#ive been slacking on keeping that updated

[jondrettegirls]

i cant stop looking at these selfies where i look so unnerving . ilove them

[munch-mumbles]

buying a new whiteboard just feels like a hack at feeling productive because i keep doing it LOL

[partycatty]

dark star!johnny cage > shake it til you see it

johnny misses you... badly.

warnings: gross, graphic smut of him jorkin it. and by it. haha well. let's justr say. his peanits.

notes: for the lovely @inienil

[ masterlist ]

• johnny was an insatiable man. his sex drive knew no bounds, here and now was his favorite time and place. if you weren't around, however? he found other ways to satisfy the need.

• he was a sneaky, perverted freak in all honesty. he never leaked any images of you but he can't deny the existence of hidden cameras or propped up phones when your gaze is fixed elsewhere. a collection grew over time in one of his folders, your most intimate moments captured for his pleasure and his only.

• johnny had given you permission to be out for the night with certain parameters, namely to keep him updated and stay clear of any weirdos or so help him god he'd beat them into a hospital bed and then strangle them with the IV cord.

• but even still knowing you would behave, johnny missed you. he wanted to argue, fight, kiss, fuck, he didn't know for sure. he just craved your smell, your body against his, and... yeah, he wanted you to ride him right about now. the ache in his pants, the tightness pressing against his slacks was the telltale sign that his mind was wandering just a step too far. the saddest catch? you weren't around to fix it. he groans to himself, palming his cock through his pants with a deep frown.

• perhaps his hand would do for now, he considers, but it would have to be good. real good. porn doesn't do it, neither does his nearly-empty head. a smirk twitches at his lip as he pulls his phone from his pocket, unlocking it with trembling fingers. he'd never admit it, but johnny was desperate for you. as poorly as he could treat you at times, you made him shake, you made him stutter, and you made him harder than he's ever been with another partner.

• he inputs his passcode to the hidden folder quickly - the date you two first hooked up - and scrolls quickly, seemingly looking for one particular image, one he finds almost instantly. the phone propped against a bedside lamp, the scene is clear to him; you're on top for once, rocking your hips as you ride his cock, topless and flushed. you looked good, criminally good, and johnny feels himself twitch as he replays the memory.

• almost angrily, johnny grabs himself, sliding his palm up and down his hardened length through his pants, feeling it throb in response. for a split moment he worries of staining his slacks with this embarrassing arousal, and opts to swiftly remove his cock from its constraints and let it pop up to his stomach. reluctantly, he shrugs his jacket down his arms rather than up on his shoulders, letting it fall lazily around his middle.

• using his teeth and free hand, johnny bites down on his shirt, holding it up and letting the precum leak onto his now bare abdomen. his hand falls back to his aching cock, squeezing at the base and huffing to himself at his hardness. damn you, he curses you out in his head as he starts to slowly pump, spreading his slick along his shaft at a brutally slow pace. for once, he had enough restraint to start slow, wanting to relish in the pleasure that you refused to provide him by not being present.

• his eyes scan across what feels like every pixel, every curve of your body as he recalls the moment. you had begged him to be on top for ages, wanting to go at your own pace and convincing him with just enough head and wet eyes. when you had climbed on top, he knew already you, for once, had the right idea in mind as you lined yourself up with his length and pushed down, inch by agonizing inch. johnny wonders to himself in hindsight if he could've came from the sight alone.

• you were such a pretty thing, so obedient to go at his own pace until you weren't. in a way, johnny enjoyed this, watching you take control over something for once. the way your perfect form bounced up and down on his cock made johnny's pace increase with his hand, now stroking at a quicker pace.

• johnny felt dirty, he felt gross and yet at the same time he felt utterly empowered, drinking in the photo of you, huffing out small paced breaths through his teeth. his cock wept, his hand and shaft now properly soaked in his fluids, creating a slick sound that filled the bedroom that he would've been more ashamed of if he wasn't so damn horny.

• "stupid," he clenches his jaw harder, speeding up. "stupid, stupid girl, not here to... fuck-" he winces as he massages his tip, swirling his grip around it and causing his thighs to twitch and jolt at the brutal attention. "hhh-need..."

• bracing himself by gripping the bedpost, johnny death-grips his phone, eyes clenching shut. it was too much, all too much as he fucks himself into his hand, hips bucking involuntarily and delicious whimpers spilling from his lips. perhaps he was a bit too loud, though, as he failed to notice the padding footsteps approaching the bedroom door.

• "johnny?" your voice falls on deaf ears, curious to the sounds of pants and grunts sourcing from the barely open door. "i'm home, on time like you-"

• johnny squeezes at his cock, pulling himself from his trance as he makes eye contact with you in the doorway, eyes wide and cheeks flushed. not entirely embarrassed, however, johnny slowly but surely resumes his pace wordlessly, wincing to himself.

• "home early," he grunts through his teeth, letting his shirt drop back down. "you did this."

• "i wasn't..." you trail off, feeling weak at the sight. "how?"

• "not being here," he huffs, eyes burning into yours. "not being here and fixing this, fixing what you do to me." he stops for a moment and lets out a long breath, fluttering his eyes shut. "doll, you make me... so bothered, you know. it's very annoying."

• you're dumbfounded. here you were, having a nice outing with some friends when you come back to your shitty boyfriend furiously jerking off to... is that a photo of you naked? that's something you'll get on his ass for another time, not that he really cares what you'd say about it.

• "well?" his breathy tone tears you from your trance. "get the fuck over here and fix this before i make you." he looks at you expectantly, waving a beckoning hand your way. not entirely opposed to the idea, you drop your bag and kick off your shoes, heading toward the bed with a sway in your hip, making johnny's cock jump.

• as you make your way toward him, johnny's hands dart out hungrily, grabbing the first bit of flesh he could fit in his hand and drags you toward him, throwing you onto the bed face first. he climbs on top of you, shrugging off his coat to reveal his large arms. it's not a moment longer before johnny is rubbing his dick along your clothed ass, muttering under his breath words you can't make out when your face is smashed into the sheets.

• johnny's hand pushes onto the back of your head, pressing it into the bed as he grinds into your ass. he's quick to hike up the little dress you were wearing, exposing your panties to his member that seemed to weep in excitement.

• using his thumb, he pulls your panties to the side, exposing your pussy as your lower half is raised for his use. he spreads you open with his hand, slightly buckling in on himself at the sight. the insertion feels like an intrusion, burning your walls as he forcibly enters himself with no preparation. you don't miss the whimper that slips past his lips, one he attempts to turn into a more primal growl.

• "s'more like it," he purrs, sheathing himself fully inside of you, relishing in the way you hug his cock so nicely. "missed you, sweetheart, missed you bad."

• it burns sweetly as he stretches you out, and you're only left to cry out into the sheets as he fucks into you, his pace as rough as his insertion. he rocks in and out, the glide becoming easier as you grow wetter at the interaction. it was always hot to you how eager he was to fuck you, how hungry he was to use your body for his pleasure. it felt... honoring, that johnny cage wanted you this bad.

• your vision blurred, vague stars in the corners of your view as you're used, pathetic moans and cries muffled by your position. johnny seems so pleased about it all, cracking a wide grin. you were both in heaven.

• a hard smack claps on your ass, making you jolt and whine. johnny cackles at the sound, fucking deeper into you. one hand squeezes your hip, pulling you toward him with each thrust while his other hand holds his phone, recording with flash. usually, he wouldn't be so bold, but cat's out of the bag and he may as well hit all the angles for later usage.

• "j-joh-nn-ngh-y-y," his name comes out broken, interjected by moans as he bullies your cunt, the transition from nothing to everything at once making you fuzzy. "s'too... m-muuc-ch-"

• "don't be dramatic," he groans, his voice barely audible over the slapping contact. "let me have this, doll, please."

• please? johnny wasn't one to ask so sweetly, the sudden kindness makes your cunt to flutter around his cock and causes him to double over, letting out a long whine at the squeeze. his moan turns into a dark laugh as his pace becomes frenzied and all you're left to do is limply take what he gives you, pinned by his grip and stunned by his cock.

• it wasn't intentional, it truly wasn't, but johnny's pace combined with sweet words sent you close to your climax, closer than you wanted to be. you went from hesitant to needing it to last forever, never wanting this pleasure to subside as you knew next time he wouldn't be as sweet. you tried to tell him, you tried so hard but all that could come out were muffled, broken warnings of release coupled with how jelly-like your legs were becoming. johnny had to hold you up at this point, keeping you in place as he thrusts into you.

• "you like that?" he coos, leaning down to check on you. "you like being used?"

• "mhm," drool spills from the corner of your lip, spreading across the sheets. "cl-close, real clo-ose-"

• granting your unspoken wish, johnny tilts you over, flipping you onto your back and finally giving you a view of who was pulling you apart from your very core. johnny was frenzied, almost a feral look to his face complemented by a wide smile as he reenters you, bucking furiously. his eyes had a mischievious glint as he reached up to push the hair stuck to your face aside.

• he was a beautiful man, despite his morally grey behaviors at times. he was a greek god in form and motion, always knowing how to get you off and looking good while doing so. for just a moment, as your orgasm rides up on you, you find yourself falling in love with him again, pushing away his wrongdoings and replacing them with utter admiration for the man making love to you.

• your entire body snaps, back arching off of the bed as you cum hard, moans and whines coming out cracked and loud. johnny's not far behind, relishing in the way you spasm around him as he holds himself in place, pushing deep and filling you with his seed.

• "fuck," he pants, thighs twitching. he fixes his hair, moving it away from his face "fuck, i needed that."

• you're not entirely there, throbbing and sensitive from how his cock is now softening inside of you. his voice feels far away, you feel disconnected and so very weak. johnny sighs deeply before sinking down, laying between your legs and peppering kisses along your sternum. he climbs his way up before resting his head on your chest, and you breathlessly cradle him in your arms.

• "are you mad at me?" he asks weakly, looking up with wet eyes. "for, you know, being so rough."

• "you're always rough," you reply, looking up at the ceiling as you pet at his hair. at first, he winces at the motion not wanting to ruin his hair, but quickly caves when he realizes how nice it feels to be appreciated after sex. "it's alright. i got to finish, too."

• he looks up at you with a cocked brow. "you don't usually?"

• you frown. "no."

• "ah," he sighs, looking away. "s'pose i owe you a few more, then. you down for another round, or should i pull out another photo?"

• "do you record us when we have sex?" your question is blunt, knowing that dancing around it won't get what you want.

• his grin is cocky. "yeah. you look damn good stuffed full of my dick."

• "don't be gross," you grab a fistful of his hair, pulling gently and earning a whine from your boyfriend. "i didn't say you could record me."

• "i don't do anything with them," he pleads, propping himself up with the same cheeky grin. "me and me only. i'm never sharing something as good as this." he wiggles his phone in front of your face.

• "fine," you cave at his expression, at how honest he's come across as. "keep them, but no more. as for another round..."

• "sore?"

• "very," you nod. "be gentle this time around."

• "no promises," he coos, leaning down and pecking a chaste kiss to your lips before swinging a leg around you, now completely on top.

