#if you don't build up to it how do you expect me to get invested

[burningblake]

btw the trope "they were childhood friends and now they are in love" only works for me in a fanfic (i.e. about a couple that I already got to ship via another story) and never as the beginning of an original story

[urstruly-ghst]

have you ever tried this one ?! - 3rd years

in which you remember the song 'juno' and start to perform in your bedroom. forgetting you invited someone over.

author's note: (not edited, just thoughts) i promise, im trying to churn the fics. but hehe... i got the idea from my brainrot of crowley bringing your world's music to you.

content: can be read platonic/romantic (leaning on romantic), gn! reader, suggestive (its juno positions, what did u expect ?!)

As you stay in the privacy of your own room, you remember the old playlist Crowley gave you. You roll your eyes, out the of the many ways Crowley can help... He brings you music? He stresses that "It is a good way to connect with your home! And, who knows, this is a key to get you back?"

He said that and still insists he can't find a way. However, one step closer, right? You sigh and look at the limited music that was summoned. Looking at the music choices, you laugh as you saw "Juno." You decide to chime in and remember how you performed it back in your own privacy.

"Have you ever tried this one?" You say in a very flirty tone as you strike a pose, similar to what Sabrina would do in her tour. Mortified, you saw someone at the door.

trey clover

being confident in your own privacy, you dance and be as sensual as you want. usually, you wouldn't. but hey, a bit fun never killed anyone? plus, the position you pulled was fairly tame. it was just you pushing your butt a bit more out there, which may have shown something...

you gasp as you realize trey was there, standing, mortified and red. he looked shocked as the song in the background still played. it came to the part where Sabrina declares she was "so fucking horny." you were still in that specific pose before you stood up apologizing. trey coughed and shook his head, trying to shake off the image of you being that sensual.

"the look in their eyes, oh sevens. and the way that pose with uh.." trey's thoughts grow frantic as he apologized and tried to close the door

"prefect! i'm so sorry! let me just... next time, maybe lock the door? that was.. quite the show." you can basically hear the smirk.

cater diamond

cater was vlogging on the way to the dorm and to your room. he was hearing how you sang from the hall, he was excited to catch you off guard with a video. he giggled at his plan and barged in, but as he barged in, you were posing with that flirty tone cooing out of your mouth.

he nearly dropped his phone and his mouth was agape. your pose was so perfectly tame and lewd, he couldn't help but loose some air. cater tried to cover his eyes and try to laugh it off

"dear sevens, not now. don't let my imagination do the rest!" cater begs in his mind as he tried to grab his phone and shuffle out the door.

"nice voice though, bestie! uhm... maybe learn to lock things? that wasn't really... uhm. ah! let me just edit this, don't worry i won't post it!"

leona kingscholar

leona was annoyed how he had to get out of his nap. however, your dorm was oddly very comfortable, and you invited him over. it won't hurt, right? he stalks the halls, annoyed how you didn't bother to see if he arrived.

hearing your footsteps, he heard some tunes and decided to open the door to your room. leona was about to complain when you both were caught in a stare down of a very explicit pose. you were quiet and tried to make yourself decent before

*slam* leona closed the door. he was appalled and a bit too invested in the pose you just did. his tail was swishing around and he tried to avoid the heat building up, "what a show" he thought

"if you're gonna invite me to do that, wine and dine me first, herbivore. as a prince, i expect better" he teased

vil schoenheit

vil was expecting that you'd remember his promise of pampering. as vil walked to your room, he was wondering why you haven't noticed the way he nagging. vil made sure his voice was heard.

imagine his horror when he bursts the door open and see such a vulgar display of yourself towards him, though he did have to give where credit is due. you performed well and... got the reaction you wanted.

"hmm. not bad, that did get a reaction from me. ah, i got bested once more" vil thought as you scramble to be more decent, vil's glare causing you to hurry up. but that didn't stop the song to continue playing.

"horny? potato, what are these songs? hm, but your performance... i have some strong words" vil said as he listened in, you blush and turned it off.

rook hunt

let's be honest, he was watching the whole performance. your invitation was just a signal of when he will arrive at your door. he notes each note and decided to watch the spectacular performance up close.

as rook bursts through your door, he was blushing at the fact he realized that the innuendos were becoming serious. he was shocked to see you in such a pose. but that pose!

"ah, such perfect angles. if only i could've captured this moment, what a waste!" he thinks as he tries to take in the view of your pose.

"ah! my dear prefect! what a show! and that pose, such grace and vulgarity! and what's this? you are willing to try it?" rook said with so much enthusiasm. you glare.

idia shroud

he was honestly just about to ask something but that question died when he entered the room. he was floored when all you did was something not even his idols would dare to do.

idia didn't know what to do but panic and yelp as you try to calm him down in case he'd faint (he was close to doing so). your pose was now ingrained in his mind, he can't remove how your eyes and...

"oh sevens! oh sevens! that was so?!! oh im... is it obvious?!" idia panics as he pulls down his hoodie before overheating and tripping to the door.

"stupid... you should've locked the door. now i forgot why am i even here and-" idia tried to push his hoodie and hide somewhere

malleus draconia

he was excited to see you as he heard how you were singing and performing, he found the first lyrics odd, but he was strolling with ease. malleus just wanted to check up on you, and the shock he felt when you were posing

at first, he tried to be reasonable. but as his ears cannot deceive him, and his eyes too. he was shocked and speechless and the way you were displayed. you gasp and realize you nearly flashed the strongest one among the student body.

"how do i tell my child of man the implications of their words and actions?" malleus worries as he felt the blush creep in at the awkward situation they were in. he coughed and offered some space as he stood in front of the door

"does that mean... no. but ah, i can't have such feelings just yet. what enchantment has my dear done?" malleus said embarrassed.

lilia vanrouge

lilia was like rook, he saw it from a mile away. however, unlike rook, he was willing to not barge in. lilia calmly stalked you and appeared upside by your door. however, he was shocked and nearly fell at the display.

that pose and flirty tone was enough to cause such scandals. you yelp and try to stand up as quick as you can as lilia giggled at the notion. he went down on the ground and tried to calm your frantic explanations, humming alongside the song. he found it good.

"oh! that is quite a display. hmm, do they know how scandalous they are being right now? and quite the nice melody over something so raunchy." lilia giggled as he smirked as the song played on.

"quite the scandal, dear. keep the door locked next time, fufufufu~ though, i must say, the song is quite a treat. i would love to learn it on my guitar, i can hear that guitar solo after~"

[thevoidstaredback]

It's always graveyards. Why is it always graveyards? They're creepy as hell and, well... that's it. On the bright side, the Protection Spirits watching the gates recognize him and realize the danger he's in. Well, maybe he wasn't in real danger because the Bats and Birds don't really do the whole purposefully harming civilians things, but they are scary as hell! Chasing him down like a bat straight outta hell- obviously he was gonna run! They cornered him! Maybe he'll invest in getting them lessons in how to interact with people in and out of costume?

Honestly, Nightwing, Danny expected better of you. At least Red Hood and Signal know how to treat innocents.

Here's the thing about Protection and Guardian Spirits, though. They don't like intruders. If you're running from something and you don't have time to ask permission to enter, you best say "thank you" and bring them shiny things on your next visit. If you do have time to ask permission, you ask permission. If they think you're a threat or rude, they won't let you enter whatever they're guarding.

"Thank you," Danny said as he slowed to a walk further into the graveyard, the sound of the gates slamming closed behind him confirmation that the Bat and his gaggle wouldn't be following him in.

Wasting no time, Danny pulled a piece of chalk from his pocket. It was a handy little thing he'd picked up during his stay in the House of Mysteries. Draw and door, tell it where you wanna go, open it, and go through! Beetlejuice style. Though, unlike what the Handbook for the Recently Deceased says, these doors won't actually open a door to the afterlife. He fixed that tiny glitch a while ago.

Anyway, a quick few chalk lines on the side of a mausoleum later, and Danny was opening a door to Fawcett, Philadelphia. Probably not the best choice, considering that he was trying to stay away from the Justice League, but it's better than Metropolis.

"Whoa." Damn it! He should've stayed home. "What was that, mister?"

Danny made sure the door closed behind him, praying for strength. Why did he feel like several deities were laughing at him? "Hey, kid. Can you, um, maybe not say anything about that?"

The kid, short brown hair and a red jacket stood out the most to Danny for some reason, seemed very amused. "You're gonna have to buy my silence."

Again, Danny let out a quiet, long suffering sigh. "Coffee is so not worth it." Looking at the kid, he said, "Alright, fine. I was getting coffee anyway, I'll buy ya lunch. Know any good places?"

Grinning, the kid cheered, "Hell yeah! Follow me!"

Resigned, Danny followed after the kid, easily keeping pace. About a block later, he figured he should probably get the kid's name. "I'm Danny."

"Billy."

"No last name?"

"Fae rules, dude. What's your excuse?"

He had to give it to him. "Touché."

Another three blocks of walking, Billy finally stopped at a cafe. It was a quaint place with stained white brick and a dark grey roof. There were metal chairs and tables outside the building surrounded by a wrought iron fence. The table umbrellas and the awning over the black door were light blue, matching the curtains in the inside.

The inside walls were painted baby blue with a white ceiling and a pinewood floor. The tables and chairs were all stained black with light pink cushions and table cloths. The curtains, as observed before, were all baby blue, tied back with baby pink ribbons. The lights were barely yellow, giving the room a warm feel. The counters were white with black paneling on the outside and white granite as the tops.

"Welcome in," the young man at the register greeted with a smile, "What can I get you two started with today?"

Danny envied the man. He'd obviously not been doing this long enough to gain the veteran's shine to his eye. He turned to look at the menu after telling Billy to get whatever he wanted. A mistake he'll probably pay for. "I'd like a large Red Eye, equal parts coffee and espresso, with cinnamon, honey, chocolate syrup, mint, and vodka, please."

The 'newbie' light in the man's eyes dimmed a little bit. "Um, we don't carry vodka." Glad that's the only thing he's worried about. Priorities.

Danny clicked his tongue. "Oh, well, it was worth a shot. I'd like everything else, though, please. Mix it at your own discretion."

"Alright," he was very valiant to go back to grinning, "Anything else?"

Danny motioned for Billy and the kid stepped up. "Can I get a large mocha, three chocolate chip cookies, and two sandwiches?"

The blond entered the order. "Of course! That'll be $25.37." A quick card swipe from Danny. "Thank you very much, we'll have your order out to you soon!"

The two didn't say a word as they chose a table in the corner. Danny let Billy take the seat that was open to the rest of the cafe so he wouldn't feel cornered. He had a good view of the door, though, so he wasn't complaining.

