#i changed my mind i'd rather share the story

[taylor-titmouse]

"Kenta?"

"Hm?"

He turned toward the sound of Taki's voice, sitting beside him in the old shrine. A sudden spring rain fell in sheets through the open doors, and pelted the roof. The pair of them were safe and mostly dry, between Taki's mastery over the water, and the care of the small, shy spirit housed within. Though the roof leaked, none of it landed on its guests.

Kenta felt light fingertips graze his forehead and push the hair from his eyes. He'd let it grow too long, but it so rarely bothered him anyway.

"Why have you never asked me to grant you sight?" Taki asked, rather suddenly. "I am a god. I could do it any time, if you only asked."

Kenta was taken aback. He tilted his head. "Why should I ask you to do that?"

"Why? So you could see! So you could see me, and the world, and everything! Why shouldn't you ask me to do it?" Taki replied. He added, somewhat abashed: "That is why I asked. Why haven't you?"

Kenta turned forward again, to the cool air of the doors. It was morning. The smell of wet grass filled the air, and the mist of rain kissed his skin and clung to his hair. He listened to the para-para of water on the roof, and the shifting of Taki's robes, and his breath. He felt the physicality of his presence as an extension of his own body, sitting as close as they were, and there was that ever present something about Taki that set him apart from men, that could draw Kenta to him through any crowded street.

He reached for Taki's chest, and traced his way up to his neck, and his cheek. Taki leaned against his touch, warm and alive and soft.

"I don't know. I've never thought to," said Kenta. "Why don't you ask me again, fifty years from now? I should have an answer for you then."

[f1swiftiee]

Tipsy - LN4

pairings: lando x fem!reader, leclerc!reader

summary: lando has a massive crush on his rival's teammate, and his efforts to catch her attention never actually catches her attention, but rather everyone else's, until one day, when all things go downhill.

a/n: hii!! sorry it took me so long to write this! not proofread, so feel free to point out any mistakes. i changed a few details to make the story make sense. thanks and enjoy! there will be a part 2!

warnings: drinking, unplanned pregnancy, mention of sex, and thats all i think??

______________________________________________________________

It was no secret that Lando had a crush on you. Everyone seemed to just simply know that he was head over heels for you. Well, everyone, except you. Lando had tried countless times to make a move, but each time, you either didn't notice or took it as a joke. Lando was determined. No matter how long or how much effort it was going to take, he was willing to do it, for you.

౨ৎ

The sunlight of Miami shone through the blinds in your hotel room, which you were sharing with your brother, Charles, and his girlfriend, Alex. You didn’t mind staying with them, as you and Alex got along quite well. As soon as you fully woke up you saw that Alex was still asleep and that Charles had already left to head to the track. Slowly, you got out of bed and walked over and woke up Alex. Together, you two got ready and headed out the door.

On the drive there, Alex was driving, and the conversation somehow drifted over to which drivers would win the Dutch Grand Prix that day. “I bet you $100 that Charles is going to beat everyone today,” Alex said.

“You’re just saying that because he’s your boyfriend. I bet that Lando’s gonna win today. He’s been performing a lot better recently. Have you noticed that?” You had your mind set on Lando, for no reason at all, but you had a strange gut feeling.

“Maybe that's because a certain someone has been going to all the races recently,”, looking over and winking at you.

“Huh? I didn’t say anything about me? I was just saying that Lando and the team have been doing a lot better recently, unlike a certain someone. *cough* *cough* Charles.”

“No way you just said that! He got P5 yesterday!”

“Yeah exactly, and who was P1 in quali?” As you said that, Alex pulled the car into the parking lot and parked the car. After this, the two of you got out of the car and headed towards the garage, but not without passing the McLaren garage.

As you and Alex were passing McLaren, the two of you heard a voice, which you knew all too well call out. "Y/n!" You turned around and saw Lando standing a few feet away, beaming. He began running and quickly caught up to you and Alex.

"Y/n! I didn't know you were coming to the grand prix! You know, you should ditch Charles in the Ferrari garage and come over to the McLaren garage. Plus, Oscar brought Lily," Lando said, but not without his whole face turning red.

"Lily!! Wait, Lando, I'd love to, but I can't just leave Alex! Wait, can she come too?"

Quickly, Alex interrupted and said, "No, no, Y/n you should go to the McLaren garage. Also, I have Rebecca, so I won't be alone. Plus, Charles would kill me if he heard I was in McLaren."

"Soo, is that a yes, Y/n?" Lando said, and this time, even you could sense the excitement in his tone.

"Yeah, sure! Alex, I'll catch up with you later sometime during or after the race."

And with that, Lando led the way back to his garage. He showed you his car and led you towards his driver's room. As you were stepping into his driver's room, you spotted Lily, who was passing by with Oscar. "LILY!!" you called out.

"Y/N!!" Lily yelled. Lily started running towards you, and the two of you shared a tight embrace.

"Lily! It's been forever since I've last seen you! You haven't come to any of the races recently. Oh my gosh! I forgot to tell you about the cute guy I saw at this new cafe!"

Upon hearing that, Lando felt a sudden pang of jealousy. He decided that he was going to make a move that day so that no other guy would have the chance to date you before he did. Oscar glanced at Lando, and he was easily able to read Lando's face and understand what he was thinking. "Mate, if you really like her, you should do it. You know, she'd probably say yes," Oscar said, empathetically.

౨ৎ

It was now time for the drivers to head to the garages and get into the cars. You were still in the McLaren garage, and you were standing with Lily. The two of you's hearts were racing like crazy, as they always did before a race began. The drivers lined up, and the lights went out. The first half of the race went smoothly, until lap 38. Lando, Charles, and Max were all battling for the first-place spot. Not to mention that Carlos, Oscar, and George were not too far behind as well. The battle continued for a few more laps until Lando somehow managed to pull through and take the lead. Seeing this made you and Lily quite anxious, so you both talked for a bit and took a break from staring at the screen. After a few minutes, loud commotion was heard from the screen, and you both looked up to see a papaya car cross the line, earning first place. Seeing this, you blurted out, "Was that Oscar?"

Lily replied, "No! That was Lando! Oh my gosh! He won!! BY TWENTY SECONDS?"

"WHAT??"

After learning that, you couldn't help but smile. You were so proud of Lando, after all that hard work that he had put into his performance and training, and it finally paid off. Seeing this, Lily smirked at you and said, "Ooh, someone's got a crush!"

"No! He's just a friend, Lily. I'm just really proud of him."

"Whatever you say," Lily said while shrugging her shoulders.

As you watched the drivers on the podium, you couldn't help but stare and Lando. The way his messy curls sat atop his head so perfectly and the way his green eyes reflected the sun was just so beautiful. The way that he did his champagne pop simply mesmerized you. You couldn't help but notice that he did look down at you quite a few times while standing on the top podium, with Max in second, and Charles in third.

Later that night, most of the grid went to a club nearby to celebrate and party. You were planning to meet them there afterward, with a few of your friends. After you arrived, you saw Carlos, Charles, Rebecca, and Alex at the bar and headed over to them. As the night went on, you and the drivers kept downing drinks, but no one was nearly as drunk as you were.

"Hey, has anyone seen Y/N?" one of your friends asked, as she approached the group.

"Uhh no? I thought she was with you guys? No?" Carlos said, clearly concerned.

"Yeah, me too. I thought she was with you too," Charles said.

"While we're on this topic of missing people, has no one else noticed that the race winner's gone too?" Daniel added. As soon as Daniel said this, everyone seemed to understand simultaneously.

"Daniel! Lando and my sister? Seriously?" Charles denied.

"You never know, mate," Oscar said, a large smirk evident on his face.

______________________________________________________________

austria gp

Later that day, all the drivers and wags were meeting up at 7 for dinner before the race weekend began, and you were planning to attend. It was currently 4 PM, and you were feeling quite nauseous. This had been going on for the past month or so. At first, you thought you had caught the stomach bug or something, but you were beginning to think that it wasn't.

_____________________________________________________________

30 minutes had passed since you had texted Alex, and you heard the door of your hotel room swing open. "Y/n!! I'm back!!!" Alex exclaimed. Alex ran over and hopped onto the bed next to you.

"What'd you get?" you asked, reaching over for the bag, "Wait, wasn't Charles with you?"

"No, he said he was gonna go with Carlos and that he would meet me at the restaurant," Alex replied.

You began digging through the bag, "Advil, Tylenol, Ibeuprofen... did you really need to buy all of this?" you remarked.

"Duh! I didn't know what you needed, so I got everything!"

You continued rummaging through the bag, and felt some sort of box at the bottom "Thanks Alex- wait what's this?" you questioned. You pulled out the white box and read the front, "PREGNANCY TEST" "Really?" you questioned.

"You never know! Better to be safe than sorry!" Alex said, shrugging her shoulders, "You might as well take it just to be sure!"

______________________________________________________________

You took the test in the bathroom, with Alex waiting outside the door. By now, it was almost 5 PM. "Can I come in?" Alex asked. "Yeah, one sec," you said while washing your hands. After you dried your hands, you opened the door and let Alex in. As soon as she stepped into the bathroom, your alarm went off. "Okay, you check for me. I'm too scared," you said nervously.

Alex flipped over the test. "OH MY GOD! Alex exclaimed.

"What? What? Is it bad? Let me see!" you said.

Alex handed the test and you gasped in horror at the test. "PREGNANT" This couldn't actually be happening, right? You were pregnant? You thought of what you had done the past two months and of anyone you had slept with, and one name came to your mind, Lando.

"OH MY GOD! I'M AN IDIOT!" you exclaimed, tears brimming your eyes.

"Hey, hey. It's okay! Do you know who the dad is? Wait, is it Lando?" Alex said, trying to calm you down and figure everything out.

Suddenly, all the memories came flooding back into your mind. Lando had driven you home that night, and you two ended up in the backseat of his McLaren. "Lando. Me and him had sex in his car when he took me back to my hotel room in Miami," you said, sobbing, "I can't believe this! I'm not ready to be a mom yet!"

"I'll go ahead and let Charles know that we won't be attending tonight," Alex told you, pulling out her phone.

______________________________________________________________

Charles and Carlos drove to the dinner, and Carlos could tell that something was off with Charles. "Charles, you've been acting off all night. Tell me what's wrong; I can tell when you have something bothering you," Carlos said, trying to pry an answer out of him.

"I-I'm not really sure. You know how y/n and Alex were supposed to attend the dinner, right?"

"Yeah," Carlos said, nodding. As he and Charles continued talking, they pulled into the parking lot and began making their way into the restaurant.

"Well, Alex texted me randomly and said they wouldn't make it, and when I asked her why, she wouldn't answer me. I think something's wrong with y/n. I told her I was going to come back to the hotel, and she freaked out on me. I don't know what to d-" Suddenly, Charles was interrupted by the ringing to Carlos's phone. He pulled it out and answered.

"Er, Hello?" Carlos said, sitting down at the table, waving to the other drivers.

