#anyways good night zzz

[ying-doodles]

pierced by your blade

thinking about chapter 603 and can you imagine how javier feels watching lloyd get stabbed in the chest for him again? and by his own sword for that matter??

[0fps]

Pre-Registration Page BGM from the Zenless Zone Zero Official Site HOYO-MiX

[osaemu]

if any mutuals want to join a discord server, send me a dm or reply to this post 🤍

[chaiu]

went to this little cinema cafe to watch aftersun and had the best iced chai latte ever…. it was so good

[austerulous]

I’m super sleepy so I don’t have the brainpower to articulate this well, but –

Something about Odessa being the eldest of the Stone children, which meant she wasn’t shielded. Instead, from an early age, she was parentified, charged with protecting her siblings, with helping her mother, with standing shoulder to shoulder with her father, weapons in hand.

Both Arthur and Meredith were loving parents, but they treated their eldest daughter like a confidant, sharing their fears and anxieties and the uncensored, ugly realities of their situation. For Dez, there was no buffer. She had to figure out how to cope with her own feelings and trauma, while at the same time acting as a parent by proxy, being an anchor for both her siblings and her parents.

It added to her grief as one by one her family succumbed to the violence and hardship of the Wasteland. It also shapes who she is as an adult – her compulsive behaviour, difficulty trusting, need for control and anger issues all have their roots in her childhood.

[n0bluev]

The night sky can only be overshadowed by a star (its star.). A star of all things, the one thing that cannot be allowed to see the night of the sky, angled to be hidden away behind dawn and dusk. The night leaves quietly (but is cursed to come back ; avoiding is just like following when an orbit is shared.)

A star can only go off explosively, spectacularly. (Then, collapsed in on itself, away from the world to see (finally part of the shadow the night cast) it seems the bare core is at peace with never bringing day back : darkness soothes.)

Gojo is like a star - bright, hot, shining. Geto is like the night sky - mysterious, deep, endless.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Dire Crowley - Raven Jacket Vignette

"A dramatic encounter"

[Lecture Hall]

Crowley: Good morning. It is beautiful out, what an absolutely splendid start to such a lovely day.

Crowley: Incidentally… Have you noticed any changes in the apple tree growing in the courtyard?

Crowley: Yes, that's right. I'm speaking of the smallest, most recent planted tree within the courtyard.

Crowley: It feels as though it was only yesterday that it first started sprouting, and yet… It truly is growing at an astonishing rate.

Crowley: Whenever I chance a glance at that ever-striving tree growing each and every day under rain, shine or clouds, I also feel a twinge of self-reflection to be better.

Crowley: As if telling me that in both happy times and sad, one cannot forget to continue to strive for growth.

Crowley: And also… At the same time, I feel as though that tree represents all you students enrolled here at Night Raven College.

Crowley: That is, with respect to the point that with a good environment and proper nourishment, you all are able to grow and mature so wonderfully.

Crowley: …Well? Wouldn't you say that was an inspiring speech!?

Leona: Zzz.

Crowley: EXCUSE ME. I JUST HEARD A VERY LARGE SNORE THERE, WHO WAS THAT!?

Azul: It was magnificent! I was utterly enthralled by your wonderfully deep analogy. As one should expect from someone like you, Crowley-sensei!

Riddle: Really? I could have done with a little more tangible explanation, myself.

Riddle: What especially caught my attention was what you said about having "proper nourishment." Headmage, sir! What would that constitute?

Idia: Forget that, was this student assembly even a need? It's not even lol-worthy to think about how much time we've wasted having to listen to the Headmage's self-indulgent monologues on loop.

Vil: I concur. If all you wish to do is chit-chat, could you not gather the entire student body? I would rather use my mornings for my stretching exercises.

Octavinelle Student: Yeah, it's always some kind of useless speech.

Heartslabyul Student: I wanna go back to my dorm～

[clamoring]

Crowley: EVERYONE PLEASE QUIET DOWN!

Crowley: Anyway! What I was trying to say is…

Crowley: I would like everyone here to carry yourself with pride as befitting a student of Night Raven College.

Kalim: Oh! I was totally lost with what you were saying earlier, I see, so that's what you meant!

Kalim: I totally get it. I'll work hard just like an orange tree does!

Crowley: AN APPLE TREE!

[door opens]

Crowley: Hm? Who could possibly be showing up this late to… Ah.

Malleus: …

Crowley: D-DRACONIA-KUN!

Crowley: Right, did anyone tell him that there was to be a campus-wide student assembly…?

Everyone: Not at all.

Malleus: Was I not extended an invitation once again?

Malleus: You have the gall... To leave me outcast…

[lightning strikes down]

Crowley: W-Wait, Draconia-kun! Do not cast your lightning indoors!

Leona: Yaaaawn… Done blabbering, then? 'Kay, meeting over. Everyone back to their dorms.

[everyone nods]

Crowley: Aah, everyone, wait! If you're leaving, please take Draconia-kun with you!

[Cafeteria]

Crowley: For goodness’ sake. This morning could have gone much better.

Crowley: However, no matter what tribulations I may come across… Once it is time for lunch, I immediately feel much better!

Crowley: And that's all thanks to the delicious fare our school provides. What is the recommended meal of the day?

Ghost Chef: Welcome, Headmage. Today's recommendation is an exceptionally filling meat pie filled with large chunks of beef!

Crowley: Sounds fantastic. Please, I would have that, then.

Crowley: Oh, hello, Crewel-sensei and Vargas-sensei. I see Trein-sensei is with you too!

Crowley: Are you all taking lunch together? May I join you?

Vargas: Absolutely, yes, come and sit with us! I bet it'd be more than a hassle to find another seat when it's this crowded, anyway.

Crewel: I also was unable to find other seating, so here I am, reluctantly keeping company with a scold.

Trein: I do believe if you wish to avoid a lecture you would do well to not do anything warranting one.

Trein: …Oh. I see that you've ordered the beef pie, Headmage.

Crowley: That's correct. I am an avid connoisseur of meat, yes.

Crowley: Of course I'll eat it all, including beef, pork, chicken, and even wild game.

Trein: Wild game?

Crowley: Indeed, gibier, it's called. Have you ever tried it?

Vargas: Oh yeah, gibier! Last time I had some was when I ate some venison, and it sure did taste so delicious that I was overflowing with energy～

Crowley: You have a distinguished palate, Vargas-sensei. How wonderful.

Crowley: There are a multitude of other gibier meat to try, you know. I do hope you all have a chance to…

Sam: ＩＮ ＳＴＯＣ�� ＮＯＷ!

Everyone: AHH!!

Crowley: S-Sam-kun… I implore you to not pop in from behind us like that!

Sam: Nyeheehee. You all looked like you were lost in such enjoyable conversation, I just couldn't help myself.

Crewel: This is a rare sight, Sam. You're usually tending to the Mystery Shop around this time, aren't you?

Sam: The cafeteria ghosts had asked for a delivery of some ingredients, is all.

Sam: Headmage, if you're interested in some gibier that's a little more difficult to get your hands on, you know I got you.

Sam: Whatever kind of food you may want, I can procure it for you.

Crowley: You're fantastic, Sam-kun. How wonderfully supportive. However…

Crowley: In all actuality, I also have a fondness for vegetables, fruits and sweets in addition to meat. I love anything that is not spicy!

Crewel: I am fully aware. For as long as I remember, your omnivorous habits have made for quite the reputation.

Crowley: Omniv… Could you possibly say that in a more appropriate manner!?

Sam: …Hm? I just noticed that everyone's ordered very different dishes. Really goes to show each of your preferences.

Vargas: Since I always have my muscles on my mind, I make it so my lunches are egg dishes packed full of protein!

Crewel: I do like meat pies myself, so I did consider it… But that size is far too much for me.

Crewel: It may be perfect for those growing students, but it is most likely in excess of the recommended nutritional intake for us adults.

Trein: Indeed. I also selected something else when I saw it with my own eyes.

Trein: If I ate such a thing for lunch, I would still feel it weighing me down during afternoon classes.

Crowley: Is that so? Such a shame. It's so delicious～

Vargas: Nice, that's a great appetite you got. I'll have to work hard to keep up!

Trein: Look at him, devouring that hearty and greasy meat pie so easily… He truly is young at heart…

Crewel: You're not wrong, he hasn't changed one bit from my student days.

Trein: For that matter, I don't believe he's changed since I started my tenure here at Night Raven College…

Crewel: Headmage… How old is he truly? I'm curious, and yet I'm not sure I want to know…

Sam: Nyeheehee. He's truly a man of mystery. It piques one's curiosity.

Crowley: Ah, so delicious. Past me deserves such gracious thanks for hiring these Five-Star restaurant chefs.

Crowley: And what a dramatic encounter it was meeting those chef ghosts.

Crowley: That was… Oh, hm. How many decades ago, now?

[Main Street]

Crowley: Now, what shall I do this afternoon? The other professors are busy with classes, so mayhaps I'll go while away the time at Sam-kun's shop…

???: We ain't gotta sweat the small stuff, c'mon.

Crowley: Hm? This voice…

Grim: No one'll notice if we skip one or two classes. We should totally just snag a few z's instead, myahaha!

1. Let's hurry and head back towards the classroom. 2. Maybe you're right and no one will catch us…

Crowley: That certainly was Grim-kun's voice, I see…

Crowley: Even if it is just those two, how could there be anyone with the audacity to cut class at my academy! I absolutely cannot believe it!

Savanaclaw Student: Hey, we'll be using that bench to relax on while we ditch class. Get off.

Grim: Huuh!? I'm the one who found this sunny spot first!

Crowley: WHA― THERE ARE OTHERS CUTTING CLASS AS WELL!?

