#idk I hope that doesn’t sound offensive or defensive or idk something lol

[pizzaqueen]

Very happy that a T rated established relationship fic with a side of skinny dipping has an audience of more than just me! Lol I don’t know why, but I was realllllly over thinking this one! And thanks for the comments and stuff so far btw! 🥰

Also, I forgot to say that the fic kind of started in my head when I was thinking of this quote from Brideshead Revisited:

“If it could only be like this always – always summer, always alone, the fruit always ripe and Aloysius in a good temper...”

And that’s basically what I wanted to capture and it was my starting point and then I decided they should go skinny dipping lol

[mchiti]

Benji fell out again with Deschamps, you can see from both body languages but especially from Benji that the news before the tournament was right, he doesn’t not interact at all with the coach usually they are very close. I’m very sad about this especially for the second big tournament after he worked so hard I cannot find a reason why he is not playing except for the falling out. but it is foolish because Kounde is not playing better and did not have a better season, I hope for next game that counts we will see Benji and not just for Poland where the result is useless. I feel the same about Konaté, Saliba also had a good season but Deschamps even says himself that there is much about his game he does not like. I feel this tournament will be much more difficult than it should be for a team such as France

Hi anon! To be honest I'm sorry to the french who likes him but deschamps seems to me as someone a bit arrogant and the type of arrogance that comes from not being exactly the most creative person and the best tactician in the room. football has developed and he's there trying his non-game where the whole defense stays stiff as it can be and there's not any build up from behind, this is ball to dembele/mbappé & inchallah. this is painful to watch ngl lol He never makes changes, like he used 2 subs in the game how? 😭 as if they were playing any good 😭 He seems like someone very set on his convictions and if he thinks Benji doesn't fit tactically in his game nobody will change that. And I don't want to think of him as vindictive because again, he could have even not called him anymore or something after whatever happened between them, but maybe also the old issues come into play idk? I see the body language of a player a bit mortified to be fair more than anything. besides the other gkps, he's the one who played less mins between these games and the friendlies which does sound bad and sucks for a player like he is. I don't know how much of it it's still personal at this point, and how much of it it's tactics? When I have a football opinion I always have to stop and ask myself "is this bias or is this genuine" bc at the end of the day we all have bias towards the players of the clubs we support. But to be honest as a matter of football I feel genuine about this: he had a stronger season than the others along saliba, he has better defensive stats than them. And he's also way more offensive as right-back btw lmao I know he plays rcb at inter and also in a back 3 and in a very different way than other 3atb systems. I feel like deschamps doesn't see him as a good fit for his way more traditional back 2 defense where upamecano is not able to pass the ball longer than 2 meters. He even said so ("he's not always in defense at inter"). Okay, fine, but he's still a better rb than kounde to me. He's more technically gifted, he can cross better (not a single kounde's cross landed on a french like???) his defensive duels are better and in build up he does know how to create spaces bc that's his job at inter. He's way more technically gifted no offence, but I guess kounde does the job for france idk ahah. Inter plays a much more different football to be fair and I really don't like anything of how France play (or doesn't play) but really deschamps bringing 25 players but then using 13 at max is so funny to me, it's like he's incapable to give chances to others. the fact one of the best players in my club only see the bench is unreal to me 😭 I hope it's nothing personal, he seems in somehow a good spirit in interviews etc.

[ryuichirou]

Out of all the snk shipping fandoms, which one do you think is the best/most wholesome? And which one is the worst/most toxic? Reminder that we’re talking about fandoms here and not ships (btw even tho I hate ereri I can’t help but love your art about it, it’s just amazing and hilarious, keep it up!)

Interesting question! As you might know, we don’t consider ourselves a part of any shipping fandom (or any fandom in general), so we can only talk about how we (and people we know) were treated by them. There won’t be much of an “inside” experience, because well we’re not “inside” any of these. And a lot of it is “people who ship X tend to shit on Ereri absolutely unprovoked at every chance they get, so we really don’t like them” lol

Obligatory and very obvious: loving a certain ship doesn’t make you a good/bad person, and there are a lot of wholesome people in any shipping fandom: we’ve met a lot of very kind, helpful and open-minded folks during these two years. So if any of you read this and think “oh, I ship X too, and this doesn’t sound like me or my friends at all”, chances are I’m not talking about you. But there’s always a possibility that peeps that you interact with in your shipping circle are pretty nice to you, but super mega shitty to others. Whether you ignore this type of behavior or not is up to you. I just want all the harassment to stop, because frankly we’re very tired.

As someone who ships Ereri, we’ve experienced and witnessed a lot lol especially on twitter. The most vocal ones would be Levihan, Eremin and Eruri fandoms I suppose.

With Eruri fandom, we’ve heard a lot of stories about some people bashing Zevi and attacking Zevi shippers + we’ve witnessed the great Eruri vs Ereri war, so of course we know how pretentious and rude they can get. There are people who felt like they were exiled from the Eruri shipping fandom for either shipping any other character with Levi or just seeing characters and their relationships differently (i.e. not seeing them as wholesome husbands or preferring Levi to bottom which is apparently a sin for Eruris too sometimes nowadays???). Although it’s important to mention that I feel like Eruri shippers know how shitty the anti stuff is better than a lot of other communities, so I don’t feel the same aggression from them at this moment.

