#small the problem is compared to what i should actually be worried about

[pepperingsteaks]

really wanted to draw something for lunar new year but i’m really upset about something silly

[tempestmothstorm]

crazy how the sanshee plush is one of the few actual direct confirmations on what a non-act 2 Natsuki’s home life is like because of how cagey she is on literally everything. Like this isn’t anything surprising or something you wouldn’t be able to extrapolate from the games but unlike everything else we know about her the implications are right there on the tin.

They literally did the character bio trope where where all the likes are normal but the dislikes are about their very specific trauma it’s just so funny they did that on the plushie card

[satorusdiary]

dilf!toji being your ex bf

fluff & angst + making up + cuddling + toji not being able to resist you when you look so fragile + toji forever loving you

part 2! - back in love !

You sent 1:03 am

hey, r u awake?

toji places the cigarette back down on the ashtray, looking at his phone slightly shocked. it’s been months since you and him have had contact, the split up that has happened to your relationship has left a strain in his heart.

why did you text him at this hour? and most importantly, why aren’t you asleep? toji knows how well your sleep schedule usually was.

his friends look at him concerned, the look on toji’s face confusing them even more compared to when he stopped smoking repeatedly just a few seconds ago.

“fushiguro, you good?” satoru questions, patting his friends shoulder as he looks over at his friends phone. he wasn’t able to get a look at the message before toji pulls the phone into a direction that wasn’t able to be seen.

“yeah.. jus’ lemme call someone real quick.” before the rest of his friends could protest, toji is up and walking over to an empty room in the apartment. taking a seat on the bed.

Toji sent 1:09 am

thought i told you to lose my number

now that’s something he wouldn’t text you, he immediately starting regretting sending that message the second you immediately read the message.

you were his sweet little girl. the young woman who he swore he was gonna marry, the one he swore to have kids with.

things were different when he realized how much his life would have an impact on you if you stayed with him.

what’s good about a sweet girl who has a bright future getting with a older man selling illegal substances, that could send him to jail for years and years.

yeah not good at all.

toji knew what’s best for you, and if it meant him not being with you then it was worth it.

because he loved you, and would do physically anything in his power for you to have the best in life.

You sent 1:09 am

i know, i just need someone to talk to rn. i’m sorry

his heart weeps, you still want his comfort even after he has completely broke you, and your relationship with him.

he should be in jail for just breaking you in general.

toji sighs, not knowing how to reply. he wants to comfort you, yet he wants to push you away from his life. push you away from the trouble and the dangers that could happen to you.

he thinks you have given up until you text him 3 minutes later.

You sent 1:12 am

can i call you, please toji?

he couldnt deny it. he just couldnt. his love for you was simply unbreakable even if you weren’t together anymore.

his friends out in the living room are most likely concerned and worried for toji, but that’s the least of his problems. he needs to know if you’re okay, if you’re hurt.

‘incoming call from Toji’

he swears his heart skips a beat when the call goes through.

toji is not one to get nervous. especially with anything in general. but when it came to you, everything comes crashing down. when it comes to you, toji is willing to do anything for you, because you were his girl. his love.

“..hi” your voice is shaky, it seems you’re nervous as well. could he blame you though? this was the first time in months he has actually spoke to you.

“hey.” he replies, hoping you wouldn’t notice the weak tone in his voice as he spoke.

there’s a moment of silence, and soft breathing from your end before toji speaks up.

“are you ok? why’d you call me.”

it’s harsh, his tone is harsh. your eyes begin watering, and you hope he doesn’t notice.

“i-i am just having trouble sleeping, that’s all. ‘wanted your company atleast to calm me down.” your tone has a small strain, as if you were crying for hours before you called him.

it was as if he was able to see your puffy eyes through the screen, he could just imagine it now.

“there’s something else, hm? c’mon tell me, y’know i won’t judge.” especially with you. is what he wanted to say as-well, but he couldn’t get to soft with you now. he couldn’t.

he hears a sniffle from your end, feeling his heart clench once more. as if his heart is dropping to the bottom of his stomach.

“okay.. t-truth is i usually sleep better with you ‘round. but since you’re gone, ‘ts been kinda rough. i just wanted to call you for once, to see if it would help..” you confessed, voice breaking down in between sentences.

toji has an urge to put you down, and hang up. but he couldn’t, how could he resist you? especially after everything he has put you through.

the bracelet on his wrist that has your initials come into his vision. you had made this for him when he was sick, he has never took it off ever since.

“y’want me to come over? not gonna make contact, jus’ gonna be there til you sleep.” he says calmly, he swore he could’ve heard you sigh in relief.

“mhmm, yes please..” you’re still polite, his sweet girl is still sweet around him. that’s what he misses with you.

“alright’ be there in 10. jus know i’m never doin this shit again, kay?” he says harshly, too harsh.

you sniffle again, he could tell your frowning and having tears drop on your phone screen. his heart strings get tugged, and he calms his weeping heart.

he’s hurt you once again.

the call ends before you could say anything else, and he’s out of the bedroom quickly taking his keys. his friends look at him concerned.

“yo, you good?” suguru comments, looking up at his friend who was ready to leave the apartment.

“where you going?” satoru also questions.

toji shakes his head, letting out a deep sigh as he turns to look at his of friends once again.

“gonna be gone for a bit, see ya tomorrow?” he waves them off, and goes out the door before they could reply, or ask anymore questions.

he knows he said he would be at your place by 10 minutes, but he ends up arriving in 5 minutes. quickly at your door step, knocking on the door gently.

just as he predicted, you open the door almost immediately.

when he looks at you, he swears he could break down then and there. on your door step.

your eyes are puffy, you’re wearing his hoodie that he “accidentally” left at your home, and there were dried tear stains on your puffy cheeks.

he wanted to kiss your cheeks badly, and cradle you in his arms. but he resisted.

thats before you crash into his arms, immediately breaking down. hugging him tightly as if he was going to disappear again.

toji breaks, he can’t handle the cold act around you any longer.

“y/n? what’s wrong baby? speak to me..” toji coo’s, his harsh tone disappeared. you automatically feel comfort from his nice tone, something you missed.

there he is, the sweet older boyfriend you have always missed. the man who was your home, your protector, your everything.

“‘missed you s’much toji. miss being with you and megumi, i-i can’t sleep without thinking about how i could’ve been better for you.” you stutter repeatedly.

it was no lie that megumi missed you as well. the boy who is only 3 years old can not go a night without asking where you were, if you were coming back to him without breaking down. because you made the little boy feel loved.

toji’s heart breaks, now he notices how selfish he has been. yes he was protecting you, but he also broke you so much. regret seeps into his body, he wraps his arms around you and hugs you tightly.

“‘s not your fault sweets, you were more than enough for me. c’mon, let’s go to bed.” he murmurs, picking you up bridal style and walks towards your bedroom. the door behind him shutting closed.

the photo of you both happily together was still on your night stand, toji’s heart breaks for the millionth time in the past hour.

his side of the bed was cold, as if you never slept on it. that’s because it felt wrong sleeping on that side, knowing it once belonged to him.

you continue crying as you’re placed on the bed, still in toji arms. he’s careful with you, placing kisses on your face and rubbing your body to give you his heat.

“i-i miss you.. s’much.” you repeat, looking up at him for the first time with clear sight. tears drying back on your cheeks.

he gives you a sad smile and kisses both of your cheeks, sticky with tears.

“i miss you more sweetheart, missed my little girl s’much.. ‘l’ll explain everythin to you tomorrow, kay?” he questions, caressing your cold cheek.

the smile you give him is sad, but could easily melt the coldness in his heart.

after you nod he places a kiss on your lips, before pulling you closer, your head on his chest while is head is rested on top of yours.

the night goes by, and your soft snores fill the room. toji’s eyes are still glued onto the photo of you both, looking so happy, so dumb and in love.

he is gonna make that happen again, only for you. he’d figure out everything else soon, his priority was now you.

“i love you, missed you more than anything. baby.” he whispers quietly, placing one last kiss to your temple before drifting off to sleep.

for the first time in months he is able to sleep with no bad feelings, or any nightmares.

that is because you’re by his side, by his side to push away all the bad thoughts. by his side to make him feel loved again.

Jujutsu Kaisen masterlist

part 2 - back in love !

a/n: don’t mind typos pls, it’s like 3:47 am😭😭

[drunkkenobi]

Hi bb, ty for the prompt to write my thoughts!

So I can't get on tumblr at work anymore unless I go outside to get good signal on my phone so I have only been privy to what's going on here today from friends on discord. So maybe I'm missing some nuance or the what my mutuals think and I apologize in advance for that but I'm going to speak plainly.

This is the only way Watcher is going to survive.

The view counts have been steady through Mystery Files season 2 but they aren't, like, astronomical. A video with a million views nets a channel between $10,000 - $30,000. Guys. That's nothing for Watcher. They have to pay each of their 25+ employees a salary with insurance and benefits and for everything else their channel requires. Steven said in the video today that a season of Ghost Files costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. I don't think everyone is hearing that part and understanding how much money that is, especially compared to many other YouTubers they watch. I'm not an expert on other YouTubers but I look at the Sims people I watch. They are successful with views in the hundred k range because they are a company of one. Themselves and maybe paying a freelancer to help edit their videos. For one person, the stakes are lower and the potential for profit is higher! Especially for gamers that are filming in their homes. YouTubers like this, making niche content on the cheap, are who is going to make it in YouTube now.

Watcher is none of those things. They have, from day one, wanted to make high quality unscripted content. All of their shows are shows. They aren't just "Ryan and Shane do [thing]" or "Steven eats [whatever]". They are shows, like ones you see on cable TV or any streamer. And shows are not cheap. Unscripted is cheaper, sure, than scripted. But that doesn't mean cheap. Especially not with the sheer production value we've seen on all their shows, in particular Ghost Files (hundreds of thousands of dollars). That is how much something like Ghost Adventures costs, which is on Travel Channel, an actual TV network that puts up all those costs.

So. That's why Watcher has to pivot to survive.

I think it's a great idea, personally. And yes, I am in a position where I can financially afford it no problem, which I know is a privilege! I am very lucky in that regard. And I understand that many people are upset they won't see the boys as easily on YouTube anymore. That is valid! But they have openly said they are totally fine with password sharing and I think that's a great way to cut down on costs for some folks. Also right now there's a great deal on the yearly sub for early subscribers. $40 for a year is cheaper than any streaming service and it doesn't go to anyone other than Watcher.

I understand that people feel hurt and blindsided, but I think Watcher is also feeling this too. They have been so excited about this and being able to make whatever they want without having to worry about sponsors and now they're mostly seeing anger directed their way. Especially at Steven. Steven is not rich. You know who's rich? David Zaslav, a man who is single-handedly ruining Warner Brothers and making himself a billionaire while he's at it. THAT is the kind of person we should be directing our anger at streaming prices and quality of the media landscape at. Not one small business that is just trying to survive so they can continue paying their employees.

And one more thing. I've seen folks saying they'd rather watch more ads than pay and while I get that, that's not going to help Watcher make what they want. YouTube famously demonetizes videos with swears which is why I can't watch a video with DRAG QUEENS without every other line being bleeped and Watcher has been so good about not bleeping their content because they know we would hate it. And YouTube does this because of advertisers. Advertisers only want to appeal to the most broad of audiences so that means not supporting anything slightly left of center. Having to deal with ads sucks from the creator perspective and does not help them in the long run.

Anyway, this is all a bit rambling, but these are my thoughts on WatcherTV. I'm extremely excited to subscribe and make them make more Weird Wonderful World. I hope to see you all there.

[athenamikaelson]

Klaus Mikaelson x Reader!Soulmate x Elijah Mikaelson PART 4

Word Count- 3.1k

Warnings- Swearing, spoilers obi.

My fingers graze the texture of my history textbook. My eyes read through each line. Before I know it I’m at the end of the page, and yet I can’t recall a single sentence I had just “read.” I let out a loud sigh and closed the book, placing it back in place on my desk. Ever since the day I got kidnapped this has been a problem. Without being on edge, I can’t focus on school work, the people around me, or myself. Every time I walk by someone I instantly tense up to the idea of them being something supernatural. I know that Elena has told me everyone in town that she knows is a part of that world but she can’t possibly know when a complete stranger is. 

Worrying about who is supernatural isn’t the only thing that’s been plaguing my thoughts, either. All night I was tossing and turning with the thought of Elijah. Damon and Elena knew as much as I did about how he was still alive. Elena had told me that a vampire could be killed with a wooden stake, and yet it had only affected Elijah temporarily. 

“He’s going to destroy you.”

Kathrine’s words ring in my ears. Stefan had told me not to believe a word she says, but given that these people don’t seem to know what the hell is going on either, I’ve let her words get to me. The look of fear in her eyes at the thought strikes me to my core every time I think back to it. If a vampire that is magically locked up is afraid of this Elijah guy, then I sure as hell will be too. 

I jump slightly in shock as I hear knocking on my door, I untense when I hear my mother’s voice on the other side though. 

“Y/N, you have a friend here to see you,” I stand up and open my door to talk to her but freeze when I see Damon standing behind her. His lips curve up into a smirk and moves his fingers up and down in a wave as he stares at me.

“Your friend Damon here is so kind to drop in to check on you. I had no idea you were feeling under the weather.” 

I glance at my mother and fight the urge to roll my eyes. Although we look so much alike I couldn’t be more different from her. Where I actually take the time to listen to people and try to understand people my mother seems to only care about what benefits her. I’m not surprised at all that she hasn’t noticed my change in attitude these past few days since she never seemed to care before. 

She clears her throat at the silence she gets from me, “Well, I’ll let you talk. I have to be going anyways,” She turns to Damon who fakes a smile at her, “I have a work trip this weekend.”

