#and also. not a shot at you anon but just generally i think the reason people talk favourites is bc we like to share positive opinions

[ooooo-mcyt]

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely detest DDVAU!Scar's behaviour towards Grian and think that it's completely inexcusable but it certainly couldn't have helped his misconceptions that the first thing Grian does upon seeing him is growl

It's understandable from Grian's perspective: he thinks he's about to be arrested and have even more of his agency stripped away at the hands of a guy he really doesn't get on with

But from Scar's perspective it's more of a threat, and one that just confirms his prejudices about mutants being dangerous and his thoughts that Grian should now be treated as a threat

On one hand, I understand it but on the other I want to punch him in the face... That's how you know you've done a good job writing your morally grey character I guess

This is fascinating to me because you're absolutely correct but I never actually thought about Grian's behavior from this perspective (and it honestly infuriates me to think about but you're so right)

I mean, Grian's aggression toward Hot Guy is incredibly natural. He didn't really like Hot Guy or the Emerald Soldiers to begin with, Grian is already (for good reason) primed to resent and distrust cops (and it couldn't have helped that hot guy personally shot him recently). But even beyond his dislike and distrust of Hot Guy generally, Grian is also actively in a very vulnerable position here. Grian experienced a- frankly traumatic- attack and only just woke up in the hospital only to have a cop immediately burst into his room and fully isolate him.

This is a very afraid and vulnerable person, and I never read his responses here as anything other than that.

But for Scar, it's hostility. He's just come to talk to Grian, and immediately Grian is acting with hostility toward him. Scar may not have read Grian's hostility toward and distrust of cops so negatively in their previous interactions, but now Grian's a mutant. One who broke the law to lie about what he is. Scar's entire job is to deal with "fantastic" threats, and specifically mutant related threats. Whether or not Scar realizes the extent of it, he's primed to read and react to 'mutant hostility'.

It's very possible that a big part of the reason Scar could so easily resort to the tactics he did with Grian- the way he so easily justified it to himself- was because Grian is a "dangerous" mutant who broke the law and is now acting with "hostility" toward him. Because he could so easily categorize Grian as other and criminal and threatening, even if we can easily see that Grian is in an immensely vulnerable position here and is acting out of (rightful) fear of Hot Guy from the beginning.

Hot Guy's functionally trained to act dehumanizingly- to see mutants as a threat rather than people to be empathized with or protected- at the sight of anything he views as "mutant hostility". So as soon as he found out Grian was a mutant, and as soon as Grian showed signs of hostility toward him, Grian wasn't just a civilian or the victim of an attack, Grian was (ludicrously, unfairly, cruelly) a threat, and that probably made it a lot easier for Hot Guy to bring himself to treat Grian the way he did.

(*there's also probably a parallel to be drawn between this scene and the way tango was treated in chapter ten- how in both cases, the mutant characters were put in positions where they were vulnerable and where they were hurt, but had the burden of civility placed on them, because an expression of- rightful- anger from them would reinforce the idea that they're dangerous)

Thank you for this perspective, anon, because yeah.

[simplydnp]

Hello, I’m curious, i always see people talking about their favourite DNPG video but what is your least favourite DNPG video?

my least favourite dapg video will become it takes two part 1 if they never finish it 💅 (jokes)

but for real? if we're talking recent: the brothers game video. god,, the editing on that makes it unwatchable for me. genuinely i cannot go back to it. which is so disappointing cause you'd think it'd be like the first it takes two vid. but it isn't. all it does is make me wish i was watching it takes two instead.

honestly i generally don't dislike content they make--i'm a fan of the bants and theyre pretty good at banting, and especially before editors were doing the cuts, dnp were very good at crafting their videos to be entertaining even if you weren't a fan of the game/they weren't very good at the game (although the minecraft video was painful). the reason i even hate the brothers video so much is because the editing completely takes the joy out of the experience, and that's why i don't like it. if a joke doesn't land for someone, that's fine cause humour is subjective. but if you badly cut something together, it's a production error that can be critiqued and improved on. there's measurable quality issues there.

are there mid videos? sure! are there ones i don't go back to after watching? absolutely. but there's few that i would actively label as dislike and further hate.

i'll also be honest and say that i'm not super familiar with a lot of the older content on dapg--sometimes the 'bro' energy is too much and i can't do it.

[nosyp]

Hii could we pls get a smut w player 120 x f!reader where were basically a very open n kinda cocky talkative person who tried to be all confident around the games but once stuff gets spicy w Hyun-ju we become quiet n get knocked down a few pegs by her? Pls n thank u!!

Oh yesss absolutely anon!!! I chose to do her before she fully transitioned soo...

Also this turned out more rougher than i thought it would

Title = The Games We Play

Warnings = smut🔞 (MDNI), pegging, semi-hate sex(?), degradation, cum eating, rough sex

Summary = You, all confident and cocky, messes up during a team challenge with Hyun-ju (Player 120), frustrating her. Despite attempting to apologize, Hyun-ju stays angry, leading to a shift in their dynamic that turns intense.

Word count = 2.8k

You had always prided yourself on being the life of the room. Even in a place like this, full of death and violence, you stood out. Everyone else was quiet, brooding, or sizing each other up, but you? You were a force. A smile always on your lips, a quip always at the ready. The players here seemed to appreciate the distraction, and you loved that you could be the one to make them forget, even if only for a moment, that they were all fighting for their lives.

Don’t get it wrong though, you weren’t anything like that… ‘Thanos’ guy. You didn’t have sick thoughts, try to hurt anyone or get high. The only reason you had ended up here was the generational debt. Your grandpa was a great man, but he was the reason your whole family’s financial situation went up in flames. He wasn’t thinking straight one day, and he gambled loads of money away, even money he didn’t have. And that debt slowly passed down to you. 

Even then, you had quite the bright nature. People didn’t always resonate with you but you, the ever so sweet person, didn’t treat them any different. Your grandpa managed to decrease the debt into only 73 million won and your parents shortened it into 44 million won. The debt was still a hefty amount, it would probably take you your entire life or even more to earn that from your present job. 

Well, that was what you thought until some guy invited you to work at his company and earn loads doing minimum work. The work, the offer in general, felt very creepy to you but you were so desperate to find any sort of reprieve, so you accepted. And now you’re here.

“Aaaa… C’mon, Hyun-ju, you really think I’m gonna let you get away with that?” You teased, leaning back against the wall with a wink, your voice light and teasing as you crossed your arms. “You’ve got to do better than that if you want to win this.”

Hyun-ju, ever the stoic person, only shot you a sharp look in response, but you didn’t mind. You were used to people underestimating you. The confidence you carried was all the armor you needed, and so far, it had worked. But even you couldn’t help but feel the slight shift in the air whenever she was near. There was something... magnetic about her, something that kept you on your toes. Still, you weren't one to let that show. You grinned again, keeping your tone light.

“You know, I’m starting to think you’ve got a thing for me, huh?” You nudged her playfully, voice dripping with confidence as you gave her a look. “Is that why you’re always so intense around me?”

Her eyes flickered briefly, the faintest hint of something in her gaze that you couldn’t place. But before you could tease her further, the moment shifted. You saw her hand reach out, just barely grazing your arm, but it felt different, heavier. More intentional. You glanced at her, a small smirk tugging at your lips.

“Careful, Hyun-ju,” you warned with a teasing chuckle, trying to keep the atmosphere light. “Don’t go falling for me now. I don’t think I’m your type.”

You and Player 120 had decided to go together for the six-legged foot race, and to say you were excited would be an understatement. You were in your element. Cocky, confident, and ready to win. Hyun-ju, however, was a different story. The whole race was supposed to be a breeze, or so you thought. But apparently, your enthusiasm wasn’t enough to make up for the fact that you kept tripping over your own feet and other’s feet.

"Watch where you’re going!" Player 120 snapped as you stumbled for the third time in a single minute. You shot her an apologetic grin, but the frustration in her eyes was hard to ignore. She was always calm, collected, and precise, but today... today, she was starting to unravel.

"Hey, I’m doing my best!" you laughed, brushing it off, but it was getting more difficult to maintain that confident facade. Hyun-ju’s grip on the rope was tight, and her steps were firm. She was dragging you along, keeping you upright as you tried to match her pace, but you were definitely slowing her down.

The more you messed up, the more you could see her temper rising. She kept pulling you back into place with sharp, quick movements, her body rigid with irritation. Each time you missed a step or stumbled, you could feel the tension in her hands grow.

You finally reached a point where you almost collapsed into her after tripping yet again, your legs tangling in the rope. Player 120 hissed under her breath, frustration evident in the way she jerked you back upright. "Come on!" she growled, not bothering to hide the anger creeping into her tone. "Stop messing around. We’re losing!"

You could feel the heat of her annoyance radiating through the rope connecting you two. She was trying her best to stay patient, but the way her brows furrowed and her sharp movements made it clear, this was not what she signed up for.

You, on the other hand, couldn’t stop smiling, despite your constant failures. It was a little funny to you, the way Hyun-ju was getting more and more upset. You could feel her body growing tenser, her pace quickening as she pushed harder, but it only made you feel more careless.

"Hyun-ju, relax, we’ve still got this!" you chirped, but she wasn’t having it.

"Not when you keep messing up every other step!" Her voice was low and tense, the frustration bubbling up to the surface. "Stop trying to make it look easy and focus!"

The mood shifted dramatically, and you could tell Player 120 was barely holding it together. Her teeth gritted in frustration, she tugged on the rope with one firm motion, forcing you to focus. You could see her pushing herself past the point of patience, and that made you swallow your usual cocky remarks. Maybe you’d pushed her too far.

You both hit the final stretch of the race, and with one final, forceful push, Player 120 sprinted ahead. You tried to catch up, but your clumsy movements were no match for her efficiency. You stumbled to the finish line, barely keeping your balance. Player 120 crossed it first, without even looking back. You were sure she didn’t even notice the way her breath came out in sharp gasps, her temper barely in check.

She turned to face you, her eyes narrowing as she exhaled sharply. "Maybe next time you’ll actually try to keep up," she muttered under her breath, her gaze cold and irritated. The playful tone you’d expected from her wasn’t there anymore. She was mad, and it showed.

You could feel the shift in the air between you two, and for the first time, you weren’t sure what to say. Your usual facade faltered as you stood there, caught in the aftermath of your own carelessness.

“Sorry…” You muttered, but it barely seemed to cut through the thick tension. You were silent as you tried to gather yourself. Hyun-ju didn’t seem to hear you, her attention already elsewhere, her gaze focused on the others around the room.

It was clear… you’d pushed her too far, and she wasn’t in the mood for any more of your usual antics. For once, the cocky confidence you usually wore like armor was nowhere to be found.

