#but got some good inspiration as well as a nice refresh of how things ended

[unclefungusthegoat]

Finished my latest Versailles rewatch, and promptly got several more ideas for my fanfic

[oliviaischillin1204]

you gotta be kitten me

Pairings: Platonic Prinxiety

Word Count: 1,822 words

just a silly little thing i came up with when i used to play neko atsume djfhghdjskjdh. good times man

Some days were meant for grand adventures, Roman thought. Trying new things, climbing new heights, and achieving goals beyond your wildest dreams.

Other days were for sitting in the living room, half-watching a musical bootleg on the TV as you rapidly refreshed Neko Atsume over and over and over again.

Roman groaned for the fifth time in as many minutes as his garden, yet again, failed to attract any new cats. He knew the point of the game was to be patient, but come on! His entire yard was decked out with the highest quality cat trees, toys, and trinkets possible, all elegantly displayed along the beautiful Zen Garden backyard expansion model. He kept his food bowls stocked with Deluxe Tuna Bitz, even upgrading to a nice plate of sashimi or two when he had gold fish to spare. There was no reason at all why he should be so incapable of attracting rare cats to his garden.

“Lookit. I got another one.”

And of course, the worst fact of all: Virgil was fucking great at the game.

Roman groaned in exasperation. “Which one now?”

Virgil turned his phone around and held it up for Roman to see. They were both on the couch, lying toe-to-head so they could both recline while sharing the good blanket between them. After a few moments of blinking, Roman could make out the distinctive striped shirt, cap, and baseball bat that belonged to none other than--

“Joe DiMeowgio,” Virgil confirmed. Roman’s jaw dropped.

“What? How did you find him?”

Virgil shrugged, pulling the phone back and tapping the screen smugly. “He likes the baseball.”

Roman made an affronted noise. “That’s like, one of the most basic, boring, blah toys you can have in the entire game.”

“He’s a simple cat with simple needs, Princey,” Virgil deadpanned. Roman groaned, draping his arm over his eyes in defeat, but his dramatics were interrupted by Virgil’s foot popping out of the blanket to kick him.

“How dare you kick a man when he’s down, you villain!”

Virgil ignored him, settling back into the couch now that he’d stopped Roman’s whining. “Maybe just try switching up your yard once in a while. The cats need variety.”

The two fell silent again. Roman pouted down at his phone as he pondered the Goodies shop in the game’s menu. It was true, he didn’t like to switch out his items often-- his preferred method for games like this was to save up until he could get all of the expensive items first. It made sense to him; why waste time collecting cheap items if he could get the most payback from the expensive ones?-- but now, he found himself scrolling through the early pages of the shop’s catalogue, looking for a new toy to catch his eye.

And, well... something did:

Fluff-Thing Teaser: a ball of fluff that inspires playful strikes. Your cat will never get bored of this thing!

Roman eyed the toy in the photo. It was definitely a cheap one, costing only 100 regular fish. But what really caught his eye was the wording-- “inspires playful strikes”.

His eyes drifted from the screen in front of him, to Virgil’s foot, still exposed from when he’d kicked Roman earlier.

He turned the idea over in his head, his lips twitching into a smile. He dropped his hand to the side, and, as subtly as he possibly could, summoned a small handheld toy with a ball of fluff on the end.

Clearing his throat to cover the laugh building up inside him, Roman rearranged himself so the Fluff-Thing Teaser was hidden from Virgil’s sight, resting on his own chest so the fluff-ball tip was an inch away from Virgil’s foot.

He waited. Waited. Waited...

And swiped the piece of fluff straight down Virgil’s sole.

The reaction was minor, but immediate-- Virgil jerked, his foot pulling back minutely as a startled gasp burst out of him.

“What was that?” he asked sternly. Roman looked at him over his phone.

“What?”

He thought he sounded pretty innocent, but Virgil clearly wasn’t fooled. “Don’t do that.”

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! I swear on my sword, I haven’t touched you.” Which wasn’t a lie. Roman hadn’t touched him-- the Fluff-Thing Teaser had.

He dropped his eyes back to his screen, feigning obliviousness to Virgil’s glare. After a few moments, however, he too returned his attention to his game.

Roman bit his lip, flipping quickly through the item pages for his next trick. He quickly found it:

Wing-Thing Teaser: Mild curiosity will turn into obsession once your cat starts pouncing on this tufted teaser.

Roman bit his lip again to avoid laughing aloud. He focused on swapping the Fluff-Thing for the Wing-Thing (listen, he didn’t choose the names, okay?) and hid all but the feathery tip in his sleeve. He coughed, shifting himself again, and swiped the soft toy down just beneath Virgil’s toes.

“Fuck!” Virgil burst out again, yanking his leg all the way back to his chest. He grabbed his foot defensively as he rubbed at the skin. “Fucking-- stop that.”

“I’m literally not doing anything,” Roman lied, but he couldn’t stop the smile that was curling up at the edges of his mouth. “Why are you being twitchy?”

Virgil glowered at him. “I’m always twitchy.”

“Well, you’re being extra twitchy today. Just sit back and look at the cats.”

For a moment Roman was worried that Virgil would get up and ruin his game, but luckily for him, the anxious side merely rubbed at his foot once more before, hesitantly, stretching his legs out in front of him again. His brow was still furrowed, and Roman kept his eyes directly on his phone.

Waiting for the perfect moment to strike with a straight face was nearly impossible, but he knew that Virgil was expecting it now. As soon as his eyes caught sight of the Wild-Thing Teaser in the catalogue, he knew this one would be much more obvious than the first two toys.

Well. Time to give up the act.

Roman shoved the fluffy ball of the Wild-Thing directly in between Virgil’s first and second toe. The anxious side made a noise of confusion, then shock, then burst into laughter.

“Dude!” he managed through his giggles, reaching for his foot to yank the toy away. Scrunching his toes around it instinctively only made it tickle more, and Roman watched with amusement bright on his face as Virgil giggled at the accidental self-tickling.

“Did I do that?” Roman asked innocently. Virgil glared at him as he eyed the item with a fair amount of suspicion.

“Wait,” he said suddenly, eyes widening. “Is this the--”

“The Wild-Thing Teaser? Well, it appears so!” Roman finished for him, grinning widely as he waved his phone in the air before reading the description. “‘Talk about a big tease! Just try to stop your cats from pouncing at this fluffy fur ball.’”

He snorted. “Aw, looks like they’re right! This kitty right here couldn’t help but play with the lil’ fuzzball!”

He relished in watching Virgil grow more and more flustered at the teasing.

“Shut up-- I’m not-- I’m not a cat,” he protested. Roman laughed at his flustered indignation.

“Well, you’re certainly acting like one! Are you having fun playing with your new toy, Mr. Meow-Meow?”

He laughed louder as Virgil realized that he’d been rolling the small fuzz ball in between his fingers. The emo side threw the toy to the side, crossing his arms and pouting. “Well, you’re the one being freaking immature, summoning toys like that!”

“Ah, but that’s the spirit of the game, isn’t it? Finding all the cute little toys that make your little kittens as happy as can be--”

“I’m not a cat!”

“Oh, yeah?” Roman asked. “Prove it.”

Suddenly one hand darted forward and clamped around Virgil’s ankle, where he’d accidentally left his leg within Roman’s range. With the other hand, he summoned the next tool on the list, and this time he was lucky enough to see the recognition dawn on Virgil’s face.

“Roman!” he hissed (another point in Roman’s ‘Virgil is a cat’ agenda), but he was too slow, because Roman was already flicking and fluttering the Zebra Grass Gadget all up and down the bare sole of Virgil’s foot.

The result was immediate: Virgil squealed, yanking his foot back helplessly against Roman’s much stronger grip as the toy tickled his sole.

“‘Watch your cats’ fascination turn to obsession!’,” Roman recited over the sound of Virgil’s giggles. He made sure to brush the grassy toy in rhythm to his words as he continued, “‘It has a fluffy teaser tip that they just. Can’t. Resist!’”

“Stop ihihihit!” Virgil said through giggles. His other leg kicked out in time with his bursts of laughter, but Roman’s grip kept the captured foot nice and snug as he fluttered all along the wrinkles of his sole.

“Which toy is your favorite, kitty?” Roman teased. “Or do you just love them all so much?”

Virgil looked like he was about to argue (well, as much as he could through his silly laughter) so Roman flipped the Zebra Grass Gadget around and scratched its stem on the ball of Virgil’s foot. That was enough to make any snarky words die on Virgil’s tongue, replacing them with desperate screeches of laughter instead.

“Okay-- okay okay okahahahay!” he gasped, rocking back and forth in his trapped state. Roman moved to trail the stem up and down the arch of his foot, and Virgil gripped the fabric of the couch like he was fighting off torture. “No more, no more-- please it tihihihickles!”

That was enough for Roman. He slowed the tickling until he was just barely grazing Virgil’s foot with the stem; he waited until Virgil had calmed down before quickly flipping the toy around and giving one more tickle with the grassy side.

“Ah!” Virgil yelped. He yanked his leg back, and this time Roman let him go.

He couldn’t help but grin at Virgil as the anxious side caught his breath. The soft grass of the toy floated through the air as Roman lazily twirled it around his fingers.

“Well, well, well...” he drawled. “I’ll be honest, I think this is even more fun than the actual game!”

“Shut the fuck up,” Virgil said, face still flushed.

“Aw, you don’t think so? You sounded like you were having lots of fun. These cat toys really do work... kitten.”

Suddenly Virgil was lunging forward through the air, arms outstretched. Roman only had half a second to scream before the emo side had him pinned on his back.

“You think I act like a cat?” Virgil asked. “Lemme ask you this, Princey: did you forget that cats have claws?”

He raised his hands, ten fingers wiggling just above Roman’s stomach, and Roman realized that this game was about to get much harder.

[andromeda-nova-writing]

Fic Stats and Facts for the End of the Year

In January I thought It would be fun to keep track of the amount of words I posted on fics throughout the year. I posted a total of 26,676 words in 2024

Continuing the fun I think it would be nice to reshare some fics I posted this year and some thoughts I had on them.

My Favorite Actor is… This was my first fic of the year. It was posted on January 6th. It's one of the fics I posted during the chaos of getting a new puppy. It was written mostly on my phone during the holidays. Am I surprised the first fic of the year was an Ayato fic? No, I did a blog refresh around him. I think of the fics I've posted for Ayato, this is my favorite.

Summer Afternoons I had this fic scheduled to post while I was on a trip in Texas. Fun fact, my cousin clocked me as an AO3 user. I was playing around with formatting and I tried sticking with this format throughout the year. I think I may do a format overhaul at some point. I think my fics started doing worse with the new changes. This means there's a chance you haven't read this short and cute Thoma fic!

PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA and CUFF IT Can you tell I like Beyoncé? It's not like I'm quiet about it. I love how silly timing will forever tie Wriothesley and the Renaissance album together. I guess it was the idle animation trying to tell me he enjoys a good disco bop as well. Do you think he could rock roller skates by any chance, asking for a friend (it's me, I am the friend. roller skating date with Wriothesley when?)

What a Treat! One of the fics I posted during October when I get too many ideas. It was so nice to post for Kaveh since the first fic I started for him ended up being too much like one of the quest lines for his hangout. I can't believe I predicted the hangout. I should have posted it before his release.

“What part of 'I want you, and only you’ do you not understand?” My first fic for Dr. Ratio. Well, it would have been but it was such a challenge to write him!! I rewrote this fic like three times. So expect you to read it three times. It's only fair. I do plan on writing more for him next year. I would also like to write more Honkai Star Rail characters as well.

After the Choir Sings and To Prepare a Reunion These are the last fics I'm posting this year. I'm sick so there is no way I can rush one last fic. The notes are lower due to being so recent so if you could go run them up a bit that would be nice. The first fic is for Neuvillette and is also the first time I ever wrote for him. I'm still not sure I got him right. The second fic is an SMAU for Ayato which was a fun break from the Ayato fic I'm been working on for like half the year now.