Crowley: Not only are there multiple students missing class, it seems a fight is about to break out, as well… What is with this break in decorum at this school?

Crowley: EXCUSE ME, YOU LOT! YOU SHOULD ALL BE IN CLASS RIGHT NOW!

Grim: Urgh. Someone annoying's found us.

Crowley: [Yuu]-kun, it is most troublesome if you cannot look after Grim-kun properly.

1. I'm sorry.

Crowley: How refreshing… It's so moving to have someone apologize so forthright immediately after breaking a rule…

2. Grim just doesn't listen to me.

Crowley: Y-You're just running yourself ragged, I see… Poor thing to have to deal with Grim-kun like this.

Crowley: All of you return to class this instant. It should be an honor that you have the privilege of attending classes here.

Crowley: Magic is not something so simple that can be controlled on talent alone.

Crowley: Of course, natural talent may be important, but what truly matters is maturing your abilities through daily growth and experiences.

Crowley: You all do remember my very loving speech from this morning, yes?

Grim: It was all about somethin' boring, so I wasn't listening.

Ignihyde Student: Yeah. Same.

Crowley: EXCUSE ME!? [Yuu]-kun, please tell me you had your listening ears on this morning?

1. Of course I remember.

Crowley: Whew... At least you're a good student.

2. Something about grape trees, right?

Crowley: APPLE TREES!

Ignihyde Student: Man, you're so annoying… You keep yammering on, but there's really no reason to listen to you, is there?

Diasomnia Student: Seriously. It’s not like I've ever seen the Headmage do any kind of crazy strong magic or anything, and even the Housewardens were ignoring him at the student assembly…

Savanaclaw Student: He ain't scary at all. Just ignore him!

Crowley: …What pitiful children.

Crowley: Well, I suppose I have no choice. I'll just have to show you exactly how important incremental advancement in your studies can be.

Crowley: …FOR MY KINDNESS KNOWS NO BOUNDS!

Students: HRRGHH!

Grim: Oh hey, that stuff wrapped around those guys is the Headmage's uh… weird rope thing!

Crowley: This is not rope. This is my lash of love! A slightly stronger version than before.

Savanaclaw Student: OW, OW! I'M GETTING SQUEEZED～!

Diasomnia Student: This kinda magic should be no problem to break out… Hurng, I can't!? Wh-Why? Our magic's not even making a scratch on it!

Crowley: That should be expected. You do realize I am the Headmage here, yes? This level of magic comes as easily to me as breathing does.

Crowley: It's one thing when those who comprehend my power, like the Housewardens, speak in jest…

Crowley: But it would be completely disgraceful of me as an instructor to be belittled by students like you who have no knowledge of the difference in our abilities.

Crowley: You should try to comprehend how unripe your magical abilities still are.

Grim: Yeah, yeah, get 'em, Crowley! Show 'em what little they know!

1. I wouldn't get too carried away… 2. Wouldn't it be better to run before…?

Crowley: And a lash of love for you! My more heedful version!

Grim: GRRAAH～!

1. Astounding, no matter how many times I see it! 2. Your lightning quick flick made quick work of him!

Crowley: Heh, you don't have to go that far in praising… Hold on now, Grim-kun! No matter how much you thrash about, nothing will come of it. Calm yourself.

Crowley: After all, I have such high expectations for you, Grim-kun. That includes you too, [Yuu]-kun.

Crowley: I fully believe that the two of you will be integral to changing the future of this academy.

Crowley: I'm sure you two will be all I hope for and more, don't you?

Grim: Yeah, yeah, I gotchu. Just leave it all to the genius Grim-sama.

Grim: …SO LET ME GO ALREADY～!

Crowley: Well then. I suppose I'll just take you all to your assigned classes just like this now.

Grim: Huh!? If you drag us along all tied up like this, everyone that'll see us will all point and laugh…!

Grim: LET GO, LET ME GOOO!

Crowley: I must make sure that you Night Raven College students properly reflect on your actions and learn from each experience.

Crowley: And that is because you are all one of my very precious, precious apple trees...

Requested by Anonymous.

[r0-boat]

ZZZ Various(Male/Female) Headcannons

How they give physical affection+cuddling

Back at it again I wanted to do one for Wise but you know I might as well do both of them

With: Belle, Wise, Von Lycaon, Zhu Yuan, Anton, Seth, and Ceaser

Wise

At first glance you would think Wise wouldn't be much of a cuddler And you would be half right. However as soon as he drifts off out of consciousness He will somehow always find His arms wrapped around you like a teddy bear. Prefers to be the big spoon, He admits when he has his arm around you It feels like he's keeping you safe. When You are in his arms He feels like you won't run away and cause trouble.

Other than that, Wise usually wouldn't be the one to ask to hold you, but he would gladly do it if you cuddled up to him. His favorite seems to be you laying on his chest while He crosses your back, rubbing his palm up and down, occasionally burying his face into your hair.

First having you in his lap anyway to wrap his arms around you, wrapping his arms around you well his hands are free to do work or do whatever he needs to do. He's gotten pretty good at multitasking giving you attention and working from all your pestering/affectionate.

Belle

She needs her daily hug and kiss. That's how she recharges her energy.

She'll get so pouty if you don't let her sit on your lap while she plays games. Honestly she'll just randomly sit on your lap no matter what. She'll just walk by and plop right onto your leg or when she sees you she'll give you a shit eating grin patting your leg expecting you to sit down in hers.

She'll have all this space on a bed but won't even use it because she'll be sandwiched against you. No matter how much or little space she has, she will be slotted against you somehow. Don't ever ever talk to her about how clingy she is because then she'll be sad and be ignoring you for the rest of the night clutching a pillow.

Von Lycaon

Honestly, he is not a cuddler and probably wouldn't know how to show affection physically. Since how he shows his affection is acts of service. It would take him a bit, but he's a quick learner and determined to show you how much he loves you physically.

You'll be a rewarded however, contrary to how his hard muscles look He's actually quite soft and fluffy like your favorite blanket and he's warm too. Clinging to him you'll fall asleep in minutes.

Lycaon thinks you cuddling up to him is the cutest thing he's ever seen He should have started cuddling you ages ago. Who knew he was missing out on such cuteness. He thinks of you like a little kitten snuggling against him small and curled up; arms wrapped around his arm nuzzling into his fur. He has a picture on his phone of one of the times you fell asleep on him and it is now his lock screen.

Zhu Yuan

Very nervous when it comes to physical affection, So she just lets you lay on her which she doesn't mind since she likes gently touching your face, massaging your shoulders gently or twirling your hair with her finger. She makes a great pillow (hehe)

In fact she loves it so much that she gets a little jealous, when you're cuddling up to other things, her face red and her eyebrows furrowed her lips flat as she imagines, removing whatever it is that's receiving your attention and slide right in it's place. But you look so cute she could never act out on these thoughts.

Every time the two of you cuddle or hold hands or any physical affection She can't help but kiss you in some way. On the lips or cheek but her favorite place to do it as own your forehead or head (especially if you're shorter than her)

Anton

Sorry I just simply don't believe that Anton isn't a huge cuddly teddy bear. Real Bros cuddle and give affection to their homies. Unlike Zhu Yuan Who overthinks about the 'right way' therefore claims she doesn't know how to cuddle, Your feelings come from the heart, You don't have to understand how to do it Your body just knows what it wants. That's his explanation anyway.

Anton is a pretty touchy guy putting his arm around you scooting you closer to him holding you close, putting you in his lap, pressing his body against you. Anton wants to be as close to you as possible to the point of touching.

Even in his sleep he will always gravitate toward you wrapping you in a tight bear hug his muscles threatening to squeeze the life and love out of you. Good luck, getting up to go to the bathroom or grabbing a drink of water when this huge cuddling monster of muscle is holding you hostage.

Seth

Follows you around like a lost puppy until he gets attention. He feels nervous about asking you for a kiss a hug maybe even some cuddles. Eventually he'll give in his knee to have you in his arm to strong. Seth would wrap his arms around you and mutter if you're okay with him holding you.

He acts like he doesn't like when you touch his ears and tail and stroke his cheek. The moment you stop, he pouts like a baby. He totally doesn't like when you call him cute either so stop it!

The moment is head hits your body he is out like a light. You're so warm and comfortable and when you stroke his back or his head it feels so good. He's gotten so used to it but sometimes he'll need to hear your voice when he needs to go to sleep so he'll call you every night he'll tell you good night and that he loves you before going to bed. If you're cuddling with him he will lay his entire body against you nuzzling his nose into your shoulder taking in your sense before drifting off.

Ceaser

She's usually pretty casual with physical affection if it's platonic but if it's a partner it's different. Her heart starts racing and her palms get sweaty and she starts to shake. All the scenes from her favorite romance movies and books start to fill her head.

She knows she should just be herself and be brave and just go up hold your hand hug you maybe perhaps kiss you? But honestly it's easier said than done.

The way you make Caesar blush and act like an idiot, Its not fair! But it's not like she doesn't like it. The fluttery feeling in her stomach adrenaline pumping into her veins causing her to finally act as she slowly dips her hand to intertwine her fingers. It'll take her a while to get used to physical affection but it's not like she doesn't want it.

[trendywaifus]

Hello 👋🏾 hope you’re having a good day/night whenever you’re reading this. I was hoping I could get Jane Doe with these prompts

“Does it make you nervous when I stare?”

“Why not tonight? I’m even wearing something pretty.”

“Shh, just look at me, baby”

If you can’t use them all that’s cool! Or if we’re only allowed one could you do the 2nd one? Also maybe with Grace too? But specifically the first one if it’s not too much trouble. If you’re only doing one character for these types of requests then please just with Jane.

