#and a bunch of josei he likes

[meteorcrab]

Yeah bro you don't fucking say!!!!!

[amazinglyashy]

Hi , I love your LADs works it fits the would be characters reactions according to their personality and I look forward to your work. Can I request a LADs men reaction to reader reading smut manga or BL smut , only if your comfortable with it. Thank you and All the best for your future endeavours 🥰

I have a tab I'm going through right now of a bunch of josei manga and then I open tumblr to this ask LMAO I feel personally attacked, so of course anon! Thank you for the sweet words, and for the request!

Love and Deepspace Li’s reactions to discovering you being an avid smut reader

Sylus -

He is such an evil person.

If he manages to find a physical copy that you own, he's going to read it and he's going to do it in his own time when he knows you'll be coming over soon. He times it just right where he'll be near the ending by the time you get there.

You walk in to him looking absolutely exquisite in reading glasses, a small smile on his lips as he leans back in his chair to ask you how your day has been- book in hand.

The embarrassment is real, even if you claim to not care about 'cringey' things and consuming them. Your love is sitting there with a smutty book in his hand and a knowing grin, and you can't help how hot your face is getting.

"You know, if you like something, you should just tell me, kitten."

Maybe he's referring to the contents of the book, maybe he's referring to your general enjoyment of the genre, you can't tell. He does mean both, though. He would buy you a library worth of smutty books if it made you happy, and he would get all the needed supplies to commit the same acts the characters do for you the next time the two of you have a session.

"Did you really think I'd be upset by something like this, sweetie? You're cute. I'm glad you found something you enjoy. In the future though, don't keep secrets from me. I want to know about you. Everything, about you."

Rafayel -

He will come up behind you to ask you something, and realize that you can't hear him due to being engrossed or having headphones in. He doesn't mean to snoop, but your screen is on display for him, and you don't know he's there.

Oh, he's so happy he decided to try and ask you something.

By the time you realize he's behind you, it's too late, and attempting to shut off your phone proves unsuccessful because he's already giggling.

"How much did you see?!"

"Not much."

"Liar!"

And you're right, because after a moment of silence, he will proceed to recite the last page you had been reading, ducking out of the way as you jump up, your face reddening, as you chase him around the room.

He doesn't care in the slightest. In fact, he will absolutely surprise you with shipping merch from whatever it is you've been reading, and remind you when new chapters are about to drop in case you forget due to stress at work.

Rafayel will also ask you how certain characters are doing, or how certain relationships are coming along. If you enjoyed watching soap operas, he's absolutely the one to watch over your shoulder and ask you questions to catch up.

He still makes rude quips here and there, but you know he doesn't mean anything by it, and the involvement is strangely comforting.

Zayne -

He's known for a long time. Benefits of knowing you when the two of you were younger, he has a pretty good read on the things you might or might not enjoy without needing an explicit answer.

That, and you left a doujinshi on his coffee table once after you used his spare key to break into his home to clean and surprise him with dinner after you had gotten off of work surprisingly early.

No, he won't let you live it down.

He will find a way to calmly bring it up in the most absurd and unnecessary situations. It's his own little running joke that makes you so adorably frustrated, he can't help but continue it.

He'll find other ways to tease you about it, much like how you occasionally tease him over his sweet tooth despite you loving snacks just as much as he does.

Sometimes though, he likes to throw you through a little bit of a loop.

"But also, if there is any content in what you've been reading that you believe you would enjoy, please don't hesitate to let me know."

"I enjoy all of it, that's why I read it, Zayne."

"I assume you misunderstood me, so allow me to restructure my sentence. If there's anything in what you've been reading that you would like done to you, I would like to know. I would love to do those things to you, whatever they might be."

Xavier -

He has purchased you some of these books and ebooks.

Probably the Li that would know the soonest out of all four of them aside from Zayne, just because he kind of just... assumed, much to your own mortification when he told you this fact months ago.

He doesn't give a crap though, it's something you like. He doesn't see any difference between it and the claw machines, even though there is an extremely stark contrast between the two. He used to see no point to the claw machine games you'd love to play, but quickly saw the appeal when he got to play with you.

Maybe he can't share your enjoyment for this, but he does love sitting in the same room as you, reading together even if the two books being consumed are vastly different in content.

He just enjoys your company, it really doesn't matter to him what you both do, or in this case, enjoy during that time.

He thinks its really cute and endearing, especially if you reach a point in whatever you're reading that gets you squealing out loud. Because not only is it absolutely adorable to hear, it's also nice because he knows it means you're comfortable enough to react out loud to your reading, even if it's a rare occurrence.

It's nice to know you're relaxed around him, in every capacity.

[the-bird-and-the-flute]

My experience reading william's so far

I'm at chapter 12 btw. Also, if you didn't read liam and harrison pls don't read this. Also, this may be an unpopular opinion about kate

yall, seriously. wiliam's route is sth else hahaha

So far, his MC to me is so so. I was not expecting her to fall in love so easily, which frustrated me. I thought it was going to be a slow burn like liam's but apparently that was not the case ('I'm reading chapter 12).

idk if kate is always like that in other routes (I'll definitely try to read all of the boys cuz they are all so batshit crazy and I love that) but she is way more gullible than I expected. Girl, you just don't trust a bunch of villains like that. They are not ordinary guys. Wake up!

I know it's not as if we could control who we'll love, but she deadass fell in love with harrison and william so fast imo. Particularly, I didn't like that.

In harrison's, I think she fell in love because he is so nice and polite. He seems the most normal guy of all of the boys. Just like lots of you mentioned when they released the EN server.

And in william's, it looks like that good girl falling in love with the bad guy, that one your parents always tell you to never get close to. Also, she could have fell in love with william because he was the one who taught her how to express herself and show her true colors.

It gives me the impression that kate sees william's as some sort of savior or deity. No matter what he does, she will trust and follow him. Not a fan of that tbh. And I'm saying that as a william lover.

But, at the same time, I like the fact she is not trying to erase her personality like other MCs in otome/josei just to please others. I'm pretty sure she will do something crazy in the next chapters, so I'm looking forward to it.

Also, I loved that in chapter 11 or 12, she realized she wanted william to kill avatus (is that his name? ahaha). Thank god a MC that is not that prude girl who accidentally is caught up in the middle of a bloodbath and tries to convince the suitor not to kill someone because killing is bad.

And william is so vicious. And that's exactly what I love him lol I highly recommend you read his route if you want to know who he really is. Just playing the events is not enough.

I noticed playing the events and his bday story that he loves freedom. But it never occurred to me that that was not only because he valued free will, but because it is some sort of kink of his.

While reading his route I have this impression that he is also being selfish doing that. And he is aware of that. After all, he is a villain. So, in the end, he also gains from their freedom.

And he not only applauds people when they do what they want but he is also considering letting people use him as they please in this process.

How many other women did he have sex with just to please them? And that reminds me of liam's route. Because liam and willliam to me look the same when it comes to that. I remember when liam implied he fucked a woman just because she wanted to.

I was shocked they had sex so soon on his route ahahha. I liked that kate was honest saying she wanted to have sex with him. I wonder if it's canon she is a virgin. She doesn't seem to be experienced at all.

But, at the same time, I have this bittersweet feeling that she is going too fast to experience everything she didn't try before without thinking about the consequences. I know in the end she will get what she wants, as she is the MC, but this could have ended up on a REALLY bad note for her because william is not in love with her. And if they say later on that he was in love with her since the beginning, I don't know if I'll buy that tbh. Let's see if I'll change my mind.

Did you imagine if the bad end was william rejecting her after fucking kate over and over again for 1 month? This girl would be devastated.

That being said, I love william to death. He is exactly the bad guy I was looking for - manipulative, strong-willed, seductive, has good manners and he is not ashamed of living his best life.

But I can't self-insert in his route. Kate sometimes seems too emotionally dependent on william for my taste. Luckily, in william's events, I think she has a more pleasant personality and is more independent.

I also love the plot so far. Seeing William exterminating butterfly is so fucking entertaining. He has the most wicked ideas of how to order someone to die.

And the revelation he killed his dad was also shocking to me. As I saw in liam and harrison's route that liam's dad was alive and harrison loved his father, and roger's seems to have a nice or normal relationship with his father, I thought we would get the chance to meet william's dad too. But yeah, that is not gonna happen lmao. And I'm glad william killed his father. That guy was hideous.

I wonder if other people in william's family have that curse as well.

Oh, and harrison was so accurate in describing william here. William is not only cruel when he kills people, but when he flirts with them too, even if it's unintentional.

[fumifooms]

was not expecting how head over heels i'd fall for marchil- i stg there's something they put in the sauce like goddamn! and i've loved seeing your posts analyzing their dynamic, really helped articulate what i was feeling. i was wondering if you had any fic recs, or any recommendations for ships with a similar vibe? i'm hungry for them...

