#and so much more but I didn't want to make the post too long...

[pots-sibly]

When I flared so bad in November that I physically couldn't be out of bed for more than like. Two or three minutes at a time. I did a loooooot of doomscrolling, to the point where I felt like I was mentally back in the place I was as a teenager when I had no friends and spent every waking minute on like instagram or something. I caught myself falling into habits I haven't had in years, like compulsively arguing with people online or engaging in content that made me mad or upset. If I was in the same place I was when I was younger, I would've just kept falling into that pit, but I know what it's like now to not feel that way, and I didn't want to go back.

So, I did the most logical thing to me: I went on Amazon and ordered a bunch of yarn and crochet supplies.

I haven't crocheted since I was in the single digits. My grandma tried to teach me, but I was never able to get past the chain stitch. Even so, I remembered absolutely loving it; I'd make chains out of whole balls of yarn and just like, have them in a drawer. I'd do it over and over again because I liked the colours and the repetitive motions. It was soothing to me.

I got a beginner's crochet book and started teaching myself other stitches. I was having really bad brain fog at the time, so I learned slow (and wrong), but I still learned. I made scarves for everyone in my family for Christmas that were way too long and just the same stitch over and over again. I took my yarn and hooks to the emergency room, to get blood work, to urgent care. I made a blanket that covers a double mattress and am hoarding yarn under my bed.

I'm just learning how to make other things, like stuffed animals and granny squares, but honestly I would probably be just as happy to make more mile-long chains. It's extremely calming (so much so that I fainted in the middle of doing a scarf in the ER once) and when I'm doing simple patterns, it's something I can do even with the fatigue and the brain fog. I no longer feel the need to engage with shitty people online or spend hours scrolling and rotting. I've successfully pulled myself out of doomscroll spirals with 'oh shit I need to finish that scarf/blanket/amigumuri'

I used to see posts like this going around and always felt a little defensive because I never really had anything like that. I was always so tired and sick and thought it was a personal failing, so someone being like 'hey maybe you should do something other than scroll instagram reels until you want to die' felt like a personal attack (yes, I was in a bad place). But it's literally so important to have Something like this and I'm so glad that I'm in a place now where I actually do

Most anti phone advice is so inane and regurgitated to me but one thing I’ve been thinking about for days is “social media is okay, but the real danger comes in when you think your phone should be your go to during your limited pockets of leisure” like that’s literally the truest thing ever

[andreilslovechild]

Aaron and Nicky

Okay so I vaguely discussed this on my previous post about Aaron and hatred, but I needed to say more on the topic bc it kinda just recently popped up in my head again and it's just...ugh so good.

When Aaron moved to SC, he was 13, and Nicky was like 17ish. So, depending on what year he was in, he would have been either in his junior or senior year of high school. Assuming he was in his senior year, Aaron would have only had around, let's say... around 7-8 months with him assuming they moved during the summer.

Aaron would probably have talked to Nicky a few times a year before this. Maybe once every month or two when Luther talked to Tilda, but not really anything special. They probably saw each other a few times for holidays when Luther would pay for their plane tickets. You know the classic long-distance cousins. You don't talk much, but you still know things about each other.

Then, once Aaron moved to SC after finding out about Andrew, he would have been reeling from that discovery, alone, and in a new city he'd probably only been in once or twice before. And even then, he'd probably only been to nickys house, church, and back again. So he would have clung to whatever familiarity he could find.

Him and Nicky would hang out or talk on the phone when Tilda was too high to care, and Aaron used him as an excuse to get out of the house and away from her heavy hands and the crushing silence that echoed in the new house that was already falling apart. He would have picked up on the type of language older kids used, even kids his own age really, would have tried to fit in by using it, and at the time homophobic or vaguely offensive language would have been the norm. Aaron himself may not have used them against Nicky specifically, but Nicky would have heard Aaron using things like "fag" or "gay" as an insult.

Whether Aaron knew Nicky was gay is up for debate, but it's probably likely he knew that Nicky had "strayed from the path of god" or so Luther would have put it. He'd probably heard about the conversion camp in passing, though he likely didn't know what it really was. I think it was mentioned too that Nicky tried to act straight after his experience at conversion camp somewhere in the EC, so Aaron was probably under the impression that Nicky was "cured" like Luther and Maria were.

But long story short, during those 7-8 months, nicky was Aaron's closest friend. I doubt Aaron was very social, so even after school started, he probably didn't make friends that easily, so he hung out with nicky most days, and they did their homework together or whatever. Very sibling like. I think Nicky was the one to convince Aaron to reach out to Andrew against Tilda wishes, and probably the one to comfort him when he recieved a big fuck you back. He was the closest thing Aaron had to real family.

He probably noticed nicky wasn't as happy as he liked to seem, but he was a kid and the most he could do about it was spend lots of time with him and try and get him to genuinely smile now and then.

And then there was the Germany trip.

Aaron wasn't happy Nicky was going on the trip, and Nicky was probably a bit guilty for leaving Aaron behind, but Aaron wouldn't have stopped him from going when Nicky so clearly wanted to. He thought it'd be 5 months or so, and then he'd be back. Just 5 months of crushing loneliness, and he'd have his cousin back.

I think Aaron started using properly for the first time while Nicky was gone on that exchange trip. He'd used a few times here and there before, but not regularly. And certainly not enough to crave them. But with nicky gone, he didn't have any other way to escape. He told himself he'd stop when Nicky came back, except Nicky didn't come back. Not really. He was back for maybe 2 weeks total to officially graduate and pack up his things, and then he was back to Germany because he'd found some perfect gay lovestory there. So he kept using.

I think Aaron resented Nicky leaving him for a long time. He left him alone to suffer his mother and their crazy family by himself. He may not actively realize it, but it also makes him resent nickys sexuality a bit too because if Nicky wasn't gay this wouldn't have happened, and he'd never have left him.

Then three years has come and gone, and andrew is there, Aaron's no longer alone, but Tilda dead. And then Nicky comes back to take care of them. Fights for them. Makes sure they stay with him. And he's nothing like the Nicky Aaron remembers. Well, he kind of is, but not really. He's more flamboyant and bubbly and waaay to talkative and sexual and Aaron isn't sure what to do about it. The first few times were an accident, tired and hurt, and going through withdrawal as he screamed insults at the locked bathroom door. He heard nickys voice and begged him to let him out and then insulted him when he didn't.

But he also notices afterward how they make nickys smile turn a little bit tight. And then the insults become a test. A way to push even more to see if Nicky would break. If he would hit and scream like Tilda or glare and use the stick like Luther. But he didn't. Not even a little bit. Not even once. And slowly, Aaron forgets that that's what the words were supposed to be. He just uses them casually, the insults at the tip of his tongue whenever nicky does something he can comment on. It just becomes normal. And he sees the way nicky brushes them off, but not really. He can see through the mask. But he just can't stop.

It takes years of practice and therapy and more than a few seriously uncomfortable conversations for Aaron to properly get his tongue under control. But he tries. And trying is enough for nicky when it comes to them. After all, nicky had dealt with Andrew, too, who was arguably worse in some ways.

Nicky and Aaron's relationship is infinitely complicated in so many ways. They went from distant family to friends, to strangers, guardians, and children, to finally being just cousins. It takes a long time and probably isn't until after both of them have graduated and Nicky is back in Germany, but they get there in the end, and that's the important part.

(Credit to creamka_ on ig for the art love them)

[divinedelusional]

tons of sex - jack schlossberg

jack schlossberg x fem reader

synopsis: it's been a while for reader and jack sooo they finally get down to it

warnings: smut so minors dni!! 18+ oral f receiving, vaginal sex, slightly sub jack

a/n: that was my first attempt at writing smut and first fic for jack too, inspired by this, obvi

You woke up to a smell of freshly brewed coffee. You hugged the pillow and opened one eye noticing that Jack wasn't by your side, but he appeared soon with a mug of coffee and a tray with food for you.

"You look so beautiful, honey" he said putting coffee and tray aside and gave you a slow kiss.

You indeed look amazing. Morning sun illuminating your frame covered in milky white sheets.

"Hey" you said looking at him with adoration. "Up so soon?" you asked taking a glass of orange juice he handed to you.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I couldn't reschedule the meeting, I forgot to tell you. But it won't be long I'm just meeting this guy about a podcast I agreed to do"

You smiled at him as he kept going.

"But after that I'm all yours. It's a little make up for it" he added pointing to the tray with your food. He made you an avocado toast with beacon on a side and an egg.

"It's great Jack, thank you so much" you said lifting yourself to kiss him. When you pulled you touched a small earring on his left ear.

"I still can't believe you pierced your ears" you chuckled.

"You like it babe?"

"Mhmm of course, you look hot as fuck"

You guys didn't see each other for the day, as Jack went out of town and you had been busy the day before. He came home on the evening when you were already half asleep. You greeted him and saw the earrings and wanted to wait for him, but you were asleep like a baby when he came from the shower.

"Would show you how much I like 'em babe, but what can I do if you're leaving me for a morning" you sighed dramatically.

"Then I'll make sure this meeting goes fast because holy shit..." he kissed you. "I want you so bad you have no idea" he kissed you again, slipping his tounge into your mouth. You almost moaned but didn't wanted to rile him up and make him late.

"Easy easy, we'll have a whole day once you're back" you chuckled.

Jack sighed and smiled at you, kissing your forehead quickly and got up from the bed.

You were eating your delicious breakfast and when he was already bundled up for nyc's cold weather he called to you.

"Bae you know what?? I haven't show my new look to the world yet"

He already posted a tiktok he recorded couple days ago, coming back from his break from social media.

"Well, give the people what they want hm?" you told him.

You saw him quickly checking himself in the mirror and then he pressed record.

"Soo basically I pierced both my ears andd" you heard him talking to the camera "I look like I've had a ton of sex in my life"

You were glad he stopped recording bc you snorted at the last part.

"What?" he asked

"Nothing babe, go you're gonna be late" you said laughing.

God, this man, you thought. He was unbelievable sometimes, but one thing you knew, you'll make sure he'd have sex today. A lot.

You've been reading your book, patiently waiting for your boyfriend. You couldn't focus on the plot as once again your thoughts drifted to the things you wanted to do with Jack. You haven't had sex for almost a week now. Both of you had really busy schedule and then Jack went to Boston. He was feeling down lately with the whole shutting down JFK's library thing. You loved how passionate he was with serving his country but you wished he could relax more. You were there for him of course, comforting him and he was so grateful for that.

But you felt like you both needed different kind of relaxation now. And God, you couldn't wait for it. You felt a growing need in you lower stomach, putting a hand over your mound and pressing lightly. You wanted to put your fingers into your cunt but decided not to. You and Jack didn't have this rule that you couldn't touch yourselves without the other, but you just wanted to wait for him. You could make yourself cum, but you were too needy today. You just knew your fingers wouldn't be enough to satisfy you. You wanted your man's cock. Badly. You wanted him to fuck you so deep you'd see a bulge in your belly.

"Oh fuck" you moaned at the thought and you knew your pussy was already soaked.

Just then you heard keys in the door and sighed with relief. Your torture was bout to end. You heard Jack taking of his shoes and water running as he washed his hands in the bathroom.

"Hi" you said when you came to him, wrapping your hands around his waist.

"Hi" he said, turning around and he pecked your lips. You didn't let him go as you sucked on his tounge. He let out a small moan and opened his mouth wider for you. Still in his embrace you pushed his chest and you walked to the kitchen, while kissing, well more likely licking all over your lips.

"Are you hungry?" you asked, pressing your hips to Jack's.

"Mhm" his voice an octave lower "not for food tho" he said and picked you up, turning around and sitting you on a kitchen island. You squealed at his action and sensation of a cold marble under your thighs. He kissed you, less sloppy this time, and you spread your legs wider when he moved to your neck.

"Jack" you moaned, when he sucked a hickey on your neck, licking over his piece of work.

"As much as I would love to fuck you here..." he said, voice muffled when he started to kiss the other side of your neck, massaging your left boob. "...i can't have my girl sore so early" he took your shorts of when he said that. "My, my what do we have here?" his eyes widened at the sight of a wet spot on your panties, one of his favorite pairs. It was thong made of cotton, burgundy red shade, with lace hugging your hip bones.

"Baby..." you whined quietly when Jack traced his finger over your clothed pussy.

"What honey? Don't be shy, what do you want me to do?"

"Jack, please, do whatever you want to do with me, please, I can't wait anymore"

"Oh baby, I don't wanna torture you. I missed this tight pussy so much. What was that, like four days I haven't felt her?" he was kneeling down, taking off your panties.

"Five"

He started by kissing your ankle, going up with his feather light kisses. He reached your thighs and wanted to tease you a little bit longer but his mind went blank when he was met with the sight of your glistening cunt and her delicious smell. His head empty, only a primal need and hunger left in.

"Fuckin shit, I can't wait any fucking longer" he panted and dived in.

He held your thighs in place, tho he knew he's going to let them go in a minute and let you crush his head with 'em. Usually he started slowly, giving kitten licks to your clit, teasing a finger at your entrance, but he was hungry today and he wanted to take what was his.

His tounge pushed through your folds, going straight for your hole. He pushed it as deep as he could, without a warning and you pulled his hair immediately.

"Oh my fucking... god, Jack please" you moaned. You loved when he tounge fucked your pussy. He would have the stupidest shit eating grin on his face if he wasn't thrusting his tounge in and out of you with such force.

God, his tounge will hurt, you thought to yourself, though you couldn't care much, when your boyfriend was making you feel like this. You were already getting close, to fast for your liking, but you knew you couldn't blame yourself. You pussy was starving for attention and your boyfriend was always so fucking good with his mouth. You were about to tell him that you're gonna cum, when his tounge slid out of you. You wanted to protest, but in the blink of an eye you felt a whole different sensation when Jack had spit directly onto your clit. High pitched whine escaped your throat and you buried your fingers deeper in Jack's hair. His mouth instantly went back to your pussy, his tounge danced on your clit, giving it just the right amount of pressure. He knew you were seconds away from cumming when your nails scratched his scalp harder than before. You were a mess above him and you screamed his name, when with one final flick of his tounge you came all over his face. He lapped at your spasming hole and his nose was pressing against your sensitive bud.

"Jack, Jack, stop, I can't anymore..." you whined and he listened to your pleas and stopped the assault on your pussy.

He lifted himself up, positioning his body between your legs. You were propped up on your elbows and were looking at his face soaked with your juices, when he leaned in.

"Taste yourself, pretty girl" he murmured, before pressing his lips to yours. Your mouth opened right away, letting him in. You kissed so agonizingly slow, but you loved when he got sloppy with his kisses, like he didn't want to leave any part untouched.

Kisses might have been slow, but movements of his hips were getting faster with each second. Suddenly you became aware of your boyfriend's raging erection, grinding on your wet pussy.

"Jack, wait"

"Nnghh, no" he mumbled pulling you to himself again, but you pushed him back before he could kiss you again. He watched you, shocked for a second, his frame resting against the headboard right know. His pupils widened when you climbed on top of him.

"You deserve a big thank you after what you just did Mr. Schlossberg" you breathed to his ear and start to suck a hickey on his jawline. He let out a small moan, as you kept talking. "My baby, did so good for me that his girl didn't even notice how hard you were... you must be already leaking, huh honey?" you asked him palming him through his boxers.

"Please, baby, I'm so, oh fuck, so hard for you, please let me..." he tried to switch your positions, but you restisted. You took his boxers off, letting his cock free.

"Remember what I told you this morning?" you asked, lifting your hips up and lining your entrance with his dick.

"Uh huh" he noded through his gasps as you began to sink down onto him.

"Yes" you hissed with satisfaction and leaned down to bite his earlobe. "Need to show you how much I like your new look, how fuck, how hot you look, Jack" with this words you fully sank down, his dick filling you completely.

"Fuck, fuck, y/n, be a doll and fuck me, please"

"Oh baby, don't worry. You have to live up to your new look right? I'm getting sure, you'll get that ton of sex you talked about this morning"

Jack shot his head back, panting your name.

Already a mess, you thought to yourself, and he has no idea that you just started his fun with him.

reblogs and comments highly appreciatated♡

[miss-tarja]

Like a Fine Wine

Younger! Miguel O'Hara x Sugar Mommy! Reader

WARNINGS: Transactional relationship at the begining, smut, protected p in v, fluff, emotional distress, no strings attached to catching feelings type of thing. MINORS DO NOT INTERACT.

A/N: This is @tatatida raffle event prize <3. Got her permission to post it. Hope you guys like it as mucha as I did writing it :D. So fun to write again!

If there was one thing you hated more than wires in your bra, poking out and digging into your skin was precisely this. Social gatherings with loud music after a long day, that somehow were a must to keep up the appearances within your collaborators and clients.

And the cherry on top besides this, were two little details that had ruined your overall mood and will to believe in such a thing the soon-to-be wedded couple favored.

To starters, the man whom you thought would be that exact same guy with a goofy and moonstruck smile, kneeling before the woman as he proposed to her, not only broke up with you a week ago, right before this party, but also broke the three month engagement you had agreed and partook in, and the urge to make an engagement party after a couple of years dating. 

He cut all ties with your persona and everything that rendered your existence and what you had to offer. And the second bitter cherry, you were selected to make the brides dream come true by not only designing her wedding dress, but her bridesmaids too. 

Oh, how much fun you've been having by designing your own wedding dress. A design that somehow ended up in the bride's main picks. For once you hated your job and everything that came with it. Happy and excited faces, I do's here and there whenever the brides were grateful and went beyond to invite a top tier Haute Couture and lingerie designer like yourself to the ceremony. 

The excitement you'd never get... 

A defeated sigh escaped your lips for the umpteenth time and absentmindedly snatched your third champagne cup from a nearby waiter. Marriage was overrated anyway and the stress had been nicking enough of your nerves. You needed out. 

The mellow, sickly sweet and romantic music had been a bit too much for your ears, same for the laughs and fun and frankly, you hadn't left because the bride wanted some adjustments in her request, but you didn't have the heart to be a wet blanket over her happiness and pollute her joy with your own heartbreak and mood swings. So you waited, and waited and-

"Should I call you a cab?" The waiter's voice snapped you out of your thoughts. Rich, deep and oh so exquisite that sent a jolt directly to your spine the emotional discomfort brewing in. 

Oh boy... 

The man before you, clad in white and black was everything but that. A boy, as you usually saw younger men. The white button chemise made a wondrous job in containing his well worked arms that moved effectively while delivering drinks and his chest, puffing with the constant beating of his heartbeats and breathings. Your eyes couldn't help but wander from his gorgeous and cryptic, stoic face, to the narrow and perfectly sculpted waist. 

My goodness...

"... Ma'am?" He chuckled a tad uncomfortable yet used to the looks his appearances provoked. Your eyes casted away, embarrassed for being not so discreet in your ogling. 

"Uh...  no. Sorry. I'm waiting for the bride to finish some stuff. Could you be so kind to fetch me a rose soda, please?" 

"Of course. Anything else?" 

"Just that for the meantime, thank you." 

His red eyes blinked slowly, absorbing your order as he retired your nearly empty champagne cup from the table. 

"I'll be right back." The handsome man spoke and you just nodded with a brief smile before he scrammed off to the drink station not too far away from your spot.

"Seems you caught her eye." One of his coworkers, Harry, spoke with a smile that hinted at nothing but trouble , pointing discreetly your way. 

"Doubt it. She was getting drunk, looking lonely and a bit miserable, probably not having a good time." He huffed, preparing the golden rimmed and fancy glass with ice. 

"C'mon, Migs. I know it's bad to just jump into women like vultures when they're going through vulnerable stuff, but hey, think of it this way." Harry hugged his neck, pulling him closer, "You'll give her a good time to forget whatever thing has gotten her like that." Miguel rolled his eyes. Of course Harry wouldn't pass the opportunity to jump in whatever chance that got him laid. "And, just look at her!" 

Harry nearly groaned after stealing another glance your way. 

"Harry..." Miguel warned, already knowing where the conversation was leading to. 

"C'mon, man. She was staring at you like she would eat you in the spot! Wished women looked at me like that."

"They would, if you weren't a creep about it. Are you even hearing yourself?" His bushy brow quivered and his eyes rolled. "Just get me a rose soda."

"I'm not a creep, O'Hara. And that shit's disgusting, don't know why, it's so freaking sweet and awful but rich people drink it like no tomorrow. But!" He pushed Miguel with his elbow softly, "That only means she must be stacked up in money too." He mumbled while handing him a golden and pink can along a straw. 

"Of course she is. From what I gathered, she's a famous designer, doing the dresses." He shrugged nonchalantly as he poured the sweet smelling concoction in the glass. 

"Then even better! Go for it! Bet you 20$ she's single. And 50$ of my tips you're ending up in her bed tonight." 

"Hilarious you think you'd get tips from these people." He plated up, and returned to you. Or at least, tried since you were nowhere to be seen. He swore you were there some moments ago. 

Until he spotted you talking with the bride, taking notes and sketching so fast in a pad he was genuinely amused for a second at how easy the skills came in your hand. You also took some measurements off the bride and the bridesmaids. It didn't take no longer than fifteen minutes in total to gather what you needed or he supposed. 

He returned again, to finally find you alone in another table, he carried a freshly served drink as the previous one had lost the gas and flavor. You were skimming through your sketch pad, biting your lip as you redrawn over and over the veil's fall.

"Ma'am?" He called and your eyes met his. Lighting up with delight at what he had on the tray.

"Oh, right!. Thank you very much... Uh..." Your brow quirked and Miguel cleared his throat. 

"Miguel. Miguel O'Hara." His lips curved a chip awkwardly as he placed the soda on a cover away from your working tools. 

"Right." Naturally you gave him your name and took a long sip of soda. The sugar in it earned an approving hum from you, Miguel's eyes wandered discreetly over your shiny lips as you licked them. "Hope you don't mind me asking, but how old are you, Miguel?" 

The sudden question threw him off, specially when you had asked so out of the blue with such confidence he only allowed his closed ones. The hunt was on and he was the perfect subject to bring home and hang on your wall. Or rather bed. 

"Pardon?" He blinked, genuinely confused as to why would you ask that as he held his tray in an attempt to hide the fidgeting of his hands. He was the one supposedly doing the flirting, not backwards. That is, if you were actually flirting. It had been a long while since he gave into something casual. One night stands weren't something he indulged often, except when his body screamed for release in something else that wasn't his pumping and squeezing hand. 

Bills and temporary jobs kept him busy like that. 

"I asked your age." Your head turned to face him again, and for once, he frowned. Earning you a small giggle. "Relax, sweetheart. Twenty somethings aren't that much of a favorite of mines."

"Then, guess I'm out of your league." 

You chuckled and sipped your soda, not daring to tear your gaze from him. 

"Older than twenty five?" 

He shrugged, quietly admitting a bit of himself, exposed but genuinely amused at your sudden move.

"Ah, I see. We could do an exception." You gestured for him to seat. And he shook his head. 

"Can't do, I'm still on my shift, I'm afraid." 

"All responsibility is on me if something happens. Please. Sit." You gestured and he sat across you, hesitant as you drank another sip, to sweeten your mouth and lace up the words coming off it. "You see, it's not every day I feel particularly... inclined to indulge myself with the people around me. So I'll go straight to the point."

"Id like that, yeah." His words made you smirk. 

"This is probably your second or third job. Yeah?" 

His brows puckered ever softly at the probing guess, but he kept on listening. 

"Sorry if I come out as invasive. Perks of being in this... side of business turns one into a good people reader." You shrugged and he pouted ever softly. 

