#anyways all this to say can we stop acting like the ghoul boys are innocent in this situation

[stxrry-dxys]

only thing i want to personally add to the whole watcher debacle is i’ve seen a lot of people say that the announcement video reeks of “we’re better than youtube” and while i agree, this is absolutely not a new sentiment from watcher.

i distinctly remember when watcher first started, and especially with ghost files, ryan’s biggest pitch was that he wanted to make high quality content like what you’d find on tv. that he’d always wanted to be a director, and as someone with a similar dream at the time all i could think was “and you’re gonna do that through,,,, ghost files?”

and then when puppet history started airing and shane was talking about his excitement for it he said something very similar. about always wanting to make content where he can really “go nuts with it”

it felt weird, like something about those sentiments wasn’t quite right, but i pushed it away. i had a similar dream to ryan and figured that watcher on youtube and ghost files would be a good way for him to establish a presence that tv stations might pick up. and the same for shane and puppet history and potentially getting a kids tv show out of it or something similar. i don’t know much about steven’s goals, but i had always assumed watcher would be temporary and that eventually they would get their own shows on already established networks. like they just viewed youtube as a stepping stone that they would quickly pull away from.

and then it kept going. and going. and suddenly productions values were going up and new shows were being pitched and tons of new employees were hired and the idea that watcher was temporary very much faded. but the attitude never did. they kept adding more but it never felt like they were establishing this brand as anything long term like gmm or smosh.

and even as the shows felt more overproduced it was almost like the quality was declining. puppet history was getting corrected on its facts more and more. ghost files was constantly getting called out for viewer submissions being obviously faked. they’d stayed on their stepping stone too long and it began to crumble.

this is not to defend them in any way, and this is not to shame any fans who feel blind sided. but i am not shocked by this in the slightest. dumbfounded at how awful a decision this is? absolutely. disappointed that they actually committed to it? for sure. but i am not shocked. this company was always on borrowed time, and i can finally let out the breath i’ve been holding since they first announced their own solo channel.

[elmaxlys]

(og 083)

(:re 096)

(:re 098)

(:re 171)

I'll stop with the panels now but for real. The cross has so much significance for him, for his journey as a character and for others. I'll try not to makes this all about Donato because we're here to talk about his baby son so let's go.

Amon's character (and the whole manga) resolves around the idea that "the world is wrong". Amon starts the manga with the idea that ghouls are the ones that makes it so wrong (due to trauma and likening ghouls to demons <- that part being my own interpretation in the light of him being Catholic). Unlike the main character, who shifts from "The world is wrong" to "heeeh it be like that sometimes", Amon shifts from "The world is wrong and these bastards are the cause so we can solve this by genociding them" to "The world is wrong and it's everyone's fault so changing individually still makes a change and i'm starting with myself" which huh. Catholic character of all times.

As he says, to him the cross he wears represents his naivety. His sin of ignorance. When we look closer, the cross represents faith, not only in God but also in people.

Regarding his path, he had faith in his father - and was utterly betrayed when he turned out to be a ghoul eating his siblings. He wears the cross not to forget that part of him. That stops him from realizing the answer to his big question (why didn't his dad also eat him), because he can't allow himself to see the good in him.

Later (but still in a pre-canon flashback - og ch029 - see expansion on my thoughts relating the cross in this chapter here), he's seen not wearing the cross. He assumes someone is innocent - and is immediately betrayed. After that, he always wears his cross. A reminder not to let his faith in people blind him to the wrong they can cause. Basically don't let the log blind you, look at the speck in the other's eye.

Said faith wanes over time and he's left with immense distrust and only seeing logs everywhere. He's wearing the cross. Then he's stripped of all that makes him himself. He's stripped of his humanity and left looking like the ones he hated so much and on whom he was blaming the world's wrongs. There starts the second series of the manga, :re. In this one, the cross is a symbol of regaining faith. In himself (he was about to let himself die martyr bc he didn't want to be a ghoul then he was convinced that he could still act for the good even with that body), in others' (him giving the cross to Takizawa saying he believes in him which is both symbol of "you won't run off bc you still have to give it back to me" and really. him passing on the faith in himself. The way you can still be good and still be redeemed for the wrong you've done. Very Catholic of him.

(:re 115)

Getting the cross back from Takizawa in 171 reinforces all its meanings: see the evil in other people (Donato is undeniably evil), have faith in people (he still loved you), have faith in yourself (you can love him too, that doesn't make you bad) and faith in God (the hugeass cross he uses to "exorcise" Donato from the world. (and just like demons, that didn't kill Donato, just made him leave. anyway.))

Hope this made sense.

Also! In the first movie (everyone go watch it now), he is pinned in cross position and given stigmata-like wounds which is insane. Watch the scene here.

And have this chapter 124 cover because on top of amazing foreshadowing, the visual is absolutely incredible.

Vote for my boy.

Round 1 - Side B

Propaganda below ⬇️

Amon

Being catholic is literally the only thing he allowed himself to keep that he got from his father (who was a priest who turned out to be cannibal feasting on children in the orphanage he built). Anyone else would go 'the person who taught me this never lived by this and was using it as a cover, there is no reason for me to believe in it anymore' but this madlad decided it's go big or go home (and he just lost his home ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) and hold to it as if his life depended on it (which totaly doesn't represent how conflicted he really feels about his father despite the superficial hate, no sir, not at all, why would you even think that). His cross necklace was a plot point at other character's moral turnabout, his weapon takes a form of a cross, he talks about God when fighting etc. On a lighter note, he once spent all night doing pushups to stop feeling horny about his coworker. What a loser <3

Literally so catholic he cannot fuck he was in the same room as a woman and felt so guilty about being attracted to her he did push ups all night

He's such a catholic himbo he did push ups for 9 hours to distract himself because had a singular horny thought. I'm not even joking, that's canon

He's like if the antichrist made him catholic and he didn't find out until later

This idiot has the general disposition of a communion wafer.

Orphan raised by a serial killer catholic priest that I'll submit in a second. The priest killed and ate (he's a ghoul) the kids in the orphanage and it's even implied he fed the other kids the flesh of the killed kids like hello eucharistic parallel??? He did not kill Koutarou tho bc he loved him like a real son. 15 years after his father's been caught and thrown in ghoul prison and Amon's become a ghoul cop, Amon still wears the cross he had when in the orphanage *puppy eye emoji* also!! His weapon's ultimate form was a giant cross sword made from a part of himself (he became a ghoul at some point in the story). He used it to kill his dad (he failed bc it wasn't his dad's real body but kudos for trying)

I mean homie was raised by a potentially *censored* human eating priest so that’s. Something.

Simon

no propaganda

[everly-kindred]

Eve’s Diary - Entry #79

Date: 10th of October, 2027

Dear Diary, 

Thankfully I mostly just have classes to write about this time, but I know it’s been awhile, so here goes. 

We had a divinations class where I had talked to Talula and Marigold. Apparently Talula lost her wand because Peach had ratted her out about something, I think she cast during Hogsmeade weekend to stop Tom from doing something dumb? And apparently Peach has been really stressed, so I’m kind of worried about her. But I don’t know her well enough to talk to her about it, so hopefully her other friends do. 

Anyways, as for the actual divinations class, we played battleship and used divinations to figure out where to aim? And I played with Caitlin and it was super fun. Tom also asked me to help him learn how to do divinations, which made me really happy. He offered to help me with dueling or something in return, but I told him that it was okay and I was happy to talk about it and teach him because it’s one of my favourite things. We haven’t gotten to do it yet, though.

I missed flying horse club again, but I went to Professor Rask’s aurology club, and we cast spells while using the aurology glasses to see the auras the spells left behind. It was really cool. 

I talked to Marigold a bit later, and it seems like the drama with Tom and Aloy and the Ashworths may be over, but Marigold was feeling really sad about it for awhile, so if it isn’t over… I’m not sure what to do. I don’t want her to be sad about it anymore. She seems to be doing a lot better, though! 

Professor Esper substituted Herbology, and we planted lilies and talked about how lilies honor the dead, and how they symbolise the purity we return to when we die. I talked about how lilies are often used to symbolise female innocence, at least in the victorian flower language. 

We had ghoul studies, too, but I don’t really remember what we talked about. I’ve been having a really hard time paying attention in classes lately. 

In Defense Against the Dark Arts, we practiced flipendo, and I got to practice with Bobby. It was fun to cast, and kind of fun to be sent flying back into the pillows Vikander had put out. 

We had another Divinations class where we talked about astrology. Professor Gallo had these star things shaped like the twelve zodiac signs, and called on people to talk about each sign. I got to talk about Cancer and Sagittarius and I got to keep the stars, too! I still have them, they’re really pretty and fun to hold, and they make good nightlights. 

