#maybe i'll expand it more later

[queen-of-bad-opsec]

this cat will occasionally reblog porn, and other sexual content.

do with that what you will; if you're a minor, maybe it's worth staying away.

anyways, i am the Queen of Bad Opsec. there's backstory to the name. ppl close to me may ask about it.

she/her are my pronouns.

this cat will frequently refer to itself as "this cat". she likes saying that, and . i mean, call a cat a cat, am i right?

@ all my mutuals: i suggest you go make a cohost. if shit hits the fan even more than it already has, that's where i'll be. welp, nevermind. cohost died first.

this cat is discovering the joy of colored text. please bear with me.

this cat is some flavor of trans. maybe she was a boy once, but she can't say that with certainty anymore. this cat learned the word "demigirl" recently, and is slowly rotating it in her mind. she likes the sound of "girlthing".

also, this cat is probably bi. or maybe pan? maybe she'll figure that out one day, hehe.

in any case, its gender is such that every sex with it is gay :3

this cat uses Linux. this cat will tell you to also use Linux. this is because windows is shite, macos is restrictive, and chromeos is both, plus google. big tech is a fuck, go use linux today. viva la FOSS.

this cat uses Arch Linux (btw). this cat will not recommend you use Arch Linux (btw), because Arch Linux is annoying (btw). this cat just happens to tolerate, and occasionally even enjoy, those annoyances. if you're new to linux, go use pop!os. if it werent for snap, i'd recommend ubuntu, but even putting aside issues of dated packages, why the fuck would anyone want more than one default package manager? it kinda defeats the purpose a little bit.

update: this cat has installed NixOS on its laptop. she likes!

central configurations, my beloved.

this cat loves tiling window managers. it used gnome once, but abandoned that long ago in favor of i3wm, and eventually cast that aside when it found swaywm and realized it wouldnt have to deal with picom anymore. now, this cat gets to deal with the lacking software support for Wayland in multiple critical areas (screen sharing is .bad) instead. this cat has heard of dwm and hyprland and a few others, and is a lil curious what all the hype's about, but lacks the energy to do the research. for now, she loves the rectangular simplicity of sway. she loves the low-effort nature of windows that just neatly tile side by side where you tell them to be, and wonders how she ever put up with floating window systems at all.

this cat plays video games. games it likes / has liked are Celeste, SUPERHOT (MCD too), FTL (esp Multiverse), Into the Breach, Minecraft, Satisfactory, the Metro series, Astroneer, ULTRAKILL, Dungeon of the Endless, Cyberpunk, Doom (2016 and Eternal, mostly Eternal) and Planetside 2. and more probably, but i forgor. want to play Highfleet sometime, bc i love the OST (Tanc a Lelek my beloved)

Current video games: Satisfactory, Deep Rock Galactic

[accirax]

last night i had a dream that it was Friday, and i was watching Chapter 2 Episode 15. it was nearing the end of the episode, and Teruko had accused Ace in the Closing Argument. however, Ace was nonstop arguing with MonoTV that he didn't do it and that everyone had it all wrong. MonoTV laughed cryptically, and the episode ended on the cliffhanger...

...that MonoTV was about to introduce Ada Tobisa, Eden's secret twin sister, as the seventeenth student in the killing game.

no, i don't know what role Ada would have had in the murder.

earlier in the dream episode, we had seen the left photo as its own CG, and were led to believe that it was a photo of Eden as a baby (i have no idea how this came up in the Trial). however, the end stinger was showing the CG with the two of them, and that the left picture was actually Ada all along.

anyways, call me the Ultimate Fortune Teller, because i'm pretty sure i've foreseen exactly what's going to happen in Friday's episode drop 😎

[photon-crest-art]

Weird birds I found outside today.

[aparticularbandit]

Hands Off The Merchandise

Summary: Miu inherits her father's mansion. Complete with a maid who refuses to be fired. Unfortunately.

For DR WLWeek 2024: Prompt Two: Trapped.

Rating: M because Miu comes with an M rating just by nature of her character.

AO3

“Hey, Kirumi?”

“Yes, Ms.Iruma.”

“Ugh, how many times do I have to fucking tell you?  Call me Miu.  You don’t have to be so fucking formal!”

“Yes, Ms. Iruma.”

“!!!!”

~

Her father told her to keep her hands off the merchandise.

Miu thought that was a stupid thing to say the first time she heard it, because she’s never once been concerned about people keeping their hands off of her merchandise, but it was the last thing he ever said to her, so that means it was important.

Probably.

She didn’t even need his crappy ass mansion, or his butlers and maids and what all the fuck he had, because he’d basically thrown her and her mom out of the house a gazillion years ago.  The only reason he’d gotten in contact with her again was because she’d made a name for herself, and somehow that made her fucking worthy of his fucking attention, like she gave a single flying fuck.

But he’d named her his heir, which meant she had to take care of all his fucking bullshit, like he couldn’t have fucking taken care of that himself before popping off, or he couldn’t have his best maid ever TM take care of it for him, or something that meant that she didn’t personally have to manhandle all of his fucking wank—

She trashed the mansion before she sold it.

And then the sale fell through because she fucking trashed it.

So she tore the shitty ass tribute to his fucking everything down to the ground and built her own dream on top of it.  It’s not like the location itself was shit.  There was a lake over there with a pretty cool cave behind its waterfall (just like in every video game ever), and sometimes it was nice to just sit and think there while the water pounded her—

It’d be better if there was a hot spring so she could get all hot and—

She fired the butlers.  And the maids.  And everyone her father thought was necessary to keep his fucking domain going.  Because she could just make her own creatures or whatever to keep the grounds nice, if she wanted, and she definitely didn’t need all those fucking people around all the fucking time.  They would fuck with her vibes!

Except that was really fucking lonely.

So she kept one of them around.

….

More like she wouldn’t fucking leave when Miu fired her, like she couldn’t be fired or whatever the fuck, so.

��.

Keep your hands off the merchandise.

Like anybody other than Miu would want to be called that.

Fucking asshole.

~

“Why are you even fucking here?”

“Your father requested my service.”

“Yeah, well he’s fucking dead, and I don’t need it, so—”

“He paid me well in advance.”

“So take the money and fucking run!  I don’t want you here!”

~

At first, Miu thought Kirumi was specifically attached to the mansion.  Destroying the mansion proved that idea wrong.

Then, Miu thought Kirumi was attached to the land.  She couldn’t sell it anymore, not without selling her new laboratory and the whole set-up, but she took off and roamed the world for a bit.  Said something about needing new ideas and did that thing you do with pet dogs sometimes – told her not to follow her.  But it didn’t fucking matter what she said – Kirumi was already there.  Ahead of her.  Like she knew just where Miu was going to be.

It was so fucking frustrating!

Miu made a robomaid once just to piss her off.

It didn’t work.  Both because it didn’t piss Kirumi off and also because it didn’t actually work.  Broke down in, like, five minutes.  Something about all the shit she has all over the lab making it unsuitable for cleaning.  Which is total bullshit.  The lab’s not supposed to be clean!  The robomaid should know better than that!  UGH.

Maybe being a good maid is harder than she thought.

But it’s just keeping stuff clean, isn’t it?

And doing the laundry, which Miu could totally do by herself.  Or make something to do for her; it’s not like modifying an existing machine is hard – she could do it in her sleep!  …once she finishes the invention that lets her invent stuff in her sleep.  Look, it’s harder than it looks!

And cooking, but Miu could just use a microwave, so that’s fine.  And tea, but they make good kettles for that, and she’s smart enough to not burn her tongue anymore.  And hot chocolate, which, fine, Kirumi makes the really good homemade stuff on the stovetop, but if she left a recipe, Miu could totally invent something that would do it just as good!

….

Probably!

…okay, so maybe having Kirumi around doesn’t suck ass.  Also, she’s kind of pretty.  She’s not the gorgeous girl genius by any means, but.  She’s not. horrible. to look at.

And if Miu is completely honest with herself, there are moments where she’s spent way too long in the laboratory where gorgeous shouldn’t apply to her by any stretch of the imagination.  She will never admit that.  But it’s true.

The nice thing about Kirumi is that she never acts like she smells bad.  She treats her like a normal person!  Which!  She is!

….

Miu hates it here.

~

“Kirumi….”

“Yes, Ms. Iruma?”

