#please appreciate my Get in shape pun...

[slightlyartist]

Get in shape, Bill!

[bubbleberryuniverse]

- GHOST PERI AU -

(AKA Petrified!Peri because that name is cool as FUCK.)

REFERENCES ALSO AVAILABLE HERE!

REGULAR COLORS / HIS BODY [NOT GHOST]

GHOST COLORS / HIM AS A GHOST

SO. You may be asking, "what happened to him?" And I am here to EXPLAIN! :]

This AU is still a fairly [pun unintended] big WIP, so some details are still all over the place/undecided, and some may change over time; constructive criticism, opinions/thoughts, questions, are all appreciated!

The general idea is, well... divergent from the finale. What if, after the chip is grabbed and Hazel, Wanda, [and maybe Cosmo? I don't recall if he goes with them/ends up somewhere else] go to fix the wand, Peri explodes. And it gets undone when Hazel wishes to fix Fairy World. Buuuttt... not quite!

It wasn't her 1 Millionth Wish that she used up on Fairy World— which is why it Doesn't Quite Fix Him Going Kaboomey. But I imagine that having 1Mil Wishes had a mild influence on What Happened and why exploding DID get fixed... sort of. [I need to brainstorm specifics on this.]

ANYWAY.

Peri looks GENERALLY normal most of the time, except for, well, *gestures at reference.* Outside of THAT [cracked wand, cracked crown [crack hidden by the glow], slightly off color pallete], there's some other stuff that's just a Hint of Wrong.

Like coughing up confetti and/or rainbows [without any other sign of magical backup [which he can't experience anymore because he did technically already die via backup.]] And sometimes the funny silly wacky expressions that happened during buildup [big ol' eyes/pupils, star shaped pupils, funny faces [like when he was talking to Dev.]

Throwing this in here. Sometimes he just stares like the TBH Creature. It's kinda silly kinda funny. I need to make a Petrified!Peri TBH emote because that fits well.

I was ALSO thinking about the idea that sometimes limbs can detach [the ghost fairy in that one ep is what gave me this thought], mostly for expressive purposes/fun silly purposes. It can be seen in this image here! Still DEBATING on this, though.

ANYWAY.

ANYWAY.

Cosmo and Wanda Don't Know He Died [because of not being right there] But something Is Off. Peri probably doesn't at first either until they [themself] put it together through context clues, and then they're like, "ooohh no, mom and dad probably don't know I exploded!" And he gets REALLY nervous about them finding out because that'd be A Lot and he doesn't want to Worry Them [because... he fucking died.]

So. There's a lot of him just trying not to Act Suspicious. Which only makes them both concerned! I have so many silly funny interactions between them that I imagine, actually!

Like...

Peri: *Talking. Suddenly... star pupils!*

Wanda: Um. Sweetie?

Peri: Hey do you see that?

Cosmo: Oooh, see what?

Peri: Over there! *Points.*

Cosmo + Wanda: *Looks over.*

Peri: *Disappears.*

WHICH. YEAH. SO. GHOST FORM. They're completely hidden when they're actually a GHOST, and has no wand/wings when they're a ghost, either [they do have wings normally, I just forgot to include them in the reference.] And I imagine whenever they poof into their ghost form that they leave a tiny bit of confetti behind!

ALSO.

He reassigns himself to Dev on his own [who didn't forget after the finale.] And his magic is kind of fucked up. Cause he's DEAD and look at his fucking WAND. So wishes kinda get fucked up when granted a bit sometimes ehehehaha...

ANYWAY.

I am also dumping my Peri headcanons onto him. They're transmasc nonbinary and use he/they pronouns and they're also aroace! :3

PLEASE. PLEASE send me any asks if you have any questions! You don't have to ask to draw them, either— just tag me in any art if you ever make any, please! :]

[batboopp]

Batman: I Am Suicide- a comic breakdown (how trauma can shape your life)

huge cw for suicidal ideation and self harm! i seriously mean it it’s not even subtle 😭

another heads up, this essay really only talks about one issue, as that’s the only one that really goes into what i want to talk about! maybe i could do a full comic breakdown in the future. <3

(most of this is written whenever i have some of free time, so please ignore if any sentences/paragraphs are incoherent or run on for awhile 😭😭 i hope you like my batman drabbles :D)

It’s common knowledge that both Bruce Wayne and his Batman persona are very emotionally tortured, usually refusing any help or healthy way of processing his thoughts, emotions, and actions. He’s deadset that nothing but Batman, muscles, and pure determination will save Gotham city-therefore saving any child from having anyone taken from them so brutally, the way his parents were taken from him. You don’t have to be a psychiatrist to know that this black-and-white way of thinking is not a healthy way to process trauma, and some may argue that it borders along the line of insanity or mental illness. Although I’m not here to specifically talk about those parts of his psyche, I DO want to talk about how this extreme way of thinking affects-and even shapes-his entire life and personality.

“A kid and a vow. The ears and the belt and the batarangs and the Batmobile and the gargoyle and the roof and the leather and the armor.”

“How sad. How stupid. How immature.”

“How hilarious. How hilarious all of it is. I want to laugh, too. Do you know how much I want to laugh?”

Starting off strong, we can already see that Bruce has SO much self doubt about himself and a sort of awareness of just how absurd his whole mission is, something I personally see a lot of, but I always appreciate when it’s brought up. A thing about Bruce is that if he has a plan or a mission, he WILL get it done no matter how insane it is, and it’s nice that part of his obsessive personality is displayed here. However, even though he puts his whole soul into his Batman mission, he expresses that he can’t help but feel almost desperately hopeless about it. This might be me reaching, but it seems he wants Batman to be this thing he can sort of lessen by laughing it off. This may be surprising to some, but Batman laughing off and joking about his situation isn’t uncommon. In many comics, he makes jokes about horrible things he’s gone through, he cracks puns at his villains and rouges while he’s getting the shit kicked out of him, and most importantly, he laughs a lot at himself. Bruce wants it to just be-less. It’s almost depressingly ironic that he wants (whether subconsciously or not) this symbol of raw hope, justice, and pure dedication he built with so much effort to be less than it actually is. It’s a lot, so much that Batman himself can barely take it.

“After the alley and the gun. And the pearls. What use was I? After the blood on her hand, what use was a little rich kid who’s mommy and daddy got shot?”

“I was pain. That’s all I was. Everything else, every chance given to me, every promise I’d ever made, all of it was pain. And what use is pain? What use is being all pain? It’s not dignified. It’s not kind. And if it’s not dignified and not kind, then maybe it’s not worth anything.”

“Maybe it’s better off as nothing. Gone. Dead.”

Here, we can see that Bruce thinks he’s worthless, to the point he thinks he’d be better off dead. Not only that, you can argue that he sees his own pain as a weakness, and yet he uses it to shape his life. “I was pain, that’s all I was. Everything else, every change given to me, every promise I’d ever made, all of it was pain. And what use is being all pain?” He goes on to say “It’s not dignified and it’s not kind,” which you can infer he’s talking about himself here, with his ‘I am pain’ analogy. He thinks he’s inherently violent and undignified and worthless because of this pain, even though we KNOW he does not see other’s pain as a weakness. In fact, he is normally comforting of people going through hardships, especially to children or those close to him. This is a very common form of self-deprecating behavior, thinking that whatever you’re going through is automatically less important than the well-being of others.

“I was 10. I got one of my father’s razor blades, and I got down on my knees. I put the metal on my wrist. The edge scratching cold. The blood on my hand. And I looked up. To Mother and Father. I told them I was sorry. I was so sorry.”

“I was on my knees in Gotham. And I was praying, pushing my hands together now, the blood and the blade warm between them.”

“I prayed. And no one-

no one answered.

No one answered.

No one answered.”

“I was alone. Like everyone else. Like everyone in Gotham. I saw everyone in Gotham, all of us. We’re all on our knees, our hands together, the blade and the blood warm between them. We pray. And no one answers.”

“I saw. And I understood. Finally. Kindness. Dignity. I let the razor fall, and I understood, it was done. I’d done it. I’d surrendered, my life was no longer my life, and I whispered-

‘I swear by the spirits of my parents to avenge their deaths by spending the rest of my life warring on all criminals.’”

We have a lot to talk about on this panel. To follow up on my third paragraph, I’ll start talking about his absurd amount of empathy, as I feel like it pairs with when I stated Batman cares about the well-being of others more than his own. This extreme sense of empathy and understanding is developed when Bruce describes self-harming over (presumably) his parent’s graves. “I was alone. Like everyone else. Like everyone in Gotham. I saw everyone in Gotham, all of us. We’re all on our knees, our hands together, the blade and the blood warm between them. We pray. And no one answers.” He describes how he ‘saw everyone’ in Gotham. How all of them are going through hardships. How all of them are alone. And that’s when he understood kindness, love, dignity. And, more importantly, when he decided to give up any chance at a normal life and pursue his crusade, his destiny, of becoming the Batman. He says he swore on his parents dying souls, but he knows he swore on his own, too. 

We can also gather that this is the death of his belief in religion, ‘I prayed, and no one answered.’ The correlation with religion and a sense of innocence or fear in Batman comics isn’t unheard of, and I like to think that’s what the writer is getting at here. Batman is a known atheist, and states this multiple times in many different comics. It’s nice to know the exact time his belief in religion died, and that was when he prayed.

In conclusion, I really like this panel because you can just feel the resignation coming from Bruce. He will give up every part of himself if it means another person doesn’t have to suffer, and I think if you want to make the most accurate Batman possible, it’s important to remember that.

“So that’s what it is. The ears. The belt. The gargoyle. It’s not funny. It’s the choice of a boy that chose to die.”

“I am Batman. I am suicide.”

To wrap this up, Bruce states that he is very aware that being Batman would consume his life, would destroy any chance he had at a healthy future, and would obliterate any healthy way of healing from his trauma. He lets this pain, he lets the Batman, build him and his life and he will never let go. It literally fuels him, as you can see him pummel so many soldiers to the ground without breaking a sweat. Pain drives him. The will to be Batman drives him.

hope you enjoyed my shitty essay! please let me know any thoughts, opinions, critiques, or disagreements you might have, i’d love to hear them 

[gymleadergarnet]

My Introduction Post!!!

Hello, everyone! I'm Garnet Skyesor, 21 years old, and my dream is to become a Gym Leader in my home region of Hoenn! I'm . . . not entirely sure how to GET there yet, but I'm doing my best to figure it out!

Back when I was 13, I did the Gym Challenge here in Hoenn, and actually got all the badges! I never ended up going to the league, though . . . it just didn't work out. But I made a lot of friends along the way, who've stayed with me all these years!

My squad is:

Skipper the Swampert, my awesome starter. He's a pretty calm guy, but helped carry me hard.

Endeavor the Gardevoir, the absolute QUEEN. She will not hesitate to mess you up if you mess with my guys.

Linear the Linoone, I originally named him Ziz but then realized "wait that's kinda stupid" and he agreed so we changed it. He's pretty good at helping me navigate out in the wild!

Quartz the Sableye, she's a bit odd but pretty fun. I didn't use her much during the Gym Challenge, but she was still pretty helpful!

Tory the Torkoal and Elec the Manectric--these two are actually parents to the wonderful Tory Jr, also a Torkoal! Tory is a fairly calm and wise mother, while Elec is a fun-loving energetic father. Tory Jr is fairly stubborn but sweet, and likes to follow me around.

