#distract cranes ama

[cranesofibycus]

do you have any fave CR fandom moments? I've kinda been on the periphery of the fandom for a while now and all I hear about is drama and twitter mobs and ship wars. are there any times you've been like awww what a lovely fandom?

My god, have there! Listen, I know we all like to complain about this fandom, but it's still so much fun and lovely to be here! Here is a list of some of my big and small favorite CR fandom things/moments:

1. When I had a desire to see Essek's Eiselcross fashion and everyone just delivered.

2. How we all somehow collectively agreed that we will never under no circumstances use the actual spelling of the name Trent Ikithon (writing the name without including a pun here genuinely hurts).

3. One of my favorite fandom projects was Jam Like Critical Role project that @kimabutch and @disasterhumans used to do, where they would collect all the songs people associated with certain characters and ships. The masterlist can be found here. I still check it out sometimes when I'm in my [favorite character of the day] feels.

4. The fact that for a show where every single episode is 3+ hours long there are supercuts for so many of the characters and relationships on Youtube (my favorite is still this one of Beau and Caleb).

5. I once had a whole day of discussing and learning about aro/ace identities on here, after I included Caduceus in a shipping gif set. It was so positive and enlightening and I still read through those asks quite frequently.

6. There was a whole blog dedicated to spreading the community love for individual CR fans/blogs. So wholesome!!

7. That we have/had fan-run projects like CritRoleStats, the searchable transcript archive, the wiki, @eponymous-rose's summaries of every Talks Machina episode, @yfere's Shipping Calculus posts, people making lists upon lists, collecting data and analyzing it. There are honestly countless examples of people investing a huge amount of time into this show and it never ceases to blow my mind.

I could go on and on and would probably still leave out a lot, so please everyone share some positivity in the replies. This fandom can be so, so good! You just gotta know how to curate your own experience and leave the shipping wars and negativity at the door.

[ushijimas-koibito]

request no. 1

request: clingy ushiwaka. the partner has the same haircut as him and is trying to get their work done.

author’s note: thank you so much @im-cold-so-gimme-your-hoodie​! i appreciate your request and will give it my best. i hope you enjoy and i look forward to hearing your feedback. 

title: toshi comes home.

warnings: suggestive behavior, kissing, nudity, cheese, fluff

listening: crush on you by elijah who; it’s finally raining again by elijah who; sincerely, yours by nohidea; my new love by elijah who; frozen by sabrina claudio; wanna know by sabrina claudio; this town by ama lou; could’ve been by H.E.R and bryson tyler; i fall in love too easily by caleb belkin; wild by dijon; goodbye, good luck by sad face; laundry day by joey pecorano; monday loop by tomppabeats; give me something by joey pecorano

5:30; his flight should land soon and he would be back in your arms. ushijima wakatoshi, your partner, was returning home today after a very long national press tour. the two of you had video chatted every night, but it wasn’t the same as having him here with you. you felt a little guilty as you wait there in the airport lobby answering emails. you thought you timed everything right. you were sure you would finish everything for work by tuesday; and you would… but today is monday. how you got the dates confused, you will never know as you are an extremely punctual, efficient, and timely person. you had to be as a project manager for a major up-and-coming tech company. you and ushijima were something of a power couple. two of the youngest but most powerful people in your respective fields. you were each a force to be reckoned with.

 you looked around the airport a moment, although mostly empty, you still managed to turn heads. you turned towards the windows looking out over the parking deck and caught a glimpse of yourself in the reflection. you adjusted the collar of your shirt and curled a face framing hair around your finger to smooth out the little bit of frizz. you hoped he liked it on you. you usually kept your hair quite long, at least to your shoulders, but the notion of having to style it and losing minutes to your hair was something you couldn’t take anymore. it looked very similar to ushijima’s hair, save for your hair being a different color and texture. the slight wave of your hair annoyed you but it was one of ushijima’s favorite things. the more you thought about it the more you realized almost everything that annoyed you about yourself was something he loved. he was always picking up on your quirks and insecurities and he found a way to romanticize them. he was just that way, seeing beauty in strange things, glamor in the mundane, and depth in simplicity. you checked your watch and turned to the gate. he was landing shortly. 

you noticed a few paparazzi scuttle in and you tighten your jaw. couldn’t they leave him alone for just one day? you thought to yourself as you pulled the front hem of your blazer. you push your glasses up the bridge of your nose and straighten your posture and walk closer to the gate. ushijima would be in a much better mood if you were the first to intercept him instead of the paparazzi. as you walk toward the gate you hear the sound of a shutter click and a flash go off. you whip your head towards the young cameraman who has been stopped by an older journalist, “what are you doing? that’s not him.” the cameraman looks at you a moment longer before turning away under the pressure of your icy gaze. you check your reflection in your phone, my hair isn’t exactly like his, you ponder, is it?

at that moment you get a text from ushijima, be there soon. waiting for bags. can’t wait to see you. missed you, my dear. you smile and open your emails to squeeze in some more work. you always miss wakatoshi when he leaves and you hate that your first day back together will be spent with you working. if you don’t finish the work tonight, it will cut into your time together with the few days you have before he leaves again. the sooner you both get home, the sooner you could finish your work, the sooner you could be together with no distractions. he was sure to be frustrated but understanding.