"Hey, sorry for the short notice, but I can't make it tonight. Neither can Kika, Lily Z, Lily M, or Carmen."

"What, you too?"

"Yeah, I got to go! I'll call you later!"

Carlos glanced back at his phone. "CALL ENDED" Upon seeing this, he put his phone away back into his pocket.

The dinner continued, but Charles and Carlos couldn't shake away the feeling that something was wrong. None of the other drivers knew what was going on either.

౨ৎ

lando's pov

Lando was disappointed, as he was going to take this as an opportunity to try to talk to you after the night you spent together because you had been avoiding him ever since. He decided to send you a text, to see if you were okay and ask why none of the wags were attending.

He stared at his phone for a moment, hoping for a response, but got none. He checked his phone a few minutes later and saw that he had been left on read.

౨ৎ

Back at the hotel room, it was as hectic as ever. Y/n was a complete mess, her mascara running down her face, as the wags sat around her, trying to comfort her.

"Are you completely sure you're pregnant? I mean, you only took one test. It wouldn't hurt to take another one just to be sure," Lily M said.

In unison, the rest of the wags nodded in agreement, and Carmen ran over to the corner, where the pharmacy bag was lying and got out another test. She walked back over and handed it to you.

Slowly, you got up and walked over to the bathroom, a million thoughts racing through your mind. Was this really happening? Were you even ready to be a mom? How would Lando react? Would he have time to be a dad, considering his F1 schedule?

The timer on your phone rang, and the wags sat on the bed, waiting in anticipation. You, however, could not bring yourself to turn over the test. "Hey, can someone come in here and see the test? I'm too scared to flip it over!" you called out. All the wags rushed over, and suddenly there was a whole group of you in the small hotel bathroom. Kika was the first to grap the test, and she gasped as she saw the result. "PREGNANT" She showed the test to everyone in the bathroom. Your knees gave out, and you slid down the wall, into a sitting position, leaning against the wall.

Lily Z crouched down and gave you a hug. "Hey, everything's gonna be okay. We're all here for you!", she said while comforting you.

The rest of the wags squatted down to face you, and they all assured you that no matter what happened, they would all be there for you.

part 2 coming soon!!

a/n: im making a taglist for part 2, so if you want to be added, comment or like my most recent post about it!

[divinesangel]

— 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞

pm me for a personal reading!

— 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞!

— 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝟏

my dearest,

as i write this letter to you, my heart is filled with excitement and anticipation for the life we will share together. every word i write comes from a place of genuine affection and admiration. there's nothing i would love more than to shower you with my affection in love, the love that i've been saving to myself for many years now. i've been waiting for you for such a long time and i still am. i can't wait for the day that we get to do endless things together, visit, many places, and do many things together. you inspire me to grow and to expand myself in ways i haven't been able to before. i'm quite eager to see our future together unfolding in abundance and prosperity. i'm pretty sure we will build a life filled with stability, harmony, and security, which is more than i could ever ask for. i will protect our connection and our home will be like a sanctuary, a place where love and joy will be present, and where we will be able to create our own family.

you need to know that i will always stick by you through thick and thin, to support you in anything that you need, in your endeavors and your dreams, and to always work to make our connection happen and for our future family to thrive. i'm pretty sure that we will be able to any storm that comes our way. although sometimes i'd rather keep the bad news to myself so you don't have to experience any negativity, i promise to always communicate with you and show you my commitment to honesty and transparency, even when the truth may be difficult to face.

i will always cherish you and take care of you. my love for you knows no bounds, and i am thankful for every moment we share. your happiness is my greatest priority, and i will do everything in my power to ensure that you feel loved, cherished, and appreciated each and every day. with you as my partner, i know that anything is possible.

until we meet again, know that you hold my heart in your hands, now and forever.

— 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝟐

my love,

my heart overflows with warmth and anticipation for the journey that lies ahead of us. it's as if fate itself has brought us together and knew that we were always meant to be together. even if we haven't met yet, i just know that our connection will be instant as i feel the sparks even now. it's all gonna be magical, reminding me that our story is guided by something greater than ourselves. i'm impatient for the day we will get to experience that. my soul fell for you the moment it entered my body.

every time i think of you, my mind drifts back to the innocence and purity of childhood, like the sweet nostalgia. you remind me of something sweet, although distant. it's probably due to our souls knowing each other for lifetimes, finding solace and comfort in the familiarity of our bond.

my greatest desire is to see you happy, to witness the glow of joy radiating from your being and being there by your side to see you overflow with happiness; being there for you every time you need me. i know you'll be there for me as well, and it such a comfort for my heart. hand in hand, we can make anything possible.

with all my love, your future spouse

— 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝟑

my most precious,

i find myself grappling with the complexities of life, feeling torn between the various paths laid out before me. there are moments when i question whether i am truly ready for what lies ahead, whether i possess the strength and clarity to navigate the challenges that await. the truth is, my love, there are aspects of my life that i am still coming to terms with, aspects that fill me with uncertainty and doubt. i am confronted with decisions that demand my attention, choices that require me to confront my deepest fears and desires.

but then, amidst the chaos of my mind, there is you. with you, my love, everything changes. in your presence, i find a sense of peace and clarity that i have never known before. it's as if the weight of the world is lifted from my shoulders, and suddenly, everything feels possible. you have this remarkable way of making me feel like everything will be alright. your unwavering faith in me, your boundless love and support—it fills me with a sense of courage and conviction that i never knew i possessed.

there are many things i'd like to talk to you about that have to do with how i've been feeling. things that i've never dared to tell anyone else out of fear they might not get it as well as you will. i've experienced dark times in the past that i'm trying to come into terms with, and i will tell you all about it.

it's as if you are my guiding light, leading me through the darkness and showing me the way forward. yes, there may still be moments of doubt and uncertainty, but with you, my love, i know that i am not alone. with you, i feel as though i can face whatever the future may hold with courage and grace.

yours always, x

𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

hi! it's daphne here.

i'm currently offering personal readings for €5 ($5.43) so don't hesitate to send me a private message if you're interested!

thank you for being here!

[doctorbunny]

MILGRAM Hallucination Booklet Translation pt.1 (Yamanaka and DECO*27 Interview)

Context: This interview was from a booklet handed out at the MILGRAM Hallucination live show on the 21st January 2024 (if you want a copy you can buy it here) This translation was made possible by the generosity of @maxpawb sharing images of his booklet with me This translation is mostly my own, but @maristelina helped me with some sections. Now without further ado:

Q.01 Introduce Yourself. I'm Takuya Yamanaka. I'm the creator/planner/screenwriter for MILGRAM. I'm DECO*27. I work as the music producer for MILGRAM. I like Hatsune Miku.

Q.02 What reactions from the guards have been the most surprising so far? Yamanaka: There are a lot of guards that were born overseas, aren't there? Even though it's created with rather Japanese sensibilities, overseas audiences didn't seem to mind at all. Though the countries and sensibilities are different than what I anticipated, votes have become more multifaceted, it's very interesting, isn't it? DECO: To forgive or not forgive the prisoners what do you do, whether it goes as you expected or the result turns out to be quite the opposite, its fascinating. Maybe your nationality affects the kind of criteria you use to make judgements? I've been thinking about something like that.

Q.03 Is there anything you didn't imagine would happen at the start of the trial? Yamanaka: I didn't write it with a large overseas audience in mind, because from the start I wasn't worrying about popularity at all, I simply didn't think I'd be watching over so many guards. Milgram was developed as a more underground project, but it's popularity is a good surprise, isn't it. DECO: There were more people who got into MILGRAM without already caring about my music than I imagined, it was surprising. I feel like MILGRAM has spread further beyond than what I thought it would. I'm very grateful!

Q.04 So far, what's made you the happiest? Yamanaka: Everything. As a creator it brings me great joy to see a work that existed in my mind, take shape and be enjoyed by so many people. Other than that, because I also love the characters I've birthed, seeing all the guards talking about them and sharing their thoughts, both positive and negative, has to be the best feeling. DECO: It makes me happy to see lots of people analysing the meanings I put in my songs! The theories get pretty close to the truth too, I think... the power of all the guards is really cool.

Q.05 So far, what has been the most challenging? Yamanaka: Because I have to change the script in accordance with the audience's decisions, I can't create the entire story in advance. Furthermore, as of the second trial, there aren't only individual character storylines, the prisoner's verdicts begin to emerge and they influence each other. That is to say, I can't start writing until after everyone's results are out. Willingly subjecting myself to doing something this unreasonable, is what I feel is difficult for me. But because DECO*27 is also going through the same hell, we're holding on to some semblance of sanity. DECO: The story changes in accordance to all the guards' choices, and the music has to be written to match. I think this is harder for Yamanaka-P, who writes the script, than it is for me... But though its tough, I feel its really worthwhile, It makes me really happy to be able to communicate with everyone through my songs!

Q.06 Do you have any regrets like "I wish I had done it differently back then!"? Yamanaka: I've thought it over quite carefully, but there's nothing in particular. I think everyone involved in the project is giving it their all and its a really passionate environment. DECO: Nope! I've been able to put all the things I've thought of into my songs.

Q.07 Which prisoners are the easiest to write dialogue/music for? Yamanaka: If I had to pick one, it'd be Fuuta. He's the type of person that's pretty easy to write because his brain never shuts up. Other than him, Yuno and Shidou are relatively academic kids in theory, so they're easy to write because they're very clear when it comes to what they want to convey. [TL note just because its funny, the idiom Yamanaka uses is lit. "There is barking in the inside [of Fuuta's] head] DECO: It went smoothly for all of them!

Q.08 Which prisoners are the most fun to write dialogue/music for? Yamanaka: Muu's lines were the very fun to write~. I'm fascinated by her approach to life and can't help but envy how fun it must be to behave like that. Yuno and Amane are my runners up. I enjoy writing the kinds of characters who plainly state their ideas and speak eloquently. DECO: Mahiru! From the start writing about the relationships between men and women has been what you might call my forte, its enjoyable to make. I feel like this is also why I find Yuno easy to write for.

Q.09 Which prisoners are the hardest to write dialogue/music for? Yamanaka: Overwhelmingly, Haruka's dialogue takes me the longest to write. I have to use the parts of my brain that I wouldn't normally use to figure out how to not just directly convey what he wants to say. DECO: None of them!

Q.10 What's your favourite combination of characters? Yamanaka: Amane and Shidou. They're on completely different wavelengths about everything, and the best part is that there's no getting around it. My second pick might go to Yuno and Muu. They don't get along at all so their fights are never just superficial squabbling. DECO: I always like the interactions between Es and the prisoners. I'm liking how over the course of the voice drama interrogations, Es seems to be gradually coming to understand the prisoner's humanity. Especially Es + Mahiru!