Grassel the Wynaut, named after my old Math Teacher. He (my teacher) really liked making puns, so I named this silly little lad in his honor.

Amy the Skarmory, my super-fast flyer and a pretty dependable messenger! She's pretty sharp, like her feathers, but also really silly.

Minos the (SHINY!) Tauros, who I found on a short trip to Kanto about a year after my gym run. He's surprisingly silly for a Tauros, but we all enjoy his company, and he likes to help give me rides when I need it.

Matcha the Sinistcha, a newcomer to the team who I adopted from @ghost-pokemon-appreciator. She's a lot of fun so far, and she sounds pretty interested in joining my Gym Team! I'm still getting to know her, though.

Neutron the Mimikyu, a little guy received from mystery gift via @ask-games-galore! He is adorable and I love him and he's dressed as a Plusle/Minun and he's so CUTE AAAAAAA!!!

Elise the Froslass, a very fine lady adopted from @the-daycare-pokecenter! She's very charming, and seems very excited to battle on my team.

Lola the Luvdisc, hatched from an egg from @pokenursery! She's a very happy little fish and deserves just as much love as her heart-shaped body conveys.

They're all silly guys, but I love them, and they all seem willing to help me figure out how to reach this dream of mine!

Out of Character:

Hello, everyone! Welcome to "Lily's friend Finn discovered and decided to join rotomblr so she followed suit", as well as "Lily decides to actually use her first playthrough of emerald for something".

My main is @boom-fanfic-a-latta, follows and likes will be from there.

(This is now my second time going down a tumblr roleplay rabbit hole, let's see if I end up accidentally creating a discord community out of it this time as well . . . update, I have at the very least created a circle of friends on discord via rotomblr, I'm pretty sure that counts!)

Please keep things SFW--while I'm not a minor, I'm still very averse to anything NSFW, and there ARE minor who interact with this blog.

Pelipper Mail and Mystery Gifts are ON!

[thebrawlerina]

(image text included)

I got these two little comments on this post about Colette HC's and its honestly a wonderful question for world building. I have an answer to both of them, but I felt like it would be better to explain it in a post rather than just in the comments.

This is gonna be a long post.

We know that there's an in-universe fanbase for Starr Park in Brawl Stars. Colette is the most obvious example for this, but other brawlers reference social media, Brawl Stars, and their popularity itself. Emz, Chester, and Melodie all come to mind, but I'm sure there are many others.

My general Headcanon (the one I talk about most often and isn't tied to any specific story) is that 'Brawl Stars' is like a fighting tournament held by Starr Park where exceptional and powerful people called 'Brawlers' can fight each other in wacky and crazy scenarios of fame, fortune, and glory. All of the characters are real and not just actors playing a bit, so I guess that this would probably be considered an RPF or a Real Person Fandom in-universe. I will admit though that I'm not in any RPF's myself so I'm a bit unsure of certain terminologies or any specific details of those fandoms.

Now for the brawlers themselves, there are two main ways that a person can become a brawler. Its either 1.) a staff member of Starr Park is proven to be exceptional/powerful enough to 'get promoted' and make the cut or 2.) an already famous person signs a contract to work at Starr Park. There are more but those are the most important. People like Shelly, Fang, and Larry & Lawrie fall into the first category, meanwhile people like El Primo, Lola, and Melodie fall into the latter.

As for brawlers getting merchandise, I think that everyone gets some merch made of them. They made it into the big leagues of Brawl Stars so theres got to be some fans for them to please. The big names and celebrities would obviously have merch made of them, but even the Brawlers who in-universe wouldn't be too famous still have stuff made of them,

Example: Super Fan Emz and Sugar Rush Sandy

I'll argue that Rosa and Carl would NOT be at the same level of Fandom love and appreciation as Poco or El Primo.

I think merchandise with a specific brawler in mind depends on 1.) how popular/forward facing they are to the fandom, and 2.) how many jokes/puns the company can fit into their merch. So someone like Sam has some 'Uncle Sam' posters displayed in the Basket Brawl arena despite being more like a body guard to Belle, while Grom (who I'd argue would hit the same fans in the in-universe fandom as Sam) doesnt seem to have any merch about him yet.

I do like to think that the Gift Shop Trio does have their own set of merch that we just dont see. Everyone loves the crazy girl and the emo boy in fandoms, and that just fits Colette and Edgar to a T. Even Griff could be kinda popular since his unique head shape is something that you can play around with a lot.

But regardless of a brawlers popularity, I like to think that they all at least have a figurine and/or plushie made of them and any extra merch they have just depends on how well received they are as a Brawler.

I hope this explained everything and all. Feel free to ask any questions if somethings confusing, this was a bit of a ramble hehe.

[omgkalyppso]

Well, since I beefed it and asked questions you'd already given great answers to, here are two wild cards, just for you:

🃏 If you had unlimited time, money and energy, would you study art more formally? If so, what genre would you choose?

🃏 What design elements would you include if you had to draw a sweet-ass mech-suit for Astarion? (eg things like colours, shapes, gadgets)

omg, please don't feel awkward or bad! fghdfg i do appreciate that there was interest ;v; and you came up with the whole game!!

🃏 If you had unlimited time, money and energy, would you study art more formally? If so, what genre would you choose?

AND ENERGY??? yes. absolutely. i'd start by learning how to draw art that looks like it's from those old science fiction paperbacks:

All I can think of is my high school art teacher consistently giving me the worst grade in a class that seemed otherwise an easy A for participation for everyone else. sjadkfgaskjdhf Idk if an art teacher could explain things to me in a way that I could readily digest / that they would have the patience to reapproach with me. I'd need the unlimited time.......

🃏 What design elements would you include if you had to draw a sweet-ass mech-suit for Astarion? (eg things like colours, shapes, gadgets)

Mech-suit???? sdkjafaskjhda These are such fun questions.

Do you remember d/isney's Gargoyles?

Like yes, in some ways that show was just a toy commercial, but it is remembered so fondly by so many because it touched on a lot of sensitive subjects and was such a fun adventure. I'd also want to compliment the voice acting but that's just getting into how it was marketable, I think.

Astarion leans hard into his own vampiric aesthetic in terms of character design. I think something similar would suit him (pun intended), especially with cherry / blood reds.

[kafkaoftherubble]

做工前肯定要讲几句有关249的事: 憂太的 领域展开

// I Must Talk About c249 Before I Work: On Yuta's Domain Expansion

This post contains spoilers for Chapter 249 of Jujutsu Kaisen.

If I don't dump it here, these thoughts will distract me later! I'm already very distracted lately! Too distracted for my own good! Ahhhhh!

First off, I was eating so good. Yuta fans, simps, appreciators, and Rika (good taste, y'all)—rejoice, for this chapter is basically 95% Yuta! That's right; the next 5% was Yuta's Eyebags!

Look at this! He's so cute! So handsome!

Oh, I have to learn to exorcise spirits now. Then I can kick that fake Rika away and become his Rika!

Also, some people are somehow even more handsome just by being shown slow breathing. Is it just me who thinks that? Or is this what "rizz" truly means? I mean, look at that slight frown! Look at those eyebags! Look at him breathing!

... I'm sorry. I'm usually not one to write something with such trifling, substanceless content.

It's just... Yuta, man.

Anyway, the main point. Please, look at Yuta's

Domain Expansion

Shit is so magnificent. The many swords are obviously the first thing one would notice (and all that joke about Unlimited Blade Works and that Bleach... thing), but it's the abundance of crosses and the knots behind them that attracted my attention.

I'll get the easy out of the way first.

The Crosses

I would suspect these are meant to be "gravestones." Not too hard to think of "till death do us part," right? Though, to be fair, death didn't do Yuta and Rika part. In fact, it strengthened Yuta's split-moment craving for Rika and cursed her—in true dukkha fashion—into something quite macabre.

If one's Domain is the extension of their mental-scape, then it makes sense that Yuta's would incorporate gravestones, since his genesis as a cursed energy user effectively began on the day Rika died.

----

The Knots

Now this is the part that attracted the most of my attention!

Japanese knot-tying traditions are largely influenced by Chinese knotting (中国结) [1]. The word for knots in Chinese, 结, means "to bind," which then comes to represent all kinds of "union." Marriage, for example, is 结婚 (hanzi) /結婚 (kanji) [2][3]. Given Yuta's "love" motif, you can already see why the knots are part of his Domain.

There are plenty of meanings for the word 结, inter alia, it's a pun on 吉 (blessed) [2][3]. The fact that these knots are intertwined also comes to represent "interdependence," "connection," and "bonds." [2]

It's a bit of a stretch, admittedly, but I suppose one could probably draw this to that time Yuta described himself as "blessed." He is blessed because he was loved—he is enriched by connections and bonds with other people.

-

What is the knot type in Yuta's domain, then?

There are two candidates I could find.

I always rank each possibility from the highest confidence level to the lowest, so here goes. Note that I'm using the Chinese name (I would love it if someone added a more Japanese-focused viewpoint in this post on a reblog. I'm much more familiar with Chinese and cannot read Japanese, so...):

(1) 双钱结, The Double Coin Knot, 淡路結び [1]

It's shaped like two copper coins that are intertwined, hence its blessing is largely related to fortune and money [2][4].

However, the pronunciation of 钱 ("money") is similar to 全, "whole." Meanwhile, there is a pair of coins in this knot. This gives 双钱 an alternative reading—双全, "a pair that makes the whole." It also means 好事成双, "good things come in pairs." [4][5]

Yuta, as a jujutsu sorcerer, is more of a pair than an individual—he fights with Rika and is connected to her. These two together make a whole. A force of good that comes in a pair.

Due to sturdy enough sources corroborating the meaning of this knot, the similarity in appearance to Yuta's Knot, as well as the very fitting "pair + whole" symbolism, I have a higher confidence in this knot being the one in Yuta's Domain.

(2) 八字结, The “Figure 8” Knot

It's a pretty dime-a-dozen knot where the number 8 is formed. It has pragmatic purposes (eg. rock climbing), but here, because these two loops are intertwined, it apparently means "honest love" and "unchanging friendship." [6]

I rank this knot as lower in confidence level. It does at least pertain to the motif of love, according to one source, but it doesn't resemble Yuta's knot quite as well as the Double Coin Knot.

A bit of a caveat, in the spirit of intellectual honesty and rigor: The meaning of this knot has been found in only one source (see Citation #6), and it doesn't actually pass my internal rigor test. I've tried to search for corroboration from Chinese sources, but no dice. The only site in Chinese that corroborates the meaning of "eternal love" has busted web certificates and links.

----

The Name of Yuta's Domain Expansion

The translated name by OP Scan is terrible. It certainly pays homage to Yuta's fame (infamy?) as "The War God of Pure Love," but the actual kanji is 真贋相愛。

真 - Truth or real

贋 - False or fake

相愛 - mutual love, or reciprocal love, or "in love."

真贋 literally means "truth and false. Together it usually means "veracity." Here though? I'd interpret it as "The (Mutual) Love Between The Real and The False."

Isn't this shit metal as fuck? I mean, it's also fucking poetry. Truly the kind of magnificence only one with premium quality eyebags could provide!

It's worth nothing that 真贋 itself makes a contrasting pair, which again, links back to the Double Coin Knot's meaning.

I'm sure yall can make your own interpretation of what 真贋相愛 could symbolize vis-a-vis Yuta and Rika. Let's go, people!

