Why he felt so alone.

Still, it had been a step into the dark, trusting that Akarei would guide his travels, that there was truth in what they said.  Ingo had believed in them, and within a few short weeks, he'd not only learned of his true place in the world, but he'd been reunited with the missing piece of his heart.

Emmet, his beloved twin brother, had been overjoyed at Ingo's return.  Part of Ingo had shied away at the knowledge he'd forgotten his own brother, a twin at that!  How could Emmet be satisfied with the shell of the man he'd lost?  Ingo hadn't magically regained his lost memories, though some of them were returning slowly with the familiar stimulus of Nimbasa city.  

Despite that, despite his doubts and worries, Ingo couldn't deny the simple fact that he felt whole for the first time he could remember.  Everywhere he turned, Emmet was there.  The unasked for support was offered at every turn, and Emmet seemed to have a supernatural ability to sense what Ingo needed.  That was, he supposed, because Emmet remembered the roots of habits Ingo had only by muscle memory.  Small details that were obvious to him, that Ingo no longer had access to.  

It made him hope that he provided even a fraction of that comfort to his brother.  Emmet was adamant when he told Ingo that his return was more than he could have asked for, that nothing in the world made him happier.  Ingo had to accept that as truth as well.

Today, Emmet and Elesa were on a mission to reintroduce Ingo to some of his favorite sites and tastes of Nimbasa.  

"It's kind of neat, actually," Elesa was saying.  "You get to experience your favorites like new all over again.  There's a special zing to those kind of experiences!"  At her side, her Zebstrika plodded along placidly.  His back was overflowing with the packages they'd already purchased on their trip.

"Yes," Ingo agreed seriously.  "And with you two as my conductors, I'm sure you won't drive me down the wrong tracks."  He winced after he said that, aware it came across as rude to people who were only doing their best to help him.  He hadn't intended it to be that way of course, but he knew if he did not watch his words, with his stiff face it would come across as criticism.

Before he could apologize, however, Emmet was leaning into his side with a delighted laugh that brought a lightness to Ingo's chest.  "Do you believe we would feed you food we know you hate?  I am Emmet and I am offended you would think so poorly of us!"

Elesa let out a dramatic gasp, leaning into Ingo's other side as she put the back of her hand against her forehead.  "To think, here we are, out of the kindness of our hearts—"

"And the bottom of our wallets," Emmet interjected.

"--taking you out for a nice night on the town, and we are rewarded with such suspicion!"

And Ingo realized that he needn't have worried at all.  These were his beloved friends, his family, and he didn't have to worry about being misunderstood here.  A chime above him made him tilt his face up, and he was greeted by Chandelure pressing her glass against his forehead.  He felt a swell of affection at that, his hand coming up to cradle her body.  Chiming again, she backed off with a twirl, then resumed her floating from above.  He rather thought she fashioned herself as their guiding light, despite the bright daylight around them.

"In fact," Emmet said, pulling away and striding toward one of the nearby food stations.  Ingo watched him go, absently clutching Elesa tighter to his side as he resisted the urge to stop Emmet.  He couldn't do anything about the need to keep Emmet in sight though, and he lifted slightly on his toes so he could continue to keep and eye on the white hat as the crowd moved around them.  

He startled and looked down as Elesa's hand pressed against his chest.  Habit kicked in and Ingo was quick to release his hold on her.  Friend or not, it wouldn't do to make her uncomfortable.  She didn't move away, however.  Instead, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug, squishing her face against his shoulder as she rocked them in place.  It...didn't seem like she did it for any reason other than she wanted to.  That fact alone made warmth fill him from his head right to his toes.  This time he didn't hesitate to wrap his arm around her back, relishing her grounding presence at his side.

"I expect a full apology," Emmet popped back up at their side, continuing as if he'd never left, "once you have tried this!"  He thrust a pastry in Ingo's face, the golden crust poking out of the paper sleeve.  One side of it was covered in a sauce of some sort, with little flecks of white and oddly enough pink on it.  It didn't look like soy sauce, or anything of it's equivalent, but Ingo was having a hard time bringing to mind what it was.  

He took the pastry gently from Emmet's hand, holding it up for a closer look.  From here he could smell the sweetness.  Oh, not soy sauce, but chocolate!  The colorful bits were sprinkles!  This was a dessert!  Eagerly, Ingo took a bite out of it, and was immediately greeted by a burst of fruity sweetness on his tongue that blended smoothly with the chocolate and pastry.  Eyes wide in the unexpected joy, he flapped his free hand at Emmet, grabbing at his coat and tugging it in excitement.  It was pecha flavored!