“Work on the weekends, well that’s no fun,” Damon responds with a flirtatious tone that makes me want to gag. My mother on the other hand turns red.

“No worries, I always find a way to liven things up,” She leans closer to him, “Even though it would be more fun with some company.”

“Mom, you should be going now,” I interrupt before I throw up on both of them. 

My mother nods and says her goodbyes to both of us, mostly Damon, and walks back down the hallway. I let out a sigh of relief but then tense up when I realized that Damon had just entered my room.

“What are you doing here,” I watch as he looks around my small room. After my mother and father’s divorce, my mother wasn’t left with very much money so we had to make do with what we could scrounge up. After moving and divorce costs we left with a tiny 3 bedroom 1 bath single story home here in Mystic Falls. It looks like a shoe box compared to the other houses in this town, but I don’t really care since I plan to move away from here the second I graduate. 

“I need a favor,” Damon says to me as he picks up the stuffed frog I have on my bed and tosses it around in his hands. 

“What kind of favor?”

Damon places the frog back on my bed, “Well, after your and Elena’s little suicide excursion yesterday we’ve magically locked her in her house, and I need you Pukerella to go babysit.” 

I send him a glare at the nickname, “If Elena’s locked in her house why do you need me to babysit her?”

Damon rolls his shoulders and walks towards the door, “I don’t need you to do anything. I want you to go to Elena’s and let me know if she plans on calling the big bad vampire to come sacrifice her.” 

“So you want me to be your spy?”

Damon thinks at the question for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, “Ya, pretty much.”

I shake my head, “I’m not going to spy on my only friend.”

Damon lets out an annoyed groan and pinches the bridge of his nose as if this is the most annoying conversation he’s had, “Fine then you won’t be my spy, you’ll be the babysitter I hired for Elena. There happy? Now come on I got other stuff to do today other than arguing with you, people to go kill and stuff like that you know?”

Damon grabs me by my upper arm and practically drags me out of my room and down the hallway toward the front door. He ignores my yells of anger as he opens the door to his car and pretty much pushes me in. I huff as he speeds over to his side and starts the car.

“Oh and by the way,” I slowly turn my head to glare at him as he starts talking, “You might want to get some vervain for yourself and your family. It was too easy getting your mother to invite me into your quaint home.” 

—-

“We could watch Pretty Woman?” Elena asks Jeremy and I as we sit on the couch. Jeremy lets out a loud groan at the question making Elena laugh.

“Guess not,” She flips through some more channels before she lets out a sound of excitement, “Oh! Grease!” Elena goes to play the movie but Jeremy snatches the remote from her hand.

“No way, not happening. I have seen that movie far too many times because of you and Mom. I’m going to decide.”

It takes Jeremy another 10 minutes to scroll through the channels deciding on a movie. Every time he picks one Elena disagrees and they start arguing over it until they start searching again. This has pretty much been what we’ve been doing for the whole hour in which I’ve been at the Gilbert residence. After Damon kicked me out of his car and drove off I’ve just been listening to the Gilbert siblings argue. It’s not that bad though. Jenna, Jeremy and Elena’s aunt, supplied us with snacks a bunch of snacks before she had to leave for something she had to go do.

“Aha!”

I turn to the TV to see what Jeremy picked and cringe as I see the beginning credits for “The Human Centipede.”

Elena’s sound of disgust mirrors mine as she stands up, “This is no use. Y/N do you just want to go up to my room?” 

I glance at the TV again momentarily and nod my head, “Defiantly.”

—

“You’ve got to read this book I just got,” Elena jumps up from her spot on the floor next to me and goes to her bookshelf, “The romance in it is so steamy and the main male character in it is so hot!” She stops and blushes at what she just said.

“Don’t tell Stefan,” She points at me.

I laugh as I bring my fingers to my lips and pretend to lock them, “You’re secret is safe with me.”

Elena and I had been making small talk until I had mentioned that I liked reading, which caught her attention. She had told me she does too and we began talking about our favorite books and genres. To which we found out we’re both fans of romance, jumpstarting an hour-long discussion. 

Elena sits back down next to me and hands me her book. I strum through the pages.

“I’ll make sure to read it and let you know what I think.”

She nods and looks away as if in thought, “I can’t believe we didn’t become friends earlier. Why is that?” 

Her question has me stirring uncomfortably, “Honestly I’m not that surprised. I’m not that noticeable.” 

This comment has Elena furrowing her eyebrows and shaking her head, “You’re joking right,” At my look of confusion she continues, “Of course I noticed you. I mean when you come to a small town like this it’s hard not to be noticed but what I mean is that I always thought you were cool.”

I can feel my cheeks warm up at her compliment and I glance down at my fingers to hide it.

“You thought I was cool?”

“Ya of course,” She responds instantly, “You’ve got great style and you’ve got this mysterious aura about you. I just never approached you because I thought you didn’t like me.” 

Her confession has me looking up and frowning, “Why would you think that?”

She shrugs her shoulders, “You just kind of sometimes look like you don’t want to be approached by anyone. I just assumed. I’m sorry.”

I shake my head at her apology, “Don’t apologize! And no, I never hated you I always thought you were the cool one. I just think I have that look on my face all the time.”

Elena laughs and smiles at me, “OK, good.”

“Good.”

We’re about to start talking about books again when we hear the front door open.

“Jenna must be home,” Elena says as she stands up and reaches her hand down for me to grab. I grab it and pull myself up and we walk downstairs. 

We turn the corner and we both give each other a look as we see Jenna on the ground rummaging through some boxes. 

“Hey. What are you doing,” Elena questions her Aunt.

“Oh perfect timing,” She grabs a cardboard box and hands it to Elena, and then gives another to me.

“Whoa. Oh. What is this stuff?”

“Your mom’s files from the historical society. I got roped into helping Mrs. Lockwood,” Jenna grabs her box and stands up, “And by roped, I mean very excited to participate.”

I silently laugh as I try to balance the heavy box in my arms, the laughing stops though once Jenna closes the door and I lock eyes with the man who’s been haunting my every waking thought. 

“Hey, I’m Elijah.”

Elena and I stand there frozen as we watch Jenna interact with the vampire. 

“Elijah’s in town doing research on Mystic Falls,” She introduces us not knowing we’ve already had the displeasure of meeting. 

I freeze up and grip the box I’m holding tighter to my chest as Elijah walks closer to us. He quickly greets Elena, skating her hand before turning his full attention onto me. I’m visibly shaking right now and it only worsens as Elijah reaches his hands up and grabs the box from my hands. His fingers grazed mine for longer than needed. 

“Here let me take this,” He places the box back down and reaches his hand up to me in greeting. 

We both stand there looking at each other for what seems like forever as he waits for me to shake his hand.

“I don’t like being touched,” I blurt out. Elijah slowly lowers his hand and I might be mistaken but from the look on his face, he almost appeared saddened by that. 

Jenna joins us again telling Elijah that he can stay here and rummage through the boxes, to which he turns down. I try to find the wall behind Elena interesting to keep my line of sight away from the vampire, but I can still sense him staring at me. After another moment he tells Jenna he’s going to have someone pick up the boxes tomorrow and bids Jenna and Elena a farewell. I almost think he’s left us but when I look back over I find that Elijah has moved even closer and he gives me a warm smile and leans down.

“I hope to speak with you again soon, Miss Y/L/N.” My chest starts moving up and down rapidly, which he seems to have noticed, as I nod at his words. He doesn’t seem to get that I won’t be saying anything back to him because he stands there staring at my face. After what seems like a lifetime I watch as he moves by me towards the front door, but not before he lifts a finger and grazes the end of my sweater. 

I watch with bated breath as he shuts the door behind him. Elena doesn’t waste any time before dragging me up the stairs and banging on Jeremy’s door. As she goes to open the door I feel a hand grab my waist and pull me. My back hits something strong and I go to squeal but it comes out muffled as a hand moves over my mouth. I look up and freeze as I stare up at Elena to whom he motions to be quiet. I hear Jeremy open his door but I can’t focus on any of the words he’s saying as I watch Elijah’s face. I make note of the light stubble that runs across his jawline and the practically flawless skin he has. Lucky ass vampires. My staring must’ve caught his attention, as his dark brown eyes meet mine. Once again the corners of his lips turn upwards into a small smile as he watches me watch him. 

Jeremy walking by us catches my attention and Elijah drops the hand from my mouth, but not before leaning down, and what I could’ve sworn was sniffing my hair. Elena quickly grabs my hand and pulls me away from Elijah and for a second I almost feel annoyed at this. Clearly not as annoyed as Elijah though was lets out a snarl, making Elena go rigid. 

“What do you want?”

Elijah composes himself once, “I think it’s time we three at a little chat.”

—-

“Forgive the intrusion. I mean your family no harm,” Elijah tells Elena as he walks around her room.

“Why did you kill those vampires when they tried to take me,” Elena questions him as she comes to sit down next to me on her bed. 

“Because I didn’t want you to be taken,” Elijah says confusing both Elena and I, “Klaus is the most feared and hated of the Originals but those who fear him are desperate for his approval. If word gets out that the doppelganger exists there’ll be a line of vampires eager to take you to him and I can’t have that.”

A cold feeling runs up and down my spine at the mention of Klaus. 

“Isn’t that exactly what you’re trying to do,” Elena questions him again. 

“Let’s just say that my goal is not to break the curse.”

My eyebrows furrow in confusion at the confession. Elijah looks at Elena and then brings his eyes towards me for a moment before turning back to Elena as she begins speaking. 

“So what is your goal?”

“Klaus’ obsessions have made in paranoid. He’s a recluse. He trusts only those in his immediate circle.”

“Like you?”

“Not anymore.”

“An old ass paranoid vampire, how much better could this be,” I whisper out loud to myself sarcastically. I look up and see Elijah looking at me with a small smirk on his face as he must’ve heard my comment. 

“You don’t know where he is do you,” Elena questions but he doesn’t turn his gaze away from me, “So you’re trying to use me to draw him out.” 

Elijah lets out a sigh as he turns his attention back towards my friend, “Well, to do that I need you to stay put and stop trying to get yourself killed.”

He gives her a smile and I have to stop myself from smiling at it. 

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“Well, if I wasn’t being truthful, all your family would be dead and I’d be taking you to Klaus right now. Instead… I’m here and I’m prepared to offer you a deal.”

And the smile was instantly gone. 

This grabs Elena’s attention, “What kind of a deal?”

Elijah stands up and starts walking around, “Do nothing. Do nothing, live your life, stop fighting. And then, when the time is right, you and I shall draw Klaus out together and I shall make certain that your friends remain unharmed.”

“And then what?”

“Then I kill him.”

“Just like that?”

Elijah smirks at her, “Just like that. I’m a man of my word, Elena. I make a deal, I keep a deal.”

“How are you going to be able to keep everybody safe?”

“You know, I notice you have a friend, Bonnie, is it? She seems to possess the gift of magic. I have friends with similar gifts.”

“You know witches.” Elena nods her head to which I fight the urge to say “duh” to. This guy is oldddd, of course, he knows witches. 

“Together we can protect everybody that matters to you.” 

I watch silently as Elijah walks over to Elena and reaches his hand out for her to shake, “So do we have a deal?”

“As long as you keep my friends safe,” Elena looks over to me, “Y/N is one of those friends.” 

Elijah looks over to me and smirks, “Trust me deal or no deal. No one will be laying a finger on Y/N. That I give you my word on.”

I fidget under his intense stare.  

“I need you to do one more thing for me.”

Elijah turns back to face Elena with an incredulous look, “We’re negotiating now?”

Elena tells Elijah she’ll accept his deal if he gets his witches to free Stefan from some vampire tomb he’s been trapped in. Why has no one told me this yet? Elijah reluctantly agrees and they shake hands, cementing their deal. With one last glance toward me, Elijah nods his head and speeds away. 

Elena and I both let out shaking breaths as we stared at each other. 

“Any chance you want to spend the night,” Elena asks me hopefully with a sheepish look.

I nod my head quickly, “My mom is out of town and my brother’s at a sleepover. There’s no way in hell I’m going back to that empty house tonight.” 

[haikyu-mp4]

The sun and his flower

word count; 2133 – f!reader

Hinata never really got into driving. He took his driver's licence, but never got around to buying a car after returning to Japan. So when the snow fell overnight and he overslept for practice with the Black Jackals, he had no other choice but to leave his bike and hop on a bus.

And he would forever be thankful that he did. Because that morning was the first time he saw you. You sat closer to the front of the bus, in one of those unfortunate seats turned the other way, so Hinata could watch as you bopped your head carefully to whatever music you listened to and stared out the window. Your movements didn’t quite match up with his own music, which he found annoying so he turned his off. Who still uses earbuds with a cord? he thought as he watched how the cord was tangled in with your scarf.

Even though he didn’t know the names of any particular flowers, he started comparing you to them.

So he kept catching the bus, often running briskly to the bus stop just to make sure he could get on the right one, even if it was a bit early or a bit late.

Sometimes he got a seat where he could see your face, sometimes he had to pretend to adjust something to turn and catch glances at you, and sometimes he could only pout at the top of your head over the seat. Nonetheless, he started imagining what you did after stepping off the bus. Were you a student? A florist? A musician? Or maybe you worked in some office, like Kuroo.

You always got off before him, the same stop every time, and his eyes would follow you until you were blurry because the bus moved and then you were out of sight. He would then slump back in his seat, putting his headphones on for two more stops until he could get off, jogging to make up for the warm-up time he missed.

“You ever considered getting a car?” Sakusa asked him one day as Hinata shuffled into place beside them where they were finishing warm-ups while he started them, beginning with his thighs while Sakusa rolled his shoulders back into place.

“No,” Hinata answered sharply before chuckling, struggling a bit to keep his balance in the pose he used. “I mean, the bus is cheaper.”

