#not for the main pairing though

[bloody-bee-tea]

Breakfast in Bed

Jiang Cheng is on his way back to the apartment, bag with breakfast food secure in his hand and he’s rushing it a bit, he knows it, but he wants to get back home before Nie Mingjue wakes up.

He left him warm and cozy in bed and that is exactly where Jiang Cheng hopes to find him on his return because he decided on a whim that today is a breakfast in bed kind of day and if Nie Mingjue should get up before Jiang Cheng is back then that would ruin his entire plan.

So hurrying it is.

He’s just checking his phone, relieved to see that Nie Mingjue hasn’t yet written him, thus making Jiang Cheng believe that he’s still slumbering on, when he runs into somebody.

“Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry,” Jiang Cheng breathes out, momentarily relieved that neither he nor the other person fell down before he raises his glance towards them. “Oh.”

“Wanyin,” Lan Xichen whispers, clearly shocked to see him here and Lan Wangji is glaring at him like always.

“Xichen, Wangji, good to see you,” Jiang Cheng says, even though it’s anything but especially at the moment when he has other places to be.

But of course he would run into someone he knows right now.

“I didn’t know you were back yet,” Lan Xichen says, clearly completely taken off guard by Jiang Wanyin’s presence and Jiang Cheng refuses to feel bad about that.

Nie Mingjue and he decided to keep their return quiet for now to give themselves some time to settle back into their life here and it had been nice to have some time for the two of them.

Besides—

“Has Wei Wuxian not said anything to you?” Jiang Cheng asks Lan Wangji, who is still glaring at him.

“We don’t talk about trivial things,” Lan Wangji gives back and it’s just so him that it startles a laugh out of Jiang Cheng.

“Yeah, right. But Wei Wuxian knows I’m back—hell, he helped with moving in, so I don’t see why he didn’t tell you. I’m back though,” he finishes with a shrug and then promptly curses when his phone rings.

And of course the display shows Nie Mingjue’s name.

“Excuse me,” Jiang Cheng says to Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji before he accepts the call. “My soul?”

“You’re not here,” Nie Mingjue whines, his voice still rough from sleep and Jiang Cheng can’t help the soft smile on his face. “I wake up and you’re not here.”

“I’m on my way back, alright?” Jiang Cheng says though he knows it’s hardly enough of an explanation.

“Were did you go, though? The bed is empty and cold.”

“I thought that today is a breakfast in bed kind of day, alright? So I quickly went out to get some things. You just stay right where you are and before you know it, I’ll be back.”

Nie Mingjue makes an unintelligent sound and Jiang Cheng loves him even more for how much of a morning person he’s not.

“Five more minutes. Can you stay in bed for that long?” he wants to know and he decides to take Nie Mingjue’s grumbling as consent. “I’ll hurry. I love you, my soul.”

“Love you, too, my heart,” Nie Mingjue says, clearly awake enough for that but Jiang Cheng is betting all his money on the fact that he’s asleep again before he even properly hung up.

“I really do have to go now,” Jiang Cheng says to Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji who have been watching him the entire time during that exchange, their faces varying from shocked to outrage, which Jiang Cheng finds uncalled for. He has seen Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian get up to worse shit than a simple love confession. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

He waves shortly to them before he simply walks past.

Nie Mingjue and Jiang Cheng really didn’t make a big secret out of their return back home but it had been kind of nice to be back without that many people knowing. It meant that they got to enjoy their time together a bit more and re-familiarize themselves with the city. It had been five years after all, at least for Jiang Cheng. It has been three for Nie Mingjue and a lot can change in a few years.

“Have a nice day,” Jiang Cheng still calls over his shoulder as he walks away, unwilling to be impolite to Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji even though Lan Wangji at least would have deserved it with how he’s still glaring at Jiang Cheng just like he did five years ago.

Lan Xichen at the very least didn’t do anything wrong and Jiang Cheng doesn’t want to risk Lan Qiren hearing anything bad about him.

Lan Qiren had been quite helpful with finding a job far away from the family business for Jiang Cheng and Jiang Cheng will forever be grateful for that.