Emmet's laugh was delighted as he squished in to the hug Elesa had not yet released Ingo from.  "Is it bravo worthy?" he asked, looking at Ingo with a far too pleased-with-himself expression.

As soon as Ingo was able to clear his mouth, he bellowed, "Super bravo!  Emmet, this is amazing!  The crust is so flaky, and the chocolate is not bitter at all.  The pecha jam is fresh and full of little chunks of fruit.  I cannot remember the last time I had something so delicious!"  

Ingo paused in his gushing at the odd look on Emmet's face.  It wasn't a bad look, and Emmet was quick to quirk his mouth up in reassurance.  Still....  "What is it Emmet?"  He wanted to know.  He didn't think Emmet would mind him asking.

"You're smiling," Emmet replied.  And oh, oh.  Ingo self-consciously raised a hand to touch the edge of his mouth.  It had taken him so long to be able to do the bare minimum of the expression.  Now that he knew what had caused the look, he could recognize the fond wonder in Emmet's eyes.  

"I am happy," Ingo said simply. He let his smile widen, laughing a bit as Emmet's face lit up in response.   

"And I am hungry," Elesa cut in.  She was beaming at Ingo just as widely as Emmet was.  "We still have at least five more places we need to hit up before we head back.  Roller has been a champion in carrying around all our bags, but we shouldn't linger too long right?"  Roller leaned over to nuzzle Elesa in agreement.  The Zebstrika had been very patient in allowing them to pile their bags of foodstuffs across his back.  He looked more like a pack pokemon than a battler at this point.

There was a scuffle at their feet, and Elesa pried herself away from Ingo's side to look down.  Their adorable Durant had returned from his foray, a parcel tied securely to his back.  He was tugging insistently at Elesa's pant leg until she crouched down.  With a little wiggling and a few dexterous clicks of its mandible, the package was untied and Durant offered her one of the dumplings he'd brought.

Elesa's hand came up to her face as she cooed at the offering.  "Oooh, thank you Ran-ran!"  She bit into the dumpling with a happy hum, before offering the rest to him.  Ran-ran took it delicately from her fingers, waving its antennae in thanks as it ate.  Then Elesa reached out to gather the rest of the dumplings back up, wrapping it back into its packaging with a few deft folds.  "Let's get the rest of that packed back up for home, okay?"

"Isn't this a bit excessive?" Ingo asked, somewhat rhetorically.  He's asked the same question five stations ago.  He took another bite of the pastry, eyes closing in pleasure as the taste burst over his tongue again.  How marvelous!

Emmet added a bag full of more pastries Ingo hadn't noticed to the pile on Roller's back.  "Nope!" he chirped.  A sleepy echo of the sound announced one of Elesa's Emolga—Sparker, Ingo thought—waking up as Emmet nearly squashed him with the bag.  Emmet gave it a quick face scratch of apology, and was seemingly unbothered by the small zaps of electricity the pokemon gave off.  It quickly burrowed itself back under the pile and out of sight.

Elesa was a little more careful as she added her package to Roller's back.  "Come on Ingo, let us have an excuse to celebrate," she cajoled.  "There will be enough people there to eat all the food, and if not, at least you'll have leftovers!"

"I hardly think reminding me of what food I eat needs to be celebrated," Ingo stated with an eye roll.  "But far be it for me to spoil your fun.  What is our next destination?"

Emmet didn't answer verbally, just grabbed Ingo's hand and pulled him along down the busy road, expertly weaving between people in his single minded determination.  Ingo quickly popped the rest of the pastry in his mouth and grabbed Elesa's hand before he could be pulled out of range, and the three of them made a merry train through the crowds.  

Durant and Zebstrika followed more sedately.  Chandelure was hovering above them, too far to be buffeted by the crowds, but close enough that her constant happy chimes echoed in Ingo's ears.  Eelektross came winding his way from where he'd been off exploring, twisting happy spirals around Emmet without bothering where his and Ingo's hands were joined.  Ingo marveled at the fact that not only was no one worried that the large pokemon were out in the open, but that people trusted they meant no harm, even without a pokemon trainer overseeing them.  Just another wonderful thing about the future that he forgot he was missing.

