#and understanding it properly can in turn help you understand more clearly the events of ! main story

[yume-fanfare]

well personally i think everyone should read performance. it should become a classic and i think everyone, regardless of how much they know about enstars, can enjoy it. go read performance now

[imbecominggayer]

Writing Traumatic Backstories

Hello,it's me again! Sorry for dissappearing, I wanted a short little break from Tumblr. Obviously, I should have clearly communicated that fact instead of just going cold turkey!

From @differentnighttale : "How do I write characters who deal with severe trauma and pain with sensitivity and understanding"

Obviously with our topic today, there is going to be mentions of traumatic events and such. I won't go into any graphic or specific details but I just wanted to make it clear with a trigger warning

Since this lovely asker is specifically asking about sensitivity, I won't be addressing other related concerns about writing trauma but just focusing on this clear sensitivity! GET READY CAUSE THIS IS LONG!

Step One: Specificity Is Everything

You need to understand that various different traumatic instances will have their own different reactions based around various different incidents depending on what exactly happened and how many times it happened.

In general, the more times something happened, the more likely it would be leave an imprint. Obviously this is an oversimplification for the sake of an explanation :)

For abuse situations and other person vs person situations:

Consider the relationship your character has with this abuser! Is it obsessive? Neglectful? Don't just say it was a bad relationship! Describe to yourself what behavior and attitude specifically made this an unhealthy situation.

Did the abuser use any repetitive imagery? Did they use a specific tool most often? Did the abuse center on something specific? This can help guide you towards what can "trigger" this character!

What are the long-term affects this abusive situation have on this character? Did it make them question and distrust their self-worth, their safety, their identity, their body, their stability? Anything?

Was this abuser always bad? I don't mean in the "good person gone bad" route! I mean "is this character always abusive"? Most abusers aren't horrible 24/7 and can have their better sweeter moments. This often leaves their victims confused since the victims know more then anyone that this person wasn't just plain evil.

For natural disasters and accidents:

Where is the blame? Is it nature herself? Themself for not being careful enough? A real legitimate person who genuinely caused this accident? An imaginary individual that had no relationship?

What is the specific fear that this situation ignites? Is it this crushing feeling of isolation as they were suffering with no expectation of help? Is it the realization that life is out of their control which keeps them awake at night? Is it the chaos of that day? The fear of regret? The fear of death?

Answering these questions can often illuminate different ways to approach a character's traumatic backstory in unique and interesting ways. It also highlights potential coping mechanisms for your character.

Step Two: What Exactly Is Trauma's Effect On The Brain?

Remember: The following analogy is an oversimplified explanation of trauma. Afterward, the science explain-y part will come in :)

Imagine that the brain is an archive system. It gathers memories and puts away those memories under certain files. Then, the traumatic event(s) happen. Suddenly, the brain is unable to properly understand this. This causes the boss prefrontal cortex turns off. Now, the assistant is forced to take over. This assistant doesn't know what to do so they just do what they always do! Unfortunately, this fails to pacify the threat. And now the brain is mixing up all of the trauma's documents in an effort to just shove it into a filing cabinet. It doesn't work. Now everything new that arrives in needs to try and work through the trauma documents which are taking up the place!

SCIENCE PART!

During traumatic events, the "fear circuity" is activated. This causes the prefrontal cortex or the "decision-maker" to function less effectively. This causes a person goes into auto-pilot mode where they follow social habits.

This is why a person in a traumatic situation will sometimes engage in polite behavior with their abuser in an effort to "save face" as they typically do in social situations!

These events often physically mpact the brain! Specifically, in relation to learning and survival!

Advice In Order To Avoid Common Tropes:

Trauma is a highly complicated subject that is highly individualized and messy. But here are some "no fly" lists which often lead to traumatized characters appearing inauthentic and real traumatized people insulted.

Don't solve trauma in one conversation or one event. Working through trauma is ultimately about "moving on" in the sense of constantly moving forward but not leaving the trauma behind.

Don't romanticize certain coping mechanism. Oftentimes, media will have a hypersexual girl who learned to be hypersexual for trauma reasons. But this character doesn't exist so we can understand them. They exist for sexual appeal and tragedy brownie points.

Only include traumatic events if you can handle exploring them. If you aren't willing to deal with the implications of a certain backstory or serious mid-story event, don't write it in there.

Don't make it entirely resolved by the end. Recovery isn't about learning to "get rid" of the affect trauma has on someone. It's about working with those issues so you can learn to not drown in your issues.

Don't make the journey linear. Have your character relapse into bad unhealthy behavior. Make them have to struggle to relearn the same lessons again and again. It'll make the journey far more interesting and realistic.

Don't make bad coping mechanism black and white. Bad coping mechanisms were necessary once upon a time. They are good tools that have lived past their usefulness but they aren't illogical or evil.

Don't excuse bad behavior. Traumatic backstories offer an explanation of a character's behaviors but it doesn't make a character's actions okay.

They aren't just traumatic backstory. Oftentimes, they only thing we ever learn about a character is their deep issues and facade. But real traumatized people aren't just defined by the bad things that happen to them. They had dreams, goals, and friends that aren't pure tragedy.

They are people. While people are definitely defined by their trauma, don't make them think only of their trauma. People with sad backstories aren't more special then people who don't. They have stupidly weird behaviors, they have hobbies that aren't related to their issues. Don't make them think of just the bad stuff.

[cocogum]

The Great Wave - Chapter 7 Review

‼️SPOILERS FOR THE CHAPTER‼️

Warning(s): unhinged behavior, fat shaming, unnecessary use of foul language, osamodas slander

This chapter made the stupid decision to edge me.

We come back to Yugo having an episode from the poison he just drank and he is going through it hard.

My guy is coughing up blood, eyes are turning red, body is shaking like a mad man, screaming in agony, and his wakfu antlers are even going crazy…

To top it all off, he’s now having a series of igniting explosions because of the dofus residing in him. Like you can’t make this shit up, my guy is literally creating explosions from the inside out. Look at the damages.

(damn, amalia is carrying this whole banquet. look at her saving these ppl what a queen ✨)

Which clown decided it was a good idea to poison a demigod in charge of six dofus and expect nothing abnormal or deadly to happen?????

Oh yeah, the blue-skinned cows.

I don’t care what anyone says. The osamodas family was in charge of the poison attempt, I don’t care if it was that Sadida woman’s idea since it’s obvious she’d know more about poisoning. The osamodas are at fault, the osamodas king told Aurora that they should wait and let them enjoy this last happy occasion. He also told Aurora that they knew about the marriage but weren’t invited?? Come on, they’re clearly at fault here!! They’re the ones who told the Sadida servant to do something about it and she improvised! But what these two bozos didn’t know, was how it would backfire on them. This is stupid to think about because they KNEW Yugo wasn’t a normal person. Poisoning Yugo is like trying to poison a deadly cobra. Or in this case, A FUCKING DEMIGOD. Either way, you’re gonna get jumped.

Like, OF COURSE Yugo’s gonna have a freakout and fuck shit up when his body had been messed with a deadly substance.

OF COURSE, he’s gonna hurt a lot of people around him if he’s around anyone.

OF COURSE, he won’t fucking die cuz of his divinity status.

OF COURSE, he’ll start ruining the kingdom these two fucking dumbasses want for no reason.

You can’t make this shit up.

These two are so bad at being villains, they don’t even know what the fuck they’re doing to people they don’t bother knowing more about. They don’t even know who their target is.

After understanding what kind of poison Yugo drank, which was the belladone, we now know why Amalia knew what was in the cup. She probably recognized the smell of it.

Amalia: “Adamaï…The belladone is the worst of poisons…”

According to how she describes it, this poison is so deadly that it kills the person or animal who drinks it in under ten seconds. The victim first drinks it and then foams at the mouth before collapsing and dying.

We’ve seen the same thing happen in another era of the World of Twelve and that was back in the Cire Momore backstory which was an event around the Dofus era.

The daughter of a queen tried poisoning her for all the suffering she’s endured and had the help of a painter to do it.

Gustave (painter): “I found the berries at the exact place you indicated.”

Princess: “Perfect. Do not forget to carefully wash your hands. The belladone is highly toxic.”

Based on this passage alone, we’ve learned that the belladone are purple berries that are so toxic, that they can even damage you if you don’t properly wash your hands after you pick them.

After that, during the banquet, the princess secretly poured the poison into her mother’s wine. But just before she could drink it, her dog suddenly jumped at her, causing her to drop the wine, which made the pet drink it from the ground instead.

The results were exactly what you expected to happen.

Once the dog drank it, he foamed at the mouth and collapsed, immediately dying from the drink.

So when we compare this instance to what happened to Yugo, we can see a huge difference.

Unlike what happened to the dog (or any mortal), Yugo is still standing but is terribly shaking, coughing blood, and having an episode. His body is trying to get the poison out of his system by coughing but his body is still alive.

The only thing Yugo can say while in this situation is “It hurts”. My guy is in severe pain but he’s still breathing, I don’t think anyone in the history of the krosmoz has ever taken the poison like this, let alone a divinity of all people.

Yugo: “Sor…ry. The…pain.”

Bro even has the time to say sorry while kneeling on the ground and holding his stomach. He’s literally at death’s door, grasping for life, his body trying and struggling to reject the poison, and he still finds the time to apologize for something that wasn’t even his fault.

What a chad.

Amalia: “Yugo…He should already be…”

Adamaï: “My brother isn’t like everyone! He possesses the six primordial eliatrope dofus, if he manages to take hold of himself, then he can take it…”

Even Amalia is shocked that Yugo is still breathing. But Adamaï over here is telling her that he WILL survive this if he can perfectly control it with the eliatrope dofus.

And we all know how that ended up for him the last time he used them…

So Adamaï flies in and takes Yugo away from the banquet before he actually hurts somebody.

Adamaï: “Yugo, you have to focus. Or else you’ll destroy your kingdom or end up killing someone!”

But bro is not listening cuz the second Adamaï pulls him up, dude just overcharged himself before exploding AGAIN.

JUST LOOK AT THE DAMAGE!! THAT LITERALLY LOOKS LIKE A CRATER!! You can even see how perfect the circle looks from this shot.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment you’ve all been waiting for.

AMALIA FUCKING GROWING SOME BALLS AND JUMPING ON THE OSAMODAS.

Nah cuz this scene was what we needed! THIS was the moment we wanted to see ever since that blue-skinned woman started breathing in front of our screens!!

As soon as Yugo caused another explosion, this was it for the stupid clown ‘royal’ family. They signed their death sentences and Amalia is fed up with their bullshit.

Cuz trying to make her marry one of their relatives, being disrespected by them while her brother did nothing, getting told to leave her home and kingdom, being told that she should be replaced, sure she could manage all that.

She can take it. But seeing her husband being poisoned like that on the same day that a wedding was supposed to happen AND having the osamodas randomly being there to witness it, was the last straw before she finally fucking snaps.

She had just lost her whole family in a short period, she wasn’t going to lose her husband to some clowns.

(Also what the fuck were they thinking of poisoning her husband when she had already lost so much?? Did they really think this whole thing wasn’t going to backfire on them??? What a bunch of amateurs.)

And look at them just standing there looking 😮😱😱😱😧😮 LIKE OF COURSE SHE WAS GONNA KILL Y’ALL, YOU BOTH LOOK LIKE THE ODD ONES OUT HERE ‼️‼️

They even looked caught off guard when they saw Yugo causing explosions.

You got Aurora over here with her dumb ugly bat pet looking all shocked, covering her mouth as if she was surprised to find out her dad’s shenanigans wouldn’t work. And then you got animal king over here realizing he fucked up.

And right when they get confronted for their repetitive bullshit, they see literal death looking back at them with the most bloodthirsty eyes they had ever seen before.

Amalia’s so pretty in this shot ready to rip them apart 🥰🥰

Like yes queen, cut them to pieces, we’re about to have a barbecue 🤤🤤

As soon as they get caught red-handed, that’s when they suddenly turn soft and act like victims.

