#it was alright? but not near good enough to get multiple specials

[razorblade180]

The Abyss Run

[Musk Reef]

Kirara: Special Delivery! Who ordered the First Aid K- OH MY GOODNESS!

It wasn’t often Kirara found herself completely caught off guard; especially with these particular kinds of deliveries within her friend group. She couldn’t remember the last time she was asked to help with an Abyss domains. However, there certainly wasn’t this many people injured or even requested!

No matter where she looked, someone was in sight. Aether was bandaged up and sitting near the portal while the rest of his friends weren’t any better or enthusiastic.

Keqing, Raiden, Hu Tao, Yelan, Zhongli, Yoimiya, Wanderer, Mona, Kazuha, to the likes of Chevruse, Bennett, Navia, Xiangling, Xingqui, Furina, Noelle, and more! So many friends sulking and bruised up to varying degrees. Even the Kamisato siblings!

Kirara:What the heck is happening!?

Everyone:Suffering.

Kirara:You can’t beat it?

Faruzan:Beating a few monsters isn’t the issue. It’s just…

Collei:There’s so many, and so little time. It’s so daunting!

Nilou:*laying down* Not mention oddly paced. Specifically, floor twelve, chamber one.

Just uttering that made everyone grunt. Was giving up an option? Definitely. Aether wasn’t holding anyone hostage and he actively ran in himself to conquer the beast. This wasn’t the first time gaining every star was impossible, but this should be possible. Many among them were truly strong and have tested their teams in many trials. It was obvious when a challenge felt out of their depth, but this felt fundamentally cruel.

Yoimiya:Guys, I’m sorry I’m not cutting it this time. I’m just too slow.

Hu Tao:If you’re slow then I’m a snail with no slime. We can do a lot together but it it’s enough! Why are things appearing in intervals!?

Ei:It certainly doesn’t make things easy. Raw power does little here.

Baizhu:But consistency still needs it or it’s pointless as well.

Kirara:What’s the troubling part?

Aether:Multiple waves, but they’re spread out. Mechs, emerites that tame beasts, but the bigger issue is the other side which Pyro mages into Lectors and then Serpent Knights.

Sucrose:Just when you counter one thing, it’s at potential expense of another. Time, power and safety being the big thing. The issue is only made worse with the blatant demand for hydro.

Furina:*mumbles* Where’s Neuvillette when you need him?

Aether:Hey! We don’t dwell on decisions not made. We’re strong; I know this. Also that’s rude to say in front of Ayato.

Ayato:I can acknowledge that man’s strength. I’m more concerned about others who might feel a little more discouraged, given other people who aren’t here to help.

Yoi and Hu Tao: We are fine.

Xiangling:I’m kinda not. I really thought I could pull through.

Lyney:Even Father wouldn’t scoff at this challenge. You’re doing fine.

Tighnari:And Al Haitham has his own faults. He’s not exactly made for the second half, and we’re not slow on the first half either. This is a team problem that only gets solved together.

Shenhe:Sorry I’m not more helpful.

Ayaka:You’re perfectly fine. Some battles are worse than others.

Navia:I’m sorry your first Abyss has such a dreadful atmosphere.

Clorinde:It’s perfectly alright. If anything, a shared struggle makes it easier to know everyone faster. Despite the outcome, it’s been nice.

Yao yao: *passing out food* We feel the same!

Wanderer:*mumbles* Don’t be so sure.

Sethos:Be nice. We need the positivity while others are hard at work.

Scaramouche looks over to the left, along with a few other people, watching Keqing, Kokomi, and Nahida looking at a list of failed combinations, time markers, and allies. Honestly if people did want to leave, those three were holding enough determination to make people power through. Those three, Nilou, and Clorinde had the most bandages by far from constant runs, but were pretty good thanks to multiple healers.

Aether:Any luck? We could call it a d-

KNK: Hold on!

Aether:*smiles* I tried.

Keqing:Nahida, do you have any unconventional wisdom left?

Nahida:Honestly….I don’t like to admit it but I think at this point it really comes down to effort.

Kokomi:I’m inclined to agree. Several of these plans are genuinely solid, and I do believe many of us here have the strength and synergy. Our missing speed may come down to a little luck and repetition.

Nilou:….*sits up* Put me back in. In a broad sense, it’s no different than practicing a dance routine in terms or repetition. I feel like can take on the first half pretty well. Although that leaves less hydro for the Lectors.

Clorinde:…I’ll fight them. Electro is the next best thing. Also if I’m confident in anything, it’s my speed. Give me a bit of wiggle room and I’ll make the most of it.

Mona: Well if those two are going to lead, then all that’s left is to decide the teams and try our best. So, who’s going?

xxxxx

[Floor 12-1, two hours later]

If visions were given to those with ambition, then Nahida wondered if a person could be so ambitious that they gained multiple. If that were the case, she was certain she’d find out at any moment. For someone of his health, Dr. Baizhu was incredibly stubborn; his glasses were discarded as he took a rest to her left. On Nahida’s right, Furina had long since tossed her hat aside, letting her hair run wild. Both of them had fresh bruises and sweat but seemed motivated all the same.

Then, there was Nilou. Unlike the other two, she chose to stand near the challenge sigil. She had discarded her headdress and hour in and naturally had the most bruises. Still, she calmly took deep breaths to steady herself and remained focused.

Nilou:Is everyone ready? At this point I think it’s safe to say muscle memory is on our side.

Nahida:You may be right, but….

Furina:You need a bigger break than all of us! As a fellow performer, I’m well aware that a supporting role is at times the most harsh.

Baizhu:I agree. You really should sit awhile.

Nilou:It’s okay. I’m used to long hours practicing, and it’s cooler in here than in the desert. Also if I’m being completely honest��I might not want to stand up again if I sit down.

NFB: (More like she won’t be able to)

Furina:Very well. The show must go on. *stands*

Nilou:Alright everyone. Just like we’ve rehearsed. Lesser Lord Kusanali, Dr.Baizhu, the lead is yours. Lady Furina-

Furina:I’ll match the rhythm. Also for crying out loud *smiles* just call me Furina. The rest of my friends do.

Nilou gave a tender smile and nodded before focusing on the task ahead. She took one final deep breath as everyone got in position behind her. Once again, Nilou sprinted forward. The moment she activated the trail, she went straight into her sword dance and conjuring rings of water with a leap that landed her in front of the primal constructs; she paid them no mind as they were quickly marked by her god and assaulted by Furina’s honored guest while a shield protected her from bloom explosions.

Nilou completely to the other side, leaving the enemies to Nahida while Furina and Baizhu also ran. A Ruin Guard appeared right on time and was immediately marked. A sanctuary from Nahida dawned the arena as Furina gave her blessings. Baizhu constantly pressured the mech alongside Nilou’s dance. With another leap, she flew towards the right and landed with a big splash as two Ruin Drakes rampaged.

Thank goodness for Baizhu’s shield for cushioning violent swings. Nilou too her fleeting seconds of rest as her three friends converged to her spot to actively face the bots, attempting to keep them close by so the constant bombardment of cores could do their job. This was always the worst part.

Nilou began to dance once more and at the moment of the robots’ end, she once again ran to the other side first. Nahida and the honor guests were right behind her. They wasted no time attacking the Emerites on sight, marking them and their summons as the foes circled them in the chaos of dendro. Sanctuaries were fortified, shields, blessings, and attacks were constant from all angles, but Nilou paid it not mind. The clambering of noise would not distract her from making it perfectly between all obstacles and sending out one final wave that drowned out all noise, reducing everything to silence. All that remained was the sound of her own panting, her head held down as she remained in the pose that ended it all.

Nahida and Baizhu: (Stamina or not, she’s clearly exhausted.)

Furina:Hey, are you-

Nilou:T-The time? How much time did we use?

xxxxxxxx

Clorinde:One minute a four seconds. They shaved off five seconds.

Kokomi:Do you think that’s enough?

Clorinde:I can’t say for certain, but I refuse to let such efforts go to waste so easily.

Being a leader wasn’t particularly new for Clorinde, but she had to admit today had been like no other and her partners were no small part in that. Although she was rookie in this case, she’s never been a stranger to long hunts or tests of endurance. Still, this entire situation was enough to mess up her hair and toss even her precious hat aside. The only reason she wasn’t completely drenched in sweat was ironically due to the pyro enemies reducing even sweat into nothingness.

Kazuha and Kokomi were a bit singed, but despite the numerous attempts, they both sat down in relative comfort. Not all that surprising for two people accustomed to war. What really surprised Clorinde was how a young lady from the land of freedom was currently stretching out her limbs and was just as, if not more comfortable.

Fischl’s clothes were scrapped up and her interesting speech patterns had been dropped about an hour into this battle. Clorinde had to give the adventurer credit. Fischl remained the same aside from those two facts.

Clorinde:You’re really used to this, aren’t you? I admit I had a few worries in the beginning but they were clearly not necessary.

Fischl:Surprised are you? It’s only natural. I may not look like, but I’m one of the few people who could tell you about every single challenging trial Aether has tried to overcome.

Clorinde:Ah, so you’re veteran among veterans. I’m honored.

Fischl:Hehe, it just worked out that way. I could tell you crazy stories about the chaos Keqing and I faced in a mysterious domain, or even tales of a very ferocious wolf. This isn’t my first time facing an impossible task. You’d be surprised just how possible they turn out in the end.

Kazuha:Best to take her word on it. The Prinzessin has an intuition about these things.

Fischl:Naturally!

Kazuha:Also we have a war strategist.

Fischl:That too!

Kokomi:March full speed ahead until the very end. Kazuha and I will make sure you won’t miss a step.

Clorinde:Then I suppose there’s nothing left to be said.

They all rise up and space out. Kokomi stands facing the center while Clorinde and Fischl are on the right and left of the area a little closer. Kazuha runs right up the middle and activates the challenge, immediately jumping high into the air to drag the samachulr into a madness of high speed bullets, blasts, and water.

Back and forth, Clorinde teamed up with Oz to shred through the abyss mage shields and take the fight head on. The final blow came when Fischl took flight, cutting through the enemy and soaring alongside Kazuha to the Pyro Lectors. The beasts had no time to react as Kokomi placed her familiar and Kazuha pulled them into a storm of hydro before taking into the sky again for Clorinde to come rushing through with more bullets with Oz matching her rapid fire in the electro charged maelstrom.

With the Lectors thoroughly enraged and three teammates close by, Kokomi rushed in and dawned her garb to keep the hydro pressure strong as pyro energy festered and exploded outwards to manifest shields and caused harm. Kazuha swooped up Fischl to a safer distance as Fire rained down and their teammates, including Oz, got busy vaporizing and overloading every move made against them at breakneck speed. Through burns and blistering heat, they silenced their adversaries and looked to their friends.

Fischl was already soaring right into the two Serpent nights with an immediate follow up from Kazuha with an electro maelstrom. A knight went to strike while another tried gaining distance, but the boy quickly took Fischl’s hand again and leaped up to pull them into the eye of the storm where Kokomi’s familiar appeared once more alongside Oz to set the stage for Clorinde to come barreling in with bullets.

It was as if she was trying to cut through the storm itself. In all honesty, it was a testament to her accuracy that Clorinde never ran into them, because half the time they weren’t looking at her! Kazuha came down with a slash to keep the knights in place while Fischl applied pressure to help their speedy friend wrap things up even faster. Back and forth, bullets and blade, Clorinde the pace and pushed her limits with one final slash that cut through both opponents and sent her tumbling onto her knees. The hunter whipped her head around with little breath in her lungs and stared at her team.

Clorinde:TIME!?

Cleared! Time Remaining: 7:01

Nobody said a single word. Just a wave of adrenaline and exhaustion crashing into them at once. Kazuha sighed while Kokomi fell to knees and Fischl’s eyes grew wide alongside Clorinde.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Nilou finally fell right onto her back alongside Baizhu. Nahida couldn’t believe her own eyes while Furina felt like crying herself out. Though separated by chambers, somehow, deep down, everyone managed to scream at the same time in triumphant victory.

Outside, the others watched the 36th star appear and had their own battle cry. It wasn’t a pretty run by any means. But hey, it was worth the get together and team building.

Keqing:So, when are you going to tell them about the new domain you found?

Aether:Let’s not ruin this moment.

[blehhhhhsthings]

Spathodea voice line notes

Morning vl: Alright... I tried many times to swallow three raw eggs in the morning, but all the attempts ended up failing. Maybe... maybe I should use some sugar. Will it make them taste better, like pancakes?

-spathodea dear why are you eating raw eggs😭?

Bond morning: Vertin, would you like to try a new hairstyle? Like boxer braids... Look, I 100% respect your choice, but are you sure you don't want to give it a go? I've been thinking how perfect it will look on you...

-that’s so cute also why is Vertin just the resident barbie of the suitcase? Or well ken of the suitcase for that matter she is always being dressed up by someone😭… honestly can’t blame them she’s just so handsome

-imagine just a Vertin fashion show where multiple people dress them up to see who’s design looks the best(spoiler it all looks good on her)

Night: I know a professional boxer should say no to junk food, but... sometimes I just can't control myself at midnight and I have to get up for a scoop of ice cream. When I do so, it tastes even better than usual.

-I imagine this is vertin finding her in the middle of the night and she having to explain herself

-P.S. vertin let her go and she ate ice cream until she fell asleep in vertins office while they do their paperwork

Bond night: Hey, hey! Wake up, Vertin, wake up! I was sleeping in my room and started to sneeze like crazy, and then I saw something pop into the window... It's mushrooms! From Ezra's room! They have filled up his room already and are still multiplying! We gotta do something, or the suitcase will become a mushroom garden!

-the suitcase was almost turned into a mushroom garden

-where the hell was ezra during this was he just passed out in his room?

-spathodea’s room is near ezra’s room

-also spathodea dear let Vertin sleep their a chronic insomniac and they haven’t slept all week they really need to sleep please 😭🙏

Sleeves and hands: Cold compress, physical therapy, rehabilitation care... I've mastered all the skills I need as a junior nurse! It's quite something, I know! But you gotta understand anyone can master them, like breathing, as long as they suffer enough injuries.

-spathodea knows how to treat physical injuries caused by sports

Clothing and torso: Whoa... No, haha... It tickles... Hahaha! Oh my... I-I have a strange feeling of deja vu. Something like this happened before, but I don't remember what it really was...

-Vertin tickles spathodea

-also in ulus voice line vertin also tickles her but like why is Vertin tickling them in the first place

Hobby: On the day my coach told my mom "what Spathodea will be dealing with as a professional boxer" ...I-I dreamed of Ulu that night, and her heat woke me up with a dry throat. So I went to get water, and I saw Mom sitting in the dining room alone, looking at my collection of the Uluru photos... Anyway, the next morning, she told me she would be supportive no matter what my decision would be.

-so you have a mother, A supportive one at least 😃

Intimacy: Wow, I've never had any chocolate like this! Emm, I mean, it's not the best chocolate I've had, of course. The best one has something to do with a special moment that means a lot to me... While this one, I like it simply because it's appetizing... So, can I have one more?

-vertin and spathodea enjoying chocolate together😊

Chit chat 2: Wait... Wh-What is it that you're holding? A piece of paper from my... bag? Aaaaah! That's my report card! Stop reading!

-don’t worry I’m pretty sure vertins report card was the same so they can’t even talk.

That’s all I found interesting:D bye 👋

[topazadine]

Writerly Questionnaire

Thanks to @the-golden-comet for the tag! I enjoyed reading your answers, especially the part about your characters!

Alright, here goes.

About Me

When did you first start writing?

I wrote my first story at age 7, started my first book at age 12 (no you can't read it, it's terrible) and published my first poem at age 15.

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

Despite writing fantasy, I actually don't read much of it myself. My undergrad career focused most on British literature (specializing in Victorian lit) so that's what I'm most familiar with and what I like the most.

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you’re often compared?

I don't really seek to emulate anyone because I have my own unique voice, and I don't really get compared to anyone else either. If you have suggestions of what I might sound like, fire away lmao, because I don't really know who I emulate. However, I take a lot of inspiration from Willa Cather for atmosphere and Emile Zola for realism.

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)? (Room, coffee shop, desk, etc.)

I exclusively write at my desk. My setup looks like this:

I need my little guys and my Emotional Support Stuffed Cow (her name is Bluebell the Moobell because she has a little bell in her). Note the knitting I'm procrastinating on at the bottom right lmao.

What’s your most effective way to muster up some muse?

Funnily enough, I often get inspiration from my day job as an SEO writer, even though it has absolutely nothing to do with the types of stuff I write. Sometimes I'll just be hammering away at a Construction Accident Personal Injury Lawyer page and it strikes me that I need to kill one of my characters.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

Sort of. I have this thing I do where I like to mentally walk through buildings I used to visit as a relaxation activity, like my childhood elementary school, so that's given me a good memory of how places are laid out. As for actual settings? No, most of those are just made up of pictures I've seen of different places that I've never visited.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

Some of my recurring themes include: Degradation/transformation of memory Struggling against fate/the unknowability of fate Found family Abusive relationships Moral relativism Satisficing (choosing between multiple suboptimal outcomes to pick the least harmful option) None of them surprise me; I recognize where they come from. For example, my obsession with the degradation and transformation of memory comes from my own struggles with dissociative amnesia, and my interest in satisficing comes from my International Relations degree. My concerns about the unknowability of fate come from the fact that I had a premonition that I'd die of a heart attack at 42. And I'm 32 right now. You can imagine that this influences my process lmao.

My Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.)