If we’re talking twitter, based on what we and our friends have experienced, the most aggressive groups seem to be Levihan and Eremins. When I go through my blocking sprees and block everyone who hates on Ereri or Zevi or Eruri (well, mostly Ereri), ~88% of the accs happen to be either Eremin or Levihans. When someone writes a long-ass thread to attack a content creator, it always happen to be either of these two, and I have no idea why. A lot of them are also minors who act like the way they harass others is perfectly justified. I legit see stuff like “besties let’s spoil snk for ereris” and “let’s bully ereris and tell them to kys” every time I search ereri on twitter. And I’ve seen enough of Levihan folks saying shit like Eruris being criminals because Erwin is basically a nazi + spreading misinformation about popular artists just out of spite… extremely annoying stuff. Actually, I think you’re the first LH person who’s been kind to us lol

Also don’t get the idea that there are no toxic people in the Ereri community, because this simply isn’t true. Like I said, every fandom has its own clique and a certain level of toxicity, and it’s stupidly easy to be the “wrong one” here, at least it used to when we just started posting. People who’ve been following us for a while know that we used to get a lot of crap for making Levi a bottom on all of our drawings and not wanting characters to switch. It’s such a stupid reason to get harassed, who the fuck cares whether a character tops or bottoms in a drawing??? And yet we’ve been told that a lot of harassment has happened because of it + experienced it ourselves. I think the only reason we don’t get harassed for it very often nowadays is because of a luxury of being a kind of a big art account. It’s much easier to attack smaller ones who don’t have any power or connections, especially when they’re insecure and want to fit in with the fandom.

Now for some reason some people now think that we (me and Katsu) block people for loving top!Levi or bottom!Eren… this isn’t true. I admit that I can get petty when I block people, but it’s always about their attitude and never about their preferred ship or character’s position. Whether you like something or not is none of our business, and we never criticized what others like, so it’s kind of offensive that people think we’d act that way towards others when we ourselves experienced the same treatment for making Levi bottom every single time. It’s childish and disgusting, and I really don’t want people to think of us as someone who approves of this behavior.

Top!Levi stans act pretty toxic too sometimes, not only in Ereri (well Riren) community. The majority of comments about our Levi being ooc, looking like a child and being too horny and blushy we got from them, they get straight-up OFFENDED by our Levi. We’ve talked about how people are afraid to make Levi into anything but a serious and stoic manly man a lot in the past… And this is the only reason we get defensive when people ask us about top!Levi. But still, we never block anyone because of their preferences. This assumption is very... idk yikes, and more disgusting is the fact that people very easily jump to this conclusion, like... seriously? That’s what you think about us? So much for “uwu our supportive shipping fandom community”.

Shippers of het ships can get quite toxic too, especially after the finale. Some of Eremika peeps got wild, and you’ve probably seen our replies about it and that one Anon who got very upset with our reply about Eren. For some reason, when you post something het-related, there’s always going to be a person saying shit like “NAAAH HE LOVES X, NOT HER”, as if any of this matters. They are the type to whine about Eruri shippers ruining beautiful friendship between Erwin and Levi with their homo sexy stuff. They’re often disrespectful: shit in your comments, belittle other ships with comments like “well THIS is much better than X”, and overall make the experience very uncomfortable. For some reason they just can’t enjoy their darn ships without shitting on others.

Anyhow. I know this reply sounds like “everyone’s a shithead” lol, but once again: sadly, there are nasty people in almost every shipping circle, this is unavoidable. And it’s easier to mark them as “shippers of X”, because they often act like a clique or high school bullies or something. And even though there are a lot of very nice people, I tend not to associate them with any shipping community: it’s just a pleasant and cool person who we had fun communicating with, and who just happen to ship X, Y and Z.

Maybe… it’s fair to say that we dislike fandoms, but talking to people who are kind, polite and excited about the same things that we are, is always great.

Siiigh, hope I didn’t bore you to death with this reply. Thank you for giving us an opportunity to talk about this! And for enjoying my art and being open-minded :)

[introvert-celeste]

saw ya post and got an instant idea! mayhaps if ya're alright with such an idea to write: vollyball owning a flourist shop after graduating from little homeworld, with maybe some pearl x volly or whoever you like shipping volly with the most. idk this was first thing that came to my mind lol.

So. I got this prompt over a year ago and I'm sorry I haven't responded to this until now, but it's done now! As usually, I tried entirely too hard on this one. I haven't written a ship fic in a long time so it was hard to get back into the zone, but I think it turned out alright. Fic under the cut!

Volley sighed contentedly, basking in the warm, early morning sun. Years ago—millennia, centuries, or even just a few years prior—she could have never guessed that she would find herself in a place like this, a space all her own, a place where she could exist and grow.

It was a modest building in the southeastern quadrant of Little Homeworld, only a few blocks from Tulip and Bluebell’s lovely little home near the center of town. Flowering vines crept along the pale pink walls, softening the appearance of the angular, notably gemlike architecture. An overflowing garden seemed to occupy every inch of space on the small property, almost overflowing with flowers and foliage of various shapes, sizes, and colors. Perched as she was on the second-floor balcony, Volley could see the country unfold before her, sloping gently toward the ocean. It was on a quiet street off the main road, but not so quiet that it became dull. Even now, as the clock tower struck 7 in the morning, there were gems of all kinds emerging from their own lovely little homes, continuing their own journeys.

Volley took a sip of her strawberry tea, feeling silly and sentimental and incredibly grateful. She closed her eye, relishing the moment, the air sweet with the smell of strawberries and a thousand flowers.

The distinct sound of metal against metal rang out in the distance, drawing her attention to the town square. From her vantage, she saw two figures sparring in the midst of a crowd of rapt onlookers, one holding a defensive stance as launched into the most graceful, flawless offense Volley had ever seen.

Well, perhaps that wasn’t entirely true; she’d watched Pearl’s technique plenty of times in past year, ever since she moved to Little Homeworld—they were routine at this point, regular demonstrations for Bismuth’s class—and yet every time was just as exciting as the first. Even now, from so far away, she was gripped by excitement, watching Pearl’s slight figure slashing, flipping, twirling, a combination of dance and combat that was entirely new, admirable, beautiful. Volley sighed dreamily, losing herself in the movements.

And then the flurry ended as soon as it began, as Pearl leapt high into the air and slashed downwards with one final, resounding clash, met with cheers from the gathered crowd. Not for the first time, Volley felt as if she were waking from an odd spell. She spared one last look at the scene below, noticing that Pearl had removed her jacket, her lithe, pale arms glowing sunlight as she showcased the sword—likely freshly forged—to the admiring onlookers.