Speaking of the long Ayato fic I think it has been a minute since I have given it a sneak peek which I feel is fair. But before I do, some general info on the fic. The main trope is A Marriage of Convince which has also become the placeholder name now. It is one of the things that inspired my blog refresh. I would like to post the first chapter on March 26th since it is his birthday and then post every two weeks. Hopefully, I can get far enough to where this is possible. It's already the longest fic I've ever written which is fun. I do hope you enjoy this sneak peek from Chapter 1!

Ayato sighed at the interaction. “Have you even explained why you wish for her to be wed so fast?”

“I do not have to explain my family matters to you of all people. You have made this so much harder by having her wear your mother’s jewelry. You should take it and leave us be.” Y/N’s grandpa spoke.

“I see no need to. Your family matters involve trying to marry off a woman through blackmail. How would it sound for you if it got out that you have been trying to marry off a woman who much of Inazuma now assumes I am in a relationship with?”

“How does it sound for that same woman to get charged for assault? It’s better to stay out of this if you would prefer your own name to retain the respect it has.”

Ayato sighed rubbing the temples of his forehead. He hoped it would not have to come to this. “Since you won’t explain your reasoning and so desperately want her to be engaged at this very moment, I’ll marry her if it stops this headache of an issue.”

Y/N jolted away from his touch in shock. “You can’t. Even you agreed that an arranged marriage for yourself would be something you never do. What about your own love life?”

“Listen to the girl. Even she knows it would be a disgrace for you to be engaged to her.” Her grandpa argued twisting her words moments after being spoken.

“I am too busy dealing with the affairs of Inazuma for a love life. I get proposals once a week and they are a waste of my time. You are wasting your granddaughter’s time. If getting married can free her to do as she pleases then I find no issue with ‘disgracing’ my name. If anything it would make my life easier having a translator in my home as Inazuma continues to reconnect with the world.”

[respondedinkind]

Get to know the mun.

respond to the prompts out of character!

what made you pick up the current muse(s) you have? I started writing Khan back in 2012 even before the movie came out - just based him on that single teaser thing that existed there, I was so incredibly hooked by his character. And when the movie finally came out I continued to write him (obviously) so yeah. The insanely good portrayal of him (thank you, Ben) and the character itself... captivated me. That's why I chose to write him back then and that's why I am still writing him. I just love the way he was brought to life, all the details of how he behaves, talks, moves... and how incredibly non-Ben Ben looks there. So fucking impressive. Could rave about my boy 24/7. My Stephen I picked up only recently and I happened to do so because I got immensely hooked on him as well, rewatched the movies, found my muse suddenly exploding for him. I wasn't sure for a while and pondered about writing him for 2 weeks, but then I decided to go for it. I was also very inspired by certain events back then that made me pick him up eventually, but... things turned out a bit differently than expected. Anyways, i really enjoy writing him as well and he's just such a wonderful contrast to my Khan, it feels refreshing. I also write Leonard McCoy, but I do so more or less privately with just a few selected people. I enjoy writing that sassy man, and I basically just made him to explore some relationships (lol) but yeah. I enjoy doing that on him.

is there anything you don’t like to write? Such things as Character Death (if there's no way for them to be resurrected and/or somehow come back into the story lol) and Bad Endings. I can't take it, will never write it for the sake of my own mental health. I am very much a happy fluffy writing person, I love drama and angst but it needs to turn into hurt / comfort and something nice at some point.

is there anything you really enjoy writing? Well... I hinted at it above (lol), I love fluff, happy stuff, I also enjoy it immensely to write relationships. I love shipping (romantic), but I also love to explore platonic relationships. I have to admit though, shipping is something I oftentimes feel drawn to and that's just how it is, which doesn't mean I won't write anything else, but it's one of my favorites. I also enjoy writing slice-of-life stuff and just... cute things. The way life happens with two muses. I also love writing family stuff... and what their future develops as. That includes possible conflicts and problems the have to solve (and will solve lol bc I need my happy endings) and add some nice angst and drama into it for the delicious hurt/comfort and the happy things after. And yes, just to throw it in here as well: I also enjoy writing smut. Not all the time, not always, not like 24/7, but when the muses have chemistry it just happens man. :)

how do you come up with headcanons?  I am oftentimes inspired by a thing I see or listen to, or they just pop up out of nowhere. Sometimes I read about a thing or see a thing on TV / in a video and am like 'Oh yes, this is very much my muse'!. I do have to admit that I am one who sometimes sees a headcanon somewhere sometimes and be like 'oh yes, I agree with this actually, this is so good' - it has happened in the past, but I try to refrain from that. Some headcanons also are just 'so general', in a way, that they can be seen similar by many people writing the same muse - especially when they stem from the source material of the canon. Anyways, cough, most headcanons I develop over time or they just pop up out of nowhere and 'feel right'.

do you write in silence or do you play music? Silence, actually. Music distracts me, sadly so. I used to be able to write with music but at some point... I just couldn't anymore? In fact, it even distracts me to have my partner sitting in the other room watching a TV show, if he's doing that on a volume that's too loud for me to handle I won't be able to write. I struggle with that quite a bit and it's very annoying that my brain is such a bitch about it honestly, sigh.

do you plan your replies or wing them? I usually wing them, but I oftentimes also plot with my partner and we talk about what's supposed to happen within a certain time frame so I can direct my muse to that part of the story, so to say. Oftentimes, though, muses just do muse-things in between and I enjoy that a lot - In fact, I am always looking forward to 'muses being muses' and something surprising happens! So exciting!

do you enjoy shipping? God, yes. Like, I love shipping. I don't ship everything and there's ships out there I don't like, and I am also the most comfortable with m/m ships (those happen quickly, ngl), but when I have a ship between muses where the chemistry just sparked by itself? Delicious. But yes, in general, I really enjoy shipping, 100%.

what’s your alias/name? L.

age? 34

birthday? January 25th

favorite color?  red, pink, black, blue

favorite song?  I don't have 'one favorite', I have a lot, so I cannot decide. :'D

last movie you watched? Oppenheimer.

last show you watched?  Uh I don't watch shows...

last song you listened to? Ready Aim Fire - Imagine Dragons

favorite food?  Sushi. Closely followed by burgers.

favorite season?  Winter, Spring and Fall (basically whenever it's more cool and not hot. I hate heat.)

do you have a tumblr best friend? I made some wonderful connections to people over the years and especially so 'recently' with me getting my Khan muse back and also writing Stephen, and I am so happy and thankful about everyone I am writing with and everyone I am also chatting OOC with. Thank you for being here! ♥

TAGGED BY @deficd (friend ♥)

TAGGING @ssolessurvivor @bloodstainedstar @fiercengineer @illbringthechaosmagic @whydotheykeeptakingmine @resignedworkaholics @kingofthewebxxx @noblehcart and you ♥

[vyla-and-the-pods]

Vyla's Sunday wrap-up!

Hello lovely people on my screen! I've been getting really into podcasts these last few weeks since finishing Wolf 359 and I am DYING to talk about them! This is my way to talk about what I've been listening to this week and dumping my thoughts since I do not have friends that listen to podcasts lol

Cry Havoc! Ask Questions Later (ep 14) (minor spoilers)

I'm a die-hard Cry Havoc! fan. It's one of the few podcasts I've caught within the first few episodes and it is quickly one I will jump to every time a new episode comes out. Who would've thought a workplace comedy set in ancient Rome would be so good! The humor is dry and mostly situational and works so well.

This episode had a bit more heart than Cry Havoc! has had before and it worked so well! Listening to Octavia and Charmian have a serious discussion that helped further their relationship beyond "ooh haha sexy morally grey lesbians" was really refreshing and nice to see such character growth within just a few episodes.

And the entire plague plot with Gaius and Mark was a great way to balance it out. I love Cry Havoc!'s style of humor. My only qualm is I couldn't find a transcript for this episode but I might've been looking in the wrong place.

Arden (eps 1-4)

GUYS I LOVE ARDEN SO MUCH!!!

This is also a Shakespeare inspired piece! Season 1 is inspired by Romeo and Juliet, which I realized embarrassingly late in, and the little R&J easter eggs I have been picking up are really cool and make me feel like I remembered something from 9th grade English haha.

I used to looove true crime podcasts but I got uncomfortable by how the hosts would discuss the killers and victims so Arden, as a fake true crime podcast, is a great middle ground! I heard season 3 is coming out soon so hopefully I can catch up in time! I love Bea and Brenda's banter and honestly the two just need to kiss or something, but I digress. The writers make this a really compelling story and even though only one aspect of the cold case is examined per episode I am hooked and not at all bored or frustrated when we divert to Bea and Brenda's side convos. I have listened to this when going to bed and gotten scared once or twice, and for a fake true crime podcast I consider that a win!

Wolf 359 (finale)

I don't have the word count to say everything I want to say about Wolf 359. If you know me you might have seen the post I made about finishing Wolf 359 this week and how it was just so world alterting for me because I've been listening to it on and off for about 8 years. It really is the end of an era. It didn't go down the way I thought it would and it was a very bittersweet ending. I feel like everything was tied up well but I do have some questions about Bob. I am going to miss Lovelace, and Eiffel and...everybody! Maybe not Kepler. Truly is an end of an era for me. I was podcast-hungover the whole day.

Stellar Firma (ep 1)

I gave the first episode of Stellar Frima a try, I'm a big Rusty Quill fan so I had high hopes but guys, I don't think this is for me. The pilot episode didn't click for me the way I thought it would and it just didn't seem my speed. What do you guys think about Stellar Firma? Should I give it another shot?

Malevolent (ep 6)

Malevolent is another show I'm trying to get into since everybody loves it but the pace just feels so slow to me right now. I know more overarching plot points develop later on so I'm willing to stick this one out. I like malevolent but it just feels like all the places and things they're doing right now are building toward something I'm not at yet and that's just frustrating.

Time:bombs (1 -3)

What better way to get me out of my Wolf 359 hangover than a podcast made by the Wolf 359 folks? This one came recommended to me by anon so thank you whoever you are! I listened to the entire podcast (3 episodes) in one day and loved it! I miss you Radio Bob. I hope you're doing well. Humor was elite but what else should I have expected from Gabriel Urbina? I loved the character development they were capable of in 3 episodes. I can see myself relistening to this soon!

The Kingmaker Histories (prologue....ep 0?)

another podcast I heard had a new season coming out soon. I don't know how I feel; about fantasy podcasts but I liked season 1 of The Two Princes so I have high hopes. I only listened to the prologue so far and haven't even met the MC so I don't have many opinions yet.

Liminal Criminals (ep 1)

I listened to the first episode twice. It was so funny. Few podcast make me actually laugh out loud. I interrupted my roommate making dinner to tell her about this because I kept laughing. The dry voice the narrator has while he explains the most ABSURD FAKE TRUE CRIME sold this for me. "Mr. Breadsticks stays. Mr. Breadsticks stays. I will kill you with a fork. Mr. Breadsticks stays." is my discord status and no one understands me. I hope the rest of these episodes are as funny.

Alright well that's my week! Thanks for dealing with my ramblings folks! Tell me your thoughts on these shows, what's worth it what's not? I'll be shitposting about some of these shows throughout the week, but we'll see what the Pod Gods hold. Til next week lovely people!

~Vyla

[jewwyfeesh]

Tasty Travels - An Unexpected Journey 2

Writer: Mitsuki

Character(s): Suou Tsukasa, Tsukinaga Leo, Sena Izumi, Sakuma Ritsu, Narukami Arashi

Translated by: jewwyfeesh

Izumi: Who knows, perhaps he wanted to be the designated driver for today, and decided to tie the original driver up somewhere?

Season: Summer Location: Scenic Slope

<A while later>

Leo: Wooo! It’s time to alight, everyone! We’ve arrived at the first stop~ Come and enjoy the refreshing scent of the sea breeze! I am an honest and genius tour guide — Tsukinaga Leo ☆!

Ritsu: Fuwaaaah… Tsukipi’s the same as ever~

Arashi: Oh wow, the weather is quite nice, and the air is very fresh~ Fortunately, I applied some sunscreen earlier on; sunburns simply aren’t worth it!

