#prompting anju

[scummy-writes]

Scum talks about OCs

In this I'm just going to go over my Ocs in sections of their own. I'm not really using a special Oc template, I'm just talking about them and what fics they appear in, because to be blunt, I do write 'reader inserts', but some fics are written with these ocs in mind even if they're not detailed out specifically.

I'm just chatting about for fun, this will not change how I write currently. I would not expect fanfics about these characters specifically.

Amélie - Drawn by @beni-draw-ikemen-please. (Full picture is her in a chair with Isaac sittin on the arm of it, and Arthur resting his head on her lap <3 I love it)

Anju, made with a Picrew here. I think her expression is a bit too gentle here, and she would mainly wear warmer yellows or cool toned blues, not the shirt in the image.

SS from Prince of my WIP OC for it, since she's fuckin impossible to make on picrews. Her current name is Constance.

I am honestly surprised people showed some interest in this, so bear with me through my bumbling please. A lot of these say 'mc' but they are 'reader insert' fics still. Previous fandoms had 'mc' interchangable with 'reader' so...

If you have any questions, feel free to ask, just know I might not have all the answered.

╰❧ Amélie

Amélie has been around for a few years, and Beni has been a saint for letting me comm her to draw her. Because of this, I was able to make a character profile for her Here. Additionally, a much older one Here that details some vague things about her past, and including her past with Sebastian (Childhood friends).

-> Fanfics she has been 'in': Breathless Discoveries (Isaac/Mc), Mental Gravity (Isaac/Mc), Blessed Accidents (Isaac/Mc), Exercise in Restraint (Isaac/Mc), Temptations (Arthur/Mc), A Helping Hand (Arthur/Mc), His (Theo/Mc), Playful Punishments [vaguely] (Isaac/Mc/Arthur), Midnight Impulses [Vaguely] (Isaac/Mc/Arthur), Musings (Isaac/Mc), Oral Prompt with Isaac, First Steps (Isaac/Mc), The Talk (Isaac/Mc), The Shirt Thief (Isaac/Mc), Isaac Overworking (Isaac/Mc/Arthur), Awkward Dates (Isaac/Mc), and likely some other small drabbles I have missed...!

─❧ Summary: (Brief mentions of abuse/SA/Trauma but not explicit details)

A lot of her general background is covered in the second character profile I linked above. It sounds vague, and well! That is because it is a bit traumatic. I don't want to gloss over the fact that she has been through a lot, primarily SA, but I don't like focusing entirely on it to where that is the Only thing about her. Her previous job was ... an 'idol'? I never fleshed it out fully, due to self embarassment, but I wanted her to be a singer with a 'small' following, who got connected with shitty producers and signed a contract way too young without understanding the full implications of it, which caused most of her money to not actually be Hers. Due to her parents strongly against her career choice, going as far as rushing a contract ended up having her cut off from her family. With Sebastian gone, her support network disappeared completely.

She Vaguely goes over this in Patchworked Pieces (be mindful of tags), which was supposed to be a full fanfic detailing her story, but I am not meant for long fanfics at all so I posted what scenes I had typed enough with. on the chapter On Failed Attempts, she details a bit more of her experiences.

How she met Comte was through the normal opening of visiting the muesuem. She did it under distress and wanting a distraction, she was weighing options and considing some pretty awful things! I like to think Comte could tell she was beside herself and trying to calm down a little. I like to think he could sense the distress and the thing she was contemplating, and led her back to the mansion.

Which! Is rocky. She's terrified of everyone, until she sees Sebastian, and he helps ease her into her mansion life. She never tells Sebastian what she went through, due to worries and fears that he would manage to blame himself. So in her story, he never finds out.

Isaac is the primary person who knows some details, but not everything. She'd tell both him and Arthur some bare minimums, just so that when things got intimate, her panic attacks for 'random' reasons wouldn't make them believe it was because of them.

As for how they all entangle with each other? Well... Amélie is not what brings them together, necessarily.

Before she arrives, Arthur attempts to get close to Isaac. It is platonic at first, perhaps he had a crush on him but waves it off. But alcohol is introduced, they start 'drinking' together (Isaac is still a lightweight so he barely builds up his tolerance, mostly keeps Arthur some company), and...They get too tipsy and adventurous with each other. Arthur gets ashamed immediately. Not out of doing things with another man, because it was clear he was using Isaac to get over some trauma. So he avoids, hides, and their friendship crumbles.

And after that is when Amélie stumbles into the mansion.

Her friendship with Isaac is the most prevelant. And after getting on a better start with Arthur, they end up slowly getting entangled with each other. Isaac, unfortunately, deals with the brunt of her panic attacks. Finds scars, attempts to heal them.

It's through healing that they all twine together. Helping each other face their traumas, face what happened between them all.

Ironically, her love for singing was bounced in and out of the story. I wanted a few scenes where she tries to play in one of the many secluded rooms in the mansion- finds an old piano while cleaning, places a few notes. But I don't think she'd be able to any time soon. I think she would need a break for a year or two, before she started exploring music again. Or anything super creative.

I like to imagine that she is friends with a majority of the residents. When she is faring better, she paints with Leonardo and Vincent. She listens to Mozart play, reads what Dazai and Arthur write, so on so forth. I want her to live in a house with Arthur and Isaac, later on, visiting the mansion weekly or every two weeks, happy with her new life.

Sometimes I pair her with Theo, because I think they could help each other, but I think she is fated to be with Isaac and Arthur.

In AUs, I like to imagine Anju as her older friend. Anju does not tolerate a lot of bullshit with Amélie, and would be a bit like a guard dog. But. an unassuming one. She would treat Arthur very harshly until he proves himself. (I am unsure if I ever posted it, but I wrote a few chapters to go with This Au Fic for Isaac week. The second chapter, Anju was supposed to be a witch to help Amélie out after some events [was gonna have Isaac die and then it turn into a reincarnation au thing where they meet again in modern day, and in modern day Anju was gonna be around], and Anju has to help her move forward.)

I've been typing this on and off for a few hours and I am struggling with some details HAHA for now, I will stop here. She's the one OC that has a lot out there for her.

Oh. Amélie is not her 'real' name, but it is now. I am unsure if it is in poor taste or not, but in an attempt to heal she abandoned a lot of her old life. Not Herself, but trying to let go of the past until she could confront it more. She goes by Amélie until the end of her days, and only Sebas and likely Comte know her old name.

╰❧ Anju

-> Fanfics she's been 'in': Training Theo (Theo/Reader)

─❧ Summary: (Vague mentions of parental issues)

OoooOOoooOh Anju....anju....wails.

She is such a complicated Oc for me. She was originally for Shingen in ikes*n (i dont want this on the tags on accident). I still debate if the character she is now still stems from that relationship or not. Because if so, that means she left the past and came back to the present because her and Shingen didn't work out. Not in a TERRIBLE way but probably a sad mutual understanding.

It's either that, or she's just pretty sour from general past relationships not working out.

I like to imagine that she is in her thirties, and that she lives in a neighborhood where everyone knows each other in friendly ways. She is a 'seamstress' just due to how Sengoku has that set up for the Mc. I decied that her grandmother taught her how to sew, and her grandmother owned a small shop to repair peoples clothes and sew clothes for commission as well (i know nothing about how this works so). She would help her grandmother at her shop, and later on when her grandmother passed, she would take over the shop.

As for her parents, I never fully fleshed them out. I just know her mother was constantly comparing herself to other children/people around her, and that their relationship dissolved to the point of Anju refusing to aknowledge her as a mother any longer. The crux of this would cause Anju to move the shop to a different location completely to sever ties. (not move physically, but open another shop elsewhere after funds were saved with the same name).

For Vamp, she relocates her ass to France for Reasons. And here is where it is... well. I don't think a shop like this could exist, but i wish it would. pls spare me from laughs HAHA

The shop I always imagined is the type where the ground floor is the shop, and upstairs is where Anju lives. So upstairs would house her kitchen, living room, and Bedroom and bathroom, a balcony connected to the kitchen would be. great. Lower floor would have the shop, her sewing area, a room to hang up comms and etc, and the 'front' of the shop. Front of the shop is the porch and the actual like...foyer area....of the shop.

She spends a lot of her time sitting in the foyer area at a desk, if she is not actively working on sewing. .....I like to imagine she has a small sitting area set up there for people (children, family, friends, partners, etc) waiting while whoever she is working on measurements and etc with is getting their stuff. With....a lil coffee/tea area....very very small like a coffee maker and some stuff....but cozy vibes... (and she wanted a coffee machine near her while working).

She'll sit on the porch often in the mornings while waiting for customers or going through shop bills and whatever, and that is how she meets Arthur in a modern day setting. By him taking 'Vic' (or whatever pet he is on now) on a walk, Vic escaping, and running up to Anju because he wants pets HAHA.