 the doors opened and there he was walking toward you. his usually serious expression faded away and a smile crept its way across his face. he walked directly up to you and placed a gentle kiss on your forehead. “hello, my dove,” he rested his forehead against yours for a moment before taking a step back, “your hair,” he said quietly. “do you like it?” you squeezed his hand a little. “of course I do.” he pushed a tendril out of your eyes and pushed up your glasses with his knuckle, not releasing your hand to do so. you took his bag in your other hand, “the car is waiting for us outside.” you walked hand in hand without a glance to the paparazzi. you handed the bags to the driver and opened the back door for ushijima. he tilted his head back against the head rest and you slid in. he reached his arm across the seats and patted his hand against his chest to gesture you to give him a cuddle. you slid across the seats and he leaned his cheek against the top of your head as you draped your arm across his torso. he let out a long breath, “it’s good to be home.” you nuzzled his cheek and pulled him closer. you enjoy this simple moment; the rise and fall of his broad chest, the warmth of his body radiating through his thin cashmere sweater, the quiet inhale and exhale of breath against your skin, “you must be tired, darling.” he shook his head, “not really. i slept a bit on the plane. i made sure to get sleep so i could spend as much time as possible with you.” you can feel him smile against your head, “about that,” you say hesitantly as you pull away to look at him, “uh oh,” he whispers with a smirk, “i’m sorry,” you begin, “I just have a few things to finish up and then i’m all yours for the next five days,” he smiles and ruffles your hair, “you’re always mine.. but I understand.” he pulls you into his strong arms and holds you tight all the way to your apartment.

just as you arrive, your phone buzzes with a call from your business partner, “hello shimizu, i just picked up ushijima from the airport and i’m about to head upstairs.” ushijima waves his hand before picking up his bag, “he says ‘hello’,” you laugh softly while you fumble with your keys and head toward the entrance. you walk in and get on the elevator as she preps you for the video meeting. you look at ushijima and whisper, “kiyoko says hello back, she’s prepping me for the meeting.” he nods, “we’ll have to have her and ryu over for dinner this week.” you nod back. you both enter the elevator and he puts his arm around you as you listen carefully to the instructions; another pang of guilt washes over you as you catch him studying your face. he always looks at you like you’re going to disappear, as if you’re going to be a figment of his imagination, or like he’s afraid that one day he might forget. “alright, shimizu, i’m almost inside. i’ll be settled soon and we can jump on to finish prepping before the meeting.” you hang up and slip your phone in your blazer pocket. you have a few floors to enjoy the quiet with wakatoshi. he leans his head against yours and kisses your cheek. he lingers a moment and then tenderly kisses just behind your ear, “your haircut makes it easier for me to kiss your neck,” he whispers, “i like it.” you blush slightly and jump when the floor bell rings. he laughs picking up his bags and walking onto your floor, “come on,” he says with a smile, “wouldn’t want you to be late for your meeting.” you hesitate letting the guilt wash over you once more before walking up the hall and unlocking the door to your pristine corner apartment. 

the apartment was very calming and soothing to be in. deep, cool colors and lots of open space with many beautiful plants. “i swear, (y/n), the orchids thrive when you take care of them.” ushijima delicately cradled the white and purple bloom in his fingers and craned down to take in it’s fragrance. the apartment always feels more like a home when he’s here. despite having floor to ceiling walls of windows, the place never fills with light until he comes home. you walk into the kitchen and turn on the kettle, “tea?” you asked, ushijima runs his hands through his hair and comes behind the counter, “i’ll make it, you go on ahead. don’t keep kiyoko waiting.” he bumps you out of the way with his hip and takes the tea bags out of your hands. you kiss his shoulder before heading towards your desk and taking off your blazer. 

you sit at your desk and prepare yourself for the meeting. shimizu is already logged on and waiting. you open your documents and sign on to the video chat, “sorry to keep you waiting, shimizu.” over the next few minutes, you put the final touches on your project proposal. ushijima comes up with two teas for you both. he comes behind the desk and hunches down to be in frame of the camera, “hello kiyoko,” he says while setting down your tea. “i’m not sure if (y/n) has offered yet, but we would love to have you and ryu over for dinner this week.” she smiles and agrees that she will have to speak to ryu and hopefully you lot can work something out. “i certainly hope so,” he says before turning to you, “let me know if it needs more sugar,” he waves to the camera and then sits in the chair in front of your desk. you feel his feet touch yours as he stretches out reading an article from his press tour in a magazine. “ushijima, please don’t feel obligated to stay in the apartment, i’d hate for you to just be bored all-,” he cuts you off, “all I want to do is spend the day with you. i can handle sitting here for awhile.” you shake your head and log into your meeting. the meeting goes on for a couple hours. during your meeting ushijima refilled your tea, played footsie with you under the desk, and drew little plants and hearts on your sticky pad. he was very sweet and you felt bad that you couldn’t give him the attention he deserved. 

after another hour of meetings and presentations passes, ushijima wonders into the kitchen and makes you both lunch. every so often, he looks up from his work and looks at you. he loves seeing you at work. he can only hope that you receive the same thrill he gets when he sees you at one of his matches. although, to be honest, he makes you nervous. you are so aware of his intense gaze and his deep eyes following your every move, that you become more aware of what you’re doing and that makes you uneasy. you’ve never been the best at handling the pressure of being observed and watched. the first half of your meeting wraps up and you all sign off to take a break for lunch. 

