#and I'm pretty sure that I missed a lot of them

[umamaki]

THE SWEETHEART GRIP

one way soldiers kept their loved ones close during battle was by inserting a photo of them under a clear grip of either plexiglass or acrylic on their pistols. this is known as the sweetheart grip.

l&ds sylus x reader

me finding out about anything: how can i make this about love and deepspace... and yes i am american. yes i still don't respect anyone involved in or supporting the military leave me alone.

divider

So... Sylus definitely has a sweetheart grip of you. On all of his guns, actually. And you're not even aware of it.

They're all his favorite photos of you. Pictures of you on dates, selfies you've posted on social media, polaroids he's taken of you after sex.

He's insanely adept at weapons assembly so of coursee all his stuff is custom. Takes them apart, adds tributes of you, puts them back together.

You know he STAYS strapped. Always has a gun on him, always has a piece of you with him. As if your souls are not literally bound together. Whatever. He needs a physical reminder I guess. Can't go anywhere without some sort of keepsake. Keeps him sane.

Likes keeping his weapons clean; never lets your image get bloody, wet, scratched, foggy. Carries around a cloth to wipe away at any imperfections. Would never ruin your picture like that. Spends a modest chunk of his day making sure they're clean to his liking. It's so canon, have you seen this man during the in-game study and work feature even??!

Looks at your pretty picture all the time. Whips out his gun as if it’s his phone. Professional meetings, philanthropy galas, you name it. Intimidates everyone around him in doing so, thinking he's gonna shoot them—not that they would say that to his face—but no. He simply misses your cute face. Just wants a reminder of who's waiting at home for him.

Looks at your picture while he aims his gun at someone's head. Asks himself if this is what you would want. Shoots them anyways lol. Uses his palm to cover your photo as he pulls the trigger, careful to not taint your darling image with his enemy's blood.

You're bound to find out. He doesn't hide the fact from you, doesn't flaunt it either, so it's a while before you do end up finding your face staring back at you whilst looking through his armory.

"Sylus, what is this?" You ask, holding up the pistol so he can see.

"It's you, do you like it?"

"Well yes, I can see that it's me. Why is my face on your gun? And why am I naked in this one?"

"Technically your face is on all of my guns, sweetheart. That one's just my favorite." As if it's the most obvious fact in the world.

"... You did this yourself?"

"Absolutely. Do you not like it?"

"It's not that, but..." he waits, then the last thing he would expect you to say comes from your mouth, "...can you do this to my guns?"

He laughs, booming and robust, "why? You want my nudes on your guns? You must like me a lot, huh?"

It's enough for you to give him a slap on his bicep. "Fine. Nevermind. Don't know why I even asked."

He's still laughing as he pulls you into his body. He tickles your stomach, turning your pout into your own set of giggles, "I'm teasing, sweetheart. You can use as many nudes of me as you want. Shall we begin now?"

He jolts his hips up to your body, catching you off guard. He's noticeably hard now, tent in his pants evident. You get the hint.

“Why wait when we’re already here?”

“That’s the spirit, sweetheart.”

[bunbun-mochi]

Queen of Onychinus IV

Sylus x MC (Fluff)

Warning: swearing, suggestive

Word Count: 3414, no proofreading

Preview: The amount of power Sylus holds, of course there will be people flocking toward him, wanting his attention. And some people wanted to be like him.

Note: Yes, I'm running out of titles and ideas.

Tagging: @madam8

I sat with Sylus in the back of a limousine while Luke drove. Sylus had his hand on my thigh, gently caressing up and down. He brought his hand from my knee and went awfully close toward my heat before going back to my knee again. I leaned on his shoulder, trying to catch a quick nap while hearing Luke and Kieran bickering in the front seats.

Sylus is going to negotiate with an influential family that is part of Onychinus. Recently, Sylus had been dissatisfied with them. First, they hadn't been presenting the protocores that he had been requesting, which led him to suspect that they had been selling his protocols and giving him knockoffs. Second, they had been selling some information about Onychinus to enemy families. Tonight, however, there is a banquet. A banquet for the rich and powerful is hosted by this traitorous family, trying to sell the protocores to them. And tonight, we are paying them a small visit. I tagged along because I couldn't miss the show.

The limousine slowly rolled to a stop. Sylus got out of the car first before giving me his hand. I took his hand and got out of the car. I wrapped my arm around his arm as he guided me to the banquet with Luke and Kieran following us behind.

The banquet had already started when we arrived. People were chatting and when the door opened, they looked with anticipation. Who could've arrived this late?

When Sylus showed himself, many people gasped and talked amongst themselves. I could see women batting their eyes, trying to get his attention.

"Hello, Mr. Sylus," a beautiful woman curtseyed. The way she dressed is certainly dress to please. Her dress is long and tight, outlining her curves. "I had heard a lot about you."

Sylus didn't even glace at her. He turned toward me and smiled, "I will go in first. Behave yourself here."

I pursed my lips, "I always behave myself."

Sylus softly chuckled, "Sure, sweetie. Whatever you say."

As soon as I let go Sylus' arm, that woman decided to throw herself at him. "Mr. Sylus," She tried to wrap her arms around his, but he quickly dodged. She scowled slightly before smiling again, "I'm free after this banquet, would you like to spend the night with me?"

When Sylus gave her the cold shoulder once again by walking toward the upstairs. The woman whipped her head around, glaring at me. I picked up a glass of champagne and smiled at her as if taunting her. She straightened her back, took a deep breath, and smiled back. She picked up a glass of red wine and walked toward me.

Ah, the classic humiliation. The "Pretend-to-trip-to-spill wine".

As she gets close enough, and of course, pretended to trip. I immediately caught her and the glass with just one arm, "Careful, miss. It would be a shame to ruin this pretty face of yours for simply tripping on your feet."

Her face immediately reddened as I heard snickers around me, mocking her. She quickly straightened up and tried to splash the wine on me and I quickly dodged, and she ended up splashing someone else behind me. I covered my mouth, "Oh, dear." And walked away while I heard her frantically apologizing to the person she splashed the champagne with.

I walked around the banquet, looking at the protocores. And sure enough, they are showing the real protocores that Sylus had requested. Around me, I can hear their whispers; they sure know how to not keep quiet.

"Is that her?"

"Sylus' wife, isn't she?"

"Isn't she just Sylus' plaything?"

"She sure act so arrogant after marrying to that demon."

The more I heard, the more my smile faded. N109 is rough, their mouth sure are poisonous. They can say all they want about me. However, the moment they talk shit about my husband... Should I ask Sylus to give each of them a lesson?

No.

I should give them a lesson.

I walked over to the group of girls gossiping about me. I flashed them an innocent smile. "May I join in the conversation?"

A woman wearing a green dress, faked smiled, "Sure, but we are talking about our families." Lies.

I smiled at her, "Of course."

Another woman covered her face with a fan and cleared her throat, "We are talking about the children we had and the amazing relationship we have with our husband."

I pretended to gasp, "Oh, is that so."

The woman looked at me with disinterest but still said to go ahead.

"If we are talking about families, I sure do know yours. Just like how your husband always goes to a certain club to check out the other ladies, if you know what I mean." I smiled as the woman looked at me, jaw dropped. "Better count your days, dear. I might decide to drop in sometime to show appreciation for what you said about my husband and I.

I was going to continue but I have a greater task at hand. I waved my hand, signaling Luke and Kieran to take all the protocores in this banquet today. Since Sylus paid them all, technically, it belonged to us.