As a lesbian, I am not ashamed to say that I am deeply and passionately horny for Uileac (who you can meet in "Cachaille" or read about in 9 Years Yearning). Like how can you not go crazy for a man who thinks this is the perfect declaration of love?

He's so scary and so devoted, yet also very chill and laid-back? And funny? And athletic? And protective of his lil sis? He's just ... (screams into pillow)

Which of your characters do you think you’d be friends with in real life?

Ono. He's a Sinan royal guard who is just so sweet but also kinda dumb.

There's a scene where he has to ask Cerie what kind of menstrual products she needs for their trip, which is both mortifying and really adorable. He's just a really gentle and nice guy who I think would get along with damn near everyone.

Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

I think Mordrek would scare the absolute shit out of me ngl. Like ... bro just ... does this kind of shit on the regular

Tell me about the process of coming up with of one, all, or any of your characters.

Uileac, Orrinir, and Ono were heavily inspired by Uguisumaru, Ookanehira, and Omokage from Touken Ranbu and I don't apologize for that. Obviously they are a bit different, but their personalities are quite similar. Cerie was developed from a roleplay where I was playing as Uguisumaru's made-up sister, so that's why she's Uileac's sister in Poesyverse. Haniya, Cerie's love interest, was made up by using personality testing and astrology to come up with Cerie's Perfect Match. No one knows where Mordrek came from. He just kinda showed up.

Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters?

They all have daddy issues. Every single fucking one of them.

How do you picture them? (As real people you imagined, as models/actors who exist in real life, as imaginary artwork, as artwork you made or commissioned, anime style, etc.)

All the art I have for my characters was made with AI before I realized AI was absolute garbage shit, so I'm not showing it, but I did commission a painting of Cerie from the amazing artist Caleb over on Twitter:

My Writing

What’s your reason for writing?

For me, that's kind of like asking why a bird sings. It's just what I do and what I have always done.

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

Definitely when someone says that my writing helped them or resonated with them. My writing gives me catharsis and it feels really good when other people say they got that same sense of catharsis.

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work? (For example: as a literary genius, or as a writer who “gets” the human condition; as a talented worldbuilder, as a role model, etc.)

As someone who takes risks that pay off.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Depicting trauma without being melodramatic.

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

People have told me they like how meticulous and carefully set up my stories are without infodumping or being boring. They appreciate the work that goes into planning things, how it all pays off in the end and comes together nicely without plot holes.

How do you feel about your own writing? (Answer in whatever way you interpret this question.)

I think I've come a long way and continue to improve, which is what is most important.

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

The last Kauaʻi ʻōʻō still sang until the end. So yes.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? If it’s a mix of the two, which holds the most influence?

I write whatever the hell I feel like when I feel like it. People tend to like it, but if they don't, I enjoyed making it anyway.

Open tag!

[cosmica-galaxy]

Submission for contest!

Name: Timebomb

Image:

Mimic species: Hybrid of a camera and clock mimic (clock dominant gene)

Is it friendly or not: Weeeelll…. They aren’t outwardly violent nor outwardly friendly. They observe as much as they can, but if you come into their territory she will try and scare you away. By any means necessary.

Where can it be found: They frequently move from place to place, they don’t like living in one spot for too long. But they are commonly seen living in the ruined remains of skyscrapers in New York City!

What does it eat and how does it get food: Being entirely carnivorous, Timebomb usually stalks any lone meat-creature that is unfortunate enough to go near their current abode. She refrains from using their self-made explosives however, because they might damage or limit the meat they get. They instead try to use their environment to their advantage, luring the prey to a geographical point of structural instability, and causing part of a building to fall on the prey. This is part of the reason why they choose living spaces with tall, numerous remains of buildings. They are really good at staging “accidents”, after all.

Does it have any special abilities: Not really. Especially nothing from the parent they look like the most, their mimic clock father. The only things that could be counted as special abilities is their camera genes, which is unusually similar to a scope on a sniper rifle, and their strange strength for someone as small as them.

Personal backstory: *cracks hands* Time to break this bad boy. Now you didn’t hear this from me, but rumor has it that multiple clockman and drillmen ships came over from the UK for an “investigation” or something. Perhaps they just want to be nosy? Or bother the US alliance for resources? I don’t know. They brought mimics with them, for some reason. Seems like the counterparts work close together. I also hear that one of the mimics went missing. A clock one, yeah, and this next part’s ridiculous. I heard that THAT mimic, met and fell for a CAMERA mimic. Yeah, I KNOW! Crazy, right? Apparently, they had a kid! A little child mimic. Absolutely flooring! Anyways, the clock mimic was caught and brought back just before the ships left for the UK and that camera mimic had to raise her child all on her own. Quite sad, yes. And that child grew quickly. Like, VERY quickly. Adult-within-a-few-months, quickly.*scoff* time magic. Anyway, that kid became really extroverted. I don’t know if camera or clock mimics could talk, but this mimic certainly could. It talked. A LOT. To itself, to it’s mom, to whatever units were unfortunate enough to be found by it. Yapped all day. All night. Until the war moved closer to the city, where it and it’s mother lived. 

It learned to shut up REAL fast when skibidis were around. Apparently it’s mother started going out for longer and longer intervals to get food and resources, and wasn’t coming back for longer periods of time. Then one day, she didn’t come back at all. And rumor has it the mimic child is still out there, perched on ruins after all this time, waiting for it’s mother to come back. … oh stop shaking! It’s just a rumor. … alright alright if it will make you feel better, the mother came back. mothers always come back.

Right? -- Here’s an entry by @cattaildragonfly​! Don’t worry, I fixed the image issue for you! That’s also very sad! They loose their dad and then their mom. So they’re just out there waiting for their parents to come back...but I doubt the mother will. I hope all the best for Timebomb! <: )

[arakawa-division]

ARB Birthday Special 2024: Hoàng Diệu

~~ July 8th ~~

"Sometimes a perceived obstacle is just an opportunity in disguise."

Login Lines:

"Thank you much for your patronage! Please come back again soon!" *Sighs* "Another productive day at Lotus Bloom Jewelry, each piece a fragment of my soul on display. ...Oh, another customer? Welcome, how can I help? Oh, you're not here for a request? Then what is it?"

"What's this? A... birthday card? ...Ah, today is my birthday? How could I forget? And what's this? ...A request for a date? Haha~ how cute. ♡ Sorry Tiger, you're adorable, but I'm afraid I'm quite busy. Maybe next time. But thanks for the card, nonetheless."

Voice Lines:

"Arakawa has been more lively than usual today. A stream of well-wishers and hopeful suitors have come through Lotus Bloom, each leaving their mark—a birthday wish, a shy invitation. It's almost routine now, the way they look at me with anticipation. I'm accustomed to it, the attention, the offers." *Sighs* "If only time were a gem I could shape and polish at will, perhaps I'd indulge in the luxury of a 'yes.'"

"I received a call from 'Auntie' today. She wished me, in her little, special way, a 'happy birthday'. She's never truly been the 'touchy, feely, emotional kind-of person'. But still, to know she took time out to wish me a 'happy birthday' still means something. She even sent money to buy whatever I want. It was nice, but... I think she forgot I've got multiple accounts with more than enough money in them. Still, it's the thought that counts, as they say."

"31 years… The lotus blooms anew, each petal a year of triumphs and trials. The shop is quiet now, the day’s end near. I lock the door, the click echoing like a toast to the year ahead. To freedom, to the dance of shadows, to the art that is my life and my legacy."

"Alexis, so nice to see you this fine day. ...Ugh, are you still upset about that? I apologized. I'd no idea those photos were important for your project. Really, it was a mistake on my part, and I'll... try to make sure it doesn't happen again. But no promises. Oh, nothing. Please ignore me."

"So, was there a reason for you coming here? ...Oh, a birthday gift from you? How shocking. ...A personalized planner? It even has my name on it! Thank you so much for this, Alexis. This was very thoughtful. ...Of course, dear. Of course."

"Ivy, dear. Thank you very much for the birthday wish. ...I know I promised to join you for yoga. And you know me, I'm not one for breaking promises. However, work and... other things have been keeping me busy. I'll try to make your next one, but no promises, dear. ...Thank you for being understanding."

"What is this now? ...Oh, meditation beads? Hmm... some of these look like some of the gemstones from my store. Wait... is that what you wanted those stones for the other day, Ivy dear? ...How... beautiful. I didn't know that you were skilled at this sort of thing, my dear. Thank you for this, truly. I'll be sure to wear them the next chance I get. Thank you again, dear."

Alexis Lines:

"Happy Birthday, Diệu. ...Yes, I’m here, though really, I should be getting to work on replacing those photos you deleted. Yes, I’m still annoyed about those photos! Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused? Those were for a client! Now I have to take time off to re-take them! ...I heard that, Diệu. Normally, I'd hurt you for this, but since it's your day, I'll save it for later. For now, let's just let’s focus on today."

"Here's your gift: a custom planner. It's got everything you need to keep track of your… activities. Just promise me you won't use it for anything mischievous. I can see that smirk, Diệu. You’re not fooling anyone. But it's your day, so I'll let it slide. Just try to keep it professional, alright?"

Ivelisse's Lines:

"Diệu-san, Happy Birthday. It is good to see you. You were missed at my last yoga class. ...I know how the currents of life can sweep us away from our intentions, so I don't bear you any ill will. ...No need for promises, just flow with the tide when you can."

"...These beads, yes, they are from your collection. I wanted to give you something that resonates with your spirit. Each stone is selected with care, imbued with a wish for tranquility and balance in your whirlwind life. ...I'm glad they've found a place in your heart. Wear them in health, wear them in silence, or in the midst of your dance. They are a reminder of the peace that's always within reach, even when the world outside is anything but silent."

[knightyoomyoui]

The 1% Of Chances | TWICE Jeongyeon x M Reader Fanfic : CHAPTER 1

Welcome to my first Jeongyeon x Male Reader book! I hope you guys will like this story that I attempted to make after days of deciding whether I should do it or not. For the reads and votes that this book would get, I gave to all of you already my deepest gratitude for supporting my work. Now, here's the pilot chapter of my 12-chaptered book. Enjoy reading everyone!

"Alright, you can now leave Mr. YN. Rest assured that I will send you an update after I fully review these including our interview today.", the owner of the establishment said to you while compiling all of your papers he seperated each just to take a look at each of its contents. "Understood, sir. Thank you so much.", you bowed in respect to respond on his statement. He gave you a timid smile before you left your gaze at him and stepped outside his office and the building. You came here to pass some copies of your personal documents that were included on their requirements in search for their new worker to take on their vacant position. And as the guy who is currently desperate to look for an available, still continuing and keeping your hopes high despite being rejected by multiple companies now including taking a time to find another one whether around inside or outside of your area in Seoul, South Korea.

Stumbling to this one, you unhesitantly attempted to try this one; not minding what type of job it is. The only thing that matters to you anyways is so that you could use this job to help yourself survive into this word and maintain your personal life average, whilst figuring out also how to improve and reach the best limit you could ever get that can enable you to help others too who are inspiring to do the same thing as you. Here you are who just finished the interview that was set up by the boss to atleast get a glimpse of your personality and hear to you loud and clear on how can you possibly assured that you'll help and contribute to the changes of the business to make you perfectly fitted for the role, you are now standing outside the building; sighing deeply in relief both in relief and nervousness. Relieved because your meeting is done, nervous is because you don't know if the higher one will accept or reject your application. While you were waiting, you decided to just push aside your overthinking to the back of you head and chose to calm yourself a bit knowing that so far you don't have any huge errands to rush for a couple of days. Before you were even about to hop onto your motorcycle, your phone beeped; stealing your attention. You picked it up, seeing the contact profile of your friend named Somin flashed on the screen. You answered the call by swiping to the green call button. "Hey, what's for the call?", you spoke as your placed the phone near to your ear. "Yo, YN. Where you at right now?" "Outside the building I applied for a job, why?" "Oh, the interview was today? How is it?" "It's fine. The stuttering were atleast controlled and somehow the boss looked convinced on some of my answers to his questions. But that doesn't mean I have to complacent you know? Still, these thoughts of failing to get employed is making my nerves tensed." "Well that sounded good still and also you were right. Just look at the positive side, man. Enough or not enough, you showed to him that you can be very useful anyways." "Same point we're sharing then. That's what i'm doing right now, taking some cool off." "By the way, uhh what time are we going tomorrow?" You remembered your plan because of what he said, causing you to frown immediately. "9 in the morning is fine, man." "Alright. Time flies, doesn't it? I don't intend to ruin your mood but... I know you have the similar expression of mine that it still disbeliefs me. Hasn't it been 2 years already?" He was right, and the truth got your heart even sank deeper at the heavy weight of the sorrow you feel. It's been 2 years since you lost the only remaining special one in your life. The only woman who fought till the end just to stay by your side... even if it costs her life due to her unselfishness. And you both love and hate her so much for that. But even if you argue with her over and over again about that, you know she'll win always. She loves you so much and that love is your weakness. Which was her strength but... fate went upside down as it was instead the one who pushed her to the risk of disappearing forever. It was never easy for you every single day when you'd think about it. "Y-yeah. It feels like yesterday when we attended her funeral.", you answered with your voice getting rough a bit due to your force of not wanting to sob already and instead save your tears for another day. But having the observative friend you have, he didn't failed to let it pass as he got aware that the reality still stabs you straight in the feels. "Sorry if I just said it man. I know it stinged you a lot but hey, feel free to let it all out tomorrow. You know I'll be there always to console you, man." "Thanks, Somin." "No biggie." "I gotta go now dude, I still have to buy some flowers and candles to bring for her resting place before I go home." "Sure, have a safe way home okay?" "Got it.", you replied before the call ended. You placed back your phone in your pocket before riding your motorcycle and revved its engine to have you transported onto your next planned destination. Minutes later, you bought some pieces of lilies and carnation flowers to a floral shop along with some pleasant smelled candles to bring with you to the cemetery where you'll be placing it in front of her tombstone to gift on it atleast on the anniversary of her passing. You then crossed the street and entered a fast food chain next to buy some take-over food as your dinner for tonight. Just a combo of coke, two layered burger, two pieced chicken with a rice and lastly a fries were effective immediately to make your starve and crave for it to be eaten. So you went back to your vehicle and drove instantly in the middle of the road ahead to your sweet home. One of the streets made you stop driving as you got to follow the red light to allow the bypassers to cross the road through the pedestrian lane. In the midst of waiting patiently, your music 's volume shrinked on your earbuds when a notification appeared on your phone. Opening it, you learned that it came from the K-Pop girl group you stan the most, which is TWICE. They just released their concept photos for their upcoming 2nd English Single titled "Moonlight Sunrise" which was labeled also as their pre-released English Track.