Ritsu: Nacchan’s so cunning~ But, to us vampires, enjoying the scenery during the daytime is still too much.

Leo: You’ve slept for quite a long time, Rittsu! Opportunities like these are so hard to come by, so come on! Come play with us! Mhm, the sea breeze is amazing!

Izumi: Well, I want to go back into the car… It would be nice to come to the seaside at night, but not when it’s currently soooooooo~ sunny! If this perfect face got suntanned, who’s gonna be held responsible?!

Arashi: I can help you apply some sunscreen ♪

Tsukasa: Seniors, please Stop! Cease with your buffoonery! Currently, our main concerns should be ‘where did the Jeep and driver from our original arrangements go’, and ‘what are the good deeds Leo-senpai mentioned earlier’!

Ritsu: Suu~chan’s still obsessing over this issue, I see~

Izumi: Even though I really don’t feel like talking on his behalf, this is just how Leo-kun is, so it’s no surprise he’d pull something like this. Have you not gotten used to it yet?

Who knows, perhaps he wanted to be the designated driver for today, and decided to tie the original driver up somewhere?

Tsukasa: No… I can say, with utmost confidence, that that is the one thing Leo-senpai would not do… so… Sena-senpai, please do not superimpose your own concepts and ideas onto other people’s actions!

Leo: Oh, oh! Y’all are discussing me, right? If you wanted to know so bad, you could’ve just asked me directly!

Tsukasa: Hh… Leo-senpai, do you have amnesia? Earlier on, when we boarded the car, I asked you these questions – to which, you asked if I didn’t get enough sleep!

Leo: Eh? Did that really happen? No wonder Suo~ looks like a pufferfish, one that’s been repeatedly taken out of the water and is now all fat and round and even got its spikes up!

Tsukasa: Leo-senpai…!

Leo: Wahaha! You got even rounder the second I brought it up! I’m complimenting you on your cuteness! But in any case, I’ll tell you right now!

This time, I set off a lil earlier so that everyone’s plans won’t be delayed, but I didn’t expect to arrive this early!

Staying still in one spot always makes me feel like my feet are gonna get glued to the ground, so I ended up walking around, looking for some musical inspiration!

I ended up bumping into one of the staff members standing in front of the car. He was sighing real heavily into the phone, so I asked him what happened!

T’was something along the lines of he was supposed to go to the next town over to distribute some promotional materials, but something urgent came up at home, and he couldn’t find anyone to take his place.

Ritsu: As a result, Tsukipi decided to act as their replacement and help distribute the flyers. Though, this doesn’t seem like something you’d usually do.

Leo: Rittsu, that’s rude!

But, right at that moment, Oba-chan walks out of the building. Even though he walked rather wobbily and looked like he hadn’t slept a wink in three days and three nights, he still managed to settle this issue in a jiffy! How cool!

Izumi: What next? Surely he didn’t call off the Jeep and the driver, and agreed for you to drive out to help distribute the promotional materials.

Leo: Waaa! As expected of Sena! Ding ding ding, you scored a bingo! Anyway, travelling is about drivin’ around all over the place! Putting in a li’l effort to help out here and there… who knows, maybe it’ll call forth more inspiration, and also make it more meaningful!

Arashi: Ehehe, that’s certainly an unexpected development. However, I do think Leo-kun’s got a point~ Think of it as a different kind of trip ♪

← chapter 1 | chapter 3 →

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week ?

Action Comics #1059 - I knew it! I knew it was the Empire of Shadows! God I’m actually excited for Batman to show up in Action, I can’t believe it. Then again this is a very different kind of Batman, and it’s an evil Batman who is being used in service to (hopefully) make Superman look good. What a refreshing concept as opposed to the all too often reverse. Otho being the one Stone targets makes sense, like “Norah” points out, she’s a killer and the youngest daughter of the family. They have some things in common. God I love all the crazy tech that Steel has built over the run. It’s been great to have him be so involved and I’m going to be really disappointed if he gets dropped again with the “Superstars” next year. Shame Sandoval can’t finish this arc but I do enjoy Barrows. Nice little bit of Metropolis history with the street name, PKJ didn’t get to do as much of that as I was hoping for, but anything that plays up Metropolis as a “city of immigrants” suits me. Looks like Constantine and Etrigan will be showing up to help Superman delve into the Dark Multiverse to find Otho. Probably will learn the backstory of this Batman next issue, maybe even learn what happened to that Earth’s Superman too. Can’t wait! The Kenan story came to a satisfying conclusion as well, Yang did a good job within the limited pages he had. Justified why Kenan joined the Superfamily and why he isn’t interacting much with the JLC anymore. Last line paired with that panel shot was a gut punch. Yang set Kenan up for some great drama if anyone bothers to follow up on it which they probably won’t. Maybe I’ll get lucky and Yang will be the fourth writer for the Superstars next year after Aaron, Williamson, and Waid.

Steelworks #6 - Thought it was a solid freshman showing from Dorn. Ending was a bit rushed but there were some nice character moments across this whole mini, even if it’s definitely not an essential read for the line. Walker made for an entertaining bad guy by being so unrepentantly evil, it's nice to have a few of those guys around amidst all the sympathetic bad guys these days. When are we going to actually see JHI and Lana tie the knot? Maybe in Action? Would like to see that actually occur, it's been good for both characters imo.

Detective Comics #1078 - I have not read the Knightfall trilogy so I’ve never been a huge Azrael guy, but damn I actually am becoming a fan. Seeing gleefully charge a werewolf head on does a lot to endear him to me.

The Flash #3 - Love what Deodato is doing with the panels, really helps to sell the disorientation that Wally and Max are going through. Cool revamp of the Folded Man, my Flash knowledge has a bunch of holes in it so I don’t know what his deal has historically been. Good use of him here that makes me want to learn more. Bit nervous about the implication that Speed Force users are screwing up reality every time they use their powers, it reminds me too much of that Venditti plot point from New 52 GL about the Emotional Spectrum “running out”. Obviously they’re not going to stop making Flash stories so either they have to “fix” that if it’s actually the issue, or it’s a misdirect.

City Boy #6 - Good ending. Pak’s got a nuanced character in Kim, he’s so human and fallible that he could easily have ended up a villain as a hero. Seeing him rise above that at the end is inspiring in the way superhero fiction aims to be but usually falls short of. I don’t know if he’ll avoid falling into Limbo, he’s not a natural fit for any team, but I’d like to see both City Boy and Pak get more play at DC.

The Penguin #4 - After this week’s issue of Tec I wasn’t sure how King’s heist story would stack up against V’s - good thing that was a feint! Penguin’s taking a lot of risks here, that whole stunt could easily have ended with him being dead, but at least King showed that Cobblepot was actually nervous and unsure of how things would play out. This could easily be a Penguingod book but it avoids that pitfall.

[whoseafraidofliloleme]

HERE I AM. ONCE AGAIN. FEELING LOST BUT NOW AND THEN– (victorius theme starts playing)

anyways

when you said it was gonna get worse before it got better i wasn't expecting AN ACTUAL MURDER ATTEMPT???? like yes bahi girl pls get the treatment you need bc what was going thru your head

tbh at first i thought things were moving a bit fast but it was refreshing to see yn not forgiving jungwon right off the bat. she has SOME pride y'know. tbh i don't think i would've let jay go that easy but whatever he has pretty privilege ig 😒

also it's nice seeing jungwon and yn getting along <3 but tbh i would've loved to see more of the not-quite-friends-but-not-enemies awkward phase. just to laugh at them for a bit lmao

AND YES, REALIZE YOUR FEELINGS MY DEAR YNWON!!! i wonder how yn's gonna deal with it tho bc she didn't seem very thrilled in her priv. will her self-steem issues be deeper??? will i find out just how shitty her family is???? i'll see!!! ...another day bc i have to eat and do normal human being things

anyways, question time: what made you think of writing this smau with this particular concept??? and did you choose bahi and jay for any reason or were they just chosen at random????

have a good day and stay healthy <3

Not the Victorious theme song...

I wasnt kidding about that, originally it wasn't going to be that bad of an injury but then I was like if I'm gonna do it, I might as well make it hella dramatic ya know 😂.

It's not so much pretty privilege but moreso that Jay hadn't really hurt YN all that much. Jungwon in his asshole era hurt her a lot more so it was easier to forgive Jay than Jungwon.

See the plan was for there to be more chapters of them in the awkward not quite friends but not enemies phase but then it just started to seem too similar so I decided to cut that short plus there's angst coming so enjoy that.

Do I have surprises to come. YNs self esteem and family drama come into play in further chapters.

Please do carry on tmrw, go do all the things like eat and other everyday stuff. I'll eagerly await the next reblogs and ask 🫶🏼🫶🏼.

Oooh I like this new thing of answering a question at the end of your asks 😂.

So the idea originally was a spin on the good boy x bad girl trope but it somehow evolved into this 😂. Where YN is an annoying troublemaker but not like a bad girl in general. And Jungwon was supposed to be golden boy that was just perfect instead he's going through another redemption arc 😂. Jay being horrible kinda was inspired by Jaywons bond, like theyre so close and I love them but I decided to flip that in Jay being loyal and letting prejudice come in between being a nice guy. Bahi was just randomly chosen, I think it was more so that I knew Bahi better than I knew Gaeul if that makes sense, like I don't follow Kep1er but I love seeing the Huening siblings tiktoks and I think she's cute 😂.

I hope you have a good day and stay healthy too 🫶🏼🫰🏼.

[floaromaxtowns]

Seto Kaiba & Ahsoka Tano for the character ask meme

@genlirema tysm!!

Character Ask Meme [Accepting]

Send me a character and I’ll say: 

Seto Kaiba

What I love about them: OKAY SO, the wonders of watching YGO as a fully grown person: suddenly the snarky, over the top, asshole rival character quickly becomes your favorite. As a kid, I genuinely didn't care at all about him. But that changed SO MUCH, as an adult. IMHO Kaiba may as well be the protagonist of the anime's version of YGO. What I hate about them: Nothing comes to my mind, honestly? Sometimes, you just want your blorbos going off the charts, and that's all A-OK in my book. Although I'll say it: Kaiba's involvement in the 5Ds anime is kinda of confusing ngl. I get that's part of the same timeline, but???? IDK something is off. Maybe there was going to be more, that didn't make it in the end. Favorite Moment/Quote: I honestly could put every single line he has ever said in the dub. But the one that takes the gold for me has to be:

Seto Kaiba: So you got a dweeb army. Is that supposed to make me afraid to attack? Dartz: No, not unless destroying an innocent soul concerns you Seto Kaiba: As the CEO of a Mega Corporation, I have to do that everyday

What I would like to see more focus on: I feel like it would have been nice to see some more of him in both GX and 5Ds (the latter is just to try better explain why was he involved in the big catastrophe of the series, but I also don't mind leaving it up for interpretation and guesses)What I would like to see less focus on: I wished Yugi/Atem wouldn't steal the attention from Kaiba's story, so he isn't reduced into another cheerleader. Favorite pairing with: Yugi/Kaiba, Ishizu Ishtar/Seto Kaiba, Malik Ishtar/Seto Kaiba and Ryuji Otogi/Seto Kaiba are some of the ships I still hold dearly to! Favorite friendship: Kaiba doesn't have any friendships. NO BUT HEAR ME OUT, I like the idea of Pegasus and Kaiba trying to amend for what happened in Duelists' kingdom, as shown in their v close business relationship in GX. I'm glad the anime didn't kill off Pegasus. NOTP: Joey/Kaiba Favorite headcanon: 4kids' dub version of unhinged Kaiba > the sub original and more down to earth Kaiba. I said it, and I'll keep saying it: This is the exact reason I loved this character. "bUt iTs nOt FaiThFul tO tHe SoURcE mAtEriaL" I can hear ppl cry about it, and I'll keep supporting dubbed Kaiba's assholery in that version. Even if it comes at the cost of the story/context of many things changing. It's a price I'm willing to pay.

