#not as much for the disowned knight

[sailing-through-hawkins]

hi hi hi for the WIP Wednesday ask game: Eddie Gets Isekai'd! :D Purely because I love that file name lmao

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS AU OKAY CONTEXT instead of dying in the upside down, eddie runs from the bats and through another portal but instead of landing in hawkins, he's in a whole other reality! one straight out of dnd, a classic western fantasy setting with magic and elves and their own versions of vecna and demo-monsters! when eddie lands in this reality, he finds Stefan Harrington and Ed Mundrason - stefan is fascinated by eddie and agrees to help him home, even if ed is reluctant and glares at him the whole way

Ignore the sting, keep walking. He wanted to take a stroll anyways.

It's not actually a lie, Stefan inhales as he slows his pace.

Walking under the moonlight was never a luxury, not the way Jane believed it to be, not for Stefan. It is more of a comfort than anything.

To listen for wildlife, smell the oak and dirt that surrounds him, to shiver at the touch of the breeze dancing past him.

He is no wordsmith, not like Nancy or Ed, but if he could, he would write something about the peace that comes with a quiet night. Something about the way it makes him feel healed, differently to how the sun makes him feel alive, breathing and living after years of fighting the dark.

Fighting with Ed is usually so easy, so light. They fight over food, over Dustin, over who gets to ride the single horse left in the stables. But this is -

"Fuck, fuck, fuck -"

Stefan whirls towards the yelling, reaching out for his mace that - that he left at the inn, damn it!

"Please don't follow me, god, fuck, oh my god -"

Snapping the branch off a tree is going to have to be his move, he needs something weighty enough to hit hard. The sound echoes and Stefan startles when the voice starts getting louder, as if in response.

"I said don't follow me, fucking hell, god why did it have to be bats!" The voice is near and Stefan quietly tightens the straps of his gauntlet. Leather is more effective against bane bites than people expect. He waits behind the tree, listening to the high-pitched screeches of wingbanes that follow after the voice. That's one, two, three wingbanes. "Why couldn't it be demo-worms or something!"

A figure rushes past and Stefan registers a head of curls and black leather before he hears the screeches one more time and spins around the tree, catching one wingbane by the throat and slamming it into the ground.

The screeches rise in pitch and he knows the other two are just behind him, so he plunges the branch into the body of the monster and twists until the cries die out, raising his arm to slam against an incoming wingbane that tries chewing through his gauntlet. He grits his teeth and pulls the branch out of the black blood, swinging it into the other wingbane that tries to reach his legs.

With a roar, Stefan throws the monster on his arm to the ground, slamming his foot on its squishy body and stabbing the branch through its mouth, black ooze bubbling from the wound.

"Holy shit."

Stefan turns but has to dodge the final wingbane that wraps its tail around his arm.

Poor thing.

With a grin, Stefan pulls the monster in by the tail and slams it into the ground right next to its brethren, shoving the blackened branch into its body with a sickening crack. The cries of the beasts die out as the clouds that obscured the moon pass by. He tilts his head, still panting heavily, as he notices the blue tinge to their skin, the absurdly shorter body and longer tail-span.

These are a different breed of wingbanes.

That does not bode well.

"S-Steve? Is that you, man?"

Stefan blinks. Right, of course, they were chasing after somebody. He turns around and inhales sharply when the moonlight casts over a man, sitting on the ground and leaning against a tree with hunched shoulders. His curly hair is covered by a piece of cloth and his clothing is strange, unusually bulky, tight and shiny, but those eyes. Round and dark, even in the sunlight, even in the heat of battle.

"Ed?"

[age-of-moonknight]

“Blood Moon, Blood Brothers,” Phases of the Moon Knight (Vol. 1/2024), #4.

Writer: Tom Waltz; Pencilers and Inkers: Ken Lashley and Brian Level; Colorists: Dono Sanchez-Almara, Erick Arciniega, and Antonio Fabela; Letterer: Cory Petit

[ghostly-wisteria-tea]

Joke/Crack Headcannon

One of the reason MCU Khonshu refuses to officially address 616 Marc or 616 Badr as "sons", is because by the Traditional Ennead law of his universe, he will have to pay what is essentially child support covering their entire lives, allowance, medical/hospital bills, living conditions and funeral.

He calls himself their boss, never father simply to avoid the taxes. Because even a god can't avoid taxes, the Egyptian pantheon is bureaucratic like that.

MCU Khonshu is also broke to the bone AND has a gambling addiction, as well as impulsive buying on food. He can barely pay to take care of himself, keeps getting gigs just to buy food and would occasionally eat from the dumpster. He can't afford to take care of 2 fully grown adults he ended up "inheriting" from his 616 counterparts.

MCU Khonshu also recognizes Steven and Jake as separate people and a package deal with Marc. So, for him, it would be 4 fully grown adults. 3 of which share a body. Steven and Jake have their own lives, so they are to be paid equally with Marc.

I did my research and in a general term, one kid will have to be paid 400 USD a month. So, with 4 "kids" that would be 1,600 USD a month. With interest due to how overdo it is, and the missing birthday gifts for all of them.

[minticecodes]

A (late) piece for dmcweek2024 day 4! I was buzzing to put forward something for the week. Prompt was alt universe.

AU where Eva survived the fire and had to figure out a way forward, believing the twins dead. She becomes an RPG shopkeeper selling wares ranging from antique books to magical goods (Devil May Scry). She's also out for Mundus' blood.

Image descriptions are the same as in alt.

[ID: 7 Digital illustrations and sketches. 1: Coloured illustration of a bookshop at sunset. Eva, a pale blonde middle aged woman mans the bright patterned counter. She wears a turtleneck and red shawl, has shoulder length hair, and diagonal facial burn scar and scarring on her left hand. Light rays illuminate her gently smiling face. Besides packed books, on the shelves are potion bottles, statuettes, succulents, and a displayed katana. Roses and plants decorate the shop. On the counter are a thick hardback, bookscanner, and crystal ball. Cards are displayed inside the counter. On the wall hangs a price sign, featuring doodled vital stars (large star drawn with sunglasses), holy water and fortunes. Beneath it is a rose wreathed divinity statue display, with 2 red orb offerings in a dish. 2: Eva from behind, sitting hunched alone at a table where a birthday cake sits untouched. It's a two flavour cake. By her clenched hand are crumpled tissues. Caption: 'Vergil...Dante...happy birthday...' 3: Eva bracing the Devil Sword Sparda across her shoulders, aimed at the ground. She wears a bell sleeved, ruffled funeral/wedding dress with a slit for leg movement. A veil trails behind her like a ribbon. Close ups of her show the headpiece design; a pacifier made of a long bird skill, feather, rose, and four skeletal 'legs'. 4 & 5: Trish taking on teen Dante's image: a tan teen in black, with chin length white hair, a halter neck tank top, leather pants, kneelength boots and black polish. Her leather jacket collar resembles lightning bolts. She leans against an invisible wall, one leg bent to brace her foot against it. She looks askance with arched brows, lifting shades from her face. The 2nd image is a 3/4 profile with shades perched on her forehead and popped collar. 6: Helmetless portraits of Dante and Vergil in armour, expressionless. Dante's hair is shoulder length and falls across his face. 7: Full body of 2 somewhat lanky demonic knights. One (Nelo Angelo) in black and blue with droopy horns rests his palms atop his blue broadsword's pommel, the sword upright against the ground. He stands straight, staring ahead. The other in white and red and curled horns has a palm clapped on Nelo Angelo's shoulder, other hand at his hips. Somehow the eyes on his helmet express playfulness. At his back is the hilt to a flail, the spiked ball resting on the ground by his armoured heels. They're labelled '~16' . End ID.]