I have serious brainrot and unfortunately my horny side one over with asks. Hopefully someone responds fluff with her too cause I also just want to be soft with her I would but I don’t want to take away one of the slots. Anyways hope you’re doing well and drink water!

hey hey hey! i’ll do this all with jane. my fault, i should of specified! you can do multiple prompts (also make sure to specify which prompt section you got these from so i won’t mess up your req)for one character! however, to avoid making things a lil long, one character is enough if you’re requesting for prompts! next time zzz requests are reopened, one of the buds who are planning on requesting or you can request tooth rotting fluff for our girl jane ;) stay hydrated too.

cw: fem! reader with g!p, creampie, vaginal penetration, cursing, missionary, petnames

you were sleeping soundly, your boneless body buried beneath warm sheets and fluffy covers until the bedroom door opens. a pair of featherlight footsteps enter the room. light sounds of clothing rustling about and a soft, familiar sigh makes you stir a bit. there’s a slight pause before a fond chuckle leaves your unannounced lover’s lips. she walks into the bathroom, flicks on the light, and closes the door behind her. your eyes finally peel open from the sound of running facet water and yawned.

you fumble for your phone amongst the sheets and checked the time. hissing at the sudden brightness of your screen, you instinctively blink a few times before your eyes adjust. “ 11:50pm. .” you mutter, setting the phone down and sighed. usually she’d be home by one or two in the morning, it seems like her workload was easy on her today. after a good ten minutes of being in the bathroom, probably to remove her makeup, and other things, the door opens. the bathroom light taints the dark walls of the room and the soft scent of apple perfume wafts against your nose.

“ welcome back, jane. “ you smile at her sleepily.

“ oh? did i wake you when i came in? i thought you were sleeping. “ jane asks tenderly, clad in a fitted collar shirt and pencil skirt. the first few buttons were undid, tastefully revealing a glimpse of her. .black lace bra?

“ yeah, you did but i was waiting for you anyways and fell asleep. um, jane—what you’re wearing, is that apart of a disguise? orr? “ you prop yourself up on an elbow, brows curled in confusion. the rat thiren hums, bending over to remove the black stockings from her legs. “ not this time, i had a dinner meeting with my captain. “ she explains, letting out a sigh of content once the tightness hugging her legs was gone. you hum sleepily, still thinking about the lace bra.

“ that explains it but i’m mainly talking about the lace bra. i don’t think that’s very business attire-like. “

jane titters, and her piercing teal hues glimmer with mischief as she looks at you, gaze visibly lowering. you feel butterflies jittering in your belly. “ you’re right sweet girl, but i wore it for you. “

“ i-i’m sorry? for me? “ you repeated back shyly. she hums in confirmation, making her way over to the bed and bends forward to closely enjoy the flustered look appearing more and more on your face. her hands dip further into the mattress as she stares you down. you’re starting to feel tiny under her hungry gaze. “ that’s right. i was a little disappointed that you were asleep when i came in, but now that you’re awake. . “

the way jane’s gaze is fixated on you is making your body run hot and the blood rush downwards. her head tilts, black, fang-like bangs following with her as she senses the nervousness building up within you. she smiles with teasing amusement,

“ does it make you nervous when i stare, beautiful? “

“ i-i. . am going to bed! it’s w-way too late for your teasing! at least do this tomorrow when i’m not half-asleep! “ you stammer, throwing the cover over your head as she laughs. “ aw, why not tonight? i’m even wearing something pretty. “ she leans downwards, making sure her lips are near your covered head as she whispers seductively. “ i promise i won’t tease, i want you after all. “ her sultry voice sends pleasant shivers down your body and straight to your hardened member. your heart is pounding but you slowly release the covers off your head. “ okay, fine. i-i can’t sleep now because of you anyways. “

she chuckles, standing upright to unbutton her collar shirt and sheds it off her shoulders. you can’t help but stare at her toned stomach and pretty chest being supported by the inky lace bra. your lover winks at you, undoing her pencil skirt and it drops to her ankles effortlessly. she steps out of them and into the bed with an alluring smile. “ you’ll be on top tonight, unless you want me to ride you stupid like always. “

you sputter before muttering small complaints under your breath about her vulgar comment. she lays down and you slide over her. where should you even start? she looks so breathtakingly ethereal that your mouth is starting to water. you cup a handful of her breast, dipping down to kiss at the side of her neck. the rat thiren’s pristine skin feels hot against your eager lips as you kiss at it. “ and don’t be afraid to be a little rough, i’ll take whatever you give me, baby.” she assures, sensually running a hand down the curve of your back.

your breath hitches. you tug the cups of her bra upwards, causing the soft, fat flesh to spill out deliciously. you knead her breast with sinful digits. you leave behind a trail of wet kisses down her collarbone until you’ve reached the perky bud. you wrap your lips around it and suckle, inducing a pleased moan from jane. you run your tongue around the nipple, flicking, tugging at it between your teeth.

pff, pop!

you switch your attention to the other unattended breast and repeat your ministrations until both of her tits are glistening with your spit. her tail pleasantly brush against your ankle, twisting around your leg like a curled snake. “ just like a baby, “ jane giggles, taking note of the sheeny coat of drool on your lips from giving her tits lavish attention. her fingers run down your stomach and plays with the waistband of your pajama bottoms. she gives it a playful tug.

“ it’s about time you take these off, hm? “ she whispers lowly, lust mixed in with her voice. with one hand, you hastily tug your bottoms down enough for your aching cock to spring out. you adjust yourself so your body is leveled with hers. you graze the bulbous head against her clothed clit in a circular rotation. jane takes in a sharp breath, hips slightly lifted off the mattress. you stroke yourself against her sticky, lace panties, moaning shamelessly from the fabric brushing up against your sensitive cock. “ you’re my desperate little girl, aren’t you? “ she whispers, her hands finding themselves around your biceps and squeezed them.

“ ‘sorry, i-i can’t help myself, “ you apologize, sliding the band of her panties to the side, revealing her dripping pussy. “ you look too good in that. “ lining yourself up with her entrance, you sink between her slick, gummy walls. “ i know. “ she locks her legs around your waist, pulling you in all the way to the hilt.

your cock twitches as jane’s pussy clamp around you, urging you to fuck it silly. “ hngh, don’t squeeze me like that, i-i might cum too early. “ you moaned, slowly moving your rickety hips backwards until only the swollen tip is inside. you slowly move forward to fill her back up. it take a few moments for you to adjust before you speed up the pace. “ there you go, pretty girl. “ jane purrs, before rolling her plump bottom lip between her teeth from the ripples of pleasure swarming through her body.

“ so goodd. . “ you slur, releasing another moan from your throat. the bed creaks from the consistent movement of your broad thrusts. she has you wrapped around her finger, caging you in with her strong legs while also whispering to you sweet nothings through labored breaths. your cockhead deliciously smack against the spongy part of her walls in repetitive strokes. jane’s parted lips opens wider and a guttural moan drags from her throat. her thighs press harder into your hips.

“ there, there—h-harder, mmph! “ and you go harder, sweat rolling down your brow as you push your unsteady hips harder into her. her syrupy slick gushes out and stick to you like rice and water. your shaft continuously fuck her slimy walls, producing series of squelching noises that has you a whimpering mess. a thick fog covers your mind in pleasure, forcibly stripping you from rational thought as you lose yourself in her.

“ jane, jane, jane, janeee. .!“ you utter her name repeatedly like a desperate prayer, hugging her tight like she’d disappear out of thin air. the aforementioned woman herself isn’t holding on much longer either, her hazy mind only balanced by a single thread. your sloppy hips piston into her messy pussy without a single regard to the sticky, slippery mess growing between her thick thighs. “ hah. .m-my pretty girl is making me go dumb just like her, h-huh? “ she breathed heavily, rolling her head back into the fluffy cushion, exposing her neck.

you dive right in and ran your slimy tongue along the stretched skin. “ gonna c-cum soon, “ you announced, planting kiss after kiss on her glistening flesh. she lets out a moan following up with an airy laugh. “ hehe—mmm, t-tell me something that i don’t know, baby? “

“ l-last name, nngnh, i-i want you to have my last name. . “ you groaned, dragging your lips up the underside of her chin. a strangled moan escapes her lips, red nails dragging up your back as your cock fully hits her g-spot. how her sopping hole utterly tightens around you has you moaning out in unadulterated pleasure. you roll your hips into her one last time before spurting velvety ropes into her gushy walls. the rat thiren’s legs keeps you in while she greedily takes your thick load inside of her. “ shiiiitttt, e-ease your legs, jane—i-i don’t want so much to— “

“ shh, “ she tips her head back down, looking at you with those bewitching, siren eyes of hers. “ just look at me, baby. don’t worry about that, give it to me.“ her quivering breath mixes with yours as you shape and paint her walls in your color. you’re hugging her so tight, she swears she’ll squeak if you squeeze just once. there’s a calming effect dipping you under while you stare into pools of cool teal. “ i love you.” you murmur. a flicker of light brightens her softening eyes and her rodent ears wiggle.

jane gives you a smirk that’s soft around the edges as she pulls you in by a hand resting comfortably on the back of your neck. “ . . .sharing your last name doesn’t sound bad at all. “ and she kisses you deeply, pulling you once more into a lovely daze.

[rajaie]

Good Evening~

Here’s a fan art of Soukaku from Zenless Zone Zero. I’m really excited for the release of her Captain!

I’ve always had a soft spot for characters in uniforms. There’s something particularly appealing about a character in uniform, especially one that includes a sharp necktie and a pristine white collar shirt. It exudes both professionalism and sophistication, which adds a great deal of charm and character.(and character wearing coverall~)

Anyway, like usual, stay safe and Good Night.

( ᵕᴗᵕ) Zzz z

[clairewritesandrambles]

You are like the best (twisters) Scott writer ever!!! I love David dude it's insane, could I ask for the sfw alphabet for Scott, the letters s,t,w, and z! Thanks a bunch!!