"Is that so? What can you tell then? Cause, pretty sure you don't know a thing about me, Ma'am." 

"Oh. Feisty, aren't we? I like that. But flirt or whatever this is, aside. I can tell this is your second or third temporary job, your finances aren't that bad, you do manage, but some extra cash wouldn't be bad for you, am I right? What's on the table? A PhD?" 

"Your point is?" He pressed and you smirked 

"Well, since I was lonely, kinda miserable looking and I wasn't having a good time actually, I thought in getting some company." Your words froze him in the spot. And you chuckled again as he cleared his throat. "Your station wasn't that far from my ears, sweetie."

"Sorry about that-."

"Forget about it. I heard enough to know a little play time in bed with me would cost so low. Kinda hurt by that." 

He gulped. His cheeks couldn't help but warm at the implications of your sudden offering. 

"But... wanna think a bit bigger?"

His eyes dropped midway his eyes, like the octave in his voice as he leaned in closer, a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of his meaty lips.

"I ain't low cost, Hermosa. That's for sure." 

"Do I look cheap to you?." Your voice mellowed with a promise of something else within. "I'm everything but. Not when it comes to treating myself anyway." 

And God he would be the biggest liar if he didn't admit that was the hottest thing a woman had told him in such a long time. That surge of power coursing through him felt a bit too good. He could decline so you could raise you tab higher, given that you were the one in need of him. But since he hadn't named a price, the offering was just as tempting as the slit on your red dress that hugged your curves deliciously, or the dip in your cleavage. 

"What do you want exactly from me?" 

And he enjoyed the chase. The power you indirectly granted him by simply admitting that not only money was in play, but a much needed release. He knew  what you needed, just wanted to hear it for himself to convince his mind that one of his secret fantasies was turning so tangible and real, it sent shivers straight to his groin. 

"Repeating the same and the obvious is useless, You're a smart man. You ain't stupid, Miguel. So name your price."

"Well, it depends on how many times you'd like to repeat doing me, Ma'am." 

And it was your time to laugh, a pleasant burn ran through your body, as the thrill of push and pull increased.

"I'm just some years older than you, Miguel, save the ma'am for your grandma." 

"The more reason to keep myself out of trouble, Señorita." he crooned and your lips stretched wider, leaning closer. 

"You're playing too much and time is money for me. So what do you say? Wanna leave this serving charade and do something productive with your time and with me?" 

"So basically you'll pay me to keep you busy and satisfied." 

"Company sometimes as well, but we'll see about the satisfied part." Your lips curled with mischief, "No strings attached of course. Work is a good outlet, but I wanna vary them." Your lips twitched with a feline glint, "It makes wonders for my creative process, which means more money for me. And for you, of course. It's a win win for us both." 

"No strings attached." He repeated, pondering for a moment. 

"Indeed." Your hand gestured elegantly while raking him unabashedly. "So?" 

"I'd like four thousand. For every meetup." he pressed, keeping his eyes on you. Had it been too much? 

"Student loans?" Your brow quirked and he nodded. "How much you owe?" 

"Twenty four grand to go, and I'll be free." 

"Hm. I see." You mumbled, twirling the pencil in your hand. "And, are you sure that's enough for you?" 

Dios mio... 

His breath stuck in his throat and his eyes darkened for a moment. You were for the kill and he was left defenseless. But in truth, he'd gladly die. And older woman wanted him, a gorgeous and rich older woman, nonetheless, was there offering him the financial freedom he so desperate sought out through shitty jobs and whatever gig that increased his bank account numbers.

You were willing to pay for his company, and he'd be out of debt soon with no strings attached. What else could he ask for? 

"Is it for you?" He pushed, amusing you to no end. 

"Don't worry your pretty head about it, sweetheart."

Well, shit. 

"Anything else, then, Ma'am?" 

You hummed, satisfied at his reply. 

"For you to stop call me that and bring some good booze. We're going home. Make sure to quit. I don't like interruptions on my... meals." 

A shudder ran down his spine and he nodded cockily. Night was still young and strong after all, like him and his sudden appetite. 

Although he owed Harry seventy bucks, the number was certainly insignificant compared to what he'd get after this scrumptious workout. 

Initially, the sight of your ample penthouse had snatched his breath away. Lush and elegant, like your overall aura. That until you changed into a more comfortable set of clothes. And by it, it meant a delicate and short turquoise slip with a matching robe. Drinks and business talk came in next, leading to the  culminating peak of your mutual transaction. 

His hands grope and pulled your hips downwards as he thrusted upwards, trying to match the heart-shaking pace of your hips swallowing him with a need he rarely got to see and experience in a woman. 

"Fu.. Fuck!" He groaned when your hips rolled, switching once again the tempo, pushing all the air out of his burning lungs. "Hermosa-" He croaked and shuddered when your walls clamped and pulsated around him without a truce and rest. What were you doing to him? 

He knew some women were good like that, but this... This was beyond his comprehension and skills. It was like if your insides held him a willing hostage inside, snug and tight, milking and pulsating around him at will. Like if they obeyed your command of squeezing the life out of him in rhythmic contractions. 

"C'mon, darling. You gotta-" You hissed, sinking on top of him in a go, his cock kissed with a wet push the very end of your hilt, earning a shaky whimper from his throat, "You gotta work hard for it, yeah?" 

His hands dug in the meaty slabs of your ass, spreading and smacking your hips through gritted teeth. Your eyes gleamed in wicked delight  upon the sight of him, struggling to catch up, fighting off the haze in his brain that clouded his judgement, leaving him completely bare and at your drenching and fluttering mercy. 

There were few things that older people taught Miguel through life. Not underestimating your drive was one. He had believed he could handle you with a quick but deep fuck and that would be the end of it until further notice. How sadly mistaken he was. 

But oh, the wonders and mysteries of the female anatomy never ceased to amaze him as they churned his guts, demanding for his performance to increase, to double his efforts if possible. And he tried, God knows he tried but your pistoning and riding hips had his brain a swirling puddle. Smooshing his thoughts in a jumbled and incoherent mess. 

Your wetness didn't lie, your nails burying on his back didn't lie as they created red welts wherever they explored and clawed, your mouth devoured his, set into stealing every single breath as you rutted your hips, grinding in such a way it made him dumb. Pussy drunk even, despite the condom fitting beyond perfection to put the blaming arrow on it. For once he wasn't the one doing the magic happening, rather enjoying it. 

"Just like that, Miguel" You hissed on his mouth before he returned the favor in leaving you breathless with his demanding kisses and needy hands. 

He didn't know what was more arousing and mind shattering. If you, riding him like he was being introduced to pleasure for the first time all over again with every  diabolical thrust you put him through, pulling noises he often didn't do with his scarce partners in bed. 

Or knowing this kind of experience  laid ahead in his future restless night's with you, set into making an example of why he should never underestimate older women and their burning and insatiable libido when it hit in its whole might. He was burning. Enjoying the gorgeous, older and in heat woman on top of him. 

Too much expertise for him? Perhaps, but he was grateful to be learning how to survive your appetite. He was a sucker for learning after all. 

His hands squeezed and slapped your rear, equally struggling to handle the bouncing globes as they escaped his trembling fingers with each rut, unable to hold still a handful, urging your moves to go faster, rougher and deeper if possible, determined to pull each ounce of  your knowledge out to test and under scrutiny, like the good yet underpaid scientist he was. 

And his jaw dropped with an agonising moan when you leaned back, supporting your hands on the flat of his thighs, giving him a prime sight of your body. 

Your legs spread wider so your cunt would choke more of him inside, swivelling those gorgeous hips of yours in a circular motion, causing his eyes to glue on the mess between heated and sweaty limbs. Your feet barely touched the floor as they remained curled up. 

His cock stretched your pussy, and every time he pushed in, a little spurt of your juices flowed, coating and making him glisten with a pretty shimmer, and for a brief second he really wished to be able to have it raw. Your breast bounced at a mind-boggling pace. The hard and unceasing wet slap of flesh had turned into one of his favorite melodies, specially the slurping noise your cunt gave him when grinding your hips downwards to suck more of him in. 

For once he didn't mind being the end to someone else's pleasure. Why would he when you gave him one of the most erotic sights he ever had the privilege to witness in a woman? The experience had gone beyond the didactical, as it actually stimulated the right spots in his brain, firing up his need to experience more. 

"I'm cumming!" You shrieked 

How would you look while at it? Exquisite probably. Specially when his hand snaked down your hips and his mischievous thumb pressed against your engorged, sweet tasting and throbbing clit, flickering it up and down with calculated speed and force to not overwhelm and end your prowess demonstration too soon. 

"C'mon hermosa, cum for me." He mumbled in between languid pants, almost tasting your mouth again, and when your peak crashed with his name rolling out of your tongue in a needy shriek, he did nothing but to whimper and follow into the depths of nirvana itself, willing to drown in this head-splitting pleasure. With a final thrust and a wheeze, he sheathed, spilling into the condom, whimpering as his forehead hid in the crook of your neck. His hot breath colliding against your tender skin. 

The agonising and shaky moans slowly evolved into exhausted pants and lazy laughs. 

"My goodness" You kissed him once, he returned it, then twice and a half surprised and satisfied smile stretched on his lips. He had survived you. "You alive, Miguel?"

Barely 

His breath stuck in his throat as you rose, the sting of your walls abandoning him suddenly with a wet pop had him slumping against the bed frame, then chuckled as you stood to stretch like you hadn't sweated an ounce, some joints popping back in place. 

"I'm good, hermosa." His hand slicked the sweaty strands as his eyes wandered over your glistening and flushed body. Walking like you hadn't fucked him to heaven and back, towards the abandoned couch where your forlorn clothes laid, to pick up the robe and covering yourself with it. His mouth pursed gently, disappointed to not see more of his marks on you. 

"Want a drink before round three?" 

Dios mio... 

"If you're trying to kill me to not pay me, just say it." 

That earned him a giggle while you poured him a tall glass of water and approached. 

"Well, if I can recall you even asked if it was enough for me." He took the glass without letting his sight to drift from yours. "And by the looks of it, I think it's better for us to stop here as you've had enough. Don't want to break you too soon." 

"I take your word. It's not that I'm not capable you know? I just-" 

"Thank the kegels, dear. They do wonders." He choked as you laughed at his reaction. "Relax. You did amazing. Hadn't cum like that in months. But enough on it." You stood again and fetched your checkbook from the purse. 

"You want a check or transfer?" 

"Uh... transfer. Roomie's nosy." His shoulders rolled back as he leaned in closer. 

"Roomie?" your eyes blinked but quickly shook the upcoming comment away, "Alright. Transfer shall be. You can stay, there's food on the kitchen in case you're hungry, shower is on the left bottom door-" 

"Wait... You want me to stay?" 

"For you to rest, yes. I've had my fill for the night. And those dresses won't design themselves, so stay if you want. If not, let me call my chauffer so he can drop you off. I don't trust local cabs around here this time at night and they probably scam you." 

Well, shit. Wasn't he being pampered? 

He just remained there, pondering and weighing his options until his mouth ran with an unexpected question that surprised even himself. 

"Are you hungry?" 

It didn't matter how things turned, the feeling of having you writhing underneath him so far had no match. Maybe, just maybe, he could compare it to the same rush of dopamine when he paid the last cent he owed to those greedy college higher ups that always sucked the four thousand he righteously earned by being buried deep in you. 

The whole transaction sure had gained a bit more trust between you two, to the point of him having his own copy to your penthouse. Rushed, maybe, but it was more a practical thing than anything he shooed away in his mind before he started reading wrong in between lines. 

You trusted him enough to allow him stay at your own home, eat your food, order even in case he grew tired of the caviar and other exotic things he had devoured at least once, to have a little taste of the life you were getting him used to. 

He wouldn't admit it but there were some habits of yours that grew on him, like not worrying about the good food. You appetite was as good as in bed as outside of it. Something he started to notice and take a like to. He'd watch you devour your meals without a care in the world, wear the lingerie and clothes you wanted. Bought the things you wished at whim, fucked him whenever you felt like it, and God you did fucked him. You were... you. Unapologetically you.

And much to his dismay, he didn't mind sex coming into a second place in both of your agendas. But, ever since that last time, things had been quite... odd, for not saying weird between you two. But it was weird in a good way, or he supposed. 

He had spent the night, doing nothing but talking and indulging in each other's company until alcohol-induced sleepiness claimed you both, only to find you in the kitchen, cooking for both. A hearty meal to give you a good shot of energy for what came next. And to his surprise and disappointment the cue for him to remove your clothes and fuck each other silly, never came. 

Now here he was, attending your impromptu message personally. 

"I'll be in a business trip soon for a couple of weeks if not months. This place will be empty. You're welcome to stay if your roomie still hasn't learned to mind his business." Your voice echoed across the studio, as you draped silk and tafetta over a mannequin. 

"You're leaving?" A tad incredulous he asked from the door frame. Taking in properly your working mode. Truly not expecting you to call him to let him know you'd be off shore. 

Your back faced him, the robe hung loosely on your shoulder as your nimble fingers created a design directly on the fabric. It truly marveled him the kind of things you could manage on your own. Yet it was enough to ponder a nagging question that had been harassing his mind for quite a while now, after he accidentally found a picture of you, kissing a man's cheek with a moonstruck look in your face. And a ring on your finger. 

What had happened? 

He wasn't one to get into people's business, in fact, he prided in keeping himself away from where he wasn't needed nor invited. Yet the picture had stirred the ever and nearly childish curiosity in him. Would you take it wrong if he asked? How would you react if he asked something about the mysterious man, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes next to you? 

"Gotta do a runway in London, then in Paris and Australia. The lots of meetings every day with my manager and team in Greece. And New York again."

If it wasn't for the blasé tone in your voice, he'd thought you were excited to see the world. But he had seen glimpses of the cruel and merciless world a designer threaded on. Stolen ideas, designs, collections, and backstabbing from the least suspecting; nights with little to no sleep, unhealthy eating patterns, stress, anxiety with logistics, contacts, and people asking for favors, sabotaging ... 

And so much more he couldn't remember properly at the moment, but it gave him a better understanding as to why you had sought him, and devoured him until you had your fill. Cause it was never about his pleasure in the first place. And he didn't mind. 

If he was honest, it was what happened after the hookups that ignited that need to experience it all over again. Your sated, sweet laughter in his arms paved the way for a new addition to the already blurry casual dynamic. The intimate talks late at night, while his fingers caressed your scalp, admiring those fine silver threads, peppering your hair here and there, had become his favorite part of the ritual.

Unavoidable as it was, the no strings attached mantra had been slowly vanishing from his brain. Specially when his compliments flared your cheeks and made you giggle like a crushing teenager again. Or when his touches became more gentle and aimed towards soothing you after a long day of stressful events. Your kisses turning more intimate, lingering with each passing week. 

He once found himself kissing the back of your shoulder, in return of yet another mind-splitting orgasm. 

"If you're bringing company to impress, please make sure to clean properly." 

What? 

"Excuse me?" His voice crisped with anger, and you turned to see him, surprised he'd take that personally instead of the usual humorous and borderline jerk-ish and dry way. 

"Sorry..." You returned the attention towards the mannequin again. “Forgive me. That was stupid.”

Very. 

How did you even dare to think he'd do that? Hadn't he been available for you whenever you wanted? Wasn't his loyalty proven enough? 

The sudden epiphany left him even more agitated. The mere thought of being with someone else while being with you, even if transactional, angered him. Offended him even. 

"Just... You know what to do." He mumbled and left the room. A clear 'call me when you need me'. 

"Miguel-" You called but he had been long gone. 

You knew he was a pithy man when it came to words. But his sudden leaving felt odd, even worst when the door from the main door slammed shut. Leaving you with the loneliness as your only companion once again. 

His feet stopped dead in his tracks upon watching the penthouse, your room specifically, empty. Devoid of your presence and some of your clothes and luggage. in the drawers. 

Fuck

He knew you were on a business trip, but, didn't expect you to be gone so soon. Not when he had returned to apologize from yesterday's slip with his temper. And now, he had to wait for God knows how long before he could see you again.

Miguel could text you an apology, or email you one, but it wasn't the way his mother raised him, messed up as it was. Conchata always made sure to make him apologize face to face, so the lesson was learned. Besides, although his thumbs itched to send you a text message, what would he talk about? 

Probably his text would get lost in the many thousands you had yet to attend. So adding himself like another stress factor didn't feel right. Not when you had runways to do and stuff. He'd have to wait although the idea sat wrong in his chest. 

He could leave whatever thing going on between you two, if he wished. He could turn back close the door and forget that he had shared a good couple of months with you. His debt had been paid already, but he never had the courage to tell you. Not because he wanted more money, no. He simply wasn't ready to say goodbye so soon. 

Not when he had gotten used to your presence, your laugh, your sweetness when it came to him. If anything he had been saving up for leaving the city, and couldn't do it if he had no money. But now that his heart found a little detour from the no strings attached rule, he didn't want to go back. 

With a last glance, he took his phone and pressed the chat log of your number. The pretty logo of your company displayed with pride, leaving the text box open. Urging him to write something, to drop the pride and reach out first. But cowardice held him in a choking grip. 

He left. Unable to go past his pride and send you a text message to ask you when would you return. If you needed him, you'd let him know, right? You wouldn't leave him hanging. 

Right? 

You could have any man you wanted, you had him after all. Yet it was enough for his mind to punish itself with all source of intrusive, pessimistic and anxious thoughts. Your plane crashing, you being gone for good, you forgetting about him by finding a new toy. You being with someone else. 

The latter made him frown with an unpleasant sensation coursing through him. Unable to pinpoint between jealousy or fear. 

Maybe you hadn't contacted him in weeks cause you were busy as usual, or the signal sucked.

You were too childish for her. 

His brain trembled and his hand rubbed against his face, letting the headache to brew in. 

She doesn't like it when you behave like a spoiled brat. 

Another thought jabbed his mind and he sighed. What had you done out of him? He often didn't care in the slightest about what people thought of him, but the idea of you not contacting him because he had acted like precisely was too embarrassing to ignore, and that little act up he gave you before you left, only reinforced such thought. 

You needed a man, not a man child. 

The waiting slowly ate his brain alive, until a couple of news stories through social media gave him important and invaluable information he refused to get directly out of embarrassment. After a month and some more without your presence in his life, you were to return within a couple of days to New York. Or so the fashion fan's forum online said. 

He'd get to see you soon. 

The thought alone sent an equally happy and anxious shiver down his spine as his mind raced with all the things he needed to do. 

Would you want to see him again? 

Hopefully... 

Exhausted was a measly word to describe your current mood. The flight had not only delayed twice, but some of your luggage was missing. Important luggage with materials you needed for the bride's dress. 

The fashion tour had drained you so bad to the point of barely leaving time for yourself. If you had the time for drinking a cup of coffee was to say it was too much free time. But now that your agenda finally allowed you to breath and conceded a bit of time, you were ready to go home, take a long bath and sleep the rest of the day. 

Your feet ached, your head pounded and Miguel-

You stopped in your tracks and blinked, just to make sure the sight before you wasn't a product of your quanked mind. 

Holding a bouquet of spring flowers, dressed to impress with a look that could only be translated as  'I'm here for you.' was Miguel. Tentatively, he took a step closer, then another and another until he was before you, towering over your frame with a coy yet genuine soft smile.

"Hey..." 

You hummed, too stunned to see him here, taking the time to see you. 

For a brief of second you couldn't help but wonder if he had ran out of money, hence his presence here. Right? Cause your brain sort of refused to believe, rather didn't want to believe someone like him was genuinely interested in you, not when money had played a huge part in your relationship.

"Hey." Still, it felt good to think at least he cared enough to take his pretense a bit further and actually make you feel special. 

"I'm sorry." He blurted, stopping all thoughts in a go in your overriding brain, "I... wanted to apologize for what happened a month ago. Shouldn't have gotten so upset over it." He offered the flowers, hoping you accepted them. And when you did his heart almost leaped in his throat upon seeing your eyes turning glossy. 

Fuck. 

"I'm sorry for... you know. Fuck... I'm not good at this... but damn. I've... I've missed you, Hermosa." 

"You did?" The question threw him out of the horse's saddle, specially when there was so much unbelieving behind your tone. This time, instead of anger a lick of sadness came through his heart. He didn't know what had happened in your previous relationship, but whatever it did, sure left some open wounds he now started to see. 

Late as usual, but he finally noticed those cracks in your seemingly dismissive behavior whenever he got too close. The defenses your heart put up every time he complimented you genuinely, or his touches began turning a bit too intimate. 

"Of course I did, hermosa. I'm sorry for not contacting you much sooner. I... I didn't know if you wanted to still see me after what happened." He admitted, his heart pounded in his throat as you shook your head. 

"Please don't blame yourself for that. I shouldn't have said something like that either. It was my fault." You sighed, taking a good sniff of the flowers, your nerves soothed, "I should've contacted you as well. But you've got no idea how busy I was."

"Can only imagine." He offered his hand, "Let me help you with your luggage. Are you hungry?" 

The knot in your throat only tightened. 

"You're so sweet, Miguel." Your hand caressed him and he leaned in your touch, letting your warmth to bask him in again, he had missed it. He had missed you. 

"Learned that from a good teacher." He kissed your palm and before his mind scolded him from breaking the detachment rule so miserably, he pulled you for a hug. Inhaling your perfume for the first time in weeks. 

"I've missed you. A lot. I always thought about you, but my job-" 

"Hey, hey. Corazón, it's ok. I know you were working your pretty ass off back in those runways. I'm just glad you're back. Missed my favorite bossy woman." 

That earned him a half sob and chuckle as he kissed your temple and held you. 

Despite the curious and not so discreet glances some people gave your way, Miguel held you by the waist as you walked back to your awaiting car. Ready to catch up and finally, bring those walls down surrounding your heart once and for all. 

What he didn't count in was the same man he had seen back at your place in that picture, was now awaiting in the living room of your penthouse, looking in between you and him, like he had seen a ghost. 

Or for you to ask him to wait in the studio as you handled some stuff. 

But he definitely did not expect the heated argument escalating between you and that man to the point of  him rushing to your side as soon as he heard glass shattering. 

You were in tears, shaking, distressed as the man held his hips and shook his head.  

"You should be ashamed of yourself. Look at you, fucking guys that barely know shit about life." He spat as soon as he saw Miguel. 

"Funny you say so when you broke up our engagement because you didn't feel it was the right time, but you think I didn't know what you did!? You think I don't know you were stealing from me the whole time and spend it on your fucking drugs!?" 

"That was my job too! I worked for your stupid dream as much as you did. It's my job on the line too!" 

"You didn't work shit! I was the one doing the job! It's always been me taking the lead in our business because you're too fucking insecure to make a decision! You were dragging me down, Charles." 

"Well, thank me for dumping you. You think this kid loves you? How much are you paying him to screw yo-" 

Charles, or rather Charlie, your ex fiancé, didn't get to finish as he fell with a hard thud on the coffee table, breaking it in half after Miguel silenced him with a powerful punch in his face. 

Your hand covered your mouth as Miguel dragged the man through the floor with such strength and ease, it made your eyes widen, as he pushed Charles out of your penthouse. As if throwing a bag of trash outside. 

The door rattled when said man kicked it from the other side, startling you. But also having Miguel to pull you to his side without tearing his gaze from the door. 

"Are you okay, hermosa?" His gentle voice was a stark contrast against the merciless beat down he put Charles through. His thumb moved in soothing circles against your lower back. 

