#i hope this was brief enough

[facts-i-just-made-up]

Can you give a brief history of the rap music genre?

Rap was, and is.

[1000sunnygo]

Dressrosa Archives: Kappei Yamaguchi (Usopp) x Kamiya Hiroshi (Law) talk (2015)

Here's another interview that was released during Dressrosa, Kamiya was hosted by Kappei (x). The conversation focused on Kamiya's experience voicing Law, analyzing characters (notably Law and Rosinante) and the studio's atmosphere.

It's a long interview that was separated in two parts (bless Kamiya's photographic memory). Starts below the cut!

Yamaguchi: This time on Usopp's 'This is Real!', we have the talented Hiroshi Kamiya who plays Trafalgar Law - a character who has been very active in the TV series lately (applause)!

As we're reaching a crucial point in the battle against Doflamingo, we'd like to delve deep into Law' s character. Thank you for joining us!

Kamiya: Thank you very much!

Yamaguchi: Let's get straight to it. Law is still a character shrouded with mysteries. But what was your first impression of him?

Kamiya: No seriously, he was a mysterious fellow alright (laughs).

I believe Shabondy Archipelago 2 years ago was his first appearance. There was hardly any information other than being a "Rookie with a bounty exceeding 100M who leads a pirate crew aiming for the New World." I had no idea how to portray him. I felt like other rookies stood out more.

Captain Kidd, for example, made it to the back cover of the manga. Since Namikawa Daisuke was casted for the role, I thought he might become a big character in the future.

Yamaguchi: But I felt that Law was the craziest one. For a mysterious role like this one...was there an audition, again?

Kamiya: No. I was approached by the producer from that time. Recently I was told by the producer that he didn't think the role would become so important!

Yamaguchi: Same here (laughs). Law really entered the spotlight during the Summit War, didn't he? That's where he got closer to Luffy, or that's where he might have started considering the off chance of an alliance...

Kamiya: You may be right. Looking back on his encounter with Luffy; after learning about Law's past and his relationship with Doflamingo, I think Law might have sensed some possibilities when he saw Luffy defy the Celestial Dragons.

If that's the case, just my personal speculation, it somewhat makes sense as to why Law saved Luffy during the Summit War. But back at that time I didn't know any of it. It was impossible for me to foresee Law's role there (in the war). I thought he would reappear after like 5~10 years (laughs).

Subsequently, when Law saved the passed out Luffy from Akainu's attack, I thought, "Is this why his character existed?" I was wondering if his role as a rookie pirate was done. But then at Punk Hazard... It was rather a quick reunion (lol)

Yamaguchi: Seeing him at Punk Hazard at that time, I was like, "Huh? Where are Bepo and team? Did he end up alone?!" (laughs)

Kamiya: Same here. I was like, "????" (laughs)

Yamaguchi: Even though Law was a character veiled under mystery, he has gradually revealed his human side in the flashback. You played Law's childhood as well. How was the experience?

Kamiya: When I read the flashback in the manga, I really wanted to voice him. Initially, Law proposed an alliance with Luffy to take down Kaido. But there was also this desire deep down to crush Doflamingo himself.... All these make him rather a suspicious character with unclear motives from reader's perspective, right?

But after knowing his intense past that lead to that point, I decided "I want to portray Law's childhood too!" I was very eager to do it, I expressed my wish to the producer. It turned into an audition.

Yamaguchi: So that required an audition. (laughs)

Kamiya: Exactly. At that time, the manga volume wasn't out yet. So, they gave me a copy of the Jump magazine. After finishing the usual recording, I was reading some lines from it. I remember you asking me, "What are you doing, Kamiya kun?" and I said, "I have an audition after this." (laughs)

Yamaguchi: I remember too. I was wondering, "What audition?" (laughs)

Kamiya: Strictly speaking, it might not have been a traditional 'audition' - given that there were no other candidates. It was more like having my voice heard (by the staffs) and assessing whether I could voice the character.

Yamaguchi: It's common to hire a different actor for flashback roles to match the character visuals. But letting the same actor voice in flashback makes a character more consistent. Law's encounter with Cora san was a turning point in his life, you being able to play that role should become crucial for depicting his character from now onwards.

On this topic, did knowing Law's past influence your performance of his role?

Kamiya: I didn't consciously change my acting. But there are some differences in his portrayal when I know Law's past compared to when I didn't.

In the early days, I voiced Law with a subdued, cool tone; but as the story progressed and his character unfolded, I believe my tone range expanded.

Yamaguchi: I totally get it. Back when Law started interacting with the Straw Hats and yelled "I hate breads!" - it left a strong impression in me. I felt that line alone made him instantly more relatable and easy to like.

Kamiya: That's right. Actually, at the "I'm a doctor!" scene in the Summit War, I was told not to raise my voice. So I focused on acting cool. But I'm more comfortable being expressive and yelling these days; I feel like I've been allowed some leeway since "I hate bread!" (laughs)

Yamaguchi: (laughs) I remember "I hate bread" most vividly, but which line do you think left the biggest impression on you?

Kamiya: Not mine, but Cora san's "I love ya!" made me go, "Uwoh, so that's how it's delivered!"

As for Law's lines, hmm.. "I'm a doctor!" and "Drake-ya, how many people have you killed?" are memorable. Also, "I've broken the gears!" after slashing Suwabe san..No, Vergo.

(Junichi Suwabe: Vergo's actor. Currently acting as Green Bull.)

Yamaguchi: Back when Vergo was slashed, none of us had any idea about the the two's real relationship.

Kamiya: Indeed. But the scene was remarkably balanced. While maintaining a calm expression, Law sliced through everything in the background in half, including Vergo. This spoke of how intense his deep emotions were. This scene really etched in my memory.

Yamaguchi: Amazing, it's still giving me chills!

Kamiya: Since I was under the request to not raise my voice, so I acted coolly. But seeing the intensity transmitted so well in the art... I felt glad.

Yamaguchi: Breaking the gears in Punk Hazard and tying up loose ends in Dressrosa – it feels like even after Dressrosa, Law's journey with the Straw Hats is far from over. They still need to reunite with Sanji's group and visit Bepo and team!

Kamiya: That's right. Hasn't it been about two years since Law mentioned them being left at Zou?

Yamaguchi: In real world, it's been about two years. But in the story, it's like the same morning?! (laughs)

Kamiya: Pretty much like just a moment ago. (laughs)

Yamaguchi: That was insane! When Law told Doflamingo, "You called CP0 this morning", all the cast members made faces like, "THIS morning!?" (laughs)

Kamiya: We've been through some insane times, haven't we? (laughs)

Yamaguchi: This conversation had been insane too. Sadly, it's time to wrap up. Thank you so much, Kamiya kun!!

Bonus talk (website special edition) : Child Law and the Donquixotes

Yamaguchi: Law's past is currently unfolding in his flashback. What were you particularly mindful of while playing Law's childhood?

Kamiya: Since he carries a tragic past, I was conscious of portraying the notion of "no belief in humans" and "humans only harbor malice." It's somewhat a tunnel vision of the world. But considering he was a child, I convinced myself of that. (laughs)

Yamaguchi: When the story transitioned back to present from the flashback, I was a bit sad thinking how I won't hear little Law's voice anymore. But then it felt so natural to hear adult Law's voice. I remembered, "Oh right! Kamiya kun had always been Law." (laughs)

Kamiya: I'm so happy to hear you say that!

Yamaguchi: Speaking of the flashback, Cora san plays a crucial role.

Kamiya: Yes. When I heard Cora san would be played by Yamadera san, I thought, "Woah, a freaking amazing person has joined!" As I mentioned before, his performance of "I love ya!" is so touching that just remembering it makes me tear up.

Well, my first impression to Cora san was "Who's this dude?", though (laughs). He's a guy who gets annoyed by children and throws them out...Frankly, it was hard to believe he's sane. It was inevitable for Law to be pissed off and yell "I'll kill him!"

Yamaguchi: From Cora san's exchange with Sengoku afterward, it seems he intentionally treated Law and the children harshly to keep them away from The Family... but there could be a better way to do it (laughs)

Regardless, Cora san struggled with many hardships from his childhood; I feel sorry for him.

Kamiya: He had a hard time due to his idealist father. His father was a goodie-two-shoes blind to reality, so to speak; unable to recognize the poor intent of others. I think he was the type of person whose survival was meant to be a struggle in the world of One Piece.

Yamaguchi: True. This caused his wife and children to suffer. I felt like telling the father, "you're too naive."

Kamiya: Actually, in the scene where Doflamingo's father says, "I'm sorry I'm your father," I couldn't cry even though it was a tragic scene of a parent being murdered. Instead I was very angry at him.

Yamaguchi: In that scene it's easier to resonate with Doflamingo: "What has father done!"

Kamiya: When I read the manga, I didn't feel much. But once it was animated and I could hear the lines, I really understood Doflamingo's feelings. "Ok, he's an idealist dumbass." "This man's is no good, I couldn't possibly keep up with him either!" (laughs)

Yamaguchi: Being sandwiched between these two, I pity Cora san.

Kamiya: Cora san probably had perceptions of both a Celestial Dragon and an ordinary human since childhood. That's likely why he could handle special missions like being a spy.

Yamaguchi: Unlike Doflamingo who couldn't adapt to the world, Cora san didn't really do anything wrong but ended up being crucified anyway. I felt really bad for him.

Kamiya: The flashback elaborated quite well on Law's feelings. But the mystery behind why Cora san suddenly changed his demeanor after learning Law is a D is still there.

Actually, that's the only part that left me unconvinced. Why's that a man who hit him is suddenly saying let's pack up and run - I couldn't wrap my head around it. But Yamadera san's presence and persuasiveness left me feeling, "this person definitely knows something, I must listen to what he has to say."

Yamaguchi: I get you. Even though Yamadera san is no different from us and knows practically nothing (laughs). By the way, I'm really looking forward to how it'd go when the last bit of the flashback airs.

Kamiya: I'm curious about its reception.

Yamaguchi: Lastly, any message you'd like to share with the fans?

Kamiya: It was fun talking with Kappei san and sharing personal impressions and perspectives, but please forget everything I said! I want everyone to enjoy it naturally, I'll be happy if you continue supporting One Piece from a neutral perspective.

Yamaguchi: Kamiya kun, thanks for today!

Kamiya: Likewise, thank you very much!