Fatty: “Stay back my daughter, this girl has lost her mind.”

“StAy bAcK mY DAUghTEr, ThIs gIrL hAs-“

Shut yo dumbass up little boy you knew something like this would’ve happened stop playing with me.

He’s over here acting like a random passerby when a second ago he told Aurora that they should wait a little more for something to happen.

So when he gets cornered by the very same girl who he had disrespected and ignored in Season 4 and wanted to be replaced so his useless trophy daughter can take the throne, now she’s suddenly “lost her mind”???

Fuck you.

Amalia: “YOU MONSTERS! I WAS READY TO CONFIDE YOU MY KINGDOM!”

Fatty: “I don’t know what you’re imagining, girl, but…”

That useless fat fuck KEEPS PLAYING THE CARD VICTIM EVEN WHEN SHE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO BLAME HIM.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

WTF IS WRONG WITH THEM?!!?

She has EVERY RIGHT and he’s over here HEARING HER say that she was ready to give him the kingdom but this fatso is too high up his own ass to hear her cuz he’s still delusional and telling her he didn’t do shit. Even when she was this close to giving it to him, this guy was not budging from the victim card.

If I could spit at anyone in my life, it’d be him. What a sad excuse of a man. I bet my own kidney Chibi can take him in a fight.

This is literally my favourite panel of this WHOLE volume so far.

Amalia: “You poisoned my husband.”

I love it so much ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

LIKE YES FUCKING KILL THEM RIP THEM APART THEY’RE JUST STANDING THERE LIKE PROCESSED MEAT READY TO BE CUT‼️‼️‼️‼️

DO IT ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

I just love how the more Amalia becomes enraged, the more her speech bubbles tremble and shake, implying that she’s slowly but surely becoming more unhinged and losing it.

Fatty: “Crazy girl…”

Takes one to know one, bitch.

This chapter genuinely edged me, I WANNA SEE SOME BLOOD ALREADY‼️‼️

YOU’RE CO CLOSE JUST KILL THEM‼️‼️‼️‼️

DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DOT IT DO IT DO IT-

I PRAY that these poor excuses of antagonists DO NOT appear in volume 2. The chapter cover of the tenth chapter only features the Sadida servant who poisoned Yugo and she looks completely calm, almost like Yugo’s explosions and Amalia and Aurora’s fight have calmed down.

SO PLEASE TOT PLEASE DON’T PUT THEM ANYWHERE ELSE ANYMORE.

Seasons 3, and 4, and the great wave’s first volume are already enough. So cut it out. Let me have a day where I don’t get a migraine just thinking about what kind of dumbassery these fake osamodas will do in the next chapter.

[sweeteaacakes]

I pulled for the Leviathan's 「Childish Jealousy」 and got him in one try TToTT) I was honestly expecting his artifact... but I'm glad. Because I'm curious how the story goes.

This is so controversial due to to when they released the game... and Leviathan's method by manipulating MC's memory... Like the seraph's christmas event, it's clearly not for everyone and it turns away people who doesn't have context.

What I'm saying is, it's okay if it's not your type. You're totally valid. I can see why it's problematic for some people. But there are those who have seen the context so please try to understand their point of view too ^^)

First, the thing I like about this event is we got more about the presentation of the sins. Wrath, Greed, Gluttony and their purposes. I'm curious about Lust, Sloth and Pride. It's curious how Leviathan sees his domain in negative light unlike the other sins.

There's a saying that feeling "jealousy/envy means you value that something that you wish to possess them so much". It's just a matter how you execute it. Whether to ruin yourself or othe others. Or to strive to do better to obtain it.

Anyways! Moving on! I'm glad we got a glimpse of MC's backstory.

I was questioning whether the terrible things happening that day, other than MC clumsiness, is due to Leviathan by how the other students treats her but even him have not much power inside the dream without risking to break both of their mind.

So our MC here is not only clumsy but also bullied;;;

Thank you, grandpa from sky above for giving us Minhyeok. Now I can understand more about their relationship.

Third... The writing... it had me wheezing. He's the personification of "When I was born, I congratulated my parents..." copypasta 😭

I'm gonna be honest. Leviathan's mind process always makes me laugh... maybe it's because I'm a lax-thinker and his cold-aggressiveness is too funny.

My only turn of from this event is the prolouge rushed on the 18+ scene? I know in every prolouge we end with the start of it but it would be nice if MC had realized they are on a dream instead of still being a highschool student and Leviathan is their childhood bestfriend.

Maybe it would eliminate the controversy? TT-TT)

Like, it's right theeeere! Leviathan could easily make MC shut up about Minhyeok for a while by thiiiisss.

We could argue MC is at the last year of highschool. Which is can be possibly 18! Especially since the memory is pretty recent...

That's my only turn off tbh

So, yeah, this is pretty dub-con and is not for everyone...

Overall... I'd say for Leviathan whose childhood was taken away, a moment of, let's say, normality like in human world can help him ease a bit and is a good thing for him.

When he wasn't thinking about what to do to imitate Minhyeok, he was pretty wholesome ngl. His superiority and irritation was never gone but he is more carefree.

Anyways, everyone on their opinion. It sucks PB didn't really gave a specific timeline so we can only assume MC is 18 here so it's better to not go to others if they like it.

Everyone are entitled in their opinion and we, as an adult, can settle this properly.

EDIT:

Finally unlocked the part two.

MC turned adult in the second part of the story. They still believe Leviathan is their childhood friend tho.

And they're jealous because he is more experienced than him, which fuels our King of Envy.

I first labeled Leviathan as a kuudere because of how cold he is treating MC. Now he never gonna beat that tsundere allegations. You're on your own, Levi.

so, that's it. that's all. time to write a fanfic because I can see more layers of possible fluff in this mille-feuille pastry.

[mlemedt]

Powerless- Lauren Roberts

💛💛💛💛🤍(4/5)

This was one of those books where you fall so fervently in love that nothing can stop you turning the page, but every part of you aches because you're closer to finishing it.

I have put off writing this review for so long, because words fail to encapsulate how I felt reading it.

⚔

This was my first taste of 'booktok' and I'm surprised to say it didn't disappoint. It was well-written and perfectly paced, with convincing protagonists and compelling world building. The only area of literary facet that it perhaps lacked, was in that deeper commentary, but as I've said before this isn't necessary or even fitting in every book.

---------------------------------Discussion---------------------------------

My love for this book is inexplicable. I can't explain why I loved it so much. It hardly followed any of my usual interests and didn't have the commentary of 'In Memoriam,' which is the last book that made me feel like this. I shouldn't have liked it. Yet I craved it.

My only critique of this book was that some side characters felt a little one dimensional. Particularly Blair. She's immediately introduced as a bitch with little explanation why other than her cold demeanour. I think we're meant to dislike her because she is a rival love interest, but this portrayal is just so typical I couldn't hate her for it. She also has some unexplainable vendetta against Paedyn, which presumably is to do with Kai's attentions, but she just failed to be an interesting and believable character. I thought this was quite intriguing because Roberts actually displayed a pretty high level of emotional intelligence regarding the main protagonists. They were multi-faceted and had human motivations and emotional responses in all the appropriate situations that made them really convincing. I think that's why I liked this book so much. The complex to and fro of emotion that some authors can spend decades trying to imitate.

⚔

This was certainly the quickest I read half a thousand pages and immediately bought the next book, however I noticed some of the reviews when I did.

Some wanted greater attention on the resistance and the trials rather than the love story, and I'd agree to an extent. My initial opinion on this book was that it was very 'Hunger Games -esque,' but whereas in the Hunger Games the threat of the Games and the Capitol constantly looms, the Trials felt a lot less intimidating. The rules of the Trials weren't properly established clearly and concisely, whereas in the Hunger Games we always knew only one could survive which made the story incredibly compelling. The Second Trial too, was also a little underwhelming with little happening for the magnitude of the event. I also think Roberts could've benefited in escalating the threat of the Trials by adding more competitors, then also, more characters can be injured, with little consequence to the story, during the Trials and properly highlight the brutality of this system and how dangerous this event actually is. Very quickly the Trials were reduced to all familiar characters, which took away some of the mystery of the event. With a large group of allies there isn't as much danger, and I could tell they weren't going to turn on each other. The impact of the Trials simply simmered out quite quickly. However, the Trials weren't actually a huge part of the novel and I wasn't upset about it. I think it definitely would've elevated the novel if the Trials held a greater impact, but I was reading for the romance and simply the existence of the Trials helped elevate the emotions in that relationship.

⚔

--------------------------------Conclusions--------------------------------

To summarise, I understand the complaints surrounding this book, and I agree it could've been better, but it was already incredibly emotionally in tune, and that was what kept me reading.

♥♥♥

-Gaia

(I'm slightly concerned this series is about to become my new personality.)

⚠Content Warnings⚠

-Mild language

-Violence (Rarely graphic)

[leaderoffestivals]

CROSS FIRE: Fist and Fist Ch 1

Madara: Hmmm~. So, they’re training as a pair, huh? They look like they’re having fun, aren’t they? 

Jun: —And, why’re you looking at me?

Scenario Writer: Kino Seitarou (with Akira) Season: Summer Characters: Kiryu Kuro, Mikejima Madara, Nagumo Tetora, Sazanami Jun, Otogari Adonis  Proofed by: @ryuseipuka, Skyress

Madara: Well then, Kuro-san. I’d like to clearly establish the details of our match one last time. 

The match will be held four days from now, in the afternoon.

This activity will be part of the events lined up to promote BUTOUKAI, so there’ll be some filming on-site, but other than that, the rules will follow those of the actual CROSS FIRE bouts. 

The use of weapons is prohibited. Attacks to the back of the head and vital areas are prohibited. Biting and scratching are prohibited too, but other than that, anything goes. 

The player who KO's his opponent in 10 rounds wins—Do you have objections to any of that?

Kuro: Nope, I’m down with all that. Ya better take good care of yerself so you don’t get hurt, you hear? 

Madara: Hahaha! That’s my line, you knowww!

You would have a slight advantage if it were just martial arts, Kuro-san. However, this is Mixed Martial Arts. Any technique is allowed… … so that means my chances of winning will be pretty high too!

Do be careful not to let your guard down!

Jun: Woah~. The air between the both of them’s just crackling with tension, isn’t it~?

I didn’t expect everything would turn out as Nagumo-kun had hoped for, but I’m really looking forward to the actual showdown!

Adonis: Fufu~. It looks like there’s a storm of sparks flying between them, but they do seem to be enjoying themselves too. 

I never thought the two of them would have such a connection arising from the Dragon King Competition from way back then. Watching them carry out that historic battle once again will certainly be a highlight among the events.

Tetora: My thoughts exactly~!

Everyone will have three days to prepare. How you spend your time starting from today is up to you, which means that the battle has already begun!

And that’s why, Taisho! If there’s anything you’d like me to help out with in training, please don’t hesitate to approach me to be your partner!

This is a real big match that’ll affect the prestige of the Karate Club after all, so I’ll do my very best to support you! 

Kuro: I really appreciate that. Then, I wanna practise some chokehold and ground techniques. Would ya mind being my partner fer those?

I’m no good at applying those skills. If I’m unable to execute ‘em properly, I won’t be able to fight in an MMA battle, right?  

Tetora: Ossu! If that’s what you wanna do, Taisho, I don’t mind undergoing a little hardship!

Kuro: Here I go then. Let’s go all out, Tetsu… …! HAA—!

Tetora: OWAH!—Ow-OW-OW! Give, GIVE! (1)

Madara: Hmmm~. So, they’re training as a pair, huh? They look like they’re having fun, aren’t they? 

Jun: —And, why’re you looking at me?

Madara: Fufu~n! Isn’t it obvious? Since the Karate duo are practising together, I’m gonna have to find practice partners of my own too~. 