It made you ooh-ed in fascination and awe as you got to see the individual photos of the unnie line who are slated as the Batch 1 of their scheduled releasing of concept photos for today. You figured that tomorrow would be the middle line's turn next and the day after would be lastly the maknae line's. After you gave a heart react and shared the post of Nayeon's concept photo, it took you a bit long to head quickly to Momo because there was something that had you abruptly halt on your hand movement. You ended up in a stare with the concept photo of your bias and your huge celebrity crush, Yoo Jeongyeon who looks absolutely damn gorgeous and deadly attractive with her short bob-cut black hair which is definitely your favorite and top-tier haircut look of all time from her. It reminisce you of Feel Special where she had that look first before, and successfully caught your attention that led you today on being a die-hard ONCE and her as your bias without further picking. You smiled widely and shrieked in victory that she returned this look again which made you extremely assured that you'll be loyal even more to her because of this era. "Oh myt God, I really have to prepare my heart and soul for their comeback. She's going to snatch it again and make it hers as usual.", you muttered to yourself. After you finished heart reacting Momo's next, the green light was lit to give you and the other drivers an access to continue driving. The next day, you woke up from the irritating sound of your alarm to inform you that you have to start such a big day today. You groaned at the stretching of your body before you stood up from the bed and fix your bedsheet. The morning routine began as you stepped into the kitchen, making your breakfast for this morning. Afterwards, the preparation for yourself is near to be accomplished as you wore both pair of your shoes one last time before checking yourself in the mirror about how you look. Satisfied enough that you atleast look like a civilized and modernized human being, you left your house then locked it and rode your motorcycle to drive away to the location you're suppose to visit. You stepped inside the JYP Entertainment building after parking your ride at their provided lot, greeting the receptionist courteously. "Uhh hello and good morning miss. I'm here for Mr. Jinyoung Park or I guess I could say JYP himself." "Hello and good morning to you too, sir. Are you perhaps the one that Mr. JYP informed me that he had to meet with an intern today?" "I guess you can say it like that." "Just a sec, sir. I'll just have to call Mr. JYP to alert him of your appearance." She then went on to talk on the telephone where she dialed the number of his boss to call him. It didn't lasted longer as she dropped it right away once the short talk ended. "Sir, you may now proceed to meet him." "Ok thanks. Uhm, wait... where is exactly his office miss?" "Go to the elevator to reach the 3rd floor than walk over the hallway. His office is just after the Prince Recording Room, the one with the gray colored door." "Thank you very much, miss." "You're welcome. Welcome once again to JYP Entertainment!" You followed what the lady receptionist said and now, you were standing in front of what it seemed to be the place you are about to enter and meet him personally. Providing some couple of inhale and exhale to compose yourself, you directed to create 3 knocks on the door before speaking up to signal your presence. "Uhm Mr. JYP, it's me. The intern." "Come in!", you heard the muffled sound of his command from the inside of the room. You obliged, opening the door which revealed the owner of this agency, the legendary and the one and only "Asiansoul" of K-Pop himself, Jinyoung Park aka JYP who is signing some papers in his desk. Along with him was a woman wearing all black attire, sporting a short hair with a nicely trimmed bangs, sitting in one of the guest chairs as she makes herself comfortable. All of their pair of eyes connected at you which made you shy and nervous at the same time when you stepped inside the room. "Mr. LN, great to finally see you.", JYP stood up from his seat and offered you his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, sir.", you accepted the handshake and returned back the greeting. "Before we start, I would like to introduce you to another one who's with us right now in my office. Sadness?", JYP glanced at the woman in front of him. "So you're YN? Annyeong, i'm Kim Nayeon or call me Sadness-noona instead as my nickname. I figured that you'll have to use the honorific noona because based from your application, well it does seem that you're younger than me. Nice to meet you, by the way." "Oh... okay, nice to meet you too noona." "Okay now that we're done on the introductions, YN you may now take a seat.", you followed JYP's command, sitting at the spare chair in front of Sadness. "This won't be along but the reason I want to gather us together here for some short meeting is to first.... congratulate you for taking the spot as part of Division 3's managemant team. And I assume that you don't know who's group you'll be assigned for, aren't you?" "Yes, JYP-nim." "You will be under TWICE's staff team. As their head manager who's tasked to keep an eye and manage the whole group while being the leader of the team, that means you'll be sent to duty as a manager for ONE of the members in the group.", Sadness took the cue to speak next. You were shocked to know that you'll get to have working very closely with none other than the group you're hugely stanning since day one. This just feel so surreal of you. You tried to maintain your fanboying as you have to priroitize being professional and dedicated for your job at the moment. "And may I ask who is it, noona?", you asked in curiosity. "Don't worry, YN. You'll meet her later.", JYP assured you. "Now that we're done to the second reason, let's get it on to the last one which is for me.... as the owner of the company who only wants nothing more but for the safety and the best not only of my artists' experience in and out of my company but also for my employees around here working diligently, I want you to promise me one thing that you will be true to your words of what you told me back in the interview to impress me more. Be a dedicated and a trustworthy worker to his job, please." "And also, give us your word that you swear to assist, guide and guard the girls at all costs, especially to that one particular member JYP-nim and I has placed you with. They are the gem of JYPE who's career has never failed to make the company and also the fans who love them so much be proud of them for what they accomplished in the industry", Sadness continued JYP's words. "You have my word, JYP-nim and Sadness-noona. I swear that I will do my best to work hard for them mostly for that specific one like my life depends on it. I have to be honest, I am one of their fans and a part of the ONCE fandom so yeah, I'm just the same as what my fellow ONCEs and you guys also want the most for the girls... and being very lucky to grab the opportunity to work here in JYPE under their team, I'm here to give action to all of it." JYP and Sadness looked at each other, giving each other a nod and a smile as they were very impressed at your motivated spirit. "Well, that's more like it. I consider it already that you'll be very serious and committed then.", JYP chuckled which made you sheepishly smile. "Let's not waste the precious time, you two can go now so that Mr. LN here can finally start his first work today. Congratulations and welcome to JYP Entertainment again, YN.", he offered again his free hand which you quickly caught it for another handshake. "Thank you so much again for this opportunity, I'll do everything not to let you down, sir and you too noona.", you said to them. Sadness understood and agreed also at your words as she also made handshake with you. You and Sadness sent goodbye to JYP and left his office. You followed and walked with her until both made their way out to the building and went to the parking lot where the van you and her would be riding to is now waiting for them to carry on. After opening the slide door, you and Sadness sat alongside together inside the van as the driver operated the wheels and passed the surroundings of Seoul. The ride ended when the driver slowed down the speed and stopped in front of a large expensive looking dormitory building located in Cheongnam-dong. The guards allowed the van to enter the area before finally parking in one of the vacant slots. You and Sadness exit as both made its way up to the 12th floor where the exact location of the room is.

"How are your doing so far? You ready for your first day?", Sadness asked you as she looked at you. "Still nervous and processing that this is actually happening but yeah, I'm ready.", you gave a smile. Sadness went on to elicit a press on the doorbell then opened the intercom to let the device scan her face and even you who are both standing in front of the door. In just a moment, the door swung open by one of the occupants of the dorm. Jsut as when you had a sight of the stupendous figure of a woman in front of you, your senses went temporarily stopped and had your eyes wide open in surprise. Her eyes connected at first on Sadness before it switched next on yours who observed the entire features observingly at the unfamiliar individual standing next on her nice noona. "Hi, Sadness noona..., oh who's this? Is he..." "Yup.", Sadness answered already as she cut the idol's obvious question. She gestured at you next as if she's presenting you who is still in immense disbelief with the reveal you witnessed. "YN, here it is. The answer to your question earlier. You're assigned as the new manager for her, meet Yoo Jeongyeon of TWICE."

[unabashegirl]

Different (4) **SNIPPET**

DISCLAIMER: ONLY AVAILABLE ON MY PATREON! Join the family/community! Get access to 3 chapters of Enticing and 4 of Different for only $5 bucks or $3!

He kept his eyes tightly closed as he savored the moment. Silence had taken over. She never imagined she would fall for someone like him. Harry was humble and kind-hearted. He was ridiculously shy and stuttered continuously, which only made him more attractive. She already found him very peculiar, and she had only known him for a few days. 

He listened and observed her. He noticed things that the average college boy wouldn't. He paid attention to the little details, and she liked it. It made her feel special. 

“Harry” She whispered as she leaned in and kissed his lips again. Y/N pecked his jaw as soon as she detached her lips from his. Harry gulped and finally opened his eyes. He was confused, he opened his mouth to say something, but his phone ringing interrupted him. He picked up, but his eyes never looked away from hers. 

“I've got to go” He apologized with an evident frown displayed across his features.  Y/N nodded ad pulled away from him. She grabbed her keys and her tray and placed them in their proper place. Harry followed, keeping his head down.

“It's freezing!” She acknowledged as she rubbed her legs, multiple times trying to create friction, so she could heat up quicker. The seats were cold enough that they felt like they were wet. Y/N rested her arm over the consult and allowed her hand to hang as she started the car and maneuvered her way out of the driveway and into the busy streets. 

Suddenly, she felt something warm brush up against her fingers. She looked momentarily at her hand and realized that Harry had rested his hand right beside her. The source of the warmth was the side of Harry's hand brushing up against hers due to the constant movement of the car.

She looked back at the road as the light turned green. She wanted to tell him how much she liked him, but she felt like it was too early to share her feelings. There was the possibility that everything could go wrong, and he could turn out to be not as good as she thought him to be.

Y/N lived comfortably. Her only issue was her family dynamics. She traveled to places that she sometimes couldn't pronounce. Her family spent money without needing to look at price tags. Surely, her parents were always traveling, and she was always home alone. She was privileged and there was no denying it. Y/N was thankful and graceful. Although she always imagined how nice it must be to go home and have someone waiting for her. 

Y/N grabbed his hand. She went for it without even thinking about it. His hand was bigger than hers, but they were still soft. She intertwined their fingers and tried her best not to look at him. He looked down at their hands and a smile appeared. He kept his attention focused on the window, clearly too nervous to speak. 

“Harry” Y/N called out as she neared his dorm. “Is everything alright?” He shifted on his seat and turned to look at her. She could feel his intense gaze on her. 

“Did yeh mean it?” He said with no sign of hesitation and in a profoundly serious tone. 

“I wouldn't have kissed you otherwise, Harry” She cleared her throat and sat up. “But if you didn't like it then I guess we can forget it ever happened” 

“No” he objected quickly. She could sense that she had slightly offended him with her assumption. “It’s jus’ I never considered that someone like yeh would be interested in someone like me” he finally admitted aloud. 

“Someone like you?” She repeated, offended by the way he referred to himself. Y/N wished he could see himself through her eyes. Harry had opened the door for her today and had offered to carry anything that was the slightest heavy. He was a gentleman and there was no denying it. Harry treated her like she was made of glass, yet there he was undermining and tearing himself down. “Harry, I think you are wonderful. You are no less than me. Don't ever say that to me ever again” Y/N firmly asked him. 

“O-ok” Y/N finally pulled in front of the dorm, but this time he didn't jump out instantly like last time. He unbuckled him and turned to her. “Wha’ now?” He asked referring to what was blooming between them. 

“Let's see where this takes us” She shrugged and kissed him. “Now get out of here before I get you in any further trouble” She whispered against his lips. 

His lips tugged upwards, forming a beautiful smile. 

“Goodnight” 

“Goodnight” she smiled. 

“Text me when you get home” There it was again. Those were the kinds of comments that made her want to kidnap him and take him home and never let him go. She responded with a gentle nod, and he shut the door. Y/N sat back in the car and waited until he entered before starting the car and driving home. 

Y/N was no saint, and she feared how his opinion of her would change when she introduced him to that phase in her life. She used to drink a lot, and consequently, she would find herself in strangers' beds the morning after. This had been mostly during her freshman and sophomore years. She still managed to attend class and keep a high GPA, but things drastically changed one very particular night. Where things had gotten out of hand at a house party. 

She tried her best not to remember the events. Although she found it particularly hard when Brian kept showing up and reminding her. They had met during her sophomore year. He was in her creative writing class, and they had been paired for writing. Things were great for a while, but then she started noticing weird things, especially during their junior year… REST AVAILABLE ON PATREON

[yourstormthlaylirahh]

My thoughts on every new GMMTV trailer:

Enigma: cautiously hopeful. It looks very interesting and intense, and I think I will be able to handle the amount of horror in it though it is a genre I am nervous about because I scare easily. I'm just not a fan of student teacher romances, but I'll withhold judgement till after I see it (judging whether I like it. Not judging you if it's a trope you like, whatever floats your boat).

A Boss and a Babe: it looks silly and ridiculous and fun. I genuinely didn't think Forcebook would get another chance to star together and I'm so so happy they did, I love how they play off each other. Oddly I am fine watching boss employee relationships even though the student teacher ones make me uneasy.

Find Yourself: on the fence about this one, though I'll give it a try for Non and Earth. The tropes they are leaning into for comedy in the trailer aren't my favourite and I'm not a fan of them seeming to play drunken sex for laughs, but when the trailers tone shifted to be a more serious examination of age gaps I became intrigued. I'm just not sure I trust how this show will handle that subject in all its complexity.

Double Savage: very excited to have Ohm playing a darker character (I know we still have 10YT this year too). I think he will absolutely kill this role, I love his acting and think he is superb. I also think Film is fantastic and I'm excited to see her too. Looks like lots of lakorn crime type tropes, so that should be fun.

Hidden Agenda: I'm unsure about this one because while I like both Joong and Dunk well enough I wasn't enamoured with eithers' acting in Star and Sky, and they had the most disappointing kiss my god. This looks like the plot is more interesting at least than Star in my Mind, and I love a lot of the side cast. I'm hoping they just felt awkward acting together at first, and they will seem less stilted in this. I'm pretty 50/50 on whether I've liked the director's previous work so this could go either way.

23.5: I'm so so excited for this, it's happening guys!!!! MilkLove GL let's go sapphics let's go! I need this to do well and hopefully herald more long-form GLs. I adore both actresses and love them together as well. I'm expecting very 2015 BL vibes and fluff, and honestly not expecting more than a peck of a kiss (if I'm wrong feel free to point at this post and laugh at me I honestly would love to be wrong), but luckily I adore fluff and softness so I'm going to enjoy it anyways. The yearning! The sweetness! I'm over the moon

Phro Thoe Khue Rak Raek: I think I would be interested if this was just a movie but I'm not sure I have the attention span for a full drama about reminiscing and reconnecting with am old love. I'll probably skip this one unless something really catches my attention. Neo was really cute in this trailer though.

Cooking Crush: I am giddy about this one. I felt so sad Off thought him and Gun couldn't get roles together anymore because of their ages, and then here they are and the trailer looks really funny and cute! I'm also really excited they seem to have reversed their dynamic and Gun is playing the more asshole one, he definitely has the acting range and hopefully this means if OffGun continue going forward they will get to change their dynamic a bit more.

Wednesday Club: I'm not that interested. Honestly don't have much to say about the trailer, beyond Piploy and Jane look so so good! Please I'm already gay etc etc

Last Twilight: I'm definitely the most excited for this one! The plot looks interesting, JimmySea were excellent together in VV, and it's P'Aof who I trust implicitly. It is bringing me back to Want to See You (vdrama), which I overall enjoyed but I need this one to be less of a soap opera, I couldn't handle that twice. Also loved the music in the trailer. Also Jum ❤️ I also think Jimmy will be fun to watch playing the bad boy role, and he is super adorable which is a huge bonus. I'm not knowledgeable enough about adult onset blindness to really judge that aspect of the show.

Loneliness Society: While You Were Sleeping let's gooooo! My third most anticipated, I'm so excited for this! Morally grey and complex lead? With relatable issues around age and loneliness? Sign me up! This looks phenomenal. And I screamed when I saw Jan, I love her so much ❤️ though I am disappointed she got no main roles this year (side note Thailand is doing cherry magic what?????).

Only Friends: holy shit!!!! Second most anticipated and only trailer I've rewatched multiple times because there's so much going on! It's going to be messy as fuck and I'm going to eat up every minute! Can't believe we get Forcebook a second time next year, and KhaoFirst as well. The song they play at the end is fire 🔥 P'Jojo directing AND the cast is stacked!? Book Force Khao Neo Jennie First Mark and Piploy! I'm stoked

Faceless Love: eh. Dew's character really pisses me off, and while I have warmed up to rich asshole business owner types in the past (Poongduck, Business Proposal) my real life dislike of those types of people make it one of my least favourite archetypes and I'm not convinced I'm going to watch. I'm curious to see the reactions of people with face blindness to this as well.

Dangerous Romance: oh this look fantastic! I love this type of messy, high angst enemies to lovers. This is going to be so much fun, and I really liked what the director did with Love Mechanics so I have really high hopes. Plus Chimon is one of my favourite actors, and I would already die for Sailom - he's such a mouthy little sass master.

The Jungle: don't really understand what's happening because there are no subs, though it looks like a spiritual successor to PS I Hate You. Big cast, big drama. I'll watch it no matter what because it's one of my girl Mild's only roles next year and Lookjun's only role. Big downside is having to put up with watching Krusty.

Midnight Museum: not much plot was revealed in this trailer, however the creepy fantasy vibes are immaculate and I'm excited for this. I'm very curious about Gun's character's cryptic past, and hope it's suitably angsty so he can flex his acting, because he is phenomenal! Also Ploy ❤️

Our Skyy 2: oh my god! Special episodes for The Eclipse, Bad Buddy AND A Tale of Thousand Stars? Especially when we had all basically given up on an ATOTS special?!?!? Couldn't be more excited! I'm excited for everyone really (other than another Star in my Mind special lmao please let it fade into obscurity). If Never Let Me Go is as good as I anticipate (and I trust P'Jojo with my life) it will be great to see their characters again as well. My only disappointment is Forcebook is not reprising AkkTheo :( As one of the handful of people who really enjoyed Enchante I just want my Enchante special goddammit!

Beauty Newbie: I really don't think I trust how a plot about someone who's had plastic surgery and is now gorgoeus (let's be real Baifern is fucking ethereal) is going to handle issues like beauty standards. 😬 As someone who definitely falls outside the line of 'acceptable' look wise due to acne, weight, etc I'm not feeling this plot. The only reason I'm torn is my love of Baifern, so we will see if my love for her is enough to give this a try. And maybe I'm wrong and the plot will be amazing and profound, but I have serious reservations.

The Interest: eh. Whatever.

All in all I'm really looking forward to this lineup and think it will be a fantastic year. The ones I'm not liking based on the trailer I'm realllllllly not liking but I can just drop them of not watch.

Side notes: I was really worried Home School had been cancelled, it was one I was really looking forward to and I'm relieved it was only pushed back.

Also does anyone know what Miss Gigie is up to? She doesn't seem to be in anything upcoming other than Warp Effect and I miss her :(

[frostedfaves]

Naive (1)

Masterlist

Pairing: demon!Wanda Maximoff x fem!reader

Summary: Of all the humans Wanda has met, you’re suddenly her favorite.

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, dark!fic, demon things™️ (be warned that this shit will get much darker in the future), subtle hand kink (don’t @ me)

A/N: special shoutout to the anon that inspired this fic series, I hope you enjoy this weird combo of AOU x IW Wanda. also if you have any previous knowledge of demons, throw it out the window before you read this because I guarantee that things will not add up here lmao

-

Wanda’s favorite thing about interacting with humans is her effect on them.

Walking through a crowd is fine. She’ll brush a few shoulders and rattle a few unsuspecting adults, flash solid black eyes at kids that either stare or scream. It’s temporary and brings a bit of fun to an otherwise dull day.

The real joy comes from direct contact. Wanda travels miles away from her apartment building, choosing different stores, restaurants and cafés just to keep things interesting. A new cashier each time. She’ll have an air of friendliness about her that isn’t exactly fake; she finds most humans to be charming, despite their fragile minds.

“Will that be all?” Roy--according to his name tag--asks with a grin and Wanda nods in response. “Okay, your total is $21.14. You can just swipe or insert your card in the machine there.”

Wanda inserts her card carefully, complimenting the decor as she waits for the transaction to be completed. After returning it to her wallet, she flashes a soft smile at Roy as he hands her the receipt, purposefully brushing her fingers with his. As his skin makes contact with one of her rings, she notices the goosebumps rising along his arm and hears his breathing pattern change.

“Roy? Everything alright?”