Interview #2, Studio Experience and popularity

Source: [x]

Yamaguchi: By the way, I was at the restaurant Baratie for an interview recently, and they were showing the first episode of One Piece. I saw your name credited among the cast and went "Gweeeh?!" (laughs)

Kamiya: (laughs) Yeah. In the first episode, I played pirate A.

Yamaguchi: One of Alvida's henchmen?

Kamiya: Yes. As pirate A, my role was to discover Nami sneaking onto the ship, and then immediately to get knocked out by a groin kick.

Yamaguchi: I didn't show up until episode 9. You were earlier than me! (laughs)

Kamiya: Actually, I debuted earlier than even Kazuya Nakai san (Zoro's seiyuu), since Zoro only had a brief appearance at the end of the first episode.

Nakai san came to tour the recording. I remember asking "what's up, Nakai san?" and he mumbled something like "Ah, well, um" and just quietly sat there.

Yamaguchi: (laughs) Did you have any other roles after pirate A?

Kamiya: I did a couple more after that, but the first episode left the strongest impression on me. I still clearly remember Luffy bursting out of the barrel in his debut scene. Deep down, I got excited during the recoding, thinking "Woah! One Piece has really begun."

Another memorable role was Eddy, the four eyed helmsman of the Bellamy Pirates. It was strange to voice Law facing off Bellamy himself in the Dressrosa arc, having voiced one of his ex-subordinates long ago. (laughs)

Yamaguchi: Wasn't it in Mock Town? When Ueda Yuji san was there?

Kamiya: Yes. Ueda Yuji san voiced Sarquiss, the vice captain of the Bellamy Pirates.

After that was the story of Shichibukai meeting arranged by the World Government. Doflamingo appeared and used his strange power to make two marine officers fight each other to the death. The two marines who were made to fight each other - Marine Officers A and B, were played by me and Ueda san. They knew they were being controlled, but nobody knew how it was being done, or the power of something like Ito Ito no mi.

Yamaguchi: We didn't know anything either! Bet you didn't expect to end up fighting against the same Doflamingo years later.

Kamiya: That's right. I never imagined I'd get to play a character with a connection to Doflamingo. Moreover, at the time of Law's debut, I didn't think he'd be the one to with such connection. (laughs)

Yamaguchi: Seriously. Life is full of surprises. (laughs)

Anyway, changing the subject, how do you like the atmosphere in One Piece voice studio?

Kamiya: I absolutely love the atmosphere on the One Piece set! There are many seniors there who can be called legends, so of course, there's tension. But it's the type of tension that makes you feel comfortable as a professional.

Yamaguchi: It's okay to be honest, you know (laughs)

Kamiya: (laughs) But I am being honest.

In presence of legends like Mayumi Tanaka san who has been leading One Piece for 15 years, I'd always think that I have to give my absolute best. Of course, when it comes to the actual recording, being serious isn't an option for us. But only recently I've realized that it's okay to ease up and have fun outside the recording sessions.

Yamaguchi: Well, that's the captain for you. (laughs)

Kamiya: She's really something else! (laughs)

t/n:the strawhat VAs all call Luffy's VA Mayumi san 'captain.' I've noticed Kamiya doing the same few times. HMmm

Yamaguchi: The Straw Hat crews are scattered during Dressrosa and the team's brain cell Akemi Okamura chan, who plays Nami, isn't around. So, I personally consider you the only remaining brain cell in the current studio, Kamiya kun. You're the last straw that keeps the studio standing as a "workplace". (laughs)

Kamiya: What, really?! (laughs) That's a lot of responsibility. But I've recently realized that even if I'm criticized for it, it's best to get along the flow when I'm high on energy. (laughs)

(T/N: not confident with my translation for this sentence^)

Yamaguchi: (loud laugh) Come to think of it, you sure have been doing that a lot lately! I thought it was quite like Law.

Speaking of which, do you think the One Piece cast resembles their characters in some aspects?

Kamiya: Hmm... Law is such a serious character, so I always feel like I need to be firm with myself, but I often find myself like a puddle (laughs). Especially when Mitsuya Yuji san (Pica) and Mayumi san (Luffy) keep fooling around, I'm all over the place.

Yamaguchi: Those two... even though they're both in their sixties! (laughs)

Kamiya: I can't anymore... They say "Just ignoore", is that really okay?

Yamaguchi: I think it's fine. (laughs)

Kamiya: Even though they're like that most of the time, they completely change when it's showtime. It's amazing. Every time we record, I'm in awe, watching them carry the weight of the series on their shoulders.

Yamaguchi: Despite being small. (laughs)

Kamiya: ...Despite being small! (laughs)

Yamaguchi: Mayumi san's microphone is quite low, isn't it? Because she's small.

Kamiya: That's right. But I still get nervous when I think about using the microphone Mayumi san used. She's an amazing senior, but she also has this quirky side to her. I hope she stays this way forever. (laughs)

Yamaguchi: I also like Mayumi san's quirky sides (laughs) Once we start talking about Mayumi san, we could go on forever. So let's save that for another time!

Website Special Edition #2, More Law talks

Yamaguchi: Law is a cool and chill character, but I like how he playfully calls others "[ ]-ya". (laughs)

Kamiya: One Piece has many characters with distinctive speaking styles, as in the way they laugh or talk. Even a character cool at a glance can have this unique speech pattern that'd make them approachable. Law didn't seem to have any of that. At first I was worried - is this guy just cool? So when he started calling others with "[ ]-ya", I felt a weight off my chest (laughs)

But his accent is still a little troublesome, especially saying "Nose-ya" to call Usopp.

Yamaguchi: It seems he searches for someone's specific characteristic to come up with a nickname, like Luffy. But when he can't think of any, he just adds "ya" at the tail of their names (laughs)

Kamiya: Yeah (Laughs). Like how Nami becomes "Nami ya", Drake becomes "Drake ya". I find it funny.

Yamaguchi: This playful side is what makes 'the attractive guy' Law so endearing.

And he's insanely popular, isn't it? When I went to Universal Studios Japan the other day, there were many children cosplaying Law. Do you have a specific mindset when you're playing such a popular character?

Kamiya: Well...When Law ranked 2nd in the official popularity poll, I felt happy and pressured at the same time. Not because of the result itself, but because it made me more conscious not to undermine Law's charm in my acting.

On the other hand, I think it's a great privilege as an actor to be able to voice a character like this. If even one person becomes Law's fan after watching the tv series, I'll feel incredibly proud.

Yamaguchi: Yeah, I understand. It's a great honor as an actor when people start liking a character because of our performance.

By the way, how was the feedback from the people around you when you started playing Law?

Kamiya: Thankfully, the feedback from Law fans was amazing! On the flip side, the people around me were surprisingly chill. Like, "Oh, the ROOM dude?" (laughs).

Yamaguchi: "The ROOM dude"! (laughs) Which one is your favorite from Law's moves?

Kamiya: Got to be "Shambles." To be more specific, "Shambles" followed by "ROOM"!

Yamaguchi: The combination has such a catchy, memorable rhythm. To mimic Law, "ROOM" and "Shambles" are a must!

Kamiya: I'm a bit relieved. If such a catchy combination didn't gain attention, I would've blamed myself.

Yamaguchi: It's an awfully strong killer move. Depending on how it's used, the power can be invincible.

Kamiya: It's unfairly strong, isn't it? The fact that it can even grant eternal life made me think it's an outrageous Devil Fruit ability.

That said, it's not like magic - having known that using the technique depletes the stamina of the user. Cora san also mentioned that it's an ability that one can't handle without knowledge. Law must've been able to handle it because he studied medicine.

Yamaguchi: Indeed, like it was his destiny to eat the devil fruit.

Lastly, what do you think is the charm of Law?

Kamiya: Hmm, I generally try not to overthink about the charm of the characters I'm currently playing. If I understand the charm too well, I might start acting while thinking about things like, "This is their charm, right? So this is why they're popular?" So, I try to approach my work neutrally and avoid thinking too much.

Of course, there are times when I simply think Law is cool, but I deliberately don't dwell on what made him cool. I hope that when everything is said and done, I can look back and realize, "Wow, that thing Law did was ridiculously cool!", or "This is what makes Law so amazing!"

Yamaguchi: I see, that's an interesting perspective. Thank you for sharing all these insights today!

Kamiya: No, thank you so much for having me!

—

Relevant stuff if you're in for more:

Mattew Mercer (Law's English dub va) talking about Law's unexpected relevance post timeskip (@ 6:10, not time stamped)

Hideyuki Tanaka (Doflamingo) hosted by Yamaguchi Kappei

[runningupthatvecna]

the law of seat partners | part 2

a/n: ok so the response to part 1 of my first ever eddie blurb has been quite surprising and i've had ideas for a second part while writing it so i guess that's what's happening here now. this part is definitely longer (you're welcome) and will lead to a part 3, so no worries there everyone. i definitely recommend reading part 1 first though to get more context. enjoy and i live for reblogs and comments so i'd appreciate you leaving me some :)

summary: the bus ride continues and so does your feeling that eddie might like you a bit more than the others. also, he eats all most of your snacks and it (among other things) makes you realise that you're down bad for him. also you learn that his hands are just generally quite warm.

cw/tw: more of eddie being a touchy menace while trying real hard to make reader aware of his affection. kinda friends to lovers with eventual spice in part 3. slow burn, kinda? slapping of butts, a bit of mutual pining (reader is emotionally ... confused), mentions of eddie being treated poorly by people, mentions of eddie partaking in illegal activities, also a lot of eddie being a sweet bean. no mentions of y/n.

read part 1 here

-----

It was the halt of the bus that woke you up from your pre-noon nap on Eddie Munson's head.

His hand was still resting on your thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze before he lifted his head from your shoulder and straightened himself.

The touch wasn't entirely new to you, since you had figured out this was the primary way he expressed a certain level of affection. Because he also was like this with the others of your group and you hadn't dared to read too much into it. At least until now.

"Looks like the babies already need a diaper change."

His mumbled comment on what seemed to be the first break on the road made you snort.

You loved the fact that he seemed to share your disapproval of having a rampage of middle schoolers sharing the bus with you on this trip.

Eddie turned his head to you, his deep brown doe eyes slowly wandering over your facial features while is mouth was lightly curled into a smile. Yours was slightly tilted towards him, reciprocating his gaze right before a familiar voice made both of your heads turn.

