#cause the scenery is more complex in them

[magic-is-something-we-create]

15/25 pages for chapter one COMPLETE

[amourjins]

✦ LATE NIGHT WALK? — k.mj

summary. a late night walk with your best friend, minji! ..except, theres a twist.

pair. non-idol!bsf!minji x fem!reader

content ahead. fluff, (best) friends-to-lovers, wlw, GAYS!!!!, theyre both silly, just a small bit of texting!

notes. RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA who couldve guessed! surprise !! take this while you wait for tg…cause ive been procrastinating it a LOT…. (not proofread as we all know.. i proofread on a good day [which is never])

you lie awake in bed as the time read 12:37. you sighed, you didnt want to go to sleep, but you didnt have anything else to do, either.

until, that is, you felt your phone vibrate—a notification. you first shrugged it off, thinking it was some random app you didnt use anymore, but was way too lazy to delete it. after a few seconds, you decided to see what it was, and to your surprise, the notification was a text from your the one and only, kim minji! aka your best(est) friend (ever).

you could feel your tiredness just disappear all in the span of that minute.

you immediately got up from bed once you hearted the text, turning the lights on as you walked to your closet. you didnt want to keep minji waiting, so you figured you would just keep it casual with a shirt and jeans or something.

once you finally got ready, you did some finishing touches before grabbing your phone and bag, and dashing out of there excitedly. when you exited your apartment complex, there she was, in all her glory—minji!

“minji-ah!” you whisper-shouted as you swore she turned her head to you in the blink of an eye. she took her hands out of her pockets and waved at you, smiling brightly. you rushed over, embracing her in a hug as she froze, blushing a little.

“hi!—” she giggled before hugging you back tightly. you let go after a few seconds, making her pout. you didnt notice, though. you were too busy looking around the streets of seoul, wondering where you two should head first.

“mm, follow me!” you spoke, which caught the tall girl off guard, but she immediately followed after you, catching up as she walked beside you. the night sky always had you mesmerized.. but there something—someone else that had you even more mesmerized.

and it was minji.

maybe you started to develop feelings for her over these past few months with her…

you were pretty much certain that she didnt like you back. and as much as that hurt, you had to deal with it. being best friends with her is enough already, and youre grateful. but at the same time, what if she liked you back? it would.. yeah itd probably hurt to confess. but it was now or never, right? now just seemed like the perfect moment.

“crosswalk, idiot!” she reminded as she halted your movements, making you snap out of your thoughts. “oops!.. sorry,” you looked away in embarrassment as she scoffed jokingly.

you silently turned your head back to her. she was looking at the sky, and the scenery around. god, she was insanely pretty. prettier than the scenery around. prettier than anything around.

you tapped her shoulder to get her attention once you were able to cross as you two crossed the street together. your hands suddenly brushed against each other slightly, and even that made minji blush.. you were both equally down bad for each other!

once at the other side, minji’s fingers crawled on your palm before she interlocked her hand with yours, the action making you stunned, but, you werent complaining. who would?

“all the stores are closed.. aw,” minji sighed, pointing at the stores to your left as you two walked past them after a few seconds. “but you know, the convenience stores are still open.” you spoke, as she let out an agreeing “oohh..” followed by a nod. “lets head there then? hope you dont mind the walk though..” she smiled. “as long as im with you, i wouldnt mind at all!” you grinned.

after a short 12 minutes of walking and talking, you guys finally arrived at the convenience store while still holding hands. minji was the first to step in as you came in right after, greeting the staff that stood at the register.

“so, yn..i have, uh,, something to tell you.” minji explained as you two walked out of the convenience store. you and minji spent a decent amount of time in there, talking while having snacks. you two had a great time, and she even paid for everything.. and when you thought you couldnt crush on her more than before.

“oh,” you gulped, suddenly nervous and sweat was trickling down your forehead as you nodded, “i have.. something to tell to you.. as well?” you questioned—yourself. she took a deep breath before continuing, “lets say it at the same time?

“yeah. same time.. same time,” you breathed.

“on 1, okay?”

“3 - 2 - 1–”

“i like you, yn!”

“i like you!”

“wait, what?” you awkwardly giggled, raising an eyebrow at minji. she had her head turned, obviously away from you. her face was bright red…and so was yours.

“..y—youre for real?” minji muttered, not daring to make eye contact. she was looking everywhere but your direction. “what do you think, idiot?” you joked.

“so,, were dating now, right?”

“yeah.. yeah!”

“ill walk you home then?”

“thats absurd, kim minji! spend more time with your new girlfriend, will you?”

“g-girlfriend.. right! yes, okay.”

a/n : 😁😁 send in asks interact with me maybe! ill be answering asks later

[iheartgeto]

𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 | 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢

𝙘𝙬 : mild fluff, explicit smut, stomach bulge, unprotected/rough sex, pussies, creampie, slight edging, grinding, blood, biting, suggestive/graphic language, slight exibitionism, mutual pining, plot w/ smut, “baby” nickname

𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮 : sunato banda x f! reader ; banda finally meets someone with similar taste.

𝙬𝙘: 3.4k

𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 : nsfw ; unedited 

The rough wad of a paper towel itched your skin as you crumbled and lightly threw your marked napkin in frustration.

“fuck this all” you muttered, gripping your hair—slight pain casting on you from the tightness of your pull.

The second to last circle you had drawn out on the napkin had finally been crossed out. You used this puny tissue to keep track of your days, in hopes you’d never run out of them. However, you had one circle left, and only a day left on your visa.

kicking the gravel along the wide path, you eyed the large blimp floating atop this place of confinement. A jack. The jack of hearts— Not a queen or king, but the “easiest” of the face cards. actually- don’t even kid yourself. you picked the dry skin off your fingers in a nervous fit as you walked through the gates of the penitentiary. you zipped up your jacket, covering the bikini top (complimentary from the beach, a place that served you basically no purpose other than surviving these games) that revealed more than your liking.

whatever, that place was long gone thanks to chishiya, kuina, and the rest of his crazy gang. gladly you had been on decent terms with them, even going so far as to help him gain parts for his weird invention. he required a specific part that seemed to be needed to spread heat? probably made some stupid crap to smoke or cook up a barbecue, whatever weird shit that freak was up to.

Making your way through the entrance, you came to a stop. The white luminescent lights buzzed through the empty hallway as your heart beat was getting faster and faster. Albeit your immense nervousness, you kept a rested expression. The game hadn’t even started yet but you were shaking. this was exciting.

“Put on a collar and go upstairs to the central guard room”.

two black collars rested in front of you. The glossy table stared up at you as you contemplated your decision in joining. Not like you had a choice, it was either this or the red beam of death from the sky. might as well try to live, regardless of how shitty this situation was. you wouldn’t let your misery consume you. or at least that’s how most people would approach life.

you simply strived to live. if you were gonna die, it would be through one these stupid fucking games—not from drowning in the depths of your own self loathing. even then, you still didn’t want these randoms to be the cause of your anticlimactic death. this world was quite beautiful anyways. the intensity, complexity, and structure of this newfound world was simply beautiful. this elysian paradise was addicting. because of this, you would let yourself have fun. just win this game for the small reward of life and some entertainment.

finally, a place for you to let loose and have some real fun.

Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps grew closer and closer, knocking you out of your short-lived daze. the man stopped next to you, slowly observing the beautiful scenery of dirty bleak walls and prison cells. he smirked, and closed his eyes with a serene look. it was as if he was home. you observed his face with jealousy— you longingly wished for your nerves to wash away and feel this lost sense of serenity.

“do you think this will be fun?” you asked, a polite smile etching your face as you observed his features. his broad shoulders covering you even while trying to make small talk. “i really hope it will”.

“most definitely” he replied, eyes curling into mini crescents yet his overall face remained unphased.

“hm, i agree. but would you mind helping me with this? i’m not sure how to close this lock” you looked up at him. your doe eyes glistened in the white light as he stared you down.

“of course, come closer” he said. his voice was low and smooth, the kind you could listen to all day. his hot hands moved your hair away from your neck to allow the lock to clasp. however, his hands rested on your throat a little longer than expected. he slowly massaged the place where the lock had clasped and bent down to your ear, his hot breath skipping over your skin. he sees your hands trembling and grasps them to stop it as he caresses your palm.

“it feels nice to know someone else is excited to play this game, it seems to me that we are quite alike” he whispered lowly, as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear this reveal.

you knew damn well how to lock this simple little collar, but why miss your chance with a man who caught your attention.

“maybe we are, thanks and good luck then”, you smiled cheerfully, patting him on the back, walking past him into the main prison area. he stared at your back, grinning at his newfound infatuation.

as you made your way into the main area, you glanced at the crowd around you. the majority was tense and filled with fear. you almost burst out laughing after seeing this blond haired man. chishiya seemed to be alive and well. good for him.

“long time no see, never��d expect to see you here chishiya”, you stood next to him.

“there's many places i’d rather be” he replied, not looking back and staring at the screen in front of him. there was no need to catch up as you both knew the situation. you both understood that the catching up could come after the game.

“you may pass time anywhere you like until it is time to enter a prison cell”

There was an awkward silence going around, until people decided to start grouping up and leave.

“hey let’s tell each other” a timid man in overalls and a yellow shirt turned to you and chishiya. you nodded in agreement—sounded like a decent idea.

“If you want to survive you need to observe everyone closely, do you want to know what they were doing before the game began?”, chishiya remarked, the three of you turned in the direction of a couple in suits. chishiya went on to explain in graphic detail, causing the poor man to cringe.

“that guy’s confidence won’t let her get involved with anyone else”.

“I was thinking the exact same thing”, you said with amusement.

Watching from above, the three of you observed a pair that seemed to be making a deal. The man from earlier, and another one with a dark aura. Glancing at the screen you find out their names are banda and matsushita. The girl with a blue dress then asked the three of you to join her team. The three of you didn't mind, so you decided to join. Chishiya, overalls, and you exchanged signs and just tagged along with the group.  And that was the end of the first round.

“Hurry up and tell me, fucker!” a rough voice screamed, throwing a poor man in front of everyone. banda went to his rescue and whispered into his ear. sly bitch. you and chishiya glanced at each other, as you knew you saw the same thing.

The group of people then continued on with their antics of telling eachother their signs. From across the room you met his cold gaze. He was seated on the floor, staring blankly at you. You stared back, harnessing a smile in which he returned and waved. Chishiya observed the two of you, a little freaked out by your “kind” facade. And if chishiya was freaked out, then the poor guy next to him was petrified at the interaction in front of him.

The group migrated to the snack room, and from there the game went downhill. Everyone slowly began lying to each other, leaving only your group of three and the two pairs. However, your kind friend could not handle the intensity of the game. an explosion being heard a few cells away from yours.

“he was far too kind hearted for this game” chishiya sighed. You glanced at his bloodied body through the holes of the cell.

“he’s the kind of person i want to be”, you replied. heaving a long exhale of slight sadness at the sight of the poor boy.

“It’s not too late for that, but i think it's about time we start socializing, '' he replied with sarcastic enthusiasm.

“funny coming from you” you scoffed, but understood what he meant. Chishiya would stay in the snack cellar while you would go upstairs and watch. As you started up the stairs you passed by matsushita, paying him no mind as you knew what this meant. banda would be by himself. Being in such a rush you trip on yourself, bracing yourself to fall face forward til someone stops you.

Banda catches you, pulling you in tight for an unexpected hug. “thanks for catching me there”,  you smile, your warm hand meeting his, as he holds you in his embrace. “you even helped out that poor guy who was being bullied— i mean he’s gone now but what did you say to him anyways, some words of encouragement? you seem like such a nice person”.

“thanks, but i’m not fucking stupid” he replied with a silent smile. “drop the act y/n. judging from the way you’re approaching me— you know damn well what i said, c’mon you’re a smart girl right?”. he grabs your wrist, pulling you up as he then corners you against the wall, a dark area of the prison covered by a turn.

“I’m actually pretty dumb” you paused, banda laughed. lowly chuckling at your poor attempts to conceal your true self. “so tell me, why would you encourage him to lie?— you made such a mess of everyone and now we’re the only ones left” you stare up at him, his patronizing gaze looking down at you. you were so close his breath barely touched you. “you aren’t the jack, are you?”.

“who knows? why are you in this game anyways? you don’t really seem like the type”. this conversation was amusing him, you could see it in his expression that he was enjoying this to the fullest.

“what do i seem like then”, you asked. pure curiosity leaking out of your statement, placing a hand to your chin, mocking his question.

“a cute girl who’s letting on less than she really is”, banda relayed, a cold expression etching his face.

his response caught you off guard. “so what if i am? better to appear lower than others than have people at my neck trying to bring me down”, you replied with haste. god, you were so adorable when you were worried. this was getting him excited.

“well smart girl, what do you really think about this game? this place even?”. he kept questioning you, making you feel on edge. you couldn’t tell where this was going.

“I don’t care how you view this place banda, but for me i feel free. i can do whatever i want as long as i play these fun games— i mean sometimes they aren’t so much fun, it’s like a hassle i guess, but it’s a fair price —and they always lead me to interesting people like you”, you replied, slightly afraid of being judged.

banda watched you speak with ease. he was so intrigued with your tinge of confidence and slight intelligence. he also thought you were really damn cute for thinking you could fool him. not knowing how to lock a simple collar? c’mon you were better than that baby. he knew you wanted him, but he wanted you more.  he wanted to corrupt you. fuck your cute little brains up and make you his. mold you to match his lovely thoughts on the borderlands. you both already enjoyed the place and you were just too entertaining to not keep around.

“we really are similar”, he said with a crazed relief, caressing your cheek and staring at you in awe. “until now, i’ve never been in a land as beautiful as this one, nor met two people so worthy of my trust”.

“i suppose matsushita is just as agreeable as i am then?” you joke, pulling his hand off your cheek and lengthening the distance between you two. he was making you feel a type of way. you felt your body  getting warmer and your breath getting ragged.

“no, not him at all— he’s a very condescending individual, but i guess that’s the only redeeming quality of his. i met yaba a while ago, we are equals in which we agree this place is a true paradise and that we trust each other enough to deduce who the jack is”. he pauses, and continues to keep his focus on your face. “matsushita’s confidence kinda reminds me of you” he jokes.

“god, my “confidence”— or whatever the hell you’re even referring to doesn’t mean anything. don’t group me with people like matsushita, I didn’t even have to speak to him to tell he was a cocky bitch!”, you became defensive and bursted out.

“there’s the y/n i was looking for”, banda commented. you sensed some sarcasm and wished to settle whatever he was going off about. you hated that he felt the need to tease you—honestly maybe you enjoyed it, you just wanted to be on decent terms.

“i really don’t think i’m better than you—if that’s what your insinuating, but i do feel like we have similar tastes. and for that i trust you—want to be friends?”. for a moment you stared at each other as you awaited for his response. you wanted to be friends? how naive could you fucking be? banda wanted to erupt with laughter and slap you in the face as he ruined you.

“oh we’re gonna be more than friends” he whispered. your cheeks became redder as he kept getting closer, and you were letting him. “let’s make a deal, i’ll tell you your symbol if you help me”. his hard tent rutted against your leg as you felt him knee your soaking pussy. His leg began applying pressure to your needy clit.

“c- chishiya would tell me my symbol so why—

“then this is just an excuse to fuck your soaking little cunt. i like you”, he confessed, as if he was a schoolboy asking out a girl for the first time. his face was flushed red as he started sucking your neck, leaving a trail of purple kisses down to your chest. Banda unzipped your jacket, revealing the bikini from the beach. his rough hands slid your bikini under your boobs. you felt heated up as he sucked your tits. His head tilted as his mouth kept continuing to lick your buds, groaning as you grew sensitive to his touch.

“i- i like you too”, you whimpered, airy breaths leaving your mouth. “please..!” you mewled, as he continued to suck.

“please what? gotta use your words baby” he smirked as his thumb circled your airway. he sensually massaged it as his lips met yours, his teeth sinking into the flesh of your soft lips.

"A-Ah..!" you gasped, a small trail of blood leaked down the corner of your lip. his mind clouded with lust as he lapped up the red liquid. “you taste so fucking good” he groaned. “what do you want my sweet girl?”

