#ko and skip's fight was really fun to read too
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Week in Review
04/14/2024 â 04/20/2024
Sunday
Week 10 of missing Cipher Academy
Woah, another new character in Girl Meets RockâŠIâm a little trepidatious but letâs see how it goes⊠Always appreciate more Machiavellian Rin, though.
I didnât have a lot of time for manga today, but I read the new Unluck Undead chapter because I wanted to see the popularity poll results. Like a lot of fans, I was surprised to see Tatiana up so high, but Iâm soooo happy to see Feng at third. Then the chapter itself went and reminded me that oh yeah heâs kind of a complete asshole at times⊠But it seems like Nico giving him a talking to was enough to change his mindset a little. Iâm excited to see how this tag team shiritori match goes, especially with Feng already being able to target the pieces of Languageâs soul embedded in her creations. (Also how did he braid his hair so fastâŠI really wouldâve liked to just see ponytail Feng or hair down FengâŠ)
Monday
Oshi no Ko fine. Sometimes the insertion of comedy to soften dramatic blows gets a little grating.
Dandandan good, this mangakaâs creature designs are always some of my favorites, and this one is no exception. It seems like weâre going through the regular cycle of a kid being overtaken by supernatural powers before incorporating those powers into their own fighting style and joining the team, though, and Iâm really hoping this is the last. I donât know how much more I can take before Dandadan feels like itâs really just spinning its wheels.
Magilumiere fine. It appears weâve been flung into the endgame all of a sudden.
Chainsaw Man fine. We got some fun banter between Quanxi and the others, at least.
Watched through the rest of the Glow Up season and it was generally uneventful (I skipped the Metaverse episode because LMAOOOO fuck that dumb shit). The drag episode was my favourite, as it felt like they were having a lot of fun being self-referential and irreverent (bringing back the model from the infamous I Like To Watch video was an inspired choice). Rooâs look for Cheddar was really breathtaking, too. Other than that, Iâm just glad that the person I was rooting for won.
Finally continued my Undead Unluck reread and itâs so good⊠The best part about Loop 101 for me is how every arc feels like a completely different genre. Fuuko and Voidâs boxing match was so hype, Fuuko defeating Sean and his switchblade with ease was such a nice full circle moment, the Buroja War arc was fantastic in terms of character development across the board (gay of Billy to find Tella by the scent of his conditioner though), and the Phil arc was fun, but I mostly loved it for all the Sean/Gina moments it provided.
Tuesday
Agh
Wednesday
Aghhhhhh
Thursday
I canât believe I missed DunMesh Thursday but I was truly knocked out after rushing work once again. But I did have time to read the latest chapter of Yuria-sensei no Akai Ito â it seems like learning about her dadâs affair and coming to understand her sisterâs perspective is whatâs going to push Yuria to chase her own wants, which I think she rightfully deserves at this point.
Friday
Iâm not gonna lie I got some insanely bad news today so Iâve just been lying in bed depressed out of my mind
Saturday
Undead Unluck reread made me feel betterâŠespecially since the Tenraisai arc is so fun and funny. The exploration of the familial bond between Feng and Shen is so cute and touchingâŠand that being the crux to Shen winning their bout was absolutely perfect. One thought I did have while rereading was realizing howâŠFeng has kind of overtaken Shen as my favourite character⊠101 Shen just doesnât have the tragedy-tinged unhinged energy of 100 Shen that I loved so much, and meanwhile Feng has just grown more and more likeable while still being a battle freak⊠And heâs even funnier in the subsequent high school arc, which was super wholesome and fun as a whole. (But wow, Chikaraâs parents deciding to time travel with Chikara at the end kind of fucked me up, because for all their relatives know, they just disappeared for 16 yearsâŠ). I decided to stop reading here since Iâm pretty much caught up, and Iâve just fallen more in love with Undead Unluck now that I can actually remember more than 50% of the plot. At this point I might raise its score from a 9 to a 10 (I had docked it points for being so heterosexual and having so many fridged relatives, but now Iâm just enamoured by the storyâs heart and compassion), but Iâll save that thought for when the series ends.
DunMesh SaturdayâŠwith a side of spicy ramen and cheese rice cakes to soothe my depressed soulâŠit was a fun episodeâŠseeing the groups collide and the new social dynamics forming was funâŠthe first next episode should be fun tooâŠ
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2023 Anime Round-Up
Favourite Plot Anime
Favourite Comedy Anime
Best Adaptation of a Manga I've Already Read
Very lop-sided seasons this year đ
Winter 2023 - 1
Spring 2023 - 10
Summer 2023 - 2
Autumn 2023 - 8
TOTAL: 20
In order of ranking - air date - alphabetical
Gold - AKA Excellent
Play It Cool, Guys - The comedic timing on this was excellent. And 10 minute run times! More series need to be shorter given the type of short chapter manga they are based on...
Hell's Paradise - Hotly anticipated by me since I read the first chapter of the manga and thought it was gonna totally be my kinda show. Beautifully animated as expected from MAPPA.
My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 - Kinda surprised I liked this given I'm not really into romance, but I suppose I do really like series that focus on online relationships.
Dr Stone New World (Part 1 & 2) - I've read the manga and this is a good adaptation
Oshi no Ko - I'm reading the manga and this is a good adaptation
Undead Girl Murder Farce - I wasn't sure what this was gonna be like but it was very fun! The chemistry between the two main leads was great and the mysteries were interesting.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End - I was interested to see if it was worth buying the manga and the answer is yes.
Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions (Season 1) - I'm reading the manga and I was not expecting Isshiki or Ron to sound as they do.
The Apothecary Diaries (Part 1) - I'm reading the manga and Mao Mao also doesn't sound like I expected. Looking forward more to Part 2 since it will cover story I haven't read yet.
Silver - AKA Good
Mashle: Magic and Muscles - This adaptation did what it could with its source material đ Mashle the manga has some pretty high comedic notes but the rest is pretty average
Jujutsu Kaisen (Season 2) - I didn't really like the Shibuya Arc much and some of the fights seemed really drawn out, even the animation couldn't really elevate it for me
16bit Sensation: Another Layer - Goddamn shut-up Konoha. Shrillness aside, this was a fun while also stupid show, although I would have liked to have learnt more about how games were made in the 90s.
Spy Ă Family (Season 2) - A lot of filler this time round? Disappointing.
Bronze - AKA Okay
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Swordsmith Village Arc) - I am a bit tired of how this one feels drawn out. I feel like it could be more concise.
Dead Mount Death Play (Part 1) - The animation is mediocre but the story throws enough plot hooks to make me wonder what is going on.
The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons - I feel like I would enjoy this in manga format more. Felt like melodramatic padding to fill the 24 minute timeslot.
Nuh
Skip and Loafer - I would have liked this more if it focused on the unlikely friendship between the girls.
KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! - didn't make it to 3 episodes
The Marginal Service - such a stellar voice cast but the first episode looked like trash
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead - it's meant to be a comedy but I found it too depressing (the work stuff not the zombie stuff)
Migi & Dali - the first episode was weird, would have watched more to see what the hell was going on but the season was too stacked with other shows to watch
Dead Mount Death Play (Part 2) - was deprioritised against other shows. Next season is looking pretty slim so will probably be able to catch up on this one.
Attack on Titan: The Final Season Parts 3 & 4 - I wasn't a huge fan of the series to begin with so I don't think any ending would have satisfied me.
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Pre and Post-Second Session Secrets
fic by cartoons-tothemoon!
fic commission info inside!
Private, in all his years, was always regarded as oblivious, dense, benign.
He knew this, and most of the time, he didnât even mind such a thing. Was it really so hard to believe that a cutie pie like him that liked knitting and baking was also capable of feats of incredible violence?
Of course, the answer was always âyes.â Because of course it was.
However, Private had found himself a different role to settle himself into in his most recent years. Or rather, a secret trait, that he treasured along with his more open and obvious personality traits, like kindness and empathy.
And that trait was quite simply, being perceptive.
It was undeniable that Private wasnât always aware of his surroundings, but he was aware of people.
He could tell when Skipper was getting a little too paranoid for his own good or when Rico missed Julien especially bad on hour-long missions, or when Kowalski was about to have a sensory-related meltdown.
It was why he was the one who always paid rent.
People liked Private, and Private liked quite a lot of them. Even the ones he didnât like, he seemed to have an understanding of.
They thought they understood him, and he found that he understood them quite well.
âââ
He couldnât understand this quite well, however.
Skipper was aâŠcharacter. Letâs just say that. Ignoring his haircut and his arms and his sharp eyes that always had a certain spark to them and-
Ignoring all that, Skipper was the type to let things slip under the radar. Sure, itâs not like  Kowalski WANTED people to know how his last relationship went, and Ricoâs cavalcade of issues was always on full display even if they created a sort of smoke-screen for other things, but with SkipperâŠhis issues only came up when they physically pervaded their lives. Dr. Blowhole or Hans, for example, it wouldâve been nice to know that Skipper had particular targets on his back, but, that was spy stuff lost to the days. Of course he didnât talk about it.
He was now referring more so to things like his extreme fear of needles, or that one time when it came up that he could tie a cherry stem with his tongue. Just last week was the first time Private had even heard a thing about Skipperâs apparently strained relationship with his family. Heâd kind of assumed he didnât have a family at that point, as sad as that sounded to say.
Weird insecurities, secrets, skills, and even just his past in general were things he never mentioned because it ânever came up,â but itâs not like Private hadnât asked him about a few of those things before. Skipper just happened to always dismiss him, there was always a reason for him not to contend with the questions in mind, be it they were already busy with whatever crisis the day had in store for them or whatever other excuse Skipper could make up at the moment.
So, Skipper was a private person. There certainly wasnât anything wrong with that. Itâs quite ironic that he himself wasnât MORE private, in fact.
And sure, it occasionally lead to a whole incident, or two, orâŠfive, but itâs not like they could really say something about it anyhow. It wasnât that they werenât allowed to call him out for certain things, they certainly were, but if they began asking him to be openâŠwell, wouldnât they have to be more open too? To point the blade one way and not expect it to pierce you as well was a foolhardy argument to make. And besides, what would they even be asking him? âBe more open and honest about your secrets and feelings?â Not only is that vague as hell, itâs justâŠ
Itâs a lot to ask of someone.
Private seemed open in a way that made people comfortable with him, but was he really open at all? Sure, he had no problem discussing things like his interests or some elements of his past with others, but now that he had to think about it, it kind of obfuscated the truth.
After all, being so open about living with Uncle Nigel most of his life made people forget that he couldâve been doing other things with his life as well.
Not that the Armadillo Kid forgot, anyhow.
So, maybe secrets were fine after all. Maybe Skipper didnât even realize he was keeping secrets until they came up. After all, the needle thing only came up during a physical with the teamâs doctor, the cherry stem thing only came up while they were getting ice cream, and his strained relationship with his family only came to light because he received a letter from them that he tore up before reading when he was helping Private sort through his mail pile.
To make something out of it when he has no reason to would just be silly, and to put this extra level of scrutiny on Skipper, or anybody for that matter would no doubt weaken their trust in him, and that was the last thing heâd want.
Being cute and loving and trustworthy wasnât something Private saw as a skill he had to hone, it was just how he was, but that didnât mean it didnât take work. Love and trust were labors all their own, and just because they werenât the same thing as being able to construct ray guns or have inexplicable amounts of dynamite in his hoodieâs pocket didnât mean it wasnât worth something, to somebody like him.
After all, no matter if the team possessed enough dynamite to destroy the Eastern seaboard or conquer Mars, theyâd always need somebody to pay rent.
And although there were times when Private wanted to press, wanted to question, wanted to scream from the rooftops how much he wanted to understand with all his heart, he relented. He relaxed. Sure, he took note of such incidents, but that wasnât being nosy. That was just his job.
So, Private, in all his patience, let things be. Sometimes secret were secrets for a reason, and prying open a treasure chest with a crowbar was never going to be an easy task, especially if he could later count on the key to wash up on the shore. Why pry now?
And that was his mentality for quite a long time.
Until a crowbar washed up on the shore.
âââ
In retrospect, it felt like it was a few dayâs coming. Skipper seemed to be slipping from his usual emotional state of âfine, but tiredâ to âfine, but tired AND jumpy,â which doesnât seem like that much of a difference until a tap on the shoulder gets you pressed against the fridge in the exact position it would take to dislocate your entire upper body.
He just wanted a glass of water.
Of course, Skipper apologized a thousand times over, but Private just brushed this off as Skipper having a bad bout of insomnia, and so, Private just dropped him off at his room for a nap, circadian rhythm be damned.
It didnât seem like insomnia. Sure, itâs not like Private knew Skipperâs sleep schedule enough to say that it WASNâT insomnia, butâŠ
He could just tell that something else was bothering him. He couldnât tell why, maybe it was the way he only acted out like this when being touched or when he knew other people were around, maybe it was the eyebags that felt less sallow and deep than he knew theyâd be after a practically sleepless week, or maybe it just felt like he had something to hide.
If he was trying to hide something, it would seem like he had nothing to hide in the first place. Skipper was a master of the double bluff, the triple bluff, and so on and so forth. Skipper practically waltzed around the truth on the best of days.
However, this clearly wasnât the best of days. Skipper was obviously, clearly, undeniably hiding something, and was making no effort to even hide those efforts. Sure, a double bluff was a double bluff, but that only meant that this was either a remarkable version of such a psychology, or an absolutely terrible version of what it really was.
You could never really tell with a guy like Skipper.
Of course, given that his ice pack still didnât seem to dull the pain of nearly having his arm removed from his socket, and how spooked Skipper seemed to be about the whole thing, there was a little bit of certainty that this wasnât just an act. Whether because he did it in the first place, or apologized for it, he couldnât say for certain.
(Sleeplessness, erratic movement, paranoia, irritationâŠwere his hands trembling?)
At this point, Private wasnât really certain WHAT to do, confronting him on it was certain to escalate things, but if he didnât do SOMETHING about it, Skipper might actually kill somebody. Itâs not like Skipper would approach him about any emotional vulnerabilities or problems he was facing. He didnât talk to anyone about them. Not by choice, anyhow.
He had to do this. He had to figure something out, and it most certainly had to be him.
Private hated to boil this down in such a way, but getting people to open up to him, especially when they didnât want to, was a lot like operating one of those coin-operated claw machines. Some of those games were easier than others, and a lot more may take it for granted that you would try again, but it was basically the same idea.
To win the game, you had to look at all the angles, you had to time your moves just right in accordance to the game, and, of course, you had to have a delicate touch. That was how you won your prize, be it an adorable stuffed toy, or insight into one of your dearest friendâs issues.
You couldnât shake the machine, or break it. Because then youâre not playing the game.
You canât analyze the game simply as a mechanical device, and expect to win either, because thereâs nothing wrong with how the mechanisms actually operate, just how the machine takes them.
It has to be him. Heâs the one with the gentle hand. Heâs the one who can see all the angles, and, yes, he knows when he needs to apply the force necessary to not just play the game, but to win. The people around him need him to play to win.
And in many ways, theyâre lucky.
Privateâs great at those games. Where else would he get all of his stuffed animals, after all?
âââ
It felt like Skipper had settled down at dinner. Sure, he tapped his silverware softly when his fingers seemed to lose the rhythm he took while fidgeting, but he seemed more tired than anything else. Tired and sad.
Which, on one hand, was not great. The last thing Private wanted was for his friends to be sad, but it also meant that he was open.
He was stuck.
Trapped by societal convention. He couldnât leave the table until he ate all of his food, and because Kowalski prepared it tonight, the consequences for leaving would not only be an empty stomach, but a hyper self-conscious scientist in the coming days, a price rather damning considering the combination of how sad heâd get and how much yellow-cake uranium he had access to.
So, now was the perfect time for an intervention.
âHey, Skipper, howâs it going?â Perfect opener. Bland and unoriginal, a little suspicious considering the lack of conversation currently going on, but, nonetheless, it was the only entrance he really could take.
Of course, thereâs already so much weight to be taken from âhowâs it going?â But a person whoâs doing fine in the world wonât think about that. Theyâll just be fine. And theyâll say theyâre fine.
âOh, uh. Fine.â Skipper said, not exactly startled, but not exactly there, either.
âDo anything interesting today?â
âI already apologized for that.â
âI meant other things. Interesting things.â
Now, this did not look to be a compelling conversation, mostly because it wasnât. Skipper wasnât even really answering the questions, using half measures to make sure he never had to lift his eyes from the part of the table he had locked his gaze on, and seemed determined to not look up from until he could leave, a classic tactic to be sure.
âSkipper, are youâŠal..right?â Kowalski asked, hesitantly. âIâm not talking just now, Iâm talking in general. Youâve been acting really strange, lately.â
Although Private could handle these things on his own, the fact of the matter is, you donât turn down good help. Kowalski was good help. Sure, his plan may have to be reformatted, but heâd play it by ear, like he always did.
âHas something happened? Your erratic behavior began almost three weeks ago, and itâs continued since then, with seemingly no cause behind it.â
âIâve been handling it.â
âOh yeah, sure. Thatâs been going real great.â
That got Skipper to lift an eyebrow in his direction, but his eyes remained cast down as he primarily focused on eating. He was almost done, and although Private hadnât been able to dig a lot on his own, heâd take what he could get.
âSir, you assaulted a member of team, with no justifiable reason behind it.â Skipper flinched at that, but kept his head down. His guilt was already well-known, so it felt more like picking at flesh wounds at that point. âThat is the behavior of somebody not just unstable, but somebody unfit to lead.â
PrivateâŠhadnât expected that. This seemed to be spiraling out of control far too quickly. This is definitely not how he plays the game.
âKowalski-â
âCan it. Skipper, if you canât get yourself together and be the leader youâre supposed to be, then I suppose weâre just going to have to find a new leader.â
Private was shocked. Horrified, even. Skipper had lifted his head at this point to glare at Kowalski in twain.
âYou seem to forget I have the number to HQ, too. Acquiring yellow cake uranium in New York City is, uh, shockingly difficult, in case you were wondering.â
Private knew Kowalski was bluffing. The team needed Skipper, just as much as Skipper needed the team. Even if he was going on some more secret missions than usual, he always came back to the roost, not to mention that HQ wasnât really fond of them in the first place. They were stuck with what they had, and what they had was each other. Kowalski was never going to call, and Private knew this. And if Private knew, then Skipper did too.
Not like it didnât make it hurt any less.
Maybe it made it hurt worse.
Skipper stood up.
âThen HQ better be on my doorstep by morning with a new assignment waiting for me.â Skipper sneered, and walked away from the table to put away his plate.
âOh, and Iâm sure your new team will just, fall at your feet, thatâs what youâre looking for, right? For people to be quiet and not question your judgement?â
âAnd Iâm sure your new leader will be just fine with whatever Geneva Convention violating monsters youâre storing in the break fridge. Because thatâs what you want, right? A leader thatâll hold you accountable?â
âIâm not even mad about that anymore!â
âI f-feel like Iâm w-watching mom and d-dad go through a, through a divorce.â Rico whispered to Private as they watched the scene play out. Private, however, could only watch. He felt like he was learning more and more with each passing venomous jab that they passed back and forth.
Kowalski was clearly mad that Skipper hasnât been taking the suggestions heâs been giving on how to get back in âtip-top shape,â as Private would say, and whether he was just trying to get Skipper to take better care of himself, or if he was just trying to figure out what caused him to be in such a state, and his methods hadnât been working. Obviously. Skipper seemed like he was too tired to continue, but only continued to do so out of either pride, or just because it was something expected of him.
âFor the last time, I am HANDLING it.â
âOh, really? Is that what youâre doing?â
Skipper glared, but he seemed more disgusted than anything else.
âFor the record, yes, I am actually DOING something, but, think what you want, Iâm going to bed.â He said, leaving the kitchen. Private could tell that there was clearly more that he wanted to say, but without the place to be open about it, he wasnât going to be.
There also clearly seemed to be more that Kowalski wanted to say, but where Skipper went hot, Kowalski went cool. Explosions always got more attention because they were bright and flashy and dynamic, but Kowalski looked ready to launch a new ice age, and a new ice age would bring with it cold, lingering death.
Still, in all of this, there was still a question to be had.
âYouâre notâŠreally going to call HQ, are you?â
Kowalski crossed his arms and leaned against the counter with a sigh.
âNo.â
Private smiled, not especially brightly, but, gratefully. It was a resigned response, sure, Â one that if Kowalski had more energy would be followed up with a tirade, but, still, it meant the world to Private.
It wasnât his greatest fear, that would be badgers, heights, leopard seals, and whatever was living in the trash can, but Private couldnât deny that he possessed some sort of anxiety surrounding the idea that this little family of his would fall apart, and eventually, theyâd be nothing more than strangers. Maybe because it was something soâŠtrue. The fact of the matter was, that this was a job. They went from never knowing each other to what they were now, after all, but if Skipper or Kowalski or Rico got a better deal, whoâs to say that they wouldnât take it? And if they didnât get a better job, then wouldnât this job just have to end at one point?
This worried him, as a passive anxiety that he never thought heâd have to consider, the same way that âwhat if space squids came to Earth and decided to steal Kowalskiâs technology, and then conquer the planet?â or âwhat if I have to be the one to make a doctorâs appointment?â was a passive anxiety. The chances of these events happening were slim to nill, sure, but it could still happen.
Still, there was something to be asked.
âWhat do you think Skipper meant by âactually doing something?â
Rico shrugged, âp-probably hitting the b-bottle.â
âMmm. Not likely.â Kowalski replied. âSkipper isnât the type to be incapacitated by choice, unless under specific circumstances.â
âG-girlfriend? He did say doing some-â Rico looked at Private when he said it, who did his best to look neutral, if not a little bored.
Kowalski grabbed Rico by his skull, and shook it around. A weird counter-measure to the traditional head slap, considering they were beginning to wonder if that was doing more harm than good. âNo, no. Remember Kitka? He was a lovey-dovey mess over her for a week! Thereâs no way we wouldnât know if he was dating someone.â
âB-Boyfriend?â
âNight terrors?â
âN-New nemesis?â
âNew medication?â
Kowalski sighed. âWhoâs to say? Whatever Skipperâs newest problem is, or what happened, we can only do so much if heâs so insistent on not telling us.â
Private was about to pipe up. âAnd only saying that heâs âtaking care of itâ is negligible at the best of times. Until Skipperâs knocking down my door for some super-charged xannies, I think the best thing I can do is stay out of it, and I recommend you two do the same.â Kowalski then left the kitchen. And then there were two.
It had been a very stressful evening.
Private looked at Rico. Rico looked at Private.
âJ-Julienâs telling me w-we b-bought too much ice-cream l-lately.â Rico sighed, feigning some sort of casual gesture. âW-winky flavored and e-everything. Itâd, well, itâd b-be a shame t-to go t-to waste.â
Private smiled at that.
âIâll go grab some spoons.â
âââ
Ice cream with Rico and Julien and his gang obviously wasnât going to solve things, but there was something fun about eating too much ice cream and watching Clueless in Julienâs room that seemed to make Private far, far less stressed than he was when he entered.
For all his crude jokes and lewd gestures, Rico could be a really good friend. He hid it pretty well, but he seemed to be remarkably perceptive.
It was just a good thing to remember.
And although Private couldâve spent all night watching cheesy 90s movies and braiding Julienâs hair, it was already half past midnight, and he was supposed to be up bright and early as always.
âŠOf course, given Skipperâs state as of late, what had once been an 8 AM wake-up had slipped into 9:30âŠand then 11:00âŠand then they kind of gave up on getting Skipper up at any time that they didnât have to. Still, a healthy sleep schedule makes for a healthy mind, and a healthy body, and Private liked being healthy, despite the fact that he had just eaten half his weight in ice cream, so, he figured it was as good a time as any to go to bed.
âŠBut it looked like he was not alone in roaming the halls tonight, as he turned the corner, he saw Skipper peek his head out of his room, look left, right, up, down, and then left again, before slipping out of his room, and beginning to walk carefully into their living room.
To pretend that Private ever had a choice NOT to follow him would be like saying that you had a choice not to open that secret door behind the bookshelf, or the choice not climb a mysteriously hidden spiral staircase up to the clouds. Once you know itâs there, itâs not like you can ignore it.
So Private, at a pace approximately an entire hallway away from Skipper, followed him. Both carefully making sure they didnât step on where the floorboards may creak, and carefully side-stepping various messes, until Skipper made it to the living room.
He looked around once again, but seemingly missed Privateâs face peeking out behind the doorframe, masked by the cover of darkness.
Skipper seemed to be aware of a presence THERE, but with no way to see it or prove it, he ignored it. He continued to the window in the living room, which was supposedly Marleneâs idea of a fire escape, despite the fact that there was no conventional staircase, and the platform youâd land on was three stories below them.
However, because there was never a fire they needed escaping that wasnât started by them in the first place, they bought the place anyhow, and disregarded the blatant safety hazard.
Skipper, was obviously aware of this, as when he opened up the window, he walked away to attach a rope he was carrying to a weight-bearing beam, before walking back to the window, and beginning to scale the building.
Private walked quickly to the window, conflicted between staying hidden and knowing whatâs going on, but found a way to peer out of the corner of the window without being seen.
Skipper seemed to have landed safely, and scaled down the fire escape from there, before ending up in an alley, and turning a sidewalk out of Privateâs view.
He was leaving at night? Well, that sure managed to explain the supposed bouts of insomnia heâs been having as of late, but where? And why?
Where was he going at night? Was Rico right and he was going to go see a date, or at least a sex worker? Maybe that paranoia came from guilt of some kind. Was he living this whole other life as a nightclub singer or gardener or something? Was he doing drugs? Where was he going?
And why was he leaving at night?
Well, obviously he was leaving at night either because it was an activity that could only be done at night, OR it was something that he wanted to keep a secret, and felt was far too shameful to share.
But that doesnât really narrow it down, no. It becomes more of a Venn-Diagram at certain points than anything else. Heâs repressed up the wazoo, just more casual about it. Anything could be worth keeping a secret for him and for him alone if he was operating under that criteria.
Well, regardless. Private might as well go get his pajamas on, because he had a feeling he was going to have a long night ahead of him.
âââ
He was only a little wrong about that.
It was only two or three hours he had to wait, but that was two to three hours he had to wait sitting silently in the dark, only occasionally being able to pull out his phone to scroll through, before hearing a random noise in the middle of night, feeling his heart rate jump about 20 beats higher than it shouldâve been, and turning off his phone as fast as possible so the light illumination it gave off wouldnât give him away.
It was a long two or three hours, and a mildly stressful two or three hours, at that, letâs just say.
However, it seemed to him that his patience was rewarded when he heard the slightly distant sounds of Skipper climbing the rope back up to the apartment. It wouldnât have mattered how quietly he was climbing, after so many hours spent stressing over the slightest of sounds, when he heard the slight scuffle of sneaker rubber against brick, he knew it was either Skipper or a burglar, and he was ready to confront both.
So, Private got into position, just a few moments before Skipper had grabbed the window pane and pulled himself inside. He untied the rope from the weight-supporting beam, Â pulled the rest of the rope inside, and then closed the window as quietly as possible. He stared at it a moment, and then let out a sigh of relief.
And then Private clicked the lamp on from where he was sitting in Ricoâs recliner, and Skipper half jumped out of his skin.
âYouâre home late.â
âPrivate, I-â Skipper almost seemed happy to see him, but then something made him hold back. âItâs, uh, nice to see-â
âWhat are you doing? Sneaking out-sneaking out windows in the dead of night? Why? We have a front door.â Private had left the chair that he was sitting on, and began to pace in front of him. He should have rehearsed. âWait. The more important thing is, where are you going?â
Private didnât seem to particularly care if he got an answer or not at this point, especially considering that as Skipper stood there with his mouth gaping, looking like he was about to say something, Private grabbed the sides of his face with his forefinger and thumb and pulled him down to his level.