Atsumu scoffed. “As if money for a car should be a problem, ya can get a little golf or something if yer so worried,” he said, jumping in place to loosen up his muscles.

“I could get a car, but I don’t really need it. Think of the environment, Tsumu.” Hinata teased back, switching legs as Bokuto came from the bathroom.

“Sho!” he cheered, not minding any conversation they might have had before. Hinata kept on with his warmup beside the net while they started with Atsumu setting for their spikes. Sakusa made little comments and quickly, everyone forgot about the previous conversation. Finally, Hinata was ready to spike. Atsumu set up a few for him before they were told to get ready for team practice, everyone taking a break to fill up on water.

As Hinata dried off his forehead with the bottom of his shirt, he sighed. “Actually, there’s this girl,” he said, stopping when he heard someone gasp dramatically, not sure which of his team members it was as he continued. “On the bus, she’s really pretty.”

“Don’t be shy, tell us about ‘er,” Atsumu encouraged, leaning his arm uncomfortably on Sakusa’s shoulder, a motion that was quickly denied.

So Hinata did, he got up from the bench and with unnecessary gestures, he told them about which stop you get off at and detailed the colour of your hair. He had a small discussion with himself about what word to use for the colour of your eyes, and then when he finished he looked at his friends with the sweetest smile.

Bokuto, ever the optimist, nodded encouragingly. “And?”

Hinata’s nose scrunched. “That’s it. We haven’t talked yet.”

“You take the bus every day just to stare at her? That’s not creepy at all,” Sakusa said sarcastically, ending the conversation on that note as they were called back to the court.

You didn’t mean to. Your eyes usually stayed on the scenery passing by, making up scenes in your head based on whatever music your shuffled playlist handed you, so you didn’t mean to make eye contact with the orange-haired guy when you were on your way off the bus. He sat in the seat closest to the door, and when your eyes met his, he smiled. You could have sworn it was cloudy outside, so why was the sun sitting on the bus with you this whole time? And why didn’t you notice it before?

The moment was cut short as more people were getting off, some burly man bumping your shoulder to get off and naturally pushing you along as you realised it was indeed drizzling outside. By the time you turned around to seek his warmth again, the bus doors were closing and the bus carried your sunshine away.

The day after, the volume on your earbuds was a bit lower as you stepped on the bus, looking around uncharacteristically and deflating when you realised there was no orange hair in sight. So you sat down in the seat behind where he sat yesterday and got back to looking out the window.

It wasn’t until four stops later that someone sat down beside you, and you frowned when you looked forward and saw that the bus wasn’t that full, so then you turned to whoever sat beside you. And there he was, warm just like the last time you saw him.

“Sorry, is it okay if I sit here?” he asked, loudly enough to disturb other commuters, but you couldn’t hear while your earbuds were still in. Your eyes zeroed in on his cheeks where there were tiny freckles kissed by a soft red flush, probably from running to the bus stop or something. Then you looked down, noticing how his lips were moving before his tongue ran between them, oh.

You picked your earbud out before tucking some hair behind your ear so you could see him properly, taking in a quick breath. “Sorry! What did you say?” you asked, corners of your lips tilted up.

Hinata chuckled, skipping the question of whether or not he could sit there. “What are you listening to?” he asked instead, pointing to the earbud you were rolling between your fingers.

You hesitated for a second before simply handing the earbud over, an inviting glint in your eyes as you silently let him indulge in your privacy. He smiled even brighter, making you squint slightly before he took the earbud and put it in his ear, subconsciously leaning a bit closer so he wouldn’t pull yours out.

And as he started slightly moving his head, you wondered what he was so happy about so early in the morning. If the sun’s brightest time is midday, why does it feel like it’s right here at 06.47? You chuckled silently under your breath, wondering if everyone else on the bus felt his warmth too. “I like your smile,” you said before you could stop yourself.

Hinata really liked your music, it suited you and at the same time, it was nothing like what he imagined. He didn’t listen to music that often, preferring to listen to his breathing and nature while jogging, but he could get used to this if he could share it with someone. With you.

When you took the initiative to talk more, he almost felt shy about it, lifting a hand to the back of his neck. “Thank you. I like your music,” he said, wanting to compliment you back but feeling like he couldn’t just say I like you. Because he did, he knew so little about you that it wasn’t easy to pinpoint anything, but he just liked you.

Eventually, you had to get off, so Hinata scrambled out of his seat, making your earbud fall out. Now he stood beside the seat, the two of you still connected as you held your phone and he had the earbud in. Quickly, he took it out and apologised, to which you told him not to worry before walking past him and in the heat of your fluster, you didn’t even say goodbye. You didn’t even catch his name.

The next time you sat down on the bus, you were determined to do better, exactly how Hinata was yesterday as he braced himself to talk to you. When Hinata once again stepped on the bus at his usual stop, you lifted your hand and waved at him, making him smile and come over to sit beside you. “Hey!” he greeted cheerfully.

“Hi,” you responded, very aware of your upper arm pressed against his even if there was space enough not to. You handed over one earbud for him, taking in a deep breath of courage. “You never told me your name.”

Hinata took the earbud but didn’t put it in his ear. “Shoyo. Hinata Shoyo.” He mentally cursed at how he sounded like James Bond, but every other thought dissipated when you responded with your name. He liked it. He looked at you, noticing how prettily your eyelashes swung out at the edge and how he could finally decide on your eye colour now that he saw you up close. “Pretty,” he whispered, not sure if he was talking about your name or just you.

You blushed, turning away for a moment and then looking back at him, wondering the same thing as he did. “What do you do, Shoyo?” you asked, letting his name roll off your tongue like a sour candy you weren’t sure you could handle but still felt tempted to eat up.

“I’m a professional volleyball player,” he answered, looking proud. Your eyes widened, lips parting in surprise.

“Really? That’s so cool!” you said, making sure you didn’t talk too loudly and disturb others on the bus. You were amazed and naturally let your eyes browse down to get a glimpse of his physique. Professional athlete. “I don’t know why I thought professional athletes didn’t use public transport.”

If you asked his teammates, they don't, he thought. Hinata nodded, mindlessly twirling the earbud in his hand, which made you take yours out and tug on the cord to put it away. “And you? What do you do?” He bit his lip lightly in anticipation, every one of his theories flashing by in his mind. He checked the screen to find it wasn’t that long until you had to get off.

“It’s boring, I work in a cafe,” you said, nose scrunching at how lame your job was compared to his.

“You don’t like it?” he asked curiously. You hummed a short tone, thinking about it.

“I kinda love it. It’s just not as cool as being a volleyball player,” you said, emphasis on the last words, which made Hinata huff out a short laugh. “I’m not sure what I want to do yet.”

“If you like it, it’s cool,” he said like there was no use arguing. And you suppose it wasn’t, because you should in fact enjoy these years of your life where you’re still figuring things out. “Can I come with you?”

You blinked at him, looking from the front of the bus and back to him. “Yes? But weren’t you going somewhere?”

“I don’t even have work today, I just got on the bus to see you,” he admitted, and you hoped your gleeful laughter covered the sound of your heartbeat.

Now you’re together all the time, but you’re not always on the bus. You’re at the cafe, taking a break and sharing a piece of cake, you’re in the park either talking and laughing or having him show you how to play volleyball and laughing even more, you’re at his place and kissing on his couch after not seeing each other all day while your music plays softly on the speakers, you’re at his game to cheer for him and then meet all his friends and perhaps even family, and you’re in a restaurant when he gives you a little silver ring to promise you two stick together even while figuring things out. Things like how to open a brand new cafe in Brazil after he airs the idea of moving back there.

Because the two of you just wanted to be together, like how flowers always seem to reach for the sun and the sun does its best to keep them warm in the limited time it has.

masterlist

/tags @hotvinimon @makkir0ll

[sso-maev]

Ok so remember this map?

A complete map of Jorvik, with a semi-accurate scale to measure any distance on the island. I’m really proud of it! There is, however, one glaring problem with this map.

WHY IS JORVIK CITY SO SMALL????

I’m sorry but Jorviks capital should not be smaller than middle-of-nowhere ranger town Dundull. The generally accepted minimum population requirements for a city are 50 000 residents. Following the canon map, Jorvik city would need to fit at least 50 000 people in what looks like 2,25 square miles. That would mean Jorvik city houses 22 222 people per square mile, making it the 24th most densely populated city in the WORLD.

Possible? Sure. Likely? Considering the clear inspiration from the way less dense Stockholm, the lack of giant apartment complexes or slum neigbourhoods, which would imply that people live closely together, I’m gonna have to say no.

So how big should Jorvik city be, if the map size is inaccurate? Kind of hard to tell since we can’t see places like Governors Fall or Aideens Plaza on the map.

But there is one place we CAN see.

And if we can use this map, we can measure how long it takes to cross it.

I am very normal about the horse game.

From the barracks to the pier, it takes 38 seconds to cross the map. On a similarly flat surface on Jorvik, we can measure how long Pier 13 actually is, giving us this comparison.

Now, I’m going to show two theories on how big Jorvik City is based on these measurements.

The first one is the most canon-compliant, but also the most ridiculous. By comparing pier 13 to the area outside jorvik stables, we know that pier 13 is ~1 km long. Yes, this is an absolutely massive pier don’t worry about it. Looking at the jorvik city map, we can see that this smaller pier is meant to be to represent Pier 13, and we can do the math from there. Jorvik gets an area of 340 square km, and if we use Stockholms population density as a guide, Jorvik City has about 1,8 million citizens. Cool! One problem though.

You can’t fit it on the map. A city this big would take up almost one fourth of Jorvik, and you’d need to redraw the entire map to make it fit.

So my other option shifts the canon a bit to make the maps fit together. If we go against canon and assume that Pier 13 is actually the larger pier, that downsizes Jorvik City to ~47,5 square kilometres, with a population of around 250 000. This makes Jorvik more comparable to a more densely populated Reykjavik; smaller in area but with double the amount of people. And while it still messes with the coastline a bit, it at least fits into Central Bay.

Personally I think both theories work, but for consistency’s sake, I’m leaning more towards the second theory.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Jack Howl - Room Relaxation Vignette

"Happy Birthday"

[Sports Field]

[tup, tup, tup]

Jack: Pant, pant… I could really feel the burn on those last 20 meters.

Jack: What's my time…? Oh, not bad. I'll have to remember this feeling for next time. Alright, guess it's time to stretch and head back to the dorm.

Riddle: Are you doing solo practice after your club activities once again? You sure are diligent, Jack.

Jack: Oh, Riddle-senpai. When you say "again" like that… did you already know that I always stay behind longer?

Riddle: Well, when the Equestrian Club ends our activities for the day and leave the stable for our respective dormitories, we do pass by the field.

Riddle: I've spotted you running by yourself many times before. Are you training for a meet of some kind?

Jack: Ah, actually, recently my times have been fairly stagnant, so I've been trying to adjust my running form.

Jack: Nothing I was doing was really working… But I think I've really started to figure out what I need.

Jack: For now, I plan on heading back to my dorm and, starting tomorrow, I'll focus on working on my newest running posture.

Riddle: A good decision. It would not do for you to injure yourself by overworking.

Riddle: Besides, a student's priority should be their studies. Passion is well and good, however you would do well to not neglect your studies.

Jack: No need to tell me twice. I don't plan on neglecting my practice nor my studies whatsoever.

Jack: I made it here to Night Raven College, after all. I'll put forth even more effort so I can achieve even more.

Jack: Even if it's the day before my birthday, I'll have to continue doing my best… No, I'll have to do even better than my best.

Riddle: Oh, is your birthday tomorrow?

Riddle: Then I'm sure there's much for you to prepare. It would be rude of me to continue to keep you, so I'll leave you now.

[Riddle walks off]

Jack: Eh…? Oh, sure. Thank you, Riddle-senpai.

Jack: …Did I just say out loud that it's my birthday tomorrow? I hope he doesn't think I'm excited about it, or anything…

Jack: Ughhhh. Nah, it's no good worrying about something that's already done! Time to stretch!

[Savanaclaw Dorm – Jack's Room]

Jack: Whew… I feel much better after a shower. Guess it's time to finally get to my homework.

[Savanaclaw Dorm – Jack's Room]

Jack: Guess that's enough of reviewing today's lessons. I gotta put my homework in my bag before I forget, too…

[Roommate A speaks up]

Jack: … Huh? You wanna copy my homework before I put it away? I didn't work on it to help you guys out, why would I show it to you, anyway?

[Roommate B talks back]

Jack: You don't know the answers? Well, that's your fault for not listening during class. Don't come begging me for scraps.

Jack: Ugh, look at 'em, all grumbling over something stupid. Anyway… I guess I just have "that" left to deal with before going to bed.

「Survey on Quality of Life Improvements for the Student Body」

Jack: So they're looking for campus life improvements, huh. Well, there's the fact that some can be irritating just because they're a year or two older…

Jack: But it's not like the academy can really do anything to help improve personal problems. So, I guess…

Jack: I know I'd like it if they could do something about the rule that freshmen must live 4 to a room.

Jack: It's stressful enough having to share a small room with someone else, let alone 3 other people.

Jack: I can't wait for next year. Sophomores live 2 to a room, so it should be way better than right now.

Jack: There'll be more space in the room then… And I'll be able to find more sunlight for my cacti as well.

Jack: Even though I was able to beat the others to the spot that would provide the most light back when I first got here…

Jack: It's still not enough. Compared to the rooms reserved for the upperclassmen, it's still not as bright here, so I have to take extra care of the little guys.

Jack: Cacti are just like humans in that they don't do well if they don't get enough sunlight.

Jack: …That reminds me of back home for some reason. When winter comes, I always see people here and there sunbathing.

Jack: As a kid, I thought they were just lazy, and couldn't figure out why they'd want to just lounge out under the sun…

Jack: When I learned that there were health-related reasons behind it, I was both surprised and impressed.