You stood there, watching as Player 120 walked away, her back rigid and her posture sharp with anger. She was still fuming, and you couldn’t help but feel the weight of the silence between you. The confident, cocky attitude you usually had started to slip away, replaced by the realization that you’d pushed her too far this time. You had messed up, and now, you needed to fix it.

"Hey, Hyun-ju..." you started, taking a hesitant step toward her. "I’m really sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to mess everything up back there. I’ll try harder next time, I swear."

You watched her shoulders stiffen even more at your words, and when she finally turned to face you, there was nothing but coldness in her eyes. The warmth that usually radiated from her was gone, replaced by a distant, almost irritated expression.

She didn’t respond right away, her lips pressed into a thin line as she crossed her arms over her chest. The silence hung between you two, heavier than any of the games you’d played so far.

"I told you to focus," she said, her voice flat, lacking any of the warmth it usually held when she spoke to you. There was no sign of the playful teasing she’d shown before, only a hint of bitterness in her tone. "You didn’t listen. You kept messing up, and it’s frustrating. I don’t want to keep carrying you through this."

Her words stung more than you expected. You could feel the weight of her disappointment, and it settled deep in your chest. This wasn’t just about the game anymore. She was angry, and it wasn’t something that could be fixed with a quick apology.

"Hyun-ju, I—I get it. I really do," you said, taking another step closer, your tone softer. "I’m sorry for letting you down. But you know I didn’t mean to mess things up on purpose, right?"

She looked at you for a long moment, her expression unreadable, and for a brief second, you thought she might soften. But the longer you stood there, the more it became clear that she wasn’t ready to forgive you.

She shook her head, a sigh escaping her lips. "I don’t want your apologies," she muttered, her eyes avoiding yours now, a mix of frustration and exhaustion in her gaze. "I’m not asking you to be perfect, but at least try to take things seriously. We’re in this together, but it’s hard to feel like we’re on the same team when you keep acting like this."

The silence stretched between you as you stood there, unsure of what to say next. Hyun-ju was clearly still upset, but you couldn't just let her walk away like that. You stepped forward, your breath catching in your throat as you noticed the way her back tensed even more with each step she took. You felt an urge to close the gap, to do something—anything—that would get her to soften.

"Hyun-ju..." you called out once more, your voice low, though there was a definite tremor to it. This time, you didn’t wait for her to turn. You caught up with her and grabbed her arm gently, not enough to stop her, but enough to pull her attention back to you. "I’m really sorry. I don’t want you to hate me."

She didn’t say anything at first, and for a moment, you thought you might’ve pushed her too far, but then, she turned her head slightly, her eyes flashing with a mixture of annoyance and something else you couldn’t quite place. You didn’t pull away; you knew she was still mad, but you also knew you couldn’t let this go unresolved.

Her gaze softened, just a little, and when she spoke, her voice was quieter, more intense than it had been before. “You want to make it up to me?”

You nodded quickly, almost desperate. "I’ll do anything. Just… tell me what you need from me."

There was a heavy pause before she spoke again, her tone thick with something you hadn’t heard from her before. "You keep messing up in all the wrong ways, but maybe... I can show you how to make it up. If you’re willing to listen." Her voice dropped lower, and her eyes darkened as she stepped closer, invading your personal space. “But this time… no more mistakes. Understood?”

Your breath hitched in your throat, and the intensity in her gaze was almost overwhelming. You could feel your pulse racing as you tried to keep your composure, but the air between you had shifted again. The playful teasing was gone, this was something else, something heavier, charged with frustration, desire, and maybe even a hint of something darker that you hadn’t anticipated.

You swallowed, your body reacting despite your thoughts. “Understood.”\

Her lips curled into a smirk, and before you could react, her hand was on your chest, pushing you backward gently, but forcefully, toward the wall behind you. The playful, calculated control she usually had was gone, replaced by something far more intense. And this time, it was clear. She was the one in control, no more funny business.

You hadn’t even had time to comprehend what had happened until you found yourself completely undressed in front of her. Your clothes were torn off by her strong hands and tossed to the side. 

You let out whimpers as your skin got more and more revealed to the cold air, making goosebumps appear on your skin. 

“Not as loud as before huh…” she mutters under her breath, still loud enough for you to hear though.

Without warning, she pulled out her cock from her pants, letting you admire it. She wasn’t the biggest, but it was pretty big. You had no idea how it was going to fit but you were too far gone to go back. 

“W-wait! I-I need uh… to prepare…” you say, causing her to halt.

She let out a sharp sigh, before turning to you. “Go do that then. Quickly.” she ordered.

Not knowing what to do, you hesitantly trailed your hands down… to your folds and started rubbing it. You were so unbelievably wet from the situation, it was visible to both you and her. Quickly, you rubbed your hand up and down your folds, letting your fingers get covered in your wetness.

“Mm–mmh…” you moan. 

Your breath became erratic, each inhale trembling as you desperately tried to steady yourself. The rapid rise and fall of your chest felt out of control, and no matter how hard you tried, the rush of the pleasure kept pushing the air in and out faster. You could feel your heart racing, thumping in your chest, matching the frantic pace of your breath.

“Keep going… you’re doing great…” she says, hand lightly pumping her cock.

Her words echoed in your mind, stirring something deep within you that you tried to ignore. The intensity in her voice, the way she spoke so calmly, as if she had already won… it affected you more than you were willing to admit. The annoyance bubbling in your chest only made the situation worse. But deep down, you knew. She had you. Every word she said was a step closer to making you forget your own thoughts, your own will.

Not long after, you surrendered to the pleasure, releasing fluids all over your fingers. 

“Good… Now clean yourself up,” she says, holding your wrist and bringing your hand in front of your face. Without hesitation, you licked your own fingers, cleaning it. “Good… you’re so obedient now y’know…”

“U-ugh… whatever,” you spat, hitting her with sass.

“Still got some energy in you? I’m gonna fuck that out of you.” she says, her words hitting you like a truck.

—

You couldn't even remember how long it had been. Time had blurred in a haze of pleasure and exhaustion. Each wave of sensation crashed over you, the moments stretching and distorting into something that felt almost unreal. Her hands, relentless, drawing out orgasms you never imagined you could feel so deeply.

The number of times you'd reached that peak was impossible to count. Every time you thought you might finally break, she pushed you further. Your body trembled, weak from the constant overstimulation, but she showed no signs of stopping. The intensity of it all was overwhelming, and despite your fatigue, there was a part of you that couldn’t help but crave more.

It was a strange kind of torment. Your body aching, yet your mind racing with the need for more, for her to continue. It was a mix of pleasure, exhaustion, and surrender. Every touch, every movement, drew you deeper into the overwhelming abyss, until you weren’t sure where you ended and she began.

“A-ahh! Ng-ngghh!” you whimper, not being able to mutter a single normal word.

“Tell me you love this.” she demands.

“I- Ahh! I- I- “ you mutter, quickly being interrupted by her thrusts. Your mind could barely even think, you didn’t know how you were able to respond to her at all.

“Hmm? What was it?” she asks.

“I- I-... I love this!!” you squeal, letting out yet another orgasm before you knew it.

Then she followed, cumming inside you before collapsing beside you.

[stllmnstr]

something old, something new

hello have a 2.3k drabble about Heeseung still having feelings for his ex heavily inspired by the above behind the scenes no doubt mv pics and based on this anon prompt sent to me:

this was supposed to be short but I got carried away and ended up writing 2.3k on my PHONE in an hour so please excuse any typos 😭

⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖⋆.˚⟡ ࣪ ˖

Lee Heeseung loves weddings.

When he admits this to people, which is in and of itself a fairly rare occasion, they assume it’s for all of the usual reasons.

The open bar, the well curated playlist, the free food... After all, those are the typical things men in their mid twenties tend to enjoy. And Heeseung always nods along. Forces a laugh whenever his conversation partner cracks another age old joke about getting a little too tipsy on the dance floor.

Besides, it’s not like he’s immune to baser pleasures. At twenty-five, Heeseung does genuinely enjoy eating well and getting drunk on someone else’s dime.

But if he digs a little deeper, is a little more honest with himself, the real reason he loves weddings so much is the romance of it all.

A white dress thats been agonized over and alternated to perfection. A cake thats been taste-tested and intentionally designed with the lucky couple in mind. A venue that likely cost an arm and a leg, but it’s worth it, because it’s the place where two people get to display the love they have for each other in front of everyone that’s important in their lives.

And Jay, he thinks, has outdone them all. The ballroom Heeseung steps into with perfectly shined shoes is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Crystal chandeliers bathe the high ceilinged room in soft, warm light that almost glows like candles at dusk.

The aisle separates two generously sized sections of seating from one another. Each table is laid with a crease less cream colored tablecloth and a bouquet of flowers that Heeseung doesn’t want to guess the price of. It’s stunning. It’s perfect.

And Jay, Heeseung’s best friend of thirteen years, deserves nothing less.

Jake seems to agree. Coming to stand next to Heeseung, he jerks his chin towards the door that leads to the neighboring room. “I just heard from a very trustworthy source that the open bar starts at 1 pm sharp,” he grins.

Heeseung has a sneaking suspicious that this trustworthy source is Sunghoon, which means it’s likely to be incorrect. Besides, booze isn’t what he’s here for.

“Hopefully not,” Heeseung nudges Jake’s shoulder, “since no one wants to watch you stumble down the aisle.”

“At least I’m just a groomsman.” Jake shrugs. “You, on the other hand, Mr. Best Man, have to be on your best behavior. Besides, I can handle my alcohol.”

Heeseung’s lips flatten. “I have several videos that prove otherwise.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jake waves his palm. “I’ll be good. I promise. No shots until after the ceremony.”

Heeseung just rolls his eyes. His younger friend might be a little more lax when it comes to conducting himself in public, but Heeseung isn’t actually worried. This is Jay’s wedding, after all. And no matter how much Jake and Sunghoon enjoy a good party, they also know how to take things seriously when it matters.

For a moment, Jake just looks around the room, taking it in like Heeseung had a few minutes prior. Similar actions, different conclusions. Jake doesn’t comment on the lighting or the tablecloths or even the romance. Instead, he says, “I can’t believe Jay’s actually getting married.”

“Yeah,” Heeseung breathes. Jay is the first in their friend group to officially leave bachelor-hood, and it does feel a bit strange to bear witness to. “Me neither.”

Jake is still shaking his head. “And he’s the first one out of all of us. That’s almost weirder. You know, we always thought it would be –”

Remembering himself, Jake lets the sentiment die on his lips.

It doesn’t matter, though. Heeseung already knows what he was going to say.

We always thought it would be you.