âAnd just who in the world split your lip? What? Are you doing a fight club now?â He muttered. Skipper hid his hands as discreetly as possible behind his back. Private squeezed his face once or twice before letting go.
âI want answers. REAL answers. Nobody believed you when you said you joined a bowling league last week, so I want REAL answers. Now.â
ââŠâ Whatever Skipper was trying to explain, or trying to cover up, he really seemed to not have a story put together either way. It was either incredibly hard to explain, or he foolishly didnât have a story put together in advance and justâŠEXPECTED to never get caught.
ââŠYou give the best hugs?â
âWHAT?â
âAnd youâre always so optimistic. It helps my uh, team morale.â
Private let out a quite confused screech.
âAnd youâre really good at cooking. Your meals are practically restaurant caliber as is.â
Private looked as if a vein was going to pop out of his head, he was so furious. ââŠYou are doing NOTHING to help your case if you think that you can just WANDER in here at deadass hours of the night and think you can just GET OUT OF IT by making me fall to your feet smitten-â
â-Not a big fan of that language from you, budâŠâ
âThatâs it. Iâm getting Kowalski.â
âWait!â Skipper rose his voice slightly, maybe a few decibels too loud as he reached out to grab Privateâs hand.
This was a gesture that surprised both of them, as Private turned around to hear him out and Skipper dropped the hand like it was a flaming hot crucible. Skipper seemed conflicted on where to put his hands until he stuck them firmly at his sides.
âIâm sorry.â He said. âForâŠEverything. For, just being kind of awful lately? I know itâs beenâŠRough, but IâveâŠâ He sighed.
âTake your time.â Private said, and Skipper looked almost grateful for it.
âIâve been forced recently to take a long, hard look at myself, by somebody who knows me quite wellâŠAlmost too well. The knowledge, and simultaneously the idea that they have that knowledge has been taking a sort ofâŠmental toll on me.â
Private took a seat, apparently ready to listen more.
âItâs, I donât know, really. On some level, I want to take it out on them for being right, but I really canât, soâŠI guess thatâs fallen on you guys when it shouldnât have, and IâmâŠreally sorry about that.â
Skipper sat down as well, in front of Private.
âI really do mean it when I say Iâve been working on it, I just needed to find anâŠoutlet.â
Private tilted his head. This was something to take in. He felt sort of vindicated for having a feeling that there was more going on, but it was still rather vague.
âWhat are you saying?â
ââŠIâve picked up someâŠnight classesâŠto help with my stress.â
ââŠWhat kind of night classes?â
âOh, you knowâŠbaking.â He said hesitantly.
And that basically clinched it for him. Skipperâs thought process had perfectly revealed himself to him! After hearing something that hit too close to home, he endeavored to better himself, but was embarrassed by it! That sounded reasonable, and it was just like Skipper to do too.
âDonât get that smug look on your face, if it doesnât work out Iâm picking up night archery.â
âWho? Me? Smug?â
Skipper laughed as he gave him a shove. He seemed a lot more relaxed than he did in a long time. It mustâve felt good to get that weight off his shoulder. Sure, taking cooking classes might not be a big deal for anybody else, but this was Skipper. Skipper was a weirdly hyper-masculine, private guy. For him to even get in a situation where heâd willingly tell Private something like this, it was a pretty big step.
âIâd appreciate it if you didnât tell Kowalski or Rico.â
âOh, no problem! If you want, I can pick out a recipe for you to bring in.â
âI was just about to ask for one, how serendipitous.â
Private couldnât help but keep giggling, just from the relief of it all. It was a pretty tense scenario for quite a bit of time, and he couldnât help but react in some way to the ease he was now feeling. Skipper got up and gave a stretch that was indicative that he was ready for bed, and couldnât help but smile fondly as Private tried to catch his breath.
âYou know, itâs funny. We, Kowalski, Rico, and I, were trying to figure out what was up. We thought it was anything and everything from a girlfriend to seeing a therapist that was putting you off so badly, who wouldâve thought.â
âHa ha, yeah.â Skipper said, as if Private couldnât tell his hands were shaking.
âBut wait,â Private said, in a sorta-fake moment of wonder. âWhere did you get the split lip from then?â
Skipper panicked. âWhy did you say that me giving you compliments would make you fall to my feet smitten?â
Private panicked more. âGood night!â
Okay, so maybe they were both working on this âopen and honestâ thing. So sue them. Baby steps or not, it was a step in the right direction. But, if Skipperâs secrets were as benign as that, then Private could take them any day, and heâd make sure he knew that. He hoped Skipper thought the same of him.
(Remember when 3K was considered long for me? Ha ha, anyhow, this is 5.5K words of nothing but dramatic irony. I really canât believe that I went from writing short fluff pieces based on actual art to my own story arc about Skipper getting some FUCKING therapy.
Anyhow! Much more important things are afoot! Iâm doing charity commissions, where all proceeds are going to bail funds across the country. If you like my writing, feel free to contact me at my Tumblr @cartoons-tothemoon, and weâll work it out from there. $10 for 5K, or $2 for 1K. Of course, I donât really know what to charge yet, but that can be negotiated! Iâd really appreciate it if you commissioned me at this time, but my work on @drawbaucheryâs is always going to be free. I hope you have a nice day!)
#cartoons-tothemoon#fics#pom#submission#can FINALLY post this#i'm sorry i always either have tablet problems or am sick when you send me a story#and it might be the most obvious thing ever but#i'm#once again#all over the skivate#private acting like mrs incredible 'i thought you'd be back by eleven'#and skipper the fearless leader FREAKING out because he's in trouble alskdnf#like i love the fact that being in trouble with his subordinates is so pressing#private canonically knows how to be intimidating when he's pissed so this just ticklesme#also small thing but i love how rico looks over at private when he talks about a girlfriend#he's somehow so considerate and inconsiderate at the same time#ko and skip's fight was really fun to read too#they're kind of in a power struggle#like toeing the line between family and business#it's really interesting#skipper's a dummy who's trying his best and i love him for it
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So I (finally!) bought a pair of really good noise cancelling headphones, and it has changed my life! It's the fanciest thing I've bought in years, so to recoup some of the cost, Iâve researched & written a little essay based on my experiences with extreme noise sensitivity.
Hypersensitivity to sound is something Iâve dealt with all of my life, but I only recently found out it's medically known a Hyperacusis. (Please note this is a separate condition from Misophonia.) If you consistently struggle to cope with noise, the info below could be helpful! Iâm including a link to my ko-fi, and I will be answering questions in the notes.
(skip to the bottom to read fun facts about my tax return and/or street organs vendettas!)
DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional, this is based solely on my experiences as a patient, and on what I have read and been told by professionals. Please notify me if you have corrections or concerns about accuracy!
BACKGROUND: Sensitivity to sound is a common type of sensory issue. While anyone can experience such issues (most people, for example, might be bothered by loud music in a crowded restaurant), some people are more sensitive than others, to the point it becomes a quality-of-life aka a medical issue.
If you consistently struggle with environmental stimuli that other people arenât bothered by (background noises, bright lights, certain textures and tastes, etc), to the point it causes daily discomfort or limits the environments you can be in, I recommend reading about Sensory Processing Disorder.
SPD and sound sensitivity are both super common in autistic folks (like me!), but allistic (non-autistic) people can experience them too. Weep, ye prisoners of mortal coil, for none are safe, nothing sacred, not in this thy most accursed tomb of human flesh!
Anyway.
SOUND SENSITIVITY or HYPERACUSIS: Noise issues are particularly difficult to navigate in a world that is increasingly...noisy. The relatively new phenomenon of constant overhead music in restaurants, grocery stores, shopping malls etcâall of this means that public spaces are increasingly inaccessible to people with auditory issues.*
As a kid, nothing quite triggered sensory overload/meltdowns for me like the constant exposure to noise I couldnât controlâthe background chatter of other kids in the lunchroom, the constant noise in public spaces, being trapped in the car with the radio on.... I had so many fights with my siblings about the car radio, and who got to choose the music.**
But itâs not just loud sounds that are the problem. As an adult who lives alone and works from home***, Iâm lucky enough to be able to avoid loud environments most of the time. This does wonders for my general levels of anxiety and discomfort. But even in a mostly controlled environment, I still experience problems. Because part of sound sensitivity is that even normal or quiet sounds can feel loud and intrusive. Here are some ânormalâ sounds that can cause me discomfort (ranging from annoyance to outright pain, depending on the day):
refrigerator/AC/ceiling lights humming
dishwasher/washing machine noises
ceiling fan making that damn ceiling fan noise
faint sounds of traffic
riding in a car
other people having a normal conversation in the background
someone talking to me in a perfectly normal inside voice
Unfortunately, even in a âcontrolledâ environment, many triggering noises canât be controlled. And many parts of life canât be lived in a controlled environment. This presents...some incredibly freaking annoying problems. Luckily there are solutions!
Sorta.
There are sorta some solutions.
They are imperfect, but they help.
TREATMENT: And now I have something rather shame-faced to admit. In all the years of managing my symptoms, it never once occurred to me to see a hearing specialist for my issues with sound. I wasnât even aware that treatment options exist, because none of my other doctors mentioned it. Instead, Iâve spent years finding my own coping mechanisms and tools, with help from therapists and psychiatrists, but without ever consulting an audiologist/ENT. It was only while researching this post that I found out that was even an option, holy shit.
So it turns out I am going to be making an appointment with my local ENT practice. shit.
Apparently treatment options include sound/acoustic therapy, systematic desensitization/exposure therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, sound machines, and other options that I had no idea even existed, goddammit.
MANAGEMENT: In the meantime, here are my current coping mechanisms. Iâve relied rather heavily on hearing protection, which is very useful when used in moderation. Unfortunately, it can cause its own problems: itâs important not to overuse hearing protection, because in the long-term this can increase your sensitivity. So again: a useful tool, but be careful not to overdo it.
With that in mind, here are some of the coping strategies Iâve used over the last decade to manage my symptoms. This is not a perfect system and you should contact your local ENT clinic for better, long-term solutions, but in the meantime here are some tips I use to just get myself through the damn day:
Regularly spending time in a quiet controlled environment, to allow my nervous system to decompress.
Wearing earplugs, (I use two different grade, depending on the level of noise prevention I need), and always carrying an extra pair in case I need them unexpectedly. I bought a 50 pack for $7 and put spares in all my bags and jacket pockets.
(I mostly use Mackâs Ultra Soft, but there are so many types and materials and brands, including foam, silicone, wax, custom moldable etc. Even if you have trouble wearing things in your ears, you might be able to find something comfortable.)
Similarly: hearing protection earmuffs, the kind used in gun ranges and on construction sites. I bought mine online for $10. they look like normal wireless headphones, so I've never gotten comments when wearing mine in public (other than âcool heaphonesâ bc i added skull glitter stickers).
Sometimes I wear the earmuffs on top of earplugs, when life is just too damn LOUD.
Listening to music w/ earbuds or headphones is a great way to balance out background noises, especially if you can find soothing playlists that help you concentrate. Also useful to put in just one earbud when you need to pay attention in class/at work.
Pro tip: if your hair is long enough you can wear wireless earbuds without anyone knowing.
White noise, rain noises, ocean noises etc can be helpful! Some people like whale songs although personally this activates my primal fear response
Active noise cancelling headphones: the reason I wrote this post to begin withâI finally bought a pair! As in, a really good pair! As in, a depressingly expensive pair with noise cancelling technology that actually WORKS, holy shit. I probably need to wear them a little less at home (bc overprotection causes problems in the longterm) but they have absolutely transformed my ability to go out in public and i never ever want to take these suckers off again please take a power screwdriver and nail these to my head, bury me in the sweet sweet shroud of silence. holy canoli and cream puffs I want to marry form a civil partnership with these headphones. Plus they have a bunch of features, like being able to control the level of noise cancellation, so I can hold a conversation or be aware of some ambient noise for safety reasons.
Oh, and also they play music I guess?
Sorry sorry I promise this post wasnât supposed to be me shilling for Big Electronics. Iâm just excited, Iâm an excited flabby little ball of expired flubber. ANC headphones arenât a perfect solution, and I still sometimes wear earplugs underneath, and I will always be uncomfortable some of the time, but for me itâs been a big step.
Unfortunately the cost of good quality ANC technology means this isnât an option for everyone, and the (much cheaper) gunshot protection earmuffs I mentioned earlier still provide an impressive amount of protection and bang-for-your buck (maybe even an equal amount of protection, if you can find ones that fit well). But if noise consistently prevents you from enjoying public space and life in general, and youâve already tried earmuffs & earplugs and find they donât offer enough comfort/convenience/protection, and if youâre in a position to save up for a one time non-necessity purchase of $150+, noise cancelling headphones are an option to be aware of. (Please always check the return policy so you can try before you buy. I ended up buying and returning 2 pairs before finding what worked best for me. And please look for a retailer that offers an extended warranty. You want those motherforkers to last).
There are cheaper options available, including some under $50. The ones I tried didn't work as well as my hearing protection earmuffs, but some people report good experiences, so that is something to consider. it's always good to know your options! Passive noise canceling is another affordable alternative.
Medication: A final tool in my toolbox, which for me personally has helped as much as every other method combined. Like, a lot, itâs helped a lot. It turns out some anti-anxiety medications can also help sensory issues. Thereâs not much research on this, and I only discovered it firsthand when a medication my doctor prescribed for anxiety ended up significantly helping my sensory issues. I no longer need medication for anxiety, but my psychiatrist still prescribes that same medication off-label for my sensory stuff. Ask your psychiatrist to research your options (they will probably have to do some digging to find relevant research, but you deserve to know all your options, even the obscure ones). Fyi, the medication I use is in the benzodiazepines class, but there are other options for those concerned about dependency or side effects.
(I'm also told anti-anxiety supplements may be helpful, though I haven't tried this yet. If you're on prescription meds, always talk to your doctor about contraindications before taking anything over-the-counter.)
So there you have it, my main coping strategies for sound sensitivity! They are not a replacement for medical treatment (except that last one which is in fact...medical treatment), but I find them helpful and I hope some of you will too! Iâve struggled for a long time, and Iâm very pleased to have reached the point where I can just do things in public. Eating out in loud restaurants? I can do that now, and even enjoy it, holy shit! I can comfortably travel in cars for hours at a time, and walk around shopping malls and grocery stores with overhead music, and, and âand just exist. It is so so freeing, to feel like maybe, after everything, you are actually allowed to just exist in a world that wasnât really designed for you.
Again, be careful not to overuse hearing protectionâthe goal is to allow you to be less uncomfortable and to function better, but if you find you are becoming more sensitive to noise, it is time to dial it back a notch. Or maybe consider listening to music (at a reasonable volume) to block out background noise instead.
*(This also includes people with hearing loss and related issues, btw. While thatâs not my area of knowledge, I would welcome it if any of my HoH followers want to share their experiences.)
**A sign of sensory issues that parents often miss is when a child complains about music being too loudâbut has no problem listening to their own music at high volume. This is because music that is already familiar to the listener (and that the listener enjoys) is much easier for the brain to process, since it knows what pattern of sounds to expect. Loud music that they get to control can be soothing for people with sound issues, especially when it blocks out background noise and sensations. This is why repetitively playing the same songs can be a helpful form of stimming.
***(working on this blog, actually. since itâs my only source of income, my 2020 income tax return literally lists my occupation as âTumblr Blogger.â Oddly, my parent didnât feel this achievement was worth including in the holiday family newsletter.)
bonus fun fact: Charles Babbage aka âfather of the computerâ may have been autistic and hypersensitive to sound. He definitely had a huge problem with public noise pollution, and spent his later year waging a war on street musicians (and organ grinders in particular).
(bc like, yeah. screw organ grinders.)
Sometimes when Iâm out in public and the overhead music is particularly unbearable, Iâll take a moment to look up to the sky and scream out: âHE TRIED TO WARN US! THE FATHER OF COMPUTERS TRIED TO WARN US!!! we should have listened, sweet heaven we should have listened!â
except i donât scream it, i say it very quietly under my breath
(i have issues with noise)
so yeah that is my short essay. and here is the ko-fi goal
k ciao i gotta go pick out glitter stickers for my headphones
#actuallyautistic#not a shitpost#holy shit how did i spend 3 hours writing this what even is my blog#this blog is supposed to be blue whale anxiety and uncomfortably sexy clown jokes#what am i doing#sensory processing disorder#sensory issues#mental health#actually autistic#NOTIFY ME OF ANY TYPOS#i proofread this 5 times my eyes weep an unceasing flood of blood and regret#adhd#actuallyadhd#autism#sensory problems
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harmless (v)
Summary: Bucky volunteers to go stop a small time villain, but nothing can prepare him for what exactly he has to deal with. (Bucky x villain!reader, drabble series)
Warnings: cursing, ghosts, frustrated bucky, dramatic reader, rats
Word count: 2.3k
A/N: why did i like this chapter sm someone explain. anyway!! yâall are so passionate about these two i love it mwah
if you have any ideas for future inventions/evil plans, lemme know! i might actually end up using them
hereâs my ko-fi if youâd like to support my writing <333
Previous Part || Series Masterlist
He dislikes the subway.Â
Other than his other valid reason to have disdain for trains, the subway is dark, itâs shady and heâs sure heâs seen rodents fight to the death here on several occasions. Â
Still, heâs following you down the stairs of the station, watching as you whistle along to the song blasting through your headphones. Thereâs a backpack swung over your shoulders, hands stuffed into the pocket of your hoodie and converse doing a skip every now and then. Thereâs a bandana thatâs tied across your face, acting as a mask to hide your identity.Â
He realises that youâre dressed like a commuter. Were you going to dress the part every single time?
You walk along with the crowd. He follows, a few feet away.
Until you stop. He abruptly stops too, leading someone to walk right into him.Â
âWatch it, dumbass,â they hiss with the courage of someone who has no idea who he is. He ignores them.Â
He looks on as you dig around your backpack and pull out a roll of paper. A poster, he realises soon when you peel off a layer from the back and press it to the wall.Â
Was it legal to put up posters in the subway? He wasnât quite sure.Â
He observes as you turn around and continue down the path. He waits a few seconds before trailing up to the poster.
Volunteers needed!
If youâre interested in being turned into a ghost for a couple of hours, this is your chance! Should be okay with being on camera so that we can make money off of taped paranormal sightings.
Paid opportunity. You get to pick your outfit. Randos donât apply.
He yanks the poster of the wall before continuing down the same place you did.
He finds another poster along the way. He doesnât hesitate in pulling it down. You were advocating to kill people.Â
He knows heâs going in the right direction because more posters creep up along the wall.
The both of you are on the platform by now but to him, something changes about the placement of the posters. They were growing in frequency, the distance between them decreasing as they were situated close to each other.
He pauses in front of the next one, hand hovering over the paper.
All it reads is âSTOPâ.
He furrows his eyebrow, pulling it down before peering over at the next one.
âTAKINGâ, is all that it says.
It doesnât take him very long to make his way through all the posters in the hallway.Â
âTHESEâ
âDOWNâ
The trainâs arrived by now but a quick scan over the crowd and he knows that you havenât entered. That, and he knew that you were too dramatic to leave without a trace or a small conversation with him.Â
âDICKHEADâ
Tasteful, he thinks.Â
âIt took effort to make them, stop ruining it,â you whine from the end of the hallway. Itâs empty, given that rush hour was over a while ago.Â
Even though the mask covers half your face, itâs obvious that there is mischief etched under it. The twinkle in your eye is telling.Â
âYouâre literally killing people.â He holds up the poster. Not the âdickheadâ one. He pockets that for later.Â
He knows there are a few minutes before the next train arrives and more people flood the station. The eccentricity of today lay in the lighting from the incandescent lamps and acoustics of the platform. It made his voice echo like a movie scene.Â
âI very much am not,â you huff.Â
âYouâre turning them into ghosts. Thatâs what a murderer does,â he says pointedly.Â
âWell, only if you keep saying it like that. Youâre making me look bad.â You cross your arms across your chest. âWhat are you, Fox News?âÂ
A scurry next to him earns his attention. Two rats nibble at a piece of fallen food. He wonders when theyâll starting brawling.Â
âExplain this.â He waves the poster around. He isnât taking it too lightly he hopes. If itâs actual murder then itâs going to be an issue.Â
You pull out a black cylinder, slightly bigger than a pen. He canât really see any more details, but you hold onto it like a wand.Â
âIâm turning them into ghosts. Iâll post videos of them doing stupid shit. I get famous and then boom, cash money.â You rub your index finger and thumb together. âIâll give you a share if you volunteer.â
âYouâre not explaining the death part.âÂ
He can feel it. Youâre about to start derailing.Â
âWinter Soldier, the ghost story. Literally.â You grin, yanking down the mask from your face to prove it. It pools around your neck. âThatâs so funny, câmon, itâd be amazing.â
Itâs been years since heâs heard that. Never in this context.Â
âNo,â he says sternly, âand Iâm going to have to bring you in if youâre going to kill people.â
The rats were ignoring everything that was going down like the hardened criminals that they were. They had probably seen worse. He canât stop paying attention to them.
âIâm not killing them, bro.â You raise your hands in exclamation. âIâm just moving some molecules around, some frequency shit. Theyâre alive, just ghosts.â Â
Heâs always been one for science. Straight As throughout high school, attended science conventions as a hobby, alive even at 100 through some mad experimentation, definitely seen some weird shit during his lifetime.Â
But this doesnât make sense.
âNo,â he repeats. âGive me the thing.â
âFine, Iâll show you.â You roll your eyes. âSince you have absolutely no faith in me.â
He does a quick review of his surroundings.Â
No oneâs around, which is good.Â
But that just leaves him in front of you, which is bad.
âDonât you even thin-â he starts, muscles tensing as he shifts into a defensive stance.
You whip out the little pen thing from beside you but before he can react you turn around and duck.Â
The click of a button releases a bright light, small but intensely stronger than the fluorescents in the station.
He reels back, feet carrying him away from where youâre crouched. His eyes quickly look down at his body.Â
Nothingâs changed.Â
He lifts his hand to check, runs it over his face. Still alive. He thinks.
âBehold,â you declare, âGhost rat.â
He looks to where youâre pointing. The two rats from earlier were still nibbling on their food but something was off about them.Â
He could see the faint outline of the tiles on the wall behind them, almost like they were... translucent. Â
You aimed at the rats, not him. He doesnât know whether to feel relieved or annoyed at the fake threat.
He watches as they move. They donât look hurt or injured.
âCool, huh?â you say smugly.Â
He canât stop staring at them.Â
âBring them back.â
âTheyâre fine, look how abstract it is.â
âBring back the rats.â He canât believe this is what his life has come to.
Bucky Barnes, Rodent Protector.
You arenât fazed by his indifference, instead wonder filled eyes gaze at the animals. âAstral mice, sarge. Embrace the miracle of modern science.â
âYou killed them.â
âTheyâre alive, theyâre just ghosts.â You raise a finger to point. âLook, theyâre still eating. Biological functions are still taking place.âÂ
 Which was true. But still. He doesnât know what is going on.
âBring them back to... non-ghost alive.âÂ
âYou sure you donât want one? That one kinda looks like you.â One hardened glare after you realise the answer. âJeez, alright then.â
You dig through your bag before pulling out a matte black replica of your current invention.Â
âSexy colours, right?â You hold them up. âI modelled them after your arm.â
He looks down. Sure enough the gold and black matched his cybernetic limb. It was oddly flattering.Â
âSay thank you, Y/N, for letting me be your muse-â
âUn-ghost the rats.âÂ
âUngrateful,â you narrow your eyes at him.Â
Still, you comply with his demands, ducking down to their level again.
A click of the button, a bright light and the rats are back to normal. Non-transparent normal.
âOkay, give me that.â He takes a step towards you.Â
âNuh uh.â You pull your arm back. His mouth twitches at your response; what are you, five?
The black one is stuffed back into your bag but you wave around the gold like a threat.Â
He sighs, making a pass for it. In a second his arm is twisted and shoved against his back, forcing him to spin so that heâs facing away from you. His eyes widen.
What the fuck?
âNow weâre having a good time,â you whisper into this ear.Â
He swiftly turns around, grabbing your wrist to rotate his own out of your grip.Â
âSince when can you fight?â he asks.
âAre we getting to know each other now?â You raise your leg to give him a semi gentle kick in the side, using his momentary distraction in blocking it to give him a knock on the head with your free hand. âThis is so romantic, sarge.â
Thereâs a low rumble in the distance and he knows the train would soon start pulling into the station. It was still a distance away, but his heightened senses warned him that it wouldnât take much time.Â
He groans. How much longer would he have to go at this?
He could easily win this fight and he knew it. But something in him itched, pulled him back from doing it.
He blocks another attempt at his head. âStop that.â
You grin. âYou know whatâd be fun?â
He knows youâd reply even if he didnât encourage it. The lights from the train light up the tunnel around the corner.Â
âThis.â You donât give him a second to recover before you flick your wrist away from him.
The device flies out of your hand and right onto the track. The both of you watch, you in glee, he in horror, as the train runs right over it, unleashing the brightest light he had ever seen. His eyes shut instinctively before it blinds him.
He forces himself to pry open his eyelids, look at the damage caused.Â
The train, sure enough, is translucent. He can see the posters on the other side of the platform through the carriage, through various people holding onto the poles for support or seated on the seats.
âGhost train!â you cheer. Heâs mortified.
âFuck no,â he mumbles, yanking the backpack off your shoulder. He rummages through it, looking for the gold version.
âYou lookinâ for this?â you ask nonchalantly, holding it up in your hand like it isnât the solution to stopping a bunch of ghosts from wandering around New York.Â
âTurn them back.â He gives you a chance.Â
âDo it yourself, coward.â You grin, holding it above your head. The train is going to stop and he needs everyone to be alive and non-ghost before they leave.
He doesnât wait this time, instead turning to you. The thing is still held in your grip above your head. He rolls his eyes, doing a quick assessment before grabbing your free hand, tugging you closer and plucking the device out of your hand before you have the opportunity to retract it. Â
âGreat, now figure out which button to press.â Youâre dangerously close to him. He can feel your hoodie brush against his tactical jacket. âAlso if you wanted to be all pressed up against me, you could have just asked.âÂ
He furrows his eyebrows, letting go of you as you give a loud laugh. He looks down at the device. It has several buttons, littering up and down the side. Each look the same.Â
The trainâs slowing down.Â
âTheyâre both the same device; this version is not a magical solution to the other one. If you press the wrong button then both of us are going to be fucked.â
The last carriage is getting closer.Â
âSay I win this round and Iâll fix it.âÂ
Thereâs a gleam in your eye. He knew this was exactly what you wanted.Â
He wishes he was as stubborn as Steve, just run through each button until the right one worked.
âYou win this one.â He hands it back. He wasnât like Steve and judging by the number of items the idiot jumped out of planes without a parachute on a daily basis, Bucky was glad about it. At least Bucky did it sporadically.
âYay, two each for the both of us, then,â you say, taking it from him and twisting, eyes running down the sides. âClose your eyes, old man, or else your cataractâs gonna get worse.â
Right as the train pulls to a stop, you press down on the button before throwing it and the blinding light that emanates from it. It lands on the top of the train right as the doors open.Â
The passengers start stepping out. Some of them are looking at their hands and legs in a little disbelief, most just push through the crowd to leave.
He canât see through them. Itâs a good sign.Â
He turns to look at you but youâre not there. Instead, the weight of the small device weighs down in his pocket.
The sound of a thud on glass draws his attention.Â
He looks up at the train. The window of the carriage in front of him has a bit of fog on it. You trace a heart in the condensation and blow him a kiss before pulling your mask back on.
The train starts moving, leaving him alone in the platform again with your invention.
He lets out an exhale, wandering outside to grab a sandwich before waiting to catch the next train to go home.Â
Later in the evening, he catches hold of a bit of tape and the âDickheadâ poster finds a place on Samâs door.Â
He doesnât appreciate it.