And then there was history of magic. I sat next to Talula and Casey, and then this boy Chadwick showed up? And he’s like… I don’t think he’s part veela or anything, but he’s just… really pretty. I acted really dumb around him, and he like, asked to borrow my quill, and I’m pretty sure he still has it. He’s an older year, so it’s not like… I mean, it’s not like that! And anyways, I think he likes Talula. He kept looking at her during class. I had to hide my face in my book because I felt my face get all hot every time I looked at him. It was weird! I felt like I couldn’t breathe. 

Professor Eastwood held a lesson outside for care of magical creatures, and we talked about the giant squid. It even stretched its tentacles up to say hi to us, and I got to touch it! It was really cool, but I think the best part was getting to see Ruby again. I feel like I haven’t seen him in forever. We went into that secret room behind Sir… Caddlewomp, I think his name is, and we just talked about stuff.

I told him about Grandpa passing, and about how I feel like I’m falling behind in school. I keep having dreams that I’m being held back to do first year all over again, and I’m older than all the students, and I feel like a failure and alone because I’m the only one my age there. I’ve been feeling really lonely and hopeless in general. He seems to be doing good, though, and he was really optimistic and gave me some realistic and wise advice about everything. I guess that’s why he’s in Ravenclaw, but I didn’t say so because I know how much he detests it. 

Anyways, Talula’s spark club is soon, and I’ve got to put the finishing touches on my dress. I found this pretty magical fabric in the homemaking magic room, it looks like the stars in the sky! And so I tried to follow a pattern to make it into a dress, and I think it’s working good. It helps that I had a dress that I could sew the fabric onto. I also need to talk to Marigold and Aures about doing Coraline for Halloween, because I recently read the book and I have all the stuff to do a Coraline costume! I asked mum to send me two copies of it so I can give one to both of them. I think it’d be kind of nice to have a book club with them, too. We could read storybooks and talk about them! 

Anyways, I gotta go. 

Much love, Everly

[ Eve’s Wiki Page ] 

[ Flickr ] 

[cheshirequeenwithoutaheart]

of ghosts, ghouls and strange things

It began as an ordinary Octobers day in the week leading up to Halloween.

Anshee had a feeling it would not remain an ordinary day for long, though she didn't say anything to anyone about her concerns. This close to the day the veil between the worlds of the dead and the living was the thinnest, strange things had a habit of happening. Usually they were small, like Bram suddenly losing his craziness and becoming almost meek...which might not actually seem small, considering Bram's craziness was a large part of who he was.

Taking past experiences with Halloween and the week leading up to it as a warning, Anshee got up from where she had meditated in lieu of sleeping and walked towards the kitchen cautiously. Perhaps she was overreacting, but the memory of the incident with that ghost determined to stop her ex-husband from killing himself made her wary.

Whatever it was, she hoped it wouldn't take too much time to deal with. Kiandre, the boy she'd met when the older people in the Cs had decided that she spent too much time at HQ (what did they know?), had somehow managed to get her to agree to meet him at the GRC for something.

When she turned a corner and was in the kitchen, her feeling was proven correct...at least she thought so. Bram, bleeding eye sockets clear to see, was perched on the table. Audrey was looking through the cabinets for some reason. Adone was sat in one of the chairs with a gun on the table in front of him. Eva was standing near Audrey, one of her arms linked with Wren's as they talked quietly to each other (they had become close after the latter's death). Florence was nowhere to be seen (she was probably off traumatising someone...)

Normally this wouldn't have been strange, they usually did stuff like this.

No, the strange thing was that Anshee couldn't see through them. She'd always been able to see through them, that was part of what made it easy to tell who was a ghost and who wasn't without needing to see them do ghost stuff.

Today, they all looked relatively solid. Bram sometimes went intangible, often when he pulled a concentrated face.

"What?" she asked walking over to them. "Going on?"

Bram, as he usually did, elected himself as the spokesperson for the ghosts. “We think, though we are not entirely sure, that we have somehow managed to become...almost alive?”

That...really didn't answer her question all that much.

Audrey closed the cabinet doors with an aggravated huff. “He means that we are solid and, though we haven't proven it, we might be visible to people who are not mediums.”

“Ah,” was the young medium’s reply.

Distantly, she could hear the sounds of people heading towards the kitchen. Well, this could go two ways. Either it went okay or...it went badly. Very badly.

She sighed and sat down in the chair next to Adone. Florence dropped down from wherever she had been to sit opposite her.

As predicted, not even 2 minutes after she sat down, David  came into the kitchen followed by Lily,  and promptly paused at the sight of the Ghosts.

“Who…?” David began but Anshee cut him off, a look of annoyance on her face as she was forced to speak normally.

“These are the ghosts that follow me. Bram, the one without eyes. Adone, the one next to me. Audrey, the one by the cabinets. Eva is by Wren who i’m sure you’ve met before. Finally, Florence is the one sat opposite me.”

“Got to be honest, I thought you were lying about the ghosts,” Lily stated from the background, her arms crossed as she took in the group of ghosts, the theme song of ghostbusters playing in the back of her head.

“The incident with the pillows and the thing with the lights during that time we watched horror movies, you really thought I did that?” Anshee raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Okay so I was a little freaked out by that,” Lily admitted before continuing, “But I thought it may have been some elaborate prank you all pulled on me.”

“That time we all went to the park and I let Bram possess me, you didn't think it was strange that i suddenly started talking with a male voice and going intangible?”

“I uh....,” Lily couldn’t find an excuse for that one. But still the brawler just wouldn’t believe that ghosts actually exist. “Ok, so that was weird.”  

“I feel offended that you didn't believe in us. And after all that effort I put into messing with you,” Bram turned his face to look at her, somehow able to tell where she was even though he didn't have eyes.

“Look, it doesn’t matter if we believed in the ghosts or not, we need to figure out why and how we can now see them,” David said, trying to get them all back on track.

Anshee shrugged. “This close to Halloween, strange things always happen. The fact that the ghosts are now visible to non-mediums doesn't even rank into the top five strangest things that have happened to me over the years.”

“So as we get closer and closer to Halloween, are more strange things going to happen?” David asked her, he wanted to ask about the other strange things that had occurred but decided not to pry.

“Probably. Three years ago, I had to deal with the ghost’s personalities being flipped around. As it got closer to Halloween, their personalities got even more weird. Then, as soon it turned into the first of November, they were all back to normal.”

“So we have to deal with them until the first of November?” Lily asked the others, looking around at the group. When she realized the answer was a yes she sighed, grumbling under her breath “Great, just great.”

“Trust me, the feeling’s mutual,” Bram responded, smirking slightly.

“Flo thinks it’s fine,” the child-like ghost giggled out from behind her hand, hiding her trademark twisted smirk.

“Well, I don't,” Audrey huffed, folding her arms over her chest. “How am I supposed to do my snooping if I’m visible?” the ex-reporter turned around to face the group fully, revealing her permanently wide grin in the process.

“Wait….snooping?” David’s eyes went wide, Did this ghost follow the members around just to get good gossip on them? If that was true then she probably knew about how much of a nerd he actually was.

“Yes, snooping. I’m a reporter,” a shadow crossed her face briefly and the wide grin seemed to become slightly sad. “Well, I was anyway.”

She seemed to read David’s train of thought. “Whilst I do sometimes follow the members around, I do have more interesting things to do with my time.”

“Like what?” Lily asked, actually curious to what ghosts did in their free time. It wasn’t like they could go to an arcade or bar.

Audrey shrugged. “Like look around for spirits that have the potential to become a problem if left unchecked. I also snoop around various criminal hideouts, that's always fun. Nothing like coming face to face with someone who would try to kill you without a second thought but can't because they can't see you to remind you of the fact that you're dead,” surprisingly, she didn't sound bitter as she said that, just matter of fact.

Florence giggled without reason, as she was known to do, and smiled innocently at the non-mediums.

There was a sudden scream as Ellis rushed in, tripping over his own two feet. He froze in the doorway, blinking rapidly. He’d been screaming because he was a hyperactive eight year old with nothing to do. It was only logical to him to run around screaming. But… he didn’t know what to do with this, honey brown eyes big in surprise.

Anshee sighed. Looked like she would be explaining, yet again, what was going on. Why couldn't it have been a normal day? Oh yeah...Halloween week.

Out of the corner of his eye, Adone noticed that Florence had hidden her mouth behind her hand and had somehow produced a bunny doll from somewhere. Inwardly, he sighed. He was the only one who knew about what she did to the boy who had just arrived and knowing her, she was bound to repeat it unless she was reeled in. Besides, the rabbit was always a sign of bad things to come.