She hears the concerned voice of a coworker as she makes her way to a table to wait for her meal, already seated by the time Roy coughs in an effort to collect himself.

“Yeah, just feeling off I guess. I’ll be fine.”

A chuckle falls from her lips as she watches the poor cashier attempt to return to his previous state of mind, finding the urge to smile and wave when his eyes cut over to her. His voice trembles when he calls her name and he stands as far away as possible when she approaches the counter to grab her order.

“Thanks for everything, Roy.”

Sensing that he’s startled enough without it, she keeps her other tricks hidden in her sleeves and simply walks away, holding her laughter until the doors close behind her. A good meal with a side of human interaction, her absolute favorite.

-

The next day brings Wanda to a bookstore around lunchtime. She takes a minute to browse the aisles, taking an exceptionally long time lingering in the section harboring books on angels and demons. The stereotypes amuse more than upset her like they used to in the beginning.

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

Wanda turns to make eye contact with the employee behind her, about to ask a question for the fun of it when a laugh catches her attention. Her gaze redirects to the café counter straight ahead, and a warm feeling washes over her when she hears the laugh again.

You’re genuinely entertained by the elderly woman purchasing a bagel with exact change, and Wanda manages to catch the end of the conversation as she draws near.

“Safe to say, I haven’t worn the blouse since that day.” She bids you farewell with her bagel and receipt in hand, eyes twinkling as she observes Wanda on her way past. “You have such bright and beautiful hair, dear.”

“Thank you,” Wanda responds with sincerity, attention locked on you while approaching the counter. “Hi.”

“Hey,” you greet her with a voice much calmer than the one you use with most of your other customers. “What can I get you today?”

You watch the orange haired woman turn her head to study the items behind the glass, taking the time to do your own inspection. You admire the dark red jacket that covers most of her torso, gaze lingering on the multiple rings hugging her fingers that seem to be smoothing nonexistent wrinkles in her dress, almost in a nervous fashion. It brought you a bit of comfort, assuming that she was affected in the same way.

“What do you recommend?”

“Oh, well…” You walk over to open the glass case from your side of the counter, naming each item as you grab it. “I usually have this pretzel that’s stuffed with spinach and cheese and this brownie. I can heat both of them for you, if you’d like.”

“I would love that,” Wanda responds in a grateful tone, placing a bottle of water on the counter after taking it from the fridge. “And I’ll also have one of these incredibly overpriced waters.”

You begin her order with a laugh, and she watches you ring everything up with the speed and expertise of a seasoned employee, wondering how she’d gone this long without running into you. The total price is brought to the digital screen just before her card is inserted, and she takes the time to quickly slip her rings into her pockets while you’re taking the pretzel and brownie over to the miniature oven. The last thing she wants to do is scramble your brain before she even gets the chance to explore it.

“Here’s your receipt,” you announce while giving Wanda the slip of paper, your eyes lingering on her hand for a moment before looking at her again. “Your food should be ready soon.”

“Okay, thank you…” Her sentence trails off as she searches for your name, the letters rolling off her tongue with ease when she finally locates it on the apron covering your chest.

“You’re welcome…” You trail off in the same fashion and she catches on quickly.

“Wanda.”

“You’re welcome, Wanda,” you repeat as you hand her the water bottle before she can walk away.

Less than two minutes later, you approach the table she’s taken over with two small ceramic plates and a sheepish grin.

“I should’ve asked if you were going to stay a while, but I can grab some bags if you need to go.”

Wanda shakes her head with a laugh as she takes them from you, startling you when she doesn’t react to the excessive heat radiating from the dishes.

“This is perfect.”

She takes her time with eating, and your attention is drawn to her between customers, grateful that she’s too busy with her phone to notice your stares. On the other hand, Wanda’s mind is filled with thoughts of you. What you look like when you think she can’t see you glancing over, what you smelled like when you were close. The nerves, the kindness, the desire to learn her name despite her being just another customer to you. She knows that you noticed her missing rings, but she’s already prepared with a cover story. A two minute conversation has her dying to pick your brain more, learn your habits and become more familiar with your body, beyond a simple brush of your fingertips. She already wants you to herself, just the way you came, without her interference for now; that’ll come later.

A good meal with a side of human interaction, her absolute favorite.

-

Despite Wanda leaving an hour before your shift ended, she lingers in your thoughts on the bus ride and walk home. You find yourself recalling her kind smile, fidgeting fingers and the scent of her perfume when she passed you on her way out, and you’re so deep in your memories that you end up colliding with your apartment door.

“That’s not going to get you inside any faster, dear.”

Your cheeks burn as you face Ruth for the second time today, the first time being earlier when you sold her a bagel.

“I know, Ruthie,” you respond sheepishly as you pull your keys from your pocket. “Is everything okay? You’re usually in bed watching a cowboy show by now.”

“I’ve been waiting for you to come home so I could talk to you.” She checks to see if the hallway is empty before opening her door and waving you over. “Come on, quickly.”

You scurry into the apartment behind her, taking in the scene before you while she locks the door. Having visited her before, you know she keeps the television at a higher volume, but it seems louder than normal.

“I know I might seem like I’ve lost my marbles, but I wanted to warn you about that woman you saw today....The one with the bright hair.”

“You mean Wanda?” you question, eyes widening when she nods. “Warn me about what?”

“There’s something off about that Wanda, if that even is her real name.” She snatches her arm out of her robe and brings it closer for you to see. “I’ve had these chills since I brushed against her earlier. Something’s not right with her. How do you even know her name? I’ve never seen her before.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” you assure her as you help her slip her arm back in the sleeve. “I only know her name because we were having a friendly conversation and she used mine. I was just being polite to someone I’ll probably never even see again.”

“Just be careful,” she pleads as you head toward her door again, and you offer your best attempt at a relaxed smile.

“I’ll be fine, Ruthie. Get some rest, okay?”

You hear her lock the door behind you as you make your way back to your own apartment, rushing through the process of unlocking the door and securing it once you’re inside. As much as you don’t want to let Ruth get you worked up over a stranger, you can’t help thinking about the odd little things you noticed earlier. 

It isn’t unusual for someone to linger after buying food or drinks from your counter, whether they have homework or even just a phone to keep them busy. Wanda seemed to be waiting for someone the entire time, and you remember hoping that she wasn’t on a date, despite not wanting her to be stood up. But she simply slid her phone in her pocket and departed with a friendly wave as if nothing had happened.

You especially remember her waving at you with those ringless fingers, and wondering silently where the intricate jewelry had disappeared to. Obviously you just assumed that the rings were tucked away on her person and not dumped in the trash, but she doesn’t seem like the type of person to give up on her accessories in the middle of the day. Part of you--a part that you didn’t dare to address--wondered if she’d emptied her hands to send you a subtle sign. No, that can’t possibly be it.

Sleeping proves to be difficult with so many unanswered questions floating about, but you eventually give into the act. A few hours later, you peel open your eyes when you think you hear something in the room. The digital clock that sits on your bedside and serves as an alarm and occasional radio reads 3:34am, and you’re just about to close your eyes again when you hear another sound. You raise your head to turn toward your closet, and a scream is trapped in your throat as you catch sight of a figure in the shadows.

The next time you wake, the sun is out and your alarm is blaring on the nightstand beside you. Your gaze flickers over to the closet as you reach out to silence it, your heartbeat dropping slightly when you don’t see anything other than clothes. Deciding that you must’ve been dreaming, you shake away the fearful thoughts and head to the bathroom to start getting ready for another day of work.

The only thing you haven’t decided on yet is whether you want to see Wanda again.

[imxeracus]

Drunk in Jealousy

Pairing: Gruvia

Sozsozsoz this was suppose to be done last year but I procrastinated on it. Anyway valentines is near so I hope this piece of ficlet will be a decent contribution to the Gruvia fandom c: This is NOT NSFW, despite the sound of the title. This actually spurred from a headcanon regarding the previous Christmas special where in that drinking game, it was always Gray doing the dares with the other girls making Juvia jealous, and I wondered how it’ll be if it was the other way round instead. Sorry that it’s crazy long. Enjoy!

EDIT: Just saw that there’s a valentines fanfiction event for the big 4 so I’m just tagging this in along to celebrate @fuck-yeah-big-four ————————— In Fairy Tail, drinking and brawling has become essential needs for a celebration to take place. For Lucy’s birthday today, it was also part of the guild’s program in conjunction with getting an award for her latest book written. The guild decided and went huge with the event, catering great food and decorations all over the hall for all to enjoy.

With that, the celebration was coming to its end as people started leaving the guild to their homes. However, some close friends stayed and gathered around the table as they continued to drink and fellowship with one another. Wanting to spice up the night, the knight at the table decided to speak up.

“We should play a drinking game!” “HA! I bet I can drink this beer faster than all of you!” “Natsu, it’s not like that...” Recollecting back the memories of the previous times where they drank and played “games” –– the ice mage amidst the conversation –– Gray Fullbuster, felt a churn in his stomach. The past experiences of these drinking fiascos have been nothing but chaotic, especially when it was being led by the scarlet haired mage. The black haired man turned his attention inconspicuously to the bluenette who was beside him. With the shoulder initially tensed, Gray loosened it up a little when he saw Juvia, still being her normal self and not drunk. The fact that last Christmas, the water mage was forced to go out with little clothing and have the crowd ogling at her made him rage. Of course, he did not say or realise it back then. But now, things were different and Fullbuster was not going to allow that to happen again.  “Uh, I don’t think we should play this game.” “C’mon Gray! Don’t be such a party pooper. Let’s have some fun!” “Are ya’ scared to lose to me ice pants?!” “What did you say?!” “Oh God, please don’t fight you two.” Lucy raised her hands up in dismay before smiling. “But Erza’s right, Gray –– let’s have some fun tonight and let loose a little.” The ice mage eyes widened in surprise before he spoke hesitantly. “Are you sure? Don’t you remember what happened the previous times we had this?” “It’s fine! Besides, it’s my birthday –– and it’s been awhile since we’ve all been able to not worry about the world.” “Well, alright then...”

Those were Gray’s famous ‘last words’ before the long night began. Erza’s face became as red as her scarlet hair, indicating she was drunk and impossible to be sensible with as they were play the infamous ‘guild master’ game. Thankfully the rest of them were still sober, however it did not help much when the master of each round could request anything they have wanted and it so happened fell upon the requip mage multiple times, just like Christmas previously. As the crazy requests are slowly coming in, even the birthday girl felt it was not a good idea in the end. “Phew, I’m glad I’m the master this time.” “Levy-chan, please make an easy request...” “Number 1 and 5 must embrace each other.” “C’mon Levy!” the red haired mage voiced out in disagreement. “You said this last Christmas too!” “Well, who’s Number 1 and 5?” “It’s me!” “Ah, Juvia is number 5-” Before anyone could do or say anything, number 1 during that round –– Natsu, went over to hug the water mage tightly. Soon enough, he loosened up and went back to his seat. “That wasn’t so hard!” Although the dragon slayer was cool and relaxed about it, the atmosphere around them was very tensed up as the bluenette went red at what just took place and Gray, whose face instantly changed. Lucy noticed the situation conspiring around her friends and not wanting to keep it up, went to ask for another round to keep the game going without any conflict (as if it was possible for the chaotic bunch) and hoped for the night to go smoothly afterwards. Thankfully the next few rounds were more peaceful as Erza, much to her disappointment, did not get her round of being the master. However, for some reason, the night was being mean to the ice mage who was on the edge of his seat. Why, you may ask? Well... “Why is it always Juvia?” Caught off guard by that statement, Fullbuster jumped in his seat slightly in surprise as he tried not to appear shaken by that remark. Unfortunately for him, the minimal shift in his body and change to his tone was identified by the already smirking card user.  “You’re wrong, Cana.” Gray tried to deny with a low voice, not wanting to create attention and furrowed his eyebrows. He was glad that everyone else was too distracted checking with each other on what they got for the round to hear what she said. “I wasn’t thinking that.” “It’s aight man, you guys just established your relationship and now she’s all over the other boys –– you can be jealous you know?” The ice mage clicked his tongue and blushed lightly as he avoided eye contact. He knew Cana was right but could not help deny and feel uncomfortable with that statement being put out so casually. “It’s because of the game, she has no choice that it’s always her number somehow––” “YES! I’M FINALLY THE MASTER!” A very drunk Erza jumped out of her seat in excitement with a mischievous glint.  “Now... Let’s turn up the notch –– 6 has to kiss the cheek of 10!” At the rate it has been going, Gray had a very bad feeling about this. Gajeel instantly placed his hand on his forehead and sighed loudly, slowly accepting his fate in this round. “Ugh let’s get this over with. I’m 10 and I hope salamander doesn’t need to place his germs on my face.” “Number 6 is Juvia....” It was obvious that the members in the room could feel the tension rise as Gray’s stomach began to churn. She really wouldn’t do it, would she? He felt uneasy and did not know how to react to the situation at hand. Lucy, however, saw her good friend in anxiousness began to speak up. “Erza, I think she shouldn’t––” Without hesitation, the water mage went to her best friend and gave a quick peck on his cheek. It was so fast that nobody could really register the act but knew it happened.  “It’s okay, Lucy-san.” Juvia said cooly and sat down, indicating to quickly move forward. “We can now continue.” There was an awkward silence before they heard a loud bump on the table. Fullbuster stood up silently and mumbled on how he was feeling tired, using it as a poor excuse to turn his heel and leave the place. The ice mage silently gritted his teeth as he clench his fists slightly. This did not go unnoticed by the bluenette as her eyes were filled with concern. “You should check on him. Your boy’s sulking.” “Did Juvia do something wrong? Or maybe Gray-sama’s just tired––” “C’mon, you know it’s not that.” Cana gave her a light shove and smirked, amused by the situation before her. “Just go, Juvia.” The water mage took a quick bow of thanks and apologised to the rest as she  pursue her beloved. Thankfully, he was not too far off as walked in a slow manner, seemingly deep in his thoughts. Not wasting anymore time, she hastened her steps and caught up with the ice mage. He took a quick glance at her before looking forward again, as if he did not see her there. “Gray-sama...” She said it in a soft voice, hesitant and afraid because she knew he was not in a good mood. Yes, most times he would act out of ‘annoyance’ to her antics, but Juvia could tell his behaviour currently was similar to the time of his teacher’s death anniversary. Recalling it, things did not go well and the ice mage pushed her aside despite apologising the next day. Occasions like this, the water mage became unsure of what to do. Was it to do with his teacher again? Or was it... “Did Juvia make you angry?” Gray put his steps to a halt as he felt a small tug at his right sleeve and turned back to the bluenette who seemed terribly guilty of his current mood swing. He lightened his frown and relaxed his shoulders a little at her sight, letting out a sigh. “That’s not it,” He said softly, grabbing her wrist gently from his sleeve. “I’m.. just tired and wanted to clear my mind off some stuff.” “Stuff?” “Yeah. Stuff.” “What stuff is bothering Gray-sama? Can Juvia help?” Speaking honestly about matters that hold close to Gray’s heart is something he admits, is poor at executing. He can make the best ice sculptures for display or battles, but fails to pass feelings of his own heart. To put it simply, the ice mage knew what ‘stuff’ was bothering him. He feared how prominent it became and did not know how to deal with it. He knew ‘jealously’ theoretically, but how does he deal with it practically? “Not exactly,” Gray started, putting her arm down by her side and letting go almost reluctantly as he scratched the back of his neck. “It was the game’s fault. Everyone––the guys––were all over you today.” The water mage let out a giggle. “Such coincidence, isn’t it? Juvia herself was surprised at how many times she got called by the game masters.” “But you just had to go along with it!” Caught off by the sudden change in his tone, Juvia widened her eyes in surprise as she became unsure on how to respond. “I mean,” Feeling guilty at his snarky remark, Fullbuster scratched his neck once again, cheeks reddening as tore his gaze away from hers. “You’re mine and all that––“ The water mage’s smile crept up slowly as he paused before resuming, his cheeks flusher than it could ever be. “Sorry I.. just didn’t like it. I know it was just a game but I guess it made me.. jealous?” Elated by his ‘confession’, the bluenette clung to the right side of his arm in joy. Almost instantaneously, Gray tensed up but learnt to relax when she did not do anything else. “Juvia is yours, Gray-sama!” He huffed a little in dissatisfaction before responding. “Really? I don’t think what’s mine would hug flame brain, do a couple’s toast with Lucy, get a pat from Jellal, carried by Laxus, kiss the damn metal head’s cheek––” “Even Lucy-san? Gray-sama has been looking at Juvia, isn’t he?” He heard a soft giggle from his beloved as he blushed once again in annoyance at her triumph over this matter. “Yeah yeah whatever. Happy now?” Not like he would admit it, but it felt nice to have Juvia by his side again––assuring him of her love. Still, the ice mage was in rage when he thought of all that happened in the guild earlier on. Well, he thought to himself, at least she is with him now and does not need to continue with those weird demands from his crazy friends. “Enough of that stuff,” Gray said as he cleared his throat and tried to stay cool. “I should send you bac––” Right before Gray could finish his sentence, the bluenette faced him and rested her petite lips on his own. She let it linger there for awhile before pulling back with a grin. “Juvia may have done all those things in the game, but she would only kiss Gray-sama on the lips. No one else.” Stunned at his place, Gray did not know how to reply. For the ice mage, he did not know whether it was the dimmed lights, the couple of drinks he took that night––or the matter of fact that Juvia Lockser looked very alluring in his sight. The water mage heard her beloved muttered something under his breath, but she could not make out what it was. For the ice mage, he knew his face was flushed as he felt the heat on his cheeks began to soar. But at that moment, Gray knew he only wanted one thing as his onyx eyes bore into her sapphire ones, making her feel nervous. “Gray-sama?” Tthe ice mage smoothly took her waist and pulled the blunette in with a hard kiss before she could utter another word to him. Slightly caught off guard by his actions, she let out a small moan as his mouth continued to mould with hers intensely. Experiencing shortage of air, the water mage pulled back to catch her breath. However, Fullbuster was not having any of that tonight as he quickly dove back in and tilted his head slightly, deepening the kiss. Overwhelmed by the heat and passion involved, Juvia could not help but close her eyes instinctively. She could taste the alcohol from the one they had at the guild earlier, but the flavour was somehow sweeter than usual. Gaining composure, the water mage slowly placed her hands on his chest as she continued to receive him. Eventually, she shyly reciprocated the act, which only urged the ice mage to go further. Her mouth gave off a spark of citrus and sugar in it that he simply could not get tired of. As their bodies continued to press together heatedly, Gray dared himself and took the chance to slip his tongue in eagerly to taste more of her. However, it was then immediately retracted when he heard a gasp from the bluenette, arms around each other as they were both now flushed in surprise at what just happened. “Ah sorry,” Gray now covered his mouth instinctively and looked away reddened as the water mage looked at him intensely. “I didn’t mean to...do that.” Feeling conscious about it, Fullbuster awkwardly buried his face into her lovely locks resting on her shoulders. He tightened his hold by her arms as every moment passed by, as if he was trying to bear with some sort of consequences heading his way. “Don’t kiss me out of nowhere dammit. I don’t think I’ll be able to take any more than this...” Juvia could tell that her beloved was desperately trying to pass it up. Still half-dazed yet amused, she let out a chuckle and lightly stroke his back to comfort her embarrassed ice mage. “But Juvia really didn’t expect Gray-sama to be so bold, she actually wants it even more~” To her surprise, she heard Gray elicit a deep growl and started to slid his hands down her back. As he began to speak, the ice mage lightly grazed his lips over the side of her neck, causing her to shiver in position. “Dammit Juvia... If you say that, I might not be able to control myself today.” “W-what does Gray-sama mean?” His breath continued to fan her neck as he paid no mind to her query. Finding a comfortable spot to land his mouth, he formed a hickey as he lightly bit the side of her nape. When he let go, Gray looked up bashfully to check on her reaction as she fell rather silent on him. Perhaps it was the drinks Gray had which caused him to act a certain way that night. However, one thing is for sure––the water mage could not contain her emotions anymore as he found her passed out happily in her beloved arms.