[plxnetn1ne]

since everyone in this fandom and their mum seem to be giving their piece about the ‘update’ coming to Hogwarts Legacy on the 6th, i figured id give my piece even if no one has asked

ive been seeing a lot of posts and replies about how “we should just take what we get and be grateful” and “the devs are working hard, do you know how hard game development is?”

im very aware of how difficult game development can be and how mentally taxing it is. i dont doubt that they’ve been through the mill.

the update is trash. its that simple. we’re allowed to feel upset about it, and for people saying that its not fair to be upset — it is fair. we shouldnt have to expect the bare minimum from a game that sold 22 million copies and reached nearly 2 billion dollars in revenue, a game that had 14 nominations for awards and 3 wins.

we were told we were getting a summer update alongside the Haunted Hogsmeade quest — the quest they promised to release to PC and Xbox in march when the game celebrated one year of release. they said, and i quote;

“As we near the one-year anniversary of Hogwarts Legacy, we wanted to let our community know that the Hogwarts Legacy PlayStation-exclusive content will be available on other platforms later this summer, along with additional updates and features for the game. Stay tuned in the coming months for more details on what’s coming to Hogwarts Legacy this year.” copy and pasted straight from Hogwarts Legacy’s official twitter page. along with additional updates and features to the game.

yes — i know, thats a very vague statement. it could have been taken in any way, but typically when additional updates and features — plural — is put into a sentence, you assume that there will be more than one new feature. it wasnt wrong for the community to assume that there was more than a few new additions coming to the game.

okay, we got photo mode — thats great for console players, but it isnt new for us PC players. im happy for my console buddies that finally get to bring their mc to life in the way ive been able to. im looking forward to seeing the uptick in photos upon the updates release. PC and Xbox got the new haunted hogsmeade quest, and thats great, considering the release of it was delayed by 3 months, but atleast we’re getting it. but basically. PS5 was fucked in the process, because everything minus photo mode is stuff they already had, and honestly, thats not fair. and double honest — thats not an update. thats the release of exclusive content plus a new addition.

for several months a summer update was hyped up, and the result was…. ps5 getting fucked, a photo mode that im going to bet my ass on will be buggy as all hell, and some cosmetics. so no — i wont be grateful. especially when we keep getting promised things and then getting fucked by a hot iron in the process. because i havent forgotten the documentary that was supposed to come out, and i still remember during September when they hyped up a digital surprise for Back to Hogwarts day and it ended up being 30 percent off on a game most of us already had, only for the game to go on sale for half off the following Nov/Dec for the holiday sales.

since the release of the game, modders have been basically picking up the slack by working their asses off to create bug fixes, better cosmetic options, enhanced schedules, companions, and so much more to keep the community somewhat entertained. this as well as the file miners that are constantly digging things up that we were robbed of, like the relationship list for companions, gaunt manor, other house specific quests, more quests concerning Isadora, on and on. on top of this, ive seen first hand how much of the outer parts of the map was developed only to be cut out. i spent a solid hour and a half today using free cam to fly around the outskirts of the map — buildings, caves, entire areas laid out for towns or poacher camps, all thrown out on top of all of the discarded quests and content.

and while im at it — ill be one of the few to say it, but Hogwarts Legacies storyline was not well thought out, or at the very least it wasnt very well portrayed. there were hundreds of questions we were left with upon beating the game. where did Anne go? what happened to the keepers after the final battle? why wasnt Isadora in her portrait? what were the keepers hiding? did inhaling the magic actually make a difference or was it just for shock value? how much of Isadora’s story did we miss? how was the undercroft tied in with Isadora when it was apparently a Gaunt secret? what even really was the undercroft?

yes, i know — “well arent they making a second one?” and yeah, im pretty sure they are, and maybe thats why we’ve gotten nothing more than a pile of bricks in the last year and a half. but, they should probably finish the first game before starting on a second.

this doesnt mean i dont love Hogwarts Legacy. i love the people ive met, the stories ive read, and i love capturing the screenshots i take from that game. the entire situation is just frustrating to no end.

[mattscoquette]

update !!

hi yall i’m just keeping it real with everyone - sorry i’ve been slacking with writing/posting and getting requests done. i have a whole bunch of fics i need to write that are untouched sitting in my drafts and will prob be that way for a good while. my mental health has really been in shambles the last like month and a half and everything takes soo much out of me it’s horrible. usually writing is like my little escape from everything but lately it’s been so chore-like and i feel like everything i write is so bad. usually things like this for me fluctuate, where im okay after like a week, but lately ive just been so out of it everyday, and writing (as with a lot of other things) have been really really difficult for me. hopefully i snap out of it soon, and thanks for being patient w me i love u all 😞 i promise this isn’t me “giving up” on writing, and me saying i’m “taking a break” sounds too serious, so this is just me basically saying i’m not writing until i feel like i can write again.

edit: also this isn’t me being like an “oh feel bad for me” kind of post, i just like to keep everyone in the know because know i get a lot of requests and i say i’ll do them. and i will, it just will be a bit until i start feeling a little bit better.

tldr: my mental health isn’t great right now so it’s gonna be a bit before i write again.

thanks again i love u all so so much 🤍🤍

posted july 18

[scalecallerpeak]

Ive been slacking on ESO because the update bugged out on me and I can't believe this I still need to get Scalecaller Peak my beloved like how can I keep this URL if I don't

[lilycals115]

its been a while since ive updated!

ive been slacking for quite some time and ive gained back around 5 pounds and felt like shit. i wasnt counting calories for a while and i was going out and eating a lot with friends and it was really difficult to restrain myself. i could feel just how fat i was but it wasnt enough disgust to push me to get back on track until this week. i spend all of today with my boyfriend and he caught me looking at calories and tracking them and got pretty disappointed in me. its so difficult sticking to calorie tracking because its so embarrassing. he can eat whatever he wants and his ribs still show and his thighs dont touch. he got upset with me and i had to explain that im not going below a dangerous amount or restriction (even though some days i definitely am) and i hope that in the coming days when we hang out he doesn't worry about me not finishing food or my tummy rumbling.

i know that he means well and i know he doesnt want me hurting myself, but im not starving. i would be starving if i didnt have about 40 pounds of food stored on me. i eat enough to not be weak so im still able to go to work and hang out and be physically okay. but if i dont track calories i just gain weight.

i couldnt track all of my calories to the dot today, but i've estimated that its around 800-900 ish. and im gonna stay hungry tomorrow too even if it upsets my boyfriend. someday soon it will be worth all the tears and hardship. i wont have to live in this blubbery gelatinous body for much longer. if i restrict enough i should hit 130 by june and by the end of the year be much closer to my ugw. im going to keep up the hard work :)!!

[laterosal]

im finally starting to write this aiku series bc i love him so much after planning for like a week (ive been slacking off when writing now 😭😭😭😭)

y'anyway i'll try keeping you guys updated :)

📌 ooh yeah i may also fix up some posts + revamp

[myfriendthedictionary]

hiii u dont have to answer this at all and i don't even know if you still remember me but i just wanted to say that when you liked my latest tumblr post about this is how you lose the time war, i genuinely perked up because OMG YOU'RE HEREEE WATT TUMBLR MUTUAL IS STILL ON TUMBLR and that made me very happy :> I know you don't post that much anymore tho but i'm happy nonetheless that you're still here and I hope everything is going well for you! Happy new year to you!!!

HIIIIIIIII !! (i’m so used to discord that i feel emotionless without added emotes so please imagine me excitedly waving here) OFC I REMEMBER YOUUU haha im going to be so honest that i do not know what this is how war is in the slightest. but i saw your post and was like !!!! FRIENDMUTUALL! and liked it immediately. but it sounds awesome and i hope you have a blast reading it. THIS ASK WAS SO SWEET YOU MADE MY DAY (which if you think about it is also making my year haha being only two days in) !

IM HERE ! i do check in to tumblr every so often altho nothing like i used to :sob: but i miss everyone in the WATT fandom tons and its so lovely when i see you guys pop up on the dash at times! <3 i definitely feel like the sense of community the watt crew has was like unmatched in how sweet everyone was and im glad to see everyone still here and posting through the years !

i need to get back into tumblr more … the upsight of discords horrible new mobile layout is im back on all my old haunts, site-wise. im usually around to update like either my art blog (which i need to redo so direly) or other fandom projects but ive been slacking on actually keeping up with this one. NO MORE! i feel like “go back to tumblr” is a vaguely horrible new year’s resolution when it comes to it (its okay tho im also 1 for 1 so far on exercising more so i can balance it out haha), but its made so much better to know there’s still so many great people around! i hope everything is going super well for you too!!! and HAPPY NEW YEAR YIPPEE!!! 2023 was not my .. best year… ! but that means there’s only one way to go from here!! up!

[jordanstrophe]

Hello! I love your writing and hope that I haven't been annoying with my requests, but could you do a prompt where whumpee gets electric shocked for torture, I would love to see how a hospital would treat that kind of injury :) Feel free to ignore and have an amazing Sunday! lots of love- anon

Hello! Not an annoyance in the slightest! Sorry it took me a few days to get to��  (update: I now know how to treat shock wounds)

CW: Torture, shocked, medical/hospital trip, loss of conscious, temporarily paralyzed

There was a quiet hum flowing in the air, then a pulse spiking with energy. A broken scream pierced the silence, their back arched off the table, the restraints ruthlessly cutting into their wrists and ankles. 

The pulse then silenced, as did Whumpee.

"ple- g-ah! -ase...." They choked, seemingly not able to breath in enough oxygen. Through their teary eyes, they saw a smirk across whumper's face, cruel and amused at their pain.

The smirk that turned blank when they got tackled from behind.

Whumpee closed their eyes to choke on a sob, hearing a new sound they assumed was just another pulse powering up. "plea-se don't do tha-... -ah." They rasped. They were so exhausted they didn't recognize the new face now standing over them, their brow furrowed with concern, panting and out of breath. 

"Whumpee! -oh no..." Caretaker gasped, their hands were covered in Whumper's blood as they trembled, hovered just inches over the metal clips all over Whumpee's chest.

"Hang on, you're going to be okay, just hang on!" Caretaker cried, grabbing a messy handful of wires to pry it off. 

"cck-... Caret-aker?" Whumpee mumbled, they still lied helplessly on the table even after the restraints were tugged away. "I'm right here, can you move?' They asked, brushing the last of the wires away.

You would think they would be able to, after trying so desperately for this moment. The most they could do was ball one hand into a fist and twitch a toe.

"I-... can't. ... Caretaker I c-can't move...!" Whumpee rasped, panic brewing in their chest. "It's fine! Don't try anything else, just... Just stay calm." Caretaker placed a hand on their forehead to sooth them, but even Whumpee could feel Caretaker's hands shaking.

Caretaker scooped them right off the table into their arms, Whumpee's head falling slack against their shoulder as their eyes fell closed. "That's it.. I got you... You're safe now." were the last words Whumpee heard before falling unconscious.

-

Whumpee opened their eyes, finding they were no longer in a dark rusted cellar. The room was bright, a little too bright as they turned their head to the side with a groan. "Heey, take it easy." They heard a voice lull, a warm hand settling on their cheek. 

There was Caretaker, sitting by their bed holding their hand with an IV stuck in it. Their legs were underneath a pile of pillows keeping them elevated, Caretaker swooped an arm under their back as they leaned them up, bringing a cup of water to their lips. 

Whumpee could hardly process where they were or what was going on, but they instinctively inhaled the water until Caretaker had to take it from them. 