“Florence,” the young girl froze when Adone pinned her with an unamused look. “Whatever you're thinking, don't.”

“Who, me?” she tilted her head to the side innocently. Adone wasn't fooled. Actually, none of the ghosts were fooled, neither was Anshee. They had all spent too much time around the girl to be fooled by her cute and innocent act.

Before any of the non-mediums that were already there could ask what they were on about when they told the ghost named Florence to not do something, Lain and Parker walked into the kitchen.

This will forever remain incomplete...mostly because I’m no longer really close or in touch with the people who sort of wrote this with me.

@writersloth @strawberryspaceship @rmorada @rosella1356 @editedandwrittenbyhannah

[thesundowncrew]

The Sundown Crew’s rp plotting cheat-sheet

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mun name: Dee OOC Contact: Tumblr IM

Who the heck is/are my muse(s) anyway:

In the main crew, we have Sammy, a nerdy ghoul boi who is the embodiment of Samhain (of the Celtic calendar) and Guardian of the Veil; Nightshade, his soul-sister and cat-turned-human witchy familiar; and last but not least Axel, the sadistic, cannibal crow mythos who’s only interested in revenge and fucking people (up).

They’re all super old and supernatural and 2/3 are always happy to meet new people!

Points of interest:

Samhain & Nightshade: guarding the Veil, keeping the balance, protecting innocent humans and mythos alike, adventuring and exploring new places, meeting people and learning new things. Sammy enjoys reading, treasure-hunting and getting lost in his research. Nightshade enjoys cooking, eating, listening to music, and keeping up with the latest memes.

Axel: looking for the biggest, baddest, toughest rivals he can fight to the death with, enjoys challenges, exploring new places, witnessing genocides and mass-murders, causing genocides and mass-murders, fucking people (up) psychologically and physically.

What they’ve been up to recently:

Samhain & Nightshade: their work and responsibilities as Guardians of the Veil. Though the Veil is at its thinnest during Hallow’s Eve (31st Oct), they work 24/7 by hunting malicious spirits and whatever dangerous creatures threatening both humans and mythos that are already existing in the world. When not on the job, they’re either out sight-seeing and visiting friends or chilling at home. They also run a small business from home by making potions, charms and selling spells or rare ingredients. Merchants and traveling caravans often stop by their place so they always have a lot of stock to trade.

Axel: whatever the fuck he wants. Mostly spends his time hunting down prey in the human world, or spreading his wings and exploring new and faraway lands/dimensions. He’s still on his quest to journey to Hell and get his revenge on the demoness who killed his whole family. Always easier said than done, but he’s patient and he plays the long game better than anyone.

Where to find them:

The crew live on an abandoned, magickal island called Sundown. Geographically, it’s somewhere up in Northern Ireland but can’t be marked on any human map. It was magickal long before any of them settled there and because of its supernatural properties, it can hide itself from the naked eye. At the same time the island and its forests are connected to every labyrinth, maze and neck of the woods across worlds and dimensions.

Samhain is always saying that the island has a mind of its own and likes to spirit people away, regardless if their living or dead. People either end up in Sundown when they least expect it, or because it’s where they’re supposed to go.

While you can easily find Samhain and Nightshade at home, Axel can’t stay cooped up in once place too long and travels all over the place. When he’s not hunting, he escapes to the quiet of the wild or the bustling big cities.

Current plans:

The narrative starts with Samhain and Nightshade already experts in their fields and doing their jobs as Guardians of the Veil, and continues with them helping Axel achieve his goal of ultimate payback. The timeline for this blog is infinite after that because I haven’t quite figured out the endgame for anything just yet. Which is why any plot that involves Axel killing Ketele, getting his heart back, and even Nightshade’s life after Samhain’s death, is considered an AU.

In terms of plans for this blog, I’m still working on things so that they can fall into place and serve as proper material for a comic. Once I’ve gotten all my ideas sorted out, those AUs might probably not stay AUs and end up being one huge main timeline.

Desired interactions:

I’d love more threads that explore the darker side of Samhain, whether it’s in the Mainverse or in any of the AUs where he’s not his usual, warm, friendly self or where he’s morally grey. Which is why I love writing him in his criminal verses! Some of my faves are: - Pirate AU: He’s the first-mate and quartermaster who has the gift of ‘Sight’ but he’s as pirate as they come. - Green Eyed Devil: Human-Ghoul hybrid bandit whose crew would do almost anything for money. - Mobprince AU: Classy and more reserved, the quiet but bloodthirsty type. I’ve always been a fan of mobs/gangs/syndicates. - Dark!Samhain: Angsty, overpowered hermit. I rarely get opportunities to write him in this verse which is a shame because I’d like to develop it more.

Nightshade’s all fun and games but once in a while, it’d be refreshing for Nightshade to do a serious thread. Like maybe deal with heavier, more sensitive topics. I’ve emphasized how she’s seen the same amount of horror Samhain has seen but comes out more mentally resilient in comparison, so I’d really like to explore that more about her. I also feel like she hasn’t been able to really connect with anyone as a real friend?? Idk how to explain it but like, I feel like she just floats between different muses and she’s so friendly with everyone, it’s hard to pinpoint whether there is a real connection between them or if it’s just Nightshade being...Nightshade? It’s none of my partners’ faults BTW! I’m reminding me to fix that about myself and how I write her.

Speaking of darker topics, I don’t mind pushing the boundaries when it comes to Axel as long as it doesn’t make anyone uncomfortable. I used to write some disturbing shit with him back in the day (like he broke into a drug lord’s flat and killed everyone in it so he could use it as his personal nest, killed and ate two police officers who were investigating the break-in, mutilated, tortured and ate a rapist alive after catching him in the act etc.). But the partners I used to write with are long gone and I feel like Axel needs to get back into the game again.

Offered interactions:

All of the above as well as anything else from my list of AUs! As mentioned on the page, that list is not the TOTAL list of AUs I’ve got. Some are just really small and still in development, and not enough to justify getting a spot on that list. Honestly, I’m open to plotting and coming up with more AUs so if you’ve got an idea, just hmu! I’ve also got a tag for ‘au ideas’ so you can browse there too if you like and tell me if anything strikes your fancy~

Current open post/s:

I don’t make open posts or starters. I prefer writing starters once my partner and I have something in mind and we’ve plotted enough to go about it.

Anything else?:

Though the blog is advertised as a WEEKEND blog (cus I work 9-5 on weekdays), I am usually lurking online thanks to mobile and will answer IMs when free. I don’t like replying to threads on mobile so I’ll usually reply on the weekends. Unless I’m busy that weekend, then sometimes I change up the rules and reply on a Friday or whenever I’m able.

When I reply to threads, I like to release a bunch at a time and then I’ll tag my partners so that they can see how many threads I’ve replied to out of the total count, like so! The total count often changes because we could have dropped threads in between, or partners go on hiatus and they get moved from ‘ongoing’ to ‘cold’ threads. Because of this, I have a threads page which I try my best to update.

Tagged by Stolen from: @bengalisms

[idontneedasymbol]

13x07: War of the Worlds

Bucklemming is back in form!

Some fans really enjoyed this episode, and I get that. If you are a fan of Lucifer and/or Ketch, there was a lot to like. For me, though, both of those characters were a drawback, not a plus, and there was little else I was into.

Things I did like:

Kevin!!! Post-apocalyptic angel-enslaved geek, whatever, I love Osric Chau. I’ve been enjoying the hell out of him in Dirk Gently and I loved seeing him again here.

Rowena!!! Is not back yet but obviously will be! Can’t wait.

Lucifer getting tortured. (Or were we not supposed to be cheering Michael on – are we supposed to forget he was doing to Lucifer the same kind of stuff that Lucifer did to Sam? I wouldn’t want to see the Winchesters doing that. But one villain to another – yeah, hurt him more.)

The witch going to the Winchesters for help, because that’s what they do (did Sully post a review on monster Yelp or what? ‘Superlative assistance, Sam is so awesome and brave, 5/5 stars, would reveal our secret world to again.’)

The labeled FBI/CIA/etc. phones.

Then there was the rest. I admit, I don’t watch SPN for the plot. “Red Meat” is one of my all-time favorite episodes, and you could drive a semi through its holes. But this ep was���inconsistent, even for Bucklemming. Some of the many points that confused me (corrections/counterpoints/explanations for any of these would be appreciated!):

Witches being natural enemies of hunters. Did no one ever tell the Banes this? Max was open about his witchcraft in a house full of nervous hunters. The witch in this ep didn’t seem like a wicked sort, considering she didn’t even hurt Ketch when escaping. Is this a regional thing? Has she just met the wrong sort of hunters?