Ahsoka Tano

What I love about them: Ahsoka's behind the scenes production story is genuinely interesting, in a time and period where nobody feels like putting effort into anything, and just resort to insulting others at the slightest bit of criticism! It's refreshing and very inspiring! When TCW was in production, they decided to give Anakin a padawan, and they KNEW the reception to the idea wouldn't be a warm one from the community. So, instead of throwing a tantrum, the team EMBRACED that and worked around it. So Ahsoka would gradually gain the audience's interest, as she also grew as a character. Ahsoka IS intentionally written as an unlikeable brat in the first 2 seasons, and in the later seasons we see how much she matured. The effort paid off, and Ahsoka is now held up as one of the best prequels era characters. What I hate about them: Filoni is setting out to undo all the hardwork they put into her, via overexposure. Ever since the Mandalorian show, she suddenly became the bridge to EVERYTHING. Even though, her actions shouldn't really give her that much influence or position to begin with. Favorite Moment/Quote:

"You're A Good Soldier Rex. So Is Every One Of Those Men Down There. They May Be Willing To Die, But I Am Not Going To Be The One Who Kills Them."

What I would like to see more focus on: I'd love to see some more of her bond and connection with Plo Koon. We only get a 5 secs clip, in the first season of TCW of them meeting, and this is never expanded on. Which IMO is such a big missed opportunity. What I would like to see less focus on: STOP FILONI'S ANTI-JEDI PROPAGANDAAAA Favorite pairing with: Rex/Ahsoka Favorite friendship: Ahsoka & Anakin, Ahsoka & Padmé, Ahsoka & Barriss. Honestly? I could go off. NOTP: Any form of Master/padawan ship. This is something I'm not interested in to begin with, and that doesn't go away even after she leaves the order or ages over time. That just isn't my cup of tea - So basically: Sabine/Ahsoka and Anakin/Ahsoka. Favorite headcanon: I can't hear Filoni, she is not going around blaming the jedi for their own genocide. She also doesn't go around calling herself a jedi knight, whenever it is convenient to her. She left the order in her own accords, and she has to live with that fact.

[cowboymantis]

Wow that was an insanely easy platinum trophy hdjdhd???????

But also tons of fun!! A nice refreshing platinum trophy after the horror that was the No More Heroes 3 plat I got a while back...god so much brainless grinding with sooo many loot up to insanely rare RNG. GAHHGHB

BUt yeah man Hokko Life is actually so much fun, especially if you can't play Animal Crossing New Horizons, which is why I picked it up in the first place, because it looked like an AC inspired game which it really is and it is so much fun! Obviously not as in depth and fleshed out as a big game like AC, but first it's fairly cheap and it's also on multiple platforms and there's tooons of costumization, I really love how you can make furniture completely from zero, like building furniture in a whole editor piece by piece it's sm fun. Even the painting/clothes designing can be fun but since I'm playing it on PlayStation it always takes a while since I have to draw with the controller stick which isn't that great jdjdj But for what it is my designs haven't been toooo bad.

There's also the city where you can go to and it has a store with design contest winner's designs for whatever furniture and you can download that and automatically have it as furniture (if you want to create more you can also build it since you got the blueprint) and then there's also a building where you can visit other player's "stores" which is also just downloads of their stuff, love how it is all for free! Buuuut downside is that you have to have the creator code of someone to access their shop, so you have to look around and google for some well known shops and can't just browse around the gallery like in other games that have similar features like the sims. And I think New Horizons also has something like this for designs?

But yeah! Here some screenshots of my village :)

I love this big flower and forest area I've made on the farm, but placing every flower and tree by hand did take a while so it actually makes me feel even better knowing the hard work behind it :'D

Then I made a Team Plasma outfit and logo, plus a sign post thingie looking Team Plasma themed too, so with the painting on it it looks like a sign! Actually reaaally love how well the logo looks. Once again, PAINFUL to draw with a controller. But for that it looks quite good??

Did also try an Arase outfit but don't have fitting coloured glasses for that yet. And sadly you can't make coats/jackets, so it looks quite flat :((

And here some screenshots of the main area of my village around my house with my tinkering corner and everything! :) When I started making decoration myself and collecting different furniture I tried going for things in that Fallout and cyperpunk vibe (Not the game Cyberpunk, just the overall topic)! Then the Plasma stuff was there too though so it's starting to turn into a bit of a mix jdhdjdhd

Also nice little garden area with also fences I've built and coloured in a more Plasma vibe kfjd

I've got the plat now during winter so my most up to date screenshots are all a bit dark but honestly I absolutely love how that looks and I wanna add lots and lots more different lights!!

And yeah, all I can say to Hokko Life is that it is really good and lots of fun, especially if you're looking for an Animal Crossing type game! I also love how you need to progress to unlock tools and different areas, it really makes you feel like you're working for all your things from beginning to end of the platinum journey. The coolest thing you get, already a while into the game as a reward, so it's not available too early, is a weather control device. Like hello??? My jaw dropped when I got this because this feels like cheating this is so OP but I love it especially since you don't really have much fun watering your farming plants so you can just make it rain real quick and all good hhshdhdj

Uhhhhh also I noticed an oddly specific bug happening to me sometimes when I placed my custom furniture?? And that's that on one of my bridges, the item got placed. But like, it's not there to be interacted with and it's gone when I reload the map so I'm guessing it's a weird graphical bug so don't freak out when you get the same bug and think you screwed up somehow kdhdjdb

[dicapiito]

Overall The Bear 🐻 season 2 was pretty solid.

I think the stand alone mostly episodes work and I hope for season 3, those who didn’t get a spotlight get it.

I also think that the celeb casting can calm down because it was a tad distracting in episode six. We don’t need another Ryan Murphy type of casting even if they all loved the first season.

Slight spoilers

Claire..no. She really should’ve never been someone that anyone should care about. And no, I actually don’t ship so it’s not about that. It was just a drag to me that Carmy even entertained some long ago girl. I get it that he’s a recovering addict but what I didn’t get is the Claire storyline. I think there could’ve been that point at the end without her tbh. Or maybe if the actress wasn’t a boring bland brunette. It’s like… “ why is she Carmy’s crush? He has a thing for Snow White?”

Other than that, I loved the episode with Marcus and Copenhagen. I thought that was a pretty good episode. It was nice to see Marcus learning and being inspired. The coco mystery was fun as well but that was a good episode focusing on him. The desserts really does seem in hindsight that they’re kinda the least talked dish. It was pretty sweet to see a spotlight on him.

Rich as well. I get the humor but I’m glad we got to see some progress with him growing up mostly. After all, I think while he’s great, I do think it could’ve got grating having him be the same guy in season one. It was either get him growing up or he has to be a character who buys the farm. Glad they saw that they actually have a pretty good actor playing Rich.

Sydney and her dad was a nice thing to see. It was pretty refreshing to see a relationship like that. I liked the end as well because while it seems like she’s good; it’s understandable she still has that fear. Along with the friendship with Marcus and even more of just being assertive and not taking Carmy’s shit. I also can tell the costume crew really likes her lol.

So overall, it was pretty solid. I wish the dinner scene didn’t have so many celebs. Sarah Paulson, nah but I like her. John Mulaney …actually that’s how I picture how he sounds. But really, I would’ve found someone else. Bob Odenkirk was cool. Jamie Lee Curtis, while I get that this isn’t her usual role, maybe not. But it was just too much. I do think it was a good episode considering because clearly they delivered but I also think it’s because Pete brings the humor. It was also nice to see how Mike got driven to do what he did.

So I think it was a really solid season and I hope that there will be a season three. I definitely think Carmy should explore something or even someone but there has to be something new. And for ffs, make her played by someone who’s not so bleeping boring!

[thedisneychef]

Key Lime Coconut Martini- Walt Disney World Resort

It’s been awhile since I’ve shared the “recipe” for one of Disney’s classic and signature drinks, so I’m super excited to share this one. This is a recipe I got years ago from the bartender at Banana Cabana, back when this drink was the signature (and I believe exclusive) drink of Shutters at Caribbean Beach Resort, my favorite resort hotel.I believe it was the last night of our 2008 stay and I wandered over to Banana Cabana for one last drink before packing up and leaving in the morning. The bartender, who has to be the friendliest bartender in the world, asked me the usual Disney questions, and we stumbled on the topic of Coral Reef Restaurant in EPCOT. I talked about this amazing waiter who actually brought me two desserts because I was leaning towards the key lime pie when he said the Jack Daniels mousse was the best dessert in the world.  I ended up ordering the Jack Daniels mousse, mostly to appease our incredibly sweet and very insistent waiter, but really wished for the pie. More Delicious Recipes You Will Love: - Katsura Grill: A Serene Japanese Restaurant in the Heart of Epcot - Chef Mickey Key Lime Pie Recipe: A Refreshing and Tangy Dessert - Kitchen Blooper! Jack Skellington Sugar Cookies To my surprise (and happiness) he brought the mousse to eat and the pie to enjoy in my room after fibbing and stating it was my birthday in order to get us the extra dessert at no charge. I said that it was an incredible and memorable bit of Disney magic. The bartender smiled and told me that I “had to try” the key lime coconut martini. The idea of key lime with coconut perked me right up, but I’m just so not a martini person. It’s just too strong for my weak tummy. He smiled and told me if I didn’t like it, it was no charge. Willing to try any alcohol from a perfect stranger on the promise of not having to pay for it proved to be too tempting, and I took him up on his offer.  The thing looked exquisite and with the rim dusted with graham crackers, it even vaguely looked (and smelled!) like a key lime pie. One sip and I was in heaven… It was strong but the flavors all worked together so beautifully.  It was one of the few times I actually wished I could have more then just one glass. The bartender was sweet enough to give me the recipe without me even having to ask for it, which is a good thing, since I’d have never remembered to ask for it on my own… Did I mention that this sucker is strong? And the bartender was nice enough to still give me the drink for free, saying that since I was going to order something else and only changed my mind at his suggestion, he didn’t feel right charging me. Disney magic with alcohol is the best thing ever. In the years since I had this drink, it’s become available all across Disney’s properties, most notably Coral Reef Restaurant, Kouzzina (though the recipe may vary slightly) where it is a featured drink at various times of the year, as well as the other places that serve alcohol. It’s a delicious, though it’s so strong, you may not remember how good it is the next day! In addition to the delicious food and recipes, Disney World is also known for its unique dining experiences, such as character dining and themed restaurants. Whether you want to have breakfast with Mickey Mouse, dine in a replica of a sci-fi drive-in theater at Hollywood Studios, or enjoy a meal with an ocean view at the Coral Reef Restaurant in Epcot, there's something for everyone. And with the help of Recipes Today and the How to Make category, you can even recreate some of these magical dining experiences in your own home. So why not start planning your next Disney-inspired meal or dining experience today? Read the full article

[astro-inthestars]

Adding positivity to the dash! Whats something *you* deem as special about someone in your life you think about? Why is it special?

SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT SOMEONE SPECIAL TO ME?!?!??! YOU'RE ASKING ME THIS????

WELL SHIT BESTIE I MAY BE LATE BUT YOU ASKED THE DARN RIGHT PERSON

AHEM AH E M M MM

Starting off strong!!

@clausgender - Lake Landon Lazuli Phas Claus. Okay but. For real right now you changed my life I really can't specify why and how but you just did. Something special about you is just how... proud you are. Life has thrown shit at you, but you gave no fucks and threw some right back. You're amazing and you've taught me so much. I look up to you. It's kinda funny, you are one of the most human people I know, yet I know you want to be anything but a human being <3 (also everyone else in the chaosites have their own special thing but god knows how long that'll be but just let them know they're all epic and awesome <333)

@brainless-but-thats-all - Bee you are here by default bestie when the Lake is here you must be as well. You are both soul bound. You cannot escape. /hj But seriously you're here because you are also very special to me <333 What I find special about you is your silliness! This is not a surprise <3 You're just a silly guy! No matter what you do, you're just inherently very silly! Your texting habit is silly, your roleplay is silly, and even when you give advice you're silly! Not messing around kinda silly, you're sweet and soft about it. You don't let anything be too serious! It's refreshing ya know? And you and Lake just click, your friendship is really nice to witness :]

@slymanner - Tony bestie I know we just formally got to know each other about two months ago but it already feels like forever burger bro. Something special about you is just how alike we are! Remember we first got a long because we had the same vibes? You remind me of me and it just felt like we were meant to click. But remember, you're more than that to me! You're silly, you're funny, you're kind, and you're chaotic as heck <333 You're awesome. Burger bros against the world!