“…why don’t you ever call me Miu?  I’ve told you a thousand times!  Do you just, what, not like calling people by the names they want to be called?  That’s real shitty of you, Kirumi.  You should be a better—”

“It provides professional distance, Ms. Iruma.”

“...oh.”

~

Keep your hands off the merchandise, like Kirumi was just some thing to be bought!

You can’t just buy people!

That’s a whole other kind of service, and Miu’s pretty sure Kirumi’s not into that sort of thing.

….

She should ask, right?  She should totally ask.

Not because she’ll do anything, but—

~

“You didn’t fuck my dad, did you?”

“Excuse me?”

“I-I-I m-m-mean.  Um.  I didn’t—”

“….”

“S-s-sorry for asking, you don’t have to look at me like that, I didn’t mean it, I just—”

~

It’s so….

It feels like she’s tied up.

And not in the good way.

Not in the way she likes.

Or, at least, she assumes she likes.  She’s never actually tried it.  But it looks like something she might like if she did try it.  If she found someone worth trying it with.

Not the point.

Get on track, Miu!  Get it together!

~

“Kirumi?”

“Yes, Ms. Iruma?”

“Do you…like me?”

“As much as I’ve liked any of my masters.”

“….”

“You don’t have to flush every time I call you that.”

“I-I-I know that!  See, this is why I want you to call me Miu!  Then it wouldn’t be a distraction!”

“Am I a distraction, Ms. Iruma?”

“Um.”

~

Miu’s trapped, really.  It’s not like she can tell Kirumi she likes her!  Because what if she only likes Kirumi because she’s her maid?  That’s kind of gross.  Unless Kirumi likes that.  In which case, it’s not gross.

But she can’t tell if Kirumi likes her either!  Maybe she’s just another master!

So!

So she needs to fire her.

That’s the only way to fix this, right?  To approach each other as equals?

How can she make Kirumi believe that, though?  It’s never worked before!

Maybe if—

~

“Ms. Iruma.”

“Huh?”

“It would be to your benefit to put clothes on.”

“What?  Is this gorgeous bod bothering you?”

“No.  I simply believe that engaging in your projects in the nude will not end the way you want.”

“And what way would that—  OW.  OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW.”

~

She gives up.

She gives up.

She’s the most gorgeous girl genius in the entire fucking world, but she’s an inventor, she’s not a people person, and she can’t fucking get Kirumi Tojo to fucking quit.  Or be fired!  She won’t even be fired!

This is so un—

~

“Ms. Iruma.”

“Huh?”

“Do you really want me to leave?”

“Yeah.  I think you��re a shit maid, and I could do all of this just fine on my own.  You’re fucking useless.”

“Do you really?”

No.

“Y-y-yeah.”

~

Kirumi leaves.

Which Miu didn’t want, but she did, but she didn’t.

There’s so much trash in the lab by the end of the first day that she determines to make a better robomaid who can actually clean the lab.

No better time like the present, yeah?

~

Three weeks later, with a cup of noodles in one hand and a fork halfway to her mouth (and an untold amount of empty ones scattered across her desk and the floor and…a lot of other places), there comes a knock at the front door.  Notably, Miu can’t hear the knock, because she’s deep in her lap inventing something, but the camera at the front takes a quick snapshot and blows it up big all over her screen, which makes her stop.  Blink twice.  And then race to the front door without even putting the fork in her mouth or putting the cup of noodles down.

(She sniffs her armpits before she opens the door and winces.  Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.)

“Kirumi!”

Miu opens the door and leans up against the frame before realizing how rancid she smells and immediately putting her arm down.  “Missed me, did you?”

Kirumi’s gaze lands on the cup of noodles.

Miu throws the cup of noodles and the fork over her shoulder.

Kirumi’s gaze follows the cup and the fork.

“I’ll, uh.  I’ll just pick that up….”  Miu walks away, brushing her sticky – why is it sticky – hair out of her face.  She takes a deep breath, her shoulders collapsing.  She didn’t think Kirumi would actually come back.  She can’t ask her out like this!  >.>;;;;;;;

Kirumi places a hand on Miu’s shoulder and bends down next to her.  “Let me.”

“No, no, no, no, no!”  Miu slaps Kirumi’s hand away.  “Nope, nuh-uh!  You finally left!  You’re not gonna be my maid again!  Even if…even if I’m shit at this, I don’t want you to do it for me!”

“Miu.”

Miu flushes a bright red.

“Let me. do it. for you.”

“O…okay.”  Miu glances up but avoids meeting Kirumi’s eyes.

“And go take a shower.  Then we can discuss our continuing arrangement.”

“Our what?”

Kirumi reaches out, takes Miu’s chin in her hands, and lifts it so that their eyes meet.  “Our continuing arrangement.”

Miu swallows.  Nods.  “Okay,” she whispers.

~

Miu learns, eventually, that she does, in fact, like being tied up.

As long as she knows she can get out of the knots whenever she wants.

At least her hands aren't the ones on the merchandise.

[supercantaloupe]

ANTI CHORAL SYMPHONY??? BLOCKED???

joking but omg I can't believe mahler 2 doesn't do anything for you it reshaped my bones

maybe if i heard it live or studied it i would change my tune but so far at least mahler 2 does very little for me. i tend not to be a huge fan of late romantic works in general, and the overwhelming length/size/expansiveness of these gargantuan symphonies from the likes of mahler tend to strike me as tedious more than majestic. and as for choral symphonies, i think in pretty much every one of them i've heard post-beethoven 9 i've not been terribly impressed by the addition of vocalists. (honestly, one of the things that frustrates me so much ABOUT beethoven 9 is that it really is the one that makes it work, and beethoven's legacy/impact was such that he made so many other composers think they can do the same things he did just as well if not better, which i think succeeds in very rare cases only...but i digress.) in its smallest form (ie a soloist or two added to a movement or two) it just feels like an unnecessary addition to me, and in its largest form (full choir in every movement that is the true focus of the work, a la vaughan williams' sea symphony) i kind of think these works cease to be symphonies at some point. like, apologies to vaughan williams, but that's just a cantata. you can just call it a cantata. it's okay. i know it follows traditional symphonic structure to some extent but it's vague enough and totally dominated by the singing to be a different genre to me. and returning to mahler for a second, a symphony like mahler 2 feels very much like the precursor to something like das lied von der erde, which is more of a song cycle with orchestra (or a "song-symphony" but you can probably guess by now my feelings on that name). mahler 2 of course isn't quite that voice-heavy but it bears strong resemblance to what would come later in his output, i think; i'm still comfortable enough calling it a symphony, but i'm not entirely convinced that the choir ultimately adds to the genre in mahler 2 or in any other late romantic-modern choral symphony. personally, i'm not convinced that we should even cling so fast to the genre label of symphony for all of these works; many of them i think can (and probably should) be classified with a different genre label, whether it's something extant like "cantata" or "song cycle" or something newly coined and retrofitted (it's not like musicians have never fiddled with the naming of past works without the blessing of the composer before). idk, maybe i'm biased as to accept a much narrower definition of "symphony" than most, but the distinction matters to me.

[jojotier]

Shakespeare Plays that still exist on Earth C:

Much Ado About Nothing (sometimes styled "a huge fuckin rumpus over good nook" for modern audiences)

Hamlet (now based off of legends of a Dersite Prince; Ophelia replaced with a God of Hope-esque figure)

Romeo and Juliet (now about a rivalry between a Prospitian and Dersite family)

Midsummer's Night Dream (common to depict Oberon as 'Heart', especially where Oberon is the one charmed into loving Bottom)

Twelfth Night (now with the twins shipwrecked in the troll kingdom, where the gender fuckery is complicated by quadrants)

The Tempest (the island of the exiled Duke is now Skaia)

The Merry Wives of Windsor (like Nic Cage, Falstaff is eternal)

Shakespeare Plays that no longer exist/are heavily altered:

literally all of the histories (England has never existed on Earth C)

Macbeth (no James I to claim that a witch cabal is trying to ruin his marriage; depiction of the three witches as evil probs heresy)

Troilus and Cressida (no Iliad; now this is just about the trolls' romance drama in their session)

All's Well that Ends Well (the courtroom scene is deemed too unrealistic; heresy toward Terezi)

Love's Labors Lost (ironically, it's sequel, Love's Labors Won, exists- this one was just tragically lost to time)

[songbirdspells]

So I'm on TikTok too (I don't post anything religious or witchy there though) and there's a TT account called Hellenic Education that's posting UPG like it's fact.

