#nothing is scratching the braincell right

[just-slightly-chaotic]

what i would like to do is read but 1. my eyes hurt 2. my brain is not functioning enough for books and 3. i could read fic instead but i'm in between hyperfixations

[boowritess]

notsobaddasssoldier!reader who is kinda a cunt

reader who just doesn't give a shit about the 141 rank or title.

"you think just cause your captain of some lil task force i'm gonna bend over backwards for you? be serious."

"cool you're lieutenant...and.... anything else interesting? like how you think halloween is 24/7, or...?"

"oh so it's a big accomplishment you're sergeant at your big age? tell someone who cares."

you're just so... eh about their ranks. but they get some power trip when you call them said rank. makes them feel some sort of way that depsite your snark, you still call them by rank. showing the clear difference of inferiority and superiority between you and them.

till you notice and shut that shet down.

"your so fucking stupid. it's like if i met The Pope. I'm gonna call him Pope because he's The Pope. I still don't give a shit though."

"or like meeting a Doctor and calling them Doctor. I don't give a fuck that the persons a Doctor. I'll still call em it."

"better yet. hate the king. hate the queen. but i still call them the queen and king. because their dumbassary is just linked to their 'ranks'. if you keep annoying me the same is gonna go for you."

you have so much sass and snark that it becomes a truly humbling experience. and it's like - damn. they could put you over their knee and really put you in your place but reader takes things from 0-100 real fucking quick.

"you wanna what you fucking freak?"

"excuse me-?"

"you're so fucking dumb. get a braincell dumb bitch. do it and fucking find out what happens."

"shot me in the head and watch my corpse not give a fuck because I don't."

and when the guys get a lil too fucking serious about putting reader in their place. reader suddenly has a gun pointed at their face. you see what I mean by taking things to 0-100 real quick?

"dummy. really tryna fuck with me when we're surrounded by guns? fuck outta here with that bullshit."

"matter fact I'd just kill myself-"

"NO!" *141*

it's obvious you may be young and perhaps a little too mouthy for your own good but it's clear you're not going to be pushed around.

but it's obvious you ain't here for the 'greater good' and just doing the work to get the paycheck. while the guys find your snark to be really fucking annoying.

it turns out that you definitely have some perks.

you may not be able to hold yourself very long in battle, just a very basic solider with basic skill sets- your mouth and attitude can really work wonders on people.

in particular, the egotistical rookie who things they're all that. taking their sweet time with basic tasks, belittling other recruits who can do the bare minimum. just in general, an asshole. that's when you step in.

"you ain't shit bitch cause at the end of the fucking day turdface, you ain't bullet proof. i can shoot you right now, and all your running and yapping will cease to exist. your corspe will rot. people will stop knowing you as the loudmouth rookie, and you will just become nothing. infact. you are nothing."

*the recruit opens their mouth. you interrupt.*

"Nothing."

*recruit tries again.*

"Nothing."

it's an endless cycle that ceases when your hardened glare doesn't stop and you pick up a rock intending to throw it at the recruit. the blank, dead, serious look in your eyes showing you are more than fucking serious.

what really works wonders though, is they way you aren't worried about putting a superior in their place. the other 141 have basically been beaten in and to not question anything. they have been made to believe they are weapons more than human.

that gets shut down real quick.

you all have just come back from mission, that was grueling. a couple of you were injured. everyone looked worse for wear. dirts, scratches, blood. someone no longer had their vest. a few lost weapons. barely had any inventory. needing food, sleep, and then a long shower shower.

but instead waiting for the task force, was a superior officer, holding the next mission file. a mission they were supposed to be getting ready for and practically leave as soon as they got back.

before price could grab for it, you intercept. grabbing the mission file and throwing it at the superior officers face.

"you giant fucking anal peice of dried solid dog shit. we're not fucking doing that. we just got back from hiding in a fucking forest for three weeks with enemy surrounding us to get intel from a camp- THAT WASN'T FUCKING THERE. so you better turn and take those pretty polished shoes to another task force."

"what is your name, soldier?" *superior officer growls.*

"Dolly Parton. Now Dolly has just worked longer than a nine to five and Dolly ain't got the patience for dealing with a man like you. i got two bullets left. one for you and one for me. and if you think i won't do it- well we can put it to the test now-"

perhaps it was the utter dead look in your eyes, or the gentle yet seething venom in your tone. the superior officer simply growls and turns on their feet, leaving the task force.

it's funny cause you do get the respect, you are barely a good soldier but dang you can get shit done when need be. so price doesn't transfer you. he still keeps you close.

ghost is the one who loves the feral little shit you are. gaz and you talk mad shit about everyone on base. soap just absolutely adores you, you're the little sibling he's always wanted.

a/n: inspired by the feral nature of gen z.

[shinobiscribe]

I just thought of a funny baker in general based off the joke of someone or something like a person or a cat having a limited number of braincells or being like 'this is kitty, right now it is not their turn with the brain cell...'

If ya don't get the joke, I am so sorry for confusing you but don't worry I made an emergency backup request if you don't know joke/meme:

Request if you do know meme: just the cookies with a baker like that...someone who they joked 'doesn't have their turn with the brain cell yet.' Or 'look y/n....look at how their last two braincells are trying to comprehend what's going on.' Lmao just think it would be cute for them to have a baker who is like:

Red velvet or DE or pure vanilla or hollyberry...or dark choco/dark cacao if ya want the funniness of someone super stoic saying this: hello everyone, this is y/n. They only have one/two braincells and I love them more then life itself. (Or alternatively: hello everyone, this is y/n. Right now it isn't their turn with the braincell so there is nothing up there. I love them more than life itself.)

Baker: *blep.*

Cookie holding baker: precious. (And if you chose the 'not their turn with the braincell' path, fun little bonus:) despite loving them a lot...I hope they get their turn with the braincell soon.

If ya don't get joke: I see DE but feel like I wanna see how red velvet would be...imagine red velvet with a baker who likes to just bury themselves in the hounds or just likes to wrap red velvet's cakehand around themselves to feel cozy...

We have our moment

Baker while not as sharp, still wins the hearts of many and one of them is the stoic swordsman of Dark Cacao Kingdom.

GN!Baker, Mild teasing about intelligence or being forgetful, slice of life?

PS: I am unsure-

___

Baker or Y/N Cookie is known throughout the castle as a bit of an airhead. They often wander the halls with a dazed look, sometimes just staring off into space while absentmindedly nibbling on a piece of bread or cake.

The cookies have grown used to the sight, but none is more amused (and surprisingly fond) of it than Dark Cacao Cookie himself.

Despite Baker’s apparent lack of awareness, Dark Cacao Cookie is fiercely protective of them. Anyone who dares to mock Baker for being a little slow on the uptake will immediately feel Dark Cacao’s icy glare.

Or when Baker gets lost in the kingdom, which happens more often than he’d like, Dark Cacao is the one to go and find them.

Despite Baker’s frequent absent-mindedness, Dark Cacao is completely smitten. He finds their quirks endearing and wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Baker is always the first to volunteer for tasks or challenges, even if they don’t fully understand what’s involved.

During important meetings or when devising battle strategies, they might chime in with the most outlandish ideas that leave everyone else scratching their heads.

[arting-block]

you can do Eleventh Doctor x reader

The reader deals with the consequences of being the doctor's companion and unrequited love.

𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 | Eleventh Doctor x GN! Reader

❝𝘪𝘧 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘬.❞

Summary: You see the Doctor's love go to someone other than you.

Warnings: Angst, unrequited love

Words: 1.1K

A/N: Cooked this up with 3 braincells and lots of River x Eleven edits.

It wasn't anything special that made you like him.

Granted, everything the Doctor does is extraordinary in some way. Something hardwired in his brain that allows him to break boundaries. What is and is not possible is merely a dare for him to engage in. For him to show you just how limited your perception of this universe is. True this part of him, all alien in every way is something you valued in him, it’s not what brought the weakness in your knees. 

No, it’s something far more ordinary. Very unlike him. 

A gradual buildup that took years of small moments with the Doctor. Taking your hand in a gentle tug, pointing to various attractions to visit. Complimenting an outfit you put together for the time period you ended up in. Praise for studying hard and wanting to impress the locals. 

Above all, it was the times where nothing was said what solidified your love for the man. The TARDIS idly floating in the vacuum of space. Your legs dangling over the edge of the open door, staring out to whatever nebula you found yourself in. The Doctor would often tuck himself next to you, shoulder to shoulder. You let the air around you carry your emotions; your mind conjuring your confession. 

He would look at you, a small smile to let you know he’s there for you. And maybe, if the adventure was too taxing, the Doctor would let you lean into his side. Arms wrapping around each other, cuddling while gazing at stars.

Your face against the soft cotton of his shirts, hearing the two thuds of his own hearts. 

Leaning against the textured wall, you observe the Doctor. Once a week, every week, and without fail the Doctor would dedicate time to tinker with the console of the TARDIS. Sounds of bolts hitting the clear floor and the cranking of tools would accompany the Doctor’s rare curses. 

A familiar routine. Private.

The Doctor keeps this ritual to himself. In the little spare time he has he closes off into a bubble. Various machine parts and thick cables surround the area creating a partition. 

You wouldn’t dare to impede on the Doctor. There’s been too many close calls, more than enough life-ending encounters lately.

He needs this, you think to yourself, if he wanted your help he would ask.

You’ve chosen a small nook to occupy, elevated so you could get a bird’s eye view of the Doctor. His back faces you, hunched over the same area of the console for the last thirty minutes. Another curse tumbles out of his lips. Quiet, but your ears never fail to hear his voice. You knew the Doctor could easily rip the entire place apart and rebuild it from scratch. Something else is haunting him, and the poor console is taking the brunt of it. The side where the Doctor is working on had its lights shut off.