[squishneedsahero]

Yes

Awesomest of Them All 2.0

Part 5 of 13

Word Count: 1284

Batman x Batmom!Reader

You know what the bat family needs? Someone to pull them together and give them all the love they deserve. Who better to do that than you? An author rising to stardom in Gotham who catches the eye of a billionaire with your standoffish attitude at a huge social gathering. You are yourself and never pretend to be more or less than that. Plus you're the most stubborn person in the world, refusing to let good things go without reason.

This is a rewrite of my story Awesomest of Them All, I wanted to see how much I've improved over 3 years.

"I love you," you say snuggling into Bruce's side.

"I know," Bruce says kissing your forehead.

"Did you just-"

"Yes I did just quote Star Wars," he says running his fingers through your hair and turning back to the movie. The two of you were having a movie night because Dick was spending the night at Wally's and Alfred was on his one vacation a year. The two of you are marathoning all eight Harry Potter movies since last time you had marathoned Star Wars. The most important part of all of this being the fact that you had stolen his shirt and sweatpants to wear and the two of you hadn't eaten anything except takeout for nearly 3 days straight.

His phone buzzes, "You gonna get that? I don't mind," you say, knowing it could be important.

"It's not anyone important," he says, ignoring the text.

"Alright, if you're sure..." you trail off, a little confused as it had been going off every fifteen minutes without fail only for him to ignore it every time.

He smiles and pulls you closer to him, "I'm sure my dear."

You wake up when you feel Bruce move next to you. You had fallen asleep near the end of the seventh movie, and woke up now in time to watch the epilogue. "You awake?" Bruce whispers, and you nod wrapping your arm around him and lean your head into his shoulder. "I love you," Bruce says, leaning his head on top of yours.

"I love you too," you say as the credits begin to roll, "So now what?" You ask, rolling over to face him.

"How about a walk?" He asks, but doesn't give you much of a choice as he is already standing up with you bridal style in his arms.

"Okay," you smirk, then reach up and kiss his jaw, loving the feeling of him holding you tightly in his arms.

He takes you out to the garden where he puts you down to stand in the grass. "What are we doing?" You ask.

"We're taking a walk, like we used too when we would sneak out at all those galas," he responds gently, taking your hand as he does so.

"Alright..." you trail off, even more confused but still going with it. You hear his phone buzz again, alerting you that another 15 minutes have passed.

Eventually he stops beneath the drooping branches of  the willow tree, where he lets go of your hand and takes a step back. He reaches one hand into the pocket of his sweatpants. He pulls something out of the pocket, but its to dark for you to see what it is. You blink, and when you open your eyes again he's down on one knee looking up at you.

Your hands go to your mouth, "Bruce," you whisper.

"Y/n l/n, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Bruce asks, holding up and opening a black velvet ring box.

You nod, and make some sort of high pitched winning noise, unable to get any words out. You swallow and catch your breath, "Yes!" You practically shout, when you're finally able to speak. You lunge at him, wrapping your arms around him and knocking him back into the grass, "Yes," you say quieter,  kissing him. You pull back to look at him, and he has the biggest grin you've ever seen on his face.

"I love you (y/n)," he says kissing you, and slipping the beautiful diamond ring on your finger.

"I love you too," you say kissing him again. The both of you keep lying in the grass, making out, in your sweatpants and pajama shirts until Bruce's phone goes off again.

"I should probably get that now," he says pulling the phone out of his other pocket.

"Okay... who is it?" You ask sitting up to look at him.

"Dick," Bruce says texting Dick back.

You laugh, "of course it is, is he worried you chickened out?" You tease.

"No, just impatient as ever..." he pauses before asking, "can I see your hand, to send him a picture so he believes me?"

"Yeah," you laugh,  holding it out to him. He takes your hand in his and takes a picture with the ring showing.

Bruce sends the picture then puts his phone back in his pocket as you laugh at the small boy's antics.

"I love you," you say gently and roll over to lay on top of him.

"I love you too, thank you for not letting go when I tried too," Bruce says gently as he then pulls you into a kiss.

You laugh gently, "you're the one who's not letting that go, huh? I thought I'd be the one holding it over your head."

He smiles, "no I was an idiot back then."

"Back then? It was three months ago Bruce!" You laugh loudly and kiss him again before laying on his chest. "So, as much as I love you and love it out here... how would you feel about moving this back inside... perhaps to the bedroom?" You as quietly.

"You need only ask my love," he says sitting up and taking you in his arms with him as he does so. It's effortless for him and your heart flutters in your chest. How did you little nobody y/n l/n get so lucky?

Needless to say he easily carries you inside to your bedroom, since you had moved in within a week of him telling you his secret. He lays you down on the bed and he gets on top of you. They two of you can't get enough of one another, kissing, cuddling and loving all night long. He takes care of you and you take care of him.

That whole night and the next two days are spent together in a little staycation. There's lots of sex, more sex than normally because you are the only two in the entire manor. It's perfect.

At the end of the week the two of you find yourselves wearing pajama pants and robes, to hide all the bumps and bruises you'd given each other, to welcome Dick and Alfred home. In your four years of dating Bruce, Alfred had become like a father to you. Then there was Dick, the only 13 year old in the world you would do anything for.

Alfred is more quiet about his congratulations, welcoming you to the family and giving you one of his rare hugs. Well, his hugs weren't rare, but he usually hugged you when you were the only person around. It was a sign of affection reserved for special occasions and private moments.

Dick on the other hand is ecstatic, practically bouncing off the walls. His questions are all over the place. "I get to dress as a bear to be the ring bearer, right?" And "can I call you mom?" "Oh! Does this mean you could adopt me too?!" Alongside a million other ideas.

You can only laugh and hug him tightly as you tell him, yes, he can call you mom. It wasn't as if you had caught him almost doing so on multiple occasions and each time told him it was alright, but no it wasn't until now he felt able to call you mom. But yeah, him asking such an innocent question is what get you crying, gods above you loved your family so much.

This was your family and it was small but it was perfect. You all had each other and no one was missing, just the four of you as close as can be. Nothing in the world would make you want to let go.

[theseusurus]

Lost in a Haze, Fighting Fate | Part 2

Summary: Y/N Raven has always suffered from their sight, From a young age Y/N could just always seem to predict the future however they just thought they were lucky, after attending Hogwarts and discovering their Seer Roots they began to trust it more and more however that can not be said for others. When Y/N fled Hogwarts they left everything behind, their teen love, their friends, family, and now with what seems like all sides against them, will they be ignored like seers before them and feed into temptation or will they fight for the good in the wizarding world and their love?

PART 2: THE PROPHECIES

Warnings: Mentions Bullying, slight hint at emotional abuse, and possible tw derealization (very short)

Pairing: Bill Weasley x Reader (Slow Burn)

Word Count: 2.4k

PART 1

When you arrived in Professor’s Trelawney tower to prepare your lesson for the day you didn’t expect her to be all over you introducing herself as Sybill and gushing about how she was excited to work with you and how it was an honor. You waved her off with a smile before you got a feeling, it was like your heart was being pulled out of your chest and you grabbed at your chest with only one thought in your mind, Moody.

You ushered Trelawney an apology and called that you would be back but with that, you rushed to where you remember Trelawney had shown you where the Defense against the Dark arts classroom was and sprinted as fast as you could before you slammed open the door.

“Professor Moody, that iz quite enough! What in the great heavens do you think you are doing? I can hear your class telling you to stop from down the hall and performing Unforgivable curses in front of children?! This iz extremely inappropriate!”

Your Cry caused the students who were crying for him to stop and Moody himself to be startled and stop the Cruciatus curse, before storming over to Moody and slapping him across the face. He jerked and placed the Spider down as you walked over to the student who he forced to watch the curse, he seemed obviously uncomfortable at the curse, looking Almost downright paralyzed you placed a hand on his shoulder, and the other on his arm, you whispered to him “Are you alright Monsieur?” He shook his head No and you sighed.

You began to lead the boy out of the door before turning to Moody and sneering at him, “You should be Ashamed, I have NEVER seen such a disgusting teaching method, expect to hear from me again, next time I see this display I will personally inform Dumbledore, Are. We. Clear?”

He cleared his throat and nodded at you before turning to A bushy brown-haired girl who was also obviously uncomfortable, You turned away from him and continued to help the boy out of the classroom before leading him into an Empty Hallway, he looked sickly and as if he was about to throw up or pass out at any second, staring blankly into the wall, You reached out and rubbed his arm.

“Monsieur? Are you okay? It was disgusting what he did in there and I am completely sorry, are you doing okay? Do you need to sit? Here let me help you..”

You helped lower him to the ground and sat beside him smoothing out your robes, you didn't say anything for a good few seconds before sighing and turning to him.

“I know it might be hard but please talk to me, are you okay? Do I need to take you to the Medic?”

He shook his head no again, “You know, my parents were tortured with the Cruciatus Curse, Moody knew that too.” You released a deep sigh before shaking your head in disbelief.

It was quiet for another pregnant pause before you whispered to him, “You know I was hit with a Cruciatus Curse once, it's why I can't hear too well in my Right Ear and can't see too well, one of the many reasons I wear this Veil.” “Really?” “Mhm, Teenagers can be Cruel, they didn't get much trouble for it either..” “Oh…” “Oh Indeed Monsieur..., what exactly your name I never quite got it, sir?”

“Ah, it's Neville, Neville Longbottom.” “Well, Monsieur Longbottom are you feeling any better?” “Just a little bit, not by much..” “Well Monsieur, you are free to join me in my Classroom until you feel better and You are always welcome to come in at any time if you feel like you need to do so, especially in Moody’s Class, now come on I'll brew you some Warm Tea.”

When the Fourth Years came in Professor Trelawney´s correction- Sybill and your classroom for their Divination lesson they certainly did not expect to see you sitting on a cushion on the floor with Sybill and Neville by your sides, you sat with your veil covering your face as you poured Neville and Sybill tea and shook your head and laughed.

“Can't be a hidden Seer and have an unknown identity if I lift my one concealing item for some Tea Now can I dears”

This caused Neville to blush before getting up and getting ready start to walk to his desk but you called out and he handed you his teacup before leaning over and watched as you swirled the cup and nodded, ¨Very promising Monsieur Longbottom, Very Promising Indeed, see that? Mhm, Indeed a Butterfly, Success, and Happiness are coming in your near Future.¨

Sybill stood up and smiled at you before turning to the class ¨Good Evening everyone, Let's take a Seat Please, Now today is a very special day! Thanks to the Triwizard tournament we are having a very special guest coming to visit us from France, This is the Head Seer at Beauxbaton and A relevant Figure in the Divination field, who was one of the best accuracy rates for Seers in Europe, This Is Professor Delphi¨

You nodded your head at her before walking over and standing at the front of the class, ¨Bonjour! My Name is Professor Delphi or Delphi, I have been a Seer for as long as I've been able to walk and Have been a practicing Seer since just about your age, Today I will be giving you all free readings however I will warn you all before my word is true and clear however if you choose to acknowledge fate and fix your mistakes you may be able to change it. Now, Any Questions?¨

Multiple hands shot up and you looked around the room before nodding at the Bushy Brown haired girl who you saw in Moody´s Class earlier in the day

¨Speak up for me Madame! Thank you, Now please say your name and your question?¨¨Hermione Granger Professor, How exactly are you ´Head Seer´?” ¨Wonderful Question Madam Granger! I am head seer as I have the most accurate Sight in my district let alone France and most of Europe, in my 24 years of living, and 13 of Being a known Seer I have gotten Two Predictions wrong, two out of thousands.¨

She seemed to be distrustful but nodded along anyway ¨Next Question?¨ More hands shot up this time, You called on a Brown haired boy and he responded with a thick Irish accent.

¨Name Monsieur?” ¨Seamus Finnigan Professor, Why exactly do you have a veil? Covering on?¨ You nodded and placed your hands down on the table for support, leaning down and feeling for a chair to sit in as the boy beside him knocked into, sighing ¨Seamus! That's rude!.¨ ¨Amazing Question Monsieur Finnigan do not be afraid to ask the hard questions!¨

You paused ¨However I wear this for multiple reasons, One to hide my identity being a professional seer can be hard and sometimes dangerous, Some people refuse to accept the fate and turn their anger towards me, some have threatened to hurt my family so this helps protect my identity and my family´s as well, even the name Delphi is a cover-up name Monsieur!¨”

Which got a few curious and surprised looks from the students, you looked around the room soaking it in before allowing yourself to continue. ¨Two, I use it to hide identifying features especially with my condition, A special someone in this class found out why today but for those who don't know I am Hard of seeing in my Right eye and almost completely deaf in my left ear.¨

You paused again before clearing your throat and swiping at your eye under the veil as you feel them begin to gloss up with potential tears, ¨it was due to an attack on me during my youth and while it did help me develop my higher senses it made me extremely vulnerable Physically, That is why I do not do big trips like this however I am here to teach the youth and inspire you all to look into the divination field so it is worth it.¨

Sybill patted your arm and asked quietly if you needed a break, you shook your head before turning back to the class ¨Any more questions before we continue?¨ A few students shook their heads no, hands sinking after the big questions were asked you nodded, ¨alright Madames, Monsieurs and all others let us begin! You all have a Teacup in front of you, I want ALL of you to drink your tea and come sit with me one at a time when you are finished if you wish, I assure all of you we have a lot to talk about.¨

You nodded at all of them, wishing them all good luck before sliding fully into the chair and feeling around for the teacup that you had left to your right, you heard someone sit to your right as they pushed the teacup in front of you.

You turned and saw A Blonde girl with fluffy wavy hair smiling at you. You returned the smile under your veil and took the teacup in your hands before sliding it up under your veil to inspect it.

¨Good Evening Professor, My Name is Lavender Brown! Divination is my favorite class. I've believed in it after Professor Trelawney predicted my poor rabbit´s death and predicted Neville would break a cup and it came true!¨

You smiled at her before giving a little chuckle ¨I'm glad dear so let's inspect this together, hmm oh yes that's interesting, you are going to be in love in the near future¨ This excited the Girl before you cut her off ¨However dear, do not force the love, let it come naturally or you will taint it and sweet child be safe, you will face danger in the future, never walk alone am I clear Madame?”

She nodded before turning to you and hugging you tightly, ¨Thank you professor¨ You returned the Hug and whispered ¨I believe in you child, let your heart soar freely but be smart!” she giggled at this and ran back to her friends that began to gossip to one another.

The Next student made you smile before he even sat down you could recognize that red hair anywhere ¨Monsieur Weasley, it is a great pleasure.¨ He sent you a look before you chuckled and ushered him to sit down ¨I knew your older brother Monsieur, you could say we were close when he attended here.¨ With a smile, remembering how Handsome Bill looked the last time you saw him.

