#so basically I was high at school and one of the projects that we’re doing requires us to do a skit with three other people in a group

[nagokomade]

guys I had one of the most embarrassing moments of my life today

[hairyjocktf]

Building a New Life

Justin was the star wrestler at his high school. He had won regional titles and the adoration of all the local families for years, and was ready to head to college to continue his streak. Senior year he was at his peak, winning matches left and right. All he had to do was wait for those recruitment offers to roll in. He waited and waited, still kicking ass in his wrestling, but while everyone around him was committing and getting accepted, there were no letters to him. To his dismay, one never came. His plans for the future were shattered, what was he supposed to do now? The wrestling scholarship was his only shot for college.

With the year ending and not many options, Justin started looking for entry level jobs that would take him. He lived in a fairly rural area so most of what he found was either farm work or construction, and the latter paid better. He called one of them up and they told him to swing by the site a few days later. He drove out to the construction site later that week and walked into the mobile office they had there. The manager came out to greet him. He was a rugged man in his late 40’s, with a stocky build and thick stubble. He’d clearly been in the business for years and it showed through his worn hands and gruff voice from yelling orders at his lackeys. The man looked Justin up and down.

“A little scrawny but I can work with it,” he said after a few seconds.

“I was a top wrestler in the region!” Justin protested. 

“Doesn’t matter in this industry,” the man said flatly. “Can you handle heavy loads and equipment? Can you deal with being outside most of the day in rough weather?”

Justin was caught off guard, usually people were much nicer to him. “Of course I can! I can handle whatever you throw at me,” he assured.

“Well alright, If you think you can handle it let’s see how you do here,” the manager said, handing a pile of clothes to Justin. “Here’s your safety and HiVis gear, make sure it fits and then we’ll get you set up outside.”

Justin took his uniform to the bathroom to try it on real quick. It included a hard hat that was adjustable, which he fit to his head, a bright orange and yellow HiVis vest, and a couple other things. He put it all on and stepped back into the office. 

“Alright follow me, Justin was it?” the manager gestured towards the door.

“Yes sir,” Justin responded uncharacteristically.

“Name’s Blaine, the manager revealed, “Around here we usually work on residential projects, we’re currently assisting on a development outside of town.” He led them away from the office around the immediate site, which currently seemed to be mostly used as storage for equipment and materials. “Since you’ve got no experience you’ll start by shadowing some of our guys for a few weeks and handling more basic tasks til you’re ready for more,” he continued. “You can head back to the office and they'll take care of the nitty gritty for ya. I’m expecting great things from you, wrestler,” Blaine laughed as he left Justin and headed out towards the development. Justin heard his gruff voice booming in the distance as he barked orders to the workers.

Justin was unsure about all of this, but he didn’t really have a better option at the moment. He felt out of place in his new safety gear, and he was younger than nearly everyone he saw working. He took care of the paperwork and headed home for the day; they'd hired him on the spot to start the next morning. With considerable unease, he went to bed, closing one chapter of his life for the next. 

As the weeks went by Justin began acclimating to this new job fairly well. He got to know the guys he worked with, learned how to use the equipment, and began to feel comfortable on the site. He even felt like he had put on some mass to better handle all the physical work he was doing. His rock solid abs were a little less visible than they had been but for some reason that didn’t bother him. He was already starting to forget the sting of not being recruited for wrestling. Every day he came into work those past dreams seemed to fade a little more, replaced by his new life. His coworkers had made fun of him for having such a baby face at the beginning, but now he was starting to sport a little bit of stubble. Justin was slowly starting to blend in more with his new crowd.

The months continued to pass, with Justin becoming more and more entrenched in his new construction life. It was getting colder outside, and his body began to adjust without him even noticing. His stubble grew out into a real beard, short and dense. He began packing on more body fat as he spent less and less time at the gym and more and more working and drinking with his new bros. His voice began to sound a little deeper and rougher, matching those around him. The hard hat really suited him now with his more rugged looks. He had never been a good student in school but he seemed to really be taking to this new job, completely forgetting about his old goals. The occassional approving nod from Blaine was driving him forward. He was thriving in this new position, but the job wasn’t done with him yet.

Unbeknownst to Justin, under his thick winter clothes things were changing. His previously toned body, while still fairly muscular, was steadily becoming thicker with fat. Not only that, but he’d always been near perfectly smooth and that too was slowly changing. It had started with his chest, where on the previously bare skin thin wispy hairs had started to poke out. That didn’t last long though, as they were quickly overrun with thicker, darker hairs that began sprouting in between his pecs. They grew curly as they spread out, covering his entire chest in hair, spreading up across his collarbone and down across his slowly growing stomach. The new hairy coat was just another part of his insulation against the harsh winter weather. But the hairs didn’t stop there either. His pits erupted with thick wiry hairs, coating his underarms in curly hairs that trapped both heat and sweat. The hairs pushed out, tangling together as they formed a thick tuft of hair under each arm, even spreading out to connect with the rug on his chest. After each day of hard work he’d come home stinking like the other men he worked with, and over time he started to enjoy the musk he produced.

Of course he wasn’t done filling out his uniform quite yet. His formerly modest bush began growing with no end in sight, engulfing his groin in thick, wiry brown hairs that radiated out from his lengthening cock. Sometimes while on the site Justin would instinctively reach down in his pants to itch the growing bush, the feeling and texture of it driving him wild. With pubes erupting day and night his musk only grew stronger, as Justin began to truly have a manly aura around him that he’d never had before. It seemed to help him bond with the other guys more, as they welcomed him into their groups and invited him out more and more frequently. Underneath his work pants his legs bulked up considerably from carrying all sorts of materials around, followed closely by the same dark fur. It raced down his legs and coated them with curly hairs that rubbed against the inside of his increasingly tight jeans as he walked around, an almost arousing feeling. Within the first year of working Justin had gone up four sizes in his work boots, as his feet grew and widened to match the rest of him. The massive steel-toed boots hid how hairy his feet had gotten, with dark hairs covering the tops and toes.

The next year was largely the same. Justin continued slowly changing to better fit his new job. He was really beginning to excel at it, and he’d attained a close friendship with many of the men he worked with. It almost seemed as if he’d aged ten years over the last one, he certainly looked it at this point. His fur coat only thickened, growing even denser across his chest and stomach to the point you could barely see the skin beneath the hairs. Hair had also spread up and onto his shoulders before enveloping his massive back. The hairs gushed out across his shoulder blades before shooting down his spine and spreading out wide. The heavy coating slowly grew thicker and spread out further as time went on, reaching down to his ass. It too became covered with thick, dark hairs as it inflated to a truly massive size. During the warmer months sometimes he just wore his vest and hard hat, his incredibly thick hair covering the rest of him and sticking through his vest.

Justin earned the nickname ‘Grizzly’ from his coworkers after they saw how hairy he’d gotten, and his body had put on the size to match. Gone was the small but toned body of a wrestler, replaced by a thick, hairy, and sturdy body of a weathered construction worker. He oozed masculinity from not only his stained and dirty work clothes, but from the thick chest hair that he left his shirt open to show off. His entire body was now coated with a dense coat of hair and he liked to make that known, as long as he wasn’t caught against safety regulations at least. He never questioned why he’d changed so much in such a short span, it never even occurred to him, and honestly he liked his new life. He was just one of the guys working on the site now. The hair felt as natural to him as anything else, and the other guys seemed to like it even if they made fun of him once in a while. Occasionally when they went out drinking some of the guys would have too many beers and start rubbing their hands through his thick fur, but he didn’t mind at all. It felt good to be masculine, and to be appreciated for it by other guys. Months continued to pass though no one could really remember how long Justin had been working there at this point, but they were all glad he was there. He was the best construction worker on their team.

[cherryrikis]

BETTER LUCK TOMORROW - two ! case file

pairing : nishimura riki x reader

synopsis : after being in the wrong place at the wrong time, you (as well as your friends), were framed for the death of your brother and disappearance of your boyfriend. you all had no hope. no job, no money, none of you were even allowed to graduate. at least, until a stubborn kid on a dance scholarship suddenly acts as your savior, riki helps clear your name all for the sake of a school project.

this episode contains the following : 0.7k wc, statistics of ppl going missing but idk if it’s accurate, talking about bodies (once), mention of killing/death

previous | masterlist | next

[2024.9.30 - y.j choi / m.j kim interview : contacts #3 & #4]

contacted list : s.y kwon (1), j.y sim (2), y.j choi (3), m.j kim (4)

RIKI : are you okay with this interview being recorded and transcribed, especially in the event of these audio clips possibly being publicized?

YEONJUN : yes, i don’t mind.

MINJAE : [nods]

JUNGWON : minjae, sir. we’re gonna need you to verbally agree into the mic.

MINJAE : yeah. i’m fine with it.

RIKI : how did you feel about being assigned to the lee-park case?

YEONJUN : it was kind of a big break for me. if i solved, or, partook in solving this case, i would’ve been given better assignments and more opportunities. i kinda had a bad reputation for accidentally letting minor criminals go, but this really got the department to trust me more. i just wanted the respect, that’s all.

RIKI : minjae?

MINJAE : obviously because of the strike at the city hospital, they were short on paramedics. officers have to know medical basics, so we had a lot of our team volunteering at the ED. i was supposed to be one of them. but then your friend killed your other two friends, and we were so short staffed that they gave this crazy case to the departments rookies. i wanted no part in this, but i did feel satisfied after lee was brought down.

YEONJUN : [speaking to minjae] [inaudible]

MINJAE : [speaking to yeonjun] [quietly] don’t tell me to leave high school drama in the past. you didn’t even know why [inaudible] — between me and that group.

JUNGWON : can we bring the discussion back into the group, please?

MINJAE : i’m done here. don’t think i’m not watching you two, especially since you’re still going to school with my sister.

MINJAE : [he gets up and leaves the room]

JUNGWON : yeonjun, are you still available to answer more questions?

YEONJUN : of course, but just a few. we’re supposed to be expecting a big call in about an hour. sorry about minjae by the way. i know he has something against your friends, but im not sure what he has against you two specifically.

RIKI : all good. but, this is something i’ve been meaning to ask. why was jay’s body never found?

YEONJUN : yeah, uh.. the thing about that. jay park was a very unique case. heeseung lee, he was found dead within the first two weeks. only 3% of people stay missing for over a week, with much less chances of being found dead. that alone already had the department spooked. but jay.. 1% of people stay missing for over a month. yet jay was never found. ever.

YEONJUN : over a year after we first received the call, we had to legally declare him as dead. we just didn’t have the resources to keep looking for him. you know how bad crime is in los angeles.. but, i tried. he was so young, i wanted to keep looking. but the department couldn’t afford to.

RIKI : i’ll have to ask you about that part off the record. but, just one last question while i still have you. i notice you kept checking your walkie. why was heeseung’s cause of death never publicized?

YEONJUN : i.. i don’t..

YEONJUN : [sudden distinct noise via walkie talkie, calling his name]

YEONJUN : ah shit. this is the call we’ve been waiting for. i’m really sorry about that last question, but i’ll try to get back to you on that! [he reassures before rushing out the room]

JUNGWON : alone again.

RIKI : wait. do you remember the rules the teacher gave us?

JUNGWON : yeah, why?

RIKI : and you know how she said under no circumstances should we contact any families directly involved?

JUNGWON : you can’t be serious, riki. we are not talking to yn. i don’t get why you’re so obsessed with proving her innocent.

RIKI : because there’s no way it was her. i know yn, she couldn’t even kill a spider. you really think she’d kill her own brother and boyfriend? she loved jay and you know it.

JUNGWON : it’s always the ones you least expect it to be, you know how it is. maybe we didn’t know her as well as we thought.

RIKI : you may not want to talk to her, but i do and will. if you don’t want to help me then so be it. but when i’m done with her, i’ll contact sunghoon —

[ 8:23 of 8:23 recording ]

taglist ! @jiiyen @prettiestgirlontheplanet @hannicorpse @wonsboo @murazbae @stilesks @soobinbunnie5 @blvengene @r1kification @gyuvision @goldenmellow @ariluvssssss100 @who-tf-soddhi @mmurazz @jaemified @strawberrieswithchocolateo3o @heartheejake @hoonsdrnkdzd @wonkixo @yangjungwonnie @tya0

[daisynik7]

This is for your y2k!

“Photograph” by Ed Sheeran for Toji Fushiguro - angst

We keep this love in a photograph, we made these memories for ourselves.

Read Part Two - Make You Feel My Love

Pairing: Toji x f!reader

Word Count: ~3.1k

cw: implied family abuse, angst, some fluff, modern day-au, no curses au, a kiss, time skip

Summary: Toji Zenin is scary; he’s the most intimidating boy in your class. When you’re paired with him for a group project, you’re nervous that he’s as bad as he seems. However, you learn that behind that hard exterior is a person yearning just to be normal. 

Author’s Note: The first story for the y2k karaoke party! Inspired by “Photograph” by Ed Sheeran. Thank you @gojoshooter for submitting this song/request! I hope you like this one! Divider created by @/cafekitsune.

You meet Toji in high school, when you’re paired up randomly for a project during your last semester of senior year. He’s a transfer student, having just joined a month ago, introducing himself briefly with a scowl on his face, uninterested in anything. Aside from his obvious stature, the evident scar running across his mouth stands out. Most of your peers avoid him, intimidated by his overwhelming presence. He’s bigger than everyone else, both in height and muscle; he looks like someone you don’t want to mess with. Even teachers do their best to evade him, leaving him to his own devices in the back corner of the classroom. At least he isn’t disruptive; most of the time, he keeps to himself. 

Of course, in a school as small as yours, gossip spreads like wildfire. They say he comes from a prominent family, the “Zenin’s”. You’ve never heard of them; apparently, they are notoriously elitist and filthy rich. So, it surprises you that a son of the Zenin clan would attend a public school like yours rather than a private institution. Maybe he’s different. 

Everyone dreads group projects, let alone randomly assigned group projects. Everyone is on pins and needles, waiting to hear who their partner is. When your name follows his, your heart sinks into your belly. Sighs of relief wash over the rest of your classmates, thankful that they aren’t you. Taking a deep breath, you get up from your seat, slowly walking towards him. When you’re by his desk, he doesn’t look up. You clear your throat to say, “Hello. I guess we’re partners for this project.”

He scoffs, twirling a pen between his fingers, brows furrowed, irritated already. “Great,” he mutters, sarcastically. 

Okay, maybe he’s not different.

~~~

Your teacher calls this project “A Week in the Life”. Basically, you’re tasked to capture your partner’s daily routines throughout the week in the form of photographs. Each student is given a disposable camera, loaded and ready to use. Once developed, you’re supposed to put them together into a collage, decorating it however you desire. A short essay is also required, describing what you will learn about the other person after spending this time with them. You have an entire month to complete everything. Weekdays are repetitive, considering most of the day you’re in school; it’s the afternoons, nights, and weekends that set each person apart from the other.  

“I’m not inviting you into my house,” Toji says, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“But that’s part of the project. I’m supposed to see what you do on a daily basis.” You resist the urge to sound equally as annoyed, not wanting to start off on the wrong foot.

He glares at you, hunched over his desk. “I avoid going home as much as possible. That’s what I usually do.”

You swallow hard, unsure how to respond. Eventually, you murmur, “Well then, you can do me first. We’ll just figure yours out later.”

He shrugs, unenthused. “Whatever.”

You pull your phone out of your pocket, sliding it towards him. “Let’s exchange numbers so we can coordinate our schedules. We can start next week.” He doesn’t argue, pushing his cell to you to do the same. 

As planned, the following Monday, Toji begins taking random photos of you during the school day. It starts off in class when he captures you working at your desk. Other students are doing the same, so it isn’t as awkward as you expect it to be. Still, it feels odd being watched by Toji through the lens of the camera.

At lunchtime, he sits with you and your friends in the cafeteria, his big body smushed next to yours as you munch on your meal. You notice that he hasn’t brought anything to eat except for a protein bar and sports drink. Not thinking anything of it, you split your egg salad sandwich into two triangles, handing him one. He glances at it, then at you, confused. “What?”

“Eat it.”

He makes a face, taking it reluctantly, having the audacity to sniff it before taking a bite. When he doesn’t say anything, expression relaxing, you smile to yourself, satisfied. It’s gone two bites later, and from your peripheral, you see him lick the excess off his thumb. Mouth still full, he mumbles a brisk, “Thanks,” snapping his drink open to take a swig. 

After school, you attend a book club meeting that’s hosted every Monday by your friend. Toji snaps a photo of you and your group posing with your book for this month. Before you leave for dinner, a few of the girls whisper to you about how hot he is, how lucky you are to be paired up with such a hunk. How scary he comes off with his scowls and glares. They’re so loud, you’re certain he can hear, but he doesn’t mention anything about it. That is, until you’re alone with him, walking home together. 

“So, do you think I’m scary?” He has his hands in his pockets, looking down at the ground where he walks besides you. 

The question catches you off guard. “Huh?”

“Do you think I’m scary?” he repeats, looking at you now, smirking. 

You grin. “Maybe a little bit at first. Not so much anymore.”

“What changed?”

“I saw you inhale that sandwich. The tough guy act disappeared in that moment.”

“Hey, that thing was tiny. I could have swallowed it in one bite,” he chuckles, kicking a pebble on the ground. “And I’m not putting on a tough guy act. This is just who I am.”

You giggle softly, smiling at him. “Well, I’m looking forward to getting to know you better, Zenin.”

“Toji. Call me Toji.” 