Go ask. Let him know you’re here.

Your feet stay planted to the ground. Feelings aren’t something the Doctor discusses. In the few times he does expose a piece of his past, he does so with reluctance. For someone who loves taking you to it, the Doctor hates looking back. It’s one of the unspoken rules you’ve discovered rather quickly. 

The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair. His face is obscured but you can imagine his frustration as clear as day. Brows pinched, mouth in a tight line, and his jaw clenched. 

“You’ve certainly made quite the mess here,” a voice—familiar and dreadful—cuts through silence like a knife, “Are you sure that button is in its rightful spot?”

River Song passes the partition with graceful, measured steps. Blonde hair cascading down her shoulders and a pristine outfit of a t-shirt and pants. Despite just hours ago the three of you trekked the slopes of a mountain River always seemed to look fresh out of a photoshoot. You’re pretty sure mud still caked the cuffs of your jeans.

You’ve met the archeologist a few times. More often than not it’s because she orchestrated some sort of meeting to get the Doctor where she needed to be. They regarded each other with such familiarity that jealousy was all you could see. 

Plucking a metal part from the Doctor’s hand, River ducked beneath the console. A few moments later the console’s lights finally turned on. 

“I was just about to do that, but I was taking a break,” the Doctor explains. 

River hummed, not too convinced, “What’s got the almighty Doctor stuck in his own head? Certainly had to be worrisome if he couldn’t connect the converter to the energy shaft. Even a baby could rig that up.”

A crack of a smile formed on the Doctor’s face, “Always observant, aren’t you Song?”

You shouldn’t eavesdrop like this; clearly a private conversation. 

A nagging voice at the back of your head tells you to stay put. To watch. See if the Doctor indulges River in the luxuries you want. Some part of you wants to know what exactly River is to the Doctor.

River is just a friend. The Doctor said so. He wouldn’t keep something like that from you.

The two of them step towards one another in sync. River with her all-knowing gaze and cunning smile; the Doctor with the weight of his problems sagging his shoulders. 

You watched helplessly as River placed a hand on the Doctor’s face. With a stomach full of lead, you watch the Doctor lean into her touch. His own hand ghosting over River’s hip as if it belongs there. 

Thousands of words spoken with just their eyes. Eons of friendship—love, perhaps between the two. 

You’ve never explicitly asked what their relationship to one another was. In a way, you dreaded what the answer would be. 

“Are you leaving soon?” the Doctor whispered. Longing.

You can’t turn away, no matter how much your heart ached.

“Do you want me to stay?” River shifted closer, her other hand resting above his chest, “If so, I might need a little convincing.”

An invitation.

The Doctor looked at River as if she hung the stars themselves. Their hands around one another in a way that reminded you of a married couple. Time moves slowly in the moment leading up to their foreheads touching. A tooth-achingly sweet, intimate gesture. A sight that makes your insides churn painfully.  

“Please, River. Just for the night,” the Doctor begs, “I need you.”

River lets out a small chuckle. Untangling herself with the Doctor, she moves to rearrange the parts surrounding the two of them, “Can’t leave the TARDIS like this. What would happen if Y/N tripped over your mess?”

The sound of your name made you strain for a response.

“They won’t. I’m sure they could figure out where to put these if they put their mind to it.”

Praise coming from the Doctor would normally make your heart flutter. In its place a cold, awful feeling that anchors itself in your gut. Your feet finally move from the corner of the room to the winding hallway. The faint chatter of the two fading away until the only sound you hear is the beating of your heart. 

They never kissed, yet the scene that unfolded made you wish they did. A kiss wouldn’t hurt as much as the Doctor begging River to stay. His voice above a whisper so that only she would hear. A moment so tender that it forcefully shifted your thinking. Those heartfelt moments you had with the Doctor were nothing more than platonic. You were never a contender for his love. It’s almost comical how you could even think that you were worthy of him. A human with such a fragile body and short lifespan. 

Even if by some miracle he did reciprocate those feelings, it wouldn’t matter.

Her. There would always be her.

[twilightlight-enashinonome]

omg you guys r so good!! i tried listening to vbs’s “music” and it was just awful i’m glad i found real artists lmao

WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME.

Alright, listen here, you little asswipe. I don't know who you think you're talking to but I can see why you hid your pathetic little opinions behind that fucking anon label because you KNEW this was backhanded hate and you just think I'm stupid don't you? I'll tell you what, you .5 on a good day good for nothing dick-breath shrimp-ass-posture having motherfucker, maybe you can't tell because your brain is too rotted by cheeto dust, but vbs has some of the best music I and anyone else in the history of the fucking universe will ever hear in their short, pathetic lives. Some of THE BEST. THE. REALEST. are you fucking listening? This group is not just gonna surpass RADder, they'll surpass all the fucking musicians that ever have and ever will make music. they'll surpass MOZART. BACH. BEETHOVEN. those old dead guys will be ROLLING IN THEIR GRAVES and when they emerge from the ground as zombies they're gonna go for YOU first, people who can't comprehend REAL music. people who don't know what GOOD is. and they'll find that they starve, because zombies eat brains and you HAVE NONE OF THOSE. there's nothing in your head, your skull is thicker than the length of the great wall of fucking china and when things DO get through it they go NOWHERE. Don't think that anon label is gonna save you, I'll fucking find you, and when I smack your head with a baseball bat it'll make the sound of a goddamn boomwhacker because it's HOLLOW. I'll get your address and I will hire someone to BUILD A VENUE right next to YOUR HOUSE and I'll get vbs to perform for you for 48 hours like the world's most spiteful fucking serenade. I will somehow get my lazy nocturnal ass up early to arrange a collaboration with vbs so we can weed bobbleheaded bumbling fucking idiots like you out of niigo's fanbase, YOU ARE NOT FUCKING WELCOME HERE. I hope your dysfunctional braincells shut down entirely and you walk off a cliff into an angry raccoon nest and one of them bites your dick off. I hope you get so many mosquito bites in places you can't reach and nobody cares about you enough to scratch them for you and every backscratcher you try and get is sold to you by some sleazy scammer. I hope your fucking crops wither and your livestock die and your family gets the plague and you have to eat dirt to survive but even the earthworms won't claim you because you're so disgusting. I hope you get jumped by unhinged vbs fans in a back alley and I'm among them so the last thing you see is my face. get out of my fucking inbox.

go stream kashika. i'm logging off for the night.

[cyberdragoninfinity]

you know it's yugo 🍌🏍🐉

LET'S YUGOOOOO

Why I like them/why I don’t: YUGOOOO god i love him so much. I think a pretty large part of why I enjoy thinking about him so much is i feel like he kind of gets written off as just Mr. Funny Sillyguy who doesn't get taken very seriously, which is a shame!! Cuz he's a really cool and brave and interesting and honestly deeply sad character! He's just some dirt poor kid trying to find his best friend and start a better life with her, he doesnt know he's a shard of The Evilest Man Alive. And then his best friend got BRAIN WORMED and KICKED HIS ASS and he NEVER GOT TO SEE HER AGAIN. ALRIGHT. I'LL BE NORMAL ABOUT IT. (and also he is absolutely hysterical. guy who says 'whoopsie.' guy with maybe 3 braincells to spare on any given day. god help him)

What I like about their appearance: I LOVE yugo's color palette, the primary colors with the white truly both evokes bruno my friend bruno but also the white is such a nice visual link to synchro summoning. Also he just really feels like he belongs in a 5d's inspired dimension, his racing suit/outfit design feels right at home next to actual 5D's characters/just that sort of turbo duel racing motif'd world in general. also his banana bangs are so fucking funny

Do I prefer their dub names or original names?: same in both, yugo through and through, and i love it! ("hugo" is also really funny. guy who is not beating the White Yuya allegations)

OTP: hey check this out *starts doing crazy aro!rin queerplatonic appleshipping maneuvers that blow your mind*

NOTP: i like. dont even Hate yugo/yuri it's just so nothing to me. the dynamic of these characters is infinitely more interesting to me through a platonic lens. stepbrothers (2008).

OT3: yugo and rin and their motorcycle outracing the cops for life!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Favourite card they use: I DO LOVE CLEAR WING A LOT such a sick as hell dragon design... I also really like his one speedroid spell card thats just a lottery Scratch Off Ticket. speedroid 7/11 gas station ass card.

Favourite moment they were in: god. so many. but i do think 'yugo thinking zuzu is dead and in heaven and he keeps bringing it up' is one of my favorites. it's so fucking funny. NOBODY TOLD HIM!!! i do also love like. every time they would cut to yugo during friendship cup duels he wasnt in and he would just be like. eating his doordash. it made me laugh every time

Least favourite moment: THE PARASITE'D!RIN AND YUGO DUEL IS SO FUCKING HARD TO WATCH. IT'S JUST MISERABLE his fucking motorcycle, this emblem of his bond with rin, gets broken, he doesnt even get to see rin truly in her right mind and neither does she. and then they never see each other again because they both DIE AFTERWARDS. IT READS LIKE FUCKING MELODRAMATIC TORTURE PORN. WHY DID THEY DO THAT TO BOTH OF THEM.

Something I associate with the character: yuya is usually my AJR discography yuboy but The Dumb Song is such a yugo song to me. college AU yugo especially. i love the idea of like...yugo being more self aware of his dumbassery than he lets on.

[krisseratops]

Hi cupcake! Anti-Venom and 2, 4 and 12 for the ask game?

Hi honeybun! Sorry for the delay, I was busy horsing around! And thank you so much for the ask, I will try to not spontaneously combust while talking about my fave! And you did ask about my fave, so you brought this on yourself! Here we go!