"Welcome back." They smiled, tenderly brushing their hair back as they laid them into bed. 

Tag list: @grizzlie70  @alien-octopus @lave-whump @amethysts-sideblog  @whump-it-like-its-hot  @thingsthatgowhumpinthenight @yet-another-heathen @princessofonward @whatwhumpcomments  @ill-eat-you-if-you-cross-me @mascmasochist @hamiltonwhumpdump  @shokuhoemisaki @as-a-matter-of-whump @whumpasaurus101

o(^∀^*)o Thank you for reading!

[decayingdirk]

𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍: whats up, my name is ares, and i am a man (dubiously) of many talents. im 18, i live in the good ol’ us of a, and im whatever the opposite of cis is. im queer, and i dont feel the need to seek out any label other than that. im a cancer sun, gemini moon, pisces rising, and i dont rreeeeally believe in the zodiac but some part of me does instinctually use it as a tool for judgement so maybe i do really. im nd and disabled and vaguely but not quite jewish. not religious though. hence the prefix. i have opinions but debating serious things on tumblr is actually fucking exhausting so if you send asks or dms trying to do that i will probably just delete them

𝐈𝐂𝐎𝐍: here is the picrew i use in all my icons. i fucking love this picrew

𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐒: ive got a few other blogs, mostly fandom ones, mostly inactive - 🍒  @𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐬 ;; youre here [𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐂] : my main blog, where i dont usually post anything other than reblogs w too much talking in the tags but by god im gonna start trying to post original stuff. fandom stuff occasionally but i mostly try to keep fandom stuff to their respective blogs for the sake of my mutuals. speaking of mutuals i love yall interact w me more [𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒] : OPEN ☄️  @𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐬-𝐨𝐟-𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰  ;; arcane blog [𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐂] : my second most active one as its where all of my fics and art are getting posted right now, since, yk. arcane/league hyperfixation hours [𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐒] : OPEN 🍏  @𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 ;; homestuck blog [𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐂] : mostly a reblog dump rn that doesnt get used super often but im gonna start trying to post writing and stuff to it more soon  [𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐒] : OPEN 💥  @𝐢𝐝𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐡𝐢𝐦 ;; bnha blog [𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐂] : forgot this existed tbh. its mostly for loving bakugou katsuki because im not actually a super big fan of bnha and am instead just kind of obsessed w a few of the characters. i miss them and want 2 start posting here more as well [𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐒] : OPEN - i also have ATLA [ 💠 ], KNY [ 🌑 ], and TMA [ 🌕 ] reblog dumps but its been so long since i used those and i dont plan on using them again any time soon so they get a link and a mention but not much else. couple other tumblrs here and there i will probably not be using again but if i do youll know where u can find em! here. the answer is here.

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒: i’m gonna try to remember to use these properly but cut me some slack on it #ares speaks ;; tag with all of my posts where i am saying things #fic boost ;; tag where i reblog all my fic updates and posts #art boost ;; tag where i reblog only the good art posts from the other blogs #my art ;; what it says on the tin, but. But. listen. there is some really fucking old stuff in here, and is indeed the only shit in that tag. i think theres literally pictures of some adult coloring pages i did a long ass time back. do not go and send rude shit on any of those and dont judge my artistic ability on them either, they are literally from middle school #ares answers ;; asks. hate that you cant just search tumblr blogs for asks and i hate searching through ppls posts for them so here we are

𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒: you’ll notice below i have linked a toyhouse profile but it is largely unfinished rn and has very few of my ocs on it BUT i do plan on trying to get it updated soon i prommy. 

- 💋 𝑻𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 -- 🎸  𝑨𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒗𝒆 --  ✂️  𝑻𝒐𝒚𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 --  🍓  𝑾𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕  -- 📌  𝑷𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 -

[worldleadersofsims]

The Newcrest Imperial Laws

So, I wanted to list out Laws of the Newcrest Imperial Family. (@thecharlestonroyalfamily did something like this and I kind of got inspired to do so, as well)

Section 1: Junior/Senior Imperials

Senior Members of the Imperial Family consist of: The Emperor/Empress, the offspring of the Emperor/Empress, their spouses and children, and any siblings of the Emperor/Empress, and their spouses.

Junior Members of the Imperial Family consist of: Nieces/Nephews of the Emperor/Empress, their spouses and children, and the cousins of the Emperor/Empress, their spouses and children.

Section 2: Heir Apparent; Line of Succession

The role of Heir-Apparent is selected by the Emperor/Empress, regardless of gender or where they stand in the order of birth. (Eric IV is 10th out of 11 children.)

If the Heir-Apparent is temporarily unable to fulfill their duties, then a regent will be appointed until the heir returns to duty.

The Line of Succession goes as follows: Emperor/Empress - Heir-Apparent - Selected Offspring of Heir-Apparent - Any other descendants of the Emperor/Empress

Section 3: Dress Code

For Male Members

The Heir-Apparent, if male, must grow out their hair to back length, and be clean shaven. He must have his hair in a ponytail daily.

Male members must wear pants/slacks and collared shirts, and loafers when going out to an engagement or representing Newcrest overseas.

For Female Members

During a formal event, Senior Members are allowed to wear the Imperial Order of Haudran II sash, and the Imperial Badge of Damian I, Junior Members are only allowed to wear the Imperial Badge of Damian I. (UPDATE: As of May 2022, The Imperial Order of Haudran II has been disestablished, replaced with the Imperial Order of Eric IV)

The Heir-Apparent, if female, must keep hair color natural, however, they are allowed to dye it if they so please (so long as it is a natural color, ie, black, brown, red, etc.)

Female members must wear clothing covering their chest, torso, shoulders and knees. If they choose to wear over-the-knee dresses, tights must be worn. Pants are allowed to be worn, if preferred. 

During a formal event, Senior Members are allowed to wear the Imperial Order of Haudran II and the Sash of Cassandra I. Junior Members are only allowed to wear the Order of Haudran II.

Section 4: Imperial Traditions and Events

Imperial Court Dates (appearing in full regalia)

January 1 - Newcresti New Year: To celebrate the new year, The Imperial Family appear in full regalia (according to seniority), Emperor/Empress presents awards to upstanding citizens of the country, and take in the New Year.

March 4 - Opening of Parliament: Senior Members of the Imperial Family appear to partake in the opening of Parliament, where the Emperor/Empress gives a speech. This is followed by a banquet in honor of the newly sworn-in parliamentary members. 

July 18 - Newcrest Day Citizens’ Gala: Commoners are invited to celebrate Newcrest Day and mingle with both Junior and Senior Members of The Imperial Family at the Newcrest Imperial Palace.

December 14 - The Emperor’s Birthday: Emperor Eric once again invites citizens to celebrate his birthday, this time, at the Salighet Reception Hall in Newcrest City. 

Age of Majority Traditions and Rites

The age of majority in Newcrest is 18. When a member of The Imperial Family’s 18th birthday is approaching, they give a press conference the week before, and on the day of, they are presented to the Emperor/Empress and their consort in full regalia (Tiara, formal dress, Imperial Orders or Tuxedo and Imperial Orders) From that point forward, they are able to attend court events as an adult member.

If the Heir-Apparent is chosen before they are thirteen, they may start wearing regalia after they are married. 

Marriage Traditions and Rites

The potential spouse must be properly introduced to the Emperor/Empress and their consort, regardless of seniority. 

If an Imperial Family member is male, he must formally ask the Emperor/Empress for permission to marry, and ask the spouse’s parents for their hand in marriage. If they are female, she only has to ask the Emperor/Empress for permission to marry, so long as the potential spouse has formally requested permission from her parents and the Emperor/Empress to ask for her hand in marriage.

Imperial Weddings are to take place between four to nine months after the announcement of engagement.

If the heir-apparent is selected before the age of thirteen, they must be married by the age of eighteen.

Ascending to the Throne of Newcrest

Upon the abdication or demise of the Emperor/Empress; the heir-apparent immediately becomes the new Emperor/Empress. 

Since the Imperial Family has done away with coronations, the new Emperor/Empress will be sworn in by the Supreme Justice of the Peace, in front of members of the Imperial Family, and an audience of citizens inside the palace and awaiting outside the palace doors.

The inauguration will take place approximately six months after the new Emperor/Empress has ascended to the throne.

Section 5: LGBTQ+; Offspring

The Imperial House of Newcrest and the Church of Newcrest both absolutely denounce homophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia.

Same-sex marriage in the Imperial Family is legal and proudly recognized.

Newcrest proudly recognizes its transgender citizens and Imperial Family members alike. 

Members of the Newcrest Imperial Family are allowed to change their legal and physical gender, if they wish to do so.

Adoptive children, although not in line for the throne, will still be given the title of His/Her Imperial Highness.

When a new member of the Imperial Family is born, they automatically receive the title of His/Her Imperial Highness, regardless of seniority, and will be in line for the throne.

[asksharedsouls]

((hey its abt time I made an update. this update will be in TWO PARTS! and one part is optional cause it could possibly be a bummer maybe (talks of mental illness a little bit). part a is an explanation of why I haven't been here and part b is my plans. SIDE NOTE: THIS GOT LONG AND RAMBLY IM SORRY LOL

PART A: ok so u may be wondering why I keep doing.... literally nothing. my main reason is my depression, but another one is my very inconsistent interests, as well as my confidence I guess. my depression has been effecting my energy levels a lot more, whether it be from quarantine stuff or seasonal stuff or both, im not sure. but I spend a lot of the day asleep haha. and im going thru a mild med change to see if it helps? and as for the interests part, my interests fluctuate wildly, like for a hot minute there I was super into soul eater and stuff but I think im coming back to undertale again. and finally, the confidence issue: this like. torments me? a lot. thinking that I am NOT satisfied with shared souls as a whole and how I should have planned it better and made it more consistent. im very disappointed in how not creative I am as a person, and I am struggling to create a story im satisfied with. I have so many regrets of how ive done things and characterized these kiddos and stuff. HOWEVER I am aware this is my first time doing this and I really should cut myself some slack. not to mention, a fair amount of u seem to like this story and im very grateful for that, and I wish I wasn't such a perfectionist! but im super thankful for those of you who have stuck around.

PART B: yes I will finish this!!! even if it takes 100000 years!! I told myself I would so I WILL! however! I dont think how I will go about the story is set in stone and I wouldn't mind any opinions some of u may have! how ive been doing this is I have major plot points happen and I let things in between happen with the askers as they happen (for example, the chara and flowey bonding arc thing was planned, while visiting Gaster? completely out of the blue lol). but ive been considering letting the askers have more control over what happens, and I do more improv as a result. I definitely want Frisk to be more involved at the very least because I feel I haven't been doing them a lot of justice. I did have an ending planned, but I feel like I haven't built up to it very well, but I literally cant be sure if thats just me being hyper critical of myself and what I create.... I think ill stick with what I have unless I come up with something better along the way. BUT YOU GUYS!!! would u want me to keep doing things how im doing things, having major story moments planned out, or would you like me to throw those out the window and let u guys have more of a control on the story (WITHIN REASON.... I dont want to do out of the blue things like AUs or just complete randomness if that makes sense?) and I adapt around that! personally, I think im fine with either result tbh! im trying to be happy that I am just... creating something, yknow?