~~~

Dinner with your parents goes by smoothly. You’ve prepared them for this special visitor, urging them to be on their best behavior and not judge a book by his cover. Naturally, your mother is startled when his big frame enters through the doorway, but when he bows to her, introducing himself respectfully, she eases up. After a quick tour of your house, Toji snaps shots of you helping your parents in the kitchen. With the whole spread laid out on the table, he takes another photo before you all gather around to eat. 

Much like earlier in the day, Toji scarfs his meal, mumbling out compliments to the chef. Your parents are thrilled, dropping more servings onto his plate, watching with pride as their cooking is devoured. You can’t help wanting to capture this memory, so you retrieve your own disposable camera from your backpack, taking his picture. He doesn’t seem to mind. 

The two of you eat ice cream sandwiches in your backyard while your parents wash the dishes. The sun is setting, beautiful golden streaks shining from the horizon. Your classmate takes a candid of you sitting on the patio chair, staring at the last moments of daylight. “Do your parents cook like that every day?” he asks, finishing off the last of his dessert.

“Nah, they just wanted to impress you.”

“Well, I am thoroughly impressed. That was the best meal I’ve had in a long time.”

After just one day with him, you feel comfortable enough to ask, hoping that it isn’t crossing the line. “Do you dislike eating at home?”

He doesn’t respond right away, thinking of his answer carefully. “Yeah, I do.”

“Why?”

He smirks, running his thumb along the scar on his lips. “Dinners at my house don’t always end in dessert, if you know what I mean.” 

Your jaw drops, unable to contain your reaction. “You’re saying…”

He leans back into his seat. “Yup. Got a knife thrown at me.”

“What?!” 

Laughing, he nods. “After that, I didn’t like having dinners there.”

You’re tempted to ask for the whole story, but you know it’s pushing it. Instead, you offer, “Well, you’re always welcome here.”

It’s a simple comment. To you, it’s nothing. Maybe it’s because you’re used to offering kindness to others; it’s what you were raised to do. It’s what the people around you do. It’s common. Second-nature, really. 

But as Toji stares at you, wearing an expression you’ve never seen before, one of genuine gratefulness, you realize that to him, it’s not nothing. It’s special. 

Throughout the remainder of the week, Toji spends practically his whole day with you, morning, noon, and night. During this time, you learn that his family is wealthy, though he chose to attend this school on his own will, just to spite them. He considers himself an outcast, the black sheep of the Zenin clan, so much so that he even refuses to associate himself with the family name. And while he’s sure he’s better off away from the snooty rich kids of the school he would have attended, his intimidating appearance and less-than-friendly attitude has made him an outcast amongst your peers. You feel guilty being part of the problem, judging him before getting to know him. He’s actually easy to talk to. It helps that he’s an open book about his personal life. 

Saturday, you plan to go to the aquarium with your family, inviting him to tag along for the project (and for fun). Toji is at your doorstep right on time, dressed in a tight black tee shirt and grey sweatpants, accentuating his chiseled figure. There’s no denying it; he’s very attractive. You’d be lying to yourself if you said it hasn’t crossed your mind. But Toji doesn’t need people to be attracted to him; he needs a friend. And that’s what you’ll be to him. 

It’s a fun day, observing all the fish and aquatic creatures swimming in their tanks. He takes pictures whenever it’s appropriate, covering the flash with his finger as to not disturb any of the animals inside. You eat lunch together in the cafeteria, Toji offering to pay for it as thanks for all the kindness he was shown this week. Near closing time, you take one last stroll through the jellyfish section, marveling at the wonderfully bizarre invertebrates floating in the water. 

“I’ve never been to an aquarium before,” he admits, quietly admiring them beside you. His eyes twinkle with the glow of the iridescent jellyfish swimming in front of him.  

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

You nudge him playfully. “So, what do you think?”

He smiles, rubbing the spot on his arm that you touched. “Better than I expected.”

~~~

The following week is his turn. The closest you get to his mansion of a home is on the outside, not even through the gates. 

“This is for your own good,” he warns, throwing a twig aggressively between the spaces of the iron bars. 

You snap a quick photo with your disposable, not questioning it. When you’re finished, he smirks. “So, ready for some real fun?”

Toji spends his days after school at various locations. Basically everywhere except his own home. The public library, the gym, arcades, shopping malls, cafés, you name it. He’ll eat dinner at whatever restaurant his stomach fancies at the moment: Ramen, Takoyaki, steak, even instant ramen, depending on his mood. And while his life seems fun from the outside, like a kid in a candy store, it’s lonely. Except for when he’s with you.

Saturday is different from the other days. On the weekends, he goes to the beach, bag packed with his favorite books and snacks, ready to relax on the sand with the waves crashing against the shore. He sets up a large umbrella to cover both of you as you settle into the big blanket laid flat. He passes you one of his books, a volume of his favorite manga. The two of you read in a comfortable silence, sharing a bag of chips, fingers brushing against each other’s whenever you reach at the same time. 

Out of the blue, he comments, “This is nice. It’s normal.”

Laughing, you reply, “What do you mean?”

He sets his book down, looking at you. “Nothing about my family is normal. It’s just nice to feel like a human instead of a failure.”

Your eyes widen, uncertain how to respond. Before you can say anything, he murmurs, “Sorry. I didn’t meant to kill the mood.”

You close the manga, smiling gently at him. “Don’t be. I can’t imagine what it’s like. My life is very normal.”

“That’s what I like about you, though.”

Heat rushes into your cheeks at his statement, and maybe it’s your imagination, but you see him blush. You’ve taken enough pictures to complete your project, but there’s still a bit of film left. “Let’s take a picture together,” you suggest, holding the camera in your hand, trying to lighten the mood.

“Seriously? Why?”

“To celebrate being normal, even if it just for a day.”

He grins, scooting closer to you. “Okay.”

You lean against him, both of you smiling, capturing the moment with the click of your finger. 

~~~

Toji doesn’t stop eating lunch with you. Even with your photos at the lab, being developed, he remains by your side, eating the extra sandwich you always pack for him now. Occasionally, he’ll stop by for dinner, always welcomed by your parents. On the other days, you accompany him to whatever restaurant he’s craving. 

When the photos are complete, you pick them up together, not wanting to share them yet, hoping to be surprised on the day they’re displayed in the classroom. At home, you compile the pictures into a stylish collage, decorating the borders with fun stickers, smiling as you gaze at each photo of him. One at the arcade, holding a toy guy in his hands with the high score flashing in the background. Another at the gym, where’s he’s kicking a punching bag, making it look far too easy. Finally, there’s the last photo you took at the beach, the two of you posing for the camera. It’s a cute picture, one that shows two people who live very different lives happily enjoying their time together. You tape it right in the middle. 

When everyone’s posters are hung around the classroom, many people flock to Toji’s, desperate for a glimpse in his mysterious life. Many gawk at the mansion behind the gates, unaware of the dark secrets it holds. The girls ogle the gym picture, while the boys admire it, asking for workout tips. Toji looks pleased with how his collage turns out, especially intrigued by the photo in the center. “You included the one of us, huh?” 

“It’s too cute, isn’t it? I had to include it.”

He smiles at you. “I totally agree.”

He walks you home that afternoon, a usual part of his routine now. Curious, you ask, “So, what did you write about me for your essay?”

“I wrote about how nerdy you are, going to class and willingly going to clubs after school. For fun,” he emphasizes, rolling his eyes, teasing you.

You poke his arm playfully. “And…?”

“I said that you and your family are really nice. And that your parents should be chefs,” he adds, grinning.

You laugh, hooking your arm around his. “That’s more like it.” 

Before you know it, you’re at one of the parks he frequents, sitting side-by-side at his favorite bench. “What did you say? About me?” he asks, staring at his hands in his lap. 

Without thinking, you rest your head on his shoulder. “That you’re not actually scary. You’re just you. And who you are is pretty great. Really great, actually.” 

There’s a pause while he processes what you said. Afraid that it’s too far, you attempt to back away from him, but he catches you first, pulling you in for a kiss. It’s hesitant, like he’s unsure if this is okay. And when you place your hand on his chest, feeling his quickening heartbeat race against your fingertips, the kiss deepens, his lips parting open to slide his tongue inside your mouth. Before it gets any further, he pulls off quickly. Electricity hangs in the air, buzzing on your lips, tingling on every inch of your skin.

“I’m sorry,” you apologize, throat heavy. “I shouldn’t have done that. I just thought – ”

“You’re right. You shouldn’t have,” he spits out, jaw clenched, avoiding your gaze. It’s a harsh voice you haven’t heard the entire time since the start of your friendship.

“But I thought you liked – ” 

“You’re wrong. I don’t. I – ,” he swallows, struggling to get the words out. “And I never will.” He stands up, turning his back towards you, leaving you alone with tears streaming down your face, embarrassed, confused, and heartbroken. 

It’s the last time you’ll see of him. He doesn’t come back to class after that incident. Rumor has it that he came in early the next morning to gather all his belongings, which wasn’t much to begin with. There’s more gossip about it, of course, ridiculous chatter. Eventually, they fade, and his name is no longer uttered by anyone, including you. Months pass, and gradually, new memories overtake the old ones. Life goes on without him. You don’t notice the center photo of your collage is gone until you collect it at the end of the schoolyear. 