Jack: It's not like I've been lacking any chances to be out under the sun ever since I've come to Sage's Island…

Jack: But if I could have a room big enough to roll out a rug, it might not be so bad to lay out and sunbathe on it a bit.

Jack: Alright… I've finished filling out the survey, so I guess it's time to sleep.

[roommates chattering]

Jack: Hey! You guys are being way too loud. How long're you gonna be at it?

Jack: You all better go to sleep right at lights out tonight… 10PM is bedtime! Don't keep me awake!

Jack: …Yeah, like those guys'll listen to what I say.

Jack: I should go back to the survey and ask for a canopy bed… Or maybe a partition.

Jack: Sleep is important for me to build my muscles… So I can't have them keeping me up… Yaaawn…

[Savanaclaw Dorm – Jack's Room]

[alarm blaring]

Jack: …Mm, is it morning already? Welp, then. First things first after waking up…

Jack: There's no question about it. TIME TO REPLENISH QUICKLY WITH SOME PROTEIN!!

Jack: I need to gain back all the nutrients I lost while sleeping. I'll swing by the kitchen for a protein drink and then head towards the washroom.

[Savanaclaw Dorm – Washroom]

[splash, splash]

Jack: Whew… No one's awake at this time, so it's nice and quiet here.

Jack: …Man, no matter how I look at it, my hair is tousled into a real mess. This happens every morning, sure, but…

Jack: Since I have thicker hair, it's so hard to tame the bedhead. Ah, tsk, there's even some pillow marks on my ears.

Jack: Well, I guess I'll just start with wetting the roots of my hair and then use the dryer while pulling the strands back…

[blow-dries hair]

Jack: Once the unruly strands are tamed, I'll comb it… Good, it's more or less better now. If I don't do this first, it ends up taking longer in the end.

Jack: I've tried a bunch of different hair products, but I ended up liking this wax the best.

Jack: Hair gel might be better to keep the shape, but it gets too stiff and takes too long to wash out.

Jack: Only using wax means that my hairstyle starts to lose its hold around evening time, but all I need to do for that is to just fix it up in the afternoon.

Jack: Nice, that looks good. All that's left is to spray it a bit…

[sprays hair]

Jack: Normally I won't use it 'cause I don't like it to get on my ears, but I want to make sure I look spot on today of all days.

Jack: As for makeup… Nah, I'll go without, like usual. I'd like to look good, but I don't want to get all dolled up or anything.

Jack: I'll just use my normal sunscreen. Can't say I really like how it feels on my skin, though…

Jack: But I remember the first time I ever went skiing by myself and the pain I went through when I forgot to apply sunscreen.

Jack: The way I got burned by the sun reflecting on the snow and I had to live with the embarrassment of the goggles leaving that imprint on my face… Augh, I don't even want to think about it again.

Jack: But thanks to that, I finally understand why my parents wouldn't shut up about not forgetting to put on sunscreen.

Jack: Looks like there's a bunch I'm able to understand more as I grow up, like that whole sunbathing thing. Guess that's another reason why it's fun to grow older.

[Savanaclaw Dorm – Jack's Room]

Jack: Alright. Now that I look presentable, I think I'll stretch out my muscles to prep for morning practice.

Jack: Phew… This old chair they supplied the room with really comes in handy for stretching.

Jack: Right after we got grouped together, none of us wanted it so we kept trying to shove it onto each other, but that was just a pain to deal with, so I kept it…

Jack: It's hard, sturdy, and it doesn't wobble so easily. Plus, the size is just perfect for someone of my height.

Jack: Next, I'll step onto the seat and… I guess I'll look over my class notes while I stretch, as usual.

Jack: I think we were on this page of the textbook for Magical History…

Jack: "The following year, the ancient incantations that were inscribed on the cave walls were successfully deciphered. The gathered mages then attempted to speak the ancient incantations…"

[Roommate B complains]

Jack: …Huh, what, I'm too loud? My voice woke you up? Well, good timing, the sun's almost up. Get up, already!

[Main Street]

Jack: Urk, is that who I think it is over there…? …Good morning, Riddle-senpai.

Riddle: Good morning, Jack. Have you finished with morning practice already?

Riddle: Happy Birthday. That's all I came here to say.

Jack: …Of course it was about that. Sorry to be a bother about it. I didn't mean to let it slip yesterday…

Riddle: Heh, you're no bother. We may be of different dormitories, however it is the duty of us upperclassmen to support our underclassmen.

Riddle: You should continue to do your utmost. …Of course, I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that.

Jack: Yes, sir! I'll keep on improving!

Requested by @farfalla049.

[iid-smile]

watermelon duty , itoshi sae

x gn!reader ! mentions of knives, just you and sae enjoying some fruits, might be ooc

author's note: i know i said i barely know anything about sae but i just HAD to write this after seeing a certain manga panels on pinterest + i was really craving fruit during this (and i still am)

synopsis: while preparing some fruits for the two of you to eat, you run into a little dilemma that you have a creative fix to. if he's willing to participate, that is.

word count: 0.8k

late august, as the summer heat is only now beginning to subside. japan was always extremely hot, so a lot of the time you're insistent about getting some vitamin d in, maybe a tan, or at least attempting to enjoy the weather by going outside. and by that, you mean staying at home where shelter was easily accessible, alongside your boyfriend who you begged to have take some time off his training.

things have never gone wrong the past few times you've done this. you'd cut up some fruits for the both of you, pour some pretty mocktails and admire the wildlife around you, like bees and butterflies. however, it could only go so smoothly until you ran into a prominent problem.

"sae..." you mumble, already dreading what's going to happen next as you step into the back garden from the kitchen.

sae was lounging around outside, the chair beside him unoccupied for you. a half full water bottle was stationary on the small glass table, as well as your phone and a few melted chocolates. "hm?" he gazes up from his phone.

waddling over to stand in front of him, you hold up the sharp utensil in your hand, the tip of it completely missing. "i may or may not have a small predicament..."

"you broke the knife?" it doesn't take too long for him to notice.

you nod with a shy confession. "accidentally cut through a mango seed 'nd i've still got the watermelon to cut." and that was true. it sounds made up, but the mango had an abnormally large seed compared to what you're used to.

he was looking at you as if it was your fault that it was too weak of a material. his lips curled downwards, squinted eyes and furrowed eyebrows. what kind of knife snaps just from cutting into a mango seed? yours, apparently. "how do you expect me to fix that?"

"well..." you mutter, looking off to the side. even though you've been dating him for quite a bit, his stare does get overwhelming. "i've seen videos of people crushing watermelons with their thighs, and i was wondering if—"

"you want me to do that?"

you nod.

"the things i do for you..." he sighs, and he adjusts himself in his seat, waving you off. "pass it to me." no second question, straight to the point.

you don't want to seem too excited about it, hopping back into the kitchen trying to bite down a smile. behold, the dreaded, and also quite sizeable, watermelon sat on the cutting board.

you're actually a bit worried he wouldn't be able to open it up, because you know... it's a watermelon. the struggles you've had trying to cut it with kitchen tools, and he presumably could do it with his thighs? you may or may not fall in love with him all over again.

the fruit in hand, you march back over to him, and he's already sat up. "you ready?" he asks. are you ready? why is he asking you if you're ready? you should be the one saying that!

"yeah." the fruit's weight starts to catch up on your arms, and you hand it to him. "this might make a mess..." you state, almost as if to talk him out of it like you weren't the one to suggest the idea.

sae simply gives you a blank glance, positioning himself on the chair. "it's fine. i'll clean it afterwards."

"but-" he doesn't wait for you to finish, knowing full well you'll go on a whole blabber and nag session about how he shouldn't do such silly things for you, how you should've went out and bought another knife, the works.

crush!

and just like that, the watermelon was crumpled into two, as well as the addition of a few pieces that broke off. he even made sure to do it closer to the middle so you'd have more even halves. compared to the videos you've seen, he's done it quite neatly.

"done." his grip loosen's on the chair's arms, and he relaxes again. the red juice dipped down onto the ground, creating a small puddle beneath him, and you fear it'll soon become a sweet attraction to ants. his shorts were also starting to dampen with a small amount of liquid. luckily, the fabric was black.

"oh!" you gasp, snapping out of it. he was giving you a near expectant look, and you swiftly scoop up whatever you could, not even minding your sleeves getting stained. "i'll get you a towel!" you quickly rush back into the house.

as silly and clumsy as you may be, sae does love you, and he wouldn't crush a watermelon for you like that if he didn't.

[fractualized]

I talked about the first issue of Robin Lives! and my high hopes for it, but when #2 & 3 came around, I didn't have the time to post about them.

But this final issue… uh… Let's get into it. ("It" including gun violence and suicidal ideations.)

So as a brief recap: at the end of #3, Jason found Joker's hideout but froze when confronting him, and Joker decided to solve his Robin problem by mind-manipulating him to be a sidekick of his own: Jokey the Boy Lackey.

In #4, Joker takes his new pal to go after Dr. Stoner.

In #2, Joker pretended to be reformed but Stoner didn't buy it, expressing disappointment, which only set Joker off. And that anger reappears here, less about the offense of some nobody little man pitying him and more about insisting that nobody could actually care about the criminally insane. Of course, this scene comes off more like Joker punishing Stoner for caring— or rather, getting Jason to.

But whatever control Joker had over Jason doesn't hold.

Interesting that Joker leaves Jason alive, and Stoner too. Also, Jason is still awake in this scene, so Joker is truly not worried about him.

Compare this interaction to the opening of #3, in which Joker imagines he's watching films of old comedians with Batman, who is having a great time, and that fantasy is interrupted by an imaginary Robin, who makes fun of Joker's sense of humor. Did Joker decide that since trying to kill Robin had too many downstream effects, he should try to bring him into the joke instead? And then confronted with the real Robin's disdain for him, Joker lashes out to make him feel small? In any case, Robin has proven himself a poor fit for Joker's plans, unlike Batman.

Joker returns to his hideout to get his supplies, and he leaves a note for Batman not only with a clue to his whereabouts, but explicitly letting him know that he let Robin go!

Again with the signals that Joker regrets almost changing the game. (Though he still has, considering what happened to Barbara, which is never mentioned in this miniseries, which is disappointing. In all the brooding in #2 & 3, it's not like there wasn't room for it.)

Anyway, Bruce pulls that move where he works with a sidekick just fine until it gets too dangerous.

While Bruce goes to meet Joker, we learn that Jason has been stewing in humiliation and has had enough.

And the narration gives the first signal of how the storytelling in the last quarter of this issue is gonna go. lol

Oh, so you couldn't think of anything plausible? Anything at all? Not even, I dunno, Joker boasting to Jokey about his plan, or Jason catching sight of a map when he was in the hideout? Alright.

Anyway, Bruce finds Joker in the Miagani caves, home to the particular bat left with the note. Joker has figured out a frequency that allows him to control the bats, and he's also infected them with a psychoactive agent that he wants to unleash on Gotham.

UNLESS….

A proposal?! 😍

So it's either a swarm of infected bats or one infected Bat. Batman should forget about the dang kid, who just doesn't get the joke like they do, and join Joker!

Jason disagrees with this, which he demonstrates by popping up and shooting Joker in the chest. But we've known since #1 this doesn't end in a chest shot.

Farewell, sad clown. :(

So like Joker not planning to kill Jason, his expressions say that not only did he not expect Jason to follow through, but he was relieved when the kid did. Compare this scene to #1 when Bruce almost let him drown. Joker looked only distressed then; with Batman, he needs the game to go on. But Jason finally brings the compulsion to a stop, forever.

Bruce, of course, is upset, and he was not planning to drink Joker's toxin.

That face kills me

"WHATCHA GONNA DO OLD MAN"

When Bruce gets up to the ledge, Jason is gone. And while Arkhamverse Bruce nicely carried Joker's body out of Monarch Theater, here he seems to simply panic, per the first panel below. Which is quickly followed by a lot of shit that sure seems too easy??

Alert, alert! 🚨 WFA has breached containment again!🚨

There are versions of this that I could buy. None of those versions have Bruce simply hugging out Joker's murder within hours of him dying.

The next three pages are an unbelievable speedrun of the aftermath. Let's go one by one.

The Three Jokers-esque rundown of why Jason couldn't be held accountable for Joker's death is all fair enough. And it is in character for Bruce to take the blame for Joker's death, and boy howdy does it make the batjokes feels dance when Joker's death prompts the death of the Batman persona.

But Bruce putting all his bad bat-decisions into the dead persona doesn't really reckon with him having made all those decisions. In an earlier issue, Sara notes that Batman was a fantasy Bruce used to run away from facing his pain, and him now running into his parents' roles just feels like the same thing.

Also being told that Jason was "nearly catatonic" and not showing it is just odd.

Next page!

This page is also weird. I suppose if the logic is that Bruce's sin was bringing a child into the vigilante life and he needed to give up the cowl to atone… No, it's still weird, because Dick was also a child brought into that fight. Just writing him off as already damaged goods so Batman can stay around feels like it undermines the meaning of Bruce retiring.

I'm setting aside whether or not Dick would really want to be Batman, because I don't have a dog in that fight. But making him a Bruce clone does not feel right.

Maybe that's the point, though?? That the cycle is just starting all over again, inescapable? Is this just TKJ? 🤔

Before we follow that line of thinking, next page!

Ohhhhhhh, poor Sara. I thought you could still get out of this as a confidante. But no, you're the narrator and you're so familiar with Bruce and his family because you're ✨in love✨ now. We didn't have to do this. There's literally no point to making her a romantic interest. Sure, I can see going with her instead of an established one because they're all in the crime game and Bruce is escaping that here, but still. And don't tell me "it took years" in an attempt to gloss over how we don't even know this lady. WE DON'T KNOW THIS LADY. This development feels tacked on. I hate it.

