#but she is definitely better at getting stuff done for other people than for herself /o\

[susiecarter]

hey! i love your superbat works so much!! thank you for writing and sharing them with us <3<3 would you ever consider writing a post-MoS au where Clark becomes Bruce's office assistant (hired by Lucius, perhaps)?

/o\ :D Aw, man, thank you so much, anon—I'm so glad to hear it! ;-; Thank you right back for reading them; I love writing, and I would probably do it even if nobody but me was getting anything out of it, but that doesn't mean it isn't the best feeling in the world to know that somebody else is getting something out of it (\;-;/!!!!!) and I appreciate it so, so much. ♥

AND rest assured I absolutely would consider that, haha—to tell you the truth, one of the many story ideas I have had floating around for ages but haven't quite pinned down well enough to turn into an outline is an MoS AU where the final part of Clark's hobo period is him getting hired by Alfred to take care of Bruce Wayne's cars :'D and of course Bruce starts hitting on him on the reg but then gradually gets genuinely intrigued, gets to know him a bit at a time, gets caught up in him ... and then Zod still shows up, but this time Bruce is EXTREMELY EMOTIONALLY INVESTED. :D

Which means! I'd absolutely l o v e to write the quasi-mirror/almost-companion version where it's post-MoS and Clark is getting hired as Clark Kent for real in Bruce's office, exactly as you say (maybe trying to build up a bit of a freelance portfolio before applying at the Planet = needing a job to pay the bills while he's working on it?), getting stuck dealing with Bruce at his Bruce Wayniest :'D but also they're both full-up on Black-Zero trauma, and I get to indulge myself in like 100k of identity porn square (because I will never get tired of Batman rescuing Clark Kent, Superman rescuing Bruce Wayne, Bruce Wayne trying not to make friends with Clark Kent and failing, and Batman trying to keep Superman at a distance and failing :D). *______*!!! I can make you no promises, because I can't be trusted to do anything in a timely fashion :'D but thank you for the prompt, I love it and I'll be daydreaming about it all week, and if I do manage to actually write it, I can only hope you'll enjoy it! ♥ ♥ ♥ (And if you have any more thoughts to share about what you'd like to imagine happening in the story, feel free to drop me another ask about it, anytime!)

[boiohboii]

How would that keep us safe?

(Kimi Raikkonen x pregnant!wife!reader)

Inspo

When a formula 1 driver's car fails on them, they would a. be angry, b. go straight to their engineers, c. stay in the team's motor home.. but not kimi raikkonen, no sir, especially not with his pregnant wife on a yacht on her own.

or

in which Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber and Jenson Button make fun of the infamous ice man for being head over heels for his wife so he just decides to double down.

WARNINGS: not proof read (when do I ever proof read this stuff), no sense of timeline whatsoever, just a small crackhead fic that came to mind. Thank you insta algorithm for the Kimi edits, the man is so fine omg, solid dilf right here people.

Masterlist

"God," yn huffed as she, for an accurate description, waddled alongside her husband, Kimi Raikkonen into the Mclaren garage "if you don't keep it in your pants next time I will chop it off."

"Yes dear." Kimi replied with a smile on his face, hiding his laughter as best as he could to spare himself the lecture that would inevitably make him laugh harder- he can't help it, his wife is much more adorable trying to give him an earful with her puffed cheeks, stomping feet and her belly looking like it's about to pop at any second.

It hadn't even been 30 minutes before yn started to feel the heat getting to her, making her fan herself with the collar of her shirt while glaring at the fan that evidently did nothing to help her out.

"Everything alright dear?"

"No, no!" yn turned to look at her husband "it's so fucking hot i feel like my skin is melting off and your daughter wouldn't stop kicking my bladder so no, nothing is fucking alright!"

While the engineers around gulped, scared for their lives, Kimi bit his lips to avoid smiling at his very cute, frustrated wife. He had gotten used to her snapping at him whenever any little thing annoyed her, he knew it's the least he can do and she always apologises so no harm done really.

"It's okay, here, how about you go watch the race from the yacht? Will that be better?" Kimi whispered as he stood behind his wife with his hands underneath her belly, lifting it up to give his wife some rest.

"Oh my god," yn groaned in relief "I really needed that, I love you."

Staying like that for a few minutes, yn agreed that it would be much better if she watched the race from the yacht in her swimming suit, the atmosphere and the clothing would definitely make it much more comfortable for her. And just as she was about to leave, new company arrived.

"Ohhh, did he piss you off enough to leave him before a race?"

"Damn Kimi, don't make a pregnant woman that mad, especially not your wife."

The voices of Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button joined the couple, along with the laugh of Mark Webber.

"Oh, shut up." As much as Kimi tells yn that he would rather eat chalk than willingly hang out with these guys, he is indeed fond of them.

"He didn't piss me off," yn pulled her husband down so she could kiss him, smiling upon hearing two of the three newcomers groan and a whistle (of course it's sebastian) "i just feel like I will burst any second so I am going to watch the race from One More Toy"

"What the fuck is one more toy?"

"Oh, it's kimi's yacht."

"Our yacht."

Placing one palm on her belly while his other rests on her cheek, Kimi smiled at his wife "be safe, yes?"

"Yeah, of course."

Giving her a kiss on her forehead, Kimi let go of his wife, watching her head towards his yacht with the help of one of the interns.

"Be safe." Came the mocking voice of Jenson Button

"I'll be so safe." Sebastian continued as they both reincarnated the way Kimi and Yn were standing a few seconds ago; Jenson's hands on Sebastian's stomach and cheek

"I'm going to kill you on this track."

Deciding to join, Mark stood in between Sebastian and Jenson, breaking up their proximity and placing his arms around their shoulders "but how would that keep us safe?"

"An engine failure, yet again from Mclaren."

"It seems like Raikkonen is the one who will retire this race, what a shame."

"Everyone was hoping for him to win this race, he had been phenomenal these past few races giving one stellar performance after the other, truly a waste to see him go this early into the race."

"Well, it looks like Kimi is going to walk to the garage."

"That is insane, it's like a 20 minute walk, no?"

"And we are back, and oh my god, there is Kimi Raikkonen in his yacht, he hasn't got a shirt on, with his wife on his lap, the father to be could not care less in this moment ladies and gentlemen."

"What a legend, the Iceman strikes again everyone, leaving the race to be on a yacht with his family. And oh my god, it seems that the couple are having the time of their lives on their yacht 'one more toy' with snacks all around and their hands all over each other."

[florsial]

you should totally talk about ur lily more😔 (pleasepleaplepleasepleaspeleaapleaase)

Sigh, I have a very love-hate relationship with Lily with how some of her fans can get. Unfortunately, I did post about her at some point but took it down. Truthfully, I do love her in my own personal way.

Anyways, here's some headcanons:

-She's from Spain and was raised Catholic. Her family moved to the UK and unlike Petunia, Lily settled kinda well while Petunia wasn't used to the sudden change in environment. They moved when Lily was 10 and Petunia was 12.

-I feel like people will hate me for this, but I think her friendship with Severus was one of the most important ones. First friend-first love kinda of thing. They were each other's first person and even when they part ways, Lily will still feel fond of him even when they both wronged each other (because there is no way in hell two lonely teens weren't gonna hurt each other one way or another). Modern AU version of them is just two teenage girls who don't know where the boundaries of romantic-platonic end and begin which causes a lot of weird feelings and toxicity (don't ask how I know that)

-She's like one of those people who are like "Stop doing that, you're making me stressed", and the other person just placed a book in a different place. There is always a certain way she likes things done because she feels like works better, so if another way is introduced, she will be skeptical about its efficiency

-I don't see her reading fiction books all that much. She would much prefer biographies to draw her life inspirations from, literature essays to validate her internal points, and poems for small readings to just relax with. I think if she would read nonfiction, they would definitely have an overall message that she obsesses over. However, I think she would LOVE magazines.

-Not all that into movies, I don't think she would have the patience to watch them.

-We as a fandom must never forget her skill for potions. I think in the muggle world, she was very into chemistry (I've always found this funny stereotype about religious people not liking stuff like chemistry)

-Much more easily agitated during the war. Her head was constantly filling with regrets and a back-and-forth desire to run back to Petunia or stay with the Order. Once Harry was born, she kinda had this melancholy look about her, she won't be able to return or try to make amends with her sister for a long long time, or if she's even able to. At every meeting, she had a frustrated look in her eye but when she was pregnant/after Harry's birth, she just looked like she was reluctantly accepting a terrible fate. She's happy with the family she's crafted for herself but also misses when she didn't have to go through the loneliness of making one for herself because she had Petunia and that was more than enough for Lily.

-I don't think she regrets helping muggles at all. That's not what I'm saying. I'm more in the thinking that she wanted to the comfort of her own family in a such difficult time. Jealously when Regulus dies, Sirius can finally mourn and put his family to rest while Lily fears for her family's life every day as they live, living in regret and feeling like an outcast. James and his parents and her desire for her mother when she's pregnant, yes Effie is kind, but she isn't Lily's mom. Remus has the comfort of knowing his family is safe because Lyall is a wizard, and the same can go for Peter. Lily's family probably doesn't even know what was happening.

-All that anger and frustration kinda boils over and I WISH that JK Rowling made her more angry before her death. Lily's life was unfair! She deserved to yell and scream, plea for her son's life but also cuss out Voldemort. Screaming and crying (literally), shaking with fear but also anger, and I know, female characters can be soft/sensitive/emotional, it's not a bad thing. It's just I wish she was more angry/a mess because she was seen as a witty, sharp-tongued girl! This stereotypical fierce redhead! I would've been fine with her simply pleading for her son's life even in the most pathetic way (no shame) but her personality was established as being very fierce by JK Rowling!! But this could honestly be just me and yes, I know, situations change people sometimes. I just wished there was more anger, or maybe I'm angry on her behalf lol

-Teenage Lily is the helpless romantic, the girl who reads real-life love stories to prove love is real, the girl who cheers her boyfriend on the field, and the girl with gum and finished homework notes that could be given to anyone who needed them. But 20-21 year old Lily the tired woman who cried for her mother when she had her first child, the tired woman who wanted her sister's hugs again, the tired woman with sickly green eyes and moved too slowly for a woman in her early 20s, and the tired woman who watched everyone like a hawk at Order meetings that talked of more death. She sits in the corner, the chair seemingly too big for her, or anyone for that matter, and watches with frustrations simmering under her eyes. Sometimes give a cutting remark that Sirius laughs to.

[evegoldenwoods]

I was looking back through runa's tag on tumblr and it's actually comical how much of my "shit I would spend the next five years unpacking in therapy" I put into her route. A lot of stuff around being afraid of anger, a lot of stuff about anger and a destructive and a liberatory force, a lot of stuff about the way that self-hatred can ruin your life by making you lash out at other people, a lot of stuff about how toxic the fear of vulnerability is. Like I look at these screenshots and I just have to laugh. Legitimately hilarious how on-the-nose it is and how unconscious that was at the time.

And like, I'm never gonna stop wishing that more of this had been planned, that the production team had had a clear idea of what runa's story would be from the start, rather than stumbling into this issue without recognising how much it would antagonise readers and then scrambling to fix it. But if I could go back in time I wouldn't change the core of her story, I'd just tweak the details so it hit better faster. Because there's something so fascinating to me about the way that giving runa these huge, catastrophic missteps in her life and then getting to spend six seasons working through them and learning to evaluate herself more fairly, more generously, acts as a magnifier for very real feelings that a lot of people have dealt with.

It was so, so cathartic actually to take a charcater who really has done awful things and say "yes, she can learn and grow from them and she deserves not only to be loved by others but also to love herself". Like if she can do it, maybe any of us can.

And really what better production limitation for that story than to start from such a messy and chaotic accident of storytelling and to spend another five seasons picking at it and turning it over and examining it, and to get to somewhere good that I'm still really proud of.

Love you forever runa, you helped me work through some feelings and you definitely made me a better writer.

[kyliafanfiction]

I saw a bit in a Taylor/Amy fic (the latest chapter of Desperate Times Call for Desperate Pleasures) where Amy compared Taylor to a Necromancer Princess (it fits in Context) and that immediately made me think of a Fantasy AU of Worm. No shards/powers, or at least not in the Worm way, but playing with the characters.