2. Favourite canon thing about this character?

Before I start, I have to let you know, I am Indecisive(TM). As fuck. Which means I often don't have favourites simply because I cannot choose which one to pick. And also there are so many things about him that I love. Like his design. I love all the symbiotes but there is just something about his face and the way he looks that scratches my brain just right and makes me go apeshit. And that he is a wet pathetic dumbass extraordinaire, worse than when he is Venom even though he desperately tries to pretend like he's got his shit together. Like, they were always idiots but I swear Symby took half the braincells in the divorce, and when he got Anti they had to split what was left. And of course the whole religious nut messiah complex is funny as hell. Also little things like the way using his healing powers leaves him conked out, and the way he grows tiny spikes all over when he gets agitated or upset. God I love his little spikes. And also the way he embodies the whole "If I cannot be wanted, I will be needed, and if I cannot be needed I will be used until there is nothing left". Aughhh.

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

I actually don’t do a lot of crossovers between different media, as I usually prefer putting my blorbos in situations in their own universe, or completely off the shits headcanons. But remember that story idea about symbiotes disguising themselves while in the spider verse? Yeah, I've stuck him in the spider verse a number of times for shits and giggles. Also because the multiverse means unlimited potential for settings and situations for them all to get roped into. Otherwise I do like putting him in medieval or fantasy settings, usually in multiverse context, because symbiote dragons babey!

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

Oh my. There are SO MANY HEADCANONS swirling around my noggin. (Like, I use canon for cherry picking, then take that and bits and pieces of fanon and anything I can find that I like and put it in a blender, then fill the gaps with whatever headcanons I feel like. Just frankensteining together several versions of him in my head that are between 30-80% headcanon, I keep them on rotation for whatever fits the mood.) One of my main headcanons is that Anti-Venom survives the spider island event. Simply because I don’t want him to die, and for fanfic plot reasons so that he and Agent Venom get more fun times together ;). I have a few different takes on how exactly the symbiote lives on, but it's kinda similar to how Carnage had bonded so closely with its host that it never really left, and could regenerate itself over time from the smallest traces in his body. Bonus points are that the biblical similarities of Anti-Venom sacrificing itself to save the souls of the innocent by giving up its body, only to rise from the dead some time later would absolutely send Eddie's messiah complex into overdrive and make him even more insufferable. Oh, right, and I should probably also mention that I frequently headcanon Anti-Venom as sentient/sapient. Because I want to, and because it makes things a lot more interesting. But I won't go into more detail about that here or else this will turn into a dissertation.

Hope you enjoyed my ramblings! I think I need to go lie down now...

[asukamood]

Surprise Party (Dream and Nightmare birthday special)

***

This is based on an RP with Jay (I think you are all starting to become familiar with them). This takes place in a timeline where Dream grew a braincell and stopped chasing Nightmare.

***

Warnings: none

Ships: Meme Squad Poly, Drueswap

Synopsis: Dream sighed again, longing for the untouched cup of coffee that was waiting for him in his office as he pushed the door open. At first, he saw nothing but darkness.

As he was about to turn around and ask Ink what was going on before the lights suddenly turned on and loud pop sounds erupted from all around the room as several figures leaped from a made-up giant table on which lay an equally massive cake.

***

“Where are we going?” Dream asked, confused out of his mind as Ink pulled on his sleeve, dragging him down the corridor toward the cafeteria. The halls were strangely empty, the few staff members standing guard paying no attention to them besides a nod of a greeting.

Everyone had been acting odd ever since the first hour of the morning and Dream was starting to suspect that something was stirring up in the depths of the Justice Reigns’ headquarters and he had no idea if it was supposed to be a good thing or not.

Ink kept pulling him further into the halls. “Somewhere.”

“And the reason?”

“Boss, respectfully, shut the fuck up.” Dream sighed deeply at the sentence, shoving down the seed of irritation that threatened to blossom in his chest. Getting angry at Ink would do little good.

They were approaching the cafeteria’s imposing wooden doors now. He at least hoped that whatever was in there was worth his time, a terrifying amount of paperwork was still waiting for him in his office, and he would like to be done with it as soon as possible to rid himself of some work.

He could really use some sleep.

At last, Ink finally released his sleeve and stopped in front of the doors. Dream also froze to avoid bumping into him, dusting his jacket. He raised an eyebrow as he noticed his subordinate staring at him.

“What is it?” Ink gestured toward the door.

“Open it.” Dream crossed his arms around his chest, still perplexed as to what Ink was thinking.

“Can’t you do it yourself?” Ink rolled his eyes as he stepped away from the door.

“What, are you scared?” He lightly tapped his back to push him closer to the door handle. “It’s a door Boss, it’s not going to bite you in the ass.”

Dream sighed again, longing for the untouched cup of coffee that was waiting for him in his office as he pushed the door open. At first, he saw nothing but darkness.

As he was about to turn around and ask Ink what was going on before the lights suddenly turned on and loud pop sounds erupted from all around the room as several figures leaped from a made-up giant table on which lay an equally massive cake.

Confetti were released in the air as a chorus of “Happy Birthday!” came forth from most of the silhouettes’ mouths who Dream soon identified as Nightmare, Error, Cross (the only one who did not yell that), Blue and Kevin, sitting on Nightmare’s head.

A Happy Birthday banner also appeared in his field of vision, having descended from ceiling, and now hung there, right in front of the cake.

Ink walked past him and took a confetti shooter, triggering it at least three seconds after everyone else. He kept trying to reignite again but to no avail, the toy being thrown somewhere else in the room now that it was empty and useless.

Dream blinked awkwardly. “We are celebrating a birthday today? Why did no one tell me?”

“...” Blue facepalmed, looking beyond disappointed.

“I told you guys he was stupid!” Cross exclaimed, letting himself fall on the first chair he found.

“Can you really not remember whose birthday it is today?” Error asked incredulously, his eyes wide open.

Dream scratched his neck. “Well, I know it’s Nightmare’s birthday today, but it doesn’t make sense if he’s here, does it?”

Said man seemed surprised by the fact he had not forgotten about him, his heart a little warmer now however he quickly masked his real feeling with an exaggerated sigh. “Oh my god, Dream, who shares my birthday?”

He rested his chin on his hand in thought before realization suddenly hit him. “Oh...”

“Idiot.” Nightmare shook his head in disappointment.

“How can you even forget your own birthday, angel?” Blue raised an eyebrow, for once looking perplexed, but then again it was hard to tell if he was being genuine or not.

“Because he’s a dumb fuck, that’s why.” Cross rolled his eye as Error stepped on his foot, making the latter yelp.

“Agh, why?!” Dream ignored him altogether, preferring to shrug at Blue’s question.

“Maybe it’s because I haven’t celebrated it in a while, I can’t remember when the last time something like this happened.” Somehow, Dream only noticed Nightmare climbing on top of a table when the latter’s hand struck on top of his head.

Dream yelped, turning around with wide eyes.

He came face to face with an unimpressed Nightmare, whose hand quickly retracted back to his side. “That’s such a lame excuse!” For good measure, he hit Dream again. “I haven’t celebrated it either, but I didn’t forget it.”

Dream sighed as he moved away from the table to avoid giving Nightmare any funny idea. He did not want to be stuck being hit by an army of plastic ducks again. “I cannot give an explanation to this I am afraid, but even so, there was no need for you to call my explanation lame and even less hit me over that. When did you even get over there?”

While Nightmare was distracting him, Blue and Error soon got into position as the former swiftly and quietly moved to the door Ink closed a few moments ago, turning the key in the lock. Meanwhile, Error was preparing an anti-magic barrier, doing his best not to be noticed, still without Dream’s knowledge.

“None of your business.” Nightmare rolled his eyes. “And let me give you the explanation, I’m just better.” Dream decided to ignore the comment altogether.

He lowered his head and suddenly took notice of a ridiculously bright cone hat in Nightmare’s hands, a yellow one, that spelled out “HAPPY BRITHDAY!” in an equally ridiculous font. How could a font be qualified as ridiculous? He did not know either, it simply gave him that impression.

Needless to say, he was not quite happy about what the presence of that hat implied.

Nightmare seemed to notice Dream’s sudden drop of mood and a wide grin stretched his lips as he held up the hat in his hands higher, almost teasingly. “Oh, you’ve finally noticed my little buddy, Ey?”

Dream rubbed his forehead with his hands, trying to assess how screwed he was if he failed to escape whatever embarrassing scheme Nightmare was trying to pull him into, not knowing he had already fallen into it.

“Please, do not tell me you are counting on me to wear this... garment.” He made a grimace as he spoke the last word, a grimace that Cross made sure to catch in the highest setting possible. Today was a good day for him, that much was obvious.

The expression on Nightmare’s face only seemed to confirm that he too was having a wonderful time. “Oh Dream, you’re speaking as if you had any choice in the matter.”

“That is not happening.” he stated, moving toward the door. His hand gripped the door handle but instead of twisting and tracing his way out, it stayed stubbornly still. He frowned and tried again, only to get the same result.

“...” He turned back to the rest and noticed Blue flapping his eyelids at him in a false innocent manner. He heaved in a heavy sigh, noticing on the way the barrier that has been placed in the room.

Nightmare waited patiently for the other to say something, the hat in his hands only seeming to grow more ridiculous the more Dream looked at it.

Finally, he braved himself into trying the impossible.

“... Can’t we talk about this?” Nightmare snickered in response.

“Talk about you agreeing easily before I make you? Of course!” He cheerfully skipped away toward him and raised his arms.

Meanwhile, the four others were having the time of their lives watching the scene unfold of the most prominent figure in the entire multiverse being bullied by his childhood friend who was 8 inches shorter than said figure. As all good audience members did, they commented on the action happening in front of them.