For first meeting, Anju thinks Arthur is cute, but recognizes the fuckboy tendances. However, i feel like at this point of living as a vampire for so long, Arthur wouldn't be how he is in the game currently. As in, not entirely as self destructive and a smidgen more at peace with himself, but still has the tendencies. She doesn't think too much on the meeting, loves Vic though, and goes from there...

But Arthur doesn't. He gets hung up on her a little, and finds excuses to run into her a bit more. Nothing crazy, but primarily just walking Vic by there and seeing if he can catch her on the porch again, waving, exchanging greetings and pets for Vic. It would turn into him eventually finding an excuse to get some clothing mended, which she can very easily tell is bullshit, but she entertains it because... he's respectful the whole time. She enjoys the company and the innocent flirting.

It comes to a clusterfuck when they spot each other at a bar though. Where he sees how differently she's dressed, where it's clear she's looking for one night stands and nothing else. (He is also alarmed at her smoking HAHA). Arthur doesn't do much with this information, but she immediately tries shutting him out because. Well, she isn't ashamed to have casual sex with others, but she doesn't want the fuckboy tendancies to come back for him. She doesn't want this fake relationship to delve into sex and nothing more. So she puts up walls, and Arthur has to slowly take them down. And it is a rocky thing, because Anju is so independant and refuses to rely on anyone else, so it's a LOT of trouble HAHA a lot of dramatics.

They do fuck, because well they both enjoy sex so why not!!!!! but ah. it's complicated. I think I have a scene of that somewhere. I cannot remember if I have that happen before or after him visiting her home/shop at night when he's drunk. I think it was before.

But Arthur was supposed to go to her place, drunk, because she has such a schedule with her shop/hobbies that it's easy to piece together that she's home, and she essentially lets him stay over in pity because he's wailing about messing up his friendship with Theo.

From there it turns into awkward, more up in the air things. I played with her getting with Arthur only, Theo only, Arthur and Theo, or even Vincent! But the Arthur/Theo subplot would have been too similar to the Isaac/Arthur one in Amélie's story. (Sorry for causing you so much distress, Arthur).

I like to imagine her in her shop. Arthur flirting with her while the neighborhood granny laughs at her attempts to ignore the flirting.

╰❧ Constance

-> Fanfics she's been 'in': Sinking (Gilbert/Reader) [Descriptions of Self Harm], First Time (Gilbert/Reader), Chev comforts Mc

─❧ Summary: (Mentions of self harm, abuse)

Constance....! Is still a running name. I may change it, I may not. I'm unsure about her appearance, I know I want her to have the split hair and to dress in similar colors though, but her eyecolor I am so conflicted on...

But...! Her story is still being fleshed out, and she has changed a lot. She is now strictly for Gilbert, whereas she was supposed to be a flexible oc for either Clavis or Gilbert. (Maybe she still could be?)

So far, her story is still like Emma's so far. her and Rio friends for years, Akatsuki taking her in, etc. In my mind, she doesn't know who her parents are and is somewhat in peace of that.

I've bounced around a lot with her though, to where the Rio and Akatsuki being in her BG makes little sense. i've wanted her to be someone who writes and sings, but does not preform and instead has a friend that preforms for her. Where they have private sessions of Constance singing and exampling some of the dancing to her friend, and later on watching her friend preform the songs and bringing her visions to life. (i like this a lot but it feels...odd.)

I want her carrying a notebook around the palace, filled with her drawings and songwriting. Far in the journal, there is drawings of Gilbert- not because she knows him, but because long before she saw him slinking around Rhodolite and drew him out of facination of how he looked (did not piece together he was a Scary Dude). (would add a lot of fuel to fire if anyone saw those drawings COUGHS)

In another bouncing, I have her as a secret wrtier/artist that writes songs that are never preformed. I thought it would be funny if she wrote the erotica that Jin apparently reads??? I can never fgure out if thats canon or not because i never see it Mentioend in the game.

In both possible backgrounds for her, she is still a quiet and reserved person who suffers from a lot of depression, and struggles with herself a lot. The two toned hair was for fun at first, but now I'm realizing it would probably be a good symbol for her inner issues. How she has a lot of 'darkness' inside of her, that she feels disgusted by and upset with, while there is a purity she wishes she had (but fails to come to terms with how that is unreasonable).

To be paired with Clavis, she was supposed to be much more shy, and his antics were supposed to draw her out of her shell more.

But now it's more solidifies that she will be primarily paired with Gilbert due to the purity/darkness thing. She is a little dramatic in her thoughts with that, and is now a bit more serious toned rather than her shyness being played for antics.

She believes Gilbert over his refusal to 'lie', and that draws her in a lot.

Discussion of self harming/SA, when text is blue I am finished.

Something I am struggling with is that with many Ocs, i often have them go through some sexual trauma just due to it being an outlet for myself (i have also had sexual trauma). This may be why you see some themes of this in some fanfics I write, where there is something the reader is struggling with sexually and the suitor is extremely patient with them- it's usually tied to stuff like this (unsure of how obvious that is since no one ever says anything! which feels like an act of kindness, if it is obvious).

For her, I am struggling with adding that into her background as something that is fairly recent with her. Rio doesn't know, she refuses to tell him, and his fondness of her and constantly...hm...i don't mean this poorly, but building her up to be so 'perfect' sometimes causes a lot of issues when she reflects on herself, and she uses those words against herself often.

I don't know if the self harm would be. Due to that SA event or not. I don't know if this is soemthing that has plagued her for years, or if it spiked as her emotions got out of control.

Gilbert would not know. I don't really care if JP spoilers suggest otherwise, as there are already hints that make it clear he doesn't know Everything (he just knows a Lot). A lot of their relationship would be them struggling with self harm and the SA. A lot of her trust gets put into him (even if she dislikes it), because he doesn't lie to her like others do, and it is a comfort. (blah blah gilbert does lie blah blah)

It's hard to explain their relationship. I assume i'll have more figured out as his route comes out. Right now, she's who I imagine when I write some stuff with him, but not all of it.

With Clavis, the relationship would have been more healthy, and so would she. I think she would still struggle with both things, as it could be used as a mutual understanding when they discuss needing to be loved fully and not half-heartedly.

That is a rough gist of what I have for her? I have been typing this for hours and I am running out of steam.

Annnd....That is that! At least for now. Another detail I will share for all of them is that they are all bi :) All my ocs are always bi.

Again, you guys are free to ask questions. I may update this over time as well. I don't really want criticisms for my ocs though since you guys don't actually deal with them past them popping up as the voice for some reader insert fics. they just sorta rot in my brain and I get comms of them at times.

[sleepyowlwrites]

writing prompts! lyrics: ordinary magic and delight edition

Paper wings and silly things we wore, paper wings and silly things we swore (Snowbird - EllaHarp)

Bounded by the gravity, of all the other dreams that I was given (In the Kitchen - Mree)

Walk out into the sultry evening, cotton breathing when the sea winds brush the hair down around your neck (Savannah - Relient K)

Remember laughing when the days were long and summer was a never ending fire (All You Are - John Mark Nelson)

Chasing all the things that are keeping us young, we won't stop running 'til we reach the sun (Woodland - The Paper Kites)

There's something 'bout the way you the city when the lights come up as the sun goes down (Nightlife - Old Daisy)

The smell of old cedar and jasmine perfume, fig trees, bottles of milk, and sewing machines (Clay & Cast Iron - Darlingside)

My hope was just in season and that's the truth of it (A La La - Jukebox the Ghost)

The accent in your voice, and all the words you use, I like the way you talk, I love you (The Drums - Tanya Davis)

Something 'bout May makes it all feel better, baby, Summerland holds what I want right now (Summerland - half•alive)

A wild world sharpens its claws, as the nightfire burns, the shadows fade, and at the blush of dawn we'll be okay (Nightfire - Juniper Vale)

Like the angels in the submarine, we'll hold water with our weighted wings (Cassiopeia - Anju)

The universe is an open door, a cosmic retreat beneath my bedroom floor (Starry Eyed - Linus from the Stars)

We were young, I used my paper telescope to show you the stars and then win your heart (Make This Leap - The Hunts)

Oh the places you'll go, with your eyes so wide, with your heart in your hand and your sword at your side (Ih the Places You'll Go - I Fight Dragons)

One time I shook hands with a pirate, he gave me a map to all his gold (Long Way Down - eleventyseven)

When the owls call the breathless moon in the blue veil of the night, the shadows of the trees appear, amidst the lantern light (The Mummers' Dance - Loreena McKennitt)

I'll send a storm to capture your heart and bring you home, oh carried on a breeze, you'll never find me gone (Storm Song - PHILDEL)

Let's stay awake and listen to the dark, before the birds, before they all wake up (Birds - Emiliana Torrini)

If you'll be my star, I'll be your sky, you can hide underneath me and come out at night (Boats & Birds - Gregory and the Hawk)

Give me the song inside your soul, give me the words to sing along (Hold Us Together - WILD)

I was there when the rain tapped the way down your face, you were a miracle, I was just holding your space (Big Black Car - Gregory Alan Isakov)

'Til the stars all fall down, they empty from the sky, but I don't mind, if you're with me, everything's alright (Everything's Alright - Laura Shigihara)

We're far from home, will you come to me, oh weary soul, we can make it through it (Untitled - The Lighthouse and the Whaler)

The darker the night, the brighter the stars ( Sweeter the Heart - Julian Moon)

[laikaflash]

Some thoughts on Shugen and Anju

I'm thinking yet again about what Sakan tells Setsuka near the end of her Soul Chronicle before she sets off. "You are like a granddaughter to me... No, more like a daughter."

