#imagine the silly challengers content we could have

[expectopatronxm]

Josh O’Connor trying to understand Bootylicious by Destiny’s Child

And what did Kelly say?

So none of them can handle it?

[three-realms-archive]

The Three Realms Archive: Masterlist and Rules!

Welcome to the Three Realms Archive, where you can find stories about the beings that reside in the Three Realms and beyond! Whether it be stories of the Avatars of Sin, the students of Prince Diavolo’s RAD exchange programme, or of the incredible human who became sorcerer under the tutelage of the Wise Sorcerer and Master of the Seven Rulers of the Underworld… You can find their stories here!

Atmospheric introduction aside, welcome to this side blog for writing to do with Obey Me! And Obey Me! Nightbringer. These will most likely be bits and pieces that come to me when they come.

My ideas inbox is currently open (use the ‘Ideas Here!’ tab to send them), but please read the rules below first!!!

This blog is new, so bear with me whilst I work on aesthetics and getting started on writing/uploading some stuff I've written :D

Rules and masterlist under the cut:

Rules and Considerations

Please be kind and respectful to each other!

For personal reasons, this is a non-NSFW blog. Please do not suggest NSFW in the ideas box beyond slightly suggestive - any requests like this will be ignored. I will do my best to place content warnings where I think it's needed.

The ideas inbox is called such because you can be as vague as you want - even a single word. However, it is also called this because they are ideas and - depending on various factors like my schedule, how inspired I am, and how much certain ideas inspire me to write - there is no guarantee I write for every idea, or the same amount for every idea. Thank you for understanding in advance :D

I’m a fairly new OBM player, so if anything I write is contrary to the canon, please let me know and I can add a note or rectify it. Most of these are meant to be “imagine the character in this situation” and my personal interpretation.

Have fun!

Masterlist

🌟Inspired by an ideas inbox request!

Oneshot Fics

Checking In: The House of Lamentation family check into a human-world hotel.

Beware MC, the Kind: Sorcerer MC is gaining a reputation similar to that of their teacher, Solomon the Wise. But for what reasons?

Let's Form an Idol Group: Will Asmo's next attempt at making his brothers into a boy band succeed? (This one has a cute commenting challenge - please check it out!)

Dramatic Drama: Telenovelas can be very emotionally-investing for demons.

🌟A Small, Little Lie: TSL Arranged Marriage! AU. The sentence "I love you" means very different things to the Lord of Masks and his spouse and former-knight, Henry.

Love Me, Or Not: Satan pulls on flower petals, hoping to get the same result you did.

Was Never Your First, After All: A childhood friend visits you and Mammon realises ‘first man’ doesn’t suit him much anymore.

First Dates: A collection of first date thoughts from each Avatar of Sin.

Short Snippets

Ante Up: Mammon finds he's a lot more motivated to win quickly when he's at the casino with you.

The RAD School Play: Ideas about MC’s role in a school play at RAD.

Six Pillows and a Tattered Armchair: An angsty (ref. to Lesson 16) accompaniment to ‘Beel is Pillow’, exploring Belphie’s relationship with sleep in the aftermath of his actions.

The RAD Cheer Squad: 2, 4, 6, 8 - who do we appreciate? … Probably not whoever came up with the RAD Cheer Squad.

What Is Up, Fellow Celestials?: Luke finds this one human really, really cool. MC and Simeon suffer the consequences.

Just Wanting To Be Included: Mammon and Beel post a FabSnap video, but their brother just wants to be included.

Debuting Change: Diavolo invites a special guest to a special occasion.

Just A Study: Solomon tries to convince himself that living with you was just a study. Spoilers for Nightbringer Lesson 40!

Relent: Belphie has a super, super smart plan to get you to cuddle in bed with him.

A Rainy Day Indulgence: Simeon dances with you in the rain, and it reminds him of something.

Headcannons

Unhinged™: A bunch of silly headcanons that could each be their own anime episodes. Chaotic things the OBM! cast have done. Inspired by this post by @leniisreallycool.

Series

Beel is Anything, If You Beel-ieve

A very unserious collection of slice-of-life snippets, where Beel goes on a journey to become as many things as possible.

Beel is Pillow: Beel is pillow.

Beel is Paint: Beel is paint, according to Asmo.

Beel is Anime: Beel is anime, and Levi is not okay with this.

🌟 Scars, Wounds and Minor Inconveniences

A series exploring slice-of-life snapshots of the Obey Me! characters in the aftermath of Lesson 16. Each chapter is made up of two posts: a oneshot centred around one of MC's scars, wounds or minor inconveniences; and a post with the general headcanons inspiring the oneshot. Features references to injury and spoilers for Lesson 16 of OG Obey Me!.

Phantom Pain (Oneshot + Headcannons): Mammon is used to your 'needles-thing' by now. He doesn't mind it. After all, he has his own things he does every now and again.

A Weak Wrist (Oneshot + Headcannons): Your wrist is still weak from the TSL Quiz; so Lucifer doesn’t understand why you trust Leviathan more.

Nightmares (Oneshot + Headcannons): Belphegor relishes you and Beel growing further apart... until he doesn't, when Beel's dreams change.

Splintered Arms and a New Bedtime Routine (Oneshot + Headcannons - Coming Soon!): The angels are confused at the weird routine you and Beel have before bedtime during a sleepover at Purgatory Hall.

Better, Quicker Reflexes (Oneshot + Headcannons - Coming Soon!): Lucifer used to think his form of discipline was effective.

[mkuliatruther]

MK's (and MKulia's) odds according to EP9-13 leaks. (Spoilers, obvi.)

hey all! i have too many thoughts and instead of going on a long ramble on my priv i thought i could.. y'know.. actually share my thoughts for once! i'm gonna say this right now that my thoughts may leave a rather negative tongue, so if mkulia (or mk!) is ur comfort and u don't wanna hear anything bad i suggest not reading this!! without further ado, time to ramble!

i'll talk about MK first before i talk about my thoughts on MKulia. right off the bat: she's getting eliminated EP9. this just goes without saying i think but i want to elaborate on this more. in EP8 we have: raj | wayne | julia | MK | caleb | priya | damien | zee in EP10 we see damien:

in EP12 we see caleb:

and in EP11 we see wayne and raj's clothes:

and going back to EP10's description, both julia and priya are mentioned:

AS FAR AS EP9 GOES, this leaves: raj | wayne | julia | MK | caleb | priya | damien MK is not mentioned nor seen. at all. and yes, raj is left up in the air as well but at least there is higher hopes for our silly guy. there has been the popular theory of "well, raj may have given wayne his hoodie to remember him!" but... i think the odds of that are low? raj gifting wayne something before getting eliminated is very plausible, but i see no reason as to why he'd give away his hoodie to him? i feel like if that was the case he would have given wayne something else IMO. even if we don't take it at full face value, there's still a very low chance that MK's safe from elimination (and she'd probably be safe for like another 2 episodes if she were to be safe EP9. the odds of her being a finalist are also incredibly low). after being outed as a cheater, she hasn't been doing all that well in challenges either and since EP9's challenge has to do something with breaking objects, i can only imagine how well she'd do with that. and MKulia can make their alliance not-so-obvious-and-not-so-strong for so long. people are gonna want to break them up. now let's say MK's out EP9. this leaves both priya and julia as the only female contestants remaining in the game. and assuming they're going to add a female finalist it's going to be julia. and ALSO assuming we're going to get helpers for the finale, we MAY get more mkulia content. it's not that bad! may i also add EP9's title is 'Breaking Up Is Hard To Do' while yes this is about prileb, this could also be about mkulia. with mk getting eliminated, julia has to deal with fighting on her own. and we know very well that julia cares for MK, platonic or not. So what does this mean for MKulia? people fail to realize what mk getting eliminated means. we get to see how julia deals with it (unless she just moves on and doesn't care like what priya kind of did when millie got eliminated ... i'd cry.)

plus, if MK does get eliminated next episode we'll have more MKulia content in EP9 without a doubt. there's still so many questions left unanswered and i'm sure those will be resolved before MK goes home. and honestly, i have high hopes. i think MKulia will end off on a sweet note. do i think we'll get canon MKulia? absolutely not. it'd be really nice, but i doubt it. at best, it'll probably be up to viewers interpretation whether or not julia's care for MK comes from a romantic or platonic standpoint. i think that's how far we're going to get. calling it queer bait is a little bit of an exaggeration IMO, then again i am very picky with the fandoms i am in so i don't really know what it's like to ship something that is possibly queerbait. we just gotta buckle up and endure whatever BS will get thrown at us MKulia nation. o7

and hopefully i am very wrong about this. i have extremely low expectations so i can be happy if im wrong LMFAO!!

[momo-shut-the-fuck-up]

So i ve done the main story in infinity nikki and im gonna stop playin now, before i squeeze the game dry of content and have nothing (new) to do on release.

Time for a lil review/thoughts post

I m not gonna review every single mechanic in the game, simply things that stood out to me or that i wanna talk about. I also wont add more images, i kinda want ppl to see the world for themselves... i ll share more when the game comes out tho.

There s a lot of text under this. Tldr, i like the game i think it's a solid, enjoyable experience with a good gameplay loop, the story isn't for me, and i'll keep playin of course. And u should try it too if ur device wont blow itself up tryin to run it.

Dress up

The bread and butter of Nikki games... it's good as usual. Game doesn't shy away from long skirts or coat tails or complicated ballgowns just cuz nikki can run and jump and dash now and i'm very happy bout that. There's some clipping issues once in a while, but it's nothing major and the clothes we do have in the game are lovely. There s an evolution system for some of the sets, which makes em a diff color.... usually they can evolve once, but i saw Three extra evolutions for one of the UR sets and that scares me. Bcs to evolve them u have to craft the suit again. So u have to pull 4 copies of a suit to max it out..

Combat

Game's definitely succeeding in its quest for being cozy. There's no real stakes, combat isn't difficult in the slightest but i do welcome it- super simple but it's pretty fun regardless. The boss fights were surprisingly creative and fun for what they are, it's just unfortunate that you have to do them more than once or twice (crafting mats)- but they do change what the boss does so it's different depending on what mat u are farming for... and u can claim double or triple or however much stamina u got-le of the mat after u complete it once. So that s rly nice.

Exploration

I actually think it's really really good. Again this isn't a difficult or complicated game, not yet i guess... but with the major goal being "get new clothes" and "take pretty pictures maybe", the open world feels actively engaging to participate in. There's collectibles everywhere, little challenges you can do that are diverse but quick, styling battles, collecting everythin from animals fur to bugs to fish, and allll of this brings u closer to that never ending goal of woo more clothes.

However even if a challenge doesnt give you a blueprint, it's still just. Really Nice to exist in this world. It's very whimsical, as expected of Lilith, and the world has a combination of realism and cartoon artstyle that is just soso appealing to me. It's genuinely how i would've imagined miraland to look in 3d. Shame it's not the same miraland we know..

Story

Hmm... silly is one word i could use for it. Cute also. The story isn't doin anythin bad per se, and i did start skippin dialogue near the end w the pieceys because i want to keep at least Some part of the story for the game's release... but i get the gist of it, and it s just not my thing.

It feels like a story made for children, and it definitely would get a G rating. Easy and simple to follow, there's moments of tension or sadness sure but with the antagonist bein a literal babie lookin cutey fairy with a grown man's voice, or the creatures that i'm interacting with are a bunch of. Fuckin weird lookin big eyed balls of fabric that look closer to plushies than somethin Alive... it's all so silly and dramatic sometimes i can t help but cringe.

Part of it is a me problem, if u just open ur heart and free urself from the cringe the story is fine. It's just a little too kiddy for me and i so desperately hope it won't stay like this forever. My prayers might be answered though, there's a whole war beyond the borders and we have refugees around... shit's lookin bad for Umbrosa.