@joyflameball - Cassie Rose you are awesome and you are an obligatory part of this list *holds you like a cat by the scruff* you cannot escape my positivity and love. Something special about you is how utterly unhinged you are, and yes, it seems I'm very drawn to unhinged people! With all your passions you're just so deranged about them /pos it's inspiring how passionate you are that it makes you want to bite a piece of media and shake it like a chew toy <3

@ghost-vessel - GHOST MY BIG SIB HIIII one of my many online siblings <333 Met you through Deltarune but totally met met you as a person through Omori! What a chance amirite? And I'm glad I did! To me, something special about you is how calm you are! Like, you're easy to talk to... You're super duper chill and just an all around great guy(gnc)! Just random talks with you is really nice, sib!

@just-jammin - JUST JAMMIN LYRIC LYR JAM PRIDEDRAFT X!!! One of the ogs fr <33 I've known em since I first got on Tumblr in the Six the Musical fandom- Yeah weird first Tumblr Fandom don't ask <3 Something special about you to me is how helpful you are! Or moreover how you're always so willing to help. It's not always a good thing to try to help everyone, trust me I know. But either way you still try your best to help! Wherever you end up next is gonna be your call, but I know you'll still be trying to help anyone along the way. Just don't forget to help yourself sometimes, okay? You're worth more than who you help or what you make!

@ayyyyysexual - Void sibestie omg... here is another online sibling of mine <3 ....Actually almost everyone on this list is almost a sibling to me.... huh. Well anyways! VOID OH MY GOD heyyyyy :] my favorite triple A battery (i think?? unless you're demi now because of a certain someone ;)- OKAY I'M GOING) Something special about you is how utterly chaotic you are- HAHA I'M SERIOUS! You're just so chaotic I really can't imagine how'd it be if you weren't! Or how'd it be if I didn't have it in my life! You're a silly little abyss ya know?

@bloop-arts - BLOOP BLOOP BLOOP THEOOOOOOO HAIIII surprise surprise, another sibling! ....I have a lot of siblings that lack a gender. Anyways, Bloopothy....... Paps! Something special about you is your inherent warmth.... And by that I mean your vibes are just so.. warm! It's hard to describe them any way else! You're very kind and bright and you just have this comforting warmth that's very special to me! And I'm sure it's special to a lot of people too! Papapapapap

@borkthemork - Bork.... Borky Bork Bork whose real name is really pretty but I'm still afraid to use! One of the coolest ever.... You didn't think I'd put in BLOOP and not put in the BORK didja??? Nononono my friend! They are a package deal! A duo! Set: Do Not Separate! To me, something special about you is your autism swag! I'm kidding, partially- But in all seriousness its your patience. I would say smarts, your intelligence, your calm and collected attitude, but in the end those all tie into your patience! Your patience with people, your patience with yourself, your patience with understanding others and your own emotions. It's nice...

@cute-as-buttons - SASHA!!! BUTTONS!!! MOOOOMMMM!!! First parent on the list <3 You became my parent out of association with my dad, who is your ex, so you are my ex-step-mom but either way you're still a mom to me <333 Something special about you to me is your sweetness. It seems simple, right? But, you should know that simple things can be beautiful. You have a nice warm energy to you, somewhat akin to Bloop's, but it's certainly catered to your own. Your kindness just makes you seem.... alive. Real. Human. You laugh, you cry, you joke, you smile, you live. It's good.

And now for the general mentions!

@pyroclastic727 @honneibun @maritasdump @ectoplasmic-knife @miraclesprinkles @mira-blue @wormautopsy @generalyunan @ohyoumeanher and everyone else in the Amphibia server, those I missed! You are all so special to me. Though you guys are HUGE and there's a lot of you, you all make me feel at home with your chaos. Your art, your writing, your jokes, your drama, all of it. It's one big frog community and we're all just enjoying where the chemicals in the water are taking us <3

@ask-the-daeu-mod-hub everyone in the utdr askblog fandom, you guys opened me back up to close knit communities after a while of just being in my own bubble.... You were all the gateway, the start of my true freedom. The silly bullshit we all get into, the angst, the lore, the memes- Honestly, you guys changed my life. I was in the Amphibia server before this, but I was honestly still kinda messed up.... you guys really helped. Thank you.

And all my old friends from the beginning of tumblr, @djts-arts @altairtalisman @spooner7308 @san-shui @cryptidmuppet @pandora-dusk my bunfriend, and a lot more. You guys were the real start of it all. Seriously, where would I be without you all? If it weren't for you guys, I probably wouldn't have survived this hellsite. Thanks, for guiding me til I can stand on my own. I'm glad to know that I have a lot of people catching me if I fall though.

[kanjukucompany]

【A3! Translation】 Sky Gallery (7/11)

previous chapter / next chapter

(translation under the cut)

(glitch text ignore)

Chapter 7

Misumi: …zu… Kazu~…

Kazunari: ….?

Kazunari: (Huh... I feel asleep without realizing again….)

Misumi: Kazu~, wake up~.

Kazunari: Sumi…?

Misumi: You’re awake~! He’s up, you two~!

Yuki: About time.

Muku: Good morning, Kazu-kun!

Yuki: Now get a move on, and make sure to just pack the essentials.

Kazunari: Huh? What? What’s going on?

Misumi: C’mon, hurry~!

Kazunari: ???

Kumon: Oh, here they are.

Tenma: You're late.

Izumi: I've already packed all our things.

Kazunari: Even Director-chan's here, what's happening?

Kumon: Now now, let's not dwell on the details! Just get in the car!

Kazunari: Car....

Misumi: I'm the driver for today~!

Kumon: Sumi-san driving is rare!

Muku: Misumi-san has excellent driving skills, so don't worry.

Tenma: Should we have been worried?

Izumi: Do you guys want me to drive instead?

Yuki: Please no. That's what I'd really worry about.

Izumi: Ehh~.....

Misumi: We're here~!

Kumon: We made it~!

Muku: What a clean room!

Yuki: Even though we're out in the country again, it's still quite different from our training camps.

Tenma: I'm really glad we were able to check-in early.

Kazunari: ...Hang on, I still don't know what's going on!

Tenma: As you can see, we're on a trip.

Misumi: You said you wanted us all to go on one together, remember~?

Kazunari: Yes, still, why now all of a sudden???

Yuki: You've looked troubled lately.

Kumon: That's too blunt!

Yuki: There's no point in beating around the bush.

(knocking)

Misumi: Come in~!

(door slides open)

Izumi: Everyone here? I came to collect them.

Kumon: Yep!

Kazunari: Collect?

Izumi: During this trip, smartphones are banned, so I'm going to keep them all in one place.

Tenma: This trip is a digital detox. The purpose is for us to enjoy nature, refresh our minds, and distance ourselves from social media and the noise of the city.

Kazunari: Why are we going out of our ways to...?

Tenma: As a creator, this is perfect for you. I've been told trips like these help you feel refreshed and inspired.

Tenma: Even with my latest filming, this helped me relax.

Yuki: Yours was unavoidable, though.

Tenma: I suppose. Anyways, SNS is usually an indispensable part of Kazunari's life, so I think it'd be good for him to experience something like this at least once.

Kazunari: --.

Kumon: Whatever, today, let's just let loose and have some fun!

Muku: I heard there's a fireworks display tonight too. I'm so excited!

Misumi: This feels nice~.

Muku: The air's so fresh

Kumon: It's good that there's so few people here, it's pretty relaxing!

Kazunari: .....

Izumi: Sorry for forcing you to come.

Izumi: It's just that recently, you've seemed so tired, Kazunari-kun. Everyone in Summer Troupe's been worried about you.

Kazunari: .....I know. I'm glad they brought me here. Surrounded by nature like this, I can forget about all the bad things.

Izumi: Kazunari-kun...

Kumon: Hey, you two, check this out! There's so many fish swimming around!

Izumi: Oh, there are!

Kumon: ーーU-Uwoh!

(splash)

Izumi: Kumon-kun!?

Kumon: Pleh.

Muku: Kyu-chan, are you okay!?

Kumon: Haha, I slipped! I'm fine though, I can stand~!

Tenma: Jeez... How did you even manage to fall down there.

Kazunari: ....Pfft.

Muku: Kazu-kun?

Kazunari: ....Ahahaha!

Kazunari: Kumopi, what kinda parkour move was that!

Misumi: Kazu laughed~.

Kumon: Ehehe.... You're not safe either, Kazu-san!

(splash)

Kazunari: Uwah!

Tenma: Hey, that stuff's cold! What're you doing!

Yuki: Nice dodging, idiot.

Tenma: In that case, why don't you try!

(splash)

Yuki: ーーHey!

Misumi: Me too, me too~! Splash, splash~!

Kazunari: Water fight~!

(splash)

Muku: Waa, it's cold!

Kumon: I'm taking you all down with me~!

(splash)

Izumi: Ahaha!

Tenma: Sigh... How do we always overdo it.

Yuki: We got so into it, that we all ended up getting drenched.

Muku: Well, at least in this weather, our clothes should dry quickly if we hang them outside.

Misumi: I had fun~.

Muku: Are we changing and then heading out again?

Kumon: The atmosphere in this room's pretty nice, so how about a nap first!

Yuki: Now? It's not even lunch yet....

Muku: We were up early this morning.

Misumi: I feel like I could sleep well~.

Yuki: Whatever. It's decided, let's take a break.

Tenma: Good grief... Guess I don't have a choice, I'll go let Director know.

Kumon: Why don't you just message her on LIMEーーOh, right, that's banned.

Muku: I forgot about that.

Misumi: Kazu, let's nap together~.

Kazunari: Okay.

-

Muku: ....Zzz...

Kumon: ...Snz...zz...

Kazunari: ......

Kazunari: (I'm wide awake, I can't sleep.)

Kazunari: (I've got nothing to do, and I don't have my phone, much less Inste.)

Kazunari: (If I had it in my hand right now, I'd be on it without thinking. Maybe drastic measures like this is just what I needed.)

Tenma: ....Kazunari?

Kazunari: Oh, sorry, did I wake you?

Tenma: No, I was already up. Can't sleep?

Kazunari: Mhm.... Just doing a little thinking.

Tenma: ....In that case, why don't you join me for a bit.

[greysfall]

My 4444-word review of NEO TWEWY (with personal illustration + heavy spoilers)

My overall critical score for the game is 7.5/10, while my personal enjoyment score is 8.5/10. This review is posted as I have 80% completed the game, got the secret ending and achieved the Angel psychic rank. I’ll first start with the main pros and cons as follows.

PROS:

-        Enjoyable as a whole, still upholding the first game’s spirit in world building and sharing the same backbone - which was mostly revealed in the Secret Reports, it’s impossible to grasp the story without reading them.

-        The new cast and new game is charming in their own way

-        The old cast’s return is one of the biggest highlights for sure, it was fun and impactful. Everyone stays true to themselves and also had their own stories wrapped up nicely.

-        Boss designs are cool, new pins are fun to use and collect

-        The connection between the old and new cast is well written and executed, including but are not limited to the tension between the old and new protagonist, the weird but fun interaction between the 2 Composers, the new friendships revealed and formed

-        Sho being in the main cast is something so uniquely TWEWY and uniquely Sho

-        Still good music

-        Still many fun side quests, some of them really uphold the same quirky spirit of the old game and some are surprisingly touching

-        Many new nice stores and yummy looking foods to explore

-        The map is really easy to memorize for me, it’s fun to travel around the “current” Shibuya to see all the differences compared to the past

-        The social network is crazy and interesting to read through

-        Has an anti-frustration system to help 100% complete the game more easily and earn money faster, so post-game is relatively managable.

-        Overall, I really feel the efforts the team poured into making this as their passion project, not just during the development process but for all the last 14 years. They showed the vision of what they wanted to make, at the same time giving something to both the old as well as new fans.