“They so missed spending time together like this.” Error said almost flatly as he sipped on some coffee, already eyeing the coffee machine in the corner and visualizing their next encounter.

“That much is obvious.” Blue shook his head with a small smile. “It’s a real shame angel boy had been in so much denial. This could have happened earlier if he had just accepted his feelings as they were.”

“Yeah, I haven’t seen Nightmare have this much fun in a long time.” Cross agreed, cheering on said man from the side.

“Even Boss is acting a bit playful.” Ink retorted, for some reason hanging on the ceiling. When had he gotten there? No one knows.

“By the way, what have you gotten them?” Blue suddenly brought up, a small smile on his face.

Cross and Error exchanged a look before turning back to the small group that was formed while Nightmare was in the process of forcing Dream on his knees to forcibly attach the birthday hat to his head while threatening to stick it with glue if the other tried to get it off.

Oh, it seems like he is trying to guilt trip him into it too... Anyway.

“Well, we-” Cross began before he was immediately cut off.

“Did you guys get a gift without stealing anything this time?” Ink asked, one finger in his ear seeming unbothered by the odd look Blue was giving him on the side. “Boss threw a fit last time, and I don’t fancy getting my ears ranted on again.”

“We got it by totally legitimate means.” Error crossed his arms around his chest. “Besides, most of our gift was made by our hands.”

“Even if that would have been pretty funny to see bird boy raging about that...” Cross yelped as Error suddenly elbowed him in the ribs, somehow forgetting about his fear of touch. Or he had gotten comfortable enough to be able to do that, who knows?

“Oh? How weird, even I am starting to become curious now.”

“Such a shame, seems like you’re going to have to find out what it is like everyone else.” Error replied smugly with a smile that was so uncharacteristically arrogant that Cross raised an eyebrow. However, that seemed to tick off Ink who turned toward Blue.

“Don’t make me beat the answer out of you.” Blue frowned.

“I did not even utter a word, why must I always be targeted when one needs intel on a subject?” Ink deadpanned at him.

“Because you suck and definitely know the answer.”

“I cannot deny that but still that seems to be quite the tyrannical way to be informed of things, especially for a Justice Reigns executive.” The discussion would have taken quite a tragic turn if not for Nightmare and Dream finally returning from their dilemma.

Dream looked seconds away from running his sword through his chest while Nightmare looked like the happiest man alive. Ah, the wonders of old age.

“What are you guys talking about over there?” Cross shrugged.

“The gifts we have chosen for you guys. Well, at least that was the original topic. Ink has been threatening to beat Blue up to know what we got you.” Dream, hearing this, gave Ink a pointed look to which the latter retorted that the lecture that would soon fall from his lips would have no effect on him due to his ridiculous attire.

Meanwhile, Nightmare’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, you idiots got me a gift?” Cross eyed him like he was crazy.

“Duh?? What kind of boyfriends would we be if we did not even get you a gift for your birthday?”

Dream raised an eyebrow. “Wait, you three are dating?”

“I thought it was obvious.” Nightmare simply replied. “But anyway, I’m curious now, what did you guys get?”

“Aren’t gifts supposed to be given after eating the cake?”

“Aren’t best friends supposed to go at each other’s throats for a whole ass century?”

Dream hummed. “Fair point.”

“Besides we aren’t even supposed to be alive so who cares about the traditions really?” Cross nodded in approval as he got up to get the gift.

{Done enough with Jay to continue this storyline for a year or two sooo I am afraid you will get to know the continuation of this shot next year (yes, I am evil). Toodles~}

[ozrockbitway]

Hey hey hey! Back at it again to ask if Vale has any lore or connections with any canon characters? You know, besides Grim XD (Of course if you have more to talk about involving Grim than I'd love to hear about it!!!)

sldkfjsdlkj my initial reaction to this question lol I have some THOTS but nothing to in depth?? I just think of haha fun times with Shroud bros mostly-

but!! I will throw some sick lore down for ya!

Vale & Grim

I like to think at some point they kinda become in sync with each other?? Like just over little things!! They'll both tilt their heads at the same time, if Grim does the cat thing to paw at his ears you can catch Vale scratching their head...its a lil cute and Ace probably makes fun of them for it lol

To appease the great Grim, Vale occasionally writes little things for him! They jot down like mini epic tales for the cat to re-read. He gets really defensive over them.

Grim would probably be spoiled by Vale if he did better in classes!! The first time they get a failing grade, Vale is ready to eat his tuna right in front of him (and they don't even like tuna!!). they don't do it ofc but man. Grim plz. do your work!!

I mentioned this in the bday post, but since Grim doesn't have an actual birthday, Vale tells him they'll share theirs! The cat immediately starts asking for gifts from everyone else lol he's too impatient to wait a whole year for gifts.

Heartslabyul & Vale

Ace and Deuce are their homies! Ace tends to be a little more harsh with them though, he just wants Vale to be...not a pushover. He messes with them a lot though. Vale just puts their trust in him so they'll fall for stuff, especially if it's related to Twisted Wonderland lore/history/whatever. (ie. Ace: Did you know chickens here can lay golden eggs? Vale & Deuce: :0c Ace: ...I'm joking it's just a fairytale. Vale & Deuce: 😔) Vale likes his magic tricks!! They'll clap for him whenever he does something even if it's a simple coin trick.

Deuce would go to Vale for studying! tbh he's pretty surprised how good they are in classes?? like damn you're not even from here and your grades are so good?? Deuce initiates the study sessions and Vale ends up leading them at this point. THEY ALSO BOND OVER EGGS!! At some point Vale mentions "fake eggs" to him (like that stuff you use to make scrambled eggs really quick instead of using a real egg) and they just bond over how bad that is. Only real eggs in this house!!

Originally, Vale is in possession of the braincell when with these two but now I'm feeling like they might lose it too lol. They really just go with the flow tbh. They won't skip class or do anything TOO dangerous or stupid, but if they're all like...outside and see a sleeping Floyd and Ace is like "I dare you to poke him", Vale would be against it because why would you do that??? After the trio bickers for a bit they end up going to go and do it.

I think that Riddle might enjoy Vale's company?? At least they're a good study partner. Like Deuce, he's pretty impressed at your grades and how hard they try to learn what they can despite not having magic. Vale would probably ask him a lot of questions about the Queen of Hearts and his home in general. He knows a lot and they can definitely take his word over Ace's for true Twisted Wonderland facts.

I don't have much with Trey or Cater unfortunately. I'd just think Vale always does this ✌️ in Cater's pictures because they don't know what else to do. That's now their staple thing. Iconic.

Savanaclaw & Vale

100% would be like a second Ruggie to Leona if they were around the dorm more. Leona wants something? aye aye captain! He might not take too much advantage of them like he does with Ruggie, but it's not bad having a second helper around. Honestly, he's just kinda waiting for Vale to bark back at him. Kinda like how Ace wants them to have a backbone except not as blunt.

Would also get dragged into helping Ruggie out with whatever he has in mind. He knows he can go to Vale and ask for help and they won't ask for anything in return. But I think he'd be willing to give them something for helping.

Don't have much with Jack rip. I just think Vale can go to him for more heavy lifting jobs. If they have to do anything for Crowley, Jack would be like the first to volunteer to help?? If it's a two man job at least. Vale would listen to him talk about his cacti though. Also wants to touch his tail but they know better.

Octavinelle & Vale

If Vale is ever in need of cash, it's time to go to Octavinelle. Or if they're down a member/short staffed I think Azul would call on them for the assistance. Such a benevolent soul knows they need some money (and food) and he needs help at the lounge. It's a win-win, no? Vale is usually kept to waiting tables or greeting guests.

Azul thinks Vale would be a good fit in his dorm. Not because having this magicless human could be of benefit to him, but because they follow the Sea Witch's benevolence. Yes, Azul is the MOST benevolent person in school, but Vale? Always kind. They answer wishes in a different kind of way. So, he's curious about them. Offers a place in the dorm (and a uniform) constantly. Vale thinks he's pretty cool though and is amazed at what he can do. They want to see his true form again and probably wrote about it at some point. I joked at some point about Vale using Azul as a muse for a novel but it might just be true...shh don't tell him.

Vale tells Jade...too much lol. But can you blame them when Jade offers to lend an ear? He is the reason/inspiration for them starting their book club after all. So there's some solidarity in them being the only members of their clubs. They are also unofficial members of each others clubs at some point?? Basically "if you go to my club meeting I'll go to yours". Also Vale would probably fall for his crocodile tears and help him out if he ever needs it. (Ace screaming in the bg)

Vale cannot escape Floyd. If Floyd wants them then...welp that's it. They can't say no to him and it doesn't help that they're passive about being busy or something. They're the only person to keep up with Floyd's whims so that's why he keeps going back to them. "If you dont wana do something with me, then Shrimpy will!" Anyway forced friendship! He's also the one insisting to take Vale swimming after learning they know how to.

Also Octavinelle folks are the first to find out about Vale's surname being Crowley 😂 At some point Azul needs their full name written down and yeah the contract doesn't need to be magical but he knows that just putting "Vale" down doesn't seal the deal. So...haha...funny last name. Floyd mcfrickin loses it over learning this. Jade does to but at least he hides his laughter.

Scarabia & Vale

Not too much here wah! They just struggle being around Kalim because oh god no he wants to party and how do you say no to constant parties when he looks so happy?! If Vale is stuck with him I feel like they'd tell them commoner things and he'd be like super amazed at it.

Vale turns to Jamil whenever they need an escape. Jamil...does his best but man. Kalim. Please. We busy!!