He’ll never tell you that it’s for your own good. That turning his back on you is the best option to keep you safe. No matter how much he opens up to you, his reality is much worse than you can ever know. Hurting you is his way of protecting you. Because loving you is too dangerous, especially for someone like him.  

~~~

Ten years later, you’re an elementary school teacher in your hometown. You planted yourself right where your roots grew. There is nothing but grand memories in this place you’re lucky to call your home. The only exception is the abandoned plot of land where the Zenin mansion was demolished a few years ago without any explanation. You preserve its memory in the form of a tattered photograph, forgotten somewhere in your closet.

Today, there’s a new student transferring into your kindergarten class; an adorable little boy with jet black hair and long eyelashes named Megumi. He reminds you of someone from your past, someone you kept buried in the back of your mind a while ago, for your own sanity.

Little do you know that on the other side of the door, Toji Fushiguro leans against the wall, listening carefully to your familiar voice introducing yourself to his son. He smiles to himself, the month you shared together all those years ago fondly replaying in fast forward in his mind. He’s no longer a Zenin, unleashed from the cruelty of his ancestry, liberated from the life he was cursed with from birth. Free to love who he wants without fearing that their life is in danger by the hands of his wretched family. 

He sticks his hands in his pocket, fingers brushing along the corners of the withered photo of the two of you smiling at the beach. With a deep breath, he grips the handle of the door, finally ready to face you at long last.

[kazumist]

CLICHÉ TROPES WITH THEM .ᐟ

✩ — includes: various x gn!reader. fluff and crack. no cws. wc: 1603 (yeah i know it's pretty long). reblogs and feedback are very much appreciated !! :D

diluc — !

the one trope where the two main characters end up living together. you were going to move in with kaeya, who was also a good yet troublesome friend of yours. but you ended up meeting his brother at the doorstep with his luggage instead of him? that’s quite peculiar. you loved kaeya, you really did, but making you live with someone you rarely even know (you both know each other’s names but nothing other than that) just to spice up your life? it’s something that you’d definitely hate him for.

but hey, at least you get to live with someone less troublesome and actually do chores properly, right? oh, how wrong you were; diluc was worse than kaeya. yes, he knows how to cook and clean, as well as other chores, but communicating with him is one of your main problems. more headaches that you have with him are that you never have the same opinion with him, unlike you did with kaeya. so much for hoping that they’d at least be a bit similar. however, there’s still hope to get along with him, right?

childe — !

the trope where it’s idiotic love but also mutual pining in high school. both of you know that the other likes them back, but you both deny it, thinking that it’s some mistake. your relationship with childe is quite frustrating—from those small hugs and the moments of the two of you laughing when he walks you home from school, it’s frustrating to the point that both of your friends abandoned you on your problem and decided that the two of you suffer with it alone.

there’s also the festival, where you and childe just ditch the whole event and chill at some abandoned playground. you got to know each other better, yet you’re both scared to admit your feelings—the hesitation is quite obvious if either of you try to bring up the topic. but finally! you and childe decided to go by the bridge to watch the fireworks more closely, and that’s when the two of you finally confessed. there wasn’t the "kiss under the fireworks" kind of thing; no, childe was leaning on the bridge too much to see the fireworks clearly, to the point that he fell and pulled you with him into the water. so all of your mutual pining and stupidity just resulted in you and childe freezing! how romantic indeed!

xiao — !

childhood friend to lovers, but your romantic moments always get interrupted (plus, you’re dense about xiao’s feelings). everyone always comments on how the two of you look, but you and xiao always shake it off, saying that "we’re just close friends, nothing special." but when did "close friends" accompany each other to go shopping? when did "close friends" decide to hold hands frequently, even in public, with your other friends?

there were a lot of moments of xiao wanting to express his romantic perceptions to you, but every time he attempted it, he got unfairly disturbed by someone calling you on your phone or someone entering the scene. it was frustrating; xiao doesn’t show it, though. but maybe now is not the time to confess just yet? he’ll get his chance soon.

albedo — !

he’s the quiet art kid who always works near the back of the classroom. you two got paired up for an important project. (mind you, it was a mixed-class thing. albedo is in another class while you were in a different class too.) but the thing is, you know nothing about art, nor did you really have good grades for it. you were basically the hopeless one between you and albedo but he was willing to help you learn the usual basics. he was rather patient with you; even if you made errors, he wasn’t strict with his teaching, nor was he angered by how much of a slow-paced learner you are.

he was just... calm during your moments together. but alas, good times have their endings, and you two luckily finished your project. you’d admit it—you had fun with albedo. to the times where you would chase each other to smudge paint on each other’s faces or the times where you would accidentally fall asleep while working on your project, leaving albedo to do the majority of it—you’ll miss it. however, there’s still a chance that you can spend more time alone together, right?

kaeya — !

the flirty coworker who seems to slack off most of the time but actually gets his work done. your work space is right next to his, which gives him more access to bother you even further. you really wonder how he gets his job done—or how he still even works at the place—when all you can remember are his cheesy pick-up lines and questions about whether he could treat you to dinner. kaeya would never shut up when he was around you. he’s always blabbering about the most random things. even though it does seem like you aren’t interested, you actually pay attention to his ramblings.

kaeya is somewhat the person who makes your work experience quite interesting, even though all he does is ramble and flirt with you. you didn’t mind his flirtatious actions, but you can’t really say if it would be a good decision. does he do this to other people too? or are you the only one he ever bothers to even flirt with? you didn’t know. he makes you so confused, to the point that it’s frustrating. and so you confront him, asking him if he’s just doing all of it for boredom or if he's actually willing to try a relationship with you. the second that kaeya would hurriedly press his lips against yours, you got your answer: you were the only one he ever bothered this much.

zhongli — !

you and he are both teachers who are shipped together by the majority—a very old trope. if childe (who was also your fellow coworker as a teacher) hadn’t start teasing you on how you and zhongli spend your breaks together, then the school wouldn’t have known. you truly do enjoy your breaks with zhongli; you two just chatter about how the other has been or introduce new things that the other doesn’t seem to know about. nothing too romantic, right? but what if the teasing and shipping that childe had started actually made you have second thoughts if you were catching feelings for him?

kazuha — !

awkward and silent bookworm who wants to have his peace and quiet, but you always disturb him. until one day you didn't, and he gets confused, but that’s when he realizes that he actually likes you and your bubbly self. kazuha had always appreciated and even enjoyed his time with you. he just didn’t know how to show it. he didn’t know how to say that he adores how you talk, how he loves it when you get happy at the smallest things, and how he gets ever so lovestruck when you flash him that smile that he knows was directed at him.

kazuha doesn’t know how to say all of this in the flowery words his mouth spills, so his only choice is to keep quiet about it. to keep it to himself, but he knows one day he has to let it out. and he did. during the one day you weren’t cheery like you usually are, kazuha knew something was up. it took you a while to let it out, but you eventually told him how you felt so tired with all of the schoolwork and how exhausted you were to even stop being all happy. kazuha listened to you and even gave tips on how to maintain your school life, and you never felt so grateful for meeting him. maybe one day he'll also get his chance.

thoma — !

the trope where he’s a popular yet stupid senior. he has really bad grades, so you were asked to tutor him for your upcoming final exams of the year, or else he would have to repeat a school year instead of moving up. you were simply too smart for people around your age, but you didn’t want to comply. (you did anyways because who knows what the consequences will be?) and so the two of you had an awkward start. with thoma scratching his neck as you stare him down with the most neutral look a person can pull, that’s how your tutoring sessions started.

when the exam results came, and wow! thoma passed! and that means he gets to move on with life, but that also means that he has to leave the school, and he’ll never see you again! you weren’t planning to get attached to him, but you did. and you weren’t that shy to admit that you’d always crack up whenever thoma would act all goofy around you during your tutoring sessions. and thoma loved it when you looked so calm whenever you taught him. he may or may not have pulled that one move where he would tuck your hair behind your ear just so he could see your face better. just who knew you’d develop feelings for a guy like him?

scaramouche — !

you’re each other’s academic enemies. and not only that, you compete between smarts; you both fight over anything, maybe even everything. everyone would tease you both, saying things like, "just confess already! we know you two like each other!" or something like that. but did you? did you actually have feelings for each other but were too proud to admit it, so you two just fought about it? maybe. just maybe.

[justevelynnnn]

Black and Purple.

Notes: So now i like Mr. Hitoshi. I used to reallyyy like him a couple yrs ago and ig here we r again🤭 So basically this is gonna be a mini series of mine like idk 3 posts? I don’t wanna call them chapters..

Content: Hitoshi Shinso x afab, Blk!Goth!reader

- You were weird. You’re quirk was weird and so was the music you listen to or how you dressed which, could be blamed on your quirk.

- When you were younger, like up until kindergarten, you were really feminine and pink and peppy. Until you got your quirk.

- When you were 5 it activated for the first time. It was halloween and you dressed up as a witch. Door to door you tried to look as scary as possible. You got to your neighbors house and when she opened the door you stood and did your creepiest face knocking she was terrified of witches. Oh this would be good.

- Hmmm, it was maybe a bit too good…

- She opened the door and screamed. You and your mother were a bit taken aback..you were 5 were you really that scary?

- Turns out the neighbor saw a much more creepier version…

- You later learned that your quirk was meant to play on people’s fears and paranoia causing people to hallucinate or hear things not there. The doctor you saw called it paranoia. So that was it, your quirk was just Causing paranoia.

- Your parents had emotion related quirks too but this? It seemed….villainous.

- Your life changed that day. Kids were scared of you. Teachers too. You only got good grades even if you didn’t try on work. You could do anything and never get in trouble because if people knew what you could do to them it was over.

- You spent most of your life from that day lonely and sad. You always wanted to be a hero but this was just such an obstacle. You started getting darker..

- And this appearance change did not help your case at all.

- Anyways time skip to your UA days. Yes you got in. But not in the way you hoped.

- You were in class C.

- You we’re jealous of the lucky people in Classes A and B. But you felt if you tried hard enough you could get bumped up.

- The first few weeks of school you just sat in the back of the class. You didn’t really speak to anyone.

- However you did start to catch a certain purple hair boy staring at you often.

-One day you finally looked over at him and asked, “What do you want?”

- He shrugged and went back to doing his work.

- You knew him just a little and mostly because his quirk. Secretly you wanted to get to know him more and his quirk. But you had become so anti social you just couldn’t. He didn’t seem the type to strike up conversation either but luckily for you he was interested enough in you to try.

- “Hey.”

- You looked up from packing your backpack as class was over.

-Quirking an eyebrow you wanted to know what this guy wanted now.

- “What do you want?”

- “Careful, i’m trying to be nice here Morticia.”

- “Ok, i’m sorry, but no one talks to me out of nowhere.”

- “Interesting… I wonder why..”

- You rolled your eyes. Was he playing dumb, being sarcastic?

- “How about you? You don’t seem so popular yourself sir.”

- “No i’m not…and i think it’s because of my you know what..”

- “Same here.” You thought about this next part, “Wanna talk about it?”

- He didn’t seem like much of a talker especially about his quirk but he took interest in you so it’s only fair you do the same back.

- To your surprise he nodded. Then he added, “Only if you talk about your situation too.”

- So you two left class and walked around talking about your quirks and how it isolated you both from everyone. You talked about your get up and he talked about why he has eyebags.

- You learned you both had almost the same life, we’re night owls, had the same ambitions and loved cats.

- Before you both knew it, it was dark out.

- “Thanks for talking to me, Shinso. I haven’t said this many words since my junior high science project presentation.”

- He chuckled slightly and thank you back.

- He walked you to the street your house was at and waved goodbye.

- You never had a crush on anyone but Shinso…he evoked a whole new feeling.

- Everyday you two would talk about any and everything. It was so nice to see him open up. And surprisingly he was such a gentleman too..

- The sports festival was coming up and you really wanted to go but said nothing. You saw Shinso signing up one day and asked him about it.

- “You’re really serious about this huh?”

- He just nodded.

- “Well, i believe in you Shin..” You smiled.

- “I think you’d do pretty good out there too yknow. You should sign up. Scare some of those pros.”

- You were shocked. He really believed in you? You barely believed in yourself. You were extremely lacking in the physical department so you were nervous to go up against anyone honestly. You wondered how Shinso was so brave himself. If someone doesn’t answer him it would be over..

- “You really think so??” You asked.

- He just nodded again and handed you the pen as he walked away.

-You stares at the sign up sheet for a bit. And then you did the unthinkable.

- You wrote your name.

- The day came and you were a wreck. You didn’t even do your usual makeup and kept your face bare.

- Shinso noticed your face and patted your back. “You’ll do amazing. Even if you don’t, you tried and that’s saying something right?”

- He smiled. He was not the best motivational speaker but he helped you just a tad.

- When it was your turn you were up against some green haired boy named Izuku. He had just defeated your friend so you were a bit fired up now. You saw all he could do was flick his fingers and send waves of power out which was..odd.

- Your quirk allowed you to see people’s fears and anxieties. You quickly accessed this boy, peering into his life. You saw what he was afraid of. Failure.

- You stared into his soul as the game started and activated your quirk. He started to attack but stopped once he heard, booing?

- He started to look around and see people pointing at him and laughing and booing his name and gagging and and and.. what was happening??? He was frozen.

- Then he heard whispers in his ear. Like the most unmotivatonal things ever. The sky got darker and you started your final move. You snapped your fingers and he looked at you to see your eyes roll back to your head as you smiled your most creepiest smile ever as it started “raining” burning metors. Izuku ran out the ring in pure fear to avoid get “hit”.

- The whole time you just stood there smiling an of course the snapping your fingers part. Once Izuku was out of bounds he saw how reality finally snapped back.

- You won..

- Well you didn’t win in the end, losing to Bakugo, but you got 4th place.

- And still plenty of pros came over to you to ask you how your quirk worked and offered you internships. Even kids from Class 1-A came to talk to you. It was amazing to be seen for once. You were quite popular now in fact.

- Later you heard a voice; “See i knew you’d do great…” Shinso said after everything was over and the room you were in was empty.

- You then ran up to him and hugged him. He was shocked. He wasn’t used to touches but here you were. The most prettiest girl ever, hugging him.

-“Thank you…” You said into his chest.

- He blushed and looked away. “Don’t mention it…”

- “No, really. You just changed my fucking life dude…Thank you so much.” You said pulling back looking him in his eyes.

- He just smiled.

- You held his hand as you two left that day. Your heart filled with joy. It wouldn’t be long before He asked you out finally…😉

More notes: anyways if y’all haven’t seen on my latest post, i started college and i work so i’m like really busy everyday, all the time. So idk the posts r gonna be kinda slow 😭👋🏾 but yeah i’m still alive, i still got my plug!connie and nerd!armin drafts but i’m saving those for when i’m really slumped and can���t put nothing out for a while so if ur waiting sorry 😵‍💫😔 also this is not proofread…

[basicallyjaywalker]

Trying To Make Something Out of Clay

It only took me getting back at school to finish editing this! I am not kidding good grief

Anyways! At long last @cboffshore I deliver you: JAY! my specialty

Prompt: Jay, Look Who’s Inside Again by Bo Burnham, eagle, fastidious, pardon, clay, separation, earthquake, and protest

AO3 Link

Fic also under the cut!

Pottery classes wouldn’t have been Jay’s first idea for a birthday gift to himself, but he could never dodge his mother’s chipper voice in his head. 

Coupons! They’re like an excuse to do things. Always keep your eyes out for the real deals… From there, she’d go into a spiel about good versus bad deals, ones designed to make you spend money rather than save it, and eventually that would develop into discussions of unit prices and store brands and what-have-you about “mother’s know-how.” 

All that to say, when the coupon came in for “Free Pottery Lessons!” with the purchase of a starter pack, Jay knew how to calculate the value. Cost was the starter pack, lessons would cover all of the basics of pottery, he would be able to make more cool gifts for his friends and family… worth it. Plus, the studio said once he finished his lessons, he was still welcome to come back and use their equipment to mold and fire the clay. Plus plus, if he decided he didn’t like it, he could always use the clay and tools in the starter kit for another project. No matter what, there wasn’t a way to lose! His mom would be so proud. 

And that was how he ended up sitting in front of a clay-stained table, almost a month after his birthday, sculpting. Now Nya’s birthday was coming up and he was making her a seagull figurine. Unfortunately, they hadn’t gotten to the “figurine” part in his basics classes, so Jay was having to wing it with what he knew. However, what he knew seemed to be very lumpy and not very gull-like. 

