#neige pile

[fey--wolf]

found myself floating away from most of the social media around, and tumblr seems like a nice place to crash in and out once in a while.

that being said, @spiritualinstinct's Neige Pile is complete and i'm proud to finally show my entry! The amount of work and emotions that went into it, heavens. I've been repeating that it was hell of a journey so many times i sound like a broken record, but hey... it was.

haven't been so satisfied with the final result for a very long time, left with feeling compelled to draw even more Alcest, how do i ever schedule everything?

[suntails]

neige 🍎

[arent-i-the-fairest]

I can't live like this any longer. PLEASE I NEED YOU TO WRITE NEIGE CONTENT OF ANYTHING PLEASEEEEE

𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 (𝟐)

he takes care of you while you’re sick. (romantic)

author’s note : in addition to neige, i wrote hcs for che’nya and rollo! i love these three so much <333

crowley, crewel, and sam ver. of this prompt here!

neige leblanche

“you really called off a photoshoot just to come take care of me? you know you didn’t have to,” you said, smiling softly. neige shook his head.

“oh, i know, i know. but i just couldn’t help myself. the thought of you being all alone while sick just makes me so sad!” he pouts, taking your hands in his. “so i had to come! now, come on and lay down. take it easy and just leave everything to me! i’ll take good care of you.”

he babies you so hard, it’s to the point you almost feel embarrassed. like, he spoons feed you and everything. but he seems no shame in it!

he also decides to take it upon himself to do all ramshackle’s housekeeping and chores for you. (househusband material, honestly.)

no matter how many times you warn him that your sickness is contagious, he can’t resist giving you little kisses throughout the day. so it was no surprise when he called saying he was sick the next day…

“don’t say you didn’t expect this to happen, neige.”

neige only let out a whine and hid his face in the fluffy pile of blankets you brought him. as much as you wanted to scold him for not listening to your warnings, seeing him in such a pitiful state made it impossible.

you’ll save the lecture for later. for now, you’ll be gentle with him, just like he was with you while you were sick.

che’nya

“oh my, you’re not looking too well!” che’nya chuckles, quirking his head to the side as he looks at you. “well, don’t worry. nurse artemiy artemiyevich pinker is here to help you recover!”

you didn’t have the highest expectations when it came to his caregiving skills, but he actually does really well at taking care of you. he’s very attentive when it comes to your needs. be warned though, he will ask you if you’re feeling better like every 20 minutes just to annoy you.

he’ll exaggerate his cat behaviors to entertain you— and maybe to get you to coo over him being cute. he’ll knead blankets (or perhaps your lap if he wants to rest there instead), bump his head against you, and the like. if you had a cat toy, he’d probably play with it. all without feeling the slightest bit of embarrassment too.

“i’ve gotta ask… did you really come here to take care of me, or was this just an elaborate plan to get me to pet you?” you joked as you scratched behind che’nya’s ears.

“oh no, you’ve caught on! i just came for some pets,” he teased back, purring and leaning into your touch. “— just kidding, of course. hehe.”

you chuckle and lay your head against his chest, listening to the calming sound of his purring as you drift off to sleep.

rollo flamme

you got sick from getting hit by several spells. the perpetrators were none other than ace and deuce, whose fight you accidentally got caught in the crossfire of. (they’ve apologized to you over ten times for this..)

with all the chaos that’s been thrown your way so far, you hardly cared. this is just another tuesday at nrc for you. but you know who did care? rollo.

needless to say, he was not happy to hear of this situation. it’s only served to support his resolve of wanting to eradicate magic.

he tries to hide his anger about the context of how you got sick… and he doesn’t do a good job at it. you’ll look at him once in a while and his face will be twisted up in a scowl. or sometimes you’ll hear him muttering under his breath about “vile reckless mages…” and the like.

knowing how no-nonsense he is, you were a bit nervous about being in his care. but he ended up being a lot more gentle with you than you expected! (… he still made you study though. no falling behind in school on his watch.)

just like neige, he took it upon himself to do all the housekeeping for you. and you swear, you’ve never seen ramshackle so spotless. rollo does not play when it comes to cleanliness.

you watch in amusement as ace and deuce desperately try to convince rollo to let them enter your dorm. rollo is not even slightly swayed by their pleas, standing his ground on not letting them step foot in ramshackle.

“you two are the reason the prefect is ill in the first place. you’ve proven yourselves to be dangerous. i will not take the risk of letting you miscreants in and causing any more trouble for them.” rollo glares down at the pair, getting ready to shut the door on them. you quietly laugh at how protective he’s being.

you walk over to rollo, gently pulling him away from the door to let ace and deuce in. “come on, rollo. let them in. i’m sure they’ll be on their best behavior, especially with you here watching them like a hawk.”

rollo sighs and finally relaxes. “hmph… fine.”

[kyupidos]

02/15/23’s delivery 🏹✉️ twisted wonderland

someone to call, mine <3ヽ( ･∀･)ﾉ_θ彡☆Σ(ノ `Д´)ノ,ヽ( ･∀･)ﾉ_θ彡☆Σ(ノ `Д´)ノ ;; summary. ‘them and their love languages— can’t get more simple than that.’

characters. all dorms : every character ( excl. nrc staff, & specials ( separate ) ;; romantic . 🖇️ tags. reader is gender neutral ( you/your ), reader may or may not be yuu ( up to the reader ), may be ooc, romantic fluff

📡 _a/n. HOLYSHIT CANT BELIEVE I FORGOT TO POST THIS YESTERDAY..IT WAS PREPARED PRIOR AND EVERYTHING..mb y’all school caught on fire and i had community service had other things to worry about..

PHYSICAL TOUCH!! the type to not particularly be sure how to express their feelings properly through words and the like. it’s hard to get the words right, and every time he tries it’s like bile piling in his throat. so he gets across these feelings of his through, of course, physical touch. a tangible reminder that you still love him, even though he knows you always will, even the little fleeting touches like brushing your hands against each other and a light peck on the cheek when greeting each other.

— ace trappola , floyd leech , kalim al-asim , che’nya

WORDS OF AFFIRMATION <3 sometimes he’s not so sure of himself. a nice little reminder, some words of encouragement, he’s appreciative of it all. when you compliment him, show him your appreciation outright and through words. he tends to get a bit flustered, and he loves every moment of it. he knows you’re honest about it, so it’s even more reassuring. my my, he sure does love your voice and all the ways you use it to love him and speak of him so romantically.

— azul ashengrotto , sebek zigvolt , vil schoenheit , cater diamond , deuce spade

GIFT GIVING!! it’s not like he only cares about the money and what you’re giving him and all that—could be anything from a snack to a little trinket. he reciprocates the favor by sharing nice little gifts for you, as well. oh how he loves being happy with you as you exchange gifts every now and then, each gift with such thought put into it, it’s clear you’ve been listening to each other and know full well what the other likes. he treasures everything you give him.