Jiang Cheng pushes all those thoughts away now and hurries back home, unwilling to let Nie Mingjue wait for him any longer than he really has to. He seems to be still in bed when Jiang Cheng opens the door which is a relief, because breakfast in bed doesn’t quite hit the same if both of them have been up already.

Jiang Cheng only briefly peeks into the bedroom, content to see Nie Mingjue snoring away again before he goes over to the kitchen and gets started on breakfast. They bought a tray a while back for exactly this purpose but so far it hasn’t been used and Jiang Cheng thinks it’s high time by now.

He piles all the things he bought on the tray, listening for the gurgling of the coffee maker and by the time he’s finally ready his own stomach is grumbling.

Jiang Cheng makes his way back to the bedroom, carefully carrying the tray, but once he steps inside he realizes he’ll have to put it down on the ground first. There is no way in hell he’ll manage to wake Nie Mingjue up without upending the entire tray and that is definitely not the cozy, relaxed morning he envisioned for the two of them.

Jiang Cheng bends carefully down to put the tray on the ground before he crawls back into bed with Nie Mingjue.

“My soul,” Jiang Cheng whispers as he noses at the back of Nie Mingjue’s neck, which earns him a disgruntled sound. “Good morning, I brought breakfast,” Jiang Cheng tries again, because maybe that will get Nie Mingjue’s attention.

“No,” Nie Mingjue grumbles, snuggling deeper into the pillow. “You left me alone. Bad Wanyin.”

“Ah, but I only left you alone to bring you breakfast. In bed. How does that sound? Is that enough to make up for it?” Jiang Cheng tries with a smile, because he damn well knows that it’s enough to make up for it.

The coffee alone would have done the trick.

“It sounds as if you went out and left me in a cold bed,” Nie Mingjue still complaints and Jiang Cheng laughs because at this point Nie Mingjue is just teasing him.

“But now I’m back here to warm it up again,” Jiang Cheng whispers and slots his body behind Nie Mingjue’s, slinging his arms around the middle. “Come on, my soul.”

Nie Mingjue lets out a long breath before he slightly turns his head, clearly demanding a kiss that Jiang Cheng is more than happy to bestow upon him.

“Did you use the tray? Does it finally have a reason to exist?”

“Don’t be mean to the tray, it’s not its fault that we didn’t have quite such a quiet morning yet,” Jiang Cheng chides him.

“Mh, true,” Nie Mingjue agrees and finally turns completely around, blinking up at Jiang Cheng. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Jiang Cheng gives back, a sappy smile on his face and he leans down to kiss Nie Mingjue again, morning breath be damned.

“Okay, I have to admit, it’s a good way to wake up. Do I smell coffee?”

“Of course you smell coffee. As if I would wake you without having coffee at the ready,” Jiang Cheng gives back because he knows better by now.

Nie Mingjue is so not a morning person and it’s even worse if he doesn’t have his coffee, Jiang Cheng learned that early on. He’s still looking at that one coffee maker that has a timer on it, simply so he doesn’t always have to get out of bed first to get the coffee started.

Maybe for Nie Mingjue’s birthday.

“Come, sit up and I’ll show you what I brought,” Jiang Cheng says with a small nudge and even though it’s clear that Nie Mingjue wants the coffee he still seems unwilling to move too much.

Jiang Cheng pokes him until he does move though, but he guesses in the end it’s his grumbling stomach that convinces Nie Mingjue to sit up. Jiang Cheng gets out of bed to retrieve the tray, which he carefully settles over Nie Mingjue’s legs before he slides back into bed, careful not to jostle anything.

“Mh, this does look amazing,” Nie Mingjue says though very predictably he reaches for his cup of coffee first. “Did I—call you?” he then unsurely asks and Jiang Cheng bursts out laughing.

He knew that Nie Mingjue was mostly still asleep when that happened but to think that he barely even remembers it is hilarious. His need to complain was so great it surpassed conscious thought.

“You did,” Jiang Cheng answers him once he stopped laughing but going by the confused frown on Nie Mingjue’s face he still only barely remembers. “You were concerned because I was gone. But I’m back now, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Alright,” Nie Mingjue shrugs it off, taking a big sip of his coffee and letting out the most satisfied sigh Jiang Cheng has ever heard him made.

