#love people finding ways to send extra kudos it's always so sweet

[trashcanwithsprinkles]

Ao3 still won’t let me give more kudos :/

Screw that I’m sending them here ❤️❤️❤️

New chapter!!!!!!!

hahaha thank you!!!

[akatsuki-shin]

Review: 默读 Mò Dú (Silent Reading)

Notes:

(Very) long post ahead

Contains spoiler

This is my personal review and does not represent the entire audience, you are free to agree or not agree with what I’ve written here

Feel free to reply/send me a message if there are things you want to discuss

Using the Donghua poster because it fits the overall story more than the Audio Drama cover. :'))

Summary:

Yan City is a bright, bustling metropolis filled with all sorts of wonders, all sorts of people. From the richest occupying the city's most prestigious residential areas to the poorest huddling together in rundown slums, from the most fortunate blessed with a life of comfort to the wretched deemed to struggle until their last breath, from the virtuous walking in the path of light to the wicked lurking under the cover of darkness.

There is as much good as there is evil, and days gone by, people coming and going along with the passage of time.

Since their first meeting during a certain case seven years ago, Captain of the City Bureau's Crime Investigation Unit Luo Wenzhou thought he would never see eye to eye with Fei Du, son of a well-known conglomerate who inherited his father's position and wealth after the latter fell into comatose due to a near-fatal accident three years ago.

Words as sharp as knives dyed their bitter exchanges, even their personality was like the heaven and earth; the bold, blunt, and straightforward Luo Wenzhou - and the astute, secretive Fei Du, with his beautiful peach blossom eyes and a smile that is not quite a smile seducing countless people, his very presence seems as if it was covered under layers and layers of deceit.

Every single time they meet, they would always part on bad terms. Yet Luo Wenzhou would never have thought that a seemingly ordinary murder case of an ordinary deliveryman would lead him into the mystery of multiple long forgotten unsolved cases, turning over the Yan City and the City Bureau itself upside down, making him question his faith to those he respected and trust - and along with it, opening a door to the truth of Fei Du's past never once known to others.

STORY: 9/10

At first glance, the overall plot of Silent Reading seems neither extravagant nor exceptional. It's just one of those police drama where the main leads had to wrestle in a battle of wits with the villains looming around them, struggling to outsmart each other and eventually, bringing justice to those who deserve it.

But that is exactly what is so good about it. Silent reading could take all of those cliche and packed them into one nerve-wrecking, enticing journey from start to finish, complete with both intense and amusing interactions, and just the right amount of romance that does not disturb the flow of the main story.

And it actually does have its own uniqueness.

In most police dramas I've ever seen, the enemy is usually either a corrupt high-ranking official committing some hideous criminal acts by abusing their authority, or an individual/group with some very extreme values or obsession. Silent Reading, however, have both of those two most general types of villains in the story and what's more? It pits them against each other, pulling around and forcing the main leads to wreck their brains, slowly unravel the tangled mess until the truth finally comes to light.

The action and suspense, the atmosphere, the analysis, everything was almost impeccable to the point of perfection.

I have to especially give my kudos to how the author (Priest) structured the mystery in such a way, connecting one dots to the other from beginning to end. During the first few cases, I thought the resolution of the case didn't feel very solid, as if there are still some details that have yet to be properly elaborated. Yet halfway through, I realize that there is actually a bigger plot that encompass everything, tying all loose ends together.

And here, I would also like to highlight my two most favorite scene.

The first one is in Chapter 114-115 when Luo Wenzhou finally peeled of Fei Du's defense and for the first time exposed his true feelings, making Fei Du faced and spoke what he truly felt for Luo Wenzhou - that he really, actually did care for him. Their entire interactions and development up to this scene fits so well with these two main characters. There was no nonsense, no sappy crying and needless drama. Luo Wenzhou was as blunt as he was desperate and Fei Du, for once, admitted to the truth straight out with his own mouth.

The second one is in Chapter 157. In this case, one of Fei Du's most trusted men and an extremely important witness (that would later become their ally) were being chased and surrounded by thugs hired by their enemy. At this point of the story, the City Bureau was already in turmoil. Luo Wenzhou was suspended, nobody knows who they could or could not trust. Yet still, his subordinates all set out swiftly under his command and followed him to save the two witnesses, appearing at the most critical time.

It was actually a typical scene that exist in many police action drama, but given the development of the story, the well-built character relationship and interactions, I think it is Luo Wenzhou's coolest scene in the entire story and it makes me admire him a lot as the main lead and a leader figure.

One thing that does not quite sit well with me is Fan Siyuan's obsessiveness towards the late Gu Zhao. His motive for the crime was clear and I understand that he was using Gu Zhao's case as an example of injustice. But his extreme emotions whenever Gu Zhao was mentioned seems strange, even baseless. It makes me think whether he considers Gu Zhao as his own family or he was maybe madly in love with Gu Zhao, whereas in the entire story, unless I'm missing something, I have only ever known that Gu Zhao was Fan Siyuan's student - nothing more, nothing less.

CHARACTERS: 9/10

Silent Reading has a balanced, yet still very much appealing casts, from the major characters to the minor ones. Even the suspects and witnesses each had their own distinguishing features that didn't make them look like they were just there as canon fodders.

The composition of Luo Wenzhou's team itself is ideal; they've got the dependable leader, the smart advisor, the best friend and trustworthy right-hand man, the genius nerd, and the dependable aide.

I especially like Tao Ran (and I think most readers would agree with me). While he looks like the typical good guy type, he really, truly is a very good person. It's hard not to find him lovable. His relationship with Chang Ning was as cliche as it could get, but hey, as long as he's happy. Dude deserve it after everything he's done.

As for the two main leads, they are probably one of the most interesting couple I've found in the past few years.

Individually, Luo Wenzhou is the type of character I always like. He is confident to the point of having a narcissistic streak, but all of those are based on real talents and experiences. He speaks bluntly, but he cares for others through his action. He does not sugarcoat things and speaks the truth for what it is. Everything about him simply screams "reliable" as a leader (and a significant other to a certain someone). He deserves all of the respect and loyalty his subordinates gave to him.

Fei Du at first looks like a complex character whose real self is hidden beneath countless coats of pretense, but at the core, he is just a pitiful young man who does not know how to value himself, does not know how to love and be loved due to the abuse he suffered during childhood in the hands of his sadistic father. Despite his composure, his intelligence, his capability, he is almost like a lost little child, wandering in the darkness, going wherever the flow would take him until Luo Wenzhou pulled him out of that abyss. It is nothing less than commendable that he could restrain himself from succumbing into his father's manipulation, even if he has to correct himself through such extreme means for a long time.

And I'm glad that now he has someone who gives him the love he has long since been bereft of.

With Luo Wenzhou, Fei Du finally has a color in his life, someone to make happy memories with, and someone who genuinely love him for who he is. Likewise, with Fei Du, not only Luo Wenzhou got someone he could genuinely care for, he also finally has a place where he could relax, taking off the strong front he'd been putting before others all day long.

It was just so fulfilling to see two characters growing from "cat and dog" into inseparable lovers. They weren't sickeningly sweet, but just two people who are content with each other and would be each other's strength. I was especially happy when I saw how Fei Du changed his phone's ring tone into the one Luo Wenzhou in the extra chapter.

Now that I've finished reading this story, these two straight up went to the top of my all-time most favorite pairing list. But of course, this is just a personal opinion. Luo Wenzhou and Fei Du simply hits all of my favorite tropes, that's why. 😂

If I really have to point out one mini flaw, I suppose it's that the main villains aren't as appealing as the rest of the casts. They were practically overshadowed, even by some minor characters that only appeared for a short while.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS: 9/10

Just some very minor complaints:

1). When the story first introduced Fei Du in the beginning, it felt kind of abrupt. The narration had only been addressing him with his physical appearance, but suddenly they changed it into "Fei Du" with barely any proper start.

2). The international conference in Yan City (Chapter 2) was supposed to be a background information of the general setting of the first case, yet it was not properly mentioned at the start - rather, one sort paragraph about said conference was simply being slipped in the middle just for the sake to be there.

3). The switching of scenes between characters in the 3rd person POV are sometimes too quick with no signs of incoming transitions beforehand like taking shortcuts.

And by that, I mean that other than those three issues above, everything else was nothing less than perfect.

OVERALL SCORE: 9/10

A realistic story with perfectly balanced action, mystery, suspense, and romance - with a dash of comedy sprinkled at the right time and place.

Reading the novel from start to finish was nothing less than enjoyable. Whenever there needed to be a flashback or explanation, it didn't feel like info dump being thrown in all of a sudden.

I would like to point out a bit about the Zhou Conglomerate Case in Book 3.

Personally speaking, I think this is the most realistic case out of the others, and by that, I don't mean the crazy rich family drama.

The other cases in the books are something that to me feels "faraway"; murders, child trafficking, psychopath, organized criminal gangs. Yet in Book 3, due to the nature of the case, it was posted publicly for all to see, and damn if it didn't bring out the most annoying thing I actually hate in real life.

Clout-chasing media, meddlesome netizens commenting without thinking on the Internet, spreading personal information of the involved individuals without consent, handing down judgment based on rumors and personal opinions even if they have nothing to do with it (and know nothing about it), crashing the website due to mere curiosity, further hindering the police working on the case from doing their job.

They weren't thinking about those actually involved in the case, especially the victim. They don't care, or maybe don't even think that their meddlesome acts could cost a human's life because they see everything as mere passing entertainment. And if something were to happen because of their meddling, the most they would say is, of course, as quoted from Chapter 72:

"I didn't do it on purpose"

"I wasn't doing it to you"

"I didn't expect this to be the outcome"

"From a certain point of view, I'm a victim, too"

Even if I was just reading a fiction, at that moment I truly wished I could shut down the Internet for a bit. 😂

Anyway, amazing story. I might re-read everything from the start again when I have some free time.

[babelfishing]

Everything I Have Written

It's about time I added a pinned post with everything I've written online. I originally thought, "I'll make this a best-of!" But eh, I love them all in their own special way. So here's just about Everything (TM).

I'll do my best to keep this updated with new content. Thank you so much for reading! Your comments and kudos mean the world to me.

Things I Have Written (She-Ra)

The Girl Who Swallowed a Star

"Hey, it's okay. Just relax, straighten your legs, and start walking."

Adora's body did so reflexively and to her surprise, the air beneath her boots felt stable and calm. Gingerly, she leaned her weight forward and found that the invisible surface did not give way.

"There you go, now you're getting it," Catra whispered after sensing the lingering tension in her ward's body. She leaned in closer such that her chin rested in the crook of Adora's neck. "Don't worry, I've got you."

A few dreamy steps further, the sorceress looked over and caught Adora staring. With an enticing grin, she returned the favor.

"Look at you. You're a natural."