"Yeah, just... fuck. I swear I had no idea he would appear out of nowhere-" 

"Hey, It's alright. You don't have to explain yourself, guapa. He came here looking for trouble. Couldn't leave you hanging." 

"You're... not upset?" 

His hand cupped your cheek and wiped away the shy tears approaching the corner of your eyes

"Why would I? He came looking for trouble. They found him. And I never got to ask who was he anyway. Didn't think it was important." He kissed your temple as soon as you shuddered. 

"He wasn't. At least, not anymore. Sure I was engaged to him, but you heard the rest."

"Still, I don't understand why he dumped you."

"He had stolen enough. He didn't need me anymore. So, go figure." 

Miguel frowned and examined your face for a couple of seconds, before pursing his lips. He didn't like the way fear clung to your features. 

"He won't hurt you, ever again. Got it?" 

You nodded. And he gulped while speaking again. 

"You know... I know it might seem like I'm taking advantage of it, but I promise you... it stopped being about the money a long ago." His words sent another jolt to your heart

"And I know... I know it might seem rushed and you might think I'm just playing to get money but... I'm not, I promise I'm not." He swallowed again, "I... I really like you. I like... No. I love spending time with you. You're so... sweet and... and so considerate with me,  You're always helping me around, looking after me even if I act stupid. " He chuckled nervously, stumbling on his own speech, "You're just... so amazing, hermosa. And... I'd be the luckiest man if you give me a chance to prove you how much of the man you need, I can be." 

All he needed was a yes from you. Instead, you pulled him down for a kiss. A kiss that had him snaking his hands around your waist, and pulling you closer so he could consume your supple and needy lips. No vocal reply was needed. Not when the answer tasted sweeter than the wine you loved to drink. 

Like the compliments he gave you when clamping like a vice around him, like the little pout you gave in your sleep after a good night of several rounds with him. 

He didn't care if you were years older than him, he wanted you. And none else but you. And now that you were his, and he yours, neither had the intentions of letting go. 

Dividers by @saradika-graphics <3

[newttxt]

hi quip! i really like your one piece comics and i am curious how you do them! i'm not good at comics and want to be better at drawing them! how do you learn how to make comics?

thank you!

uh oh... im afraid u have caught me at the perfect crossroad of "bored at work" and "unrelated task ive been meaning to do but keep putting off."

this is long. i hope you like reading (and grayscale progress pics). and of course!!! disclaimer before we begin that this is just how I, personally draw comics. there is no "right way."

quip's comic-making process!

Switching my typing to make this more legible...

My process can kinda be broken down into 6 steps:

Brainstorming

Thumbnailing

Sketching

Panels & Text

Lines

Tones/Colors

1. Brainstorming

My brain is a leaky sieve on a good day, so I sloppily jot down ideas in my phone notes the moment I have them. This helps me when it's time to draw too, because if I feel art blocked, I can look through old concepts and see what catches my interest.

Otherwise, I love drawing for other people's writing. :) And if worst comes to worst, doing manga/comic page redraws in my style teaches me new things every time.

Once I have my idea, I'll usually make a bulletpoint list of "plot points" or "story beats" I want. Then I plan the comic with this format that I've adapted from a tutorial I read once. I'm going to use my most recent comic (original comic post) as an example.

I start in the third column, writing notes of what I'd want to see in each panel. I also include the dialogue (in this case, I didn't have to write the dialogue! it's from the fanfic linked in the original comic post!). I usually write the whole name like [Luffy:], but at this point I've drawn so much of these guys, just the first letter works.

I like to handwrite these notes to get an idea for how much text I'm putting in a single panel.

After I describe all the panels, I go back and separate them into pages. I can't tell you how to know how many panels to a page. It's whatever works for you. I just kinda know about how big each panel will be, and so I can feel when I'm probably running out of space. (Also. You can change things later. I don't in this example, but I add/drop pages/panels all the time.)

2. Thumbnailing

Thumbnailing—as the name suggests—should be done tiny. Too tiny to accidentally get sucked into details.

This is about marking down blobs where items/characters go, and figuring out the paneling. I'll draw and redraw these a bunch of times too.

This is also the most time-consuming/brain-working part for me. If I were in a zine that did progress percentage, I'd try to finish thumbnailing around the 50% mark (but I'm also a moderately fast artist, so your mileage may vary).

I think the terrible quality makes them charming, actually. I really like how silly they look. :')))

I will add, when you draw your "page" rectangle, make sure it's the same proportions as your actual canvas for the final image. You want an accurate idea of how much space each panel will take up, especially if you have a lot of text.

3. Sketching

This is my most recent change to my usual workflow, and it's saving me a lot of time. I make my thumbnails a bit bigger (each one about half the size of the final canvas), and I sketch these basic body forms right over them.

It just helps give me placement for my actual lines!

I usually draw these in a paleish color so I can lower the opacity and not get distracted by them while lining. The random darker parts are to either help keep two forms separate (like when two characters have their limbs all over) or to better define sections that were too sloppy/poorly proportioned.

I also think this helps my poses stay looser, because I have more dramatic/wriggly shapes that aren't too bogged down by proportions yet.

Sidenote: I CANNOT show this here, but sometimes this is when I take videos. Of myself. I prop my phone camera up and shoot a video of me acting each panel. :/// It looks really dumb, but it also shows me fun body language ideas like hand gestures, expressions, weight distribution, etc. Just pretend you're an overdramatic cartoon character, and try not to worry about your roommates or mother walking in on you doing odd things. (You can also use the video for anatomy reference later, but I usually just capture the vibe and don't try to copy the actual video frame.)

4. Panels & Text

Oh, boy. So, the panels are usually just straight lines (though it's fun to make creative exceptions, like a round panel to mimic looking through a spyglass), but there are some fancy rules that I don't strictly adhere to.

I believe (I have no technical training in this. Take everything I say with a grain of salt) the vertical gaps (between two side-by-side panels) should all be a consistent width and the horizontal gaps (between two panels on top of each other) should be another. The vertical ones? Should be thinner? Because you want the eye to easily glide between them, whereas the horizontal gaps should be a visual barrier to keep you from jumping ahead. Just something I've vaguely noticed.

There are lots of fun "default layouts" you can look up. Or keep it a consistent grid. I think it's fun to sometimes have characters/objects sticking out of panels and overlapping others. This is just a matter of taste, creativity, and inspiration. (Read Witch Hat Atelier... It has some of my favorite paneling...)

You may also notice I have already done the speech bubbles. This is, to me, a crucial step. This helps me catch early if I don't have enough room for all the words. It also lets me plan the art in each panel with the speech bubbles in mind. There's nothing worse than working really hard on a panel, and then you realize there's no room for the bubbles.

I also try to lay them out in a way that guides the eye! Even without art, can people tell where to go next? Better yet, if I want people to look at panels out of order (aka not left to right, in my case), can I use the speech bubble path to make them? Here's just a vague example of what I mean.

As an added bonus, doing speech bubbles early also allows me to be lazy! :) Ignore the comic; I'm not supposed to post it yet oops,, There's a whole lot of drawing to do on each comic page, and I am not wasting my time on stuff that will be covered up. So yes, if I hide my bubbles, there are a lot of unfinished lines trailing off into nothing. (As a bonus, if there's a part of a character you're struggling with—and it won't look weird to do so—you can move speech bubbles to just hide the problem area yayyy)

Making the actual bubbles could be their own whole tutorial, tbh, but there are some general guidelines I use.

Zoom out when you choose your font size. You want to know how it will look to the average reader, so it isn't super teeny tiny or way too big. You generally want to keep the same text size for all your pages/bubbles.

When I draw bubbles, I try to size them about one vertical letter height (and some change) around the words [left side]. This isn't always the case though, because humorously large or funny shaped text bubbles can convey different feelings [right side].

On Procreate, I set my bubble lines to Reference and just drag-and-drop the white fill on a separate layer below the lines. (Remember to turn Reference back off again when you're done, or your fill bucket won't work right when you're drawing.)

To get the white outlines I use to keep the bubbles from cluttering up the art, I literally just Gaussian blur an all-white copy of the lines + fills... and then I copy and merge it 5 times until it's opaque enough. This is a terrible way to do it, but it works for me. :')

5. Lines

This is the part that I can't tell you how to do. I literally just. Draw right over my wacky sketched body forms. Boom. Comic drawn.

I'll make three suggestions:

Don't focus on making every panel perfect. Give a little extra love to big ones or ones you want people to linger on. Otherwise, know that people are typically speeding through the art. It's way more important to focus on storytelling than art technique. In my opinion, a good story that's told well will always be better than a beautiful one told poorly. (Some comics are beautiful AND well-written... Alas, I am just a hobbyist who needs to get the ideas out of my head at top speed.)

Put your background lines on a different layer. Put your foreground lines on a different layer too, if you have those. Basically, I try to keep the main part of each panel (usually a character or object) on my lines layer so I can erase background/foreground/etc lines to ensure clarity/focus.

You can make background lines lighter colors too. I have too many numbers sorry. (1) Background. The stuff that's farthest away. Lightest lines. Few details; more focused on shapes and the suggestion of a background (I'm not good at backgrounds). (2) Midground. Same distance away as the characters are. Lines can be black. (3) Also midground, and also the same distance away. But they're very detailed, so I lighten them so they aren't so distracting. (4) The characters. Black lines for focus. For people who haven't seen the comic, I swear they are just hugging. This is SFW. D:

6. Tones/Colors

Do not. Do NOT ask me. I don't understand colors. I hate working with them, but I try because I want to improve. I hate doing anything beyond the simplest grayscale shading. Please go elsewhere for your coloring/tone advice. This is how my color picker looks 95% of the time. I have pre-set "percentages" of black that I got by lowering the opacity of a black layer and just color picking it. I don't even know the exact percentages I used. Good luck out there. Be better than me.

7. Sharing

This is a bonus step that I didn't mention earlier, but it's actually the most important of all of them.

You need a friend. Or maybe a groupchat or discord. A family member or coworker if you're really close like that. I don't know.

Find SOMEWHERE you can spam wips and be cheered on. Drawing comics takes a while, especially if you're trying to tell longer stories than I'd dare to attempt. If I don't force someone to praise me for every line I draw, I shrivel up and die.

Also if and when you post online, add alt text. I'll admit I'm the first person to complain and drag my feet on this, and I literally use a screenreader myself when my eyes hurt (strong prescription glasses wearer). Comics should be accessible, because stories are fun and everyone should be able to enjoy them.

***

Learning???

And I guess lastly, how do you learn to make comics? Two steps: 1) read them and 2) make them. This is the tragedy of creating things.

1) Reading them: I grew up reading comic strips, western serialized comics, and webcomics. I've always loved graphic novels too. Then in late middle school, I started reading manga (Death Note and Haikyuu were my first two), and now I'm trying to read more webtoons (sorry im so slow bree)!

I also... mass-consume doujinshi, thanks to proxy mailing services and bilingual friends/Google Translate/knowing some Korean. (I have an entire bookshelf of doujin, actually,,)

The thing is, it's not usually enough to just read comics. You also need to be thinking. :/ I notice paneling, comic devices, clever comedic timing, etc. as I go. It's just a lot of studying/learning while also enjoying the story.

2) Making them: You just have to start. :( Even if you think they're "bad." My first comics were actually just drawings placed randomly all over the page, connected by speech bubbles (yay... I was already practicing how to place bubbles to lead the eye around the page...). I was going to post a pic here, but I'm a coward. Backscroll my account and you can find some older ones though.

I also know my art in general improved dramatically when I did ten comics in ten weeks for my friend's fic. Don't do this. It hurt my hands/wrists. But do practice in moderation.

***

If you actually read all that... I hope it made even a modicum of sense. And maybe it was even helpful? Just know at the end of the day, there is literally no right way to draw a comic.

And if you aren't ready to go for it yet, you can start by just adding a couple speech bubbles to your illustrations or doodles! It's a way to add storytelling and dialogue writing to things you may already be making.

Yay. I love comics. :))))

[laughhardrunfastbekindsblog]

I distinctly remember the first time I watched "Spoils of War/Ruins of War" (the day the episodes aired) and we got to this scene:

... and my first thought literally was a surprised "Huh, wonder why they focused on Tech here. I'd have thought they'd linger on Romar. 🤔🤷‍♀️" It just seemed like such an odd choice at the time.

Fast forward to now, post-"Plan 99," and this scene is one of the top reasons why I firmly believe the writers always intended to bring Tech back (even if they didn't end up doing so in this show).

I mean, really, why else would the directors/writers make the conscious decision to have Romar matter-of-factly talk about survival and then keep the focus on Tech here, instead of Romar?? It's not like, in-universe, Tech needed to learn that he's also a survivor like Romar - Tech is already self-confident enough to know that about himself already; and if the point of the scene is that Tech has discovered more common ground with Romar, that just reiterates that Tech already knows he's a survivor. So obviously the message was for us as the audience. The fact that this comes after two episodes of the show proving beyond any doubt that Tech is a WARRIOR, not "just" the brains of the team, and has him fight through and survive insane situations while injured, hammers home the link for us between "Tech" and "surviving."

But what about "subversion of expectations," you may ask? What if the point of this scene (not to mention the events of "Faster" and "The Crossing," just to name a few others) was to build up the expectation that Tech IS indeed a survivor against all odds, all for the sake of highlighting the bitter irony that Tech is the one who ultimately doesn't survive?

To that I say: "subversion of expectations" really only works well if the expectation is proven completely wrong. So long as there is any room for doubt as to a given outcome, the subversion can't stick. If the writers intended for the "survivor" angle to ultimately just be a misdirect and a cruel irony, they needed to follow through and prove well beyond ANY reasonable doubt that Tech actually died. (That means things like a body or a reliable witness (not a villain with ulterior motives); not to mention things like not having even the villain "witness" be deliberately vague about the issue, and not using the supposedly dead character as one potential red herring for the identity of a new unknown character.) And since the writers very much did NOT take the time to irrefutably confirm Tech's death, I cannot read the above scene as subversive foreshadowing. Rather, I still read it as a major hint that the writers wanted Tech to survive - or, bare minimum, wanted to leave the potential open for his return.

So, whenever I need a bit of hope that Tech is still alive out there somewhere, I just revisit this scene and remember that Tech, too, is a survivor ❤️❤️❤️

[scribesynnox]

Sike! I seperated my first post into a second one anyways. More apocalyptic ponyo jazz and prowl thoughts because the first post was getting long. And I want to see people's thoughts on them, but that'll be hard to do if there's too much going on in just one post.

@keferon Sorry for the double post but hey, this is on you. You are just so inspirational, and your ideas are just so fun to play with.

Man, one my favorite parts about captive Jazz and him knowing human language is that Jazz knows from the get go that humans are sentient and sapient. Everyone else is playing "oh wow, I've befriended a very clever animal!" and the only mer who knows humans are in fact not a pet, is stuck with ANOTHER mer and can't even speak fluent mer yet.

It's going to be so funny when Jazz finally learns enough mer to tell Prowl about humans and Prowl is like "THEY'RE SENTIENT?!"

Jazz: man, did you really think I was held captive for so long by a bunch of NON sentient animals? Because if you did, I'm about to be very offended. Prowl: You were land locked, I was hardly going to think you were unskilled or dumb. Any normal and sane mer wouldn't have been able to escape. Jazz: I feel like there was an insult hidden in there. Prowl: No, I'm shocked because if they're sentient, then they HAD to know what they were doing was wrong! Jazz: don't blame them too much. They didn't keep me trapped out of malice, they thought I'd die if they let me go. And to be fair, without you, that definitely would have happened. Prowl: That doesn't make your treatment okay! Jazz: I said don't blame them TOO much, I didn't say don't blame them at ALL.

Jazz swimming around in the ruins of the drowned city and going up to read a city map that's been protected behind some glass. Prowl has no idea why Jazz is staring so intently at the human drawings, and impatiently tries to get Jazz to move along. Jazz frowns at him and waves him away, stiltedly replying back, "Listening now. Gathering information. Hold." What is Jazz learning from the drawings? Do they actually mean anything?

Jazz memorizing the maps and then using the street signs to navigate their way around. Prowl being baffled at how Jazz seems to know where to go despite having clearly never been outside before.

It takes so long before Jazz can convince Prowl that "see those weird squiggles? That's human writing" Prowl: no those are territory marks that humans make. Jazz: hey, who's the one that grew up around humans. I'm telling you, it's writing. Prowl: but it's only one color! Jazz: humans don't use color as a tone indicator, they have different symbols for that. Also, fuck you guys for using colors as a second secret language, why is your writing so complicated? And I thought Chinese was hard.

Hey speaking of not knowing things about his own god damn culture, WOW how must Jazz feel about getting to go back home, except when he finally escapes, there's a lot more rubble and deadly mutant sharks than he expected.

Except when he escapes and gets to the open sea, he STILL feels like he's inside a tank. An outsider looking from behind a glass wall as everyone else gawks at him.

he is a stranger to his own culture and it hurts more than he expected it to, to come back to what should have been his home, only to find that there is no magical instant sense of belonging. It is just as alien to him as the tank had first been all those years ago.

He expected it but it still hurts more than he thought it would.

But at least there IS a warm welcome, courtesy of Prowl warbling a "Welcome back" at him. It's a start.

There is just.. SO MUCH sea!! Jazz can swim forward and swim and swim and SWIM and he can swish his tail as much as he wants, and he'll never hit a wall. And there's more than just Forward, there's also up and down and left and right and just!!! EVERYWHERE!! There is so much sea EVERYWHERE!! He could swim a HUNDRED laps just going straight forward and still never run out of room!

there is almost.. TOO much sea, honestly. Jazz's whole world consisted of tanks that barely had enough room to swim in, and now there is a dizzying amount of room to swim in.

This whole experience has just been absolutely breathtaking but if Jazz is being honest, he's not sure if it's from awe or from fear.

haha, imagine if this is when Jazz finds out he has a fear of The Vast? Oof, rip.

And like, Jazz had been in a cell, trapped for years, yes, but he still grew up there. I bet Jazz misses things from the human world.

He named himself after jazz music, Jazz isn't going to want to give up on human things.

Does Jazz sometimes miss the processed food that had been given to him? Because I KNOW we all got that one garbage food that doesn't taste good but it's what you grew up eating so you love it anyways, so does Jazz have his childhood garbage food in processed fish food? Does Jazz dig up and find those buckets of fish food and just start chowing down and Prowl is just staring at him in disgust and judgement? Lots of judgement. Jazz is offended.

Oh! And what about the effects of being raised by humans! Like, yes, the ignorance about his own culture and own world and the lack of social knowledge and his atrophied tail and all that. But like. what about night vision?

Jazz having shit night vision because he grew up surrounded by humans, and humans are always leaving SOMETHING bright on. He's never experienced true darkness before, and the first time he sees the world without light pollution, he's scared shitless because FUCK, IT'S PITCH BLACK, HOW DO YOU SEE ANYTHING, HOW CAN YOU KNOW WHERE DANGER IS!

Can I just say, I absolutely adore the fact that Jazz is as terrified of the ocean as humans are because he only knows of the ocean through their eyes. It provides an EXCELLENT way to project our own fears of the ocean onto a mer. I love it.

you know, I'm really glad that Jazz is the captive one and Prowl is the "wild" one in here. Not just because it's interesting, since it's so easy to immediately go "Oh yeah, Prowl would be the captive one and that's why he's so analytical and aloof", but also because this way makes more SENSE.

Prowl as the "wild" mer, the free mer, was able to grow up in a society. He went to school and got a degree and shit. Ya man has gone to college.

Meanwhile Jazz doesn't get taught SHIT because everyone thought he was a dumb animal. Clever, sure, for an animal, but still just a regular non sentient animal. So Jazz had to learn tricks and how to read people and all that jazz (haha, get it?), learn how to get around and do things on his own.

Which seems fitting for these two. SO yeah, I like their current set up, it's great.

[lyracarvahall]

HeartBeat Sync Part 31

One Last Show

As the hot water pelted her skin, Y/N felt the exhaustion of the day's events set in. The shower felt good and she felt clean, but it didn't fully pull the clouds from her mind. She was glad to have men who loved her, but would they have if the bond didn't make them?

She couldn't afford to spend too long contemplating as she had promised Jongho she would be there to support them. Getting dressed in the same clothes she came in with felt a little weird post-shower but it was all that was there.

Walking out to the dressing room, it had cleared out completely. The makeup kits were left behind for touch-ups throughout the performance. She hoped she wasn't too late. Running towards the stage, she realized she must look like a wreck. She made it to the side stage as they were already performing their first song. Damn it.

As if they could feel she was nearby, the group sent a feeling of love down the bond. It embraced her completely. They way they could make her feel cherished without even being able to spare her a glance, that feeling was indescribable. Her eyes welled with happy tears that they still cared. That they hadn't given up on her despite her tirade.

Y/N still felt the stress of what was going to happen. She didn't want to bother the boys with it any longer but needed a soundboard. There was only one person to talk to. There was already a message waiting for her.

Of course Lexi was the voice of reason here. She had these men who were willing to defend her and be there for her. Who love her as she is. Why would she run from that? Especially when it had been made abundantly clear that they would be hurt more if she did.

She looked at them performing. They seemed to be giving it their all because it was the last stop on the tour. Seonghwa...licked his fingers oh my goodness. There were body rolls and hip thrusts. Girls were losing their ever loving minds. It gave her a sense of pride to know that these girls could want them all they wanted, but at the end of the day they would be coming home with her. She tried not to think too much about the bond obligating them to love her.

As the solos portion of the show came up, the guys all ran back and wrapped her in a group hug, peppering her with questions.

"Baby are you alright?"

"I'm so glad your back!"

"Did you need anything?"

It was hard to focus on what they were talking about when they all spoke at once. Hongjoong and Seonghwa, having come back from changing into their MATZ outfits, came up behind her, Seonghwa wrapping her up in a hug.

"Guys you are overwhelming her. Let's just be glad she is here and give her a calm in the storm. It is crazy enough out there." He squeezed her and rubbed her back, letting her head fall onto his chest. She was calmed instantly by his aura and the steady rise and fall of his chest.

"Thank you Hwa." Y/N kissed his chest where it was bare in the leather vest he sported and rubbed his back in return. "I love you."

She felt his love cover her like the fur coat he was currently wearing as he placed a soft kiss on the crown of her head. "I've gotta go perform precious. I love you." With that he and Joong took off towards the stage as the audience clapped in synchronicity awaiting their stage.

Jongho wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her neck. "Are you alright jagiya? I know all of this is a lot already, and now with this whole bunch of bullshit...I thank you for sticking by us. I know you didn't ask for any of this. Know she is a liar and an awful person and karma will come for her. If not karma, then the law because we aren't letting her hurt you anymore." He kissed her neck again, firmly grasping her love handles.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa's chemistry was electric on the stage. Their faces right in front of each other as they rapped the final part of their song. She snuggled closer into Jongho.

"I hate that just being with me put you in this position. You guys didn't ask for this either. I hope ATINY accept us."

Just then MATZ stepped off the stage and ran off to change again. San, Yeosang, and Wooyoung reached her and kissed her lightly in turn before making their way to the stage. Jongho turned her to face him and looked into her eyes.

"Baby, it will be okay. We will get through this together, okay? Please don't scare us like that again, okay? I am not above giving you regular reminders on why you are beautiful but let's not test it." With this he smirked and pulled her closer to him so there was no space between their bodies. "I believe in very firm reminders."