It's a slip of the tongue, and I think it shows just how close Shugen and Anju were. While Anju is only directly mentioned once in this story, everything else about her is in SC6's library. Like Setsuka, she was of mixed Japanese and Portuguese ancestry. She was orphaned by a clash between Portuguese and Japanese fighters in 1561 in Hirado*. Sakan Inobe, a defector from the Kokonoe clan, took her in and raised her as his own daughter. She later met Shugen when he was still the demon assassin for the Kokonoe clan.

Also, Sakan used to be Gekkyusai Kokonoe, head of the the Hidden Kokonoe, the faction of the clan responsible for training its assassins.

I'm just gonna leave this part here:

Most did not even dare to speak his name, but Anju, who was a firm believer in the Christian faith and had faced prejudice herself, reached out to him. After meeting Anju, Shugen slowly began to understand the inner workings of the human heart, and the relationship between them grew into something more special.

Anju looked at that killer bishie and was like "I can change him". And it worked. No joke: I love that for the both of them.

Now bear with me. This is an easy bit of context to miss, but consider that the Kokonoe clan had ties to Sumitada Ōmura, the first daimyō to convert to Christianity. Part of Shugen's backstory has him cutting down a whole team of assassins sent for Ōmura in 1572. I'm under the impression that it's all for pragmatic reasons, but I digress.

Immediately after the above quote is this:

One cold day after cherry blossoms fell from their branches, snow blanketed spring's flowers in winter frost. Amid this magical white landscape, Anju and Shugen shared two oaths with each other. In that quiet moment, the Demon of Hi Province swore to live on as a human.

Cherry trees tend to start blooming in late March, and it was a snowy March day when Shugen found Setsuka... I'm reminded of the poem Shugen quotes in that moment: "Cherry trees blossom upon Mount Yoshino. Unwittingly we thought them snowflakes."

Cherry blossoms are also symbolic of the transience of life, which brings me to Anju's death. The only hint as to when it happened is in Shugen's "Kokonoe" bio, which states that he left his clan "less than half a year" after thwarting Ōmura's enemies in 1572. The cause of her death isn't specified either, but in any case, it's implied to be what ultimately pushes Shugen to abandon his clan. (Though I'd think if the Kokonoe had a hand in Anju's death, they would've found Shugen sooner.)

Sakan himself later left for Ōmi Province, miles east from Kyushu. Between all this, I like to think he was well aware of Anju and Shugen's relationship. Close enough to see him as a potential son-in-law, hence the "like a granddaughter to me" line. While my headcanon is that Shugen saw Setsuka as his apprentice first, I think he also saw her as the daughter he could've had with Anju. And he never mentioned her to Setsuka like his life depended on it.

*I think this is an allusion to the Miyanomae incident, a fight which broke out that year between Portuguese and Japanese cloth merchants. Things escalated when samurai intervened, then the Portuguese took to arms, ending in 15 of the latter dead. After that, the Portuguese took their business to Nagasaki.

I'm trying not to jump around too much for this month's community prompt but Shugen's backstory has that effect on me.

[cricketnationrise]

7:15am, ransom and bitty, haus kitchen, “honeybee” by anju

OMG new song obsession for real. its so sweet and lovely and like perfect sunday morning vibes - thank you for the introduction! i hope you like your ficlet!!! 💜🦗

want your own ficlet? followers can submit prompts using these guidelines through Jan 31 2024 (only 4 days left oh gosh!) all ficlets submitted by the deadline will get written!

🏒🏒🏒🏒

7:15am, haus kitchen

No shade to Holster and an exquisitely co-planned kegster, but there’s nothing more perfect than early Tuesday mornings in the kitchen of the Haus. There’s no practice until the afternoon, the rest of the Haus either asleep or have already left to begin their day like the robot they claim not to be. It’s just Ransom, alone in the kitchen, watching the street wake up with the sun over his cup of coffee. It’s a nice moment of stillness before the eight AM class that kicks off his busiest day. Just him and the other poor fools with early classes.

Ransom does a double take when he sees Bitty of all people running back to the Haus, waving goodbye to Jack as he carries on for another loop of campus. He would have bet his share of Bitty’s pies for the rest of the year that Bitty would rather die than get up this side of eight on a day when he doesn’t have class until ten. 

Bitty practically dances through the front door and into the kitchen, the very picture of cloud nine, only catching sight of Ransom staring at him in shock when he twirls around toward the fridge for creamer.

“Oh! Mornin’, Rans. Didn’t know you’d be up this early!”

“I could say the same to you, Bits.”

Bitty’s cheeks go pink at that, his eyes flicking to the window. “Well, Jack offered to start checking practice again, after that last game, and the way practice has been going…” He trails off for a moment, lost in memories and Ransom doesn’t push, doesn’t want to remind Bitty even more of the hit from last season. Doesn’t want to think about how still Bitty was, just lying there on the ice, helmet thrown feet away from him.

“Anyhow,” Bitty says with determined cheer. “The only open slot was real early before the figure skaters so Jack—”

“He didn’t,” Ransom chimes in with mock horror.

“He did. Five o’clock in the morning. Well, actually quarter t’five so that we had time to walk over. Before the sun was even thinkin’ ‘bout peekin’ over the horizon.” He’s shaking his head ruefully but his eyes go soft, glancing outside once again, and Ransom feels a funny swoop in his chest. “It was real pretty in Faber though, seein’ all those pretty colors through the windows.”

Ransom can picture it in his mind’s eye, Bitty’s blonde hair etched in early morning rays like a halo, lit from all sides where the sun reflects off the ice like some sort of deity.

“I’ll bet,” Ransom manages to say before taking a hasty swig of his coffee.

“What are you doin’ up this early anyways?” Bitty asks, rummaging in the fridge.

“Got class at eight.”

“It ain’t even seven yet!”

That’s stretching it a bit, he can see the microwave clock blinking 6:59 over Bitty’s shoulder, but Ransom just shrugs. “I’ve got a packed day, five classes, plus practice after. So I started getting up earlier to have a moment to center myself before the madness.”

“Oh! D’you want me to leave? This can all wait.”

“No!” Ransom clears his throat before dropping his voice back to a reasonable volume. “I mean no, you’re fine to stay. I’d like you to, if you want.”

Bitty watches his face for a long moment before the furrow in his brow clears and he takes Ransom at his words with a wide smile. “Well then, sugar, you’ll have to taste test this french toast recipe I found the other day while studying for that food history class Jack and I are taking.”

“However will I survive?” Ransom deadpans, pleased when Bitty dissolves into giggles.

“I’m sure you’ll muddle through somehow,” he says solemnly, teasing Ransom right back.

Ransom sits back and watches Bitty flit around the kitchen cooking up a storm, lets his torrent words wash over him and fade to a pleasant buzz, and soaks up the honey-sweetness of Bitty’s presence, ignoring the clock for now. 

He’s got plenty of time.

[yuki-boshi]

Kai no Kiseki - English Summary - Act 2 Van Route 2

Table of Contents

Van Route is finally picking up!

At the Grim Garten,

It will be updated now that Van is the main character. Talking to Rean will have Rean tell Van that he's been doing 4SPGs on his behalf and that he will try his hardest not to tarnish the good reputation that Van's built up for himself.

---

The story begins with Elaine rejoining the party to collaborate with the group. As they proceed, Yume is heard calling from above, and the players make their way to her room, accessed from behind the kitchen. Yume speaks about planning a birthday party for Agnes.

Talking to Bergard will hint that he knows something. (Tying into Rean 2)

As the group prepares to leave Montmart, Van, who still hasn’t decided on a gift for Agnes, privately asks her what she would like, as it will soon be the one-year anniversary since she started working for him. Elaine observes this interaction with mild annoyance, recalling how Van had recently gifted her a necklace. She doesn’t think much of it, believing it to be a gesture of friendship or professional courtesy rather than something deeper.

While on patrol, Van encounters Mark, who informs him that the Parent Swallow Bird, which feeds the chicks, has disappeared, prompting the group to investigate. Upon questioning Yume, she suggests that the bird might have ventured to another district to search for food. FIO, Quatre's drone robot, confirms that the bird left at 6 AM, heading northwest, which leads the group to the Levre District. After some deliberation, they discover the bird at a chapel, but the ringing of the bell scares it away. They later find that the bird had been foraging in the garden of Agnes’s house, tended to by her mother. With the mystery solved, the group watches as the mama bird safely feeds her chicks back in Old Town.