Q.11 Do you want to be friends with any of the prisoners? Yamanaka: Shidou and Kazui. I like the idea of being friends with professional people. I think that people who choose to go into something specialized, its clear they have a kind of resolve and that's charming, isn't it? DECO: Yuno! I feel like she'd be easy to talk to. She seems like she's used to friends who maintain a good distance from each other. [note: while 'good' here can mean a fair amount of distance, in Japanese relationships the concept of boundaries is also built into the idea of distance, so in English you might talk about someone who is a close friend but still has good boundaries, but in Japanese this is someone who has the 'right amount'/ちょうどいい of distance from you, so this could mean Yuno doesn't have any close friends or that Yuno is just a good friend because she isn't going to turn up to your house unexpectedly and eat all the food in your fridge]

Q.12 Do you want to date any of the prisoners? Yamanaka: I love all of my characters a lot, but, well... how should I say it... I don't think I would date any of them. [TL note: I had to shift the wording to be more natural in English but the Japanese Q is more like 'which prisoner would you want to be your boy/girlfriend?' curse english for not having an exact equivalent to koibito, so Yamanaka's answer is more like 'I think would break up with all of them' its a nominal difference but my friend said to mention it bc its funny] DECO: I'm sorry.

Q.13 What's your favourite line/phrase? Yamanaka:

[Scene from Muu's first voice drama Crying B, TL taken from MILGRAMMER]

Es: Judging from your facial features, are you what they call “half-Japanese”? [lit. haafu/Half] Muu: Yeah… I’m biracial. [lit. daburu/Double]

It would have to be that wouldn't it? I got goosebumps when I wrote it it. DECO:

"It's not my fault"

I think that single phrase was able to represent Muu's character really well, if I do say so myself.

Q.14 Are there any prisoners that you think its good they're in MILGRAM? Yamanaka: All of them. Without these 10 people, this Milgram would be a complete failure. DECO: Without these 10 people, MILGRAM wouldn't exist!

Q.15 Is there anything the guards aren't aware of yet? Yamanaka: Of course, there may be some minor details, but I don't think there are any major points missing. The mysteries have already disseminated, I feel the full picture will be clearly revealed if the theories and wild speculations, which have been shared around the world, come together. As expected. DECO: There are! I hope you look forward to the gimmicks I wanted to put in my songs that will come out in the third trial!

Q.16 Is there anything you haven't been able to do up to now, but you want to try doing after this? Yamanaka: I want to do a stageplay. Every performance would be a different story set in Milgram. If anyone reading this is involved with stage productions, please contact me. [I can't find it now but I swear a while ago Yamanaka tweeted something similar like "I'm interested in doing stage adaptations of Caligula Effect or MILGRAM, if anyone is involved with stage production please contact me" I hope he does it, a MILGRAM stage play would be awesome] DECO: Fortunately, I'm already doing everything I want to do! Writing the trial 3 songs couldn't be more fun.

Q.17 Represent "MILGRAM" in one word. Yamanaka: 『人』 "People" DECO: 『噓』 "Lies" [This one is both simple and interesting so as a preview I'll share how akka and DMYM answered] akka: 『幻』 "Illusions" DMYM: 『信』 "Faith"

Q.18 Give a brief comment about the future of "MILGRAM". Yamanaka: There have already been plot developments that I personally wish I didn't have to write. The guards have all chosen a very intense path. It's frightening. I've also been ready to obey these choices since the start of MILGRAM, so I think we all should enjoy this story that can only be told once together. DECO: I've already started writing the prisoner's songs. It's hell. Please prepare yourselves. Q.19 A message for the guards. Yamanaka: Thank you for always looking after the prisoners. Milgram is a work that involves the participation of everyone, including yourself. The thoughts you had, the actions you took, the joy, and resentment you felt towards this prison, all this became a part of Milgram too. I would like you all to please live healthily in your realities alongside Milgram. DECO: Thank you for your hard work as guards. Although MILGRAM is full of troublemakers, we would be grateful if you could continue to watch over us for a long time to come. We will do our best to meet your expectations.

[A link to part 2 will be posted here when its ready]

(Japanese transcript under the cut)

Q.01 自己紹介を。 山中拓���です。 ミルグラムでは企画・原作・脚本をしています。 DECO*27です。 MILGRAMのサウンドプロデューサーを務めています。 初音ミクが好きです。

Q.02 これまでの看守たちからの反応で驚いたことは？ Yamanaka: 海外にもたくさんの看守が生まれるていったことですね。とっても日本的な感性で創っているので、海外ウケとかきにしていませんでした。やはり国が違うと感性も違うものだと思うので、より多面的な投票がされて、とても面白いですね。 DECO: 囚人が赦すor 赦さないのどっちになるか、と自分で予想していたりもしたのですが、結構それが逆の結果になっていることがあって興味深ったです。もしかして国民性で判断基準が違ってくるのかな？とか考えたりしました。

Q.03 審判開始時点では思い描いていなかったことはあるか？ Yamanaka: 海外ウケ気にしたことないと書きましたが、そもそもウケ自体あまり気にしていなかったので、シンプルにこんなにたくさんの看守の方に見守っていただけるコンテンツになるとは思っていませんでした。もっと、アンダーグラウンドで展開するつもりだったんですが、嬉しい悲鳴ですね。 DECO: 想像以上にDECO*27を知らない方にもMILGRAMを観てもらえたことに驚きました。自分の思っていた以上にMILGRAMが広がったなと感じています。ありがとうございます！

Q.04 これまでで一番嬉しかったことは？ Yamanaka: 全部です。自分の脳内にしかなかった作品が、形になり、たくさんの人に楽しんでもらえること自体がクリエイターとしては大きな喜ぶです。あとはやはり僕は自分が産んだ登場人物のことが大好きなので、プラスでもマイナスでも看守の皆様が彼らについて語って、想いをぶつけてくれいることが最高に嬉しいです。 DECO: たくさんの方に自分が音楽に込めた意味考察してもらえた嬉しいです！かなり正解に近い考察もあって、看守の皆さんのパワーすごいな…と思っています。

Q.05 これまでで一番大変だったことは？ Yamanaka: ユーザーの選択によって、シナリオを変更をするので、あらかじめ制作することができないということです。しかも二審からは個人のストーリーラインだけでなく、他の囚人の結果による影響も出てくる。ということは全員の結果出てからじゃないと制作できないということです。そんな無茶を勝手に自分でやりはじめて、勝手に自分で大変な思いをしています。同じ地獄をDECO27も味わっているので、なんとか正気を保っています。 DECO: 看守の皆さんの選択に応じてストーリー変化し、それに合うように音楽を書くことです。これは僕よりもシナリオを書く山中Pのほうが大変だろうな…と思いますが…大変ではありますがとてもやりがいをかんじていますし、曲を通じて皆さんとコミュニケーションが取れていることが嬉しいです！

Q.06　「今思えばやっておけばよかった！」のような後悔はあるか？ Yamanaka: よくよく考えてみたんですが、特に無いです。制作に関わる全員がベストを尽くしてくれているとてもアツい現場だと思います。 DECO: ないです！思いついたことはすべて楽曲で出力できています。

Q.07 シナリオや音楽の制作がスムーズな囚人は？ Yamanaka: 一人あげるとすればフータでしょうか。頭の中でわんわん言ってるので、かなり書きやすいタイプです。あとはユノや、シドウあたりの比較的理論的で偏差値高めな子たちは何が伝えたいかが明確なので書きやすいです。 DECO: みんなすんなりでした！

Q.08 シナリオや音楽の制作が一番楽しい囚人は？ Yamanaka: セリフを書いていて一番楽しいのはムウですかねぇ~。こんなふうにふるまえたち人生楽しいだろうという憧れすあります。次点でユノやアマネでしょうか。思想がはっきりしてて、弁の立つタイプは書くのが楽しいです。 DECO: マヒルです！自分が元々男女間の関係性を描くのが得意ということもあって、楽しく制作しています。そういった意味ではユノも書きやすいなと感じます。

Q.09 シナリオや音楽の制作に苦労する囚人は？ Yamanaka: 圧倒的にセリフを書くのに時間がかかるのはハルカです。彼が伝えたいことを、伝わらないようにする調整に普段は使わない脳を使います。 DECO: いないです！

Q.10 お気に入りの組み合わせはあるか？ Yamanaka: アマネとシドウ。すべての要素が噛み合わなさすぎて、どうしようもないところが良いです。次点でユノとムウかもです。表面的なケンカにならないだけでかなり気が合わないので。 DECO: エス対囚人の絡みは須く好きです。ボイスドラマの尋問によって段々とエスが囚人の人間性を掴んでいく様が気に入っています。特にエス＋マヒル！

Q.11 囚人を友達にするなら誰か？ Yamanaka: シドウとカズイ。友達にいてほしい職業の人たちです。なにかのスペシャリストを選択する人たちというのは、何かしらの覚悟が決まっている人だと思うのでそれだけで魅力的ですね。 DECO: ユノです！話していて気楽そうだなと感じます。お互い良い距離感を保てる友達になれそう。

Q.12 囚人を恋人にするなら誰か？ Yamanaka: 僕は登場人物のことを全員最高に愛してますが、まぁ、なんというか、全員やめとこうと思います。 DECO: ごめんなさい。

Q.13 お気に入りのセルフやフレーズは？ Yamanaka: 「その顔立ち、ハーフというやつか？」「うん...…ダブル」ですね。書いてて鳥肌でした。 DECO: 「悪くないもん」 1フレーズでムウのキャラクターを上手に表現できたなと我ながら思っています。

Q.14 ミルグラムにいてくれてよかった、と思う囚人は？ Yamanaka: 全員です。この10人でなければ、このミルグラムになっていないので。 DECO: MILGRAMはこの10人がいなければ成立しません！

Q.15 看守たちにまだ感づかれていないことはあるか？ Yamanaka: もちろん、些末な部分はあるかと思いますが、大きいところだとないんじゃないですかねぇ。既に問題はバラまいたし、世界中に発信された考察や妄想を組み合わせたらきっちり全貌が明らかになる気がします。さすがです。 DECO: あります！第三審で僕が楽曲を通じてやりたかったギミックが出てくるので楽しみにしていてください！

Q.16 今できていないが、今後やってみたいことはあるか？ Yamanaka: 舞台がやりたいです。毎公演、コンセプトの異なるミルグラムで行われる舞台。舞台制作に関わる方が、読んでおられましたら是非山中まで。 DECO: 有り難いことに、やりたいことは全部やれています！第三審の曲を書くのが楽しくてしょうがないです。

Q.17 「ミルグラム」を一文字で表せ。 Yamanaka: 『人』 DECO: 『噓』

Q.18 今後の「ミルグラム」について一言。 Yamanaka: 既に僕が個人的には書かないでいたかった展開が確定しています。看守の皆さんなかなか強烈な道筋を選びました。恐ろしい。自分もその選択に従う覚悟をしてミルグラムをスタートしているので、一度きりの物語を皆さんと一緒に楽しもうと思います。 DECO: 既に楽曲を書き始めている囚人もいます。地獄です。覚悟しててください。

Q.19 看守たちへメッセージを。 Yamanaka: いつも囚人たちのことを世話してくださってありがとうございます。ミルグラムとは、参加する皆さん自身を含めてミルグラムという作品です。この監獄に対して感じた思い、起こした行動、喜び、 憤り 、それらすべてが作品の一部になります。是非ミルグラムと共にある皆さんの現実を健やかに生きてくださいませ。 DECO: いつも看守としてのお勤めご苦労さまです。曲者ばかりのMILGRAMですが、これからも末永く見守っていただけると幸いです。期待に応えられるよう、尽力してまいります。

[sweet-s0rr0w]

Vintage Drarry Fics

Thought I'd put together a list of some of the old Drarry 'classics' of my teenage years, for anyone interested. All posted between 2001-2006, compiled using my (bad) memory, a lot of googling, fanlore.org and numerous different LJ rec accounts (including the incredible @capiturecs). I checked as best I could, but if anyone knows of any fics that their author doesn't want to be shared, please let me know and I will of course remove.