Y/N laughed out loud and kissed Jongho hard and fast. "Firm indeed. You need to go get changed for your set before I drag you off somewhere." Jongho stepped back, raising his hands in innocent surrender before making his way back to the dressing room.

Turning her eyes back to the stage, she saw all three of her men grabbing their crotches and grinding on stage. Come to think of it, she had not gotten to properly fuck any of them yet. Damn she needed to get her mind out of the gutter. San looked her direction and sent her a wink.

As their performance came to an end as well, all three rushed off stage and surrounded her with their sweaty bodies.

"I love you all but you are gross!" The guys all laughed, with Wooyoung smacking her ass before heading back to the dressing room. Mingi and Yunho were up next, with Yunho picking her up and planting a quick kiss on her lips while Mingi drummed a conga beat on her ass. She squeaked and giggled before they placed her down and headed for the stage.

She watched their performance and loved how the pair interacted. It was honestly precious and she loved the bond they had with each other.

The rest of the concert went relatively smoothly. They showed their love to ATINY as confetti fell and the show wrapped up. It hit her in this moment that the tour is over and she is going to have to figure out getting to Korea. She hadn't even taken care of selling her house or packing anything up. Thankfully she had inherited the house from her grandmother so she didn't have to do anything but keep up the utilities. She is going to have to figure out what to do with her stuff later. She needed to set up her home in Korea first and get her bonds verified.

As the guys came down the lift from the stage, it signaled that the show was officially over. The guys immediately ran over and embraced her. She couldn't help but laugh at how pumped they were.

"You guys did it! I am so proud of you!" She took Mingi's and Wooyoung's hands as the group headed back to the fitting room. Once they made it back in, several members made it into the showers while Hongjoong, Yunho, and Seonghwa plopped onto the sofas with makeup remover wipes, taking off their masks. She took her place next to Hongjoong and asked about what she was thinking earlier.

"Hey firebird. I know the tour is over now...and I was wondering what that meant for me."

"What do you mean sweetheart?" Hongjoong turned at looked at her with concern, almost like he feared her running away again.

"No no no baby I didn't mean anything bad. I just meant in terms of the verification, my home, my stuff. I am not leaving you."

Hongjoong threw his arms around her and seems to visibly relax. "I am so glad to hear those words out of your mouth baby. I know with this bitch it made things a little more difficult." He grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. Members were starting to file out of the showers, leaving Seonghwa and Yunho to go into the bathrooms. San sat behind her and rubbed her back. Hongjoong continued.

" We have a meeting about that at KQ once we get back as well as the verification. We have a week before we technically have to be back. Maybe you can use that time to get your housing affairs in order. You can stay with us until you find a place in Korea, which will be easier once your citizenship goes through when the soul bond is verified."

Y/N nodded along and tried her best not to be overwhelmed. She knew she could do it. It was just a matter of execution.

"Oh there is one more thing baby." San piped in from behind her. "We got the pictures back."

----------------------------

I am sorry about the wait. There had been a lack of motivation lately but trying to get back into it. Appreciate your patience and I am sorry not a lot happened in this chapter. In the next chapter....it's moving day.

Taglist: @vtyb23 @addi-3 @nuggiesnuggetdog04 @yeosangsluthousewife @tyungelic @mrsminseochoi @mygsis

[linksfunroadtrip]

Link's Fun Commentary - Prologue!

+ sailor design commentary. link's fun extra

Twilight Field, War of Eras...

Sailor starting in Hyrule Warriors and being dropped immediately into Shepherd's era is actually the second pitch for the beginning of the comic, the very First pitch being the first two pages of chapter 1.

More than anything we just wanted to get it done, but we didn't really know what we were doing . We cobbled together a custom font and got right to it. My Fun Facts: All the grass is the same image reused over and over except for when it isn't . Literally all of the smoke was just repeated/moved around. We didn't even really know how to use gradients effectively...

... Which can be seen in these next two panels. LOL.

The work split on this batch set a precedent for sure. @islandlobster took up lining and flat colors, and had the Hard Job of harmonizing our styles, processes, and experiments. Do you see a lot of small, long-form comics with grainy, textured line-art? Maybe no? Well we found out why.

These panels also feature the Only Two Triforces we remembered to draw !!! Oh My God!!!

As much as we struggled, things moved pretty quick from the get-go. Since the prologue is only a handful of pages we didn't really run into the issues we would with chapter 1, especially regarding our complete and utter lack of script. This went straight from thumbnailing to the final result!! (NOT A SUSTAINABLE WAY TO DO A GROUP PROJECT...!)

I wanted to mention though that when I wrote the line above, I wasn't sure if this was how you would spell it for like . a Soldier Troop or a Performance Troupe. Which I just looked up now and found out I Absolutely got them mixed up. so umm. Sorry. Sailor is not in the circus yet.

Cia was just defeated in the main campaign! I felt like such a smart cookie for this one.

She doesn't even know she wont be going home yet‼️ laughing and pointing ‼️

It was an Early idea that Sailor would conveniently miss the time portal transporting the field (with her in it!) back to its era. This was supposed to be a reoccurring bit, but we didn't commit to it too hard going forward, so who's to say if that'll be realized.

The pirate charm plays a big role in the prologue. A little funny because we were absolutely sick to death of drawing it by the end, as well as the fact that it is there in lieu of her red-gem necklace that we forgot to draw. it is Welcome and Unfortunate that it doesn't work anymore, especially because having the chance to name drop like this was very indulgent.

The era of twilight ! Including the locations and times was in the original sketches, but when we found out that our inexperience with backgrounds wasn't lending itself to establishing Where we were, it came in handy. We Agonized over placing the castle and argued* for like a week about how forested the area should be. Luckily we use noclip now, so things have improved as we've moved into chapter 2 :]

Either way, hopefully it wasn't too confusing, and as we introduce new characters the picture will be clearer. We've talked a little bit about returning to the prologue to spiff it up a bit, but we feel we aren't far enough into the comic to make it worthwhile.

and now over to Pea with the weather:

my name is pea islandlobster and you can't tell that it's me because we are writing on the same post but trust okay 🤞 I am here to talk about SAILOR!!!

Sailor has been my baby brainchild before LFRT was even a blip in our minds eye (my proof) and it has been a beautiful indulgence for me to both put her in AND have her be the first Link we meet. YAY!

I have two designs for her, for which I have helpfully made a diagram just for you..! Labeled and everything..!

A: pheww my big one that I have been sitting on forever. Sailor's necklace was constructed over the course of her adventure, initially only having her red gem (given to her by King Daphnes, from his own crown). Four pearls were later added, parting gifts from Oshus and the three spirits. Also intended to mirror the three Goddess pearls from Wind Waker..! and an extra yellow one i guess. triforce? idk

B: Sailor's chipped tooth is a funny one that I will have to make a small comic about at some point. It's not even anything from her adventure. A couple years before WW, Aryll was pretty upset about losing her first tooth, and in typical Link fashion she thought the best way of comforting her was to ALSO lose a tooth. Grandma was not happy.

C: Most Links have a triforce mark, and each one we are giving a reason towards ^.^ Sailor's mark is entirely scar tissue, specifically it is hypertrophic. She held her triforce for only a few days and got it (maybe quite literally) ripped from her by Ganondorf, so take that as you will. Tetra and her are matching yayyy..!

D: Giving her hero outfit it's own section so I can tuck it out of the way lol. A modified version of her original hero outfit, courtesy of shipmate Nudge (guy in the top left). She was a little upset over having to alter Grandma's hard work, but she preserved it where she could. Like her seashell belt! ^_^

E: SIDEBURNS! Not present in the prologue because it has been a recent development but I figured it was worth bringing up. During WoE, as she grows her hair, her sideburns resemble little lobster claws. Cute! In LFRT as grown out as it is, I thought making them swirly as a reference to pretty much every cloud/wind effect used in WW lol.

From a combination of outgrowing stuff and missing home, Sailor was christened with Lobster Shirt 2.0 as we know and love today. Who made it for her? I dunnooo..... let's sit and think about this one.

Phewww. This was a long one - and no doubt the next will be longer - but this is all for now! Feel free to send any questions you might have ^.^ Thank you for all the support! Chapter 2 part 2 soon!

[puppysuke]

daisuke boyfriend hc + drabbles.

hi my first head canon post :3 i am so hyperfixated on daisuke and mouthwashing itself. please someone save me. continue reading below cut! these are both sfw and nsfw, minors dni past the sfw hcs! header made by me :3

🌺 --- daisuke 100% will yap your ear off ALL day. he will not shut his mouth. not that you want him too, anyway. you love listening to him rant and ramble to no end. ~ "swansea was so mean today!" he tells you as he nuzzles into your neck, cuddling contently on the couch of the lounge room after a long day of working with swansea.

you let out a little giggle and ruffle his hair. "i'm sorry, bug," you press a soft kiss to the crown of his head.

"yeah, and then curly wouldn't give me a break, i don't even know what he was talking about. i wasn't paying attention, honestly..." daisuke admits sheepishly. you sigh softly and stay quiet, letting him ramble until he eventually passes out with his arms around your waist and his head on your shoulder. 🌺 --- daisuke daydreams a lot about going home and starting something more with you. after so long in space, going back to earth sounded like heaven, and then in top of that, knowing you'd be with him! he loves it! ~ daisuke had been zoned out all day, a small smile on his face as he seems miles and miles away from reality. by the time swansea delivers him back to you, he's oddly....quiet. "'suke?" you frown as you sit on your bed in the sleeping quarters. you and anya share a room since you were the only girls (sorry guys </3) on the ship, but she was currently in medical, so it was just you and daisuke alone. "are you okay?" you question. he turns to you with a big, toothy grin on his pretty face. "do you think we should get a puppy or a kitten when we're back on earth?" daisuke looked at you with big, happy eyes. he didn't even give you a chance to respond before his next question comes in. "what about our house? maybe we should just start with an apartment? do you wanna be in the city or more in the country? what about decorations? oh! and i can't wait til i can introduce you to my mom! oh, she'll love you! maybe a little more than she loves me, i-" "hey, hey," you interrupt with a chuckle, your hand flying over his lips. "calm down. is this why swansea sent you back to me?" daisuke licked your palm, laughing hard when you pulled your hand away. he was so happy with you. 🌺 --- daisuke wants nothing more than to make you laugh and smile. he will do anything to make you feel better when you're in a bad mood. ~ daisuke looked at you with a frown as you walked down the hall beside him. you seemed to be upset. he had seen you upset before, but this seemed different. you were stressed. being anya's intern, you had a lot of learning to do and today? it felt like you were doing everything wrong. as you went back to your sleeping quarters, daisuke took hold of your hand, linking your pinkie finger in his as he slowed the pace you two were walking at to a stop. "bumble bee," he starts with a pout, turning himself to face you. "are you okay? i mean, i know you're upset, but..." he trailed off for a moment. "tell me what'll make you feel better." "hmm..." you thought a moment, looking down at the ground. you knew there were a few things that could help you feel better, more like yourself. finally, you decided. "can you and i sleep in the lounge tonight and you can sing to me and tell me stories?" a smile graced daisuke's lips. he didn't much like singing, especially to other people, but for you? "of course. anything, for you," he leaned close and pressed a soft kiss to your forehead. minors dni past this point. bonus nsfw hc. 🌺 --- daisuke is a soft dom. everyone writes him as a sub, but i do not see this man as a sub. he is 1000% a soft dom and very heavy on praise both giving and receiving. ~ daisuke let out soft pants as he had you under him. he held your hands above your head in one of yours, the other hand cupping your cheeks. you were face to face, inches apart. his favorite position was missionary and you had no complaints, getting to look into those pretty eyes of him. "doing so good for me, sweetheart," daisuke says in a soft and gentle voice as he kissed your forehead with a gentleness that wasn't even describable. "feeling good, hm? am i making you feel good?" he asks, rubbing his thumb over your cheek in soft strokes.

you nod, looking up into his eyes as your mouth hangs open. you gasp and turn your head to the side, leaning into his touch. "m-mhm, feels good, feels perfect. love you so much." you whine out in a breathy voice. daisuke lets out a soft laugh and kissed your temple.

"i love you too, sweets." 🌺 --- he is super vocal in bed. whines, whimpers, grunts, babbling, you name it. much like how he never stops talking, he never stops making noises in bed. ~ daisuke has his head in between your legs, his hands gripping the flesh of your thighs tightly to keep them spread enough. you're lying with you back of the bed and your legs hanging off the edge so he can have you there. despite him giving you head, he's the one that's louder. he whines as he sucks on your clit, he gasps when he prods at your entrance with his tongue, the cold metal of his tongue piercing making you whine too, wiggling your hips.

much to your dismay, daisuke pulls away. you sit up and look at him, confused. he looked up into your eyes and pouts, his chin and lips, even the tip of your nose, glistening in the dim led lights of the room.

"you're so fuckin' sweet!" he puts his chin on your knee, resting his head there for a minute. "it was like...perfect!" you knew he had to have been lying. all you had eaten was whatever the fuck curly those machines in the lounge made and cans of soup, you were in no way having a healthy, balanced diet, but you still appreciated the sentiment.

[npookie0]

Hi! Can I request something? It's my first time requesting in tumblr Here I go! Can you do a one-shot with V with a reader who's a mute? I sorta need a comfort fic right now. If It's okay! I love your Ronin fanfic about it

Loud in the Silence.

V x mute!g.n.reader, comfort, fluff

Words: 3354

Cws: spoilers for Killer Chat!

"Mx Y/n, please try to say 'hi'." Your therapist told you, she's been telling you the same thing for years now.

Years of speaking exercises, therapy and many other exhausting things. Even with so many procedures, you were still unable to talk and your doctors were slowly loosing all hope for your case. Every doctor you visited kept on reassuring you that you can overcome your muteness, but no matter how much effort you've put into the exercises, it all ended in vein.

This time was no different, you were leaving the doctor's office, resignation in the man's eyes, exhaustion on his face. You were a lost cause, you accepted it a long time ago. Not speaking wasn't so terrible... alright it was. It was a lot. You hated it, hated being treated like a lost child, like someone weak who needs others to do things for them, the special treatment. Being treated like some kind of alien because of your muteness was the worst.

I'm used to this. You kept on telling yourself, bottling your feelings inside, shutting away from the world and people who hurt you.

You've reached home, put your bag on its place, kicked off your shoes and made your way to your study-bedroom to work some more on your serial killer book. You wanted to be a new promising criminal novelist, that was your dream since forever.

Writing was the only form of escapism for you, the only thing you didn't feel judged for not talking. People only cared about the words you wrote, not the ones you said. It brought you comfort, something to keep you away from these overwhelming thoughts that made your mind so unbearably heavy.

This doesn't feel right".

You grunted in frustration, erasing a whole freshly filled page. This character, they felt so unrealistic, the murder was poorly executed, nothing made sense. You will never be a great author if you will continue on like this. It was fine time you touched some... less than legal resources.

After days of leaving interesting question on the dark web and feared your IP getting leaked anytime you received a reply to your posts.

You opened the site, wrote up a new post and clicked "send" then you noticed a new private message, you opened the chat, the person was marked as unknown. Of course they were. They sent you a link and a key, you were curious so you opened the link and filled in the password.

A chatting site showed up on your screen, you were in the main channel that slowly got flooded with welcoming messages. It was weird. A server with eight members, made specifically on the dark web of all places. It definitely screamed trouble from distance, but you already joined and there was an active threat that whoever owns the server has your IP, so why not stay?

<Y/n>: Hello, thanks for the warm welcome.

You sent your first message.

<goreboy>: your welcome darlin' <goreboy>: check out the rules, there's not much but y'know

You took a note of the person by the name "goreboy" words and entered the channel.

<goreboy>: be a serial killer, First rule of fight club <goreboy>: oh yeah and don't be transphobic, racist and just weird or angel will Snipe ya

<Angelic> And that's a promise, not a threat.

Serial killer? That has to be a joke or some stupid roleplay.

You thought, it was the most logical conclusion you could come up with. These people couldn't be serial killers, why would serial killers make a whole server anyway? It's probably some silly roleplay made by bored people who were too deep into their roleplay and decided to use the dark web as their domain. Yes, that sounds logical.

But what if these are real serial killers?

Doubts began to cloud your mind, there was no reason for them to lie about this either. You had to find out the truth some way. Asking them about it would be suspicious. A supposed serial killer asking other serials if they truly are who they say they are? Yeah that's your one way ticked to a grave.

You scanned the server members and an idea came to your mind.

Why not ask a specific person about their identity?

That idea should work, there was no way it would flop, or so you hoped.

<Y/n>: @/K9, are you the serial killer who kills other bad people?

You sent the message. Why did you choose that person? You didn't know, this member seemed to be the most interesting out of all the others.

<K9>: I refuse to be associated with these wild beast. I am a vigilante.

<goreboy>: don't Listen to v, he's As killer as The rest of us are.

Oh, I am seriously in a den of serial killers... how exciting.

Logic told you to leave, call the police and let them handle this, but something stopped you. You could use this as an opportunity to shape your story, get to know how the other serials operate, get inside their heads in a way. What better way to learn than by making them believe that you are one of them?

Two weeks had passed, you've been enjoying your time playing pretend with the killers and hoping that they won't learn about your serial killer persona being just an act.

You entered the #killer_shit channel to see some discourse started by Misaki about blood art, a curious choice for a topic, but these people also talked about gutting someone open or what torture methods are the most painful.

<goreboy>: hey Y/n, you've Been here for weeks by Now and we still don't know shit about ya <goreboy> isn't it a li'l weird?

Shit.

Of course, it couldn't be too easy. You should have expected them to catch up on the way you were more of a lurker and that you rarely participated in murder talk.

<LUCA_IS_SO_COOL>: Yeah dude you're totally rightttt

<Y/n>: Isn't being a mystery a good thing? ^^"

You didn't really know what to do so you had to improvise. A serial killer could want to not reveal a lot about themselves, right?

<goreboy>: i mean, if ya Want someone To open you up and see your li'l secrets then im After the job, darlin'

Okay maybe being an enigma wasn't such a great idea as you originally thought.

<goreboy>: c'mon, let's have A voice call Reveal

<hitmeuppp>: OMG yesss we should do that!!!

<LUCA_IS_SO_COOL>: I second this!!!1

<Felicite>: I third this...!

Oh you are in so much trouble.

You obviously can't join the call, unless you magically overcome your muteness in five seconds or less and telling them that you have to stay on mute would make you sound like some cop trying to get information about them.

Your hands were sweating as they hoovered over the keyboard, barely tapping on the letters you wrote.

<Y/n>: I'm very sorry, I can't call now.

You left the chat after you sent this, too stressed to see their replies, you didn't want to see their disappointment or anger.

While you were worrying about the consequences of your words, a pop up shown on your screen; K9 wants to DM you.

You blinked a few times. What does he want?

V didn't strike you as someone who would message you out of the blue, he didn't show up on the server much after you joined, unless Ronin made a new announcement or the topic was "immoral" enough.

You agreed to the request and then received a message.

<K9>: Is there a reason for your inability to call right now?

Oh wow, he's forward.

You bit your lower lip. What should you do now? Lie? Tell the truth? You didn't want to hide the truth about being mute, but seeing it in your texts with someone felt humiliating.

Then, another idea popped into your mind. It was risky, could fail or give you more trouble, but it could also make one serial killer (or a vigilante in this case) side with you.

You prepared the item for your plan and called V, not asking him if is able to have a short call now.

To your surprise he picked up and he looked better than you could ever imagine a serial killer to look like. Beautiful eyes that looked at your coldly and judgemental, dark braids put up in a ponytail and falling down his shoulders. He looked majestic, you can't remember ever seeing as handsome.

Stop, stop, stop. This is not the time for this.

You scolded yourself in your mind, you can dote over the way he looks some other time, you had a plan to go through with.

Before you could say anything you moved the notebook that you were nervously holding in your hands to the camera, somehow the text on it wasn't inverted.

You watched him mouth the message you wrote; I am mute, I can't speak. His face froze in shock, shock turning into understanding.

Not pity, not sadness, not disgust like some other people you knew. Just pure understanding, acceptance. It almost made you tear up. For the first time someone didn't judge you for your disability, didn't flood you with uncomfortable questions or declared that they'll teach you how to speak.

"I see. it would be truly uncomfortable to join a call in this situation." He said.

Oh gosh, even his voice is just amazing.

You nodded your head and wrote another message, showing him the notebook again; Yes, I don't think that I'm ready to share it with the whole server, yet.

"Ah, of course, that's completely understable. You are in no way obligated to tell anyone about your situation." Hs words were rational, they were what you already knew, but for some reason they felt comforting. It felt validating to know that there was someone who agreed with you, who didn't expect you to spill everything out.

I'm glad you understand me.

You could swear that there was a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Well, now that we're here, do you feel comfortable answering my questions?"

Here we go again with the interrogation, why can't they just leave me alone?

At least this time you have a way out of this; Can we do it some other time? Admitting my disability was already a lot. It wasn't a complete lie, you did feel overwhelmed by coming clean about your muteness like this.

"Ah, yes of course, rest well, Y/n." V said before he hung up.

You were left alone with your thoughts again and the open draft for your story that you still needed to build a protagonist for. You will think about it some other time... You are in a dire need of rest now.

Some time later and you were on another call with V, this time he knew your made up serial killer alias, you learned his Modus Operandi and he decided to play a game of 20-but-I-will-make-it-3-since-you-so-kindly-asked questions on a call with you.

"Were you born mute?" His first question was bold, but you were expecting questions like this, even though other people usually make them sound much more gentle.

Yes, I can't remember ever saying a word in my life, nor does my mother or the doctors we visited. You replied, using your notebook again. V was very much alright with this method of communication, or he just never expressed having anything against your conversations looking like this.

"Mhm. I see." His response was simple, not prying on any more details than what you were ready and comfortable with revealing. You could respect him for this, it even made you feel very happy for some reason. "Do you not know sign language?" This question was... unexpected. No one was ever interested in that part, well mostly because they didn't know how to sign themselves.

Writing this reply took you longer than you thought, because you never had to think about an answer for so long before. I never felt the need to learn, more people knows how to read then how to sign and it's simpler. You didn't add the part about not having enough people in your life to learn how to sign for, he didn't need to know that part.

This response surprised him, he probably never met someone so laid back in a way when it comes to things like that. "Oh, I understand. Well, I know how American, British, German and a few other versions of sign language, if you'd ever feel the need I could teach you."

His offer caught you off of guard, V telling you that he could teach you how to sign? You thought that this could be a dream with how surreal it seamed. He was especially kind to you for the time you knew him, sure, but to the extend that he'd spend his time on being a teacher for a mute (supposed) serial killer? The more time you spend with him the more surprising V turned to be.

"Are you not okay with this?" You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn't realise that you still haven't replied to him.

Oh, no, no! I'm really thankful for the offer, I could consider taking you up on this if I ever felt like it. You replied and gave him a big beaming smile. Somehow the thought of V trying to teach you how to sign was exciting to you, it made the butterflies in your stomach flutter.

Oh, I'm so lost in this game.

The realisation was hard, sure, even confusing. Falling for a vigilante was never in your plans when you took this journey, but was it a bad thing? Well, yes! You could end up dead if he found you out, thought whenever you tried to bring you not being a writer up to him ended with him scoffing and saying that he knows how Ronin operates and that he'd never invite a non serial to the server.

Maybe it won't be as bad as you think it could be? V is tender, caring, he is easily flustered, his smile is sweet and he's a protector who deeply loves his animals, even if he never admits to the last part. Heck! He even found a bird and name it after you, is that not a perfect romance potential then what is?

