#so the main thing i still need for this cosplay is the coat

[stopmyhearts]

I found some beautiful red leather gloves

[cryptidm0ths]

why is the hardest thing to find to make a himeru crazy b cosplay fucking black and white houndstooth fabric in a reasonable weight

[fandoms-x-reader]

MC Who Stims

@opiopal

Headcannons

Summary: The brothers' reactions to MC who stims a lot The Seven Demon Brothers x Reader Word Count: 1,548

I hope it's accurate enough! <3

Lucifer was able to witness your stimming in two different ways.

The first was when you were nervous or anxious.

He kept a close eye on you when you first came to the Devildom for the exchange program, despite putting Mammon in charge of you.

He would notice that during student council meetings or in situations that weren’t the safest for you, you would pick at your skin or pull on your hair.

It was a big tell for Lucifer to know that you weren’t comfortable.

And as the two of you got closer, he worked to remedy whatever situation you were in that was causing you to feel stressed.

He also noticed you stimming when it was just the two of you alone in his study.

You sat next to him to keep him company as he quietly worked on his paperwork.

During this time, you would always quietly make noises beside him or repeat phrases from something you heard or seen.

And although it seemed strange to Lucifer at first, he thought it was cute, and so he would happily listen to you fill the silence.

And now, if you weren’t around to keep him company, he would need some kind of background noise while he was doing paperwork. 

The first time Mammon caught you stimming, he didn’t know what to think of it.

The two of you were watching a movie together but you couldn’t sit still.

At first, Mammon thought your restlessness was a sign that you thought the movie was boring.

But, you seemed invested in the movie, your eyes watching vigilantly as your body subconsciously moved.

It started with you tapping your foot on the ground, gently shaking the couch that the two of you were sitting on.

Then he noticed you flapping your hands.

Mammon couldn’t take his eyes off of you after noticing the things you were doing and eventually, his staring got to be too much for you to ignore.

You asked him what he was staring at, and in turn, he asked you what you were doing with your feet and your hands.

You slightly blushed at how blatant his question was, but answered it nonetheless, explaining what stimming was.

Mammon was really understanding once he understood what you were doing.

Mammon had a tendency to be restless himself like when he was in class or when sitting in front of Lucifer, listening to a lecture that had dragged on for way too long.

Mammon had his own ways of stimming, and you noticed him gently tapping his thumb against you while the two of you were holding hands or lightly drumming his fingers on your knee when the two of you were sitting close to each other.

If you’re comfortable with it, partner stimming would become a big thing in your relationship.

Levi wasn’t sure what to do the first time you stimmed in front of him.

The two of you were hanging out in his room, playing one of his all-time favorite games and just having a good time.

The more time that was spent playing the game, Levi would begin to hear you muttering something under your breath.

He’s too socially awkward to ask you what you said outright, so he just focused his ears on listening to what you’re saying.

When he realized that you were repeating the catchphrase of the main character in the game, a deep blush coated his cheeks.

Why did you sound so adorable saying those words?

Levi’s heart raced the entire time the two of you played the game as he focused more on hearing those words he cherished coming from your lips.

Hearing you mimic something he loved so much would give him so many fantasies of the two of you cosplaying as certain characters together.

And if you ever decided to start repeating phrases from “The Magical Ruri Hana: Demon Girl”, Levi would be an absolute goner.

Dig his grave and write a nice epitaph because hearing you mimic Ruri-chan would kill him.

Satan was used to there being silence in the library when he was reading.

So the small noises you were making beside him while you read as well took him by surprise.

He tried to listen to what you were doing, to try and understand if it pertained to the book you were reading.

But although they were repetitive, the noises seemed to be random.

Satan decided not to say anything, but after you left, he did his research.

It wasn’t that you were annoying him, he just wanted to understand why you were doing it.

He would become your resident expert in all things stimming overnight.

And once Satan understood the reasons why you were doing it, he couldn’t help but find the habit of yours loveable.

He’ll wear a small smile as he continues to read his book when he hears you start making those noises.

He isn’t afraid to admit that he hoped he was the only one who got to see you doing something so uniquely adorable.

If you choose to discuss you’re stimming with Satan, he will gladly listen to what you have to say about it, and he’ll even compliment you.

But if it was something you didn’t want to talk about then he would admire you quietly from afar and do everything he could to make you feel comfortable with opening up to him.

You were standing next to Asmo at a rather large event, surrounded by a massive group of people and you were starting to feel nervous.

Being close to the seven demon brothers meant that you had been to several large-scale events like this one.

But, when they were all there, it was easy for you to stick to the sidelines and not have to be in front of everyone if you didn’t want to be.

When it was just Asmo with you, there was no avoiding the spotlight. You were front and center no matter what situation you were in.

Asmo thrived in that environment, but having hundreds of eyes staring at you could be a bit overwhelming.

And when you were feeling anxious you tended to pick at your skin or pull at strands of your hair.

When Asmo first noticed you doing this, he panicked, afraid you would damage either one of them.

He immediately pulled you to the side and asked if something was wrong.

When you explained that it was your way of stimming when you were feeling anxious, Asmo will offer you two options.

He’ll ask you if holding your hand or hugging you close to him would help with that feeling.

Or he’ll ask if you would rather just leave the event.

He’ll do whatever you need <3

Beel has a hard time hiding his excitement when it comes to food.

So he understands when others have a hard time hiding their excitement for things they like as well.

But in his opinion, you have the most adorable way of expressing your excitement for things.

The way you flapped your hands or tapped your feet when you were happy about something melted his heart.

Whenever this happened, he would stop whatever he was doing to watch you in action, even if he was eating.

And Beel would definitely go out of his way to get you your favorite food or drink just to see your excited motions as you smiled at him.

His favorite is when you do it while he’s sharing food with you.

He feels like it’s an intimate moment between the two of you because you’re showing him a side of yourself that others might not get to always see.

He would always find it adorable if you happened to partner stim.

He’ll enjoy the feeling of your fingers gently drumming on his skin or fidgeting with something he was wearing.

Belphie had a hard time taking naps with you at first because you wouldn’t lay still.

You would last maybe a couple of minutes before you would start moving, whether it be your hands or a different body part.

Belphie thought that maybe you didn’t like taking naps with him, so he would always let you go off on your own and then sulk and take a nap in his own room.

But, then he started noticing you flapping your hands and tapping your foot when you looked genuinely happy or excited.

Belphie wouldn’t be afraid to confront you about it, asking questions about what your motions meant.

If you’re comfortable with taking naps with him, Belphie will adjust to your stimming and eventually get used to it enough to fall asleep easily despite you moving around. 

As the two of you grow closer, this would most likely evolve into Belphie being used as a tool for your stimming.

He would insist on being cuddled up to you and because of that, you would be able to tap your fingers on his shoulders or back or gently poke him wherever you wanted.

Whether he was awake or asleep, Belphie would enjoy the attention and he would encourage your stimming when you were both up and around as well.

[eveningrainstorm]

my take on teenage raz and lili!

some design notes under the cut:

They're intended to be about 16 here! I didn't go for anything too drastic in terms of changes -- these are largely just what I'd consider natural evolutions of their canon designs

For Raz, my main focus besides just making him look older was to add a bit more resemblance to the other Aquatos in his design, since his relationship with them wouldn't be strained like it is during canon

Raz is shown with very straight hair in canon, but since most of his family's hair is more wavy or curly I tend to imagine he styles it that way on purpose as part of his Sasha Nein cosplay or whatever. He wouldn't still feel the need to do that at this point, though, so for this design I wanted to make it more curly, similar to Augustus or Frazie, while still similar to his canon style. This turned out to be incredibly difficult and I'm still not entirely happy with where I landed, but it's good enough

I didn't think he would still wear the helmet but I didn't want to discard it entirely, so the goggles were a compromise. I meant to give them some visible scratches and wear and tear since they're presumably the same goggles he's been wearing since he was 10, but I forgot. rip

Obviously the most notable change to Raz's outfit is the scarf -- I wanted something that would tie him visually to the other Aquatos while still fitting with his general look. I imagine they gave it to him as a gift, sort of an acknowledgement that even if he doesn't perform with them as an acrobat, doing his Psychonaut work is his own way of being an Aquato

Raz's outfit here is honestly very similar to his PN2 outfit. This is because in my eyes "long coat and turtleneck" is Peak Character Design and cannot be improved on. (Hence why I may not be the best person to redesign Raz.) He has an actual coat rather than just an oversized blazer this time though, so that's an improvement. With the turtleneck I was was vaguely intending for it to be color-wise something of a middle ground between the Sasha-style green striped turtleneck and the Aquato blue/green and white stripes, but it ended up basically just being the PN1 stripes with the PN2 color. which, you know, that works

I went back and forth on what their heights should be -- I thought it would be kind of funny if Raz ended up short and Lili ended up taller than him, but then I decided to just make them more in line with their families, with Raz being tall and lanky and Lili being average verging on short. Except then I accidentally made Lili tall anyway because I was only vaguely considering her height relative to Raz. I guess Lili's probably taller than her dad now? good for her ig

Most of their facial features are just slight variations of how they look in canon -- slightly smaller eyes and so on. the only real specific change is that Lili has a more defined nose now, similar in shape to her father's

Lili's outfit here is more different from either of her canon outfits than Raz's is, but there's still not much that really requires a ton of explanation. The goal was to make her look vaguely cool and fashionable, although as I am neither of those things I cannot guarantee I was successful

I tried a couple different hairstyles for Lili, and I'm still not entirely set on this one -- Originally what I settled on was to give her two braids, which I did like, but I kept doing sketches of her where I just drew the top part of the hair and was like "ngl this kind of works on its own" and so I ended up going with the short hair. I also briefly tried an asymmetrical haircut but I couldn't get it to look right. I think this one suits her though

Lili's tattoo (on her left wrist) was a later addition to the design, and even in the later stages of drawing this I wasn't sure whether to keep it. I like it conceptually I just haven't figured out a consistent design for it yet, only that it has to be of plants

god these notes got way longer than I meant them to be I am so sorry. Uh basically I'm still figuring out the details of these designs but for now here's Raz and Lili, they're teenagers now, thanks for reading

[written-among-the-stars]

I just binged Dead Boy Detectives yesterday and I need to get my thoughts out of my head or else I'm gonna explode so here they are (yes I watched all of the show yesterday and even though it was the dead of night when I finished and I still scrolled on tumblr for over an hour afterwards)

the amount of queer media with supernatural / ghost stuff nowadays is really great I love it, and it's now what I will call the "Unbury your gays" trope (my favourites from this genre include "Cemetery Boys", "Under The Whispering Door", this frick show and Lockwood & Co. as a honourable mention because it feels queer)

the sets are gorgeous, especially Mick's magic shop

these title cards or whatever they're called are an underrated element of comedy

Charles outfit with that coat and the buttons would make such a good cosplay

another tumblr user said they always mixed up Charles and Edwin's names in the beginning and honestly same (like Charles also looks like an Edwin and Edwin also looks like a Charles or maybe it's just me)

Niko. just Niko. love her. (also her and Edwin's friendship is the best and I headcanon both of them as autistic)

the worldbuilding is so unhinged like wow they're in Crystal's mind and here's this creepy demon and there are eyeballs hanging from the ceiling and here's this creepy man who's also a cat and he's also the king of the cats and then they're in literal hell like w h a t

like many others before me I too was disappointed to find out Crystal was not in love with Niko, Niko just had parasites, and yes that's just a thing that happens

on that note, Crystal and Charles do not work together romantically, even if we leave aside other ships. Their dynamic as friends? great. everything beyond that? no. It just has these "he was a boy she was a girl can I make it any more obvious" vibes that I detest and am really fed up with