I know right, marchil gripped me in a chokehold out of nowhere and still hasn’t let go… The sauce was designed by the demon for me to get addicted specifically. It’s been too long since I haven’t written fic for them. I’m still chipping away at my Marcille & Chil arc analysis I know I always mention it and I started the draft in January but I SWEARRR… Season 1 is ending next week :/ On the upside I’ll probably be more focused. After that analysis, which is only analyzing in depth like one aspect/half of their intertwined arc btw so who knows there might be a part 2 one day, I kept thinking it’d prob be my last marchil analysis but let’s be real, probably not. Every week I find something new to point out about them aah…… Dungeon food, ahh, dungeon food…

Fanfic rec wise, well first I have my own marchil fics, to which I mostly recommend Grind Me Down Sweetly, and then feel free to browse my marchil bookmarks for what seems good! I don’t know what your tastes are but Shroomyystar makes super good angst (and smut), my favorite being 'Til our fingers decompose, keep my hand in yours about Marcille getting deathly sick and the dilemma to confess or to not confess, incredibly haunting piece of bittersweet but soul-crushing angst AND character study. Like wow! Chilchuck I need to throw you in a river. I want you beside me is cute bedsharing banter. From me to you makes my head spin and makes me shake my screen. And- *gets dragged off before I can mention more* Meanwhile on the flipside, Anita_Amai (the first ao3 marchil writer, still going strong 👏👏) is especially great at offering short and sweet pieces, the tone is usually light and comedic and it always makes me smile and giggle, gives me fluff attacks, the fics always a strong good scene or theme idea too. Just browse and pick any, it’s a good time. There’s soo many more. Honestly I recommend just diving into the ao3 tag and start reading. You can start by kudos and read the highest ones first to dip your toes and get the community classics one out. Early on there was a recurring anon writer who did great bittersweet domestic confession stuff like this one, lifespan angst oughh... Wherever you are now thank you for all your work 😭💖 A lot of new marchil writers are starting to post too! A csm asaden fanfic writer legend just joined the tag so marchil will probably finally get some multi-chaptered fanfics haha~ But yess there’s unrequited angst, there’s self-sabotaging angst, there’s domestic fluff, there’s falling in love and bantery fluff, bunch of good stuff <3

As to ships with similar vibes: The closest I’ve seen so far is honestly weirdly close, it’s the protagonists from a romance comedy josei called Dame na watashi ni koishite kudasai or Please love useless me! I don’t want to spoil but there’s even the guy needing to move on from a doomed love + emotional distance issues and the gal slowly invading his personal life/social circle and my god… They were coworkers, he was rude, he’s a workaholic, he’s reliable, she’s sunshine and needs to get some reality checks... The banter. THE BANTER. He represses and she copes by simping for fictional characters. He made, like, a mutual aid community for ex-gangsters. They dress up in silly costumes sometimes. They’re weeeird about each other in an unlabelable way before dating in a way (in a fun marchil in canon way). It’s so funny she’s cracking open his convoluted personal drama like her morning newspapers. There’s more there’s so much more. Give up on your dreams, make money, love loses 🔥🔥 It’s honestly just a great fun read, it’s such a mood. Haven’t read the sequel yet but there’s one so really if it hooks you you’ll be fed well and for a while. The greatest bits are too spoilery but here, have the vibe.

Howl’s Moving Castle, specifically the book, and there’s a ton of themes and narratives that are so fitting for them that I couldn’t possibly all list, I already made a post on it here if you’re interested in all the details and similarities and my AU thoughts haha.

Teen Titans 2003 the show, Beast Boy x Starfire. THAT’S RIGHT I’M A BBSTAR, BAM! 💥🫶 Jokester that’s dependable x sweet and idealistic but strong and protective. Short gremlin and tall beauty. Friends-coworkers to lovers. Very soft fluffy slice of life ship I like it a lot, and I wrote a fic for it hehe. Might do more one day, I have a bunch of prompts written down and a series I really wanted to get to sob.

I almost forgot to mention Shrek. It’s SO FUNNY how well it goes sometimes… Chil Shrek, Laios Donkey, Marcille Fiona. I want to say Mickbell could be Farquaad but even Mick doesn’t deserve this slander… Shrek 2 fear that he’s not prince charming enough for her oughh. Laios getting to be a horse good for him good for him. Winged Lion singing I need a hero. Someone stop me.

There’s also zenmiyo from Touge Oni but no one reads that </3 I gotta get to my review/lore analysis about that manga it’s sooo good a fave read of mine from last year. Like it’s so fucking good. It keeps just ramping up and getting more crazily good. Scrolling through some pages rn and it’s a unique blend of comedy, philosophy and awe-inspiring visuals and creativity. Well, sort of like late Dunmeshi actually. If it had a fandom any bigger I’d be all over it constantly. And I’d also recommend Harahara Sensei / Timebomb Teacher if it had any english translation, one of my fave mangas also. It’s about mafia, and a goody two shoes willing to go through a corruption arc to save her sister x stern rude mafioso who’s there bc he’s poor and on a revenge mission, never had any other option growing up etc etc. Ok he’s not that Chilchuck but the dynamic does have that "grow up and see the world for what it is, a shithole. It’s been hell for me" vs "ok you have a point. But also have you considered not sacrificing your humanity and emotions in a self-destructive pursuit" (not that she’s in the position to talk lmaoo) like ohh my goood him throwing his popsicle stick in the fire that she lit over a corpse, it haunts me.

From the marchil Discord it’s also fun to notice ships some of us share… Csm asaden, some combination of LotR elf x short guy, fair amount of dunmeshi ships overlap too. Haven’t found the overall common thread quite yet and I’m forgetting many that have come up but lol some off the top of my head.

[lycorid]

Sometimes venturing onto the For You side of Twitter sparks joy.

Based take. Shoujo and Josei are fucking top notch, both in characters and art style (how can you not think they’re beautiful?)

“Ruined the JJK and MHA fandoms” is WILD. I avoid fandoms for the most part (except perusing tumblr for the occasional fucking thesis women write about character motivations i love you women <3) because they usually suck. Seriously, I kept up with OPM for a bit because it was entertaining but holy shit the subreddit (very much full of men) is literally just… sexy woman. More sexy woman. Memes about artist constantly drawing sexy woman. Memes. Occasional power scaling arguments. Low quality page colorings of the exact same page. There is NOTHING. How the hell can women ruin the fandom when the fandom IS the women?!

It’s the women creating in depth analyses on characters; it’s the women writing fanfiction, creating doujinshis; it’s the women creating fandom centered accounts; it’s the women buying every new merch piece that comes out AND giving free advertising by posting about it online. And then men will go on and rag on women for doing all these things. It’s infuriating.

Longevity of a series is also something these idiots ignore. Seriously, look at Katekyo Hitman Reborn. The manga ended in 2012 and the creator is working on a different series. Katekyo Hitman Reborn still gets regular merch releases. This is a series that ended over a decade ago and still has an incredibly dedicated fanbase of, I wonder who, that regularly spends enough money to keep it consistent. You cannot look me in the eyes and tell me that series is supported mainly by men. I do not care how hard Amano Akira tried to alienate her female fans with her treatment of the female characters you know exactly whos spending the money based on who is constantly getting merch (minus the titular character, because of course he has to be there.)

Honestly I don’t give a damn that fandom can often be absolute insanity; you get a group of people together and it’s always going to be a shitshow, that isn’t unique to fandom, people just like to pretend it is because as always, there’s an undercurrent of misogyny because people know women carry that shit but they only want to acknowledge it when they can use it to criticize them.

I love that she came for the JJK fandom as well. I’ve been following the series because honestly it is really fucking funny because it is the epitome of shounen tropes. The author literally baked them into the world. Explaining your abilities to the opponent makes them stronger. So this entire series you get giant pages of just white with text explaining every little fucking thing like theres a narrator standing over your shoulder making sure you can’t possibly miss anything on the first read. Fuck dude, I don’t mind exorbitant amounts of text in my manga, but you cannot be serious in pretending that is good writing. There’s a deus ex machina that every character can pull out of their ass called a binding vow. Black flash also falls into this category.

Hell, the latest arc has literally just been flashback after flashback playing during the battle of the characters forming a bunch of plans in preparation for the fight we currently are following. This is genuinely one of my most hated tropes. The characters just get off screen power ups that then get handwaved as “well we showed you the flashback right?” there is NO anticipation, any excitement you feel for the battle is purely manufactured rather than genuine. It’s not “I can’t wait to see how the growth I followed of these characters affects the battle” it’s “wow, what cool ability will they pull out of their ass next?” I hate it I loathe it and it’s even worse with emotional moments. Why couldn’t you write this into the story in the first place? Why are you giving it to me in a shitty flashback?

Maybe I didn’t explain it well enough because I launched into a rant. The reason I hated it so much is because it forced the reader to be an observer rather than an active participant in the manga. Everything is spoonfed to you. You don’t need to reread the chapters over and over to put together the pieces on how, where, and why each action took place, the author does that for you. You don’t see everything from a new perspective when you read it a second time, catching lots of things you may have missed because you’re not allowed to miss anything the author deems important.

I enjoy this manga. There is good things about it. But it is nowhere near the god manga (“kamige” would be the term if it was a visual novel; I don’t know a manga equivalent) men like to pretend it is. It genuinely seems like they think everything being explained every page is good writing.

Based and succinct.

Anyway, you shouldn’t restrict yourself from experiencing specific genres because they’re for “the lessers” because that’s actually fucking cringe and maybe you should touch a Josei manga, or even a Shoujo manga. Maybe it’ll open your eyes and you’ll realize, hey, women’s media is actually- oh who the fuck am I kidding just pull the trigger.

[maleyanderecafe]

Suki Kawaii Guchagucha Ni Shitai Osananajimi Ha Kojirasesugiteru (Manga)

Created by: Haida yori

Genre: Smut/Romance

Thanks to Cherry for finding all of these yandere smuts for me (because man we have to go through a lot of smut). This one is pretty light in terms of yandere content, but the plus is that this story is a childhood friend story and it's for the most part pretty loving and consensual which is rare for yandere smuts.