However, all that’s left here are inexperienced hands. There’s just no way I can force Adonis-san to take on all the burden of training with me alone—

You do understand what I’m getting at, don’t you~?

Jun: Nope. You do know no one will recklessly go along with you just because you tell them to, don’t you~?

Wouldn’t it be better to train with someone you’re already familiar with? Plus, I think it would be a good idea to have the Track and Field Team be the ones going up against the Karate Club, don’t you?

Madara: If that’s the case, the Track and Field Team wouldn't stand a chance. Fighting isn't our speciality, after all?

We would need more manpower to gain the upper hand over our opponents. I’d be very grateful if you could help out with that!

Adonis: I agree with Senpai, too. 

If Mikejima-senpai and I were to form a two-man team by ourselves, that means Sazanami would be left all alone. 

We’re muscle-training buddies, aren’t we? I don’t want you to be the only one left on your own. 

Jun: Haa~. I’m real sorry to have caused you to worry about me like that. Since you’ve gone and put it that way, I guess there’s no choice but for me to help out, after all!

Madara: Yes! It’ll really be a big help me too, Jun-san. 

Jun-san’s an avid manga reader, so you’d have a wealth of knowledge from fighting and delinquent manga. It’ll be very reassuring to receive all sorts of advice from you~ ♪ 

Jun: No, no way. I don’t think my knowledge of manga will be of any help in your situation, you know~? They’re just unrealistic techniques and theories that are probably nowhere near legit at all—

But then again~, this is for the sake of our much-anticipated Shuffle Unit after all, so why not pull out all the stops?  

It’d be such a let-down if Kiryu-senpai were to one-sidedly dominate the match. If we could add some colour to liven up that practice match of BUTOUKAI’s, we can probably expect the viewership ratings to increase, won’t we? 

Haha~! To think I’m actually using words like ‘increase viewership ratings’ when I’m really clueless about how to go about doing it. If Ibara—who’s an expert in that field—were to hear me, he’d probably burst out laughing, huh~?

Madara: Nope. They may be amateur ideas, but even so, that is the work that’s expected of us. 

We’ll make up for that lack with enthusiasm! Let’s get started with training right away, Inexperienced Trio! 

Jun: EH~! Is that really what we’re calling our trio?!

Well, whatever. It doesn’t matter what we call ourselves; I’ll get to watch a red-hot battle either way. 

There’s really no telling how all of this will turn out—the success of this Shuffle Project is riding on us! 

Let’s show our opponents everything we’ve got~, Mikejima-senpai! Otogari-san!

Madara / Adonis: Yeah! 

—————-To be continued——————-

Chapter 7  /  Chapter 9

Translator’s Note:  

In wrestling sports, a player will say 'give’ (short for ‘I give up’) to surrender to his opponent when unable to escape from submission holds, chokes and armbars.

[kinmokusei-stars]

IT'S FINALLY DONE!! ♡＼(￣▽￣)／♡

I've been working on this lovely template for DAYS, I really love how it turned out!

Before I get into Inu/Kou's relationship, credit to the person who made the original template! It's such a cute template and there are a lot of lovely colors to chose from! I used the transparent version but added a background and shifted some of the colors to fit better! I definitely recommend, but be sure to read the rules if you do use! 💚

Kouko and Inuyasha's relationship can best be described as balance.

They started off essentially indifferent to each other even if they were on the same team, though bickering about small things like bugs and other minor things did still happen, they weren't exactly close for a long time, even if Kouko had a base of respect for Inuyasha fullbred demons never got close to getting from her. For a long time, she was just another member of the team to him, nothing more, nothing less.

Things changed near entirely when after a massive confrontation with Kikyo, Kouko followed Inuyasha out to where he was trying to recuperate, from the event, and instead of beckoning him back to the group, offered him out a bowl of warm soup, and sits to give her condolences to how things played out between the two of them.

That was the first spark of compassion between the two, and it really just went from there. Though they still had funny moments, seeing more of Inuyasha's story and being able to find ways to sympathize and connect with him through talking through grief gave her a new outlook on him, and him somebody who finally recognized and understood just how deeply he was effected by his loss.

Kouko is essentially his opposite, being stoic and mellow, she's incredibly emotionally intelligent, even if she's stubborn in her goal of finding the demon who killed her family and lets herself get caught up in it from time to time to give herself some sort of purpose. She's both passionate and intuitive, though sometimes her past will get the better of her, and she'll hit a rough spot.

These rough spots usually end up in her falling into wondering if continuing her journey is worth it, and during those times, she tends to be a lot more quiet and isolated while she starts having second thoughts.

But during her most recent one after the confrontation with Kikyo, the tables turned, and though he was begrudging, Inuyasha sat down next to her while she was lost in thought fishing, and asked her what was wrong. Once she said she was considering giving up, he had to sit there surprised for a moment, before essentially confidently listing off every reason he could think of that she should keep hunting.

Her reassuring his feelings and him keeping her fire ablaze started their bonding even stronger than before, and though it was slow at first, they bit by bit build up a foundation of understanding and trust.

And then feelings started. And oh my god was it messy. LMAO

Neither were exactly sure where they very first started, though it definitely made things odd for a good while. They had already started looking at eachother in a different light after helping eachother in tough moments, but to suddenly have thoughts of romance come into the equation? It left them floundering for a good month or two.

Kouko hadn't properly had anybody romantically in ages, and clearly Inuyasha was, mentally at least, fresh out of losing Kikyo, plus a couple other factors? It was a clumsy situation.

For a while, they agreed to try and keep it silent and not let it effect them or act on it. But obviously that didn't work forever.

Down the line, now that they are officially together, their bond is intense, and Inuyasha is the fire to Kouko's water. She keeps him grounded and feeling secure, and he keeps her passionate and ready to take on life, they bring out the best in each other, and in general have a mellow, sweet relationship.

She never blames him for still loving Kikyo, she understands that it's still a fresh wound to him, she's not upset or sad over it in the slightest, after all, it's not as if she didn't know the situation beforehand. Just as he won't judge her over her past, she won't judge him over his, the most she'll do is help ease his mind about the whole matter, and assure him that it's normal for him to still feel that way. Any reassurance he needs, she'll give him, and that's a two way street.

That being said, they aren't the most publicly affectionate. The most they're seen doing when around the others is holding hands, and even that's only on occasion, but that doesn't mean they're not close in private. It's fairly often that Kouko will discreetly wave him over to come sleep next to her, and they'll wake up cuddled up (Check the image for spoon placements LMAO) in the morning before going back to venturing like usual.

Someday after all Naraku is defeated, they'll likely settle down, but for now, they're still running around. They'll get there someday LMAO

𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴:

"Dizzy on The Comedown - Turnover"

01:23 ━━━━●───── 03:43

ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ

---˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹❀♡❀˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹---

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Books I've read so far in 2023!

Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!

___

88. Under the Iron Bridge by Kathy Kacer--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

UNDER THE IRON BRIDGE was an understandably difficult read, especially since it explores one of the worst crimes against humanities in living history.

I can't even imagine what it would have been like to live in a society where people were clearly being indoctrinated and brainwashed and feeling powerless to not become a part of that problem. The way the MC's classmates talked about their "leader" and how the lessons in their "youth program" were so inspiring and eye opening was so deeply disturbing. This book isn't for the faint of heart, especially because even though the MC is incredibly against the regime and is actively trying to escape it, the dialogue and indoctrination that he witnesses is sickening.

This is a very important read, I believe. The discomfort I felt while reading this is a good reason enough (for me) to recommend it because history can be uncomfortable and sometimes that's the best way to avoid repeating it.

___

89. The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan--⭐️⭐️⭐️

THE MAZE OF BONES was a fun read! I can see why it was so popular when it first came out, especially since it was a semi-interactive mystery book.

This was also darker than I was anticipating and I kind of loved that.

I will definitely be checking out the rest because I need to get some answers 👀

___

90. Parting Shot by Linwood Barclay--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I made the mistake of jumping into this book without seeing if it was the first in a series or nah. Turns out it's book four, aha, and although it pretty much spoiled the events of the previous books, I'm looking forward to being properly introduced to the main characters!

With all of that being said, though, I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit! Like always, I loved the twists that Barclay wrote and the mystery behind the whole thing. Especially those last few chapters.

It took me a bit to get into PARTING SHOT, but I would still recommend it. There's just such an addicting quality to these books--the mystery of it all, the suspense, the twists. So fun and perfect for summer!

___

91. The False Prince by Jennifer E. Nielsen--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First of all, I can't get over the fact that this is a middle grade book???? This is such a mature and dark read that I wouldn't have been surprised to see it in the YA section. I'll definitely be recommending this one to the older middle grade and younger young adult readers!

I don't know what I was expecting when I first started THE FALSE PRINCE. It had been sitting on my shelves for years and I finally picked it up, thankfully. This was such a fun read! I love the trope of prepping someone to be a fake anything of power. It was fun and the sassiness gave it an extra edge I wasn't expecting.

I highly recommend this one, especially if you like quick fantasy novels that feature an MC you can't help but root for, and a twist that isn't entirely unpredictable, but is still a hell of a lot of fun to get to!

___

92. Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White--⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I listened to this as an audiobook and I won't lie, I had to restart it because my mind was wandering everywhere during my first listen. While this book was enjoyable and features incredibly important topics, something about it just didn't pull me in as much as I was hoping it would.

First off, extreme trigger warning for anyone who has religious trauma. The cultish dialogue and beliefs of these religious characters was so jarring and uncomfortable. Their erasure of the MC's identity because it didn't align with their God's beliefs made me so uncomfortable, and although I know this was the point of using this controversial topic, it made me contemplate DNFing. But then I remembered that discomfort in this context is good because it's further forcing me to feel some modicum of discomfort that real-life people actually feel in their very real lives experiencing very similar forms of oppression and erasure.

I did find it fascinating how the literal monster that the first male MC is turning into could be a metaphor for how the world might view his real identity and not just the person they hide behind the mask. But his old life would rather keep him as the monster than as who he truly is. That aspect of the novel was genius and a perfect juxtaposition to the MC's desire to just be who they are (even if it means eventually accepting who he is becoming.)

The second MC was a character with Autism and while I am not well-versed in the topic, I absolutely adore reading characters with Autism. White has their second main character stimming and finding ways to cope when he's over-stimulated, and I loved seeing those honest and vulnerable moments.

The plot had its fun moments and even though the story was full of heavy imagery and messages, I think they all worked well together to make this a gritty story. I'd recommend it (especially because I know some people absolutely loved this), but be wary of the trigger warnings.

___

93. The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Okay, the level of cuteness and representation in this book was, phew.

I was first a little wary of this one because it sounded almost too cute to be true. And then I started it (after promptly forgetting what the synopsis was about) and YESSSS, I'm so glad I finally picked it up!!!! I loved it so, so much!

First, I loved that we had a dual perspective because I enjoy being able to see both sides of a story, rather than seeing the MC freak out about a potential miscommunication. Both characters were so rounded and offered so much to the story that I simply can't imagine this book without either of their POVs.

Secondly, I loved the representation of mental health! It was candid and didn't shy away from the very real anxiety that exists when faced with social pressures, or the reality of when someone is emotionally overwhelmed and struggles with their depression for days at a time. It was heart-rending and so honest that I couldn't help but want to hug these characters.

Finally, I loved the chemistry between the two characters. I love reading books where the characters are obviously falling in love, but are completely unaware of it until it slaps them in the face. It's fun because you can then yell at whichever MC has completely missed the fact that they're in love. It's strangely therapeutic.

I loved this book so much. From the fun setting, to the memorable friends and side characters, this book was just full of fun from the beginning to the end! (Even with some slightly less intense spicy scenes!)

___

Have you read any of these books? Let me know your thoughts!

___

Happy reading!