I'll say it now and I'll say it again: a female lead character shouldn't have to have any super special unique fantasy powers or be a male character's love interest to justify her being a main character. It's just something that I am observing again and again in books and shows alike

Crystal has a lot of unexplored potential. And it's always difficult to have a character with memory loss because you automatically lose a big chunk of backstory and potential character motivations until later in the story. But I have hopes for season 2 (if we get one pleeeease)

they really played Apocalypse in the Jenny and Maxine date scene and expected me not to notice

the Cat King is creepy and icky and I will die on that hill. he does not respect personal space and what was up with that "I'll remove the bracelet if you make me happy" like are you for real what the fuck (derogatory)

I've taken an unexpected liking to Monty. idk why but I relate on a personal level

[crowsbeak-cos]

Sebastian updates!

istg t. rex's electric warrior album is the only thing getting me through this cosplay right now -

now that I'm relatively post-sinus infection and can sit upright without feeling terrible, I'm trying to get a bit more work done on Sebastian. I've primarily been working on his pants, which is not really interesting at all in the slightest but I'm using these blog posts to mark down my progress and have a general idea of what I need to write in my build book (when I eventually get to that point). They're made out of the same cotton poplin I'm planning to use for his coat, so they'll be nice and lightweight at conventions. I'm a little bit worried about them getting wrinkly, but I think overall they should be fine - plus, I'm planning to wear this at Anime Boston which is about two months before Connecticon, so if the pants are really that bad I can easily make a new pair if needed. I've got them pretty much done, all that I really need to do is put the zipper in, hem them, and add the waistband. I think I might end up needing to take them in a little bit around the hips, but that shouldn't be an issue. They're also very high-waisted (like. almost excessively), but that should be pretty easy to fix if needed! I do think I might throw a set of pockets on the front, if these are comfortable and I like them enough I'll probably end up wearing them for Howl as well.

Beyond that, I'm still very solidly in mockup hell. Still stuck on the coat sleeves, I think I'm just not allowed to have sleeves be easy. I'm on my third attempt and they're still not quite right. The main issue I'm having is making the sleeve itself pretty narrow while still having enough give up at the shoulders that I can easily move around. I may end up going back to the original pattern I made and taking off width in a different area? Not sure yet- hopefully I can get that set soon.

Once the coat mockup is done I won't be able to do much on the coat until I get my lining fabric, so I'll dive into the mockup for the robe. I also still need to buy the lining for that, but since I'm planning a lot of beading I'll be able to at the very least start and get some progress underway!

[zanshlou]

Been a while since I’ve posted something related to XIV so here’s some Carmina. There was something about next patch using portraits for more dungeons and stuff or something? I dono I don’t really pay attention to announcements and just skim patch notes for stuff I care about when things actually come out but I heard something about this and decided that I needed to go in and make portaits for every class. This also resulted in me tweaking a couple glams and making a few new ones. Sadly I use two of my glam plats for my Crafter and Gatherer glams so MNK/SAM and DRG/RPR have to share outfits for now. PLEASE SE I just need 2 more glam plates (though also like a nice rounded 5 would be nice to keep holiday outfits separate on). Anyways random details about all the tweaks and new outfits (along with some of my general long winded ramblings) below the cut I guess.

So SCH, RDM, MCH, and NIN got completely new looks. My old SCH was too close in color and used a lot of the same pieces as my SGE look I put together for story this expansion so it had to go. RDM used a top that I had modded and so didn’t look right anymore. The top it has WAS originally on my new MCH look but I had shifted that to be more pirate-y and still wanted to use the top and it looks great in red. NIN was going to get a modified version of a Cait Sith cosplay I put together for a group Halloween shot my FC did but then I realized when lookig through stuff that I had the Neo-Ishgardian top and that plan went out the window as I decided I had a need to work around that top for the look.

Meanwhile... BRD continues to get stuck with my holiday look whatever that ends up being. So for now it gets to support my Christmas gear. Maybe after the holidays I’ll change it but the look is solid on its own holiday season or not so it may just stay.

For more minor changes... My DNC used to sport a hat, I might even have some screenshots somewhere on here from the past where it still sports that hat. The look was built around an old old glam from the HW days that I made that was very... tap-dancer-esque. These days the new look has kind of been a Mina default look and is what I base a lot of my art and designing around but I always leave out the hat so decided I’d switch it with glasses. They might not stay but I do always love the look of glasses on Mina. Second only to hair flowers (I just didn’t feel I had any good ones on hand to go with the look).

MNK/SAM got new earrings and DRG/RPR got new nails. These were both super minor style changes. I wanted some earrings that were lowkey and that I didn’t really use much (instead of my usual heart earrings) for the MNK/SAM look. That look has always been a staple of my wardrobe since at least early HW if not sooner than that. It’s simple and effective and was built entirely around the gloves and going “what else can I make black that has gold accents?” The DRG/RPR look is similarly an old classic of mine, built completely around the Maelstrom coat. I used to have the sharp beastly nails on the look and I just switched those out for the like regular painted nails. Super minor change for a look that has never stopped being amazing. The way the Y’shtola HW boots pair with that coat is too dang powerful.

As one last random aside, BLU continues to be my most extra look. I have tried to make it over the top and extravagant in ever incarnation I’ve made of it. This one is decidedly less silly than it’s first main glam (which I should dig up some old pics of) but it still has that very loud, “LOOK AT ME” showmanship to the design. Every time I make a new outfit for it I have a lot of fun with it. The only look that I think brings me more joy from the sillyness of it is my blindfolded “I can’t read” SMN look.

[prettyboy-asmo]

Spending time/showing affection to GN!MC (Brothers+Side)

I’ve had terrible writers block lately so I decided to just do some general HC about how the boys show affection/ spend time with MC to hopefully get back into the swing of things.

MC is gender neutral and most of the hcs are written with romance in mind.

pure fluff

Lucifer:

Lucifer is a busy Demon, so He’ll take any time with you he can get, Even if it’s just the both of you sitting in the same room, working on your own things. 

He cherishes the moments when you can both do nothing together- a moment to relax with you. When you get that rare moment with him, he likes to be close to you, sitting close enough your shoulders are brushing or his head in your lap or you on his lap- it doesn’t matter

He also likes taking you out on occasion- a nice dinner, maybe some sort of show, symphony, theatre, if you like it he’ll go. Getting to see you dress up more than usual and knowing his brothers won’t be there to barge in. 

He’s not overly touchy in public, but he’ll usually keep a hand resting on your back around others. 

He’s not as verbal about his affection around others either, but when it’s just you two he tends to be far more open with it. 

An absolute favorite of his, however, is when you get to fall asleep together. He’d never, never admit it to anyone else but getting to fall asleep cuddling you is the best thing for him. Especially when it’s you holding him, when he doesn’t have to worry about anything else besides feeling content in your arms. 

That’s also when the verbal affection becomes more open as well, soft whispers as you drift off to sleep.

Mammon:

When Mammon wants to spend time with you, he usually invites himself into your room and just throws himself on the bed. It doesn’t even really matter if you say anything or not, he’ll scroll his D.D.D. until you finish whatever you were doing and pay attention to him. 

If you take too long though he will start to complain.

If he wants your attention and he has something he needs to do like a modeling shoot, he’ll drag you along. 

No matter what it is though, Mammon is always touchy (Despite how much he denies it) things like a hand lingering on your shoulder, fingers interlaced, leaning on each other's shoulders- he likes to be touching you in some form. 

In public he’s just as clingy, his arm wrapped around your shoulders to hold you close to him, (you should want everyone to know you’re with the great Mammon, after all.)

Loves movie nights with just the two of you. It usually ends up with his head on your shoulder or lap, fingers running through his hair. 

He won’t outright say he wants headpats or your fingers in his hair, but he’ll take your hand and place it on his head without a word (he also won’t make eye contact when he does, poor boy is blushing so hard) 

He’s definitely not as verbal with affection. Though if he notices you’re stressed or having a bad day he doesn’t try as hard to deny his feelings and he’ll remind you how much he cares about you. 

Levi:

Obviously, Levi loves being able to marathon Anime or spend hours playing video games with you. 

At first, it’s you who has to initiate any sort of physical contact. It starts slow, sitting closer together, leaning against him, small things. The more you hangout and the closer you get however, the more used to the idea he gets. 

Eventually, anime nights are spent cuddling while watching whatever show was chosen, and more often than not you find yourself in his lap when you guys play video games While he can still end up a blushing mess sometimes, he’s more comfortable asking for physical contact. 

But it’s not just anime and video games. If you show any interest in cosplay he’ll jump at the chance to create costumes together. If you don’t know how to do something, he offers to teach you. 

As you grow closer, he also grows more vocal with his affection, tells you how happy he is to spend time with you or how glad he is that you actually like him and indulge in his hobbies as well.

If for some reason, you both end up going out in public together, he seems far less hesitant to give physical contact. Usually it’s just him holding your hand (sometimes he’ll absentmindedly swing your hands back and forth)

He also enjoys when you simply sit with him while he plays video games- whether you’re cheering him on, watching him progress through plot, or even doing your own thing on your D.D.D. the fact that you choose to spend time with him is enough to make him feel fluttery in the best ways. 

Satan:

Another one who enjoys the quiet moments with you. He likes to sit with you while reading, just sharing the same space as you is nice. 

He also likes reading to you, and while he’s not very touchy in general he likes to have you close in those moments- especially when it’s you in his lap, leaning back against him and your head on his shoulder or you lounging with your head in his lap. 

As cliche as it is- He’s a sucker for cafe and bookstore dates. He likes to see what kind of books you’ll take interest in, offer his own suggestions and ask you about your favorites, he gets to spend time with you and learn about you at the same time. 

Will find a cat cafe to visit with you or an animal shelter. Lucifer won’t let him get a cat but he can at least enjoy them this way- and since it’s time he also gets to spend with you it’s even better. 

He will absolutely tell you how much he cares for you. He ends up being far more verbal than physical when it comes to affection- he says his fair share of cheesy things (You gotta love it though.) 

Like Lucifer, around others his hand is usually sitting light on your back. 

He’d also love murder mystery dinner theaters and the like. That includes watching true crime documentaries/ unsolved mysteries with you. 

Asmo:

He loves to pamper you. Spa days with just the two of you- offering you new products to try for hair/skin/etc. 

If you let him do your nails he will be absolutely over the moon, even if it’s just a clear coat of polish. 

Asmo is naturally a very touchy person- it’s one of the main ways he shows affection. When you’re spending time together, he’s almost always touching you in some form. Draping an arm over your shoulders, holding your hand, resting his hand on your arm- whatever you’re comfortable with.

It’s not just touch however. He has no issues telling you how much he loves spending time with you, he’s very vocal about everything he likes about you, how much he cares about you.

As much as he likes to stay in for spa days, he also enjoys going out with you. 

Loves to drag you shopping. He loves picking out outfits for you, asking you what kind of style you want and going from there, it’s one of his favorite things to see your eyes light up when you try on his suggestions. 

Will also take you out to the Fall and to some parties. It’s true he thrives off the attention of his fans, but when he takes you with him he’s far more focused on you than his followers.  

He can get extra touchy in public. He wants everyone to know you’re with him. Even if he does interact with his fans, the conversation often swings back around to you and him- “Aren’t they just wonderful? I picked out their outfit myself, it really suits them, right? Don’t we look so cute together?” 

