#between tears: I love variety. variety is a beautiful thing

[liesmyth]

the struggle when you only like a ship / dynamic in a specific way and find it very annoying otherwise. and most of the fandom really really likes it in the annoying way. and you don't really want to blacklist but you Suffer

[gloomwitchwrites]

thinking about the 141 when you get nipple piercings and they can’t touch your nipples for four months

For clarity, I do not have my nipples pierced. Don't ever plan on it, but we can imagine that we did and what the guys think. I did do a little research, and I saw a wide variety of healing times, so instead of four months, I kept any mention of the healing process vague. The concept is the same though. I had a lot of fun with this one y'all. Enjoy it. :)

For the masterlist and how to submit your own request, click HERE

Presented in four double drabbles.

Task Force 141 x Reader (can be read as gn!reader)

Content & Warnings (per the warnings MDNI): established relationship, brief dirty talk, suggestive themes, swearing, fade to black

Word Count: 800

ao3 // main masterlist // imagines & what if masterlist

John Price

"You're not putting a shirt on."

“What are you talking about?”

“We’re at home. And I want to see them.”

“I’m putting a shirt on,”

John is quick, snatching the shirt out of your grasp. You start to protest, but John tosses it onto the highest shelf in the closet.

“You’re childish.” You gesture at the rest of the shirts on hangers. “And I have other shirts!”

John shrugs. “I’ll hide them all.”

"I fucking swear, John."

"Or tear them all up."

You smack his chest but John only chuckles. He’s having a go at you. A laugh.

"If I can't touch them, then I bloody well better be able to see them."

"You're ridiculous."

John carefully caresses a nearby path of skin near the piercing. "You got them for me," he purrs. "And I want to see them on display at all times." His hand settles on your waist, drawing you in. He leans in, lips lightly pressed to your ear. “Especially when my head is between your legs.”

Heat rapidly warms your neck, heading for your cheeks. John notices your sudden flustered demeanor.

“That sound good to you, love?”

You nod, and John guides you to the bed.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

"I can't touch them?" asks Kyle, sounding disappointed.

"Nope."

"Not at all?”

“Eventually. But not right now.”

Kyle frowns at your chest, his gaze on the shiny metal. "Do they hurt?"

You wince slightly. "Mostly sore. The pain killers help."

Kyle nods and then glances up at your face. "How do you care for them?"

You rattle off a list of things and then hand him the paper the piercer gave you. Kyle takes it, looking it over as you go over everything, repeating it verbatim.

The small frown on his face turns into an upward smirk. "I can help with this,” he says, voice almost sultry.

"You can," you say slowly, taking the paper and placing it on the counter.

"So I can touch them. If I help.”

"Not in the way you're thinking, Kyle," you scold, knowing exactly where his mind is drifting off to.

"But I still get to touch them?"

"Only to help me,” you correct. “Not for any other reason.”

He sighs, voice a little breathy as he speaks to himself. “I can wait to suck on those gorgeous nipples.”

“Kyle Garrick! I heard that!”

He snags the paper off the counter, hiding his grin.

John "Soap" MacTavish

“You’re having a laugh.”

“Am I?”

"I can't touch them?"

"Nope."

"Not even a little bit?"

"No, Johnny. Not even a little bit."

Johnny lays on his side facing you with one elbow propped under him. He rests his head in his hand. Johnny’s gaze is locked on to your bare chest and the new metal there. The piercings are only a few days old, and they’re fucking sore.

"They're sensitive right now," you continue, wincing slightly when you move, adjusting the way you recline on the bed.

"Aye. I see," he murmurs, leaning closer, gaze narrowing as he focuses on your new piercings. The middle of his brow creases as if he's intensely considering something.

"What is it?" you ask. "You look very serious."

Johnny's gaze doesn't leave your chest. "I'm thinking about all the ways I'm going to play with those beauties."

Heat rushes to your face. “Be fucking for real right now.”

His mouth morphs into a sly smile. Johnny’s gaze shifts from your chest to your face. “Need a distraction?”

“What are you on about?”

Johnny shifts, forcing your legs open as he slots between them. “A distraction,” he purrs. “From your soreness. And my thoughts.”

Simon "Ghost" Riley

Simon stands behind you, watching you in the bathroom mirror from over your shoulder.

"Do you need help?" he asks, gaze unmoving.

"I'm fine, Simon."

He is quiet a moment before he speaks again. "I can’t touch them?"

"Not for a month. Possibly more. Healing is different for everyone."

You hear his annoyed grunt but his gaze doesn't leave you. It remains firmly planted on your newly pierced nipples.

"How sensitive are you?" he asks, taking a tiny step closer. Simon’s hand rests on your waist as you gently clean around the piercing.

"I’m sore. Nothing terrible."

Simon's head dips, lips pressing to your neck as his arms drape around you. "I can't touch them." It’s not a question, more like he’s speaking to himself.

"Nope,” you murmur.

Simon’s sigh has a hint of a growl in it. "Just means I'll have to give extra attention to everything else." His hands descend, and you bite back a groan as he touches you.

Simon's lips press to your ear. "I'll give you attention everywhere.” One hand comes up to trace a line near the piercing. “Except here.” His hand drops away, returns to between your legs. “You’ll be begging for me.”

taglist:

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@ferns-fics @tulipsun-flower @miss-mistinguett @ninman82 @eternallyvenus

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@ash-tarte @marispunk @gingergirl06 @certainlygay @greeniegreengreen

[cherrycranes]

A Proper Thank You (Tommy Shelby x Fem!Reader) [+18]

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x female reader Summary: You're Tommy's younger girlfriend who he loves to spoil. Thankfully, you always know how to thank him. Word count: 2,954 Contents: (Minors DNI) Age gap (reader is in her 20's, Tommy is in his 40's), smut, daddy kink (a serious use of the word "daddy"), oral sex (male receiving), cum eating. Author's notes: Another collab with my bestie @fuckiingloser. Don't forget to give her some love too! Mandatory "english is not my first language" disclaimer. Love ya!

You were not the first young woman to be with a man in his 40's. It was still very common even if the times were changing. But there was something about this relationship that did mirror the societal shift. You were his sweet girlfriend who he paraded around town, who shamelessly sat on his lap while he worked and who shared his bed. Quite the scandal for those still stuck in Victorian times who would expect this to happen only between a married couple. Good thing the Victorian times had ended over 30 years ago. 

Tommy loved having you by his arm half of the time. The other half he loved having you under him. Or on top, he wasn't picky. He got a kick out of the variety of looks some people would give him for having a pretty, young girl as his sweetheart. But above all things, he absolutely adored the way his pretty baby looked at him whenever he spoiled her rotten.

Today, you went with him to a horse ranch near Southam. A lovely place where Tommy intended to see that beautiful look in your eyes once more. He smirked, seeing you caress a beautiful mare’s nuzzle, the animal calm and docile under your touch.

“Aye, I think she likes you.” Tommy announced with pride, already planning to buy the horse for his beautiful girlfriend.

“You think?” You turned your head to look at him and admire his poise. The cigarette kissing his lips, the fine dark suit, the piercing blue eyes. So intimidating to many, so dear to you. “She’s beautiful…” Your thoughts and eyes returned to the mare, giving her another soft pet.

“You two make a very pretty picture, baby girl.” He dropped his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out skillfully before making his way to you. His big arms wrapped around you from behind while he rested his chin on your shoulder. You smirked when a surprisingly sweet kiss was planted on the side of your head. Thomas Shelby was never sweet to anyone, not even in the dark humor jokes of those who knew him. His portrait could have easily been annexed to the definitions of “rugged”, “serious” and even “ruthless”, yet, here he was. This was what his lips that had spat out curses and threats were doing. Kissing. And very gently at that. 

Above all women, you had a special place in his soul. You had him wrapped around your finger like those expensive rings you wore. Anything you wanted, you could have it. And if tomorrow you were to ask for a heart on a silver plate, he would tear anybody’s chest open and serve it to you himself.

You leaned into him, just in time to meet his husky whisper:

“If you want her baby… She’s yours.” 

With a big, spoiled princess grin, you turned around and looked at him in complete elation.

“Thank you, daddy!” Your sweetness intoxicated him, the way you looked into his eyes killed him, and the way you called him “daddy” raised him from the dead. He absolutely loved it. 

A calloused hand came up to touch your cheek, his thumb gently rubbing over your bottom lip. He admired the joy upon your beautiful face and studied it devotedly.

“Anything for my girl.” He spoke softly, his sexy Birmingham accent made your knees feel weak and your pussy become wetter. In a heartbeat, Thomas spoke to the farm owner, purchased the mare without even caring about the cost and made the necessary arrangements so you could have your pretty horse. 

After a successful purchase, Thomas helped you into the passenger seat of his car, driving you back to town. You would have your horse tomorrow morning, right now, business called.

He drove you to the Garrison, the Shelby's family owned pub for a Peaky Blinder business meeting. Usually, women were not allowed, but you were not just a woman. You were Thomas Shelby’s woman. And the people who knew would rather chop a limb off than dare to deny you access.

With his hand on your lower back, Tommy guided you inside the rowdy bar towards the private Peaky Blinders table. Everybody was waiting for your arrival between sips of irish whiskey and puffs of smoke. Thomas took a seat and you took yours on his lap, the feeling of your weight on him as natural as the feeling of air entering his lungs. 

The men at the table did not bat an eye, your presence was the new normality. And in a way, a sign that things were good, that Thomas was relaxed and no conflicts were on the horizon. If something bad or difficult was preying upon them, you would be hidden away in some safe heaven and not happily sitting on Tommy’s lap. Perhaps, the only other emotion a few of the men could feel when looking at you was a secret, deeply buried longing. Anybody would love to have a beauty like you sitting on their lap. Not that they would allow Thomas to hear them admit that.

The meeting started around you, some usual business and many details you didn’t care for. Thomas concentrated, his thumb mindlessly rubbing back and forth on your clothed thigh. You liked the skirt you wore, the fabric was soft, and it incited Tommy to touch. It was not exactly close to the feeling of your bare skin when you fucked him, or when he would make you sit naked on his lap while he worked in his house studio, but it was pleasant. 

The more the meeting dragged on, the more you started to grow restless. And a little bored, in all honesty. Sitting on his lap sounded glamorous and sensual in theory but in practice it was a test of resilience and patience. Being a sweet arm candy girl like you required more than a pretty face and a hot body. You also had to possess the skills to tell when a meeting was dying out and calculate the exact perfect moment to lean closer to Tommy’s ear and whisper something to save you from boredom.

“You know… I never properly thanked you today for getting me my beautiful horse… I think daddy needs a proper thank you…” Thomas turned to look at you with a raised eyebrow and a little smirk.

“Is that right?” He leaned closer to you until your noses bumped together, giving your thigh a squeeze. “And just how would you thank daddy, then? Hmm?” He whispered, the meeting a mere background noise now. You leaned towards his ear again, whispering so quietly so only Tommy could hear.

“I wanna suck your cock… Or you can fuck me over your desk in the back?” You purred so innocently despite the pure filth of your words. His cock told you all you needed to know about his opinion. The twitch inside his pants impossible to miss. You pulled back to stare into his eyes and take in his tiny smirk. He knew that resistance was futile and completely incompatible with him when it came to you.

Without excusing words or explanations to the other gentlemen, Thomas scooted you two out of the booth, taking your hand and guiding you to the back. He kicked the small office door open and locked you both in. You could almost feel his piercing blues tracing the shape of your ass under that fashionable skirt you wore. 

“So...” You started, walking over to his desk and luring him to take a few steps closer to you. He towered over you, his rough hands touched your hips with interest. “How does daddy want me?” You purred innocently, looking into his eyes.

Thomas’ cock hardened even more in his dress pants. Your figure, your soft face, your pretty eyes, your voice, you. Lust took over his eyes.

 “On your knees baby… you know what daddy wants.” His voice was husky, overcome with his need for you and your pretty little mouth. You grinned, a hungry look in your eyes replicating his own. Steadily, you sunk to your knees, the fabric of your skirt your only padding on the cold floor. Tommy leaned against his desk and watched you work your magic. Your fingers undid the button of his pants with torturous care.

“You know… If you wanted to fuck me in front that whole room of men… I’d let you. I’d let you do whatever you want to me..” You were a tease, you killed him slowly. His breath hitched a bit, his possessive streak driving him to total insanity. You were right. You would let him do anything he wanted. He knew. But hearing you say that made the fire of his lower stomach ignite him whole.

“Oh, I know you would… You’d be my good little girl, wouldn’t you?” He whispered, brushing a hair out of your beautiful face. You nodded so innocently, and then lowered his pants down until they pooled around his ankles.

“I'll always be your good girl… I’ll always please you and let you use me however you need…” You whispered back, a soft sensual smile gracing your lips. Tommy couldn’t help but groan at your words, his painfully hard cock pulsing in his boxer briefs right in front of your face.

“God, you’re such a good girl… You’ll be good for daddy now won’t you?” He cooed. 

“Always.” You purred in devotion. Your hands reached up to grab the band of his boxers and, with one swift, well trained motion, pulled them down. His large throbbing cock sprung free for you to drool over. Mere inches away from your face. 

“You gonna thank your daddy properly, hmm?” He asked with a sexy smirk, heavily accented and incredibly husky. You nodded obediently, your eyes going from his beautiful irises to his hard cock. It had been over four months since you became his sweetheart and you still felt enamored at his sheer size.

“Yes daddy…” You answered softly then looked back up to his pretty blue eyes. “Gonna suck your cock and drain these perfect balls just how you like…” You made it a point to speak so innocently, stirring something in him. He could have lost himself right then and there from your words alone. It took him a second to fully take in the idea. The dirtiest promises coming from the prettiest girl he has ever seen.

“Fuck baby… You’re gonna be the death of me someday, you know that?” He asked in a playful little smirk, and you attacked. Your soft hand wrapped around his aching hard cock. He groaned softly.

“But at least you’ll die happy.” You purred, gifting him a few seconds to prepare himself before finally leaning in to swirl your tongue skillfully over the head of his dripping cock. Thomas let out a guttural moan, his hand gripping his desk behind him in an attempt to steady himself. His head fell back, the texture of your wet, warm tongue erasing each and every thought off his mind. It all became you and you only. You licking him, tasting his sensitive tip, you pleasing him.

“Fuck, baby… My perfect girl…” He managed to choke out, affected yet addicted. Your tongue swirled over him expertly, and you looked up at him. A sweet happy hum reverberated in your throat as you tasted the salt of his precum. Every drop that ran down his tip not making it far thanks to your eager licks. Your hum sent vibrations up his cock, making him feel like his knees were about to buckle under him. The only time he appreciated feeling vulnerable.

Tommy looked down at you servicing him, taking your sweet time on his sensitive tip. The fire in your eyes recognized his and burnt with it. 

“Holy-f-fuck.. my girl knows how to suck her daddy’s cock so good….” He groaned, and you took more of his lengthy cock in your mouth, working your way down and sucking it, your tongue massaging it slowly.

He tried his best to maintain his composure and control, but another swirl of your tongue made him admit to himself that he would not last long.

“F-fuck, baby girl… You keep going like that…” He groaned, gripping the edge of the wooden desk harder and urging you.