He frowned, examining the vaguely bird-shaped lump of clay on the table. Its legs were short and thick, holding the uneven, bulbous body up off the table. Jay had thought he made wings, but they seemed to be lost within the sinking mass. The head was little more than a drooping oval, the end of which molded into the torso much too high up (or maybe this gull's neck was just in the middle of its spine). 

… Yeah, he couldn’t pass this off as a seagull. He could barely pass it off as a bird. Maybe he should just make Nya something else.

 Just as he reached to put his tools up, the studio door opened behind him and he spun around to see his teacher, Kat, in her clay stained apron.

“Ah, pardon me,” She smiled at him and raised her hand in a wave, it was stained reddish orange, “just grabbin’ somethin’ for my next group. Whatcha makin’?”

“Something for Nya,” Jay said, trying to shield the misshapen heap from her view. The light-up grin on Kat’s face told him he failed. 

“What a lovely turtle! I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“It’s supposed to be a seagull.”

“Oh.” 

Jay sighed. “Yeah, we’re not quite there yet.”

“Well,” she clapped her hands together, sending a few splatters of rust-colored clay flying, ”trust the process! It’ll turn out swell, I’m sure. Do you need a reference?”

“That might help,” was what he said out loud. What he thought was, I know what a seagull looks like. I don’t think looking at another one is going to help. Still, he managed to hold his tongue. As much as he liked Kat, some days, her teaching just bugged him. She always went on about “the process.” Trust the process! Everything looks bad until it’s done! Sometimes, it even looks bad after, it’s just the artist's way. 

As she left the room, Jay continued ruminating on that idea. Trust the process. He stared at the ugly lump on his table. He wasn’t sure “the process” could save this one. Still, he supposed giving it a try was better than giving up. 

Frowning, he tried to fix the head, adding some clay to make it rounder, more… sharp? Less like a turtle. A few globs there, a dab here, some shaping… hey! Now that was a seagull. The legs could use some carving, but they were sleeker now; he could actually make out the shape of wings in the blobby body, and the neck wasn’t coming out of the middle of the spine! Jay could almost envision the thing trying to steal his french fries on the beach, as long as he was squinting really, really hard. Slowly, he drew his hands away.

Immediately, the head drooped and detached from the rest of the body.

“Oh, come on!” Jay exclaimed just as Kat walked back in and interrupted what was about to be a long string of words about the clay, gravity, and the concept of seagulls in general. In her hands she cradled a majestic gull perched on a rock, caught mid-caw.

“This is from one of our old students. She left it here and never came back, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you used it as reference.”

“Thanks.” Jay took the figurine and examined it. It was a simple shape, lots of round circles, and some small details for the wings and feet. It looked easy enough to make. Looked being the keyword. 

Kat looked at the self-decapitated bird and tilted her head. “Fix-it attempt gone horribly, horribly wrong?”

He nodded, pursing his lips. 

“You’ll get it,” she said, spirited as ever, “it just takes some time to master, y’know? New skills and all that.”

He nodded again. She’d told him the same thing during his first few lessons, when the teacup he tried to make for Master Wu ended up looking more like a soup bowl made by an avant-garde artiste. He knew she was right, it was just the way learning went, but it didn’t stop the nagging irritation he felt staring at the pathetic pile of muddy material in front of him. 

“I’ve gotta get my next class started, lemme know if you need anything else.”

One last nod and Kat was gone, leaving him alone again. Jay sat down and continued to stare at the distended body. He placed his new reference next to it and felt the minute bit of confidence that sprouted from his forming gull fly away. 

Maybe he could pass his off as a seagull that went through a tsunami or earthquake. Then again, that felt a little too morbid. Maybe a mutant seagull, left alive to propagate his species after a nuclear apocalypse wiped out the rest, save for him and the perfect specimen sat beside him, a symbol of a simpler time? 

No, that was too far-fetched. 

Sighing, Jay figured his best way out was to start from scratch. He pushed the majestic reference gull out of the blast radius before slamming his fist down on his failure. The wet clay gave easily under the force, body and head merging into one flat, knuckle-imprinted puddle. Jay knew it wasn’t necessary—and rather messy—to do it this way, but it allowed him some sort of catharsis. That alone made it worth the bit of splash onto his apron and face. 

Now, he could start again. 

His hands started to shape the clay, eyes focused on the reference as he tried to imitate the product in front of him. He didn’t need the rock, just the bird. That was enough of a change to keep it from being plagiarism, right? Could you plagiarize a clay sculpture?

As he worked, his mind wandered. Initially, it was just about the concept of plagiarism and if copying the reference counted. He was pretty sure he watched a video recently on that. Could one plagiarize an artstyle the same way they plagiarized research? Then it moved to the feeling of the clay. It squished under his hands like mud, but held like a sand castle. He used to build sand castles in his yard, when he was too young to help his parents build their various projects. His mom would give him a water bottle and tell him his job was to make a palace for the nearby ants to live in. Jay took his job very seriously, working fastidiously far after his parents went inside and even when Edna tried to call him in for dinner. He never truly mastered the art, despite various attempts to mimic the grandiose castles he saw in the storybooks his father used to lull him to sleep. His castles always ended up a solid mound. No doors, no windows, and definitely no rooms where the creatures nearby could rest. 

Well, that little memory didn’t bode well for this project. 

Jay clenched his jaw and forced himself to focus on the task at hand, but still his thoughts swirled about his head like a storm. He was good at so many things, how come castles and seagulls outsmarted him? He was an inventor, for First’s sake! Sure, he fell out of practice recently, but he’d done it his whole life! Surely no one loses skills that fast, right? All his years of practice should amount to something, should translate to making a clay bird? But wires and gears and cogs were so much different than clay. They were rigid, fixed. They fit together like pieces of a puzzle and always worked as intended. They were predictable. Clay wasn’t like that. It morphed not only under the weight of its creator’s hands, but under its own. Sometimes, it held its shape perfectly, strong like a tree in a storm. Other times, as Jay experienced over his time learning to sculpt pots and cups, it drooped or flattened or folded itself over like a cloud rolling over the horizon. Capricious, that’s the word he would use to describe it. Clay was capricious.

Okay, maybe inventing wasn’t his best comparison. He rifled through his skills toolbox again. An art form would serve better as a comparison. Painting? Paints could be difficult too. When he first started learning, driven by the small pieces his father used to make of the night sky, he hated it. The paints always turned to a muddy mess on his canvases, leading him to ruin more than one still-wet attempt by throwing it into the sand. He only got the hang of it after sitting down with his dad one day, both of them looking to capture a gorgeous eagle that landed in their junkyard. It was rare to see them in the Sea of Sands, as they preferred the shores of Ninjago more, but here this one was, perched on a pile of scrap his dad pulled out for a project the day before. At first, Jay didn’t understand why his dad had a sketchbook and pencil out or why he took a picture of the bird. Instead, Jay went straight to trying to capture its glossy feathers and curved beak, only to be vexed when the browns and whites he was using merged into one murky beige. He tried to fix it, but the problem only worsened until, with a yell, he scribbled over the whole thing in black. The commotion frightened the bird away, which only served to heighten Jay’s frustration. Great. Great! The bird was gone. Now he had to remember what it looked like to try and paint it again. 

That was when his father picked up his painting, examining the mess he made. He commented on how they would have to repurpose the canvas for something else and Jay felt a hot flush of shame hit his cheeks. He apologized for his outburst, but his dad just patted his head and sat with him. He explained how painting wasn’t just about putting paint on the canvas, but how you needed a sketch to start with so you could have an idea of how to make the picture by hand, how to plan your layers so your colors wouldn’t all mix, and how to control your brush so there were no stray bumps in the smooth lines. Jay still didn’t fully get it, but this time he actually finished the painting. It was rough, looking closer to a pigeon than an eagle, but it was dry and not covered in sand. His dad hung it up in their living room. 

Maybe Jay could draw on his painting skills. Paint was finicky, often felt like it had a mind of its own. Surely, there was something within this childhood memory that could help him out now?

Splat.

The noise roused Jay from his thoughts. In his daydreaming, he’d pulled the neck of the gull out too thin and the head—which was just a little bead at the end of the spaghetti string—now drooped on the table. 

Dammit. 

Jay squished the horror noodle back into the body and checked his watch. The place closed in an hour. He’d made no progress. His deadline wasn’t imminent (Nya’s birthday wasn’t for another few weeks) but it still weighed heavy on his mind. He wanted to get something done today, before Kat asked him to clean up. There was no telling when an attack on Ninjago might drag him away from this, swallowing his time and bringing the date closer and closer until he was forced to rush the project to completion.

Change of plans. He wasn’t good at sculpting, but he wasn’t willing to switch to painting. He was going to make the most of this studio and his work so far. He was good at engineering. He stared at the clay. This gull wasn’t a sculpture, it was a… a machine! Like Zane’s Falcon. Yeah, he could work with that.

First step of the process, separate the parts. Separation was easy, since the limbs of this bird seemed intent on breaking apart. There was the head, the wings, the feet, the torso… he could break those down further! The head had eyes, a beak, feathers on top? Little hairs? Whatever. The point was, he could break it down. He could maybe get somewhere with that.

What next? He had the parts, now he had to figure out how they fit together. The bird needed a base, otherwise its feet would be too small for its body (or alternatively, to support itself its feet would need to be comically large, which must’ve been why the original had a rock base). Then, the torso rested on the feet. The wings then melded to the torso, becoming almost part of it. The head was connected by the neck, which needed to be enough to set it apart from the body, but not too long and skinny that it would fall. That’s where his issue was. The first-forsaken neck. Solve that, he solved the whole thing.

Maybe he was a genius. Maybe he’d finally cracked the code! …Okay, maybe he already knew that was the problem, but breaking it down helped! The storm in his brain calmed and he could focus his attention on the task at hand: fixing this stupid bird before Kat—

“Hey, Jay!”

Are you kidding me?

Kat bounded over, her apron, arms, and even parts of her face stained orangish brown with clay. She grinned from ear to ear as she settled back into her spot across from Jay. “How’s it going?”

“Eh, fine. I’m just trying to figure out how to make the neck work.” He sighed and rolled his eyes. “I can’t figure out how to make it look like a neck, y’know? Like… How do birds even function? I know their necks aren’t super complicated, but it’s like I put the head on and it all goes splat!”

“Have you been using an armature?” 

“...what?” 

Kat burst into giggles. “You’ve not been using an armature this entire time? It’s what helps the clay keep its shape. You’ve been freeballing it?”

“I didn’t know!” Jay protested. This whole time he’d been missing a key part of the body—robotic, flesh, or clay—skeleton! Muscles! That’s why the stupid bird kept self-decapitating! It had no bones! How hadn’t I realized?!

Kat leaned over, examining the bird while Jay’s face cycled through shades of red. “Well, in that case, as an act of freestanding feathered figurine formation, you haven’t done a half bad job.” She held her hand out. “And if you can come back tomorrow, I’ll show you how to make a wire armature. Then, we can get you going on this project, for real this time. Deal?”

“I’ll try to make it.” Jay sighed and held his hand out, still covered in clay. “Deal.”

After a messy handshake, Jay washed, put away his tools, gathered his things, and left. The late afternoon sun hung lazily above the horizon, not ready to dip fully out of sight, leaving the sky a brilliant, cloudless azure. The golden light reflected off the lush zelkova trees that lined the sidewalk outside, turning the leaves chartreuse. Crickets chirped quietly at their feet and in their branches, warming up for their song later in the evening. Other than that, the streets were quiet. Warm rays hit his face and he sighed. In the distance, he could smell something cooking, maybe a barbecue in the residential area a few blocks over? His stomach growled. It really was time for him to head home.

Tomorrow, he’d come back and make an armature. Then, that stupid bird would finally come into form. 

All things considered, Jay figured he made good on that coupon. Free figurine lessons! And he didn’t even have to buy a second kit. Plus, something about working, letting his thoughts roam free… Jay wasn’t sure what it was, but he was excited to go back there soon, and there wasn’t much more to say about that.

[dumbasslesbi2]

But I Thought You Had a Girlfriend? ~ Chapter 3 (Agatha x Rio Students AU)

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Summary:

Agatha are now an official couple! Now they just have to present their art pieces but will they be able to talk pubically about their relationship?

Notes:

Hi everyone! Here's another chapter for y'all! I hope y'all enjoy this one, I know it's a bit longer than the last two. As always please tell me if there's any misspelling or grammatically incorrect stuff, I have dyslexia so sometimes I miss some stuff.

After the sleepover Agatha and Rio continued with the project as well as their relationship. At first people at the school were shocked to see the two dating as everyone thought they were an unlikely duo. Neither of them cared though and were more than happy with each other. Even within the small amount they’ve been together, they both were able to lift and help each other. Rio actually started to care about classes and studying more since Agatha basically forced her and would reward her in kisses. Agatha learned how to relax and be ok with not a perfect A since Rio would always comfort her and tell her that she’s already perfect. After about a month in of doing art dates every weekend, they finally finished their portraits. Both of them couldn't have been happier with the results and were excited to present them to the class. It was the night before the presentation, Rio couldn’t sleep and maybe she was a bit stoned. She couldn’t break some habits and weed was one of them. She walked all the way from her house to Agatha’s since she was missing her. She started knocking on Agatha’s window since luckily her house didn’t have stairs. Agatha’s light turned on and she slowly got up to see what the noise was. It was almost 3am and honestly she just wanted to go back to sleep. 

As she opened the curtains, she was faced with a pretty stoned Rio who was pressing kisses into Agatha’s window. “Rio what the hell are you doing here?!” Agatha yell whispered to Rio, hoping not to wake her mother. “I missed my baby” Rio said, pouting at Agatha. “Oh my fucking god, of course you’re high. I should have known” Agatha says with a huff while helping Rio through her window. “I’m sorry sweetheart, I’m just so nervous for tomorrow” Rio said, clinging to Agatha. “It’s ok, let's just cuddle in bed. Text me before you do stuff like this” Agatha replied to Rio. She went to turn off the light and when she turned around Rio was already in bed doing grabby hands at Agatha. “Now, tell my what’s wrong Rio” she said while trying to cuddle Rio. “I mean I know we’re out but we haven’t like said much to people and like, uh, I don’t know. I’m just scared” Rio told Agatha, hiding her face in her chest. “Mmm, you never care what people say? I think there’s something else you’re not telling me” Agatha replied to Rio, looking down at Rio. “I mean, ya I guess there is something else. But now I feel you’re gonna hate me for saying it” said Rio, burying her head deeper. “Rio I won’t be upset, you can tell me anything” said Agatha, cupping Rio’s face to make her look at her. “I can’t, it’s not right” Rio said, tears forming in her eyes. “Rio, please. I wanted to hold off on this but, I-I love you” Agatha said, tears now forming in her eyes. “Oh baby, I love you too but I’m high. I wanted to say this sober” Rio told her, tears now streaming down her face. “Oh Rio, it’s okay. I know you meant it no matter what” Agatha replied, kissing her forehead. Rio looked back at Agatha in awe but then went in for an actual kiss. It was soft and tender, she expressed all her feelings of love for her in a single kiss. Agatha was taken aback by how emotion and love was in the kiss. After a while Agatha felt as if she couldn’t breathe and moved away from the kiss even though she didn’t want it to end. She opened her eyes to find Rio starring back at her and she couldn’t help but giggle. 

The both started giggling and Rio couldn’t help herself from kissing up on Agatha’s neck. “I love you Agatha Harkness. You are a beauty that the world has never seen” said Rio, Holding on to her harder. “I love you too, Rio. You’re  my angel, flung out of space” Agatha told her, kissing her shoulder. “Wow you really are lesbian, quoting Carol is kind of cringe” Rio said, leaning back to look at Agatha. “Hey! It was a good movie”Agatha interjected," smacking Rio’s butt. “Ow! Watch out I might start liking it” Rio said, giggling while looking at Agatha. “Shut up, we need to sleep. It’s still a school night you know” Agatha told Rio, turning to face the other way. “Sorry”Rio said, wrapping herself around Agatha. It was silent for a couple minutes but Rio couldn’t help herself. “Hey Agatha?” Rio questioned, seeing if her girlfriend was still awake. “Yes?” Agatha said with a groan. “I love you” said Rio, pressing a kiss into her back. “I love you too” Agatha said, taking one of Rio’s hand and kissing her palm.

When they awoke Rio was able to leave Agatha’s without her mother noticing. They made sure to wake up a bit earlier than usual so Rio would have time to walk back to her house and still get to school on time. Luckily both were able to get to school on time and even able to talk before. Agatha was at her locker, checking her schedule and switching out her textbooks until she felt a pair of arms come around her. “Hi baby” she said without even turning or looking back. “How do you know it was me and not someone trying to steal you?” Asked Rio, giving Agatha’s head a kiss. “ First of all we’re at school so why would anyone try and do that. Second, I can tell it's you cause you like to put all your weight on me so when you do that so it forces me to turn around and face you” she told Rio, still putting some books away. “I- well- ugh, I hate how you read me so well” Rio told her, kissing her shoulder. Agatha finally turns around after putting all her stuff away and closes her locker. “You'd be shocked how well you can read a person when they spend almost everyday with you and even sneak into your bedroom at night after a month together,” Agatha said, cupping Rio’s face and giving her a quick peck. “Oh by the way, I already set the pieces up in the art room so you don't have to grab them,” Rio said, giving Agatha a peck back. “Thank you sweetheart. I love you” Agatha said, giggling and kissing Rio again.”You're welcome, I love you too” Rio told her, giggling as well.