It took them another hour for both Emmet and Elesa to be satisfied with their selection.  Ingo had wondered briefly if they were going to come to blows over a taco stand.  Elesa was insistent they needed a variety of entrees, while Emmet was equally insistent that the food was too messy, too crunchy, and too soft all at once.  Elesa won when Ingo had admitted he wanted to try the little wraps of meat they were selling.  Suddenly Emmet was all for ordering a little bit of everything from the menu.  It was endearing, if a bit ridiculous.

By this point, Haxorus had come out of his pokeball to assist with carrying the packages to give Zebstrika a break.  He was overjoyed at being included, his tail wagging in long sweeps across the road.  Many people had avoided the happy dragon with indulgent looks, and a few children had followed them for a while, playing a skipping game over Haxorus' tail.  

So it was with a light heart that Ingo and the absolute menagerie around him finally made it back to his and Emmet's house.  Inside was already bustling.  Drayden had arrived early in the morning to oversee this gathering.  Furniture had been moved about to make space, some folding tables Ingo was unsure they even owned had appeared to line the walls, and soon enough Drayden had shoo'd them out the door so he could finish setting up.  So Ingo had certainly expected to return to a fuller house, but he was still surprised by the tables already full of plates and dishes, and more people than he could actively remember were already milling about the large living room, spilling out through the open doors into the back yard.

"We return!" Emmet announced loudly as he pushed through the door past Ingo, flinging one hand wide as if to present Ingo to the room.

"We also brought the goods," Elesa sang out, Zebstrika and Haxorus proudly marching into the room behind her with their loot.

A slender body came sprinting across the room, as Iris threw her arms around Ingo's waist.  He caught her with ease, marveling again at how free with affection his family was.  "Welcome back!" she said, releasing him and spinning around with a laugh.  "That means we can finally start eating, right?"

"Soon," Drayden rumbled as he approached.  He reached out a hand to squeeze Ingo's shoulder, eyes crinkled up in a smile.  "Welcome home, Ingo."

Ingo's throat tightened unexpectedly, and he had to clear it to be able to speak.  "I'm home, Uncle Drayden."  He would never get tired of that.  

Drayden, never a man of many words, merely nodded and stepped back.  "It's nice to see Haxorus looking so well these days."

"Yeah!" Iris cheered, raising a fist triumphantly.  "I made sure we brought lots of Mago poffins for Zephyr!  Hey, can I go play with him now?"  She turned sparkling eyes on Drayden, who gestured her right back to Emmet and Ingo.  "Pleeease?" she added, changing target.

Ingo was strong to many manipulations, but this was not one of them.  "I don't see why—"

"Not until we have had a battle!" Emmet interrupted, apparently not moved by the wobbly expression on the girl's face.  "I know you.  You will talk with Zephyr to get our training secrets.  We will not be thrown under the tracks by your tactics."

Iris stomped her foot, but didn't look too put out.  "Aw, you're too good at this Emmet.  If I promise not to ask about any battling, can I?"

Emmet leaned over to get right in her face.  She stared back, unbothered by his closeness.  Whatever Emmet saw there, he straightened up with a nod.  "Very well.  But I will be watching you."

"Not if you're watching Ingo the whole night!" she retorted gleefully.  

Even as she skipped off to Haxorus' side, Emmet called after her, "I have an extra set of eyes just for your shenanigans!"  He turned back to Ingo with a huff.  "You are lucky she is being nice today.  She missed you."

Ingo wasn't quite sure what 'being nice' meant in this situation, but took his brother's word for it.  "I may not yet remember all our routes, but I am quite sure that I missed her as well.  I will have to apologize later."

"None of that," Drayden chidded gently.  Emmet nodded emphatically in agreement, lips pressed together tightly.  "We don't care if you remember or not.  You are family."

"I am Emmet.  Why are you apologizing?  She will be angry if you apologize."

Ingo regarded his brother, noting the unhappy lilt to his smile and the way his fists were clenched at his side.  "Does it make you angry as well?" he wondered out loud.

"Yes," Emmet responded immediately.  "You do not need to apologize for being Ingo.  Memories or no memories."

Ingo hummed, but nodded hesitantly.  "I see.  I am...unsure of the route to take.  I feel the distress caused by my absence needs reparation.  Yet that very act may not bring the comfort I wish."