CONS:

-        The biggest problem with the game is scenario writing. The story is so heavily back-loaded. The director himself thought it would be better to balance out the tension flow by adding more at the beginning but gave in to the scenario writer in the end, probably due to time pressure. This results in an underwhelming execution of characterization and lots of wasted potentials for the first half of the game.  

-        I struggle to view it as a stand-alone game, since the backstory and the old cast both play such an important role in the core of the game. If someone plays this game without having played the OG, they can only enjoy it on surface value at best.

-        The new cast is nice but most of them aren’t quite as intriguing as the old cast, maybe it’s cuz they’re all too nice deep down that they lack a little bit of an edge, of that batshit craziness that everyone in the OG used to have? I think some characters (Fret, Nagi) ended up weaker in terms of characterization because the writer is too afraid of making them unlikeable – which kind of backlashed cuz they only became likable in the most expectable way to cater for a specific group of fans. I would have wished for the other team leaders to be more crazy too, had they not suffered 30+ loops of the Game…

-        The CAMERAWORK IS HELL.

-        Gameplay does get tedious at certain points with all the time travels.

-        Shiba is so badly written as a villain, some Shinjuku characters should be given more screentime cutting into Shiba’s– like Hishima or Kaie or even, Hazuki (though his limited presence also solidified his importance).

-        Some of the main character designs, for example Beat’s hairstyle and his food reactions are hilariously bad. What’s the point of covering up most of his unique facial features?

-        Some of the minor/side characters’ design are too cool for them to have such a small role (eg: Ayano, Eiru). Ryoji did get much screentime but is nowhere as fun as Makoto was.

-        Overall the scope of this game is made a little too big for the team to handle as perfectly as the last game that was very compact, it felt somewhat rushed in development too so the missing pieces are clearly there in the final picture

The entry fee versus paying for it all in the end

An important difference between the Neo game and the original Shibuya game was that the Shibuya rule asked for an entry fee that is the Player’s most important asset, stated as a chance the Composer gives them to reexamine themselves. Meanwhile, the Shinjuku rule neither encourages nor allows personal growth and ultimately aims to erase as many Players as possible. It’s a pity we were never introduced to the full Shinjuku rulebook, as it seems like the system there focuses more on building up power and a grand government to compare with the individuality-driven system of Shibuya.

When you have to compare the new game and the original game (OG), this is an important factor to consider. Also, the OG has a serious storyline running through and through, locked with a different partner/GM creating unique atmosphere for each week and you don’t get to see your old partners again until the end. NEO’s team system does not allow such deep insight and communication between the Players. All of your teammates are always there throughout, the dynamic does change with each new addition but it is not as prominent as a partner change.

Another important factor is how the OG was built from scratch for a new platform as “something no one has ever seen before”, while Neo recycled a lot of old unused ideas from the previous development (check out this interview for more details). The development team for NEO lacks 2 key members and had a change of writer so the final product is not as strongly bound together as the last game.

The new cast is definitely inspired by today’s teenagers (from the view of creators), compared to the old cast they’re more sociable and always seem to take whatever works for them despite feeling unstable inside. They are all innocent and genuinely nice kids, avoiding to hurt each other to a degree that they end up keeping some sort of distance. They’re also unable to communicate at deeper levels, always stagnant at this half-baked stage of equilibrium without any motivation to get to the core of things. That is the cost of entering the game without an entry fee, without even dying or having a reason to be there/to fight seriously. These kids were stolen from the RG into a Game that was decidedly the worst environment for them to change or develop, just wandering around cluelessly to find a way “out” until tragedies started to unfold one by one and they ended up being charged the total sum of the price for their actions – ultimately losing everything in the end.

That is, I believe, a story arc which can resonate more to the youth of today rather than of my generation. If the message of the old game was to “listen”, enjoy life to the fullest and accept to trust others, the message of the new game is to “speak up” from the inside, trying to understand yourself and take actions instead of just going with the flow and finally, to take responsibility for such actions.

If Neku was handpicked by the Composer for being the special one with an all-dense soul to ensure victory of the game then Rindo was just a normal kid chosen out of random by Kubo to be his back-up plan, who just happened to have a high enough imagination to awaken the incredible power from his pin. Rindo was then officially chosen by the Composer as Josh picked up and handed the pin to him again, this time not as Josh’s personal Proxy – but as the Proxy to represent the normal people of Shibuya and via whom he could gamble if humans can fight for their own fate.

The underworld heroine and the hero with little of his own

Shoka is for me a refreshing and layered heroine. She’s the kind of character that took at least 3 trials of creators to form as a complete individual – that included Nomura who gave her the base design and Reaper background, Gen who gave a more cunning touch and the writers who made her English dialogues more punchy. Dishonesty equals “tsundere” is such a cliché, so the English writers tried really hard to avoid that trope in my opinion, while still letting her good intention come through.

She serves as the character who is informed of everything the players should have known, and there was almost nothing she could do about it. Almost. Until she met Rindo.

They were drawn to each other by sharing a state of “not having anything of their own”. They both started out with not being able to truly know themselves, Shoka even hated her RG life but also managed to mature from that stage before Rindo. She must have vibed with Shiki’s love and passion in the Gatto Nero threads, initiating her connection with Shibuya and understanding herself more. With Shoka as Swallow, they were able to open up to each other and offer mental support… but was still not getting to the centre of their problems because for all this time, Shoka could not tell Rindo the most important things about herself.

How did Shoka feel when she met Rindo at the UG? She probably didn’t want to hope that he would live the day until she witnessed the Twisters’ potentials. From the very beginning, they were both incredibly conscious of each other and also constantly frustrated that the person they happened to “notice” was such a condescending bitch/a clueless loser. The Shinjuku Reapers are overall quite drunk in power and uncompassionate to Players, Shoka included. She is also a master of dissociation, which results in her constant boredom, tone swings, haughtiness and subconsciously distancing herself from the friend – the boy she cares about – from false hope, as she judged from facts that it was a hopeless situation where nothing could ever be. Maybe she is naturally a bit of a chameleon just like her name suggests (Shoka 紫陽花 = hydrangea, the color-changing flower), so putting on an act and always dissociating herself from what’s important was easy, while hiding her contradiction was impossible. It was the ex-Reaper Beat who broke it out to her, that she should decide whether she really cared and wanted to do something for a change. He knew how it felt like to cross that line, and knew she wanted to too.  

Shoka is endeared by many of the Shinjuku Reapers and has shown independent acts of kindness (the Shinjuku ghost), proving that her kind and truthful side is as real as her harsh and dishonest side – which makes her a nice mirror to the previous heroine Shiki, who also embraced a dichotomy of self-complex and self-love within her character. In the end, she was the first of the new cast to ultimately accept all that is important to her and independently made the decision to help save Shibuya despite all costs.

She was jealous at Rindo’s interaction with Tsugumi and Kanon but remained silent cuz she wasn’t at a place to have any say about it. She also didn’t reveal about Swallow because that would only add an awkward irrelevance to their current situation, as she was too ready to face erasure at the end of the Game. She only wished to “play a game” with him, be it FanGo or the Reapers’ Game. The tension that the team could only feel at the end, she’s felt it the entire time. The song “DIVIDE” is applicable to not just one bond in the game, but it always makes me think of theirs. There is always a “divide” between her and Rindo throughout the course of their journey, as the living and the dead, as a Player and Reaper, as someone who has a place to return to and someone who doesn’t, someone who knows little but wields too much power and someone who knows a lot despite not being able to do much.

“If only I had the chance to connect with you on the other side

But time goes on, and without us realizing it

The battle is getting heated

Time goes on, and without us realiazing it

Divided again”

To be honest, maybe I didn’t grow any affection for the new main cast from Rindo’s perspective but from Shoka���s. Since I started to sympathize with Shoka, I started to see the boy in a more “real” way. The real Rindo, behind his peaceful façade with others, would lash out on Shoka for her unfairly harsh attitude while none of the others cared. He could also subtly feel that mantle of unspoken secrets from her, her own contradictions, the unresolved chemistry between themselves – and not knowing what to do with it rather than to feel angry with all the unfairness he could not process. (As a Libra too, he’s triggered the most by unfairness!)

It is actually a positive development as he’s at least “reacting” to something strongly now rather than to keep evading his problems. During my replay, I clearly saw the difficult situation Shoka was in, her remaining harshness after the Motoi incident was due to her internal struggle with a mission to save her own life, versus a chance to really be with the team. Her decision was to do both at the risk of losing favour from both sides. Rindo started to accept her layer by layer, as the person who resonated the most to her contradicting nature from the start and knew that via learning her resolve, he has learnt his too.

Later into the game, she even got too much of his attention. Maybe even without knowing she’s Swallow, he’s familiar with her thinking direction and Swallow had always been closer to him than any other friend. It was only after she had to betray her important ones twice that she could start being truly honest. The scene when she died a 2nd time left a strong impression in me, the little reveal let Rindo know that he is also losing Swallow as he’s losing Shoka – and that only death could drive the last secret out of her. Her final “Later, loser” echoed through Rindo as it was the final truth, with only him remaining to hear it: they had actually, already lost everything.

Rindo was the boy who never dared to face all that matters to him until he lost it all, fighting an unfair battle in the faith that they would somehow still win. Shoka was the girl who always knew what was dear to her, but never dared to think she could be together with them ever after and still threw her all into a battle she knew was losing. I think they stir each other on naturally to fill out their gaps, similar to what the Shibuya game partner systerm would have aimed for. The end reward was a little divine intervention to help close up the divide between them once and for all.  

During the game there was not enough space to process anything personal so at the ending when they officially became “friends”, it was an important affirmation of their bond. Some people complained it was friendzoning but it’s not, they just have arrived at the perfect place to start something more. “From now on, we will truly be together” – I read it as that kind of message.  

The heroine from a lost battle, with her story taken away

After reading the secret reports and playing the game to be surprised of how small a role Tsugumi had in the main game despite being the “Hype-chan” thought to be a major character of the next TWEWY installment, many fans would feel sad at a missed opportunity to see the Shinjuku arc in full depiction.

It was shown clearly that, a Shinjuku arc was very carefully planned out and is a vital part of the whole story, yet it could not be made due to various circumstances behind the development scene. I would assume, that the team were not able to make a TWEWY game that ended on a despairing note, but it already happened in their mind, thus becoming a mental burden that forced them to break away from it and started the game anew with NEO. A significant part of NEO became the healing arc for the Shinjuku characters, especially for Tsugumi though I really wished more emphasis should have been placed on her rather than Shiba. We didn’t even get to see her brother – Shinjuku’s Conductor who had a vital role and instead was given the clueless Shiba, who had absolutely no idea what’s going on all the way until the last day in NEO. It’s as if Tsugumi has had her story stolen away from her, because her own battle ended with a saddening loss.

I think every time the game creators look at Tsugumi, they would feel that sadness too. Maybe to them, she is a bigger character than what is seen by the fans, as despite their failed effort to depict her story, she’s lived in their mind for all these years through periods of destruction, healing and rebuild.  Though it is a pity we could not get to experience the full scope of the Shinjuku story, the creators was clear about the place they wished for it to arrive at.    

Individuality, connection and the social network

The team system adapted from Shinjuku rulebook does not allow much room for personal development, as the team dynamic is closer to a work relationship forced to bear results, than a spiritual bond to max out all corners of understanding as found in the partnership system. The old Shibuya system allowed only 1 winner and 1 week limit per game, while the new rule declares for a 1 winning team and only the team at last place will be erased – the other teams will enter another loop. Furthermore, whichever team to challenge the unwinnable Ruinbringers will face the risk of ending up dead last followed by erasure. As a result, the longest-standing teams are most likely not the strongest ever recorded, but the ones who have figured out a strategy to simply survive until something changes, enjoying their newly found social constructs while they are at it. Basically, it is a system to hypnotise players into the illusion that they are still “living”.