The story starts out with Hikari Harada, a lady who works at cosmetics at a party. She gets hit up by a guy, but is saved by Ichika Suzuki, his childhood friend. After getting drunk, Ichika brings her home and upon waking up, Hikari is embarrassed that he kissed her. The two hang out playing games and eating food and gets invited over to his place to eat and make out. Ichika ends up taking her earring and Hikari comes by the next day to try to look for it but instead finds a bunch of photos of Hikari. She finds it a bit weird that he knows her likes and that he might have installed a tracking device somewhere but seems okay with it (and even turned on). We get a flashback to when the two were kids and how Ichikia fell in love with her. Ichika is absent from work for a bit and Hikari comes to see him, admitting that even though he's been watching her it turns her on. The two confess to each other and have some sex. The two continue to play games and talk about Hikari's mentor, Yoshizawa before having some more sex. Hikari gets a bit insecure about the fact that Ichika is flirty in the office and tries to distance herself from him in the fear that people will find out they are dating. They have a date later on where she tells him about his insecurities and eventually leads to going to a love hotel for more sex. We meet Yoshizawa the next day and Hikari and him catch up. Ichika gets jealous and finds out that he's the type who likes to fool around (as he has a ring and whatnot). Ichika gets really jealous and they almost some office sex with Hikari before she pushes him away. Hikari talks to Yoshizawa about her relationship problems, and while Yoshizawa tries to kiss Hikari, Ichika comes in at the nick of time to stop him. They have some sex at home and the two decide to move in together. The next chapter has Hikari learn about Ichika's ex as she comes into the office with her new boyfriend and gets jealous. Hikari and Ichika's ex, Mayu meet each other in the office, and we get to see the backstory between Mayu and Ichika. We learned that Mayu fell for him in college, but after dating for a bit, Ichika broke up with her because he realized he could only love Hikari. Mayu is jealous and tries to separate them, though fails. Hikari eventually outs that she and Ichikia are dating to the company, putting to rest any big rumors. The last chapters revolve around Ichika and his mother and the two getting married.

Despite everything that's going on, these two are generally pretty cute as a couple. It's a simple relationship that doesn't really have a ton of drama, at least not until Yoshizawa gets involved, and even then, it seems that Hikari isn't super interested in him in the first place. I don't know if he will become a bigger obstacle in the future (he probably will). It's nice having a s/o that accepts their yandere counterparts, weird pictures and all and from what I can tell, there's actually no noncon or dubcon in the story, which is surprisingly rare in a lot of josei smuts with yanderes. There is also the moments with the ex which are (for the most part) brushed away pretty easily (though Hikari does get jealous), though I did feel there wasn't any really big reason for it considering the two are already together. Personally I don't think it was necessary to have this plot point since it gets resolved really fast, but I guess smut needs to have a plot for some reason, so there we go?

For Ichika's yandere moments, he has photos of Hikari, has a tracking app on her, knows about her likes and dislikes (specifically in terms of games, though likely in other things as well) as well as his jealousy towards the guy who tries to hit on her initially and her mentor. It is interesting to see that he did attempt to date someone in the past, but broke up with them once he realized he loved Hikari.

Like I said, for smut, this one is actually surprisingly sweet. If you are interested in a more sweet story with smut in it, then this one will be a good one for you.

[horrendous-bisexual-showdown]

Poll 5

Chandra Maharaj (She/Her) by @dreamypyon

Why Should Your OC Win?

She's so stupid and mean. she's just a huge mean pathetic jerk i love her. i think she's extremely horrendous because of how much of a jerk she can be.

What is Your OC Like?

Chandra is a gloomy debby downer who doesn't have many friends and claims to prefer it that way. Despite this she gets roped into the tragedy of everyone wants to be her friend anyways, because like how can anyone not want a bunch of friends to party with. the protagonist Valerie thinks she's just shy and could be won over with enough love and snuggles, but chandra is actually just mean. She likes horror films and trashy romance novels, and garbage josei manga and werewolves, her hobby is fixing computers and selling parts for extra cash

Mallory (He/Him) by @sparkledoodles

Why Should your OC Win?

Well. Here’s a visual. A pasty man with horns and a tail and in, for some reason, the most basic striped t-shirt plus …skinny black pants. He looks imposing, sure, with the demon eyes and the horns (and sometimes burnt arm, depending on the universe and time you meet him). He’s approaching you slowly, almost sauntering in a way.

He stops when he reaches a few inches away from you. He extends out his hand. “Ham?”

That’s it. He just wants some ham. Please feed him.

In short, he’s really a mess. A bisexual through and through, but horrendous by all accounts. He’s got many universes, usually head over heels for somebody canon or OC. If you like silly demon guys who speak the first thought in their head, take excessive naps, and feast on whatever is in the fridge, Mallory’s the guy for you.

What is Your OC Like?

Mallory. A dream demon with powers very reminiscent of Bill Cipher. His name supposedly meaning “unlucky” or “unfortunate”, he’s one guy who gets the taste of his own medicine.

I won’t bore with excessive details (you may have read his original info post from Round 1!), but he goes through a few stages. Class bully, angsty teen and then adult, worshipped/leader adult, and then house crasher. He develops an affinity for ham because of a simple question asking what he likes in his omelet. In one universe he develops a fear of blonde women with their hair in ponytails due to this nightmare (he takes dreams VERY seriously).

Most recently I’ve been messing around with his house crasher era. You may see a certain man named Castor Dent later, who is the owner of this house and ends up Mallory’s lover in this stage. I can’t speak about him in full since he’s not my OC, but Castor is great.

One universe he’s adopted a kid (and is a disorganized mess), in another he’s in his high school years figuring out his sexuality… then getting thrown into an arranged fight with a man so pretty he finds out his bisexuality right then and there.

Never let him behind the wheel, either. You will not make it to your destination by any means.

Anyways, that’s my ham-loving bisexual disaster for you.

Note!!!: If you’re wondering why sometimes he’s got his horns + tail, sometimes he has his burnt arm, sometimes he’s in a robe, and all that.. Well he’s got a few different stages/universes. His horns also come out, rising from his skull and his tail extends from his back. They pop out when he’s either feeling cocky/proud or he’s feeling strong emotions. His burnt arm forms from a deal he takes at a later stage in his life.

[ibelieveinvillainsupremacy]

Could we get a oneshot of The Dark Purveyors (poly) supporting their nervous s/o at their concert?

Of course you can!

Here's the oneshot :)

As many others know, one of the things that made the Dark Purveyors so similar to eachother was representing a "dead music genre".

And that also helped when a certain human was in need of emotional support that specific day.

Because that day you had to perform in a concert, moments such as that always made you nervous.

But you totally weren't expecting what a certain zombie had in mind.

Yeah, because someone (wonder who) found a way to get way more people than the last time you had an event like a concert.

"Woah. That's a lot of people. But how did them-"

Before you could even start teorizing who out of your five not-so-human partners had that wonderful idea, the culprit appeared in a bunch of red lights.

"Fuck yeah! I knew it was gonna work!"

Just like you thought. Zed.

"Now you tell me why did you even think that was a good idea!"

Noticing you probably didn't appreciate the thing he did by your pissed off face, the punk zombie immediately tried to prove his innoncence. Hoping to not piss you off even more.

"Ow come on Y/N! I just tried to give you some fucking help! I thought you would love gaining more fans!"

"Like she didn't have more already, dumbass"

If things were already getting worse, Lewis and the others appeared out of nowhere, probably after hearing that Zed's idea worked out in the best way possible for him.

"What's the matter dear Y/N? It looks like you have some deep conflict with your emotions"

Oh, there's also Mariska deep words. Luckily they always to work out when you where overwhelmed by them.

"Oh, It's just that I've never performed for that many people out there. I'm nervous about it, that's all."

Vikke almost immediately said what the others also meant to say out loud.

"Don't worry Y/N. We'll be right here if you need us. Us and Yumil too"

Yumil roared in agreement to his owner words.

"Thanks guys. I appreciate your support"

"No worries! We'll be just right next to the stage in case you need us!"

After saying that, Josey had to make sure that was going to happen.

"Right, 'let's get our partner more money and fame'?"

Zed couldn't help but giving one of his devilish grins to that question.

"Oh, for fuck sake! What fo you think I am, an asshole?"

"But you are one already"

"Alright, mister 'I'll get my dirty fucking hands on Y/N first'-"

"Uh guys, I think that i need also an affectionate hug before i go on stage..."

Luckily Vikke, Mariska and Josey thought the same thing.

"Alright y'all let's give our little human a funking hug before they go"

"Yes, I think that would help us letting go of this negative energy"

"Ugh, fine! But that doesn't make me a pussy, okay?!"

"Yes, our spiked up friend, don't need to scream like a little stelpa, okay?"

You couldn't help but laugh at that funny affermation. Well, maybe that many people will not make you feel true happiness.

But those 5 ones definetely could.