“I met Xichen and Wangji on the way,” Jiang Cheng tells him after he took his own coffee.

“Oh, really? How are they?”

“They seemed good, though—Xichen clearly didn’t know that we are back.”

“What? That can’t be right,” Nie Mingjue mumbles through his mouth full of food. “Wei Wuxian helped us move and Qiren helped you find a job. Xichen should definitely know that we are back.”

“Yeah, I said the same about Wei Wuxian and you want to know what Wangji said?”

Nie Mingjue only raises an expectant eyebrow at him, which Jiang Cheng takes as his cue.

“He said they don’t talk about trivial things.”

Nie Mingjue almost chokes on his mouthful which makes Jiang Cheng laugh again even as he claps on Nie Mingjue’s back to get him to breathe again.

“That is such a Wangji answer,” Nie Mingjue finally wheezes out when he’s no longer in danger of dying and Jiang Cheng has to agree.

It’s even possible that Wei Wuxian did mention that Jiang Cheng is back in town and Lan Wangji simply didn’t pay attention to it because he has never cared about Jiang Cheng. That is more likely than anything else.

They quietly chat about anything and nothing, really, all the while enjoying their breakfast and Jiang Cheng has to admit that it had been one of his better ideas to finally do this, and going by the way Nie Mingjue is all quietly relaxed and almost glowing with happiness, he would totally agree if Jiang Cheng should ask him.

Their peaceful morning is interrupted though when someone knocks on their door.

“Do you expect anyone?” Jiang Cheng asks and Nie Mingjue looks down at the tray over his legs.

“I am still in bed, still in my pajamas and you’re asking if I expect anyone?”

“Okay, alright, I get it,” Jiang Cheng huffs out, lamenting the fact that he has to leave the warm bed behind because it doesn’t seem as if their unwanted guest is going to go away any time soon, not with how the visitor knocks again and Nie Mingjue is clearly disinclined to get up.

“Come back here quick,” Nie Mingjue calls after him and Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes because if anyone would ask him he wouldn’t even have left the warm bed in the first place.

“What?” Jiang Cheng asks rather rudely as he yanks open the door but he blinks in confusion when he comes face to face with Lan Wangji. “Can I help you?” he then asks, struggling to remain civil by reminding himself that this is the love of his brother’s life and he’s not allowed to kill him.

Even if he did interrupt a perfectly relaxing morning just now.

“Brother waited for you,” is what Lan Wangji greets him with and now that makes Jiang Cheng frown even harder.

“Waiting? When? Just now? I wished you a good morning when I left, didn’t I?” he asks, puzzled by what the hell Lan Wangji could mean but going by the way the corner of his mouth ticks down he didn’t get it right.

“When you left. He waited for you to come back.”

“Okay—?” Jiang Cheng still unsurely asks because he went away to study. Everyone knew he would leave for three to five years, depending on how things go.

“I think what Wangji is trying to say is that Xichen apparently is in love with you,” Nie Mingjue suddenly says from behind Jiang Cheng but before he can turn around, Nie Mingjue wraps himself around his back.

“He waited all this time,” Lan Wangji says again and this time it sounds like an accusation.

And that, Jiang Cheng is not going to take.

“So? How the hell could I have known? It’s not as if he said anything.”

“But you’re here now,” Lan Wangji says as if Nie Mingjue isn’t standing right there behind Jiang Cheng, just his pajama pants on, a possessive arm wrapped around his middle.

“And so am I,” Nie Mingjue immediately bites out and Jiang Cheng puts his hand over Nie Mingjue’s, linking their fingers.

Nie Mingjue has the tendencies to get a bit possessive when people show interest in Jiang Cheng and he doesn’t need these two to fight right now.

“I am back with my boyfriend. Who I am living with. I’m sorry, Wangji, but whatever you thought coming here to tell me this would achieve, it’s not working. Now if you would excuse us, we still have a breakfast to get back to.”

“Breakfast in bed,” Nie Mingjue adds with a wolfish grin. “You know how it is sometimes.”