Though I mean, Bruce only falls in love after Joker is dead. That's something. 😂

And then we have Jason getting multiple degrees related to mental health care and eventually becoming a higher up at Arkham Asylum. Way different than the Jason Todd of today, but hey, this is an alternate universe and—

what

WHAT?

Uh… 🎵 Cue game show music! 🎶 Congrats to the jaydick fans out there! You are the next batjokes!

I have no idea what to think here. You could theorize that Joker's brainwashing lingered, I guess, and influenced Jason to take his place later. Or perhaps that Jason studying mental health made him ponder the Joker too much and he "infected" himself with his late tormenter? Or are Batman and Joker truly inevitable in any universe and Jason is just helplessly compelled to take on the role?

I don't know! This all was going so well and then it just ends with a bunch of stuff that happens!

I wonder if it was always supposed to end this way? I reread all the issues today, and some of the narration is strange if #4 is indicating that the Sara telling this story exists at a point where she knows that Jason is now Joker. Like some of it you read and think, "Ohhh, the inevitability here isn't about Jason shooting Joker; it's about Jason becoming Joker." But then other parts conflict with that, like in #3 when Sara talks about Jason feeling like it's impossible to victimize others, as if it's a present fact. Clearly he does not feel that way!

Also, at the end of #3 when we saw Jokey, I was excited at the prospect of Joker seeing himself in Jason, and perhaps vice versa, and the emotional struggle that direct compare/contrast could bring. And the first couple pages get at that a little, I guess? But certainly not enough that the final two pages aren't completely out of the blue.

You could say that since Jason takes on Joker's old identity as Red Hood, he's just doing the same again here, but there's still no lead-up to it!

In the end, I guess this is just a sad story about how even when Bruce breaks away from his violent coping mechanism to really promote healing, he still fucked over his kids and it's just too late? I mean, fair enough, but still. Could've used one of those big exposition pages to at least drive more at that. 🤷‍♀️

The next mini-series I'm pinning my hopes on is the Two-Face one in December. Christian Ward stuck the landing in City of Madness, so let's see if he can do it again!

[520cafe]

sour grapes. lost in a train of thought

once again, you found yourself waiting anxiously outside the library with your eyes repeating the same lines of texts over and over. only this time, it was for all the wrong reasons.

with the overbearing class project in mind, you were reminded once more that you had no choice in the manner. as much as it was easier to simply just run away from your problems and become as avoidant as possible, that option was out of your reach. you couldn’t possibly make yourself out to be a bad team player if you just ditched blade alone to work on the project, even if blade was willing to work on the project alone, it would still be wrong.

therefore, you really had no choice. how hopeless.

this time, without calling upon a false spirit to help guide you, you slowly walked towards his table with heavy footsteps and a massive weight on your shoulders. the moment you turned a corner, you really couldn’t back down at this point.

at the same table sitting on the same chair as before, blade was quietly typing away on his computer surrounded by papers and open textbooks. the sight only further guilted you more that you had the thought of ditching him just because you wanted to avoid him as much as possible. it was the sounds of you pulling your chair which caught blade’s attention. his eyes looked surprised for only a split second before he quickly composed himself in front of you.

“you came.” blade muttered, as if he was fully expecting you to ignore him after you left his messages on seen.

“i did.”

in this moment, you already wanted the floor to swallow you whole. everything between the two of you was just tense and suffocating, a complete 180 compared to the feelings during mechanical fever’s concert which were a few nights ago. following blade, you got your laptop and turned it on, you already knew what to do so what was there to talk about?

“i’m sorry, blade.”

“… what?”

blade raised his head from the laptop in front of him as he eyed you with a confused and concerned look.

“i said i was sorry, blade.”

“for what exactly?”

“i may have overreacted that night after the concert and i proceeded to ignore your messages for a few days, i’m sure that worried you—”

however, your rambling apology was interrupted when you heard the sounds of blade standing up from his chair. you paused, suddenly feeling nervous for blade’s next set of actions. instead, he just went to the chair beside you and sat on it. after a few, yet dreadful, long seconds of just silence and his crimson eyes gazing upon you, blade lifted his hand to your forehead before he gently flicked it with his fingers.

“hey! what was that for?” you placed your hand to where blade flicked you on the forehead and his only response was a sigh.

“don’t apologise for such idiotic things.” he deadpanned. “i should be the one apologising okay? so don’t beat yourself over it.” he spoke as he slightly leaned back from you, you didn’t realise how close blade had actually gotten.

“i’m sure that you don’t like talking about our senior year. after all, it was rough for the both of us.” blade continued. the reminder of your senior year: breaking up with dan heng and your situationship with blade only bought more painful memories.

“which is why, i’ll promise that i will never bring it up again knowing how much it hurts you.”

this time, blade felt his heart race at unhealthy speeds to the point where it was concerning but he also couldn’t back down either, not when he was too far deep into whatever this was. was it a confession? a declaration? an apology? at this point he was letting his emotions get the better of him, and the sight of you was the primary cause of it.

you felt your breath hitch when blade’s finger started to ever so slightly graze over your hand. his finger felt rough and scratched but, it was the way he started to gently trace small circles on your hand that you felt unable to speak. his touch, it was hypnotic and almost made you feel helpless.

“but my feelings for you will still be as vivid as the night and remain unchanged, [name].”

🍇 SOUR GRAPES 〈 28 lost in a train of thought

━━ MASTERLIST. ╱ PREV. ╱ NEXT.

╰�� SYNOPSIS. after being in the same tight-knit friend group for over a few months now, suspicions begin to rise when march, seele and bronya start to notice the awkward tensions between you and dan heng. little did they know, you and dan heng were once high-school sweethearts who shared a romantic and fairytale-like past where the pages only lasted for a year. this heartbreak led you to meet another unfortunate victim of cupid but that chapter flew away as quick as stardust. yet, it appears that you two were also destined to cross paths once more.

╰► [ a/n ] : okay but lowkey i was giggling and kicking my feet writing this PFFTTTT ALSO ONE MORE CHAPTER UNTIL ACT THREE

━━ TAGLIST (closed) @lauvwar-r @sunsethw4 @shizu-c @amyena @zephestia @loudeggbananaranch @lunavixia @twistedrxses @shinjuuz @danhenglovebot @flos-veritatis @sammy-hammy @kiwidoves @aeongiies @heartswonder @lilactaro @lunnaeclipse @bladesdarling @hansel-the-pierrot @astro-pioneer @aquatikk @obervation-subject-753 @vellichxrr6782 @rubberduckieyourtheone @viovya @stayriki @ceylestia @starryeyedkoko @theflameofyoursoul @kalims @liminalimmortal

[yenonnoff]

TEACH ME HOW TO LOVE! 25. fame is not for the weak

today, you weren’t “rising actress y/n l/n.” you were just a normal, law-abiding citizen spending the weekend watching oikawa tooru’s new film. that sentence alone should’ve been the first red flag that the trip would turn disastrous. the next was your co-star’s quote-unquote disguise. you cared less about the former: if you didn’t watch daybreak today, you’d be bombarded with spoilers from your friends later on. the latter, however, was inexcusable. 

“you’re ridiculous,” you said, eyeing the blond actor up and down. “you don’t blend in, atsumu, you blend out.” 

“glad you’re enjoying the view. it didn’t take me long to pull this together.” 

it was true: the outfit was completely minimal. it barely required any thought, yet, it still looked perfectly coordinated and eye-catching. that was just atsumu’s irking influence on things—but that was exactly the problem. you’ve seen him in casual clothing before but it was even more salient today. compared to the people walking in and out of the movie theater, atsumu stood out like a sore thumb. it made you realize he was born to be on stage. 

“your good looks are betraying you,” you sighed, eyes surveying the area hurriedly. the two of you had made sure to arrive an hour early for precautions, of course. still, with the small crowds coming and leaving, it made the two of you even more vulnerable and undeniably conspicuous. you tugged on atsumu’s sleeves, lowering him closer to the theater’s large indoor planters. you made a face, “what about our plans of not drawing attention to ourselves?” 

you couldn’t see the teasing smile behind his white mask, but you had caught the twinkling amusement in his eyes. he wore a basic hoodie with his usual denim cap concealing his blond hair. (though, you made him remove his hood since someone was bound to mistake him for a creep or member of the paparazzi. you realized later that it was intentional, he just wanted to see your flustered expression). 

atsumu leaned forward to say, “don’t worry. if someone recognizes us, just act clueless.” 

“that doesn’t sound like a good plan.” 

“i know,” he agreed. “i’ve never been caught before so i don’t think about backup plans too much.” 

you were about to retaliate, call him ridiculous once more, but he stopped you before you could. grabbing your shoulders, he ushered you towards the dozy security guard at the end of the corner. atsumu chuckled, “let’s stop gawking and actually get in before your worst nightmare comes true.” 

yeah, this was not the plan you had in mind. 

you took your seats in the center all the way in the back row. it was for precautions, but at least you could see the whole screen. strangely enough, atsumu had let you take the middle armrest. he also humored you by answering all your spontaneous questions to pass the time. 

the first topic was about your fellow co-stars. 

“jolie… is loud. she’s too friendly for her own good, but she’s a hard worker; she rarely slacks off too. you should see her at parties though, she’s scary.” when he realized everything he said was mostly positive, atsumu crossed his arms to think. “don’t be fooled, she also has a really clumsy and high-maintenance side to her.” 

“who? jolie?” you stifled a surprised laugh. you always saw her as incredibly charming and supportive so this was news to you. 

“yeah, she always loses her phone. it’s a bigger hassle when she comes to you asking where it is. honestly, this girl thinks you’re the one to blame for her phone being lost.” 

atsumu went on to recall other things too: “we met when i was acting during university. can you believe she’s a year older than me? we’ve been friends for a while so she was there when i broke up with emma.” 

it was the slight grimace that made you change the subject. he seemed glad when you asked about semi. “he’s completely stoic and too professional. he reminds me of you in a way, but he does have his moments.” 

he continued promptly. “this is my first time working with sugawara. though, i heard he’s pretty popular in the industry, both on and off-screen. for akane, i met her in some minor roles. she likes to ask me for tips and tricks sometimes.” 

you listened and hummed while he spoke. you understood what was so enthralling about atsumu now. his good looks draw you in, sure—but it was the way he spoke so naturally and full of confidence that made you stay. he made you want to hear more: about himself and his casual attitude on things. 

when atsumu finished speaking, there was still enough time to buy snacks before the theater got crowded for daybreak. he took the liberty to do so, sneaking back in before people started to swarm. they didn’t seem to notice the two of you all the way in the back. the middle rows were usually more favored anyway. then, the lights dimmed further and the room was consumed with darkness. 

there were perks to being friends with thrill seekers. it meant you were immune to most things: horror movies being one of them. 

everyone in the group had their own signature hangouts. you guys liked to rotate between each other’s preferences, it only seemed fair that way (this was only true during high school, however. during university and nowadays, you simply decided on things that worked with everyone’s schedules).

kuroo liked study dates and movie theaters the most. he’d always drag everyone to watch the latest movies, usually either horror or action. due to that, you’ve built an immunity to jump scares and supernaturals; it would take a lot to frighten you. 

while you weren’t screaming or gripping the edge of your seat like others in the theater, you still enjoyed the movie nonetheless. oikawa’s flawless acting had completely occupied your attention, and on more than one occasion, you were watching with your jaw hung open. he was a man of many achievements, worthy of every praise for his charms and incredible acting skills. he was your inspiration, and you hoped fervently to be on the same stage as him one day. 

before the ending credits could even roll, you and atsumu had already snuck out. it took you a while to steady yourself. the bright lights from outside the theater room had mercilessly attacked you when you stepped out, and you felt dizzy from staring at such a massive screen for so long. 

atsumu saved you the cruel embarrassment, excusing himself to the restroom. you teased him before he went: “what—were you scared of the movie?” 

“if i was, i wouldn’t be going to the restroom alone.” 

“i’m sorry, i don’t think i can accompany you,” you said sincerely. 

atsumu scoffed, not knowing whether to be vexed at the sheer genuineness in your voice or the embarrassment he was feeling. he grumbled, “i wasn’t going to ask you to!” then he stormed off with his hands shoved in his hoodie pocket. 

while he did his business, you ventured to the merchandise area of the movie theater. surprisingly, you spotted merch for vengeance, your previous film, in the corner. shirts in various colors; tote bags; and small prints decorated the shelves from top to bottom. the bags were nearly sold out, it made you feel grateful that people still poured so much love into the film. besides you was a large poster hung from the ceiling. there was a close-up shot of you and your other co-stars. the editing was immaculate, they even made kuroo look g—

“y/n l/n?” 

the unfamiliar voice that spoke your name made you freeze in place. in front of you was a girl you’ve never seen before. you staggered slightly, realization hitting you at full speed. this was a fan. her oikawa shirt, oikawa lanyard, oikawa pins, oikawa— they all gave her away instantly. your first thought was wow, too taken-aback by the girl’s clear devotion. your next thought was run, get away from the corner that would soon reveal your identity. 

the fan didn’t waste a breath. she pointed to the large poster next to you, the one you’d been admiring. “look! that’s you right? you worked with tooru on vengeance!” she nearly squealed his first name. 

you coughed to get her attention. her assumption was unbelievable, really. even if you were y/n l/n, your face was heavily concealed with a mask and cap. “what are you talking about? you’ve got the wrong person, my name is—“ 

“everyone, come! i think i found y/n l/n!” she turned to face you again, her eyes widened in excitement. “hey, can i get your autograph? how about a picture?” 

you nearly facepalmed yourself. daybreak had just ended, all these people rushing into the merchandise store came from the same theater room as you. fuck. 

you should’ve realized sooner that you were in the heart of tokyo, where the chances of running into a celebrity was augmented by at least 70%. of course there would be radical fans everywhere you went. diehard oikawa fans were possibly the worst of them all, this fan especially. 

you were about to gently coax her that this was a misunderstanding when a large hoard of people started crowding towards your tiny corner. being suffocated by hardcore fans was not on your bucket list—seeing people get shoved and nearly trampled on wasn’t there either! 

people pushed; they ran; they shouted. phones were shoved in your face, adrenaline rushed through your veins, and you had to yell over the mass to stop them from forcing their way towards you. 

pandemonium struck the movie theater. 

the dozy security guard from earlier bolted towards the herd in a hurry. clearly he’d finally snapped out of his drowsy state and commanded the crowd to disperse. then, a hand slid around your wrist and pulled you away from the mob. your breath hitched in your throat as the tall figure hurried you into a sprint out the building. you heard the roaring yelling resume when they realized you weren’t there anymore. 

this was definitely not conspicuous at all. you were pretty sure your cover was blown… your blond co-star’s as well. 

you raced with your heartbeat thundering against your rib cage. the two of you ran until you stopped by a short alleyway next to the street. you were furious at yourself for ruining your plans of being discreet, but for also destroying the pleasant movie trip for the both of you. 