Sam & Dean being so confused that Ketch could be back to life. Without mentioning shifters. Or shapeshifting demons. Or that in just the last episode they faced a ghoul who took the form of a century-old corpse, and because they didn’t burn Ketch’s body, nothing was stopping anything from taking a bite.

And why didn’t they burn the body again?

I already asked this but seriously, why? Forget about magic spells bringing people back to life, why weren’t they worried about Ketch’s vengeful spirit haunting the bunker?

Putting aside how annoyed I was to see Dean enjoying torture (that’s not OOC, but it’s usually a sign he’s in a dark place, except when Bucklemming writes him) – what the hell was happening in that interrogation? Why did Ketch take so many blows before he mentioned the identical twin thing, as opposed to going right away, ‘hey, are you talking about my brother?’

What was the deal about the evil twin? Did Ketch actually have one for real? Otherwise, how long had he had that ruse going on? Because Sam mentions that he found records of Alexander on the harddrive he stole from the BMOL’s bunker – that he stole before Ketch died. Was this some kind of long con or what?

Also, Ketch has been dead at most a month, given how little time has elapsed in-show since the finale, but everyone was acting like he’d been doing this for a while?

I would’ve better liked Dean figuring out Ketch if he had used a little more logic and a little less “gonna say it’s gut instinct so I have an excuse to beat up a guy whose face I hate.”

Why are Sam & Dean so mindbogglingly stupid about keeping prisoners now? Because yeah, Ketch wasn’t a demon, so he would need food and basic amenities, Dean should know that. But then Sam letting Ketch wander around the bunker, repository of the MOL’s knowledge and weapons, totally unsupervised, is just blockheaded. Even if Sam doesn’t think he’s really Arthur Ketch, the guy still tortured and murdered several possibly-innocent witches. And Sam was keeping him chained, so he didn’t trust him anyway, but what chains would stop him from picking up a sword? Or a much more dangerous artifact?

(The only explanation I have is that Sam actually was using the cameras he was watching Jack with to spy on Ketch, giving him a chance to prove the truth about him, but he couldn’t explain that to Dean in front of Ketch?)

Ketch explained how he got out of the chains, but how did he get out of the dungeon? Or is that unsecured? Sam was maybe too trusting but Dean didn’t trust him at all, so apparently he just sucks at securing a prisoner?

Like, he couldn’t hold Ketch for even 5 minutes, given how quickly Ketch caught up with them?

I admit I wasn’t paying attention to most of Lucifer’s scenes because I find it so grating that they’re trying to turn the show’s one-time biggest bad into an anti-hero a la Crowley, but was there any reason why Cas didn’t tell Sam & Dean that Lucifer was back the moment he reached them on the phone?

Also why didn’t Cas ask Lucifer what happened to Mary?

Or does Cas not know that Mary ended up stranded in the AU?

In which case where does Cas think Mary is?

Or has he forgotten she existed, for all he killed Billie for her before?

And why didn’t he just stab Lucifer – come on, Cas, he was right there! Stabbing angels is one thing you’re really good at!

What was Asmodeus’s plan at the end here? I’ve seen mixed opinion about whether Ketch at the end there was just joining up with Asmodeus, or was the hunter in Asmodeus’s circle all along. Either way, I can’t figure out the plan. If Ketch was working for him, why did Asmodeus send demons after Sam & Dean, only to have Ketch kill them? Was it to try to get them to trust Ketch (a big failure)? Or was Ketch not working for Asmodeus yet at that point, in which case why would Asmodeus hire the guy who just killed his demons?

And anyways, how could a few minor demons get the drop on Sam & Dean so completely that Ketch had to save them?

I’m getting really tired of Sam & Dean being unable to take out a single monster without help.

Come on, get it together, dudes.

Speaking of which, you guys know there is a shapeshifting demon around. Why have you taken zero precautions? If you had a simple pass-phrase, Asmodeus couldn’t have tricked you with his fake Cas voice.

I know they’ve never really taken precautions against shapeshifters, but it hasn’t gotten them in serious trouble before. Now it is, so they just look like idiots for not being prepared.

Getting really tired of our boys looking like idiots.

Also getting tired of the obligatory ‘Sam & Dean sit around in front of laptops in the library and hang a lampshade on how useless they are.’

Like at least have them doing laundry or changing lightbulbs or something! Give us domestic cuteness to make up for how they’re not doing anything plot-relevant!

But at least they were very pretty.

Richard Speight can come back and direct any time, he makes everyone gorgeous!

[nitsuki-baka]

Exit game - Secret Santa ‘17

Happy Christmas to all of you, but especially to @j-and-a. This fic is for you! Hope you like it. You can also find it on ao3. 

Hugs and kisses from your secret santa Nikki ( ˘ ³˘)♥

Exit game

If someone were to ask Kaneki to list the things that he wanted the least to happen, he would have made one and underlined this specific situation. From all the punishments that he had taken for the past week, scratch that, for his whole life, this one topped all of them.

Kaneki had woken up from what he only could remember as a state of paralysation, but at the same time he was sitting on the first row of experiencing the damage being done on Tokyo. After his awakening, he wasn’t given a lot of time to get a glimpse of the people applauding for him, to see Hinami, or Tsukiyama, or Banjou, or… or even Touka for the last time before being taken away with force by the CCG, getting locked up and being instructed to wait for his trial.

A week later, Kaneki was sentenced to death.

It wasn’t like he had expected to be treated any different after becoming a mass murderer. No alleviations for him for being called a hero. Those who still called him a hero had to wait for some more years before their opinion would be worth anything. It didn’t matter anyway, because at the end of the day, Kaneki still had hundreds of innocent deaths to his name. All he deserved was to die and rot away.

Yet, Kaneki did not wish to die, despite of having begged for the sweet salvation in the past. But to be able to slump down on a couch, get lost in one of his novels with a steaming mug of coffee and forget about time. To only get back to earth when his eyes started to hurt without the sunlight helping him recognising the words. To go to bed and think about his plans for the upcoming day, maybe having a drink with Hinami or something silly like that. To be able to do that all for one, last time, that would make Kaneki stop wishing for death. That was all he ever fought for. A quiet day.

He hated it that he had messed that up for himself so badly. Kaneki hated himself for it.

Only, apparently death wasn’t the worst that he could get. If the CCG had let him choose between being chained down a chair and torturing him until his body would give up on him or this, Kaneki would have chosen the first one.

It started with the door of his private room opening for the time since he had learned about his fate.

‘’It’s visiting hour. And this time you actually got visitors.’’

Kaneki sat up from where he was lying on the bed, his heart stopping when he recognised the faces of the people standing in the doorway. The little Saiko and Urie were blocking part of the light that slipped through the doorway.

This was the worst. Being seen as the ugly truth that he was and had tried so hard to hide, that was. Kaneki wanted to run away, crawl into the deepest hole and never have to look at anyone’s face again.

‘’Maman…’’

Yet, as much as he tried, he just couldn’t ignore her crying for recognition. Kaneki looked up, straight into the eyes of the shaking girl who was doing her best to stand tall. He was so proud of her. Of them, for still coming here, even if it was to beat him to pulp.

‘’You’re gonna leave us for real now?’’

The old Sasaki was twitching to take his kids in his arms and comfort them. Kaneki wasn’t sure if he was still the right person to do so. But he still did.

His offered embrace was taken, Saiko folding her short arms around Kaneki, breaking the act of braveness. It took a little effort to put a hand on her head and stroke her hair softly. ‘’Yes, I am.’’ A high pitched sob came out.

‘’I don’t wanna lose my maman.’’

It hurt. That was why living was a curse. That was why this was the worst. Even if he was on the edge of the end, he was still living and breathing now. Still hurting over little girls and other people that he didn’t want to say goodbye to. He was shaking with her when he felt Urie’s presence coming closer.

‘’I know.’’

The rest of the visit was short-lived, and Kaneki was alone all over again, or so he thought.

‘’Are the troops safe?’’

‘’Yes. We are working on finding residence for everyone to reduce the chance of riots breaking out in public.’’

‘’No one is set for trial?’’

‘’No, that was one of the conditions your people asked for before agreeing on working together with the CCG.’’

‘’That’s… good.’’

‘’Sure it is.’’

Kaneki’s second round of visitors brought less of a heart attack, yet had the same shock level. He didn’t understand how Amon Koutarou could have gotten permission to visit (it were probably the same people who had kept the ’We will not slaughter all the ghouls after this’ promise alive), and Mado Akira, well, they didn’t part with the best words, did they?