An optional cutscene with Maxim reveals him standing outside Montmart, preparing to talk to Paulette and Viktor about revealing the truth to Yume... that he is her father.

Paulette, when spoken to, mumbles anxiously about Maxim being nearby and hoping the conversation goes well. When Van inquires, she brushes it off.

Viktor, meanwhile, avoids the topic entirely, instead informing Van that President Gramheart recently visited Montmart, introducing himself as Agnes’s father and inquiring whether Van would attend Agnes’s birthday party. After the conversation, Van speculates that the upcoming rocket launch may be tied to Agnes’s birthday, though he dismisses the thought.

At the Riverside club, a guest musician from Aramis High School (who is a teacher) performs "Inevitable Struggle" from Trails from Zero.

Meanwhile, at the car shop, Lucio and Graham have completed their car, combining Graham’s exterior design with Lucio’s engine. On Central Station Street, Van spots Alvis, Regina, and Raksharr with Anju, a new Bracer recruit. Anju, visibly disheartened, has been put on leave and reassigned to Anchorville. Regina believes the break is necessary, as Anju has been too reckless during missions. Alvis reveals to Van that her brother was an A-Rank Bracer.

4SPG: Subliminal Messaging

The group is contacted by a woman who has been feeling nauseous and unwell, though doctors have dismissed it as fatigue or neurosis. She reports feeling particularly sick whenever she passes a street monitor in the Chardin District. The team investigates and discovers that the monitor is displaying subliminal images linked to the A-D group, with the broadcast originating from Trion Tower

. After confronting the cult member responsible, the group hacks the security system to confirm that A-D is behind the broadcasts. During this time, Van suspects this is the same influence that caused Genie to act strangely in a previous incident.

----

In Levre District, Albert and his friends are at a pastry shop trying to cheer him up, but their efforts are in vain. Agnes’s silent reaction prompts curiosity about what might have transpired between them off-screen. Baselia shares with the group how the kidnapping incident last year affected her, but she credits the ordeal with making her stronger and bringing her closer to Eddy. Eddy, on the other hand, is hesitant about starting a business in Levre while Jeffrey is still around, though Jeffrey’s acknowledgment of the idea suggests he may be open to change. Jeffrey reflects that pride, power, and status no longer hold meaning for him.

Eddy and Baselia set up a food truck near the 4SPG bulletin board, where Jeffrey apologizes for his past actions in Kuro 1 and Kuro 2. He is impressed that Eddy has turned his life around and started a business. Meanwhile, Odette’s mother and the other local women gossip about Jeffrey and Valentino. Speaking with Odette’s mother again reveals that Odette and her friends are planning a trip to Longlai.

----

4SPG: Fake Spriggan

A message on the 4SPG bulletin board catches Van’s attention, as someone claiming to be a Spriggan questions Van’s legitimacy, offering to back him up. Van revisits old clients to investigate, eventually discovering that the impostor has been interfering in Van’s past cases. At Trion Tower and Central Station Street, Van uncovers clues, leading him to confront the culprit, a man who had previously stalked someone in an earlier game. This man claims to have been beaten by someone using the Spriggan name. Van’s suspicions grow as another past client contacts him, revealing that the impostor has been offering victims a chance at revenge. The team deduces that the impostor’s target is Jeffrey, the former leader of the Desire Gang, and they rush to the Levre District.

Baselia informs the group that Jeffrey has been taken by a man claiming to be a Spriggan, and Eddy has gone after them.

In the sewers, Eddy confronts the man but is easily defeated, as is Jeffrey. As the impostor taunts them, Eddy questions his motivations, suspecting a connection to Van. The man, introducing himself as Fabio Rosso, denies any association with Van but insists that the title of Spriggan is not exclusive. Fabio challenges Van, criticizing him for straying from the Spriggan code by associating with the Guild and accumulating a harem of followers. Fabio offers Van a choice to join him.

Elaine interjects, condemning Fabio for resorting to murder as punishment, while Eddy protests that Fabio has no right to act as an executioner, especially when people are trying to atone for their pasts.

Fabio, unfazed, pulls a gun but is thwarted by a Shard barrier. He acknowledges the group's strength before fleeing, promising that he and Van will face off again to determine who is the true Spriggan.

---

At Central Station Street, Kyle (Fisherman Guy) tells Makino and Shannon that he got a rental and the the girls and him can go to Longlai to fish while also seeing the rocket launch.

At Trion Tower, the group encounters Renne and several schoolgirls, along with James, discussing their upcoming trip to Longlai. Odette asks if Agnes will join them, but Agnes explains she hasn't decided yet. Odette reassures her that it’s fine either way. The conversation shifts to missing persons cases, and afterward, Renne invites Van and the group to visit Liberl someday.

Meanwhile, at the Verne Store, Moira checks Bart's T-Phone to ensure he's been studying. To Bart’s surprise, she discovers that he’s been playing games for three hours daily. Bart, bewildered by how his technologically-challenged mother figured this out. Talking to Moira will reveal that she from her friend  and that she taught her how to use the T-Phone and apply restrictions on it.

At Auber District, the group runs into Lucrezia and Chloe talking. Van joins the conversation and discovers that Lucrezia has been friends with Chloe since before joining the Society. Van inquires if Novartis and Campanella are working independently, to which Lucrezia confirms that they are, as is Walter, with the Grandmaster and President Gramheart's approval. When Agnes pushes for more details, Lucrezia refuses to share further information.

Van, with a teasing tone, suggests Lucrezia enjoy some cake to reform into an honest person, which earns him sweatdrops from the group. He even jokes that Campanella and Novartis could use the same treatment. When Lucrezia wonders if Jorda might like sweets, Chloe comments that Judith had mentioned Van’s recommendations. Van perks up at the thought of his influence being heard, but Judith quickly cuts Chloe off, flustered, to prevent any more embarrassment.

4SPG: Graffiti Vandalization

Returning to Chardin District, a 4SPG quest awaits, seeking Van's help after Kisara, the graffiti artist from Kuro 2, has had her artwork vandalized.

The event holder detains everyone present since noon, one of them being Angie, Kisara's friend from earlier in the story. After questioning everyone, Angie seems the most suspicious due to her lack of an alibi. However, this turns out to be a red herring, and choosing the option where nobody is the culprit yields extra points as the most likely answer is that Kisara herself vandalized it.

Curtis then calls and informs the group to meet him at Riverside, where they find Kisara. She admits to staging the entire incident, explaining that despite being recognized as a genius artist after moving to Edith, she feels unworthy.

People admire her status more than her art, which she views as soulless and inferior to the other museum exhibits. Kisara admits to vandalizing her own work, feeling that her previous intensity came from the guilt of her mother’s death and that her current complacency shows in her art. Her status as a genius prevents any real criticism, leading her to hope for expulsion from Aramis to rid herself of the title she deems undeserved.

Angie steps up, confronting Kisara and reminding her that both sides of her: her white (light) and her black (darkness), are integral parts of who she is. Curtis and Van echo these sentiments, offering words of support. Van suggests that as a graffiti artist, Kisara has three options:

to draw the dark side of her experiences,

the light side,

combine both in a new way, creating something in between.

Choosing the third option prompts Kisara to draw a brand-new cat symbolizing this balance. After the conversation, Kisara apologizes for dragging everyone into her emotional turmoil, Angie expresses that they’ve grown closer through the experience, and Curtis sympathizes with Kisara’s struggles, relating them to his own personal challenges.

---

At the club, the group encounters Dominique and Gien in conversation. Gien notes Aaron’s absence, and after some discussion, he reveals a possible connection between the missing people and the White Genesis, although it’s not yet identified as the Alter Core. Gien explains that Tycoon from Kuro 1 was sealed with the Genesis roughly 15 years after Epstein's death, aligning with the 20-year mark that keeps popping up everywhere.

---

Connect Event: Elaine

Van and Elaine head to Aramis High, responding to a request from Mr. Powell for assistance. Both volunteers to help, with Elaine teasing that Van can repay his debts for being a troublemaker during their school days. As they walk through the campus, Elaine remarks on how nostalgic it feels, though different from when they patrolled during the Culture Festival in spring.

(This indicates that in the story’s canon, Van had chosen Elaine over Agnes during the final act).

Van reflects, remembering how they, as members of the student council, were always rushing back and forth. Jokingly, he says that if he had known how much work it would be, he wouldn't have bothered applying. Elaine, in response, attributes Van's current role as a general handyman to the skills he developed back then, handling people's everyday problems.

Their patrol leads them to the site where a bomb was once placed, triggering a series of memories. Van recalls sneaking into the back room of the science lab to make coffee, to which Elaine adds that he used to eat sweets there as well. She teases that the smell would linger in the hallway, affecting everyone who passed by. Van retorts, reminding her of a certain burnt cookie he once brought along, which Elaine quickly realizes was hers. She claims she’s improved her cooking since those days, much to Van’s amusement.