[bladekindeyewear]

HS^2 bloggin’ mainline 2020-05-19

Figured an upd8 was coming, it’s felt like enough time has passed for one.

Huh, looking at my last post I’d completely forgotten I was supposed to play through Pesterquest sometime... work is busy and stressing me out a bit, I’m not sure when I’ll have the energy on the side to do that.  (Maybe I’ll livetweet it like I did Undertale a while ago, but this time not looking at my twitter replies so I don’t get spoiled by One Guy™?)

Also, including bonus commentary on A Threat Sensed.

Okay, going in completely blind.  I’d guessed from context that we’re hopping over to Meat side to get a chapter there before we can come back to actually see Yiffy?

Yep.  Okay, what is this about exactly?

(Agh, dammit, I’ve been copying and pasting so much at work remoting into Windows lately that now I’m automatically trying to hit control-C instead of command-C to copy.)

> CHAPTER 9. How Goes The Eulogizing, Dear?

CONTENT NOTE: This chapter contains Child Abuse.

Which one???

Wait

JANE: (Where is he?) JANE: (It's a question I've found myself asking many times in recent days.)

Holy SHIT we get two Candy chapters in a row???  So we might see her right away??  No, it’s gotta just be another tiny glimpse.

(Has two Candy chapters in a row happened before?  Future Boots, scroll back up and put this here. FUTURE BOOTS: “I forgot to scroll back up and put that here.” EDIT: Also, not the first time with two in a row, but it IS the first time with THREE in a row, huh.)

So Jane has to be talking about either Tavros or Dave.  --Oh, if this was a Candy Side chapter title, I guess Rose or Jade is eulogizing Dave for John?

> (==>)

JANE: (Where now is our merry savior?) JANE: (Where is the horn that was honking?) JANE: (Where is the cape and the codpiece, and the...) JANE: (The...) JANE: (Oh, fiddlesticks.)

What?  Is she reading a childrens’ book?  --Oh.  She’s eulogizing Gamzee.  So that gives us a third option, where the rebellion crashes the funeral somehow, probably audiovisually rather than in person.  (Which would make sense, given Candy practically began with Gamzee crashing Dirk’s funeral.)

> (==>)

Ah never mind, she’s still writing it.

That sure is a single button drama-remote that’s going to be pressed at some point.  Oh, and who the fuck keeps a spork in a pen cup???  --No no, don’t say it’s one of those pens with a spork at the eraser end, either ready-made or rubber-banded to the side.  That would make sense.  You totally know it isn’t that and is just a spork.

JANE: (Okay, poetry is out.) JANE: (What else?) JANE: (Hrm...) JANE: (I've always been pretty good at crying on cue.) JANE: (Could I try staging an emotional breakdown?) JANE: (That could work; playing to people's humanity.)

Why were you crying in Jake’s arms about his death if you didn’t care that much?  Did you just want him to hold you and kinda make him feel in on things again?  Or did you just cry yourself out about him?

JANE: (Or whatever is the more inclusive term.)

I bet the rest of Earth C figured out a more inclusive term millenia ago FUCK I accidentally added millennia to my dictionary misspelled instead of correcting it hold on--

...There, killed the entry for it.  ...Huh.  Take a look at my Chrome dictionary’s custom-added words over the years, apparently:

Caliborn Eridan Kanaya Matriorb Meenah Tavros alchemiter dichotomic nephilim reblogged uncaptchalogues uncaptchaloguing

That’s fun.

Okay back to reading. Millennia.  Phew!  Where was I.

JANE: (One really good and calculated weep could do it, I think.) JANE: (But then there's the danger that I might get carried away and do it for real.) JANE: (And I can't risk that.)

So still feeling something, just too used to calculating over the past years.

JANE: (What can I say about him that will stir up their emotions?) JANE: (Do I mention the stuff about the milk?) JANE: (Think Crocker, think.)

WHY would you-- how much did Gamzee normalize adult breastfeeding?!

JAKE: Ahoy over there!

Not the best time.

(The thing with the divorce papers from the Epilogue and John implying he was planning with Jake to execute something that sounds like a divorce... is that going to be sprung here?  Did her lawyers send the divorce papers way back when she was in a fit of pique, and he just had them available to sign now at the tactical moment? Or... let me pull the exact text...)

JOHN: now, harry anderson, i know that you and tavros haven't always gotten along. JOHN: but i am going to have to ask you to try and look out for him for the time being. JOHN: your uncle jake and i... well, i'll explain later. JOHN: let's just say that gamzee isn't the only family member jane is losing today.

(So is John going to submit the papers? Or did they already go through a while ago and default custody to John or something who’s going to adopt him too or some nonsense?  And did he plan this out with Jake NOW, or a while ago, and if only a while ago, is Jake going to KNOW whatever John’s about to pull in that respect is about to happen??)

> (==>)

Butte

Janepalme

> (==>)

JAKE: Er... how goes the eulogizing, dear?

Gah.  I completely forgot again that capitalized-first-letter chapter names don’t mean KANAYA is saying them.  That probably makes a lot more sense out of my wondering about the chapter title earlier to those of you who didn’t realize I was making that mistake.

JANE: It turns out that it's mighty difficult to find touching things to say about a person, the relationship with whom was predicated on deep-seated mutual loathing.

Hah!

--A loathing you regarded as largely more important to you than Jake ever was, by the way.  You asshole.

JANE: I imagine this is one of the reasons no funerary tradition was ever established on Alternia, besides the barbarism of their culture. DIRK: Jesus christ. JANE: Not only did a significant proportion of their interpersonality depend on romance in the form of hatred, but it was a society based on cruelty and violence. JANE: What reason could they have had to provide for the dead? JANE: What kind of last rites could they have even imagined?

I wondered for a moment why (bg!)Dirk of all people would react to a single line of her starting to bring up prejudices, but then I realized that (1) Brain Ghost Dirk is a little more Jakey, and (2) Dirk knew that more ranting would follow the first line.

JANE: I can't think of anything good to write about him because deep down, I hated his guts. JANE: But he was and is beloved of the multitude, so I have to think of something regardless. JAKE: Im not sure i understand. JANE: Don't worry your pretty little head about it. JANE: This is politics, Jakey. JANE: Lying through your two front teeth about people you hate is about as good a definition as it's possible to get. JANE: But, by gum, is it tiring work.

Mm.  It’s a position Jane put herself in, but it’s still a legitimate position once you’re there.

JANE: The funeral is tomorrow, after all.

Got it.

DIRK: Dude, the bowl. JAKE: Hm? JAKE: Oh, right. JANE: What is it now, Jake. JAKE: I brought something for our guest as well. JANE: You mean the prisoner. JAKE: Y...es.

Wait, bowl?

Oh god damnit which of you had the idea to feed her with a DOG BOWL.  Either of you could have thought of it, and either of you would be horrible for it.

> (==>)

Huh, that outfit on Yiffy looks familiar, like a reference to something.  And a black tail?  This definitely isn’t quite the look I was expecting from Jade Plus Rose, but I suppose the snazzy tie is a Roseish vibe.  Also reminiscent of Jade’s old Dead Shuffle dress.  Formal wear and soccer cleats??

JANE: She's over in the corner. JANE: Don't worry, she won't bite. JANE: I've seen to that already.

WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN.  I don’t see anything over her mouth!  Did she stick something in it, or drug her?  File her fucking teeth???

I mean I did forget the Child Abuse trigger warning to be fair.  Hoping whatever would be on her mouth is just not shown in-panel yet for stylistic reasons.

> (==>)

JAKE: Its only mac and cheese, sorry. JAKE: Its all I know how to make, haha. JAKE: ... JAKE: I um... hope you can safely partake of cheese? JAKE: ... JAKE: Well, JAKE: Bon appetit.

How the fuck did Jake eat on his island then?  --Oh right, preserved food cans that Grandma Jade stored up, I think I remember.  Why would cheese not be a thing for them, if it’s fine for Jade?  I know he’s probably not just worried about lactose intolerance.

Either way, if she’s drugged here, that’ll mean we won’t get a good idea of her for a while, so which is it...

> (==>)

DIRK: Bon appetit. DIRK: Seriously dude? JAKE: (What? Did i pronounce it wrong?) DIRK: Jake. DIRK: You put the food in a fucking dog bowl. JAKE: (It was all there was, ok???) JAKE: (I feel awful enough as it is without you getting on my case about it.)

Ah, missed the bone pun.  AND, yeah, Jake, you’re a fucking idiot, you could have put it in a cup or something.

JAKE: (So far ive yet to see anything come of that brilliant plan of yours.) JAKE: (Are you sure sending that message to the others was enough?)

Okay, so he IS coordinating this slightly.

> (==>)

Horrifying image to contemplate, eh Jane?

Or anger-inducing?

> (==>)

Seems about right!

> (==>)

Oh that’s a GREAT exasperated Jane face.

JANE: I hope you're not expecting dessert, young lady.

I like how Jane didn’t notice, comment on, or care about the bowl.  How can you hate a kid so much??

> (==>)

Oh I know why I felt like I recognized the outfit style, it’s because it’s ANIME AS FUCK.  Feels like some Persona 4 Arena nonsense, and I say that not having played any of those games or even remembering what they looked like.  Also, white hair, black fur’d dog parts?  Nice change of pace.

YIFFY: GRRRRRRRRR... JANE: Oh no you don't.

Red text?  What color exactly... “#D00009”?  Huh.  That’s nowhere near Alt-Callie’s #FF0000, and darker than Dave’s #E00707.  In fact, let me go back and check those spilled color pins the commentary pointed out from an update or two ago...  no, the red pin is #E63225, closer to Dave’s color.  (Also, is Yiffy blocking the doorway out?  That’s a pretty slack chain then.)

Did Jane see to it that she wouldn’t bite with like, a water spray bottle?

(EDIT: Oh my FUCKING GOD, THAT's why it's #D00009...)

> (==>)

FUCK I didn’t notice the shock collar in the Yiffy image!  FUCK YOU, Jane.

> (==>)

Keeping someone in line with collars, especially ones that punish whenever one strays out of line, has always been a decent way for her to mix in some Doomy control of others to show how she’s “grown” to balance her main role and her Tiara-controlled-like inverse for more power.  Doom in part represents boundaries that you can’t cross without getting hurt or punished.

> (==>)

FUCK, those little buck teeth!?  D’:

JANE: That's more like it.

She HAS to have more of a reason for hating her than hating her parents, right?  Like, more than that and general racism applying to partdogfolk?

> (==>)

Hey fuck off with that!

> (==>)

This is a pretty cool ima-- are those piercings on her dog ear?  I didn’t notice that in the first shot, neat.

JANE: You've been a thorn in my side ever since I agreed to enroll you at the academy, little madam. JANE: Back then, I was doing a favor for two old friends who made a disgusting mistake. JANE: I'm no longer going to play nice with you just because of your parents, however. JANE: That truce is over. JANE: Do I make myself understood?

What the fuck?  WHY would you do that?  Why does Jane run "Ms. Paint’s Home for Inconvenient Girls”?  What did Yiffy do to piss her off so much there, how much trouble could she have caused?

I don’t know if she’s referring to the behind-Kanaya’s-back part as disgusting or she’s just being MORE racist.

> (==>)

JANE: We don't want you passing out during the ceremony, do we?