The heat rose to her face; she quickly looked away, unsure of what to make of these new feelings. Or perhaps she had felt this before, long ago… She shook the thought from her head before it could fully form. She had a busy afternoon ahead of her, no use dwelling on silly ideas like these. Pearl was her friend, and that wouldn’t change. Besides, why would a gem as amazing as her be interested in someone like her.

“Good morning, Volley!”

Volley yelped in surprise, nearly toppling over the edge of the balcony. After a mad scramble, trying not to upset her teacup and the multitude of plant pots crowding the narrow space, she leaned over the railing to address the familiar voice below.

“Oh Pearl!” She cried in a flustered voice. “Good morning! Isn’t it such a lovely day? Simply breathtaking! That’s what the humans say, right? Come in and I’ll be down in a sec!”

She was not one to be easily embarrassed, but there was something about Pearl’s quizzical, mildly amused smirk that caught her completely off guard. Face burning, she hurried inside her apartment, out of sight.

Perhaps it was the fact that they’d hardly spent any time together outside of Little Homeschool in ages, always busy with their own projects, and now Pearl was there outside her door. Indeed, Volley looked around the cluttered room in dismay, all sorts of gaudy oddments and clusters upon clusters of flowers in half-finished arrangements lining every available surface. It was a hobby that was quickly—but not unpleasantly—consuming her idle hours, a hobby she was particularly proud of. Looking at the mess with fresh eyes, however, all she could feel was shame; she knew that Pearl wouldn’t approve.

“There’s no time,” she sighed helplessly, picking her way through the clutter.

There was one thing amid the mess that she was particularly excited to show her, even in her dismay. Gently, she scooped up a small, finished bouquet she’d completed in the early hours of the morning. It was when she felt the most inspired, or perhaps it was the only time of the day when she was particularly pensive. She’d been thinking quite a lot lately, more than she was comfortable with. Clutching the bouquet close to her chest, quelling her rising nerves, she made her way downstairs.

As her reputation as a top-notch gardener and florist spread throughout the colony, the downstairs room quickly transformed into a shop of sorts. An impressive array of arrangements sat clustered around the room, as well as a multitude of potted flowers and succulents too delicate for the outdoor elements. Gems and humans alike were free to stop by and take what they like in return for the little trinkets she so enjoyed, although their enjoyment was enough payment in itself. At this moment, however, she was relieved to find that no one else had wandered in that day, only Pearl, who looked about the room in appreciation.

“Oh Volley, I am so impressed!” she exclaimed. “You’ve really made this space your own. I’m sorry I didn’t visit sooner.”

“It’s nothing much, not much more than a hobby…” Volley shyly ducked away from the compliment in polite deference. “Certainly, compared to what you’ve accomplished. I saw your performance a moment ago and it was absolutely stellar, as always.”

There was a hint of concern behind Pearl’s eyes, as she cast her a gentle smile. “While I’m flattered by the compliment,” she replied, grasping Volley’s shoulders lightly, “my success doesn’t negate yours. I mean, just look at what you’ve done in a few short months!”

Volley blushed deeply, not expecting her sudden warmth. She hid behind her gift, thrusting it between them. “Um, this is for you,” she explained in a small voice. “I-I was going to give them to you later, but…well, now you’re here, so…” she trailed off, watching as Pearl inspected the gift closely; with interest or scrutiny, she couldn’t quite tell. “Um, I thought you might like lilies and hydrangeas, and I added some…some small roses here and there. I hope that’s okay.”

Pearl gazed at her in surprise. “Of course, Volley,” she assured her, casting another fond glance at the cluster of flowers and toying with the satin ribbon. “It’s a beautiful gift. Thank you.” Sensing her unease, she continued, “is everything alight?”

Volley began to speak, but she couldn’t find the words, couldn’t even begin to describe how she felt that the moment. Was she alright? She had everything she could possibly want and a life she had never expected, not in her wildest dreams, and yet it felt as if things were far more complicated than she was prepared for. In truth, she was terrified, which was not an unusual experience in the least for gems adjusting to the new freedoms of Era 3. Of what, however, she could not say.

All she could do was stand there, regarding this gem with whom she shared such a complicated relationship. She knew, without a doubt, that Pearl resented her, or had at first. She knew that she could be frustrating, that she wasn’t incredibly smart or neat or talented. She envied, admired Pearl’s confidence, bravado, and unabashed dominance. All the Pearls who met her wanted even an inkling of what she had, and Volley was no exception. She regarded her creation in Pearl’s capable hands and hated the shame the bubbled up in her, wishing beyond all else that she could boldly claim the pride she had felt of it hours ago.

“I just hope it isn’t too trivial,” she finally stated in a small voice, forcing back her shame. “I-I know it isn’t very impressive, but I’m trying to get better.” She could feel treacherous tears welling in her good eye. This was not how she had wanted this interaction to go at all.

Just then, she felt Pearl pull her into a tight, genuine hug. After a moment, Volley gave in to the embrace, burying her face into Pearl’s shoulder.

“Nonsense,” Pearl finally replied firmly. “I love everything you’ve done. I admire you, Volley.”

I love you. The thought flashed through her mind and caught in her mouth. “I admire you, too,” she revised, reluctantly pulling away from the embrace to smile at her. “I always have.”

[its-love-u-asshole]

Twelve Hours [Ch. 3]

Pairings: Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei

Summary: Kuroo Tetsurou has dealt with a lot since he was eighteen, each year bringing the same depressing challenges on the same depressing night. He expects this time to be no different, but the universe is trying desperately to prove him wrong in the most bizarre ways imaginable. So screw it, Kuroo’s only choice is to buckle in and hope he doesn’t die. Easy enough. And hey, with some new allies at his side, maybe he has a chance. Who knows? At least Kuroo is sure of one thing in life when it comes to March 15th, and he stands by this unwritten law, no matter what happens:

If you try to kill pizza delivery boys on Purge Night, you’re irrevocably a bitch.

Rating: T

Tags: Purge AU, mentions of violence but nothing graphic or too bad, no character deaths here okay, this is borderline crack and idk what I was thinking, first meetings, other characters, shenanigans and just…a lot of fun (it seems angsty but its not)

Note: Woohoo I remembered to post this today lol. I’m excited for this chapter and the next because the plot is really starting to pick up, so I hope you all enjoy! Thanks to @emeraldwaves for reading this over!