----

Tangents to My Research - Side Dish

Knots have come to be a very important symbol of relationships, especially love, since the Tang and Song Dynasty [1]. To draw to the Japanese side of the practice, Chinese knotting practice reaches Japan during the Tang Dynasty as well [1]. It's not too surprising that this love connotation could also have been passed to Japan.

The entangling property of knots also comes to mind the term "连理（枝）", which means "interlocking (tree branches)." Here are two poems referring to the word:

(1) 同心结缕带，连理织成衣. —By Luo Binwang (骆宾王)

We tie this ribbon into a concentric knot, and we turn our interlocking branches (of love)into our clothes. Translation mine.

(2) 在天愿作比翼鸟，在地愿为连理枝 —By Bai Juyi (白居易）

In heaven, I want to become a Biyi Bird (with you). On earth, I want to be (a mesh of) interlocking branches (with you). Translation mine.

The Biyi Bird is a mythological bird recorded in the purely fantastical geographical treatise, The Classics of the Mountain and Seas (《山海经》). The bird is born with only one eye and one wing on one side. To fly, it needs a partner with the other eye and wing of the other side—and the two will fly together as a complement. [7]

It's very lovey-dovey and romantic and shit.

...Damn, Yuta is really all about love and connection, isn't he?

----

Wow, I didn't work on my actual job at all. Because I deadass spend hours just on this. Seriously?

But then again, there has been a precedence to me breaking my lackadaisical attitude toward writing JJK-related things—and that is when it concerns my favorite character. You don't need to click on the link to know who that other one is; it was Gojo Satoru.

Yuta, bless his rizz, deserves all of my time. If he dies (NO FUCKING WAY, GEGE!!!), then at least I have made something of worth about him.

Thank you for reading my ramble!

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

Citations:

"Chinese knotting" from Wikipedia

"中国结的历史来历和寓意" ("The history and meaning of the Chinese knotting") from 妍妍旅行记 on Sohu.com (in Chinese)

"Chinese Knots, Winding the Best Wishes with Cords" by Beijing Tourism

"双钱结寓意和象征，双钱结编法" ("The meaning and symbolism of the Double Coin Knot; How to Make a Double Coin Knot") on 结艺网 www.zhongguojie.org (in Chinese)

双色绳的编法有哪些？("Whast are the ways to make knots using two different colors?") on Zhihu (in Chinese)

"19 Popular Types of Chinese Knots and Their Meanings" on AnyofChina

"比翼鸟" from Wikipedia (in Chinese; English page not created)

There are also other links embedded in the ramble; these are references for that one specific instance and so do not warrant their inclusion under this section.

[doevademe]

Hiii. I've read all your percico fanfictions, I love them all! But I have a special place in my heart for "How to defy fate". Even thought it's a deconstruction of the soulmate concept, I've never read something so romantic! Love is a choice and only devoted action can make it last the course of time.

In this story, I think I found my favorite of your characterisations of Percy. I love how it's focused so much on him, his past, how it shaped his view on soulmates and his approach to "love" and how it mirrors his arc as the child of the prophecy in the canon series. He wants to defy his fate and live the way he attends to, only for it to catch him nonetheless but still fights an emerges victorious because you can't drown a son of Poseidon haha! (I apologize for this pun🙏).

An other thing I greatly appreciated is how active he was in pursuing Nico. It's always so satisfying when (contrary to canon) it's Percy who does the pursuing, the pining, it's Percy who keeps being by Nico's side even if it means just being his friend because, like he told Will, he would gladly be anything for Nico as long as the boy wishes so, than being nothing at all to him, and that's just glorious.

Seeing Nico through Percy's lovesick pov, cooing at how adorable he is even (especially) when he nerds about his interests and making it his life mission to get him to blush, just always brings me so much joy because I love Nico and getting to love him through a character's pov makes me even happier. It's only justice at this point after his canon treatment. That boy deserves the world, and to see Percy treating him with such tenderness like he's the most precious thing in the universe and how he fights for their relashionship soothes that ache.

Another thing that gets me is how you portray everyday/casual settings, your style fits so good when writting Percy and Nico just being boyfriends (Like Nico tending to Percy during a hangover, them just watching the myhtomagic show and teasing each other, them discussing Percy's job perspective and their views on soulmates) makes me wish you would write about their whooooooooooole life together! I think you're the best at portraying their already established relationship. Please write the Percico bible🙏🙏🙏🙏 pretty please.

Media in general don't portray romance unless there's drama and reading about people just enjoying each other in mondain settings is a rare thing (in addition to anchoring them as THE couple we should root for, and not the "destined ones") and I'm a sucker for it. A lot struggle at portraying it but you bring it to life so easilyand and vividly while making their conversations interesting and fluid without feeling forced at all, blatantly obvious how these two love each other!

Also I appreciated that comment at Will's empty apartment as a jab for him being devoid of personality, had to hold my laughter to not wake up people 😁I could go on and on and on like that but I feel like I've took too much place already.

Please keep showing us how Percy falls in love with Nico and makes him blush like a school girl, that's the one piece lacking in canon. Thanks for being awesome 👌

I forgot to mention! Comparing Annabeth and Nico, a soulmate and a chosen, to a lullaby and an aria was a stroke of genius.

A lullaby is familiar, comfortable gets you all warm and fluffy inside but listening to it over an over gets boring and will lose it's charm with repetition. It's good from time to time like catching up with an old friend but in too much doses you'd just get tired of seeing their face xD.

Meanwhile, an aria, a complexe italian opera, would take you years of listening again and again to get to understand. Each time you hear it you discover something new, a new detail that wasn't there before. It's epic and full of range of emotions and gets your heart racing and head spinning with heat getting to it. (That's my actual experience when listening opera). You're attracted to it despite not speaking the language at first and then you learn it and it's better than what you could have imagined.

At least that's how I understood it when reading x)

If it ain't the most beautiful love declaration, I don't know what is! Can't believe I missed on telling you that in the last post!

Honestly, I've been speechless about this one. Thank you so much! How to Defy Fate was basically me trying to make a Soulmate AU have an interesting romantic plot with stakes and obstacles. I'm very proud of it, and I'm glad you liked it.

As for the "Percico bible" part I'm not sure if you mean like, an old school ship manifesto, or a fanfic that basically shapes the ship's fanon (like Nico's mismatched shoes from Kiss a Boy in Tokyo Town). If the former, that would take... a while to produce, and if it's the latter, it's more up to the fandom than me 😉

[obsoleteozymandias]

Hi!! I love your match-ups. May I request one for Resident Evil, please? Maybe Stardew if that's okay too.

I'm short, chubby, heavily tattooed, rampantly bisexual, and nonbinary. Leftist. Medical lab biologist, but about to start my masters in forensic science. I love puzzles/puzzle games, reading, video games, making nature journals, and collecting postcards. I LOVE birding! I'm great in the kitchen, but not good at much else. Low self esteem and not very pretty. Severe chronic pain so some days I have a lot of trouble getting around at all. OCD + bipolar + ptsd so some days are... very difficult. I'm working through it, though. Autistic + ADHD. Big hyperfixations are bugs, sharks, bats, trains, lighthouses, astronomy, geology, paleontology, wildflowers, and lots of shows/movies/etc. Into vulture culture. Love horror movies. Jaws is my comfort film. The Shape of Water is my favorite, though (also a major monsterf*cker, oops). Star Trek: DS9 is my comfort show. Talk too much, but easily become nonverbal. Lots of bad puns and useless trivia. Will infodump about culinary history and foreign horror films. Parent to a young kid and love being a mom. Love cats. Keep tarantulas as a hobby. Don't like crowds, sunny days, hot weather, making small talk, or drinking. I wish I could travel all the time. But like. In a ghost way where i can drift around without being perceived. Also, as much as I like nature, I'm definitely NOT a fan of camping/roughing it. Tbh my idea of a good date is a rainy autumn night talking on the back porch with a blunt and Korean takeout.

Forensic science gang rise up!!!!

== Resident Evil ==>

I match you up with…

Jake Muller

This man….is so good. He’s got a rough exterior, but he’s got insides that are so soft he squishes when you hug him. 

Jake finds your choice of study very interesting. He finds the two of you like pieces of a puzzle that complete eachother: he makes the crime scenes and you investigate them. He also finds the way you can draw conclusions all from one drop of blood very cool and kinda sexy. 

He’s good with kids, even if he scares them away at first. He has a strong parental instinct over your kid, wanting to protect them and indulge them in everything he can. 

He also knows his job is dangerous, though. He’ll be hesitant to initiate anything with you until he can guarantee that you and your kid will be safe. 

Jake’s seen his fair amount of trauma. That isn’t to say he’ll completely understand yours, but he’s always a shoulder to lean on. He’ll give you gentle kisses on top of your head. He might not know what to say, but he’ll do his damndest to remind you that someone loves you. 

He’s enamored with you, to put it simply. He finds that the two of you are sides of the same coin, even if your lives are drastically different. He finds comfort in you in a way no one else can provide. 

== Stardew Valley ==>

I match you up with…

Leah 

Leah loves your passion for nature. She’s (obviously) a big fan of the world around her. She especially adores your nature books. She’ll bring you flowers to press after a day of foraging, and will watch your process with a gentle, adoring smile. 

Unrelated, I get the vibe that Leah would also adore The Shape of Water. She seems like she’d appreciate the artistry of it, but also find the monster hot. The two of you talk about this frequently. 

Leah’s more than willing to help parent if you’d let her. She’s not crazy about kids, but she’s got a particular tenderness for yours. In fact, she loves most anything that reminds you of her. 

Leah’s not as big of a horror fan as you (she’s actually quite scared of horror movies), but she’ll watch with you just to cuddle up against your arm when she gets scared.

In turn, she makes you watch a LOT of True Crime documentaries, of which she is a fan. 

Leah likes how genuine you are with your interests. If everyone in the world was as passionate and knowledgeable as you, she’d probably love the world a lot more. But in the mean time, she’s completely satisfied with loving you.

[phd-in-endlessocean]

Lin.... 🙊

i am sorry for the lenght of this but... kento❤...

Alright let me start from Kento himself our man lord and saviour. I adore him and i adore how you depicted him, especially the subtle expressions and his straightforward speech. You made him hardened but so soft like a loaf of bread and it just makes me want to bite him and hold him in my mouth forever. 😪❤ At the beginning he's so funny... he kinda acts like a karen for a second and the first scenes are straight up hilarious. always imaging him like this 🧍‍♂️

When he remembers your name though??? when he softens at the compliment??? smack me in the face please because i would literally accept crumbs - no pun intended - from this man. the "it's on the house"??? aaaaajdwkzjdiw

The beginning is so light hearted and the general atmosphere that your writing shapes it's so warm and comforting! as i said, also really fun! i was smiling through everything! "vivaldi. this isnt my record" "it is now" "🧍‍♂️". im sorry this is too funny

and the way he speaks in statements??? cute. just, too cute.

by the way, reader is so charming, suave and playful and warm... welcoming, i think, most of all. i would fall for them too lmao

BUT THEN

when the music lessons start and we get some info about his past, the feeling goes from lighthearted and funny to melancholic, feeling sorry for him. You know this from me already but i really love how capable you are at toying with your readers' emotions 😂 you're so good at bringing us up up up AND THEN down down down AND THEN AGAIN up etc. You really are in charge of the rollercoaster of feelings that your readers are experiencing, because your writing is immersive! it's enveloping! so you can easily feel what the characters are feeling! empathy and sympathy and everything! the atmospheres are vivid and thick!

even when they start to get more comfortable with each other... the touches... the gazes.... ooof. i frequently screamed inside because i thought i would collapse from too much sweetness from his part ☺ i am totally insane about him and i am not afraid to say it ☺ when he grabs your wrists...th- the k- kiss scene... 😭😭😭😭❤❤❤ when he smiles for the first time??? jeez im in love.