Other things i noticed that i liked:

The effect on nikki's skin when it's raining, she actually has water dripping down her face... its so cool

Momo capes are actually kinda neat ngl. Especially cuz the fucker follows u around everywhere, at least i can bedazzle him

Npc models look really good im a fan. They do suffer from "everyone is very beautiful" syndrome, which makes some of the npc villains look/sound ridiculous, but they have kid-teen-adult-elderly versions of models (i never see teen models in these games! Its cool!) And some body variation. The grandmas look so lovely i cry

The dark skin tone is really dark, and it looks quite nice and natural.

The lighting engine in this game is just rly good in general. God bless UE5

The edges of the map where there s forest, which u obv cant go thru, the forest is made to be darker, thicker.... i m a huge fan of this idk y. It's not just *invisible wall in front of an open field* nopee cant go there lets explore that area later tee hee. And it looks good to boot.

Camera function is p robust, has more options for changin brightness/saturation/contrast etc which i feel Shining Nikki lacks.

Some of the creature designs are so good man i looove themm <3.... the pieces are awful tho. Ok creature design is a hit and miss sometimes but the stray hatty? Peak. All the weirdy fashionable animals? Peak.

Bein able to quick switch thru ur saved sets while in the overworld is real neat

Oke that was it. Bye

[arminsumi]

˗ˏˋ꒰ 📖 ꒱ BOOKSTORE BOY

Armin x fem!reader

Chapter index / Chapter Ⅳ

Overview; it's been some time since you visited the bookstore and Armin has been missing you a lot. But you appear just when the lonely blue-eyed boy is closing up shop for the day. His grandfather has invites you back to their house in the countryside for dinner.

Content; fluff, angst, kissing

TAGLIST; @sad-darksoul

DM in my askbox to be added to taglists! 💕

Armin melancholically lowered his chin onto the cash register and let out a deflating sigh. His grandfather gave him a sympathetic look.

"She hasn't been around in a while." Armin muttered.

He looked blankly at the display books in the window; they were all crammed together. There was an unmoved cart full of books standing nearby, which he hadn't had the energy or motivation to shelve away.

"She'll come around again." His grandfather assured.

"But it's been weeks..." Armin replied glumly.

There was a silence.

Armin sighed again and rubbed the side of his face with his hand. "It feels so quiet." He commented. It was clear in his voice how much he missed you.

"Chin up." His grandfather said.

Armin halfheartedly pulled himself together.

The working day had come to an end again and you hadn't been there. Armin assured his grandfather that he could close up shop himself, so he let him be and went to get groceries for dinner. Umi the cat comfortably napped in the basket that he carried.

While glumly locking the front door and rolling down the shutter, he heard someone shouting for him.

"Wait! Armin!" You called out, running towards the store.

Armin's heart leaped at the sight of you.

"H-hey!" He stuttered out in surprise.

When you reached him, you panted to catch your breath, "I-I guess I'm a little late... I forgot you closed at five."

After hearing your voice and seeing your smiling face again, it felt like not much time had passed at all since your last meeting.

"Oh... well, since you're here." Armin mumbled softly. He rolled up the shutter again and unlocked the door to the bookstore. "But we best keep the lights off, or everyone will think we're still open."

"Okay!" You beamed happily at him.

So the two of you found yourselves alone together in the bookstore, browsing the aisles in the waning sunset light. Though, admittedly, neither of you were really paying attention to the books; you were too busy catching up on each other's lives.

You explained that your schedule had gotten wildly busy. Armin felt a bit silly, because he'd been overthinking, and came to the conclusion that maybe he said something to drive you away.

It's so nice to hear his voice again, you thought. And he was thinking the same thing.

"Ah, I missed you." You laughed after he made an awful pun about something.

He stuttered, unsure how to respond, "I did as well." He managed to say, but barely.

In the back of Armin's mind, he was trying so hard to challenge his nervousness. He had so much to say. Sometimes he'd lay awake in bed, imagining the conversations that he wanted to have with you.

"I'm not good at speaking..." He admitted. It seemed random to you, but it was currently burdening his mind. "But there's a lot that I want to talk about with you."

You looked at him understandingly. "Hm... maybe we should write to each other! I've been sending letters to my friends lately, but they think it's pretentious." You laughed.

It lowered your spirits remembering that. You were so excited to send old-fashioned letters to your friends as a surprise, but only one of them was vaguely amused by the endeavor. The rest were indifferent, or called you pretentious.

"I'd say any friend who calls you that isn't a friend at all." Armin said honestly. "Personally, I think the idea is really sweet. I'd love to receive a letter from y- from a friend."

You felt your eyes light up. He may have thought he was bad with his words, but every time you talked with him you felt your spirits rise.

"Well, actually, now that you mention it..." You began shyly. "I did write a letter for you. I've been meaning to give it to you for weeks, but everything seems to be getting in my way. It's so annoying!" You complained.

Armin smiled and intently listened to you complain about your schedule and how everything seems to go wrong even when you're careful. You dug around in your bag and pulled out the letter.

"Wow, a wax seal and all? That's really pretty... where did you come by one of those?" Armin analyzed the letter's seal, admiring the pattern.

You shrugged, "I found it in my grandmother's attic. She had a whole writing kit, with a special fountain pen, but I don't know how to use one of those... so I just wrote with a ballpoint pen."

Armin laughed, "I like that. A fancy letter written in ballpoint pen." He said.

It was almost completely dark in the bookstore, except for Armin's phone torch, which he propped on the books to provide a small area of light.

"I know how to use a fountain pen..." Armin mentioned after a short silence. "I could teach you."

"Oh really! Then, we could write real old-fashioned letters – pretty ones – to each other..." You responded excitedly.

"I'd love that." He admitted, and then added with a half-laugh, "Actually, you know, sometimes I want to throw my phone into a lake."

"Me as well. I don't like receiving phone calls, or text messages. When I tried to write text messages more eloquently, then I got slapped with one of those 'you're pretentious' comments." You said.

"Was it the same person who called you pretentious for the letters?" He asked.

You nodded, "Yeah. I'm not sure why I still talk to him, I guess it's just because we've known each other for so long."

Armin felt a small pang of jealousy in his chest.

"Well, personally, I'm just bad at texting. And writing, too, for that matter. I don't think I have a single poem that I'm proud of." Armin continued, steering the conversation away from the topic of whoever this mystery man was.

"You write poetry!" You gasped, "And you never told me!"

"I'm not good at it..." He nervously ran his fingertips over the back of his neck.

In the middle of your conversation, the doorbell chimed.

Armin's grandfather appeared at the entrance with one hand carrying a basket filled with market vegetables and the other carrying a familiar Russian Blue cat.

At first, he confusedly asked why the store wasn't closed up.

But when he saw you and Armin standing in an aisle, he raised his head in understanding. "Oh, I see." he said, "Well, Armin, at this rate, it would be kind to invite the young Miss back home for a warm meal. It's getting late and cold."

"Oh! Um, sorry! Yeah... um..." Armin stuttered.

It felt like after the atmosphere between you and him was disturbed, that Armin's ability to speak significantly decreased. Like a river's flow turning turbulent after having been laminar.

"...Would you like to?" Armin asked, turning to face you.

How could you refuse the idea of coming home for a warm meal with a sweet boy and his grandfather?

"I'd love to, as long as you both don't mind having me." You responded kindly. Armin felt the tone of your voice shift since you were no longer comfortably alone with him.

"Of course not. Let's get going then." Armin's grandfather said, and you three headed out the store together.

⁕⁕⁕

The night finally took over the sky. Street lamps lit up, their globe of light appearing fuzzy and soft. You and Armin followed his grandfather like he was the leader.

Even though he said it was alright for you to call him Harry, you anyways called him Sir Arlert out of respect.

It was a long walk to their house. They lived quite far out of town, it almost felt like you were in the countryside, but not quite. Sir Arlert explained to you that this was the 'old people area'; all the veterans who dedicated their hearts in the war were serenely snuggled up in these well-built homes.

"You can't pry these homes from them. They'll never give 'em up." His grandfather chuckled. It amused you how some elderly people speak of other elderly people, as if they are not all the same age.

"To be fair, I wouldn't give up these homes either. They remind me of English cottages." You said.

Armin was being silent, keeping his hands shyly tucked behind his back as the three of you walked on the dirt road.

"But it isn't nice," Sir Arlert spoke, "Because for young people like Armin, who live with geezers like me, there are no people his age in the area; just more old geezers. It gets lonely for young men."

You tilted your head in thought. "I guess that's true."

"I don't mind it." Armin said, blushing.

His grandfather quickly responded, "Ah but you were moping about being lonely and sick of seeing the same faces until Y/n walked into the bookstore one day!" He said.

Armin blushed violently. He felt the heat searing from the top of his cheeks to the bottom of his jaw.

"Really!" You laughed.

You finally arrived at their home. It was old. And just like the books in their bookstore, it was falling apart. But inside, it was as homely and inviting as browned pages.

While Armin hopped around like a nervous bunny to prepare the kitchen for cooking, his grandfather calmly lit the fireplace and set the table at a snail's pace.

You helped Sir Arlert where you could, and went to light up some candles and gas lamps. It felt like you were in another era, it was wonderfully cozy and quiet, not like in the city where you used to live like an ant in a colony.

The fireplace crackled very quietly.

Armin's nimble hands peeled potatoes and carrots. He began chopping them up for the stew, and then you came to stand by the kitchen's archway.

"Need a helping hand?" You asked him.

His voice nearly got caught in his throat. "No, I've got it – OW! Fuck!" He yelped as he cut his finger.

"Are you alright!" You cried, and quickly rushed over to him.

"Yeah, I'm good." He stuttered.

"Aw, your finger is bleeding! Let's go to the bathroom to fix it up." You said, hastily wrapping a cloth around Armin's finger.

⁕⁕⁕

He felt conflicted; his finger hurt, but at the same time, if he hadn't accidentally sliced it, then you and him wouldn't end up alone together in the bathroom upstairs.

The bare lightbulb flickered above. The candle by the window made up for its lackluster illumination.

"Sorry." Armin apologized softly.

"For what?" You tilted your head.

"For being a bit much." He said.

"I don't know what you mean, Armin."

He was trying to string a sentence together, he was on the verge of saying the first word, but then you smiled and interrupted him.

"It's alright, Armin. You don't have to speak a word, I know." You said understandingly, gently cleaning his wound with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol.

He nodded. "I-I'm usually not this bad at speaking..." He said shamefully. "It's just nerves."

"Do I make you nervous?" You asked.

He raised his face at you. His eyes were full of light despite being in a dim room.

"A little bit." He smiled lopsidedly, looking away the second you made eye contact.

"Sorry..." You say quietly.

"Not in a bad way, though." He assured.

You pursed your lips to keep from smiling. Armin did the same.

After nursing his finger, the two of you headed downstairs to continue cooking with his grandfather, and then joined together for a warm, homely meal.

Umi was in her own cat world, except for when you and Armin began washing the dishes; then she decided she wanted to sit in the dish rack.

"It's very cold," Armin's grandfather commented, "And there's a slight drizzle. If you want to stay for the night, Armin's room has plenty space. I'll get the blankets." He said.

Armin's heart panged in his chest. His sleeves were rolled up, and he had soap suds going up to his forearm.

"Oh, I don't want to be a burden... I'm sure I can make it home before the rain gets heavier." You said.

It seemed that the gods were trying very hard to keep you and Armin together tonight, because almost two minutes after you said that, a heavy thunderstorm broke out.

Rain cascaded down the roof's eaves.

Armin's grandfather went into the hallway to take out the blankets that were stowed away into a cupboard.

After washing up, he gave Armin these blankets, and then disappeared into his bedroom with a tired 'goodnight'.

⁕⁕⁕

Armin lead you into his room; it was a small attic room, as neat and composed as his style of clothes. He insisted that he take the floor, but you came up with another idea entirely.