“Alright love birds break it up” Alice said, walking towards the couple. Rio couldn't help but hiss at Alice jokingly. “Anyways, just wanted to let y'all know my parents are out of town this weekend so I'll be having a party, bring whoever you want just don't make it a rager” she said, rolling her eyes at Rio. “Ooooo an Alice Wu-Guilver party, how exciting “ Rio said sarcastically. Agatha hit her arm in a joking way. “Sounds great Alice, we'll be there. Is it ok if I invite Wanda?” Agatha asked, pulling out her phone already. “Yeah, of course. Oh just warning though, I did invite Jen…” Alice said, unsure of how Agatha would react. “Honestly that's fine Alice. I'm kind of over the grudge we had on each other” Agatha said with a shrug. In reality what happened is that since Rio convinced her that she doesn't need to worry about grades as much as she used to, she lost the urge to beat Jen and was fine with the grades she was getting. Not to say her grades were getting drastically worse but she didn't always need a 100%, a 95% was just as good for her now. “Good for you Agatha, anyways I'm going to be heading to my locker, see you guys at lunch” Alice said as she waved goodbye to the couple. “I'm so proud of you baby, you've really matured,” Rio said, kissing Agatha's cheek. “Thank you sweetheart, I couldn't do it without you” Agatha replied with a smirk.

The bell rang , forcing the two to separate but they still headed to their art class holding hands. The two were last to present and honestly weren't sure how to present their pieces but Rio thought it was better to just say and explain it however they wanted since that technically is how the pieces got done. “I'm going to start this by giving a bit of a self explanation and honestly I don't care what any of you think about it but this is the truth of how we got these two pieces done. I, Rio Vidal have had a crush on Agatha Harkness since we started this class. The minute I heard we got paired for this project I was nervous to all hell but Agatha was nothing but nice to me. She invited me to her house and all I can say is from there we both realized our feelings and they have only been growing stronger. I feel that in these two pieces it shows that perfectly. These two were not just done by one of us but both of us. It shows how we both see each other with each other's views and styles melded into one. It shows the beauty we see in each and blocks out the imperfections we see in ourselves since our admiration for each other covers it.” Rio said, looking at her class of peers. She meant every word that she said and honestly didn't care what anyone thought of what she was saying, not even Agatha’s opinion mattered in this for her. All that mattered was the truth of what she was saying. “ I honestly poured all my emotions while working on these pieces and I couldn't have ever done it without Rio. She has helped me reach emotions that I never knew I would feel. Every time we would switch pieces I thought they looked prettier and prettier. Rio saw things in me I've never seen. I have never loved doing a piece more than these two” Agatha said, looking at Rio at the end. The class clapped and everyone was very supportive of the two. “That was absolutely lovely girls. I think everyone here can see the beauty of art and learn how to work with people. Amazing pieces girls, I can't wait for what's to come for the rest of the semester” said Miss Calderu, giving a smile and nod to the girls. The two sat in their seats while the rest of the class went through critiques, holding hands until the class ended.

Even though they no longer had to paint on the weekends that didn't mean that they had to stop their weekend dates. This time they both agreed to meet at Agatha's and get ready for Alice's party together. Wanda didn't mind since she wanted to spend more time with Vision anyways. Rio had yet to meet Agatha's mom despite being over almost every weekend now but Agatha said it was for the best. The relationship Agatha had with her mother wasn't the best and she was very unsupportive and homophobic when it came to Agatha's sexuality. She didn't necessarily keep Rio a secret but she never brought her up. Rio didn't mind since she understood Agatha's situation and if anything was always there whenever Agatha had to talk about her mom. Honestly the two getting together was more distracting than helpful. Currently they were on the bed, Rio straddling her with Agatha under so Rio could do her makeup. “ Baby close your eyes, I'm still not done” Rio said, reapplying eyeshadow to her brush. “ Riooooo, hurry up, by the time we finish the party is gonna be over “ Agatha whined, closing her eyes again. “It's just this and then I'm done” she told Agatha, just adding a bit more of black to the ends of her eyes. “There I'm done now” Rio said, putting down the products to kiss Agatha. “Finally, now I can get dressed” she said, kissing Rio back. Rio got up from Agatha to put on her own outfit as well. She decided to wear a black tank top with shredded blue jeans, she liked to always keep it casual especially since they were going to Alice's. Normally Alice's parties weren't really parties and were more hangouts with booze. Sure there was music and such but it was just people talking in her house, maybe some people in the pools but they never got crazy. “What do you think sweetheart?” Agatha asked Rio, waiting for her to turn around. When Rio turned she was stunned, Agatha was wearing a simple black dress with some tights but it was stunning in Rio’s eyes. “You look gorgeous, Agatha” Rio said, coming closer to hug her and kiss her. “ Thank you baby, I love you” Agatha said, cradling Rio's face. “Anytime sweetheart, I love you too” Rio told her with a giggle. “Did you pack the swim suit into your purse?” Rio asked, separating from the kiss to put on setting spray. “Yes, did you bring your’s?” She told Rio, reapplying on some lipstick. “Ya, it's in my car, are you ready to go?” Rio asked, taking off her carabiner. “Yeah, I'm all set” Agatha said, double checking she has everything in her purse. Rio went to the front door and held it open for Agatha. “After you, my lady” Rio said, looking over to Agatha. “Always the charmer” Agatha said, giving Rio a kiss on the cheek before heading out.

Drive over was fun with them blasting music and non stop flirting with each other. As they made it to Alice's place, they entered through her backyard gate and were greeted by their friends. Agatha and Rio got separated for a bit but the two always find each other eventually. Rio had already started smoking since she deemed parties and weekends her time to relax and be able to go back to her old vices. Agatha didn't mind since Rio was learning how to control herself and she would be lying to herself if she didn't find it somewhat sexy when Rio smoked. “Surprise, my lady” Rio said, handing Agatha a mike’s hard. “Thank you baby” she said, drinking the overly sugary drink. Agatha wasn't an innocent straight A student, she knew how to party when needed and if anything had a wild side to her. “Alice said they're gonna play seven minutes in heaven in the garage if you wanna go” Rio told her, lightly smacking her butt. “Ooooo ooh, interesting, I'm down” Agatha told Rio, taking a sip of her drink. “Come on then” Rio said, giggling and dragging Agatha to the garage. Agatha could help but giggle a bit herself, it reminded her of how she dragged Rio around her house when they hung out for the first time. “Alright Alice we're here, let's get this show on the road” Rio said, giving Agatha a kiss on the cheek. “ Of course you two would be apart of this” Jen said, rolling her eyes. “You're just jealous cause we match each other's freak” said Rio, definitely feeling the effects of the joint she smoked now. “Babe” Agatha groaned, knowing Rio was stoned or else she would have never said that. “Alright, well since we have everyone, let's start. So basically we'll spin this bottle and when it selects two people they go into the small bathroom we have in the garage. IF SOMEONE FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE RESPECT THEIR BOUNDARIES!” Alice yelled the last part, she learned from past parties that some people are assholes when it comes to boundaries. Everyone nodded in agreement and spun the bottle. The first couple selected was Agatha and Wanda unfortunately. The two spent the seven minutes just talking about their respected relationships and how the two have been happier. When the seven minutes were up the entire group booed knowing that the two literally only talked for seven minutes. Rio put her arm around Agatha and said “well get our turn baby”. Once again the bottle spun and unexpectedly went to Alice and Jen. The two have had a bit of tension between each and said fuck it once they were a minute or two in the bathroom. They were so into their kiss that they didn't even realize when the seven minutes were over, the door opened and everyone was shocked but Rio and Wanda. Rio knew Alice has had some underlying feelings about Jen for some while now and Wanda knew the same for Jen. “Look who's freaky now” Agatha said, a little bit tipsy from drinking two mike’s hard now. “Yeah yeah yeah,just spin the bottle” said Jen, sitting back down. Finally it had landed on Rio and Agatha. Once the two were inside the entire group was almost 100% positive that the two were going to fuck in there and groaned. “Well hello there stranger” Rio said, putting her hands on Agatha's waist. “Why hello there gorgeous” Agatha giggled, leaning into kiss Rio. “ After this do you wanna just chill in the pool? There's rarely anyone in the hot tub if you want to just relax in there”  Rio asked, kissing Agatha's neck. “You wanna see me that badly in my swimsuit?” Agatha asked with a smirk. “I wouldn't be complaining, that's for sure” Rio said, continuing to kiss Agatha. “I wouldn't complain either if I got to see you in one too” Agatha told her, kissing her shoulder. “Come on let's go” Rio said, opening the door and dragging Agatha by her arm. “Hey! You guys still have like 3 minutes left!” Alice yelled. Rio hissed in response, not caring about the game any longer. 

The two went back to Rio’s car and then to Alice's bathroom to change. When Rio saw Agatha she was completely taken aback by how good she looked. She knew her girlfriend was gorgeous but she's never seen her like this before. Agatha had, if not almost an exact reaction as Rio to seeing her in a bikini. “L-let’s head out ya, if not someone else is gonna take it” said Rio, dragging Agatha once again from her arm nervously. Just as Rio said earlier, no one was in the hot tub and at this point in the party there was barely anyone in the pool still. Agatha was the first one to get in and groaned as she entered. “Oh my god this feels so good” she said, sitting down in the hot tub. “I know right? That’s why I wanted you to try it out.” Rio said, putting her head on Agatha’s shoulder. “Thank you for tonight baby” Agatha said, kissing Rio’s head. “What’s the thanks for?” she said, looking up at Agatha. “For everything, for being so kind and nice to me. For always being there when I need you. Everything” Agatha told Rio, just above a whisper. “You don’t need to thank me for all that, I can say the same to you baby. You’ve helped me so much and helped me grow so much as a person” Rio said to Agatha, raising her hand to her lips and kissing her knuckles. They sat in comfortable silence for a bit, exchanging kisses here and there until eventually Agatha was tired and wanted to leave the party. Rio helped her out and got them towels to dry up. They both didn’t care about changing back into their regular clothes and thanked and said goodbyes to their friends except for Wanda. She was too busy playing seven minutes in heaven with Vision despite the fact they were way over seven minutes. The drive back to Agatha’s place was calm and was of little words but the entire time Agatha had her hand on top of Rio’s the whole way back. Agatha gave Rio some clothes that she could sleep in and they both peacefully went to bed in Agatha’s bedroom. “Hey Agatha?” Rio asked before she fell asleep in Agatha’s arms. “Hmm?” Agatha groaned, trying her best to stay awake. “I love you” Rio said, kissing Agatha’s head. “I love you too” She said, giving Rio’s hand a kiss. The two lovers went to sleep comfortably in each other’s braces. What they didn’t know before waking up the next day was that Agatha’s mom was arriving the next day.

Evanora never cared for Agatha and only had her in her eyes to have offspring in the future. When Evanora came back she was disgusted by the state the house was. Honestly it was cleaned and everything but in Evanora’s eyes it was always dirty. She arrived at 8 am and was upset by the fact her daughter wasn’t there to greet her. She put down all her luggage in her room and then marched over to Agatha’s room to discipline her on the importance of being there when she arrives back home. Instead of seeing a sleeping Agatha she was surprised to see her in bed with another woman as well, practically on top of her. Evanora knew about her daughter’s sexuality but refused to acknowledge it, she knew it had to be a phase. A disgusting phase that she will leave and marry a wealthy man and give her granddaughters. Instead however, at this moment she was face to face with the disgusting habit of Agatha Harkness.

[painedpen]

Hi, i wanted to ask about your Mondo Oowada headcanons and platonic pairings :) i want to hear a rant, so dont worry about rambling

Okay so I’ve already answered an ask about my Mondo hcs, so now we’re gonna talk about my Kiyotaka hcs because he’s my second specialest little guy.

Fluff:

- Taka only really relaxes when he’s at home. He lets himself slouch and put his feet up while he works on a project. His manner of speech is much more casual when talking to his father. All around it’s the only time he can truly be peaceful.

- Takaaki’s grandfather came to the country from Spain, and thus the whole family is fluent in Spanish. This, of course, includes Taka. He speaks so fast it’s almost impossible to understand him when he’s speaking Spanish.

- His dad read somewhere that ear piercings could help soothe migraines, and decided to take Taka to get a couple for his birthday. Taka refuses to wear his ear cuffs anywhere outside the house, but he likes them because they make for good tactile and audio stims.

- Obviously autistic. Like c’mon.

- He is Very Normal about martial arts and weaponry. He researches extensively, and practices extensively as well. Because of this, he has a bizarrely wide knowledge of how to kill or seriously maim people.

- He actually spars with Sakura quite a bit. While he definitely can’t beat her, she enjoys that Taka is a bit more of a challenge than other people.

- Because of poverty and such, he was never able to afford good ingredients, so he only knows how to cook very basic dishes. He’s the best at making those basic dishes, though.

- You want ramen but don’t have the energy to make it yourself? Go to Taka, cause his ramen will have you meeting God so you can spiritually high five Her.

- You do have to specify not to put a crazy amount of spices in it though. He and his dad have so much spice tolerance it’s honestly concerning.

- He tries so hard to be well behaved, but growing up with Takaaki has had its side effects. Taka’s startle response is to excessively swear in Spanish. He’s mortified with himself every time.

- Honestly he’s so much more chill when he’s not in a professional environment. If you’re not at school or work he doesn’t give a shit if you swear or whatever. Just don’t do it in front of kids and he’s fine.

- Protesting king. Oh, it’s against the rules for people to wear their pride pins? Guess who’s walking down the halls wearing a rainbow flag as a cape? It’s Kiyotaka Ishimaru, motherfucker.

- Has probably been detained before due to involvement in protests. He’s always peaceful, but if the attending officers get a bit too eager, he’s gotta do what he’s gotta do.

- Can leap over an eight-foot-tall fence in a single bound, and will at the slightest hint of provocation.

- If he’s too focused on his work, the filter between his brain and mouth will forget to work. It’s honestly so entertaining because he’ll just say whatever comes to mind, no matter how insulting or rude it is.

Angst: (CW for Violence, Child Abuse, Scars, Eating Disorders)

- Okay here we fuckin go.

- Taka has more scars than anyone else in his class. Some are from his grandfather (more on that later), but most of them are from his grandfather’s enemies.

- As everyone has already guessed, Toranosuke wasn’t all that great to Taka. He would spend weekends babysitting sometimes, and would force Taka to study for days.

- He would lock Taka in his room and wouldn’t let him out until he decided that Taka had done enough. Sometimes Taka would go the whole weekend without any food.

- At one point, Taka tried to sneak out to get something to drink, but his grandfather caught him. Long story short, that’s how he got that huge scar on his shoulder.

- Taka dissociates while he studies now. He absorbs the information, but he’ll be mumbling to himself about “yes, sir… I’ll do better, sir… sorry sir…” even though no one else is in the room with him.

- This boy has had more pints of coffee than hours of sleep in his lifetime.

- He will mix black coffee and five hour energy and down the whole thing in under a minute. Everyone who knows him worries for his health.

- He obviously struggles with nightmares, so he’ll study or work out to avoid sleeping most nights. He normally stays awake until he collapses from exhaustion.

- Touch used to be a huge No for him. Even Takaaki could barely pat him on the shoulder for a long time. When Makoto first held his face, Taka started sobbing.

- Sometimes he’ll genuinely forget that people can be kind. When he sees someone doing something nice for him or others, it kinda knocks the breath out of him because “That’s so strange… I forgot people had the capacity for it…”

- Will straight up not eat for days. He got so used to being without food as a child that having three meals a day will actively make him sick.

- He does not trust teachers in the slightest. He’ll be respectful to them, but he’d rather bite off his own tongue than ask one for help.

- This is mainly because of his middle school days. Other students would beat him to a pulp, and the teachers would just stare at him, in a puddle of his own blood, and walk away.

- There was one teacher who did something worse than that, but I don’t feel comfortable going into details at this moment. Use your imagination, it’s probably as bad as you think.

Platonic Pairings:

Kiyotaka + Sayaka:

- I’m so smart for this just let me explain.

- Sayaka asked him to teach her how to do several Latin dances, and they’ve been best friends ever since.

- They really relate to each other in the sense that they both have had to work extremely hard in order to achieve their goals. They both believe that hard work can achieve anything.

- The entire idol group loves Taka, but Sayaka is the only one he sees everyday.

- He hangs out with the lot of them very often, and they help him loosen up a bit.

Kiyotaka + Aoi:

- This one is so obvious.

- Hina is Colombian, so she was ecstatic to find another Spanish speaker in her class. She constantly clowns on Kiyotaka’s accent though.

- They’re both so passionate about the things they care about it’s so cute to watch them interact.

- I think Taka is one of the only people that can keep up with Hina’s energy level consistently.

Kiyotaka + Kyoko:

- They are childhood friends.

- Think about it. Taka’s dad is a detective, so is Kyoko’s grandfather. Kyoko’s grandfather is too smart to fall for the whole “all Ishimaru’s are evil blegh!” thing.