Beel:

Beel cherishes any time he gets to spend with you. No matter what it is he’s excited to be able to share his time with you. 

If you like to cook or bake though, he will absolutely be more than eager to offer his help or keep you company in the kitchen. 

If you accept his invites to the gym, whether you do your own workout routine or film him so he can see his own form later, He’s glad to know you're willing to spend that time with him even though he can’t turn his full focus on you. 

Also, while it’s not really spending time with him, if you come to his practices and games he will be so happy. He’s like an excited puppy and he’ll always thank you for supporting him after he’s done. 

Will 100% give you piggy back rides whenever you want. Sometimes he will insist on it, especially if you seem tired or you're somewhere crowded enough that others keep bumping into you. 

He does enjoy cuddling up with you, especially when you end up using him as a pillow or clinging to him- he got used to that stuff with Belphie and he’s glad that you feel comfortable enough to be that close to him. 

A demon of few words, but he does have little actions that show how much he adores you. The most common one when you’re relaxing together is when he lifts your hand in his own, sometimes laying his palm against yours, sometimes playing with your fingers, sometimes simply interlacing your fingers and giving a soft squeeze. 

Sometimes though, he’ll bust out an “I love you,”- usually the most random times, if you’re sitting with him while he raids the fridge, walking to classes, studying together, sometimes he just has to say it. 

Belphie:

Napping together is his favorite, hands down. He’ll take any chance he can get to snuggle and nap with you. 

He’s not one for high energy activities for obvious reasons, but he’ll never turn down a movie night or binge watching shows with you. 

Love it if you read to him. He finds your voice soothing and relaxing, so being able to close his eyes just listen to you is nice. 

Laying together in the planetarium is something he’d never even dream of turning down. 

He’s naturally very touchy. Leaning against you, wrapping his arms around you, resting his head on your shoulder, he just likes to be as close as possible to you. 

 When it comes to verbal affection, it tends to come in the form of teasing comments. Though, when he’s just waking up expect sleepy whispers of affection. 

Around others he’s even more clingy than usual. Hanging around your shoulders, holding on to the fabric of your shirt, sometimes his tail will make an appearance and curl around your middle. 

Similar to Beel, he has little unconscious actions of affection. Tracing patterns along your arm/leg when you’re cuddling, nuzzling his head into your hand if you run your fingers through his hair, most often though is when his tail curls around you or drapes over you.

Barbatos:

Another busy demon, but he always makes sure he has extra time to spend with you. 

Outings to markets and joining him on shopping trips is pretty common, and it usually includes a meal at a cafe or nice restaurant. 

He will gladly let you keep him company while he’s baking or cooking- he’ll even teach you some recipes if you show interest. 

While not outwardly affectionate by nature, especially in public, he will keep a hand on your shoulder in crowded areas and he makes it clear that you’re with him. 

If you want to cuddle, he’ll oblige, but he usually won’t initiate it- It’s not that he doesn’t want to or that he doesn’t like it, He just likes it better knowing that’s exactly what you want. 

He does like to hold you when you lay together, both arms and tail around you- he will absolutely bury his face in your hair/ neck. 

You can also expect plenty of gifts-sweets he’s made, little things he sees that he knows you’d like, flowers, etc. 

Even though he’s pretty reserved, his gestures make sure you know he cares about you and is thinking about you. 

Diavolo:

Busy, busy, busy. There’s always something going on that he’s supposed to be doing, but Diavolo always has time for you. 

It doesn’t matter what it is- The fact that he gets time with you is enough for him. 

He does like to treat you to fancy dinners and such, though, in fact, he just likes to treat you in general. 

Diavolo also is very liberal with gifts, though it’s not just small things. Anything he sees that he thinks you’d like, things that remind him of you- anything is fair game. He doesn’t really have to worry about price, and honestly, he’d want to get you the best of what you enjoy anyways. 

Very big on both physical and verbal affection. 

He loves to be touching you in some way, holding hands, an arm around you, you leaning against him- he has absolutely no reservations or hesitations about pulling you into his lap or into his side at any time. 

He will melt if you run your fingers through his hair or lay your head on his shoulder/chest while you’re relaxing. 

He’s absolutely not shy about saying ‘I love you’ or any other sort of affectionate thing, public or otherwise. (He will blush though, especially if you return his words.) 

He doesn’t need to, but in crowded areas he will keep your hand in his or an arm around you.

Solomon:

If you’re willing to sit with him while he does research, that’d be great- if you're willing to help that’s even better. 

He also enjoys taking you to cafes or simply being able to talk a walk with you- the change of pace is nice and your presence is something he can bask in. 

He’s also the teasing type. Snarky comments and bold flirting- He likes to see what it takes to make you blush. He’d also get a kick out of it if you tried to make him blush. It’s not as hard as he thinks, though, some genuine words of affection and he’s blushing like mad. 

He will try to cook for you. Once. 

In public, he’ll let his arm drape over your shoulders, making sure to keep you pretty close to him. He’s got a protective streak to rival the brothers- he’s got plenty of experience with Demons, after all. 

If you show an interest in something, he will be willing to teach you about it. 

Man is a sucker for massages. Will melt into a puddle if you rub his shoulder/back. He also won’t hesitate to return the favor. (He’s surprisingly good at it- Won’t admit it’s because Asmo taught him.) 

Simeon:

His favorite is little tea dates or picnics with you. A nice calm atmosphere and pleasant conversation with you is just what he needs to relax. 

He also likes to tease and flirt, but the second you retaliate he’s a blushing mess. 

Will absolutely take you to plays/musicals/ performances. Being able to share his interests with you is wonderful. 

He will for sure write love letters. It doesn’t even matter if you write any back, it’s easiest to show his affection and how truly deeply he cares for you in writing. 

He’ll be overjoyed if you sit with him when he writes. Sometimes he’ll even bounce ideas off you or ask if something sounds okay. He values your input above all else. 

He’s most shy about touch. He’s honestly not as used to it and it flusters him pretty easily. That’s not to say he doesn’t love it anyways. 

In fact, having you simply tucked to his side leaves him smiling and feeling warm. 

He also likes to be held, especially if you’re sharing a bed. Feeling absolutely loved and cared for in your arms is the best feeling he’s ever had, and he won’t hesitate to tell you that. 

[joy1579]

self indulgent

I've been sad. so i wrote a thing to make me less sad. maybe it'll make someone else less sad too or at the very least they can laugh at my “cringe” but either way it did make me less sad so goal accomplished.

Mc and jumin organize a bookshelf jumin asks what neko girls are and MC short circuits his brain for a couple of seconds. no smut just fluff

Moving hadn’t taken long. You had opted to donate your furniture to the local homeless shelter since Jumin’s penthouse was furnished with the highest quality furniture you could dream of. Honestly most of your things paled in comparison to the lavish goods Jumin considered tawdry. Still there were a quite a few boxes you had decided to save, filled mostly with sentimental keepsakes and the few odds and ends that catered to your specific tastes. You were practically finished by noon save the three or four boxes that sat in the main room next to the larger than life bookshelves. Certainly there was plenty of room on them. You never where a fan of negative space on bookshelves but if you were being completely honest that had more to do with how many books you needed to fit in such a finite space. Jumins bookshelves had plenty of room with just enough negative space to look perfectly balanced and while you knew Jumin had told you to do whatever you wished this felt intimate. Bookshelves where holy spaces after all, housing books that change hearts and minds alike that shape the soul and … okay so maybe you just really liked books and that made them seem important to you either way this was definitely something you wanted to do with Jumin. When you heard the door rattle with Jumin homecoming you bolt towards it excited to greet him after work.

“Jumin! Welcome home!” you cried bouncing in place as he made his way inside. You smiled as you saw the creases in his brown flatten and the stress slip from shoulders when he saw you. You waited all of 5 seconds for him to close the door giving you both some privacy from the bodyguards stationed outside before you pounced, leaping upon the business man wrapping your arms around his neck. You delighted in the deep honey of his laughter as he caught your waist in kind and kissed the top of your head gently.

“darling. I’m so glad to be home. How was your day? did you get settled?” Jumin asked as you pulled yourself back slightly giving him room to loosen his tie and set aside his coat.

“everything is in its place except um Jumin there is one thing I need if you don’t mind”

“name it and its yours”

“I wanted to share your bookshelves and I was hoping that maybe you could organize the books with me?” you admitted shyly. It had seemed like such a good idea in the beginning he could show you his favorite books, walk you through his favorite plots and tell you his favorite quotes and you could do the same with him. Yet now as you presented the idea to him you worried. What if he was to tired he had worked all day after all, what if he thought you too needy, or your books to childish. what if he didn’t want your books displayed in the living room because they weren’t very pretty, all of his books where gorgeous leather bound tomes or mint condition hardcovers, yours where second hand at best many where decommissioned library books or garage sale rescues, broken in battered and bruised by years of use. It would make sense to have them put away in a back room where they couldn’t tarnish the pristine collection Jumin had on display. Perhaps you where spiraling, working yourself into a nervous frenzy in the span of a few seconds.

“nothing would make me happier love. We can call the chef to start dinner and begin emptying the shelves for rearranging while he works.” You couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face or the giggle that escaped your lips. The surprise on Jumins face was evident if only for a second before it gave way to a warm sort of fondness. “had I known simple redecorating would make you this happy I would have stayed home and done it all with you” he said affectionately running his fingers through your hair.

“it’s not that I just,” you paused face flushing a bit “books are a big deal, ya know? My dad used to tell me that every book you read becomes a part of you and that you can learn more about someone by the books they love than by the words they say so I wanted to share that with you” jumins eyes where so soft and gentle in that moment you felt your breath hitch “I want to know everything about you and, and I want you to know everything about me” suddenly his lips where on yours fervent and full of passion the hand that had been in your hair now on your chin guiding you too him. The kiss was short and when you parted from him he stayed close, just a hairs breath from your face.

Jumin voice was little more than a whisper as he asked “how is it that every day I manage to fall more in love with you?” you couldn’t help but lean forward and kiss him again an all too familiar giddiness bubbling its way through your soul. You loved this man more than life itself and you knew that would never change.

 “so your ‘Encyclopedia of Fairies’ should go next to the Catherynne M Valente series so we can reference it while reading agreed?” you giggled thrilled that his collection of mythological reference books slotted together with your fae fiction so perfectly. Puzzle pieces connecting to create a masterpiece.

“yes I think that’s perfect. I can’t wait to read her interpretation of such ancient mythos. I also have ‘The World Guide to Gnomes, Fairies, Elves and Other Little People’ if you’d like to add it to that shelf” he said grinning like a child at show and tell.

“oh my goodness yes! That’s perfect and your book on Romanian vampires should be near my ‘Dracula’ and ‘vittorio’ that way that shelf over there can be dedicated to the occult, hauntings, and psychic reference books”

“that sound wonderful and takes care of all the written word but we still haven’t found a place for your comics” Jumin informed glancing toward the woefully large stack of manga you had brought.

“not comic Jumin manga and yeah I think we’re out of space though. I um I didn’t think I had that many books. Sorry” you admitted not meeting his eyes. He tilted your head up to look at him.

“there’s no need to apologize it simply means that tomorrow we can go shopping for another shelf and the next day we can organize those. I’m quite curious about ‘la petite cossette’ you said these where Japanese but that is most certainly a French title.”

“oh I actually think you’d like that one a lot it’s about a man who falls in love with a woman in a cursed portrait its actually pretty tragic in the end.”