Please also note that these fics are of their era, when attitudes may have been different, and they may not all be grammatically perfect. I haven't reread all, as my own tastes have changed, but most importantly do note that they may not be tagged - don't blame me when, for example, Harry dies tragically on a rooftop at sunrise...

Hogwarts Era (mostly 5th-7th year)

A Thousand Beautiful Things by Duinn Fionn/geoviki (M, 105k)

Draco Malfoy struggles with changed fortunes, shifted alliances, an ugly war, and an unusual spell, with the help of a concerned professor, an insightful house-elf, and an unexpected Gryffindor friend.

All Bets Are Off by Allegra (R, 53k)

I am SICK of Good-little-innocent!Harry...Enter Playboy!Harry and his Overinflated Ego, a challenge, a bet, a couple of Really Cunning Plans - and there you have it, "Forty days and forty nights", Hogwarts style. Mayhem ensues! 

Angels and Devils by beren (E, 52k)

Harry defeated Voldemort and his act of heroism is famous throughout the wizarding world. He's trying to finish his final year at Hogwarts in peace, but, thanks to the method he chose to destroy The Dark Lord, something peculiar is happening to him, something he never would have expected. It's all rather embarrassing and making his life very complicated.

Artful Facade by Sky Sorceress (T, 66k)

Sometimes you fly too close to the sun and lose your wings. With sixth year approaching, the danger Harry seeks can be found only in the form of Draco Malfoy. What follows is a twist in the line between hatred, love, and need.

Beautiful World by Cinnamon/Lissadiane (M, 70k)

Harry finds out he's going to die on his 16th birthday. He embarks on a journey of self-destructive behaviour and drags Draco along for the ride. 

Beneath You by Cinnamon/Lissadiane (M, 113k)

Draco had no idea that the repercussions of stealing Potter's journal and shoving it down the back of his trousers would be so extreme.

Bond by AnnaFugazzi (M, 173k)

It seems 95% of H/D writers feel compelled to write a "Harry And Draco Are Forced To Be Together By Something Beyond Their Control And Then Unlikely Stuff Happens That Leads To Twoo Wuv" story. Count me among the 95% ;)

Checkmate by Naadi Moonfeather (T, 245k)

Draco has the perfect plan to get Harry Potter and challenges him to a game of Dare Chess. But is it love, or betrayal, he has in mind?

The Cicatrix Cycle by Ivy Blossom (NC-17, long!)

Three parts: Origins, Haven, Belong

Draco In Darkness by Plumeria (T, 41k)

Following an accident in his seventh year, Draco loses his eyesight. After Harry elbows his way into Draco's dark world, both boys find themselves in a strange new friendship, and they each learn new ways to see each other … and themselves.

Eclipse by PhoenixSong/Mijan (T, 287k)

"You're dead, Potter... I'm going to make you pay..." Draco swore his revenge on Harry for Lucius's imprisonment, and Harry all but laughed at him. But Draco is planning more than schoolyard pranks this time. The old rivalry turns deadly when Draco abducts Harry for Voldemort. It's the perfect plan, guaranteeing revenge, power, and prestige, all in one blow. But, when Draco's world turns upside down, the fight to save himself and Harry begins, and the battle will take them both through hell and back. If they come back. 

Friend Like Me by Lady Vader (M, 11k)

Draco's rendition of the love story that never was.

How Harry Potter Got His Groove Back by Durendal/Eleveninches (R, 12k)

Snape tries to hang himself, Draco enters an alternate reality, and Harry Gets a Clue. Humor, SLASH, naughty language, and other Evil Things. Harry/Draco, Snape/James/Lucius.

Irresistible Poison by Rhysenn (PG-13, 124k)

Under the influence of a love potion, Draco learns that poison doesn't always bring death -- there are other ways to suffer and live. Chemical emotion runs feverish as Harry and Draco discover the intoxication of love.

Lettered by pir8fancier (M, 7.8k)

Harry has a secret penpal, whose identity is as plain as the nose on his face. Except he's not wearing his glasses.

Love Under Will by Aja (R, 116k)

In their 5th year, Harry and Draco choose to be with one another; but the story--and the battle-- is just beginning...

playing the game, living the lie by Abaddon (R, 159k)

Set in Sixth Year, both the wizarding and Muggle worlds are threatened as Voldemort plans a final revenge. Past, present and future collide as all must consider where their loyalties lie; who they are, and who they want to be. Amidst it all, Harry and Draco begin a dangerous journey of understanding. Is it possible to leave everything you thought you were behind?

Resolution by Frances Potter (R, 322k)

When you've spent six years fighting evil, all you really want is a quiet time. But when your name is Harry Potter the chances of that are very slim. A series of vignettes chronicling Harry's final six months at Hogwarts. Exams, friends, lovers, Quidditch, the war and Draco all conspire to make the year end seem a very long way away.

Seamus is Seamus and You are Yourself by Ari Munami (PG-13, 31k)

Harry goes through some er... changes in his Sixth Year and everyone, including Draco Malfoy, sits up and takes notice.

Snakes and Lions by GatewayGirl (M, 139k)

When Ron and Hermione get together, they notice only each other. A nightmare prompts Harry to return alone to the empty Chamber of Secrets, and leads to a new look at an old enemy. Harry enjoys the company, but with Bellatrix Lestrange actively hunting him, how far can he trust a Death Eater's son?

Something Impossible by epicylical/Cassandra Claire (PG, 6.4k)

As punishment for an act of vandalism, Draco is forced to perform three tasks to win Harry's forgiveness - only they don't turn out to be exactly the kind of tasks he'd been expecting. With wet shirtless Draco, paint-covered Harry, and Proust-reading Goyle.

Transformation by amalin (E, 98k)

In Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts, he must face the consequences of the attack on the Department of Mysteries and the effects of Voldemort's return. And in doing so, he finds that even your enemies can teach you valuable lessons—about the world, and about yourself.

Walking the Line by SilentAuror (E, 179k)

Sixth year is over and Draco Malfoy is on the run. The war is on and an unwanted assignment is forced upon him by the only people he trusts - and a one-time arch-enemy just may be out to kill him.

Post-Hogwarts

Adagio in G Minor by furiosity (NC-17, 18k)

Seven years after Hogwarts and the war, life continues in the wizarding world. Draco Malfoy is rich, bored, and slightly jaded. Harry Potter is famous, busy, and somewhat disillusioned. They've not seen each other since school ended. What would happen if they were to cross paths again? What if it involved music?

Big Dick, Come Quick [PDF] by Calanthe (NC-17, 204k)

Draco’s got a theory. About sex. And after much searching for the right candidate, it appears that only Harry Potter, his life long enemy, can help him test it out.

Draco's Escort Service by Cheryl Dyson/dysonrules (15, 12k)

Draco's job is to escort travelers through the dangerous, war-torn countryside. Harry Potter is forced to hire him, but his destination isn't quite what Draco expected.

Left My Heart by Emma Grant (E, 85k)

Auror Draco Malfoy has disappeared, and Harry Potter has been sent to San Francisco to find him. 

Malfoy, P.I. by Nancy (R, 60k)

"I'm Draco Malfoy, private investigator. I've seen a lot--I mean a lot, and I'm like sweet seventeen a lot. I thought I'd seen it all, until a pair of green eyes stepped into my office." A noir AU set in L.A. where passion and magic collide. Slashy and sexy.

Queen of Hearts by scoradh (E, 65k)

A spectre is haunting Harry - the responsibility of his destiny. It looms over his future and, more importantly, over the future of his friends. Harry is determined to exorcise this spectre for the greater good, but on the way, he enters into a few unholy alliances.

Tissue of Silver by fearlessdiva (R, 76k)

A love story concerning possessed furniture, black silk pyjamas, courtroom drama, premonitions of doom, assassination attempts, Death Eater yoga, absinthe, bare feet and a sensible werewolf.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by November Snowflake (M, 58k)

When the long-missing Draco Malfoy turns up at a Ministry field hospital with amnesia, bitter Auror Harry Potter must confront the shadows of their shared past to shed light on a potentially deadly mystery.

Transfigurations by Resonant (E, 71k)

Five years after Voldemort's defeat, Harry returns to England to help re-open Hogwarts.

[bethanydelleman]

this is a very particular question indeed but I'd love to hear your take on it. if you could adapt all of the austen novels (even lady susan etc) in a modern day setting movie/book, what would you do? how would the characters, dynamics etc? would anne & wenworth still be separated by social status? would emma fall in love with a female knightley? what about lydia? & the whole fanny & edmund thing? I don't mind a long answer, in fact the longer it is, the better it is, i am in love with your austen posts and you haven't been wrong one single time. there's no other blog I'd rather ask about it tbh.

Okay, so, I'm not really a modernizer and this is a very long question. Here we go!

Two general posts about careers that would work for the men and women.

Northanger Abbey:

I wrote this. I think it's the easiest to modernize because Catherine just becomes a modern Twilight girlie or a Brontë fan and the Tilneys can totally still have a cool heritage house.

Emma:

Almost perfectly modernized by the movie Clueless, I wouldn't attempt to do it better. My queer take, which works modern or Regency era.

Pride & Prejudice:

Almost perfectly modernized by the movie Bride & Prejudice. This one hinges so much on class differences and a woman's need to marry that I think it's really hard to do a modern, Western context. However, it would make an excellent Korean drama because of remaining social stratification in that country.

Lizzie Bennet Diaries was fun, but I don't think it worked as well. Fire Island was not for me, but I think it was a pretty good modern take too.

Persuasion:

I wrote a post about this. Probably more than one but that's all I can find right now. Anyway, I think the basic premise can still work even if Anne can get a job, because there are good reasons to reject a penniless guy at 19 even today. Making Anne & Wentworth some flavour of queer can be a good angle too. But the story is essentially about yearning and forgiveness, that is something we still have.

Sense & Sensibility:

Willoughby's sin works in modern times, the real problem is Edward's unbreakable engagement. Having Lucy baby trap Edward (but it's his brother's baby maybe?) would be an option, but then again, hard to explain why Edward has to keep the marriage/engagement a secret. This one is really hard and I don't have a solution.