"Heh...I guess so."

"And here I thought you were some magic-less flower delivery girl."

"You're pretty magical yourself."

Or

A Howl’s Moving Castle-inspired AU about love, war, and the perils of fighting other people’s battles. (Ongoing, Ch. 1 so far)

My Heart Overtook my Body

My "Your Name" AU, written for the S5 1-Year Anniversary Big Bang!

Like perfect strangers, Catra and Adora are busy living their own lives, out in the country and deep in the city, respectively. But one night, they begin switching places, each waking the next morning in the other’s body without a clue to the cause. As the switches continue, the pair are faced with a daily choice – stay true to their opposite’s wishes or meddle in their affairs, spicing it up or perfecting it as they see fit.

Soon enough, the pair find themselves at each other’s necks, spiteful of the person on the other end of the line. But as they begin to see more of the world through the other’s eyes, Catra and Adora begin to feel their summer passions blossoming into something more, their lives now inextricably bound by the red string of fate. That cord continues to tighten as they explore the person they’ve become, until the pair must overcome a hardship greater than distance to find a way back to each other (53k, 12 chapters)

A Beautiful Wish

Without warning, Catra opens her eyes and finds herself in a new reality where the Horde’s conquest had been successful, where she has become queen of the Horde by force, and where Adora has never left her side. Wracked with an insatiable bout of amnesia, Catra must now decide if this world is truly what she wants – even when it is too good to be true.

Or

A parallel to Adora's "wish" in Heart Pt. 2 (9.9k words).

Something Bitter, Something Sweet

Between their banter and a few glasses of wine, Catra and Glimmer stir up a cherished dumpling recipe and a few bittersweet memories (9.2k)

Caught Out

Adora and Catra trek through the great outdoors together and try to climb up to a scenic mountain peak. The weather has other plans, though. Despite the rain, the couple find a way to grow closer while retracing feelings of the past (9k).

Pitter Patter Goes my Heart

Catra has something she needs to ask Adora, and her racing thoughts won’t let her sleep until she gets an answer. It all started with a nightmare, but in the silence of their Horde cadet dormitory, Catra still finds the courage to lean into a dream she’s long held in her heart (3.3k).

The Sculptors Marble Sends Regards

On the 3rd anniversary of the war's end, Bright Moon makes a new addition to its statuary hall of heroes. Catra feels like she doesn't deserve the honor, causing old guilt about the war to bubble up (5.9k).

Pink in the Night

On a cadet training mission in the field, Catra and Adora sneak out of camp to explore a mysterious glowing cave. There, a crystal of unique beauty catches their mutual eye. But their nighttime escapade soon turns treacherous as the ground beneath them begins to give way. In the blink of an eye, Catra learns what it takes to save the person she cares about most in the world - even if she's only beginning to come to terms with her feelings (13.8k).

Compliments to the Chef

Catra and Adora enjoy the beginnings of a perfect Saturday morning, starting with a lovingly prepared meal and then...maybe more (4k)

That's It, Forever

My first ever fic! Catra struggles with her guilty conscience, even with the war now in the rear view (2.6k).

Don't Change

Catra has a question and she’s not sure she can sleep until she knows the answer. She wants to know what it feels like to transform into She-Ra, but more importantly, she wants to be sure she’ll always have Adora - no matter who she changes into (3.2k).

Truth and/or Drink

What's a few personal questions between friends? A lot, as it turns out, based on Adora and Glimmer's romantic history. For a time, both women thought that they could make their living arrangement work platonically. But after a few rounds of a classic drinking game, they both reveal some truths that help reconcile their past while also making it harder for them to live together as "just friends" (7.4k).

Missing Out, Missing You

One evening, aboard Horde Prime’s ship, two former enemies converse about their younger years and what could have been, if not for the war (2.2k)

Things I Have Written (The Owl House)

Mint Chocolate

Amity's not jazzed about the prospect of re-dying her hair. That is, until Luz volunteers to help. After that, she can hardly say "no," let alone remain focused on the task at hand. In the end, the pair end up with more on their mind than what to do with their snow white hair (6.6k).

Such a Heavenly View

Amity invites Luz to watch the stars from a popular Boiling Isles overlook. But a storm rolls in to ruin their date - at least, that's what everyone around them knows it to be. Luz manages to find a way to save the night, though, with a little mix of magic and burgeoning affection. (7.4k)

A Dull Roar

A project due date is approaching, so naturally, the library would be the best place for Luz and Amity to study. But as it turns out, even the library can offer its own share of distractions – that is, if you’re sitting with the right person.

Or

Amity and Luz try to hit the books, but end up hitting on each other – in their own way (9.9k).

Don't Hold Your Breath

After Boscha tosses Amity's pendant in the Hexside pool, it's up to Luz and Amity to sneak in like cat burglars and nab it back. Their escapade makes for an intimate evening of night swimming - even if they're not mutually ready to admit their feelings just yet. But even without saying it, Luz eventually shows how much her new friend means to her when the pool's perilous nature comes to a head (8.5k)

The Fireworks in Me

On the eve of the Midwinter Festival, an argument between Amity and Luz boils over, leaving the latter struggling to find the words to apologize. Though a walk through town manages to cool her nerves, it may take a little extra warmth - from her girlfriend and their favorite holiday brew - to fully make amends (3.5k).

Letterman

After lending Luz her varsity jacket, Amity realizes the implications just a moment too late (2.4k).

In the Blink of an Eye

A serendipitous encounter in the Palisman Woods offers Amity a chance to show her true spark. But her fire magic isn’t the only flame on this battlefield. Somehow, someway, Amity finds her harsh demeanor melting away after catching a glance of a certain human stranger. Maybe if she’s lucky, her quick thinking will be enough to get her name (7.9k)

Thank you to everyone who reads my work! Your kudos and comments are appreciated beyond your wildest belief. I have a bunch of wips and half-ideas that I may add to this collection as well, so don't miss those.

[dvp95]

sorry to bother you 👉👈 I was just wondering if you knew of any good ways to get more interaction on fics?

hey! not a bother at all! i can give some general tips, and if you or anyone else needs clarification or further help, you can send them my way 💞

tl;dr bullets

make friends who will cheer you on

be friendly to people in the community generally

quick summaries and a small grouping of tags is easier to digest than huge paragraphs of both

i tend to do tags like this: universe tag, relationship status tag, specific tropes tags, genre tags, relevant trigger tags, maybe something extra for flavour. try to keep it under 10ish, 5ish if it's short and no triggers are applicable

i know it's tempting to tag EVERYTHING so more tag searchers will see it, but i know a lot of people are more likely to click on "fwb, pwp, au" than "fwb, au - college, au - modern, au - divergence, pwp, smut, sex, anal sex, oral sex, sex in hotels, etc etc etc etc" because it's simply too much to look at, for me

betas are helpful

seriously. they're life savers

even if you don't care about grammar. get a beta

write more! write what you LIKE!

try not to pay attention to specific numbers that upset you, like other people's kudos rate vs your own

pay attention to numbers that inspire you, like your yearly word count

HAVE FUN!!!!!

probably the biggest way to get more eyes on your writing is to talk to people who might read that writing! making friends online always feels awkward at first, sure, but even having polite interactions w someone and knowing each other's name can be super important - if i only have time to read one fic, i'm going to read the one my friend wrote, or my friendly mutual wrote, before a name i don't recognise. i know not everybody does that! which leads me to my next point,

tagging and summaries on ao3 can be so stressful. you can tell by looking through my ao3 that my summaries aren't that creative. i either use a quote from the fic or i sum it up clumsily. tagging is more important imo - if your summary is short and sweet, tags are where people will look to find the whole story before they click or scroll. if you're stuck on tags, look at what other authors are doing. i use puddle as an example of how to tag my smut fics, and i try to keep my number of tags reasonable. so this way they're coherent and also not an eyesore when you're scrolling through recent works, if that makes any sense? a tag list that's longer than a single mobile page is a surefire way to get people to scroll faster, because it takes so much energy just to read the TAGS that they might decide the fic isn't worth it

and a good way to figure out what tags are necessary is getting a beta friend! this ties into my first point, but there's a bit more to having someone look over your writing. it's scary, for one thing! i used to send chicken my fifth draft instead of my first, and they'd be confused because there didn't seem to be anything to fix. my suggestion is to figure out what you want help with and see if a friend will help you with it. for can't breathe, i actually had an irl friend beta it for me! i wanted help with making sure the story flowed primarily, i appreciated suggestions for more rom-com fun, and grammar was 'just if she notices it'. i think that having someone outside the fandom made that particular story as a whole stronger - because if it made sense to someone who didn't know them, then i felt pretty good about fans enjoying it too

and honestly the best way to get more people looking at your fic is to write more fic!! maybe that sounds mean to say or something but, like, people are going to recognise your name more if you've written something stupid like 80 phanfics (nobody go look at my ao3 account) versus writing 3. that's not to say that you can't get a lot of engagement from only writing one or a handful of fics! lots of people do! but they do other things to get that audience, including tags and betas. plus, we all love the feeling of "i wonder what else this person has written!" and finding a cool dozen fics that appeal to us as well! i have a lot of people who will comment on one of my fics and then their name will show up on a bunch of other ones, too, because they found others through my first one

frankly, i think it's most important that you have fun while you're writing, and try not to compare yourself to other people or even to your own old content. there are ebbs and flows of community engagement, depending on so many factors like what dnp have been doing recently, what the world is like at the moment, what tropes are popular, whatever, and i think trying not to focus on the numbers is good. i have no idea what my average kudos or hits or whatever is, nor do i know what anyone else's is. as long as i enjoy what i'm posting and my friends are cheering me on, i'm happy. but that mentality comes from how long i've been posting fic (since 2006) and how many platforms i've posted on (individual forums, ffnet, livejournal, tumblr, ao3). engagement has looked different on every platform, and i've long stopped caring about the specific numbers

i hope any of that was helpful! 💖

[msbeccieboo]

Arrow 7x15 brain dump

Oh my gosh this episode was an absolute gift!!  Especially after the news we got last week, this fluffy beast of an episode could not have come at a better time (for me, at least)!  I’m not sure if part of the reason I enjoyed it so much was that we didn’t really see it coming?  I thought it would be sort of a filler episode that we typically get around this point in a season, that the OTA snippets we saw in the trailer would be about it, but boy was I wrong hahaha!!  I am still a mess!  There is so much to unpack here, I can’t form fully cohesive thoughts still, and this is shaping up to be another whopper, sorry 😬😬😬….

Olicity

Fresh off the pregnancy reveal to Oliver from last week, our ship is still a-sailing!! The heart eyes are back, the eye contact full-stop is back, the supportiveness (”We’re a team, too” “Always”😭😭😭) , the united front.  The little touches are getting there (we’re working up to that sex scene, I can feel it 🤞🤞🤞).  Oliver even looks better in this episode!!  Now, this could be the SCPD-issue tight t-shirt (it’s certainly not the hair), or just his more all-round peaceful demeanour that he seems to have achieved through baby/Felicity joy.