“atsumu, i’m sorry. that wasn’t supposed to happen.” 

he didn’t answer you, his breathing still heavy. one of his hands remained enclosed around yours, the other went up to soothe the back of your head. you heard him say, “are you alright? first time that’s happened?” 

you nodded to both questions. you were just flustered and shaken up by the whole ordeal. even if it wasn’t what atsumu meant by his second question, you understood what it conveyed about your reality as an actress. you were too naive and inexperienced. if the security guard hadn't come, someone would’ve been injured and you were to blame for not handling the situation properly. it was something you should’ve known as a public figure. diehard fans already lack respect and morality; the chances of them learning how to be decent human beings were obscenely low. it seems you’re the only one who can take control of these situations, even if it’s not your fault—even if you dislike it. 

you felt atsumu take both of your hands in his. they were warm and full of comfort, they held yours gently with so much care that you could melt. 

“don’t blame yourself, y/n. it’s never your fault, that should’ve never happened.” atsumu’s tone was full of frustration—not at you, but rather at himself. 

you didn't have the energy to fight back. it was obvious: if you hadn’t gone into the merchandise area, you would’ve never been recognized. you walked into the lion’s den all by yourself; it was a situation you had complete control over. 

minutes passed and atsumu ended his call with the taxi driver. he wanted to see you off at your condo, and you didn’t refuse. the damage has already been done. sure, this could land you in more trouble but you couldn’t help it. you were human. you were selfish. you wanted to stay with atsumu for a little longer, just a couple moments more. 

you let out a low chuckle. “are you going to continue holding my hands, atsumu?” you brought them up in front of you. “both of them?” 

his face finally softened. “maybe i’ll let go of one. just one though, the other is needed to open the door.” 

the small moment was cut short by the arrival of the taxi. still, it was more than enough to console your dispirited heart. 

as always, atsumu remained true to his words: your hands found each other again in the silent taxi, warm and heartbreakingly soothing. 

“you’re not allowed to blame yourself, atsumu.” 

your co-star exhaled a heavy breath. “isn’t that what i should be telling you?” 

“i’m fully aware of what happened. it was my fault i was in that situation—don’t try and deny it, atsumu. i’ll take responsibility for whatever happens tomorrow.” 

“you’re too professional, y’know that?” he asked and you nodded vehemently. “i’d like to talk to y/n, the one that likes roller coasters and lives off of coffee, not the y/n that’s a prim workaholic. can you ring her up for me?” 

you huffed, squeezing his hand. you were currently standing in front of your condo still holding your stubborn co-star’s hand. perhaps you were both stubborn—too focused on different priorities to understand one another. “i’m being serious. i enjoyed today. thank you for letting me watch daybreak before getting every detail spoiled.” 

atsumu was about to counter, but you beat him to it. “don’t say that today was a mistake! i knew the consequences but i still went… if you’re going to blame yourself, you might as well blame me too for agreeing to go.” 

“hey, you can’t do that to me. now i’m backed into a corner,” he frowned beneath his mask. “then promise me you won’t beat yourself over this. if things get out of hand tomorrow in the media, you’ll let me help you. please rely on me too, y/n.” 

“i promise. i’m an adult too, atsumu.” 

“yes,” he breathed, slow and firm. “you’re so incredibly strong you put all the other adults to shame.” 

you could crumble at the underlying softness in his voice. you could crumble from how clearly upset he was at everything that’s transpired. “then i should probably head inside. thanks for walking me all the way up here, you’ll be sneaky when you leave, right?” 

the sound of his laughter eased your mind, and you let go of his hand. the two of you shared a moment of sweetened silence before he watched you disappear behind your door. you both knew then that it’ll be a while before you would spend time with one another again. 

atsumu lowered his head and removed his denim cap. with a rough hand, he raked it through his messy hair and sighed. he desperately needed something to clear his mind, perhaps a nap that would last at least three hours. the blond turned away from the closed door to do just that. he was going to go home, shower, eat, and doze until the next day. 

“atsumu miya?” 

the tall blond whispered a curse in his mind before spotting a black haired lady in front of him. he looked left and right, behind and in front. he pointed a confused finger at himself. “me?” 

the pretty lady with the distinctive mole near her lips laughed softly. “yes, you. i saw you in front of y/n’s door. were you two hanging out earlier?” 

atsumu’s face bloomed in realization. she was undeniably familiar, and he was sure he’d seen her somewhere before. that’s right, she was a model in the same agency as emma. what a small world. 

atsumu rubbed the back of his neck, only saying, “yeah.” how long was she there for? how much did she see? god, did she see them holding hands? atsumu grumbled under his breath, heat rising unexpectedly to his cheeks. it was just one after another, the two of you needed a break.

“actually, i wanted to talk to you for a moment if that’s alright with you.” 

he tilted his head in curiosity. she said it would only be a moment and that where they were standing would suffice. however, her expression was inexplicably serious. he braced himself for her few words. 

“i know that you and y/n have spent a lot of time together, but i want to know how you feel towards her. with your current situation, y/n could be affected negatively if people found out.” 

it was a sensible question but one that was hard to answer. atsumu wondered how close the two of them were; it was understandable why she would be concerned about her friend’s career and his intentions. and he fully understood what she’d meant by “current situation.” he was completely aware. even if he hated it, emma’s foolish shenanigans and her crazy fans were targeted at him and only him. you shouldn’t be dragged into it. 

“she brings me comfort in a way. there’s not many people that i feel comfortable around, so I’m grateful towards her. i’ll take responsibility for anything that happens; it’s my fault anyway since i was the one that wanted to hang out. don’t worry, we probably won’t be spending time together again any time soon.” 

his words hinted at two meanings. first, filming that summer was the number one priority. second, atsumu would do anything to protect your career and peace of mind. 

the pleasant lady in front of atsumu nodded. her eyes were clear of any doubt, shining instead with gratitude. “thank you for your time. i hope you have a safe trip back.” 

“thank you,” the blond replied, walking towards the elevator at the end of the hall. 

atsumu didn’t have the words to sum up today’s events. however, everything had unfolded in front of him and he was face-to-face with a realization. a cruel one that he needed to accept. it wasn’t the right time for the two of you. no matter how much atsumu might want it, he couldn’t deny that now wasn’t the time. it might never be the time, but that was something he needed to realize. 

the world was heartlessly cruel.

masterlist ⌒☆ previous ⌒☆ next

fun facts:

if it were anyone else, atsumu would've definitely hogged the middle armrest all to himself. he would do it with the popcorn and snacks too. the bucket stays with him! he finds it too troublesome to reach over and grab it.

it's why he doesn't like going to the movie theaters (mentioned in chapter 19) since he only ever goes with either osamu or rin. it always ends in an argument and the other people there hate them all.

jolie is the type to look for her phone while on call with someone.

whenever she does lose it during filming, she always goes to semi because she knows he'll (begrudgingly) look for it with her.

can you tell i have the biggest, fattest crush on shimizu. i wanted to go full rampant on describing how pretty she is but i had to control myself!

i felt very bad writing this chapter. no matter how careful you may try to be, people make mistakes and they always blame themselves for it. there are external factors that you can't control; it's just the harsh reality of things.

TEACH ME HOW TO LOVE! ｡ｏ♡ an atsumu miya smau

synopsis: when y/n l/n, a rising actress, decides to star in a romance film that could make or break her career, she’s unable to showcase her skills, revealing her inexperience within the romance department instead. worst of all, atsumu miya, her co-star and the main lead’s love interest, seems to hate her guts! with absolutely, unbearably zero chemistry between the two, an idea was proposed: spend time with one another in the upcoming weeks. will y/n be able to ignore her professionalism and listen to her heart? and will she, a clueless romantic, be able to pick up on the signs her co-star is sending her?

a/n: i think this ch was a little heavier than i intended it to be but it was also a lot easier to write than i thought. yay! drama! haha! i'm always learning how to be more impactful and purposeful with my writing. words don't always come as easily as i would like them to be but this ch was a step in the right direction! i hope that was how it felt to you guys as well!

taglist is open! dm or ask to be a part of it! (those bolded were unable to be tagged)

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[dedalvs]

Hey there! I've been trying to work on a logography recently (if you ever came across the Pan-Germanic runes thread on the cbb, it's in that vein) and I've really been struggling with coming up with the actual glyphs themselves. While there are other systematic problems to solve, I find tackling them more familiar and easier to approach than the task of coming up with individual glyph designs themselves (especially for abstract concepts that aren't as easily to represent pictorally). I have some academic background in Chinese, but I worry that this only serves to hamper me by making it easier for me to copycat their glyph origins. Do you have any recommendations for how to come up with original glyph designs? Is this a problem you've encountered in designing your own logograms? Any big tips for how to find inspiration?

Honestly, if I'm lost, I often go to Chinese to see what they do for abstract elements. I was completely lost on length in High Valyrian, for example, without being able to compare one thing to another—and especially with the whole "banana for scale" problem. The idea is so basic, though, I figured it would be a basic term in Chinese that would have its own glyph, and I was right! Turns out in Chinese the origin derives from hair. And that, of course, is brilliant, because human hair is something you can depict and has an absolute reference (i.e. at a certain point, all humans will agree that a certain length of hair is long).

At that point, though, I did my own drawing for a person with long hair, and used that as the source of the glyph in Valyrian. There's nothing wrong with using the same etymological source as long as you do your own work from there. It's a good thing to do when stuck.

As for other things, though, you go through the same process. It's easier to make images of concrete elements than abstract. When it comes to abstract concepts, think about what concrete elements in your world are most closely associated with those abstract concepts, then do glyphs based on those concrete things. You should also feel free to take combinations of elements and combine them into a single glyph (for example, maybe your glyph for "warm" is a combination of hot + cool, or hot + small). Always start with the concrete elements of your conlang's world. Also, the associations don't have to make perfect sense, so long as they make sense to your speakers. After all, the same thing happens with word etymologies.

Anyway, hope that helps! I also recommend following others who create logographies like my friend @yuk-tepat. He's really good, and you'll learn a lot by reading his stuff.

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook

𝓣𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓒𝓪𝓻𝓮 : [How To Trust]

Everyday brings new challenges, new miracles, and new faces into his life. And yours, he decides, shouldn't look so scared all the time.

Tags/Warnings: Hospital/Medical AU, Doctor!Jungkook, slightly aged up!Jungkook, Doctor!Yoongi, Nurse!Jimin, Doctor!Namjoon, Surgeon!Hoseok, mentions of Anaesthetist!Taehyung, blood, medical terms, hospital stuff come on this is a medical au, mentions of panic, mentions of vomiting but not descriptive, mentions of suspected abuse, mentions of actual abuse (mental/physical)

Length: 4.4k words

THERE IS NO TAGLIST FOR THIS FIC!

A/N: Please do not come for my throat if some stuff doesn't make sense. I've tried hard, but I'm not a doctor, and so none of this should be taken too seriously. Treat it like a medical drama. Those ain't real either haha also how big do I have to make the warning that there's no taglist for people to realize there is no taglist

-> Masterlist

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"Do you have a girlfriend, young man?" The elderly hybrid giggles, her owner and husband on a chair sitting close to her bed shaking his head as Jungkook chuckles himself, adjusting the drip for her medication.

"I do not, Miss Yong." He informs her. "With a job like mine, it's a bit difficult." He explains, shrugging. He's got to talk a bit louder so she can hear him properly, but he's positively surprised by her otherwise overall good health. She's way past the typical age where Hybrids are known to decline, after all. A little bit of hearing loss is nothing compared to what he usually sees in hybrids her age.

"Oh that's such a shame." She whines to her husband at her side. "He's such a handsome friend, isn't he? You must go on dates, at least!" She whispers at him, but he just laughs.

"I'm sorry, she can be nosy." Her husband apologizes for her, though Jungkook simply shakes his head.

"No worries. She's completely allowed to be nosy." He charmingly says, making the older woman laugh to herself, her floppy ears just as grey as her hair. "Are you in any pain right now?" He asks her, but she shakes her head, visibly drowsy from the pain medication she's already been given for her fractured ankle. "That's good. I'll go check up with my coworkers on the scans, and then I'll be right back to discuss how we'll proceed from here, is that alright?" He asks, and she nods.

"I've got my company right here." She smiles at her husband who holds her had with an equally warm expression.

When Jungkook walks to the small area for staff to discuss the scans, he can't help but shake his head amazed, Jimin laughing as well. "She's awfully energetic for her age." Jimin grins brightly, clicking away on the computer to find the scans from earlier, Hoseok close by nodding to himself. "To imagine her being almost sixty. Amazing." Jimin smiles to himself.

