#i have tried for years to be normal. why would i actively seek out the opposite.

[caesium-55]

—seven days. [ iii ]

pairing: max verstappen x manager! reader.

summary: as the third time world champion, max verstappen's manager, you function on the belief that whatever max verstappen wanted, max verstappen shall get. but this time, after four years of working as his manager, you can't give him what he wants anymore and that was to stay.

author's note: hi hello welcome to part three. i flunked the quiz. lemme know what you think. NOT BETA READ. NOT EDITED. this chapter kinda sux. can't believe i went through a breakup just last week and i still cant write decent post-breakup scenes.

tags: @whatamidoingwithmylife-ramdom @eugene-emt-roe @bellezaycafe @barnestatic @theseerbetweenus @wcnorris @notyouraveragemochii @lpab hope i didn't forget anyone.

masterlist.

you: *sent a link*

him: ?

him: what's this

you: benefits of crying

you: read it it's enlightening

him: some people do not cry over a breakup you know and that is totally okay

you: why crying helps.

you: 1. tears release toxins, stress hormones to be specific. it is good to let all the bad energy out.

you: 2. it aids sleep. no need for further explanation.

you: 3. crying releases oxytocin and endorphins. i know you don't know what an oxytocin or an endorphin is but they're happy chemicals.

you: 4. crying helps you receive the support you need from the people around you. EMOTIONAL VULNERABILITY is okay, max. stop treating it like an STD.

him: it feels like an std

you: pussy

you: emotional vulnerability is a thing and it's normal so stop trying to be a big strong man when you're barely holding it together.

you: you may look fine now but i know you

him: please stop

you: no

you: 5. crying has a self soothing effect. very nice actually. it activates the rest and digest system.

him: what even is that

you: the parasympathetic nervous system

him: ??

you: this is why you shouldn't have dropped out of high school

you: education is important yknow

you: youre already lacking in three forms of intelligence, academic, emotional n social intelligence

him: fuck you im smart

you: fuck you 2 and yeah you're smart but only in geography

you: you probably can't do your taxes

him: im dutch so the company's account department do it for me by default

him: the american system is just weird

you: cant argue w/ u there

you: also, 6. crying helps restore emotional balance

you: see? you need that

you: yknow now that i think abt it you should consider seeking therapy

him: what makes you think i’m not in therapy right now

you: well have you considered getting MORE therapy?

You stand in front of the body mirror, holding the Red Bull polo shirt against your body to see how it looks on you for one last time. On your right sleeve, the word MANAGER is written in bold, white text. Because that was what you were. Just a manager.

In another universe this is not the shirt that you’d be wearing. The MANAGER would have been ENGINEER. In another another universe where your family has been well-off enough to continuously send you to karting school and you would have been the one driving the fucking car by now.

You know, if Max has even tried talking to Horner and suggested that you should be moved into the engineering team, then you wouldn't be stuck wearing this god-awful polo that burned your skin every time you wore it for work. Everybody reduced you as Max’s American manager and because you are American, most of them kind of just assumed that you're dumb, you know?

Does the world even know how smart you are? That you graduated top of your class, got the best thesis award, and that you had finished your masters just this year? Did they even know that a Japanese car company wanted you on their research team? That a NASCAR team wanted you on board as one of their engineers? Does Max even know?

Fuck no. He only knows that you're the best at ironing clothes and organizing his Google calendar and memorizing his entire coffee order by heart. He knew you're good at extinguishing kitchen fires and kicking ass in YSL Opyum heels. You doubt he knows that you can do Calculus in your sleep.

You can take it if the world puts you down for your appearance. But if the world puts you down because of your intellect? That's a different story. You'll take any insult to the face but not to your intelligence.

You have four days left in Monaco so you have begun packing already. You're right, everything did fit into three suitcases. Also, you haven't told Max yet. For some reason, you’re too anxious. Which is shocking to say the least because you never ever gets anxious when it came to Max Verstappen. You wouldn't have lasted this long working alongside Max if you were a pussy.

Max Max Max Super Max Max—

“[Name] here. Need anythin’, champ?”

Hearing a sob on the other end of the line immediately activates your fight or flight response. Your eyes widen and you toss the Red Bull shirt aside. Your legs leads you to the nearly empty shoe rack stationed beside the front door, grabbing the pair of shoes at the very top of the tiny shelf and throwing them on.

“I’m comin’ there. Hang on, Max. You wait for me, okay?”

He doesn't answer, just continuing to sob and the sound absolutely breaks your heart.

You run to his penthouse at a speed that will even put the RB19 to shame. Not even bothering to knock, you barge in and yell his name in the empty halls of his penthouse. You search in the kitchen. He's not there. The living room. Not there either. The room where his simulations are. Not there. You run to his bedroom upstairs.

The door is locked. Dammit. Panic overflooded your system.

“Max, sweetheart, you there?”

No answer, but you can hear a faint sound behind the door if you press your ear against the wood. Firefighter training covered how to open a fucking door when it was locked so this once again becomes a situation where you're grateful that you did that tiring and borderline suicidal volunteer work.

Max keeps a fire extinguisher inside his penthouse as per your advice. There is one stationed in almost every room inside his house. You knew there is one inside his room and another one just at the end of the hallway. You make a quick run for it and once you have the extinguisher in your hands, you run back to his door.

“Step away from the door!” you instructed while your mind mentally calculates your payment plan as you hit the door knob with so much force, the walls tremble at your strength. You're functioning on pure adrenaline. Your instincts only yell one thing and that is: go to Max. No one and nothing in this world will keep you from him. It isn't long until his bedroom door broke down. With one last final kick, it crumbles down from its hinges and you forcefully pry it open and sprint inside.

Max tucks himself in the tiny space in the corner of his huge bedroom, his knees shoved up to his chest. A 181-cm tall man trying to make himself as small as possible.

This is it. This is the bottled-up emotions he's been storing since Abu Dhabi. You cannot say you have not anticipated this. Max is bound to explode sooner or later.

Panic attacks have made a home in Max’s body since he was a child. That's what one gets when they’re parented by someone like Jos Verstappen. He killed Max’s soul and made the boy a machine and for what? To shape a child into a man, a racer that he wanted to be but failed to become at the cost of Max's mental health and childhood.

When Max looks up with that heartbreaking look on his face, you almost crumble. Almost, because you cannot crumble. Not when Max needs you.

Sometimes, you forget what it took for Max to become the champion that he is today. A childhood sacrificed for his dominance on the tracks. A whole lot of hatred from the people to become a WDC. And now, a love lost for his third consecutive championship.

“You came,” his voice cracks towards the end.

Your eyes soften, “You called, Max. Course I’ll come.”

You barely brace yourself for the impact that is Max’s body wrapping around yours in a tight hug. The man have literally launch himself from the floor to you at sixth gear speed. You stumble backwards slightly, holding his bed for support so the both of you won't fall down.

“Max—”

“No,” he whispers and his grip on your tightens as if he's afraid that you’ll slip away if he even tried to give your lungs space to breathe. “Don't speak. Stay.”

What Max wanted, what Max would get. So you shut your mouth, shuffle slightly so he'll be in a more comfortable position and allow him take whatever he wants from you. This will be the last chance he’ll ever do it anyway because in four days time, you’re flying to Texas.

You stay for what is probably hours in that position. Crumbled together on the floor, leaning against the side of Max’s king-sized bed. Your shirt is completely damp from his tears but you cannot even bring yourself to care about it.

“Your shoes…” It's the first time Max has spoken since the start of his meltdown.

“Hm?” you turn your head and your nose nuzzles against his hair, making you scrunch it up a little. His hair is tickling your nostrils. If you lean a little forward, your lips will meet the skin of his temple.

“They’re mismatched.”

Brows furrowed, your eyes move to your feet and see that Max is right. Your shoes are indeed mismatched. On your left is one of your Adidas slides and the other is your slip-on Skechers. You ran from one building to another in mismatched shoes. Fucking embarassing.

“Ignore them.”

Silence.

“You good now?”

“No.”

“Okay,” you say. “If you want to talk, I’ll listen.”

You hear Max let out a shaky breath, “Just stay for a while. Don't leave me alone.”

“Okay.”

Eventually, you manage to talk Max out of the hug. You're beginning to feel claustrophobic but you do not want to say it out right so you try to negotiate instead. That's how you and Max found yourselves inside his kitchen again. You're trying to replicate your Abuela's cheesecake, which she was known for back in Austin, and Max is…well, he's Max and he’s trying to be helpful in any way he can. If it's some other day, you'd have shoved him out of the way because you prefer working alone in the kitchen. Having eyes on you gives you anxiety. But given today’s circumstances, you do not have the heart to make Max leave so you task him with doing the little stuff like mixing things and throwing shit to the trash can nearby. And he does so splendidly.

“Thank you, by the way.”

“For what, baby?” You internally wince at your own slip of the tongue. Damn that habit of yours of calling people with affectionate call signs. Thankfully, Max seems to have not noticed it.

“For coming here.”

You shrug.

“I only did what you did for me in 2021.”

Again, your breakup with Leo was bad bad. You spent a month crying for a love lost and Max was there for you. For the most part, at least. You want him to focus on winning and winning alone that you pushed him away a lot of times but you appreciated how he was more obedient to your commands, that he held his tongue so he wouldn't piss you off even though he was not liking your words, and that he was considerate of you.