¨You knew Charlie?” You smiled before shaking your head ¨Next one dear, but let's focus on you Monsieur Weasley let see this cup of yours.¨ You picked up the Cup and swirled it ¨Oh yes, hmm indeed, I sense self-doubt, You doubt you are worthy as those around you but oh how wrong you are. I see great things for you Monsieur Weasley, oh work in the Ministry it seems, oh how loyal you always return to your family hm?¨

Ron frowned at the mention of the ministry and smiled when you praised him for his loyalty especially to family, you extended your hand to him, ¨You may love your friends and they might be ´special´ but never doubt your worth Monsieur, I sense greatness in your presence doesn't let me be wrong due to jealousy.¨ With that, you placed your hand down and bowed your head to him ¨Do not forget my words Monsieur¨

You hear someone run over before whimpering out a sigh, looking up its Neville ¨Monsieur Longbottom, what do I owe the pleasure, hmm? Now let's see this.¨ The tea swirled before it cleared, ¨Oh how marvelous, Monsieur Longbottom you sure are meant to be a Gryffindor! You have an amazing spirit and loyalty, you have confidence under all that shyness, you must let go of your worries, I see greatness and passion in your future, A leader, hmm a teacher? We will see!¨

He stuttered and pointed to himself ¨Professor? Me? But I'm not brave!” ”Oh False indeed! You just haven't unleashed it yet, you are more than a house title anyways my boy, you are a son, a friend, a student, someone who brings light into anyone's life, you make your parents proud my boy, be you!¨ You wrapped his hand in your own and bowed to him ¨My word is truth, fate has foreseen your greatness my boy don't forget that. Be brave.¨

You didn't have to look up to tell who had shuffled up to your desk, you could tell by the voice having heard the same voice talk to Ron and call said voice harry.

¨Monsieur Potter, what do I owe the pleasure hm? From what I've heard you do not believe in my craft and often lie for a good grade hm?¨ He stiffened at the jab you made before you smiled.

¨Sit sit Monsieur I know how hard Seer classes can be for non-seers, this is no easy class Monsieur however you are special in other ways and it shows, you have a great burden on your shoulders, Fate will be cruel to you but you have great friends and a family, hmm protect those around you good sir, and Monsieur tell your godfather to find me for me, the oracle needs him, Oui?”

He seems shocked at the final statement but you merely smiled to yourself and bowed your head to him which he stiffly returns before hurrying over to Ron and Hermione, ah they are friends you remark to yourself and smile at the trio as they began muttering to each other quietly as soon as he returned, Oh how fun this trip will be.

PART 3

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers: May 15th Part 2

And here’s the next part of the long answer set of the day!

When will OL: N&F take place? Beginnings and Always took place during summer breaks, will now and forever take place during a fall break or will the characters be going to school at the time of the events we play through? 

It takes place over all of the fall season, so school will be happening in OL2. Some events do take place in school, though many times events only start after school is already out for the day, haha.

Hey!! I have kind of a weird question?? I’m sorry if it’s been answered before and I just haven’t seen it but is OL 2 taking place during the same years as OL 1? I’m just curious, thank you for such amazing games!!! 

It’s a similar time frame, but not 100% exactly same.

Do you have any idea when the demo for now and forever will be available? 

Hopefully this fall! But that’s not a guarantee.

Okay the crime show in Step 2: Growing up. Long blonde hair, police station, crime series? Was it The Closer? Because I’m the same age as MC and Cove and my mom was constantly watching that when I was 13. 😂 

Haha, yeah! The Closer and, to a lesser degree, Medium were the kind of shows I was referencing there. My mom also used to watch those back in the day.

Hey um this might be an odd question but if the setting of OL: N&F is  fall/autumn, what country or city will it take because my mind tells me it is either Poland or Canada. Also I can't wait for the game I am hyped 

It’s set in the USA again. We’d like to be able to have cameos and that’s easiest to do if the OL games take place in the same country.

Is it possible for the PC of OL to have non-seriously dated other people in the in between years even if they’ve had a consistent crush on Cove? 

You can causally date Baxter in Step 3 if you get his DLC and then ultimately choose Cove in Step 4. If you mean off-screen people, it doesn’t really come up, but you can certainly headcanon that. The game never says Cove is the only partner you’ve ever had.

Is there going to be a Kickstarter for Now and Forever as well? For like voiced names and stuff again? Didn’t find B&A until after it was released and I’d really love the opportunity to hear my name in the game 🥺 

Yeah, we are gonna have a Kickstarter with getting a voiced name as a reward! Though, it will be more expensive than it was for OL1. I feel bad to raise the price but we realized too late the first time around that it was being super undersold for the amount of work it took, aha.

Do you know how much the remaining DLC for OL will cost? (Step 4, Derek, Baxter) 

Step 4: Free

Wedding DLC: $2.99USD

Derek DLC: $4.99USD

 Baxter DLC: $4.99USD

Has an artist for the new position been picked yet?! I'm super excited for the new game! 

We did fill that spot. Thank you so much for taking the time to apply!

hmmm what would it take to get each of the XOXO jerk squad to feel the need to hug you? 

They’d have to first like you a fair amount, otherwise the most you’d get is maybe a pat on the shoulder. If they were attached, they might hug you if you broke down crying or if you gave them super good news.

Unless it’s Shiloh, of course. If you want a hug you only have to ask!

May i ask how the Derek DLC will work? I believe that there aren’t any memories in step 4 and doesnt derek’s dlc take place during that step? So will the dlc add memories? Thank you! 

Derek’s DLC will add five Moments to Step 2 (a new page will appear on that screen if you get the DLC). Then in Step 4 you’ll have to choose between playing the default epilogue or going through the Derek romance story.

Is the pc version on itch,io different from the steam version? Like an offline one or something? 

Steam has achievements, but that’s about it. Both can be played offline, if you prefer.

I've been wondering this for awhile, what determines if cove winds up with a ponytail in step 3? I've done multiple runs with different MCs with varying hairstyles. Or does it have to do with a particular moment in step 2? 

I’m afraid I can’t say exact choices that determine things. But generally it’s preference based options in the Step before that decide those things.

Any Floret Bond updates? 

No, the artist had to leave the project and it’s been on-hold. I’m not sure if I want to try working just with what we have or replacing it all entirely. The design is a bit too specific for us to easily find someone who could mimic it. Hopefully we’ll work things out later, though.

In step 3 is Cove's plan always to stay in sunset bird? 

Yeah. He is never ready at 18-years-old to make a big life change.

I love your content! If it's alright to ask, you answered in a previous ask about how Jeremy was too particular with what he likes his types to be romanceable with just any MC and it's sort of got me wondering.. What /are/ his types and/or preferences and such? Sorry if it's a lot! 

Jeremy likes stubborn jerks and will not date someone who’s sweet or even generally a decent person, haha.

uh, excuse me if you said this somewhere before, but how will step 4 be actually? Will it he like an actual step and have moments and dlc and all? Or will it be more like a long epilogue of some sort?

Will the step 4, the wedding and extra routes dlcs be paid too? Im just confused, sorry if im asking too much

Step 4 is only an epilogue, so it’s just a long series of scenes one after the other rather than a collection of Moments you can choose from.

The Step 4 epilogue is free, the wedding DLC, Derek DLC, and Baxter DLC cost money.

i’m not sure how much of the wedding dlc you have planned already, or if this would be to spoilery, but what kind of wedding traditions will be included? i keep thinking about how flustered cove would get over a garter toss & was wondering if we’d see a scene like that haha. obviously no worries if it’s not included, i’ll enjoy literally anything cove related 

I don’t know for sure yet, haha. Right now we’re focused on the parts before the big day. We’ll see how many scene alterations we can include for the wedding itself later on.

Hello! Firstly, thank you for creating such an amazing game like OL, and I couldn’t be more excited for OL2! Out of curiosity, are you looking for any writers to come on for OL2 or are you all pretty much set in that department? Just thought I’d shoot my shot haha but I’m still excited regardless ^^! 

We will be hiring writers for OL2 later this year! Thank you for the interest.

Will we be blessed with a spin-off Yandere Cove, like XOXO Blood Droplets? 

Sadly, no. It’s a shame but there’s not enough time to keep making OL1 bonus/spin-off content.

How is Q pronounced?

I’m afraid Q’s full name hasn’t been publicly announced yet so I can’t answer here (Q and T are the first letters of the names for the new LIs in Our Life: Now & Forever).

Question; is the steam version getting a Mac update?  I purchased the dlc there thinking it had Mac support without realizing it and just wondered if I’d need to refund it to purchase on itch.io 😭 

I’m really sorry, you will need to get a refund from Steam. We do hope to have it there for Steam eventually, but have no idea of when it’ll happen. Apple requires special notarization to be an officially accepted app for their devices. We don’t have that. Steam requires having that, Itch will let you release it as an non-notarized third party app. That’s why Itch is the only place that has the Mac version right now.

would you mind posting outfit sheets for Cove in every step? it would make things a lot easier for us artists. it would save a lot of time spent looking for references 

I think we did do the earlier steps when they were finished way back in 2019 (this game took a long time to make, aha), but we can probably repost them sometime!

In our life n&f, will we be able to get into qprs/will there be more options in regards to having deep platonic relationships with the love interests? Because as an aroace individual, it would be great if there could also be emphasis on platonic love so that it's more aspec inclusive. 

It’s a little hard to say at this point. There may not be things like a wedding DLC for OL2 and so the relationship for platonic and romantic feelings might not go as far as it did in the first game. We’ll kind of have to see how much we can do based on timeframe/budget constraints that will only be set near the end of the year. But we will be keeping things like that in mind at least.

hi! i really really like your game and im absolutely in love with it! i cant wait to try your other games like xoxo droplet and future OL NF :))

during the step 3 erands moment i got curious, which fudge flavor is his favorite? it seems like he likes all of them, but which 4 do you think he would like best?

also i noticed that in some playthroughs cove would let me give him a piggy back ride, and in some he wouldn't, how come?

how does your choices affect cove's interests or looks? i replayed the game without changing any choices but i got cove to look different, is it just random?

thank you!

Cove’s favorite flavors are ones with nuts and that are fruity! But he appreciates them all. Whether or not you can give him a piggyback ride depends on if your MC is fit/large enough to hold a muscular 6-foot-tall beach boy, haha.

Cove’s appearance does depend on choices and it’s generally tied to choices that are preference based rather than emotion/action based, such as which key chain you pick in Step 1.

Is it possible for cove to reject MC's proposal at the end of step 3? 

Nope. He’ll always accept.

hi! i was wondering how heavily the side characters will be featured in the our life wedding dlc? obviously it'll be cove & mc focused, but i was thinking it'd be sweet if we could take lizzie dress / suit shopping or dance with cliff at the wedding or something. 

The side characters are there about as often as they are in normal events. So, it’s clearly focused on Cove but he’s not the only person you have any meaningful moments with.

When will responses be sent out to applicants? 

I’m afraid we don’t send responses out to all applications, only ones we’re interested in offering the position to. Not everyone likes rejection emails and the amount of applications is too high to contact them all to say we’re not hiring them. We post updates on the job page when a position has news. Right now we’ve filled every role that was open.

Is there also going to be the option to keep your relationships with the love interests platonic in Our Life: Now and Forever? That's something I really appreciate in Our Life: Beginnings and Always

Yeah! OL will never force you to end up in a romantic relationship with someone.

I was wondering, in the Step 3 Happiness moment, what are the different fishes Cove can compare MC to? I got "you'd be a paradise fish, because being with you is paradise," but my friend got "you'd be an angelfish." Are there more variations? 

He says paradise fish if you’re a couple, angelfish if he’s just crushing, and then a royal dottyback/queenfish/emperor tetra (based on your gender) if he likes the MC platonicly.

Hello! So, in one of the Step 3 DLCs, Cove's arm was gone. I think it was to show him putting his arm behind his back. But if that wasn't the case, did it get yeeted? 

Thanks for letting us know. That was an error we tried to fix a little while back. When did you make the save file you were playing? If it was older that might be why it happened. Or maybe the error wasn’t fully fixed after all.

Asking for your opinion, but do you think Cove would at all be into ABBA? Because all I could imagine during the car trip in step 3 was him and the MC belting to Mamma Mia. 

Haha, yeah, there’d definitely be some ABBA songs he was into.

So throughout the game, Cove can develop different interests depending on the player’s choices; does this mean that he can have different careers in Step 4? Or his is line of work in adulthood never mentioned at all? 

He can have different career paths in Step 4!

Hi!! I'm so so sorry if this has been asked before but I just acquired knowledge about the so famous nsfw dlc for OL and nearly chocked on my bubblegum 💀💀💀 So, my real inquiry is if that specific moment will have any kind of impact at some point of the fourth step OR if it will just be treated as a side-story-ish “what if” scenario.Also, is there any chance there'll be something similar for Step 4? Haha jk,,, unless 😳Questions apart let me thank you profoundly for making the best visual novel I've ever played 😭 Really really looking forward the epilogue and OL2 💕 Have a nice day 

It’s just a bonus side story that’s fully separate from the main game.

It would be nice to have one for Step 4 too, but I sadly don’t see us having time to actually do it. I don’t know, if people are still asking for more OL1 content several months from now it might be doable and worth doing.

I'd just like to ask, when is Baxter's birthday :0 -- I'm really curious esp with their zodiac signs so ;w; 

I don’t know, haha. Maybe I’ll come up with one someday.

Please help!! I bought the Step 3 DLC but I still have no idea how to get to where you can propose to Cove - any tips? 

&

How do I get the option to propose to Cove at the end of the game?

You can click HERE for a discussion on that.

I love that Miranda and Terry are getting together! I'm curious if you have canon sexualities for them? Also just wanted to say how much I love OL and how much joy it brings me everytime I play it <3 

Terry likes ladies and Miranda likes dudes!

ngl Step 4 Terry's design reads like y'all see trans guys as their assigned gender more than you see them as men to me (a trans guy)... like maybe if he isn't heavily dysphoric, I could see it, but everything you've said about him doesn't line up with that. Even then, immediate warning bells go off in my head looking at him. I wouldn't have touched the game if I saw him ahead of time.

I’m sorry you aren’t comfortable with the way the design looks. The situation with Terry is that he’s now open about who he is, but the body he was born with is still physically the same. He only came out recently as an adult and hasn’t gone through any treatments/procedures yet (his chest is flatter because he wears a binder). However, even though his body hasn’t transitioned at the point Step 4 happens, no one treats him as anything other than the guy he is. Having a trans character who’s identity is supported/respected from the start is what we’re going for in this case. But what we’re doing with Terry isn’t the only trans content we’ve ever had/ever will have in the future.

how would baxter react to bae pyoun and vice versa? and can you please detailly explain both love interests personalities from our life 2: now and forever? i was just curious, sorry for dumb question!! 

I imagine it’d be pretty opposite experiences, haha. Bae would initially think Baxter is pushy and thoughtless, but would quickly realize, oh, he’s instead a soft, considerate boy. Very cute. Baxter would first be struck with the impression that Bae is charming and gentlemanly, but then would realize that, no, he’s a sarcastic asshole. And I’m afraid we can’t reveal the personalities for the next game yet.

Sorry if you've already answered this, but I have a question about the patreon exclusive moment you're working on. I was wondering if it's mainly going to be CGs or if it's mostly character sprites + backgrounds with some CGs.

Either way, thank you for doing the Lord's work and not only making Cove, but making this bonus moment as well 😌😌😌

It’s mostly sprites/backgrounds with two CGs!

—– —– —– —–

Thank you again for the interesting questions everyone :D

We released a new FAQ! It answers common questions and we’ll keep adding more to it. Please check there before sending an ask. FAQ   Also, if you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog

[hwrryscherry]

The one where model Y/N is attacked in Paris.

blurb: Harry and Model Y/N are in Paris for Fashion Week 2020 earlier this year. To celebrate her first time walking for Gucci, Harry decides to take her out for a dinner date when a crazy youtube prankster attacks her while leaving the restaurant and Harry get furious as standing up to defend his girl.

word count: 3.5K

warning: rude and disrespectful attitude, invasion of personal space, violence, anxiety attack quote. DON’T read it if you feel uncomfortable.

author’s note: HIII, I know this took me a while. I was working on it when I got a cold and just couldn’t think of anything to finish writing this, but I’m much better now for god’s sake. I’d like to apologize with whoever requested this for taking such a long time to post it and say a huge thank you or requesting this too! This is completely inspired by what happened to Gigi Hadid in 2016(I guess) and I remember seeing this video and thinking why someone would do that, also, Gigi said once that the guy was lucky Zayn wasn’t with her sooooo I guess I just think Harry would be so furious because even though he’s a very chill guy, his girl safety and well being is the one thing that matters the most to him.

gigi’s video for the ones who didn’t see it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjsPmjqmcvs

       February 27th, 2020

   Today was the first time that you ever walked for Gucci, and it was amazing, you were beyond happy because getting where you are today being a short model and only being 22 years old it's something to be proud of. It hasn't been easy all the time but you were slowly making your way to the top and that's more than enough. And you were highly grateful for Harry either, of course you walked Gucci's show because of your talent and hard working and no one doubted that, but Harry did a important role in your newest contract with Gucci because you met the team because of him and his Gucci obsession. But anyway, the fashion show was amazing, and you had Harry on the crowd cheering for you all the time and God, he was so proud! He couldn’t even handle himself. He was recording everything and even got up when you did the catwalk next to him as he kept taking multiple pictures. If you have to be real, almost 90% of those pictures looked really bad because he wasn't focusing on the phone but he also wanted to register this moment and when you'd look through them later you'd actually laugh because most of them had a very blur image.

    When the fashion show ended, he had to congratulate you backstage. As you were starting to take off your outfit, you listened to your boyfriend's rough voice making you turn around to face him and see the biggest smile on his face, you could clearly see his dimples on the side of his cheek. He walked over to you instantly wrapping his strong arms around your figure hugging you so tight that you were even afraid that he would get the feat of ruining the rest of clothes you still had on.