Sure, some of what they're posting is correct but most of it is either only for a specific cultus or comes from a ... let's call it Christian-lensed view of the Hellenic religion.

People posting incorrect information like that is what got me into my research posts here (for the whole....like, one year I had energy to do them) and while I will never do religious posts on TT it does make me slightly tempted to write a few more posts for Tumblr I've had in my drafts and just never finished or formatted. I'm never here to tell people what to believe but I can aggregate information in a way to allow people to make more informed decisions about their own beliefs and practices.

[piplupod]

"get out of ur comfort zone!" brother i ain't ever been in my comfort zone :/

[mostbrilliantidiot]

Thinking about RDR2 missions from a random NPC pov is either hilarious or nightmare fuel. There is seldom any in-between.

[epickiya722]

... I cannot write Miruko or Burnin with other characters at this point.

[omosoclose]

I've seen a few things about fantasy omorashi curses lately, so here are some more 🪄💧:

You can only pee when your bladder is 100% at its limit (when it normally would start coming out on its own without your control). You don't get any special knowledge of when that is, just the regular feeling of desperation. If you try to go to the bathroom, even if you're 99% full, you won't be able to get any out. When you hit 100%, your bladder automatically empties itself completely, regardless of where you are.

You can pee whenever you want, but it comes out one literal drip (~0.05mL) at a time, maybe 2 drips per second if you're lucky, 1 drip per second or even longer if you've really pissed off the curse caster. If your max bladder capacity is 500mL, it would take almost an hour and a half to empty completely at 2 drips a second. You could only get about 30mL out in a regular 5-minute bathroom trip. To keep a regular schedule, you would often have to stop the flow and go about your day, still full to the brim but out of time to empty. And then when you're absolutely desperate, having to suffer through the torment of that desperation releasing itself one...drip...at...a...time...

The person who casts the curse picks an activity of daily living (eating, walking, speaking, etc.: let's say sleeping for this scenario), and now you can only do it if your bladder is at least 75% full. You literally, physically won't be able to do the activity if you're less full than that. Now, when you're tired, you have to drink a bunch and wait to fill up, then get in bed uncomfortably full and try to fall asleep. You'll have to get over your anxiety about wetting the bed, because no matter how tired you are, you physically can't sleep unless you have to pee, so having insomnia from your full bladder just won't do. Maybe sometimes you do wet the bed and then instantly wake up, unable to go back to sleep until you fill yourself up again.

You can only pee if someone else is pressing on your bladder for you. Otherwise, the curse makes your bladder and torso expand indefinitely, so you'll hold it without bursting until you can get someone to help, but you'll be in absolute agony. And how embarrassing and heavy it would be to walk around with a bladder bulge the size of a yoga ball. It's an okay curse if you have a willing friend or partner, but what if you live alone? What about at work? What if you're home alone for the day (or the week)? How would you find someone to help you?

You wake up every morning with a different bladder capacity, but there's no way (except trial & error) to tell what it is. Some days it's huge and you can hold a gallon of water just fine. Other days you have half a cup of coffee and you're wetting yourself. The curse also makes you very thirsty, so avoiding drinks altogether isn't an option. You just have to drink very carefully and hope to hell whenever you take a sip of something that there's a bathroom readily available in case it fills your bladder way more than you were expecting.

Feel free to elaborate on any of these, add your own, or use them for stories 😉. Maybe I'll do more later.

[ambrosiagourmet]

Rin Masterpost

Rin! Rinsha Fana! Beloved side character I think about far too much (or maybe not enough?)

I decided that it might be nice to put together an informational post about Rin, since she has some of my favorite background details of any character in Dungeon Meshi. This is partly as reference for myself, and partly for anyone else who might be interested in her but not know where to chase down the tidbits we we get of her, both in canon & extra materials. There’s also a little bit of theorizing and analysis sprinkled in for fun.

If anyone spots something I missed, please let me know and I will add it in!

Alright. Time for ultimate #rinposting

History and Timeline:

We don't have an official timeline for Rin (even in the expanded Adventurer's Bible, sadly), but we can put a lot of pieces together based on Kabru's timeline & their respective ages.

Rin is 2 years older than Kabru, and they met when he was 9. Assuming that he met her soon after she was taken to the elven capital, that means that the elves took her when she was 11.

Before that, she lived on the Northern Continent. Interestingly, when Mickbell asks about Shuro, Rin says she was born "here."

Since "here" doesn't mean the actual Island itself, it must mean simply "not the east." She is described in the Adventurer's Bible as having "no real knowledge of or attachment to the East," so maybe that's why she draws a "there" verses "here" line.

I'd also like to add a note here that the elves don't seem uh... they don't seem great about respecting the value of other cultures, especially those of short-life species. Milsiril seems to have discouraged Kabru from eating or remembering food from his hometown, at least, and that's even as an adoptive parent who cares (at least in some way) for her child. As I will touch on later, the "care" that Rin was under probably had even less respect for her history or ties to either Eastern or Northern culture.

That is all to say, considering that Rin spent many years with the elves, I'd take her having "[no] attachment to the East" as more of a comment on how she feels now, and less as a definite choice she made. She may genuinely have chosen that approach and opinion for herself, she may have been pushed towards it by the elves, and she may have had little choice at all in the matter - all are valid interpretations, though I personally lean towards the thought that it's unlikely the elves didn't have at least some hand in it.

Anyway, Rin does seem to know at least a bit about her heritage - she can presumably name and identify the specific island her parents are from, and she recognizes that "Shuro" isn't a name used there. She also knows that different places from the Eastern archipelago speak different languages, so she knows at least a little about the other islands as well.

Some additional extrapolations I'll make based on these facts: she never mentions, and probably isn't in contact with, any family from her island. This may be because her extended family died, because her parents didn't (or weren't able to) maintain contact, or because she lost contact when she was taken by the elves. Somewhat relatedly, she also prooobably doesn't speak the language, at least not fluently, though her being able to comment on the state of language in the archipelago makes me think that she at least learned a little as a kid.

Anyway, Rin's parents were refugees from the archipelago, though we don't know what specifically caused them to leave. There is this little tidbit of info we get (from the cover of chapter 48, of all places), though:

So yeah, that seems like it would be the backdrop of Rin's parents fleeing. As I said earlier, it's unclear if Rin might have any living family left back on her island. The listing she has for “family” in the Adventurer's Bible is just a dash, but so is Izutsumi's, for instance, and we know that she was taken from her family with no knowledge of who might still be out there. It's possible everyone else was killed, it's possible they were separated... it's possible that Rin's parents didn't even know.

As an additional note, and this is speculation on my part, but I think there is an argument to be made, with this tidbit from the cover as well as the Nakamoto clan's specialty in espionage and use of ninjas, that the politics of the archipelago are partially based on Sengoku era Japan. Not necessarily super relevant here, but I think it's interesting context for all... of the archipelago characters, honestly.

(Especially considering it seems like the Nakamoto clan is in a relatively comfortable position, and yet clearly are involved, or at least prepared to be involved in larger conflict. How stable is their position, really? How is Shuro's father viewed by the wider region and archipelago as a whole? What about his lord? NOT THE POINT THIS IS A POST ABOUT RIN. BUT IT'S VERY INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT.)

Okay, back to Rin's parents.

Whatever caused them to leave, they made their way to the north, where they made their living with their magic for a time. There are no specifics about what kind of magic they used, but we know at least some examples of jobs that magic can get you, based on the flashback to Laios and Falin's childhood in chapter 26. Laios proposes that Fain could use her magic to be a priest, gravekeeper, or wandering exorcist. Though these are specific to Falin's affinity with spirits, they give some idea of the shape of the work that might be available. It's important, but it is also on the outskirts of society - not necessarily admired or appreciated by the average person.

And Rin’s parents were killed by vigilantes for that magic. It's not entirely news that superstitious villages in the area would sometimes kill magic users - we see a small drawing of people being burned at the stake in a panel towards the end of the manga:

Nonetheless, Rin is the only person in the main cast who has experienced this brutality firsthand. And she did experience it firsthand, having been found by the elves as the sole survivor within the burnt ruins of her home.

It is unknown exactly how she survived, or what happened to her parents before and during the fire. Rin lived, and they did not.