"So, how'd you do that?" Billy asked after they'd gotten their orders.

"How'd I do what?" Danny sipped his drink.

"How'd you walk outta that wall? It's solid!"

"Magic."

"I guessed that much."

"Then why'd you ask?"

"Will you teach me?"

"No."

"You didn't even think about it!"

"Okay," He paused. "No."

"Not fair." he pouted.

Putting his drink on the table, Danny summed as much fake-it-till-you-make-it energy as he could. "Magic isn't a toy and takes years of practice to get a handle on, not to mention you have to actually have an aptitude for it before you can even try. Besides, I don't know you nearly well enough to trust you with anything else."

Billy finished the cookie he was eating. "I can do it! You just gotta teach me!"

Another sigh that Danny had stopped counting. "Look, you seem like a good kid, but I'm not gonna teach you magic."

"Why not!"

"However," he continued, ignoring the demand, "I'm not gonna leave ya fully defenselessness."

"What do you mean?" Billy backed away slightly, his eyes narrowing as he moved to be able to run quickly.

Another sip. "Based off of the dirt you're covered in, the grease in your hair, and the overall poor condition of your clothes, I'm gonna bet that you're a street kid. So," he pulled a small card from his pocket, very aware that Billy was watching his hand aptly, "I'm going to leave you with this."

Slowly, the brunet took it and turned it over. "What it is?"

The white card had the initials DP in the middle, circled by an Ouroboros. The initials were completely solid, but the snake of the Ouroboros was made up of tiny runes of protection and health and healing and good fortune.

"My calling card. If you're ever in danger, hold that to your chest and ask for help. I'll be there."

Still obviously suspicious, Billy took a moment to scrutinize the card. It was cute to watch the kid act like he knew what he was looking at or for. When he seemed satisfied, he shoved the card into the inner pocket sewn into his jacket. "Thanks."

"No problem, kid," Pulling out his phone, Danny saw the time and stood, "I've gotta go now. I assume I've sufficiently bought your silence on the whole magic thing?"

Billy grinned, "I guess, but you gotta come visit me, okay?"

He chuckled, "Sure thing. See ya."

Part 2 Part 4

(I don't drink coffee, so Idk how that shit works)

Tag list: @zaiothe4th

[suguann]

an. another ex-husband gojo fic because i'll die with this trope. this ends exactly how you'd expect (if you know me)

Satoru doesn’t take it well when you tell him you have a boyfriend after bumping into him in the grocery store parking lot. At least, you don’t think he does. It’s hard to tell, his expression inscrutable as ever behind his dark sunglasses—the sharp arch of his brow the only indication he’s heard you at all.

“Is that so?” he finally says, and for some reason, it makes you nervous. Has you grasping at straws to make something right that isn’t even wrong yet. Has any thought of this being an easy conversation shattered at your feet.

You clear your throat. “Yeah…he’s nice. You might even like him.” 

No, he wouldn’t—a little voice in the back of your head tells you. Knowing it's because all of the unreadable parts of you are no longer connected to him, but instead to a man you've barely spent two months dating, and that must infuriate him.

He doesn’t ask (not that you expect him to) when you find yourself prattling on about how you met Rin through a friend, how he’s an investment banker and takes you out to his cabin on the weekends, that he’s predictable—stable is what you really mean, but don't say—with an ordinary life who wants kids—

Satoru seems to chew on that last bit of information like he’s suddenly tasted something unpleasant, the line of his brow flat and unimpressed, the slant in his mouth mutinous. He’s uttered all but three words, and so far, this entire conversation leaves you with nothing short of a stomach ache.

“He really is a good person,” you add, just because you have nothing else to say and your penchant for filling awkward, empty spaces.

Then he smiles, and you relax a little. “That’s good. I’m happy for you.”

You smile, too, a soft, sure thing this time that makes his widen.

But if you'd been more level-headed and less flustered about bumping into your ex-husband after several months of silence—since he signed his name beside yours in front of your lawyer—you’d realize how dangerous that smile is.

You’re unsure if it’s too contingent to be considered a coincidence, but he starts showing up in odd places after that all-too-uncomfortable one-sided conversation in the parking lot.

First, it’s at your favorite coffee shop you usually stop at on your way to work. It’s strange because you remember him hating coffee, how he'd always preferred to load it with creamer and sweetener just to get rid of the bitter taste. But you don’t mention it when he offers—no, insists on paying for your coffee and blueberry streusel muffin.

When the total pops up on the register, he doesn’t even blink when he opens his wallet.

Of course, you can't let him pay. There must be something in writing somewhere that says ex-husbands shouldn't pay for their recently divorced ex-wife's coffee.

He shrugs, smiling, after you tell him it’s expensive—has that ever bothered me?—and slides a shiny black card across the counter to the barista.

“You can't show up out of nowhere and start buying me things,” you hiss afterward, slightly flustered by the whole ordeal. The city’s big, but you still worry about one of your friends or colleagues seeing you with Satoru—they may get the wrong idea. “We’re not together anymore.”

"Do I have to message you the next time I want to get you coffee?" he tucks his hands into his coat.

"No, we shouldn't even be getting coffee together."

“Am I not allowed to be nice now that you have a boyfriend?”

“That’s not what I said,” you huff. “And you didn’t even buy yourself anything. How am I supposed to look at it?”

He shrugs, “I decided I didn’t want anything,” and you don't even think he notices that he holds your hand when you go to cross the street.

Habit. You'll write that one off as a habit, but he doesn't let go until you're in front of the tall, shiny doors of your office building.

The second time he shows up unannounced is while you're walking through the quaint park near your apartment, which you know is far from his sleek penthouse on 5th Avenue, the one with a perfect view of the city and the bay—a thirty-minute drive, at least.

“I bought a house out here,” he tells you when you ask. “It’s up on the hill.”

You know which one he’s talking about. You’ve driven past it a few times. It's a cozy brick stone with lots of windows, a white picket fence, and a large backyard, something you’ve always wanted since before you were married. According to a real estate website, his house is a little over a million. 

Interest must be written all over your face because he asks: “You want to see it?”

There are a number of reasons why you shouldn’t say yes, why you should politely decline and finish your last lap along the trail and run to the grocery store afterward to pick up something for dinner and call Rin to let him hear about your day—

“Okay,” you say, hands on your hips. “But make it quick.”

He smiles down at you, eyes crinkling at the corners with something akin to affection. “Whatever you want, sweetheart.”

You open your mouth to remind him, again, that you’re not together, so he’s not allowed to use pet names, but a large hand on the small of your back to usher you towards the shiny, sleek SUV across the street leaves you with a mouth full of cotton.

He watches you take in the hardwood floors and tall ceilings trimmed with crown molding. When you stop in the massive kitchen to run your fingers over the granite countertops, it almost feels bittersweet walking through the house of your dreams while your ex-husband eyes you questioningly as if he's looking for your approval.

“So? What do you think?”

The smile you give him is genuine. “It’s beautiful.”

Satoru matches your smile with a bigger one, almost blinding. “That’s good, that’s really good.”

You feel like you should ask why he bought a house this big in the first place, but there’s a pebble in your stomach if you think about family photos on the walls with him happy and smiling, his arm around a pretty wife who wears frilly aprons and kisses him on the cheek when he comes home. A future where you don’t exist, yet he’s letting you take a peak into it, anyway.

So you don’t say anything.

You meant to leave an hour ago, but he plied you with dinner— friends can have dinner together, can’t they? —which leads to two glasses of wine and then watching movies together on his very soft couch. If everything didn't feel so fuzzy around the edges, you probably would have noticed the signs sooner, that he’s trying to—

(He presses you into the couch cushions, biting marks into your neck and chest until your breaths come out fast and high-pitched.

“We shouldn’t,” you manage to say, still tipsy and tongue heavy in your mouth from the wine you had. "Toru, I should really go."

He huffs a laugh against your cheek—you note how he still wears the same cologne you bought him all those years ago when everything was so new, and there wasn't a ring on your finger yet—pressing a messy kiss there that makes you squirm. “Doesn’t this remind you of old times, though?”

“B-but I have a boyfriend.”

In retaliation, he sinks his teeth into the tender flesh around the fluttering pulse in your neck, just shy of too rough, though your fingers in his hair pull him into you like you can’t get enough.)

That maybe this means he—

(Satoru bunches the lace of your panties in his fist, shoving them up around your knees, trapping your legs together against your chest. A long, drawn-out groan rumbles in his chest at discovering the creamy mess between your thighs. “Always had such a pretty wet pussy, fuck. Do you get this wet for him, too?”

“Shut up.”

He laughs because he hears what you don’t say: No, you’ve never been this turned on when it’s with Rin. Satoru’s the only one to ever leave you wet and shaky just from a few words.)

It’s an insane thought, but it’s almost like Satoru—

(He holds his hand up to your mouth, telling you to lick before he wraps it around his cock, pressing the tip into the slick seam of your cunt. And you forgot how big he is, just on the side of too much, the bit of effort it takes for him to sink in a little, and then all at once, rending you right down the middle.

You whimper, fingers scrabbling clumsily for one of the throw pillows near your head, needing something to hold on to.

“There you go, pretty girl,” Gojo breathes, hips tight and close, grinding into you so that you can feel how deep he is. “I see she can still take it.”)

No, he wouldn’t—

(He fucks you hard enough to send you skittering up the couch, only to pull you back down again, grinding you on his cock to touch places inside you that he’s only ever managed to reach. You whine into where your face is pressed against the back cushions, biting down to muffle how loud you’re being.

He makes a displeased sound and forces you to look at him again with his fingers digging into your cheeks.

"What if I give you a little baby, huh? We'll be a family together. You, me, and our baby in this big house. Doesn't that sound nice? We'll fill the house with babies," he mutters, bending down to suck a nipple into his mouth, forcing your legs further against your chest.

The angle rubs just right inside you. You make an unintelligible noise at the back of your throat, unable to move or get better friction in this position.

“We did it your way last time, didn’t we, baby?” his little laugh is breathless, kind of mean. “I let you leave with all those silly thoughts in your head; thought you knew what you wanted, but now we’re going to do it my way from now on.”

His words should strike alarm bells, but when he fits his hand between your bodies to strum his thumb against your clit, your mind empties.

"You've always been mine." Words barely audible, he still sounds breathless; wrecked. "It's about time you get that through your head.")

Except you know he would. 

A month later, you’re packing away the fine china in your apartment, wondering how the few things you own will fill a house so large.