[defenceparmanu]

SSB Interview Tips: Proven Techniques for Aspirants

Preparing for an interview with the Service Selection Board (SSB) is an important step in getting selected for the Indian Armed Forces. It's not just about knowledge and skill, but the ability to properly demonstrate your skills. Below are some tried and tested methods to increase your chances of appearing in the SSB interview as part of the training provided by the Best SSB Coaching Institute in Dehradun - Parmanu Defence Academy: 

1. Understand the SSB Procedure

Before you start your preparation, you need to know the SSB process. The SSB interview consists of several stages including screening tests, psychological tests, group discussion and personal interview. Knowing each step will help you plan properly and avoid surprises.

2. Enhance Communication Skills

Speaking clearly and effectively is important during the SSB interview. Work on improving your language skills, including ways to talk and pronunciation. Practice speaking on different topics to make your communication skills strong. Remember, it's not just about what you say, but how you say it.

3. Develop Leadership Qualities

The army is looking for people who can lead. Engage in activities that enhance your ability to lead and inspire others. Focus on group discussions and assignments to demonstrate leadership and team management skills.

4. Stay Physically Fit

Physical fitness is also an important part of the SSB interview. Exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient rest are important. Take part in sports and outdoor activities to build steadiness and strength, showing your enthusiasm for the rigors of military life.

5. Practice Problem-Solving and Decision-Making

During the psychological tests and group tasks, you have to enhance your problem-solving and decision-making abilities. Practice exercises that challenge your analytical thinking and require quick, effective decisions. 

6. Stay Updated with Current Affairs

It is important to have good knowledge about national and international events. Read newspapers, follow news channels, and discuss current affairs. This knowledge not only helps during the interview but also shows your knowledge and interest in the world around you.

7. Personality Development

The purpose of the SSB interview is to assess your personality traits. Take time to reflect and work on areas you feel need improvement. Develop a positive attitude, patience, and ability to face stress.

8. Mock Interviews and Feedback

Participate in mock interviews to simulate the real SSB experience. Seek feedback from mentors and peers to identify your strengths and weaknesses. At the Parmanu Defense Academy, candidates participate in interview sessions under expert guidance to refine their performance.

Leading SSB Coaching Institute in Dehradun - Parmanu Defence Academy

At Parmanu Defense Academy, we are committed to providing comprehensive training to prepare you for all aspects of the SSB interview. Our experienced instructors and state-of-the-art facilities ensure that you receive the best possible preparation. We focus on developing your physical, mental, and emotional abilities and equip you with the necessary skills to crack the SSB interview and beyond.

Our SSB coaching programs are specially designed to meet the unique needs of each applicant and make a learning environment that encourages growth and confidence. With a proven track record of successful Indian Defence Services officers, Parmanu Defense Academy stands for excellence in defence exam training. We also provide online classes of our SSB course. For more information contact us at +91 8445901901, +91 7078552552 or you can leave us an email at info@parmanudefence.com. 

Start your journey with Parmanu Defense Academy and turn your dreams into achievements. With the right guidance and commitment, the path to a successful career in the field is possible.

[helpistolethesecharacters]

Love Conquers All

Zuko x Male Reader

Word Count: 1856

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

Y/n could understand where Zuko was coming from, but he knew he wouldn't be surprised if it didn't go as well as he had perhaps envisioned.

It was all very well and good that he had finally found his way, but he had hurt the Avatars group a fair bit before finding his way. Y/n also knew that as someone who had been a part of Zuko's attempts to hurt them, he had no leg to stand on in helping smooth the situation over. He hadn't been as single-minded in his focus on capturing the Avatar, but he had only cared because Zuko cared.

He didn't think that would matter to them, but then, Y/n didn't particularly care one way or the other how they felt about him. The only person who mattered to him was Zuko. Well, and Iroh, but that was a given of anyone who had met the calm old man.

When they made it to the kids campsite Y/n hung back, staying by the exit. It wasn't that he didn't trust them not to ambush him and Zuko, oh wait, it was that. Never mind.

Y/n watched the exchange carefully. He could feel it in the air mere seconds before she struck.

Faster than their eyes could follow, Y/n moved. By the time that everyone had caught up with the events, Y/n was standing in front of Zuko, sheathing his sword after having deflected Katara's water whip.

Silence reigned for a single heartbeat. Then Katara shrieked in outrage.

"How dare you!"

Y/n was sure she was still speaking, but he had a habit of being selectively deaf when it most benefited him.

And then, with almost no warning she was throwing water at him with increasingly wild movements.

It was no match for Y/n's technique.

It wasn't common knowledge, in fact, he had hidden it for most of his life, but Y/n was an airbender.

Yeah, literally the biggest lie in their world was that there were no more airbenders. The Air Nomads had had the practice of removing non-benders from their society and giving them to the other kingdoms.

What they didn't know was that all it took was for the right circumstances to happen and suddenly you had airbenders in the descendants of those non-benders.

It didn't change much ultimately, they were so few that they wouldn't ever be considered a threat to anyone, not that the Air Nomads had been when the Fire Nation had attacked them a hundred years ago.

What it all came down to, was a confused child suddenly developing powers that no one was able to control anymore.

Luckily for Y/n, the only person who had been around the first time he had bended was Zuko. As secrets tend to do, it had bound the two closer together than anyone would have thought ever since that day.

It was a loyalty that had seen Y/n stowing away on the ship Zuko had been banished on, and one that had been returned by Zuko had never once considered that the apparently Fire Nation child could be the reborn Avatar.

What it came down to, was that Katara was having no luck besting Y/n. Much as he wanted to put her in her place properly, Y/n knew that what they were trying to accomplish here would be hurt by that. From the looks of things though, they might have lost that chance.

Y/n stayed on the defensive, letting her tire herself out instead of outright attacking. He was worried about the look the Avatar was giving him though. That wide eyed expression couldn't mean anything good for his secret. He had always known that it would come out eventually, but he had hoped it would last longer than this dammit!

"Katara stop!"

The kid was trying to get in between then now, but the water tribe girl was apparently past the point of caring. She was just not backing down.

"Wait, I wanna talk to him!"

"No! They need to get out of here and never come back!"

Y/n was sure that her words might have been more intimidating if she weren't so clearly out of her league. He decided to ignore the voice in the back of his head that whispered that if he had used even half of his abilities properly before this they might have caught the Avatar long ago.

The element of surprise couldn't be taken for granted after all, and judging from the kid's reaction just now, all they would have had to do was show him Y/n's powers and he probably would have stayed on the ship that first day.

Y/n pulled himself out of his thoughts with a shrug. It was a bit late for that right now.

The Avatar had managed to get between Y/n and Katara, and seemed to be trying to talk her down from her rage. Y/n watched, only mildly interested. This wasn't how he had thought today would go.

He turned to Zuko, who was still standing behind him.

"Are you okay?"

He just looked Y/n over, head to toe looking for injuries.

"I'm fine, but are you sure it was a good idea to show them that? I could have taken a few hits. I've had worse before, you know that."

Y/n clenched his jaw at the reminder.

"I know. I'm sorry. You know how I feel about you willingly putting yourself in danger though. You didn't even try to defend yourself. Don't think I didn't spot that."

Y/n leveled a flat stare at Zuko.

He at least had the good grace to blush in shame and hide behind his fringe.

Y/n turned back to the group of kids gathered in front of them.

He gave them his best blank stare. He had nothing more to say to them, this was about Zuko teaching the Avatar firebending after all.

Besides, he was sure that anything he said would be twisted around and spat back at him by the water tribe girl.

"You're an airbender!"

Y/n refused to give up his secret that easily.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The little blind girl perked up.

"You're lying. You are an airbender? I thought they were all wiped out."

Y/n stubbornly refused to respond. He could see the water tribe girl's eye narrow at his silence. She was just about to explode on him again when Y/n felt a shift in the air. Less than a second later he felt Zuko's hand on his shoulder.

He slumped slightly. Damn Zuko's soft heart.

"Yes. I can bend air."

The shout of pure joy that the Avatar let out was enough to make Y/n feel slightly guilty about keeping it from him the whole time he had been after him.

"I'm not alone! There must be more, right? Some of the monks survived and hid right? Please tell me!"

Man, this kid was excitable, and as happy as he was, Y/n didn't want to be the one to tell him that he was wrong. He couldn't take the soft option of letting Zuko tell him though, they would probably turn on the both of them and Zuko wouldn't be able to fulfill his destiny.

"No."

"No you're not going to tell him?"

That girl was really starting to get on Y/n's nerves.

"No, they didn't survive."

That shut her up.

It also made the kid tear up, but there was no point building a lie just to make him feel better in this moment. That would be more cruel than the truth.

"The only reason that I exist right now is because of your ancestors though. Your people had a practice of testing their babies for airbending potential."

The Avatar was nodding along. Good, this wouldn't be a surprise to him.

"Well, when they showed to be non-benders your people gave them away. They were sent off to the other kingdoms, not welcome in, nor considered to be, a part of the Air Nomads."

"Air Nomads are airbenders, so if they aren't airbenders they aren't Air Nomads. That's just the way things are."

Y/n grit his teeth. It was an old hurt, but it still stung. He pulled in a deep breath and the only thing that stopped him from screaming about the injustice of it all was Zuko's hand that was still on his shoulder lending him the strength to continue.

"Your people were wrong. Occasionally their methods would be wrong, and they would let a bender slip away into another kingdom. But more than that, its in our blood, in the thing that makes us who we are. When enough of your ancestors were born from the Air Nomads, no matter whether they could bend themselves or not, you have the possibility to end up as a bender."

The Avatar's jaw was hanging open as he stared in horror at Y/n.

"But, they couldn't possibly have known that! If they had, maybe they wouldn't have done what they did."

Y/n's eyes shone with a dark light. This was something he would ultimately have to give up, but it was worth planting the seed if he could.

"So your saying that the only possible use non-benders have is the possibility of benders being born from them?"

The Avatar stopped cold and stared at Y/n in horror.

"What? No! Of course not!"

"Then what? You had no problem with the idea that they would be thrown away like yesterday's garbage up until now. The only thing that's changed is this piece of information."

Y/n pulled back as he saw the tears form in the Avatar's eyes.

"Think on that for a while. You have a non-bender in your group. Do you consider him to be useless?"

The kids all looked like they had been hit over the head.

Y/n was sure that this would be the end of their interaction for the day.

"We'll come back tomorrow. Maybe then we can talk without resorting to violence."

He turned back to Katara who looked like she was getting ready to unleash whatever thoughts had been happening in that head of hers.

"Before you put your foot in it, consider this. We have two things you want. One you desperately need, the other, something you desperately want. Have a good night."

Zuko turned and walked back the way they had come, with Y/n bringing up the rear. He didn't trust them not to attack them from behind.

Y/n hoped that with the reminder that they needed Zuko to teach the Avatar firebending, they would be more open to meeting the next day. If that weren't enough, then there was the added bonus of Y/n being the only other airbender that they knew. He was sure that the Avatar wouldn't be able to resist the pull to be around someone who was like him for long.

Either way, they still had a long way to go to convince them that they didn't want to hurt them and that this wasn't a trap.

'Oh well,' Y/n thought as he lay sleepily beside their fire, 'things always look better in the morning.'

[savvythepirate]

Jar of Dirt

Pairing: Jack Sparrow x reader

Warnings: None

Requested by: @spaghetto-rat-chaos

The Request:

Greetings and whatnot. I just had a hilariously adorable request for Jack. So, he seemed completely obsessed with the jar of dirt but it seemed odd to most of his crew because he never told them what it was for, right? Well, let's say after it breaks (Y/N), who wasn't there when he got it and is part of his crew, gets him another jar of dirt because of how obsessed he was with the first one. (Y/N) never questioned it because damn near everything Jack does is questionable anyway. Thank you! Have a great day/night! <3 <>

***

“Oi! Fish face!” You hear Jack call out.

As you turn to see what the commotion was all about, you could see that the Flying Dutchman had sailed up close to the Black Pearl.