This is so sweet <3 Thank you anon!

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Scott is definitely a protective partner. He tries to not overstep and make you feel like he doesn't think you can handle yourself, but he does not hesitate to walk over and help you with creepy guys at the bar. He definitely also stands behind you with his arms crossed while you tell people off, just reminding them that he can and will kick their ass if they give you trouble. I think the moments he is most protective though are when you aren't even there. If he finds out someone made a comment about you behind your back, best believe that Scott is going to lay into them to the point of tears. That is his partner and no one is allowed to talk bad about them.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Scott tries quite hard all the time. He knows that he doesn't deserve you and so that sometimes translates into him putting in effort in an almost panicked way. This eventually goes away once you two have a talk about the fact that you aren't going anywhere, but he still puts a lot of effort in - it's just not caused by fear anymore. He is definitely a "just because" flowers and gifts kind of guy, he just wants you to know how much he loves you. He is good at planning dates and making them interesting and new each time. And for anniversaries? Oh, he goes all out. Super fancy dinner (of course he is paying), an activity that you both like or that you've been wanting to try, he gets you flowers, he gets you a really nice present that he knows you'll love, then he takes you back home and takes his sweet time undressing you and making it all about you for the night. And throughout the night he's been telling you constantly how much he loves and appreciates you.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

After he has met you, absolutely. Scott has never been a hopeless romantic. He is a traditionalist so while yes he wants to get married and have some kids, I don't think he would have ever believed people when they'd tell him sappy things about love and soulmates. Then he meets you and suddenly he realizes everyone was right. He wants to be in your presence all the time, he wants to marry you so bad - not just because that is what is expected but because he cannot think of wanting to be with anyone else ever again. You are his other (and better) half and he would tell you constantly.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Scott drinks way too much coffee and because of that, he has trouble getting long moments of sleep at night. It's not uncommon for you to go to bed without him, him slipping in at 2am when his body finally lets him sleep. Sometimes though, even when he is unable to sleep, he comes to bed with you anyways so he can hold you while you fall asleep and then works on his laptop to be close to you.

[ying-doodles]

// cpsm manhwa spoilers (ep 20)

... you're telling me that this man. is ice dragon tyrannus?? the one who made the heart of winter?? the father of verkis?? this man??

wow no wonder they didn't know until way later, this is just a guy!

also the absolute disrespect rakiel gave him calling him out on his male pattern baldness and straight up snatching his wig though LMAO I feel bad for him,,

[the-s1lly-corner]

K J Z with jeff the killer

K J Z w/ Jeff the Killer (fluff alphabet)

Ik I'm putting this in the queue and itll be a few days but god this cut on my fingers is driving me insane, and the fact hes just slightly worse than a paper cut is making me so... unsilly... hisshiss heal already!! It feels uncomfortable and vaguely hurts when it touches anything!!

Prompts: kiss, jealousy, zzz

Notes: reader is GN but the post focuses on jeff, written on mobile

CWs: mentions of murder

KISS

His lips are a little chapped and there might he some dry blood on his face that'll flake off into you but otherwise its... not bad

Prefers quick kisses that have some force behind them than slow ones- hes not forcing a kiss on you rather hes moving so fast it kind of knocks you back

Does slow down and get gentler with time as he gets used to affection and learning what works and what doesnt, so it's not all that bad!

JEALOUSY

Very jealous and he doesnt take shit from no one, so its best not to purposefully test him to see what he would do if you "catch interest" for someone else

God forbid someone tries to make a move on you, even worse if you're clearly uncomfortable

Doesnt hide the fact that he guts the person as soon as they're alone and out of everyones line of sight

At least creeps get dealt with..!

ZZZ

Oh you poor soul.... hes not a good sleeping partner

Snores loud as hell, tosses around in his sleep, steals the blanket, and so on

Good news is that he doesnt like sharing beds anyway so hes always sleeping else where, and when he spends the night he usually just... doesnt sleep.. kind of just takes to bothering you

[fathermarama]

Who else is waiting until someone makes a SAZZZ AU?

I just really like the Self Aware AUs for some reason and now that ZZZ is out I am curious how fast the SAAU will spread to it.

But, my other question would be. How fast would they realize and how would they all feel about that?

What would our MCs think and what would the other playable characters think?

I feel like the MC would feel like a Bangboo when we control them like how they control Bangboo. Since we're on a screen controlling them and they are on a screen controlling the Bangboo. But since they (I think) are the only ones with the tech to control a Bangboo, I just wonder what the other characters would think or feel.

I want Ellen so bad right now. I have had no luck on the banner even with the 1600 Polychrome they gave us in the mail. 😭

I'm not greedy though, I am happy about the free 10 pull. At least I got three A-Rank characters so I can give them their Cinemas.

Also, why did I immediately think of Wriothesley after seeing Lycaon? Help?

Anyway thanks to anyone who bothered reading this messy post. I wish you a good rest of your day! (Or night)

[heygerald]

Falling Without A Harness - Chapter 7

AU where Tom Ryder is still an asshole, just not a psychotic one. When Parker starts to let go of her initial assumptions about a man that makes a lasting impression, she starts to see that there's more to him than meets the eye. Yet, she can't help but wonder, why does he insist on acting like an asshole?

Read the story here: prev / next

Parker was dying.

Had to be, anyway, because her organs felt something like slushy-mud water inside her chest, and there was something pounding against her skull that made it hard to think. She couldn't remember the last time she felt like this—her own birthday, maybe—and though she didn't put a lot of emphasis on her own personal health, she was certain that this time she was dying.

Really, really dying.

"I fucking hate Colt," she muttered, cheek pressed against the cool kitchen counter as an antacid tablet dissolved in her cup of water with a looming zzz. It almost hurt to watch, and when half the tablet broke into a chunk to send a torrent of bubbles up to the surface, Parker grimaced. "...blonde bastard."

Her sentiments went unheard in the empty kitchen.

It was still early, and her body ached to return to the couch. It wasn't comfortable by any means, worn in all the wrong places with scratches lining the surface, but it was horizontal, and it didn't involve sorting through books while greeting customers. If she hadn't been so adamant about setting three alarms the night before, Parker surely would have left the bookstore locked up all day.

But, as it was, she needed money, and a Saturday was too good a day to be an irresponsible property owner. So, here she was, crying on the kitchen counter watching her antacid dissolve in hopes that it would miraculously cure a hangover.

She grimaced at the sticky dryness of her mouth.

In hindsight, that last beer probably hadn't been the best idea.

And, in further, more truthful hindsight, neither had been the beer she drank after that one in the parking lot while waiting for their Uber. It had been Dan's challenge to do it under thirty seconds, prompted further by Colt's off-key acapella rendition of We Are The Champions, and though Parker wasn't good at many things, shotgunning a beer was something she was good at.

Who was she to waste a talent?

Her stomach turned at the thought, and she was in the middle of contemplating puking all over Colt's kitchen, when footsteps approached her from behind.

"Well, you look peaky."

Parker groaned low and deep while pressing her face further against the kitchen counter. Jody offered an amused smile before moving towards the fridge. Despite yesterday, she looked good. Bouncy skin, tousled blonde hair, Colt's t-shirt that didn't so much hang as it laid against her thin legs. Oh, and the happy features of someone that were clearly not suffering from a hangover.

Bastards, Parker thought glumly, the both of them.

"Want some?" Jody asked, jug of orange juice in hand. She had the benevolence to at least look tired. Though, not nearly enough in Parker's opinion.

"D'rather have a lobotomy," Parker muttered.

Jody somehow managed a smile and a wince at the same time. "You did drink a lot," she said. The idea of drinking anything had Parker paling, and Jody quickly moved past it to add, "but it was really fun. I think everyone enjoyed it."

She wasn't particularly in the mood for conversation, but Parker supposed the more she talked, the less she had to think about making herself presentable for work, which meant the less she thought about work itself, so she did her best to tamper down her headache with a slow sip of her water.

"S'definitely better than last year's," she said. There was sunlight streaming through the kitchen blinds, and while Jody didn't hesitate to pull them up, she responded by pulling her sweatshirt hood further down over her eyes. Another inhuman noise, before, "thanks for helping plan it."

Jody beamed at the gratitude.

Though, Parker noticed with a growing self-hatred, the Englishwoman seemed to do that naturally. "I'm just glad that I could pitch in. It was a lot of fun. I've never played paintball before."

"Really? Coulda' fooled me. I think my welts have welts."

"Oh," Jody said, hiding a giggle behind her glass of orange juice. "Sorry about that."

Parker got the feeling that Jody wasn't very sorry at all. In fact, from the way Jody and Colt had tore it up on the paintball field, Parker had a strong suspicion that the woman was just as competitive as the boys were.

Waving a hand at her, she said, "don't be sorry. You won, afterall."

"Oh, did we?" she chirped. "I barely noticed."

"Hmph."

"I didn't hit you too hard did I?" she asked, actually sounding curious as she leaned onto the counter.

There was a very large bruise on Parker's back side that would argue differently, but Parker instead shook her head. It sent the room spinning, however, and she just as quickly had to lay her head back onto the counter. "Had me a little scared out there, though. If anyone on set has ever given you shit before, you should just take a paintball gun with you to work."

Jody laughed. "There are one or two," she said. From the look in her eye, it was obvious she could name them, but she didn't. Instead, her eyes darted to Parker.

"Ah," she said. "Well, you had your chance yesterday to shoot him too. I hope you took the opportunity."

At the joke, Jody seemed to relax a bit. Her mouth tugged into a crooked smile as she popped some bread into the toaster. "I tried, but he was a little harder to get than I thought he would be..."