"Why not the both of us make a fort, and sleep in it together?" You suggested.

"A-Alright." Armin laughed. His heart beat rapidly, he could feel it.

So the two of you built a plush fort together. Armin laid the base, and you brought the chairs and draped a mismatch of blankets and sheets over it. There were dazzling fairy lights strung by the window, and glow in the dark stars on the ceiling; towers of books threatened to spill over.

The two of you kept your voices hushed and gentle throughout the night.

"I like your room." You said, laying comfortably in the fort that the two of you made.

"Oh... thanks. I actually kind of hate it." Armin said.

You laughed, "Why? What's the matter with it?"

"Well, it's small and sad." He chuckled, "Just like me." He joked.

"Armin!" You laughed with him. "I don't think it's small and sad. It's full of life, and it's got your feeling plastered all over it."

He rolled onto his side to look at you. Such a simple thing, yet it took such courage. You felt really close to him, it was like the two of you were in a bubble that the world couldn't pierce.

"What do you mean, my 'feeling'? Is that good or bad?" He asked.

"It's good." You assured him.

He smiled a little.

Although he seemed so shy and gentle, there was something in his eyes that told you another story of his personality. He was a book that you had only just begun reading, but you wanted to skip in between the pages to answer all the questions you had about the plot.

"Armin, do you consider yourself a romantic person?" You asked. It seemed random to him, and made him blush.

"Well, sort of..."

"What do you mean, 'sort of'?" You smiled under the dim light.

Armin felt lulled by your voice.

"I've never really felt like I've been in love before meeting you." He blurted out.

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

The two of you looked at each other. You began laughing, and he did too.

"Sorry." He mumbled, hiding his face into the pillow. He recoiled so much, you felt his warmth leave your air.

"Don't hide away! I'm not startled, I'm just surprised. I didn't expect you to admit to that now." You said.

"You mean... you already knew that I like you?"

"Oh, definitely. I knew from day one." You laughed.

"Really!" Armin let out a long groan, "That's embarrassing. I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable."

You shook your head, "I like you very much, too. I'll be honest, most of the time when I came into the store to browse, I wished that you'd come up to me and say hello." You admitted.

That was a surprising revelation to him; he would have never thought that you were wishing for that.

"I meant to say hello many times, my friend always encouraged me to." He said.

"And why didn't you?" You asked teasingly.

"I was too shy and too nervous." He admitted simply. "I overthink a lot, it stops me from going after what I want."

A silence passed. You looked at him with glittering eyes. Armin really felt like kissing you right then, he was thinking very hard about it.

"Am I something that you want?" You asked.

Armin blushed.

"Yeah." He said.

You were trying to figure out how to tell him that the feeling was mutual, but then you realized that words are not necessary sometimes.

So you went in for a kiss. A swift, gentle kiss. All the meaningful feelings that words couldn't contain were expressed there, on both of your quivering lips.

[songbirdseung]

stuff toy / sim jake

Ever since you bought that Jake the Dog stuffed toy from Adventure Time, it had become your constant companion. You couldn't resist its charm, with its floppy yellow limbs and an adorable face that seemed to smile at you no matter how tough your day had been. You named it "Little Jake," and it quickly became your cuddle buddy, your confidant, and the source of endless comfort.

Little Jake was more than just a toy; it was a piece of you, an embodiment of the joy and nostalgia from the animated series you cherished. You couldn't imagine your life without it.

You carried Little Jake with you everywhere, earning a fair share of teasing from your friends, but you didn't mind. It was your little slice of happiness, and it brought you immense comfort in the face of life's challenges.

But there was one person who wasn't quite as thrilled about your newfound attachment: your boyfriend, Jake. Despite sharing the same name as the beloved stuffed toy, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

At first, he brushed it off, thinking it was just a harmless attachment. But as time passed, he noticed how you seemed to prefer cuddling Little Jake to cuddling with him. There were nights when you'd fall asleep with the stuffed toy nestled in your arms, leaving Jake feeling a little left out.

One evening, as you lay on the couch with Little Jake, Jake decided to bring up the topic that had been bothering him. "Y/N, can I talk to you about something?" he began cautiously.

You turned to him with a smile, still holding Little Jake close. "Of course, what's on your mind?"

Jake hesitated for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "It's just… I've noticed that you're really attached to that stuffed toy, and sometimes, it feels like you prefer it over me."

You furrowed your brow, not expecting this turn in the conversation. "Jake, it's not like that at all. Little Jake is just a stuffed toy. It doesn't replace you."

Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know it's silly, but sometimes I can't help feeling jealous."

You put Little Jake down and scooted closer to Jake, taking his hand in yours. "Jake, I love you, and nothing could ever replace you. Little Jake is just something that brings me comfort and nostalgia. It doesn't mean I love you any less."

Jake looked into your eyes, searching for reassurance. "Promise?"

You smiled warmly. "I promise, Jake."

With that, you leaned in to kiss him, and he couldn't help but smile, feeling silly for letting his jealousy get the best of him. It was a small hiccup in your relationship, but one that ultimately brought you even closer.

Jake couldn't resist a playful opportunity when it came to Little Jake, your beloved stuffed toy. Jake, pretending to be sly, inched closer to you on the couch, his fingers twitching with mischief. He wore a mischievous grin as he whispered, "You know, Y/N, I think Little Jake wants to hang out with me today."

You raised an eyebrow, peering at him over the top of your book. "Oh, really now? And why is that?"

Jake shrugged, his hand inching closer to your stuffed toy. "Well, he probably misses me. We haven't spent much time together lately."

You couldn't help but giggle at his attempt to steal your cuddle buddy. "Nice try, Jake, but Little Jake is staying right here with me."

With a dramatic sigh, Jake leaned in closer, his fingers brushing against the plush toy. "Are you sure? He might get bored just sitting here with you all day."

You playfully swatted Jake's hand away. "Nice try, but you'll have to come up with a better plan if you want to steal Little Jake away from me."

Jake chuckled, admitting defeat as he wrapped his arm around you and Little Jake. "Alright, you win this time. Little Jake can stay with us."

You smiled and leaned your head on his shoulder, content with the playful banter. It was moments like these that made your relationship with Jake so special – a mix of love, laughter, and the occasional battle for the affections of a stuffed toy.

[loveislandthegame]

thoughts on today's volume!

the coffee scene with the two guys was cute, and i'd love some more silly moments with the islanders we aren't coupled up with (rather than them just becoming bland villains/filling the interchangeable "most toxic couple in the villa" role) these options are sending me tho 😭

the date was also super cute ! hayden's still a placeholder for me but i see why people like him (ouchhhh @ MC having the mask right on her medusa piercing 😭) i will say it's a bit disappointing that all the "key options" have been between hayden/milo/ethan, i would've said i'd rather take lisbeth or jesse on the date if i had the choice. at least we made a sandcastle

i was going to say "jesse and sofia are giving low budget noah & hope" but that'd be an insult to #nope, they're giving low budget ozzy and grace (side note: i've said before that it's hard to envision the islanders in newer seasons having a life outside the villa, and it really shows with sofia. i can't imagine someone who is constantly flying off the handle being someone's lawyer, let alone being allowed in a courtroom)

one explosive argument later, we graft on the three guys for one last time...i don't remember the season, probably s7, but there's another LI that uses the same "i don't know much about video games, but i could be your player two" line when you tell them your hobby is gaming. we need another nerd in the villa ! ! !😭

milo's scene made me laugh, he's so cute

next up is the not-recoupling. instead of MC choosing who she wants to couple up with, she chooses which couple to break up ??? this twist makes zero sense, considering we're still left single.

i thought about breaking up ethan & lisbeth so lisbeth would be free, but i already know that this game would think i'm trying to romance ethan, so i ended up choosing hayden/franki

you'd think MC was the final girl breaking up "exclusive" couples with the way sofia has been behaving. i've picked the nice options for the most part but i'm already tired of her constant hostility, her demonic ass belongs in hell with the season 5 cast 😭 (i already said this in my last post, but this game does not have nearly enough positive plus sized representation for FB to be making her the villain. and unfortunately, this fandom will encourage that nonsense by being fatphobic when criticising her)

i think we explored much more than potential vibes during the sexsea challenge, but i'll take it !

and finally, we get some jesse crumbs

overall...idk. the fact that we get chastised for not accepting sofia's useless apologies is giving season 5 "everyone in the villa dogpiling MC" energy. it's weird that we're still single two volumes in, and it sucks that there was barely any lisbeth and jesse content

[biomic]

It's been a long time since I watched Ryuki, and I don't know what Urobuchi had to say about it. What would you say is the point, and how did he miss it?

gaim takes inspiration from early heisei in general (grongi language -> overlord language, kusaka -> micchy, etc.), but ryuki's influence is the most prominent. rider vs rider conflicts, monsters from another world, a kindhearted but naive everyman protagonist surrounded by the absolute worst people you could imagine gaining power

the thing is, if the rider war is meant to challenge the concept of justice and explore the conflicting moralities of its cast, urobuchi fails at evoking a similar setup because, again, he's incapable of writing characters that are more than their worldview

everyone's motivations in ryuki are believable and authentic. shinji's choices matter because he refuses to submit to kanzaki's terms if it means people will die. we care about his relationship with ren because of everything they've been through together, despite knowing how it will inevitably have to end. nobody in gaim can convey that same authenticity as written. kouta is fairly content to be strung along by sagara, being handed nearly all of his powers instead of earning any, before ultimately accepting his framework. his final fight with kaito means nothing because there was never anything there to begin with

shinji embodies the core themes of ryuki because the creators had a clear vision of the story they wanted to tell. kouta becomes Fruit Jesus because, well, urobuchi thought the adam and eve parallel would be Deep, and we have to justify bandai's silly gimmick somehow!

[cherryrainn]

...Babysitting with Oncie? Either own or other's kids :3

i was having a lot of fun with this, so i ended up writing a story and the headcanons are at the end!

☽ ༚  ༵ ۰ ✧ ۰  ༵ ༚ ༵ ۰ ✧ ۰ 

— tiny tots and big hearts

babysitting with onceler (headcanons + a scenario)

you and onceler embarked on the daunting task of babysitting a group of energetic and mischievous kids. from the moment you arrived, it was clear that this wouldn't be an ordinary babysitting experience.

the kids seemed to have an endless supply of energy, zooming around the house and getting into everything they could find. they played with pots and pans like drums, created art on the walls with crayons, and turned every room into a battlefield for their imaginary battles.

you exchanged glances with onceler, both of you realizing the enormity of the challenge ahead. but you were determined to make the best of it.

"alright, kids," you said, summoning all your patience. "let's channel all that energy into a fun activity. how about we build a giant fort?"

the kids' eyes lit up with excitement, and they eagerly started collecting pillows, blankets, and furniture to construct the fort. chaos ensued as they raced around, laughing and bumping into each other.

the fort took shape, albeit a little lopsided and with pillows falling every now and then. but the kids didn't seem to mind. they crawled inside, giggling and imagining grand adventures within their makeshift fortress.

you and onceler watched from a safe distance, both exhausted and amazed at their boundless enthusiasm. "well," onceler said, wiping sweat from his brow, "at least they're having fun."

you chuckled, nodding in agreement. "that's one way to look at it."

after the fort-building frenzy, you attempted to gather the kids for a quieter activity. "how about a storytelling session?" you suggested. "we can all take turns telling our own fantastical tales."

the kids reluctantly settled down, their energy still buzzing. as each child shared their imaginative story, the room erupted with interruptions, wild plot twists, and uncontrollable laughter.

the stories were far from coherent, but they were filled with childlike wonder and excitement. you and onceler joined in the silliness, improvising tales about talking animals, flying jellybeans, and magical sock puppets.

by the end of the storytelling session, you were all breathless from laughter. the kids, still bursting with energy, bounced around, mimicking the characters from their stories.

as the day wore on, you and onceler attempted various activities, from outdoor games to crafts and baking. but each endeavor seemed to amplify the chaos, leaving you both on the brink of exhaustion.

finally, as the sun began to set, the kids started to wind down. they flopped onto the couch, their once frenetic energy replaced with sleepy yawns and droopy eyes.

as you and onceler finally had a moment of peace and quiet, you slumped back, your exhaustion weighing heavily on your shoulders. onceler let out a long sigh, his eyelids drooping with fatigue.