What was funny about was how Jack held the jar above his head, waving it back and forth while mocking Davy Jones in one of the most childish ways possible. If it weren’t for the situation you’re now finding yourself in, you would have found it a quite amusing. But you couldn’t refrain from allowing a small smile pull your lips before wiping it off.

“I got a jar of dirt! I got a jar of dirt! And guess what’s inside it?!”

The jar of dirt was something he had in his treasured possessions and that was one of the first things you were introduced to not long after stepping aboard the Black Pearl. It was a story unknown to you, all you knew was of how Jack Sparrow seemed strangely obsessed with it. All you knew was that the rest of the crew found it odd as he didn’t say what it was for, what his purpose was for even having it.

There was a time you had asked him what it was that made the jar so special, but all he does is claims it to be a family heirloom he had stolen long ago and just got it back. That made it more sensible to you, but it was a false understanding as Jack Sparrow had just told you a downright lie. Things escalated as war raged on the two ships, during the event , you hear glass shatter and you turn to see that Jack had lost his grip while holding onto it. As you you watch this unfold, you couldn’t help but feel sorry for the captain as he seemed to be very upset about losing to what you believed to be a family heirloom. Once you’ve gone pass the war, you knew exactly what to do and that was of you going to find Jack a replacement of some sort.

When you had given your thought on the subject to Gibbs, he gave you a funny look of disbelief. You couldn’t properly understand why he was giving you that look, but he ultimately agreed to help you find a replacement as he can see that you had a good heart and that you were willing to help anyone in need whether if it was something big or small. In return for Gibbs to help you out, you had helped him in with anything he needed. If there was something he needed, you’d help him get it. A lot of the time, they were small things, but some of them were still a little challenging to bring it in your possession.

One day, you and Gibbs had finally found what you were looking for. While at the same time, Gibbs went on to explain how the first jar came about in the first place and you couldn’t help but wonder why he didn’t tell you this back in the beginning.

“Are you serious?”

“I wouldn’t be telling you this if I wasn’t.”

“Well, why haven’t you told me before?”

“It hadn’t crossed my mind until just now.”

Now that you had the jar, the only thing that was missing from it was the dirt.

As you continue to walk on the beach, you scoop as much sand as you could without getting any of it on yourself the best you can, that was the last thing you needed. You put the top back on right as you hear Jack Sparrow calling your name, clearly interested as to what you were doing.

“What’s that jar you have for?”

As he questions you on this, suddenly has become a tad bit shy before responding with the answer.

“It’s just something I got for you-“ You begin to say, as you’re interrupted by Gibbs clearing his throat at you.

“Alright, it’s something that we both got for you.”

You then go on to reach your hands out to present it, your way of offering it to him, which he accepts.

“Well thanks for this, but why a jar of dirt?”

“I just wanted to, you seemed upset when the previous one shattered.”

In that moment, Gibbs snickers beside you, you were quick to turn towards him.

“Oh, grow up!”

“I would take that advice, Gibbs.” Jack throws back at him.

You couldn’t resist giving a small smile to Jack, to which he returns.

“Thanks, (Y/n). This will come in handy.”

“What was the previous one for?”

“I was trying to use it as a place to store the heart of Davy Jones.”

Your eyes widened of the information.

“Did you ever get a hold of it?”

“I did, but I lost it and I still don’t know what happened to it.”

“Well, let’s go hunt for it and we’ll use this new jar.”

“Agreed!”

You, Jack, and Gibbs then continue your way back to the Black Pearl.

Once you got back on, you watch as Jack puts the jar on display for everyone to see. It was quite a warm feeling you had received while watching, yet it was amusing, and even more so as he begins to brag about to the entire crew onboard. This was a crew that you were happy to be a part off, you really couldn’t ask for anything better. This crew was your family and the Black Pearl was the home you all shared, a home that can take you anywhere you’d like to go see and explore.

You’ve never met anyone like Jack Sparrow before, but he would have been everything you’d ask for to be your captain. Say what you will about Jack Sparrow, but you had become very loyal to him and nothing would convince you to change your ways. At times, you even envisioned him as heroic when trouble comes your way. A little later on, you soon come to a gift that you were given at the doorstep of your small cabin. You didn’t have to ask who left it sitting there, you knew it had come from Jack Sparrow.

What Jack Sparrow had left for you was your own jar of dirt and just like him, you put it on display while bragging about it.

It was all amusing and yet, so warming to watch you get excited over a jar of dirt of your own in his own perspective.

***

Requests: OPEN

@savvythepirate

[rubykgrant]

(I’m just writing lots of little bits of the next part of my RVB story as the ideas come to me, so I can sort them all together later... here is part of what happens with Doc and O’Malley~)

Doc found her in the hall with the large windows; they offered a grand view of garden area down below at the center of the hospital and treatment center. A place where visitors, patients, and staffs could relax outside with a small dose of nature. The light of the sunset outside tinted her armor gold, his own shining a more rosy shade of purple.

“Hello, Dr. Grey!” Doc greeted her as he got closer. “One of your assistants said you wanted to talk to me?”

“Yes... I suppose I should have talked to you much sooner, but I wasn’t entirely sure how to approach this subject...” she sounded a little timid, which to Doc was a bit alarming.

“Wait, what subject? Am I dying?” he asked.

“No, nothing like that. And I have absolutely no problem discussing THAT kind of thing with people!” she answered in a brighter tone. “What I need to say to you is, well... I owe you an apology. Both of you,”

“What do you mean?”

“I made an awful assumption the first time I met you. I was not only rude, but also incorrect. You see, I thought that... I thought O’Malley was a problem. I thought you were being somehow held back or hindered by your negative thoughts, which were voiced by O’Malley. Therefore, the solution would be getting rid of that voice... but I was wrong about that,”

She paused a moment, turning to look once more outside. She is used to the new building at last, but for a long time, she had no actual hospital to work in. Just the battlefield and areas filled with clusters of soldiers, all running around busy, stepping over herself and the injured as they rushed off... soon to return with their own injuries. Or not return at all.

Doc waited, now understanding why she had been timid; this was indeed a sensitive subject, and she clearly wanted to properly express how she felt.

“Part of the reason for my poor judgement was how I deal with my own problems. A long time ago, I felt crushed by the terrible things that happened around me, and I drowned in the negative thoughts that filled up my head... the only way for me to cope with it was to find the silver-lining in the storm clouds! I remained POSITIVE, no matter what!”

Now she turned back to him, her voice neither timid or chipper, but soft.

“My problem was all the sad and angry thoughts that made me want to give up... but that wasn’t YOUR problem. No matter how angry O’Malley sounded, no matter how much he seemed to revel in misery, he wasn’t holding you back. He wasn’t a hindrance, he was a source of motivation. O’Malley wasn’t the problem for you... he’s the one who helps speak-up about the REAL problems you deal with,”

She stepped forward a few steps pausing beside him.

“One of the most important rules of being a doctor is actually trying to understand what people NEED. Only then can you help them. I’m truly sorry for not understanding before... and I won’t make that mistake again!”

Dr. Grey slowly began to leave, but she heard something that made her pause.

“... I appreciate that...”

She stopped. That had been O’Malley’s voice. Dr. Grey turned to look at him again; he was now standing and looking outside, just as she had been doing earlier. She had heard from some of the others that O’Malley wasn’t speaking much recently. Donut guessed that he perhaps felt a little embarrassed and uncertain after recent difficult events... had he noticed? Did he realize he had spoken out-loud? She didn’t want to call too much attention to it, in case that might embarrass O’Malley further, but she also didn’t want to ignore him.

“I only wish I could have been considerate before,” she answered. “From now on, if you want to talk to me, about anything, I promise to actually listen and try to understand. That goes for you both, O’Malley and Frank DuFresne!”

“Actually... you can call me Doc,” he said, tilting his helmet in her direction. “The nick-name has kinda grown on me, even if it isn’t entirely accurate...”

“Oh, that reminds me!” she told him. “I’ve been meaning to ask- would you ever consider going back to med school? They say if at first you don’t succeed, try-try again! I think you’ve gained quite a lot of real-life experience in the field, and if you ever need advice or a recommendation, I’d be more than happy to help!”

“Really?” he turned to face her directly. “I- I’m not sure if I’m good enough, but... I HAVE been thinking about doing exactly that. Do you really think I could...?”

“Certainly! In fact, before you leave Chorus, I can give you a hands-on refresher course! Oh, and you can borrow some of my medical textbooks from my office! They’re annotated~” she reached out a hand, which he took, and then they were both walking back down the hall.

[kimetsu-no-imagines]

submission request

its ur bf write me rengoku porn rn before i kiss you in electrical- u know what i want 😩 ——————————————————————————- a/n : !!!!!! anything for u babe!!!!! a request from my bf,,,,,,,how special,,,,especially when haven’t written on here in forever,,,,,, warnings ; mugen train spoilers!!!!!!!!!! s o m a n y!!!!!! mentions of rengoku/akaza fight, alternate universe where rengoku lives it’s what we all want anyway, pre-established relationship/rengoku is your husband, breeding/pregnancy kink, rengoku living and dying (figuratively) between your legs, “dirty” talk but rengoku is such a loving man i don’t think it should even be called that here, uhhhh body worship but with his eyes? its very vague but it is there, boy just loves you okay, also none of this is proof read or anything if that matters word count ; 2,728

I’m Home

When you first hear about it, of course, like his fellow pillars, you’re terrified-thankful, naturally, that your husband at least hasn’t died, but the crow sent to inform you of the events of his mission, of his injuries, doesn’t exactly try to sugar coat anything, not even for you, his spouse.

Skull fractures from dodging the punch that would have smashed his eye completely, broken ribs from dodging yet another hit that, if he hadn’t moved back fast enough, would have gone through him and killed him-the details were gruesome, they were bone-chilling, it wasn’t as if you or anyone particularly enjoyed hearing about it, but one thing was for certain-you were relieved not to have lost him to this, to have lost anyone. Tanjiro and the others were so strong, so hard-working, and they were so young, with so much to live for-you couldn’t imagine how you’d feel if anything had happened to them, either.

There’s so much about it that pains you-not being able to have your husband home with you after he’d already been so busy with this mission and the ones before it, knowing how injured he was and how long it’d take him to recover at the Butterfly Estate, it was all… Torture. Not that you couldn’t go see him, of course-but Shinobu urged you to stay home and relax, you wouldn’t want to see him in the state that he was in, she promised you that much. Her crow did come by to personally update you on his condition every day or so, though-that was at least some amount of relief.

… Or, it would have been. You hadn’t seen any crow come by in a week or so, to the day-and yes, you kept track, because of course you did, you were an anxious wreck, and it’d already been months of your husband steadily recovering, or so you thought. Had he died from his injuries? Did something happen to the estate, were more people hurt? … Well. You supposed that was a silly thought, she lived so close to the Master’s own residence-no demon could get close enough to hurt them, with all the wisteria around both places.

You were so used to having your husband around to calm you when you thought about the worst things, like this-your heart hurt with anxiety and worry. What could you do but stand outside by the door, every day, for hours, just waiting for some sign, of a crow, of Shinobu herself, of anything?

It was another day that had gone by just like that-your feet and legs ached from keeping yourself up for so long, dried tear trails staining the sides of your face-you knew it was silly of you, you knew you should have tried to be at least a little stronger, for him if no one else, but… You just couldn’t help it. You hated this. You just wanted your husband back.

A dejected sigh leaves you as you watch the sun set for just one more moment before turning to go back inside, tears stinging at the corners of your eyes again-maybe tomorrow you’ll go up to Shinobu’s estate yourself. You couldn’t stand this for another–

“Hahaha! Now isn’t this strange! You’re running away from me!”

Your heart stops, and you freeze in place. What?

You feel him before you can turn to see him-chest pressed against your back, though soon you’re spun around and pulled up into a crushing hug anyway, and it’s all you can do to immediately start sobbing into your husband’s brightly-colored hair as you’re held.