AO3

The first thing Kuroo noticed about Tsukishima's home was the sheer number of books he had. The walls were lined with towering shelves, volumes upon volumes staring Kuroo down. Some were flimsy with unreadable spines, while others sparkled with an untouched gleam. He wondered how many of these the blond had actually read, or if maybe he could borrow a few sometime.

However, the books were pretty much the only personalized aspect of the home. No pictures on the walls, no posters, nothing but frames with generic stock photos of fancy cars placed in them. It didn't fit Tsukishima's vibe at all, and Kuroo squinted at the unfitting splashes of color as he peered around the home. He was satisfied to find a disorganized and impressive collection of DVDs though. Guess he's not a robot...

Not that Kuroo expected that.

"Your curiosity is burning holes in the wall," Tsukishima's voice floated from the kitchen, and Kuroo was greeted with a sight much too casual for such a grim day. Tsukishima sat atop the counter, despite the barstools nearby, munching on his second piece of pizza.

Kuroo laughed, sheepish at the thought of being watched. Where were his manners? His mother had raised him better...

"Sorry, but, I kinda don't get it," Kuroo said, gesturing to the second floor. By his count, the home had at least three bedrooms, probably spacious too. Hell, the living room was the size of his apartment. The kitchen shined from a fresh polishing, adorned with granite countertops and all the latest kitchen appliances.

It was a family's dream home. Anyone's dream home. So...

"You don't get why I'm here alone," Tsukishima stated, picking at a piece of burnt crust with his finely trimmed nails. Kuroo winced. There went any hopes for manners...

But they were kind of breaking a lot of rules already. Why not cut the crap?

"Uh, is the rest of your family...hiding?" Kuroo asked. And if so, why weren't you?

"I live here by myself, no one's hiding, no one's out of town. It's just me." Tsukishima took a bite of his pizza, staring resolutely at the dark wood floor.

Kuroo wondered if he should change the topic. It wasn't his business to pry, and if Tsukishima wasn't going to willingly offer up more information then--

"My parents and brother used to live here, but they moved away when the Purge started," Tsukishima said, shrugging. Noting Kuroo’s intense stare, Tsukishima squinted, debating on how many personal facts to give away. In the end, he must’ve decided he didn’t care. "I think mom and dad still live in Japan, but my brother and I don't talk to them anymore. Things...went sour."

Oh.

Kuroo didn't have anything to say to that, for fear that he'd end up word vomiting questions at the blond. He'd always been a bit of a gossip, unable to resist knowing every little thing he could. This felt calmer somehow, less urgent. His curiosity was still present, but he figured Tsukishima would give him the answers on his own.

Kuroo could play it cool, one small question at a time.

"It's a beautiful house," Kuroo told him, chuckling at the way Tsukishima frowned to himself. Or maybe not. Homes were only as good as the memories made in them. "What about your brother?"

Caught off guard by the mundane question, Tsukishima sat up, finally blessing Kuroo with a glimpse of those bewitching eyes. Much better.

Hopefully Kuroo hadn't stepped on a landmine.

"...Europe," Tsukishima answered after a beat of silence, his shoulders relaxing. Kuroo took the opportunity to cross the gap, taking a seat in one of the barstools next to where Tsukishima perched. "There's a good hospital there he likes, and his wife is there. Since he's in a wheelchair now, he needs all the peace he can get."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kuroo said, biting his tongue.

"Don't be," Tsukishima said, his smile soft, directed in the distance. "He's happy there. No more Purge, no more problems."

"Ah, I love that song!" Kuroo exclaimed, helping himself to pizza. After all, he'd risked his life to deliver it. He was entitled to a slice.

Plus, it helped to keep his mouth shut. Tsukishima rolled his eyes, but the smile didn't fade, and they ate in comfortable silence.

Kuroo kept looking around the house, his enthusiasm falling from seeing the bare walls, the lack of possessions. If Tsukishima's family no longer lived here, the rooms must've been empty too...

The poetic, nerdy side of him wanted to make some metaphor to the Purge, but he didn't have it in him. When the night was over, maybe he'd come back and help Tsukishima paint a wall or two.

Also to nag him, because wow.

"I don't care what you say, living in this huge house all alone makes you the biggest target," Kuroo said, gesturing wildly to the large space. Tsukishima's rottweilers raised their heads at the sound, before deciding they didn't care enough to rise from their beds. "How are you not dead yet?"

"I told you, I'm prepared." Tsukishima waved his hand at nothing in particular, not at all quelling Kuroo's anxiety. "Not just the dogs, or the metal detector. There's cameras, there's weapons...and other things I’m not going to disclose to a stranger. Relax. Besides, it's a wasteland out here, nothing has happened since year one."

Huh, that was interesting. But Kuroo supposed rich people would try anything once.

"Oh? What makes you think it won't happen again," Kuroo said, chewing on his second slice. He glanced around the home suspiciously, wondering where Tsukishima hid the weapons. Surely, there must be some downstairs in the event of an attack.

Tsukishima went quiet, and the silence settled in the air like lead, weighing it down. Kuroo turned back to see the blond staring at him impassively, but with eyes that screamed a thousand words. "Because the perpetrators are gone. I told you, my parents moved away, didn't I?"

It made Kuroo nearly choke from swallowing too fast, the chill of the words shocking him into newfound sorrow.

Guess avoiding landmines wasn't his forte in the end.

"I'm, I didn't mean--"

"I know, I don't mind," Tsukishima said, carrying on like nothing was wrong. Worrisome. But Kuroo knew better than to trust Tsukishima’s facade, because that was a play straight out of his own book. "It happened a long time ago. We're safe now."

Kuroo didn't know if he was referring to themselves or Tsukishima and his brother, but either way, he accepted it.

And anyways, it wasn't his turn to ask a question now.