— malleus draconia , ruggie bucchi , lilia vanrouge

QUALITY TIME <3 every single second spent with you is a second spent in heaven to him. just being in your presence and you being in his, makes him happy enough to last the day. no matter what it may be you’re doing. leisure walks around the botanical garden or just leaning against each other’s shoulders half asleep after a long day. he soaks in every minute of it, loving every single moment he’s with you.

— trey clover , silver , jamil viper , neige leblanche , rook hunt , leona kingscholar

ACTS OF SERVICE!! whenever you’re doing things for each other, his heart can’t help but skip a beat. studying together, helping each other in little in game quests, folding the laundry together, lightening each other’s loads when either one of you is working on something. no matter what it is that you’re helping each other out with, he sighs blissfully taking the moment in. ah, how you appreciate what he does for you, and how he loves all the little things you do for him.

— riddle rosehearts , jade leech , jack howl , epel felmier , idia shroud

(( YOUR PERSONAL AID ( LOL ) scan scan scan, ortho’s helpin you out in learning and delivering what your lover wants and needs most. bro can know whatevr your lover likes cuz of allat tech; don’t worry, he’s got ya.

— none other than ortho shroud, ofc

[icariebzh]

"J'ai du savon qui lave Les péchés capitaux Un stylo-bille qui grave Le goût d'un apéro Un soutien-gorge à piles Qui n' s'allume qu'aux beaux yeux Un dentifrice habile À blanchir les aveux Un buvard facétieux Qui sèche les chagrins Un œil pour lire à deux Quand le jour s'est éteint Un violon capital Voilé de Chambertin A faire sonner le mal Plus fort que le tocsin Si ça n' va pas Tu peux toujours aller la voir Tu demanderas La Poésie On t'ouvrira Même si elle n'est pas là D'ailleurs, elle n'est pas là Mais dans la tête d'un fou Ou bien chez des voyous Habillés de chagrin Qui vont par les chemins Chercher leur bonne amie La Poésie

J'ai des bas pour boiteuse À faire boiter l'ennui Et des parfums de gueuse À remplir tout Paris Des pendules à marquer Le temps d'un beau silence Des lassos à lacer Les garces de la chance Des machines à souffler Le vert de l'espérance Et des vignes à chanter Les messes de la démence Des oiseaux-transistors Qui chantent sur la neige Garantis plaqués-or Plaqués par le solfège

Si ça n' va pas Tu peux toujours aller la voir Tu demanderas La Poésie On t'ouvrira Même si elle n'est pas là D'ailleurs, elle n'est pas là Mais dans la tête d'un fou Qui s' prend pour un hibou À regarder la nuit Habillée de souris Comme sa bonne amie La Poésie

J'ai du cirage blond Quand les blés vont blêmir De la glace à façon Pour glacer les soupirs Des lèvres pour baiser Les aubes dévêtues Quand le givre est passé Avec ses doigts pointus J'ai tant d'azur dans l'âme Qu'on n'y voit que du bleu Quand le rouge m'enflamme C'est moi qui suis le feu J'ai la blancheur du cygne À blanchir tout Saint-Cyr Et sur un de mes signes On meurt pour le plaisir

Si ça n' va pas Tu peux toujours aller la voir Tu demanderas La Poésie On t'ouvrira Des fois qu'elle serait là Elle te recevrait même pas Elle n'est là pour personne Elle n'aime pas qu'on la sonne C'est pas une domestique Elle sait bouffer des briques Mais quand elle veut, elle crie La Poésie !"

Léo Ferré

[leaderpinhead]

Gias (OC) - The Mostro Lounge

Prompt: Ticket Note: Gias and Hector are two OCs I created who attend Royal Sword Academy. The Rielé here is my own interpretation of the character since we're not given much info about him in the game. Like Neige, my headcanon for Rielé is that he's not completely the "innocent princess" type.

“I can’t believe you bought tickets for this place.” 

Normally, Gias would ignore Rielé. The red-head knew how to behave like a well-mannered prince around most people, but Gias had seen through the act their freshman year. Who would have known Rielé’ would crack after having a waterfall of green slime soak him? Gias certainly didn’t. 

Rielé was the entire reason they were here though, so Gias decided it was only polite to make small conversation. That and they were currently stuck in line waiting to enter the Mostro Lounge. This place was way more popular than Gias realized. “Don’t be so jealous. Maybe we can take some pointers and start our own cafe at RSA.” 

Rielé huffed, and Gias thought he might have poked a sore topic. Hector jumped in before any awkwardness could descend. “I looked up the Mostro Lounge after Idia told me about it. I can’t believe Night Raven College allowed a place like this to be here. And the housewarden started it when he was a freshman. That’s amazing!” 

A noticeable twitch developed on Rielé’s face despite Hector’s chippier tone. Definitely a sore topic. It just made Gias more eager to see this Mostro Lounge. 

Other members of RSA’s spelldrive team eagerly waited in line with them despite the weird looks the NRC students gave them. Gias had proposed the trip after the had confirmed their scrimmage game on the NRC campus. Their captain had agreed, but on the condition the entire team joined. Gias had been cool with the plan. 

Rielé had glared at him the whole bus ride to Night Raven College. 

They waited in line for a few more minutes, Rielé ignoring Gias and Hector going over some highlights from the scrimmage (“Did you see the way their captain made that one save? It was amazing!” “I was more impressed by the small purple haired guy. Heard he was a freshman.”). When it was their time to step up to the podium, Rielé noticeably stiffened. 

The tall boy standing behind the podium smiled widely. “Good afternoon, gentlemen. I don’t believe the Mostrol Lounge has had the honor of hosting such reputable guests!” 

Hector ducked his chin and fiddled with his glasses. Rielé remained stiff and didn’t say a word. Gias matched the host’s grin. “Don’t mind us at all! I heard the rumor of a student-run lounge and got curious. The reviews on Magicam are all 5 stars.” 

The tall boy emitted a humming laugh. Gias thought his left eye flashed, but he blamed it on the weird lighting. “We take immense pride in providing excellent service. If you would please present your off-campus ticked to dine with us, I will escort you to a free booth.” 

Gias showed the three tickets he held for them. The host took the tickets and examined them against a blue light next to the podium. Before Gias had a chance to make a joke about the “security,” the tall boy threw the tickets into a waste basket beside the podium. A small flame sparked brightly in the waste basket, and when Gias leaned over to confirm what had happened, he found a pile of ashes at the bottom of the basket. 

The tall boy’s grin never faltered. “Excuse our security measures. We have experienced an influx in counterfeit tickets. Please follow me.” 

The boy spun on his heel and strode into the Mostro Lounge. Gias grinned and followed without hesitation. He was immediately impressed with the classy, nautical theme of the place. He still got the sense of being underwater without feeling like he was being drowned like he had walking through the halls of the dorm. 

Gias slid into the booth they were led to and eagerly accepted the menu the boy pulled out of nowhere and presented them. The boy slightly bowed when they were all seated. “One of our waiters will be by to take your order in just a moment. In the meantime, please enjoy our relaxing atmosphere.” 

The host had barely walked away before Hector pointed at the lights above them. “They’re jellyfish! That’s so cool!” 