Her voice trailed off, and Parker arched a brow. "What?"

"Er, well, I guess I was a little surprised that you invited him. We all were, I think."

Unbidden guilt crashed down onto Parker's shoulders, and she caught her face in her hands. "I know, I know, I'm sorry... It was a last minute thing. He had stopped by the store and then we were just talking and, well, I don't know..."

Jody's back was to Parker, but she peeked over her shoulder with curiously arched brows. "I didn't realize you were friends. Certainly not after that introduction on set."

Just the thought of that introduction had Parker grimacing. Worse still was the realization that somehow, somewhere in her mind, that Tom was in no way connected to the Tom she had brought alongside her last night. It was as if they were two totally different people, and the reminder that they were actually the same person had her stomach rolling.

Or, that could have been the hangover. Whatever.

Parker picked at a loose thread on her hoodie. "Was Colt upset?"

"That you brought Tom?"

"I didn't ruin the night, did I? I know that he can be a total prick, and that everyone else has bad feelings towards him from work, but... well, I guess I was hoping that everyone else enjoyed last night as much as I did. I mean, I know he's a prick, but he's at least okay to be around sometimes."

"Can you remember?" Jody teased from beside the coffee maker. It beeped as she fiddled with it, before she was puling mugs out of the cabinet. Obviously, she had been here before.

"Does Colt hate me?"

Her smile was soft and graceful. "No, he doesn't hate you. I'm not sure he could, if I'm honest. He talks about you a lot, you know."

Parker didn't think that was necessarily a good thing, but she wasn't about to scold her brother for talking about her on dates. Not when he was actually going on them and she was at home marathoning trashy reality tv.

"And, as for last night," Jody continued, "everyone did have a lot of fun. No nights were ruined."

"Not even...?"

"The Uber driver was actually quite nice about it," she said, skipping over the issue entirely. A good thing too considering the thought of last night made Parker woozy, and she certainly didn't want to relieve that car ride home. Or the two stops they had to make for her and Colt to throw up on the side of the road. "Honestly... I was pleasantly surprised."

Parker frowned. "By the Uber driver?"

"By Tom," she corrected with a laugh.

"Really?"

Jody shrugged. "Granted, I don't know him nearly as well as Colt, and he was an awfully sore loser. I mean—really awful—you should have heard him after paintball."

"Oh, I did," Parker said. "I just blocked it out."

"And yet..."

Parker arched her brows.

Jody smiled, then shrugged once more. "He wasn't nearly as bad as I thought he would be. Losing, I mean. He didn't threaten to fire anyone or sue anyone—"

"Speak for yourself," she muttered under her breath, cup of liquid antacid looking more unappealing by the second.

"And by the end of the night... well, I think he was actually getting along with some of the others. Not really well, mind you. He is still a prick."

Parker snorted. "I don't think anyone was doubting that."

"But a manageable one. It actually felt like he was hanging out with us, you know, rather than dictating on set."

Parker tried not to sound too hopeful as she tugged on her thread. "Yeah?"

Obviously, she failed, because when Jody smiled there was something conniving to it. Something suspicious twinkling her eyes. Yet, the woman didn't dig in deeper. Just moved on. "He might not admit it, but I think Colt was more pleased than he let on when Colt said he was a great stuntman. I was too. Mind you, on our last film, Ryder asked Colt if he could get a jaw implant to look more like himself."

Parker made a face. "Yeah, I heard about that."

"I think this was the first time he ever complimented Colt. In, like, a decade of working together. Can you believe that?"

She could. The guy was a prick. But also, Parker didn't want to believe it—struggled to envision that as the same guy that had come to her bookstore twice now—and so she sipped her water so she didn't have to respond.

Jody, however, noticed all of that. "Since when have you two been friends?"

"Friends? We're not—it's not—we just... know each other."

"Hm," Jody hummed, clearly not buying it. "Yet you brought him to Colt's birthday party. And apparently you talk."

"I don't plan when he come to the store," she said defensively.

That surprised Jody, and as she filled the mugs up with coffee, she said, "oh. When you said you were talking I didn't realize you meant in person. You literally dragged him to the birthday party, then."

"I wouldn't say I dragged him," Parker muttered as she accepted a mug. The coffee was low quality and definitely burnt from Colt's stupid machine, but just the smell of it had her feeling better. She cradled the steaming hot mug between her hands with a deep inhale. "What did you think I meant?"

"I thought you meant you were talking on the phone."

"Colt told you about that? It's so weird. I still have no idea how he got my phone number," she mused, chancing a sip. It burned her tongue immediately, but Parker didn't care. She was not a morning person, and didn't function this early unless she had three cups of coffee. Hangover or not. "The prick."

Jody hedged from her cup of coffee, but didn't say anything.

Parker shrugged. If Jody didn't want to rail on Tom Ryder being a prick, that was her decision. Moving on, she added, "anyways, I really did appreciate your help with the party, even if I ended up fudging the team numbers by lugging Tom along. You were a life saver with getting everyone's phone numbers."

Whatever Jody had been thinking passed over, and she smiled. "Yeah, of course. Thanks for letting me help. I know... you know—Colt's your brother—I'm not trying to, er... step on anyone's toes."

It was funny to watch her get flustered, and Parker gave the woman an impish smile as she took another sip of her water. "Colt's a big boy, and he can do whatever he wants," she said. "Besides, I think you're great. Why would I have a problem with you wanting to help plan his party?"

"You think I'm great?" Jody asked.

To that, Parker rolled her eyes, and though it had the pounding behind her temples start up again, it felt worth it. "You get enough compliments from my brother, you don't need to go fishing for them with me too."

"Me? No. I hate fishing. Detest it, really."

Parker harrumphed, but couldn't help but snicker as she took a deep whiff of her drink. "Well, if you aren't fishing, then I don't need to tell you that he doesn't act like this with just anyone," she said before taking a long sip. Too long, and it burned her mouth immediately. "Fuck!"

"Hot?"

"I thought you weren't fishing anymore," Parker muttered while wiping drool off her chin.

"I was talking about the coffee!" Jody cried in response. But then she caught the haughty look Parker was shooting her and couldn't help but laugh. The sound hurt her ears, but, god, if everything about the woman wasn't perfect. "You and Colt, honestly. The things that you say are so ridiculous."

She vaguely remembered Tom saying the same thing the night before. A smile pulled at her burnt lips. "Tom would agree. He said something similar last night."

That look returned. "You know, for not being friends you've come a long way from calling him an asshole. I thought you were going to break his nose that day on set."

Parked moaned. "Oh, not you too."

"I'm just saying," Jody defended from behind a steaming mug of coffee. She blew on it coolly, as though the answer to her question didn't matter in the slightest. "I just couldn't help but notice how well you were getting along last night. Spent a lot of time together, too."

"Shah, because some Englishwoman came and stole my brother from me," she retorted blithely. "I always knew boomers complained about immigrants stealing jobs, but stealing drinking buddies is a little vindictive. Even for the English."

"Oi!" Jody exclaimed, though it ended in a laugh. "You and Colt spent plenty of time together last night. If I recall, we were trying to get away from you lot and that ridiculous game of yours."

Parker perked. "Game?"

"Something about a cat in the woods."

She thought through the previous night's events, and when the card game came to mind, her stomach rolled a second time. Moaning, she willed herself to disappear into a universe where responsibilities didn't exist. "Ugh, no wonder I feel like I'm dying."

"It was a ridiculous game. The amount you drank was ghoulish."

Something rolled in her stomach. "We don't have to—"

"And the rules didn't make any sense. It's all about drinking, drinking, drinking—"

And yep. That did it.

Parker barely made it to the toilet before she was puking up a stomach full of last night's drinks. The bathroom floor was cooler than the kitchen counter, at least, and as she caught her breath, she vowed to never drink again. Or play that retched game.

From the doorway, Jody grimaced. "Sorry."

Parker haphazardly waved her off. "S'fine. Just do me a favor and kill Colt for me, will you? The bastard..."

Jody smiled. "I think he might already be dead."

"What?"

Jody inclined her head to the left, and Parker turned to find her brother curled into a ball in the bathtub. He was wearing his Miami Vice jacket backwards, and his bucket hat was drawn low over his eyes. He was so pale that she might have actually thought he was dead if it wasn't for the quiet groan of misery he let out.

"He's been in here for an hour," she said in lieu of a proper explanation. "Ran in here, threw up, and then passed out in the shower because it felt nice. I decided to leave him. Just seemed easiest."

Parker didn't doubt that.

"What a fucking idiot," she said instead, and though Jody didn't respond, when the blonde sipped her coffee, the smug grin she was wearing made it obvious that she agreed.

---

Two coffees, a greasy bagel, and an antacid tablet later has Parker feeling moderately like a human being. The hangover is still there—teasing the inside of her skull every couple minutes—but it's better now. More manageable, at the very least.

Of course, manageable hangovers at work don't make for good working environments, and as the door rings with the sound of a brass bell, Parker adjusts the sunglasses perched on the edge of her nose.

"Hi, welcome in," she says. Though, when she looks she realizes that it's not a customer, but instead a tween girl with far too much trouble in her eyes. "Oh, it's you."

"You could sound a little more enthusiastic about it," Melissa chides, arms jingling with the sound of too many stacked bracelets to count. She looks pretty today—she looks pretty every day—and though Parker isn't in the mood for vibrant conversation, she can't deny that it's always nice to see her most loyal customer. "I am your number one, afterall."

"Number one...?"

"Customer!" Melissa chirps with a smile as if she can hear Parker's innermost thoughts. She swings closer to the counter with dancing eyes. "I have a couple more ideas I wanted to run by you before tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Sunday," Melissa says slowly, blinking. "Hello? Does painting sound familiar to you?"