ushijima has set up your lunches and waves you over. it’s a simple and nutritious lunch with vegetables, rice, and fish. he was a very good cook. everything he makes is simple but delicious. it’s an easy meal to finish quickly. you take the dishes to the kitchen and hear ushijima walk up behind you. he wraps his arms around you and plants airy kisses from your ear, down your neck, and to your shoulder. he slides his hands down your sides and grabs your hips, “please tell me you’re almost done with work,” he pleads in your ear and grazes his teeth across your skin. “ju-just a little while longer, toshi," you gulp as you hear his breath shudder and he pushes against you causing you to lean against the counter. he runs his hand from your hip, down your thigh and drags his fingers up your leg digging his fingers in, “promise?” he asks. “i-i promise.” you say feeling your heart slam against your chest. you wriggle away, “but i can’t think when you do stuff like that.” he laughs softly, “like what?” he asks coyly. you wave your hand towards where you just were in the kitchen, “like that, don’t be coy.” he saunters toward you, “i don’t know what you mean.” you back up until your back hits the wall, “yes you do. we’ll have plenty of time for that sort of thing after i’m done working,” he stands in front of you and his eyes seem to undress you, “but I missed you, dove,” you turn to walk away but he places his hand against the wall blocking your path and his face is inches from yours. he places his other hand on the opposite side of you, “and i’m taking my opportunity now to show you how much,” he nudges your nose with his and rocks his hips into yours. although you are flustered, you know what you must do. you stand up straight and look into his eyes, “ushijima,” you say flatly, “i have work to do and there is no amount of kabedon tomfoolery that can distract me.” he drops his arms and takes a step back and for a moment you think you’ve finally intimidated the great ushiwaka, until he erupts into laughter. “well, well, well, have I lost my touch then?” you roll your eyes and turn to walk away but he grabs your arm and spins you into an embrace. his eyes are very intense and serious, “do i really have no effect on you?” your breath hitches in your throat, “don’t be dramatic,” you say through a slight pout, “i just need to finish my work and then we can do this all day!” you push against his chest and stumble toward your desk. he chuckles and plops down in the chair in front of your desk, “fine,” he says, “i can behave.” you start to log back on, “for now.” he smirks and flicks open the magazine. 

when ushijima gets clingy, it excites him when he can’t immediately get attention. it becomes a competition and he wants nothing more than to win. all throughout the remainder of your video meeting he was watching, sighing, stretching, and pushing his hands through his hair in the way he knows you like. you could hardly pay attention. this wasn’t the hard part. you knew he wouldn’t try too hard as long as you were on video chat, but the moment you got off and did your independent work, you knew it would be a real challenge. 

you signed off for the day and began finishing up your work before you had to reply to emails. ushijima stood up and came around the back of the desk. “i don’t know how you’re able to sit all day. i’d be far too restless,” he pushed down on your shoulders and began to massage them. he spends a little extra time on the nape of your neck, now easily accessible thanks to your new haircut. you roll your shoulders back and hear a small pop, “you’ve been working so hard, maybe you can take a little break?” you sigh as he leans down and kisses the top of your head. “i’m almost done, toshi.” he sighs and squeezes your shoulders, “let me finish this and then i don’t have to do this again until sunday.” he groans in frustration and slips his hand underneath your shirt to trace circles on your chest, “how much longer?” he asks like a child waiting to open presents on their birthday. you look at the clock, “about an hour.” he huffs and sighs again, raking his fingers across your chest, “alright.” he pulls away reluctantly and stands in front of your desk. you continue to work on your computer and watch him out of the corner of your eye. at first he plops into the chair, stands up, paces back and forth, and then repeats the cycle. after about half an hour of this, he stands and looks at the clock, “you have much left?” you nod, not looking from your work, “at least another half hour.” he mumbles under his breath and paces a few more times. “i suppose i’ll have a quick shower,” he says forlornly, “alright, dear,” you say concentrating on your last few emails. suddenly, your vision goes dark and cashmere rubs across your face, ushijima has taken off his sweater and thrown it at your head. you slowly pull it off and look at him as he folds his trousers over his arm. he smiles wryly and saunters over to you, “how clumsy of me, slipped right through my fingers.” he stands very close to you and gathers the sweater up. you look up at him, “this will only take longer if you keep tempting me.” he laughs softly and curls a finger under your chin, “at least you are tempted,” he says with a sigh and walks off to the bathroom. hopefully you can finish up. he is so distracting. how you managed this long without giving in is astonishing. 

the half hour of no distractions passes like a flash. you turn off your computer, take off your glasses, and rub the bridge of your nose. he has been awfully quiet since you heard the shower turn off. you get up from your desk and start to unbutton your shirt. you round the corner and look into your bedroom to find ushijima sleeping on the bed, hair wet, still wrapped in his towel. you smile, i knew he was more tired than he let on. you finish getting undressed and hear him snore a little. before heading to the shower you grab the blanket and go to cover him up. as you go to adjust his pillow, his eyes open with a glint and he traps you in his arms, rolling and pulling you on the bed. he peppers your face and neck with kisses as you both laugh together, rolling back and forth across the bed. “did you think i would really lose sight of my goal?” he smirks. “of course not, you’re ushijima wakatoshi,” you say seriously. you both erupt into hearty laughter before settling into each others arms. “so,” he begins, pulling you closer, “all mine now, (y/n)?” you smile and plant a sweet kiss on his lips, “i am always yours, wakatoshi.” 

[dark-unimaginably-stupid-kids]

No Kisses Allowed

Dusk Drabble

(If you’re following this account for Voltron, these are the original idiots you will most likely meet as side characters in the fic- I Feel Everything, JSYK.)

Not very reader friendly because this was basically a lazy self indulgent free-write to get some mostly fluffy Collin and Angel written because I miss them /not/ being the outlet for my misery. (I mean, Angel’s got plenty to sulk about but I definitely made shit waaaaay worse)

Also slightly fed by two posts on here- the one about “If they have to kiss to prove they love each other you’re not writing romance right” (But Idk. what is romance.) And the disappointment that is our not getting a gay Dumbledore as was PROMISED. Fuck this bro, if Dusk is ever published my babies are going to be as blatant about their love interests as they are right in this little fic.