Four long years ago, at twenty-one, Heeseung had felt far too young for marriage. But that didn’t stop him from imagining what you’d look like in a white dress. What flavor of wedding cake the two of you would select from the box of samples. What overpriced venue you would decide to officially intertwine your lives in.

It didn’t stop him from tucking away a small, velvet box in the back of his drawer for safekeeping. From fantasizing about kneeling in front of you and finally sliding a gorgeous, sparking ring right where he wanted it to belong.

It didn’t stop him from making promises and plans. Adjustments to his life just to make sure there was always space for you.

But one year later, the box and the ring inside were still tucked away. And the love Heeseung kept safe suddenly had no place to go.

He told his friends it was mutual, that you’d made the decision together. But Heeseung never wanted to let go. Even if a job opportunity meant you had to move across the country. Even if it made no logical sense for him to follow when he was still finishing his degree.

It was circumstances, he explained to his friends, to his family. Not anything either of you did wrong.

But alone, surrounded by the four walls of his bedroom and the overwhelming clamor of his own thoughts, Heeseung just cried. Sobbed. The kind of tears that left him gasping for air and with a throb behind his temple.

Because he knew that he never would have done that to you. He would have turned down the job, would have found a way to make long distance work, would have transferred to another university to be close to you even if it wasn’t logical.

He would have done it, the big romantic gesture that gives the rom-com a happy ending and signals to the production team that it’s time to roll the credits.

But you didn’t. When he suggested long distance, you just sighed. And there were tears in your eyes too, but there was no fight.

So Heeseung, despite every bone in his body screaming at him not to, let you go.

And now, three years later, he’s about to watch his best friend get married and pretend it doesn’t sting. He’s happy for Jay. He is. But the selfish parts of him will always wish he was the one waiting at the end of the aisle instead. For you.

The universe has never made a habit of bending to his desires, though, and he fulfills his role as best man well. The ceremony goes off without a hitch, and Jake is appropriately steady-footed in his role as a groomsman.

The white dress is gorgeous. The cake is delicious. The venue is perfect. Whatever romance is, Jay and his fiancée — no, his wife — have captured it well.

Despite his earlier words, Heeseung makes a home for himself at the aforementioned open bar the second the ceremony is over. Knocking back another swig of whiskey, he appreciates the slight burn. At least it’s in his throat this time, instead of his heart. And at least it’s induced by alcohol instead of misplaced jealousy.

But he must have had one too many drinks, because for a fleeting moment, he swears that the late arrival that makes a hesitant entrance into the reception room is—

No.

There’s no way.

You only knew Jay because you knew Heeseung, and those flowers withered three long years ago. You have no reason to be here now.

But then he hears it, and oh the lurch in his heart hurts just as bad as it did the first time. Because despite the improbability of it all, that’s your voice that floats above the music and exchanged pleasantries with another guest. Even after all the time that’s passed, Heeseung would know it anywhere. Could pick it out of any crowd.

He turns to you slowly, as if he can delay the inevitable just a little longer. As soon as his eyes land on you, he realizes his mistake. He shouldn’t have looked at you at all, should have just slid off the bar stool and ran in the other direction because it still hurts.

You’re three years older, and the time has been good to you. The evening dress you wear hangs from your body in a way that only reminds him of what you look like beneath it, of the way running his hands and his lips and his love over the skin you conceal used to feel like second nature. The way you used to play with his hair with his head in your lap, trading small moments of intimacy after a long day.

It hurts. It aches and it stings and it burns.

He has to get out of here. He has to leave. Now.

Not caring if he’s making a scene, Heeseung stands from the barstool. The only reason he tries to be somewhat discreet is to avoid the heat of your gaze.

All the way to the door on the opposite side of the room, he doesn’t turn back. Not once. On the other side of the door, he lets his body go limp against the solid surface beneath his spine, just for a moment. He exhales a long held breath.

But the air is still stifling, even as he loosens the tie at his neck. Straightening back to his full height, he turns down a short hallway until he arrives at the small outdoor balcony he noticed earlier.

The air outside is cold, at least. Fresh.

On the horizon, the sun spends its last few moments of the day painting the sky in gorgeous, golden hues. Heeseung squints, but he doesn’t look away. Hands wrapped around the bannister that lines the balcony, he sags into himself.

Shoulders hunched, he forces a long inhale into his lungs. And then he releases it. His breath is a pattern he can cling to, something steady that tethers him back to reality. Something to focus on that isn’t the war in his mind.

But peacetime is only an illusion. After a handful of quiet minutes, he hears the door open behind him.

“Oh,” you startle. He knows it’s you, even from just one syllable. “Sorry, I didn’t realize someone was out here already. I’ll just…” Your words trail off into silence, but Heeseung doesn’t hear retreating footsteps, doesn’t hear the door close again. After another stilted moment, what he hears is, “Heeseung?”

Your voice is small. As if you can apologize just by being gentle. As if he’s a wounded animal you don’t want to startle.

And Heeseung, despite himself, does feel a bit like a kitten left out in the rain when he finds it in himself to turn and face you.

The only word he says is your name. His tone is steady, even. More so than he thought he was capable of. But he’s looking at you now too, and his eyes have never been good at hiding secrets.

“I…” You trail off again. You’re at a loss too. “How are you?”

“Don’t do that,” Heeseung shakes his head.

“I’m sorry,” you retreat immediately. But Heeseung remembers when you used to argue, when you used to fight back. When you valued the strength of your relationship over his wounded pride.

“Don’t be,” Heeseung shakes his head again. “You made your choice, so stick to it. You don’t get to…” He screws his eyes shut for a moment, fist clenching at his side. Opening his eyes again, he matches your gaze. “You don’t get to leave me and then apologize for it.”

Your breath hitches, but you don’t miss a beat. “I meant for intruding,” you tell him. “I was apologizing for disturbing you.”

But you remember how he used to love making space for you in his life. How his plans were your plans and his time alone on a balcony would only be made better if you were there, too.

And you still remember the day you were inspired by a strong bout of spring fever, how you dedicated an entire afternoon to deep cleaning.

You still remember the small, velvet box you found.

You didn’t open it, but you didn’t have to. The small, nondescript container scared you enough. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to marry Heeseung. You already had Pinterest boards full of white dresses and three-tier cakes and stunning venues. Suits that you thought would bring out his best features.

But you’d also just gotten the news of your promotion. Across the country. You didn’t know how to tell him, and you had less of an idea how to leave him.

But you knew you had to. He would follow you, if you let him. You were sure of it. But he was enrolled in the best university for his program, and you watched him fight tooth and nail to earn his spot there.

Heeseung was a bright light, a beacon of good things, and if you were honest with yourself, you felt like his commitment to you was something that only weighed him down.

He was an adult, too. A young one, yes, but a full, grown person all the same. Perfectly capable of making his own decisions, but you took that from him anyway.

And now, three years later, you can still read him like an open book. There’s hurt in his gaze, pain that lingers even now. There’s resentment, too, and you can’t blame him for it.

I still love you, you want to tell him. Because it’s true. Because you do. Because you can see it in his eyes, too.

But you’ve always been better at holding your tongue than him.

Instead, you turn on your heel, planning to exit the way you came.

Fingers around the door handle, the sound of your name stops you.

It sounds like he’s begging, like he’s pleading, and you can’t bear to turn and see the results of your devastation as surely as you hear them.

Instead, you remain motionless. You squeeze your eyes shut as tightly as you can.

And then, so faintly it’s almost lost to the wind, he says, “Stay. Please.”

.....

thanks for reading! send me a drabble prompt here if you'd like!

[hvly]

WINDBREAKER VIRGINS YOU SAY 👀👀👀

— ⋆｡˚｡⋆ ｡˚ 𓆩𖥔𓆪 ˚｡⋆｡˚｡⋆ —

speaking : yep, you heard right 🙂‍↕️ every show/manga i read is gonna get hit with my virgin ray. "i love virgins, anon ! I LOVE VIRGIIINS !"

𓆩𖥔𓆪 — disclaimer ! these are just my opinions ! if you disagree, cool. let's keep it cute. tbh, they all could be virgins, but they’re the most pressing in my eyes.

Nirei Akihiko

Don't get me wrong, I like Nirei alot ! I think he's super cute and he's so sweet it makes my teeth hurt. But, until his confidence goes up, ain't nothing going down. i do think he has a separate notebook with sex tips that's he gathered from various sources. From friends he worked up the courage to ask, to Cosmo articles, to the pornos he watches on lonely nights. When he finally get brave enough to try though, best believe he'll be prepared for any possible scenario.

Sugishita Kyotaro

Again, I feel like perhaps because he's tall, quiet and handsome, y'all think he'd be laying pipe. I mean, the quiet ones are usually the nastiest in bed, right? extremely loud incorrect buzzer. It'd be a miracle to actually get a sentence out of him. And it'd be another miracle to convince him to come shake the sheets instead of playing Umemiya's shadow. The plants he takes care of have a better chance getting wet by him than you ever will.

Tsugeura Taiga

Straight up, he just scares away any possible suitors. Plus, he's a little slow on the uptake. Between being loud and a bit off putting, and his his inability to catch social cues, he is unfortunately stuck in perpetual virgindom. That's it, that's all.

Sakura Haruka

Now, put the torches and pitchforks down before y'all drag me to the town square. How do we as a collective think Sakura would react if he saw you naked? Stand there reveling in the majesty that is you, dick so hard he might pass out? No. He'd turn red and start yelling before you even get your shoes off. Get him more comfortable with being romantic/sexual, and i’m sure the yelling, stomping, flailing and cherry red blush will die down…in a couple years. Best of luck !

Saku Mizuki

Wannabe General Mizuki. The minute I saw him, I knew he was getting NO pussy. And that makes me sad for him, it truly does. He's too stiff. If, for some odd reason on your part, you decided to lay the moves on him, he'd probably lecture you on how it's inappropriate to shamelessly flirt with people. He'd kill the mood so bad. Plus that one dude called him ugly and he turned around..oof

Takiishi Chika

Take this one with a grain of salt, but from what I've gathered...he just would not be interested. I'm sure Endo has tried bringing it to his attention before. And I'm also sure he got the fire knocked out his ass as soon as it left his mouth. Now, if does decide to get his dick wet, I hope you're fully resigned to letting him do whatever he wants and possibly leaving unsatisfied. Utter anything that sounds like you're telling him what to do? Let's leave getting beat up to Endo, mkay?

Shuhei Suzuri

I think he finds fulfillment and joy in his hobbies and that's all he needs. Being able to cook for people and enjoy his games gives him the satisfaction he was missing when he was in extreme poverty. I'm sure he wouldn't really mind losing his virginity either way, but it's definitely not on the forefront of his mind. A consistently full belly and a couple video games is good enough for now.