- I’m saying they hung out when they were little. I’m right too.

- Taka helps Kyoko express her emotions more clearly while Kyoko helps Taka calm down and focus his mind.

Kiyotaka + Peko:

- Top tier sword bros.

- Taka saw Peko training one day and promptly decided that she was the coolest person to ever exist.

- Peko admires his true passion for the art of swordplay. He reminds her of herself when she was younger.

- I’m making Peko sound like an old woman here please excuse me.

- Taka admires her so much it’s so cute. He calls her Shishou until Peko asks him to stop. After that he sticks to Peko-Senpai.

Kiyotaka + Gonta:

- Sobbing crying throwing up punching the air.

- Gonta wants to be a gentleman and Taka is one of the best people to go to for lessons in etiquette.

- They are autistic together.

- Gonta calls Taka Senpai exactly one time. Taka starts crying cause he’s so honored. Gonta thinks he hurt Taka’s feelings. He never calls Taka Senpai again.

- Taka liked bugs as a kid, and still kinda does, so he and Gonta get along so well.

*Insert autism creature Yippee sound byte*

[epithetical]

2024 UPDATE (OFFICIAL)

Hey, everyone. Longtime no talk. Despite being weirdly active on this account, I haven't really made any textposts since high school. So I've decided to fix this by giving a gigantic update post about my very busy 2023. If you're new and don't know anything about me, or knew me as a teen and are wondering what I'm up to now: buckle up.

TL;DR:

Dropped out of art school. Released an award-nominated(???) dating sim, ValiDate. Killed the Golden Girls Take Manhattan DX. Conquered Jaw Explosion Disease. Hung out with some friends. (Also, a lot of NDA shit that I can’t talk about.)

ART-SCHOOL DROPOUT

From 2021 to 2022, I was attending a prestigious and overly-expensive art school for their (brand new!) game design program. When I first graduated from high school, this college was my dream choice, and coming off the success of my early game dev career, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to polish my skills while I kept working on the side. My first commercial game was still in development, but we were feeling comfortable, and I felt like getting greedy.

Pride before the fall. Full Icarus mode. You know how it goes.

The school itself was…alright. Satellite campus, mid-pandemic, hybrid learning. Close enough to commute comfortably, classes just long enough for masks to not give me a headache, and the handful of remote courses helped keep my medical problems at bay. Problems that the school was a little unequipped to help with, though the disability office did their best. I had to drop a class because my body, at the time, couldn’t handle eight hours of classes without some Crazy Side Effects. 

(Keep in mind that every class was, minimum, four hours. And I had to take at least five a semester. Each class also saw me make an entire game from scratch. My body was already at its limit.)

If you knew me in high school, you’re probably waiting for the shoe to drop: I was, famously, the worst at academics. Never did homework, rarely finished projects, slept through first period at least once a week. Surprise, though: I was fucking great at this. My GPA doubled. Turns out that going to school for a discipline you already have a career in, and are kinda obsessed with, kinda does wonders for you. Unfortunately, I picked the worst time to care about school, since my commercial game’s release was the same exact night that my five school games were due.

TL;DR, I didn’t sleep for a week, almost fucked both up, and got burnout so bad that I couldn’t do anything for a calendar year. So I dropped out! Now, about a year of job hunting later (the game’s industry is imploding right now, and the only studios that considered me were… questionable, to say the least), the expensive art school wants me back. So badly. Turns out the whole school is so broke and understaffed right now that they’re basically chomping at the bit for that tuition money. Got a week to decide. Jury’s still out.

VALIDATE POST-MORTEM

So, if you couldn’t tell from the above section, we released a game in 2022!  I was supposed to write a post-mortem for it, but… burnout from the above, combined with general “post-release depression,” and I didn’t feel like touching it. 

Part of me still doesn’t! 

Yet I kinda think the feeling of me not wanting to talk about ValiDate is still worth discussing, so here we go:

For those of you that aren’t aware, I was a head dev on ValiDate, a dating sim that released in 2022. Volume 1 (of 3) did, anyway.

Did a lot of music, did a lot of writing, created some characters people really care about, created some characters people really want to fuck, made a couple Tweets that my boss hated, got accused of being reverse racist a few times. It was truly one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my life. And, yes, we’re still working on Vol. 2 behind the scenes. 

That’s actually the reason why it’s kinda hard to talk about Vol. 1!

It was my first commercial game, my first publicly released game, and I think there’s always gonna be a… natural embarrassment toward your first “real” project. Combine that with my natural “if you stare at me for too long, I will kill myself” tendencies, and the game’s release was a special type of torture. It’s one thing to watch people play through a game that you poured your blood, sweat, and tears into, knowing full well that they might hate it (or just misunderstand it), but shit gets so much worse when you know that you could have done better. 

It’s a very special kind of psychological torture to have creative decisions you feel were mistakes, things you half-assed because of burnout or deadlines, or things you did wrong because you just didn’t know any better! The embarrassment was overwhelming, so I just… dipped for a while. Didn’t watch gameplay or read reviews, didn’t do much of anything.

Took me a while to realize that me being embarrassed about the project isn’t because ValiDate was bad or anything. I was embarrassed because it was an incredible learning opportunity for me. The amount that I picked up on game design, community management, leadership, marketing, pitching, porting, etc. in two years is more than any school could teach you in four. Volume 1 was a game made by amateurs, still wet behind the ears, trying to build something from grassroots. 

But Volume 2 is a game-ass game. 

And having done all the work we have on Vol. 2 (which, while I can’t talk about it publicly, is a lot!), looking back at our first release feels like… revisiting your awkward middle school photos. Sometimes it’s hard to not feel contempt for who you were when your biggest struggle was becoming, but learning to choke down that shame? It taught me to feel grateful for the you of yesterday, who clawed their way through uncertainty so that you, today, can stand on sturdier ground. Growing up is embarrassing, and it turns out you keep doing it well into your twenties! Sucks. 

For the past few days, Dani and I have been watching a Twitch streamer play through Volume 1. We’ve been so deep in planning for the future that we figured, hey, may as well revisit the past. Detached from all that embarrassment of becoming, I gotta admit: we made a fun little dating sim. People like it. Hell, I like it. Sure, I know all of its flaws and shortcuts, and I have my fair share of critiques… but fact of the matter is, if I have a problem with something, I can just fix it. 

Admittedly, In the past, that attitude of mine has actually been more of a problem than a solution. “I can fix this myself!” is all fine and good when you’re a solo dev trying to throw something together, but it turns out taking on excess responsibility in a collaborative setting is a way to make shit suck for you and your team. During the Kickstarter demo era, I was literally on every team besides art. Writing, programming, music, I got my fingers in all those pies. It was fun to me, and more importantly, it was sustainable. 

Until it wasn’t.

Volume 1 coinciding with my tenure at [art school], using a (finicky and, frankly, shitty) new game engine, being much larger in scope, introducing minigames (which, surprise, I was team lead on)... I pretty much killed myself trying to get it all done. Honestly, I blame half of our day-one bugfixes on me specifically. Every single one of them was an oversight made because I was pulling the classic “I’m unmedicated so crunching is the only way I can feel alive” type shit. 

Except for the OST. That one sucked because art school sucks all the joy out of creating.

Happy to say that our workflow for Volume 2 has been much more sustainable for me, even if I’ve officially broken my “no art” rule for it. Yeah, turns out I’m finally making use of that animation major. Sucks.

Self reflection over. Except for one last note:

If you’ve followed ValiDate, played our demo, donated to the Kickstarter, replied to our Tweets, played our second demo, bought our game, or just talked about us to a friend… I am so, so grateful. Beyond what words could possibly describe. It’s been my dream for as long as I can remember become a game developer, and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you guys. Vd8 wasn’t what I expected the cornerstone of my career to be, but honestly? I couldn’t have asked for a better one. We have Vriska in our game. How many people can possibly say that?

And to those of you still waiting for Volume 2:

You haven’t seen anything yet.

GAYMING AWARDS

Speaking of ValiDate… Did you hear we were nominated for some Gayming Awards last year? We were! 

Three other head Vd8 devs (Dani: Production, Alexis: Art, Cam: Code) flew out to beautiful New York City for the award show last March, which was actually our first time actually meeting up IRL. Really funny how I’ve known Dani since I was fifteen, but here we were, a decade later, finally meeting face to face. She’s so much taller in person. I’m still taller, but barely.

Meeting up with internet friends is one thing (and more on that later!), but meeting up with internet coworkers? It’s interesting. This was the first moment that ValiDate felt “real,” seeing as it was suddenly important enough to give us comp’d flights and a hotel room, but more than that: the people I’ve been working with for years exist? We’re all hanging out together? We’re wandering through Manhattan all day? We’re eating the most disgusting food at Junior’s in Times Square? We’re trying to figure out what this mystery liquid is? How much did this food cost again? (Seriously, my onion rings were 90% dough and 10% onion.)

While I won’t bore you with the minutiae—I think my friends would prefer the privacy anyway—the entire trip to NYC was fun, exhausting, and a dream-come-true.

Except for that goddamn award show. Jesus CHRIST, what a trainwreck.

No, I’m not saying that just because we lost. We did lose, though. (Personally, I was fine with it, but I also had to travel the least distance to get there. So…) I’m saying that because the entire Gayming Awards industrial complex was, uh, kinda busted this year?

So imagine, you’re us: bunch of twenty-somethings on your Sex and the City shit. Big award show tonight, formal attire. We’re talking high heels, long dresses, full suits, the whole nine yards. Now what do you do in Manhattan? Walk. Sure, we weren’t walking in formal attire the entire time, but it was still a good five blocks to the award center where—wait, what do you mean they relocated the ceremony? The hall they rented is closed for mysterious reasons? Where the hell are we doing the award show?

If you answered “the drag bar where the afterparty was supposed to take place,” congrats, here’s $20. Way further away from our hotel, which meant more walking, and also a way smaller venue with a lot less… formality, let’s say. But we’re young gay people, we don’t care about formalities, who gives a shit! As long as it can seat all of us, then—oh there’s no seating. Ohhhh. Oh! Okay.

I’ll admit, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. There were a handful of couches, VIPs only. Realizing quickly that, oh shit, we’re VIPs, we managed to snag some front-seat couches before any of the pesky old people could. (We’re young! We deserve to sit! You’ve had your entire lives to sit, established games industry people! Let the new generation have a turn!) Unfortunately, when I got up to cash in my free-drink voucher, my seat was stolen by some white lady. 

So I sat on the floor.

March 2023. You, sitting at home, have decided to tune into the Gayming Awards “live” on Twitch, curious to see what Britain’s premiere gayming magazine had to say about, uh, esports. 

This is important to you. 

Fortunately, this year you’re watching a decently shot and scripted award show filmed in a (noticeably claustrophobic) little bar, complete with charming presenters (many of whom are local drag queens) and a myriad of corporate sponsors. You can hardly tell that the entire show was uprooted and moved hours prior!

Yet, for some reason, whenever the cameras cut to the audience… There’s some large man, right in front of the crowd, slumped down on the floor as if he’s bleeding out. With every award given, his clapping grows weaker. The more the camera cuts to him, the more life drains from his body, as if his existence itself is anathema to “gayming.”

Imagine, for a moment, that this man is nominated for an award. 

Imagine that he, after a lifetime of potassium deficiency, has been teetering on the edge of a Charlie Horse Reckoning for hours.

Imagine that the microsecond that his game’s name is called as a nominee, the Reckoning begins. 

Now imagine a world where he wins that award. 

A world where he is forced to stand—from his corpse’s rightful place on the ground!—in front of his peers and superiors, pretending as if he’s not afflicted with a life-ending muscle cramp.

So, yeah. I was pretty fine with losing.

Later, we ditched the “afterparty” to drink at Applebees. (Turns out “green tea shots” don’t have any green tea in ‘em?)

EULOGY FOR THE GOLDEN GIRLS TAKE MANHATTAN DX

Big announcement! I was a team lead on The Golden Girls Take Manhattan DX, a certified Tumblr Gold™ fan-project (by the immortal Grawly) about the eponymous Gold Girls in a Persona-esque parody game! 

Slightly bigger announcement! The game got cancelled. Sorry.

Feels a little weird talking about this, since the year-ish I spent working on the game passed in the blink of an eye, and I’m not going to lie and say that I was an instrumental piece of the team or whatever. I was lucky enough to lead a very talented team, and to play with some very fun devtools, but the game was definitely more important to me than I was to it. (Grawly, if by some off-chance you’re reading this, please click off now. You can peek back in at the Jaw Explosion Disease subheader. I promise I’m very nice and respectful.)

I was in high school when I was first made aware of TGGTMDX. My friend group was very into Persona (in the pre-P5 days), and one of our favorite video subgenres was “videogame UI on top of sitcom scenes.” It didn’t take us long to stumble onto early-build footage of TGGTMDX on Tumblr, and what spawned was a years-long fascination. I’d even consider it one of my many… game dev awakenings? The idea that the only thing stopping me from making “American Persona”—one of my many white whales—was commitment to the bit. Just one of the many things that fueled my teenaged suicidal overconfidence.

Speaking of suicidal overconfidence, about a decade later, I was invited to work on the game! Coming fresh off ValiDate, I was desperate for a chance to make a real portfolio piece (visual novels, while popular, will never get you a job), and this sort of opportunity only presents itself once in a lifetime. Fulfilling a teenage dream while furthering your career? What could possibly go wrong!

That makes it seem like there was some explosive drama behind the scenes that ruined everything. Sorry to say that most game cancellations aren’t that exciting, and that this game’s death was by a thousand microscopic cuts. Most of which are not my place to talk about: this game wasn’t my baby, and cancelling it wasn’t my choice to make! Many people worked on this for much, much longer than I even knew how to code, and they deserve to have their feelings prioritized. Whenever that post mortem gets published, I’ll be the first to reblog it, trust me. 

Instead, I’d prefer to talk a little about this as being my first real “loss” as a game dev. Certainly not my first project to go under, and I’ve had my fair share of shelved prototypes, but something about this cancellation was… different. Working on your dream project is all fun and games until you feel partially responsible for it dying, y’know? It felt Sisyphean at a point, like trying to dig a hole in the sand with a pitchfork. I would work at the game, and work at the game, but nothing I did felt like it made a dent. 

Part of me knew I wasn’t giving it my all, between the school-based burnout (above), jaw explosion disease (below), and ValiDate (omnipresent), it’s not like I could’ve afforded to put more of myself into it. Besides, I was literally a team lead, half my job was telling other people what to do. But the spectre of “you’re not doing enough” was hard to shake. Even when all these other responsibilities ebbed and I could afford to give this game my all, the difference felt minimal. 

We spend a lot of time pitying Sisyphus for having to push that boulder uphill over and over, but none of us ask ourselves “could we even move that big fucking rock in the first place?” Apparently, I couldn’t.

I wasn’t the only one that felt that way, it turned out. In fact, pretty much all the friends I made on the project felt the same. If there’s any “real” reason why the project got cancelled, it’s that. No big falling out, Disney didn’t give us a cease and desist, no secret rebrand going on in the background. Just a bunch of lads getting sick of pushing a boulder. Hell, Grawly’s been doing it for a decade. Let him rest.

Not too much rest, though: we’re already working on a different game together (Date Knight: check it out if you haven’t!), and some of us ex-Golden Girls devs have some ideas for what else we can cook up. 

For money, this time.

JAW EXPLOSION DISEASE

Probably the biggest “development” of 2023 was my sudden horrible nerve pain in July, which started as a sinus infection on the left side of my face, and soon became a horrific jaw pain. Long after my sinus infection healed, the jaw pain remained, which is a pretty bad hand to draw when a considerable portion of your day is spent “talking,” or “eating.” So, for the back half of 2023, I didn’t do much of either.

Instead, I had to take a considerable amount of ibuprofen, visit one doctor, three dentists, two hospitals, and four oral surgeons to figure out what the hell is wrong with me. The dentists discovered an exposed nerve, caused by wisdom tooth removal complications (sick!), the oral surgeons went “okay, we can fix that,” got me all numbed up. But it turns out that my left jaw is immune to local anesthesia! Thinking this was an infection, they kept putting me on antibiotics over and over in the hopes that it’d suddenly work. Took a note from my childhood dentist explaining that, “no, he’s always been like this” to find a surgeon willing to put me all the way under. (And then, the first time they tried, I woke up in the middle anyway! I got a full refund on the copay, at least.) 

Ultimately, I found a very nice surgeon in December that treated me same-day, and did it perfectly, but the damage to my liver from all that ibuprofen was… bad. But it turns out that livers just… regenerate naturally? So, give it a few months, I’ll be at 100%. Hopefully.

OOMFCON

Hilariously, six months after we met up for the Gayming Awards, Dani and Alexis found their way back to NYC for a little combination meet-up/vacation we affectionately titled “Oomfcon 2023.” This time, with bonus friends! Our entire friend server, whose name I’ve been advised not to post publicly, had rented an AirBnB for anyone willing to drop everything and go to Brooklyn. 

It took about a year of planning (mostly by Alexis) to get us all out there, but Jesus Christ, it actually worked.