I'm seriously insane for considering a killer my potential partner... Well! Taste is subjective!

January came faster than you thought, and so did a sudden love confession from V. His words made your heart melt, you reciprocated his feelings. You would be a fool if you didn't.

You really did take him up on that sign language offer, learning the most basic and easy signs that you could need the most.

"It would be easier if I could do this with you in the room with me." V sighed when your try to sign 'where' ended up with it being very floppy and apparently making an insult in another language.

These words birthed yet another genius idea in your creative mind. Then why don't you pay me a visit? All that trying to hunt me down and I'm to believe that you have nothing on me? A bold move on your side, but you either go big or don't go at all.

V looked at you, squinting his eyes like he was thinking about something really important. "You are right my love, why don't I teach you how to sign face to face?" He gave you a soft smile. "Did I ever tell you how smart you are?"

Yes, but you're free to praise me more, love. You stuck out your tongue at him when you gave him the response and his face flushed.

"There's not enough words, or signs, that could describe your genius or beauty, my love." And now you were the one blushing and losing your words.

Damn him, and his stupidly sweet praise.

Valentine's day. What a better time to meet with your serial killer boyfriend than that? Well, you probably could think of a few dates at the top of your mind, but Valentines worked as perfect as those other days too.

You were dressed up nicely, you would be meeting V for the first time you had to look at least presentable. You were fidgeting with your pen. This was seriously stressing you out in a way that you couldn't explain.

There were the butterflies, the excitement and love, but there was also worry, at he'd find out and harm you. You trusted V, but would he trust you if he knew? It was the uncertainty that scared you so much, you couldn't expect anything from a man who fed his animals with the people he killed.

The sound of the doorbell rang in your ear. There's no time for doubts, no chance to back away now. You took a deep breath, looked at yourself for the last time in a mirror and made your way to the front door.

You opened them and felt your knees weaken when your eyes met him. As elegant as ever, with the softest of soft smile on his lips, gentleness and affection in his eyes.

You melted under his gaze. Your happiness getting the best of you because you almost pulled him into a hug.

"Hello, my love." He took your hand in his and placed a gentle kiss on the back of your hand. "You look absolutely wonderful today." He said.

With pink cheeks and new warmth in your body, you let him in, showing him the way to your living room.

The two of you sat down on the sofa, you were ready to give him a note proposing tea or coffee, but he was faster. He outsretched a hand towards you, he was holding a notebook in that hand.

With a raised eyebrow you took the notebook and opened it. You almost dropped it when you read what was written inside.

My love. No words can describe my feelings towards you, you made my life better with your presence alone, made me realise and find out so many new things about myself. I never felt this way towards anyone, I can't tell if this is how most people feel, but that is how I feel while bein in love with you.

You expressed your worry about being mute many times before, and I can't help but wonder what cruel people would ever dare to act this way and say such absurd words towards you. Mute or not, you are perfect and I am really glad that I am able to spend time in your company and have your love and be the person who you feel safe with and shared the secret with.

I love you, Valentin Viljoen.

You could feel the tears run down your cheeks. No one has ever done this for you, put so much effort into something for you. You tried to wipe away the tears, but with how many were there it was almost impossible.

You looked at V, your vision was blurry from the tears but your could see the gentle smile on his face and he cupped your face with his hands and caressed your cheeks.

"You are a good person, my love. Your heart says more than any words, you are louder than any person who can speak that I know. Communication is more than just words, it's your expressions, your actions. Don't think that your muteness makes you worse or any less of a person."

You wrapped your arms around him, hugging him tightly and letting those happy tears out.

Never in your life have you expected yourself to cry in someone's arms, know that they love you unconditionally even if they know that there are things you're hiding.

You let go off the hug and with shaky hands and the most crooked and probably stupid looking smile signed.

< I love you. >

Not even silence can conquer the feeling between the two of you.

Gahhhh it feel so good!!! I'm proud of this >w<

I want to thank my dearest discord parent Kage for making their music because it carried me through the process of writing!!!

I love you all!!! -N <3

[mirai-e-jump]

Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger Photobook: Don't Stop the BoonBoom Main Cast Member Interviews (translations and other pages below, very long post)

Publication: February 14, 2025

Iuchi Haruhi (Taiya Hando)

-Taiya cranks up his mood without showing emotion-

Everyone wrapped up filming together. At the time, it really didn't hit me. I think it was about two days later that I actually felt it……

Over this past year, I had a routine that I set up for myself, where the day before filming, I'd reread the script for corresponding scenes, and always make sure to do a final check before going to sleep. However, I guess that's come to an end. Now that filming is completely over, I feel alittle sad, as I can actually sense that Taiya's fading away.

Regarding Taiya, when I look back, the first thing I was conscious of was raising my mental age and trying to play my role as a calm character. However, if I made him too cool, he'd be too similar to Chasshiro, so instead of expressing his emotions, I'd crank up parts of his mood……I put great value into those kinds of things while acting.

The first scene we filmed was for the first episode, where Taiya buys the luxury brand store. I remember I didn't know how to move in relation to the camera's position, and was just trying to figure it all out. Not long after that, I had the opportunity to film my Boonboom Change, and when I put on the Boonboom suit for the first time, I had the feeling of, "I'm a hero!" The other thing I remember well was post recording with Director Nakazawa's team during episodes 1-3. At first, I held back my voice in order to keep it in line with Taiya's character, but when Director Nakazawa told me to "make it much more louder," I realized that it was "okay for him to be in high spirits after the Change." That became one of the opportunities for me to broaden my perspective of Taiya Hando.

I'd been going out to eat with the other members since fairly early on, but as filming progressed, it was exciting to see the number of friends increase one by one. The first climax for the five Boonboomger members was in episodes 8 and 9, when Taiya rushed over to them and said, "This is the most…," to which the other four replied, "Cranked up." It was an unforgettable, passionate scene. I think this moment slightly changed the way Taiya interacted with everyone.

Also, the presence of Yu-kun, who joined us halfway through, was a big deal. Until then, I had always thought that the right thing to do was to act according to the image the professional Directors or Cameramen had in their minds, so I had never thought of acting based on my own initiative. However, when I watched Yu-kun, he'd constantly make suggestions like, "I wanna move like this, but what do you think?," and I saw the course of things change, as those on set would respond with, "Alright then, let's go with that!" That's when I started reading the script with the thought of, "As one of the people creating this show, I also have to get involved on set!," and my attitude once again changed alittle bit.

-A dream filled ending typical of Boonboomger-

In episode 24, I was also happy to have my special skill of playing the guitar put to good use. As a matter of fact, during our first meeting, the Producers asked me, "Do you have any special skills?," to which I answered, "I can sing and play the guitar." That's when the Screenwriter's desire to "write about Taiya's first love" was incorporated, causing the episode to materialize. The script doesn't go as far as to depict what happened to Mahiro Sensei, but I wanted to understand it in my own way, so I talked to the Director and Producers before I went into it, and I even imagined what kind of feelings Taiya would be having and wrote them down in a notebook. The subject of the story was painful, but the shoot itself was fun. Taiya's a character who I had a hard time getting into, but by depicting him during his childhood, I think I was able to dig deeper into my role.

I pushed myself to the limit towards the very end of Boonboomger and lost about 5kg, which caused some concern as my face began to look really hollow (bitter smile). Still, as a result, I was able to get into it and concentrate while playing Taiya. The scene where he conveys his feelings to the other four during episode 45 was very memorable. In the completed footage of episode 37, a flashback scene was inserted, the one where child Taiya hears sad crying in the next room, and I was there to observe the filming of that scene. I wanted to internalize Taiya's feelings, so I asked and was allowed to sit in the same spot after they filmed it. I performed the scene with the other four in episode 45 with that in mind, so I was able to convey Taiya's feelings clearly.

I liked the last scene in the final episode. I thought the reversed situation was good, as it concludes with us five who protected Earth leaving for space, and Sakito, who had said that he "abandoned Earth," staying behind. For me, it was a conclusion that I would've never imagined. I was really excited while filming our participation in the BBG, and being able to say the line "Let's get cranked up!" at the very last moment will always remain in my heart. I believe it was a dream filled ending, one truly typical of Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger.

Hayama Yuki (Ishiro Meita)

-I aimed to play a role that anyone would think was cool-

For my role as Ishiro, I first talked with BoonBlue's Suit Actor Yoneoka Takahiro-san about how I wanted to "make him a cool character by any means," and so we decided to aim for a role that anyone would find cool, from his gestures and posture, to his pose when he changes into BoonBlue. Going along with that, his passionate side also came out around episode 6. The Director in charge of each episode enjoyed those playful parts and would tease me about it, so by also adding in some adlibs myself, I think I was able to broaden the range of my role. Yoneoka-san gave an energized performance in the Go-Onger episode, but by seeing that, it made me feel that although Ishiro's a spy of the underground, he was longing for something "sparkling," and I feel that it further expanded my role.

The first time Ishiro's past during his spy era was depicted was in episode 14. It was an episode that showed Ishiro's cool, cranked up appearance, but I felt that if I didn't establish a solid "foundation" here, it would affect how he was seen in the future. That's why I was so fired up to film the flashback scene. I also received tons of motivation from Miu-chan in this episode. Miu-chan has an extensive acting career, and above all else, the ways she delivered her lines were very convincing. The sequence of events that leads to Ishiro being stunned as she says, "You want to protect the place that's important to you, right?!," is a scene that everyone needs to watch. Up to that point, Ishiro had kept abit of a distance from everyone except for Taiya, but I think this was the first time he was willing to approach another member of the team.

The next spy story was in episode 29, which features a scene where I Boonboom Change while fighting against Gong Grumer, and I challenged myself to doing action, which isn't one of my strong points. Also, I was paired up with Sakito. Compared to the other three, he had a greater sense of distance from Sakito, but since they suddenly got involved right from the start, it was difficult trying to figure out how I should treat him. Also, when Sakito says, "You didn't grow up well, huh?," he responds with, "My parents did the same work I'm doing. You can figure out the rest." It's a line that expresses Ishiro's dark past, and he tells it to the person he was most distant from. It was an important moment that brought the two of them closer together.

Episode 37 had alot of action scenes, and I believe I was able to get them done with the support of Action Director Watanabe Jun-san and Yoneoka-san. I think that different people have different interpretations of the relationship between Ishiro and Naito Konomi-san's Sutea, and although we watched each other's performance on set, we never really compromised on things. I hope everyone enjoys speculating on that point. On the opposite end, Director Hayama Koichiro gave me easy to understand examples of how the fake Ishiro would fight against Taiya, which helped me better visualize his image. What's more, for the action scenes involving Taiya, Haruhi stayed with me countless times until I memorized how to do them, which was very helpful.

-If you grab hold of your wheel, things will become clearer-

From episodes 43-47, I think some of you may have been on edge watching Ishiro's actions. Still, since Taiya said in episode 37, "I can tell just by looking into his eyes," it was properly foreshadowed. Although Ishiro pointed his gun at everyone at the end of episode 43, it's important to note that Taiya's reaction at that moment wasn't captured. This was Director Nakazawa Shojiro's goal, as this detail wasn't in the script, but since he and Taiya trust each other without needing to say anything, he purposely left out Taiya's reaction. As for myself, I think that the role Ishiro played during the very end was a great one. Mira's marriage is an homage to the first episode, and his return in episode 47 along with his partner, Boonboom Marine, made me feel "cranked up" when I read the script.

The wrap up for actors was the final roll call during the final episode, and we were all able to finish filming together. Each person's name was then called out on the spot, and everyone would cry. I was determined not to cry, but when they called my name, Producer Kuji Yoshito-san and Director Nakazawa came into my sight, and I couldn't stop crying……I'm not entirely sure if I was able to speak coherently then, but I was truly overwhelmed with emotions in that moment.

The theme of Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger is to "take control of your own wheel," and while it may have looked as if Ishiro had sold his soul to the Hashiriyans during the very end, I believe that he was able to steer his way down the path of victory by taking the wheel in his own way. In reality, things may not always go as planned, but if you grab the wheel without abandoning your beliefs, I'm sure something will become clearer. For us actors, we'd be beyond happy if you could take away such a message from our work.

Suzuki Miu (Mira Shifuto)

-I tried to be conscious of "Mira's feelings" when performing in the second half-

After filming throughout the year, I did have some vague concerns in the beginning, but I'm really glad that we were able to get through it safely without any major accidents or problems occurring. Also, after a year of working with the same staff, I realized just how much fun it is to work together as "friends" to create a production.

As for my role as Mira, I was told that she doesn't "take a backseat to the main character," but is instead the first character that the viewers can emotionally attach themselves to as the story progressed. I knew that if I didn't carefully act out Mira's growth throughout the year, it would appear rushed and unconvincing, and by extension, the story wouldn't hold up. In the beginning however, Mira was presented in a fairly fun way. In the script, her screams were written as "Piyaaa!" (laughs). That was one of the reasons why up until about the halfway point, I was more conscious of how she was being seen from the outside instead of from the inside. However, in the latter half, I tried to play the role with "Mira's feelings" in mind, rather than thinking too much about "how I want her to be seen." In that regard, there may be a big difference between the beginning and the ending. I was also happy that Director Nakazawa Shojiro noticed that and said that "I had changed up my performance quite abit."

In the very beginning, it was fun being teamed up with Chasshiro in episode 6. I think Mira's someone who can be paired up with anyone, but Mira seems to be the only one who can make teasing Chasshiro look amusing (laughs). Even in the scene where we follow Jou, I had alot of fun filming and discussing the details with Yuki-kun, such as how we'd hide ourselves by retying our shoelaces and hiding behind a telephone pole.

Episodes 8 and 9 was the first crisis that the Boonboomgers faced, and the atmosphere on set was tense and different compared to the previous episodes. During all this, I think it was just like Mira to vent her feelings towards Taiya at the end of episode 8 with, "Why would you do such a reckless thing?" However, I could understand the feelings they both had, and condemning someone for something you're not aware of was pretty difficult to perform. I thought it'd be bad if she came off as being too confrontational, so I played the role hoping to convey Mira's honesty.

-I love how everyone in Boonboomger lives their lives to the fullest-

There were multiple main episodes for Mira, such as episodes 14, 20 and 31, but episode 36, in which I performed with Mori Hinami-chan, is the most memorable. When she learns that Aki, played by Hinamin, had given up on her dream, she speaks her mind by saying, "It's frustrating….that unlike how Taiya is with Boon-chan…..I can't make her dream come true." I had discussions with Director Watanabe Katsuya about that scene, and I thought about it alot myself. Mira's story began with her easygoing personality in the first episode, but up until then, there were very few scenes depicting her being worried. Mira's usually cheerful and in high spirits, so I wondered, "Would it be okay to show her being worried?," but I think it's her worries that really show the strength of their friendship.

Also in this episode, there's a scene where I Boonboom Changed without the helmet, so I also played the last scene where the mask was equipped. I was advised to pull my chin up in order to look cooler, but I was pretty scared since my field of vision was limited and I could only see my feet. Still, I ran as hard as I could, hoping that I'd look cool.

I think the major event at the end of the show was the development of Mira's decision to get married, which was depicted in episode 47. To be honest, I had something that was worrying me as the story was unfolding, and I talked to the Producers about it. Even though she became a Boonboomger in the first episode and was working hard at her part time jobs, I wondered, does Mira have any big dreams in her life? They created this development based on that. I wanted Mira to have a dream, but instead, it's Mira's strong desire to help the people in front of her that helped her grow so much. I took this as a message that the staff had prepared for my sake. During the actual shoot, after she decided to get married, there was the line, "This is how I'll grab hold of my wheel," and just looking at everyone's faces made me cry……I believe that this performance came out because I'd been building up my role as Mira and trusting everyone.

Based on the title, many of you may have thought that Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger was a cheerful and upbeat production. I myself am one of those people, but with six people, there were six different lives, and now that it's all over, I strongly feel that the appeal of this show was that "each and every one of them overcame their struggles and became stronger." For myself personally, I have always and will always love the way everyone in Boonboomger lives their lives to the fullest.

Saito Ryu (Jou Akuse)

-I was surprised at how similar I was to Jou Akuse-

When I was in elementary school, I served as class president and was known for being a rather serious type of person. However, I wasn't serious at all, as I had more of a clumsy side in comparison (laughs). That's why when I first learned about Jou's setting, I was very surprised at how similar he seemed to myself. Also, my own father is a firefighter, so I felt a sense of familiarity towards his role as a police officer, as they're also civil servants. That being the case, I thought, "If I just honestly express all the feelings I've had over the past 19 years of my life, I might be able to become Jou Akuse." During the beginning, I went into filming with those types of thoughts in mind.

Jou's real role began in episode 5, but the first scene we filmed was in the first episode, where he gets wrapped up in one of Wedding Dress Grumer's dresses. It was fun to see his clumsiness immediately come out, but Director Nakazawa Shojiro had told me, "It's fine to make as much noise as you'd like." At the time, my performative skills were still lacking, so I was abit confused. I now have the confidence that I can make things more interesting (laughs).

I put alot of effort into the fight scene against Darts Grumer in episode 5. I knew from the moment I read the script that the action leading up to my Boonboom Change was "an absolute must." During filming, Darts Grumer's Suit Actor Imai Yasuhiko-san lent me his support by saying, "It's okay to go all out," and under the passionate direction of Director Watanabe Katsuya, we filmed with my entire body getting covered in sand and dust. That day, I went home and shampooed my hair about six times, but sand kept falling from my head (laughs), and even when I rewatch it now, I can see just how much strain I put on my body. Director Watanabe also helped me out alot in the episode where I'm paired up with Mira, but I think episode 5 was the starting point for me as Jou.

From the moment we met, I became good friends with the other cast members. We didn't have many opportunities to meet until episode 4, but after episode 5, I think we were able to join up smoothly from episode 6 onwards. I was happy to finally be able to film together with everyone.

In episode 6, he immediately gets involved with Mira and Shiro Senpai, and I was also grateful for all the opportunities after that where Jou played a bigger role, such as in the Kaseki Grumer episode, the candy detective episode where he teamed up with Genba, and the baseball episode. What's more, they were all crazy episodes (laughs). Especially for episodes 21 and 23, the one in charge of them was Director Kato Hiroyuki, and he's the kind of Director who'll constantly incorporate alot of funny things, so I also had alot of fun while getting into a playful mood. In episode 21, there's a scene where I interact with Genba in my afro hairstyle, and I thought it'd turn out funnier the more serious I performed it. I took these kinds of things into consideration when I performed.

-I cried so much during the wrap up, that I was teased by everyone around me (laughs)-

Episode 40 was the episode where I myself felt a sense of accomplishment. After episode 15 aired, I received feedback from various people telling me that "it was good," but it was thanks to Director Hayama Koichiro, who brought out Jou's appeal, that I as an actor felt the desire to show off even more of my performative range. This time, episode 40 was naturally made possible thanks to Morichi Natsumi-san's wonderful script, and Director Nakazawa and Cinematographer Kamiaka Toshikazu-san's strong tag team, but I could personally feel the growth I had made up to that point, and the line, "There's no such thing as a 100% perfect hero," went viral on SNS, with the great response from those around me also giving me confidence.

Filming for the last chapter progressed at a good pace, and it felt like it went by in the blink of an eye. During this time, what surprised me was Chasshiro's betrayal and Boon-chan's defeat. I had only heard alittle bit about it beforehand, but when it was time to read the script, I was shocked and thought, "Are you serious?!" And then, Jou quit being a police officer, and in episode 46, he was confronted by his senior officer played by Takada Masashi-san……I didn't expect things to turn out this way, so I had abit of trouble trying to wrap my head around the situation. It was as big of a situation for me as it was for Jou. In the end, the five of us left for space, so I interpreted it with, "I guess he's on temporary leave for the time being?"

The Assistant Director made the necessary adjustments to our schedules so that everyone would be able to be together for the wrap up. The night before the last day of filming, I cried all alone at home due to feeling lonely, so on the very day of filming, I thought I'd be fine since I cried ahead of time. However, when I saw the face of BoonBlack's Suit Actor, Shige-san, I couldn't help but cry. I was crying so much that everyone around me jokingly said, "You're crying way too much!" (laughs). Over the past year, there were times where I was guided gently, and times where I was guided strictly, but I was truly happy on this set.

Soma Satoru (Genba Bureki)

-From being a Procurer with a detached position to becoming friends with the Boonboomgers-

When it was decided that I'd be playing the role of Genba Bureki, I was told that, unlike the other members, I'd be "playing an alien." However, since I didn't know the reason why he was always licking lollipops or the beliefs that he held, I had to make detailed adjustments all the time while thinking, "I guess it'd be alright if I did this much." It was around the time we were filming the Summer film when I learned about the developments for the second half of the story, and I thought that his feelings toward Nicola, who was invaded by Hashiriyans, were different from everyone else's, so I was conscious of those expressions in my performance.

In the beginning, I didn't have much to work with, so I was trying to figure out how to say distinctive lines such as "Seems like you're in trouble" in a way that felt right to me. There's abit of a suspicious, older feel to him, and I thought it'd be great if I could add some expressions that were unique to Genba. The first thing we filmed was the scene in episode 2, when he receives a job request from Taiya. From episodes 1-6, he had watched them from a detached position as a Procurer, so I was very happy when we were ready to film episode 7, as he joins the Boonboomger's as their friend.

In episode 10, I was able to do some action before his transformation. I was confident in my athletic abilities, but the movements done by BoonOrange's Suit Actor Ono Yukimasa-kun, who showed me some examples, were amazing, and while I felt alittle overwhelmed, I tried to do my best. Ono-kun and I would both always talk about "how we felt during this part," and I was always amazed by the action I saw during post recording.

His destined rival Disrace appeared at the end of episode 26, and he left Boonboomger in episode 27. There's a scene where he says, "That's why I'm giving up my front row seat," and as myself, I definitely didn't want to leave, but at the same time, he doesn't want to involve his friends any further, so……it was quite difficult for me to perform. After that, I didn't get to see everyone as often as I would've liked to, and there were also no good opportunities to go out and eat together. That's why when he returned in episode 33, I was so happy that I couldn't help but talk nonstop with everyone on set (laughs).

During filming of episode 33, I almost cried when I said the line, "This is the place where I belong," and I was also deeply moved when Taiya asked, "What has the Procurer procured for us?" to which I answer, "Myself, of course." The scene where all of us perform the Boonboom Change also suddenly made me feel that "having friends is great." I was personally grateful for the fact that both episodes 27 and 33 were done by Director Nakazawa, as I was able to make progress while consulting with him.

-One thing remains for Genba, that being his important mission to retake planet Bureki-

I also enjoyed being together with Sakito during the soccer episode. We're both from Shizuoka, and I'm a Shimizu S-Pulse supporter, so because of this connection, we were invited to participate in an event by Shimizu S-Pulse in September. As for the drama, he clashes with Sakito, and well, fighting doesn't bring them closer together, but because they both love soccer, it seems like they let out more unnecessary feelings than usual. They had clashed before in episode 32, but I think they were finally able to work out their differences in this episode.

I had the feeling that the "end" was gradually approaching during the final stages of filming, but in the final episode, when their transformations are cancelled during the battle with Spindo, as we were filming the scene where they stand up while conveying their feelings, the feeling that "it was finally coming to an end" suddenly hit me. Here, Genba says, "In this universe, that's what we call love," but combined with the location, which captured the sunset, and the atmosphere on set, it made me get more into it.