"No offense, but I never expected you to be delivering pizzas on Purge night," Tsukishima said a minute later, not sorry at all. "You were top of the class. At the start, anyways. I expected you to be a lawyer or an accountant. Although, your hair kinda ruins the image."

Oh, so you've got jokes now.

Kuroo poked Tsukishima's thigh enough to make him jump. Little shit. "Hey, this hair is a winner. And I've got time. I'm trying to make a little extra money is all."

He didn't go into his crippling doubts and unrealized dreams, or the fact that the year in question was the last time he'd been top of the class ever, but the blond didn’t have to know that.

"You must be desperate then," Tsukishima said with a smug smile, though it was ruined by the red stain of pizza sauce. It was less desperation and more...something Kuroo wouldn't think about, mostly because he wasn't 100% sure.

"Says the one who would try to fend off an attack by themselves," Kuroo shot back. "Well, and with the boys over there."

The rottweilers 'boofed' at the attention, but otherwise, they stayed put. At least they'd probably defend their master to the end.

"You don't know anything about how I purge." Tsukishima hopped off the counter, disposing of his trash in one of the bins. Kuroo followed suit, but didn't take his eyes off the blond. The subject was...a dicey one, but...

"You purge?"

Just the inquiry itself made Kuroo sick. He wanted to like Tsukishima, already did, but...Kuroo hated the Purge, hated anyone who thought it was okay. It brought nothing but strife and death, and he didn't care if people were working out excess energy or desires, they were part of the issue. Kuroo never purged willingly unless it was self-defense.

He watched Tsukishima as he walked over to one of the shitty car paintings, his nose scrunching up at the gaudy orange color. Yeah, same.

"Once, only once," Tsukishima said after an eternity. His voice was barely audible despite the emptiness of the home, but Kuroo was determined to hear every word. "I don't...I didn't want to. I wouldn't do it again."

Tsukishima turned away, facing the wall, but Kuroo could hear the guilt, saw how his shoulders tensed up. The relief was back, along with the new need to comfort the blond in any way, shape, or form.

"The first year?" Kuroo asked, assuming. After all...if that was when his parents...yeah.

Tsukishima shook his head. "Year two."

And well, Kuroo could tell the conversation was over after that.

--

They ended up watching Jeopardy reruns, and for the first time in a while, Kuroo felt smart.

"I don't understand how you possibly know this much about chemistry and math formulas," Tsukishima said, digging a spoon into a tub of ice cream. Kuroo noticed the other hadn't stopped eating the whole time he'd been there. Maybe it was a nervous tick...a Purge ritual, in his own way.

But yeah, Kuroo was kicking ass.

"Guess my brain remembers more than I thought," he said triumphantly. "You smashed the romantic literature category too, so I had to fight back."

Now all the books made so much sense...

"Also," Kuroo began, eyeing Tsukishima with fake suspicion. "Should I be concerned about how well you answered the 'you call that a knife' category?"

And he at last managed to get a full, genuine laugh out of Tsukishima. Much better than the gunshots and explosions outside.

"I told you, I'm prepared," Tsukishima said with a hum, scooping at the last bite of cookie dough ice cream. Kuroo followed the way his lips pressed against the spoon, suddenly craving the sweetness himself.

A few seconds passed however, and Tsukishima's neutral frown had returned, bleak as ever. It didn't matter what they did, Kuroo could tell the guilt from earlier had remained in Tsukishima's mind, as well as the reminder that it was the worst night of the year. Kuroo may not have known anything about Tsukishima’s own experience with it, but he wanted to help.

Even if it meant bringing up things he wanted to forget.

Ironically enough, the new category on screen was 'live long.'

Ha. He could dream.

"You know, it's okay if you've hurt people," Kuroo said. "I think we all have. Don't get me wrong, I hate the Purge, but sometimes you can't avoid it."

He let the words sit in the air, hoping they didn't anger Tsukishima. Kuroo wasn't trying to baby him or anything, it was how he truly felt about the situation. It pissed him off, but it wasn't totally useless advice.

This might've been too much for two strangers. We're not exactly strangers though, right?

Kuroo didn't want to be.

A few seconds later, he heard Tsukishima exhale, as if he hadn't breathed in hours. "I know. I don't regret what I did. More that I had to do it at all."

Yeah, if that wasn't a mood. Kuroo could've done so much more with his life if he'd just been free of this stupid holiday. It forced him into corners and boxes, ones he'd rather not inhabit. He understood. Regardless, he couldn't shake the intensity of Tsukishima's secret, if it could be called that...

So, he did what he did best. He asked.

"What did you do? If you don't mind me asking," Kuroo said, voice dropping to a whisper. Oof, alright, coulda done that better. It made him sound like he would cut and run at any moment.

Sensing their master's tension, Tsukishima's dogs hopped onto the couch, nuzzling them both. Kuroo needed to look into a therapy dog himself. Tsukishima smiled as he massaged one of the dogs’ heads, mulling over his answer while Kuroo tried to remember how to breathe.

"Nothing like murder, sorry to disappoint you," Tsukishima revealed. Disappoint? That's the biggest relief in the world. The air blew out of him, and Tsukishima snorted, but fuck it, Kuroo didn't have time to be embarrassed.

"I robbed someone. Someones. And it was a lot of money," Tsukishima said. "My brother needed surgery, I needed a way to get away from mom and dad. Back then, it made sense. Now I'm not sure, but it's done."

It was like he’d read it from a book or something, emotion detached, but Kuroo figured that was another form of coping. Tsukishima glared at the television, burying his face in the nearest pillow. He huddled in on himself, the sign of reservation and hesitance. Not used to sharing then huh...

Kuroo guessed he was the same. No one really talked about the Purge. The last time he'd brought it up had been.... he couldn't remember.

Wow.

Sighing to himself, Kuroo smiled, because there didn't seem to be a proper expression for such a feeling. But Tsukishima, who didn't give off the most open of vibes, had opened up to him. So, he was happy. As happy as he could be.