"we might have to reconsider our babysitting careers," you joked, rubbing your temples.

onceler chuckled weakly, his voice barely above a whisper. "i think i've got a newfound appreciation for parents and their superhuman energy levels."

just then, the kids, worn out from their day of non-stop excitement, began to yawn and stretch. their eyelids grew heavy, and one by one, they settled into a peaceful slumber.

you and onceler exchanged a knowing glance, the weariness in your eyes mirrored in each other's gaze. with a mixture of relief and fondness, you watched the kids sleep, their soft snores filling the room.

"you know," onceler murmured, "it wasn't that bad.."

you nodded, a tired but content smile on your face. "yeah... alright."

as the house grew quiet, you and onceler allowed yourselves to finally relax, feeling the weight of the day slip away. the room was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

with a gentle pat on the shoulder, you turned to onceler. "i guess we survived then..?"

onceler let out a tired chuckle, his eyes closing slowly. "barely."

as exhaustion took hold, you and onceler found solace in the peace of the moment. the day had been wild, unpredictable, and utterly exhausting.

and as you drifted off to sleep, surrounded by the soft breathing of sleeping children, you both silently vowed to take a break from babysitting—for now.

headcanons

both you and onceler are a mix of nerves and whatever as you prepare to babysit together for the first time.

you've heard that children can be quite a handful, but you're ready to do your best.

you'd both take turns reading stories to the child, trying your best to do funny voices for each character.

at some point, the children might get a little mischievous, and you'd have to chase them around the house.

it was annoying.

onceler would suggest making paper hats, and you'd find him wearing one himself, acting silly to make the kids laugh.

you'd be in charge of the glue and scissors while onceler would help the kids with their coloring skills.

when it's time for the kids to take a nap, onceler might try to use his guitar-playing skills to lull them to sleep with a soft melody.

you'd be in charge of tucking them in and reading a bedtime story, but inevitably, the kids would ask for "just one more story" several times.

[thatapostateboy]

is that such a stretch of the imagination?

Pairing: None

Word Count: 2196

Synopsis: More than memories haunt Magnus Thorne's sleep

Prompt: Day Five: Nightmares from the Veilbound challenge by @/nympthi and @/citadrells on Twitter

Warnings: Canon-compliant slavery, harm towards children. (Magnus is my secondary Rook, a Qunari mage Warden)

Crossposted: Here on AO3

Magnus leaned back against the bough of the tree, head tilted towards the leaves as sunlight filtered through, warming his face as he relaxed, enjoying the cool breeze and nearby sound of someone the beginnings of a song.

He cracked an eye open when he heard the strings of a lute being plucked in time along to the melody, a song he remembered from many years ago, barely able to catch sight of the figure lounged on the other side of the bunk, only a boot-clad leg swinging below them.

“Call to me, call to me, lands far away,” a familiar female voice began to sing.

“This one again?” he asked, voice rough as he pulled himself from the draw of sleep.

“Tough crowd,” she hummed with laughter, changing up the melody, starting anew, “Can’t take my past, can’t take my history-”

“Can’t take my Pa, ‘cause his name’s a mystery,” he joined in on the next line, their voices melding together as she strummed her lute with expert grace.

“No, nothing you can take was ever worth keeping,” she finished on a lingering note, setting her lute aside before she let out a wistful sigh, “Don’t you wish every day could be like this?”

“It’s perfect,” he admitted, “It’s…”

A frown started to cross his face, something itching at the back of his mind. How long had they been sat up here? And where even was here?

Something’s not right.

He sat up, clambering around the tree branches to look at the young woman, a fresh faced elf with long dark hair, dressed in a spotless summer dress, brown eyes tilted up to glow golden in the afternoon sun.

She’s never looked this content before.

“Eva,” he said softly as he looked at her, “How did we get here?”

She smiled at him, that wide toothy grin, “Don’t you remember, silly? We’re home.”

“But that’s…” he began to ask her something else, but she moved with unnatural speed, turning from him and leaping to the ground below. He looked down, watching her land gracefully at the bottom of the tree, but she was no longer a woman grown, but instead a young girl, hair held back in bunches.

“Come on, I’ll show you!” she called up to him, racing away.

He clambered down quickly after her, giving chase. They were in the middle of an unfamiliar street, non-descript buildings around them. What in the Maker’s name was going on?

“Evie, wait!”

She crouched down, making her way through a hole in one of the walls, and as he followed her, he felt his own body shrinking down rapidly until he was of a similar age himself, no older than eight, crawling through the cubby space after her.

He finally emerged into the bottom of a cupboard, finding her sat cross-legged waiting for him. He sat opposite her, glancing around to realise that he knew this cupboard. It was their favoured hiding space as children, a place to talk without worry for anyone hearing.

His eyes focused on her in the dark and he realised that she was holding a damp cloth to her mouth, a small amount of blood soaked into it from her split lip.

A memory.

“We should just leave,” she sniffed back her tears, trying to put on a brave face as she always did.

“They’ll catch us and bring us back,” he said.

“They won’t if we’re clever about it,” she pouted a little but he noticed that it hurt her lip more.

“You shouldn’t have spoken back to Master.”

“He called you a nasty name.”

“He calls you worse,” he pointed out.

“I don’t care. He can hit me all he likes, he shouldn’t be nasty to you. You didn’t do anything wrong,” she said.

He pulled his knees up to hug to his chest, “Even if we did get out of here, I don’t know where I’d go.”

She set the rag aside, looking at him with a frown, “You’d come home with me, silly.”

“Really?”

“Of course,” she said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, “We’re family.”

“But I’m not an elf like you.”

She shook her head, “That doesn’t matter. Family looks out for each other. That’s me and you. My Mama will love you, so will everyone else in the Alienage. She’ll be able to teach you all the songs that I can’t remember, and we can climb the vhenadahl together and play tag with the other kids in the alleys, and when we’re big enough, we’re going to be adventurers, and we can kill all the bad guys in Thedas so that no one ever gets hurt again. You’re my brother, Magnus.”

He smiled at that, pulling her in for a tight hug, “Thank you.”

She held him back, face pressed against his shoulder. After a moment, she leaned back to look at him, her hands holding on tight to his, “We’ll stay together always, won’t we?”

He blinked, “I…”

“Promise me, Magnus. You’ll stay with me, no matter what.”

He began to frown, feeling that itch at the back of his mind again.

This wasn’t how it happened.

They had scarpered out of their to hide somewhere else as their Master came looking for them.

“Evie…”

Her grip turned tighter, fingers digging into his skin, “Swear it to me Magnus. You’ll stay here with me, forever.”

He met her eyes, letting out a hard breath as the memory that held his mind faded, “You’re not her.”

She cocked her head at him, a smirk passing over her face, “Clever boy.”

He tried to pull away but she held strong, “Let me go, and relinquish her face, demon.”

“I tried to offer you what you wanted, asked ever so nicely,” she seethed, “Perhaps another memory will remind you why my version was much better.”

The creature wearing his sister’s face launched at him, toppling him over, but as he braced to hit his head on the ground beneath him, he instead felt himself flipping over, stomach turning and body righting itself as he found himself back on his feet, no longer a child but still a younger version.

Hands still gripped tight to his, Eva was standing before him, older as well, dark hair loose around her shoulders, tears in her eyes, her clothes soaked in blood.

“Magnus, we have to go.”

The memory overtook him, playing out before his eyes, “What? Go where? Are you hurt?”

“It’s not my blood.”

“But… oh Maker, Evie, what did you do?”

“What I had to. What I should have done years ago…” she turned, beginning to gather whatever supplies she could reach, “We have to move fast, before anyone realises what has happened. We have one chance to get out of here. If we stay we will be sold to someone else, they will not keep us together. That’s if they don’t hang me first.”

He watched her, feeling a lump growing in his throat, “I won’t let them hurt you.”

She reached up to cup his cheek, “You sweet boy… If something happens, you have to leave me behind. You have to run; to be free. This can’t all have been for nothing.”

He began to shake his head, “I won’t leave you.”

She grabbed his hands once again, “Promise me, Magnus.”

“I…”

The memories flickered, the pair of them sprinting through and hiding in the darkened alleyways of Minrathous. If they could make it outside the city, find a way to the border off the roads…

“There they are, stop them!”

They had been so close, running for the outer gate as it was beginning to swing shut, guards close on their heels. It had been his fault, he wasn’t as stealthy as his sister, and his Qunari form was harder to hide beneath cloak and shadow.

They weren’t going to make it.

With a hard shove, using every speck of his might he half pushed, half threw, her, sending her tumbling through the city gate as it slammed closed, leaving him trapped on one side, her on the other.

He rounded on the guards, magic flaring in his palms as swords and spears were drawn in his direction.

A cold shiver went up his spine as he felt a whisper at his ear, “Give in to me, sweet boy, and together we can face any force, man or monster, who would threaten you and your sister.”

“No, I…” his resolve began to falter as the guards drew closer.

“Without me, they will kill you and they will find her. You and I, we could keep her safe. Thedas itself would bend to our will. All you have to do is say yes.”

“She’ll be safe? You’d swear to never harm her?”

“If that is what you ask, sweet boy, then it shall be so,” it drawled, “You just need to let me in.”

He turned to face the demon fully, taking in the twisted visage of Eva that it still held, eyes aglow with unnatural magic as it held out a hand towards him.

He took in the sight of her, his beloved sister, the girl that had been his best friend from the moment they met, singing him lullabies to soothe his sleep, mixing salves in secret to help the pain when his horns grew, doing their Master’s bidding so that he wouldn’t come to any harm.

It should have been me. I should have done it. I should have protected you, Evie, I’m so sorry.

He clenched his fist tight and swung, twisting the Fade around him and summoning a blade as he did, driving it right through the demon’s chest.

“I will not be your puppet,” he growled, forcing the blade in deeper as the demon’s form began to shift, no longer able to maintain Eva’s face, “I did not need you that day, and I do not need you now.”

The memory around him crumbled, no longer held together by the demon’s will and at the sound of someone calling his name, he was wrenched from sleep.

~*~*~

He sat up, coughing and sucking in air, sweat on his face cooled instantly by the night air, a familiar figure knelt over him.

“Are you well, Thorne?” Davrin asked, a hand on his shoulder.

Magnus blinked a few times, recognising their shared campsite, Assan picking at a bone near the fire. He rubbed a hand over his face, dragging himself fully out of the dream.

“Just a nightmare,” he admitted, noticing the knowing look in his fellow Warden’s eye, “And not the usual Darkspawn kind.”

“I see,” Davrin passed him a water skin, which he accepted gladly.

“Since the sky tore open again, the demons have gotten more brazen,” he said.

“Do I need to be concerned? I’d hate to turn a blade on a friend,” his tone was light-hearted, but he knew that there was always a real danger.

Magnus gave a soft laugh, “If it comes to that, I won’t be me anymore. At least I can trust you to get the job done efficiently.”

“Well, for tonight at least, you’re still my brother in arms,” Davrin gave him a pat on the shoulder, “You should try and get some more rest.”

The Qunari waved him off, “I’ve slept enough for one night. You get some shut eye, I’ll keep watch.”

The elf nodded, not bothering the argue with him, though as he headed for his own bedroll, he paused in his steps, “Who’s Evie?”

Magnus glanced at him, “What?”

“You talked in your sleep,” he said, “You uh, you kept saying a name. That name.”