“This whole place is pretty snazzy,” Gias said. He pulled at the genie lamp hanging from ear as he glanced around the Mostro Lounge. It looked like a mix of students from the campus filled the other tables, but the students running around balancing trays in their arms all wore the same uniform as the host. “I thought the pics on Magicam had filters on them.” 

“What kind of food is on the menu?” Hector grabbed the menu and flipped it open. “I hope it's not all seafood. I’m allergic to shellfish.” 

“Don’t you worry about a thing,” Gias said. He snapped his fingers. “Even if they’ve just got crab, I’ll change it to chicken in a snap.” 

Rielé made his first noise since they stepped into the Mostro Lounge. His eyes darted around the dining room like he was looking for something in particular. Or someone. “If you’re going to do that, then what was the point of us coming here in the first place? This is just a waste of time.” 

“It’s about the experience.” Gias spread his arms to encompass their booth. Laughter from another booth further lightened his mood. “This is like one of the Seven Wonders of Sage’s Island! I’ve heard locals in town be jealous because they couldn’t visit outside of the special times.” 

That muscle in Rielé’s face twitched again. “I hardly think there’s anything special about a student lounge.” 

“They have cheesecake!” Hector excitedly pushed his menu into Gias’s face. “I love cheesecake!” 

Gias laughed and lightly shoved the menu out of his face. Rielé opened his mouth to say something more, but he snapped it close when their host returned to the table. He held a notepad now, and he had loosened his tie. He silently stared at Rielé long enough to make Rielé slump into the booth like he was trying to hide under the table. He slowly smirked. “Welcome~. I’m Floyd, and I’m gonna be you guppies’ waiter. What can I get ya?” 

Gias looked between Rielé and Floyd. There was an unmistakable vibe that the two knew each other, and it wasn’t necessarily a good acquintance. Maybe that was why Rielé was so upset with Gias for making the whole spelldrive team come to the Mostro Lounge. 

...oh, well! Gias didn’t really care about Rielé’s discomfort. He grinned at Floyd, who grinned back with sharp teeth. “This is my first time eating here, so I want the best dish you’ve got.” 

Floyd giggled and scribbled on his notepad. “Gotcha! I’ll put ya down for a Mostro Special. How ‘bout you?” 

It took Hector a moment to realize Floyd was looking at him. “What? Oh, me! I, uh...I think I’ll just take a Blue Lagoon drink and a slice of cheesecake. Better safe than sorry.” 

Floyd hummed and noted Hector’s order. He grinned at Rielé. “And you, Clownfish?” 

A sneer curled Rielé’s lips before he could stop it. He looked torn between snapping at Floyd and sinking farther under the table. His nostrils flared. A long tense moment passed with Rielé eyeing their waiter and Floyd simply grinning. Rielé carefully straightened. His smile was stiff and practiced. “I’ll just take water.” 

Floyd hummed and left them without another word. Gias rolled his eyes at Rielé’s behavior and stuck to making conversation with Hector, who was more than happy to comply. They bounced from the topic of the scrimmage game to various gossip going around the campus. 

It didn’t even feel like much time had passed before Floyd returned with a tray full of drinks and food. Gias’s mouth watered from the smells alone, and he wasn’t disappointed when a plate with a variety of tasty looking seafood was dropped in front of him. Hector oohed at the ocean blue drink and ahhed at the large slice of cheesecake Floyd gave him. Rielé glared at his glass of water. 

“There ya go!” Floyd said. “One Mostro Special, one Blue Lagoon, one cheesecake, and one water. Enjoy~.” 

Gias didn’t hesitate snapping open a crab leg. He moaned at the tenderness of the meat and tried what looked like a tempura battered shrimp next. He pointed a crab leg in Rielé’s direction. “You’re missing out big time.” 

Rielé rolled his eyes and sipped his water. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’ve eaten crab my entire life.” 

“But have you eaten it with this creamy, lemon garlic dip?” Gias dipped a bite of flakey fish into the dip and moaned again. “This is amazing. I get the hype now.” 

“My drink’s pretty good too,” Hector cheerfully added. Gias could see his tongue was already a tinge of blue from only a few sips. “It’s like really sweet coconut water with hints of mango and pineapple. I just can’t tell what makes it blue.” 

“That would be a Mostro Lounge secret.” 

Gias coughed on the fish he swallowed. The boy standing at the end of their table smiled and placed a hand over his chest. “My apologies! I am the manager of this establishment, Azul Ashengrotto. I heard from my staff that we had some...unique guests dining with us today, so I thought I would stop by and introduce myself.” 

Gias gulped down a bit of Hector’s drink when he offered it. He did a quick doubletake when he saw two Floyds standing behind Azul, but he quickly noticed the slight difference between the obvious set of twins. They both grinned like they knew the confusion Gias had just experienced, and he decided the twin with the tidier uniform was the “Polite Twin.” 

“That was really kind of you!” Hector said. He stuck out his hand, which Azul shook after a moment of hesitation. “I’m Hector. This is Gias, and that’s Rielé. This place is really great!” 

Azul retracted his hand, and he maintained his professional smile. “That is wonderful to hear! We have only recently extended our services to visitors at Night Raven College. Our headmage takes the safety of the students very seriously, but our vetting process when selling our off-campus tickets is very thorough.” 

Gias could agree with that: thorough and a bit excessive. He had submitted three references on the application before he was given the option to purchase his tickets. And then his professors had reprimanded him for not warning them when they actually received a call to verify the references! 

“Please enjoy the rest of your dining experience,” Azul continued. He performed a shallow bow. The twins followed his lead, but the one Gias assumed was Floyd snickered under his breath. When Azul lifted from his bow, his eyes were fixed directly on Rielé. “If you have any issues, don’t hesitate to let us know. Here in the Mostro Lounge, we pride ourselves for our personable customer service. After all, our extraordinary success is only possible thanks to our lovely patrons.” 

They bowed again before leaving the table, Floyd still snickering. Hector beamed at Gias. “They’re so friendly! You know, when my cousin described Octavinelle’s housewarden, he made it sound like the guy was like a mafia boss straight from a TV drama, but I didn’t get that feeling about him at all.” 

Gias hummed around a mouthful of seafood. He was more interested in Rielé’s reaction. Rielé stiffly sat on the other side of the table, staring out into the room with narrowed eyes. His jaw twitched when Azul loudly announced half-price drinks for the next half hour. One of the twins began making more blue drinks behind a counter while the other strode through the Mostro Lounge with a confident authority Gias rarely saw at Royal Sword Academy. 

Gias tapped his fork against his plate. “Hey, Rielé. Didn’t you say one of your former classmates went to NRC now?” 

Rielé somehow managed to stiffen even more. Before he could answer the question, the Polite Twin reappeared at their table with a large plate. He beamed at Rielé and carefully placed the plate on the table in front of the redhead. Wisps of steam billowed from a large yellow fish with blue stripes garnished with frilly leaves of lettuce. 