"Thank you," Kuroo said, smile growing at the sudden shock on Tsukishima's face. The blond turned so fast it had probably hurt his neck. "For telling me I mean! I don't think you should feel bad though, at least you did it for the right reasons. That's more than most can say."

Seriously...

Not that most others would care. Kuroo allowed himself to indulge in the small fantasy he'd created in Tsukishima's home though. That it was a normal, quiet night, and they were just hanging out. The weight of his weapons blurred the illusion a bit, but it would have to do.

Tsukishima stared at him, eyes glimmering, until he slowly nodded and turned away.

Kuroo watched the reflection of the bright blue Jeopardy screen bounce off the contours of Tsukishima's face as he sat, the cogs in his mind clearly working.

Tsukishima never seemed to stop thinking. Kuroo knew firsthand how it was as much a curse as a blessing.

But eventually, Tsukishima must've reached a conclusion. And oh, what a conclusion it was.

"You're kind of a disaster," the blond said a moment later, and Kuroo laughed so loud it concerned him. If a murderer had been in the house, they'd have been found in no time.

Well then. Here I was, trying to be nice....

"Oh? Never heard it said that easily before," Kuroo said, in between breathless gasps. "I was only trying to help."

"I wasn't finished," Tsukishima said, but his smirk told Kuroo the pause had been deliberate. Bringing his legs down from his chest, Tsukishima turned towards Kuroo, inviting, and Kuroo mirrored him. "You're a disaster, but..."

Kuroo arched a brow, intrigued by the light blush on Tsukishima's face that the television's glow couldn't hide.

Tsukishima sighed. "I guess, I wish I had talked to you sooner."

It took a moment for Kuroo to understand, but when he did, he felt the guilt creep up again. This time he wouldn't forget Tsukishima.

Yeah, me too.

And with any luck, he'd leave a good impression.

Smiling at each other, the moment seemed too perfect. Like some missing piece, Kuroo had at last reconnected with someone he didn't know he'd lost track of. It stumped him, but he felt like pieces remained missing, like he'd overlooked some things. They both had.

They could figure it out another time. For now, Kuroo wanted to sit in this moment, and pretend he didn't ever have to leave.

But, such was wishful thinking.

A crash rattled the whole house, breaking the moment like glass, and the alarms in his head began to sound like war sirens. Tsukishima reacted instantly, no time for shock. They were off the couch just like that, and Tsukishima's dogs were peeling off in the direction of the crash.

It didn't take much organization after that. There was no time for any other thought except survival. He exchanged a look with Tsukishima, and the blond nodded, wasting no time in pulling up the floorboards below them.

Oh, so that's where he hid them. Clever.

He'd admire later.

He took the machete handed to him, his mind racing with escape routes and strategies. He wondered what the best course of action was, if people could be waiting outside, how fast they could get to his car, everything.

Tsukishima's choice of weapon managed to break him out of his Terminator Mode™ because what the fuck is that?

"Is that a fucking flamethrower? That's not an authorized weapon," Kuroo sputtered, earning him a scathing glare as Tsukishima picked up the heavy artillery with ease.

Tsukishima paused, giving Kuroo a look that was equal parts hot and infuriating. "What are you a boy scout now? If I'm trying not to die, I'm going to use whatever the fuck I want."

"That violates so many laws."

"This whole night violates laws, like my right to living," Tsukishima said, standing up and marching in the direction of the crash, no signs of escaping. And uh....yeah, Kuroo couldn't argue with that. He followed Tsukishima, watching his back, and despite the tension he could hear the blond's irritated mumbling.

"The first night in over four years...coming into my damn house...it's the shittiest house on the block..."

If Kuroo had not been in full battle mode, he might've found it cute, but they had more pressing matters.

Like the huge hole where one of Tsukishima's bay windows used to be.

"Oh shit," Kuroo said, his footsteps slowing as they entered the room. He moved to face the hallway, in the event someone had already snuck in, which was more than likely considering the new entrance. The window, which had taken up a good half of the wall, had been obliterated, leaving chunks of glass littered around the hardwood, and on the grass outside. From where they stood, Kuroo could see the rest of the cul-de-sac, leaving them completely exposed. Fuck.

Okay, so he took back what he’d said about the flamethrower.

"That was bullet proof glass...how," Tsukishima mumbled, eyeing the shards on the floor with disbelief. It was then they both noticed the tire marks leading into the home, the black streaks staining the floor.

Not car proof though.

The fact someone was crazy enough to ram the side of the house with a car made Kuroo all the more worried. They were committed. Kuroo didn't dare walk outside to see if a car was there though, he wasn't that stupid.

The room had been barren aside from some dusty boxes, the remnants of what used to be a formal family dining room.

As if reading Kuroo's mind, Tsukishima huffed humorlessly. "At least this room's not important."

"We should get to my car," Kuroo whispered, and Tsukishima thankfully agreed. As equipped as they were, a fight wasn't preferred. Regardless of if no one had gotten inside, now anyone could. There were nine hours left in the Purge, and Kuroo didn't want to tempt fate.

"Let's go," Tsukishima said, forgoing any shoes as the reality of their situation set in.

If only they'd left right away.

"Wait," Tsukishima said, eyes darting down the hallway. "Where are my dogs?"

They both froze, listening for any barks or the patter of paws on wood. Nothing. In fact, with horror, they both realized they hadn’t heard anything in several minutes.

Silence meant death on a night like tonight.

Oh no.

"Don't worry," a voice said, coming from the direction of the garage just around the corner. And in that brief second, Kuroo knew they'd lost. He caught Tsukishima’s frustrated expression as the blond closed his eyes, cursing their foolishness.

"I took care of them for you," the voice continued, and Tsukishima stepped in front of Kuroo with trembling shoulders. Not from fear, but pure, limitless anger.

He may have hated this house, but goddammit, it was still his house. The notion became crystal clear to Kuroo, given how Tsukishima was prepared to take the first shot.

The garage door opened, and they both tightened their holds on the weapons. They were exposed from three angles now. The garage, the front of the house, and the side. Kuroo only hoped no one had snuck into the living room. The garage, and his car along with it, were now non-options. It would take a miracle now, or in less naive terms, it would probably take Tsukishima's damn flamethrower.