As Luke and Kieran were getting the protocores, I walked up the stairs to join Sylus. I opened the door and saw Sylus sat with his back from me, holding a protocore, scowling at the man opposite of him. I walked in leisurely as if I owned this place.

The man, Evans, is the name that Sylus is currently talking to. He flashed me a dissatisfied look as if I ruined his deal. I ignored him and walked over to Sylus. His eyes immediately tore away from Evans as soon as I came into view. His eyes softened as I sat next to him and leaned closer toward him until his arm touched my chest. I crossed my leg, flinging my top leg over his and his hand immediately started gently caressing my thigh. I wrapped my arms around his arm, feeling his muscles. Sylus flashed me a playful glare as if to tell me to behave. I smiled at him innocently.

"Mr. Sylus?" Evans asked nervously as if he was scared to interrupt our time together. "What do you think?"

Sylus narrowed his eyes, "You hoped to continue your alliance with Onychinus yet you give me protocores that are below mediocre." He tosses the protocore aside. "This got to be the most offensive deal I ever got."

Evans gulps nervously, "How about this Mr. Sylus?" He gestured to his servant. "I have a better deal."

Sylus kept silent as if telling Evans to continue.

"As an Onychinus leader, I'm sure you needed an heir."

I glared at Evans while he glanced at me as if watching my reaction. Sylus scowled, "My personal life is none of your concern. I suggest you shut your mouth."

Evans smiled, "I'm sure you'll change your mind."

Sylus glared at Evans, deepened his scowl, "I'm sure I won't."

The door opened and a woman with a very revealing dress walked into the room. Her dress is so short, with a slight bend anyone can see her inner thighs. Her neckline is so short her cleavage is showing and her breasts look like it could spill out. Not only that, I can smell the perfume she is wearing. I can recognize that smell instantly. I had worn that a few times too for Sylus. Pheromone perfume.

Sylus didn't even give a single glance at the door, continuing to glare at the man. "I take back what I said. This," He gestured to the woman. "Is the most offensive offer I ever got." I slid my leg off his and let go of his arm. Sylus got up and walked closer to Evans. Evans quickly got up from his seat, trying to back away from Sylus. The height difference is making Sylus look down on Evans. He glowered down at Evans, "First, you offended me with these poor protocores while selling my protocores to others. I was going to give you another chance. Then you decided to offend my wife." His eyes glowered, holding back his thirst to kill.

Evans at this point is trembling, sweat rolling down from his temple to his chin. "M-m-mr. S-s-sylus, t-that w-asn't m-my i-inte-ention..."

Sylus cocked his head, "Then tell me, Mr. Evans. What is your intention?"

"W-well, I thought that since you and your wife had been married but no um... well no announcement was made so..."

"What makes you think I would ever announce this? Did you lose your brain elsewhere?"

"No, no, no, sir!"

"Or are you suggesting that my wife is unable to carry a child? So you suggest your own daughter?" Sylus grabbed Evans by the collar and brought him up, eye to eye. "Do you think your daughter is an item where you can just sell her however you want?" He tossed Evans across the room. "You don't deserve to be called a father."

As Sylus walked toward me, I uncrossed my legs and leisurely stood up. He wrapped his arms around me and immediately walked out the door without a second glance. He is furious.

Although angry, Sylus still gently led me down the stairs. Women around were giving him heart eyes. Everyone wants a piece of Sylus. Those people want his power and wealth. Little did they know, I'm an extremely greedy woman. I want him all to myself. They are not getting him. Not a single piece.

On our way back into the limousine, Sylus made a few phone calls. I already knew what was going to happen. Onychinus will confiscate everything Evans owned, paying back all the money that he scammed Sylus of. That included all the protocore he had. As soon as he hung up the calls, several black cars screeched to a stop. Several members of Onychinus had flooded the mansion.

Sylus and I hopped into the back of the limousine. Luke and Kieran hopped into the front seats and started driving. I glanced at Sylus before looking at the minibar in front of me. Does Sylus want children? If I really am not able to conceive a child, would he find someone else to conceive with?

Sylus' large hands covered my own, so gentle and warm. "I know what you're thinking. Don't."

I looked up at Sylus, "But-"

Sylus leaned in and kissed me. "Don't overthink."

I frowned, "Do you want children?"

Sylus smiled, "Only if you want to."

"But I'm asking you."

"And my answer is based on yours. If you don't want one, then I don't want one either."

"What if I can't have one?"

"Onychinus doesn't need an heir. The dominant one leads and the weaker ones submit. I much rather my children not deal with this. Besides, once I finish my end, I would want to settle down and just spend the rest of my life with you."

"And if I do want children?"

"Then I shall do my best to fulfill my wife's wish and build myself stronger to protect you and them."

I smiled, "Thank you."

"Anytime, love."

I quietly slipped out of bed as Sylus quietly snoozed beside me. The sunlight is peaking from the edge of the curtains. I took a quick shower and got dressed, covering as many red spots and bite marks that were littered on my body from the activities that Sylus and I had done last night.

I walked out of our shared bedroom and saw Mephisto perching on a statue outside. He cawed as if asking where I would be going. I patted his head, "Tell Sylus I'll be back. I have some things to deal with."

Mephisto cocked his head as if saying that I should take him.

I smiled to myself. When did I start to understand Mephisto? "Be a good boy and stay with Sylus. I'll take Luke and Kieran."

Mephisto cawed sadly but listened to my command. I gently rubbed his chin which Mephisto gladly accepted, slightly closing his eyes as he enjoyed the feeling. "Good boy. I'll be back soon."

I walked through the corridors of the Onychinus main base with Luke and Kieran walking beside me. Sylus is at home, resting. Sylus hasn't messaged me yet which means he is still resting. I'm glad that he was able to get the rest he needs. I had finished what I needed to finish in the base and was on the way home. I tried to keep my profile as low as possible. Except trouble always comes to me.

"Have you heard, Sylus is in the main base!"

Sylus? I narrowed my eyes. Isn't Sylus at home, why would he be here?

I glanced at Luke and he shrugged.

"I hope we can get a glimpse of his wife! I heard he's bringing her as well!"

I paused. I understand now.

Even though there are a handful of people in Onychinus who know what Sylus looks like only the top rank, the one that Sylus trusts and the one who has influence on Onychinus. However, there is a large percentage of Onychinus who don't even know what Sylus looked like. So anyone can walk into Onychinus and claim to be Sylus and many would believe him, as long as this impersonator has a good enough confidence and aura around him that can convince them he is Sylus.

Even if the impersonator fooled those members of Onychinus who have never seen Sylus, all the valuable information about Onychinus are by the higher ranked. And those higher-ranked members all knew Sylus pretty well. Two of those high-ranked members are Luke and Kieran.

So in conclusion, the so-called Sylus that is in the main base right now isn't Sylus at all. Sylus impersonators are plenty. I had seen a few, but many wouldn't dare to impersonate him as he always brings bad luck.

Suddenly, a commotion behind be broke me away from my thought.

"Hey, move it!" Someone yelled.

I turned around and found a group of bodyguards shoving people aside. I glanced at Luke and Kieran. Talk about low profile...

"Hey, lady!" The bodyguard pointed his finger at me and yelled. "Move away."

I quickly grabbed Luke and Kieran and dragged them aside. Both of them looked at me as if saying "We could show him who's boss."