It felt almost comical to Kaneki. The whole visit was about practical stuff: News from the outside world, how Tokyo was working on getting back to the normal life, how the people he had promised to protect had ended up, and more non-romantic stuff. To be working when he was living his last moments, it made Kaneki laugh. How to take life by its throat at the last moment and show it that you had not given up yet.  

Amon lead most of the conversation, Akira only let her voice out once. Somewhere at the end, when the two were ready to leave, she looked Kaneki into the eye as she would do with Sasaki. Everyone who had visited yet had come to see Sasaki, not Kaneki. How disappointed must they have been.

‘’Are you going to be okay?’’

She was letting go of her own student. Akira was telling him to walk on his own from now on.

Kaneki huffed out a small sound that could have been a laugh.

‘’Surely I will.’’

There was nothing else then counting down the days until he would be met with his death day. How could he be counting down? He hadn’t seen daylight ever since being locked up, so there was no way the Kaneki could keep track on the days passing. Maybe he was counting minutes, but then how would he remember how many times he had reached sixty to start all over again? It was at least better then thinking about all the people that couldn’t come here and all the goodbyes he still had to say. Soon, it would be

It was the night before his death penalty, that Kaneki was woken up from his daze by immense vibrations that shook his whole room. An earthquake would have been the most logical assumption, but it was not the case.

Kaneki was scared. The whole world was falling apart, and he would be buried under all of it before he was even dead. He wanted to scream for help, but stopped himself when he thought about how everyone had probably already left the building if this was an earthquake. Also, who would save someone who had a dead flag on his name?

It took Kaneki some seconds to realise it was awfully quiet again. Relief relaxed his muscles. He wasn’t dead yet. It was over, yet Kaneki couldn’t help but crawl to the nearest corner and make himself as small as possible.

He cried when the second shock came with a horrible boom. That made Kaneki think for a moment. Did earthquakes sound like… explosions? Could a epicentre change that quickly, because he was so sure that this one felt so much closer than the last one.

Then he heard the sound of doors being kicked open. Kaneki turned towards his door and light seeped into his room together with a lot of dust. Kaneki almost smiled because he thought he was saved, because the idea that people would still want to save him from whatever was happening made him feel utter happiness.

‘’Kaneki.’’

A voice that sounded like it had been recorded with a device that had had its best time was constantly calling his name. Kaneki wanted to say something back, but he was interrupted by another explosion, this time more far away.

‘’Kaneki, where are you?’’

Clouds piled up in the room, and it felt suffocating. It was enough for Kaneki to push himself up and follow the sound of the voice. He had nothing to lose.

His orientation was a mess. Kaneki didn’t know where he was and the person had stopped calling. He felt a sob pushing up his throat, and he let it. Crying out of pure frustration, he stayed where he was. More ugly noises escaped his mouth. He was all alone again, with the ground shaking and a hellish peep in his ears that gave him a headache. Kaneki was only able to handle so many incentives.

Two arms hooked under Kaneki’s armpits before he was able to hit the ground. Kaneki let himself lean into the stranger’s support, looking up to try to give the person a face. He startled a bit by how close the other was.

The lower half was covered with a scarf, but Kaneki could see the rest of the face all to clearly. Kaneki gave an easy smile. He must be dead by now.

‘’Kaneki, can you hear me?’’

Very slowly, the arms went around his back to lift him up. Another explosion went off.

‘’Shit. We’re behind schedule, Kaneki. We’ve got to go, like, right now.’’

Kaneki was being pulled towards what was probably the doorway. He wasn’t trying to resist. Not when he was being dragged down the dark halls or when they were climbing stairs to get to the outside world. He was dead and he knew for sure, because that was the only place possible where he could ever see Hide again.

The terrain was as good as empty, except for two young boys who ran over the hardened roads to the exit. Hiding in the shadows, keeping low when having to go over open areas, it made Kaneki twitch in excitement. To him, this was like a careless act of playing Capture the flag. Adrenaline pumping through his veins for no reason, and the worst thing that could happen was if they got caught and tagged before they could reach their goal.

No one was in their way. Hide took a hold of Kaneki’s hand when the latter began to slow down. They sped up and went through the gates, turned left and made their way out of the facility’s terrain around the walls of the Cochlea. They ran and ran, industrial landscapes changing into meadows and mountains as far as they could see, asphalt giving place to uneven muddy roads. They kept running until Kaneki started to stumble over his own feet.

Hide stopped and turned around to give Kaneki some extra support and not fall down. ‘’Ho there buddy. I think we took too much from you.’’ He let Kaneki go again and shrugged off his backpack, squatting down and zipping the bag open as he put it in front of him.

Kaneki stared down as Hide was searching for something in that bag. The blonde made a sound of victory when he took out some black hoodie, jeans, and shoes. He handed them over to Kaneki with an apologizing look. ‘’I honestly forgot to take socks with me. Sorry man.’’

Taking what was given to him, Kaneki turned around when Hide did it too. He was thankful for the soft temperature that April brought. It was somewhere around midnight, and the sky was clear from clouds, but the air didn’t feel uncomfortably cold on his naked skin while he changed from his clothes he wore in Cochlea to a more casual wear.

‘’Keep the hoodie on your head. You’re like a lighthouse without.’’ Hide stood close as he carefully put the hood over Kaneki’s head, teasingly pulling it over his eyes at the end. He took his bag from the ground and with Kaneki behind him, they continued their walk.

It was mostly silent, neither spoke and the only sound that could be heard was the wind whistling every now and then. Kaneki didn’t feel the need to ask where they were going or if there was even a specific destination. It would break the vibe of not having sweat over anything. Kaneki felt better than he had in years, maybe the best he ever had. Just strolling behind his friend, not worrying about consequences that would come with doing nothing.

After a while, the unending road was disturbed by train rails crossing it. Hide stopped walking. Kaneki did the same. ‘’We can rest a bit ‘till the our train comes, and that’s in about…’’ Kaneki couldn’t see it clearly since Hide wasn’t facing him, but he got the idea that he was checking his watch, ’’twelve minutes.’’ Hide plumped down and sat down in the soil. Kaneki did the same, leaving a small distance between them.

‘’So we’re taking a train.’’ There was no station to be seen, so did that mean they were going to jump one? It wasn’t a first time, but this one got a different context than the previous one. It excited Kaneki.

‘’Yes. It will bring us to the Yokohama harbour.’’ They had been there once, for their school trip somewhere in middle school if Kaneki remembered correctly. The weather was bad and Hide had almost fallen into the water when he thought it was a good idea to walk close to the edge of the boulevard while gusts of wind were being harsh. To think back to a day in his past and not feeling down afterwards felt freeing in a way.

‘’Why Yokohama?’’ If that scarf wasn’t in the way, Kaneki would have seen Hide’s smile for the first time in years. The way his eyes crinkled that Kaneki knew so well gave it away. ‘’Because that’s the place that will take us to the land of opportunity.’’

With widened eyes, Kaneki stared at his friend. ‘’America?’’ The nod made it official, and like so many firsts that this night had brought, Kaneki started to laugh. The idea was so silly, something he would never have considered taking seriously if this were real.

‘’Uh, Kaneki?’’ Hide gave him a confused look, so when Kaneki was able to breath normally again, he took Hide’s uncertainties away. He smiled the biggest he could. ‘’Yes, let’s go.’’

Hide sighed out of relief. He must have thought Kaneki was making fun of his idea. ‘’You know, I thought I would have to put much more effort into convincing you to come along, but you’re acting abnormally calm.’’ Hide stood up again. It must almost be time to go. ‘’Did they drug you or somethin’?’’

‘’Ha, no. It just doesn’t matter anymore.’’ Kaneki gazed at the stars. Absorbing, they were, just like the boy in front of him. Kaneki adored him and these moments he could still spend with him. ‘’Since I’m already dead.’’

Eased smiles turned into frowns. ‘’What… what are you saying Kaneki?’’ Everything changed so fast that Kaneki couldn’t understand. The tension that was so unwelcome, yet so familiar, returned. ‘’I’m dead.’’

Panic came next when Hide looked him straight into the eye. It must be his mind playing games with him. ‘’I died back at Cochlea when there was an earthquake, or something,’’ Kaneki stuttered, ‘’I’m dead and because of that I’m able to see you, Hide.’’

‘’Okay Kaneki, don’t go nuts on me, but this all,’’ Hide spread his arms and gestured around him, ‘’is real, and you have to believe it. I’m still alive, and so are you.’’

‘’No… it can’t be.’’ But the whole idea of being dead seemed so much more illogical now. He had experienced almost-death situations in the past, and those felt like dreams. He wasn’t feeling that at all.