Read more for some wordy backstory and sketches. TW for mentions of torture, abuse and solitary confinement surrounding the twins.

I had...so many more ideas that I'm leaving out to keep this short. It's fun to think how she'd mesh with the cast.

Like! her and Lady. Mother that lost her kid and kid that lost her mother. It writes itself how much unwitting projection can go wrong. And pretty much everything about her, the twins, and Trish :)

In terms of backstory:

After the fire she's alone. Her birth family disowned her long ago. She thinks about revamping the mansion but the idea of staying in that empty space with only memories for company is too much. So she eventually opens a small store.

Starts off paranoid and distant. Still is distant but gets entangled with the local community overtime. Greets people by name and they'll chat about how life has been going. This includes demon hunters and demons and supernatural beings living peacefully; her shop becomes a small safe haven to exchange information to stay safe.

Gets very good at forging protective charms. Haunted by the memory of the enchanted closet, smashed in and empty.

A regular is a schoolgirl who originally came to pick up reserved books for her father but stuck around because hey, this place is quiet and interesting, and the owner serves stellar teacakes. Great place to study. To Mary, Eva's kind, though odd, secretive and a little lonely.

I got inspired by Eva's association with the bangle/bracelet of time and the amulets for her fighting style. It's based around item crafting, like an RPG character slapping on every stat boosting item.

She stitches together different outfits for different needs Cardcaptor style. They're all exceedingly dramatic. It's not clear here but I wanted a bird motif to eventually come through. Phoenix motif, really.

[ID: Rough sketches: A magician esque outfit with vest, feathered tophat and cape. A longcoat with long skirt and long scarf at her back like a cape. The cape is tagged with 'spells stitched into fabric'. Close ups on the coat lapel show two pins (strawberry and wing), labelled 'charm lapel pins.' Close up of the shoes show sharp heals and ankle bracelets. Eva leaping in a black bodysuit and leotard, with feathery collar, quill behind her ear, and ballet shoes with a claw at the heel. Eva making a triangular 2 hand sign in a hooded cloak and longskirt. Around her shoulders are claws. At her hips is an hourglass. Above her heeded head is a clocklike halo. Beside her is a sketch of a woman with a lionhead mask. A funeral and wedding dress inspired outfit. Eva crouches, wielding the Devil Sword Sparda in scythe form. Her face is covered by a tattered veil. She wears a knee length ruffled dress, black gloves, and a long, ruffled cape. Close up of her left hand shows a ring and finger claws Rough comic. Chibi lady talks to chibi Eva. Lady holds up a black body suit with billowing sleeves and a cleavage window. Lady: "Eva what is this" Eva (smiling cheerfully): "Oh - that old thing!" Eva: "My old hunting outfit. Gosh I'd almost forgotten about it. Not the most comfortable thing - so skin tight..." However Lady fixates on 'my old hunting outfit'. The words go in one ear and come out as a younger Eva in a catsuit, pointing a gun with a serious expression, wind blowing through her hair. Lady stares into the distance, bewildered, and slightly blushing. End ID]

Meanwhile the twins are having a terrible time but they have each other, even if they don't remember they're brothers. I think it'd be sweet if they have a bond anyway. Everyone else thinks they're rivals at best.

(Nelo is Mundus' favourite to toy with as the proud, eldest son. But when he gets rough, Bianco butts in and acts up for Mundus' attention. This gets him sent to solitary confinement; Mundus figured out Bianco hates small spaces and designed an iron maiden for him. Others think Bianco is a brute who acts out for a fight. But that's ok. It means Bianco can keep buying Nelo time.) (When lucid, Nelo despises his own weakness when this happens.)

[ID: 2 Images. Nelo and Bianco Angelo in fisticuffs in a cartoony dustcloud, glaring at each other as they fight. They're captioned 'Mundus' most competent generals'. Additional text: 'silent, obedient, crushing force when apart. Perfect soldiers. ... until they're put together. Complement each other's battle style OR clash terribly. Nelo Angelo staring off, arms crossed and furrowed eyes somehow expressing being completely fed up. Behind him, Bianco and Griffin talk at each other. Griffin's glaring. Bianco has a hand up to gesture. End ID]

[pigeonpeach]

Arranged marriage

Aka yanderes who manipulated circumstances to make you theirs

Character: Jean, Diluc, Pantalone

Cw: murder

Jean Gunnhildr, the Acting Grand Master. Jean Gunnhilr, the dandelion knight, Jean Gunnhildr, a murderer and your future spouse. You do not hate her, it is hard to do so. She is thoughtful and sweet, a friend of yours as you two were both upper-class daughters of traditional nutjobs whose traditions remain rigid. But Jean’s mother was better than yours.

Your mother had been eager to marry you off, your family owned a variety of homes and apartment complexes in Mondstadt, there isn't much skill to learn when it comes to managing properties; Just mark the list of who’s paid, send someone to collect payment or to pester the tenants. You were the only child, so there were no issues with who this would go to. You were well-liked and generally regarded as a beautiful and sweet woman. What did you do to attract the attention of some old and ragged man from Fontaine then? You had no clue why anyone didn’t see a 50+-year-old man who had 3 brides fall ill or die suddenly wasn’t suspicious for seeking another young bride with properties. Jean did however, she’s the one who told you so of the investigation she privately conducted. The second she heard of him she hated him, you hadn’t even mentioned his age when she scowled. The words “arranged marriage” seemed to already irritate her. But your family threatened to disown you if you rejected it, what would you do then?