Kuroo definitely took back what he said earlier.

Either way, his chances of making it out alive now were slim, but hey? The night hadn't been as awful as he would've thought.

If anything, Kuroo was glad Tsukishima didn't have to face this alone, that he'd decided to stay.

He needed more time to come to terms with the rest of his regrets, but he wasn't given that luxury, because the next thing he knew, a group of masked men flooded the hallway, guns armed and ready.

[nancydfan]

I feel like the lies Mia and Chris told Ethan are on completely different levels because they affected Ethan very differently which makes forgiving one person easier than the other. Like with Mia in RE7, as we’ve stated before we don’t know her reasoning for joining and staying with The Connections. But no matter what honestly Mia payed for being in that organization and lying to Ethan. She was in hell for 3. Whole. Years. at the Baker house. Chances are it would’ve been for eternity and tbh Mia seemed to accept that punishment for herself. Like she already suffered for her lies so I mean I think we can forgive her on that. While yes she did play a part in Eveline (idk if it was just escorting her or if she was more directly involved), but it was her companion’s fault (I think his name was Adam?? Idk) for letting Eveline escape. And when Mia confirms this during her flashback and she sounds angry at Adam for doing so. So while yes she played a small part in what happened to the Bakers the blame rests more on Adam since he let her escape. And Ethan’s involvement wasn’t her fault, it was Eveline who brought her there. At the end of the day Mia payed for her involvement and seems sorry for her actions, and for me personally I find it easier to forgive someone when they regret what they’ve done and try to make it right. That’s why I forgive Mia for lying to Ethan the first time. And in RE8 I forgive Mia for lying again because like honestly that must have been hard to realize your husband was infected. And how was she to know that Ethan would have remained fine after she told him?? Like we’ve said Ethan is the first of his kind and Mia probably thought the key to him staying himself was his ignorance. And yes I agree Mia should have told him, but I understand completely why she felt she had to keep it a secret. While yes Ethan probably would have been frustrated that Mia kept something from him again he would have quickly empathized with her and forgiven her. And I forgive her too because dang I am not jealous of being in her shoes when she found out about Ethan.

Chris’ case is completely different. He belittles Ethan the whole game and makes it seem ridiculous that Ethan would want to be involved in getting Rose back even though that’s his family out there?? And they’re literally in this situation because of Chris’ actions at the beginning of the game?? For me Chris felt more egotistic and hubristic because like you said he just doubles down on his actions even though they were clearly wrong. After Chris “killed” Miranda at the beginning he should have given Ethan a quick explanation, even if it was just “that’s not your wife and we need to get rose and you out of here because you’re in danger.” Would Ethan have believed it? Maybe, who knows. But Chris didn’t. He made Ethan think his wife was dead and that Chris and his team were against Ethan when in reality they were all on the same team and should have been working together. The only time Chris is apologetic is when Ethan dies and honestly it should not have taken Ethan’s death to snap Chris out of his mindset that he was right. We don’t even see Chris apologize to Ethan or Mia. And I remember people got mad at Mia for freaking out at Chris when he rescues her and I’m just like?? Imagine being held captive for who knows how long and suddenly the man who promised to keep your family safe is like “hey your husband’s dead and your kid’s gone :(“ like?? Anyone would freak out and be upset? Am I saying that she was right to yell at him no (though I probably would have too lol) but like she’s been through hell again excuse her for having her nerves be a little fried. I also saw someone else say “Chris wasn’t the one who cut Ethan’s daughter up and tried to kill him on multiple accounts throughout the game he was just trying to help!!” And it’s like?? Yes he was trying to help but in the worst way possible?? It’s like saying “no offense” and then saying something hurtful. Just because you said “no offense” doesn’t make it any less offense and just because Chris was trying to help doesn’t excuse his actions. Chris’ lie put Ethan in emotional/mental distress because he thought he just saw his wife brutally murdered AND put him in physical distress since it was his call to escort Ethan and Rose which allowed them to fall into the hands of Miranda.

I kind of put Chris’ and Mia’s behavior as “Capcom wrote them shitty because they wanted to do a whole “Mia’s alive” plot twist and wanted to make the game ✨spicy✨by making it seem Chris was the bad guy”. But whenever I say that people are still like “No Chris did nothing wrong!!” Or “Well you forgive Mia so obviously you’re a hypocrite” and you know I feel like you can’t even compare Mia’s actions to Chris’ because like I said Chris’ actions hurt and put Ethan’s life more in danger than Mia’s did. Yes I can see how Mia’s lie in RE7 put his life in danger but her keeping Ethan’s condition from him in RE8 did not risk his life. And I already said it wasn’t Mia who forced Ethan to come it was Eveline. Plus people forget it was ETHAN’S choice to enter the house. He could have called the police but he didn’t because he loved Mia so much he himself wanted to make sure she was okay. Sorry for getting ranty im just tired of people saying we’re hypocrites when they don’t see they’re doing the same thing themselves.

Thanks for being patient with me! I love getting asks from y’all even tho I’m a little slow sometimes. Aha 😆

I def agree with the differences. Ive been replaying RE7 while I just watched my friend play re8 so the two games are fairly fresh in my mind. Ethan walks into RE7 on his terms and in re8 he’s essentially kidnapped. That’s such a great point and I really hadn’t thought of it. He’s brought into hell differently and I think that is important to recognize.

Mia tried to keep Ethan away from Dulvey and it failed. She didn’t have time to explain and her msg never got through anyway. It wouldn’t have happened if Alan hadn’t messed up with eveline. And Mia absolutely paid severely for it for three years. She killed a person and harmed her husband with scars he’ll always carry. We don’t even know what she suffered with but it was three long years. She’s terrified when Ethan finds her so I’m sure the imagination can cover that further. I’m sure it was hell.

And like you mentioned, it’s Eveline that invites Ethan there, not Mia. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t indirectly have something to do with this. But when shit hits the fan, she owns it which means a lot to me.