The elves came some time after the fire, intending to investigate reports of ancient magic. They (and we) don't know if Rin's parents actually did use ancient magic, or if the reports and murders were simply spurred by general fear and superstition. Rin was the only piece of "evidence" that remained, and so she was taken back to the west with the elves when they left.

We don't know much about her time on the Northern Central Continent (where the elves/Canaries are based), but it doesn't seem like she was adopted or taken in by anyone the way that Kabru was. According to the Adventurer's Bible, after being taken into custody, "under their care she was treated as a captive animal would be." I would guess that means very basic food and shelter, little to no education. Probably the most social contact she got was from Kabru, as well as maybe, occasionally, from elves treating her as a curiosity, such as in this bit in the Adventurer’s Bible:

Assuming she left with Kabru (which seems like it is the case, there's no info about them having separated during that time), she spent 9 years with the elves, and has been with Kabru on the Island in the 4 years since then.

She also stays in the Golden Country after the end of the story, apparently working as an apothecary.

Additional Details (& Speculation):

What does she remember of her family and home?

I'd like to take a moment here to explore a little of what Rin might remember of her parents and home.

For reference, we can look at Kabru. The canaries came to Utaya when Kabru was 6, and he arrived in the capital when he was 7. He remembers the events of the tragedy in his home, and has some memories of his mother and life in Utaya, including memories of local dishes.

Rin lost her parents and home at 11, so she presumably has much clearer memories of the events that lead to her being taken by the elves... or she might, assuming that they haven't been completely blocked by her trauma from the event.

Yeah, I am fairly damn sure that she's got some memory issues from trauma and PTSD. For one, this is the state she was found in:

As already mentioned, she was also treated like something of an animal by the elves. She probably didn't have a lot of contact with other people, which would further perpetuate that sense of isolation and dehumanization. What I'm getting at here is that Rin probably didn't have much to help pull her out of this place, or heal these wounds. She had Kabru, who was also a kid and even younger than her, and she had herself.

Obviously trauma leaves different scars on everyone, and everyone responds and copes in different ways. But I do think it is interesting that we never hear anything about Rin's parents or life before the elves, and there are no real details about it given in the Adventurer's Bible the way we have for Kabru. What's presented is more surface level facts: they were refugees, they made a living with magic, they were killed.

I'm inclined to believe that things are laid out this way because that's how Rin holds on to these things. She knows things about them, but possibly remembers them more as things she was told/knows to be true, rather than actual memories she can picture herself experiencing.

Rin's Magic

In an interesting counterpoint to her potentially spotty memory, I do actually think Rin may have learned magic from her parents (or started learning, and was self-taught from there). She never attended a magic academy, and actually has a bit of grudge against people who did - owing to the social protection afforded to "upper-class mages," which her parents did not have. She also almost certainly wouldn't have been taught by the elves, who not only treated her as an animal but also knew her parents may have been involved with ancient magic.

Falin began to show signs of magical talent at 8, and was sent to the Magic Academy at 10, and that was as someone who had absolutely no guidance about or exposure to magic in her home town. Raised by two mage parents, I think Rin absolutely could have been learning some things by the time she was 11.

In terms of continued learning, I'll add that Rin is able to identify Marcille's magic as being A) from an Academy student, and B) cast by an elf:

This makes me think that she continued to study magic on her own while held by the elves, and probably even more so after leaving with Kabru. They didn't form the party until two years after they left the elves, which would give Rin plenty of time to try and learn from other adventurers on the Island, or to study up on her own. She'd probably be able to pick up some dungeon-crawling basics (like the water walk spell), as well as become familiar with the skill level and expression of skill common in different people with different backgrounds (hence why she is able to comment on the "textbook" academy wards).

Much like Marcille, Rin also seems to rely on a 'one size fits all' Big Boom method of dealing with monsters: lightning. We see the best example of its power in the fight with Chimera Falin:

But we also see her cast it pretty recklessly in a few other places, including the end credits of the new anime ED, which I think provides a good example of the downsides to such an approach...

Yeah, it is very much a 'get out of the way or get zapped' spell.

Especially since Marcille's offensive magic is self-taught and works very similarly, this definitely reinforces the idea that Rin figured most of this stuff out herself.

Outfit and Character Design

Dear sweet Rin of the Red And Black... how I love her design.

First of all, her clothes are damaged. Despite the fact that Rin looks relatively well put together overall, her outfit is worn out. I have some theories on why this is that I'll get to in a bit, but for now I'll just touch on what this design communicates in general about it.

I think, just like with Kabru's horribly messy room, it creates a sense that there is something more complicated underneath the surface. Something that isn't being addressed or seen to, just as the dress hasn't been mended or replaced.

It also reflects her not caring a ton about her appearance. She's neat, but she's not concerned about being pretty, so she doesn't bother with fixing up her outfit after her dungeon crawls. This also fits with her perpetual scowl (which I will talk more about in a bit), and slightly disheveled hair.

Next: the gloves. At first I thought they might be a sort of uncomfortable-with-touch thing, but after skimming through the manga and some bonus content, I have another theory. Rin takes the gloves off to eat, as well as a few other instances, such as when working on a spell with Holm and Marcille in chapter 36

This one is especially interesting because she has them on in the next chapter, during the fight with Falin. Since she also isn't wearing gloves during some of the Daydream Hour art of her outside of the dungeon, that leads me to believe that they are specifically for combat.

What does she need them for, though? Most other casters we see don't wear gloves. Well... just look at the other half of the page where she attacks Falin with lightning:

She is enveloped by this spell. I said it before was pretty reckless magic, but maybe its not just a problem for her teammates, but for her as well.

So here's my theory: maybe the gloves are rubber, or some other electricity-resistant material? They might help protect her from her own magic. I don't know why a caster would need gloves for combat otherwise.

I also think this might be why her dress is tattered at the bottom, by the way. Especially since the Daydream Hour genderswap design doesn't have a similar problem with his outfit, since the tunic isn't as long.

I will admit this is a bit of stretch/guess, but I think it's a fun one, and I wanted to share. I do think I'm right about the gloves being for dungeons/fighting specifically, at least. That seems pretty consistent throughout all of her appearances.

I also mentioned her scowl, so I'll touch on that briefly as well. The (fairly confirmed) explanation for Rin's expression is that she intentionally wears a frown to prevent her other expressions from showing through. I think it's important to emphasize that it's not just smiling that she is trying to suppress here - it's any strong emotion:

Anyway, because I can, here is the art of Rin smiling.

Rin and Kabru

I have talked a bit about Rin and Kabru's history, but I think it deserves its own section.

I think it's very interesting that Rin is pretty much the ONLY character in all of Dungeon Meshi that has explicit canonical romantic interesting in someone. It's literally part of the main summary sentence in her character profile.

This could be sort of reductive as a way to describe a female character (and in some ways it still is), but I think in part the simplicity and directness of it actually is part of what makes it so interesting. Especially when on the very next page we see the comic about her backstory. "This mage is in love with Kabru" -> one page of a horribly traumatic event and a child frozen in shock with no one to comfort her. What does that do?

Well, in my opinion, it shows how much Rin focuses on Kabru as something to keep her in the present. In contrast with the immense loss she has experienced, her love for Kabru is current and alive. He has presumably been her anchor for years, and I think that her love is part of that anchor.

Adding to this, in contrast with how explicit her feelings are, she never seems to actively pursue Kabru. She complains about his potential interest in other women, but she doesn't really flirt. She doesn't let herself smile around him any more than anyone else, and she doesn't hide her bitterness or anger from him to present a more appealing persona.

As much as she craves Kabru's attention, and has stayed by his side for years, I don't know that she really wants to possess him. He seems to know about her feelings, more or less, and she seems to know that he knows. Maybe she believes he doesn't reciprocate and is respecting that, maybe she's afraid of what she could lose if she tried to change things, or maybe the change itself frightens her. In any case, though she's not exactly happy with the way things are between them, she doesn't seem to be trying to change that status quo.

A specific thing I'd also like to talk about with their relationship, beyond Rin's love for him, is her fear for him. As the Adventurer's Bible puts it, "she worries that his knack for dealing with whatever life throws at him might lead him to get too full of himself and end up in serious trouble."