I scanned their crowd, trying to find who they were protecting and my eyes landed in the middle of the group. He was a small man, he is a bit taller than me by a few inches. I blinked a few times. This man claimed himself to be Sylus. How short he is and how small he is, he is like an extremely sorry version of Sylus, like someone who wanted to cosplay Sylus while not knowing who he looks like. I felt slightly offended for Sylus.

My eyes twitched once I saw the lady next to him. The way she acts and dresses, it is so obvious that she is a stripper who just got paid extra to walk around with this man. I felt even more offended. The interpretation of me in other people's eyes is so disgusting. The fact many thought that Sylus only married me for looks is making me sick.

I guess that small man saw me because he was talking toward me. The guards all told him not to and that I could be dangerous.

He refused to listen to the guards and walked toward me, "You look like an eye candy." I inwardly cringe at his poor attempt to flirt. "Want to come with me?"

I narrowed my eyes, "I'm married."

The man smirked, a horrible smirk really. "You'll change your mind once you know my name." He walked so close to me I could smell his disgusting breath on me.

I turned my head away, "No, I won't."

"Sylus."

I inwardly rolled my eyes. Of course he's going to say that. I raised an eyebrow, "You're Sylus."

'Sylus' nodded with pride.

"You're the most wanted criminal?"

'Sylus' placed his hands on his hip, "Yes."

"You. The most wanted criminal. The highest bounty on your head. You're Sylus."

'Sylus' had enough of my attitude, "One order and I can get you killed."

I shrugged, "Sure, go ahead. What are you going to do, Mr. Sylus?"

'Sylus' face is red with anger. "You bitch, watch your mouth."

"Right, right. Sorry, Mr. Sylus." I sarcastically said. "I have a meeting with your henchman, Luke and Kieran.

I can see Luke and Kieran snickering in the corner of my eyes.

"Sylus" smirked again, "No problem. They are here with me."

Their smile faded when he pointed behind him and soon enough, two masked men appeared. Except one man is slightly taller than the other and dressed very...colorful. It's almost as if they used the stereotype of mischievous teenagers and slapped those clothes on them. I quickly covered my mouth, trying not to laugh. I can sense the anger oozing from Luke and Kieran. They wanted to start a fight so bad.

I'm just surprised by how dumb this looked. This man sure did his homework, having both "Luke" and "Kieran" with him. I wanted to see how long they would stay in character. "That's more convenient for me. Since Luke and Kieran are here, why not start the meeting? Let's go to a meeting room?"

'Sylus' smiled confidently, as if being proud to convince everyone in Onychinus that he was Sylus. Luke and Kieran led him to the meeting room while he walked in front of the entire group with his army of bodyguards around him. I quickly took my phone out to take a sneak photo of those impersonators. I sent the picture to Sylus with a message saying "Hey, it's you!"

As soon as we walked to a secluded area, I spoke up, "Alright. The act's over. Who are you?"

Luke and Kieran stopped immediately and knocked all the bodyguards to the ground, dragging them one by one away, leaving 'Sylus' and his wife and henchman. I walked toward them. "You're not Sylus."

I can feel the fear of those four people. 'Sylus', however, is still trying to pretend to be Sylus until the very end. "Y-you got nerves to ask me that."

I smirked, "No, you got the nerves to infiltrate Onychinus base. That means someone helped you to get in here." I leaned against the wall. "Someone is betraying Onychinus. Tell me the names and I'll let you go."

The stripper is the first to break. She started sobbing and tried to explain herself, but her broken sobs and hiccups were making it hard to understand her. However, no useful information from her.

"Sure, keep your mouth shut as much as you want. Just know it won't be pretty when I start using force against you three." And that didn't take long before they started to give me names.

I smiled sweetly at them as soon as they finished, "Thank you all, that been a great help."

I pushed myself off the wall and walked back to the corridor.

A voice called behind me, "Who are you?" I turned around to see "Sylus" standing there trembling.

I smirked at him, "Sylus."

Sylus groaned before opening his eyes, adjusting to the dimly lit bedroom before turning to his side only to find the bed empty. He sighed and reached for his phone on the nightstand. He unlocked his phone and smiled when his wife sent him a couple messages only to frown once he saw the message consisted of a picture of a man with a message saying "Hey, it's you!"

He scowled at the picture. A short man in his forties. Sylus' eyebrow twitched. Sure, he didn't think he was dashing, but he surely looked better than him! Does his wife think he looks that poor?

What is the meaning of this?

It didn't take long for his wife to respond.

I didn't know you had so many imposters. I'm starting to doubt you're actually Sylus.

Sylus huffed playfully before sending another message to his wife

You caught me. I'm actually Skye.

He can already picture his wife giggling at his message. He slowly got out of bed as the sun slowly set on the horizon. As other people's day ended, his day just got started.

Dividers, headers, banners, and templates used on this post are from @uzmacchiato

[cainluvr69]

"Say Aah!" Cain SSR Card Story - The Pinnacle of Deep Frying

Cain: Whew, we sure have walked a lot. Master Sage, you're not too worn out, are you?

Akira: I'm okay. I am getting a little hungry, though…

Cain: I'm definitely feeling it, too. I'm pretty sure I saw a food stall back down that alley. Let's go check it out.

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: Mm, is that smell oil…? Then this stall must be…

Shopkeeper: Welcome, welcome! Step right up!

Cain: Hey, whatcha selling here?

Shopekeeper: "What," you ask… Well, that's a bit rough to answer. Might as well say anything, 'cause I'll deep fry anything!

Cain: …Anything, you say?

Shopkeeper: Eeyup. I'll fry whatever you want, dear customers, and then give it to you. What do you two want? I'll fry it up for you!

Cain: So, really anything? You've got a hell of a business model. Then I'll take a nice juicy cut of bacon!

Shopkeeper: You got it. And for you?

Akira: Umm, I guess I'll take a veggie or two.

Shopkeeper: Gotcha, one nice cut of bacon and our finest vegetables! Both together will be 300 yen.

Cain pulled out his wallet, and as he handed it over, he very casually and naturally touched the stall owner's hand.

Shopkeeper: Alright, now sit back 'n watch!

The shopkeeper grinned and popped a thick slice of bacon and a nougat yam into his pot of oil.

Cain: Man, I love deep fried stuff. I totally get wanting to deep fry anything and everything you can.

Akira: You sure have done that whenever you got the chance, as I recall…

Shopkeeper: Oh, that right? I feel like you 'n me could get along, kid! Here ya go, deep fried to perfection. Here's your bacon.

Cain: Thank you. …Well, don't mind if I do. Damn, that's good! Gimme another!

Shopkeeper: Ahaha! You practically inhaled that thing. Well, gimme just a second. Here's your nougat yam.

Akira: Thank you very much. Now, let me try it…

Mithra: What is that?

Akira: Oh!

Mithra suddenly appeared next to me and snatched my yam out of my hand.

Mithra: Chomp munch. How disappointing. My burnt charcoal has much more impact.

Cain: Hey man, you can't just show up and start picking a fight like that. And while I'm at it, that was the Sage's, not yours.

Mithra: It's their fault for letting their guard down. Besides, they should have something much tastier, with much more impact. In fact, it's terribly inconsiderate of them that they didn't consider doing this.

Akira: (That's an absolutely wild thing to just say like that…)

Shopkeeper: Impact, you say… Well, I guess it's possible that focusing so much on my deep frying means I let flavor fall by the wayside. I ain't as popular as some of the other stalls around here, and I don't get much in the way of feedback, so thank ya kindly for being so upfront about it.