Pomefiore & Vale

Vale doesn't hang around Pomefiore too often, mostly due to Vil being a busy person. They didn't have much of an opinion of him at first, but they're surprised at how hardworking he is?? And yeah he isn't the nicest person but you know celeb gossip and how celebrities are assholes? They were expecting that from him and surprised that's not really the case. Vale starts watching Vil's movies with Ortho and is becomes a low-key fan later on. Vil probably likes going to Vale because on multiple times they seem to have forgotten who Neige is but not him. That's a win, queen!! Unfortunately, I don't think Vale can last around Vil for too long. He wants perfection and Vale doesn't think they can do everything he says rip

At some point I wanted Vale to go ask Rook to learn about archery from him?? So they can have some kinda self defense in this magic filled world. Still unsure if I'm following through on that (it's either this or go to the eels to learn self-defense and get REKT in the process). Other than that I think Vale would read his poetry?? Mans is so eloquent that they read his stuff and has to reread it again. Good prose and all but not their kinda thing.

Can't think of too much with Epel aside from them asking about apple carving?? Maybe use some for inspiration...Vale is also willing to hide Epel in Ramshackle to get away from Vil. Does it ever work? No. Do they keep doing this? Yes.

Ignihyde & Vale

Ace & Deuce may be the homies, but Ortho was the first!! It starts with Vale being kinda shook that theres a robot/android here in school. It's super sci-fi and they think Ortho is amazing! To others it might look like they're trying to butter him up or something but they're just interested in Ortho. What does he like to do and all that stuff. They're also willing to play games with him when no one else wants to (if Ignihyde boys won't play with him then Vale will!!). While Vale is a pushover, if they're going to stand up for anyone it's going to be Ortho!! Ace is proud of them somewhere...

And Vale's friendship with Ortho is what leads to meeting Idia! Ortho, very early on, makes the connection that Vale is interested in games and anime too. Now it's just getting them to meet. tbh Ortho can hype up Idia and Vale will believe him 100%. It's not like Ortho lies about his brother, he is super smart and he made him too! So yeah Vale believes him.

Idia and Vale are a bit...awkward at first. Their first impression still kinda sticks out (meeting over trying to get a manga and p sure Idia wasn't the kindest there). But once they can make a connection on games and whatnot it's all smooth sailing from there. Sort of. Vale would be interested in this world's stories and they could go off about theirs too. Compare anime and video games. They listen to him go off and can keep up with his lingo (most of the time). Idia doesn't trust them at first, too kind and nice, but lmao he likes having someone who can keep up with him...

Haha tag team duo of Vale & Ortho trying to get Idia out of his room. tbh Vale is fine vibing in there with him but like...cat cafes, Idia!! video game/anime themed cafes!! That's probably how they manage to get him out at first.

Shroud bros are also the first to find out the link between Vale & Grim. It really comes out in ch.6. There's one note that shows something coming from Vale when Grim is active. It also doesn't help that Vale can pinpoint exactly which room Grim is in without the bros telling them. little things that give it away!

Diasmonia & Vale

Vale finding out Malleus is also part of the solo member of a club 🤝. Would find books on gargoyles just to show him tbh. Invites him to hang out for their club meeting even if he's not a member. He can be an unofficial one too!! They're down to be an unofficial member of his. Vale is pretty chill with Malleus. Even after learning who he is, they just vibe with him. Nothing changes. The only thing that does is Vale like holy moly dragon!!! They also know Malleus likes being outside and walking around at night but they always ask if he wants to come into Ramshackle too. He usually declines cuz he likes the 'magic' the night air brings when with them.

For the other three...I think Lilia just likes to jumpscare Vale lol. It's so easy and fun to spook them, so he has his fun messing with them. He might be like Ace and trick them into believing things but at the same time no?? It sounds like a trick but it's true so?? Just no one believes Lilia bcuz he's so cryptic.

Vale isn't around Silver and Sebek too often. Vale thinks Silver has a calming aura but they get worried when he falls asleep. They end up getting yelled at by Sebek too often. It doesn't help that they spend time with Malleus more than he does. They think his devotion to Malleus is neat though! They regret telling him that...

[historitor-bookshelf]

You know what? I can't deal with this today anymore without a cat. So, look at my cat

He knows nothing. No braincells. Hella cute.

...I need him right now and give him a good scratch.

^what he said

[elitheaceofalltrades]

Crime O'clock - Demo Review

After a lovely day, I was having a terrible evening thanks to a letter from my local city council. I decided to sit down and play the Crime O'clock demo cause it seemed like it would lift my spirits. I think this game was a recommendation from Payton's Corner?? I'd have to go through my youtube and check. I'm pretty sure it was a rec though, as this is not the kind of game I would usually demo. It's marked as a hidden object and time travel game and I would not have looked twice at it if it wasn't recommended. But oh my goodness, I had so much fun and I absolutely adored it.

So the premise of the game is that there exist a True Timeline and occasionally, people try to disrupt this timeline through crime. As a time detective, your job is to solve these crimes in order to preserve the True Timeline. In the game, some mysterious force seems to be trying to disrupt the timeline by doing a lot of little crimes over a spread of time as opposed to one big crime. You have to figure out who they are, foil their plans and save the time as we know it. The demo only scratched the surface of the plot but it explained it very well in the short time and leaves you excited for more. Now, onto my thoughts.

First of all, I want to point out that this is a genuinely unique premise, like I've heard of nothing else like it. I feel like sometimes in gaming (in everything really), things are starting to feel more and more like a rift off an existing idea as opposed to something new and fresh. Crime O'clock is a true one of a kind story that feels like it's breathing a breath of fresh air into my gaming catalogue(or more realistically, my wishlist).

On the technical side, the music was fun and upbeat and matched the mood of the game well. The graphics were very pretty, despite being mostly in greyscale, and the points that used colour were so distinct that it almost feels like each colour palette is distinctly for a certain part of the game. Mechanically, it was a point and click game, so not much there to mess up I don't think.

The actual game is excellent. In the game, you work with your AI, EVE, who helps you, provides guidance, tools, and if you ask, hints. The dialogue from EVE is funny (in my opinion at least) and is a perfect balance of informative and entertaining. The plot is fun and makes you think but it isn't overwhelming. The setting is so out there, and combined with the cute art, animal characters, and combination of past & present with outrageous technology like teleportation portals (yes it sounds wild, but it fits so well), it all makes it just silly enough that you don't take it too serious and use too many braincells.

The puzzles aren't easy but they aren't overly complex. I only had to use the hint system once and there's no punishment for using a hint. Despite it technically being a hidden object game, it didn't feel like one as I was playing, mostly because it's so unlike any hidden object game I've played before.

I feel like, the length of this review tells you how much I loved this game and this was only the demo.  I will definitely get this game once my employment status has been sorted. I feel like the last couple of demo reviews I posted have been "will buy when I have money" like Another Code and Wylde Flowers but that's mainly cause they've been the ones that excite me enough that I have the energy to write a review. I am working on a post called "Games I demoed and did not like" that's currently 6 games and counting, so it's not all 5 stars over here, that's just what excited me right now.

Overall, I definitely recommend this game to anyone who likes puzzle-ly or detective cosy games and is looking for something new.

Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

~Eli

Ace of All Trades, Pro at None😆

[nixytea]

[☂︎] — study date w/ jungwon

synopsis: a study date with jungwon at the library, enough said. pre-relationship where you’re still testing out the waters. (w/c: 937)

“i can’t do this.”

“oh yes you can.”

“no, no jungwon. i physically, mentally, emotionally cannot do this. not today, my friend.”

jungwon stares at you, the deadpan look he gives you enough to send a chill through your bones. “i’m here for a reason, y/n. want to remind me again?”

you mumble out a sulky reply, but jungwon is not satisfied by that. “say it louder.”

“fine. we’re here because i can’t memorise atomic structure for the life of me.”

“that’s right, now look at the question again. come on, you’re not even past page three, and there’s like, twenty of these.” he covers a line at the top of the page with his hand. “explain, in terms of atomic structure, why metals can conduct electricity.”

you stare at the notes in front of you for one beat. two beats. “i…because, um. i don’t know?” you scratch your head, sheepishly looking back up at him. immediately you wish you didn’t, because the barely-concealed mixture of horror and disappointment on his face takes a chunk off your soul with each second you look at it.

how did you land yourself here, in a freezing public library, with your friend-turned-crush seated opposite you? well, it’s simple. you are usually a hardworking student who absorbs material quickly, but somehow the concept of atoms just…escapes you. for goodness’ sake, your dream job has nothing to do with chemistry. and just your luck, yang jungwon has volunteered to tutor you on this subject, while you coach him in math (his trigonometric graphs look like lumpy molehills if you have to be honest).

well, it’s not really your fault, is it? how are you supposed to memorise the structure of graphite when the object of your affection is right across you? with his long fingers flying across the keyboard, cute features scrunched up in concentration, there is absolutely no way you are getting in anything chemistry-related.

he seems to notice this too, as he sighs, shaking his head fondly. “if you can focus for the next hour, i’ll buy you bubble tea after this.”

you instantly perk up. “the hot one? with extra milk?”

his disgust is apparent, but he swallows it back down anyway, a convincing smile surfacing. “sure, but you have to get this chapter down.”

no problem.” with renewed energy, you pick up your pen and begin to copy down the line a few times on rough paper. the prospect of free boba after a gruelling study session hypes you up. if there’s one thing in life that motivates you, it’s hot bubble tea.

unbeknownst to you, jungwon is a little distracted too. entranced by your adorable passion for boba tea, as well as the sudden intensity you have towards your least favourite chemistry topic, he can’t help himself. what is he supposed to do, not watch you be the most lovable human in his eyes?

you glance up from your notes, and he immediately turns away, dimples cheeks dusted a light pink as he realises he’s been caught. “what’re you doing?”

his blush deepens at your question, biting his lips as he tries to hold back his nervous smile. “nothing, just wondering how i could get confessed to by someone like you.”

ah. you and jungwon had been deskmates since the beginning of the year. bonded by the shared frustration over your studies, especially the complexities of the concept of orbitals, a friendship was formed quickly. over time, the feelings between you had blossomed into something a little…different. it had taken months before your friend’s persuasion to just tell him had an effect. less than a week prior to today’s meeting, you’d asked him to go to the rooftop, where you’d made known your feelings for him. and because yang jungwon is a sensible boy who owns more braincells than the average person, he all but collapsed at your confession.

you’d agreed to take things slowly, more than content to wait for jungwon’s confident reply. until then, you and him would still hang out. like today.

jungwon shuts his eyes, a wistful glint in his eyes as he gazes at you so tenderly you feel as if you might cry on the spot. “let’s talk about it later, over our bubble tea. i’ve kept you waiting long enough.” you’d be blind to not notice that jungwon does return your feelings, but you still want to hear it from him properly.