Rin is an interesting mix of restrained and explosive, herself. Her magic is destructive, her temper seems to run hot (she gets annoyed easily, at least), and her feelings for Kabru are apparent. At the same time, she doesn't let her emotions show on her face, she is the one who bluntly states that the group has hit the limit of their abilities, and she doesn't act on those obvious feelings for Kabru. It's interesting, then, that what she fears for Kabru is that he won't restrain himself.

And a small personal idea about that as well: I wonder if she somewhat blames her parents for getting killed. Again, this is very speculative, but I think it's interesting that her fear for Kabru is that he will get too full of himself. Take up too much space. It's never really stated what Rin thinks of her parents, but it can be easy in grief to search for control, and control often means blame. If they hadn't been so confident, so flashy, would they still be alive...?

I don't know if she's ever thought like that, and it could well be that her fears for Kabru come from a totally different place. But it's an interesting connective thread between her past and present - the idea of "getting in trouble" for taking up too much space and being too confident in one's own abilities.

Miscellaneous Tidbits:

On that note, I'd like to wrap up the main part of this post, and move on to a few extra things that I couldn't find another place for.

Rin plays with her hair when she's stressed

Using stressed as a pretty big umbrella here, because I think it's hard to perfectly pin down all the emotions at play, but it is a habit of hers. Best displayed in chapter 32, but it shows up in other places, too.

Her design contrasts with Marcille

This is a small thing, but I just love how much they are visual opposites.

Rin wears red and black and has dark hair, Marcille wears blue and white and has light hair. Marcille cares a great deal for her hair and puts it up in elaborate hairstyles, and Rin's is mostly loose and a bit messy. Marcille was even educated at the Magic Academy, which Rin dislikes. They both have little capelets. Also they both look very cute in each other's clothes.

Rin knows Flamela (and they meet again in canon)

Nothing much is done with this in canon, but I think it’s super interesting that Flamela's squad are the ones that find Rin as a child and take her away to the west, and then they end up stuck in the dungeon together for a bit.

Two days??? I'm so very curious what things were like between these three.

Aaaand I think that's all I have to say about Rin! For the time being at least. There's a lot more analysis that could be done about her and Kabru especially, but for this post I wanted to keep things at least somewhat anchored to canon facts, with only a layer or two of speculation on top.

If it isn't already obvious, I think Rin is a super interesting character with a ton of potential depth to explore. She mostly interacts with Kabru in canon, but has ties to a bunch of other characters: she and Marcille fill similar roles in their parties but have differing personalities and histories, she and Falin (and Laios) have been tremendously shaped by xenophobia and fear of magic common in the Northern Continent, her parents fled from conflict in the same region Shuro and his retainers are from, and she has history with Flamela and some of the second canary squad.

Her temper, her fear, her love... her repression and passion - they all inform her character, even in small ways, even with as little time as she spends on the page.

[mana-is-lost]

so... Things I noticed in Finding Frankie

I've been hyperfixating on Finding Frankie since it came out, so I'm making a list of all the things I've noticed so far. some of these are pretty obvious but I want to write it down(Some of these may count as headcanons or hypotheses that I'll expand on later on)

In the beginning cutscene, we see that it took the player 764 or more boxes of cereal to find the tape, and after finding it, they put it in an old VHS player that has a Frankie sticker on it. All of this shows that not only did the player know what they were getting into from the beginning, but are a fan of the show as well.

The show is privately funded and streamed, yet people keep buying the cereal and accepting invitations. this makes me wonder if these cereal boxes are only sold once or twice a year, and only in places where people are desperate enough to risk their lives for money.

"Real Frankie" is always watching, and I don't mean just through the cameras. Theres several places all through out the game in wich he's hiding in the shadows, possibly recording us? I wonder why...

Monster Frankie can talk, but it probably takes a lot of effort to do it. We can hear him laugh when he's introduced, right before the doors shut close. We can also hear him laughing at the very end, right before the noob noobs fall on him. so there's a possibility that he's the one who yells "STOP MESSING UP MY FUCKING GAME SHOW!"

"Real Frankie" stops calling us "Lucky Contestant" after we win. He and Henry call us lucky all through the game except for the ending. I get the feeling this is because, to him, we stop being just "lucky enough" to survive and are instead seen as someone very skilled and ambitious. and he likes that.

In the elevator that takes us to frosty peak, our heart beat becomes loud and we can hear muffled yelling. This sounds like frankie, but its almost as if they are having a conversation with someone. maybe its "Real Frankie" and monster Frankie arguing over us living for so long?

thats all for now, tell me if you noticed any more fun details! ☺🌸

[barcaatthemoon]

something new || mariona caldentey x reader ||

You and Mariona try something new together.

18+

A trail of red and white led into the master bedroom of your apartment. You had no idea where your roommate was, most likely having joined the other girls on a night out to celebrate the team's win. Everybody had known that once Mariona scored, the two of you were unlikely to tear yourselves away from each other for the night. They didn't mind though, especially since it gave quite a few of your teammates ammo to tease the two of you for later.

You would happily take a lifetime of their teasing for a night with Mariona. She was a perfect partner for you, not caring about your lack of experience with women. Your relationship with her was only the second that you had been in with another woman. Before that, you had been pretty deep in denial about your feelings towards women. Mariona understood that it was part of the way you were raised, and so, she was patient with you.

"Mari, I want to try something." You weren't sure why you were so nervous. The worst that Mariona could ever do was say no to you, but it was still a little embarrasing to you. Communicating your wants and needs had never been something that you were overly good at, but you were getting a little bit better at that every single day.

"Que?" Mariona asked. You could see her facial expression change a little as she caught herself. "I'm sorry, um, what is it?"

"You're fine baby," you reassured her.

"What did you want to try?" Mariona asked you. You sat up a little, pulling a blanket with you. You had a tendency to cover up a lot more than she did. Both Mariona and Laia were very comfortable, which you thought was great, even if it had led to a lot of embarrassing interactions whenever the three of you all moved in together.

"Well, um, Leah and Katie were going on about using a strap-on, and I just thought that maybe if you had one, we could try it too. We don't have to, and I'm really enjoying the things you do normally, but I was curious…" You tried to turn away from her as you trailed off. Mariona was quick to reach for you, gently turning your face towards her again.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. Wait here while I go get it," Mariona told you. She gave you a couple of quick kisses before she ran off towards her own bedroom. You sighed, glad that Laia wasn't home so that there was absolutely no chance of her catching Mariona running naked through the hallway.

Mariona couldn't have been gone for very long, but each second that ticked by began to crumble your resolve. You began to wonder if you'd like it. It was new, and you had always sort of been a "set in your ways" type of person. Mariona had been a good partner, especially with her efforts in expanding your horizons.

"Is everything alright, mi amor?" Mariona asked as she slid back into the bed behind you. She leaned forward slightly, kissing your shoulder as she pulled you back to rest against her.

"It's fine, I was just a bit nervous," you told her. Mariona smiled as she leaned over to keep peppering kisses against your skin. "This won't hurt, will it?"

"No, and if it does, I'll stop. We don't have to do this though," Mariona said. You let out a small sigh as you turned around. You did want this, but you just had to get over yourself.

"Let's do this. I trust you, and I love you." Mariona sat up and turned you onto your back. You spread your legs a little, leaving her a bit of room to settle into. Mariona glanced down for a moment, biting back a smile as she saw how wet you were. You could tell that she didn't want to be cocky about having made you so wet before from what had been little more than a heavy makeout session.

"I'm going to start with my fingers, okay?" Mariona was very clear with you about what was happening. She checked in on you constantly, even throughout things that you had done together before. You weren't completely new to penetrative sex, but Mariona didn't want to risk overwhelming you with anything.

Sex with Mariona was always fairly romantic and intimate, but this felt like it was a whole other level. In the bit of time that you had been seeing Mariona, she had taken the time to learn everything about your body that she could. She knew exactly how to make you ridiculously wet without you feeling like you were being edged or teased too badly.

"Do you think that you're ready?" Mariona asked as she slowly pumped three fingers in and out of you.

"Yes, please. I want to feel you." Your own voice surprised you. You had never heard yourself sound so needy before, but Mariona didn't act surprised at all. Instead, she pulled her fingers out and used the wetness on them to coat the tip with your wetness.

"Sit up a little," Mariona told you. You sat up on your elbows, watching carefully as she squirted a little bit of lube into her hands. She spread it along the length of the dildo until it was practically glistening in the light of your bedroom. "Keep looking at me, and remember to let me know if it's too much."