But if he was still alive, then that meant that he had just escaped his death, was a fugitive, and that Hide who was standing before him wasn’t dead. Kaneki wasn’t dead and that meant that he would still have to continue living.

‘’Hide, that’s not true.’’ Kaneki shook his head violently as his voice broke together with himself. ‘’You’re lying. You’re dead because I killed you!’’ He couldn’t handle it anymore. Every single time when he thought he was done, all his problems would come back and beat him up all over again.

Hide took his wrists before Kaneki could rip out his hair. He made him look up, and to Kaneki’s most ugly nightmares, Hide had taken off his scarf.

‘’Kaneki, please calm down and listen to me.’’ Hide tried to quiet Kaneki’s erratic breathing, with little success. ‘’You didn’t kill me, or hurt me against my will. I chose this myself and I knew the consequences.’’ He took a hold of Kaneki’s face, smiled as much as his face could manage.

‘’Now the most important thing is to get on that train and get the hell out of here.’’ Kaneki pulled himself out of Hide’s hold. ‘’I’m not going on that train, Hide.’’ Stunned, Hide looked at him as if he just had gone mad.

‘’I don’t- How fucking stubborn can you be?’’

The sound of an incoming train, somewhere far away. Hide was losing his nerve. Kaneki made no movements. ‘’If I’m still walking around in this poisonous world, then I should go back to my people since I left them, and they need me-‘’

‘’The last thing they need now is you, Kaneki.’’

‘’That’s not true!’’ Hide was wrong. All Kaneki had were the ghouls, to defend them and to protect them.

‘’You’ll only be a danger since you’re face is everywhere over Tokyo.’’

‘’But where else can I go if they don’t even want me?!’’ Kaneki sobbed. Hide was being so cruel, because he knew that the other was pointing out the truth, but who had given him the right to shove it into his face?

It was probably he himself begging for a hit.

Hide drastically turned around, seeing a freight train appearing. ‘’You can be with me, Ken. Just get on that fucking train!’’

The plan to escape this world seemed farther away than earlier. ‘’How are you so sure that this all is going to work out Hide?!’’ Kaneki tried to shout over the noise the train made. It made him sound futile.

Hide started running with the train, hopping on and holding himself steady by grabbing the handle of the door. He opened it after fumbling with the lock. Kaneki saw Hide disappear into the boxcar, and he began to run. He didn’t want to left alone.

When he reached the car, Hide held out his hand, yet Kaneki hesitated. There was something holding him back. Unsureness. Hide saw it too.

‘’I don’t know if this will work out. Hell, we could be dead in a week, but why not giving it a try?’’

Hide was not wholly convinced of himself either, and that was the push Kaneki needed to take Hide’s hand.

‘’Fuck you Hide.’’ Kaneki pushed himself away from Hide when he got into the car. He felt played, forced to open up and spill everything. Hide wasn’t fair.

Hide said nothing back, walked to the opposite side from Kaneki, sat down against the wall and watched Kaneki cry out.

After some time, Kaneki got tired from all the mixed feelings making a mess of his head. He let himself fall back against the wall, his legs spread before him. He noticed Hide staring at him, and he looked back, but chose not to jab at the other.

Anger was making his heart burst, together with relief and worry. He hated Hide for having control over him, even when he had disappeared on Kaneki and played dead. It was the same for his relief, as Hide was still alive, which meant he never killed his friend. He had still hurt him, the nasty scarred tissue that Hide had desperately trying to hide under his mask told him that. And still, Hide was willing to get into unknown waters with him. That was a bliss.

Kaneki was only scared to death that, now Hide wasn’t dead, there was a chance to see him get hurt all over again. Was it by himself or someone else, it didn’t matter.

‘’Did Kosaka-san make it out alive?’’ Kaneki didn’t know if Hide was familiar with the name, but it wasn’t like he was asking him directly. Just filling the silence with his thoughts.

‘’She wasn’t where she should have been the last time someone checked. Also, while you were in full attack, apparently Kuroiwa ran for it. At least that’s what I’ve heard.’’ Hide broke their stare-session and looked outside. The moon gave off a white light that shined through the opening of the car.

One good thing Kaneki was able to do. Touka must be happy if she knew about it. Now Kaneki wanted to tell her, but he couldn’t. He didn’t even get to say goodbye to her.

‘’Hey,’’ Hide interrupted him before Kaneki could get too deep into his thoughts, ‘’You might hate me, and I can totally get that, but let’s start all over again and… be friends. Let’s forget for a bit.’’

Kaneki saw that Hide was tired too. He must’ve left behind people too to do this. People he cared about. People Kaneki didn’t know because they’re the ones who comforted Hide when he himself wasn’t there to do it. Stupid to think that he was the only one suffering under this.

‘’Yes, let’s forget.’’

The tension subsided, and Kaneki felt himself relax against the wall, eyelids fluttering close. Hide didn’t let him, though.

‘’I don’t know about you, but it’s getting a little cold now we’re not walking.’’ Kaneki lifted up his head to see Hide gazing at a corner.

Let’s forget, is what Hide was heavily implying here. He wanted the hatred gone and a new beginning to settle in.

Without much more thought after that, Kaneki crawled up to the other side, where Hide was. He lay himself on Hide’s chest and both of them lower down, using the backpack as a pillow. Their legs tangled and Hide gave a satisfied sigh.

Kaneki didn’t close his eyes just yet. He looked outside and thought about the people who were going further away by the passing second.

‘’Do you think everyone will be alright?’’

‘’They are now somewhere on the line where they have the chance to unite both sides, so I think they’ll do fine.’’

‘’And if they don’t, will I be at fault?’’

Hide laughed. ‘’No one will blame you for setting up a whole revolution. You were the start of it. It’s not a problem to hand the work over and let someone else finish it.’’

An arm folded around his shoulders. ‘’Have some faith, Ken.’’

‘’I really tried Hide,’’ Kaneki sobbed, ‘’I tried so hard to make everyone happy. But did I do enough?’’ Hide’s thumb brushed away his tears, and Kaneki knew he was still listening. ‘’Was I able to make them happy? Will I make them sad by leaving them?’’ Nonetheless, he was leaving his wife and child. Would Touka tell their kid that his or her father was a coward who had made untruthful promises?

‘’That’s a tough one.’’ Hide took a deep breath, fingers gliding through Kaneki’s hair. ‘’I think they will be sad for some time, but if they hear that you were able to beat death again, I’m sure they’ll be proud of it.’’

‘’Really?’’

‘’Really.’’

If someone were to ask Kaneki to list the things that he wanted the least to happen, he would have made one and underlined this specific situation. From all the punishments that he had taken, this one was the worst. The guilt poisoning his body, leaving behind what could have been a family he never had, friends he had made through the years, kids he had let go. Yet, it was also a new beginning, which was also something Kaneki never had.

He still had a lot of questions for Hide, but for now he let it be. No problems would get in their way when they were heading towards Yokohama, and there, both of them would start anew.  

It was terrifying, and Kaneki hated Hide for pulling him with him. It was a new adventure, and how scary the unknown it could be, Kaneki knew that his friend would be beside him. That’s what made him love Hide.

fin

[sapphyrelily]

Slow, Steady Flame

For @communistfireworks, as part of the Fic Writer Halloween Exchange

Heya! I hope you like this piece! ^^

It’s a quiet day at the store – or maybe that’s just because it’s nearly closing time, and they’ve already turned the sign to 'Closed'.

“Yaku-san, what are your plans for tomorrow?”

Ah, that age-old question. He knew it was coming.

“Nothing much. I’ll come in to work, and then I’ll go home and watch TV or something.”

“You're not going trick-or-treating?”

“That’s usually for children, isn’t it?” Yaku turns to face his assistant, hiding his laugh at the young man's pout. “I’m not a fan of candy, so it’s never been my thing.”

“But it’s the spirit of the thing, isn’t it? Just going out is fun!”

“Not everyone has your energy, Lev,” Yaku comments drily. “Some of us are old and just want to stay home.”

“But you'll be home alone! That’s no fun either!”

“Don’t worry about me. Go take inventory in the back, I’ll take stock out here.”

The silver-haired teen pouts but turns away, recognising the dismissal. It doesn’t stop him from calling, “I can come over and keep you company tomorrow!” as he ducks out, and Yaku shakes his head.

It’s not that he wouldn’t mind the company, he supposes. But he’s already got a guest coming, and that’s enough trouble without his hyperactive assistant around.

-----

It’s 10pm, and Yaku is tired.

He knows he should go to bed, but with his visitor sure to appear in a few hours, he doesn’t know if he should.

A small nap couldn’t hurt. He’d be forcefully woken up when his guest arrives anyway.