Therefore, we as players would not get to the core of each Player individually as fast and directly as we did in the last game. The Twisters were able to stand out not because they’re powerful, they only started to have a real chance after growing enough to each form a meaningful and personal connection to another teammate. It did not come as a team, nor did it intiate from the existing friendship between Rindo and Fret. In fact, I did not find much solidity or anything truly note-worthy about the main team and new characters within themselves until they started clashing with other team members, Reapers and new recruits from week 2 onwards. Rindo found his personal development with Shoka (via a clash with Motoi and pretty much a mini dating sim between them), then via the confrontation of his role with Neku; Fret found his with Kanon then Nagi, the team learned about the real Neku via Beat, Neku entered the UG via Coco’s wish to save Tsugumi… it was not the team but their personal links that empowered them to fight and solve each of their problems.

The other team leaders may have failed because they did not form such personal links, after 30+ hopeless loops Fuya’s team all fell apart to pursue their own interest even at the cost of erasure, Motoi quit his KOL façade to work like a dog for the Reapers (probably to save just his own ass not his team), while Kanon dropped her tricks to find changes via honest cooperation in acceptance of a fair loss. The despairing note in that is huge without making much of a scene because their failure didn’t happen at their best effort to “win”, but in their last attempt to find a way “out”. Even Shiba got his way “out” in the end thanked to his personal friendship with Hishima and Tsugumi.

Something has shifted in the mindset of the game creators in the last 14 years, as both games are about “connection vs individuality” but the last game focuses more on connection between just individuals and this one on the overall network that is formed out of those individual connections.

The introduction of Beat into the main cast was truly the bridge between old and new, they helped each other out in several turns before officially recruiting him. Beat is a character whom a lot of fans including myself have felt somewhat concerned about after Neku disappeared from the RG, so when the new kids welcomed Beat with warm and organic interaction and Beat seemed happy, I started to feel like I wanted to help them out too! I think the overall team chemistry is enjoyable enough for new players, but I could warm up to the new kids more from the pov of a returning character – whom I’m glad to be Beat, as the older brother figure who is genuinely kind, fun, serious and upbeat at the same time; who is needed and needs the kids in return.

The social network is a fun and refreshing feature. You can read all of the crazy tidbits about Shibuya and the links each character have formed with the town people, it’s also fun to visualize how the characters act off screen. Characters’ profiles provide extra insight into their background too, like how it reveals Tsugumi has been friend with Coco during her time in the RG. During the game when not all characters have showed up, you can sometimes guess which empty spot will belong to whom. For example there is a 1 character linking to Neky that is not linked to anyone else, so I could guess that was Joshua, and that another character linking only to Joshua was probably Hazuki, hinting that the 2 Composers are related before either of them even showed up.

Hazuki only showed up for 5 minutes, but his presence is so vital and true to the game that I think he is the most memorable out of the new cast. The two Composers have such an intriguing bond, with their yin/yang or phoenix/dragon themes, opposite color design, the sempai/kouhai tone and the way they keep some sort of distance/work relationship as if it’s mandatory between Higher beings, yet at the same time they can talk so casually because they are truly equal – and different from one another. I have written a separate meta on them here.

Some people pointed out, that all Shinjuku characters’ names and themes are based off Hanafuda cards and the Phoenix in Hanafuda belongs to the Paulownia suit – which is Joshua’s name flower. This is so interesting because it feels like the creators somehow saw it as a sign to interweave the Shibuya and Shinjuku storylines together. Though it doesn’t come out much on the surface, it’s fascinating nonetheless considering both Josh and Haz had at some point interfered with the other town’s affairs.

“Shibuya tour with Haz” was such a special scene, as it happened between 2 characters who do not/no longer have a reason to care about Shibuya, on the subject of what is worth saving about Shibuya. Hazuki carried out the purification of Shinjuku and stepped in to restore Shibuya just as part of his job and unlike Hanekoma or Joshua who both possess profound understanding of humanity, he really didn’t know humans at all. Rindo’s irrational wish invoked in him a sense of curiosity, to try gambling on something irrationally and learning a bit of what his senior have experienced. With all the pieces put together, it provides an overview on Higher beings as a whole, and that Joshua and Hanekoma are really the odd ones out with Hazuki being somewhere in between them and the rest.        

The old friends

It’s easy to have returning characters overshadow the new cast as they have already matured out of their personal story arc and stayed in our hearts for all this time. In the end, I have managed to enjoy both the old and new cast separately and altogether, and they will both find their own place in our memory of this game for the long term.

Sho is truly as crazy as ever, the game wouldn’t be the same if Sho is any less of what he is. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like Neky or Beat is younger than Nagi at all, with moments when it seems like Neky has aged 14 years instead of 3 years. His friendship with Coco surprised me pleasantly, and their interaction together with Beat was fun to watch. Rhyme’s found a new dream and her friendship with Kaie is precious too, especially considering that she can still talk to him online after the game ended. Josh and Neku’s interaction suggested that they have resolved the past and are on equal terms now, they even parted ways in good spirit and I don’t feel any worry about them like I did before.

Neku and Shiki’s reunion scene was beautiful, theirs is such a special bond that it has grown and supported them even without being able to see each other. I am so happy to see them all again and that they stay true to who they are, albeit looking more grown up, cooler and happier than ever before.  

Overall, NEO can’t become a classic on par with the OG, but is definitely a good sequel and a good game in its own rights. I’m happy with whether or not there will be a 3rd game to complete the 3 monkeys theme, but if there will be – I hope the creators can really find the time to learn from the last 2 games and start over with a fresh mindset and strong core.  

[helloalycia]

The Wrong Lifetime – Three // Wanda Maximoff

chapter two | story masterlist | main masterlist | wattpad | chapter four

author’s note: i have nothing to say except enjoy!

Chewing on my bottom lip, I looked over the shelves at the different kinds of stationary the shop had to offer. I needed a new notebook and some ink since I'd ran low at home, so I decided to come into town to have a look.

A brown leather-bound notebook caught my eye and I picked it up, flicking through the pages. Sadly, they were too thin for my liking, so I replaced it and kept looking.

Moments like this were one of the few luxuries I had to myself, where my mother wasn't nattering in my ear about finding a husband and learning to do something useful other than writing, or where my brother wasn't overshadowing me in everything he did, making me feel even worse about myself. No, moments like this, I could just be.

"Y/N? Is that you?"

And there goes my moment.

Plastering a smile on my lips, I spun around and was surprised to see Wanda approaching me with an equally surprised expression on her face. She really was everywhere, wasn't she?

"Wanda, hello," I greeted as she stopped by my side. "It's good to see you."

She looked good, considering I hadn't seen her for a few days. Maybe once when she'd popped in to say hello to everybody before her date with my brother, but that was hardly a meeting. Now, she looked cheery, eyes sparkling with their usual excitement.

"You, too," she said softly, a smile creeping on her lips. Her eyes fell to my hands, where I was holding some ink. "Don't you have servants to do that for you?"

"Don't you have servants to do that for you?" I countered lightheartedly, eyes flickering to the vast amount of paintbrushes and paint in her arms.

She narrowed her eyes in a playful manner. "Touché."

Rolling my eyes in good nature, I asked, "So, what made you decide to go shopping?"

"I needed some new supplies," she quipped with an adorable smile, lifting her arms which were filled with said supplies.

"And you didn't think a basket would help?" I joked, before turning to grab a stray basket beside the shelves and helping her to put everything in it.

She chuckled, accepting my help, and answered, "Truthfully, I only came for the paint, but then I saw some new brushes I wanted to try, and then there were some new colours in stock and, well, before I knew it–"

"This happened," I finished for her with amusement, handing her the filled basket.

She took the basket from my hands and nodded. "Exactly. I would have sent my servant to get the paint, but last time I did, she came back with the wrong one."

"Oh, the scandal," I teased.

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and it was refreshing to see the shoe on the other foot. I guess I could see the fun in it now – no wonder she teased me often. Plus, she looked cute when she was caught off guard.

"What about you?" she countered, attempting to take the attention off her.

Content smile on my lips, I watched her. "What about me?"

She gave me an isn't it obvious? look. "I told you why I was here. What about you?"

I shrugged, looking back to the shelves. "I just needed some things... and I may or may not get excited when buying stationary."

Her melodious laughter filled the air. "Of course."

"I just don't know which to get," I told her, motioning to the notebooks. "There's so many options!"

She hummed with amusement, stepping by my side closely and reaching out to get a better look. I was acutely aware of her shoulder pressed to mine and tried to stop thinking about it, but obviously, once I told myself to stop thinking about it, it was all I could think about.

"How about this one?" she suggested, picking up a notebook wrapped in a burgundy-coloured sleeve. She was probably biased since it was her favourite colour.

I took it from her grasp as she held it towards me, feeling tingles at the tips of my fingers when they grazed her hand. God, I needed to get a grip.

Before I could look at the notebook properly, I noticed a smudge on her hand, subconsciously grabbing it before she pulled away. Flipping it over so I could see her palm, I saw several smudges of colour and stared with confusion.

"Paint," she explained, mildly embarrassed as she pulled away. "The stuff goes everywhere."

I hid a smile, finding it cute, before looking to the notebook again.

"I like it, but now to see the pages," I said, flipping through them to see if they were thick enough. I hated getting a notebook with flimsy pages that ink seeped through.

"Are they to your liking, your majesty?" she teased, and I looked up to see her tilting her head and watching me through her eyelashes.

"Yes, they are actually," I retorted with a childish glare, before closing it. "Thanks."

She half-suppressed a laugh. "Good. Let's hope it gives you some... vdokhnoveniye."

She paused, scrunching her nose in thought, probably searching for the right word in English. I was too distracted by how enchanting she looked when she did that to care about her struggle to find the word.

"Vdokhnoveniye is like inspiration," she explained, eyes looking back to me after staring up in thought, "but it's something better. It's from the word vdykhat', meaning to breathe."

"So, you want me to get a good breath from this?" I asked, quirking a brow with bemusement.

"No! No." She laughed, running a hand through her curls. "It's like... when you get inspired by something so quickly, as quickly as it takes to take in a breath. Never mind, it's stupid."

"It's not," I reassured her with an appreciative look. "I get it. Thanks. I like that. Russian is definitely a fascinating language."

She seemed glad that I made sense of her ramblings and I smiled, realising there was much more to Wanda than her ability to make me a stumbling mess.

"Have you got everything?" I asked her, glancing to her basket, before quickly adding, "What am I saying? Of course you've got everything. Practically half the store is in there."

She shoved me gently. "Not nice. But yes, I have everything."

I refrained from chuckling at her dismay before leading the way to the till so we could pay. As we took turns, the cashier made conversation with both of us. I knew of him because I'd been here enough times to make a friend, but I was surprised to see Wanda was the same. I was certain I'd never seen her here before. And I'd been here a lot.

When we finished paying, we began to head outside and I decided to speak my thoughts.

"You know, it's strange to think that we've both been coming here for a while and yet we've never crossed paths," I noted. "I mean, unless we have and just didn't know who each other were then."

She shook her head casually. "Oh, no, we haven't crossed paths. I'd definitely remember a pretty face like yours."

I paused, bewildered at her words as they took time to sink in. She seemed to notice as she laughed, holding the door to the shop open for me. I walked outside and she followed after me, eyes glancing at me satisfactorily.

"So, er, what are you doing now?" I changed the subject, recovering from my momentary shock.

She settled with a smile as she answered, "I'm in the middle of adding some finishing touches to a painting I'm working on. I'll probably head back to finish it."

"Ah, the paintings that you talk about but I've never seen," I joked, relaxing under her stare. "I'm starting to believe you're lying to me, love."

She rolled her eyes, though her smile widened, revealing a dimple by the corner of her mouth. "I'm not... You can come with me if you'd like. I don't mind showing you." When her eyes met mine, she quickly added, "If you're not busy, that is."

Humour disappearing, I nodded with surprise. "Sure. I'd love to."

And that wasn't a lie. I was curious to see the Sokovian's work since she seemed to enjoy talking about art so much. Plus, I could appreciate some good art when I needed to and I wondered if hers would fit the bill.

Or at least that's what I told myself when she flashed her dazzling smile my way, making my heart explode with adoration.