And as usual I might continue this because I have no impulse control and just a ridiculous desire to write loads of crap lately.

MostlypostingthisforLisasoIdon’thavetocopypasteitintoskype,whoamIkiddinglmao.

The gang is eating shit above the cafe as usual, Collin and Angel are being weird and affectionate and trying not to make a big deal out of it. The others would too if they’d stop being weird.

They were loitering in Kale’s apartment tonight. Lucy and Amoretta had decided to try baking under Kale’s slightly critical supervision while Vincent had invited the guys up to show them his newest sims game.

Luneth had somehow gotten stuck with the controller, “This main character is kind of…rude? Why is he so mean to her?”

“Don’t you get it Luneth? The douchebag always gets the girl,” Collin laughed from his spot on the floor next to him.

Luneth rolled his eyes, “You would know, wouldn’t you?”

“You’re right, I would.”

Vincent wrapped an arm around both their shoulders, “Children, behave and play the romance novel game… so I can watch you cry.”

“Watch us cry?” Luneth asked, ever the sensible one. He then got distracted by the irony of the girls baking and quoted the dialogue on screen with a soft chuckle, “I sold my soul for a cupcake…”

Collin, ever the piece of shit, leaned into Vincent, “So when do the creepy poems start?”

Vincent waves him off, “Soon, shh, don’t spoil Luneth.”

“Wait! What creepy poems!?”

Angel rolled his eyes fondly from his position sprawled out on the loveseat. His legs dangled off the armrest and his head was back down against the seat cushion. Sometimes he really wondered why he bothered hanging out with these people.

He glanced at his friends, at Luneth’s growing panic, Vincent’s sly glee, Collin’s shit eating smirk, and breathed out through his nose, shutting is eyes.

Eh. Not today.

Half of Vincent’s glee seemed to flood out of him when he realized something though, “Hold on—Collin! Have you played this before?”

Collin shrugged before scooting back to lean against the loveseat on the side closer to Angel’s head.

“Nah, never played it. A girl back in the home town really wanted to show me a walk through once though. Her selling point was creepy poems.” His voice, may the world help him, made Angel’s insides flutter.

If he rolled over he could lean across the space between them and inhale Collin’s generic shampoo.

Thankfully a crash from the kitchen kept Angel from giving into that sort of thing. Lucy’s declaration of “Sorry!” and Kale’s pained groan nearly drowned out Luneth’s confusion.

“I thought this was supposed to be some cute fluffy romantic stuff. Why would there be creepy poems?”

Amoretta waltzed out of the kitchen covered in cake batter a tired expression on her face, “Alright guys. Luce and I are going home to shower so—”

Vincent moved to the couch so he could lean over it as he beamed at her, “together?”

“Yes together? What—” At the expression on Vincent’s face she groaned, “No, not that together—”

Lucy leaned her head out of the kitchen window, “A darn shame.”

Angel didn’t need to crane his neck to know Lucy and Vincent were probably grinning at each other.

“Lucy, darling, we should get married.”

“Not on your life Vince.”

“Good thing I’m dead.”

“Haa~” Lucy snorted and Amoretta went back into the Kitchen.

“Whatever guys, stop being weird. You’ll have to get your own snacks now.”

Collin leaned his head back against the couch cushion. Angel turned just his head to the side and slowly, carefully, cautiously slid the hand closest to him up the couch and toward the loose black curls now so close he could graze them with his fingertips.

“We live above a café, Ama.” Vincent deadpanned.

Kale’s voice sounded from the kitchen, immediately shooting down Vincent’s plan to raid the café by announcing that he wasn’t wasting anymore stock on them today. Vincent cried out in mock anguish.

“Dude, Natsuki is adorable.” Luneth mumbled absently, mashing A and reading quickly. “But they talk forever.”

Collin didn’t lift his head but he adjusted himself and somehow ended up with his hair covering Angel’s fingers in their inky black. Angel breathed deeply, letting those fingers tangle themselves in the strands just loosely enough that it would take a moment for Collin to catch on.

“Dude you would. But don’t go for her go for the childhood friend. I like that one,” he offered. Angel watched his jaw move as he spoke.

Luneth scoffed, “Of course you do.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” It felt like Collin was about to lift his head but taking notice of the resistance in his hair he paused and decided to make himself comfortable again. Angel didn’t need to see the smile on his face to know it was there and for his chest to feel tighter.

“It’s cause she’s blond isn’t it? Small cute blond with a history.” Angel could hear him roll his eyes, “Honestly she gives me a bad feeling. She’s too cute. She’s clearly hiding something. Which probably makes her more your type huh? Sound like anyone we know?”

Collin waved him off while Angel attempted to ignore that whole range of conversation, his own blond hair falling into his face.

There was a very sudden very short lasting burst of negative energy from the kitchen and Vincent slid off the couch before setting up camp on the floor next to the coffee table. With the girls having taken their leave Vincent turned his attention back to the game and Luneth attempting to speed through the dialogue. His eyes did land on Angel for a moment, hand comfortably tangled in a very content looking vampire’s hair, but all he offered that image was a skeptic look.

“Oh. Yeah, no. You should totally go for Sayori,” Vincent grinned.

At this confirmation, Collin groaned, pushing his head further back, close enough Angel’s fingers could graze his scalp now. Angel turned onto his side completely then, folding one leg against the cushion and allowing the other to fall off the side by Collin’s arm. If he sat up he’d almost be using the couch for it’s intended purpose.