"I will," you mumbled. Mariona gave you one last deep kiss, one that was broken just as the tip of her strap pressed into you. You let out a gasp as you grabbed at Mariona's arms, squeezing her at her biceps as she eased into you.

"Breathe, just breathe baby," Mariona gently instructed. You were no stranger to a bit of talking during sex, but it had never been like this. Mariona had never talked you through it, and you found yourself growing even wetter as she did so in the moment. You willed yourself to relax at her guidance, which allowed you to better enjoy the experience.

"Mari, I think I'm getting close," you warned her. Mariona nodded as she could feel the subtle clench of your cunt around the toy. It wasn't enough to completely stop her thrusts, but she began to just rock her hips, dragging over one of the more sensitive spots inside of you.

You had never felt anything like it before. Penetration wasn't normally what did it for you, but Mariona had barely touched you in any other way. You felt your orgasm burn through your body, not necessarily explosive, but definitely making itself known. Mariona felt your body begin to go limp beneath her, and she waited until you were completely motionless to slip out of you.

"Don't go," you whined, blindly reaching for Mariona. She slipped away from the bed, and you could hear her sprinting around the apartment to get back to you. You were about to protest when she placed one of your thighs over her shoulder before you felt her begin to wipe away the excess wetness. "Does it feel like that every single time?"

"Not really, no. We can try other things with the toys later if you'd like, but not right now. Now we rest. I told Laia that we'd meet them tonight at the bar." You hummed as Mariona laid down next to you. She was messing around with her phone, most likely putting on an alarm so that you would wake up in time to meet the team for a night out. You didn't have long to rest, but the nap was greatly appreciated after the thrill of the game and subsequent activities.

[peachsukii]

⭑˚. ⇢ you make a gift for katsuki's 18th birthday.

-`☆ day one of the explosive birthday celebration ! ☆´-

It's the week of Bakugo's 18th birthday - you and all of class A have plenty of plans arranged to make it special for him! You know he's going to feign ignorance, like he doesn't care about all of the love and support, but deep down is a sucker for it. Midoriya and Kirishima had all of the party supplies ready to go, stored secretly in their dorm rooms. Sato bought all the ingredients he'd need to make snacks and a cake for the party while the girls stashed away a bunch of party favors, splitting up everything between their rooms. Everyone was ready to celebrate their favorite explosive hero!

There's was just one thing left for you to do - find him a present.

What exactly did Bakugo want? He never vocalized desiring anything material in nature, not even All Might memorabilia. Getting him a gift card felt a little flat for such a milestone birthday, you wanted him to feel appreciated. With everything the class has gone through in the last three years, especially him and Midoriya, he deserved to be spoiled and shown how important he is to everyone.

In your mind, you went through the things Bakugo liked: hiking, cooking, All Might, spicy foods...maybe novels? You'd heard from Midoriya that he loves to read, but you didn't press him on what exactly his favorite genre was. Scribbling a bunch of ideas into a notebook, you brainstormed for awhile before the perfect inspiration struck - you can make him something!

Immediately, you call Midoriya to run your idea by him.

"Hey! What's up?" he answers cheerfully.

"Hi Izuku! I'm prepping a present for Katsuki's birthday and wanted to get your input. You got a few minutes?"

"Of course! What did you have in mind?" Midoriya seemed pleased that you chose him to help with your little creation for his best friend.

"Here's what I'm thinking..."

───

Later in the day, you return from the craft store with Midoriya, a couple of bags in hand with supplies for your gift. He helps you carry everything back to your dorm room and unloads it all onto your desk.

"Do you want any help making the book?" he offers.

"I think I'll be alright, but if you could get that recipe from Shoto, that would be a huge help!" You dump the supplies out onto your desk, spreading everything out neatly to begin working.

"Sure! I'll go ask him for it now. I'll be back soon!"

Midoriya exits your room quietly as you take a seat at your desk, prepping to start working on Bakugo's present. It wasn't anything fancy or flashy, but thought the sentiment was worth more than any lame gift card. You'd decided to make him a custom recipe booklet! It would be blank, with the exception of one recipe, for him to fill in as time goes on. You know how much he loves to cook and thought it would be handy to keep his favorite meals in one place. The first recipe would be a surprise - Fuyumi's mapo tofu recipe. Bakugo wouldn't shut up about it for weeks after going to Todoroki's house for dinner back in their first year. He more than likely had it, but having it be the first in the book sounds like a decent surprise.

A few hours and paper cuts later, you've crafted a cute little recipe booklet, bound with black rings and packed with subtly decorated pages. You chose not to theme the entire thing, more so just adding in areas for him to fill in instructions, ingredients and cooking time to the pages for reference. The cover was a burnt orange with a blank label on the front, plastered with a bunch of bright stickers of various styles - smiley faces, leaves, stars, food and other accenting themes. You didn't want to assume what Bakugo would want to label it, so you left it blank with some letter sticker sheets inside the cover. The rings are able to be opened, that way he can add additional pages in the future and expand the collection.

Your phone buzzes on the corner of your desk, a text notification from Midoriya appearing on screen.

[Izuku] stopping by with the recipe! [You] great! doors open, just come in when you're here

Midoriya knocks on your door a few minutes later, slipping inside your room and waltzing over to your desk. He looks down at the book you've crafted, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Awww! This is so cool, he's going to absolutely love this. Don't be offended if he doesn't say it though," he jokes, shaking his head with a smile on his face. "You know he's still not great at expressing that kinda thing."

He hands you the recipe on a piece of paper. "Here, I wrote it down for you. Fuyumi's ecstatic you asked for it!"

"Thank you!" you gleam, studying the page's contents. "This'll work perfectly."

Midoriya leaves you to finish your present in peace. You copy over the recipe information onto the first page, organizing it neatly by the sections you created. It's finally finished! At least, that's what you thought until one last detail popped into your head.

Grabbing a black marker, you add in a short and sweet message to the inside cover of the book: "Happy 18th birthday Kats! Looking forward to years of your cooking. - ♡ (Y/N)"

Your heart flutters in your chest as you stare at the words, hoping he'll smile seeing it anytime he opens his recipe book. You grab the muted orange wrapping paper and neatly fold and tuck the book into it, tying it together with a black bow.

Waiting until the end of the week to see his reaction is going to be torture, but worth the wait to see him smile.

extremely flattered to be included in kae's bakugo birthday celebration series! be sure to check out each story this week leading up to his birthday on 4/20 ♡

⇢ master post

-`☆ ᴅᴀʏ ᴏɴᴇ: Coming April 14th - @zanarkandskylines

ᴅᴀʏ ᴛᴡᴏ: Coming April 15th - @xbabyd0lli3x

ᴅᴀʏ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ: Coming April 16th - @angels-fantasy

ᴅᴀʏ ꜰᴏᴜʀ: Coming April 17th - @starieq

ᴅᴀʏ ꜰɪᴠᴇ: Coming April 18th - @lowkeyremi

ᴅᴀʏ ꜱɪx: Coming April 19th - @queenpiranhadon

ᴅᴀʏ ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ: Coming April 20th - @cashmoneyyysstuff

((inspo for the recipe book! it would obvi not be as aesthetic when he'd use it lol but it would have a little decorative templates for him to fill in)) 💥🎁 tags; @gina239 - @mystic60 - @meowze4r - @icedemon1314 - @bigsimpo343 - @ah-mya - @whezdostuff - @berry-vioo - @seonne - @slayfics

[momoswifee]

Love Bites - Hirai Momo

Pairing: Vampire!Momo x Reader

Synopsis: During the rain, your car breaks down. Good thing Momo seems to find you and offers her assistance!

Warnings: violence at the end, kind of gore-y since she's a vampire but nothing too explicit, some fluff, tried to make this spooky cuz Halloween but I'm not too sure, alcoholic drinks, kind of stalker behavior, biting, and it is suggestive.

w/c: 3878

a/n: Halloween fic!! I hope you guys like it! I always appreciate the input so feel free to give some!

Mainly doing this for @cry4mina cuz of her vampire fic so yeah (I kinda wanna do a part 2 cuz I really liked this and I honestly didn't do this justice, so maybe I'll rewrite this and give more info and expand the story later ^^)

You loved the rain. The sound of it, the smell that lingered in the air, it was all very comforting to you. You even liked to go for short drives while it rained, not a lot of people were in the streets, so it was very peaceful. Tonight, you should’ve gone against all of these thoughts and just stayed home. 