Source:plotbunnyshipper

Continued below the cut.

We got so much Olicity this week!  Multiple times! Olicity, all the time!  The first proper Olicity scene, has Oliver being all Zen-like over the SCPD set-up, meanwhile, Felicity already knows it’s gonna be a shit show.  Our girl is a genius, what more needs to be said? Turns out Oliver is so gung-ho with the SCPD because he wants to do everything he can to make their city a safe place for “our baby” (complete with little adorable smile) HCOJIDNFJKDNVJBDBV!!! This scene also has Oliver offering to make food for our starving/nauseous pregnant Felicity (squeeeee) and a DOUBLE KISS!!!!

Source: oliverxfelicity

Then we got a scene with an increasingly-frustrated Oliver (the Zen didn’t last too long) over the aforementioned inevitable SCPD shit show.  Where Felicity got to give a pep-talk resulting in this delightful exchange:

Source: oliverxfelicity

We got the eyes, the compliments, THE MINT CHIP!!  Scenes out of fanfic have arrived people!!  We see that Felicity has been busy getting the Arrow Cave back up and running, and we get some quality Green Arrow/Overwatch comms action too!!

Then, we get the absolute heart-warming/breaking scene at the end of the episode, which again the fandom could have written for us!!  Felicity is adorably checking out her non-existent bump, asking Oliver if she’s showing, to which he wisely says no 😂  Then they talk about baby names!!  Who would have thought this day would come??!?!!  Oliver is adorable in offering up the name Mia, as many predicted, in tribute to Moira.  I loved how Felicity had a far-away look in her eye, describing the name as “sweet and fiery” (well we got fiery, and a little bit of sweet haha).  Oliver just made me weep in his earnestness and sincerity here; all he wants is to make his children’s lives better than his has been. 

Source:olicitygifs

Then they lament how the children will “always have each other and they’ll always have us”.  Well if that didn’t shoot me straight in the gut!!  Because we have seen the future and 😭😭😭 *ugly sobbing ensues*.

Flash Forwards

These just keep getting better and better.  I know they’re still a bit divisive, but I’m seeing more and more people squeeing along with the likes of me at them haha!!  This week focused entirely on William and Mia (YAAAASSSS), and sees them at the Star City Bazaar doing a spot of Antique shopping, namely looking for a cassette player to play their “old tape from the 80s” 😂😂😂. Wow, way to make me feel ancient lol.  Will being the naïve cupcake that he is, bungles the transaction leaving Mia to go and beat up the vendor.  I loved seeing William hold her back, hilarious!  SO MUCH OLIVER!!  This is something Will tells her after, and it absolutely devastated me (and Mia, by the looks of her reaction) that she didn’t know the iconic “You have failed this city” line.  How is this not a thing of legend in Star City???  The answer to that hurts me too much so I will skip over for now!

Source: oliverxfelicity

Anyway, thanks to William’s techy genius (“like, literally” 😍 he is such a mini Felicity), they manage to cause a distraction, allowing Mia to knock out the vendor and for William to get the tape player.  That’s team work, guys!  Bonus lolz to Will’s saccharine “thank you” as he walks off 😂  Back at Mia’s base they eventually decide to play Felicity’s tape (“What are you waiting for?” “I dunno, what are you waiting for?” I STAN THESE SIBLINGS SO HARD)  And then here is where I died.  Firstly, Will’s nerves at hearing Felicity’s voice after 20 years 😭, Mia’s reassurance that they will listen together, and then Felicity’s message itself.  

Source:feilcityqueen

Felicity is alive bitches!!  After a delightful Felicity-ramble, she apologies to them both for keeping them apart, stating that “We did it because we love you” WE!!! Present tense!!!  Oliver lives too!!!  This is my happy place and I am staying here for as.long.as.I.possibly.can.  

She then directs them to give the team some coordinates then get the hell outta Star City.  I loved how there was no deliberation at all from the siblings, “So we’re ignoring her?” “Definitely”.  And they’re off to The Glades...duh duh duuuuuhhhhh!!!

OTA/Delicity

OTA is well and truly back this episode, following Dig’s apology last week.  There wasn’t masses of Diggle in this episode, and that is one thing I would have liked to have seen from this episode, but to be fair we have been so well fed that I will not complain!!

They told dig!!!!!!

Dig can tell that there is something Olicity aren’t telling him, and the kind of bashful joy on Oliver’s face is just so beautiful and heart-warming! 

Source:oliverxfelicity

Dig is so pleased for them!!  I love Uncle Dig!  And as always Uncy John has some sage advice for our OTP.  He tells them that in order to clean up the city for their family, without sending Oliver back to the Big House, that they have to find another way.  This is a motto that Arrow lives and dies by, but it felt all the more poignant here for some reason, maybe because OTA were finally coming back together?  Maybe because we’re aware now that the team as we know it is soon going to drastically change?  Maybe because the fracking show is ending soon HFDOVHUIERGBVSDVIFDVJDSHVODNVKODW!!!  Anyway, I had feelings about this whole scene (cue Beccie in floods of tears, again).  *whispers I would’ve really liked a hug here ok*

As if that beautiful OTA scene wasn’t fabulous enough, we got bonus Delicity!! I think this was so needed, given their particular distance so far this the season. Dig is still kissing arse a little bit (rightfully so), and not only offers felicity some sweets to help her morning sickness 😍 but offers her some reassurance that she’s got this.  “You were absolutely amazing out there, your tech was phenomenal”.  My Delicity heart is soaring!!  He goes on to point out just how brilliant her security system is (extra kudos for Felicity shading Curtis lol), and that it could be the basis for something much bigger….Smoak Technologies anyone??

Source:felicitysmoakgifs

Team Arrow/SCPD storyline

The training montage at the start of the episode was everything!!  Felicity’s in particular facial expressions were absolutely hilarious; the utter horror of not being able to hack, and using outdated computer systems were just delightful! Even Wild Dog got a quality quip in there about having their own uniforms.  

I really wasn’t looking forward to this aspect of the episode, as I just find the whole SCPD angle annoying and ridiculous this season.  Luckily, this episode was a means to an end, and finally addressed the problematic nature of mixing the Police with the Vigilantes in this way.

The SCPD didn’t seem to want to learn anything from Team Arrow.  Where is the sense in having these people join the force if they aren’t going to provide some unique skills and training?  And the first thing they do is strip them of their weapons and their suits (ahh, if only literally….*ahem*).  They do have a point when it comes to gathering evidence legally, not using coercive ‘interview’ techniques and so on, but presumably, by some kind of TV magic, they were able to successfully convict plenty of criminals caught by Team Arrow previously…so what has changed?  

The evil little Mayor keeps popping up this season, trying to undermine the Team. Oliver never seemed to have this much clout with the SCPD when he was Mayor Handsome.  So why does Mayor Tiny spend so much time there?  Clear off!  Her interference, and the apparent loss of Dinah’s cry, leads to Dinah having a crisis of confidence, briefly picking the SCPD over the Team.  Wild Dog gets all up in her face with a sense-making motivational speech, which he seems to be doing a lot of this season…who knew he had it in him??  Anyhow, Dinah eventually comes to terms with losing her cry, and decides to continue being the Black Canary.  This plot point seemed superfluous to me.  Sara nor Laurel had a meta-cry, and they turned out alright as Canaries…..wait….never mind.  If only they had some friends with medical and meta-human expert knowledge and technology (looking at you Larry)?!?!

Anyway, I enjoyed the twist that Team Arrow had actually been working with the SCPD during the final mission scene, following Dig’s advice that they needed to become ‘something else’.  DD blackmailed dirty Mayor tiny into giving Team Arrow free-rein under the SCPD umbrella still, and repealing the anti-vigilante law.  Yay team Arrow!!  No more SCPD storyline!  All’s well that ends well!

Black Siren/Emiko

I think they took up an acceptably small portion of the episode, and it was just about enough for my liking.  This reaffirmed that I only really care about BS when she’s in scenes with Felicity, but it was nice seeing her try to do the right thing with solving Diaz’s murder.  As many predicted, Emiko killed Lizard Boy, as she is working for Dante.  Even doing this didn’t endear me to Emiko any more I’m afraid.  I just don’t care about her, sorry.  The showdown between BS and Emiko has potential to be interesting, and could lead to conflict between BS/Felicity/Oliver/Emiko in coming episodes, but my babies don’t need any more conflict, just let them be pleeeaaaase!!

The surprise that no one saw coming (I didn’t see anyone call it; well done Boss Beth!), was the appearance of baby Bronze Tiger, Connor ‘Hawke’ Turner.  Connor Hawke from the FFs is Bronze Tiger’s son, adopted by Dig and Lyla?!?!?!  Fab idea, writers!  This likely means that Ben Turner is going to die imminently, which is such a shame because he had so much potential in the prison arc!!  I loved seeing him again in this episode!

Looking ahead

THAT TRAILER GUYS!!!!!  MSDOI;’#GFHGSD;VNSD’K[GSDJVANVNFDK!!!!!!! I was not ready.  None of us were ready it seems!!!  We’re gonna see Mia’s birth this season!!!!  Oliver will be there!!  There’s a photo of Olicity and baby Mia!!!!  AAAAAAAAAGHGHAGHAGHAGHA!!!

Source:olicitygifs

The Team is back!!  But now we see this joint ‘black ops’ type scenario joining Team Arrow and the SCPD together, along with the repealing of the Anti-Vigilante law, the landscape isn’t tying in with the FFs. How do we get to the point where Vigilantes are utterly outlawed and hated by society, when they have done so much to help the city over the years?  What changes?  Is this why Oliver is ‘gone’?  Why Felicity appears to have to give birth to Mia in some abandoned farmhouse somewhere? Where Mia has to be kept hidden? Where Mia and William can’t know of each other’s existence, or be spoken of in the same sentence (seriously….the TEARS!!)?  Where Mia can’t even go by the name Queen for her own safety?  I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!!  I think Emiko could be at the bottom of this somehow.  She’s literally doing nothing else interesting.

Either Oliver and Felicity, or Rene and Dinah must be on the outs from the Team soon, to explain the latter’s unawareness of Mia.  Could this be this why only Rene and Dinah have been set up in the FFs so far, because this is the only place we will see them next season? (Assuming they are coming back for S9).

I am so unbelievably excited for next week now.  It’s gonna be dark, I know, but I’m hoping we get a decent amount of questions answered, and see Future Felicity and Diggle!!  (I’d love to see future Oliver, but not holding out hope for that just yet).  I was looking forward to the all-future episode anyway, as I’m living for Mia and William right now, but now???  Bring.it.on!