The ending was a beautiful conclusion, but as for Genba, he still hasn't retaken planet Bureki. Because there's still an important mission left to do, it didn't finish with a happy ending, however, they were able to defeat both Grantu and Spindo and save Earth, so it was still a big step in the right direction.

Now that it's all over, I feel alittle sad since I no longer have to spend time thinking about the next day's shoot. Looking back, I really didn't know what I was doing a year ago, but I'm here now thanks to all the fans who supported me, and over the past year, through the feedback I received at events and on SNS, I was motivated by the fact that I was involved in a production that was loved by so many people. I'll work even harder so that everyone who got to know me through Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger will see a different side of me. I look forward to your continued support!

Miyazawa Yu (Sakito Homura)

-I was able to gain experience both as myself and as Sakito Homura-

When I "encountered" Sakito at the audition, I felt that he was so similar to me, that I thought, "If I fail this, I don't think I'll ever have a chance in any tokusatsu production." Once I entered filming, I was very happy to hear that Director Hayama Koichiro said on set that he had "wanted to film Miyazawa as Sakito." When he makes his entrance during episode 16, I played the role with the impression that he was an overly self conscious perfectionist, but as things continued with episodes 17 and 18 being done by Director Kato Hiroyuki, I was able to bring out more of his weaknesses.

During the joint reading session before I went into filming, the Director and Producers said that they wanted me to "act in a childish way," but I was thinking of taking my performance in a slightly different direction, so the most important thing was being able to create Sakito on my own terms. Also, I think that by looking for places where I could be abit playful on set, I was able to gain experience both as myself and as Sakito Homura.

Episode 41 is an episode that I'm deeply attached to, as I was able to incorporate my special skill of playing soccer. The "Pulse Ace" that appears is a play on Shimizu S-Pulse, but I used to be a member of Shimizu S-Pulse's lower division when I was in middle school, and I was deeply moved by the collaboration event between Boonboomger and Shimizu S-Pulse that took place during the broadcast. The story was rich in content, with its appropriate comedic feel, our passion for soccer, and my pairing with Genba, so I think the viewers enjoyed it. Among other things, the scene where Genba and I pass the ball to each other with napalm exploding in the background had to be done in one take, so I had a fairly long discussion with Satoru beforehand. It was quite difficult even for experienced players like us, as there was gravel everywhere we stepped, and the unique shape of the Boonboom suit's shoes made kicking the ball feel different, but fortunately, we got the OK with our very first attempt. In terms of the story, his clash with Genba reminded me of the sumo episode, and I also thought it was typical of the younger Jou for being so straightforward and acting as their middle man. That scene was effective because of Ryu's careful performance, and I thought it turned out to be a very good scene where you'd naturally think, "If Jou said it, then it must be right."

-The final scene where Sakito remains on the Earth personally gave me goosebumps-

After the soccer episode and Christmas episode, the final stages of the show had some dramatic developments, but episode 45 was the one that I put the most effort into. Bundorio stopped functioning, the Boonboomgers were split up, and Taiya was mentally out of it. During all this, Sakito and Byundi confront the Hashiriyans together……It was a hot development, as the man who abandoned Earth now fought to protect it, but in playing Sakito, I saw it as a "fight to protect his friends." If we go back to episode 18, Sakito said, "I just wanna protect my only friend and his family," but I believe that episode 45 encapsulates the change in his feelings from that point on. This episode was directed by Director Hayama, who also did the episode where I first appeared, and the scene where I pushed my way through the crowd and shouted, "You guys…didn't the Boonboomgers save you?!," was a direction given to me by the Director, so I myself also wanted to live up to the trust he put in me.

In the final episode, I felt the team's unity as they defeated Spindo, and I also thought it was wonderful that everyone's individual scenes were properly depicted. I hope that you were able to feel that high level of unity. And, the final scene where Sakito remains on Earth personally gave me goosebumps. When I first read the script, I thought, "Uwah, this is seriously good!" Living on Earth, the number of people he came to love steadily increased, and it seemed to match up with the way Sakito lives his life, so I'm satisfied with it. I felt that there was nothing wrong with the performance I had been doing, and I can only thank all the staff members for preparing and directing such a conclusion.

The last scene we filmed was our final roll call. This was the end of filming, but the show was still going on, so to be honest, I didn't really feel it. However, when the time came for them to address me, I couldn't help but tear up when I saw the large number of staff members.

I had been involved since episode 16, and was very excited to be in the position of shaking things up as the additional member, and I feel that the feedback I've gotten in regards to that has been good. The show itself will remain even after the broadcast is over, so we'd all be happy if people said, "Boonboomger was great, wasn't it?" We don't know yet if there'll be an anniversary project in the future, but I hope that Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger will remain in the hearts of all the fans forever!

Handwritten Messages

Iuchi Haruhi

"What was the most cranked up scene that you performed as Taiya Hando over the past year?" The scene in the final episode where everyone says, "This is the most cranked up!"

"What did you think was the "coolest part" about Boonboomger (or Taiya Hando)?" The parts were he wouldn't ignore!

"What part of Taiya Hando's "costume" or "weapons" did you think was cranked up?" The tool design of the weapons!

"A word to Taiya Hando!" LOVE

"A word to your Boonboomger friends!" I'm glad it was the six of us…I had fun. Thank you!

"A word to all the fans!" Thank you so much for your support over the past year! I look forward to your continued support!

Hayama Yuki

"What was the most cranked up scene that you performed as Ishiro Meita over the past year?" Bakuage 29's action scenes.

"What did you think was the "coolest part" about Boonboomger (or Ishiro Meita)?" His activities as an Informant.

"What part of Ishiro Meita's "costume" or "weapons" did you think was cranked up?" His three piece suit and necktie that would change every episode. That you could turn the Boonboom Handle with just one hand!

"A word to Ishiro Meita!" I love you.

"A word to your Boonboomger friends!" Ishiro had trouble fitting, so thank you for looking out for him!

"A word to all the fans!" Thank you for your cranked up support!

Suzuki Miu

"What was the most cranked up scene that you performed as Mira Shifuto over the past year?" Episode 36's helmetless running scene.

"What did you think was the "coolest part" about Boonboomger (or Mira Shifuto)?" That she worked hard for the sake of someone else instead of herself.

"What part of Mira Shifuto's "costume" or "weapons" did you think was cranked up?" That you could hold Boonboom Handle's Rod Mode upside down (it's dangerous, so good children shouldn't imitate that!)

"A word to Mira Shifuto!" Mira being cheerful gave me tons of energy! Thank you :)

"A word to your Boonboomger friends!" I was really happy with the six of us! We're forever friends!!!

"A word to all the fans!" I wouldn't have made it this far without everyone's voices of support. Thank you so much!

Saito Ryu

"What was the most cranked up scene that you performed as Jou Akuse over the past year?" My first transformation.

"What did you think was the "coolest part" about Boonboomger (or Jou Akuse)?" Getting dirty.

"What part of Jou Akuse's "costume" or "weapons" did you think was cranked up?" His police uniform.

"A word to Jou Akuse!" You're an honourable man!! Make sure to zip up your fly properly!!

"A word to your Boonboomger friends!" Thank you for the past year! Sorry for when I acted out of line 🖤

"A word to all the fans!" Thank you for your support over the past year! I look forward to your continued support.

Soma Satoru

"What was the most cranked up scene that you performed as Genba Bureki over the past year?" When after leaving once, he reprocured himself through his friends.

"What did you think was the "coolest part" about Boonboomger (or Genba Bureki)?" With every episode, his friends became the embodiment of ​​"taking control of your own wheel."

"What part of Genba Bureki's "costume" or "weapons" did you think was cranked up?" His fluttering costume made action scenes look more attractive.

"A word to Genba Bureki!" I'm glad you returned to Boonboomger!

"A word to your Boonboomger friends!" Thank you for trusting me and waiting for me ^_^

"A word to all the fans!" Thank you so much for always giving us tons of support!

Miyazawa Yu

"What was the most cranked up scene that you performed as Sakito Homura over the past year?" The six person transformation in Bakuage 48!

"What did you think was the "coolest part" about Boonboomger (or Sakito Homura)?" Honestly gaining control of your own wheel!

"What part of Sakito Homura's "costume" or "weapons" did you think was cranked up?" All of it!

"A word to Sakito Homura!" Sakito Homura! Enjoy living a chaotic life on Earth!

"A word to your Boonboomger friends!" Claim absolute victory in the BBG!!

"A word to all the fans!" Thank you for your support in Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger over the past year! It was the most cranked up year!!

The Heroes Cranked Up Roundtable A long roundtable discussion with the six cast members who played the heroes who protected Earth. They'll talk about their memories from the past year, as well as bombshell stories that can only be talked about now?!

-The six cranked up members have gathered-

"First, please tell us about the relationship between the six of you after spending about a year together."

Hayama: In the beginning it was just Satoru-kun, but the older members were extremely reliable.

Suzuki: Yeah.

Hayama: We got so used to it, that we slowly started to develop a habit of screwing around with them (laughs).

Soma: That's right (laughs).

Hayama: Still, I think it's because they both allowed us to do that that people have come to say, "Boonboomger had some great vibes."

Iuchi: That was a big part of it.

Miyazawa: Y'know, I'm not sure if we've forgiven you yet (laughs).

Soma: Right?

Hayama: Even in this interview, we can talk about how we mess with them, so in that sense, Satoru-kun and Zawa-nii are the greatest.

Miyazawa: I suppose so (laughs).

Suzuki: The youngest members, Haruhi-kun and Ryu-kun, are both 20, while Zawa-kun is the oldest at 29 years old, so the age difference between us is the kind where you wouldn't normally have many opportunities to interact so closely. However, I still think the reason we were able to get along so well was because we were together for a year.

Miyazawa: Normally, I'd be concerned about both sides of the situation.

Iuchi: You were cautious.

Hayama: He was, wasn't he?

Soma: In the beginning, Zawa-kun didn't get involved with us at all for some reason.

Miyazawa: That's because there's a generational gap between us (laughs).

Iuchi: I felt the same way too. At first, it was the age difference, and since I went to an entertainment high school that didn't have any club activities, I rarely had any opportunities to interact with my seniors.

Miyazawa: And yet now we're like family.

Soma: We've even been asked, "Are you guys related?"

Suzuki: During the wrap up, the staff had said, "You guys look like relatives."

Miyazawa: It made me realize that even though there's a 9 year gap between us, we become friends.

Hayama: Of course, we weren't just playing around, as Zawa-kun drew a clear line when it came to work, and I really received a ton of inspiration from him. The only exception is Soma-san (laughs).

Soma: So that's how it is, huh? How strange (laughs).

"I see, so this is how you "tease those older than you" (laughs)."

Soma: Even though Hayama-kun and I go out to eat together pretty often…

Iuchi Hayama Suzuki Saito Miyazawa: (laughs).

"Did Soma-san and Miyazawa-san have to worry about anything when dealing with the younger members?"

Soma: I was the oldest of the original five, so I didn't want them to view me as "scary" (laughs). I wanted them to be able to be carefree, so I aimed to create a "Buddha" like appearance, someone who was accepting of everybody (laughs). By the way, we're being interviewed right now while eating our bentos, and Ryu just stole my tamagoyaki……

Saito: He won't get mad at all if I take it from him (laughs).

Soma: No, no, I told you tamagoyaki is my favorite, c'mon now! This is how they mercilessly tease us (laughs).

Iuchi Hayama Suzuki Miyazawa: (laughs).

Miyazawa: I joined in the middle of the show, but after it was decided that I would perform, I searched up information on who I'd be working with. That's when I was like, "They're all younger than me!" (laughs).

Soma: I get that. You were shocked, huh?

Miyazawa: However, I still thought that there was only one person "below me."

Soma: Who? Ryu maybe?

Miyazawa: No, like you, I'm from Shizuoka. That's why I thought you'd be the first one I talked to (laughs).

Suzuki: Did you think you'd have a better opportunity with Satoru-kun since you're both closer in age?

Miyazawa: Yeah. It's because even Miu-chan and I are about five years apart.

Soma: That's true.

Miyazawa: Before we became friends, I wondered if we would even get along.

Suzuki: Usually, when there's that much of an age difference you're like, "Where do we start?"

Miyazawa: I've also said this elsewhere, but at the same time I was having my costume fit, Miu-chan and Ryu came running to the makeup room and excitedly said, "Uwah, so this is Violet!" At that moment, I felt that everything would be alright. Or, perhaps what I mean to say is that I was the one who took a step back (laughs).

Suzuki: That's right! In another interview, Zawa-kun had said that he was grateful for the two of us closing the distance between him, but just recently, when the topic happened to come up in a private conversation, he said, "To be honest, I was abit put off at the time" (laughs).

Saito: That's harsh (laughs).

Miyazawa: It's because of how energetic you kids are.

Iuchi: You're always saying that.

Suzuki: We're all energetic.

Hayama: Right, we tend to hear that alot.

Miyazawa: That's how it is now, but in the beginning I had the feeling of, "How should I deal with them?"

Iuchi: At first, I felt like I had to talk to them as adults, but Satoru-kun and Yu-kun were the ones to bring a stop to that. That's why I'm very grateful for them.

Soma: In our group chat, Haruhi initially used a large amount of emojis, which made me think, "Ah, he's being cautious" (laughs).

Iuchi: Ah, I didn't realize you had seen right through me (laughs).

Soma: I noticed it from the very beginning.

Suzuki: I see. He did use a large amount of them.

Miyazawa: Is that so? I would've liked to have seen that.

Soma: By the time Zawa-kun joined us, he was no longer doing that.

Suzuki: It's because you "brought a stop to that," remember?

Hayama: (he looks at Miyazawa-san) And here I thought you were a good guy.

Miyazawa: Hey!

Iuchi Suzuki Saito Soma: (laughs).

Miyazawa: To begin with, our generations are so different, that I don't know what's popular. People of my generation would do stuff like go to karaoke.

Soma: Yeah. Things like what's popular and fun among today's youth.

Miyazawa: I had no idea about TikTok or anything like that (laughs).

Soma: You know, the way people say TikTok now is with an intonation! (laughs).

Miyazawa: Eh, it's that true?

Soma:……that's how it seems.

Miyazawa: However, it was a completely different story when I entered the set. I was conscious of the fact that it was our place of work.

Soma: There was a clear distinction in the way you'd switch.

Miyazawa: Right, which is the most important thing!

"Do you have any painful or difficult stories that you can only talk about now?"

Iuchi: What's okay to say? (laughs).

Saito: Ah, I was late once.

Suzuki: Wha!

Iuchi: Do you feel remorseful about it?

Saito: I do.

Suzuki: I don't know what to take away from this.

Soma: Just let it play out (laughs).

Saito: However, I made it in time for the shoot itself.

Miyazawa: No, no, that's totally normal then (laughs).

Saito: When you've been doing something like this for a long time, you inevitably start to slack off, huh?

Suzuki: You can't say that about yourself! (laughs).

Iuchi Hayama Soma Miyazawa: (laughs).

Iuchi: What was abit difficult for me during filming was not using my bike. I didn't ride it throughout the filming period because I didn't want to cause trouble if I had an accident. Besides, with it being my first time living in Tokyo, I thought I'd be fine without a bike, as there are tons of trains in Tokyo. However, once I started living there, I found that there were many places that would take too long to get to if I used the train or bus, but could be reached pretty easily by bike. I'm alittle disappointed that I couldn't even go out and have some casual fun (bitter smile).

Saito: That was a model answer!

Miyazawa: Is it okay to talk about what was difficult for me?

Hayama: The Boonboom dance?

Miyazawa: No (said firmly).

Hayama: Not that, huh?

Miyazawa: Sakito's hair style.

Iuchi Hayama Suzuki Saito Soma: Yeah (they fully agree).

Miyazawa: Every time I went to a shoot, it would become coarse and stiff. After filming, I would have to go home and wash my hair because of how difficult it became.

Suzuki: After filming would finish, we'd say, "Let's all go out for a meal!," but only Zawa-kun would go home and take a shower before rejoining us.

Miyazawa: That's because if I left my hair as it was, my hat would look like it was floating.

Iuchi Hayama Suzuki Saito Soma: (laughs).

Soma: That being said, I had trouble with my hair too.

Miyazawa: What was the case for Satoru? It must've been with your Burekiian form.

Soma: Yeah, it was when I transformed into my Burekiian form.

Hayama: Putting on the makeup too.

Soma: That's right. What's more, my skin is fairly tan.

Saito: Sure is.

Soma: So, I had to apply whitening cream in addition to getting my makeup done. I also had to wear cat eye contacts, but if I blinked even slightly, they would immediately rotate. That's why it was very difficult for me to perform close up shots in that condition.

Suzuki: You wouldn't blink.

Soma: Still, they'd eventually also fall out if I didn't blink for a long time.

Miyazawa: Your contacts fell out countless times.

Soma: Yeah.

Hayama: What comes to mind for me was the action. Exercise has never been one of my strong points, and there were a few times where I just couldn't keep up. To be honest, that was really tough.

Soma: No, no, you were really cool!

Hayama: Really?

Suzuki: Yeah.

Soma: Like in episode 37, you were amazing, don't you think?

Hayama: Well, in any case, I was just desperately trying to keep up.

Suzuki: You seem to have good reflexes.

Miyazawa: And he can dance. Me on the other hand, I'm no good at dancing (laughs).

Hayama: Wasn't it quite difficult for Miu-chan to get into costume?

Suzuki: That's right. There were so many part time outfits, so I remember having to get my costume fit for almost every episode (laughs).

Hayama: You went in to get your costume fit all the time.

Suzuki: Also, my legs were very cold.

Hayama: I had a feeling you'd say that.

Suzuki: Especially during Winter (bitter smile).

Hayama: And, those weren't even the worst ones. There's the wedding dress you wore in the final episode.

Suzuki: Yeah.

Hayama: You had to have the staff help you when you moved.

Suzuki: I couldn't move without my attendants.

Hayama: "Attendants" (laughs).

Miyazawa: It really seemed like that.

Suzuki: Also, I couldn't sit on a chair, so when filming stopped, I had a blanket laid out on the floor to sit on until my next turn.

Saito: You were like a princess!

Suzuki: The dress looked like it was floating as it spread out on the floor.

Saito: She often called upon us (Saito-san and Hayama-san) and gave requests like, "Please get me some sweets" (laughs).

Iuchi: She simply couldn't move.

Suzuki: (speaking like a princess) "Excuse me, can you fetch me a drink?"

Miyazawa: She's totally a princess now (laughs).

Suzuki: Another challenging thing was that this production has shorter shots so that smaller children watching wouldn't get bored. In scenes where we convey our feelings, they weren't that long and involved a series of cuts, so we had to raise our emotions pretty intensely, which was difficult. If I had to put it another way, I think it really strengthened our responsive skills.

Hayama: That's a good way of putting it.

Suzuki: You get it though, right?

Hayama: Yeah, I know exactly what you mean.

Suzuki: Zawa-kun had a difficult time with that at first too, right?

Miyazawa: I'd usually start from one or two of my previous lines, but if I thought that it'd still be too difficult, I was allowed to start from even earlier.

Hayama: Yeah, you'd do that.

Saito: Everyone's talking about something serious…

Soma: Ryu, do you have anything else since your story about being late didn't work out?

Saito: Yeah. I play a police officer, so it was quite difficult putting on all that equipment. It was pretty heavy, and there's a proper way of putting it on, so I had to make sure to check it every time. I thought this was to be expected by all the people who actually work as police officers.

Soma: Oh, that was a good story you just gave!

-Looking back at each memorable scene-

"From here, we'd like to ask each of you to pick one person at a time and name a performance or scene of theirs that left a lasting impression on you."

Soma: I guess Haruhi should be first, right?

Hayama: I think I was the closest to Haruhi's Taiya, but when I met him as fake Ishiro in episode 37, the performance Haruhi gave was completely different from what I usually did with him, and I thought the detail in how he differentiated his role was amazing.

Suzuki: The expressions Haruhi-kun showed were really great, as his emotional range swings between the line of difficult and exceptionally good. The facial expression he made at the end of episode 24 also conveyed his delicate feelings.

Iuchi: Thank you very much.

Miyazawa: I still love the, "Let's all hurry!" line he says in the final episode.

Suzuki: That was great too!

Miyazawa: All I can say is that it's like you can see the very moment he switches.

Suzuki: It gives off a similar feeling to when your body trembles with excitement, you close your eyes, and then shoot them open, right?

Miyazawa: Right, it's like that kind of switch.

Suzuki: The scene in episode 45 where Taiya loses sight of his own wheel was really impactful. It's like he was performing with his soul.

Miyazawa: I'll never forget the one on one performance I did with him in episode 18. It made me think, "So this is the man called Taiya Hando, huh?" That scene is still fresh in my mind.

Hayama: (to Iuchi-san) Were you nervous?

Iuchi:……I was (laughs).

Saito: There was a scene that I really liked, the musical scene with Itasha was in the Christmas episode, right?

Soma: Yeah.

Saito: At that point, Taiya makes a face that's like, "Eh?," looks around, then sits down without saying a word, and that made me burst out laughing.

Iuchi: That was entirely Director Kato's direction.

Saito: It was hysterical.

Iuchi: This is especially true since Taiya's not the type of person to do something like that.

Saito: I desperately wanted to say, "Don't just sit there in silence!" (laughs).

Soma: It would've been even funnier if he responded to it with something like, "That was cranked up!"

Suzuki: Yeah, like in the Toilet Grumer Limited episode.

Saito: Yeah, that happened.

Iuchi: That's where I tried to play the version of Taiya that Mira had in her mind (laughs).

Hayama: That was alot of fun.

"Next, what do you think of Ishiro Meita's Hayama-san?"

Iuchi: My favorite scene is in episode 14, when he relies on Mira. Ishiro had always operated in his own world, but Taiya also had the desire to draw him into everyone world, so Taiya felt happy when Ishiro was able to rely on Mira, someone he had come to love. I had read the script beforehand, but when I saw the broadcast, I was moved all over again.

Hayama: That was also made possible due to Suzuki-san's help.

Suzuki: No, no, that's not true.

Iuchi: But it was just the two of you!

Suzuki: Of course, when we were filming that scene, I thought, "Yuki-kun really likes acting." In the aquarium scene in this episode, when Chasshiro shows his annual pass, I (Mira) try to take it, but he quickly pulls his hand back. He was the one who suggested we do that with, "How about if we improvise like this?"

Hayama: All while I acted like a brat (laughs).

Suzuki: I felt that I wasn't capable enough when imagining things that weren't written in the script. That's why Yuki-kun's suggestion made me think, "That could happen!"

Miyazawa: Yuki's really serious, huh?

Suzuki: Yeah, I get him.

Miyazawa: Over this past year, he'd be thinking about the character of Ishiro Meita more than anyone else, and whenever he'd talk about his performance, it was always, "Ishiro's this, and Ishiro's that" (laughs).

Iuchi Suzuki Saito Soma: (laughs).

Miyazawa: There were times when Ishiro would fool around, which I thought would've been difficult, but Yuki was able to express it in his own way. My favorite scene was in the final episode, right before he leaves Earth. He happily says, "An Informant in space, I like the sound of that.

Soma: I also thought he looked happy when I watched him.

Miyazawa: He'd been separated from the Boonboomgers for quite some time, so I think he might've felt bad about it. By doing that performance, I could really feel that he had come back as Ishiro.

Hayama: I'm grateful.

Miyazawa: It was "the best of Ishiro."

Hayama: I'm glad to hear you say that.