He lies down on top of the covers, and promptly falls asleep.

-----

There’s deep rumbling behind him, and a comfortable heat. He turns into the warmth, acutely aware of the cold. The rumble turns into a chuckle, and he thinks – he thinks he feels something running through his hair. The action is gentle, and he drifts back to sleep.

-----

A furious buzzing and blast of music shocks Yaku awake, and he gets tangled in the blankets as he tries to get out of bed to turn the alarm off. The jarring tune yanks him to full consciousness as he finally manages to tap on his phone screen and turn the music off.

Yaku shakes his head as he trudges back to the bed, pulling the blankets straight. He’d just tugged on a corner of the material when it occurs to him.

That’s not my alarm tone. I don’t use that sort of music for alarms.

…did I fall asleep above or below the covers last night?

His eyes seek out a half-obscured lump on the far end of his bed, and he frowns. His tired mind puts two and two together, and a suspicion begins to take root.

The lump is fleshy and solid, and shifts away from his prodding fingers. He scowls and pulls the blankets off again, revealing a curled-up black cat.

He knows that shape. He knows this cat.

“Tetsurou, get out of my bed.”

The cat doesn’t move.

Yaku grumbles and climbs onto the bed, scooping the cat up and cradling it in one arm. It mews in protest, claws digging into his shirt, trying to wriggle away. He tightens his grip as he scoots off the bed, tugging the blankets straight before he allows the animal to fall out of his arms.

The black cat rights itself and stretches languidly, then sits down and curls its tail around itself, blinking innocently at him.

Yaku scowls. “You changed my alarm tone, you ass.”

The cat looks like it’s rolling its eyes at him. There’s a shimmer of red light, and a lanky man sits where the cat was before. The man flips his fringe out of his eyes to show his eye-roll.

“Please, your ringtone was so boring. You need something more energetic to wake you up.”

“I do not need to be woken up that violently in the morning. I wake up just fine with my calm alarm tone, thank you.”

“Such ungratefulness,” Tetsurou sniffs. “And here I thought I did you a favour by tucking you in last night.”

I knew I didn’t actually fall asleep under the covers.

“I was waiting for you, or else I would have tucked myself in. Thanks anyway.”

Tetsurou jerks upright from where he had been lowering himself onto the bed. “Aww, Yakkun! I didn’t think you liked me so much.”

“You would have woken me up if I was under the covers,” Yaku points out.

“Touché.”

Yaku smirks and turns to leave the room. “I need to get ready for work, but you can lie there for a while more.”

“Oooh, work! You found a job!”

“Excuse you, I am not always unemployed.”

“But you were most of the time.”

“I was in college, of course I was unemployed!”

“I hear you humans work in college, no?”

“Some do, but I prefer fully focusing on my studies, thank you. Now let me brush my teeth or I won’t make you breakfast.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Watch me.”

The sound of Tetsurou’s grumbling follows him all the way to the bathroom, and Yaku can’t help but snort at that.

-----

It’s a once a year occurrence, occasionally more, but some years, Yaku still wonders how he got saddled with a hellcat companion.

Not just any hellcat, but Tetsurou, the most obnoxious of all hellcats.

Not that he’s met very many hellcats, but Yaku still holds firm to the belief that Tetsurou must be one of those with a more horrible personality than most.

…as he is proving himself to be, yet again, by terrorising his assistant.

“So, Lev-kun, what are you doing? Shouldn’t those books be over there, in that other section?”

“The catalogue says they should be here, with the non-fiction. I’m just following instructions.”

“No, no, no, that says, fiction, see? And this over here, isn’t this a biography? Why would that be non-fiction, if it might not be a completely true account of a person’s life, given that the person in question is long dead and all the sources it was written from may not be very accurate?”

Lev gapes at Tetsurou, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Yaku sighs from behind his own pile of books, and stomps over to rescue his assistant.

“Kuroo, got sit in the corner and look at a cat book or something. Lev, sort the books by their labels and don’t listen to this nitwit.”

“But Yaku-san, are biographies really non-fiction?”

“If it was written about a real person, and sourced from reputable historical sources, it is non-fiction. Anything that was not made up is non-fiction.”

Lev looks like he wants to argue, and Yaku cuts him off. “We can discuss this later. Finish sorting and shelving the books, and we can discuss it if there are no customers.”

The silver-haired teen nods and scurries off, and Yaku turns to frown at an increasingly amused Tetsurou. “Stop bothering the boy.”

“Aw, but it’s so fun! He’s still a bit naïve, those are the best ones to play with.”

“You’re acting like a cat playing with its food again. Do not eat my assistant.”

“Aw, not even a nibble?”

“Don’t terrorise anyone I work with, I need a livelihood and you can’t be ruining that.”

“I am a gem, I don’t ruin anything,” Tetsurou declares loftily.

Yaku rolls his eyes and hits him with a cookbook. “Go look up mackerel recipes, why don’t you.”

“Only if you’re cooking.”

“You can’t cook, of course I’ll be cooking.”

“You’re no fun.”

“You’re a bad cat.”

“No, I’m the best cat.”

“Only in your imagination, Tetsu. Shoo.”

-----

“Kuroo-san, where are you from?”

Oh, boy. Yaku groans into the pile of books he’s scanning, hoping that Tetsurou would come up with a good answer and not cause problems for himself.

“Hell.”

Sometimes I really hate you, Tetsu.

Yaku can almost hear Lev’s eyes widening, can almost predict the words that he says. “Really? What’s it like?”

He hears Tetsurou laugh. “Do you actually believe that? I could be pulling your leg again.”

That’s it. He needs to witness this.

Yaku puts the scanner down and creeps towards the back room, just in time to see Lev shrug. “It’s Halloween, I’d believe anything.”

Tetusrou laughs again. “That’s a dangerous mentality, don’t you think? The more you believe, the more things out there will become visible, and they’ll come and get you.”

“So there are things out there?”

“Only as much as you believe.”

“Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, ghouls, demons? They’re all real?” Yaku can see Lev bouncing up and down, clutching a book in both hands.

“Like I said, kid, only as much as you believe.”

“Cool!”

Tetsurou shakes his head, a small smile in place. “I could still be lying, you know.”

“Doesn’t matter! It’d be cool anyway, because it’s Halloween, and other nights of the year won’t be affected, right?”

Ouch. Yaku sees how Tetsurou’s smile becomes a little strained, how the comment hits too close to home. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s right.”

Obnoxious loud music startles all of them, and Lev and Tetsurou turn to stare as Yaku fumbles for his phone, swiping the alarm off. The sandy-haired man looks up and scowls at his friend. “Stop changing my alarm tones.”

Tetsurou shrugs. “I’d say the scare was worth it.”

Lev looks between them in confusion, and Yaku waves it off. “Anyway, that alarm means we’re off for the night. Lev, you can go, I’ll pack up.”

“I can stay! It’s fine!”

“It’s Halloween, and you have plans,” Yaku reminds him. “Go have fun. I’ll just be watching TV anyway, I can leave a little later.”

“But–”

“Kid, if your boss offers you time off, you gladly take the time off and run,” Tetsurou says. “Anyway, the earlier you go, the more time you’ll have to look for supernatural creatures.”

Lev lights up at the reminder. “Right! Bye Yaku-san, Kuroo-san! See you tomorrow!”

“Bye.”

“Bye! Have fun! Don’t get into trouble!”

They watch as Lev rushes to pick up his things, leaving with a last wave. Once the door clicks shut, Yaku turns to Tetsurou with a raised eyebrow, and the taller man shrugs. “He didn’t think I was telling the truth anyway.”

“That doesn’t mean you can be so candid about your origins,” Yaku scolds. “What am I going to say if he wants to call you and ask you more things?”

“The same story we always feed people. I come from an area with no cellular connection and no Wi-Fi and it takes an age to come visit me, so don’t bother.” Tetsurou shrugs and picks up a book, placing a price tag on it. “No one has asked more about me before, so I wouldn’t worry too much.”

“Except my last roommate, who wanted to keep you.”

“Eh, Inouka was okay. I went back in the end, didn’t I?”

“Only after we figured out that it was the building that was trapping you.” Yaku walks over and plucks the book from Tetsurou’s hand, replacing it on the table. Large hands capture his hips and pull him close, forcing him to turn his attention back to Tetsurou. The taller man smiles, and it looks almost fond.

“Well, I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy being trapped there, just a little bit.”

“I was feeding you mackerel every day, of course you enjoyed it.”

“Mmm, grilled mackerel.” Tetsurou tugs Yaku closer, resting his head on his shoulder and nibbling at his neck. “The most glorious food of all time.”