Murder that's what. Jean swore to you she’d get you out of this situation. It felt cliche almost, the childhood friend saving the damsel from the marriage to a grumpy old man. You expected her to talk to your parents or dissuade them in some way. She had the evidence to do so, yet she chose murder. Your suitor was slain mysteriously while on a walk outside of Mondstadt. The knight concluded it was treasure hoarders, his fancy and expensive attires were stolen. But you knew from the look in Jean’s eyes that she had some part in it. She refused to tell you how it happened outside the version everyone in Mondstadt knows, but you know better. She quickly offered to marry you instead. Your parents seemed complacent now. You never knew quite what she did but you hadn’t expected it to unfold like this. She did a good job framing it as well, investigators from Fontaine came and came to the same conclusion. An eye would be kept on pawn shops or second-hand stores.

But maybe it isn’t so bad? You are married to your best friend and Jean is nothing but a devoted and perfect wife. She is loyal to you, kind to you, protective of you, and deeply in love with you. You don’t mind, she is a good wife and you have no reason to complain. You just wish she didn’t act like you couldn’t tell she had done it. Other than that, you are sticking by her side closely, to keep her hands clean of any new blood.

You didn’t know Diluc Ragvindr that well prior. You were set to marry someone else, not the worst situation. Your suitor was a decent man, you could see yourself living a quiet life with him. You weren’t infatuated or attached to him but you accepted him as your future husband. Until he just died one day. A mysterious death, possibly from an assassin? In his absence, Diluc emerged from seemingly nowhere to offer his hand to you. You weren’t skeptical then, you had met him at balls and events when you were kids. He caused mischief and you found that charming then. Nowadays he’s completely different, however, a well-put-together gentleman who was admired and almost worshiped in Mondstadt. You were a bit worried about his safety but he assured you he’d be fine. And he was, he promised you’d live a quiet and peaceful life. He was a bit off-putting for a husband, however. He seemed both reserved but also eager for your affection. You were happy to marry a wealthier man yes but also concerned about what happened to your previous suitor.

As a husband, Diluc is a very good one. You are comfortable and at ease with him yes. He is also an affectionate husband, a passionate love that had been hidden underneath a stoic mask. You were pleased, reciprocal with his advances, and even eager at times. You couldn’t help it, he’s a handsome and well-built man after all. You were happy.

While looking for a pen in his office you noticed a pin that unmistakably was from your deceased suitor. You could’ve turned him in sure but… you didn’t want to ruin things now. Your suitor wasn’t nearly as influential compared to Diluc, not as passionate or fiery as him. Diluc was extremely loyal to you. He’s known in Mondstadt for being a devoted husband, proudly displaying his ring at any hint of advances from some lowkey home wrecker. You had no say in either arrangement, but with him, you do now. Your family cannot push you around for you now belong to his clan and not theirs. He will not entertain any disrespect to you at all. You have more agency than you were used to here. Adelinde is fine with skipping corsets or preparing dishes that are more delicious than healthy. You love your new life here.. So what if you don’t tell the family the truth? Would you be divorced then? Returned to your more mundane life as just a bachelorette?

Maybe you’re guilty of knowingly hugging and kissing the man who murdered someone, but maybe that's also rather endearing. Every lady dreams of a devoted man like this… so what if he’s a murderer?

Pantalone was no less terrifying than being tossed off a cliff. You were shy, hardly outgoing. At parties, you clung to the wall and only chatted with friends. You found any excuse to hide yourself or dismiss yourself despite the dismay of your parents. You just HATE having so many eyes on you. You still do.

How you attract an actual harbinger is beyond you. But you had passed your parent’s office when you heard him talking to them. You didn’t know it was him then, you thought they had simply ticked off a business partner. Never had your father sounded so obedient or fearful to you. You didn’t stick around then.

Suddenly the arrangement had been tossed onto you with little preparation otherwise. You weren’t happy, you asked more questions than your parents liked. To your surprise they didn’t seem angry, for the first time, rather than yelling at you to obey, your father looked you in the eye and with a calm voice told you to go along with it. Fear in his eyes, and a stutter. Nothing like the man you had come to know. You just shut up after that. Nodding or shaking your head during the preparations. What was worse to you was probably that you didn’t even get to see Pantalone for a while. Your maids just told you he was handsome. When you met him for the first time, you felt like you were about to die. He seemed amused with your nervous nature and awkwardness. You wondered if you were a human marrying a human or a mouse handed to a cat. He delighted in hearing you stammer and shiver. He was bold as well, often he had at least a hand on you, your shoulder or waist were his preferences. He enjoyed your fear and obedience.

Your best days as his wife were in his absence. You had gotten used to him, yes, but he seemed delighted in how you were so nervous. His favorite thing to do was have you sit on his lap and then focus on his work. You were timid so this was quite nerve-wracking. Especially because you weren’t sure what to expect, what did he want you to do? But once you got used to just doing nothing and became more comfortable, he’d suddenly start to nibble at your neck. He always chuckled at your reactions.

He was a loving husband though, just maybe not the normal kind. He seemed obsessed with you at times, his hands mapping your body as though it were some sculpture. He was possessive, if you seemed to grow too fond of employees or guards, they’d be switched or ‘disposed of’. Your only company and ‘friend’ would be him. The mansion acts as a prison, and he is your only visitor and cellmate. You would prefer the cliff to his hand

[inkyarcturus]

give me all your headcanons for snape nEOOOOWWW (pretty please 🤎)

Okay so I think I’m going to break this down into chunks because I have a LOT of thoughts so here’s the first chunk :D

TW: for child abuse?

PRE HOGWARTS:

it’s pretty much canon that Sev came from an abusive home with an alcoholic muggle father and a pure blood mother.

Personally, I believe that his mother Eileen Prince was disowned by her family upon marrying Tobias. Although at first they were a happy couple, Eileen becomes pregnant with Severus and reveals to Tobias that she is a witch. Tobias, coming from an era where witchcraft is demonized and realizing the drain that a child has on his finances, becomes abusive.

Eileen tries her best to keep the abuse from Severus as much as possible, leading to her stopping herself from using magic as she believes that would just anger Tobias even more.

Severus is absolutely a mamas boy as a child and you can pry that headcanon out of my cold dead hands. He would do anything for his mama, growing up hearing stories about Hogwarts, magic and the legacy of the Princes, it was all he had to stay sane. Whenever Tobias was out of the house for extended periods of time, Eileen would brew with Severus as well, usually healing potions.

He would often be seen wearing his mother’s clothes because of the families lack of funds but also just because it was a way to connect with her.