Admittedly I’m a bit hesitant to talk at length about “taking a vacation”—even though I’m already… from here?—but it really was the highlight of my year. First for actually happening, when most friend groups I’ve had would have written the idea off as a pipedream, but mostly for being a really good time. A lot of walking, a lot of talking, a lot of drinking, a lot of dining. (This was during Jaw Explosion Disease, so you can imagine how my body took most of that.)

To Dani, Alexis, Miles, Haven, Grim, Xtine, and Ty: thanks for coming up here! The city is a lot more boring without you guys in it. I promise to have less health issues when we do this again!

And to everyone else outside the groupchat that I met and bored with my job hunt stories: Nice meeting you guys! Sorry that fate decided every single one of you is forced to keep in touch with me. (And I didn’t even get the shitty corporate job!)

[nczaversnick]

Alphabet Write Tag

Thanks to @honeybewrites for the tag!

Rules: For every letter of the alphabet, comprise a sentence/short paragraph beginning with that letter

This is gonna be a doozy guys. All from Project Gemini, but pulled from various drafts.

A: And with these results that we’ve calculated, we’re able to connect the final piece in better understanding, diagnosing and healing our patients.”

B; Blip. He tiredly swiped his badge in front of a small, wall-mounted monitor.

C: “Clock out for break.”

D: “Did they not teach you anything about being a ‘good representative of Utristan’ zombie while you were in basic, Private,” he smirked, keeping his voice low.

E: Even after scoring high on the ASAPT exam and being a perfect personality match for his career path, it still took numerous recommendations from teachers and summer volunteer mentors for the school to even consider his application.

F: “From what I’ve seen, I think you’re doing pretty well for yourself.

G: Gemini felt his eyebrow twitch slightly, but he kept his facial expression as neutral as possible, “No need to be.”

H: He turned to him and gave a sympathetic smile, “That’s my cue. Hang in there, Álvarez.”

I: It almost felt lonesome seeing as there really was no need for physical visitors since each room had large screens bolted to the wall opposite of the patients, the surface plastered by faint, glitching images of doctors or presumably loved ones.

J: “Just pay for my dinner.”

K: “Kinda need to get my head in the game, though. I’m just ready to start flying already, you know?”

L:“Listen, I know I’m the worst, but you’re probably just going to be with Bruno for most of the time anyway.”

M: “May I have your attention, please? The MPA-0312 Antiquitrain for the 17:09 CrossCountry service to Dreake will arrive shortly. For the safety of yourself and our other guests, please remain behind the turnstile until the antiquitrian has come to a complete stop.”

N: Naturally, he whipped his head up and around to scan the crowd, but to no avail.

O: “Open your fucking eyes, Audrey,” he suddenly yelled at her.

P: PA: “It’s a wonderful Wednesday evening with a warm temperature of 24 degrees Celsius, perfect for downtown mingling!

Q: Quinn’s eyes widened. They opened their mouth to rebut, but Lucia stopped them with a chuckle.

R: “R-Right,” he quivered.

S: “So, I’m guessing you heard about what happened?”

T: The figure kept a firm press on his chest, which limited his struggles.

U: Unknown, Titania District

V: “Very Important. Understand?”

X: Xenovia, Titania District

Y: “You can because I’m giving it to you, and I’m not really giving you a choice about it,” she smiled and, before he could say anything, took his hand and placed the tablet flat in his palm.

Z: “Zodiacs. That's what they're called.”

Tagging: @wyked-ao3 @kittrrrr @zackprincebooks @the-ellia-west

[enterpris]

An Education in Attraction, Chapter 8

Pairing: Reader x Gojo

Summary: It's spring when you start your Master's degree. As the flowers and leaves unfold, so too do your feeling for Gojo

Warnings: None

Previous Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Ao3: PlaidSparrow

Early Tuesday morning you receive an email from your Learning Theories professor informing the class that he’s ill and class is canceled, leaving your afternoon free. The notification on your phone wakes you up bright and early, so you eat a filling breakfast at the cafeteria and try to wake up for the rest of your day. Since Gojo isn’t in the Learning Theories course, you send him a quick text asking if he’d like to work on the project after your Curriculum class. 

He’s generally quick to respond the other times you’ve messaged him, but you haven’t gotten an answer by the time you’re ready to head to your Curriculum class. It’s possible that he’s not on campus, though it seems his attendance in class lately has been much more regular than it was at the beginning of the term. You conclude he’s probably busy, but any free time this late in the term is a godsend. You can build out the research section in the meantime, finding and citing sources has been extremely time consuming. 

Campus is in the full swing of summer. It’s bustling with more undergraduates and foreign students than usual- here for short term or study abroad programs. The sun beats down as you take the familiar walk to the Graduate School of Education, the humidity makes the air thick and your shirt stick to your back. It’s a relief when you make it to your building, savoring the blast of air conditioning as you push in the door.

You set up for class and begin talking to Kuzume about when she’s free this week when you feel your phone buzz in your pocket. You excuse yourself from the conversation and check- Gojo is free after class today, and he wants to continue to knock out some of the fine tuning of your project.

It would have been nice if he had responded before you left your room this morning, you huff internally. You’d forgone bringing your research notes for an additional text in your field, which won’t be very useful for working together. Maybe you can just run back to your dorm and meet him in the library afterwards.

You’re about to send a response when the man himself enters the room. You catch his attention and he gives you a quick nod of acknowledgement. You’ll just tell him your plan after class, no need to keep your phone out when the lesson will start any moment. One thing that hasn’t changed is Gojo’s near tardiness to class. 

Class passes quickly in a rapid paced lecture from your professor. You’re busy taking notes and absorbing the new information about evaluating effective curricula. This framework could affect the project you’re working on, but more importantly, these skills can help you better assess if your students are learning and what they’re retaining. While high school students have mastered the basics in each subject, it’s imperative that they can build deeper understanding before moving on to higher education or the workforce. 

After the lecture has wrapped up, Saito walks over to you and Kuzume.

“A free afternoon! Want to grab lunch?” She asks. You’re not the only one excited for an unexpected bit of free time. 

“I’ve actually already got plans,” you say, motioning to Gojo where he’s still seated across the room. “We’re so close to finishing the project, I don’t want to stress about it any more.”

“No problem at all, we’ll catch up over dinner later?” She links her arm through Saito’s arm and starts pulling her away. You’d updated the two women about your more successful partner work, and Kuzume’s eyes sparkle as she replies. She’s clearly looking forward to an update later.

You nod and promise to hang out soon, then head over to Gojo.

“Hey, sorry for not replying earlier.”

“No worries, I figured we’d walk over to the cafe or library and get started?” He’s casual, seemingly to a fault. 

“I actually have to run back to my dorm and grab the correct notes, but I can meet you at whichever is easier.”

“You live on campus?” You nod. “Let’s just walk together.”

It’s a little forward of him to invite himself over, but it should just be a quick stop. Plus, you reason to yourself, it’ll be the fastest way to dive right into the paper. 

“Alright.” 

The walk back to your dorm is mostly quiet, and though it’s not uncomfortable, you can’t blame the sweat or your anxiety completely on the humid weather. You unlock the door to your apartment and open it wide.

“Come on in,” you say. “It should just take a minute to find them.”

You’re not quite sure where you left the research notes, you have piles of texts on your desk and on the side table next to your Western style bed. Gojo slips his shoes off and comes into the room. He’s quiet as he surveys your space.

While you sift through the loose pages of notes on your desk, Gojo steps closer to the wall, hands in his pockets, and looks at the photos you’ve put up on the wall- your family, friends from undergrad, your home abroad. Above your desk there are smaller pictures and keepsakes from your travels around Japan. 

The pages on your desk are mostly notes from your other class, and won’t help with the project.

The right notes must be in the stack of books on the floor. You grab them and sit on the bed, quickly paging through your handwritten notes. Gojo turns to look where you’re sitting and you look up at him. His head is tilted just slightly as he looks down at you, and it suddenly feels very intimate to have him in your space. Even though you’ve warmed up to each other, your conversations with Gojo have centered around academics, you know hardly anything about his personal life. Now he’s seeing yours on display.

Looking around the dorm, you try to imagine what he might see in his first time viewing it. Light from the window pours across the room, painting the natural wood furniture in warm brown tones. Besides the piles of books, you’re mostly tidy. You’ve kept decorations simple- just a couple of small plants and the photos of your favorite memories. Surely seeing your dorm won’t change his opinion of you, but it’s almost unnerving that Gojo hasn’t said anything at all about your space. 

You look back at the stack of papers in your hands, the notes have got to be in this last group. After swiftly shuffling through the pile, you finally have what you need. Gojo is still absorbed in looking at your stuff, you can just see a quarter of his face from the angle, but you take the moment of peace to absorb him. 

Your eyes trace the slant of his jaw and the back of his neck. For the first time since he was rude to you, you feel your face warm and your stomach flutter. He really is handsome, and since you had puzzled out his dedication to his future students, your heart had irrevocably softened towards him. While he’s distracted, you allow yourself a moment to fantasize- perhaps he’d like to stay friends or colleagues after you finish working on this project. You can imagine meeting him for coffee or having him over to study, maybe even growing closer. 

“I found them,” is what you force from your lips. You don’t want to spend the whole afternoon with Gojo surveying your room. 

He finally tears his attention from your personal items and turns to face you. His expression and posture are totally neutral and comfortable, as if he’s visited a thousand times. 

“It looked like the library was pretty quiet today. Want to work there?”

“Yea, sure.” You respond. 

Gojo leads the way back to the library, where the two of you settle in the annex. The good weather must have drawn most of the student body outside, because the usually busy space is emptier than normal. You settle at one of the smaller tables and begin to review the data points to support your curricula plan. 

Since your working relationship with Gojo has improved, the two of you have made excellent progress on the body of your paper- nailing down learning objectives and discussing where your fields might have some commonalities. If you continue working at this pace, there should be plenty of time for edits and adjustments before it’s due. 

Conversation is moving quickly and you’re rapidly typing some notes as conversation lulls for a moment. 

“Soo.” Gojo interrupts your note taking flow. “You didn’t go to school here?”

You look up at him and pause your typing.  

“Yeah. Actually all my school before this program was abroad.”

He flips the pen over his fingers again. And again. His fingers are slender and graceful, and the bones of his knuckles are delicate in his large hands. He’s dexterous and purposeful in his movements. He’s staring down at the pen and you can’t read his face through the sunglasses. 

He stays quiet and you suppose that’s the end of it and turn back to your computer, trying to remember what you were typing. 

“Did you like it? The summers?”

Automatically, your eyes flick back up to him. His expression hasn’t changed, he’s acting like his attention is entirely consumed by the pen.

Apparently, the trip to your dorm has piqued his curiosity. While your upbringing outside of Japan is usually an eccentric fact when you introduce yourself, it’s never really come up in conversations with your partner. It’s a bit touching that he’s opening up and asking you. 

The immediate answer to Gojo’s question is yes. But because it’s the first time he’s really asked you about yourself, you take a moment to think about what the summers were like. When the words do come, they’re slow and sweet with nostalgia, like the maple syrup on pancakes you once ate. You take your time when you do reply. 

 “Yeah. I liked it a lot. My parents both worked during the day so I kind of got to do whatever I wanted. My friends and I would ride bikes through the neighborhood or hang out at the park. While I enjoy school now, it was really nice to have the time off.” 

You pause, not sure if you want to ask the question on your lips. He hadn’t reacted poorly the last time you pushed a little, so you commit to speaking before you can change your mind. 

“Did you enjoy your summers? When you were younger?”

You keep your eyes on the computer screen, casual just like he had been, but you can feel his attention switch to you. 

Gojo seems to take a moment to consider the question. His expression doesn’t change and you wonder if he might just change the subject like the last time you met. 

"They were busy."

You nod. That seems to be the consensus from the students you've taught and the other pupils in your Master's program. You’re pleasantly surprised that he answered at all, and you don’t expect any more than that. Though you’re on good terms with Gojo now, his answers are generally still clipped and to the point. 

"I spent most of my summers studying. Not a lot of free time."

When you look up at him, there’s a hint of a furrow on his brow. 

But his expression shifts to an easy grin in the time it takes you to blink and then he’s back to his normal genial disposition. 

“At least that’s paying off now. I get to miss class and travel just cuz I’ve already written papers.”

A huff that might be able to pass for a laugh escapes you. “If only we were all so lucky.”

Gojo leans back in the chair and rests his hands behind his head. “It is nice being able to cite myself in the research section. I bet no one else in the program can do that.” His smile is a little conceited, and you’d be less charmed if it was worn by anyone else. 

You make a point of looking back down at your computer, but internally you’re intrigued. Gojo’s never been quite so open with you, and you find yourself eager to learn more. The two of you work well together, and you wouldn’t mind getting to know Gojo better outside the context of your project. 

A month ago, you wouldn’t have dared to follow up with a question, but something’s shifted in your time writing together. After his last answer, you’re nearly positive that he won’t react negatively if you do push for a little more info now.

“You still seem pretty busy. I don’t know if anyone else in the program has missed as many classes as you either.” 

Your voice is light, and you’re pleased to tease him back after he had caught you off-guard in the cafe last weekend. 

“Special case, remember?” He taps the side of his head. “If I want to be able to cite my articles, gotta write ‘em first.”

So he’s still working in academia while enrolled in the program. You’d thought teaching on the side was bad enough, you can’t imagine keeping up with assigned readings and assignments plus outside research and writing. Evidently Kuzume and Saito were right. 

If anything Gojo seems to be invigorated by the good natured ribbing. His smile is as wide as it was in the cafe and the two of you have done some of your best work these last couple sessions. Perhaps all along you just needed some banter to grease the wheels of your relationship. 

“Truly, the world is deprived of Gojo et al.” 

He beams at you, “Not for long. The program’s only two years long.”

You can’t help a good natured eye roll at that. 

You settle back into actually working after that, and the last thirty minutes in the cafe prove fruitful. Gojo is engaging and is insightful on where to insert citations, and your own thoughts are met with genuine consideration. Your fingers are nearly sore from typing and he’s written several pages of notes too. 

You’re almost regretful to cut things off, but morning is turning into afternoon and there’s still reading you’ve got to finish before class tomorrow. So you finish typing one last sentence and then flex your hands. Summer vacation, with free time and a break for your hands, hangs deliciously just a month out of reach. 

“I think that’s a good place to stop for today. I’ve got to head out and do some more reading. If we have a couple more days like this, we’ll finally be done.”

Gojo is busy scribbling onto his pile of notes, but you’d like to think he feels as accomplished as you do. There’s another month before the due date, but it’s worth having time to revise and proofread on an assignment this big. 

“If it’s for Curriculum, watch out. The next chapter’s a pain. Took me over an hour and the author still didn’t get to the point.”

He must be talking about the flowery author you’d been reading last week. You smile back at him and start to pack up your things. Maybe you do have more in common than you thought.

[bicycle4two]

short fic starring jason and his little mouse from built to love, but broken now

find more ficlets of this couple here

College Days

College.

You’ve never really given it much thought. You’d been editing videos since high school, have made a decent income from it, and never really thought of pursuing anything else. It also helps that although your parents never really cared for you, at least not in the ways that you needed, they had left you enough money to be able to manage on your own for a few years, even with the hefty hospital bills.

So, further education has never been on your mind, didn’t seem like a priority with how your life has been going so far.

But Jason, surprisingly, wanted to go, brought it up over dinner one night before he went out for patrol.

“What do you think about English Lit, mouse?” He had asked as he pushed his food around with his fork.

“Like, as a subject?”

“Well, yeah, like, what do you think if I take it up when the new term starts at Gotham U?”

“I, really, Jason? You want to go?”

“I always liked reading, books, discussing them with Alfred. So, I figured, why not?”

“But do you need to go to college for that? You can, like, sign up for a book club at the library or something.”

There’s a light blush on Jason’s cheeks and he tries to hide it with his hand, tries to play it off. He’s embarrassed. “It’s not just books. I liked school.”

“Well, then sure. I think English Lit is a good course for you to take up.”

“Why don’t you go with me?”

“I, I can’t afford the tuition, Jason.” Now you were playing around with your food, finding it easier to look at than Jason. You could see that he was excited, that this is something he wanted for the both of you.

“So, apply for a scholarship. Hell, we have money. It’s no big deal.”

“No, you have money.”

“Mouse. If you want to go, I’ll make sure it happens.”

So, college. It’s an interesting idea. You think that more than teaching you things that you can learn on the internet anyway, it’s the experience that you want to have. High school was rough, but you think that being on the same campus as Jason might be interesting. You’d at least have a friend to have lunch with.