Jiang Cheng tries very hard not to laugh out loud when Lan Wangji goes a little bit green in the face but before he can say anything else, Nie Mingjue already closed the door on him.

“That was rude,” Jiang Cheng chides Nie Mingjue who simply shrugs.

“Just as rude as him coming here to tell you that. They should have gotten a clue when you were on the phone.”

“My soul, Xichen used to be your best friend. Don’t you feel—”

“No,” Nie Mingjue cuts him off and Jiang Cheng falls silent.

He left the city and his family and friends to grow into himself and to get a little bit of distance. Nie Mingjue left after being deeply betrayed by people he thought he could trust. It’s not the same and Jiang Cheng doesn’t like to remind him of it so he doesn’t bring it up again.

“Well, let’s hope Wangji conveys the message. It does explain why he’s always seemed to hate me, though.”

“Xichen never said anything to you. It’s unfair to hate you for something you didn’t even know,” Nie Mingjue shoots back and then falls silent for a moment.

Jiang Cheng knows what he’s going to ask before he even opens his mouth.

“Would it have changed anything? If he said something?”

“Before I went away? Maybe,” Jiang Cheng says with a shrug. “I couldn’t possibly tell anymore, now that I have you.”

“So it’s not something you—”

“If you dare to finish that question then this was the first and last time you get breakfast in bed,” Jiang Cheng threatens him because he will not allow Nie Mingjue to even believe for a second that his affection is so easily swayed.

They worked hard on their relationship for the past three years and they didn’t do it for Nie Mingjue to question it all like this.

“Alright, alright,” Nie Mingjue quickly says and then leans in to steal a kiss. “Going back to bed then?”

“Well, we’ll have to warm it back up again,” Jiang Cheng says with a suggestive eyebrow waggle and he knows he has won when Nie Mingjue laughs.

“I guess we’ll have to. What a hardship,” he agrees and then simply picks Jiang Cheng up to carry him back to the bedroom.

Jiang Cheng laughs again when he sees that the breakfast tray is already safely put away because of course Nie Mingjue would have thought ahead.

His practicality is one of the many reasons Jiang Cheng loves him so after all.

Tip me

[turtleblogatlast]

Man “Battle Nexus: New York” was a great episode but I do have one major gripe with it.

Like. Raph being paired up with Ghostbear? Makes sense. Works great. Works amazing, even.

Mikey being paired up with Meatsweats? Yeah that checks out!!

Donnie getting…Hypno…? I mean. I guess Donnie doesn’t like magic so it kindaaa works but Kendra would have been a much better choice to me personally. Maybe Big Mama didn’t wanna include a human or something…

And Leo getting…uh…one of the Sando Brothers???? Of all villains? Nah let’s be real, his main villain is more Big Mama herself (or Leo could be considered his own worst enemy lmao-). Hell Hypno would have probably worked better here considering their shared love for magic tricks and stuff, but Carl Sando????

[batsplat]

random throwback to fabio's response to casey saying he should've been black flagged for the whole open leathers situation

[clearancecreedwatersurvival]

Never seen a homoerotic rivalry I wouldn’t ship.

[bfdifan26]

can you draw some seven x nine art

>:3

listen to valentine by laufey then youll understand (also keep giving me requests today i like to see it as giving people presents)

[syruubithethird]

Mallelili sketches and such ranging from uh... 3/15/2023 to 6/12/2023

[icewindandboringhorror]

I got these shoes from someone recently but thought they were way too plain looking, so I set out on a quest to customize them with some sharpies and charms and miscellaneous ribbon I had in my craft drawers. Mostly sky themed (clouds, rainbows, rain, stars, etc.) because that's my favorite aesthetic, but I had to include some cat imagery as well, of course lol.