The first time Severus uses accidental magic was to help his mom avoid Tobias, blasting him unconscious. It’s a mess of emotions for the rest of the night. Eileen is panicking, worrying about her husband’s health and her own but also trying to celebrate Severus’ magic so he knows magic isn’t bad (pure bloods are aware of obscurials). Severus is in tears worrying about his mother’s injuries, unable to understand the situation. Eileen calms him down enough to get him to agree to never tell Tobias about this incident.It happens again more times afterwards.

Severus is sensitive as a child, always crying despite his father’s anger towards his tears. He becomes agitated with himself, being unable to control himself. His father’s words haunt him every time he cries.

He goes years without any friends, not going to school because of his magical status, but still being allowed to go out to play and escape his fathers grasp.

The kids usually don’t like him cause of his poor hygiene, odd clothing and even stranger words. He’s rather intelligent for his age, but being raised in an abusive household has only taught him vulnerability is weakness and everything is a threat.

When he meets Lily he learns how to let go of his shields. He’s made his first magical friend, someone who doesn’t mind his clothing, or hair, or overall oddness.

He goes over to the Evan’s family house at least once a week. Lily’s parents constantly fuss over him, asking if he’s alright or need food or clothing. He constantly denies it because he doesn’t want to burden them, or have them look too closely at his home life

Eileen is so grateful her son has a friend she is brought to tears wherever she hears Sev talk about Lily (which he does, a lot). Whenever she knows Tobias will be out of the house she’ll ask Sev to bring Lily over so all three of them can make potions together.

Petunia is less receptive of him, constantly starting arguments with Lily over why she even talks to him, but generally leaves them alone to stay in her room.

Sev was always quiet as a child, he would play silently whenever on his own, keeping his thoughts within his imagination. His preferred method of play, pre-Lily, was organizing objects. He would organize them by color, shape, name, then mix them back up and start again.

With Lily he would let his imagination run wild, playing the part of dragon, knight, prince and spy, usually acting as a helper to Lily. They call each other sun and moon. He sees himself as a reflection of Lily’s light. His self esteem will only get lower as the years progress.

Occasionally, Lily would get extra allowance (Lily’s parents purposefully gave for Sev) and they would go to a corner store to buy sweets. I imagine he has a pallet for less overwhelming sweets, like matcha flavoring, but as he grows older he convinces other people he likes bitter sweets the most. I think he has an appreciation for berries the most.

Hope you appreciate these :D think took almost an hour to write and I keep on wanting to add more but this is honestly already too long :,)

Side note I just realized I can’t do multiple posts on one ask? So if you want the second chunk can you please send another ask :,D

[sylviaknightingale]

This took me about all month, though it was sporadic bursts of work and then radio silence, but still.

incase the character card didn’t come in well:

Born: September 15th, 1901.

St. Louis, Missouri.

Sylvia, the devoted nurse turned Smuggler after the wealthy Knight family disowned her and her career went south, is a cool, collected and graceful woman, she has a past as clouded in torment and adversity as the cigar smoke that clings to the ceiling of her Boss’s office, despite this, her confidence is unwavering, and her determination to see an order or operation to a successful end, with just as much desire to insure the well being of her coworkers, is infinite, no matter how….annoying some of them may be….

She worked her way up the ladder and managed to get the attention of the Marigold, and being the opportunist she is, she knew there was no other way up, but through a established and powerful outfit, and now she applies the same meticulous techniques and enigmatic approach as a Marigold Operative as she had in her life as a smuggler, her strategic mind and attention to fine details leading Asa Sweet to pair her up with Mordecai Heller,-Though, the feminine touch and endless reminders of how bad smoking is, is a bonus no one asked for- leading to a successful partnership, even if she wasn’t fond of the idea at first….

I’ll be posting her character card too, which has all this information on it also.

I‘ve been thinking about her none stop honestly, and I want to make a much more detailed sheet one day, but this will have to do, especially since I will have her on ArtFight this year💕

[sufferu]

A major problem I see with your dogshow and your back to zero stories is the fact that there appears to be no end to the tunnel of despair.

specifically I am talking about Subaru’s mental stability and your fascination for removing a central pillar of his mental system.

I see no other outcome for him not to suffer a complete mental collapse like he did in episode fifteen.

for your dogshow fic it is worse because both he and his “friends” saw everything that he went through and should know how much being loved through the position of being a knight is good for him.

even if they are focused on the actual issue of tossing him out to the front lines.

I personally believe that Subaru needs to be a hero/knight or something like a dog or sex toy for Emilia or else he is forced to confront the horrible reality of his friends being assholes who killed him on mere whims.

I don’t think that Subaru can ever recover from another catatonic state. The only reason why he did was because Petelguese had provoked wrath from Subaru and the spirit is no longer alive.

for back to zero it’s has a better chance of Subaru not going catatonic because it is set before the whale and witch cult, so there’s always the possibility of the whale and witch’s cult not acting like they did last time.

of course there is the problem that once they start losing one of the random soldiers would decide to kill Subaru to reset the encounter like he was the cosmic reset button.

thus why I called your story torture porn because despite your claims that it be happier for Subaru eventually, all I see is the angst without a happy ending.

I assume that you are going for a tragedy story where the characters are trying to solve problems but they can’t get past their mistakes.

however I personally believe that re zero is already a tragedy/lovecraftian-psychological horror story and that adding even more to that is needlessly cruel to everyone involved.

I don’t read a lot of tragedy but I assume that there is a through line of action that the characters can take to make everything better but don’t take it for some reason.

for your stories, I don’t see anything like this. All I see is “And things get even worse.”

seriously Subaru basically has no life lines left after Wilhelm removed Subaru from being a knight.

what is stopping him from just giving up on life after basically being disowned by everyone?

…You know what? That is a valuable outside perspective, so thank you.

But I will say: we seem to have VERY different ideas about what would be a “happy ending” in a story like this, because the ending that you just told me is one that I would less describe as “happy” and more as “full of soul-crushing despair.”

Subaru remaining a knight/hero for the rest of his natural life after everyone learns that doing so is basically sentencing him to indescribable torment for the rest of his days, purely because that is the only way he can conceive of being loved by other people — how is that HAPPY? And using it as a distraction in order to run from the realities exposed by Return By Death — how is that healthier than confronting said realities outright? If I WERE to write a tragedy, I’d likely end this story much in the way that you just described: where everything was too much to deal with and so everyone decided to remain in stasis forever while turning a blind eye to the suffering at the core of it all, Ones Who Stay In Omelas style. Tragedies aren’t really my style, though, so I AM writing towards a happy ending — though I’m not spoiling what it is, for No Refunds OR Back to Zero. (Though really, you could probably guess a good chunk of at least the former already.)