Cain: Mister… Hey, would it be alright if I helped you with your shop?

Shopkeeper: Huh…?

Cain: We're comrades in the art of deep frying. I want to learn whatever I can from you.

Shopkeeper: Well, I'd appreciate the help. Welcome to the team.

Cain: Nice! Well then, let's get right to it… Do you think trying to put more flavor into the coating?

Akira: That sounds like it might be a good idea. Since deep fried food can be a little hard on the stomach, how about mixing in something nice and refreshing? Like how karaage usually comes with lemon slices…

Shopkeeper: I see, I see… Well, let's give it a try!

✦✧☾✧✦

Shopkeeper: And done! Some lightly fried vinegar fish, ready to serve! I added some ultramarine lemon juice to the batter. Here, try it!

Cain: Here we go…

Akira: Thank you very much.

The three of us took a bite of our respective fried fish.

Akira: (…Th-this is…)

Cain: Damn, that's sour!

Mithra: This is much more stimulating, though lightly frying it was unnecessary in my opinion.

Akira: It definitely packs a punch now, but maybe we could make it a little bit more…mellow…?

Cain: We're definitely going in the right direction. There's still something missing, but we're almost there…to peak deliciousness… I know! Mithra, we top this with that secret sauce of yours?

Mithra: Secret…? Oh, you mean this.

Mithra pulled a bottled labeled MAGIC SAUCE out of thin air.

Shopkeeper: Wh-where'd you pull that from…?!

The shopkeepers eyes went wide, and Cain and I frantically exchanged glances.

Akira: (We're in Eastern Country, so it'd be really really bad if it gets out that they're wizards…!) H-H-He's really good at sleight of hand type tricks! This guy, master of stage magic! He loves to surprise people so he always keeps a bottle up his sleeve, if you know what I mean!!

Cain: Yeah, yep! He always pulls it off so cool and casual, right?!

Mithra: What are you two talking about? This is basic magi--momph.

Cain: Anyways, moving on! The sauce he's got here tastes amazing on everything. Wanna give it a try?

Shopkeeper: On everything, you say? Is there really a sauce out there like that? Sounds downright magical.

Mithra: Of course it does. This is my handmade universal sauce.

Cain: C'mon, try it out.

At Cain's urging, we all put some of the sauce onto our fried fish.

Akira: (It's so good. Yakiniku sauce coming in clutch once again…)

Shopkeeper: Th-this flavor…! Y-you gotta tell me! How do I make this sauce?!

Mithra: You can't.

Shopkeeper: Why not?!

Mithra: Because you're nothing but a human--

Cain: Uhhhhhhhh hey! It's actually because the ingredients are really hard to get! It's a real specialty product!

Shopkeeper: Oh, I see… Then would you be willing to part with some? I'll pay you, I've got cash!

Mithra: I refuse. Making more of it would be such a bother.

Shopkeeper: No… It was such a vivid, perfect flavor…

Cain: Well, here's my thought. Why not try to make your own version of it? You're a chef, and you've got a lot experience with, y'know, eating things and examining the flavors, right? I'm sure you can rediscover this sauce's flavor.

Akira: I'd like to help you in this endeavor, too!

Shopkeeper: Well, ya got me. Let me try my hand at it!

✦✧☾✧✦

Shopkeeper: I think I've gotten the base flavor pretty close… What do you think?

The sauce the shopkeeper made certainly looked like Mithra's universal sauce. As for the flavor…

Cain: Mm, something's missing, I think.

Mithra: Yes. Something definitely is.

Akira: I think maybe it's that it's not, like, thick enough? But just a little thicker might be perfect…

Shopkeeper: You sure are eloquent, kiddo. I want to keep you as my taste tester!

Akira: M-me?!

✦✧☾✧✦

We ended up trying several different variations of sauces on different deep fried foods in a lengthy process of trial and error. At some point, Mithra got bored of stuffing himself with fried foods and wandered off.

Shopkeeper: Alright, next up is fried macaroni stalks! Still good to try it?

Akira: Yes. …Here goes. (The sauce counteracts the macaroni stalks' bitterness, but it still feels like something's missing…) (And I've eaten so many things, my stomach feels like it's going to burst…)

Cain: …

Cain glanced over at me with my hand on my belly, and licked a drop of sauce off of one of his fingers.

Cain: Why not add some kind of oil? Like, a climactic oil versus oil battle. You know, like how deep frying stuff plain in butter is really good.

Shopkeeper: No batter, just butter… Damn, I think you might really be onto something here!

Cain: I think the actual flavor of the sauce is spot-on at this point. Other than that, we just need to finish ironing out the proper mellowness and then we're done.

Akira: I think adding some extra oil would be good, too…

The shopkeeper added a few drops of his special, flavorful oil and mixed it in…

Akira: Alright, time for a taste… Mm! This is it!! (This smell, this flavor, it's spot-on yakiniku sauce!) This is it, this is it…! It's a little different from Mithra's magic sauce, but it's really close…this is the universal sauce!

Shopkeeper: Really?!

Cain: You did it!

Shopkeeper: I gotta thank that lad that let me taste this in the first place!

Cain: We'll be sure to tell him.

Shopkeeper: Thank ya kindly. I was so focused on perfecting the art of frying that I forgot to pay attention to the flavor, even though that's what I should've been thinking about if I wanted to make this place more successful. Y'know, I was just about at the end of my rope, thinkin' there was just no helping that I wasn't getting customers since I only deep fried things, but as a fellow afficionado of all things deep-fried…you've given me hope.

Cain: I mean, what else was I gonna do? I'm already looking forward to the next time we come out to this neck of the woods and I get to drop by your stall again.

Akira: Same here. We'll be sure to remember you.

Shopkeeper: And I, you! I'll prepare a deep fried full course meal for you any day!

Akira: (Thank goodness, Cain looks really satisfied, too…!)

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: (But, my gosh, I feel full… I guess we went a little too crazy with the fried foods…)

Cain: You okay, Master Sage?

Akira: Yeah. Just thinking I might've overeaten a little…

Cain: How about we find something light to eat to give your palate a refresher?

Akira: ?! N-no, I'm okay! I feel like if I eat anything else, I'm going to pop… But thank you for the thought.

Cain: Haha. Don't worry, I was just joking. Sorry for making you part of that whole escapade.

Akira: Oh, no, I enjoyed it! Trying to figure out the ingredients for the perfect sauce was really fun.

Cain: I'm happy to hear that. Mithra's special sauce was a big help, but so was your spot-on food reviews.

Akira: I'm really happy that shopkeeper ended up pleased with the results, too.

Cain: Yeah. I hope the next time we come by, that stall's got a big line in front of it.

Akira: And I'll make sure that I don't eat too much…!

Cain: Ahaha, good plan!

****TL Notes: karaage is a type of fried chicken, but distinct enough from what most english speakers picture when they think of fried chicken that i left it as-is. squeezing a lemon slice over it or adding a few drops of vinegar really makes it pop. yakiniku is grilled meat that's typically done over a charcoal stove and topped with, indeed, a particular savory sauce.

Training Episode: The Deliciousness of Killing Two Birds with One Stone!

Akira: Cain? What are you doing in the kitchen?

Cain: Oh, Master Sage. I was craving some good ol' deep fried good and was just about to whip something up. You want any?

Akira: Fried food cravings…?