A set of sharp teeth flashed behind his smiling lips. “Please accept this poisson jaune sur laitue on the house. Our dorm embodies the very benevolence demonstrated by the Sea Witch herself. Azul was so moved by her example that he was unable to stand by thinking you were unable to enjoy our cuisine because of potential destitution.” 

Rielé shot up from the booth. He glared at Polite Twin and made as if to say something. Gias leaned forward, excited to see Rielé’s usual polite, charismatic demeanor fully break. A sudden cough from Hector reminded Rielé there were witnesses. Rielé stiffly lowered himself back into the booth. A politely fake smile stretched his cheeks. “How...kind of him.” 

“Of course!” The Polite Twin cheerfully said. He performed another bow. Gias thought he’d start counting how many times the Octavinelle students bowed. It seemed to be a popular thing for them. “If you require any other assistance, please do not hesitate to ask.” 

Rielé didn’t say another word. Once they were alone again, he shoved the plate as far away from him as possible. “What time does our bus leave?” 

Gias shrugged and pretended he didn’t notice the new awkward tension. “Dunno. Sometime this afternoon, I guess.” 

Rielé huffed and nursed his glass of water for the rest of the meal. When he figured he wouldn’t get much more out of Rielé, Gias focused on enjoying his food instead of letting Rielé ruin the rest of his day. Hector was the one who decided to cut their meal short after poking the fish Rielé never ate and licking his finger. Gias found out that day Hector’s allergy to shellfish was actually all fish, the Mostro Lounge had an impeccable emergency response time, and Hector’s cousins had cool blue hair. 

[concordewillfly]

ALSO COUCH SLUT!!!! their lead singer is so Bad Ass i love them bad & funeral dyke is the best song in existence forever. also it makes me so happy that i make u happy. yay happy world! also counterparts, alpha wolf (everybody give it up for hashtag nu metal revival), candy!!, dreamwell, frail hands!!!!!, a light in the dark (blackgaze), daygraves (blackgaze), emma ruth rundle (not heavy, but shes been a source of inspiration for neige in his blackgaze projects + other post-black metal artists; shes also a great lyricist + her voice is beautiful), . me when i unfortunately like music a bit too much for my own good.

if u wanna talk about blackgaze im right here 🧍🏻 u dont have to do all the homework on ur own i could just feed u little nuggets of wisdom essay style 👍🏻 im so happy u liked holy fawn !!!! they are so good n im glad i can share their art w u !

but hi ro i hope u have a nice day 🩷 thank u for making me feel so welcome in ur inbox ! much love to u always n forever

- 💿

hiii again i hope youre having the best day <3 also dont worry i meant homework as in sitting down and listening to all those lovely bands, youve already done so much!! listening to funeral dyke rn HOW have i not heard about this band before since they toured with chat pile… so fucking good will definitely listen further + omg the throwback that is counterparts (used to listen to them when i was younger <3), already love dreamwell and frail hands, and ive heard soooo much about emma ruth rundle and ive been meaning to check her out so i will!!!! everybody else im not familiar with so i will also be sat… shaking ur hand as someone who likes music a bit too much like i think its good that i dont know anyone who likes the same stuff i do irl because i will start shaking while talking about it <3 ALSO im sure u know seeyouspacecowboy (one of my fav bands ever) and i wanna know if u listened to their last album and what u think of it because i love it sm and ive been bumping it all summer <3

[ominous-feychild]

✦ Crow's Character Asks and Quotes ✦

commissioned art by Neige; here's her instagram!

Would you do something illegal if you were getting paid a large sum of money? (You can choose the illegal thing)

Crow: I mean, aren't I already being paid to do illegal things for lots of money? Breaking and entering, very consensual information-gathering, theft of evidence, falsification of identity, planting of evidence when and where necessary... wait, who's asking again? Change of answer: I would never. 😘

What is your favorite non-human creature in the world and why? (Gods count)

Crow: That's easy! My familiar, Aria! I don't care if she's connected to me, she's not human--and don't you dare make a joke about me not being human either! I am cursed, not something else! And why do I love her? I mean--is she my favorite non-human creature? Well... there's a lot of reasons. For one, she's my familiar. Like, she chose me. Even if she's a crow, too, because she's taken on a bit of my curse... I mean, that's my fault isn't it? Ha... no, I think she's fine. She's still able to sing, and that seems to be enough for her. I guess I like that about her, too. Eh, this is all too gushy. Next question!

If you were forced to kill one person you have met, who would it be? (Not yourself)

Crow: *looks at the people they've gotten thrown into prison* Yeeeeaaaaah, there's a lot of options there. You really want me to pick one? Look, I already only spared them because it was against the law and my father would've been upset about it. If I'm going to go against their wishes... I'm going to pick a lot more than just one. 😉

"What's your relationship with your family like?"

Crow: Oh, my father's great, yeah. ... What, you were expecting more of an answer?

"Do you have any hobbies? if so, what ones?"

Crow: Psh, nothing as boring as reading. (*Precariously leaning back against a bulging doorway. There's a creak and then--CRASH!!!*) SHIT--

(*Furiously opens the door. An endless pile of books comes falling out. Except... they're all related to their cases? Huh. Is their hobby... working?*) Yep. That's my hobby. Working. Tell my dad that, would ya? 😘 (Oh I think we see something deeper in the closet--) NO!!! DON'T YOU DARE-- (*we zoom in to see countless artistic collages made out of cut-outs from pictures in their books and magazines.*)

...

(*Crow, face burning, melts into the shadows and hides in shame.* But??? That's a cool hobby??? WAIT, COME BACK, AZA--)

"Do you dream often? what about?"

Crow: Ha, no. Do most people remember their dreams? (They're lying. They remember. Their dreams center around failure. Failure, and a desperation to prove themself.)

"What is the one thing you would not wish on your greatest adversary?"

Crow: A pointless end. If you have to die, you should die for something. Something meaningful. Something you care about.

"What's your relationship with your family like?"

Crow: Sike!!! Bet you thought I wasn't going to answer this question. 😘 How cruel of you to think so lowly of me!!! 😭

I wasn't kidding, my father's great, I love him. He taught me everything I know about--detective work and all, heh! We don't always see each other because he's usually working on cases, but he's given me everything I need to succeed in life and I'm thankful to him for that. So hopefully I'll make him proud on this case with Frey! 😉😊

✦ Quotes ✦

"Move over! I wanna watch too."

Crow: *teleported through shadows to get to a better vantage point* Crow: "Excusez-moi!" *at the same time as slapping them aside with their wing* (note: they are not French.)

"A little help, please?"

Crow: "Ey! Over here! HELP!"

"Unhand me!"

Crow: *combat mode: engaged. Duck into their own shadows and teleport to get a moment to process the scene before reacting further.* Crow: *calmly, making eye contact* "you have less than five seconds to let go of me. Five. Four--"

"Okay, someone has to come up with a plan!"

Crow: *deadpan* "Don't make me break out Plan B. Trust me, you do NOT want Plan B."

Original posts: Asks 1, Asks 2, Quotes ALL ABOUT CROW HERE! (note: will be uploaded soon!)