But like — without spoilers, yeah, something like this would probably break him. That doesn’t mean he has to STAY broken. Sometimes you have to re-break a bone so that it heals correctly. Sometimes you have to tear down something you worked hard on because there’s a critical fault in the foundations that could destroy everything if left unchecked. Sometimes bandaids need to be ripped off.

And also — yeah, everyone is PISSED at Subaru at the moment (post-ficlet). But who the hell said that they didn’t love him anymore?

[reysdriver]

Stop The World | S.B.

Sirius proposes to take you away at your arranged engagement party to Lucius Malfoy — sirius x fem!pureblood!reader angst

warnings: cheating but the good kind lol, reader is in an unhappy/forced relationship

words: 0.8k

a/n: this is like loosely based on the song Stop The World I Wanna Get Off With You by Arctic Monkeys (go listen its amazing) and I may be doing a part 2 later

You were the only person wearing white in a sea of black or colours only a few shades away. That wasn't the only reason you were uncomfortable. You were surrounded by pureblood maniacs who only cared to be here so they could pester you with questions about having an heir immediately after graduating from Hogwarts.

Your family arranged a wedding between you and Lucius Malfoy, and you couldn't even voice your dismay for fear of being disowned and having nowhere to go. So, because you couldn't do anything else, you took a sip of your drink and tried to drown out the conversations around you. 

"Shall we dance?" Lucius asked you, void of emotion. 

You didn't give him a verbal reply. Instead, you just held out your hand for him to take and walked with him to the area where several other unhappy couples waltzed. 

His hands dropped down to your waist—too possessive for your liking—and you brought your hands up to rest on his shoulders. You danced, barely making eye contact or speaking or doing anything else couples do. 

Interrupting the tension of the dance, you saw Sirius Black walking closer to you and you held back a smile. Your eyes darted to the side so as to continue looking at him, and you concluded that he was, in fact, walking right over to you. 

"Malfoy." Sirius said, getting Lucius' attention. "Mind if I steal (y/n) for a dance?" 

He looked hesitant, but you knew the majority of that was just due to the rivalry between the two young men. 

You tried to get Lucius to leave, making a pointless excuse for him to go away. "Lucius, would you mind getting me another drink? And perhaps you could greet some of our guests on your way."

His mood remained largely unchanged, but he wanted to avoid making a scene over something so small at this party. He let go of you and walked away. You quickly resumed the dance with Sirius, only much more comfortable as you were in the arms of your secret boyfriend. 

"This isn't what you want. You know that." 

"And what is it that I want?" You asked with a cocky head tilt. 

"Me." The word caused you to roll your eyes, even though it was absolutely true. "But not just me. Anything but this, really."

You gazed into his silver eyes, imagining the happy life with him that he had insinuated with those few words. He was right, you wanted to get out of this life, but you felt trapped. It's not easy being a sixteen year-old with your life mapped out for you by wealthy relatives who couldn't care less about your happiness as long as the bloodline was continuing. 

"Well, it's a shame I'm already engaged." You said sadly, and he twirled you in sync with the music. 

He pulled you back into his arms, the two of you were perhaps even closer together than you had been a few moments ago. "But not married." He countered. "And even if you were, I wouldn't care. I would still offer to sweep you away and be with you."

You tried to keep your voice down. If other guests heard you having this conversation, you were sure it would not end well. "Well, my knight in shining armour, how do you plan to rescue me from this tower? I'm sure the dragons would not be pleased to hear I want out."

"You don't have to tell them. I plan on running away and living with the Potters, you should join me. I have my uncle's fortune, and I could buy us somewhere to live and keep us afloat after graduation." 

The proposal scared you more than anything, but it was everything you've ever wanted. You wanted to jump into his arms and have him carry you away that instant, but you saw Lucius coming back with a glass of champagne, and you knew you had to wrap up the conversation. 

"I'll be needing some air in ten minutes. I'll go out to the gardens, meet me there." You said quickly and quietly, then you unwrapped your arms from his shoulders and gave him a polite kiss on the cheek. 

Your betrothed—the official one—handed you the drink, and you took a sip with perfect etiquette. 

"Thank you for the dance, Sirius." You said, both of you holding back your joy from public eyes. 

"Thank you, my dear. This party is lovely, by the way." 

[katyspersonal]

nobody:

Kood: Oh, so, you "like" Messmer? Say the exact amount of strength applied which it took him to impale every single Dancing Lion that he hunted. Name the day he finished reforging his spear for it to become throwable and how many times did he have to throw it. Say the exact timing, down to tens of second, which it took him to cu-

Queelign: I am literally lurking in the cemetery waiting for those graceless Hornsents to visit the graves of their killed ones to ambush and kill them too, Queen Marika would be so proud of me! :D

Wego: Man I wish I had friends, too bad I literally have no one, I am so lonely I'll have to resort to resurrecting dead people :( *spoken literally nearby fellow Knights, including his literal pupil*

Salza: Hey just because I take #1 place amongst everyone else in the Crusade in terms of how many villages and houses I've obliterated doesn't mean I am no longer an intellectual elite. I am the most civilised, cultured and intelligent person here.

Hilde: These idiots do not understand that even the Erdtree itself stand on cultural appropriation! How can we fight in the name of Marika and uh... I think that guy literally named Whore at some point, with that big lion...? if we ignore how much was stolen from the Storm Lord and Godskin Apostles? I swear I am the only one who truly gets it smh. Can't wait to get rid of all Hornsent already so we can use their knowledge to build our OWN Divine Spiral, it will be sick af 👀

Messmer: Hahah no one loves my mother as much as I do, I understand what is better for her Order more than she does herself *mood swing* I hate that bitch, why she never loved me?! *crashes a head off a statue of her* *mood swing* Oh god I am the worst being I am more of a curse upon her than any of these graceless barbarians were ever, disowning me was not enough, she should have killed me... *mood swing* I should have burnt her and her Erdtree instead while I had the chance to do so, only in death we could stand equal *mood swing* I love her so much I can at least find comfort in destroying everyone who doesn't fit her world, it is the least I can do to atone for being born graceless myself *mood swing*

Rellana: Pledge to the Golden Order was a weird era but now we are so back, Stars/Moon and Fire have always been together, since the times of Fire Giants and Astrologers! But to think of it, does the 'Fire' that swears to exterminate everything spurned of the grace of the Erdtree count, if it was Erdtree's enemy? Strange, how the very thing that existed as its enemy got tamed to serve it instead? Dammit, my flawless brilliant logic got a crack in it all because of Messmer's mommy issues!!! (still love him and will die for him tho 🥺💙)

Andreas: I can excuse fascism and genocide, but I draw the line at being a SNAKE!