Parker pinches the bridge of her nose with a sigh. She's all out of interest in paint; the welts on her ribcage haven't been forgotten, and she can feel something tweaking in her lower back from being bent over for hours at a time.

God, she's old.

"I thought we were about finished."

"Finished? Not even close," Melissa corrects her. She settles her tote bag onto the counter. Her nose scrunches distastefully as she glances around. "We only did the walls. We still have to do the shelves. And I think those will take longer since I want to add some cute detailing to them. Have you thought about shelf liners?"

"What the hell are shelf liners?"

"You know," she gestures. "Like wallpaper, but for shelves."

"That sounds expensive."

"And totally worth it. Look," she sticks her phone across the counter, Pinterest page already pulled up, and starts scrolling. The speed at which she's doing it, however, as Parker's eyes going crossed. She sits back with a groan. "It's not that bad!"

"No, no, it's not..." she starts, then stops. "Can we just talk about this tomorrow?"

Melissa pouts. "Fine, but we'll probably need to start painting first thing, since you can't put the books back up until the shelves dry completely."

"Are we sure this is even necessary?"

"Completely," the girl says, and there's no room left for argument as she pops her hip out. "I told you this place looks so much better already, but the shelves will be worth it. It'll really help everything pop. And I have some ideas about stickers we can use to make cute signs for all the book sections."

Parker sighs. "Don't you go to school?"

"Yeah. And?"

"How do you have time for all of this stuff?" she asks, a floppy hand gesturing half-heartedly to the room around them. She doesn't mean to offend Melissa in any way, but she can't imagine that there's a teen girl out there who spends all of her time dedicated to fixing up a dilapidated bookstore. "Shouldn't you be in, I don't know, cheerleading or something?"

Melissa shoots her a tart expression. "Cheerleading is so totally dated, Park. Sexist, too. They just have skinny girls wearing tiny little skirts for the objective male gaze."

"...right."

"Besides," she continues, bracelets jangling as she pops a piece of gum into her mouth. "I love this place."

Even more bewildered, Parker repeats herself. "...right."

"Speaking of—" Melissa says, and when she leans against the counter there's a waft of vanilla and lemon perfume. Parker almost gets sick at the strength of it, and she sips her coffee with a grimace. "When are you going to hire me?"

"I already did."

"For real," Melissa asserts, digging her heels in. "You said you'd think about it, and you've had plenty of time. I mean all you do is hang out here."

"Okay, ouch."

"I want a job."

"Can we talk about this tomorrow too?" Parker whines. She knows she's the adult in the situation, but... well, she really doesn't want to be. The idea of doing math and taxes has her head spinning painfully. "I'm—I have a headache."

Melissa narrows her eyes at that. Smarter beyond her years, the girl doesn't miss much, and when she leans across the counter, Parker wishes her sweatshirt would swallow her whole. "What's up with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You look bad."

"Oh, gee, thanks."

She waves a hand indifferently, and squints. "Not like that. I mean you look like you're sick. Are you sick?"

Her stomach roils, and Parker tries to hide the uncomfortable wince behind another sip of scalding black coffee. "A bit."

"You were fine on Wednesday."

"Must have caught something," she lies. The last thing she needed to do is be blamed for being a bad influence on a teenager.

Melissa furrows her brows, reaching to plant a palm against Parker's forehead. She tries to duck it, but only manages to send the room spinning a second time. "You don't feel like you have a fever."

"Twenty four hour bug I guess," she says, waving a hand as if it really was that simple. It wasn't, and when she bends down to scoop a pile of books off the ground her vision flashes white. Colt was such a fucking bastard. "Ugh."

"Oh. My. God."

She slams her eyes shut, head steepled between three fingers, already knowing what was about to come. Parker really can't handle Melissa's high-pitched tone of judgement, however, and considers just giving the girl the keys to the store right then and there. "Don't."

"Are you—?"

"No."

"—hungover?" Melissa finished anyways. She whispered the word like it was some big secret, but by the way that her eyes widened and her mouth pulled into a sneaky grin, it was obvious that the news was all too interesting to her. Especially when Parker didn't answer her right away. "Oh my god! You totally are!"

The boom of her voice had Parker's head hurting, and she let her head fall into her hands with a groan. It was a saving grace that the store was empty.

Well, not entirely a saving grace considering she needed customers, but...

"What happened?" Melissa pried. "Did you go on a date last night?"

"You think I would get black out drunk on a date?" she asked.

The girl shrugged. "I don't know, maybe it went really well."

Parker rubbed her temple wearily. "You're not going on dates are you? Because you shouldn't be getting black out on the first one, ever. That's dating one-o-one."

"Oh, whatever," she flipped a perfectly manicured hand at Parker before settling further onto the counter. It was obvious that she had sunk her teeth into the subject. The last time she done that, she convinced Parker to repaint the entire store. Hopefully, this one wouldn't be as expensive. "Not a date then. What'd you do?"

Parker sighed. "It was Colt's birthday party."

Melissa ooh-ed with a dreamy smile. "I can't wait until I can drink. Legally, I mean. Obviously I've tried beer before," she said with batted eyelashes. It seemed that she was completely ignoring the very real reality of what happened when one drank too much, and Parker rolled her eyes. "Why did you come in today? When my brother drank a lot at Christmas he was in bed until dinner the next day. Mom said he had the flu, but, like, come on."

Parker gave a half-hearted hum. Any other day a glimpse into Melissa's home life would have amused her—teenagers nowadays really did baffle her—but at the moment she didn't have the mental capacity to do much other than try not to die. "I had to open the shop."

To that, Melissa grinned. "Well, if you had another employee..."

"Oh, please, Melissa," Parker threw up a hand with a groan. "Seriously. Not today. I'm weak willed. I can't have this conversation; I'm not in the right mind, and nothing will be legally binding."

"I'm just saying!" the girl threw up her own hands with a laugh. There was something conniving about it, though. Something glittering in her eyes. "If you had another employee, then you would be able to take a morning off every once in a while. How is that a bad thing?"

"You're taking advantage of me," Parker pointed out with a sour frown.

"Actually, you could argue that I'm trying to help you."

"Hmph."

"But, now that we're on the subject," she continued, eyes flapping like Bambi as she walked a slow circle. Only, Parker got the distinct impression that she was a hen stuck with a fox, and as she wiggled her sunglasses nervously, she tried to remind herself that she was the adult in the conversation. "The store looks way nicer, and you've been getting compliments from people, and I still have a lot more ideas for what else we could do. Don't you think that hiring me would benefit us both? We could start doing work throughout the week which means you would get your Sundays back to yourself."

Parker slumped onto her hands. "Are the devil?"

"Parker," she whined, returning to the counter where she delicately propped her head on two palms, ever the essence of beauty and grace. "Please?"

The throbbing in her head hadn't gone away, and the sweat dripping down her back was as uncomfortable as it was gross. Parker had avoided every mirror in her house that morning knowing that however she looked wasn't pretty, and having someone actually pretty blinking at her made Parker feel slightly violent.

And sick.

And, well, maybe having a second employee around for the days that she was sick wasn't the worst idea out there. Not to mention that Melissa had garnered her lots of compliments over the past couple of weeks, and the store did look the best it ever had. The girl had good ideas, Parker couldn't deny that. And she certainly didn't lack a work ethic. She had been begging for a job for weeks now, and didn't once skimp on her painting responsibilities when they came together on the weekends. If anything, she was giving herself more to do every time she came.

She let out a long, self-suffering sigh. "...alright."

Melissa froze. "Really?"

"Part time, three days a week, and Saturday mornings."

"Really?"

"And I'm not paying more than minimum wage."

Her eyes were the size of saucers, waiting on baited breath, as she asked a third time, "really?!"

Slowly, Parker nodded. "Really."

Melissa jumped, squealing, and if her head hadn't hurt earlier, it was like an elephant coming through in a parade. Hand up, she said, "okay, okay, but you have to stop before I hurl. Seriously, this energy is... not a good way to start out as an employee."

"This is so sick," Melissa said anyway, unfazed by Parker's white-washed face. "I still think we should do liners for the shelves, and little gold accents, but that'll take a while, so maybe tomorrow we just start with painting this section—"

She gestured as she talked, and she talked a lot. And though Parker was only half paying attention, she hummed and nodded when appropriate. Afterall, the store did look so much better, and she could use another employee. Particularly one as clever as Melissa.

Sipping her coffee, she smiled.

Until she felt another wave of nausea.

One of these days, she swore, she would seriously kick her brother's ass.

---

Crave Cafe, only two blocks down from her own bookstore, was like stepping into a different world. The cafe itself was beautifully decorated, vintage artwork on the wall, string of pearls hanging from rope baskets in the corners, with soft LED lights in the shape of lightning bolts and cappuccinos on the wall. Discolored and misshapen mugs could be seen scattered throughout the inside, with every odd table occupied by varying individuals. Chatter echoed throughout over the sound of coffee grinders and a Spotify playlist, and though Parker was always a little sore that Crave's clientele didn't show much interest in her own storefront, she had to admit that it was her favorite place around.

Not just because the coffee was cheap, the bread always freshly made, and the general ambiance, but also because the manager, a young man named Harry, was always happy to see her.

"Don't tell me you're working again today," he said while setting about putting her order together. "I thought you were closed on Sundays."

Parker shrugged. She felt much better today, having a full night's sleep and a long shower, and though she was about to go back to more painting, she was in an arguably good mood. "Melissa's taken over the store, I'm afraid. She keeps seeing stuff on Pinterest that she's wants to try."

"Too scared to tell her no?"

"Is it lame if I say yes?"

Harry laughed, slinging a pink and yellow patterned towel over his shoulder. "I can't say I blame you. Kids nowadays are frightening. I have my own group that hangs around for hours that I'm too afraid to shoo away. When did girls get so intimidating?"