Drayden let out a loud huff, though his eyes were fond when Ingo looked to him.  "Well, that has always been your ideals, I suppose.  I will leave you to your brother to see if he can't hammer a bit of our truth into you."

"Full speed ahead!" Emmet said with a snappy salute.  Drayden let out a soft laugh, before turning and following after where Iris was hanging off Haxorus' tail.

Three young men were also converging on Zebstrika and Haxorus, quickly taking over unloading the pokemon of the food they'd been carrying around.  Ingo had been quite unsure of how to react when he'd been reintroduced to the triplets.  Chilli and Cress had been pleasant and cordial, but Cilan had been beside himself in expressing his joy and relief at Ingo's return.  

Emmet had been been very amused to inform Ingo of Cilan's hero worship after the fact.  Despite that, though, Ingo found the three very fun to talk to.  Cilan especially had an enthusiasm for trains and the rail system that he and Emmet had spent hours talking with him about.  It wasn't hard to see why they had become friends.

"Ingo."  Emmet's voice drew Ingo's attention back to his brother.  "It is okay to be unsure.  These are tracks in need of maintenance.  But even if they end up at a different destination, we will travel that road together."

Ingo nodded.  His time in Hisui had left it's mark on him.  In his habits, in his posture, in his memory, and more.  He needed to keep that in perspective.  Emmet would remind him as many times as it took, he knew.  "Thank you, Emmet," he replied, gratitude thick in his voice.  

Emmet beamed, reaching out a hand toward Ingo.  As easy as breathing and with as much thought, Ingo's hand was there, gripping his brother's hand tightly.  They stepped further into the room as a unit, Emmet with his left leg, and Ingo mirroring with his right.  He let out a little laugh as a memory bubbled up, of two boys sitting at a table in their backyard, swinging their legs together.  Emmet turned his head inquisitively, but Ingo shook him away.  He would tell him later.

"Ah, good, you got the Qualot berry sauce," Chilli was saying as they passed the little group.  He slipped the bag holding that onto his shoulder.  "I'll be able to finish the skewers now."

"Don't go changing the stuff we bought," Elesa warned.  She rubbed Zebstrika's nose with a smile, before turning back to them.  "Next time sure, but Ingo needs to try the original recipes first you know.  I didn't just walk all over Nimbasa for nothing!"

"We won't!" Cilan protested.  His arms were overflowing with bags, though he managed to look contrite despite that.  "We just whipped up a few more dishes we thought he'd like to try."

"You can't object to good cooking," Emmet said, nudging Ingo's side with an elbow.  

"I cannot imagine how you expect me to try even a fraction of this food," Ingo admitted, looking around.  He paused as his eyes caught a plate full of white dumplings.  A memory bubbled up, but not one of his forgotten past.  He turned away, trying not to let his face show any of his chagrin.  "Though I suppose it's a foolish endeavor to stop such a runaway train."  

Emmet was looking right at him, and Ingo knew he'd seen his reaction.  Part of him hoped that Emmet couldn't tell what it was for.  Another part of him was sure that Emmet had not only seen it, but was now conspiring on how to keep the dumplings far away from Ingo that evening.  It was written in the tightness of his smile and the narrowed determination in his eyes.   

"You're no fool," Emmet agreed easily.  

A yelp drew their attention as Cress snapped his hand back, shaking it as if it stung.  Elesa's pair of Emolga had risen from their napping spot as it was disturbed.  They chittered in annoyance at the triplets, before flitting into the air to glide to the corner where Galvantula had her web spun out.  They landed on her back, snuggling in and disappearing from view as they decided to continue their interrupted nap.  Glavantula barely flicked a mandible at their arrival, content to oversee the area.  Some of the Joltik were strung about her like little ornaments, though Ingo knew many more were all around the house.

Elesa appeared out of nowhere, a plate piled high with many different kinds of food in hand.  "Alright you two, I got us started!  Let's head outside where's it's not so stuffy."  She manhandled Ingo around and gave him a shove in the direction of the sliding glass door to the back yard.  It was fully open to allow easy passage for even the largest of the pokemon, resident or visiting, so there was plenty of room for the pair of them to step through side by side, Elesa bringing up the rear.

Almost as soon as he'd stepped outside, a purple and white blur attached herself to his free side, and Ingo was greeted by Lady Sneasler's tongue swiping a deliberately annoying streak up the side of his face and into his hair, knocking his hat askew.  