Instead, he curled around the back of Collin’s head, soft hair barely tickling his nose.

“What’s going to happen to Sayori Vincent?!” Collin had growled, but when Angel finished adjusting Collin seemed to stiffen just the slightest bit before a weight was placed on top of his boot. Angel couldn’t see it, but he was pretty certain Collin had just chosen to place his hand there, some semblance of acknowledging Angel’s closer proximity.

Angel could see Vincent’s face though as he passed Collin the same skeptic look from earlier before once again turning back to the game.

Luneth had noticed nothing yet and was still reading through mountains of dialogue he kept mumbling about taking too long.

Kale made his way out of the kitchen by the time Luneth got to pick the words for the first poem, “These words aren’t even creepy. This can’t be a creepy poem guys.”

Vincent shrugged, “You do you dude.”

“I’m going after Natsuki. She likes cute shit right?” Luneth asked the peanut gallery.

Collin bopped his free hand on the ground, “Go for Sayori!”

“We already know something awful happens to her I’m not going for Sayori.”

“Coward!”

Kale chuckled before climbing over the back of the three seater couch and laying down, his arms crossed over his chest and batter in his hair that he didn’t seem to care about, “Oh, yeah, I can see how Collin would like Sayori.”

“Shit’s gonna happen to her, isn’t it?”

“I thought this was supposed to be a cute happy romance game, Isn’t it?” Luneth shouted, clearly dismayed.

“Of course Lulu, go for Sayori.”

Luneth groaned and wen back to smashing A.

Collin tilted his head up towards Angel, “Wanna bet on whatever awful thing is going to befall her?”

With Collin’s bright green eyes on him like that Angel had to remind himself how to breathe.

“But I’d be cheating…” as he spoke the hand on his shoe traveled up, Collins fingers walking up the skin of his ankle and calf, on display today because he’d chosen to wear cargo shorts that morning.

Collin scoffed lightly but Luneth’s reaction was louder.

Though Angel had barely whispered his response Luneth dropped the controller.

“You know! You know what’s gonna happen!”

Then of course Luneth’s eyes finally landed on the display. His eyebrow quirked up. Collin went frigid and Angel felt the blush creeping into his face.

“W-well Vince isn’t doing a good job of hiding it…” Angel muttered, squeezing himself smaller in an effort to hide from Luneth’s judgmental eyes but this only managed to squeeze him closer around Collin, lips and nose now completely covered by his hair.

“You okay there, Bro?” Luneth’s voice was warning. He was clearly preparing himself to reach over and pull Collin away from him by the throat if need be.

In a slight panic Angel’s eyes darted over to Vincent and Kale who looked like they were trying to will Luneth not to make a big deal out of it. Of course, he didn’t get the memo.

Finally, Angel nodded meekly, “Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Why wouldn’t he be?” Collin asked, his hand curled around Angels leg now despite his initial anxiety. Angel’s confirming he was alright with Collin’s attention must have made him braver.

Luneth narrowed his eyes at the vampire but relented.

“You let me know if you’re not, okay?”

“Again, Luneth, I’m totally okay.”

Vincent stood from his sport and walked the long way around the coffee table to the couch to throw himself on top of Kale who squawked indignantly. On the way there he casually nudged Luneth hard in the side and the werewolf did a poor job of hiding it.

Angel sighed again, before throwing caution to the wind and burrowing his face into the top of Collin’s head.

He could feel the other boy chuckle at that, his free hand going up behind both their heads to run his hand through Angel’s hair soothingly.

Angel moved the hand he wasn’t laying on to play with the surprisingly short hairs at the base of Collin’s neck, occasionally scratching at his skin sending sporadic little shudders through him.

Kale managed to dig himself out from under Vincent just enough to point broadly for the screen, “Luneth! The dokis await! Come on guys you’ve barely started.”

Luneth turned his attention away from his roommate and the boy who caused them both stress and looked at the screen. “But what if I don’t want to go for Sayori? What if I wanted to go for…I dunno, Monika?”

“Monika isn’t an option Luneth.”

“Well technically…” Angel started against Collin’s head.

Vincent quickly reached for his shoe and threw it at Angel’s couch. It was close enough to alarm the boy but nowhere near close enough to actually hit him.

Collin still hissed, “Yo! Watch it!”

Vincent ignored him, “Spoilers Blondie! Shut your face!”

Angel rolled his eyes but nodded, his nose brushing against Collin, “Yeah, yeah, sorry.”

He breathed, bypassing the shampoo and just getting a waft of Collin. And the idea of that made him dizzy. He shook his head and abruptly realized it looked like a nuzzle to everyone in the room. It certainly felt like one to Collin who made a very small noise that made Luneth’s ear quirk.

But no one said anything.

And yet it had officially gone too far for him.

He reluctantly pulled away from Collin, the vampire dropping the hand that had been trying in vain to sooth the other boys hair, and dropped his other leg so he was finally sitting correctly.

“Well, this has been fun all. But I think I’m gonna head home, head to bed, not watch Luneth cry.” He stretched and casually pulled his leg free from Collin as well. He had to force himself not to look at the boy’s face otherwise he’d probably lay back down.

“Kay, see ya’ Angel.” Kale said casually, trying to ease the tension.

Vincent made himself comfortable on top of Kale, “Your loss kid.” The way he said it, his eyes darting between Angel and Collin and his own pleasant position implied…

In more ways than one.

Luneth watched him curiously but only shrugged, “see you at home then.”

“Yeah, see you guys later.” He finished, getting up and patting his roommate on the head before letting himself out.

Then he was gone, the door shut behind him.