As always, huge thanks to the amazingly talented gif-makers in our fandom. Kisses and jazzy-hugs all round 😘😘😘🤗🤗🤗

[otomeverything]

NIGHTSHADE

Release Date:  December 20, 2018 (North America) Developers:  Red Entertainment / LANTERN ROOMS Publishers: D3Publisher Platforms:  Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam) ESRB Rating: M (Mature) 17+

  Walkthroughs:

Goemon

Chojiro

Hanzo

Kuroyuki

Gekkamaru

Common Route

  PROLOGUE (from Nightshade’s official site) During the Sengoku Period the two main factions of ninja clans, Iga and Kōga, warred against each other for decades. In the year 1593, Nobunaga Oda started the Tenshō Iga war, decimating most of the Iga ninjas in the process. The very few that survived were absorbed into the Kōga clan, despite their past rivalries. After 17 years the Sengoku Period finally came to an end, and Japan was unified.

Enju (Protagonist), daughter of Kandō Ueno, the Head of the Kōga clan, spends her days training diligently in hope of becoming a full-fledged ninja like her peers. At long last, she is assigned to her first mission but finds herself caught in a dark conspiracy.

  ART AND MUSIC One of Nightshade’s prominent features that’ll easily make an impression among otome fans, is its art style. The game credits non-other than the famous illustrator, Teita who’s fairly popular for her other works such as Norn9, the Juuzaengi  Engetsu Sangokuden saga and the recently released visual novel, Charade Maniacs.

I wish I could say the same for the game’s musical score. The OP theme was nice but wasn’t memorable at all. The END theme (Good End) however, “Taezaru Hana”  by MIKOTO was pretty soothing that I ended up purchasing the track in iTunes. Listen to the full song below:

  Voice Acting Nightshade honestly has the best seiyuu lineup. The voice acting was, in fact, one of the major highlights of the game. The VAs really did an amazing job capturing your emotions. I was already expecting this much from their topnotch VA list, but they did more than stellar performances with this game! Every seiyuu involved were magnificent, even the side character, Ieyasu Tokugawa (voiced by Koki Miyata, who’s famous for his role as Ukyo in Amnesia), did an amazing job portraying his cunning personality.

  Hikaru Midorikawa ♥ “Goemon Ishikawa” – Tamahome (Fushigi Yuugi Suzaku Ibun), Zenya (Sweet Pool), Ayato (Diabolik Lovers), Hanate (7’Scarlet), Yutaka Nabari (Nil Admirari)

Wataru Hatano “Gekkemaru” – Asato (Lamento Beyond the Void), Lindo (Dance with the Devils), Kotarou (Hakuoki), Sakiyama Youji (Sweet Pool), Yuuto (Storm Lover)

Hiro Shimono “Kuroyuki“ – Shou Kurusu (Utapri), Senri Ichinose (Norn9), Sou Kiryuu (Harukanaru Toki no Naka De 5), Ricchie (Black Wolves Saga), Ray Blackwell (Ikerev)

Kenjiro Tsuda “Hanzo Hattori” – Chikage Kazama (Hakuoki), Soshi Amazaki (The Charming Empire), Leonardo Da Vinci (Ikevamp), Nathan Seymour (Tiger & Bunny)

Kosuke Toriumi “Chojiro Momochi” – Hajime Saito (Hakuoki), Kagiha (Psychedelica BB), Poyo-Poyo (Period Cube), Hideyoshi (Ikesen), Lawrence (Psychedelica AH), John Watson (Code Realize)

  MAIN CHARACTERS (Spoiler Free)

I must say, I love all of the characters and their routes that it was hard for me to pick a favorite. If you’re concerned with plot spoilers in your first playthrough, my recommendation would be to play the routes in the following order (from least to greatest in spoiler content):  Goemon – Hanzo – Chojiro – Kuroyuki – Gekkamaru. For enjoyability, I’d recommend playing in the same order. Goemon and Hanzo were the lighter routes, Chojiro was angst from start to finish and the brothers (Kuroyuki and Gekkamaru) had more plot revelations than you’ve expected. I would also strongly recommend saving Gekkamaru’s route for last, trust me when I say, this makes your last playthrough more worthwhile. 😉

  GOEMON ISHIKAWA

The Japanese Robin Hood

ladykiller

True to his name in history books, Goemon Ishikawa is the legendary Japanese outlaw who stole gold and other valuables from the rich to give to the poor. He’s very popular among the townspeople due to his ingenious thieving schemes. He is known to send prior notices to his targets before he robs them off their treasures. Goemon is also a highly skilled ninja who has the wit of a brilliant tactician.

Playing Goemon’s route first was a good choice since his story was the lightest among the bachelors in the game, plus I haven’t fallen in love with Midorikawa’s voice in a while, so there’s also that ha! I find Goemon’s story really refreshing due to his carefree personality and charismatic nature. Because of this, it was so easy to like this character from the get-go. Going down his route will let you discover a few revelations regarding Goemon’s past, where he came from and how he ended up as the notorious thief he is now. His route also offers  a couple of plot twists and although it was a little predictable towards the end, it was executed really well where it didn’t feel awkward nor forced. As far as the romance goes, Goemon is a straight up, ladykiller. It was fun to see his relationship with Enju develop all throughout his route. His playful teasing and his easy-going personality will have you falling for him in no time.

  HANZO HATTORI

Mr. stoic ninja

kuudere

Besides, being Lord Ieyasu Tokugawa’s personal guard, Hanzo is also the Tokugawa clan’s shinobi leader. Because of his resounding title as the strongest ninja history has ever known, he is very popular among all the shinobi clans in Japan. He is normally calm and collected but will not hesitate to become ruthless for the success of his mission.

Hanzo is the oldest among the bachelors (and I absolutely love him!) He is, I believe 33 years old, making quite an age gap between him and the heroine Enju, but LOL this is Toyotomi-Tokugawa (Edo 1600’s – 1800’s) period we’re talking about, where huge age gaps among couples are very common… But age aside, let me tell you… Hanzo’s route completely took me by surprise! I have no words! *Breaths heavily* I guess, I was already eyeing this character from the start since Kenjiro Tsuda voiced him. But I wasn’t expecting his arc to be this good that it literally caught me off guard. He ended up becoming my favorite of the entire game!

At first, he started as the very straightforward stoic kind, who’s only doing his master, Lord Tokugawa’s bidding. But after a few encounters where he teams up with the heroine and helps her survive, he begins to slightly soften up, giving us a glimpse of his true adorable fluffy nature. Both Hanzo and Enju go through tremendous character development in this route, especially the heroine. I just love seeing Enju prove herself time and again how much she wanted to make it as a true shinobi while she constantly faces hardships every step of the way (she’s freakin’ cool!) I also love seeing Hanzo unexpectedly supporting her through her struggles. It’s as if, rather than saving her all the time, he wants her to learn to depend on herself instead; and to me, this relationship was truly very refreshing, not to mention absolutely heartwarming. Expect a lot of badass back to back action scenes in this route, where Hanzo and Enju kick some ninja ass!

  CHOJIRO MOMOCHI

Big Brother

Angst! Angst! Angst!

Chojiro is the son of the late leader of Iga, Tanba Momochi . After losing his family and clan in the Tensho Iga War at the age of five, he joined the Koga clan along with the other Iga survivors. Chojiro is also the heroine’s cousin as well as her mentor/trainer. He is a man of a few words and he completely devotes himself to his missions without questions.

I made a mistake playing Chojiro’s route earlier in the game as I wasn’t ready for a sudden whirlwind of angst! At the start, Chojiro’s personality was very closed off, its almost as if he has built a wall before him to keep others away. Because of his tragic past, he doesn’t want to get attached to anyone, afraid he’d lose them at the blink of an eye just like how he lost his parents when he was young. This makes his relationship with Enju a little less intimate from the beginning. As the heroine tries her best to get a closer reach of him, he waves his feelings off because he’s conflicted between succeeding his missions as a shinobi versus his own desire to help Enju and stay by her side.

Chojiro’s route was also the most tragic in the game!😭 Ya’ll better prepare those tissues! Romantic wise, his story was not my favorite. The drama just out-weights the romance on this one. I do love the writing in his route though. It seriously gave me an emotional breakdown I wasn’t prepared for. 😅I suggest playing his route in the middle to get the angst out of the way. This, also kinda gives you more room to recuperate from the heavy drama before jumping into an even more dramatic finish as you do Gekka’s route last.

  KUROYUKI

clever, cunning

soft yand

Kuroyuki is Gekkamaru’s younger brother. Right after he was born, both boys became orphans and were taken in by Enju’s family. He was sent away on an extended mission when he was eight, by the heroine’s father Kando Ueno, who’s also the leader and head chief of the Koga clan. Kuroyuki is also the same age as Enju (16).

Not much is revealed about this character other than he is Gekkamaru’s brother who was sent on a secret mission when he was eight years old. Where did he go? What was he doing for the last eight years he was gone? It was rather questionable how his character (in other routes) always comes and goes sporadically in the plot.

I couldn’t really expound more on Kuroyuki’s arc without entering spoiler territory but going down his route will let you discover one interesting revelation about him and the game’s overarching plot. It was quite satisfying to play Yuki’s route because finally! we get to fill in some plot holes. I fell in love with his story for the same reasons some people are calling it out for. It wasn’t light nor easy-going as Goemon’s or Hanzo’s, it wasn’t tragic as Chojiro’s or Gekkamaru’s. It was dark and I probably wouldn’t have it in any other way. Kudos to Hiro Shimono for breathing extra life to this character!

  GEKKAMARU

best boi

puppy eyes

true route ish?

After losing his family at the age of three, Gekkamaru was adopted by the heroine’s parents along with his younger brother Kuroyuki. Gekkamaru was assigned to be Enju’s trusted bodyguard when they were young and has proven his loyalty and devotion through time by sticking to his role as Enju’s protector. He is wholeheartedly committed to his master (Enju) to a point where he becomes too overprotective of her.

So after going through all kinds of heaps and hooplas of playing and suffering each of the character routes in the game, I was finally on my last one, Gekkamaru. I know you can just play his route whenever but I chose to do his story last for the experience. ohoho!

…and I have no regrets!😭 Gekkamaru’s route started with pure dramatic fluff as expected. It was just so precious and endearing to see how far this man would go for the sake of the heroine. His loyalty and dedication for Enju was such a pure bliss that it even pains me to see him doing too much😭. His route was a combination of action, romance, a side of humor and a whole lot of drama as he and the heroine struggled to survive by each other’s side. I thought to myself, “This story couldn’t get any better or worse, could it?” but then angst hits the fan through plot twists after plot twists (during the last chapters) and this was where the story really picked up. I was at lost for words. I felt really sad, angry and confused. His route put me through a tidal wave of emotions, I had to pause the game for a while, sit in a corner to get my head straight and my breathing in check! lmao! Gekkamaru’s route is like a slow burn, heart-rending gut punch and I absolutely loved it.