“My sister. The nightmare was about the last time I saw her… the day I got recruited into the Wardens.”

“What happened to her?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted, “I hope she’s back in Denerim, but with the world the way it is… I just don’t know.”

Davrin gave a solemn nod, “If she has half of your resolve, my friend, she will be well.”

“I hope so, Dav, I really do.”

~*~*~

Bumping into the so-called Veilguard in the middle of nowhere certainly hadn’t been part of the plan. He had been packing up the camp as Davrin and Assan scouted the area ahead when he heard the griffon call out.

He followed the source of the noise, stumbling out of the bushes to see Davrin conversing with a human mage and the most beautiful red headed dwarven woman he had ever seen, another elven woman nearby petting and cooing over Assan who preened at the attention she was giving him.

“With the Evanuris spreading the Blight, we find ourselves in need of the skills of a Warden,” the dwarf looked up as he approached, offering him a smile, “Though we wouldn’t say no to two.”

Davrin gave him the nod to let him know that there was no danger before he glanced back, “I’m sure that’s something we can discuss with your leader…?

The elven woman stood from where she was fussing over Assan, looking at the Wardens, “Name’s Rook, but you can call me-”

“Evie?”

[codename-mom]

First steps

Summary: Rossi found a young agent working on Yates' case who could be a good new recruit for the BAU. He's eager to see the reaction of his co-worker and friend, Jason Gideon.

Characters: David Rossi, Aaron Hotchner and Jason Gideon

Contents: TW mentions of Yates' case, but they mostly talk about other things.

This text was originally thought for the Meet Cute CM challenge, but it also suits the New Beginings CM challenge organized by @imagining-in-the-margins. So, it's a mix-up of both of them. XD

PS : English is not my mother language so they are necessarily mistakes. Sorry about that.

___

San Francisco, 1997

David Rossi was tidying up the last of the documents relating to the Womb Raider case that he had scattered over the previous few days. Beside him, the federal agent who had accompanied him all along was watching him with a disappointed look.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, sheepishly.

“It’s not your fault. It's not the first time he's disappeared after being reported on by journalists. All we can do now is wait for him to kill again, unfortunately.”

It was the truth. Five years earlier, when the profiler had first come face to face with this singular serial killer, he had stopped moving as soon as the local reporters had set their sights on him. Back then, he didn't have that silly nickname – and ill-advised, according to Dave’s opinion – because he was content to savagely stab his victims. He had appeared in Seattle and, for some obscure reason, reappeared further down the West Coast after several years of silence. Then, as soon as the cameras turned on him, he vanished again into thin air. This erratic behavior was the result of the suspect's thoughts, and his alone. His pursuers were not responsible for his escape. However, this new disappearance didn't help Rossi, and he had no choice but to pack up and wait for his target to be found guilty of a fifth murder.

“Do you really think he stops killing all this time?”

He looked up at the young man, who was standing straight as an I a few steps away, scrutinizing him without batting an eyelid.

“You doubt it?”

His cadet swallowed, briefly dodged his gaze, then launched out:

“I… I've read a few books and articles about sociopaths like him, and they all agree that these people behave like drug addicts. The only way they can feel good, even for a moment, is to kill again and again, he unpacked at full speed, his dark irises focused on him. In fact, it seems strange to me that he could hold back for five or ten years before taking his dose again.”

“And yet the facts are there,” Dave pointed out, closing his satchel.

“Yes and no.”

The forty-year-old frowned. In the few days they'd been together, he'd noticed that his temporary partner's behavior was surprising, to say the least. If he excluded the fact that obviously no one had told him that staring at someone could be poorly perceived, he had noticed above all that his vision of things was far from fitting into the usual boxes of his peers. In spite of his youth – which could have led him to follow in the footsteps of his elders without question – he valiantly walked outside the lines and didn't hesitate to correct older – and more experienced – people about their working methods. On several occasions, Rossi had caught glimpses of the latter's furious looks, to which his partner had paid absolutely no attention. He had been afraid of being dragged along by a fussy, overly protocol-driven paper-pusher, but had found a curious ally who was very attentive to his thoughts and lacked the usual blinkers of his fellows. In fact, he was very interested in tasting the mixture that his brain had concocted in silence.

“… Tell me more.”

“You're only aware of what's reported to you, but there are plenty of unsolved crimes that aren't passed on to the FBI, he began without hesitation. Either because the victim is a prostitute, drug addict or has no family. Either because the bodies were never found. And if the suspect killed the first victim in one state and the next in another, the information doesn't get out because local authorities don't communicate with each other. It's hard enough in the same state sometimes, so imagine between two states who aren't side by side.”

Dave took in the stream of words and carefully digested the information. The kid was right. And since "his" killer always started by going after one party girl before moving on to the next, how many of them had crossed his path in the intervening five years that no one had seen fit to pass on the news to Quantico? And if he had buried the second – the only victim likely to attract the attention of the police – then he could have acted with impunity all this time. A momentary dizziness seized the profiler, which he concealed behind a puzzled mask.

“Tell me your name again?”

“Aaron Hotchner,” he replied immediately, without seeming in the least perturbed by the fact that after weeks of teamwork, he hadn't remembered his identity.

“You’re… a federal prosecutor, that’s it?”

“Yes, he confirmed, eyebrows furrowed. Why?”

With a friend and colleague, Jason Gideon, Rossi had set up a pseudo-agency within the FBI with the aim of tracking down all the sociopaths in the country more efficiently using the profiling method. The higher-ups openly laughed in their faces but gave them some time to prove themselves. With the results coming in, they had been offered the chance to expand their unit, which was an unhoped-for opportunity for the overworked duo. And this guy seemed to have a good predisposition for the job.

“You're smart,” he said, observing his interlocutor’s reactions carefully.

“… Thank you, he answered, unease. I guess.”

“Do you like your job?”

“… Yes.”

“Hmm.”

He had hesitated. A good sign from Dave's point of view, who saw it as a breach through which he could slip in.

“Are you offering me a job as a profiler?” questioned the young man, perplexed.

“You have the capacity for.”

“Really?”

His question was surprisingly sincere. Clearly, he was unaware of his abilities in this area, although he had no trouble following his elder's reasoning throughout the investigation. To establish a suspect's profile, it was necessary to draw on both a more or less in-depth knowledge of human psychology and a consequent theoretical knowledge of statistics. Added to this were logic, a little common sense, and a certain open-mindedness that many people lacked. Qualities that this Aaron undeniably possessed.

“You're meticulous, organized, intelligent and attentive to detail, affirmed Rossi, before continuing. You're not afraid to keep learning and you seem to be able to see beyond the box.”

He deliberately ignored the few shortcomings he had noted over the past few days, believing they would not affect his efficiency. But, contrary to what he had expected, the prosecutor didn't seem the least bit flattered by this portrait. Very subtly, he folded in on himself and, for the first time, looked away for a moment. He raised his eyes only to stutter out:

“… Uh… Well, it’s just that… I have to talk to my fiancée first.”

The federal agent who had just spoken was not a teenager or even a young adult; he was already over thirty years old. And yet, this line revealed an obvious immaturity that was in stark contrast to the speeches he had been able to deliver up to that point. Dave added this information to the list of things he and Jason should keep an eye on. In the meantime, he smiled and, shaking his head, declared:

“… Indeed, it’s wiser.”

Three weeks later, Rossi returned from the Quantico underworld to pick up Hotchner at the reception desk. The former prosecutor had passed all the admission tests with flying colors and would be discovering his new working environment today. His recruiter shook his hand with a smile and invited him to head for the elevators.

“Has your fiancée finally agreed to let you change jobs?” remarked the Italian American, trying to soften the ironic tone of his question.

“Yes,” soberly reacted his now colleague.

Since their last face-to-face meeting, the two men had spoken at length by e-mail and telephone in order to finalize all the details of this unexpected arrival and had therefore had time to get to know each other better. At the same time, Dave was able to glean further information about the Manassas native. Rather shy and very protective when it came to his private life, he hadn't let on anything more than the fact that his father had died many years earlier and that he'd known his girlfriend since he was eighteen. Next to that, Aaron was a tomb that would have to be worked over to discover its secrets.

“Did you explain to her that you wouldn't be home every night?” pursued Rossi, pressing the -2 button.

“Yes.”

“And it doesn’t bother her?”

His neighbor lowered his eyes again and stammered:

“She… she told me to take care of myself.”

A roundabout way of telling him that her tolerance of his absences had its limits. The question was whether the groom-to-be had grasped the implication, for, notwithstanding his clear-sightedness on some subjects, Agent Hotchner struggled on others. So it would be up to him and Jason to take care of it for him, so that this marriage in the making didn't fall apart before it even happened.

“What's her name?” he asked as the elevator doors opened onto a gloomy corridor.

“Haley.”

“Say ‘hi’ to her from me. Follow me and don’t pay attention to the mess.”

Dave entered the corridor cluttered with cardboard boxes and wobbly shelves. To express their disdain for profiling, management had given the pair permission to set up their offices in a single location: in the basement of Quantico. Where everyone piled up everything that was good for the dumpster or waiting to be repaired, sometimes for years in the case of certain items. And the newcomer didn't seem to really understand what they were doing here.

“I’m sure you imagined it differently.”

“Uh… To be honest, yes,” he confessed, stepping over a three-legged coffee table.

“You’ll get used to it.”

Then they came to a yellowish door on which a homemade sign had been stuck, admittedly a little crooked. Rossi had left his partner in charge while he left on a new business deal, and when he returned, he could only see that the damage had already been done. In some ways, Gideon reminded him a lot of the man who followed him: insanely uncompromising when it came to his work, but totally uncoordinated when it came to involving a personal part of himself in a task. He was even willing to bet that, like his long-time comrade, he'd have to use a crowbar to get him off his files when it was time to eat or go to bed. He couldn't wait for these two UFOs to contact each other.

Shortly afterwards, Hotchner entered a blind room with two cluttered desks, a blackboard covered with annotations on one of the walls – a few documents had escaped the frame, taped, or pinned to the dull paint of the high walls – and everywhere, boxes overflowing with papers. A dozen or so of them were gradually spread across the floor as the air flowed or the tenants moved about.

“Aaron, let me introduce you, Jason Gideon.”

“The child prodigy, at last!” exclaimed the latter with a smile, getting rid of his file and coming over to the rookie.

“Uh... nice to meet you,” he pronounced, snapping out of his observation.

“Welcome. Sit where you can.”

The brown irises groped around, looking for a support able to bear the weight of their owner, who stood at over six feet tall.

“Coffee?” David suggested before he had time to make a decision.

“Uh… yes. Thank you,” he said, clearly confused by the sudden appearance of the coffee pot.

His host handed him a cup and poured a generous glassful of the dark, full-bodied liquid. Italian by birth, Rossi liked his coffee strong. He requested family members living in Italy to send him regular shipments, as the product sold in the United States was not to his taste buds' liking.

“Impressed?” his colleague inquired their guest, who continued to scan the surroundings.

“… Surprised, overall. There’s just the two of you?”

“Yes.”

“For all the country?”

“Yes,” replied Dave, placing the coffee pot back on its base.

The ex-prosecutor raised an eyebrow.

“How… how is it possible?”

“The problem is that this isn’t really possible.”

“We have to make choices. And work on several files at the same time,” explained Gideon, his own mug in hand.

“Do you succeed?”

“Depends on the day,” Rossi conceded.

The territory to be covered was so vast that it was difficult for them to respond to all the requests. Every day, they took an hour or two to dive into the pile of calls for help from the country's various authorities and sorted them out. Some cases could be solved by sending an e-mail or two, while others required a visit to the site and a bit of hands-on work. The latter represented the majority, but it was undeniable that they couldn't be everywhere at once and that, here again, they had to apply a drastic selection process. An activity they disliked all the more for its disregard for human life. But with a third man at their side, their chances of saving more innocents increased.