Luneth put the controller down and turned at the waist so he was facing Collin. Vincent propped himself up on an arm while Kale only had to stare passed him for the two of them to be doing the same.

It was quiet for a long moment before Collin groaned and threw himself face first into the ground.

Vincent rolled his eyes and Kale sighed, Luneth reached over and shoved him.

“Really?”

“Seriously?”

“Collin!”

“I know! Okay! I know!” Collin grumbled from the carpet.

“Why do you two have to be so weird about it? Why can’t you just. I don’t know, be like them?!” Luneth hissed, motioning towards Kale and Vincent. To emphasize this point Vincent leaned his cheek against Kale’s while the two continued to stare at Collin.

Collin raised his head, “Dude I don’t know, ask him! He’s the one who just— UGH. would it be weird if I ran down stairs and walked him home just—“

Luneth looked like he was gonna have an aneurysm, “GO!”

The vampire didn’t need to be told twice but thankfully thought better of running and simply teleported to the front door of the cafe in time for Angel to open said door and almost walk into him.

“Oh! Uhm, did I leave something upstairs?” Angel asked, fighting the flush on his cheeks with every fiber of his being.

Collin didn’t do as well of a job, “Ah- no, I just. Uhm. Wanted to walk you home?”

Angel blinked at him, “…why?”

Collin croaked. Angel raised a brow. Why did this boy always make everything so unbelievably difficult? They were standing a few feet away from the spot of their first and last kiss, the night they’d decided to at least try being friends. Angel knew exactly why, why did he have to be such a dick about it?!

“I just want to walk you home. I thought we established I like spending time with you?”

Angel lost to the flush that stained his face and quickly shut his eyes before turning his head away from Collin and walking forward. Of course, Mr. Evasive.

“O-kay then. Whatever I guess, walk me home.”

Collin breathed heavy through his nose before setting off after him. Perhaps he walked a little too close and when their hands moved maybe he put a little effort in to make sure they brushed, watching the flush on Angel’s face deepen.

They didn’t talk much, but exchanged a couple glances and quickly shaking heads as if they each knew what the other was thinking and were trying not to.

By the time they made it to the apartment building Angel was so focused on not thinking he almost tripped on his own feet.

Collin thought he was adorable.

He caught him by the wrist and called him clumsy to which Angel scoffed. Then, with more bravery than he had, Collin slipped his hand down Angel’s wrist to intertwine their fingers. Angel went stiff.

“Just trying to make sure you don’t eat it, you know.” Collin offered with a smile he hoped was endearing enough to let him get away with it.

Angel took three quick shallow breaths before shaking his head for the umpteenth time and forcing himself to relax. He returned Collin’s grip on his hand.

“Right.”

They started upstairs.

“Yeah.”

“I mean I wouldn’t have tripped if you—”

“If I?”

“….Never mind.”

Collin chuckled and leaned against the other boy’s arm, turning his head into Angel’s hair. He said his next words without thinking, “You smell nice.”

Angel’s flush disappeared and a flash of anger replaced it. Collin immediately had to back track.

“I mean! Good like pleasant, like I could wake up every morning to this smell— not like breakfast or anything to eat just I mean something comfortable and nice and LORD why do you do this to me..!” Collin, still refusing to relinquish Angel’s hand despite what the other boys wrath could have been like, raised his other hand to his face and groaned into it.

Then Angel laughed.

And just like that Collin melted.

“You’re literally going to be the death of me, you know that?” Collin offered, a light laugh of his own on his lips now.

Angel shrugged, his grasp on Collin’s hand tightened, “seems only fair.”

“Oh?”

“You give me life, you do, but you kill me too.” He stated flatly as they reached the landing for the third floor.

Collin had to remind himself to breathe, “did you really just say that?”

“Say what?”

“Angel, please.”

Now he’d gone and done it. He’d used his name. Angel’s eyes darkened, he pulled his hand out of Collin’s grasp and wandered down the hall. Collin wanted to yank his hair out. If Angel would just tell him what had happened, what was going on—

“You have the most uncanny ability of reminding me why I’m not allowed to kiss you right when I really want to.”

Lord have mercy.

“For the love of Grim, why did my saying your name wreck it?!” Collin flailed, his anger rising though he wasn’t oblivious. He knew it felt weird to say his name. He knew it felt just as awkward for Angel to say his name. He knew something about it was painful and nostalgic and misery inducing for Angel—

But he wanted to say his name, damn it.

He wanted Angel to say his.

He wanted—

Angel sighed in front of his apartment door, his hand on the knob, his face tilted downward. Collin stopped just beside him and quietly hoped by some miracle Angel might not slam that door in his face.

Finally, the blond released his hold on the door and turned around, offering Collin a soft small smile, “Sorry, I know it’s really not your fault…” He reached a hand up to twist a lock of Collin’s hair around his fingers, “I was just being a shit okay? Just. My own sulking over not being able to…”

Collin felt his heart hammer against his ribcage, he held Angel’s hand and pressed it, bent fingers and all, against his cheek, “Well I for one am not going to stop you.”

Angel rolled his eyes but flattened his fingers against Collin’s skin.

“Goodnight Collin.”

It sent a shudder through his body. He hoped he could memorize this moment. Angel pulled his hand away and let himself into his apartment. As he shut the door, quietly, thankfully no slamming, he pressed the hand that had been on Collin’s cheek to his lips.

Yup. Collin was going to die.

“You okay, dude?”

Collin almost jumped, glancing at Lucy who had her door cracked open, clearly having watched him walk her neighbor inside.