— You were so great, I'm so pround of you! — Harry said on a low tone next to your ear before breaking the hug and looking carefully to your face. You had this crazy green eyeshadow that were halfway gone by now which caused him to chuckle — I love your eye look, it looks fabulous! — Harry said making you bend over to stare at the mirror behind you only realizing now you haven't finished taking off your makeup yet. You stand straight again giving him a mocking expression as you grabbed the makeup wipe you were using from the makeup table behind both of you.  

— I know, I'm thinking about wearing this everywhere because it's just really fashion! — you ironically said taking a smirk out of him as you turned around sitting on the chair in front of the mirror so you could have a sight of how you're makeup were doing — But thank you, you know I appreciate it!

— I do! And that's why I'll congratulate you by taking you out for dinner tonight! — Harry said walking towards you resting his hands on both of your shoulders squeezing them gently as he bends over giving you a small kiss on your neck.

— Oh, like a dinner date? — You'd ask with a smirk on as you felt goosebumps on your kiss with his little kiss.

— Exactly like a dinner date! And later, we can have our own private celebration! — He'd say with a  smirk on his lips as you finished taking your makeup off — What d' you think? Sounds good? — He asked you and you nodded at him and just some minutes later you both were out stage going back to your hotel in Paris. Harry called Jeff and asked him if he could make a reservation for both of you for tonight around 8 pm and he glady did, so as it was already 6 pm and as you both were probably the one couple in the world who takes the longest to get ready, you'd come back to the hotel and started getting ready already.

    Jeff made an appointment for both of you to go to Le Cinq restaurant which is located near the Eiffel Tower and Arc of Triumph. You absolutely loved Paris at night, for some reason it seemed more magical and interesting to you. The weather, the lights, the fashion and the language that you learned to master well through the years warmed your heart whenever you’d go there. When you were a child, you got used to always hearing your mom tells you:’’whenever you’re in love, go to Paris’’, and for this reason Paris was one of the first places where you and Harry traveled together as couple. Harry didn’t use to travel a lot for by the way. MOst of the time, he used to travel for work, so this changed a lot since you started dating because you love to travel. You’ve always been a free spirit person, the kind of person that goes wherever the winds takes you so with the time Harry became like this too as you started taking him to do the craziest things on the craziest places around the world.

    You felt the car slower it’s velocity as it got closer to the front of the restaurant, and you both could see by the window that the front was packed. As it was Paris Fashion Week, there were a lot of celebrities in the city and usually, fans settled in front of popular places around the city hoping they’d have a chance to meet their favorite celebs and even though you were already used to crowds at this point of your life, they’d still make you a little nervous, especially when it was in places not well known to you like a city you don’t live on.

— You’ll have to guide me because these shoes are really high and I don't want to step on anyone's feet — You said to Harry while putting your phone in the small black Prada bag you carried with you with your head down looking carefully to it because you’ve lost the count of how many times you thought you had put the phone inside your bag and you didn’t.

— It's alright! Hold my hand because there are a lot of people here! — Said Harry bringing his left hand up to your face to put a lock of hair of yours that fell in your face behind your ear and you nodded to him. Harry was really protective over you, and he has been that way since the beginning of your relationship. He’d always put your safety first anytime you’d go out together. When it was his about his concerts, you’d usually discuss about the fact that you want to be in the audience and he wants you to be backstage. It’d taken you a few minutes to convince him that everything was going to be fine, but it would also have days that it didn’t matter how much time you try to convince him he’d beg you to stay backstage so he could be relaxed during the performance. But you were grateful for him being that way, you were grateful that he cared so much about your well being because you know exactly how much some relationships can be destructive and you felt lucky to have someone this good in your life. Of course he wasn’t perfect, neither of you were but who is? He tried his best and that’s what matters the most.

    But anyway, Harry held your hand tightly and opened the car door, immediately feeling the camera’s flashes burning your faces and listening to some fans starting to shout. Harry’s bodyguards got between both of you and the crowd guiding your way to the entrance of the restaurant and you felt the heat from the crowd instantly even though the weather in Paris was only 59°F, it’d feel lot warmer until you entered the place. And that is one special kind of a place, The decoration was perfectly splendid, gorgeous and marvelous if you must say. The touches of gold and light blue mixed with the yellow coloration of lights and the spectacular french food scent brought a cozy and elegant vibe.The restaurant was a little full, nothing out of the common and you observed the many different sizes of tables and the groups of people in it.

    You both were taken to your table that was located next to the windows but wasn’t actually on the windows at it still had people outside and it feels weird to eat with people watching you. Anyway, Harry as the gentleman he is pulled the chair for you as he always did even though you had told him there’s no need for that. You both ordered glasses of your favorite white wine, neither of you were heavy drinkers but as it was a celebration it was much needed. The date happened naturally, just as all the laughing, talking and even gossips. This the casual couple gossip that you two would have, but it happened naturally. None of you ever felt like you had to pretend to be anybody else except yourself around each other.

    During the night, Harry would get lost in your face admiring your features while you’re talking. He would admire the way your eyebrows move when you’d change expressions, the way your eyes would form a very tiny line when you tried to see something that was away from you, he’d admire your smile and the sound of your laugh anytime you’d remember of something funny or he’d tell you something funny and he’d think of how lucky he is to have you, because even though he knows that sometimes he can be a pain in the ass(just as you can too) , you’re very lucky to have one another and to have someone who would make you feel this great and free about who you are. Because who you are is exactly who you need to be. Of course both of you believes that changing and envolving it’s the most important thing to do and sometimes you’d be surprised to see how much you both grew from the beginning of your relationship until today and that would bring smile to your faces. He feels lucky to be able to call you his girl, and god you loved when he’d do it. You loved when he was about to present you to someone and say ‘’This is my girl Y/N’’, it’d cause you to open a big smile because it felt natural. You’re his and he’s yours, period.

    When you both decided it was time to call it a night Harry paid the check against what you wanted because you wanted to pay this time. You’d honestly hate to have people paying for you, and this would usually be a point of discussion between you and Harry. You don't know why but you hate it, and it's just the gentleman in Harry wanting to spoil his girl again and again until he get tired of doing it, but he never does.

   You were about to leave the restaurant when Harry slid his right hand around your waist bringing you closer to him very calmly to kiss your cheek.

— I know you want to say hi to everyone but just walk to the car, alright? — He'd lowly talk next to your ear making you look at him with a serious expression — It's for your safety, love! It's late now, and we don't know who's there. — And he was right, it was past midnight now and there were still some people out there. How can they stand there in this cold weather? But anyway, you agreed with him as you both walked your way to outside. You felt flashes again, blinding flashing lights making you look to the ground as Harry held his hand on the back of your back guiding you to the car.

    As you walked towards the car, you felt a small hand touch your arm and you looked over to see a little girl with probably 12 or 13 years. She pursued tired eyes, and your heart ached with just the thought of keeping walking back to the car because you had no idea of how much time she’s been outside waiting for you so you stopped walking and bend down a little to get close to her height which made Harry stops walking immediately looking a little surprised but he understood when he saw you taking a picture with the little girl and how your face lightens up after it. You asked her what was her name and her age and she answered that her name was Lily and she was 13 she told you that she wants to be a model just like you when she grows older and that melted your heart. You smiled at her and told her that she could do whatever she wanted to and told her that when she grows up and becomes a model, you’d love to walk a show with her. When you’d stand up again you saw Harry looking at you with a small smile on his lips. He couldn’t deny he loves your kindness to every person in the world. It made his heart happy to know that he’s with someone with the same life philosophy than him. So he turned around to open the car door for you when you felt two strong arms wrap around your waist lifting you up and you froze.

— What the fu... — You'd shout before starting to hit him on his arms with your elbows as you'd move your legs trying to kick him with your heels. You'd feel flashes on your face and heat on your body increasing. It was the adrenaline and you were furious at this point. — Get...Off...Me — You'd shout as you'd hit his face with your elbows as well, Harry looked over to you and stormed out. He'd swear he'd never been like this in his life, he'd basically run to behind the guy's back and put his arm around his neck, Harry'd give him a punch right in the middle of his back and a slightly kick on the back of his knee to destabilise the guy which put you free by the moment he started to fall. Harry's bodyguard would hold you immediately trying to push you away from the crowd as you looked at Harry pushing the guy away from you.

— What the fuck were you doing? — Harry'd shout right into the man's face and watch as the man started to walk away from the crowd but Harry would go after him. Harry swears to god he couldn't even feel his body at the time. He was completely numb, moved by adrenaline and all he wanted to do was to beat the shit out of that man. — WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU? — Harry'd shout walking after him getting no response which just made him angrier. At that time he didn't care about the cameras or whoever was watching him, he couldn't calm down when someone threated his girl safety and personal space. It didn't even need to be you. If he saw anyone threatening a woman's safety, he'd freak out in anger.

   You felt the bodyguards strong hands trying to push you away from the situation because that's what Harry would want him to do. He tried walking you towards the car, but you were reluctantly screaming for Harry because he could get himself hurt if he didn't come back to the car now. The other bodyguard walked after Harry grabbing him by the arm and Harry turned over to look at him with so much anger on his look and you'd swear you never saw him like this but then he did started walking over to you again.

   You finally entered the car and closed the door. You felt in panic. Basically paralyzed, you felt your anxiety attacking and your hands shaking. You could literally hear your heart beating so fast and loud that it scares you.

— Go get him! Follow him to hell. I don't care! Take him to the police office! — You'd listen to Harry talks firmly to his bodyguards as he opened the car's door and entered in it. He took a deep breath and turned his face to look at you. His heart broke at that moment. You were a mess. You couldn't even feel the tears leaving your eyes, but he did see them. He saw your hands shaking and how scared your eyes looked and at that moment all of his anger left his body — Love... — He'd sigh getting closer to you while wrapping his arms around your now-fragile figure. He could feel your entire body shaking on his arms. He caressed your hair with one of his hands as he hugged you tight to calm you down. He'd look to the driver and make a sign for him to start driving back to your hotel — Are ya okay? You're hurt? Did he hurt you? — He'd talk on a calm tone squeezing you a little on his arms. You'd lift your head up to look at him with red wet eyes shaking your head to him.

— I'm sorry! — You'd say lowly. He did tell you to walk straight to the car, and you didn't listen to him.

— It's not your fault, love! — He'd say wiping some of your tears and then carefully kissing both of cheeks — Don't worry about it, everything's gonna be fine, alright? It's okay!

   You'd spent the rest of the ride in silence. A comfortable silence. You'd be laying your head on his shoulder while holding his head getting your breathing and heart back to normal and your phones would start buzzing with notifications of what happened but none of you would see it, not now.

   When you got to your hotel, you'd get out of the car in the garage. You'd both walk slowly to the elevator and slowing to your room. You entered the room going directly to the king sized bed and throwing yourself in it because you felt like getting in a coma and just waking up to a time where all this drama would go away. Harry'd walk towards you and sit in bed beside you. He'd put both of his hands on your shoulders massaging them slowly.

— I'll prepare you a bath, so you can relax a little before sleeping, how's that sound? — He'd say trying to cheer you up a little bit.

— Sounds great, thank you love! — You'd turn your head to look at him with a forced smile on your lips. Harry'd bend down to kiss your hair line before leaving to the bathroom.

   He'd try his best to make you feel the most comfortable to sleep tonight. He'd prepare you a bath. He'd give you a message, he'd brush your hair for you but actually, he loves to do that. He loves to brush your hair before you go to bed, it was more like a routine for you both. He loves to feel your long locks on his fingers and to feel the sweet scent of it. He'd cuddle you until you fall asleep too, he'd even be the big spoon tonight so you could sleep on his chest breathing his perfume because he hoped that'd make you have a good night of sleep.

   And after you did, he'd look on the things on his phone. All the posts about you being attacked in Paris and him beating the guy who did it were just too much and he felt sorry that you'd have to see and read all of those stuff as soon as you unblock your phone. A lot of your friends texted him asking what happened and if you were ok. He'd answer the closest ones only, like his mom and Gemma, your mom, Bella and Jeff. He didn't know what you'll decide about the next fashion shows you had to walk, but he also knows that no one would blame you if you just chose to come back home in NYC.

  Harry didn't sleep at that night at all, he couldn't stop looking for what happened and why it happened. The next day, it was everywhere in the media and later you'd found out that the guy was a youtuber and he was making a prank when he posted his stupid youtube vlog with "I pranked Harry Styles's girlfriend and he punched me" as a title. You'd sue him for sure. You don't like taking those kind of actions, but it was necessary, he had to understand that you cannot disrespect people like this, specially people you don't know.

  After that you'd probably understand why Harry is so protective over you and Harry would actually get ten times more protective, if I had to be honest. But as the time passed by and quarantine came you both would leave it behind and move on with your life because in the end of the day you both will still have one another.

[twst-bs]

I read your works and immediately fall in love. Can you make an dorm leader witness their s/o gamble (like they didn't know their s/o is a king/queen of gamble similar to kakegurui?). If you comfortable with this request...

Thank you~

Ah, thank you so much! I'm glad you like my writing.

The reason I took so long writing this is because I actually decided to watch Kakegurui out of curiosity and got really sucked into it, haha!

I hope this was worth the wait!

-----

Riddle: Card playing wasn’t an unusual occurrence in the Heartslabyul lounge. On any given night, students would gather around in groups and play anything from Old Maid to blackjack.

What was unusual was for Riddle to see the Ramshackle Prefect amongst them.

Well, maybe he shouldn’t have been so shocked. Between their friendship with Ace and Deuce, and their own relationship, they were basically a member of Heartslabyul anyway. Maybe it was more of the fact that they felt welcome enough to simply waltz into the dorm and make themself at home.

“Oh, hey, Riddle!” they smiled when they saw him. “Do you want to play too?”

“Dorm Leader Roseheart doesn’t usually join,” Deuce chimed in, peering down at his hand of cards. Riddle cleared his throat, causing all three of them to look up.

“He’s right, typically I stay out of the games and watch for rule-breakers. However,” he felt his face get warm, and he had to look away from the three sets of curious eyes fixed on him. “I wouldn’t mind sitting in and watching, if you’ll have me.”

“Of course!” the Prefect scooted over on the floor, completely ignoring the slightly stricken looks that Ace and Deuce were giving them. Riddle, trying to maintain some amount of grace despite his face being as red as a rose, carefully sat himself between Ace and the Prefect.

“What are you playing?”

“Poker!” they replied cheerfully as the game resumed. “I’m not so sure about my skills, though.”

“Whatever,” Ace shrugged. “Poker’s more the luck of the draw anyway. Deuce, are you gonna call or just keep trying to stare holes through your cards?”

“Shut up, Ace,” Deuce shot back. “I’ll call.”

Deuce placed two gold coins in the middle, and Riddle raised an eyebrow. “You know there’s rules against betting money -”

“They’re chocolate, Dorm Head, it’s legal.” Ace laughed. “Do you think we’re stupid enough to blatantly break the rules in front of you?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

“Not particularly.”

“Alright, we good?” the Prefect asked. “I want to eat my chocolate.”

Deuce was the first to show his hand. “Three of a kind.”

Ace went next. “Two pairs. What do you have, Prefect?”

With a grin, they laid down their cards. “Straight flush.”

“You jerk!” Ace laughed. “You were playing us the whole time, weren’t you?”

“That’s part of the fun, isn’t it?” they stuck their tongue out at him, gathering the small mountain of chocolate coins. “Pleasure doing business with you, boys.”

“Man, you wiped the floor with us,” Deuce sighed. “You’re way too good at hiding your reactions.”

“Or you’re just really bad at reading them.” Ace smirked.

“Whatever.”

“Hey, Riddle,” the Prefect leaned over while the other two continued bickering. “Look who showed up to help me win.”

With a grin, they held up a card between their index and middle finger. The Queen of Hearts.

Riddle laughed softly. “The Queen treats her favorite subjects well.”

Leona: “Come on, Ruggie!”

“No way! I saw it first, it’s not my fault you’re slow!”

“You almost tripped me to get to it first, you little -”

Leona growled, cutting through the two’s argument. “Quit yelling or I’m eating the damn sandwich.” he didn’t even lift his head from where he had pillowed it on his arms. The lion really could sleep anywhere, even the lunch table.

“Okay, fine, here,” the Prefect dug around in their pocket. “We’ll flip a coin for it. Heads, you get the sandwich, tails, I get the sandwich.”

“Fine, fine, whatever.” Despite his words, Ruggie was grinning. “Flip it.”

The coin they pulled out made a satisfying

noise as they flicked it into the air. They caught it, slapping it down on the back of their hand. “Ready?”

“Quit with the dramatics, I’m hungry!”

They stuck their tongue out at him, lifting their hand. “Tails! It’s my sandwich!”

“Damn it!” Ruggie snarled, but there was no real malice behind it. “Fine, I hope it’s rotten.” he got up to go get himself something else to eat.

As Ruggie stomped off, Leona turned his head to lazily raise an eyebrow at his mate. “Never really took you for a risk taker, herbivore.”

“How can I be dating a literal predator and not like a little risk?”

“Fair point.” Leona yawned. “You’re still going to give him some of that sandwich, aren’t you.”

“Yeah,” they were already ripping the thing in half. “He did actually get there before me, I just got lucky that his little tripping plot launched me closer to the front.”

Leona clicked his tongue. "So this was your idea of revenge?"

"Just keeping things interesting!"

Azul: No one was surprised when the mermaid mafia decided to run a gambling den.