[prettyboykatsuki]

oliver talking his partner through it and calling him d**** god your brain is so huge my stomach hurts thinking about this. he’ll never tell you he loves you to your face and tries to fuck you more like he hates you because he doesn’t want to get too attached but as you’re getting close he’s all in your face and your neck, teasing you, biting your ear and softly begging you to tell him how you feel, how it’ll be better for him if you tell d**** just how close you are and how much you need him. takes you over the crest so sweetly, and continues rolling into you, chasing his own. his kisses are nonstop and so overwhelming, and he knows they are but he just really needs to connect with you like this. never the first to say “i love you” but unfortunately (in his opinion) he expresses it in so many other ways. sorry.

but i crumble completely when you cry | a. oliver

✮ tags ; DADDY KINK, afab + fem!reader, situationship!oliver, hooking up, unresolved romantic tension, p in v, praise, soft sex, it gets emotionally strange, riding, creampies, unprotected sex, under-negotiated kink in a sense though oliver is very careful

✮ wc ; 2.2k (i dont want to talk about it)

✮ a/n ; anon im going to haunt your dreams for putting this absurd image into my head when i dont even go here im crying screaming throwing up ive been thinking about it for hours. hours of my life wasted on this guys dick. upsetting!!!!!

also i do not write this often and do not plan too again any time soon so if ur seeing this and thinking about following me for content like it i would not recommend!!!

✮ synopsis ; you don't trust oliver with your heart or your feelings. nor do you expect anything from him.

but it's hard not to lean into him when he decides to cradle you so gently.

Your relationship with Oliver is both very ambiguous and very clear.

There's a line drawn, and you both steer clear of crossing it in your interactions. Oliver is fun. He's attractive and charming, a massive flirt but just genuine enough to be interesting.

It helps that he's hot. Physically, he's got an unreal build.

He's an athlete, so he's big. Wide chest and strong arms, thick thighs and the height to top it off. He's 6'3, and he's sexy (and his dick is huge) - and you sleep with him because of that. You don't date him explicitly because he's a womanizer. If you'd met when you were a little younger, a little more naive - you might've tried to dog-train him into being your boyfriend.

Because on top of the immaculate dick, he's fun to be around. He's funny, he drinks well, he's not a scumbag in the ways that turn you off.

You're old enough to know better. You have a career. You're too busy, and too jaded about love to try and fix whatever weird shit he has going on. So even if the two of you harbor some sort of emotional or romantic feelings for each other, you're smart enough to not get invested in those feelings and smart enough to have no expectations.

Oliver is your fun. He's your sneaky link, your weekend off. You come to him to blow off steam. You have rough, fast sex and it's good. Sometimes you chill afterwards, and you'll indulge each other in some physical affection but other times you take your shower and leave. It's a good time, and you know well enough not to ever ask him for any of your emotional needs. You have your therapist and girl friends for that.

Normally, when you're having a rough week - it's prime time to go to him. He'll fuck you a little harder than usual, and sometimes he's nice enough to kiss it better. But it's still, very distinctly, never crossing that boundary.

But some weeks, like this week - shit is bad. Not just stressful bad, but everything in the fucking world that could go wrong, is going wrong bad. It's not the kind of thing you can get over by compartmentalizing and even when you try to do your usual thing it doesn't really work.

You're trying right now - to get over the fucked up week you had. And you're turned on, but somehow - it's still not enough to get you completely out of it.

Oliver pauses mid stroke, in missionary - hetero-chromatic eyes staring you down as your thoughts are somewhere else completely. You don't notice the first time he stops, or the first time he calls you.

And he only gets your attention by cupping your face and making you look at him. You startle as you cast your glance his way.

"What's with you?" He asks, though he's not pissed or anything "Not feelin' it? Want me to stop?"

"No, you don't have too."

"Not what I asked," He chastises, letting go of your face "Not having your full attention is making me go soft,"

This makes you laugh, and Oliver cracks a smile seeing the tension melt off your face if only slightly.

"I'm cool with stopping." He assures. You let your hand reach up to his shoulder.

"It's not like I want to stop, necessarily? Like I wanna do something to get my mind off it and sex feels like the best option, but you know how it goes sometimes," You say, trying your best to avoid the emotional baggage of your words "We can stop though. I'll pay you for your wasted time," You tack the joke on at the end to ease the tension.

You're expecting him to pull out and stop, or maybe challenge himself into fucking you so good that you forget. Something more quintessentially Oliver than what he does do.

He gives you a blank look first, than a laugh that is a touch too sincere for you to be comfortable "That bad of a week?"

You're suddenly in dangerous territory. Somehow, this strange intimacy makes all the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. You swallow thickly, the emotions coming over you so quick you end up looking away.

"Yeah. You know. It's fine, but you know."

"Mm," He says. He leans into your space. His breath is warm and his stubble tickles your skin as he whispers in your ear. You feel your breath hitch. And the air feels heavy "Wanna try somethin' else?"

"Like what?"

"A surprise," He says first, and find your stomach tightening. A hollowness in your nerves "Gotta trust me."

"You're scaring me." You joke.

"I'm a sex expert, you know?" Oliver says, humming against your skin "If I can't remedy your little problem with my dick, it's bad for my street cred. My yelp reviews will tank."

"You're such a dumbass."

"Do you trust me?"

You don't know how to answer. Yes, for the most part. Not with everything, but with your pleasure at least. Whatever this is, it doesn't feel the same. But you say yes, anyways. Oliver kisses your jaw in reply, then he pulls out.

He flips position easily. He ends up on his back, then he grabs you to rest on top of him. You're not sure what you're expecting. He holds you by your hips as your sex hovers over his cock. His thumb is rubbing circles into your skin as he sinks you down slowly onto him.

You only stare at him, mouth opening as you feel him stretch you open for a second time.

You're more aware of it this way. He's so thick, and so intrusive - and normally, you're feeling that in hard strokes. Fast and rough, like something knocking into your cervix. But like this, he's hitting a deep angle. You can feel every curve, every inch, as you come down slowly.

He keeps you there. For longer than you'd expect. Just keeps you, settles you, holds you gently. You stare at him as he grabs your hand, locking your fingers. Your first instinct is to panic, or crack a joke - but there's an intense look in his eye that shuts you up.

Uncharacteristically gentle, you find yourself frightened. Oliver's hands reach for you again. They hold your waist and slide up the planes of your body. He holds your tits in his palms and squeezes.

He does this a lot, but there's not usually this much touching. This much foreplay. It's grabby, a deeper pressure. He doesn't...feel you, in the way he is now. You stare at him, and he looks back at you so fondly you feel a strange urge to pretend it never happened.

"Play with your clit," He says, though there's no urgency in his voice.

Deep and smooth, the timbre in it has you shaking. You listen, on auto-pilot as you play with yourself clumsily and build a slow pressure. He just watches.

"C'mere, baby. And don't stop touching yourself."

Another pause. It's not the first time he's called you that. He likes to call you all sorts of things when you're fucking, and baby is one of the few. But not like that. Not like this. He gives you a lazy, self satisfied smile and encourages you by placing a hand on where he can reach on your low back.

You lean down, and Oliver tucks you into his chest. He's warm, and strong - and smells so good, like musk and cologne. Your free hand is on his chest, as he grips your hips and fucks up into you.

"That's it," His voice is pleasant to your ears. It feels funny to you "Just gotta listen to me."

He starts fucking you slowly. It's a familiar feeling, a pleasant stretch that dulls into a euphoric fullness. But it's never been this slow before. Each thrust is slow, and punctual, and so deep you feel yourself gasping. It's not enough to push you over the edge, but it's enough to make your mind feel a little numb.

You think he's going to keep at you like this, maybe edge you to take you out of it. But he doesn't. He keeps his pace.

"Had a hard time this week, didn't you, tough girl?" He mumbles, so low it doesn't feel real. You feel your heart start to race. You feel your throat start to close around something, choking "Did a good job and came to me. Gonna let me take care of it?"

You stumble. You aren't sure what to say, you nod and hope he feels it. He laughs a little. You can't be sure if you're fucking Oliver or not.

You know it's him but he's never been like this. Not once. Not ever.

"Gonna let daddy take care of you?" He says, though it's tentative. Your breath hitches. Something strange overwhelms your senses "Tell me, baby."

"Uhm," Your first reaction is a sense of resistance, an immediate pull away. Not that you hate it but you aren't sure how to adjust. You squirm, but you don't tell him no. You feel like you can't in this state "Uh-uh,"

He keeps surprising you, pressing his lips to yours where you hover over him, tender as he ups the pace of his thrusts.

"That's what I like to hear," He almost sounds proud "You'll hurt your head if you think too much. And I'd be a bad daddy, letting that happen, yeah?"

A vulnerable, foreign sensation drives you to speak "You're not bad in that way."

He laughs "Just in other ways, right?"

You giggle "Uh-huh."

"But not in this one," He repeats, very carefully. He fucks into you harder now, pays extra special attention to you. It's all for you, is what he's saying in a language completely foreign yet somehow so known. One only the two of you will ever know fully, confined in the four walls of this room "Daddy is good at taking care of you like this, so you should let him do just that. Tough girls always need their daddies, hm?"

It's what ends up tipping you up over the edge. You cling to him, succumbing to whatever weird space the two of you have fallen into you. Suspended in this odd sense of comfort that Oliver has thrust you in unannounced.

You don't trust Oliver with a lot, and this is more than what you should ever find yourself giving. In the back of your head you think you should pull away.

But he's comforting. It feels good, and strangely feels safe - and even for all the ways he's awful, you trust he'd never do anything bad to you. Even if it's a blip in the timeline, for now it's what you need. A blurry cross into your emotional needs that translate into your physical ones. Too much and so overwhelming, you hug closer to him and take a deep breath.

"Mm," You let yourself lean into him. Just this once, you promise yourself. "I wanna cum."

"Want it a little harder?"

"Mhm,"

"Then Daddy will give it to you a little harder, yeah? Anything for you." He says, and you try not to think to deeply on what that really means. Because even in this state you know it's not nothing, but you should never pry "Daddy can give you anything you want."

"Yeah?"

He chuckles a little as he fucks into you hard. Fucks into you how you need. You're wet enough, and wondering if you were always so into being doted on. Or if it's just the fact that it's Oliver. Another thing you decide to overlook as you zero in on the sensation of being pistoned from underneath. You're soaking. The room noisy with the sticky noise of Olivers cock penetrating you over and over, skin hitting skin as his hips press against your ass. His grip is bruising but not intentionally, his chest huffed in pleasure.

He's just as close as you are, you know all of his cues. You play with your clit faster, sensitive bud throbbing hard as all the blood rushes south. Your mouth has fallen open as the slow, thick desire coiling and culminating into something cosmic. Something big and heavy, but not too fast. Not a crash landing like you're used to.

But a single weight, the force of a star dropping to Earth. You figure Oliver is the gravity in your universe, holding you down so you don't float too far. You want to cling onto him for much longer.