You bobbed your head on his cock in a skillful rhythm. The sounds coming from you were so filthy and obscene. Nothing could have torn his gaze away from you. It was a war between him and his throbbing cock. He wanted more, desperately needed more, but his orgasm neared closer than his next breath.

 “You’re too good to me, baby girl… You’re gonna make daddy come… And it’s gonna be right in your pretty mouth, and you’re gonna take every last drop, aren’t you?” He cooed with one hand touching the top of your head for support. You bobbed your head, up and down his shaft, with your nose bumping his pelvic area. You looked up and hummed in response. You always swallowed.

Noting his increasing pleasure, you pushed yourself to take more of his thick cock. You gagged a little and earned a loud moan from him akin to music to your ears.

“Goood girl… Good girl.” With his praise like a mantra, he watched over you, almost out of breath. “That's it. I'm gonna come for you… ‘m gonna come in this mouth and you’re gonna swallow all of it, aren’t you baby?” He repeated, unaware by now. No thoughts inside his head, only your perfect mouth that pulled back for just a second.

 “Yes, daddy.” You purred, looking up at him with innocent eyes before taking him in your mouth again, this time working faster and with much more intensity. Constantly swiping against the underside of his thick cock.

Thomas had to resist the urge of bucking into your mouth and fuck your face just the way he likes, but he found the willpower to stay calm. This was all about you pleasing him, putting that mouth of yours to work and thanking him. 

“Good girl, such a good fuckin’ girl…” He praised, his orgasm so close to hitting him and knocking him flat out. “Now, remember, baby girl… What’s my rule?” His voice almost cracked. Dominance was a hard thing to upkeep when his balls tightened this hard and your throat hummed around him. Your pussy grew wetter at the mention of the rule, one you had committed to memory.

“Before you can swallow, you have to show it to daddy... Need to see my come all over your pretty tongue, hmm?” Thomas said, barely hanging on at this point. One of his hands holding your hair back and the other gripping the desk behind him for stability.

You hummed as loud and as best as you can, his thick cock barely giving up space for sound to travel. You kept sucking him, and his resistance was hung on by a thread, ready to snap at any moment. His moans, his heavy breaths, the hot puffs of air he lets out, the way his cock throbbed in your  mouth… You wanted him done for. 

Your hand came up, gently cupping his balls and giving them a soft squeeze. His breath hitched and he cursed under his breath.

“Holy fuck, baby-” He choked out, and everything snapped inside him. “Coming..” That was the only word he managed to utter before his resolve crumbled and his orgasm hit him like a tidal wave. His hand grabbed your hair firmly, but not painfully, keeping you there, ready to take it all.

Your movements stopped in anticipation and his cock pulsed inside your mouth. A salty load of cum coated your tongue completely and his sensual low groan filled your ears. His eyelids fluttered shut for a moment and his lips stayed parted. When every last drop was unloaded, he opened his eyes back again and looked at you intently.

“Show daddy…” He murmured, his voice a little strained. You obeyed, pulling off him and sitting back on your knees. With pride, you stuck out your cum-painted tongue for his viewing pleasure.

“My good girl.” Tommy praised. You were indeed so good. So obedient. So perfect for him. “You can swallow now, baby girl.” 

His hand petted the top of your head with appreciative softness, and you, living up to his praise, did as he said. The salt taste of his cum mixing with your saliva before passing down your throat. A soft hum of approval coming from you made him smile ever so gently.

He reached down to pull up his pants, tucking his now soft, sensitive and tired cock back into his boxers and buttoning his dress pants. He reached his hands down, pulling you up from the floor easily into his arms. When you were close to his face, you gave him a cheeky little smile. His hands cupped your face and gently pulled you in for a burning hot, passionate kiss. His tongue invaded your mouth, making him taste himself on you. A pervertedly satisfied smile crept into the kiss.

Slowly, he pulled back, looking at you with half-lidded eyes.

“You know… If all it took to get you to do that for me is to buy you a horse… I think I'll buy you a horse, or anything else you want every single day for the rest of your life.” Tommy whispered in a mix of sensuality but also pure, deep love. 

Your eyes twinkled a bit and a soft smile appeared on your face. He was just as obsessed with you as you were with him. 

“Deal”.

[nerinefy]

FOREVER YOURS, TRULY...! — NEW YEAR'S SPECIAL PART I

PART II — JING YUAN (TO BE FOLLOWED)

★ synopsis: during a stroll, you find yourself facing him- the love of your life, down on one knee as the clock strikes 12 and the striking lights of the fireworks dance across the sky. despite the blaring noises heard in the background, there is only one thing you hear, "will you be with me? now and forever...?"

★ details: pronouns: you/yours | imagine | fluff | 700+ words

★ DAN HENG ★

You and the Astral Express Crew decided to visit Aurum Alley for their latest festivities for the new year. Due to all the stellaron catching and unrelated side quests along the way, you have never had the chance to explore the rich variety of goods sold throughout the market. Holding hands, you and Dan Heng went and strolled through the bustling streets. It was still quite a gentle and intimate moment despite the rush the alley was filled with. It wasn't often you two had the time to loosen up and think about each other's warmth and presence.

"Oh look, I've been meaning to try those new snacks they have at Tall Auntie's!" March 7th, who in fact was also there the whole time, informed the two of you. "I'll go buy some so sadly I'll have to leave you two here. I mean, not that it's your losses..." She grinned and winked at the two of you while pointing finger guns. "So am I coming or...?" Caelus asks. The pink-haired girl stared at him, annoyed before grabbing his hand with a tug, "we'll be off then," she said as they slowly disappeared into the crowd. In turn, Dan Heng sighed at the two's antics but then turned his face to look at you, squeezing your hand slightly.

With a deep breath, he asks, "Would you like to go somewhere?"

You tilt your head, "Why? Where? And uh...aren't you forgetting the-"

"Do you trust me?" he interrupts the string of thoughts you're blurting out in confusion.

You pinch the bridge of your nose, "I guess they're fine on their own. The blind leading the blind."

He chuckles lightly, "They'll be Welt's problem now sadly." He then leads you towards a secluded place up and near the beautiful shimmering skies.

"Woah, where did you find this place? The view's majestic!" You ask in astonishment, your eyes shining even brighter than the stars above.

"I think I've seen this place somewhere in his memories, and I thought I'd like to show it to you too..." He answered, his eyes wandering towards the sky. "I just realized that...all of these missions we go to...it was just- it was different..." He begins. "Right after you came and traveled with us...everything changed. You gave me more purpose in this life and I'm so grateful for the color you've spread in this world, in our world. Dire situations still give me hope and unwanted circumstances still give me the push to go on...all because of you. Going through all these expeditions and knowing you're there by my side, fills me with ease I've never felt before. You gave me a new home, a place of serenity and security...all in your arms. I know I've been blabbering too much, so I'll stop and get straight to the point..." He says as he slowly gets down on one knee, revealing the small velvet box he's been holding onto the whole time. Sweat dripped down his forehead and his palms began to get shaky despite the snow falling around you- that's the effect you have on him. You gasp as you realize, tears forming in your eyes. "I may not promise forever, but 'til the end of our lives...may I be yours and will you be mine?"

You then grabbed him by the collar to lift him and kissed him, lip to lip, skin to skin, as the fireworks began shooting up to the sky. "I don't want to spend the new year with you." You mumble in between kisses, the man in front of you then wrinkles his forehead in disappointment. "I want to spend my whole life with you..." you giggle as he sighs in relief.

"Happy New Year, my love..." he mutters, a faint blush tainting his pale skin. Click You look from the sides in surprise as you see the crew standing in awe.

"Sorry Dan Heng, we couldn't help it! We just had to..." March 7th says, still holding the camera up near her eye, and Caelus smiling at the two of you.

"Congratulations...I hope we still see you two after the wedding," Welt says while giving you a nod of approval.

"I hope not to see you all after this..." Dan Heng sighs, hiding a chuckle under his breath. With that, you feel a squeeze on your hand once more, and you're reminded that you're not alone anymore. He's forever yours, truly.

©nerinefy 2023-2024 all rights reserved. do not plagiarize, repost, or translate.

[brucebocchi]

Spring 2024 anime, Pt. 2: Mixed bags and the gems

hey! i also post this on my ko-fi! this is very much a labor of love, so if you liked what i wrote consider throwing a few bucks my way! also you can find part 1 right here! thanks!

Yes, hello, I'm still here. Between work and AI: The Somnium Files -nirvanA Initiative-, I was struggling to find the time to get this out, but here we are! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go actually watch some anime again.

As always, the OP for each show is linked in the title. Watch them! There were some damn good ones this season.

Let's-a go:

Mixed Bags

Astro Note

I’m going to kick off this section by first stating that on the whole, I’m much higher on the anime in this section this season than I was last time: Nothing that I watched this season disappointed me nearly as much as Metallic Rouge or The Witch and the Beast, nor bored me to tears like The Unwanted Undead Adventurer. This truly is a collection of mixed bags; anime that I found enjoyable or interesting but still left me wanting in one way or another. “Good But Could Have Been Great” is too unwieldy anyway.

Astro Note was eye-catching from the jump: This is very clearly an homage to Rumiko Takahashi’s beloved romcom Maison Ikkoku, with character designs by Carole & Tuesday’s Eisaku Kubonouchi. The colors are soft and bright, everyone looks unique and has a wide variety of hilarious facial expressions, and the OP is a fun time right out of the gate. You come for the lovely visuals and Takahashi homage, and you stay for, uh, not much else.

Takumi, a down-on-his-luck young chef, answers a job posting at a boarding house that promises its residents breakfast every day. It turns out that Mira, the odd but beautiful new landlady, is a dogshit cook and tried to attract a new one with a plagiarized job posting. Takumi doesn’t really care because she’s, like, really pretty, so he takes the job and moves in. He’s soon beset by a cast of wacky characters that includes an enigmatic unemployed salaryman and his precocious son, an indie idol who looks like a hard-drinking Futaba Sakura in her downtime, a nosy neighbor, and a rich, handsome romantic rival. We’re already approaching Maison Ikkoku territory. 

Shortly after moving in, Takumi believes he overhears Mira saying that she’s a widow, which would firmly plant Astro Note’s flag right in Ikkoku’s turf, but it turns out that Mira is in fact an alien from the planet Wid, meaning she is of the Wido race (this is as good of a localization as you can ask for; in the original Japanese he heard “miboujin,” not knowing that she’s from the planet Mibou). So we’ve got some Urusei Yasura sprinkled in for good measure. Her adorable poodle, voiced by Junichi Suwabe (Sukuna himself!) is from the same planet and helping her find a MacGuffin, hidden by the previous owner, that would help her take over as queen. There’s also some blossoming romance!

The alien stuff made for an interesting wrinkle, and it went a long way toward characterizing Mira as an endearingly odd but curious woman, but it often played out in wacky hijinks caused by alien spies, which felt like a designated make-the-plot-happen button more often than not. It paid off splendidly in the last couple of episodes, and I loved how all of the flashbacks of Mira’s mother looked like grainy Showa-era space operas, but getting there took a lot of “oh no, chase that Thing!” sequences. I found myself tuning out on those until they finally became plot relevant.

The central romance was fine, if a little underbaked, but what kept me watching Astro Note was the smaller moments with the ensemble characters. There were moments with both Wakabayashi the salaryman and his son Ren that slapped the apathy right off my face, and a side plot with Takumi and a person from his past was incredibly sweet. I did also love the massive turn the plot took in the last couple episodes, to the point where I found myself almost wishing that the show up to that point was different.

And that’s Astro Note in a nutshell: A lot of good pieces mixed with some filler, weird pacing, and an overall uneven experience in a nice-looking package. A fun little distraction but nothing entirely memorable. If I can give this show one major positive, it’s that watching it finally convinced me to read Maison Ikkoku, and for that I will forever be grateful. Read Maison Ikkoku.

Go! Go! Loser Ranger

I keep running notes for everything I’m watching as the season rolls on, and sometimes I’ll indulge in other reviewers’ early takes and jot down some insights that might spark from hearing outside perspectives. During Gigguk’s opening remarks on Go! Go! Loser Ranger in his early Spring season roundup, I made a note that the easiest way to summarize this show for a western audience is “basically The Boys but with the Power Rangers instead of The Seven.” And then he said pretty much the exact same thing five seconds later. I just want the record to show that.

Indeed, this is a sentai series with some spice. 13 years ago, the invading forces of evil were soundly defeated by the Dragon Keepers, a real-life sentai squad. In the present day, the Dragon Keepers now sit atop a massive organization protecting earth, and also dominating the entertainment industry: Every week, they hold an exhibition match against the remaining rank-and-file footsoldiers, skull-faced shapeshifters known as Dusters. In order to keep their lives, the Dusters were forced to give up their freedom and serve as the farcical Putty Patrol for what is ultimately a pro wrestling show. Sick of being a jobber and effectively a slave, one of the Dusters, known simply as Fighter D, decides the best way to destroy the Dragon Keepers and free his brethren is to do so from within: He’ll morph into a human shape, join their Rangers program as a cadet, and personally slay each of the five Keepers.

Fighter D is quickly found out, though. One of the recruiters, the lovely but mercurial Yumeko, isn’t nearly as dumb as he thought, but she fortunately has the same aim and quickly puts him to work trying to steal the Keepers’ insanely powerful weapons, the Divine Artifacts. He’s also found by the Dragon Keepers and manages to escape, though badly wounded. He’s found in a cave by Yumeko’s hanger-on, the upstart Ranger cadet Hibiki, whose family was badly fragmented by an unknown monster. While he still believes in the Keepers and shares their ostensible goal of protecting humanity, he believes that there needs to be major changes and agrees to let D impersonate him to infiltrate the Rangers. He’s soon embroiled in a prolonged examination trial against higher-ranked Rangers that soon turns into a fight to the death, made only more deadly by the inclusion of a female Duster and the same monster that killed Hibiki’s parents and paralyzed his sister.

Yes, that’s a lot, and everything up until that last sentence was just in the first four episodes. I’ve said repeatedly that I’m willing to be patient with introductory seasons for action-oriented shonen series, because those do usually take a minute to start cooking, but the first season of Loser Ranger is bizarrely paced. The first four episodes were an intriguing introduction, but they might have served better as a movie to kick off the season, because the overwhelming majority of the remaining eight episodes were pretty much just a bunch of people fighting in a fucking parking garage. I was under the impression that the first season was going to be 24 or so episodes, for some reason, so I was willing to be patient with it.

Maybe I should've been patient enough to wait until the second season, because I found myself getting whiplash between fascination and utter boredom. I still don’t know if I even like this show. There are so many moving parts, and many of them are fascinating, but to get bombarded with them so early and so often, only to then keep most of them in the background in favor of way too many new characters fighting in, again, a goddamned parking garage, frustrates me in increasing measure the more I write about it. I really wanted to like this show more than I did.

The production values are seemingly all over the place too. The OP is another Tatsuya Kitani banger, the voice cast is deep and talented (especially for the English dub, holy hell), the puppet outros are a hoot, and the animation is mostly fine. I’m rarely one to complain about CGI in anime (the ED for this show is entirely 3DCG and it fucks), but a lot of it in Loser Ranger, especially as an obvious means of cheaping out on having to hand-draw and -animate the Dragon Keepers’ slightly-elaborate costumes, is baffling. You could make a generous case for it representing them as larger-than-life personalities, but in execution it’s just kind of uncanny. The show looks and sounds fine overall, but little things like that just take me out of it.