Well, it wasn't a true gambling den, because it wasn't real money being wagered. Azul, always profit-minded, sold tokens to students that could be exchanged for specialty items at Mostro Lounge. That one night a week brought in considerable revenue for them.

"Hey, Azu~l!"

Said octopus looked up from the papers he was looking over in his office. "What is it, Floyd?"

"You'll never guess who is here tonight." Floyd grinned, showing all of his teeth. "Go on, guess!"

"I haven't the faintest-"

"It's Shrimpy!" Floyd laughed. "Shrimpy game to gamble tonight!"

Azul blinked, trying to figure out if Floyd was messing with him or not. "They actually came?"

Of course, he had invited his partner multiple times, but usually they were so bogged down with homework and other people's problems that they couldn't make it.

Floyd nodded. "They look like they're having fun! You should come out of your hidey-hole and come see!"

Floyd slammed the door shut without waiting for a reply. With a slightly irritated sigh, Azul straightened the papers and shoved them into a drawer. He wasn't fond of sharing his time with his partner with other people, but both of them were so busy that he had to take what he could get.

There was an unusually large crowd gathered around one of the tables - he could even see the twins towering over everybody, watching the game in progress.

"My, what have we here?" He made his way to the twins' side, attempting to get a glimpse of the action.

"Our dear Prefect is putting on quite the show," Jade chuckled lightly. "Perhaps we should have them come in more often."

"Oh, you actually came out!" Floyd exclaimed before turning around, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Hey, Shrimpy! Azul's here!"

They startled slightly at Floyd’s sudden volume, but when their eyes landed on Azul, they smiled. They sent him a wave with the hand that wasn’t holding the dice, and he tried not to look too shy as he waved back. Sometimes just seeing them was enough to get his heart rate up, but he had an image to uphold.

The Prefect tossed the dice, and they clattered against the wood of the table. The crowd surrounding them seemed to hold its collective breath as they waited for the Octavinelle student acting as the rule enforcer looked over.the two sets of dice.

“Ten-nine, to the Ramshackle Prefect!”

The crowd erupted into cheers. Azul joined in before he could stop himself, and Jade smirked at him knowingly.

“You’re allowed to be happy for your partner, Azul.”

“Shut up.”

“Azul!”

Speak of the devil. The Prefect made their way through the crowd, positively beaming as they held onto their bag of tokens.

“Well, it seems you’ve been busy.” he commented as they came to a stop at his side.

“Guess luck is on my side today!” they laughed, wrapping their arms around his neck in a hug.

No matter how many times they did it, it still caught Azul off guard, and he still had to fight down a nervous laugh as they let go.

“I was saving these tokens for two slices of the special blueberry cake.” they grinned, jingling the bag so the coins clinked together.

“Why two?”

“So we could both have some!”

“You know you could have just asked and I would have saved some for us for later,” Azul raised an eyebrow. “You do get some perks for being the manager’s partner.”

“Yeah,” they shrugged, already turning towards the price counter. “But it’ll taste so much sweeter since I got it by wiping the floor with those cocky Savanaclaw bastards.”

Kalim: “What’s that game over there?”

The Prefect followed to where Kalim was pointing. “Looks like roulette.”

There was a fair going on near NRC, and the students had been given permission to go as long as they were back in their dorms by curfew. Kalim, practically vibrating with excitement, had begged them to come with him and Jamil. It was the three of them for a while, until Ace and Floyd found Jamil and basically dragged him over to the hoops game. The Prefect promised they would keep Kalim safe.

“What’s roulette?” Kalim was staring at the big wheel like it was hypnotizing him.

“It’s a betting game,” they explained. “You pick a color and a number, and the caller spins the wheel. If it lands on your guess, you win the money.”

“That sounds like fun!” Kalim grinned, before he seemed to remember something. “Ah, but I’m not allowed to gamble. It’s not a good look for House Asim.”

“Well that’s kind of boring.”

“Right?”

“Well,” the Prefect hummed. “How about we play our own version. We each pick a color, and whoever’s color gets picked wins! Loser pays for ice cream.”

“Alright, you’re on!” he laughed. “You pick first.”

“Okay, I’ll go with black.”

Kalim nodded. “That means I’m red, right?”

“Yup!”

The wheel began to spin, and the two of them watched over the heads of the actual participants. Both of them stood on their tip toes as the wheel began to slow.

“Hey, it stopped on red!” Kalim cheered, pumping his fist in the air. “That means I won!”

“Yup! Congrats!” the Prefect laughed as the two of them kept walking. “Looks like I’m paying for ice cream.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, I’ll pay.” Kalim said dismissively.

“Huh? But I lost.”

“I had fun!” he beamed. ”So let me thank you!”

Vil: “Do I even want to know?”

The Ramshackle Prefect was always getting up to some sort of shenanigans, but they weren’t usually so bold about it. This time, however, they were proudly striding out of the Pomfiore lounge with a zip-loc bag of mismatched eyeshadow pots and tubes of lipstick.

“We were playing cards.” they smiled up at Vil, who simply raised a well-groomed eyebrow.

“That doesn’t explain your goodie bag there.”

“Well, we couldn’t gamble with actual money,” they shrugged. “So Epel suggested apple chips, but then we ate all of those, so we decided to bet makeup instead. Epel let me have some of the stuff you gave him so I could play, and, wow, did I luck out!”

They opened up the bag and pulled out some name-brand purple eyeshadow. “I could never afford this stuff, honestly! Maybe you should have a talk with your dorm members about not betting things they aren’t willing to lose.”

“They have to learn their lesson somehow,” Vil sighed. “Be careful, potato, gambling can lead to some ugly habits.”

“I don’t do it often, I promise!” they smiled. “It’s mainly for fun!”

“And humiliating my dorm members.”

“Like I said, fun!”

Idia: “Which one, which one, which one…”

The Ramshackle Prefect had been watching Idia agonize over this decision for the better part of twenty minutes. It was starting to get a little old.

“You really are invested in this one, aren’t you?”

Idia didn’t bother turning to face them. “I HAVE to get this card, it's a limited edition UR+ with a swimsuit costume. This is my last shot, I’m out of gems after this.”

“Isn’t it a random chance though?” they asked, kicking their feet idly from where they sat on Idia’s bed. “How are you going to be able to tell which loot box it’s in?”

“Nerd sense.”

“Then why didn’t you use nerd sense for the past nine pulls?”

Idia groaned softly, staring intensely at the screen. “Which one?”

“Oh for-” the Prefect hopped off of the bed and leaned against Idia’s back to be able to reach the mouse. “I’m picking for you.”

“W-Wait, don’t-”

They clicked on the middle loot box before Idia could protest too much. The box rumbled around, building suspense, and Idia almost started crying.

Then, suddenly, with a bright flash and a triumphant fanfare, the card was revealed.

“...Are you a god?”

With a sparkling animation surrounding it, the coveted UR+ card blazed across the screen. The colors danced across Idia’s shocked face, making his pale face look rainbow.

“Nerd sense.” they laughed, pecking him on the cheek.

“You joke, but I think you do actually have some sort of psychic powers.”

Malleus: “It takes bravery to play a game of chance with a fae, you know.”

There was a warning in his words, but the sparkle in Malleus’ eyes told the Prefect that he was actually looking forward to the human’s antics.

“I trust you.” the human grinned. “If you wanted to steal my soul or whatever, you would have done it by now.”

“Such confidence,” Malleus chuckled. “Alright, Child of Man, what game shall we play?”

“A guessing game!” they held their hands behind their back as the two of them walked down the cobblestone path that led into the graveyard surrounding Ramshackle. “Just guess which hand the coin is in. You’ll get a prize if you win.”

“Oh? What am I playing for?”

“You’ll have to win to find out!”

Malleus was beginning to wonder if the Ramshackle Prefect wasn’t part fae. “And if I lose?”

“Then I get the prize!” they laughed, deftly avoiding a protruding tree route. The two of them had made these nighttime walks a routine, to the point where they knew all of the potential dangers. “Come on, guess! You have a fifty-fifty shot.”

“Very well. Hm...left.”

“Ding ding ding!” the human held out their left hand, revealing the coin resting in the palm of their hand. “You get the prize!”

Slipping the coin back into their pocket, then grabbed onto Malleus’ sleeve and tugged him downwards. He complied, and was rewarded with a press of soft lips against his own.

“It was a kiss.” they laughed.

“Indeed it was.” he smiled. “Shall I give you a consolation prize?”

[goji-pilled]

Okay @princekirijo you want an essay? Well here it is now, or as I like to call it Felix's "Asumari is great and this fandom has no fucking taste" rambling and infodump. Congrats fellas, thanks to Prince you ALL get an asumari essay. But before that I'll try to give you a rundown of Mari and Asuka. 

(I'm also so sorry for putting this long ass post on everyone's dashboard)

(Spoiler warning for Evangelion 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time!!)

Alright on one hand we have Mari Illustrious Makinami. Her whole deal? She's a walking ray of sunshine, literally lol. Unlike any other character in the Evangelion franchise she doesn't suffer from her trauma, she's quite literally the only healthy and functioning human being, she's just slightly leaning towards "batshit crazy" with the stunts she pulls 🤷‍♂️. Other than that she just loves living, she loves being with people, she keeps moving forward, stays positive and decides to live life to it's fullest even after she experiences loss and multiple apocalyptic events (Second Impact, Third Impact, etc.) and she really just embodies the joy of living. That's all there is to her, or at least all we know.

On the other hand, we have Asuka Langley Shikinami who is... well it's hard to explain what she is to be honest. She's part-German and part-Japanese and part of a line of clones specifically made with the purpose to pilot an Evangelion and later on be used as a sacrifice to trigger another Impact (ITS COMPLICATED I KNOW-) Asuka is, unlike Mari, very much suffering from her trauma. She doesn't have her parents and has a very deep seated belief that she's completely alone, which she says doesn't matter as long as she can pilot the Eva. She also very much wants to fight and kill angels all by herself, and it's seriously messing with her when she can't achieve that.

Now we get to the more interesting parts (hopefully this so far wasn't too confusing, then again it's Eva and even I can't fully wrap my head around it all LMAO)

In the second Rebuild movie (Evangelion 2.0 You can (not) advance) we get introduced to both of them, Mari's introduction scene (in the original English dub) has her pilot an Eva and singing about how she'll take the world on by herself, while in the third movie's (Evangelion 3.0 You can (not) redo) opening scene she's piloting the Eva again but this time it's together with Asuka (in her own Unit 02 though) and during that Mari sings about how wonderful it is not to be alone. It's nothing big yet, but it's a really cute detail me thinks,,, you know what else I love about them? They bicker and they banter and it's genuinely so fun to listen to shskdhsuwj

(For a quick catch up: During the end of 2.0 Shinji (the protagonist) triggers another apocalyptic event, the Near Third Impact, and was only stopped due to Kaworu (the guy in my pfp) stepping in. Also between 1.0/2.0 and 3.0/3.0+1.0 are about 14 years (without Shinji bc he's like comatose) where A LOT happens AND we learn in 3.0 that Eva pilots don't age physically bc of "The curse of the Eva"... honestly Eva is wild lmao)

Okay okay I'll get back to it!

So one thing that happens is that Asuka during 2.0 develops a crush on Shinji (girl why-), unfortunately things take a turn for the worse. Asuka had volunteered to be the testpilot for a new Eva (Unit 03), she seemed happy at the time and it was a really sweet build up with the "I can smile, I didn't know I could still do that."-line. And then? Then it turns out the Ninth Angel had infected Unit 03 (Angels are basically the Kaijus they fight using Evas btw). The thing goes on a loose and Shinji is forced to fight it (With Asuka inside mind you), he refuses and his father uses an autopilot to destroy Unit 03. And boy did it destroy the angel, well it and it crushed Asuka between its jaws (you can actually hear her scream btw haha pain :)).

Asuka survived though, but the whole incident cost her her humanity and she ended up becoming an angel herself/she took the place of the Ninth. But despite that, there's one person who keeps believing in Asuka's humanity, who fiercely believes Asuka is still a human and tells her as much.

Yep, that one person is Mari and she keeps holding onto that belief until the very end when Asuka uses her last resort, which is using the power of an angel (Doing so was a guaranteed death sentence btw). Mari's own words (in the German dub) were, "Princess, you're giving up being human…" AND IT MAKES ME SO EMO GOD FUCK

While I'm at it, Mari and Asuka are a fucking killer combo as a team. They rely on each other for support in combat, listen to the other's orders and advice. Especially in Asuka's case it's kind of a big deal that she so openly relies and counts on Mari's support. Like these two trust each other with their damn lifes!!! Holy shit!!

Guess what though, they also have nicknames for eachother. Mari always calls Asuka "Princess" or "(Your) Highness" while Asuka calles Mari "Four-eyes" / "Four-eyed chrony (idk how you spell that tbh RIP" Even better though, in the German dub Asuka calls Mari "Brillerella" as in a combination of "Brille" (German for glasses) and "Cinderella",,,,Cinderella and her Prince,,,Brillerella and her Princess,,, man, that was a gay fucking move of the translation team. Spoiler: I owe them my life.

Funfact: There's exactly two times throughout the Rebuild movies where Mari uses Asuka's actual name. These two times being when she watches Asuka "die" and be used as a sacrifice for Gendo's selfish plan and when later on she begs Shinji, "So please the Princess… Asuka needs your help!" And the best part? That wasn't even the first time she did that. The mentioned line came from 3.0+1.0, but she did that too in 3.0 with the, "At least save the Princess!" line (although her tone was much more...pissed, like she was really angry lol)

Remember the crush Asuka had on Shinji? Well due to the Unit 03 incident a whole lot of other shit got mixed into that and her feelings for him in general became really bitter (understandably so). Now Mari being who she is sometimes teases Asuka about said old crush but she really does want Asuka to get closure and sort that mess out. 

As an example for the teasing, in 3.0 there's a scene that goes like this (please imagine Mari with a literal :3 face while saying that):

"Unit! Are you back in the game?"

"I'm on it, your Highness. But first things first, how was our little puppy (Shinji)? Did he sit like a good little boy?"

"He's exactly the same! Same stupid face talking mayhem!"

"That goofy face of his, that's what you wanted to see? Riiiiight?"

"Shut up! I went there to bat him one!... And I feel better!"

There's also a very short bonus manga that was released in Japan for Thrice Upon a Time's release that has Mari trying to convince Asuka to come with her on the mission to get Shinji, given everything that follows, it's just another thing to prove my point. And the final bit relating to that is this:

"Feeling better now?"

"Yeah, I do feel better."

That's the exchange Asuka and Mari have after they talked to Shinji, it's nothing special but I think it's really sweet and this time Asuka actually sounded like she was feeling better instead of when she was screaming after she nearly broke pretty thick glass with her fist (If she had hit someone with that much force she definitely would've broken something omggg #violentimpulsesgang)

To get back on track though: I already mentioned it but during the second half of 3.0+1.0 Asuka "dies" (and honestly that entire scene is worth its own in-depth post because its just one huge parallel to The End of Evangelion), the point is: You can tell that the loss of Asuka honestly hits Mari hard. Not only because of how Mari screams Asuka's name but also because of her expressions. They're pained, like really fucking pained and Mari even apologizes to her that she has to fall back due to the fact that she's injured AND because eveything is going wrong.

After the events of Evangelion 3.0 these two got seperated from eachother, Mari was with WILLE (the organization both of them are with) and on board of Wunder (the ship WILLE basically operates from) while Asuka was in a Village full of (Near) Third Impact Survivors. When they do meet again it went like this:

Asuka, barely back, comes to the door and calls, "I'm back." And within seconds of Asuka stepping into their room after the door opens Mari already runs towards her, arms wide open and she says, "Welcome back, your Highness! Good job. I missed you so much!" And she says that while she literally nuzzles into Asuka,,,like,,,what the fuck gay people real!!! 

Best part? Asuka clearly has enough strength to push Mari completely away if she were uncomfortable, but she doesn't. Asuka merely wanted enough space to look at the room (because Mari managed to horde even more books lol) and play her game. During their entire renunion Mari keeps hugging her, and part of me thinks that perhaps deep down Asuka actually enjoys the feeling of physical affection.

Before we get to the last point though, let me say that Asuka and Mari have scenes in 3.0+1.0 that parallel Shinji and Kaworu's from 3.0. (Fyi Kaworu loves Shinji (yeah, like that, and 3.0 was basically them being gay as fuck for an hour) so like...do I even need to explain? 

And then of course there's also this, the "Take care of yourself, Princess…" line. That is the last time Mari talks to Asuka and as much as that line alone already is so much, it's Mari's expression in particular that kills me. Because this? This soft, almost bittersweet expression she has, as she basically says goodbye? Because she knows Asuka will finally be happy and safe? It just makes me feel so much actually. Man.

In the end it's a fact that Mari loved Asuka, wether that is interpreted as platonic or romantic by someone is up to them. But it is a fact that Asuka was loved enough that someone wanted to hug her, was happy to see her, to praise her, was hurt by her loss, wanted her to be safe, that someone told her "Take care of yourself…" Asuka was really and honestly so loved that someone would tell her, "I missed you."

But Asuka? Asuka was too hurt, too wrapped up in her own head to actually see how loved she was by Mari (and other people) that she genuinely believed she's completely alone and always will be alone.

It makes the "Take care of yourself" line hit even harder to me, because it's not only Mari's goodbye, but it's a goodbye during the one time Asuka allowed herself to be vulnerable and admit what she really wanted.

And honestly? All of this? Its makes me feel so many things and I just love them  so much man.