Mansfield Park:

I just posted about this. But it's strange, people say this one doesn't work as a modern but it totally does. Henry Crawford & Maria's affair is still totally unacceptable today, cheating is a thing most people hate, in fact. You need to eliminate the cousin thing for modern sensibilities and maybe take Fanny out of the house (she's a friend or an employee), but it can work. From Mansfield With Love was okay but I think it can be done better. The play can still be done, but I would choose one that is more well-known, like Romeo and Juliet.

If anyone has better or more ideas, please share! Especially for S&S.

Lady Susan:

I think this one might translate the best after Northanger Abbey, she's a basic Gaslight Girlboss Goddigger. Reginald would be just as aghast that she's sleeping with someone else as he was in the late 1700s. Honestly I wouldn't change much! Lady Susan can be from money or a washed-up actress or something which is why she's trying to marry and not get a job.

[evertidings]

Hello! I'm thinking of starting an IF story later this year, and am completely new to coding and how to organise a chose-your-own-adventure. I was wondering whether you could share how you organise each route/the story of WTS, please. Love your work!

hi!! if you're overwhelmed by formatting and you're writing in twine, i'd actually recommend writing directly in the twine app. it has a great mind-map aesthetic that can help you visualize things.

but if you're curious as to how i write, i've attached some screenshots below. i believe i've talked about this before, but i'll go over it again because why not?

example #1: sections

one of the most important steps for me when organizing a document is having headers. it allows me to jump from section to section, rather than scrolling through for ages trying to find something. it also helps me break the chapter into smaller sections, which makes things less overwhelming for me.

example #2: choices.

in terms of the document itself, i make sure to differentiate texts with various colours to make things easier on the eyes. i also make sure they are visually different. for example, in chapter ten, i wrote my choices in a purple colour and indented them slightly. i also write each line with bullet points, just so i know the text that follows is part of that choice and not general text.

example #3: if statements.

similar to my choices, i colour my "if statements" in a different colour than the general text. i also indent them further than the choices and change the bullet point that it's written on, just so i can further differentiate the two. for those who don't know, if statements act like flavour text, which show up only if you've completed or met a certain requirement prior to the scene. in the picture below, the flavour text reveals itself if you've been rude to Blane seven times or more. otherwise, you get the general text.

overall: aside from those two formatting decisions, my word document is really standard. luckily, i'm able to keep track of a my branches in my head, so this system works for me, but it goes without saying that it won't be for everyone. as i said at the beginning of the post, if you're more visual, twine (or some sort of mindmap tool) might be useful. hopefully this is (slightly) helpful. if anyone has more questions on this, please let me know! i'm always happy to answer them :)))

p.s. if anyone is confused about all the "<" and ">" symbols, that's just part of my twine coding. i usually copy and paste what i write in word into my code, so this just saves me from typing it.

[zexapher]

Weiss: You know… I’ve been thinking back to when you asked me to the dance.

Jaune: You – ah, you have? I’m sorry if I was a bit… much, back then.

Weiss: Don’t worry, you weren’t so bad. It certainly frustrated me to no end back then, but now it seems cute. Something personal, and heartfelt. I had all these ideas in my head and, well…

Jaune: I shouldn’t have kept at it like that.

Weiss: No, but now things are different. Things have changed – we have changed. And I wouldn’t mind you trying your hand at another serenade.

Jaune: Really?

Weiss: You know I like music. And I have a collection of instruments back home. Perhaps we could put on our own little duet. You can… you can grab one of the guitars, finger a few of my strings.

Thought I'd share a little excerpt from the fanfic I published today, titled "Pastry Pandemonium." I threw a chunk of innuendo in, but that last line is about the most risqué it's gonna get. But I know what the people want, so I added a little arm in arm hand-holding action. You animals!

It's really all fluff and humor for a White Knight date night set in Mantle. 2k+ words, so it's a quick read. I figured it rates K+ on FF.net, so PG if you want to be careful. Originally planned to just make it as another edit, but then I got rather taken with the idea and turned it into a nice little story. I'll come back around to make that edit eventually.

Anyway, here are the links if you're interested in reading:

FF.Net

AO3

[lunarflux]

x: Thomas Shelby found his match in an information bookie who has eluded the grasp of the Peaky Blinders long enough to crumble their power over Birmingham. But at last, he found you. The ghost he'd been chasing was finally in front of him, but you were trickier than he expected. Dangerous, cunning - and a bit too much like himself. To buy your loyalty, he would have to sell his in equal measure. Loyalty for loyalty - blood for blood - how much were either of you willing to spill before the game changed entirely?

part 12: world on fire

word count: 2,256

✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒

Days would pass since Tommy's near brush with death and your ascent from the dark. At first, no one asked where you were, but as the week progressed, Arthur and John were the first to talk to Tommy about it. He could tell—not that his brothers were particularly good at hiding their emotions—that they wondered if you were alright. Finn, who still held onto the little stories you shared, resisted entering the bookshop because, in time, you had nothing to say. He voiced his concern to Tommy, but it would take him another few days to find himself outside the shop, wondering if you were inside.

He reached for the knob, and it jammed. The front door was locked, but Tommy wasn’t one to be deterred by locked doors. He rapped his knuckles against the wood, the sound sharp and commanding.

After a long pause, the door creaked open just enough for you to peer out, your expression immediately hardening.

“What do you want?”

Funny. Those were the first words he spoke to you when he sat across your desk so long ago, and now here he was again. Only this time, you were the one demanding an answer.

Tommy stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, his presence filling the small space. He looked around the place that you always hid away in, and in some part of his mind—the part that also craved solitude among the chaos—understood, and he wished that he had a sanctuary like this of his own.

When he finally looked at you, you avoided his eyes.

“You haven't been back to the betting house. Or the Garrison.”

You crossed your arms, leaning back against the counter. You kept your demeanor cold, posture guarded, but he caught the flicker of something in your eyes—sadness, maybe, or frustration. Most likely with him.

“Well, now you know I'm alive,” you said. "Is that all?"

There it was—the uncomfortable silence. But now, you couldn't wait. The longer you waited, the longer he'd be standing in front of you.

Your jaw tightened. “Then I guess, you're just here to take up time.”

Tommy removed his hat and placed it on the counter, hoping to take up as much time to put together a delicate answer for you. “We have unfinished business.”

You raised an eyebrow, waiting.

He took a step closer, his hands tucked into his pockets. “You said gave me my life for my tragedy.”

Your lips pressed into a thin line, but, still, you said nothing.

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Tommy continued, his voice low. “And I realized something.”

Your breath hitched, though you masked it well. “Enlighten me.”

He hesitated, the words catching in his throat. He hated this—hated the vulnerability, the uncertainty—but he forced himself to push through.

“You’ve already walked away from me more than once,” he said finally. “And, every time, I let you because of the debt I owe you. I'd rather not make that mistake again—debt or no debt.”

Your posture stiffened, but you couldn't bring yourself to respond.

“You’ve got a choice,” he replied, his voice turning sharp. “You can keep weighing everything I do—everything you do—by value. By exchange. A debt for a debt, only giving what is equally worth the other, hiding behind that cold front of yours. Or you can look at me. And tell me, at last, what the fuck it is you really want.”

Silence hung between you, heavy and charged.

You opened your mouth to speak but faltered again, your usual sharp wit replaced by something softer, more uncertain.

Tommy stepped closer, his gaze boring into yours. “I’m not asking for answers tonight. But think about it, y/n. Because one way or another, it will come out—with or without your willingness to say it out loud.”

He turned and walked toward the door, leaving you standing there in stunned silence. As he stepped into the cool night air, Tommy allowed himself the faintest of smiles.

The chessboard had shifted.

Now, it was your move.

✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒

The door shut behind him with a soft click, but the sound felt deafening in the silence that followed. You stood frozen, your back still against the counter, arms crossed as though holding yourself together.

You hated how much you hung onto his words until they crept under your skin. You hated that he could say so little and still unravel your carefully constructed defenses.

Your hands clenched into fists. Even as you thought through it all, doubt crept in. You had seen something in his eyes tonight—the same look of fragility—something he probably didn’t even realize he’d let slip. Vulnerability. Maybe even fear.

Your breathing caught at the base of your throat as another thought surfaced, unbidden. It was true. Every time, you were the one who walked away, and next time, he wouldn't let you. The thought alone was daunting, and you spent the next minute convincing yourself that he meant it as a threat. It wasn't though, it was a precarious decision he made on his own. He wouldn't let you walk away again to leave him alone.

The realization sent a chill down your spine. Tommy Shelby wasn’t the type to say things he didn’t mean. If he’d decided you were worth chasing, worth fighting for, he wouldn’t stop. And if he did stop, that meant he was wrong—you weren't worth it. Both concepts raged on in your head. You wanted to be worth it, but was all of this worth it to you?

Your grip on control slipped for just a moment, and you slammed your hand against the counter in frustration.

Needing someone—it was a terrible feeling, to the point where, long ago, you decided you'd never let yourself need someone again. The anger you felt towards yourself was sharp, but it was nothing compared to the frustration you felt towards Tommy. He was pushing you for an answer you didn't have, or perhaps, it was one he knew you would keep denying.

Wanting someone—there was no line of logic that would make it any better.

Your thoughts spiraled, but you forced yourself to take a deep breath. This wasn’t the time to fall apart. There were bigger things at play.

Why did I save him, you kept asking yourself, what possessed me to go there?

The tip about Tommy replayed in your mind. Something about it hadn’t sat right with you from the beginning, but there was no time to think it through. Why would someone risk passing on information like that? Why to you, specifically? That could have gone to anyone—any of the Blinders would have readily gone to help Tommy if he needed it. So, why did that information fall into your lap?

Kennedy—a wiry fellow with shifty eyes and a devious demeanor. He’d seemed so eager, almost too eager, to help. Back when he was Bedlam's bookie, he was much more naïve, but you offered him a way out, a way to stay out of the line of fire by giving information when Arthur sought it out. So, why would he come back—willingly come back to you?

Bingham.

The name hit you like a lightning bolt. It was suddenly so obvious, too obvious. Bingham set you up. The tip wasn’t to help Tommy. It was to bait you into action, to make you reveal yourself—to show that, now, you had something you couldn't afford to lose. It didn't matter that you told yourself this agreement with Tommy was transactional. A lost investment would stay lost. But to lose Tommy was something else entirely, and you never would have allowed that to way on your conscience if he'd been killed.

You walked straight into it. Bingham knew, once again, that you allowed yourself to care enough to risk your security.

You pushed away from the counter, your heart pounding so violently it sent aches through your veins. If Bingham was watching, if this was all part of some plan, then Tommy’s visit tonight might not have gone unnoticed.

Your jaw clenched as the anger burned through your skin. You’d been a fool to think you could outmaneuver someone like Bingham without consequences. All at once, it was crumbling down at your feet. You could blame Tommy all you wanted, but all of this came down to the decision you made.

You ran to your office, hastily pulling one of the drawers, and reloaded your pistol. If someone was going to act tonight, let them. All you knew was that this wouldn't end well.

✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒

Arthur and John Shelby lingered in the shadows, the bookshop just within view. Tommy told them to follow him there, his expression unreadable as he gave the order. Others remained in the car, each more confused than the next.

“She won’t like it,” Arthur muttered, lighting a cigarette. "If she swings a bottle at my head—"

“She doesn’t have to like it,” Tommy replied, his voice cold. “Just make sure she’s not alone. Finn and I will be at the Garrison.”

"You really think something's going to happen?" John asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Tommy didn't explained himself further, but Arthur and John didn’t really need an answer. They’d seen the way Tommy looked at you, even if he refused to admit it. He’d do what he always did—protect what mattered to him, whether or not he said it out loud.

✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒

You stayed behind the counter, eyes darting back and forth between the passing shadows on the street. When the burden finally felt too heavy, you pressed your palms against your eyes, suddenly feeling so foolish at your paranoia. Bingham was too smart, and he already knew where you were. Why wouldn't he show himself? What would turning you mad do for him in the end?

You paced between the shelves of books, revolver at your side. You had to do something to keep your mind preoccupied, or else you really would go crazy. The maddening effects of staying awake for so long would get you first, and the mania would hit later. You were no good to anyone without your mind, but dying was so much more terrifying.

You looked down to the floor just as a shadow passed over the window, cloaking your legs in darkness.

The shot rang loud, piercing the window and into your shoulder. The burn came quickly, the force of the bullet sending you back into one of the shelves. You fired towards the shadow, and the window shattered completely.

The crack of your gun echoed down the street, but the damage was already done. The scent of petrol filled your lungs as it cascaded into your shop through the open window.

The flicker of flames caught your eye, and you turned to see fire licking at the edges of the bookshop’s doorway. Before you could move, a sharp pain erupted in your side. Amidst all of it, you never felt the second shot—the bullet still deep inside.

Your vision blurred, but you held yourself steady against the shelves. Your arm ran cold with the dampness of blood soaking your sleeve.

✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒

“Bloody hell,” Arthur muttered, tossing his cigarette aside when he saw the flames.

John moved quickly, his hand on his gun. He screamed your name, the sound desperately fighting the din of crackling paper and splintering wood.

The car emptied as the two of them rushed toward the bookshop, Arthur cursing under his breath. They reached you just as you stumbled out of the doorway, nearly collapsing on the street.

“Find Tommy—” John commanded to the others as he grabbed your arm to steady you. They scattered in the direction of the Garrison.

“Get her out of here,” Arthur barked, his voice rough with urgency.

You tried to protest, but the pain was overwhelming. You wanted to tell them that your things were on the second floor, but the smoke overtook the street. Before long, everything would be lost.

“We’ll handle it,” Arthur said firmly, shoving you toward John. “Go!”

John half-carried you to the relative safety of an alleyway, his grip firm but careful. “Stay here,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

You leaned against the wall, breaths shallow. You watched as Arthur disappeared into the chaos, his gun raised, his silhouette outlined by the glow of the flames.

The air was thick with smoke and the acrid scent of burning paper and charred wood. The night was lit up with the flames of the bookshop, a chaotic dance of fire and shadows that seemed to mirror your own inner turmoil. Blood soaked through your coat, warm and sticky. You staggered, leaning heavily on the side of the car as you watched everything be swallowed by light.

Arthur appeared from the smoke, his eyes narrowed and calculating as he took in the sight of your injuries. “Did they shoot you or try to gut you with a pitchfork?”

You managed a weak smile, the pain radiating through you like a live wire. “Gentleman’s choice, I suppose.”

“We need to get her to the Garrison now,” John muttered, his eyes dark with something that wasn’t just irritation.

You didn’t respond, too caught up in trying to stay upright. The effort left you feeling dizzy, the edges of your vision tinged with gray. By now the pain was blinding. John lifted you into the car, and the last you remember feeling before the burn took over again was the feeling of cold air blowing against your cheeks.

[cruyuu]

It's actually crazy how I keep getting more and more convinced Yuuji and Sukuna are in love, when I first started shipping them I just thought their hatred for each other was interesting and could potentially lead to love but I figured I'd have to stick to fanfictions for that, but Gege just keeps making their relationship more and more sus?

This week alone with the Wasuke as the twin reveal (which might not change the actually plot but it definitely changes my reading of the story by a lot) and then dropping the Sukuita dance art, where they're holding hands while Yuuji looks so overjoyed to be in his arms and Sukuna, the tsundere that he is, looks upset but continues to hold Yuuji close anyway AND the "abominable righteousness. a steadfast anchor for the soul" quote right next to them??? That's clearly meant to be Sukuna's true feelings about Yuuji since the other cards were all words spoken to Yuuji by Gojo, Nanami, and Choso respectively. But- I have no words, this is as close to canon Sukuita as I think Shounen Jump would ever allow lmfao.

This is the most unexpected ship of mine that's received so much canon content, I'd expect this from some of my more vanilla ships but Sukuita??? Insane.

Hi anon!

The effect of Sukuna and Yuuji is the more you pay attention to them, the more you'll grow to like them (and start shipping them). These two have an interesting relationship no matter how you look at it (or them in general). It's true that they're subtle but then, they're also extremely loud (what the fuck was Shinjuku arc even about like they've spent more time caressing each other than fighting) and it's true that, in the beginning, there was little content but good content nonetheless. If you ask me, it was extremely sus even back then because why was Sukuna so amused by Yuuji? Why was he out there making Binding Vows's not to hurt people (someone who enjoys killing, mind you) just to get control of his body? The same Sukuna who slices people to bits if they raise their head in his presence (what he did to Jogo and those girls)... ?? Just what.

But now that we've reached the end... we have enough content to last us a lifetime and convince us that these two are certainly not in a platonic relationship. I, too, found them interesting at the beginning (more about all of that in a different post! I have to answer one anon.) but wasn't expecting anything even if I realized, as we kept progressing further and further into the plot, just how valuable these two are to it and how tied in are to the entirety of the story. Sure, jjk has a lot of other characters, but Sukuna and Yuuji stole the show in the end and went out with a bang. Not only did Yuuji change the unchangable but Sukuna and him! Danced! This is even funnier when you know what the epilogue was trying to hint at which puts even more emphasis on how their relationship is clearly not one of enemies and neither of friends.

Gege always had something more to say when it comes to these two, which also adds to the whole "hey I do think these two are... definitely something". They won't add just a tiny piece of content, but would rather drop some mind-numbing, plot-changing lore about them. The fact that they first dropped the Wasuke and Sukuna sharing souls plot point and then dropped official art of them dancing is hilarious to me. Like it's always something big, something huge! Whenever it's something about these two, you know damn well it won't be insignificant and that Gege will deliver.

"abominable righteousness. a steadfast anchor for the soul" quote right next to them??? That's clearly meant to be Sukuna's true feelings about Yuuji since the other cards were all words spoken to Yuuji by Gojo, Nanami, and Choso respectively.

Oh, don't even get me started on that, anon. I already ranted my friends' ears off about how that quote is insane. Yuuji is somebody who Sukuna used to see as insignificant but now he's finally not stubborn enough to admit that yes... all that hate wasn't really hate. There's admiration there. There's "I'll always have you".

I mean, it's pretty clear to anyone who followed this manga that Sukuna doesn't really hate Yuuji. If he did, all of this wouldn't have happened and would've been different lmfao. What we did lack tho was his opinion on him. His actual, truthful opinion. Sukuna loves to lie after all and loves to pretend he doesn't care when in fact he does... very much so.

And yes, anon. This is as close to canon we can get. They're tied to each other, forever in love and Yuuji even promised his forever to him, to be there even if the world wouldn't accept him. That's fucking insane genuinely. It awfully sounds like a marriage proposal because saying that to someone you lowkey used to ignore and despise *checks notes* a couple of months ago is baffling. Why would you promise someone to walk by their side forever, even if the entire world is against them? Come on now. There's no platonic explanation for that.

[madamepestilence]

Go Fund Gaza - Palestinians that have reached out to me

Don't have money to donate? Head over to arab.org/click-to-help, they'll convert every click you have into one Lebanese Lira, which are converted at a rate of 15 Lira to 1 USD donation regardless of the Lebanese economic crash and other economic exchange rate changes

I offer my deepest and most sincere apologies to the countless families whom I've been unable to help and were left not responded to in my inbox. I should've shared these months ago. I hope that sharing these now can at least help some.

Folks of Tumblr, some of these haven't received donations in months and/or have less than 1% fulfilled. If you have any funds to spare, donate at least something. Even just a single euro. Please.

If you want verification, I advise you find a different person to ask or reach out to people who have the energy and means to verify them. I'm not qualified to attempt that, and I'd rather be scammed than subject someone to genocide, especially given GoFundMe has a scam protection policy that refunds donators.

Please keep in mind that names/grammar may be slightly different in some places: some names anglicize multiple different ways (for instance, shonen being anglicized from Japanese) and English is a complicated second language.

Thank you in advance. I expect to see both the Arab.org Daily Clicks (I DO MONITOR THIS. WHY IS LESS THAN THE EQUIVALENT OF 0.05% OF THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES DOING THEM. 15000 PEOPLE ON AVERAGE? WHAT THE FUCK.) and donations go up.

I'll be posting these in threads of messages I've received at a time because there's a lot, and Tumblr doesn't care for posts with large quantities of links/@'s. 7 September 2024: Ahmed Khalil Tumblr: @ahmed0khalil GFM:

7 September 2024: Esraa Ayyad (with Maram Rafat) Tumblr: @esraayyad14 GFM:

7 September 2024: Muhammad Al-Sir Tumblr: @mohmadelser GFM:

7 September 2024: Ola Ahel Tumblr: @olagaza, @olagaza1, @olagaza2 GFM:

8 September 2024: Ahmad Salem Tumblr: @saveahmad2468 GFM:

8 September 2024: Ali Muqdad Tumblr: @alimeq92 GFM:

8 September 2024: Ahmed Al-Agha Tumblr: @ahmed-gaza12 GFM:

8 September 2024: Ahmed Zor Tumblr: @ahmedabuzuorfamily GFM:

8 September 2024: Jumana Hassan Tumblr: @mohmoud-j GFM:

9 September 2024: Noha Abed Tumblr: @nohabed GFM:

[kathbunny]

More of the of the poly au, the b-team collecting evidence (or just witnessing things that confuse them)

Ione felt a bit out of place in the Sprite Spring, like it was someplace she just wasn't built for. Although, most food establishments felt like that to her, either requiring manners she didn't have or being too loud or too quiet, or any number of other things. She could handle it though, and she could even enjoy being here for a little while, since she was with Kyana, who seemed to be able to stare through Ione and did her best to make things feel right as she kept attention on herself instead of Ione.

Ione also had a mission this time though. Not just drinks with a friend and stories. "Kyana," Ione began, the question she had in mind feeling heavier suddenly, "I was wondering something?" She stalled.