I’m going to withhold judgment until the second season, but for now I can’t say I’m too impressed by the debut. Maybe just watch the first four episodes and put a pin in it until season 2 drops.

Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night

I’m beginning to worry that Metallic Rouge’s catastrophic narrative failure may have permanently made me nervous about any original anime to follow. It’s an unfair comparison to make, especially considering it aired at the same time as the bombastically audacious Bang Brave Bang Bravern, which I consider one of the best of the year so far and even one of the better anime to air so far this decade. At the same time, though, the millisecond I start to suspect that an original anime is losing its footing, as soon as the one synapse fires that tells me that this show may not be able to stick the landing, I start to get cynical. The good news is that Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night isn’t even in the same time zone as Rouge’s disappointment. The bad news is that it still never fully lived up to what it could have been.

Right from the jump, this felt like Doga Kobo flexing in between seasons of Oshi no Ko with yet another gorgeous showbiz anime. The debut episode is one of the best I’ve seen in some time; an immaculately animated and brilliantly storyboarded mission statement showcasing the self-doubting illustrator Mahiru and the disgraced ex-idol Kano meeting and finding new inspiration in one another’s work (if you’ve been reading Beat & Motion, this may sound familiar, except they’re both high school girls). It was a masterclass in depicting powerful self-expression and the spark of a truly fateful encounter. What followed was also pretty good, but...

Mahiru and Kano band together (pun intended) to form the multimedia collective JELEE, also enlisting social-outcast musical prodigy (and Kano stan) Mei, and NEET VTuber Kiui along the way. We see a lot of the nitty-gritty of trying to get a new act off the ground, as well as the reality that any new artist or creator nowadays is, ultimately, at the mercy of the internet. It was a treat to watch these four all come together, as was seeing the emotional bonds they forge with one another while also navigating their own personal issues, but it frequently came at the expense of an actual plot. That sort of thing is fine, I do love me some good slice-of-life, but I feel like the show planned on something a bit grander. While we’re focused on so many of these really lovely moments of character growth and interpersonal drama, everything about JELEE’s ascent, y’know, the main plot, just kind of happens, and before you know it everything turns out okay and the season’s over. It really felt like the writers had a big plan but ended up just laying down the tracks while the train was already in motion.

As mentioned, I’m not nearly as down on the anime in the “Mixed Bags” section this season as I was three months ago, but just thinking about how the plot sagged around the middle and rushed towards its ending leaves me frustrated. Unlike JELEE itself, Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night feels like less than the sum of its parts. This show feels like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle; what you can make out of the image is gorgeous, yet not only was it never completed, but someone clearly put a few of the pieces together wrong as well. There are plenty of themes in the story and character writing that could have blossomed into something amazing, like impostor syndrome, finding community and identity through fandom, young sapphic love, gender identity, and so many more, and it may have been possible to resolve at least a couple of these in 12 episodes, but Jellyfish seemed either incapable of or uninterested in actually getting there beyond a few vague overtures.

I know I sound harsh here and I didn’t mean for this review to be mostly complaints; I did very much like this show, but I wanted so badly to love it. And it probably isn’t entirely fair of me to grade this show based on what it could have been instead of what it is, but so much was plainly left on the table that I’m not really left with another choice. I still recommend it much more strongly than anything else I've put in the Mixed Bags section so far this year, but be forewarned that you may be let down. This is a pretty goddamn good anime that could’ve been pretty goddamn incredible, but it just couldn’t get there.

Mysterious Disappearances

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I know what I’m about. If a new series rotates around a protagonist who looks like that, I’ll at least give it an episode or two.

Sumireko is a former child-prodigy novelist, now in her late 20s working at a bookstore with the sharp-tongued Ren, as she continues to fail at getting published again. On the eve of her 28th birthday, Sumireko accidentally takes home a book that was droplifted in the store, and shortly after reading it aloud she finds herself reverted into the body of a child. Suddenly struck by inspiration once again, she disappears from work for the next week, furiously typing away at her next novel. Ren manages to find her and tells her that she’s under a curse: The book is an otherworldly object known as a Curiosity, and its power can be deadly to those who use it. Though Sumireko is desperate to hang on to her newly-regained youth, Ren manages to smooth-talk her into changing back and handing over the book. Now aware of an extradimensional threat to daily life, Sumireko teams up with Ren and his little sister Oto to track down and neutralize more Curiosities before they cause widespread havoc.

This series is alright, if questionable in a lot of areas. I recognize that I’m not entirely the target audience; while I love a good supernatural mystery, each of these Curiosities is rooted in East Asian mythology and contemporary urban legends, very few of which I was familiar with going in. To those on that side of the world (or to Westerners with that specific special interest), I’m sure it hits different, but I got lost on a couple of occasions. Mysterious Disappearances also runs into the same pacing issues that I found with The Witch and the Beast last season, where the plot structure is effectively episodic, but each mystery can last a few episodes at a time, so if you’re not particularly invested in the subject at hand, you’re SOL for another week or two.

This show also just plain doesn’t look very good. The animation is nothing impressive and there’s something off-putting about the overall look that I can’t quite put my finger on. It looks retro in ways that probably weren’t intentional, like a 20-year-old digipaint anime that was upscaled from 480p. The audio element is great, at least; the music, sound design, and cast are all fantastic (between her turn as Sumireko in this one and her supporting roles in Reincarnated as the 7th Prince and Kaiju No. 8, Fairouz Ai has put in great work this season), and that’s a good thing because this one isn’t a looker.

If you couldn’t already tell from how the main character looks, Mysterious Disappearances is undoubtedly horny as hell, but often distractingly so. I do have to praise Sumireko’s design to an extent; for a large-chested anime lady, she at least hews closer to how a tall woman with somewhat appropriately large breasts would actually be built and how her clothes would actually fit. She looks like a more realistically-proportioned Nami. There’s no shortage of anime characters with gigantic boobs, but few that make me actually go “oh, this woman definitely has back problems.” There are a lot of slow-tilting shots up female characters’ legs towards their chests to the point where I tuned the dialogue out because I couldn’t believe they just kept on doing it. I skimmed through the manga, and though there is far more semi-gratuitous nudity as compared to the anime, I still somehow found the latter much more distracting with its attempts at fanservice. I also don’t really care for how the “camera” looks at Oto and her middle school classmates either; I found myself just getting nervous whenever a scene focused on them.

For its problems, there’s at least a series of solid emotional cores here. Similar to Sumireko’s desire to regain her youthful creativity, the wielders-slash-victims of these Curiosities are largely vulnerable individuals who are trying to make the best of their lives in spite of past traumas like bullying, neglect, and disability. All serious issues, no doubt, and the story tries to handle them as well as possible, but once you see through the pattern of “awful thing is happening, we get to know the character, then we learn their tragic backstory and there’s a tearful resolution while we move closer to advancing the overall plot,” it can feel a little cloying in the long run. Not that those resolutions can’t be potent; I really liked the endings of the stories of the missing hairdresser and the rogue VTuber, but as a plot formula it can ring hollow.

Mysterious Disappearances is a fine if unspectacular series of supernatural mysteries with an okay overarching plot, and your mileage may vary depending on your existing knowledge of East Asian occult and superstition. It’s also not that fun to actually look at, even if you happen to be into tall redheads with huge racks. Uh, not that I would know.

The Gems

Girls Band Cry

When Bocchi the Rock! made its unexpectedly earth-shattering landfall a couple years ago, it was inundated with a deluge of comparisons to the previous landmark girls-in-a-band anime, K-On!. It felt a bit trite at the time, and feels even more so in retrospect; each show is its own thing and they both stand on their own merits. And now here’s my dumb ass, reviewing a new girls-in-a-band anime, desperately trying not to compare it to Bocchi.

It’s really not a fair comparison either way; the focus being on an all-girls rock band is really the only thing they have in common. Rather than Hitori “Bocchi” Gotoh, a perpetually-anxious recluse looking to join a band so she won’t have to get a real job after high school, we have Nina Iseri, who is… difficult. Nina has just moved to Tokyo after running away from home, but her train arrived too late for her to get her apartment key, and to make matters worse, her phone’s dead. While charging at a local coffee shop, she finds out that Momoka, the now-former frontwoman of her favorite band, is playing on a nearby street. After some ups and downs, they decide to form a band together, and butt heads more than a couple times.

Along the way, they recruit more members, each with their own issues: Subaru, the drummer, is struggling with the expectations placed on her by her grandmother to become an actress, Tomo, the keyboardist, is exacting and a little too opinionated to keep a steady role in a band, and Rupa, the bassist, is a soft-spoken foreigner who remains a cheerful enigma despite losing her parents. And Nina and Momoka are both flat-out stubborn in ways that do not mesh well with one another. There are a lot of yelling matches and many angry tears shed as the band Togenashi Togeari comes together: yes, the “Cry” in the title isn’t just for style points.

I will say that it’s refreshing that Girls Band Cry does not sugarcoat what an absolute pain in the ass Nina can be when she’s dug in: She ran away from home because she’s utterly convinced of her own righteousness, and it’s your damn problem if you think otherwise. She is avoidant and oppositional-defiant, and everyone else just has to deal with it. She may not pick her hills well, but by God will she die on them. Props for having a protagonist this openly messy and unpleasant. Plenty of musicians, or really anyone working in a group for that matter, can be abrasive and stubborn, and TogeToge’s growing pains are a necessary element of their development as a band. 

I know the bar isn’t very high for 3D computer-generated anime when it doesn’t come from Studio Orange, but this is easily one of the best-looking 3DCG anime I’ve ever seen. Between this and Trigun Stampede, I’m blown away at how expressive characters can be in CG, and how they react to what’s around them in real-time more consistently than you’d see in most 2D animation. Speaking of which, Girls Band Cry isn’t entirely in 3D; much of the OP as well as several flashbacks and background characters are hand-drawn, and they look so goddamn good that I’m almost left wondering what could’ve been. Not that I’m disappointed in the slightest; when the 3D animation hits, it REALLY hits in gorgeous synaesthetic waves that so perfectly depict an intersection of sound, light, and emotion. Hell, even the transition cards are huge eye catchers. Not everything looks brilliant all the time; the pets in particular are uncannily low-res and almost look like they got plucked out of KamiKatsu.

Of course, this is a band show, so the audio element has to be on point as well, and I’d say Girls Band Cry is up to snuff. The anime is part of a larger multimedia project, and the entire main cast consists of audition winners performing under mononyms, and they knock it out of the damn park; they’re pretty goddamn great for supposed newcomers. The music is a blast as well, not just in performance scenes but in the background as well. Togenashi Togeari already existed in the zeitgeist as a virtual band before this show went to air, so they already had a small discography out there before the show went to air and I’m looking forward to digging into it.

Infamously, this show isn’t particularly easy to watch. Not in the thematic sense, but literally: You cannot legally watch it in English anywhere in the West. Despite its popularity, Girls Band Cry was never picked up by any Anglosphere-based streaming platforms, for whatever reason, and the only official English subtitles out there are from an Indonesian streamer. So, much like the days of VHS trading and the early internet, we’re forced to rely on community translations. Far be it from me to encourage piracy (lol), but if you can find a good fansub, Girls Band Cry is very much worth your while. Pinkies up, motherfuckers.

Kaiju No. 8

I don’t watch Demon Slayer or My Hero Academia, so this was my designated Shonen Jump action show of the season, and it came with a ton of buzz: The way I see it, if I can pick up a volume of the manga at Target, the inevitable anime adaptation is gonna be a big deal. I’ve not read Kaiju No. 8 yet, but I’d say the anime lives up to a good amount of the hype.

Japan has had to handle a constant threat of kaiju for many decades now, and as a child the way-too-aptly-named Kafka Hibino made a promise to his best friend Mina that they would both grow up to lead the Japan Anti-Kaiju Defense Force in charge of eliminating the threat. A couple decades later, she’s a national hero as a captain in the Force, while Kafka is in the private sector at age 32, cleaning up the enormous corpses and viscera Mina and her division leave behind. He hasn’t given up on his dreams, by any stretch; Kafka has failed every single enlistment application he’s submitted since he came of age, but he just keeps on trying.

Kafka and his work kohai, the upstart JAKDF hopeful Reno, manage to survive a kaiju attack at the end of a shift with minor injuries, but when they’re in the hospital, a potato-sized flying kaiju shoves itself down Kafka’s throat, causing him to transform into a kaiju. Fortunately, he’s able to change back to his human form just in time to pass the first round of Defense Force exams, with Reno warning him not to let anyone in on his secret during practical exams.

Kafka is pathetically weak in his human form and is repeatedly shown up by the daughter of the Defense Force’s director general, the young hotshot Kikoru (Fairouz Ai once again), but he manages to save her life when a training exercise goes haywire and forces him to transform and share his secret with her. Reno and Kikoru get in, no problem, while Kafka manages to squeak in as a cadet. Of course, without exposing his little-big kaiju secret, Kafka can’t do much to help in terms of actual combat, but he does frequently act as an unofficial tactician in directing his squadmates on the battlefield and, in a very smart writing decision, applying his professional knowledge of kaiju anatomy to help them identify and target weaknesses. 

And from there we get a whole lot of early military training and bonding, and not just with Kafka, Reno, Kikoru, and their division’s vice-commander, the giggly Hoshina: There’s also, uh, Man-Bun! And Muscles! And Shark Teeth! And the Token Women! You know, those guys. Yeah, this is ostensibly an ensemble cast, as any good battle shonen should be, but I really didn’t get much from anyone outside the main few characters other than identifying features. I’m sure we’ll get more out of them in subsequent seasons but I have little to work off of right now.

The main three are great, though: Kafka definitely has shonen protag brain even at his age, but he’s still necessary representation for schlubby guys in their 30s who still have hopes and dreams (we exist and our stories matter), and for as serious and focused as Reno likes to think he is, he makes a great tsukkomi whenever Kafka starts acting up. Kikoru is already an icon as well; she’s basically Asuka Langley Sohryu for the zoomer generation. I feel a little weird about the fact that she’s literally half Kafka’s age and still acts kinda tsundere around him, but this is a shonen at the end of the day.

I have some small nagging issues with the story here and there, but nothing that outright ruins the show for me. Like plenty of others, I’m far more fascinated with the ins and outs of how Japanese society adapted to living with kaiju threats outside of just military preparation and response; Kafka’s initial job in kaiju cleanup was actually really neat and I’d have loved it just as much (and possibly more) if the series had just focused on that. I want some damn world building! I also am not crazy about the focus on the Defense Force’s powerscaling in the form of “Unleashed Combat Power,” but I also just plain don’t care about powerscaling to begin with. Wasn’t the entire point of power levels in Dragon Ball Z that it’s pointless to define someone’s fighting spirit by a number? Maybe they drop it later.