So now itâs tucked away in the shelf of Buckyâs bedside table along with a freeze ray, a ghost-inator, and some discount Pym Particles.Â
Next part
#bucky x reader#bucky barnes x reader#mcu fic#bucky fic#bucky barnes fic#bucky fluff#bucky barnes fluff#bucky angst#bucky barnes angst#harmless fic#winter soldier x reader#Winter Soldier#bucky barnes#bucky
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DIABOLIK LOVERS Do-S Kyuuketsu VERSUS â
Ą Vol.6 Yuma VS Azusa [TRACK 2]
Original title: æŹ ăăæăèŠăȘăă
Source: Diabolik Lovers VERSUS II Vol. 6 Yuma VS Azusa [CD not owned by me]
Audio: Here
Seiyuu: Tatsuhisa Suzuki & Kishio Daisuke
Translatorâs note: I have no words. I swear the last few minutes of this track are just Rejet having way too much fun. You cannot convince me that they wrote that without knowing that it could EASILY be taken the wrong way. I mean, the whole situation isnât exactly âinnocentâ either way but it sounds even more dirty than it is. Iâm not gonna try and hide either ăŒăŒ my mind went straight to the gutter as soon as Yuma suggested she uses her hands instead of her mouth. If youâre curious what Iâm talking about, youâll have to read the translation. ;)
Track 1 ll Track 2 ll Track 3 ll Track 4 ll Track 5 ll Track 6
â Â LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!
Track 2: While Gazing at the Chipped Moon
Yuma: For a basement, itâs brighter in here than I thought. Is there a window on the ceiling or somethinâ?Â
You follow suit.
Yuma: Ah? Whatâs wrong? ...AhăŒ Ya pissinâ yer pants? ...I donât mind. Come here.
Yuma hugs you close.
*Rustle*
Yuma: Just stay close to me, âkay? ...Take a look! Right above ya! Thereâs a big hole to look through! ...Aah, seems like this basement is right underneath the garden.Â
You look up.
Yuma: Theyâre a bunch of dried up branches layinâ âround the edges of the garden. I had no idea this kinda room was underneath it. Iâm surprised.Â
*Rustle*
Yuma: ...Well, I guess it helps brighten up this place a lilâ without any lights âround, so I donât see a problem with it.Â
Something catches his attention.
Yuma: ...Oh?Â
You ask what is wrong.
Yuma: No, itâs just...Ya can see the moon through that hole, right? Take a closer look. Itâs slowly beinâ chipped away at. ...What was it called again? A lunar eclipse? Ya donât see that every day. Itâs my first time seeinâ one.
You agree.
Yuma: You too? Hm...I see. Well, I guess we got lucky. Itâs a rare sight after all. Too bad itâs from inside this creepy room.
You tilt your head to the side.
Yuma: This room just screams âcreepyâ, no? Ya still havenât noticed? What kind of room this is, I mean. Take a good look around.
You look around.
Yuma: Thereâs a bunch of strange devices, right? Ya better donât try and act like ya donât know what these are.Â
You reluctantly answer.
Yuma: Exactly...Hehehe...Seems like this was the pentalty room. In other words, the items lined up here and there are what youâd call torture devices
*Cling cling*
Yuma: Take a look at these handcuffs. Itâs still got blood on there. Means these bad boys got used at some point. Seems like the previous owner of this manor was a shitbag who loved pickinâ on the weak.Â
*Cling*
Yuma: Thereâs freaks like that crawlinâ âround the surface of this earth, ya see...They either get a kick out of tormentinâ others, or enjoy gettinâ teased themselves. ...Ah, right. Ya love that sorta stuff as well, no? Hehehe...
You quickly deny.
*Cling cling*
Yuma: Now that we discovered this hidden gem, itâd be a shame not to use the room to its fullest potential, right? ăŒăŒ To start things off.Â
*Cling*
Yuma: Iâll put these handcuffs on ya like this. Hehe...
You protest.
Yuma: How does it feel to get robbed of yer freedom?
You beg him to take them off again.Â
Yuma: Ah...Lemme think. If ya want me to remove them that badly, donât ya think ya should adjust yer attitude a lilâ?Â
*Rustle rustle*
Yuma: Come on...Tell me what to do. Woah there, donât look away. Iâve taken away yer freedom, so ya better keep yer eyes on me.Â
*Rustle*
Yuma: Exactly. Hehe...Nice expression. Bet ya didnât think Iâd do this, right? ...For some reason, Iâm in a weird mood right now. Could that moon be to blame? I feel restless...in a different way from usual. I donât really get it, but it has taken control over me, and I canât help but have this strong cravinâ for...you. Mmh...â
Yuma kisses you passionately.
Yuma: I want to make you cry, make you submit to me...and have you admit the most obscene things. Mmh...
*Smooch*
Yuma: Hm? ...Hah. Judginâ by yer face, ya just felt yer heart skip a beat, didnât ya? Bet ya donât find this all too bad, huh? Fine by me. Iâll do as ya wish. Come on, brace yerself.Â
*Rustle*
Yuma: What do ya want? Should I just leave some kisses here and there? Like this...Mmh...
*Smooch*
You flinch.
Yuma: Or do ya prefer the pain? Ya want these fangs, donât ya? Haha...Donât try and hide it. I know that youâre yearninâ for them. However, I wonât give them to ya ăŒăŒ not this easily at least. Thatâd be borinâ as hell, right? Weâve got this convenient room to our disposal after all...
*Cling cling*
Yuma: Makes ya wanna try and push yer boundaries a lilâ, no? Hehe...Letâs leave the main course for last and enjoy some stuff we usually never get to do. Nn...
*Rustle*
Yuma: This is a whip, right? No doubt in mind that guy used this to torment those poor little lambs. ...Didnât I tell ya earlier, thereâs people who need that sorta kick. Perhaps Iâm one of them as well? When I picture your expression as you fight back the pain...It sends shivers down my spine.
*Rustle*
Yuma: Ahn? Iâm not actinâ like myself? Ya think so? Hah. Then this room and the moon might be messinâ with my head. I shouldnât be interested in lilâ games enjoyed by those disgustinâ noblemen. If anythinâ, they used to make me gag...So I wonder why Iâm havinâ so much fun right now? ...Could this be my true colors showinâ...?
*SMACK*
Yuma: Heh. This bad boy makes quite the sound. ...Wait, what am I doinâ? ...Aah, my bad. I felt a lilâ dizzy just now...There really is somethinâ wrong with me, huh? Ugh...
*Rustle*
Yuma: I...
You seem worried.Â
Yuma: Hah. ...Haha. Just kidding~Â
You get upset.
Yuma: Ah? I was jokinâ just now. I wanted to see what kind of face youâd make, and just couldnât help myself.
You protest.
Yuma: It looked convincinâ? Donât be fuckinâ kiddinâ me. Iâm not the type of dude who would torment the weak, geez. Ya canât even tell the difference between the truth and an act? Ya really are an idiot.
*Cling cling*
Yuma: There we go...Oi, lift yer hands a lilâ higher. Iâm gonna remove the handcuffs.
You obey.
Yuma: AhăŒ The holeâs over here, right? ...âKay. ...Huh?
*Cling cling*
Yuma: Ahn? ...Thatâs odd...Iâm pretty sure this key...Ugh...Ah!
*Clunk*
Yuma: Ah...Fuck! It broke!
You make a fuss.
Yuma: Ah, hold on! Do ya really need to get that upset!? ...Hey! Donât hit me!
*Thud thud*
Yuma: ...Calm down!! I can just chop off yer wrists and problem solvăŒăŒ
You continue protesting.
 Yuma: ...Iâm just kiddinâ! Geez...Iâm sure weâll find a solution if we head upstairs. ...God, yer wrists are bleedinâ. Itâs âcause ya kept on movinâ âround. Does it hurt?
You nod.
Yuma: Guess I have no other choice. Iâll apply first aid.
Yuma licks the wound.
Yuma: There. Lilâ better now? ...Letâs say weâre even now, âkay?
You puff out your cheeks.
Yuma: Donât hold it âgainst me. I was just curious how itâd feel to step out of my comfort zone for once. Donât ya ever get that itch to try somethinâ new as well? ...More importantly, drinkinâ yer blood made me thirsty.
*Sluuuurp*
Yuma: After all, youâre like a delicious treat. Just a lilâ taste isnât enough to satisfy us. ...Ah, yer blood really is nice. ...Say? Wonât ya let me feed off ya now that youâre stuck like this anyway? Ya donât mind, do ya?
You hesitate.Â
Yuma: AhăŒ What a pain.Iâll take that silence as a yes. Iâm not the most patient fella âround.
*Rustle*
Yuma: Now behave. I wonât hurt ya.Â
Yuma bites you.
*Sluuuuurp*
Yuma: Mmh...Delicious...I canât stop...
*Rustle*
Yuma: ...Gimme more...Iâll suck from this hand next. Mmh...
*Sluuuuurp*
Yuma: Mmh...Nn...
*Sluuuuurp*
Yuma: ...HaahăŒ This is bad...I really went to town on ya, huh...Did it hurt? Or maybe it feels good?Â
You whimper softly.
Yuma: Hehe...I wonder if itâs âcause ya had yer blood sucked while being handcuffed, but ya look as if ya enjoyed it way more than usual.
You seem embarrassed.
Yuma: No need to be ashamed. ...Itâs too late for that. Iâve been showinâ ya my pathetic side as well, no? When I see yer blood...or get a wiff of it...I get so turned on, I lose sight of myself. However...
*Rustle*
Yuma: That blood of yers...
He sniffs it.
Yuma: HmmăŒ How strange, it doesnât smell as strong as usually...Now that ya mention it, I feel as if it tastes different as well? The fuckâs goinâ on? ...Oi, Sow. Stop spacinâ out and look at me, come on!
He forces your face his way.
Yuma: ...Do ya notice anythinâ off âbout me?
You shake your head.
Yuma: Right? But ya know, somethingâs not right. ...Oi, inspect my body. Iâm sure thereâs somethinâ wrong with it.
You seem baffled.
Yuma: This time Iâm serious. Iâm not just teasinâ ya. Come on, hurry up.
You protest.
Yuma: Ahn? Ya canât use yer hands? ...Well, I guess thatâs true. But even without yer hands, youâve got somethinâ else thatâll work just fine as a replacement, right?
You tilt your head to the side.
Yuma: Whatcha so confused âbout? Iâm obviously talkinâ âbout that mouth of yers.
You seem surprised.
Yuma: Check my body thoroughly with those lips. ăŒăŒ Oh come on, didnât I tell you just now? Iâm beinâ serious. 100% sincere. So, where ya wanna start? With my neck, perhaps?
*Rustle*
Yuma: Yeah, just start from there and take it nice and slow...Whatâs wrong? Are ya holdinâ back? ...Ya can be a little more rough, ya know?
*Rustle rustle*
Yuma: Ah...Your lips are so soft...Nn...Itâs almost like someone is trailing a feather across a skin...Ah...
You sigh.
Yuma: Hah? Ya wonât be able to tell this way? Youâre always so quick to decide without givinâ it a try, huh? How dull. Come on, get on with it already.
*Cling*
Yuma: Nn...Yeah, just like that...See? Ya can do it after all...Or are ya growinâ desperate now? Hahaha...Ya suddenly...picked up the pace...Nn...It tickles. Is this youâre way of takinâ revenge? ...Oh well, whatever.
You continue trailing your lips across his skin.
Yuma: Yeah, just keep goinâ like that...Nn...Carefully slide your lips across...Hah...Nn...Feels good...
*Rustle*
You ask if heâs doing this to tease you again.
Yuma: Hahaha...Guess Iâm busted, huh?
*SMACK*
Yuma: ...Ow!! Did ya really need to hit me!? I was just havinâ some fun! For one, we wouldnât need doctors if we could simply find out whatâs wrong with someoneâs body this way.
ăŒăŒ TO BE CONTINUED ăŒăŒ
#diabolik lovers#dialovers#yuma mukami#azusa mukami#diabolik lovers versus II#diabolik lovers translation#diabolik lovers drama cd#drama cd
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i hate your guts (m)
pairing: bakugou katsuki x reader genre: smut, humor warnings: smut, swearing (you know the good stuff) overview: class 1-a has this belief that you and katsuki hate each other, though one incident has their minds changed word count: 4.2k authorâs note: this was written to fight my writerâs block and i happened to find a psycho-analysis of katsuki which helped somewhat and its quite interesting. anyways...the song choice while writing this was house of cards, also this was written in three days and i tried using any relevant medical terms iâve learned so far in uni. hope you enjoy!! masterlist | ko-fi
Walking through the azure-rimmed gate you knew the day would be the same. Homeroom for ten minutes then classes back to back with a minor minute break in between, next an oh-so-needed fifty-minute lunch, and finally two classes to end the day. Not that you could complain, heroes in training must earn some type of education.
Though school wasnât the worst thing invented, you can definitely say occasions in English class were not lackluster with Present Mic as the teacher. Or in math, when Midoriya yells out an inaccurate answer only to be corrected by Yaoyorozu. It's the little moments that bring laughter, or maybe itâs watching someone embarrass themselves in front of a class that's joyful.
And you could never forget the times where Jirou teased Kaminari for short-circuiting.
While all those moments are fun and dandy, 1-A can also be quite the chatterboxes and gossipy, especially when it comes to your feelings towards Bakugou. Believing that your relationship consists of mutual hatred, class 1-A constantly manages to tease both you and the blonde-headed male. Even All-Might manages to separate the two of you during training.
Although you never said anything against the rumors, it's quite humorous to see a school be so wrong in their thoughts. Is it not obvious that the glares the two of you send are not out of anger but endearment? Clearly not to Todoroki who claimed that Midoriya was All-Mightâs secret love child, but that's beside the point. Additionally, youâve yet to hear an accurate hypothesis as to why you and Bakugou would hate each other. Many of the theories revolve around Bakugouâs âanger problemsâ but honestly, who doesnât get mad?
Nonetheless, the rumors surrounding your alleged detestation toward the blonde sparked a little prank between you two. Pretending to hate each other until people catch on that youâre dating.
And the joke has been going on for quite a while, four months to be exact. Four months of pretending to hate in front of crowds, yet loving behind closed doors. Four months of experiencing the rush of adrenaline when you sneak around to his dorm room in the late hours of the night. Four months of leaving your friend groups to hang out during lunch. Â
Four months of waking up early to walk to class with Bakugou. And donât forget about four months of the blonde-headed male constantly breaking you away from your thoughts.
âOi Y/n, break out of that daze and letâs go, we have thirty-minutes before class and Iâd like to spend that time not pretending to hate youâ Bakugou calls while molding his fingers into yours.
âOh please, Iâm not pretending you know I hate your gutsâ You smile, leaning into the broad male walking towards homeroom. âDo you think today will be the same?â
âYes, those idiots could watch us kiss and still think we hate each other, though I canât complain, their oblivion is better than if they were to pester us about our relationshipâ he snarks.
Mindlessly nodding in agreement, you and Bakugou wander through the purple-stained floors of U.A., passing by random classrooms, and peering out the glass windows that overlook the campus.
After twenty-five minutes of strolling through the halls, Bakugou and you turn down the corridor leading to class 1-A, while unlocking hands and prepping for your fake and falsely-interpreted loathing glares.
âToday marks day ninety-six of the class believing we hate each otherâ you whisper.
âTheyâre hopelessâŠ.â
âBut if at any point, you want to stop pretending let me know⊠I wouldnât mind, jokes are funny but youâre my top priorityâ
âIs Bakugou Katsuki getting soft on me?â
âNo.. shut up-â
âAnd they're back at it again Ladies and Gentlemen⊠the feud between Y/n and Bakugou seems everlastingâ Kaminari calls sliding open the tall door leading to class 1-A. Way to ruin a cute moment.
âHonestly the two would probably be best friends if they didnât hate each other, they both like the same thingsâ Oh they wouldnât believe the interests you two share.
âYeah, but their personalities are so different, theyâre just not meant to be and thatâs fineâ What a shock your relationship would be then.
âIâm so glad that youâre interested in my ârelationshipâ with Lord Explosion Murder⊠but I have more important matters to attend to such as earning my education so that I can be a top pro-heroâ you remark sliding into your chair. Your comments are never intended to insult your boyfriend, but teasing his choice of a hero name couldnât hurt anyone.
Waiting for the remaining two minutes for class to start, you check your phone and see a message notification from a familiar contact.
Babe đ: storage room during lunch?
Quicker than your mind made a decision, your fingers donât hesitate to press the send button.
You: iâll bring the key    Â
----------
Bakugou was a master of three things. Okay maybe more than three, but three traits excel. His talent, his mind, and his ability to use his fingers.
Bakugouâs talent is tremendous and has been able to advance his goals of becoming a pro-hero. He acknowledges that he was born with such an extraordinary quirk, and has a flair for using it. Notwithstanding the maleâs breakdown and internal belief that he is inferior to his pre-quirkless childhood friend, Bakugou unceasingly exerts himself to be more than a student with talent.
His mind is magnificent and allowed Bakugou to comprehend multiple topics of interest. Placing third in the classâ midterm exam, itâs evident that he shines in academic settings. And though few peers in 1-A state that Bakugou fails in the social aspect, you claim the opposite. In their eyes Bakugou is brash, however, after spending time with the boy, you have viewed him as self-reflecting, with social skills that others cannot see. Â
While brains and talent may all be magnificent qualities of the blonde, nothing beats Bakugouâs ability to use his fingers. Combined with both his talent and his mind, Bakugou has the ability to make both inanimate and living things explode. And that isnât related to his quirk.
âYouâre imagining events that havenât occurred yet. Am I truly that talented?â
Flushed and blinking in a shocked manner towards the male in front of you, you ask him if his quirk was mind-reading.
âHmmm⊠No, but after seeing you so embarrassed Iâd love to have such a quirk so that Iâd be able to view the thoughts inside that mind of yours, but I was gifted with explosions... You, on the other hand, were blessed with the ability to swap items on your command. A quirk so useful, especially in times like these when I donât have a key to the storage roomâ
âOh please, just admit that you use me to gain entrance into forbidden roomsâ You tease, giving Bakugou the janitorâs key to unlock the storage room.
The male chuckles unlocking the door to the storage closet, âMaybe a bit, though you reap the benefits of getting itâ Change of thought, maybe he is brash.
Shutting the door behind you two, you finally express your raw emotions towards your boyfriend, engulfing him in a hug.
âI missed youâ
âYou came over my dorm last nightâ What an ass, couldnât he just accept your affection?
âYeah, but you go to sleep at like eight-thirty, which means I have to leave you dorm before then, and then Iâm stuck in my dorm with nobody to talk to until I go to sleep at midnight, thatâs about three and a half hours being aloneâ
âYouâre so clingy⊠it's cuteâ
âIs there anything else I can do to make you feel less lonely since I go to sleep at like eight-thirty and leave you aloneââ
Bashfully looking down at the floor rather than your boyfriend, you mumble your request.
Releasing the hug, Bakugou smirks, poking fun at your diffidence, âWith that ask, I don't think you can be shy⊠Are you sure that's what you truly want?â
Nodding your head you look up to the red-eyed male, taking in his dilated pupils. It's always been him that youâve desired.
Accepting your form of consent, Bakugou kisses you, enveloping your figure while you sneak your hands around his neck to deepen the embrace. And although the two of you are in a storage closet skipping out on lunch, the feeling of epinephrine dispersing within your bloodstream, inducing fast heart rates, is blissful. A salacious rendezvous with the man youâve come to love could never hurt anyone⊠as long as they didn't find out. Â
And if one were to catch you two, would they truly stop two aroused students halfway from committing adultery? Would a teacher not be embarrassed if he/she watched as Bakugou hurriedly zips down your green skirt in order to slide his fingers inside of your warmth? Or would someone scamper along hearing the lewd mewls arising from your throat?
âYouâre so loud Princess, we have to keep it down or else someone will hear us, okay?â
Yet the person to blame for such noises was Bakugou himself. One could imagine the boy having rough, unmoisturized hands from his explosive quirk, but his inheritance of glycerin allows him to easily travel in and out of you.
âYouâre close arenât you? I can tell. Your walls are contracting at a faster rate and tightening each time I pump my fingers into you. It's really hot too, especially knowing that the world believes you hate my guts when behind the scenes, I rearrange yoursâ. Â
Words cannot describe the pleasure Bakugou exposes you to. A thumb pressed against your clitoris, his middle and ring finger dug past your labia, and youâre unraveling beneath him. He has you under his full control. And how Bakugou feels will determine your release. An untroubled Bakugou can earn you multiple chances of release, whereas the current Bakugou youâre experiencing will rip your attempt at euphoria, despite you being almost there. Â
âKatsuki please, I was right there⊠Iâm so close you even said it yourselfâ You plead, wanting to reach a climax.
âI donât know⊠strenuous activities make me tired and I wouldnât want to upset you with the hour I may fall asleepâ Bakugou smirks while tasting his digits, âYou taste like caramelized sugar, I wonder where that came about?â
âSuki please, donât leave me like thisâ
âItâll only be for a little while babe, but lunch is almost over, we have to go back to class. Iâll help you out at my dorm alright?â
What more could you do but nod, put back on your skirt, and pretend to hate Bakugou once more in public?
----------
The walk back to class was internally embarrassing. Arousal saturated your underwear, heat filling up between your legs and left you with a foggy mind. You couldnât imagine pretending to hate Bakugou now when all you could think about was Bakugou hovering above you in his dorm room, aggressively ramming into your hole as you pleaded for mercy. But youâre in school containing students who are not Bakugou to distract you from your misery.
âY/n pay attention to me, and why do you smell like caramel?â Well shit, is the cat out of the bag?
Looking up at the voice calling, you smile faintly in means of apologizing and mutter an incoherent response to Minaâs question.
âSorry, and thanks I guess... It might be from the sweets I had during lunchâ
âI see, well since you like sugary foods we should go to the bakery today after school, Iâm sure the others would like to come tooâ The pinky bounces brightly.
âI canât today, sorry! Iâm super behind on work and barely understand what's going on in class, letâs go this weekend when Iâm free?â What a Lie.
Fortunately, the promise of a raincheck is enough for Mina to back off from the situation and accept your rejection. Today would have been a perfect day to go out with friends, yet the blonde-headed boyfriend of yours decided to be unfair, leaving you to crave his affection. Though, the school day would be over soon enough with only two periods following lunch. And only then would you be able to gain some type of relief.
As if that ideology would be so simple.
Bakugou Katsuki is a man full of pride --rightfully achieved, of course, meaning he knew how and when to push your buttons. Right now being one of those times.
Despite wanting to pay attention in your world language class, Bakugou made it very difficult to do so. Especially knowing that he is the cause of your phone silently vibrating every three minutes in your pocket. He doesn't want you to forget he is the cause of your erotic thoughts. Rather, heâll keep reminding you that he is controlling your excitement.
However, from the glance across the room, Bakugou didnât look like the lead in this relationship. His eyes were majorly dilated, with his red iris visually smaller in circumference. Additionally, a prominent cherry hue spread across his cheeks, that one may call flustered from afar. Although, only the two of you understood each otherâs physical response towards seduction.
Babe đ: you look dazed
Babe đ : I donât think thatâs the best for someone who wants to become a hero, don't you think?
Babe đ: this class is so important
Babe đ: âŠ
Babe đ : donât look at me
Babe đ: i'm not the teacher
Babe đ: your so cute trying to ignore these texts
Oh how badly you wanted school to be over
-------------
As the clock hit 2:45 PM, you watch everyone around you hurrying to leave the school and have freedom. And once five minutes go past, 1-A is a semi-empty classroom with two students remaining. Two hormonal, amorous, epinephrine-surged students patiently waiting for their peers to leave the school grounds, so that they can walk to the dorms together in peace. Â
Whilst hand-holding may be a shock to onlookers, if they had the capability to read your mind, myocardial infarction would sure to follow. Outstandingly too, if they did not foreshadow the events of you walking within the fourth floor of heights alliance and entering the second room from your left.
âYour room is so homeyâ You comment. Despite visiting the blondeâs dorm room on multiple occasions, the comforting aura never ceases to relax you.
âI would hope so, I donât want to be reminded that weâve been moved from our homes to our school campus in fear of malicious attacks against studentsâ Â
âThanks for that⊠truly an amazing choice of wordsâ You sarcastically remark. Not everyone needs a reminder of the traumatic incidents students of U.A. have been through, especially when it's clear that students of 1-A (and others) have not received enough therapeutic aid to cope with the events suffered.
One would think that Bakugou of all students would be most affected by trauma, starting from falling victim to the Sludge Villain incident, to being kidnapped by the infamous League of Villains, though he shows the opposite effects. While you cannot see inside the mind of Bakugou and tell if he is extremely traumatized by the incidents and is repressing his memories as a form of coping, you can see what he is physically doing. And at this current moment, you cannot see someone disturbed by his past, but impassioned with the ideas of what is to come.
Tossing your backpack to a discarded corner of Bakugouâs dorm, you throw yourself onto his bed, relishing in the comfort of his bedsheets. Youâve always loved his bed, your favorite moments with him have occurred there. Random naps while cuddling on Saturday afternoon, binge-watching cult-classics after a big exam, or simply having Bakugouâs powerfully built arms wrapped around you like they are now is unforgettable.
âI donât understand how youâre so built? We go to the same school, attend the same classes and both do athletic training. I mean Iâm not complaining because you definitely look good, but it's interesting how my figure compares to yoursâ
âThat's like me asking why youâre so attractive, it's just luck within life, plus I like your figure, it blends perfectly with mineâ. A man with such words can only follow with actions that prove it, and the blonde was sure to do so.
Except for when his phone goes off multiple times.
âI think you should check your texts, it may be importantâ
Halfway sliding off of your body, Bakugou pulls his phone out of his pockets to read his text messages. âIt's nothing important, Kirishima just wanted me to join him and the others to go to some bakery since you didn't want to goâ
âOh okay-â Again you were cut off by the sound of his phone going off, however this time, the alert was a long-lasting ring, signaling that Bakugou was receiving a call.
âHeâs so persistent, why would I want to go to a bakery when the best dessert is in front of meâ
Lightly throwing his phone on the floor of his dorm, Bakugou discards any form of human interaction outside of the bed, focusing his attention on the one he loves.
âYou know I really fucking love and care for you?â You do. You fully understand his love for you, from the way his iris shrinks to the rosy pigments formulating on his cheeks when looking at you. And youâve never once questioned his devoutness towards expressing his adoration for you.
In moments like these, where Bakugou gently strips clothing from your body admiring every crevice, you know the two of you are in love. The boy may come off as an entitled brat, but when push comes to shove, he will bend over backwards trying to make you feel happy.
âYouâre so mushy when you're in the feelsâ
âOh forgive me for wanting to praise my girlfriendâ
âIâm joking, but it is nice to know the feeling is reciprocatedâ
His silence you took as acknowledgment. âI love you tooâ was a phrase you didnât say often, it sounds too forced. Being obligated to say a phrase in return is meaningless when both parties understand each otherâs feelings. And it's even more worthless when the actions committed speak louder than words. Bakugou does not need to hear you say âI love youâ constantly when he knows you dragging the zipper down of his pants and springing free his cock from the restraints of his underwear means the same thing.
And when you free yourself from the fondling of your boyfriend to meet your lips with the tip of his enraged dick, Bakugou has fallen prey to submission. Having yet to insert the body part into your mouth, you take notice of the male in front of you. Cheeks flushes, head lolled back, visible veins peeking from his sand-colored skin, and light pants as a result of excitement. Hot. Â
One kiss to his head and you feel a little twitch. He wouldnât last long. Understanding that thought you decide to mess with the male, putting half of his length within your mouth and pumping the other half. It was a shame he toyed with you earlier, now heâd face the repercussions. Light squelches filled the quiet air, and Bakugouâs groans got increasingly vocal overtime. The combination forming a sexual melody awaiting to be abruptly paused.