—

Just like me, Wanda didn't have a dedicated place to work from because her parents didn't deem her passion an appropriate hobby for a young woman in today's day and age. So, just like I did, she worked in her room and made the most of the space she had.

As soon as we took a step inside, I was amazed by how much stuff there was. Of course there was the expected – a bed, an ottoman, a wardrobe and a desk – but it was as if that was all secondary furniture to the main focus.

Closest to the giant window on the opposite end of the room were several canvases being supported by easels, some painted and some blank. Papers with sketches of literally anything you can think of were taped to the walls, some scattered along the floor and some scrunched up entirely, missing the bin.

Her desk was filled with jars of paintbrushes, oils, pencils, chalk and any other art supply I'd probably never heard nor seen of before. The place was messy, but not dirty. Her bed was made, the sheets as crisp as could be, her books were lined up neatly, her paintbrushes all had a perfect spot. It was clean, but it was a giant mess, and it was the most beautiful mess I'd ever seen. I refused to believe art was merely a hobby for her when it seemed like her room was dedicated to it.

"This is your room?" I asked with disbelief, eyebrows raised.

Clearly mistaking my amazement for critique, she dumped her newly purchased art supplies on her bed before rushing to pick up some loose papers and canvases from the floor.

"Yes," she squeaked, attempting to kick some papers under her bed as she straightened up sheepishly. "Sorry for the mess. Believe it or not, it does follow a system."

I laughed wholeheartedly, heading further into the space to where her makeshift studio was. "Wanda, you don't need to apologise. This place is amazing."

She snickered, glancing around at everything. "You think? I'd love something more – a real studio – but of course, women aren't supposed to have hobbies apart from pleasing their husband and hosting dinners every other week."

The last part she said with a hint of bitterness, clearly repeating what she'd been told before, no doubt by her parents. I was surprised by her vulgarity, but I wasn't in disagreement. She was absolutely right and it was such a shame because women were so much more than their husband. Too bad society would never see that.

"My father only allows me this... sanctuary," she finished with a sigh, before her hand rested on her desk. "It's not much, but at least it's mine."

"Well, I love it," I told her honestly, making her smile as she looked my way. "Can I look around?"

She waved her hand. "Of course. Nothing's off limits,  but do be generous. My ego is easily bruised."

I chuckled at her joke and she flashed me another smile before grabbing her neglected art supplies. As I helped myself to looking around at her work, I heard her rustling around behind me and glanced her way, seeing her making herself comfortable on a stool before a particular canvas. I presumed it was the piece she was working on that she mentioned earlier and got back to my browsing.

She was extremely talented, not that I had any doubts to be honest. There were her bigger pieces, the extremely detailed ones, that she'd painted of grassy landscapes. Some were green full trees with falling leaves, some were cherry blossom trees with pink blossoms floating in the air, some were buildings overgrown with mother nature. I recognised none of them, but they transported me elsewhere like a nostalgic reminder of being a kid and playing in the garden with my mum. Even now, I helped her do the gardenening, but I'd never really appreciated my surroundings until I saw Wanda's work.

And those were just the huge pieces. She'd done sketches that were taped to the wall, to her desk, floating out of sketchbooks. Some were plans for bigger pieces, others were daily observations, all of her surroundings. She didn't draw people, I noticed, it was mainly scenery. But it was all stunning and it brought a smile to my lips as I imagined her producing all of this in her own little sanctuary, as she called it.

"You've been quiet for too long," she called out jokingly, after a while of me perusing her sketchbooks.

I looked up from my seat at her desk, seeing her focused on her painting, but an amused smile ghosted her lips. The sunlight from the window was hitting her perfectly at the moment, and even from where I was sat, I could see the flecks of gold shimmering in her eyes, matching the auburn streaks in her hair. The breath got knocked out of me momentarily, and I almost forgot that she'd said something.

Clearing my throat, I returned her smile. "I'm admiring your work, Wanda. You're bloody talented."

She lowered her paintbrush and gave me an incredulous look. "Tell me what you really think, Y/N."

I grinned, laughing slightly. "I am! I genuinely think this is amazing."

She pressed her lips together, still reluctant to believe me, but she nodded gratefully and returned her attention to her painting. I didn't fail to notice the pink spreading across her cheeks at the compliment, and my heart fluttered at the sight.

"Would you ever sell any of these?" I asked her, standing up and approaching her side to see what she was working on.

I noticed the addition of stray paint that had made its way to her hands and forearms and it made me smile. I don't even think she realised it was there.

She scrunched her nose up at the idea. "I've given some away to family friends because my parents made me. But no, I don't think I'd sell them." Something seemed to make her snort with amusement, then she said, "Nobody would buy them anyway."

I frowned as she sighed, her shoulders sagging at the thought. It was horrible to admit, but she was right. Female authors – questionable, but sure, they existed. Female painters? Let's just say that it was easier to be successful if you worked under a pseudonym and pretended to be a man. Which she clearly wouldn't do, or at least her parents wouldn't allow her to do. Sadly, Wanda Maximoff was in the wrong lifetime.

Hoping to cheer her up, I stood by her side and admired the strokes she made with her paintbrush. "If it's any consolation, if we were in another lifetime where I actually made money, I'd buy them."

She glanced at me, partially disbelieving my words, partially intrigued. "Seriously?"

I nodded with certainty, eyes flickering between hers and her painting. "Seriously. All of them. I'd buy every single one."

She looked away, swallowing hard, then a soft, barely noticeable smile appeared on her lips, and I was glad I'd said the right thing.

Focusing my attention on the painting again, I saw it was a stunning view of a stream, and the way she'd painted it made it seem like it was flowing off the canvas. Her last minute touches, adding white flecks of oil paint on the water, managed to bring the piece to life without any effort. I was amazed at how someone could make nothing turn into something so easily.

"Where is this?" I asked curiously, not recognising the scene, and also wondering where she'd gone for the inspiration since we lived in a busy town that didn't have water sources nearby.

She pointed to her head with the end of her paintbrush. "Up here."

"You made this up?" I asked, surprised for the millionth time since arriving.

"Uh-huh." She tilted her head to study the piece, whilst saying, "I usually paint what's in the garden. Sometimes what I see in town is good, too. But I really wanted to paint water, and apart from the constant rain we get, there is none. So, I made it up."

I was impressed at her ability to make up something like this, but also slightly confused. "Why don't you just visit Blackpool? There's a beach – water, sand, pier, everything. And it's not too far from here. You could make it a day trip."

She shrugged, distracting herself with dipping her brush on her palette. "I don't want to go by myself."

I probably should have recommended she visit with my brother. You know, the man she was engaged to? But my eagerness got the better of me, and I ended up saying, "Maybe we could go together. If you want."

She looked up, a slow smile forming on her lips. "I'd like that."

I mirrored her expression, nodding slightly. "Great. I'm sure we can arrange something. Promise."

She held my gaze for a second longer, saying, "I'll hold you to that, milaya," before looking back to her painting.

"What does that mean?" I asked suddenly, my mind clearly not controlling my words today. "You keep calling me it."

She chuckled, leaning forward to get a closer look at her work with her paintbrush. "Darling."

"Pardon?"

She shook her head, glancing at me with amusement. "No, Y/N. It means darling."

I swallowed awkwardly, certain my cheeks were as red as they felt warm. I wasn't sure what was more embarrassing – that I'd responded to her calling me darling when she hadn't, or that she'd been calling it me this whole time without me knowing. "Oh."

"Pull up a stool," she changed the subject, though my mind was still racing at her revelation. Had she called Y/B/N that? I couldn't recall. "I'll show you how to paint a little if you want."

Dazed, I did as she said whilst chewing on my lip with thought. She watched me, grinning from ear to ear, but said nothing. Was it normal for my heart to flip-flop in my chest like it was? I couldn't tell anymore. And when she grabbed my hand without saying anything, my hand felt like it was on fire with her touch.

The tip of her paintbrush swiped against my inner palm, her soft fingertips holding it up. Every area that her finger touched was burning, sending tingles up my arm and leaving me paralysed. Good thing I was sat down.

"There," she said like it was obvious. "Now you're an artist."

Blue eyes met mine excitedly and I gave her a small smile in return, hoping that these strange thoughts and reactions would disappear soon enough. Because this was definitely not appropriate.

—

My dreams were never anything worthwhile.

For someone who had a creative mind and could string sentences together to create a story I was proud of, my subconscious was the opposite. It was dry and boring and I rarely remembered my dreams unless they were scary enough to wake me up. But this time, this was a dream I was certain I'd never forget...

As with all dreams, I was unable to control what was happening. I was myself, observing from a first person point of view like it was real, but I had no control over my words or actions. Everything was predetermined, like a script I was forced to follow.

So, in this particular dream, I was sat in the back of a carriage, wearing a dress that was fancier than my usual taste. One hand was clutching my purse and the other was in someone else's hand, the person playing with my fingers soothingly.

"We're stopping now. Are you ready?"

It was Wanda. I had no idea why she was in my dream, or why she was leaning into my side comfortably, or why she was playing with my fingers like she did it all the time. I just knew that it shouldn't have been happening.

"Yeah, c'mon," I said with a smile, following my dream's script.

I intertwined our fingers and raised them to my lips, pressing a kiss to her palm. She smiled with adoration and allowed me to lead her out the carriage quickly. We were at the theatre and the first thing I thought was that my mind was creating a date similar to the one she shared with my brother. Oh, God, this wasn't good.

"Promise you've got the tickets?" she asked as we walked inside, hand in hand.

In my dream, nobody around us seemed to care that we were together, that we were two women showing affection and simply existing in a way more than friends. As wrong as I knew it was to dream of my soon-to-be sister-in-law like this, my mind was at peace, knowing I could be myself in my dream state. I didn't have to hide my identity and it was liberating.

"No, I decided to leave them at home," I answered her sarcastically, smiling.

She squeezed my hand and tugged me close, stopping me from walking any further. Her face scrunched together with a feigned annoyance.

"You don't need to be mean," she mumbled, eyes peering into mine, and my heart raced at the contact of her body pressed to mine.

Grinning, I pressed a kiss to her nose. "I've got them right here, love. Now let's go before we're late."

The dream didn't have a clear transformation. I just knew that one second I was staring at Wanda and the next I was sat beside her in the theatre, waiting for the lights to go down.

"Here," I said, passing her the programme for the show that was in my hand.

When I looked down at it, I was surprised to see a wedding ring on my left hand. Huh.

The lights dimmed when Wanda looked my way, green eyes bright in the dark. She shrugged, grabbing the programme and tossing it over her shoulder to the (thankfully) empty seat next to her.

"Looks like I missed my chance," she said, referring to the lack of light.

I opened my mouth to counter her words, but she didn't give me chance to as she pressed her lips to mine, hand raising to hold the back of my neck and pull me closer. Real me was freaking out, wondering why the hell I was allowing myself to have such thoughts about the girl who was going to marry my brother. And dream me was melting into her touch, shivering at her warmth and the way she began to suck my bottom lip.

"Wanda," I breathed out, pulling away breathlessly, but she continued to hold me close with a stifled grin.

"Isn't that why we got these tickets?" she said jokingly, eyes meeting mine.

My heart raced as she did, the simplest of glances making me weak in the knees. I was beginning to learn that her eyes were irresistibly beautiful.

"Right," I found my words, smiling in agreement as my eyes flickered to her lips.

They were painted red tonight, slightly smudged from the abrupt kiss she gave me, and I could only imagine the state of my own lips.

"We can watch the play now," she whispered, and I just about managed to tear my gaze from her lips to see the entertained look in her eyes.

I hummed in response, not trusting myself to say something comprehensible. Her lips curved into a smile and she linked our arms before settling into her seat, head leaning on my shoulder. I leaned mine on top, kissing the top of her head gently before also getting comfortable.

When I woke up, I didn't remember the rest of the dream, or know if there was a rest of the dream. I opened my eyes and found myself laying in my bed alone, tired and in the dark. It was still nighttime and my mind was foggy with fatigue. It took a moment for me to remember what I'd just dreamed. And then it hit me.

I liked my brother's fiancé.