This show looks pretty darn good! Production IG clearly put its A-team on this one; the character animation is cartoonishly bouncy and expressive in ways we rarely see outside of Trigger productions, and the big-ass kaiju are all mercifully in outstanding 2D (though I wouldn’t complain about CG; the OP is entirely in 3D and looks exceptional). The silliness of the animation really came through in one of the funniest scenes in any anime I watched this season. Some of the textures can look a little distractingly muddy at times, but hey, these are big ugly monsters we’re looking at. Make those bastards ugly.

On a certain level, I can appreciate the effort put into this show to try to make it a crossover success; the manga is popular and kaiju films remain one of Japan’s greatest cultural exports. Streaming new episodes on the fetid corpse of Twitter was certainly a decision. I can also appreciate wanting to load up the soundtrack with popular Western artists; my problem is that they went with acts I actively avoid like YUNGBLUD (with writing by Imagine Dragons!) and OneRepublic. Suffice to say, I don’t care for the OP and ED on a musical level, but I know that I’m coming at this with a conscious bias. I’m sure they’re hits over in Japan, and for all I know there are music fans over there with the same tastes and disposition as me who think that some Japanese acts I learned about through anime like, say, Bump of Chicken or Queen Bee, are “coworker music” or whatever. I’ll live.

Kaiju No. 8, at the end of the day, is another battle shonen with guns and big monsters, but sometimes that’s all you need. I’ll be coming back for the next season.

Train to the End of the World

Spring 2024 was a banner season for girls anime. From the veteran director/writer duo that gave us cult hits like Squid Girl, Shirobako, and Prison School (and individual credits on a laundry list of classic and cult-favorite anime across the board) comes an original anime that’s not quite Cute Girls Doing Cute Things, nor Cute Girls Doing Amazing Things, but Cute Girls Being Fucking Weirdos in a Weird World.

7G technology has arrived in Japan and immediately wreaked unknowable chaos. Geography, flora, and fauna have all warped beyond recognition, and in the town of Agano, every human above a certain age has become a talking animal. Shizuru, a still-human high school girl, has been looking for her best friend Youka ever since they got in a fight two years ago and the latter ran off, just before the 7G cataclysm. She finds out that Youka has been spotted in Ikebukuro, and with the help of a babbling train conductor who managed to briefly turn lucid, learns to operate a two-car commuter train to get the hell out of dodge. Just before Shizuru leaves, train stocked with Agano’s famous goya melons, she’s joined by her classmates: The soft-spoken Nadeko, the temperamental bookworm Akira, and the rambunctious gyaru Reimi. Youka’s dog, Pochi, also joins for morale purposes. Along the way, they see just how warped Japan has become, with locals in the various towns ranging from mushroom people to zombies to Lilliputians to characters from their favorite anime, and more.

Try as I might, a summary does not do Train to the End of the World justice; this show is as offbeat as offbeat gets. It makes no bones about how flat-out weird it wants to get and actively revels in it. It’s not really interested in making the girls into a new generation of moe icons either; they are unabashed weirdos, in the ways that really only high school girls can be, and they handle the bizarre situations foisted upon them in similar fashion. They get into arguments about dumb shit, hurl insults at strangers, and occasionally just talk about poop. The writing in this series is fascinating, and it really shouldn’t come as a surprise coming from someone who also has script-writing credits for classics like Cowboy Bebop and Ranma ½ on her resume. The dialogue is punchy and comes at a breakneck pace in ways that you really only get in original anime like ODDTAXI.

Train to the End of the World is an incredible dichotomy unto itself because it clearly comes from a very literate way of thinking but has a blast being really goddamn stupid sometimes, in the best ways. It draws on a lot of inspirations of the epics of yore, gleefully cites the western literary canon, and ponders the future of the human race, and then has the girls negotiate their release from a Gulliver’s Travels situation by threatening to flood a park with urine. It is at once Homer and Homer Simpson. This show is funny in ways that are hard to articulate; comedy is so intrinsic to the show that it only has so many laugh-out-loud moments, but much more often I found myself shaking my head and remarking “this show is fucking hilarious.”

As a complete story, Train to the End of the World isn’t exactly generation-defining, but that’s perfectly fine. It’s an experience more than anything. It has really nice character moments and some heartwarming stuff in there, but I was mostly there for the weird shit. The ending was just okay, but I didn’t feel any poorer for having seen it; I’ll dive right into the cliche and say that it wasn’t about the destination but rather the journey. I had an absolute blast for the whole ride.

Now that I’ve made you read all of this, I’m going to go ahead and admit that I haven’t seen Squid Girl, Shirobako, or Prison School, but I kind of have to now, because I was bowled over by this show. This series revels in surrealism, so your mileage may vary, but it’s at the very least worth checking out. It may not have a lasting impact outside of some similar cult favoritism, but this was still my personal favorite new anime of the season.

Wind Breaker

A few weeks into the Spring season I felt like I was missing something. I gave Wind Breaker a shot and I realized about halfway into the first episode that what I was missing was just some dope-ass fisticuffs.

Haruka is a bit of a delinquent. His hair and eyes are heterochromic, and because he’s judged so harshly for his looks, he decided to lean into it and become the nogoodnik everyone thinks he is. He’s moved to a new town to join the local high school Furin, where he hears he’ll have to fight his way to the top, but as soon as he arrives in town he sees a young woman being harassed by a group of creeps. He takes them out on his own and in return receives a free lunch from the cafe she runs despite his protestations. After she teases him more than a little (his ass is NOT used to positive attention), the creeps return with more goons in tow, and Haruka is backed up by his new classmates. To his surprise, the locals shower the Furin boys with praise, and he then learns that Furin’s gang, Bofurin, exists solely to protect the town from outside threats. And Haruka thinks that is the coolest shit ever.

From there, Haruka gets to meet more of the Bofurin boys, and because of his standoffish personality, rebuffs their praises from the fight. Again, his ass is NOT used to positive attention. We get to learn the hierarchy of Bofurin, and it’s not exactly as Haruka expected: This is not a might-makes-right dogpile at all; it is a structured organization that protects its own and puts its community first. Soon enough, though, they happen upon one of their middle schoolers being hassled by a neighboring gang, and they organize a tournament on hostile ground to resolve their differences.

I am an absolute goddamn sucker for the “delinquent with a heart of gold” archetype, and Haruka is just a big ol’ tsundere from the opening minutes, so Wind Breaker hit like fucking catnip for me. For a show about gangs of delinquents, this could actually be a good example of positive masculinity if you look at it in a certain light. It’s very heavy-handed with the message that nobody can achieve greatness on their own and that surrounding yourself with the right people can change your life for the better. It’s not a rare theme in Japanese media by any means (it’s a central theme of the Persona series as well as another ultra-popular shonen series I’ve been reading in secret), but I really appreciate it being delivered through the lens of channeling brute strength and fighting prowess specifically to protect the vulnerable.  

At the end of the day, though, it’s really just about guys bein’ dudes.

The production values on this are phenomenal and I have to commend CloverWorks for turning in yet another banger. The cast is deep and plenty talented (there’s a lot of Jujutsu Kaisen in there, and it should surprise nobody that the goofy, silver-haired leader of Bofurin is voiced by Yuichi Nakamura). The animation, shot composition, fight choreography, and lighting effects are all absolutely gorgeous, and it’s clear that they see this as a potential franchise. At least, I would certainly hope so, because what we actually got from the first season left me a little hungry. The tournament arc was juicy, and it went a lot longer toward introducing the ensemble cast than the two other action shows I just talked about, but it lasted about an episode too long for a 13-episode season, and the ending came at an awkward time. I was left wanting, but what I want is a second season, so I guess it did its job.

The issues with pacing and the weirdly-timed ending meant that Wind Breaker was a bit of a fence case for me between this section and the last, but my memories of watching it are almost uniformly positive, so into The Gems it goes. This show rocks. Dudes rock.

[inkspecter]

A Quick Guide to Clown Breeds

Today I'd like to discuss the amazing genetic diversity found in our delightful clowns. Most of my information comes from the fantastic @clownology4dummies blog and this article is a direct result of the mini-interview I had with them. There's quite a lot to take in so we'll break it down into a few sections. The goal is that you will be able to answer your own question as to which breed your little funny friend is!

What are the Different Clown Breeds?

There are actually quite a lot of clown breeds! The most common terms you'll find amongst the clown husbandry tag include Teacup, Jester, Circus, Rodeo, Party, Mime, Harlequin, Pierrot, Porcelain, Tramp, Tragic, Auguste, Whiteface, and Fool. A lot of these terms are subcategories of others, so let's take a look at the umbrella terms and their related variations.

Circus

Circus is likely the largest umbrella beyond even what I've denoted here. In most cases, every breed can qualify as a circus clown with only a few exceptions. Circus clowns are rowdy, energetic, and require significant stimulation making them a tough breed for average households and new keepers.

However their beauty rivals that of traditional clown performers making them sought after by collectors. Additionally, circus breeds also have three main variations with unique behaviors and appearances each.

Whiteface

Possibly the best known breed is the whiteface. Inspired by the leader of the troupe in the classic clown theater format, this breed is elegant and beautiful. Their skin tends to be chalk white all over and they beat delicate and intricate marking.

Auguste/contre-auguste

In traditional performances, the auguste is the absurd counterpart of the whiteface. Troupes may have more than one auguste whereas there is typically only one whiteface. The auguste often has a base skin tone that is highlighted with section of white. The white patches are usually outlined in a distinct color and the other marking they have are typically bold, bright, and exaggerated. They lack the subtle dignity of whitefaces and tend towards loud and boisterous appearances and behavior.

Tramp

Another popular circus variety is the tramp, also known as the hobo clown. In breeding circles it's typically referred to as the American Standard Coat. This breed is known for its long and luxurious coat. Besides this, they typically have markings somewhere between the tragic and the auguste, but with a more rugged flair.

Jester

The jester is easily one of the most sought after breeds of clowns. They hail from a very privileged lineage prized by royalty of old. As such they are known for their exquisite costumes of high quality materials and bold colors and patterns. Additionally, true purebred jesters have little to no facial markings.

Fool

The fool is the commoner variety of the jester breed and tends to have less exquisite breeding. They are typically mixed with any other variety of clown. Despite having slightly more drab costumes and coloring, they make up for this with big personalities and accessibility to the average collector.

Harlequin

The harlequin fits squarely between the fool and jester being both and neither at the same time. Primarily they are denoted as a jester with an emphasis on patterns. Harlequin make up for a lack of facial marking with an explosion of costume detail.

Pierrot

The pierrot is somewhere between the royal perfection of the jester and the raw elegance of the whiteface. These clowns tend to have delicate markings and minimalist costumes. Typically their coloration consist of almost exclusively white with small black or red elements. These clowns thrive on culture and have a major flair for dramatic theatrics.

Tragic

As a subcategory of Pierrot, the tragic clown unsurprisingly focuses on theater. However their interest is as one would expect, primarily about tragedies. They love all things sad, dramatic, and dreary. They can usually be spotted with recent tear stains. Don't be surprised if your clown spends a lot of time sighing or staring out the window. That's just how they are and they like it that way.

Porcelain

Since many breeds feature porcelain elements, this grouping could potentially be an umbrella term for most other categories. However for the sake of simplicity, this blog will use this term to refer to clowns with porcelain like details but who don't quite qualify as a whiteface on their own. They may be partially or entirely porcelain and as such should be treated with care and dignity so as to avou trips to the vet.

Teacup

The teacup clown is arguably the most popular among the clown husbandry tag. Due to their petite size and soft features, they are a great choice for the average size house dwelling keeper. Teacups typically range from three to five inches from toe to hat tip. They have soft sand filled bodies that are especially good at sitting and looking cute. Usually the face is porcelain.

Due to their popularity, teacups share a liniage with just about every other breed. It's not uncommon to find teacups with jester, whiteface, and even scareclown features.

Party

Another favorite among clown enthusiasts is the party breed. Much like real life clown performers, this breed is dynamic, friendly, and outgoing. The appearance of the breed is extremely varied and they can have features like just about any other breed. The only difference is that the party clown is always bright, colorful, and typically they have extraordinary patterns. Party clowns typically don't have anything subtle about them and their facial markings are between that of the August and the whiteface.

Rodeo

The rodeo is actually closely related to the American Standard Coat but it was bred for working purposes. Much like the real rodeo workers, this clown breed has a desire to work with livestock and has excellent herding instincts. As such they need a lot of space and significant exercise opportunities. They differ from tramps in that they rarely have coats; instead they features costumes akin to colorful exaggerations of cowboys.

Scare

The scare clown is my personal favorite breed and I'm very excited to have the chance to discuss them. This breed is determined more by diet and behavior than appearance. They live to thrill others and spend a lot of time lurking and waiting for the perfect jump scare opportunity. They are quite aggressive and most believe they are essentially completey wild and should not be interacted with like other domestic breeds.

In terms of appearance, scares can look like virtually any other clown; from elegant to eccentric. However, darker coloration and features that tend toward the uncanny are generally associated with scares. Additionally it's worth noting that some breeder intentionally breed clowns to look like horror movie clowns. While some argue this may not be the most sustainable or humane practice, lookalike scares still remain popular with many collectors (myself included!).

Mime

It's important to note that while mimes of the human cultural sense are a variety of clowns, they are different in the collector sense. While they share looks with whiteface and color palettes of Pierrot, it's not visible features that make them different. Mimes are by nature completey silent. They also confound themselves and others with magic tricks.

Interbreeding mimes with other clown varieties may result in extremely elegant offspring. However it's considered to be a highly immoral practice. Doing so causes a lot of stress to the parents and the offspring as mime mothers will consistently reject young the instant they make noise-- and most other breeds are very noisy from the get go. This means breeders must be able to care for extremely young and vulnerable clowns which is challenging to say the least.

Which Breed is My Clown?

For most of us, this is the most important question. However, it's actually a very difficult question to ask. Just talk to anyone that works at a local adoption center or take a look at your local strays. Clowns have been carelessly bred for decades by shady individuals. As such, few clowns you'll find today are definitely a purebred of any variety. Most display a chaotic mix of behavior and visual genetic variation.

As such it's not unfair to judge your teacup as also whiteface and jester. Or your jester as scare and tragic. Look closely at the details in your clowns makeup, costume, and behavior to make an educated guess. Ultimately only a genealogy test will give you definitive answers, but those can be pricey depending on your location. As such it's generally considered more worthwhile to puzzle the likely origins of clowns and simply enjoy them as the quirky mix breed they are.

Final Thoughts on Clown Breeds

In closing it's easy to see why new clown keeper's tend to become.confused as to which category their clowns fit into. I hope this guide has helped you clear up any confusion you have. Please feel free to comment below with any questions or to ask our friends at Clownology for even more expertise.

Additionally if you feel I've made any mistakes here, please don't hesitate to comment or reblog with corrections. As I primarily raise circus and scare clowns, I'm by no means an expert on every breed. I will be delighted to make adjustments so this blog can serve as a useful resource to newcomers and expert clown parents!

Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope you'll join me again soon for more clown news and articles. In the future I'll be discussing each breed in more detail as well as exploring specific pure bred lineages.