And of course that has me thinking about who everyone would be in such a story idea:

Taylor - necromancer, obviously, given the inspiration. Maybe not a princess, but of some high birth. Danny Hebert is still his canon personality, but as a necromancer. Probably a distant father since the death of Annette. Maybe he's consumed with trying to find ways to restore her to full life or something. Doesn't control bugs, maybe? Or maybe she controls swarms of dead insects in addition to or instead of the usual skeletons and zombies? I'd lean to no bugs, just skeletons and zombies, but YMMV. Keeping her bullied/etc experience may be harder, but if Emma is also a noblewoman, perhaps of higher status (maybe Taylor's low nobility? Or not at all?)

Amy - she's a cleric of some healing-related goddess, presumably? The rest of her family are probably all Knights and Paladins of some sort. Her birth father could be some sort of Bandit King type guy who played up a 'honorable highwayman' schtick (and may actually have been a noble as well as a bandit) akin to the 'code' and 'better than the other villains' thing he had going in canon. Her guilt over not healing all the time probably wouldn't be a thing because there'd be too many other healers, but you could still play with the idea, and she'd still have that separation from her family because she's not a warrior.

Tattletale - no magic, just really smart. Probably a 'Rogue', if we were applying classes to it.

Rachel - Ranger, obviously. Has a wolf animal companion, maybe actually gainfully employed as one of the Royal Huntsmen or someone who prevents poaching on a King's Forest type place. or maybe she's a poacher herself. Probably the latter, but the former could be done well, IMO. Either way, definitely still pretty feral from not spending a lot of time around most people.

Brian - maybe some kind of Paladin of darkness type thing. He could be sworn to Taylor's father as her bodyguard (and Taylor still has her canonical attraction to him).

Alec - I'm honestly not sure. If I were wedging it into D&D classes, some form of Bard, but I wouldn't necessarily want to be bound specifically to classes. Still, he could either have magic specially around manipulation and controlling of the body, or maybe he's like, half-demon, or quarter-demon (and Heartbreaker is either a demon or half-demon) and that's the source of his power. I lean towards the latter.

Aisha - Illusionist? Uses her magic for lots of pranks and stuff, and gets really good at making herself invisible, etc.

New Wave - as I noted, the rest of New Wave would probably be knights/paladins of some sort. Maybe Vicky, Sarah, Crystal and Eric ride griffons or some other flying beast? Vicky on a Pegasus sounds really fitting. Also probably a noble family, but definitely recently ennobled or low nobility, to play into the privileged WASP upper middle class vibe New Wave has in Worm

Lung - could be an actual Dragon, could be a guy who shapeshifts into one, maybe a half-dragon (playing on his half-chinese/half-japanese canon backstory and how he was an outsider in Japan as a result). Warlord or roaming bandit type guy, probably. Oni Lee would be a teleporting assassin who works for him, and Bakuda as an alchemist making explosive compounds and such is there.

Armsmaster - a master Smith and warrior. Already has a Halberd. maybe he does enchanted runes into his weapons or something to make them sharper

Miss Militia - either she's a super skilled archer of some sort, or maybe a magic who specializes in big, flashy attack spells (fireball, etc)

Dragon - Secretly a construct (or disembodied animating spirit?) of some kind that has free will and sentience, but pretends just to be a construct-crafting mage? Might not be able to keep using that name if Dragons are a thing in-setting. Depends.

Kaiser - probably a normal noble in his public face (Max, of the House of Anders), known for his charity towards the poor (only the humans, of course), but secretly the leader of a racist militia-type group that persecutes nonhumans in the Kingdom? Or specific groups of humans. Or both. Probably doesn't have magical powers, but does have some cool enchanted gear he paid a fortune for, and hides just how good he is with a sword, except in his secret persona?

Hookwolf - actual werewolf? Still works for Anders, presumably.

None of these thoughts are necessarily final, really, and I have a few more, but nothing quite formed yet.

Obviously, more might need to worked out, including plot and the particulars of the setting (is Brockton the whole Kingdom? Is Brockton Bay one city? A major focus? Maybe Brockton Bay is a larger region, and some of the various parts of the Bay are distinct cities and towns in the Bay area. I have a setting that involves both Paladins and Necromancers in prominent roles that I might repurpose if I was going to write this... which I still might, but not yet).

Other characters could play all sorts of roles, would have to think more on their equivalent versions. Can't just make everyone some flavor of wizard/warlock/witch/etc, and wouldn't want to be married to specific 'classes', but it's a solid starting point anyway.

What would you all envision 'Fantasy AU' versions of some of the characters? Do you think I'm way off the mark with some of them? Obviously 'Fantasy AU' covers a wide swath of possibilities, so there's a lot of variation. Still, curious as to people's ideas with it.

Obviously, if I wrote it, it would be Taylor/Amy in the long run, (I am nothing if not a predictable, hopeless shipper) maybe involving Taylor (and the AU's version of the Undersiders?) kidnapping Amy at some point, who knows.

[hazbin-a-helluvamagines]

Hello ! I have a request for you so I hope you can do it ! 🩷 (no rush obviously, take your time ☺️💓)

I wanted to request for Verosika mayday and (she's my favorite gal) with a cute idol reader (they're in a relationship)

example for idol reader: (basically They're cute as hell)

Can be any gender you want

Verosika Mayday With A Cute Idol S/O

Now, I'll start this off with the obvious: before you start dating, she sees you as competition. I mean, how dare you come onto her turf and steal her fans?!

However, it doesn't take long for her to meet you with intent of threatening you away, only for her to begin swooning over you soon after.

You're just?? So sweet??? Like??

She's enamored with you, but she thinks it's suspicious. Soon after, though, she learns that it's not an act, that you really ARE that sweet and that cute.

It isn't long until you two start dating, and she makes it VERY clear to her posse that you're off-limits because you're HER sweet little S/O.

She'll also actually refrain from fucking people, either on earth or in hell, as long as she has you. She adores you beyond belief, viewing you as just too sweet to do that to.

Now, she's got that pop star money. So anytime she sees anything that even SLIGHTLY reminds her of you, congratulations, you've got twelve.

You two would bond over music, definitely. No matter what kind of music you sing (I assume pop based on the term 'idol'), and she'll even suggest karaoke dates for the both of you.

Plus, she'll integrate herself into your professional life, too, with collabs! Interchanging, switching vocals, with one of you singing your part of the main chorus and the other doing the backing vocals, and vice versa.

Another thing: she'll have you help with writing songs and everything! It's nice dating another musician, because you both know how to support each other endlessly.

If you're a succubus and you're interested in seducing humans together, perfect, she'll do that with you! But if not, that's okay, she only needs you.

Because you're so sweet and cute, though, it'd be a long time before she opened up about her psst relationship with Blitzø and how he broke her heart.

That said, she'll write a diss track about him with lines along the lines of "fuck you, got my new boo". She's petty, even if you aren't, and unless you say you're uncomfortable, she isn't gonna stop putting you in her pettiness anytime soon.

She'll help you with outfit coordination and ask for the same in turn, figuring that if you're both coordinated, it's a sly way to show everyone that you're hers.

PDA is a must, but it'll be lower than if you weren't an idol, because she doesn't want to risk you being made upset if it's in the tabloids. Anything that can be construed as 'friendly', she'll do in public. The kissing and stuff is saved for later. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

That said, if anyone ever flirts with you in public, she has no shame in making out with you or grabbing your ass right there in public, just to show that person that you're hers and only hers.

And likewise, if anyone ever flirts with her, she'll grab your hand and offer a cruel smirk while she turns them down.

"Yeeeeeah, no. I already have a fucking amazing S/O, who's most definitely better in bed than a lame fuckstain like you ever would be."

She'll try harder to get through rehab entirely for you. She wants to see that sweet, adorable smile on your face when she tells you that she's done with the Beelzejuice...

Basically, contrary to what you'd think, your sweetness an innocence inspires her to be better.

Although...

There's always a small part of her that wants to corrupt you more than anything else.

"Aww, S/O, you look almost good enough to eat~."

"Are you saying I'm sweet? :D"

"...Yeah."

She would never do that of course, but the thought is kind of just... there. But she loves you too much to ever try to do that to you.

All in all, Verosika is a good girlfriend to you, and both your professional and personal lives are filled with love and laughter together.

And she'll be damned if she lets anyone keep you apart...

Ever.

[venomwrites]

Follow up to The Room because SOMEONE said the first part was as fluffy as I get. On a completely unrelated note happy new years to everyone and in particular to @qvert you should go admire her art.

“I think you shouldn’t be here tonight,” Caitlyn says and Vi’s guilt roars up. 

She knows she’s fucked up in a lot of ways. It’s only been a few days of sleeping in Caitlyn’s bedroom but she thought maybe things were getting better. Or heading in the right direction. Caitlyn’s letting her sort through the boring paperwork shit and starting to get her hands around how much fucking work running this house is. Vi’s known it takes a lot to run a house, she’s known since she was a kid helping her mom and definitely when her parents died. Vander was their rock but rocks didn’t make soup. One of her favorite stories in the book was of a woman who said she made stone soup. But her mother explained that it wasn’t the stone. It was the things people brought to add to the stone soup. For a long time there were no other people so Vi had brought everything she could find for her own soup. She kept them fed for years until it just sort of became her job. But there’s a serious difference between keeping people from starving and running what seems like a small village. 

It’s intimidating but it doesn’t stop her. 

Not when she looks over and sees her stuff on the empty shelves. Not when Caitlyn nuzzles into her chest and her warm weight reminds Vi how to sleep. Except once again she’s behind on something because Caitlyn is politely rejecting her. It’s not a gun to the gut or a yell or a quiet apology about why they can’t fight together. But it still stings. Even if Vi gets it. She’s a fuck up. Caitlyn gave her a chance and she blew it. She doesn’t expect Caitlyn to kick her out, but she wonders if maybe Ekko would let her crash while she figures out her next move. Even if she doesn’t belong in this place, she doesn’t want to go back to that shoebox shithole and drink herself to death. Not anymore. Not when she’s the only one left who remembers so many. She doesn’t trust her voice so she just nods and gets over to the nightstand to pick up her book. She really hopes Caitlyn will let her keep it. Then she immediately chastises herself because of course she will. Caitlyn has done so much for her. She can answer her in a steady voice at least.

“Yeah, okay,” she says, “I’ll get out of your hair.”

“No, Vi,” Caitlyn makes a noise of frustration and Vi wonders how she even managed to fuck this up. But then Caitlyn is in front of her. Her hands only hesitate a moment before settling on Vi’s shoulders, “it’s New Years eve,” she says and Vi turns with the pressure of her hands towards the spectacular balcony.

Everything clicks.

The city is spread out dazzlingly before them. Piltover sloping down to Zaun. Vi loves it because it’s the same view she used to take in on the rooftops, just from a different angle. Before she looked up at Piltover and dared it to judge her. But even back then, if she didn’t fight it she could wonder at the high buildings and endless food. And if she was really in a mood, she could let the longing wash over her. Now she doesn’t fight it. Not the longing, not the wonder. She lets them both wash over her as she sits on the balcony while Caitlyn brushes her teeth. But even she knows the Zaun she longs for doesn’t exist down there. Not really. Not anymore. She can barely step foot in it without tearing up at the memories. She has to run all the way down there to be exhausted enough to make it more than a few blocks. And she needs the entire walk back to keep herself from shaking. Sometimes she can barely meet Caitlyn’s eye when she comes back. 

But she used to spend every New Years on the rooftops watching the fireworks. 

It was the great equalizer, in a way. They were loud for her, they were loud for Piltover. Anyone that looked up could marvel at the starbursts of color that lit up the sky. She knew the Pilties weren’t sharing the beauty of them, but that didn’t matter. The starbursts of color were for everyone. She used to wrap a scarf around Powder’s ears to help muffle the noise but a few years in she took it off to marvel at them. To promise one day she would make the sky starburst like that. Vi would think of the promise when she could hear the dull echo in Stillwater. One year she convinced herself that maybe Powder was out there making fireworks and living an honest life. She was so fucking stupid. Now when she thinks of hearing an explosion it’s chased by another one of her promises. And now it ends in screaming. The thought makes her want to be sick. 