Choji Tomiyama

He thinks everything is a game and plays entirely too much to just be fucking for real. And I think he's fine with that ! He's carefree and he's content knocking people's heads together. I do think you could probably get him to give losing his virginity a true shot if you compare him to Umemiya or make it a competition, though. But who's gonna do all that to nut? (I really just added him to make one specific person mad. Let me know if it worked <3)

Honorable Mention : Togame Jo & Umemiya Hajime

Just cuz I want to be the one to take their virginity. I have no real reason LMAOOO.

© 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰 hvly 2024. 𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘧y.

[acupofinkedblood]

Hi hi! It's ya boy, uhhh Coil Anon 🔷🔶

If you accept general stuff, nicknames the phighters use for their partners?

Thank you!

- Redundant but iconic, Coil anon 🔷🔶

There he is people, there is my dearest regular who is responsible for most of your therapy bills after placing his order to me ꨄ৻(≖⩊≖৻) And you’re not redundant! You hold a special place in this teamaker’s heart as always ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

But anyway, general asking like this is still fine for me. Moreover, I do enjoy questions regarding of my personal opinion! Though I’ll admit that I’m not the one who use nicknames often, but I can give it a shot just for you ꉂ (˵ •̀▽•́ ˵ ) No Biograft included because I don’t think he will call you anything else but your name

• Sword: You know how embarrassing this guy is. No, he isn’t embarrassed about using nicknames, but you will be the one that feels embarrassed with his damn choices of words. Seriously, this guy calls you in the most cringey and ridiculous nickname ever comes into existence that I’m pretty sure you get those questionable look from outsiders a lots of time. Some are more tamed, like ‘princess’ for example. But then there is ‘snookums’ or ‘shmoopie’, something like that. Trust me, that list goes on

• Skateboard: Get a translator because you will need it to understand the amount of slangs this dude uses. But in case you’re already familiar with it, then you will probably understand those things he call you. The less complicated options are ‘cutie’ and ‘sweetheart’. Or just straight up shameless things that should stay behind closed doors. He strikes me as someone who uses ‘doll’ pretty often for some reason. ‘Bae’ is also something he will use on a daily basis

• Katana: Katana doesn’t use nicknames. He views that as unnecessary and prefers to call you by your name instead. However, ‘my love’ manages to slip through his strict mind a few times when he’s using his words to you in sentimental moments

• Banhammer: He’s in that middle ground between using those embarrassingly cringe nicknames and normal kind of nickname based on how he is feeling at the time being. Something he uses often is ‘angel’, ‘baby’, ‘dimple’ or occasionally ‘doe’. But of course, he can use the other certain nicknames to get on your nerves like ‘shortstack’ or ‘ankle bitter’. His favorite is probably ‘lamb chop’ for some reason

• Rocket: As much as I love and adore him, yeah bud he doesn’t have that much creativity when it comes to nicknames. ‘Bae’ is the one he uses most frequently, and then there is ‘sunshine’ which he sees a bit cringe when he says it in normal circumstances. He does use the alternative version of your names to use it as nickname though. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s just questionable. The questionable part is mostly him being petty though

• Slingshot: ‘Honey’ all the way around and no one can convince me he doesn’t use ‘honey’ devotedly. ‘Sugar’ is a close one on the chart aside with the combination of sweetpie and honey into ‘honeypie’

• Hyperlaser: Now this one is tricky because he doesn’t use nicknames at all. Same with Katana, he prefers to call you by your own name. He doesn’t mind if you use nicknames on him though, especially the shortened version of it. He knows it can be a mouthful repeating it a certain time

• Shuriken: Honestly, this one is a tough one. Not because he doesn’t use nicknames or anything. It’s quite the opposite actually. But the thing is there aren’t anything too special about him using typical pet names like ‘baby’ or just the shortened version of your name. The more noticeable one is probably ‘lovebug’, or ‘cuddle bug’ if you’re touchy. Will use ‘pookie’ in every situation though

• Scythe: ‘Hot stuff’, ‘buttercup’, ‘sweetcheeks’, ‘toots’ and all that git by that sexy Southern accents. Not going to elaborate myself further because I feel like you guys will understand what I mean

• Medkit: Genuinely he doesn’t use nicknames that much as he deems they are just unnecessary. Shortened version of your name will be used more often instead. It is a nickname, no? But when he does, it’s something rather traditional like ‘love’ or ‘dear’. Probably only those two make it into his vocabulary because this man will physically cringe if he uses anything other than those, it just feels weird on the tongue when he’s the one saying it

• Boombox: I feel like he will just use anything that comes first in his mind. Boombox isn’t picky when it comes to nicknames for you. You already know how the varieties of nicknames being used by artist, so that much are what he calls you based solely on his mood. His most popular ones are probably ‘boo’, since it does sound cute in his mind. ‘Sweetie pie’ or ‘sugar’ are pretty close on the list too

• Subspace: This bastard calls you something so annoyingly adorable in that sickeningly sweet voice that is such a contrast to his actual nature. Such sweet things coming from his mouth sounds so unfitting. Just imagine him cooing you a ‘Darlinggggggg’ or ‘Sweethearttttttt’ when finding you in the place. In other circumstances, it will be a terrifying moment in a horror movie

• Vinestaff: Something nature-related. She might call you by a flower which reminds her of you, or just ‘my dearest flower’ or ‘dearest sprout’ in general. Other than that, she isn’t opposed to using other kind of general nicknames like ‘sweetie’ as well as ‘beloved’. Other than that I don’t think there are anything else I can say about her

• Coil: He calls you by the alternative nicknames based on your name like Rocket. Some of them are pretty lovely, but nothing too tooth-rotting sweet. But sometimes he might be a dick and call you by something completely questionable based on your name. It’s not even related to how you pronounce your name sometimes, but rather how he pronounces it in his mind then shortened it if he feels like it. Sometimes he does call you by something else more degrading, but that’s it for another time

That’s all of them! I hope you like it. I’m working on the Firebrand request now, please stay tuned!

[greensagephase]

I hate to make this post, but I must say something. This isn't me trying to be problematic, but I'm just like 🥴 -- it's rubbed me the wrong way.

I received an ask from a silent reader this morning concerning one of my fics, asking when the next chapter is dropping and that they'd like to see a specific thing included in it later on. I've decided not to answer it and I have deleted it to not put the person out there since they weren't anon.

The thing is, I've never seen this person support the fic even by liking the posts/chapters. I've discovered over the last few months that there's people who will read fanworks, but they never engage with the posts in any way, not even by doing the most basic thing you can do to support a writer: leaving a like.

That's fine. You don't have to like, comment, and/or reblog my works.

What's rubbed me the wrong way is that out of curiosity, I've checked this person's blog and see they have no issue engaging with other writers' works from various fandoms, including ATSV.

To the sender, I'm happy that you're supporting fellow writers because there's sooo many talented people on here and they deserve ALL the love and support!!!! And of course, it's your blog and you have a right to support what you want, but to see that you don't engage with my work even by leaving a like is weird when you seem to have no problem engaging with me in other ways, like asking me when the next chapter is dropping and telling me that you'd like to see a concept/trope included in my writing/fic.

Like, my pookie in Christ, the least you can do is leave a like if you're going to be doing things like that 🥴 this isn't me being mean but I hope you understand it feels a little like a slap in the face that you feel comfortable to ask/demand things when you can't take 2 seconds to even double tap my writing posts.

Now, you probably meant to send that anonymously, but forgot to and now we're here. Kindly, if you don't feel comfortable or encouraged to support my writing by even leaving a like for whatever reason you've decided not to, then please apply the same energy when it comes to asking/demanding things of me!🙂

Also, I seriously hope that you're not doing this to other writers anonymously because that's an icky thing to do.

As a friendly reminder, if you enjoy a fic whether it's a drabble, one-shot, or multipart series, or a writer's writing in general, pls let your writers know and support them. If you're not going to support us, at least be respectful.

So, reader, think about this and reflect on it. Have a good day/night.

Alondra❤️

[kumasakka]

idk if you guys are accepting rqs but ive been following since yall started so might as well shoot my shot 😹🤫

i am in desperate need of sugishita (windbre) x reader so may i request general dating hcs for a sugi x gn!reader who comes off as standoffish/cold but is really chatty when getting to know them??

THE PERSONALITY IS SELF INDULGENT BUT LIFES TOO SHORT and i wanna keep it vague sorry im rambling im nervous but thank you if you do!!! 💖💖

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ❝ 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐃 ! ❞

⋆.˚ 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆. s.kyotaro x reader .

⋆.˚ 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘. general dating headcanon with our underrated favorite character, sugishita kyotaro <3 boy deserves much more love guys .

⋆.˚ 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓. ~0.99k . IT'S A LOT .

⋆.˚ 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓. fluff. lots of fluff I think. gn!reader. It's my first time writing headcanons and gender neutral reader ( gender doesn't get mentioned though ). but I tried my best, anon. expect to be a little disappointed. still hoping you'll enjoy this though !! spoiler - free. <3

　୨୧ How did you two meet? Well, good question.

　୨୧ But I imagine you both definitely met through Umemiya. Like there aren't any reasons why you two should talk to each other. You're a student from another high school of course, not in Furin like Sugishita and Umemiya is. How you met umemiya is a different story.

　୨୧ Umemiya needs to do a lot so the two of you can get more comfortable with each other as if he was the bridge between two quiet cities, he does it unconsciously although. If he wasn't there, you'd probably stare at each other before returning to your own matters. You seemed like a cold person in Sugishita's eyes and Sugishita seemed like he would easily burst when not around Umemiya.

　୨୧ At first you thought he was rather hostile towards you, not really fond with the idea of someone other next to Umemiya, someone who's not even from Furin. And whenever he parted his lips to tell to you something, you thought he would threaten you in some way so you'd leave his precious Umemiya alone. He of course noticed your wariness, deciding to leave you alone so you wouldn't feel more uncomfortable next to him.

　୨୧ Seems like you misunderstood his actions though, since the reason behind his actions was once again Umemiya. Only because Umemiya mentioned it would be nice if you two understood each other. Yeah now you felt bad.

　୨୧ After learning this fact, you decided you should take the first step and apologizing for the misunderstanding. Sugishita accepted and took the opportunity to get to know you better.

　୨୧ To be honest, the first few interactions were quite awkward as you both watered Umemiya's plants, not knowing how to start a conversation or have a small talk. And damn, small talks are weird—weird awkward. But after some time, you got more and more comfortable, starting to converse with him about random things and enjoying to yap about the last few days.

　୨୧ Sugishita remains quiet while listening to your rambles and even caring enough to reply your questions or suggestions. Ah, the cold persona faded and it turns out you were a real chatty person who could smile a lot around people you feel comfortable with. Even if he doesn't admit it, he feels a bit honored to be a person you can get comfortable with.