“okay,” you muse. a light pierces through the overcast sky, and you peer out the window. the glass panels serve as a divider between you and the rapidly falling drops of rain. coupled with the quietness of the library, the effect of the atmosphere has you relaxing slightly. jungwon’s fluffy jacket around your shoulders has never felt cosier. boring as studying may be, you want to stay in this moment forever, basking in the feeling of a pause button that allows you to enjoy the presence of your companion.

jungwon taps your wrist gently. “looks like it’s raining. there isn’t a sheltered walkway between the mall and the library. why don’t we stay a little longer till it gets lighter?” there’s an unmistakable double meaning in his words, and his uncertain expression reflects it tenfold.

you return his smile with one of your own, a silent agreement exchanged between the two of you without you even having to say a word. and so you carry on, the soothing scratch of your pens and the steady tapping of the drizzle outside filling the comfortable silence. with your favourite person by your side, you couldn’t wish for anything more.

a/n: inspired by my japanese listening comprehension in class, as well as that pic of won above :DD it’s cute and i’m whipped for rainy days, no explanation required right? as we all know real life relationships need more than just an “i like u and u like me”, and there’s a sense of responsibility and commitment that has to be there. i just felt like jungwon would be someone who emphasises the importance of taking things slowly before entering a relationship and making things official. so yes, in other words this is my interpretation of how to get urself an s/o in the form of a self-indulgent fic. enjoy!

[headspacedad]

"What's that?"

I looked over at Marcos and then we both looked over at Barbara. It wasn't that we were using so many braincells that we couldn't spare a few it was just that once you got into the 'camels on a long journey' mindset you really didn't want to break out of it. The semi-truck wasn't going to unload itself and the sooner we got it unloaded the sooner we could stop unloading it. Barbara, at the back of the line, because she'd sprained her wrist last truck day and hadn't been able to call off because we didn't get paid enough to call off, had stopped tetrising the awkward boxes on top of the boxes we'd tetrised there two days ago. Boxes had started to pile up behind her. Which meant if Marcos kept wiggling boxes out of the wall of them in the truck's interior and handing them to me to put on the rink-a-dink rollers we pretended was a conveyor belt, they'd start falling off when they got to Barbara's pile.

"What's what?" I asked, more to get her moving again than because I cared. We were in the back of the store. Anything she thought was unusual enough to mention probably wasn't something any of us really wanted to see.

"It's like - a door. That's glowing."

Marcos and I shared another look. He squatted down on his heels but didn't hop off the truck. The truck driver had wandered off to the gas station next door for coffee so we were our own masters for the moment.

"Probably some of the Halloween shit got turned on in all the jostling. Not our problem."

"No," Barbara sounded more awake than she usually did. Than any of us did by two in the morning. "You guys need to come see this."

"Barb-" I started, not wanting to remind me feet they were attached to my legs or they'd start hurting. She put her hands on her hips and glared at us. That was new. Usually we just kind of - drifted around each other and that made everybody comfortable. Actual interaction beyond small talk during our lunch break was weird.

"Come. See," she instructed.

"Fine," I grumped it but got moving anyway. The faster we did whatever Barbara was doing, the faster we could get back to getting the truck unloaded so we could all go back to our earpods as we stocked shelves and ignored life. Marcos dropped out of the truck behind me and we shambled over.

After a long moment, standing next to Barb, I managed a:

"huh."

Sure enough - there was a door. Right there, half hidden by the giant box of foam wreath forms and the plaster lion statues. There were no walls holding the door up and it wasn't propped up against any of the boxes around it and it was, sure enough, glowing an eerie green slime kind of glow that leaked out past its edges. The doorknob was something really foul looking, some kind of face that was too specific to compare to anything for recognition purposes and the mouth of it was also open and leaking green glowing light.

"Don't like that," Marcos said from over the top of my head where he was standing behind me.

I scratched absently at my cheek because the yarn I'd been stocking before the truck had arrived was still making me itch.

"We could put those giant boxes with the blow up lawn chickens in witch hats in front of it."

"Leave it for the day shift to deal with," Marcos agreed.

"Yeah," I said and after a moment, next to me, Barbara nodded too.

"Yeah," she said. "Let's let the day shift deal with it."

Which was when the green glow went supernova and the door burst open, blinding me with even more green. I felt something reach out, like a giant hand, or maybe just a giant riptide of air, and grab me. I flailed, half-blind, caught Marcos' arm. I felt his fingers wrap around my wrist. It did nothing to stop the fact I was getting hauled into the opening of the door. I heard Barbara scream and she was even closer to the door than I was. My feet left the floor and everything was green and glowing and my insides felt like the time I'd actually been stupid enough to eat one of the hot dogs the gas station sold at this hour of the night. My fingertips brushed the frame of the door as I was pulled through but all that did was rip some skin off. I didn't stand a chance of catching hold of it. Blood, or wind, or God knew what, roared inside my ears.

And then I was sitting in a grassy field, on a nice looking summer day with clouds in the sky and a village within sight down past the dirt track that ran past the field. Marcos was lying next to me, blinking up at the sky and Barbara was spitting grass out of her teeth on my other side.

Somewhere overhead a bird chirped.

Some ancient instinct, bred into my family line by generations of manual laborers, thick with my mother's voice, rose up inside me and I said:

"I'd fucking better still be on the clock."

still feel it is vitally important we have more sucked-into-a-portal-and-sent-on-magical-quest stories, but instead of a group of pre-teens it's a group of resentful night shift retail workers

[captaincryolicious]

Dog Days

➳ Tohma x gn!reader (ft. best friend! Gorou)

➳ Oneshot ; 1.7k

➳ Modern au, First meeting ; No warnings, just a bit ooc but idc I just felt like writing~

You couldn't resist cooing at some cute pups you met on the streets, but then you find out their owner is just as cute. [28.O7.2O21]

Zep's note ; Nothing too special because my braincells were mostly preoccupied with a crisis regarding whether to write his name as Thoma or Tohma 😭

content under the cut | masterlist

"I'm tired, I thought the snackbar you mentioned was nearby?" you complained to your best friend, dragging your feet over the sidewalk. You felt as if you were betrayed, since you had been walking for nearly ten minutes and there still was no sign of your destination. 

     "Hey, that's what I thought, too," Gorou countered, putting his hands up in mocking surrender as he shot you an apologetic look. "How could I have known that I had the wrong direction in mind? People usually only notice this stuff when it's already too late and I am no exception." 

You couldn't really blame him; the neighborhood you two lived in was quite a maze at some places and you still managed to get lost on your way to the Seven Eleven you visited way too often. Your best friend losing his way while trying to find a newly established snackbar was a very valid excuse. 

      "You owe me a milkshake, boy."  

With that statement, you reached out to ruffle the boy's hair, knowing very well that he already promised to treat you to a milkshake anyway. It was your way of letting him know that you weren't mad at him in the slightest, but the pout wouldn't disappear from your lips until you had your refreshing drink on this hot summer evening. 

Well, that was what you thought, at least. 

You found out it was practically impossible to stop the smile crossing your face when you noticed two Shiba Inu puppies darting around in a dog field along the sidewalk. They were chasing each other as fast as their little paws could carry them, one letting out high-pitched barks excitedly while the other tried its very best not to fall over in the tall grass. It was a sight so endearing that you couldn't help the delighted squeal you let out.

      "Awww, Gorou!" you called, dashing to the fence that separated the enclosed field from its surroundings. "Look!"  

But that was unnecessary. Your best friend had already reached the fence, eyes sparkling in delight as he greeted the puppies. The two little fellas ceased their game of chase and waddled to the fence cutely, curious to the newcomers. You leaned over the balustrade as much as you could, extending your arm to one of the puppies. The tiny animal sniffled your hand warily, but it wasn't long before it decided to trust you, allowing you to scratch underneath its fluffy chin.

Maybe taking the wrong direction and getting sidetracked on your way to the snackbar wasn't that bad after all. 

      "They're even fluffier than you," you marveled, laughing when the other puppy licked your hand. You had stopped caring about your milkshake completely by now. 

     "Hey, don't compare me to a dog," Gorou whined, giving you a not-so-convincing frown. 

     "Ah, my bad, you're right," you said, pretending to be sorry before you grinned teasingly. "A dog is a bit too far fetched. You're literally a puppy." 

Your best friend huffed at your words, facing away from you to look at the puppy through the fence. Yet, you didn't miss the pout that tugged on his lips, and you chuckled softly. Of course you meant no harm; it was merely a little inside joke that arose between the two of you after a while of hanging out together, and you often called him puppy jokingly. 

You too redirected your attention back towards the puppy in front of you, who was impatiently waiting for you to give it some affection again – despite it being very limited by the fence. The baby animal pushed its nose against your hand lovingly, and you couldn't help the aww you let out. 

     "You're adorable," you smiled, booping the puppy's nose softly. 