“I beg to differ.”

“You can differ all you want, but you like all sorts of food.”

“Speak for yourself, you glutton.”

“So we like food. Food is good. You don’t get good food in hell.”

“Do you actually get to eat the burnt offerings?”

“No, of course not.” Tetsurou snorts. “We guard the gates. If we get a nibble of any of the souls passing through, we’d be lucky. But nearly all of them taste bad.”

“No good souls in hell?”

Tetsurou leans back and stares at him. “Morisuke, I implore you to think about what you just said.”

Yaku scowls. “Yeah, yeah, only bad people go to hell, yada yada.”

Tetsurou rolls his eyes. “Glad you’re aware.”

“I’m not completely stupid.”

“Mmhmm. Keep lying to yourself. Now are we gonna go get food or what?”

-----

The clock’s ticking closer to midnight, and they are arguing over the blanket, pulling it back and forth in a tug-of-war.

“You’re always warm, give it to me.”

“But now I’m a bit chilly, so share.”

“No, take the other blanket.”

“No.”

They grapple for a while longer, until Yaku gives up and launches himself at Tetsurou, pressing their bodies flush together and tucking the blanket around them. “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were going to complain that you’re too hot.”

“I’m always too hot for you, Morisuke, please.”

“I should kick you out of bed.”

“I’m flattered.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“You love me anyway.”

“Yeah, I can’t imagine why.”

Tetsurou opens his mouth to respond, but freezes as he processes what Yaku just said. “You love me?”

Yaku sighs, knocking their foreheads together. “Of course I do, you dumb cat, why else do I put up with you visiting me once a year?”

“You love me.” Arms tighten around Yaku as Tetsurou leans forward, hiding his face in his shoulder. “Oooh, this is An Emotion.”

“You’re so dramatic.” Yaku turns his head sideways to kiss the shell of Tetsurou’s ear, the familiar scent of slightly burnt fur assaulting his senses. “Of course you’re my favourite hellcat.”

“I hope I’m the only hellcat you know.”

“I never leave the house on Halloween, how else am I going to meet hellcats or any other creatures?”

“Summoning circle?”

“Exactly why would I write a summoning circle?”

“Because you miss me and can’t wait another year to see me?”

“I don’t think that’s going to work,” Yaku says drily. “I’ll probably summon a demon and get myself killed.”

“You’re not that stupid.”

“Who knows. I’m not risking it, either way.”

“Hmm, alright.”

They lie in silence, still, breathing in the scent of each other and enjoying the other’s company. Somewhere in the house, Yaku can hear a clock ticking, counting down the seconds that they have left together.

“Hey, Tetsurou?”

A whisper in the darkness, the ominous tick tick tick hanging over their heads.

“Hmm?”

“I’m glad I met you, you know.”

“I won’t break this time, Morisuke. You can say the full words.”

Yaku snorts. “I kind of love you, rooster head.”

“I kind of love you too, my small human.”

“…you take that back.”

“Never.”

“I won’t cook for you ever again.”

“There’s street vendors, I’ll just steal off them.”

“You’re awful.”

“You’re awful.”

“Cat.”

“Human.”

“Eugh.” Yaku pulls away, only to slap his hands on both sides of Tetsurou’s face and yank him into a kiss. It’s hot and tastes like Yaku’s toothpaste – but what’s important is that they’re kissing – and Yaku doesn’t feel as if Tetsurou is trying to eat him.

They pull apart, gasping, and Tetsurou leans back in for another – a soft, gentle kiss this time, like a kitten nuzzling its mother.

“I’m going to miss you,” Yaku hears, before another kiss is pressed to his neck, and another, and another, trailing down until he feels a nibble on his collarbone. Yaku sighs wistfully, pushing Tetsurou away so he can kiss his nose, his forehead, his cheek – as many parts of him that he can get.

“I’ll miss you too.”

He can’t see, but he thinks Tetsurou might be smiling.

In the background of their repeated bickering and whispers, their kisses and declarations, the clock keeps going. Tick tick tick.

Soon, it will strike midnight, and the hellcat will return to his own realm until another year passes. Soon, they will be ripped apart, with nothing but the memory of kind eyes and teasing words to last them another year.

But maybe, just a hint of a scent will linger – the odd smell of fresh-cut grass, a whiff of burning sulfur.

And for them… That will be enough.

[thatlittledandere]

Ibushi for character ask thing, because I haven't seen you answer it for him (and fully can't believe that nobody has asked you, so maybe I just missed it...). PLS TELL ME ABOUT BEST BOY IBUSHI.

WITH PLEASURE

First impression

tbh I didn’t pay him any attention before episode 9, but then he HAD LINES and SHOWED EMOTIONS and I FELL IN LOVE JUST LIKE THAT and it took me a couple more weeks to learn his name. 

So not even a bad first impression, more like… no impression at all for two months. How did the staff fuck up this bad

Impression now

Boi… you all know I could write an essay. But I’m gonna gush in the other questions so let’s just say I love him he’s my husband we raise our kids together (with Yoosung of course) and I love him lots and am glad the fandom acknowledges him when the staff doesn’t lmao why do they hate Ibushi so much I just want to know 

If there’s a downside it’s how fucking secretive he is like goddamn he won’t fucking say anything 

(when you get his block on level fifty in the puzzle game there’s this story where he takes the puzzle protag-chan to a mountain and says he wants to learn more about her “even embarrassing things” stop this man and the protag-chan returns the statement and he literally just laughs and the story ends there and I’m fucking pissed (sorry for all the fucking))

Favorite moment

Ok so. I hope I’ve made it clear that ゲームいぶしベストボイ (game Ibushi best boy) so um am I allowed to name scenes from the game?? If so it’s the part in his love end (spoiler warning?) when he notices Protag-chan has some jam on her lips and fUCking BRUsheS It oFf and lICKS HIsGotdAMN fiNGErS LIke thaT TEASY SEDUCTIVE MOTHERFUKER–

And if going by the anime aka the canon everyone is familiar with I guess “maybe it’s mating season”. It came completely out of the blue. I paused the episode to process. One of my friends wants to be a tattoo artist in the future and I told her two years ago I want her to tattoo that line on my ass

Idea for a story

I marry Ibushi and we live happily ever after the end

Ibushi’s dad is a high-up in the yakuza but Ibushi just wants to garden and his mom tries to keep the peace like ffs

Unpopular opinion

Ibushi isn’t really a perfect, innocent cinnamon roll. Of course he is kind and he is good-natured and nurturing and loyal and patient to a degree and all but there’s much more?? Like, Ibushi is a ruthless sass master, he’s cold and passive-aggressive as heck when mad, he’s a flirt, he’s a tease and a bit possessive and I know these attributes are mainly visible in, you guessed it, THE GAME (there’s no time to play it but pls read the translations available), but anyway I want them addressed more please don’t ignore my husband’s other sides in favor of one

Another one: there needs to be more x readers. When you type his name into google search, “[name] x reader” is the second or third recommended option but there are only four or five pages of results depending on whether you wrote Ibushi Arima or Arima Ibushi and most of those are about another character x reader or Arima from Tokyo Ghoul or just results with his name and there aren’t a lot on the sites I’ve checked either (ao3, Quotev, Wattpad, deviantART (a mistake), even FFnet, tho I think it officially forbids reader-inserts) and this needs to change do I need to do everything myself gdi in case you didn’t already notice, I’m kind of desperate

Favorite relationship

He hasn’t properly interacted with people other than student council in the canons I’m properly familiar with I need to fuckign RREAD THE MANGA ffs so I guess I’m gonna go with, um, Protag-chan. Honestly I am In Love with all their interactions, she’s so sweet and genuinely interested in him and what he has to offer and he can be fucking merciless (“she knows too much we have to kill her”) but also really considerate and flirty and. Man. Also very observant like he noticed Protag-chan was a girl immediately? When nobody else could?? That’s probably the reason he acted the way he did from the start. (Ibushi doesn’t talk about himself much in the anime but he refers to himself as “ore” iirc while in the game it’s always “boku” I think he softens his speech when talking to a girl how sweet (I’m passionate about the pronoun “boku” ok I notice these things)) (were Kinshiro and Akoya even present in the SC route?? because I really felt like I was playing Ibushi Arima route the entire time)

Favorite headcanon

I’m. Fucking trash. But I’ve gotten really attached to my “Ibushi is a hardcore Batman fan” headcanon. You knows all those “is your Batman even relatively Batman” posts? He wrote them all. He owns a high-quality Batman cosplay or thirty. do you know how many variations there are?? and figurines and DVDs and comics and and conspires with the maids to smuggle all the stuff in his room without his strict father noticing