"What's up?" Kyana asked, bright as ever. "Something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong." Ione said quickly, waving her hand like that would dismiss the idea that there was anything about her that needed worrying about. "I was curious if you were dating somebody?" Or multiple somebodies.

Kyana took a moment to process the question, her expression changing rather quickly from second to second, before just shrugging. Shrugging. Ione wanted to explode a little bit. Kyana didn't even verbally respond.

"...as in you don't know, or-" Ione cut herself off as their plates were set on the table, Finbar's sudden appearance putting an immediate end to the topic.

-

Davion looked up from his crew's shopping list as he heard a familiar voice when looking around one of the many markets in Sigil. Dani was across the street, rather loudly talking down the price of fruit that looked like something he'd have to be paid to take, VR-LA standing vigilant at her side. He distinctly heard the phrases "saved the world" and "goddamn fucking Magister" amongst the jumble. It didn't seem to be going well.

Dani grabbed onto VR-LA's scarf, casually yanking on it to pull VR-LA down to the level of her and the rather short merchant, which VR-LA seemed to take in stride, kneeling slightly rather than awkwardly bend over. The dirty street was definitely ruining his robe.

VR-LA took Dani's hand, and her volume lowered. His head moved as though he was speaking, tilting to the side when he finished. Dani looked frustrated, but finally handed money over to the merchant, getting her fruit. Davion wasn't quite sure what to think of that.

-

Athos sat at the bar of the Sprite Spring, beer in paw as he watched Finbar clean some glasses. Their previous topic had run out, leading to Athos remembering a recent interaction with his own crew. "Finbar," he began, gruffly, "Cressida was curious about something."

"Hm?" Finbar hummed, barely looking up from the glass.

"Is the crew of the Per Aspera dating?"

Finbar paused and sighed, looking up. "I'll be honest," he started, "I don't know."

"Are you not their friend?"

"They don't really share things, they just vaguely reference and then you have to ask yourself."

"Does asking work?"

"Occasionally." Finbar set aside the glass. "I'd tell you if I could, but Cressida'll just have to ask on her own."

"I shall make the suggestion."

-

Cressida had spaced out a while ago. Not that it mattered, she wasn't quite sober and Vhas obviously wasn't either with how long he had been rambling. They had made meeting up to talk about whatever competition they decided upon a regular thing, but that had already been gotten out of the way, just leaving nonsense.

"...VR-LA's a shit kisser, y'know? Comes with being a robot, no lips to kiss back with." Vhas said, presumably related to whatever else he had said, making Cressida snap back in.

"What?"

"I tried kissing him while drunk once!" Vhas declared, ignoring the question. "Just kinda slammed my head against his. He told me it was probably just time for me to quit." Cressida thought mechanites kissed by bumping foreheads?

"Is kissing him a regular thing?"

"No, I wouldn't subject myself to that." Vhas said. "He's shit at it. Absolute shit. No lips." Vhas made exaggerated hand movements to emphasize his point.

"Are you, like, dating him or-"

"NOT A RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCE." Vhas interrupted, leaning over the bar as he swayed slightly. Cressida definitely wasn't getting her answer tonight.

[hey-august]

250 Follower Event - Short-Cut Ending

Hey, so another project that I've had on the backburner for a while and I'd like to give it some sort of resolution. 😅

Back in February (wow time flies), I started an event to celebrate having 250 followers, which involved prompt lists and short stories. There were 14 items to pick from and I got through 10 of them before letting the event go cold. Here's the tag with all the filled prompts.

Here we are, 8 months later, and it's time to finish this off! Rather than writing stories, I did short lists for what each prompt would have entailed and where it would fit in the larger story.

And - surprise! - although the event was SFW stories, I did have an idea for a NSFW bonus, which I've included at the end. 😘

WC: ~700 Warnings: buggy x gn!reader. The 4 prompts are SFW, no other warnings for those. For NSFW - insertion sex, reader receiving.

Rock 🪨

Not yet in a relationship

Buggy notices that you have a collection of things in their room. Sea shells, gemstones, geodes, little carved figures, etc.

He wants to gift you something, so he gets you a rock. Not a gem or a geode, not a crystal cluster, just a rock he found on the shore that he thought looked nice and wanted to give to you.

This would connect back to Portrait, which mentions gem and sea stones on the shelf in the room you two share.

Heat 🤒

Not yet in a relationship

You or Buggy gets sick and the other had to care for them. I thought about making it where everyone but you gets sick, so you run yourself ragged trying to give everyone the minimal amount of care (water, food, some fresh air).

As everyone is finally getting better, you get sick and wake up in Buggy's bed.

I think this would have crossed over with Sing, where one of them sings a little lullaby while the other is resting.

Dream 😴

Established relationship

You or Buggy would wake up after a bad dream and get comforted.

If it was you having a nightmare, Buggy would probably shake you awake.

If Buggy was having the bad dream, I think you'd be so startled and Buggy would wake up shortly after startling you.

I'm not sure which this would pair with - Maybe Heat (listed above) since they're sharing a bed, or Cat because it would be comforting to fall back asleep with your partner and your pet nearby.

Treasure 🎁

This woulda been the grand finale once all the other prompts were completed!

You and Buggy would be on an island, walking through a forest, crossing a shallow river, etc etc until you find the spot for treasure. Your treasure - you're going to bury a time capsule!

And in the capsule are trinkets and memories from the previous stories - a cat toy, drawn portraits, an empty snack bag, a dried flower, a rock, buttons that Buggy sewed on your clothes, a bottle… I don't think every story has something that would go in the time capsule (either I forgot about this plan while writing, or changed my mind and don't remember that lolll), but a good amount do.