“I hope you won't go into fights though,” you chuckle. “Like I did after my breakup.”

He smiles, shaking his head lightly and you know he's recalling the memory. 2021 is a hilarious year for you, the Red Bull manager. You went viral after getting into a cat fight with a girl and a whole fist fight with her boyfriend.

You and Leo called it quits a week before Monaco and even though it had been four races since then, your heart was still in a quite fragile state at that specific race weekend. One minor inconvenience was enough to ignite a wild blaze of fire within you and nobody could extinguish the flames.

After Silverstone FP1, you were leading Max to the cool down room to brief him with Horner’s relayed instructions and someone had thrown a glass bottle towards the both of you while walking. Originally, Max was the main target of the bottle but you happened to have moved towards the line of trajectory and the bottle landed on your temple, hard enough that you stumbled upon impact.

You barely heard Max’s shocked gasp and shout of panic over the sound of glass shattering on your foot because the only thing you could register was the terrifying feeling of a thick liquid trickling down the side of your face and you didn't even need to see it to know it was blood.

The only thing you saw was red and it was on fucking sight.

Fucking Hamilton fan. Fucking Hamilton. He’s in Max’s way. He’s in your way. He’s the wall that was dividing you from your dream position in the engineering team.

You shoved the iPad you were holding to Max’s hands and marched down to the woman wearing the Merc #44 merch, swiftly jumping over the barricade and grabbing her by the collar of her pristine white Versace top.

The events that followed were too fast. You grabbed her collar. She pulled your hair. You also pulled her hair. Someone pulled her away from you. You tried to grab her, clawing her bare arms with your manicured nails. She screamed. You screamed back. You pulled out some curse words in Spanish as well because cursing her in one language alone is not enough. Her boyfriend appeared. A quick punch to your cheek. You fell to the ground.

The world stood still. There was a sting on your palm because your skin got torn from the hard surface of the concrete ground. You let a bloodcurdling war cry and your Dad would definitely be disappointed at you for using the boxing techniques he taught you for self defense purposes only to fight a guy two times your size.

Everything was a bigger blur from there. But you did remember the sensation of Max’s strong arms around you, stopping you from lunging forward again. He was saying sweet words to your ear to calm you down but your brain failed to intercept them so you could hear the words, could hear his voice, but not understand any of it. You remember Christian Horner's disappointed face that haunted you even two years later. You remembered feeling so terrified as you sat outside Christian Horner’s office waiting for the final verdict while he and Max and a few of the Red Bull higher-ups argued about your future with the team. You remembered hearing Max’s loud snarl on the other side of the mahogany door: “Did you see her face?! There was blood everywhere! On her nose, on her mouth, on the fucking side of her head!” You remembered the girl taking the case to court. You remembered fearing that you’d be sent to jail. You remembered that she lost the case because it was ruled as self defense and your injuries were grave. You remembered discovering that it was Max who used all his power and got the best lawyer to fight your case. You remembered the atmosphere in the Red Bull garage shifting when you entered it a few weeks later and everyone stared the bandages and bruises. Everyone thought one thing: of course, it would also take a monster to manage a monster like Max Verstappen. You remembered Lewis Hamilton, seven-time world champion, apologizing personally for the fight caused by his own fan. He didn't need to but he was so sincere with it that you cried when he handed you the apology flowers. God, how could you even hate this man? Your anger towards him was misplaced.

You’d been living with the guilt ever since, that you were horrifyingly violent for a day, that you were capable of killing for a day. And it could happen again. One day. God, you hoped you wouldn't have to see that day. You knew all your coworkers have been careful with angering you ever since. They're terrified of you even. Max should be, too. But then again, why would he when he already saw the horrors done by his father’s hands ever since he was a child? He was used to it.

“I won't,” he says, smiling at you. “I wouldn't want to add anymore problems for you to clean up.”

But you will not be the one cleaning it up because you resigned. You didn’t tell that to him though. Not right now. He just had a meltdown over Kelly leaving him and the news of his manager leaving him too will destroy him.

The cheesecake is a little burnt when you take it out of the oven but it actually adds more flavor to it so yeah, that's a win.

“We should drink,” you suggest.

“It’s mid-afternoon.”

“We drank at mid-afternoon yesterday,” you give him a blank stare. “With Alex and Charles, remember?”

He doesn't say anything as you make your way to his fridge and pull out two bottles of beer. Max has champagne stored somewhere but you have enough of those expensive champagnes. You need beer. Beer is good. Beer is nice. You're a beer type of person and it is time Max becomes one, too.

“I’m no scientist,” you begin, biting off the beer’s bottle cap. “But according to chemistry, alcohol is solution.”

Well, technically, edible alcohol or ethanol is not a mixture. Rather, it's a pure substance that happens to be a liquid at room temperature and typical atmospheric pressure. Pure ethanol is not a solution. Hard spirits though? That's a solution.

Beer is not a hard spirit. It's more of a fermented drink. But Max doesn't know that, though, so you don't bother explaining the science behind it.

Somewhere down the road, the two of you move to his living room. You use the Youtube app in his TV to search karaoke video and have the bestest time of your lives. You're screaming along some Daddy Yankee and El Alfa songs and Max doesn't know how to speak Spanish so he’s just vibing to it.

At 5 PM, you pull out Max’s expensive vodka bottle. Now this is the real shit. The ten bottles of beer? Those are just pregame. Max is already drunk with just those because he’s a pussy but you’re no pussy, so the only right answer is vodka! Viva la vodka or whatever.

Your throat gets tired of singing and Max gets tired from dancing, too, so you both decide to just go entertain yourselves in other ways. First, you introduced Max to beer-pong. He loses, of course. He sucks at everything not racing. Then, the two of you move onto chess. Max gives up mid-game. He cannot understand the rules. Then, lastly, you move to the billiard table Max owned. He only used it when the other guys are over and you do not even know why he bought it when he sucked at playing billiards.

“You know what Kelly said the morning before the race?” Max suddenly says and you look up at him, brow raising slightly. He’s drunk; his skin is flushed and he is all giggly and smile-y as he sits on the billiard table’s side rail and using the billiard stick as some sort of support stand to keep him from falling. You hope he won't accidentally poke himself. You're no better, too. Ten beer bottles and a few glasses of vodka. But you’re not as drunk as Max, and you still have a straight vision and you can still sink the colored balls into the pockets of the billiard table.

“Hm?”

“That it was unfair for her.”

You raise a questioning brow, “Why?”

“I bought shoes and they don't fit her.”

You blink. He laughs at himself as if he has uttered the funniest joke in the world.

“Three years of relationship gone because of a single pair of shoes,” he continues. “She wanted those shoes, too.”

Kelly….what the fuck?

“But that's okay. She….She made me open my eyes, you know? She made me realize what I truly love.”

“Racing.” It's not even a question. It's the truth.

Max stares at you, long and hard, and you look away first because you fear that if you allow yourself to stare too long, you’ll drown in those beautiful blues. This is enough heartache for the day. No need to add more.

“Hey [Name],” he begins. “If I asked you to kiss me, would you do it?”

[hoyotournament]

FINALS!!! Furina vs Kiana Kaslana

(Propaganda under the cut)

Furina:

the girl who saved fontaine. condemned herself to a life of silent pain and suffering without any warning or preparation. she could confide in no one, seek out help from no one, all while bearing the weight of her entire nation on her shoulders. not only did her willpower save everyone in fontaine, but after the prophecy was averted, she was finally allowed to live a normal life.

Kiana Kaslana:

TLDR: she's kiana kaslana what do you MEAN!!!! kiana is a beautifully written character who fully encapsulates what hi3 is about and she's so full of love and guilt and (most importantly) hope. she's a clone who struggles with her own identity/inhumanity and traumas extending from when she was a young child and her guilt but is so so resilient and so so so so compassionate which ultimately reinforces her humanity :)

kiana's character IS the honkai impact thesis statement. i don't even mean it as in she's the literal main character and face of honkai i genuinely mean it when i say she just IS honkai impact. she reflects every single theme that they portray [hope over nihilism (chapter 25 || the flame chasers and just. the previous era in general), having agency over your identity and your own story (himeko, her being k423 and being so linked to sirin, everlasting flames || the kaslana household name honestly, bronya, fu hua, mei, sirin), believing in the humanity's inherent worth (chapter 25, arc city || elysia <- important since as a current era herrscher, she is a successor to elysia AND as kiana kaslana, she is a narrative parallel of elysia), having faith in the youth (himeko, kevin || the other flame chasers! notably su), etc.] her character being so reflective is also sooooo OUGH to think about when you view it as a reflection of honkai's 50,000 year samsara because kiana is a representation of these themes coming full circle (especially since many of these stretch back to the previous era and elysia).