[swervdcity-arc]

yeah i'm getting a wanted plots / dynamics page up for my carrd. yes i'm going to dump some of my ideas on the dash while i work on that.

my god i would kill a man for some gay enemies to lovers shit with gunner. the baby janes being picked up to open for a bigger band for a month or two long tour, and she's already complaining because she feels sellouty, and she thinks the band they're opening for are a bunch of sellouts. she butts heads with one of the members specifically, but then hear me out. drunken hook up and maybe they're not that bad after all.

vivienne helping your muse cross over into living as some supernatural creature. she's a very wild yet motherly character and cares for people very strongly. she'll let your muse stay in her home while they adjust, take them on walks in her garden, etc.

josey being a roadie. that's it. i barely write josey anymore but the thought of a dumbass white boy who eats baggies of raw meat and scales scaffolding to rig up lights makes me giggle. also he tells wild stories of touring with like. motley crue and shit so i think it's funny as fuck.

frida having a crime bestie, someone they trust and can turn to when the going REALLY gets rough.

darcy taking a young vamp under her wing <3

ANYTHING WITH OLIVER. oliver my sweet darling <3 but mostly besties she goes out for drinks with, someone she can call after particularly bad cases, someone who understands what it's like to be an agent or something like that.

maeve becoming a linecook at a fancy dining restaurant and she's actually way better than she should be. but she's still cranky and sometimes hard to deal with. idk. coworker bonding.

NEED threads with atticus. i know st isn't big rn but if any of u guys have st verses PLASEEE.

MELINDA AND UR MUSE HUNTING DOWN THEIR SIRES SO THEY CAN CHANGE BACK. begrudging partners in crime!

victoria also enemies to begrudging partners ... HATING a new recruit on her team and constantly butting heads with them because of some past shit (maybe used to be a goon on their rival team or smthn idk) but then they work together to DESTROY a new rivalry and they earn her respect <3

PR RELATIONSHIPS. GIVE.

[hak]

OKAYYY. I’ve been playing final fantasy x and here are some preliminary thoughts after like a hard won 4ish hours in 🫠

It was a huge leap to start this game just because 1) I don’t play games like this period (rpg fighters) and have even less experience than any other type of game I ever played and 2) there’s truly nothing more intimidating to me than the final fantasy franchise.. like it only won out over me trying out kingdom hearts because I didn’t feel like doing the punch _ button for _ move type fighting in a game just yet lol. BUT WHATEVER! It has been my goal this year anyway to try games out of my comfort zone (80% of games out there lol) so here I am…

I think the world-building is very appealing!! look I have never in my life even tried looking up final fantasy lore or anything I think I just know Sephiroth and the big ducks maybe but regardless I loved the 5 seconds we got in Zanarkand just because a fantasy steampunk-esque world can be charming.. and exploring the 1000yrs later world and it’s differences is also very interesting. I think I spent half of my hours just talking to everybody I saw and looking at the world textures lol it’s nice and peaceful most of the time

I love the cast a lot.. playing as Tidus kind of surprised me because I think I’m not used to fully formed playable main characters like him (was thinking Link or a fire emblem protag rip) but I LOVE HIM!!!! HES SO GOOFY AND CHARMING and I am so endeared by the voiceover narration (ummm his future self??) and where the story is taking him. He and Yuna are so sweet and cute. I actually really love that not ever cutscene was there to move the plot??? Like the one first boat scene where Tidus stole some guys binoculars and was monkeying around on the ship. Or this one 🥺😭💗

SO PRECIOUS!!! It’s how I know something horrible is going to come regarding them 🧎Well for now I’m just in for the ride. The other guardians are definitely a ragtag bunch but I really appreciated how they were fleshed out in this narrative. I like the big wolf beast guy and I will tell you every time I get a chance I try to get Tidus to go talk to him and every time I get ignored 🥲 ONE DAY!!!! And I love theeee goth woman supreme Lulu even her name is so cute. Love her little doll. She saves my ass every single fight I swear. Wakka is also charming in his own way lol he reminds me of a character I just don’t know who.. he and Lulu having their josei romance drama in the backdrop of this story also gets meeeee. Like!?? Look at them wtf…

Ok ok now about the fighting itself: it’s not as bad as I thought. It’s still not something I really have come to look forward to though, and I really really despise the mechanic where you’re walking and get a randomized battle out of nowhere. The Pokémon grass effect whatever you call it…. IM SICK OF IT!!!! LET ME RUN AWAY!!! especially when I’ve had like 3 fights in a row and that stupid breaking glass effect comes and I have to fight again. Oh save me. im not built for this. HOWEVER. Besides that. It’s okay. Figuring out what moves I should be doing isn’t all that difficult even if I do kind of just guess most of the time. I’m lucky I’m using an emulator and saving as much as I can in case I need to reload during a battle. I’ll be okay lol I just want to complain sometimes just cuz. 😖

And finally…. The one thing I did not expect to encounter in this game and genuinely made me want to QUIT this game for good despite everything positive above: BLITZBALL. WHY DO YOU EXIST. WHY. I CANT STAND THIS SHIT!!!!!!!!

This funny scene made me laugh when I first saw it because I literally thought blitzball games would play out like that first cutscene in Zanarkend - AS A CUTSCENE!!! TIDUS YOULL LOSE I HAVE NO SKILL YOULL LOSE TIDUS!!!!!!!

I will admit now I didn’t know wtf I was doing on that boat and totally failed at getting the Jecht shot but how??? Was I supposed to know????? I THOUGHT IT WOULD JUST LEAD TO A FUN MINIGAME how was I to know it was life or death (in blitzball)…. I did Google whether I needed it to win and results varied. But before I get judged I spent about 40 min trying to grasp the entire blitzball tutorial and things still didn’t wrap around until I began playing and EVEN THEN I wanted to cry and rage quit. Something I have never needed to do in all my life!!!!!! Then I thought fine whatever I’ll just let the game do it’s thing and maybe try to give the ball to Tidus as much as possible if that’s my only shot and lord almighty I couldn’t even get one point in. The ai would score so much and I swear I paid attention. Imagine me mid game pausing just to google 10+ year old forum answers on whether I can just do the bare minimum and still win. I don’t even think I needed to win??? But the other team was so mean to us …. LIKE I WANTED TO WIN….. but I’m not capable of it. I knew it when I first started the tutorial too versus the real game I truly am so disinterested in this kind of minigame (the least mini of mini games I’ve ever played ever) that I don’t care. Like I’m just so so frustrated that it’s 3am im writing this post just to vent about how I want to keep playing ffx but not at the cost of this stupid side game that shouldn’t even take me more than 15 min to play!!!!!

I should’ve known from this part in the tutorial that this was bullshit fr. Look I know its not like all of the mechanics were rocket science, if I took 1 day to actually study the game I would BUT WHY WOULD I DO THAT. WHY WOULD I WASTE MY TIME AND DO THAT. I am just so put off at this point from this game simply because of blitzball. Sorry to Tidus and his quest for home and all but it will not come true because I cannot stand playing blitzball. 🤬

Where i am now: I paused at the end kinda when Wakka comes in at the end of the game. I couldn’t score a single point so it was just left at 2-0. I really don’t care anymore I will just lose the game because I’m sick of it. But damn I was really trying okay. Kinda. I hate being petty but we’ll see if I want to even pick it up as a whole game again when I wake tmrw after this experience lol

To be extremely honest I kinda began ffx as a total “wouldn’t it be funny if?” type game for me because I know what I like and dislike in games and this one bordered that for me so I was genuinely curious to see how far I’d last. But this blitzball game is so far into my dislikes that it actually bums me out because the storytelling is so in my lane. I don’t want to quit just yet but I will say now if blitzball gets any worse I’m out. That truly is my last straw lmao. Also it seems like a very long game otherwise and even that is a struggle for me to comprehend. Plus battles are even going to get worse and I can barely slide by during those… idk it is looking grim for the mariel partakes in final fantasy era 😭

[akumanoken]

☕ ☃ ☼ 📱 ツ

Random Headcanon Meme! @seetsunaai

☕ : Does your muse prefer coffee or tea?

He will prefer tea over coffee. He can drink coffee but only if it has milk and sugar.

☃  : What is your muse’s favorite season? What about their least favorite season, if they have one?

He doesn't have a least favorite season, but Spring is undoubtedly his favorite. In fact, he calls it "utsukushii josei" season because he spends a lot of time in early spring in kimono among the cherry blossoms. It's just aesthetic™

☼ : Does your muse like daytime or nighttime more?

He's actually not too partial to either one. But he does adore sunset....

📱 : Does your muse prefer calling or texting?

Oh, he's a texter. In fact, he's the kind with all the kaomoji because it's cute... (❤´艸｀❤)

ツ : Does your muse prefer lots of friends, or just a few close ones?

As much as he gets along with anyone, he does prefer a close group. It's easier for him to regulate his energy than having a whole bunch of people and then he'll want to retreat into himself...