Releasing your lips from the now wet surface of the blondeâs dick, you hear the annoyed groan of the male. âWhyâd you stop?â
âIâm sorry were you close?â
âObviously, but that doesnât answer my questionâ
âItâs just that strenuous activities make me tired Suki, and I wouldnât to make you upset if I accidentally fell asleepâ
Tch. The little sound of irritation fell from Bakugouâs mouth, only signaled one thing, rough sex.
âHow Iâve come to date such a slutty brat is beyond me. Getting back at me isnât going to help you in this situation. All youâll receive is a punishment, though knowing you, youâll probably enjoy itâ Â
Although enticed by the proposition, you failed to speak out after being muffled by your boyfriend. Your own skirt which the male had managed to take off earlier now laid scrunched up in your mouth. In addition to that, your arms were now constricted by a gold-rimmed belt.
And while whining in complaint about the new restrictions placed on you, Bakugou alters your kneeling position into one laying beneath him. The primal glare he sends you would signal fear to others, however, you know that the fun is only about to begin. Â
Widening your legs apart Bakugou spares no time plunging two fingers into you, stretching the pair apart. Despite being unable to speak, your moans are heard loud enough by your boyfriend to increase his speed. Every sound encouraging the male to continue to berate your walls.
Thinking that the punishment youâll receive is overstimulation by being one step away from ecstasy, youâre disturbed by the sudden absence of feeling in your core.
âI didnât say you could comeâ
Twice today heâd done that. One denial was not enough for him, and thatâs when you identified your mistake. Bakugou had the power to reject your advances to climax however many times heâd like. Maybe being a brat today wasnât the best idea. Â
Granted that Bakugou could undeniably be the most ruthless person when it comes to sex, today marked the first time heâd ever advanced into you without warning. The thrusts he implemented assaulting your hole. Even so, you wouldnât have it any other way.
âMy god Y/n, youâre so tight, so perfectly made to take my dickâ
âYou make it so easy for me to unravel within the warmth of your pussyâ
âFuck Iâm so close baby, Iâm sure you are tooâ
He wasnât wrong. The magnitude of the thrusts presented plus the physical restraints and multiple orgasm denials has sped up your ability to reach a climax. You were a mess underneath the man, hoping that soon he would grant you the gift of release. And by the looks of it, Bakugou would provide you with it soon. His cock inconsistently twitching in your warmth, notifying both you and him that he would come soon.
So when the removal of your gag began, you were not surprised. He was close and needed the extra aid of your uncovered moans to aid him to let go. Bare lewd noises ricocheted from the walls of Bakugouâs dorm, and you became thankful that Kirishima went to a bakery rather than located next door. Though had he been, he would have been overhearing an occasion so pornographic, one would think youâre in the business.
They wouldnât be fully wrong either. Whilst uploading an adult video while training to be pro-heroes sounds absurd, Bakugou has no problem taping to two of you in the act. It may be the idea of possibly getting the video leaked or a similar exhibitionist-like kink, but the blonde constantly acts to videotape during sex.
âThis would be perfect on video. The noises you make before you come are so fucking hot Iâd replay them until the end of timeâ
Yet Bakugou is gravely mistaken. Yes, the noises you exhale are angelic, but compared to the rugged groan he calls while releasing his load in you is divine, and never fails in making you follow suit. So when you recognize that tone in addition to the feeling of warmth coating the inside of your walls, you have no choice but to mirror his actions.
âYouâre so perfectâ He states, slipping himself from your cunt and delivering pecks to your lips while he unbuckles his belt from your wrists. Post-sex always has Bakugou sappy, but how could you complain. Â
Wrapping your freed arms around his neck, you pull the male closer to your embrace while nuzzling your nose into his neck. You felt the rapid pace of his heartbeat begin to slow down.
âAre you guys done, because I still havenât received a response from Bakugou about if he wanted to go to the bakery or not?â What the fuck.
âDid you not press decline when answering Kirishimaâs phone?â
âI thought I didâŠâ
âIs that a no or?â
âOf course it's a fucking no, and donât tell anyone else what you heard. Why were you even listen-â He hung up.
âYou think we can go another day pretending to hate each other?â
âNope⊠he definitely told the entire classâ
âThat's a shame, it was fun having them think I hate your gutsâ
âAwe how tragic⊠now get up so we can clean you off, heroes in training don't get UTIsâ
How sweet.
----------
The trek to school the next day seemed no different than the past. You woke up early to walk to class with Bakugou and strolled the corridors. Only this time while sauntering into homeroom, nobody greeted the couple at the door, rather class 1-A smiled awkwardly as you held hands walking to your seats. Although you wouldnât have known the reason for the tension in the classroom had Kaminari not jokingly mumble to Sero that he wouldâve never expected the blonde to be an exhibitionist.
âHm, if I recall correctly, I said not to tell anyoneâ
âIâm sorry my phone was on speaker when I called youâ Great.
#bakugou x reader#bakugo smut#bnha smut#bnha x reader#katsuki x reader#bakugou katsuki#bakugou#bakugo#bnha#mha#boku no hero academia#my hero academia#bnha imagines#mha imagines#bnha fanfiction#mha fanfiction#bakugou katsuki x reader#bakugo katsuki x reader#mha smut#bakugou smut#bakugou katsuki smut#katsuki smut#bakugo katsuki smut#bakugou imagine#bakugo imagine#bnha headcanons#mha headcanons
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forget you not (iv)
you knock on my door and tell me you donât wanna fight (or: inside jokes and invitations)
word count: 4.5k
a/n: part four of forget you not! this is the second to last part as it stands right now, but i am toying with the idea of writing an epilogue. i havenât made up my mind on that front quite yet, itâll probably depend on if thereâs any demand for an epilogue once the parts iâve got written are all finished up. anyway, the usual disclaimers: i didnât write any of the songs mentioned, they all belong to little mix, this chapterâs songs are here and here (no new ones this time, but i figure iâll link them anyway for the sake of easy access). here is a link to my ko-fi, which, as usual, is never an obligation. thank you for taking the time to read this, and i hope you enjoy!
warnings: more angst (surprising, right?), an author who is very bad at sketch comedy trying to write characters who are very good at sketch comedy
previous parts: one, two, three
With the red dot on the cameras blinking, you knew it was even more important now that you kept up that positive facade. You did your best to think about good things, hoping your smile wouldnât look too forced.
To your right, Shayne launched into an energetic intro where he explained the rules of the game and introduced you guys as guests. Once he had given his little speech, he turned to you, though his eyes were fixed on the partition over your shoulder. Still, his smile didnât waver for even a second. âSo, are you guys ready to play?â
You nodded enthusiastically and laughed in easy agreement as you were elected to be the first person in the stool. You filled your mouth with water and flashed a thumbs-up, and out came Alexis. She used an inside joke, which was probably cheating, but it made you spit your water out anyway.
The game went on like this for a while, until finally, the only person yet to try to make you laugh was Shayne. You braced yourself as he asked if you were ready, humming an affirmative and doing your best to keep your breathing even.
He came out holding a red telephone, which he set on top of the bongos.
âWatch this,â he said, flashing you a shit-eating grin. For a second, you felt yourself tilting forward into that grin, into those eyes. Your heart jackhammered in your chest. It was the first genuine smile heâd given you all day, and God it was beautiful. âHi, Dominos? Youâre my favorite pizza place.â
You knitted your eyebrows in confusion.
âWatch this though,â he said. He mashed his finger against the phone buttons and lifted it again. âHi, Pizza Hut? Youâre my favorite pizza place.â
And then he nodded at you a little, smiling expectantly. When you didnât laugh, he held up one finger. âWatch this though.â
With his free hand, he made a sort of waving motion in the direction of the partition, and out came Damien holding an identical red phone. He handed it to you and then went back to where all the props were. Shayne dialed his phone and made a little ringing sound effect for emphasis. You picked up your phone.
âHi, Y/N?â he asked. You hummed something vaguely resembling âhelloâ into the receiver, figuring you might as well play along with the bit. In the same voice, with that same shit-eating grin, he said, âyouâre my favorite singer.â
You werenât sure why, maybe it was the strange vocal inflection or the mirth in his eyes as he said it, but sure enough, you sprayed water all over the soundstage. Shayne laughed gleefully as you did so, and the sound of it made you forget to breathe for just a second; you hadnât heard that laugh in years. It made your chest ache to hear it again. In a sort of daze, you handed him your prop and he took it backstage.
Everyone came back out and you had to choose who made you laugh the hardest. You picked Damien, who had pranced out in an insanely tangled red wig with a stuffed flamingo in one hand, partially because he had made you laugh really hard and partially because you were trying to procrastinate Shayne's turn as much as possible.
Damienâs round passed quickly, and you managed to make him laugh after a few seconds. He chose Piper to go next, so she took her place on the stool. You went backstage with everyone else and started sifting through props to think of a bit.
And then Shayne fully took his shirt off.
You froze halfway through picking up a cowboy hat. You were pretty sure that anyone listening closely enough couldâve heard the gears in your brain grinding to a halt.
You wondered, if you started running now, how far into the ocean you could get before anyone noticed you were gone.
Carly nudged you with her elbow and asked you to help her with a bit, forcing you to turn away from Shayne, which was probably for the best. You took the opportunity to remind yourself that not only did he have a new girlfriend, but that the two of you didnât work. You never had and you never would.
And before you knew it, Piperâs round was over, and Shayne was up next. You felt a bolt of panic. You knew you could make him laugh, but you werenât sure how to go about doing it and you were rapidly running out of time to figure it out. Finally, you decided against every bit of logic you had. You decided to just go with an inside joke.
He probably wouldnât remember it, anyway. It didnât really matter. If you didnât make him laugh it wasnât the end of the world. At the end of that day, you were just here to promote the band.Â
At least, this is what you told yourself as you stood behind the partition waiting for your turn. But your hands were trembling anyway.
Your turn came up. Alexis gave you a little high five on your way out. You walked up to Shayneâs right side and leaned in close to him, careful not to touch him. You looked at him through your eyelashes and shifted your weight from foot to foot. âHey,â you said, voice low and sultry. Shayneâs brows knitted in confusion, and you feared for a moment that he had forgotten. You were probably only half-audible to the mics, but you didnât care. You were focused single-mindedly on making Shayne laugh. âI was just wondering⊠do you like tacos?â You were careful to drag out the vowels on the word âtacos.â You heard Damien start giggling behind the partition.
At least he remembered.
And then Shayneâs eyes widened and he surged forward as he tried to keep the water in. Your heart skipped a beat, though you couldnât quite pin down why.
âDo you like tacos, Shayne? Do you?â you asked, leaning a little closer. You felt more confident now that you knew he remembered the joke. âTell me how much you like tacos, Shayne.â
That did the trick. He sprayed water everywhere, shrieking with laughter as he did so.
Once the water was cleaned up, everyone else came back out from behind the partition and Shayne chose Alexis to go next.
After Alexis, it was Carlyâs turn, and then you were all done. You had even finished a little bit ahead of schedule.
Ian came over once the cameras were cut, smiling brightly. âThat was really good, you guys! Thanks so much for coming in today.â
âThanks for having us!â Alexis said. âIt was a ton of fun.â
You nodded in agreement but you were only half-listening. Shayne had somehow ended up right next to you during the outro of the video, and he hadn't made an effort to move away after the cameras stopped rolling. He was close to you, maybe a little closer than necessary, and that fact was all you could focus on.
As you were listening to Ian talk about when the video would be released, you felt Shayne wrap his hand around your forearm, squeezing lightly to get your attention. That one simple touch set your entire right side on fire. You felt like heâd lit off a fireworks display under your skin. You turned to face him, and you couldnât help noticing that he looked more than a little bit like a kicked puppy.
âCan we talk?â he asked. His voice was soft, a stark contrast to how loud heâd been just minutes before as you were filming the video outro. âJust for a few minutes, please?â
At these questions, a knot of mixed emotion -- fear, anger, a little misguided hope -- gathered in a knot at the base of your spine and squeezed so hard you went lightheaded with it.
You glanced around for Michelle, who was watching you like a hawk. You tilted your head toward Shayne and shrugged. She nodded.
âOkay,â you replied. In all honesty, you werenât sure why you said yes. You didnât know what he could possibly have to say to you. Your mind raced with all the worst-case scenarios; that he would rub his new girlfriend in your face, that he would say something mean or insulting, that he would tear down what little you had managed to build yourself up. You wrestled those ideas into submission, though. Shayne had made his mistakes, but he had never been intentionally cruel.
He led you back through the office until he found an empty conference room. You closed the door behind you as you entered.
âWhatâs up?â you asked. You cringed as it was coming out of your mouth. Really? Whatâs up?
Now that you were alone, some of his forced Funny Man bravado seemed to crumble away. His shoulders slumped and the shine went out of his eyes, and the look he gave you was sad, exhausted.
You felt like the earth was rotating the wrong way, like God had vacuum sealed the room shut, like Saturn was crashing into Jupiter and imploding on impact.
âI, umâŠâ he mumbled. He shoved his hands into his pockets and chuckled nervously. For a moment, you were reminded of the first time heâd asked you out. Youâd both been so young then, and he had been all nerves and goofy smiles. You knew even from that first conversation that you were a goner. âI shouldâve planned out what I was gonna say, huh? I had all weekend to think about it.â
âYou donât have to say anything,â you said. âThis weekend has been⊠a series of really fucking weird, awful coincidences. You donât have to, like, apologize. Weâll just chalk it up to being a series of unfortunate events.â
His brow furrowed and his head tilted slightly, which really intensified the whole kicked puppy vibe he had going. Your heart ached, and there was a moment where the muscles in your legs twitched, where your body tried to move itself over to him without your brainâs consent.
You stayed rooted to your place.
âWhat?â he asked, voice small, barely even audible over the hum of the air conditioning.
You shrugged. âItâs okay, Shayne. Iâm not, like, upset that you moved on --â
Bold-faced lie number one.
âWait,â he said, but you couldnât hear him over the blood roaring through your ears.
â-- and Courtney seems really nice, so Iâm happy that youâre happy --â
Bold-faced lie number two.
âNo, just --â he tried to interrupt you again, but you kept going.
â-- and Iâm sorry that we had to see each other again in this context, itâs been⊠really fucking weird. But that doesnât mean you need to try to make it better, okay? Donât worry about me.â
Bold-faced lie number three.
Before you could conjure up more ways to end the conversation and escape the room, Shayne took a halting step forward.
âCourtney and I arenât dating,â he said. Your mouth snapped shut as your brain slammed on the brakes. âWeâre just friends. I went to the concert with her because the person she was supposed to go with canceled last minute and she couldnât find anybody else.â
Oh.
âAnd Iâm sorry we had to see each other again in this context, too, but not because I want to patronize you by telling you that Iâm sorry things didnât work out. I mean I am sorry things didnât work out, but not in like a My Life Is Better Now, Sorry About That kinda way --â he stopped, faltering, obviously unsure of how to put his thoughts into words.
Oh.
âI mean, if anything, youâre the one whoâs better now; --â wait, what? â-- youâre successful, doing what you love, surrounded by your friends, and youâve clearly moved on. --â wait, what? â-- But I just wanted to talk to you because⊠I donât really know why, honestly. Because a part of me is still twenty-one and in love with you, I guess.â
So that was what it was like to have every organ in your body simultaneously crushed under a hydraulic press. Interesting.
You couldnât think of anything poetic to say, so you settled for what seemed the most pressing. âYou think I cried on stage singing Towers, a song I wrote about you, because Iâm over you? You think Iâm the one whoâs moved on?â
He shrugged meekly. âI donât know. That was just one song. You sang a hell of a lot of other songs about how you donât need a man, about how your life is great. And those arenât bad things! They were really good songs, but I just assumed --â
âCarly and Alexis wrote all those songs,â you said flatly. He fell silent. âI just sing them.â
There was a moment of silence that seemed to last an eternity, and then there was a knock on the door. âCome in,â Shayne said, his eyes still locked on yours.
A tall brunet man with a thick beard opened the door and stuck his head inside. âHey,â he said. âThereâs a meeting in here in five minutes.â And then he looked between the two of you, and his eyes narrowed. You figured the tension in the room was so palpable, even a stranger could pick up on it. âEverything okay, Shayne?â
âYeah, itâs fine,â Shayne replied. âWeâll be out of here in a minute. Sorry, Matt.â
âNo problem,â the man, Matt, said. He nodded at you in acknowledgment, seeming more than a little confused at your presence. The door closed softly as he left.
âItâs probably for the best,â you said. âMichelle will have a coronary if Iâm gone for too long. Places to be, people to see, insanely specific and personal questions to answer.â
He laughed a little bit, nodding, and for a moment the heavy awkwardness that had settled in the room seemed to lift just slightly. âIs your number still the same?â he asked.
âYeah,â you replied. âWhy?â
âIâll text you my new address. Um, if you can, if you want to, it would probably be good for you to come over tonight to talk a little more. I can order some dinner for us. Only if you want to. I just donât think⊠I donât want to leave things this way.â
A sudden bolt of anger streaked through you, fiery hot. You clenched your jaw. He didnât want to leave things this way? He had no qualms with leaving things this way when heâd let your entire relationship go down the drain all those years ago. And now he just got to waltz back in and invite you over for dinner and pretend he didnât cause you the worst heartbreak youâd ever felt? After you had finally gotten yourself close to okay again, he got to come back in and ruin everything, knock you right back down to where you started? That wasnât fucking fair.
âI donât know if Iâll be able to,â you said, and it wasnât a lie. You still had one more interview after leaving the Smosh offices. Youâd be completely worn out by the time that was done, especially on top of the exhaustion from the emotional rollercoaster that youâd boarded against your will.
âIâll send the address anyway,â Shayne said. âDonât feel pressured to come. If you donât, I completely get it. You can delete the text and block my number if you want. I swear that after this Iâll never bother you again. But just in case.â
âOkay,â you replied. You really didnât want to argue with him. You just wanted to track down Michelle and the band and go on your way to the next interview and try to forget about everything that had happened in the last three days. âFine.â
He nodded and pulled out his phone, and after a moment you felt your own vibrate in your back pocket. You wondered briefly if he had your number memorized, which would have been kind of weird, or if heâd just never deleted your contact information. The notion that the latter might be true made your heart skip a beat.
Once he had repocketed his phone, he looked up at you. There was a moment of lingering silence where it was clear that neither of you knew what to say.
Finally, you lifted your hand in farewell. âItâs been, um⊠it was good to see you again, Shayne.â Bold-faced lie number four. âBye.â
âBye, Y/N,â he said.
Doing your best to ignore the tightness in his voice, you walked past him out of the room and scurried off to meet up with the band. You found them talking to Courtney, Damien, and another girl that you didnât recognize. She was about Courtneyâs height, Chinese, with brown hair and eyes.
âReady to go, Y/N?â Piper asked.
âI think so,â you said. You turned to Damien and nodded your head over your shoulder. âGot a minute for goodbye?â
He nodded and the two of you retreated away from the rest of the group, not leaving their view but definitely out of earshot. âIâm sorry I couldnât warn you,â he said.
âItâs okay, Damien, really,â you replied. You reached out to squeeze his arm reassuringly. âThis weekend was wild for everybody involved. At least we got to see each other again, right? This has been really nice.â
He grinned and pulled you into another bear hug. âYeah, it has been,â he said, and you felt it as a rumble in his chest more than you actually heard it. When you parted, he left one hand lingering on your arm and squeezed lightly before it dropped to his side. âCall sometime, okay? Iâve missed you.â
âWill do, Dames.â You glanced over your shoulder and saw Michelle looking at you expectantly. She tapped her wristwatch. You sighed. âI gotta run. Iâll see you around.â
He nodded and said a final goodbye before you turned to make your way back to the band. You noted on your way that Shayne had returned from the conference room. He was talking to Courtney and the brunette now.
You ignored the feeling of his eyes on you as you walked out of the offices and into the LA sunlight beyond.
***
Shayne came back from the conference room a few seconds after you did. He did his best not to watch you and Damien saying goodbye, did his best to push down the surge of jealousy as you hugged him. You were smiling up at him and it seemed easy, carefree. It was like youâd just seen each other yesterday. He wished he could be like that with you, even though he knew why he couldnât. He was doomed to sad smiles and airless rooms and awkward tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.
If time travel was real, heâd go back to that final night with you and kick his own ass.
Damienâs hand on his shoulder startled him out of his self-loathing. He turned to face his best friend and didnât bother concealing the hurt on his face; Damien would see right past it even if he tried.
âYou okay?â Damien asked. Shayne let out a strangled laugh. Of course he wasnât okay.
âI feel like somebody tried to wring all the water out of my body,â he replied.
âWhatâs up with you today?â Courtney asked, and Shayne startled. Heâd sort of forgotten she was there.
Shayne sighed. He figured he might as well tell her; sheâd probably find out at some point anyway. That or sheâd piece it together herself.
âY/N and I used to be a couple, way back when,â he said. Courtneyâs eyes went almost comically wide. âAnd it⊠didnât end very well. Seeing each other again has been really fucking weird for both of us.â
âThatâs why she cried when she sang Towers,â Courtney said, more to herself than to anyone in the room. She looked at Damien. âIs that why you know her? âCause of her and Shayne?â
Damien shook his head. âMe and her were friends first. I introduced them.â
Courtney nodded slowly, obviously trying to process this new information. âOh,â she said. Shayne couldnât tell where her brain was (he rarely could). If he had to guess, heâd say she was probably combing over her every memory of the past weekend and looking for any indications of the history between you and Shayne. Sure enough, she continued after a moment: âthatâs why she looked so constipated when we were at the photo op, and why you âneeded some airâ halfway through the concert, and why you got all weird when I put my arm around your shoulders before, and why you disappeared after --â she stopped, her brows furrowing for a moment and then raising suddenly. She smirked. âWhereâd you go after you finished filming, Shayne? You both came back pretty much at the same time.â
âCourtney --â Shayne said, voice scolding, trying to get her to stop whatever hellish train of thought she was getting onto.
âYouâre still in love with her, huh?â Olivia said. Sheâd been silent for most of the conversation, but she was looking at him like she could see into his soul. Shayne froze. Was he that fucking obvious?
âStill in love with who?â Ianâs voice to his left startled him.
Courtney and Olivia stopped talking now, which Shayne was grateful for. They at least had the decency to let Shayne tell Ian on his own. Everyone looked from Ian to Shayne and back.
âUh --â Shayne said. âI, umâŠâ
âIs this about whatever weird shit is between you and the girl from the band?â Ian asked. Shayne threw his hands in the air, frustrated. Did the whole world know? Was he that easy to read?
âHow did youâŠ?â
âIâve known you for almost five years, Shayne,â Ian replied. âYou looked like you wanted to die during that entire shoot. There were a couple of moments it was so bad that I almost asked Courtney to come in and take your place. But the crew people said it didnât come through on camera, so I just chalked it up to the fact that I know you so well. You also left with her right after we were done filming. Putting two and two together here doesnât exactly take a rocket scientist.â
Shayne sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair, which made it look even more insane than it usually did. âWe dated years ago. The way it ended was my fault. I shouldnât have broken up with her. I shouldnât have let her go. She was⊠she is one of the most amazing women Iâve ever met. This weekend has rubbed everything I did wrong right into my face.â
âIs that it, then?â Courtney asked. âShe walks out of here and you let her? After the universe, fate, whatever you wanna call it put in all the effort to bring you together again⊠you let her go? You repeat your biggest mistake?â
Shayne had to force down an anguished sound at that. He knew Courtney was trying to get him to chase after you, but in reality, she was probably right. You wouldnât want to come to his apartment to talk things out. You wouldnât want to see him after everything. You wouldnât forgive him. And he didnât deserve your forgiveness, anyway. You were absolutely right to ignore the invitation.
âI asked if she would come over,â he said. He was trying to be hopeful. But heâd seen the way your eyes narrowed when he invited you to his place. Your jaw had dropped and then tightened in that way it did when you were torn between anger and disbelief. âIf she does, maybe we can talk things out. But itâs been years. I donât know if sheâll⊠I donât know, you guys.â
He was breathing, that much he knew, but he was sort of starting to wonder if someone had poked a hole in his trachea because he was pretty sure the air wasnât making it to his lungs. He looked around at his friends, all staring at him like he should know the answer, like he should be able to just whip a magical solution out of his ass and call it a day, a happy ending with a neat little bow.
âIâm gonna take a walk,â he said, a little louder than necessary, because the room was suddenly way too fucking small. Before anyone could object, he walked quickly away from the group and down the hall until he found an empty soundstage. He slumped against the wall and slid down onto the ground. The events of the last three days were piling onto his shoulders like bricks. Memories of you were branded onto his brain and he couldnât stop replaying them, a highlight reel of what heâd had and what heâd lost. You, years ago, laughing and looking at him like he was the only person in the room. You, years ago, standing in the living room, looking at him like heâd just driven a knife through your heart.
In an instant, he felt like Atlas, holding the weight of his own mistakes. Holding memories both good and bad; your first date, your first kiss, your first fight. You had said âI love youâ first because he wasn't brave enough, and youâd looked terrified as you did it, like you were afraid heâd laugh at you and push you away. Youâd always looked half-scared, he realized; scared of rejection and pain and heartbreak. And heâd gone and thrown those fears right back in your face.
It took about three seconds for Shayne to collapse in on himself. He barely made it to the couch before his knees gave out on him. He stared up at the ceiling for a long while, desperately trying to process whatever the hell had just happened.
You were gone, and the apartment felt empty without you. It was a new type of loneliness, one heâd never experienced before. He felt a little like his chest was caving in and little like he was astral projecting, like he wasnât quite contained within the walls of his body. He reached for his phone and sent you a barely-coherent text, apologizing and asking you to come home. And then he texted Damien and asked if he was home. He needed someoneâs company.
He stared up at his ceiling while he awaited a response, considering all the things that had led him to this newest, most monumental fuck-up. Suddenly, the time heâd forgotten your birthday made him look like Boyfriend of the Year.
And then he reached into his pocket and he produced the little blue box heâd gotten just yesterday, and he opened it and looked at the ring inside. Not too flashy -- he didnât have the money for any big diamonds, and youâd once joked that you didnât want your engagement ring to weigh five tons. He smiled at the memory and traced his finger over the small diamond at the center of the ring.
God, what the fuck had he just done?
Shayneâs head thumped against the wall behind him, and he cried.
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Week in Review
03/17/2024 â 03/23/2024
Sunday
Week 6 of missing Cipher Academy.
Finally got around to watching the new Drag Race episode, and it was fine. At least it was better than last week⊠Plane Jane trying so hard to read Dawn was funny, when I also thought that Planeâs dress was pretty basic and barely even fit the brief. The mini challenge was fun â it seems like theyâre going to make this a regular thing going forward, and I think thatâs a good idea. It really showcased how well Sapphira knew the other girls lol The maxi challenge was also okayâŠI did have to skip Mhiâya and Dawnâs presentation because I canât stand secondhand embarrassment, but the others did relatively well. I know a lot of people were up in arms about how Plane and especially Q shouldâve won, but I found their set a littleâŠoverly rehearsed and over the top to the point of being alienating. And their jokes were just okay. Sapphira and Nymphia also had pretty okay jokes, but Sapphiraâs charisma just draws people in, and I think thatâs what gave her the edge. And, if Iâm being really honest, itâs extremely funny to see Q so shocked at Sapphira winning, and it looks like thereâll be an entertaining fight about it next week. The Mhiâya and Morphine lip sync wasâŠinterestingâŠthe cape throw was certainly a move⊠It was a nice cap on the Mhiâya and Morphine rivalry storyline, I suppose, but as a lip sync it just felt awkward to watch.