SHE FEELS SO MUCH. she's so full of love and guilt. she clearly prioritizes others over herself and part of her arc is her learning to value and love herself as well!!! she would give herself for the world ten times over because she holds so much affection for humanity!! (WHILE FEELING DEHUMANIZED BECAUSE OF HER IDENTITY AS BOTH A HERRSCHER AND K423) and it's actively apart of her character's growth :'')

dear god her growth… okok. so i think first you have to understand that a lot of kiana's growth obviously coincides w general maturity as she grows from a teenager to a young adult. but aside from that i think people often forget that younger kiana is incredibly self sufficient since her father literally left her with little to no explanation when she was like. what 8? the insecurity she feels at that! the anger she has to navigate while also balancing it with her own feelings of missing and loving him. basically: kiana has struggled a lot w instability and is thus kinda good at navigating it. ex: she isnt shaken by nagazora and literally tries again and again and again to save mei and convince mei to let her help. the thing is this fucks w her a bit though because a big thing that she does as a means to cope w instability is avoiding them (not reflective of real life of course, but in the fictional hi3 this is partially represented in kiana's repressed memories about her actual origins as k423). she can not stand the realization that she killed himeko that she's so deep in denial and doesnt truly realize it until more than 10 chapters after himeko dies! she's so horrified with her being a herrscher she actively tries to not use her powers out of fear, even when it puts her in harms way (the chapter XI-EX CG!!!!!! her literally trying to kill herself!!) she literally runs away from her friends and loved ones because she's so scared of hurting them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! which is why her promise to himeko to not run away is so important!! because it addresses one of kiana's biggest flaws!!!!! this is especially important bc her refusal to continue her avoidance feeds into her arc during the herrscher of dominion chapters where she both faces her own guilt/identity and deliberately chooses perseverance and hope over nihilism!! she is hope!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aangelinakii]

AS THE INBETWEENERS.

characters written about in this piece : dick grayson, jason todd, roy harper, wally west

note : so i saw someone write about them if they were frat boys and it was genuinely the best thing i ever read so i was watching inbetweeners and i was like omg what if it was the opposite ???? instead of american uni boys, british college boys !!!!

warning : british slang used (yes that deserves a warning) and mention of sexual themes but not gone into detail like at all and only mentioned in a comedic sense as this is definitely a crack fic

DICK GRAYSON

dick is like the normal one in the group, kind of the odd one out, and it's got you thinking why tf does he have these guys as friends. think of him as will, still a bit of an oddun but the most normal one, even though everyone might think simon is the most normal (he's a secret freak). but dick def gets made fun of for his name, not just by his friends but by everybody. "dick the prick" "dick likes dick" just lots of dick jokes, makes him want to die but it's okay a levels will be over soon. his whole friend group is obsessed with sex but he's the most sensible, would appreciate it if an offer came forward, but not actively seeking it unlike roy and wally ahem. he's come close to it before — was dragged to a party by wally so he wouldn't be alone and then a uni girl found him and thought he was leng — but he couldn't get it up because he was so scared. it's okay though dick !!! maybe next time when you're actually in uni !

JASON TODD

in terms of the other inbetweeners i think jason would be more of a neil. he seems a bit dopey at first, especially since he's this tall guy, all muscle, no brains (at least, in this headcanon he is, i know canonically he reads jane austen). although roy or wally think they're most likely to get a bird our of the group, jason is actually where it's at. take him to a party, girls CAN'OT get enough of him, his height, his muscles. who cares if he doesn't know which your to use when calling you pretty as long as he could benchpress you and a couple of your friends ?? he isn't experienced by any means, just kind of goes off intuition and what he's told. most likely to get himself into a sexual encounter, but the others still think they have a chance to have their firsts because jason forgets about them the next day, and then he just comes out of nowhere being like "remember when i got a blowie from that girl in dick's business class ?" and everyones likz ???? because the closest they'll get to a blowie is a vacuum

ROY HARPER

has a big ego. he's that boy that walks around college like he runs shit, like he's the shit, going up to poor first years because he mistook them for his year and trying to flirt but it ends up as "let's have an arm wrestle i bet i'll win even if you use both hands." it's fun in the moment, but only because it's funny, not actually enjoyable. he's gotten a few drunk handjobs at a couple parties, but if anything actually tries to move properly sexually, he freaks out. he won't mention that part to his friends when they debrief the next day, and thzt will be seen as the major event considering jason forgets he was necking a girl in the bathroom the entire night. in fact, he doesn't talk about it at all, thinks he wants it but as soon as he gets close to anything sexual he just freezes up. think simon when he's dating that girl in season 3 and she wants to take him up to her sister's apartment so they can have sex, and he brings everyone else becausz he's too scared. roy would so do that

WALLY WEST

literally does sociology pzychology and english lit a levels becausz he thought it would get him the most clunge 😭😭 but gets the least. in inbetweeners terms he's the jay type; really vulgar language with his friends but literally silent when out of the comfort of his group. attempts to be the class clown but it ends wifh him just getting weird looks from thr girls he was trying to impress. doesn't get invited to parties but somehow finds a way to be there, and in continuation, his friends. literally girls RUN at the sight of him. unless he finds a girl from a different college, or whzn he gets to uni, he is NOT making any of the moves he wants to be making. probably the least experienced out of the group, gets NO action, has no game. the furthest he's gone is a kiss in spin the bottle at a party, and it was a peck

[tokiro07]

Toki Reads Shonen Jump 2024, Issue #49

HxH: Hisoka claims that because he's not into bestiality, his tastes are normal - this is patently false; the Phantom Troupe inches towards conflict with the Heil-Ly. With any luck, we'll get a Nen battle, haven't seen one of those in a while

Yozakura Family: It turns out that the Yozakura's already planned for the possibility of the twins defying orders, and help them to reach Asa's ship; Hifumi's Infinity manages to stave off Asa's attacks, proving that she's capable of defending herself and Alpha. I'm glad to know that the family has faith in the kids, and that they aren't just going to take a backseat for the rest of the finale

Undead Undead: Billy mansplains the concept of war crimes to War; Julia womansplains the concept of souls to Soul and stabs Andy in the head to bring back Victor. The narrow-mindedness of the Rules contrasts the freedom of the Negators; while I'm sad that we cut away from Feng, it's very exciting to see Julia bringing back Victor while mirroring Fuuko's actions from 210 chapters ago wait...210...LIKE HOW LONG SHE WENT WITHOUT SEEING ANDY???)

Roboco: Roboco makes a movie that subtly implicates her and the rest of her town as accomplices in some kind of criminal activity. Honestly, I'm more interested in what crime she apparently committed than the film itself

Sakamoto: Sakamoto inadvertently teaches Torres how amazing everyday life is; Shin convinces Tenkyu that he's the fortune teller, but immediately abandons the plan to manipulate him when he learns that Tenkyu wants to kidnap Sakamoto's family. The bit with Torres was very fun and cute, and I'm interested to see how the bit with Tenkyu turns out, though I'm wondering why it was necessary to trick him if it was going to be overturned so quickly?

Elusive Samurai: Mima sends her dad letters explaining the deviant sexual acts that Tokiyuki totally makes her do; after a couple year timeskip, Sadamune and Tokiyuki meet for their final battle. Matsui keeps teasing that Tokiyuki is going to marry Mima and have Shizuku and Ayako as concubines, but no one seems to be even a little onboard with this plan, and Tokiyuki doesn't even seem to be aware of it!; speaking of being unaware, apparently Tokiyuki views Sadamune as a father-figure? I may need to reread to catch that nuance

Blue Box: Taiki cheers up a heartbroken Kyo with some food. A heartwarming display of friendship; gives a small analysis on risk-taking - if Kyo had been proactive with Moriya, he would have had a chance, but it's against his nature to do so, so he would have been misrepresenting himself

Akane-Banashi: Issho's backstory is further revealed, being a rich boy who left his family to pursue his own fortune; when a well-respected rakugo-ka saves him from a yakuza, Issho's lifelong journey finally begins. The discussion about passion, that Issho tried to become a soba chef out of gratitude and obligation rather than love for the art, resonates as advice to actively seek happiness in life

Kill Blue: Juzo gets, like, crazy into PreCure and reenacts the diner scene from Pulp Fiction by quoting it instead of the Bible. I am left to wonder if this is just a gag or foreshadowing that his mind is being more heavily affected by the de-aging

Nue's Exorcist: Fujino is distraught that Gakuro has come to save her because it gives her hope that he loves her like she loves him, even though she knows that he would go out of his way to save anyone regardless. "Of course [she's worth it]! Obviously" is a pretty romantic line, so I'll be surprised if she's not endgame; however, if she IS endgame, then it's weird that she's going second and preceding Kazusa; if Kawae gives us canon polyamory and commits to it, I swear right now I'll reread the whole series and actively try to love it

Kagurabachi: Everyone shows the resolve to sacrifice themselves for Samura, and Hakuri is able to summon his Enchanted Blade, Tobimune, for him. Self-sacrifice seems to be the theme of this arc, I expect that will play into how one of the Enchanted Blades gets transferred to the Hishaku

Chojo: Omega Inukai spreads a Chojo-loving zombie virus through all of Chinjuku; everything is returned to normal with a tea party. This did not turn out to be the sudden climactic finale that some folks thought it would be

Astro Royale: Sou exposits on her past with Himuro, framing obvious and horrific police brutality as heroic and beautiful in the context of her flashback; Terasu wins the fight by waiting out Sou self-destructing. Terasu was perfectly useless here, I'd really have preferred he actually fight; I really hope that Himuro's police brutality isn't actually meant to be endearing, cus that framing really makes it look like it's supposed to be

Murakami: Murakami calls out Sanmoto Gorozaemon for his vague goal-setting in generically "conquering the world" and his shallow definition of good and evil. Considering that this is supposedly the strongest Yokai, I'm very unclear of where this story can go from here

Kiyoshi: Sakaki gets a middling roll on Sting, forcing him to fight Yuda with an umbrella to surprisingly competent effect; the chuunibyou from last week accidentally summons the Great Demon Lord. This could easily just be the introduction of the main antagonist, but it's always scary when such a big enemy shows up before the 20-chapter mark