Collin bit his lip and looked from Angel’s shut door to Lucy who shrugged and pulled her own door open. She had a towel draped over her shoulders and her hair still looked a bit damp but otherwise she was presentable.

“Come on, I’ve got some orange juice, let’s talk about our hopeless love lives.”

At Collin’s ridiculous expression she scoffed and tugged him inside.

“My love life isn’t hopeless…! Is it…?”

[cranesofibycus]

do you have a particular favorite scene from either campaign?

I have so many, but the one currently on my mind - because I'm in need of some cozy found-family feels - is the scene at the end of c2e72, when Fjord finally drops his accent and reveals that he has lost his powers, and his friends just shower him with acceptance and items to make him feel stronger again. You could tell how touched Fjord (and even Travis himself) was by it. Fjord becoming 'just a guy' was so important for his character development, but equally important was for him to feel loved and seen in that precise moment.

Close second is the entire blue dragon fight (and especially Veth sacrificing herself for Jester) in c2e45. It remains my most-rewatched episode and fight.

[cranesofibycus]

things you really thought were gonna happen in CR campaign 2 but sadly didnt

One! More! Episode!

That's literally all I would've wanted. One more episode to wrap things up and give all of the characters a little more breathing room towards the end. I like where campaign 2 ended up, but it did feel rushed to me. Not just the last episode, but the whole final arc. For a very long time I was in denial about it being the final arc at all, because I just felt there was so much left to explore narratively. And while I like all of their characters' epilogues, the final episode felt a little cobbled together and hurried, especially with that big Trent showdown in the middle. The weird thing is, before they broke into the Sanatorium I actually didn't think a violent confrontation with Trent was particularly necessary. Caleb's story wasn't so much about taking down Trent, but rather about coming to terms with his own past and guilt (which Liam handled beautifully), so that whole fight - while epic - wouldn't have been necessary, imo.

Anyway, I appreciate the ending that we got and I'm glad the cast seemed happy with it. But yeah, I would've loved one more episode after all the fighting was done to give the characters a proper send-off :)

[cranesofibycus]

sliding into your askbox to ask for your 'this is the hill i will die on and nobody can change my mind' headcanon for any of the campaigns, go nuts!

STEAMING HOT OPINIONG COMING RIGHT UP:

Jester had moments of being in love with Beau, Caleb and probably even Yasha throughout the campaign. I maintain that Jester is someone who falls in love very, very easily, since she has the ability to see and appreciate the good and beauty in everyone she meets. That doesn't mean she was ever interested in pursuing romantic relationships with any of them, but I think there were moments for each of those characters where Jester became a little infatuated with them and their unique brand of 'trying to be a good person in a not-so-good world'.

[cranesofibycus]

any early speculations/theories for Imogen's backstory and her connection to this campaign's BBEG?

Oh gosh, I have been actively trying not to theorize too much hahaha I mean, there is still a little voice at the back of my mind that is convinced (and hopeful) that we'll be getting Tharizdun as the BBEG this campaign, after it was so clearly teased in campaign 2, but whether that's connected to Imogen? Who knows! I love the very precise, yet mysterious imagery of that red, terrible storm so far. I can see it in my mind, yet I have no idea what it means. How and why did she see Bertrand in her dream? Why was he walking into the storm? Is the storm a representation of death? Was that just Matt adding flavor or is there a reason Imogen saw him that is anchored in her backstory? I'm fascinated by the soft magic approach they are taking to Imogen's psychic abilities. In a D&D game where magic is mechanical and made up of numbers and clear descriptors this brand of unexplained magic is unusual for a PC. I'm curious to find out where it comes from, whether she has always been able to communicate telepathically and how those powers are linked to the storm. So far Imogen seems quite forthright with her backstory, though I wouldn't underestimate her high charisma. She definitely hasn't fully let her guard down yet.

Also: How much does Laudna know? Maybe they have a kind of Nott & Caleb relationship, where Imogen learning more about her powers and the storm would help Laudna reach her goal as well?

[cranesofibycus]

I love that you started on Tumblr in the Glee fandom… that’s also how I started here like 10 years ago 🙈🙈

Although it’s still early, so you have any favourite characters from campaign 3? And any predictions about what type of character Travis may be playing? I’m so curious about who they might be and why Travis wanted his character to come in later!

Yay, another survivor of the Glee fandom! :D Congrats on making it out alive!

I don't dare making any predictions for Travis. That man is a troll and if he turned up in a black dress next week and introduced himself as Lieve'tel I would not be surprised. Genuinely though: Maybe he plays Bertrand and Lieve'tel's son? That would be a wild guess that - because it's Travis we're talking about - could still be true.

My favorite character so far is Imogen. There is something about her stillness and sweetness that I appreciate, yet don't fully trust. So far she brings the most mystery and depth to the table (her, and Laudna maybe), and I'm super intrigued by all of it.

[cranesofibycus]

How did you ever fall into gifmaking to start with?

I've been dabbling in graphic design forever, like since I was 12 or 13 (thanks to my dad who installed Photoshop on our family PC), and when I joined tumblr in the ancient days of the Glee fandom I saw people making gifs and thought 'Huh, I think I know how to do that?'. So I've been making gifs for a long time, but took quite a long break after leaving the Glee and Downton Abbey fandoms.

I started making CR gifs when Nott used her mote of possibility to reroll the natural 1 Persuasion check in front of the Bright Queen. I came to tumblr to reblog that precise moment but nobody had made those gifs yet, so I just... made them myself haha And then it just snowballed from there when I realized that the limited format of the show was the perfect playground to challenge myself creatively (wow that sounds pretentious, but that's genuinely how it feels sometimes lol).