And somehow, you're inclined to think he would let you.

"Oliver," You say his name as it builds, then decide on something else "Daddy,"

"I'm here, baby," He says back, like it's all he has to say for everything to make sense when nothing about this does "I'm right here. Let go."

So you do. You cum hard, and it comes in long never ending waves. Too much. It makes you collapse in Olivers arms, both arms coming around his neck as he continues to fuck you through the aftermath.

"Gonna," He voices, rasping as his thrusts become sloppy "Shit. Cumming, shit."

He cums with you, cums deep inside like usual and you mewl at the feeling of being filled with hot, sticky seed.

When it's over, you're almost afraid to look at him. When the tensions settled, and his chest goes back to it's steady breaths - you wonder whats going to happen next.

"Wanna stay like this for a while?"

You nod.

"Mm. Sleepy."

"Stay like this, then. I'll wake you in a little."

"So you can kick me out?" You joke, trying to pretend nothing is different. He pauses.

"Just to shower," He whispers, hand resting on your lower back "Sleep."

There's too much to think about. Tomorrow will be strange. You let yourself succumb to your own exhaustion.

"Okay."

[brucewaynehater101]

I have a really soft and cute au for Lesbian Janet that could work in any universe but I think works best in the Young Justice TV Show Universe.

See, everyone gets really confused when Tim talks about his Mom, sometimes referring to her as Mama. Tim thinks that using two different titles like that should make it Obvious that he has Two Moms but well. The Bats may be Super Geniuses but they are still Idiots. Tim is also an absolute Mama's Boy with Both his Moms. He loves them both So Much.

Oh, where is Jack you ask? He doesn't actually exist. He's the fake name and personality that Tim's Mama came up with and used Magic to disguise as so they could get Legally Married For Tax Benifits. Also to get his Mama a legal identity. Why would she need one of those? Well... as was mentioned, Tim's Mama has Magic with a Captial M. This by extension means Tim is Magic With A Capital M as well. Totally has nothing to do with Janet and his Mama sculpting him from clay and breathing life into him. Woes of pregnancy who? Not Janet that's for sure.

Also Tim does Not tell anyone that he has Magic and he doesn't show it off. The only reason the Bats found out about it is because Tim came to a meeting with Bruce and Diana went "you. Your Magic is Familure but I don't know from where." And Tim was sweating while saying, "Magic? What magic??" And after getting questioned by Diana and Bruce he Caves and tells them a half truth, "fine. I was made from Clay, like you. My Mom didn't want to go through the struggles of Childbirth but still wanted a child. Instead of adopting like any sane and rational person, she made a deal with a God or Godess. I don't know all the details but she owed them something in exchange for Me. I do know the debt has been paid already though."

The debt was simply a tea spoon of blood for the ritual and A Kiss. Janet over paid the second part by a lot.

As for how Janet met and wooed A Goddess? Well, she was on a dig in Greece when her boat she was using to get to another island was caught in a storm and washed up on a different island. The Goddess was expecting violence or anger at being stranded, perhaps even Sorrow. But no, Janet took one look at the Temple in the distance and was pushing past her saying she needed to get to the Temple because it's clearly in *amazing* condition and could bring So Many insights into Ancient Greek culture and building practice. For the first time in decades, as this Random Woman ran her hand along a pillar and started rambling about the design and what the type of collums were called, Circe felt herself blushing.

CIRCE?!?!?

FUCK YEAH.

Anyways, this is absolutely adorable. Fuck. I would love an entire fic of Janet. Here's a general plot line:

Janet hasn't ever really been interested in romance. She's tried dating a few guys in high school for appearance sake, but she usually broke the relationship off when they became too affectionate.

This is when others started referring to her as "cold." She wasn't, but few people got close enough to her to listen to her rambles about ancient civilizations, archeology, and sociality impacts of culture. She enjoyed other stuff, but nothing quite lit her up like those topics did.

In college, she did find and make a few friends with similar interests. This is where she figured out she was into women and not men. The relationships lasted longer, but she was single by the time she graduated with her bachelor's.

Her master's ends up as some sort of work study where she travels the world. She's more invested in her studies and work than relationships at this point. She enjoys learning about people's lives and cultures but doesn't seek out more than friendship.

I'm not sure if Janet has already or is working on her doctorate by the time she ends up lost on an island (or really how archeology even pays bills).

When she arrives on the island, there's a beautiful woman there as well. Janet notices this, but doesn't give a flying fuck in comparison to the architecture.

And Circe? Finds herself amused and confused by this woman who, although is into women, doesn't care about Circe's looks. Janet just keeps asking questions about Circe's life, the temple, the plants, the culture, etc. It becomes endearing watching her work late into the night with her research.

Janet is so enthralled in all that is going on that she doesn't notice Circe's continuous flirting. It's so fucking frustrating for Circe, but makes her unbearably fond as well. Janet starts to consider this drop dead gorgeous woman a close friend of hers as they "work" late into the chatting about ancient Greece, their past experiences, and their lives. Janet, who has some experience with romance but not much, even flirts back. After all, women call each other beautiful all the time and hold hands and shit. Surely Janet can platonically cuddle with her friend while Circe compares Janet's eyes to the night sky.

It's only when Janet is ready to leave that she realizes that she's willing to give up everything she's worked for, all of her findings and education, to have more time with Circe. Janet is in love with her best friend.

Also, Circe is able to get a fake ID as "Jack" due to magic and Janet's connections

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

Another week chock full of Japanese ql. I am officially dropping a currently airing show from QL Corner--let us never speak of it again. Of the other six shows still airing now, five are streaming weekly on Gaga and the other is available via fansub.

Takara's Treasure

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite things airing—it gets better every week, and it's been good from the start! This story is a great example of the way tension and depth of feeling in a great romance can build. I was delighted to have Takara confirm Taishin's confession and coax him into dating this early on because it means we are going to actually spend some time with them figuring out how to work as a couple. And I don't expect it will be smooth sailing, because these two have some incompatible issues that are going to exacerbate each other.

Cosmetic Playlover

This show is gorgeous, but it all feels pretty empty. Thank you to @usertoxicyaoi for confirming that the show is racing through the plot so it can cover the whole arc of the manga. I'm glad to understand why it's doing this, but it doesn't help with my total emotional disconnect from the story, because the show is rushing through and not letting us actually experience this relationship. They tell us they like each other, then that they're in love, then that they're established and struggling, but I can't feel it because they haven't brought us along for any of that. This week featured an interesting plot about their professional growth and how it challenges their relationship, but I was frustrated because I have no investment in said relationship to give the plot stakes. I may just have to accept that this one will stay a treat for the eyes but lacking in depth for me.

I Hear the Sunspot

We back! After a bit of a miscalibrated installment last week, this episode felt more characteristic and we finally got our boys back on track. Maya was less egregiously mean to people this week and her interference was treated as more comedic than sinister, which is a much better fit for the tone of this show. And once Kohei got around her, he finally talked properly with Taichi and asked him to stay on as his notetaker, reaffirming their friendship in the process. Despite Maya's efforts to convince him otherwise, Kohei has not wavered and his firm declaration that he doesn't want anyone but Taichi taking his notes or eating his food had me gasping. For his part, Taichi is getting better at keeping his cool and finding words when Kohei lets his feelings slip, and he's clearly thinking a lot about his own feelings and whether their connection is really about friendship.

Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko

Oh man, this show has really gotten itself into a muddle. We finally got a kiss, but it hardly felt like a triumph. This episode was a bit of a return to form, with Ayaka back to her relentless pursuit of Hiroko, but the way the story diverged to change the conflict midstream has mucked it all up. For the first half the conflict was about Hiroko believing Ayaka is straight, and then suddenly it was about a different work-related closet trauma that did not connect to that. Now it’s touching on both but in a way that makes Hiroko seem inconsistent, because now that she knows Ayaka is a lesbian it doesn't track that she would continue to patronize and dismiss her, and it also sucks that Ayaka is harassing Hiroko at work despite knowing she doesn't want to be out. It feels like the story is invalidating Hiroko’s fears about being out in a way we know is not consistent with reality. This would all work better if the backstory had been about Hiroko falling for a woman who succumbed to comphet and we kept up the misunderstanding and comedy about Ayaka being straight. As it is, I feel like our heroine no longer makes sense and our couple still hasn't formed a real connection, and with only one episode to go it’s unlikely they’ll land the plane.

Mr. Mitsuya's Planned Feeding

I just love everything about this show and its mature perspective on relationships. In the aftermath of Ishida's hasty confession (and his attempt to walk it back, which I love that Mitsuya did not fall for), we take a beat for Mitsuya to consider the two men circling him and what he wants from his life. I loved that he took the time he needed to process and end his relationship with Noguchi on his own terms this time, and to consider whether he has the desire and the energy to try again with someone new. When he said he has his home and his work and his Frito and that's enough for him, I felt that. But Ishida has already gotten to him, and as Shige wisely pointed out, Mitsuya must care about him quite a bit to be considering this deeply before making a move. I'm not sure he's ready to dive in, but he doesn't have much will to fight it, either. You can go here for the files to watch this episode, with big thanks to @isaksbestpillow and @nicks-den.

Tagging @bengiyo to add this week's anime update.

[ivesambrose]

August 2024 Mini Messages 💛

1. 2. 3.

Like that Taylor Swift song right?

I intend that everyone has a good month regardless of the astrological weather.

To book a personal reading with me DM or email me at ivesambrose@gmail.com

Services Offered

Reviews

Thanks for the tip ✨

Picture 1

You'll be diving in deep into your subconscious this month even if it means wanting to isolate from people and places for a while. Suddenly everything seems So over the top', right? And nothing and no one is phasing you anymore. This month is the first page of a big journey you're about to take so if you don't have a journal already I'd highly recommend you start logging down certain things for the purpose of accountability, gratitude, planning, manifestion, learning as well as progress. I'm letting you know, whatever you're about to do for yourself will make you stand out and you might feel a certain responsibility upon yourself as you end up inspiring others as well. You may be a person with more independent way of thinking and doing things so it'll feel strange when you end up becoming someone who leads by example. You might find yourself breaking out from a restricted environment, mindset or lifestyle. It is likely your financial situation improves as well. You might feel a bit eccentric this month with your ideas and thrist for knowledge and experiences that shape you as a person.

You might just block out the things that don't serve you and fixate on what you want deliberately. You're too engrossed in your own world and your own untouched potential to consider anything else that is eating up too much of your valuable focus. You have decided to become a version of yourself that you have chained up for long and you will become it.