"Lady Sneasler!" he protested, staggering into Emmet's side.  Emmet was too busy laughing at his brother's plight to offer any assistance, the ingrate.

"Snart!" she said, radiating smugness.  "Snear laur"

"I offered you to accompany us," Ingo grumbled.  "It does not serve me right for abandoning you, when you were invited!"  He wiped at the wet saliva on his face, pulling his hat back into place and hoping it covered whatever atrocity she'd done to his hair.  She just snickered at him behind one clawed hand.

"The girls are fiiighting~" Elesa crooned.  She had the audacity to laugh at the annoyed look Ingo sent her.  "Come on, come on.  I wasn't lying when I said I was hungry!  Are you going to join us, Lady?"  The last part was directed at Sneasler, who shook her head.

"Sneas, snelaur ease," she chattered, gesturing across the yard.  Clay was there, one hand tilting his hat back as he looked up the towering face of a rock wall.  In his other hand, a notebook was held open.  It was obvious he was referring to it as he examined the structure.  Ingo could see Hilda and Hilbert's Emboar and Samurott lounging around the base of the mini mountain, though there was no other sign of the teenagers.  They were probably already climbing around out of sight.

The twin's house had always had a lot of space, both inside and outside, for the myriad of large pokemon they owned and their needs.  It wasn't the same as the vast wilds, but having a small portion of their home designed for their needs ensured all of their pokemon were comfortable at home.  As such, Ingo and Emmet had insisted on having a rock formation built for Lady Sneasler, where she could climb and perch as her heart desired.  

Clay had insisted on helping with the endeavor.  However neither he nor Lady Sneasler ever seemed satisfied with the results, always adding and redesigning every chance they had together.  Today was no exception.

"You spoil her so," Elesa said as Lady Sneasler sauntered off.

"Says the queen of treats!" Emmet protested.

"Hm, guilty!"  She bumped her hip into Emmet to get them moving again toward a folding table that had been set up in the shade of a tree.  "Time to treat ourselves!"

"It is hardly spoiling her.  It is important to fulfill a pokemon's needs, especially if you have removed them from their home environment," Ingo said.  They settled themselves at the table, Elesa putting the food in the center before passing around plates.  "A responsible trainer must ensure that their pokemon have enough enrichment, along with having their food and training needs met.  A pokemon in an unsuitable environment is just as bad as an over trained or underfed pokemon!"

A fork was pressed into his hand, a portion of something steaming and mildly green on the end of it.  Ingo rather thought it was a spinach puff.

"Eat," Emmet insisted, a fork of his own waving around in emphasis.

Elesa placed a glass in front of him, full of something colorful and fruity.  It was orange at the bottom, gradually lightening to yellow at the top of the glass.  "Drink!  And be merry!" she cheered.  "Lemonade for the sourpuss," she added, putting another drink in front of Emmet.  He wrinkled his nose at her in annoyance, but pulled it closer to him to take a sip, ignoring the straw in the glass.

Ingo did not ignore the straw, and used it to take a sip of the sunset concoction.  Despite half-expecting it, there was no bitter alcoholic taste to the drink.  Just a strong tangy taste of Sitrus berry, with a sweet aftertaste of Pecha.  He took another, longer drink in delight.  It was so refreshing!

"Eat," Emmet repeated.  "You cannot survive on drinks alone, yup!"

"I can try," Ingo insisted, but dutifully popped the food he'd been provided into his mouth.  He couldn't keep the hum of pleasure in, reaching out and gripping at Emmet's coat in his free hand.  It was a flakey and savory as its appearance suggested, though he didn't think it was spinach as he'd first thought. He made a mental note to get the full rundown on what these dishes were later from Emmet.

"Ah, there you are!"  A new voice, loud and boisterous startled Ingo into twisting around.  Emmet turned with him.  Somehow Ingo knew Emmet only did so because Ingo had moved, not because he wanted to see who was behind them.  It was, he recalled, one of the things they'd do.  Always mirroring their twin to move in unison.  

Burgh gave a merry wave as he approached, coming around to the other side of the table to sit next to Elesa, across from Emmet.  

"Nice to see you, Ingo, Elesa," he greeted.  Then he set his elbows on the table and folded his hands, resting his chin on them as he grinned at Emmet.  "So, I heard you are looking for a certain pair of pokemon, that I might be able to help you with."