Oh, just showing the hostage off during the clown funeral, huh?  Classy much?

> (==>)

JANE: Now, be a good hostage and get some rest, Yiffany dear. JANE: We've got a big day tomorrow.

For a politician, Jane’s not good at looking at herself in a mirror.

> (==>)

JANE: Night night. JANE: Hoo hoo.

> (Yiffy: Lights out.)

Huh, dream stuff is gonna be relevant out in Candy then? *click*

Okay, dark background all of a sudden.  Properly dramatic?  You even have to highlight the non-link “>” part of the Next link to see it.

> (==>)

-- thespiansGlamor [TG] began pestering adamantGriftress [AG] --

Well, I don’t know WHY it’s happening, but the white-backed pesterlog suddenly on the dark site framing is certainly evocative.  Of like, a mood, or something.

TG: i thought he was pretty quiet down there. TG: we'll make a rebel of him yet! AG: Lol. AG: I think it's more that he can't sleep. AG: I know how he feels. TG: yeah. TG: today was a lot. AG: ... TG: do you wanna talk about it? AG: Ugh, not you as well.

It’s really jarring to transition between Homestuck’s “kids jarringly mentally resistant to freaking out about the end of the world” to HS^2′s more realistic “kids traumatized by their first firefight even though it was an overwhelming victory-escape��.

TG: but seriously, do you? AG: Not really. TG: not even about... you know? TG: her? AG: No. TG: ... are you sure? AG: A8solutely. AG: What are you, my moirail? AG: Just leave it, Harry. TG: ok.

Are they about to have an “I wonder what Yiffy’s like” talk?

> (==>)

Very similar Tav/Vrissy convo to the previous one.

GG: I havent ever shared a bedroom before,,, GG: Not even for a slumber party,,, AG: Tavvy, you are just a8out the saddest person I've ever met.

Well, we have an even better idea how horrible Jane can be with kids, now.  From Nanna to THIS is quite jarring.  I wonder how the double Nannasprites that must still be around here somewhere feel?

> (==>)

TG: nothing about my dad is cute. TG: what are you even saying. AG: Lmao. TG: seriously! TG: i think he has something against that word, even. he gets super weird about it. AG: He's a strange and funny m8n. TG: yeah. TG: ... TG: i think something bad must have happened.

...um.  What?  Why would John have some sort of trauma about the word cute or being called it?

Did John dress up as a hint of his buried June ambitions as a kid and Dad lavish him with “SO CUTE” praise in an epic supportiveness backfire that caused him to shelve the idea of wearing non-masc clothes and being happier on the flipside of gender ever again???  Because if that’s how June gets canonized as promised, it’s a little harsher than the back of my mind was hoping.  I guess it kind of had to be though from the premise of how it was read into his childhood for the original idea, though.  Fuck, I hope this Cute business is about something different from that (like a Terezi reference or such) just to get less John Sads.  (But still June.  Definitely still want to get June.)

> (==>)

Oh, and now Vrissy is doing nothing but talking about what she said she didn’t want to talk about, of course.  (Also I like how JANE’s now being called the Batterwitch.)

AG: And the worst part was they didn't even fight a8out it! AG: That made me madder than 8nything else. AG: It felt like I was the only person who even W8S mad! GG: I dont think thats true,,, AG: What would you know a8out it?! GG: Maybe nothing,,, GG: Sorry,,, GG: Its just,,, GG: To me,,, all the way through the conversation,,, aunt kanaya looked even angrier than you,,, AG: ... AG: Adults are so fucking weird.

Guh, I don’t want to be reminded how hurt a good chunk of the fanbase is by Kanaya getting hurt this badly.

Original Tavros was always SLIGHTLY perceptive of others sometimes, but maybe perceptiveness is being hinted at as a Tavros specialty?  We still don’t know his classpect/hero-title or have any firm guesses based on purely him evidence.  (Also, frightened kids of abusive households tend to learn to get perceptive pretty fucking quickly I hear.)

> (==>)

TG: dad was sitting in the cafeteria with aunt jade and your moms. TG: it looked like they were discussing something important... they were whispering and stuff.

[etc etc] Alright, the what-happened-to-Dave bit.  And I imagine they’re kind of helping John grieve there, since Rose and Jade have talked that out already.

TG: aunt kanaya's was the only face i could see. TG: she was standing next to them, but she wasn't looking at what was going on. TG: almost like she couldn't bear to. AG: I doubt it. Kanaya's got a8out as much Emotivity as a very reclusive stone. TG: ok, i think that is bullshit but whatever. TG: she saw me standing there, but didn't say anything. she just shook her head slightly, and pointed back out into the hallway i came down.

Yep, giving them some space to grieve.  Also-- gosh, shouldn’t Vrissy have the same emotive senses that Aranea implied Vriska shared with her?  Kanaya isn’t that EXPRESSIVE but she’s certainly full of emotion.  Also, I hope part of her not bearing to watch wasn’t lingering anger toward Jade and Rose mixing with that, but there probably was a bit of that too, though Dave being gone is so much harsher than that. --I just realized they might not have broken the news to Karkat yet, either.

AG: I guesadxcxzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz TG: vrissy?

Put to sleep by someone slumping down on your phone keypad, or surprised by something about the other conversation?

Oh shit, “other conversation” reminded me I didn’t look at Tavros’s chumhandle:

glutinousGymnast [GG]

HHHHHhhhhuh.  Hm... huh? hhhh.  huh?  what, but.  Why would.  ?????

I really don’t understand what that chumhandle or any of its entendres should signify in this context.

Also, this means for our new four kids we have TG, GG, AG, and ??.

> (==>)

GG: I think she might have succumbed to sleep quite suddenly,,, GG: It would explain the,,,,,, interesting messages I've been getting for a while,,, TG: hehe. TG: i guess that tracks. TG: she does that from time to time.

That’s... strange.  Homestuck’s taught us to be suspicious of that.

TG: ... TG: tav? GG: Yes,,, harry anderson,,,? TG: what does it feel like to know someone who's died?

Who is Harry referring to? (EDIT: Yes I know Gamzee for Tavros, but I meant Harry talks like he's worried he'll have to feel that way soon?)  Is he just kind of inferring that something bad might have happened to Uncle Dave?  Got that perceptive “parents are about to tell me about a death in the family” vibe?  Or did he overhear more than he let on to Vrissy?

...alright, that’s the last page of this update.  Looks like this chapter is going to continue to have a good bunch of grieving, or talk around it.

---

Now for Bonus Commentary for A Threat, Sensed.  For some reason I have a dim memory of like... reading this myself without commenting on it?  Or skimming it?  But I’m pretty sure I didn’t do that.  Weird.  Must have imagined doing it.

Ah, I think I saw the opening paragraph scrolling Patreon, and my mind kinda filled in the blanks, this is still looking new to me.

Okay, mostly banter and japes in the commentary here.  About Dirk “throwing a huge tantrum in his philosophy cave”.

We’ve had quite a bit of speculation on whether this is “really” Andrew. To that, I think we’d say that it doesn’t “really” matter.

Really?  That was speculated about?  :/

Here we discover that Dirk has not, as some people have speculated, been directly intervening into the Candy timeline, or influencing it in any way. In fact, he has a very hard time seeing anything going on there at all.

Mhmm, and that was a pretty important thing to learn.

A couple of years ago I might have agreed with the take that everything happening in Candy is simply too outlandish to ever happen naturally, without direct, villainous interference, but that was before literally every fucking batshit insane thing that has happened on Real Life Earth started going down, and now I will believe literally anything. 

This is a nice bit of distraction from the idea that at least the opening parts of the Candy story were written/narrated by Original, Alive Calliope over on meat side.  To refresh your memory of what was pointed out to me:

ROXY: back when jade first got all effed up callie saw somethin and it made them freak out ROXY: it took me weeks to convince them that it was safe to come home ROXY: but now we got the opposite problem and they arent leavin the house at all ROXY: they stay home all day with the blinds drawn paintin some weird ass shit on the walls TEREZI: WH4T? ROXY: its not as bad as it sounds i promise ROXY: some of it is like ROXY: weird and violent?? ROXY: like lotsa nasty purple blood and um ROXY: nudity???? TEREZI: >:? ROXY: yeah yikes ROXY: but MOST of it is cute stuff like... various combos of all of us being happy and gettin married and shit ROXY: anyway thats kept callie kinda busy

Which tracks with the initial out-of-character-seemingness of almost everyone at the start of Candy, and how they kind of tried to railroad things back onto the “Happy??” track after Dirk derailed it with his weird self-accumulation suicide, along with some of the flowery-idyllic descriptions of characters seeing each other bathed in a halo of light and such.

Of course, they’re not going to out-and-out STATE that Calliope was at fault for that narration, helping the Candy story not necessarily fall out the way it did “naturally”, until we finally get a glimpse of her on the heroes’ ship in Meat probably still painting the continuing Candy events, inspiring them into the void of the singularity with her latent powers.  Til then, it’s a bit of misdirection whenever the topic is to be brought up.  Along with a mix of Roxy’s late-Candy point to John of more or less “why COULDN’T we have done this naturally? you don’t know”.

He might even think that he has more direct power over the narrative than Hussie does himself. Surprise, motherfucker, you are a fictional character. 

:p

I’ll quote this next part in full:

There’s been talk of whether or not this bonus was written in the two days between its release and the Yiffy reveal chapter. The answer is--no. It was written over a month ago. But I think the things it addresses were not difficult to suss out. Obviously, Dirk is highlighting the issues that the readership are having with Yiffy, in his typical Dirk fashion. If it seems a little defensive, well...I suppose it is. Yiffy is one of the two hard lines drawn in the sand, and all of us love her, and we’re hoping that everyone else will love her too. But more than that, it focuses on the fact that update culture has a rhythm to it--shock, revulsion, acceptance (or not), and then excitement (or not). Will it follow that pattern this time? Who knows. I guess we’ll find out. 

Yeah, given what was going to be dropped on us I expected they would have had exactly this lined up, especially because Andrew specifically mandated Yiffy.  --I wonder why they aren’t mentioning that somewhere in the commentary and only on one of their Twitters?

Also quoting this:

There’s something both incredibly “cringe” and self-indulgent, as well as philosophically intriguing, about the author arguing with his villain, especially since he’s writing both halves of the conversation himself. You are, for all intents and purposes, trying to solve a problem that you have created for yourself. You are looking an aspect of your personality in the eye and asking, hey, what the fuck, man?

But in the end, isn’t that what every story is? Trying to untie knots that you put in the rope yourself?

Since it’s part of the central struggle of this story, and kind of the question Andrew’s tried to imply with every Homestuck work about what right we have to keep these characters trapped in a story, and if they’d be better off escaping it.

I’m really trying to avoid quoting so much of this, since the commentary is paid...  but I think we can make an exception here?  I’ll have only quoted about half of it; just, the really plot-important half.  Plus, I left out a LOOOT of japes.

Dirk has a certain idea of how stories are supposed to go. That’s pretty much what the Epilogues is about. The audience also has a certain expectation of how a story is supposed to go. In a way, the Epilogues were also about that. They were taking a story that had reached the traditionally “acceptable” happily ever after, and saying, wait, no. What happens next? Thinking past happily ever after in any story is a terrifying prospect. Once Cinderella marries the prince, what then? Sure, she got what she wanted, but who knows that it will be everything she dreamt it would? What if she changes her mind, if not today, what about ten years from now? What if the prince dies of malaria? 