"even though you were invited - no, told to come" is a banger in my heart. literal dream. i was about to combust. freak out, if you will. saying this is one of the sexiest things a person could do. none of that "you can come if you want" bullshit, but being clear that you WANT someone to be there with you !!!! punching the air i am having serious problems right now 😃 i also appreciate the attention given to his gesture of pushing up his glasses with his fingers.... such a small gesture that makes me genuinely feral ❤ and a man who cooks for you??? HANDS UP, PANTIES DOW-[GUNSHOTS]

LOOVE IT. LET'S PUT HIM IN SOCIALLY CHALLENGING INTIMATE SITUATIONS!!!

baker nanami is now living rent free in my mind.

thank you for all your work. it's beautiful 💝

if music be the food of love, play on

Nanami Kento x reader. You're the proud owner of a new music store that just opened up beside Kento's Bakery, a beloved oasis on a busy street of a quaint small town. Nanami is cold and unwelcoming when you first meet, but as the weeks pass, he discovers that there's a world of music and happiness right at his doorstep.

Tags: bakery owner Nanami, female musician reader (main instrument is piano); lots of technical talk about music; lots of food mentions (it's a bakery au, afterall); fluff, Nanami doesn't have a sorcerer background, Nobara and Haibara as supporting characters, first kisses, little bit of pining, smidge of angst for Nanami's back story. I've been nursing this for months and finally found the time to finish it today. Before you ask about a part two, please know that it's being considered, though it will be slow based on how long it took me to write this.

See end notes for details on the music mentioned throughout the story and an explanation of the title. 6.5k words. Dividers by the lovely @/cafekitsune.

While most of the city is still fast asleep, Nanami Kento unlocks the front door of his bakery and steps inside, ready for another day of creating the neighborhood's best loved bread and pastries. He works alone until his front of house staff arrives a little before 6:00 a.m., when it's time to open to the public. Every morning is the same– by the time he flips the little sign on the door from Closed to Open, there's a case full of fresh baked pastries that have each been handcrafted with loving skill by Nanami's hands. It's meditative for him– ingredients, measurements, time, routine, a well-loved butcher’s block table, intoxicating aromas and his favorite music playing on an old record player. He has an affinity for the classics: Vivaldi, Brahms, Chopin, Tchaikovsky. But on weekend mornings, when the strict weekday regimen is more relaxed and free, it’s jazz. 

The storefront is small, the floors made of old pine planks that groan underfoot, and there's room for one small table for two in front of the window that faces the street. There are a few framed prints of famous artworks on the walls, a well-loved spider plant hanging in the corner, and a small wooden shelf with the daily newspaper and a few old cookbooks. Behind the cash register is a cutaway window where Nanami's kitchen is nestled just beyond. Customers come from miles around at all different times of the day– the morning commuters who build an extra fifteen minutes into their routine to stop in for a cup of coffee to go and a savory pastry wrapped in brown paper, the afternoon crowd who call to order sandwiches ahead for themselves and their coworkers to eat in the park on their lunch break, the evening crowd that stops to grab a fresh loaf of sourdough or rye to take home for dinner. By the time the last customer has left for the day, the case is empty and the cash register is full. An overnight baker comes in around 8 p.m. to begin prepping and proofing for the next morning, and Kento departs for home.

He appreciates the routine. It's predictable and comforting, and he thrives on knowing that he's still making a difference in the world– or, at least, in his little neighborhood. Owning a bakery is not a glamorous existence, but it’s honest work. His staff is competent and efficient, and he pays them fairly. He’s never failed a health department inspection– his kitchen is pristine and organized, with fresh ingredients and well-kept equipment being of utmost priority. It took him months to jump through all the hoops; health, utility, and zoning inspectors paraded through the store, nitpicking at every small detail until it’s all up to code. Nanami had little patience for all the red tape, but he held his tongue and signed all the papers and paid all the fees. He hired and trained a handful of workers and opened for business on a sleepy Thursday morning.

By the time the little music store comes to life next door, he’s been in business for over two years. And he’s thriving. Amid the other small businesses– a florist, an artist co-op, a jeweler, a few specialty clothing boutiques, a candy shop– he’s respected and loved, though the rest of the owners agree that he’s a bit of a grump. Hard to talk to, rarely smiles or makes small talk. Perhaps none of them have ever really given him a chance to say anything. Or perhaps Kento doesn’t really want to say anything to them. For all intents and purposes, he seems happy with his lot.

You purchase the store next door to Kento’s at the end of September. It takes a few weeks for the finer details to be secured, but the day you move in, it’s sunny and unseasonably warm. Nanami watches from behind the counter as the box truck you rented pulls up and takes up two parking spaces in front of his bakery. The dough he’s kneading bears the brunt of his frustration as he continues to watch.

You and two men get out; you survey your parking job and shrug your shoulders as if to say this will have to do. The truck is large, and there isn’t a lot of room in the alley behind the store, so it's really your only option. With a worried nibble of your fingernail, you turn and look in the window of the bakery to see if anyone’s watching. The glare on the glass makes it hard for you to tell, but Nanami watches you with a deep frown as you motion for your movers to start unloading the truck. For a moment, it looks like you’re going to come inside, but you change your mind mid step and go to unlock the door to your own store instead.

Nanami finishes the dough he’s working, dusts off his hands on his apron, and decides it’s time to confront you.

“Mr. Kento, is everything okay?” the counter attendant asks, concern etched into her features. “Are you–”

“I’ll be right back,” he says, without making eye contact. Onto the sidewalk he steps and crosses his arms, looking from your giant truck and over to your store, mouth slightly open, brows arched. He’s clearly annoyed, and he’s about to make it known when you bounce over to him, extending a hand in greeting.

“Hi! You must be Kento. I’ve never been to your bakery, but I’ve heard wonderful things.” You tell him your name, even though he doesn’t ask. And when he doesn’t take your hand, you sheepishly pull yours away, feeling a little deflated.

“You’re taking up two parking spaces.” It’s all he offers. 

You scratch the back of your head and huff a little laugh. “Yeah, sorry about that. The alley is so narrow, and I wasn’t sure if–”

“I receive deliveries out back twice a week, in a truck of a similar size. None of those drivers have ever had a problem fitting.”

Nodding, you stammer an apology, then call out to your movers. “We can park out back, you guys! He says there’s plenty of room!”

Nanami seems to relax, but only a little. “This is customer parking.”

You scoff, but you feel your face grow hot. This definitely isn’t the way you’d hoped to meet your next door business owner. “Look, I said I was sorry, okay? I’m not sure what else you want me to do.” As you start to say you’d like to buy something from him, the truck roars to life and you snap your lips shut with a short nod. Pleased, Nanami retreats back inside just as one of his customers pulls in to claim one of the spaces your truck left.

It takes hours to unload the truck, and days after that to sort through everything you’ve brought with you. You don’t hear another word from the baker next door, and you’re quite content with being left alone to organize your store the way you envisioned. There’s much more than you’d realized– stacks of sheet music, instruments you’d picked up at auctions and thrift stores that needed a little TLC, boxes of records and CD’s and even a few old cassette tapes, and an old upright piano that had been yours since the tender age of four. Your grandmother taught you to play on this piano, and now, it’s your turn to pass on the skill. Deep down, you know it’s a little crazy and overly-ambitious to open a music store and attempt to teach piano lessons, but you want to try. If worse comes to worst, you could always hire someone to tend to the store while you teach.

As the weeks go by and autumn settles in, word of your shop travels through town. You aren’t terribly busy yet, but you have a few regulars from the local university who like to raid your record collection from time to time, and you teach about a dozen piano students on a weekly basis. There’s generally a lull in business in the early afternoon, so on a particularly cool October day, you decide to lock up for a few minutes and head next door. You haven’t seen Nanami since the first time you met, but you’re hoping he doesn’t kick you out when he sees you at his counter.

A little bell above the door signals your arrival. Inside the bakery, it’s warm and inviting and smells like coffee and your grandmother’s kitchen. You order a drink and a croissant and make small talk with the counter staff. She’s young and smiling, seemingly happy to be at work as she goes about making your coffee order. You look around, noting the finer details of the store– the handwritten tags on the different varieties of bread, the old world feel and warm, yellow lighting. For someone whose first impression left you a little disenchanted, he certainly knows how to create a charming atmosphere.

As you go to leave, you hear your name called from the kitchen. You turn around just as you tear off a piece of the croissant to stuff in your mouth and meet Nanami's eyes, chewing in wide-eyed wonder. The flaky, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture of the croissant makes you want to moan in delight. But you're also gobsmacked that he remembers your name.

You swallow, then offer him a wide smile and a thumbs up from the hand that holds your coffee. "Kento! Nice to see you! I didn't know you were here today," you demure. 

He is not impressed. "I'm here every day."

"Oh, right– being the owner and all."

"How do you like it?" he asks, giving a subtle incline of his head toward the pastry in your hand.

"Wha– oh, this?" You purse your lips and kiss the air. "Delectable. Delightful." You bite off another piece, and some of the flaky dough flutters across your cheek. "I should have come over weeks ago."

Something in his demeanor softens. It's so subtle that you'd probably have missed it if you weren't watching him so closely, anticipating his next move. "I wondered if you ever would, considering our first encounter."

You scoff. "That's old news. I was over it an hour after it happened."

There's a hint of a smile that lifts the corner of his mouth, and he pushes his glasses up with a floured finger. "Yes, I suppose it is."

For a brief moment, he considers asking about how business has been going for you, but ultimately decides against it. You take a sip of coffee as the cashier looks between the two of you, busying herself with wiping down the counter while trying to appear nonchalant. "Well," you begin, hooking your thumb over your shoulder, "I should probably head back over. I have a student coming soon. Nice talking to you, Kento!"

His interest is piqued. "Student?"

You nod, chewing on another mouthful. "Mm-hm! I teach piano lessons."

A golden brow raises, and his brown eyes gleam behind his wire-rimmed glasses. "I had no idea."

You laugh. "That's why you should come and visit me! I haven't had the most warm welcome in this little neighborhood, and you're partly to blame for that."

"I thought you said that was old news," he deadpans. 

You throw him a wink and use your elbow to open the door. "Later, Kento."

You visit once or twice a week, then every day. It becomes part of your morning routine to visit, and you know it's no good for your wallet, but you can’t resist. Eventually, the counter staff stops charging you for coffee. “It’s on the house,” Nanami calls from his station one morning. You leave an extra tip in the little jar by the cash register, and he scowls at you. You laugh and wave, then head back to your store, pleased that you seem to know just how to get under his skin.

You bring him a record next time you come. Vivaldi– The Four Seasons. You’d been at an auction over the weekend and thought of him when you found it. You slide it across the counter and tip your head toward the grumpy baker in the back. “For your boss,” you tell the cashier, whose name you’ve learned is Nobara and that she’s in school for graphic design but she’s been shadowing Kento and learning the art of baking. 

“He won’t take it,” she whispers, though her mouth betrays her when she grins with you in a conspiratorial sort of way. She slips it under the counter and leans forward, lowering her voice even further. “I’ll make sure he hears it, though.”