"Hey, you guys wanna head outside for a stretch?", Steve's pretty lean figure had appeared in front of your seats, he stood on one of the lower steps of the staircase leading out of the back door.

Again, Eddie turned his head to check on you. Because if you would rather stay in your seat, so would he.

You cracked a smile at Steve who was just now followed by Nancy, Robin and Dustin, all of them awaiting his exit in the aisle.

"Sounds good", you replied, while your friends hopped out of the vehicle into the warm Indiana sun which was, thankfully, still more than visible in the blue sky.

It was warmer outside than on the parking lot this morning, which made you decide leave any additional jacket or hoodie inside the bus. You weren't the type to get cold easily anyway. Following an energetically bouncing Eddie down the stairs, you both made your way over towards where Steve, Robin, Nancy and Dustin were gathered.

Not long after, you had the Byers brothers standing among you as well.

"Anyone going for a wee?", Robin asked in her blatant straight-forward no filter fashion you celebrated her for. It made you smile. "We still have six minutes and I've been holding it since we left the parking lot."

"Yeah I'll come", Nancy replied to her, before they wandered off towards the building together and left you among the group of boys who wouldn't have minded just stepping out into the bushes along the fence of the road house.

Steve was the only one who seemed to take the going outside for a stretch literal, because right now his entire figure was bent in half as he leaned forward to let his arms dangle towards the ground while he tried his best to keep his legs straight.

And Dustin's observant facial expression, which was slowly turning into a grin told you that he was desperately fighting the urge to playfully slap Steve's ass.

I mean, fair.

Eddie also had seemed to notice and it took him only a mere few seconds to decide on executing Dustin's obvious thoughts.

"Hey man, stop that!"

Steve snapped back up and let his fist hit Eddie's shoulder with a laugh.

"Just giving you what you don't seem to get anywhere else these days, big boy."

It left both Steve and Dustin speechless. Witty comebacks? Not existent in their brains.

You blurted out a laugh, since you knew that Eddie's remark was true. As one of Steve's best friends, you just knew.

The metalhead grinned widely, threw his arm around your shoulders and pulled you close enough for you to hear his low voice, while moving the both of you back towards the bus.

"Come on darling, napping always makes me hungry."

Yeah. His love language was touch.

-----

"Alright everyone, get back into your seats, we're leaving!"

Ms Kelley's voice echoed through the microphone she picked up from the driver's booth while standing in the very front of the bus, trying to get everyone's attention.

Unlike the middle school kids further in the front, you and Eddie had already settled back in long ago.

The vehicle started moving again.

"Is there anything besides being around children of course, that you're particularly looking forward to this week?", the metalhead asked with a genuinely curious tone.

"Oh please, there's nothing I enjoy more than having screaming kids around me, I thought you knew that about me already."

You pretended to think really hard for a few seconds and let out a chuckle, before you continued.

"No, but I get to spend time with you guys. Outside of school, outside of Hawkins. And I love lakes and being in nature. The fresh air, the cool water, I prefer that over any hotel room in any city, if I'm hone– ... Eddie, what are you d–"

While you were speaking, the boy next to you found it to be the perfect time to lean forward and try to reach for the snack bag you had carefully placed between your feet.

"Keep talking sweetheart, I'm listening." He had turned his head towards you, unable to hide another one of those big grins that you secretly adored on him. So much.

You couldn't necessarily see his movements, but you sure as hell could feel them. His right hand kept brushing and his fingers kept tapping against your jean covered calves and shins and ankles, pretending to be on the search for a certain bag, but the more time it took him to actually get it, the more it dawned on you that he was doing this very much on purpose.

What a fucking menace.

And by the way, where were his snacks?

"Eddie, just fucking grab it", you said with a laugh, letting him know you were well aware of the little game he was playing.

"Hm, it's quite nice down here to be honest. Could get used to it."

You just rolled your eyes at him with a smile, let your head hit the rest behind it and turned your head towards the window, while you felt the bag being pulled away from inbetween your feet.

In the corner of your eye you watched him peek into and rummage through it. He was sticking out his tongue, like he always did when he was trying to focus. You'd seen him do it too when he would be working on writing campaigns for Hellfire during lunch break in the cafeteria.

"Like what you see?", you asked him, without breaking contact with the headrest. You didn't dare to turn your head either.

Four hours had passed since you left the high school parking lot in Hawkins, and you don't think you ever spent that long with Eddie. Certainly not in this close proximity.

There was some form of tension building between you two. And you couldn't quite place it. He was his usual charming self, yeah sure, but there was an additional something to it.

"Yeah, I do."

If you would have turned your head, you would have noticed the fact that his eyes weren't taking in the selection of your snacks anymore.

You would have certainly placed his entire demeanor in a new context if you would have paid attention to the way the tone of his voice changed to something more soft and warm, saying those three words.

You turned your head towards him. And you were way too far down the road of overthinking for you to catch the spark in the dark brown of his eyes and the way the corner of his mouth slightly curled up.

As if he actually liked liked you.

But you still smiled back at him.

"Go ahead then pretty boy, all yours."

And maybe you also weren't referring to snacks anymore. But you didn't expect Eddie to catch that.

What you did notice though was him catching your compliments. The way heat was visibly rising to his cheeks.

Eddie Munson had never received a lot of them. Sadly so, due to the fact that he was known as the freak of the town. Being a nerd with a bunch of tattoos, always involved in some kind of trouble, hotwiring cars, dealing drugs and of course the town's favourite classic: worshipping satan. When in fact, he was just trying to be a good friend, going out of his way to make the people dearest to him feel good (and maybe not using the most legal methods ever while doing so), and just heavily enjoying things he found really cool. He was always just being himself.

You had to admit to yourself that you were more than curious to see and explore the effects of your compliments on him. Because you were sure that if you just kept dropping them, they would eventually help him feel better about himself. And you knew from conversations with your friends that he did need that. And most of all, deserved it.

Soft baby cow personality, yeah.

For more general coziness on a ten hour bus ride, you had taken off your shoes right after the first break. You slightly turned your back towards the window and pulled your legs up to let them rest on the little barrier in front of both your seats.

And just after that, you were handed the snack bag by the boy next to you.

Before you knew it, he grabbed both of your legs a little above your ankles (with his really warm hands, like, really warm hands) and pulled them over his thighs. It made your breath hitch in your throat.

Then he took back the snacks. Between his torso and your legs.

"Gotta set the table then, right?", Eddie flatly said with a smirk, while pulling out a box of crackers. It made you snort.

Why did he have to be like this? And why did you like him so much for it?

You ended up sharing half of the contents of your snack bag with Eddie. Seated like this, one of his hands fumbling in whatever plastic bag or cardboard box of snack he could find, holding them out to you when he noticed you going empty on your last grab, his other resting on one of your shins, while his thumb kept rubbing slow, small circles into the flesh through your jeans.

The warmth of his hand felt like fire.

Eventually you had to keep him from munching through the remainders too, reminding him that you still had at least half of the journey ahead of you.

He had pouted at you all cute, and you had felt your cheeks heat up at him dropping another pet name at you while protesting.

You seemed to keep pushing the right buttons for him to be all sweet with you. And yeah, of course you couldn't deny that you enjoyed his attention.

During your time munching away, you both even came to learn new things about each other.

There were conversations about your families, milestones of your lives, hopes and dreams that some you surprisingly seemed to be sharing, similarities in your outlooks on life, Eddie's slightly questionable moral compass when it came to illegal activities, and your shared love and passion for music.

Pretty much everything he told you was confirming or adding to your already existent image of him.

After a content sigh, Eddie suddenly made attempts to get up into the aisle (he was kind enough to softly place your legs on his seat first though) and reached up into the luggage compartment. He was searching for his own bag of stuff that you were surprised he hadn't forgotten on his bed in the morning.

And yes. Your eyes just had to travel over the stretch of his Hellfire shirt down over his torso, all the way to where a sliver of pale skin revealed itself to you and the light trail of dark hair disappeared into the waistband of his black jeans, which was tied to his hips with his iconic handcuff belt. And it was giving you ideas.

It was pretty much the first time you saw any other part of his skin other than his forearms, even though you'd known him for like, half a year now. There just hadn't been any moments yet where this situation could have happened.

You were so lost in thoughts about Eddie Munson's happy trail that you missed him catching you. Looking. In fact, you seemed to keep your eyes glued to his belly until his voice snapped you out of it.

The growing smirk on his face you saw next was as prominent as your awareness of your own feelings towards him. Just now in this moment you started to realise that if you kept this up, if you kept letting him in, there would probably be no escape. No escape from tripping over the edge and falling into the endless void of pining after him, probably forever.

Ever since you had first met him at one of Steve's infamous parties, it had been crystal clear to you that you were going to have a thing for him.

The way his wild mane had accentuated his beautiful face with his round dark brown eyes and the plushness of his lips in the warm light of Harrington's living room, his smell, a mix of cigarettes, bergamot, cheap cologne and something you couldn't make out but was so distinctly Eddie, the omnipresent leather jacket and Dio jeans vest, tattoos you'd spotted on his forearms, his entire rough metalhead aura that you always found to be so captivating.

"You know that as your designated seat partner, it underlies my absolute obligation to not only eat all your snacks you brought just for me of course, but in return to also make you listen to the best songs in the world.", Eddie explained to you with raised eyebrows, wide eyes and an equally wide grin after he had seated himself again and gestured for you to put your legs back on his thighs.

And who were you to say no to that?

He waved a self made mixtape under your nose. It made you chuckle.

You prided yourself on being a music nerd, so the fact that he was willing to share his music with you was definitely one of the most meaningful things he could have chosen to do with you at this point.

"Oh, how gracious of you, Munson, considering it was you who kept a seat for me", you smiled while taking out your headphones and walkman, which was so technically advanced that it had two plugs for two pairs of headphones. How convenient.

He let out a small, low chuckle while nudging your shoulder with his own.

You held out the second plug of the walkman out in his direction, and he didn't waste the opportunity to place his hand above yours which was holding out the device, to give it more support while his other hand connected the cable of his own.

And just when you were about to press play for the first song to fill your ears, Ms Kelley's microphone filtered voice filled them instead.

"We're going to have lunch break now, everyone! Please be back here in thirty minutes, yes?"

-----

tagged: my dear @josephfakingquinn and @ghost-proofbaby

[wyattjohnston]

Can I request “so, you must be the infamous [ name ] .” with Nico Hischier? Maybe she’s friends with a teammate who always talks about her to him as an attempt to play matchmaker for them?