"The fracture is a bit complicated, and I doubt she'll walk perfectly fine in the future even after surgery-" Hoseok informs, showing Jungkook the scans. "But she'll be fine. I doubt she's going into any sort of competitive sports at her age anyways." He chuckles.

"I've already printed all the forms out for her admission, filled out what I can. I'll just need your signatures and other info I didn't bother to do." Jimin jokes.

"You think she's still high risk surgery?" Hoseok asks, referring to the patient. "Considering her age. I'm a little worried about anesthetics."

"She's got no blood pressure issues or any other health problems we'd usually see in hybrids her age. So no- while I'd love you to stay a bit careful, I don't think she's high risk." He nods. "Taehyung should stand by during the surgery to watch over everything if that makes you more comfortable." He says, and Hoseok nods.

"Right, he's back from break, isn't he?" He chimes up, nodding. "I'll go fetch him then." The surgeon agrees, walking off as Jungkook goes back to the patient as well.

Things like these make him feel proud.

It's not arrogant to assume that he's playing a big part in cases like hers- a 58 year old hybrid in very good shape- things that are becoming more and more common these days. Every new discovery, every new person deciding to study this field, every new medical issue solved, adds to the life expectancy of hybrids. And it's not just them- Jungkook knows that sometimes, discoveries about hybrids' bodies can help humans too.

"Alright Miss Yong, you have indeed fractured your ankle pretty badly." Jungkook nods as he walks into her section in the emergency hall. "We'll schedule you for surgery, but considering your overall wonderful health, I'm not worried." He informs her. "Although I do have to inform you that considering your age there is a basic risk to any surgery present." He says, especially towards the owner and husband, who nods.

"That's only logical." He nods, since his wife seems a bit sleepy. "So how long will she stay here?" He asks, and Jimin sneaks into the room, preparing everything to have her transported to her room.

"It's not clear yet, but it'll definitely be until the end of the week at least." Jungkook informs him. "But Doctor Jung will give you a more detailed insight on what's to come from here on." He tells them both.

"Is he as handsome as you?" The lady asks, and Jimin can't help but snort a laugh.

"Oh, even more so, I'd say." Jungkook jokes, and everyone laughs.

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Jungkook has given an oath to protect life, and he's aware of that- but he hopes whoever's up there above makes an exception for him when he has to commit a murder in the next few minutes.

"You better have a real good reason to ping me out of my bed at 3 in the fucking morning.!" Jungkook growls under his breath, walking into the staff room where Namjoon seems to have already been waiting. "The ER is empty- so is my bed, when I should be in it! Why am I here?" He whines, changing out of his clothes and into his scrubs- his shift is gonna start at 5 anyways, so it won't really be smart to go back home after whatever is going on that needs his attention so badly is done.

"Trust me, I hate ringing you out of your sleep." Namjoon sighs, as he slides a clipboard towards the young doctor, who slips on his shoes before he takes it to read over it. "Take a good look at it, and tell me what's fishy about it." He asks, and Jungkook adjusts his glasses, reading through all the medical jargon written down in handwriting he used to be unable to read.

"Are you trying to test me here?" Jungkook asks annoyed, though he keeps his attention mostly on the clipboard, moving page after page to find what his friend and coworker seems to be hinting at.

"No, I'm serious." Namjoon questions, crossing his arms.

The seriousness in his voice makes Jungkook focus a bit more, looking through everything when he flips a page back and forth. "Wait, that doesn't make sense.." He mumbles to himself, and Namjoon seems relieved that his best friend has seemingly found the issue as well. "How the hell does one get stabbed three times 'on accident'?" Jungkook questions, shaking his head. "On the thigh, too?" He wonders, looking at Namjoon in front of him.

"Owner said the patient had 'moved around' while he tried to remove the butter knife, forcing it back in twice." Namjoon offers, and Jungkook scoffs.

"Come on, stabbing someone with something as dull as a butter knife is already pretty impossible to achieve." The young doctor questions. "But really? And anyone believed him?" He wonders, looking through the vitals once more.

"Read the name again. The owner's, not the patient's." He asks, and Jungkook's eyes widen.

"Jo Dongsun? So that's why they're just gonna shrug it off?" He asks. "Cause he's an actor?"

"Probably." Namjoon sighs, walking back to take a sip from his cold coffee on the table. "But that's not.. entirely why I pinged you." He says, peaking Jungkook's interest as he's finally awake and alert enough, fully back in work-mode. "The patient- poor thing is refusing any up-close treatment, has to be put on local anesthetics, and you know that's not ideal." The young doctor says, walking out the door with his friend at his side, walking back into the ER. "And you've got a hand for things like that. Maybe you can try and make her feel more comfortable so we won't have to medicate her this much?" He asks, and Jungkook nods.

Hybrids are pretty sensitive to most human medications- their bodies still being studied, many side effects still being explored and explained. But until they're understood to the degree that the world understands the human body, they have to work with that they have- and adjust everything else. It's why people like Jungkook are so vital to today's medical system- he's talented in creating solutions for problems no one else would think of, keeps his studies up to date, and is most of all compassionate and kind even to the wildest of patients.

He's also got a certified degree proving his top knowledge when it comes to hybrid care specifically. It's why Namjoon had even proposed the idea to everyone to move you into Jungkook's care instead, though some aren't really on board with it, considering his rather.. wild attitude so to speak. He won't back into whatever the man will try and tell him happened- he will try and get to the bottom of this, no matter how much impact that guy has.

If he has to ruin a career to save a life, he will.

"I'll do my best. If it's a domestic abuse case she's probably pretty terrified." Jungkook mumbles more or less to himself, before he seems to arrive at the corner you're hidden in, curtains giving you some privacy. He doesn't know what to expect, really- even though he's read all of your data, everything he needs to know about your physical and mental state- he still won't know what he's dealing with until he goes behind that curtain.

And nothing in the world could've prepared him for what's behind that said curtain, as he pulls it back and catches his first glimpse of you.

He knows you.

Jimin is currently rushing from left to right with gauze, trying to stop your bleeding when Jungkook shows up. "I assume Namjoon filled you in?" He asks distracted, and Jungkook nods.

"Yeah. How's the bleeding?" He worries, watching how another nurse hangs up a bag of blood to prepare a transfusion to make up for the blood you've lost.

"Those two here-" Jimin points at the ones he's talking about. "Are alright for now, they're deep, but this one right here definitely hit one of the bigger blood vessels." He explains, exchanging the gauze again. "It just won't stop." He hisses to himself.

"Alright we've got the blood here already, which is good because that blood pressure is not making me happy right now." He says, taking control of the situation and nurses standing by for any sort of demand. "I want you to stop any medication you're using to keep her unconscious right now so we don't have her drop any further. Have we got any scans of the wounds yet?" He asks, and Jimin nods.

"She came back from CT a few minutes ago, they should be back soon." He says a bit distracted, hissing to himself when the wound starts bleeding as soon as he takes away the gauze.

"Where's her owner?" Jungkook asks, and Jimin's face shows all he needs to know.

"I'd say too worried about the potential scandal than here." He scoffs. "But trust me I'd rather deal with him than her careworker demon in the waiting room right now." He says.

"Let me guess, elderly woman, sour attitude and dark lipstick?" He asks.

"You know her?" Jimin wonders, fixating a bandage.

"Met them both a week ago I think? Already got a sense something was off.." He wonders. "Gives me a good chance to check on something though. Can you hold her turned a bit, I want to get a look at her tail." He asks the senior nurse, who nods, gently turning you on your side for his friend to look at.

He feels around at the base, all the way down to the tip of your tail, deep in thought.

"What're you looking for?" Jimin wonders, closely paying attention to your vitals as they slowly change, your consciousness returning very slowly.

"Proof." Jungkook simply states. Considering you're above the age of 21, he can't just lean on the help of the law for hybrid abuse- you're too old for that, and your category is too low as well. So the only way he can get you out of this situation, is by providing undisputable proof of present neglect or abuse.

"You think it's abuse?" Jimin wonders. "That's a big claim to make, Jungkook. That guy could ruin your career and future with a snap of his fingers."

"So can I." Jungkook himself simply says. "I want an X-ray of her tail, full side and length." He offers. "And as soon as she's back up, ping me."

"Did she break it?" Jimin wonders, carefully adjusting you back on your backside.

"Not today-" He says, taking his clipboard with him. "-but in the past, at least four times."

"that's not uncommon for canine hybrids." Jimin softly argues. "they knock their tails into things constantly." He claims.

"I'm aware." He nods. "But her tail's ice cold down the sixth vertebra. And that's exactly where she caught it last time I saw her- which means she didn't see anyone for it until now." He mumbles the last part to himself, running off to check with someone else he knows and trusts-

leaving a confused Jimin behind.

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"I could give you options to at least file in for neglect." Yoongi quietly mumbles, looking at the X-rays and scans. "Though if you spin it smart, you could argue about her past medical history being proof of something going on as well." The young man nods, reading the charts on the clipboard. "How do you know her?"

"Met her last week. She'd gotten her tail caught in those automatic glass doors, complained over numbness in her legs right after." He sighs. "Her caretaker was what bothered me most. She wasn't at all interested in her health." Yoongi nods at that, giving the clipboard back.

"Well-" He softly speaks, getting up to adjust something near the patient's bed, before he sits down again. "-I'm not in the position to tell you not to get attached to her." He responds, his gaze on the female feline hybrid in the bed, monitor beeping in a steady rhythm, soothing his mind a bit. Yoongi has been at her bedside ever since she was admitted- no owner to take care of her, instead in government care. No one knows exactly why he of all people is so attached to her, visiting her every day at least once- but it's a well known fact to everyone that he loves her dearly.

Even though, if they have any memories together, she won't remember any of them even if she ever wakes up.

"But I have to remind you that you're playing against a huge name. This will cost you your entire career if you fail." Yoongi says, and Jungkook nods.

He knows this. Going against a name as big as him will put him into the public eye as well- and considering that he doesn't have any foolproof evidence yet, he'd be dumb to actually try and involve authorities at this point in time. No matter what, this isn't as easy and cut-out as he wishes it would be.

"Do what you're paid for, for now." Yoongi reminds him. "Look after her, make sure she recovers, get her back on her feet. As soon as you leave this building, leave her here as well."

Jungkook sighs defeatedly, nodding. "I'll check up here before I go tonight." He says, nodding to the hospital bed behind Yoongi- but he only shrugs, before Jungkook get's pinged back to the emergency room where you're still placed.

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When he arrives, he can already hear the commotion from behind the privacy curtains.

"I have a right to be here, she's just being dramatic!" The familiar voice of the lady calls out, and Jungkook feels like he wants to turn and go the other way. But instead, he listens to Yoongi's advice, and enters the small section where you're being treated. "You! Put your workers in line here, I've been verbally assaulted just for checking up on her-" She argues, Jimin ready to snap at her.

"Miss- okay, let's calm down everyone, this is not helping her at all right now." Jungkok tries to solve the small fight between an angrily glaring Jimin and the older woman currently huffing in anger. "I kindly ask you to move to the side please so I can properly assess her, if you don't mind." He asks, but she crosses her arms.

"You can just squeeze past me, what's the big deal? I thought you've already done that, you've had her here for ages after all!" She huffs. "We've been here four hours almost, for a simple accident! This is ridiculous!" She yells at him, but he's not at all bothered by it.

"Miss I will have to get you removed if you're going to hinder me in doing my job." He calmly responds, noticing how you lean into Jimin's body, something the nurse notices as well as he masks gentle comforting touches as things such as adjusting your gown that you've been given. It's another clue that something's off- the way you're moving away from her, technically a known and familiar and usually comforting person, instead leaning towards a stranger in something scary as a hospital with all its sounds and smells.

"You can't make me do anything." She threatens him. "Who do you think you are? Fresh out of medical school and thinks he's something better! Are you even old enough to work as a doctor?!" She claims, and Jungkook simply sighs, opening the curtains a bit.

"Can I have security here, please?" He calls out, a nurse close by picking up a phone to call for them, while the woman is successfully triggered by his actions.

"Come on, up. We're leaving." She snaps at you, reaching to rip out the delicate tubes connected to your arm- but Jungkook steps in instead, putting his body in front of her so she can't reach you.

"Miss, I can understand this is stressful, but you're being unreasonable." He argues as gently as he can. "I can't let you take her in this condition."

"You're gonna hear about this!" She seethes as security leads her away. "Have fun playing doctor while you can.!" She hisses, being escorted away while still arguing.

Jungkook sighs, and so does Jimin.

"…m' sorry." You mumble quietly, and Jimin immediately looks at you gently.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart." He reassures. "Let's get you properly sorted out now, okay?" He tells you, and you nod.

"How are your legs doing, hm?" Jungkook asks, and now you seem to properly look at him for the first time.

"Oh." You simply say, only realizing now who he is. He looks a lot different than last time- his bangs are brushed back and revealing his forehead, and he's dressed in a more formal-casual style, with black slacks and a light brown button up, the first few undone. It's like he's suddenly aged up five years at least, but he doesn't seem unfriendly or intimidating at all, even though you can see the muscles underneath his skin work as he rolls up his sleeves.

"I look a bit different, don't I?" He chuckles, walking closer. "Are you in a lot of pain right now or is it manageable?" He wonders, and you finally seem to settle down quite a bit.

"Just a bit." You quietly answer him. "And my legs are okay." You explain. "Just.. feel a bit like I'm gonna be sick." You worry towards Jimin who's busied himself with petting one of your ears. When he hears this, he gets a small paper bowl ready just in case, and Jungkook nods as he checks all the vitals.

