agardenintheshire

[whentherewerebicycles]

god after trying a million different strollers and losing hours upon hours of my life to stroller research I have finally procured THE STROLLER and am very happy with it!!! please pray that we have a beautiful life together for as long as he needs a stroller because I cannot go down that rabbithole again

[rashomonss]

your Learning to Adapt hc was amazing, i loved it sm!!!

that being said, i need a dateables ver., i crave the sweet succulent angst (ㅅ´ ˘ `)♡

a/n: ahh thank you! I’m so glad you and so many others liked it omg!! I got a bunch of comments and asks for a pt 2, so due to popular demand here is a dateables + luke version of learning to adapt! hope you enjoy!

warnings: there will be some small spoilers concerning seasons 3 and 4 of the og! obey me, it’s nothing major though

readjusting | learning to adapt pt 1.

it’s not the same without you

Diavolo is left with remnants of you all around him. All the belongings you left at the Demon Lord's castle remain in the same spots they were placed in by you. None of them are touched, he can’t bring himself to.

A part of him feels as if he failed you somehow, he's supposed to be the demon prince yet he couldn’t even protect the person he cherished the most.

Whenever he eats dinner it always happens to be a human world dish. One of your favorites, for some odd reason he hasn’t wanted much Devildom food since you’ve left.

Diavolo goes through many stages of grief during this time.

At first he drowns himself in his responsibilities, so much so Barbatos questions if he is receiving enough rest.

However once you get him into bed he can never seem to get out, instead he stares at the pillow case next to him and sighs. Only a few months ago you were laying there next to him smiling as you both talked late into the night about anything and everything.

He loved talking to you. If anything he misses your voice the most. That reassuring voice always seemed to brighten his day as well as others around him. That lovely voice that would put him to sleep at night when he claimed to have trouble sleeping.

If Diavolo was honest he’d give anything to hear you call his name once again.

Barbatos finds himself lonely for one of the first times in his existence.

More often than not he’s gotten used to you being alongside him as he cooks or cleans around the castle. With that in mind he’ll turn over his shoulder to ask you something but then realize you're not there. Often times when this happens he’ll make a face then silently continue cleaning.

The numerous little D’s around the castle tend to worry for him because he’s always on edge lately. Especially after a certain trip to the market he made alone.

It was a morning like any other and Barbatos set off for one of his favorite outdoor markets. Diavolo requested a human realm dish and this place was the perfect place for acquiring human realm food.

You often went with him, explaining your favorite foods and what not to him when you got the chance. He loved leaning more about you at any given chance, especially if you were alone with him.

As he stepped into the market and gathered a few goods here and there he began to pay the shop owner and then man made a remark of him missing his other half. Barbatos knew that he was referring to you and with that he payed the shop owner quickly and then left.

Ever since then he’s stopping visiting that stall.

If he’s being honest he’s not fond of making your favorite dishes for Diavolo while you’re not here. However he’ll never mention that to anyone.

Simeon wishes to be an angel again, this was the first and only time he wished that.

If he was then…maybe he could possibly aid with your safe return. That’s what he tells himself anyway. Simeon can’t help but blame himself for whatever reason for your disappearance.

While you're gone he takes this time to comfort Luke as well as the brothers. If he’s able to keep a level head then it should make others less anxious.

He also takes up cleaning most of Purgatory Hall as well as the House of Lamentation when the brothers lock themselves away for certain periods of time.

Simeon tries his hardest to remain calm and distract himself with other hobbies he likes; however each little thing he does reminds him of you.

When he picks up a pen he thinks of how you adored his work, praised it even, as you laid on his bed while he told you numerous different story plots and tales he had for upcoming chapters. When he passes a store and sees only his reflection a pang is felt in his chest. Just a few months ago both of you shared a smiling reflection in a store window as you walked hand in hand with him.

He doesn't know how much more of this he can take, but he’ll never let anyone know that.

Luke bakes himself into exhaustion. Oftentimes he bakes recipes the two of you would make when you spent the night at Purgatory Hall. Recently however, Simeon has had to stop him because the countertops are overflowing with sweets as Luke puts a new cake into the oven.

Luke likes to carry out activities you both would do together, such as watching the same shows you liked to watch with him, or visiting the same places you would take him too when you weren’t with the brothers.

Luke misses you so much but he knows you're okay, Simeon told him so. Still that doesn’t calm his emotions any less. Because of this Luke continues to pray for your safety and will bless your belongings.

This has caused some issues with the brothers because they become unable to touch that item for a while.

Just like the others he sometimes will visit your room and just sit silently in there wishing and praying for your safe return.

Bonus characters

Mephisto finds himself ignoring the desk you use while you spent time in the newspaper club room.

Sure all of your belongings are there and in the same place as well as all the pictures of the brothers and your other friends. Even him. But he doesn’t care.

It’s not as if he dusts off your desk at the end of every week and does weekly checks on your camera to make sure it’s up to date and still has all of the saved pictures you took.

It’s not as if he hasn’t downloaded a copy of the photos on your camera to is own personal laptop and scrolls through the ones you took of you and him when he feels lonely.

Of course he doesn’t miss the human who invaded his club room and made it lively like they do to every part of the school they reside in.

He doesn’t even realize that he gets the same drink every afternoon from the vending machine. It’s not as if you brought it to him every time you showed up. He just drinks it because it’s good.

And no he doesn’t glance at the door every hour or so hoping you’d barge in. Thats ludicrous. But currently its only a hope in his mind.

Thirteen sighs as she looks across the Devildom. Usually you both would be sharing this beautiful sight together, however she’s alone today. Like always.

She deems it fine. But maybe company would be nice, maybe. She’s grown found of your voice, your company, and even the atmosphere you bring to a conversation. She could sit and listen to you for hours.

She still wears the friendship bracelet you made her. It’s never been taken off once. And since she’s had a bit of spare time while you’ve been away she made you a few. Maybe some to even wear in your next life.

Since she can’t give it to you currently she put it around the base of your candle, that she watches daily; hourly even.

For her favorite human to disappear out of the blue like this made her very protective of your soul. At times she finds herself blabbing to your candle when she’s had an interesting day, or if she has a new trap idea.

To her it’s nice talking to the candle, but she really wishes to talk to the owner of it more.

At first Raphael didn’t feel completely lonely like the others. He had a decent relationship with you but it wasn’t nearly as close as Simeon’s or Luke’s for that matter.

However a part of him can’t help but try to comfort the beings around him during this time. He does truly care for the brothers so he does whatever he can to help them as well as Simeon.

At the end of the day he does find himself missing you. The conversations you would have with him were interesting and he loved the sparkle your eye would hold when he talked about his days in the celestial realm when the brothers were still angels.

He promised to take you to the celestial realm a while ago and show off in depth how beautiful it was. You smiled at his promise and he always remember that.

Sighing to himself, he currently wished to walk with you through a celestial realm garden to ease his mind.

[wed-in-the-apocalypse]

New towns, new faces.

Cairo Sweet x fem!reader

Warnings: Mentions of student-teacher affairs. Daddy and mommy issues for Cairo. Your mom died when you were young? I guess. Author's note: Sorry I haven't posted in so long, but I really hope you like this, and come back for more while actually enjoying yourself in my God awful writing. "I am eighteen, and entire unremarkable." She'd written in her book, though the very name, 'Cairo Sweet', suggests otherwise.

... You had never stepped outside of Southern California in your 18 years on this earth; it was all too new. It was exciting of course, but what did you know about Tennessee? Or where you were supposedly moving to?

You had asked your father about it as you two packed your last bags for an early flight the next morning at a motel.

"Where we're going..." He started, finding the words. "It'll be good for us. The town is small, but it's quiet and really quite beautiful. There's even a small forest next to our new house that I think you'll like."

You nodded along, not entirely listening.

You loved your father, you really did, and you were grateful for his efforts to give you a better life. But you would miss your city, your friends, and your best friend, your cousin Hannah. Whom you've known since before you could recite your ABCs.

"Glued to the hip, those two," your aunt would chuckle to your father at the mischief you'd get into. You'd miss her too.

"--Y/N?"

Your head snapped to your father, who was now zipping up his suitcase. That amused, worn smile adorning his tired face he got every time he caught you zoning out.

You had been so consumed in your self-pity you forgot to pay attention. You tried for a sorry smile. "Sorry... You were saying?"

He sighed, moving the case so he could sit on the bed.

"Nothing of interest it seems," He smiled, then turned to a more serious tone, "But I do want you to know something about the school you'll be going to."

Now were you interested. "What is it? Is it bad?"

He nodded, "It is, mostly. There was a recent student-teacher affair. Some English teacher engaged in inappropriate conversations with an 18-year-old girl, and apparently more."

"Oh."

"I just want you to know," he reassured, "And I need to know that if anything like that happens, if any teacher asks you questions or makes you do things that make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, tell me. Or anyone. Getting pressured to do something wrong doesn't make you a bad person. Just... promise me you'll be smart?"

You smiled. "I promise. And I know that." He sighed, at least a little relieved. "Good, I'm trusting your instinct."

---

That was four weeks ago, and you're now starting to become accustomed to the ways of this town. The wilds of nowhere, Tennessee. People here are nice, tight-knit. It was a small town, and most of the people knew each other. It was cozy, you could reach a farmer's market in just a mile or two, and finally, your father let you get a cat.

So that was where you were currently, at a pet store.

You were walking across the store, cooing and wanting to squeal at all the cute furry faces. You were a bit of an animal person. And your father was asking the employees about every animal you seemed to like a little more than normal.

You bumped into someone as you passed by a particularly adorable kitten, and immediately apologized. "Oh my God I'm so sorry, I should've looked where I was going."

"No, no it's all right," She chuckled, her voice smooth and soothing. Her smile was charming and beautiful and had a slight accent. You wanted to stare but didn't. "Well, I'm sorry anyways. Were you looking at this cat too?"

"I was," She confirmed, a light smile on her lips as she looked back at the kitten staring curiously at them. "It's adorable, isn't it? I'm Cairo, by the way. Cairo Sweet."

"Y/N L/N." You shook her hand when she offered it, smiling kindly. "I was thinking of getting one, my dad finally let me," You chuckled.

"Really? I came here since, well, it's a little lonely in my home," Her voice was a little distant, but it quickly disappeared.

"And I think I could use the company." She put her hand to the glass of the enclosure, smiling as the kitten pressed its face to her hand over the glass. "I don't want to steal it from you, so I suppose if you want, it's yours."

"I don't really think of it as mine," Your nose scrunched up ever so slightly at the thought. "It.. oh, how do I explain it?"

"It dehumanizes them?" Cairo tilted her head, smiling.

"Yes. Exactly," You agreed. "I've never liked how people think they own them, per se. Pets are companions, not objects."

"That's an interesting take," She remarked, hands in her coat pockets. "You're very empathetic." "Y/N," You heard your name and turned to see your father

"Have you chosen one yet?"

"I think I have," You smiled, glancing at Cairo who had an unreadable expression on her face. "Can we get this one?" You asked, motioning to the kitten licking it's white paw. It was black, with it's paws and ears white.

"All right," He sighed, relieved to be done with this. "Excuse me? Can we have this one?" He asked one of the employees, and Cairo turned back to you.

"Is that your father?" She asked.

"Yeah. And I guess I have to go now. It was nice meeting you." You gave her a smile, then began to go with your father as he now held the cat to sign the paperwork. Before she called to you.

"Y/N," She beckoned calmly, steady.

You turned, seeing her still with her hands in her coat pockets, no expression on her face but you could swear you saw curiosity in her eyes. You waited for her to speak.

"Can I have your number?" That surprised you. "I would like to keep talking to you, you give good company."

"Oh. Um, yeah, okay," You managed to get out, taking her phone when she held it out and typed in your phone number, handing it back.

She stared at it, then smiled and put it back in her purse. "I'll see you around." "I guess so," A small smile formed on your lips, and you gave her one last look before leaving with your father to the counter.

Soon you were out the store, a kitten in your arms, your father carrying some cat feed and a small list of things about the cat, and a new friend. You could say it was a surprisingly pleasant day.

--- So I want to know what anyone thinks of this. I think I've gotten better at writing, and I hope you enjoyed it. It actually took me a while, I had writer's block for a hot minute :/

[yandere-kokeshi]

How would Yandere Price and Soap and König react to their darling being a cannibal. Like, the boys find out, and the darling is like, “it’s okay! I only eat bad guys, tho! So don’t be worried 😋😋”

— Yandere Price, Soap, and König with a cannibal gn darling

Warnings: yandere behavior, talks about eating humans and slight violence. 

A/N: This is the most chaotic ask I’ve gotten, and I’m here for it. Enjoy!

Johnny “Soap” MacTavish:

The most dominant side-eye. He’s skeptical, a bit uncomfortable… However, if it satisfies your needs, then why not? Plus, you said you weren’t eating innocents, and you’re doing a favor for the world by getting rid of bad guys, no?

His first question is how do you get the meat. And if he hears you’re getting it from the black-market, or you go out killing on the register, it makes him feel odd. Regardless of the answer, he fits in that he’ll gladly kill for you. It’s all laughter, until he comes inside the house the next day, dragging a black-bag shaped like a body…

Of course, he worries about you. He understands the human body, and how much iron and fat is in the body, which in many cases, causes you to get sick. 

Johnny won’t join your diet, but will happily help you cook. He’s fine with helping out, adding seasoning and such with a big smile as the two of you take time with each other. 

Honestly interested in what made you decide on cannibalism. Did you grow up that way? Did someone or something initiate it? Or was it a day when you woke up, and randomly decided on? Johnny is all up to hearing about it, regardless of the time it takes, and finds it fascinating whilst listening to you. 

John “Captain” Price:

Just blinks at you, hand scratching at his beard with a small ‘huh’ grunting out. 

He’s definitely weirded out by it. It’s something he wasn’t expecting to find out, or hearing those words come out from you. He tries to talk to you, asking why or when you started doing it; gently suggesting to you that you should stop and the reasons as to it. But, sooner or later, he accepts it, shrugging his shoulders and going on along with it. 

Another one that will not be joining your diet. He gags at the glazed image, and it makes him uncomfortable. However, he’s open to helping you cook, but will be eating the ‘other’ meat you’re not so fond of. 

While John isn’t a fan of you eating humans, he’s also one to recommend if you want him to find someone for dinner. He enjoys pampering you, and if he hears a yes, a friend that openly flirts with you is gone — and so are many others that Price sees as a threat.  

Definitely learns to be more open about it, and sometimes forgets you openly eat it, until the time comes when he’s butchering.  

König:

As long as you don’t jokingly say you’ll eat him, he’s weirdly fine with it. He just nods, rambling in Denglish, before asking questions to ensure he understands you correctly. 

König is fascinated by the human body, which means he understands that certain organs can easily poison you with how many substances it holds. This said, he worries over what you eat — coming into the kitchen to ask if he can cook the meals for you. Within 30+ minutes, König shows that he can make dishes like a tier-5-restaurant rating. 

He loves seeing your reaction to his cooking, smiling at himself with your humming, and always makes a bigger gourmet for a second plate. 

In a way, this giant enjoys knowing this secret. It’s to you and him only, and he loves preparing lunch or dinner with the specific meat. He’s also open to trying the meat you so like, and if he does? Well, that makes two of you a team, doesn’t it? 