“So, you must be the infamous Blue,” Nico says causing you to roll your eyes. Its been a long, long time since your hair was blue and yet the nickname didn’t seem to be fading.

Nico didn’t even know you when you had blue hair was the strangest thing, it’s something he absolutely picked up from Jack and Luke.

“I suppose you’re Nico,” you say, as if there was any doubting that. Watching Jack’s games over the years meant that you had become well acquainted with him. The fact that you hadn’t met him yet was very weird.

“That’s what they tell me.”

You laugh at the underlying arrogance in his words. Everything you’ve ever been told about him is that he’s humble but you know that no matter how humble he’s said to be, he does hang out with Jack.

You don’t hate it.

There is no denying that he’s attractive, that you’ve been wanting to meet him in person for quite awhile just so that you could know what it’s like to see him in person. The way he’s looking at you leads you to believe he feels the same way.

“Everything Jack’s told you about me is a lie,” you tell Nico. “You can believe anything that came out of Luke’s mouth.”

“His crush on you definitely hasn’t embellished anything, right?”

“I’m exactly as perfect as he thinks I am.”

Nico’s smirk is intoxicating. “I can’t wait to find out for myself.”

[princess-of-purple-prose]

HIII writing prompt “monster” and 7? 💕

Giggling the teensiest bit, I love you <3 No, really, I love you, because 7 was, amusingly, the wildcard number, so randomly picking landed me on TIM STOKER, and I don’t think I’ve ever written in his pov before but this CONSUMED ME?? I haven’t written this much in one go in weeks, forget this fast?? This also, uh, turned into full-out jontim, which was a complete accident because this was SUPPOSED to be a meditation on him mid-Research era. Aha. Enjoy!!!!

“—and that,” Jon declares, “is why it’s so vital to continue establishing Hope Spots, not just in spots ripe for ecotourism, but across the world.” He takes what must be his first breath in ten full minutes, and it’s only then that he seems to register Tim and Sasha’s twin gleeful expressions. His own expression goes a little funny. “Tim, Sasha, please tell me you weren’t—”

Sasha is already stabbing at her phone, fumbling a little before she actually hits the right button. “Twelve minutes and forty-six seconds! A new record!”

“The man’s a monster!” Tim toasts Jon with a whoop, and Jon—there’s really no other word for it: he fully pouts at Tim, wrinkling his nose so primly it makes Tim want to bear-hug him right then and there. He sublimates the urge by being even more over-the-top, trying to see if he can make Jon’s nose scrunch up even more. “Attenborough who! I want all my documentaries voiced by this man!” Opposite him, Sasha dissolves into tiny giggles, sweet and delicate as a spray of mayflowers.

“Sasha missed the ‘stop’ button about five times, you can’t call that—” Jon snorts, but his cheeks have turned the rich cherry of his desk back at Research, so he can’t be that mad about their subpar timekeeping of his latest incredibly disorganized, incredibly endearing overview of the last documentary he watched.

“Jonnnnnn, take the win!” Tim cries, and he gives in and slings an arm around Jon’s shoulder like it belongs there. God, the man’s teeny, they need to make sure he gets some carbs in him. On that note— “Take some chips, too, you’re built like a bird!”

“And you’re built like,” Jon grumps, “a—a—” He scowls and takes a chip, presumably only to cover the fact that he’s too drunk to come up with a simile. Contrary little bastard, he is. “Get off me, you arse.”

Tim makes a complaining sound even as he immediately pulls away—only for Jon to jolt and then practically butt up into Tim’s hovering arm, far more housecat than bird. Tim freezes, not putting any pressure against Jon even though they’re skin-to-cardigan again.

“Jon…?”

Oh, there it is, there’s that wrinkled nose. Tim loses his breath, a little bit. “I didn’t mean it,” Jon says, scowling even harder than he’d been before and refusing to look Tim’s way. “It’s—It’s cold in here, alright?”

As a matter of fact, it is a comfortable degree of stifling in here, and Jon is in a cardigan that’s more than enough to ward off the mild autumnal chill and drunk besides. Jon seems well aware of this, or maybe not aware at all, because as Tim settles tentatively against him again, he grabs for his long-forgotten glass and downs the rest of it. Tim gives Sasha a wide-eyed look, only for her—traitor! Disloyal turncoat!— to smirk back, propping her chin up with a hand and arching her perfect eyebrows at him.

“Oh, shut up,” he snips, cheeks warming, just as Jon sets down his now-empty glass. Jon turns to him curiously, having entirely missed the exchange, and Tim turns his brightest beam on him and coos, “Not you, you’re a delight and I’m glad you’re sitting next to me and not”—he aims another scowl her way, and Sasha sticks her tongue out at him—“Sasha over there, because she gives me a hard enough time without you there to egg her on worse.”

Sasha smirks harder. Tim wishes he could kick her under the table without Jon noticing.

“I’m perfectly capable of siding with her even while sitting practically on top of you,” Jon sniffs, drier than anyone should be capable of being with that quantity of liquor in them, and Tim gapes in outrage even as delight fills him up to the tips of his ears to match Jon’s still-red cheeks.

“That’s what I like to hear, Jon!” Sasha cheers, raising her own empty glass to him. Jon quirks a wicked little grin and does the same.

Tim emits a high-pitched squawk of disbelief. “With friends like you, who needs enemies?” He sags dramatically against Jon, relishing in his little grumble of annoyance as he gets crushed. “What’s a guy to do?”

“Buy us more drinks?” Sasha suggests innocently to the tune of Jon’s sniggering, and Tim groans theatrically even as he flags down the waiter for another round. Monsters, the both of them! he laments to himself. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

[bookwormonastring]

i am so excited

[presiding]

What is your favourite thing about Billie Lurk?

(Answers are obvious possibly but i love when people talk about her👍)

thanks for the ask!! YEAH ME TOO I love when people talk about Billie! I can't say I have a favourite thing specifically, but I can explain why she's my fav. apologies for not taking this qn literally, but -

short answer: she’s really cool

& you can stop reading there, or, for the maybe 2 mutuals who might have time to read this my thoughts on her as a character, her meta, and her character as raw potential...

long answer:

i considered making this entire thing a gush so you could read a gush about Billie. but, part of what draws me to her is that she’s not always well written, and in fandom she’s underrated for a literal protagonist.

since you ask...

billie is a cool character

when I played Dh2 (hadn't played Dh1), I was excited to see a black woman with disabilities who was captaining a massive ship by herself. wow.

then I discovered Billie’s backstory with Deirdre, the way she responded to that, then having to survive while living on the run, and her bisexuality. as well as her history with daud & delilah. fascinating!

she’s an outsider who has so much to lose, and knows what it's like to lose everything - having lost everything not once but three times - but nevertheless speaks truth to power. she's so brave! she went and helped Emily & Corvo and she must have known they might kill her! plus, she’s smart, she’s funny, she gets shit done, she’s gorgeous.

but... the meta

mild critique of fandom & arkane incoming.

skip this bit if you want - you've been warned twice now - jump to tired Hayao Miyazaki and read from there if you'd like my thoughts on writing her.

i thought Death of the Outsider was going to be amazing and then... well. *sad trombone* i've written about that before so i won't keep banging on. i figured others must be disappointed too, so I joined a few fandom spaces in hopes of finding camaraderie.

most people with complaints about DotO didn’t like how the Outsider and Daud were handled. which is valid & I agree. but it seemed like most paid no attention to Billie; when people talk about her it’s with respect to Daud, as opposed to in her own right. you could argue for fandom misogyny because people don’t talk about adult Emily Kaldwin that much either, but in Billie's case, it’s misogynoir (compare & contrast with the popularity of thomas, particularly the popularity of thomas portrayed as a white man for no particular reason that i've been able to discern - i keep asking around, is it in the books???).

i think this is a LOT better now than it used to be, which is fantastic. or perhaps i have found the correct echo-chamber? ha.

ultimately, The Fandom is a fraction of the entire picture, and not even the important bit since The Fandom is not who these games are made for. you can't make money relying on only your hardcore fans even if all of them spent a fortune on merch, this is true for any AAA game.

while it's true that Billie is underrated from a fandom perspective - but Billie as an underwritten protagonist is squarely Arkane’s fault.

it was reasonable when she was a side character - the lack of info in Dh2 makes perfect sense (if anything there was more lore in Dh2 which is kind of wild)-

- but as a protagonist in Death of the Outsider?

.... there’s lousy writing, and there’s whatever is going on with Billie Lurk, a black woman who mostly exists as a foil or saviour for light-skinned characters. In her own game there’s barely any of her own lore except where it's relevant to saving two dudes.

lore hints at, but barely touches on what race means in the Dh universe (xenophobia is stronger in Dh1; separate essay i guess), but Arkane has patted themselves on the back for portraying non-white characters, which feels like the same thing as the aesthetic of diversity we're seeing in advertising currently because it’s in marketing trend guides. it's self-congratulatory and it's a missed opportunity for deeper storytelling.

you can see an example of diversity at its most shallow in the way that Billie’s written: there’s little engagement with her as an entire person with history & wants & preferences, and the world she walks through in that game feels like it has nothing to do with her. you could make a case for alienation as a theme, but then, how do you handle the titular premise of 'Dishonored' without ever letting Billie make changes in an environment without a chaos system? it's disappointing from that angle too.

in my opinion, whatever it's worth, it was an accident Arkane created such an awesome character - they needed someone to betray daud. congrats billie.

all this said, it makes her an underdog as far as characters to enjoy & create art & stories for. it's nice to find so many like-minded, switched on people! <3

billie's character potential

she’s got a wealth of unexplored lore, being deeply intertwined with both Karnaca & Dunwall’s fates & criminal underbellies, as well as her connections to the witches & whalers, and three Empresses.

she’s lived a few distinct lifetimes and in the games we get to meet her at two peaks (KoD & DotO) & a low (Dh2 as Meagan).

her voice is very distinct, her dry & often dark humour is entertaining & fun to write. her perspective is really interesting - she’s had the widest variety of void-powers of anyone canonically, and she’s also lived through the highest highs and lowest lows.

she's got everything going for her :) i couldn't really pick a fav thing!