[flowerakatsuka]

OKAY — i'm awake and ate some food, it's time to share some random tidbits about kuroba! ( also gonna use this as an excuse to drop their toyhouse page since i just made it public. )

yotsubana florals has a dedicated matsugram account that's run by nana and has a pretty decent following, reels of them making themed arrangements get a lot of traction. kuroba themself does have a personal account that they post to regularly, but they post as if their bearded dragon, king, is the one running it, ( straycatj style. ) they mostly share pictures of king, plants, or food, but they'll occasionally post ootds, ( usually with their face covered by a clover emoji. they also ask nana to block out their face in anything posted to the shop's page. )

they grew up in the kirigaoka suburb of the midori-ku ward in yokohama. the area is known for having a lot of parks, which kuroba spent a lot of their childhood exploring. they would pretend to be a plant researcher and scribble down notes about what they found in a little notebook they carried with them. it also wasn't uncommon for them to bring home " new friends ' from their adventures like lizards or beetles, much to her older sister's displeasure. they used to be a pretty rambunctious little kid, but started to mellow out by the time they turned 10. ( sorta, they still have their moments. )

the clover clip they wear in their oso-kun & 3rd year high school designs was a gift from their grandmother, hibiki. they lost it some time during middle school, but hibiki later found it while deep cleaning their apartment before they started their 3rd year. kuroba doesn't really wear it nowadays, but it's still very precious to them so they keep it tucked in their wallet. the necklace they wear also used to belong to their grandmother and is actually a locket.

kuroba's a pretty detail-oriented person, which is pretty useful in their line of work, but it also shows up in their daily interactions with people. they're definitely the type to pick up on a small detail about someone and remember it really well, ( like a food they like or if they get cold easily, ) as well casually fix something off about someone's appearance while talking ( like smoothing out a fly-away hair or picking a piece of thread off a shirt. ) you can imagine how conversations between ichimatsu and them go with how much cat hair he must be covered in.

they have a tendency to show a lot of physical affection with people they're very close with, typically by leaning on them or patting their heads. they usually playfully roughhouse with their brother, ( and by extension, some of the sextuplets, ) and will " show him affection " by putting him into a headlock.

kuroba often treats the rest of the sextuplets similarly to how they treat their younger brother, keshiki — which is usually them being kinda snarky and stern, but still very caring and reliable. todomatsu gets the brunt of this treatment as the youngest, but he just perceives this as kuro bullying him, ( which they kinda are. lovingly, though. )

besides plants & floriography, another big interest they have is reptiles. they really love learning about them and can rattle off a bunch of fun facts about them. they'll also pick up a snake without even flinching and start baby-talking it. if you go to the zoo with kuroba, expect to have your ass immediately dragged to the reptile room.

while they're more likely to read non-fiction about their main interests, kuroba reads manga occasionally, too. they mainly gravitate towards slice-of-life josei, especially ones about cooking, ( it's wish fulfillment for them since they can't fucking cook. ) their mom reads manga as a hobby, as well, and they share recs with each other. also, they're a lowkey himedanshi.

if they don't have pre-made plans or important errands to run, kuroba'll usually spend most of their days off cooped up in their apartment so they can recuperate from all the socializing they have to do on a daily basis. they adore their job, but it can still be prettying draining for them. they like to read, listen to music, give the plants in their apartment some tlc, and hang out with king to help them recharge. they also sometimes go out and get some coffee if they have enough energy for it, ( not sutabaa, though. they prefer locally owned coffee shops or cafes. )

they usually play japanese bossa nova over the speakers in their shop since it was their grandmother's favorite music genre and they like it quite a lot themself. they're also really fond of alternative rock, city pop, new wave, and eurobeat.

kuroba's signature color is olive green, but i usually see warm neutrals as their secondary colors, ( like shades of brown & cream. ) therefore, they're also coffee-coded to me.

their favorite flowers are wisteria, hydrangeas, pansies, and forget-me-nots. they're very drawn towards true blue flowers since they're aren't very common.

kuroba isn't a particularly heavy drinker, but will drink socially and only gets drunk when they're really stressed or upset. they can handle their alcohol pretty well, but when they do get wasted, they lose their typical filter and can get kinda intense with how they express their emotions. they like citrusy mixed drinks, plum wine, and prefer kirin beer over sapporo.

i need a nap after the day i've had, but someone remind me to infodump about kuroba a bit when i get up.

[magicalgirlmel]

Anime finished this year 7: The Ice Guy and his Cool Female Colleague

7/10

Transcript under the cut

This is one of the shows from this season that I was actually looking forward to since I needed myself a good old fashioned workplace romance that didn't just feel like it was doing the same tropes as a high school romance with a new coat of paint. Something light and fluffy like that is exactly what I got, but sometimes we need a show like that. It even had some light supernatural elements that weren't at the forefront, but managed to make the world a little more interesting and gave room for some stronger character personalities to work their way into the mix.

It is a series that I will freely admit took a little while to find its footing, though. The first few episodes are a little choppy, but over time this evens out and settles into a nice relaxed pace. It thrives in that sort of pace too, given that a lot of the moments that are the most intimate are quiet and subtle ones, rather than big showy ones.

I like most of the characters and even the ones that I am not attached to, I have to admit have their place in proceedings and have their own charm. Personally, I really like the titular ice guy, Himuro. It's really nice to get a male lead that just wears his heart on his sleeve like he does, while allowing the female lead to be the more reserved one. But it also doesn't take her to extremes like something like Komi Can't Communicate does, or make her coolness something that makes her perfect either. She's just a little on the quiet and polite side and that's okay.

I can definitely see how some people might find this to be a little bland and vanilla, but it's something that managed to get a giggle out of me here and there and had me smiling more often than it didn't, so I'd say that it's a pretty solid josei romance!

One thing that really stood out to me on the animation side of things was the way that the characters eyes would sometimes shake and dart around a little. This was just such an interesting touch of realism that we don't get very often and I found myself really appreciating it. It gave such a nice light tension to those quiet moments between Himuro and Fuyutsuki. I've seen that some don't like it and I can understand that given it's a bit different from what they might be used to, but it was one of those little touches that really drew me in to the series, personally.

Just be aware that this is a series that is on a nice steady slow burn. There's no big romantic resolution at the end of the season or anything like that. Perhaps in another season if we get one or in the manga. And while I love a slow burn, it can be a bit hard to watch a whole season that doesn't end with at least a big step forward, even if there were a bunch of little ones along the way.

[moonstrider9904]

The Gray Rider

Chapter One of The Town of Deadwood

{series masterlist} {previous chapter} {next chapter}

{taglist form} {AO3}

Pairings: Sheriff!Crosshair x OC, Cowboy!Hunter x OC

Summary: Sheriff Crosshair goes about his usual duties in the peaceful town, and all goes well for him until his brother shows his face in Deadwood for the first time in a long while.

Tags/Warnings: Mature. TBB Wild West AU. Alcohol, drunkenness, tobacco smoking, flirting, arguing.

Word count: 4.5k

Songs: pale rider, nocturne

I finally want to give a quick shout out to @emperor-palpaminty because a year ago I read her Western AU and was introduced to this beauty. Finally, after a bunch of research and brainstorming, this is coming to life!! Also, naming Tech Victor was totally her idea in her story Good Doctor, do go and check it out!!

The breeze was still cold when the traveler had left the barn, and a thin layer of mist covered the ground, dancing within the tall grass and over the dirt. The cool blue tone of the sky brightened, and at last, that warm toned orange began to illuminate the horizon. The wind howled in tandem with the calling of roosters and the mooing of the cattle, and the oldest of the Fett brothers stood in front of his farm, staring into nature.

The sun was finally beginning to rise.

The wind lifted Hunter’s curls with it, clouding for a moment his view of the beautiful, peaceful sunrise. It was a quiet life, the one he had; he’d done his part to earn it, or at least, to earn what he was worthy of.

He ran a hand through his hair and pulled the curls behind him, securing them into a bun, with only a couple of rogue strands bouncing over his forehead. His hand then went to the back of his neck, massaging the muscles on it, which had grown tight after the events of the previous night. He finally let his arms drop beside him and took one last moment to look at that beautiful sunrise before the day’s work would really get started.

Hunter found comfort in the fact that he’d be able to return to that view the morning after.

The cowboy turned his back on the sunrise and headed for his barn, finding that his brother had already removed the blankets from the floor and returned the place back to normal. Hunter didn’t pause; he walked straight for the stable where his reliable Spitfire chewed on some hay. With his hands, he cupped the sides of the horse’s face, smiling softly at it, knowing he could always count on Spitfire for anything.

“Calves are old enough to brand now,” Hunter broke the silence. “I think we should do that before anything else today, give ‘em time to recover before we have to move them.”

His unbelievably younger brother, whose massive figure towered even over some of the cattle and the horses, gave a silent nod—his aloofness, however, was not a result of him being tired; Raphael had learned to love waking up earlier than the sun years before.

“What is it?” Hunter asked.

“That’s the third one this week, Hun’er,” his brother responded, the gravel in his voice still present despite how quietly he’d spoken as he approached his own horse, the immense Percheron Josey.

“Aye, we’ve never had that many nomads here,” Hunter replied. “You think word’s spreading of our hospitality?”

Raphael gave a soft smile, stroking his horse one more time before finally turning to his older brother.

“You know we have to tell him,” he said.

“Him?”

“Him,” Raphael responded. “We’re still part of Deadwood, and he’ll want to know what these travelers are saying.”

Hunter couldn’t help but sigh. “You tell him. He likes you better.”

“That’s not true.”

“We both know it is. Raphael, I haven’t shown my face in town for years,” Hunter said. “There’s a reason for that. You go, say hi to him and Victor for me.”

“Aw,” said the younger brother. “I didn’t destroy that corral with my bare hands for you to still call me Raphael. Or did I, Harry Arthur?”

Hunter chuckled. “Fine, Wrecker, say hi to him and Victor for me.”

Wrecker lightly laughed back and petted his horse before heading to the corner of the barn for his tools.

“You’re comin’ too,” he said. “You’ll need to face your baby brother sooner or later.”

“Baby brother,” Hunter repeated under his breath.

It was harder than ever to believe in those words.

Wrecker then walked past him, bringing his attention back to reality. “I’ll get the fires started to heat the iron. You got the ropes?”

“Got ‘em,” Hunter responded, and with that, Wrecker finally went off to do his thing.