At the theater, the two reminisce about a stage play they once performed in, specifically a role Elaine played. Van playfully quotes one of her lines, prompting an embarrassed Elaine to draw her sword in mock anger. Their tour continues to the basketball court, where Van fondly remembers a hidden spot on the roof where he frequently napped. Elaine notes how often she and Rene Kincaid had to retrieve Van from there to attend class.

They journey through the underground ruins of Aramis (Kuro 2 Dungeon that neither of them knew existed until after the game). Returning to the student council room, they both admit how nice it is to spend time together again, reminiscent of their high school days. Elaine reflects on how Van always seemed inefficient compared to herself and Rene, but he was always there when she needed him. She recalls moments when Van helped her with her workload, allowing them time for meaningful conversations. One particular memory stands out: the sunset pouring through the window as they talked until nightfall, often resulting in Van being scolded for returning to the dorms late. Though these discussions were trivial, Elaine admits that she cherished those moments and wishes they could have lasted forever.

Elaine comments that walking through the school makes her realize how much time has passed, and how she has matured without fully realizing it. Van agrees but confesses that he still feels like the same person despite growing older, sweets obsession included. Elaine, with a touch of melancholy, wonders aloud whether she’s only gotten better at hiding her true feelings rather than truly growing up. She admits that while it’s not normally an issue, with Van, she struggles with her confidence in masking her emotions.

Van attempts to reassure Elaine, but she cuts him off, acknowledging that he had properly rejected her in the past. In a flashback, Van is seen explaining that he wasn’t ready to confront his guilt and that it wasn’t fair to her, Agnes, or anyone else.

(Though not referring to Agnes as a romantic partner, Van is just expressing that his unresolved issues have kept him from moving forward. Don't misread! )

Despite the rejection, Elaine confesses that she still wants to be close to Van, admitting that while they’ve missed their chance and gone separate ways, her feelings have remained unchanged. Van, ever the stoic, comments that Elaine is as assertive as always. She laughs, acknowledging her burdensome nature but also recognizing that it's simply who she is the same person who fell in love with him years ago. For eight years, or perhaps longer, Elaine realizes she’s been in love with Van, no matter how much time has passed.

Van, deeply moved, pauses before expressing his regret, feeling that he can never fully repay the pain he caused her. He admits that he’s grateful she still wants to be by his side and acknowledges that she played a crucial role in pulling him back from the depths of his own personal hell.

Elaine, taken aback, asks what he means, prompting Van to finally reveal the truth about his past. He explains how he was taken from the orphanage and subjected to torture and experiments, with the only constant in his life being pain. During those dark days, the one thing that kept him grounded was the memory of the sweets, specifically the Quincy Chocolate Elaine had given him as a child. This memory, he reveals, is the reason for his extreme obsession with sweets today.

Elaine, speechless, listens as Van recounts how, despite his ordeal, he clung to that memory, which saved him from losing his humanity entirely. He confesses that when he was finally rescued, that small act of kindness from Elaine was one of the few things that had kept him whole.

Elaine tries to lighten the mood by joking about Van’s sweet tooth, but she can't help feeling guilty, blaming herself for being powerless and for the actions of her father, which caused them to drift apart even more. She wonders whether it’s her burden to bear, rather than Van’s, questioning whether she even deserves to stand by his side. However, she expresses her relief that they, along with Rene, were able to reconnect during their high school years, even if Van ultimately ran away again.

Van, appreciative of her honesty, thanks Elaine for sharing her feelings with him. Elaine, now in tears, accuses Van of being unfair, making her confess all these embarrassing things while evading her feelings. Van, unfazed, agrees that he’s unfair, but that’s exactly the kind of person she’s always known him to be. Their conversation is interrupted when two students, Thelma and Sigurni, walk in, surprised to see Van and Elaine together, with Elaine still emotional. After offering to help the students with their paperwork, Van checks in on Elaine once more, teasing her about the rumors that might spread because of their encounter. Elaine brushes it off, remarking that she wouldn’t mind if such rumors were true, though Van warns that it would be Elaine who would get into trouble due to her position as a Bracer.

Elaine reflects that she still needs to talk to Rene about unresolved feelings and wonders how to reach him. Van suggests that they’ll just have to track him down for a drink like old times. Elaine agrees, acknowledging that there’s strength in the bonds of childhood friends, and ends their conversation by saying she’ll patiently wait for Van’s eventual reply, no matter how much he continues to evade it. Van, ever evasive, simply acknowledges her words with a knowing smile.

----

Connect Event: Renne

Van unexpectedly runs into Renne, who is riding her newly acquired purple Leno Orbal Scooter. She quickly assures him that she’s not there for leisure and brings up something more intriguing—Percy has launched a new mystery game. Renne explains that she wants Van's help to uncover a secret treasure hidden somewhere in Edith’s capital. However, when she tried reaching out to Percy for more details, he was confused and denied having created such a game. Sensing that something deeper is going on, Renne grows curious and suspects this game might have been designed specifically for her, possibly as a distraction to keep her from returning to Liberl.

Intrigued, the two decide to take on the challenge. The first clue leads them to a location where various cultures intersect, and Renne cleverly deduces that the cinema must be the answer. At the cinema, they discover their next hint. The receptionist, surprisingly aware of their quest, congratulates them on solving the first riddle and hands them a "sword"—which, much to their surprise, turns out to be nothing more than a churro.

As they continue solving clues, each step brings them closer to their final destination. The last clue leads them to a place where Renne and Van first met: Riverside. Upon arriving, they uncover the treasure, only to find that it is a bouquet from none other than Bleublanc, a figure from Renne’s past. Bleublanc’s message reveals that the treasure hunt was his way of acknowledging Renne’s growth over the years. Van, puzzled, wonders how Bleublanc knew about all of this.

Renne and Van take a moment to reminisce about their initial encounter. Renne recounts how, at Riverside, she first met Van while she was being hunted. At the time, she had been extremely wary and had even threatened him, warning him to either leave her alone or face elimination. Van had managed to lure her in with the promise of tea and cake, claiming that Rosenberg had sent him. Renne reflects on how, in hindsight, the situation seemed suspicious, but she’s glad she didn’t report Van to the authorities back then. Van casually thanks her for not doing so, admitting that it had been a tough task trying to keep those pursuing Renne off her trail so she could safely reach Crossbell.

Renne, with an uncharacteristic bluntness, thanks Van for everything. She acknowledges that allowing herself to get wrapped up in someone else's darkness gave her the space to begin healing from her own. Before parting ways, she tells him that she wanted to express her gratitude before heading back to Liberl. As she leaves, Renne also asks Van to take care of Agnes in her absence.

---

Yume's Event: I’m doing this another time. Sorry.

---

Bermotti summons the group to the bar, where they find Zin in conversation with Representative Ryan, a key figure in the events of Kuro 2. Ryan shares his concerns about Gramheart’s space program, expressing disbelief at how quickly the Zeku Space Base was constructed in only six months. Additionally, he mentions a troubling pattern of people disappearing across the continent. Just as Bermotti receives an urgent request from someone, the connection cuts off, and both Van’s and Agnes’s Alter Core and Genesis react strongly to the event. When the call reconnects, a man named Brawning Joe from the Blacklight District pleads for help from anyone, whether it be the guild, police, or spriggans, before the call is abruptly cut off again.

The group, along with Isabel, the Shady Doctor, and Ryan, rush to the scene, only to find the entire Blacklight District engulfed in flames. The residents, affected by something akin to the Erosion, have turned violent. After rescuing everyone, they discover that Ixs is behind the chaos. Ixs has mechanized the Divanshi Second Second using her Alter Core, leading to a fierce battle. After the fight, Ixs summons a giant mechanical beast to delay the group. The awakened jaegers join Van, while Zin stays behind to buy them time. Van tracks Ixs, observing that a large number of people have been hypnotized and are congregating at Dirke Memorial Park.

Meanwhile, Van continues his search for Ixs, noticing that a large number of people have fallen under hypnosis, all making their way to Dirke Memorial Park. The Guild, Police, and Heiyue step in to assist Van, organizing a search for the missing individuals. Quatre finds it curious that Dirke Memorial Park is the common point where everyone is disappearing, reflecting on its dark history as a site of mass slaughter both before and after the revolution, long before it was turned into a park.

Renne and Rixia join the scene, surprising Nate, who remarks that he just met the famed Crossbell dancer. As the teams split up, Nate is momentarily frozen in place as he watches Rixia transform into her Yin outfit. Daswani has to snap him out of it, urging him to stay focused and keep moving.

The group heads to the far-right side of Dirke Memorial Park, a part that has strangely remained unexplored across two entire games (bruh). They express their amazement that such an area even exists, noting how the ruins resemble those found on Nemeth Island. Suddenly, a monster believed to only exist in the Marchen Garten appears, shocking the team. It confirms that this creature is not a mere imitation but potentially the real thing. Renne, with her usual flair, comments that this encounter feels like the beginning of a tea party.

As they battle the boss, it reveals a powerful healing ability and nearly kills Risette. Her body reacts with unease to the creature’s presence, hinting at a connection to A-D or something. Just in time, Jorda steps in and saves her. Agnes, recognizing Jorda, mentions that they recently crossed paths at the Grim Garten.