[japanifornication]

oh man oh man. im always fond of phoenix w a praise kink and just. overwhelmed by love. miles fucking into him while whispering sweet nothings until he’s shaking from his orgasm after orgasm. make this slut cry from being loved and fucked! that one fic you wrote, “late night” was RIGHT up my alley and i swear i go back to it often

rubbing at the bags he can feel setting in beneath his eyes, phoenix has never been more tired in his life. not when he stayed up all night studying to get through law school. not the time he didn't sleep for three days a week before the bar and had to be forced to rest by mia. not when she was murdered, not even when he spent a night in city jail accused of that very murder.

the clop of two pairs of sandals patter into the distance as he watches maya, holding onto pearl's hand like a lifeline, head for their train under the flickering lights of the station. as they board, any remaining energy phoenix had escapes him and he sags back against the wall he's been leaning against, arms crossing over his chest as a sigh slips out of him.

it's hard to watch them go when they've only just got maya back, but with morgan headed to prison, they have a lot of things to sort out back in kurain, like packing up belongings and figuring out where they'll stay when they're there for training.

"it's getting quite late, wright."

he'd almost been falling asleep where he stood and the voice startles him, making him stand up straight and snap to attention. for a few minutes, he'd almost forgotten edgeworth was there. it's easy to forget, when it's quiet—he was dead for an entire year, after all.

"yeah. sorry to keep you waiting. you didn't have to do this, you know." phoenix says it automatically, like it's an obligation, even though he's not quite sure he is sorry after what the prosecutor did.

"i'm aware," is all edgeworth says, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear and then just briefly gripping at his elbow.

it's almost funny. when phoenix first met the man again on the other side of the courtroom last year, he looked like hell barely warmed over. edgeworth was the one with dark circles around the eyes, a permanent scowl affixed to his face. now, he looks oddly tranquil, if just a bit fatigued, and phoenix is the one who feels like garbage. things can change a lot in a year.

he clears his throat. "well. i won't keep you here any longer. let's get back to the car." he lets edgeworth lead the way back to his car—new since phoenix last saw it during state v. skye—and climbs back into the passenger seat, rattling off his address. it's a wonder he can even remember it in his current state.

it only gets darker as they head back through the city and by the time they make it to phoenix's apartment it's well into the night, not a hint of sun left in the sky. the car idles in the parking lot. neither make a move to leave or encourage the other to do so.

"so are you back living here?" phoenix finally gathers the strength to say. he means is he back residing within l.a. but the way it comes out almost sounds like he's asking if edgeworth is really, truly back from the dead and not just a spirit. "in l.a. i mean, not here obviously," he clarifies, as though there were any confusion whether or not edgeworth lived with phoenix. haha, very funny.

there's a slight squeak of leather as the man's hand shifts on the steering wheel, uncomfortable but not angry. "ah, i've only been back for a few days. i'm in a hotel, currently, but yes, i intend to find a new apartment."

"gotcha," phoenix says with an absent nod, chewing the inside of his mouth. "hey, um. i'm sorry about what i said, about… about you staying dead."

"wright, don't," edgeworth scoffs. "it's too late to take back words we've regretted, if anyone knows that it's me. don't waste your breath."

an exasperated laugh bursts out of the defense attorney. "okay great, because i'm not actually sorry."

edgeworth huffs at that with a slight shake of his head.

"but… do you want to come in for a beer or something? because this has been the longest day of my life and i'm sure even underneath that perfectly logical, stoic exterior, you can agree it's been exhausting." phoenix raises an eyebrow.

"a beer? tch." edgeworth's lip curls in distaste at the idea.

"what, not a beer drinker? i don't keep much in the way of wine or anything but i might have some whiskey," he offers instead.

edgeworth tilts his head, considering the offer with a slow blink. "i'm not sure you can afford my tastes, wright, but i'm intrigued." he unbuckles his seatbelt, indicating he's taken phoenix up on it.

"great." phoenix climbs out of the car and leads the way into his apartment building. he lives on the second floor, and they take the stairs up. it's faster, and he's not going to ask the man to take an elevator. it might have been a year, but he hasn't forgotten everything.

"sorry about the mess," he apologizes as he unlocks his front door. the last few days have been so long—he's been sleeping in his office and almost forgot about how much of a disaster his apartment is. he haphazardly tries to clean up before edgeworth can take in too much of the surroundings, scooping up dishes to bring to the kitchen and stuffing trash in the bin and kicking dirty laundry out of the way.

edgeworth is busy removing his shoes at the door and he manages to get the place looking a little less gross by the time he's done, then stops to take off his own shoes and jacket. he heads into the kitchen to see what he's got as far as alcohol, searching through his cabinets until he finds the bottle of whiskey he promised.

"how do you take it?" he asks.

"neat," comes the reply, edgeworth having followed him into the kitchen. he waits as phoenix pours them each a glass, then takes the bottle himself to inspect it. his eyebrows go up. "perhaps you've come into some fortune in my absence."

staring down into his rocks glass, phoenix tries to give a smile. it comes off weak. "if only. i inherited mia's liquor collection. went through most of it between you choosing death and now, if i'm honest."

adjusting his glass on the counter, edgeworth frowns down into his own drink. "ah. i see. ms. fey had good tastes, then?"

"i think she was gifted a lot of it, i'm honestly not sure." he lifts his glass to his lips, taking a deep swig. it burns on the way down. "sometimes i wonder… if i even knew her that well. if i'm doing any of this right. if she'd be proud of me. after a case like today, i'm not so sure."

"you saved her sister," edgeworth points out, palming his own glass and drinking from it absently. "i imagine that would mean a fair amount to her."

"yeah, i guess so. but i almost pinned a murder on an innocent woman. just feel like i should have figured out it was engarde a lot sooner, you know?" phoenix stands up straight, the tension awkward, and downs the rest of his glass in one go so he can pour himself another.

"i can see your point, though i believe you’re being a bit harsh on yourself. anyone under those circumstances would have struggled. i certainly fared no better, and i wasn’t the one whose loved ones were being held hostage for the majority of that case.” the words are mumbled thoughtfully over the rim of his glass before he takes another drink.

“why are you being so nice to me?”

his question obviously catches edgeworth by surprise, and the man finishes his whiskey before answering. “after hearing you be so honest about what you thought of my absence… i suppose it feels like obligation.”

the thought of any more drinks is immediately abandoned, because in the next moment, phoenix is grabbing edgeworth by that stupid cravat and pulling him close and smashing his mouth against his.

there’s a noise of protest, an initial objection, from edgeworth that seems to be more out of shock than anything, and then edgeworth’s arms are around his waist, crushing him close; he’s kissing phoenix back and he tastes like the whiskey they’ve been drinking and mint—toothpaste? breathmints? something else?—and phoenix sighs almost angrily against his mouth, furious he could have had this so much sooner if not for everything that had happened.

except that then edgeworth stops kissing him, to ask “wright, should i be doing this? surely you’re not drunk after a drink and a half.”

“i’m sober. kiss me, you son of a bitch.”

“it’s a bit rude to speak so poorly of the dead, you know,” he huffs in jest.

“good thing you’re not really dead.” phoenix’s hands fist in his hair as he tugs him back in for another kiss, and it’s all tongue and teeth and desperation, wanton for more.

before either of them knows what has happened, they’re standing in phoenix’s bedroom next to his bed. neither of them is particularly good at kissing and it doesn’t matter, because they’re kissing like it’s the last thing they’ll ever do and it’s driving phoenix insane.

unfortunately, edgeworth seems reluctant to do anything more than that. phoenix keeps trying to move things along—attempting to kiss down his throat, to bite him, to grab at his ass or unbutton his waistcoat—and edgeworth keeps grabbing at his wrists, moving them back to more appropriate places, kissing him like he wants to savor it rather than do anything else.

“just fuck me already,” phoenix finally groans, drinking in the way edgeworth laughs in response. when was the last time he even heard him laugh? not just a condescending chuckle from the other side of the courtroom, but actually laugh like he does now? when they were nine?

his back hits the bed as edgeworth shoves him away roughly. “fine. i’ll give you what it is you’re so desperate for.” he watches as the prosecutor tugs open his nightstand to survey the contents, and apparently finds what he expected to, retrieving the box of condoms from within and setting it atop the surface. “but i’m not doing this without some sort of safe word in place. it’s clear you’re not in a state to be taken at your word.”

“stoplight system,” phoenix replies, without hesitation.

that earns him a raised eyebrow, and for a moment it seems like he might be rejected, but eventually, edgeworth shrugs a shoulder and nods. “i’m familiar. that’s acceptable, can i trust you to actually use it?”

“funny of you to be asking me about trust right now.”

“wright.” there’s an obvious warning tone in his voice. “yeah. yes, i will use it correctly. green means go, red means stop, don’t stop unless i actually say that.”

there’s a hunger underlining edgeworth’s voice when he next speaks that makes all of phoenix’s skin prickle with desire. “alright. get on with it, then. tell me what you want.”

“god, thank you,” phoenix breathes. he sits up and grabs edgeworth by his belt, yanking him forward so he can undo it. “just want you to hold me down, make me take it.”

edgeworth blows out a long breath, but phoenix doesn’t look up, single-minded in his task now as he moves to unbutton the man’s slacks. the zip comes undone with relative ease, but the prosecutor’s shirt is long and held down by stays, partially blocking access to what he wants. it’s dark, and he’s a little drunk, and undoing the smaller buttons here is a bit harder, so he fumbles around with them as he talks. “you know. give it to me hard, don’t hold back, no matter what i say.”

edgeworth sheds his jacket and waistcoat and works his cravat free, discarding them on the side of phoenix’s bed before loosening the buttons of his shirt sleeves to roll them up. like this, phoenix can see the light hair that peppers his arms, usually hidden by clothes or distance across the courtroom or the fact that he thought the man was dead for a year. “is that how you normally prefer it?”

opting not to answer that, phoenix finishes unbuttoning the bottom of edgeworth’s shirt, giving him access to his boxer-briefs beneath. his fingers hook into the waistband and stretch it away from his skin, freeing the arousal steadily growing within and shoving them down as far as he can with the stays still hooked around his thighs.

he leans forward, gently cupping edgeworth's cock in one hand as he trails his lips down the side of it. the skin is so soft under his touch, but he doesn't get even a second to enjoy it; immediately, there's a hand in his hair, forcing his head back and away. he grimaces, baring his incisors but flooding with heat at the simple movement.

"someone's a bit overeager," edgeworth admonishes.

