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lightlycareless · 1 month

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Hey hope you're doing great ❤ I wanted to ask, how do you think Naoya would react if his beloved wife is infertile? I think it would be pretty interesting considering he's a traditionalist and heir and all 🤔

Hello!

I am doing fine thank you 🥰!! I hope you're doing well too.

And omg this ask.... it was just what I needed, angst. Or at least that's what I wanted to take it as hahahahahahaaaaaa thank you so much for sending in this hehe. The perfect excuse to write down some thoughts I've been having for a while.

warnings: mentions of infertility, adultery, self doubt. Naoya is somewhat ooc I guess but he's your loving husband nontheless.

Happy reading!!!

Discovering you were infertile quickly becomes one of your worst nightmares—and not simply because of that, which is severe by itself, but rather all of the things that ensued; notions that your mind convinced you of … the insecurities it awakens.

The moment you and Naoya decide to finally try out for a baby, you completely dedicate all your efforts to it. It was only all you ever wanted, after all: to have a family with the man of your dreams.

Thus, believing your prayers to be answered in just a matter of time, you and Naoya began to make all preparations, from buying clothes to choosing which room to transform into a nursery… you were enthusiastic as enthusiastic could be! Your husband nothing but indulging to your desires.

But even with all your persistent attempts, those typical symptoms associated with pregnancy failed to present themselves. Weeks passed and you haven’t felt either nauseous or tired. No odd cravings, nor anything else…

A part of you didn’t want to admit it; feared that doing so out loud might make it true, but perhaps… perhaps you were one of the women that were fated to struggle when conceiving, regardless of how much you desired a baby; still hoping you’d be placed above such chances and have your dream conceded.

Yet… it didn’t. And with much fear in your heart, you’ve decided to go to the doctor for a checkup. A second opinion, the reassurance that everything was fine, you were just bound to struggle a bit before becoming a mother.

Maybe there was something else you were failing to consider, skipping over when together with Naoya…

Desperately hoping for literally anything else but the gut-wrenching revelation that soured your heart for the rest of your life.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N, but the reason why you haven’t been able to get pregnant is because you’re—”

You knew exactly what was coming and yet, you didn’t want to hear it. Didn’t think yourself capable of—it just… it just never occurred to you that it would happen. That it would be true.

But that awful word felt like it was being imprinted on your forehead, with bright red ink for the whole world to scrutinize, when she said it. When she sentenced your fate and marriage in more ways than you could possibly imagine.

Infertile.

…

So that’s why you weren’t able to have a child. That’s why no matter how much you tried, how much desired it, you weren’t seeing results.

Oh, what a simple solution.

“But that—that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do about it, right?” Naoya frets soon after, perhaps to give you hope, encourage you to seek solutions. Medicine has advanced so much in recent years, certainly there must be something to consider before closing this chapter!

Yet, to you… his words unwittingly igniting a new insecurity in you as you’re reminded that you weren’t the only one who wanted a family as well, with Naoya seemingly having much more to lose if unaccomplished.

There was nothing, ever, in his actions to lead you down this path, but you couldn’t help but worry about it, especially the circumstances you were surrounded by.

If you weren’t able to conceive, then… what was your purpose as his wife?

What kind of scrutiny awaited you once you returned to the Zen’in estate, once his family knew that you were unable to have children? They’d figure out in time, perhaps it wasn’t even necessary to tell them personally…

Not that it mattered, this would only highlight what they already thought of you:

A failure.

“A woman that can’t have children is no woman at all.”

“It’s the only thing we had hopes she’d be able to do well, and not even that was she capable of. What a disgrace”

“Oh, poor Naoya-sama… hopefully he’ll be able to deal with this issue before it’s too late.”

“Don’t listen to them, Y/N.” Your husband, all too aware of the inner workings of his family, was quick to defend you. Either by openly scolding them, punishing those he could, or removing you from those dire situations, away from the comments of people you really shouldn’t bother considering, and surround you with those that truly cared for you. “They don’t know what they’re saying.”

Clearly, for how could they even imply he was angry at you? Disappointed? Instead of worried given how dimmed you behaved nowadays, lacking the happiness that always accompanied you whenever doing your daily duties or talking with your staff and family!

Naoya worried, naturally. So much so that he decided to reassign all his missions and duties to someone else just so he could keep by your side, tend to you, let you know that you aren’t alone and that he understands what you’re going through—to the best of his ability.

Your husband hoped that his company would make you happy, it always did or so he supposed by the way you clung to him whenever around.

But not this time around. If anything, having him near proved worse than he anticipated, as if his presence was a constant reminder of whom you failed, and what you would have to sacrifice in order to fulfill your role.

“Y/N, my love… you have to eat.” Naoya murmurs, kneeling to your level as he gently holds onto your hands, hoping that this gesture would be enough for you to raise your eyes to him and, well… see him.

Acknowledge him. Like your husband, the man who swore to accompany you through thick and thin—instead of purposefully ignoring him, like he wasn’t even there.

Had he done something to bother you?

Or was there something else prickling at the back of your mind?

“I’m not hungry.”

“…I know.” He breathes, pressing his lips together and squeezing your hands. “But at least try to do it a bit. You can’t go on for hours without eating.”

You don’t respond, not even lifting your eyes to him.

“At least do it for me, please? I… I worry for you, my love.”

“…Why?” You eventually respond, giving him a look of unprecedented anger that takes him by surprise. Though he was still able to see that deep within, you weren’t mad, rather… sad.

“What do you mean why?” he repeats, hurt by the implications behind your reaction. “You’re—you’re my wife. Obviously, I care for you.”

“…perhaps it would be better if I wasn’t. Then someone else could do the job.”

“Y/N?” Naoya blinks, frightened by your words. “What are you—"

“I’m not hungry.”

Naoya leaves with the conclusion that perhaps it’s best to not touch the subject anymore. Perhaps you just… needed some time along to come to terms with this unwanted predicament, for his words seem to only make everything worse.

He won’t leave you unattended—never. Your husband would leave your care to your attentive staff, who had been nothing but amazing friends the moment they knew what happened at the doctor’s office.

“Please keep a close eye on her. And tell me if anything happens, please.” Naoya silently confides to Mariya before heading over to you, seconds away from his departure.

“I’ll be back before you know it.” Is what Naoya always says when deployed to those tedious, seemingly senseless missions he often questions why he even bothers. His family has enough money to support you and himself, so why does he have to keep on?

…

In moments like these you would’ve reassured him that it was all for his career; for the sake of proving himself to the clan and HQ that he’s a worthy sorcerer to guide the next generation—though you’d agree that him being away was just as dreadful as it sounded.

But not this time around. No, instead, you just keep quiet, demure as Naoya steps closer to press a kiss on your forehead, a good luck charm that was normally bestowed to him by you, yet given the circumstances, you needed it far more than him.

“Take care, I’ll bring your favorite, ok?”

“Ok.”

Naoya presses his lips together before entering the car, disappearing into the horizon.

Your husband considered himself to be very focused when it came to his work, although he won’t deny that ever since he got married, he’s unable to keep you out of his mind—today was to be no exception, though not how he would’ve liked.

Ever since he left the estate, there has been a dreadful sensation gnawing at the back of his mind, the presumption that something bad was to happen, and yet, he was unsure whether it related to his missions, or worse, the estate—you.

Naoya anxiously checked his phone whenever he could, believing that whatever bad news he was to endure would come through there.

And he was right, for it rang during the times Naoya specifically asked to not be bothered unless it were an emergency, quickly taking it out of his pocket and reading the caller ID across the screen; heart sinking when realizing it was none other than the estate, or more like the line assigned for you.

“What is it? Is it Y/N? Is she ok?!” Naoya breathes against the speaker, not even muttering a hello.

“No, Naoya—she isn’t. I don’t even know how to begin to explain but she—she started packing her things.” It’s Mariya in the other side, with an unmistakable tone of fright that spirals Naoya even more.

“What?” Naoya breathes, heart thundering against his ears. “What do you mean she’s packing her things?!”

“I don’t know, but that’s what she’s doing! I tried to talk her out of it, or at least get her to tell me where she’s planning to go but she’s not saying anything!”

A million thoughts cross Naoya’s mind at that moment, but one perseveres above the rest:

Is she leaving me?

The mere notion of a separation is enough to make him mad.

“Stop her!” Naoya demands. “I don’t care how you do it but stop her!”

“I’ll try stalling her, but she’s—she’s very determined to leave, Naoya. You have to come back!”