And the candidate stood before them, searching the space with his eyes, indifferent to the wisps of caffeine rising beneath his nose. Dave, sitting next to his colleague on the edge of his desk, watched him with a wry smile. And Jason seemed to find the situation just as amusing.

“Dave told me you had some suggestions for improving our techniques.”

“What? Hotchner gasped, jumping up. Uh… no, I… I simply pointed out that not all the information was being passed on to us. Which, in Yates' case, prevents us from spotting him during his periods of silence.”

The smiles on the faces of the two companions widened as they heard the newcomer adopt the “us” form. Barely had he discovered the place when he had already become part of the team.

“Aaron thinks he's not stopping, just flying under the radar.”

“Which isn't entirely absurd, admitted his neighbor, before turning to their cadet. And what do you think can be done about that?”

The young agent swallowed, bringing the cup closer to his chest in a feeble attempt to protect himself from this impromptu offensive.

“Kid, we can see the cogs turning in your brain from here, so spit it,” shoved Dave, as curious as his fellow galley dweller.

“Okay. Uh… - he placed what he had in his hands on the only portion of the nearest desk free of paperwork. We need someone who can track down all unsolved cases, all murders with even partial similarities to the suspect's modus operandi, and all disappearances matching the killer's targets, throughout the country and over several years.”

A silence answered him, which aggravated his unease. Instinctively, he began to play with his fingers, scraping his nails with the horn of his other hand. But what he took for disapproval was in fact reflection, as the two profilers analyzed what these words could represent, in concrete terms.

“It's a colossal job,” stressed Jason, also getting rid of his container.

“Yes. But procedures are becoming increasingly computerized. With the right tools, it should be possible to extract data more quickly than by opening boxes.”

“And at what point do you request authorization from the relevant authorities?” bounced Rossi, perplexed.

“Theoretically, as part of a federal investigation, we don't need to, retorted his opposite, who was gradually gaining in confidence. The only time we won't have a choice is when we need to access paper archives.”

“… Theoretically?” Gideon frowned.

“I've checked and, for the moment, there's a legal vacuum on the issue; the laws were written before computers existed.”

Which wouldn't last much longer, Dave mused silently. With the advent of information technology, and above all the Internet, many companies and other administrative bodies began to demand that the law take a closer look at their data access rights, particularly in terms of finance and human resources. And it would be the same for police, marshal, and army archives afterwards. Even if they were to create a common base for the whole country, it would ultimately be accessible only to the police and military. Federal agents would have to be friendly and perhaps even make a few concessions in order to win their case. An unquestionable waste of time, for everyone in the end.

“Who could fill such a position?”

“Someone with remarkable computer skills who knows how to bypass firewalls and passwords.”

“A hacker, in short,” Jason deduced with a certain stiffness.

“I know it may seem like a bit of a stretch, but once we're assured of their loyalty, it would be our most valuable asset. At present, we lack information, and the administrative machinery is time-consuming.”

Gideon and Rossi looked at each other for a moment, the second one trying to assess what the former thought of this presentation and of the person who had given it.

“What?” worried the latter.

“You were right. He’s a smart boy.”

“Told you.”

When he'd returned from San Francisco, he'd spent hours going on and on about his temporary sidekick in an attempt to convince the agency's co-founder to lend him a sympathetic ear. Jason didn't seem convinced by his arguments at first, but gradually gave way until he granted him this interview. But Dave remained convinced that, up until that moment, he hadn't believed a word of his rave review. Nevertheless, his reflection indicated that his state of mind had evolved.

“What else are you hiding in your hood?” he asked, fixing his gaze on the newcomer in turn.

“… Uh…”

“Go on, kiddo. We are all ears.”

Aaron, who was now ploughing the pad of his thumb with his fingernails, turned his gaze to the side for two seconds before returning to focus it on Gideon. The fact that the latter stared at him without batting an eyelid didn't seem to bother him too much; his nervousness stemmed more from the prospect of having to reveal his ramblings to two more experienced agents when he'd only just arrived.

“Okay. I… I found out that you each work in your own corner.”

“Let's just say we share the work,” ironized Rossi.

“To cover more ground, I understand, said the new recruit in all seriousness. But I think a team would be more efficient. Several pairs of eyes are always useful for spotting more details. Not to mention the fact that everyone's experience can give them a different view of things.”

And he added, after a brief inspiration:

“And then, women should be included.”

The pair cast a discreet glance at each other, eyebrows furrowed in unison.

“… Why women specifically?” inquired Jason, intrigued.

Dave knew the reason for this questioning. At that time, the female federal agents who went into the field were minors within the FBI. The vast majority of the women who worked for the Bureau were in administrative positions where the only danger they had to face was a fall down the stairs or a hot cup of coffee. The few who ventured outside the walls of Quantico or the Washington DC-based headquarters usually had a double hat that made their presence outside useful: doctor, teacher, linguist, etc. But it was obvious that Hotchner wanted to see profilers of the fairer sex on the payroll and at the same hierarchical level as the others. Why, was an excellent question.

“Because they have a different view of the world, a different knowledge base and a different way of thinking than we do.”

“It's a dangerous job where you have to keep your emotions in check.”

“Which they're very good at, contrary to what you might think, he countered. As for danger, the fact that women have less physical strength often leads them to be more cautious than men.”

“Your arguments are interesting, objected Gideon, doubtful, but...”

“I knew you'd be reluctant, he cut him off, before dipping into the bag slung over his shoulder. So take a look at this and tell me what it is.”

He then held up a photograph and handed it to them. The object, a hollow white cylinder, lay on a bloodstained carpet tile. The duo leaned over to get a better look at the picture and, with a quick glance to the side, Dave realized that his teammate didn't know any more than he did about the identity of what they were looking at.

“You don't know, do you?” Aaron remarked with a discreet smirk.

“I give up, indeed.”

“Well, I didn't know either, he confessed, taking back his property. It was my fiancée who told me what it was when she saw the picture. And I couldn't have known because it's definitely not something we men use.”

“Did it help you solve the case?”

“Yes. And, in the same way, I managed to catch a suspect as soon as my mother pointed out that a man couldn't have written a letter like that! I've been chasing a man for days, when the attacker was the next-door female neighbor, who seemed quite shocked to learn that her neighbor had died in the night.”

“Okay, I think we've got it, Romeo, interjected Jason, before he followed up with another example. What else?”

The thirty-year-old paused for a moment, then continued:

“We… we certainly need someone from the police force.”

As he might have expected, the two men facing him instinctively winced. Undaunted, he moved his pawns forward.

“I mean, intelligent people who know how to think outside the box are to be found elsewhere than at the FBI. And having a former police officer in our ranks will undoubtedly help us to better understand the reactions of local authorities, and even to cooperate with them.”

“Cooperate?” repeated Dave, giving him a dismayed look.

“Yes. If it's so difficult to get information these days, it's also because the police, sheriffs and rangers don't appreciate our arrogant cowboy attitude. By working with them, we will be able to benefit from their knowledge of the area, its inhabitants and the files that are underway or that have been closed. This memory is indispensable, but we can only get it by being pleasant.”

Gideon sighed without any discretion. He and Rossi had always had relative confidence in the police and other law enforcement agencies. And for good reason: they often had their own protocols, sprinkled with more or less harmless – but always illegal – tricks, to which was added a powerful code of silence that slowed down their investigations. Not all of them were dirty cops, of course, but having to juggle some people's sense of superiority with everything else was exhausting and unpleasant, to say the least. In fact, they had taken to dodging them as much as possible so that they could work at their leisure. So, the idea of rubbing shoulders with them again – although not meaningless when presented in this way – didn't enchant them at all.

“And how do you plan to do that?” retorted Jason, in a tone that didn't hide his reticence.

“Well, in addition to a former policeman, we need a liaison officer. Someone who is in contact with all the country's authorities, who has their trust. Someone they can turn to without hesitation.”

“A liaison officer?”

“Yes. He or she will also be in contact with the press. Most sociopaths pay close attention to what is said about them on TV, radio or in the newspapers. Some people get angry about what's been said and commit murders that could have been avoided. And others, like Yates, vanish into thin air because they get scared. We must control what journalists say.”

The duo looked at each other again with the same circumspection. This kid had ambition and concepts to spare which – Dave had to admit – were not uninteresting. In fact, there was something enticing and, needless to say, innovative about them. The Italian American was amused to imagine the faces of the big shots if he were to say the same thing to them. However, it was obvious that the youngest had left something out of the equation.

“Anything else?” tossed Gideon, his mouth twisted into a sneer.

“Uh… no. For now.”

“So, resumed Rossi, listen, son. I think Jason and I are actually thinking the same thing about all this.”

“It’s absurd?”

“Not at all, reassured the other BAU co-founder. But you may have noticed that our resources are quite limited.”

Aaron observed the scenery once more, as if it might have changed during their conversation.

“… Yes.”

“We're the team with the fewest funds in the United States.”

“Why?” replied the confused rookie innocently.

“Because up there, continued Jason, pointing to the upper floors, they think profiling is all smoke and mirrors. A simple sleight-of-hand.”

“But... no, hiccupped the groom-to-be; it's a science based on facts, on behavioral and medical studies, on... on probabilities too, but...”

“Aaron, we know, Dave cut him off, sensing that he was going to go on and on for many more minutes. We'll discuss it with the steering committee, but don't expect a miracle.”

To tell the truth, the answer was so obvious that he wondered whether it was worth mentioning the agency's new formula at all. The newcomer must have read his mind, for he added:

“But what does it take for them to accept?”

“Prove our efficiency,” declared Jason, as if it were self-evident.

“With the means we have here,” Hotchner figured out, his eyebrows more furrowed than ever.

“Yes.”

The look of despondency on the young man's face was equal to the mountain the three of them were about to climb. Rossi approached him and grabbed his shoulder.

“Welcome aboard, sailor.”

___

And this is the first chapter of Code Name: Mom! /o/

(Yes, I'm working in no order but I've got hope to put all those chapters altogether one day. :D)

It's the first time I wrote with Dave's point of view. He's way less anxious than Hotch, it's refreshing. XD

[ridiasfangirlings]

Oooh! That Munakata with a toktok ask sounds fun! What do you think Munakata would say about those tiktok challenges? Would he participate on some? Would he try to start his own? (I don't have a tiktok so I'm not sure what challenges are in right now but I bet he'd hate the harmful ones I see on the news. Maybe he'd make some kinda PSA about them, too).

Oh I bet Munakata would love challenges, he always enjoys a challenge :D Somehow I imagine him stumbling upon all kinds of weird and random challenges and trying them out because he's been told such things are good for Content and Algorithms. He probably ends up getting a lot of views but only because he's so supernaturally good at the ones he tries, like imagine Munakata doing the spicy food challenge and just eating the hottest foods with a perfectly serene expression. Later he tries the milk crate challenge, the alphabet squad dutifully stacking crates for him into a pyramid, and then he just easily walks up and down them without falling or anything crashing to the ground at all (some of his viewers notice that there was a Blue glow around the crates but chalk it up to special effects, Doumyouji complains to Munakata later that the point of the challenge is to fail and Munakata is very confused). He probably gets very excited and tries to pull the squad in sometimes, like discussing with Fushimi that wouldn't it be good for their social media outreach if all the squad participated in a flash mob with him and Fushimi just gives him this flat 'no.'

Of course eventually Munakata finds out about all the dangerous challenges and he's very dismayed, like he didn't realize this fun app with all the silly videos could also be dangerous. As a government official and one who dispenses justice Munakata cannot just sit idly by and allow children to harm themselves simply for the sake of virality. Actually I could see him inadvertently getting popular by becoming something a debunking channel, like he starts making videos explaining why certain hacks are unhealthy and in some cases he'll do experiments (with lovely assistants Fushimi and Awashima) to show how such challenges can go wrong and here's how to do them safely. While he gets a lot of attention for these some people aren't happy with him harshing their buzz by speaking out against dangerous challenges, like what's this old man doing telling us what we can and can't do.