"yeah, well, when you've spent a year fantasizing about something you're positive you'll never get…" he steals a glance up at edgeworth's face, his chest starting to heave even though they haven't even started yet.

the man clenches his jaw, like the reminder hurts, but he feigns it away with a roll of his eyes. it doesn't fool phoenix, but he doesn't call it out. again, phoenix is pushed back to the bed like it's effortless, and edgeworth moves back to the nightstand to retrieve a condom from the box.

phoenix takes the opportunity to undo his own belt and slacks, shimmying them down along with his boxers around his hips. his thighs and hair are already slick with moisture, his dick swollen and begging to be touched.

he doesn't want to bother with the effort of fully undressing, so instead he rolls over while edgeworth applies the condom, ending up bent over the edge of his bed, ready and waiting.

he hears edgeworth spit into his hand, stroke it along his length then feels that hand on him for a brief, thrilling second, but he's already sopping wet, so it's unnecessary.

phoenix scrambles up the bed a little further but before he can really get anywhere, there’s a strong hand on his hip as the body behind him thrusts forward against him. with that one, swift movement, edgeworth is inside him, and he cries out, writhing against the sheets and trying not to just melt into uselessness.

a hand comes down against his shoulder, holding him down just like he'd asked for, but edgeworth leans in close and the other snakes over his mouth, preventing him from further cries as each snap of his hips makes phoenix want to scream. "is this what you wanted?" the man breathes hot and low in his ear.

he can only nod desperately, tears catching in his lashes as that cock rams into his g-spot and makes him quiver.

edgeworth doesn't stop. each thrust comes unbelievably hard, a loud slap of skin echoing through the room, but there's a pause between each one, and phoenix is grateful for that because otherwise he doesn't know how he would breathe. beads of sweat are already forming on the back of his neck, rolling down under the collar of his shirt. he quiets down, just panting against edgeworth’s palm, tasting the salt of his flesh, pushing back into each stroke and closing his eyes to bask in the feeling of him, to know it’s edgeworth pinning him down and spearing him open.

he's slick and needy and hasn't been so close to satisfied in what feels like forever.

he rocks his hips forward instinctively, trying to get friction on his own dick against the bed, but failing. edgeworth huffs out a condescending laugh in his ear. "not enough still? what are you, wright, a dog? must you hump something just to get off?"

phoenix whines at the suggestion but nods again against edgeworth's hand.

"yes?" he sounds mildly surprised, but not put-off. "alright." he straightens for a minute, pulling phoenix up so he can slide a folded pillow between the man's legs—phoenix's head is spinning and he lets himself be maneuvered bonelessly—before pushing him back down into the position they'd been in.

"are you sure this is how you want it, though, wright?" he asks in his ear again as they return to that pace of steady slams. "I'm happy to fuck you as hard as you'd like, but i had something a little different in mind." he slows down further, the thrusts turning into a sensual grind, no longer ramming into him with each one.

a sob leaks out of phoenix and he ruts against the pillow, mumbling against edgeworth's hand. his mouth is freed so he can speak. "please," he gasps. "tell me you're here to stay. that you won't leave again."

an anguished sound chokes out of the prosecutor. "i am not going anywhere, phoenix," he says after a moment of hesitation. there’s an edge to his voice, hurt but on the verge of something almost tender, and phoenix easily needs more.

"just need to feel it. need you to show me you're not going anywhere," phoenix begs. “just prove it to me, fuck me like you mean it.”

"oh, darling, i'm not leaving you." the term of endearment seems to slip out of edgeworth like it’s an accident, but he doesn’t take it back, and it feels like it stabs right through phoenix’s back and pins him to the mattress as much as the man himself is doing physically. edgeworth's hands reposition themselves to the bed on each side of his shoulders for more leverage and his cock grinds deeper into phoenix, forcing a strangled moan out of him. "i'm here to stay, and i'll prove it to you just like this whenever you'd like. that's it, open up for me, i want to hear you."

phoenix doesn't try to hold back his sounds anymore, more moans and whimpers and sobs escaping him in escalating volume as edgeworth fucks him and as he humps against the pillow. edgeworth has picked up the pace again, strokes coming faster, and phoenix's brain is dissolving into a puddle.

"harder, please," he whines.

"i'll give you harder, darling, but i want you to come first. you're doing so well," edgeworth murmurs, leaning down to kiss the top of his ear. "i know you can do it. it feels good, doesn't it? to grind on your pillow? be a good boy and come for me, phoenix."

a harsher sob is ripped from his chest. his hips roll against it more desperately even as edgeworth doesn't stop pounding into him. "i'm so close," he whispers shakily.

"i know," edgeworth reassures, lowering himself to further press into phoenix, more grinding into him again which just forces him more into the pillow. "does this help? if i drive you into it?"

"yes, yes, oh, miles…"

"come for me, phoenix, then i'll give you that hard, unrelenting fuck you want, to prove i'm not going anywhere. come on. come for me."

and phoenix does, rocking forward against the pillow one last time and causing his orgasm to explode through him. he clenches around miles and his cock twitches with each pulse and miles is still rolling his hips, forcing him into the pillow, and he can't come down, and he's fully crying.

"good boy," he hears from edgeworth, and the praise is music he never imagined he'd hear. "are you ready for more?"

he hasn't even stopped coming yet, he's not ready for more, but god does he want it anyway. "no," he offers unhelpfully.

"no? color, wright."

"green," phoenix spits, a string of saliva connecting his mouth to the bed where he was accidentally drooling against his comforter.

"good, so let me ask again. are you ready for more?"

having no intention of changing his answer, phoenix repeats himself. "no. it's too much."

he can almost hear the smirk in edgeworth's voice, and is glad they're both on the same page. "and you think i have any intention of stopping simply because it’s too much? how quaint. you can handle more."

another hard slam of his hips has phoenix shaking, pressing his face back into the softness of his comforter to muffle a yelp, but as quickly as it was given, it’s taken away as edgeworth pulls out.

“roll over, wright. i want to see the moment you break,” he’s commanded, and phoenix doesn’t make any rush of moving to do so. edgeworth grabs his shoulder and pulls, rolling him over anyway. hands grab his slacks and yank, and phoenix kicks to at least help get them off, along with his boxers.

arms hook under his knees and in an instant edgeworth is back inside him, making phoenix’s back arch against the mattress. the pillow is still under him, but now it's providing support, and edgeworth is still hitting all the right spots, and he blearily opens his eyes to find the man looking down at him.

the way edgeworth looks at him is almost reverent, quicksilver eyes soft but dilated with pleasure, hair disheveled and hanging in his face, sweat beading on his forehead. it's different from how phoenix imagined it might be, when he thought he was dead. then, he hadn't known this edgeworth so desperately trying to redeem himself. he'd only known the angry, spiteful one, full of loathing for everyone and everything, especially himself and especially phoenix. he'd thought his eyes would be hardened, creased between the eyebrows, a permanent scowl fixed upon his face. he can see a slight divot between his eyebrows, but it looks more in concentration, and there's no scowl.

"miles," he breathes, just a whisper on his breath. he's struggling to even catch it with the force he's being fucked with, knocking the air out of his lungs, but he gulps down another breath and tries again. "m-miles. take off the condom."

a dry laugh huffs out of edgeworth and he hesitates. "are you delusional?"

"i promise it's safe. please…" he's crying again and he hates that he's crying again but he can't stop the tears from leaking down his cheeks. "please. i need you to prove you're not going anywhere. need you to fill me up and make me yours."

again, edgeworth blows out an affected breath, this time much more obviously struggling with the decision. "you're sure?"

"yes, i'm giving you the green light, please, god," he pleads.

"fuck, phoenix." in an instant, he pulls out again, looking down as he uses one hand to attempt to take off the condom. it takes a minute to get it off, but eventually he does, and it gets tossed in the trash beneath the nightstand before the man drives back into phoenix's hot cunt, filling him now with no barrier between them.

there's no way to prevent the flood of tears now, no longer just a trickle but practically a waterfall. he pushes edgeworth's arms away from under his knees to adjust, instead hooking his legs around the man's waist like he can draw him in deeper if he tries hard enough, like he can just pull edgeworth into his body and keep him there forever.

for edgeworth's part, at least, he grips a hand under phoenix's thigh and with a slight grunt helps shift them up onto the bed properly, and then they're chest-to-chest and the prosecutor is kissing down his jawline, tongue delving out to lick up the salt of his tears and god, phoenix is so overwhelmed.

"how long have you been dreaming about this, wright?" that deep, sultry voice mumbles right against his ear.

phoenix answers honestly, and he's not just crying from the overwhelming amount of pleasure anymore. now he's ugly crying, and it's embarrassing, and his hands find the front of edgeworth's shirt and twist in it, holding on to it like a lifeline. "a long time but—but i thought you were dead," he chokes out. he can feel alarm crackle through edgeworth like ice underfoot, but it's too late, they've already plunged through. "i th-thought you were fucking dead, that i'd missed my chance—"

his words are muffled by a kiss, one that's just as desperate and hungry as phoenix feels. he half-sobs, half-moans into it, clumsily attempting to reciprocate as best he can.

"i know. i'm so sorry, phoenix," edgeworth hisses against his mouth when they part for air. his movements have slowed, this thrusts languid but striking deep, and phoenix just encourages him, heels pressing against his ass with each inward stroke. "shh, you're alright. i'm not going anywhere." the words sound like a promise.

another pathetic mewl bleeds out of phoenix, energy sapped from him at the apology. his legs fall from around edgeworth's hips, coming to rest on the bed, because he can't hold them up anymore, and it just spreads him wider, lets the man fuck him deeper. he sniffles and presses his face into edgeworth's shoulder to hide his tear-strewn face.

"there you go, darling. relax. i'll give you what you need. you're being so good for me." edgeworth's breathing is labored and phoenix can feel sweat through the man's shirt.

his hands let go of the front to wrap around his back, crush him closer. it's too slow, too intimate, it's not what he asked for or wanted, but somehow it is what he needed.

the rhythm of edgeworth's thrusts start to falter and suddenly there's a hand on phoenix's jaw, turning his face towards his. "look at me."

phoenix does. the expression on edgeworth's face is so hard to read, but it seems almost close to adoration, or maybe obsession, and a shiver runs down phoenix's spine.