I’ve said somewhere months ago I don’t care if Mias motivations were bad when she joined the connections. We’ll probably never know. But we do know Mia’s motivations with Ethan perfectly. The minute her job is gonna impact him (when eveline takes over on the boat) she levelsets. She’s honest w Ethan as much as she can be and then as much as he wants after re7. The whole mold thing just doesn’t count. Y’all really what do we expect her to say lol

As for Chris, watching his scenes again today I’m just so frustrated. I agree Capcom wanted him to be this way to draw out the Miranda Mia reveal and it was a baaaaaad decision on Cspcoms part. Especially when Chris tells him to stay away after Ethan’s taken out a couple bosses already and some minor ones. If they didn’t want the reveal till later, then don’t have Ethan and Chris talk because the first thing Chris tells him was something about being surprised he survived this long shame if you would die. And it’s like no???? This isn’t what we need to be saying rn. Ethan is a rage machine thinking you killed his wife. Maybe just be honest. Chris mentions he saw the evidence of Ethan being there so clearly the man’s doing just fine. And it’s not just my thoughts on this. The game makes it a point to highlight Chris’ mistake. I don’t know why Capcom went this route and I personally don’t like it. But it’s canonically true.

And yeah I don’t think anyone is accusing Chris of actually killing Ethan. We know he didn’t. He just didn’t help. Chris did more in re7. Its like Capcom wanted him in there and didn’t actually know what to do w him. His part was so small I couldn’t believe it was already over. Honestly the last 30 minutes of this game hurts my brain lol

I saw the Mia push Chris thing briefly cause a friend sent it to me and they had some questions about it. But I didn’t spend too long on it cause I guess I just didn’t care what was being said. I figure I didn’t like that Chris slammed his fist at the end in front of Mia when she’s the one who just lost a husband so we’re even.

You’re welcome to rant to me anytime. I hope I captured most of your ask because you made outstanding points and I really agree. Ultimately, it comes down to perspectives here and what people find more severe. One of my best friends doesn’t like Mia and she only saves her cause I’m watching. And I love her w my whole heart. I don’t think it requires defensiveness. We all intake media differently and it’s okay to have flawed characters.

[thesecondmost]

For the character development meme: 8, 11, 14, 30, 33, 41. [storyspinningspidcr]

☠️ ||meme;; accepting

PHYSICAL PRESENCE AND GESTURE. 

 8. Where and when do they seem most and least at ease? Why? How can you tell?

Most at ease is going to be alone, somewhere where it’s just him and his gun. Where the closest person is whoever is in his sights. Sebastian is least at ease whenever people are involved. Either he’s constantly tense and trying to read situations, prepare for any potential danger OR, he’s sitting in wait and hoping the situation turns dangerous. He’s either constantly on the defense or he’s waiting and hoping to be given a reason to go on the offense.

11. How are they vocally expressive? What kind of voice, accent, tones, inflections, volume, phrases and slang, and manner of speaking do they use?

 He’s got a quiet, gruff sort of voice. He sounds tired, annoyed. Higher-pitched than what you’d expect. Slurs sometimes and just squishes words together or shortens them because he’s a lazy piece of shit. Honestly, if not for some of the jargon he can use sometimes–you’d really not know he’s an educated guy. Moderately light English accent, sounds more American than anything. He doesn’t curse as much as you’d expect and, over all, doesn’t speak much beyond a few short sentences at a time.

DISPOSITION AND TEMPERAMENT.

14. What do they care deeply about? What kind of loyalties, commitments, moral codes, life philosophies, passions, callings, or spirituality and faith do they have? How do these tend to be expressed?

Moran cares deeply for himself and that’s about it. Any loyalty he holds is, at its core, loyalty to himself. He protects people who protect him and give him what he wants. He hurts people for people that put him in a position to hurt people freely. He’s got no real moral code as nothing is off-limits for him, holds no religious commitments or beliefs. His calling is pursuing his need to feel, lol. He’s what the kids call Empty ™. That requires shooting people, picking fights, and working for dangerous mastermind criminals with an attachment to the dramatics.

ACTIVITIES AND PREFERENCES.

30. What is their preferred level of activity and stimulation? How do they cope if they get either too little or too much?

Literally shooting people. Not JUST taking a life, though. It’s the hunt that really gets him, really keeps him going and stimulated. It’s the research, the stalking, the professionalism and obsessive attention to detail. Moran never gets enough of it, but business can sometimes melt too much into pleasure and things can get TEDIOUS. As far as not enough, he’s got activities he falls back on–drinking, reading, writing, starting bar fights. Etc. If no stimulation at all is available, there is no coping. He gets stir crazy, more irritable than usual and eventually just plain ole’ reckless.

THINKING AND LEARNING.

33. How do they learn about the world–what is their preferred learning style? Hands-on learning with trial and error? Research, reading, and note-taking? Observation or rote memorization? Inductive or deductive reasoning? Seeking patterns and organization? Taking things apart and putting them back together? Creative processing via discussing, writing about, or dramatizing things?

A little bit of everything? He prefers hands on after researching. He likes reading things, seeing others do them–and then doing them himself. Trial and error is a learning method he accepts but doesn’t prefer. He’s a prideful guy and it never feels good to fail. He’s the second most dangerous man in London, that’s not really a title held by someone who makes mistakes–especially when you’re also working for the most dangerous man in London.

FREE FOR ALL.

41. What associations do they bring to mind? Words or phrases, images, metaphors or motifs? Why?

It’s 6 a.m. so I hope I answer this right. Moran brings to mind things like reds, dark hues. Tigers, obvious. The Void™. That feeling you get when you hold something glass in yours hands–that little voice that reminds you how you could just drop it. Or when you stand up somewhere high, how you could just jump. Essentially, that nasty but quiet little “what-if” voice. The calm before a storm, the feeling you get when you think someone is behind you.

Why? Idk, man. My Moran’s whole concept is this dude that’s constantly seeking violence. He’s rage and aggression but is constantly fighting against this empty void and inability to express && feel things normally that really has no origin.