[yuukienstarsera]

Knights with a Idol S/O (part 1)

Knights (separately) Leo x gn reader, Izumi x gn reader Fluff, Little angst,  idol stuff. Warnings: Anxiety thoughts (Izumi), nicknames, kisses, 

This is the first part, the second is part here!☆

You belong to a new group under ES Square, you were already in a relationship with him when you debuted…

Leo Tsukinaga 

At the beginning

He was so hyped up when you debut, he attended your concert, and he was the first in the line, screaming the song.

I really believe that he copy and paste the link of your debut song to all the contacts that he had in hold hands.

He will give you advice about how is alright to take the brakes once in a while.

He will make sure to be friends (or leave a good impression) with all your bandmates. 

How he shows his love (in public, in private, etc.)

He won't stop talking about you.(he talks a lot about the things he loves)

Messages and calls in your free time, even between your activities, I believe that he would make time to do that.

When neither of you has idol activities, you would have dates in his room watching videos and documentaries about aliens, spending time together. (Natsume is so done with you two)

Kisses on the forehead and cheeks (Quick little kisses on the cheek in public) and a lot of hugs! 

Communication is the key, Leo will make sure to have it! 

I believe that one of his love languages is dedicating his songs to you. 

“I promise you this, my dear” and with that “Silent Oath” by Knights finishes.

When you and he are in the same concert he would go to the dressing room you are in and would give you encouragement 

“You will shine like you always do!” ”You have nothing to worry about, they gonna love you, but not as much I do!” “Show them your beautiful and powerful voice”

Another love language that he had is writing songs for you! if your group chooses one of the songs that he writes, he will say it to his fans.

How rumors start

Has I said before, he would say to his fans “By the way I write a song for (insert group name), they are very talented! I was really happy when they told me that they choose my song”

When he said that, all of his fans were a little suspicious about it, why does he have such interest in that group? That is how the rumors begin.

Another thing that caught the fan's attention was your actions.

On variety shows you would answer things like “Actually, my favorite song is (insert a knights song) because their voices are so beautiful” “I usually spend my free days with Leo-kun, we had a lot of fun!” “On my debut days, I always remember having a lovely supporter, thanks to them i keep going until today”

How the fans know about your relationship

Knights won an award, so they diced that Tsukasa and Leo would give the thanks speech to their fans.

Everything was going normal until Leo finished with “I wanna thank our princess for all the support that they gave us,  I wanna give a special thank to  (your name) for always supporting knights, but above all, for being my inspiration “ and with that, all the world knows that you and Leo were in a relationship 

“I´m sorry, I shouldn´t have done that,” he said with tears in his eyes.

“Don´t worry love, I am thankful to be in your life ” you whipped his tears with your hands, grabbing him by his cheeks.

“You are not angry with me?” he asked looking at your eyes, see those beautiful green eyes happy again was the only thing that really matters to you.

“If I was you in that situation, I would do the same, or even worse, I would scream that I love you, aliens would know at that moment that we are in love” Both of you laugh when you said the last thing

“I love you dear” he saw your lips, he always does it when he wants a kiss.

“I love you more, Can I kiss you?” you said while you approached even more.

“Of course” he murmurs, his lips were soft.

You had your world in your hands.

Izumi Sena

At the beginning

Unfortanetaly, He was in Florence by the time you debuted, but after your concert finished, he would call you to say that he was watching you online and all the moments that had him fall in love more with you.

I believe that he has a lot of merch about you in his room, Shu probably has complained about it.

He will give you advice like is alright to do work perfectly, but will be occasions when you can't do that, is important that even if you get frustrated about it, don't give up, you are gonna be alright, you are human after all, take a break, and keep it going.

If one of your bandmates gets too close, he would tell you that he is jealous about it (please he needs a lot of words of affirmation).

How he shows his love (in public, in private, etc.)

One of his love languages is gift-making knit things for you! You already had a whole closet with the things that he made.

He would check on you via messages,  he makes sure that you eat all your meals, and you are restringing well, etc.

When both of you had free time, you spent time together on dates outside ( like going to the beach, aquarium, looking at the stars) and inside (watching movies together, taking coffee while you catch up).

He is more to give hugs than kisses, in private we would love to kiss you on your cheeks (he gives you kisses on your hands when you are in public, he is very professional when both of you had worked together )

Izumi spent a lot of time working as a model, but when you need it he always is there for you.

“Izumi, don't you have work today?” “I reschedule it, have you eaten? get up, we are going to the cafeteria”

When both of you are on the stage, he will give little glances, only to make sure that you are alright.

Has I said before, he always does little things that prove that he loves you, for example, opening the door for you, carrying your things, ordering food for you, and retouching your make-up, etc.

How rumors start

It was his actions that betrayed him, he always makes sure that you are safe, little actions like holding your hand when both of you are getting down the stage, how he gives you attention when you speak on the microphone, etc.

Fancams of you and Izumi smiling at each other went viral, and soon both of you began to have worked as models for different campaigns (both of you were happy about it).

The connection that both have could be seen through the camera lenses, they invite you to a variety show.

How the fans know about your relationship.

In the variety show that you were invited to, you said it unconsciously, you found out when you saw the episode on the TV, fortunately, Izumi was with you at the time. 

In the episode, both of you were doing an activity that was a little dangerous and you said “Be careful love”, Izumi responded  “Don't worry, we are gonna win this”, and both of you know that this is only going to confirm the dating rumors.

“Are you scared?” he asked, you were in total shock, how could you say it so naturally? What is gonna happened next? Anxious thoughts were running wild in your mind.

“Love, look, everything will be alright, don't worry” you don't even notice when he approached until he was hugging you.

“I´m sorry” tears start to fall while hugging Izumi.

“What are you apologizing for? I couldn't be more proud that I have you as my partner, that we love each other” he murmurs in your ear “Besides, we are pretty obvious, and the media love us, so relax, believe in me that everything is gonna be alright” he whipped your tears.

“Gosh I love you so much, you know that?”

“Yeah, Who doesn't love me?”

“You are ruining the mood, love”

“I´m ruining it?” he said caressing your cheek with his hand while he approached to kiss you.

“Sometimes I hate you” you murmur into his lips.

[hearts4youz]

The Captains Daughter Chapter 11

A/N: kinda rushed this one but a lil more action for ya. Thank yall so much for reading my fic!!

1.5k words

Reader pov:

The next morning at breakfast you were extra groggy. The single off day had thrown off your sleep schedule. Dark circles hung under your eyes, you squinted at the bright light in the mess. You felt a presence behind you, you turned around to reveal Ghost.

"Listen Y/N..." he said in a monotone voice.

"About the other day, at training. I'm sorry." He let out a breath as he said the last word.

You raised an eyebrow.

"You... your sorry?" heat flooded to your cheeks.

"Yeah I... shouldn't have pushed you so hard." This was very unlike him. It felt like the walls were down. You took this opportunity to slip in a joke without getting yelled at.

"You have a heart?" you smirked.

"A cold one" he grunted.

You smiled, you felt like he opened up, like there was some understanding between you two now. Like you were closer. He didn't appear to reciprocate as his face had the same stone cold look. Your mind was taken off of it as everyone else began to gather at the table, talking loudly. Price quickly quieted them down as he cleared his throat to make an announcement.

"Meeting room, right after breakfast. Mission today," he kept it short and sweet.

You finished your breakfast while listening to Gaz and Soap debate on a variety of topics.

"Pineapple belongs on pizza!" Gaz shouted.

"No. It. does. NOT!!!" Soap said, standing up.

Things were just getting interesting, but then your father scolded them. At that point, you decided to throw away your trash and head towards the meeting room. You walked down the corridor and stopped for a moment to look out the window. Snow whirled around, the pine trees outside had icicles dangling from them. It was a truly picturesque scene. It brought you back to years ago, when outside your living room window was a landscape just like this one.

It was a beautiful morning, just like this one. It was a dreamy white Christmas, one you would only see in movies. The family, gathered by the tree, basking in the comfort of each other. The mother, recording the kids opening the presents. The father, just as surprised at the gifts as the kids are. Except, this was not the movies, your mother had left that summer, and your father was slowly recovering. He managed to put together a breakfast for you, the pancakes were burnt, but you knew better than to complain. At this point, you understood that mommy wasn't coming back, and daddy needed his space. Today was especially hard for him, even at your young age, you knew to be extra cheery to try and bring up his spirits. You opened the gifts he bought you, thanking him after each one, until there was one remaining under the tree. He squinted at it.

"I didn't put that one there" He said suspiciously.

"I did!" You said with a grin.

He looked at you, puzzled as you placed the wrapped present in his hands. He tore off the wrapping paper and it almost brought him to tears. He held up a framed picture of the two of you standing together at thanksgiving at your grandparents house. You had on the adorable long sleeve with a cartoon turkey on it, your father wore a polo and nice pants. It was one of the first times he had genuinely smiled since your mother left. The frame was decorated in a kiddish fashion, you had made it yourself at preschool.

"Y/N..." he choked.

"I love it."

You broke into a smile as he was at a loss for words. To this day, that picture sits on top of your mantle. After that day, Price's mood improved tremendously. He no longer spent long hours in his bedroom alone. There were still tough days, but from that moment on, things got better.

Your trance was broken by Gaz's voice, "Y/N come on! the meetings about to start."

"Coming," You said, as you made your way into the meeting room.

The second you sat down, your father began to speak. He talked about today's mission. Your head perked up at the word mission.

This is my chance to prove myself to Ghost, you thought.

Price droned on about the details and you listened intently, not wanting to mess anything up.

"Today's task is simple. Take out a person of interest, and head home. Lets try not to cause a ruckus in the town, alright"

A picture of the man's face was broadcast on the screen at the front of the room. He was quite ugly, with a long scar running down his ghostly pale, blotchy face. If you weren't so focused, you would laugh at that man being considered a threat.

When it was time to board the helicopter, you triple checked your gear, this earned you a laugh from Soap. When you reach the designated area, you follow protocol exactly as you are supposed to. You act exactly like a young, green, recruit, which is slightly embarassing, but hopefully it will pay off when you do something right. Last mission you weren't exactly impressive, this mission, you will prove yourself worthy of working with the 141.

Everyone gathers around as the helicopter drops you off.

"Alright listen up" Price commands.

"Trusted intel says our guy is in a house about 5 miles from here, I had us dropped off here so we can make a discreet entrance. We don't want a repeat of last time around."

"Gaz and Soap will enter through the back when we get there. Ghost, Y/N, and I will go through the front. Understood?"

Everyone nods a yes. You all begin trekking through the woods. Gaz and Soap continue their arguement from earlier.

"YES you can put ranch on pizza!" Soap yells.

"NOO!" Gaz yells.

Everyone chuckles as they carry on, their bickering passes the time.

Hours later, you finally reach the house. It is on the outskirts of a small town, only a few people mill about in the streets. Your group crouches at the edge of the woods to avoid being seen by civilians. Once the coast is clear, You, Ghost, and Price run to the front door, while Soap and Gaz do the same in the back. The team moves almost in sync with each other. They break down the doors on both sides immediately taking enemy fire from the occupants inside. You are severely outnumbered, but this is nothing that the 141 hasn't dealt with before. You do an impressive job, taking out many combatants and helping advance further in the house.

Once the first floor is cleaned out, the team moves up the stairs, there are a lot less soldiers so the next few floors are quick work. When you reach the door where intel says the POI is, it is of course, locked. Gaz takes a step back, winds up, and kicks the spot next to the lock, effectively breaking it. You wait a moment before opening the door, listening for how many are inside.

You find yourself at the front when the door is finally opened. Swallowing your fear, you rush inside, there are multiple soldiers. You fire three rounds, three enemies fall backward onto the floor, blood pouring out of their chests. Soap and Ghost take out a few more.

"Where's the POI?" Price says.

Everyone looks around uneasily.

"He has to be in this building, there's too many soldiers here for there to be nothing of value," you answer.

Everyone backs out of the room through the broken door, but you feel like you're being watched. You decide not to say anything out of fear of being mocked. You decide to bring up the rear of the group so you can watch your six without being questioned for turning around so often.

You give the room a last glance, you are startled by a tall, lanky man, possibly in his early 50's. He points a pistol at you with his finger on the trigger.

Your eyes widen, "DOWN!" You scream.

Without questioning, everyone hits the deck, flattening themselves to the weathered floor as a shot whizzed by overhead. Like lightning, everyone is on their feet again in a flash. Returning fire to the man. Multiple bullets hit him, his body convulses, then crumples to the ground.

"Fucking hell," Ghost sighs as he catches his breath.

Price claps a hand on your shoulder, "Way to watch our backs kiddo." he says with a proud smile.

You release a pent up breath and smile. You slightly relax as Gaz identifies the body as the POI you were after.

"You've done well today, kid," Soap exclaims. Everyone nods in response.

He was right, you did well today. Maybe tomorrow Ghost wouldn't go so hard on you in training. Maybe you could even share a moment together like this morning. Your heart fluttered at the idea of his praise, since it was so rare.

You went to bed happy that night. Exhausted, but happy.

Taglist: @abbiesxox @n30n-j3lly @weird-katthing @kayoyamamegame

[that-house]

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood

This game was so good I decided to write a review for it, which is,, not something I tend to do on here. My very subjective and enthusiastic game review begins here.

Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a visual novel where you play as Fortuna, a fortune-telling witch exiled from her coven and forced to sit around on an asteroid for a thousand years. This kinda blows, so she summons a Behemoth named Abramar (the big boy up above) to help her get free.

Abramar helps her make a new oracle deck with which to tell fortunes, and visitors come pouring in while Fortuna learns how to use her new deck and schemes to overthrow the leader of the coven that exiled her.

Gameplay: 5/5

It’s a visual novel, with no parts of the game requiring skill in anything other than decision making. This is not a game that is going to challenge any part of you other than your tear ducts. That being said, the specific mechanics brought to the visual novel by the addition of the oracle deck are fucking delightful. For any given choice, a card represents some subset of the possible answers for a choice, which you can then choose between. Sometimes you get unlucky, and pull a card that makes all of your choices shit. Sometimes you get lucky and can perfectly shape how a character’s arc goes. It’s really neat and can add a lot of replayability. Also, you get to custom-make all of your cards and some of mine wound up being really pretty. There’s no fucking feeling like drawing your favorite card that you spent 10 minutes designing while you’re tackling a tough problem. The game took me about 5 hours to beat.

Story: 4.5/5

I have a few minor gripes with the plot. Some of the characters and their arcs could have stood to have a little more time spent on them (the romance subplot in particular is… very fast). Besides that, the characters are all delightful, the overarching plot is FUCKING BEAUTIFUL and the setting is really fucking interesting. The game tackles things like gender, sexuality, fate/free will, and Lovecraftian gods. Their handling of these themes (besides fate/free will, which is definitely the core idea being explored here) isn’t anything revolutionary but it’s solid. I almost cried a few times, both during some conversations in the middle of the game and during the absolute beauty of a climax. There’s a decent number of possible endings the game can have (There seems like there’d be 6 main possible endings). As befitting a game that’s all about fate, your choices VERY early on will inexorably bind you to a given path, but the terms of how it all shakes out are up to you.