"i'm here, phoenix. because of you."

those six words are phoenix's undoing. his hands claw for purchase against edgeworth's back, fingertips catching in the folds of his shirt as his whole body tenses, pleasure slamming into him like a fucking freight train and forcing an orgasm out of him unlike any other. he feels edgeworth jolt against him and knows the man is coming too, leaving that tangible evidence that he's here, he's alive, he's alive he's alive he's alive, i'm alive.

for the first time since prosecutor miles edgeworth chose death, phoenix wright feels alive.

spent and exhausted, phoenix can't even complain when edgeworth collapses atop him. instead, he hugs him close, albeit weakly, eyes falling shut and just cradling the man against him, reluctant to let him pull out or leave just yet.

when they finally do part god knows how long later, no words are exchanged. edgeworth painstakingly withdraws from inside phoenix with a grimace, then helps him clean up in silence. he doesn't say anything as he removes the rest of his clothing, leaving phoenix to extract the implications from that action himself and disrobe as well, tossing the rest of his clothes to the floor.

they climb back into bed and phoenix finds himself hesitating to get closer until edgeworth draws him in himself, an arm sliding around him possessively.

before phoenix can drift off, he clears his throat and asks hoarsely, "should we… talk about what just happened?"

edgeworth dismisses it with a half-hearted shrug. "if you'd like. in the morning, perhaps?"

fear grips phoenix immediately and he swallows, looking up at the man. "will you still be here? in the morning?"

a long, tired sigh hisses out of edgeworth's chest. "i may have nightmares still, and may not be in bed when you awake. but yes. i will be here, in the morning."

"you promise?"

edgeworth searches his face for understanding. he doesn't seem the type to promise things, and perhaps that's why the response is delayed, but after a long moment, he nods slowly. "i promise."

phoenix buries his face against his chest, and in a few minutes, he's asleep.

[anthromimicry]

hellooo, everyone! i hope all of y'all are having a good day so far... because i am here to once again lore dump on all of you all, which i apologize in advance for. but to expand more on that part in my doc where i wrote that one of misao's weaknesses is that she has an addictive personality, i mean that she is a 'love junkie' so-to-speak — and when i say that, i mean that she is very much an adrenaline seeker and/or actively seeks out adventure, which translates into her having this ongoing search for the dopamine rush that comes with starting a new relationship with someone. and whenever the original infatuation misao sometimes feels towards other people 'fades' ( since she has a fear of getting too close to someone and then having them abandon her... she often times will not allow herself to actually consider the possibility of getting into a deeper, more intimate relationship with someone, and stays stuck being in this phase where she's in love with this person in question but not in LOVE love with them if you catch my drift ) , for lack of better words, thing's go on to crash and burn because there wasn't enough of an emotional connection between them to keep the relationship they have going.

then misao is likely to just go look elsewhere for a new 'crush' or infatuation afterward; when, confronting herself as to why she is afraid of commitment and why she keeps on finding herself running from a relationship whenever she starts feeling even a bit 'too comfortable' around them, would probably be the best thing for her in reality. however... misao isn't really in a good place mentally in her current arc, so i feel as if it'll take a while for her to even acknowledge that this is indeed kind of a concerning behavior of hers. but i also meant that she has an ' addictive personality ' in other ways as well. like, i'm not going to lie, misao does overspend and could probably be considered as a ' shopaholic. ' and this behavior could have some linkage to her past seeing as she didn't have a lot as a child; not to say that anyone is at fault for that, of course. i just feel like misao feels this subconscious need to want to get things she likes the second she sees them now because she has the necessary resources to get them now ( which would be money, in this case ) when she didn't have them before. and the fact that buying something gives her this sense of instant gratification doesn't really help her case if i'm being honest. so, you could also definitely say that misao has a bit of trouble with controlling her impulses as well.

and speaking of impulses, there was also a time where misao very much overindulged in alcohol, particularly when she was still in japan + traveling with the japanese pirates that i had talked about a bit in one of my previous posts. this couldn't just be attributed to how abundant it was on the ship though; it also served as an unhealthy coping mechanism for her after her mother died and misao felt both like she was going nowhere in life + like she could go anywhere she wanted at the same time. the best way i could describe why misao felt like this was because she had never had that amount of freedom before in her life and that was quite the intimidating as well as somewhat harrowing thing to her to have to deal with. because although she might've felt alone before, misao did have her little half-brother with her and her mother, as well. but now she was running off with a bunch of pirates that she didn't know and although that part of her that craves adventure was very much satiated by this; pirates can honestly be very terrifying people.

though, once she had fallen in love with reika, thing's had certainly changed for her in a way. however... it couldn't erase that underlying emptiness that she felt in her heart at the time that was making her ask herself questions like ' why are you doing this? shouldn't you be doing something else, like taking care of ryu, for example? ' but misao kind of got swept away in all of the freedom she felt in the end ( which, she admittedly felt a bit selfish for ) , i think, and so these thoughts just started getting buried in the back of her mind. especially when they were coupled with alcohol. killing also provides her with a thrill, but she knows she has to be more careful now with when / where she does it. so that has kind of discouraged her from using it as an outlet in which she can seek her adrenaline rushes through... but yeah. i hoped y'all liked this little drabble of mine, though i know that it was actually super long and not actually ' little ' at all LOLLL.

[sokkas-therapist]

The visuals for the new atla live action trailer looked so good, SO GOOD, but every time I hear something new about the behind-the-scenes stuff and the way the charecters will be portrayed I need to be SEDATEDDDDD

ASJJSAKBXJAKXBZBAJAJCJSJIAIAAAAAAHHHHHH WHAT IS GOING ONNNNNN

AAAHHHH

I CAN NOT DO THIS TONIGHT.

[aropride]

my shirt that says "i don't have an eating disorder" has people asking a lot of questions already answered by my shirt

[sunset-mp4]

ART TRADE FROM THE NINE COMMUNITY SERVER this character belongs @echooefrost ::D she was really fun to draw ::>

[holylottie]

Rough fingers

Today, I learned that my mom is dying.

Personally, it isn't news, I've been a witness of my mother's mortality ever since I was six years old. She knew sickness before she even met me, and now I'm afraid the disease will be by her side for longer than I.

The doctors don't even know what it is, so there's no treatment, just thousands of pills to ease the pain. My house always felt more like a pharmacy than a home.

The doctors don't know that it is but I do: it's unfair.

It's being eight years old watching your mother shaking; it's being thirteen feelling her faint in your arms; it's being a fifteen years old staying at home to watch your younger siblings; it's being sixteen going through everything alone because your mother already has too much to bare; it's being seventeen years old willing away her tears while learning how to interpret exams results.

It's a lifetime of waiting — and waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting — for the worst.

I want her to see me graduate, I don't want to be the one who makes the other hair.

Please Gods, let my mom be strong enough to make a braid.

[let-me-call-myself-olga]

Why I don't like the self-proclaimed-SHSL-Hope trope that Danganronpa has going on[SPOILERS]:

Something that Danganronpa does and that genuinely annoys me is the trope where someone from the killing game takes the role of SHSL Hope as a way of self-love[Naegi Makoto for THH, Komaeda Nagito for GD and K1-B0 for KH], so I decided to make a commentary on my dislike of it.

The main reason why I generally don't like it is because of the route it takes when it comes to the motive behind:

The problem that these characters have in common is their lack of self-worth that ultimately leads them into taking leadership as a form of giving themselves any kind of value.

It all started with Makoto that, unlike his counterparts, is given the suggestion of becoming SHSL Hope by Kirigiri Kyoko as she believes the reason why he came to Hope's Peak is to put an end to the SHSL Despair. The decision of taking on the title has it's roots from his first title of SHSL Luck which he was given after winning the lottery. His negative view of himself further develops as he finds himself 'surpassed' by his classmates as well as 'guilty of their deaths' [the Danganronpa 3 anime verifies this statement in the despair arc]. The true reason why he takes the title of SHSL Hope is to prove to himself that he is able to 'make up' for his classmates deaths[by taking full responsability of his class and all that happened during the killing game], rather then to bring everyone hope(which is still a motive of his, but in this case he is FORCED to show everyone hope).

In Nagito's case, the motives behind his actions are easy to point out. His self-hatred first occurs with the title of SHSL Luck[as both he and Naegi question the logic behind it, making both feel like frauds] as well as when we are presented with the fact that his life is expected to end in less than a year[stated in his FTE's]. This makes Nagito think that he is worthless and that he should be used by the others as a stepping stool, making him 'take the title' of SHSL Hope as a way of giving himself a reason to believe he is worthy of something.

With K1-B0 the lack of self-worth comes from his title of SHSL Robot, as he feels dehumanized, feeling which, unlike his counterparts[which would supress/agree with it], he tries to adress by helping the masses learn about 'robophobia'. In chapter 6 K1-B0 is willing to take on the burdens of SHSL Hope and destroy himself and the academy just so that he can feel as if he did something of worth, unlike the other chapters.

It is heart-breaking to see these characters in such a light, but I shall move forward and tell you who I think embodies the title of SHSL Hope best out of the three protagonists left: Hinata Hajime, Akamatsu Kaede, Saihara Shuichi.

In my opinion, Saihara Shuichi is the one that is able to seize the title, for I find him and Kamukura Izuru closest to a Yin-Yang relationship, their opposing tropes being united by their complementary personality types.

The reason why I think that the other two aren't able to reach the title is because of Kaede's selfish reasoning[forcing Shuichi into a promise he can't keep in a attempt to free everyone] and Hajime's intent of becoming SHSL Hope as a coping mechanism against self-hatred[same case as Makoto, Nagito and K1-B0].

After Kaede's death, Saihara takes on the role of a bledding heart hero, opposing to Kamukura's emotionless anti-hero status, in order to help everyone get out of the killing game. As Saihara tries to create the perfect path, Kamukura destroys in order to find it, Saihara's seemingly selfish act proving itself as selfless and Kamukura's seemingly selfless act proving itself as selfish. It is all a battle of Hope and Despair, a battle between a man from which everything was taken and a man to which everything was give, the one thing that Saihara is able to achieve and that Kamukura isn't being happiness.

Despite the differences, the two of them find common grounds, both being introverted men whose lives are purely controlled by the wishes of certain people close to them[Kaede and Junko]. Both are expected to take burdens too hard to carry and lead everyone to a brighter future, point from which their paths part, trying to reach for opposite ends of the spectrum untill they converge at the middle into the final answer: hope and despair have to coexist in equal amounts so that humanity can truly thrive.