Van decides to rehire Jorda as his part-time assistant, but she brushes off his joking tone, making it clear that she’s here solely to track down Ixs. The group welcomes her determination, pointing out that they're all after him as well. Jorda joins the group.

Upon reaching the deepest part of the site, they confront Ixs, who dismisses the idea of family and mocks those who endure hardship. His taunts provoke Van, who sharply tells him to be quiet. Jorda steps forward, questioning how Ixs became the person he is. She asserts that there is no satisfaction in taking lives, and that neither she nor Van have ever treated life so callously. It is this difference, she says, that sets them apart from those who raised them.

(Don't know where to put this but in my zoomer slang, Ixs also calls Van an Unc (ossan) and calls Elaine an Auntie (obasan) basically.)

Ixs sneers at their words, claiming he owes them no explanation. He belittles Jorda for siding with Van and mocks Van's past struggles. Van, unfazed, counters that at least he has matured beyond being a brooding child, unlike Ixs, whose experiences are not uncommon and are often faced by those still going through adolescence.

Frustrated, Ixs summons a massive, shrouded mechanical beast to attack the group. After they defeat it, the creature is revealed to be an Executioner. In a final act of defiance, Ixs attempts to escape, commanding the beast to activate its genocide mode, indifferent to the casualties that may follow.

As Van, now in his Grendel form, contemplates whether he must push his limits further, a man in a robe and mask suddenly descends from the sky, interrupting both Van and the Executioner. The man speaks cryptically about Van, leaving the group puzzled. Aaron immediately recognizes the mysterious figure's technique as being from the Gekka-style. Shortly after, another masked figure appears, wielding a gun and firing energy blasts that immobilize Van and the others. Risette identifies the technology as MK-based, though she notes it is still experimental. Feri, observing closely, recognizes the sniper’s weapon. Then Judith, hearing something, points out a third figure perched atop a pillar, watching the scene unfold. Ixs, irritated, complains that their interference is spoiling his fun.

Van, intrigued by the sudden appearance of these three Apostles, begins to assess their traits. As Ixs and the Apostles point their weapons at Van and the group, the Gekka-styled Apostle taunts them, suggesting that reinforcements will not arrive in time. He finds the people of this present era fascinating. This remark prompts Judith and Elaine to wonder whether the Apostles had already defeated Rixia and the others.

Despite the Apostles' confidence, Van had anticipated the need for reinforcements. He had earlier requested that Bermotti contact Kaela and Cody to send in CID backup. As the Apostles prepare to strike, the police, along with Rixia, arrive to support Van and his group.

Outnumbered and facing unfavorable odds, the Apostles decide to retreat. Elaine, determined to understand more, questions their identity and whether they are connected to A-D. One of the Masked Apostles responds, explaining that A-D is meant for the "last lambs": those forgotten or forsaken by the world. However, they are different. Their presence in the world distorts reality due to contradictions, making "Remnants" a more fitting name for their group.

As the Apostles begin teleporting away, Jorda seizes an opportunity and uses her shadow to grab hold of Ixs. But as they teleport, her shadow is severed, sending a wave of excruciating pain through her body. Though in agony, Jorda urges the others to track Ixs, but despite their efforts, he manages to escape.

Bergard later comments that the pain Jorda endured must have been immense, likening it to the sensation of having her own body torn in half due to the damage inflicted on her shadow. Meanwhile, Rixia recounts how they were overwhelmed by the Masked Gekka-style Apostle, forcing them to split up. Daswani confirms that the Masked Gun Apostle also caught them off guard with her sudden attacks.

Kaela and Cody reveal that the CID has been assigned to work on a separate, undisclosed plan, meaning they will no longer be able to assist Van and his group. Van, seemingly unfazed, had anticipated this turn of events. Fortunately, Quatre is able to pinpoint Ixs’s new location. As the chapter concludes, Jorda struggles to stay conscious, battling through the lingering pain from her injury.

[ryqoshay]

Putting on Hairs: Post Production - Ticket, Please

Primary Pairing: N/A Staring: A thief and some puppets Also Starring: Tsubasa, Anju, Erena Words: 654 Rating: T? AU: Theater, Monsters, Puppets, Tickets Time Frame: Sometime after the main story (?) Prompt: Puppet Content Warning: Puppets

---------

Author's Note: Bonus 2nd entry for the 19th

Summary: Someone enters without a ticket

---------

Ktchack!

The man flinched as bright lights suddenly snapped on. The Hell? His partner was supposed to have cut the power. And they hadn’t seen a generator when they cased the place earlier.

“Welcome! Welcome! One and all!” A cheery voice cried. “Step right up and get your tickets!”

Oh, some silly animatronic in a colorful ticket booth. He’d read about the theater putting on a children’s event, which apparently was ongoing.

“Uhm, excuse me, I don’t mean to be rude, but you need a ticket to enter.”

The man paused and turned. He shivered as his gaze found a pair of googly eyes staring directly into his sou… No. This was absurd. It was just a puppet. There was no place for a person to hide and work the stupid thing, so it was definitely automated. And there was probably some sensor somewhere that caught him moving past without a ticket.

“I ain’t got one.” He found himself grumbling.

“Oh dear…” The puppet’s voice gained a concerned tone. “They’re not going to like that…”

The man scoffed and pushed past a curtain. He just needed to meet up with his partner, find the ancient artifact or whatever they’d be hired to steal, and get the hell out of this creepy place.

What was that?

Movement just outside the beam of his flashlight. And… did he just hear laughter?

“I hear you entered without a ticket” A voice giggled next to his ear.

He spun. And caught a glimpse of button eyes and a stitched smile before it slipped out of the light.

“Won’t you please buy a ticket?” A different, deeper voice pleaded by his other ear.

This time a tuft of blue fur evaded his light.

From behind, he heard what he could only describe as tiny, padded feet running. He turned again and shown his light on a fast-approaching rag doll. It had the same face he thought he had seen a second ago, and… it was running… on the wall?

“I have a ticket for you!” The giggly voice declared as the doll held out a roll with a long streamer of tickets flailing behind.

“But there is a penalty for purchasing late.” The deeper voice intoned.

A mountain of shaggy blue fur shambled into view. Tickets sloughed out of the hairs as a giant paw reached for the man.

The man nearly dropped his flashlight as he spun and ran down the hall. He rounded a corner and came to a halt. The rag doll was somehow ahead of him, now approaching along the ceiling. And a twin beside it. He dodged into a nearby door, trying to ignore a growing chorus of cries about tickets. He slammed the door, locked it, turned, and…

There was his partner, wrapped head to toe in… tickets? The other man’s eyes widened, seeming to see something to his side.

The man turned.

Oh… hell…

“Ticket, please.” An infernal felt beast demanded as flaming tickets belched out of its mouth.

The man screamed.

---------

“About the break-in last night.” Tsubasa spoke to her friends in the car. “The police said the thieves kept babbling about living puppets and tickets.”

Anju smiled knowingly.

“Why can’t we just have a normal security system?” Erena groused.

“We work in a theater, my dear.” Anju replied. “Everyone who enters deserves a good show. Besides, we can’t let Phoby-chan and the opera phantoms have all the fun.”

“You make them sound like a band.”

Tsubasa chuckled at the reminder that a fallen angel’s familiar and a handful of century-old ghosts watched over the theater up the street.

“Anyway, thank you Anju.” She said. “But my contact at the precinct also mentioned that the thieves were hired for the job. Whoever employed them may make another attempt.”

Anju’s smile grew. “I shall anxiously await their arrival.”

“Just… don’t overdo it. Remember, no physical injuries, just SAN damage.”

“Of course.”

---------

Author's Note Continued: I had fun with this one. And I kinda wanna expand it a bit when I include it in the main story, even if it ends up stretching out the joke longer than some might find necessary.

Also, yes, the content warning is somewhat of a joke, but I do actually know people who are afraid of puppets, so...

[mysticalfungalaxy]

eClinical Solutions and Software Market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 29.1 Billion by 2033 | FMI

The global eClinical Solutions and Software Market is anticipated to reach a valuation of US$ 29.1 billion in 2033, rising up from an estimated US$ 9.3 billion in 2023. Valued at US$ 8.4 billion in 2022, the market witnessed a CAGR of 10.6% from 2017 to 2022. It is gauged that the eClinical solutions and software market will expand at a stellar CAGR of 12.1% from 2023 to 2033. This growth can be attributed to the surge in funding for clinical research and life sciences will enable the widespread usage of eClinical solutions and software which, in turn, will promote the overall market growth during the forecast period.

Gain complete access to the report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/eclinical-solutions-and-software-market

The expansion of research and development activities by biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical businesses will prompt the use of eClinical solutions and software in various clinical trials which will foster growth for the market. This is primarily due to the fact that in order to address certain contemporary eClinical trial management needs, many businesses will require a comprehensive eClinical platform that will adapt to required needs. Hence, the prospects for the eClinical solutions and software market look bright in the upcoming years.