You sip your coffee and meander toward the window while Nobara sneaks her way toward the record player that’s playing some pretentious Bach etudes. She rolls her eyes and pretends to yawn, then winks at you and lifts the needle. 

“What happened?” As soon as the music stops, Kento calls from the kitchen, though you can’t see him from where you stand. You and Nobara share a wide-eyed moment while she slides the Vivaldi record out of its sleeve.

“Record’s over!” she replies. “Just getting another one out.”

You stifle a giggle behind your palm as she drops the needle. A few revolutions of static fill the small space, then the triumphant fanfare of Spring makes your heart leap with familiar excitement. 

Kento steps out from the kitchen, dusting his hands on his apron. It’s only the second time you’ve seen the entirety of him, as most of the time his lower half is obscured by the wall behind the cash register. He’s taller than you realized, with broad shoulders that strain against the cotton of his button up. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, and you can’t help but notice the well-defined muscle in his forearms and the thickness of his fingers. He looks from you to Nobara, then back to you. He’s not amused, but he isn’t exactly mad, either. You wonder if this guy has ever smiled at all.

“Vivaldi,” he says. “This isn’t my record.”

“It is now,” you say. Nobara grabs a broom and sweeps under one of the tables, and Kento steps a little closer to you. The music plays on, and you can’t tell if he’s listening and doesn’t want to ruin the vibe or if he truly is at a loss for words.

“How much do I owe you?” he asks, reaching in his back pocket, presumably for his wallet.

You shake your head and smile at him. “It’s on the house. Now we’re even.”

“I didn’t realize you were in my debt.”

“Coffee. I haven’t paid for a cup in almost two weeks. I wanted to give you something in return.”

He knocks on your door just after you've locked up on a cold, rainy November afternoon. 

“That’s not necessary,” he says, and if you didn’t know any better (and you really don’t) you’d think he was offended. He pulls a couple of bills from his wallet and holds them out to you. “Really. The coffee isn’t a big deal.”

You take a couple of steps backward until your shoulder butts into the door. The little bell above you jingles merrily. “Neither is the record!” And before he can say another word, you’re trotting back to your territory, leaving him with the triumphant sounds of Spring and your mischievous smile emblazoned on his psyche.

"We're closed!" you shout from the back, not bothering to see who's at the door.

"It's Kento," he calls, fitting as much of his body as he can under the awning to avoid getting any wetter than he already is.

You smile to yourself and go to let him in, sweeping your arm in a grand gesture. "Welcome to my humble shop, good sir. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."

He doesn't even crack a smile, but steps over the threshold and dries his shoes on the welcome mat. For a moment, he doesn't speak, only looks around at your haphazard organization of goods. You watch him curiously, filing away a few pieces of sheet music before fully turning to face him.

“How do you like it?” you ask.

“Quaint,” he answers, not meeting your gaze. You notice for the first time that he’s carrying a brown paper bag, and he approaches you, wordlessly holding it out for you to take. 

“Aw, thanks, Kento.” You accept it with a smile and stick your nose down in the bag, inhaling deeply. 

“Rosemary,” he offers when he sees you lift a brow, trying to place the scent. 

“It smells incredible.” 

“You give piano lessons.” It’s a statement, not a question. You chuckle lightly at his abrupt change of subject. Either he’s incredibly socially awkward, or he doesn’t waste time on trivial small talk. You think it’s probably the latter.

“Right. We talked about it before. Why? Do you have a niece or something that wants to learn?”

He cocks his head at you, still expressionless. “No. I do.”

THe silence between you stretches on for just a beat too long, making the air tense and awkward. Nanami’s eyes don’t leave your face, and you find yourself stuttering out some kind of affirmative sound.

“Do you have an opening in your schedule?”

“I have a few!” you say. “What’s a good time for you?”

Nanami looks at his watch. “There’s no time like the present. Is this time of day usually free for you?”

“I–” You laugh sheepishly, but gesture for him to follow you to the back of the store where your little, slightly out of tune upright piano sits, surrounded by shelves of method books, theory worksheets, and volumes upon volumes of music through the ages. “I usually use this time to practice my own stuff, but I could make time for you.”

He slides easily onto the old wooden bench and inches it back, away from the keys, to accommodate his long legs. To say you’re surprised when he begins to play scales would be an understatement. He’s a little clumsy, using the wrong fingers on the wrong keys some of the time, but he keeps a steady tempo as his hands move up and down the octaves. 

“You didn’t tell me you knew how to play,” you murmur, sitting in the chair you have placed to his right. Your teaching chair. Your newest student watches his hands, a lock of his golden hair falling over his forehead as he tilts his chin downward. You cross your legs and smile fondly. 

"I took lessons as a child," he says quietly. "But I didn't keep up with it once I went to high school." He stops abruptly, then turns to you. "I'd like to refresh, though. Maybe learn a new piece or two."

"Of course!" From one of the shelves to your right, you pull out a volume of simplified classical pieces, thumbing through until you find one suitable. You lean forward and place it in front of him. "How's your sight reading?"

"Poor," he frowns, but he begins to pluck out the melody line, slow and deliberate. 

"That's your assignment this week, then. I'll give you a book for home practice, and when you come back next week, be prepared to play one or two songs for me. Focus on the mechanics, the fingering, the tempo. We'll add in dynamics when you feel you've got it."

He continues to play, his left hand pressing against the pages to keep them from falling shut. "What's your fee?"

You answer without hesitation. "Bread."

He raises a brow as if to ask if you're serious. "Bread?"

You nod. "Bread. One loaf per week. Doesn't matter what kind, though I'm partial to a well-made focaccia."

"Bread is hardly sufficient for your services."

"I'm trying to be neighborly here, Kento. Indulge me."

"Fine. One loaf per week. And I'll buy my own sheet music."

"That's not necessary, I have–"

"I'll buy my own sheet music," he reiterates. You snap your mouth shut and give him a swift nod. 

If his demeanor as a student is anything like his demeanor as a business owner, you're in for one hell of a ride.

The days grow short as winter settles in. With the holidays just around the corner, Nanami's bakery grows busier by the day with custom orders for parties and other social events, and you're busy preparing students for their first studio recital. Despite his busy schedule, he still visits you every Thursday afternoon and astounds you with the progress he makes. You wonder how he finds the time to practice, especially now, during his busiest season.

You've learned a few things about him during your time together. He's not much of a talker, preferring to keep his private life private. But when you do manage to get a little bit of personal information out of him, he gets a faraway, melancholy look in his eye, like maybe some part of him is stuck in those memories of a life long past. He’s divorced. It was a childless, loveless marriage, one where his ex-wife chased more after her own pleasure than their mutual enjoyment in more ways than one. He worked for years as a financial advisor, and when the divorce settlement came, she took her share of their assets and moved across the continent. He soon began to feel suffocated by the endless hours he spent at the office, so he took up baking as a hobby. What began as a way to distract himself from loneliness turned into a lucrative business opportunity; he opened the bakery with part of his retirement fund and never looked back.

His favorite composer is Beethoven. He appreciates the moodiness of the music, the complex and haunting melodies that seem to speak to a part of his soul he's buried long ago. You want to ask him why he never pursued music, but he beats you to the punch. 

"There was a time as a child that I dreamed of being a concert pianist," he says quietly. He's playing the same two measures of a Beethoven piece, just the left hand, committing the sequence to muscle memory. 

You hum and tilt your head. "What happened to that dream?"

He grunts, frustrated, though with the passage of music or his memory, you couldn't say. "My father. 'You won't make any money as a musician', he'd tell me. I said I didn't care about the money, so he found other ways to discourage me."

You're angry at his father on his behalf. It's true, the life of a musician isn't all glitz and glamor, but it's fulfilling work. The friendships formed and the memories of performances and late night jam sessions are worth more than any measly paycheck you might receive. It might be a romanticized way to think about it, but it's not unreasonable to find a way to make a modest living from music.

"So you studied–"

"Finance. Numbers. Spreadsheets and accounting. Math and music aren't really all that different when you break it down," he says. "Of course, you can't put emotion into algebraic equations," he scoffs. He lifts his hand from the keyboard and turns to look at you. "But you can with bread."

You nod. "It's true. I'm sorry you didn't have anyone to encourage you to follow your heart."

He pauses, lips slightly parted as if he wants to say something retaliatory; but he sighs instead. "So am I."

You're struck suddenly with an idea, and nearly knock over your chair to open one of your cabinets. Nanami watches carefully as your fingers flip through different books, your eyes alight with excitement and maybe a smidge of mischief. "Found it!" You nudge him with the book as you sit on the edge of the bench to his right. "Scoot."

"What's this?" he asks as you set the music in front of the two of you. 

"Play this with me," you say. You grab the book and bend the spine so that it lays a little more flat. "Look. It's in C Major. It's not fast. And your part is simple!" When he looks at you, skeptical, you laugh. "It's sight reading practice! Come on Kento, don't be scared."

It isn't the music that he's afraid of. It's the proximity of you, sitting mere inches away from him on the same bench. It's your shoulder rubbing against his, the light floral scent of your perfume, the way the setting sun slants in from the front window and makes your eyes shine. He swallows thickly and tears his gaze away from you to study the music, ghosting his hands over the keys without actually pressing them.

"I'll take care of page turns. You control the pedal. Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," he says.

"Alright. On my count. One-two-three-four–"

It isn't perfect by a long shot. You get through the first few pages without much difficulty, but Nanami's capacity for sight reading isn't quite up to par, and he grows frustrated that he can't keep up with you. He stops after an unsuccessful attempt at a set of quick sixteenth notes and shakes his head. 

"What's wrong?" 

"I need more practice," he murmurs, watching your hands as you continue playing. 

"You were doing fine!"

"Not as good as you."

You laugh, incredulous. "Kento, I've got years of practice on you! Give yourself a break!" You swat playfully at his shoulder and start to slide away from the bench, but he takes hold of your wrist. You freeze, and the smile falls from your lips when you see the way he's looking at you. 

"I'll pay you for the extra time if I can stay a little longer." I want to get this right. For you.

When you settle back in beside him, he releases his grip on your wrist. The loss of warmth and pressure takes your breath away. Your tongue feels to heavy for your mouth when you agree to let him stay. "You don't have to pay me. Let's work this through."

You spend the next hour writing in numbers on the sheet music to guide him on which fingers to use on which keys, which passages are important to the call and response with your part, where to pause, where to speed up. The piece in its entirety is long; four movements, a total performance time of over forty minutes, but you plan to concentrate only on the first. Nanami is attentive and asks plenty of relevant questions, but as the evening draws on, you find it hard to concentrate on the music. Stifling a yawn with the back of your hand, you glance at the old grandfather clock that stands near the back door. 

"I think that will give you enough to do this week, don't you think?" In the beat of silence that follows your question, your stomach gurgles. Embarrassed, you rub a hand over your abdomen. "Sorry."

Nanami closes the book and checks his watch. "When did you last eat?" he asks.

"I had an early lunch. Breakfast. Brunch?" You giggle at yourself and shrug. "A while ago," you admit.

He's at war with himself, and it's written all over his face. There's guilt for keeping you so late, annoyance that you didn't stop teaching him at a reasonable time. There's a thankfulness in the way his brows knit together, though, and a tender admiration for how dedicated you are. He also wants to take you to dinner, but he doesn't want it to be a date, and he doesn't want you to think that he's asking you out because he doesn't want to overstep any sort of student-teacher relationship.

But he owns a bakery that's stocked with food, whose employees have long gone home for the evening. 

"Come with me." 