And that’s exactly what Naoya does, careless with what happens on the mission, he drops everything on the spot and rushes his way back to you. He was lucky that his latest mission didn’t place him too far from the estate, so when he finally returned home you were still around.

Though it seemed that if he had taken just a few minutes later, you wouldn’t be there anymore, as you’d managed to escape your staff’s persistent attempts of stalling you, a small suitcase by your side, as you headed to the exit with them just right behind you.

“He—Hey, honey, what—what are you doing?” Naoya asks with a nervous chuckle, gesturing to the staff to leave the two alone, which they obliged soon after, elated that he was finally there—but worried he couldn’t be of much help.

“I’m leaving.”

“And where—where are you going, my love?” He goes on, his heart squeezing in pain as his worst fears seemed to materialize before him. Yet, Naoya still hopes to be wrong. “Did… did your family need help with something? If so, maybe I could drive—"

“…No.” you say, not even looking back to him. But he was still able to hear the pain in your voice. “I don’t—I don’t need anything, because I’m never coming back.”

“What?” Naoya freezes, hands trembling as his mind tries to understand what you just uttered. “Y/N— you can’t—”

“I… I no longer have a place here.” You say. “After this I… I realized I was never meant to be with you”

“That’s not true.” Naoya swiftly interjects. “None of the things you’re saying are true! I cannot envision anyone else to be my wife, less to share my life with! Where did you even get this idea?!”

“What do you mean where?” You frown, looking back at him. “Have you not been aware of what’s going on around?!”

“Y/N, I—I get that you’re upset because of what happened. I can only imagine, really, the pain you’re going through. You have no idea how much I wanted to have a family with you too but— but if it’s not meant to be then… then I guess we just have to live with that!”

“That’s easy for you to say, isn’t it?” you hiss. “It’s just so easy for you to simply move on, because all you have to do is look for someone else to do the job!”

“And who told you I wanted to do that?! I never implied, not even once, that I was interested in having another woman just for the sake of having a family! I don’t want to! If it’s not with you, then I don’t want anything!”

“Then I guess you didn’t want it as much as I did.” You murmur, Naoya freezes.

“What’s… that supposed to mean?”

“…Nothing. I’m leaving.” You say, attempting to walk away. But before you were able to do as much as take the first step, Naoya grabs your hand, keeping you in place. “Naoya—”

“No, I can’t let you go. I won’t let you.”

“Let—let me go!” You tug at his arm. “You wouldn’t understand anyways!”

“Then help me understand.” Naoya pleads. “Please—please tell me; I’ll do anything you want, whatever you want, it’s done—but please don’t… don’t leave me.”

This is why you wanted to leave before he came back, because you knew that at the sound of his trembling voice, and the teary-eyed look in his face, you’d succumb.

You’d crumble, wanting nothing more than to stay with him.

Because you wouldn’t take it. You couldn’t take the notion of hurting him even more than you already seemingly done.

… It is also why you took this abrupt decision. Why you needed to leave.

“… I just—I just want to go home.”

“But… you —you are home.” Naoya says, a sad chuckle at the overwhelming pain of you not recognizing his company as home. “He—here, with me.”

“I can’t be here anymore.” You whisper, looking back at him. “I don’t think I—I can take this anymore.”

“Why?” Naoya laments, gently cupping your face and wiping your tears away. “What happened? Did something happen while I was gone?”

Always. The Zen’in could never keep to themselves.

“…I have failed you.” You eventually sob, Naoya taking you into his arms and chest as you let out the sorrows you’ve been dragging along. “As your wife I— I was supposed to give you children, a heir, but I—I couldn’t and that is going to—it’s going to— ruin your life.”

“Ruin my life?” Naoya asks, perplexed. It all becomes clear now, who was responsible of this misunderstanding…

Just what kind of stupidities did his family plague you with?

“If I—I can’t have kids then you—you couldn’t be heir anymore.” You explain. “And I love you too much to do that to you.”

“I wouldn’t be heir—”

Were they truly that desperate that they resorted to doing this?

Intimidating you?

Naoya doesn’t even bother to ask who started this train of thought, knowing all too well where to look.

It probably began with his uncle, the man that never knew how to keep quiet, always commenting in other’s marriage because his was miserable. As if that gave him permission to do so. Always quick to bark first.

From there, the elders. His father too, probably. They probably thought the same as Ogi but kept quiet about it because they had other matters to tend too—or perhaps too drunk to care. But do not be fooled, they were the ones that once suggested him getting a lover, a concubine of sorts, to “secure” the bloodline long ago; way before this issue began. Naoya promptly dismissed them, calling their idea idiotic: but what gave him security that they wouldn’t insist again?

He could see how this happened too, scolded himself for not even considering it before!

Since Naoya was now out of the estate, it gave them the freedom to target the one they considered most vulnerable, and without holding back: you.

If done right, then you would essentially be intimidated into disappearing from their life, giving way for their plans to continue. Or so they hoped.

…

You were too good for this family, how could he claim to deserve you, when he’s allowed so much pain to befall you?

“If Naoya can’t bring himself to beget a child for his wife, then he might as well pass on the title to someone else.”

None of those words were true, not one bit. But how could he dismiss them if he’s never taken the time to say what he thought of this situation?

Of what he thought of you, and what it means to this marriage?

It was time that he did what he should’ve the moment you stepped out of the doctor’s office.

“I wanted a family with you, I won’t say that I didn’t; that I never found something enthralling about hearing the footsteps of our children running from one side of the estate to the other. To have kids that looked just like you, or maybe like me; though secretly hoped they looked more like you. Ever since I saw you interact with my cousins, that’s all I thought about. You being the mother of my children.” Naoya murmurs, holding you tightly against him. “But… I’ve also accepted that some things are simply not meant to be. And if we are not meant to have a family, as long as I have you by my side, I am fine with it.

As long as we remain together, I will know what happiness is.”

“I—I don’t—” your lips tremble, overwhelmed by Naoya’s, regretful for the way you’ve behaved these past few days. “Naoya, I’m—"

“Whatever they said, it’s a lie. Nothing but things to get under your skin—hurt me.” He insists. “You know how my family is, how stupid they can be—"

“But they—they said things that could be true.” You fret. “If I’m unable to give you a child, then you—you might not be heir anymore—”

“Y/N.” Naoya sternly interjects, cutting through your spiraling mind as he cups your face, forcing you to look at him. “To be an heir is my birthright. It was decided way before you stumbled into my life. So, what happens after shouldn’t worry you.”

“But the Zen’in—”

“Like to antagonize people. Make up things to worry your pretty little mind just for the laughs of it.”

“And what if it is true? What if I do make you lose your title? I know how much you wanted to be leader! If that happens, I—I couldn’t—I couldn’t live with myself!”

“It won’t happen. I promise. I swear.” Naoya insists, kissing your tears away. “But please, please don’t ever think of yourself as expendable or replaceable, because you are not. Not to me.”

“I’m—I’m sorry.” You sob again, pressing your face against his chest. “I’m sorry for disappointing you—I’m sorry for not being able to give you children…!”

“You’ve never disappointed me, never.” He murmurs, kissing the top of your head. “If anything, I’m sorry for disappointing you. I failed to be the husband you needed in these difficult moments. I… let my fear get the best of me, giving you the impression you were less than enough.”

“Are you… are you really ok with not having a family?” you dare to wonder, one last reassurance.

“It just means I’ll have more of you to myself.” He attempts to jest, successfully making you laugh, but not without a sniffle to follow. “…But we could always… adopt if you want.”

“I… I guess I have to think about it.”

“You don’t have to make a decision now.” Naoya says. “Or ever. Just know that whatever you decide, I’ll agree with.”

“…I think I still need some space from here.” You murmur. “And see my family too.”

“You haven’t told your father, have you?” you shake your head, Naoya sighs. “Do you want me to be with you?”

“You already made your most to be here, I don’t want to distract you any further”

“This is a family emergency; I have to be there. What’s the use of being your husband if I won’t act like one?” He insists. “But if you don’t want me there, I won’t insist.”

“I want you to be there.” You confess. “Please”

“Of course, always.” Naoya promises, leaning to softly kiss your lips. “…Does this mean we’re still… together?”

You nod, another tear sliding down your cheek as you hug him tighter. “I can’t imagine my life with anyone else but you either. …I’m sorry.”

“Don’t think about anything anymore; just focus on being with your family. It’s probably the best place for you to be right now.”