“How interesting” he mused retrieving it from the pile of books and skimming through it “the art is truly enchanting and you said that manga has its own subculture?”

“yeah from neko girls to shonen action tropes it has its own vocabulary, history and groups of people its really fun”

“neko girls?” Jumin repeated and your eyes widened at his confusion. This was definitely something he of all people should know about! You jumped up and sprinted to the closet you had filled earlier that day with the few cosplay supplies you had. At the time it had taken nearly half your pay check but if Jumin liked them right now the purchase then would be completely justified. You put on your surprise as quickly as possible before rushing back out to greet Jumin who had just made it to the edge of the living room to come find where you had gone. He froze for a second processing what you were now wearing. White cat ears that moved and twitched fairly believably and just as he was able to cope with that your made paws with your hands and tried your best “nya”. For a moment you feared you may have broken him. He didn’t move his face blank, eyes fixed on you. You tried again hoping to spur some sort of reaction from him “nya?” you said turning to the side slightly to show off the other half of your surprise a white tail complete with pink bow and bell at the base where it attached to your skirt. You tilted your head to look up at him through your lashes trying every trick in your arsenal to look as cute as possible but nothing. He was completely frozen. “Jumin? Hello?” now you were getting worried “darling are you okay?” you asked placing the back of your hand on his forehead to feel for a temperature. The second your hand touched him however his face flushed.

“neko girl.” He muttered “that’s neko as in cat” you could see him trying to calm himself. Fiddling with his shirt sleeves and attempting to stay in control. You smiled standing on your tip toes to kiss his cheek and whisper in his ear.

“am I a good little kitten at least?”  you couldn’t contain your giggle as you heard him choke slightly before scooping you up bridal style.

“certainly not, in fact I think you’ve been a very bad little kitten.” He said his voice deeper than normal as he carried you back towards the bedroom.

[shirophantomvox]

Illumi Analysis | Hisoka Analysis | Killua Analysis

What’s up, everybody! I am back yet again with another Hunter x Hunter post. You all really like my Hisoka and Illumi character analysis and thoughts. I figured why not analyze Chrollo as well? Apparently, Chrollo, Hisoka, and Illumi are considered the Adult Trio on here so that is why I used the tag. I understand that this is a Voltron blog but I changed it into a multi because I have a love for other shows that deserve to be talked about. I post these character analyses because they will help me define and develop characters of my own and I love talking about them. Where are they from? What do they do in their spare time? And so on. Read the entire post for links and references!

Let’s get into the post!

I’ve stated in my "Hunter x Hunter Thoughts #2" post that Chrollo caught my attention immediately in the Yorknew City Arc. It was a combination of his large eyes, his calm, smooth voice, the tattoo on his forehead, and his hairstyle. I’ve noticed that my heart flutters a little when these characters speak (don't make it weird. You know what I mean) because their voices are smooth and calm. I think this tactic often used to get the viewers to “love” the villain regardless of any wrongdoings they do in the show. I noticed numerous things about him that made me wonder why he dresses the way he does, why is he so calm and dark, and why does he lurk in the shadows?

I have to be honest. One thing that often annoys me about several anime/manga(s) is they introduce SEVERAL characters at once, push some characters off to the very end, and do not give proper backstories for villains, especially. I don’t side with villains but a backstory should be a necessity. The only main antagonist that has a proper backstory is Illumi because we know that he was raised by crazy assassins. Hisoka doesn't have a backstory except for a one-shot that isn’t canon and neither does Chrollo.

I’ve only seen 2 flashbacks regarding Chrollo and his past. He was born in Meteor City which was a town full of trash; no houses, plants, or schools. It is implied that he only survived from stealing from others. His current members are people he met in his hometown. Chrollo often states that he is the head of the group and if he dies, he trusts that they’ll make a great decision on who the new leader will be. In the present, Gon asks him how he could kill people he didn’t know. The silence and rhythmic thunder-claps imply that he doesn’t know why.

Is it something he does...impulsively? Throughout this arc, it seems that Chrollo is having somewhat of an identity crisis. He has stated several times about trying to figure out “who he is”. By that, Chrollo must not like to steal and destroy but to him, that is what he needs to do to survive.

This raises the question of: “If he has stolen for all these years, why is he still living in a destroyed church?”

He’s been a bandit for years. I’m sure he’s on the radar somewhere. He can’t walk around with the troupe members in broad daylight because someone will recognize them. Maybe this is why they only travel in the dark. Machi was brave for walking from Heaven’s Arena in the dark.

He can’t buy a house. What name, card info, or co-leaders would sign the lease? He’s a bandit, remember. His face is somewhere waiting to be caught.

He has accepted this state of living. I thought that since he lived in a trash town that he would want to live in a luxurious place if he could, but no. He lives in a destroyed church, in darkness, and only speaks to his members.

When Chrollo stole the girl’s ability to tell the future, he took it for two reasons. A) because he needed it to see what would happen to Uvo in the new world and B) because the girl’s father used her ability for money and didn’t care for her.

The only reason why I feel an ounce of sympathy for him and not Illumi is it seems like Chrollo raised himself. He took it upon himself to steal and whatnot so he could eat. Chrollo came from nothing while Illumi had a mansion, butlers, protection, and anything he wanted. FYI, just because you have a luxurious lifestyle doesn’t mean you’re happy but in this case, Illumi had shelter while Chrollo didn’t.

Face

Chrollo’s face is what I aspire to create for my own OC’s but manage to fail every time. His face matches his body. If it weren’t for his tattoo and his main hairstyle, I wouldn’t have thought he was a threat to anyone. His face is well-rounded and reminds me of a young adult. His skin is pale and often covered in shadows because he is always in a room that is only lit by a candle. His ears are rather large for his head, but they match ok. Although, I wish his tattoo was removed. To me, that ruins his character design. He already has an inverted cross on his coat and is implied by the destroyed church he lives in. The tattoo just reminds me of a cult for some reason and that is why he gave me unsettling feelings at first.

Eyes

Chrollo’s large eyes are another feature that had me aghast. Some people love big eyes, but his grey pupils capture you almost like you're hypnotized to do anything he wants. They’re a pretty shade of grey, though.

Hair

I am going to say this loud and proud: CHROLLO LOOKS MUCH BETTER WITH HIS HAIR DOWN! Yes, to me he looks much respectable, mature, and serious with it down. His hair is jet black and is shiny like Illumi’s. I could only imagine if I had the chance to touch his hair, the dye would come off on my hands. The down look? The best way to go!

Clothes

His clothes are very stylish. The coat he wears would be PERFECT for the winter seasons! If I ever cosplay, I’m wearing that coat while it's snowing. In the first scene, he was seen wearing a black shirt with white lines going in numerous directions. After that, the creators decided to let his rippling chest show for the rest of the arc. Damn, rippling chests have been a popular decision and NO ONE is complaining! His black pants remind me of skinny jeans and even if they are, he’s lucky because I CANNOT wear skinny jeans. Once I wore them, bent over, and ripped them! I said to myself, “WTF? I paid $35 for these!”

Shoes

He wears black boots that reach up to his leg. He isn’t as stylish as Illumi and Hisoka, but that’ll do. His clothing is much simpler for anyone to cosplay.

Voice

As stated above, Chrollo has a soft, calm voice. He is the only villain I’ve seen that maintains composure during tough situations. I don't know if this was planned or not, but the main antagonists have calm soothing voices. When Chrollo went out with the fortune teller, I forgot he only did that for his selfish gain. I thought he generally enjoyed the date.

In conclusion, I wish Chrollo had a backstory like many characters in this manga. I think Hisoka and Chrollo’s backstory would be the most interesting to me. When these twisted characters appear before us, you want to know why they became this way. Having an empty villain isn’t good and is quite annoying.

Thank you for reading this post! If you’d like me to analyze any characters from Voltron or Hunter x Hunter, send me an ask!

[five-rivers]

Cold Case

So, this is a continuation of Interview With a Ghost, my corpse AU.  Sort of.  Lots of outsider perspective.  

But, I’m too lazy to hunt down the tumblr links.  So.  Here’s the AO3 link to the series.  

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McGee braced himself before getting out of his car and walking into the precinct.  He’d heard all the jokes before, all the mindless digs at his name, and he liked to think that he’d grown a thick skin in response, but part of him still flinched every time.  

Plus, there was a reason he’d been sent to Amity Park.  That reason being the incredibly suspicious crime rate.  That is, the just shy of nonexistent crime rate.  Also, the billionaire mayor that had popped up out of nowhere.  And the high road repair and park maintenance bills.  

Oh, yeah, and the giant murder investigation that had just.  Disappeared.

The county wanted answers.  So, they sent McGee.  Of course, they didn’t tell the Amity Park Police Department that.  As far as they knew, he was just a transfer. Someone being shifted from one department to another.  

So, yeah.  Bracing.  Just like the wind.  Ouch, it was cold.  McGee wrapped his coat more closely around himself and began jogging through the otherwise deserted parking garage.  

The… underground parking garage.  Wind?  

McGee stopped and turned in place, trying to see where the breeze could have possibly come from.  There weren’t exactly any windows down here.  

Feeling more cautious, but not knowing why, McGee made his way more slowly to the elevator door and hit the call button.  The doors opened immediately.  Inside, a speaker tried to play music, but what came out of it was mostly ear-tearing static.  

Well.  If APPD was getting paid off by a mob or the town was skimming from road funds, they certainly weren’t using their ill-gotten gains on the elevators.  

When the doors opened, McGee was hit with a blast of warm air and Christmas music.  He kept his face carefully blank.  It had only just become December, and the police station was… it was… Well. McGee would have to call it ‘decked out,’ no matter how much he abhorred the phrase.  

… Why were there so many menorahs?

“Hey, are you John McGee?”

“Yes, that’s me,” said McGee, turning to face a remarkably plain man in a button-down shirt and a pullover sweater.  

The man had a pair of novelty felt antlers on his head.  They were decorated with bells.  How unprofessional.

“I’m Collins.  We’ll probably be working together at some point.  Same department.”

“Homicide?”

Collins raised his eyebrows.  “I don’t know what you were told, but we don’t have enough homicides to warrant a dedicated homicide department.  We get a one or two mysterious deaths every month, but it always turns out to be, like, anaphylaxis or something.”  He brought a mug to his lips and sipped slowly.  “Mostly we do vice, theft, fraud, and missing persons. Not much of that last one, either. Oh, we had an arson one time.  But it turned out it wasn’t really arson. Anyway, let’s get you checked in, and hopefully Patterson will be here by the time Captain Jones is done with you.”

“Patterson?”

“My partner.  You know, you being here gives us an odd number of detectives.  That’s going to be weird.”  He sipped from his mug again.  “Maybe we’ll promote someone.  Not Cameron Daily, though.”  Collins stared into the middle distance.  “No. Not Cameron Daily.  Love that man. He’s got to stay in tech support.”

“The captain?” prompted McGee.  

“Hah.  Yeah. You have to brave the secretaries, first.”  Collins patted McGee on the shoulder, and McGee suppressed the impulse to shake him off. “Good luck.  At least this is going to be a quiet month, right?”

.

McGee spent what was probably far too much time pondering what Collins had meant by ‘it’s going to be a quiet month.’  Did the APPD’s arrangement with the local criminals (because there had to be an arrangement) include forewarning concerning the crimes they did deign to investigate?  Or did they have statistics that indicated December was a low-crime time for Amity Park?

Orientation was highly typical, as far as these things went.  The only oddity were the advertisements and promotional pictures for the local tourist trap tapped up all over half the captain’s office.  Was the man a fan?  Did he believe in that ghost nonsense?  Was it some kind of bizarre joke?