And I’m...

Yeah I don’t have anything else to add here, I’m kind of out of brain juice to think about this tonight.  BUSY day I had.  Y’all take care!

[gargalesthesia]

KIRIBAKU FIC REC MASTERLIST!

here are ALL of the kiribaku fics i’ve ever made a rec list for/recommended to a friend!

@whatsupitsalexx you asked for a masterlist, you get a masterlist!! i’ve updated some of these lists as well SO HERE ARE MORE!!!!!!

i’ve repeated many fics during recs so make sure you dont have any duplicates since i describe them differently each time!

AGAIN!!!!! PLEASE READ ALL THE TAGS FOR EACH AND EVERY FIC AS THERE MAY BE SOMETHING TRIGGERING

!updated! funny kiribaku fics with tiny hints of angst and A LOT of fluff:

uncompleted fic: my first one and only by blackbarbooks

this one??? THIS BITCH HAD ME CACKLING AT 3 AM IN THE MORNING,,,, its so funny (and a little bit smutty because y’know) and the characterization is just *chefs kiss* MWAH

completed fic: stay with me by gahooligangirl

LITTLE TO NONE ANGST,,,,,, BUT DUDE I L O V E D THIS FIC WAY TOO MUCH AND ITS JUST,,,, SO,,,,,, CUTE

another completed fic: our thing by livinglittlelie

A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL DURING SPARRING ACJWOIFHFIM POST CANON AND,,,,,, ADO R A B L E

punch my mouth with your mouth by questcat44

okay okay okay this one was honestly so cute because kiri is such a FOOL smh

angsty kiribaku fics that left me heartbroken and with my jaw slack

as promised by mikip23

UGH.

FUCK.

IM CRYING EVEN AS I READ THE DESCRIPTION OF THE FIC TO MAKE SURE I HAVE THE RIGHT ONE.

NVM ME CURRENTLY JUST

SOBBING

heart strings by heartofjems

I JUST READ THIS ONE TONIGHT

HOLY. FUCK.

WHAT THE ACTUAL SHIT

IM CRYING

THIS, I-

ILL JUST LET YOU READ IT

remember me by bleukitsune

fuck you and this fucking fic jfc

im CRYING sir

THIS SHOULD NOT BE LEGAL.

PLEASE TAG YOUR FICS BEFORE YOU POST I WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD

the fool’s rush by chonideno

POST CANON AND ANGST AND KIRIBAKU???????

FUCKING COUNT ME IN

UGH THis ABSOLUTELY WRECKED ME

ACKWDN

!updated! fluff/pick-me-up/feel good kiribaku fics!

my first one and only by blackbarbooks

this fic is such a nice and funny one i couldnt help but read it in one sitting! the pacing, the characterization, everything is just so good! i’ve recced this fic wayyyyy too many times but EVERYONE needs to see it! just a small warning there is a little smut as kiri and baku are testing the waters. dating is a new thing for them but they’re taking it like champs!! i got second hand embarrassment from it-

your hand to hold, your heart to keep by ladymarshmallow

this fic could possibly be my FAVOURITE kiribaku wedding fic, like i read it again a few weeks ago and it just begs to be reread over and over! it’s a quick read and very very very fluffy because they’re SO HAPPy together and im just soft

our thing by livinglittlelie

honestly,,,,,,,, this fic made me cry of happiness, i love kiribaku and their softness in this and it just *sniffles* i love it so much and the sparring????? AUGH im SOFT

obvious by amethystunarmed

OH MY GOD. THIS FUCKING FIC. IM SO,,,,,,,, I WAS UGLY LAUGHING I LOVED IT SO M U C H!!!!!! im just so WRECKED for kirishima and bakugou post canon!!!!! kiri gets kidnapped and NO ONE KNEW ABOUT KIRIBAKU BEING CANON UNTIL KIRI GETS KIDNAPPED and i just adowanfceksjkds

all according to keikaku........... by carolinaa

FUCKING LMAOOOOOOO I LOVE THIS FIC WITH MY HEART AND SOUL!!!!! TODODEKU AND KIRIBAKU JUST,,, MMMMMM

!updated! angst with happy ending kiribaku fics!

first up: kokoronashi by chiisanaai

THIS MADE MY CRY MY HEART OUT OKAY???? THIS HURT ME SO FREAKING MUCH

UGH THE SLOW BURN HIT ME HARD

I THINK THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST KIRIBAKU FICS IVE EVER READ AND BOY DO I NOT REGRET A THING

quote love unquote by newamsterdam

band! kirishima and actor! bakugou

O u c HHHH!!!!!

UGH IM WRRRECCKKKKEEDDD FOR THE LAST SCENE OF THIS FIC

ISTG

IM DYING

I KEEP GOING BACK TO READ IT

must have been the wind by quirkle

TW for this one, it has domestic abuse (abusive relationship,,,, cause dabi is a BITCH) and bakugou is not treated like the royalty he is D:

this one is amazing written

idk man its just so good

speak into the silence by rosedvst

i read this fic just tonight

i am still crying as i write this

i cant stop the tears

post canon kiribaku where no one knows about their relationship

as well as fucking near death angst

im still crying after this ugh

the bakusquad

is

i

ugh im wrecked

by dawn, promise me by chezka

so i have such a soft spot for hanahaki disease au’s

and i cry everytime

so have this little one shot that i cried over as well

roses are red and they taste like shit by unbreakable_red_riot

guess who has another hanahaki disease fic for you

this bitch

the slow burn is IMMACULATE

ngl

misunderstood by jupiterrose

okay this fic

starts out SO ANGSTY like i couldnt even

but then it becomes so fuckin/??????? cute????? like

yes please

[unlockthelore]

DREAM COME TRUE - PART IV

Ignoring the going-ons around her is easy but when the answers are in reach, [ ] can’t help but wonder what it is she’s missing. Part of the Dream Come True fic on Ao3. For more updates, follow the dream come true tag on this blog. 

Hiei stole a glance over his shoulder. The vaguely disturbing presence slipping over the apartment building in a shroud ebbed away gradually as she traversed further from the windows. He hovered nearby, back pressed to the cool glass and arms folded loosely at his chest. There was little else to do aside from waiting. Listening to the steady rhythm of Kurama’s heartbeat whilst his colleague pattered around next door.

There had been a presence, but from where?

If Kurama noticed then it must not have been a cause for alarm. The fox giving no acknowledgement to Hiei’s lack of presence aside from an outstretched arm in the space where he laid. Sheets rumpled and barely covering a mark-bruised chest, vibrant red hair caught on red swollen lips and beneath a slack jaw. He was the perfect picture of laziness and Hiei half wondered if the woman next door could see this would she have blushed as red as Kurama’s hair. Although, bitterness simmered on his tongue at how peacefully the fox slept.

He had awoken to a darkness, cold and clammy, rendering him unable to sleep without the odd sensation of ice trickling down his spine. No one crossed the threshold of Kurama’s apartment. His plants would’ve seen to any threats before they could become a nuisance to either of them. And yet, Hiei found himself traversing the apartment from room to room, testing the door knob and the windows. Smoothing his fingers over the grain of countertops and cabinets, his heel pressing to floor boards and the underside of tables and chairs.

When nothing turned up, he absconded to the balcony and came across her.

Admittedly, he couldn’t be upset with her. She was there first and simply hadn’t noticed him. But he had the strangest inkling that his inability to sleep stemmed from her inability to stray from the supernatural. The thought was offensive enough for him to find some fault in her. Though not enough for him to keep from asking questions and entertaining her own. Something about those eyes and the genial curiosity.

What had Kurama called her? A good person?

“You’re thinking so loudly…”

Kurama’s voice lurched Hiei out of his thoughts. A single eyebrow raised as the fox stretched out, rumpled blankets hanging low at his hips beginning to slip further. So he had noticed his absence.

“If you’re attempting to entice me, it isn’t going to work,” Hiei said. Immediately, though with a fluidity that would have made it seem natural to the untrained eye, Kurama relaxed with his hands tucked behind his head and a brow raised. “Your coincidence reared its head once again.”

That seemed to draw his attention. Propping himself up on his elbow, Kurama cast a sidelong look at the bedside clock. “The tea lasted shorter than I expected. You sensed something—”

“Would I be awake otherwise?” Hiei interjected with a dry tone to his voice, casting an arid glare in Kurama’s direction before he swept past the bed, padding across the cold floors. “Calling one beast to deal with another, that doesn’t seem like your modus.”

“Allies are difficult to come by, Hiei,” Kurama sat upright and combed his hair from his neck, exposing the bite marks and scratches along his throat. They were beginning to heal. Redness fading into a flush pink and Hiei wrinkled his nose as he watched them leave. “… Are you feeling enticed now?”

His eyebrows raised at the leering look Kurama gave. Eyes rolling to the ceiling before he left with only the fox’s amused stare at his back. It was short-lived and he knew this would haunt them both for the remainder of the day.

Until answers came.

幽☆遊☆白書

The subway station was packed from wall to wall. Salarymen in their synthetic suits, briefcases swinging knocking into knees and bags as they passed by. Mothers with strollers, children in hand or arm, talking loudly or softly to small persons unwilling or unconcerned with reason. Teenagers taking advantage of the day, talking in groups of where they were going to go, flashes of phones and videos taken whilst bumbling about the enclosed space.

With her back pressed to the wall and thumb idly toying with the strap of her backpack, she looked up to the black digital board suspended from the ceiling. Ticking amber letters, some red, and others green displaying the different rail lines and their arrival times much to her gratitude. A quick glance at her watch, fitful glances down the sliver of space she could garner from one end of the tunnel to the next.

A small thought to simply text Yumi and see where she was crossed her mind. Though, with her luck, Yumi might have been driving or walking and wouldn’t check her phone. Distracting her didn’t seem like a good idea either. She sighed and combed her fingers through her hair, feeling autumn’s chill from the station’s opening. Fleeting thoughts of returning to Souta’s apartment to steal some of his jackets shoved aside when the ticking letters revealed her ride would be there in a matter of minutes. Checking the emoticon-filled text thread, she sighed when there was no message from Yumi.

Of course she would be fashionably late. Setting her phone aside, she tucked her hand to the underside of her arms, ignoring the dull buzzing in the back of her mind. A gentle chiming as a mechanical voice called from the overhead announcement drowned out by a rush of static muffling noise in her ears. No amount of pinching her earlobe or subtly shaking her head seemed to clear the passages. Her eyes squeezing shut as she pressed her back almost painfully against the wall.

“What’s going on with me today…?” She griped, chiding herself. Heel pressed to the bridge of her nose, her lips moved of their own accord once and then twice. Soundless words as she tried to will the pain away as it slowly consumed her in a hollow vacuum rendering her senses dulled. It was almost impossible to hear. The static overwhelming her ears, and when she tried to open her eyes, her vision was somewhat blurry.

Tears? Why was she crying?

No, she didn’t feel sad. So what was it…?

Pressing her fingers to her jaw only brought a numb sensation, as if she were wearing mittens and trying to press her fingers to her skin. A fuzzy feeling trickling from her fingers upward and she shifted from one foot to the other, closing her eyes tightly.