Soma: Personally, I liked it when Chasshiro got teased by those around him. Like in episode 40, when Itsuki-kun said, "I want to be a cool hero like BoonBlue," Mira and Jou's reaction was to look at Chasshiro and say, "Cool?" (laughs).

Suzuki: I liked it when Mira pinched his cheeks.

Iuchi: Yeah.

Hayama: That was in the final scene of episode 37.

Soma: It was fun to watch scenes where Chasshiro "comes down" from a stressful situation, as I would think, "Ah, so this is how it's being done this time."

Saito: Yuki-kun mentioned earlier that he's not good at action, and looking back at our first action practice, I could sorta sense that he was having a hard time. However, the action with Gong Grumer in episode 29 was really cool. He must've practiced alot, but it was still captivating. After that, in episode 37, he did action scenes for both Ishiro and the fake, and I felt like he had come a long way with all the moves he was able to do.

Hayama: You sound like a parent (laughs).

Saito: I'd like to mention that I've rewatched your boxing action with Gong Grumer about six times.

Hayama: Eh?!

Suzuki: Amazing, you've got a fan.

Hayama: Ryu, thank you~ (laughs).

Saito: No, I was just curious about the moves you were doing.

Hayama: I guess everyone was looking at different parts. This is the first time I've heard all of that.

Iuchi: You're embarrassed, huh?

Hayama: I am. Ryu should be the first one I treat to some gyudon, don't you think? (laughs).

Suzuki: For me, it was probably when he was paired up with Mira in episode 14. It's the scene where Chasshiro's desperately struggling to keep Reizoko Grumer from going to the aquarium. I had never seen Chasshiro with such intense passion before. Mira had already transformed, so the first time I saw him like that was during post recording, but it was Yuki-kun's acting that really got me into the mood during recording.

Hayama: It was all thanks to the Screenwriter (laughs).

Suzuki: You looked happy (laughs).

Miyazawa: He was all smiley.

Suzuki: And, I know I keep saying this, but when Chasshiro talks to Mira face to face like a normal person in that episode……seriously, his visuals were just too good.

Hayama: It was both an Ishiro episode and a visual episode.

Soma: Visual episode he says…..(laughs).

Suzuki: And, I guess he was really fired up since it was one of his main episodes, as during filming, he made constant efforts every morning to get rid of any swelling (laughs).

Hayama: You didn't have to bring up that part! (laughs).

Iuchi Saito Soma Miyazawa: (laughs).

"Now for the next turn, we'd like you to talk about scenes featuring Mira Shifuto's Suzuki-san."

Soma: Speaking of Miu-chan, she was a monster during post recording.

Suzuki: Eh? What?

Saito: He means to say "you're very skilled."

Suzuki: For real? That makes me happy!

Saito: How is it that you're always able to skillfully match up your voice?…..

Suzuki: Yay! (laughs).

Hayama: Another thing is the straightforward way in which she communicates. In episode 14, when she said, "You're so stupid, Chasshiro!," I could really feel Mira's energy just from watching the footage, and I felt that there was alot to learn when it came to making emotional outbursts like that.

Suzuki: That makes me happy.

Hayama: I learned a…alot!

Suzuki: Don't stutter at the best part! (laughs).

Hayama: (laughs).

Soma: Yuki-kun mentioned emotions just now, but I liked Miu-chan's part when we spoke our lines one by one before defeating Madrex in episode 9.

Suzuki: When I say, "That's what it means to take control of your own wheel!," right?

Soma: Yeah. Your eyes sparkled, and your line was filled with emotion, so that moment really grabbed me emotionally.

Suzuki: Everyone's injured makeup looked good too.

Soma: That combined with the atmosphere of the setting sun made it even better. Towards the end of the show, when Mira makes up her mind to get married, Me, Sakito and Jou were on the receiving end of things, but we were also greatly helped by her. It was easier to do our performance since we could understand Mira's feelings.

Suzuki: That makes me feel good (laughs).

Iuchi: My favorite Mira scene, and the one where I also thought Miu-chan helped me out, was in episode 45. They had created a rather dark scene in regards to Bundorio's shutdown, and I went into the scene worrying about how to go back to Taiya's usual self within the 30 minutes we had. However, thanks to Miu-chan's performance, I was able to bring Taiya back to his energetic self.

Suzuki: Heh~ I didn't know you felt that way.

Iuchi: Taiya saying, "Thank you, I'm glad you guys are my friends," followed by Mira's genuine look of relief on her face as she said, "You've finally regained control of your wheel," was very comforting. That put me in a better mood as we faced the final episode, so I really feel thankful for that.

Suzuki: No, no, I wouldn't have been able to cry if I hadn't seen the look on Taiya's face. I feel the same way, you really helped me out.

Soma: Are you reciprocating your love to each other?

Suzuki: That's not it (laughs).

Miyazawa: It's the result of their synergy.

Suzuki: That's it!

Miyazawa: I don't have any specific episodes in mind, but rather, when I think of Miu-chan, her persuasive words come to mind. I especially felt that in Mira's main episodes. I think it's Mira who connects the Boonboomgers together, and I think she had a big influence on the production.

Suzuki: That makes me happy.

Miyazawa: What I also thought was interesting was that when I saw Miu-chan on set, she would adjust the number of steps she took in order to match the camera's position.

Suzuki: Yeah, I did that (laughs). I'd usually be good with three steps, and then I'd just say my lines from around there.

Miyazawa: Seeing that up close, I thought of her as a very hard worker. Mira's good balance was likely the result of Miu-chan's hard work.

Suzuki: Thank you!

Saito: This might overlap with Zawa-nii, but while I think that each person had their own main episodes, Mira would be right there next to us.

Iuchi Hayama Suzuki Soma Miyazawa: Yeah!

Saito: When you pair up with someone like that, the explosive power is incredible. How would you describe it? Like an amino acid??

Soma: Something like an umami seasoning that makes everything taste better?

Saito: Ah, that's it! If you don't add it in, it's somewhat tasteless, but with it, I'd say it adds depth and takes it up a level. That's why I think Mira's presence was of great help to our team.

Hayama: Thank you for being an amino acid.

Saito: Thank you amino acid.

Suzuki: I did my best as an amino acid! (laughs).

"Next should be Jou Akuse's Saito-san. What does everyone think?"

Iuchi: What I'd like to mention with Jou is his injured makeup for the baseball episode. The makeup artist told me that a role like Jou's is one that's really deserving of injured makeup.

Hayama: That's true.

Iuchi: The way he got covered in dirt, was sprawled out on the ground, and yet still stood up was really cool.

Suzuki: You know it!

Iuchi: As for Taiya, he's happy to watch Jou's growth, or to put it in a slightly weird way, he likes seeing Jou get dirty (laughs).

Saito: Hahahaha (laughs).

Suzuki: It's kinda nice when Jou gets dirty.

Hayama: It's great.

Iuchi: It looks great on film, doesn't it?

Hayama: Going along with that, I guess I'd pick his first Change in episode 5. The scene where he crawls while still standing his ground is really memorable, don't you think? Boonboomger consists of a group of people who hold various beliefs, but among them, Jou possesses an honest sense of justice, and I think that was most strongly portrayed in episode 5. Watching him on set, I honestly felt like, "Ah, he's a hero."

Miyazawa: I think that out of all the characters in Boonboomger, the one who was closest to their role was Ryu, and there were countless times where I felt that he really linked up with Jou's honest character.

Iuchi: Yeah

Hayama: There were.

Miyazawa: Especially when he was trying to appeal to something. There was something about it that would just resonate with you. The same goes for the Keytarou episode, the scene with Itsuki-kun in episode 40, and the scene against the police squad in episode 46.

Hayama: Episode 40 was especially good!

Miyazawa: When it comes to tearful episodes, I think that most people would pick the one where Genba leaves, but I'd cry every time there was a Jou episode.

Saito: Eh?!

Miyazawa: No, it was frustrating how Ryu's performance made me cry.

Iuchi Hayama Suzuki Soma: (laughs).

Miyazawa: Still, it really touched my heart. I really think that only Saito Ryu could've played the role of Jou Akuse. He's also really good at action. He moves his body well.

Saito: That makes me happy!

Soma: For me, it's the part in episode 28 where he Boonboom Changes while running into the fight against Neon Grumer.

Saito: Yeah, I was filmed wearing a maskless Boonboom suit.

Soma: That maskless facial expression, and the intense passion conveyed through his lines. I guess you could call it a "feeling of hitting the right mark." Zawa-kun mentioned it too, but his honesty resonates with you as you watch him, which is exactly in line with Jou, but I think is the same for Ryu too.

Suzuki: I talk about it in every interview we do, but my pick is always going to be episode 15. His crying face at the end when he took down Kaseki Grumer was heartbreaking, and there's also the scene where Jou makes up his mind.

Saito: It was when he said, "I'll take him down!"

Suzuki: Yeah. Despite feeling conflicted, he said he'd fulfill his duty as a police officer. That was also bittersweet. It was a scene that was really painful to watch.

Saito: My performative skills were still pretty rough during that episode, so I had alot of trouble with it. I think Director Hayama helped me alot in that episode.

Miyazawa: It's usually Jou who gets caught in the middle of a dilemma, don't you think? I guess expressing that is also quite difficult to do.

Saito: Yeah, it was. Every time I'd wonder at what point the conflict between what he wanted to do, what contribution he'd make as a police officer, and what decisions he'd make as a hero would alternate.

"What are some of the most memorable scenes involving Genba Bureki's Soma-san?"

Miyazawa: What should we do?

Suzuki: There's really nothing to say, right?

Soma: Why~?!

Hayama: I guess there's nothing in particular.

Soma: Well, guess I'll head home early then (laughs).

Iuchi Suzuki Saito Miyazawa: (laughs).

Iuchi: Alright then, I'll start! I also like the scene in episode 27, where Genba leaves Boonboomger, but I've talked about it in many other places, so I'll name another scene. I recently had the chance to rewatch the clip of his first Change in episode 7, and I thought the whole sequence of movements, starting with the line, "I'm gonna accelerate you guys," and then raising the Boonboom Change Axe to then pull out the Boonboom Booster was incredibly cool.

Iuchi Suzuki: It was when he said, "(speaking in unison like Genba) Let's take control of the wheel of being Boonboomgers together!"

Saito: A key point is the part where he bounces his hand alittle.

Soma: You were paying attention, huh?

Iuchi: Furthermore, in Genba's case, he isn't characterized by his quick decisions, but by his slippery movements instead.

Soma: Was that……a compliment?

Iuchi: Huh, you don't get it?

Hayama: You're saying his movements are sexy, right?

Iuchi: Right, right, sexy!

Suzuki: Genba's movements had some sex appeal to them.

Iuchi: I could feel his mature sexiness, which is exactly in line with Genba. I felt that again when I rewatched it.

Miyazawa: For me……yeah, I think it'd be the part where he's sucking on a lollipop in the opening credits.

Soma: Why?!

Miyazawa: Sorry, that just sorta came out.

Soma: That's going way too far (laughs).

Miyazawa: That was just a joke (laughs), Genba and Sakito were involved in many scenes, so I had many opportunities to talk with Satoru, and I found him to be a really passionate guy when it came to his performance. In particular, he kept the alien setting a secret. That was the most surprising thing.

Suzuki: Eh, you knew from the start?

Soma: I knew about his real identity, but details like him being an heir of planet Bureki and the Hashiryan invasion came later.

Suzuki: Eh~. Still, you knew from the beginning that he was an alien.

Soma: Yeah, I knew.

Saito: So that's how it was.

Suzuki: Did everyone know?

Hayama: No, I also didn't know.

Soma: I think I mentioned it to Taiya along the way.

Iuchi: I only overheard alittle bit about it.

Suzuki: Heh~!

Miyazawa: Not only did he keep that a secret, but he also kept a clear plan in mind and made sure to express the way Genba "should be" in each and every scene. What was particularly memorable was the expression on Genba's face at the end of episode 26 when he saw Disrace. I thought that he had really brought out the best of everything he had accumulated up until that point. I'll never forget it.

Hayama: From there, Genba left Boonboomger and suffered for awhile, but in the beginning of the next episode where he had come back, Genba had a really refreshed look on his face (laughs).

Suzuki: I noticed that~!

Hayama: I once again thought that that kind of carefree vibe is unique to Genba Bureki.

Suzuki: It was that scene, where the camera pans from his legs to focus on his facial expression.

Hayama: Right. Also, Satoru-kun's scripts were amazing. I could catch a glimpse of them from the post recording microphone next to me, and they'd be completely red. This of course varies from person to person, as I myself am the type who doesn't write many notes, but even so, I was impressed by his enthusiasm to learn.

Soma: I'm just prone to worrying (laughs).

Hayama: They were so red, that it makes me want to post a photo on SNS so that everyone can see.

Iuchi: You really pay attention to the smallest of details.

Saito: Regarding the scene in episode 33 where Genba returns, the Action Director of "Kamen Rider Gavv," who I had the opportunity to speak with at the studio, highly praised it by saying, "The expressions on Taiya and Genba's faces as they stared at each other were really good."

Soma: Eh, really? Should I move over to Gavv's set now?

Iuchi Hayama Saito Miyazawa: (laughs).

Suzuki: Please stop (laughs).

Saito: I'd like to bring up the scene in episode 15, where Jou and Genba talk. At the end, Genba mutters, "A lonely dinosaur, huh?…," and at the time of filming I thought, "What is this line?" When I look back at this scene now, the kind, lonely, and indescribable expression on Satoru-kun's face really hit me.

Suzuki: For me it'd also have to be episode 33, but it's for the scene between Shirabe-san and Genba. I felt like he poured out everything he had been holding back up to that point.

Soma: That's something I discussed with Director Nakazawa Shojiro.

Suzuki: On another occasion, the Director told me, "I told him that it'd be more like Genba to hold back there," but finding the right balance must've been very difficult, right? Mira is someone who can show her emotions, but he won't be the same Genba if he shows too much, and if he holds back too much, it'll seem like he's lost his humanity. After hearing that story, I rewatched the second half of episode 33, where he comes back to us, and was convinced as I thought, "So that's the reason." Something will make his heart tremble, but he won't shed tears, and I think that's appropriate for Genba.

Iuchi: Come to think of it, Yu-kun mentioned his identity being revealed, but is it okay if I add something quick?

Miyazawa: Go ahead!

Iuchi: At a later date, Satoru-kun told me why he only revealed it to me, that being, "I think Taiya would've already noticed." Just hearing that…no, he really thinks about the details of details.

Suzuki: That's Amazing!

Soma: Not at all.

Iuchi: What's more, at that time, the details hadn't been worked out yet, but when I read the script for episode 27, Chasshiro asks, "Did you know?," to which Taiya replies, "I had a feeling he wasn't an Earthling," so it was just as Satoru-kun had predicted.

Suzuki: I see!

Iuchi: Satoru-kun is amazing, even though it wasn't his role, he thought Taiya already noticed.

Hayama: How do you even think that far ahead?!

Iuchi: Right? It's really amazing.

Soma: It's embarrassing.

"Finally, there's Sakito Homura's Miyazawa-san."

Hayama: After all, he has the longest acting career out of all of us, so I was always inspired by him.

Iuchi: No, seriously. With that being that case, it'll be hard trying to narrow it down to just one thing.

Hayama: My favorite scene was without a doubt the one at the beginning of episode 29. I had created my performance to a certain extent and took it to the set, but then Sakito started doing moves that I would've never expected (laughs).

Suzuki: You were like, "Wait, this isn't what I had in mind!" (laughs).

Hayama: That's how I felt. Still, I thought that if I became intimidated here, I'd lose to Zawa-kun, so I tried a variety of things on my own. I think it was one of the opportunities for me to grow as an actor, and it's a scene that left a very strong impression on me.

Miyazawa: If we were at the Deliverer's garage like normal, you could imagine what you'd be like, but with filming on location, you don't really know until you get there. In my case, I was pretty much doing things in the moment.

Iuchi: When I got involved with Yu-kun, that's where I'd really learn something. If I'm not mistaken, the scene where we're all talking and having fun in the final episode was also changed on set.

Suzuki: Eh, is that true?

Iuchi: I talked it over with Yu-kun, and he asked me something along the lines of if I wanted to be the "first to respond," but with Sakito, I thought words were unnecessary, so I just tapped my fist against his chest and said, "I'm counting on you" ……I said that just before the take, right?

Miyazawa: That's right.

Iuchi: I really liked the look on Sakito's face in that scene, and thanks to that, Taiya felt like, "Now Earth is in good hands," and even though it was done on the spot, Yu-kun responded perfectly in his performance.

Miyazawa: I think I was able to respond because there was something about Haruhi's performance that resonated with me.

Soma: Even without any lines, Sakito was able to convey the message he wanted to say. That was also the case with the sumo episode, and I learned alot from watching it.

Miyazawa: I'm grateful.

Soma: Genba himself isn't a character with many lines, so when he was silent, I would just look at everyone's expressions, but even in those moments, I felt that Zawa-kun had a wide range of performative skills to draw from.

Saito: I was impressed by his interactions with Byundi. He was constantly talking with Suit Actor Takada Masashi-san, as well as BoonViolet's Tsuta-san, but seeing him talk all the time, even when the cameras weren't on, taught me how to approach acting.

Miyazawa: I'm sure this is true for everyone, but this was the first time I interacted with a Suit Character and performed a role together with a Suit Actor. With that being the case, I think we each had our own ideas of, "What I'd do if I were you," and I wanted to present a character that matched that of BoonViolet, and by extension, Sakito Homura.

Suzuki: Sakito has a childlike charm, a presence that makes everyone tremble easily, and a unique sex appeal, and while we were shown various sides of him, there's a sense of unity that made him look like a proper individual. I think that's what Zawa-kun put into consideration when playing the role of Sakito.

Miyazawa: That makes me happy. Let's all go out for yakiniku next time.

Iuchi Hayama Saito Soma: Yay!

Suzuki: We've been waiting for that!

Miyazawa: Ah! Is that what you guys were after?! (laughs).

-The six people who finished Boonboomger-

"I think it's time we conclude, but we'd like to ask each of you one last time for your thoughts on the past year."

Iuchi: It was fun.

Hayama: It was, wasn't it?

Suzuki: Wait, wait, hold on (laughs).

Soma: Isn't that too short?

Suzuki: It is!

Saito: Well, it is true that it was fun…

Miyazawa: No, stop, speak one at a time, let's do this properly.

Hayama: We got along well with each other over the past year, and I of course hope that we can continue to be friends, but when I see the five of them, I feel like I've learned so much as an actor. In that sense, what was great about being a Boonboomger was that I was able to gain some really good experience for my future acting career by working together with these five people. I realize I'm talking seriously now, but I'm truly happy that I got to meet these five actors.

Suzuki: I'm truly happy from the bottom of my heart that I was apart of these six, and I hope that even after 10 or 20 years have passed, our current relationship will continue. They're my best friends.

Hayama: If something ever happens, us five will be there for you.

Suzuki: That's reassuring!

Saito: Miu-chan summed up everything just now. I thought the same thing after finishing filming, but I think it was actually a good thing. I would've hated it if any one of us was missing, and I honestly feel that the hard work we all put in over the past year was well worth it.

Suzuki: It's kinda sad that it's over…

Soma: On the very day of the wrap up, I think I was relaxed, as I thought, "Ah, it's over~," but when we actually wrapped up, I was so overwhelmed with emotion, that it surprised even myself.

Miyazawa: It was more than you were expecting, huh? I'm surprised.

Soma: Over the past year, I really saw alot of what I liked about everyone, and it was also really exciting when Zawa-kun joined us halfway through. I really think that the balance between these six people is outstanding, and I think we became such a great team because of all the wonderful qualities everyone has. Thank you so much!

Suzuki: Encountering you all and the time we spent together was irreplaceable, and it'll stay with me for the rest of my life.

Miyazawa: I arrived along the way, where I ended up joining a team already consisting of five people, but they were five truly charming people. We got along well in the drama and in our daily lives, and there was so much that I learned from them, so I want to be the first to say how grateful I am that we were able to do this together for a year. And, while this may be the end of Boonboomger, I hope that each one of us will take the experience we've gained from this production to the next level, and that one day, when the time comes for "all these members to gather," we'll already be capable of aiming higher and attract the attention of many people. That's why I hope you'll still support us and continue to carefully watch over us.

"And now, we'd like to ask Iuchi-san for some closing remarks."

Iuchi: Is it alright if it's abit long?

Hayama Suzuki Saito Soma Miyazawa: Of course!

Iuchi: Boonboomger was my first drama job, and I played the main role of Red. Super Sentai productions are a team effort, so I didn't want to get too worked up about being known as the star or leader. However, in interviews I was often asked, "What's your enthusiasm as the leader?," and in the beginning, I'd go into the set being 90% anxious and 10% excited. Also, I'm the type of person who values spending time alone, and while I don't know if there were moments where they didn't think well of me, everyone accepted me for who I was and treated me in a really kind and friendly manner, so I have nothing but gratitude for that. Recently, I've had more opportunities to hear people say to me, "You've grown in the past year," and while I think that's only natural due to how I interacted with people on set and how the staff guided me when I didn't know anything, the most important thing was that I received so much from everyone I performed with. That said, I do think I've grown over the past year. We were all talking about it before this interview, but even after it's over, I sincerely hope from the bottom of my heart that we can get together regularly afterwards to talk about casual things and spend time together. Finally, I have a confession…….I came to Tokyo by myself for this job, and these five are the first friends I made! Let's continue to get along well!

Hayama Suzuki Saito Soma Miyazawa: That makes us happy!