Emmet's grin was all teeth.  "That's right!  Who better to ask than the gym leader who specializes in bugs, after all!"

Burgh leaned back, waving a hand dismissively.  "Says the one who has filled his subway with adorable little Joltik.  Rumor is you bred them yourself."

"Of course," Emmet agreed. "I would not be satisfied until I had the perfect partner.  But I would never abandon all my little darlings along the way."

"Ah, so I can see why you didn't want to start another colony, and instead came to me," Burgh said in satisfaction.

"Yup!" Emmet agreed.  "I want a Shelmet and Karrablast.  I do not want already trained partners.  It is something for me and Ingo to do.  They must be good battle partners.  I would prefer them as eggs, but if not, newly hatched is good too."

"A well-bred pokemon lineage is not cheap, you know," Burgh countered.

Emmet narrowed his eyes.  "How much?"

Ingo caught Elesa's eye, and they both exchanged a grin as the two bug enthusiasts continued their discussion?  Bartering?  Whatever it was they were trying to accomplish.  There was delicious food to consume, so Ingo was content to leave Emmet to his scheming.

He took another sip from his straw, and was surprised when he got a gurgle of air instead of the sweet tang of his drink.  He clamped his teeth down on the straw in annoyance.  He hadn't realized he'd already finished it.  Chewing on the straw, he sighed, letting it go then pushing the empty glass away from him.  Well, he'd get another one later.  For now, he was content to enjoy the company of his brother and friends.  Plus, there was still plenty of food on the table for them to get through before another round would be required.

His eyes swept over the offerings, and he settling on a slice of fruit, topped with a soft cheese and wrapped in some thinly sliced meat.  It was a baffling combination, but somehow the flavors blended well into a tasty treat.  He chewed slowly as his attention was dragged back to the conversation.

"You've participated in Elesa's modeling shows before!  Why is that so different from posing for a portrait?"

"Elesa is my oldest friend.  Who has many blackmail material."

Burgh's eyes gleamed.  "If that's all it takes—"

"—Nope!"  Emmet crossed both hands in front of him.  "I will not give in to the dark side this time!"

It took a moment, but Ingo realized he'd stopped chewing.  Once he'd noticed, he was suddenly uncomfortably aware of the food in his mouth, and the way his throat was rebelling against the thought of swallowing.  No, not again.  Not now.  Everyone had gone through so much trouble for this gathering.  Ingo was not going to ruin it—

A drink was pushed into his hand, the straw slipping to one side as the ice in it moved around.  Ingo looked up at Emmet, who didn't even pause in his conversation with Burgh, just slid over on the bench to press his side into Ingo's.  The grounding feeling of the pressure against him settled Ingo's nerves.

Hesitantly, he raised the cup up, managing to get the straw between his lips.  A quick sip later, and it was like his brain fuzzed out for a moment.  He no longer felt like his throat was going to rebel, no longer noticed the texture of the food in his mouth.  It was so easy to swallow along with the drink.

"All good Ingo?" Elesa asked, drawing his attention.  She didn't seem bothered.  Had she not noticed?  

"Yes," he said.  "I apo—"

"Nope!" Elesa said, actually making a motion with her hand as if she were shutting his mouth.  His teeth clicked together as he obeyed the demand.

"More?" Emmet asked, tilting his head at the fruit snack.  "Or is it too much?"

Ingo looked down at his plate in consideration.  The episode had been so brief, and other than the brief spike of panic, he didn't feel at all bad.  The fact that Emmet had known exactly what to do warmed him at his core.  That, and he was still hungry, and still wanted to try all the variety of food his friends had gotten for him.

Instead of answering, he took another piece of fruit and popped it in his mouth.  There was no feeling of distress, no sensation of his throat closing up or his gag reflex being triggered.  It was as delicious as the first bite, all the better for it not having to mix with the lemonade drink as he swallowed it down.

"Hm, bravo!" Emmet said, taking one for himself.  He nudged the plate across so Burgh could take one as well.

"Yes indeed, an excellent choice," he gushed once he had taken a bite.  "So Ingo, you'd be willing to be my muse for a new art piece, wouldn't you?"

"Do not try to finagle my brother into your schemes!"  Emmet protested.  He snagged his drink back from in front of Ingo, taking a sip before returning to a spot between them.  He jabbed a finger accusingly at Burgh.  "I know how you art people work.  First it's 'oh it will only be a few pictures', then it turns into 'but Emmie, you must wear this outfit or the scene won't work!'  Nope.  I am onto you.  I will pay money, time, services, but I will not pose for a picture!"