“You’re still singing that nursery rhyme?”

Her eyes shot open and with a side-long glance, she jumped. Yumi tipped her head to one side and raised a brow then raised her hands defensively. “Calm down, it’s just me…” Her slight smile turned mawkish, fingers curled to her palm while her index finger pointed at [ ]. “Told you that you’ve been jumpier lately. You didn’t even notice me coming, huh?”

[ ] snorts, glancing away as Yumi chortles and slipped her arm in the crook of [ ]’s own. “I just felt like I was on the verge of something.”

“Like what?” Yumi asked, her cold-nipped fingertips brushing along [ ]’s elbow in soothing circles. She waits, cheek resting against [ ]’s shoulder and eyes shuttered, a smile on her face when their eyes met.

It crosses [ ]’s mind to tell Yumi everything. From meeting Minamino to the odd nature of her dreams, but her tongue is heavier than lead and the subway rolls into the station. Doors sliding open after a pause and few people piling into the cars. “It’s nothing.”

Yumi’s smile falls and a bead of guilt clacks against others in [ ]’s chest. Though just as quickly as she seemed put out, her smile returned, practically dragging [ ] into the subway car. “Well, look what I brought…” Her voices trails off as she scours the seats and [ ] watches in amusement when her tongue pokes from the corner of her lips. Eyebrows raised and eyes alight when she seems to find one satisfying enough, quickly breezing them over with a few strides and yanking [ ] down to sit with a heavy grunt.

“Yumi, what are you d—”

“Jajan!” Yumi interjected loudly, disturbing a dozing man across from them who grimaced and narrowed his eyes much to Yumi’s ignorance. Her attention stolen by the device in her hand, a Switch with limited edition Pikachu Joy-cons. [ ] could almost feel the blistering heat from that summer where they stood out waiting for them for hours on end. “Now we can play together, and you better not cheat, because I know you.”

“Well if you know me so well, you’d know that I don’t have to cheat.” [ ] said with a roll of her eyes as set her backpack in her lap, fishing around inside of it for her own Switch.

Her eyes narrowed when her fingers brushed against something cool and wet. There wasn’t anything liquid inside of her bag, she’d made sure when she brought her Switch. Pulling her bag down to lie flat in her lap, she lifted up the top of it and peered inside. The bottom of her bag was unable to be seen past a dark wriggling mass, the sunlight not even shining off its surface. She glanced aside at Yumi, humming while she tapped across the screen of her Switch, then down to her bag.

Right, Yōsei-san?

The static-y feeling. Numbness spreading from her fingertips to her knuckles as she brushed the surface of the writhing mass. Her fingers were wet as she pulled them away, ripples traveling along the dark surface and as she reached again, the mass surged up and engulfed her fingers with a violent tug. She inhaled sharply as a loud chime rocked her from her thoughts, her bag spilling onto the floor with a shove.

“What was that…?!” She said in a hushed yell as Yumi frantically tapped at her volume button, nearby passengers giving half-hearted glares or exhausted sighs.

Yumi smiled at her sheepishly, brown eyes crinkled at the corners with apology. “Me winning?” She raised a brow, glancing down at [ ]’s bag. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Panic tremored through [ ]’s chest as she reached down to scoop up the bag, holding it to her stomach and peering inside. The metallic case of her switch catching sunlight and her eyes narrowed, reaching inside to pull it out.

“Are you sure you’re okay to be going out?” Yumi asked as she settled it in her lap, putting her bag between her feet. “We could always head back to your brother’s —”

“No, no,” [ ] said, raising a hand with a small smile. “It’s just… the glare. I thought I saw something in the reflection.”

“Hm.” Yumi pursed her lips, seeming unconvinced but [ ] ignored it ,setting her case in her lap and brushing her fingers over the zipper.

Worry knotting in her stomach when she squeezed it, water trickling into the palm of her hand.

幽☆遊☆白書

If there was another factor to being Yumi’s friend that was infinitely appreciated, it was her ability to distract. Yumi stuck close to [ ]’s side, arm looped in her own as they talked over the roaring engines of passing cars and quietly muttered to one another in neighborhoods. Stopping by gates to wave to dogs and trying to coax cats from their perches atop low brick walls. Roads wound each other into mazes and [ ] was happy to put aside thoughts of watery depths and fairies to wander with Yumi.

Quick taps on cellphones and questions of where they were, stopping to ask locals who either pointed them to where they needed to be or turned them around entirely. It was hard to be dignified with Yumi’s groaning and posturing, rubbing at her stomach while complaining of insatiable hunger but [ ] did her best. Passing through a street filled on either side with shops, [ ] stopped once or twice when something flickered in the corner of her eye.

A shadow that was there then not. Writhing snakes in someone’s hair that when looked at again was only a nest of curls. Even slitted pupils in a hooded-eye vendor set upon a sheet near the mouth of an alleyway, their head bent crooked but when glanced at again was only hung as if sleeping.

Yumi pulled [ ] away time and time again but [ ] glanced back, feeling the strange prickling and warmth at the back of her neck. A mere fifteen minutes’ walk led them to the residential neighborhood right outside of the Kaidan Shopping Center and to the doors of a two-storied building. Gleaming whitewashed walls with several spacious windows at the upper floor where a white and red sign set, the characters written in a large script. Red-tiles adorned both the lower story’s roof and the upper, along with the awnings shading from the blistering sun. From a side-street view, [ ] could make out a balcony but the sliding door was closed and curtains drawn. The front doors, blue with a turquoise strip across were ajar, and she could hear sizzling and chattering from inside.

“It’s huge,” she muttered, taking a step forward to ease the burning at the back of her neck.

“Right?” Yumi said, a curious hum buzzing up from her throat as she joined her, finally releasing her arm for the umpteenth time. “I’ve heard it’s very cozy on the inside though.”

Fearlessly, she slid the wide blue door to one side and a gentle chime was all the prelude given before a cheerful voice called out, “Welcome!”

[ ] bent her head in a curt bow and followed after Yumi, shouldering her bag. She sighed, raising an eyebrow at the bounce in Yumi’s step as she went to the counter almost immediately.

“Hi-hi!” Yumi announced, setting her elbows on the bar and her chin rested in them, a challenging gleam in her eyes. “I heard this is the place to have the best ramen in all of Sarayashiki, is it true?”

[ ]’s  mouth fell open and it took everything to suppress a sigh. “Yumi, you don’t ask someone that,” she complained, hiding a frown at how the man behind the counter looks back at her questioningly.

Then almost as if a fire was lit beneath him, the man grinned. His slicked back hair tousled messily beneath his cap, a scruffy beard that wasn’t quite grown doing little to hide his boyish smile alight with the same glow from hazel-brown eyes. The challenging look in his eyes almost matched the one in Yumi’s and [ ] sighed.

“Don’t worry about it, if she’s curious then I’ll answer the question myself,” he said haughtily, knocking his fist against his chest. Well-defined muscles unable to be hidden beneath the apron flexed as he met Yumi halfway, resting his hands on the bar between them. “Where’s the last place you ate at?”

“Rikimaru’s in Yurei.”

He gasped, seeming scandalized just by hearing the name. “What? That place is just noodles and mop water!” He made a noise in the back of his throat before waving a hand dismissively, turning back to the still simmering pots. A quick flourish of noodles and a practiced hand, almost too quick for [ ] to make out was all she saw before a steaming bowl was set in front of Yumi. “Here, try this.”

“Yuusuke!”

A woman with a rounded protruding belly emerged from behind the blue and white noren hanging off in the doorway of a room aside the kitchens, glaring at the grinning man as he murmured apologies and explanations. She flicked her gaze, wide brown eyes finding [ ]’s own with an apologetic smile softening her features. With a practiced look of indignation toward the man — Yuusuke — she sighed witheringly and slowly walked to the bar where Yumi was gleefully tearing into her bowl of noodles much to Yuusuke’s delight.

“I’m sorry…” the woman sighed, inching over to an unoccupied part of the bar where [ ] followed with only a sidelong glance at Yumi, prompting a sigh in response.

“It’s alright, Yumi has a habit of bringing out someone’s competitive side.”

And competitive he was. Yuusuke was waiting patiently as he continued to prepare likely for the coming lunch rush but he snuck glances back at Yumi who nodded or gave him thumbs up. There were few things Yumi took more seriously than food and to have her approval was no small feat.

“No, I think that’s just him,” the woman mumbled, shaking her head, her chin-length brown hair brushing against her chin with each sway. She set one hand atop the swell of her stomach while the other was offered to [ ]. “Urameshi Keiko, it’s nice to meet you.”

“[ ], likewise,” [ ] said, gripping her hand almost delicately with a wary downturned glance at her stomach. Keiko seemed to have noticed and gave a deep bellyful laugh, her cheeks pinking.

“Don’t worry about this one,” Keiko giggles, showing an unearthly glow that [ ] was certain only belonged to that of a goddess, though something told her Keiko was very much human. Drawing her hand away, she rubbed her stomach soothingly. “She’s a lot stronger than you’d think. Though I’d expect no less looking at who her dad is.”

Affectionately, Keiko’s gaze flitted toward Yuusuke who was now talking to Yumi in earnest. The bowl of noodles emptied and refilled with another helping to which Yumi was too eager to take to. [ ] smiled. If Keiko had the aura of a goddess, then Yuusuke was nothing short of a fighter. His hands sported cuts and bruises, healed but still noticeable enough to give her pause, thick calluses on his palms.

His clothes, while likely comfortable, doing little to hide his physique and she could have almost imagined him fighting in a mixed martial arts tournament with how quickly he moved and reacted. From Yumi almost knocking over her sauce to refilling bowls, he was quick and efficient, if not a little entertaining to watch.

“I may be wrong but didn’t this place belong to the Yukimura’s,” [ ] asked, looking back to Keiko curiously.

“Mm. I’m their daughter,” Keiko tore her gaze away from Yuusuke slowly and offered a smile, jutting a thumb at him. “Yuusuke inherited the business with me after we married.”

She inched to one side and pointed up toward a picture on one of the walls. A beautiful photograph of the two of them, almost young enough to be teenagers. Yuusuke dressed in formal clothing aside Keiko, outside of what appeared to be a temple. They seemed to be in the middle of speaking or laughing about something. The photographer capturing a moment when both of them were closed-eyed and smiling, arms wrapped around each other and picturesque.

[ ]’s eyes softened and she glanced toward Keiko, finding an appeal in the fondness in her stare. “You make a lovely couple.”

“Yeah - who would have thought a punk would be a good husband, huh?” She said with a small dry smirk, and [ ] choked when a feigned horrified gasp came from the other side of the bar.

“I heard that Keiko!” Yuusuke shouted, marching over and swinging his arm around Keiko’s trembling shoulders, their laughter joined by Yumi snorting with mirth. Yuusuke shifts his hold on Keiko slightly, looking up to [ ] curiously but with no less warmth. “By the way, did you want anything?”

[ ] pursed her lips, thumbing the strap of her bag. “Udon, extra scallions, if you don’t mind.”

“You eat that over at Rikimaru’s too?” Yuusuke groused, Keiko elbowing him lightly in the side and the two sharing a familiar grin before Yuusuke left her side. “Whatever, comin’ right up!”