Cain: Ever since we helped out that fried food stand back in the Town of Blue Scales, I've been wanting to branch out and try deep frying more stuff.

Akira: We sure did eat a lot of fried foods then…

Cain: That said, I still haven't found anything that beats deep fried butter. So there's just this lack of satisfaction I can't get rid of… Can you think of anything good to try? Something unexpected!

Akira: Something delicious, but unexpected… How about ice cream?

Cain: Ice cream…? That's definitely out of left field. Wouldn't it melt if I tried to deep fry it?

Akira: I'm pretty sure there's something you can do to make sure it doesn't melt…

Cain: I see… Well then, let's embark upon a journey to fell the mystery of deep fried ice cream! Eating something warm and cold at the same time is really efficient. Two birds, one stone!

Akira: But if I can't remember how to do it, it's going to take us a long time to figure it out on our own…

Cain: You don't need to force yourself to or anything.

Akira: Huh?

Cain: You know I like spending time with you, Master Sage.

[thezombieprostitute]

Your Champion: Introductions

Summary: Former boxing champion Steve Rogers gets a new life as a collector for the mob.

A/N: Inspired by a tag I received from @alexakeyloveloki

A/N2: Part of the Yours AU.

Warnings: Implied abuse, Violence. Please let me know if I missed any! There will be non/dub con later in the series.

"It's not what you know, it's who you know" is one of the biggest truths in Steve's life. He was in and out of trouble pretty much every day of his life until he met up with Fury. Fury got him off the streets and into the ring. He became a champion. And he couldn't be bought.

That's how he met Bucky. Bucky was an up-and-comer in a new gang that was steadily building power. He'd made a lot of money betting on Steve. He regularly bet on him when he'd learned that Steve was approached by other gangs, trying to rig the match, but had thrown them all out on their ass. Bucky respected that.

Unfortunately the representatives of those other gangs didn't care for how they were treated. Steve was ambushed, taking a major beating, and a couple bullets, that left him unable to ever fight in the ring again.

When he was healed up, Bucky offered him a job as a collector. Easy money, easy work, and he'd be taken care of. Nick liked that Steve was a man of integrity and approved the hiring. Steve was the one that took some convincing. Only after he was shown how Fowler was investing money in actually taking care of the community, that protection money actually got people protection, did he agree to the job.

Soon he learned another benefit of the job: he could punch bullies and abusers without reproach.

Which is how he met you.

Your father was a gambling addict and a thief. If you'd ever had anything of value it'd been stolen and pawned off to fuel his bad habits. Every penny you made working at the grocery store had to be spent on food and bills before he remembered it was payday. If he even thought you were holding out on him he'd fly into a rage. You couldn't afford any more hospital visits so you had to give him what he wanted.

You were making your nightly meal of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a small yogurt, your biggest meal of the day, when the door suddenly burst in. You screamed in surprise as your father shouted and started to get out of his recliner. He'd barely gotten out of his chair before he was pushed back down by a tall blond man. You curled up into a ball, too scared to do anything.

"You owe Fowler a lot of money," the blond tells your father.

"I can pay it, I promise! I've had a lucky streak---" Your father is cut off by a backhand to the face. You whimper as you see the blood from his split lip.

At the sound the blond turns to you. "Who are you?"

You manage to stutter out your name.

"You his girl?"

"His daughter."

"You want her? Take her!" your father is quick to add. "Take her to pay off my debts!"

You don't have time to register your father's words before the blond punches him so hard the recliner falls back. You start crying out of fear, covering your eyes, wishing you could just be invisible like you were to everyone else.

The blond crouches down so he's eye level with you. He's cooing, "it's okay. You're not in trouble. You're not gonna get hurt here. He'll never lay another hand on you, I promise." He takes your hands away from your face and gets a good look at you. "You work at Pete's grocery, don't you?"

Surprised, you can only nod.

"I've seen you working there," he confirms. "You work hard. Lotta hours from what I hear." Looking around the meager apartment he looks back to you, "I'm guessing he gambles it all away?"

Again, you can only nod.

He holds out his hand to you, "I'm Steve, by the way. I'm going to make sure you never have to worry about anyone like your father ever again."

Tagging: @alicedopey; @darsynia; @delicatebarness; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @irishhappiness; @lokislady82; @ronearoundblindly; @thiquefunlover63

[falling-star-cygnus]

i've been rooting around the wbk fandom and manga for a little over a week now, and i've made a few posts just about some observational things, sooo now i feel a wee bit more comfortable posting something more indulgent :3 -> it's like leveling up in a video game, where you gotta learn the controls for the first 10-15 levels until you can participate in the fun stuff T^T

Nirei, Sakura, and Suo's dynamic is so very, very adorable. i wish more people talked about how cuddly they are with each other 😭

Nirei Akihiko and Suo Hayato's Top Secret Guide to Being a Grade Captain's Charger Or, Sakura Haruka's Emotional Support Vice Captains

"You guys ever notice..." Anzai starts.

The small group of first years' gaze is drawn over one by one. First to Anzai, and then green, brown, amber, and red eyes pulled to the shwip of the door opening.

This early in the day, the people entering and leaving didn't cause much fanfare. Sure, you might perk up when you saw your friend, get giddy to share news that couldn't be conveyed properly over text, but all in all it wasn't really anything out of the ordinary.

A freckled blond strolls in.

"...that Nirei gets away with a lot more than we do?"

With his hand wrapped around Sakura Haruka's upper arm.

The group of four feels an irrational swell of jealousy, one that they’ll deny to their graves.

It wasn't like Anzai was wrong, even if it was an unwanted dose of reality. Out of all of them, Nirei- whether it be because of his puppy like energy or his position as one of Sakura’s first friends- always seemed able to squeak into contact with their bristly captain without his alarm bells going off.

Seriously.

It was impressive, actually, Kiryu had tried to brush some of his darker hair out of his face once- buut Sakura hadn't seen his hand coming until it was right in front of his nose. Both of them had frozen at the resulting flinch, as dishearteningly natural as it was.

Kiryu didn't really let it deter him, though. Sakura's hair was really soft. Anzai would know, considering he got a face full of it when he tackled him that first day. Also positive reinforcement 'n conations 'n all that.

Anyway- honestly, the only one that even came close to Nirei's level of allowed tactility was..

“Oh? What makes you say that, Anzai-kun?” Suo asks, smiling like they couldn't all see how he tightened his grip on his wrist. 

Greedy bastard. At least Nirei was practically impossible to hate.

And Suo got away with blatantly staring at their grade captain's pretty features, so Anzai thinks he really shouldn't be complaining.

"Why're you actin' like that, you get his attent-"

“I told you, it’s fine!” Sakura is huffing at the blond, unintentionally interrupting as the two came closer, “It’s not even that deep.”

“It could still get infected-”

The attention shifts again, this time to the hand hidden inside the bicolored boy's pants pocket.

"Hmm? Did Sakura-chan get hurt on his way here?" Kiryu questions, shifting closer as Nirei starts talking with Suo [eh, somethin' about missing him this morning?]- though the blond's hand slips down to his captive's elbow instead of entirely letting go.

"Wh-? As if! Nire- he's overreacting!"

Annd there's that familiar blush, rosy down to Sakura's accusing finger. ....is that healthy? It's cute, no doubt, but are hands supposed to blush? They're not, right?

Eh, Anzai will ask Nagato later. It's been a while since they hung out one on one.

"No, I'm not! You're- mmph!?"