[trickstersaint]

i don't want it queerplatonic either // april 12 2023

[distortedmoondisc]

Do you ever think about the parallels between Rinne and Aira

Not only they have a shared interest in protecting Hiiro and ensuring his well-being/growth as a person, (and it's extra interesting given how Aira sort of dislikes Rinne for how he dealt with Hiiro in general—by leaving him alone at their hometown and disowning him in the summer of the MDM—, so even though they have the same interests and goals regarding Hiiro, they aren't exactly friends nor like each other — though this is mostly from Aira's part, because Rinne does like Aira and even acknowledges him as someone important to Hiiro that he must keep in his life), but Aira kinda is what Rinne used to be, before his dreams of becoming an idol we're crushed by the new rules of ES.

!! Main Story, Episode 171, "Revolution"

I've seen many people talk about how Rinne and Aira would get along because they're both idol otakus, but I believe that's a common misunderstanding of Rinne's character, because Rinne isn't an idol otaku (at least not anymore). He doesn't like the current idol system and the way Ensemble Square is running the industry. That's why he tried to change it by force in the !! Main Story by acting out. This is different from Aira, who loves the idols born from this system, and is a participant in the ES system that is going to hurt the industry in the long run (because ES is mass producing idols like a factory, stripping them from their own individuality and what makes idols especial in the first place — which is why Aira likes idols to begin with! Because they're different from ordinary people!)

!! Main Story, episode 220, "Despair"

Aira is aware that the idol industry isn't perfect, in episode 171 he even acknowledges that the mass production of idols similar to items of consumption made in a factory is wrong and it strips idols from their beauty and value, but he doesn't have the insight and first hand experience with heartbreak as Rinne had, so he doesn't have the motivation to protest or change the way ES is running the industry. They both love idols and dreamed of becoming one, but Rinne isn't an idol otaku, because he can't be a fan of idols mass produced by the current system.

What Rinne does instead, is support underground idols that would otherwise be trampled or forced to disappear by ES because they don't fit their sets of standards (and because ES has monopoly in the idol industry, they can easily do this without much repercussions or public outcry) and gives them his protection. This is explained throughout the course of the story of Night Club.

Nigh Club, Epilogue 2

Aira tries to impersonate an ideal idol persona, as the ones he watched when he was younger. He wants to embody a model idol and inspire others as idols inspired him in the past. Rinne used to be similar, but ES arbitrarily destroyed his solo career making him lose that dream, and that's why he embodies the wild and rebellious persona he portrays on stage, which is a complete opposite to how a traditional idol should act (and this is a constant point of conflict between him and other idols, such as Himeru; Himeru tends to scold Rinne for being so wild and doing whatever he wants because it goes against what is expected of an idol, but in Night Club he comes to understand that this is Rinne's soft way to protest against ES, despite having lost to them in the first part of the !! Main Story).

(Sometimes, I wonder if Rinne is happy being the wild and playful self he is with Crazy:B, or if he would prefer to be on stage as an ideal idol like he used to do years ago....)

However, despite their differences and the dislike/intimidation Aira might feel towards Rinne, he admits he understands his feelings and where he comes from, and that he can't help but to relate to him due to the fact that they both love idols. Aira scolds Rinne in episode 220 "Despair" to make him stop his pity party, but later in episode 224 "Flutter" he comforts and encourages him instead—telling him that he should not give up being an idol, because he recognizes that Rinne loves idols as much as he does, and that he still has a reason to live because he has fans of himself and of Crazy:B waiting for him among the crowd, meaning that he is still loved and accepted by someone, despite all the wreckage he had caused.

(And if I'm allowed to get personal for a moment, I just need to make emphasis in how important Aira is to the development of the Amagi brothers in the last arc of the !! main story, and this scene is a perfect example of that. Aira is the one who encourages Rinne to join the others on stage and sing, and after that it is Hiiro that pushes Rinne to give that step which finally leads them to perform on stage together 🥹)

So as we can see, Rinne and Aira have a lot of similarities, but they act in completely different ways due to their circumstances. They have similar backgrounds as idol lovers but they have different views and feelings about the industry and the profession, (however, they seem to share the same ideals as to what an idol should be, and love the same type of ideal idol inside their hearts). Adding to that their shared most beloved person, Hiiro, and how the two of them want what's best for him but they have a point of contention due to Rinne's bad actions in the !! Main Story, and their relationship becomes x10 more interesting, and I wish we talked about it more!