"Hm, your blood pressure is still a bit low so that might be why you feel a bit nauseous." He reassures. "We'll get some more fluids in for you, you're pretty dehydrated. Do you drink enough water during the day?" He asks you, and you shrug. "Don't know?" He chuckles in sympathy, aware that you might still be a bit dizzy and foggy in the head from everything going on.

"What's too little?" You ask him softly.

"Well, I'd say everything below maybe five glasses in a day?" He says, and your eyes widen.

"That much?" You wonder, looking at Jimin at your side.

"A lot of people forget to drink during the day." The nurse reassures. Jungkook however, can't help but dig deeper.

"Doesn't your owner make sure you drink enough?" He wonders, and you shrug.

"Don't see him much." You mumble. "He's busy. I mostly stay with Miss Hwang, and she doesn't really pay much attention to what I eat or drink." You say, watching how Jungkook steps aside to let a nurse hang up a bag of IV-fluids.

"Hm, I see." He nods to himself.

"Am I in trouble?" You ask suddenly, ears pinned down.

"For what would you get into trouble for?" Jimin wonders next to you.

"Cause I used the phone without asking." You offer them. "I just got scared. I know it's not allowed for me to used it.." You say, and Jungkook exchanges a glance with Jimin.

"No, you're not in trouble." Jungkook reassures. "Who said you can't use the phone?" He wonders, though tries hard not to show his inner worry.

"My owner and Miss Hwang. Cause I'm a hybrid, and I'll go to prison if I do." You say.

"Can you tell me exactly what happened today?" Jungkook asks, pulling a chair closer to sit on it next to where you're laying.

"We had Dinner, Dongsun and uh, miss Hwang and I." You recall, looking at your hands. "I.. we had pizza." You describe, seeing the scene in front of you again. "And I wanted- I asked Dongsun for a piece of his and he said yeah- and usually he doesn't share with me so I got excited." You explain; looking at Jungkook as if to convey that you're sorry about whatever happened. "I knocked over a glass on the table, and it spilled on his phone I think- so he got angry, and I think he just wanted to hit the table, but he- I think he just- he just didn't see that I was sitting too close, probably, maybe- and-" You ramble now. "I don't know, I don't think I remember it right, I think I just got scared and made things up in my head." You stutter, Jimin gently rubbing your shoulder in reassurance.

Jungkook can sense something wrong here.

"Do you do that a lot?" He asks. "Make stuff up in your head when you're scared?" He questions, and you shrug.

"Dongsun says I do. Hybrids do that all the time, he says." You explain to him. "So I- Miss Hwang and Dongsun will know what happened, really. I- you're a doctor right? Why do we do that?" You ask, and Jungkook can't give you an answer.

Because there is none. Whatever world-view and twisted facts you've been fed until now are simply bullshit.

"What.. happened in your mind?" Jungkook carefully asks, as Namjoon enters the small space. "Like, what do you remember happened?" He wonders.

"Dongsun got really angry. He gets angry often, because I'm stupid." You explain casually, making Namjoon's face twist into one of pure confusion. "He was surprised for a second when he accidentally hit my leg with the knife. But then he.. I don't know, it was like he.. snapped. And so he did it again, and another time, until I ran away and hid in the bathroom." You say. "In my mind it looked like he was hurting me on purpose. So I ran off, and- no wait, I didn't run into the bathroom, it was the bedroom. Yeah. I made a mess there- Dongsun has a really pretty white carpet there, I got into trouble once because I accidentally dropped a glass of juice on it.." You drift off.

"Did you call the ambulance there?" Jungkook questions, and you nod.

"That's where I used Miss Hwang's phone that was on the bed." You say, and it confuses everyone for a second why her phone would be there- but they don't think about it for now. "Am I gonna get put into jail now?" You ask, and Jungkook shakes his head.

"No, absolutely not sweetheart." He shakes his head. "You did a great job calling for help. We'll take good care of you, and make sure you'll be alright, okay?" He asks, and you nod.

"I think I might be sick.." You mumble ashamed at Jimin, who quickly reaches for the paper bowl to hold for you, another hand holding your hair away from your face.

"Why is her blood pressure still so low?" Namjoon wonders more quietly to Jungkook, who'd just stood up as well, arms crossed.

"Maybe an underlying issue undiagnosed." Jungkook mumbles, watching you. "Maybe drugs. I'm gonna have them do a urine test for common birth control and hormone blockers. I've not got a good feeling with her whatsoever." He lowly tells his coworker. "I know domestic abuse when I see it, and right there-" He looks back at where you're laying back down with the help of Jimin, another nurse walking in to tell him something, "-is a hybrid who's been conditioned into believing that she can't trust her own judgement, and that she has to abide by everything her owner and caretaker say." He tells Namjoon, walking out of your hearing range for a moment. "Hell- they told her it's illegal for a hybrid to use a fucking phone, Namjoon, that's cult-shit!" He hisses.

"Yoongi has told me you're suspecting something like that." The emergency doctor shakes his head. "Hearing the little that I did, I'm honestly on board with you. But we're not law enforcement. Jungkook, our hands are bound- she's above age and below category for us to use any of the safety laws in this case." He reminds the younger doctor.

"I know." He sighs, defeated. "Fuck, I know."

"Let's make sure she gets the treatment she needs for now, alright? Go one step at a time." Namjoon tries to reassure his friend. "For now, you've got medicine on your side. She can't be taken home in this condition, no matter if her owner wants that or not. Currently, she's legally in our care, until she's deemed healthy enough to go back home." He reminds his friend, who nods.

"I guess that's all the time we get." He worries, watching as everyone walks around, Jimin exiting your little space to talk to another nurse standing by.

And for the first time in a long while, Jungkook knows he'll go against Yoongi's advice, and take his work home tonight.

Your fearful gaze haunting him in his sleep.

[dr-spectre]

Omg regarding the "I hope one of deep cuts members doesn't turn evil in the next game" I agree, but I also kinda wanna see all of them as antagonists again (not brainwashed though, dear god, just bribed or manipulated to be against the player) - that idea was SO COOL but totally wasted, in my opinion atleast. If only they were more relevant in the story mode itself ugh

But I'm also conflicted because I'm worried they'll just be made into a laughingstock again because they "have to go after smaller fishes (aka the new idols probably)". That's generally a problem I have with Deep Cuts treatment. Anyway I love Deep Cut 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Im telling you now, once we get Splatoon 4 announced and if Deep Cut come back, and we only see TWO or ONE of them and the advertising is like "where is (insert character)?" I'm gonna be so damn worried and pissed off. Like I'm gonna think of the worst. I'm gonna groan so damn loudly that people from the other side of the planet will hear me. I'll be so mad dude!!!

Splatoon's writing in terms of story mode stuff (not lore and world building) is just... ughhhhhh... it has massive issues, and one of them is the lack of proper follow-through. Aka, the writers putting IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO THE SIDE!!! WHICH CAUSES A TON OF PROBLEMS!!

You have really good concepts and setup such as evil arcs for Callie and Marina, and they all have the proper motivations right there. Callie leaving with the Octarians because she was under such insane stress and loneliness that she wanted to rebel and descend into her mental illness, and Marina having an intense fear of losing the things she holds near and dear and wanting to create a perfect world out of that. You can tell very interesting stories with those set-ups and explore these characters in a way that respects them and treats them with depth and dignity.

But what is the outcome? "Callie got kidnapped and brainwashed." "An ai possessed Marina for 3 minutes and somehow people call that brainwashing. Just cause." It makes me incredibly infuriated and highly uncomfortable.

The amount of loops and hurdles you gotta go through to make these stories somewhat better is actually insane. Even if you read through the sunken scrolls and extra material, it's still not good enough because that stuff should have been at the forefront instead of being shoved to the side.

The way Nintendo treated Callie and still today is fucking awful, one moment they call her a traitor, one moment they said that she willingly heard DJ Octavio out, one moment they say brainwashing, then they say hypnosis, it is fucking annoying. It's lead to some people thinking that once Callie said "okay fine I'll hear you out" DJ Octavio just overpowered her and forced the shades onto her without warning even though there is zero evidence to back it up? Like... do you people just hate Callie? Be honest with me here. Do you just not like her? Fucking hell... you people don't want a good story. So obsessed with what's ""canon"" that you forget what could make for a better story...

Sorry... i got carried away... Anyways! Enough about Callie, back to Deep Cut.

The problem with Deep Cut is like you said, they are sort of wasted and don't have much to do. Compared to the other Idols, they don't have much to them. There are small hints and seeds but... there's not much there man. And IT SUCKS!!!

Tell me, what do you think Deep Cut are gonna do for the next time they show up? What is there to explore about them?

They could explore their families and talk about their pasts more, like how Off the Hook got explored in Octo Expansion, but I don't feel like the writers wanna do that... sorry to say, but Deep Cut is probably not gonna be treated better for Splatoon 4...

It's clear that Deep Cut was just made to be funny bandits and be sort of a "Jesse, James and Meowth" dynamic. Hell, when you beat them in ROTM, they blast off, LIKE TEAM ROCKET!!!

In Splatoon 1 and 2, there were seeds planted for the Squid Sisters and Off the Hook, and where they would eventually end up. In Splatoon 3, all we have is... uh... some FrostyFest dialogue about how Shiver feels lonely? Um... Frye loves her family? Big Man is stressed? And at the end of the Grand Fest, they said that they are gonna stick together? I HOPE SO! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT FUCKING DO THE EVIL ARC AGAIN!!!

Deep Cut were already antagonists THEY DONT NEED TO BE VILLAINS!!!! It would be a repeat of Splatoon 3 but somehow worse AND A REPEAT OF SPLATOON 2 AND SIDE ORDER!!!!!

JUST LET MARINA AGITANDO BE THE FINAL TIME YOU DO THIS NINTENDO!!! PLEASE!!!

[solarpunkani]

Hey! I’ve been following you for a bit and have been recently considering writing my own little solarpunk short stories for here. Do you have any suggestions?

See its funny you'd ask this because I've honestly only written one (I started on another one but lost The Vibe) but I mean

I dunno

Think about what you like about Solarpunk and what kind of setting you're most comfortable with writing. What kind of plots you like most and how you could fit it into a solarpunk setting of your desire. How much you want the story to be affected by the fact that it takes place in a more Solarpunky society.

One of the things I struggle with when it comes to writing Solarpunk stuff is worrying that other people aren't gonna find it 'solarpunk enough,' because I'm more comfortable writing stories in like the earlier days of a Solarpunk society than like a *midst of it all utopia* kinda vibe that I see most other people do. But I'm also not politically knowledgeable enough to write about the, I dunno, proletariat uprising that dismantles the government to make *room* for said solarpunk society. If you have an issue similar to me, then the advice I'm trying to beat into my own head is 'write the story as something i'd wanna read, and if other people like it then that's cool, and if other people don't like it then i dunno fuck em anyways'

If you don't have that problem feel free to ignore that.

I'm not gonna act like writing solarpunk short stories is easy! Because I find it hard! I actually get *frustrated* when other people act like its easy to do specifically *because* low-stakes conflicts are hard for me, but high-stakes political arena stuff goes over my head. I'm used to like. Writing about superheroes fighting supervillains, or medieval peasants gathering the relics of an ancient god before an otherworldly threat takes over. Comparatively, writing about lost dolls and cafe dates and roadtrips is hard for me. So I'd suggest finding something you're really interested in and taking off with it.

And if you're like me, try to do as much of it in one sitting as possible, and if you're gonna stop write notes on what you'd planned next. That was my downfall with the Last Roadtrip story I was working on before.

Regarding ideas? Some of these are at the top of the dome and some of these are ones I'd considered but changed my mind on.

A group of friends who all learn different fiberwork/clothing crafts (sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery) so they can have the absolutely most baller outfits for their town's fashion show/big dance/festival/some other event in a few months/next year

Story from the perspective of someone who goes around town maintaining all the different community fridges and talking with the people who use them while they work

A small community starting a community pollinator garden/food garden in honor of... something I dunno

A band getting ready for a gig another town over but like. Solarpunk.

Someone whos finally old enough to go to their town's night market by themselves and their excitement over it/what the market is like

A group of friends takes it upon themselves to clean up a creek they used to play at that, over the years, sort of became a dilapidated dumping site, and keeping track of all the new stuff they see as they work. Like, one person's passionate about plants and guides them on what they should plant and where and how, one person's really good at identifying insects and animals and helps log every new sighting, one person's better with handling like logistics and stuff, etc.

Two guerrilla gardeners accidentally pick the same abandoned lot to strike on the same night. Chaos ensues, but don't get caught!!

A society is quickly transitioning to becoming carless, but one group of teens is siezing the opportunity to take possibly THE LAST true Summer Roadtrip ever. Hijinks ensue.

A community gathering to repair and rebuild a beloved community center after it gets absolutely fucked up somehow (natural disaster, vandalizers, whatever, maybe it got attacked by bears who knows)

Someone trying to figure out how to make some beloved passed down family recipe without having a good chunk of the ingredients due to season-based product selling or transport issues or something

Look if you manage to pull off a superhero story in a solarpunk society I'll definitely read it. Tag me, even.

The rivalry of the ages going down during a 'who can grow the biggest pumpkin/watermelon/whatever' contest. But it's solarpunk. IDK.

You can see how I struggle with this

Don't forget you can also do like 'oh a solarpunk society in the tropics what does that look like' (I had a brief idea on solarpunk pearl harvesting/oyster raising after watching some shorts but lost it basically soon after) or 'a solarpunk society but its wintry and snowy and all that jazz what then' kinda deal. Check out this post I made awhile back.

I also have this post of video game ideas I conjured up, that could be made into short stories instead if you wanted.

If all else fails, you can check out the Solarpunk Aesthetic Week pinterest board and see if anything in there inspires you!

I hope this rambly ass answer was actually helpful in any way, shape, or form. And if it wasn't I'm sorry, smite me where I stand.