"Shut up, shut up! It's not important!"

With Sakura's hand clamped [gently, oh so gently, everyone notes] over his vice's mouth, Nirei can't do much more than make some worriedly frustrated noises. He's still clinging to their bristly captain's arm, as if trying to pry out the injured hand into the open through sheer force of will, and-

"DID YOU JUST LICK ME!?"

"YOU WEREN'T GONNA LISTEN OTHERWISE!"

...they're rowdy this morning.

Suo, the asshole, is just watching with an elatedly amused curve to his eye- like observing a ping pong match.

Unnoticed by everyone, the desk the group was gathered around contained one slowly rousing Sugishita. Well- they knew he was dozing there, but none of them really knew how long he'd been listening. Or awake.

Had he been awake the whole time?

It'd clearly been long enough regardless, because he reaches his lanky arm up- perfectly level with Sakura's pocket in his slouched malaise- and lifts the bicolored captain's hand into view. Like a princess.

The result is near instantaneous.

Like a feral cat, Sakura throws himself backwards and out of Nirei's hold with a startled screech- kinda adorably reminiscent of a tuxedo arching it's back and hissing- but he doesn't really get far when Sugishita shifts his grip to his wrist to keep him from bolting.

....and Sakura's wrists were really small.. or maybe the blue haired fanatic's hands were really big? He only had to use his pinkie and thumb to completely loop around it.

Both could be true.

Also wow. Their relationship really had changed since Noroshi.. it still couldn't really be considered friendly, of course, but...

Hey, wait a second-

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?" Anzai balks in pure astonishment, finally registering the absolutely demolished knuckles of his grade captain. They're practically skinned to the bone!

Seriously, they're horrific looking- skin is literally dangling off in places.

Sakura squirms, concerningly red in the face and heaving in the chest as he tries to free his hand, but Suo maneuvers his way behind him to gently grab his shoulders.

"Calm down," he cajoles, ever the greedy, soothing gentleman, "We're just worried, Sakura-kun, no one wants to hurt you."

...right.

Maybe they were coming on a bit too strong. Sakura's trust in them was still a fragile thing, barely planted with a bud as new as spring flowers and... ah, Sugishita could do this metaphor better. Something, something, too much water and fertilizer at once?

Point is- they had to go slow. A little at a time.

"I- I knew that," their captain bristles defensively, his raised shoulders lowering as Nirei wraps himself around his arm again, "I just- I wasn't expecting to get grabbed-"

"Eh? But didn't Nire-chan and Suo-chan grab you just now?" Kiryu cuts in, returning from wherever he had disappeared to [Anzai feels a little bad for not noticing his departure] with a roll of bandages and cleaning solution.

Unsurprisingly, that just makes their captain flush darker.

"That-! That's different-"

Oh?

Anzai grins.

"Reeeally?" he leans close, but takes care not to brush against him just yet- there's already three people touching his bristly captain, and five in total crowding him- "Why is that?"

Distantly, he wonders if they make cosmetics in the color Sakura is turning. Maybe Tsuchiya would want some..

"They're-"

"Special?" Kiryuu heckles lightheartedly, leaning over Sugishita to gently pat the cleaning solution into the cuts.

Sakura doesn't even flinch. Anzai's chest squeezes again.

"H-Hey! Don't put words in my-"

"Aww, Sakura-kun. We're touched," because, of course, Suo had to rile him up even further, "We are your vice captains, after all. It makes sense."

Smug bastard.

"It's not like that- You volunteered for that role!" Sakura continues to deny, getting dangerously close to overheating, "You two just- don't... count. For some reason."

...he doesn't even realize.

He doesn't even realize!

Anzai has never been so jealous in his fucking life-

Nirei squeezes their grade captain's arm closer with sparkles in his big brown eyes, "Sakura-san..."

"So how did your knuckles end up like that anyway?" Anzai butts in, forcing his gaze to where Kiryu was gently taping the gauze down.

Sugishita was still holding Sakura's wrist still, but at least the limb wasn't trembling anymore. Still stiff as wood, though, but progress is progress so he'll keep his mouth shut.

Their grade captain goes silent- his ahoge practically crinkling from the heat emanating from his face.

The four look to Nirei.

"Ah, Sakura-san.." he prompts, patting his captive's elbow, "You should be the one to tell them!"

Suo squeezes his shoulders, curious himself.

Sakura stays silent.

"I bet it'll make them reeeally happy!"

....maybe the blond was more devious then they all thought.. or maybe Suo was just rubbing off on him too much. Either way, their captain relents the slightest bit.

"There was... a fight."

"Yeah.. we figured." Anzai can't help but deadpan.

And then he wants to kick himself, because Sakura was sharing and if Anzai was the one that made him retreat back into the shell everyone was trying to crack, then he'd never forgive himself-

Sugishita kicks his ankle for him. Which- surprising, but also fair.

"They were- saying shit. About Kiryu," it's honestly a miracle Sakura hasn't ground his teeth to dust yet, "'...'n Suo.... and Sugishita.."

Their bicolored captain raises his injured hand to the back of his head- out of Sugishita's surprise loosened grip- and ruffles up the strands as he attempts to glare holes into the edge of the desk. His face is as pink as his namesake.

"And you," Nirei tacks on, but Sakura just shakes his head.

"I don't care about that, they can say whatever they want about me- I'm used to it."

He shouldn't have to be used to it, they all think bitterly.

"But they don't know you guys," Sakura bulldozes before any of them can say as much, "It just- pissed me off."

That seems to be his limit, because as soon as that final word rings out he's whirling around hiding his face in Suo's shoulder. The eyepatched bastard is caught so off guard that it shows on his face.

"Oh my," he says, tentatively resting his hands on his captain's shoulders, and then he smiles again... all soft and unslimy-like that it's a little off putting, "So our dear Sakura-kun was defending our honor~ How sweet."

Sakura defended them.

Unlike his usual backhanded compliments, this one from Suo sounds so genuine.. Suo, Kiryu, hell even Sugishita look a little awed in different ways- though the blue-haired fanatic looks pissed about it a second later and puts his head back down against his desk. Kiryu pats his shoulder consolingly, clicking a million photos away on his phone of their bashful captain.

...Anzai'll have to pester him for some of those later.

Sakura weakly punches his vice's shoulder, his knuckles bright pink [seriously, is that healthy?] and his ears much the same.

Maybe they still had to go slow with their affection, still had to ween the bicolored boy off the loneliness that plagued him like an addiction, but the rewards were more than worth it.

How anyone could look at Sakura and not want him in their lives was a concept that Anzai couldn't grasp at all.

Sakura Haruka, the boy who jumped fist first into protecting those who couldn't- their grade captain that wanted all of them to be safe and made himself literally sick with worry after everything with Keel.

How could anybody not love him?

How could his old town look at him, truly look at him, and not want to crawl into his skin to make a home?

It was their loss, now, regardless.

Sakura Haruka belonged to Makochi.

And Makochi was greedy enough to want him all to themselves.

[pizza-soup]

Hey! Just wanted to do an update for the new year!

Sooo, what have I been up to? A lot actually!

First off, I'd like to introduce a new member to my household, her name is Lucky, and I found her on an urbex trip last year as a tiny thing, and looked how gorgeous she is as an adult!