Watched Nijigasakiâs 4th Live, Love the Life we Live while I did some reading, and it was pretty cute. This batch of solos were all decent, and I loved seeing Shu Uchida performing â she looks like sheâs having a lot of fun and is super in her element. Seeing Akina Homoto perform is also great, and Lanzhu hasnât had a bad solo so far. The cat ears for Happy Nyan Days were cute, the Santa capes for Twinkle Town were cute, and the Osaka-ben for MIRACLE STAY TUNE was fun. A decent live overall.
Manga Sunday time! Undead Unluck continues to deliver on the lore and the stakes raising â itâs hard to imagine actually losing anyone in this loop after the failure of the last loop, so Iâm glad to see Tozuka finding ways to still make each victory feel earned and against insurmountable odds, because otherwise the victory lap would go on for way too long. Iâm excited to see what Language can do, and how Nico and Ichico will counteract her. This loop looks like itâll be a battle of wits between the two Round Tables, and thatâll be a blast to watch play out.
RuriDragon is more of the sameâŠonce again the dialogue writing is really verging on cringe and alien for me, and for such a story light/character driven narrative, itâs making me want to drop the series entirely⊠Okay, one more week, and then Iâll decide.
LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OKAY I TAKE IT BACKâŠOR RATHER, OSHI NO KO SAVED ITS ENERGY PULLING ALL THOSE PUNCHES JUST SO THIS ONE WOULD LAND LIKE A TRUCK⊠I mean, I do appreciate Aqua and Rubyâs relationship on a level of like, it must be somewhat comforting to Aqua to see a patient he failed in his past life living out her dreams nowâŠbut man, I have no idea how theyâll move forward with this storyline or resolve the incest of it all⊠Are we to expect that Aqua and Ruby are actuallyâŠlovers now? And that theyâre just going to go through their whole lives hiding this relationship from the worldâŠ? I imagine Aqua will put an end to it eventually, but Ruby doesnât seem like sheâll ever give up, soâŠ? And man, if this movie came out in the real world I feel like thereâd be people pushing to stop its release due to the on-screen actual incest kiss LMAO WellâŠeither way, Iâm in it for the long haul just to see how the story ends, so. Also side note but the art was really cute this chapter. They were really building up to this, huh.
Magilumiere fine.
Chainsaw Man⊠The Guillotine Devilâs design is super cool.
Woah⊠One Piece⊠seeing the Five Elders in their true monstrous glory is amazing⊠I especially like Bakotsu, the skeletal horse. But wow, this truly feels like an all-out war at this point.
Godddddd that was the best SpyFam chapter in a long whileâŠI actually laughed out loud at the comedy for once, and the climactic payoff was so moving⊠Itâs enough for me to want to do a livetweet of the chapter: I love Loid practically breaking his arm to marionette Anya around, and her childish need to show off just added to the comedy. The obstacle course was also cute, complete with Anyaâs secret talent of âmoving weirdly.â And then thereâs Loid panicking at the quiz, only for Anya to obviously excel â but I do appreciate that she wouldâve gotten the last question even without her mind reading (in this moment, at least), because sheâs genuinely gotten to know Damian better. This whole competition thing was pretty silly, but it was a nice way to find an excuse for Damian and Anya to dance because Damianâs pride wouldâve never let him do that otherwise. AND THEN SUDDEN HENRY/MARTHA SHIP FODDER????? I guess I shouldâve expected it since theyâre both named characters who are single and of the same age bracket, but damn I didnât expect to actually be fedâŠI love seeing weird side pairings, and Marthaâs super cool, so this was a fun surprise. AND THEN THE DAMIANYA DANCE itâs so cute⊠Loid leaving Anya to handle the situation on her own because he trusts her⊠Damian and Anya actually having a private conversation without their usual hostility or tsunderism or friends butting in with their own assumptions⊠Damian letting some cracks in his armour show and Anya noticing this⊠ANYA DECIDING TO TELL HIM SHE CAN READ MINDS AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THIS IS THE MAJOR STATUS QUO SHIFT I WAS DESPERATELY WAITING FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course Damian wouldnât believe her right away, but I hope to god it doesnât take another hundred chapters for him to be like âwaitâŠthis literally explains everything about why sheâs so weird.â Itâd be so cool if he and Anya could share this secret, and maybe they could even help each other out if they ever face something like the bus jacking again⊠Anyaâs weakness has always been that she doesnât have the skillset to effectively use the crucial information she can gather, so if Damian could help her strategize, I think that would make for some really fun developments. But for now, Iâm just glad we seem to be moving forward.
Watched through the Karen Bee arc in Nisemonogatari, and it wasâŠokay? I find it hard to follow some of Monogatariâs long winding conversations sometimes⊠Like, why does Araragi say that Karenâs conviction isnât enough because sheâs fighting for other people when heâs literally doing the same thingâŠ? Why put down her self-sacrificing tendencies when Araragi was literally ready to give up his life to save a random vampire he just metâŠ? And why was this enough to convince her to back down? I like Kaiki as a villain, and I like his jaunty little theme song and his tired sounding voice, but why did he agree to leave town so easilyâŠ? Maybe his motivations will be answered later on? Was he lying about leaving? But surely Araragi and Senjougahara wouldâve realized that he was just saying heâd stop so that theyâd leave him alone? It often feels like Monogatari is operating on a level of specificity and pedanticisim that leaves me feeling lost, because all this high-minded talk of being right or wrong or enacting the ârightâ kind of justice or enacting justice for the ârightâ reasons just feels sort of likeâŠat a certain point, Iâd rather see some actions being performed rather than long diatribes about how and why certain actions should be performed. I donât know, Iâll go read some essays I guess, but I feel like Iâm just not getting into the groove of Monogatari the way so many people seem to have done. I do like Araragi and Senjougaharaâs insane little romance, though, and the way Senjougahara is so unrelenting but he accepts her anyway. Senjougahara and Hanekawaâs relationship is also interesting, and it seems like that branch of the love triangle will be explored further so Iâm looking forward to it. And oh my god Iâm so glad I watched things in novel order, because I wouldâve been so much more confused if I hadnât watched the Kizumonogatari films before this.
I do wonder, sometimes, if Iâll ever actually truly love Monogatari. I love Cipher Academy a lot, so I wanted to give Monogatari a shot as Nisioisinâs supposed magnum opus, but seeing people heap praise onto Bake and Kizu and not feeling particularly strongly about either of those series gives me pause⊠I guess itâs just like, none of the philosophical questions that Monogatari has posed so far actually interest me? I donât really like altruistic to a fault protagonists who would do anything to help anyone no matter what, and thatâs literally Araragiâs biggest character flaw. And the show supposedly explores this flaw of his, but so far it hasnât really given him any lasting consequences. And while I can relate to Hanekawa in certain ways, (and honestly some parts of her emotional turmoil parallel mine a little too well) I still havenât really gotten emotionally invested in herâŠperhaps because I tend to just compartmentalize and move on, while her compartmentalizing comes back to haunt her. And now Niseâs theme of real versus fake feels so boringâŠit seems obvious to me that after a certain point, if oneâs tangible features and or actions are indistinguishable between real and fake, then it doesnât matter if one had the intention of being a fake. In other words, intentions mean little in the face of tangible reality and how oneâs actions actually affect others. This seems fairly basic, but it looks like weâre going to take 11 whole episodes to spell it out, so it feels a little frustrating. I donât knowâŠI really want to like Monogatari, but itâs just not hitting.
Did some reading of the second book in Pseudonymous Boschâs Secret Series, If Youâre Reading This Itâs Too Late, andâŠI guess if I were to make comparisons to Mysterious Benedict Society again, it would be this: in Benedict it feels like the kids are rising to the challenge of the adults and the real stakes they pose, but in the Secret series it feels like the adults are lowering themselves to the kidsâ levels in order to give them a fair shot. Itâs satisfying to read Benedict to this day because the kids have to be genuinely resourceful and clever enough to not just solve puzzles but to social engineer their way out of harrowing situations with what resources they have. In the Secret series, the adults may threaten the kidsâ lives, but as long as the kids conveniently know rope escape tricks or have some special gadget or can solve a basic riddle, theyâll succeed. Itâs just not as compelling to readâŠbut Iâm a bit stuck because I actually own the third book in this series (childhood birthday gift) so I feel the need to read through the entire thing to see if I still like it. Granted Iâm still in the first half of this book, but already the puzzles donât feel that well thought out â first off, why give Max-Ernest a literal magic decoder that would either render all puzzles moot or require a âoh it wonât work for This puzzle because of this or that,â rendering it useless?? Just donât put it in the book⊠Secondly, youâre telling me that Cass has perfect pitch (so that she could sing the song accurately to Yo-Yoji) AND she takes oboe lessons, but didnât even think to transcribe the notes to see what they said until the resident new kid mentions being in a band???? God, I had issues with Baccalarioâs Century series and Andrew Clementsâ Keepers of the School series, but at least they had some puzzles that felt like actual challenges instead of just being solved by happenstance or extremely basic lateral thinking. Also I wish Cass and Max-Ernest had some more personalized motivations as to why theyâre doing all these things â just wanting to go on an adventure and become a part of a cool secret society isnât enoughâŠat least Century had one of their friends in mortal peril and Keepers had their whole school at stake. Also also I always liked how in Benedict, the kids being key agents in the plan to the save the world seemed to pain Mr. Benedict due to the danger it would put them in, but there was good reason as to why only children couldâve done it, and they went into the plan knowing the risks. Here, Pietro all but shoves the Magic Item du Livre at Cass and gives her some vague âonly you can do itâ platitude before seemingly throwing her into the deep end with the Midnight Sun, who already know where she and her friends and family live and could harm her at any time. (Speaking of which, what was the point of sneaking into her house and retying the floss she had set-up as a detection mechanism if youâre just going to leave her torn up sock puppet on her bed anywayâŠ) I know itâs pathetic to complain so much about a childrenâs book, but hey other childrenâs books have done it better, so why canât this one? Kids (and weird adults like me) deserve good literature too.
Monday
Work
Tuesday
Work
Wednesday
Work
Thursday
Iâve been grinding this work thing nonstop with little sleep and about one meal a day, but I didnât want to miss DunMesh ThursdayâŠplus, Senshi would be disappointed with the way Iâve been living lol so I decided to splurge and order some chicken tikka masala, and the local Indian place was nice and gave me some free naan to boot. Unfortunately the episode itself was a little underwhelmingâŠ? I didnât like some of the directorial choices like the weird trajectory of that one digital zoom or the lack of impact for Marcilleâs dark magicâŠthe blood bubbling up to form Falinâs body was cool, but I was missing some of the darkness and solemnity that the scene had in the manga. Also Iâm so sad that Laiosâ hug was also pretty nerfed, his expression was so complex and layered in the manga but the anime only gave it about one single second of airtime⊠The bath scene was also missing some of its subtle ominousness from the manga⊠I donât know, the vibes in this episode were just off to me, it felt like Falinâs return sunk in way too easily. But itâs nice seeing more of who Falin actually is and how she fits into this group, and Laios subtly bragging in that older brother kind of way was so cute and demonstrative of their bond.
Read the latest chapter of Asada Nemuiâs Living Dead â I donât have much to say about it but Iâm nervous for Nogami getting too close to the truth.
A Second Goodbye to You finally endedâŠwhat a disappointing story this turned out to be. Whatever vague time travel rules the mangaka established just get thrown out the window completely as Hinata jumps around and teleports to key moments and locations in order to prevent disaster (which makes all of his earlier struggles with getting to certain places as a teen or as a kid feel so pointless). And on top of all that, he gets to relive his high school days and Sora gets away from his parents somehow (even though Hakuraku no longer being a part of their lives really shouldnât have affected this much), and everything just magically and conveniently works out for everyone. I think the earlier part of this manga was intriguing because it could often shock the reader with sudden violent twists, but when it came to actually explaining what was happening and peopleâs motivations, it just completely fell flat. OooOOoOh heâs EVIL because he loves DEATH and DYING and wants to turn it into ART like this is some 12 year oldâs conception of a âcrazyâ bad guy. For annoying me so much, Iâll give it a 2/10.
Friday
Drag Race was okayâŠI kind of donât get how these room design challenges relate to the skillset that a drag queen needs other than like, improv comedy I guess? Q being heated continues to be very funny, especially as Sapphira and Plane Jane get a team win. It feels like Nymphiaâs chances of winning are slipping further and further away, but I hope I can be proven wrong. But also, to echo the words of literally every single tweet in the Drag Race tag today, they really set Dawn up with that song.
Daraku Kazoku-ron caught my eye for being an interesting take on the âtwo guys raise a kid togetherâ BL â I normally donât really like them when theyâre overly fluffy and moe-focused, but this one has been enjoyable so far. I like that Meguru isnât just a cute kid but a little surly, and has her own opinions on the situation and how her mother treated her. The two guys already having a history gives their inevitable relationship a stronger base to stand on, and there are some actual themes of self-improvement and scenes of the two trading their differing philosophies that I appreciate. I also like that they didnât cheap out on Toumaâs shady occupation and heâs actually a yakuza, which should make for some interesting story developments in the future. Iâm looking forward to the rest of this one.
Saturday
Work ahhhhhhhhhhhghhhhhhhhhhh
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Top 20 BEST Animated Series of the 2010s-8th Place
Itâs funny. Four years ago, there was no doubt in my mind that this show would easily make the top five best-animated series in the last decade. But the more it went on, the more...controversial it got. However, despite all the hate this next series has been getting recently, I still believe that thereâs something to be desired within it.
#8-Steven Universe/Steven Universe: Future (2013-2020)
The Plot: For years, immortal warriors known as the Crystal Gems have been defending the Earth from anything that seeks to do it harm. Until one day when Rose Quartz, the Gems leader, had fallen in love with a human named Greg Universe. From that love, Rose gave up her physical form to bring her son, Steven, into the world she was sworn to protect. Taking guidance from the other Crystal Gems-Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl-Steven will try his best to grow up into the same warrior that his mom was. But as he learns more about the Gems and his mother, Steven will soon realize that heâll have to grow up far faster than he thought.
Right out the gate, I should mention there's a 60%-40% chance that youâre either going to love this show or think that itâs pure garbage. And honestly, I believe it all depends on perspective. Like the quality of most shows, the enjoyment depends on the viewpoints you chose to take with it. Some people will look at specific decisions as well done, where others will see it all as a mess of storytelling. For instance, one person can make a two-hour-long video about how Steven Universe is garbage, and another person can make a video arguing about how it isnât. Everyone has different reasons why they like or hate something. If you genuinely hate Steven Universe or think you might not like it, that's perfectly fine. I just hope youâll give me the chance to explain why I personally enjoy it, and why I think it deserves all the adulation it has.Â
For instance, the main thing I really enjoy about Steven Universe is its style. From the designs, to the animation, to even the music. Everything about how Steven Universe both looks and sounds leave me awestruck. First is the showâs designs of both the backgrounds and characters. Nearly every part of the world in the series looks absolutely amazing, fitting seeing how the Crystal Gems fought for Earth due to its beauty. There are also times when lore and backstory can be seen through the backgrounds, giving some fantastic utilization of visual storytelling. Such as when the Crystal Gems visit war zones and temples that theyâve spent years fighting in, showing hidden secrets that can make much more sense by later episodes. As for the character designs, they all look pretty good. Each character has a dynamic and unique style, making them all fun to look at. Itâs even better when the characterâs personalities are shown throughout their entire designs. I especially love how the artists managed to get creative with how real life crystals (lapices, bismuths, and jaspers) will look like people when designing the Crystal Gems and their enemies. However, I should first mention that Steven Universe is another show where the art style depends on whoâs storyboarding the scene. While not as bad as OK KO: Letâs Be Heroes, it can be pretty distracting given how character sizes and proportions are inconsistent. Regardless, I still like how good the designs look for a majority of the characters. And at a practical standpoint, I think itâs great that the artists kept the figures as simple as possible as it makes animating the characters a lot easier.
Speaking of which, I really like how Steven Universe is animated. Itâs not entirely groundbreaking like The Amazing World of Gumballâs or as fluid as Wander Over Yonderâs, but the animation in Steven Universe is still pretty dang good. The characters' movements look believable, and the expressions each one makes is downright amazing to see. It gets more aspiring for the showâs fight scenes. You can almost feel each punch, jab, and slash that the characters trade with each other, and the fights themselves are pretty fun to watch. As for the action itself, Steven Universe might just have the most creative action set pieces Iâve seen from any animated series. Case in point, there is an entire fight scene thatâs also a fantastic song at the same time.
On the topic of songs, let the record show that showrunner Rebecca Sugar really understands music. I say this because Steven Universe has some really great music in it. From background music to full-on musical numbers, this show proves how important melodies are in a series. Look at the background music, as it not only does a suitable job at making audiences feel the right emotions but also sounds really good when isolated. As for the character motifs, each note perfectly encapsulates the character's personality that itâs meant for. Like Pearl, who has a piano melody to show off her classy and orderly personality, and Peridot, who has a more 8-bit tune to her leitmotif as a way to show off her tech side. And since we branched into talking about 8-bit, there are times when this showâs soundtrack sounds like it belongs in a really cool video game (Google Lionâs and Obsidian's themes if you donât believe me). As for the actual songs in the show, Steven Universe has a pretty good selection. As they can be beautiful and downright awesome to listen to. And even though the show uses songs to develop the characters and story, these musical numbers can still be pretty fun to listen to on their own, with no context (most of the time).
But while a show's style is essential, itâs the substance that truly matters. And here is where we go back to the discussion of perspective. To some viewers, you might think that the substance in Steven Universe is handled well, where others...Well, I think itâs pretty obvious how they might feel.
Letâs look at the story because Steven Universe actually has an intriguing and compelling story...Or at least it does when it tries to eventually tell that story. Whether youâre a person who either loves or hates the series, everyone can agree that the slice of life episodes are easily the showâs weakest. Personally, I donât mind them, and thatâs because I view these episodes as giving me a choice between eating a chocolate cake or a carrot. The story-driven episodes are a chocolate cake. Their sweet, delicious, and Iâm always craving more after just having one piece. As for the slice of life episodes, theyâre like carrots. I can eat a carrot. I can digest a carrot. I might even enjoy a carrot. Hell, there are times when Iâm willing to ask for another carrot. But if youâre going to give me the decision of a carrot over a chocolate cake, then Iâm always going to pick the chocolate cake. Even if I enjoy episodes like âLaser Light Cannon," âToo Short to Ride," and âAlone Together," they can never hold a candle to âJail Break," âReunited," and âChange Your Mind." This is because the slice of life episodes give off a sense of distraction from the main story. After all, they rarely add anything new (read: meaningful) to the tale. And going back to the carrot and chocolate cake analogy, thereâs one aspect that doesnât do the slice of life episodes any favors. You see, where most shows feel like you have to eat the carrots before having the chocolate cake, half the time Steven Universe feels like you can skip most of the carrots and go straight for the chocolate cake instead. And Steven Universe isnât the only show to try this. In fact, tomorrow Iâll be talking about a show that perfected this idea. But tomorrow's series manages to make both the story and slice of life episode the chocolate cake instead of the carrot. And it has everything to do with the fact that the characters care about the situation theyâre in. There are actual moments in the show where Crystal Gems refuse to participate in everyday antics because they simply donât think those antics are worth their time. Which is something you never want to do. Because if the characters donât care, then why should the audience? Speaking of the characters--
I want it to be known that I like the majority of the characters in Steven Universe. Greg, Connie, Peridot, Amethyst, and Garnet are all enjoyable to watch in their own way. Not only is their development on point, but their personalities are all likable, and their issues are also relatable. Itâs three other characters that things get a little iffy. Those characters being Steven, Pearl, Bismuth and Lapis. If you ask me, I like these characters, and I think itâs fun to study/analyze their personalities. However, these characters make decisions that audiences are either going to hate or love. Itâs sort of like that optical illusion of the old lady/young lady (Google it). Some people can see the ugly old hag, where others will see the beautiful young woman. Youâre most likely going to see one or the other, and it isnât until someone else points out what you couldnât notice that you are capable of seeing both. Itâs something very similar to Steven, Pearl, Bismuth and Lapis. One response is that youâre either going to see characters who are selfless heroes that are victims of circumstance. The other is seeing toxic idiots who cause more harm than good to the people they love.
And then there are the people of Beach City. These are mostly hated by both fans and critics of the show. Personally, I donât hate most of them. Donât get me wrong, characters like Lars and Ronaldo deserve every ounce of hate they are given (Although Lars does get better). As for the rest of the Beach Citizens, I donât think they are that bad of characters. In fact, I think theyâre good characters placed in the wrong show. Some of them have issues that most people deal with (Sadie, in most of her episodes), where others seem to be slightly layered and almost intriguing (Mr. Smiley and Onion in âFuture Boy Zoltronâ and âOnion Gangâ). In fact, if these characters were a part of a different series, Iâm sure people will be more willing to watch their struggles. It's just compared to the Crystal Gems and company, the people of Beach City are not as interesting to watch or dissect. And because of this, the show drags down to a screeching halt whenever it focuses on these characters.
And the most controversial element of these characters is (semi-spoilers ahead) when the show tries to pull off redemption arcs. Steven Universe seems to work off the logic that nobody is evil, just misunderstood. Thereâs both a right way and a wrong way of illustrating that logic, and Steven Universe, unfortunately, does it the wrong way. And the best way for me to describe how to do this idea is to use the game Undertale as an example (Iâd warn you about spoilers, but odds are you already know everything about that game). In Undertale, you play a character who fell into an underground prison full of monsters, and you have to find your way back to the surface. The monsters you run into give the impression that theyâre dangerous and want to destroy you (or at least most of them do). However, the game allows the player to interact with the world and characters around them, soon discovering that the monsters are more complex than one might think. In fact, the game allows you to actually interact with monsters who tried to kill you, showing the logic and reasoning as to why. By the end of Undertale, you learn that every character you encounter is not the villains in the story, but rather victims of a war that forced them away from the surface. Steven Universe has a similar idea but fails to do it properly. All it reveals is that the villains have done bad things, realize that theyâve done wrong, and decide to have an out of nowhere change of heart by the end. The problem is that except for one character, the turnarounds donât feel earned. Instead, they feel forced than anything else.
These elements are what make Steven Universe slightly controversial to enjoy.
(And also the ridiculous amount of hiatuses. But thatâs not really an issue I have with the show, but the network running it.)
But if there is one thing I hope we all can agree on, both the pessimistic and forgiving, I think itâs safe to say that the best thing about Steven Universe is how important it is for the LGBTQ+ community. There may have been kids' shows in the past that hinted at same-sex relationships and they deserve some respect as well. But I'd say itâs Steven Universe that popularized the idea with the characters Ruby and Saphire. Not only are these two downright adorable together, but they also manage to be enjoyable characters on their own (Even though it isnât often you see them apart, but their personalities still shine through). And Iâm willing to make the argument that itâs because of these two why childrenâs animation is less afraid, but still cautious, of being explicit with having same-sex couples. Like I said, most shows decide to hint at these relationships, so they don't get in trouble for doing so. Nowadays? Most of Cartoon Networkâs series seem to have more gay relationships than most childrenâs networks in recent memory. Nickelodeon allowed The Loud House to have gay parents in a children's cartoon, and one of the main characters being canonically bisexual. Hell, even Disney is currently taking steps in the right direction with their smash hit called The Owl House. Now, more than ever, kids can learn at an early age that gay relationships are more than just acceptable, but theyâre also completely normal and should be accepted as such. And Iâm more than willing to give Steven Universe credit for giving this trend the push that it needed, like other creators for these shows usually point fingers at it as well.
Is Steven Universe a perfect show? No. But that doesnât mean I think itâs garbage. There are some legitimate faults that this series has, some of which Iâm inclined to agree with. But with all the good it does and how much fun people have while watching it, I canât really say I hate this series. If you think youâll hate this show, you have every right to. I canât change how you feel, but I can ask you to keep an open mind. Because who knows? You might be someone who will find the diamond in the rough of this series.
(Now thatâs a pun youâll be willing to appreciate by the time you reach season 5).
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Title: Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not? Part Summary: Romanâs crush on Virgil is developing rather quickly over the years and heâs having a hard time keeping his feelings to himself in fear of ruining their friendship. But one chilly evening in October, he decides to take a chance and who knows? Maybe Virgil feels the same Words: 1788 Part 1Â / Part 2
Commission piece I did for @space-captain-lars Commission Info If you like what you read, consider supporting me on Ko-fi
After that first magical encounter, Roman and Virgil started a tentative friendship that quickly grew into something close when they discovered a lot of shared interests, like their love for Disney, the arts, and though Virgil would vehemently deny it, musical theater. Itâs led to late night discussions and sleepovers at each otherâs houses, and it wasnât long before Roman could proudly proclaim that Virgil was one of his very nearest and dearest friends.
There was also the little problem of his little crush on Virgil. What started as a small flame in fifth grade grew to a full blaze by the time they hit high school and his feelings were getting harder to hide. The more he learned about him, the more time they spent together, the quicker he fell. But if Roman was one thing, he was determined, and he was going to use that determination to keep his feelings close to his chest and not let Virgil know in fear of ruining this wonderful friendship they found themselves in. What if he confessed and Virgil didnât feel the same? Heâd ruin this easy camaraderie and that was something he couldnât bear to see happen.Â
So what if one of his favorite things to do was to make Virgil laugh, to see a smile stretch across that beloved face and his eyes scrunch up in delight. So what if the sound of his laughter was in his top five favorite sounds? He most certainly not pining, thank you very much Remus! Except even though he would deny it, he knew it was true. Hell, everyone probably knew, except for Virgil. And that was okay, really. If he repeats it enough times, maybe heâll start to believe it.
It was hard though when theyâre sitting out on the roof of Virgilâs garage, his bedroom window open behind them and soft music playing the Hamilton soundtrack from Virgilâs laptop. It was a weekly ritual theyâve taken up since starting high school, every Friday night theyâd hang out at one of their houses, doing homework together and just spending one on one time together after the stresses of the week. Once they finished any homework or project, they might put on a movie, to sit outside and just talk about anything and everything that comes to mind, or play silly little games to just screw around and have fun.Â
Like on this fine Friday evening, the second weekend in October and the air is crisp, and the leaves were beginning to change colors on the trees. Virgil had climbed out onto the roof without his hoodie, and Roman, being the generous soul that he was, offered up his letterman jacket for him to wear instead. It was a bit too broad in the shoulders, and the sleeves went past his hands, but the sight of him in it, with his My Chemical Romance shirt and spiderwebs skirt, made Romanâs heart skip a beat and he was more than okay with being a little cold if it meant he got to sit here beside such a sight.Â
âOkay⊠Would you rather kiss Alex from the Drama Club or Logan?â The game of choice for tonight was picking two of their classmates and picking whoâd theyâd rather kiss, whether on the cheek or otherwise was up for debate. Theyâve been at it for a good thirty minutes and werenât allowed to pick the same person twice, so they were beginning to run out of options.
Virgil hummed thoughtfully, leaning back on his arms as he watched the sun slowly sinking over the horizon. The way the light made his eyes glisten was a little distracting and Roman almost didnât hear his answer. âIâd have to ask Patton first, but Iâd give Logan a kiss on the cheek if heâd let me.â
Roman nodded in understanding, knowing he would have picked the same thing if he had been asked. Logan joined their little friend group around the beginning of freshman year and Patton took to him rather quickly despite his standoffish behavior. No one knew how it happened, but Patton bounced into school one morning and announced that they were dating and heâs been so happy ever since. Logan was also slowly learning to be more open about his feelings, even though he did prefer his space, but being around Patton was good for him. They were good for each other.Â
âWould you rather kiss Patton or Dorian?â Virgil asked, turning to look at Roman with a raised eyebrow like he already knew the answer. And he did, because it was obvious.