Divider from @cafekitsune

[s-bean200]

1 and/or 3?

This is for the more fic writer asks!

Prompt 1: the last sentence you wrote:

"Casper, less pleased with this development let his hands fall away from Neige’s shoulders, but allowed Alfie to stand between them, “He needs to sleep or yes this café will burn down, on je tě sere mě.”".

This is for an NQD fic, many AUs piled together in a trench coat and me desperately trying to figure out czech lmao. It also a first draft sentence lol but there it is!

Prompt 3: how do you feel about your current WIP

My current WIP is the same WIP the sentence above came from . I am honestly so excited. This is one of the longest fics I've ever written by literal tens of thousands of words. I have been working hard to stay focused and not let this one die in the WIP folder, especially since it's for NQD which only has a small number of fics. It's been fun to indulge in all my favorite AUs in one work as well! It makes it a lot easier to find inspiration and enjoy it as I write.

[v-anrouge]

Trey reading to a snoozing Riddle, Cater taking photos, Deuce and Ace asleep in a pile of limbs.

Leona napping, Ruggie asleep sitting up, Jack curled up like a puppy.

The Octotrio cuddling (god I love childhood friends)

Rook asleep with all his Neige things, Vil in a sleep mask, and Epel trying to sneak past them (he wants to be with Adeuce)

Idia asleep with his face against Orthos charging station, Ortho in his charging station.

no no homie i mean all of them SLEEPING all of them ina sleep over no one is awake

[fey--wolf]

Neige studies for the Neige pile

from "how tf does this face work" to "which features i can use to capture the neigeness" and more complex angles

his face is a pleasure to draw! it's soft but has a very distinctive structure underneath, and the eyes and the nose give so much character

must go for another couple of studies with more attention to essentials and less messing with the details

[blackbutlerfandomnerddomain]

Twisted Wonderland Dwarfs Headcanons!

Is the oldest by a few months ahead of Gran

Drinks tea the most

Has a parent ability where they stop stuff from happening before it happened

Suffers with night terrors

Is the worst bi-panic ever

Has a huge book collection

Wants to visit the City of Flowers with all his might, wishes he went with Neige during the Masquerad event

Is basically a tsundere

Knows Spanish

Will cuss in Spanish

Smells a lot of wood since childhood

Is obviously the protector of the group

Thinks piercings are cool and would want one without someone assuming he should get a "cute" ear ring

Would have a coffee machine in his room if he could

Has the second best hair products in the bathroom

Has three different Playlists for sleep; Rain sounds, lo-fi, and Celtic music

Speaks beautiful Hebrew

Is a cat person

Speaks on French

Loves sunflowers

Dad jokes

Has a whole pile of overalls for different seasons and argue they're perfect

Makes a ton of friendship bracelets

Used to have a really bad stutter Neige helped with in-between acting gigs and chores

Has the WORST pan-ics

Has a collection of highlighters of different colors

Many kids of scented oils and candles he sniffs and enjoys to calm down or not get stressed

The biggest stuff animal collection

Secretly likes it most when people call him cute, sure it's embarrassing but it's a nice feeling

Is that one guy who has glow sticks and glow-in-the-dark stars in his room for aesthetic

The one with the best hair product

Has allergies

Has freckles on his cheeks, nose, and shoulders

Used to be insecure of his hair but grew to love it

His scarf was his first gift of Neige's

Has no family other than the other dwarfs and Neige

Dreams to touch the sky

Begs for a pet in the dorm most

The fact he's a bit ditzy isn't cause he's "dumb" but due to him spacing out a lot and thinking on more things than one

Has autism

Just wanted to do this

[belphgr]

Day 41 | 24.3.2023

WC: 522

-

“Hi, Yuu!” a bubbly voice calls out to them. Yuu stops sweeping the leaves in front of Ramshackle and immediately notices Neige. It was hard not to with how much he stood out from the rest of Nrc. Clad in a white uniform and bright smile, Neige looked like an angel next to the black uniform of Yuu’s school. Also they were dating.

“Oh. Hey, Neige,” Yuu responded nonchalantly, continuing to sweep.

“You always look good with a broom in your hands. You look like a pretty witch!”

“Thanks. That’s what I was going for,” ironic because they were the only one who didn’t possess magic. Maybe they shouldn’t have used a flying broom to do this, who knew what the consequences were. But they were on a tight budget and this was the only thing available so it was better than nothing, they suppose.

There’s silence between them for a while as Yuu waits for Neige to tell him if there was any specific reason for his visiting, but there isn’t. Neige continues to stare with a ditzy smile on his face.

“Do you need something?” …that was a bit harsh. Yuu didn’t mind but they’ve gotten used to being blunt and curt that it comes off rude at the worst of times. Before they could correct themselves however, Neige interrupted.

“Oh, it was nothing really,” he’s blushing. He’s cute when he’s blushing. “I just wanted to visit, I can leave if you wa-”

“No, I’m not bothered, really. I was just asking,” Yuu pauses, not knowing what to say. “Do you want to come inside? I’m almost finished.” They are nowhere near finished, proven by the rest of the leaves that haven’t been brought to the pile.

“Really? Okay, then!” Neige jogs up to them and gives Yuu a kiss with a loud and audible ‘muah!’ before hurrying inside. He does not have any right to be this cute, they think as they sweep up the remaining leaves with very minimal effort. It would’ve been better if they didn’t do anything at all with the state of things- but they could worry about that later.

As soon as Yuu shut the door, the smell of warm treats and tea filled his senses (with a hint of deluxe tuna and dust but the dorm always smelled like that). They glance at the only table there was and see a plate of cookies and 3 cups of tea. They were only gone for 5 minutes max, so when…? Never mind, magic and Neige didn’t have to make sense.

Speaking of Neige, there he was petting an already asleep Grim- stomach probably full from tuna and sweet treats. He never really liked tea so his cup was still full. 

Neige sees Yuu at the door and gets up excitedly after making sure not to rouse the sleeping cat.

“Are you done?” he whispers. Yuu wasn’t sure why, Grim could sleep through an earthquake.

“Yeah,” Yuu lies easily. No need to add onto their lover’s already busy schedule.

“Do you want something to eat? Or maybe just cuddle on the couch?”

“Both sounds nice.”

[paradisecursed]

from the darkened alcoves of the emperor's castle, a pair of eyes watches the tailend of a conversation between men. with darcia left alone, the apparition can't help but grin from his hiding spot—he picked the best hiding spot in the whole room, he's sure of it—though the need to be noticed lets a snicker trickle out into the air, warbled through dimensions. there they are...!

@collectalong / mild plotting.

You… wish for me to come with you? He’d asked.

Well, it’d certainly be easier, the emperor had replied. The equipment I’d need can’t be brought through the portal quite like my books or tools can. My castle has plenty of supplies. Perhaps there’d be a suitable room where we could move her to. I think - 

He’d interrupted with a snap of bared teeth, My alchemy is the only thing keeping her body alive, we can’t just -

His companion raised a hand, as if to calm an agitated dog. That’s precisely why I’d like you to come with me. See what the Boiling Isles has to offer &. see if a new perspective brings us progress.