Picture 2

Your entire focus and drive has shifted to your career and public image. You've decided that even if you have to go at it alone, you will gO at it alone. But this month you'l likely learn that you aren't as by yourself as you thought you have been. Be mindful of doing anything impulsive or taking on more than you can chew or over exerting your body. Some of you may also find a healthy outlet for the emotions you have been putting a lid on. You might make new friends or deepen your relationship with existing ones. There will be moments of joy and celebration too when you least expect it. Deep down you have this inner knowing that things will go smoothly or will work out if you simply have just a teeny tiny bit more faith in yourself. You might be making travel plans too that will likely take off in September. You will also be building up your confidence this month and might also be learning a new skill, taking up a hobby or language. Thing is, you will be forced to take a pause in between or simply slow down and when that happens you might wonder okay how long is this going to take? Or you might assume your progress has halted which is far from the truth, you're in for a sweet victory consider it a reward for your persistence and your mindset.

Picture 3

There's a need to go off the radar and keep certain things private to the public eye. You might feel uncomfortable and untrusting towards a lot of people maybe you're right too, some of them aren't as reliable and don't really have your best wishes at hand. You might also consider investing in something privately for yourself for future use or you might get a return on an investment you had made. A lot of you may have been dealing with resentment, grief or some kind of fear, maybe past actions of someone towards you or how you had been with them. However. you'll find clarity and make peace in regards to what you're going through. You'll overcome something that has been hovering over you like a dark cloud for months. Some of you might also be manifesting love or end up manifesting a connection that earlier felt impossible to have in your life. You may also consider making business plans this month that you will likely launch by the end of the year. You may also consider cutting chords and might feel a sense of guilt doing so, but you'll feel much lighter and you'll find love and wealth and overall mental peace flowing into your life much easier. All the weight you've been carrying is itself begging you to let go of it, it no longer has anything to serve in your life.

[blueishspace]

Hero Villain God 6

(Prev) (Next) (First)

Chapter 2

*Grian's pov*

It was Mumbo to suggest putting Ariana Griande online, something about the internet having more reach. He even offered to provide you with equipment... you know he's hoping to use your income to fund his villany... you don't really care for money but you find it weird he's investing so much on your "career", did the song you sang to him really entranced him that much?

Technically you know how it works, the internet is ripe for your domain. Phisically though? You are the god of chaos ...not technology and you never really cared to learn too much about it before this moment... You though it would be like making that meme of HotGuy but no... Video and Audio Editing is so extremely tedious.

You also finally build the persona of Ariana Griande, by telling Mumbo you are her you have limited your form to a variation of "Grian" ... Still you have fun with it and Mumbo looks like he's having a great time looking at her too.

Your first video as Ariana is nothing worth talking about, just the cover of soldier poet king that you have already sung to Mumbo a few days ago... It gets 5 views by the end of the day... You could push it along with a bit of divinity but that's not nearly as fun as letting the channel grow organically. You do get one comment: "Oh lord, your voice is divine!" which is very ironic... And amusing.

Your second Ariana Griande video is another cover, at this point an orginal song wouldn't make sense. It doesn't do much better but Mumbo seems to enjoy it... Perhaps you did put too much divinity in it because Mumbo takes a minute to recover after listening in... hopefully the effects will be less intense when viewing the video at a later date.

You distract yourself from the channel for a moment as Mumbo interrupts you. He is as anxious as ever and stumbles on his words but you can understand the gist of what he's trying to say. He's going somewhere and was wondering if you wanted to join in, you don't have much to do right now anyway so you easily accept.

The coffe shop he brings you is pretty small but it surely has a certain cosiness to it... It isn't that which attracts your attention though. There is a familiar presence here, you can feel it. Hotguy is here, what are the chances?

You get up under the excuse of going to the bathroom and walk toward the man that your divinity tells you is Hotguy... without his uniform yes, but it's him nonetheless. You approach and- he turns suddenly and accidentally spills his coffee on you...

...

...

..Calm down, Grian. Do not smite the mortal. Do not smite the mortal. Do not-

"Oh! I'm so so sorry! Are you ok?!"

"I- *breathe in breathe out* yes. Just didn't expect it"

And that is true, you didn't... somehow.

"Do you need something to clean yourself with-"

"No no, calm down, It's fine"

You say it to Hotguy as much as you say it to yourself...

"Are you sure -uh...?"

"It's... Grian" Then you remember about human identity, you are leaning. "... He/Him"

"Oh! Well Uh I'm so sorry about this Grian, uh wait, I should introduce myself too! I'm Scar! Uh- He/Him Nice to meet you... Well not nice since I dropped my coffee on you but-"

Oh you can't stay angry at him if he's going to act like that. You just can't.

"It's not your fault...and It's nice to meet you too"

This too isn't a lie, after all you still don't know how you managed to not notice the coffee was going to fall on you.

You turn to Mumbo, he must have seen what happened because he looks like he doesn't know wether he should get up and help or to stay in place and mind his own buisness...he's just kind of half standing?

You'll have to cut this meeting short but perhaps...

"I have to go now but if you really want to make it up to me you can buy me coffee sometime in the future"

You put your hand in your pocket and generate a piece of paper with your number on it. You then take it out and offer it to him before going back to Mumbo.

"Grian?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you fllirt with the guy who spilled coffee on you?"

Uh? Did you? You don't think so at least.

"I have no idea what you are talking about mister Mumbo Jumbolio"

"... That isn't my full name??"

"Are you sure?"

"Y-Yeah???"

"If you say so Mimbo Jimbo."

[blackfliesinbluesugar]

Prefacing by saying I have been a hardcore Hazbin fan since mid 2019, pre-pilot release. I am not an embittered anti.

Hazbin's pacing doesn't make me angry, it makes me sad. I think about this show setting up like a normal cartoon, letting us get to know the characters, letting us see them day-to-day and strengthening their relationships with each other and how they cope in different silly or serious situations, and I get... just, upset. This isn't a cartoon, this is a webcomic, and it's a webcomic based off some lady's twitter where she gave us a character sheet for everyone before we clicked on so the comic wouldn't have to waste time explaining it. I'm sad.

Who is this Camille lady and what do I care if she killed an angel? Her daughters? Who? I don't know either of their names and I don't care enough about her or them to check. I just met her today! If she dies, if her daughters die, what difference does it make to me? A random decent character design is gone? Ok??

What do I care if Vaggie has self esteem issues? I don't know her, I just met her! I'd care so much more about her song if I cared about her! I'm just expected to care because, hey, Hazbin had a huge fandom pre-release, so why wouldn't I care? She's had so much fanon and speculation, that practically did all the set up for me, right?

,,,nO. I still need you to do the work! I want to know who these people are before I see all their trauma laid bare, because otherwise all they are to me IS their trauma, and it's tough to get invested in that in a world this bleak with a cast this huge.

Helluva Boss did the same thing - Octavia is introduced in episode 2, and then in that same episode we get some big emotional dramatic moment with her and her father that feels like it should have capped an entire character arc. And yeah, I like Octavia, I like her design and her voice and her relationship to her family, but I sure didn't care when she cried about a conflict I only learned 2 minutes ago I was meant to be taking seriously. She gets another big arc for her issues in s2e2, and I cared a LOT MORE, because not only have I actually met her before that episode, I had the entire episode to develop on her specifically and lead up to the emotional climax! It didn't just play happy dappy with her all day and then make her break down, it was a clear progression. Same with Fizz - I enjoyed his recent episode with Blitzo, because I have had several episodes to build up both their individual characters and their relationship to each other and past tension. If that had been their first episode together, I would have again, not cared one bit.

Man.

[ghostfilecabinet]

I've thought about this a little bit, and it feels like a cop out, but truly I can see both sides.

On one hand, it's a fledgling company who wants to make art in a way they feel proud of. It's all well and good for us to say "we were here when the text was blue and yellow and we don't care about production value", but as someone who in her own right creates - whether its gifs or writing or silly little scrapbook pages - it's about creating something you believe is of the highest quality you can create.

Not only that, it's also about being a company that can support its employees and pay them a more-than living wage. It's potentially about being able to fulfill promises to people who had invested in Watcher in the beginning, though I know less about that.

To say that 'they make bank' with patreon and sponsorships and merch when they support a staff of over 20 people is potentially untrue. What seems like corporate greed can have several layers.

On the other hand, it's not an overreaction for fans to feel abandoned and disregarded - especially those in non-Western countries, as well as younger fans.

Fans feeling bitter at being told that USD5.99 is an amount 'anybody and everybody can afford' isn't unreasonable. It's a large amount for many fans who live in countries where several USD is a quarter of what they earn in a month, or even for people who are at stages in their life where everything they earn has to go into keeping themselves fed and housed.

Imagine a life where you struggle so much to meet your own needs, where some of your only comforts is sitting down at the end of the day and watching people talk about conspiracies or shout at air in abandoned buildings, only to see that was being taken away from you (and by the very system that's been holding you hostage and making you miserable)? I can see why people would lash out. Why it would seem like these people who joked about eating the rich and understanding privilege have been lying all along.

To me, both of these things - creatives turning away from a highly controlled space like YouTube with its low financial returns, and fans hating that content that used to be free now has to cost them money and reading that as capitalist predatory behaviour, all stem from the same issue, which is that money and art are intertwined. Whether this is terrible and insidious or just a fact of life is another point of mixed feelings, for me.

The point is: I understand why Watcher is doing this. I understand why people don't want Watcher to do this.

Do I think it's a good thing? I'm not sure. How much will their content change? Their reasoning is feeling that they're having to make content for both their fans and advertisers, so that creates an expectation that making this decision will change what they put out in a positive way. That's added pressure. Another thing is that there is a narrative they're pushing of doing this for their audience, while of course making it inaccessible to a potentially large chunk of them. How will that bridge be crossed? These questions definitely need answering, but they need time to be answered. I'm withholding judgement until these get answered for me, and I'm ready to be patient.

Do I think it was the smart thing for them to do in the long run? I have no idea. I want it to be, because I don't want them to fail and decide to give up. It's not a nice feeling to see artists give up on making their art be their livelihood.