Those markings are pretty neat, huh? She's looks just like a Maneki Neko, all that's missing is a red ribbon and koban coin. She has such a sweet, affectionate personality, she is surprisingly very open to strangers giving her attention, and she loves water! Yeah, she plays in water! She has zero fear of it and likes playing with the sink faucet or laying on my shoulders when I soaking in the bath. I think it stems from me taking her out to the garden with me in the summer when I was watering the plants, the puddles cooled her off.

Speaking of gardening, I have two new trees. Ginkgos! My great aunt had one in her front yard, these are the babies. Since it's way too cold to plant them directly into the ground, they're currently in pots. I want them to grow just a bit larger before transplanting them.

And yes, that's Sol posing by the new trees! Look how handsome he is now! I'm glad he and his sister took in Lucky as an honorable sibling, I think she'd be very lonely otherwise. Stella has also grown up to be beautiful, and likes sharing her bed with Lucky. Orion doesn't like her though. Lol but he tolerates her so long as she doesn't get too close.

My health is better, thankfully. While I think I'll always have hypotension now, my doctor and I found a setup that works to keep it at bay. I have to watch my activity level and learn to rest properly (exercise can cause BP to drop fast), and stay hydrated with electrolytes daily. I have to set reminders though, since Im so bad at remembering. So far I haven't had any relapses for 7 months. I've also oddly lost a lot of weight, I thought it was suspicious, but my doctor said I'm actually at my BMI and the weight loss was gradual. My records show it was within a normal time range. Idk it felt so sudden to ME, but maybe I didn't notice it until recently. Eh. My sense of time isn't the best. Whatever the case, I was told to keep doing whatever I'm doing.

Work is... just as weird as always! Lol to the point it's kind of not weird for me anymore, I've gotten used to the strangeness of it. My brother however never got used to it. He actually quit working for the labs, not because it scared him off but because he finally got his major finished and he is working in an observatory down south. I'm proud of him! Space has always been a big interest for him, and the space science here in NM is growing!

As for creating, I've been busy writing two fanfics on Ao3. One is a Pokemon story, Come What May, and another is an alternate take on the classic Disney film, The Little Mermaid, called Candle on the Water. They're pretty long, my Pokemon fic is currently topping 20 chapters! I'd really appreciate if more people read them. Give em a little love. It's not the best work ever, but I'm kinda proud of them. They were written when I was struggling with a lot of self doubt and mild Imposter Syndrome. I'm working on being more gentle to myself and not letting perfectionism sabotage me or stop me from creating, and I'm kinda seeing that effort pay off bit by bit.

I've also been doing some song covers. I'm not sure if I'm confident in sharing those yet, but I've gotten a lot of encouragement from my family and my brother's friend who has been letting me borrow his music studio for recording sessions. Maybe I'll post one song if it's requested. I have three covers so far and they're all Evanescence. XD

Its been a very peaceful time for me, I got a raise last November and it's been nice. I've been treating myself to stationery and home decor. I splurged a bit and got two gaming devices from Anbernic, and have been modding my 3DSXL. Because screw gaming companies and their paywalling/microtransactions. It's time we start actually owning our games again, including media like music and movies.

I think this year is going to focus on retro media for me. CDs, DVDs, cassettes and vinyls. I've been rediscovering my collection in the garage and learning to maintain/fix my devices. Because while I do enjoy my modern media, I like the thought of having offline backups should I not have access to it later.

And my old school stuff takes me back to my summer days in school when I couldn't wait to get home to play my Gameboy while listening to my CDs, reading comics, or doodle and write short stories in my notebooks, or make zines with my friends. That might be something to revisit this summer.

I hope everything has been going well for you all, and if not, I hope it will soon. I may just return to this year, but probably gradually. I missed you all, and I miss sharing bits of my life here with you.

Take care! 💕

[autisticlalna]

recently in the sbk community discord: leon, is the moon big?

its been a while since ive done one of these, whoops. im still pretty tired, but something pretty interesting is going on i wanna make sure everybody's caught up on.

it starts a little bit before Leon's episode 16, "Something is VERY WRONG on the Skyblock Kingdoms SMP..." when we got a sudden teaser:

uh oh, gamers.

the discord jumps on checking Leon's namemc and get a better look at his tattered skin:

(^ courtesy of Aces! also this, which is not relevant but makes me laugh):

what with the end of the season on the horizon, the telescope, and Leon's physical state, we jumped straight to Moon Big jokes. then, another teaser:

what's it?

oh, frig, the Stronghold book. remember that thing?

fun fact: in an Avid stream i don't have energy to track down the clip of (7/18/24), he mentioned he was the one that wrote it OOC. i don't remember what else he said about it, but it's still around and is being kept at spawn. neat.

then Leon's premiere goes up and Rex notices something in the description.

out-of-body experience?

finally, the premiere itself.

One chilly, rainy evening. I had just finished admiring my pile of diamond tools. Before calling it a night, I decided to head upstairs and sit by the fire for a while. Rest the bones, warm the feathers, yaknow. When all of a sudden... A gust of wind, a burst of flame! Then, nothing. I blacked out.

[phantom screech] One quick thing before I go--

This wasn't like with the chorus fruit. This was very, very different. When I came to, I had this feeling of dread, of- of fear and- and paranoia, that I just couldn't shake. Constantly in my mind, constantly, I couldn't stop thinking: Something out there is.. watching.

and then his speech at the end.

I know you're out there. Fool me twice, shame on me, I'm not falling for this again! You got me before, but this time I'm standing my ground. I love this world and the people in it, and I swear on every fiber of my being you are not going to take this from me! He's out there, and I know it.

so.. not only is Leon being watched, but it's something he has history with.

[legundo voice] WELL THAT'S OMINOUS.

wait, hey, that's a fun transition. speaking of Legundo...

let's take a quick detour into the series Leon was in before SBK, UHC Generations. the core concept is that you're in ultra hardcore (so no natural regeneration), but when you die you pass the world on to someone else. Leon was the third generation, and after over half a year of owning the world he decided to end the series on his own terms, intentionally fell to his death, and passed it on to Josh CodeNeon. Josh later died himself and passed it onto Legundo, but not before building a little spot around a campfire where he was able to summon the ghosts of previous generations to talk to them.

cut to last month and Legundo's episode 5, "I Need To Fix This...", where he decides he needs to build a gold farm. one of Leon's big contribution to UHCG was redstone farms, so Legundo summoned his spirit for a quick chat as he showed off his idea on how to get the farm to work. there's some fun things from their conversation, though:

Legundo: How’s unexistence? Leon: Aw man, it’s a lot of void. I’ve missed this place Legundo: Some firm ground underneath your feet, nice memory Leon: It’s lovely, I haven’t felt the warmth of a campfire in a while, yeah

[Leon gets attacked by phantoms.] Legundo: Oh no, they don’t like that you're back Leon: Oh no, oh no, my ghost body is being eaten by phantoms Phantoms: [screech]

and, most importantly...

Leon: Ok, ok, well, you know on that note, one quick thing before I go, just uh, wanted to let you know. Legundo: Yea [zooms in on Leon’s face.] Leon: Will is coming.

(transcription by ComposerNicholas, just edited for formatting)

an out-of-body experience, huh?

One quick thing before I go.

Legundo called Leon back to UHC Generations while Leon was on Skyblock Kingdoms. Leon passed out on SBK, helped Legs out on UHCG, gave Legs a warning, and then woke up on SBK with sudden paranoia.

and we're still not done! because at the end of Leon's SBK episode, we get this:

(image brightened for visibility, sorry about the artifacting)

and ComposerNicholas pointed out that Leon's first UHCG episode has this in the intro:

in his UHCG finale, Leon describes the flashes of alternate realities and glitches he's been subjected to as the world nudging him to move on. it's tired of him, it needs new blood and to grow and change with fresh faces and new ideas. so it's time for Leon to go. Legundo himself later mentions "the will of the world"-- the world is as alive as the people that make it.