Maybe this would end with a cutesy kiss. Mwah!

~~~

Oh wait, the idea I had for a NSFW bit too? hehehehe

It would occur some time after you joined the crew and after the massage, but you're not in a relationship yet.

It's a stormy night. Rain, lightning, some thunder. The waves aren't huge, but enough to sway the ship back and forth.

Buggy comes across you standing in a doorway and watching the rain fall on the deck. You're enthralled - the storm is wild and magical.

You're holding out a hand to feel the water. The rocking from the ship is sending rain inside, wetting your feet.

Buggy steps out into the rain and invites you to join him. He's holding out a hand, which you reach out and grab.

You two dance in the rain, under the heavy clouds and sparks of electricity. Sometimes Buggy lifts you off the wooden floor and swings you around a little. You're both laughing, smiling, and having fun getting soaked.

When you finally step back into a covered area, there's something. An unspoken thing. Water is dripping from hair and clinging to eyelashes. Another crack of lightning. Then a kiss.

You and Buggy have sex right there, against a wall. It's a bit quick, but intimate. Wet enough to create some awkwardness, because clothes are clinging and don't give as easily.

Also, dad bod Buggy, but he's less nervous since you saw his tum once before and liked it.

I, uh, didn't think about how exactly this would end. I just wanted dancing in the rain and wet sex.

Let's say everyone finishes and Buggy offers to let you use his bathroom to freshen up and get warm. You step out after cleaning yourself up, and Buggy already has some dry clothes (his clothes) set out and says you can stay the night, if you want.

And you do, of course.

[friendlybowlofsoup]

Another Update

Hello Friends,

I have a rather long (but optimistic!) update to share with you all today. As many of you are probably tired of reading these kind of posts, I have a TL;DR here, but I did want to share what has been on my mind in that past half-year that I haven't been here.

It has been rough, and busy as always, but I think I'm finally facing myself and my project for the first time in a very long time.

TL;DR (it's actually long, I have a lot to say (*_ _)人)

I soul-searched and decided to stop compromising on my own feelings with regards to this project. I gave in to everything I wanted to do.

Plot changes, which means some character changes, which means some of the demo is outdated.

GotRM will be switching over to Twine.

----

OH MAN DID I SUFFER THE LAST FEW MONTHS

After my previous update, I hunkered down and really analyzed how I wanted to proceed with GotRM as a project. Because even prior to that post, I had already been going through long periods of hiatuses (which you are all aware of), and while I didn't lie about school taking up my time, I was also harboring a growing dissatisfaction with my own writing that really killed my progress for a long time.

So after everything had settled, I sat down and forced myself to peel apart my work. I know I said I would answer asks, but I uninstalled all of my social media and put aside this blog to focus. I made a note of all the things I liked and didn't like, and I made a list of things I wanted to change or improve on. The biggest point was that I also looked at my efficiency during actual writing sessions: how much of my time was spent writing vs. fighting with code? How could I change that?

And after a lot of deliberation, I figured there were a few things I had to change from the ground up, summed up in four points:

My working style was super incompatible with grad school. I can't spend 20-30 minutes scrolling up and down CSIDE checking code or looking for narratives while also jumping between chapters to make sure events line up. As this story grows, the more difficult it becomes to keep track of all the branches, so I needed an alternative working method, which I am adhering to now, and it prioritizes efficiency.

I hated the way I was tracking and coding stats in-game. I have griped so much about coding stats, and I have adhered to such a rigid style that I really felt trapped whenever I was confronted with balancing them out. So I'm throwing that to the wind and redoing how I utilize and convey them. Player-side, this decision doesn't change much since I never fully utilized stats in the demo anyway, and the stats page with indicators will still exist, but I'm getting rid of stat bars and how I treat stat checks.

The story I want to write now is different from the one I started out with. I've known for a while that GotRM was becoming far more than the tiny, wishful novella that I wrote as a teenager. I held onto that old story for a long time, but there's just so much I want to change that I realized I'd been clinging to a story I no longer enjoyed writing. So I spent the majority of the last few months rewriting GotRM from scratch. I redid some worldbuilding, I changed a lot of plot points, and I fixed a lot of characters' backstories accordingly. This meant scrapping stuff from even the demo, but that turned out to not be the biggest issue because:

I wanted to branch away from ChoiceScript. Honestly, I never really cared about getting officially published, but the camaraderie in the forums and on Tumblr were why I committed to CS and CoG. However, ultimately, I really want the functionality that other tools can offer GotRM, and so after a long internal debate, I will be switching over to Twine. Fortunately, since I was rewriting everything anyways, this has been relatively painless, and passage mapping has made everything so much neater. I am trying my best to make it up to chapter 2 before I release the new demo, so please look forwards to that!

And so yes, I am still here, chugging along.

I love this game and this story: it's been my creative escape for as long as I could remember, and you can imagine how frustrated I was when I realized I was starting to dread working on it.

I am forever learning more about myself and my writing style, and this is simply more of that journey. Thank you everyone for sticking around, for joining the discord, and for checking up on me--that I have all of you has truly been a dream.

Hopefully more updates to come soon! I understand that there may be questions about these new changes, so please ask away! I will (try) to release some asks that I've been working on in the drafts too, but I will wait until at least tomorrow to release them so that this post doesn't get drowned out immediately.

And as always, with a lot of love,

FriendlyBowlofSoup (Mei)

[wonuwrites]

We Can't Be Friends Song Reaction

Inspired by Ariana Grande's song: "We Can't Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)

Hyung Line Version. maknae line version

Warning: This is angsty and sad af, slight cursing, mentions alcohol, Seungcheol's is devastatingly fluffy, some suggestive things in Jeonghan's so minors dni.

A/N: using a song lyric as a prompt for each of the members. Decided to break this up from Hyung Line (Seungcheol - Jihoon) to Maknae Line (Seokmin - Chan). Keep an eye out for the Maknae Line part. The parts are written in order from where the song lyrics show up. I hope you enjoy.

✫ Jun: "I didn't think you'd understand me. How could you ever even try?"

You and Jun come from two different worlds. That's what made the relationship so exciting when you first decided to date. You thought it would be fun. However, there was a lot of cultural differences and just things that neither of you could never understand no matter how hard you both would try. You even tried to learn each others languages and cultures but it was just too difficult. Plus the pressures of being a secret lover just never set right with you. You understood why you had to love in secret but it still didn't mean it didn't hurt. When you made the unfortunate decision to break things off with Jun, he pleaded with you and even said he understood how difficult things are but you already made up your mind. No amount of tears from either of you could change your mind.

✫ Joshua: "Just wanna let this story die. And I'll be alright."

When Jisoo and you began dating, you never imagined getting to this part. You imagined getting married to him. You imagined having a family with him. You imagined a beautiful life with him. That's why these last few months have felt like such major whiplash. The constant fighting, the snide remarks, the tension, it was exhausting. You just were waiting almost impatiently for him to end things with you already. However, he was stubborn and he still loved you. You are everything to him and the thought of losing you is a nightmare. That's why you had to do it. At 2:13 am you both were screaming at each other on the phone over who knows what when you finally chose to end it." "Jisoo, we are done," you finally shouted causing him to quiet down and realize the gravity of the situation. "What do you mean we are done?" He asked while trying to choke back tears. "I mean we are done. We are broken up. I am tired of this fighting over nothing. It's time to let our love story end." Before he could say anything you hung up and blocked his number. It hurt like hell but you felt a little lighter and less stressed out. You knew you would be alright and one day you would find someone to live the happy life you imagined with Jisoo.

✫ Hoshi: "We can't be friends. But I'd like to just pre-etend."

The days where you would come home to Soonyoung were a distant memory at this point. You both were just so busy with everything that you both came to a mutual agreement to break up and just try to remain friends. However, little did you realize how hard it would be just friends. Whenever you were out with mutual friends, you both would both try your best but there was still some tension and longing glances even though neither of you would ever admit it. Your friends would beg you both to just grow up and get back together but both of you were just stubborn and rather live in delusion and pretend that being friends was the smartest choice. It was for the best.

✫ Wonwoo: "Me and my truth, we sit in silence. Mmm baby girl it's just me and you."

You felt delusional. You were being delusional. When Wonwoo walked out your once shared apartment you sat like a lost puppy thinking surely he would ignore your words to get lost. However he listened. He got lost and left everything you built together. He was hurt, he was upset. Everything he did was for you, and to watch you just throw everything you both built was devastating. However, he would do anything for you. That includes walking away when you ask. After two weeks of waiting for any sign of Wonwoo, you realized it was just you. You realized what you did and you regretted it but you also knew that it was for the best. He was amazing and deserves someone who could love him the way he loved. Maybe in another life you both could try again.

✫ S. Coups: "Cause I don't wanna argue but I don't wanna bite my tongue yeah I think I'd rather die."

Fighting with Seungcheol was one of your least favorite things to do. It took all your energy and just made you feel sick. Normally, if he was being irrational or bothered you, you would just bite your tongue and just pray it would be over soon. However, after months of doing this you realized staying silent was killing you. You wanted to express what was bothering you in hopes you both could mend your almost deteriorating relationship. You had texted him earlier that you wanted to talk when he got home. This caused Seungcheol to hurry home to see you. He thought you were hurt. He was left in the dark about your angers and wanted to make sure the love of his life was okay. When he got home he saw you sat at the kitchen table with a worried face and that's when he was nervous. "What's wrong, baby?" "I um, we need to talk about us. I don't want to argue about it but I wanna talk about how I am feeling and have been feeling for a little while." He nodded and pulled out the chair next to you and gave you his full attention. Once you let out all your concerns, worries, and grievances you were worried about, Seungcheol just held your hand and then together you made a game plan on where to go.

✫ Jeonghan: "You got me misunderstood but at least I look this good."

"What do you think you are doing (Y/N)?" you heard someone behind you ask causing your heart to race as if you were a kid who was caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. You felt guilty but deep down you knew you had NO reason to feel guilty whatsoever. It had been over three weeks since you and Jeonghan decided to call it quits and tonight you decided was the night to wear a little black dress and try to move on. What was the occasion? Saint Laurent had invited you to a party in Seoul and you decided it was a good opportunity to dress up and feel pretty. You knew Jeonghan would most likely also be invited but to be honest, you could care less. He was not yours to worry about anymore. Tonight it was only about you and supporting Saint Laurent. You sighed as you turned around and saw Jeonghan staring at you with mixed emotions across his face. This caused you to smirk at him before shrugging. "Same reason you are here, I was invited." "But why the short dress?" "Since when were my legs offensive?" This made Jeonghan shut up and just look at you. After what seemed like an eternity you waved goodbye to your former lover and walked away into the party.

✫ Woozi: "You cling to your papers and pens. Wait until you like me again."

When Jihoon and you both started to talk, you knew that he was a workaholic. You knew he'd spend countless hours in the studio and you had sworn up and down that you were okay with it. However, after him being at the studio while you waited at a restaurant on your one year anniversary happened you were angry. He didn't even apologize really, he just was like "you know I need to get this album out." It hurt. When he got back to your shared apartment, he noticed how empty it was. He noticed there was not a trace of you. He called out for you and he heard nothing. He looked everywhere and when he realized you were gone. He quickly took his phone out to call but the call went straight to voicemail. He then found a letter addressed to him saying that you were done being second best to him. You said you would love and support him forever but for your sake you couldn't do this anymore. The note broke him and he couldn't help but breakdown crying.

ahh this was emotional im sorry. maknae version coming soon <3 maknae verion is here! x

[roryacker]

WereGhost Masterlist

Figured I'd start this sooner rather than later that way all I have to do later is just grab a link, pop it in, and add a summary, then we're good. The hard part is done ahead of time wooo.

Looking for a specific part? Wanna start from the beginning? Just wanna see them all compiled into a list? Here's a masterlist :) I also describe what exactly is what for the sake of simplicity, give the parts a lil summary and all.

Will be updated with every part I add whenever I can get to my computer. You can also find every part by searching for the tags "Werewolf Ghost AU" or "WereGhost" on this blog, but variety is nice. And yknow they're numbered here and all

https://www.tumblr.com/roryacker/769702636726501376/the-website-ive-been-using-for-art-on-my-phone?source=share (First Sketch - sucks)

https://www.tumblr.com/roryacker/769705906158141440/i-could-not-sit-there-and-let-that-first-one-be?source=share (First Design - no story but a little mini rundown on what it even is)

First Part - Simon is injured via beartrap while being hunted down. Introduces Simon, wolfhunts- a major theme in the story- and, of course, Johnny. Mentions a mysterious older man speaking with Johnny, but does not give him a name.

Second Part - Simon gets muzzled so Johnny can sleep without having to worry about being mauled or something, Simon eventually falls asleep. Johnny offers him food and Simon snaps at him to scare him off.

Third Part - more about wolfhunts and Simon getting used to warmth and comfort. Simon is force-fed some medicine despite not actually minding it, simply wanting to be difficult so Johnny doesn't think of him as sweet or docile. Johnny leaves the door open one morning while leaving with the older man, but Simon decides not to leave, much to Johnny's relief.

Fourth Part - no art attached - routines keep changing and Simon doesn't like it. Johnny starts talking with a woman who seems kind enough, but this prompts him into hiding Simon, as well as making him smell different and leave more often. Eventually, as he gets healthier, Simon decides to leave on his own, assuming Johnny will toss him out anyways, and falls asleep in his old territory, yearning for Johnny's home but deciding that it's for the best.

Fifth Part - Johnny finds Simon sulking out in the woods, having spent a while looking for him. Johnny realizes Simon isn't just a wolf, but urges him to come back, regardless. Simon reveals himself and follows, and is met with a warm home and a friend. (I also wasn't gonna mention it but after a few days of thinking about it I figure I should mention some casual nudity?? I'm not any less 16 than I was before and it wasn't added for any nefarious purposes, it's a perfectly SFW bath scene where it hardly focuses on him not having clothes on outside of just... taking a bath.... but I figure best to leave some sort of warning so it isn't out of nowhere. I think I meant to at first and forgot. It's only Simon, only because. Wolves don't exactly waltz around wearing clothing, now, do they)

Sixth Part - eventually

A better summary of the whole story:

Simon is a werewolf; he comes from a long line of them, in his very blood, but has been seen as a pest by the local town since he was just a pup. When he was younger he'd whine and beg outside of homes so children would feed him thinking of him as a harmless dog, until eventually on an especially instinct-driven night he broke into a chicken coop and was caught. With his shifted form being incredibly recognizable, wolfhunts are regular for him, and the townsfolk know exactly who he is. When he gets caught in a bear trap on one of these hunts, a human finds him, but seems to take pity on him, instead, and drags him back home to help him, instead. From there, Simon adjusts to living within a warm, comfortable home, where meals are offered to him and not earned with teeth and claws, where he's offered medicine and bandages and not made to clean wounds with his tongue and wait out the injury, all while telling himself that he can't get attached. (Spoiler: he does.)

It started out as an art thing because I am a sucker for turning characters into animals (on top of it being what I've drawn for my entire life, I'm talking since I was like 3 here, it's a really good way for me to understand characters in my own little way) and then turned into a way to drag myself back into writing again and get over my anxiety about posting silly things I like because screw it dude I'm happy with this. Who cares. It's the internet. People do worse.

It does not only revolve around Ghost while shifted, and will 100% have him as a human, and will not always have art to accompany it. I told myself it would but let's be honest here art is hard sometimes and I care a lot more about the writing tbh.

WereGhost is entirely SFW (I'm 16 ofc it is) but the end goal is SoapGhost/Ghoap/whatever your preferred name for them is, and there is lots of violence I will not lie. It's a werewolf story taking place in the undecided time period past where the very first part (with writing) involves him getting bear trapped because he's being hunted, that was kind of a given from the start.

Personal detail under the cut, it's nothing super serious just a little explanation for later on, but I figure since it's just about my life I'd hitcha with a Keep Reading.

No set schedule ADHD would kill me if I tried, updates will slow down around January as I'm applying for a job then. Still, I love this thing, it won't die out it'll just happen less. Once I do get a job I'll ideally be awake around 10-2PM and should be at work at 4 (all just vague estimates, it's bound to change but that's the plan), so that means I'll have from when I get home to however long I'm awake after, the few hours I have before work, plus days off (which will likely be spent with family more than anything) to try and get stuff out. Also meaning not guaranteed haha, but I will try simply for these two, and because woah I'm writing again.