You had moved to a quieter town recently. Your job had been demanding, and you just needed a break from all the noise. Since it was raining, you decided to go on your little drives while it rained. It quickly proved to be a terrible idea when your car decided to stop working as you were nearing the lake, no houses, no people nearby to help. 

“Come on…” You say to yourself as you try calling the local mechanic, to no avail of course, since there was almost no signal. 

After about 20 minutes, you notice that the light rain had started to pick up and walking back to town was no longer an option. 

To your surprise, you notice a flash of headlights coming through your car, there was someone out there. 

You quickly get out of the car to signal your presence, not even caring about getting wet. Once the car stopped, you notice who it was from, and you wonder if it was smart of you to get out of the car so fast. 

“Miss L/n?” Momo asks surprised, not used to seeing people that far from the town on rainy days like these. 

Momo was from a family that had lived in that town for generations, but unfortunately, only she was left now. She was more of a loner, always in her own world, going to the city from time to time, but spending the majority of her time at her house by the lake. You didn’t know what she did for a living, but always just assumed that she was either very well off or had a job that she could do from home. 

It’s not that you were afraid of her, of course not. She had always smiled at you ever since you had moved into town and coincidentally happen to see her in the supermarket. You were just a little put off by her presence, you don’t really know how to explain it. 

Kids around town would tell stories about the Hirai family, how they never seemed to age and then suddenly disappeared. Silly ideas that they were supernatural, the most famous amongst them being that they were vampires. They could pass for it, with their perfect pale skin, almost shining when the light would hit them. 

“Is everything ok?” She steps out of the car, umbrella in her hand, quickly going to your side to shield you from the water. 

After hearing about what had happened she quickly offers to look at the car, with no success. It was very kind of her, bus she didn’t seem like the type who would know about cars. So instead, you let her drive you to her place, since it was already getting dark and the light rain seemed like it was turning into a storm. 

☪︎ ִ ֶ֢࣪⋆

Momo was sweet, she tried to make conversation, maybe ease you into her presence. You weren’t sure of what to say, so at a certain point, she kind of just gave up and put on some music. 

Once you arrived at her house, she ushered you inside, not wanting you to get wet, and as soon as you had stepped inside, she was already handing you a towel for you to dry off. You couldn’t help but almost swoon at her considerate actions. 

“I know it’s a little weird to invite you to stay over like, this but it really seems like a storm is coming, I’m not sure if it would be safe for me to drive you home like this…” The older girl says as she sits next to you, putting the tea on the table. 

“I really appreciate you doing that, I was contemplating walking until I saw a car or even reached home, but I’m glad you saw me before I started walking,” You interrupt her softly, not wanting her to feel any type of negative emotion after taking you in and saving you from your precarious situation. “It was really nice of you to offer me to stay here.”

You both sit in silence, watching the drops of water fall into the river situated almost right in front of her house. It was beautiful. The whole setting brought you comfort, the cracking of the wood in the (seemingly) unused fireplace, the dim warm lighting, the view to the lake surrounded by the dark green vegetation… It was nice. 

As dinner approached, Momo volunteered to cook for you, you almost begged to help her, but she politely declined, saying that if you wanted you could set the table. Once she had brought out the food you saw that she didn’t have a plate, she claimed to not be hungry, that she had eaten plenty already. 

During dinner, you had learned that her older sister lived in a more rural area and didn’t visit much, same as her parents. She worked a finance job that allowed her to stay at home, that being the reason she wasn’t seen getting out of the town as much. As she kept talking about herself, you felt more at ease, she was calm and that was transferred to you as well. 

You told her about your previous job in the big city, how it had worn you down. You expressed your love for baking, how you were so happy to have had opened one in town. She listened attentive, promising to visit you sometime, telling you how much she loved to eat. 

It was getting late. The storm had quieted down and Momo had offered her bedroom for you to sleep in. She would’ve offered the guest bedroom, but it was up for renovation, she was worried that the smell of paint would be too much. You obviously declined, saying you had taken too much, you would gladly sleep on the couch. 

You were suddenly woken up by a slight bang and a little groan of annoyance. You lift up your head, vision still hazy from sleep and see Momo, towering over you, her eyes golden and with something dripping from her chin? Her features are sharper, she looks hungry. 

“Momo?” 

“Shh, it’s nothing, I just banged my knee when I was going to close the window, the wind got it open, you can keep sleeping…” she quickly says, looking away from you, with a tone so soft that it lured back to sleep almost instantly. 

☪︎ ִ ֶ֢࣪⋆

Although Momo’s couch was big (and expensive) you woke up sore. Your body hurt in weird places, like your nape, the back of your arm, weird unsuspecting places. 

“The sky has cleared up, I can give you a ride whenever you’re ready.” You almost Jump out of your skin, you didn’t even hear her coming. “I’ve already called the mechanic and told him about the car.” She continues, with a small smile on her face once she notices she had scared you. 

Her face is soft, contrary to your previous encounter. Her eye were no longer that striking golden shade, but her normal sweet brown. Maybe you had dreamt it. 

You started to notice that every time you were close, her touch would linger longer. She would give you a cup of tea and her fingers would brush yours, once she was out the door to take you home, her hand sneaked up to your lower back, guiding you to the car, to which she opened the door and closed it gently as if not to startle you. This kindness was not something unusual, but it seemed like it had grown from an interaction that you were not a part of. 

“If you ever need something, don’t hesitate to call,” Momo says as she walks you to your door. “I really liked having you over, I hope we can get to know each other more in the future.” She offered you a shy smile, and quickly looked away, as if she was blushing, but you didn’t see a speck of the usual pink-ish hue come into her face. 

After biding your goodbyes, thanking her and making her promise to visit you at work, you went inside, anxious to see what was up with your body, checking to see why it hurt so much. As soon as you were in front of the mirror, you pulled your hair up and turned your neck as far as possible, trying to see if there was anything there. The only thing you saw was a little bruise, almost the size of a little caramel, nothing to worry about. The same was on your arm, just a tiny bruise. You figured it must have been your clumsiness around the kitchen. 

☪︎ ִ ֶ֢࣪⋆

Some time went by, and you started seeing Momo around a lot more. She would sometimes come around your work, playfully begging for some of your baked goods, sometimes you would just be closing up and she would magically be passing by and accompany you to your car or even home. 

Every time you were together her hands you find your skin, she would trace your skin, almost tickling you from how light her touch was. Her hands were always cold, you weren’t exactly used to it, you were known to be a warm-blooded person, but you still welcomed her freezing touch every time, at a certain point longing for it. 

You had gone to her place once again, since it wasn’t raining, she had shown you her majestic garden. The threes, the flowers, it was all so well taken care of. She told you she had poured a lot of time into tending to them, that they were her pride and joy. You were smitten with her. The way her face would contort when she laughed, how her eyes turned into crescent moons every time she smiled had you floored. You were grateful for your rainy-day drives, for allowing you to meet Momo. 

You had started to hope it was Momo coming through the door of the bakery as soon as you heard the bell jingle. You never thought it would get like this, but who could blame you? A tall, kind, beautiful woman had taken interest in you, you were meant to start having a tiny crush, you only hoped it was reciprocated. 

Besides Momo’s visits, you had started to notice that you were behaving differently. You could’ve gone on your day without noticing it, but one day, as you were washing your face, you reached for your towel to dry off, only to not find her in the usual spot. It was in another hanger, one you never used to put towels. You found it weird, maybe this crush had started making you do things without thinking. You had also lost your favourite night shirt from your university days. Maybe you had left it at home with your parents, you’d have to ask them. 

The marks never appeared again, thankfully, it was definitely Momo’s couch. 

One day, Momo came early to your work. She seemed nervous. She couldn’t exactly look at you. “I was wondering if you were free tonight.” She finally lets out, after a minute of slight rambling. “I want to take you out to dinner.” 

You felt hot, sweating from the palms. She had asked you out. She couldn’t look at you still, preferring to look at the baked good displayed in front of her instead as she waited for your answer. 

“Where are you planning on taking me?” You finally choked out, your hand going to your neck instinctively feeling hot all over. What would you wear? Where was she taking you? How should you act? Did she like roses? Would she prefer a sweet or a more flowery scent? The questions ran through your mind, you didn’t even notice the big smile that had crept up on the woman’s face. 