Legundo's episode ends on him giving himself a timer. either he dies before the timer ends, or he follows in Leon's footsteps and dies on his own terms to pass the world on. after all, he'd pretty much found a way to eliminate all risk of ultra hardcore, and Leon had reminded him what the true point of UHCG was. he can't stay here forever. as the generations say: death is inevitable.

..in ultra hardcore, anyway. not so much in Skyblock Kingdoms, no matter what the thing watching Leon wants him to think.

You got me before, but this time I'm standing my ground. I love this world and the people in it, and I swear on every fiber of my being you are not going to take this from me!

to try and wrap this up, here's some more words from Leon as we go further into insanity:

anyway, this is what i've been able to scrape together so far. as usual, im just able to collect the pieces and maybe tape some of them together. we got a very brief Nukeri in Viking's episode the same day as Leon's, and now we've.. i dunno, got hints about Legundo? but the more focal thing seems to be that the UHCG world may have convinced Leon to pass it on, but that doesn't mean he's free of it. part of him is always going to be there, in the memorials and by the campfire.

oh yeah also quillbee did a video where he rebuilt founder's town from memory and invited leon on to help

[farthest-harbor]

how about some smutty or fluffy domestic hcs of Nick with a m!Sole?

Sure! I'm gonna keep it fluffy for now, if that's alright.

In the evenings, Nick likes to dance with you to the radio. Nick always insists on leading, and he's so good at it, how can you complain? For the slower tunes, he holds you close and rocks you sweetly, and on the faster ones, expect him to dip you a few times. If you take him out to the Third Rail to dance, he's happy to show off both his skills and his charming dance partner.

If you shave, he likes to hang around while you do, chit-chatting and admiring you. Prewar Nick had a fancy shaving set with nice brushes and such. He made a whole ritual of it. Synth Nick misses that ritual now that he doesn't need to shave, but he likes to watch when you do. The process feels oddly intimate to him, he's glad you're willing to share it with him. Don't let him distract you too much, though...

Nick likes to read aloud to you in the evenings. Poetry, mysteries, and biographies of the jazz greats are his favorites, but he'll read something you pick if you ask him. He lets you rest your head on his chest while he reads, the low warmth of his voice slowly lulling you to sleep. When you finally doze off, he puts the book down and lets you rest, stroking your hair gently and wondering how he ever got so lucky as to have you.

At first, Nick's a little shy about PDA. He gets enough unwanted attention in public as it is, he's not sure he wants any extra. But the longer you're together, the more he warms up to the idea, and soon enough he wants to hold your hand everywhere you go together. Better watch out, he's stealing kisses left and right. He's proud to have you with him, and you give him confidence he never had before.

He will try to cook for you. Emphasis on 'try.' He never was a great cook prewar, and his sense of taste is different now that he's a synth. Ingredients have changed a lot, and he doesn't always know how to adapt the old recipes he knew. He's made you a couple really bad meals. It's up to you whether you'll eat them anyways and risk having him cook more, or if you'll bite the bullet and tell him the food is nasty. If you do, he'll stick to making you coffee instead.

Speaking of coffee, since he doesn't need to sleep, he's wide awake while you're groggy and fresh out of bed in the morning. So he makes your coffee each morning just the way you like it. It's one kitchen thing he has been able to master.

He loves when you borrow his clothes, finds it here hot. He doesn't have a wide selection, but if he catches you wearing his hat, or borrowing one of his button-downs, his eyes will be glued to you and he'll be grinning like a fool. In his opinion, all his things seem to look better on you.

Hope I did your ask justice, I guess some these are pretty gender neutral. Thanks for sending me an ask! :)

[inkskinned]

one of the things about being an educator is that you hear what parents want their kids to be able to do a lot. they want their kid to be an astronaut or a ballerina or a politician. they want them to get off that damn phone. be better about socializing. stop spending so much time indoors. learn to control their own temper. to just "fucking listen", which means to be obedient.

one of the things i learned in my pedagogy classes is that it's almost always easier to roleplay how you want someone to act. it's almost always easier to explain why a rule exists, rather than simply setting the rule and demanding adherence.

i want my kids to be kind. i want them to ask me what book they should read next, and i want to read that book with them so we can discuss it. i want my kid to be able to tell me hey that hurt my feelings without worrying i'll punish them. i want my kid to be proud of small things and come running up to me to tell me about them. i want them to say "nah, i get why this rule exists, but i get to hate it" and know that i don't need them to be grateful-for-the-roof-overhead while washing the dishes. i want them to teach me things. i want them to say - this isn't safe. i'm calling my mom and getting out of this. i want them to hear me apologize when i do fuck up; and i want them to want to come home.

the other day a parent was telling me she didn't understand why her kid "just got so angry." this woman had flown off the handle at me.

my dad - traditional catholic that he is - resents my sentiment of "gentle parenting". he says they'll grow up spoiled, horrible, pretentious. granola, he spits.

i am going to be kind to them. i am going to set the example, i think. and whatever they choose become in the meantime - i'm going to love them for it.

[timdrakesbussy]

7 y/o Sebastian: Can we turn on the night light?

7 y/o Abigail: And have a beacon for monsters to come for us? Think again, Sebastian!

[disposal-blueeee]

from this thing lolz

ty to @cherry-207 for the idea !! XPP

vargas by zarla-s

[girlrandomstuff]

i was just coming to cry about (this) fictional father&daughter relationships, you just don't get it, they mean so much to me i can't even articulate

[wonder-worker]

"[Elizabeth Woodville] was the only member of [Crown Prince Edward of Westminster's] original 1471 council not already on the king’s council and her name headed the list of those appointed as administrators in Wales during Edward’s minority. [She remained on the council after it was expanded in 1473 and granted significant new governing and judicial powers]."

"In 1478 Prince Richard married the Mowbray heiress. Like his elder brother he had a chancellor, seal, household and council to manage his estates. His council, like that of Prince Edward, comprised the queen [Elizabeth Woodville] and a group of magnates and bishops, few of whom were Woodville supporters [...] It was Elizabeth who mattered, for Richard resided with her and Rivers treated his affairs as their own."

— J.L. Laynesmith, The Last Medieval Queens: English Queenship 1445-1503 / Michael Hicks, Richard III and his Rivals: Magnates and their Motives in the Wars of the Roses

[buttercup-art]

hey

[sysig]

Bad time of it, all things considered (Patreon)

[zosonils]

Favorite pokemon glitch from the past 10 years?

oooh this is an interesting one because most of my glitch knowledge is further back than that [by which i mean i know about gen 5 softlocks i hate the passage of time]. there might be cooler ones that i don't know about but i'm gonna say the sword and shield bug where through some fuckery involving online battles and clock settings you can use an item on a pokemon in your party and then change which pokemon you have selected in this tiny window between confirming the item validity/effects and actually applying those effects. in practice this primarily means you can evolve pokemon that shouldn't be able to, such as gmax factor pikachu and eevee into raichu or any of eevee's stone evolutions, or male combee and salandit into vespiquen or salazzle via exp candy. they took transmasc azumarill from us but at least we have transfem vespiquen now