At least the Christmas plague hadn’t made it this far.

“Right, now that we’ve got that part out of the way, let’s move on.  We normally like an even number of detectives, but the county moved you over so fast we couldn’t get you a partner, and no one is retiring.”  Jones rolled his shoulders and fixed McGee with a very sharp gaze.  “Do you know why the county was so… insistent with your transfer?”

Ah.  So, the captain was suspicious.  Time to put that backstory to good use.  

“Honestly, sir, I embarrassed someone, and I think they just spun the wheel on how to get rid of me.”

“Mhm.  See, usually when they do that, they pick from departments that actually put in requests for extra personnel.  We haven’t.”

“I think the main concern was just to keep me away.”

“I see.”  The level of suspicion in the man’s eyes did not change.  “You’re going to be with Patterson and Collins until you get your feet under you and we decide what to do about the partner situation. If the county will even let us out another detective on payroll.  Consider yourself on probation as far as whatever it is you’re doing with the county. Don’t put my detectives in danger.”

“Sir—”

“Whatever excuse you have, I don’t want to hear it. Go talk to Collins.  I know you met him.  Patterson probably isn’t here yet.”

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Collins stood next to a woman in a coat with a long dark braid.  Both of their backs were to McGee.  He could see that they were talking to one another, making tight little gestures with their hands near their chests.  All the other occupants of the room stared at them without a modicum of shame.  

“—until he sees his first fight?  We’re supposed to babysit him until January?  We won’t be able to talk about anything!”

“Well, if you’d been on time, maybe we could have convinced the captain not to—”

Someone behind McGee cleared their throat. Loudly.  Collins and the woman turned, sheepishly.  

“Oh.  McGee. McGee, this is Patterson. Patterson, this is McGee.  You’ll be working with us, apparently.”

“Hopefully, I’ll be able to get out of your hair before too long,” said McGee.

“Don’t count on it.  How long have you been in town?” asked Patterson.  

“Only since yesterday.  Why?”

“We’re showing you around,” said Patterson, snatching the antlers from Collins’s head.  

“Consider it your last bit of freedom before you’re condemned to paperwork,” said Collins.  

.

Amity Park was odd, McGee decided.  

It wasn’t just the clashing but equally enthusiastic Halloween and Christmas decorations, the omnipresent construction, and the worrying number of holes in the road (really, there was no way the road repair budget was actually getting used on the roads).  There was something else.  Something McGee couldn’t put his finger on.  Something—

He did a double-take.  Were those two cosplaying the Ghostbusters?  Why?

How seriously did these people take their tourist trap nonsense?

“What are Jack and Maddie doing out?” asked Patterson.

“I don’t know,” said Collins.  He tilted his head to one side and pulled into a nearby convenience store parking lot.  “You’d think they’d be told; December is a quiet month.”

“Mhm.  Maybe they didn’t believe it?”

“They can be stubborn sometimes,” mused Collins. “But it would be nice if there was some action.”  He pulled the parking brake.  “You want to introduce McGee to the local celebrities?”

A look of indescribable disgust appeared on Patterson’s face.  “Why don’t you introduce them?”

“I did that last time.”

“No, you didn’t.  You rang their doorbell and then ran like the coward you are.”

Collins, without any hint of repentance, shrugged. “Wouldn’t you do the same?”

“This is different,” she protested.  “This isn’t just any new resident.  This is a coworker.  A coworker who isn’t going to see that kind of action for a whole month.”

“Action?” asked McGee.  This felt perilously close to what he’d been tasked to find out.  

“You’ll find out in a month,” said Collins. “Assuming you last that long.”

McGee frowned, and decided to take another risk and prompt the pair further.  “I know you have a low crime rate here,” he said, “but I’m sure there will be something for us to investigate before the end of the month.”

“Well, yeah,” said Collins.  “We don’t get paid for doing nothing.”

There was a sharp rap on the window, and everyone jumped.  God. It was just some kid.  McGee put a hand over his heart and tried not to think too hard about the time he had almost been killed in his car by a dirty cop and his gangster friends.

Collins rolled the window down, letting in a gust of frigid wind.  

“Hi, detectives!” chirped the teen.  “I heard you got a new guy!”

Oh.  That was interesting.  Was the local gang using children as in-betweens?

“Yep,” said Patterson.  “This is McGee.  McGee, this is Danny, the only sane Fenton.”

Danny tipped his head to the side and squinted. “I think that title needs to go to Jazz.”

“Danny, I hate to break it to you, but your sister is a lunatic,” said Patterson, completely serious.  

“Come on, you’re just saying that,” said Danny, staring openly at McGee.  

Did this kid blink?

“Anyway, I’ve introduced McGee to one Fenton, you get to do the others,” said Patterson, poking Collins in the ribs.

“Danny doesn’t count,” protested Collins, squirming. “He’s sane, like you said.”

“You’ll have to be fast.  Mom and Dad are like three blocks down the street chasing…”  He trailed off.  “Well, they think they’re chasing something, anyway.  Transient noise on their latest EMF reader.”  He rolled his eyes and finally blinked.  

“Think they might actually get anything?” asked Patterson.

“Nothing with a mind,” said Danny.  “Might have to play animal control soon, though.”  There was a loud crash and a squeal of rubber, followed by distant but still deafening engine noises.  Danny winced.  “Can you please give them a fine for driving around in that thing?”

“They have a special permit,” said Collins, shrugging.  “Straight from the mayor.  Nothing we can do.”

“I will bribe you to do something.”

McGee choked.

“With what?” asked Collins.  “You’re a penniless middle schooler.”

“Excuse you,” said Danny, crossing his arms. “You know I’m in high school.”

There was another crash.  

“Are you sure they haven’t found anything?” asked Patterson, leaning forward.  

“Absolutely positive,” said Danny.  He sighed.  “I should probably go, though.”

“Okay, have fun, Danny!”

“Don’t think you’re getting out of introductions, Patterson,” grumbled Collins.  

.

“Alright,” said Collins, opening a narrow door and turning on the buzzing yellow light within.  “Your kingdom awaits!”  He gestured grandly, disrupting clouds of dust.  “You’ll be entering old cases into the system.  Did Cameron Daily show you how?”

McGee’s lips twisted at the memory of the computer tech.  “Yes,” he said.  

“Yeah, Cameron gets that reaction,” said Collins, thumping McGee on the back.  “If it makes you feel better, he’s usually in charge of keeping track of the cults. Did he tell you about the VHS evidence?”

“The cults?”

“Yep.  You’ll learn about those later.  VHS?”

“Yes, he told me how to handle the VHS.”

“Great.  So, Patterson and I will be working on case paperwork in the main room, if you have any questions, come get us, okay?”

“I will,” said McGee.  

Collins nodded.  “If we wind up being assigned a case, we’ll come get you.”  He absentmindedly rubbed his shoulder.  “The captain probably won’t give us anything today. Oh, and if Mayor Masters drops in, redirect him to the front desk.  There’s no reason for him to be back here.”

There was a good deal of hostility in Collins’ tone. Interesting.  

“Do you not get along with the mayor?”

“We get along fine,” said Collins.  “He just oversteps his authority, sometimes.”

“I… see.”

“Not yet you don’t,” said Collins, softly, before turning to walk away.  A “Good luck” was tossed casually over the man’s shoulder and seemed to echo in the air despite the hall being far too small for that to happen.  

McGee turned to his work and smiled.  They shouldn’t have left him alone with the records. This was where he did his best work. There was always a paper trail somewhere.  

He opened the department-issued laptop and brought up the digital filing system.  

It was odd, though.  He’d spent years in the police, and he’d never heard of Fenton & Foley Information Systems.  

.

The department computer filing system was a miracle.  McGee meant that completely, as a connoisseur of filing systems.  He wondered if he could get the county to adopt it, assuming it didn’t tie back to the mob or something equally unsavory.  

On the other hand, it was only a couple months old, by the looks of it.  It was, therefore, mostly empty, as compared to the almost infinite number of filing boxes in the record room.  

The record room was not well organized.  In fact, it was barely organized at all.  Several of the boxes looked like they’d been beaten with a bat, others were singed.  A few dripped with something sticky and green. One or two looked as though they’d been drenched in water and then left to dry in a dark, damp room.  Only about half of them were labeled.  

To top it off, towards the beginning he’d found a post-it that had said: Boxy, if you steal these again, I’m going to leave you in the thermos for a week.  -Phantom

The people here were way too into their tourist trap shenanigans.  Unless they weren’t just tourist trap shenanigans.  Unless they were a front.  

He’d put that on his list of things to investigate.

But first, first, he was going to find the records for the murder that was recently swept under the table.

The newest boxes, despite being reasonably intact and therefore unique, weren’t easy to find, but he was able to drag them out and sit down with his laptop.  He could enter as he searched, and thereby give the illusion that he was a completely normal transfer more credence.  

Except.

Except.  The records for that murder didn’t seem to exist.  Not even in the cold case box.

“Hey.”

McGee jumped.  Patterson was standing behind him, holding two paper coffee cups.  

“How’s it going?” she asked.  “I know these records are hell.”

“Fine,” he said.  

“Coffee?”

“Sure.”  He took the offered cup from her.  “Forgive me if I’m wrong,” he said, “but when I was working up at county, I heard that you had a murder case here, recently?  You dug up a teen’s body?”

“Oh, yeah.”  Patterson was unperturbed.  “Yeah, that was pretty exciting.  Collins and I were on that.”

“I can’t seem to find the records for it.”

“Yeah.  Well, there wasn’t any foul play.”  Patterson shrugged.  

“Wasn’t he found buried in a public park?”

“Well, aren’t you informed,” said Patterson. She sipped her coffee aggressively through the plastic stirring straw.  

“So, you found an illegally buried teenager’s corpse and just… dropped it?”

“We investigated it,” said Patterson.  “There wasn’t anything there.  Case was cold even without that.”  Another long, aggressive sip.  She couldn’t possibly be getting any coffee up through that straw.  It had to be mostly air.  

This was the most bizarre intimidation tactic McGee had ever come across in his entire life.  This was saying something.  Once he’d worked with a man who’d pretend to have the flu during interrogations.  

“You should still have records for the investigation.”

Patterson shrugged.  “You’d have to ask Captain Jones about that.  Anyway, I brought a bunch of tapes for you, too.  You’ll have to rewind them by hand, though, when you finally get to them.”  Another sip. “Are you planning on doing the salvage boxes?”

“The what?”

“The salvage boxes.  The ones that got fished out of the lake.  Wouldn’t blame you if you weren’t.  Just curious.”

“I’m- They were in a lake?  Why?”

“Stick around and find out,” said Patterson.  “Did Masters come bother you yet?”

“Mayor Masters?”

“The one and only,” said Patterson, raising her coffee in a mock toast.  

“Why would he come here?”

“Because you’re new, and theoretically a weak link. Oh, yeah.  One more thing.  I know your check-out time is in half an hour, but come back around eight, okay?”

“Why?”

“Reasons.”

“Are you hazing me?”

“That’s what the salvage boxes are for,” said Patterson.  “Come back at eight.  Bye.” She waved as she left.  

Great.  What was he supposed to do about that?

.

He didn’t go home after checking out. Instead, he walked around town.  Patterson and Collins’ tour had been… interesting. Not terribly informative.  They had given him an overview of various restaurants, ‘paranormal hotspots,’ and places where dumb kids gathered to experiment with drugs of dubious legality.  