Hima-Ten: While helping Kanna move into her new apartment, Tenichi discovers her dark secret - she has a fetish for butlers; the implications of this are completely lost on Tenichi. Honestly, Kanna is the most compelling of the love interests so far, particularly because she's both clearly an active character AND conflicted about whether she should chase her usual instincts and pursue Tenichi when he's already interested in someone else

Ichi the Witch: When Desscaras and Kumugi fail to match Hisame's fashion sense, Ichi comes to the logical conclusion that the only answer is vore. While I'm sad that Kumugi isn't the star of this arc as I predicted, Ichi's out-of-the-box thinking is exactly what I was hoping for from this series, so I'm excited to see what he comes up with

Shinobi Undercover: Miyake, codename Tsubame, is revealed to be the underling to an even tougher fugitive ninja, Hachikuma; it's also revealed that Aoi's family was killed by a ninja. Yodaka's fear that Aoi will hate him if she finds out he's a ninja is an interesting wrinkle, but I do have to wonder if she actually KNOWS anything about ninjas in the first place

Hakutaku: When Zenji refuses to join the dev team, Noto very openly stalks him home; Hikuma, lacking in athletic ability, wanders in their general direction until he happens upon Zenji's sister, Mizuki; Zenji's sad backstory about his dead brother is revealed; a bitter woman bans children in a PUBLIC PARK from playing games that involve balls, so Hikuma resolves to make a game that she can't object to. I feel like I'd be more compelled by this if I understood why this woman has any say or power here, but at least we should get a clearer idea of Hikuma's design sense with this ball-less dodgeball game

Ruri Dragon: Ruri has a heart-to-heart with Kamata, the girl who bullied her, and Kamata cites her lack understanding of Ruri as a major point in her behavior; in particular, the idea that she's the child of bestiality strongly unsettles her. A nice, if unrealistic, little bit of catharsis for resolving tension with a bully; the student council wearing horns was adorable

If I had a nickel for every time they said the word "bestiality" in this week's Jump...technically I'd only have one nickel, since Ruri Dragon runs in Jump+

That actually brings up a question: do y'all think I should keep including Ruri in these reviews? It's from Jump originally, but it moved to + due to the author's health; is it too far removed to include, or too closely related to exclude?

[cabinofimagines]

Could you write a dating headcanon for Anubis in Kane Chronicles?

So this is probably not what you wanted. I could explain why I did these headcanons like this (and it is not that I don't like the character, if anything I do! (If I headcanon his manic pixie dream boy image that we get from Sadie's POV away)). I will leave a short rant at the bottom of the fic, for those interested :)

WC: 650 Warnings: mentions of death and dying

-Asnyox

Dating Anubis Headcanons

-What you and Anubis have is not really a “relationship” by mortal standards. Anubis is not allowed to be romantically involved with humans, unless he takes a host. Hence, why this relationship is rather tragic. 

-He doesn’t understand human traditions, and hardly gets past “normal” behavior. He thinks it is cute how you solve things, and how you behave. He finds you intriguing, therefore he seeks you out every now and then.

-You will have to explain holidays to him, and parties. You will need to tell him why he cannot suddenly show up at your house at night, when your parents are in the room next door. He tends to tilt his head when he is confused by your rambles, but there is always an affectionate smile on his face. 

-Be prepared for him to be gone for weeks on end. He gets in trouble if he grows too attached to you, and tries to avoid raising suspicions from the other gods. He does not want to be banned from seeing you, but the real question is on how long he can keep this up. They are bound to notice the small changes in his behavior (he seems happier lately, less moody). 

-He doesn’t realize how much he cares about you, until he sees that you are in danger. This need to protect you surges over him, and he basically growls as he saves you, quickly removing you from the situation. After he quickly scans you for injuries, he excuses himself and immediately goes away. He does not come back for a month, because he is trying to settle his feelings. But this just makes him grow fonder of the idea of being close to you, and he gives up denying himself time with you. 

-This is when he becomes really aware of the dangers that seeking you out pose. Not only can he be banned from seeing you, but it can also put some kind of target on your back. He wouldn’t know who would dare to challenging him but there might be a stupid magician out there who could try to use you as blackmail.  -If this results in you actively seeking him out, he will only turn more and more sour towards you. You are a fool for even talking to him. He tells you to stop, to live your mortal life without worrying about him. He is a god and he can take care of himself. If you are too stubborn, you can be sure you won’t see him again for the rest of your mortal life. 

-He might sometimes get jealous of your mortal life, when you talk excitedly about it. It’s not like he cannot take a mortal host, but he knows it will not be the same. Will he be with you, or his host? Will he be able to reach a balance with the host, or will it only bring problems? There are many doubts, and Anubis does not enjoy those, for uncertainties only brings more complications. He doesn’t want to complicate your life any further.  

-Anubis holds hope though- that one day, maybe after you die but hopefully sooner, he can become your significant other. It’s a guilty pleasure of his, to think about having you around all the time, to hold you close and to traverse your world. He is not heartless, he simply fears for the worst and does not understand that he might have eternity to figure things out, while your mortal years are going by fast.

-And if you were to hold onto him, or the concept of him even when he refuses to see you, if you keep asking for his attention, begging for him to love you, his guilt will force him to erase himself from your life. He will look at you from far away, protecting you silently if he needs to, but he never meant for you to get attached to him, not like this. He is a god, and he cannot physically be with you, but once upon a dream you can converse with him. Lay yourself bare, as he gets crushed by his mistakes.

Explanation, in short: it is canon that Anubis, the god, is not able to have a romantic relationship with a mortal. And given that this was not labeled Poly! Walt & Anubis (Because i think that is the best description i can give ig) I figured you meant just the god, which means it is a doomed relationship. Anubis, for one, believes in human agency and wouldn't just force a vessel because he likes a human. Anyways, that was a little rant.

[reikiajakoiranruohoja]

W5: Why do I think it is bad

When W20 (Werewolf the Apocalypse 20th anniversary edition) came out, it was a joyous occasion for multiple reasons. First, it was the first proper book released for the game in 10 years. Second, it was proof that the old game still had fans who were willing to try a new edition.

And third; W20 was about hope.

From its beginning comic about rising up to fight despite the odds to the way the book offered chances to play the lost tribes, to the way the supplements followed suit in offering more options and interesting ideas to use, W20 was about going on despite the odds.

This is not the feeling one gets reading Werewolf the Apocalypse 5th edition. Despite being a reboot, the book spends pages guilt-tripping players about playing garou. There is little hope, because being a garou sucks and most importantly; The fight for Gaia might not even be real.

Now, I am not one to say no to Alternative Universes, I enjoy the concept a lot. But W5 is still a game and so needs more than a rant about how badly the garou screwed up, it needs gameplay. And the gameplay W5 offers is sitting in your caern defending your turf while the world around you burns and if you dare to take action? You might become mad and become a fascist.

I need to remind you all that the core of WtA is the fight against pollution, systematic oppression, your own ancestors and your own Rage. The horror is how impossible the fight seems, how easily you can turn on your friends and how tempting an easy way out is.

The horror in W5 is how bad your ancestors were and how terrible it is to be a garou.

Personal Horror has always been the wheelhouse of Vampire the Masquerade, as being a vampire forces you to create justifications for your actions. Werewolf is titled Feral Horror for a reason, the horror is more external than internal. Yet W5 tries to make it internal like in VtM, leaving behind all the environmental horror. Indeed, W5 is written quite clearly with purely urban characters in mind with very little focus on nature.

Anyone who is familiar with NWoD/Chronicle of Darkness should by now notice that this sounds quite a bit like Werewolf the Forsaken. This is because W5 has taken a lot from Forsaken, but without truly understanding the way these parts make Forsaken what it is.

But all of this is, as we say in the community, fluff. What about the mechanics? Surely they are at least fun?

The way Rage works in W5 is extremely punishing because Rage has its own dice that replace normal dice the more you have. If you fail with these dice, your character will destroy something. At best. Worse is that any Rage above the hilariously small maximum of 5 gives your character willpower damage. The kicker is that you cannot choose to use Rage Dice when you want to, nor can you control their use. It is all or nothing.

Rage in the previous editions of WtA was a power versus control trap. You could do amazing things with your Rage, but the more you had the easier it was to lose control and the harder it was to deal with humans. What made Rage such a clever trap, was that gaining more was often based on player action. Those seeking a fast way to power would end up being creatures with very little to no self-control.

Rage Dice are not that, they make the life of a PC hard no matter what they do and at times punish players by taking actions as werewolves.

Another mechanic that punishes and in fact has some really unfortunate implications attached to it is Hauglosk. Stated to be the opposite of Harano, Hauglosk is in reality a way for the ST to punish any player who plays in a way that the ST does not approve. Worse, Hauglosk is at one point stated to be equal to fascism.

On the fluff side, Hauglosk also serves as a way to limit what the PCs can do as the book helpfully notes it manifests in the form of absolute certainty to your cause and the want to act NOW. Since we are on Tumblr here, I should not have to note how baffling that is in a game about activism.

The way Hauglosk is written is most likely to justify the removal of a tribe from the playable roster. The Get of Fenris might have had their issues, but W5's cult of Fenris is said to be utterly lost to Hauglosk. By wanting to keep fighting the Wyrm with certainty. The sheer vitriol this book has for the Get of Fenris is to the point where some tribes do worse things than they do but are still playable. Worse, by the book itself, you can redeem a Black Spiral Dancer but not a Cult of Fenris member.