“ i want- need you so bad- please!”, you continued to whimper his name, constantly reciting it as if it were a sacred prayer. “i want you to ruin me with your fat cock!” you quietly screamed. you couldn’t take it anymore, you needed him so bad. he suddenly began removing his pants, the fast sound of his buckle dropping to the floor echoed throughout the hallway. you glanced in awe, he was big. how the hell would he even fit? his meat slapped the lower area of his stomach as his tip leaked with pre cum. he pumped his veiny length, lathering it in his own liquid, and stuck his long fingers in your mouth.

“mmgph!” you almost choked at how deep he stuck them in. but it tasted too good. so sweet and musky.

you circled your tongue his fingers, lapping up whatever he gave you. this caused him to smirk as he released his fingers from your mouth, causing a pop sound to echo. he slowly sunk his cock inside of your soppy cunt, hands gripping your waist as his hard length went inside you. he bit his lips, and his eyes were laced with ecstasy as your right walls shaped around him. you were so fucking tight.

“god you were made for me—your all mine- shit” he groaned, intertwining your hands and kissing you hardly. you replied with sweet moans, and watched his pace get faster and his strokes get deeper. lewd pants filled the hallway as his heavy balls slapped your clit, pounding you against the wall. you were both so oblivious to your surroundings, clouded only with the thought of each other’s touch and the feeling of release. you felt every one of his veins as he took you raw. his large cock shaped your pussy, as a bulge could be seen. banda groaned at the sight, lightly pressing down on it as you both moaned in pleasure. tears dripped from the corner of your eyes as banda watched you in ecstasy. you were so fucking beautiful.

you arched your back as he finally hit that spot. “r-right there banda please- please don’t stop” you sighed. “you feel so good princess ugh fuck” he groaned out, continuing his rough pace. your tits bounced up and down as he rammed into you, fucking you with a pure high. he felt as if you were a drug, one that he could never get enough of.

“i- i’m so close, i’m gonna cum!” you exclaimed with a volume. banda smirked, letting go of your hand to rub the edge of your pussy. the two of you were covered in sweat and saliva. “come for me y/n”. then it hit you hard, like a tsunami. you threw your head back, biting your lips in attempt to contain your deep moan. you let out silent screams as he continued to harshly ram into you, chasing his own high. your tongue lolled out of your mouth and eyes hazed with pleasure as the only thing you could think about was banda.

his eyes stared at the messy sight before him as he suddenly choked out a deep groan. “fuck baby mmph- you took me so well”. your white pleasure gushed around his cock, leaking out of your cunt. a white ring of cum covered his length as he continued to ram into you. and then his orgasm hit, filling your cunt with thick cum as your pussy pulsed and your body spasmed. his legs shook at how hard he came, and he pressed his forehead against yours, the both of you basking in each other’s heat. your brains were fogged from the intensity the both of you had just endured.

“i- i really like you y/n, i want to be with you forever”, he whispered over the two of you catching yours breaths. you would’ve drifted off to sleep if banda hadn’t insisted the two of you go back to the main area. helping you get dressed, the two of you head back to the main hall. he kissed your forehead before watching you head back down to the snack cellar to talk to chishiya.

“hahahahahahhaa” a crazed laugh escapes from matsushita’s lips. he thinks he finally won.

However, chishiya had emerged from his cell, and you followed suit. Strong arms wrapped around your body as a banda had come out of his cell as well. the four of you had deduced matsushita was the jack. Chishiya, banda, and yaba had explained their tactics to matsushita as they started to corner him into a cell.

“hold this for me baby?” he asked with a soft tone, holding out his scalpel. you grabbed it as he affectionately patted your head and grew closer to yaba. yaba took off his blazer, preparing for their violence and hopefully new information about the borderlands. “It’s unfortunate that i can’t kill you, but i can still have fun with you”.

i need more banda content, it’s so dry out here. :,) | sorry if anything was incoherent its late rn LOL

[arysbruv]

Overtime - A New Customer [prologue]

You’re new to town, only having moved here a week ago. After exploring for a while, you found a quaint little cafe near your work with amazing coffee and a hot barista! Thus, that place has become your regular visit after work.

Meanwhile, Nanami Kento has been a worker at the cafe for a long time; working there after his regular job for a few extra bucks. The people who visit are always the same boring people, that is until a new visitor comes in and shows him a new world.

pairings: nanami kento x gn!reader

warnings and whatnots: cafe au! turning into a series! Nothing much happening in this chapter. Haibara mentions 💕💕 I hope you enjoy’

MASTERLIST | -> NEXT |

Tokyo was beautiful.

When people told you that the place was busy and stunning, you never thought it would be like this. Yet, as you rounded your way through the innards of the city, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe get instilled into you.

The sun was setting. The golden rays of light hitting the scenery and causing the landscape to grow in beauty. You smile to yourself.

You recently moved in from a smaller town outside of Tokyo, having gained a good office job in the big city. It had been a week and you were still baffled by the complexities and intricacies of the city. You always found a new area to explore every time you went out.

Today, you decided to check out your new office. It was a Monday, and you wouldn’t start working until tomorrow, so you thought it would be a good idea to get a gist of your surroundings. As you rounded into an alleyway near your office building, you spot a small sign lit up with LED. You tilt your head, heading towards it. Excitement growing in you as you realise it was a cafe.

How fortunate! Lord knows you would need a coffee after a hard day’s work. You hope that the coffee in that place was good.

Entering the cafe, a small bell rung, announcing your presence. The cafe was quiet, only a few people sat there on their laptops, working. There was a small queue.

That must mean it’s good. You think to yourself.

Heading towards the counter, you look at the coffee and teas on the menu. All of them looked so creative and good! Your mouth salivated as you read the descriptions. What should you get?

•

Nanami was done with his job. But, he needed the money.

The cafe was slow but brought forth a sizeable income, mixed in with his 9-5 job, he had a good flow of cash flowing into his account. He sighed as he made another iced matcha latte, listening to his coworker, Haibara, chatting away to the elderly lady in front of him. How was he so energetic at the time of day?

The soft sound of the bell ring through the cafe, announcing the arrival of another customer. Nanami quickly glanced up, noticing your figure walk in, looking at the menu. He had never seen you before. Normally, the people who go to this cafe were regulars. Seldom came new customers.

He shrugs it off, continuing to make the coffee and putting it on the counter, calling out the person’s name. He leaves it there as he goes to make another order.

Raspberry frappe.

He moves quickly. He had gotten used to the mechanics of each machine he had to use, making him quite quick in preparing all the orders. That’s why he had always been the one making the coffee whilst Haibara handled the customers. Haibara was more amicable. He was pleasant to talk to and could break down people’s walls easily. That’s how he and Nanami became friends quickly. Haibara was patient with people. Not to say he wasn’t, but he would rather handle the backstage work then talk to the crowd.

A tap on the glass followed by a small ‘excuse me’ pulls him from his thoughts. He looks to his side, noticing you looking at him through the pastry case. You give him a soft smile.

“Yes?” He asks, furrowing his eyebrows. “You need to line up if you are to order a pastry.”

You lean back, standing straighter. “Hm, no, I wanted to order a drink, but I don’t know what’s good. Do you have any recommendations?”

Nanami thinks for a second. No one had really asked him that. He wasn’t prepared to answer such questions. He left those to Haibara. He glanced at the brown-haired boy who was now quickly talking away with another customer. Truth be told, he had never really drank any of the drinks. He found them to be a bit too expensive on his budget.

“I…” He trails off, not knowing what to say. He glanced at his hand. “The strawberry frappe is good.” He manages out.

You give him an encouraging smile, pleased with his answer. Somehow, that made him more motivated to speak.

“Truthfully, I’ve never drank anything here. But, our most popular items are Iced Matcha Latte, the Butterfly Tea, and our Strawberry frappe.”

You nod along, giving him a smile. “Thank you sir!” You say, moving to the back of the line.

His eyes follow you as you move. He nods at you before continuing on with his work.

•

You walk up to the counter finally, smiling at the brown haired boy in front of you.

“Hi! I’m Haibara. What would you like?” He asks positively, his voice full of care and love. You smile back at him, recalling what his coworker had said.

“I’d like the Butterfly Tea please.”

He smiles jotting down the order, making quick conversation with you about your name, the level of sugar you want and ice.

“Are you new around here? I’ve never seen you before!” Haibara finally lets out, masking his excitement. You nod, explaining that you had gotten a new job recently which caused you to move here.

The conversation between the two of you didn’t fall on deaf ears to Nanami. As he made your drink, he listened offhandedly to your conversations He listened up until you went to the side to let the customer behind you order. You smile at Haibara before moving to the end where your drink would end up, watching Nanami focus on mixing your drink up.

“Your drink.” He says to you, handing the drink to you. You give him a warm smile, taking it from him. Your fingers grazed his cold hands.

“I like your hair.” You state nonchalantly, pointing over to his blonde hair.

If you were being perfectly honest, the barista whom you didn’t know the name of was quite good looking. Hell, he was handsome. If the coffee wasn’t good, maybe you would just come over to gawk and admire the blonde haired man who made drinks. He couldn’t have been any older than you. Maybe… you shake the thought away. First week in the city and you’re already having thoughts on marrying the first hot guy you see.

The unnamed barista smiles at your compliment, nodding politely. Your eyebrows lower down slightly, saddened a bit by his lack of conversation. It was no wonder why Haibara was the one treating the customer and not him.

Either way, you move towards the entrance again, waving goodbye as you leave, fully intending to come visit again even if the drinks were bad.

[boxheadpaint]

juice induced hill depression. Back on meds again and hopefully going to get in touch with a new psych who can prescribe me something else. Have been very tired and unjoyful the past week but better now and playing modded Skyrim, initially just to make my oc in it but then just kept slamming more thangs in there. Mod that puts bunny rabbits everywhere. Also is there a mod that adds cute animal ears/suits as wearables or one that even makes the girl armor less sucks. Like im either fully leaning into the immersion breaking for self indulgence sake or im getting rid of the annoying shit.

visiting mom in Vegas earlier this month was nice except for the part where I hate Vegas. I know im not great with travel and settling into places can be a tough one for my brain but also my god it’s just evil there. Brilliantly so but still evil. I would have loved to enjoy the scenery surrounding the place more as deserts are just very beautiful and fascinating places but at no point during the day was the temperature less than a full hundred degrees Fahrenheit. It barely dropped during the night either. Between that and varying physical ailments (Oof Ouch My Digestive Sensitivities Lol) (Oof Ouch My Tendons Lol) (Oof Ouch The Agony Caused By Using Stairs Lol) it was the perfect conditions to be a miserable pile when I wanted to be with my family. As sad I was to part ways again I was not sorry to leave that place. Gained a new appreciation for changing up what I eat randomly to keep my body on its toes. At one point mom brought us to a pub and her husband asked for Diet Pepsi while I asked for regular Pepsi. Visually there’s no difference so we got handed the others pepsi and swapped. And then later after he refilled his Diet Pepsi another waiter came up and wordlessly refilled mine as well. With Diet Pepsi. Wasn’t even asked. Fucking stunned. Also went to a near dead mall that was nice anyway

stuck on brain zaps as a symptom of Specifically antidepressants withdrawal. There’s some things describing them as “mini seizures” in function. To me it’s like the body noticing the usual isn’t happening for some reason so it tries to jumpstart the brain into working good like before. universities I can go to with my theories. Back in and at it this week, hopefully to remain consistent for longer than before which will also likely help with the depression and anxiety. More people should just put stuff in their blood if they can

it can be embarrassing to express your misery more clearly to someone, specifying the fact fact thoughts running through your head. But then again it’s only embarrassing because your mind convinced you so, and will convince you that holding it in is also cruel and selfish. Finding it funny that animals probably don’t have as complex spirals and bouts of depression because they dont have a language to articulate to themselves in their own heads that something is awful in a very specific and contradicting way. Or actually no because there is still pattern recognition but that’s more a paranoia learned thing. Is there an animal that can randomly, for seemingly no reason evident to anyone including itself, experience crushing dread and self doubt. Is there an animal that feels shame besides man

had a tilt table test that was embarrassing too but for much more clear concrete reasons. Somehow didn’t know about that second part, and did complain through most of the first part because Oof Ouch Everything Hurts Lol. REALLY did not know the iv thing and had to once again sadly state that no, It has to go in the hand . I will say the experience was funny in the second part from the other ways because my first reaction was literally just “Uh Oh.” The moment I realized it was going to get worse. all I know is my blood pressure stayed consistent throughout, I don’t know what else im gonna hear about it. Hopefully something helpful.

is setting up an ABLE account difficult? Can anybody do it? It’s an issue dealt with by a lot of people but I should at least try to find a way to save money from benefits for the future or in case some stupid medical shit happens that the health won’t cover. I just looked up and saw Vinny sleeping while propping lubics head up with his foot. Hoping I can enjoy things normally again shortly,

8/26/2024, Still better than july

[tomatoswup]

el chico del apartamento 512⋆ ˚｡⋆୨💌୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

summary: that new boy-next-door Vash from 512 sure is cute! Maybe you should write him a letter~

title translation: the boy from apartment 512

warnings/tags: shy/anxious reader, the usual nerve-wrecking feelings that come with a crush, tesla jumpscare, kabedon! by vash, i edited this at 4am might have mistakes, cute~, Modern!AU

A/N: I....don't know if i wrote this right...but this song had me delusional..... :D,,, I really wanted to write a cute boy-next-door kinda oneshot with Vash and boom, here yall go :P enjoy! I recommend listening to Selena's "El Chico Del Apartamento 512" since this fic was a direct inspir. from the song~

pairing: vash x reader

Life in your apartment complex was, in your own words, quite boring.

Bland scenery, the shouts and complains of neighbors and the ridiculous "problems" that shouldn't even be called problems you had to deal with.

Oh cmon, can't you park in your own fucking parking space?!

But there was a certain someone that made the hell of a place a bit more better. Your new neighbor from apartment 512. You first met him by accident when you dropped the groceries you were hauling up to your apartment one day, to which he helped you and struck up conversation.

From there, fate couldn't help but let the meetings between the both of you continue as the two of you talked more and more. Often times, he'd find you reading at one of the various apartment complex picnic tables, joining you in your times of relaxation.

"You okay?" You asked one day as the both of you sat at the table, sharing a bowl of fruits you had cut up to enjoy the afternoon with. He turned his attention towards you, orange sunglasses resting on his head and mouth full of watermelon causing his cheeks to puff out like a chipmunk "Mfph?"

You had a good ol' laugh as the poor man tried to chew as quick as he could to respond, but truly just ended up almost choking on the poor watermelon. You had to smack him on the back in the end so all the juice left his lungs.

Life, work, and flowers that the both of you liked, sometimes the two of you conversated for hours on end. And sometimes, you two just liked each others quiet company.

You admired that.

But you also admired something else.

ooo girl he was cute.

You couldn't resist the butterflies in the pits of your stomach whenever the two of you took your walks together, coming home from work late nights. The closeness of your shoulders and his made you a bit more delusional than you had wanted to be.

Or maybe you did?

GOD MAKE UP YOUR MIND!

Vash, that was his name, was your boy-next-door crush. To be honest, you never expected to find yourself attracted to someone like him. But man, did he have your heart running its laps.

Every.

Single.

Time.

The glances he would sneak at you from afar felt like honey for your little ol' fragile heart. And no, you never forgot those frequent very frequent times where you would find him knocking at your door. Opening it, there he was, the cute tall spiky haired blonde awkwardly standing there with a flower pot, little flowers already growing inside.

Shifting his weight from his feet left to right, he would use the excuse of "I bought a bit too much for my balcony!" to keep giving them to you.

It was adorable! You never failed to blush every time and whenever he accidentally touched your hand when he handed them to you. You didn't notice his own red cheeks though.

You had a small collection of these plants in your home now that you made sure to water every morning. And as a thankful gesture, you often invited him over for dinner at your place.

That was....flirting right?

Jesus fucking christ you really had no rizz..

You often found yourself lying in bed some nights, not knowing how to address those bubbly feelings of yours towards the dorky man.

How would you tell him either way? How about a date?

Oh no no no, you didn't have the balls to tell it to his face... Did you?

You contemplated for a second.

Nope, definitely not.

If he said no, you would have to think about finding a different apartment at this point.

oh my goddd this was embarrassing..

But cmon now that cute mole on his face? How could you resist those funny faces of his? You groaned loudly into the air as you slapped your hands on your eyes in exasperation.

'What if I write him a letter?' You froze in your mini moment of despair before shooting up from your laid down position. "Okay, okay, maybe this can work." You gasped out, stumbling and slipping off your bed, looking around the room trying to find a pen and paper.