Ingo sighed wistfully.  "A shame.  I came to appreciate having a recorded record of my time in Hisui, since I could not trust my own memory.  We will need to find another way to keep such memories."

"One picture for each bug!" Emmet said, once again pointing at Burgh.  "And no weird costumes!  Me and Ingo!"

"Done!" Burgh said, reaching over to shake Emmet's pointed hand gleefully.  When his eye caught Ingo's, Ingo winked mischievously.  Burgh let out a delighted laugh, but did release Emmet to flop back in his seat.

Emmet elbowed his side.  "I know what you are doing, brother."

"Then don't fall for it, brother," Ingo retorted easily.

"Incoming!"  A new voice interrupted their groups as Skyla came whirling in.  She settled a tray on the table, then starting taking the plates of food off and distributing into the empty space.  "And of course, a new drink for Ingie," she added as she took the sole drink off the tray and depositing it in front of Ingo.

"Ah, thank you."  Ingo tried to sound appreciative and not as baffled as he felt.  Skyla noticed though, and rolled her eyes good naturedly at him.

"You always finish your drink first.  One of these days you'll remember to save some, or at least get a new drink before you chow down again," she teased.  She leaned into Elesa side, batting her eyes up at the model.  "Feed me," she demanded.

As Elesa (looking utterly besotted) catered to her girlfriend, as Emmet turned back to Burgh to continue working out the details of their trade, as all around them family and friends and pokemon mingled, Ingo realized something.

This gathering was so unlike those he'd attended in Hisui.  There, they had been more festival-like, in celebration of some event, or a seasonal milestone.  The Pearl clan's celebrations were more formal, quiet affairs.  It was where people could make the more complex traditional foods, and where the bounty could be shared by all.  The Galaxy Team festivals were loud, boisterous affairs, but very impersonal.  Everyone would gather for the celebration, people would mingle, but it did not have the same sense of closeness that Ingo craved.  He had avoided those more, because of that.  He could deal with the quiet of the Pearl clan, but the noise of the Galaxy Team made him feel more alone afterwards.

Now he realized it was because he was missing both aspects.  The house was full of people and pokemon, and it was such a loud and lively gathering.  The people here, however, were people dear to him.  People who had helped him on his journey in the past, who were here to be with him on his journey into the future as well.  It was such a warm, welcoming feeling, so bright and full of joy.  

It felt like home.

(Ingo had been driven to near tears from laughing when Emmet had intercepted someone offering him one of those buns, by lunging forward to eat the dumpling directly from their hand in one bite.  The angry, muffled noises he'd made as he'd tried and failed to tell them off for the offense had been the source of teasing for many weeks to come.  Ingo knew, for whatever and however he could, that Emmet would always be there for him.)

[pigeon-noises]

Hi, just here to say your art EATS

Your style is so beautiful??? I love the way you draw people and faces??? I wish I could do it like that??? Do u have any advice. Or tips. Anything. Could be something dumb but I WANT TO KNOW

Hi! Thank you! And thanks for asking - I'm glad to hear that since faces/people are actually something I've struggled with for a long time (and I'm still learning + improving). I feel like style-wise, these days I tend towards some amount of realism + 20% stylization, so here's a couple general things that have helped me and that I've been trying to push in my drawings:

Vibes/Readability > Being Correct: I think I had a better time with art in general when I let go of getting things 100% anatomically correct in favor of getting the feeling how I wanted it? If this makes sense - studies can also be like this!

Reference pictures after initial sketch: Similar to above, I feel like I can get too stiff in what I'm drawing if I start with a ref, so I tend to loosely sketch out what I'm going for with exaggeration first, and then, if needed, take/find a ref after to clean up any parts that feel "wrong". Alternatively, look at the ref -> hide it -> sketch -> look at ref again -> correct only the parts you want to

Some Good People-drawing References, also:

miyuliart has some really good tutorials/books that I go back to now and again (their twt has more than their tumblr) since they feel really geared towards what artists actually struggle with instead of a giant overview. I like their expression/anatomy work especially

Figure Drawing: Design and Invention by Michael Hampton: My most beloved anatomy book - it does a great job of going from a looser big picture to the intricate details of things, but I like it most for one-off body part references while I draw

Hope that helps some!