But they had avoided certain parts of town.  McGee had noticed.  

True, some of that was likely coincidence, but McGee had never heard of a public cemetery that wasn’t the site of something shady. Sure, a good caretaker would chase off anyone messing around in daylight, but cemeteries and graveyards just attracted trouble.  Even if that trouble was just the local goth kids running around while high out of their minds.  

But this cemetery, evidently, is different. Because there’s an unholy amount of people there for something that supposedly hallowed ground.  Is this also part of the weird ghost-theme the place had going for itself?  Were those tourists?  In the graveyard?  

That seemed to be in remarkably poor taste.  

McGee pushed his hands deeper into his pockets and lengthened his stride.  This whole town was in poor taste.  

Oddly, everyone seemed to be gathered around the same grave.  Maybe it was a funeral?  No, the ground in front of the headstone was long since patted firm, and the headstone, while obviously fairly new, had some evidence of weathering even from a distance.

Had there been a celebration today?  Memorial Day wasn’t today, was it?  McGee always lost track of those fiddly little holidays.

Huh.  The headstone was blank.

“Excuse me,” he said to a nearby woman.  “Do you know who was buried here?”

“You… don’t know?” she asked, eyes wide with surprise.  

McGee grinned.  “I’m new in town, I’m afraid, and I just saw all these people here… I’m curious, I guess.”

“Oh,” said the woman.  She looked away, every part of her body language screaming that she was coming up with a story to feed him.  A lie.  Or, at least, deciding which lie to use.  “Well, there was a body found a few months ago?  No one ever identified him, so… He was buried here?  We just, um.  It was sad, you know?  You’ll probably hear more about it if you stick around.”

Despite almost everything she said being a statement, she still managed to make everything but the last sentence sound like a question.  

Even if it was a lie…

“I hadn’t, actually.  Can you tell me what happened?”

… Maybe it was just what McGee needed.

[duskroads]

Angie build update for the Donna cosplay Part 2

Part 1 Part 3

Ok so I probably should have updated this some time last week considering how much got done on this last week but I just did not have time til now.

This is probably gonna get long because of that so here’s a readmore

So last week I was visiting my family and it ended up being me and my dad working on this in his workshop for the most part (there’s other parts than just the above picture that didn’t take the whole week).

The picture above is the frame that I built, Dad has a ton of coat hangers that I stole both for this and for the arms and legs. 

The ones he has are this yellowy brassy colour from the drycleaners and I was like, perfect I can just use those they’d work really well colour wise for her joints. But dad pointed out that the colour was just a coating and he was worried that it wouldn’t do well in the oven, one heat test involving a meat thermometer and a very large heat gun he has for lighting his barbeque we found that while it looks fine in the heat, it get soft so it rubs right off afterwards. Cue me sanding a whole lot of coat hangers down.

The main thing that we were working on while I was there was the mechanisms for puppetting the head.

(See when Dad takes a photo he bothers to clear the space before hand lol)

The handle sits inside the bottom of the frame with the aluminum pipe we’ve been calling her spine goes up to just under the head, the fiddly bits beside it slot into the front of the pipe and go up the tube (they’re flipped over so it’s easier to see the moving parts).

The sideways Y shaped thing controls the up down movements of the head with my middle and ring fingers, it’s attached to the thick wire behind it with some springs you can’t see from this angle so the head’s resting position is more neutral. 

The piece above it opens and closes the mouth using the piece of fishing line it’s tied to.

I can turn her head back and froth by just rotating the entire spine.

We also got started on the bits that live inside the head.

Sadly we did not get a chance to finish either the controls or the head pieces before I had to leave, partially because the mechanisms were having more hiccups than we expected, and partially cause we just ran out of time. Dad thinks that the wire he was using is bending inside of the tube which might be what’s causing our issues. He’s going to finish it on his own and mail me the parts when he is done.

This means I can’t work on the head until I get those parts but I can start sculpting the rest of the body.

Before I left I also made hair for her. @cinnacorn taught me how to do this (she learned it from a number of doll repainters but hextian in particular, she says that his custom ursula doll video details it best) 

But you take Yarn, unravel it, put in around something in a larks head knot, brush it with a wire brush to really break it apart (if you’ve got a really heavy duty wire brush you can get away without unraveling it first, but if you’re blending colours it’s easier to space things out better if you unravel it), hit it with a straightening iron, trim off the knot, lay it flat on a silicone mat, put some hot glue at the top, while still hot use the edge of the mat to wipe away the excess glue, when it's dry trim away the excess,

Then do it 80+ times over the course of 6 and a half hours with two people working on it (thank you again Ele) to get enough for your giant doll head.

I’m using a light sage green and a grey brown to get that ‘this maybe was blonde once’ look, where it’s more streaky is going to be layered over so it blends better.

It looks super great and if you used colours that were closer together and actually styled it, it totally would look like a person’s hair. However this is a technique that clearly was meant for smaller doll’s heads, not ones as large as I’m making. As it is I ended up needing a bandaid halfway through cause the wire brush was eating the skin on my thumb from pushing the yarn through.

I also got fabric for both Donna and Angie, some from a shopping trip and some from my mother’s stash. (Some of that lace trim is in a Zellers container, which for those of you who aren’t Canadian, Zellers was a chain that closed in 2013 so that was a fun find)

Mom also has a stash of nail polish she uses as a craft supply. Me: Hey mom do you have any dark purple nail polish I can steal Mom: yeah it’s on the bookshelf in the guest room Me: Oh.

(90% of it is drug store stuff so not as expensive as you would think but still, that’s just the purple)

Mom also gave me a crackle paint that I need to experiment with so that’s going to be exciting.

I got home Sunday night and I spent most of the yesterday wrapping the frame in chicken wire.

I now hate chicken wire.

Today I managed to get two coats of the clay on the front and one on the back (need to do them half at a time cause it doesn’t fit standing up in my oven)

Still a few more layers to go, I need to bulid up her upper torso a bit and her shoulders need a lot more on top of them, I should have put more chicken wire there but I was worried about interfering with the spine. I have a piece of the tube to use as a mock up to make sure I don’t do that, but it’s a lot easier to break away the clay when it doesn’t have the wire in it.

I know her hips go really wide here but most of that’s going to be under her dress and I need that space to put my hand, and also so she can have a wide enough base to sit when I put her down.

I might close up her back a little bit more but the farther I go the less I can turn her head. It’s a trade off cause the fabric’s going to be tight on the body and then have just empty space there so it might be more noticeable if I leave it open. Still thinking on that one.

I’ve also cut to length and bent the coat hangers that will go inside her limbs but haven’t got any clay on them yet. A few of them I can get one loop on right now but the rest are going to have to wait until I’m putting it all together.

I did this by wrapping it around a giant nail that my dad and I found in his workshop that we cut down so I could put it in my suitcase, and then put it into a block of wood so I could clamp it to my table.

Then you use some pliers to bend the longer end of the wire so the circle is more aligned with it then wrap the shorter end around it a few times and trim it. I also filed down the sharp point where I cut it cause I’m worried about them catching on her clothing.

This is all fairly easy to do now, we will see how it is when I’m trying to do it with the rest of the limbs already on the wires.

Anyways that’s where I am for tonight, I have the rest of the week off so hopefully I’ll get most of the sculpting done and maybe (maybe) start sanding and varnishing it as well.

[quartzturtlecosplay]

Plus Size Cosplaying and an Industry that fails us [Long post]

In late 2020, I purchased a cosplay from a popular online store, EZCosplay. This was before more recent accusations of false advertising and poor craftsmanship came out. I knew the store had some issues (I’ve purchased from them before and I knew first hand), but it was my only option for this specific cosplay. 

I could go into detail about the many controversies of the store itself, but for now I’m going to talk about the main problem many of these online cosplay stores seem to have: working with non-standard sizes. 

The struggle of finding good, plus size cosplays can be really difficult and almost heartbreaking. Most “plus size” cosplay listings still follow Asian sizing (where American 2XL is an Asian 5/6XL and still may not be big enough). Even if a costume can meet certain measurements, there’s no guarantee that it will fit or be flattering. 

I’ve often had to find myself emailing specific stores, asking if their custom sizes go up to my measurements (I am B: 52, W: 46, H: 53, for reference). For my most recent attempt, I was looking for Asami Sato’s outfit from the first couple seasons of Legend of Korra [outfit reference]. Nothing too complicated, just a pair of wide fitting pants and a jacket. I was either met by emails saying “no, that’s too big for us” (despite their size guides saying they can make men’s cosplays in that size) or those that basically said “put in the order, and we’ll see what we could do” with no definitive answer. At the end of my search, I had only one option: EZCosplay. 

The cosplay itself ended up being fine, a couple of details missing here or there and the gloves were practically worthless. But hey, at the end of the day I found something that fit, I should be happy right? Yes and No. 

I’m not going to defend this store. I’ve bought a total of 3 cosplays from them, only 1 of which I’m actually alright with. And there are countless other stories from buyers who have suffered the same disappointment, ranging from all sizes. It’s the lack of care for customers that drive these companies to neglect their plus size markets. Although I was happy with the outcome this time, it was only because I’ve seen how bad things can get if you try finding something more fitted and structed. 

Looking back to my first time working with EZCosplay, its easier to see the problem here. Back in 2018, I ordered a Love Live! Flower Bouquet Nozomi dress [pictured below]. For those who are unfamiliar with the design, Nozomi is a larger chested HS Idol. With this outfit, the white is supposed to go completely under the bust and the skirt should begin right above the hips [link to the reference]. 

Technically speaking, it did fit around me. They were able to make it in my measurements and it fit all the information I gave them. HOWEVER. as we can see, the white hits about halfway down my chest before stopping, not at all as pictured in her design. As larger people already know, when you translate smaller patters into bigger sizes without accounting for actual forms and shapes, you’re left with something like this. Needless to say, I didn’t enjoy wearing this cosplay. 

As someone who is more used to making their own costumes, this is not how you make plus size clothes. Simply making a pattern bigger doesn’t automatically make it fit plus size bodies. If you’ve ever had to take standard patterns and upscale them to fit, you understand what I mean. Alterations must be made, otherwise you feel like you’re in a potato sack.  This is the problem that most people have with EZCosplay. While their costumes do technically fit up to larger sizes and they offer custom measurements, they lack any suitable structure or fitting. I’m sure the Love Live! cosplay would look great on a smaller size, however that’s not what we’re working with (and no way in hell I’m changing myself to wear it). 

Now, there are some ways to get around this. If you need less complicated and less structured cosplays, you’ll probably be fine. Or if you find one that allows you to customize the waist line yourself (like how a lot of Toph Beifong cosplays are or maid costumes with aprons, for example). You could easily get a My Hero Academia uniform or a Ouran High School Host Club jacket. Those would be no sweat for larger sizes. Again, bringing up my Asami cosplay, it doesn’t have much structure to it and it fits relatively okay.

But as plus size/larger cosplayers, we should be allowed to be WHOEVER we want and we should be able to find costumes that fit us that aren’t just suit coats and robes. I’m not saying we can’t wear these kinds of cosplays, I’m just saying we shouldn’t have to limit ourselves in what we wear just because that’s all they have for us. America’s standard size is 14/16 for woman. Just like in the regular fashion world, anything above those sizes are either incredibly expensive or they just straight up don’t exist. 

As cosplaying becomes more popular, we need to push for more size inclusivity. There have already been so many changes in the last 10 years, with more online stores becoming readily available with larger size options, but we’re not there yet. We need to keep working and demanding big cosplay companies to expand sizes for more inclusivity. Not just plus size cosplayers, but those who are also in the body-positivity movement who actually want to see change.