Art: 5/5

Gorgeous gorgeous pixel art. Phenomenal aesthetics. A variety of wonderful character designs. There isn’t much to say, it’s just pixel art executed flawlessly. There isn’t a ton of stuff going on, because it’s a visual novel about sitting on an asteroid in space, but god this game is so fucking pretty like jesus christ

Music: 6/5

Every character has their own theme that plays while you’re talking to them (and they’re all bangers). I will be listening to this soundtrack for a WHILE, and I will 100000% be stealing the climactic song for a D&D boss fight. It’s very Hyper Light Drifter: impeccable vibes and with a certain somber determination present throughout much of it.

Final Ranking: a very subjective 5/5

This game isn’t gonna be for everyone. Visual novels aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, and they aren’t necessarily mine. But this game was fucking awesome, and it’s currently $15 on Steam. If you check it out, I’d love to hear what you thought of it!

[shadowqueenjude]

Nesta ends IC part 12

The Spring Court was even more beautiful than she had dreamed.

It was so bright and colorful. The chattering of birds in the trees was music to her ears. And there were so many types of flowers, varieties so numerous that there were many that Elain had only seen in books. The grass was so green it almost looked fake. There were small ponds with little lotuses floating across the surface, so clean the water was a silvery blue. But the most stunning thing about the Spring Court was the roses.

There were roses in every color in existence, and Elain was sure these flowers were magical, because no such color flowers existed in the human world. Coming down from the flowers were thorns so sharp they could cut a human hand off. Elain would never need to make a garden here. There were enough flowers to fill a thousand of her little gardens back home.

And she was glad about it. She had a greater purpose than tending to gardens. After so long in the Night Court, Elain had never expected to see a place more beautiful. But the Spring Court…topped it by a long shot. Elain couldn’t understand how Feyre ever left this place.

Lucien offered his hand to her, and she took it, letting him guide her towards the palace. Elain tried to recall her sister’s descriptions of the place. It looked nothing like what Feyre had described.

“Tamlin trashed the old place,” Lucien explained. “So, I had to have it rebuilt.”

Elain shuddered. “This Tamlin sounds like a real asshole.”

“He didn’t use to be like that,” Lucien said. There was a lot of sadness in his voice-pain. “He was my best friend. He saved my life when my brothers came to kill me. We had each other’s backs for a long time.” He took a deep breath. “What we went through under the mountain- it changed us. It took our worst characteristics and inflated them. For Tamlin, it was that need to control, to protect. He and Feyre dealt with their trauma the same; burrowed it down and attempted to ignore it. It tore them apart, and lo and behold, a few months later, Feyre is married to the wicked High Lord of the Night Court.”

Elain squeezed his hand, unable to come up with an adequate response. “Do you mind telling me- what happened down there? To you, I mean.”

Lucien sighed. “I was only down there for a little while. But they were some of the worst days of my life. What Amarantha did to us…she loved playing with me. Then Feyre too, when she came. Because we were the two people most loved by Tamlin. When Feyre came, Amarantha demanded that she tell her her name. Used me as bait. Asked me Feyre’s name. I didn’t say shit, of course. I could never betray Tamlin like that. I had sworn him an oath. Or Feyre, who despite being a murderous human, had grown on me. She had become my friend. And Rhysand was there- Amarantha’s lackey. To mind torture me. But I was ready. I was ready for Rhysand to torture me, turn me to dust, end my life. I’d sooner do that than betray them.”

Tears bit the corners of Elain’s eyes. So brave- so admiringly brave.

“But Feyre heard me. I made one small noise of pain, and she gave away her name. To spare me. After that, I knew I’d do anything to help her. Oath or no oath.”

He spoke about her with such…intimacy. Elain knew Feyre had been with Tamlin and Rhysand, but she wondered if there had ever been something between Feyre and Lucien. God knows if Elain had been in Feyre’s place, she wouldn’t have looked twice at a Tamlin or a Rhysand when this male was right there.

Ok. So, she was jealous. A little bit. So what?

“And then, I had to watch them torture her. Her human body was so much more fragile than ours…I’ll never forget her screams. I can only imagine how bad it was for Tamlin. Later on, I was able to sneak into the dungeons and give her a cloak and fix her nose. I left coloration so the repair wasn’t obvious, of course. Then in her first task…I helped her. I gave her the direction of the monster that was hunting her. It saved her life, but Amarantha nearly killed me for it. Tamlin begged for my life. Amarantha agreed but forced him to deliver my punishment. Twenty lashes. Then she used magic to keep my Fae body from healing properly. I couldn’t walk for days.”

Rage filled Elain’s body at the unspeakable torture her mate had endured. “The second task…There was a riddle. There were hot spikes that threatened to come down on me and her. All Feyre had to do was answer the riddle and we were free. But those hot spikes kept coming lower and lower. And when Feyre looked at me, when I saw the panic in her eyes, I realized…this bitch couldn’t read. I was going to die because my murderous teenage human friend who also happened to be my High Lord’s girlfriend was fucking illiterate. At some point I was like, ‘Just pick one!’ It was a 33% chance of survival but still higher than not picking one at all. Then at the very last minute, she slammed her hand on one, and miraculously, it was the right answer. I was so delirious; I was muttering prayers to the floor.”

Elain was so entranced by the story that she didn’t even notice when the two of them walked right through the doors of the palace. Her hand was still tightly clenched in his, and it just felt so right to be there, to have their hands entwined.

“Then,” Lucien whispered, “I had to watch that filthy prick dress Feyre up like a whore. He drugged her with some kind of Faerie wine and forced her to do lap dances for him. The scum of the earth, that man. And let me tell you, that dress left nothing to the imagination. She might as well have been naked.”

Elain again seethed with anger- this time on her sister’s behalf. “What a bastard.”

Lucien nodded. “Then the final task. Feyre was forced to stab two faeries, plus Tamlin. But Feyre knew Tamlin wouldn’t die, because of his heart of stone. But Amarantha tricked her. She used her powers to kill her. We all heard her neck snap. But just before she died, she answered the riddle that saved us all.”

There were tears in Lucien’s eyes too.

“And Tamlin raged. He went after Amarantha. I threw him my sword, and he ran it through her head.”

“Wow,” Elain said. “That is…an insane story.”

Lucien smirked. “You want more stories, oh, all-seeing goddess of flowers, then there’s a lot more where that came from.”

Elain blushed.

Nesta’s POV

“I can’t help but think this is a terrible idea,” Nesta said, scowling at stunning red dress that hugged her body. Her hair was in some complicated updo, and it took all her self-control not to yank it out.

“You’re doing great sweetie,” Eris crooned mockingly.

Nesta glared at him. The asshole of course looked perfect in his glittering royal green robes, because why look anything less than perfect when you can be flawless all the time?

“This is bullshit. No one is going to believe I’d actually marry you.”

“I’d be slightly offended by that, but I know it’s far from the truth. My brother is mated to one Archeron, so why wouldn’t I go for another one? You sisters are taking Prythian by storm, you know.”

Nesta snorted. “Was it supposed to be hard? This place has been stagnant for years.” Eris grinned. “That is has. Prythian has been waiting a long time for you ladies. Especially you, Nesta Archeron.”

He offered his hand. His flawless hand, with long, deft fingers that had been inside her body. Nesta took it. His hands were smooth as butter despite the countless lives Nesta was sure he had taken with them.

“Hold on tight,” he murmured in her ear as they winnowed away. They were at the edge of a forest.

And there, about 500 feet away, was a large, sloping house so in tune with its surroundings it appeared to be part of the mountain it was built on. It was absolutely massive, layers upon layers coming together to form the sprawling complex. There were soldiers everywhere, armed to the teeth. But as Eris came through, his face morphed into a cool mask, Nesta beside him, looking equally bored, none of them stopped the duo. Soon, they neared the gates to the palace. The guards were even more densely packed near the entrance than on the field. Unbelievable. Eris didn’t acknowledge any of them as he strode in, Nesta following his example. The two of them didn’t dare speak as Eris led them through room after room, until he finally turned toward the throne room. And as Eris led them towards the dais, Nesta met the eyes of Beron Vanserra, who smiled like a wolf. Eris really was his mother’s son. She saw almost nothing of him in his father’s face. Only the coldness of his expression, the sharpness of the brow, and the casual grace he exuded. She had only seen the man once before, at the High Lord meeting. She hadn’t liked him then, and she certainly didn’t like him now. She knew quite a bit about the Autumn Court, having learnt from Eris and to an extent, Lucien. The most beautiful court- and the most vicious. Beron was the oldest of the High Lords. Nesta felt like that was a sign that he should just drop dead. But she maintained a small, bland smile on her face as she curtseyed to the asshole who had somehow raised Lucien and Eris.

“Father,” Eris bowed. “Allow me to introduce you to my betrothed. Nesta Archeron.”

Beron’s eyes swept over her. A cold, calculated assessment. Nesta straightened. Let a little silver enter her eyes. Not a lot, but enough to send a message.

You’re not the only Alpha here, Beron.

Beron remained unruffled. Simply continued to study her, then his son. Then said, voice full of vicious triumph, “So another one of my sons is to marry an Archeron.” Eris stiffened ever so slightly but said nothing. Beron still pretended like Lucien was his son? So, the world hadn’t realized then that it was the power of the Day Court that had saved Feyre Cursebreaker’s life.

It felt like they were in the forest, playing a dominance game, marking their territory. It was both ridiculous and terrifying at the same time.

But then Beron waved his hand. A clear dismissal of Eris and Nesta.

Their plan had worked. Beron had bought their ruse. But somehow, Nesta felt that if she walked out of the throne room and Beron was still alive, they’d never have a good chance of killing him. It was in this open place that he was the most vulnerable. Hence the soldiers.

So, Nesta disregarded the plan she and Eris had carefully constructed and slowly but surely, let silver fire build in her veins. Shuffled her feet. Beron was hardly paying attention. Nesta caught Eris’s eye, however, and he understood her plan.

And just as they reached the exit to the throne room, Nesta whipped around and struck.

She had unleashed incredible magic to defeat Rhysand and save Feyre.

Yet, it was nothing compared to the power that now rocked the world.

Something boomed in the distance, as if her power had summoned a storm. Or maybe she was the storm. She certainly felt like it. She was the eye of the hurricane, she was everything and nothing, she was all that was Made, she was life and death, she was fire and shadow, the silver flames raw from the depths of the Cauldron itself.

This girl, who had had the audacity to steal from the Goddess of the Fae? She couldn’t be beaten by anyone. Beron didn’t stand a chance as her storm hit him square in the chest, and his soldiers could only watch in horror as Beron became younger and younger, until he was nothing but dust on the wind. And Nesta noticed there was a whiff of something red hot in there. Like smoking embers. She had reduced him to the very essence of what he had been crafted from. She turned around to find Eris bowing to her, along with the rest of the faeries in the room. She wondered if it was due to the fact that despite the fact that she had just murdered their High Lord, they had witnessed such incredible power that they felt compelled to bow. Or if they hated him as much as she did. Her question was answered when Eris kissed her hand and said, loud and clear, “All hail the High Lady of the Autumn Court!”

Tamlin’s POV

Tamlin felt naked without the High Lord power roiling through his veins.

He didn’t regret giving it up. Not in the slightest. It was a burden he never expected to have, never wanted to have. He had never been good at any of that courtly stuff. He had been happy to leave that stuff to his father and brothers. And after he had become High Lord after all…the title had brought him nothing but pain. Nothing but misery. So, he would leave that title behind him to become one with nature. He just didn’t expect to feel the absence of his beast form so badly. It hadn’t truly left him, of course. It was still there, and if Tamlin strained himself, he could probably form claws. But the full-blooded beast was gone.

He hoped his friend forgave him for putting the High Lord’s burden on him. But Lucien had always been stronger than him. Better than him. He had been destined to become a High Lord practically from the moment he was born. It was why his brothers had hunted him so maliciously, despite him being the youngest of seven.

He had been a terrible friend recently. He had been so bitter from the fallout with Feyre that he had taken it out on Lucien. Lucien, who had come back for him. The only person who had. He had been his only companion those weeks.

He prayed that Lucien would understand how sorry he was. Tamlin had been doing a lot of meditation. He found it centered him, calmed him. Out here in nature, he was at home. He had lost track of how long ago it had been when he had said goodbye to Lucien. Time meant nothing to him. Time held no meaning. There was only nature.

In this place, he found he was able to achieve something that he hadn’t felt in a long time. A feeling he thought he had felt with Feyre, in those brief months when he had fallen for her, thorns and all. But even that feeling couldn’t compare to this. Something restless had settled inside him. At last, he was at home.

He had found inner peace.

Not me completely changing the entire structure of Prythian 😭😭😭😭three new rulers in the span of a few months, two of them women. But who the hell cares. I know Nesta's fire isn't the same as Lucien and Eris's but it's still a variety of fire. And Nesta is just so powerful I feel like the Autumn Court magic would choose Nesta over Eris. I mean Eris will still become a High Lord if Nesta marries him though ;) The ending is for all the Tam Tam stans who still have hope for him! I know I didn't resolve Neris and Elucien, but they're both extremely implied and basically inevitable, but let me know if you think I should write one last part resolving both relationships!

[run2seob]

5 things you like about 5 of your moots?

turned from subtly fangirling to "i'm (not)subtly in love with u and your blog" but thank u for the ask bcs i have an excuse to >:)

@gyuletters

her ability to write a variety of genres without using cliches

her kindness ^^ she's always complimenting accounts and writng the best reblogs

her theme (it's soo pretty) and how well it represents her. star's personality is so sweet and i feel like her theme reflects that

she comes up with the best prompts too! like i'm envious of her brain

how comforting her fics are (and binge worthy~)

@junoswrlld

even before me and juno became close, they were so so kind to me T0T

her ability to pace herself and balance her fics and personal life (i genuinely could not do this like.. admirable, seriously)

her crack ficshehsh they're so good >< she makes chapters leave you with suspense every time

how many memes she finds. it's one of my fav things because how do i wake up to 40 cat and scrimbo memes 😭

how reliable she is!! i can trust her with my fics and spoilers and it's so nice :> she gives motivation and gained my trust so easily :')

@mazeinthemoon

i can't believe i only have to do five?? i need more space to write about how moon writes. the way emotion is captured into her writing is filled with suspense but also comfort? like, in between dialogue, there's those quotes that you replay in your mind over and over again because how could someone think of that?