Pen..Pen..Digging out a pen from your bag, you held it up into the air as if it were a holy grail.

Settling with a nice purple colored one and a page from a notebook that you carefully tore out, you wrote your "confession" letter on that messy wooden desk of yours.

That'll do that job! please

By the next morning, you had the letter sealed and ready to be given to him, but damn were you on the verge of wanting to throw up because of how nervous you were.

You even added a cute dried flower on the letter to make it look pretty maybe he could ignore the little tear marks of yours on the note

Okay, go to his door, knock, give him the letter, then run.

PERFECT! Completely foul proof plan!

Wash, rinse, repeat.

You put on one of the more nicer outfits from your closet, and paced around your room a bit before finally leaving the apartment. Letter clenched in your hands, you walked only a few steps from your door until you saw the numbers 512 glaring down at you.

Ummm…

You felt sweatier than usual as you frantically brushed down your hair before straightening your posture. It took you only 2 minutes of self-reassurance before you knocked.

knock, knock, knock

Pulling your hand back, you stood there holding the letter into your chest.

...

...

No response. That's fine! That's totally okay!

You took a moment to breathe in and out before knocking again. Finally hearing movement from the other side of the door, you took a step back, bracing yourself from seeing his face as the door swung open.

"How can I help you?" A feminine voice rung out.

Opening the door was a blonde girl somewhat a bit older than you. Her long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes making you do a double take as your mouth gaped open at the pretty girl. But that surprise was taken over by your heart dropping at the sight. She was wearing a white sweat jacket

His jacket..

HE HAD A GIRLFRIEND!?

'ABORT! ABORT MISSION!' Your subconscious yelled at you as you stumbled to find words to reply to the girl "I-um, well uh-"

The burning feeling in your chest started to hurt as you felt the desire to just drop dead right on the spot. There was no way you just... Oh my god..

Before you could respond, the girl's expression widened into somewhat recognition. "Oh! You're the neighbor from next door! Were you looking for my brother?"

Eh?

"...Y-Yes?" You tilted your head in a somewhat cheeky sweaty smile you were dying on the inside before she turned from you and looked back into the apartment.

"HEY VASH!" She yelled, holding the door open with her back as she crossed her arms, and from the depths of the blue-wallpapered apartment nice choice! you heard his voice.

"WHAT!?" There were sounds of blankets or something moving coming from where he was inside.

Her eyes flickered back to you before giving you a playful wink "I think our neighbor from 511 is knocking at the door! Are they the-!"

"WAIT WAIT WAIT DON'T OPEN IT WAIT!!" His sudden screech emitted before the sudden mess of things falling to the ground and objects breaking echoed through the apartment.

Was he okay?

"GYAH!" You heard Vash yelp before he tripped into your sight right around a corner, shirt half messily on him as he attempted to slip his arm through the hole of the shirt. The scattered scars on his body prominent to your eyes as he struggled for a second.

Wow look at that bod-

You quickly averted your sight, feeling the heat crawling up your neck and into your cheeks as he picked himself off the ground as fast as he could with only one hand. You noted that he didn't have the time to put his prosthetic on in that sudden rush of his.

"T-thanks Tesla!" He breathed out, smoothing down his shirt as Tesla left her spot by the door, leaving it ajar as she gave you a small wave before leaving into the apartment and what you presumed back into her bedroom.

"Sorry about my older sister, she's just visiting for the week..." Vash cleared his throat before leaning his arm his only arm at the moment on the door frame, humorously deepening his voice "So, how can I help a beautiful person on this most wonderous night?"

You giggled at his try to hide whatever happened, the tense muscles in your shoulders softening as you silently held out the letter you had.

"Hm?" His eyebrow rose as he relaxed himself, slowly grabbing the red envelope out of your hand. Turning it around, he scanned the writing on the top.

To Vash

And attached to it, was a red geranium, one of the flowers he had gifted you. He couldn't help but give the envelope a blushed smile before looking back up to ask you what it was.

But there was no one?

"E-Eh?" He stuttered as he quickly stepped outside, only seeing a flash of your body running through your door as you shut it quick behind you.

Did... Did you just run back to your apartment?

Vash let out a pout as his shoulders slouched down, barefoot on the concrete floor of the apartment complex corridor.

"I missed the chance to say it.. Damn it.."

Meanwhile, you had shut the door and slowly slid down it, covering your mouth with your hand in amazement.

YOU DID IT!

YOU ACTUALLY DID IT! YES!

OH FUCK YOU DID IT.

ohhhh shit.

"what did I just do.." You groaned, pushing your knees up to bury your face into.

For the next couple of days, you tried your best to avoid Vash as much as you could. Taking all the early shifts at work, racing into your apartment whenever you saw him sitting at the picnic table with a bowl of strawberries.

Maybe he didn't feel the same way, how could you show your face to him? You were scared..What he would say?

Disgusting?

I'm interested in someone else?

That night was one that had you up late, running through all the things he could say about your letter, bad or good.

But one day. you had been forced to take the late night shift again and found yourself walking down one of the many apartment complex hallways alone. You actually kinda missed your lil nightly talks with him…

"Hey!"

Hm?

Turning your head to the left, you spotted the pretty blonde man, racing down the path in slippers, sweatpants and a long sleeve, no glasses of his in sight.

"V-VASH!?" You squawked out, the man closing in as in a panic, you closed your eyes. Feeling your back hit the hard wall behind you, you were only able to throw a hand out to put a cushion to whatever was happening.

What?

Slowly peeping your eyes open, your vision was covered by the sight of his chest. His large frame practically covering your body and both arms of his caging the sides of your head, most likely to prevent you from meekly escaping.

"I finally.." He let out a deep breath as the hot sensation of it lightly hit your face "..caught you." His gaze only focused on you as you noticed the grip you had on his firm shoulder. Ah... He was trying to talk to you again..

Did the letter not make anything awkward?

"Vash?" Your breath hitched, the intense stare of his eyes just on you making that stomach of yours develop butterflies once again.

"You never gave me the chance to give you an answer.." He muttered before chuckling "Didn't think it'd take me this long to finally see you."

Moving your gaze away and to the side, you tried to escape his eyes in attempt to calm yourself down "I thought I made things awkward...Ha." You gave him a small pained grin, the urge to cry out of humiliation was making the lump in your throat push upwards.

One more word out of you and you'll accidentally let it out, tears and all.

Vash looked down at you with a curious expression before the look of adoration riddled his face "Aw cmon now, look at me. You'll never make things awkward between the both of us..." Hand off the wall, he softly put two fingers under your chin, moving it so you looked back into those endless bright blue eyes of his.

"Ya know, you actually beat me to it first."

"I-I did?"

He gave you a cheeky smile "Definitely, I was gonna come over but.." The corners of his mouth moved downwards "I didn't get to see you anymore. Even after work, I made sure to wait a bit to spot ya. Guess today's my lucky day."

oh fuck, you felt so bad.

he…was actually looking for you.

shit.

"I-" You choked out, silencing Vash as you felt your eyes start to blur with the tears. You couldn't hold it in anymore. All those embarrassing moments and thoughts.

"I was scared about what you were gonna say... I thought you weren't going to like me anymore after that letter…” You tried to regulate your breathing as your furiously wiped the tears out of your eyes “Stupid right?”

Using both hands, Vash slowly took your hands away from your face, before swiping his thumb against the apples of your cheeks "Well, whatever you thought that was gonna do, did quite the opposite.."

Face to face, just centimeters away from each other.

"I like you even more.." His thumb brushing the bottom of your lips as you observed him, eyes still red from crying. But the red of Vash’s own cheeks got brighter and brighter.

"May I?"

And with no words spoken, you nodded and he caved, leaning in. You felt like melting as he wrapped his arms around your sides, those pink lips of his deeping into your own as the taste of mint seeped into your mouth.

The sweet taste of his was one you imagined at night, and have never thought to ever taste until now.

Now that you tasted him, it felt so intoxicating. Every touch of his tongue in your mouth, the grip he had on your waist.

Okay slow it down a little cowboy~

Pulling away for air, the both of you just stared at each-other, eyes wide and quiet.

Until laughter came about, Vash had started giggling and you tried your best to stifle your own until you couldn’t. And the two of you continued laughing as Vash kept you close in his embrace.

"I was wonderingg~" Vash whistled out after getting those cute giggles out of his system "Are you doing anything this Saturday?"

You tilted your head to the right, giving him a shy smile "Not necessarily, I was just gonna order some pizza and stay home alone.."

"Maybee..I can keep you company?" He jokingly puppy-eyed before you gave him peck on the lips just one more time

"Always~"

A sharp gasp was suddenly emitted from your right side, causing you to almost yelp in shock at the sudden disturbance as Vash whipped his head to the direction. And there stood your upstairs neighbor, an elderly hispanic lady and her husband with a little cart full of folded laundry.

"Mire! El chico del apartmento 512 se junto con el rentero de 511. Ay que bonito~" She cooed as her husband nodded in agreement.

You returned a blushed smile, feeling Vash's hand slip into your own.

Oh how sweet!

translation: Look! The boy from apartment 512 got together with the renter from 511. How pretty~

[packedlunchmeat]

COMMISSION ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

HOWDY Y’ALL!!!!

I’m deciding to open commissions once more! And finally making them public rather than just offering to friends.

This took a TON of deliberation, as I fear as an artist being taken advantage of for my time. And so, before we get into pricing and my boundaries as an artist, lets talk ground rules! Just so you, as a potential customer, understand my expectations as the artist.

(Also please be patient with me as I work 12 hour shifts at a hospital, so it may take a few weeks to get to yours if it’s behind a lot of others in the queue)

RULES & EXPECTATIONS

First come, first serve

This is mainly because I like to prioritize those who come to me first. With this being said though, if you express interest in a commission from me, but do not state what you are wanting, as well as a price range you are going for, I will prioritize a person who has already given me a commission request. Basically! I put you in the queue the moment we have a request worked out! :-)

No revisions after a finalized sketch

This is mainly to protect myself as the artist, and you as the customer from being in a perpetual revision cycle, after already finalizing the sketch. If you aren’t happy with something, please let me know before I begin the line art process! Once I begin to do line art or color, I enter a zone where doing any sort of serious revision could cause the quality to diminish!

Make sure it’s my art you are wanting!

I do do a plethora of art style mocks like persona 5 eye cut ins, as well as other sorts of persona art style stuff. But I don’t wish to copy another artists style thats already offering commissions. If you’re wanting a certain style that isn’t adjacent to mine, you’re better off saving up for the artist you truly wish you could commission :-). I like to feed into fandom wants and needs, but I don’t want to take away from other freelance artist’s business.

I will not send the art until paid

 Since I manage to work rather fast, I don’t mind making pieces that don’t get paid for, as any piece I do is good practice!! That being said, I won’t send my art until I have proof of payment for the time I spent on it. I will always be super clear on which part of the process I am in, but to protect myself from being scammed, I cannot send the piece until payment is proven.

DETAILS

Now lets get into the fun stuff!! To start, I do not charge my commissions based on how complex the art is, rather, how long it took me to make it. Which is the reason I can’t ask for up front payments. I charge, instead, by the hour. And my pricing is based on my state’s minimum wage. The software I use to make my art (Procreate) tracks the elapsed time I’ve spent drawing, and so I calculate the owed amount based upon that. So, to start:

I CHARGE $15 AN HOUR (USD)

METHOD OF PAYMENT IS THROUGH PAYPAL.

Now that that’s out of the way, here’s what I CAN and CAN’T draw!!

THINGS I ABSOLUTELY WILL DRAW:

Character references! (TTRPG CHARAS, OCS, ETC.)

Armor (I can do mecha, but because of the complexity it may bump up the price just because of how long it takes)

Main stream art style replication (Persona 2D Sprites, Ace Attorney, Steven Universe, The Owl House, and a few others as well)

People

Portraits

Couples (hugging, kissing, holding hands, cute stuff :3)

Inklings & Octolings (anything splatoon related pretty much)

THINGS I CAN DRAW (BUT WILL PREFACE WITH THE FACT THAT I AM LESS SKILLED IN THESE AREAS)

Furries

Animals/pets

Scenery

Pixel art

Vehicles

Weapons (this ones tricky because I can draw swords pretty quick, guns take quite a bit of effort to get right though)

THINGS I WILL NOT DRAW

NSFW/suggestive content

Gore

With the parameters out of the way, I’d like to talk about pricing now! Since I charge by the hour, I’d like to make it clear that I am 100% willing to work with money difficulties! I draw pretty fast, but as there are certain things that cause my pieces to take longer, it’s only fair I let you all know what those are, so that you can know what to avoid if you’re wanting some art from me!

THINGS THAT WILL CAUSE MY ART TO TAKE MORE TIME!

Lineless

Complex mecha/outfits

Complex props (e.g. instruments)

Anything in my CAN DRAW list

Complex backgrounds

And lastly…

EXAMPLES OF QUALITY OF WORK

(With time spent and how much they’d be priced)

ROUGH FULL BODY

Time spent: 30m

Calculated price: $7.50

STYLIZED TAROT

Time spent: 2h 16m

Calculated price: $34.00

SIDE ORDER LINELESS

Time spent: 3h 44m

Calculated price: $56.00

FYNN 1920S ‘IT’ GIRL PIERROT

Time spent: 5h 24m

Calculated price: $81.00

Anywho!! If anyone is interested, please DM me! I’ll hand over my discord so you can send me pictures easy :-)! Reblogs are greatly appreciated!!!!

[redheadspark]

👋🏿 for your falling in love Prompts

3. One character going "so this is really awkward cause I know I told you I wasn't looking for love but then I kinda fell in love and I would like it if you'd take me." With Druig

Happy Writing! 🙂

A/N - I find this beyond adorable with our Mind Controller! Thank you for requesting this, Stella!

Reunited

Summary - After their much needed reunion in the jungle, Druig has some things to get off his chest

Warnings - Just some good fluff for our Druig!

The jungle was quiet, quiet and yet nosy at the same time.

You never thought you would be here, given the world about to end and the recent news of your leader's death at the hands of Deviants. Still, this was the past place you thought you would end up with the others, merely because it's been 500 years, Secondly, you all left under different circumstances.

You left a member of your family behind: Druig.

He saw the genocide that unfolded in front of all of you that fateful night, soldiers slaying and murdering innocent citizens in front of his very eyes and he only had to watch with no signs of stopping them. You saw it on his face, as you did plenty of times before when he was forbidden to intervene with humans and their sins with one another. The look of rage and pain, the gaze of anger and distant.

The stare of betrayal from Arishem.

He chose to leave you all, taking some of the soldiers with him under his Mind Control and going deep into the forest. It was the last time you ever saw him, and you etched that image of him forever in your mind. The tears in his eyes, the solemn look of his decision being made, it was forever implanted in your psyche.

You never minded it, only because you cared for him.

You both were cordial with one another, merely friends who relied on each other in dire times just like the others. Druig was never cross with you, not like he was with Ikaris or Ajak at time. He was more gentle with him, his softer side with a hint of sarcasm was always there in your talks and interactions. He loved watching the humans and seeing them evolve, almost being a fly on the wall as they continue to develop and grow on the planet. He even wanted you to watch with him sometimes during their feast or when they were out and about. You indulged him, finding humans just as a fascinating and complex creatures.

Plus, spending time with Druig was not a bad thing either.

Yet now, 500 years later, you wonder where to go from here.

Being away from the others for so long, traveling the world on your own and seeing how the humans have evolved through your own eyes. Inwardly you knew what Druig felt the you saw humans tearing each other, but also the they built each other up again. There was goodness in the world, and thank to Druig and all of his talks and theories he had with you, it made you miss him all the more.

"Out of everyone that is here, I figured you would love the jungle the best,"

Your back was turned, but you sensed his presence was evident as he was behind you. You said nothing, folding your hands in front of you and scanning the scenery in front of you.

"You made a beautiful place here, Druig," you hummed, hearing his footsteps behind you as he was walking up slowly, delicately, maybe thinking that a brash approach wouldn't work, "It's funny....I always pictured you here,"

"Away from the rest of the world?" Druig asked, not wishing to sound brash or harsh with you as he was watching you look at all the foliage"

"No," you hummed, "Living in peace. I think out of all of us, you needed it the most,"

Druig said nothing, having you finally turn around and see him stand there and watch you with intrigue and curiosity on his face. it was a contrast to before when you are all in the meeting hall, his anger and demeanor getting the best of him after hearing all that Sersi discovered from Arishem. You are mad too, hearing about your own existence was a lie, and you were meant to destroy planets for the birth of Celestials. You still haven't wrapped your head around it, so you couldn't only wonder what Druig was thinking.