　୨୧ Yeah one day you started dating which surprised the most. You don't seem to fit each other and your personalities didn't match. Oh how wrong they were...

　୨୧ I would imagine that he takes the chance to pick you up from school from time to time while patrolling the town, also walking behind of the rest of the group so you both are alone and have your own peace, not noticing how the others always glance back to you with a curious gleam in their eyes.

　୨୧ Well, you either hang out on the rooftop of Furin, at yours or walk through the town. I promise you, even if you both walk pass a street hundreds of times, you both just don't care, still enjoying every bit and savoring every second.

　୨୧ Surprisingly, he also spends less time with Umemiya than before, rather using his free time to spend it with you and to listen to your daily rambles. Wow Umemiya did the work of an Angel and he is proud that the relationship works out for both of you, god he's so happy for you two.

　୨୧ Except him to beat the shit out of anyone who has ill intentions towards you, who glares at you, who speaks shit about you— the list goes on and on. Don't be surprised if he goes away for a sec, just to return with some bruises ( if that person managed to land a hit on him, that is ).

　୨୧ Loves, loves, loves, LOVES when you patch him up after a fight and when you fuss about him. It just shows how much you care about him. And he is silently savoring every second of it, also using this to get your affections and comfort. He is not a baby. But he secretly is ( only a bit though ). If you tell someone about this side of his other than Umemiya, expect him to be not fond of getting patched up by you anymore ( he still loves it ). He's just a bit sad that you "betrayed" him. It was supposed to his peace between you two. So please don't tell anyone. Please.

　୨୧ Imagine you get hurt infront of him. Yeah now the hell breaks out and his inner demon is showing. The dude who hurt you probably sleeps in the hospital for some weeks.

　୨୧ He would inwardly blame himself for getting you into his shit while staying by your side the whole time. If the accident was really bad that you're also in the hospital, he would ask Umemiya to skip school so he can stay beside you and Umemiya, knowing the kind of guy he is, allowed him to. At this point, he would quietly follow you everywhere around, making other patients wonder. If you need to pee, he would stand infront of the door of course.

　୨୧ Sugishita even spends two third of his time with you, not making the same mistake again and protects you from any danger. You know how proud he would if you can fight? You're so badass, is his only thought. Well there are a lot of other praises in his mind.

　୨୧ Girl, if you ever worry that he doesn't love you, because he doesn't show much affection, worry not. If there are times he puts you over Umemiya, be assured. And if he puts you over Umemiya all the time, you shouldn't even dare to worry. He even cares to listen to your stories and remembers what your favorite things are.

　୨୧ On your birthday, there will be a basket of your favorite things in his hand. Cause he LOVES you.

© 2024 kumasakka — do not plagiarize , copy , modify , translate our work !

a/n's note — I HOPE HE ISN'T TOO OOC. by the way don't worry about rambling in your request <3 I'd love to listen.

[brbgottagetkfc]

My think piece (lol, I am looking into it 🔍):

Like...I sorta get the dynamic. Because it seems like despite being friends all of them are pretty lonely themselves. Y/N is sort of like a shard that kind of breaks the normalcy for them, so they kind of reject her in that sense. It easier to cling to coldness when its all you've known, warmth seems too scary. Maybe Satoru sees that and thinks he needs to hold them up in a way (not disrupt their normalcy), so enages in the way they like: the shots at Y/N, playing that game to act like Y/N doesn't mean much. Nice got them killed as you mentioned, being treated like weapons from a time when they needed to be nurtured. So maybe Y/N reminds them how hardened they have become, so they cling to the status quo of their loneliness in the friendship. Its like seeing how much more happy Satoru is but needing the reasurance that ‘You're still like us, she'll never get you because she hasn't been treated as disposable like we have, we have the same experiences you are better off with us, we only had each other, so it has to be the same'

Its not Y/N's respponsibility to heal them, but being open to her as a friend would do wonders for them. I just don't get Utahime posting that, it was mean. All of them were very mean. Utahime's reasoning seems like the same thing, she doesn't love Satoru but its that thing about familarity. Y/N's the other one, shining light on the ice in her friend group, the message may not be ‘He still likes me and wants me more' but may be more so ‘We're all fine, you didn't change him, or take him away from us, he's still our friend, with the same blood on his hands, the same fate as us as weapons, its okay, we'll all stick together'

But it would be nice to see it all addressed, because that video was like the final blow, she saw them post it, saw him laugh at the digs, the little jope she had shattered. Its necessary to hash out that instance. Love and friendship does help with wound and scars, both for Satoru and his little group.

Even the most simplest smaus show a lot things. You did an amazing job. Eager for part 3 (I hope you do it, give like a proper ending, I would hope a happy one, it would take him time given the extent to which it hurt).

OMG thank you so much, anon, for taking the time and dropping such an insightful ask, makes me ooey gooey inside knowing some of y'all liked my Smaus enough to put so much thought into it

As for your take of the post, it's almost exactly what I was going for, but I didn't want to make the post longer than it is right now, so I couldn't write all that in.

I think the friendgroup treats reader so horribly is because they never saw her as a permanent fixture to the group in first place, and they're assholes in general, all of them, including Satoru. Satoru doesn't stand up for reader when his friends mock her because (a) he's not sure how to display the "boyfriend" version of him in front of the friendgroup and (b) he tries to convince himself, and reader that they're mocking her as an extension of mocking him, which they actually do, the group is also very mean to each other in general

As for the reason utahime and shoko bully reader is because they think Satoru's gone soft (weak)

Ever since she came into their lives, and that makes them mad enough to extra hard on reader. They don't find it to be wrong, and they enjoy the reactions reader has to their bullying, as well as putting Satoru in that position, because they think Satoru is being a wimp if he wants to protect reader's feelings.

It's not just the girls that are mean to reader. Suguru and Nanami aren't particularly nice to her either, but they're also not invested enough to target her at every given opportunity. They're toxic to each other & horrible. All of them.

Satoru had 2 years to resolve his issues, to establish boundaries within his friends' group and treat reader with the dignity she deserved, but he failed to prioritise his relationship, and chose to be passive and evasive to avoid confrontation of any sort, even at the expense of his partner.

It's not readers responsibility to try to fix a man who doesn't truly want to change. Even if he does alter his priorities to appease reader, it won't be right, because he'd be doing that to hold onto the sanctuary reader provides him with, and not because he finds his current behaviour problematic.

With all that being said, I don't think a reconciliation is on the table for these two :(

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Happy with the staff content this year but am I the only one who is disappointed with the PV we got? It's basically a slideshow of art we've already seen, major downgrade from the year 1 PV that had literally all the events. There was a drop in quality of the anniversary PVs over the years and it really shows this year. Sorry if you find this too negative I don't mean to hate I just wish Twst would do better for it's ANNIVERSARY.

[For everyone's reference, here are the anniversary PVs in order of release: 2021 / 2022 / 2023 / 2024]

Mmm, now that you mention it, I noticed this trend with the Halloween PVs 🤔 For year 1, there was a video that showed all members of the NRC casy, even those that did not receive cards at that time. There were then several short variants of the PV released for year 2/Endless Halloween Night (part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4). Altogether, they feature all of the characters, including the students from year 1 but heavily shadowed and with glowing eyes to indicate ghostly possession. Even Glorious Masquerade features all of the students that get new cards for the event plus Rollo, although there are notably more still shots here. The Stage in Playful Land CM, by comparison, is significantly shorter and only shows us the three SSRs (Ace, Ortho, and Kalim) as well as the two new characters (Fellow and Gidel).

As this anon has said, the anniversary PVs have changed a lot over time too. The first one was the most animated and integrated several event outfits. The second one was also animated a fair amount, but you can tell corners were cut in some places where they transition to photographs/still images. This alone works thematically given that the player is a photographer, but you can still catch dips in quality when it comes to the art style. I remember finding Deuce running and the Kalim + Silver flying scene odd, as well as Jade and Trein's faces strange in general. Then the third PV rolls around and it only features the third years; the animation also seems to be much more sluggish (although this could be a stylistic choice; not sure). A friend actually recently pointed out to me that Lilia's pose looks like he was pulled straight from other assets; his artwork in the animation is almost the exact same as his smiling expression in the game. This year's is the most different (+ most static) and, like year 3's PV, only provides "new" content for a select few characters (the dorm leaders). They also reuse pre-existing illustrations already found in the game that don't seem to be picked for any particular reason (like, there are random Master Chef/Culinary Crucibles groovies in there). This direction, I'm guessing, is less costly and more efficient than making an entirely original animation, which is what was done in previous years. (Not that Disney or Aniplex is hurting for money to fund this, lol) Would I have preferred another PV in the style of year 1's? Yeah, for sure. I want to see other events and their outfits animated! Was what we got this year bad? Not necessarily; I think the production and editing was very technically impressive, but I'm still sad we didn't get anything substantially "new" to chew on (as someone who isn't a fan of most third years or the dorm leaders). Maybe it's just something we perceive as a deficit only because year 1 set the bar so high. It is what it is; whoever was in charge of the anniversary PV was probably doing the best they could with whatever budget they were given 😔 Let's hope that next year's will be a return to form, or that at least the money/effort is being redirected to other bigger projects (maybe the anime?).

[zolo-san]

Love your thoughts on Law 🥰👌. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Sanji and women. Is he really a pervert? Why does he claim that women need to be treated with respect but goes crazy for their boobs every time he sees them? 🤔

Okay, Okay so I actually do have a lot of thought/opinions about Sanji and his view/treatment of women~ (gonna put think in a read more because otherwise this post is gonna be so long lol) Also, I just want to say, thank you so much for asking anon, I'm always looking for an excuse to ramble on about my One Piece character thoughts (And I'm glad you liked my thoughts on Law!!!)