In conclusion, I dislike this trope because of the fact that it doesn't evolve the characters in any way, only leaving them in a miserable light even if that isn't needed, which is proven by the(possible, but sadly not cannon) dynamic between Shuichi and Izuru.

[loadinghellsing]

ok now i wanna know more of your headcanons for vladcard. the fact that you’ve headcanoned him to be the manifestation of alucard’s human trauma makes it really interesting. especially for any ideas where alucard gets turned back into vlad through some magic fuckery

Heheheheh- so, most of my headcanons on Vladcard are based around a character analysis about Vladcard's form that I've have had in progress since… May 4th, 2022 (I keep getting side tracked by Anderson… I'm making it a goal to finish it by the end of the month, hopefully I can add a link to it later-) --- WARNING // LONG RAMBLY POST --- (link to the headcanon post we're referencing for context)

For Vladcard, I don't quite see him as the "manifestation of Alucard's human trauma"? So much as "Alucard's human form that still portrays the marks of his humanity". Visual evidence that Alucard's humanity still impacts him and holds weight over him. Thus the form reflects that. In the muscular build that portrays the built strength to wield the broad sword and the exhaustion to his eyes. His age is shown thus I see no reason his scars wouldn't show aswell.

While "Alucard" I see as more… disocitive. In the words of Anderson if you were to view Alucard as a kingdom- Vlad would be the king. While the rest of the kingdom is run by mindless ghouls that do his bidding. You take out the king? You takeout the kingdom. With Alucard being the personification of all those lives - even if he's not giving them freewill/a sense of self (like Seras with Pip), and he's remaining the sole mind as some cruel tyrant within himself. The statement still stands that all those ghouls provide a sense of distance between Vlad and the waking world. Because it is a level of distance that can make the world seem dream like. You could also compare it to a child playing with a toy army. The child is in complete control and the army acts like one being beneath that control.

And that's why I like the idea that Hellsing's seals don't reach Vlad… Because Vlad is Alucard's core/heart with human vulnerability, shame, and weakness in a way Alucard doesn't know how to cope with. A wound, perhaps old and scared over, but a wound none the less. It's one Alucard doesn't comfortably show for it’s the truth of his weakness and the cause of his fallen humanity that he so heavily resents (humanly terms? "disociation and self loathing"). And if we are to persume Hellsing's expiriments to be inhumane and cruel as they work to break and control the monster? The sole way I am coping is the idea that they didn't reach Vlad. Because never once do they show any achnoledgment to Alucard as anything but a tool to be sharpened, controlled, and used. (I think the closest you get is Arthur referring to monsters as children screaming for death) So I like the idea that the Hellsing seals work to control the kingdom, ghouls, and dream while allowing Vlad to maintain his distancing defenses.

And ohhh~ I absolutely agree- ANYTHING portraying Alucard in his human form strikes me in the feels. It is a form that is so terribly vulnerable when separated from everything else Alucard is. Alucard is a monster, a kingdom, more comparable to a tidal wave of motion. And is by all meanings stunning and intricately marvelous-but Vlad? Vlad is a human, it's raw, it's with wounds and fears and tears. It's something genuine and present and tangible. --- Edit: Just went through and reread prior post to figure out where I was misinterpreted- ("Within Alucard, Vlad is akin to an open wound. An infected wound bleeding memories of his humanity and tales of his damnation." right?) I tend to compare Vlad to a wound in terms of being Alucard's sore spot, the human core/heart that has all the memories and sense of being damned that bleed through the rest of Alucard no matter how heavily he tries to repress it/lock it away. Becoming apparent in the tears he shed and in the way he screeches the importance of humanity

[magentagalaxies]

hi @liliana-von-k, thanks for the follow! i have answered this question before but i love talking about kids in the hall and my "origin story" with them so i'm happy to tell it again (jsyk it will be a long post bc i always have to tell the full story bc i love it so much)

basically my parents have both been kith fans since the 90s, so even before i had seen any of the show itself there were certain kith quotes that were just part of my family's vocabulary. the first sketch i watched was "these are the daves i know" when i was like 8 years old and i became obsessed with that song. i watched a few other sketches/the first few episodes from season one but i didn't truly get into kith until after their documentary "comedy punks" was released

see, my mom is a big documentary person so she was like "oh hey there's a new kids in the hall documentary! do you want to watch it?" and i just kind of shrugged and was like sure i'll be in the room while it's on, probably working on my own stuff or scrolling on my phone. but like not even five minutes in i was hooked. while i'd always enjoyed kids in the hall's comedy, something about hearing the very personal histories of how the troupe came together and survived for all these years was so affecting. i think it was scott specifically that really signaled to me that this show was something special, and the part where bruce talked about comforting scott while he had cancer by telling him how the rest of the troupe would die first was so powerful. honestly no individual movie has changed my life more than comedy punks did specifically bc it gave me that push to get into kith and approached it from such a human perspective, which definitely informed my approach to the rest of their work and them as people. i remember watching comedy punks for the first time and getting this strange feeling i couldn't pin down yet that was like this is important, not just referring to the show or the troupe, but like this feeling that i had just crossed a turning point in my life, and i remember feeling this pull towards toronto which seemed frivolous at the time but has been so heavily solidified as i'm now planning to move there in just over a year.

so i bingewatched all of the kids in the hall tv show in summer 2022, as well as brain candy, death comes to town, the amazon season, etc. basically as much kith stuff as i could find. but i needed more. so i started getting into side projects, which brought me to "mouth congress" (a queer-punk band scott thompson and paul bellini had in the early 80s that they've recently started putting out new music with again). i found a youtube channel with a bunch of recent live performance clips of the band and each video had like less than 10 views. so since i didn't have anyone to infodump about kith with irl (aside from my very patient mother lol) i started commenting on every video, complimenting the performances and pretending i was talking to a friend, confident no one would actually see it

after 2 weeks of this, turns out someone did see it. PAUL BELLINI HIMSELF. this led to a whole back-and-forth which eventually ended up with him emailing me a copy of the unreleased mouth congress documentary, i emailed back asking if he'd be interested in meeting on zoom (since i am a queer comedy writer myself so both he and scott are my biggest comedy inspirations), and yeah bellini is a delightful person to talk to and we very quickly became friends. i ended up offering to run mouth congress's social media, which can be found on both tumblr and instagram as @mouthcongress and posts both vintage videos from the 80s/90s and recent live clips. they're currently working on an album of entirely new material written in the past 2 years which is going to be released soon (we don't have a specific release date but the recording is completed and they've started filming music videos for it!! but i'm getting ahead of myself lmao)

a few months pass and mouth congress is set to perform at a new year's eve show at a local club in toronto. i'd never been to toronto before, never even left the united states, but paul says it would be so great to have me there and by some miracle my parents say yes to making the trip (they still can't believe this is happening either, since they were kith fans first!). the trip is wonderful, i immediately fall in love with the city, i get lunch with paul irl for the first time and get to have my very first face-to-face conversation with my number one comedy inspiration scott thompson. it's honestly a little awkward but in an adorable funny way. i also have my first legal drink at that show (bc canadian drinking age is lower than the us), specifically saying i want to have my first drink with buddy cole, which both scott and paul are very into

it's actually only a couple weeks until i'm in toronto again, because scott is debuting a new buddy cole show consisting of monologues that were all censored by amazon that he pitched during the revival season. this is my first time traveling a long distance without my family which my mom is anxious about so paul bellini lets me have him as my emergency contact. the show is amazing, i get to stay for the afterparty, and while i'm there i casually mention that i'm surprised no one has made a buddy cole documentary yet. like, this character has such a rich history even beyond the kids in the hall (which i can infodump about all day lmao) and is such an important staple of queer comedy that doesn't get the attention he deserves. the kith documentary is great, but where's my buddy cole documentary? paul accepts my pitch (that i didn't even realize i was pitching), passes along the idea to scott, and yeah now i'm legit directing a film with my number one comedy heroes and i haven't even graduated college yet. what the fuck. i expected this to be the type of thing i accomplish over 20 years into my career, not at twenty!! so yeah that's how the buddy cole documentary started. i'm still in preproduction on it but we're launching an indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for it in the next 2 weeks bc this has evolved into a full feature-length film with some incredible celebrity interviewees, both kith and otherwise.

anyway a few months later it's announced bruce mcculloch is bringing his one-man-show to the city i go to school in. not only that, but his theater is literally 2 blocks from campus. i ask paul if he'd give me bruce's contact so i can set up an interview for my school's newspaper, paul gives me bruce's assistant's email, and i set up a 30-minute zoom two weeks before bruce will be in town. the conversation honestly goes bizarrely well. like it's honestly surreal how close bruce and i got after only knowing each other for a half hour? he's such an easy person to talk to and literally by the end of that conversation he was already calling himself my mentor, asking about my comedy, and offering to let me meet him backstage after his show. which is exactly what i did, launching yet another incredible friendship-slash-mentorship with one of the kids in the hall.

bruce eventually signed on to executive produce the buddy cole documentary (alongside paul bellini), i've been up to toronto in january, april, june, august, and october this year (so essentially every 2 months, though it was slightly offset by going twice in january) and i'm planning on going up in december, every time not only do i find time to meet up with scott, paul, and bruce but they all deliberately try to reserve as much "jess time" as they can because i have a unique and powerful friendship with each of them, every time i finish a new creative project paul has to see it bc he loves how ambitious i am, i repeatedly wake up to texts scott sends me at 3am about the documentary and how excited he is to have me on tour with him to film it next year, bruce thinks it's hilarious he used to think i was "shy" bc i've gotten so comfortable going on infodumps and tangents about things i'm passionate about, and the three of them all feel like extended family. best of all, i actually have plans to graduate from college a semester early so that i can use the money (and time) i've saved to find a place in toronto and start making even more connections with the comedy community up there (also for the record: no i have not met mark, kevin, or dave yet. i know kevin is aware of my existence from bruce giving me a shoutout at a show they both did but that's about it. but i know i will interview all of them for my documentary)

so anyway that's how i got into kids in the hall. i know only the first 2 paragraphs answer your question, but at this point my love for this show has become so so intertwined with my relationships to bruce and scott and paul as humans that i don't really consider getting into kids in the hall and getting to know the kids in the hall as separate things in my life.

(also if you have any follow-up questions on anything mentioned feel free to reply or dm me, this goes for everyone else too!)