“Can you stay over there too? At least until I feel better?” you ask. “I mean, if it doesn’t affect your work.”

“I’ll make all the preparations, don’t worry your pretty little head about it. Do you also need me to send your staff?”

“I wouldn’t mind the company.” You say with a smile, making Naoya’s heart flutter.

“There’s my pretty girl.” He says, pinching your cheek. “I’ll see if I can make time for a holiday too; we could fly somewhere nice, cold to fight this horrible summer heat.”

“I want to take it easy for now.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do.” He nods, kissing your lips once more. “I’ll always be here when you need me. Don’t ever forget that.”

“… I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Little details to note: Naoya has always struck me as the type of guy that never really wanted a family, he just had no interest! That changes a bit when you come along, but the bottom line is that he isn't actively seeking it. Sure, he likes to play with the idea of breeding you, but you know, he had other priorities. (He loves your kids tho when you eventually have them, do not get me wrong)

And once again, the Zen'in estate is not a good place for you lol. Thankfully, I like to think that changes when Naoya eventually becomes leader :) but most of the time you're living somewhere else—and honestly, he prefers it that way too. More... privacy ☺️

I just really wanted to write an argument between the two were both have their biggest insecurities exposed :) kind of extremist in Y/N's part but can't say I didn't enjoy the angst hehe I hope you enjoyed it too!!

Take care and hope to see you soon!!

#ask #naoya zenin #naoya zen'in #naoya x reader #naoya zenin x reader #naoya zenin x you #jjk naoya #naoya zen'in x reader #jjk x reader #jjk angst #jjk x you #prompt series: jujutsu kaisen

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hwajin · 2 years

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#! — [ stay ] Hwang Hyunjin

— gn!reader // sfw — a bit angsty!! a bit self indulgent, wrote this for everyone who has a hard time during the holidays due to social interactions n get togethers n such!! y'all are seen and understood <33

09:03pm — hyun ♡ : yn?

09:03pm — hyun ♡ : you in the bathroom?

09:04pm — hyun ♡ : open the door baby i'm here

You took off your headphones, pausing the tune that was infiltrating your senses in a matter as comforting as nothing else. Voices flooded your ears momentarily at that, heart palpitating, racing at the laughter and the chattering, and the clinking of glasses, the shuffling of feet. You stood from your spot on the floor, opening the door to the bathroom to be met with your boyfriend; a smile on his face, small and careful, inspecting. He was looking for a sign of discomfort, and only when he saw you smiling back at him he made his way inside, shutting and closing the door behind him again. You made yourself comfortable on the carpeted floors a second time this night, leaning against the bathtub behind you, tiles colds against you. And Hyunjin seated across from you, letting his back rest against wooden cupboards.

"You good?"

Hyunjin's head cocked, not necessarily worrying but questioning nontheless. His attentive feel was heartwarming, his attention to detail when it came to you, especially, admiring. You nodded, smiling reassuringly.

"I am. Just got too much, don't worry."

You did enjoy the party, you truly did. You enjoyed the year turning, enjoyed gossiping with friends you haven't been seeing in a while. You enjoyed the food, the songs, the drinks; and yet after a while the drunken crowd got to your head, and the smell of alcohol and smoke, the vibrations of the bass out the speakers set off a feeling you wished to flee. It wasn't anything worth mentioning, not enough to flee the party altogether, yet it did call for a break. Set off the urge to close your eyes for a bit and forget the moment.

Hyunjin hummed, understanding you without needing more explaining. He knew you better than the back of his hand, and his smile grew fond. You were glad he found you, providing you more comfort than the music in your headphones after all. He didn't say a word, simply sat with you, sharing your feelings, emotions. The chattering from outside the room grew louder, and you squinted your eyes.

"Put your headphones back on baby, take your time. I'll wait here with you."

A feeling of adoration and love — it couldn't be anything else — shot through your core, and a smile set itself on your lips again. At times you wondered what you've done in your past life to deserve him, and you mumbled a small 'thank you', muffling your ears with the noise cancelling material again. The music in your ears continued, feeling as though the sound waves invaded your mind, and your limbs relaxed. You closed your eyes, wishing yourself away for a single moment. And when you opened them again, Hyunjin's gaze was fixed on you. Your face heated up a bit, feeling somewhat caught, but your boyfriend didn't mind. His lips moved, and though you couldn't possibly hear him, you understood nevertheless. A soundless 'i love you', and he reached out to squeeze your hand, reassuringly. He waited for you to return the confession, your words soundless too, only mouthing the three words, though technically Hyunjin could hear. But your confession stayed quiet, not worth being heard, simply felt. Only then he shuffled, scrunched over to you until he sat beside. He provided a place to lean your head on, his shoulder sturdy beneath you, him wholely around you. You charged up slowly, yet surely, and with every passing moment it seemed easier to find your way out the room, with his help. And when you were ready again Hyunjin reassured you to stay with him as he'd stay with you, for the rest of the night, or forever altogether.

@leihey @happycandynoelle @hyvndee @cotccotc @asters-abditory @etherealeeknow @linoskitty @unexceptional-h @rseanne @diue @es-kay-zee @urcracksisx @jeyelleohe @yunkiwii @meloohmel @nyrasneedy @seochhj @spidercomics @chans-starlight @angelwonie @lix-ables @yvniek4ng @ppiri-bahng @sstarryreads @svintsandghosts @bokjaz

#hyunjin imagines #hyunjin angst #hyunjin x reader #hyunjin scenarios #skz scenarios #skz imagines #skz angst #skz x reader #stray kids scenarios #stray kids x reader #stray kids imagines #stray kids angst #hyunjin fluff #skz fluff #stray kids fluff

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popcorndispenser · 5 months

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Skeleton of my masked!brothers AU that I've mapped out so far:

Everything stays the same up until the backstory of Lost Future - Layton is assaulted at 27 years old by goons as he's trying to investigate Claire's death, and winds up severely injured and briefly comatose in hospital.

Desmond hears about this from out of London and immediately travels to see him, booking a hotel near the hospital until Layton wakes up and he feels relaxed enough to return. What he doesn't know is that Layton is actually semi-conscious, and that the professor even in his comatose haze manages to register Desmond's voice and the blurry sight of him before he flees. Layton is haunted by nightmares for the entirety of his month-long stay there, both of what happened to Claire and this blurry figure that he can't quite put a name to but feels so familiar. It becomes so unbearable he greatly elongates his time spent off work to seek the man out, wanting to at least conclude one mystery.

Desmond is horrified to see his brother at the door, doubly so when his wife insists he reveal his connection to him. Due to Layton's desperation however, he does, and Layton is both incredibly overwhelmed and happy. Having another connection of family in such a hellish time gives him another lifeline to hold onto, and so he asks to keep in contact, to which Desmond hesitantly agrees.

Some time later when Layton is forced to give up on the Claire case due to intimidation, Desmond hesitantly informs him that agents of a paramilitary terrorist organization have begun threatening him, and that it would be best for Layton to cut contact for a while. Layton in fact does the opposite of this and rushes over as soon as he can... to find that Desmond's wife and young daughter have been murdered by said organization, and Desmond himself has subsequently become a depressive suicidal wreck that flits between fits of destructive rage and absolute overwhelming despair. Layton, feeling helpless and also overcome by grief by how awful the situation is, himself begins to dissociate and endeavours to take care of Desmond for as long as he can until his brother is well enough to take care of himself.

While he's out on a shopping trip for his brother, he runs into a member of that same organization - a Targent operative in uniform. He doesn't know if the man was the one who killed his niece and sister-in-law, or if the man even knows about what has happened to them, but for some reason he doesn't care. Layton feels more enraged and detached than he ever has in his entire life, nothing truly feels real, and just as he grasped at a family after losing the most important person in his life, it was wrenched away again.

When he comes to, the man is dead. Layton had killed him, not even really meaning to do so, but he remains dead nontheless. It's an irreversible action, one he would have never though himself capable of. He feels absolutely wretched, but worse than that, he can't find it in himself to feel guilt for the man's death, only that he has himself sunk to that level. He has a choice now - to turn himself in, or to not. He can't imagine leaving Desmond with nothing left in this world, so he doesn't.

At home, Desmond has collected enough of his rage to redirect it into a drive to get revenge, with the backing and unconditional love and support of his butler. He cautions Layton to leave and pretend to have never known him as to not be wrapped up in the dangerous life he is about to enter, but Layton, already feeling as though his capability to live a normal life ended the moment he took one, insists on staying with him, citing that he is himself already hated by a polticial power and thus already at risk. More to the point, he won't let his brother do something so dangerous alone.