[cranesofibycus]

favorite soup? (if you'd like to include a recipe as well feel free)

My favorite soup-dish is a hot bowl of proper Japanese ramen with egg and meat and nori sheets and fresh noodles.

My favorite Austrian soup is Grießnockerlsuppe, which is a traditional Austrian beef broth with semolina dumplings. Here's a recipe (though my mom's soup is the best and cannot be replicated). It's so rich and salty and filling... perfect for a winter evening :)

[cranesofibycus]

Well "because" of you I've been watching CR supercuts for the last hour.

Oh, you are so very, very welcome 😎

[cranesofibycus]

Favorite moments from our own campaign I dunno Im just trying to distract u

:D

Okay, okay, okay, here is an incomplete list of moments that came to my mind right now:

1. When Tófa read the Sylvan inscriptions in the ruins beneath Celestine and it said "Season of Strife", and all three of us went "OMG the DM said the thing. The DM said the name of the campaign. What does it all meaaaaaan??" at the same time.

2. Zeda wiping away a single tear and latching the window on our last night in Celestine, and thus breaking off the short-lived romance between my character, Zeda, and the local crime boss, Elise. The capital D Drama of it all!

3. An'dhreus and Zeda's argument on the ship about whether or not they should deal with the murderous druid-cultist they had apprehended themselves, or whether they should hand him over to the authorities. Calling An'dhreus a coward felt so good and so terrible at the same time.

4. The first time Tófa changed from Winter to Spring season. It was so unexpected and beautifully described by you!

5. Tófa and Zeda getting drunk and sharing secrets in Ara Githai.

6. When An'dhreus tried to find solace in the reliquary, and instead all he got was a dead body on a ship and some weirdo talking to him in his dreams. That boy has been through... a lot lol

[cranesofibycus]

hi! do you have any action gif, like sharpner and stuff, or any tumblr resource for PS that you could share pls? love your work

I don't use actions on my gifs (I do everything manually because... idk why actually... maybe because I'm a secret control freak). But here's a great tutorial on how to make gifs which includes some action files and here's a description of how I make my gifs. I also have a whole tag with all the asks I've answered on the topic.

In terms of sharpening: Smart Sharpen is the way to go, especially if you import screencaps. I still mostly work with imported video files, though, so I tend to use the normal Sharpen effect more often since it significantly reduces exporting times. Hope that helps! :)

[cranesofibycus]

What’s your favorite *comedic* moment/s from your own Dnd campaign? Laughing with my friends is one of the best things about Dnd in my opinion, and I have so many stories of the shenanigans we get into and out of

Aaaah, yes! My group gets up to a ridiculous amount of shenanigans in any given session, so my brain went into a million different directions reading that question hahaha

My favorite comedic moment so far was how they tricked a whole village of forest-dwelling gerbil-folk into believing that they were Gods and that the bravest fighter from their village had been called by the Gods to join their fight. So now they have a little gerbil NPC travelling with them (he has since befriended our halfling barbarian's hedgehog familiar, so it's going really well).

And then there was the time when our dwarf bard turned invisible and stuck his hand into the severed head of a pirate to scare off a bunch of ogres by shooting eldritch blasts through the head's eye sockets and pretending to be a pirate ghost. Our rogue made "Boooo!" noises in the background. It was... a lot.

[cranesofibycus]

Thank you all so much for your many distracting asks today! There's still quite a few in my inbox, so I'll try to get to the rest over the weekend :)

[cranesofibycus]

I’m about to head to bed myself, but I wanted to help give you a distraction turtle before I do so my plan is to ramble a bit if that’s okay!

I really only got into crit role because at the dental office I worked at a couple years ago, the guy that serviced the dental doohickies was a huge nerd (like me!) and was big into it and convinced me to watch a couple episodes. I had no clue at all about them being prominent voice actors/directors in a ton of my favourite stuff until I watched a few episodes and caught the references.

It’s funny because my daughter HATES crit role because she can’t focus on it but absolutely loves the cast members and she’s always trying to find their voices in any cartoon we watch (her favourite is Sam) it’s become such a great way for me to share some meaningful shows n stuff that I loved growing up.

How did you get into critical role? Did you have any neat epiphanies or stories that are even only tangentially related to the show?

Also I absolutely adore your gifsets! 💖

Aw man, that is so cute! It's so wonderful that you found a space to connect with your daughter through CR and sharing a love for the cast. The cast's resident clown, Sam, being her favorite is absolutely no surprise! <3

I got into CR after I finished The Adventure Zone, and got the opportunity to play D&D for the first time. I remember watching a video on D&D character creation by Mark Hulmes, and one of the recommended videos in the sidebar was the first episode of campaign 2. The rest is history hahaha.

Sometimes I think I'm wasting my time with it, but then I remember what has grown from my love for it: I started DMing a campaign for my real-life group of friends - none of whom had played any ttrpg before - and that campaign was the main thing that made us all stick together and keep in touch over the past two years of lockdowns. That campaign gave me a purpose in some of the darkest hours in 2020, when my depression was at its worst.

And Tumblr, too, has had a pretty significant impact on my life and particularly my feelings of self-worth. I create gifs because making them is a lot of fun, but also because it's one of the few things I myself think I'm genuinely good at.

And then there are the stories that the cast choose to tell that mean so much to me. I've said it many times before, but the way CR negotiates the themes of death and the value of a life has been nothing short of soul-soothing. I don't want to overstate it's importance in my life, but I also think it's okay to say that it genuinely means a lot to me.

Anyway, thank you for sharing your CR story :) I hope you and your daughter have fun discovering more and more shows featuring our beloved cast! <3