“… Hello, my sweet,”  His voice is no longer booming and jovial like it was a moment ago, but soft, gentle and meant only for you, as he squeezes you to him-you want to worry about the injuries he was supposed to be recovering from still, but you don’t want this to end, either. You suppose, he must have just been coming around the corner and through the gate when you turned to go inside-not that it mattered, all that did matter was that he was… Here, holding you.

“You must have missed me terribly!” All hearty, he laughs with you again, even if all you can do is cry in his arms while he rubs soothingly at your back, “But of course I missed you terribly too! I tried many times to sneak out and come home to you, but Shinobu or one of the other girls always caught me-”

You missed his voice dearly, you did-and you were still crying, but you couldn’t help but lean up and kiss him. It was something you usually did to quiet him, for sure, but right now you just… Needed him. And he didn’t seem to mind, hands happily and readily sliding down to hoist you up into his arms, never breaking from you as he carried you into your home.

“… Such a beautiful shouldn’t have quite so many tears upon it, you know,”He mumbles gently against your lips, and you sniffle as you finally reach up to start wiping at them, “I-I just missed you so much, Kyojuro, I was so scared-you were almost-you could have-”

“But I didn’t, and I won’t.” He interrupts you sweetly, but firmly nonetheless, shaking his head at you, “I am fine. I am healed, my love. I am still here to fulfill my duties-and I always will be. That includes my duties to you as your husband.”

“I…” It doesn’t feel like you should believe it-after what you’d heard of his battle, knowing he’d even just encountered an Upper Moon demon, this felt too good to be real or true, and yet… There’s such certainty and finality blazing in his eyes as he stares at you, all you can do is nod.

“… Alright.”

———————————————–

… Really, all you had intended to do this evening, now that you had your husband home with you, was cook him his favorite meal and go to sleep with him, in his arms, for the first time in who knew how long, at this point. Truthfully, that had been your only goal. You wanted him to rest, no matter how many times he told you just how fully recovered he was through the mouthfuls of sweet potato you so lovingly prepared for him-and yet… And yet…

Well, you suppose you simply didn’t account for him wanting… Dessert.

“It’s been so long,” The words are mumbled around you, your flesh, as he greedily, really voraciously eats and licks you up from between your legs-you’d already known him to be feral when presented with the sweet treat only you could provide him with, but this was something else entirely, “-it’s been too long, my love, don’t you understand how very hungry I am?”

You don’t, but by no means are you going to let that stop either of you. You missed his mouth just as much as he missed your taste.

“K-Kyojuro-Kyojuro, I’m-Kyo–”

… He’s never been one to tease or deny you. And yet just as you’re about to cum, so close to the edge you could have tasted it yourself, he’s pulling away from you. His lips and chin and… Well, his face, in general, are so shiny with you-you easily forget your frustration and get lost in the blissful look in his eyes as he cleans himself with his tongue. “While you certainly are the most delicious thing in this world, my sweet,” He crawls up the length of your body so quickly, so desperate to smash his lips to your own, “-as I’ve told you, it’s been far too long. I want to feel you cum around my cock this evening. But I’m sure you have no complaint either way?” Any other day, you’d want to hit him, to get that cheeky look off of his face, but… You also can’t say you don’t want that. Maybe you really don’t have any complaints either way. “… You’re awful,” You huff up at him, but you nod, “… But alright.” … And yet he stays still. It would be so easy-you’re properly soaked, and the pair of you are completely naked, and yet your infuriating husband is just… Sitting there, hovering over you with a smile on his face. It’s a soft, loving smile-but you’ve known him so long, you don’t miss the mischief in his eyes. “… Can I not admire you, my beautiful spouse? Even for a moment, after I’ve been gone from you for so very long?” It’s not a crime for him to stare at you so adoringly-really, you’d love it if you weren’t as damn horny as you were. But... It has been a long time. He’s teasing, but as much as that’s true, you know he’s being earnest, too-his eyes flicker all over your form so carefully, meticulously re-memorizing every tiny detail about you. “... Even more beautiful then before I left you, dear one,” The way he murmurs it, so absently, it’s almost more like he’s saying it to himself, but his eyes raised to bore back into yours after a minute-clearly, he wants you to hear every word of what he’s saying, absent or not. “... Would you like to know something I thought about while I was away?” His love renders you breathless, speechless-it’s all you can do to nod up at him. “During the brief hours of respite I would get, I would think to myself... What would it be like to come back to you, our home... How would it feel, the joy of it all... And then, another thought had started to occur to me,” A sharp gasp tears through you as you feel a few fingers suddenly and swiftly beginning their work at stretching you out-sneaky man, he’d distracted you from his hands with his voice, and even then, he kept talking like he hadn’t done anything, “... What would it be like if I could come home to the sight of you all swollen and glowing with our child...?” Those words rob you of whatever meager amount of breath you had managed to regain. With your child...? “... Oh, my love, you squeezed my fingers so nicely just now,” He marvels at the sight, the feeling of you, worrying his lip between his teeth-you’re so pretty like this, is what he wants to say, but his mind is suddenly consumed by the thought he’d put into both your heads a moment ago. You, glowing with the product of your love in your stomach. You don’t fail to notice the twitching of his cock where it hangs all hard between his legs. “Do you like the sound of that, then...? Do you want to carry my children, our children, my dear one? I’ll give it to you if you just say the word-after all, what poor excuse of a husband would I be if I didn’t?” His fingers move in and out of you faster, frantic and eager to prepare you for him, now, as he almost rambles on like that-his words set your body, your insides, on fire. You do want it, you realize-it’s not something you’d given much thought to before, but here, like this, right now after spending so much time worrying about losing him? You really do want nothing more. “P-p-please, please Kyojuro, I want-please give me your children, I want it, I want you, please make me pregnant, my husband, please-” It’s not meant to egg him on, truly it isn’t-you just can’t help but beg with how badly you want it yourself. But that doesn’t mean you don’t delight in the way he seems to snap, just the slightest bit, above you, quickly removing his fingers from you to replace them with his cock-what you’d been waiting for since he laid you down in bed earlier. That felt like an eternity ago right now, though. The stretch isn’t an uncomfortable one, with the care he’d still taken to prepare you-you missed it, if anything, you missed him. And it’s clear that he feels the same-he’s gone so tense above you, arms trembling on either side of you with the restraint it takes not to move. Somehow, he still manages to keep up that bright smile of his, too. “Do tell me when I can move, my love. This is a bit unbearable with how lovely you feel!” ... As hazy as your mind was with pleasure, you couldn’t help but giggle. Even now, your husband was so... Endearing. So cute. Your bring your hands up to hold his face as you nod your head eagerly, over and over, “Please, Kyojuro-please, I want it,” You can see that he wants to worry about you, wants to ask you again to make sure-but he can’t, his body betrays him, his hips instantly slotting themselves against your own, pulling back only to quickly bring themselves back down, his cock pressing and rubbing against every bit of your insides as it moves in and out of you, over and over and over, so fast-and your husband hardly even breaks a sweat. ... His being a demon slayer, and a pillar, at that, had its perks, you supposed. His stamina was one of them. But he seemed to already be losing his composure, too, with just how long it’d been since you’d gotten to be so close. “This-this is embarrassing, haha-I feel like I could burst at any moment already-just-just thinking about how-utterly perfect you’d look, ah-” His hips stutter, and he stills for a second, to keep his own pleasure at bay for a moment-though he makes up for it with the hand that shoots down to rub and stroke at what his cock isn’t already touching, “-goodness gracious-how perfect you’d look, pregnant, my love-” As if you aren’t ready to burst, yourself. Did he suddenly forget about denying you mere minutes ago...? “M-my husband-my husband, Kyojuro, please, m-me too, just go ahead, please-please give me your child, give it to me, please-” “You’re really as difficult as you are beautiful!” The very wind is knocked out of you as you find your legs suddenly on either side of your head, as he fucks into you with a very renewed, fittingly fiery sense of vigor and passion, grunting freely every time he feels you wrap around him again and again, “I truly did want to take my time with you this evening, my sweet-how irresistible you are like this-I’ll have to savor you another time-” This position, the wildness in his eyes, the feeling and the sight of him-yes, the sight of him, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t see the bulge appearing and disappearing from your stomach-fucking into you desperately, all of it is far too much for you, far too overwhelming, but of course he revels above you in the way you clamp down on him and make a sudden, abrupt mess all over the pair of you, not to mention the futon underneath you. “So beautiful-so beautiful like this, my love-I-just the sight of you, you’re going to make me-goodness-” He leans over you and folds you in half even further, nose brushing against your neck, “I-I’m going to-I’m going to give it to you now, alright? I swear it, my love, my dear one, I’ll-I’ll get you pregnant, I promise, I promise, I--” It’s so intense, he almost roars as it washes over him, as he fills you up so completely it leaks out of you, with how long its been since either of you had any form of... Release. Your legs are released, and they flop numbly down against the plush futon beneath you-your husband can barely keep himself up, but he at least tries to be careful as he collapses against you, chuckling so happily against your shoulder while you can hardly keep your eyes open, let alone say anything. You wish you had the sense what was apparently so... Funny, right now. “... I love you, _____.” The biggest wave of tranquility falls over you, hearing those words. You can’t quite say much of anything still, but he knows-he sees it in your eyes when he looks up at your face. You love him too. Right now, that’s all he needs. “I really am so happy to be home, dear one.”

[scarlettriot]

Mina Ashido Headcanons!

@jewel116 requested some headcanons of our Alien Queen and I am here to deliver!

Some of these also could be considered BakuSquad HCs, hope that's alright.

I also went ahead and included some Adult Mina and 18+ Mina Headcanons too. Both are below the cut and clearly stated. Warnings are posted at each header mark.

If anyone has any other requests, lemme know!

Basic Mina Headcanons

Warnings: It's as fluffy as her dang hair! (Swearing)

. Most definitely has ADHD! In class, she is constantly tapping her foot on bouncing her leg as a means of trying her best to keep focused.

. Has a collection of shirts that she has designated for sleep and loungewear because she's burned acid holes in them by accident. Sometimes she'll wear them to concerts and shows if the design is cool enough.

. Loves piggyback rides! Frequently will run and jump on the backs of the guys in the BakuSquad. Even Katsuki himself puts up with it after a while.

. While Katsuki is the 'mom' of the squad, Mina is the one everyone goes to when they need comfort. Denki will curl up in her lap after a long day, Eijiro frequently goes to her when his insecurities creep back in, Hanta shows up late at night and they talk in her room about nothing just because he doesn't want to be alone, and Katsuki, well, he shows up to her room, slams the door and complains for a solid half-hour after reading a particularly heartbreaking scene in a manga while she listens to every word and validates his feelings.

. Mina worries far more than people believe she does. Her bubbly, loud, personality usually masks it but she knows when people are lying to her about what's going on in their heads.

. Sitting properly in a chair physically bothers her. She'd much rather be hanging upside down off it.

. She lowkey likes that the boys get protective over her.

. Mina is the type of person who gets A LOT of random thoughts that pop up in her head and one of the few people who actually will engage with the sheer randomness of the ideas is Shoto. Not only does he engage, he comes up with his own! The two can talk for hours.

. Loves hosting 'spa parties' in the common area of the dorms, everyone is welcome to join.

. When road trips happen, she's making the playlists (technically, she and Kyoka switch off).

. Tries teaching Tenya, Izuku, and Shoto how to flirt. After a very embarrassing first hour, Shoto didn't learn a single thing, Izuku was only good at it when paired with Shoto and Tenya... Tenya had her SHOOK! Man has game and she made sure everyone knew!

. Has weekly meetings with Yuga where they drink tea and spill the tea.

. She is so damn ticklish. Hanta was teasing her one day, she warned him to stop, he received an elbow to the face for not listening.