"It's been awhile, Druig," You voiced to him, watching him slowly nod his head while he folded his hands behind him.

"It has," He agreed, cocking his head slightly at you as you watched him, "I know the last time we were together like this, it didn't end well,"

"You had to do what you had to do," You reassured him, your voice trying to sound sure but it was hesitant. Maybe Druig picked up on it, the small lingering thoughts in your minds that you wish to express. How would you tell him though? In what way can you tell him?

That you cared for him and his tender heart for year? How you wished to bring him peace if you could since you knew he would fight for the peace of humans.

That you loved him for centuries?

"Still, I wish we both would have left things on a better note," Druig explained, "I want to know all that you were up to for the past 500 years,"

"I want to tell you," You reasoned, pausing again and trying to get your mind back in order as Druig was taking another step closer to you.

"But?" Druig asked, being ever patient. You sighed, rubbing the back of your neck and trying to find your bravery again.

"Given the circumstances we're in, and the world could be ending and everything, I had held some things from you....for awhile...that I think you should know," You explained to him, fiddling with your fingers. You looked from the ground into his eyes, seeing how still he was and waiting to hear what you had to say. You loved that about Druig, he never looked past you but into you as if he was trying to find all that was nestled deep inside you. He never pried with you, not once in all the centuries you knew him,

So, with the end of the world at your doorstep, you might as well let it all out of the beg.

"I've had feeling for you for sometime,"You informed, seeing him still keep his stare at you and not move with his facial expressions, "You andI were close all those times we were together, and I considered you a friend. Not just a friend, actually, but as someone who knew me more than i knew myself. And because of that, I was afraid,"

"Why?" Druig sheepishly asked, taking another step to only be a hand length away from you. You gulped, eyeing him and how he was still staying there'd listening to you unfold all of your heart to him, at his home. You could breathe in the small scent of his sweat, you could see the beauty mark on his arms and the the small scar mark on his cheek. Most of off, you saw his blue eyes glistening in the moonlight above you.

"I never believed in love, not for the longest time," You answered, "I thought it was meant for humans and their tall tales. I know it is part of their biology and their evolution to love and rely on one another, but I didn't think it could happen to us, to me,"

It was true: loved seemed to be something only for the humans to have and to keep to themselves. You could only watch from the side, inwardly hoping and longing for something like that in your life. Were you meant to have that? You doubted it at first, up until Ikaris and Sersi together. Gilgamesh and Thena had a familiar love with one another, it was evident that there was no romance but a platonic kind of relationship.

Yet as the years went by, love was growing on you and shooing away the doubt that was festering in your soul. It saw it all around you, in all the cities you visited and with all the years coming and going. Inwardly, you were wishing that you had the love with someone in particular, knowing it was too late.

Yet the time was now.

"So this is really awkward cause I know I told you I wasn't looking for love, but then I kinda fell in love and I would like it if you'd take me." You sheepishly said to him, wearing your heart on your sleeve and waiting for him to crush it within his fingers. He had every right to, you knew that since this was no one way road. Druig could turn and walk away, he could yell at you for placing this on him while the world was about to crumple around you.

But he didn't. He didn't something unexpected.

With his strong and yet soothing calloused hands, he reached up to place his hands on your upper arms, having you think he was going to hold you in once place. Yet he was watching you with the kindest eyes you have ever seen him use, and you were about to question him before he leaned in and pressed your lips against his.

You felt it then, all over your skin and in your blood. Love.

Your hands reach up to frame his face in your hands when you pressed your lips against him. Druig wrapped your in your arms, you both were kissing under the jungle branches and in the pure peace of the scenery around you. This was what you wished you had years before, before everything changed and you both went away from one another. Maybe you wished you could take it back, maybe your should have said your feelings to him sooner and not bottle it up.

But if this was what you were going to have with him, even for a shiver of a moment before you would have to fight for the planet, then so be it.

Druig pulled away from a moment after you two kissed, licking his plump lips and scanning your eyes that seemed warm all over again. His hands along your waist, his scent invading your nose, it was too much and not enough at the same time.

"I'm a coward in not saying anything to you either," Druig explained to you as you searched his eyes, "Makkari tried to convinced me to say something back in the Crusades, but I couldn't bring myself to,"

"Makkari knew?" You asked with a hint of shock, you and Druig breaking into into childish grins as he laughed and nodded his head.

"She saw it before I realized. Yet I was still afraid, I had no clue if you would love someone like me," Druig sheepishly explained to you. It seemed rather morbid for you bth to go through your confessions to one another right before you would have to stop Tiamut, yet there were no better time really.

So all you could do was kiss Druig again, feeling him pull you close and kiss you back. Love was once a dream, but now it was a reality for you both.

Even if you only had for a few days, those days would be worth it with Druig at your side and loving you too.

The End.

Tagged: @a-lumos-in-the-nox @basicrese @heartofwritiing @virtueassassin @hottpinkpenguin

Valentine Prompt Session

[the12thnightproject]

Chapter 37: Schrodinger’s Kat: Too many things might not be what they seem. Or they… might.

Mitsuhide x OC; Hideyoshi x MC (Mai)

All Chapters Archived on Ao3 

Logline - With Mai, Hideyoshi, and Aki missing, Mitsuhide and Katsuko reluctantly team up. Disguised as a merchant and his concubine, can they outsmart the man known as the God of Deceit?

CW: Battlefield scene

Mitsuhide did indeed let me grab my fur cloak (ok, my borrowed Imagawa cloak) and went so far to make sure that my feet were well covered. Then, he urged me outside, into the garden, where it was once again snowing and the sun had already set. In the glow of the lanterns, I could see that the snowflakes collected on top of his head, turning that salt and pepper wig into a semblance of his normally silver hair.

We came to a halt just past the ice covered koi pond. I didn’t check whether or not the fish were still in there somewhere. I didn’t want to see if they had frozen to death. Schrodinger’s fish. “I was going to send you a message.”

“Were you indeed? Where would you have sent it from? Here? Or would you have waited until you settled in Kasugayama with the Imagawa?” Before I could respond to that odd line of questioning, Mitsuhide pulled us into the shadow of the wall, rendering us less visible from above.

Kasugayama? What was he talking about? Not willing to spend the mental energy trying to read his expression, I shrugged and continued my original explanation. “From here. I planned to flag down that spy who followed us from Sakai. To let you know what Yoshiaki was doing… that Kennyo is still alive. But I guess since you’ve been here all week, then you’re already aware. And if Nobunaga is not aware, he will be soon…?”

He acknowledged that with a brief nod. “I’m also aware that it’s an open secret that Yoshimoto has taken his page as a lover. His vassals are –“

“Idiots.” And causing Yoshimoto more trouble than he could handle.

“That is not the point. I’ve witnessed your relationship for myself. Watching as he takes your hands and touches your face.” Mitsuhide brushed his hand over my face, much the same way Yoshimoto was wont to do. Unlike Yoshimoto’s touch, Mitsuhide’s burned, even though, as always, his fingers were cool.

Unable to stand that internal heat, I stepped back. “That’s just Yoshimoto… he’s a touchy-feely person. It means nothing. But even if it meant something, that’s no longer your business.” You let me go.

He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, when he finally spoke, it was a return to that teasing tone. “You are correct, Brat. No business of mine, save for my ego. It was simply meant as a warning. The ex-shogun is a vengeful man. One full of petty jealousies and complex plots.”

“Yoshiaki has no idea that I even exist.” I was sure of that. “Servants are simply part of the scenery to him.”

“As I was saying before you interrupted-.” Mitsuhide put his finger on my lips to ensure no additional interruption. “Imagawa’s vassals haven’t ceased complaining about how their lord is obsessed with his new page. How he fondles you in public, and holes up in his room with you for hours.” He shot another glance up toward the castle walls and pulled me further into the gloom. I suddenly realized that the person who had been watching me for the past few days was Mitsuhide himself. “If Yoshiaki hasn’t already heard of this, he will soon.”

“Why would Yoshiaki care?” And then the recollection of that first day here returned. Of that possessive, slighted tone in the ex-shogun’s voice when he spoke to Yoshimoto. “Oh. He’s the one with the obsession.”

“Indeed. He is the one with the obsession.” Mitsuhide took a step back, as if he were evaluating the nature of the word obsession. “I find it somewhat… ironic… that in my attempt to get you out of the line of fire – for Yoshiaki would also be happy if a woman important to … to the Oda were to fall into his hand – you jumped right back into it.”

There was a lot to that statement, and I wished I had the time to parse it out, to discover what those odd pauses in Mitsuhide’s speech meant, but as it was, all I could say was, “I’m not important to the Oda.”

He merely looked at me. His face was shadowed in the dark, but for a moment, he half turned and his eyes gleamed in the lantern light.

Am I important to him?

Did he truly push me away to keep me safe?

There were a hundred questions I could have asked at that moment.

I said nothing.

It was not the time.

It was certainly not the place.

He reached out, took both my hands in his, carried them to his lips, and kissed my knuckles. The gesture was oddly reminiscent of Yoshimoto’s and I wondered if he was doing so to place a claim of possession on them… to erase any memory I might have had of Yoshimoto’s touch.

My silence was enough of a response. He pulled me closer, pressing me into the wall, and kissed my forehead – almost a benediction. That gesture of peace became one of passion, as he melted into my side, nipping at my neck, biting my ear –

I groaned… I would always be weak to that… to him, my need for his touch rushing through my veins. Until he spoke. “Goro – my spy – is waiting on the other side of the wall. Leave. Leave now. I will explain it to Yoshimoto.”

Stung by reality, I yanked myself out of his embrace. Had all that been just to distract me? Even now was he still trying to force me to his bidding? Was this another feint, another character, another act? I imagined that my very existence here, in proximity to Motonari, who knew of the Kaya identity, was interfering with his own mission for Nobunaga. The mission that brought him here to begin with.

Of course… it had never been about me.

“No.” I scooted further away. “Iekane knows where Aki is. I’m sure of it. Don’t worry. I will keep far away from your investigation. You won’t even know I’m here.”

“You’re impossible to ignore. I couldn’-“

“Just. Don’t.”

Before he could grab me again, I hurried out of the garden. He wouldn’t be able to follow me without giving himself – or me – away. I didn’t look back this time either, and stopped only to steal the bucket from beside the well. The well water was already frozen – no one would miss it. I filled the bucket with snow, knowing that if anyone questioned me on my way back inside, I would have a built in excuse for my absence.

Then I casually walked back into the castle as if I had every reason to be there. I even nodded at one guard at the main door. He returned my nod, then returned to his business.

Good. I hurried up the stairs toward Yoshimoto’s quarters but, just a few meters away from being home free, I nearly barreled right into Motonari. Shit. I bowed low, keeping my face turned away from his. “My apologies Lord Motonari.”

He grunted in response, and hurried past… then he stopped. I sensed him whirling back toward me. “How did you know my name?”

My face stayed averted. I was good servant, not allowed to gaze at one of a higher caste. “Lord Imagawa requires I be able to identify all the daimyos and warlords and not offer any insult or impropriety.”

“Humph.” After another excruciating pause, he continued on his way.

Had he recognized me? I… couldn’t be certain that he hadn’t.

Without taking time to sigh in relief, I hurried into Yoshimoto’s room, where Yoshimoto was kneeling on his futon, his eyes closed.

As soon as I entered, he opened his eyes and looked at me. "Katsu, that seemed longer than it ought to have taken to-"

"Get you your water? My apologies Lord Yoshimoto." I handed him the bucket full of rapidly melting snow. "Your drink."

Yoshimoto blinked. "Snow?" He kept his voice low.

“You did say you wanted to taste the pristine moonlight touched flakes." I winked at him. "This is the coldest freshest water in the area."

A slight smile touched his lips. "That does... sound like something I would say." He drank from the bucket. "You are frighteningly good at that." He dropped his voice lower, below the threshold of what someone listening in the next room or the corridor would be able to hear. "And your search?"

"Inconclusive." Then, in order to give him some better news, I added. “The correspondence we previously discussed is on its way to its intended target.”  At least Mitsuhide had hinted as such. I ought to tell Yoshimoto about Mitsuhide being here. “Well, the second target. As it turns out-“

Yoshimoto had stopped listening. "I'll be happier when we can be on our way, too." Our way? Was that for any spies?Or was Yoshimoto assuming that we would continue travelling together? I couldn’t think that far in advance. Perhaps anticipating my thoughts Yoshimoto asked, "If it turns out your father is dead, what will you do next?"

Though I didn’t want to imagine that prospect it was a fair question. "Return to his manor and try to salvage his... interests."

"If you want or need another option, you are welcome to return to Kasugayama with me." He smiled at me, but with the resignation of someone who didn’t have any expectation of success.

"There you go again, inviting me to be a guest in someone else's home." The home of a person whose disdain for women was pretty common knowledge.

"As long as you can fight, Kenshin won't care." He took a sip from the container of now melted snow, "It is really good water."

And in about 450 years people will have to pay one hundred and fifty yen for a bottle of something this fresh.

For a long moment, he was quiet, thinking those inscrutable Yoshimoto thoughts. Finally, he sighed. “Katsuko, you must know that-”

That was as far as he got before the sound of shouting and running feet reached our ears. Before I could do more than grab my sword, the door to the room slid open and four of the Kanamori vassals rushed in. Their weapons were out, so I presumed they aren't joining us for the fresh mountain water.

Yoshimoto was already on his feet. "What is the meaning of this insult?"

"We are taking him into custody." That was apparent. They had me surrounded. “Lord Motonari’s orders.”

Dammit. I guess he had recognized me after all.

“Unacceptable. Katsu is a valued member of my household." Yoshimoto threw on his clothing faster than I thought he could move. "I refuse to part with him."

"You'll have to discuss that with Lord Iekane.” Without another word, they confiscated my sword and "escorted" me through the corridor, with Yoshimoto protesting at their heels every step of the way. The darkened stairwells and hallways were no less forbidding in reverse as we were marched out of the castle altogether.

Outside.

Outside is bad. It means they think there will be blood and they don’t want to clean it off a tatami mat. (Actually you can’t really get blood out of a tatami mat). At least I hadn't had time to take my cloak off, but Yoshimoto had to be freezing.

The vassals rushed me through the gardens, and to a stairway that led to the top of the castle wall.

Iekane and Motonari were waiting for us there, along with more of the Kanamori guards… including, I noticed, Mitsuhide. His disguise was still complete and he appeared to be regarding the scene dispassionately.

So far, Motonari hadn’t realized he was here, but if he did, especially when we were this badly outnumbered, it would be the end of both our missions.

Making sure not to look at him, not even look near him, I tried to mentally broadcast an apology to him. This… was probably exactly what he had been afraid would happen.

Before I could begin to formulate a way out of this, Yoshimoto addressed Iekane, "Master Iekane, what is the meaning of this insult?"

"This doesn't concern you, Lord Imagawa," Iekane said in that ingratiating tone that … really didn’t go along with the role he was playing as the acting daimyo of Genba. Then again, Yoshimoto was an Imagawa, and Yoshiaki revered him, so maybe that tone was real. "Motonari has a problem with a member of your household."

"I don't see how. My page has devoted his attention to me since the moment we arrived. Any insult would have come about because he was merely doing my bidding." In other words Yoshimoto was insinuating his own servants were more important than Motonari - which is not how I would have chosen to play this, but now it seems we were committed.

Motonari stepped forward and looked me over from head to foot. "Lord Imagawa, yer page is a spy who works for Mitsuhide."

With, people, with. And not any longer.

Yoshimoto whipped out his fan and semi-concealed a theatrically fake yawn. "Of course she's a spy. But she works for my cousin, not Mitsuhide."

Takeda Shingen? Wait. Yoshimoto if you're going to change the script, it would be nice if you handed me the updated sides first.

Iekane started to speak, but Motonari got there first. "Shut up."

Oooh. Someone doesn’t like Iekane. I... think I can work with that.

He turned back to me. "Yer one of the Mitsumono? Why’d ya help Mitsuhide?"