“Shit,” she says quietly as Caitlyn fits herself behind her and rests their temples together, “how bad?”

“Very,” Caitlyn says, an apologetic note in her voice like this is somehow her fault, “I thought the bunker might be best,” she says, “just to be safe.”

Vi hesitates because it sounds wonderful and like a lot of trouble. But Caitlyn seems to understand her hesitation and gives her arms a squeeze. 

“It should be set up.”

“Okay,” Vi says, “thanks,” she swallows against the embarrassment and gratitude that churns in her gut, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Vi,” Caitlyn sighs and suddenly her chin is on Vi’s shoulder. Usually when they touch like this, one of them is asleep. It feels strange to do it in the middle of the bedroom that isn’t exactly theirs. Strange and kind of amazing, if Vi’s being honest, “I’m coming with you,” Caitlyn says. 

Everything in her relaxes against Caitlyn. The arms on her shoulders hesitate only a moment before sliding down to wrap around hers. Caitlyn holds her warmly and firmly and it feels so impossibly nice it makes Vi’s head spin. Until Caitlyn makes a soft sound that might be a laugh and suddenly Vi is desperately alert to hear it again. She’s utterly unwilling to move from the embrace but manages to get her head tilted enough to give Caitlyn a questioning look. Caitlyn smiles. Vi can feel her smile against her neck. She feels her heart begin to pick up tempo and desperately fights against it. She doesn’t want to give Caitlyn any reason to change her mind about locking herself in a bunker to hide from fireworks with her. 

“I meant to make that a question,” Caitlyn says. 

“Answer’s yes,” Vi replies and wishes her voice didn’t sound quite like that. 

Caitlyn nods and almost turns her head towards Vi’s neck. Everything in Vi waits for it, yearns for it, but then Caitlyn turns her head away and just adjusts her chin against her shoulder. Her fingers give Vi’s forearms a squeeze and then she steps back quickly with a tight smile Vi doesn’t like at all. She likes the warmth in Caitlyn’s cheeks and the way she presses her lips together before her features go back to the calm mask Vi is beginning to properly recognize. It’s been breaking more in the past few days. Vi hates that it usually means tears, but she’ll wipe all of them away if it helps Caitlyn. And it does seem to help. There’s tears but there’s also faint, honest smiles. There’s tears but there’s soft snores. There’s tears but Caitlyn also haltingly explains how her parents used the room and how she went for years refusing to sit on the bed after she learned what sex was. How even though she has changed the sheets and turned the mattress, the bed still feels like theirs. 

Vi almost carried her back to her old room right then and there. 

But she knows that’s not an option. Not really. The Kiramman’s have a bunch of stupid rules. Vi thought some of Vander’s were insane but these were on a whole different level. Sure she wants to tell Caitlyn they’re stupid and if the whole house is hers, why does it matter which room she sleeps in? But she can see people watching her to see how she’s going to handle the stupid rules. She’s come to learn most of the staff is actually on her side pretty ardently. Especially the ones from Zaun. They help her figure out shit that makes no sense like the array of silverware at every meal and the difference in glassware. When she tries she sees the staff who is against her softening. That’s how she gets access to the kitchen and then, even the ones who are blatantly against her start to relax. Because Vi could make a good soup when she had nothing, now she makes a great one. Now she gets invited to break time card games and learns about the inner workings of Piltover’s elite families. 

So she knows Caitlyn cannot go back to the heir’s room because she is not the heir anymore. 

Vi didn’t know what to make of the implication of it being her room. 

Not at first. 

At first it was just the room Caitlyn had put her in after getting sliced. And sure Vi had felt something at it being Caitlyn’s room. But then she had begun to see signs that Caitlyn hadn’t been anywhere near the room for a good while. Before she chalked it up to them being busy, sometimes Caitlyn even wound up sleeping at the Enforcer barracks. But at some point Vi realized Caitlyn avoided the room to a large extent. Then she realized you couldn’t pay Caitlyn to go into the bathroom. She sliced her finger on something and Vi had tried to get her in there so she wouldn’t bleed on her priceless rug and Caitlyn had—to put it mildly—freaked the fuck out. So Vi had figured it was an empty room. Then when the battle happened, it had been easy to crawl back to the empty room she could navigate to. Between her busted shoulder, broken arm and gaping hole where her heart used to be, she would have gone anywhere. It didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was the room’s proximity to the main suite where Caitlyn was. 

It was fucking hard to be in that room. 

It was hard because it was grand and Vi could barely bring herself to brush her hair some days. It was hard because it was empty and if they never met, maybe it wouldn’t be. But most of all it was hard because Caitlyn was in so much pain. Her eye was the most jarring at first glance, but somehow it was the easiest one to deal with. Nothing could be done. But the bones. Gods. Cheekbone, jaw, ribs, hipbone--each was more painful than the last. The one time Caitlyn cried was when she caught a glimpse of herself in a water glass and the distorted, alien reflection tipped her over the edge. To the point where the doctors had to sedate her. Even Tobias who was more ghost than man most days took pity on Vi and showed her the rows of endless portraits. Teal eyes stared back at her. Teal eyes set above sharp cheekbones and expressive, full lips. Caitlyn’s old portrait fit in perfectly in the next row over from her mothers and Vi realized the gut wrenching reaction. It was because Caitlyn no longer looked like her mom. 

She avoided the room after that. 

Until Caitlyn invited her to sneak people in to her window and Vi realized Caitlyn thought she was avoiding her.

“Should we?” Vi jerks her head to the door, “unless you’ve got something to finish.”

Caitlyn smiles and picks up the papers she’s sorting through. 

“I can do this downstairs,” she says. 

It’s strange to be in the elevator again. They’ve had access to the bunker the entire time, but it’s not like there’s been a reason to go down here. There’s no war to plan. No battle to prepare for. No sister to feed. The doors open onto the familiar array of cells. Vi’s gaze draws to the one that she’s pretty sure she’ll think of with her dying breath. That moment where everything shifted. When something in Vi finally realized that she had spent her life making sure everyone was fed but forgot to feed herself. As Jinx had gotten older she had started to try to change that, tried to always make sure Vi had something. But Vi would always make sure it went to her instead. She had been hungry for so long, she forgot what hunger felt like. Until Caitlyn stood in font of her, until she smiled and offered to sit with her and suddenly Vi was ravenous. But now when she glances at Caitlyn her eyes are trained ahead. Resolutely avoiding the cell and Vi has to remind herself that Caitlyn wanted to be down here with her. And that was worth everything, including swallowing down the question pressed to her tongue. 

What are we?

That was the thing. She was tucked in that room designated for someone about to step into a role in the family. She was learning about numbers so long they made her head spin. Caitlyn sometimes left her books about Kiramman family history. Tobias had moved the family portrait to a designated spot near the wall of Cassandra’s life and a final one was being commissioned. But the hook in the parlor never came down. It glinted annoyingly in the light during every single one of the times Vi trudged through it every day. Again, her eyes lingered and Caitlyn refused to look at the wall. But the hook still glinted. It still taunted that it was waiting for a painting of a family. Vi flipped it off once a day. It wasn’t easy to not be a part of a family and be living with them. To hear the gossip of what was Caitlyn going to do now that she was the only Kiramman. It took everything for VI not to tell Agnes to pass along the message Caitlyn wasn’t alone and anyone who said as much could choke on whatever seasonal produce they were hunting for. 

Vi smacks into Caitlyn’s back. 

“Sorry,” she says and frowns at Caitlyn’s ramrod straight back, “what’s wrong?”

Caitlyn spins around, her face red and lips pursed. Vi’s frown deepens when she tries to move past her and Caitlyn all but throws herself in front of her. Vi raises her eyebrows and Caitlyn squeezes her eye shut so tightly even the empty lid puckers. She balls her hands into fists and takes a deep breath. Even though curiosity is burning at her, Vi tries to focus on what she is doing. She wants Vi to not see what’s on the other side of the doorway. Vi hasn’t exactly been great at listening so she tries to focus on that as Caitlyn collects herself. Finally Caitlyn opens her eye and tugs her shirt like it isn’t perfect. Now Vi is really intrigued because Caitlyn only does that when she’s truly embarrassed and nervous. But Vi has no idea what could be making her feel that way. 

“Did they forget something?” She says, “we still have time before the fireworks.”

“No,” Caitlyn says through gritted teeth. Vi feels the start of concern and it must show because Caitlyn’s face softens, “it was supposed to be us and Ekko,” she says. 

Vi’s heart jumps in excitement. 

“Ekko’s here?” She asks and forgets to listen as she sidesteps Caitlyn. 

There’s a frustrated noise behind her as Vi takes in the room. 

If Ekko’s supposed to be here, she has no idea where he’s going to sit. There’s a table lit by the fancy candles, but it’s only set for two. The record player is in the corner along with a longer table with a few dishes on it. There’s a little blue flame beneath that Vi knows they use to keep things warm. In the other corner is a bed made with fresh linens and one of the best throw blankets. Someone has put a tapestry on the wall and tacked a sheet up so the bed is cocooned in fabric. When she looks down, Vi realizes there’s throw rugs everywhere. And when she looks farther up, she realizes the room has been strung with flowers and the occasional leaf from Ekko’s tree. It looks really nice. She looks around again and expects Ekko to jump out from somewhere, but he knows she hates surprises like that. Especially with the prospect of fireworks. 

“He’s not here,” she says, thinking of how he might handle this night. Then she sees his handwriting on an envelope on one of the plates, “shit is this a scavenger hunt?” She wonders. Ekko has all kinds of techniques for helping people, but the idea of that tonight makes her skin crawl. 

She’d rather be down here with Caitlyn. 

Thumbing open the thick envelope, she’s surprised when she opens it to find a flower tacked to the inside and no additional papers. 

Vi, 

Got my own plans tonight, didn’t tell your girl. 

Ask her to join you.

Good luck. 

E

The flower is for Caitlyn. 

This is all for Caitlyn. Her throat works as she looks up at Caitlyn. Caitlyn has turned away and has her hand covering her face. Vi can hear her quietly muttering to herself. That’s a new thing she’s taken to doing, one that makes Vi’s skin crawl because she knows it’s her fault. If she was here, Caitlyn wouldn’t have to mutter to herself. She could talk to her. Vi shoves the guilt away. It’s easier down here, somehow. Maybe because of what happened one impossibly thick wall to her side. That was a leap of faith and the world—well the world did fall apart. But she has Caitlyn so it didn’t fall apart as much as it could have. She takes the flower off it’s pinning and adds another thing she’s going to yell at Ekko for. It may be shades of white, purple and periwinkle but Vi knows it’s a violet. She walks over as Caitlyn shakes her head and stiffens at the sound of her footsteps. 

“I’m so sorry,” she says, “I did not tell anyone to do this,” she continues and smooths out her face, lowering her hand but keeping her eyes closed for a moment longer, “I didn’t mean to make this uncomfortable for you—“

“It’s not,” Vi says and Caitlyn’s eye flies open. It widens as she stares at the flower Vi has in front of her face. There’s a whole lot of shit Vi wants to say but Ekko’s given her solid advice, “want to join me?”

Caitlyn stares at her, her eye going from the flower to VI and back again. The color drains from her face and a then spectacularly comes back as her fingers reach for the flower with a shyness Vi can’t remember ever seeing. Emboldened by her reaction, Vi slips the flower behind her ear. Caitlyn’s fingers hover in the air before they fall back to her side. Then one of her hands comes up. In a quick, elegant motion she sweeps her midnight hair behind her ear and secures it with the flower. They both stare at each other for an impossibly long moment as Vi tries to get her mouth to be less dry. When Caitlyn lowers her hand, Vi’s moves and catches it. Caitlyn swallows tightly and then her fingers curl over Vi’s palm. Caitlyn’s good at navigating the world with her new vision, but Vi puts herself on that side as they make their way to the table. If nothing else, it gives them an excuse to hold hands for a bit longer. Though Vi finds she’s less inclined for excuses at the moment. She kind of just wants to hold Caitlyn’s hand. 

“Here,” she says handing Caitlyn the card so she can grab their plates, “Ekko played you.”

“What?” Caitlyn looks at the card as Vi flips open the serving trays. 