Let me repeat that; You can redeem a rapist torturer who willingly pollutes and eats humans but you CANNOT redeem a person fighting on the same side as you who is a bit more fanatic about the cause.

This push to make the tribe into essentially fascists didn't come from an edgelord writer. It came from the Brand Manager who pushed for it very hard, while doing their damnedest to take away feminism from the Black Furies and ignored suggestions from Indigenous writer about the Native American tribes. Sadly, because this person still IS the Brand Manager, Furies are no longer women-only and no tribe has ties to any human culture.

(Also, just to be clear; Paradox denied the Onyx Path developers any name changes to the Native American tribes and the only reason their names were changed in W5 is thanks to the aforementioned Indigenous writer fighting for the changes tooth and nail.)

These are only a few things that make W5 a mess, but I hope I shed some light on the issue.

[strawberista]

⚅— @phoenixfiiire asked: —⚅ ⚅— "So, I... I am afraid I do have some bad news for you." Joshua's voice was gentle but with a touch of something-- tiredness, maybe? It was clear that whatever speech he was about to give, it wasn't going to be the first time he had done it.

"You're- do you want a snack?" A candy bar is offered to the man. "You're dead. You did die. How... how do you feel?" —⚅

— ★ ⚄ ★ —

Hanekoma's jaw dropped, he look of complete shock on his face, "I'm dead? What the hell happened!?"

Beaten to a pulp.

But that's not what had killed him, no. It was something that Hanekoma was intimately familiar with at that point. He was a man that had lived almost his whole life in Shibuya, and in the years of his early adulthood he'd been on the streets getting in a new fight just about every day. Illegal gambling in shady parts of town was sure to wind you up in some tricky situations, and this particular group had been attempting to wring him dry for years at this point. This fight was nothing new to Hanekoma, who fought like a wild animal seeking its survival. Teeth and nails and cheap shots were all fair game when he was fighting. Using his head and kicking and swinging his body when he was grabbed. Even using the elements around him, crushing his attackers into the brick walls of the alleyway and slamming heads in dumpsters. He fought only with the intention of getting away, but he never pulled punches.

There had been a lull in this kind of activity for a while. The current Producer of Shibuya, Haruto Abe, had been a prime source of a lot of Hanekoma's woes without him even knowing it, whispering to his debt collectors and guiding them anonymously to Hanekoma's locations. It was a great deal of wonder, then, why Haruto had been the one to find and take Hanekoma under his wing just as he was about to die the first time. It was an incident that was hard to ignore by any angel watching the city in any capacity. Haruto had taken Hanekoma in and started getting him back on his feet. Years of lessons of various kinds, for his speech and his handwriting and his behavior. Years of teaching him to be a functioning member of society again. And all that while Haruto had been careful to keep those same debt collectors off of Hanekoma's back, now misleading and confounding them any time they tried to ambush him. At this point, Hanekoma was well on his way to starting his own business.

And yet, this day, this very day, Haruto had been nowhere to be found when those debt collectors came to ambush him. He was sitting peacefully in his cafe, ignoring the entire situation as Hanekoma wove his way through familiar alleyways and right into the hands of his enemies. All of the lessons and therapy had not taken the fight out of Hanekoma. Even after all that time, he still kicked right back into gear when three men jumped on him at once. Blood spray and bones cracked, Hanekoma had fought those men with the same ferocity as he always had. He had taken all three of those initial attackers down before the end finally came, something he could have never been prepared for.

A gun, illegal and rare, Hanekoma had never seen it coming. The fourth of his enemies rushed up behind him as he tried to catch his breath and had grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his back. On any normal day, that wouldn't be a problem. Hanekoma had never been against breaking his own bones to get out of a situation. But he didn't anticipate the cold barrel shoved into the back of his head, or the sudden shot that rang out. It was something that this particular gang member would be punished for later, but at this point the bad blood against Hanekoma was personal enough that it was worth it.

Hanekoma had died instantly, completely unaware of what had even happened, still sitting rigid in his fight or flight. Where had Haruto been when a gun was drawn on him in that alley?

"I-- no-- I was doing fine," Hanekoma protested, holding up his hands as if to seek out the rot of death. "I'm fine, see?"

[limeade-l3sbian]

i’m not so much talking about whether you would like it or not, but rather: do you see yourself as a person who needs romantic companionship in your life eventually? obviously you won’t disintegrate without, but i’m talking needing as in for your psychological and physical well-being in the long run.

i’ve come to realize i cannot relate to this and people who aren’t able to go without being in a relationship are to me so strange, even though that honestly seems to be the norm. i don’t even want a romantic relationship. not to say i would be against falling in love and all that but i don’t dream of it and i certainly don’t crave it. i’m curious how you are in this regard? obviously i don’t know you, but you strike me a someone who functions well alone too.

i get that wanting romance is normal in theory but i don’t understand why.

there’s lots of other things i totally get the need for, but this and sex are two things that are on the same spectrum of inconsequential to me. that’s also why i’ll never be able to rightfully contribute to the celibate convo that’s been going on in radfem spaces in regards to heterosexual women, because even though i’m not asexual, i genuinely don’t get the big deal of living without romance and sex. people will say it’s unfair to ask that of anyone and i’ll think it probably IS for the average person, but to me it still seems totally unrelatable to not be able to live full lives without it. this isn’t a convo of to be or not to be celebate btw, i’m just adding it as an example of when this feeling of not needing romance has really shown it’s face in my life and hindered my, i guess, empathy? and that’s why i never join that convo bc i can see i’m the odd one out.

it’s honestly so embarrassing to an extent. i wish more people spoke of this but when i’ve tried to speak of it in some contexts elsewhere, i immediately get labeled all these different things like “aromantic” and “asexual” and i’m just not. i’m not against romance. it’s not that i can’t feel it. same with attraction and such. but it’s really easy to ignore for me, like no biggie. there’s so many other bigger more important emotions and experiences in my eyes. almost everyone wants romance and partnership but to me it just seems kinda tiring and risky. like why risk my peace for a thing that does in most cases end by breaking up for whatever reasons? it’s not me being scared of it but i don’t see the point of the effort i guess..

friendships i get and they are important to me. i don’t see them as replacements or anything for romance. i just value those more and i think they seem more genuine to me? i’m not in a situation where i couldn’t find safe partners bc i am bisexual with mainly attraction to women but even then i still have no desperation for love like that. if it happens, that’s cool but i’ve come to realize that if i don’t actively seek it out it’s pretty easy to go through your life without any romantic relationships in peace. obviously the same maybe can’t be said for ultra attractive people but for mediocre folks like myself, life is pretty peaceful in that regard unless i actively tried to put myself out there which i won’t lol.

it’s not like i hate seeing romantic stuff. movies or books with romantic plots can be super cute and enjoyable for me but i don’t crave those things in my life even. when i see it. i don’t sigh after it. it’s like seeing a video of someone trying bungeejumping. it looks fun and cool but i wouldn’t go out of my way to seek the experience out because my life is fine without it.

am i totally alone in this feeling i wonder

I think in recent years there has been a weird push for romantic relationships and what the "best version" of them looks like. And, to be honest, your assumption is correct.

I think I cared in high school I got swept up in wanting to date because teenage romance seemed so romantic to me. But now, as an adult, I feel no intense need to be with someone. I'm not asexual and I'm not opposed to love or sex, like you said. I just...don't care? I just care about having people in my life who I care about and who care about me.

And with the asexual thing. In an increasingly hypersexual world, I think people are quick to "other" those of us who just don't really care. So if you don't crave love and need sex, you must be asexual. Which is...false, on a lot of levels.

To be honest, this whole reply could just be me restating, "Like you said" lmao. You and I have a pretty mutual feeling about the whole thing. I'm at peace with the state of my social life. I don't feel any pressure to be married or to date or whatever. When it happens, it happens, and I go for it. But when things don't work out? I mean, that's just life, I feel like.

[scribblesonarock]

There we go my second Ninjago oc child, Art!

My nonbinary shapeshifter child I love them with all my heart

Lore:

(Andeerson) Art

Master of Beasts

they/them, 17

Younger sibling of Chamille Art, Master of Form

Art got their elemental power from their grandma. Their dad was the only child of two elemental masters: the master of form and the master of beasts. He himself only inherited the form element, and the beast power just wasn't ever relied further. Or so they thought.

Turns out Art's dad did inherit the beast element, just that it became recessive to the form element and was dormant. His firstborn, Chamille, inherited the Form power. But when he and his wife had a second child as well, it turned out that the beast elemental power activated within them. And that was Andeerson, or as they prefer, Art.

Chamille was a cool, 6 years older sister to Art. Their mom was not the biggest fan of the whole elemental powers thing since their father left them for no clear reason, and she turned cold to both her children. The siblings wanted to help their mom however they could, so they would do street performance to collect some money as best as they could. Chamille would turn into pedestrians, and Art would talk city animals into doing some tricks for the crowd. It wasn't much, but they had fun.

Years went by and Chamille and their mom's relationship started getting worse and worse: arguing, shouting. Finally, some day Chamille just left. [After that she went to the tournament but Art didn't know that, neither did their mom].

When Chamille left, their mom made Art dye their hair "normal" brown from their natural plum colour so they "won't look like a freak" after their father and sister. She became even colder than she was.