You begin to protest. You know what he's going to offer, but you're tired and a little frazzled, and you know you won't be good company for much longer. "Kento, I appreciate it, but–"

"Let me make you something." 

You sigh, but your stomach has more to say. 

Nanami lifts a brow and quirks up the corner of his mouth. "Come on," he says, "before I change my mind."

The sidewalk is dusted with a glittering swirl of snow when you step outside and lock up. The street in front of your shops is barren and dark, save for a lone, flickering street lamp and a biting cold winter wind. You wish you'd thought to grab your coat (or at least a scarf), but Nanami is quick to unlock his door and usher you inside, his hand hovering near the small of your back, barely touching. You're immediately thankful for the warmth of his bakery. Even now, with the ovens off and only the quiet hum of the refrigerator, the atmosphere warm and welcoming. You roll some of the tension out of your shoulders and look around while he goes straight to the record player and puts on an album. This one is different than his usual fare; the crackle of the needle on vinyl satisfies you in a way you can't explain, and soon you're surprised to hear the croon of Louis Armstrong.

"I didn't take you for a jazz fan," you muse, following him behind the counter. You feel like you're being let in on one of the world's best kept secrets, like you really shouldn't be here, even though you were invited– no, told– to come. Nanami pulls out a stool and instructs you to sit, and you do, though you're itching to help in some way.

"Sure you don't need me to do anything?" 

He looks at you over the rim of his glasses, then uses his index finger to push them up the bridge of his nose. You take that as a no, so you settle onto the stool and listen to the music while he works.

"You know, for it to be a real exchange of services, you should teach me how to bake." 

He continues to assemble two sandwiches with cold cuts of meat and fresh tomato and some kind of pesto spread that makes your mouth water. The sound of the serrated edge of a knife cutting through a loaf of crusty bread makes your stomach growl again. Nanami scoffs. "I'm not a good teacher."

"Bullshit. I bet you're amazing."

"I'm not patient. I thought you'd be able to figure that out from the way I study piano." He sets a plate in front of you, then pulls out another stool, settling in adjacent from you at the other side of the prep table. You wonder if it's not customary for him to eat here. Something tells you that he likes to keep this space pristine when he's not using it for its intended purpose, but you choose to ignore it. 

"You've got to have a little patience stored in there somewhere." You point to his heart and smile. "Doesn't bread take hours from start to finish? Pastries, too? And pies, and cookies and stuff?"

"Cookies don't take hours," he says. "But you do have a point with the bread and pastries. If you really want to learn, I'll teach you. But not tonight." He nods toward the sandwich. "Eat. I know you're hungry."

You eat. The first bite is a little piece of heaven; you expected nothing less, based on the other things you've eaten from his bakery, but this is on another level. Maybe it's because you haven't eaten in hours, or maybe it's because you're exhausted. Maybe it's because the man sitting with you made it for you and you didn't have to cook or decide what kind of takeout to get, but you'd swear it to be the best sandwich you've had in your life. 

You don't talk much between bites, and neither does he. He, too, seems exhausted by the work he put in, but not in a way that has him feeling defeated. It's a sense of accomplishment, a tired sort of pride that comes from concentrating hard on a project that means something to him. You let the music fill the silence, you sip a cup of fresh-brewed coffee (even though you know you'll regret drinking caffeine so late), you let your spine curve as you lean on the table, feeling full and satisfied.

You offer to help him clean up. He insists that you leave it, that it's late and you should go. You pick up your plate anyway and stick out your tongue as you dance away from him and over to the sink. He grabs your wrist for the second time tonight and you look at his hand, then up at him as he tugs you gently toward him, close enough so that he can take the plate from you with his other hand. The fluorescent lighting does little to conceal his expression; a lock of his hair falls over one eye, where you see the dark half-circles in the skin underneath. He's tired. And it's not just because he spent the evening poring over music, nor is it because of the hours he keeps. You think he's just perpetually tired from the hand that life has dealt him, and you wish in that moment that you could help him rest. 

"I said I've got it," he murmurs, and you suddenly realize you're closer to him than you'd thought. So close, in fact, that you feel the warmth of his breath across your cheek when he sighs at your stubbornness. There's barely an inch between your chest and his, and you catch yourself staring at his neck, wondering idly what it might feel like to run your nails along the stubble on his jaw.

You whisper, "Okay." Your lips feel dry, so you wet them with your tongue; it's an unconscious reflex, but when you see Nanami's eyes flit to your mouth and his cheeks bloom with color, you realize that he reads it in an entirely different way.

Not that you mind. 

He sets your plate in the sink, never letting go of your wrist as he pulls you in even closer. He breathes through his mouth, softly, and he uses his other hand to tilt your chin upward, honey brown eyes dancing across your face. You search his face in kind; your heart is in your throat, and you feel his energy radiating all around you. Testing the waters a bit, you lean in further until the tip of your nose nudges his cheek and he closes his eyes as his hand slips around your waist.

He can't breathe when your lips touch his. You're so tentative and soft, plush silk that presses against his mouth and makes him yearn for more of you right away. There's something otherworldly that happens in that moment; you've shared kisses with a handful of people in your life, but none have ever felt quite like this. You think about the romance books that you read as a teen, where the kiss would be described as electric, charged, all-consuming, like some kind of magic spell was cast over the characters and they knew in an instant that they were meant to be. 

You knew how foolish it was to believe in those kind of stories, yet here you were, standing in the middle of Nanami's kitchen, kissing him while he kissed you back, with soft jazz floating on the air, your fingers tracing across his jaw just as you'd daydreamed about only moments ago. His kiss is slow and deliberate, his tongue gentle and languid as it passes over yours and touches the corner of your mouth as if he's savoring the taste of you.

You're first to pull back, your head light, your chest fluttering as you take in a gulp of precious air. Nanami's forehead rests against yours, fingers pressed lightly against the pulse at your neck. 

"You should go now," he whispers, though it's the last thing in the world he wants you to do. It's dangerous for you to stay. He isn't sure he'll be able to control himself much longer in your presence. 

You nod and give his waist a squeeze as you pull away, and the fatigue of the day begins to set in. Nanami thumbs at your bottom lip before letting you go, watching as you clumsily fumble for your keys in the pocket of your jeans. 

The back door opens suddenly, bringing in a gust of cold air and shimmering snow flurries, and you both jolt as the night baker steps inside. He, too, widens his eyes as he sees the two of you standing there. Nanami cards a hand through his hair and clears his throat while you fish out your keys, laughing nervously.

"Mr. Kento! You're here late," the baker says, looking between the two of you as it dawns on him what may have just happened. 

"We were– I was just leaving," Nanami says. "Let me wash up, then I'll be out of your hair."

The baker smiles. "Nah, I got it. Go on home. You look tired."

Nanami begins to protest, then stops himself. "Thank you, Haibara. I'll see you in the morning."

He guides you out through the front, stopping to turn off the record player. Outside on the sidewalk, he grabs your hand, thumb running over your knuckles as he smiles at you. A genuine smile, the first one you've seen since you've known him.

"Goodnight. And thank you," he says. 

"No need for thanks," you demure, squeezing his hand. "I had fun. And the sandwich was delicious. You spoil me, you know."

He kisses your forehead, then dips down to meet your lips once more. Sweet, chaste, but lingering, as if he wants to commit the feel of it to memory.

"If you’re serious about learning to bake, we can start when you're ready." Tomorrow? Is tomorrow good for you?

"I'll let you know." How about tonight? Right now? You begin to think of ways to rearrange your schedule so you can fit in baking lessons. The thought of rising before the sun makes you scowl, but you might be able to make it work. Especially since you'll be working alongside him. "Goodnight, Kento."

"Goodnight," he repeats, and when he says your name, you can almost hear the way he relishes the feel of it on his tongue.

"Don't forget to practice!" you call to him as you flit down the sidewalk. He chuckles to himself and looks up at the street lamp, hand shoved into his pockets.

"I won't."

The title is taken from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. “If music be the food of love play on,” by itself, is interpreted as equating music to food for love. On its own, as it is commonly quoted, speakers interpret it as promoting love in one’s life as one might seek out more food to sate one’s appetite. But, in the context of the play and the entire quote, it becomes clear that the speaker is asking for more music because he hopes that it will cure him of his obsessive love for Countess Olivia. He hopes that with more music, his “appetite may sicken and so die.” In the case of Nanami and his love interest, I just wanted a clever title to tie bread and music together, so the quote is interpreted here without context, which changes the meaning entirely 😂

The record that reader bring to Nanami is Vivaldi's Four Seasons, and the song specifically that plays is Spring

The Beethoven piece that he plays is Für Elise, which is a common "beginner" classical song for pianists.

The duet they play is Franz Schubert's Sonata in C Major D.812 (for four hands). They don't get very far before Nanami gives up.

In the bakery when they go to share a meal, Nanami puts on a Louis Armstrong record.

Thank you for reading! If you liked it, please consider a reblog to help spread the love.

[jaydeelliottblog]

Joining The "Band" Wagon · Part 1

There's been a music-related post circulating on Facebook, in hopes for others to join and put a pause on the boredom. So, I decided to join the "band" wagon... no pun intended!

So! Here goes...

BAND I LOVE: Issues ~

Issues have stolen my heart - especially their frontman Tyler Carter and his insane vocals. I only started to listen to them 2 or 3 years ago and I have been in love ever since, so much so, that their latest album "Beautiful Oblivion" was my favourite album for the whole of 2019. It's INSANE!

BAND I CAN LISTEN TO OVER AGAIN AND AGAIN: Fall Out Boy ~

I just find their music so goddamn catchy, fun and upbeat; it just puts me in such a good mood. It's any emo kid's anthem and I feel so nostalgic when I listen to them, especially "This Ain't A Scene" and "Grand Theft Autumn". They remind me of simpler times, like on the bus to and from school; headphones in and blasting FOB from the old iPod nano, muting the world around me and zoning out.

BAND I THINK IS UNDER APPRECIATED: Seraphim ~

I was introduced to Seraphim when my boyfriend sent me one of their cover songs to listen to because he was addicted to it, and therefore... I also became addicted. I only really listened to their covers, because it was interesting to hear rock/heavier versions of popular songs, such as their version of "The Night" originally by The Weeknd. They've done a few other covers, but then I discovered their song "Dust Eater" (and the acoustic version, which I actually prefer) and then their album "Shades of the Future" named after the title track. I think this band is so under appreciated; mainly because not a lot of people I know have heard of them. So if you get a chance to listen to them... please do! You won't regret it.

BAND THAT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH MUSIC: 30 Seconds To Mars ~

I still get goosebumps to this day whenever I listen to 30STM. Mainly because I was (and still kinda am) obsessed with Jared Leto and his spine-tingling voice and screams. Especially the contrast he has; from the angelic tones in "Alibi" to the raw emotion in "The Kill". That music video is still one of my favourites to this day and incorporating Stephen King's "The Shining" gave it huge bonus points. 30STM definitely made me fall in love with the rock genre even more and had a helping hand in shaping my true emo form.

BAND I THINK IS OVERRATED: Green Day ~

This doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the occasional song, I'm just not particularly the biggest fan; leading me to think they're a bit overplayed and overrated (a bit like Nirvana... I'm sorry!). I tend to roll my eyes whenever "Wake Me Up When September Ends" plays. More like, wake me up when this damn song ends. Please.