As Wrecker left, Hunter once again turned to look at the rising sun through the open doorway of the barn. He thought of the traveler that had been gone for less than an hour, and he thought of the other two who had taken a spot in their barn earlier that week, as had easily another few in the months prior.

Yes, his youngest brother would appreciate knowing what was going on, but he wouldn’t appreciate hearing it from Hunter.

Hunter looked at the rising star and figured, much like the sun signaled another day, the events in that barn were a prelude to something else.

*

Clair’s lunch house would be open for business in just a few minutes. Men and women eager for a nice meal at a reasonable price would start coming in like they usually did during the week, some with mighty conversation, others merely opting to keep to themselves. Clair would never judge any of them, and in fact, she was never one to open up that much to strangers either.

It would seem like things would go smoothly that noon, with nothing out of the ordinary.

That’s when she heard the man calling out for her.

“Lunch house lady!” The slur in his voice already signaled booze. “Purdy lunch house lady!”

Clair took a big sigh as she mentally prepared herself for what was to come and, tightening the bow on her back that secured the apron to her long, brown skirt, decisively made her way to the lunch house’s porch. Surely enough, there he was: old man Azmorrigan, whose big body rested on the proch’s stairs, his flabby arms clinging to the wooden railing, cheeks bright red as his eyes squinted in an attempt to escape the sunlight he’d collapsed under.

“Gods,” Clair whispered to herself.

“Lunch house lady!” He squirmed, trying to sit up, but failing. “Can I have this dance?!”

How many shots of bourbon did this man have this morning? Clair groaned mentally. She took two careful steps towards the pitiful man on the porch, lost on what to do.

“Sir, this isn’t a saloon,” Clair said. “I’m going to ask you to leave.”

“But—” he stopped to hiccup, burping in the middle of it. “I’m hungry!”

She tried as best as she could to hide her disgust, but anyone who saw her gaze would know she was crying out for help. If only Doctor Victor hadn’t just left—in Clair’s defense, she wasn’t counting on Azmorrigan showing up drunk on her porch, but she could really use the doctor’s help right about now.

Clair figured she’d have to do something to help the poor man. Pitiful as he was, he had been unemployed for about a month, always convinced he’d score a job “worthy of his name” but instead ending up with nothing. Maybe she could spare him a cup of coffee to help the booze pass, even if she covered its cost herself. She knew not to expect Azmorrigan to pay for it while he was that drunk.

He’s depressed, show him some kindness Clair told herself as she approached Azmorrigan, intent on at least helping him sit up. Her delicate hands took Azmorrigan by the voluptuous arms and, grunting, she managed to get the man to sit up on the stairs. Azmorrigan’s gaze traveled around him, registering Clair’s face and ultimately smiling at her, unable to recognize the grimace she looked at him with.

Gods, the man wreaked alcohol.

It was then that Clair noticed Azmorrigan looking over at the inside of the small, cozy lunch house, his eyes widening round in glee as he stumbled to get up with utter disregard of the young woman standing there, nearly knocking her over hadn’t she stepped back.

“Well, am I the first one ‘ere?!” Azmorrigan called, looking ready to leap into the lunch house.

In a sober state, Clair wouldn’t deny any man or woman entry to her lunch house. Azmorrigan currently didn’t fit into that template. With a yelped “No!” she leapt over at the doorway, hoping it would be enough to keep the large, inebriated man out of the house.

Instead, she was aided by the heavy sound of hoofs.

Step after step, the black mustang stallion carried its rider into the scene, catching both gazes from Clair and Azmorrigan. The gray bandana that covered the lower half of his face faintly swayed in the wind until he pulled it down, revealing his features, including the few curls of silver that peeked from his hat and behind his neck. A silent man, he didn’t need to speak to impose. He was the face of the town, the one who kept it orderly, the man who didn’t go by a proper name; the Gray Rider, Sheriff Crosshair of Deadwood.

And his brown eyes stared right at Clair as he looked down at her from up his horse, his gaze barely peering past the edge of his black hat, his lips curving discreetly, teeth baring as he secured a cigar at the corner of his lip. Still looking at the young woman, he took a hand and tipped his hat over at her in acknowledgement.

“Good afternoon, little lady,” he spoke.

Her chest heaved when his eyes stared into hers; the Sheriff’s presence was so heavy that she’d darn near forgotten Azmorrigan was there, swaying in an attempt to keep his balance.

“Afternoon, Sheriff,” she said softly in return.

He couldn’t help but smirk at her. “We got a problem here?”

“U-Uh—not exactly, Sheriff,” Clair stammered. “Mr. Azmorrigan here is just… not in his best condition.”

“I just wanna dance with the pretty lady!” Azmorrigan whined.

With a nod, Sheriff Crosshair got down from the black stallion he rode, giving it a couple of soft pats on the neck before he walked toward Clair and Azmorrigan. His lean, tall figure towered over both of them, and his black and gray clothing stood out among the warmer tones of the lunch house. The moment he looked upon Azmorrigan, it was as if the poor man sobered up, registering the emotions behind the Sheriff’s gaze.

No one wanted to make the Sheriff mad.

“Now,” Crosshair wrapped an arm around Azmorrigan, leading him with ease away from the lunch house’s entryway and down the stairs of the porch. “What booze was it? Bourbon? Beer?”

“B-Bourbon, sir,” Azmorrigan admitted.

“And why are we drinkin’ so early?”

Azmorrigan’s gaze faltered to the ground. “Ya know how it is, Sheriff. No jobs available. No money. No luck.”

“We both know that ain’t true,” Crosshair replied, his voice hushing. “My offer to work with the books is still up, I want you to take it.”

“But, sir—”

“I can hardly care if it’s what you want,” Crosshair cut him off. “I can’t have you stumblin’ around town, drunk out of your own ass while the sun is up, makin’ the ladies uncomfortable. You’re not to get in the way of this kind miss doin’ her job again, you got it?”

Azmorrigan felt like contradicting the sheriff again, but his own pitiful hiccup seemed to prove the Gray Rider’s point. The drunk man hunched his shoulders and finally nodded.

“Thank you, Sheriff,” he said.

Crosshair nodded and signaled one of his men on patrol to bring a carriage. “Go home, get clean and sobered up. Be at my place before the day’s over.”

Crosshair’s men helped Azmorrigan onto a carriage before driving him off in the direction of his house. He stood, watching as the carriage left, with his hands on his hips and his back turned on Clair. When he finally turned around, he smirked as he adjusted the cigar on the corner of his lip, taking a long puff from it.

Her pretty brown eyes were already on him.

“He ain’t a violent man and he shouldn’t cause you more trouble, miss,” Crosshair said, “but if you need any help again, you tell me.”

Clair smiled as best as she could, trying to still the racing of her heart. “Thank you, Sheriff.”

He nodded and tipped his hat at her again, turning around to get on his horse again.

“W-Would you like anything?” Clair blurted just as his hands went on the saddle.

The Sheriff turned around and looked at her, silent.

“Perhaps a cup of coffee, or some lunch,” Clair continued, her voice quivering at times. “I’ve got my best recipe of mashed potatoes today.”

The way his lips curved at her words made her knees tremble, and he then stepped toward her again, slowly, with the spurs of his boots jingling with every step he took.

“I’d love to, little lady, but I’ve got a job to do,” he purred. “How about I meet you after sundown outside of Cid’s saloon?”

Clair dug her heels onto the wooden floor. “You’d want that?”

“Would you?” He asked.

She smiled dreamily at him. “I-I’d love to, sir.”

The discreet little smirk on his lips didn’t fade, and he finally tipped his gray hat one more time before turning around and getting on his mustang, galloping off westward into the town.

Clair still couldn’t quite move her legs as she watched him riding off. She’d been standing on that porch longer than she could register, unaware of the time that went by until at last her first customer of the day came in: Mrs. Patmore, one of the older, gray-haired women of the town who owned the steak house across the street.

“What are you looking at, Clair?” She asked.

Clair finally snapped out of it. “N-Nothing. Sheriff was here.”

The woman’s brows raised. “The Sheriff? What was he here for?”

“Old man Azmorrigan was drunk again,” Clair answers. “The Sheriff helped get him off the porch, he even gave him a job.”

“Oh, well,” Mrs. Patmore stumbled into the lunch house. “Ain’t that sheriff a blessing on Deadwood.”

Clair looked west even though the Gray Rider was well gone from view, but she couldn’t help but agree with the old woman. In any case, it was now time for her to get on with her afternoon; Mrs. Patmore was only the first of many hungry people seeking some lunch.

She’d have to find a way to keep from bumping into the tables and the chairs while she waited for the night.

*

It had been a peaceful day in the town of Deadwood, and once the sun had gone down, everyone began to let loose after a day’s work.

Clair had changed her brown skirt for a brighter toned one, almost bordering on cream, and she donned a black long sleeved blouse, with thin black gloves covering her hands and a necklace with a round golden pendant that dangled between her breasts. Her black hair, usually worn up completely, was now only half up, with waves draping down her shoulders. She wore the same shoes she’d worn the rest of the day; it wouldn’t make much difference given the length of her skirt, and no one would be able to tell.

Meanwhile, the Sheriff had dressed almost the same as he had throughout the day; if Clair hadn’t been so keen on observing him, she wouldn’t have noticed the different buttons on his shirt, or the thread that stitched his trousers, which was a smoky black that reflected light and stood out in the darker fabric as opposed to the equally dark thread on the trousers he’d worn when he’d aided her with the drunk man at her lunch house. There was only so much observing Clair was able to do discreetly, as her eyes couldn’t wander as much as she would have wanted them to while she spoke to him.