Will gladly kill anyone for you. Open to killing the bad, the in-between, and the good if you so ask. However, König tends to go for people who deeply annoy him. 

—

Masterlist || Please consider reblogging and commenting instead of liking. It helps me as a creator!! Stay well!!

© yandere-kokeshi 2023 — Do not copy, modify, edit, repost, or use my works for ASMR readings, tiktoks, or other content.

[nunununuy]

Part 4

Part 3 Part 5

Prince x Fem Reader

Title: "Changing the Fate of the Third Prince"

It had been several days since I last went to the palace. I hadn't set foot in the library, nor had I gone to the archery range where Rafael and I used to spend hours together. I told myself that it was necessary—that I needed time to clear my head and put my emotions in check. But the truth was, I was avoiding him.

I had seen Rafael with Princess Seraphina too many times now, and each time felt like a dagger to my heart. He seemed so at ease around her, so happy, that it felt like I no longer had a place in his life. He didn’t even try to seek me out, not once. Not a single message sent through Selina, not a word asking about my well-being. It was as though I had already faded into the background of his life, replaced by the princess.

“Maybe I was just a temporary part of his journey,” I murmured to myself one night as I sat alone in my room. “Maybe I was just here to guide him until he found his own happiness.”

The thought hurt more than I cared to admit, but there was a part of me that knew it was true. Rafael seemed better now—more open, more relaxed. The cold distance he once held between himself and others had thawed, especially around Seraphina. Perhaps my job here was done.

Selina, noticing my gloom, had tried to cheer me up in her own way. “You should come shopping with me,” she suggested one morning. “You’ve been locked up in your room for days, and honestly, I need some help picking out a few things. It’ll be fun, and you need a distraction.”

Reluctantly, I agreed, not wanting to worry her further. Besides, what else could I do? I had no plans, no purpose here anymore.

***

As we wandered through the bustling market streets, Selina chattered away about her upcoming wedding with Prince Arthur. I listened absentmindedly, nodding along as we passed various shops. My mind was elsewhere, still stuck on thoughts of Rafael.

Then, as we passed one of the larger accessory shops, I froze.

Through the large glass window, I saw them—Rafael and Princess Seraphina. They were standing side by side, talking quietly, looking down at a display case filled with jewelry. My heart twisted painfully in my chest as I watched them, unaware of the world outside.

Rafael was smiling—a soft, genuine smile—and Seraphina seemed to be offering her opinion on something he was pointing at. I could see them clearly through the glass, their faces inches apart, their conversation relaxed and intimate. They looked like the perfect couple, like they belonged together.

A cold realization washed over me.

Rafael didn’t need me anymore. He had found his happiness. He had Seraphina now, someone who could stand by his side, someone who understood his world in a way I never could. The warmth I had once seen in his eyes when he looked at me had shifted to her.

My chest ached with the weight of it all. I wanted to run, but my feet felt glued to the ground.

“Why... why am I still here?” I whispered to myself. “I was never meant to stay.”

Selina, who had wandered ahead, didn’t notice that I had stopped. She was busy examining a dress at a nearby stall. My heart pounded in my ears as I stood there, rooted to the spot, unable to look away from Rafael and Seraphina.

They were laughing now. Seraphina pointed to a necklace, and Rafael nodded thoughtfully, his smile still lingering. He seemed so... happy. My mind raced as I tried to make sense of it. Was this what the novel had always planned? Had I failed to change anything after all?

Tears pricked at my eyes, but I blinked them away. I couldn’t cry here, not in the middle of the street. Not where anyone could see. Especially not Selina. She would only worry.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to turn away from the shop window and follow Selina. But the image of Rafael and Seraphina stayed burned in my mind.

***

That evening, as I sat by the window in my room, watching the sun set over the city, I made my decision. It was time to leave. The capital was no longer my place, and neither was Rafael’s world. I had done my part—I had helped him. He was no longer the cold, distant prince I had first met. He was happier now, and that was all I had ever wanted for him.

But there was no room for me in that happiness.

I reached for a pen and parchment, preparing to write a letter to my family back home. I would leave in two days, taking the first carriage back to the small village where I had grown up. The capital was grand and exciting, but it had never truly felt like home. Maybe it was time I returned to a simpler life.

The thought of leaving Rafael behind tugged at my heart, but what choice did I have? Staying here, watching him grow closer to Seraphina, watching their relationship blossom—it would only break me more. I couldn’t bear to be a bystander in his life any longer.

As I sealed the letter, a part of me hoped that maybe—just maybe—he would notice my absence before I left. But I quickly pushed the thought away. Rafael had his life, his future, and Seraphina. He didn’t need me anymore.

Or so I thought.

Now, with my decision to leave set in stone, I could only hope that by leaving, I might finally find peace. But deep down, a small voice whispered that perhaps I was running away from something more than just the painful reality of the novel’s future. Perhaps I was running from my own heart.

___

[snwpcktz]

A GAME OF CRUELTY (pt. 1)

PAIRING: jay x fem!reader (ft. heeseung)

GENRE: hunger games au (pre second rebellion), neighbors to friends to lovers, angst

SYNOPSIS: after years of praying to not get picked for the reaping, the odds end up not being in y/n’s favor and she is chosen as district 7’s female tribute. she plans to simply sacrifice herself early, since it would be nearly impossible for her to beat all the other tributes and make it back safely to her now ex-boyfriend, ethan. but her perspective of the games change when her next door neighbor, jay, is chosen as the male tribute—and maybe her feelings towards him will change, too.

WARNINGS: mature themes (violence, death), major character death, descriptions of violence and injuries, love triangle, swearing, reader uses she/her pronouns, use of the binary genders to refer to the reaping tributes

WC: 10.3k

NOTE: hello hello !! the first part of my hunger games fic is finally here!! again, i tried to keep things as accurate as i could but this is set in the year before katniss and peeta were reaped, which means i don’t have a lot of set info to use. there will be a pt. 2, so if you’d like to be tagged pls reply to this post or my wips page! thank you and i hope you enjoy the read!! <3

reaping day. the most dreaded day every single year.

every year, two children between the ages of twelve and eighteen would be chosen as tributes to participate in the annual hunger games. they would fight against twenty-two other tributes to death, leaving only one survivor as the victor of the games. it was cruel, vicious, and the reason why y/n couldn't sleep peacefully every summer night.

y/n exited her house with a slip of paper in her hand. her boyfriend, ethan lee, had just sent her a little note asking for her to meet him in a nearby forest. it was the last year he would be reaped, so y/n brought a deer trinket from the local market as a gift.

once she locked her front door, she took a quick look around her neighborhood. it was like any other day in district 7, except that anyone could sense the dread in every single civilian's face. parents, grandparents, and children alike all held the same expression.

it only soured y/n’s mood. being the only child of her family, y/n’s mother stressed every single year over the possibility that her daughter could be chosen for a game that leads straight to death. it broke y/n’s heart to see her mother cry next to their fireplace every night, praying that her only child wouldn’t become a victim of the games.

her father wasn’t any different. although he was a man of few emotions, y/n could see how relieved he was when her name wasn’t called out during past reapings. his way of showing care was by teaching her how to throw axes from a young age. although he claimed that it was just a skill for her to use in “necessary circumstances”, y/n knew that he meant for it to be used in case she got reaped.

clutching onto the deer trinket tightly, y/n began her trek to the forest. it wasn’t uncommon for her to meet up with ethan in a forest--after all, they lived in district 7. the sounds of birds chirping filled her ears as she entered the area, accompanied by the droplets of rain falling from the night before.

she stepped over logs of wood on the ground, most likely left over from a recent lumber job. passing by the stream that marked the center of the forest, y/n made a sharp right turn, walking in the direction of the border to district 9.

y/n stopped several meters away from the fence that marked the border, decorated with large warning signs. she scanned the area around her but there was no sight of ethan.

“ethan?” she called out, her voice reaching to the dense tops of the forest.

it was silent for a moment before she heard movement above. “up here.”

she snapped her head towards the sound, now noticing ethan on top of a tree branch. he pushed himself off, landing safely on both feet on the padded ground.

“hey,” he said, approaching y/n.

“hey,” she whispered.

they stood in comfortable silence for a moment, savoring the seconds they could spare with each other. y/n was the first to speak, fiddling with the metal trinket in her hand.

“i brought you this,” she began, holding out the deer-shaped item to him. “take it as a good luck charm.”

ethan’s hand gently took the trinket, running his thumb over its grooves. his lips curled into a smile as he responded, “thanks, y/n.”

but the smile didn’t last. he swallowed thickly before continuing, “so, uh, i asked to meet you to tell you something.”

y/n nodded. “i’m listening.”

ethan paused for a moment, closing his eyes before taking a deep breath. “we…we need to break up.”

y/n could feel her heart drop. her breathing slowed as her mouth ran dry. she couldn’t understand the sudden request. hadn’t she been a good girlfriend?

“w- what?” she spluttered. “why?”

“it’s reaping day,” ethan solemnly stated.

“yeah, but this happens every year!” y/n retorted, feeling frustration rise in her voice. “plus, it’s your last year being reaped!”

“that’s the point, y/n!” ethan groaned, brows furrowing. “it’s my last year! do you know how many times i’ve applied for tesserae? my name’s in there twenty fucking times, y/n.”

y/n gulped. she knew ethan’s family wasn’t well off and that he had family members he needed to provide for, but she didn’t expect that he applied for tesserae that often. she could feel tears well up in her eyes, heartbroken for his situation.

“i have such a high chance of getting picked,” ethan whispered, worry clouding his eyes. he delicately held y/n’s hands, causing her to raise her head. “if i die, i don’t want you to hold onto me.”

“you’re not getting picked!” y/n screamed, ripping her hands away from his. “ethan, you’re the only man i love! you can’t just end things like this!”

she crumbled to the ground, hugging her knees to her chest. hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed, feeling the gentle rubs of ethan’s hand on her head.

“it's not fair!" she wailed. “it’s not fucking fair!” deep down, y/n knew that ethan was right--he did have a higher chance of being picked, and that tore her apart.

"nothing is fair here," ethan mumbled, hand tangled in her hair. "but i just want you to know that if i do get picked, please...take care of my family for me."

y/n sniffled and nodded her head. "thanks," ethan whispered, the ghost of a smile on his lips.

a sudden gust of strong wind blew onto them, causing both of them to look up. a blimp flew across the forest, stripping trees of loose leaves and ground of dry dirt. they both immediately knew what it meant, sharing a look together.

"it's time."

rows of teenagers stood in front of the hall of justice, surrounded by members of the capitol with cameras and film equipment. peacekeepers had already flooded the district, running identification checks and bordering the area for the reaping. y/n could still feel her finger throbbing from the prick she received mere minutes ago as she stood in line.

the large screens next to the stage had already began running, displaying the various members of district 7. y/n could spot a pixelated version of herself, clad in a modest white sundress and matching white ballet flats. she turned her head to the left, spotting ethan standing in his row in no time.

but he wasn't looking at her. he kept his head forward, a solemn gaze on his face. y/n turned her head back around, letting out a pained sigh. she knew that whatever emotions he was feeling at the moment could never be experienced by her, a girl who lived in an only child household in a moderately well off neighborhood. but she couldn't help but feel selfish, desperately wanting ethan to be spared from the cruel hands of the reaping.

so she prayed. she clasped her hands together and lowered her head. please, she thought. please don't pick ethan. please let the odds be in his favor, just this once.

the sounds of footsteps coming to a stop and doors opening caused y/n to raise her head, eyes now fixated on the marble building in the front. members of the district government and previous victors of district 7 entered the stage, followed by a woman with a bright smile on her face.

luxurious, velvety, emerald green clothing adorned her body along with a matching sun hat and dozens of gold jewelry. her heels clicked on the wooden stage as she made her way towards the podium, perfectly glossed lips framing her pearly smile.

"welcome! welcome, welcome," she announced, her cheery voice echoing throughout the area. "once again, i am your district escort, tiffany young! happy hunger games! and may the odds be ever in your favor."

tiffany cleared her throat before continuing, "now! before we begin, we have a very special film brought to you all the way from the capitol!"

she raised her glove-clothed arm towards the screen as a video began playing. "war. terrible war," president snow's voice boomed from the speakers.

y/n noticed several girls around her rolling their eyes. she couldn't blame them. it was boring having to watch the same video every single year, especially when it did barely any justification for the games.

she turned her head to look behind her at the crowd of parents. she spotted her mom, head down and whispering words, most likely prayers for her daughter. her father was next to her, a comforting arm wrapped around his wife as he stoically stared at the screen.

it was just like every year. what was there to worry about?

y/n glanced at ethan. he had the same expression as her father, but she could see that he was chewing on the inside of his cheek. a soft sigh left her lips. there was one thing to worry about--ethan.

she decided to pray once more, lowering her head and squeezing her eyes shut.

please, pick anyone but ethan. i beg for you to spare him.

"this is how we remember our past," the voice of president snow stated. "this is how we safeguard our future."

"what a remarkable film!" tiffany gushed as the music began to quiet. "now, the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing district 7 in the 73rd annual hunger games."

y/n felt her heartbeat quicken as she watched the escort's smile grow. "as usual, ladies first."

tiffany walked to the reaping bowl with poise, heels echoing in the silence that overwhelmed the district. she reached a gloved hand in, fishing for an entry slip. she gently selected one, returning to the podium elegantly.

tiffany took the liberty to clear her throat as she undid the delicate tape on the paper slip. she glanced at the crowd before announcing the name with a smile.

"y/n l/n."

the world stopped for a moment. y/n couldn't prevent the ringing in her ears as her lips parted in shock. the pounding in her chest increased to a ridiculous speed as the girls around her turned, isolating her from the crowd. her hands grew clammy as tiffany laid her eyes on her, the smile on her face appearing more sinister than before.

"come on up, dear!" the escort called, her voice sounding sickly sweet in y/n's ears.

y/n's feet moved slowly, dragging against the gravel on the ground as she passed by her fellow civilians. she didn't dare to look up from her pathway, shrinking at the feeling of thousands of eyes on her.

she could feel the peacekeepers behind her place their hands on her back, guiding her to the stage. her eyes were shaking, losing sight of each step she was taking.

she grasped onto the railing of the stairs, barely feeling the soles of her feet. she could see tiffany at the top of the stairs, reaching a hand out to her. "come, come!" she said to y/n, gesturing to her with her hand.

y/n gratefully took it, allowing the texture of her velvet gloves to bring her back to reality. tiffany placed her other hand on her shoulder, gently leading her to the left side of the podium.

"well, let's have a big hand for our first tribute, y/n l/n!" tiffany declared into the microphone.

the weak applause clouded y/n's head, contrasting the striking speed her heart was thumping at. she used the last of her strength and consciousness to lift her head, searching the crowd in front of her.

she could spot her mother's face, frozen with shock and panic. her father's mouth was open, completely bewildered and in disbelief. y/n moved her eyes to the crowd of teen boys, where she found ethan already staring straight at her, a fresh tear sliding down his cheek.

y/n swallowed thickly, not breaking the eye contact. here she was, standing on a stage that she never thought she would be standing on. her lips quivered as she gained the strength to mouth an "i love you", triggering a rush of tears to ethan's eyes.

she chose to cut the eye contact after that, unable to watch her ex-lover cry. she stared straight at the wooden floor, biting her bottom lip in an attempt to hold back the tears in her eyes.