And we know Happyele hasn't forgotten about them, because Aira appeared in Rinne's recent relationship chart, just below Hiiro.

(also, a little unrelated, bu i think it's funny that despite having a heart to heart at the ending of the main story, their relationship is still "want to tease him" and "he's a little scary" ahdks Aira, who scolded Rinne in front of hundreds of people in the MDM, regressed to feeling intimidated and troubled by him. A couple of friends commented that it was probably because Aira had a burst of courage in the MDM because of the severity of the situation, so he had the determination to call out Rinne, a senior that he particularly feels intimidated by, publicly without second thought. It is canon that after the fact, Aira admitted that looking back on the MDM he felt embarrassed for doing such a bold thing. Idk, it's just something i find very interesting and fun about their dynamic www)

So this leads me to believe that they haven't forgotten about the history these two had in the main story, and all I can do is just wait for them to expand on their relationship and dynamic more eventually in some future event.

[deus-ex-mona]

no thoughts, just the way the narumi sisters are so different yet fundamentally similar at the same time yk?

[distinguished-slacker]

Angy about how we have known about Mitsuba and Shinoa knowing each other before the formation of the Shinoa squad ever since chapter 8 and still… a decade, 4 months and 5 days later the manga never ever touched this subject again…ever…

[passthroughtime]

a kuwagami-related thought i've been mulling over since the start of june, which needs a little preface, so, bear with me a little

it's not that kuwana's and yagami's traumas have affected them the same way, or are even of the one kind. the point kuwana is making, there was a bad thing in their past, and it has changed them irreversibly into the men they are now. (idk, i have seen way too many times how his "we're the same, you and i" line gets interpreted into kuwana being completely delusional about yagami, and if i remember correctly, i've made that same assumption myself, so, no blaming here, been there done that)

kuwana's just trying to appeal to yagami's own experience there, because the latter kinda. treats him like a scumbag he was before, not the person he is now. so, he tells him: there, i'm not the same person, because, as you, i learned from my mistakes. that callout calms yagami's bitchy nature for long enough for kuwana to share his story until the end.

but that's not what i was thinking over, or, not quite that. as they've each had tragedies of their own, where they have played different roles and have had different impact on what eventually happened, their traumas are only the same in the regard of consequences (= putting an innocent person into the most life-threatening situation possible, and how they'll always feel guilty about it though it wasn't their fault exclusively). but that's the main problem when comparing their means of redemption.

yagami's approach to life/investigations/etc is now reactionary. the "i will act if no one else will" kind. some may argue that he tries to prevent things and that's why he gets involved, but... bear with me here.

as emi's fate was something he could have never anticipated, and he did exactly what was expected of him at the moment, his regret is about not delving further until the truth is uncovered. that means, something must happen before for him to get involved (something like waku's death), and so, he gets involved now in the things that doesn't concern him, and stays there till the end, never stopping before all questions are answered and all truths are found out. that's what i mean by saying he reacts rather than prevents.

his fault in emi's death is of not doing enough, or anything, though he didn't have to do more than he did. he was a lawyer. he did his job. that's all he was supposed to be.

while kuwana's approach now is preventive in a sense that he won't do anything that will put anyone in danger. his main goal in all his killings, is to say "hey, there are consequences to your shitty actions, don't do it, at all" though he's been stupid about his means (how would anyone know about his "lesson" if the bodies and his motives have been a secret to others? idk), but whatever. yet, his main focus is to not endanger someone on his own volition. again, let me explain myself here.

mitsuru's suicide attempt is more of kuwana's fault than emi's death of yagami's. that's obvious. but you know the main difference here? he knew about the bullying. he COULD do something about it. that's what made him directly responsible while not being an actual perpetrator. more than yagami in his case, at least.

kuwana's fault is also, as yagami's, in not doing enough/anything, but, unlike yagami, he had the means to stop the tragedy before it had happened. he knew of the risks. so now, knowing there are consequences of each action and inaction he takes, he makes sure whatever he does won't put anyone in danger. (that's a funny take from me, because for the most of the game, yagami argues that kuwana doesn't care about that, but we all know he realises he was wrong about him, eventually.)