  ENJU UENO (Main Heroine)

Enju is a strong heroine and I adore her to bits. Unfortunately, her potentiality to become an even better shinobi was wasted in some routes because of the whole damsel in distress scenarios, with the exception on Hanzo’s and Gekkamaru’s route ~ these were the only story arcs where the heroine was able to hone her skills as a ninja and show us her true strengths.

Enju Ueno was literally, thrown to the wolves when she got caught up into this despicable game of survival, out of the blue. Not only that, but the ordeal she went through of betrayal, loss, and sorrow was absolutely too much to handle for someone her age. Still, despite all the hardships, she chose to live and survive. I was thoroughly impressed by her determination which I believe was one of her strongest points. YES, this is one badass heroine right here folks!

  Side Characters

Ennosuke (Left) – The fastest ninja in the Koga clan. He’s not romanceable, and I don’t think I’d want him as a dateable character either, heh. I ship him with Kyara though. I love the chemistry with both of their characters.

Kyara (Right) – Proud, graceful, responsible, and badass on the battlefield. Her weapon of choice is a “chigirigi” which is similar to the “morning star” in medieval age weaponry. I ship her with Ennosuke. Also, Saori Hayami voices her, so this to me was a plus!

Kasumi (Center) – the cutest, most adorable ninja…ever! She’s the youngest of Chojiro’s disciples. Looks up to Enju and Kyara as her older sisters. I love her so much! *must protecc*

  SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION I purchased the physical copy of Nightshade (proxy shipped) which lets you choose three language options to start the game with (English, Chinese, Japanese). I can say, that the localization was fairly decent. I didn’t play the PC version, but I asked a few people who owned both PC and Switch copy and as far as their answers go, D3Publisher did not change the English translations for Nightshade on the Switch. They changed the fonts though! D3Publisher is known to deliver decent game localizations. They’re not the best but they’re not disappointing either. I’ve spotted a couple of minor typos in the game, but it’s NOT something that would ruin the whole experience for you.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Switch system was very comfortable and very easy to navigate from the jump. They even offer a “rewind” option for you to backtrack scenarios, which to me, was a saving grace. This way, making the correct save files became a piece of cake. The Nintendo Switch version also contains the game’s DLC “Special Content”. These are extra fluff episodes that happened in the middle of a character’s story. They also come with a special CG (one for each story).

  TRAILER

  OVERALL THOUGHTS? (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ It took me a total of 30 hours to finish the game, and none of these 1800 minutes spent were wasted. Yes, I loved every bit of it.

Although the story was set in the Sengoku “Warring” period of Japan. Instead of the usual cliche battleground premise that’s normally used in Sengoku themed animes and VNs. Nightshade’s story focused more on the darker side of politics during the said period. The indirect “battle royale” theme, I admit, was quite bracing and very well paced. It was something I never expected to actually work in an otome game.

Besides the Nightshade’s gorgeous artwork, I wanted to compliment the game’s stunning special effects, such as the leaves falling in the BG, flower petals scattering about  (whenever Enju uses her ninjitsu), and the moving sprites (which played exceptionally well during fight scenes). The voice acting for Nightshade blew me away and I couldn’t have wished for a better seiyuu lineup. I guess my only gripe here was Enju’s inconsistency as the heroine. In some routes, she’s badass while in others, she’s weak and very dependent. Her characteristics as a whole seem to vary depending on who’s the guy she’s with. I still love her as the main protagonist though!

While I’ve enjoyed playing all the routes in Nightshade and their respective stories, the ones that made an impression on me were Hanzo’s, Goemon’s and Gekkamaru’s. Chojiro’s was good but it was too angsty for my taste and while Kuroyuki’s story drove me to the edge of my seat, this is the route where Enju is at her weakest.

Do I recommend this game? YES This is the first ever english otome game in the Switch that I would no doubt recommend to everyone at the drop of a hat. I’m so glad I’ve waited for this port, despite all the STEAM sales that have gone by the previous years 😂 (laughs). To be honest, I was even quite sad when I finished it 😅 and wished there was more content for me to delve into. If you’re having second thoughts whether or not it’s worth shelling out 48 bux to get this game in your Nintendo Switch Library. Here’s my advice: GET IT! This one’s definitely a gem and imo, almost up to par with the big titles (like Code Realize, Hakuoki, CxM). If you want an impressive storyline and characters you can’t ever get enough of, I can’t recommend Nightshade enough!

  CHLO’S RATING: 8/10

Nightshade Review (Nintendo Switch) NIGHTSHADE Release Date:  December 20, 2018 (North America) Developers:  Red Entertainment / LANTERN ROOMS Publishers: D3Publisher…

[lancesniece]

Undercover, Up Skirts - Part One

Words: 1,333

Status: WIP, Multi-Chapter

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defenders

Pairing: Keith/Lance

Genre: Comedy, Fluff

Warnings: Humor that may be considered offensive, A bit of perverseness on Keith’s Account, slight sexual humor

Summary: When a mission involves a planet that doesn’t allow men to step on it’s soil, Lance decides to do what any sane man would...cross dress. Keith is understandably dismayed.

A/N: Fucking Tumblr mobile sucks you guys, this is why it’s taken me a little while to do some more writing. Anyways, this was supposed to be based on a prompt but I lost it and this monster started writing itself. Expect maybe, I don’t know...Five-ish parts? This doesn’t have a beta so please message me any mistakes you find, and constructive criticism is always welcome!

This whole infiltration mission sounded like a mess to start with. A planet that allowed no men to step on its soil was currently suspected of being in kudos with the Galra, and that was certainly a no-go from Voltron. The problem with being “suspected” is that they can’t just charge in guns blazing without a proper investigation.

This type of mission is the one where they typically all went undercover, but the planet itself presented another problem. No men. And there were only two girls on the ship, so it left a bit of a...problem.

Cross dressing was, of course, always an option. But none of them could pass. Not Shiro, with his buffness. Not Hunk and Keith, with their masculine features, and certainly not Coran. None of them could possibly ever dream of getting away with it.

But...there was Lance, who beamed when Allura brought up the situation.

“I can do it!” Everybody turns to look at him with shock on their faces. The Cuban only grins wider than he was before.

“You...what?” Shiro asks, a bit thrown off.

“I can cross dress, my dudes.” Silence fills the room before Keith speaks up.

“What? Did the last of your sanity finally wither away along with what little dignity you had?”

“Bold of you to assume I had either to begin with.” Lance shoots back, the grin on his face significantly smaller than it was before. “What, you guys don’t think I can do it?”

“It’s not that, buddy.” Hunk reassures gently, bending over where his friend is seated to clamp a hand down on his armoured shoulder. “It’s just...you seem so sure of yourself. Have you done this before?”

“Good question.” Pidge pipes up, a curious look crossing her face. “Are you a Drag Queen?”

Lance sputters. “Make up artist is a better term, but yes, I have! And there is certainly no shame in it.” He sends both Pidge and Keith a glare, whom raises an eyebrow in response.

“Ahem,” Allura clears her throat, effectively gaining the attention of everyone in the room. “Lance. I’m certainly not going to stop you from doing this if you can pass. Three of us beats two.” Lance’s grin is back full force.

“Awesome! Can I raid your closet?”

“Now?” She asks, eyebrow raised. “In the middle of a briefing?”

“Yeah! They can just fill us in later! The more time wasted on getting my appearance down, the more time the Galra have to fuck up that planet.” And. Okay, he makes a valid point. They’re only in the planning stages of the mission anyways so their absence wouldn’t be too big of a deal.

The princess hums, tapping an elegant finger against chin before sighing and nodding. “I suppose you are right, Lance.”

and with Alluras conformation, the two of them leave the table in search of clothing that lance can wear. The rest of them is left with an awkward tension hanging heavy in the room.

“Actually.” Hunk says. “Now that I think about it, he kinda did wear like, concealer sometimes.”

“Which isn’t wrong in the slightest.” Shiro says warily. “But briefing isn’t over, so let’s get focused again.”

Try as he might, Keith just can’t get the idea of Lance prancing around in a dress out of his head. It leaves…a funny feeling in his chest, like butterflies that are floating. Violently.

This is gay, Keith decides. This is so gay.

When Lance walks back out into the briefing room, everyone is stunned quiet. He and Allura were gone for about an hour, and the person that replaced Lance could easily have been the McClain’s sister.

He’s...he’s gorgeous. And Keith normally fucking hates feminine things with a passion, but with lance it looks so pleasing. The Cuban settled with a natural, peachy type of makeup, with light pinks and pale oranges. Altean make up was more natural to begin with, anyways, but the subtle beauty to it was simply marvelous.

His outfit was appealing as well, the pale pink skirt flowing all the way to the ground. The white blouse is equally as flowey, most likely to hide all of the more masculine curves of his body. A decorative florals pattern decorates the sides of the blouse, white threading barely visible against the shade of it. The sleeves were full-length, leaving it very hard to get glimpses of his skin.  All in all, it was very conservative.

Keith was expecting something flashy, and a little slutty if he were being completely honest. Not...this.

It makes his heart beat faster than what’s normally considered healthy. It’s like, the cover is taunting him, promising a leak underneath but never giving it to him.

Wow, when did he become such a pervert?

“You look great!” Hunk says with a huge, supportive smile. Pidge gives him an impressed thumbs up. She clearly wasn’t expecting much from this whole ordeal. Lance grins and places his hands (oh gosh, he even painted his nails pink. Did Alteans even have nail polish?) on his hips.

“Of course I do!” Lance laughs, the sound sweet.

Allura, whom has remained quiet, looks a little too proud of herself. “I was the one who chose his clothes. He does look marvelous, if I do say so myself.”

“Oh! Is that the outfit you wore to Yinniza’s wedding?” Coran asks, a sparkle shining bright in his eyes. “And you do look lovely, my dear.”

Lance grins bashfully as Allura nods at Corans question.

Literally nobody is questioning the sanity in Lance’s actions. It’s concerning, really.

“Pidge was right, you are a Drag Queen.” Keith blurts admits the chaos. Lance scowls at the other, but (wisely) ignores him. This is too fucking crazy man.

Keith looks over at Shiro, desperate for a sane reaction, but instead recoils at what he sees. A light tint of rosy red is placed proudly on his face. Oh god, Lance has flustered Shiro, of all people. And Keith knows that Lance doesn’t fit Shiro’s type and age range, so the fact that he’s flustered says volumes about the Cuban’s current appearance.

Keith promptly kicks Shiro under the table, who violently coughs. “Right, I, uh. Lance, Allura, please sit down. I need to fill you two in on your part in this mission.” The two comply happily. Lance even crosses his legs, sitting prim and proper in his skirt.