"and now for the boys!" tiffany stated.

the escort walked to the reaping bowl on the opposite end of the stage, quickly plucking a slip from its depths and returning to the podium. she let out a small hum before unfolding the slip.

"jay park."

y/n raised her head to look at the crowd. the boys had distanced themselves from the said person, who looked just as surprised as y/n was when she was chosen.

y/n recognized him. he was her next door neighbor, a boy known for being respectful and hard-working. at just a year older than y/n, he was preparing to enter the workforce full-time, learning the ups and downs of his family's lumber business. he was known to be skilled with axes and saws, his muscular arms and broad chest proof of it all.

he wore a white dress shirt and black slacks, dark hair slicked with gel and neatly combed. the peacekeepers guided him to the stage, his dress shoes sounding every step he took up the wooden stairs. he stood on the other side of the podium, observing the crowd from his new perspective.

y/n turned to ethan, a part of her relieved that he wasn't picked. but he clearly did not feel the same, his eyes now red and cheeks stained with tears. he looked at y/n so hopelessly, it made her feel ashamed for feeling even a bit of relief.

"shake hands, you two!" tiffany's voice said, snapping y/n out of her trance.

she glanced at jay, whose eyes were already on her. they quickly joined hands, jay's large one wrapping around y/n's shaking one.

"happy hunger games!" tiffany announced, her smile brighter than before. "and may the odds be ever in your favor."

y/n had spent the last few minutes curled up in the corner of a room in the hall of justice, sobbing to herself as she processed what just happened. in the span of just several minutes, she had been chosen as a tribute for her district in a game of death.

her grip on her knees tightened. although her father had somewhat prepared her for this scenario, there was no way in hell that she would survive the hunger games. sure, she knew how to throw axes and she was pretty good at climbing trees, but she was sure that it was nothing compared to what other tributes can do.

she felt her tears flood out as she fell into a hole of despair. it was impossible for her to win, huh? i'll just die first, she decided, choking out her sobs. i'll die first so that my parents won't gain false hope. i won't let them waste tears over me.

the creak from the door opening caught y/n's attention. a peacekeeper held it open, allowing her parents to step inside the room. "you have three minutes," he stated before shutting the door.

y/n immediately stood up, running to her parents. "mom! dad!"

her mother engulfed her in a tight hug, warm tears falling onto y/n's shoulders. "my precious, sweet little baby...why is the world so cruel to you?" she whispered, her voice thick with anguish.

y/n only cried harder, burying her face into her mother's neck. "you don't deserve this, baby," her mother weeped. "you deserve to live a happy, long life with us."

"m- mom, i'm gonna die," y/n babbled, feeling her words slur after crying for so long.

"don't say that, please," her mother begged. y/n could feel more droplets of warmth land on her shoulder. "please, please! don't ever say that again."

"y/n, you have to try your best," her father's voice reasoned. "you need to fight until the end."

y/n could only cry more, letting out a gut-wrenching scream. "i- i don't wanna leave so early..."

she could feel her mother squeeze tighter as her sobs got louder. "baby, y- you know we love you so, so much, right?"

"yes, mom...o- of course i know."

"please, live. for us."

the sound of the door opening caused y/n to hold onto her mother tighter, watching the peacekeepers heard towards her parents through her swollen eyes.

"no! stop!" she yelled, gripping onto her mother's arm. she could feel another peacekeeper restrain her from behind, ripping her away from her parents.

she wailed, pushing away the peacekeeper. she watched her mom get dragged out of the room, burying her face in her hands as her back shook from the intensity of her sobbing. her father turned around, sending a solemn smile to her.

she watched a stream of liquid drop from her father's eye. it was the first time she saw her father cry.

the door slammed shut for a moment before it reopened, a tall man entering with a peacekeeper at his tail.

"ethan!" y/n ran to the boy, who let her press her puffy face on his chest.

he rested his head on top of hers, hugging her hair while closing his eyes. "i thought it was going to be me," he whispered, breath shaky. "but it turned out to be much more worse than that."

he gently cupped y/n's face before bending down, swiftly connecting their lips. wet with tears, their lips molded against one another, filled with desperation and despair.

they separated after a moment, allowing ethan press his lips against y/n's forehead as she sniffled. "i still love you, y/n."

his words only caused her to choke out another sob. "i'll love you forever. you know i love you so."

the dreaded door opened once again as a peacekeeper pulled on ethan's arm, forcing him away from her. his eyes welled with tears once more as he mouthed another "i love you" before the door shut, physically separating the two.

y/n collapsed to the ground, screaming as she punched the ground with her fist. i love you too, ethan.

after what seemed like hours of crying and peacekeepers forcing her into a carriage, y/n had somewhat collected herself, lightly sniffling as she gazed out of the window.

tiffany seemed almost unaffected by the girl, chattering about the capitol to jay with a grin on her face. she would spare a glance at y/n every so often, but decided to not speak to her, assuming that she wanted some personal space in the cramped carriage.

before they knew it, they had arrived at the train station. "just an hour and we will arrive at the capitol!" tiffany cheered as they boarded the train.

as soon as they entered, the tributes were greeted with luxury they had only dreamed about before. crystal chandeliers, gold-plated silverware, and plush cushions were laid out just for them. glass displays held varieties of baked sweets and savory bites, followed by an impressive selection of beverages stored in crystal pitchers.

y/n’s mouth gaped at the sight, slowly stepping into the train cabin. of course, the capitol is different.

“now, now, sit down children!” tiffany sweetly said, guiding the two with gloved hands on their backs to a table. “i’ll be back in just a moment!”

y/n hesitantly sat down in a chair that was much too lavish for her, practically swallowing her in the lush cushioning. jay followed in suit, seating himself next to her.

“this is insane,” jay muttered, eyes fixated on the delicate china set on the table.

y/n hummed in response, blinking her swollen eyes as she took in her surroundings. “it’s crazy how we went from being neighbors to sacrificing ourselves for our district,” she mumbled, a frown etched onto her face.

jay could only sigh at the comment. one day, they were going about their daily errands, chatting as the children of families who lived next door. the next, they were seated in a high-speed rail train on the way to the capitol, where their desperate battle for survival would be broadcasted for all of panem to see.

“y/n, jay, i want to introduce you to someone!” tiffany’s bubbly voice rang.

the escort approached the table, followed by a woman sporting a coffee brown blazer and a matching pencil skirt. her raven black hair was highlighted with scarlet red streaks, all tied back into a ponytail that moved from side to side with each step she took.

she slid into the seat across from y/n, a cold expression on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest. “this is johanna mason, victor of the 71st hunger games!” tiffany introduced, elegantly seating herself next to the said woman. “she will be your mentor as a victor from district 7.”

silence overcame the room. y/n and jay stared at johanna expectingly, who was avoiding their gazes by locking her eyes onto the table in front of her. tiffany sat perfectly straight, her smile slightly faltering at the sudden change in volume.

“well,” she said, standing up and brushing off her velvet skirt. “i will leave you three to it!”

her emerald green stilettos clicked against the hard floor as she moved to a cabin next door.

“so, you’re the unlucky pair that got pulled into the games this year,” johanna grumbled, eyeing both of the tributes. “i’m not someone who’ll sugarcoat things, so you both better be fucking prepared for what i’m about to say.”

y/n and jay nodded, eager to hear from a fellow district citizen and a victor of the games.

“you have literally no chance of winning.”

johanna’s words caused y/n’s heart to drop. she could tell that jay was experiencing the same, tension quickly swarming around the table.

“but you have a good chance of surviving longer if you follow my advice,” she continued, resting her elbows on the polished table.

johanna picked up a gold butter knife, running her fingers along the edges. "you're not a career district, but you're not the most disadvantaged. that's what 7 is--always stuck in the middle. lumber is all we're known for, so everyone who watches the games knows that we can handle our axes. but don't let them think that."

she stabbed the table with the knife, causing both of the tributes to flinch. "you need to act weak," johanna declared, looking at both of them in the eye. "that's how i won. make them believe you won't survive anyway, hide, and attack at the last moment. fool them. use their stupidity to your advantage. that's the only way a middleman can win."

she turned to jay, ponytail following her head movement. "you. jay park, seventeen. i heard you're already in the lumber business."

"yes, ma'am," jay replied, a little intimidated by johanna's stare.

"don't call me that, it makes you sound like a pussy," johanna spat, leaning back in her seat. "call me johanna."

"yes, johanna."

she let out a hum of approval. "are you good with any weapons?"

"i've worked with axes and saws," jay answered. "i've done mostly chopping, cutting, and sanding my whole life. some heavy lifting and business communication, too."

"great, strength and customer service," johanna summarized with a nod. she turned her head to the right, locking her eyes onto y/n. "now you. y/n, seventeen. any experience with weapons?"

"my father taught me how to throw axes since i was little," y/n responded. she found herself fiddling with the hem of her dress, nervous for her new mentor's reaction.

"axe throwing, i like it," johanna replied. "unfortunately, there are no throwable axes offered in the games, so you're sort of fucked there."

y/n felt her breath hitch. before she could speak, johanna continued, playing with the knife stuck in the table, "but knife throwing isn't far from axe throwing. plus, if you train enough, you might be able to throw the axes they have."

y/n let out the breath she was holding in, somewhat relieved by her mentor's response. she had never felt so grateful towards her father.

"now, this whole week is dedicated to preparing for the games," johanna stated, changing the topic at hand. "you will spend your time training, being interviewed, being tested, and kissing up to sponsors. unfortunately for you both, your first day has already started."

the windows of the train transitioned from dark to light, beams of sun flowing into the cabin. a huge body of water could be seen surrounding hundreds of high-rise buildings made with sleek designs and accompanied with phenomenal technology.

johanna eyed the two tributes with astonished looks on their face, curling her lips into a small smirk. "welcome to the capitol, bitches."

y/n stood next to a chariot, adjusting the corset on her body. she had just spent the last few hours being completely tortured, aka hours of waxing and plucking. if that wasn't enough, her stylist completely ridiculed her for having a puffy face after crying, embarrassing her in front of the whole prep team.

she had never wanted to go home so badly.

but here she was, dressed like a capitol darling in getup she could have never pictured herself in. a forest green corset was bound tightly around her waist, hugging the black long-sleeved bodysuit embroidered with gold leaves underneath. a matching black maxi skirt was wrapped right under the corset, with layers ruffled and seams sewed with gold thread.

thick, gold hoops hung from her ears and gold cuffs banded her wrists. her hair was combed and let down, decorated with a single gold barrette embellished with emeralds. her eyes flaunted deep, green eyeshadow shimmering with gold pearlescent glitter and long, curled and lengthened eyelashes. her lips were painted with a warm brown lipstick, matching the color of her nail polish.

y/n had never felt so out of place. she shifted her weight, feeling uneasy standing in such tall heels. how do people in the capitol dress like this everyday?

her eyes caught jay heading to the chariot, adjusting his own gold cuffs. his chest was covered with forest green armor, accented with gold leaves. his biceps were framed with a long-sleeve compression shirt, perfectly sculpting the curves of the muscles. black slacks accentuated his long legs, held on his waist by a black and gold belt. his hair was slicked back and his ears were cuffed with gold earrings. glittery green eyeliner bordered his eyes and his lips were plush and pink- wait, why was she looking at his lips?

y/n blinked. she couldn't believe how stylish (and incredibly attractive) her next door neighbor looked. the most they had seen each other in were the formal attire they wore for reaping day every year to look somewhat acceptable on public television. but now, now she understood why he was such a hot topic among the girls in her neighborhood.

jay's eyes met hers and he flashed a small smile, finishing his trek to the chariot. "you look amazing," he said, a few strands of gelled hair slipping out of place and framing his forehead.

"same goes for you," y/n breathed out, sending back a smile of her own.

they could hear a dramatic gasp and turned, spotting tiffany and johanna heading towards them. "my darlings, you look absolutely stunning!" tiffany squealed, clapping her hands as she walked.

"trees, trees, trees," johanna groaned. "that's all that damn stylist can do. get some fucking creativity, people!"

"johanna!" tiffany yelped, slapping the mentor on the shoulder. she faced the tributes once again, adorning a bubbly smile. "well, i think you both look absolutely wonderful."

"at least it's better than mine, i guess," johanna grumbled, crossing her arms. "now, today is all about beginning to attract some fans. act friendly, smile, and wave. don't do anything stupid and you'll be fine."

the static from a speaker could be heard as caesar flickerman appeared on a screen. "that's our cue to go!' tiffany exclaimed. "we'll see you later, darlings! and remember, smile!"

their escort and mentor left, following the crowd of other district team members. jay let out a soft sigh before saying, "it's time for us to get ready, then."

y/n hummed. jay stood next to the entrance of the chariot and held out a hand. "ladies first," he stated with a smile.

thump! y/n was glad she had a full face of makeup on to hide the heat spreading on her cheeks. she delicately took his hand, feeling her heartbeat increase as she stepped onto the chariot and held onto his gentle hand.

jay followed after her, accidentally brushing his shoulder against hers. she could feel the warmth radiating from his body due to their close proximity. her hands gripped the railing of the chariot, squeezing the metal tighter as she tried to not focus on the boy next to her.

the crowd outside began to grow louder as the first chariots were released. she could hear caesar flickerman from the screen, gushing with claudius templesmith about each of the tributes' stylistic costumes.

before she knew it, the horses in front of her began moving, pulling their chariot closer to the entrance. bright stage lights shone in y/n's eyes, blinding her for a second.

she felt jay place his right hand on her left, tapping her two times. "smile, y/n."

and so she did. y/n parted her lips to reveal the most dazzling smile she could, the sound of cheers filling her ears. but she missed the sweet smile jay gave her as her eyes adjusted to the new lighting.

the unsteady movement beneath her feet and the overwhelming amount of viewers caused her stomach to churn, but the hand on top of hers provided her a newfound source of comfort. she swiveled her head around, making sure to keep her bright smile plastered on her face.

the audience was full of people sporting vibrant garments and bizarre accessories. colored eyelashes the length of a hand, dyed hair in all sorts of purples and pinks, and puffy sleeves adorning shoulder after shoulder. it was beyond anything y/n could've imagined wearing, but here she was, standing in almost identical clothing while they observed her like a character in a game.

after all, that was all she was to them--a new addition to their cruel game that they watched eagerly every single year. to the ultra-wealthy, it was all fun and entertainment. but to her, it was a one-way ticket to her death.

she felt the smile on her face falter, gulping before stretching the corners of her lips wider. now was not the time to think about those things. she needed to attract sponsors to gain even a minute more of survival in the arena.

so she stood up straighter, flashing her most welcoming face that she could. the heat from the torches that they sped past only added to the adrenaline rush she felt running through her veins. her eyes flickered to the dual screens above the audience, catching the cameras filming their chariot.

she glanced at jay, who's smile was just as charming as ever. his jawline was firm and sharp, a charismatic feature that the capitol's cameras easily captured. his eyes shone with determination, a look that many could only find in the careers.

y/n felt a sense of pride in the moment. proud to have jay as her partner, proud to hear positive reactions from the audience, and proud to be from district 7.

the horses made a turn, slowing their pace down as they brought the chariot to a stop. a gust of air brushed past them as they left the heat of the runway, ending their time in the spotlight of the tribute parade.

y/n allowed her lips to relax, scanning the environment around her. the last few chariots were filing in, all carrying tributes dressed just as extravagantly as them. she watched as the sponsors in the audience screamed with energy, enjoying the last moments of the parade.

she could see the cameras pan to a podium above the tributes and turned to face it. there president snow stood, waving to the crowd with a small smile.

the audience grew quiet as he cleared his throat. "welcome. tributes, we welcome you," president snow announced. "we salute your courage and your sacrifice. and we wish you, happy hunger games! and may the odds be ever in your favor."

y/n felt her eye twitch at his words. before she knew it, the chariots began to move again, pulling all of the tributes out of the spotlight as the crowd cheered one last time.

in just a couple of more days, y/n had found herself on the last day of training.

johanna had taught her the differences between throwing knives and throwing axes, and so she had adjusted her training accordingly. she had quite a bit of trouble at the beginning, but eventually adapted to the new weapon quickly.

now, she was more determined than ever to try her hardest in the games, no matter what it took.

she practiced climbing structures and creating fires with jay. they talked more over identifying sources of water, studying types of infection, and spying on the other tributes. jay had taught her how to properly use a tactical axe and y/n had showed him how to aim weapons in long-range fights.

she learned that jay was talented at cooking and often tried new recipes for dinners on weekends. he informed her about the small pieces of etiquette he picked up on at formal business meetings at meals in their apartment. within just two days, she found herself closer than ever to her next door neighbor.

they shared secret smiles during training sessions, had late-night talks after hot showers, and gave each other words of encouragement every morning. he cut her steak for her at dinner, she wiped his sweat after training, and they held hands on the way to the basement of the training center, squeezing each other tightly as a way of supporting each other.

they had become close friends in such a short span of time, but they wouldn't tell each other about the deeper feelings that were brewing in their chests.

johanna slapped both of their backs as they stood in the elevator on the way to their private training sessions, where they would be officially scored by the gamemakers. "now, i would say act weak, but you two have showed off way too much during your training," she spoke, a hint of playfulness in her voice.