Desmond agrees, reluctantly, with the condition that Layton also disguises himself while with him for his own safety. Layton obliges.

And then I suppose I'd have to figure out Spectre's Call, and so-forth! Please feel free to give ideas, I feel like I tend to only go as deep as base-level aesthetics and ideas and I fail at really digging into the meat of an AU.

Is it too edgy that Layton would go that far? I thought so a little, but everyone I know with siblings said that in his position, they'd do the same. Hm...

#jean descole #desmond sycamore #hershel layton #cw a lot of mortality #professor layton #bronev bros #bronev brothers #masked!layton au

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cursedvibes · 11 months

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Hi..... Can I ask your top 5 (or top 3) favorite characters from JJK? And why you loved them? And your top 5 favorite moments from the series (until now)? Thanks....

No problem. It gives me a great excuse to whip out this image of my top 9 jjk faves

They're not in order here, but compared to other categories, I don't actually have such a hard time ranking characters.

Kenjaku

I've talked about them a bunch, most recently on the last ask about my favourite characters, so I'll just summarize what I love about them: mad scientist + family drama + trans + chill & genre-savvy + Japanese history + body snatcher

2. Yuuji

Also like him for how he's a pretty unusual shonen protagonist. He's not overpowered, he doesn't want to become the jujutsu king/kage/president and almost every shonen mc trope he does exhibit gets punished or beaten out of him. He nontheless doesn't lose his base compassion for people. That compassion is also what will drive him to kill if he has to, something for the few people he actually hates. He's selfless to the point of suicidal. His whole character arc(s) revolves around him finding a satisfying way to die and now being forced to also find a satisfying reason to live (with how jjk is going, I don't think he'll find that but he's not able to die either). His conflicts with the villains are deeply personal, he doesn't just challenge them on the basis of them breaking the law or being some nebulous depiction of a bad person. That's how it starts out, but he can't beat them on that basis alone. He was only able to really hurt Mahito and defeat him after he accepted their personal connection and similarities.

3. Tengen

Problematic conservative grandma. She's really the root of all of the problems in jujutsu society, she's the one who build up the entire basis of the series from world building to the antagonists. Without her Kenjaku wouldn't be who they are right now, they would likely not try to challenge the system and forcefully advance humanity in the way they do and might even be dead for hundreds of years. Gojo wouldn't exist without her either. Riko wouldn't either and she also wouldn't have died the way she did. Same for Yuki. Sukuna might largely be influenced by her as well. She's responsible for so much of what's happening in the series, but gets all too easily overlooked both in-universe and outside. Her whole backstory is so fascinating, her relationship to Kenjaku drives me crazy and I do find her stubborn, kinda grumpy personality quite charming. Also gnc as fuck.

4. Uraume

While in Sukuna's case I really care more about his backstory than him as a person and find his personality not that exciting, it's the opposite for Uraume. I do want that Heian flashback and also see where Uraume came from and how they met Sukuna, but what I really like about them is their personality. At first glance they appear so calm and collected, just a loyal servant without much autonomy, but they're actually so much more. There's so much passion in them, they are so easy to tick off and always ready for violence. Especially in combination with Kenjaku they are so entertaining. I need to see them cook more often. Preferably human. That brief glimpse we got when they prepared Sukuna's bath was so good. The way they pinned down and sliced up those curses without destroying them...I want to see them do the same with humans.

5. Angel

Heian era's craziest paladin. I just love how hypocritical and bloodthirsty she is. She has her sense of justice and right and wrong, she doesn't pretend like everyone has to agree with it, but she will still mercilessly kill everyone in her way or who she just doesn't like for one reason or another. If Kenjaku is a social butterfly, she's a social caterpillar. I miss her just blatently telling the protagonists that she doesn't care about their goals or innocent people dying. She must have been wonderful to witness in politics. I'm really curious how her relationship to the Abe clan looked liked. It's such a shame that all that got toned down, so Sukuna didn't get one-shotted and Gojo could be freed. The volume 24 extra show though that Gege does care about her or at least her technique, giving me some hope that she will actually get something to do again soon. Once we get her backstory, she could easily rank above Uraume. Btw, I want more panels where Angel is just a mouth. No Hana, just that mouth with a monotone background and overly detailed teeth. It looks so fantastically creepy.

Favourite Moments

1. Kenjaku talking to Kogane

It's just such a good moment that does a lot for Kenjaku's characterization, their goals and relationship to Tengen (and arguably also Yuuji). Still feeling pretty ambivalent about ch222, but this was undeniably a highlight. It has had a tight grip on my mind ever since. I could write whole essays about it, starting with the scenary of it all. Kenjaku sitting alone, the only one in focus and the only one in the light, while being in front of a game console with two controllers that remain untouched and without a game running while talking to someone/something that/who can't hear them or can't understand them. Kogane is basically just a computer. It can't give insightful answers or challenge Kenjaku's beliefs, while Tengen has also lost all autonomy and most of her personality I assume. She also can't talk back, probably can't hear them and isn't even there, but Kenjaku still directs their musings at her, knowing she won't/can't answer, but still asking for her input, challenging her and leaving space for what would be her own words. They hate her, but also want her to do better and this scene really shows that while Kenjaku's plans my succeed, they probably won't get what they really want.

2. Yuuji chasing Mahito

Pretty easy pick. I'm really looking forward to seeing this animated soon. It's not just the beautiful imagery or how their roles have now reversed, but also what leads up to it. Yuuji accepts who he is, how he is not so different from Mahito. He discards any pretence of high and mighty reasons for why Mahito should die and embraces his hate. He's not pretending to be any better than Mahito, no "I'm not gonna kill you because I'm not like you", he says with absolute senserity that he will kill Mahito as many times as it takes. He's gonna hunt him down just like Mahito did. It's also the start of Yuuji giving into the role jujutsu society has put him in and starts thinking of himself as a cog, a mere object that serves others and blindly obeys its function (killing curses). I think getting Sukuna out of his body was the start to him evolving past that thinking, but this was a very necessary step. He needs to be broken down before being build back up. It was a great end for Mahito as a character as well.

3. Kenjaku & Tengen get Sukuna's body

This whole scene is so interesting. Like in the first moment it's basically just Kenjaku talking to their hand puppets again, but this time there's a bit more outside input. Ngl, the mere fact that Kenjaku and Tengen are together, talking to each other and working with each other excites me already. There's not much of Tengen's consciousness left and she can't actually refuse anything Kenjaku does, but their interactions were still very fascinating. What's also interesting is how they (both of them) treat Sukuna's corpse. They stroll up to it so casually, as if they have done it in the past. Kenjaku asks Tengen if they can take it and she says yes, but neither of them consider Sukuna and his wishes in all this. Kenjaku even jokes that it's their souvenir for him. It makes me so curious about how they are connected to him and what kind of relationship the three used to have. It gets even better now that we know that Tengen was the one who prepared his corpse (without his knowledge) and Kenjaku was the one who turned Sukuna into a cursed object. These two have clearly passed around Sukuna's corpse between them before. "Do you mind if I take his fingers?" "No, go ahead, I don't need them" This scene gets better and better as the story progresses.

4. MCs meeting Tengen

Speaking of scenes that get better with time, ch145 and 146 have been one of my favourites for a long time. They have to be on this list for how many times I've reread them alone. The more information and backstory we get, the more interesting this whole info dump becomes. There are always little phrases and moments that become a lot more meaning full on a reread. We also got so many hints. Tengen's connection to the Star Plasma Vessels and Six Eyes, Yuki being able to hear the other SPVs, Tengen and Kenjaku's relationship (many hcs were spawned by Tengen casually calling Kenjaku a child and I'm happy to see that many of them are turning out to be true), the first hints at Kenjaku's plan, even though a lot of depth was missing of course and Tengen underestimates some of their reasoning and end goals, and Tengen's utter failure to understand Kenjaku as a person (they aren't even that shy to talk about their reasons, especially to her! grandma please...).