It was enough to get him to lower his hackles. An exhale through the nose; a glance back to the hall they’d come from. Neige could watch her, he supposed. 

The emperor offered a soft, gentle hum; a sound that he came to understand as kindness. The other man turned away, then, before remarking - 

Besides, it’d do good for our deal if you had some context to the sort of world you’re giving your weapons away to. 

----

Dark were the halls of his benefactor’s domain, yet not quite tenebrous as his own. These walls were built closer together so that the flickering candlelight might catch the reflection of their gold-plated surfaces &. dance in luminous shapes as they walked. Their footsteps echoed; closer now than in his foyer. The scent of earth &. plant followed in their wake.

It reminded him of the garden, he’d thought. Back before the flowers wilted in mourning her. 

The emperor had shooed his young shadow off on some errand, leaving the pair alone as they wandered a maze of statuesque guards and grandiose decor. There were windows, of course, but they remained shuttered. Their conversation, however, stuck dutifully to its path: a series of contextual questions proposed to his host, wherein he’d be answered in kind &. asked of his own. Do you think we could construct those lasers with that? Could we use this to substitute for oil in your ships, perhaps?  

&. he was content to theorize &. speculate; until the smell of wet, fertile ground stopped him short. He turned away, slowly, from his companion - facing then two wooden shutters hiding a window’s view. ‘Twas the strongest the aroma had ever been. There was a fracture in the bottom of the left-side panel, &. he found himself drawn to the small stream of rose-yellow sunlight that filtered through. His footsteps fell quiet in his own ears as he crossed the distance, hand straying from his side to reach out - 

A gloved hand caught him by the shoulder - squeezing. 

Oh, come now, there’s nothing to see out there. The emperor tutted as he gently - yet firmly - guided the lord Darcia away.  Just another wasteland at this point, I’m afraid. Now then, about your ship…

The hand left his shoulder quickly, &. disappeared beneath the emperor’s white robes. 

Their walk continued without incident - at least for a time. Then, without warning, the halls filled with the sound of shrieking. 

A form barrelled out of the darkness towards them. His hackles raised immediately; only to be quelled as the emperor threw out a reassuring arm. The stranger dug its heels in the rug, careenging to a sudden, silent stop. The beginnings of an apology began to tumble out from somewhere beneath a pile of robes, only to trail off as one wide, glimmering eye caught his sight.

The lord Darcia found himself bewildered by this intrusion. She was some shrill, small, red, frog-like thing; glaring at him with a sort of unease that he found almost comforting in its familiarity. Never-the-less, she was quick to shake off her apparent apprehension - instead ignoring his presence completely to bawk a plea to his host. Even with the emperor’s diligent explanations, most of her words utterly mystified him. All Darcia could gather was that it sounded important. Now quite out-of-place, he found himself looking towards the nearest window; this one possessing a far larger crack than the last.

Finally, his companion sighed, pinching the nose of his mask before excusing himself from their conversation.

Do stay here, the request had been, It’s easy to get lost. I won’t be long.

&. so, ever the mannered guest, he waited. 

But human minds were meant to wander, &. ‘not long’ slowly ticked over to long enough for his eye to trace the wisps of mist dancing in the light from the crack in the windowsill. Enough time had passed for the ray of sun to change from rose-gold to syrupy auburn, &. when he leaned over to let his fingers pass through he felt the tickle of a humid breeze even through his gloved finger-tips. The scent of earth was stronger now than it's ever been. It smelt warm &. alive &. like when he would bury his face into the crook of her neck, cradled in the embrace of her waterfall of hair. He heard something flutter, &. as he flinched away the sun was briefly blacked out by a form passing by the window.

His father was an inquisitive man, as was his grandfather before him. Their work was the questions ‘why’, &. the eyepatch he bore now was the punishment for their asking. Darcia walked to the window.

He slowly reached out a hand - hesitated for but a moment - &. pushed open the shutters.

What he witnessed froze him to the windowsill.

A blinding flash of sunlight gave way to a vibrant, fablesque landscape not quite unlike his grandfather’s writings. Warm wind combed his hair, filling his lungs with clean air that tasted of young wood &. detritus rather than ice & smog. He practically gagged on it; the sight stealing his breath as much as giving it. The crimson-golden sun was enshrined by pale pink clouds, &. he watched the tiny forms of what he realized to be animals fly in its light. Mighty, ribbed mountain peaks reached up from either side of the horizon, vying for the sun’s attention. Even from here, he could see glorious, prospering cities carved into their ridges. 

They cradled deserts &. shores &. forests &. even many more towns between them. Darcia felt the press of the windowsill against his stomach, urging him against leaning out too far. But he was straining to listen - he could swear that on the breeze he could hear songs. Melodic whistling, unconcerned with rhythm but composed of patterns that made him recall a book on long-dead birds. The rustling hiss of leaves, crashing against each-other to form a rolling percussion to the melody. &. he swore - he just swore he could make out voices; hundreds of them. He could not make out what they were saying, only that he was certain they were happy. 

&. the trees - oh, the trees! Even from up here did their boughs look as if they might break beneath the weight of their verdure. How long, he wondered? How many summers had passed wherein not a single blade of grass grew in his garden? Here, a minute was more than enough to make recollections of home feel more akin to the remnants of bad dreams than memories.

Why the emperor wished him to look away, he couldn’t fathom. It was such a beautiful view. 

It was so alive.

-- A child’s laughter was what, at last, broke the spell of awe cast upon him.

&. it struck him then, how peculiar that was - he hadn’t seen any children wandering these gilded halls. None but the emperor’s ward, &. it certainly couldn’t’ve been him. They’d spoken little, yet he couldn’t for the life of him imagine the boy so much as daring to disobey his uncle. Another nephew, then? Perhaps a son of his own? The emperor hadn’t suggested a wife or heir when he’d inquired about the young attendant (Hunter was his name, he remembers.), but then again the Lord Darcia’s companion seemed a dedicated man; more interested in the work to be done than entertaining curiosities regarding lineage. 

For that, he was grateful.

Yet it left him now in a precarious position. Unprepared &. stupefied; for children seldom sought the wolf king as a playmate. Fewer men dared to have heirs these days, &. those that did warned their young of his wickedness well before they grew old enough to want to approach him. Hunter had curried his favor by refusing to shy away, if only by nervously sticking to his uncle’s side &. minding to not look the lord Darcia in the eye. That suited him fine. It was enough for him to grow fond of the boy. He wished he’d talk more. 

Perhaps he’d have known what the laughter was for. 

Alas, the wolf king was left to puzzle this conundrum himself. His eye darted about, searching for a source, yet no child revealed themselves. There was only him, his shadow, &. the sun. 

A game, then? 

Before him, shrouded in the darkness of his silhouette, was a step-stool. A simple piece of furniture; a dark, scarlet-tinged wood carved into four legs bearing leaf-like designs. Its soft cotton cushion was lined in expensive white silks &. intricate gold-thread patterning. Even in his shadow, it sparkled. Fitting for the emperor.