âPatton, of course! Who wouldnât want to kiss that happy ball of sunshine?â Roman waved a hand through the air dramatically to help emphasize his point. It really was obvious, Patton was one of his dearest friends. Dorian was an asshole who liked to pick on the love of his life. There was no contest.Â
Virgil huffed out a laugh, dropping back to lay back flat on the roof, arms cushioned behind his head as he looked up at the sky. Roman watched him fondly for a moment before deciding to take a chance, be bold and ask the question he really wanted to know the answer to. Nerves twisted in his stomach, but he pushed them down and squared his shoulders. âWould you rather kiss⊠me or Remus?â
âRemus of course.â Virgil answered without hesitation, giving a little shrug, and Roman felt his heart sink. âThereâs just something about the way he always smells like a mix of nacho cheese and cinnamon that just really appeals to me.âÂ
âOh, yeah. Of course. That makes sense.â He was barely able to keep the disappointment of his voice and he wasnât so sure he succeeded when Virgil turned to look at him.
Virgil huffed out a laugh, pushing himself to sit up fully and turn to face Roman fully. âYou donât actually think Iâm serious, do you?â He let out a small, disbelieving sound when his question just got a little shrug in response. âRemus is so not my type, and I definitely do not want to fight Veronica for him.â
Roman couldnât really fault him for that, if he was being honest. He didnât want to fight her either. Veronica Clarke was on the kickboxing team and held the undefeated title since she joined freshman year. Remus and she have been dating since the summer before high school and he had once commented how he liked having a girlfriend who could kick his ass.Â
âIâd much rather kiss you.â Virgil said matter-of-factly before letting out a little sigh, crossing his legs and looking at Roman curiously. âOkay, last question before we head inside. Would you rather kiss Remy⊠or me?âÂ
Roman will admit to being rather clueless in the past, but even he couldnât mistake the blush slowly spreading across Virgilâs cheeks and he could feel his heart speeding up in anticipation. âWhat if I was to say Iâd rather kiss Remy?â he asked, voice a little quieter than he would have liked.
âIâd say youâre lying.â Virgil leaned forward slightly, a shy, uncertain look in his eyes. âI might have been imagining it, but I was thinking, maybe, you might kind of like me?âÂ
Romanâs heart was racing in his chest, had he really been that obvious? But wait⊠Virgil knew then? And was okay with it? He could feel his brain struggling to process the fact, feeling like it was almost too good to be true. âI.. um.. Yeah. Yeah, I do.â
Virgil gave a little nod, a small smile tugging on his lips. âGood, good.â He bit his lip, looking away a little shyly. âSoâŠ?â He trailed off.
Roman raised an eyebrow, heart melting a little at how cute Virgil looked. âSo?â he prompted, leaning forward slightly, curiosity dancing in his eyes.
Virgil bit his lip, a little hesitant, more than a little shy. âAre you gonna kiss me or not?âÂ
Sitting there, with Virgil, the setting sun hitting him just right and making him look like he was glowing, and Roman gladly tripped head over heels into fully in love with him. He wasted no more time, lifting a hand to gently cup Virgilâs chin, turning him towards him as he pressed their lips together. The kiss was light, chaste even, lasting only a few moments before they were pulling back and he rested their foreheads together. âYou have no idea how long Iâve been wanting to do that.â His heart was thrumming happily in his chest and he couldnât help but smile, feeling so happy and content in this moment that he never wanted it to end.
Virgil huffed out a laugh, brushing their noses together gently. âI have an idea.â His voice was soft, and he shifted to press their lips together again for a longer kiss, an arm reaching up to wrap around Romanâs neck and hold him close.Â
This kiss lasted significantly longer and Roman could easily sit out here for hours if they could, just trading soft kisses and heâd happily whisper sweet words of love and adoration if he could. And he was about to, until a shot of cold water shot him in the side of the face and he jerked back with a gasp, turning to glare at the bedroom window and the grinning Remy who was holding a squirt gun, aiming it at them.
âRemy!â Virgil hissed, frowning at his twin in annoyance. âWhat the hell was that for?!â He had been enjoying that!
âHad to break up this little love-fest, but mom says itâs time for dinner and she wanted me to come get you.â Remy said with a little shrug, and stepping away from the window now that heâs completed his mission.
âThat sneaky little -â Virgilâs annoyed mumbling was cut off by Roman stealing one last kiss before moving back, giving him a little smile. That little action resulted in a smile, so he considered it a win.
âCome on. We should get heading inside anyway.â The sun was almost fully over the horizon and once it was gone, it was going to get cold fast and Roman wanted to be nice and warm inside before then, maybe cuddled up to his boyfriend (?) and watching a movie before he had to head home.Â
Virgil let out a little sigh but agreed, moving to crawl back into the house and Roman followed. He moved to turn the music off when he stopped, finger hovering over the pause button as âHelplessâ played. âHow fitting.â He thought, a little smile on his face as he stopped the music, but continued to hum along as he followed Virgil downstairs.
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hey! i noticed that youâve written a lot about how voltron fails as a mecha series, and it got me curious about what a GOOD mecha series looks like. do you have any recs for someone whose only experience with the genre, quite literally, is voltron?
note: that is NOT where I wanted the cut. who knows what the devs are doing over there at tumblr hq.
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Welp, thereâs more than one kind of mecha. Thereâs super robots -- where (in general) the robots are ultra-powered and relatively indestructible. Then thereâs real robots, which will break down and/or run out of ammunition at the most dramatically critical moments. And then thereâs a category that at best might be nearly-sentient robots, which have minds and motivations of their own -- but I wouldnât say thatâs a true category (in terms of the genre) so much as a distinction I've noted.
Iâve never been big into the super robot series (with a few exceptions), and I mostly find the combining robot genre to be frustrating. Former mechanic and engineer who currently works with AI, so a lot of the hand-wavey aspects are frustrating for me, especially in super robots where things mysteriously repair themselves and thereâs never a struggle to upgrade/repair. (And donât even get me started on the idea of controlling a bipedal reactive machine with only two foot pedals and a damn joystick.)
Which is all to say, I suppose I should recommend that you watch the classics, except Iâm not really sure what they are because Iâve forgotten most of them. And frankly a lot of them are really shoddy animation by todayâs standards, and life is too short to waste time on that. Iâll need to refer you along to other mecha fans to add their recommendations, instead.
Well, I can at least recommend Gundam and Macross, but thatâs kind of like saying I recommend Doc Martens and Aididas -- that barely narrows it down, since thereâs so many options within each brand. Everyoneâs got their favorites in each, as do I, but any mecha series thatâs stayed with me is one that found a way to either twist the core trope, or explored implications that other series glossed over.
Note: Iâve never seen any version of Eva, and never felt the urge to, either. Sorry. Ask someone else for input on that. Plus thereâs also ones Iâll leave off here âcause theyâre veering over into AI/robots/tech and less what would usually be called mecha, but theyâre still worthwhile: Battle Fairy Yukikaze, Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex, Broken Blade, Last Exile, and Voices of a Distant Star all come to mind.
Gundam
For me, I adore the technical geeky touches in Gundam F91, but the story is total spaghetti, so you might want to skip that until youâre more familiar with the gundam tropes. (It was meant to be a series, iirc, got shut down, and they took the pieces and made a movie from it, so itâs... kind of compressed, to put it mildly).Â
Gundam Wing and Gundam 00 are considerably less geeky on the technical (though they do satisfy the mechanic itch, with a bit more real robot, at least on the technicalities). I like the international core cast, and the way each series explores geopolitical dynamics. (That said, skip the second season of Gundam 00. It just goes totally off the rails into some really wild and wacky directions.)
A long-running concept like Gundam is recognizable across the series thanks to core concepts, and in Gundamâs case itâs the conflicts between imperialism and colonialism, war versus justified rebellion, and pacifism versus a first-strike as self-defense. What I liked with Wing and 00, in particular, was its central pilots felt more tied to (and aware of) the political ramifications of their actions.
I did watch about half of Iron-Blooded Orphans, which struck out in a new direction by having Mars as the colony instead of the lagrange points, but didnât bother finishing. From what I hear, watch it with a box of tissues, as itâs a return to the classic kill-em-all perspective of the original Gundam series.
Macross
Iâm sure someone else will tell you to watch the original Macross (the american version being Robotech, albeit highly edited). I know lots of people adore the first Macross series, but itâs just too late-80s for me. (The hair, my god, the hair.)
Personally, I prefer Macross Frontier -- the amination is much improved, though the fact is I also adore the voices of Yuuichi Nakamura and Aya EndĆ. Macross has some politics, but itâs mostly internal -- that is, the opponents arenât human, so whatever debate there is about whoâs right or wrong is mostly one-sided, since we only ever see humans doing the talking.
I tried to watch Macross Delta but it just didnât do it for me -- and therein lies some of the issues (for me) with both Gundam and Macross. Because both have some core elements that they tackle in every series, it can start to feel a bit repetitive.
For Macross itâs always music, Valkyries (the mecha type for Macross), and a love triangle -- which sometimes isnât even resolved. (Iâve read all kinds of debates about whether Alto ends up with Sheryl or with Ranka, but the series leaves it open.)
A good writer can explore these themes over and over, but between the two, I personally think Gundam has done a bit better of pivoting to take a new angle with each series. But at the same time, Gundam is pretty consistent about not building on a previous series -- with a few notable exceptions, most of its series are alternate-universe stories to each other. In Macross, theyâre all continuations of the previous -- so if youâre not into its setup about aliens and weird diseases and whatnot, youâre only going to get more of the same in the next series.
Everything else
So hereâs the series I like, but Iâm not sure all of these would be counted as âtrueâ mecha by other fans (a debate I mostly ignore, so Iâll leave it to others to argue about that).
Escaflowne -- one of the rare breed of fantasy-styled mecha (Broken Blade being another one that comes to mind). The animation is strongly 80s, but the voice acting is superb, the story (originally meant to be longer, then budget cuts forced a much longer story to squeeze into half the episodes it really deserved).
[Itâs also a series Iâd call a harbinger, similar to tripping over little-known movies from twenty years ago and realizing every single actor including walk-on parts went on to be massive names. Escaflowneâs got that, but that also extends to its animation team, its director, its composer, on and on. All of them went onto work on some of the greatest hits of anime. That makes Escaflowne immensely (if quietly and somewhat subtly) influential, both for the genre and animation overall.]
Eureka Seven -- another not-on-Earth story. At first the mecha movement -- almost like surfing in the sky -- was odd, but they took some interesting physics concepts and made them not just worldbuilding, but integral parts of the story. Okay, Iâm not keen on how the female lead gets successively down-graded as the hero ramps up, but there are some emotional implications of Massive Destructive Machines where Eureka Seven lingers that a lot of other series gloss over.
Fafner in the Azure -- another aliens-against-humans, but first off, Iâm gonna say it: you either love Hisashi Hiraiâs character designs or you want to torch them with total prejudice. If you can get past that, Fafner is brutal to its characters well beyond most other series, excepting the earliest Gundams. Although (of course) the pilots are all kids, there are in-story reasons, and there are still adults running the show. And there are consequences, small and large.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion -- because what would life be if we didnât have at least one mecha series with character designs from CLAMP. (Which, admittedly, I loathe, but somehow it worked here.) Canât speak for the second season, but the first season played up something a lot of mecha bypass for just plain banging on each other, which is strategy. It caught me at the time, at least.
Full Metal Panic -- watch this after watching Gundam Wing and/or Gundam 00, to get the tropes theyâre playing on with Sousuke Sagara (the ostensible protagonist who just cannot seem to relate to real human beings). I saw one description of him as âabout as well-adjusted as a feral childâ and that kinda fits. Itâs more real robots, and of course parts require some hardcore suspension of disbelief (the commanding officer who looks 14, sounds like sheâs 12, and has boobs that never occur in nature on a frame that teeny). But all told, a lot of fun and plenty of explosions.
RahXephon -- this is another oddball one, because the mecha arenât mecha, theyâre golems (as in, creatures made from clay). For all that, thereâs a lot of significant mecha influence and tropes at work. Itâs held up pretty well, animation-wise, considering its age (from 2002). and while itâs the same âstrange aliens attack earthâ plotline, it spins all that off in a completely different direction.
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (aka Gurren Lagann) -- donât watch this one until youâve seen plenty of others, though, because itâs a fondly affectionate send-up of nearly every possible trope from combining to super to real robots. Cranked up to eleven.
Knights of Sidonia -- of all the ones on this list, KoS is possibly my most favorite. It was an early all-CGI series, and a lot of people were turned off by that, but once you get used to it, the story can carry you along. Like Macross Frontier, it takes place in deep space, where a colony of humans fight for survival with an incomprehensible (and nearly unstoppable) alien foe. But KoS is true science fiction, with a lot of solid science driving its dramatic points. Also--unlike most of the others series--although the characters are technically human, theyâve also evolved as a result of their time in space. For one, they have three genders, for another, they donât eat; they photosynthesize.
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I think prompt #82 would be cool! Anyway youâd want to take it. Maybe pregame where they both are at a party? Honestly I love your writing and I think you could do something cool with it! Fluff/Angst/NSFW whatever youâd like! Preferably a happy ending of some sort of possible! Thanks for the consideration!
Wow. I am so so SO sorry this took so ridiculously long to write. I hope you enjoy it anon. I had most of it written a while ago, but doing the WIP challenge I found it and decided to finish it! Again, so sorry it took forever. Itâs ingame, not pregame, so I hope thatâs okay!
The Party
Words: 4613
Prompt: 82. âYouâre really drunk right now. I donât think youâre gonna remember any of this.â âIâm not drunk at all. Youâre just blurry.â
Summary: Shuichi goes to a party! Drunk shenanigans ensue!
âSo, Saihara-kun, did you decide whether you are coming to my party tonight?â Shuichi jumped at the sudden presence of a young girl standing in front of his desk.
âA-akamastu-san,â Stuttered the startled detective, as Kaede leaned in inquisitively. âUmm, yes, Iâll be there.â
The ultimate pianist pumped a fist in the air in triumph. She turned around towards the other side of the classroom and shouted to a group of students talking and laughing amongst themselves.
âSaihara-kun said heâll come tonight!â
âThatâs what I like to hear from my sidekick!â responded Kaito, who proceeded to flash a smile and his signature thumbs up. Maki gave a curt nod of approval from next to him.
The rest of the students congregated near Kaito and Maki gave similar nods and words of praise followed by a few cheers of approval.
Shuichi blushed, âMe being there w-wonât make much of a difference on the party. I-itâs really not a big deal.â He felt himself hiding his face in the cap that rested loosely on his head.
Kaede could tell he was growing anxious from being the center of attention. She took his hand in her own and pulled him out of his chair.
She gave him a warm smile as he rose, and he slowly responded with a small, nervous grin.
âWeâre all just thrilled that youâve decided to hang out with us outside of school! There are no expectations of you at this party, we just want to hang out with you, Saihara-kun!â
Shuichi breathed a small sigh of relief as he felt his body relax just a bit. While attending Hopeâs Peak High school for the past few months, he had managed to grow close with several of the students. He considered that an incredibly impressive feat, as he was terribly intimidated by his fellow Ultimates. After all, he never thought he deserved to be at the school, as his first case was a mistake that haunted Shuichi constantly. This inferiority complex accompanied with his social anxiety (especially in group settings), made hanging out with his classmates outside of school a fear-inducing scenario.
After a few words of encouragement from Kaito, the group began to go back to their previous conversation. Kaede nudged Shuichi and spoke quietly where only he could hear, âIâm so proud of you for going to this, and hopefully youâll have a wonderful time! I know youâre nervous, but thank you for facing that fear for our sakes!â
Shuichi cringed at her sweet smile.
I wish my intentions were that pure.
Shuichi was not going to this party for Kaede. He was not going to this party for Kaito or Maki or any of his supportive friends. He was going strictly to investigate. There was a thorn at his side, an unexplainable enigma of a person that perplexed him. It was equally bothersome and intriguing, and when Shuichi caught wind that he would be attending Kaedeâs party he had made up his mind to overcome his anxiety for a night and go to learn more.
This party isnât a social event for me Kaede, Iâm sorry. I just need to figure him out. I need to know his motives and what heâs thinkingâŠKo-
âSaihara-chan  ̎!â
Speak of the devil.
Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader, also known as a consistent source of Shuichiâs distress, skipped into the classroom, a childlike smile adorning his pale face as he made his way to the detective. The green haired Rantaro Amami followed behind, sighing like an unenthusiastic babysitter.
âOma-kunâŠI t-told you, that nameâs too girly for meâŠâ Shuichi sighed, knowing that insisting that Kokichi use proper honorifics for the umpteenth was useless.
âWell kun is way too harsh to describe a pretty boy like you!â Kokichi spoke in a sing-song tone, but his face held a mischievous smirk.
Shuichi blushed involuntarily and Kokichiâs eyes lit up.
âIs my beloved Saihara-chan falling for me?â After the words left his mouth he suddenly got closer and his eyes face darkened as he whispered, âWhat happens if the detective falls for the supreme leader of evil?â
âO-oma-â
âNyeheehee!â His face was back to his regular devious smile, and he leaned back from the detective, hands resting behind his head, âAs much fun as it is to torture you, I actually came because Rantaro told me that you were coming to the piano nerdâs party tonight!â
Rantaro shrugged as Shuichi looked at him. The green haired boy had an unnatural talent for being the first to know anything. He always had the most popular music, clothes, and anything else that was trendy months before it became mainstream.
Maybe Rantaro should have been known as the Ultimate Hipster instead of the Ultimate Adventurer⊠But wait, he wasnât even here for that conversation! How did he-
Rantaro, seeing Shuichiâs confused expression, lazily nodded in the direction of a tall boy sitting in the back of the classroom, âShinguji texted me.â
âOh okayâŠâ Shuichi responded, not knowing that the two were even friends. He turned back to Kokichi, âYeah, Iâm going to the party.â
Kokichiâs face lit up, âThatâs great! Iâm so happy I wonât even poison your drink like I was planning! Iâll still poison Miuâs though, since I heard that doing random acts of kindness helps build a stronger community! I mean freeing everyone from a long-term headache is pretty kind, donât you think?â
âShut up, Cock-kichi!â screamed the abrasive inventor, running over to the boy at the sound of her name.
The two started flinging vulgar insults at each other and Shuichi decided that that was a good enough distraction to sneak away from the situation. As the detective took step out the classroom door, he glanced back at the two fighting. He locked eyes with Kokichi. The boy grinned that conniving grin as he mouthed:
âSee you tonight.â
Shuichi rushed out of the room, irritated with Kokichiâs deliberate flirting just to take him off guard. He had a purely professional interest in Kokichi Oma. As a detective it was his duty to find out if any of his claims about running a massive evil organization and committing crimes were true. He didnât think so, but he needed to figure out how to tell if Kokichi was lying. He wasnât obsessing over a classmate.
I have a moral obligation.
He told himself that as he had watched the supreme leader during class the entirety of last week. Shuichi sat behind him, so it was natural for him to look that direction. He had watched how he interacted with different people, physical reactions, and facial features, but hadnât come to any clear conclusion on the boy having a âtellâ. He wished he had more opportunities to stare into Kokichiâs large violet eyes, not because he thought they were mesmerizing, but to get a read on the boy of course. It also didnât help that Shuichi had no baseline. Since Kokichi lied about everything, there were no clear truths or lies to base a pattern from. Kokichi was truly a mystery for Shuichi to solve. A mystery Shuichi needed to solve.
A mystery wrapped in white cotton and soft purple hair, smelling slightly of lavender.
And so it was in his unquestionably professional interest that he attended the party that night.
--------------
He arrived at the venue an hour after the party began, as he had read somewhere that thatâs the cool thing to do. Rantaro opened the door, holding a red solo cup in hand and smiling wider than Shuichi had ever seen him before.
âWelcome to my humble abode!â he swayed, definitely tipsy.
Although Kaede was throwing the party, Rantaro had offered his off campus flat (special permission was given to him by the school to stay there instead of the dorms) as a venue for the party. It seems that one of the benefits was that the students could drink freely without worry of getting caught drinking on campus.
âCome on in, make yourself at home! Drinks are over in the kitchen!â Rantaro sauntered off, zigzagging through the many people contained in the modestly sized flat.
So. Many. People.
There were more people than just Shuichiâs classmates. It seemed as the entirety of Hopeâs Peak was crammed into the two bedroom apartment. The music blared and a blur of unrecognizable faces practically swallowed the detective. He inhaled sharply.
You can do this.
He nervously stepped into the mass of people, following the flow of steps and desperately looking for any friendly faces. His panicked anxiety causing him to forget his true motive for being here almost immediately. He ended up in the kitchen, the sound of Kaitoâs loud voice drew him like a magnet.
âDamn it, howâd you win again?â Kaito yelled, an exasperated Maki lightly holding him back from flipping over the beer pong table.
The fluffy haired blonde at the other end of the table smiled kindly at the shouting astronaut, âIâm sure youâll beat me next game! Iâm worthless, nothing compared to an actual ultimate such as yourself!â the boyâs eyes got wider and more wild and Shuichi took a step back instinctively, âMy luck is bound to run out soon, so when it does please use me as a stepping stone to bring hope to every beer pong enthusiast in the universe!!!!!â He cackled.
âKomaeda, you need to chill with giving that hope speech to everyone we meet⊠youâre really hurting our friend retention rate,â a brunette male mused next to the still manically laughing blonde. He took the boyâs hand and said quieter, âAlso⊠youâre not worthless.â
Little did the brunette know, that Kaito was too competitive to back down from a challenge, even one from a self-deprecating hope-enthusiast.
âOh itâs on! Maki Roll, you ready to play one more round and beat this punk?â Maki sighed in anguish and glanced up, locking eyes with Shuichi.
âSaihara!â she said uncharacteristically enthusiastically, âYou just got here right?â
âHey guys, yeah I just got here,â Shuichi walked up to the pair.
âPerfect. Kaito, meet your new partner.â
âEh? But-â Shuichi was instantly silenced by the intense glare Maki shot him. She quickly pushed the two closer and dashed off, avoiding various people and obstacles with reflexes faster than what should be capable of the ultimate child caregiver.
âHaha! I guess Maki Roll got sick of me!â Kaito chuckled, âI guess we have been playing for a while now... but this kid is just so annoyingly lucky⊠Thatâll change soon if I keep playing!â
I need to remind myself to never take Kaito gambling.
It turns out that Kaito and Maki had been playing beer pong since the party began.
No wonder she got out of there. I guess Iâm stuck now, but this is way better than standing around not knowing what to do with my body.
Nagito threw the first ball, and it plopped softly into a cup.
âNewbies take the first drink!â Kaito cheered, patting his sidekick on the back. Shuichi sighed and took a drink of the amber liquid. The cheap beer went down his throat with only a mildly repulsive aftertaste.
And, as an added bonus: For the first time since he arrived, Shuichi was able to loosen up a bit.
And he continued to loosen as the boys began their devastating losing streak to Nagito Komaeda and Hajime Hinata.
âPrretty ssure we almosst had em that time,â Kaito slurred as he swayed at the end of the table, obviously drunk from spending two hours losing badly at beer pong and, as a consequence, drinking a lot of beer. Shuichi, having started much later, was not wasted but was still very tipsy.
âKaito- Kaito I think we gotta be done. Youâre tooâŠyouâre too drunk.â The detective stumbled over his words, struggling to sound as sober and authoritative as possible. The wasted Kaito agreed eventually, stumbling over to the couch when he saw that Maki was over there. Shuichi smiled and rolled his eyes at his friendâs predictable nature.
He watched him sit and talk with Maki and sighed in relief at being released from mom mode. He wandered around in the flat, no longer anxiety ridden. Shuichi felt confident, and also fuzzy, like everything was a little out of focus.
But mostly confident.
Shuichi suddenly noticed a black and white checkered scarf in the distance, a flash of purple entering what seemed to be Rantaroâs bedroom. Shuichi followed the boy in as much of a straight line as he could, to discover what he was doing. He peeked in to see Kokichi in the dimly lit room sprawled on the bed, scrolling through his phone, and very much alone. Kokichi quickly looked up and caught the not-so-sneaky-especially-while-drunk Shuichi staring at him in the doorway.
âI-I umm, hi Oma-kun.â Shuichi said, disappointed that heâd been discovered so easily.
âSaihara-chan, hi. Come to escape the noise, too?â His demeanor seemed different than at school as he sat up on the bed. Calm and quiet. But as his Shuichi entered the bedroom, his mask quickly reappeared, âOr did you come to be alone with me?â He crooned.
Shuichi rolled his eyes at the boyâs usual aggressive flirting to make him uncomfortable trick and plopped down on the mattress next to the supreme leader. Kokichi raised an eyebrow in interest.
âYouâre a weird guy, Oma.â Shuichi stated, no malice in his voice, âI canât figure you out.â
Kokichi laughed, âYou just figured out that Iâm unsolvable? Man, maybe youâre not the ultimate detective after all!â
âI wouldnât say unsolvable. Itâs certainly a pain though,â Shuichi sighed and fell backwards, letting his head hit the sheets.
âThen why do you keep trying?â Kokichi asked, head tilted like a puppy.
Shuichi stared at Kokichi for a second and laughed out loud. Kokichi looked taken off guard for once.
âYou know, thatâs a really great question,â Shuichi smiled up at the boy looking over him, âI keep avoiding that question myself, so I donât think I could give you a good answer.â
Kokichi laid back on his back beside the detective, meeting his gaze.
âYa know, most people are boring. Theyâre predictable and easy to figure out. Iâm glad I donât bore you, Saihara-chan.â
This time, hearing Kokichi call him Saihara-chan didnât seem to bother Shuichi. Kokichi said it like it was an endearing nickname.
Kokichi continued, speaking quieter, âAnd you know⊠youâre not boring either. To me I mean.â
As weird as it was, it seemed that Kokichi had given the detective an honest compliment. It didnât seem backhanded or sarcastic, unless Kokichi was a much better liar than Shuichi had previously suspected.
The detective couldnât help but blush a little.
The two boys laid there in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, but soon enough Kokichi jumped to his feet, his mischievous smile once again plastered on his face.
âWe better hurry back, or weâll look pretty suspicious! Alone in a bedroom like this! What will your dear Kaito say?â
Shuichi rolled his eyes and stood to his feet, instantly remembering that he had a lot to drink as the room shook slightly, âYeah letâs go.â
The two boys exited the room to find the flat much emptier than a few minutes prior.
âHow long were we in there?â Shuichi wondered out loud.
Shuichi and Kokichi made their way to the kitchen, and after being forced into taking shots with a drunk Kaede and Rantaro, the two told them that after learning that Rantaroâs apartment complex had a volleyball court, a large chunk of drunk students had gone to play a game.
âWell, I say game, but Akane Owari, from the other class, is ready for war,â Rantaro sighed, âShe challenged Nidai to a volleyball showdown and things may have gotten a little out of hand when someone suggested it be boys vs girls. Needless to say, Chabashira is out for bloodâŠâ
Shuichi winced when he heard that. Tenko was ready for any chance to bring the population of degenerate males down a peg or two.
âWell whatâs the plan now Amami-kun?â Kaede asked, a little disappointed that so many people had left her party at once.
âWell thereâs still a bunch of people around,â Rantaro noted as he looked at the no longer packed apartment, âSo we could always play a group game.â
âLike truth or dare or something?â Kaede asked, eyes lighting up.
âUgh, truth or dare sucks,â Kokichi groaned, âhalf the game is so boringgggg. Why donât we play dare or drink?â
âDare or drink?â Shuichi lifted an eyebrow.
âYeah! My organization created it to get rid of the worst part of truth or dare: the truth! Of course we used play a slightly different version⊠âDare or DieââŠbut we had to switch it up because we were losing too many people!â
The three others sighed at Kokichiâs outrageous lies. At least Shuichi was pretty sure it was a lie. But the group agreed and Kaede gathered a group of people together. Shuichi happily accepted Rantaroâs offer of another shot. He let out a hiccup and a small giggle as he poured a drink for the game, which caused Kokichi to scan his narrowed eyes over the boy.
âAre you good, Saihara-chan?â
Shuichi saw what he surmised to be genuine concern on the boyâs face.
This is my chance to get back at him!