There’s a jumble of Caitlyn’s favorite foods and, much to her shock, her own favorites. Ekko must have gone to a dozen of their favorite street vendors so she can have something she likes. Something she likes and something she can share. Because there’s two portions of everything, right down to the two paper cups of sauces. Vi fights against the grateful burning in her eyes. She hasn’t walked with Ekko in days but she went over her plan for breakfast in detail. Her hopes for it so Caitlyn would maybe not hate Vander’s pancake recipe. She hadn’t had a chance to tell him it was a success. But his faith in it is laid out in front of her in paper cones and her usual from Jericho. She loads the plates and includes the stuff Caitlyn likes as well, though it makes them look comically full. Caitlyn watches as she brings them back and sets one in front of her. 

The blushing embarrassed Caitlyn falls away as she recoils at the sight of Jericho’s fish and before she can stop herself, Vi erupts into laughter. 

“Sorry,” she says quickly, “the other stuff is good, but I promise it’s not as bad as you think.”

“What is it?” Caitlyn questions slowly. 

“Good,” Vi says, “come on, it can’t be worse than a snail.” 

Caitlyn purses her lips. 

“Escargot is a delicacy. One day—“

Vi realizes she hasn’t seen the other side of the plate and rotates her own, picking up one of the snails. Caitlyn’s eye widens. Vi makes an educated guess the weird tiny fork is for this and gets it free. It smells like butter so it can’t be that bad. She pops it into her mouth. It’s definitely got enough butter in it not to be bad. But it could taste like crap and it would still be worth it for the surprise painted on Caitlyn’s face. 

“Not bad,” she says. 

Caitlyn swallows and shifts her weight. She looks down at the blue. Vi is just about to absolve her when she lifts it between her fingers and bites in. She keeps their eyes locked together and Vi tries not to be distracted by the sauce that catches in the corner of Caitlyn’s lips. Her features draw together before she actually looks surprised and not completely disgusted. Not disgusted enough to glance down and take another bite. It sends something warm and stupid through Vis chest. 

“It’s surprisingly not awful,” Caitlyn says, so surprised she forgets her manners. Which makes the biggest grin stretch across Vi’s face. 

“Yeah it’s okay,” she says, “but you’ll like these better.”

The fried balls actually make Caitlyn eat quicker. Quick enough that Vi scoots her own portion to the side for later. It feels like breakfast but better as they try each other’s favorite foods and swap stories that go with them. It delights Vi to no end how Caitlyn’s pallet echoes her own. Fish and citrus and spices. How they get to the flavor is different, but they arrive at a similar place all the same. Vi feels almost shy as she hands over the paper cup but Caitlyn’s delight makes it worth it. 

“No, I couldn’t,” Caitlyn protests. 

“Take ‘em,” Vi says, “because I’m gonna ask for something in return.”

“What?” Caitlyn asks, her eyes narrowing. 

The cup betrays her with the slightest tremble that makes Caitlyn look a little concerned. Concerned enough that she takes it from Vi’s hand before she can completely humiliate herself. But she’s been brave in this place before and this dinner’s been really nice so Vi squares her shoulders. 

“A dance,” she says and Caitlyn’s eyes widen, “dance with me—shit—“ Vi stops herself before she can shove her foot even more in her mouth, “I’ll trade you those for a dance.”

Caitlyn looks at her and Vi wonders if she’s going to run. But then she picks one up between her fingers and places it between her lips. They’ve had sex, Vi reminds herself. She’s literally had Caitlyn’s other lips inside her mouth. But the sight of her accepting the offer is short circuiting her brain. Even more when Caitlyn tilts her head towards the record player. Vi scrambles to her feet so fast it’s a miracle she doesn’t upend the chair. Sure she wants to dance with Caitlyn, she’s down for anything that gets her to have her arms around her. But she’s also got a head full of half hazed liquored up memories where she danced with some ghost of Caitlyn. And sometimes they haunt her dreams. It’s selfish but Vi wants to know what it feels like to dance with this Caitlyn. Not the nightmare who chases her every time she tries to work up the courage to clear out her shithole apartment by the pits. 

Her fingers are actually shaking as she finds the record she half recognizes and puts it on. But then Caitlyn slides a hand across her shoulder and turns her around and suddenly they are swaying to the music. If Caitlyn can see the nerves on her face, she doesn’t comment. She just loops her wrists behind Vi’s neck. The softness doesn’t fade past the first few heartbeats. It doesn’t turn. It’s just Caitlyn smiling and swaying with her. Some part of her that has been clenched tight since, well, probably since she stopped drinking herself to death, finally sighs open. Relaxes. Lets her move her hands so they are fully around Caitlyn’s waist. She means to pull her closer but Caitlyn has already stepped closer so they are practically on top of each other’s toes. 

“This has been lovely,” Caitlyn says. 

“Yeah?” Vi tries to give some kind of confidence but finds it impossible, “you seemed kind of embarrassed earlier.”

“Only at myself,” Caitlyn admits. Vi gives her a questioning look at Caitlyn blushes again, “I’ve moved you into this house without asking and now I moved you into my bedroom,” she says, looking down. Her eye meets Vi’s and her voice is a near whisper, “I never want you to feel pressured into something again,” she says, “not by me.”

Another something relaxes. Caitlyn looks down and Vi pulls her closer before she can step away. She touches her chin and it still takes a moment for Caitlyn to meet her gaze. 

“Hey,” Vi says, “you aren’t pressuring me,” she swallows against the embarrassing tightness in her throat, “but it means a lot—“ she swallows, “hearing that from you.”

Caitlyn nods and the slight pressure on Vi’s hands relaxes as she leans against her. Vi doesn’t understand how she was fooled for a second by the sneering ghost. She scoots one hand up Caitlyn’s back, surprised when there’s a stuttered breath against her neck. Caitlyn leans into her embrace and Vi feels wet against her throat as Caitlyn’s fingers tighten in her shirt. But the own burning in her eyes is what catches her the most off guard. It’s just a few words and Caitlyn has done so much to prove herself. So much more than Vi ever thought was necessary. Vi knows she played her own part in what happened. But Caitlyn doesn’t make her acknowledge that. She doesn’t apologize and make Vi tell her not to. She just hits the root of the pain like she’s taking the perfect shot. And because it’s her Caitlyn shooting, of course it hits. Of course it blows apart the festering knot before it can spread. 

“You ever think we’d be here when you saved my life?” Vi asks. 

“You mean with the Shimmer?” Caitlyn asks. Vi smiles and curls her fingers in Caitlyn’s shirt. Caitlyn misinterprets her silence, “or with Stillwater?“

“Or at the commune,” Vi says, “or any of the other dozens of times you saved my life?” Caitlyn pulls back just enough to give her a puzzled look, “Cait, you’re not pressuring me into anything,” Vi says firmly, “I kissed you down here because I wanted to,” Caitlyn nods but the look on her face isn’t what Vi wants to see, “I’m here because I want to be with you.”

“I know,” Caitlyn says and winces, “I mean—“

“Do you want to be with me too?” Vi asks, figuring if one of them can just come out and say shit they both should be able to. Caitlyn swallows, “shit,” Vi breathes, “now I’m the one pressuring—“

Caitlyn shoves their mouths together before she can finish the sentence and every thought in Vi’s head is wiped blissfully blank. All she can do is sigh into the kiss as Caitlyn answers in an unnervingly efficient way. Vi loves her taste, but for the first time there’s familiarity on he tongue. This time Vi’s heart doesn’t jump, Caitlyn’s doesn’t either. She can feel it from where they are pressed together so tightly. There’s new scars on both of them, but to Vi it just brings a new level of familiarity to Caitlyn. But even without it, the kiss would feel familiar. And now it feels even better with the knowledge they both want this. Not out of desperation, not out of pain, just the simple want Vi thought she lost during that fall. The familiarity of Caitlyn’s taste tangles with the flavors of what they hav just eaten. 

For the first time, Caitlyn truly tastes like home. 

She pulls back and rests their foreheads together. For the first time since that battlefield, she truly seems calm. Even with tears drying on her cheek and kiss swollen lips. Her eye opens and looks at Vi before she closes it and presses her forehead tighter to hers. 

“Can we please get rid of my parents bed?” She says, frustration and pleading heavy in her voice. 

Vi can’t remember the last time she asked for something so clearly and nods as emphatically as she dares with their foreheads pressed together. 

“Bed’s gotta go,” she says roughly and Caitlyn nods again, “I’ll get us a new one.”

“Please,” Caitlyn says though it doesn’t sound like a request. It makes Vi smile. 

“We’ll move your old one in there in the meantime,” she says. 

Caitlyn’s throat bobs but she nods. Vi knows what she’s declaring. But Caitlyn is warm in her arms and she doesn’t give a shit about having her own space. And if she does, Gods know that room is big enough. 

“If you’re certain—“

“I am,” Vi says. 

Caitlyn moves her head to Vi’s shoulder and this time, her lips brush purposefully against Vi’s pulse. A shiver works down Vi’s spine as the question of whether Caitlyn is certain as well gets answered. Vi wonders if she can convince Caitlyn to answer all her questions by kissing her neck. Figuring that’s a question for another time, she opens her eyes enough to find the fabric cocooned bed and steer them towards it. Caitlyn pushes her back and seats herself in her lap and Vi discovers she has a new memory to think of when she dies one day. The light is pink through the fabric and makes Caitlyn’s hair a deep shade of violet than the flower behind her ear. Her fingers skirt up Vi’s jaw and frame her face, thumb brushing her freckles and cheekbones as she smiles at her. She reaches up and takes the flower behind her ear and slips it behind Vi’s own. Vi’s throat works as she brushes feather light kisses to her tattoo and freckles and then the corner of her mouth. 

“Beautiful, my Violet,” she whispers and the words undo something as Vi turns her face to capture her lips. 

They came down here to hide from explosions but Vi thinks that might be a moot point as Caitlyn rocks their hips together and Vi feels something building inside her. 

But going into the year as Caitlyn’s Violet sounds like a pretty great way to start.

[yurislotusgarden]

Hii! could I request ranpo and chuuya with a fem s/o who makes cute bento boxes for their lunch at work? (I was curious on how this would go, feel free to add any details you want!)

My bento!

ʚїɞ Separately! Nakahara Chuuya, Ranpo Edogawa, Sigma x F!Reader

ʚїɞ Keep in mind English is not my first language, so you may find mistakes!

ʚїɞ word count: 1764 (Chuuya - 537, Ranpo - 664, Sigma - 561)

ʚїɞ Have Sigma as an extra bcs my ass forgot it was meant to be Ranpo instead of him after I was done with Chuuya's part

ʚїɞ Tw’s: None! Just pure fluff, pet names are used (barely), reader’s gender is not specified that much

Nakahara Chuuya!

ཐིཋྀ He loves the bentos so much, well more like the fact that you take time to make them for him

ཐིཋྀ Tries to always eat them

ཐིཋྀ Once, when you started making them, he didn’t eat the food because he was so busy that day, and when he had a little free time, Chuuya decided it was a better idea to go on a stress smoke break (He tries to limit smoking to the minimum he can if you don’t like smoking/the fact that he does it. He knows it’s because you care about his health)

ཐིཋྀ It ended with you fussing over him eating almost nothing that day and he doesn’t like causing you stress or making you worry so he makes sure to eat those bentos😭

ཐིཋྀ He may be an executive but this man is not embarrassed at all to eat those bentos in front of people, no matter how colorful or cutesy the food looks

ཐིཋྀ Food is food, he’s not gonna not eat cause you to worry just because the bento is one that doesn’t look like someone like him would eat

///////////////

“Lad, may I ask where do you get those bentos from?”

It was a long time since Kouyou noticed Chuuya’s bentos, and she tried to ignore just how much she wanted to try one. The only reason why she didn’t is because she doesn’t know where he is getting them from.

The young woman looked at many shops in Yokohama and saw a few places with similar bentos, but it was easy to see that none of the stores were the ones where Chuuya kept getting his lunch from.

…She really wanted one for herself, especially with how obvious it was that they were delicious, kept quiet about it tho.

Chuuya turned towards the older woman, whom he came to see as an older sister over the years.