It’s just, do you really want to take up math again? It seems like it’s an unavoidable subject, that all courses have to at least have the basic units. Algebra and Statistics. And you think, is going back to school really worth it?

“I can help you. You’re not going in this alone.” Jason laughs in that airy chuckle like way of his, more like an amused puff of air, when he sees you sort through different course pamphlets. Rather than ranking them by genuine interest, you were tossing out the courses that required more than two math units, the minimum.

“You’ll have other things to worry about, Jason. You’ll have your own classes, patrol, you can’t just drop everything and tutor me.”

“This is supposed to be fun, mouse.”

“I just don’t want to fail.”

“You’re not going to,” Jason says confidently. He’s been getting more and more comfortable with the idea of going back to school by the day. He’s looked up past syllabuses online, looked into forums where students discussed the best teachers for each subject. “But even if you do, it’s alright. We’re there to learn. It’s not like you’re gunning for a desk job after, right? You’re settled here. Just choose something that’s interesting.”

“I did always want to try art.”

“There you go! And look, only two units of math!”

“Ugh. You better make time for me in your schedule. I’m going to need all the help I can get.”

“I’ll always have time for you.”

...

a/n: inspired by the fact that jason loves books and i genuinely think (and i’m pretty sure i’ve seen discussions about it somewhere with actual proof) that jason’s a nerd and did enjoy school

also i’m just projecting my own frustrations with going back to school and math here. i’ve graduated years ago but still stick to the fact that if i didn’t have to take math ever again, i’d go back.

[blackbird-brewster]

2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 30, 32, 38, 47, 57, 69, 83, 84

I will answer your ask here shortly! But I didn't want you to think I forgot to ask you ✌️❤️😘

[Send my Writer Asks] TY for so many number!! <3

2. talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

Basically any and every fic with JJ in it is this exact thing. JJ is notorious for going off-script and just doing whatever the hell she wants. I have had to re-write entire fic outlines bc of this. She's a nuisance (affectionate).

4. what is the plot bunny you’ve been carrying for the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven’t written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

I often look at the 4 chapters I wrote for an early season CM fic that's sorta like 'You've Got Mail' (it's a 2006 online dating fic) and lament that I've never finished it. I even *know* the reason why too, it's simply because the coding to do entire chapters in 'e-mail' form on AO3 would require me to build custom skins to make it look like emails and such (yea, I know I don't HAVE to make it look like that, but my brain says You Gotta) and god, I just really hate coding.

5. have you ever made a playlist about something you were writing as an elaborate means to procrastinate when you could have been actually writing and if yes drop a link, son

I currently have over *30* CM character/fanfic related playlists. You should check out this masterlist for all the links plus summaries of each playlist, or just give me a follow on Spotify

12. do you ever have trouble focusing on writing? how do you get around that? 

Sorry, what? I missed the question because I was staring out the window and procrastinating again. The answer -- YES, of course I do. I'm AudHD and I live in a house with three other people, a cat who's an asshole, and on a street where multiple houses are being built. 😭 I try my best to be at my desk at regular hours each week, usually about 10am-4pm M-F. And I close any windows/apps on my laptop that aren't my writing one and put my phone out of reach. Then I set the focus timer on for a designated time and try to write until it goes off. This helps TONS.

13. talk about a writing experience that has pleasantly surprised you.

When I wrote what was supposed to be a Emily/Rebecca hate-sex one-shot, I didn't think anyone would read it. Then, when I expanded it into what became 'Do What I Want (Over What's Right)' I was absolutely blown away by the great convos I had with readers in each chapter's comment section. I even met a new best buddy via that fic! (hiiii @swpf)

30. most inspirational quote you’ve ever read or heard that’s still important to you.

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." - Dr Seuss

32. do characters influence your writing style?

Can do, sometimes. My style itself doesn't change all that much, I don't think? I mean, I can look at old fics and see how far I've come since first writing them, but that's less about the characters themself and more about me as a weird little guy.

38. how many stories do you work on at one time?

One. As mentioned above, I'm far too distractable to have multiple-WIP at one time. The exception to this rule is, sometimes, I'll crank out a one-shot while working on a longer project too. But 99% of the time, I only have one WIP going.

47. what story are you most proud of?

Forever and ever, Head Full of Doubt (Jemily, High School AU). That fic explores mental health, friendship, depression, and the pressures of being a teenager. It is my forever proudest achievement as a writer.

57. what is the last thing that a fic made you google when you were reading it?

While reading? Hm, this is gonna sound so petty, but I recently pulled up the fandom wiki to double check a continuity point in a fic. Not because I was judging the author, more because my brain was trying to figure out the timeline they were presenting.

69. how do you write emotional scenes? do you ever feel what the characters feel?

I have such a visceral imagination. I not only see my characters, but I definitely also feel their feels too as part of getting into their heads. When I write emotional scenes, I am usually sobbing myself. On the flip side, my partner knows when I'm writing smut bc my breath gets all soft and short 🫠

83. less is more or more is more?

Do whatever you want forever. Period. No rules, just do you!

84. said: overused or underused?

Again, do whatever you want forever. I use said/replied lots, but I also use more specific indicators to get tone across depending on the conversation and scene.

[ms-kio]

Demonic Hero: Blood Art Slayer

Bakugo & Tokoyami X Demon Slayer! 1496 Words

Tokoyami was sitting calmly in his room, alone, waiting for his melatonin to hit him. When suddenly, a void opened, starting to pull him in. “Dark Shadow!” The bird headed boy shouted, awakening the shadow beast. The sentient quirk immediately latched onto the walls. But his grip was slowly slipping. Tokoyami shouted for help as he clawed at the edges of the void, though his attempts to pull himself out were futile. “Tokoyami-kun!” Midoriya shouted, as Mr. Aizawa yanked the door open. The ravenette immediately fired his scarf around Tokoyamis torso, the boy grabbing onto the cloth. “Someone grab his other arm!” Aizawa shouted. Not to anyone's surprise, Bakugo was the first to move into action. The ash blonde grabbed his classmate's arm, both of them securing their grips. But suddenly, Aizawas scarf snapped, and Dark Shadows' grip failed him, allowing the two boys to fall into the void, which closed after them.

: : :

Tokoyami and Bakugo both landed with a thud, finding themselves in a forest, at nighttime. “Shit.” Bakugo cursed, lighting a steady flow of explosions from his hands for light. “C’mon bird brain! We gotta figure out where the fuck we are!” Tokoyami silently agreed, walking beside his explosive companion. Once the moon was high enough to see by its light, Bakugo stopped his explosions for the sake of preserving his energy. After a while of walking, Bakugo was suddenly attacked. “You, why are you traveling with a human!?-” Dark Shadow interrupted via ramming into the attacker, followed by wrapping his ‘arms’ around said attacker. “Hey- what are you doing?!” He shouted, struggling against Dark Shadow. “Letting my classmate blast your head off.” Tokoyami said simply. “You’re not human.” “Hah!” Bakugo grinned, following through and splattering blood all over Tokoyami, which soon faded to ash. “I need to travel with you more often! I knew you had a sadistic side!” “Like I knew your eyes reflected your desire to see bloodshed.” Tokoyami replied simply. The duo continued through the forest with a new understanding of each other, finding a road on the way.

: : :

When they reached the outskirts of a town, Bakugo traveled ahead to scout the area. Something was bothering him, but he couldn’t tell what it was. When he reached said town, that's when it hit him. There were no quirks. A dimensional quirk then? A time traveling quirk? Bakugo was so confused. Hopefully there was something in this world that Tokoyami could blend in with, for better or for worse. The ash blonde explored the village, noticing all the traditional clothing and building structure. Probably a time traveling quirk. He bought some traditional clothing with some spare yen in his bag, which was exceedingly cheap. Inflation was a bitch, but it was helpful in these scenarios. “Hey kid, is that a school uniform?” The shopkeeper asked, seemingly excited. “Yeah, it's from a combat school overseas. Basically a regular school, but fighting and self defense is incorporated.” Bakugo explained as he placed the yen on the counter after changing in the changing room and putting his uniform in his shoulder bag. “Cool! What's it like?” Bakugo saw the opportunity. “People have odd traits there. It’s a unique school. One of my classmates could secrete acid.” “Kid, have you heard of demons?” Another voice cut in, causing Bakugo and the shopkeeper to turn towards said voice. “No.”

~ ~ ~

Uzui Tengen narrowed his eyes slightly as the boy gave his answer. The blonde wasn’t lying. “What do you do in this school of yours? You said your class had ‘odd traits’?” “Yeah.” The boy replied. “At U.A., we’re educated and trained to protect others alike to us, and bring in anyone who attacks them.” Uzui hid his surprise. Was this a project of Muzans? Finding human kids and injecting them with just enough blood to give them demon arts, then sending them back to preserve the demon ranks under the delusion of protecting after brainwashing them at ‘U.A.’? The boy proceeded to thank the shopkeeper as Uzui thought, turning back to the Hashira. “Should we take this outside?” “Sure.” Uzui replied, the boy following him out the door. “So, what's up with these ‘odd traits’?” He asked. The boy stepped up next to him, easily keeping up with his long strides. “They give someone a set ability. There's four major classes: emitter, transformative, sentient, and mutant. Sometimes there's dual class traits, like one of my classmates who’s a mutant/emitter. Depending on the trait, there can be drawbacks. For example, if someone has a shadow related trait, sunlight will weaken them. In rare cases, It’ll burn them.” The hashiras suspicions got even closer to confirmed. “Are there regeneration traits?” Uzui asked. “What is their drawback?” “One, there are regeneration traits.” The boy replied. “Two, the user either has to have a lot of energy to use the quirk, or consume a lot of food. Also in extreme cases for powerful regeneration, they’ll have to eat human flesh.” Uzuis eyes widened. “Are there other traits that have this drawback?” “It's most common for the drawback, or requirement rather, to be blood drinking or something of the sort. Flesh eating trait drawbacks are less common.” “What about longevity traits?” The hashira asked. “Those are very rare.” The boy said. “One man managed to live 200 years or so. We don't know about his drawback specifically, but I’d guess similar traits would have a drawback like the regeneration ones.” The blonde answered. “You said this was a school right? What was your teacher like?” “He had black hair, and could erase anyone's traits by looking at someone and activating his own, turning his eyes clowning red, as long as he kept his eyes open.” Uzui had to hide his surprise yet again. Erasing demon arts? That sounded like something Muzan would only allow himself to have. “Thanks kid. I’ll leave now.” Uzui announced, the boy only nodding respectfully in return.

~ ~ ~

As Tokoyami was waiting silently in the shade of the forest surrounding the road, a crow landed in front of him. It had a… purple scarf? The crow looked a little weary, so Tokoyami brought out a small bag of bird seed he kept with him, offering some to the bird. Said bird accepted, settling on his shoulder after eating some. “Will you warn me if anyone comes close to us or if you need to leave?” Tokoyami asked the crow, who bobbed its head slightly, much to his surprise. The boy gave a small smile, before closing his eyes and promptly falling asleep.

~ ~ ~Demons. So that's what Tokoyami should cover as? The man's questions were oddly specific though. Regeneration, longevity, effects of sunlight, and flesh eating. Odd. Bakugo assumed those were all ‘demon’ traits, judging from the way he phrased the questions. And due to the fact that he had huge ass swords on his back, Bakugo could only assume it was the man's job to kill them. Most likely because of the flesh eating part. ‘Quirkest BS’, Bakugo would have thought if he was in his own world, but it was fairly obvious that these ‘demons’ weren’t human, and that there was probably a reason for killing them. Heck, that ‘man’ that they first met here was probably a demon. As he was on his way back to where he left Tokoyami, the sun started to set. Damn, how long had he been away? They only separated around mid-morning. Sheesh. As he approached the bird headed boy, Bakugo saw him leaning against a tree deeper in the forest, with his eyes closed and a crow on his shoulder. When he got close, the bird slapped Tokoyami in the face with his wing, waking the teen. “Hey bird brain.” Bakugo greeted the shadow user. “Welcome back to the land of the living. What’s up with the crow?” “He’s oddly intelligent, and agreed to wake me if anyone comes close. However, I don’t know where the scarf came from.” “Huh.” Bakugo said, holding out his arm, which the bird promptly landed on. The blonde stroked its head a couple of times, before raising his arm, prompting the bird to fly away, presumably to where it was headed before it met Tokoyami. “Well, I learned a couple things. There's creatures here called ‘demons’. It's likely that they eat flesh, can’t touch sunlight, and regenerate, based on a conversation I had with a man that had two huge-ass swords on his back. Looked like his job was to kill ‘em.” There was a pause. “And you want me to pose as one of them? Do you think you could beat him?” “Oh, he’d knock my ass unconscious in an instant. Call it a fighter's intuition.” Another pause. “I repeat, and you want me to pose as one of them?” “No, I told him that I came from an overseas combat school with kids that had ‘odd’ traits, he just proceeded to ask about demons and oddly specific questions."

[tstwitterupdates]

I feel like (imo from being a creative and having life get in the way) Thomas plotted out s2 and how it was supposed to go a long time ago and then his whole fricken world changed. Cause like, first it was the production company, then Joan and Talyn, then several health scares, then a relationship and a breakup, and, obviously, and entire pandemic and a hurricane ruining part of his studio. And that's just the stuff externally. So I get why it's taking so long, cause he wants to make it perfect, and he can't change his plans for s2 at this point, because it will ruin basically everything. Plus, with Into the Unknown and the among us videos, right, it's clear he's trying his best to put content out there. So I can understand where he is.

I think I'm just frustrated because I miss when we had stuff like Thomas and Friends content, like Real or Fake Anime or Joystick Joyride and stuff. I feel like the Sides/Cartoon Therapy wait would be less painful if we were getting a bit more content on that end, you know? Cause while it's been a long time, I still feel like it would've mitigated the pain seeing him a little more frequently. Plus, I think Roleslaying would feel less odd if there was other content going out around as often as the once-a-week uploads for a month or so, rather than it being basically all the content we see from him, now.

I know Thomas is also getting to a better place with bulk recording an the like, and I'm genuinely still excited to see what's coming up. It just sometimes feels like Thomas is hyperfocusing on the big projects, and not letting himself enjoy the stuff that makes the bigger projects feel more substantial, if that makes sense.

i kinda agree im not sure i haven’t made up my mind on this. i liked the videos with his friends before but they’ve also gotten so extra that i no longer watch them either, im now one of those fans just waiting for sanders sides. but i do wish he would make simpler fun things either small sanders sides episodes or small vlogs. i miss his vlogs. but mostly because of nostalgia, those things made me company through the worst years of high school lol. anyway getting off topic.

i do think thomas is trying his best, i do not doubt that in the slightest. but even when you try your best if you don’t have a good strategy the results might not be the best. but i dont know what their strategy is so i can’t judge i guess.

more asks and replies under the cut

yeah like. they pushed the limits of what they could do with what they had back since accepting anxiety. and then they got better equipment and staff and stuff and instead of saying “now we can do the same things in less time and with less effort” they went “now we can do even bigger things that push our limits just as much!”

which is their decision to make not mine but i assume that’s where some of that stress might be coming from.

yes i agree with all of this. there’s some blogs that have posted criticism or defenses against criticism that i just find incredibly mean spirited or that make good points but phrase it in aggressive ways i don’t like.

i think whichever opinion you have it’s best to be open minded. acknowledge our own feelings and talk about them without attacking anyone. it’s okay to feel frustrated and angry and then we’re responsible about what we do with those emotions. and i think it’s cool to talk about them with other fanders that have felt the same. just stay open minded about what others have to say and then make up your mind about how much you agree or disagree.

and keep in mind that we know nothing about how thomas and co work. on both sides. like you cant claim their workflow is perfect nor claim it’s horrible because we just don’t know. but we can say we’re feeling disappointed or bored or annoyed or whatever because those are our own feelings.

yeah again this is my blog and i post what i want. and im doing my job by tagging and warning them.

and also thomas is a grown man in his thirties who has been a social media personality for, what? maybe almost a decade? im sure he knows how to be responsible about it and not go digging to read criticism of his work to get hurt by it. or at least i hope so. if he doesn’t then that’s out of my hands as well. and the hundreds of people supporting him on the replies of all his tweets more than make up for a handful of blogs that make angry posts every once in a while.

yes that’s understandable. but i still don’t know. if thomas has these personal problems that are so serious that they cause his content to come sooo slowly and still cause him to have this much stress then he should probably just take a huge actual break. and let us know about it. without necessarily telling us the reason of course.

if after Putting Others First or the last Asides he had said “hey im going on a hiatus for big projects like sanders sides and cartoon therapy while i figure stuff out, but i’ll film x kind of content because it requires less effort and i enjoy it” or even that the entire channel is going on hiatus, and then he came back like a year later and said “okay we’re back first thing we’re doing is writing the finale script!” or whatever then that would have been less frustrating than this. even if it had taken the same 3 years. because at least afterwards you know that he’s better and the wait would be worth it. at least that’s my opinion.