Both the cosplay community and cosplay industry have a lot of problems. But it’s by talking about these problems that we can work to fix them. We don’t need to change ourselves to fit our fandom spaces, fandom spaces and the costume industry needs to change to accept us, regardless of size, age, race and gender. 

If you are looking for sites that offer plus size options, check out:

Note - These are places I’ve found that fit my measurements of 52/46/53, I’ve stared (**) the ones that go beyond that

MicCostumes - Anime and Video Games (I’ve worked with them before, may review at a later time if anyone is interested)

Cosrea ** - Superheros, Disney, and Some Games (Free custom sizing)

HalloweenCostumes.com ** - General Pop Culture, US/UK based 

FortuneHouse on Amazon - Large Anime selection

WoShow on Amazon - Large Anime selection

Angel Secret ** - Disney Princess (custom sizing) 

And of course, EZCosplay with custom sizing and good discernment . 

If you have any questions or would like a full review for how it was working with EZCosplay or MicCostumes, please let me know. As mentioned, I usually make cosplays myself but I’ve been trying to branch out with cosplay sites and closet cosplays, as they can be an easier and more affordable option. 

[fighting-naturalist]

2020 Creator Wrap: Favourite works

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 (or so) favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works.

Tagged by the incomparable @caravaggiosbrushes!! I decided to make this about my sewing/crafting/cosplay projects, as they’re my number 1 passion and I love to talk about them!

4) The Black Jack Randall coat. Listen, I saw Tobias Menzies looking fly as hell in his red coat and I suddenly had a mighty need to make it. I was aiming for something that was mostly inspired by the 18th century, but not strictly a historical reproduction, which is damn well what I got! I hated nearly every minute of making this. It allowed me to practice my draping (I usually make my patterns without draping), but I became intensely frustrated by not being able to get the silhouette I wanted. In retrospect this is because a) it’s impossible to get anything to look the same on my body as it would on a man b) my main reference was BJR’s costume, and it has some pretty obvious flaws in terms of historical accuracy (armscyes, for one thing!) and so by using it as my primary reference, I would by necessity create something that was less historically accurate than I hoped. Still love it, though!

3) Showgirl Ivy. I wanted to try my hand at corsetry, but for my first crack at it I didn’t want to have to worry about producing something pretty - so I thought I’d make a corset that was almost like a mockup, and then cover it with leaves and use it as a new version of Poison Ivy! To this I also added a sort of leaf bustle and a collar, to give her a showgirl silhouette. She’s almost done - just needs some leafy shoes!

2) Killer Frost. I started this project in September 2019, with the aim of entering my very first cosplay competition. I recorded the construction process accordingly - and then COVID happened, so she made her debut in my backyard instead. I made everything in this costume from scratch and using my own patterns - gloves, jumpsuit, cape (with crystal bead accents), crown, bracers, and chest/back pieces. Each icicle is handmade and there are over 1400 of them. This whole project took MONTHS.

1) 18th century riding habit (in my notes, I’ve nicknamed her Lady Randall, for obvious reasons). Rather than getting the 18th century out of my system with the BJR coat, it revived in me a lifelong desire to do a full historical reconstruction. I’m not done her yet, but so far I’ve made a chemise, stays (my favourite part), a bum roll, petticoats, a waistcoat, and a riding jacket. I chose a riding habit because I love how women used to take their husband’s (or lover’s!) regimental uniform and make it ~fashion~, which is why I felt justified using BJR as a reference once again. Here she is, part way done (ft. my Christmas tree). I await some materials (historically accurate military lace!!) to complete her.

I’m tagging some wonderful artists/writers/talented people: @what-alchemy​ @jouissants​ @laissezferre​ @reserve​ @veganthranduil​ @jamesclarkross​

[komahinasecretexchange]

Title: of justice and catalysis

Author: hajimehinataisnothim / @whatsupscythia (AmericanFrankenstein)

For: @coockiedrop

Pairings/Characters: Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, Hinata Hajime, Komaeda Nagito, Ikusaba Mukuro, Ishimaru Kiyotaka (mentioned)

Rating/Warnings: T

Prompt: Secret identities (Maybe one of them being a vigilante and other being a cop?)

Author’s notes: One of the prompts was secret identities and I fell in love. I don’t know how the Japanese police systems work, I just know they have some heavy corruption issues but honestly what police don’t? Another point; do you know how hard it was to write this without using Nagito’s name? Also Hinata says ACAB.

You can also read it directly on Ao3

The streets of Tokyo were boring.

Well, no, that wasn’t entirely true, Hinata supposed. He took a bite from the donut in his hand, absentminded. Because he wasn’t a slob it was wrapped in a napkin, the other hand clutching bitter black coffee.

The streets themselves were pristine, the trees lush with pink blossoms with petals that swirled into the air at the faintest breeze, and even the nights were tenuous work at their worst. The problem was that his mind often drifted to more exciting work in the field: chasing down criminals, precisely anticipating where gang warfare was likely to occur, and conducting behavioral analysis to catch a killer.

It was a shame, then, that he had never been good at any of those.

No, Hinata Hajime was a rookie in a sleepy prefecture in the middle of a spring afternoon. It wasn’t his first day on the job but the routine was solidified and unchanging. When school let out he would meander to the crosswalk and usher the traffic across, and when there was a storm he would patrol the bridges to see if the water overflowed. Crime was contained to a multitude of domestic affairs and drunken insults. Nothing worth serious dedication or dignity.

Still, a deep undefinable part of him could not help but crave excitement. It was why he had joined the police academy a year ago. The idea of cutting off a bank robbery, of saving someone’s life when they needed him most was riveting. It gave spark to his step and a smile to his face. To be the hero, the protagonist, to save the day at its darkest hour.

But how could he do that when the world was perfect?

“Check your ten, Hinata.”

He was still being shadowed by their squad leader Ikusaba Mukuro. As a rookie, he still had a lot to learn. Mukuro was the best of the best. She had risen through the ranks faster than any woman before her, breaking barriers along the way. Her uniform was always perfectly pressed, her stance steady and balanced, and her eyes cold as steel. While she was slim, she was also pure muscle. Rumors circulated that before she returned to Japan she had been part of a militia in the Middle East.

Hajime couldn’t help but be intimidated by her.

“Sorry, Ikusaba-san.”

It took him a moment to remember where ten’s hand on the clock face was (even though he could have mirrored Ikusaba’s gaze had he thought for one second). When Hajime had worked it out, he peered across the street to see a man shuffling down the sidewalk. In many instances he was normal, if not strange, with one exception:

He was wearing a gas mask.

“Is that normal?” Ikusaba turned to face him and he withered beneath her cold gaze. “Right. I’ll go check on him.”

(What an annoyance.)

He placed his breakfast atop the wall he had been leaning on beneath the bushes. It was unlikely this would take long, but he didn’t want a cat to run away with his food or a thousand other trivial annoyances that would make the day worse. Hajime found it wasn’t the hard grind that defined the day, but the moment-to-moment interaction that solidified the result.

Today was shaping up poorly.

He headed to the crosswalk to cross the road. Ikusaba’s eyes had to still be on him, and the last thing he wanted was to disappoint her. This didn’t appear to be the time for jaywalking. It was likely a kid cosplaying or being edgy for the day, they’d get a talking to, and that would be it.

While he was moving, he kept his focus on whom Ikusaba had pointed out. The man stumbled and shuffled, not to the point of obvious drunkenness. It was a pattern of uncaring aloofness, how he floated and swayed as he moved, entirely uncaring. Hajime took note of the scuff marks branding his formerly-expensive name-brand shoes.

(Is this habitual?)

Whatever. He didn’t care.

His focused target hesitated at the outskirt of the wall, lingering one moment with his long jacket brushing the concrete. His hair was wild and completely white, too similar to how bleach left fabric to be real. His hands were swept into his jacket pockets, blending his arms into the folds of the fabric. All of his mannerisms were unkempt, careless. Odd.

When he ducked into the alleyway, Hajime didn’t hesitate to follow.

He didn’t often find himself in the sidestreets of his prefecture. In contrast to the sunny disposition of the main roads, the offshoots were cramped and cluttered, bins set aside on the street. It was muddy between the tile outline of a path that the stranger continued to trod down, into darker yet darker regions. The standing water from the previous nights’ rain splashed against Hinata’s tight-laced boots, staining them with dirt. Another annoyance added to the list on a shitty day.

Finally, the dirt path gave way to a concrete flooring behind an equally filthy restaurant. Hajime had seen the establishment often on his patrols; the food was excellent and the service was terrible. He didn’t visit often. The walls were coated with posters, promotions, and sports of graffiti he didn’t have time to give attention. Instead, his focus was drawn to the four foot stack of something shoved onto a pallet covered in a gray tarp. His target had stopped in front of it, his foot tapping idly.

Hajime reached for his radio, his hand hovering over his belt.

Then the man turned around, drew a gloved hand from his pocket, and waved.

Hajime looked behind him. No one else had entered the alley.

(Is this some kind of signal?)

He looked back.

The stranger was inches from Hajime’s face, tilting his head to the left.

“Oh good, you’re here! You’ve been following for a while. Join me.”

Hajime jumped back and fell backwards, down onto the concrete.

“You’re under arrest!” He barked out even though his back stung. It was the first thing that came to mind, unfortunately for his pride.

The man laughed. Whether it was his remark or the fall that elicited it, Hajime couldn’t tell. What he could tell now that he was up close was that the mask was a custom creation. While his voice would usually be muffled with a mask in the way, this one had small speakers built into the side. It was also actively distorting his voice.

“For what? I haven’t even committed a crime yet. What would you even arrest me for?” He took another step closer.

“Yet?” (Was this person stupid? Dangerous? Dangerously stupid?) “ That’s not how this works! At the very least this is suspicious activity!”

“So you’ll arrest me from the ground? I guess they don’t make them like they used to. Officer Ishimaru gave me a rundown yesterday.”

Hinata overlooked the fact that apparently this twig of a man outran Kiyotaka for the time being. “I’m a rookie. This isn’t my forte. What are you doing here?”

Instead of answering, the stranger knelt down and offered a hand.

Hajime hesitated, then took it.

His target was oddly strong, pulling him up on one solid motion. It brought a heat to his face that he couldn’t quite place as he steadied his feet on the ground.

He kept their hands clasped for a moment longer than necessary, then pulled away and let go.

(Oh well, more to over-analyze when I’m trying to sleep tonight. He’s talking again.)

“What’s your name?”

“Hinata Hajime.”

“Well Officer Hinata, I’m sorry, but I can’t come with you. I’m preoccupied.“ He swept his same right hand to the side, gesturing to the tarp while keeping the left in his pocket.

“I—You answer my questions! What is this for!?” He could feel his face growing flustered in frustration. The sheer inanity of it all was getting to him.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s a bomb.”

(. . . a bomb. A bomb? An explosive bomb!?)

“A bomb!?”

The man rolled his eyes under the mask. “Don’t be dramatic.”

“This isn’t dramatic at all! Thank you, because now I know what I’m arresting you for. Domestic terrorism!”

He was ignored yet again.

“Do you know where we are?”

Hajime blinked.

(What?)

“No? Well, I guess I could tell you. We’re back behind the main bridge. This alleyway is a dead-end junk heap beside the intersection.”

“What does this have to do with—”

“Don’t interrupt.”

Hajime’s jaw dropped. It did little to affect the man in the mask.