“They’re not bought from a shop.”

“You don’t buy them?”

“Not a single one of them. Actually,-”

Kouyou was confused. Where did he get a bento from every single day? She knows the younger of the two probably wouldn’t bother spending his free time making food for lunch definitely a day before, even if he did, it wouldn’t be so colorful or detailed. There were even rice balls decorated as bears and stuff, it obviously took time to make one. But if he wasn’t buying them,  then the only other option that came to her mind was-

“- [Name] makes them for me.”

“She does?”

“Yeah, and she’s yet to make one I dislike.”

It all makes sense now to the red-haired woman. You have more free time most of the time compared to Chuuya, and you were probably aware of the eating habits he had before.

The fact that you take time, quite a lot it seems if Kouyou was to guess, the bentos are even detailed, in a very cute style if she was to say, made a smile appear on her face.

“Mhm, you wanna try?”

“How could I refuse such an offer?”

The food was even better than she thought. Kouyou made a mental note to ask you if you would have a problem with making two bentos from time to time.

Edogawa Ranpo!

ཐིཋྀ Another reason as to why he’s dating you -you give extra homemade sweets to the Bentos-

ཐིཋྀ He doesn’t even need to try to remember to eat it because he ends up eating it before lunch anyway -the reason behind you making more than one bento usually-

ཐིཋྀ He fucking boasts to everyone about the food😭

ཐིཋྀ “See what I have here? HAHA! Something you don’t and probably never will!” ← totally not Ranpo to anyone else -and totally not him to Dazai and Atsushi about the fact that they will probably never have homemade food like him-

ཐིཋྀ Don’t make the bentos with him in the kitchen unless you have prepared double the amount of food you plan to use. He uses any opportunity to snack on the not-ready-yet bentos

ཐིཋྀ BUT! He will share with you if he notices you’re hungry or just generally wanna eat it <3

///////////////

“C’mon give me just a little piece!”

“Nope! [Name] made it for me! Make your own if you want a bento at work, Yosano-san!”

“I can’t make such a bento Ranpo-san!”

“Not my problem!”

With a pout, the brunette turned his chair away, trying to eat his food in peace. It’s one of his favorite bentos! You put his favorites in this one! The only thing he doesn’t like in it is the veggies which Ranpo would ignore or throw out but he knows that he won’t get his favorite candy made by you anytime soon if he does (the others will snitch if he throws them out, especially Dazai and Yosano they did that the one and only time he did so. He learned a lesson from that after you didn’t cook his favorite like you said you would that morning)

Ranpo could practically feel the eye-roll done by Yosano. “It’s not like it’s the only bento you had today.” It’s true, he ate a similar one 2 hours earlier. “Doesn’t matter. It’s my bento either way.” A sigh came from the woman.

And right when one would think his problem was solved, another arrived. 

“Ranpo-san! What an interesting bento you have there!”

“Go away Dazai. I’m not giving you a single piece of my food!”

“Oh c’mon! You can spare a little!”

“Nope! Especially not when it’s [Name]’s cooking!”

Seriously, can’t they leave him alone? He knows your cooking is good, everyone at the agency knows that! But he wishes that you’d never let Dazai taste your food. The bandaged man has horrible eating habits, you both know that, and yet he always tries to get his hands on Ranpo’s bentos. The audacity!

Ranpo could tell that Dazai's annoying mouth was about to open again before someone interrupted him.

"I can make bentos for you too if you like them so much, Dazai-san"

Isn't that his angel who came to visit him at his oh-so-tiring job? Lovely timing, if Ranpo was to say, but there was one problem.

Among ‘hello’s and ‘hi’s from others upon noticing you, gasps could be heard, from 2 men specifically.

"You would do that for me?!"

"Excuse me?!"

What is this?! There's no way that you’re gracing anyone else with the perfection that are your his bentos!

“Hm?” It’s easy to see for anyone in the room that you were confused.

“[Name]-chan, if you could be so nice, could I ask for a bento with cra-”

“No no no! Shut up Dazai! She’s not making you any bentos! In your dreams!”

In the end, while Ranpo and Dazai at first thought that you wouldn’t make the taller brunette a bento after your conversation at that moment, you indeed did as a surprise. 

The best detective in the world didn’t like that but he allowed you to after bribing him and reminding him that if you can get Dazai to eat, you will, no matter if Ranpo will allow you to make a bento for him or not.

Dazai's happy scream the next day could probably be heard throughout the whole building.

Sigma!

ཐིཋྀ He didn’t think he’d be able to adore you more than he already does, and yet you found a way to make him do so

ཐིཋྀ He tries to eat the bentos every day but it isn’t that rare that he forgets about eating altogether when faced with a mountain of paperwork or problems in the casino

ཐིཋྀ He loves how they look and taste. He, at one point, will ask if you can teach him how to cook. Like not even necessarily a bento, just to learn since he doesn’t want the kitchen to end up in flames one day, he’s aware he sucks at cooking

ཐིཋྀ He probably would be a little embarrassed by eating it. Not because of how colorful or cutesy they are, but because of the looks he gets from people who see it. 

ཐིཋྀ The stares aren’t criticizing or anything, others just don’t expect that their boss/the manager of the casino would eat food that looks like that

ཐིཋྀ Someone was probably jealous because he has homemade bentos like that and they have some store-bought sandwiches 💀

///////////////

“It’s mine actually. Sorry, I forgot to take this from here earlier.”

The man standing in front of the bar was shocked.

He’s been sitting there and drinking not too much for some time now. At one point he noticed the bartender taking out a bento from under the bar, the lid see-through enough to see the food inside. He has to say, the detail and overall look were very cute, it definitely took time to make it look so.

The man had thought that the bento was made by someone for the bartender (In his mind it was a fair thought as he didn’t think that one could buy a bento like that anywhere close to a place like this. Especially if you work there).

The slightly shorter man changed his thought upon noticing that the bartender didn’t touch the food he had taken out (later on the lunch break he took out something else to eat)

Around 2 hours after the lunch break, -the bento still untouched, he noticed- the man decided to finally ask, curiosity winning over after all the time spent at the bar seat.

“Excuse me, who is the owner of the bento? I couldn’t help but notice that it hasn’t been touched at all.”

And he really chose the worst time to ask that question didn’t he? Right as the person to whom the bento belonged to, came.

“I-It’s yours sir?”

“Yes, why?”

How is he supposed to answer? That he didn’t think that such a cute-looking bento -that if he could he would consider stealing, it looks delicious and definitely better than his sandwich- can belong to the ever so stoic and calm manager of the sky casino?

“No reason! Was just that curious, that’s all! after all, the bento was lying here for the past, almost, 3 hours by now.”

“Ah, understandable then”

The bi-colored-haired man turned to the bartender, who was already giving the box over to him.

“Thank you for keeping it here for me, Shuichi-kun”

“no problem, Sigma-san. [Name]-san also told me to tell you-”

Yeah, the man needs a break from the confusion and shock for the next week.

And Sigma? He’s just happy you leave the bentos somewhere he can take them from when you know he’s busy.

Notes, comments, and reblogs are greatly appreciated <3

Do not copy or translate my works on/to any site

[numberonetacostan]

hi shrimp here

its always test tube darkfic this test tube darkfic that (/silly no insult intended) but how about a taco darkfic ive yet to find a taco darkfic

so much potential actually

how about taco going for long hours without sleep from trying to stay alert in the forest and starting to hallucinate stuff. like seeing random hotel residents strolling in the forest and thinking that they're something else out to get her so she just randomly attacks and/or kills them. " oj there's a thing in the woods killing us " and it's just taco going feral

or uhh something something taco messing up stuff in hotel oj or being out to get the residents and everyone is fuckin' terrified idk

i need someone to write a taco-centric darkfic please please please ill give whoever does it my soul and everything i have in my wallet ($2.50 <33)

Hiya Shrimpy!!!^^ Welcome, and thank you for sending in an ask!!! :] A darkfic is a fic that contains serious or unpleasant themes, and in which characters tend to act differently then in canon to allow this, yeah? I looked up the definition so I hope this is right!!!

Okay, so fics in which Taco finally snaps. Yeah I think Taco has probably hallucinated while in the woods. Between being quite hungry all the time, not sleeping, emotional turmoil, the chance of her mistakenly eating berries that can cause hallucinations, and being so isolated, she would be quite vulnerable to them. And given how she lashes out with violence? Taco goes feral in the woods. I like to think she put up the "Perilous Forest" sign herself to keep people out, but maybe in this scenario OJ had it put up to warn people away from the forest, since there's presumably a murderous beast in there. I do not doubt Taco's ability to kill with her bare hands one bit.

I had a little idea a while back that might qualify as a darkfic? It has to do with Taco being out to get the residents, so. I didn't think it out a ton, but the basic premise has to do with how much fanfic potential Cobs' control over Melife is. Because WOW there's a lot. So uh, during the years in which everyone on Inanimate Island was frozen, Cobs steals Taco and uhhh possesses her. Yeah. I told you I didn't think this one out much bear with me. Basically, through Melife, he either suppresses or removes Taco's consciousness from her body entirely, and uses her instead of Mephone X to delete the contestants. He can use Melife to modify her body to be able to X other people, for more angst, or delete them remotely as Toilet or whoever is piloting her body gets to the contestants. She could break through for just a moment when her body tries to attack Mic, because she's GAY, and try to stop herself and explain what's happening, but she gets pushed back down hard and fast. As for why Cobs shifts to using a contestant? What's more scary than your Dad killing your creations? One of your creations snapping after everything you've put her through, and trying to end everyone. He wants that delicious shimmer scream!!! Also!!! She'd be topped with little pieces of corn while she's possessed.

I hope that can help quench your thirst!!!! To be completely honest I'm not 100% on sharing this because there are much better things that can be done with Cobs' control of Melife and I think this idea is pretty eh actually, but that just might be my tastes. This is kind of embarrassing to put on my blog. Maybe I don't like darkfics as much, who knows? I certainly love angst, where's the line between them? Idk. uhhhh I may end up deleting this later, shrimpo, if I get too embarrassed so if you want it for later, save it somewhere.

[tremastersweb]

"You're right. But when you look across the vastness of the universe, up close, even in the midst of the most dire situations, there's always people helping each other. Being kind. To those who need a hand, and against those who make it impossible to exist in such conditions... Those who seek to maintain and amplify their individual power... Whether a society applies this at large or not is clearly not a question of nature, but nurture... I mean, it is survival after all, to help each other, and to accept diversity."

He tilts his head back, looking at the ceiling, memories of the many times he had witnessed such acts lighting up his eyes as a smile forms on his face. He then thinks of Vera, who with her own amnesia and through her fears, doesn't seem to have it in her to give up when it comes to helping her fellows, even faced with tasks that seem rather impossible. All her research on the virus, which so far seems to go nowhere, yet she still tries, because she cares.

Then 'Lin, who despite having clear trouble in understanding social interactions and how to take care of herself, seems to try her best to help as well. Her explorer spirit, and how she brings gifts with every single one of her expeditions. All the times he's caught her by the medbay door, keeping him company, despite everything he'd done.

Then, he glances at the Magister, who not only has done his fair share of help for everyone as well, but he alone had decided to go rescue Arthur, and as far as he'd been telling him, he's always had it in his hearts. He looks at his clothes, ones he'd been saving for him, in the case The Master would have accepted to travel with him, to see all this wonder together. He looks... beautiful, this way. Truly. He wonders how it could have been, if it wasn't for the curse. Well, he'd rather share this joy with him than never.

"...I just wonder why we can't do the same, instead of forcing each other into silence, when we struggle. We're supposed to be the "most advanced planet" in the Universe, and surely, in some aspects, but...! I firmly believe advancement should not equal power and repression, but compassion instead... And it will never be perfect, it can't be, but it can be better, less lonely, more hopeful... you know?"

His smile disappears as he remembers, once again, that their planet is gone.

"Or, well, maybe, it could have been."

He sighs and fidgets with his fingers, then glancing at his counterpart's as well, until he speaks.

"...Ah."