Parker followed his line of sight to a trio of teen girls. They ducked their heads at being spotted, giggles erupting from their table. "I think you're teens are a little different than mine," she pointed out with an arched brow. "Namely, Melissa isn't hoping I'll ask her to the prom."

Harry laughed at that. Parker didn't wonder why there were teen girls ogling him—he was an objectively attractive guy, white teeth, nice tattoos, good sense of humor, and the odd finger painted black, he was practically a knockoff Pete Davidson. Apparently, that was what every girl wanted nowadays. "Not that you know of, anyway," he teased while working the frother. "I'll have to come over and check it out for myself. Bet it looks nice."

She rolled her eyes with a snort. "Anything looks nicer than it looked before," she said. "I did finally get rid of that weird smell though. Score for me. Only took three gallons of Pine Sol and way too many candles. Which, I think are actually toxic but whatever. A wins a win."

He laughed again while sliding her coffees across the counter. "How late do you think you'll be there today?"

"Knowing Melissa? Till midnight. She's a bit of a hard ass."

"Perfect. I'll stop by after my shift."

"That's very presumptuous of you," she chirped, smiling. It was hard not to smile when talking to Harry. She wasn't naive enough to ignore his flirting; particularly when she stopped by three times a week for her caffeine fix. But Harry was like every other surfer in California—flaky, flirty, and trouble. Not her type in the slightest, but he was a friend, and often gave her coffee on the house. "But, if you must, bring me a bagel?"

He winked. "Anything for a pretty girl."

Parker shook her head with a smile and gathered her coffees and sandwiches up before leaving. The table of teenagers shot her dirty looks when she walked by, to which she smiled right back.

The walk back to her shop was short, stalled only when she stopped to pet a slumbering bulldog along the sidewalk. The bell overhead jingled when she entered. Despite the CLOSED sign on the door, she never bothered to lock up when they were painting. If someone was stupid enough to stumble in, she figured they would be stupid enough to fork over some cash on a book or two. And Parker would never say no to cash.

"I got the coffees!" she called when Melissa didn't immediately come to the front. Music played softly on the speakers, but the store seemed empty. Shelves had been shifted to the side with stacks of books off to the other, and the tarp crinkled under her sneakers as she walked over it. "Melissa? Hello? Did you...?"

Trailing back further proved that Melissa wasn't ignoring her, but instead in an adamant conversation.

A conversation with none other than Tom Ryder.

Parker stopped short. "Tom?"

The pair turned to her. Melissa's face was flushed, and her cheeks were split in two from the width of her smile. Her chest was heaving as if she had just been talking nonstop. Which, likely, she had.

And despite the fact that he was being mobbed by a teenager, Tom didn't seem to mind one bit. In fact, he was standing casually bent against the ladder, brows relaxed, shoulders loose underneath his expensive leather jacket. And though she expected him to greet her—like friends did—the first thing out of his mouth was, "I was wondering when you got a sense of style, before realizing that you were outsourcing to this one."

"I—what?"

Tom gestured to the bookstore as Melissa grabbed her Chai latte out of Parker's hands without so much as a thank you. "The color is much more modern, and the gold accenting really brings things together. Could use some better wall decor, but I'd bet anything nice is out of your budget."

Parker blinked. At him. Then at Melissa. "What?"

Melissa, still grinning, waved an emphatic hand at the celebrity standing across from her. "Mr. Ryder—"

"Melissa, come on, I already told you to call me Tom. We're friends, aren't we?"

She paused, flushing under his gentle comment, before tucking some loose hair behind her ear with an even bigger grin. Parker rolled her eyes at the act of it all. "Tom stopped by to talk to you, but since you were out, I let him in. He was wondering what we were painting, so I showed him what we are doing today, and then I showed him what we've done the last couple of weeks."

"Stellar, really," he chimed in. She beamed beneath his praise, and Parker swore a helicopter could have caught the brightness of her teeth from a mile away. "I think she's done a great job so far."

"I helped," Parker reminded him indignantly. Not just because he was quite obviously playing it up for the attention, but also because she was so thrown by his presence in the first place that she felt uncomfortable having walked in on them talking. "Paid it for it, too."

He acted like he hadn't even heard her. "I'll have to come back when it's finished. What design of shelf liner do you'll think you'll get?"

"I'm not totally sure. I really like the dark, forest style, with the birds and branches. But I also think that the brighter gold style would look good set against the books."

"Wait, I thought I said no to the shelf liners?" Parker interrupted.

"To which I reminded you that it would look so good," Melissa shot back. When she remembered who she was talking to, however, she gestured shyly to Tom. "Besides, he thinks it would look good too. So, that's two opinions against one, right?"

"What—he doesn't work here!" Parker exclaimed, feeling a bit like she had stumbled into the Twilight Zone. Since when did Tom Ryder have any opinion about her store besides thinking it was dirty? And since when did she care about his opinion in the first place? "It doesn't matter what he thinks."

"Should," Tom added. He looked much too smug in that moment, yet, when Melissa glanced at him, his smirk became gentler. "I mean, I do have a good eye for this sort of thing. And I'm a paying customer. Doesn't hurt to listen to your customers every once in a while does it?"

"I have the right to kick out customers, you know," she warned.

Melissa didn't like that one bit, and her voice pitched in horror. "Parker! You can't—come on. He's—you know—Tom Ryder," she said, enunciating every syllable as if Parker wasn't aware of who had stumbled into her store when it was supposed to be closed. Tom, on the other hand, pointed right back at Melissa smugly.

As if to say, yeah, I'm Tom Ryder.

Sighing, Parker pinched the bridge of her nose. Yesterday's headache seemed to be coming back full force. "I know who he is, and I don't care. And I think it's time for your break now. Sandwich?"

Melissa glanced between said sandwich, her boss, and her celebrity crush for a long moment, before accepting it with a frown. "Thirty minutes?"

"Sure."

Her mood was obviously glum as she glanced between them both once more before stalking towards the back room. She paused in the doorway. "It was nice meeting you."

Tom, for what he was worth, never missed with a grin. "Likewise. I'm glad that someone working here has a sense of style."

And just that like her glum mood vanished. Melissa smiled, blushed, and disappeared into the back room with a pep in her step. When she was gone, Tom returned his attention to Parker.

"Is that for me?" he asked. Though, he didn't even wait for an answer before he was swiping the coffee out of her hand and taking a sip. If looks could kill, it was a good thing there was already a tarp spread out beneath his feet. He furrowed his brows. "Is this an americano?"

"Yes. Mine," she snarked, grabbing it back with a huff. "Why would I have gotten you a coffee? I didn't even know you were here."

He shrugged. "Feeling generous?"

"Why are you here? We're technically closed today."

"The door was unlocked," he said, and Parker's thoughts returned to her earlier sentiments. Stupid indeed. "I do like the paint. Looks cleaner. Not so sad, anymore."

"My store wasn't sad."

"Alright, ugly."

She trailed towards the front counter with a sigh. Part of her was amused—it was nice to have someone to banter back and forth it, particularly someone like Tom—but the more sane part of her was annoyed. Only he would come drink her coffee and then insult her bookstore.

And only he would be allowed to do that. Why was that?

"Are you here for more book recommendations?" she asked, forcibly moving the conversation along as she began to unwrap her turkey, cheese, and bacon sandwich. The bread crumbled in her hands, and Parker's stomach growled at the smell. "Obviously it's a little messy right now, but I could pull a few more out for you."

He shook his head; both to shake loose fringe out of his eyes and to give her a undiscernible look. "You seem to have recovered from the party Friday night. I was pretty certain either you or Colt would be dead by now."

"And yet you didn't call," she deadpanned. "How touching."

Tom's mouth quirked at the side, and he took another long sip of her coffee. He didn't even seem to care that it wasn't his own. "Is he alright then?"

She hummed around a bite of turkey. "By the time I left yesterday morning he was sleeping it off in the bathtub. So, not really any different than last year."

"What did you do last year?"

Parker couldn't really remember, she just knew that there was a whole lot of alcohol involved, and someone set off fireworks that got them in trouble with the neighbors. "Had a poker night, I think. I don't really remember much after someone got the absinthe out though."

To that, he did laugh. Though, he shook his head and glanced away as if he didn't want her to know that he did. "I always thought that Colt was trouble, but you're no better, are you? The two of you last night drank half a cooler worth of beer."

She shrugged, completely unperturbed. Mostly because she knew he was teasing, and only slightly because she knew his partying habits would outshine hers any day. "If I recall I was asking you to drink more with us," she pointed out with a snooty look. "You were the one refusing to join in. Something about the drinks being too low brow or something."

"It wasn't the brand that kept me from drinking," he retorted. Parker didn't believe that for a second though, and when he caught the arch of her eyebrow, he rolled his eyes. "I couldn't keep up with your stupid game, alright?"

"Just admit that you're a lightweight, Ryder. I won't judge you."

"I'm not a lightweight."

"Acceptance is the first step."

"You're so fucking annoying," he said with an eyeroll. But then he was peeking at her over the counter and when their gazes met, the pair dissolved into a fit of laughter. It was a nice sound; one that she quite liked earning. Parker remembered he laughed a lot at the beach, even if she didn't always remember why he was laughing. "Whatever. You better not drink that much at my party or else I'll have you kicked out myself. Just because there's any open bar doesn't mean you need to drink everything in sight, yeah?"

Parker furrowed her brows at him. "Party?" she asked.

Tom shifted on his feet, pushing off where he had been leaning on his elbows to pluck a nearby book off the counter. Absentmindedly, he flipped through it. "My party on Friday. To announce my part in the movie. You and Colt are coming, aren't you?" he said, as if this was a conversation they had before, and not something he was springing on her out of the blue.