"so instead, go for something more average," she instructed. "like a seven. or a six. miss two shots but hit one. you won't get as many sponsors but at least you'll be off of some of the tributes' radars."

johanna sent both of them a small grin. "good luck to you two, and be as average as you can!"

her words caused both of the tributes to chuckle, exiting the elevator once the doors opened. "bye, johanna!" y/n called, waving to their mentor.

johanna just leaned against the glass windows of the elevator, shaking her head with a smile.

the two district 7 tributes entered the gymnasium's waiting room through automatic sliding doors, finding many other tributes already sitting inside. thick tension clouded the room, causing the small smiles on their faces to drop.

they were finally here on their last day of training, two days before the games would begin.

they sat down on stools labeled with their district's number, eyeing the other tributes warily. the careers sat with confidence in the front, cocky as ever with smirks on their faces. on the opposite end, the lower districts were hunched and fidgeting, anxious for the evaluation.

once again, y/n and jay stood in the middle, both figuratively and literally. y/n swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling a little parched. sure, she had trained long and hard to adapt to knife throwing, but her skills were definitely not on par with a career who had been throwing knives her whole life.

she glanced at the district 1 female tribute, who was giggling at something her partner had said. y/n had observed her throughout their training sessions, taking the time to understand her style of fighting and her precise aim. y/n wasn't unaware of her surroundings either, finding the tribute's gaze on her multiple times.

she fiddled with her fingers, suddenly feeling her hands grow clammy. "jay," she whispered, catching the boy's attention who responded with a soft hum. "do...do you think we can ever defeat the careers?"

jay glanced up, taking a quick look at them before replying, "well, they're not invincible, are they?"

y/n let out a soft chuckle at his words. "sure, they attended a special training academy and whatever, but we've played around with axes since we could hold a pencil," he continued, wrapping his arm around her and rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. "like johanna said, we just need to deceive them to win. after all, we might not need to fight them for them to die. a nasty ego is just as bad as a sword through the chest."

jay gave her one last pat on the shoulder before facing her. "don't underestimate yourself. you've worked hard and deserve to show off a little."

y/n smiled, gazing into his kind eyes. "thanks, jay," she said. "you deserve it, too."

he smiled back, staring straight into hers. they sat in a comfortable silence, neither of them breaking the eye contact. y/n was thankful that the room wasn't dead silent, otherwise everyone could hear how loudly her heart was thumping.

the warmth in his eyes, easing all of the tension in her body. the way his pupils dilated the longer he stared at her. the reflection of the light in his eyes, highlighting his soothing gaze.

for a moment, she swore that she saw jay's eyes flicker to her lips. but the sound of an alarm interrupted their silence, catching the attention of all the tributes.

"the private training sessions will begin now."

y/n let out a quick breath, seeing jay do the same in her peripheral vision. she squeezed her eyes shut, holding her head in her hands. how could she think about anything else other than the evaluations at hand?

but no matter how stressed her mind was, it couldn't stop the pounding in her chest. heat rose to her cheeks as she replayed the moment in her head, remembering the split second jay eyed her lips.

time flew by as her head ached, split between worrying about her private session and processing the feelings in her heart. she felt ashamed with herself--it had not been long since ethan broke up with her and she was confident that she still had feelings for him. so why was her heart fluttering around another man?

before she knew it, district 6's tributes had finished up and the waiting room was half empty. "district 7, y/n l/n," the electronic voice announced.

y/n stood up, stretching her limbs before heading towards the gymnasium entrance.

"hey y/n!" a voice called through the silence.

she turned around, looking at jay, who now had everyone's attention. "be average," he said with a grin, causing y/n to smile.

"you too," she replied, pointing at him.

she could hear him chuckle as she left through the sliding doors, taking one more deep breath before entering the gymnasium. the training room was cold, with little light illuminating the large area. she could hear the chatter of the gamemakers in a room above, observing their little festivities with food and drinks.

y/n walked to the marking in the center of the room, making sure to look at all of her surroundings. three targets shaped like humans were placed at a certain distance from her marked spot. to her left was a spread of different knives, all set neatly on a placemat and a table.

she turned around to face the gamemakers, who were enjoying their cocktails above. "y/n l/n, district 7," she introduced herself, catching the attention of the head gamemaker, seneca crane.

he swallowed his sip before nodding to her, prompting her to begin her chosen skill. she picked up a knife, gripping the wooden handle tightly.

she held her breath, focusing her eyes on the target and balancing herself. be average. she let her eyes lower before throwing the knife as powerfully as she could.

the thigh. not a critical area but definitely a shot that could cause lots of pain. she heard some pleased reactions and some mocking chuckles from the gamemakers.

y/n continued, grabbing a longer knife. she planted her feet, eyed her target, and threw the weapon.

the edge of the arm. another painful area, but not a critical one. definitely less impressive than her last shot. she heard more chuckles this time but didn't mind them.

she brushed her hands over the rest of the knives, taking the time to weigh her options. she decided on a thicker knife, with more weight and less speed.

she stood on the marking, once again. she took in a sharp breath, holding it as she positioned herself. eyes straight on the target, soles flat on the floor, and arm in the air, tensing with energy. she threw with all her might, a shout coming from her lips.

right smackdown in the heart. she huffed, staring at her work in disbelief. a few whistles and weak applause could be heard from the gamemakers as she faced them and bowed, taking her leave.

she was met with johanna and tiffany at the entrance of the district 7 apartment, who clapped loudly for her.

"that was wonderful, darling!" tiffany cheered, flaunting a hot pink tulle dress and matching accessories. "you did amazing!"

"great job on being mediocre, y/n," johanna commented with a chuckle. "that last shot was nice, though. definitely will bring you some sponsors."

"thanks, guys," y/n replied with a smile.

"come, come! jay's evaluation is playing," tiffany said, ushering y/n to the couch in front of the television screen.

she sat down on the soft cushion, shimmying a bit to get more comfortable with the skin-tight training clothing she was wearing. johanna stood behind her, resting her arms on the frame of the couch as tiffany elegantly sat down.

y/n could see jay on the screen with a tactical axe in hand. he swung the weapon around, hitting vital spots of the dummies surrounding him. the camera panned to the gamemakers, broadcasting their impressed faces as they discussed his skills.

he finished up by chucking his axe straight at a dummy’s head, the weapon slicing the head straight down the middle. jay took a moment to catch his breath before bowing in front of the gamemakers, ending district 7’s private training sessions.

y/n gulped. she knew jay was good, but the evaluations showed her a new side of him. one that was vicious, determined, and confident. there was no doubt that he would be a threat in the arena.

the television screen flickered off and tiffany stood up immediately, clapping her hands. “marvelous! just marvelous!” she gushed. “what talented tributes we have this year!”

“you should’ve seen the beginning, he purposely dropped the axe on a dummy’s foot,” johanna said with a light laugh. “i think he took my advice a little too seriously.”

y/n snickered at the comment, standing up from the couch. “he’ll be here any minute now!” tiffany exclaimed, rushing to the door to greet him.

as soon as y/n and johanna caught up to the escort, the door opened, revealing jay with a tired smile on his face. sweat stuck his loose hair to his forehead and his chest puffed with each breath he took.

“darling, you were outstanding!” tiffany squealed, patting him on the back. “just wonderful! the sponsors should be piling in as we speak!”

“nice job, jay,” johanna complimented. “i liked the part where you dropped the axe on the foot.”

jay chuckled, giving the mentor a playful glare. his eyes shifted to y/n, who was already smiling with pride.

“you did amazing, jay,” she said, causing him to grin.

“thanks, y/n. you did well, too.”

“now, wash up, children! i don’t want this apartment to be reeking of sweat!” tiffany ordered, prancing off to the kitchen. “and remember that they will broadcast the results this evening!”

after an afternoon of resting, a hearty dinner, and a lighthearted sunset watch, the district 7 team sat around the television screen, patiently waiting for their results. caesar flickerman held a rare serious expression on his face as he relayed all the information off of his cards.

the room was filled with a thick silence with everyone sitting perfectly still. the anticipation grew every minute as everyone watched eagerly, paying close attention to the other tributes' scores. per usual, the careers scored high, with the district 2 male scoring an eleven. y/n chewed on her bottom lip, the worry at the back of her mind beginning to grow.

there was less than 48 hours before she would be in the arena, fighting against each and every one of the tributes displayed on the screen.

once the district 6 tributes' results finished up, y/n could feel her heart beating unbelievably fast. it was the first time a test result could determine life or death for her, and the tension in her body came to an all-time high.

as caesar flickerman changed his cards, y/n felt a hand creep towards hers, gently intertwining their fingers. she turned to her left, spotting jay mouthing an "it's okay" to her. her chest heaved as she tried to calm herself down, forcing herself to breathe slower.

jay gave her a quick nod before facing the screen once again. "from district 7, y/n l/n..."

y/n whipped her head to the screen, not blinking once as the world stilled around her. she could feel herself squeeze jay's hand tighter, holding her breath for a single moment.

"...with a score of six."

she released the breath she was holding, relaxing her grip on jay's hand. she could feel johanna pat her shoulder in approval. "that was very average, y/n. an exact 50%."

a part of y/n was glad that she would be able to escape the careers' watch, but another part of her was worried about receiving little support from sponsors. but she chose to not fret about that as she flinched at how strongly jay held onto her hand.

she glanced at him, realizing that it was the first time she saw jay so visibly anxious. the typically calm and laid-back boy was now tense and nervous, a light sweat forming on his forehead. she could feel his palms grow clammy as he clutched her hand tighter, awaiting his results.

"and from district 7, jay park...with a score of eight."

cheers erupted from the room, a delightful squeal coming from tiffany. "jay, darling, you are spectacular!" she gushed, clasping her gloved hands together.

"great job, jay," johanna said with a nod. "but you'll have to be careful now. you're on par with the careers, which means that you've spiked their interest."

"nice job, jay!" y/n exclaimed, taking his hand into both of hers. he grinned and replied, "yours was good, too."

"well, all that's left for you two is to charm the audience tomorrow!" tiffany cheered, standing up. "rest well and wake up early! i will teach you all the interview etiquette you need to know!"

"and don't get too comfortable with each other!" johanna sternly teased. "you are on a survival show, not a dating show."

as they shared the final laughs of the night and prepared for bed, y/n couldn't help but ponder over her mentor's words. what johanna said rang true, even if it was intended to be a lighthearted joke. in the end, they were competitors in a game, even competition for each other.

she climbed into her bed, burying herself underneath the lush covers. she knew it was wrong for her to think about anything other than survival, especially when her inevitable death was approaching extremely fast. so why did her heart beat so fast when he touched her? why was she so unbelievably comfortable with someone she had just began considering a friend four days ago?

why was jay on her mind every night as she fell asleep, worrying about the games?

the eve of the hunger games. y/n stood in line, right behind the district 6 male tribute. she shifted her weight, watching the interviews commence from the screen backstage.

her stylist chose to dress her in a cream chiffon gown, the torso embellished with pearls and yellow topaz. her shoulder straps were loosely draped with layers of chiffon strung together. gold droplet earrings and a thin, double-layered gold necklace accented her ears and neckline. her hair was tied up elegantly, bound with matching gold ribbons. her eyeliner was drawn with gold glittery liquid, two yellow gemstones glued right underneath her lower eyelids. she shifted once more, balancing on her gold stilettos cuffed to her ankles.

the district 6 tribute in front of her peeked over her shoulder, throwing her a sultry grin. "looking good, seven," he commented, adjusting his black tie.

before y/n could respond with a snarky remark of her own, a hand was placed on her shoulder as she felt the heat from a body close to hers.

"i suggest you turn back around, six," the voice of jay, now sarcastic and brooding, spoke out. "your interview is starting."

as the slightly flustered tribute entered the stage, y/n faced jay, now realizing exactly how close they were. his face was mere centimeters from hers, a firm stare in his eyes.

unlike her, jay was clad in a sleek all-black suit, with gold cuffs and a gold handkerchief in his breast pocket. his hair was styled into a comma, eyebrows brushed and sleek, and ears adorned with multiple gold studs and loops. his eyes were painted with the same gold eyeliner as y/n and his fingers were wrapped with gold rings.

she could feel the heat from his breath, smell the subtle scent of his body wash, and hear the low beating of his heart. the hand on her exposed shoulder dropped, causing her to look up at him. he had taken a step back, repositioning himself in the line.

"you good?" he asked, a concerned expression on his face.

"yeah...i'm okay," she mumbled, turning back around.

she stood still, trying to calm the clamoring in her heart. she fanned herself with her hands, cooling down the heat spreading on her face. to others, it looked like she was flustered to be next on stage. but she knew that the fluttering in her stomach was for a completely different reason.

the audience applauded as the district 6 male finished up his interview, taking a large bow before leaving the stage. caesar flickerman laughed loudly and faced the cameras, microphone right underneath his chin.

"now, district 7, with gorgeous outfits for gorgeous tributes. let's hear it for y/n l/n, seventeen from the seventh district!"

y/n inhaled sharply before stepping into the spotlight, flashing a bright smile as she waved to the audience. the cheers grew louder with each step she took, shaking hands with caesar before sitting down in the interviewee's chair.

she sat with one leg crossed over the other and hands placed on her top knee, just like tiffany instructed her to. "welcome, y/n!" caesar exclaimed with a grin. "how are you liking the capitol?"

"it's very different from home, that's for sure," she responded with a light nod. "i have to say, the fashion here is quite extraordinary. never could i have imagined that i'd be wearing a ballroom gown, talking to a man with bright-red hair in front of the whole nation."

caesar paused for a moment, touching his said hair. "are you talking about me?"