[andreilslovechild]

A Study on Aaron Minyard and Hatred

I've been in this fandom for years now. somewhere around 5 years or so. and since I've been here there's always been a distinct theme in how people talk about the brother of our beloved main love interest. see people speak about aaron in two ways mainly. the first way is, of course, labeling him as hateful and homophobic and disliking him because he dislikes Neil. the second way is building on his more personable characteristics and having him paired with someone else like Katelyn or Kevin to mellow him out. both of those are all well and good, everyone is entitled to their opinions and all, but I've never quite seen people look at both of those sides at the same time so I want to try and consolidate my thoughts on the matter.

first of all, I personally rarely consider aaron inherently hateful in my own understanding of him. annoyed or disgusted sure, but not necessarily hateful. mainly that hate is focused on three people from what the fandom talks about: Neil, Andrew, and Nicky. I'm using hate a broad term for dislike just for the ease of things right now so don't yell at me, but I think it fair to say the fandom typically pits these three up against aaron in a way that makes aaron look like the bad guy a lot of the time.

if I'm honest, I never really felt he hated Neil more than just didn't care much. at least until he found out about him and Andrew and gave him his version of the shovel talk. maybe a bit when Neil used Katelyn against him. but overall I never quite got it when people said he hated Neil, let alone hated him for "no reason". like id be annoyed too if a guy waltzed onto my college sports team while im studying premed, and turned out to be the long-lost son of a serial killer with a mouth so big it was a wonder hes still alive. plus he was super shady before all that was revealed too, but aaron was still pretty neutral when Andrew brought Neil into the monsters. he even spoke back to the upperclassmen when they freaked out about Neil sitting with the monsters. if you all need me to get the quotes I will, but it's currently like 2am, and I just can't be asked right now lmao. either way, the only time aaron really hates Neil in the books is when he uses Kate against him to get him to go to therapy. which was done for his own good in the long run, and I doubt aaron stayed upset about it for too long. plus we always have to be careful here because we are seeing things from Neil's perspective, someone who is inherently an unreliable narrator in the story.

in Nicky's case, there's a lot to consider. aaron definitely does and says some things (again not finding specifics rn because it's 2am) that are hurtful to him, or offensive. I certainly don't really blame people for reading it as homophobic on a surface level. but that's exactly what it is. surface level. his feelings about Nicky are probably the second most complex in this instance. because Nicky is his cousin, caregiver, friend, whatever you want to call him. They're close, they mean something to each other. but aaron also grew up with Tilda, probably talking with his family over the phone every few months, seeing them maybe once a year or two. when aaron moved to South Carolina he was 13. Nicky would have been 17. aaron probably spent a lot of time with him at first to avoid being alone before he made friends himself. used him as an excuse to get out of being around Tilda alone. which undoubtedly left him susceptible to Luther's preaching. I could make a whole other post on this alone. Still, he would have known Nicky was gay and that it was "wrong". He likely saw only his mask, not the depression inside because Nicky would have wanted to be happy with his cousin. he probably was around when Nicky went to Germany and then came back loud and proud, telling him about a man named Erik and finally standing up to his parents. to us, it's inspirational, exciting even, but for aaron it was like Nicky was abandoning him. He had gotten through Nicky being gone with drugs and staying out of the house as much as possible, but now knowing Nicky was leaving him there alone with his mom for what he assumed would be forever would have hit him hard. he never hated Nicky for being gay. he was angry he had left him, and he had grown up surrounded by the ideals Luther preached and likely his mom did too. with that, plus how uncomfortable it would be to have your cousin being openly sexual around you to an extreme extent like Nicky, I don't blame him really for how he reacted. he was disgusted by the thought of his cousin having sex, not who it was with. I can't remember if his disliking Erik is a canon or fanon thing. Still, he disliked him for taking Nicky away, not because he was a guy. Long story short I don't think aaron ever truly hated Nicky or was truly homophobic. I think he was just a scared kid who learned the wrong words and didn't know how to be vulnerable.

Andrew. good old Andrew. the most complicated relationship in Aaron's life save maybe his mom. I think we all know aaron doesn't hate Andrew. just like Andrew doesn't hate aaron. it's impossible for them to hate each other because they are so irrevocably tangled up and tied to each other's lives. from the second they found out about each other, everything they've done has been for the other in some way. mostly on Andrew's end sure but aaron has also done his share. see out of everyone here I think Andrew is the person that aaron thought he hated the most. he was angry about Tilda, about the drugs, about how Andrew refused to look at him. but deep down he knew he couldn't really hate Andrew. if he truly hated him he wouldn't have stuck around him this long to try and form a relationship with him. he wouldn't have bothered renewing their deal after graduating high school. he may have been stubborn and confusing and made aaron want to pull his hair out in frustration, but I don't think hatred for Andrew truly existed in him. For certain actions maybe, but him overall? definitely not.

Aaron Minyard may have been complicated, cranky, and annoyed for the majority of the times we see him, but he never truly hated anyone. not in the way people seem to think at least. and certainly, never the three people hes accused of hating the most.

[writingsoftarnishedsilver]

all aboard the angst train! ominis finds out from sebastian that he and mc are courting and goes to mc like what the hell i know you love me what are you courting sebastian? and mc just says I want a family I want children you will never give that to me. it's best for us to stop now before we really hurt each other. choo choo the angst train is leaving the station!!

What We’ll Never Have | Ominis Gaunt x Reader

this was just... so much pAIN. my HEART.

Words: ~2,200

Tags: Post Hogwarts, Reader Insert, Female MC, No Y/N, Angst, Hurt/No Comfort

Sebastian had been fidgeting all evening, a nervous habit he’d never quite shaken. Ominis had learned long ago to recognize the tells—shifting weight between his feet, the repeated cracking of his knuckles, the way he rapped his fingers against any available surface.

He knew Sebastian had something to say long before the words left his mouth, but nothing could have prepared him for what he finally said.

"I just thought you should hear it from me first," Sebastian had muttered. "She and I are courting."

Ominis had stood so still in that moment, his fingers curled around the rim of his tankard, that he might have been mistaken for a statue.

"You're what?" he’d asked, though he had heard perfectly well.

"Courting," Sebastian repeated, as if the word wasn't a knife twisting into Ominis’s ribs. "It's nothing dramatic. We just… figured it makes sense."

Ominis didn't even remember leaving the bar, his mind roaring with thoughts he couldn’t quiet. And now, here he was, standing outside your flat, barely aware that his knuckles had rapped against the wood until he heard the latch slide free and the door swing open.

A pause.

He knew you were looking at him. He knew, in that way he always knew you, that you understood why he was here, that you were already bracing yourself for the confrontation neither of you had ever been brave enough to have.

"Ominis," you greeted, your voice careful, neutral.

That only infuriated him more.

He shoved past you. The scent of parchment and tea clung to the air, but there was something else beneath it—something distant and wrong. It was the awareness that this was no longer his place to be, no longer a space where unspoken words could linger between you two, waiting to be plucked from the air like ripened fruit.

When the door clicked shut behind you, he turned sharply, his voice low but unrelenting. "What the hell are you doing?"

You sighed. "I take it you saw Sebastian.”

“Oh yes, I saw him,” Ominis snapped. “Had a very illuminating conversation, in fact. Imagine my surprise when my best friend tells me he and you—” His voice caught, and he hated that it did. He swallowed hard. “You are courting.”

Silence.

You didn’t deny it.

Instead, you said, “We’re happy, Ominis.”

He laughed, sharp and humorless. “You think you’ll be happy. But you and I both know that’s not the same thing as actually being happy.”

You didn’t argue. You didn’t say ‘you’re wrong’. And that silence spoke louder than anything else.

"I don’t understand," Ominis said, turning toward where he knew you stood. "Why are you doing this?!"

"It’s what makes sense, Ominis," you said, so softly, so gently, like you knew this would wound him and yet were trying to dull the blade.

Makes sense.

Such a simple phrase. So small and neat, as if it could explain away everything that had come before it—the glances you and Ominis shared across dimly lit rooms, the conversations that had stretched past midnight, the way your hands always lingered a second too long when they brushed his. The way Ominis had felt you, like a gravitational pull just beneath his skin, and known he would love you until the day he died.

He had spent years—years—telling himself there would always be more time. That whatever simmered between the two of you, whatever hung in the spaces of your conversations, whatever made you linger a little too long, press a little too close, would still be there when the timing was right.

Except now, he realized, the moment had passed without him ever knowing it.

His breath was ragged as he took a step forward, his hands twitching at his sides. “Sense?” he repeated, incredulous. “You’re choosing him because it makes sense?

“I had to make a choice, Ominis.”

He shook his head. “No, you didn’t.”

“Yes, I did,” you countered, stepping closer. “And I—” You hesitated, just for a moment, before forcing yourself to say it again. “And I chose Sebastian.”

Ominis let out a quiet, humorless laugh, "You just woke up one day and decided to be with Sebastian?”

You flinched, but your voice remained steady. “It wasn’t like that. It's not like I decided on a whim. You act like Sebastian and I didn't talk this through first."

Ominis stilled. This was planned. Considered. You and Sebasrian had discussed it, picked apart the logistics of it together, laid out the path forward.

Of course, you wouldn’t have rushed into something blindly. You had always been measured, deliberate. You thought through your choices, weighed them carefully before committing. And you had done the same with this.

Ominis felt his stomach turn but he forced himself to breathe through the pressure mounting in his chest. "How long?" His voice was sharp, brittle. "How long have you been considering it?"

You hesitated.

Ominis felt something cold settle in his ribs. "How long?"

"...A while."

Ominis let out a slow breath, his hands curled into fists at his sides. "But why him? You could have picked anyone else. Anyone. Some Ministry official, a bloody Healer. Of all people, why my best bloody friend?!"

You exhaled sharply. "Because he’s my best friend too, Ominis."

"You don't love him though!"

The words were out before Ominis could stop them, raw and sharp, edged with something dangerously close to desperation.

You exhaled, slow and measured. “Yes, I do."

“No, you don’t.”

"Maybe not in the way you mean, but we will learn—”

"Is that honestly what you think?” Ominis interrupted, his voice low and fraying at the edges. “You think you can just learn to love him like that?”

“Yes.”

Ominis shook his head, laughing bitterly, though nothing about this was funny. “You can’t force love.”

“I’m not forcing anything,” you countered. “It might not ne romantic love but that doesn’t mean it’s less.”

“It’s not real,” Ominis bit out.

“It is,” you said, voice thick with something unreadable. “It’s real in the ways that matter. It’s trust, it’s choosing someone because they’ll be there at the end of the day. It’s knowing that we’ll make each other happy, even if it isn’t some grand, burning thing.”

Ominis shook his head again. “You’re settling.”

You flinched, and for a fleeting moment, Ominis felt something like satisfaction. But then you exhaled sharply, something flashing in your eyes. “What else was I supposed to do?”

“You could have waited.” Ominis argued, throwing his hands on the air.

“For what?” you snapped. "You say what Sebastian and I have isn’t real but at least we acknowledge it."

Ominis stiffened.

"At least it’s something named, something that isn’t hiding in the dark," you continued, stepping closer, your frustration mounting. "At least we’re honest with each other."

Ominis felt like he had been struck.

"You think you get to stand here and tell me what is or isn’t real?" You shook your head. "I waited, Ominis. I waited for you."

His stomach twisted, but he stayed silent.

"For years," you emphasized, your voice trembling now, edged with something like grief. "Years, Ominis. Hoping that one day you’d—" You exhaled shakily. "That you’d just say it. That you’d choose me."

His throat tightened.

"But you never did."

The words hung between you, the weight of them pressing against his ribs, curling around his lungs, making it impossible to breathe.

"You never said it," you whispered. "Not once."

Ominis swallowed, his hands shaking now. "I—"

"You let me wait. You let me sit in that silence, let me hope while you stood there, doing nothing." Your voice broke, just slightly. “and after all that time, after years of waiting, you have the audacity to come here and tell me this isn’t real?" You scoffed, shaking your head. "What Sebastian and I have might not be what you think it should be, but at least it's something."

Ominis swallowed hard. He had spent his entire life being careful. Measured. Controlled. He had learned restraint before he had learned kindness, had learned to bite his tongue before he had ever learned how to wield it. He had spent years—a decade—walking this impossible, agonizing line with you, balancing on the edge of something neither of you had dared to name.

But standing here, knowing you were choosing someone else—choosing Sebastian—when he knew you loved him, when he knew, down to his very bones, that this wasn’t just some unrequited fantasy, that you had spent just as many years aching in silence as he had…

It broke something in him.

His breath shuddered as he stepped closer, close enough to feel the warmth of your skin, the uneven rise and fall of your chest.

"Fine." His voice was sharp, ragged at the edges, but he didn’t care. “You want me to say it? Fine." He let out a sharp breath, his voice rough with something raw and unrelenting. "I love you."

The words hung between you, vast and consuming, but Ominis wasn’t finished.

"I love you," he said again, the confession pouring from him like a wound finally splitting open, ten years of restraint breaking apart in an instant. "How many times do you want to hear it?"

You sucked in a breath, your lips parting slightly, but he didn’t let you speak.

"How many times will it take to change your mind?"

Your hands trembled at your sides, your whole body going still, but he knew—he knew—that this wasn’t news to you.

He took step forward, his voice hoarse now. "I know you love me too."

You shook your head once, a small, broken movement. "Ominis—"

"Don’t lie to me." His voice cracked on the last word. "Don’t.”

You squeezed your eyes shut, your jaw tightening, but you didn’t deny it.

Before he could think better of it, Ominis's hand lifted, fingers brushing along the line of your jaw before he cupped your cheek.

Your breath hitched beneath his palm.

Ominis exhaled slowly, his voice quieter now, softer, but no less desperate. "Tell me I’m wrong."

You swallowed hard.

"Tell me you don’t love me." His thumb ghosted over your cheek. "Tell me, and I will leave. I will let you go. I will walk away, and you will never hear another word of this from me again."

Silence. A silence so heavy, so vast, it felt like it might crush him. Because you couldn’t say it. Because you did love him and you always had.

Ominis’s breath left him in a slow, aching exhale. "Then why are you doing this?" His forehead almost rested against yours now as tears burned behind his sightless eyes. "Why are you choosing him?"

You swallowed. Your hand lifted slowly, curling over his wrist, as if you meant to pull him away, except you held him there instead.

“I want a family, Ominis,” you admitted, voice barely more than a breath.

Ominis's grip on your cheek slackened, the certainty that had carried him through this breaking apart all at once.

Ominis had never wanted children.

In all the late-night conversations between you that had stretched toward dawn, in all the quiet moments when the world had felt like it existed only for the two of you, he had admitted it freely. He had sworn, sworn, that he would never be a father. That he would never bring another Gaunt into this world, never risk continuing a bloodline so poisoned, so irreversibly rotted with cruelty, that he feared any child of his would inherit it, that they would open their eyes and see the world the way his father had seen it.

He had vowed it.

Because the truth was, Ominis didn’t know what fatherly love was even supposed to look like. He didn’t know how to be a father. Didn’t know what it meant to be the kind of person who could raise a child properly.

But now—now, standing here, the truth of it lodged itself deep into his chest: you wanted a family, and from the very start, Ominis had always refused to give you one.

"I don’t want to wait forever for something that will never happen," you murmured, your voice heavy with something close to grief. "I don’t want to wake up years from now and realize I let the chance slip away because I was waiting for you to change your mind."

Ominis exhaled sharply, his breath coming out ragged. "You think I wouldn’t have tried?" His voice cracked, something desperate clawing at his throat.

You pressed your lips together, and when you spoke again,your voice wavered. "That’s the problem, Ominis. I don’t want you to try. I want you to want it."

Ominis stepped back suddenly, his hand falling away from your cheek like the finality of it had just settled in his bones.

His voice was hoarse when he finally spoke. "And Sebastian does?"

You swallowed hard. "He—" You hesitated, just for a second, but that second was enough. "Yes, he... wants a family. A life that I want, too."

Ominis let out a bitter, shaking breath. "A life you wanted with me." His throat ached with the weight of it, with the unbearable truth of knowing that you had imagined this future—children, a home, a life filled with warmth—and once upon a time, you had pictured him by your side.

But not anymore.

[hollow-lime-green]

hi, anon from "t/b discourse is dumb" ask here 👋 this conversation actually is really interesting and i wanna add a little more if thats okay. (how long is the average anon ask? im not new to fandom but i am relatively new to tumblr and its etiquette... so sorry if this is too long. ive done my best to condense it 😭 there's just too much to say and im a rambler)

i hope i didn't come off as blaming anybody for their response to harassment and such, i don't want to contribute to that. my ire is only pointed toward people who make it their business to hurt others over innocuous fandom happenings, those people who leave dickish comments on fics and send anonhate and mass qrt on twitter. but like i said, expecting those kinds of people to go away any time soon is not really something i have hope for at this point. you put it well: people get so emotionally invested --- and i too Love getting emotionally invested when it comes to fiction --- that logic stops being a factor. people all over the internet also tend to struggle with simply disliking something and leaving it there. you're allowed to dislike/disagree with something without turning it into a moral failure when it's all down to preference and the characters involved are not Real

i just wish more people saw the value in Healthy™ discourse. hell, even if someone's opinion ticks you off, that doesn't mean you can't engage in an open minded discussion with them, if you want to. but people can't do that even outside of niche online fanbases.

i would love to share my own opinions on t/b dynamics for satosugu and to learn why others may feel differently. actually, stsg is the first yaoi ship ive been this invested in, though it's been a while now, and reading fics for them has opened up a Lot of doors of thought for me that i wanna talk to someone about. but there's such hostility around the topic that opening that discussion up to the general fandom public hardly feels worth the risk, as much as i want to. that kinda leaves one floating out at sea here. so i have these conversations where i can, but i'll also block people over simple things. not because i think they're evil or their opinions are invalid, but because i really do just want to have fun, and previous fandom experiences have exhausted me with how much of the same repetitive venom i can personally handle at once

welcome back anon, and feel free to ramble away. honestly this has been a nice side quest for me during the thesis-ing, believe it or not.

if you want to have discussions/share takes on stsg (or fandom meta), then feel free to keep sending them anon, and i am happy to host that discussion in our friendly little corner. i haven't gotten anything nasty in my inbox, and i think everyone commenting and engaging with the posts on my blog is pretty friendly and level headed :)

i think it's possible that some people could get offended by your previous ask? but it's very obvious, to me, anyway, that what you are saying with "t/b discourse is dumb" is "this drama is dumb why are we doing this why can't we just have fun". you can twist the words, but that's the clear sentiment that I think 99% of us are trying to get across here.

and that also does not conflict with empathizing with and supporting people who have been targeted by this harassment. in fact, i would say out of anyone, they are probably most securely in the camp of "this drama is dumb please let's stop".

as @fushiglow pointed out, part of the reason fandom can get so vicious is due to depersonalization. none of these people would be acting so fuckin foolish in person. but across the screen, it is a lot safer and easier to be an absolute asshole than when you have to look someone in the face as you tell them that they are literal scum for your opinions on dick in ass, or something.

over the past few months i have been struggling with this in reverse, actually. one of my gaming group members almost definitely voted for trump (white women... we need to talk). i get so worked up when i think about it, because i hate her for it, especially her reasons for it (she is antichoice). and yet, when I see her in person, when we hang out, it is so easy to remember that she is my friend and she held my hair back when I was puking after my other gamer friends gave me too many free beers (blue moon isn't worth it guys).

one other thing i would like to add, and part of why i'm so happy to post this ask, is that conversations are not sentences. you get to clarify. you get to add. you get to change your mind. real 'discourse' (note: this word has lost all meaning in the year of our lord 2025) or debate is an exchange of ideas, whether it's about dick in ass or how we react socially in the situation of being attacked for dick in ass. keeping the conversation going to clarify these things, like your intent with the last ask, is important and necessary! it's what keeps us from being xitter/bluesky. we don't need to live as zingers and soundbytes on a text-based forum. we have the space to express ourselves fully, as many times as that takes. and i think that helps build back the empathy that is lost with the lack of face-to-face, voice-to-voice communication in online spaces.

so in the words of the great philosophers re: t/b discourse:

any hole's a goal

[kittykatkatelol]

How ghouls work, the ghoulification process, and more below cut - aka extremely long description of ghoulification that Bethesda was too much of a coward to give us

disclaimer, I am well aware this probably isn't how Bethesda made ghouls work in fallout canon, but it is how they worked in my canon.

Ghoulification happens to many in the post nuclear world that is fallout - it happens for one reason, and one reason alone. Radiation. Though I am sure most already knew that, but if you didn't, there you go.

You have a certain threshold of how much radiation you can have in your system without becoming a ghoul. There are 4 thresholds total: From human to ghoul, from ghoul to feral, from feral to dead. Once you hit a threshold, there is no reversing it. No cure. Once it is done, it is done, and you have to learn to manage it best as possible. The likeliness of a cure for being a ghoul, is extremely, EXTREMELY unlikely. The only reason I don't say it's impossible, is because it is fallout, and weirder things have been achieved.

Well, Faraday, I hear you ask, how do you know when you've hit a threshold? To that I say, you don't lol. Well, kind of. If you have geiger counter, then you'll know when you hit the first threshold of becoming a ghoul, as your counter will not stop ticking. But for most, who don't have one, you don't know until you start getting symptoms.

What are these symptoms, Faraday? There are many, the vary from person to person, ghoul to ghoul. The symptoms everyone gets are intense weight loss in the span of a short period of time with no change to diet, hair loss, bloodshot eyes, patches of unusually dry skin. The ones that vary are coughing, usually coughing up blood, becoming sickly, often ill with fevers, vomiting, shakes.

There are of course more, but these are the most common. Patches of this dry, rot like skin will most likely start on your hands, feet, or face, as those are the places most likely exposed to radiation first. Though, for me, it was my upper arm, as that is where I injected the experimental radiation drug. It starts where the radiation was first exposed and it spreads.

So you start seeing the signs that you are becoming a ghoul, is there anything you can do to slow the process? Actually yes. Radaway. BEFORE you go down a bunch of radaway, listen to me very closely, radiation is now your life force. Even if you are still in the very early process of becoming a ghoul, you are still a ghoul. Radaway will kill you if you take too much all at once. Radaway will make you even weaker, even sicker, but it will postpone the ghoulification process. It should only be done if you are in a genuinely unsafe place for ghouls to be, such as the Brotherhood of Steel, or Diamond City, to name a couple examples. You will have to be hooked to a radaway 24/7 to keep from becoming visibly a ghoul, but you want to hurry up and get away from that dangerous place as it can and will kill you.

The process can take anywhere from a week to multiple months depending on how long you keep up the radaway. You can probably go for over a year, but at a certain point it just isn't worth it to keep taking, it's only going to get worse and worse the longer you take it. The normal I'd reckon is a month or two.

When you reach a certain point of radiation intake, the initial ghoulification hell will be over. You will still have some aches and pains and some really bad days, but the main hurdle will be done and you'll feel pretty much how you did before becoming a ghoul. Yay. What now you ask? Well, anything. You might look different, but you have the same capacity of doing things as a human can. You're healing is different, but overall, you can keep doing what you were doing with little repercussions. You don't heal with stimpaks that well, so radiation will be your new healing method. Ghouls vary in how they look, hair loss if dependent on how much radiation they have in their system and how far along they are. No one keeps their hair, a rare few will keep facial hair, but most are bald as a cueball everywhere lol. You will not gain weight, there is no such thing as a big ghoul, or a muscular ghoul, you are thin, you look malnourished, and I don't think there are any exceptions. Some lose their nails, some don't, some become extremely rotted, some have very minimal rot, some pure black eyes, some are just bloodshot - looks vary from person to person, ghoul to ghoul. No experience or appearance will ever be exactly the same as anothers.

You will not catch diseases from animals or humans, your organs will not fail, cigs won't cause lung damaged, you will not feel things properly anymore (aka if you get shot it will be considerably less painful than it is supposed to be. You will be ""immortal"" - a term I use quite loosely since there are plenty of downsides to make up for ""immortality"".

To keep in mind, there are still 3 other thresholds. Radiation is your lifeforce, but too much of a good thing still exists. Too much will make you start going feral. How to prevent this is by have two days a year where you settle down, and take a radaway to flush your systems and reset things. It's going to be hell, it's going to feel like when you first became a ghoul, you are going to be fatigued, ill, and in a lot of pain. But it will be worth it to avoid going feral. Another thing, when you go into an extremely radiated place like the Glowing Sea, take a Rad-X. It won't flush your systems like a radaway, but it will limit how much radiation gets thrown into you.

How to tell if you are going feral? I honestly don't know too much. Amnesia, having big chunks of memory gone. Strange behavior. Headaches, twitching. I don't know what it feels like, but when friends went feral, that was seemingly the symptoms. Again, no cure, once you find out you are going feral, the best solution is to put yourself - or have someone else - out of your misery. To go feral is to become a zombie, it is better for everyone, including yourself, to just end it before it gets to bad.

Ferals don't live long, we all know this. You see one, you kill it, that's just how it goes. But they are capable of living a decently long time, like any ghoul. The final threshold is death, ferals can't do anything to stop radiation intact. If a bullet won't kill them, radiation will.

And yes, we could smell. Not too well, but we could still smell and breathe in through our noses before anyone asks.

I think that is about everything I can think of, if anyone has any questions I will do my damnedest to answer them.