5. Noritoshi preparing to die/visiting his mother

It's this scene of Noritoshi finding his mother again plus the context of her side of the story at the end of the Sakurajima colony and Maki's advice re matricide that really moves me. Probably Noritoshi's best scene so far. I really hope the reason he isn't with the others is because he went back to his mother to finally talk to her openly. I swear, these two are so horrible at communicating. It's so heartbreaking to see Noritoshi lose all will to live and being ready to die in battle to do at least something useful with his life. He dedicated everything to changing the Kamo from within for his mother, only to get kicked out of the clan and find out that his mother has moved on. Everything he has done so far becomes meaningless. However, it is what comes afterwards that makes it even more clear how toxic his mindset was. Noritoshi thinks poetic words about how he's gonna die for his friends, only to be interrupted by Daido and Miyo. It shows that this way of thinking is entirely unnecessary and something he has to break out of. It's what sets him on the right path to reunite with his mother. Kenjaku forced him out of the clan and gave him no way to return. His mother showed him that there is a way to live a happy life despite the abuse both of them suffered from the Kamo clan, it is possible to move on. Daido & Miyo disrupted his suicidal thoughts and took over the fight for him aka he has to rely on others and accept their "help" without giving anythign in return. Maki taught him that there might be a way to reconnect with his mother and that he should ask all the questions he has for her regarding his purpose and name openly. I really didn't care much for Noritoshi before, but this whole arc elevated him so much for me.

#asks #jujutsu kaisen #kenjaku #tengen #itadori yuuji #kamo noritoshi

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coarsely · 9 months

Text

(art; x x)

Anti-Chronicles; a WIP introduction

Set between the warring states of Bronze Eden and Nod, Anti-Chronicles is a non-linear, non-chronological anthology of stories taking place in these respective lands, aiming to explore the culture, history, politics and society and how they have changed over the years. Bronze Eden is a heavily controlled theocratic state filled with forced surveillance and religious fervour, led by the Potentate Dynasty who have been ruling Eden for millennia. Nod is the neighbouring anarchist state, post-apocalyptic and is completely free of any organised government or laws, dealing with the fallout of a nuclear weapon that distorted local time and space dropped on them by Bronze Eden.

STATUS; 1st draft, lore-building.

P.O.V.; 3rd person limited, with occasional chapter-specific exceptions.

GENRES;

Fantasy

Steampunk fiction

Post-apocalyptic science fiction

THEMES;

Religion as a tool of survellience and power

The politics of monarchies vs anarchism

War's impact on citizens

Nuclear post-apocalypse

Time-travel

Human connection in spite of hardship, violence, and colonialism

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS;

Violence

Swearing and derogatory language

Sexuality

Religion and religious trauma, specifically Catholic based

Puritanism

Disordered eating

Child abuse

Cultural homophobia, misogyny, racism, etc

Death

Ableism

Potentially more which will be outlined when relevant.

INSPIRATIONS;

Love, Death + Robots

I, Robot by Issac Asimov

Æon Flux

Dishonored (video game series)

Bayonetta (video game series)

Akira

The Real and the Unreal by Ursula Le Guin

CHARACTERS;

by nature of being non-chronological and non-linear, we have a lot of characters! some are kept to their own corner of the world, others move around. here is a short list of the more familiar faces, but there are many more you'll meet as we develop. To meet the entire cast, please refer to this post!

The Potentate Dynasty, the rulers of Bronze Eden who are said to be descended from the Empyrean Itself. Currently ruled by the aged Potentate Magnus, who has fathered six children during his reign. Living in the floating palace in the center of Bronze Eden, they keep to themselves, but their power is absolute.

The Imperators are the divine soldiers of Bronze Eden, also with a link to the Empyrean who are trained from a young age to be the protectors of the Temple and of the Potenates and priests who live within.

Sal Soloman and Ed Edwards are two scientists in Bronze Eden, who's meeting and relationship is both legendary and tragic.

Nod's warriors are disorganised and many, but by far the most prolific is Ucalegon, a native of Old Rhapsody. She works with her own agenda in mind, but nontheless has Nod's best interests in mind... for the most part.

Lady Jezebel is a radio presenter, activist and DJ who's voice has become synonymous with the Land of Nod. She is a pillar of Nod culture and beliefs, hugely influential though nobody knows her face or who she is outside of her radio work. If you want to know of the latest news or listen to the blossoming music scene, her radio is who you tune in to.

Vítor Cadogan is a resident of Golden Glimpse, one of the cities in Nod. Known for running a youth center, he was once a vigilante detective who sought to fight the crime that grew in the golden city's underbelly. He's had a change of heart and has dedicated the remainder of his life to supporting the youths of Golden Glimpse, but many hold his crimefighting past against him.

Other names you'll want to remember are Saccade, Helene, Ive, Cerebellum, Hendrix, the Praeceptor family, and Niles Clarke.

Please feel free to ask in the replies, my inbox or my dm's if you would like to be added to the tag list. This means being tagged in snippets, character profiles, lore dumps and graphics, and anything else related in a major way! I will not tag you in ask games, picrew chains and the like, as I wouldn't consider these notable to the actual tangible lore. You can ask to be removed at any time.

#brieuc.txt #anti-chronicles #wip intro #wip introduction #fantasy #steampunk #post-apocalyptic #science fiction

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jascurka · 7 months

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this is purely out of curiosity and i don't want to send hate your way, but do you ship mob and reigen? and if so, why?

I do, yeah. An ex-friend of mine asked me the exact same question (just more... harshly I think and with what I assumed was prejudice) before they decided to part our ways and I could never properly answer them because I was so stressed by the situation, it was hard to gather my thoughts. So I'll do my best to explain here, hopefully to make myself understood better.

Sorry if this gets lenghty >_< I'll just put a readmore right here.

I think the biggest reason for why I like them is their canon relationship that has been explored in the series already quite thoroughly - that they have changed eachother, helped eachother grow and one wouldn't be the person they are without the other. I think most of us understand the depth of it. Reigen is Mob's teacher and friend, someone like an older brother. There surely is a strong bond between them and they've seen each other at their best and worst and still acknowledged and accepted eachother's flaws. They trust eachother, they would give their life for eachother even (at least Reigen would, he almost did in the finale after all). And I do think that they love eachother but in a way that isn't actually romantic in canon. I'm perfectly capable of realizing that and I value it a lot both in the series and in fanworks (one of my fav works of fanfiction is about exactly that).

It was my curiosity that made me search up a ship fic of them, I was just confused why people ship them in the first place and whether it can be good and I found myself enjoying it a lot (to my surprise). It was set into the future, and dealt with some serious topics like loss and acceptance, it was kind of bittersweet. Then I felt that maybe it was just slightly ooc because all of the serirei fics I was busy reading depicted Reigen slightly different. Nontheless, I had the other ship on my mind then so I never really dived into Mob/Reigen, but it changed my perspective on them a lot.

And at some point into all this I realized, why not? Why can't I haz 2 cookies? (god im sorry that was terrible sfjgsdkj). What I mean is that the buildup canon offers can be taken further - more of their relationship can be explored in terms of new tropes, sometimes romantic too.

On a personal note I'll just add that I'm rather picky about them and tend to stick to fluff, hurt/comfort and slow slow burns. And I like them most post-canon, a few years into the future. It turns out that it all depends on how they're portrayed for me to like them anyways. I talked on here recently about a work that really had it all and portrayed their relationship in a very satisfying and mature way, with all the complicated feelings, it felt very realistic, especially on Reigen's side. So if anyone wants, here's a rec from me again -> in my dreams (I seem to be more honest) on ao3, just because I think it has all that I like about the ship.

I think that this is the whole point of fanworks - to kind of look further and have fun with it, to see "what if?". Even if it's something sort of.. taboo I guess? Because you get to take it apart in a fictional dimension (if that makes sense). And I completely understand if this is something that can ick some people out or that someone doesn't want to ruin their perception of the characters' relationship. That's totally fine by me and I'm not going to force anyone into liking the ship of course. And there are definitely tropes and tags I really don't want to look into - not everything is for me either.

And I think this goes without saying but I'll add it here anyways: what I like to see in fiction doesn't mean I would like or encourage anyone to do the same thing in real life! It's just interesting to explore from a safe distance where no one can get hurt.

#I didn't mean to make it this long sorry T_T #answered #you dont need to read the fic of course jsdfhskjf i just put it here for anyone interested #also big thanks for asking respectfully #I really appreciate it!

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starry-blue-echoes · 11 months

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Legally Stars: I just. Had. The craziest idea. Based on the release date of a certain game.

So it's 2002, a good amount of time after the mess in Italy. Jotaro wants to help the kids take a breather, but he isn't sure how. Then he sees an ad for a video game and he pauses.