"yes, i'm talking about you, caesar," y/n replied with a laugh.

the host let out a hearty chuckle, causing the audience to laugh along. "now, speaking of home," he continued, leaning towards the tribute. "is there anyone special back there? someone you're interested in? there has to be someone interested in you--who wouldn't fall for this stunning smile?"

y/n felt her smile falter as the audience cheered at the comment. caesar's question suddenly reminded her of the boy back at home, most likely watching the broadcast while he worked late hours to provide for his family. how could she forget? the day he ended their relationship, right before she got pulled into the games. she realized that the days she spent in the capitol were void of ethan, her mind completely focused on training and the day she was dreading.

and maybe a different boy, too.

but caesar's question caused her to swallow thickly, feeling guilty for forgetting about him. the boy she promised her heart to, the one who gave her his love seconds before they were ripped apart.

"well...uh..."

she found herself unable to think of a straight answer. "there...there's this boy..."

caesar hummed, egging her on. "he's the most wonderful person ever, kind and caring, a complete family man," she added, a smile forming as she thought about ethan. "he always prioritized others before himself. took care of his siblings when his parents couldn't. made sure to ask me if i ate even when he had no food."

but the smile didn't last long, soon dropping before she continued, "but we ended things before the reaping because he thought he was going to be reaped. he didn't want me hanging onto him if he died in the arena."

a dry chuckle escaped her lips. "but here i am, standing here instead of him. i guess things didn't turn out the way we expected them to."

caesar had a pitiful expression on his face as the audience cooed, some sniffling in the crowd. "i'm sorry about that," he said, placing his hand on top of hers. "i wish you the best of luck in the hunger games."

"thanks, caesar," y/n replied, shooting him a small smile.

"well, there we have it, ladies and gentlemen," the host concluded, helping her stand up. "from district 7, the brave and courageous y/n l/n!"

he raised her hand, letting y/n take in all the applause as the crowd stood and cheered. she left momentarily afterwards, welcoming herself into tiffany's arms backstage.

"darling, you did amazing," she said, rubbing her shoulders soothingly. y/n knew why tiffany was reacting this way but chose not to speak, appreciating the moment of comfort the escort provided her.

she escaped her arms, stepping closer to the screen backstage to watch jay's interview. he was already on stage, seated next to caesar with a charming smile.

"so jay, tell me, how is it that such an attractive man is sitting here right next to me? hm? do tell."

jay chuckled at the host's comment. "well, i'm just alright. but if you insist, i think it must be the brows."

"no need to be humble, jay. but are my red eyebrows as dashing as yours?" caesar questioned, raising his brows repeatedly. "if i'm being honest, i think mine are better." the audience howled with laughter, causing both jay and caesar to join with the crowd.

"now, tell me," the host continued. "do you have a special someone? our gorgeous district 7 tributes surely do not lack in the beauty department, do they folks?"

the audience cheered as a soft smile formed on jay's face. "look at him! jay park, with the jawline and the muscles! surely you had admirers back home, didn't you?"

jay chuckled again before speaking, "well, caesar, i wasn't really that desirable-"

"humble again," caesar interrupted by fake-whispering to the audience, inducing more laughter from the crowd.

"-but i did have my eyes on this girl from home," jay finished, piquing the host's interest. "oh! do tell."

"she's from the same neighborhood as me," jay added. "actually, we're next door neighbors."

the audience gasped with excitement and shock. but y/n froze, eyes never leaving the screen backstage. she knew that no one in the capitol knew they were next door neighbors--nobody except for y/n and jay themselves.

"i wish i could've talked to her more before i left, but i was reaped unexpectedly," jay said with a frown.

caesar matched the frown on the tribute's face. "well, you go out and win those games, and you tell her how you feel when you get home, okay?"

jay awkwardly smiled, responding with a small, "okay."

"ladies and gentlemen, the charismatic jay park from district 7!" caesar finished, triggering cheering and applause from the audience.

y/n watched as he exited the stage, approaching where she was standing with their team. tiffany immediately sauntered up to him, patting him on the back. "marvelous, darling! you answered so well!"

jay shot a weak smile at the escort before meeting y/n's eyes, already knowing that she figured it out. he quickly left backstage, heading towards the elevator to go to their apartment.

but y/n followed him, narrowly squeezing into the elevator just before its doors closed. jay gulped, avoiding her eyes as she stepped closer to him, leaning against the glass windows.

"jay," she began, softening her voice. "was...was that about-"

"yes."

he locked his gaze with hers, clenching his jaw tightly. "it was about you."

y/n's eyebrows furrowed, parting her lips to speak. "but-"

"i'm sorry that i feel this way and i completely understand if you don't feel the same," jay interrupted. "but nothing is going to change how i feel. i know that one of us will die, or maybe even both of us. but i can't help it."

the elevator dinged, its doors opening to the seventh floor. jay exited, followed by y/n, not turning around to look at her as he stopped at the entrance of their apartment. "i have feelings for you, y/n. and i know i shouldn't be having them when we're fighting against death in less than 24 hours."

"jay, wait-"

he opened their apartment door, immediately leaving her at the foyer as he made a beeline to his room. the loud slamming of his door echoed around the apartment, making an obvious statement to y/n.

y/n could barely force herself to sleep last night. with the hunger games dawning upon her and jay's words ringing in her ears, she spent most of her night tossing and turning under the covers.

but as she sat in the jet, transporting her to the arena with a tracker in her arm, she realized that the one event she dreaded most was finally happening. there was no turning back--the games were about to begin.

johanna led her to her tube in the launch room, brushing off her brown jacket seconds before the tributes had to be ready. y/n's hair was tied up away from her face, sporting a cropped vest of armor and black cargo pants under her long track jacket.

"remember, avoid being lured into the cornucopia but grab anything nearby," her mentor advised, straightening the collar of the jacket. "and find a source of water and food as early as possible. burn out all fires before it gets dark and make sure to hide well."

johanna paused, placing her hands on y/n's shoulders. "and please, stay alive. i believe in you."

y/n nodded. "thanks for everything, johanna."

the mentor smiled, a hint of uneasiness in her face. "they'll start the countdown soon. don't jump off the pedestal early, or they'll blow your guts out."

y/n stepped inside the launch tube, watching as the glass door swiveled around to a close. she felt the ground beneath her rise as johanna waved goodbye to her, causing y/n to smile sadly back.

she turned her head upwards, squinting her eyes as the dark space flooded with light. her tube stopped moving, locking into place as a burning heat overwhelmed her body. she scanned the arena, her heart beating faster than ever.

"the countdown begins now. 60..."

it was a ruined city. all rubble and dry concrete. the sunlight was pelting on them like a fire, breaking the tributes out into a sweat. a single pillar, chipped at some of the edges, was surrounded by backpacks and weapons alike. some of the supplies were spread out, varying in locations across the cornucopia.

"...45..."

y/n noticed a backpack a couple of meters away from her. she locked her eyes on it, planning to grab it before running.

"...30..."

she blinked harshly, the dryness of the heat getting to her eyes. she noticed jay several pedestals away from her, already looking at her.

"...20..."

her hands were already sweaty and shaking from both the anxiety and heat. but jay's eyes comforted her, slightly relaxing the stress in her body. it was as if all the tension from last night between them evaporated into thin air.

"...10..."

she felt her chest heaving, struggling to breathe from the rapid beating in her chest and the dust in the air.

"...9..."

she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down.

"...8..."

she inhaled slowly and took her time to exhale.

"...7..."

she opened her eyes, adjusting her eyes to the bright sun again.

"...6..."

she eyed the backpack in front of her, feeling her heart racing even more.

"...5..."

she looked at jay, who was preparing to run.

"...4..."

he met her stare, their eyes locking with each other.

"...3..."

she mouthed a "stay alive."

"...2..."

he nodded as his lips said, "you too."

"...1..."

within the end of a second, the 73rd hunger games had begun.

© snwpcktz

taglist: @kpopstanmeg @kyunlov

[thereminzone]

WOW!!! FINALLY FINISHED THIS ONE!!!

This work used a lot of textures! Wikimedia was my best friend, particularly for the macro shot of the wing scales used in the backdrop (H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons) and the photo layered over the barcode (Michael Hanselmann, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons). I think it lends a really nice mixed media feel to this :D

These two are the other two members of THREAT DISPLAY!!!, the fake band for my dnd character Helvia. Rambling about them below the cut for context! Warning, it's long. And probably requires the context provided by the post I made about Helvia.

As is made probably blindingly obvious by this illustration, I continued the name of naming/loosely basing the design on a bug with a threat display, in this case being the peacock butterfly, Aglais Io! It's a really neat creature, being one of the only butterflies as far as I know to have a drastically different pattern when viewed dorsally versus ventrally

Obviously I pulled this pattern as directly as possible for Aegis's (left) jacket, but it's also on the inner lining of Vanessa's (right) overskirt. It's better visible in the earlier basic ref for them:

They look awfully similar.. and that's because they are twins! That's a lie, actually, but it's what the marketing of the band wants you to think. In reality, they are the same exact model of robot, meant to look human in comparison to Helvia, styled differently. They kind of have a complex about this, as would be expected if you were created and saw someone with your exact face who you are more or less put in competition with, and also told that neither of you really matter? It's a gimmick at best. They're not meant to be the real stars here, so it's easier if the public can just lump them together and let them fade into the background. I can't stress just how unimportant these two were considered in comparison to Helvia- they didn't appear in much marketing, and when they did, they were treated more like props. They weren't given unique identities, no fake memories unlike Helvia, just set into this situation with the expectation that they should know they are not important, they are not unique, and anything they do should be to further support Helvia.

Ultimately, though, they are very different people, especially in how they felt about this.

Aegis more or less resigned himself to this, he didn't see the point in trying to fight it or change the situation. He tried to not make anyone upset, stay neutral, do what was asked of him without thinking about it too hard. Sort of dissociating king? I think he internalized the fact that he's not "supposed to be a real person", and it influenced his behavior. He can acknowledge the horror of his situation, but doesn't find the point in fighting it.

Vanessa, meanwhile, finds none of it acceptable. She hates this. She hates the fact that she is a product and a tool and not even an important enough one to be given a basic sense of identity. Giving very "malicious compliance", she can't do much, but she took every opportunity to make it clear just how much she can't stand any of this. She felt that Aegis was a coward, especially because he would always be there to condescend to her, saying it's in her best interest to give up any time she got in serious trouble.

They, predictably, had a pretty rocky relationship because of this. Indirectly pitted against eachother for any amount of minimal spotlight that wasn't going to Helvia in hopes of being given any sort of grace, they also had no one else to rely on? Certainly not any staff, and CERTAINLY not Helvia, there's no one else that understood the unique horror of their situation quite so much as each other, even if they responded in wildly different ways. They had eachother's back, unspoken. Aegis telling Vanessa to 'just give up' is equally an attempt to prevent her from getting hurt further as Vanessa telling Aegis to 'stop letting this happen to you'– they just think that their respective poor coping mechanism is the way to go, when in reality it just means they each continue to be hurt. Dude these guys suck. As much as the twins marketing thing is a sore subject, in a sick way they end up actually having a sibling-adjacent relationship, I think.

As for their relationships with Helvia? Arguably more complicated.

It's a mess. Nobody is having a good time, except maybe Helvia telling herself she's having a good time. The closer they were to her, the better shot they had at actually being treated like they were interesting or important by marketing, and it created obviously an environment that was Not Good! They each had tumultuous on-and-off relationships with her as was directly encouraged of them, regardless of how anyone actually felt. It doesn't help that Helvia herself treated them carelessly, obviously told that they were there for Her– and as someone who wholesale bought into the image she was created for, who was in denial about the fact that she was literally a product, she wasn't exactly receptive to any of their struggles. Aegis pitied her despite their similarities, while Vanessa pretty much wanted her dead. It's bad. It's sooo bad. It's messy.

As for what they're up to now? No clue yet <3 they've yet to appear and I kind of already have terminal brain illnesses about them, if the above paragraphs didn't make it already obvious. Honestly this was just me making half decent art of them to post as in introduction to them before I drop the uh. 12 page comic I made in a fugue state during finals week. So keep a look out for that, I guess!

[ghenry]

What do you think of GHMs more "Mainstream" titles such as LC, SoTD and NMH3 compared against their more underground works like Killer7, Silver Case and NMH1. I find the latter has a sense of mystique and weirdness that's missing from the former when the studio seemed pigeon-holed in a brand of "Sex, Violence and quirky"

I've been meaning to write about this here, so good question! I gave it a lot of thought after finding a JPN copy of Killer Is Dead and seeing this within the box;

Here's a quote of Suda reflecting on the production of said game;

Suda was not interested in eroticism when it came to his company's games. However, the more mainstream games GHM made (without his direction) were full of instances that were little more than eye candy. Sex appeal for the sake of it. And much of that was against Suda's will;

Paula running around in a thong (and even tits out a couple times if you played the NA version) throughout Shadows of the Damned also reminds me of Tim Rogers recalling his time working at Grasshopper as a designer in the late 2000s. He sat in a lot of meetings with Suda talking to EA and mentioned a time Suda talked about a save function idea he thought of while reflecting on Travis always using a toilet to save in the NMH games.

An early idea was Garcia going to bed with a woman every time he had to save. This was likely when the game was still going to be open world-ish and Garcia was single. From how Tim Rogers talked about this, it was pretty much the only idea Suda had that EA actually showed interest in. Obviously this idea never panned out, instead saving being delegated to a little demon that poops to signify a saved game. Funny that it connects to NMH's toilet save function in that way.

Something else worth bringing up would be the "gigolo missions" from Killer Is Dead. This also derived from a concept Suda had for Shadows of the Damned where Garcia was gonna take girls out on dates, bring flowers, and it'd actually be cute and romantic. At least, from how he described it.

(These screenshots are from Feel the Magic, a DS game where you played mini-games as you tried to win the heart of a girl throughout the story)

This idea was repurposed for Killer Is Dead, but, according to Suda, the sexual aspects of it were conjured up by Hideyuki Shin, the game's director. Therefore, it devolved into x-ray glasses, staring at boobs, and giving gifts to a robot that repeated animations. A cannibalization of the original concept.

Suda seemed afraid of Grasshopper's reputation being mutated into an identity he didn't consent to. Sex appeal is not something he really thinks about when it comes to making games. It's not his style;

The only times Suda has shown sexuality in the games he directed is when it's discomforting or deeply disturbing, almost never for eye candy.

I still appreciate games like Shadows of the Damned, Killer Is Dead, and Lollipop Chainsaw. As much as this era of GHM was railroaded to chasing some mainstream trends and trying too hard to be quirky, they still had unique aspects that help them stand out above other games of the same subgenre. But I can't help but notice a fissure between these games and the ones he actually directed. The nuance, mystery, and thought-provoking stories are most prominent when he's the one directing.

I'm not going to fault people for liking eroticism and such in video games. I've played plenty of horny games too, and there's obviously an appeal there. But anyone still expecting that from Suda is barking up the wrong tree. Looking at how he's been handling everything since 2018 makes it even sadder when you reflect how these publishers tried cramming Grasshopper Manufacture into this box they didn't want to be in.