With the surge in the amount of data produced via the clinical development process, the need for efficient tracking and evaluation of clinical data will also rise. As a result of this, the demand for eClinical solutions and software amplifies in clinical trials which, in turn, supplements the overall market growth. The eClinical solutions and software increase efficiency, lessen the expenditure, and errors like duplicate entry are avoided due to the use of eClinical technologies. This factor bodes well for the expansion of the eClinical solutions and software market size. Other factors that will aid the market growth are the progress witnessed in the life sciences field and the outsourcing of clinical trials to contract research organizations (CROs). All of these factors propel the Clinical Data Management Tools market forward during the projection period.

Key Takeaways:

High costs and constant maintenance expenditure will prevent the growth of the eClinical solutions and software market during the assessment period.

Based on the service, the clinical data management systems (CDMS) category will dominate the global market with an estimated share of 22.6% for 2023 and 2033.

By delivery mode, the web-hosted (on-demand) will lead the market with a share of 67.3%. 

The eClinical solutions and software market in the US will hold about 39.3% of the market share in 2023 due to increasing product launches by key players.

China’s eClinical solutions and software market will expand at a strong CAGR of 8.7% owing to greater medical needs.

Competitive Landscape 

Oracle

Datatrak International, Inc.

Dassault Systemes

CRF Health

eClinicalWorks

Parexel International Corporation

Bioclinica

eClinical Solutions

IBM Watson Health

Anju Life Sciences Software

ERT Clinical

Key Market Segments Covered in eClinical Solutions and Software Industry Research

Solution:

Randomization & Trial Management (RTSM)

Clinical Data Management System (CDSM)

Clinical Trial Management System (CLMS)

Electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment (eCOA)

Electronic Trial Master File (eTMF)

Electronic Data Capture

Others

Delivery Mode:

Licensed Enterprise (On-premise) Solution

Cloud-based (SAAS) Solution

Web-hosted (on-demand) Solution

Clinical Trial:

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Phase IV

End User:

Contract Research Organization

Medical Device Companies

Pharma/Biotech Companies

Hospitals & Clinics

Others

[baitdragon]

Kerala fights drug menace among school children

Police said Kerala is now facing a situation that the Punjab had unsuccessfully fought for the past several years.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Few months ago, a shocking video surfaced on social media in which a young woman was seen screaming loudly under the influence of drugs after being caught by police from a lodge in a central Kerala town during a raid.

The investigation into the incident later revealed that the woman, once a bright student, was lured into the trap of drugs by the deadly mafia and was being used as a carrier to run their lucrative business.

It was one of such several incidents that shook the collective consciousness of Kerala society, prompting the government to crack down on those engaged in the dirty business in the southern state.

A new survey conducted by Kerala police among youths below 21 years of age, who were victims of substance abuse, has revealed another shocking fact that 40 percent of them were children below the age of 18.

What is more frightening is that majority of them were girl children and after falling prey to the drug cartels, they were being used as carriers.

"In earlier days, substance abuse cases were reported more in colleges, now more cases are reported in schools and girl children are becoming victims of substance abuse," says ADGP (Law and Order), M R Ajith Kumar.

Kumar, who is also the state nodal officer for the anti-drug campaign of the state police called 'Yoddhav', said women carriers are being used to lure girl children into the trap.

They first befriend the school going girls and then slowly introduce them to the dangerous world of substance abuse, Kumar told PTI.

The senior police officer said the small roadside eateries called 'thattukadas' and petty shops in the schools' vicinity are active sellers of the contraband to students.

"Women drug carriers are being used to draw girl students into the network.

Many times boys are also being used to lure their girl friends into the drug trap", he said.

To eradicate the drug menace from the premises of the schools, the police had conducted 18,301 raids in small eateries and petty shops near schools in the state and registered 401 cases.

They have also arrested 462 accused, while seizing 20.97 kg of ganja, 186.38 grams of MDMA and 1122.1 grams of hashish.

When some schools tighten up their surveillance and prevent the entry of drugs, the carriers target tuition centres to draw children, the police officer said.

Counsellors attached to Child Protection Units say they have come across drug packets on the desks, benches and inside school bags during their visit to some schools for counselling victims of drug abuse.

"The prevalence of substance abuse is very high among school children. When we counsel them, they admit to have used these substances but never reveal the source from which they got the drug," Anju Dias, a counselor attached to the Thiruvananthapuram District Child Protection Unit, told PTI.

In girls aged 13 and above, sexual abuse is often connected to substance abuse.

"Boyfriends introduce them to drugs and sexually exploit them. The girls tend to fall back again to get the drug again," Dias added.

Psychologist Aswanthya S K of District Child Protection Unit, who extensively works among both sex abuse and substance abuse victims, says family and teachers play a very important role in prevention.

"Most of the time, the teachers and parents are too much into academics and fail to notice whether the child is having any deviance. Only when the child gets into trouble, the teachers and parents realize that the kind of teaching or parenting they have been giving is not appropriate for the particular child," Avanthya said.

She says the parents should maintain a close relationship with their children, observe them closely and should check their belongings, including bags thoroughly regularly.

"Most of these substances are psycho-active drugs. It can affect and alter the brain chemistry of the child. That really makes the child abnormal and on a later stage, hallucinations start to set in. Children will then have abnormal and strained relationships," she added.

Police said Kerala is now facing a situation that the Punjab had unsuccessfully fought for the past several years.

But the state government has resolved to fight the menace more vigorously, launching a massive anti-drug campaign by coordinating various departments including police and excise departments.

As a result there is a fivefold increase in the number of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) cases registered in the state and in the number of people arrested.

The police have identified 1377 black spots, which are the nerve centre of drug trafficking activities under the jurisdiction of 472 police stations in the state.

In 2022, the Kerala police registered 25,240 NDPS cases and arrested 29,514 accused compared to the 5334 cases registered in 2021 and 6704 accused arrested in 2021, reveals a document.

"There is a huge jump in seizure of synthetic drugs like MDMA in 2022. Compared to the 2.739 kg MDMA seizure in 2021, police managed to seize 14.032 kg MDMA during 2022. In 2022, 1.223 kg of brown sugar and 35.942 kg of hashish or hashish oil were also seized", it says.

[mubashirnews]

Nepal plane crash: Co-pilot's husband also died in Yeti Airlines accident 16 years ago | World News

The co-pilot of Nepal’s fatal plane crash had lost her husband who was a pilot in another Yeti Airlines accident 16 years ago. Anju Khatiwada, 44, was the co-pilot on Sunday’s fatal flight from Kathmandu which crashed into a gorge in clear weather near Pokhara airport killing at least 70 people. Ms Khatiwada’s career in aviation was prompted by the death of her husband Dipak Pokhrel, who died on…

[scummy-writes]

Gonna reblog this one to maybe help folks be less shy about goin on and on about their ocs.

So! Ive been talking about them for a few days, but I'll ramble some more.

Anju - First OC for any ikeseries game. She was originally supposed to be for Shingen, and I used her attitude for some fanfics (there was a prompt response I did years ago about Shingen loving a prostitute or something? And the way the woman shut him down was Anju's type of personality.)

She's not for sen anymore, and I switched to her still constantly skeptical of any love proclamations, but now she is for Arthur and sometimes I muse her being with Theo or Vincent.

Out of all my Oc's, she's the most independent, but she also is so to an unhealthy degree. She owns her own place and store (she mends and makes clothes, very based on sen mc in that regard). It comes into play when others try to help her, or when she shuts out others because she doesnt wanna deal with peoples perception of her once the rose tinted glasses come off. Outside of romance, she is kind in an older adult woman kind of manner, where she still has very clear boundries but still helps when she can.

Amélie - a mess but more put together. I think out of all of them, i have done the most with her. Scraps of her story is on AO3 under Patchworked Pieces. Trauma is high for her, and recent, so it prompts a lot of her actions. She is for Isaac and sometimes Isaac and Arthur.

I think she is pretty nice... helpful, encouraging... in all honesty, as much as I love her, I recognize she is pretty bland and mainly just her trauma and the process of getting over it while healing with Isaac. There were supposed to be a lot of scenes of them helping each other back and forth. I think I've talked more in depth about her on random posts under the 'scums babs' tag.

Constance - wew. I am still working her out. So far I am trying to get her more independent than Amélie, but not an unhealthy degree like Anju. I am experimenting with an Oc that has selective mutism, and knows sign language- which is a struggle, as I am consistently worried about writing something harmful in that regard on accident.

She'a supposed to be for Gilbert. At her very first concept, before I was into Gilbert, she was supposed to be for Clavis.... well.... <:) sorry bud. She also has a few creative outlets that she doesn't actively pursue as any sort of career, just enjoys them on her spare time. Writing, drawing, poems occasionally? I thought it would be cute in general, but paired with Gilbert I thought it was really cute.