Right there near the bottom of the poster is, of all characters, Donald Duck. He looks at it more closely and... yep, that's the Disney logo, along with some company called Squaresoft.

He isn't the biggest fan of video games, but Joseph did get the kids a PS2 last Christmas, and Ungalo is a huge fan of Disney. Jolyne less so, but she still likes the company and their movies.

He buys the game, but he's still doubtful. How good can this 'Kingdom Hearts' be?

(9 years later, Pucci is beaten into unconsciousness by a Bohemian Rhapsody-summoned, spiky-haired kid wielding a giant key.)

I'll admit I don't know a whole lot about Kingdom Hearts but the fucking snort I let out reading this holy shit-

I regret nothing about making Ungalo a Disney fan because it opens up avenues of sheer insane bullshit like this and makes everything extrodinarily funnier, and it also just hit me that growing up........ Ungalo and the other kids are probably going to use their Stands a TON, especially given the fact they're in an environment where they can freely do so and explore things, and now I rotating ideas of how that would affect them

Ungalo would of course occasionally use Bohemian Rahpsody on his favorites, but after that gets a TON of attention, he also probably begins to get an appreciation for more niche, unknown media. He learns to control his Stand on a much smaller scale but spends time wondering what would happen if he fully cut loose

Rikiel likes to practice with finer controls and while his Stand can't be played with as safely as his siblings, that doesn't stop them from trying to come up with games so he won't feel left out. One of their favorites is a sort of sight based hide and seek where Rikiel Stands in a single spot and has to try and spot their hiding places and direct the rods to them

and Donatello LOVES walking around places and seeing what the ground can tell him. He knows a ridiculous amount of random, untimately meaningless gossip and loves to regale his siblings with stories of what he's heard. He usually doesn't do anything more recent than the last few years to save himself the awkwardness of knowing the people Under World shows him, but it's still very entertaining nontheless

Naturally when Jolyne obtains her Stand, they IMMEDIATELY jump as the oppurtinity. They'd of course always done their best to include her before, but now that she can actually see their Stands and has one of her own the possibilities are endless

I like to imagine the brothers all make sure to be very calm and un-serious about Stone Free. They little sister had to go through enough stress and fear getting her Stand in the first place, she doesn't need to be treated like she was something dangerous just because she had a powerful Stand. In there eyes, she's still their Jolyne, only now she can turn into string

Jolyne takes a shine to cats cradles and embroidery, but she is also unfairley hard to catch in her brother's opinion. She becomes crazily flexible and anytime when they wrestle or play tag, she'll simply slip out of any holds she's put in and wrap around her opponent so they're the one caught instead

but shifting gears a bit, this ALSO got me thinking of everything Post-Golden Wind and also just Jotaro being a Cool Dad/Uncle. After Jotaro very violently curbstomps Diavolo, I'd imagine there's a moment of hesitancy from the Bucci Gang because yeah this man came out of nowhere and just beat the shit out of the BOSS who's been giving us a lot of trouble like it was nothing, but all their worries abate when all four of the kids tackle him with a hug

it's only later they realize No, Mr.Jotaro Is That Scary, He's Just Got A Soft Spot For The Kids And Maybe Giorno

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irlcats-bracket · 1 year

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bracket 1 FINAL BATTLE

RUSTY versus PRISSY

RUSTY

Rusty used to be a stray and then he had An Accident and now he has three legs (he had been living at a vet's office for a month when submitter adopted him). But he's doing great! Submitter taught him how to climb stairs and built him some steps out of cardboard boxes so he can get on their bed whenever he wants. They think he could be anywhere from 6 to 12 years old, it's hard to say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. To their pleasant surprise, he does not mind wearing a harness at all, which is good because he still loves the outdoors. He often gets his ear turned inside out while bathing and weirdly prefers dry food over wet.

PROPAGANDA

breaking: semi-feral baby learns to cuddle, becomes addicted to laying on my face

and here he is chillin on the patio with me!

vote for rusty #1 best at sticking out leg

when i first got Rusty he could not go up stairs... but he could go down, so he would get stuck at the bottom of them and meow for help. Of course he also hated being picked up and carried up the stairs.

but now he just goes ZOOP up the stairs doing audible damage to my carpet the whole way, which is so valid of him because i hate carpet on stairs

and something that is not quite propaganda for rusty but important words from rusty's human nontheless

For this semifinal I am going to do a different kind of propaganda.

Next time you are looking to adopt a pet, please consider getting an older animal or one with special needs, if you are able, or even just a shy, timid one. The reason my vet friend came to me about Rusty was because cats like him are usually overlooked in shelters. It wasn't just his injury--behaviorally, it was like he didn't know how to be a pet. For about three months he spent 95% of his time sitting in one spot, doing nothing, mostly indifferent to human attention. And now, after less than two years, he is super active and follows me to bed every night for cuddles. There are so many pets like Rusty who just need somebody to give them a chance, and give them time. If you can be that person, it is the most amazing thing to see what they bloom into!

Thank you for reading my spiel, now here is a picture of Rusty sleeping in the cat equivalent of a T-pose for some reason:

PRISSY

If she's quiet she's either sleeping or somewhere she shouldn't be. Or Both. Openly favors submitter, tolerates others. Very autistic cat: anxious of bad noises, very picky eater, kneads with her right paw out for no reason, must walk a circle around the room before going somewhere, has Specific eating spots for mealtime, etc. She probably knows more English than she lets on. Disobeys authority when she's bored or hungry. Loves the outdoors but she needs her pretty pink harness or she'll run; her favorite activity is playing with grasshoppers. She's a little brat but you can't help but love her when she squeaks at you.

PROPAGANDA

As you can see, she likes tight spaces (it's the 'tism -u-). She has access to larger, roomier sleeping spaces, but she always gravitates to places where I can't understand how she could possibly be comfortable. That round thing in the top right pic? She sleeps on top of that for the night even though a whole leg falls over the side. We've debated getting her a bigger one, but I don't think she'd like it.

She is also a lover of people food; we tried not to get her used to it, but somewhere along the way she broke down our walls. Whenever I snack on cheese puffs on the couch, she's always gotta get up in my face to try to get some of that delicious cheese dust, going so far as to stick her big face in the bag right in front of me while I'm holding it. And if you've got salmon, she will go nuts. I think salmon is her favorite food with cheese as a close second. ...but she'll also beg for chicken nugget.

[Image description: a photo of OP sitting at the dining table over a plate of chicken strips and ketchup, OP on one side of the chair and holding a piece of bitten chicken and Prissy sitting on the other side of the chair with one paw on the table eyeing the bitten chicken strip. OP's face has been painted over with a black spot.]

As for speaking English, I've caught her saying Hello and Mama clear as day, and is working on pronouncing Outside and Water (I mean it, just from her tones and "syllables" of her meows, it's like she's trying to speak).

Sorry for the spam, but she really is that photogenic. And also sorry for the stuff on my bed, but my legs were injured at the time and needed extra support. While they were injured, I also spent a lot of time on the couch, where Prissy frequently sat by my side and especially on my lap. Now that I'm better and not sitting there anymore, she now claims that specific corner of the couch as her own; she's even stolen that spot from me when I get up to do something really quick.

I've also trained her to hop on my lap when she wants to eat, instead of jumping on the table, but at the end of the day she still does what she wants lol. She's always been by my side, from the first day she got here at 3 mos. old and took a nap on my lap right in the hallway.

#catfight one #polls #cat #cats #catfight one finals!!

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soundlesswind · 1 year

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Dokomi 2023, post-report

Post-greetings from Dusseldorf Germany: I had a great time at the event, it was such a lovely place. Everyone was very kind, polite, and helpful with the language difference. I had a great neighbour (Margaret), and was able to meet a number of fans and friends in the EU. I hope everyone who attended also had a good time.

(Extra big thanks to the staff and volunteers who took care of us all weekend---special shoutouts especially to Arian and Thomas who went above and beyond. We couldn't have made it without you.)

Both my assistant and I are back home now, so I thought I'd take some time to do a write-up.

While it's not my first featured rodeo, it's not often I get invited to an event so massive in scale. Seeing my own illustration highlighted in various places is always heartwarming.

I was told Dokomi doubled-up in numbers from the previous year (85k--->150k attendance). Despite the daunting numbers, it didn't particularly feel clustered because the all the other halls are openly spaced nearby, and you could freely walk between them. The ceilings are also very tall and well-lit by both top lighting and natural sunlight.