“Now, Lance and Allura need to stick together…” This is basically a recap of what they’ve been planning since Allura and Lance have been gone, so Keith easily drones them out.

His thoughts drift, but the source stays the same. Lance and his cross dressing. It makes him wonder just how many times Lance has done this before. And why he does it, for that matter. Apparently he doesn’t do it too often, because Hunk only knew about the concealer and if Hunk doesn’t know something about Lance, nobody else is sure to know.

“...and then Pidge will rigg the…”

But has Lance always been this feminine? Not really. Sure, he has that whole extra ass night routine doing for him but...but it’s not that feminine to begin with. And he has literally no problems with feminine dudes, or drag queens. It’s just they’ve never been his type.

Lance seems to break barriers, it seems, because it becomes apparent very quickly to Keith that if Lance knocked on his door wearing nothing but a robe and a suggestive smile, Keith would be down in a heartbeat.

“...which is where Keith will intervene if…”

And it’s not just sexual. If Lance smooched his cheek and held his hand and smiled at him like he was the center of his world Keith would hop aboard that train with no regrets.

His knee starts to bounce uncontrollably. His palms sweat beneath his Paladin gloves. He can feel his face get hotter and hotter. Keith has a wholesome crush on somebody, for the first time in forever.

Fuck man. This is really gay.

[o0o-chibaken-o0o]

Hello! I hope you're having a wonderful day! I wanted to ask you if you could recommend some super fluffy fics. BTW I really appreciate you! Thank you so much!

SOMETIMES WE ALL JUST NEED SOME FLUFF, so I’m going to try to make this list extra lovely (and long!) ^-^ 💜💜💜

Fluffy Drarry Recs

Talk to Me by Saras_Girl (15.5K)- When the usual channels of communication are shut down, the most surprising people can find a way in. A strange little love story.Harry is cursed temporarily blind and deaf while alone outside, and is helped by a gentle stranger (*cough* Draco). SO SWEET. Part of her fluffy!verse (collection of one-shots), and anyone after fluff should really read them all

Yours Until Midnight by drarryisgreen (4.5K)- Harry sits at a cafe owned by Draco day after day and wonders why Draco likes to bother him. / Lots of rain, lots of tea(s), lots of fluff.Some fics you just adore for no reason you can articulate, and this is one of those for me. Harry is a (secret) fiction writer under the alias January James, and he writes all his stories in Draco’s cafe, while drinking Draco’s tea and pining without even realizing what he wants. Heart-clenchingly sweet!

Then Comes A Mist and A Weeping Rain by faithwood (21K)- It always rains for Draco Malfoy. Metaphorically. And literally. Ever since he had accidentally Conjured a cloud. A cloud that’s ever so cross.This fic has the most kudos of any Drarry fic on AO3, so everyone and their grandmother has probably read it, but READ IT AGAIN because there is a cloud that follows Draco around raining on the poor boy EXCEPT WHEN HARRY’S BEING NICE TO HIM

Luckiest Fucking Size Queen Alive by @l0vegl0wsinthedark​ (6K)- Potter escorts me home, presses me into my front door and kisses me with a ferocity that’s exhilarating. And then Potter asks me, in a growl that makes my cock throw a wet tantrum in my pants, how many more dates I would deem mandatory before I let him fuck me. I drag Potter to bed.This fic is fucking hilarious. Quite possibly my favorite humor/fluff/smut combination ever. They both work at the Ministry, and Draco is lured to Potter by the rumors of his amazing cock and they’re so cute and it’s just pure brilliance.

Good to me (And I’d Be So Good to You) by AWickedMemory (9K)- Everyone returns to Hogwarts after the war, but nothing is quite the same. Harry’s groupies are creepier than ever, Ron and Hermione are snogging all over the place, and the once-proud Draco is shuffling around like a kicked puppy. But that’s okay: Harry’s got a plan.Harry implements Operation Make Friends With Draco Malfoy, and Draco is very confused. Also featuring “Harry’s Draco Lucius Abraxas Malfoy Repository of Information Collected Whilst Stalking (DLAMRoICWS)” hehehe

The Wolf Pack by dracogotgame (13.5K)- Nobody said achieving your animagus form was easy. Draco could handle being a wolf pup for a while, right? How bad could it be?Oh my GOD Draco’s animagus form is a wolf PUPPY and he meets another wolf in the forest and bothers him all the time and then he adopts this wolf as his protector. And the wolf is annoyed but reluctantly amused and endeared and I WONDER WHO THAT WOLF IS HM WHO COULD IT BE????

Mingling, Mistletoe & Misdeeds by @jadepresley​ (10K)- Three couples in denial. One Christmas party to make them finally see sense. Christmas fluff!This fic is adorable! It also features Ron x Pansy and Hermione x Theo, and I fell in love with those other two pairings in this fic as much as Drarry! Christmassy and LOVELY. And Draco planned the party, so you know it’s a good one ;)

Candy by @bixgirl1​ (5.5K)- It was only after careful consideration that Draco came to the wildly preposterous conclusion that he and Potter were actually friends. Sweet fic. May cause cavities.Harry wants to be friends with Draco, but Draco refuses. And keeps refusing. Until somehow they’re suddenly friends, and then they’re more then friends, and Draco has no idea how any of it happened! Oblivious!Draco is my favorite Draco and yes I think I may have indeed gotten a cavity from how sweet this fic was ;)

To Love a Loathed (Arch) Enemy by Sophie_French (11.5K)- “For the last time, Malfoy, I have absolutely no hidden agenda giving you your wand back.”Harry brings Draco his wand back after the war and the rest is history.After Harry returns Draco’s wand, they start sending (FLIRTY OMG) owls back and forth, and then Draco helps Harry with the Hogwarts Restoration and it’s all just adorable :)

Harry Potter and the Incredibly Organized Personal Assistant by megyal (2.5K)- Harry Potter’s new assistant is snarkily organized.Not gonna lie, I have a huge thing for Draco being Harry’s Personal Assistant and basically just running his life. This short little fic is so lovely and funny!

Get Me From My Good Side by @julietsemophase​ (5.5K)- The only reason Harry agrees to these Ministry publicity articles is he knows he’s in safe hands with Draco Malfoy as his stylist. But then a shoot doesn’t quite go to plan and Harry worries his secret is out.Personal stylist is another job I just LOVE for Draco. This fic is perfect perfect perfect because Draco is the only one Harry trusts to style him. And of course that’s not because he’s secretly in love with him, what are you talking about?!

To Bag A Hero by moonshoespotterr (7.5K)- When Draco realises that insults are getting him nowhere, he decides to take a new approach to bagging the Boy Who Lived.Draco starts being nice to Harry and gives him his scarf and YEP this is pure fluff

Tug-O-Want by dysonrules (16.5K)- Harry is back at Hogwarts minding his own business when he finds himself magically drawn to Draco Malfoy. Over and over again.Aaaah amazingness! Accidental bonding! Being repeatedly drawn to each other from opposite sides of the castle! Neither of their faults but they blame each other anyway! Giving in to their desires more and more each time! Y E S

One More Cup of Coffee by Lonov (10.5K)- Harry thought the best part about being a Healer would be saving lives every day without the constant fear of being murdered by a megalomaniac, but when Draco Malfoy walked into the room, he realized he hadn’t escaped so easily.Both are healers, Harry is miffed that Draco has a more senior position than he does, Draco brings Harry coffee every day, and I could choke on the sweetness

Check Me Out by lumosed_quill (3K)- Draco works as a librarian. Harry visits often and attempts (possibly) to flirt with Draco through his choice of books. Draco is not getting it. At all.YES this fic is exactly as adorable as the summary makes it sound :D

Storm in a Teacup by faithwood (8K)- For reasons he’d rather not think about, Draco is obsessed with Potter’s hair. This cannot end well.FLUFF FLUFF HARRY’S HAIR IS FLUFFY LIKE THIS FIC. They study together in a hidden alcove

Hey, Potter by SunseticMonster (16K)- Harry returns to Hogwarts for his 8th year, determined not to let Malfoy get to him. But when the snarky teasing starts up again, Harry finds that returning the jibes with compliments has a far more interesting outcome.GAH Harry starts complimenting Draco whenever Draco insults him and Draco gets all flustered and baffled and it’s adorable as FUCK.

9 times Harry kissed Draco, and the 1 time Draco kissed Harry by LockWhoSuper (4.5K)- ‘Harry grinned, Draco fell into his trap perfectly. Surging forwards, Harry wrapped his fingers around Draco’s tie and pulled him forwards until their lips met over their cauldron. The pressure lasted for three seconds, Harry’s eyes shut and Draco’s wide in surprise. When Harry let Draco go, he slid back into his seat slowly, eyes still wide, tie crooked and a blush painting his cheeks.’Every time Draco swears, Harry kisses him. That’ll make him stop. Yep. Perfect plan. Nothing at all to do with Harry wanting to kiss Draco. Nothing whatsoever.

What Potter Wants by birdsofshore (3.5K)- Harry definitely didn’t want to do that to Malfoy. Not at all. So why did Malfoy keep saying that he did?This fic is hilarious and perfect and I think about it all the time because the idea is just that brilliant. Draco insists over and over that Potter is dying to suck his cock. Harry denies it and denies it, but….for someone who doesn’t want to suck Malfoy’s cock, he sure is protesting a lot. Fluffy Smutty Humor ;)

All You Want for Christmas is Me by chibaken (7.5K)- Harry Potter is rich enough to buy himself anything he wants, and so famous that he receives daily gifts from his fans. Whatever is a Secret Santa to do? Draco doesn’t know yet, but he’s going to figure it out.YEAH I’M RECCING MYSELF SUE ME (please don’t). Christmas party games, Draco in denial, presents, and pooooooorn with a ribbon

[supernatural0224]

J2 fics

1. Mildred: A College AU It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Jared in possession of his heterosexuality will immediately switch teams upon enrollment in college and first contact with Jensen Ackles. [cute, adorable. Long, but really simple.] 2. Disclaimer  Jared and Jensen are willing to do almost anything to help their friends. Almost. But what Chris is asking of them this time? It's the one thing they both swore they'd never do: Grow up.  [I don't know about the individuals in here, but the relationship they have was ah-mazing.]