Oda and Toei's Writing and it's Effect on Sanji's Character

In order to fully discuss this topic, we have to get a little more meta about it all and acknowledge Oda as a writer as well as common Anime/Manga tropes and gags and Anime filler to pad run-times

Sanji going crazy over women and tending to have over the top and often perverted reactions to them is very much a result of a common trope in Anime/Manga - It's meant to be a gag and not taken too seriously (Tho imo, that gag gets quite tired and escalates over time throughout the OP series) We see the same gag with Brook - it's normally not meant to be a defining character trait or something that's seen as harmful/predatory, it's realistically just a dumb (honestly immature) joke The pervert gag/trope has never been one I care for but alas, I choose to consume a type of media that is primarily written by men who think that type of thing is funny~ (I will give Oda a bit of a break since he started writing One Piece when he was in hi early 20s, so he was still pretty immature himself) I do think, however, that Toei is very responsible for some to the more obnoxious "Sanji pervert" moments Yes, Oda does write a good amount of them, but the writers for the anime will often take the joke and run with it to buy them some time and stretch out an episode (We see this a lot with the whole "Usopp is a coward bit" too) If you're not aware, a lot of anime of current, on-going, manga series will often add a lot of filler and gags to fill up their episode run time They do this for two main reason: The first being to swap off animation teams or give the main team more time (often times filler episodes are animated by a different team than the main story episodes) and the second being a way to give the mangaka time to write more chapters and insure that the anime doesn't catch up to the manga too quickly (both giving animation teams a break/more time to animate and giving time for more chapters to be written is also a huge factor in why shows go on hiatus as well) That being said, dumb gags like "Sanji's a pervert" and "Usopp is a coward" are very easy ways for the animation team to waste time in an episode (I would also like to point out that some of the more egregiously perverted shots and moments in general are really just a choice by the Toei animators and I have some beef with that, but we're not gonna get into that right now)

Now, I truly believe that a lot of Sanji's more perverted behavior when it comes to women is not truly meant to be a defining character trait I think this because when we first meet Sanji and right up until about Thriller Bark, his behavior around women is fairly harmless and more of an admiration and appreciation (I'm also talking about his cannon behavior that is seen in the manga, not the additions from Toei) Thriller Bark is the first time that we truly see Sanji say something that implies him to be a real pervert when he talks about how ever since he was a kid he became obsessed with the Suke Suke no Mi so he could sneak into a women's bath house and spy on them naked This is truly the beginning of, as my sister's fiance likes to call it, "The Sanji Character Assassination" While this addition is very 🙄, to me and feels a bit out of character from everything we've seen and known about how Sanji really thinks and acts around women, I can't help but feel like this and a lot of the following "Sanji Pervert" moments are mostly a result of Oda running the joke too long and finding a dumb joke a bit too funny

I truly fear sometimes, when it comes to Sanji and women, that Oda has lost the plot~

but I still stand by it all being a gag and not really meant to be a defining character trait or Sanji's real feelings While yes, we often see Sanji act a bit perverted at times, when push comes to shove and Sanji has to act, regarding a woman in any way that is actually plot relevant, he tends to drop the "pervert" persona and return back to what I feel is his true feelings towards women

Sanji's Real Feeling about Women

When we're first introduced to Sanji he's shown as a guy who has a great appreciation for women He treats them nice, pampering them, he talks about how beautiful and wonderful and graceful all women are He puts them up on a pedestal, but he also sees women as complex people We see this first with his reaction to Nami leaving and "betraying" the crew when it comes to Arlong park While he does swoon over Nami, he also doesn't hold her actions against her because he believes that she must have her reasons for doing what she did and he's proven right when Nojiko tells them about Nami's past (Something that Sanji is very sympathetic towards - he immediately recognizes her suffering and sees it as a valid reason for her actions) This same behavior is seen again with Robin during Water 7 Even though Robin tries everything she can do to get Sanji to hate her and leave her be, he refuses because he believes Robin to be a good person who must have her reasons for acting this was and correctly assumes that she must be being backed into a corner somehow Sanji forgives a lot of women throughout the series who act in ways that would push most people away or most people would see as unforgivable because he recognizes that most women don't have a choice He recognizes that women, in general, are not treated equally to men and that as a result they don't have as much freedom or self agency as men in the world And I think that's something that Sanji can relate to I think he truly understand how it feels to not have control over what happens to you and what you can and can't do He grew up (partly) in Germa after all...

I think that Sanji sees women as strong and brave while still being gentle and kind And I think he truly hates how often they suffer oppression and mistreatment And this is a major contributing factor to his over the top nice treatment and pampering of women Sanji sees the unjust treatment of women around him - people he views as so naturally good and kind - and he wants nothing more than to be able to do something to stop that mistreatment and he does so by trying to protect them at all costs, including refusing to ever hit a woman A lot of people give Sanji shit for this character trait, but I think it's much more complicated than him seeing women as "weaker" than men I can't help but feel that it's more motivated by a refusal to add to a woman's suffering

I also think there's an interesting conversation to be had when it comes to Sanji and "feminism" compared to other characters like Zoro or Luffy It feels like a gag when Sanji gets pissed at Zoro for fighting women, but I think there's something there~ A perfect example is the first time Zoro fight Tashigi in Louguetown and Sanji gets SUPER pissed about it He accuses Zoro of being disrespectful of Tashigi as a woman because he's fighting her, but I think Zoro sees his choice to fight her as just the opposite And I think a lot of that has a lot to do with the women in their lives that shaped them For Zoro, one of the most important and influential people in his life growing up was Kuina And I truly think that her not only being a better swordsman than Zoro, but telling him about her dream and the fact that she didn't think that she'd ever be able to achieve it due to being a woman really affected him and the way he sees woman and how they should be treated Kuina was someone Zoro deeply respected and I think he hated that the world made her feel that she was inadequate and unable to achieve her dream just because of her biological sex I think this felt like a great injustice to Zoro and he wanted to prove her wrong So while Sanji sees fighting a woman as disrespectful, I think Zoro would see not fighting a woman as disrespectful and an insult to Kuina's memory (I could go on about Zoro meeting women as his equal is further supported by many fights he has, including his later refusal to "help" Tashigi during Punk Hazard, but that's a different rant for a different day lol)

In a similar way to Zoro, Luffy also treats women as complete equals He doesn't discriminate He just sees them as people, choosing to fight them when necessary, befriend them if he feels it's right, and never putting them above or below himself And just like with Zoro, Sanji had scolded Luffy multiple times for fighting women because Sanji just doesn't see it that way

And I think that all of this: Sanji putting women up on a pedestal, wanting to protect them, refusing to fight them, viewing them as both angelic, but also complex people all goes back to the influential women in Sanji's early life

Sanji, Sora, and Reiju

*I'm going to give a quick disclaimer at the top of this part because I literally just started Whole Cake, so most of my knowledge here comes from bits and pieces that I've learned/picked up about Sanji's backstory and family (I'm not someone who seeks out spoilers, but I exist on the internet and have obviously learned spoilers for Whole Cake and Sanji's backstory/family)

For Sanji, two of the most influential women in his early life were his mother and sister And I think that they had a great impact on how he views women in general

Sora was clearly one of the few people in Sanji's life in The Germa Kingdom who truly loved him She loved him from before he was born to the point that she risked her own life for him She went out of her way to encourage Sanji to be a kind and caring person and follow his dreams even though that was something that she would never get to do herself She was such a good a caring figure in Sanji's life and I truly think that she is the main reason why Sanji believes women to be naturally good and caring people Sanji sees his mother in all women even if it's to his own detriment

Reiju also had a very big and interesting impact on Sanji as a kid She was never anywhere near as kind to him as his mother, but she still reached out a had to him and was the most caring of all of his siblings Despite how she really felt about it, however, just like Sora, Reiju was trapped She was unable to escape her family or her upbringing, she was forced to become what was expected of her and to, at the vert least, assimilate into the family in order to survive And I think that it is because of Reiju that Sanji has the belief that women are complicated people He saw his sister, who was clearly a good person at heart, forced to act a certain way and abide behaviors she clearly did not agree with simply to protect herself She was forced to act and become what their father and brothers made her for her own safety She didn't have the strength or will to defy them, but despite all that she still found kindness for Sanji in her own way Reiju was far from perfect, but she did what she could manage and I think that meant a lot to Sanji and made him very aware of how often women are forced into a corner like his sister and mother were

And I truly think this is why in Dressrosa, Sanji is so willing to first help and then later forgive and continue helping Viola even after everything she does to him I think Sanji sees his sister in Viola and would do anything and endure anything to help a woman in such a terrible situation like that Yes, when Sanji first sees Viola and swoons over her, it feels like the "woman crazy" Sanji gag, but as things develop it's clear that Sanji very genuinely wants to help her He sees a woman who is clearly trapped and asking for help and he can't refuse her Then once she betrays him, he's still unwilling to believe that she isn't still trapped, he saw genuine good in her and a genuine call for help (just like he saw in his sister all those years back) and this time he can actual do something about it

So yes, while there are for sure some real moments where Sanji seems like he's just a little horny pervert when it comes to women, but I think there is a lot of evidence that that is not his real feelings toward women and more of an overplayed, and frankly out of hand, gag

Even if you look at moments like when Sanji is in Nami's body during Punk Hazard While yes, Sanji does initially have the pervert response of "Ohhh!!! Boobs!!" I think that the more notable moments are when he stops and considers how he needs to be careful in Nami's body (he's the only one involved in the body swaps that really does this too - rip Chopper, Franky really fucked him up lol) Despite his obvious anxiety, he refrains from smoking until Nami gives him permission He makes an effort not to get Nami's body injured in combat And even considers and how fighting in his normal way and using techniques that his body is accustom to would probably hurt Nami and tries to avoid it when possible (tho he does push Nami athletically to a degree that makes it clear that she's much more physically capable then I think even she realizes lol) I personally feel that the moments that Sanji is considerate and respectful of Nami's body far out weigh the moments when he's not (He's also far nicer to Nami's body than she is to his lol)

To summarize, I don't think that Sanji is just a pervert, I think Oda just thinks the pervert joke is funny~ There's much more evidence (especially during character defining moments for Sanji) that Sanji has a deep respect for women He appreciates their beauty and believes them to be good and kind All he wants is to be able to protect them, especially now that he is actually capable of doing so He understand the inequality, injustice, and oppression that a lot of women face and understands that in part due to all that, many women must act in ways that seem, on the surface, to be unforgivable He sees women as complex people who often times have to make difficult decisions for the good of themselves and others and Sanji gives them grace for that

[loftec]

Shameless DVD Commentary: None the wiser

I was tagged by a lovely anon over at @shamelessdvdcommentary to do this, thank you! Here we gooo

Which fanfic is your DVD commentary about?

The people (11 out of 20) have spoken! None the wiser

Give us some stats - (when you wrote it, word count, how long it took to finish, is it a one-shot/multi-chapter, etc)

First published: 2015-09-23 (coming up on 9 years what is time??)

Last updated: 2021-12-11 (holy heck that's... shit! I'm sorry!)

Words: 218,480 and counting

Chapters: 53/68

What was the initial inspiration for your story?

A little bit of everything, mostly I'd been reading a lot of Shameless fic at the time and really wanted to write something that was both a really quite basic diner/coffee shop AU, but The Most version of it. The slowest burn, the most diner AU. I had no ambition for people to like it but I wanted it to be Known. If anyone ever asked for a diner fic, they'd HAVE to say, well, NTW is The Most diner fic we've got. If someone asked for slow burn, people would sigh and say, WELL, this one over here is the worst, but it is very slow. And also I was inspired by Before Sunrise / Before Sunset, and working in the music industry.

If the story is written from a character’s POV, why did you choose this character?