One last thing I have to retort, though. I don't lump No More Heroes 3 with the quirky "mainstream" games the way you did in the question. Sure, NMH3 definitely went for a more mainstream marketing plan and the game got super silly at times, but it still has an interesting narrative with a ton of nuance. Way more than any GHM game between 2010-2016. Hence my 4+ hour long analysis of the game;

Many people even rejected this game outright because the eroticism and scantily-clad female cast was mostly absent. This was likely expectations they built after experiencing games like NMH2, SotD, LC, etc.

Speaking a bit more on the sense of eroticism, it's funny to think how that was admittedly present in NMH1, obnoxiously expanded upon in NMH2, and then mostly done away with in NMH3. Going as far as turning Naomi--and her balloon tits--into a goddamn tree!

However, I don't believe Suda turned Naomi into a tree for the sole purpose of removing her sex appeal. I believe this just further accentuates how that aspect is not something he's interested in or finds important for the game itself. He likely didn't even think of it that way, but instead "Hey, she should be a tree now."

And then there's Kimmy, whose death was not only a very harrowing moment in the game, it was also depicted in a sexual manner. Similar to Bad Girl's death in the original NMH. Note the motions and angles in her death scene.

Like I said, this rather disturbing sense of sexuality is more Suda's vibe. And I'm happy to see he hasn't lost that edge, so many years later. Anyway, thanks for the question! I had a lot of fun writing out this answer.

[myfavlinkistwilight]

Okay, so I've been writing this fanfiction where the chain meets villain versions of themselves, and I I just love them so much, so here is my villainAU chain!!

Gloom/ Villain Twilight

As his name suggests he's a rather gloomy soul, serious, and vicious in combat. He's tall, with a mask that Feral gave him, and with heavier tattoos than Twilight, though not overboard. He's an assassin, though mostly working for Gen, as he's not one to be hired easily. He uses his wolf dorm quite a bit, as nobody would suspect him for any maulings, and he can get away faster. He despises Azure for hurting someone he cared about, and hopes to one day get his revenge on the man. He doesn't hate the royal family as much as most, having interacted the least with them, but still considers them dirt scum, and even assassinated one of the princesses. While Twilight is kind and steady, Gloom is cold and rude at times, however if he cares about someone, then there's nothing he wouldn't do to keep them safe. Most wanted ranking #3

Feral/ Villain Wild

Anybody would say if Wild were a villain, he'd be an arson, and thats very true in this case. He doesn't hate the royal family nearly as much as the others believe, and even might kinda like some of them... While some may break laws for survival, or for revenge, he does it for fun. His strange obsession with lighting things on fire usually ends up with mad dashes from forests so that the group doesn't burn with it, but usually he tries to resist. His redeeming trait is that he can cook, and quite well for their standards, though he burns almost every dish, and only really can make two dishes. With an illegally smuggled fire rod from Tetrad, his job became a lot easier, much to Glooms chagrin. While Wild is honest and brave, Feral is unreliable and shifty, though is good for a joke. Most wanted ranking #6

Tetrad/ Villain Four

Out of the whole group, along with Hyrule, he is the one who doesn't want to hurt people in his feud with the royal family. So, he smith's, and smuggles illegal items to sell on the black market. Often times he buys from Myth to resell stolen wares, though many things he creates himself and distributes. He extremely dislikes the royal family, and if anyone were to start a coup, you could bet he'd support it with his stocks. Very mature, and with a business mindset, he's likely also the least loyal to the rest of the villains, and is the least morally skewed. While Four has strong common sense and loyal, Tetrad can be a bit greedy, and if paid enough, maybe he'd be willing to switch sides... Most wanted ranking #8

Myth/ Villain Legend

He is one of the ones who hates the royal family the absolute most. After they cut off supplies to his home island, despite all the hero work he did for them, he grew resentful. Having to watch someone close to him slowly starve without being able to do much, he wanted to take away from the royal family. Deep down inside he was never blood thirsty or a killer, so he stole. From the two years, it's estimated he stole over seven million rupees worth of stuff from their armory, treasury, and general palace. Most of which he has stored up or sells to Tetrad or his friend Ravio. A master thief, he's high on the wanted list, and has never been seen stealing, except once by a certain hero... While Legend is sharp and good deep down, Myth is hardened with tribulations, and rather callous to others. Most wanted ranking #4

Realm/ Villain Hyrule

He holds almost no personal resentment for the royal family. But hearing the hardships from Myth, he questioned if he was on the wrong side. He decided to join Myth on his stealing ventures, helping pull off nearly impossible stunts, like stealing princess Dusk's rapier, and princess Flora's slate. Desperate to prove himself to his friend, he's willing to go to far lengths to prove his worth, as often times he feels he doesn't belong in their group. He eventually was good friends with Feral, and the two got into many scandals. He's by far the most trusting and innocent of the group, but not naive. While Hyrule is humble and reliable... so is Realm! *gasp* Most wanted ranking. N/A

Gen/ Villain Time

He holds the most resentment out of all of them for the royal family. Having been exploited and used for their purposes as an orphaned kid, they experimented with magic, trying to lasso time itself. Instead, he ended up as a kid in an adults body. The project was called off, and he was given a small fund of compensation. Fueled by a want of revenge, he plunged into the underworld, and with ruthless measures became a crime lord. Known from the petty thieves to the blood thirsty killers, his reach is everywhere. He has knowledge of much, and his plans involve over throwing the royal family, though that would come in due time... having pitied Twilight, he mentored him and occasion hires him to take out competition. While Time is mature and wise, Gen is rather immature, and manipulative. Most wanted ranking, #2

Azure/ Villain Sky

Likely the most different from his counterpart, Azure is a blood thirsty killer. Many said his heart died with princess Sun, which may as well be true as that triggered his first mass murder. Having no goals, instead to kill anyone he wanted, his sanity is questionable. On his figure he wears a torn bloodstained clothe around his neck like a cape, a gift from his lover. He hates Gloom with a loathing, and the two cannot be left alone or he may snap and attack the man. He hates the royal family for their lack of response for the death of his lover, and partially blames them for it. He's a talented musician though, his harp playing a soothing melody. While Sky is gentle and joyful, Azure is unstable and sadistic. Most wanted ranking #1

Legion/ Villain Warriors

Holding a large grudge against the royal family, his most famous move is the attempted coup of the royal family. It is said he managed to get the princesses at sword point, but was convinced by an old friend to spare them. He now considers it a moment of disgrace, and works as a mercenary, doing jobs for money. He eventually met Gust, taking to him like a younger brother, and funding the boy's pirate crew. He's intelligent and a genius in strategy, the main reason the group managed to evade the royal family for so long. He can kill very casually, and isn't afraid to get a job done. He was once revered as a military leader, he felt disposed of when the royal family forced him to retire after a war many considered to be his fault. While Warriors is prideful and charismatic, he's rather blunt, but still prideful lol. Most wanted ranking #5

Gust/ Villain Wind

Just a young lad, yet having been through as much as most of the other villains, he's a bit unhinged at time. He hates any and all authority, but will listen to Gen, as he looks up to and adores the man. Deeply tanned with scars that tell of his trials, and a hook he wears because he thinks it makes him look cool, his time of being a pirate have worn on him. While he travels with his friends, his friend Tetra watches their group. He doesn't despise most of the royal family, though thinks they are annoying. When his home island was in trouble he needed to save it himself by grouping with a pirate crew. After being chastised by the royal family, he decided to screw them and join a pirate crew. An absolute menace on the seas, he raids any royal ship, surprisingly successful often. He will raid villages if he needs food, but that's it. While Wind is outgoing and care-free, Gust is unhinged, but surprisingly thoughtful at times. Most wanted ranking #6

hehe, doubt anyone will see this, but I've been thinking about them alot...

[rubyrootwo]

hey 911 tumblr, as much as i love the show it contains a lot of content that could be triggering to someone who endured any sort of harmful relationship . so, ive compiled a list of every episode i could find that included dv or sa triggers

disclaimer beforehand, this list is continuing to grow as i have only just begun season 7 and may have missed some things (i am accepting advice and suggestions on episodes or details to include) also this goes without saying but this WILL include heavy spoilers

****i know i'm missing an episode in here but i can't remember which one so if anyone remembers please let me know. it's the one where the girl saves a woman from a toxic relationship and her angry husband kills one of them and attempts to kill the other.****

season 1: episode 2; buck gets sa/d by his therapist, not graphic, violent or later discussed but he still gets taken advantage of by someone in a position of power 

season 1: episodes 7&8; hen sleeps with her ex-wife, could be considered a reaction to extreme gaslighting or manipulation 

season 2: episode 1; maddies ex-husband (doug) threatens her over the phone. not particularly scary at first watch but after what happens later it brings bad connotations and could be triggering

season 2: episode 10; doug shows up at the last 5 minutes of the episode and stabs chimney, good to watch up until then essentially 

season 2: episode 11; maddie goes missing, chimney is in the hospital, i generally recommend skipping this one

season 2: episode 12; a good break from maddies assault but still discusses chimney being stabbed

season 2: episode 13; if you're have an issue with domestic violence, kidnapping, or assault skip. this. one.

season 3: episode 10; maddie has flashbacks but it's not the whole premise of the episode

season 3: episode 16; serial rapist on the loose, brief images of women being assulted

season 3: episode 17; again, about the serial rapist, i skipped most scenes with him in it but he assults athena

season 5: episodes 1, 2,3; the rapist is back, he murders a woman and licks athenas undergarments, he ends up kidnapping athenas son, generally recommended skipping this storyline if you skipped maddies. (also worth noting they unpack this series of events a significant amount in the season, with flashbacks and other things but usually referencing harry's kidnapping and not athenas abuse related trauma)

season 6: episode 4; one scene near the middle of the episode features a mother and daughter being threatened and kidnapped by the father. the mother gets injured but doesn't die. later in the episode maddie gets the girl and her mother help and they both end up fine, its actually kind of heartwarming

season 6: episode 11; freaking doug shows up again, in this alternate story maddie is still married to him and still being abused. buck tries to get her to leave and she doesn't.

season 7: episode 6; doug shows up a few too many times for my liking while chimney is confused. the first time he appears he discusses maddie having to stab him and even stabs chimney. later he shows up covered in blood. he shows up a third time after chimney saved people at the farmers market. a fourth after chimney wakes up on the floor of a garage of some sort and discusses abusing maddie.

season 7: episode 7; the episode begins with a woman named catherine calling 911 who cannot speak freely. catherine's husband intercepts the 911 call and crashes the car on the side of the road. the husband abducts the baby after the crash and sets the car on fire. this specific scene ends roughly five minutes into the episode but the story continues throughout. the most triggering part's are when maddie and chimney are taking about the case and when the man is at the park

season 7; episode 8; bobby has a couple flashbacks to his childhood where his dad screams at his mom alot, hits his older brother, and is generally a drunk asshole. it's nothing too bad but definitely worth nothing the domestic neglect

[tohisprettyc00l]

Wild witch! reader x Hunter

A/n: This takes place during season 2a. Also your 16.

p/n: palisman's name

f/f: favorite flavor

You were very well known around the Boiling Isles! But less of a celebrity and more of a wanted criminal. Not that many people disliked you, but not many people dare talk to you. Which definitely hurt. But you carried on, not like you could do much about it. I mean you could get a sigil but there was no way in hell that was happening. So for now you'll have to deal with the dirty looks and getting chased by scouts.

When you were going about your daily routine you noticed a few scouts and sighed. You pulled your palisman out in preparation. But the leader of the group caught your eye. The Golden Guard. Most of the time it was some other random scout. On a day that you could assume much wasn't going on it was Warden Wrath. So needless to this was more than a shock. You rationed they most likely weren't here for you. I mean in a market a whole bunch of shady business was going on. Nonetheless, you made sure they couldn't see you just in case.

While you were trying to avoid needing to break out of the Conformatorium again, just in case they saw you. But then you overheard The Golden Guard talk and instruct the scouts to find you. Well, there goes any hope of having a normal day at the market. You grumbled as you snuck towards a stand selling rotten candy and Hex-Mix. The vendor's eyes shifted to you and a wanted poster of you. "Are you-" "Yeah, yeah can you just give me the Hex-Mix?" You tossed a few snails on the counter. The vendor quickly gave you a bag and gestured for you to leave.

You got on your palisman and prepared to leave. "There they are!" You heard a voice yell. "Here we go." You thought out loud. You started to speed off while you overheard The Golden Guard yelling at scouts behind you. You made a bunch of random twists and turns to get them off your trail but they would just not leave you alone. "Titan didn't know anyone in the Emperor's Coven was competent." You thought. Suddenly magical rope constricted you. After some struggle, you broke free. After that mini-heart attack, you went as fast as you could finally losing them. You landed on top of a mountain and sighed. The first time it was a challenge to get away. Hopefully, that was a one-time thing. But nothing could go your way when it comes to the law, could it?

The next week you saw the same Golden uniform. Right as you comprehended who it was, the figure was running towards you. The same magic rope was shot at you but you moved out of the way. "Y'know I thought it was pretty cool to be more wanted than Eda. But I somehow forgot this part of it." You stopped the rope with plants. You heard the Golden Guard groan from behind his mask. You chuckled and wrapped yourself in abomination goop, transporting yourself to your house. You looked at P/n and sighed. "I'm sorry but it seems like you're going to need to fly a lot whenever we go out." Your palisman nodded playfully. "Such as now, I still need to get griffin eggs."

You thought about putting an invisibility spell on yourself when you first entered, but you would just get rid of it in the end. So you flew to the market, fully visible. You quickly bought griffin eggs and then left. But suddenly you were wrapped in abomination goop. You tried to break free but couldn't. "There's no way to break free, so don't waste your energy, or do, I don't care." The Golden guard said. He started walking with you. "So why do you arrest wild witches." "It's against the Titan's will." You raised one of your eyebrows. "But the Titan made wild magic. Also, they didn't make sigils." The Golden Gaurd paused. "Stop trying to mess with my head." He snapped out. "Okay?"

You soon aboard a ship. he slightly shoved you onto the ground. "So what's your name?" You asked as you got up. The guard started to whistle. "Hey!" You yelled. You could tell he tensed up a little bit. "What's your name?" "You don't need to know." He stated. "I wanna know who's kidnapping me." "If I tell you will you shut up." "Probably not. But I'm not going to stop asking until you tell me." He grunted. "Fine. My name is Hunter." "Cool my names y/n." "Yeah, I know."

You walked over to Hunter and kept asking him questions. "Shut up and sit back down." You just rolled your eyes. "Okay tell me, witch, what will shut you up?" "Besides freeing me?" "Besides freeing you." You thought for a moment. "Take me out to diner." Hunter sighed, "Be serious." "I am! Can't go to jail on an empty stomach." "Fine." Hunter drifted the ship downward. He landed at a Dairy scream. "Eyescream? really?" "I didn't have to do this. And besides, there is food besides Eyescream." "Only insane people order burgers a DAIRY scream." "There's cheeseburgers." You slightly chuckled.

Hunter got out a red bird palismen. It turned into its staff from. He did... Something that definitely wasn't abomination magic. It moves the goop from around your waist to around your wrist. You made a mental note of the bird. "There. Now you can eat easier." "I'm probably just going to get an f/f milkshake though." Hunter quickly draw a plant glyph and made it wrap around your legs. "You know glyphs count as wild magic right?" "I don't have anything else to use. It's for the greater good." Hunter excused.