Long story short Art didn't have the best childhood. Dad gone, mom cold. Chamille was their beacon of comfort and even she left. So they became very quiet, shy, and laidback, even more than they already were, and they were by no means an easygoing kid.

That's why when they met Ruuna they immediately were in love.

Ruuna from heavens: literally. She was practising using her elemental powers and not-very-gracefully landed in front of Art. She was only a year older than them, but so... hypnotizing. Laughing, bruised, confident, adventure seeking. Not romantically but Art was immediately in love with this strange messy girl. When Ruuna realised they have elemental powers as well, she decided they're a duo now. And that's how this friendship started.

When Art was 14 and Ruuna asked them is they want to run away to have an adventure it was not an easy choice for them. For Ruuna it was simple: her mom encouraged her to go have adventures and Art envied that. But their mom only had them left and on one hand they didn't want to leave her. On the other hand, why shouldn't they? And maybe they can find Chamille or dad and bring them home to mom who knows. If not then really mom was not the most carrying person anyway and she would probably not even care if they were gone so. At the end they decided to join Ruuna.

Two kids with elemental powers going around and doing whatever they want - stealing food, destroying property even if they say they're "helping" - started to be an obvious problem where they went, but there wasn't much people could do. I mean what do you do about a kid who can summon a gang of squirrels who steal all your shop's fruit, and other kid who can make it suddenly be a really dangerous thunderstorm only above your house? The only thing you can do in this situation is summon people who can actually manage elemental users like that: you need to get elemental masters to help you. You probably can figure out what happens here: the main cast arrives at a town which Ruuna and Art are terrorizing, and tries to fight them. Troublemakers are amazed at other people who have elemental powers, they meet and battle few times, and even if they can work together pretty well, they can't control their powers as well as the ninja masters, and so in the end Art and Ruuna lose the final confrontation. Even so however, the ninja recognise their talents and offer them ninja training, and the duo - not very eagerly, but eventually - agrees After their initial training with the guys, Ruuna and Art decide to finish their training on their own, go have adventures, but now in the ninja way, to help people and master their powers. And so they say their goodbyes, and are on their way. Next time the main cast sees them is 3 years later, when Art is 17, and they both now have finally mastered their elements.

Art is the Master of Beasts. They can communicate with any animal, sense their nearby presence and more or less their feelings. When they were younger they thought that was it, but with practice it turned out they can reach out to nearby animals and call upon them to arrive to assist them, as well as shapeshifting into any animal themselves. They can change partially or completely. Transforming partially can grant them some attributes of that animal. There are limits to that, they can't transform into anything bigger than a moose, or smaller than a squirrel.

[favouritefearlesswhumper]

Pspspsps, I'm back.

^-^

Team Leader kept their weapon up, not giving ground. Their team laid behind them, all knocked out by Villain standing behind Mentor.

"You will be the villain of this story, no matter what you do," Mentor talked for the first time, with a frustratingly flat tone. Like they hadn't abandoned the team for Villain, leaving Team Leader to explain why Mentor didn't come out of the base. Like they didn't try to kill Team Leader after the team went down. Like they didn't use their familiarity with Team Leader's tactics to lure them into this trap. Like—

"Your team will wake up, see you, standing against me, and Villain, who is seeking redemption by exposing Agency's corrupt Headmaster."

"You're sacrificing whole agency for one person," They tried to keep their voice normal or angry, but it was more like a cry. Team Leader had formed the agency, from scratch to one that rivals the top ones. They had formed the first team, and they had appointed their former second to the agency's head. They were aware that Headmaster was betraying them since the last months, but exposing them to public would only do everything worse. They were trying to take them down, and if Mentor had waited one more month, just one more, they would have enough materials on their hand to do that silently. Without destroying their years of efforts, without giving the enemy something to feed on.

But now, Team Leader stood uncertain and felt lost, just like when they had a team and an ideal but no backup, waiting at Mentor's door, their last chance for a sponsor.

They knew the team was suspicious since they came back without Mentor at their side. Team Leader knew they also began to realise what Headmaster was doing, and they knew no matter what they did, how they acted, the team would choose Mentor over them any given time.

"So do I, seeking the majority's wellbeing were never going to save them. The public will turn on your agency, and I will be there to pick up the pieces. Agencies will work as they always did before your one, caring their own members rather than an ungrateful public."

Team Leader stared at them and saw none of the kindness Mentor carried before. The determination in their eyes were so clear, burning for victory, so real. The act was when they were dear to Team Leader.

"But I can't have you running around even with a crushed pride. Villain will look after you well," As it was their sign, Villain and Mentor began striking. Team Leader went down easily, rage burning by betrayal and torn between taking down both of them and trying to protect the team that was going to betray them.

^-^

You can have this since there isn't much Team Leader whump around. Im no writer, but I hope you enjoy it~

ANON THIS IS AMAZING AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I dont even have any words to say, really, there's nothing I can add, it's so perfect.

I love this so much!

I think a lot of media has these spunky heroes who are super active openly and very publicly and outwardly defying what they disagree with, and whilst I have nothing against that, I think more credit should be given to the ones who don't. The ones who, like your wonderful Team Leader, bide their time- try to do what they can without tearing everything to the ground in doing so. A lot of heroes are very radical in their actions- and, again, though I have nothing against that, there's also something to be said for the ones who fight for peace and harmony- who want to salvage what they can, what they've fought so hard for. Some people think it's cowardly, even, but I dont think that's fair. There's merit in fighting for something, and there's courage in defending something of value to you, that you know is worth it, worth trying to keep alive, even when you know you stand alone.

One thing I both adore and loathe about Team Leaders is just how much they sacrifice that goes unseen. So much of Leadership is a sacrifice. Even now- as you said- they're standing against those who oppose them, fighting for people who they know won't be on their side. To me, that's the mark of someone worth backing. Team Leaders are like the nervous system of whump, the ones who keep everything together, connected, and yet- also the ones who feel the most.

Team Leaders are often the unsung heroes of whump. The ones trying to keep everything together, the ones pushing down their own feelings and wants and needs, the ones looking out for others, the ones who suffer, time and time again, and the ones who endure. Who get back up, and do it all over again.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this anon, it's amazing and I'll no doubt be thinking about it for days. I LOVE the "whumper turns everybody against whumpee" when said whumpee is a hero/team leader, ESPECIALLY when said whumper is also a villain/traitor. It makes my blood boil- but in a good way! I love the idea of Team Leader being aware their team will pick their (I suppose former) Mentor over them, too- that hurt :"). It's a super painful realisation, and pushing forward and still protecting someone(s) despite knowing they'd betray you is... oooohhgh it gives me whumperflies!

Great job anon, I really liked this <3

[conscharacterscentralised]

Propaganda for “Team MARC or something like that…” for @group-oc-tournament

Who are they?

A group of friends since they were around 11/12. All met through school, when Mia, Xander and Ricky all moved to the same smallish town Carol lives in. Totally coincidental. But hey, you can make some great friends through moving schools.

They’ve been friends for 10 years now, even though all are on very different path trajectories. And no matter what, they’ll be friends for life. They promise. No matter what…

Richard Samuel Keyes

Also known as Ricky, he’s the oldest of the group. You’d think that would make him the de-facto leader but he’d prefer to stay in the background. He’s the most studious of the group, and the only one actively seeking further education, specifically in literature. He’s one to never mince his words, which while favourable in some circumstances is less so in others. Would do better to learn tact, but he’s not going to directly hurt your feelings. (He’d describe you being happy rather than him being displeased.) The most open book of the group, yet still somewhat unknowable. Birthday is November 3rd, and he is aroace.

Caroline Elizabeth Godliman

Also known as Carol, she’s the free-spirited creative of the group. The token “rich kid”. An only child who is always looking forward in life and never looking back, mostly because she doesn’t want to be stuck in the past and waste her life worrying. Which worries her. Very much aware of her catch-22, Carol is currently fundraising for a local band she works for with loading and transportation. Her favourite holiday is Christmas, mostly because she likes to pretend everyone is celebrating her birthday, which is December 24th. She is an asexual heteroromantic.

Mia Jolene Holmes

They’re not known by anything else. She’s short and to the point. Loyal with a fierce temper. The most extroverted and social of the group by far, and despite boasting that she can flirt with anyone she’s absolutely terrible at it. Doesn’t matter tho, they love corny one-liners. Used to have a different name and different life but she’s not one for over sharing. What you see isn’t always what you get but Mia tries hardest to make others solely see Mia and nobody else. If you’re in a pinch, they’re the one to call for affection and fun. Birthday is April 22nd, she is a pansexual demigirl.

Alexander Michael Stone

Alex to his family, but Xander to you. Makes an effort to go-with-the-flow and not cause a disruption. The self-nominated jokester and seemingly the easiest going… but he’s got a lot under the surface that he’s trying to hide. Everyone’s sussed out he’s not fully honest and honestly it makes them happier about their own secrets, but Xander himself isn’t generally thrilled. Still, why dwell on that when you’ve got a down-to-earth pal of the world who will teach you to drive and go on wild tangents with no meaning? Birthday is July 18th, he is a demirose bisexual (and also autistic. And dyslexic. Those aren’t the issues btw, there’s more).

Is there a story to these four outside of just friends and stuff?