I chose Mickey specifically because of the Concept, that Ian decides when the chapters start and end (with some exceptions) by going to the diner, but we're limited to Mickey's POV. Generally I think Mickey is easier for me to write, too, he's got a really strong voice and I like looking at the world (and Ian) through his eyes.

What was your favourite scene to write?

The whole banter/walk scene in chapter 44 when they leave the venue:

“Sure you and your lips can do whatever you set your heart to,” he says, “I believe in you.” Ian is silent, and when Mickey risks a glance in the direction of him and his non-trumpeting goddamned marvelous lips, Ian is looking at him like he’s some kind of unsolved mystery. ”What?” Mickey asks, frowning at him when Ian smiles. “Just a thought,” he says. ”You’ve been flirting with me since we first met, haven’t you?”

I had that whole back and forth leading up to the first kiss in my head for years before I got to finally got around to write it and I still love it.

How did you come up with the title?

It's from a song, one of the core songs I associate with this fic. My playlist now has 149 tracks on it, but the ones I consider "core songs" are None the wiser, Day After Tomorrow, Let's Dance, How I Made My Millions, Not Dark Yet, and Mosquitoes. I'm not sure I can explain why, but None The Wiser came on randomly when I was doing dishes and thinking about this fic I was writing, and the vibes just lined up in my head. Also I think it fits this version of Mickey I'm writing, who knows so much and has so much experience, but refuses to understand what's happening when Ian walks into his life.

Are there any little moments or references you hope readers will notice?

Oh, wow. Yeah. I always reference silly little things and I just have to hope people understand them, or tolerate them at least. I think one of my favourite bit of foreshadowing is in chapter 39 when people keep staring at Ian because they obviously recognise him, but Mickey thinks staring at Ian is a completely reasonable thing to do and is mostly just annoyed over how blatant they're being.

Was there anything you struggled to write? If so, how did you overcome this?

I am struggling right now lol, I had meticulous notes for what I wanted to happen for every single chapter up until 45, and now half of them say "they text all day" and I'm like THANKS!!! VERY HELPFUL!! Also life and writers block etc etc.

Favourite line in the story?

This is such a hard choice, so I'll just go with this one from chapter 42:

“So,” Ian says, sitting back to sweep his arms out in a wide motion, presenting his solution. “I think we should go out for breakfast sometime.”

Because to me it pinpoints the moment when Ian breaks the format, in a way? They have met outside the diner before, but only on accident, and here Ian realises that it might be a problem that they only ever hang out at Mickey's job. But metatextually, he also highlights the narrative crux they're stuck in. I don't know, is that a boring favourite line? I have many, and I grabbed the first one I saw so I wouldn't get stuck rereading the whole fic lol. Do you have a favourite line?

Did the storyline change in any way as you wrote the story?

So much, it's hard to believe because there isn't too much of a plot, but so much. My planned ending is so far from what it was when I started out, which is maybe one blessing that comes from how long it's taking me to write it, I have time to rethink things. I can't really talk about it now without spoiling the actual ending, but you better believe I will expose myself once we get to it.

If you are writing a particular trope or genre, was it your first time writing this?

I'd written fic for a different fandom ten years earlier, but nothing in this style I don't think, and this was my first time writing since I was 20 and stopped writing jrock rpf. I suppose I'm still writing about music, though!

What are you most proud about in the story? (plot, characterisation, dialogue, twist/cliffhanger, etc)

One of the things I've always wanted to do with writing for Ian and Mickey is to let them have conversations, have things in common, and be friends. Because I think they were in canon, we just never got to see it (in the first 5 seasons, careful what you wish for). Guess I'm saying I'm proud of the bants!

Are there any deleted scenes that didn’t make it to the final story?

I don't think so! I mean, maybe the last 15 chapters? I kid! They will make it!

Are there any ‘behind the scenes’ info you’d like to share - e.g. what’s going on in a characters head in a certain scene or how you came to write a certain line?

There is one line Ian says where, when I wrote it, I was like; this is the first time Ian thinks "I love you" but says something else. Cannot remember what or where right now, and I don't want to try and find it, it's late! Submit your guesses here, I might find it over the weekend if I have some time to look. Also, it's like one of those silly I love yous, one of the early ones, full of potential and feeling but perhaps lacking a bit in substance, but he thought it and I saw him thinking it!

Reading back the story now, is there anything you’d change or add?

Eh *coughs* I might already have, and I apologise. The worst part about writing something this slowly and posting the chapters as I go is that the fic isn't finished and so I feel like it's fine for me to sometimes go back and edit already published chapters. It's not right but I... will still do it. Sorry! A most embarrassing example is when, not too long ago, we discussed the layout of the diner here and I went back to the first chapter to see how I had described it, and it had changed in so many ways over the years? Small round tables?? The tables haven't been round since 2016!! So that's a very clear case of something having become canon for all the hundred little times I've thought of the tables as square while writing vs that one time in chapter one I carelessly said they were round.

Would you ever write a sequel to this story?

Yes! So many! Or maybe not a sequel, that suggests another part of equal size. But little bits of stories, yes!

If you’ve chosen your most popular story, are you surprised by the popularity?

Yes! Like I said, my only aim was to annoy my way to fandom infamy. Turns out it's so much more fun to actually connect with people and write something with someone else in mind, besides myself. I feel so lucky that so many people have connected with NTW over the years <3

Were you nervous or excited to post this story?

Mostly just excited, I think! I still am, whenever I get to post something : )

Did you have a beta or a friend who helped you as you wrote?

No, I probably should have but I have a very hard time showing things to people when they're not finished.

Ask your followers to pick a snippet (no more than 500 words) and share your thoughts about it.

Add snippets in the replies and I'll share thoughts, if you want!

Thanks for reading! <3 <3 <3

[cupidsdescendant]

Hii!! I saw your requests were open. May I request the mercs with a teen reader who was hired as a mercenary who ends up getting hurt in battle? Please and thank you!

Hurt! Teen Reader X Mercs (Platonic)

hi anon! Sure I'd love to ^w^ i think that's incredibly adorable. I decided to make it a platonic situation for obvious reasons but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

Scout:

-acts like a big brother, because you're still a teenager he has that kind of cool kid energy that radiates off him whenever you fight in battle together -always picks you back up, physically and mentally. He loves it because it feels like one of those motivational sports movies (specifically the training montages) -"C'mon Y/N we still got a minute on da clock!" He says as he reaches over to give you a hand. He always helps supports you when you have a limp leg also.

-if you're healing yourself or Medic is trying to patch you up he's always on the lookout and makes sure no one is in the way to interrupt

-Despite him hogging all the health kits he'll share them with you :)

-Giving shitty motivational speeches while you're bleeding on the floor he thinks those would work -"It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get back up, Y/N..." he says staring into the sunset, holding his hand to his chest

Soldier:

-kind of like Scout but acts more like a general to an apprentice

-also gives motivational speeches but his are a little more violent... -"You think that's a loss? I've CRAPPED bigger losses than THAT!!!!!!" (BTW IF YOU KNOW WHICH SFM THAT QUOTE IS I LOVE YOU)

-“cmon we don’t got all day comrade! we must stay focused, we must stay together!” He says as he grabs you, running around the map

-“don’t let a scratch stop ya, Y/N” (your bones are literally sticking out)

-he stops whatever he's doing to patch you up

Sniper

-Snipes is the type of guy to only look out for himself. He's not willing to be helpful in the public eye.

-key word, public eye.

-He knows your hiding spots, so incase of emergencies he'll leave you a health kit.

-You never see him during battle, but after the match he'll pat you on the back for your fighting skills.

-"Good job out there."

"Nice shot on that field." He scatters compliments throughout your battles

-If you did happen to find him he'll wave at you from afar with a soft smile.

-Always looking out for you by sniping anyone near you

-Keeps you safe when you're injured <3

Heavy

-Heavy loses it when you're hurt in battle.

-In fact, he'll take you immediately out of the match and rest you somewhere safe.

-"you vill be okay, leetle one." He says with confidence. There's no way to argue with the man, you're just gonna have to deal with his helicopter mom tendencies.

-Hunts down whoever hurt you and continuously kills them

-"Are eyour hungry?" Two sandviches in his hands and a bright smile on his face. "you must eat up!"

-Screams at Medic to hurry up and help you

Medic

-He's used to injuries and deaths, so he can't help but feel default when you're injured.

-But he loves you, he's concerned about their health, them being his apprentice after all. So he has a little more sympathy than others

-Yes, he has a heart, but its not a very big one...he's dedicated more to figuring out what went wrong instead of your safety.

-"Ja, Y/N. Again!? Jou must be more careful- ooh hoo! your femur is sticking out!" cackling to himself as he takes out his saw.

-Pokes at your joints and bones, kinda plays around while you're in pain lol

-But once he patches you up fully, he'll pat you on your back. "Vell at least we know you're fighting-ha ha!" He'll hand you a medikit and let you be on your way.

-If he hears his named yelled by you he runs immediately!

Demoman

-"What did yer do to yerself this time?!" He spurs out.

-He always finds you with bruises and cuts, even broken bones. It freaks Demo out and he's not the type to sit down and help

-But he will run you over to Medic, carrying you in the bridal position and make sure you don't get hurt.

-"Yer really did it this time, Y/N. I beta not see you busted up again!"

-He lets you take swigs from his alcohol, though. "Thise'll help with tha pain."

-He's always on guard while Medic patches you up and looks out.

-"Yer good? GOOD!" A loud roar comes out of him and he grabs you, jumping back into the action.

Engineer

-Always helpful and worried for your safety ;w;

-When you ask for help he's always the first one to show up and support you

-"Now you stay still, Y/N. I can't have it get infected..." while Medic is busy he plays doctor with you, bandaging and cleaning your wounds.

-He sets up turrets that shoot anyone near you.

-After the battles he'll spend time taking care of you at the base

-"I made ya somethang..." His hands hold a tiny teacup with small tea biscuits on the corner. The rest of the night you both laugh and play games

-Engi is always there no matter what, and he insists on staying with you until you reach full recovery.

-Gives you additional advice on how to dodge bullets and weapons and trains you for the next few days.

Spy

-He thinks you're stupid for getting hurt lol.

-"Must you slow me down?!" He yells in a fit of rage, his face ircked. He stops being invisible and carries you over to Medic.

-He's not very helpful in battle, but after he'll talk to you more about training and practice.

-Thinks he's smug when he leaves a "How to Fight" book on your bed. "I thought ze'd like it!"

-"Now I know zou have a bigger brain than your competition, so don't let me down."

-He'll go invisible and watch you closely, making sure that you really are putting practice to the test.

-Even when you get hurt, he'll watch until you get up. If you don't, he'll sigh, reveal himself and rinse and repeat.