[blueskittlesart]

What advice would you give beginner artists?

it's fine to want to do more stylized art, but nothing will help you improve quickly like studying from life. even if you want to draw very stylized figures, life drawing is still going to help you understand how the human body works and then you can build your stylization off of that understanding. I also recommend studying specifically things you're looking to improve--if you feel like your poses aren't dynamic, ask your model to do some quick (1-2 min) dynamic poses and work on getting the gesture down. if you're looking for anatomy, ask for longer, more static poses and really study the contours of the body. this also applies for portraiture and character art--my expressions and facial structure improved like CRAZY when i started doing portrait studies from life! (note: i know live model sessions aren't accessible for everyone. i'm a huge advocate for nude models, if you can find a studio nearby that's affordable to you that offers sessions, that's the best you're gonna get. however, there are sites that will give you photos of nude models to draw from, too, or you can even just ask friends or family to pose for you when they aren't busy, that's what i did before i started getting model sessions from my school!)

materials are not everything but sometimes a good material can make a difference. it's important to know what's worth it and what isn't for your skill level. invest in some decent-quality supplies or a good art program, but understand that you're still going to need to work to understand your materials and use them to their fullest potential. (if you're a digital artist buy csp. trust me on this. get it on sale. it will change your life. also do not fucking use photoshop)

tracing is ok. listen to me. TRACING. IS. OK. tracing is how you learn. don't trace other people's art and pass it off as your own, obviously, but there is literally no problem with tracing real-life reference photos. I routinely trace references for backgrounds and the like. there is no reason for you to kill yourself trying to make complex perspective and shit up from your head when you can very easily just overlay a photo and get what you need.

in that same vein, USE REFERENCE PHOTOS. find pics online or take pics of yourself and USE THEM to see how your poses work. it makes it SO SO SO much easier. the understanding that you need to create a pose out of nowhere will come with time but you're not going to get that skill unless you have a foundation of understanding how the real human body works, and the easiest way to get that understanding is by copying photos of real people.

last but not least, there's generally a sort of 'rulebook' that new artists are expected to go by, especially online, when it comes to digital art. when i was first learning, it was all about lineart and cell shading, two things that I didn't really like. Nowadays it seems to be all about rendering. the single most important thing i can tell you is if it sucks you don't have to do it. if you hate lineart just color your sketches. if you hate shading don't shade, or find a different way to shade that you enjoy more. if rendering is annoying or difficult for you DON'T BOTHER!! art is supposed to be fun. if part of your process is annoying or upsetting to you, cut it the fuck out. don't torture yourself just to do art the "right" way. i guarantee your art will look better when you're having fun making it anyway!

[elfenslieder]

I'm just gonna be blunt and raw and honest and unapologetic when dropping this and I could care less how dramatic it might come off. In case someone feels the need to defend what I'm speaking up against:

It's disheartening and heartbreaking when a game I've invested time and energy in doesn't stay true to its elements that made it so captivating. I remember being absolutely in love with dragonspine (I still am) and the atmosphere and I've come to cherish Mondstadt while wandering through there. Natlan is so very cheap. It's ugly. It's horrendous. Flying guns and a fucking motorcycle in genshin is a drastic departure from the setting that the game has been cultivating. See, I've read many people say how ungrateful and bitter and unhappy the bigger part of the fandom is and hell yes, the fuck do you expect? How can we not be?

Natlan introducing industrial and modern aspects feels jarring because it completely erases the vision that many players build up and appreciate. Fontaine's steampunk aesthetic works because it's grounded in its regions thematic identity. Hydro, elegance and a vintage feel.

I've been using genshin as an escape. I just want to immerse myself into a world where I don't have to deal with any mainstream bullshit or industrial influences. It was a place of comfort. Of something magical and pure. And now it's no longer a refuge from the mundane but something that reminds me of it.

And it's not just about the aesthetics; It's about the emotional connection I've had to the game. It's like this escape has been compromised. This safe haven is suddenly invaded by stuff I was trying to get away from.

"Oh you're whining about motorcycles now, what's wrong with you?" That's not what I'm whining about, I'm just so pissed that genshin mixes up all of these elements instead of sticking to a beautiful fantasy setting with no intervention of mainstream crap.

Really had to get all of this off my chest. I know I'm not the only one who thinks like this so yeah. It felt odd seeing so many people hype Natlan up so much, specifically Mavuika. And even Chasca whose kit gives me such a headache. Hell, even riding a dragon would be so much more acceptable and fitting. Especially in Mavuikas case. I guess this is another time where I have to crawl back to fanon and my own daydreams.

[jariten]

Roundup-catch up: September 2024 (〜Take me back to the Reiwa era arc〜)

After a rather all consuming and intense reading experience that took me 60 years back in time (I will get to that one another time) I wanted to get back to the present time, specifically 2020 to today, and explore what's new and buzzing in the manga landscape. Luckily had a couple titles sitting unread ready to give me the most productive reading week I've had so far this year.

Akari by Marco Kohinata is a work I don't want to go too in detail about because I think it's one that I think is better by just diving straight in so I want to describe a bit what it does artistically. Even before it became the norm to produce manga manuscripts fully digitally with programs like Clip Studio there's always been manga artists who challenge the "correct" way of how manga manuscripts should look with clean inked lines and nothing but screentone or crosshatching to add dimension. Like Taiyo Matsumoto, Hiroaki Samura, and Q Hayashida just to mention a few. But with the digital way of doing it becoming the norm and thus there being less time consuming and high risk ways to experiment with the expected form of a manga manuscript the diversity of artistic expression in manga is expanding. All the manga in this post have an expression to them only really possible to do in a digital medium or if analogue, made possible by the innovations of digital artists. Akari has a sort of charcoal texture to it that I haven't seen any other manga artist use giving it a really illustrative look that really elevates the emotional themes of familial estrangement and being at risk of falling to the margins of society that the work depicts. Its made me really look forward to seeing what the "average" manga manuscript might look like by 2030.

Last year I gushed a bit about the cutesy gag manga Yoko to Tora by Fuyuko Kurosaki which really charmed me with its truly adorable art, little world building touches and anything goes absurdist comedy. This mini project finally got me to pick up Heike Monogatari Yoru-kun no Hanashi. This anachronistic time slipped retelling of the tale of the arrogant Taira samurai clan and its conflict with the Minamoto clan backed by imperial interests. Recently orphaned Yoru-kun has spent most of his life with the spoiled but lonely rich girl Sara. But one day, he is suddenly kidnapped from our time to the Heian era by Taira no Kiyomori! (portrayed as a flashy rock star super villain obsessed with his wife) to play the role of his daughter in a grand scheme to marry the Taira clan into the imperial family. Yoru now finds himself living at the whims of his war mongering and arrogant new father, but at the same time finds himself sympathetic and invested in his new family. Because they aren't all that bad. Right? But what about Sara? She's not going to let Yoru be all alone in this strange story, right? The Heike story is retold with a maximalist, deeply anachronistic and absurd fashion by, I will already declare, one of my favorite contemporary manga artists.

There's clearly a "gender bending" aspect to have these characters take the roles of historical figures of the "opposite" gender but the role assignment is as far as that went. The only new item of clothing that gendered Yoru was a kimono overcoat worn over his school uniform while Sara was only gendered by a piece of armour worn on top of hers. And of course Yoru can have a baby, you can just go pick those up anywhere. Like, at the cabbage patch. Intentionally or not it becomes a farcical commentary on how gender is assigned upon you by others.

A lot of current manga are in some way colored by the pandemic and 2020 COVID lockdown era. After Shinzo Keigo was hospitalized from COVID complications he produced Hirayasumi. But his wife Natsuko Taniguchi was obviously affected by this time in world history and her personal life as well and produced her own manga in response to it. Fukiyose Residence introduces us to the flashy gal cashier at a non-franchise conbini. She talks loud, sits on a camping chair behind the register but her high spirits brings as much joy as annoyance to her customers. But her public self and private self couldn't be more different, which her neighbours in her apartment building learn one by one. A short but very sweet story about actually finding connection with those closest to you and the ways we transform ourselves through and for others.

Sometimes I don't do my due dilligence and check if I can get a title I'm eyeing in Japanese in english, but to be fair that overlap is just so rare that I lost the habit. But here I made a mistake, because last week Astro Biologist Pratess by Sarami got a translated omnibus release by Alien Press. That particular edition is not what I will review T^T but it's def one to check out. A classic coming of age during summer vacation with past lives from outer space a la Please Save My Earth and astral connections to an alien astro biologist brings 3 friends closer as they try to figure out exactly what they want from life. This is one I wish was just 1 or 2 volumes longer so all 3 characters got to be fully fleshed out but I enjoyed what we got and it made me feel even more excited about what manga is waiting for us in the near future. The work was also licensed in Spanish so if that's your preferred way to read do check it out!

[epickiya722]

My problem with bkdk is that I emotionally got disconnected from the ship because of how it was written. I know they are friends and see each other but other than that, what are they? They arent a hero duo, they arent competing against each other, they dont work together, Horikoshi says that Bkg isnt special to Izuku because its now Ochako, so bkdk dont even have a special bond apparently. They dont share a future together. Like... what am I supposed to feel for this ship? Again, I get that theyre friends but it is not enough for me to be invested in this.

No disrespect, truthfully, but we have opposing ideas. And what I'm about to say, you don't have to agree with. I don't ever expect that from anybody.

If there's one thing that 431 did keep consistent is that it is open-ended as 430 is.

With that said, I don't see how this chapter is telling us that Bakugou and Midoriya can't be a hero duo. I said it before, they don't need an agency to do that. Just because Midoriya isn't working at the same building don't mean they can't be heroes together. Miruko, a Hero who works alone and doesn't have an agency, has constantly been shown to partner with other Heroes, so how could that not work for BakuDeku?

Yes, Midoriya and Bakugou won't always be working in the field together. Because Midoriya chose to be a teacher, it makes him happy and he should do something that does make him happy.

That doesn't mean their special bond is gone. That doesn't mean Ochako is suddenly that special person to Izuku. I have my reasons to think that.

And while this chapter is weirdly written the more I think about it, the less this chapter does feel like an Izuku and Ochako chapter. I feel more like a self-acceptance chapter. It was just... not written well, I guess. Or something else! I'll talk about that later.

I said it before in a post long before we even got the full chapter, Izuku and Ochako mirror each other.

Here's the thing about MHA and being a SJ manga. If this chapter was really meant to be for Izuku and Ochako getting together, then how come whoever worked on this chapter didn't have them actually mention each other in their conversations before meeting up with each other?

Instead, the conversations they have with the others (Izuku with Katsuki and Eijiro, Ochako with Tsu) is about themselves. The conversations was about their (Izuku's/Ochako's) work lives. About how they're feeling.

I haven't actually seen if they even mentioned the other at all until the very end of the chapter.

I find it interesting that the part where Izuku is turning his head to look at Ochako, there's this phrase that says, from the translations I saw, "... a version of myself" or "... a me I haven't discovered..."

That sounds more like self-discovery than him realizing romantic feelings which is long over due, let's be real. Again, that mirroring I mentioned!

Who in the heck has a self-discovery journey and comes to the conclusion they need to be romantically involved with someone? If anything that's how relationships fall apart. You have to love yourself first. Accept who you are and change what is needed to be.