You hummed as you waited for Hunter. He came out with a milkshake. "Okay let's go back to the ship." He shoved the milkshake in your hand. You walked out of the vines with ease. "So why do you have a palismen? I thought Belos hated them." Hunter stiffened and stopped walking. "Yes... But he made an exception." You can tell he was lying but decided not to push it. Soon you arrived back at the ship.

Hunter looked at his watch and became panicked. "Crap, crap, crap uncle's going to kill me!" "Why?" You asked. "I was supposed to be back ten minutes ago!" "So? I've been to the castle it's only five minutes away." Hunter started up the ship. "That's fifteen minutes late! I can't keep disappointing  him." You put down your milkshake and walked over to Hunter. "It's going to be okay dude. You brought me to him didn't you?" That barely seemed to calm him down. "Breath with me." You said. You slowly breathed in and out.

Hunter calmed down and then glared at you. "Why do you care what I feel?" You paused, "I don't know, I guess because you're the nicest out of everyone who arrested me. Also, I've heard that you're only 16. You shouldn't be worried about your uncle punishing you for being 15 minutes late." He paused and he got rid of the handcuffs. "Leave." "What-" "Please just make it seem like you escaped." You nodded and got out p/n. "Ha! You could never keep me in one place for too long!" You exclaimed despite no one being able to hear. you. You winked then flew away. You might not know why Hunter let you leave, but for once, you felt like there was a bright future for you.

A/n: I accidentally copy and paste the fanfiction in the middle of the fanfiction so sorry if I fucked it up sorry.

[mrghostrat]

Omg hi!!! I found your ineffable streamer au like 20 minutes ago and have been BINGING it all. I literally love it so much. And I was wondering, what do other characters do in this au? Are they also streamers? I have been obsessed with beelzebub and Gabriel recently and am still not over them.

Sorry for bothering!!

yessssss. so. i'm not sure if all of these will be mentioned in my fic, but i've planned them out just in case. this got long, so im folding it up to save the dash

quick precursor for everyone less familiar with twitch culture, a Stream Team is just as it sounds: a group of streamers on the same "team", usually for promotional purposes (your team is listed on your channel, and shows all the other channels in that team). sometimes it's just a group of friends who want to have a name and banner, sometimes they're more professionally put together, with collaborations and promotional opportunities for their members.

crowley used to be a member of The Demons, a casual stream team of chaotic, slightly toxic friends. current Demons include beelzebub, shax, and furfur (amongst others). aside from beelzebub, crowley can't stand any of them now and does his best to ignore/avoid them. he'd much rather stream independently than tie himself to a team and all its inevitable politics and drama.

a team that's more explicitly mentioned in my fic is The Dark Council, a professional-level team of variety streamers. socials are run by dagon, and fufur is ITCHING to be noticed by them.

gabriel is a bit of a work in progress for me. i think he's aziraphale and crowley's partner manager (basically twitch staff, managers are liasons between the company and the contracted streamers, who will answer questions and assist them with promotion, account issues, taxes, irl events etc).

i'm toying with the idea of his dual identities being tied to his twitch account: IRL he is Jim, a chill guy who is new to the whole world of streaming, but has years of excellent pr/marketing experience. he doesn't really know anyone yet and is still trying to prove himself as a new staff member, so he slips into a bit of a fake-it-till-you-make-it mask of confidence when he's working, speaking more brashly, typing more professionally differently in work emails, getting right to business. aziraphale likes him because he knows he's sweet enough underneath it all, while crowley calls him gabriel as a joke because his username is SupremeArchangel -- so it takes forever for anyone to click that he and aziraphale have the same manager.

ooh and they've been mentioned in other posts here and there, but to keep it all in one place: nina and anathema are crowley's mods, and i think anathema streams games and tarot readings for fun here and there. newt and maggie are aziraphale's mods-- newt yearns to be a streamer and he tries often enough, but always runs into some kind of issue where he locks himself out of his vods or his audio desyncs halfway through. i like to imagine that aziraphale has many mods like tracy as well, just a big rotation of people who pop in to help whenever they can.

[linkemon]

Boysband AU headcanons (4ggravate) 2

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, 4ggravate is the Sumeru guys who started a boyband. It comes from the same series as the widely known in the fandom 4nemo.

Working with idol groups involves trends changing like in a kaleidoscope. When 4ggravate entered the scene, it quickly became clear that they would conquer the world. Your label, after the huge success of 4nemo, decided to take another boys under their wing. You didn't know then how much work you would have to put into promoting them on the market...

Kaveh

✧ The most expressive member of the group. You'd even say it makes up for everyone else in this regard.

✧ Always there if you need to record additional video or behind-the-scenes content. This is what his fans see most often and he is the most into social media.

✧ It also has its downsides. Kaveh can be dramatic to the point where it's annoying. If he feels like it, he will walk out of the meeting with the film crew, complaining and slamming the door. Unfortunately, it will often be up to you to bring him back to finish the ad.

✧ He and Alhaitham are constantly arguing, which was a shock to you because they've known each other the longest out of the team. You usually try not to take sides or take turns so that neither of the two will take offense at you.

✧ Kaveh will dance, play, sing... He will fill any role if need be and he will be good at it. However, he feels the best while playing instruments.

✧ He studied architecture and constantly reminds that he knows art. However, this is not idle talk. He happens to come up with brilliant ideas about clothes or scenery while shooting music videos.

✧ Drinks secretly outside the studio. He almost got busted once when someone from the management decided to come to the apartment to hand over the documents but you just arrived before them and managed to put the can in your purse at the last minute.

✧ He wanted to thank you somehow and gave you the keychain. He once bought some handmade ones. He gives them only to exceptional people in his opinion.

Cyno

✧ He as an innate sense of justice. You can be sure that if anyone sees someone hurt, it will definitely be Cyno. He never stands aside. He immediately confronts who he needs to, which often put his career on the line. He would probably be willing to sacrifice it for the greater good. For example, he points it out to the older employees if they use younger ones on the set. He does it even at the cost of unpleasantness towards him. He has earned a reputation as unapproachable and stickler among industry associates.

✧ He loves to play cards. He collects entire collections of them. His favorite card game is TCG Genius Invocation. It got you interested enough to get into it. He's very happy about that because being in 4ggravate has made it a bit difficult for him to find someone he can physically play with without spreading rumors. He loves to explain the new rules to you and show you what he has hunted for his collection.

✧ There was a time when, like Kaveh, he argued with Alhaitham. Whatever happened, one day he came back changed. Since then, they've at least respected each other and making your life a little easier.

✧ He is often given rap parts to sing. Mainly because of his low voice.

✧ Fans marvel at how different he can be. The media tried to create his image as quite dark. This is how new fans often see him. Meanwhile, when they spend a little time with him, they understand that this is not the case at all.

✧ A dedicated Cyno fan site was created to collect his jokes. They are very dry. Some people even send him their suggestions for him to tell on streams.

Alhaitham

✧ Alhaitham believes in peace and quiet. You asked him once why he stayed at 4ggravate then. He replied that in this way he would earn enough to have money for his dream life for a long time. He calculated it all. He even showed you the entire spreadsheet on the computer.

✧ You don't know how he does it but he's learning all the time. Be it from books or from various types of courses. Ask him anything, about everything. He will always have an answer.

✧ He writes the lyrics of the songs. With no exception. He has a gift for words. He always knows how to put them together to use rhymes or puns. Composing is not his strong point, so the worst moment is when he has to collaborate with Kaveh, who is better in this field. Not that he would ever admit it.

✧ If he could, he would avoid interviews and meetings with fans. He doesn't like any of these activities. He goes mostly because he has to. For this reason, he does not have as many fans as Kaveh, but he is not very interested in it. The people who choose him as their favorite are usually those who are deeply interested in his words and where he draws inspiration from. And they always get accurate and in-depth answers that make him their number one forever.

✧ He does not part with the headphones. So much so that it became his sign. One time Kaveh took it for fun when he wasn't looking and broke them. You didn't want them to fight again, so you took the blame and returned it to him after it was fixed. He immediately knew it wasn't you and made you promise not to take the blame on yourself again. Despite this, the next day, there were notes on your desk regarding the marketing strategy for the next quarter. Interestingly, better than you'd ever do yourself...

Tighnari

✧ Tighnari has a very sensitive musical ear. Thanks to this, he remembers songs extremely quickly, especially new ones and perfectly matches the rhythm by dancing. He is usually praised above all for his flawless choreography.

✧ The boy is vegan. He deeply believes in unity with nature. In his opinion, there is no need to use animals in this way. Half of his social media consists of this.

✧ Helped launch an eco-friendly line of stuffed animals called Aranara. He gave you one of his first pieces as a thank you for helping with their publicity campaign.

✧ He lives in the belief that being an idol will allow him to convey certain values to his fans. He attaches great importance to the educational aspect. He often comes up with themes for new albums and is able to cleverly combine them with previous or subsequent ones.

✧ Tighnari is known for his sarcastic statements, which is why interviewers love him. He skillfully sweeps them away and hits remarks back, making them borderline controversial. Their viewership is really high.

✧ Hates the heat. You used to shoot scenes for a music video in the desert. You remember that he was perfectly prepared then. That's not to say he didn't complain about the heat but he was one of the few members on set who didn't get sunstroke. He reminded you regularly to drink plenty of water and lent you his hat.

✧ At the beginning of his career, he received a headband with rabbit ears from his younger friend Collei. When they were younger, they attended several survival camps organized by their school together. To this day, she is his biggest fan. Tighnari only pulls out these ears on special occasions.

[canonical-transformation]

Genshin ships: stock market update (Natlan Act 1+2)

(Warning: May contain spoilers for character appearances and dynamics in [Chapter 5 Act 1–2] Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn and Black Stone Under a White Stone. Previous entries here.) This is for entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice: consult with your ship financial advisor before you invest.

4.0 has landed, and our analysts have been watching with interest as Natlan characters have started listing on the Genshin ship market. Here's our recommendations for the weeks ahead.

---

Citlali/Mualani is held together by a single drip marketing quote, but what a quote. BUY OR HOLD.

Mavuika/Xilonen, on the other hand, does not have a proven profit model. No, the potential for a ship name that sounds like "melanin" isn't reason enough to invest. SELL

(Note: Since Xilonen's drip marketing has landed, let's take a second to examine all the cat themed ships. Xilonen/Dehya and Xilonen/Kirara are too hard to call this far out. Xilonen/Lynette and Xilonen/Diona have boring chemistry, SELL / don't bother. And Xilonen/Keqing... oh Keqing would hate her. Hmm. Watch this space, HOLD OR BUY.)

(No, not all cat related ships find success. The recent bankruptcy and dissolution of Osse/Neko should be proof enough.)

Kachina/Bennett — ⚠️ we typically don't cover selfcest ships because there are too many of them. In this case, we'll make an exception to note it's extra unlikely. They're both too busy having coming of age stories and joining each other's teams (not a euphemism) to have any chemistry. SELL.

Kachina/Lumine, Kachina/Aether — sorry, the Traveller is already too busy being the Wise Old Mentor in the first book of Kachina's YA trilogy. SELL— wait does that mean Traveller's going to die 😐

Mavuika/Lumine, Mavuika/Aether — Constantly inviting us to drinks, her shout or Traveller's; long private chats about the family she never talks about to anyone else; giving up her antiques collection as a show of commitment: that is textbook mid-40's cool aunt flirtation. BUY BUY BUY.

Kinich/Mualani — our analysts describe this as "the equivalent of buying the first thing you see in the store", which I think means SELL.

Atea/Mavuika — There's definitely a little chemistry there, but we're unlikely to see further developments. HOLD OR SELL

Atea/Aether — HOLD OR SELL

Atea/Lumine — HOLD OR BUY. If haircuts had sexualities[...]

Small cap market ("rarepairs")

Mualani/that one bandit in her character teaser: nah, no chemistry, she's like that to everyone who tries to rob her. SELL for two-sided, HOLD OR SELL for one-sided.

Tenoch/Tupac — yeah that's been solid enemies to lovers ever since Talking Stick dropped in 4.0. The character model reveals for both of them have only increased the quality here. BUY

Chaac/Waxaklahun Ubah Kan — SELL. Way too early. If you're interested in obscure antiques maybe try Alain/Rene or Marfisa/Parsifal instead?

On that note, our analysts were intrigued by the Heroes of Cinder City. “It's an OT5 RPG adventuring party!” they explain, “like all those tabletop podcasts!” They were, however, quick to note that this was in the same potential rocky area as all Cataclysm-era ships, so HOLD at best.

Little One/Ushi — yeah sure why not. BUY

But coverage of the world quests will have to wait for a future report. In the meantime, let us know what your market predictions are!

Sidebar: phonetics

Wikipedia provides charts for converting writing systems (e.g. romanisations of languages) into the international phonetic alphabet. Below are examples for a couple of languages found across the Pacific Ring of Fire.

May your phone calls with your ship stockbroker be tienari-free!

[vodika-vibes]

A Spirited Love

Summary: Several years ago, you found a clone helmet on the black market, with his Spirit bound to it. And now, you and Jesse are partners, and maybe more.

Tagging: ARC Trooper Jesse x Reader

Word Count: 2773

Warnings: Smut. Sex between a ghost and a human. Breeding kink. Mentions of Order 66

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni

A/N: So, I had an idea, and while this wasn't originally going to be smut, it became smut, so go me? Why am I like this when it comes to Jesse. I may, or may not, write a sequel to this one if there's any interest.

You like your job. More than just like it, honestly. You love it.

It’s not the safest, perhaps, but it is important.

You’re a ghost hunter.

Well. Sort of.

You also hunt down other monsters and crawlies that go bump in the night.

And you’re not the only Ghost Hunter on Coruscant, but you are the most effective. Largely because you spend most of your time researching and actually hunting monsters, rather than talking about it to the news.

Sure, this means that you don’t get quite as many cases as some other agencies, but the cases you do get tend to be more complicated than some of the larger agencies can handle.

Which is ironic, if you think about it too hard.

The biggest downside to your career, is that you work, almost exclusively, at night. Which means that you don’t exactly have a bustling social life. Which is totally fine with you…you have all the friends you need.

You push into your office (which is also your apartment) and lightly rap two knuckles on the helmet sitting neatly on your desk, “Rise and shine, beautiful.”

Nothing happens for a moment, and then the helmet’s visor glows for a moment, and the next moment a spirit is standing next to your desk. The man, a former ARC Trooper for the GAR, stretches and yawns, and then flashes a lopsided grin at you, “You look like shit, babe.” Jesse says as he folds his legs to float in the air next to you.

“Yeah, yeah. I’d like you to deal with a Woman in White without coming out looking a little ragged.” You grumble as you drop into your seat behind your desk, “Anything exciting happen while I was out?”

“Mm. The assholes from the Redd Agency tried to break in, so I activated your defenses.” Jesse replies easily, as he floats over to hover jest next to you, “They’re getting pushier.”

You make a face, “I know, I know.” You push your fingers through your hair, and then lean your chin on the palm of your hand, “I’ll just have to start bringing you with me when I go on cases.”

“That was always my preference.” Jesse agrees, “Have you found a way to transfer my connection?”

“I have.” You pull a necklace out of your pocket, “What do you think?”

“Hm…” He takes the necklace from your hand, and examines it closely. For a spirit, Jesse is surprisingly solid, capable of interacting with objects with an ease that surprises you to this day.