3.No Codename  Jared's got a brand new show, tons of things to keep him busy, and pretty much the most awesome costar he's ever met. Okay, so maybe he has some less than entirely pure thoughts about said costar sometimes, but he's, like, eighty-three percent sure Jensen thinks impure thoughts about him, too. Sometimes. Possibly. Now he just has to stop being so chicken-shit and actually make a move.   [oh my God! I can't remember when was the last time I had this much fun while reading something! And the best part is that I can imagine our Jared and Jensen being like this, in real life 😍] 4. Operation: Mistletoe  FBI Agent Jensen Ackles is a damn good agent, but his devil-may-care attitude, gut instinct, and sheer dumb luck have finally run out. With his job and reputation on the line, Jensen is assigned to a new partner: the overzealous and overachieving Agent Jared Padalecki.Their mission: Infiltrate a ring of drug dealers hiding out in Suburbia in the midst of the Holiday season.The only catch? They have to pretend to be head-over-heels in love with each other. [cuuute 😍] 5. Project Get Jared Banged Jared's had the best stepbrother in the world in Jensen since the age of five — growing up together and more attached than usual brothers would —, only realizing that he’s in love with Jensen by the time he hits thirteen.After five more years of Jared's impossible crush, he knows his life turns and spins around his brother. Luckily for Jared, he and Jensen have always been closer than other siblings, making his feelings seem a little less hopeless. Or that is until Jensen announces he’s moving to Austin to live with his girlfriend next year, leaving Jared's perfectly built Jensen-centric world crashing to the ground.That’s when Chad and Sandy decide to convince Jared that moving on and letting go of his feelings are the only way to get through his lost love for Jensen. Yet their plan to get Jared out of his shell and over his stepbrother doesn't sit well with one person: Jensen himself, who realizes that the more Jared tries to pull away, the more he wants to get him back closer. [The first time I read the summary, I squirmed away. But then, it turned out to be one of the sweetest, with angst served on side dish I have had in a while ;) ] 6.The Winchester Identity  A tall and handsome doctor is kidnapped by a mysterious green-eyed man who has no memory—but who definitely has a past. The J2 AU version of "The Bourne Identity".   [W-O-W!! This was so freaking amazing and absolutely amazingly written. It had been such a long time since I've read a good thriller - and since I hadn't read or watched the original, so I was totally unspoiled. I loved everything about it. Though it is freakishly long, but it is SO worth it.] 7. A Hole Straight up to the Sky   Captured by scientists determined to save the human race from impending extinction, two weres - seemingly strangers - are caged together in the hopes that they'll mate. What happens between them is unprecedented and changes the course of both their races forever. [I liked it. It was good. Worth a read.] 8. The Gloaming  gloam·ing ˈɡlō miNG/ - the part of the day after the sun has gone down and before the sky is completely dark: dusk Other popular connotations: gloam, glow, glowing, glomming, glommedJared always knew he would one day experience a gloaming and find his soulmate. No one told him, and in fact, no one else in his family that he knew of had ever glommed; but he just knew, and he was willing to wait, despite all the offers thrown his way and all the well-meaning advice by friends and family; Jared waited.After all the tragedy Jensen had endured recently, he was now content to live a simple life taking care of his family and working a job that he loved. He sure never thought he'd ever find love again, let alone a true love; if one were to believe in Gloamings, which Jensen never really did until it happened to him.Jared and Jensen - strangers from seemingly different worlds decide to give love a chance. But will outside forces and unforeseen enemies drive them apart or bring them together forever?They only have 60 days to consummate or the Gloaming will Fade... and they will both lose out on what could possibly be a love for the ages. [pure fluff. Like seriously, even the angst feels fluffy but um, yeah. Go ahead. It is fun. [Sequel awaiting]]

9. The Lost Big screen star Jensen Ackles was on his way to Brazil to continue filming his latest project. He was glad to lose himself in the role and bury the pain of his broken heart by slipping on a stranger’s skin. Because of his manager’s twisted attempt to help, he found himself on a private jet with a high-class rent boy. Before he could figure out what to do with that, a bolt of lightning sent them tumbling into the rain forest. With them believing there were no other survivors, Jensen has to figure how to get them back to civilization. It was a good thing he was as strong and capable as the leading men he portrayed on screen, because how much help could an expensive hooker really be in the middle of the Amazon? [okay? This? This is pretty amazing. (Apart from certain someone being over possessive and protective, but that’s probably just me) And I enjoyed this story more for, well, the story than the fact that I love to read about pairing. So, big kudos to the author. ] 10. Hope You Don't Mind   Jared has no problems being an introvert in a family of extroverted women. He enjoys his alone time as a freshman in high school... that is until signs for prom start showing up. With both his sisters going, he begins to wonder if maybe his time alone is a little lonely. [it is fluffy and funny and fantastical and a pretty decent one.] 11. When You Find Me [You'll Search No More] When Jared unexpectedly finds himself in possession of a stolen jewel that belongs to the mysterious and powerful sorceress who lives in the woods behind his castle, he feels compelled to return the stone right away. The witch surprises him by offering to grant him one wish, and the last thing he expects is to fall in love.  [i probably read an extra zero when I first read the word count so I was so surprised when it was coming to end :P But it is good, very cute :] ] 12. reinventing love 'verse   Coming out to your best friend isn’t easy. But then again, neither is falling in love with him. [okay. This is AMAZING and CUTE and I am a pile of mush which doesn't know what to do with her life anymore. *whispers very, very slowly* I want a love like that... ] 13. Bring Me to Life   Jared’s a shy young man, whose life has never been easy. His father hates him, his mother drinks her sorrows away and his husband Paul treats him like he is nothing more than a beautiful toy. When his husband has to go away on a business trip to Europe for two months, he sends Jared away to a ranch in the middle of nowhere to keep him under control. There, Jared meets people who show him what love, friendship and loyalty mean for the first time in his life. Can he escape his life and finally find some love and happiness for himself? [Oh, Jared! Come, babe. Let me wrap you up in blanket burrito.] 14. Refracted 1. To deflect (light, for example) from a straight path by refraction. 2. To alter by viewing through a medium. 3. BentJared knows exactly what he needs to do: earn a 4.0 grade point average, lead the basketball team to the state championship, nab a spot on the Homecoming Court, and be the best son two Catholic parents could ask for. He should know, this sort of stuff has been his life for the last 17 years, but this is when everything changes.Befriending Jensen Ackles, who everyone knows of but doesn’t really know, opens Jared’s eyes to an array of possibilities he’d never considered. With Jensen in his life, Jared finds the courage to to be his own person, recognize his real feelings, and make his own decisions when it comes to school, friends, and love. [this was nice. Sweet and simple. I liked it.] 15. There's a Hole in Me, Just About the Size of You  [I have already read and listed it, but seriously, it is just so angsty and inevitable and mushy - it is worth reading again] 16.The Doors of Time  About love and Fate and destiny. And Jensen being weird. And piano music. And finding the one person that's made for you in a world that isn't. Something like that. [AMAZING - seriously. There is no other word for this. Just, WOW!] 17. For All Your Days and Nights (I'm Gonna Be There)  Jared returns from a days-long hunting trip to learn that the chieftain of their tribe has passed away and Jensen, his best friend, is to succeed his father. As their new leader, he faces many challenges, including having to find a spouse. But before he settles down, Jensen asks for one night with Jared first. It turns into much more. [OMG this is super sweet! Loved it.] 18. Brand New Start  Jared Padalecki is one messed up kid, after his parent die he his tossed from Foster home to Foster home slowly losing everyone he loves. He's given one last chance with the Ackles. Can he come to peace with his past? Will he admit that he's attracted to Jensen? AU story of a hurt boy who's trying to find some peace and maybe, if he's lucky, love. [A little heartbreaking, a little painful but worth a read.] 19. [Won't Someone Come] Rescue Me   Big things are coming soon to The Wayward Heart Band; then lead singer and guitarist Jensen discovers a box of abandoned kittens, and his personal future starts to look just as bright as his professional one. [aw, so cute 😆] 20. You Came Smiling Softly, Shyly Moving, Into My World   Jensen wants more — wants to know what Jared tastes like in the morning, and after he's had his first cup of coffee of the day, and between takes, sheltered away in their trailers. He wants to explore Jared's body with his hands and mouth, get him to make every sweet noise there is; he wants to be inside him and all around him, until he's everywhere. [I ABSOLUTELY loved it. The author is probably my fav one.]  

[ciaossu-imagines]

Is your ask box open or closed? If it's open Admin meme #1 for giotto, tsuna, kyoko, haru please. Since I noticed that some of my faves are rarely requested. Time to change that. If your ask box is closed just ognore this and I hope you have a marvelous weekend! :3 You are a blessing.

It’s definitely open! Thank you so much for the request - please feel free to send in requests for your favourites any time! It’s always nice to see different characters requested!

Giotto

looks: somewhat attractive | eh | not really my type | pretty | handsome | beautiful | stud | gorgeous | SWEET LORD MERCY

He’s definitely cute, though in a very innocent looking way, which isn’t really my cup of tea most of the time. He makes it work for him though and kudos to him for being able to pull off a cape.

can you relate to this character on a personal level?: no | not really | somewhat | yes | they are me

I can definitely see some similarities with both of us being loyal and very justice minded but he’s a lot more of a leader, more of a go-getter than I’d ever be. He’s quicker to action and a lot more trusting.

would you date/be friends with this character in real life if they were real?: total bros | friends | best friends | date | become their steady boyfriend/ girlfriend | neither | i don’t kno

I don’t really know. I think we could be good friends but he’d be that friend, I think, who you’d look at and go ‘no, don’t trust that ho’ or ‘no, don’t do that, are you crazy?’ when they asked you for advice only for them to turn around and trust that ho or do that insane thing and I feel like that would be so tiring. 

Tsuna

looks: somewhat attractive | eh | not really my type | pretty | handsome | beautiful | stud | gorgeous | SWEET LORD MERCY

He’s pretty meh to me most of the time. He’s another one with the whole innocent, cute thing going on - that is, until he’s in dying will mode, especially later on in the manga, when he longbottoms hard, man. He just goes up twenty fricking levels of hotness to ‘sweet mother mercy, I want to screw Tsuna’ level.

can you relate to this character on a personal level?: no | not really | somewhat | yes | they are me

I think the best thing about Tsuna was how easy he was to relate to for a lot of people. He’s got issues with self-esteem and don’t most of us? I could really feel him on feeling like he wasn’t good enough and not even wanting to try. I could feel him on having a crush he felt was unattainable and not wanting to try. I could feel him being easily flustered by all these crazy situations he got into - I’d be freaked out too. He’s just so real and funny and loyal and a great character, honestly.

would you date/be friends with this character in real life if they were real?: total bros | friends | best friends | date | become their steady boyfriend/ girlfriend | neither | i don’t kno

We’d be so bro-tastic, other bros would be intimidated and in awe of our level of brotacularity. 