Um… I did a rapid revision to Kaya's backstory. I didn’t dare look at Mitsuhide. Did he believe I was a Takeda spy? Maybe… that would be for the best. It would be the easiest and fastest way for him to wash his hands of me and continue on his mission.

“The best way to gain his trust was to help him.” Ok, think think, what else? “And of course once he pulled us off your ship, I figured the only way I was going to get back to Kasaguyama was to work with him."

“By burning down my camp." Motonari’s words came out as a growl, but there was a different kind of light in his eyes.

"Next time tell your men not to store, the gunpowder so close to open flame.” Hoping that I had judged his character correctly, I added a purposeful careless shrug. "Hell of a fire though."

He looked startled for a moment, then his laughter rang out across the dark night. "Hell of a fire."

Behind me, Yoshimoto shifted uneasily. Yeah so I had flipped the script too... but we were going to need Motonari to defuse this Yoshiaki mess, and the only way that was going to happen would be if we eliminated Iekane’s influence. One way or another.

The Kanamori guards seemed not to know what to do with Motonari's sudden outburst. Once again Iekane stepped forward, but no, I couldn’t let him take control this narrative. His, for want of a better word, superpower, was the long con. It had to be for him to have been able to fool Aki for so long. I gestured to Iekane. "Lord Iekane knows this, because he and I were both originally trained by the same spymaster." I glanced over my shoulder at the Kanamori guard who was still poking me with a sword. "Just a suggestion, but you might want to get a food taster in for Mozumi's meals and drink."

I wasn't going to outright accuse Iekane of anything, especially since I hadn’t found any evidence that he was responsible for Mozumi's condition, but all I needed was for them to hesitate before acting.

Iekane put his hand to his heart. "Are you accusing me of harming my dear father? The man took me in, saved my life. I'm devoted to his health."

"Yes, of course you must be." Finally Yoshimoto picked up on the good cop bad cop routine. We really should have rehearsed this. "A poor orphan is always grateful to the rich man, especially if he has no other living offspring."

The Kanamori guard became less poky with the sword in my back. So that's one thin-

"Heh. This is all very interesting." Motonari's tone said it was the complete opposite of interesting. "I don’t care if Iekane is offing his Pap, it all ends up the same in the end. Imagawa ya in for destroying Nobunaga and getting this party started or not?"

Crap. Iekane was my goal, but if I could throw a bit of help toward Mitsuhide’s mission, it would be a good thing too.

"The desire of my vassals is clear." Yoshimoto snapped his fan shut. The metallic clang was like the locking of a cell door. "That said, I do not agree that Sakai is a worthwhile target."

Ok, good, he'd given me an opening. "Iekane when you caused the cart accident, was your target me... or was it Hiko?"

"Accident?" Iekane’s laugh was on the disbelieving side of sarcastic. "Kaya, you've always been clumsy. And little boys, well, they can get into so much mischief."

And… that was an unforced error to Iekane.

"Lord Motonari." I turned and directly addressed the pirate. "Has Iekane ever met Hiko?"

He frowned, either at the non-sequitur, or because he might have figured out where I was going. "No. He ain’t been to Sakai. Do you have a point, spy? Or are ya wasting time waiting for reinforcements?"

Reinforcements… well, that would have been a good idea. Too bad none of us thought of that.

"How does Iekane know Hiko is a little boy?" Before Iekane could formulate a bluff, I kept going. "Hiko is in danger, from Iekane. Before my former master disappeared, he sent me a letter, asking me to find Hiko and protect him from Iekane."

Don't ask me why. Don't ask me why.

"Why, why would I care about some street kid?" Of course Iekane asked.

"Because," Yoshimoto took up the thread of my logic and embellished it into a telenovela. "Hiko is actually Mozumi's son. His blood son."

Yoshimoto, WTF? Then… I considered. Oh…that's actually… pretty good.

Since Yoshimoto had his bard on I kept quiet and let him continue. "Hiko's mother was one of Mozumi's concubines. But Mozumi's second wife Osumi was jealous of Niwa, and arranged for an attempt on her life. Frightened for her safety and realizing she was carrying a baby, Niwa decided to fake her death, at least until the child was born. Unfortunately, during childbirth, poor Niwa’s death became a reality. This was when her sister decided to raise Hiko as her own. She already had a daughter, Sho, and the children were devoted to each other."

Yoshimoto finished his epic with a flutter of his fan, and I could tell he was holding back from actually bowing. Ok, a little over the top, but at least he had remembered to account for the existence of Sho. Mozumi's vassals might not remember all of his former concubines, but they might remember the existence of a daughter.

"And that is why Iekane plans to attack Sakai. It would be easy enough to kill one small boy in the confusion and make it look like an accident of war." In fact, that probably was why Iekane had chosen Sakai. Or at least one reason. Once again I was glad that Yoshimoto, or rather the Takeda mitsumono, had taken Hiko to Kasugayama.

"That's ridiculous." Iekane addressed Motonari, "Lord Imagawa has spent so much time on the arts that it’s rotted his brain. No true warrior would believe such a fanciful tale."

I heard a whisper from the direction of the Kanamori guards. A rather familiar voice, in fact. “Mozumi did have a concubine by name of Niwa.”

And thank you Mitsuhide for backing up Yoshimoto’s flight of fancy.

Iekane took a nervous step in that direction, trying to read the Kanamori guard’s faces.

Another voice, from one of Mozumi’s vassals. “Lady Osumi was the jealous type.”

That… had also been Mitsuhide, once again employing that ventriloquism trick he’d used back in Sakai.

“Are you really believing this nonsense?” Iekane looked around. But he was nervous. As he spoke, fumbled for something he had in his kimono. Something black and shiny. A pistol?

In that moment, I didn’t know who he planned to shoot, but only Mitsuhide would be familiar with the quicker action of a western pistol. But if he acted, it would be the end of his mission – because Iekane wasn’t his target. Iekane was mine.

I allowed myself a fast peek at him, trying to determine whether he had something in mind. He looked, for the first time in my memory, agonized. Indecisive. If this incident deterred him from his mission, I knew he would hate himself forever.

And so before Iekane could even point the thing, I jumped at him, hoping to knock it out of his hands.

Instead of pushing me away, Iekane grabbed my wrist. Only then, I could see it wasn't a Nanban pistol at all. It was dark and oblong, gleaming of some unfamiliar material.

Our action carried us backward, and then, rather than twisting, or braking, Iekane let us continue to fall backward, over the wall of the castle entirely in front of the started gazes of Yoshimoto and Motonari… and though Mitsuhide leaped forward, his hands reaching for me, he was not in time to prevent us from sailing over the edge.

Oh shit, this is going to hur-

We never hit the ground.

There was a flash of light, and I felt a bit of a jolt of electricity, and then the world was replaced by stifling grey.

Fog.

I've been here before.

“You are indeed stupid, putting me right where I wanted to be.”

It was as if I were back in that crate, as closed in and impenetrable as a coffin, yet without any physical walls that I could pound on or kick. I tried screaming but nothing came out of my mouth.

Wormhole?

Find a piece of yourself that you can hang onto through all of the roles you play. Some thing. Some goal that’s more important than who you are portraying at that moment in time.  If you lose that piece, you’ll lose yourself in the game. You might never find your way out again.

The memory wasn’t of the wormhole that pulled Toshiie and I into the Sengoku. No it was of a thick endless grey. A grey where time had ceased to exist. Iekane had pushed me and I’d become trapped, alone, dissolving…

No… not me.

Someone else’s memory?

And then I felt Iekane grab onto my wrist, as I could tell he was preparing to throw me off him. Fling me somewhere.  Somewhere into the grey. Again. His voice was harsh in my ear. "Give my regards to your father."

“Oh no you don’t. Not this time!”Mine or not, that vision was a warning of what could happen if I allowed him to throw me deeper into the wormhole.

I grabbed onto his arm, snatched that odd device from his hand. The wind whipped around us, pulling us in all directions, as we battled over it. Lightning crackled in the distance and Iekane yelped as if he'd been shot.

I tightened my grip on the thing, kicked out, and in the weird gravity field of the wormhole, we ricocheted away from each other. With a howl of rage, Iekane disappeared from my view, spinning, tumbling head over heels, his hand still reaching for the device.

The fog faded, pushed away by a fetid heavy breeze that carried a stench of blood and ash and decay.

As the wormhole gave way to smoke, that eerie silence was replaced by shouts. I had the sensation of falling into intense heat. It was all the warning I had before my feet touched ground. I ran three staggering steps, through the dark haze, tripped over something soft…

… and landed on a body. Even in the heat around me, the person was limp, his clothing soaked and -

Where’s the rest of -- ?!

Oh God.

Get away from him-

They're…everywhere!

I'd seen battlefields from a distance.

There had never been a desire to get any closer than my perch from a tree in a nearby forest. Though that distance had been enough to give me an idea of how much smoke, noise, and confusion there could be, nothing could have prepared me for the smell or the heat.

Or the feel of a dead body beneath me.

@selenacosmic @lorei-writes @bestbryn @lyds323 @tele86 @akitsuneswife

[rennivere]

His words had Aletheia peering up towards the sky, her eyes squinting past the light that filtered through the treetops high overhead. She couldn't argue with that, she supposed. When she looked back down, he stood, facing her, outstretching a hand, palm up, beckoning. She blinked once, her brows slightly furrowed, but before she could second-guess herself, her free hand lifted, slotting gently atop the Ascian's palm, his fingers dwarfing hers as they wrapped around her digits. They lingered for a brief moment, having similar looks of perturbation on their faces as Emet-Selch lightly squeezed her hand, before pulling her along without a word, presumably to find a place in the shade to speak.

As Aletheia and Emet-Selch ventured out of Slitherbough, the dense foliage of the Rak'tika Greatwood enveloped them in a canopy of shadows, shielding them from the harsh glare of the sunlight. The air was thick with the earthy scent of moss and the faint sound of chirping insects.

Emet-Selch walked beside Aletheia in silence, his presence an ever-present reminder of the complexities of their situation. Despite the uneasy alliance they had formed, there was still an underlying tension between them, like a taut string ready to snap at any moment.

As they walked deeper into the forest, Aletheia couldn't shake the feeling of Y'shtola's piercing gaze lingering on them as they departed from Slitherbough. The Miqo'te had taken Aletheia's confession in stride, her pragmatism shining through as she listened to the mage's words. But underneath her composed exterior, Aletheia sensed a wariness, a caution born from years of conflict with the Ascians.

Aletheia could hardly blame her, of course. She peered at Emet-Selch with the same level of suspicion and uncertainty, and yet the Ascian seemed insistent on lingering.

She had given up trying to shoo him away... though she would also be lying if she said a small part of her wasn't grateful for his presence. It wasn't a matter of feeling safe with him, mind you. Oh, no: quite the opposite, in fact. She felt perpetually on edge as he meandered through the Greatwood at her side, remarking on the scenery or making otherwise unrelated, unhelpful remarks.

And yet, when she thought at one point that he might slip into the shadows, she looked at him with a furrowed brow, her jaw tightening. Something in her eyes must have given her away, because he hesitated.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," he said lowly, enough that his voice rumbled a bit around every word. "What? Fear you'd be lost without me? Need help finding your way back to Slitherbough?"

"Hardly," she huffed indignantly, lips pursing to form a line as she forced her gaze forward, away from the man, "...I simply wonder why we've journeyed this far together, and you've yet to actually tell me about your world. The one you wish to bring back."

Emet-Selch paused in his stride, causing Aletheia to do the same after a few more steps, the mage pivoting slightly around her staff to peer at the man past the intricate focus that glowed faintly at the top. The Ascian peered at her, eyes squinting, and for a wordless moment, he looked at her with genuine intrigue.

"You truly wish to know of my history - our history? I have to wonder if telling you would be worth the time, to be frank... unless you mean to tell me you are open to possibly considering rejoining the cause after all...?" He questioned, a brow quirking as he peered at the mage.

Aletheia gave a derisive snort in response.

"Like you, I remain steadfast in my beliefs... but if I learned anything from serving under the Emissary, it is that one needs understand their foe. If you would follow me around in an attempt to learn what drives me, then I would know more about the world that has driven you to commit atrocity after atrocity in the name of your God and the Rejoining,"

Her words seemed to surprise Emet-Selch, his brows lifting. For another moment, he quietly peered at her, searching her face with a narrowed gaze. Aletheia thought he might've been inspecting her, searching for any sort of dishonesty or ulterior motive... but there was none. Behind her silver gaze was something... genuine. Almost... innocent.

She was curious. Behind her rough exterior was a girl in search of answers, desperate for information and understanding.

When he saw it, Emet-Selch's expression softened slightly, though the look of gentle consideration he gave her for a brief moment was quickly replaced by the heavy sigh that spilled from his lips as his shoulders and head slumped forward in surrender.

"Fine, fine," he practically groaned, "If you insist on making me waste my breath and your time, then I will share with you the truth - at least as much of it I deem you worthy of. But first, come: Let us find a spot in the shade to rest. I tire of this beautiful, damnable sun."

His words had Aletheia peering up towards the sky, her eyes squinting past the light that filtered through the treetops high overhead. She couldn't argue with that, she supposed.

When she looked back down, he stood, facing her, outstretching a hand, palm up, beckoning.

She blinked once, her brows slightly furrowed, but before she could second-guess herself, her free hand lifted, slotting gently atop the Ascian's palm, his fingers dwarfing hers as they wrapped around her digits. They lingered for a brief moment, having similar looks of perturbation on their faces as Emet-Selch lightly squeezed her hand, before pulling her along without a word, presumably to find a place in the shade to speak.

That simple gesture would build itself a home in her mind, lingering, leaving the mage feeling confused and uncertain as they made their way through the forest to find a place of respite from the sun.

As they settled into the cool embrace of the shaded forest, Aletheia and Emet-Selch found themselves seated on a fallen log, surrounded by the gentle rustle of leaves and the distant hum of insects. The air was thick with the earthy scent of moss and the sweet fragrance of wildflowers, creating a tranquil atmosphere that belied the weight of their conversation, distracting from the everlasting light that loomed overhead.

Emet-Selch began to speak, his voice soft and melodic as he wove tales of a world long gone, a world of beauty and wonder before the Sundering. He spoke of Etheirys with a fondness that caused an ache to form in Aletheia's chest - a sense of loss and longing as if it were just as much her world.

She supposed, in a way, it was.

"It was a city unlike any other," he said, his eyes distant as he recalled memories of a time long past. "Amaurot, it was called. The heart of our civilization, the pinnacle of our achievements. It was a place of art and culture, of knowledge and wisdom."

Aletheia listened intently, her gaze fixed on Emet-Selch as he spoke. There was a passion in his voice - though not the insincere theatrics that often accompanied his words, but instead genuine adoration - a longing for a life left behind. It gave the mage pause, a slight warmth beginning to fill her chest.

He spoke of Ancient society with reverence, painting a picture of a utopian existence where all were equal, where knowledge was valued above all else, and where the pursuit of truth was the highest calling.

"We lived in harmony with the world around us," he continued, his words tinged with nostalgia. "We were caretakers of the land, guardians of the elements. We knew the secrets of creation, researched the mysteries of the cosmos. We were masters of our own destiny."

As Emet-Selch spoke, Aletheia found herself captivated by his words. There was a depth to him, a complexity that she hadn't fully appreciated until now. He wasn't just a villain, a faceless enemy to be defeated. He was a man with hopes and dreams, with memories of a life long gone.

Despite herself, Aletheia felt a pang of sympathy for him, a sense of understanding that transcended their differences. She could see now why he fought so fiercely for his cause, why he clung so desperately to the hope of restoring his world. It had the mage's brows furrowing as she finally tore her gaze away from him. (How long had she been staring, she wondered?)

A scoff from the Ascian startled Aletheia from her thoughts, prompting her to look towards him once again with a furrowed brow.

"And then, in what was nearly an instant, it was shattered. Chaos overtook the land, our creations turned against us. Suddenly, we were faced with a decision that would shape the future of our star in ways we never could have predicted at the time. We sought only to save our world. So we did what was necessary to fight back against the plague that threatened to destroy us all."

"Zodiark," Aletheia finally spoke, looking at the Ascian, who quirked a brow at her before nodding.