     "Thanks," a new voice replied, and you froze.

You instantly wanted to tell the newcomer that your words weren't meant for them. You really, truly, genuinely wanted to tell them that. But the moment you looked up to scold the person for being so presumptuous, those words got caught in your throat and refused to spill from your lips. 

A guy was leaning against the fence, tall, blond, and really handsome. An easy grin was playing on his lips, and his green eyes regarded you with amusement and curiosity. 

     "I can say the same for you, though," the male added, offering you a quick wink with a playful smile. 

You stopped breathing for a second upon his words, unable to look away even when you felt your cheeks turning red. He let out a breathy chuckle, obviously amused by your oh so obviously flustered demeanor. 

Dang, you were just cooing over two adorable puppies barely a minute ago. What was happening? Why was there suddenly a really cute guy talking to you? You turned to Gorou for a second, mildly panicking on the inside, but he did nothing but wiggle his eyebrows before he looked away. 

     "Heh, I'm sorry," the blond male spoke up, and the sound of his voice pulled your gaze towards him once more. "My name is Tohma, and these little guys are mine." 

The guy – or Tohma – gently picked up the puppy that had been darting around his feet, hugging it to his chest while still leaning over the fence so you could finally freely pet it as well. If you found the courage to do so, at least. 

     "This is Taro, and the other is Chiko." 

The teasing smile on Tohma's face merged into a softer one, and you swallowed before hesitantly reaching out to pet the puppy in his arms. Your fingers slowly carded through the floof, and the way Taro looked at you happily gradually eased your nerves. 

     "Hi, I'm Y/N," you introduced yourself, and you weren't even sure yourself who it was directed to; Taro or its owner. Tohma didn't seem to mind, though, and he just looked at you warmly. 

     "Pleasure to meet you." 

     "Oh no," Gorou suddenly gasped dramatically, eyes wide as he placed a hand over his mouth. "Y/N, I'm afraid I have to go." 

Your hand froze – much to the Shiba's dismay – and you shot your friend a puzzled look. He had to go? Out of the blue? Conveniently in a situation like this? You weren't buying it at all. 

     "What? All of a sudden?" you asked, narrowing your eyes at the smaller guy next to you suspiciously. He definitely had ulterior motives. 

     "I just spontaneously remembered the extreme amount of homework I have yet to deal with," your friend explained, looking all but genuinely apologetic. "I'm sorry, see ya later, Y/N. Maybe you can bribe this guy into joining you for a milkshake~" 

And then he walked off, not even giving you a moment to process what was happening – let alone give you the time to call him out and keep him from scurrying off. 

     "It's summer vacation," Tohma commented as you watched your best friend leaving the street you were in, mentally cursing him for bailing on you. 

     "I know," you sighed, your mood so bummed that you temporarily forgot how this handsome guy managed to fluster you only a moment earlier. It was but a small moment of bliss, though, and it all came back when your gaze met his pretty green eyes again. 

To make a relatively short story even shorter; you and your best friend got lost, met two cute puppies, their insanely fine owner showed up, your best friend ditched you, and now you were alone with the aforementioned cute owner. 

Eh? 

     "So, about that milkshake–" Tohma started, his voice trailing off near the end. 

     "Yeah, I was planning to get one but I just got ditched by my best friend," you murmured, having mixed feelings about the developments of the current events at hand. 

     "I wouldn't mind taking his place, as he so kindly suggested," the blond male shrugged, looking at you to see your reaction. He had stated it nonchalantly, but you weren't blind; you could see the hope for a yes in his eyes. 

     "Uh, I wouldn't mind either," you replied. Tohma's face lit up at your answer, and it wasn't hard to miss even when he tried to hide it. 

You weren't sure what exactly was going on, but you decided to just go with the flow. In the worst case scenario, it would end in a fiasco and you'd have to avenge Gorou for his actions, but maybe it wouldn't come that far. Tohma seemed like a cool and pretty chill person, so it wasn't all that bad. Oh, and his puppies were absolutely adorable. 

     "Nice," the male grinned, handing the puppy in his arms to you over the fence. "I know a place where they have nice milkshakes and they allow dogs. It's a win-win, if you'd ask me." 

You carefully took Taro from him, and the Shiba was more than happy when you hugged it against your chest softly. Tohma picked up Chiko, and you both made your way to the exit of the dog field, each on a different side of the wooden fence. And then he was on your side, without anything that stood between you. Dang, you just cooed over two puppies and now you were suddenly getting a milkshake with their owner? What an unexpected turn. 

     "Well, Y/N," the blond male started, watching how Taro dozed off in your arms while Chiko placed its tiny paws on your legs as soon as Tohma put him down. "Looks like my little friends already approved of you." 

It wasn't hard to pick up on his easygoing vibe, and you managed to relax a little as you shot him a smile. 

     "Then we have a good start, hm?" 

His smile widened, and suddenly you weren't mad at Gorou anymore. Who knew that two little Shiba Inu pups could be some excellent wingmen? This was going to be interesting. 

[echoes-abound]

So I have recently heard of a little thing called the 'Space Opera AU'...

(au by @kingtheghast)

...and I have some thoughts.

So every great crash-heavy startup space-racing team needs a good rival, right?

Ren's first thought upon meeting them is 'dear god why are they all so hot'

Their mechanic, some green creature with four arms (two natural, two metallic), a cybernetic eye, and a knack for the electronic catches his eye first, mostly by walking straight up to their own old (Red preferred the term 'classic') junker and declaring "How in hell are you still alive?"

Their gunner made her presence known next, a little pixie spitfire of a young woman with pink hair and a blaster strapped to her back longer than a grown man's leg. She pulled the doctor away, apologizing somewhat. He got like that sometimes, couldn't help himself when he saw a nice ride, or at least one that belonged in a scrapyard. She herself was more interested in the more... explosive side of things.

Their captain, their pilot, came last, a blonde man with an easy smile, a charismatic personality, and a way of leading their oddly patchwork group of three to victory in their very first match against one another.

"What, think that just because you're cute meant we were going to go easy on you?"

So this more or less all started with the thought of 'heh what if the three people Ren's been shipped with a lot recently were his biggest rivals in Space Opera au and every race was a good bought of bisexual panic'. Also I definitely wrote all of this before most of the recent posts bu the au creator, so whoops-

Martyn's the ringleader, he's known Lizzie since they were kids in the middle of nowhere and picked Doc up after an unfortunate crash-land. His team's saved his life more times than he can count in the field, and he's done the same to them. They're like his family.

Martyn drives like a maniac, with a blaster in one hand and a coffee in the other. Man steers with his knees and speeds with his soul, even outside the race courses, but has yet to get into a single wreck (that the authorities know about).

Certified morosexual. Sees this man struggling to make eye contact with a single member of his team and decided 'yes, that's the one I want'

Lizzie's something else entirely. She's not good at leading like Martyn, and she's definitely not the one who keeps the braincell (Doc). She's got raw competitive energy that leads to stupid race-winning clutches with nothing more than a damn-good shot.

Her weapon of choice is a heavily-modified renegade high-power blaster, definitely illegal in most parts of this galaxy and the next, and pleasantly decorated with bedazzled gems and heavy pink and yellow swabs. She calls it Pixie Dust. Cute name for something packing more punch than being hit by a ground-level speeder.

Absolutely adores False, though is inexplicably creepy to most who come across her. Maybe it's the gun. It's probably the gun.

Also a morosexual.

Lizzie: I have very high standards for those I wish to date.

Joel: *almost gets himself killed by seeing if he could clean the mechanic's trash compactor while it's not powered down*

Lizzie: I want that one.

Doc's a little more of an enigma. He doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve and can't instantly charm anyone he meets, but he is smart when it comes to machines. Very smart. He built the ship their team uses from scratch, named Frankenstein, and anyone who knew the technical side of things knew that ship was a beast.

Where he came from, how he lost two of his arms and one of his eyes, how he had such meticulous knowledge of mechanics and machines, why he loved his team so much after just one crash-landing, nobody knew, but they certainly couldn't live without him.

After all, the Doctor's the one with the braincell. If Martyn wants to have a little fun rigging a betting pool in an underground race, Doc's the one who keeps him from getting killed. Lizzie wants to get her weapons packing even more of a punch? He'll be there to make sure she's at least safe about it. They need him.

So that's a cool 3/4 page of a google doc written at 11 at night on a post for you all. Hope you like it! Like I said, I wrote all this down before most of the lore had been put out, so maybe it's not quite Space Opera au, but hell, I'm a sucker for the ascetic. Thank you!

[noa-ciharu]

That's fine--- it's a typical FuuKam✨✨ Then why don't we spice thing up?😎 FuuKam with kiss46----😎😎😎 (i think... It is suitable to TRC?? Huh??😂😂)

Ah, you sort of gave me idea for this one 😂 it's fluff and humor for once 😌 TRC setting, some time after acid Tokyo. Kamui displays how he's a proud owner of 0 braincells

46 - Kiss out of jealousy/envy

Just what in the world was he doing?

Kamui kept asking himself same question over and over again as he crouched down and hid behind garbage can. Strench was awful, offending really; but Kamui tried to endure it; he had other priorities on hand.

Like spying on his twin talking to his boyfr -

No.

That hunter he spent night with from time to time.

Really, what possessed him to do that, he had no clue. Ever since figuring out three of them were in same world, Fuuma started dropping by their place on regular basis. Every day, not to beat around the bush. Of course it was inevitable Subaru and Fuuma would strike a conversion from time to time. Kamui was a tad bit distrustful initially about Subaru's safety given who precisely Fuuma was related to. But those doubts faded over past few weeks.

Observing them chichating and getting along so well, Kamui returned to mistrust for complete different reasons.