Huw: <prev so real, had I known my bestie was a snake I'd definitely not go and have sooooo much fun hunting Divine Beasts. I am so deceived.

Edredd: To think of it, more soldiers got executed here for no longer wanting to do genocide than fell from the blades of Hornsents, but idk a job is a job 🤷‍♂️

Garrew: *has the most fucking questionable Crucible aspect ever seen except no one wants to actually question it*

[hamartiannn]

I just saw @damianwaynerocks 's cover up story about Jason's death.

For me the best one is this... Might not make sence to some of you, I totally get and respect that, but it's still the best story that I come up with...

So... Jason Peter Todd is a child born into streets right? For years he lived in Gotham's rabbit holes... And everyone knows that. Jason knows that...

So, what if he was eventually overwhelmed by the flash lights of media and the glory of being a "Wayne"?????

What if he was sick of acting all pretty and confident in front of camera's, in front of rich but actually assholes who looked down on him?????

And eventually, what if he pulled Bruce aside and ask him if he can disown him... You know. Not like disown him disown him but... Send him to another country??? Where somewhere more safe and sound and less overwhelming for him... You know, somewhere both not Gotham's streets and Wayne Manor or Gala Halls!

He feels like everyone sees him as a street rat or petty on him! And plus as if him feeling like he doesn't deserve all of that glory and there is other children on the streets where he use to be! It's soo soo much for him???

Hearing all of this, Bruce eventually excepts that offer, cause once upon a time he was also "overwhelmed" with the fact that he was only "The billionaire whose parents got murdered in a dark street!". Bruce also left Gotham. No one knew if he was dead or alive...

What's stoping Jason doing the same??? But!!! This time unlike Bruce, he had a another foster-family who took care of him!!!?? And he just had a new identity/name and surname to protect him from attention???

Yeah... That's what Jason told cameras once he back, with a big bright smile just like the rich people he hated. It was just some weeks after Arkham Knight events.

It was in a Wayne Gala... Where he also announced that he was now a Lawyer, who graduated from Gotham Law School with a honor degree as "Peter Jackson", and now he was working on executing Joker, legally, with his psychologist fiance who was working with Joker in Arkham, and who he met while he was in Russia!!!! Which that was also a lie... The did not met in Russia.... But that's another days topic...

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

Okay, I decided to do one little thing to make things easier... I hope so...

If I'm writing in red they are details/facts about my current imaginary DC world/dimension/au, which also includes my own characters... And if it is NOT in red... It is also my headcanons, but it's more canon accurate?? You guys just understood me... Right??? Pls, tell me you did...

[missyandthemisfits]

Luck Voltia - Unorthodox

Luck x Royal!FemReader

° • ° . .. .. ｡･° • ° ･｡ .. .. . ° • °

Her entire face felt like it had been set on fire, she could only imagine just how embarrassingly bright it was. They had only just gone public with their relationship, her family- the Prestigious House Kira- all but disowning her for not only breaking off an arranged engagement, but for "Choosing to fall for a lowly, destructive commoner". It was...disheartening to say the least but she could at least take solace in the fact that her squad, The Blue Rose Knights, along with his squad, The Black Bulls, were in their respective corners. Still, she hadn't expected him to pull her in so suddenly after the fact. 

"I-I... why would you-," He chuckled at her sudden inability to speak, lidded aquamarine eyes filled with adoration. His usual excited and toothy grin was replaced with a sincere, very sweet version of itself. He linked his fingers at the small of her back, successfully trapping her. 

"Your lips are really warm." 

His voice was a bit deeper than usual, an almost husky calmness about it that made her already palpitating heart stutter, her face getting redder by the second hearing the joint whistles from their squadmates. 

"Luck, please-"

"I'm sorry", He laughed full on ",I couldn't help it! They just looked sooo...kissable." 

Clutching at his shirt, she ducked into his chest, hiding away. Even if she'd just lost her family's support, what she gained was so much more. 

° • ° . .. .. ｡･° • ° ･｡ .. .. . ° • °

A/N

Prompt Used - "Your lips are really warm."

[ace-and-the-rpg-horrors]

i would like to share my little PJSK fantasy AU :>

so basically, in a kingdom ruled by the Otori family, there are witches being hunted down by the royal family's knights as they have been deemed a threat and are looked down upon in their society.

said witches include all MMJ members, Rui, Nene, Kanade and Ena. one discovers that they possess witchcraft abilities when they turn thirteen. the MMJ members befriended each other very soon after discovering that they had it in common and became quite well-known in the underground witch community due to being particularly skilled, while Rui and Nene tried to be much more secretive about their abilities in fear of being outcast. they performed shows together in town, Rui being quite invested in the art of combining magic and tech.

however, one day, Rui accidentally outed both himself and Nene in front of a whole audience upon getting a bit too ambitious in trying out this one spell while Nene's on stage- it went wrong and out of stress, Nene accidentally cast some magic in front of everyone (witches, especially those on the younger side, have a tendency to cause accidental magic when feeling strong emotion), so they both fled from their homes, taking refuge in the woods surrounding the village where they discovered other witches- MMJ- hiding there too and are invited to their hideout.

Ena was disowned immediately when her magical side was revealed and Kanade always knew she would likely be a witch as both her parents were- her mother was executed for it and her father was so torn up by it that he also soon passed. back when they were both just over thirteen, Ena, lost and helpless, stumbled upon Kanade's family mansion hidden in the woods- only other witches are able to see it, so Kanade immediately knew that Ena must be one and took her in.

on the other side of things, the more experienced knights are Tsukasa, Mizuki, Akito and Shiho. Saki and Toya are apprentice knights, each having been assigned a qualified knight as a mentor- Saki, her brother and Toya, Akito. Shiho and Akito have an understanding between them as they both harbour some resentment towards their sisters for being witches- though secretly, they both miss them very much and are more so upset that Shizuku and Ena weren't able to hide it and therefore forced to run away, rather than angry regarding the actual witchcraft.

then, there's Princess Emu, who actually quite likes the idea of the witches and has often begged her family (ahem, her brothers, ahem) to stop outlawing, imprisoning and executing them. of course, not very successfully. Princess Mafuyu, from another kingdom, is currently living with the Otori family as a sort of ambassador. Ichika and Honami are Emu's personal guards while Kohane and An are Mafuyu's. however- Mafuyu is secretly a witch herself and is doing her very best to keep it hidden...

card outfits involved (pictures undercut):

Shizuku, Minori, Haruka and Airi from the witch set

Kanade and Ena from the immiscible discord set

Nene from the our happy ending set

Rui, Toya and Saki from the White Day set

Tsukasa, Mizuki, Akito and Shiho from the knight set

Emu from the Valentine's Day set

Ichika and Honami from the live with memories set

Mafuyu from the dark festa set

Kohane and An from the light up the fire set

[wish-incorrect-quotes]

I’ve seen a few people mention how much Simon looks like he could be the son of these two, and while I don’t know if the timelines work enough for it to be possible, it’s a fun concept just to think about. So here’s some ideas I had about how it might play out:

Basically, Lady Tremaine spends awhile hoping that Anastasia’s whole “falling in love with a commoner” thing is just a temporary inconvenience, and eventually she’ll be able to push her daughter into a more respectable marriage with a proper nobleman. But as soon as she finds out the baker proposed and Anastasia accepted, Tremaine pretty much immediately disowns her, and Anastasia loses her access to the family title and money.