At some point, he’d crossed the hallway. He found himself looming over the curious seat, quietly staring it down as echoes of laughter reverberated in his ears. Leaning down, his leather gloves crackled as he grabbed it slowly - firmly - by the sides, &. with all the stiff formality of a man of his class, so out of his depth, he lifted the stool up &. held it above him.

Bathed in golden sun, the lord Darcia - third of his name, king of a crumbling tower in the middle of the sea, overseeing a dying land in a dead world - stood, awkwardly holding a step-stool.

Leather crinkled as he - unnecessarily so, as if making a show - leaned to the side, trying to get a better look of the space beneath where the stool once was. He was awarded nothing but the sound of distant bird-song. 

The stool was put back in place with utmost care, minding to not make noise as he kept his ear piqued for any response.

[luvariadrawing-blog]

🇬🇧: hey, we're going back to jujutsu kaisen with a snow fight between students (part 2 is coming later). You can see my oc Midori there accompanied by Yuji and Toge, as a Bonus you can see Midori with her best friend lila oc de gasaiwendy , as well as a little sketch of Gojo throwing Midori in a pile of snow.

🇨🇵: hey, on retourne sur du jujutsu kaisen avec une batailles de neige entre élèves (la partie 2 arrive plus tards). ont retrouve mon oc Midori accompagné de Yuji et Toge, en Bonus on peux y voir Midori avec sa meilleure amie lila oc de gasaiwendy , ainsi qu'un petit sketch de Gojo qui jete Midori dans un tas de neige.

[2n2n]

ch99 LETS GO WOO--!!! this ruled I love it here at the aidairo!! Man I feel like I have such pretty tame expectations of things often as I don't expect 100% of a work to be to my taste and interests, but I get blown out of the water every single twist and turn.... HOO HOO HOO HOO *running around in a circle*

couldn't be off to a better start.. I feel like Aida loves to draw these first person PoV Tsukasa is leaning down to talk to you direct eye contact panels... and I luv to see them (: babygirllll

Ah... a lovely, shining example of Tsukasa's ability to peer through people... he struggles always, to understand when, and why, people don't act upon their honest desires. Why not do something, if you want to do it? Why not stop doing something, if you hate it?

He looks so strikingly like Amane here, it's incredible. A rare Tsukasa with semi-lidded eyes, a more shadowed expression, so his pupils are cast in the amount of shadow we see in Amane's (at least, thats what I see it as!)... situationally the Yugi's eyes resemble one another's purely due to lighting conditions, since their eyes only look different 'cuz of how they hold their gazes on things... Tsukasa's natural wide stare... I just love when we get to see him pulled closer to Amane's sortof glance...

Cutting to the point... ugh. LOVE it. Love Tsukasa's interest in intentions and emotions. The truth of you... LOVE IT. Love Mitsuba really looking so crazy... love him being RIGHT!!! You just HATE that you crave it and it's so delicious to you.... mmmm. Ah its a perfect Tsukasa situation ♥

anyway, I LOVE this setting, what an absolutely scary and atmospheric space to be in, the goddamn tech and sump and whatall backend of the aquarium.... pipes and tubs and gauges and tubs. Really claustrophobic and perfectly 'trapped'. Feels so yabai. yabai yabai. Perfect little box they're sunken into....

sorry, incredibly funny mitsuba oogie boogies into a pile of bugs. Extremely laughed out loud.

love this irrational moment of jealousy lol. Why can't you just be grateful someone out there kept Mitsuba together </3 stupid caveman.... </3

a perfect reveal... couldn't be a more 'oh... oh, gosh' moment... as this all is, it felt like, "how incredibly crazy to go TO the Minamoto household-- if Teru had bolted out the house and not Kou, Mitsuba would simply be kerplooded...." how miserable that Mitsuba aimed for that outcome. Was relying on it. What an interesting feeling, to see Kou, instead, and have to shift gears... the monumental suicidal vibes of the outings... and frankly I love Mitsuba's impatience and fussiness in light of that... it reminds me of suicidal Rasphard Ambrose from AidaIro's old VN ahaha, telling the tsundere neige "comfort me better." lol. Good on you Mitsuba.. you need to boss and bully Kou right now, it is your right...

could not be a more perfect situation to test Kou. agog at how artfully wonderful. Hey bitch who wants to be an exorcist soooo bad, I'll give you something to exorcise..... ooo how about you think about your dang profession critically for a moment!

I love the 'beat' where Mitsuba tries to read, judge, very carefully, Kou's response. He doesn't trust him to really understand this request. He's not willing to endure humiliation about this! None of Kou's idiocy. Either willing to 'help' or not.

Freakin' reminds me of Rasphard too, with the 'joking' after saying things that belie the real intent, deflecting fast...!

Kou's response... wuh, lol.

SO funny that Kou is experiencing this epiphany selfishly, processing it almost as a kind of rejection! You lied to me </3 Extremely AidaIro actually.... (well, again reminds me of how Estelio in Narisokonai Snow White takes his twin brother's suicide as a kind of abandonment/rejection of him... and I have a theory that Amane and Tsukasa, and the shinjuu, also may tie into an emotion like that-- that perhaps Tsukasa attempted to kill himself to alter fate, but Amane perceived it as Tsukasa 'leaving' him, and killed them both to stay together....). Its funny that Kou was so fussy and shitty the whole time, but, he's mad to learn you had an ulterior motive and weren't engaged in the same earnest way. The sweetness of the day's been overwritten by this hidden agenda. He feels betrayed-- but it's not really the time for that, now is it? It's not a very sweet reaction to Mitsuba's confession of being self-destructive.

I really didn't know it mattered so much to Kou that it be an authentic experience, and that this taints it. Really funny its his priority, emotionally, here ... it's genuinely interesting though. He's a very childish/immature person, so this being his reaction fits well.

detour, Mitsuba looks really nice with his hair unpinned and disheveled! My favorite look for him thus far. Nice and raggedy... I don't really like his groomed up look, this messy one's much better....

he handles all conflicts with screaming, bullying and bullrushing </3 as expected of Kou.... but I like how awful this all is

really freaking visceral! fighting fuckin hard! Lol, 'I said no!" ... love the claustrophobic setting coming home to roost. Mitsuba's wobbling, haggard, weak, amputated form up against Kou's real wild gorilla tactics. It's so dreadful lol! Grabbing him by the god damn ankle! Slamming him to the ground!

we here at the Aidairo love to make panels that look like this lol.... you know all I'm thinking about is that shinjuu and how lit its gonna be!! feel like this sorta stuff is 1/10th of what the shinjuu will be....

like a caveman. blunt brute strength, force, aggression... it makes Tsukasa feel graceful and friendly.

insulting his very reasons for being ~suicidal.... you suck sooo bad Kou! Screaming and throttling and berating for being stupid, 'so what'ing his reasons for feeling dehumanized and self-hating, HOO you wonder why Mitsuba tells you nothing? Its just like in Picture Perfect... just hollaring like an ape defensively. But this time it's so incredibly horrible it's more interesting than ever. So obliquely a defensive emotion, brought on by insecurity (you don't rely on me), jealousy (you rely on Tsukasa, you talk to Tsukasa), betrayal (you intentionally mislead me). Taking out his anger and frustration on Mitsuba! Its a panic response, but it speaks to Kou's handle on his impulses.

absolutely incredibly reveal ♥ VORE MANGA VORE MANGA VORE MANGA!!!!!!!! GET BIT, KOU!!!