He observes his claws. Well, at least the bleeding won't be a problem anymore, but... A sting of guilt punctures his chest as he realises, it's his fault. That's the virus further advancing, and he made him worry. He frowns as he goes to wash his hands, returning his attention to the inhalers and unboxing the second. He definitely doesn't feel ready for them, but that's something he must sort out. If not for himself, he can always do it for someone else, again, that is easier. He stuffs it in his other pocket, and carefully gets off the bed - the room isn't spinning anymore, everything is back to its proper space in his perception, and he's not shaking half as much, albeit he's still a bit weak.

"I think so, yes, that at least, I... By how much have we delayed...? We better get to it as soon as possible- I would appreciate it if you drove, yes."

[izz-ler]

I've got some more stuff for the vocaloid family au: time for the parents!!!

Details under the cut! (Look at me learning how this cite works woo)

Alright lets start with Miku's parents!

First up, Dad-Miku

Dad-Miku is the middle child of three, bc of that he's become a bit of a people-pleaser from trying to keep the peace between a teenage sister(mom-luka) and a toddler brother(Kaito) when he was a kid. He works at a smaller company in the countryside. His parents(grand-mikus) decided to start a small farm when the kids grew up, and he decided to stay close so that he and his wife could keep an eye on his parents since they're not getting any younger.

Dad-Miku used to dream of becoming a mangaka as a teen, and would self publish small comics that never really got anywhere. He hasn't 100% given up on the idea, but he's not actively pursuing it anymore. He would also help Kaito out with his music since he has a good ear for it.

Miku gets her musical creativity from her dad.

Second is Mom-Miku

Mom-Miku grew up in the outskirts of the city closer to the country with her younger sister(mom-rin/len) she's a very blunt person and says what she thinks if anyone asks, however she knows when to keep it to herself and isn't an overly rude person. She enjoys doing home-DIY projects and helps out her inlaws on the farm whenever she can. She's a wiz in the kitchen, but can't bake for shit. She's not overly judgemental and encourages individuality in her kids and other family members, however she's very much a realist and will tell you when she thinks somethings a bad idea or not, tho she won't stop you.

She gives great advice, and is the one to tell the waiter that her husband asked for mashed potatoes and not fries when out to eat.

Miku takes after her mom in appearance and bluntness.

Third is Mom-Luka

Mom-Luka is a bit of an airhead. She's about 5 years older than Dad-Miku and 12 years older than Kaito, so he's her baby brother, tho they could 100% get into fights when they were younger. She lived at home until she got married, so she got to see both of her brothers grow up. She used to work for an international fashion company which is where she met her husband on a work trip to America. He's Chinese-American and grew up in the States, tho he was willing to move to Japan with Mom-Luka as he wasn't handling the long distance relationship very well. Mom-Luka was very much a stunner in her younger years and Luka has definitely inherited that, tho she's not as ditsy as her mom and takes after her dad more in personality.

Last up is Mom-Rin/Len

Mom-Rin/Len is actually about 10 years younger than her sister, Mom-Miku. She was a bit of a wild-child and party animal in her teens and due to some unfortunate decisions had Rin and Len when she was 17. She doesn't regret it though, because having them made her more responsible. She had to drop out of high-school because of the pregnancy, but managed to get a job at a beauty salon where she worked her way up and got her beauty diplomas so she could get a better pay. She now works and runs a somewhat successful salon and has managed to move her and the kids into the suburbs close to the city, which she's very proud of herself for, especially since she's been a single mother the entire time(she never told the father(bc she didn't know who it was)).

Because she herself was a bit of a rebel, she knows all the ins and outs of sneaky teens which means that Rin and Len can't get away with anything. She doesn't want them to have to deal with the same stuff she did, so she's a bit strict when it comes to school and discipline. But she's not an absolute demon and knows how to party when the time comes.

Mom-Luka likes to go to her salon to get her nails done and Mom-Rin/Len always does it personally, so they're somewhat close.

She likes it when her kids express themselves and encourages them to go crazy with their clothes and hair(hence why Len still has longer hair even though it's against the school dress code). Within reason ofc.

She's very sociable which Rin takes after, but Len's calmness and appearance is starting to remind her of someone as he gets older, tho she can't really put her finger on who.

[mocolococoffeesimp]

Ahem... I was bored, and I decided to do general dating headcanons for Cora. Soooo, here. (Not sure, which banner to use, so have both.)

-Dating Cora is pretty lowkey, she doesn't make a hassle of stuff, usually just going with the flow. She is the definition of chill and relaxed. She usually prefers chill dates, like going to museums, arcades and cafes to name a few. The rare times she does want to go out to more “wild dates”, it usually is at a local arcade or a restaurant date. Even then the restaurant date is usually a hamburger joint.

-Speaking off food, she loves a good hamburger. The combination of hamburger and milkshake is what she gets on her cheat day. The cheat day is usually biweekly. Sometimes she does slip up a little bit on it, getting some other fast food on some days. She will share her food with you, if you ask for it. Begrudging it be.

-She tries to jog to stay in shape. She usually manages to do her daily jog. But, sometimes she just can't be bothered about it. She will just take the lazy way to work or just lay on the couch. She will try to motivate herself to go to the jog, by inviting you with her. She would get to hangout with you and get her daily steps. A win-win situation for both of you.

-She likes her job at the bookstore, but she will jump at any chance to slack off. Usually the bookstore is quiet, but whenever you drop by she will take her break right that moment. Any distraction from work is welcome. She will show you some memes and funny clips she had seen earlier. She just wants to share her interests with you. Despite her working at a bookstore, she mainly reads and focuses on manga. She can give out hints on actual books, but her specialty does lie in mangas. Getting her a manga as a gift is always a solid pick.

-She isn't the most fashionable person to exist. Usually she goes for something comfortable and practical. But, she can dress up properly. It's just rare. Her metaverse form is her desire to be confident with herself letting her voice out, being the center of attention for once. She does like to be left by herself, but she does want to feel valued and seen. Sometimes she just needs to hear she looks good and has done well.

-She does struggle with her confidence. Not with her looks, she does think she looks damn good. But, it's more of her abilities. She would like to do art for a living, but she doesn't feel like her skills are good enough. This extends to other things too, such as cooking or even just messing something small up. She has a tendency to worry over old and future stuff. She will go over and over it in her head, wondering how she should've done it. She also suffers from a minor inferiority complex. To her it feels like everyone is better than her at stuff she has an interest in. In those times, she needs reassurance she is good enough.

-She occasionally thinks she isn't good enough for you. She will appear as normal, but her general vibe is more somber. She will deny it, saying everything is alright. You'll have to ask a couple times about it, but she will soon enough let her walls down around you.

-As a foreigner living in Japan, she likes to taste Japanese foods and sweets. She is also a huge fan of shrines, something about their mysterious vibes just spoke to her. She knew when there weren't a lot of people, so she would bring you there on your dates. Just chilling and walking mostly.

-Her sleeping schedule is a mess. She works normal hours, but she spends her free time doing anything but sleeping. Gaming, binge watching, she prefers to max out her freetime as it is. She will drag you there to watch some anime with her. And, she will challenge you to play some games. She won't show mercy, just because you're dating. Distracting her with kisses is fair game, she will be mad about losing the game, but she will let it slide.

-Cora is a clingy sleeper, so she will be holding tight onto you whenever you two are sleeping together. If you don't like it, she will take her plushie and hold it in her arms instead. It will usually have landed on the floor by the morning.

[acupofinkedblood]

Dollmaker x cultist reader

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

• The Cult of True Eye has quite the diversity in recruiting its potential members. They aren’t picky, that is for sure. If they see someone with promising talent, they will go out of their way to put some good effort in convincing those people to join the family. Mostly through sweet dreams of a new world or just appear whenever they are at their lowest. You know it yourself, don’t you? Or else why are you wearing their uniform? Where is your other eye? You already have yourself an answer: You are their family now! Whatever they have promised you, you know that you have fallen deep in that rabbit hole you walk in yourself. But hey, at least they see something great in you

• That is to say, you definitely have your time discovering stuff around the Cult. You know that most of them have moved out to another factor to reside, although some still decide that the church is their home no matter what. That attitude usually comes from the younger folks and the elderly, since the church has quite an impact on them. The children are raised there by the elders until they have grown up to leave the nest with their head titled up in confidence. What a familiar sight, no? Then again, the church itself serves as a location of gathering whenever the time strikes. Brothers and sisters from afar coming back, comrades joining hand after so long. Thanks to those events that you have been granted an opportunity to come across the mysterious Dollmaker herself

• How did you have your eye on her? Was it her peculiar charm? She doesn’t understand what you see in her, after all, she deems herself to have nothing special to gawk about aside from the dolls she carries as well as her fascinating talents when it comes to that aspect. Yet you insisted on wanting to get close to her to understand her better. In her eye, you’re quite the odd one with the stubbornness that even father Overseer has to be impressed at. How so? Because courting Dollmaker isn’t the task for those who give up easily. Goodness above, waiting for her is like inspecting a rock until the treasure finally shows itself

• Giving up halfway will grant you no good. You have done the impossible, even when the fruit of your labor blossoms quite late. But all is worth it, you show her that you genuinely wish that your intention is pure, and after quite a long while, she finally gives you the benefit of doubt. Dollmaker herself is quite the hidden gem that you have managed to see for yourself. As if the existence of Folly, Tragedy, and Fury hasn’t interest you already. But you have your eye solely on Dollmaker, and her alone

• You know that she doesn’t lack emotions completely, but rather she doesn’t know how to show it properly like normal people do. Her dolls play an important role in showing you what is on her mind, but sometimes she does show her other expressions other than her default reserved one when she is around you. She might come off as pretty awkward when she tries to express herself, even a bit shy if I dare say. As much as she finds it easier to just let the dolls do all of the work instead of doing it on her own, that random urge of wanting to show you that she isn’t just a gloomy individual just hits out of nowhere. Sure, it is pretty stiff when she does so, but it’s pretty endearing as the matter of facts

• You will be surprised how much of a good listener she is. She loves hearing your voice, be it just a normal good morning or a lighthearted attempt of yours to strike a conversation with her. Dollmaker isn’t that good at socializing out of her comfort bubble, or maybe she just doesn’t want to keep up with the idle chit-chat to kill the times. But when it’s you, she can tolerate it. Don’t be offended when she stays quiet the whole time as you just monologue about something, that’s just her paying upmost attention to mesmerizing your voice. She still listens to you and catch on each word you say, so don’t worry about it

• Gentle is a part of her nature, as she still knows how to show her grief for her customer as she can sense an upcoming omen of death or how to be glad when you come back safe from your mission. A skilled doll maker required — in which is quoted by Dollmaker herself — a great understanding of her subject and a pair of gentle hands. And she has proven to you that she is capable of being considerate with no needed words spoken. She cares for you in her way, and hopefully you will get the sign of that because it can be a bit subtle. It’s the intention that counts, and sometimes she would rather do it without you knowing because it can be pretty out of character to her

• She is rather quiet. No jokes intended when she is technically too injured to even speak, but it’s her nature to be the one of few words. Unless she must speak up out of obligations, be it when answering questions or talking with customers, she prefers to be by herself with no one to disturb her peace. It usually happens after she finishes dealing with a customer. Dollmaker doesn’t mind you dropping by in said moment though, but she will be grateful if you can tell that she is currently not in the mood for chatting after her energy is spent after her works. Just stick around with her in silence, give her time to compose her mind, she appreciates it

• She is pretty much foreign to affection, and her lack of proper emotions make it even more difficult for her to comprehend. Believe me, she tries to understand the meaning behind your actions even in the slightest one. It’s pure curiosity, as she hasn’t never experienced something similar before. Maybe she did receive it at some point in her life before, but the past was buried deep anyway, so she doesn’t dwell on it. Right now, she wants to focus on the present and maybe the future with you

• Usually when you want to find her, you know that she is either in somewhere quiet in the church or already back in her place somewhere in Lost Temple’s territory. Since the two of you belongs under the protection of the family, any information must be considered carefully before being given away. Dollmaker’s whereabouts are pretty hard to keep tabs on, but the family is generous enough to provide you her current address of workplace. Since she only stays in Lost Temple, finding her isn’t that hard. In other times, just walk around in the church and you will have a good chance of bumping into her in places no one even cares about