To me, that moment, was Izuku coming to the realization that he could be a better him. Katsuki states to him that he thinks Izuku should start thinking more highly of himself. Izuku doesn't do that much for himself. Neither does Ochako.

Both of their goals aligned with something revolving around other people.

Both wanted to be heroes, wanting to save and make people smile. Ochako had the goal to become a hero to have money to help her parents. Izuku wanted to be a hero like All Might. Which is him wanting to be like another person.

In previous chapters, we had Ochako reflecting on herself whenever Izuku came into the frame. She finds herself striving to be like him. This time around, it's Izuku's turn.

With the scene with Himiko and Ochako, Himiko pushes Ochako to be happy. But she never said to be happy with whoever you want. Just be happy with the way you want to live. That doesn't mean dating.

If this chapter was meant to be romantic for our main boy and girl, then why did it feel more like self-discovery? Why didn't this chapter cater more to developing a potential romance from the start of it? They have held hands before that looked more romantic (chapter 322, which is so funny to me that in the anime, they made it look less so) than that dap up.

Now why was this chapter framed to look like some "potential romance" between these two?

It just looks more like sneaky writing really to keep a crowd of people happy. That's the "something else" I mentioned earlier.

It's like "it looks like this, but really it's this".

So really, this chapter may look like it's set up for some romance for Izuku and Ochako, but instead it's set up for the two to accept themselves and what they want to do with their lives.

I know, I know. The whole "Ochako became Izuku's special person" part.

One, I don't find anything wrong with Izuku wanting to make that moment about Ochako because he hasn't spoken to her in a while anyways. At that moment, she became the person be wanted to talk to. They did become close friends during UA and who wouldn't want to make time for a friend?

Second, again bringing up back the mirror, what if this is Izuku seeing Ochako as him? Metaphorically, it's him wanting to talk to himself. Ochako is his mirror and he is hers. It's him finally coming to terms with wanting do something that doesn't involve him catering to other people. Same on Ochako's end. What if that's the case?

That's just my interpretation and again, I don't expect you or anyone else to see it the way I do.

The chapter didn't really make me feel disconnected from BakuDeku at all. I'm the same person whose favorite MHA ship right now is of two characters who don't interact on screen. So this chapter isn't stopping me any time soon.

Heck, this chapter even made me adore TsuChako more. That's been my ship since day one and even with the whole TogaChako rise, didn't stop me from seeing pink and green and crying at the thought of TsuChako.

It's so funny to me that in this very chapter that Izuku and Ochako literally made plans to see Katsuki and Tsuyu the following day. (Tsu and Ochako being at an agency together and Katsuki being Izuku's guest teacher.)

Now, if you feel disconnected from BakuDeku, that's fine. I'm not going to tell you to not feel disconnected or convince you otherwise. If you feel disconnected, maybe not look at anything related to the two. Don't talk about them anymore. Anything you have to, really.

I'm not going to tell you to feel how you choose to and again, this answer to the ask isn't me trying to convince you to change your mind.

[cheesy09]

[CN] Kiro's Peach Blossoms Date (Part 1)

🌸 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date that hasn't been released on the EN server yet! 🌸

[Note: This translation was done with the help of Google Translate :>]

——*:･ﾟ✧——*:･ﾟ✧——

[PART 1]

Everything is quiet. Dewdrops fall on the eaves of the ancient building, and gusts of wind enter from outside the window.

Kiro is dressed in a blue shirt, gripping a red-tassled spear, lunging and sweeping across the cluster of budding peach blossoms.

The red and blue complement each other, sketching a colorful ink painting of waves chasing the sun. I reluctantly look away and lean back on the couch to edit the Weibo post.

"Isn't Kiro's acting skills the ceiling? The entertainment industry is his domain!"

"If you don’t believe me, you can watch every one of his works and you will know what drama is synonymous with."

Looking at the nine carefully selected photos of Kiro in period costume dramas from different eras, I hum with pride.

Knock knock——Suddenly, there is a light sound of knocking beside my ear, accompanied by a lazy chuckle.

Kiro: Lady Miss Chips, I thought you woke up so early to practice martial arts with me, but you've just been holding that "big brick" in your hands the entire morning.

I look up towards the sound and see him sitting casually by the window, so I pout and show him the screen of my cell phone.

MC: You were wronged. All I'm doing is upholding justice~

MC: There is no end to those unscrupulous marketing accounts. It's easy to guess which media companies are responsible.

MC: They don't have the talent to get the leading role... So they attack you for having too three-dimensional features and too deep eyes to be suitable for acting in period dramas?

MC: Hmph, when you, the young Sun Ce, became famous overnight, I wonder what they were doing.

Last night, Kiro's oriental epic masterpiece co-written by a famous director was previewed for the first time on the Internet. News of its investment of hundreds of millions has aroused widespread attention and expectations.

However, there were quite a few unpleasant comments mixed in, and as a producer, I could tell who the troublesome capitalists were.

Kiro: Don't be angry. Aren't you used to this kind of thing?

Kiro: Besides, Savin has already solved the problem, so we can just stay in Ruyi Town for the holidays and enjoy a peaceful life without being disturbed by anyone a while.

Kiro smiles and climbs over the windowsill to sit down. I fall into his arms and pout unhappily.

MC: I know, but I'm just mad...

MC: Especially when I saw those slanderous articles, I couldn't sit still, so—

Kiro: So you immediately contacted the lawyer of Loveland Films to assist Savin, and then logged onto social media to seek justice for me?

I blink blankly.

MC: How do you know all that?

Kiro: Well, because...

He hesitates as he stretches out his fingertips and traces my face like a painting.

Kiro: It says here "Damn it, I'm going to report all those who speak bad about Kiro!"

Kiro: And here is, "It could have been a perfect vacation, but now it's ruined by them, woooo..."

Kiro: There's also your slightly wrinkled eyebrows and the flaring tip of your nose....

The place where his fingertips rub feels ticklish, and I'm unable to stop myself from laughing.

He unsuspectingly takes my cell phone away and hugs me tighter.

Kiro: So I'm going to interrupt your thoughts now and not let them take up our time.

Kiro: See, you missed how cool I looked during my shooting practice just now...

Seeing him grumble in mock anguish, the slight annoyance in my heart seems to unknowingly dissipate.

MC: Seems like the gains don't outweigh the losses when you say that... Then I don't want to miss your next move~

MC: What are we going to do later?

Kiro: Let me think... There is a temple fair in town today, why don't we go and join in the fun?

MC: Okay, but don't you want to take a break? You were studying the script until midnight last night.

Kiro: Nah, I'm not the least bit sleepy. Let's go, change clothes and go out~

He pulls me to the wardrobe, and I see several sets of clothes prepared by the organizers. Unable to make up my mind for a moment, I steal a glance at Kiro's selection.

Unexpectedly, his eyes rest thoughtfully on the two bright red wedding outfits. I can't help but poke his arm in a teasing manner.

MC: Ahem, the "One Hundred Marriages" event is only three days away... Could it be that a certain someone can't even wait that long?

Kiro: ...A bit. If possible, I'd like to see you in your wedding dress today.

Seeing his frank admission, I feel a bit overwhelmed.

MC: As - as if you haven't seen me in one before!

Kiro: it's because I've seen you in one before, that I'm looking forward to it even more.

Kiro: Looking forward to you wearing it, smiling at me and calling my name.

There is a hint of tenderness in his mirthful gaze, and he reaches out and gently smooths out a wrinkle in his wedding outfit.

Kiro: But if we got married today, you'd definitely be in a rush because you won't have enough time to prepare.

Kiro: And… the weather today isn't the most perfect either.

As he speaks, he looks out the window at the peach orchard and begins to gesture with his arms outstretched.

Kiro: The day I marry you, the weather must be clear and sunny.

Kiro: These peach blossoms have to be in full bloom as well. They'll join me in marrying the most beautiful you.

I look over and see the flower buds hanging on the branches tremble slightly, which softens my heart as well.

MC: Weren’t these peach trees just planted? Will they bloom so soon?

He turns around and smiles firmly.

Kiro: Of course, the most indispensable thing between us are miracles, right?

Kiro: So I'm pretty sure. On that day, not only miracles, but all the good things in the world will come to greet us.

——*:･ﾟ✧——*:･ﾟ✧——

[PART 2]

After changing clothes, we leave the courtyard and come to the temple fair area.

The street is crowded with people. Seeing me look around nervously as we walk, Kiro squeezes my palm as if to comfort me.

Kiro: Don't worry, today I used the new contouring technique my makeup artist taught me, so no one will notice.

MC: But in my eyes you don't look all that different...

I turn my head and took a closer look. He is wearing a red and blue robe today, with a ribbon hanging down around his bun.

Although his hairstyle has changed a lot, his face still looks like Kiro's...

Kiro: That's because you're someone who knows me best.

He smiles and takes my fingertips, gently running them along the space between his eyebrows... the bridge of his nose...

Kiro: You see, there is more white space on my face, and my facial features have gotten softer. It's less likely to attract attention.

He points out the modified spots one by one, but I just blink in confusion.

Kiro: Still don’t see the difference?

MC: Hm...

He chuckles, and his mood seems to improve.

Kiro: Never mind. If someone recognizes me, just take me and run away.

MC: Okay. I'll run away and marry you, and no one will be able to find us~

As we joke with each other, the blue bricks and tiles sparkle in the sun, and an ancient fragrance surrounds the area.

MC: Do you get the feeling like we're living in ancient times when walking on such a street?

Kiro: To be honest, I felt that way ever since we arrived in Ruyi Town.

Kiro: It’s like suddenly traveling to paradise and starting a whole new life.

I suddenly think of something and burst out laughing.

MC: Wouldn't we be unemployed? After all, in ancient times, there was no technology and the Internet to allow us to show our talents...

Kiro: That's not necessarily the case. We still have some strengths.

He looks into the distance in contemplation, a smile in his eyes.

Kiro: As a modern day individual... the first thing we need to do when traveling back to ancient times is to make good use of the information gap.

Kiro: That way I can open an unprecedented milk tea shop and make my first pot of gold.

MC: Pfft, you've read way too many novels.

Kiro: I'm serious! When I earn enough money, I'll buy a large carriage and "wander" with you to see all the beautiful rivers and mountains.

He opens his arms to gesture the size of the carriage. Touched, I start indulging in this fantasy along with him.

MC: So what should I do?

Kiro: You'll be making bubble tea with me, of course. I can't handle it alone.

MC: Hahahaha...!

Amidst my laughter, I see a dazzling array of small stalls nearby, and my eyes light up.

MC: I know. I can set up a stall next to the milk tea shop and sell calligraphy, paintings and other small items.

MC: We should focus on both material and spiritual food!

Kiro: Good idea. I can help you write poems and make paintings when I have free time.