^^ adding onto this, the way she incorporates figurative language into her text perfectly captures the moment. it's not blatant and keeps the sentence flow which is impressive. as a writer i respect moon even more because even i struggle with that T0T

i've said this for everyone but can you blame me? they're all kind, moon included! she's always answering asks in the kindest way

^^ additionally, the way she types is so cute. and by this i mean kaomojis and emoticons. i love emoji faces so much hehe

best for last ofc~ her fics in general! glitter and the goalie both had me hooked. like essay long notes and annotations. i might reread glitter because of how on the edge it had me and bcs of her recent post.. detective reader activated >:)

@hueningsloverr

RHIA'S ANGST. that's shakespeare's child now, seriously. the way she writes angst is beautiful.. but like beautiful in a way where it feels like a pretty statue of a little girl crying but it's beautiful. beautiful in the way where it hurts but is pretty... makes you cry tears bcs of how well it was written yk?

the way she views things is soo beautiful. like in her reblogs and how she views songs. (could write an essay) when she wrote txt x time in a bottle it fit with the boys perfect and was just so pretty. there's so many quotes i remmeber and trust i'm not forgetting

i'm gonna make these shorter but how many ideas she comes up with. i could never T0T

her themeee

i wished i talk to her more!! i'm always scared to talk to my moots but i love her pseonality i would be so happy to talk to her more but i'm too scared

@huenation

themethemetheme it's so cute

idk if this counts but i was reading their bf beomgyu texts and was listening to hea and read the "oh my god" as the same time as the song said it and can't forget about that 😭

ugh my top 5 comfort fic being soobin meeting yns parents like.. i love this fic so much and ik this isn't recs but they write so well 😭 the moment is always described in the best ways and i can visualize them so well

i don't talk to amor much but i love their posts/txt reblogs ><

and that i wish them happiness. i know a lot of people's posts and writings reflect their emotions, and i just hope they're doing well. everyone has bad times, but it really depends what mindset you approach them with, you know? i just hope they get to smile :)

[hotluncheddie]

i have been lurking in the shadows…biding my time (stressful semester just regular things for a bad bitch) but FINALLY i was able to write this devious little thought down 😈

eddie who hates cooking for himself, so he initiates restaurant fridays. while steve works on fridays, eddie rolls a d20 to pick a local place to eat and get steve takeout from. they range from higher end eateries to hole in the wall bars, and eddie definitely has favorites. he liked the mexican place that serves mole and loved the fried pickle burgers at the diner a town over. it was a nice way to treat himself after years of struggle.

after vecna, eddie’s metabolism already had slowed down significantly because of the treatment. he had definitely put on a few pounds (more like thirty but who’s counting), but it hadn’t been a cause for concern until the fateful day that he went to urgent care after throwing out his back moving band equipment. the doctor at the urgent care had been dismissive and offered him a pamphlet on the importance of “healthy” living. although he hadn’t been disillusioned to the changes in his body, eddie hadn’t thought they were that major. steve should’ve known something was up when eddie stopped initiating sex, and was barely letting steve touch him. however, steve definitely noticed when restaurant fridays stopped. he himself missed the tasty food his boyfriend would bring him, but he could tell eddie was yearning for something more. it wasn’t difficult to look at their shared calendar or to rifle through eddie’s bedside drawer to find the health pamphlet.

lightbulbs flicker on at inconvenient times, and steve orchestrated a plan to convince eddie of his beauty. that friday when eddie came home, dejected over the inevitable canned soup he was going to have, he found their kitchen table set and lit up with candles. steve was at the head opposite to eddie’s chair, hair teased just the way he liked and the top button of his shirt undone. when the younger man saw him, he got up from sitting to take eddie’s coat off for him and untie his shoes. this wasn’t unusual, steve had a tendency to want to serve eddie every once in a while. what was unusual was the variety of smells wafting from the kitchen.

after seating eddie and pressing kisses to his hairline, he revealed that he noticed how off eddie had been. eddie opened his mouth to protest but instead of humoring him, steve held up a hand and walked into the kitchen. when he came back, he was carrying a tray with some of eddie’s favorite take out items, a feast just for his beautiful boy. as eddie murmured a flushed appreciation and began to eat, steve rubbed his back and ran his hands along eddie’s soft body. biting eddie’s neck and whispering praises while he ate, a hand snuck around to palm eddie’s dick. moaning into the food, eddie cried out apologies which steve refused. he needed eddie to know how much he loved him, so steve swung his body around and pressed his own hard cock and squishy belly into eddie’s calf. he begged eddie to notice just how much he’d changed steve, turning him into a whimpering mess. humping eddie’s leg, he pushed eddie’s shirt up and bit dark marks over the scars and stretch marks there before tugging eddie’s zipper down.

it turns out when you haven’t orgasmed in almost two weeks and your hot boyfriend was practically sobbing on the floor as he sucked you off, you blow your load pretty quickly. steve had barely bobbed down twice before eddie was cumming, hot and heavy as he pressed steve’s head further onto his dick. feeling steve’s hot tears and soft hair flush against his belly and the wet patch between the fabric of their jeans could’ve made him cum all over again, but the two knew that after enjoying the post orgasm bliss they would have to talk.

so they talked, and eddie made it clear that his stress came from the fear of overindulgence. he didn’t want to be greedy or ungrateful for his blessings, and steve explained that all of the proof of his gratefulness was seen not only on eddie’s body, but his own. they were finally in a stage where they could stop choosing fear, and if they had to size up their jeans after enjoying a few too many glasses of wine and bowls of pasta, that was a welcome change. the health pamplet was thrown away, along with the wrappers from all of the takeout. all of the food was gone, and the boys had a lot to catch up after two weeks of abstinence.

AAAAAA i don’t usually write about insecurity since i don’t think there’s anything wrong with fat bodies (despite what the medical industry says), but i hope this meets your liking and that the elements of insecurity aren’t out of turn!! -🦂

my lovely wonderful 🦂 anon!!!! i hope u had a good semester in the end!!!! i love thissssss!!!!

i get what you mean, i don’t love writing insecurities either especially when i want their bigger bodies to just be an element of the story! and bc it’s hot! sexy and fun to describe their bodies!!

but some of the elements you added here is giving me insecure eddie but maybe it’s also about providing for steve, maybe it’s providing for steve as a dom. i think those could be really interesting things to look at!

like once they’ve been together for a while, they start exploring different aspects of their kink. steve realising that he really likes serving eddie, likes being guided and given rules for the bedroom. and eddie really likes it too, like the comfort of it, how steve reacts to him, how he looks, the power to direct it and change things as he pleases.

then steve has a string of bad days, work getting to him. and it starts to be a habit, on friday nights, the moment steve gets home, he can turn his brain off. eddie’s in charge, wether they have sex or not, even if it’s just cuddling in the couch and getting an early night. eddie’s in charge. he chooses steve’s food, tells him to shower, picks out his pyjamas. gets steve to help if there’s any chores that need doing, so it goes faster, and he can get his baby in his arms quicker. 

and then that stretches, happens on other nights now too, sometimes they play for a whole weekend. wrapped up in eachother and testing the waters, the limits of what they like and don’t like.

and all along that, after healing and moving in with steve. over the past few years of them figuring out their careers and routines. eddie still having some meds to take, stretches to follow. his weight creeps up. he lets himself indulge, try new foods, let his sweet tooth run the show a little more. ups his protein and learns to cook veg in a way he likes, tried sauces and gravy’s and stews.

he gets a belly, fills out his jeans, finally has an ass. and it feel okay, he doesn’t think about it too much, more focused on steve and the life he’s building and the new food he wants to try. making his way through what the city has to offer, taking tips from robin for the best hole in the wall places. she found his fav italian place only because some of the menu was in italian and she could actually read it.

so fridays become a thing, he picks the food for him and steve, orders a lot. gets steve between his knees while they wait for it, petting his head or massaging his shoulders. keeping his mouth full of he’s been good or turning his cheeks red if he’s been bad. and then eddie’s eats, enjoys the new flavours, goes until he’s full. sometimes stuffed, sometimes so full his breathings becomes little huffs and sips of air. and he enjoys every moment.

then he throws his back out, idiot. the doctor wasn’t too much of a dick, although he’s still not sure how the conversation transitioned into him getting on the scale and being given the pamphlet. but it did, and eddie went home with and overall ok and painkillers and some strengthening exercises. and a bit of a fog around him.

maybe he wasn’t living the way he should. maybe the soft bubble of happiness was actually all delusion. he couldn’t provide for steve, or be in control the way steve allowed. not when he’d let himself go so much, hurt himself like an idiot. he couldn’t be steve’s dom, not like this.

and eddie has spiralled before, dipped into the pool or darkness that lurks away in his lungs. rearing its ugly head every once in a while. but he’d been a lot better for the past few years, better once he was with wayne and better still out of highschool and with steve. but it always came back, always there to remind eddie what a failure he was - is. and this was no different.

steve noticed, of course. eddie changing his diet, pulling away, their sex switching to nearly nothing within a few days. and steve worried it was him, maybe he asked too much, let go too readily, scaring eddie.

but eddie still made him kneel that friday, picked out his t-shirt and shorts, told him to sit still when he squirmed. but they didn’t have take out that night. eddie made steve a pizza and he had a bowl of soup. it wasn’t so different, he guessed. but it wasn’t their friday. wasn’t that lovely time of the week where steve could float away and enjoy watching eddie, look up at him all round and flushed and beautiful. when he’d feed steve a bite from his plate to taste and kiss him after, sharing the flavours and holding his chin where he pleased.

and it went on like that, eddie still going through the motions, he would get steve off sometimes but wouldn’t let steve touch, wouldn’t say yes if steve rang asking if he wanted anything from the bakery, would indulge when steve got given chocolates as a gift at work. wouldn’t let steve use him mouth or hands on him, wouldn’t even let steve bury his face in eddie’s belly like he so loved. he’s just hold him firm and tell him no and wrap him up in his lap instead, wrists held in one of eddie’s. it was enough but, it wasn’t the same.

and then steve found the pamphlet, and it all started to make sense. he’d tried to talk to eddie but he wouldn’t explain. just said he was tired lately, feeling a little down, but without a solid reason when nothing in their lives had changed steve had been so confused.

but this had. eddie view of himself had. it must have. the timeline added up.

so the next friday, steve made it special. steve needed to get his eddie back. steve ordered takeout and got on his knees…

-

and as u know they stuff eddie silly and steve gets off on his leg hehe :3c

[sweetlikehoneystingslikeabee]

Can you do hcs for Gotham! Jervis with a reader who is just down bad for him. like their all over him all the times and they like obsess over him and cry causE HES SO BEAUTIFUL

(not projecting onto reader I promise I promiseeeeee)

"You give me fever" Gotham! Jervis x Reader

You should 100% project. If you don't project, what's the POINT? Cringe culture is dead, carpe diem and all that. Have a good time!

TW: mentions of hypnosis, unhealthy dynamics mention, suggestive

At first he's a little... curious. Not that he doubts someone could be so enamored with him, but it's not the norm. Light flirting, a bit of word play here and there- But you. You're different. You're special in how you hang off his words.

He doesn't even have to hypnotize you! Oh how easy it would be to command you to be his everything, to DO everything and anything to please him. All without having to put you under. It's like a fever dream that gets him rather hot under the collar. oh, he wonders if you'd even object to be put under for a variety of things...

There is a part of him that likes lording it over the other rogues. Do you have someone this fixated with you? Of course, not. See, he's not the only one who shows his "love" this way! This will only encourage his own bad behaviors, I hope you know that.

TWO people obsessed with one another in a relationship? There is a bit of a concern for a folie-a-deux situation where the two of you get an unhealthy dependence upon one another and spiral into... not the best states, mentally speaking. Best make sure there isn't a ton of isolation and that the two of you have healthy boundaries and "me time", all things considered.

If you ever actually cried because of his beauty, he'd be taken aback. Perhaps this is bit of an extreme reaction, no? Yet, he's touched all the same, giving you his handkerchief to wipe away those tears. We mustn't lose our composure, Alice, or else you'll constantly be in a state of weeping!

On a lighter note, expect to become his favorite partner and plaything in every aspect. Matching outfits, themed outfits, just the dorkiest theatrical shit. You'll have lovely tea parties in gardens where you'll sit directly next to one another as he hand feeds you a candy or pastry. A sweet for his sweet!

And should anyone try to harm you or get between you... It probably won't end well for them. :)

[pacificovertures]

lines from my current wip i think go hard

chat let me cook!!!

content warning: 50s era prejudice, sex work mention

 “You are rather eloquent for an Oriental, I was under the impression that your people’s language was too far distanced from our own to ever reach a satisfactory fluency." “Perhaps for an individual more ‘fresh off the boat’ as it is said, but I will have you know that my great-grandparents first arrived in this country almost one hundred years ago. It was their hands that bled building the railroads, their children who suffered in the slums of the West Coast so that my parents could come here and provide me with the education denied to them. I am sorry, but I am every bit as American as you.” The young man took a deep breath to calm his nerves. “And I am no ‘Oriental’, I am a Chinese. Surely the recent war has impressed upon you the differences between us Eastern peoples.”

(more beneath the cut)

Though it would cut into their lesson time, the young man said nothing about Heliodora’s reading in a language other than English. He merely sat and watched with a sort of sad expression, listening intently to the words though he did not understand them. It made her happy to know that her son would have some contact with her past, even a single root back to the cold soil from which she sprouted. Once, she caught tears forming in her eyes as she told a fairy tale her mother had read to her over and over as a girl. Though she had read this story hundreds of times and knew every word by heart, she became too choked up to continue speaking. The young man came and sat by her side, putting one thin arm around her shaking shoulders. There he sat, unspeaking until Heliodora had cried herself dry and she continued reading as if nothing had happened.

Christmas passed by, as did the New Year and her birthday. Solus bought her a diamond necklace and a summer trip to Hawaii. It would be her first time on an airplane, he told her excitedly, considering they ended up crossing the Atlantic by boat. The young man instead gifted her a copy of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. It wasn’t new, the pages had been warped by water and the threads on the cover were wearing away, but he presented it to her with great enthusiasm. The inscription on the inside cover read: “To Heliodora, who I find curiouser and curiouser each time we meet. Good luck on all your future adventures.”

He wanted to believe he wasn’t someone who dwelled on unpleasant things, it was the other way around, unpleasant things tended to dwell on him. A side effect of spending so much time on his own. This town was far from welcoming to anyone not white enough to pass, which made it a bit hard to find places to go. At school, most people avoided him. If he performed well, they would nod their heads and say “as expected”. If he performed poorly, they would say “there really is no saving those people, is there?” At some point he had ceased caring.

To dream was a privilege reserved for those with a future. For those without, daring to dream had consequences.

They were both still young and full of passion and for a moment Heliodora’s fears dissipated. To feel she was wanted, to feel she was wanted. The sacrifices she had made to come here would have all been worth it for that. She could lose herself in that want. But it was not to be. Yes, they fell laughing onto the sheets. Yes, Solus’s face lit up with joy as he admired how beautiful his wife was, how dedicated she was to his satisfaction. Yet when the time came to join in making love, that faraway look reemerged and Heliodora understood that she had lost.

“This wasn’t your first time?” That’s all he could think to say. “Attacked? Never. Selling my company? Hardly.” “Who’s buying?” “Anyone who can pay. You’d be surprised at the variety. Women, men, anyone bored enough and rich enough to throw their money away.” “Why?” “Who knows. Guess a lot more people are a lot more lonely than they’d like to admit.” The young man paused and flicked his gaze over to where Solus was standing. “Oh. You mean why do I do it? Well, not everyone’s so safe and secure as you Mister War Hero and Factory Owner. I’ve got to eat, don’t I? Have to pay my damn tuition. You couldn’t possibly believe that I could survive solely on what you pay me to teach your wife.” Solus was left aghast. Instead of making any kind of admission of fault in himself he said, “You should go to the hospital.” The young man laughed. It was just about all he knew how to do. Just about all he could do at this moment. “I’ll see you and Heliodora on Tuesday.” Solus retrieved his hat from the counter where he had left it and made his way toward the exit. Halfway there, he stopped. “How much?” he asked. The young man smiled sadly. “What are you offering?” 