Sheriff Crosshair wasn’t a man of many words. He charmed with his presence, his wit, his eyes, and the way he sometimes smiled as he heard Clair speaking told her he liked the sound of her voice.

He was off duty for the most part, but the silver star on his chest still gleamed and signaled him as authority. Anyone who happened to walk by tipped their hat or nodded in respect at the Sheriff, and some of them even acknowledged the young woman he sat with. They were perched on a bench just outside Cid’s saloon, one of the most cheerful places in Deadwood’s nightlife, with the sound of laughter, chatter, and the lively piano music coming from the inside. They sat on opposite sides of the bench, with just enough empty space between them to not cause scandal—even though there would certainly be gossip of the young woman who’d spent the night talking with the Sheriff.

Crosshair opted for a toothpick rather than a cigar at that moment, and after taking a moment to look up at the starry night sky, he turned to Clair again. He caught her staring at him yet again, finding it adorable the way she abruptly tore her gaze from him.

“I’ve been sheriff of this town for years, but I only started seeing you around in recent months,” Crosshair commented through gritted teeth, securing the toothpick in his mouth.

“I arrived recently,” Clair answered, her hands fisted over her thighs—it was hard to concentrate when he sat the way he did, leaning back on the bench with one leg crossed over he other, ankle resting on his knee. “I came here on the train from Virginia when there was nothing left for me anymore, only a friend who works with her family on the east coast.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Crosshair replied.

“Don’t be,” she smiled. “I like it here. I like how safe it is; I suppose we owe that to you.”

Crosshair scoffed. “Suppose so.”

“The people respect you,” Clair added. “I think that’s a great sign.”

“I’m fair with the people,” he said.

“You’re kind to them too,” Clair smiled.

Crosshair couldn’t help but look at her with certain bewilderment—kind was not often a word used to describe him. “You think so?”

“Well, you gave Azmorrigan a job,” Clair replied. “You set your foot down but you weren’t aggressive or disrespectful, and you gave him the opportunity he needed. Mrs. Patmore later called you a blessing on this town.”

The Sheriff couldn’t help but scoff again as he looked away, oddly in awe at the words he heard coming from her. “I suppose you’re kind too, little lady.”

Clair looked away with a bashful smile, feeling as the heat came to her cheeks. “I’m just being honest, Sheriff.”

He smirked when he heard her speak his rank. “‘Nough about me. How are you feeling here at Deadwood?”

“I like what I do,” Clair met his gaze with a soft curve in her lips. “Cooking has been my great love ever since I was little, and I can do that here and share it with people. I actually got a great deal for the lunch house, and the rent is incredible.”

“Next to the doctor,” Crosshair commented.

“He needs help at times,” Clair smiled. “He said he’d be willing to lend me the space for the lunch house if I let him teach me some things to later help him out, but I told him I didn’t want to treat injuries or anything heavy. I’m incredibly squeamish, but he was kind about that and mostly just wants me to help with remedies.”

Clair’s gaze had drifted onto many points around the town as she spoke, and finally, she looked at Crosshair again. “Do you know the doctor personally?”

“Doctor Victor Fett,” Crosshair said as brown, receding curls and round glasses came into his mind. “Yeah. Good man.”

Clair smiled. “He also helps me manage the lunch house, he’s incredibly capable.”

“You are too,” Crosshair looked away. “It’s one thing to work somewhere, but runnin’ the place is beyond that.”

Clair chuckled at his remark. “See? I told you you’re kind.”

Crosshair softly laughed back, taking the toothpick from his mouth and flicking it away before facing the young woman sitting beside him.

“And I think you’re a lovely little lady, Miss Clair,” he said.

Her cheeks took a lovely tint of rouge that Crosshair felt he wanted to brush his touch over, and slowly, he inched closer to Clair on that bench. Her eyes gleamed with excitement but they held hints of caution, not denying the Sheriff, but not wanting to succumb to her own desires.

“Sheriff!” She giggled when he leaned in to try and kiss her. “What will the people say?”

“Little darlin’, I'm the sheriff around here,” Crosshair smirked. “They won’t say a damned thing.”

Everything inside Clair was exploding at the sheer proximity he held; his breath fanned over her features, and his hands were so close to her figure, awaiting a word of confirmation from her before he could finally take her in his grip. Clair’s big, brown eyes met the Sheriff’s, and with her smile widening, she nodded while her chest heaved in excitement.

His smile was already seductive, and it only seemed more so as he finally leaned down, ready to touch Clair’s soft, full lips with his own, but as soon as he could register the sound of steps and the jingle of spurs, he stopped himself and looked over Clair’s shoulder at the man who had approached the scene, his features hardening.

Clair couldn’t help but worry, hastily looking over her shoulder at the man who’d caught Crosshair’s attention. He dressed in brown trousers and a dark gray flannel to keep him warm in the night, with a red bandana loosely secured around his neck. The man’s belt buckle had a skull on it, its silver metal contrasting with the overall warm tone he carried with him; his skin was brown, just like the sheriff’s, and his eyes had the same deep brown. The man’s long, black curls dangled over his shoulders, at times swaying with the wind, and his gaze was heavy with remorse and indecision.

“Sheriff,” Clair whimpered.

“Don’t worry,” Crosshair said as he stood up, with Clair following after him. “He ain’t a problem, not for the town, at least.”

He turned around to face the woman he’d unconsciously shielded from the man’s sight, his gaze softening on her. “I won’t be long. How about you head into the saloon and wait for me, and I’ll offer you a dance when I’m done?”

As much as Clair fancied the idea of dancing with him, she felt the strangeness of the change of events and she directed an uneasy smile at him. Silently, Clair gathered himself and went up the steps of the saloon, opened the door and disappeared inside while Crosshair was left outside with the newcomer.

Even after all those years, none of his anger had faded.

“Thought I told you to keep your face outta my town,” Crosshair growled.

“I didn’t want to come here either,” Hunter answered. “Wreck—Raphael insisted.”

“Call him whatever he wants to be called,” Crosshair replied. “What are you doing here?”

Hunter sighed and he took off his hat, holding it absently down his side. “There’s something you should know.”

“I know all I have to know about you and about my town,” Crosshair replied.

“We’ve had travelers stayin’ at the barn, Crosshair,” Hunter knew there was no point in beating around the bush. “Travelers from Tombstone.”

Crosshair’s eyes hardened and widened at the mention of that town—he hated to admit that his oldest brother would be right. He did want to know what that was about.

“All of them?”

“Yes,” Hunter continued, relieved that Crosshair was responding. “They’re sayin’ they’re running away while they still can, but they’re the lucky ones. Town’s been taken over by bounty hunters; a lot of the people have already escaped onto other towns, but as of late, the bounty hunters have been tightening their rules and makin’ it harder on the people.”

“I take it that’s not all,” Crosshair said.

“No,” Hunter stepped closer to his youngest brother. “The most recent one, the one who left my barn before sunrise today, mentioned Tombstone doesn’t have enough people to sustain itself. There’s no work because there are no people to fill it, and the bounty hunters don’t fancy doin’ it themselves.”

Crosshair knew the possibilities of that implication, and he didn’t like any of them. The last thing he wanted was to weaponize his town, but at the very least, he’d have to increase patrols on Deadwood’s borders, maybe take some shifts himself with the old rifle, let the governor know, if he hadn’t been taken care of by the bounty hunters already.

Hunter was aware of what Crosshair was thinking, and he knew he wouldn’t get much more out of his brother. Chance of either one of them asking the other for a drink at the saloon would be a fine thing, and Hunter put his hat on once more, giving a faint nod.

“Anyway, that’s all I wanted to tell you,” Hunter said, turning his back to walk away.

“Thank you for the warning,” Crosshair surprised him by saying. “Now get the hell back to your barn.”

Hunter knew he should have seen the snarky remark coming—it was one of the things Crosshair was known for, after all.

He sighed. “Have you still not forgiven me? Not after all these years?”

Crosshair took slow steps towards his older, shorter brother. “I didn’t want this life.”

Hunter bowed his head in defeat; he knew it was a long shot he couldn’t make.

“I’ll say goodnight, then,” Hunter said before he started walking off, but ultimately he stopped himself and turned around again, taking out a folded paper from his pocket. “Mind if I put this up?”

“What is it?”

“A help wanted sign,” Hunter answered. “Cattle’s growing and I need someone to help look over the stables.”

“Put it on that post and get out,” Crosshair gestured to the side and the street and turned around, walking up the steps of the saloon’s porch.

The breeze flew through Hunter’s hair as he felt the fires inside himself dimming, and he slowly hung up the notice on the post outside the saloon, his gaze low.

“I’ve missed you too, brother,” he said to himself.

Just as he turned around, hoping to catch a final glimpse of his baby brother, Crosshair had already disappeared into the saloon, the door slamming shut behind him, leaving Hunter with the howling of the wind.

A part of him knew he had it coming. Hunter essentially had pushed Crosshair into that way of life, and he didn’t know if he’d ever have the chance to apologize.

He didn’t know if Crosshair would want to listen.

In any case, Hunter mentally wished his younger brother good fortune, and luck with the girl he was courting, and he finally set out to walk back to the barn where he felt he belonged.

Tags: @ct-1777 @wild-karrde @misogirl828 @seriowan

Fill out my tagform or let me know if you'd like to be tagged! Thanks for reading!