By this point, Cinderella and Anastasia have a much better relationship, so Cinderella offers to use her newfound royal status and try to undo Lady Tremaine’s decision, but Anastasia ends up telling her not to bother. The more time she spends with the baker, the more she finds herself enjoying the simple life. Even if she now has to worry about earning a living, it’s amazing how much easier life feels when she doesn’t have to face her mother’s pressure and expectations, or go through royal balls where she's expected to be better than everyone else but always seems to fall short. Just peaceful days, helping her husband bake bread in the little village where people are always kind and friendly. And before they know it, the two of them are welcoming a baby boy into the world, who’s nearly the spitting image of his father, but with his mother’s red hair and his grandmother’s green eyes. Not that Lady Tremaine has any interest in meeting the boy, if Anastasia would even allow it.

As Simon grows up, he eventually gets curious about how his parents met. Anastasia can be a bit overprotective, and she tries to leave out the most unpleasant parts, but she’s happy to tell him all about how she loves her new home and family so much that she’s never regretted leaving behind a life of luxury for them. Simon, however, can’t help but think that the story sounds unfair. It’s not that he really cares about having a title or attending fancy balls, but it doesn’t seem right to him that his mother had to lose everything because of who she loved.

Eventually, this leads to Simon getting his heart set on becoming a knight, because it’s about the only way someone can work their way into a more “noble” rank. And if his mother has a knight for a son, it could get them all a lot closer to the life she had before. He doesn’t mention why he’s so keen on knighthood, since he doesn’t want his parents to feel guilty and tell him not to go through so much trouble for their sakes, so they figure it’s his own dream and do what they can to support him. But the problem is, he’s not any good at it. He has plenty of strength, but he’s very much a gentle soul, and when his heart isn’t in it, he just can’t seem to develop any talent with a sword and shield.

He’s discouraged for awhile, until he starts hearing rumors of a foreign kingdom with a sorcerer king that can instantly give people what they wish for. And since he isn’t getting anywhere on his own, he starts to become more and more convinced that this is his only chance. He knows how much his parents love their bakery, so he tells them he wants to try striking out on his own for awhile now that he’s getting older. Anastasia and the baker are both more than a little worried about the thought of their son going off to find work somewhere far away from them, but Anastasia remembers what it was like having a controlling mother who didn’t care about her own dreams, so she decides they should let him go if this is what he wants.

So Simon sails to Rosas and soon finds work in the castle, hoping that maybe working close to the king will help his wish get granted faster once he’s old enough to give it away. Thought he finds out before long that things might not go quite as smoothly as he expected based on the stories he heard. There’s a lot more people who have been waiting a long time than he expected. But everyone’s always praising the king, so if he's enough of a good and loyal citizen, surely he'll get his wish granted, right? Plus, he’s been making some great friends in the castle, and he enjoys being able to put in a good day’s work with them, so he can’t complain.

Then he reaches his eighteenth birthday, eagerly gives the king his long-awaited wish, and… is he supposed to feel this tired all the time? Everyone always talks about how wonderful it is, how it’s a real weight off. But he doesn’t feel lighter, he feels like his eyes are always heavy, and he's too exhausted to even feel like himself most of the time.

And then that’s how we get to the events of the movie. I guess Magnifico’s lucky that Simon wouldn’t want to worry his parents and would keep sending letters making it sound like everything was fine. Because Anastasia might have softened over the years, but she definitely still has a temper, not to mention a royal stepsister to turn to, and I’m sure she wouldn’t just take it quietly if she learned some distant king had caused her beloved son to lose all his energy and joy for life.

[addictofanimation]

It's All Over, Isn't It...? (Pokémon x Genshin Impact AU)

All Kaeya could do was sit by the large Statue of the Seven, leaning against the side as he stared at what was once his home. His eye throbbed as if to remind him of what happened not even an hour ago.

He can still see the anger on Diluc's face, feel the humid heat of the flames that swelled around his blade as it refused to let the rain put it out. He wondered if Diluc would ever come to regret what he did tonight. Kaeya certainly didn't want him to. He had forgiven Diluc even as blood ran down his face and the heat threatened to seal his eyelids together. He was lucky it hadn't damaged his actual eye.

He knew it was all over. Things would never be the same again. And Kaeya had been the one to ruin it with his own hands. He had expected Diluc's anger but had somehow overlooked that it was possible Diluc would attack him. Now he was left homeless with not a shoulder to lean on.

Well, he had someone.

The rustle of leaves behind him barely made Kaeya stir. Whether it was his helper or an enemy come to kill him, he really could have cared less at the moment. However, he found himself tensing when he heard something that sounded like sniffing.

Please be a Hilichurl, please be a Hilichurl, please...

It seemed that Barbatos saw fit to torture him because something touched his thigh and it was most certainly not a Hilichurl. It felt relatively soft and more like a paw. Kaeya barely managed to open his good eye to look before he was met with the sight of a Rockruff looking at him curiously.

To Kaeya, it might as well have been snarling and growling.

With a yelp, Kaeya shoved the young Pokemon away, causing it to let out a yelp of its own. A part of Kaeya twinged at the cry, but a louder and more irrational part of him was too scared to really register the feeling. He scrambled backward, as if doing it enough would make him fuse with the statue behind him and disappear.

The Rockruff whimpered as it hurried to get its paws underneath it again. It looked at Kaeya as if he was going to attack it, lowering itself to the ground and backing away as it whimpered frightfully. If Kaeya hadn't been so terrified, he would have felt awful.

Suddenly, the Rockruff was lifted into the air. When Kaeya looked at who had lifted it, he found himself calming considerably at the familiar figure.

Armarouge.

Armarouge was his brother's partner Pokemon and had been by his side ever since it was a little Charcadet. Diluc had raised Charcadet with the utmost care and attention. When Diluc had to battle Varka to enter the knights, the two had been able to barely scrape by with a victory and it had evolved pretty much as soon as the battle had been over and they had been proclaimed the winners.