This gives Munakata an idea, if a challenge is dangerous he will simply have to create his own challenge which goes even more viral and supplants the dangerous one. Imagine he ends up creating 'the puzzle challenge,' where a person buys a puzzle with a huge amount of pieces and has to put it together without looking at the picture. Munakata demonstrates by doing this huge difficult one all by himself, sped up to fit the video length restrictions but clearly all done in one take. He wonders if anyone could manage to do such a thing themselves and urges his viewers to all please try and beat his record of 10,000 pieces in ten minutes (he chose an easy puzzle and went slowly so as not to dishearten anyone). When the squad find out they all think there's no way this will go viral, no one's interested in puzzles, but then to their shock it does take off and soon there are thousands of videos of people putting together puzzles and Munakata is just so touched and happy, finally everyone else loves puzzles as much as he does.

[van-yangyin]

15 questions for mutuals

I was tagged by @pralinesims and @stargazer-sims, thank you so much for the tag!

Are you named after anyone? No, although as a curious fact I was almost born in a van. 😆

When was the last time you cried? I don't remember, as I tend to cry over silly things rather than really serious things.

Do you have kids? No, none. And for the moment I prefer it that way because I'm not much of a babysitter, so a few less of my own.

Do you use sarcasm a lot? No, I learned to recognize some of them over time, but I don't use at all. Only with people I know and with those will understand my sense of humor.

What sports do you play/have you played? Basketball, skateboarding, football, volleyball, ping pong and tennis, now my level of each one if I'm good or bad I'm not asked, so I leave it to your opinion.

What’s the first thing you notice about other people? Their lips, I don't know why, but I do it instinctively. (When masks are used, it's a little more complicated).

Eye colour? Black. (I mean, it's very very dark brown, but you can only distinguish the pupil of the iris with sunlight or fluorescent light, with regular lights are very difficult to distinguish.)

Scary movies or happy endings? I love scary/horror movies! (But the psychological ones, I don't care about the gore ones as they usually have a very poor plot and only focus on blood and misplaced limbs), but I love the ones with happy endings too (unless they contain a lot of "cliché", because then they bore me, especially if I see too many of the same theme in "a loop").

Any special talents? I can spell words out loud if I'm told to do so. Although I suffer from aphantasia, when I hear a word, I imagine it with my open eyes in the back of my brain (it's a little complicated to explain) and I spell it quite easily (no matter if it's long or short). I hear sounds more clearly than voices, i.e. if there is water sounding very faintly I can hear it even though that too (that could be considered a talent?).

Where were you born? Almost in a van, then almost in an elevator and finally in the delivery room of a hospital.

What are your hobbies? Drawing (physical and digital art), videogames, creation of 3D models (hair, clothes, shoes, accessories, objects, etc…. Everything that interests me at the moment and I can create from scratch in general, because I love challenges), and my OCs (Original Characters) and those of others, especially Lea's, because they're the ones we create and share in our games in general, either sims or any simulator that you can make your own character (Ryuuya, Icaro, Noah, Luka, etc… We constantly create many and we always attach to all of them, every time they appear in our sims game when we play with others we recognize them and even create theories if we see interacting with other OCs from other families). If we talk about specifics, currently with SK8 the Infinity (I've been two years and a few months in a row without stopping thinking about the series since I consumed it in 2021 when it came out, drawing, theorizing, roleplaying, writing about them, etc… ) and Kingdom Hearts since I was 8 years old (ditto to what was previously said on SK8, I really care very little when people say Kingdom Hearts doesn't make sense and they haven't played the whole experience, if they consider themselves casual gamers and simply say they're the ones who don't understand the plot, I have no problem), currently they tend to be my two hobby constants to which I dedicate more time (together with my OCs), including it in drawing, videogames and 3D model creation (ie, drawing them and creating and playing with them in the sims, and that's what Lea and I do with everything we are passionate about when we start, we not only limit ourselves to the main characters, we try to recreate almost all the secondary characters if not all, when we gradually create more content for them before bringing them out into the world, also the lots [residentials, commercials and general locations], and accessories they normally use, hair variations, and original characters such as family members, friends etc.. …, you could say that we never get bored because we always find something to do, with our OCs or with one of these two series).

Do you have any pets? Yeah! Currently my "little" dog Yuka, well, "my" not, since I don't own her, she's just another member of the family. Her name is because in Japanese Yuka [床] means floor and she loves to stretch out like a blanket on it (like a blanket, literally), so we decided that would be her name. A few years ago besides Yuka we had a goldfinch named Yuki and a rescued canary we named him Zeus because we rescued him one stormy day, and he died of old age. And well in the past we had more dogs and birds that all died of old age, TriggerWarning except for one of our dogs that a neighbor poisoned her and little by little she became blind, deaf and the vet told us that we had to put her down because she was suffering and %&$%&$%$ I will never forget that, because I was still a child and I suffered a lot with that experience. In the future I would also love to have a cat, but for the moment I would like to give all the love and affection only to Yuka, I'm sure she doesn't think it's bad at all.

How tall are you? 173cm (5'8) [I wish were taller]

Fave subject in school? Art, music, Latin and Greek.

Dream job? Content creator with my OCs, to be able to make comics, books, illustrations and have people love them, identify with them, theorize with them and their struggles, with the story, etc… Or to be able to work solely as an illustrator making money from it. It's my dream job… if I had less lack of concentration, perseverance, patience and opportunity to be able to be diagnosed of what I have by "official way" and so that I can learn to know what is happening to me and how I can deal with my day to day situations, money sucks bc I can't make any of this without it. (Because I'm sure I'm not a lazy, every day I struggle to be able to work as a "normal" human being but I'm incapable of it) for sure I could achieve it, but as I'm not as far as I know and my social skills are almost null, I always stay at the beginning of the road.

I have no idea who's already done this because I spend too much time offline creating CC, writing and drawing so I'll only tag who I know has not done it, tho feel free to do it if you want.

I'll tag @lea-heartscxiv because I know you're someone who haven't done it, every day I see you so I asked and you said me no. But feel free to ignore, tho. I also tag anyone who likes Serial Experiments Lain, you can skip it but you'll be cursed and will never appear on Wired again. [joke, skip it if you don't feel comfortable doing these things]

[anco-writes]

Fattytober Day 1: Something New

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/58305134/

the premise of the prompt list I saw said to focus on ONE character. Over the course of the month. Steadily growing fatter. I've never done that before. I've always liked weight gain sequences, I love the idea of a character getting fatter over time, but it's not something I've ever really tried to produce myself. But well, here we are. The first episode's definitely a bit meta, and I talk about this very subject within. The main character, and the one who'll be getting fatter over the course of the month, is Ace! Beloved Ace, our system's resident femboy. there's definitely gonna be gender stuff down the line, but for now, I've rambled enough. This one isn't even a full 1k words, and I'm aiming for around 2 pages each, which should end up with, logically, 31k and 62 pages, which uh, is a lot! but not when you do it one day at a time i guess? we'll see. Maybe I'll write a novel in November while I'm at it :U Day 1: Something New

“So you’ve never done that sort of long form content before?” A blue avian sat in a comfortable office, opposite a slender fox. Their words clearly stirred up some level of agitation in their conversational partner. 

“Don’t call it content! But no, we’ve never really experimented with it. You know, rapid gains, quick feedback, Swelling out of your clothes, that sort of thing is where the money’s at. Having a character gain slowly over an extended course of time is something that’s better left to a time skip if you ask me. Besides, what would we even write about? There would need to be a narrative, I can’t imagine the mind numbing minutia of slowly fattening a character and just describing them a few pounds fatter each time. I mean really, more pronounced changes-” “I’m gonna cut you off there.” The bird sighed, shaking their head and tapping their taloned fingers against the clipboard they were working with. “I can understand your misgivings. Like you’ve said, we’ve never done long form Narrative Arcs-” They made air quotes and rolled their eyes as they said it. “But the whole point is to try something new, get out of your comfort zone. You know. It’s no different from saying “I could make a pollock” when you’ve never even touched a canvas before. You hate that sentiment, so why shy away from the challenge.

The silver furred fox glowered at the comparison, huffing as they shifted in their seat. “That’s not a fair comparison. I never said I could write that sort of stuff.”

“But you won’t know until you try.” Red was smirking as they trotted the phrase out.

“You know I’ve been seeing a lot of discourse about the ‘do it scared’ mantra-” As Ace tried to derail the subject, Red interrupted by withdrawing a small pistol and shooting the silver fox right in his chest. 

Silence hung in the room as Ace’s eyes trembled, startled by the loud BANG that rang out. First they looked down at their chest, no pain, but maybe that was just shock? They raised their paw and touched the spot that had been hit, but found no blood or anything. “What the, FUCK! Not funny, what the hell Red?” As Ace shot up from their seat, the blue bird just laughed it off.

“I know what you’d been thinking. ‘Long form weight gain stories where the character simply eats a lot of lives a sedentary life style is antithetical to my political views about how weight gain and excersize are political entities, blah blah blah. Nobody’s coming here for that! But I know your silly shield of ethics would prevent you from working this angle, so I came up with a fun solution that I know you’ll love.”

Ace immediately began to feel around under their hoodie, knowing a dart or something was surely sticking into them right now. “S-So what, you just shoot me with a weight gain gun and I get fat? That’s hardly a long form arc!” An electric sensation began to spread through Ace’s body, ears twitching and tail swishing in anticipation for the waves of euphoria that were likely to follow. 

“Oh you’d like that wouldn’t you? Familiar territory and all. Well, no such luck, foxy boy. You are right, I did shoot you with a weight gain dart. A long form, slowly acting, weight gain dart. It’ll run its course in a month. Exactly 31 days actually.”

The anticipation Ace had built up… well at first it felt like it vanished, but instead it lingered, in a most horrifying way. The adrenaline rush of oncoming expansion died down, but instead they focused on their body and found no immediate stimuli to react to. Ace wasn’t above admitting they liked to be fattened up, but it had always been a rather bombastic affair… And being caught was always the fun part, the moment you slip up and your predator has their way with you, despite your best efforts. 

Being shot point blank in the middle of a conversation did feel a bit like a cop out to the thrill seeking fox, but at the same time, they saw the framework of a mental battlefield laid out before them. “I bet you think you’re so clever for that one.”

“Hey, you could have come up with something else. Like a fresh splash of paint on a prospective imitation of a pollock, I quite literally fired the first shot to motivate you. You’re free to retaliate, use whatever of Cecil’s magic or your mask or any other silly trick up your sleeve, you could even try and beat me at my own game and fatten yourself up by an arbitrarily large amount, but that dart would still be in your system delivering slow burn narrative tension.

The point is, we’re trying something new here. I look forward to seeing 31 days of progress from you~ Session’s over, you’re free to do whatever, fight your fate, embrace it, concoct a multi stage epic trying to reverse the effects, maybe that one would be the best bet, you’ll probably end up pretty massive~ But that’s time, good luck~!” Red waved their feathery hands, beady red eyes flicking towards the door. “Don’t let it hit you on that big ‘ol ass on the way out!”

Ace, still standing from the little outburst earlier, slumped forward and began to leave. “Well… I do like some attention… SOME!” As they made their way out, they rubbed a wary paw over the seat of their pants… was it getting bigger already, or was he just imagining it?

[snowflakesnsundry]

UNTIL DUST CHAPTER 88: At The Current's Edge

Word Count: 4,170

Summary: A hangover, a visitor, and some swimming

Warnings: Story is Rated R. 

            By the time he arrived, he was two days late. You had begun to hope the Captain had forgotten to send anyone at all; but it would have been foolish to think Baldur capable of leaving you unsupervised for more than an hour's time.