She's actually the first oc I've made a sideblog for, @c-bookwyrm . I thought about setting it up as an askblog, with posts in her pov, but instead I've been posting random short (short) writings about experiences in her life, as I come up with them. They're not reviewed, often I write them late at night when I'm having trouble sleeping, and... i dont know. I have 6 followers on that blog, and so I don't feel scared to write blurbs that sound bad. It's been a good exercise in being less scared of just writing whatever and not being scared of people being jerks randomly. (Which doesnt happen on this blog often now, but it has happened a lot in the past). Helps me fight the inner anxiety demons *nods*. Its smth I would encourage if you have ocs and some anxieties about writing, just having a sideblog to explore various things about them without any worries.

Now for Villains, I don't have an oc yet. But given my small experiences with the game, I think it would be fun to try and make an Oc that is... more angry? Anju does get angry more than the other two, but I think for Villains, it would be a fun enviroment to test that in.

Question of The Day

Do you have an OC for any of these games? Tell us about them! Are they romantically involved with any of the suitors, or just besties with your fave? Do you have drawings or descriptions of them? What are they like?

╰❧ Daily Q's can be answered with your voice- or your OC's!

If you'd like to suggest a question, send me an ask! || About This Blog

Divider by @/enchanthings

[anjuschiffer]

#60 with jasonette? (｡･∀･)ﾉﾞ

Jasonette!!! I loved writing this! Basically a what if situation of Marinette seeing Jason instead of Luka :D

60. You look like you could use a hug jasonette

—

@theatreandcomicfreak @damianette-is-life @toodaloo-kangaroo @elijahcrevan @vixen-uchiha @nathleigh

—

Jason composed himself as he stood in front of Marinette’s room, wondering if she was inside.

“Marinette?”Jason asked as he walked into the dark room, Marinette dazing into the design in her hands. “Marinette?”

But she didn’t hear him.

Jason walked up to Marinette, placing a hand on her shoulder, but she didn’t jump. “Marinette.”

Marinette jumped at the sound of her name, turning to see Jason. Quickly, she put away her design, jumping up from her seat to greet him.

“Jason! You should’ve told me-“

“I did try to tell you I was coming over. But you haven’t been answering any of my calls or texts for the past three hours.” Jason showed her his history of calls and texts.

“Mon dieu! I’m sorry, I just-“

“What’s wrong Marinette?” Jason asked, Marinette feeling his eyes being able to see the turmoil within her. “Sure, you usually take a while to answer or call back, but three hours? It’s not like you.”

She couldn’t tell him, hell, he didn’t know she was Ladybug. To make matters worse, she not only is Ladybug, but now the newly appointed Guardian.

How the hell was she supposed to tell him that?

How was he even going to take the news?

“I was...busy.” Marinette said, turning to grab her discarded design.

“Busy? Mari, you’d usually FaceTime me to make up for missing so many calls.”

Marinette held in a whine that wanted to escape her.

“Jason, I was busy. I couldn’t-“ She stopped when Jason made her look at him.

“Busy? Or is there something you’re hiding from me? I’ve known you for three years Mari. I know your habits when you lie. You suck at keeping eye contact when you lie. And lately, you’ve been doing less hand motions when doing so.”

Marinette rained silent, pursing her lips as she closed her eyes.

She couldn’t let him know. She can’t tell him.

That would go against her vows as the new Guardian.

Her identity and the safety of Paris was-

She felt a pair of arms wrap around her trembling-

Trembling? “Jason?”

“You look like you could use a hug.” Jason quietly said, feeling Marinette tremble even more. He couldn’t just tell her that she was spiraling again. “There’s something you can’t tell just yet, is there?”

Jason got an answer in the form of a cry, Jason wrapping his arms tighter around the girl, Marinette wailing into his chest.

It went on for an hour, Marinette ending up sleeping in Jason’s arms, a few sobs escaping her as she slept.

Jason carefully placed her into her bed when he noticed an antique sewing box.

Opening it up, Jason was disappointed to find areas of carefully labeled threads and needles. Thinking nothing more of it, Jason decided to close it back up, when he noticed the oddity of the box.

With the size of the box, Marinette should be able to store more things within it.

Taking over to her desk, Jason began to empty out the box, only to find hidden compartments all over the box.

Managing to open one up, Jason stared at the velvet lining of the hidden compartment, wondering why the cat insignia beckoned him.

Running his finger over it, Jason yelped when his finger felt as it got stung, noticing a branding on his finger.

Not wanting to get caught, Jason put everything back into the box, shoving it away from him when he was done.

Just as things couldn’t get any more creepier, Jason heard a voice in his head.

“To think you’re our Chosen’s soulmate...you really are a lucky black cat, aren’t you? Jason Todd?”

Just what was Marinette hiding from him?

[aakipple]

uhhh

1st pic is based on that scene from ep 25 except theyre wearing these suits

the rest are for taibani week on twitter :)

[rulersofcerberus]

🌪 Give me that Anju content!

TW/ Violence, Organised Crime, Kidnapping. 

Things that scare Anju are hard to come by. Her ability is one of the scary ones. She can read people like books instantly understanding the genuine emotions they’re feeling in any one moment. It’s hard to take her by surprise...it’s hard but not impossible. 

Astua’s warehouse district is known for constant violence between groups over space, business deals gone wrong as well as various hits on behalf of other big players. Anju was on-site attending a meeting with Cinnamon Twist normally negotiations would be performed at the Mitamura estate however she was acting on behalf of the Callisto syndicate, representing them in Astua. She could hear the fighting in the building next door. Anju’s bodyguards looked wary, there weren’t many exits in this particular area. 

{ 💜 } “Do things always get this rowdy here?” Anju asked? She was aware of the chaos in Claudere’s warehouse district though was quite sheltered from it due to growing up in her compound in Novale. 

{ 🗡 } “ Only on days ending with a Y. ” Holland shrugged, rolling his eyes as he could pick out a voice in the violence next door. “The building’s gonna be gone soon, lets get you somewhere safe princess. I don’t exactly want to get killed by your clans for letting you get hurt here.” 

Anju nodded, allowing the trader to lead her somewhere safe. The duo along with 2 of Anju’s bodyguards arrived in a small room to the other side of the building. The guards waiting outside whilst Holland was in the room with Anju. 

*click*

Neither of them had realised the door had locked behind them. They sat and talked for a bit, still aware of the conflicts happening outside the confines of the room. 

Anju was staring at the door. It was a cold metal room that hadn’t been cleaned in a while...She was nodding along to what Holland was saying but she wanted to get out of there. This space reminded her of the times she was kidnapped as a child and young adult. People wanted her for her families money and power, she was always able to get out either through her clan’s assistance or through her own wit though she hated every second of it. Her eyes darted between Holland and the door. Her senses felt like they sharpened, she could hear the fighting outside, her heart pounding as she was begging for this all to stop. 

{ 💜 } “Maybe we should get out of here...I’ve got my clansmen outside who’ll protect me...surely we don’t have to stay in here” she pleaded. 

{ 🗡 } Holland shrugged. “It’s better this way. They’ll move on in a bit, I don’t want to be responsible for Princess Mitamura getting hurt here in Claudere.” He didn’t seem to notice the heiress’ panic. 

Anju stood up and walked toward the door quivering as she shouted for her bodyguards on the other side to find a key. She’d already been there long enough. 

{ 🗡 } “Are you scared?” Holland asked, his arrogant tone from earlier slipping away. The man was curious that the rumoured Mitamura Heiress was panicking over a simple locked room. 

{ 💜 } “I’m....no...” Anju paused, taking a deep breath. “Have you ever been held in a locked room, surrounded by people fighting and then threatening you for your parents money, or thinking they could somehow advance in our world....” Anju spoke softly. “I don’t like outsiders being brought into these things, into this business...none of them are ready...and I hope no one else has to experience these things.” 

{ 🗡 } Holland stood up, dusting his clothes off before walking to the door, using his ability to pry it open. He’d planned on waiting there a little longer to see what would happen but decided against upsetting a business partner. “Then lets get out of here and show the petty thugs out there some manners. It’s far too late to be this loud. Is that okay with you princess?” He’s learnt some interesting information today. 

{ 💜 } Anju nodded, surprised at Holland’s ability, slightly annoyed he didn’t do it sooner but was more relieved in the idea of leaving the room. “Lets go.” 

[koi-no-signal-zin-zin-zin]

tsubasa: girls, I have a plan. we're going to become... delinquents.

- the next day -

anju, having unbuttoned her shirt to reveal sarashi: hiiii~!

tsubasa, wearing her tie crooked over a partially-undone shirt: hello, ladies. are you ready to get up to some delinquency?

erena, not wearing a tie clip: I feel so badass.

[deadbeetus]

Imagine Anju and Shuka kissing each other softly in a cold winter morning while holding each other's hands as they sat on a bench, warming each other up with love.

[gay-kurapika]

Oof today was pathetic enough that my sister just called me to be sure that I wasn’t suicidal again and I’m not mostly but that’s so embarrassing I’ve really been too needy today.