[danganronpadedication]

Danganronpa: Dedication

--------------------------------------------------------------- Hello, and welcome to my blog, Danganronpa Dedication, dedicated to all things Danganronpa! Basically, this is me trying to find other Danganronpa fans and pal around. I'm an inconsistent poster, be warned. Here, I will be spouting my hyperfixated nonsense, and I expect others to do the same, teehee! This includes talk of OCs, AUs, headcanons, cosplay, memes and textposts, shipping, art, anything fandom related! Definitely a lot of reblogging also. I'm Mod Tsumugi, and I'm the owner of this blog! Here's some info about me! Age: 18

Zodiac Sign: Gemini (June 9th :3) Favorite Danganronpa Characters: Honestly most of them, my top ten are Hajime/Izuru, Makoto, Nagito, Mikan, Tsumugi, Kiibo, Yasuhiro, Aoi, Toko, and Sonia, but tbh, there are VERY few Danganronpa characters I dislike. All will get love in some way, shape, or form. Characters I Simp For: Hajime Hinata/Izuru Kamukura, and Nagito. Mikan on certain days. Favorite Game: Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Favorite Anime Arc: Despair Arc Monokuma's Suggestion Box: This is just my askbox. Drop art, confessions, headcanons, requests maybe if I wanna try my hand at writing (the Ultimate Fanfic Creator I am NOT), what you want to <3 Of course though, there are rules for my blog. Let's list those, shall we? - Always credit original creators of something. I know, I know, sometimes you find something on Pinterest and the original creator isn't linked. If you can, please do credit the original creator of what you send me in the suggestion box. It would really suck for that person to not get the credit they deserve. -NSFW confessions, requests, headcanons are allowed, HOWEVER, you must start off your ask with an NSFW warning for those who don't want to read or see that. I ask that any pictures under this umbrella be censored to fit Tumblr's guidelines, or you will be unfortunately blocked. No gibbly bits.

-Adding onto the last one, this one should go without saying. I will NOT TOLERATE any NSFW of any kind, about the WOH, or any other younger characters in Danganronpa. It's disgusting, and we're not trying to be like Haiji Towa out here. You can still request stuff about the WOH, but it will be strictly platonic. -Please no spam. I have pretty bad anxiety, I think I'd scream lmao. -Please no homophobia, transphobia, or any hate regarding the LGBTQ+ community. I have many asexual headcanons for certain characters, and I know that everyone has a wide variety of headcanons for the characters. -Please no racism or sexism either. IRL I am a woman of color, that'd be very uncomfortable for everyone involved. -No hatred towards certain religions and spiritual beliefs. All are welcome here, whether you're Christian (like me) or atheist, and everyone in between. We should learn from each other as a community, not tear each other down.

As the need for more rules come up, this will be updated. I want this to be a place of fun for Danganronpa fans, not a place to harbor creeps. Anyways, rules aside, let's have some fun! I can't wait to see all of your beautiful, hopeful faces! Or, in actuality, read your hopeful posts.

-Mod Tsumugi :3

[xxlady-lunaxx]

One day.. in another.. a different life.. | {ObaMitsu}

Theme: Angst and little Fluff (Warning: A little gore-ish (It's not that much since I'm horrible at writing it-))

Mitsuri smiled happily, kissing Obanai on the cheek. "Iguro-San!" she said excitedly, seeming to not notice how flushed the shorter Hashira was. "Iguro-San, look what I found!!" she giggled, showing Obanai a plushy of a cat. She smiled happily, cuddling it up to her face. "Isn't it cute?!"

Obanai nodded, mostly looking at Mitsuri. She was adorable all excited like that. Smiling, laughing. Oh how he wished he could live with her normally. How different would things be..?

Not different enough. Another life wasn't enough. Because, apparently, no matter how hard he tried, he could never escape the sins his parents commited. Never could rid of them. Never. Never. Never.

He was reborn. Reborn into a family so similar. The same. They stole and preyed on the weakest. They sucked the happiness out of people. They didn't stop. 

And once again, Obanai was shoved into a life full of constant guilt. He met Mitsuri, whom had no recall of their life before, but seemed mostly the same. She and Obanai were close.. and then Obanai's family did something horrible. They found Mitsuri often got gifts from people. A lot of gifts. Handmade, store-bought. Beautiful and intricate, simple but sweet. Expensive and cheap, a wide variety of gifts. And exactly what Obanai's family wanted. 

They tracked down Mitsuri out of Obanai. They had him invite her to their house to meet her because Obanai was so obviously in love, they figured they could use that as their vantage point. And so it was. 

She came over and they were making her some food. While she ate they sent Obanai to go get the bedroom she would sleep in ready. When he came back, Mitsuri was lying on the floor in tears. Her skin looked raw as if somebody had hit her, her hair and clothes messy. She was curled in a ball, trembling. Obanai's family was nowhere to be seen.

Obanai rushed to her, scared, concerned, worried. He cradled her in his arms, asking what was wrong. Mitsuri had said, in between tears and in an almost indistinguishable way, that his family had pinned her down and asked how much money she had, how valuable the gifts she got were, and where they were. They threatened to kill her family if she didn't say. They stole her key to her home and left a minute before Obanai had come back. He was horrified and immediately started comforting Mitsuri. He was holding her close in his arms, tightly, vowing never to let them lay their hands on her again, then a sharp pain shoot through his back and straight through his chest. Blood poured out of him, he couldn't breath. He couldn't think, he couldn't see, he couldn't.. He couldn't even scream. He faltered and felt himself dying. The last thing he registered was Mitsuri in his arms. He died a second before she let out a blood curdling screamed, a knife piercing straight through her heart in one motion.

No matter how many times you're reborn, you will never get that perfect life you long for. No matter how hard you try. How hard you wish for. How many lives you have. It will always be the same, sad story, shitty life. Because god will never forgive you for your actions. Even if they weren't yours. Even if they were your family's. Even if you had no part in them, it's your fault. They do not pay for their sins, you do. Because you're different. You're special. So you're the target. But sometimes that's good. Sometimes it's nice.

Mitsuri remembered their past this time. Their original ones. Their first pasts. The one from over a century ago. Where they fought alongside each other. A dangerous but happy life. She remembered it all. The rest, she did not. Which was quite ironic, because Obanai remembered the other one but not the first. The one thing they both remembered was their love for each other, however. A strong bond that could never be broken. With every life, they always found each other. Fell in love and grew inseperable. But all good things come with a price.

Given their past, Obanai was careful to only ever go to Mitsuri's house, never inviting anyone to his. He said little to nothing about his life outside of home to his family, not wanting to get her in danger once again.

But even that wasn't enough. Because the world didn't seem to want them happy. Want them to be at peace. What did they ever to do get this? Why?

It was horrifying. Mitsuri's dead body. Lying on the cold ground. Bloodied and bruised. Something straight out of his nightmares, only 100 times more real and more scary. Her insides pouring out, her clothes stained with red, all of it.. it was the worst thing he'd ever seen.. Obanai killed himself that night.. With the image of his lovers broken and dead body in his mind.

How much was it to ask for a normal life? A good one? One that's a soothing melody. A peaceful night by the ocean. Not a song that goes deep and dark, cutting through your body and leaving the scent of blood behind. Not the night where you fall into the ocean and drown, leaving only a trace of yourself behind. Not where you don't see it coming. You can live a life, perfect and sweet, not expecting anything. And innocent one, something cute. Something nice. And then the world throws yet another knife. A bullet to the heart. Why was it so much to ask? Why couldn't they just have something—anything, to soothe their broken hearts. Why did the world hate them so?

Once again, reborn as innocent children. The memories from the past slowly growing clearer, but still just nightmares. And then they meet. Sweet children, falling in love. Grow up together and hit their teens. They fool around and break rules, hide in the protection of each other's arms under the rain or cuddling safely with each other as they wake up to another day. Nothing out of place. Nothing..

And yet..

And yet the storm is still to come. Building up to the most disgraceful one. Building, building, building.

"When tragedy strikes, there's always the smell of blood in the air."

A rainy day. The lovers walked home together, their arms linked with each others, laughing and talking. It was a weekend, a day of rest. Still only morning, but the town already bustling with life. The two took a wrong turn into an alley. Bad things always happen in alleys. But together they could brave through it. They walked out and found themselves back to the road they were meant to take. Not suspecting anything, they continued their walk home. For, now the two lived together. In fact, they had a child. Waiting at home with her grandmother. Mitsuri's mother was a sweet woman, constantly wanting to help out. She was very considerate of the two and found them adorable together from the first time they met. 

As the two rounded the corner to their house, a sense of dread hit them like a .. a demon. A blow to the heart. Paranoia? No.. The door was open. It had been open for some time, because the rain was puddling up inside. The two rushed forward, clutching each others hands and pushing the gates open. They stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of the scene displayed in front of them. Blood mixed with the rain water, flowing together into one red puddle. A hand.. a hand disconnected from the body stuck to the door.. Clutching onto the handle tightly.. as if trying to escape.. It was silent. Deathly silent..

Mitsuri screamed. Obanai would've as well, if he hadn't been shocked into silence. What was this.. no.. it couldn't be.. it was horrible.. just like the nightmares.. Or had they been nightmares..? Future predictions? No.. the time settings had been set a while back.. Perhaps.. past lives.. Perhaps.. their future would be like this..

Mitsuri went to dash in, desperate to find her daughter. Obanai grabbed her wrist to stop her. No.. not Obanai. Obanai didn't have sharp nails an-

She blacked out as a cold metal pole hit her in the back of her head. Obanai was nowhere to be seen.

Screaming. Crying. Pleading. Shouting. Gun shots. 

Wait..

Gun shots..?

Pain shot through her whole body as she blinked back into life. She took one look around her and remembered what happened. Obanai.. the house... blood.. rain.. what.. 

She then realized what was happening and was suddenly fully aware of everything. Her daughter was tied up to a pole in the middle of the room. A gag on her mouth, her eyes wide with fear and frantically looking for help. She looks mostly unharmed, except for the sharp shape of a hand on her cheek. Although she had blood splattered on her, it did not look as if it was hers.

Then she remembered the screams. Crying, the pleading, it was still there. She jerked her head towards the direction it was coming from, trying to see, but realizing she had bonds as well. She was secured tightly to the wall. She couldn't speak, barely could breath. She felt as if she was on fire, her body heating up terribly. She felt burns all over her and wondered what had happened. How long had she been out? Where.. where was Obanai? Her mother?

Then someone was kicked into her line of view. A cold laugh rang through her ears as it dawned on her who had been screaming. Her husband. Obanai. His legs and arms were bound together. He had burns and wounds all over, was bleeding profusely from somewhere, or everywhere. He was screaming in pain, writhing and flinching at every little movement. His voice was hoarse but he kept going, his face was stained with blood and tears, and he was barely recognizable. It was impossible to tell him apart now, he was so beaten up.. Mitsuri tried screaming but she only managed to widen her eyes in terror at the person displayed before her. Standing above her suffering husband and close to her traumatized daughter.

A person that had been in her nightmares once before. Someone whom she'd never recognized as him before, only seeing him as his daughters babysitter. Someone.. according to her memories.. named Muzan Kibutsuji. His hair.. his voice.. his laugh.. his eyes. It was him, no doubt. And the merciless expression on his face as he cut Obanai to pieces.. the all too familiar look.. it was too much.. too.. much...

She heard the faint sound of Obanai screaming as a knife was stabbed into his back before she passed out once again.

She woke up. It was quiet now. Dark. She looked up and felt fear coursing through her blood. What had happened? Was he gone? Where was Obanai? And..

The lights flickered on and Mitsuri let out a strangled scream. The body of her dead family was displayed at her feet. She slowly looked up towards the source of the light and saw Muzan there, his eyes hungry for more. He held a knife above his hand. Sharp and thin, a dangerous weapon. There were other weapons to the side, a gun, different variations of them. Several blades and a lighter. Others Mitsuri couldn't identify, especially not in the state she was in. She trembled and glanced back up at him, willing herself not to look down. Nevertheless, the image of the tangled up bodies of her husband, her daughter, and her mother kept flashing in her mind. She was crying, tears pouring down her face. Muzan smirked then brought the knife down quickly, deep into her thigh. She tried to scream but she couldn't. He continued, carving deep wounds into her body, over and over and over. It wouldn't stop. Pain continued on. A fire was lit on her arm. Several bullets straight through her chest. But she wouldn't die. Please.. just let her die.. let her go back to her family.. Somewhere... in heaven.. please..

It must've been hours before her wish came to light. Mitsuri Kanroji's body lay in pieces on top of her family's. She died as she let out a last scream.. using her last energy to scream her lovers name.. The name of the person who had been with her through all these lives..

4th life. No high hopes for this. Or any hopes at all. At least not at first. Obanai and Mitsuri grew up as friends. This time, they both remembered all of their memories. And even as babies they knew not to say anything. When they met, they already knew each other. They were close, constantly on edge, tried to be with others all the time, and made sure to take careful note of anyone and anything. If they saw anybody moderately close to one of their past enemies, they would rush off immediately. The two did date a lot earlier then they did in their past lives. Because somehow their love for each other still ran firmly through all these lives. All these years. Nothing could part them. Not even death, although it had tried time and time again.

Their lives went as normal as they could pretend they were, besides all that. They managed to find Giyuu and Sanemi in this life. Apparently the two were lovers, which was a huge surprise. Even more so that the two did, in fact, remember their demon slaying pasts. But putting that aside, nothing else all that interesting happened. They just went on with their lives. As they drew closer to the year of 60, they were getting hopeful. Hopeful that perhaps their lives would be normal. Peaceful. No violent deaths..

But out of everyone, they should know.. never let your guard down. And yet.. and yet they did.. and it cost them their life.. Once again.. For the 4th time.

And as the two died in each others arms.. for the 4th time, Obanai whispered something into his lovers ear. He said, "No matter what the world throws at us, one day.. in another.. a different life.. we'll find peace.. I'll protect you forever.. I promise.."

Simple but sweet was perfect. A life where they waited. Where they were their own selves and not one of the past. Simple. A life where they fell in love as the same, but not. Where they found each other again. Sweet. A life where they had no worries. No memories of the past they suffered. Just each other. Perfect. No twist. No but's. Nothing but pure bliss. As they meet for the first time in highschool. Grow together, closer. From the closest of friends to lovers. As he asks her out for the first time. As she walks down the aisle on their wedding day. As they take their first step into a new family. As they go to the park with their children. As they hold hands in a field of flowers. As they die peacefully and happily, their last breath being said. "I love you." Love. Something that can last on and on. No matter how many times you die and are reborn. But now, they are at peace. No worries. No fear. No deaths. Nothing.. tragic. Drastic. Just a happy family and a happy life. As their souls return to heaven back again. This time to stay forever, happily entwined as they watch their children grow into adults. Growing the family. Growing their lives. Because everyone is happy. Everyone..

Everyone is happy until the smell of blood is in the air.

{Word count: 2600} I'm.. I don't know what I just wrote but uh..Uh yeah Anyways uhm.. nice ending right?? 😇

Ly all, gn (for me when i wrote this-) Have a good day/night/idgaf ^^

Edit: because we love angst, no?