What a PERFECT thing to saddle Kou with-- a kaii that is his friend, that is DANGEROUS. That is a DANGER TO HUMAN BEINGS. Its time to learn some sympathy for complicated beings and situations, the very sorts of things your job exists to exterminate!! But it's also crazy human-centric, that Kou just can't understand the problem up until here. As if killing/eating kaii is no problem and easy-- like, geez, Kou, eating live bugs or mice or something would be ENOUGH to make someone horrified and feel like a monster, plucking apart bloody bodies and digging through viscera in excess would make most people mindbroken after long enough! Never mind the sheer amount and the inhuman sensations of desire and need for it going on here, the deep satisfaction and the grotesque nature feeling like its destroying Mitsuba's entire self-image.

WELL, ANYWAY, KOU BEING AN INCONSIDERATE ASSHOLE ASIDE, what a wonderful moment. I find it funny that Kou really needs his own personal little buddy kaii to learn any kind of sympathy for the struggles of being something 'dangerous'. The Minamoto family take it upon themselves to determine 'dangerous' and exterminate it. It's effectively like the friend of a cop revealing they hold criminal intent, lol.... time to see how much destructive possibility YOU will tolerate, how about ;) Nene-chan will put up with quite a lot ♥ is it so simple to determine when someone's 'too far gone' ♥? Mitsuba is trying to tell you he is.... ♥ he's scared of himself.... ahhh its so delicious ♥ decadent situation to put Kou into. We need to put the Minamoto dogma thru tests! YOSH

jealous that Tsukasa gets access to what he doesn't </3 extremely funny of Kou, and EXACTLY what I wanted to see revealed. All his spite and aggression towards Tsukasa has layers! Ugh, so petty it's funny and delicious. Hoo hoo hoo!

boohoo </3 you think I'm weak </3 you trust Tsukasa more than me </3 you run to him in danger </3 or maybe its that Tsukasa chases down Mitsuba, has knowledge of what he needs, is willing to do a fat lot of work to assist him, explain things gently and calmly and honestly, while all you ever do is forget he exists, until he shows up in front of you :)? Why wasn't he your first priority after the severence? You want Mitsuba to do all the legwork? You distractible oaf....

after all that though, I'm glad Kou WASN'T rewarded for the screaming beast tactics! I'm glad that shit got him bitten!! I'm glad that CRYING and whining gets him much farther! I swear to GOD, Mitsuba isn't even so sure you LIKE him! He's really receptive to this...!! But, really, who is ever crying to Mitsuba? Tsukasa, Natsuhiko, Sakura, Nene, Hanako? Who is begging him for attention, who is crying for him? Nobody....! Mitsuba is always sinking fast into a 'victim' schtick and crying and whining, desperate for attention himself... seeing this, its like-- ah!-- it would be so ideal if someone else could be more pathetic than him....

after all that fuss, I love this for Kou's delayed, final 'crash' response.... his immediate response to it all is just a frenzied high of anger/aggression/violence... I like that finally voicing the root insecurity/inferiority complex (all Kou is composed of....) and upset that Mitsuba relies on Tsukasa (how does it feel to always hear that name from his mouth, time and time again, after a crisis like the Picture Perfect, Severance?), instantly renders him so inert. I like the pathetic crossed legs here lol.

boy. and I think Hanako is childish with his feelings about Nene-chan. If Hanako is a true blue 13-year-old-boy in his emotional expression and fussiness, Kou is like a freaking 5 year old. Sheesh. He really. Has the lowest maturity. This is the rawest, most vulnerable Kou we've seen!!! He's REALLY been coddled and never challenged for his life! His brother REALLY sheltered him but GOOD. Kou's an absolute mess! It's interesting the extent of it. I mean I'm always here to tell you Kou is The Dumbest One Here, but, awoof. Well I'm satisfied by it all. Its best when things are so extreme (: He makes Mitsuba feel so worldly and respectable lol.... Kou, you kid.... child.. big baby.

I'm glad Mitsuba can see past the defensive stuff easily at this point... Kou really can't let it go.

I've never really known how the Mitsuba and Kou dynamic could go anywhere-- two tsundere really don't make a match to me, and in every interaction, in the past, they really felt at a standstill with one another's stubbornness, and compulsive rudeness. Both of them don't express vulnerability in a productive way. They both leap to insults and yelling. It often feels like no headway occurs. But I like to see Mitsuba have to interact with someone emotionally wrought over him, even jealous and feeling robbed of a moment/opportunities of closeness. It's really what Mitsuba needs... he needs to see he has an effect on anybody, it's his entire complex. Seeing it all laid out like this, I can see how a guy with an inferiority complex (Kou) and a guy with an attention deficit (Mitsuba) could be interesting and ultimately feed one another, if ONE of them could just take the hit of being vulnerable first. Mitsuba's just so massively socially neglected and feels insignificant. Kou feels insignificant, too. Mitsuba feels nobody seeks him out, or wants him, while Kou also feels nobody seeks him out as someone to rely on. It's pretty fascinating to have one person have such a wealth of attention/coddling, but no sense of value despite it (Kou), and another person with a dearth of attention, with no sense of value due to it (Mitsuba).

I mean, in defense of Kou, Teru has been lying to him so profusely for his entire life, he may as well not know him at all. It's not a meaningfully intimate relationship, despite being his most dominant presense in his mind. It's majorly built on performances and facades on Teru's part, and then Kou meets Teru's undercurrent of pain and suffering with an utter 0 perception stat. Rather than being trusted with being an exorcist, Kou really oughta beg for Teru to trust him with his trauma and the weight of it ... I think Teru tried to in that conversation and, maybe he will continue to. I think Teru realizes how badly he's set up his and Kou's relationship to fail... fail brocon

ahhhhhh all really exciting stuff. I really prefer a Kou chapter like this to the sword-fightan shounen-hero-catchphrase-spoutan ones (: his extremely stunted emotions are an intrigue. Such a busted little idiot. And, I really like how Mitsuba took the first shot with being vulnerable. Proud of him. It's a bit sad Kou met it with a sense of rejection, because it's so beautiful Mitsuba would try to trust Kou point blank with euhrrrr euthanizing him. That really is, in Mitsuba's mind, in this state, begging Kou to help him. It's trusting Kou with his entire existence. It's hoping Kou will be able to understand his pain. Kou,, doesn't,,,, emphatically so, but at least he got somewhere by the end of it all :B and you know. He shouldn't give up yada yada.

Wonder if we'll pop over to a B plot or stick here....