[ ] set her bag beside the bar stool, climbing up and resting her arms on the counter, hands folded. “Is he in a feud with Rikimaru or something?” She asked, watching as Keiko wiped off the counter with a cloth all while supporting a hand against the swell of her stomach.

Keiko chuckled. “Oh no, nothing like that.” She smiled mischievously, a glint in her eyes similar to the one [ ] glimpsed in Yuusuke’s. “It’s a bit of an inside joke between him and a few of our friends. After we had dinner there, I was sick the next morning but I’d already been suspecting it for awhile. Yuusuke was so worried and rallied the guys,” she nodded her head toward another photograph. “While they were off talking about how to avenge me, I took a test and told him when he came back that afternoon.”

[ ] glanced up at the photograph, eyebrows raised. In it, there were several people all crammed together likely because the lens wouldn’t fit them all spaced out. She could pick out Yuusuke and Keiko well, but there were others that she didn’t know at all. Including one with dark hair and brown eyes wearing a vibrant pink kimono.

Memories of the night before, driving Yumi home, a blur across the sky.

“And between us,” Keiko continued, lurching [ ] out of her dawning thoughts, a not-quite-whisper as she leant against the counter as much as her stomach would allow. “He can be a bit of a snob about food sometimes.”

“He takes pride in what he does,” [ ] replied weakly. Barely having a chance to glean the photograph once more when a piping bowl of noodles were slid in front of her. Yuusuke rapping his knuckles against the counter and shooting his wife a fond glare.

“And he can hear you.”

Keiko chuckled, smacking a kiss to his cheek then scooping up the cloth.

“Seems you both have good fortune,” Yumi said and [ ] nodded.

Yuusuke snickers, his smile turning mawkish. “Could call it fox luck.”

“Yuusuke,” Keiko scolds gently. Her voice drowned out by the chime of the door. “We— Oh, Botan.”

[ ] turned her gaze to the door and froze. Almost like she’d stepped out the picture, the woman she glimpsed stood there with arms stacked with cloth grocery bags and papers tucked neatly into files. Though instead of a pink kimono, she wore an admirably fashionable cream-colored long-sleeved shirt and jeans, black sneakers scuffing the welcoming mat as she stumbled through.

“Bing-bong!” She called over her burden, shifting it slightly, her blindingly bright smile visible.

“Oi, Botan!” Yuusuke called, rounding the counter and alleviating part of her burden by scooping up the files. A light flick to her forehead earning him a mewled cry and swatting at his hands much like one would do to an unruly child. “You’re late,” he said, taking a few of the grocery bags as well.

“Sorry, sorry, I was held up…” Botan sticks her tongue out at his bag while Keiko giggles. “Besides, you both seemed to handled well without m-” Her voice trailed off, gaze flitting across the room then meeting with [ ]’s own. It was a quick pause. Nothing longer than a few seconds but there’s an odd flicker before she bows her head. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know anyone else would be here. I must’ve really been late…”

“That’s what I told you,” Yuusuke muttered, his severe scowl bending into a smile when Botan stuck her tongue out at him again. “We already opened up for the day, this is [ ]-san and Fujimoto-san.”

“Nice to meet you,” Botan said as she raised her head then hissed at Yuusuke. “You could have warned me before I made a bad impression, Yuusuke. What sort of friend…”

They dissolved into what [ ] could only think of as familiar bickering. Her gaze drifting to Yumi who returned it with a slight shrug, seeming amused by the pair carrying on. Keiko went around them and continued with prepping, only pausing when Yuusuke came to relieve her citing that she should be taking it easy. Keiko obliged to take it easy when she wasn’t pregnant anymore to which Botan giggled with a cat-like smile, and [ ] smiled. They seemed close and it was a likelihood that what she saw was simply a trick of the light. Nothing more.

She had been tired while driving and her eyes were playing tricks on her more often than not. Though there was this odd feeling she couldn’t quite shake.

Upon finishing their meal, [ ] bowed her head to Keiko and Yuusuke while Yumi gave a jaunty wave. They promised to visit again and left promptly but [ ] spared a backward glance just as the door closed and she could have sworn she saw Botan’s eyes flicker pink and a wisp of bright blue in her hair.

幽☆遊☆白書

“That was so good!” Yumi cried, hands thrown up and tote slipping down her shoulder as she spun in a circle, walking backward in front of [ ]. “Did you know, he gave me the first few on the house!”

“Really?” [ ] said dryly, bemused with Yumi’s twirling and belly-patting as they walked the gravel roads of a nearby park. Insistence that a good meal had to be digested properly while on the move led them here with no shortage of oddities on the way. Glimpses of strange things writhing in trees, vague outlines drifting across the skies, weaving through buildings or lingering in the crooks of fences and gutters. After some time, [ ] decided to ignore them. “You’re lucky, Yumi.”

A hum buzzed up from Yumi’s throat as she tossed a smile over her shoulder, meeting [ ]’s half-exasperated glare. “Why do you go challenging someone like that…?”

Tutting softly, Yumi shook her head. “It’s called perfecting your craft,” she said, hopping over a gnarled root bisecting the trail ahead of her. Times like this, Yumi reminded her of a swift-footed rabbit. Too keen on not being caught and difficult to stay still.

“If you think of everything as a competition, you’ll only hurt yourself trying to meet standards,” [ ] sighs while Yumi laughs and spins around beneath the streaming sunlight, narrowly avoiding empty benches and nesting birds pecking around at the ground. “Just be honest, you wanted to see if you could have a free meal.”

Yumi hiked her shoulders and grinned. “Maybe,” with a few quick strides, she glued herself to [ ]’s side again and peeked up at her face. “One of your grandmother’s teachings?”

Confused for half a second, [ ] squinted then gaped. The words had come to her without thinking but now that she tasted them on her tongue, she realized they had come from another. “Something like that,” she mumbled, ignoring Yumi’s rummaging about in her own bag.

“Well, I saw something you might be curious about…”

Before she could ask, Yumi’s cellphone was shoved into her face, almost making her go cross-eyed with the closeness. “Baban!”

A light nudge to Yumi’s palm pushed it back and [ ] frowned. She could make out the familiar walls of the shop along with a slight clip of Yuusuke’s finger in the corner of the frame.

“You took a picture of one of their pictures,” [ ] mumbled, almost chiding in her tone, cutting a disapproving glance toward Yumi.

“Just to see something,” Yumi acquiesced, zooming in on the picture with a few quick strokes. “And I did ask him for permission when I explained.”

“Explained what?”

“Just look!”

Yumi tapped the screen with her nail. “Doesn’t he look familiar?”

Peering closer to the picture, [ ]’s brow raised. It did seem to be an older one based on everyone in the frame but the combination of red hair and green eyes was unmistakable. Including the almost wild mane and the beige overcoat.

“Minamino-san…?”

“Mhm!” Yumi chirped, holding the phone a bit lower so they could both view it as they walked. “Turns out the three of them are friends, four if you’re counting her,” she tapped her finger over the dark hair and brown eyes of Botan. [ ] tried not to linger on her face for too long. With that flicker of pink and blue, something seemed off about seeing her like this.  Though the dark-haired man with deep brown eyes and a scowling countenance reminded her of someone. “I’ve seen him before.”

“Really?” Yumi asked, looking to the picture then up to [ ]. “Where, where?”

He didn’t seem to have aged much. His hair was a bit longer now and he wasn’t sporting the white bandana across his forehead, nor the drape of a dark cloak, but it was him. Where were they anyway? It seemed like an odd bunch especially with the boy in the back wearing a light blue school uniform.

“I...” [ ] felt the lie on her tongue and regretted it almost immediately. Shaking her head and pulling away, shrugging listlessly. “Don’t really remember.”

Yumi groaned and patted at her shoulder incessantly. “C’mon, you have to…” She whined, clinging to the strap of [ ]’s bag.

“Maybe I will after you help me finish up cleaning Souta’s place.”

“[ ]!”

幽☆遊☆白書

Kurama had dealt with an irate Yuusuke many times before. Their friendship, while forged from camaraderie and personal sacrifice, was not one without its upsets. And despite the detective’s hot-headedness at times, Kurama valued him deeply. Enough so that he didn’t mind the scathing glare when he stepped past the shop’s threshold and was met by a guilty-looking Botan, resigned Keiko, and fuming Yuusuke.

“You gonna wait til before or after lunch to tell me you had a little problem, fox boy?” Yuusuke asked dryly, his gaze flicking to Hiei who stepped in shortly after and breezed past without a word. The pair had mutual respect for one another but Hiei would never allowed himself to be cowed by anyone. Or interrogated for that matter.

Kurama sighed internally, allowing his polite smile to subside into one that was partially amused. Standing like that, Yuusuke looked every bit of the chiding father. He’d do well, Kurama was sure.

“After preferably,” he said, ignoring the glint of red in Yuusuke’s eyes. “I know how busy you can be during.”

Yuusuke scoffed, calling over his shoulder. “You in on this too, three-eyes?”

“You’re a dead man,” Hiei spat, his voice softening considerably as Keiko came over to take his order.

“Wanna bet?” Yuusuke grumbled, turning on his heel and Kurama sighed at the tell-tale signs of a fight.

“Now now!” Botan called, placing herself between the pair who’d taken to staring at one another with sparks flying between their locked gaze. “Yuusuke already called Kuwabara and he’ll be here in a half hour,” she peered past at Kurama with a sheepish smile. “Kurama, you’re the closest any of us has been to her. Any thoughts?”

Kurama waited until Yuusuke quelled his breathing likely with some help from Keiko if her hand atop her stomach and pointed pleading stare were any indication. Giving a curt nod and clearing his throat before he started. “It’s difficult to monitor dreams without being in close contact, so instead I petitioned for the help of a yōsei.”

“A fairy?” Yuusuke and Botan cried out at the same time, though the former continued in a bereaved tone. “Why would you put one of those in her head?”

“It’s a yōsei, Yuusuke,” Kurama held up his hand for silence. “They’re not as tricky as their Ningenkai counterparts…” He tapped his chin, thinking on it idly. “In fact, they’re quite loyal even for a life time.”

Yuusuke didn’t seem convinced but out of a lack of argument, he leant against the counter and huffed. “Alright, but why pull it out this time?”

“If this baku is trying to eat [ ]-san’s dreams, then it will attempt to make her depend on it once again.”

A weighty silence fell over the room as his words sank in. Mixtures of horrific fascination, concern, and realization leading to Keiko voicing what Kurama was certain everyone else might have been thinking.

“By giving her nightmares…”

Kurama nodded, dropping his gaze to the chair where he could feel [ ]’s presence the most. “The yōsei will be able to divert her psyche to a dreamless sleep. One where the Baku won’t be able to reach her.”

“You’re buying time…” Botan frowned, holding her hands close to her chest, her look nothing short of sympathetic.

“Yes.” Kurama slightly forces his smile, meeting Yuusuke’s gaze and finding the hardened stare both grounding and endearing. He was taking this quite seriously. “As focused on her as the baku may appear, I’m afraid she isn’t the only person in Sarayashiki with terrible dreams.”

“And if we don’t find it, she won’t be the only victim,” Yuusuke grimaced.

“Astute as ever, detective,” Hiei interjected for the first time since his and Yuusuke’s stand-off, a soft derisive huff parting his lips in a sneer. “Now where is my ramen?”