yagami and his friends? stop investigating mikoshiba's case (and later sawa's murder), you'll only put yourselves in danger. his former students? no, you don't have to kill anyone, you can even state that i made you help me under duress (nah, i'll still stand with that their cowardice and kuwana acting as a psychopath with them were the only reasons why they haven't gone to the police, though they totally could and had the chance to get away with everything much earlier. kuwana played into their weaknesses if anything). sawa? yeah, the entire thing at plage is a message for her to stay away, how kuwana admits himself.

he feels guilty about RK attacking liumang's hideout because of him. he makes up for leaving yagami alone before, near sawa's apartment, and doesn't do the same mistake when soma finds them, against all odds (he and yagami did everything to not be discovered, kuwana made sure of that), on the boat. he runs as soon as possible when sawa calls him, though it kinda does sound like a trap even at that point; he just doesn't think about anything when he hears her crying (that one is a stretch a bit but. let me have this.). he agrees to meeting yagami in kamurocho when he kidnaps mamiya so he'd let her go (though, leaving his students as a distraction to get away from yagami is a dick move, no arguing here).

the point is, he doesn't want to cause any more harm. that's why kusumoto surrendering herself to the police is so tragic for him and breaks him so bad: he did the thing again. if not for him and his feeling of utter loneliness in his pain, she would've lived a happy life with her child. he doesn't want to admit it, doesn't want her to answer for his mistake, so he says it wasn't a mistake at all. again, kind of shitty, but, the whole thing he has going on is shitty, so here's that.

it's "i will act if no one else will" vs "i make sure i never create a situation endangering other people". the first one is self-destructive, the second one is self-deluding. perfect.

and i've been thinking that it's kind of interesting how they collide here, yagami getting involved even at the cost of his life vs kuwana who doesn't really want someone else to get hurt. that's all their running and chasing, and the reasons behind it, summarised. they both are stubborn, because they don't want to do the same mistake they did in the past, and they clash over it badly, convinced they are the one who does the right thing. it sucks because they are both right here, lol, in the end. or, rather, there isn't really a right answer of what one should do here. or something.

and the other unrelated funny thing that my friend who played JE and LJ for the first time pointed out is that kitakata did the same thing that yagami does at the start of the game: recording the bullying before he decides how to act appropriately. the difference is, yagami is someone from the outside and isn't really accustomised seeing this behaviour on the daily basis, and seeing how sawa acts (or, rather, doesn't) about the bullying (quoting her words: "i knew something was off but i didn't expect this", so, yeah), teachers stop seeing all the little signs as a threat big enough to act immediately. a part of the job, ignoring little signs is a means against burnout, or something like that.

kitakata has a concerned student nudging him to look closer (and he does). sawa has a help from outside, never intending to act before she saw the recording (and she is instantly involved into helping here). yagami does his job, the only task he was instructed to do here, and at a perfect moment (he is a complete outsider and doesn't see high school drama happening daily).

kitakata isn't that lucky, when sawa and yagami do the same job that kitakata does on his own. so, all three situations are completely different, and no one here is the biggest asshole, though all three of them can paint kitakata as one.

[bacchuschucklefuck]

just wanted to let you know that your art changed something in my brain chemistry. i love how you design the bad kids, especially riz. it makes me love him even more 😭😭

thank u! fantasy high as a series banks a lot on heightening and exaggerations, and trying to work with that general sensibility while translating the designs into something I have fun drawing has been nice to do :]

[steampunk-raven]

now it’s drawing oki time >:3

[haledamage]

I got a bunch of lovely screenshots from the Asylum fights 🥰 I love that you can you can actually see the difference in shade between his lightsaber and hers

even though I wish they let her use both lightsabers in cut scenes 😅 you're fighting with one hand tied behind your back, Q, no wonder he beat you

and then of course

~*Romance*~

[albonious]

*scrolls through alexander albon/george russell tag on ao3* already read, already read, not the main pairing, one-shot collection, already read, in my marked for later because it's still ongoing, already read, not the main pairing, another three one-shot collections, already read, already read, hey that's my own work, already read…