MC: Hahaha, no, no, your paintings are abstract, people from back then may not be able to appreciate them.

Kiro: Hmph, seems that I need to put my all into poetry then.

He shrugs indifferently, picks up a folding fan from the calligraphy and painting stall in front of him, and leisurely waves it around.

Note: The next lines that Kiro recite are written in the form of poetry that don't really translate well into English. I've done my best to make the lines as poetic as possible without changing too much of the meaning, but do take with a grain of salt :>

Kiro: With my heart spoken for, and the moon bright; we share this life together, along with its ever brilliant light.

Seeing him do it so effortlessly, makes my eyes widen in surprise.

MC: You don't say. It really does sound like it~

MC: But I don't think I've ever heard of this poem. Is it a less popular work by a famous poet?

The smile on his lips deepens.

Kiro: What the girl doesn't know is that these are not written by a famous poet, but are just a few lines of casual poetry on a fan.

Stunned, I look at the blank folding fan in front of his chest.

MC: I can't see it like this, turn it over and show me.

I reach out to take it, but he closes the fan and holds it high in the air.

Kiro: Oh... don’t worry, there is one more sentence—May the stars reflect in your eyes and sing along with you in your dreams.

Kiro: How is it? Do you like it?

MC: Well, not bad? It seems like it was tailor-made for our "Twinkle"~

MC: Any more?

Kiro: Mm... none for now.

MC: For now? Don’t keep me in suspense, show me now.

I stand on tiptoe to reach it, curious and impatient, but the man nimbly turns around on the spot, picks up the floral ornament from the stall with his fingertips, and pins it into my bun like magic.

Kiro: Would you look at that, we suddenly have a new sentence.

Kiro: Because of you, flowers bloom and fall; The blowing spring breeze fills my heart with joy.

Looking at that familiar smirk, I vaguely realize something and put my hands on my hips in mock irritation.

MC: Wait, this poem can't be the work of someone called Ki...Ro, right?

Kiro: Nope~

He smiles and unfolds the fan. During the pause, I see that both the front and back of the fan are blank.

Kiro: It was written by Mr. Wuhui. It bears the true feelings he expressed when faced with the woman he loves.

MC: Oh, Mr. Wuhui is really a great writer of our time~

MC: But where did you learn all this? Do people in California still teach classical Chinese?

Kiro: I learned most of it myself, and also consulted a couple of Chinese culture teachers along the way.

Kiro: After all, when developing in the country, the more comprehensive the better.

MC: Wow, your professionalism is truly a role model in the industry!

??: Look there, why is someone with blonde hair wearing traditional chinese clothes...?

??: Yeah, but doesn't he look a bit like... Kiro?

Suddenly, a voice sounds from afar, instantly shattering the smile on my face.

I turn my head in shock, and watch people coming and going in front of me.

??: Impossible. He's become a hot topic lately. You think he'd dare to go outside?

??: That's true, but I've also heard some rumors that he was an abandoned illegitimate child... Is it true?

The noisy footsteps blends together with the whispers, making it hard to tell where the source is from. It feels as though everyone on the street has become a suspect.

I feel a chill go through my heart, and then I realize something...

I thought the slanderous articles were just the hype generated by marketing accounts or the manipulations by capitalists...

But perhaps the real "malice" is sometimes such an unintentional act that makes it difficult to guard against.

I clench my palms and secretly observe Kiro, only to find that while paying the stall owner, he half covers his face with the fan and yawns.

Kiro: [yawning] Miss Chips... I think I need a cup of refreshing tea...

Seeing him mumble to himself, totally unaware of the noise that has just passed by, I instantly breathe a sigh of relief.

Luckily he didn't hear...

I clench my slightly stiff fingertips and point to the teahouse ahead.

MC: Why don't we go there and take a break?

Kiro: Also, should we continue our discussion on our ancient entrepreneurial plan?

MC: Sure!

As I take a step forward, a drop of cold air hits the tip of my nose. I look up and find that the sky has suddenly changed, with a few large dark clouds floating in, a sign of heavy rain.

MC: ...It's going to rain.

Kiro: —Oh no, our peach blossoms!

He suddenly thinks of something, grabs my hand, turns around and breaks off into a sprint.

——*:･ﾟ✧——*:･ﾟ✧——

[PART 3]

When I step into the courtyard, the rain pours down heavily and the world grows noisy.

After Kiro drops me off under the eaves, he turns around and rushes into the heavy rain, heading straight for the wooden ladder by the wall.

MC: Kiro!

Kiro: You go in first!

The rain makes his voice intermittent, and it appears as though he is searching for something in the yard.

I hurry back to the house, finding an oil-paper umbrella in the corner. I open it and rush into the rain, only to find that figure already deep in the peach forest.

Kiro sets up a wooden ladder and steps up, then hangs the large bundle of fishing nets in his hand on the top of the tree.

The world is covered in white, and the unopened flower buds sway in the wind and rain. I quickly run to his side and hold the umbrella towards him.

He is entirely soaked through. Even his usually curly hair is soaked by the weight of the rain and sticks to his forehead somewhat messily.

However, those eyes are still bright.

Kiro: Why did you come here?

MC: I'm here to hold the umbrella for you, of course! I wanted to find two raincoats, but all I could find was this...

He is stunned for a moment, looking at me as I almost get soaked, and laughs.

Kiro: Such heavy rain can't be stopped. You should go back quickly...

MC: Who said that? I will block as much as I can. Isn't that why you came back to save the peach blossoms?

I reach out and wipe the rain off his face and laugh.

MC: Plus, I don't want the yard to be bare on my wedding day.

MC: I... also need to take photos and post them on Moments.

His eyes flicker, and he gives me some of the fishing net in his hand.

Kiro: That’s right, happy occasions should be lively and festive.

Kiro: Let's hang it up together, and then find some cloth to cover the net, it'll be safer that way.

MC: Sure! But where did these fishing nets come from?

Kiro: Found it in the yard. Ruyi Town is built facing the lake, so every household has one.

Kiro: Seems like you aren't familiar enough with our residence. I'll have to punish you by asking you to explore it a few more times.

The whole world is dyed in a fog by the heavy rain, but that dazzling color can never be washed away.

-

The crude awning is quickly put up, but even until dark, the world is still submerged in heavy rain, and even time seems to have slowed down.

??: Sorry, due to heavy rain, some of the props for the One Hundred Marriages event were damaged, so the event has been temporarily postponed.

A few drops of rain splash over me. I hang up the phone and sit down side by side with Kiro in front of the window. We both sigh.

MC: Not only can we not go out, but even the most anticipated event has been cancelled....

Finding it a little hard to accept, I look up at the dark sky with a glimmer of hope.

MC: God who controls all weather conditions, please be merciful and make the rain stop.

Listening to me mumble, Kiro beside me starts to chuckle.

Kiro: If you speak so quietly, the gods won't hear you.

MC: But it's late, and shouting loudly might disturb the neighbors nearby.

Kiro: Silly Miss Chips, who said that prayers can only be made with words? We can also bribe them with delicious food.

As he says this, he stands up and runs out of the room. When he comes back, he is holding a bunch of apples, bananas, various candies and potato chips in his arms.

After a short while, he arranges them neatly and sits down with his hands clasped together.

Kiro: Hello everyone, I am Kiro.

Kiro: I was going to marry Miss Miss Chips soon, but this rain has turned me into a wife-waiting statue...

Kiro: Of course, I know that as long as two people love each other, time and weather don't matter.

Kiro: But I still want to welcome the sunny day with her, want the peach blossoms to bloom, and want everything to be just right.

Kiro: That way I can see her smile without any regrets on the wedding day and hear her say "I do".

My heart suddenly softens, and I can't help but follow his lead and put my hands together.

MC: I am the same, I want my beloved Kiro to be the happiest groom in the world.

MC: If you think we are too greedy... just stop the rain first, and we will do the rest ourselves~

Upon my words, he turns his head and widens his eyes.

Kiro: Wait, why are you bargaining with yourself first? Withdraw, withdraw—

Kiro: Oh Gods, please follow my wishes~

Kiro: I know I'm greedy, but for her, I want to try every method.

Amid the deafening rain, his voice grows softer and softer, yet is filled with piety and longing.

I look at him for a long time, overcome with a sense of peace.

It doesn’t matter if the gods can’t hear me; the dark clouds in my heart have already been blown away by him.

-

Without warning, my eyes suddenly open in the middle of the night.

The reflection of the moonlight sways slightly, and I turn over and bury myself into Kiro's arms. After he subconsciously tightens his arms, I close my eyes in satisfaction.

But for some reason, sleep suddenly evades me.

MC: ..........

I listlessly open my eyes, and my gaze unconsciously falls on the person in front of me.

His freshly washed hair is fluffy and soft, a complete contrast to the messy "wet pup" he was in the afternoon.

I can't help but reach out and stroke it, then trace it all the way, letting my fingers wander between the arch of his eyebrows, the bridge of his nose and his lips.

Just as I raise the corners of my lips, a voice suddenly flashes through my mind.

??: How can someone with blonde hair wear traditional chinese clothes...

I frown and shake my head, trying to get rid of the fading episode from my mind.

But for some reason, I can't seem to get rid of it.

It was like a single wooden thorn pierced itself into my skin, existing silently and sinking deeper and deeper.

Once things settle down, that little bit of pain will spread throughout my body with the beating of my heart, attacking me again and again.

It certainly doesn't cause any substantial harm or pain, but it takes root in my mind and I am unable get rid of it.

MC: ..........

I take a deep breath, kiss the person in front of me, and get up from the bed. I take out the laptop Kiro brought, and sit myself at the table.

As expected... I still can't let go of this matter.

I press the power button and create a spreadsheet. I plan to collect evidence and accuse all those rumors and malicious intentions.

The moment I click on the browser search box, the world around me suddenly seems to darken.

On the blank screen in front of me, a long and dense row of historical search records pop up.

"Kiro"; "Kiro's parents"; "Little Sodas"; "Mixed-blood"; "Kiro's acting skills".

MC: .....!

The rain outside the window gets heavier and heavier, pounding against my heart with sorrow.

Turns out that he has always cared... Hiding it all with a smile.

I purse my lips, walk over to him and gently sit down.

The moonlight shines quietly on Kiro, and he sleeps peacefully, as if none of the troubles in the world can get to him.

MC: Why... didn't you tell me?

Obviously there is a "thorn" hidden in your heart that cannot be ignored as well.

I stare at the person in front of me for a long time, and finally, with helplessness and distress, I poke his cheek with my fingertips.

MC: Kiro....

MC: You're such a big idiot.

——*:･ﾟ✧——*:･ﾟ✧——

Next: Part 2