            You weren’t Loki- but that meant little when it came to a bitter man’s trust.

            When he arrived, you were half asleep- still trying to cope with the consequences of the night before. It had been eons since you had suffered a hangover- and it made you no less bitter to see Loki without one.

Upon first opening your eyes you nearly leapt out of your skin; suddenly finding yourself confronted with a man where you had expected a woman. He lay on his back, stretched out across the bed- ankles crossed over one another, and hands over his stomach. His eyes were trained on a cube floating mid air above him, his fingers lifting and moving ever so slightly as he changed about the parts of his puzzle.

Rolling onto your side, you watched him for a moment.“I can’t believe you bought one.” Your voice was deeply uncooperative-low, groggy, and a tad worse for wear after your night of catching up.

A thin smile slipped across his face as he shifted his eyes to you. “Technically I bought two-both the ones we used.”

You frowned looking up at the thing. You could have sworn the one he had challenged you with was simpler- this one was leagues more intricate than you would have ever considered attempting; and if you were honest, you felt that it had to have been a very different color.

“Is that the same one?”

“No, it is not.”

“So you bought three then.” It was not a question, but a warning- one you knew wouldn’t bother him in the slightest.

Loki rolled his eyes and the cube dropped promptly into his hand. “A ridiculous question.” Twisting his fingers, the item disappeared in a light shimmer of green. “How did you sleep?” He asked, rolling over onto his side. “Because it does not look like you slept well.”

You groaned. “That bad, is it?”

“Worse than your imagining, I would bargain.”

You gave a faint sobbing noise as you pulled the pillow from under your head and placed it firmly over your own face.

“I shall never drink again in my life.” The pillow muffled your voice quite a bit, but he heard you all the same. With a laugh he shifted closer to you, lifting the pillow up and out of the way.

“Liar.”

“It has never done me any good-at this rate it will be the thing to kill me.”

“I find that highly unlikely.”

“You’re not a witch- you can’t see the future.”

“I suppose not, but-” casting the pillow across the room, he quickly wrapped you in his arm, pulling you close against him. “-I promise that, at the very least, I will do my best to ensure something so silly as drink is not listed on your epitaph.”

A contented hum rolled in your chest as he pressed his lips against your neck. “I trust you will- frankly you’re already done so before.”

“Hmm-what an optimistic way of remembering it.” He muttered into your skin. You laughed, but almost immediately regretted it. Every inch of your head voiced its distain of sound, light, and movement in general. When your laugh morphed into a whimper, it only seemed to amuse Loki all the more.

“Poor little one.” he cooed, brushing his fingers along the side of your face.

“Do not mock me- I am suffering, Loki.” Rolling towards him, you buried your face into his chest. Though you had not anticipated how soothing his cold skin would feel against your aching head, you were more than pleased with the result, wrapping your arms around his waist to keep him held tight.

Hand cradling the back of your head, Loki kept you close-stifling his laugh so as not to move you too much. “Does that make you feel better?”

“Surprisingly, yes.”

“Good.” He replied, twirling his fingers into your hair. “Although I could fix the whole thing for you, if you like.”

            You peered up at him with narrowed eyes.

            “I assure you, it’s true.” Loki pressed against your shoulder, letting your back fall against the bed. “I cannot begin to tell you the number of times my brother-or one of his friends- managed to drink themselves into some sort of trouble; bringing the rest of us with them.” His fingers delicately brushed the hair from your forehead, setting it in place against the sheets. “I never really set out to learn how, but I sort of…picked it up, by accident.”

            “That is not entirely comforting.”

            “Nor will it be entirely comfortable. But it will fix the problem.” The frown on his face was a bit more than apologetic- or was enough to make you wince.

            “That bad?”

            “I suppose it’s all relative…”

            With an agonized groan you pressed your head back against his chest and placed his hand across the back of your neck. “I think I will wait it out- this will do well enough for now.”

            Gently, he enveloped you-his fingers curling delicately around the back of your neck, shifting every now and then to ensure no spot was neglected. The rise and fall of his chest became nearly imperceptible as he leveled his breathing, and as he ensured that you were still well covered, the ensuing silence let your thoughts vanish beneath the rhythm of his heart. “Thank you-” you muttered. “-I imagine this would have been quite a miserable morning had you not come.”

            “I am delighted to know I am irreplaceable as an ice pack.” He teased.

            “Mmm-and imagine, I would never been so lucky had I not thrown something at you.”

            “Your pen- yes, I remember.” He replied dryly. “Although I would not generally advise throwing things at royalty.”

            “Unless asked to.”

            “Who in the royal family would possibly ask you to do such a thing?”

-Cont on AO3-

[mia-tiny]

『 Jongho & FaceTime Sex + Lingerie 』 | KTB ‘22

⇒ pairing: c. jongho x fem!reader

⇒ smut, idol jongho, lingerie, mutual masturbation, FaceTime sex, light dirty talk

⇒ word count: 1.5k

💕 view my masterlist here

🖤 view my Kinktober ‘22 masterlist here

⇒ author’s note: only one fic left per member in Kinktober!

The sound of your phone ringing immediately has you grinning like an idiot because you know exactly who it is. Sure enough, you glance at the brightened screen and find your boyfriend’s name over top of a silly photo you took of him while on vacation.

During his tour, Jongho makes sure to speak to you every night because, by the end of each long and tiring day, all he wants to do is hear your loving words of encouragement. This is the first time he has been gone this long since you two started dating, and now you spend every second of every day looking forward to this moment, no matter how tired you are in the morning from staying up so late to chat.

Hating to waste even a second with him, you rush to answer his FaceTime and wait impatiently as it connects. As soon as his face pops up, you beam at him giddily.

“Baby~” you call in your most sing-songy voice, sitting up from your relaxed position in the bed that is far too big without him. He can’t help chuckling at your excitement, but you can see the exhaustion in his face that he tries to mask. You can’t imagine how overworked he must be and you wish you could just hug him right now.

“Hi, babe. How was your day?” He lays back in the all-white hotel bed with a large huff, his freshly washed hair dampening the pillow slightly.

“Boring, as always. There is nothing fun to do when you’re gone,” you pout in honesty, to which he sticks out his bottom lip, humorously pouting back in solidarity. “How was your day, though? Did the concert go well?”

“Yeah, I think we actually did really well tonight,” he answers lifelessly while running his hand through his hair to keep it out of his face.

“Why do you seem so bummed, then? Did something else happen?” You can’t help but be concerned for Jongho when he is down like this, especially when you can’t be by his side to comfort him in person. He lets out a dispirited sigh.

“Honestly, I just miss you so fucking much,” he admits, a blush rising to his cheeks as you grin sheepishly. “It is driving me insane. I just want to hug you, kiss you, touch you, and have you to myself, but there is still so long to go until I’m home.”

“Have me to yourself?” you prompt teasingly, knowing exactly what he means but still finding his choice of words amusing.

“Yeah, I mean… you know…” he trails off in embarrassment as his eyes shift elsewhere.

“You want to fuck me?” You tauntingly bite your lip and put on the most innocent expression you can muster. He clears his throat awkwardly at the sight.

“Well yeah, of course I miss your body, how could I not?” he confesses with more confidence. “Stop looking at me like that, all sexy-like. You’re going to get me riled up.”

“Would that be a bad thing?” you challenge. “I have a present to show you anyways.”

His brows furrow in confusion as he quickly racks his brain to remember if today is an anniversary or special date, but nothing comes up. You, however, nonchalantly position your phone on the bedside table so that it shows your whole body as you kneel in front of it. With a sly smirk, you slowly undo your robe’s tie and slip each side off one at a time to reveal the lacy red lingerie you bought earlier today. 

Jongho watches you closely, his expression turning increasingly lecherous by the second. The exhaustion in face has been washed away entirely as all of his thoughts are instantly occupied by you. The seductive bra, panty, and garter belt set doesn’t leave much to the imagination, but that is exactly what you wanted.

“What is all this for?” he purrs in contentment as you finally throw your robe aside altogether.

“Just because you’ve been working so hard, I thought you deserve a treat.”

“Oh yeah?”

By the slight movement of the camera, you can tell he is reaching down to stroke his cock already and you can’t help but feel a surge of confidence. You start putting on a show for him by running your own hands across your body, stopping at your chest to grope your own tits and moan dramatically for him.

“Do you like your gift?” you coo as he nods with his mouth agape in admiration.

“The only thing I hate is that I can’t rip that off you and bend you over right now.” You tweak your nipples playfully and moan softly.

“For now, just tell me what you want and I’ll do it for you, baby.”

His eyes sparkle with enthusiasm and he readjusts the pillow behind his head as he gets ready for the show. “Go ahead and touch that pretty pussy for me.”

You drag your hand down your stomach to your sex, teasing yourself by rubbing at your clit over the flimsy fabric of your underwear. You make sure to moan a bit more theatrically than normal, which he seems to enjoy by the low groan he lets out.

“Pull your panties to the side and let me watch,” he commands, feeling like he will explode with anticipation if he doesn’t get to see your needy cunt this very second.

Like a good girl, you follow his orders and expose yourself to him, opening your legs more so he has the best view. You continue to stroke your sensitive bud as he lets out hushed whimpers from the pleasure of his own hand.

“Jongho?”

“Hm?”

“Can I see too?”

He smirks as your face reddens, but you can’t go on knowing he is pleasing himself and not being able to see it. He flips the camera input so that it now shows the pornographic scene of his hand stroking his stiff cock, his pajama pants pulled just halfway down his thighs.

“Better?” he teases.

“Much better.”

The aching neediness in your core increases tenfold as you ogle over sight of his perfect dick, pre-cum oozing lazily from the tip. Your fingers automatically pick up their pace to match the slightly faster rhythm of his hand.

“Use your other hand and finger that greedy hole. I want to see you fall apart for me.”

You easily sink two digits in from how wet you are and curl upwards to drag along your g-spot, the sensation prompting you to release a shameless whine. You waste no time warming yourself up, immediately speeding up your movements to constantly stimulate both parts of your sex. The combined pleasure, in addition to the visual of your boyfriend’s own desperate motions, has your climax starting to build deep within your core.

“Shit, baby. You’re going to make me cum if you keep moaning like that,” he pants, clearly close to the edge.

“Cum for me.”

He curses under his breath and speeds up once again as he skirts close to the edge, the camera shaking frantically as he focuses only on the euphoric feeling. It isn’t much longer before his hot cum is shooting onto his abs with a cry of your name that the people in the next hotel room surely heard.

He keeps the frame focused on his cock as he watches you wildly chase your climax. He can tell by your increasingly high-pitched sounds of pleasure that you won’t last much longer and savors the sight of you so needy like this, wishing he could just climb through the screen and dive straight into your pussy to give you the mind-shattering high you deserve. Lamenting the fact he can’t do so, he settles for just enjoying the view for now.

“Your turn, baby. Cum for me now.”

His words flip a switch inside you and cause you to immediately spiral into a shuddering orgasm, Jongho’s eyes closely trained on you as he imagines just how good you would feel wrapped around his dick right now.

“There you go.”

You lightly gasp as you pull your fingers out of your hole, the sensitivity making your head spin. Jongho has flipped the camera back around so it shows his satisfied expression, sweat glistening faintly at his hairline. You also grab your phone and lay down in the same position, absolutely spent.

“Did you enjoy your gift?” you quip despite clearly knowing the answer. He just chuckles and rolls onto his side.

“If you aren’t immediately wearing that when I get home, I swear to–”

“What? You’ll punish me?” you taunt.

“Just wait and see what happens. But I’d be careful if I were you because I have another two months to imagine all sorts of scandalous things I can do to you.”

Your heart skips a beat at his threat, the proposition sounding much more appealing than he must think. A mischievous grin spreads across your lips.

“Then I will make sure to have high expectations.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

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