. Tried to grow her hair out once but it didn't grow down... it grew OUT. Mina thought she rocked it, and she totally did but ended up having it cut back down so poor Tsyu could see in class.

. Wakes up early three days a week to practice her hand-to-hand combat with Eijiro. Mina wants to improve her technique and Eijiro needed to work on his mobility, it benefits them both.

. Just Dance is her favorite game, she dominates.

. Easily forms new interests.

. Won't admit it but she gets jealous super easily.

. Will be the first to attempt to throw hands for a friend! I HC she was picked on as a child for looking so different but it never really phased her too badly, she likes looking different but understands that not everyone thinks like she does. So, if someone were to say something about Mezo's facemask, she's stepping in to defend the guy without hesitation.

. Knows every TikTok dance EVER. If a new one comes out, she's mastered it by end of the day and her account is always up to date.

. (Popular idea but important to reinforce) Mina and Eijiro co-founded a club, Horn Buddies, specifically to make Eri feel more welcome. They take her on trips and group outings. The only horned person who's not allowed to join is Pony because she was rude as heck to Mezo.

. Mina gets extra competitive over board games.

. She can ice skate and roller skate like a champ.

. Mina is resilient, dedicated, and passionate. She has goals and the girl will achieve them.

Pro Hero - Adult Mina Headcanons

Warnings - Mentions of alcohol use and swearing

. Gets several tattoos and piercings.

. Starts a roller derby club with most of the girls from 1A.

. Loves going out to the hottest dance clubs just as much as she enjoys staying in and munching on take-out food with friends.

. The Horn Buddies club she formed with Eijiro has now expanded into regular society and both young heroes couldn't be more proud. Together they've formed a foundation that strives to help those with non-flashy, unconventional, or misunderstood quirks feel welcomed and loved.

. Does her best to shop small whenever she can. Mina wants to help her community in as many different ways as possible.

. Becomes a fashion icon for many small, just starting out, alternative clothing lines. They love her look and the standard she sets.

. Goes to fashion and runway shows with Momo on the regular. While Momo prefers buying right off the rack, Mina goes to thrift stores and buys items that are coming back into style.

. Does her best to stay in touch with her classmates. She really cherished the friendships she made and goes the extra mile to make sure everyone stays connected.

. Has told off Shoto's father. Sent the man an anonymous bag of flaming dog shit as well for making his son so damn stressed. Sorry, not sorry.

. As long as she isn't in the middle of a fight, Mina will always stop to take a photo with a fan or sign an autograph. In or out of costume, she doesn't care.

. In high school, Mina's room was always decked out for the holidays. She goes decoration crazy and it is always done well. But, now that she's an adult with that pro hero money and her own place, she's the best house on the block decorated for each and every holiday! Inside and out! Also throws holiday-themed parties.

. Got absolutely trashed with the BakuSquad one night and taught them all how to twerk. By the end of the lesson, she deemed Katsuki was the best of her students.

. Loves to drink. Is a lightweight. Katsuki and Eijiro have carried her home more times than they can count.

NSFW 18+ Mina HC Below - Minors DNI

Warnings: Drinking, rough sex, mentions of orgies, handcuffs, impact play, and praise kinks. Subtle sexual relations with BakuSquad, Jiro, Todoroki, and Ochaco.

. The Queen of stripteases and lap dances.

. If any of her friends are at a party or some event and they need a fake date, Mina is their go-to person. She's handsy. She's flirty. And has no problem with platonic make-outs.

. Always encourages kissing-themed games at parties. Seven Minutes in Heaven, Spin the Bottle, those sorts of games. Mina also loves to play cupid and has rigged a game or two to get people together.

. Has made out with every member of the BakuSquad at least once as well as Kyoka, Shoto, and Ochaco simply because she was curious.

. Has attempted to start an orgy with the BakuSquad before when intoxicated. Still mentions it in passing just in case they change their minds.

. Has gone further with Katsuki and Eijiro though. Maybe both at the same time once or twice or several times...

. Wonderfully filthy dirty talk. Can even make Katsuki blush.

. (A personal favorite of mine that was in a previous post) When they were first years, Eijiro asked innocently enough, to touch her horns. He was gentle but that didn't matter. Our poor girl was so damn flustered! Her face turned red bright, she felt hot, and she had to go take a very cold shower!

. Ei felt terrible about it. It took them both maturing for her to explain exactly why she reacted that way... and then asked him to do it again.

. Is likely to send NSFW texts and photos while people are indeed at work. She is a Pro Hero though so only certain people are allowed to have those photos. A scandal is the last thing she wants.

. Very good at communication and is not afraid to speak her mind about what she wants and needs out of a relationship and her sex life.

. Loud, very loud, very needy.

. Fuzzy handcuffs in every color she can think of and adores impact play.

. Let her know she's doing a good job, Mina responds well to praise.

. Big cuddler after sex. Wants to snuggle into you and more than likely take a nap.

[thevoidfishsminstrel]

Lena let out an undignified squeak as she grabbed hold of the bookshelf beside her in an effort to not land on her face.

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”

Lena turned, wiggling her foot back into her heels properly, before freezing, eyes widening at the caped figure now scrambling to her feet.

An array of books and magazines were spread out on the floor, presumably the culprit of her latest near death experience. It was as though National City’s newly revealed superhero had been sitting in between the bookshelves on the library floor… studying?

Lena clutched the cheesy romance novel she had been too busy reading to her chest as Supergirl looked at her in concern.

“Miss?”

Lena’s brain finally restarted and she cleared her throat, straightening her blazer. “Yes. I’m fine. Thank you.”

“You’re sure you’re not hurt?” Supergirl was wringing the edge of her cape in her fingers, looking far too nervous for someone who was suspected to be the strongest being on Earth by several sapphic blogs that Lena most definitely did not read.

“I’m fine.” She reached out to put a hand on Supergirl’s forearm in an impulse comfort gesture. “I promise.”

Supergirl seemed to relax slightly, some of the tension seeping from her shoulders. She held out a hand. “I’m Kara.”

Any tension that had left her immediately returned tenfold, eyes widening in panic as she froze.

Lena bit back a smile and took Kara’s hand, shaking it despite Kara’s lack of movement. “Lena. And don’t worry - your secret’s safe with me.”

Kara deflated, running a hand through her hair. “Alex is going to kill me.”

Lena laughed and patted Kara’s bicep (definitely the strongest being on Earth). “Maybe you should stop saying names now.”

Kara grimaced. “Oops.” She looked like she was about to say something else but stopped and looked at Lena again. “Wait… are you Lena Luthor?”

Lena straightened up, careful mask falling into place to try to hide the way her heart sped up and her throat constricted. “Yes.”

But before she could launch into her speech about how she was different from the rest of her family and only wanted to help, Kara lit up, crouching down to shuffle through her piles of literature until she came up with an issue of a science magazine from a few years ago.

“I just read your article about sustainable building and how we can introduce cost-effective eco-friendly measures to construction to reduce the damage done to the environment and promote a symbiotic relationship with nature.”

Lena blinked.

Kara almost poked herself in the eye before redirecting the movement to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. “Sorry, I just thought it was really interesting. You’re probably tired of people asking you about your work.”

Lena’s eyebrows rose. “No I… I don’t mind.”

Kara smiled and Lena found her heart racing for an entirely different reason. She redirected her attention to the books scattered on the floor.

“So what’s National City’s resident superhero doing studying civil engineering, first aid and… veterinary science on the floor of the library?”

Kara blushed and knelt down to start scooping up all her things. “Sorry - I know I should have been at a desk I just got carried away.”

The pile of books was up to Kara’s eyebrows when she stood up and Lena laughed, taking the top third of them from her. “And I shouldn’t have been reading and walking. But that doesn’t answer my question.”

Supergirl shrugged, toeing at the worn carpet with her red boots. “I’m new at the whole superhero thing. I don’t know where to freeze breath a building to hold it up or how to save someone who’s got water in their lungs from almost drowning. The other day I rescued a snake from a tree and tried to wrap it up in my cape to keep it warm and the owner told me ‘thanks, but reptiles are cold-blooded so they don’t warm up like that.’” She pouted at Lena. “The owner was a ten year old.”

Lena bit back a smile. “So you’re trying to learn how to be a better superhero?”

She shrugged and bit her lip. “I just don’t want to mess up.”

Lena considered her for a moment. “You know, I happen to have degrees in a few different kinds of engineering. And I made everyone at L-corp, including myself, take a first aid course when I took over.”

Kara looked as though she was trying to contain her hopeful expression. It wasn’t working very well, although that probably wasn’t surprising since her motto was ‘hope, help, and compassion for all.’

Kara bounced on her toes excitedly. “Would you help?”

Lena grinned and gestured to the left with her head. “Come on, I know which desk is the best in the library.”

———

It became somewhat of a routine after that. Every Saturday, Lena would go to the library as normal, pick out a new cheesy romance novel for the week and some kind of thick science book to hide it underneath, and then meet Supergirl in the back corner of the library, at the desk hidden behind the spare computers from the 90s where no one would find them.

Kara would normally already be there, pouring over texts and making notes in coloured pens and highlighters. Lena had bought her a rainbow of folders and dividers for each of the aspects of superheroing she was trying to improve in, and they had spent one very unproductive but fun day labelling and decorating them. They were now covered in random doodles, squiggly multicoloured patterns, and stickers that Kara had found in a rotating rack by the front desk, immediately claiming were essential for her learning.

During the week, Lena would keep an eye on any news of Supergirl, getting some strange looks from Jess when she walked into her office to see Lena cheering as Kara did something they’d worked on together. At the weekend she would listen to Kara excitedly retell those same events until the librarian came over to shush them. She seemed to be the only person in National city that wasn’t completely charmed by Supergirl, and it always led to half an hour of Kara pouting and asking Lena why the librarian didn’t like her.

It was a few weeks before Lena got there first. She frowned, checking the surrounding isles of books for any caped figures but they were all empty as usual.

She sat at their desk and opened up the book she had randomly grabbed off a shelf, putting her latest romance novel inside it to covertly read. It was called ‘Lost and Found: A Love Story’, the back of it claiming it was about a woman who ‘drops her scarf at a train station but ends up finding something much more meaningful in the woman she bumps into at the lost and found.’ It was exactly as awful as it sounded.

Kara bounded up to the table about 20 minutes later, a coffee cup in each hand and a satchel slung over her shoulder that made her cape bunch up awkwardly. She beamed at Lena and set a coffee down in front of her.

“Guess what I just did.”

Lena slammed the books shut inside each other, scrambling to put her arms over them and rest her chin in her hand casually. “What?”

Kara either didn’t notice or didn’t care, rounding the desk and putting her bag down on it with a grin. “I laservisioned the supports of a broken crane back together using some metal from a billboard and now it’s totally fine for use again.”

Lena’s eyebrows rose. “What happened to the crane in the first place?”

Kara’s cheeks heated and she looked away, rubbing the back of her neck as she mumbled, “I may have flown into it a little bit.”

She scowled at Lena as Lena started laughing but it was undermined by the way her lips tugged up.

“Oh!” Kara lit up and started rifling through her bag. “I brought you this.”

She held out a book with a bright smile. Lena’s eyes widened as she looked down at the cover of what was very clearly another cheesy romance.

“It’s my favourite love story. It’s a bit like the one you’re reading at the moment but better, in my opinion. I thought you might like it.”

“What?” Lena scoffed. “I wasn’t reading a romance. I was reading…” she glanced over to check what book she had picked up, internally filling with regret as she read the title, but she had already committed to the facade. “The rhyming dictionary.”

Kara was very clearly trying not to laugh. “Ok. Well I’ll just leave this one here. And in case you didn’t know,” she leaned closer to Lena’s ear as she climbed into her seat, and whispered, “I have x-ray vision.”

Lena blushed, refusing to look at Kara’s smug grin. She cleared her throat and moved her books off to the side, along with the one Kara had put down, as casually as possible, and attempted to change the subject.