I really liked the fact that the event is badge-less and that there aren't too many check-points (security was very polite regardless). I managed to make some time to wander around freely and felt very relaxed in the space. Although I heard there were a small number of reports, I think that comes naturally with any small or big event. It's always good to be mindful of yourself and your neighbours. Overall, it's still a relatively safe and casual congregation.

In particular I was impressed with the many services offered to artists (such as food catering, equipment, etc), as well as the staff response rate and attentiveness. It might be difficult to return any time soon, but I'll always remember the positive experience I had at Dokomi.

It has been a hectic week, but I'm glad I was able to attend nontheless, and I'm grateful for all the feedback. Thank you kindly for visiting my booth if you got the chance to.

For the event, I had a giant vinyl print of Pikkorin made, which seemed to have been eye-catching. It did quite well with the crowd, which made me happy.

There were also a number of attendees that expressed interest in my originals. Artists getting love for their original works is always a big mood boost.

(attached: a sketch of Pikkorin, for a commission request)

Overall, it was a different crowd at Dokomi from what I'm used to, both in vibes and in preferences. For those that have attended North American conventions exclusively, it's just comparatively way more chill here.

But what surprised me most was the overwhelming love for Kaitou Jeanne and Yu-Gi-Oh!. Both of which, seemed to be a big part of many visitor's childhoods. I heard it was in part because of dubbing.

(Of course, I too, purchased a wonderful Yu-Gi-Oh print from another artist because it was so beautiful.)

(image: a sketch of Atem, drawn on shikishi) (Other at-con sketches will be slowly posted to my instagram)

(My only other purchase was this adorable bag by The BunBun shop, which was too cute to ignore.)

In terms of location, the convention center and the place I was staying is near or around Little Tokyo. I was surprised there was such a thing in Dusseldorf, but it seems like Asian food and mild curry is quite popular here. Actually, the majority of the week I was eating Japanese food so I didn't quite feel like I was in Germany yet.

My hotel had this adorable side case full of figures though. I especially adore and appreciate the Jibanyan.

After the con ended, my assistant and I did actually manage to go walk around here and there. We meandered around King's Avenue. It was a bit cloudy all week, which felt nice and cooling.

We walked all over to all sorts of cafes, bakeries, and meat shops.

Lunch was tasty...German potatoes, cheese, and sausages are an entirely different experience. The potatoes were so good, I couldn't help but wonder if it's simply a different strain/variety, or just darn good cooking (or both).

We also got this slow roast pork with mash and beets one night, that was juicy and tender on the inside, but crispy on the outside, and I can't help but miss it already. Also, tax-inclusive pricing is 10/10.

It's regrettable I could not stay longer but alas, work awaits.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Final thoughts:

Although it may be difficult for international artists to attend Dokomi given the cost and distance, I think the experience was still very fun and worthwhile. The food alone was worth it.

If you get the chance to, plan well and thoughtfully. I recommend it.

#blog post #dokomi 2023 #dokomi

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astroboots · 1 year

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Hi!! Hope you're having a great day Cici!💕

I just saw your latest reblog and I couldn't help but want to know more on what's going on in these two scenes🙈😩💕

Ch 10 was one of my absolute favourites and genuinely had me grinning the whole way through!💓

Ok ok, so! We obviously Know what cielitos thinking here, and ig I can more or less guess what starks thinking but what about Miguel!?! To his knowledge he totaaaally had her fooled, so imagine his surprise when he sees her at stark tower !!!with the man stark himself!! And acting all buddy buddy too!!😳

Yeah this scene had me h o w l i n g👹🙈🥰🤡it was SOOOOO GOOD! And yes once again, I ask for Miguel's thought process here and a little bit of starks too if it's not much🙈 cause to stark I can't help but think all this must be awfully hilarious😂I just know he was having so much fun pushing Miguel's buttons 😂😂 man was low-key third wheeling with all the tension between cielito and Miguel😂

And yeah that's it!! I hope you're doing well and remember to take care of yourself!, especially now that EYEM's over, please get some rest and treat yourself to lots of nice food!💕you deserve it!!💓

DVD COMMENTARY ASK GAME

Boy oh boy am I happy that you picked this paragraph out of everything.

The thing with that scene is that because it's from the limited POV of cielito we didn't at all get to see what was going on with Miguel there and it's always been my biggest regret! Cause in the actual scene as I imagined it and told both TWP and my husband as I was writing it is that from Miguel's perspective. He had smoothly broken into the penthouse, undetected by Stark's sophisticated surveillance system, dismantling each boobytrap and foreseeing each detection device and rendering them harmless. Remember that he's also (when he wants to be) graceful and can move silently and quickly despite his large size. So imagine that this man has gone through ALL OF THAT! undetected by Jarvis, and he's just about to enter the room where the arc reactor is when he picks up Cielito's familiar voice with his spideyhearing and just FREEZES!!!

All of a sudden he's crawling all the way back into the main foyer, not giving a fuck about being detected because: WHY IS SHE HERE!!!

and the scratching noises that Cielito hears on the ceiling? Yeah that Miguel, claws coming out to angrily scratch at the ceiling (not because he needs those to crawl up there) but because they come out when he's emotionally excited and this man is SEETHING! when he sees Stark flirt with her and her NOT REJECTING HIM WTF?!?!?!

It kills me that I wasn't able to show that scene from miguel's pov cause this whole sequence had me howling when I was imagining it.

As for the second scene and Stark's "Are you single" comment.

Our spideyman's immediate thought is: DOES SHE LOOK SINGLE TO YOU ASSHOLE!!??!??!!

Because here's the thing. Cielito is not nena, she's not his wife. He knows that on a logical level. But emotionally? He can't help but treat and see her as his. his to protect, at least. And it's hard to see another man flirt with the woman you love and were married to for years, a sleaze nontheless (which in Miguel's eyes, Stark is sleazy) waltzing in there with those lame lines and his wife is INTERESTED?! are you fucking kidding me!?

The thing with jealousy is that I think it comes from a place of insecurity. And I think Miguel himself finds it a shock at how jealous he is. I don't think Miguel was very jealous with nena, why would he be? He was very secure in that relationship. He knew that his wife didn't really have eyes for anyone but him (in the same way that he wasn't interested in other women besides her), they were very devoted to each other, so there was no point in him being jealous. But with cielito? He can't help but love her, and for him, in this moment of time, when he sees this stark guy flirt with her and HER CONSIDERING IT, he realizes that oh... Miguel's devotion and love for her might not be reciprocated-- and the green jealous monster in him is out in full force.

As for Stark? Stark's just having the time of his fucking life! this is hilarious to him. His inner thoughts is basically: "Man this guy is making it easy, this is so fucking funny!"

Especially because he's figured out that Miguel is obviously smart and capable, smart and capable enough to breach his entire security system and to bring a guy down so easily just by making him jealousy that's a payback too sweet and funny not to do.

#DVD COMMENTARY ASK GAME #💌 ask

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vinniehorrible · 3 months

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👤 and 💻 for my ask game? ✨

Oh god, this ask has been lying here for ages and I just kept putting it off, I am sorry. Still, thank you very much for it. I shall now try my best to go through with it. You're actually the first person to ask me something! So double reason I shouldn't just ignore this. ^^;

👤—Tell us five things about yourself that you are proud of.

This here is the reason why I got stuck! I have no idea! Most of the stuff I am proud of is quite personal, so there isn't much else left. Still, I shall try.

I have finished two novels already. Unpublished so far, but they are finished.

One is as big as a goddamn Eragon.

I have finished my uni studies and passed with honours (So flawless grades, pretty much)

One of my short stories actually got published in an anthology. Though it has been quite a while.

The bodies of some of my inner demons lay defeated beneath me.

💻—List 5 objects in your living space that give you joy.

My notebook. All the outlining is inside it. It has a dragon on it and looks quite battered already, but it's precious to me nontheless.

All my paintings! One year, a friend of mine (@lunaria--annua, I'm just gonna rat you out. ;) ) lost his mind and sent me like three ACTUAL PAINTINGS of my characters and like several clay figures of my OCs. They are now the most dominant decoration in my room.

The custom books. Another friend of mine (@aaftergloweeye, ratting you out too. ;) ) went similarily crazy and made a few custom books of my old story and one that looks exactly like my profile picture. They're still some of the most precious things I own.