BAND I HATE: Enter Shikari ~

I cannot stand this band and I apologise to anyone I offend, but I just strongly dislike (a better phrase than "hate") them, especially their songs "Jonny Sniper", "Juggernauts" and "Sorry, You're Not A Winner". I don't know what it is, but I just cannot get on with those songs and the band in general. They're kind of like my marmite... and I hate marmite too.

[yourmotherstrashmouth]

Hi! When you've got a chance could I please get a matchup for Attack on Titan and Harry Potter?

Name: Raven / adult / any pronouns / slight preference for men but any gender match is OK.

appearance: 5'1 / 155cm, curvy but somewhat slender (pear shaped), round cheeks w/ a dimple on right cheek, button nose, green eyes, long eyelashes, wavy ash brown hair (i either grow it out really long or cut it super short, i like to change it up. i also like to dye it often - currently bleached it and toning it white), 5 piercings in one ear, 4 + industrial in the other, navel piercing. my current picrew pfp was roughly accurate when my hair was short and my natural color!

Personality types: INTJ-A; 7w8; Ravenclaw (considered Slytherin but not very ambitious at all lmao); chaotic neutral; virgo sun, sagittarius moon, scorpio rising.

Love Languages: physical touch, quality time (least likey to use/enjoy acts of service).

Personality traits: introverted, extremely independent, confident, decisive, straightforward, optimistic, even-tempered, easygoing, good sense of humor, playful, mischievous, teasing, curious, intelligent, noncompetitive // arrogant, risk-taking, blunt, generally not facially expressive, distant, doesn't care for getting close to many people, nosey, rebellious.

Hobbies: baking, drawing/painting, video games.

Likes / Interests: cats, sweets, cool weather, thrill-seeking activities, lazy days, lattes, traveling, piercings and tattoos, having alone time.

Dislikes: pessimism, rigidity (in personality or environment), conformity, feeling restricted, possessiveness, having to be responsible for other people, useless authority figures, boredom.

Misc: the type that really takes a while to open up to someone; the type that has a cute face but does not often act sweet/soft; dresses more hipster/punk; clumsy; loves puns; a big foodie; accidentally misuses slang or phrases bc I can never remember how they go (e.g. "let's bust this popsicle stand" when it should be "blow this popsicle stand"); a bit of a troublemaker/rulebreaker, does not shy away from conflict (might purposefully start some); enjoys learning foreign languages; enjoys learning and practicing new skills and can pick them up fairly easily; prone to being a bit directionless in life but is go-with-the-flow enough that it typically isn't an issue; very prone to bad luck or unfortunate incidents but remains optimistic and tries to find the humor in most situations.

For Attack On Titan I match you with... Erwin Smith!

Song: Dancing With Your Ghost - Sasha Alex Sloan

He loves you with his whole heart though he doesn't show it in public and you feel like he doesn't love you at all, but I swear on my entire family he does.

He and his friends can deal with your troublemaker personality- except Levi, he doesn't tolerate it at all!

Unlike you, he doesn't have a very good sense of humor. A lot of old dad jokes that you might hear from anybody anywhere. You, Hange and Miche tease him pretending he's funny when he's not.

INTJs and ENTJs have enough similarities to form a strong connection and enough differences to create that spark. Ultimately, they find each other fascinating yet comforting and they have the potential for an amazing relationship and they'll likely both feel a strong sense of attraction when they meet. Overall, Virgo and Libra are considered to be an OK match. They're different personality-wise, so they'll need to learn how to deal with each other's quirks early on. However, they're two of the most giving signs in the zodiac.

For Harry Potter I match you with... Remus Lupin!

Song: Wolves - Marshmallo ft. Selena Gomez

He really appreciates your sense of humor. He's a type who doesn't care about getting closer to many people except you.

He fell for you when he asked Dumbledore for someone to help him for a lesson and he though you would be good for him and when he saw you being very patient and playful with the kids. Dumbledore also asked him to keep an eye on your clumsy and troublemaker ass though he knows you're a good girl around him.

You have secret lazy latte dates in his office on your days off having sweets too and cuddling close together. If you have any tattoos, he will trace them all with his finger.

INTJs bring a strong sense of logic and deep-thinking to a work environment, while INFJs offer an awareness of others and a passion for empathy. Both personalities are great at solving difficult problems and hold themselves accountable to achieving their goals. When it comes to Virgo and Pisces love compatibility, these two signs make a great couple. They usually enjoy a healthy relationship even though they are quite dissimilar from one another. Their dissimilarities, on the contrary, add to their relationship, creating an amazing balanced bond between them.

[batfamdcposts]

Reasons to watch Justice League Action

Joker, voiced by Mark Hamill, and Trickster, also voiced by Mark Hamill, kidnap Mark Hamill (also voiced by Mark Hamill).

A giant cat attacks (long story). Everyone is struggling with it, and Batman just casually uses a laser pointer to distract it. Did I mention the laser pointer beam was bat-shaped?

Batman attempts to be the “good cop” and Superman attempts to be the “bad cop” when they interrogate Deadshot. As you can imagine, Batman offering coffee and a chocolate doughnut is absolutely terrifying.

Villains fear Batman and heroes are afraid to mess up in front of him, but he still has some really sweet moments.

Batman knows what a videogame called “Boulevard Brawler 2” is because “Robin plays it all the time on the batcomputer.”

Same episode, Batman’s trapped in the game and Toyman uses Wonder Woman to beat the hell out of him. Batman is lying on the ground, likely in pain, and he just glares at Toyman and says “Robin’s better [at playing the game].” This man is so proud of everything his children do.

Same episode, we get a peek into the Batcave. Along with some other costumes there is a Robin one, likely Jason’s (*cri*), which means the aforementioned Robin is Tim.

We get to see Batman on his first case (wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey), in which he watches his past self try and fail to use a grappling hook.

The Joker is such an icon in this. In most media I despise him (mostly the character, not the characterization) (except for in Suicide Squad, no more of that characterization please), but in JLA he’s hysterical. Goes to the watchtower to genuinely appreciate a tour.

Martian Man Hunter, turning to Batman after making a pun: [It was] my attempt at humor. How did I do?

Batman, deadpan: I’m the wrong one to ask.

Djinn, with a creepy and triumphant grin: I am Uthool!

Batman, ready to fight: I don’t care.

Zatanna, to Batman: Don’t underestimate yourself. Little secret: when goblins want to scare themselves, they tell Batman stories.

Green Arrow, to Batman: *sigh* I know it’s generous, but we’re both in the billionaire masked vigilante “making the world a better place game,” so I figure—

Batman: *ejects him from the batmobile*

Solomon Grundy: That’s how servants treat their king!

Batman, with narrowed eyes: You’ll forgive me if I don’t curtsy.

Superman: *briefly loses his powers, breaks his leg*

Batman, with absolutely no sympathy: Hurts, doesn’t it?

“I…. AM…. BATMAN!”

Wonder Woman. Just Wonder Woman being an absolute icon.

Booster gold wearing this:

And there are so many more hilarious interactions like this. If I had a week this post would be longer than the “color of the sky” post.

[eldritch-spouse]

Ooo 👀 could we have some more stuff with our newcomer mimic?

Of course you can! Though please, I would appreciate if you could send a more specific ask in the future. It's just that leaving things vague jumbles me a bit.

Here's something funny- "Sybastian" is a pun. Yes, quite like Breg is a mixture of "Brian" and "Greg", and actually compliments the character by sounding like egg, when his head is kind of egg-shaped. Sybastian is a mixture of "Sebastian" and "sybian"... The joke here is that, as a mimic, and a pervy one at that, this guy could turn into a public use sybian fucking machine in hopes of getting someone to hop on. Hence, he was baptized Sybastian. It's a deliciously terrible name, though I am not the one who came up with it (>;3).

Canonically, Sybastian does not posses a name until he makes it to The Clergy and is officially welcomed into the staff team. You (Admin) and Santi start joking around, giving the mimic a variety of strange names, throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks, so to say- Sybastian ends up becoming a favorite, and the mimic itself clearly agrees with the idea of turning into a fucking machine. Perhaps that is why him and Santi get along so well.

Nonetheless, Syb is more commonly used.

If I ever refer to him as "Sybian", my brain fucked up. You can laugh about it.

[italeean]

Grumpy cuddles

Shirabu is grupy, even grumpier than usual! Even his boyfriend is struggling with making him happy again. So he decides to get an ally for the mission, who accepts immediately

NOTE: Buonasera! O buongiorno hahaha (Good evening! Or good morning)🌸 Today I decided to indulge myself with one of my kinnies, Shirabu. Seriously, he doesn't get enough love (and has a lot of potential for writing, too) but anyway, I hope you enjoy! Support and suggestions are always appreciated ^_^ 💚🤍❤️

DISCLAIMER: This is a tickle fic, if it's not to your taste I don't suggest you read it

“GOSHIKI! IF YOU WANT TO BE THE NEXT ACE YOU SHOULD AT LEAST TRY TO SPIKE THE BALL WHEN I TOSS IT!!!” Shirabu was fuming and no one knew why. What they knew was that no one was safe from his wrath, and poor Goshiki was his main target. That day he wasn’t in his best shape and he made more mistakes than usual.

“S-sorry Shurabu-kun, I’ll do better. Toss to me another time, please” the first-year stuttered. “You better make it worth it. GOT IT?” the youngest setter was at his limit. Was the future ace that incompetent? Well, obviously not, and he didn’t mean even half of the things he said, his anger and frustration spoke for him.

‘Frustration about what?’ one may ask. Shirabu would never admit it out loud, but he wanted some attention from his boyfriend. He was just too proud to ask for it, so he decided to drown himself in being touch-starved. The cherry on top of all that situation was that said boyfriend was totally oblivious!

“Hey, Shira-chan, what’s wro- OUCH! Why did you kick me?!” “I told you to NOT call me Shir- umm... Shira-ch... well, that, especially in front of everyone” the shorter guy sounded really mad, but who knew him well could tell he was more flustered than irritated. Semi decided to have a little fun with him “You wound me, my love... you’ve phisically and verbally hurt me” “Good, I hope I left a mark” replied Shirabu. “Yeah, suuure... you wanted to leave a mark so much that you didn’t even use half of your strength” the older one dared to say, even adding a wink! The audacity!

“Aaaahhh” the light-brown-haired guy sounded half-livid and half-defeated by the facts pointed out by his lover “j-just go away!” he exclaimed in a fit of rage. Semi didn’t catch what was wrong with his partner, so he decided to give him some alone time to calm himself down. He was going to talk about it with him later in his dorm room, where they would alone and much more comfortable.

If only he hadn’t forgotten that Tendou was coming to study...

When it came to his mind he felt so stupid. Just the perfect day to invite your boyfriend to stay the night, only to let him find you with your classmate studying! Shirabu had in fact come to Semi’s room hoping to get some attention, so when he saw the redhead he felt disappointed, and he usually expressed that disappointment with stinging sarcasm and grumpy vibes.

“Have fun with your study date Semi. I’ll go to my room and listen to music. Maybe I’ll fall asleep, but I honestly don’t know.” after saying that, the young setter went to his dorm room and closed the door, remaining completely quiet.

“Okay Semi-semi. Spill the beans, did you two have a fight? Did you do something bad to him?” the Guess-Monster was seriously more involved in that than in his algebra homework. “Believe me, I don’t know. I have no clue at all” the grey-haired guy grumbled. “Well, you’re at the presence of the one and only Guess-Monster right? Maybe we can guess what’s wrong together” Tendou was determined to not let that topic fall.