Heaven help you Fuuma if you're doing things behind my back.

Kamui noticed Subaru murmuring something and Fuuma chuckling slightly in response. Damn he was too far away to hear what they were saying; without any deliberation Kamui crawled behind dumpster at closer proximity to objects of his undivided attention. Unfortunately that undivided attention resulted in him bumping head over container's edge. Something hissed, something bolted up. Cat flew from dumpster right above him; some of thrash followed. He slipped onto discarded can and stumbled down.

Universe you don't need to tell me I'm an idiot. I know that myself.

Kamui got up and dusted himself. Really, if something stood as axiom, then it was how head over heels Fuuma was for him. No way that was all pretense, he was absolutely whipped. No way he'd have interest in his more than adorable and docile twin who had no outbursts and not a hint of difficult personality and was basically adored by absolutely everyone and was totally a better choice and -

Sigh.

Great. Now he felt problem child.

What am I? A teenage girl? Damn you to hell Fuuma, this is all your fault!

In heat of a moment Kamui kicked container. Another thrasbag fell out and spilled over his feet. Damn it all to hell. This has to be Fuuma's fault too.

"Good thing you stepped in, that man kept on bothering me for days now...", Subaru murmured and broke Kamui out of whatever sorry state he fell into.

Wait, what man? Briefly Kamui felt miffed that someone was bother Subaru; extra miffed that Subaru apparently kept that from him. Kamui hoped that was only thing Subaru omitted to inform him about.

"Hm, one from bakery beside your apartment?", Fuuma hummed and scratched back of own head. He looked ridiculously attractive in casual attire and carefree like that, Kamui noted. He hoped Subaru didn't note the same.

Subaru didn't appear to be affected, simply hummed affirmatively. Good, no signs of flirting. But that didn't stop Kamui from feeling jea - curious.

Yes, he was just curious. Nothing more.

So it was that shady looking guy who gave him and Subaru funny looks; pieces started falling together, explaining why Subaru was avoiding being alone in past few days. Although, Subaru was as powerful as he was, he couldn't have easily told that guy off or simply showed him claws; dude would have ran away like he saw the devil. Still, Subaru being Subaru, of course he'd rather suffering himself than risk being rude.

If it were Kamui he would have plunged that guy's eyes out long ago.

Or maybe he would have orchestrated a chain of events that would result in Fuuma having to step in.

Momentarily Kamui imagined Fuuma politely telling that guy off. Couldn't help fantasizing how hot he would have looked with stone cold anger if Kamui ended up being one hit on. Would he glare? Oh sure he would, maybe even approach the guy and put size difference to good use. Hmm, would that be hot to watch; not that Kamui would ever admit. Maybe he could put that to test someday, when some other creep started ogling him. Yes, maybe he could dress in bit tighter clothing, walk around town and -

"You could have dealt with it yourself Subaru-san", Fuuma explained and addressed Subaru with gentle smile.

If it was a teenager girl in question, she would have been melting by attractive older guy paying attention to her. To hell, anyone would get even little bit warm and fuzzy inside. Not Subaru however, he didn't seem affected at all; even appeared to be frowning at topic of his three day stalker.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but for first time in my life I'm grateful you're obsessed with that bastard hunter of yours, Subaru.

"True, but I didn't know how to politely tell him to leave me alone. I didn't want Kamui to find out, he would have blown his top"

At mention of his name Kamui become more engrossed in conversation. He frowned once implication settled in. Really, Kamui was aware he had a bit of... outbursts and overreaction issues when their safety was in question, but that didn't mean he was delighted to hear himself being compared to unrestrained animals.

Still, Subaru's lack of response wasn't adequate really. Kamui would have clawed his eyes out! That would have been far more adequate.

"Guy would get his eyes clawed out", Fuuma commented lightly, as if reading his thoughts.

If you're reading my thoughts then step away from Subaru and start looking for me. Or at least talk about me!

Kamui pouted further; kicked thrash can once more. Bystanders gave him funny looks but he didn't give a single damn. Was he really that predictable? That much of an open book? Maybe Fuuma knew him way too well from all the sleepless nights they've spent together.

"Well, you're cute", Fuuma responded matter-of-factly. "Of course potential suitors would flock to you"

But what about me? Kamui felt himself pouting even further, like a child. Never mind that Fuuma showered him in compliments nonstop, nevermind that he's been called way more than simply cute, never mind how many times he saw Fuuma being physically affected by his appearance- suddenly Kamui couldn't recall any of that. All that matters is that his boyfr- enemy with benefits called his clearly adorable twin adorable.

Damn it all to hell. Kamui knew he was behaving irrationally, playing stories in his head that deep down he knew weren't real but couldn't tame tiny corners of mind casting shadows of doubt. For all he knew Fuuma would dump him this evening and the start hanging more and more with his twin and then they'd magically be missing during night all until one time Kamui would unlock the door and see them -

Kamui extended his nails and plunged five holes into metal container; then scraped nails down the surface. No, he wasn't miffed, he wasn't pouting and dreading - no, he didn't care at all! Not a bit. It's just... how did he sink so low to think Subaru would do that to him?

Okay maybe Subaru would, he was too kind and gentle for something like that. But that still left possibility of Fuuma losing interest in him once he saw he can do much better. Really, Kamui knew he was considered attractive by most, but his personality was anything but easy to put up with.

Fuuma put hand under chin and gazed up to sky. Then added in amused tone - "My brother wouldn't be delighted at all to hear other men are looking at you in that way"

Well, neither am I! For the first time (and hopefully last time) in his life, Kamui wished Seishirou was in this universe because he surely would have stepped in long ago. Possessive bastard would surely have thought Fuuma was flirting with Subaru or even if not, surely would have acted as prevention measure; surely wouldn't be spying from afar and playing out disastrous scenarios in head while being passive and dying inside. Kamui flinched once he realized just who he was comparing himself with, god forbid he had anything in common with that bastard hunter.

Kamui hissed once more. There's no other, all of this was Fuuma's fault one way or another! No, not Subaru's, he was polite and empathetic with everyone, even three day stalkers. Then it had to be Seishirou's fault by extension somehow. Yes, something would always be that bastard's fault. Butterfly effect probably.

Alright, maybe there was nothing going on. Maybe he was observing world with envy-green glasses. Maybe -

Subaru shifted gaze to ground, expression sheepish and abashed. Then blush spread across his face. He appeared so endearing even bystanders stared his way. Kamui frowned once more. Again, for the first time in his life Kamui hoped Subaru was blushing because of what Fuuma said about Seishirou, not because of Fuuma himself.

But Fuuma was looking at him too. And Kamui couldn't know what precisely Fuuma thought about Subaru's abashed and docile behavior. Then he opened mouth as to say something and -

Enough was enough.

Without a second though Kamui got out of his hiding spot and strolled right where Subaru and Fuuma stood. Perhaps there was something in the way he moved that ozzed of 'piss me off a tiny bit and it'll be last thing you do in your life' as all bystanders moved out of his way. Good, let world know he's annoyed.

Of course Fuuma and his twin noticed him immediately; both turned his way and took step away from one another. So you're putting distance just because I'm here now? That only strengthened Kamui's resolve to do that he never thought he'd be bold enough to do in public.

Fuuma put hands in pockets and beamed at him. Subaru also gave a meek relieved smile, but none if that dampened down Kamui's apprehension.

"Oh Kamui, I'm happy to see y-"

Kamui silenced Fuuma by pulling him down by jacket lapels into a kiss.

Silence befell. Remotely he discerned Subaru gasping a bit; perhaps wasn't expecting Kamui to act so bold in public. Neither was Kamui expecting that of himself, but he had to make a point. I'm just marking what's mine.

Kiss was more urgent and forceful than romantic; message had to be passed after all. After second or two Fuuma snapped out of utter shock and started kissing back just as ardently; got hands out of pockets and wrapped them around his waist. In that moment reality kicked in, Kamui realized just what exactly alleged jealousy made him do.

He broke the kiss momentary but damage was already done. Fuuma had cheeky grin in his face, like he just won the lottery. Kamui managed to break free of Fuuma's hold and step by his side; right between Subaru and him. Subaru was slightly flushed, probably from witnessing such unexpected display of affection, but his blush was far cry from how hard Kamui himself blushed.

Earth please open up and swallow me whole. Fuuma won't ever let me live with this.

Before either of them could comment, Kamui blunted out first thing that came to mind - "I'm here now. Let's go"

Pointless attempt to distract, he knew it won't work. Subaru simply nodded and agreed; three of them fell into step and headed towards planned location. Nonetheless Fuuma was basically oozing with merriment beside him, like a kid that just opened a candy jar. Cheeky bastard, Kamui couldn't help wondering if Fuuma somehow planned the whole thing knowing Kamui was observing from afar; just to embarrass him.

Second later arm ended up wrapped around his shoulders and frame. Kamui realized he was being pulled towards Fuuma's side. No, he didn't mind a little bit, even allowed himself to nuzzle closer to Fuuma; right in the middle of street; right in front of his twin. Fuuma ruffled his hair and leaned in to kiss cheek. Blush intensified, but Kamui allowed the affections; warm and fuzzy feeling emerged in chest, little to say he was relishing inside.

Pecks ended but Fuuma still didn't pull away; instead leaned closer and whispered into his ear - "That was the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life"

For once Kamui didn't shove him away for being handsy on public; he'd be a hypocrite after all. Instead he allowed Fuuma to caress and cuddle him in public; even went as far to wrap arm of his own around Fuuma's waist. Subaru observed them from few meter distance, content smile on his face; clearly glad to see them together. Beside the obvious embarrassment and ego crying from inside, Kamui couldn't help little smirk reaching up his face; he concealed it into Fuuma's shirt.

Goal fulfilled.