âAww, are you worried about meâŠOma-chan?â Shuichi mimicked Kokichiâs usual sing-song tone, and even copied his use of chan. He stuck his tongue out at the boy when he didnât receive a reply, and he sauntered off towards the gathering group of teens. He smiled to himself that he had been the one to catch Kokichi off guard for once. He didnât know that the supreme leader had stayed back to hide his red face from him and the others.
 -----------
Soon, the students that hadnât gone to play or watch the volleyball war taking place outside were gathered in a circle to play âDare or Drinkâ.
âI am so thrilled to experience a classic game from your culture! I am ready to absorb as much information as I can about this âDare or Drinkâ for the people of Novoselic!â shouted a very excited Sonia Nevermind.
âUmmâŠMiss SoniaâŠitâs not actually a classic game, Oma-kun made it u-â Kazuichi Soda attempted to correct the princess but was interrupted by a still very drunk Kaito.
âSoda! I dare you to write out an embarrassingly sexy text and send it to a random contact in your phone.â
And so the group began their game of dare or drink.
 --------------
Shuichi could barely remember why he had ever been nervous to hang out with his classmates outside of school.
With alcohol involved this is easy!
âSaihara,â Rantaro purred, âI dare you to kiss a guy in this room.â
Never mind. This is awful.
âH-huh? W-who?â Shuichi stuttered as he glanced around the room.
Rantaro hummed at the question, then a sly smile overtook his face, âPick the guy you think is the cutestâŠâ
Shuichi focused his mind a bit, and thought.
Do I find any of my classmates cute? I mean Momota is an attractive guy, but I just think that in a best friend kinda way, plus heâs really not my type. Amami is attractive, but I donât think heâs anything compared to Oma, I mean his cute face and those eyes⊠Wait a secondâŠ
Do I like Oma?
He looked over at the boy, who was now giving him a sultry stare and licking his lips.
âI choose drink!â Shuichi blurted out, his face now beet red.
âAww even drunk Saihara-chan is a prude! How predictable!â Kokichi laughed as Shuichi chugged the rest of his mixed drink.
He couldnât help but be more than a little hurt by the words of his newly realized crush. Even if said crush didnât realize his new status.
I mean I came to this party for him, after all. Even if he doesnât know it. Thatâs pretty rude.
Because it was true. Although Shuichiâs intentions had been âpurely professionalâ, he had indeed come to this party to get to know the supreme leader. And now here he was being accosted by the one and only. That pissed drunk Shuichi off.
âOh yeah? Well letâs see how you do with the same dare,â Shuichi tried to glare as menacingly as possible at the boy sitting across from him, which only was effective at making Kokichi laugh harder, âI dare you to kiss the cutest boy in the room.â
âIs repeating dares even allowed?â muttered a monotone Maki, but Rantaro shushed her quickly.
âMy house, my rules. And I say yes,â He smirked.
âAww but I canât kiss myself Saihara-chan! So I guess I canât do your dare! So sad!â Kokichi gave the detective a dramatic sigh and a pout.
Shuichi didnât back down, âYou canât count yourself, Oma-kun.â
âPsh. As long as you agree that Iâm the cutest one,â Kokichi sang as he stood up and sauntered around the room, lingering on each and every guy sitting around the circle. While inspecting them he announced, âAnd donât worry, Iâm not gonna wimp out like Saihara-chan! I take this dare very seriously!â
Shuichi rolled his eyes as he popped open a beer that was sitting nearby.
âEenie meenie miney-â Kokichi lilted nonchalantly as he made his way around the circle. He stopped in front of Shuichi and grinned, âMo.â
âEh?â
âWe gotta get rid of this emo hat!â Kokichi plopped in front of the detective and quickly removed the hat placed on his head, much to the otherâs dismay, âYep I was right! Saihara-chan really is the prettiest boy here!â
âWh-what?!â Shuichi stammered. He saw Rantaro chuckling in the background while Maki and Kaito watched the two with abject horror.
âWwwwhat, you didnât know you were cute? Were you born in that hat or something? Have you never seen your eyes?â As he bombarded the detective with questions he leaned in closer to the detectiveâs ears and whispered, âIf you really donât want me to kiss you, just say so. I wonât.â
Shuichi thought about it for a moment and then quickly shook his head, âN-no. Itâs fine. Go ahead.â
Kokichi smirked at the answer, âThatâs what I wanted to hear.â
He dove onto Shuichi, effectively knocking him onto his back and slammed his lips onto the detectiveâs. It was a powerful kiss, and at the impact of the ground behind him and Kokichiâs lips on his own, Shuichi let out a gasp. This proved to be the perfect moment for Kokichi to quickly push his tongue into the otherâs mouth. Their tongues danced around one another in a strange tangled tango; it was saliva heavy and warm, but decidedly not unpleasant in the slightest.
Shuichi wasnât sure when he had wrapped his arms around Kokichi, but he had, pulling the smaller closer to him, needing to feel his body heat near his. The smaller had his arms around his neck, his fingers instinctually kneading and caressing the nape. This, along with the feeling of tongues twisting and swirling against one another in his mouth, caused Shuichi to let out an embarrassing moan.
With that Kokichi immediately pulled off of him, untangling his arms and quickly throwing them behind his head. He smirked, âAnd that, ladies and gentleman: is how itâs done.â
Rantaro, Soda, Sonia, and several others whooped and clapped for the boy. Oma proceeded to bow dramatically as a red-faced and still panting Shuichi finally managed to sit up.
Well that really didnât go how I intended it to go⊠butâŠdamn.
Shuichi stared at the supreme leader, now laughing and daring Kaede to do something embarrassing. He wasnât listening, his eyes just focusing on Kokichiâs lips.
Those lips justâŠkissed meâŠ
Shuichi quickly inhaled the rest of his beer as a distraction.
 --------------
Rantaro let out a yawn and quietly said, âI think the game is over.â
It really was. The game of Dare and Drink had quickly devolved into a sort of spin the bottle type game, where all the dares now had to do with kissing someone. Shuichi was thankful that he had not been forced to kiss anyone else besides the one time with Kokichi. He didnât want the flavor of grape chapstick to fade.
As the group dispersed, Shuichi stood and instantly regretted it. The room spun around him and he had trouble balancing. A hangover was inevitable in his near future.
âAh, Rantaro. Can I crash here?â Shuichi asked wearily, and the green-haired boy smiled cooly in return and said of course.
At least now I donât have to worry about getting home.
Shuichi thought that while finishing off his umpteenth beer. Thatâs when he noticed Kokichi alone on the couch. He wandered over, in as straight of a line as he could, and plopped down next to the boy. Kokichi glanced up and grinned, âJust couldnât get enough of me Saihara-chan?â
âHmm. Maybe I just felt bad for you,â Shuichi hummed, âYouâre sitting all by yourself.â
Kokichi stuck out his tongue and Shuichi couldnât help but eye it a bit hungrily, âOr maybe you were just desperate for another kiss! Well thatâs just too bad, Saihara-chan. You shouldnât have wimped out on your dare! You could have gotten a second kiss with moi!â
Shuichi frowned, âYou seem awfully convinced that I would have chosen you for my dare.â
Kokichi feigned shock, placing his hand over his heart like an overdramatic actor, âAre you saying you wouldnât pick me?! Iâm hurt! Wounded even!â His expression instantly changed to boredom, âBut thatâs a lie, of course.â
âWhich part?â
âWho knows?â Kokichi giggled, âDoes it even matter?â
Shuichi decided that this was his chance to catch Oma off guard. He smirked and leaned in, whispering in Kokichiâs ear much like he had done right before he kissed him, âIt does matter. And for the record, I would have chosen you, Oma-chan.â
The usually unflappable Kokichi Oma paled and then quickly turned several shades of red. Shuichi took this as his chance and placed a quick peck on Kokichiâs lips, âThere. Thatâs for my dare.â
Kokichi, still red faced but desperately trying to reassemble his mask, chuckled, âYouâre really drunk right now. I donât think youâre gonna remember any of this.â
Shuichi chuckled back, and dragged his finger lightly along Kokichiâs jawline, âIâm not drunk at all. Youâre just blurry.â
âYou really let loose tonight, Saihara-chan,â Kokichi mused as the two got closer and closer, as if being pulled together by some magnetic force.
As they neared Shuichi pulled Kokichi into another passionate kiss, not really caring if anyone else saw. Kokichi quickly broke it and looked at Shuichi, eyes wide.
âHow are you planning on getting home tonight?â There was no ill-intent in the words, but rather just genuine concern, an emotion very rarely seen from Kokichi.
âAmami-kun is letting me stay the night.â
Kokichi laughed out loud at that, then muttered, âThat meddling bastard.â Shuichi cocked an eyebrow and Kokichi sighed and continued, âRantaro. Thereâs only two beds. One for him and one for me. Or at least thatâs what he told me yesterday. How convenient that heâs suddenly âselflesslyâ offered for you to stay!â
Shuichi shook his head, âI donât know about that, I mean I asked⊠Also I can always sleep on the couch-â
Kokichi scoffed at the very idea, âNo way. No way is Saihara-chan lowering himself to sleep on some dirty old couch. Eww. Nope, itâs decided!â Kokichi looped his arm through Shuichiâs own and dragged the wobbly boy to the guest bedroom, âYouâre staying with me tonight!â
âI suppose I can live with that.â
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Okujima Week 2020: Metaverse
This part is going to take place in the Persona Q2 universe. If you donât know the plot of this game, donât worry! I will be giving background in the descriptions of this story so that you have a relative idea of what is going on. Essentially, the casts of P3, P4 and P5 are all together in a cinema labyrinth, trying to figure out how to escape. Of course, they fight some enemies here and there!
If you are playing this game and do not want to be spoiled, I will let you know that this story will require knowledge past beating the fourth labyrinth, as there will be mention of an F.O.E. from this labyrinth.
If you havenât played this game, I highly recommend it! I had a blast playing it, and the first game (Persona Q) is fun as well. Both games are standalone, though, so you donât have to play the first to understand the second.
But enough rambling out of me!
Here is the fanfiction.net link.
Please enjoy this fourth part of the Okujima Week 2020 Challenge!
As always: THIS STORY WILL NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 5 ROYAL, BUT WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 5.
Okujima Week 2020 Challenge:
Showing Strength:
Metaverse
-Makoto-
âEveryone ready?â
The four Persona-users nodded their heads at their current leader, signaling their agreement.
Akira, clad in his Joker outfit, nodded back. âThen letâs take him down!â He stepped forward, the rest of the group following behind him.
âItâs gonna be a one-hit KO!â Akihiko shouted, slamming a fist into his gloved hand.
âOne good kick will send it flying!â Chie cheered back, kicking the air in front of herself a few times.
Makoto shook her head in amusement as she watched the two. The special screening mission that had been assigned to them had involved finding a strong enemy to defeat for the battle-enthusiasts of the group. It had been called âLet Your Fists Do the Talkingâ, and Chie and Akihiko had taken this to heart (even though Chie would be using her legs and feet).
Makoto had decided to join in as well, hoping to devise a training regimen for them, seeing as they had asked her for just that earlier. The mission so far had gone relatively smoothly, even though this labyrinth in particular was extremely creepy and disorienting.
Everything in it was cute⊠at least on the surface. There was an underlying⊠disturbing quality to everything, and this enemy that they were about to engage was no exception.
According to Futaba, it was called Mr. Bear, and it certainly looked like one. It was a tiny stuffed teddy bear, and it would skip around the labyrinth.
However, once it skipped for a few moments, it would transform into a grotesque form, tripling in size and turning into more of a buff grizzly bear. It was certainly nothing like the Buchimaru-kun stuffed animals that Makoto had collected in her room.
Futaba also let them know that its power readings were off the charts (she had originally screamed something about it being âover 9,000â, and it had sounded like the young girl was quoting something, though Makoto had no idea what).
Luckily, Akira had decided to pack the team with powerhouses that were relatively agile as well. Seeing as the screening was tailor-made for Akihiko, Makoto, and Chie, the three were obviously in. Since Akira had been leading the group for this journey, he decided to come along as well.
After several minutes of debate, Akira decided to bring Haru along. Though she was slow with her axe, when her strikes did connect, the damage was a sight to behold. The girl also had the most health out of anyone, so she could take hits if necessary.
Makoto was glad that Haru would be coming along, as the two had great chemistry when it came to battle. They also had great chemistry off of the battlefield, but that fact wasnât as important now.
Though the brawler was happy that her girlfriend would be accompanying them, she was also slightly nervous. She didnât want Haru to get hurt, as Akira had warned them all that it was very likely for everyone in the group to sustain potentially life-threatening injuries in this particular battle. Everyone had signed on willingly, but Makoto couldnât help but worry.
As the group approached the transformed bear, Makoto lifted up a hand and squeezed Haruâs shoulder. âBe careful, alright?â
Haru turned to look at her. Makoto saw that, while Haru had been quiet for most of this mission, her expression was now alight with a sadistic gleam, her eyes sparkling and her smile in an upturned grin. This wasnât entirely unusual, as Haru delighted in slaying Shadows. However, it was a little worrisome to see after telling her to not be reckless.
When she noticed Makoto looking at her strangely, her features returned to something more normal.
âOf course, Queen. You be careful too,â she murmured.
Makoto nodded. She knew Haru had a tendency to attack with reckless abandon, which usually worked in their favor. However, Makoto had a particularly bad feeling about this enemy, so she wanted to make sure that Haru was brutal, but still careful.
She let go of the girlâs shoulder as Akira threw a dagger at the bear, causing him to roar and charge at them.
âEveryone, get in position!â Akira yelled.
Makoto and Akihiko readied their fists, while Chie began to jump back and forth between both legs, warming them up. Haru lifted up her axe, and Akira brandished his dagger.
Mr. Bear roared, appearing to charge up energy.
âWatch out, guys! It looks like the enemyâs gonna hit you really hard soon,â Futaba warned, her voice crackling with static as she projected back from their base.
âGot it, Oracle.â Akira stood to guard and instructed everyone else to do so.
It seemed that this was a solid plan, as Mr. Bear flailed and struck everyone in the party. Makoto grunted as she sustained damage, and heard everyone else do the same.
âDamn it,â Akihiko growled. âThe thingâs got a heck of a punch.â
Makoto didnât want the group to be reckless. It wasnât worth getting killed over just to complete a mission that had been devised for entertainment. âOracle! What are our chances with this?â
Meanwhile, Haru had swung her axe and connected with her target. Blood gushed out of the bearâs arm as he roared in pain. Makotoâs stomach dropped when she saw that his glare focused on the axe-wielder.
Luckily, Chie sent a kick its way, which disoriented the creature and caused his focus to be split between the two.
âIâd say you have a 60% chance with how itâs going right now,â Futaba answered.
âWhat?â In her panic, Makoto had nearly forgotten that she had asked Futaba a question. That was dangerous. She couldnât afford to get distracted â it could literally be the difference between life and death. Shaking her head, she responded, âThanks, Oracle.â She called out Johanna to increase the defense of the party, seeing as Mr. Bearâs hits were dealing an alarming amount of damage.
60%. Those werenât good odds. Even so, Makoto had a duty to listen to Akira and support her allies.
The battle raged on for a few more turns. Mr. Bear had finally started to show signs of damage, but everyone on the team was a mess. Futaba was frantically healing what she could, but her support had its limits.
Makoto was sure that if this were a battle in the real world, they would all probably have broken bones, if not worse. The damage was so great, that she could easily see some of them being dead.
She struck a quick uppercut with her right fist, grunting with exertion. It was like punching a brick wall.
As if hearing her inner thoughts, Mr. Bear proceeded to plow into the team, the force feeling like a ton of bricks falling on them.
âThis isnât good,â Akira muttered. Chie and Akihiko were barely able to stand upright, and Akira didnât look much better. Haru seemed to be faring the best, though even she looked utterly exhausted. Makoto herself knew that the group couldnât sustain another attack like that.
âGuys, Iâm not gonna have enough energy to heal you again.â Futaba appeared to be panicking. âItâs not worth it. You need to run. Now!â
âNo! Itâs almost down. Weâve gotta finish this.â Akihiko blindly swung a fist, missing the beast. He stumbled and fell.
âCrap, I donât have enough health to strike him hard!â Chie shouted. She put her hands to her knees, breathing heavily.
âQueen, can you heal any of us? Or do we have any items?â Akira turned to look at her, his eyes pleading.
Makoto nodded. âNo more items, but I think I have enough energy to heal one person.â
âGot it, heal ââ
A devastating roar cut off what Akira was about to say. Makoto looked back at the enemy to see that it was preparing to strike.
âShit!â
Mr. Bear swung with its arms, hitting the ground in front of him. Makoto saw that Akira had blocked, but that Chie and Akihiko were not going to react in time.
Makoto raised her arms to defend herself, but she knew that this hit would end her. She closed her eyes.
But they opened in shock when she heard a cry of pain directly in front of her. She saw with horror that Haru had leaped in front of her, shielding her with her body.
Unfortunately, Haru had not had any time to defend herself, so she took the full force of the attack. She flew back into Makoto, knocking her off of her feet and sending both of them to the ground.
Luckily, Haru seemed to have dropped her axe when she jumped in front of Makoto, otherwise the blade would have impaled them both.
But Makoto didnât care about that now.
âNoir! Noir! Haru!â Makoto cried, sitting up with the girl in her arms. She didnât move.
âQueen! We need to finish this fight now!â Makoto vaguely heard Akira in the background, but she couldnât take her eyes off of Haru.
She couldnât believe it. The two had talked about defending the other with their lives, but Makoto had always assumed that she would be protecting Haru, as she had done so several times in the past. Not that the other girl couldnât take care of herself, because anyone with eyes could see that she could do that in spades. It was because Makoto never wanted to be in a situation where Haru would have to risk her life for her.
âUseless!â she thought to herself.
âQueen!â She felt her shoulder being grabbed roughly. She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Akira, who was looking at her with an expression of forced calm. âNoir, Akihiko, and Chie are all down. We need to destroy this enemy, or weâll be next.â
Makoto nodded. She took one last glance at Haru before setting her gently down on the ground. âThank youâŠâ she murmured.
âIâve boosted your attack. Give âem hell, you two!â Futaba cheered.
Makoto cracked her knuckles as she felt power swell within. âWith pleasure,â she growled.
She launched herself at the creature, punching it twice with all of her might. Mr. Bear roared in pain as it reared back, dazed.
âHa!â Akira jumped at the beast, taking advantage of its distraction as he slashed at his eyes, blinding it.
âQueen, now!â Akira commanded.
Makoto roared just like the beast before throwing a haymaker at Mr. Bearâs head, slamming it down. The ground shook as it collided, and it gave one last deafening cry before it was silent.
Makoto and Akira looked at each other, both breathing heavily. âNice work, Queen,â Akira murmured, smiling gently at her.
Makoto nodded. âYou as well.â Her eyes widened as her adrenaline returned to normal and she remembered why she had become so enraged in the first place. âNoir!â
She ran over to the girl, who appeared to still be unconscious. She knelt down, dropped her weapons to the ground, and gently lifted Haruâs upper body onto her lap, her previous violent rage replaced with a gentle and worried touch. âHaruâŠâ Makoto whispered.
âNghâŠâ Haruâs eyes were still closed, but it seemed like she wasnât entirely unconscious anymore. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and Makoto could see a sheen of sweat on her forehead. Not that that was particularly unusual, given how hard they had all been fighting. Makoto herself was practically drenched.
âQueen.â Makoto looked up to see Akira standing a few feet away, looking down at her with a concerned expression. âHow is she?â
She looked back down at her girlfriend, who was continuing to make sounds of pain. âNot good,â she said simply.
Akira gave a deep sigh. âAkihiko and Chie arenât doing much better.â
Makoto quickly glanced over at the other two members of their party. They were both unconscious, but the rise and fall of their chests proved that they were still alive.
âYou guys! That was awesome!â Makoto jumped a little at Futabaâs sudden exclamation. âMr. Bear is no more!â
âThanks, Oracle.â Akira rubbed the back of his neck.
Makoto simply nodded in acknowledgement before looking back down at Haru, whose teeth were gritted. She couldnât stand to see her in so much pain.
âWeâre gonna need to head back ââ
Makoto interrupted Akiraâs instructions as she stood up, cradling Haru in her arms. As soon as she was up, she realized that this might have been a mistake. Her own muscles were burning from exertion, and she could feel the wobbliness in her knees from having to support the weight of two people.
âIâll get Noir. Can you handle the others?â Makoto indicated the two other members of their party with a quick jerk of her head.
âQueen. We can just have Oracle teleport us back you know.â Despite the situation, Akira gave Makoto a slight smirk.
âO-Oh. Right. Of course.â She could feel the heat building up behind her mask.
âBut by all means, continue carrying your girlfriend bridal style. I donât mind.â Akira snickered. âBy the way, hereâs her hat.â He plopped it down onto Haruâs head. Makoto hadnât even realized that it had gone flying off when they had collided.
âTh-Thatâs not ââ
âYouâre such a sappy romantic, Queen! Who wouldâve thought?â Futaba teased.
âNoir must have quite the effect on her.â
âCan we please leave now?â Makoto didnât think she could take much more of this. Both the teasing and carrying Haru. It didnât help matters that the rest of their large group was watching this scene unfold as a literal movie on screen.
âGot it!â
There was a flash of light.
--
The party of five arrived back at the lobby, with Akiraâs, Makotoâs, and Haruâs Phantom Thieves disguises disappearing and turning back into their school uniforms.
With the little bit of energy Makoto had remaining, she dashed over to a free couch to deposit Haru onto it. She felt terrible as she essentially dropped the other girl, but it was all she could do before collapsing to the ground on her knees.
âWhoa! Take it easy, Makoto-san!â Rise was by her side in an instant. âHaru-sanâs safe. Weâll make sure that we take care of her now.â
âWeâll need to take care of Akihiko-senpai and Chie-chan too!â Yukari appeared by her other side. She turned her head to look behind herself. âCan we get them on some couches?â
âOn it!â Junpei picked up Akihiko and took him to another available couch, dropping him unceremoniously.
âWould you mind getting Chie, Kanji-kun?â Yukiko asked. She was kneeling by her best friendâs side.
âLeave it to me, Yukiko-senpai!â Kanji flexed his bicep before diving in to retrieve the girl.
Makoto watched the events unfold in a haze. She was mostly checking on the status of her teammates by instinct, and once she confirmed that they would all be okay, she turned her attention back to Haru.
âWeâll need to heal you up as well, Makoto-san.â Fuuka popped up behind her, resting a hand on Makotoâs shoulder.
Makoto shook her head. She didnât need help right now.
âHey, Fuuka.â Yukari stepped back. âWhy donât we get some healing stuff for them and bring it over?â
Rise jumped back as well. âYeah! Letâs go!â
The three girls walked over to the concession stand, most likely to secure popcorn and hot dogs. No one really understood why these foods healed so well, but they decided a while ago not to question it.
Makoto turned back to Haru, who seemed to be waking up.
âHaru.â Makotoâs hand went to her cheek, slowly stroking it with her thumb.
âM-Mako-chan?â Haru murmured. Her eyes were still closed.
âYes. Iâm here, Haru.â
âWe won?â
âYes. Yes we did.â
Haru opened her eyes slowly. They were glassy, and it seemed like she was having trouble processing everything around her. Once she made eye contact with Makoto, however, she smiled tiredly.
âIâm glad youâre okay.â
âHaruâŠâ Makoto teared up. She had known that Haru was going to make it as soon as the battle was over, but seeing her take such a devastating hit made her think⊠even for the briefest moment⊠that she might not ever see Haru open her eyes again.
âHey now. Itâs going to be o-ah!â Haru winced in pain as she leaned up. She had probably been trying to reach Makoto to comfort her, but instead had aggravated her wounds.
âHaru!â Makoto lunged forward. âDonât try and move. That hitâŠâ
Haru sighed and moved back down, resting her head on a pillow. âRight⊠that attack wasâŠâ
Makoto leaned down to place her forehead against Haruâs. âHaru. Donât ever do that again.â She moved back to look into her eyes, hoping to convey how serious she was.
Makoto twitched in surprise when she felt Haru jerk her head forward to hit her own in a weak headbutt. âMako-chan. We agreed that weâd always look out for each other.â
Makoto sighed. âI know.â
âI knew that Iâd be okay. Well, relatively speaking.â She chuckled. âBut if that had hit youâŠâ Haru brought up a hand to comb it through Makotoâs hair.
Makoto closed her eyes at the calming sensation. âIf it had, then it wouldnât have hit you.â She could feel the tears welling up behind her closed eyes. The fact that Haru would risk her life to protect someone like her⊠who couldnât even protect Haru in the first place, made Makoto truly feel useless. âIâm so sorry. I wasâŠâ
âStop being so stubborn, Mako-chan!â The moment Haruâs hands stilled in Makotoâs hair, the girl opened her eyes. Haru seemed adamant, as she was now slightly tugging the strands, pulling the other girl closer. âIâm glad that I could protect you.â She leaned up to give Makoto a quick kiss on the lips. As she settled back down, her expression changed to a pained one. âYouâre so important to meâŠâ she murmured.
Makoto leaned down, missing their contact. She wrapped her arms around Haruâs shoulders, squeezing her as tightly as she dared, not wanting to hurt the other girl further. âYou are tooâŠâ
The two stayed in this position for a few moments, with Haru resuming the petting of Makotoâs hair. Makoto was determined to show her girlfriend just how much she cared for her. If she couldnât protect her in battle, at the very least, she should be able to shower her with affection.
Makoto knew that she herself was not a touchy-feely type of person. But now that she saw how quickly she could lose someone she loved, she resolved to be more upfront with her feelings, as she never knew when the opportunity for them could come to an end.
âHey girls!â Makoto released her hold on Haru and jumped back up to her original kneeling position. Even though sheâd just promised herself to be more affectionate, it was still hard to show these feelings when others were watching.
She looked up to see Yukari, Fuuka, and Rise standing there with some food. âUh⊠weâll just leave this here with Makoto-san. Eat up!â Yukari bent down to place the items next to the girl before awkwardly turning around and darting away with the others. To her embarrassment, Makoto saw the three of them whisper something to each other and giggle, glancing over at the two third-years.
âLooks like everyone was worried about us.â Haru giggled. Makoto saw that she was amused at their antics, a grin on her face.
âI supposeâŠâ Makoto shook her head in exasperation. She grabbed one of the popcorn containers and picked out a piece, offering it to Haru. To her surprise, instead of delightfully eating it as she normally did when the two fed each other, she shook her head and pushed her hand away.
âLook, Mako-chan. I can tell that youâre still feeling remorse over what happened. I want you to know that I truly donât regret doing what I did.â She took Makotoâs hand and gripped it tightly, causing her to drop the food onto the floor. âI love you, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that youâre safe.â
Makoto looked into Haruâs eyes and saw that she truly meant what she said. She felt her heart flutter slightly at Haruâs sincerity. âLook at me. I should be the one comforting you. Why does it always seem like itâs the other way around?â She chuckled sadly.
âBecause you support me with your actions, Mako-chan, both on and off the battlefield.â Haru squeezed her hand. âI know that putting feelings into words is hard for you.â Her grip loosened. âYou know⊠I feel that I struggle in the opposite way.â
Makoto titled her head, not understanding what she was getting at. âWhat do you mean?â
âSometimes⊠I feel as though Iâm⊠whatâs the phrase? All talk and no action. I can soothe you with words, but you always seem to be the one to protect me when we fight. Thatâs why ââ
Suddenly it clicked. âThatâs why you jumped in to shield me,â Makoto finished for her. So Haru really thought that she didnât support her enough in battle? That she only ever comforted Makoto with her words? That couldnât be farther from the truth. Makoto knew that she herself could be insecure when it came to many things, but it was strange to see Haru be so worried about something that Makoto did not even see as an issue.