Her first response was to make some sort of scathing response about how she wouldn't be caught dead at one of his parties. But, Parker couldn't help but notice how he shifted on his feet, how he was avoiding her gaze.

What could someone like you ever have to be anxious about? she had asked him that fateful day in the bathroom. It was so out of character then.

But now?

Tom Ryder was an asshole, but he was also a person.

She set her sandwich down onto the parchment paper. "I didn't realize we were going to be invited. Is that alright with Gail?"

He responded with a derisive snort. "It's my party. Besides, there's over a hundred people on the guest list. She won't even realize you're there. As long as you don't dress like you normally do, that is."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

His blue eyes swept over her hair, to her paint stained sweatshirt that he had now seen her wearing twice, and then to the store around them. "It's going to be an upscale party. Important people are going to be there. I can't have you and Colt running around like idiots, getting drunk, and ruining mink rugs."

"Do you have mink rugs?" she shot back.

"Of course I don't have mink rugs."

"Then problem solved," she said, waving a hand at him. It certainly didn't answer all of his points, however, and when Tom stopped flipping through his book to shoot her a glare, Parker conceded with a sigh. "Alright. We'll dress nice. I won't spill anything on my pants. And Colt will be on his best behavior."

"Good."

"On one condition."

Tom's eye twitched. "You can't be serious."

"Colt get's a plus-one," she said anyway, ignoring the knit of his brows or the pull of his mouth. He responded just as she expected, with a long suffering sigh and an eyeroll. "Oh, come on! He'll bring Jody, and no one is better at keeping an eye on him than her. Plus, you're right. We're not going to know anyone there. We'll stay in our own little pathetic poor people bubble. And if you do get annoyed with us, you can kick me out yourself. I bet you'd love that."

He sighed a second time, relaxing onto the counter. "I don't invite set hands to my house," he pointed out. Though, it was a bit of a moot point, wasn't it? Considering the fact that he was doing just that—and, if Parker had to guess—without Gail's stamp of approval. Not to mention the fact that his tone was soft. Not harsh or judgmental.

Just arguing for the sake of arguing.

Parker smiled at him. "First time for everything, right? I'll even tip off the pap. You might get some good press out of this," she teased.

And though he was playing the victim, Tom's mouth curved into a crooked smile anyway. Still, he made a roll of rolling his eyes a second time. "Fine. But seriously? Best behavior."

She wiggled her fingers at him in a mock salute. "Promise."

They stared at one another. His eyes, deep and bright, searching for something she wasn't quite sure. Her own, light and gentle, taking in everything. It never cased to surprise Parker just how handsome he was—no matter how much she wished that she was just making it up, or that his ego wasn't deserved—Tom Ryder was beautiful.

And when he smiled, she couldn't help but think he looked so much better like this than he did in all those over-touched advertisements. Here, now, he looked happy. Effortless. Real as he took another sip of his coffee. Eyes crinkled and teasing, mouth curved around the plastic lid, hair air dried but perfectly swept towards his temples.

He was—

"Hang on a minute. That's my coffee you ass!"

The ass, knowing now that he had been caught, set the empty cup back onto the counter with an empty thud, before attempting to make off with her sandwich too. And as he laughed, she was certain that she was finally starting to see the real Tom Ryder.

She kept that in mind when she let him see the real Parker Seavers, and leapt across the counter after him.

[patibato]

[Ushio SSR] Hell's Tormenting Amanojaku - Night Owl Student and Night Worker Teacher

Part 1

Ushio: Seven seconds to midnight… six…

Here it is… the latest news from Web Dive's midnight update is…

… ……

A… A PATIBATO COLLAB CAFEEE!?!?

(Shit, I yelled on impulse, is Muuchan—)

Muneuji: Zzz… zzz…

Ushio: (—No, I didn't wake him. Thank god he's a deep sleeper…)

Sigh… so? When is it? Where? What new merch will there be? Why is that info always released later? No, maybe just a little bit at a time is better for my heart…?

… Well, all I can do now is spam my priv.

(Though, if I had any fellow otaku to talk about it with…)

(No, most people aren't as into it as I am. And it'd be a pain for our relationship to sour from different interpretations.)

Phew… my throat's all dry from excitement. I'll go grab a drink.

Ushio: (…? The lights are still on. Is someone here?)

*fwip*

Sakujiro: Do this here, a little bit there, thread through like this, nfufufufu…

Ushio: (K-Karigane-san…? It looks like he's making costumes again, but his hands are moving so fast that the afterimages make him look like an Ashura*… that's so uncanny, I'll just slide on by…)

Sakujiro: Hm… I fear this fabric may be rather chilly when worn.

What do you think, Kurama-kun?

Ushio: Nyah!? You noticed so quickly… also, the fact you knew it was me without even looking gives me the creeps…

Sakujiro: It may not be exam season, but staying up without reason is poison for your body.

Ushio: …I was doing something important to me. Also, midnight doesn't count as "late".

Sakujiro: Excuse me then. Do forgive my needless concern.

Ushio: Well, I don't expect you to get it, so I'll just drop by the kitchen and head back to my room.

Sakujiro: Is that so? How about taking a breather here for a late-night change of pace? I was just thinking of having a small break myself.

Ushio: Sigh…

(I can't tell what this guy's intentions are, so I'd rather keep my distance… but, the costume he's making right now is…)

Um, is this… a character from that super famous TCG? "Malice of the Guardians**"… I think it was.

Sakujiro: Oh my, are you familiar with it?

Ushio: The popular rare cards go for so much that collectors started keeping them in safes… …or something like that, I think I might've seen it on SpiNet.

Sakujiro: Indeed. This is a cosplay of the "Crying Red Demon" that appears in MotG… a red demon with striking tears of blood.

Ushio: Huh… the resemblance is so good that even someone who doesn't know it that well like me could recognise it.

Sakujiro: Thank you. However, I fear I may have chosen fabric that's too thin.

Though I suppose it can't be helped, as I split the budget to accomodate the weapon.

Ushio: Wha… you made this weapon yourself too? It's a metal club, but this… isn't real metal, is it…?

Sakujiro: Oh! You can tell? Replicating the texture was my biggest fixation this time. Those who aren't familiar with cosplay tend to look only at the costume, but you—

Ushio: No… it just happened to catch my eye…

(Shit, I'll out myself as an otaku if I say too much…! I've gotta change the subject…)

Anyway, why are you making a costume like this? Has the subject come up with Hama Tours or something…?

Sakujiro: Not at all. This is something I'm creating for personal use.

Ushio: !

(Making a cosplay of a TCG character for personal use…? No way…)

Um… Karigane-san—

Sakujiro: Yes?

Ushio: Are you… an otaku…?

*Ashura are demons with multiple faces and arms

**"Malice of the Guardians" is the card game Yukikaze likes

Part 2

Ushio: Are you… an otaku…?

Sakujiro: Yes. I am indeed.

Ushio: Wh…!

(He's coming out with it so openly…!?)

(No, wait, calm down. It's possible he's a casual who's just acting like an otaku for fashion*…)

Sakujiro: I am… yes, I suppose you could say I'm an otaku for fashion.

Ushio: Huh.

Sakujiro: As you know, Kurama-kun, I make the stage costumes for the Hospitality Lives, but I also sew more practical items… the Young Master's suits, for example.

Anime and game cosplays, such as what I'm making now, are primarily requests from acquaintances. I'm an all-accepting all-rounder clothing otaku.

Ushio: Aah… so it's like that. You don't stan any particular work, you just like the act of making and wearing costumes itself… is what you're saying?

Sakujiro: Precisely.

Ushio: (An otaku's an otaku, but he's a different type to me… his enthusiasm's the real deal, though. You can tell just by looking at what he's making.)

(I only really saw him as a bizarre teacher who acts strange sometimes, but it's been fun hearing about a different kind of interest… I feel a little closer to him, maybe.)

…

Sakujiro: Do you not have much interest in this yourself, Kurama-kun?

Ushio: I mean, I wouldn't… say I don't…

Sakujiro: Hoho! Wouldn't you, now!!

Yes, in light of your reactions thus far, it is clear that you have great potential sleeping within you!

Ushio: Huh? What do you…

Sakujiro: Would you like to try making one? Wearing one, perhaps? Ah, since it's you, I found some costumes that would suit you perfectly when I was organising my cabinet the other day, but if there are any designs in particular you desire, then by all means, tell me every little detail and—

Ushio: H-hold on. Why is this the direction the conversation's going?

Sakujiro: No need to hold back. It's just right for a young person to be shameless.

Ushio: No, this is just what you want to do! I didn't get it until now, but you're the one behind those weird clothes Fuefuki-san sometimes wears, aren't you? Could you not treat me the same way?

Sakujiro: Oh my, I see… Well then, it's getting late, so on some other day…

Ushio: No, what exactly did that "I see" mean!? Maybe sew your eardrums up before sewing more clothes?

Agh~~~ damnit… You weren't kidding when you said staying up late is bad for you. Thanks for proving it, I'm going to bed now!!

*running*

Sakujiro: …Hm. He's missing out, leaving without even giving it a go.

Ushio: Haa, haa… what was with that strong pressure. Like I thought, there's something wrong with that guy… Though, the quality of his costumes is legit…

He was essentially asking what design I'd like, but I don't have any costumes I'd want to… ……

(…If I stayed, could I have gotten a costume of my oshi?)

He said he took requests from acquaintances… so then, a replication of my oshi—

—No, there isn't anyone to wear it in the first place. And I wouldn't be able to display it without revealing that I'm an otaku.

……

I don't think I've… missed out on anything at all…

*"ファッションオタク" (fashion otaku) refers to either "fake" otaku who only "act the part", or otaku who are into fashion