"Aye. We summoned Zodiark. If you know that part, then I assume the Emissary had enough sense to share the rest of the tale with you,"

"Not everything, I imagine," she muttered in reply, turning her gaze to peer across the brush before them, eyes fixating on a distant critter as it scurried up one of the towering trees, "But I know that some were sacrificed to save the many. I know that Zodiark was able to cast out the darkness, but that the damage had already been done to the land."

Emet-Selch peered at her closely, giving a slow nod as she spoke.

"Indeed. Our utopia was shattered, doomed to never return to its former glory without further sacrifice. And so, a decision was made... A decision that not all agreed with,"

His tone grew bitter at the end as a scowl made its way across his thin lips, his brows pinching further together above the bridge of his nose.

(Aletheia forced herself to pay no mind to the sudden urge she felt to reach over and smooth it out beneath her thumb. Instead, she stayed static, frozen.)

"So tell me," he went on, thankfully distracting the mage from her thoughts, prompting her gaze to meet his as he paused to ensure he had her attention, "Did the Emissary deign to share with you what happened next?"

Now it was Aletheia whose brows furrowed as a moment of silence fell between them, followed by a slow shake of her head.

Emet-Selch snorted in response as he leaned back, rolling his head to the side enough that Aletheia could hear an audible pop from the man's neck, his eye twitching with a slight grimace from the sensation.

"No, I suppose he wouldn't have," he said dryly as he leaned forwards again, resting his arms on his knees as he sank into his habitually horrible posture once again.

She'd half expected him to continue, but Emet-Selch returned to silence afterwards, causing her brows to lower further, her jaw flexing for a moment before she finally spoke.

"So? What happened next?"

The man's gaze flicked towards her once again as an arched brow raised, and for a moment, Aletheia thought she saw amusement twinkle in the man's eyes.

"What happened indeed. Your beloved Hydaelyn happened, of course - though I'm not yet sure that you are either ready or worthy of learning the specifics. Either way, I tire of story-telling, so for the time being, that is all you will get."

Aletheia’s frustration was palpable, her fingers curling into fists as she leaned forward, trying to suppress her annoyance. The tantalizing glimpses of Emet-Selch’s past had left her yearning for more, and his sudden refusal to continue felt like a cruel tease.

"You can't just leave it at that," she argued, her voice barely above a whisper, yet carrying an intensity that made Emet-Selch glance at her with mild surprise. "If you want me to understand, to truly see things from your perspective, you need to give me more than just half-truths and vague hints."

Emet-Selch chuckled softly, a sound that grated on Aletheia's nerves. "Oh, Aletheia," he said, his tone patronizing. "Answers aren't something that can be forced. They must be earned, and frankly, I’m not yet convinced that you deserve the full tale. You may despise me, but make no mistake—Everything I do is for the betterment of the star."

Her eyes flashed with defiance. "You speak of betterment, yet your methods are steeped in blood and suffering. How can you reconcile that? Sacrificing countless lives to summon Zodiark, and single-handedly sowing chaos across the shards."

Emet-Selch's gaze hardened, his expression growing cold. "And what of your precious Scions? Are they so innocent? History is written by the victors, and the victors often forget the price paid by those who lost. The summoning of Zodiark was necessary to preserve what little remained of our star. To safeguard the future, sacrifices had to be made. Our choices were not made lightly, nor were they made with cruelty in mind. As for the Shards... need I remind you that your lives are meaningless to me, a necessary expenditure to help restore the lives of those lost from my world."

Aletheia opened her mouth to retort, but the words caught in her throat. She could see the anguish etched in Emet-Selch’s features, the pain of a man who had lost everything. It was a stark reminder that, for all his flaws, he was not devoid of emotion or regret.

"You speak as if you had no other choice," she finally said, her voice softer now. "But was there truly no other way? No path that didn’t lead to so much destruction?"

Emet-Selch sighed heavily, the weight of centuries seeming to press down on his shoulders. "Perhaps there was, once. But hindsight is a luxury afforded to those who do not bear the burden of leadership in times of crisis. We did what we believed was right, what was necessary to save our world, and that is something I continue to do to this day. You cannot understand the depth of our sorrow, our desperation."

Aletheia's gaze softened, her own heart aching at the palpable grief in his voice. "I want to understand," she said quietly. "I want to know what drove you to such lengths, and maybe then, we can find a way to move forward without more bloodshed."

Emet-Selch looked at her for a long moment, his eyes searching hers as if trying to gauge her sincerity. Finally, he nodded, though the gesture was laced with reluctance. "Very well. I will tell you more, but not now. Let us rest for a while. The weight of the past is heavy, and even I grow weary of it."

Aletheia nodded in agreement, feeling a strange sense of camaraderie with the man who she thought would be her enemy. As they sat in silence, the forest around them seemed to hold its breath, the air thick with the unspoken understanding that had begun to form between them.

After a while, Emet-Selch shifted, reclining slightly against the log. His eyes, once filled with cold calculation, now held a glimmer of something softer, more human. "You remind me of someone," he said quietly, almost to himself.

Aletheia turned to him, her brows furrowed, curiosity piqued. "What? Who?"

"Someone," he replied unhelpfully, a small, sad smile playing on his lips. He peered at her closely for another moment before continuing, his eyes squinting, as if trying to peer at the mage through a thick fog. "Someone who, like you, sought to understand rather than to judge. Someone who sought ways to save even the smallest, most inconsequential life," He sighed then, letting his gaze linger on the woman for another moment, eyes flicking over Aletheia's face with a look of slow familiarity. But before she could question him further, he spoke again. "Perhaps, in time, you will come to see why I do what I do. But for now, let us simply exist in this moment of peace, however fleeting it may be."

Aletheia nodded, allowing herself to relax slightly. Despite the tension that still lingered between them, there was a sense of shared purpose, a glimmer of hope that perhaps, just perhaps, they could find common ground.

[yahoodarling]

I'm a bit shy to ask this... I love your work! It's always so interesting to read. Could you do something Dottore x Pantalone? Or maybe Dottore x reader x Pantalone? I think writing the harbingers leans into dark content more naturally :3

It's okay, getting requests or comments on my work is always welcome from my dear darlings. This didn't have as much dark content as my other stuff but I do enjoy the dynamic in this one.

Pantalone X GNReader X Dottore

Warnings: Suggestive, crude language, experimentation and dark content(just to cover my bases for this haha)

Reader is submissive/not in control, referred to as 'pet/dog' at times.

"Could you get me some tea?" Pantalone asked, eyes focused on receipts and records, shuffling papers with his black gloved hands. 

You nodded to your boss and went on to make him a brew of tea you decided would best please him. His main office had the small tea station and soon you mixed a fragrant blend and allowed its aroma to wharf in the air.

In a few minutes you returned and placed the small cup to the side of his desk on a small platter, standing back to the side and awaited his reaction.

He shifted his focus to the cup and lifted it to his lips, eyes closed and took in the golden liquid. Almost instantly you saw his shoulder relax, his lips fall into a fond smile. "Once again you read my needs so well. This is a fine brew, thank you." He nodded to you, his glasses chains dangled along with his head nod in satisfaction. 

Of course pride welled in your chest, you were glad to know you could be of service to him and to receive praise from such a high ranking person was a blessing.

"Of course my lord" you bowed and stood back at your station just behind him, a word away from fulfilling whatever request your boss required at any time. 

You made these boring times so pleasant for Pantalone. He chuckled and sipped on his tea, now in a good mood as he worked through the papers. Such a good mood sadly came to a halt as he read through a letter from his colleague, he knotted his eyebrows in frustration and had to physically rub away the headache the words caused. He couldn't enjoy one afternoon without interruption now could he?

"(Name), I will be going out later today to visit with Ill Dottore. This man just cant be satiated now can he?"

"Another request for funds?"

"Of course it is. He burns through mora faster than any one else. File the open papers and organize the ones I have yet to read through into personal and business. I'm going out for a walk."

The large doors opened and Pantalone walked back into his office, taking off his coat and handing it to you that awaited nearby almost immediately.

You nodded and stepped away to allow him past and got on to sorting out the papers and clutter on his desk. You reached out for the empty tea cup, just a few golden drops remained. You smiled like an idiot. You knew you were just his assistant but knowing he enjoyed your tea and appreciated your work left a light feeling in your chest.

"Today is pleasant. The scenery was most enjoyable in the indoor garden, i'm glad i took that walk." He reached his now organized desk and opened up a drawer to obtain his glasses case and wiped off the condensation. 

"Well then." He said, putting them back on. "Let's go meet the good doctor and see what he is whining about now."

"Shall I join you?"

"Of course. I need some support from the absolute nightmare that is to come from this."

Usually Pantalone wasn't as frustrated with Dottore as he came across as now, he usually treated him with respect or enjoyed complex conversations with him but you also knew he got irritated easily when disturbed, much like Dottores request had disturbed Pantalones wuiet afternoon.

"Let's get this done. Be sure to bring my personal finance book"

You had it already in hand and opened the door for him.

Pantelone chuckled and gave a quick head pat to your head as he walked past. 

You never usually joined in Pantalone and Dottores conversations, you would stand outside by the door and wait but this time Pantalone welcomed you in as well. Dottore was an interesting character, all your colleagues spoke hesitantly about him and every fatui assigned to him would send their will and farewells to their family as he tended to have assistants disappear a lot, you were lucky to work under Pantalone that treated you well . 

His office was unsettling, it linked to his personal lab and storage room to the side that you have never seen anyone enter or leave from. Your one wish in life would be to never have to go in there.

"Hello dears' ' he smiled at you and Pantalone, sharp teeth bear which  seemed more unsettling since you couldn't see his face behind his mask. 

"Greetings Doctor" Pantalone replied and sat on the chair adjacent to Dottores desk, clasped his fingers together and gave a greeting smile. You took your stand behind where he sat and waited to let the men talk.

"Brought your lap dog this time?" Dottore chimed and angled his face to you, you wouldn't respond unless told to by your boss. "It makes sense you have them as your little pet. That attractive face would be wasted on the battlefield, rather keep them safe and close by your side so you can enjoy it even more."

Pantalone wasn't having it and shut the conversation down. "I hear you want to extend your funds."

"That? Yes, I'm dealing with materials that are rather expensive. I'm sure if I beg enough you will help me."

"Im waiting"

"Alright... 'Oh rich man! Give me your money.' Done? Is that good enough?" Dottore swooned with clear sarcasm

Pantalone sighed and looked at you with an unimpressed look

"(Name), we won't be needing to file any extra records for Dottore. It was a waste coming here. I refuse your request, i will be leaving now."

And he stood up and turned his back on the doctor. Said doctor leaped out his seat, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Wait wait. Was I not convincing?"

Pantalone refused to even turn around to look at Dottore while he spoke.

"Your excuses have gotten repetitive and unoriginal, it's not worth my time. I only came here in person as it's the respectful thing to do but you make it very hard to want to come back."

Pantelone kept walking and waved his hand at you to follow to which you did.

‘So heavy’ you think holding multiple files and taking them to their respective posts. Working for a high ranking fatui member had its perks but also had its disadvantages, one of which being the large workload to fulfill and your work load required you to deliver all Pantelones files, messages and receipts to their proper place within the headquarters, it's not like he could do something like that after all, he's too important.

"Tsk, that was uneventful. Stupid banker and his stupid mutt" Dottore fumed silently and sulked at his desk as you two left.

“Little dog.” Came that gruff voice behind you shocking you out of your thought process making you nearly drop all the files. You turn around to see who was calling you such things. It was Doctor Dottore.

“So you respond to that?” he teased with a smile.

“Not necessarily sir, it's just the loud call caught my attention.”

“Hmmm” he grunted and walked closer to you confidently

“Mind helping me with a little something in my lab? I promise itll be eventful, something more entertaining than lugging around papers.”

“I apologize my lord, I must get back to work.” you turn to leave, being in any contact with Dottore alone is dangerous. You turn to leave but he instantly grasps your wrist in rebuttal.

“Now now, don't go running away. I don't think you have the right to refuse anyway. Just come.”

And he started to drag you off, firm grasp on you, the amount of strength he had on you was in such contrast to his leaner build.

“Sir- i really can't…” you harsh tugs made you drop all the files, that didn't stop him as you continued down the hallway under his lead.

This room smelled sickly, the room attached to his office somehow both clean and dirty at the same time, equipment and books shuffled all around and the disturbingly clear table with leather straps to it. Oh shit shit shit.

“Sir this is-! I'm not a part of this! Surely you have others!” you pleaded and tugged back with all your might as he continued to push you closer to the table.

“Oh hush, this isnt gonna hurt and it'll be quick.”

You were left dumbstruck as he easily lifted you up and ungracefully lobbed you onto its surface and quickly grasping your hands in the harnesses like it was a skilled practice of his. He left your legs and torso unbounded but that didn't calm your nerves as you fought against the leather straps.

“Haaaah. Haha, I do say I'm quite lucky today. Checking all my boxes with very little effort.” he chuckled as he walked away to get something.

“What? Wait, please, Pantalone wont allow for this!”

“Oh I know darling~” He turned and looked at you with a sickly pleased smile. “That's half of the point.”

He was doing this to get back at Pantelone for refusing his extension? He was gonna use you as a guinea pig to spite him just because he didn't get what he wanted?

He held your chin and shifted it side to side, inspecting your features. "Such a pretty face. I could think of no other reason to keep you but to stand and look pretty like a decoration, much like you do anyway."

He leaned back away from you and became serious in the face. “Have you heard of the current disease plaguing Sumeru? A terrible terrible thing called Eleazar. I've researched its symptoms and causes before long in the past but recently found some… forbidden knowledge as you may call it that may help narrow down its cause.” This conversation left you shellshocked, in no way looking forward to where he was going with this.

“I found a little thing that, if it is a catalyst for Eleazar perhaps it could link to a cure. You'd be doing myself and many others a favor if you'd comply.”

He was wanting to give you a disease?! One that has no cure, one that must be severe if it's needing such deep research into it. If you weren't pulling against the straps of the table you were now, bargaining with the doctor out the window as your brain focused on trying to get out.

“Oh come on.” he sighed dramatically while holding a needle with a black liquid in its cylinder. “Surely you can trust me here. It's not like i haven't dealt with Eleazar, you will probably be fine anyway.” He leaned over and shifted your wrist to have a clear view, your struggles not deterring him. “Ah, such clear, wide veins. You are making my job so much easier without even realizing it.” and with that he neared the metal needle into your skin, the slight sting it would have caused was ignored by the absolute panic you felt.

“DOTTORE YOU SHIT!” Your saving grace opened the door harshly, more angered than you had ever seen him before. His glasses were off and his coat slung lopsided before he threw it across the room and at Dottore. It was a thick coat, getting hit by it would be an impact and it was, Dottore was thrown off you.

“I swear, you can't just accept it when people refuse you. You are like a child.” pantelone huffs, pacing towards you and helping you out the straps.

"I know you are an attention whore for me but messing with my property is not the type of attention you'd want. You aren't doing all of this just because you are having a temper tantrum I didn't extend your funds now are you?"

"I wouldn't word it like that but in a sense, yes. I do enjoy getting to play with you." Dottores' silky voice echoed, he seemed delighted at the reaction he was getting. 

Pantelone left your side and got closer to Dottore, bending down and grasping his collar, yanking it up harshly. “Games are for play time, not business time” he mused, face inches away from the doctor's mask.

You sat on the table watching, fear nearly completely gone as a single thought consumed your mind, ‘What the fuck is up with this tension?’

Pantelone dropped Dottore suddenly, leaving him on the floor as he walked back to you, however, he spoke back directed at Dottore and not to you. “You claim my assistant is a dog yet i find you have a better resemblance to one. A filthy mutt pissing itself for attention from its master. Maybe if you would behave id give you want youd want.”

Pantalone sighed, out of exhaustion or simply at the situation, when he recovered we went back to looking at you, a more mellow look in his eyes.

“It seems you have been involved in work outside your contract, I must remunerate you for your inconveniences.” he got close, slightly leaned over, held your face closer to his, the familiar smell of your tea brews lingered on him. “I do hope this will be enough.” He closed what space was left and kissed you, softly but it had a firm hold to it. It was warm, comforting and left you feeling content so you reciprocated kissing back into him. After what felt like a few minutes you opened your eyes, not to find his on you but looking to the side where the doctor stood up from the floor and swept off dust from his attire.

“Please, keep trying to make me jealous.” he said, lifting himself to sit on the counter nearby and grins "i don't mind watching. That is my thing after all"

Pantalone just grunted and got back to working on you, giving you his attention, giving you his love.