“It’s a new restaurant, I’ve gone there, and I think you’d like it…” She says, composed again, her fingers searching for yours, playing with them, a small smile lingering on her face. 

Maybe your standards were too low, but the thought of Momo thinking you’d like something and inviting you there warmed your heart. After leaving you with a giddy goodbye and a small and fast kiss on the cheek, she left you alone in the bakery. You were going out with Momo. 

As soon as the clock hit 6, you were closing up and hurriedly going home to get ready. As you’re looking through your clothes, you spot your dark red satin shirt, and instantly know that you should wear that, leaving a couple buttons open. 

 ☪︎ ִ ֶ֢࣪⋆

Momo’s eyes hadn’t left your frame since she had gone to pick you up. There was something different in the air, it seemed more charged. 

Momo’s eyes seemed lighter, you noticed as soon as your eyes landed on her. Her dark brown eyes were now a lighter shade, reminding you of the weird dream you had of her with a set of golden eyes. 

The restaurant was a quiet place, it was a small and cosy place on the edge of town. Momo was right, you think you fell in love with the place at first sight. 

You had been right to bring the satin shirt, Momo had not been able to take her eyes away, the buttons down had exposed your skin and maybe that’s what made her not look away. 

She spoke gently to you, listened to your stories, contributed to the conversation, everything was going perfectly. You noticed that, once again, she was not eating as much as you would expect, but that didn’t seem to faze you. 

“You look really nice,” she says, her eyes fixed on yours. “I’m really happy you accepted to come on this date.”

“I’ve actually been thinking about asking you out too…” you say, growing shy after your confession, to which you receive a soft smile. 

The dim lighting in the restaurant contributed to making your date even more perfect. The lack of the harsh lighting made Momo’s skin look almost a milky gold, it paired perfectly with her soft features. 

Although the company was perfect, it kept getting interrupted by a flirty younger waiter. He seemed to be a good guy, but his insistence on hitting on you every time he would come to your table was getting annoying, especially for Momo, who seemed like she, if she was allowed to, would kill him for interrupting your first date. 

After dinner, she asked if you wanted to go to her house since it was closer, or if you’d prefer if she dropped you off at your place. You almost instantly said that you wanted to go to hers. You know, since it was closer. 

Her fingers drew little shapes on your tight as she drove, only stopping when she reached for your hand to kiss your knuckles. Your breathing was uneven, and you kept your eyes on her the whole ride. The night casting some shades on her face, enhancing her jawline, making her look even more ethereal. 

She offers you a drink as soon as you’re home. Her eyes staring at your wine-stained lips, making her subtly wet her own. She knows that if she touches you, she wouldn’t be able to contain herself. You offer to clean the glasses, it was getting late, and you wanted to spend some quality time with her. 

The hot water on your fingers was nothing compared to the flush on your face. The look the older girl was giving throughout the night almost had you in shambles. It seemed like she was doing it without even noticing as well, making you even needier for her touch, even if it was the usual brush of fingers. 

“Hm tonight was fun right?” You hear as she approaches you. You look back and see she had shed from her coat, now having her arms showing off. Suddenly a cold hand slides to your hips. “Do you need any help?” It comes out in a whisper, and you can’t find it in you to answer. It all feels so intimate. You only shake your head and muster a “go settle on the couch” along with a promise of joining her soon. 

Soon enough, you’re on the couch with her, a movie playing with very low volume in the background. You’re not exactly paying attention, it seems like a horror movie, you’re only focused on how close she is to you, how her hand is on your tight, and how she is also not paying attention to the movie but softly looking at your side profile. 

“Do you not like the movie?” You croak out. 

A “Hm, yeah,” comes lazily out of her. “You’re too distracting, though, I just can’t seem to pull my eyes away from you.”

You go to have a look at her, a joke about her being cheesy on the tip of your tongue, but as soon as you turn your head, you're faced with Momo softly looking at you. Her bangs a little messy, some strands covering her eyes. Your fingers move without you thinking, sorting the hairs out, her skin ice-cold. Your eyes locked on hers. None of you blinking. 

You feel her inch closer towards you, your heart skips a bit when you feel her knee brush against yours.  Her hand comes to your face, gently tucking your hair behind your ear. 

“This shirt has been driving me crazy all night,” She whispers, her index finger trailing down your neck. 

“Yeah?” You whisper, she’s so close you can feel her breath mixing with yours. 

Your gaze flickers down to her lips, but you still catch her as she wets her lips. Your hand moves slowly to the back of her neck, and you let your fingers run through the baby hairs. 

“I really want to kiss you,” She whispers, noses already touching, her hand on your thigh, softly caressing it. 

Without waiting any more, she closes the small gap separating you two, her mouth softly pressed into yours, a bit shyly at first, but you quickly pull her in by her nape, making it all go away. You’ve dreamt of this. Of her lips on yours. It was much better than imagined. 

“You don’t know what you do to me…” she whispers, breaking away from you. “This is embarrassing to admit, but I’ve dreamt about the moment I’d be able to kiss you.” 

She knows how to make you melt, how can she say things like that and not expect you to react. So, you do. You pull her in by her neck, surprising her, kissing her more desperately. Her hands now moving to your waist, trying to pull you as close as she can. She needs to feel you. 

She pulls you into her lap, and starts leaving lazy kissing along your jawline, quickly moving further down. 

Suddenly she stops. “It’s like you’re torturing me.” Comes in a strangled whisper. 

You don’t say anything, you just wait for her to elaborate. Instead, she looks up at you, hazy eyed, almost blind by the effect you have on her, her pupils dilated. 

“This drove me crazy all night,” She says, her index finger trailing down your neck. She brushes her lips along your skin and takes in a sharp inhale. She starts peppering kisses there, her fingers pressing into the now exposed skin on your hip, making you pant softly. You feel her smirk into you. 

You just want to feel her lips on yours again, you need her. Instead, you start to feel something…sharp. “I need you…” She whispers before you feel a sting on your neck. 

It doesn’t bother you, you need more so you turn your head more to the side, trying to give more room for her to do as she pleases, and because of that you hear her let out a groan. 

Her hand grabs your chin, pulling it down for you to meet her lips once again. You feel her tongue and a new metallic taste come into your mouth. You moan at the combinations of her lips passionately moving against yours and her freezing hand going up your back. 

You groan in displeasure as soon as she breaks the kiss once again. 

“Don’t be like that,” she laughs kissing your cheek. “I just wanted to know if maybe you’d want to move to a more comfortable place?” She hesitantly says, seeming shy, but before you can even finish saying yes, she’s already picking you up and leading to your bedroom. 

 ☪︎ ִ ֶ֢࣪⋆

You’re playing with the sun ring Momo had on her nightstand. She had explained how important it was that she had it, how it helped her withstand the sun. 

The whole revelation of her vampiristic side, about how she had been trying for months to get used to your smell so that she wouldn’t hurt you, had hit you like a ton of bricks. How had you missed it? Of course you were mad, you had a nasty bruise on your neck because of her bite, but that could be covered in make up for the time being. 

You were still in a state of disbelief. She had said she refused to eat anyone, she survived off normal food, maybe animal blood, but that this sudden need to bite you, to drink your blood, to consume you had come out of nowhere. It did explain a lot, especially the reason why she was so cold all the time. 

“You like that?” Momo asks, getting out of the shower, wet hairs sticking to her face. You hum in response, not sure of what to even say. 

“I know you’re freaked out,” she says, flopping next to you, the heat radiating from her skin because of the shower feeling very odd to you. “And I understand if you don’t want anything to do with me. I hope you do, but I understand if you don’t.”

You’re still confused. She is a vampire. A whole immortal being. You had slept with an immortal being who drank blood. You would try your best to understand, nonetheless.

After reassuring her that you just needed some time to assimilate everything, you decided to take a shower yourself. As you go to pick out some clothes, you hear Momo quickly get up from behind you. 

“Wait, not that drawer!”

Too late. There, neatly folded, was your university shirt. The one you had lost. There was also one of your towels, little trinkets from your place. You’re frozen in place, cold sweat starting to form at the base of your neck. 

“That was not for you to see,” she sighs, closing the drawer from behind you, pressing her once again gelid front against your naked back. “Too bad.” She says, before everything goes dark.