Yes! I’ve gone into details on my own blog if you’re super curious but I’m planning on making it into a webcomic so I won’t go into huge amounts of detail (though the main spoilers can be seen fairly easily through the tags and art both I and others have made). But the basic gist is these four are bored one day and decide to go into a part of town they’ve never been before. Specifically to a different section easily passed through under a bridge. It’s not too long but it can leave you in darkness for a while.

Whilst walking through and joking with each other, they start seeing some odd movements in the shadows. Thinking they’re about to be attacked, they turn and leave, only to find the tunnel is a lot longer than they thought. Then one of them feels an unfamiliar hand on their shoulder… and a strange yet oddly familiar figure greets them before disappearing and the tunnel returns to normal. Slowly though, everyone feels the presence of something subtly messing with their lives, up to and including threats, violence and dragging up the past and the things they wish to remain hidden.

They call this entity Vanta. He’s almost like a fifth main character, but he’s the villain and doesn’t want to be a part of “Team MARC or something like that…”

What’s with the name? Why MARC?

Doylist reason: the forms said a name and I didn’t have one planned. I could’ve called them the Encroaching Darkness Quartet or the Vantaverse Quartet or even just The Gang, but I had to be extra.

Watsonian reason: Carol came up with it on a whim. They had to use Xander’s full first name because nobody knew how to combine together their first initial without it sounding cringe. It still sounded cringe to her, hence the trailing off… but hey! It’s nice to have a name!

Why should I vote these guys?

A vote for “Team MARC or something like that…” is a win for long lasting friendship, being queer and proud of it, autism, modern day antics and getting over your fears and being free.

Is there anything else to note?

Obviously this is all for fun, and even if my guys don’t make it past round 1, I’m happy I got to share my brain dwellers with the world. They lived for too long rent free up there, it’s time to pay tax /j

[acrosol]

minatozaki sana  24  female  she/her — ; where do you get your inspiration, ito yua ? you’re so intelligent , i can’t help but think of running ink on paper and dirty fingerprints on glasses when i hear your name. your friends tell me you can be dishonest sometimes . i guess it’s understandable given the circumstances . besides , i can’t even imagine how stressful physics classes must be — not to mention you’re also in seolhwayeon (captain) ! you’re a local , right ? yeah , i thought so . either way , welcome to mugunghwa !  

hello everyone!! i'm may and i'm very excited to share my version of ito yua♡ i hope i'll do the canon justice ;-; psa: i haven't properly roleplayed in a little while and i am currently very confused by the new editor TT so please excuse any technical difficulties that may be happening with my posts in the future, i'm still learning how to use this abomination !

also, i actually decided to not set too much muse information in stone this time, so there can hopefully still be plenty of space to develop her character further with the help of plotting and whatnot ! so, instead i have only gathered some rather lose bullet points about her instead which you can read about below ♡

PAST

back in high school, yua's friends often used to joke about the fact that she must be the first "prodigy child" who hated being called just that. sure, to them it seemed like yua had always been exceptionally smart and thus easily excelled in most classes but it wasn't as easy as it looked like.

in contrary to popular belief, she wasn't as gifted as she seemed and had to spend absolutely all of her free time studying for upcoming tests and exams. whenever anyone asked her to hang out, she would simply claim she had a lot of extracurricular activities going on until someday people stopped asking her to hang out at all.

her classmates soon began to label her as snooty and uppish since she must have felt like she was too good for everyone else if she never had time to get to know the other people in her classes. and what started out rather harmless somehow snowballed into a bigger problem until the entire year started to avoid yua altogether.

she tried to play it off and pretend that it didn't phase her when in reality, yua's high school years turned out to be incredibly lonely. however, the lack of friends around her made it easier to drown herself in books and just like that, she still became valedictorian.

in 2021 during her second year of uni, she decided to take a break and study abroad for a while, opting for an art school. however, she quickly realised that the arts weren't exactly her cup of tea, so instead she spent most of her time there with her new girlfriend. it was the first and only time in her life where her studies weren't the most important thing to her.

PRESENT

today, yua still normally keeps to herself. there are definitely still a few people who believe her to be too full of herself to pay attention to anyone else but it seems like most people pay her no mind.

since she hardly had any friends growing up, she found comfort in seeking academic validation. it is the only thing that seems to bring her true joy, but she still whole-heartedly wishes she was more popular, even if she would never admit it.

in an attempt to find some friends to spend time with, she joined the taekwondo club. much to her surprise, it worked better than expected and she was soon asked to be the captain. it was only a small thing, but in that moment yua had never felt more popular.

yua is well aware of the fact that she is technically part of the keepers but she would never call herself a member: to her it just seems like a waste of time ... which is why she's almost never seen around the group.

something most people wouldn't know about her is the fact that even if yua looks like she isn't paying attention, she definitely still is aware of her surroundings. after all, her years spent in solitude moulded her into a perfect observer. even if she would never dare talk about the things she hears and sees ... it doesn't mean that she doesn't know about a couple of secrets here and there.

aaaaaand this is everything i have so far!! please let me know by liking this post if you would like to plot ♡ i also have discord if that's easier for some of you, so please don't hesitate to ask for my user !

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

432 of 2022

Relationship Survey

[made @ xanga.com/surveys_for_nimrods]

SO = significant other, I just didn't feel like typing it out!

1. How long do you wait to introduce a new SO to your parents? What about the rest of your family (grandma, grandpa, etc.)?:

All my relationships started off as friendships, so my family has known them before. And for the long time they thought we were just friends because I wasn’t out to them. They stoill don’t know about my first relationship.

2. Would you ever go on a blind date?:

No, not interested. I’m not actively seeking relationships, except for the existing ones, it has little meaning to me.

3. Would you (or have you) ever met someone from a dating site? How did it go?:

Likewise, not interested. I don’t use dating sites either.

4. How long do you get to know the other person before dating them?:

Preferably years.

5. How many people have you dated in your life time?:

Three, and I married one of them.

6. Did you count those crappy 3-week middle school relationships?:

I’ve never had them. I only had my first relationship at the age of 22 and before this age, I wasn’t even interested.

7. How long do you wait before changing your relationship status on Facebook, Myspace, etc. when you get a SO?:

I don’t use Facebook nor Myspace.

8. If you got married, would you take your SO's last name or keep your own? Or maybe do something different (like hyphenate the two)?:

I got married and neither of us has taken the other’s last name, we stayed with our own. In my country, even hetero women don’t take their husband’s names.

9. If you're a girl- Do you expect the guy to pay on all or most of the dates?:

I’m not a girl.

If you're a guy- Do you pay on most or all of the dates, and do you feel like you're a "loser" if you don't pay?:

We alternate, one time it’s me, one time it’s him. We like that.

If you're in a gay/lesbian relationship- Who should pay? And why?:

Yeah I’m in a gay relationship and I just said how we do it. I think it’s fair.

10. Crappiest date you've ever been on? Tell us your story!:

I don’t think I’ve ever had a crappy date, seriously. Maybe the reason is I’ve been dating only people I know and who know me.

11. Have your exes gotten better looking since you dated them?:

Nah, Nielsje has always been good-looking. And I haven’t seen Jay in years.

12. Does anyone have a crush on you right now?:

Maybe, or maybe not. No one wants to confess :P

13. Are you single or taken?:

Married okay.

14. Who is the friend you go to when you're having love life issues?:

Typically I’d go to Nancy because she’s a woman and might have a different perspective.

15. How long do you wait to have sex in a relationship?:

Depends on if I feel ready for it. Typically I don’t, but I end up there sooner or later. As long as he respects me, I’m fine.

16. What's the oldest you would date?:

My husband is 50. With certain exceptions, love has no age for me.

17. The youngest?:

Well, minors are out of question. I kind of have a crush on a guy who is 21, but I don’t think I’d actually date him, assuming I was single. I’d rather be a friend. He’s 11 years younger than me and might still have a different mindset. Maybe if we were 10 years older or so.

18. When you're in a relationship, are you the jealous type?:

No. My husband gives me absolutely no reason to do so.

19. Ever been used for sex?:

My 1st ex tried to do it, but it never worked.

20. Longest relationship?:

5 years and counting.

21. Shortest relationship?:

6 months because he started showing his true face.

22. What was the longest period of time you were single for?:

22 years.

23. Do you like being single or taken better?:

There’s no ‘preference’ for me. I take what life brings.

24. How often do you expect your SO to talk to you (either through texting, phone calls, etc)?:

We live together, so we talk every day and it’s normal.

25. Would you ever do a long distance relationship?:

We tried that with Nielsje. Didn’t work out.

26. What about an online relationship?:

Big no.

27. Do you like Valentine's Day?:

It’s overrated. I don’t.

28. Would you prefer a romantic SO or someone not so romantic?:

Not so romantic, just romantic on occasion.

29. Do you consider yourself romantic?:

Not at all.

30. Do you think you'd make a good SO to someone else?:

My husband doesn’t complain, and neither did Nielsje, so.

31. Are looks important? Why or why not?:

For me, they’re not. I always fall for guys I’ve known for a long time and if I love someone, they’re beautiful to me, no matter how they look like.

32. Have you ever been in love?:

Think so, but it depends how we define it. I believe love has many forms.

33. Ever had your heart broken?:

Quite so, and we’ve never been together. He did something hurtful to me.

34. Ever cheated? What has it taught you?:

No, and I’m not going to. Partnered sex, ew.