-He's still proud of you nonetheless :3

Pyro

-A real helpful pal! He kills everyone in site if they touch you :D

-Pyro is protective as well, but he's unhinged. Instead of killing, he'll brutally dismember his enemies and leave them half alive.

-He's always there for you no matter what!!!

-You both are a tag team, and if one person gets hurt, the other helps out.

-"mrrph murh murrp uhr!!!" (Thanks for the help, Y/N!!!"

-When you're hurt in battle, he comes and does his own DIY surgery with bandaids, sewing needles, and other miscellaneous items in his pockets

-you run to medic immediately to use real surgery tools because there's an 95% what Pyro used will infect and kill you

-Even though his help is...limited...he's gonna help despite it!

wow. i'm kinda stunned lol. this has been in my drafts for officially 2 years ;____; I'm glad I finished it, though. I hope you all love it. Sorry anon for legit being late!!! kissies and love xoxo

[dekariosclan]

If I may, I was wondering if you had any thoughts on Gale with a (for lack of a better term) a caveman esque LI? Like, can't read, lived in the woods their whole life, only has full conversations with animals, otherwise their speech is pretty clumsy, doesnt even know what the words social and que mean individually, and Gale probably being their first friend let ALONE lover

Idk I think the dichotomy between Magic Goddess gf and literal Wild Man bf is funny to me, though I'm also just a sucker for opposites attract tbh

Anon, I am totally on your wavelength because I, too, love the ‘unexpected couples’ genre! Hence my love for Karlach (Barbarian) x Gale (Wizard). And I’m going to start my answer by discussing these two lovelies 💜

Now, granted, Karlach may be a barbarian but she’s definitely not in the extreme ‘wild man’ category that you are referencing in your ask! However, there are two quick things that I noticed from her romance with Gale that I think are relevant to your question:

The first is that Gale himself, upon meeting Karlach and seeing that she is a bit ‘rough around the edges,’ will immediately (and very cheerfully) declare that he can be “smooth enough for two! 😁”

In short, he is not phased or put off by someone from a different social class or with different social skills than he’s familiar with.

The second is that in my Karlach Origin run, Gale’s approval for Karlach shot up VERY QUICKLY in comparison to my original Tav run—and all because I kept using Barbarian skills to avoid fights.

Barbarian skills like: Shouting, intimidation, roaring, etc. Behavior that you wouldn’t think a proper gentleman wizard would tolerate, but with Gale? It was nonstop “Gale Approves”, “Gale Approves”, “Gale Approves”…

Basic ‘untamed’ skills like those kept us from having unnecessary fights—and Gale loved it, anon!

So, with those points addressed and Gale already off to a positive start with his hypothetical Wild Tav love interest, let’s get to the crux of the matter:

Is Wild Tav kind to Gale?

Does Wild Tav generally try to be a good person?

If they can answer ‘yes’ to both questions, then there’s no reason Gale wouldn’t start falling for them the second they pulled him out of the portal.

This is not because Gale is ‘desperate’, ‘a simp’ or has ‘low standards’ or any other nonsense that people who don’t understand his character love to regurgitate. (If Gale was any of those things, his requirements for Tav would be: ‘1. Are they breathing?’ and ‘2. Are they hot?’) It’s because having someone who is kind to him and good-hearted and isn’t just using him for his magical talents is all he’s ever wanted in a friend or lover.

Gale does not need to be with someone who is as intelligent as he is, as eloquent as he is, or as charming as he is. Gale has intelligence & eloquence & charm to spare. He can be ‘enough for two’ in all of those categories.

Why would he care if Tav was raised in the wild and prefers to speak with animals over people? Gale’s best friend is a Tressym! He would approve of that wholeheartedly!

What does it matter if Tav doesn’t have any social graces? Gale would have a blast adventuring with them in the wild and learning what survival skills they’ve honed. And he’d be eager to teach them magic to assist them on their hunts, too, if they were willing.

What difference would it make if Tav was quiet, clumsy with words, not one to talk? The real question would be: Are they willing to listen? Would they be open to Gale pouring his heart out to them (in the simplest terms he could muster)? Would they enjoy sitting with him in a meadow at night, hand in hand, gazing at the wild celestial beauty in the skies above?

Because Gale would love nothing more than to do just that.

All in all, Gale Dekarios + Wild Tav sounds like pretty damn good match to me, Anon 💜

[seirindono]

two questions.

one, HOW DOES ONE COMIC/STORY BOARD??

IM OBSESSED WITH HOW YOU DO IT ITS SO BEAUTIFUL

two, HOW DO YOU SO IT SO FAST( that’s question is more just me being super impressed oh my goodness)

you’re very good😳

Aw, sweet, a board question *puts on serious glasses*

Ok, bring it on anon.

So, the first thing to ask yourself when starting a comic, as I see it, is what type of board are you dealing with. Webtoon? A4 pages? 4 panels? There are many ways to go about it, and each involves different processes. For example, pages will allow for more superfluous scenes, whereas the webtoon format has to be super succinct because of the reading direction. I personally think that's the main reason I do pages, among other advantages: •narrative density •variety •Tumblr-friendly format

There are quite a few disadvantages too but you have to go through the process of trials and errors to really find out what suits you best!

Then there's the ambition of the sequence you're boarding for. And it goes from 1. how used I am to boarding this kind of sequence/drawing these characters/setting and backgrounds, to 2. is it an emotional sequence? Dialogue-heavy? Or more contemplative?

It changes the way you work and how you should approach your board! For example, in TMS, the very wordy chapters (4 and 5 for ex) generally called for simple and narrow framing. Of course, you don't want to bore the reader so you can spice things up to match the characters mood and reactions once in a while, but you have to bear in mind that the sequence aims to provide dialogue and information = the text bubbles are key and WILL take a lot of place. So let them.

( then again, it's all about pacing and balance. A page full of dialogue and one with too much happening are equally hard to read and boring to do)

Only dialogue, simple squares, no compostion, the focus is on Mel's reaction

On the other hand, parts 7 and 8 are all about action and atmosphere! This makes for wider and more varied shots!

They're fighting, things are going fast so why not use a single line to show many actions! They're still basically squares and rectangles but the pacing is totally different!

Or why not give the action a full page to really show its sheer impact

You can also split things, with a zoom or small time gap, depending on if it's a gag or if you want to put the focus on a reaction. Here, the asymmetry helps reinforce the unstable, jerky aspect of the scene. The situation is getting out of hand, and visually, the pages are affected too.

Now, these are case-by-case examples. And I never work on my pages separately.

For context, this-

-is the "first" board I did for part 8.

The drawings are very small and frankly difficult to make out, but the intention is what matters at this point lol I have the script (very important) next to my canvas, and I scribble the pages one after the ither. This allows me to see if the actions flow well, if the compositions are varied and also whether certain passages are too long or too short in regard to their importance. Which scenes can be merged? Removed? Toned down or if they deserve more bite?

This is a really fun and creative part but, I'll say it again, made a lot easier with a solid scipt. And I'm talking about a text document with clearly defined dialogues (or at least outlines) and actions.

I can't really explain how to write a script, it really depends on your work flow and how confortable you are with writing, but it's too important to just rush through it. No matter how much it changes before, during or after your finish boarding (cuz you gotta break your own rules sometimes and you'll often realize some things don't work as well once you put them on paper/sometimes art block can be resolved by writing the scene and just taking the time to imagine) but it's still your one guideline.

Aaaand, that's about it.

Other than that, I can only highly recommend reading lots of comics, Webtoon, books, watching movies, paintings, illustrations, animatics or listening to music, to inspire you and expand your own "personal library of references". Professional or not, anything your find inspiring and well executed. Boarding is at its core, telling stories. No art skill involved, just pure subjectivity. At the end of the day, it's all about squares, rectangles and bubbles so you gotta work on your creativity. The rest is gut feeling!

Constantly ask yourself how to tell this story, and how you want to tell it. How this sequence should be perceived? What do you need to show to make pages and pages of words appealing and interesting.

Be patient, be bold. Start with easy stuff to get some confidence if you need to. Accept that "boring" pages are smt necessary and that it's up to you to build up tension for a scene to really pop. Try new ideas and be ready to scrap many of them, the result will be worth all the work!

Now, concerning the "fast" part, I'm flattered but I personally think I'm super slow xD You prbly get that impression bc I finish the whole chapter before posting it, but behind the scene, I'm just working at a very regular pace.

Thank youuu anon ♡( ◡‿◡ )

[hlficlibrary]

hiiii do you have any bodyguard/protective louis fics ??? (except cut your teeth on my heart)

Hi, anon! If you hadn't mentioned already reading that one, I would have for sure put that on here! That's a great one. Anyway, here are some more bodyguard Louis fics for you!

You Took My Heart By Surprise by LiveLaughLoveLarry / @loveislarryislove

There is reason to believe Prince Harry’s life is in danger. After a failed kidnapping attempt, Louis is assigned to guard Harry around the clock. He is the best at what he does, but he has a tendency to not get along with clients. Louis and Harry start off on the wrong foot, but it soon becomes clear that neither is at all what the other expected.

~*~*~

Queen Anne met Louis’ eyes. “While your file documents many remarkable accomplishments, it also contains a number of early terminations. Why is that?”

“It all depends on what your priorities are,” he said slowly. “If your primary concern is protection, I’m your guy. If you’re looking for someone polite…” He shrugged. “I don’t generally try to be rude, but social graces aren’t what I’m being paid for. If someone values being sucked up to over being protected, that’s their problem.”

“You seem quite well-mannered,” Anne said, frowning.

Both Nick and Louis snorted at that. “You’ve only known me for ten minutes,” Louis said. “Give it time.”

Not Quite by alltheselights

Niall gives Harry an exasperated look, nodding slowly. “Okay...so do you want to explain why we’re hiring Louis? And do you want to explain it without making any mention of his soft hair or ample buttocks?”

As Harry prepares for the premiere of his first blockbuster film, his manager encourages him to hire a bodyguard as a precautionary measure. Harry ends up making an unusual choice.

You're Perfect Now by Kiwiwoman

Louis is Harry’s bodyguard.

To Fight For Freedom by @snowy38

It was snowing when he went down.

His sturdy and well-worn hiking boots were tied snugly to his socked feet; the knee-high thick black fabric keeping his legs warm to almost the point his pleated kilt rested just above his knees. Almost, because there was still a good four inches of skin bared to the elements.

His father had told him he had no need to wear the traditional uniform, but Harry knew better than to believe him. In fact, the only reason his father would say such a thing was because he would rather see him in anything other than an item of clothing which resembled a skirt. The reasons for his reservations may well be justified but Harry couldn’t think about that right now.

It was snowing and he’d been shot.