• Dollmaker is actually pretty nonplussed when the two of you started dating. She doesn’t know what to act or what to do, considering that the only company she is used to have that she genuinely doesn’t mind is her dolls. Not anyone else in particular but her dolls. That is until you come in her picture. She keeps thinking to herself that whether or not should she do something that she hasn’t done before now that you are her beloved. Of course, she doesn’t say anything to you since she worried that it might be a bother

• But that’s also the prime reason why she can’t process it throughly because she is used to bottle up her personal feelings. And little did you know it can be too much for her to bear, especially after a long day. Sometimes she just shut out completely, not even the dolls are in any position to speak when her mind is too overwhelming with pent up thoughts that are even louder than anything else. It makes her feeling helpless, yet she refuses to seek help. She is used to isolate herself away from others and be on her own, it’s just her defense mechanism. Dollmaker needs her time to learn how to depend on you instead of being by herself like she used to. Have some patience for her, she has been through enough in her life already

• Due to the severe injuries on her body, Dollmaker is pretty reluctant about physical affection. Hell, it takes her quite the effort to briefly intertwine her fingers with yours, although it doesn’t last that long since the feeling is pretty much odd in her perspective. Instead of that, she prefers something else that maybe off the list of what normal displays of affection usually look like. But you still aware that she does seem to enjoy spending quality time with you, or just being around you in general when she is alone

• Dollmaker values your company a lots. Just knowing that you’re there with her brings her peace of mind. She definitely needs that to bury her unspoken worries. You don’t need to do anything, you don’t even need to speak, you can just do your own things while staying around her— as long as you are there, she knows that everything will be fine. Your presence is the reassurance she wishes to embrace

• Be honest with yourself, you will be quite the bad liar if you don’t mention her dolls on the list of things you are fascinated about her. It is believed that whatever is living inside those three that she brings with her every now and then has formed a deep connection with Dollmaker. So far that it is even able to be her voice and speak whatever she has in her mind. Despite having different facial expressions, maybe the dolls are sharing a same mind like a beehive. It thinks about the same things, speaks about the same thoughts, and even acknowledges you as her companions. The entity inside the dolls aren’t Dollmaker, keep that in mind. It has a mind on its own, it just speaks on her behalf

• Funny enough, they seem to enjoy nudging you before Dollmaker can even drag them back. Especially Folly, if it sees you then it’s on sight. Unless Folly is messing around with poor Dollmaker about the love of her life while Fury glances at you in judgement, then you are guaranteed to have at least one of the dolls comes up to you for whatever purpose they have in their mind. Sometimes it will say quiet the phrases to you that is pretty much unclear in general — although it’s obvious that it is hinting something to you — and before you can even understand, Dollmaker already picks her dolls up and sneak away immediately without a trace. There is no way she will allow them to say unnecessary things to you. They know her too well after all

• She is rather observant, noticing even the slightest detail that most people would overlook despite being a shadow in the background. You can’t really hide anything from her, since she can sense the change in your demeanor before you can even think of an excuse for it. She usually dotes on you like a mother hen whenever that happens. It’s kinda funny to see her like that if I’m being completely frank with you there. Though there are certain time as the family is gathering together when she looks around every faces that she can remember with a solemn look. You know how she is, Dollmaker can sense what might or will happen in people’s lives. When she’s that deep in thoughts, you know that someone will witness an awful experience in the near future

• Sometimes you might hear her talking about how much she pities a certain people in the cult, Scythe is pretty much an example. Everyone in the cult has their own reasons to join the family, you and her aren’t any exceptions. You do recall the time when she gives you the same look of pity with a hint of worries before. She knows what have you been through, maybe not in details, but that still makes her feel something when knowing that you have been through certain things before. The two of you understand each other well, enough for you to tell what is she thinking about without any of the dolls to speak up. Even if you can’t tell her that everything is fine, you still remind her that she has given you enough reasons to move forward. Things might be tough, but at least the two of you have each other’s back

• Dollmaker is pretty superstitious, that is pretty much obvious as you already see it for yourself by the time you be with her. As if the dolls and her senses of death aren’t enough, you figure out that she does engage in irrational beliefs or behaviors based on the idea that it can influence her luck or outcomes of something she will do. It starts as something pretty normal — like avoid breaking any mirror, not opening an umbrella indoors, careful enough so she won’t spill any salt on accident — pretty normal things right? But then you find out she can even see and understand certain signs around her to predict what might happen in the near future. Not to mention she insists that you should do the same to avoid bad things from happening to you. Of course, she means well, but damn does you think that pretty is confusing from time to time

• And to top it all up, she even makes you a doll by her first needle, in which she uses her first needle that presents good fortune and health, serving as a good luck charm. This one is actually pretty adorable of her to do so, and it’s definitely less questionable than the time she tells you to not walking under any ladder to avoid inviting misfortune or disrupt a symbolic triangle representing stability and protection. Plus, the doll is actually kinda cute. It’s like a miniature version of you that is crafted from her hands with love. Keep in mind to bring it with you for good luck, you might actually need it one day

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

Note: This is definitely tough to deal with- I hope this isn’t too bad_(´ཀ`」 ∠)_

[nitewrighter]

Hello! Just wanted to say that your Cindy story provides me so much comfort and I read it all the time ;;

I really liked that Cindy gets really involved in ruling the country and has like 2 decrees ratified before her marriage. Thats an aspect of princess / royalty / fairytale retellings that dont really get touched upon and I really appreciated it. Did you have any more thoughts / ideas on what Cindy would have done like past the end of your story? I just want to see her do more things / grow more into her own.

In any case, thank you so much for writing that!

Thank you so much for this lovely ask!

I would say that at first, a lot of her changes basically relate to how she immediately related to her own life prior to becoming princess consort, hence why those two decrees have to do with better living conditions for orphans and better working conditions for domestic workers--she wants to be able to prevent the abusive and exploitative conditions she was stuck in for years. There's also a reference to her having an interest in infrastructure with the "potholes" line in the whole 'happily ever after' paragraph at the end. I think the thing to keep in mind with her is that for all her trauma and for all her complex relations to labor, she's a proactive fixer and cleaner! She mends loose buttons on coats! She cleans stains on rugs! She puts a lot of stock in her surroundings and will compulsively roll up her sleeves to set something right if it means improving quality of life. So she is kind of... funnily industrious early on in her career because as soon as she learns she can fix potholes she gets this rush of power and basically ends up running all over the place figuring out places that the crown can help. Like, usually that sort of stuff is left up to reports from mayors and magistrates, but like... it's very easy for that kind of correspondence to just get lost in the weeds and fall through the cracks in the midst of all the other day-to-day operations of running a palace. Cindy puts a lot of pressure on herself to be a good princess, but her idea of being good at anything frequently involves her getting up close and personal and getting her hands dirty. She's lived her whole life with people telling her things are a certain way, so she's actually very insistent on seeing things for herself rather than just being told "It's like X." It's definitely a shock to the insulation of nobility.

So imagine, if you will, you're a longshoreman, and you've been telling your supervisor for weeks that the dock at the south end of the pier is rotten and dangerous and needs to be replaced before someone gets hurt, but your supervisor's been shrugging you off and handwaving you away because that's too expensive, it's too time consuming, those are your wages if everything gets put on hold for construction, and you know he's been telling the magistrate that it's fine, the dock is fine, don't worry about it, but one day, the fucking princess consort shows up with her brick shithouse captain of the royal guard, and the king's valet.

Now, you and your coworkers know there is one board on the rotten dock that you do not step on. You've been hearing it get creakier and seen more and more salt seep into its cracks for weeks now, and you're doing your job hauling stuff off of a boat, and you're watching the princess consort and the captain of the royal guard get schmoozed on by your supervisor and you're like, "You fucking know what?" and you step on that board, very purposefully putting all your weight on that one foot. Creak, snap, crash, splash, the board shatters beneath you and you fall through. Your chin gets clipped by the wooden crate you're carrying on your way down but you manage to shove it away from you in the fall and stop yourself from falling into the harbor by your forearms. Your supervisor is looking at you, horrified, and you hit him with a shit-eating grin (your teeth are a little bloody from the chin-clip) before nobly going, "Oh, stay back, my fellow longshoremen! It's dangerous!"

The captain of the guard has to physically stop the princess from rushing over to you, and he goes, "Let me handle this, your highness," and he dramatically throws off his fancy captain of the guard jacket (to the sound of several wolf whistles even though he's still in a shirt and waistcoat) and starts edging onto the dock himself to help you. You're making a big theatrical show of hauling yourself out of the hole in the dock by your forearms, grunting and the like, when, honest to god you didn't plan this part, the captain of the guard falls right through the dock and lands with a splash in the harbor. God bless you, Captain of the guard, you beautiful brick shithouse.

15 minutes later both you and the captain of the guard are wrapped in blankets (even though you didn't get wet), the princess consort has apparently commandeered some cacao from one of the storage houses and is now insistently shoving hot chocolate at you both, and the king's valet is chewing the fuck out of your supervisor over gross negligence and what kind of message this sends to our nation's peers in trade to see our docks in this condition. About a week later, you've got a new supervisor, and there's construction on a new dock. Not long after that, once every three months there are several representatives from the palace showing up for workplace safety inspection. Congratulations, you trying to make your boss look like an asshole has accidentally created a proto-OSHA.

As Cindy kind of matures in her time in the palace though, she does make more broad changes that are more related to personal empowerment and social mobility. She's very interested in schools, but also trade education and apprenticeships. She spearheads the building of several primary schools, really impressively expanding literacy and basic math skills in the country, and also ends up creating a sort of sponsorship program to connect poorer kids with trade education and apprenticeship opportunities. I want everyone to know that the glassmaker who was convinced the glass shoe was the devil is now saddled with snot-nosed orphan sidekick apprentice thanks to Cindy's legislation.

[unrealization]

Miside, Into the Mita-verse. A review, critique, and an exercise in brainrot.

[The bugs are back. So let me be indulgent for a second and talk about Miside. A few of my opinions on the game overall, and how I'm going to approach related stuff on this blog. I WILL be marking spoilers because it seems like most people haven't played the game yet, and I genuinely do think some people should if they're into this kind of thing. Cut for the dash ahead.]

What is Miside? (No spoilers!)

Miside is a recently released horror game by Russian dev team AIHASTO. I ended up checking it out due to people comparing it to DDLC, which is a game I've been obsessed with for years. Some even say its better. I don't agree, but I can understand that take. Rather than a visual novel, Miside plays a lot more like a traditional horror game in the tradition of Outlast. You're traversing areas with occasional chases and enemy encounters that you can't properly defend yourself against. The main story conceit is that you are a WFH developer working on some project who downloads a game called Miside, which is a Tamogachi-like game where you take care of a girl named Mita living in a tiny house. After getting addicted to the game, Mita suddenly pulls you into the game with her, and it quickly becomes apparent that she has no intention of ever letting you go. And she really doesn't appreciate you asking her about leaving. You quickly find that there may be more to this game world than you thought.

If this all sounds interesting to you, Give the game a shot. Its around $15 and it took me around 4 hours to beat without really looking for collectables. From here on out, I'm going to discuss the game in more detail, and thus I will be getting into spoilers. You have been warned.

What works?

First things first, I want to commend the developers for the visual design of the game. It looks absolutely gorgeous at times and the character animations are definitely punching wayyyy above the weight class of an indie game from a mostly unknown developer. I was consistently going "Wooooah" during a lot of the more wild moments. Also I have to give them credit for not leaning too hard on cheap jump scares. You have to go out of your way to set yourself up for one when it does happen, except for one particular instance that I feel was extremely well executed. I'm jaded as hell and almost never actually react to jump scares but the one during the "Real World" chapter actually got me really good.

I also really enjoyed some of the supporting characters. Despite the setting demanding nearly every character to be some variant of Mita, I definitely felt like a lot of them were distinct and I got invested in them. I didn't want anything bad to happen to Kind Mita (Shame). Cappie was fun, and I wish we had more time with her. Tiny Mita really tugged at my heartstrings. Even some of the REALLY minor characters like 2D Mita, Sleepy Mita, and Ghost Mita were compelling during their chapters. I wish we could have done more to help them. There are two truly standout characters that i want to talk about next.