35. Ever been cheated on? What was it like?:

Quite a few times, by my 1st ex. He called me “not a real man” because I didn’t want to have sex with him, and that was his ‘revenge’.

36. What style would you prefer your SO to have?:

I don’t like people for their looks.

37. Favorite hair and eye color for a partner?:

Doesn’t matter. Again, I don’t like people for their looks.

38. If your SO slept with a LOT of people, would you be jealous/angry about it?:

Nope, as long as he is healthy and doesn’t cheat on me while we are together. The past is the past.

39. What are some deal breakers when it comes to appearance for chosing a partner?:

When they stink. Seriously, go take a shower if you want to be close to me.

40. What about personality deal breakers?:

Being a know-it-all type, overly judgemental, generalising, intolerant, cruel to others.

41. Who should propose (marriage)? The guy or the girl? What about in homosexual couples?:

Whoever feels like.

42. How long would you need to date someone before even thinking about marriage?:

A couple of years.

43. How long would you need to date someone before even thinking about kids?:

I don’t want kids, ever.

44. Could you marry someone who didn't want kids?:

Easily.

45. Would you rather be asked out in person, through text, or over the internet?:

In person. Always in person.

46. What about dumped? Through text, in person, or over the internet?:

Also in person. I don’t have respect for cowards who do it via text message.

47. When you're single, do you still fool around with other people?:

No. I have other priorities in life.

48. Would you ever lie to your SO? Even a white lie?:

Nah. I’m rather honest, and he knows about it.

49. Best first date someone could take you on?:

Either Oostende or the dunes in my town, or the Irish pub in Bruges, or Sluis in the Netherlands. These were my favourite dates with my husband. When it comes to real thing, my favourite first date was in Oostende.

50. How long into a relationship do you wait to say "I love you"? Is there ever a "too soon" to do that?:

It always baffles me that people actually start relationships without confessing love to each other. I never do that, for me it’s “the other way around”. First we confess, then we form a relationship. Doing it like most people apparently do is unnatural to me. I don’t see the point of starting a relationship without being sure what me and the other person feels.

[ivyquinzel]

.

[hisokas-toybox]

How the adult trio deal with having a crush

Brand new content from me for this new sideblog! As the title says, this is a list of headcanons  about how I imagine each member of the adult trio would behave if they had a crush on the reader.

Illumi

·       Definitely the least functional of the trio when it comes to handling a crush.

·       If you’re in the same room/space he will watch you constantly. He can’t help it, you’re beautiful to him and he just can’t take his eyes off you.

·       Low key stalks you – wherever you are he’ll be nearby. Even if he needs to be somewhere far away from you for a mission, he’ll still know exactly where you are/who you’re with etc.

·       Will do an extensive background check on you, he probably knows your family history better than you do.

·       If you have any exes that hurt you or were ever bullied in your life, those people are now dead.

·       Probably didn’t even know that what he was feeling was a crush until someone else (most likely Hisoka) pointed it out.

·       Is freaked out and ashamed that he has feelings for someone. Assassins don’t need feelings he’s been trained to avoid this, why is this happening???

·       Tries to hide his crush. No-one can know about it; feelings are weak after all! (Literally everyone knows he’s into you. It’s painfully obvious and the more he tries to hide it the more obvious it becomes)

·       Has definitely considered killing you to stop this crazy obsession. Ultimately decided against it since that would mean not getting to see you anymore.

·       His internet history is a rabbit hole of wikihows on how to get over a crush/talk to a crush/get them to notice you/how to plan a wedding.

·       Somehow still clueless.

·       It’s sad because all this shame comes from trauma and abuse

·       But the sheer awkwardness is also kind of cute.

·       Chances are, if you like him back, you’ll have to make the first move, and the second, and probably third too…

·       If he somehow does ask you out first though it will be AWKWARD AF.

·       Probably sounds more like a command to go out with him than a request, but there’s a little hint of a blush on his cheeks that gives away how nervous he is.

·       He doesn’t actually mean to be creepy towards you; he just has NO IDEA how to act like a normal person at the best of times, and the fact you make him feel things just makes him get even stranger.

·       Not big on physical affection, will absolutely be a blushing mess if your hands accidently touch even slightly. If you do date him it could take some time before he starts to enjoy being touched and even longer before he actively seeks physical touch.

·       You’ll need set up clear boundaries and have a lot of patience, but if you do date him it’ll be worth it as he gets more comfortable with you.

·       If you two do get together, Illumi will expect full commitment and pretty quick too. Expect to be married within a year.

·       If you’re not interested, be gentle but be clear. He won’t persist if you reject him, but he will be a sad boy deep down. (why would you reject him though, he’s so pretty and just wants to be loved?)

  Hisoka

·       Oh. This boy.

·       Not remotely ashamed/embarrassed by his crush on you.

·       Makes it a point to make his attraction known to you, and anyone else in the vicinity. Often explicitly.

·       Will make any excuse to be around you.

·       Shows off constantly whenever he’s around you (with his nen, his card tricks, bragging about his latest fight or even just walking around shirtless for no reason).

·       Endless compliments, flirting and innuendo.

·       Hands. Everywhere. Hisoka is a very tactile person so expect to be used as an armrest/headrest if you’re shorter than him (likely) and for little touches to your shoulders/arms/legs as he talks to you. Will also chance his luck grabbing your ass and playing footsie with you if you’re at a table

·       He will ask you out first.

·       He’ll invite you on a date initially to have some class, but he’s not shy about just straight up propositioning you for sex.

·       He’s not fussy about taking it slow

·       If you do date him it might not necessarily be a serious or long-term thing, but it will be fun.

·       If you reject him, (Again, why would you reject him? Have you not SEEN those abs???) he won’t be deterred. He’ll see it as a challenge and keep pursuing you, enjoying it if you get annoyed (he may ease up on the touching if you’re really uncomfortable but don’t expect much else).

·       If you keep rejecting him, he will eventually either find someone else or just get bored and leave you alone.

 Chrollo

·       Honestly the most normal of the three.

·       Will do some background research on you to make sure you meet his high standards. May discreetly “acquire” some of your possessions/photos which he’ll keep safely hidden away.

·       Not embarrassed by his crush on you, but definitely more refined and subtle in the way he pursues it.

·       Carefully engineers situations where he can interact with you directly.

·       Actually works to build a rapport with you before asking you out.

·       Pretty smooth talker, very charming and gives a lot of compliments.

·       Direct in asking you out, it’s very clear he likes you and wants to take you on a date.

·       Genuinely interested in you, curious about your hobbies/passions/likes and dislikes.

·       Gives you a lot of gifts that relate to what you talk about. (Don’t ask where/how he gets them!)

·       Won’t touch you until he’s certain you’re interested, and even then, he keeps things very classy and respectful.

·       Is always very cool and suave on the outside, but inside he gets excited to see you and longs to touch you. Already thinks of you as his.

·       If you do date him, it’ll likely be a long-term thing that he’ll take slowly and carefully but with strong commitment.

·       If you turn him down, (I actually WOULD turn Chrollo down so no questions on your taste here) he’ll be very gracious about it and won’t continue to pursue you. (Likely to disappear for a long time without any warning though. There may also be a spike in large scale crime which may or may not be related).

·       You may find yourself being hunted down by the remaining Phantom Troupe members for “disrespecting the Boss” if you reject Chrollo.

[thelemoncoffee]

Imagin an au where Kokichi retired from being a phantom thief after getting bored with how easy it was to get away.

it's been a few years and his case had run cold; some detectives have tried to open it up again because he still has a massive bounty on his head, but they ultimatly failed to get anywhere new with it and locked it up again... until Shuichi got ahold of it that is.

be it by pure talent or sheer luck, while running over the case in his free time for the hell of it Shuichi managed to stumble across a lead in the case. This descovery got his boss practically begging him to look into it and try to find more, hoping maybe if he can solve the unsolvable case their agency will get more traction.

Against his better judgment Shuichi decides to give it a shot and starts working on the case, slowly reoriginzing everything to better fit the new peice of evidence he found. doing so he uncoveres more and decides field work is in order. despit the case having been cold for a while, the least he could to was interveiw the old targets and ask a bit about their experiances with the phantom thief.

Shuichi's involvment in the case and the sudden new info sparks a buzz in the news, and said buzz reaches Kokichi. intruiged by this new development he decides to throw Shuichi a bone and starts to send him anonymous letters and notes to see what he'd do with them. Shuichi is surprised by this as he assumed the thief was inactive due to finally getting his fill, but finding this highly targeted activity brought to light the thief's more thrill seeking desires.

This back and forth happens for a month or so before a very abrupt spike in activity occurs in the form of a jewlery hiest. the first phantom thief hiest in literal years. Shuichi is of course sent to check it out and finds his thief is a bit rusty from inactivity and left a clue that would have never be left behind otherwise. Kokichi did not make a mistake though, he's intruiged by this new detective and wanted to give him a little reward for getting as far as he had. it was a dangerous choice for sure, but hey, wasn't what why he became a thief in the first place?

From here it becomes your average phantom thief au, but with the added bonus of not only is Shuichi the first person in years to get any lead on Kokichi, but also becomes the first to stand face to face with him. i think that little bit of extra zest in this au makes the stakes a bit higher than normal and the choices either make more stressful for them. does Kokichi want to keep his legendary status or does he want to risk it all for this cute detective? does Shuichi want to become a legend by solving the unsolvable case, or does he want to bond with this elusive thief and chase him forever just for fun and love?