“I guess it’s worth a try” Semi was almost desperate, so he was willing to accept any kind of solution. “Hahahaha, you guess... nice pun” even though he just wanted to lighten the mood, the redhead got a death glare from his friend “Okay I’ll focus now. So, it must be something that happened yesterday. What did you do?”

“We just spent the afternoon together, he listened to me playing my guitar, we studied a bit and then we watched a movie” Semi answered, unfortunately still far away from the solution. “And did something unusual happen?” Tendou asked again. “While we were on my bed watching the movie, it seemed like he was trying to hold my hand or something. I smiled and asked him if he wanted to cuddle or something and he answered ‘HA! As if!’“ the setter was still not getting it. “And what did you do?” the redhead was already internally facepalming. “Nothing; he said he didn’t want cuddles so I let him be on hi-... oh God how could I be such an idiot?!” 

“Well, you know he never asks for what he wants, but I still think you should work on your communication” Tendou was surprisingly right. “Yeah, but I have to solve a problem at a time. First I gotta cheer him up and apologize. I have an idea, but I think I’ll need your help” there was a glint in Semi’s eyes that made his friend intrigued and more than ready to listen to the plan and put it in action.

Shirabu was surprised when he felt a knock on his door. There was no way Semi could be already done with homework, but he opened anyway, only to be picked up by said boyfriend, thrown over his shoulder and carried to the bed, where he was straddled and pinned (obviously not without a fight). Tendou was also trailing the couple, with a smirk that made the younger setter shudder.

“SEMI WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!” he was seriously at his limit, but then his lover whispered to his ear “Call me by my name if you want us to stop”.

After that he started scribbling all over Shirabu’s tummy, while the middle blocker got his knees. The effect was immediate. “Hahahahahahah whahat are yohohou doing hahaha” “I’m putting a smile back on my lover’s cute face” answered Semi, placing a soft kiss on the shorter guy’s nose.

“Ihihihi told yohohouhuhu to NOHOHOT cahahall mehe cutehehehe” it was incredible how Shirabu managed to control his pitch even when tickled. “Aaawwww I didn’t know that my kouhai was so adorable when in denial... why didn’t you tell me?” clearly Tendou couldn’t be left out from all the teasing. “SHUHUHUT UHUP!” the teasing made the whole thing much worse for the poor guy.

Tendou gasped dramatically “Shut up? How could you be so rude? Well then take this” after saying that, he moved to the setter’s feet. An amazing day to not wear socks. The redhead smiled wickedly, skittering his fingers all over the squirming soles. “Hahahahaahhahah nohohohoahahahaha stahahahahap” Shirabu was clearly more distressed now.

Semi also took advantage of the situation to start tickling his left underarm and his right side, alternating between those spots and left and right to keep him guessing and never let him get used to the sensation. “Ihihihihihihihihi hahahahaahhteheheheheh yohohohohohouhuhuhu bohohohohoth! Gohohohohoho awahahahahay ahahalreheheadyehehe” the kouhai was getting hysterical from the tickling, and there was no way that his two ticklers would let that comment slide.

“If you hate us already, we should give you a real reason to so so, don’t you think, Semi-semi?” the Guess-Monster was ready for the grand finale. He darted his hands right to the shorter guy’s thighs, squeezing and poking ruthlessly, while the silver-haired guy drilled in the spot where the ribcage meets the underarm, his death spot.

“HAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAH MEHEHEEHEHERCYEHEHEHEHE NAHAHAHAAHHA” Shirabu was pleading. “Do you still hate us, huh?” the guitarist asked “YEHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAH VEHEHEHEHRY MUHUHUCH” uh oh... wrong answer. 

Hearing that, Semi changed tactics, switching from drilling in the death spot to lightly scribbling. It was rather peculiar, but he’d previously found out that harder tickles were worse for Shirabu, but his worst spot was an exception. He couldn’t handle light tickles there, in fact, he went completely ballistic!

“WAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA NAHAHAHAHAH EHEHEHEIHIHIHITAHAHAHA STAHAHAHAP” hearing his name, the guy stopped, giving a sign to the middle blocker, too.

“Well, I’m going now, don’t have too much fun, you lovebirds” and with that Tendou was gone, singing his ‘Baki baki’ song.

“So, are you feeling better now?” Semi asked showing real concern. Before his boyfriend could reply, he also wrapped him in the warmest hug ever, making him melt in his arms. “W-well... I j-just wanted attention, and when you didn’t give it to me I became frustrated and nervous” Shirabu was sincere and the older setter appreciated that.

“Thanks for telling me, and I’m sorry for not noticing, I know it’s difficult for you to say certain things. I’ll be more attentive, but could you also try to be more open about your feelings with me?” “I think I can try to work on that” answered the shorter guy.

After ending the “fight”, Semi laid down on the bed, settling his lover right on top of him, a hand rubbing his back and the other one scratching his scalp. Shirabu closed his eyes in pure relaxation and then said “I love you Eita, I love you so much...”

“Well, this is deflnitely a good training for your communication, good job” that comment earned him a death glare from the tiny guy. “Geez, I was kidding! I love you too, Kenji, more than you can imagine. Did you want me to say that?”

No answer.

“Really, again? I though we’d made a de-” Semi abruptly stopped his lecture. His adorable boyfriend was sound asleep. He chuckled, a fond smile plastered on his face. Then he pulled the comforter over their bodies, slowly drifting off to dreamland hoping to meet his partner there.

“Good night, my sweet Shira-chan” was the last thing he said before falling into a peaceful sleep.

[blackgirl-galactica]

"LET'S SEE WITH THE ASCENDANT" PART 1!

NOTE: WHILE I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL ASTROLOGER, I LOVE ASTROLOGY AND ITS ASPECTS AND I LOVE TO LEARN THEM! PLEASE DO NOT STEAL OR REWORD MY WORK WITHOUT CREDIT! THANK YOU :)

Hey y'all!

- I am finally settled and I am ready to give you some more astro knowledge to keep in the books!! Today we will be talking about the Ascendant (ASC for short) through the first 6 signs!! Part 2 will come out tomorrow!

- But first, what is an ASC sign?

-I'm glad you asked honey! First things first, your Ascendant is an angular house! Angular houses are the Ascendant, Descendant, IC (Imum Coeli), and MC (Medium Coeli). I'll do a post on what angular houses mean later on! Or do feel free to research on your own time :)

-Your ASC sign is what's popularly known as the sign (or sign traits) you may give off as a first impression to the outside world. According to the book, The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need by Joanna Woolfolk, she asserts that our personality is a blend of our Sun Sign in combination with our ASC sign. This has some truth in it as our ASC can also represent our self-interests, how we process self-awareness, our goals, our objectives, & how we assert our self-sufficiency! Think of your ASC sign as the sign when you walk in a room full of people.

- You can find your ASC here! Below is my chart( credit from Astro.com) for my visual learners! The ASC will be on the left side of your chart (marked AC); usually your angular houses are marked! In this example, my ASC is in the sign of Sagittarius!

-Have you ever had someone guess your sun sign but they were wrong? Chances are, they probably are guessing your ASC sign!

-With that being said, let's get into it!!!!

ARIES ASC:

Adventurous and pioneering!

Typically the ones to be "the first" at something.

Likes to get shit done! Act first ask questions later kind of energy.

Leader of the pack vibes.

Possibly have a very muscular, strong body.

When they walk in the room, they give such a strong sense of power, strength, and exuberance!

Possibly can be red-headed. Aries rules the color red and also rules the head. Doesn't mean every red-head is an Aries ASC though. Or they may like to wear alot of red.

They can give a direct, kinda bossy attitude but also a very free-child-like attitude I love it!!

Be careful with sharp objects. Sharp objects like knives are ruled by Mars (Mars rules Aries) and you may be a bit more accident prone so be careful, according to Woolfolk.

TAURUS ASC:

Very stable and calm energy when they walk in the room.

Patient & steadfast people.

Love the arts, could be talented at composing music esp!

Love comfort and the comfort their materials bring them.

Can have super beautiful necks. Necks/throats are ruled by Taurus.

Also, they may have larger, rounder eyes ooooo so cute!! Almost like a doe.

Can accumulate wealth over time.

Loves security and things that make them feel safe.

Many people think they are lazy, but that is not the case. A Taurus ASC does not believe in wasting time on things that don't bring them joy or comfort. They are hardworking, if it means they can attain the goals they set out for!! Once again, THEY ARE NOT LAZY!

GEMINI ASC:

Witty & charming.

Extremely smart and sociable.

Also can thrive in the entertainment industry as actors, writers, TV hosts, or comedians. They can really captivate an audience with their social and witty behavior!

Gemini rules the arms & hands, so they can have really nice hands/arms. If Venus is in aspect to their ASC, this can possibly point to someone who is a hand model.

The type to always want to be constantly stimulated and learn something everyday so they don't get bored.

May like to travel alot or move alot.

They also can marry more than once in their lives.

Extremely intellectual communicators. Very good with using their words as their best assets!

Could have big, wide eyes. This is just a personal take as I have seen multiple Gemini risings with big, wide eyes.

CANCER ASC:

Love security & comfort.

May have a oval face or round face. The moon rules Cancer so I won't be surprised if your face is shaped as round as the moon.

Sensitive to other's emotions & intuitive on how people may feel or react.

Amazing creatives. They use their emotions to make the best projects. Some of their projects (story writing for example) can be based on their lives at home or their hometown.

On the outside they may come off reserved and even cold. This is the "hard on the outside soft on the inside" effect. Deep down they are very soft, sweet, giving, & sensitive.

They want public recognition for their efforts, as you should!!!

According to Woolfolk, they are very good with saving money and handling it as well. Being the opposite sign of Capricorn (the sign of conservation), I am not surprised since opposing signs do share qualities of each other in one way or another.

LEO ASC:

Very grand people and luxurious YESSSS BITCH!!!

People may notice their hair first. Know how Leo is the lion? We see the lion's mane (or hair) first. This also applies for Leo ASCs.

A personal take- Leo ASC have this sun-kissed glow about them (lol pun intended). It's like their skin is so bright and glowy and it is so beautiful.

Give off a very happy and exuberant energy.

Extremely likeable people.

Views life as a stage!

Prides themselves on being a leader and delegator.

Can easily find fame or people will scout them out easily.

Also can be surrounded by alot of influential people. This helps their image if they want to be famous one day. Get to networking!!!

Can have a very nice back. Leo also rules the back.

VIRGO ASC:

Another personal take: why do so many Virgo ASC or Virgo placements have to wear glasses? That's interesting.

May have a frail looking body, but that does not mean they are sick yall.

Looks at life through a filter. Meaning, they like to hold on to valuable information that they can actually use and apply in their life.

^Yet, this can also mean that they may become too dependent on details to make decision. Don't forget to look at the bigger picture.

They love order and reason.

Thrive in intellectual pursuits. Especially if they are scientific and not philosophical.

Likes to gain rewards from their own efforts and not due to what others think. They love to listen and be assured in their own reasoning as YOU SHOULD!!!

May forget to take others' opinions into consideration.

Could come off shy and distant.

May own property in their later lives? Idk but Woolfolk mentions this and if anyone can chime in here I would be happy to hear it!

-That's it for PART 1! Part 2 will be out tomorrow!

-Also, to show your appreciation, do feel free to tip me! I have so much more content I want to teach and tell yall and I'm excited! You can tip me at my cashapp: $DellyRelly if you appreciate my content in more ways than just following me! Anywho, see yall tomorrow!

-Claude