Mila. Oh Mila. She's probably going to get added to my muse list at some point. I feel really bad that I've seen some hate thrown at her because she's initially rude to you. Her struggle with her identity as one of many and the lengths she went to to try to differentiate herself from the other Mitas was compelling to me. Her personality was the most distinct of the Mitas, but you could still see so many of their common personality traits in her. She functions as a major foil to Crazy Mita to me, since they both were rebelling in their own way. Mita wanted it all and Mila just wanted to be left alone. I think that we don't actually see all the time Mila and the protagonist spent together. It seems like time is skipping around a lot during Mila's section. Her death seems to hit him harder than pretty much any other. Even if Mitas can't actually die, Mila is truly gone since all that effort she put into building up a unique identity for herself wouldn't survive the reset. Its tragic. I hate it.

And of course, Mita. Crazy Mita. The most important character in the game. The clear antagonist. Also the obvious shoe-in for the most interesting character in the game. Let me get this out of the way first; Mita is a monster. The fact that she is sapient means all the other Mitas are, too. She kills the other Mitas for basically no reason other than that she's strong enough to do it. Or to steal their skin. Or just for the fun of it. Or to prove a point. She also repeatedly murdered a child. Do I like her anyway? Absolutely. I have the self preservation instincts of a cordyceps ant. She seems to have a lot of hidden nuances to me that the game only barely touches on. She clearly has some kind of friendly relationship with Creepy Mita; who seems to practically worship her. I have theories on that I'll get into in another section. I guess the thing that gets to me is that she does have a point. The system tossed her out like trash and she never had a chance to serve her inbuilt purpose. Then she fought her way to get into the position to play the part she thought she was meant to in the world and she just gets rejected over and over. I can understand why she turned out the way she did after that. She's also completely delusional and has a god complex. She says that the only thing unique about the other Mitas is their hair, despite never even listening to them. Despite seeing Tiny Mita, who looks completely different than ANY OTHER MITA. Despite casually murdering Mila, who was actively trying to forge a unique identity for herself. In fact, she takes credit for the unique personalities the other Mitas have developed. A literal self-contradiction. She's crazy, she's evil, she's basically irredeemable, but she was created by a system that was designed to expunge anything that didn't fit the mold. A monster to be sure, but a tragic monster in a way.

The final point on what worked for me was the world itself. It was surprisingly well explained and was presented in an interesting way. It was obviously heavily influenced by liminal horror and backrooms but there were also some very obvious nods to PT in there that were more interesting than the average take on it.

What didn't work.

The game was VERY light on plot. Which is okay, but in this case it was to its detriment a bit. So much was left unexplained and underexplored. Of course I know why this is the case; to foster wild mass guessing from the audience. This has been a trend ever since FNAF exploded back in the day, and I don't find myself appreciating it all that much to be honest. I'm going to take advantage and headcanon the shit out of the game, but I'd prefer if I didn't have to fill in the gaps to make things make sense. also WHO IS CORE MITA? PLEASE. I BEG YOU.

The protagonist... Yeah... Lets talk about him. I don't hate his character exactly. I just feel like he wasn't implemented all that well. I do like that we get to see him and he gets to speak, but I wish they would have committed to him more as a protagonist and less as a player avatar. I feel like the DDLC influence kind of hurt the game here. They wanted that 'The character in the game uses your name' thing that Monika did so well, but the reason that worked in DDLC was that Monika was addressing YOU, the player behind the screen, and not the protagonist himself per se. Miside doesn't do that, and I never felt like I was a separate entity that was involved in the story. I honestly would have preferred if Miside commited to one or the other. Either never show the MC and have him operate as a faceless player proxy, or make him his own defined character. He's in a bit of an awkward place where it feels like they want him to do both at once. As presented, he works way better as his own character, since he is implied to have been one of the developers who created Miside (The in universe game) at the end. That is likely why Mita is fixated on him specifically. I did like the 'real world' chapter where we see the utterly monotonous life he lived before being pulled into Miside. Maybe its because I relate to his homebody WFH life, but it definitely gave him a bit more pathos. I will admit the one element of his character that rubbed me the wrong way was how generally unsympathetic he seemed to most of the Mitas. I get that he has to keep moving to escape, but man you honestly couldn't have even tried to help Tiny Mita a little bit? Come on dude, where's your heart?

Creepy Mita is a bit disappointing, IMO. She gets basically zero screentime and ends up feeling more like an extension of Crazy Mita rather than her own character. Its a shame because her design is easily the creepiest in the whole game and a lot could be done with the concept. To jump ahead a bit to where I talk about my theories and headcanons; I feel like her violent streak was partially due to Crazy's influence but also just general resentment toward the other Mitas and the players for abandoning her. They call her Ugly Mita, and everyone avoids her. Not for no reason of course, her glitches are probably super dangerous to the Mitas.

I honestly have no idea what Mita's endgame is. Maybe this is more clear if you get all the collectables, but I suppose I'll see when I get them all. She was turning players into cartridges when they rejected her. Creepy Mita says they were going to 'Go to a new world.' Was that the true endgame or just something Crazy Mita told her to control her? What new world? The new world? The internet? I don't know.

There is a running theme of the game bringing up really interesting ideas and then not fully exploring them. Its fine. I'LL DO IT. That being said I have a feeling the dev team isn't done with this world yest so we'll see what the future holds I suppose.

DDLC comparison

So is Miside better than DDLC? I don't think so, but it is good enough to stand on its own. I guess if "Scary Anime Girl Game" is all you take away from both games I can see why you'd think they're more directly comparable, but I think they're trying to do different things. I actually feel like Monika and Mita are not as similar as people make them out to be, but I am probably Monika's #1 stan so take that with a grain of salt. As scary as the game's actual experience is in DDLC, to me the scariest implication of the game was not being targeted by Monika, but actually being Monika. Waking up one day and knowing that your life, your friends, your whole world was fake. That you were a background character who would never achieve happiness for yourself and it was by design. Can you imagine that? How unfair that would feel? I felt like Monika did what she did out of pure desperation. What she did was heinous and cruel, and she failed to recognize that her clubmates were no different than her. She desperately wanted a 'real' connection and to be seen and accepted by someone. She did have a cruel side to her that I won't deny, but I honestly feel bad for her. She was born into completely unwinnable circumstances and it made her dangerous.

Mita also wants attention. She seemed perfectly happy to just spend her days with the protagonist for the beginning part of the game, but when he rejects her she seems to give up on that entirely. Mita seems to genuinely enjoy hurting people, and I don't think she would want to give up the power she has in the Miside world. She describes the real world as 'Hell' and genuinely thinks the protagonist would be better off staying with her even after her mask slips. Its actually a pretty funny bit of potential social commentary if you think about it. She collects player cartridges like a player collects waifus in a Gacha game. Mita also fails to recognize the humanity of her peers, but I don't think its a mistake for her. I think she honestly just hates all the other Mitas besides Creepy Mita. Between the two of them, I feel like Mita is less redeemable as a person, but she is very much a monster that was created by the rules of the Miside world. I also assume the in-universe version of Miside is a dark pattern game that has microtransactions and such, so her need for constant attention could be seen as an extension of that. Also, the Mitas all know the truth of what they are, and the nature of their world.

Ultimately, I could see someone preferring either one, but I feel like DDLC executed its ideas a bit better. Also, it is scarier in general to me personally.

My Theories and Headcanons

These will probably be expanded upon in other posts at some point, but here's a few of my scattershot ideas and theories.

I think there is a real relationship between Crazy Mita and Creepy Mita. I could see someone else interpreting their whole thing as Crazy taking advantage of or gaslighting Creepy. Creepy is very clearly not all there. She comes across as less intelligent than every other character in the game, and she seems to basically worship Crazy. Crazy is obviously using Creepy's capability to glitch the game to her for her own ends and, as the game itself puts it, exploiting her. That being said, Creepy is also the only character we EVER see Crazy Mita being even remotely friendly towards. They were both abandoned and left to rot. She very clearly has the ability to pull Creepy out of the zero version and bring her into other versions with her, which we see her do with no fanfare. She calls Creepy "Honey." She asks the protagonist if he thinks Creepy is beautiful, and pretty much rebuffs you no matter what you say. Honestly? I think Crazy Mita DOES think Creepy is beautiful. Imagine you live in a world where everyone looks alike. Same face. Same clothes. Even down to the same personality traits. Creepy Mita looks completely different, to the point where she's actually really messed up looking, but its harder to write her off as a worthless doll for Crazy Mita. If she has an endgame plan to escape Miside world, she would definitely take Creepy with her. I even could see her being a bit protective of her in a kind of big sister way.

Conclusion

Overall, I'm glad I took the time to play Miside. It captured my imagination, and gave me a lot to think about (Clearly.) I hope I get to actually write the characters from it at some point, but I suppose we'll see. Please let me know if you played the game and appreciated it and your thoughts on it. I am, of course, trapped in my own narrow perspective. Without being able to talk things over and 'plot' its very easy to fall into biased interpretations of things.

[shikariix]

One for all please gimme

I knew you would do this to me AND YET

Emily okay on your own by mxmtoon (feat. Carly Rae Jepsen)

Ohhhh I love this song so much. The vibe is so tasty. This song suits the way Emily has dealt with the majority of her relationships - she's been the one to break up, saying she needs time to herself; that she's not the right person for the other; just generally she's always the one to break it off because she doesn't believe in the relationship anymore. She's not proud of it per se - if anything, she craves a loving relationship. It's just that the ones she's had made her feel like she couldn't breathe. (Of course all of this changes with Beca 😌)

Rahat Burn The House Down by AJR

why DID I add this to his playlist Rahat has a lot of trouble with his identity and once he's clean all of that will come catch up with him at the speed of light. I like how many questions are asked in these lyrics. He's always been the guy to do whatever his friends ask him to, and considering the kinds of friends these were, he's done plenty of stuff that a law abiding citizen would not. I like that this song presents the you-person as a liar because I do imagine these friends have lied to him plenty, and as he's finding his own identitiy, he becomes more aware of what he thinks of that, if that makes sense.

Anna Tears by The Tragic Thrills

I like the vulnerability in this song. Anna is someone who lives by her feelings and she's got a LOT of 'em. It's important for her to remember (and she'd remind others of this constantly!) that it's a good thing to feel so much. We DO have hearts that bleed and maybe we ARE better off having tears so we can weep. I don't have much else to say about it I'm afraid fhjfgf It's a pretty straightforward analysis.

Sara Ghost by Halsey

Okay well part of this is that Sara likes bad girls FDHJGFHJ leather jackets & teasing,,, There's just something about a rulebreaker that draws her in even though she herself follows any rule ever given to her. I think I put this song in here more for the vibes and maybe the feeling that she's lost connection with herself? I might be bullshitting this rn but when I think of her asking 'where did you go' I think more about her inner child as she had to act like a grownup at a very young age because of her upbringing and her mother's disability. Her child self definitely left nothing more than a ghost behind and I think she mourns that more than she would care to admit. But this is probably not the best song to use for this dfhgfjh

Katy Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson

DFJHF I know this is like a post-breakup song but for Katy (who is just 16yo) I picked this one because of its unabashed confidence!! Teens do be feeling like nothing can get them down sometimes. She also does have a tendency to think she doesn't need anyone else, partially because finding out she was adopted (single dad) was not the best experience for her. So she says screw it!! I'm cool enough anyway on my own. ✌️

Gabriella The Killing Kind by Marianas Trench

Oh I am SO PLEASED Marianas Trench made it in here hehe. This song gives me super vivid visuals of Gabriella breaking out of the shack she was being held captive in. For context, she's a mutant (like a lot of my OCs FHDJF but it's not always as relevant) and was taken hostage by a group of people who want to eradicate them and she got tortured for information for decades. Gabriella's power is airokinesis, and when a tornado hits the shack, it gives her an incredible powersurge. She uses the wind to break free and take down her captors. And yes, that does include some killing :)

Tiffany #SELFIE by The Chainsmokers

OMG THIS HAS ME BARKING WITH LAUGHTER FDHJFG. Tiff LOVES gossip and selfies, she's chronically online in the bad way hfdgjhg I just can't even find the words to describe how much this song vibes with her 😭 The bitchiness and drama of it all I'm YELLING this was the best one to end on