 "I wasn't able to put the full dose in, I wonder if such a small amount will cause Eleazar to occur." Dottore suddenly piped in, shifting around what remained in the half empty needle.

 "What the fuck are you talking about?" Pantelone grunted, finally letting go of you.

"Haha, your little assistant  will probably be needing to spend some more time with me in the future. My little mistake, it was just a bit of fun after all."

The look of death fell on Pantelones face once again "i remind you not to mess with my stuff"

“Well it's rather simple then. Give me what i want, whether it be your attention or mora, and i'll make sure they live. We can make it into a deal. You can own them and I can too, you can look after them and I will as well.”

Dottore shifted from the counter to the table and pulled you into him, biting your shoulder harshly with razor-like teeth. "I guess they are mine now as well, equal property"

Suddenly the room started to get tight, black clouding your vision as a surge of pain well up in you. It became hard to stay conscious and your hearing became dull.

“Seems i will need to attend to them now. Can't have you dying on me and your seductive boss now.”

I like to add reasons to things. The reason Pantalone knew you were missing was he got suspicious you wernt back and sae the mess of papers. He just needed to ask a few bystanders to find out where you had gone

[triangularitydubs]

The long awaited

Digital Hearts Episode 3(Part 1)

Murder Drones

POMNI:

Umm… Bubble?

BUBBLE:

Yeeeeeees?

POMNI:

Are you sure we can handle this?

BUBBLE:

Of course, you’ve got this! 

RAGATHA:

Now, how do we get to those other worlds?

BUBBLE:

EASY!(Bubble made other smaller bubbles appear with different sceneries in them)

(A snowy wasteland, A 1920s Speakeasy Bar, A large hotel, a Skyscraper, A suburb, A camp, A kids cartoon looking place, a desert, The Interior of a House, A quaint neighborhood, A toy factory, An Apartment Complex and The Underground)

POMNI:

I guess the first one?

BUBBLE:

Ooh! That's good!

(The bubble enlarges to the size of the characters, and swallows the three whole; this was the mode of transport for some reason. A short time later they were in the Snowy Wasteland)

POMNI:

(She had gotten up and fixed her hat before looking at Jax and Ragatha, that made her jump back and fall instantly)

(They had looked like robots with needles at the end of a long cord. It terrified her)

RAGATHA:

Pomni, dear what's wrong and why do you look like a robot?(She glanced at Jax too) What's going on here?

POMNI:

You're a more scary Robot… 

JAX:

Robot Shmobot, it's probably some weird gimmick of this world, right Bubble?

BUBBLE:

Right you are Jax! Some world's you enter will change your appearance so you fit in more! This is one of them! Neat huh?

JAX:

Hell yeah it is, look at this tail thing!(He has been swinging his tail around)

RAGATHA:

(She helped Pomni up) Well, suppose we should figure out what we need to do here.

???:

What you need to do is turn to me slowly. 

(Jax's tail stopped and he froze with the others)

???:

Turn around now.

(The three turned around, to see a robot with a beanie, purple hair and a black jacket)

???:

Lay down your giant key. And you two needles where I can see them.

(The three did as they were told, but Ragatha spoke up)

RAGATHA:

We don't mean any harm to you whatsoever. We're trying to help save this world from the darkness!

???:

By the darkness do you mean those weird glitchy abominations? 

JAX:

Exactly.

???:

(The robot sighed) So what you gonna try and stop them?

JAX:

That's the plan.

???:

Well I'm helping. My name is Uzi. Those things have captured my friend, N. And on top of that they're working with this corrupt human named Tessa. 

RAGATHA:

Well, Uzi, we're happy to help! We can defeat Tessa, and get N back!

(Bubble popped out of nowhere)

BUBBLE:

OOOH CONGRATS ON YOUR NEW SIDE QUEST GUYS!! 

(A display saying Save N and Defeat Tessa appeared.)

BUBBLE: 

You guys can do this while you're clearing out The Abstracted! I'm willing to bet this Tessa person IS the final boss of this world if not a mini boss!

UZI:

Side Quest? Saving my best friend is top priority to me. If you guys aren't gonna help…then I'll save him myself.(Uzi ran off into the wasteland)

(The Gang was trying to figure out what to do next, and of course it wasn't long before Uzi found herself in trouble, as she screamed)

(The Trio rushed in the direction Uzi went to find her face to face with an abstracted Disassembly Drone, who she was struggling to beat)

JAX:

Hey Uzi! Want our help now?(Jax said in a mocking tone)

RAGATHA AND POMNI:

Jax!! Not helpful!

UZI: 

Yeah sure help I guess!

(BATTLE START)

(After back and forth fighting The Drone is defeated. 200XP for everyone!)

UZI:

Thanks for the help. You three are good.(She sighs) Guess I do need help saving N. Let's go find him.

(The crew ventured off)

UZI:

I thought Tessa was dead, but I think she took N back to this weird ancient temple. Place is corrupted on its own by a rouge Drone, and this glitchy mess-

POMNI:

Abstractions..

UZI:

Right. The Abstractions came along and messed everything up bad to where lots of folks I know and Disassembly Drones are getting the short end of it.

RAGATHA:

Well maybe we can save some of the ones that are your friends..

UZI:

(She shook her head) Already tried. Once Abstracted, they're a lost cause. Learned that the hard way.

RAGATHA:

Well gosh um… I'm sorry to hear that.

(As the venture continues, The Gang defeats abstracted and talks about their lives sorta and N.)

(They eventually come up on Tessa talking with…. THE DARK ONE?!

(The Gang rushes over and sees Tessa even has an unconscious N in her custody, Uzi quietly tells the others to hide behind a nearby rock to eavesdrop.)

TESSA:

So if I release it, then I can have all the power in the Multiverse huh?

DARK ONE:

That's right. Make sure it kills King Caine's Lackeys. They cannot complete their mission.

TESSA:

Works out but I've got one concern..

DARK ONE:

What's that?

TESSA:

It's more than likely that annoying purple haired worker drone will try to come and save her buddy here(She motions towards N).

DARK ONE:

Take some of my help then(Dark One touched Tessa's arm and it abstracted, making it bigger and probably dealier) DO NOT LET ME DOWN. (He disappeared)

(It was at this point, Jax and Uzi rushed to attack at Tessa despite Pomni and Ragatha trying to stop them)

(BATTLE START)

The battle between the heroes and Tessa was intense. Uzi kept calling Tessa a traitor and some other words. In the end the only one standing was Uzi and Tessa, the other three fell to some strong enemies that Tessa had summoned. Uzi got them too. 

UZI:

Do you REALLY think that hooded dude is going to give you what you want?!

TESSA:

(She smirked) Yes actually I do, you little eavesdropper. You weren't here for the full conversation. He hates you Drones just as much as humans do. Truthfully, he was probably human too. So it makes sense.

UZI: 

Why?! We sought YOU out to help and now you betray us not once… BUT TWICE?! 

TESSA:

Well it's not betrayal if I wasn't allied with you to begin with. Soon enough though your little buddy N here will finally be apart of The Experiments AND Abstracted…(She chuckled) When the dark one introduced me to Abstraction, I became fascinated with the behavioral aspects. Thus, why I was able to control the ones that seemingly killed your allies here and be able to withstand this powerful abstracted arm.

UZI:

Whatever. I'll kill you again.

 (She shot her gun multiple times at Tessa, which for as relentless it was, down she fell)

BATTLE END

(UZI gained 600EXP Points!)

(UZI is now level 4!)

(The other three were revived.)

RAGATHA:

You did it, Uzi! I think we oughta upgrade our abilities after we save N

(Of course, Uzi was already on thr case as N rebooted, Jax had been hovering over while Pomni and Ragatha stayed back.)

N:

(He finally booted up) Uzi?

UZI:

N! Thank God! I thought they'd killed you!

N:

Hah. Nope I'm as chipper as ever. Still kicking even though I..um..(He trailed off) Hey! Who are the new guys?

UZI:

Oh, well this one right next to us is Jax. Then over there is Pomni and Ragatha!

N:

Sweet,(N shook Jax's hand and they both hit it off right away, cracking jokes and laughing)

(N JOINED THE PARTY!)

(Then our crew set off closer to the temple, fending off all sorts of Abstracted along the way.)

N:

(He had pulled Uzi aside)

Uzi, something isn't right here.

UZI:

What do you mean?

N:

Think about it.. we just started having issues with that Cloaked guy, those abstracted JUST showed up and suddenly there are three heroes to get rid of them?? This isn't reality, this is just some-

(They failed to realize Pomni was listening in)

POMNI:

You think this is fake? 

N:

Think about it. Isn't it a bit strange we had no hints about the abstracted until now? 

POMNI:

I mean, we know it's the Dark One that caused all this. King Caine said-

N:

No. Listen. We don't know a King Caine. There's no one in this universe by the name of Caine. I mean think back yourself, along this journey you've all about Hollow Chesstion…and how King Caine just appeared…..

POMNI:

Well the real king got influenced by The Dark One a-

N:

It DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! Doesn't anyone else see HOW CRAZY THIS I-

BUBBLE:

LOOK! It's The Temple!

N:

Oh cool, that's where we gotta go next!

POMNI:

Weren't you just…complaining about how crazy everything is??

N:

What?

TO BE CONTINUED…..

[rennsdeaddoves]

journey to the west book one, thoughts

so this post is going to be really messy and jumbled, i will take my thoughts one chapter at a time. since this post contains all the chapters in book one imma but everything under the cut and warn ya'll that this is HELLA long.

ok so, before we get into it i just wanna let you guy's know that if the first 13 chapters seem like they have less it's because i only really started to do this on chapter 14 and had to go back through chapters 1 - 13 and look at the notes and tabes i left to gage my reaction to them. some of them have a bit more than others and some have like none at all.

that being said enjoy the absolute crack house that is my no cotext thoughts of Journey to the West volume one!

Chapter 1

monkey is born!!

and he's already being impulsive...

calling him the handsome monkey king is gonna go straight to his head

lier! you are a certified shit disturber and you know it!

ohhhhh so thats how he got the name Sun Wukong, gotcha gotcha

Chapter 2

the dao art seems real complex

love how they casually have the way to immortality written in this book lol

teaching a suicidaly impulsive monkey how to shape shift and fly wasn't a bad idea at all!

he's showing off- of course he is-

aaaaaand he got kicked out for showing off! idiot-

oh damn- thats actually sadder than i thought it would be...

HE CALLS THEM LITTLE ONES!!! CUUUTE!!!!

HOW DARE!?!?!

Chapter 3

holy hell....

op much???

not a monkey scaring a dragon ffs

he is just a menace this entire page! LAMO

GOD DAMN-

THEY WANT HIM OUT SO FUCKING BAD XDDDD

bruh-

ooooooop foreshadowing alert

THATS BULLSHIT!! THEIR EXAGERATING THE HELL OUT OF IT!!!

oh- oh he really fucked up the life and death cycles- damn...

smart!!!!

he was thinking of paying a visit to heaven himself?? without an invite?? oh- that would not have ended well-

Chapter 4

here we go! first rampage through heaven!!

deva

NEZHA!!!!

ITS GIVING "who's this sassy lost kid?" VIBES XD

Chapter 5

does he not have a reputation yet???

Wukong is in so much fucking trouble oh god....

idiot

going to war over wine is a very Wukong thing to do-

Chapter 6

when did Nezha get here?

shapeshifter duels man... they be confusing af

oop he got caught-

Chapter 7

they seem to have forgotten what the meaning of immortal is

oop- he's being refered to as a monster instead of a king by the narrator- thats how you know he's pissed beyond all belief...

OH HES MAD MAD

HOLY FUCK

"i have to go exorcise a demon to defend the throne." pg 193

"he ligit just wrote "sun wukong was here" oh the fucking finger lmao

man... calling the banquet that is just salt in the wound.... really it is...

Chapter 8

sandy's got green skin, red hair, noted

it's pigsy -n-

he flirted with Chang'e..... this bitch

i already can't fucking stand him

Chapter 9

so he does have parents! lets see if they ever pop up again-

WHAT!?!?! WHY!?!!

Chapter 10

i didn't take in a sing thing that this chapter sad.... why is it even here-

Chapter 11

no thoughts head empty, why are we still on this? is there any plot relevance or???

Chapter 12

awwww their cute

good for him, coming from such humble beginnings

wow- ok thats kinda a really great honour to be called brother by the emperor

Chapter 13

lots of scenery! neat!

wft....

oop divine intervention o'clock

abuse???? hello??? what the actual fuck sir???

COWARD!!!

i am going to get so sick of him so quickly....

WUKONG!?!?!?!!!!! YER BACK!!!!!! YEEEEEAHHHHHHHHH

Chapter 14

wukong- bud... YOUR FUCKING FILTHY

yell that your not lying makes you less believable

HE'S NAKED?!?! OFC HE IS

brutal.... nice

ight show off, keep rambling about the shit you can do.

gay? /j but fr- i get that a naked monkey coming to your door may be a cause for concern but there was no reason to disrespect him like that-

he has a son??? when???

gross man- like i get you were trapped under a mountain- but gross

brutal... nice

EXCUSE YOU WHAT?!?! NAH, NAH HE DID NOT

A FEW WORDS?!?! FAM YOU READ HIM FOR A WHOLE PARAGRAPH SHUT YOUR MOUTH

thats not teaching tripitaka- a lecture is NOT teaching

GUAINYIN IS HERE!!! oh... Guanyin is here...

oh... fuck...

why is his name just 'Pilgrim' like i get it but i also don't... idk

oh he's gonna do it out of spite now for being called a bogus immortal by the dragon king

that entire painting is just of two gay lovers putting on shoes and getting immortality for it

well, he actually is really convincing, i can see why Wukong went back after those words...

yeah i'd be taken aback too bud

.......YOU COULD FINISH THE JOURNEY RN.... but he won't, that defeats the entire porpoise of it all

THIS BITCH!!!! I WILL ACTUALLY KILL HIM

HE ONLY STOPPED CAUSE I WAS AFRIAD THE FILLET WOULD BREAK

ON GOD I WILL THROW HANDS WITH A MONK I WILL

HE STARTED UP AGAIN?!??!!? STOP!!!!

OH OH! so you stop when you see how the pain is LITTERALLY TEARING HIS BODY APART! fuck you

HE ACTUALLY TRIED TO KILL HIM!?!?!?!? oh my god- i mean.... jesus.....

yes. its a great idea to go to the south sea and beat up the goddess who did this to you... super smart /s

all thoughts of disobedience and rebellion? no shot

Chapter 15

ah yes, lets start the chapter with Wukong hauling ass to save Tripitaka

Jesus them some powerful eyes

omg SHUT UP

YES YELL AT HIM WUKONG!!!

namby-pamby??

lawless lizard XD

harsh

they talk about him like he's not the son of a dragon king...

OH SHES PISSED AT HIM

so he's called 'third prince Jade dragon' gotcha

he's a fucking idiot

why are you being such a baby all of a sudden??

neat, he got the get out of danger free leaves now

if Rue had been in this part of the journey she would have been pretty interested in that

plot armour be like-

impressive

more divine intervention! oh my god-

so now it's early spring. jesus that means its almost been a year

Chapter 16

i don't know wether to be annoyed or what- were only a page into this chapter

"he may be ugly" BITCH WHAT

yeah... ight... i'd be annoyed with him too

somesones butt hurt that hes oooooold~

everyone is starting to get on my nerves like jesus-

wow the murder plots are real

he askin' for favours like he didn't just beat their asses 500 years ago

he's a little arsonist

LMAO UNO REVERSE BITCH

damn- he's already on shockingly good terms with him

HE SAVED YOU AND YOUR GONING TO PUNISH HIM FOR IT!?!?!

I'M GOING TO THROW HANDS WITH A MONK ISTG

and after all that your response is still murder??? really????

goddman.... he so mad he defiled a corpse- that wasn't very buddhist of you tripitaka

Chapter 17

not tripitaka using wukongs temper against others-

jesus christ man

"thunder god mouth" XDDD best way to describe it 10/10

THE THREATS

XDD the arrogance!! he called the demon "my son" before starting a lecture XDD

he gets annoyed when people call him the BanHorsePlague now, thats so fucking funny to me

he's so real for that though, i'd wanna eat in the middle of a fight too

he is actually a menace to humans goddamn

HE REDUCED THE DEMON TO A BURGER

love how their calling him 'old carcass'

there is a lot of seemingly nice senery in this chapter

how'd they know all of that just by seeing a goddamn meat patty on the side of the road???

this is gonna be a pattern isn't it-

conversations with these two go no where but damn they do be giving me L O R E

he's being so nice now lmao

wft....

ok *fine* she gets a pass but jesus

GRAPHIC

jesus wukong

HA got'em

"don't start trouble again" "i won't" LIES

Chapter 18

oooooh this is the pigsy chapter!!! i can't wait to see some ass be beat!

i- i don't think i like these people...