My brush pens. They are for drawing, but I just love writing notes with them. Makes everything feel like caligraphy. Plus, colours are always nice. ;)

A memory shelf. Technically it's many objects, but the shelf itself holds almost anything material that I have some memory tied to. From old tickets, to books, to small plushies.

Thank you again for the ask. I truly appreciate it so much. <3

#writeblr #writers on tumblr #writing #ask #ask game

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sevenrs · 2 years

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its ocposting time

SLUGCATS

the arsonist (she/her)

a small slugcat, a bit larger than a pup but smaller than usual adult size. through her first encounter with an iterator, she learned how to set the ends of spears on fire. this fire can then be thrown at enemies to deal a lot of damage over time. but she needs to be careful not to hold the spears for too long, lest she burns her paws.

a very energetic and playful slugcat, she likes to rough house and wrestle with others of her kind. sometimes she may go too far and accidentally hurt her playmate, but she is quick to back off and apologize

the scholar (they/them)

a slugcat with painted patterns, reminiscent of old ancient graffiti on their cities. they have a sling made of salvaged fabric to collect their favorite thing in the world: colored pearls! they are faster then average, but are weighed down the more pearls they carry around.

they are a very far traveller, searching the land for still remaining superstructures to have interesting bits and bobbles of their information read out. they cannot write, but they have pretty good memory and often store similar pearls with each other to strengthen said memory.

the neuron pups (any) designed by @/ambadsador-blip

modified neuron flies to model the nimble slugcat. they are a modified species of individuals. though they vary in size, on average, they are slightly smaller than an actual slugpup. their bodies are multi-colored and can often shift between hues. they are highly adaptable to navigating in zero gravity, and struggle to move when taken outside of an iterator. they do not need to eat, as they are supplied nutrients by their iterator. they quickly starve if removed from the vicinity of an iterator.

they like to swarm together, but have a scatter instinct when attacked. they were synthesized by paradox of creation in order to give their neurons a better chance to flee and survive their rouge inspectors.

ITERATORS

brass lining (they/them)

im sorry you have a nearly year old ref

a structure barely standing on three legs, they are placed in a darker corner of the world only illuminated by the occasional flickering spotlight. it is as abandoned as they are with water levels decreasing every few cycles.

they most a vast majority of their memories-- most of their neuron flies flew out of their structure when an old, corroding battery within exploded. in part it was due to their increasing frustration of the great problem. the extra anger heated their systems to unsustainable levels, and being an older model, there weren't many checks to override them and prevent damage. all they have left are the three trapped in their puppet and a distant sense of self.

chains by summer (he/him)

lives in a large oasis centered in a desert reigon. it has been surprisingly stable, but in recent years, consistent water is beginning to become questionable. nontheless, summer still stands with few complications compared to other iterators (well, aside from the usual decay of equipment and communication senders and recievers)

for the most part, summer has stopped iterating. it is pointless to him. there are simply too many things that can be iterated-- it will take time much longer than anyone has to find the solution. so he hangs around, bothering his local group and letting the local slugcat, the arsonist, take refuge away from the brutal environment.

three star songs (she/they/it)

placed high where mountain break the sky, song's structure looks fine... externally. internally, it is full of the contagion, the rot. a sign that something went wrong, that someone messed up. it is a slow and painful consequence for anyone who wasn't careful

she loved to frequent anonymous group chats back when all iterators were more connected. these chats were about creating new organisms through modifying their genetics. song had an immense passion for coming up with instructions to make anything-- even if it was not a good life for the creature with that adaptation. a small slugcat wandered into her can one cycle, and she had an idea of swapping some of her own microbes with that of the slugcat's. it did not go well-- the foreign cells mutated beyond her control, and now they aim to eat them from the inside out.

paradox of creation (any) designed by @/meatcatt

set in an open, grassy field that is relatively flat with a few weaving rivers, this area is surprisingly clean (in comparison to the rest of the world) of ancient influence, save for the massive structure in the middle of the tall grasses. it's a relatively peaceful spot. if only it were the same inside as it was outside

a series of unlucky events leaves paradox in a state of disarray and constant pain. a small white bug, shaped similarly to the neuron flies within them, began to see the flies as a source of easy food. paradox's inspectors rightfully protected the neurons, but due to the bug's similarities, they began to see every neuron fly as an enemy. in order to remedy this, she got advice from an old friend, none of the above, to make neurons that could better avoid the angry inspectors. he takes great interest in the stars, positioning most of their overseers on the highest points of their abandoned cities to observe their movements and patterns. their constant pain leaves them quite tired and drained most cycles, but they still try to find joy in their existence and wish to share it with others.

#rain world #oc: arsonist #oc: scholar #oc: bl #oc: cbs #oc: tss #mine.png #i made brass a year ago then everyone else before downpour came out LOL #i love them so much they are my darlings #oc: neuron pups #oc: pc

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oleanderblume · 8 months

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Ima say that Charlie's mom has Alastor's soul and he became the radio demon and gained his power in exchange for doing her bidding, based on what's been shown, souls are immortal unless sold to another sinner/demon. So my assumption is Alastor gained the souls of other overlords in order to be able to kill them, OR, he didn't kill them and is/was emmassing an army for Lilith. She seems to be left out of the story, but heaven's talk about "another uprising" makes me think that there was one previously, began by Lilith, not Lucifer.

Lucifer is an angel afterall, a fallen one, but an angel nontheless, and if his banishment to hell was punishment for his perceived transgression, and Lilith convinced him in the past to stage an uprising against heaven, it stands to reason why he wouldn't do it again with Charlie's life on the line.

My guess is Lilith started the first uprising, and that failed, prompting the exterminations to start happening, and after Charlie was born and the exterminations still persisted, Lilith probably wanted to do another uprising. But Lucifer would have been much more reluctant to do that when he has a daughter to protect.

So lilith leaves, taking Alastor to do her own planning over that 7 year gap. Then she hears about Charlie's plan, sends Alastor to protect her and the hotel, while she's still working on the next war effort.

At least...that's my guess at what's been going on.

It also makes sense why Alastor is so uniquely invested in the hotel and why he haaates Lucifer. He's the step dad of the situation lol.

Also, I just love Lucifer and his whole personality, Charlie takes after him in almost every way and its adorable lol.

The shows pacing is kind of suffering in the time scale department, i think it would have served the plot better if it were released spaced out similarly to Helluvaboss, because the binge format isn't conducive to the massive assumed time jump between episode 4 and episode 5. But that's more to do with the platform and way the episodes are being released, than the actual writing of the show.

The first 4 episodes take place over the course of 3 or 4 months, not in direct succession. And the last 2 episodes will probably take place during the last month before extermination, and then the season finale on the day of extermination. That pacing makes sense, but because of the way the episodes are released, it doesn't *feel* that way initially. Not the fault of the writers, more so the fault of Amazon's bizarre releasing schedule.

The philosophy of the show is really neat, reminescent of The Good Place. Where heaven is ridiculously underpopulated because of the archaic rules that gatekeep almost everyone out of heaven, and hell is overpopulated because the system of judgment is so off balance that it doesn't account for modern morality and extenuating circumstances. <- this is basically the same as The Good Place, but with more furries and more direct reference to Christian theology.

So far, i like it a lot, and im interested to see where it diverges from The Good Place.

I doubt Charlie is going to stay mad at Vaggie for long, for one she didn't seem particularly shaken in the first place, and Vaggie has shown her devotion to Charlie's cause from the start, her being an angel and her past of being and exterminator being a major hang up for Charlie would contradict Charlie's entire philosophy of "people are capable of change"

Also, i don't think Angel will get to heaven, in fact, i think he would get there and choose to stay in hell because hell is actually better than heaven in a lot of ways— especially if you're looking at it from the specifically Christian lense. Heaven wouldn't tolerate the things most souls would *want* as a part of their paradise, especially not by modern standards.

I honestly think that heaven will be described, as it has been thus far, as only accepting to the hyper religious zealot sorts that are deeply hypocritical— why else would Adam be there? Dude is the epitome of a red-pilled mysogynist dickwad. He likely got into heaven based solely on his kissup nature to the presiding God.

on what is considered appropriate behavior.

I think this is the general criticism the show is going for, a solid combination of critiquing the functionality of a system like heaven and hell, and a critique of the "virtues" one would be required to follow in order to get there.

Fuck, even Lucifer was taken aback by Charlie being in a queer relationship. To me that speaks a lot to the values *he* as an angel, was taught.

#hazbin hotel #silly theories #possible spoilers #thoughts #media analysis

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