It was a proud day in the Ragnvindr household.

Until Diluc had tossed away Armarouge's Poke Ball and had disowned it.

Because it had defended him that night.

Another source of Kaeya's guilt.

Armarouge appeared to be telling the little Pokemon something because it went from looking frightened to somehow apologetic. When Armarouge sat it down onto the ground, it gave him a look and a little yip before running off into the bushes once more.

Now that the Pokemon was gone, Kaeya found his heart rate slowing down and air making its way back into his lungs. But once the attack had passed, he couldn't help but berate himself.

He and Diluc had been working on his fear of Pokemon after a particularly harrowing encounter with their father's Talonflame in the living room. Pokemon were allowed to roam free on Dawn Winery property and little Kaeya had the scare of a lifetime when he had come downstairs from his new room to find the large Pokemon on a perch near the fireplace.

Crepus had also put in the effort to help by introducing him to baby Pokemon first, including some of his Talonflame's recently hatched Fletchings. He had even later gifted one to Diluc to help Kaeya get used to Pokemon other than Diluc's Charcadet being around. After years, it had appeared that all of their hard work was finally working. There had even been talk of getting Kaeya his own partner once he was ready.

He had almost been there, no longer cringing away from Pokemon or having a heart attack at the sight of one. He has been able to hold some of them too.

Now it was like all of that progress had backtracked.

He didn't understand how this could have happened!

As he spiraled downward, he felt himself being shifted but didn't put up a fight. He allowed himself to be moved until he found himself settled against Armarouge. He couldn't be more thankful that his fear of Pokemon had somehow not affected how safe he felt around Armarouge. He would have completely broken if he had become scared of the Pokemon who had helped protect him from childhood.

But that didn't stop the frustrated and sorrowful tears from running down his face. For who knew how long, Kaeya stayed against Armarouge as he wailed, the events of tonight seeming to finally catch up with him.

It was all over.

[raelyn-dreams]

Any headcanons of your favorite enstars characters? 👀💫

I do indeed nonnie! Though tbh, these are kind of full-cast headcanons lol. Tysm for the ask 😊

Mika is still upset he wasn't included in the Sanrio collab, and angrily sewed plushies the entire day it was announced.

During practice for Artistic Partisan, Hiiro was under the impression that the prop spears were much heavier than they actually were, leading to him accidentally slamming one through the wall (and nearly impaling Shu).

We don't talk enough about how Knights are given swords for their performances. Like who thought this was a good idea. Even if they are dull and fake, do you know how terrifying it is to have Ritsu Sakuma come at you with a sword and a maniacal grin? Kaoru Hakaze does.

Kuro was basically acting as a mediator for the entirety of the Yuukyou Seishunka cover rehearsals (while Mika and Souma prayed their unit leaders wouldn't kill each other). Keito and Shu came to feel kinda bad about this as they were winding down, so they begrudgingly worked together to make him a gi, as a thank you and apology. Keito never wants to hear the words "proper quilter's knot" again, but it was worth it for the smile on Kuro's face.

Hiiro and Hinata both have...shaky histories with high places (Hiiro in !! main story after Rinne disowns him, and Hinata during Setsubun). Niki doesn't know the details, but he notices after a while, so they start having rooftop hang-outs on occasion to help them with it.

I really like the Hiiro-Hinata-Niki dorm as a whole actually (which...Hiiro and Hinata are two of my favs, and Niki's up there, so that's to be expected lol). I see a lot of potential with the three, and I think they'd really get each other.

Ibara visited Kaname once. It was a stupid and sentimental thing to do, really, and he had work that needed to be done, lives to prepare for...but he couldn't help but feel he owed it to him, the near-silent apology that passed his lips that day.

Also, veering into AU territory a bit, but I think if Kaname were to wake up and eventually get back into the industry (after lots of rehab + accommodations), he'd keep the HiMERU name, but drop the "cool" persona he tried to associate with it. Life is too short to care so much about the public's perception of him, and I feel he'd go in the opposite direction of Tatsumi, and become even more outspoken, which would make him a good Crazy:B candidate.

OreMERU (our HiMERU) and Kaname are going to need to talk. A lot. I think Kaname wouldn't quite forgive him and would be upset about the identity theft, but he also can't bring himself to hate him, as he can see why he did it and knows it's for him. There's a lot of guilt and misunderstanding on both sides (ntm Tatsumi, Jun, and everyone else's reactions), but I think they eventually get through it alright, and OreMERU would always be Kaname's "Onii-chan".

OreMERU is also gonna have an identity crisis, and tries to quit Crazy:B, but of course Rinne, Niki, and Kohaku aren't gonna let him just dip like that. There's a lot of panicking, some bad hairstyle decisions, but he comes out alright, and starts going by another stage name that's important to him in some way.

I'm sorry about the excessive Tojo headcanons nonnie, I fully read Obbligato for the first time last week (just knew the basics before) and it wrecked me asdfghjkl.

Anyways. Back to everyone else.

As Mika gets used to Shu's more lenient personality, he tries to see how much gore he can get away with in Valkyrie's art.

Shu tries so hard to respect Mika's artistic vision and encourage him, he really does. But he draws the line at real pigs brains on-stage, even if they are in jars ("But Oshi-san, it represents the breakin' o' the mind after they tried so hard ta conform ta the expectations they put on 'em and ended up slaughtered! It's perfect symbolism, ain't it?")

Adonis makes money on the side for Undead by acting as an interpreter for other units during lives and Q&As. It ends up so popular and profitable that ES actually ends up investing money in professional interpreters for all events, because the ES heads can be kind of good people for once I guess. As a treat.

Rei, Ritsu, Niki, Tatsumi, Eichi, and Kaname (if he rejoins the industry) start having a combined monthly interview to make up for ones they miss due to illness/disability. The college kids/anyone that's been sick or couldn't make their own interviews occasionally join in too (usually Chiaki, Mayoi, Nazuna, Shu, Leo, and Izumi). Rei feels personally attacked sometimes, but its overall fun and way less stressful than trying to make every interview for their own units.

Kuro/Shu/Mao/Izumi dorm have sewing nights. It started because Kuro and Shu already sew, and Izumi wanted to be able to make his own alterations as a model just in case. Mao ended up joining in as a way to de-stress from student council work, and they have a relatively pleasant time together.

Souma is canonically good at embroidery, so I like to think he ends up creating his own sword scabbards for different Akatsuki costumes using the skills he's picked up from it. They're very pretty, and he's very proud of them.