“So you remembered about weight distribution in support structures?”

Kara paused in taking folders and notes out her bag to turn to Lena excitedly, rambling on about her save, gesturing wildly with her hands.

Lena picked up her coffee as she listened with a soft smile, absentmindedly taking a sip.

She frowned down at the cup. “Is this my usual?”

Kara paused in her rambling. “Yeah. Does it not taste right?”

Lena shook her head, staring back down at her perfect coffee, cheeks heating at the heart drawn in latte art that Kara probably didn’t even have anything to do with. “No I just… I didn’t know you knew my order.”

Kara grinned, raising an eyebrow (Lena should never have taught her how to do that). “Perhaps you’re not as elusive as you think, Lena Luthor.”

———

Lena arrived at the library one Saturday to find Supergirl staring at the front doors like she might set light to them any moment.

“What’s wrong Supergirl? Lose a fight with a door handle?”

Kara turned to her with a pout, pointing at a sign hanging on the other side of the glass. It read ‘Library closed until 23rd due to water damage. Apologies for the inconvenience.’

Lena sighed.

“Where am I going to get my books for this week, Lena? I’m never going to understand civil engineering without them.”

Lena bit the inside of her cheek, the rational part of her brain at war with the part that was helpless to the superhero’s pout. It had to be one of her superpowers because Lena would never admit she was actually soft.

She tore her gaze away, trying to seem casual. “I actually have some engineering textbooks at my apartment. I guess you could borrow them if you wanted.”

Lena squeaked as Supergirl crushed her in a bear hug, lifting her a few inches off the ground. “Thank you thank you thank you!”

Lena laughed, trying to turn it inconspicuously into a cough when a passerby gave a slightly shocked and confused look at the sight of a Luthor and a Super laughing on the library steps. Kara dropped her back to her feet, stepping back with a sheepish smile.

“Sorry, I got excited.”

Lena shook her head with a smile. She turned to go but as she went to gesture for Kara to follow, her hand caught against Kara’s. Her brain misfired and decided in the split second where her index finger hooked onto Kara’s pinkie that the best course of action was to commit to it and simply hold hands. In an attempt to make it seem less affectionate and more practical, she walked off quickly, dragging Kara along in the direction of her apartment.

She could feel Kara’s smile like rays of sun behind her. At least her hair was down to cover up the heat that was creeping up the back of her neck.

Her apartment was only a few minutes from the library. She had to slap Kara’s hand away from the elevator buttons before she pressed them all, marveling at how many floors there were.

“So this is where you live?” Kara looked around the hallway, panicking when she snapped a leaf off of a decorative plant, while Lena unlocked the penthouse door.

Lena pretended not to see her discreetly dropping the leaf into the plant pot but raised an eyebrow at her. “No, Supergirl. I just decided we should come and stare at this random person’s door.”

Kara ignored her, walking past into her apartment and looking down at the city below through the large floor to ceiling windows. “Nice view. I should take you flying sometime - it’s even better from up in the clouds, especially at night.”

Lena closed the front door, trying not to think about romantic flights and being cradled in strong arms. “I’ll go get the textbooks.”

She moved towards her home office, Kara trailing behind in interest. The engineering textbooks were over in the left corner and she scanned the alphabetised section for the ones she wanted.

Kara ran her fingers over the spines of books until Lena was done. She smirked at Lena, letting her hand trail teasingly down the bookshelf before she left. Lena blushed as she realised why. Kara had found her fiction section, over half the books in which were very clearly a certain genre.

Lena groaned and followed her out.

They spent the entire afternoon on the floor around Lena’s coffee table, going through the textbooks, laughing over Kara’s constant puns, and eating the seemingly endless supply of snacks Kara produced from her bag. It wasn’t until the sun had started to set that Lena realised how long they’d spent simply telling jokes and stories.

It was alarmingly easy to just be around Kara. Strangely, Lena didn’t think she minded.

———

Lena frowned as someone knocked on her door. It was a Saturday morning and she was just about to leave to meet Supergirl at the library.

She only grew more confused as she opened the door to see a fluffy white cloud panting happily at her and squirming in her direction. A head poked out from behind it, looking just as happy.

“Lena, hi! Sorry to just turn up but the mean librarian lady threw me out because apparently you aren’t allowed to play fetch in the library.”

Lena stared at the woman currently holding a large puppy in front of her, familiar blonde curls pinned back and glasses slipping down her nose. “…Kara?”

Kara blinked at her for a moment before she seemed to realise. “Oh! Right. Sorry - this is what I look like normally. When I’m not being Supergirl I mean. Alex said I wasn’t allowed to wear the suit all the time because it had to be washed.”

Lena nodded slowly, trying to reconcile the image of this Kara with Supergirl and to not think too hard about the implications of Kara being comfortable enough around her to show her her civilian identity. “Right. Why do you have a dog?”

Kara lit up. “I saved an animal shelter from a fire and they let me adopt this guy. Isn’t he adorable?”

Lena looked at the matching faces of excitement. “Very cute. But why is he here?”

Kara shrugged. “Well I couldn’t leave him after I’d just adopted him so I thought he could join us for our study session?”

Lena crossed her arms and Kara pouted. It was somewhat undermined by the puppy licking her face and making her giggle but Lena was still helpless to resist.

“Ok but he better not mess up any of my stuff.”

“Yes!” Kara grinned, wiggling the puppy excitedly, his ears flopping about.

Kara kissed her cheek on her way into the apartment and Lena’s heart skipped a beat. The puppy licked her in an attempt to join in but even that didn’t stop the way her heart raced.

They settled on the couch, facing each other as Lena quizzed Kara with flashcards. The puppy alternated between curling up in Kara’s lap and zooming around Lena’s living room, falling over his own paws.

“Ok, last one. How do you treat a sprain?”

“Ice it with my freezebreath, wrap it so it’s compressed but not cutting off circulation, keep it elevated.”

Lena grinned proudly. “That’s it! Done.”

Kara threw her hands in the air in delight, squealing as she propelled herself forwards to tackle Lena to the couch. She pulled back just as quickly, pushing up to brace herself over Lena.

“Sorry. I got excited.”

All the breath had deserted Lena’s lungs and she stared up at Kara. A light flush rose on Kara’s cheeks, pale pink against the deep blue of her eyes, bringing out the freckles that dusted her skin.

The flashcards slipped from Lena’s grasp as she surged up to meet Kara’s lips. Kara’s arms almost buckled but she caught herself. And then she was kissing back.

Lena’s hands slid up Kara’s back, practically pulling Kara down on top of her.

They were both breathing hard when they pulled apart, eyes closed and foreheads rested together.

Kara was smiling softly down at her when she finally opened her eyes. She had shifted to hold herself up on one hand and one elbow, her free hand gently stroking back Lena’s hair.

She looked like she was about to say something when she did a double take over the armrest of the couch behind Lena and her soft look turned into a wince. “What was it you said about the puppy not messing up any of your stuff?”

[kadi-sann]

How to properly build trust with Shin

Been thinking about how little it took for Shin to open up to Mishima and how fast he recognized he can trust him and how he can be someone who he can call a "friend" properly.

Keep in mind that in original game 3rd vote for Mishima that killed him was very likely Shin's since he had 0 votes and that means he didn't vote for himself. Altough it's not confirmed of course but it's good idea to keep in mind that possibility too.

Now back to topic: I love his events with Mishima in Your Turn To Shine because it gives us hints how Shin values some aspects during conversations.

Well first of all: circumstances. They're not in a Death Game so I'm assuming he's much more relaxed. But no matter if it's a Death Game or not, we can clearly see he's still wary, careful and not too open about himself. His name being Sou Hiyori here as well aside (probably bc to avoid spoilers from the main game) he still avoids answering truthfully and lies time and time again even when it comes to stuff that shouldn't matter that much. Like about exercising or how he gets to work.

1) Let him approach you first so he won't feel like a possible target for future manipulation right off the bat.

Just like it says. Because of his paranoia and anxiety, Shin thinks people are only kind because you want to use him just like Hiyori did in the past. That there's no way people can be kind without deeper hidden, sneaky motive unless you’re a weakling who’s too naive to doubt somebody. So, sudden, out of nowhere kindness from you can trigger his paranoia again and he'll be just as guarded as careful around you. And you don't want that of course.

Situation when he'll come to you on his own will help him think he has the control over it. That it was him who decided to go that way and if you'd want to use him, you'd come to him first, not the other way around.

In the screenshot below it's Shin who came up to Mishima first. And Mishima thought it will be a good idea to talk to him a bit now that he's around.

It's 100% natural interaction and thanks to that Shin doesn't have to be so on edge. But it's still not enough to get his full trust as he still lies because of his wary nature.

2) If he lies, call him out immadietly: show him this approach doesn't work on you as soon as you can.

The more and sooner Shin sees that his lies are working on you, the more he'll try to confuse you just to have an upper hand in any given stuation. He's not a good liar in the slightest but he's very sneaky because of his inteligence and how he uses your assumptions on the topic of his lies to the point you start second guessing yourself if you're really correct in the long run.

You gotta stop it as soon as possible as he must know he can trust you even when you see he's lying. He has to see you're willing to listen to the real Shin Tsukimi who is scared of opening up even when he lies to you again and again. That you're willing to forgive his mistakes and you understand he needs to do things in his own peace.Just like Mishima did in his events.

Shin lies because that's his shield not because he wants to. He is terryfied of being vulnerable and of thought that someone can use his weakness: which in his own eyes is his own kindness.

Lying gives him some kind of power or control over different approaches that give him possibility to spread information about himself on his own acord. Thanks to that people won't have any chances to strike him with an abuse right off the bat. That’s because they won't know his weaknesses until he’ll reveal it himself. That way it's him who has all the cards and that gives him more confidence about how to handle certain things.

Don't give him that comfort - he needs to move on from his past as much as he's able and to try to live without it. Everytime Shin lies it’s like trauma speaking trough him.

3) Don't judge him and affirm him often that it's totally okay for him to be himself- Shin Tsukimi - and he doesn't need to act as someone he's not around you.

Shin wants to be seen as a big baddy that lies time and time again, stands on his own, doesn't need close relationships with people, doesn’t care and that he is independent. Again; not because he wants wants to: it's his shield from others hurting him so that people won't see him as a stupid weakling that was used in the past.

He is ashemed about some parts of himself too like staying home and being on computer all the time or the fact he likes toys and is afraid of being judged. Because when Mishima asks him why he is hiding the fact he spends day on a  computer, Shin replies it’s because Mishima would think of him as a “gloomy guy”.

He tries to cover it so nobody will judge him. Mishima's doing great job to take his time with him at letting him speak. He doesn't press the issue: just tells him gently he would love to know about real Shin that hides under the mask and he's willing to listen to his story as soon as Shin will find the courage to do that on his own. And when Shin opens up he imadiettly says there's mothing wrong with it just mentions he should train a bit more for his own health.

And when Sara points out a robot toy in Shin’s memory he pretends he doesn’t see it at first. And when he finally “does” he blames it on “Midori’s hobby”. Depending on Sara’s answer choice he can be either relieved (when she tells Shin it’s a surpisingly “normal hobby” for someone like Hiyori) ....

... or pained (when she says the hobby is weird.) implying the toy belongs 100% to Shin but he’s just hiding that fact. 

That's exactly why he needs to hear it from someone outside of his comfort zone - that he can do and like whatever he wants and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it as long as he is happy and it brings him comfort.

And that no one has any right to judge him.

In conclusion:

Your role as his friend should be mostly affirming him that it's totally okay to be a "weakling", that sympathy and being nice is not a weakness and that he can be kind without necesserily turning into a douchbag or being manipulated. That it absolutely wasn't his fault his friendship was toxic and that victim is never the one to blame when it comes to abuse.

@itsmcdlove27​ I promised you to write it, and there it is!