Haru blustered on. âI-I want you to know that I wouldâve done so regardless! But yes, as embarrassing as that is to admit, I wanted to be the one to protect you with actions rather than words for once. I wanted to show you rather than tell you how much I care for you.â
Makoto chuckled, a happier tone this time. âI⊠I really am flattered, Haru. But you donât have to overcompensate. You show me how much you care for me every day without needing to put yourself in danger.â She tightened her grip on Haruâs hand, whose own grip had been so loose that she was about to let go. âWe just each have our own ways of showing affection.â
âI suppose youâre right.â Haru smiled. âThank you for saying so.â
âOf course. And by the way, anyone who uses an axe and a grenade launcher to fight is always someone that I would want to have my beck. How could I possibly be in danger with an ally like that protecting me?â Makoto laughed.
âI suppose when you put it that way, it does sound rather silly for me to have been concerned.â Haru giggled.
Makoto smiled, happy to be able to get through to Haru to have her understand just how amazing she was. âAlso, I love you too. Just wanted to make sure that I responded to what you said earlier.â
Haru grinned back. âWell now, it looks like weâre both feeling better.â She looked down at the popcorn. âI wouldnât be opposed to that offer of food now.â
Makoto nodded. Picking up another piece, she placed one into Haruâs mouth before taking a piece of her own.
 --
And there we go! I figured since Makoto was the one who was injured last year, it should be Haruâs turn this year.
This situation was somewhat similar to what happened in my playthrough. Haru didnât defend anyone (I donât think that is an automatic mechanic in this game, or if it is, all my characters just hate each other!), but when Mr. Bear used his devastating attack, it literally one-shot everyone except Haru. I had support teleport us away, but it was pretty frightening to see my entire team except for one go down. Clearly, I wasnât ready for that particular enemy!
The mission is a little different in my one-shot compared to what happens in the game, but I needed to change it slightly to make it more âOkujima-centricâ. Hope it was still a good read, regardless!
Also, party members technically instantly heal once they reach the lobby in Q2, but I wanted Makoto to be able to tend to Haru, so I decided that they would still be injured. In fact, this is how it worked in Q, so it technically fits within this Q universe. I was so glad when they changed this mechanic for Q2 though, because I used up so many resources healing people in Q!
See you tomorrow!
#okujima#okujima week#okujima week 2020#makoto niijima#haru okumura#makoto x haru#haru x makoto#p5#persona 5
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DIABOLIK LOVERS MORE, MORE BLOOD Vol.13 Kino [Track 2]
Original title: ćŻć·
Source: Diabolik Lovers More, More Blood Vol. 13 Kino [CD not owned by me]
Audio: Here (15:28 ~ 29:54)
Seiyuu: Tomoaki Maeno
Translatorâs note: I was already kind of curious about the contents of this track from reading the title, but as soon as the MC returned from the cafeteria with a popsicle, I already knew what was going to happen. I can really imagine the struggles of having a boyfriend like Kino who loves pulling pranks on you. Although compared to some of the other stuff the boys have done to her, being teased with a popsicle isnât even all that bad. Seeing him try and make it up to her afterwards made for a cute moment as well.
Track 1 ll Track 2 ll Track 3 ll Track 4 ll Track 5 + Epilogue
â Â LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!
Track 2: Coldness
âăŒăŒ And then I ended up arguing with Yuuri over who is correct. What do you think? Which one of us was right?â
You hesitate.
âSeems like youâre having trouble answering my question. Donât hold back and just tell me. In return, Iâll punish you if you donât say it was me.â
You frown.
âYouâre struggling that much? Guess I have no other choice. Iâll give you some time. Try and come up with an answer by the end of classes today.â
The two of you come to a halt.
â...So, is this the classroom we had to move to? (1)â
You explain.
âThe science lab, huh? Itâs really such a pain that science classes take place in a different classroom. Oh well, guess itâs fine. Hurry up and open the door.â
*Rattle*
â...Hm? Whatâs wrong? Youâre not going inside?â
You close the door again.
â...Eh? Why did you close the door again? Donât we have class here?â
You tell him itâs the wrong room.
âHaah!? Who goes to the wrong classroom!? Unlike me, youâve been going to this school for quite some time, right?â
You apologize.
âHonestly...I donât know whether youâre just slow-witted or if you actually have a few screws loose...â
You seem confused.
âEh? Whatâs weird?â
You tell him there seem to be more doors than usual.
âWhat are you saying? Youâre just imagining things, no? Thereâs no way the number of doors would suddenly increase. Doesnât it just feel that way? Itâs no good to try and blame your own mistakes on someone or something else. Also, that barely makes for a decent excuse.â
You insist.
*DingăŒ DongăŒ ă» DingăŒ DongăŒ*
âAh-aaah...Right, right. Thereâs more doors than usual, huh? Anyway, the bell of the next period just rang. We wonât make it in time for our class so what should we do?â
You frown.
âWell, if weâre confirmed late, might as well say âscrew itâ, right?
You tilt your head to the side.
âYou know, letâs just skip class.â
You protest.
âIf we go now, weâll just get scolded for being late, right? So why not? ...Come on, this way! Letâs go!â
Kino drags you along.
*TIMESKIP*
âFufufu~ Iâm almost done with this quest...â
*Tap tap*
âAhăŒ But before that, I have to use this item.â
*Tap tap*
âHm? What do you want? Iâm busy playing my game right now.â
You seem anxious to get in trouble for skipping.
âYouâre still worried about that? We already skipped class, so thereâs nothing we can do about it now.â
*Tap tap*
âIsnât spending time out on the rooftop during class something you have to do at least once while youâre young? Weâre here now anyway, so you should try and have some fun as well.â
You frown.
âNo buts! ...Ah, I get it. You end up having unnecessary worries because youâre bored, no? In that case, Iâll give you something to do.â
You tilt your head to the side.
âThereâs a cafeteria on campus where you can purchase food and such, right? Go buy me something there.â
You ask him what to get.
âHmăŒ Letâs see...What to choose? ...Then, how about you get something you think Iâd like?â
You want him to be a little more specific.
âWhat would that be? The whole point is that you figure it out.â
You whine.
âItâs not difficult, is it? If youâve been keeping a close eye on me, it should be a piece of cake! ...Pick the thing that would make me the most happy! AlsoăŒăŒâ
*Rustle*
âYou better not keep me waiting, so I expect you back here in ten minutes, okay? If youâre even one second late...Youâll get a pentalty.â
You flinch.
âCome on. Hurry up.â
You run away.
*TIMESKIP*
*Creaaak*
âAh! Youâre finally back...!â
You ask if you made it back in time.
âHaah? What are you saying? You didnt even come close to making it back on time. Just how far did you have to go for those?â
You explain.
âYou got lost? Youâve been a student at this academy for a while, havenât you? That doesnât make any sense. Stop making those lousy excuses.â
You try and defend yourself.
âHmm~? So you got the location of the cafeteria wrong? I guess you went down the wrong stairs or something? Oh well, whatever. More importantly, hurry up and hand it over. You obviously got one of my favorites, right?â
*Rustle rustle*
â...Eh? That?â
You nod.
âIce cream...? Haah...â
You frown, asking him if he doesnât like ice cream
âItâs not that ice creamâs bad or anything but...Why didnât you get me guava juice? You know that I like it, donât you?â
You tell him that wasnât an option.
âHaah!? They donât sell it here!? They really should reconsider their line-up then. But that doesnât matter, does it? Not only did you make me wait forever, and on top of that, you werenât able to buy something which would make me happy. Fufu~â
*Rustle*
âThis calls...for a punishment.â
You protest.
âNo point in fighting back. ...Come here.â
Kino pulls you close.
âGotcha. When Iâm holding you tightly from behind like this, you can no longer get away, can you? That being said, this ice cream has been well chilled. Iâm sure it would feel extremely cold if I were to press it against your skin. For example...Against the back of your nape.â
*Rustle*
You flinch.
âYouâre already reacting that strongly from just slightly brushing it across? I wonder what would happen if I were to slip it inside your clothes then? Arenât you curious?â
You shake your head.
âOh come on~ No need to be modest. Come on...â
*Rustle*
He presses the ice cream against your bare skin as you shriek.
â...Ahaha! Did you hear yourself just now? Well, I guess it would feel cold and disgusting to have an entire popsicle slide down your back. Ah-aah...Your uniformâs a mess as well.â
You call him out for bullying you.
âIâm not being mean, am I? Itâs a punishment after all. Besides, that scream just now wasnât half bad, you know? Iâd love to hear it one more time.â
You tell him the ice cream has already melted.
âGuess so. You didnât buy more than one popsicle after all. ...But you know, I have this.â
*Cling*
âIf we use the hourglass to reload, the ice cream and your uniform will return to their original state. You should be grateful.
*Tick tock - Tick tock - Tick tock - Tick tock*
ăŒăŒăŒ
*Creaaak*
âAh! Youâre finally back...! ...Hehe, you gave the exact same reaction as earlier. Why are you looking around in confusion? I told you I would reload, didnât I? Time got turned back. You remember what happened earlier, donât you?â
Kino approaches you.
âExactly. Seems like you properly recall. I pulled you close like this...â
*Rustle*
â...And played with you using this popsicle you bought, didnât I?â
*Rustle rustle*
âSay...Thereâs something Iâm curious about. I can test it out, right? You already know just how cold this ice cream is. The chilled sensation from having it directly pressed up against your skin. So I was wondering...How will your body react if I repeat the same action one more time, now that youâre already well aware of how itâll feel?â
You try and get away.
*Rustle rustle*
â...Woah there! You better donât think Iâll let you get away!â
He grabs hold of your wrist.
â...There. Gotcha.â
*Rustle rustle*
âNo point in resisting. Thereâs just no way you could get away from me after all.â
Kino opens the popsicle.
âThere we go~ Itâs time for the ice cream youâve just been dying for~ If I run it across your nape like this...â
You flinch.
âExactly. You can feel it even stronger when you already know what to expect, donât you? I wonder if itâs your brain playing tricks on you...?â
*Rustle*
â...Hm? What? Throwing in the towel already? Guess I have no other choice. In that case, Iâll warm you up next.â
*Sluuuurp*
âHm...The taste of this popsicle is pretty mediocre. I donât think I could finish the whole thing. The person who bought it should take responsibility and eat it all instead. Here you go.â
He forces the popsicle inside your mouth.
âYouâre whining was starting to annoying me, so this works perfectly. Keep it in between your teeth for a bit, okay? Meanwhile Iâll dig into this to cleanse my palate. In the end, it seems like I...â
*Rustle*
â...enjoy this the very best. mmh...â
Kino bites you.
*Gulp gulp gulp*
âNn...You like this too, donât you? The whimpers slipping through...Theyâre different compared to when I teased you earlier. Theyâre sweet yet sorrowful. Almost as if youâre begging for me.â
*Rustle*
âLet me hear more of those...â
*Rustle*
â...Ah!â
You drop the popsicle.
*Splatter*
âAh-aah...The popsicle fell down. Your skirtâs a mess now as well.â
You apologize.
âWhy are you saying sorry? AhăŒ Because you dropped it? I donât care, really. ăŒ Wait, whatâs with that face? Youâre in tears. Your lips are all sticky from the ice cream as well. Iâll wipe you clean, so look this way.â
You turn around.
*Rustle rustle*
âPerhaps I took my teasings a little too far? ...Were you scared?â
You nod.
âI see. ...Fufu. Youâre such a crybaby, how cute~â
*Smooch*
âThere, all clean. Now cheer up, okay? You donât want things to become awkward between us, do you? I guess that leaves your skirt...Honestly, itâs kind of a drag, so would you like me to turn back time to before you dropped the popsicle?â
You ask him if itâs okay.Â
âOf course I donât mind. ...But in return, I might mess with you again~â
You protest.
âIâm just kidding. Letâs kill some time together until classes end? Ah! But donât get the wrong idea, okay? Iâll still use the hourglass. ...Well then, how should we enjoy ourselves next~?â
ăŒăŒ TO BE CONTINUED ăŒăŒ
Translation notes
(1) At Japanese high schools, students stay in the same classroom for 90% of the classes. For some subjects like science, art, etc. they may move to a different classroom which has the right facilities and material. These are called 移ćæ柀 or âidĆ-kyĆshitsuâ.Â
#diabolik lovers#dialovers#kino#diabolik lovers more more blood#diabolik lovers translation#diabolik lovers drama cd#drama cd
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Screw it
LAOFT from someone whoâs never read the main story
100% of my knowledge of LAOFT comes from askes of @tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors that I read and the one-shots Iâve read. Some of it will be right. Most of it will be wrong. Hopefully all of it is a hilarious, sleep-deprived mess.
Since thereâs a good chance Iâve got at least a few bits of plot right there are some spoilers herein so beware weary traveler who really should just skip past this mess of a post.
Sleep-deprivation baby letâs go.
The basics:
Setting: Wickhills
Creepy fae town
I think itâs based in Ohio. Maybe. Probably. idk
Tho if you came here for exacts buddy oh boy I have bad news for you
I digress
I think the description of the first part says smth about the people not minding having their things stolen
Except for uh I think her nameâs May Gage
Roâs Mom?
I think
NO WAIT
Description has to do with Dot Sanders
Mum of Lo and Tho
Will talk about them later but I just had to get that straight first
Even tho thereâs, like, nothing straight in this AU
I think the main plot problems arise, originally, due to miscommunication
Or lack of communication
All I know is in the drunk history of Wickhills that I barely remember there was a mention of them not communicating and that basically dooming them
And yâall... lots going on around here
Lots
So uh weâre jumping into characters now here I go
Virgil Lastnamesmth:Â
No I donât know his last name and no Iâm not going to learn it just for this post
Itâs Lastnamesmth now deal with it
I think heâs Spider King
Or smth like that
He rules the forest
After he gets out of his magic coma
Heâs in that for a long time tho
100 years I think?
And uh I think Durant did it to him but weâll talk about the devil in a snake suit later
He got put in a protective coffin by... I want to say Greta but ngl I know nothing about Greta.Â
She may be one of Viâs sisters
He has a LOT of siblings actually
Many are spider sisters I think
And I think Elliot and Thomas are also his siblings in a way
Maybe
idk
Again donât trust what you read when it comes from me peeps
But heâs super powerful
And I think heâs in the winter court
Whatever that means
I know courts exist for the seasons, and Iâm reasonably sure Virgilâs is Winter, but thatâs about it
He has magic but I donât think he used it in any of the one-shots I read so what do I know
Well he does in one
That one where Logan gives his full name
That one was good I quite liked it
Well actually theyâre all good I like all the ones I read
Back to Virgil
Hates parties which is a mood
He has to host them tho
Being Spider King is cool other than that bit I gather
And the part where the court gossips about you but oh well I suppose
I believe heâs autistic too
Or at least written with a lot of autistic traits
Is that how you say it? Autistic traits sounds wrong
Can fae be autistic? Or just like it?
Yâknow what fuck it fae can be autistic and the only one allowed to @ me about that is the author screw off haters
I think the rest of what I have to say can live in the misc section
NEXT CHARACTER
Roman Gage:
Iâd like to start with I love him and every time I think about what little I know of his backstory I want to cry
idk how he ended up in an abusive relationship but I know he did
And heâs such a good boi
He doesnât DESERVE IT GODSDAMNIT
Only Vi would get me this emotionally invested in characters I only sorta know I swear
So yeah
Current Ro still has some problems with that
For very obvious reasons
And yet!
He is a gentleman and a knight and a champion and a prince
Yes that is a direct reference at that one one-shot shhh
His family is also one of witches right
He has a familiarÂ
Tis a cat named Dizzy
I only know about Dizzy from like one fic tho so thatâs all I can say about her
Dizzy can talk too in case that wasnât clear
He made a potion in the microwave despite knowing that he probably shouldnât and I think thatâs a good summary of his character
I think he found Virgil first
At the very least he did find Virgil
Heâs a human who found a hot dude in a glass case crawling with creepy crawlies and thought âah yes the perfect place to spend all my timeâ
Sounds legit Iâm sure
I donât know how this lead to him in a bad place with the motherfucker also called the Serpent King
But it did
But in the end he got glass coffin boy and two others so at least heâs got that going for him
We move on once more!
Patton Uh whatâs Remyâs last name again I think itâs that:
Or it isnât
I said it before Iâll say it again:
Looking up info for this defeats the point
Deal with my horrible misinformation
He got a gift from White!
I believe this is because his Mum saved her or something
The problem?
Uh
The gift is also a curse
Because while itâs incredibly written thatâs the clichĂ© folks
People have to do what ever he âordersâ
Basically anything that techincally demands something from the other
Including things like âstopâ which is like one-hit KO murder word
Patton had a nightmare about that
That was a fun one-shot
Though if you could just like kill people on accident I guess Iâd have nightmares âbout it too
Heâs the other human of the trio plus one
No I donât remember the word for a group of four people and no Iâm not going to look it up
A Professional Cuddler according to that one fic where the descriptionâs like âPatton thinks heâs got the best seat in the houseâ or whatever
Thereâs one fic where Emile help him put make-up on
Wowsers
That fic was fun to read because he flustered ALL his bfs
No question
What else what else
I think heâs got a bodyguard
Named... Bell???
Maybe???
Okay I think thatâs most of my Pat knowledge
ONWARDS
Logan (Berry) Sanders:
Yes adding the Berry was very important
Itâs a huge part of that name fic
And I like it so
Deal with it
Heâs a fae
I believe a changling to be exact
And a selkie
Heâs... spring court...?
He was replaced for Thomas in typical Changling fashion
But then Thomas came back (I think Dot got Tho back idk) and suddenly he had a brother
He has nature magic of some form
But his best power is his flower power
He canât control it and I love it so much
I donât even KNOW what each type of flower appearing means 9 out of 10 times but that doesnât make me any less happy about it
*Sigh*
I wish I sprouted flowers at random...
I think heâs also autistic
He and Virgil occasionally bond over that itâs sweet
Like with the painted nails tap tap tapping
Or the singing walls
I know something happened to him
Something relating to something stupid Ro did
I think thatâs the stupid thing that got Ro forced to be with the dick that is Deceit in this
But I honestly donât know what happened to Logan
Hmph
He can be a nervous boi
That fic where he tried to say I love you with his notecards?
Love that one
...Twenty-five percent of this is just me randomly complimenting Viâs one-shots ainât it
Huh
Oh well
No regrets
I just realized I use âViâ for Violet and Virgil interchangeably
That may be problematic but screw off if you think Iâm going to change anything
Thatâs too much effort
BACK TO LOGAN
He has a honey problem from that one fic I read
Where he gets real sappy about his bfs to Thomas
Not like a bad problem
Just a âmaybe he should stop drinking it if he wants to pretend he has dignityâ problem
Okey-dokie Iâm moving on to his bro now
Thomas (Bug) Sanders:
Loâs incredible brother
And when I say incredible I mean it
Very nice
Will squish Logan when needed
Actually will squish anyone when needed
He has a Squish Instinct
Also has Brother Instinct and no itâs not the Cain Instinct
Itâs the opposite
Will Fight if you try to hurt Lo from what I can tell
I think he also had a monster in his head
The monster has a longer name but I canât spell it so I wonât try
This fact is based on One (1) one-shot where he has a weird freak out
Thatâs also the fic I base my belief that heâs somehow Virgilâs brother on
But no promises
The fic starts with italics and bolded lines interchanging
I donât remember the name tho
If you havenât already figured out Iâm not going to look it up youâre even more sleep-deprived then I am
But yeah Thomas is great
Teases Lo about his crushes like a good bro
Helps Lo when heâs panicking or freaking out or something
Even when Loâs at college
I donât know as much about Tho so letâs leave it there
Onto the Monster
Durant (is that his name idk) Monsterunworthyoflove:Â
His last name is Monsterunworthyoflove because thatâs what he is
I know almost nothing about him actually
They call him âheâ a lot because I think trigger reasons
But honestly he also doesnât deserve to have his name spoken
He was the Snake King
Maybe Serpent KingÂ
Eh idc
I believe he put Virgil in magic coma to rule as King
I think they were brothers but idk
HE SUCKS
I think heâs dead
I wish I knew how or by whoâs hand but he is
He got a coffin in the ground which I think if unfair
Let the worms devour his flesh and let me make his bones into my furniture
I am a part of the Kill Durant Again squad only because I missed my chance to kill him first
Like I said I know little about him
But he put the abusive in Romanâs abusive relationship so honestly fuck him to Hell and back and then do it again for good measure
Every time I read a scene with Ro being uncomfy because of him
I want to strangle him
I fucking mime the motions
Violet honestly props on making such a hate-able character
I could talk about him more because I do know a few other things
But honestly the fact heâs not real and my dream to choke him slowly is therefore impossible makes my skin crawl
I hate him so much itâs not healthy so weâre moving on
To minor characters!
Minor Characters:
As in characters I know very little about
I guess they could be vital characters
REMY
MY BOI
I know heâs a classic badboy who will die if Emile kisses him and I love him
Also heâs super smart with his moonshine and Iâm so proud
I love him so so so so much and I barely know him
Good job Violet you wrote him well and I love you
Emile is also great
Remy has protected him for wearing skirts because Remâs a good boy and heâs RIGHT
Emile feels bad for treating Patton bad in the past I think
Hence that one make-up session
Emile also crushes on Remy hard the remile in this AU is on point man
Elliot exists
I think theyâre Virgilâs sibling. Somehow. Maybe
I read one one-shot that focused on their relationship with Vi and thatâs all I know about them
Mawmaw (Mamaw? mawma? Iâmma just call her May. If sheâs May. I think sheâs May) is Roâs Mom.
Also a witch I think
Really tough but she cares
Dot is super nice
Sheâs Lo and Thoâs Mum I think
I donât remember the one-shots with her in them well but sheâs always sweet
Okay thereâs this one character whoâs name starts with an E
I think sheâs Logan biological mom
Logan cut a knot he had with her or smth
Apparently sheâs awful and Vi would kill her but it would have a bad mental effect on Ro for... some reason
he got pale when the idea was brought up idk
I would have thrown her in forever prison if I couldnât kill her but thatâs just me
She placed a curse on Lo that stopped him from leaving Wickhills I think
Or smth
Lo broke the curse tho so what does it matter
Linda is the LAMPâs daughter??? I think???
I... havenât actually read the fics sheâs in so idk
But people really seem to love her so thatâs neat
Out of minor characters so we progress to my fav part about the series
Gay bois:
Aka the LAMP gang
Theyâre so gay guys
The gayest gays
I like to think I can write decent gays
But these???????
They barely have to look at each other before theyâre dead, murdered, killed by the mere beauty of one of the others
I LIVE FOR IT
In the one-shots Iâve read theyâre either completely 100% fluffy gays
Or gays helping each other with one Trauma or another
But they still end up gay-ing over each other in the end
and the KISSING
as an aroace I generally find kisses meh or ew
But these gays
All they want to do is kiss
Sometimes itâs tender and sweet and loving
More often than not tho the kisses are like
âIf one of you didnât manage to barely hold onto a brain cell throughout the gay youâd be fucking in publicâ
I am repulsed to write that sentence but itâs TRUE
...I think
Note: idek the difference between passionate but just passionate kisses and passionate about to get steamy kisses
Because you know
aroace
But the main point:
I find kisses meh
But these gays very clearly illustrate how beautiful kisses can be and I think thatâs wonderful
Also I just generally love LAMP and this is good good LAMP A++ Vi
Theyâre so gay and loving and protective of each other
They really deserved their own category
Onto the final section
Misc:
Aka stuff that doesnât fit in the other sections and/or stuff that did fit in the other sections but I forgot about it and am too lazy to put where it belongs
I realize now that Remy and Pat do not have the same last name
Theyâre not brothers (I donât think......)
Does Patâs last name start with a W?
That sounds right
Fug me if I know what Remâs last name is tho
Where do they all live
I thought only Vi lived in fae land
But I think Pat may live there too
But Lo lives in non-fae land???
idk
Also fae land is called fairyland and I canât tell if thatâs itâs actual name or the name one of the Bois gave it jokinly
Because if fairyland is itâs serious name, thatâs hilarious
No shade Violet Iâm just easily amused
Yâknow I always forget how young these bois are
Then I remember Loâs not even 18 by the time the after main plot one-shots come in to play
So like
Damn son they young
I feel double bad for all of them
Triple bad for Ro- the Serpent Kingâs head will be mine I swEAR
I think Roâs been a knight twice
Tho if you ask me heâs only been a knight once
Because I refuse to associate him in any way to the dick that is Durant if I can help it so heâs only ever been Viâs knight suck it
Apparently like almost all of Wickhills hate the Sander bois
Probably the LAMP crew too idk
What I mean to say is despite how desperate I want to live there a lot of Wickhillsâs residents are jerkwads
I think I saw a post where Lo can do photosynthesis and idk if itâs a shitpost or not but in this mess of a post I have decided it is canon
Mainly because thatâs cool and I would like to do photosynthesis
A new one-shot I didnât read has sparked a lot of askes about a Matt
I believe this man to be Patâs father
But I can make no promises as to the accuracy of this belief
Did Linda come out of a tree?
idk why but I feel like she did
Thatâs weird man
How do you come out of a tree
(me @ me:Â âyou could... you could read the fic and find outâ
So turns out I can shut the hell up
I am a bitch who understands nothing)
And I have ONCE MORE gotten off track oof
My favorite part of reading LAOFT is all the fae knowledge I learn
Really has sparked my interest in fae
Even if Iâll never know enough to do anything with it asfsdfb
Plus apparently Vi just sprinkles in her own fae lore here and there
Which is super cool
But also means if I tried to write something Iâm quite sure someone would be like âumm this isnât trueâ and I would feel played
Also what is up with Vi and Lo and rainfall
In that one fic where they hide in a tree and Logan senses a raindrop
His skin breaks open and sews itself together????
wtf????
So confusion
But hey guess whose bitchâs fault that is
*finger guns at a mirror*
ELDRITCH MONSTORITY
Thatâs not at ALL how you spell it but thatâs it thatâs the thing that was in Thomasâs head
Go me for remembering it
Fae land has a lot of customs and I know very few of them
Tho I do adore that one Flirt fic
Poor poor Virgil
Oh yeah Logan can make these super cool bushes
I know he used one rose bush when fighting someone whoâs name started with a Mrs/Miss
Yes I know the first name wasnât actually Mrs/Miss
But all I know of her name is Mrs/Miss something
And he used another bush against some idiot of a fae who grabbed Patton
By the way go protective Lo go
Like they can all get crazy protective of each other and I LIVE for it
ROMAN HAD HIS MEMORIES SPLIT UP??????
I mean I knew about a Night Roman and a Day Roman but I thought that was
like
a metaphorÂ
Like Roman acted differently during the night because he was stuck with a monster whom I shall revive simply to kill again
And he was trying to be separate from that person??
Or something like that
But NOPE
Serpent King is a Bastard of a being and I would happily crush his wind pipe beneath my foot
I hope the most amusing part of this sleep-drunk post is my different names for Durant the Dead Bitch because I am having fun insulting him
Okay listen peeps that is not even CLOSE to everything about this series but I wrote this over a couple of days, and my memory of what has been written and hasnât been written is nonexistent, and if you think Iâm rereading this to edit, youâre a fool (no offense) so like. Weâre just gonna do a wrap-up summary and call it good.
Summary: Gay fae messes who should figure out the value of communication get themselves in a LOT of shit because of their lack of said communication.
Also, final apologies to Violet, because LAOFT has incredibly deep, rich, intricate lore and my response to this lore is to grossly misrepresent it and also write this while Iâm in the constant state of being sleep-deprived, and more or less acting like Iâm drunk or smth
So uh. I hope this was amusing.
#the cryptid speaks#the cryptid is a fool#tired I am#won't stop me from doing this tho#laoft#violet#I have no apologies#also#no fact checking#because we die like men#swearing tw#long post#really#very very long post beware#and almost all of it is my stupid ramblings#violence tw#tell me if I need to tag something I forgot about and it will be done
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