You lean back in your seat and you watch Jesse curiously, awaiting his decision.

Five years ago, the Galaxy was at war. The Republic against the Separatists. Four years ago, the Jedi were eradicated when Palpatine enacted order 66, activating the control chips in the Clone Soldiers, and Palpatine turned the Republic into his own personal Empire.

Three and a half years ago things went…wrong.

Here’s what you know from your investigations over the years. It started with a tear under what used to be the Jedi Temple. A small tear, small enough that, had anyone noticed it, this whole event could have been stopped before it began. But either no one noticed it, or no one cared to notice it.

The longer it was ignored, the larger the tear grew, until it was too large to be ignored…and too large to be closed. 

And then things started happening. What things, exactly, you’ve never been able to figure out, as anyone who witnessed it first hand either died to the first wave of monsters…or became monsters themselves.

But what is commonly accepted knowledge is that Palpatine’s actions directly led to the situation as it now exists. 

It also led to the 5 km deadzone, centered on the former Jedi Temple. No one lives in the deadzone, no one living can enter the deadzone without getting ripped to shreds. 

As of now, it’s patrolled by B1 battledroids. 

As for Jesse-

Your gaze drifts to his helmet, according to him he was killed when his ship went down soon after Order 66 went out. And when the event started, his soul ended up getting bound to his helmet. You have a theory that Jesse’s not actually dead, but until such time that you’re able to get to Mandalore to investigate you’ll keep your theory to yourself.

Still, in three years, Jesse’s the most unique spirit you’ve ever met.

“This should work. You’ll be okay wearing me every day?” Jesse asks with an arched brow.

“It’s an anchor, Jess. Not you personally.” You reply with a roll of your eyes as you take the necklace back, “Do you know what you have to do to anchor yourself to it?”

“Better than you do.” He counters snarkily, “Go ahead and lay the necklace on top of my helmet, and then move both into your bedroom.”

You raise an eyebrow.

“Don’t give me that look, I’m not going to peek at you in the shower.” Jesse says as he folds his arms, “I’m not going to be able to sound the alarm if someone breaks in while I’m moving.”

“Fine, fine.” You push to your feet with a groan, the aches and pains from the night coming back to haunt you, and you grab his helmet and the necklace and head into your room. 

You set Jesse’s helmet on your bedside table, and carefully lay the necklace on top of it. And Jesse leans over your shoulder, “Hm…that looks right.” He’s warm, both his body pressed against your back and his breath against your neck. It’s weird. Spirits, ghosts, are cold. Not warm.

You reach up and light pat his cheek, solid, warm, and you can even feel his stubble under your fingers.

Jesse really is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. “Have fun moving,” You say as you step around him, you’re not sure you’d be able to walk through him if you tried. “I’m going to shower.”

His eyes are bright, “Want some company?”

“You need to get moving.” You point out.

“That’s not a no,” He replies with a grin, and you roll your eyes, causing him to laugh. Jesse winks at you, and then he blinks out of sight, and as you turn towards the fresher, you notice the helmet and the necklace glowing faintly.

By the time you shower, tend to your bruises, and step back into your bedroom properly, Jesse is standing in the center of the room again, holding the necklace in one hand.

“Done already?” you ask, as you walk over to him.

“Yup.” He offers the necklace to you, “Have I ever mentioned how grateful I am that you’re willing to keep me safe, and haven’t tried to throw me in the furnace yet?”

“Repeatedly,” You say as you take the necklace and hang it around your neck. The pendant sits between your collar bones, and it’s warm, almost as though Jesse’s hand was pressed against your chest. “Hm…it’s warm.”

“Is that a problem?”

“No. It’ll just take some getting used to.” You climb into your bed and flop on your pillow with a pleased groan, your eyes closing, “Are you good to keep watch, Jess?”

“Yeah, cyare. I have you.”

*********

You sleep like the dead, HA!

Okay, you sleep like the dead are supposed to, and only wake when your alarm chimes loudly in your ear.

You groan and roll over to smack your alarm, and consider going back to sleep for a whole minute.

“You need a vacation, cyare.” Jesse says, sounding annoyingly chipper for…6 at night.

“As if I can afford a vacation.” You mumble as you sit up and blink blearily at him, “Evening, Jess.”

He grins at you, “You could if you took a job at one of the bigger agencies.”

“Pfft. No thanks.” You flop back on your pillow, “I’m perfectly happy with actually getting stuff done.”

Jesse’s grin widens, and you feel the bed dip as he settles on the bed next to you. “You’ve been working non-stop for months, cyare. You need a break.”

“You’re not wrong, but I also need to eat.”

“Well, you don’t have any cases tonight.” Jesse points out, and you feel his hand, warm and surprisingly solid, against your stomach, and then his fingers against your side. You turn your head to look at him, though you don’t try to stop him.

There’s something wistful on his face, “Jess?”

“Stars but I want you.”

You blink at him, lazily, “I know.”

His fingers dip under your tank top and glide against your skin, “It should bother you, cyare. I’m not exactly alive.”

You shrug, “It doesn’t.”

Jesse’s fingers pause, and he stares at you, and you stare right back at him. He leans in and slowly presses his lips against yours. His lips are warm and soft, and so very hesitant, as though he can’t believe that you’re allowing this.

Honestly, you can’t believe it either. It goes against just about every rule of ghost hunting you’ve ever heard.

But you are curious…plus it’s Jesse. 

He shifts so he’s able to push the blanket to the foot of the bed, and then he kneels between your legs, his hands trail up your bare legs, over your hips, and slide under your shirt to push the thin material up, and then off.

His touch is reverent, as he glides his hands over your breasts, his fingers lingering on you pebbling nipples, while his gaze hungrily drags down your body.

“Beautiful,” Jesse murmurs as he pulls back and peels his shirt off. You watch, in a sort of absent curiosity, as the shirt fades away as though it wasn’t there to begin with. 

And then scientific curiosity is washed from your mind as he pulls your hands to his chest, and he leans in to wrap his lips around one of your nipples. A faint moan slips from your lips as desire shoots down to your core, and you eagerly drag your hands down his firm chest.

He moves from one nipple to the other, taking his time to lavish it with just as much attention as the first received, and he’s rewarded with a louder moan. A noise that pulls a pleased groan from him.

“Stars, you're perfect,” Jesse mumbles, before he taps your hips, “Lift them, cyare. Need you naked.”

Obediently, you lift your hips and Jesse mumbles praise under his breath as he slides your panties down your legs and tosses them to the side. His dark gaze is locked on your slick, and he unconsciously drags a finger through your folds, before he brings his finger to his mouth to lick it clean, a moan of pure desire falling from him.

You move to settle your hips back on the bed, but he grips your hips tightly, keeping them raised off the bed. 

“Hold on, cyare,” Jesse whispers reverently, as he grabs a spare pillow and shoves it under your hips, “Are you comfortable?”

You nod mutely, and he leans in to lightly nip the side of your neck, “Use your words, angel. Need to hear your voice.”

“I’m good,” You say, slightly breathlessly. 

“Good.” Jesse exhales slowly, as he lets your legs fall open, and his gaze locks on your pussy, “So pretty. Such a pretty pussy,” He tugs his own pants down, and, like his shirt, it vanishes as though it never existed in the first place.

“Jess-” You whine his name as you feel him, hard and hot, right against where you need him the most.

“I have you, angel.” Jesse murmurs, but he doesn’t slide into you. No, he just rocks against you, his hard cock bumping your clit with every flex of his hips, “Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted this, cyare?”

“Tell me,” You gasp.

“Mm,” He leans down and kisses you, deeply and passionately, no longer hesitant, “Every day since you found me.” Jesse murmurs, “Would fist my cock every day, thinking about stuffing my cock in that tight pussy of yours. Would get off on the idea of filling you over and over and over-” He groans low in the back of his throat, and his hand slides down to your stomach, “Would get off on the idea of you swelling with my seed-”

You whimper, and try to rock against him, and Jesse grins.

“Oh, my pretty girl has something of a breeding kink, does she?” He kisses you again and again.

You flush, “Jesse…”

“Tell me,” He orders, his voice low and heavy with desire, “Tell me you want my cock. Tell me you want me to fill you over and over-” He slots his weeping cock at your entrance, “Tell me what you want, my perfect girl, and I’ll give it to you.”

You whine, “Want you,” You manage to gasp out.

“You have me. I’m not going anywhere. Be more specific.”

You groan in frustration, “Jesse…please!”

“Tell me.” He repeats, “Use those pretty words of yours, angel.”

“Want your cock!” You blurt, “Please!”

And sharp moan rips from your lips as he pushes deep inside you, and starts at an almost punishing pace. And you love it. You arch your back to meet his thrusts and trail your fingers over his abdomen and chest, able to feel his muscles flexing under your fingers.

He pushes you closer and closer to your orgasm, his grip bruising around your hips, and then, just as you’re about to fall over the edge, he pulls out, and you release a broken cry of his name.

He chuckles low in the back of his throat, and then effortlessly flips you onto your knees. Gently, but firmly, he places his hand between your shoulder blades and pushes your head into your pillow, before he slides back into you and continues his punishing pace.

“Gonna fill you, cyare.” Jesse groans as he reaches around you and starts quickly rubbing your clit, “Going to fill you over and over, until you can’t walk, until I’m the only thing you can think of.”

You whimper and clench tightly around him, pulling a deep groan from him.

His finger starts moving even faster, “Come on, cyare. Come for me.” He bites down on your shoulder and then the back of your neck, “Fall apart for me, baby. I have you.”

You shudder, and whimper at the, almost, overwhelming sensations, and then you fall apart around him with a cry of his name. Jesse curses, and pulls his hand away from your clit to tightly grip your hips, his thrusts grow harder, and then his pace falters and his thrusts become shallow.

Jesse buries his face in the back of your neck as he spills his release deep inside you, praise and moans falling from him in equal measure. And only when he’s sure he’s totally spent, does he pull out, and fall onto the bed next to.

You sink, bonelessly, to the bed, and hum in pleasure as he shifts and adjusts you so that he’s able to press light kisses to your head, “So much better than just my imagination,” Jesse mumbles.

And you laugh, turning your head slightly to face him, “Yeah?” You ask, still slightly breathless.

“Yeah.” He turns his head to look at you, and his arm wraps snugly around you, “I hope we can do it again?” Jesse asks hopefully.

You smile at him, “I wouldn’t say no.”

Jesse grins, “Did you know that I love you?” He offers, totally honestly.

“Well, you had better, because I don’t sleep with just anyone.”

His eyes brighten, and he opens his mouth to say something, only to get interrupted by the shrill sound of  your comm dinging. He scowls at the device, and his scowl deepens when you roll over to grab it.

“Let me guess, you have a case.” Jesse mutters.

“We have a case.” You correct as you scan the information. And then you smile at him and tap the necklace hanging around your neck, “You can come with me now.”

His scowl vanishes into a delighted smile, “Finally!”

You glance at him as you roll out of bed on shaky legs, “Oh, by the way. I love you too.”

And Jesse beams at you, his delight causing him to float off the bed.

Someday, you’ll have to find a way to explore Mandalorian Space, to see if you can find out what happened to Jesse’s body, and you��ll have to have a difficult conversation with him. But right now, well, right now you have a job to do.

[666writingcafe]

The Outdoor Market

Content Warning: a brief conversation about religion at the end

MC

"Hello!" the butcher greets when we step up to his counter. "What can I do for you?"

"I'd like to buy five whole chickens," Beel answers. He told me that he struggled the other day to not eat everything he saw before paying for it, but that doesn't seem to be the case today. Granted, I'm holding his hand to prevent him from wandering off too far, but still. He could just as easily use his free hand to grab stuff.

"Five chickens, coming right up!" The butcher pauses. "Didn't you come through here recently?" Beel nods his head.

"I was with my brother." The butcher smiles kindly.

"Ah, yes. I remember now. You were one of the tallest people in the crowd." He glances over at me. "I see you brought someone else with you today. Is that another sibling of yours?"

"This is MC." The butcher grins.

"How wonderful! I remember you telling me about them. I think it's sweet that you guys moved closer to them after graduation." I was not aware that Beel came up with a cover story. It would have been nice to know beforehand so that I could play along and not mess up any details.

"They really mean a lot to us." Beel squeezes my hand, looking over at me with a loving gaze. The butcher glances around to look for customers before leaning closer to us.

"Allow me to offer you some advice," he states.

"Advice?" I repeat. "What kind of advice?"

"I'm going to let you two in on the secret to a long, healthy relationship."

"I'd definitely be interested in hearing about that," Beel responds, causing the butcher to softly smile.

"Well, the main thing is that you both have to respect each other. You each have to let the other live their own life without interfering too much, and you need to stay interested in each other. As long as you consistently do these things, you'll be good."

~~~

"So, what exactly did you tell the butcher the other day?" I ask Beel. We've dropped off the chicken at the house, and now we're currently sitting on one of the benches outside.

"Oh, that," Beel remarks. "I told him that you were an exchange student at the college we went to, but it was several hours away from where you lived, so we couldn't come over to see you very often once the exchange program ended."

"But then once you guys graduated, you decided to move closer to me so that we could see each other more often."

"Exactly." I like that he came up with something plausible. I wonder if anyone helped him hammer out the details of that story, or if he did everything by himself.

"What did you think of the advice?"

"I thought it was interesting. Do all human world butchers offer secrets to long and healthy relationships?" I shake my head.

"I think it's just a quirk of this particular one."

"I see." Beel pauses. "I wonder if we've been doing the three things he suggested."

"You and your brothers?"

"Well, yes, but I was thinking more about you and me." Interesting.

"Do you want my honest opinion?" He nods. "If we're solely judging by those three criteria, I think that my relationship with you is the healthiest one that I have with you guys."

"What makes you say that?"

"You're the only one out of your brothers that actively tries to not interfere with my life too much." He doesn't respond for a moment, appearing to mull over my words.

"I suppose you're right," he eventually agrees. "They either drag you into their drama or do things behind your back to alter certain aspects of your life. I know they do it because they love you and want to spend time with you, but some of the ways they choose to express it...it rubs me the wrong way.

"They want things to be perfect for you, even going as far as to try to eliminate anything that might cause you pain or hardship. But it's impossible. Life is supposed to have challenges, and not just trivial ones, either. Everything you've gone through, both good and bad, has made you the person you are today. You're strong, MC, but you're also kind. And smart. Incredibly smart." He pauses. "I think my brothers forget that sometimes. You're not just some clueless sheep that needs to be guided in the right direction; you know where you're going."

"Is that left over from your Celestial Realm days?" Beel nods.

"It was drilled into us constantly. This is going to sound harsh, but we were taught that humans were dumb creatures easily tempted by sin. Part of our job was to keep them on the path of salvation because they were too stupid to do it themselves."

"Even though we were created to have free will." He sighs.

"I've never understood that."

"Free will?"

"No. That's simple enough. What always confused me is why we had to exert control over humans. Due to free will, some of them will inevitably choose a different path than the one we planned for them, and that should have been okay. If it wasn't, then why did God--our Father--give humans free will in the first place?"

"Some say it was a test to see if humans would choose the path of God on their own."

"Maybe, but then why punish those that choose differently?" He shakes his head slightly and sighs. "I'm sorry, MC. I didn't mean to get all religious on you." I reach out and touch the top of his hand.

"Don't apologize. I appreciate the insight."