[emersonfreepress]

do any of the ros like or watch anime ?

for this answer, i had to finally figure out how accessible anime was in the States in the late 90s/pre-streaming era... so for most of these cast members, they aren't quite into anime yet. luckily, it is fairly obvious to me who this is a 'yes' for 😂

Kile | a very slow but very steady descent into anime fandom. the type of anime nerd that only other anime nerds would be able to clock before the 2010s. you won't see Kile perusing Hot Topic or Spencer's or wtv in the 00s solely because they've been throwing (tons of) money at authentic Japanese merch and street fashion since the very moment online translators were barely functional enough to facilitate such a thing 😂

Jack | his dad was an early anime nerd so homeboy was partly raised on anime way before most Americans were 😆 and like with most of his nerdy interests, Jack takes after his one or both of his parents. he's been watching since forever and will continue to do so 😙 he'll be fairly into anime until CrunchyRoll happens. then having easy access to almost any series will quickly take over his life 😂

Jessie | glimpsed Sailor Moon when it first started airing and enjoys it in private (it's still in early morning syndication at this point and perceived as "kids' cartoons"); she'd need to be reintroduced as an adult but she'd be so into the magical girl genre and a bunch of shoujo and shoujo-ai (and josei if the friend re-introducing her has taste ijs)

R | hell yea. They've demanded their parents pick up any and all VHS titles that even resemble anime since they were little 😅 it's really easy for me to envision them working at one of those early 00s anime shops at some point during college—before getting fired for "antagonizing customers" (which they'll refer to as "making simple recommendations to sensitive assholes")

Vi | eventually, but probably only if the MC or R gets them into it first 😆 They'd be super into fantasy, shoujo, and magical girl stuff, obviously, but eventually be mostly into josei and more serious dramatic titles. and shounen/shoujo-ai if i'm honest lol. they'll fall in love with Miyazaki's work in the future even if they never get into anime though!

Curt | um, yea... he'll get into anime via some of the more explicit titles. y'all remember when they just casually sold Bxxxx Bxxxx at FYE? 😆 I can very easily picture him walking down the anime aisle with neutral disinterest until seeing that kind of box art and taking a few steps back 😅 It'll take a few years for him to get out of hentai and finally start watching more anime—probably mostly horror and seinen, but he'll come to like yaoi, yuri, and sports anime once that shit really pops off 😂😂

honorable mention? | Rain won't get into anime because they just... don't consume enough media in their free time to really get "into" things like that. But the current iteration of Rain would not exist without me having watched Paradise Kiss at the impressionable age of 16—and they would adore Parakiss 🥰

[addictedtojmanga]

Best male characters in shoujo & josei manga - in my opinion, ofc

!!! Might contain spoilers about Love so Life, Faster than a Kiss, Last Game, Love Phantom, Special A, ReRe Hello, Kainushi wa Akuma, Sabaku no Harem, Max Lovely and Kimi ni Todoke. 

So, my criteria for this was:

1. is he toxic?

2. can he communicate properly with the female lead?

3. could I stand to talk with him for more than an hour?

That’s basically it. I used to love a bunch of male characters without realizing how douchey they actually were. Do I still love them? Yeah, but mostly because of nostalgia, I don’t actually consider them good men. 

I’m not saying the men in this list are perfect, cause c’mon we all know how manga characters - and people - are, but I think these are pretty great.  

Without further ado, here’s my - non ranked - fave MLs:

1. Matsunaga Seiji, Love so Life. 

This man is adorable, the best thing ever, I want him to myself. We don’t actually see a lot of romance in Love so Life, HOWEVER, Seiji is a responsible, caring, sweet guy. Once he gets his shit together he talks openly with the female lead about how he feels and how - because of their age difference - he’s willing to wait for her and that she doesn’t have to answer him right then and there or feel guilty if she doesn’t want to be with him in the future. 

Honestly, I really love him. He’s not a creepy older guy preying on a young girl, he respects her age and wants her to live her youth before settling down. Does he rely a bit too much on a 16yo? Yes, but I overlook it ‘cause I love him.

2. Ojiro Kazuma, Faster than a Kiss. 

Again, not a teacher/older man preying on a young girl. He’s her teacher and their relationship starts out with him wanting to protect/help his student out. If I’m not mistaken, he doesn’t even kiss her until she graduates, HOWEVER, he does make her wear sexy costumes, which is problematic. 

Overall, he’s sweet, helps her a lot, really loves her and wants to protect her (and her cute litlle brother). 

3. Yanagi Naoto, Last Game.

Yanagi starts out as a douchey rich kid who thinks he’s superior to everyone else until he’s beaten by the female lead and wants to defeat her. Overtime, he realizes he’s actually in love with her. He’s shy when it comes to her, and very patient. 

Did he follow her to middle school, high school and college? Yes. Would I find that creepy in real life? Absolutely. Can I excuse it because it’s a shoujo manga? Yes again. 

I think he’s a solid male lead for a shoujo manga, and I personally like him, but I definitely see issues with his behavior. 

4. Hase Kei, Love Phantom.

I want him. He’s older than the FL, so he often teases her, but I find it pretty adorable, especially when he’s the one feeling shy. Excluding chapter 01, I can’t remember any obvious flaws in his behavior. To sum up, I love him. 

5. Takishima Kei, Special A. 

Here is an OG male lead that I wouldn’t punch or kick.

Kei is handsome, rich, super smart and he doesn’t give a fuck about anything except the FL. She’s extremely competitive and he always goes along with her whims. He’s protective of her and a tad possessive, but it doesn’t really bother me. He’s pretty solid. 

6. Suou Minato, ReRe Hello.

Minato has his flaws as a person, but as a man/boyfriend, I really love him. I feel like he really cherishes the FL and usually respects her independence. If you haven’t read this manga, I definitely recommend you do!

7. Albrecht Ebel, Kainushi wa Akuma.

He’s super hot and sassy, I love it. Does he sort of sexually harass the FL? Yes, frequently. Does it bother me? Not really, to be honest. And I absolutely despise when male characters are forceful or rapey. I don’t know how to explain it, but at the same time that he teases her, he’s extremely sweet. I know this intro sounds bad, but I want to be upfront about it. Major spoilers ahead: in one of the final chapters, he’s feeling possessive and tries to have sex with her (she didn’t contest it), and when he comes to, she’s trembling and he stops, apologizes, says that there’s no meaning to it if she doesn’t want to and stays distant from her until she approaches him after realizing they love each other.

He is super sweet and she does love him, of course (it’s still a shoujo manga after all). I think everyone should give it a read (and you can delve into the wonderful world of flirting that is Kaji Eiri’s mangas). 

(Real quick, part of the reason I love her work so much is that the main couple flirts consistently throughout the manga, and one thing that bothers me a lot in shoujo manga is when the protagonists only get together in the last chapter.)

8. Sahara Taki, Max Lovely. 

Honestly, I just really love their relationship. This is a 20 year old manga but it’s really solid. I’ve re-read this a bunch of times and I absolutely love it. It’s not romance exclusively, there’s a pretty dark background story, but I really enjoy it. And Taki is a pretty baby, super sweet with the FL and usually very honesy with her.

9. Prince Kallum, Sabaku no Harem.

Would I be one of many wifes to a handsome and rich prince? No. Do I treat manga as reality? God, no. 

He’s very amusing, loves to tease the FL and is pretty sweet. I really enjoyed reading this, I think it’s a solid shoujo with a great male lead, and should definitely be on your list if you haven’t read it yet. 

10. Kazehaya Shouta, Kimi ni Todoke.

Is he my favorite male character? No. To be perfectly honest, he’s not even on my top 10. But is he a good man/boyfriend? Yes, and that’s why he’s on this list.

Like I said in the beginning of the post, there are toxic male characters that I still love despite them being shitty. 

Kazehaya is a popular type but he’s super nice and charismatic. He treats the FL which is usually dismissed by everyone with a lot of respect and care. I think he’s a bit too shy and indirect, which can sometimes jeopardize his relationship with her, but other than that, he’s a great guy. 

BONUS 01: not actually a boyfriend but I love him

Tsuruga Ren, Skip Beat. 

Now, is Ren perfect? No, he has a lot of flaws. A LOT. But I absolutely love him and I think he’s maturing. 

BONUS 02: I don’t personally love this type of character for myself, but I really like him 

Suoh Tamaki, Ouran High School Host Club. 

Like I said, he’s not my type, but I think he’s pretty cute and adorable and totally deserves to be on the list, so I made this spot just for him. 

BONUS 03: douchey guys I was blindly in love with as a teenager

1. Usui Takumi, Kaichou wa Maid-Sama. 

Do I hate Usui? No, not at all. I actually really like him. 

But he’s possessive, secretive, dismissive and forceful.

2. Irie Naoki, Itazura na Kiss. 

Naoki has always been - in my opinion - a dick. He pissed me of quite a bit even back then. But, since I always make sure to wear my shoujo anime/manga glasses to ignore problematic behavior when I’m reading manga, I don’t hate him.

! Please don’t get me wrong, even with my shoujo anime/manga glasses there are certain things that I can’t ignore and that really drive me crazy (ex. rape, racism, fat shaming, etc) 

It’s simply that I can understand that there’s a huge gap between manga and reality, and as long as I can recognize the problematic behaviors, I feel like I can enjoy them and respect the poetic license behind it. 

 Ok, that’s it, sorry for the long-ass post.