Kyoko

looks: somewhat attractive | eh | not really my type | pretty | handsome | beautiful | stud | gorgeous | SWEET LORD MERCY

Kyoko was cute and sweet, yes, I think a lot of her attractiveness to me was in her character and personality because at first sight, I really didn’t think much of her as far as cuteness goes. It’s only after I got to see her more that I was like ‘yeah, she’s cute, I can see why Tsuna likes her’. 

can you relate to this character on a personal level?: no | not really | somewhat | yes | they are me

I feel like Kyoko can come across as this overly idealized female figure too often, which makes her hard to relate to and really get attached too. Even when you examine her character more, I can’t say I really see a lot of myself in her, though I love her a lot more for examining her character and for getting to know her more.

would you date/be friends with this character in real life if they were real?: total bros | friends | best friends | date | become their steady boyfriend/ girlfriend | neither | i don’t kno

She’s sweet and kind. Who wouldn’t want to be her friend?

Haru

looks: somewhat attractive | eh | not really my type | pretty | handsome | beautiful | stud | gorgeous | SWEET LORD MERCY

I feel like a lot of Haru’s attractiveness is overshadowed by her crazy antics and loud personality. I’m too busy preparing myself for Hurricane Haru whenever she shows up that I don’t really catch myself staring at her and going ‘damn, she’s actually really cute’.

can you relate to this character on a personal level?: no | not really | somewhat | yes | they are me

Haru is just so extra all the damn time. Where does she find that energy?

would you date/be friends with this character in real life if they were real?: total bros | friends | best friends | date | become their steady boyfriend/ girlfriend | neither | i don’t kno

We’d be friends but I’d definitely need some serious alone time to regroup after going out with her.

[spare-aka-nanashi74-blog]

Banba, Lin, and the Carrot Conundrum (work in progress fanfic)

Note: The following is a fanfic is inspired by Chiaki Kisaki’s mini-story ‘Secret Ingredient’ for the New Days vegetable campaign. Kudos to @kimi_no_tsuki on Twitter for providing an English translation of the story!

As for my fic, it’ll probably be done by Monday or Tuesday this week (ETA: Sorry, I need to do a few more edits, so I’ll be posting the whole fic Wednesday tomorrow!). But here’s a sample (Fanfic complete! Read it below or at AO3):

An hour after the Calamitous Carrot Cake Banba Detective Office

Banba's just finished cleaning the rice cooker when his brown eyes light up. “Hey, hey,” he exclaims, light bulb practically appearing beside his head, “you know what, Lin-chan?”

Narrowing his own eyes at Banba, Lin warily replies, “What?”

The detective holds a forefinger up. “Carrots are like feelings.”

“... Huh?”

“If they're too much for ya to handle on your own,” Banba explains, looking well pleased with himself, “it's best to share them with other people.”

Lin folds his arms. “So we should give these carrots away; is that what you're saying?”

“Yep,” says the man. “I mean, let's face it: there ain't no way we're gonna cook 'em all up ourselves.”

“No thanks to you,” Lin sourly returns. What kind of weirdo adds spicy pollock roe to cake? Honestly. “Let's give the guys a call, then. At least most of them ought to know better than to add mentaiko to dessert.”

“Hey, it came out pretty good!” Banba insists. “Your taste just ain't refined enough to appreciate it.”

“No, it didn't.” Lin glares, stomping his foot. “And my taste's way more refined than yours.”

Damn Ban-baka.

So Lin and Banba contact the rest of the Tonkotsu Nine, telling them that they've got far too many carrots than they know what to do with, and to come to the detective agency if they want some. Please. And to give them more carrot-laden recipes while they're at it.

After all, 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,' as the saying goes. But when life gives you carrots?

“Make carrot juice,” Enokida answers over the phone. “It only follows, doesn't it? Oh, and could Banba-san send me the recipe for his 'spicy' carrot cake? There's a contest for the craziest—er, the most avante garde—”

Lin ends the call before the Mushroom could finish.

“Other than just eating them raw? Carrot soup,” is what Dr. Saeki suggests, happily collecting a bagful of the orange root vegetables. “Carrots are excellent skin food, as everyone knows. You should thank that client for gifting you a whole box.”

“And on that note, thank you,” chimes in Yamato, having also come along to help himself to a bag. “I've been wanting to make yakisoba. Maybe I'll send you guys some if it turns out good.” A pause, and then the host adds, “Or edible.”

Saitoh drops by barely an hour later with a good-sized sack for himself and Old Man G. (“Pickle the darn things,” the old stall owner had asked Saitoh to tell them. “Slice them carrots into strips along with daikon; sprinkle with rice vinegar, salt, and sesame oil. Perfect side dish fer jus' about anything.”)

“And me?” Saitoh appears to think hard. “Well... vegetable gratin, I guess?” he replies. “My folks sent me a recipe I could try.”

“I'll be making carrot tempura,” Shigematsu informs them when he next comes around. “Tasty, goes well with beer, and pretty hard to mess up if you know what you're doing. You two should try it.”

“Maybe we will.” Banba nods in agreement, seeing the officer off. “Tempura goes well with mentaiko, too.”

Lin snorts. “Anything goes well with mentaiko to you.”

“Only 'cause it's true,” Banba rejoins amiably. “Like, did ya know there's mentaiko-flavored ice cream? We gotta have that some time, Lin-chan!”

Like hell. “Have it yourself.”

“You sure? Enokida-kun's texted the address of the shop that sells it. 'Seems we get a discount if we come as a cou—”

“No.” Lin is adamant.

“But—”

“No.”

That damn 'Shroom.

“Carne guisada—that's what we call 'meat stew' back home—is what I'm gonna cook,” says Martinez, hefting the sack of carrots he's come to pick up. “'Though I doubt it could compare to what my abuela used to make. In any case, I've written down the recipe at the back of Jiroh's. He and Misaki-chan send their regards.”

Sure enough, they find the cooking instructions for Martinez's grandma's special Carne Guisada at the back of the last page for Jiroh & Misaki Tanaka's Love-Filled Omelet Rice <3.

“... They both seem kind of hard to prepare,” Lin remarks, reading through each recipe. “The omurice seems to take a lot less time, though.”

“Omurice, eh?” Banba strokes his chin, his gaze turning wistful with nostalgia. “I reckon the last time I ate one was back in middle school.”

Oh. “Then it's decided.” Lin holds up the recipe for omelet rice. “Banba, let's try making this next.”

Luckily, they still have plenty of eggs, milk and flour left over from their recent 'rice cooker carrot cake' attempt, as well as cooked white rice from this morning.

“So, carrots aside, all that's left is—” Banba quickly consults the list. “Onions, bell peppers, the meat—oh, and ketchup, too.”

Back to the supermarket they go to buy the rest of the ingredients. This time around, to match their new aprons, Lin also gets them some oven mitts and head scarves. (“Such a cute couple,” one store assistant whispers to another. “I saw them earlier today, too. I think it's sweet, them wanting to cook together.”)

It's already late in the afternoon when Banba and Lin return to their apartment, purchases in tow. Donning their respective aprons, they immediately set about preparing the omurice.

“'Guess we need to chop the vegetables first,” Lin notes.

“Leave that to me,” Banba volunteers.

Lin purses his lips. “You better not try to sneak in spicy pollock roe this time.”

“Really now.” Banba (so-not-cutely) pouts. “Ya say that like it's a crime, Lin-chan.”

“It should be.”

“Welp, the omurice I used to have always had mentaiko in it, I'll have ya know.”

Why am I not surprised? “... I guess we could put some in, if you really want,” Lin concedes, handing Banba the chopping board. Unlike with the cake, combining mentaiko with egg and rice seems perfectly all right. “But not too much; I don't want it overpowering the taste of everything else.”

“Just a quarter-cup or so should be fine,” Banba replies, breaking out into a smile. “Aww, Lin-chan, so ya do—”

“Less talking, more chopping,” Lin cuts in.

“Yes, dear,” Banba intones teasingly, and reaches for an onion.

Lin himself starts to heat the pan to cook the bacon in, ignoring the heat suffusing his own cheeks. Damn Ban-baka.

The next half hour or so elapses quickly. While daunting at first, Lin soon finds that making the omelet rice is simple enough, if you think about it as divided into three main stages:

1. Make the fried rice (A). 2. Make the cream sauce (B). 3. Make the omelet and put (A) and (B) in it.

Lin fries the rice in a bit of oil with the meat, carrots, and other vegetables. (“Looks like we can eat this as is,” he comments once he's done.) Banba makes the sauce, straying a little from Jiroh's recipe by crumbling and mixing two heaping spoonfuls of spicy pollock roe instead of cheese into it. (“We'll be using the remainder to garnish the omelets with,” Banba tells him.) The omelets themselves end up being a joint effort, Banba pouring the egg mixture to coat the interior of the pan while Lin—once the bottom part of the omelet has solidifed enough, naturally—spreads a portion of fried rice and the mentaiko sauce over roughly half of it.

“Then ya go and fold the uncovered half of the omelet over the other, easy does it—” Banba states, demonstrating accordingly, “—and we're done. Well, for the most part. We still gotta plate it, pretty it up with mentaiko and ketchup and such, but that's one good-sized serving of omurice with creamy mentaiko sauce.”

Together they slide the omelet rice onto a plate.

“Smells good,” Lin declares. He watches Banba put a piece of mentaiko the size of a marshmallow over the omelet, then squeeze out some ketchup to draw a heart around it. The result is a bright yellow, half-moon-shaped omelet, fluffy and piping hot, with a reddish-pink mentaiko 'dot' and tomato ketchup heart decorating it.

Now it looks good, too.

“Looks mighty appetizin', don't it?” Banba says.

“... Kind of,” Lin stoically returns, trying not to drool at the enticing aroma of egg, fried rice, and spicy pollock roe.

After making a second omelet for Banba, the two settle themselves on the usual L-shaped couch to eat.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Lin takes his first bite of the omelet rice.

His eyes widen in surprise. The salty-spicy taste of mentaiko, perfectly counterbalanced by the cream; the fried rice, bursting with the richness of the meat and the tart, crisp yet tender vegetables; all of it creating a harmonious medley of flavors encased in a silky layer of egg, delicate and mildly sweet.

“It's delicious,” Lin utters, amazed.

“Told ya it would,” Banba rejoins. “After all, it's got the secret ingredient.”

“I know.” Lin sighs, smiling in spite of himself. “Mentaiko, right?”

“Nope.” Banba shakes his head. “That ain't really a secret this time, Lin-chan.”

Lin blinks at the man. “Then what is—?”

Banba's grin is bright as the sun. “Love, of course.”

And with that, Banba takes a bite of his own love-filled omelet rice with obvious gusto.

***

~ Extra ~ A Future Text Exchange, Or: Mentaiko. It's Always Mentaiko.

[ Banba ] Lin-chan, are you mentaiko?

[ Lin ] ...? I don't think I want to ask 'why'. ... You're still gonna tell me anyway, aren't you.

[ Banba ] Ya know me so well. ^o^ Btw, the answer is: 'Cause I can't ever get enough of you.~<3<3<3

[ Lin ] ... . . . ... You're so lame, Ban-baka. But... Thank you.

------------------------

~ The End ~