Wukong really just said don't judge a book by it's cover

why does he always say "your poor monk" it's grinding my gears

"tell me everything!" .... "from ancient times-"

his surmname meant hog....

i can only picture that one manga panel in jjk where Yuta is dragging Yuji along lmao

ancient toilet humour?

"where are you going darling" he says as he returns to his original form

love that wukong is described and then called "virtually a living thunder god"

"i'll follow you to the ends of the earth" (menacingly)

Chapter 19

why do they all have caves?

it is pigsy

damn- Wukong's reading him

are they really throwing celestial law at one another??

he's bragging... really?

ah yes, a summary of the first seven chapters

he really said set your house on fire and follow me

man's really stripped him of all he was worth and then dragged him by the ear... he's like a mom...

HE'S REFERED TO AS IDIOT! oh this just got so much better

lmao both of them going "wine? oh we still drink that"

Wukong admitted to being a light weight XD

pigsy, trying to say a heart felt goodbye, the other two; hurry the fuck up

"you know him and not me? what kind of fuckery is this?"

"he insulted me and the pig?!" "how?" *proceeds to tell tripitaka exactly how he and pigsy were insulted*

Chapter 20

just by the title alone i know imma start to have beef with pigsy

they still call him idiot! YES

it's pigsy getting bullied hours!!!

that- that was a very round about way of calling him a dick Wukong

annnnnd he's boasting again...

huh? flying bricks, talking pots, and dancing tiles... interesting...

this old man has balls

"fix your ugliness" DUUUUUDE

i'm about to highlight each and every time Pigsy is refered to as Idiot! shits too funny!

ahhhhh pigsy's first kill steal!

OH SHIT NVM

dude just ripped off his own skin! what a power move!

jesus-

and we get to the first time tripitaka is truely captured!

"for you culinary pleasure" XDDDD why is that so funny?

this guy's actually quite smart for that

damn...

good wisdom wukong

i love how wukong is so often describes as "the one with the thunder god mouth and hairy face"

he's got a good sense to be this scared of him

monkey-monk?? (why is that so funny to me???)

he just told wukong he was a 'buy one get one free sale'!! AND HE'S THE FREE BIT XDDDDDD

KILL STEAL!!! +1 for butality, pigsy's score is now -99 points!

Wukong actually let him have credit for the kill? goddamn- is that character growth i see?

Chapter 21

no he does not!

Aqua man?????

Really?? *face palms*

why does he insist on calling himself grandpa?

is he about to disapline him like a grandpa too??

Coward

the divine wind of Samādhi? like the Samādhi fire? NEAT!!!

more divine intervention i see

the trend of calling pigsy an idiot continues and i am thriving in this enviornment

can he be any less annoying?

*crybaby beings to play on loop in my head*

idiot

it was the fucking gold star of venus

very humble wukong

lawless ape! XDDD

love that offending the great sage is quite possibly a crime punishable by death now

Chapter 22

its sandy time!!!

wouldn't that be qualifies as an inland sea?!

i don't know how to feel about that entire passage

cloud surfing lessons

he called Wukong his assistant- oh boy if he had heard that...

he can be there in half an hour?! wild...

sandy is aquired

Chapter 23

still love that his nickname is practically idiot

please- stop refering to your staff as a rod- i can't take reading "you'll get a ___ from this Huge Rod!" anymore T-T

you fucking idiots- your banter has now left the master stranded and he's gonna get captured by demons!

serves you right

Wu kong being so shocked he actually acted poliet?

Unreal and nonexisting- well those are some red falgs if i've ever seen em in this book

SHIT JUST GOT SO MUCH FUNNIER OMFG

she just keeps going!? dude- please- how can someone have so much

omg- this is all a test of character isn't it...

tripitaka; wukong you stay! Wukong; the fuck you mean me!? make pigsy stay

the entier latter half of this page pisses me off. fuck you pigsy

OH EW! SEVEAR ICK- GROSS

I FUCKING HATE YOU YOU GREEDY WHORE

I KNEW IT WAS A TEST OF CHARACTER!!!!!! I WAS RIGHT!!!!

Chapter 24

serves him fucking right

i agree with Wukong, leave the pig and go

holy hell they haven't even covered one tenth of the distance yet?

this is the chapter that that one monkey king animated movie was about.

to cowardly to do it himself so he's gotta wait for Wukong lmao

thus begins an entire two-ish pages of Wukong stealing fruit again

Wukong makes me nevious frfr

if it were so embarissing maybe you shouldn't have done it in the first place

Chapter 25

wukong.... buddy.... no.....

good plan boy's

dude can pick (break?) locks.... good to know

why do you fight first and ask questions later....

he escaped thrice, got catpured thrice, kept playing tricks..... dude just wouldn't fucking stop....

[myriamas]

who: @jaehaerysiitargaryen when and where; following her current conversation with her brother dastan allyrion, it becomes apparently clear that none in the dornish court have seen the lady mayya allyrion. at this point, myriam had suddenly decided to take the ride from hayford to kings landing: accompanied by key members of the dornish court. she has made no appointment to meet with jaehaerys targaryen, and yet, knows she needs to see him.

the ride to hayford had done the opposite of allow her time to gather her thoughts; the passing scenery was what her gaze fixed upon, and this time, she did not avoid the eyes of those who looked upon the dornish as though they were complex, exotic animals; the smallfolk who seemed as though they were witnessing the rarest of animals passing through their lands. she stared back at them, because her mind disassociated: lord monterys was within the red keep, though judging by the tense history between their families, she did not even consider going to him. that was a way to cause flames to flick at a hearth, to set fire to something that had been silently simmering - myriam allyrion had never been good at being silent.

not in the way she walked, and not in the way she talked; the words of the dornish courtiers that remained within the wagon with her were a world away in her head. present, there, but gods knew she felt as though she was walking through a field the dragons had set ablaze.

she felt as though she was upon her horse again, slipping from it to find one brother in a pool of blood; and the other, in floods of tears; his yelling echoing along the banks of the greenblood. she heard a buzzing in her head as she walked, and she did not even know where she was walking; she spoke to guard after guard, repeating the same thing: and there were multiple times when she was held up. she was no physical threat, no legitimate source of danger to any valyrian; and yet, the dornish courtiers that surrounded her were another. if she was of sound mind, she would have known to stop - before any had to resort to violence on her behalf, should it reach that limit. but myriam allyrion was not in sound mind.

"tell your king i need to see him." she uttered, the words the same each and every time. she heard others saying things around her, and they had put her in a room to await for the council session to be finished. "tell your king i need to see him."

she paced. she would ask for him. she would ask for his hand. she would ask for his fucking foot, his fucking ass - what else did she need to do to be taken seriously in this moment? she felt as though she was not being taken seriously, and for a moment, she found herself looking upon the portraits that lined the walls in the room she remained within - wanting to throw them into the hearth. wanting to shred them. because being a big sister was the only thing myriam allyrion identified herself as being good at, for years now. "tell your king i need to see him."

and when she was finally seen by wylliam swann, the hand of the dragon king, she made it abundantly clear. "tell your king i need to see him." the same words she uttered to everyone, with her hands on the back of her neck, caught mid pace. she no doubt appeared as though she was a loose vial of wildfire, looked at through her gaze of those who came in and out of that room as though she was unhinged. and when she was taken to jaehaerys targaryen, she passed the majority of his council - and it was one look at monterys that filled her with a sense of sickness. her hand came over her mouth briefly, praying she would not retch here in this moment.

because all it took was one look at his face, which did not even look in her direction for more than a moment, for myriam to know something incredibly wrong had happened. something wrong, something very very wrong. she had not even realised she was now in the same room as the dragon king, speaking only to his hand who was also in the process of leaving the chamber: she did not realise until she looked up and saw his face. and he looked at her, as though she had a second head growing from her neck. sometimes she felt like she did.

she remained fixed in one spot, the blood rushing and thumping through her ears: she continued hearing the sounds of crying in the back of her mind. had she lost her mother another child? had she? all knew of the tensions of house allyrion and house belarys. it was not rare for issue to be between houses of valyrian and dornish descent. "i must inform your grace…that…the lady mayya allyrion…" she could not talk like this. she felt as though she was going mad. "my sister. she..." he had looked at her and she passed him by. her gut feeling was not wrong. stay calm. stay calm. do not ruin this. this is important. buzzing. the world was blurry. her hands were shaking on either of her sides.

and then suddenly, there came a rumbling in her words; they now churned from her mouth with no guard. they did not stop, and her voice only got higher. and higher. and higher. "NOBODY HAS SEEN MY SISTER. IN OVER TWO DAYS." myriam allyrion's screams were guttural and deep, coming from the pit of her stomach. they bounced and echoed off the walls, and would easily be heard. there was no grace in her voice. no diplomacy. nothing but desperation, tainted with quaking fury. "HOW IS IT IN A CITY AS MAJESTIC AS YOUR KINGS LANDING, NOT A SINGLE FUCKING SOUL SEES HER?"

her hand goes back over her mouth, and she wished to bite on it to get herself to stop; the feeling of shock coming over her. her chest felt tight. "i'll go nowhere until monterys belaerys answers me…i'll go nowhere until monterys belaerys pays for what he has done to a lady of dorne. i know it is him...i know it. I KNOW." she seemed mad. who would have thought that between a dornish woman and a targaryen king, she would have seemed the mad one. monterys...his face kept flashing in her face. two days, she had not realised mayya had not been seen. two days.

[hybbart]

I wanna say that I absolutely love your post apocalypse ranchers au. Theoretically I love post apocalypse stories, but most ones end up just being 'everyone sucks and is terrible to each other all the time' which i hate. But yours just has all the community and inherent goodness of people that I really wish was in more post apocalypse media. (I also love the layout, smthn about the little portrait scenes with a few lines' description is a really nice format to me. it's like a blog almost)

idk if this is coherent but basically i love the post apocalypse au and I so wish there were other stories like it out there

I apparently had even more thoughts on this than I anticipated even after forcing myself not to talk about most of it, so borderline essay below...

It's much more common in video games but I get what you mean.

Honestly I think it's an issue of American apocalypse media, and the general intent people go into with the genre. Usually when you're writing a man-made apocalypse story it's to say something about society, and if it's a man-made apocalypse you can generally assume it's not something positive, especially given the sort of person that type of story would attract.

The American aspect I won't get into cause that might be a bit too spicy, but I'll just say if you look at fiction from places with more socialist or collectivist attitudes (that's not specifically influenced by American media or trashy escapist fantasy for edgy teenagers) you find those qualities depicted more. In American apocalypse stories altruism is more of a notably heroic trait for the MC.

(I think the concept of an apocalypse might also just much more terrifying and unknown to North American audiences. Things like relics outside of museums and casually decorating the scenery with ruins is more common in Eurasian media. Ancient history, and the implications thereof, is much more tangible there. I don't think an American version of digimon adventures would ever conceive the digital world as it's presented without drawing attention to it as something tragic and sombre, for example. Probably a whole essay could be written why but this is already too long.)

I think it's also because it doesn't really match well with action and horror genres, which is what apocalypse stories are usually paired with. Apocalypse ranchers is a survival slice or life, and cozy, and the format isn't very conducive to complex action, so there's no need to include it.

In an action story you focus on the action, and physical conflict drives action, and in a horror story the conflict has to scare you, usually involving tragedy. In a survival story the minutia is more important, and in a slice of life the conflict is more mundane. So, I guess that's to say there's more breathing room in RAAU to depict the more realistic daily interactions with people that are ostensibly int he same situation as the ranchers - average people who happened to survive.

I do understand that frustration though. I write a lot of post-apocalypse fiction myself, and this is usually how I would write characters acting simply because that's how I would act, if not out of altruism, then out of practicality.

Um, the restaurant for example. The ranchers are on foot and already overladen with their winter supplies, and they've come to a place that's already established a chain of charity. It's more food than they will need before they're likely to find even more food, and it will be more of a burden to carry it all. In a space that's already established itself as a charitable one people are more likely to return the favour. Think about all those stories you hear about people in fast food drive thrus paying for the person behind them for dozens of cars in a row. Of course there's always gonna be someone who breaks the chain, but that's one person in however many people before them, and it's not necessarily because they're a villain.

(There's also a pretty blatant cottagecore/solarpunk wish fulfillment aspect to the apocalypse fiction I like to write not gonna lie.)

Anyways, I guess that's all to say that you should keep your eye out cause there is other apocalypse fiction out there with that sort of characterization of humanity. Shaun of the Dead, Dr. Stone, and Girls Last Tour come to mind off the top of my head. As far as video games are concerned, lots of survival an apocalypse games, especially open worlds, like minecraft, 7 days to die, no place like home, my time at portia, cattails, plague inc, and niche tend of have a more compassionate setting, even when it looks more bleak and depressing on the surface. They have to for game balance. (multiplayer can't be accounted for, though)

At the end of the day, apocalypse stories really live or die on empathy whether even the creator knows it or not. There's a reason ants so efficiently deal with cordyceps attacks while humans struggle to imagine all of humanity collapsing if it leapt to us, I think. I think where they god wrong is seeing that as a bad thing the characters have to overcome.

[ecargmura]

The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons Episode 6 Review - Minato and Uta's Friendship

The two-parter comes to an end on a heartwarming note. Minato and Uta strengthen their friendship and it was the sweetest thing ever. These two do feel like they have a bromance despite them being boy and girl; that doesn’t stop bros from being bros, right? I was surprised with how mature Minato is despite him being the most spoiled and brattiest of his sweeter brothers.

Minato pretty much learns about the ups and downs of relationships. He learns that his relationship with Uta could change when he becomes an adult, and that confuses him a lot. Because he’s only twelve, complicated stuff like this is hard for him to process. All he wants is to have fun with his best friend and enjoy his life to the fullest. He’s not a perfect character and I love how realistic this is. A child his age shouldn’t be thinking so much about the complexities of life; he should just have fun and worry about those things as he grows up.

I know that Minato can be a brat and a bit spoiled at times, but I’m glad that he’s not completely insufferable. Sure, he’s the only extrovert out of his introverted brothers, but he can be sweet too. This episode shows how he has a good heart underneath his prickliness. Man, imagine a fictional 12-year-old being more respectful towards women than a lot of adult men in real life. I loved the part where Minato was frustrated with Uta getting upset over Morita’s words; he was clearly drinking his ‘respect women’ juice for he was giving Uta the biggest pep talk of her life. If a man doesn’t want Uta for who she is, then she shouldn’t deserve him. Minato was definitely brought up well if he has this mindset.

I have to say, the animation was amazing regarding the Minato and Uta scenes towards the end. With the way the wind blew on both characters and how beautiful the scenery looked, I was blown away. This anime’s animation was good like there was never any misses, but this was like a sudden budget-increase in quality and I liked it a lot.

On the topic of Morita, I don’t like that he already has a toxic mindset at 12-13 years of age already. I get that that he only likes Uta from her physical appearance, so I can’t really hate him for it. He’s just a kid, after all, but hopefully, this would be a lesson for him later on. I hope that he finds someone who can change him for the better. Though, I’m glad that Uta broke up with him quickly before it could spiral into something dangerous.

Though, if there is someone who was kind of annoying in this episode, it’d be Nikaidou. I don’t know what his deal is. Why is he complicating things? Dude, he was the cause of Minato’s confusion when he said that he cannot hang out with Uta now that she got a boyfriend. Kid, I know you have more experience when it comes to dating, but shut up! Seriously! It’s because of you that Minato got sick and started behaving unlike himself.

The other brothers don’t really play much of a big role here as it’s a Minato episode. I did like the cute little interaction between Hayato and Gakuto about where Mikoto and Minato could be. Gakuto behaving like an old man was hilarious and cute.

Anyways, I believe next week’s episode will be about how Uta and Minato met. I do want to know how it went down to the point that they became inseparable. What are your thoughts on this episode?