“This bridge is essential for the people that use it every day. It’s become a crutch, a reliance. To lose it would be devastating, would it not? Despair-inducing? Imagine what kind of hope that could bring afterwards!”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“It does! But I understand what you’re thinking. You know, someone as awful, as terrible, as lowly as me can’t possibly make a change. In fact, the only thing beneath me… is you.”

“Me?”

“The police state. The whole system is so thoroughly corrupted, rotten all the way through. Don’t tell me that you don’t see it. Or are you simply not looking? Is that it?”

“I…”

“You doubt my candor? Then let me ask you this: you too crave the abnormal to compensate for your painfully boring, normal existence. Am I right?”

“I—”

“Who knows. I’m probably wrong. Who am I kidding, I’m definitely wrong!”

Hajime whipped out the baton at his side.

(It’s time to make him shut up.)

“Or perhaps there’s more to you than meets the eye.” The man’s tone stayed even. “Do you know what catalysis is, Hinata-kun?”

“We are not friends.”

“That’s harsh, but I understand. I am the scum of the earth, after all. I understand if you wouldn’t want me to explain it, I’m sure someone like you knows all about—”

Hajime’s patience had worn thin. “Go ahead and tell me!”

(Let him talk. Wait him out and Ikusaba will show up. She’ll know what to do.)

The man stilled.

Hinata felt as if he was being smiled at. Dread piled in his stomach—something was awfully wrong.

With a surprising amount of elegance, the criminal began his speech.

“It’s a chemistry term used for describing chemical reactions. Specifically, an increased rate of a reaction with the assistance of a catalyst. However, there is another meaning that often goes unrecognized; dissolution, destruction, and decay. These are all tied to the catalyst, of course, so the catalyst receives the credit. Don’t you think that the environment, the solution, deserves most of the credit?”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“I am a catalyst, Hinata Hajime. A sickly symptom of this world. And this is my catalysis.”

(He’s fucking insane.)

The tiredness he had fought off with coffee and unfettered optimism was beginning to set in his bones again.

“I didn’t expect you to understand,” he continued as if he could read Hajime’s thoughts (or perhaps he wore too many emotions on his sleeve; his bulged-out eyes were quite noticeable), “But I have a purpose. You have your ideals and justice, and I have my destruction. I think that makes us alike. One and the same. For you justice is your harbor, your anchor to the ordinary while allowing the hammer of the law to pound down and smooth the unnatural, the strange, the unwanted. And that is what you truly crave, is it not? The unusual? To be different?”

“You don’t know me at all.”

Hajime approached him. At the moment it was none of his concern that he wasn’t supposed to be using weaponry yet. All this talk about catalysts, justice, and destruction was not conducive to a safe, peaceful town.

The man shrugged. “And you don’t know me.”

He pulled his left hand from his jacket and along with it a stainless steel capsule not dissimilar from a water bottle. He tossed it underhanded to the ground towards the policeman.

“Who the hell are you?” Hajime put a foot on the canister, stopping it in place.

(If this is a distraction, it’s a bad one.)

“Finally, he asks! Now you’re making it fun, Hinata-kun!”

The canister spewed smoke into the air. Hajime realized his mistake too late.

“Call me the Ultimate Hope.”

Hinata coughed, waving in front of him to disperse the chemical spray. The baton did little to dissuade the atmosphere that covered him. Upset, he tossed it to the side and stepped forward.

Somewhere, there was a faint click.

It was then he noticed, faintly through the spray, a faint orange light.

At first he was confused.

(A flame?)

His eyes widened.

(A lighter!)

He clawed his way closer, eyes stinging.

(This is what that gas mask was for, wasn’t it?)

He was mentally cursing himself out for not doing anything to stop The Ultimate Hope (?) sooner. Waiting out a madman was a ridiculous idea. All he had to do was get him away from the bomb, and that would be that. He followed like a moth to flame, watching as it dipped and lowered.

Then he heard it.

A hiss.

The cloud in front of him grew darker, and suddenly, a force pushed into Hinata throwing him back. It wasn’t aggressive, it wasn’t an attack, no: the twisted vigilante was on top of him. His hands framed the rookie’s face like a portrait, arms wrapping around his chest and hips at an angle too impractical to attribute to anything but pure, dumb luck.

“I’m not sorry Officer, but I don’t want you getting hurt.” His voice was thick with sarcasm, and Hajime could only imagine the look on his face.

Little did he know he wouldn’t have to imagine for long.

The explosive went off.

The world shook and groaned around them. Fire cascaded up into the air like a signal flare, highlighting his enemy—and savior’s—wild mane of hair like a hellfire halo.

Hajime was staring.

The back of his green jacket was also burning. Before he could speak to address it, the stranger chuckled.

“Oh that? It’s fine.” He patted his back as if it were nothing but a mere botherance. He pushed himself up, unfurling his arms from Hinata’s and drawing his hand up to his face. The metal of the mask jingled.

As he blinked to clear the gas from his eyes, Hajime felt a soft press against his forehead.

(Wait. .  .)

The Ultimate had slipped off the gas mask for a phantom mockery of a kiss.

When he pulled back, Hajime could finally see him.

The stranger was beautiful in the most grotesque of ways. His face was pale and thin, gaunt even, with dark circles beneath irises devoid of any color. His lips were red, cracked as if he were parched, and twisted into the most frightening smile Hinata had ever seen.

He stood up above him and cackled.

(That is not fair.)

His laugh was insane, and Hinata knew that he shouldn’t be feeling breathless for this reason but he couldn’t help it.

He was so caught up in the moment he didn’t notice that the Ultimate Hope had started walking.

The man, who Hinata could not possibly know was one Komaeda Nagito, walked over to the wreckage and chaos before them, threw up a peace sign with his fingers, and fell backward off the broken railing.

Hajime couldn’t help himself. He snapped out of his fever, sitting up immediately upright, then broke into a run to the new hole between the alley and the main road.

There he was, the Ultimate Hope, saved by the trash bags stacked beside the stream. He stood up, brushed himself off, and smiled. Then he slipped the gas mask back on and slunk away, only to turn back once.

Komaeda gave Hajime a short, mocking salute.

A soft, “oh,” escaped Hajime’s lips, but he would never admit it.

He stood in the center of the aftermath, his hat clutched in his hands and his world view thoroughly destroyed along with the bridge.

“Hinata.” It was the first time he’d ever heard Mukuro’s voice trill.

“What? Oh! Right. Right, the bridge.” The bridge was the last thought on his mind at the moment, but Ikusaba was attentive as always. She was behind him. Only now she must have considered this worthy of pursuit.

“Did you get a look at his face?”

Hajime thought of the walk, the wave, and the lighter. He thought of the gas mask, a helping hand up, and the fog screen. He thought about the crazy, rambling speeches and the ghost of his arms pushing Hinata down. He thought of the face of the Ultimate Hope himself.

His ears were bright red with blush.

(To hell with it.)

“No. No, I didn’t.” He lied.

“Did he give his ID? Or did he give a name?” Ikusaba demanded.

Hajime had only one answer.

“He called himself ‘The Ultimate Hope’.”

She crossed her arms.

“I hope we never see him again. For his sake.”

(I hope I do.)

Because for the first time in his entire normal life, Hajime’s heart raced with excitement.

[ethoslut]

I ALWAYS wanted someone to write a gridoc fic based on the sentence 'all is fair in love and war's -@gridoc

@gridoc taggin ya so u can see it uwu (also ik i said imma write a short fic but here we go apparently im unable to write short fics but i also dont think you’ll mind sdfghj)

“Grian.” 

Grian groaned loudly and turned to the other side. His RV bed wasn’t big, but thank god it was big enough to turn and curl up to hide from the outside world.

“Grian, come on, dude, the guys are up to something.” 

He groaned even louder, hoping that whoever’s trying to wake him up will understand that he is not about to move. 

“C’mon, dude, it’s Doc and Scar, they’re doing a thing.” 

Grian moved back to his other side, facing the person speaking. He opened his left eye, just enough to see who it is - it was Ren, his hair tied even messier than usual. His flower crown was still on, which made Grian laugh inside. Of course it was. 

“Finally, dude, you need to move, I can’t handle that, need to go back to the fantasy district and Impulse is busy restocking iTrade.”

“Convince me.” Grian stuck his tongue out a little and closed his eye again.

“Well, I don’t know, they’re doing something around Falsewell…” Ren started. Grian groaned once again, still not convinced to move.

“Dunno, hoped you’d be a good friend and help me check it out?”

“Nope. Not moving.” Grian hid under his covers. There was no way he’s leaving the bed.

“Uh, I don’t know, dude, they both started wearing suits and dark sunglasses?”

Grian opened his eyes again. “Suits?”

“Yeah, they’re like, cosplaying Men In Black or something, I don’t know, Scar’s sniffing around Falsewell and Doc’s working on their security or something, we could split and check them one on one.” Ren rolled his eyes. “Of course they have to be super extra with everything they do.”

Grian finally sat up. “Okay, sure, I can do it. But you owe me. You owe me big time.” 

Ren laughed. “So, helping your friend isn’t enough but seeing Doc and Scar in suits is?”

“Shut up, I have my reasons.” Grian sighed and stood up from his bed and grabbed his pair of jeans and looked around for a fresh shirt. He didn’t feel uncomfortable changing with Ren in the room - he barely felt uncomfortable around Ren, to be honest. They got really close since the whole Hippies thing started.

“Your reasons being… Dudes in suits?” 

“Ren, shut up, I’m only doing this so you’ll let me sleep later.” he said with a smile, grabbing a fresh shirt. 

“Yeah, sure.” Ren laughed and watched Grian try and fix his hair in the RV window. “So, I’ll go to Falsewell and check out what’s Scar’s up to, and you’ll deal with Doc and his things at the entrance?”

Grian froze for a moment. Yeah, he was comfortable around Ren, but explaining to him why he’d prefer to not be one on one with Doc was slightly out of his comfort zone. “Can’t I get Scar? You’d do better with Doc, you two had the whole stock exchange thing going, right?”

“We did, and that’s exactly why I’m taking Scar” 

Grian rolled his eyes. “You do have your own reasons for sending me to Doc, don’t you?”

“You know.” Ren started. “I’ve heard Doc has kind of a, how do I word this, soft spot for you. You could use that to our advandage and get some info on what they’re both up to.”

Grian stiffened up again. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, you’re not really that dumb, I know you know what I mean. You could put that soft cute boy powers of yours to a good use” Ren said, and Grian groaned at his words. “Remember, all is fair in love and war.”

“There’s no love going around, Ren.” Grian scoffed, ignoring Ren’s comment about his supposed powers.

“Sure. I bet you’re just too scared to do it.” Ren winked and left Grian’s van, ending with Grian having no choice but to go check out what’s Doc up to.

—-

Grian walked towards the Area 77 main gate and leaned on one of the walls. Doc still hasn’t noticed him, busy on putting up redstone contraptions. 

“Hi, Doc!” Grian exclaimed, loudly enough for Doc to hear, and hear he did - he immediately bolted up, hitting his head on the block above him. 

“Grian.” he said, smiling. It didn’t feel like a friendly smile. “What do you want?”

“Just passing by.” Grian shot him a wide smile, the kind of smile that makes your eyes crinkle. “Redstone work?”

“You know, I feel like you came here to figure out my redstone to break in later.” Doc said, completely ignoring Grian’s words; Grian shook his head and laughed. Ren said he couldn’t do it, so there’s no way in hell he’s failing - he will come back to the hippie camp with all the info he could get. He just has to prove Ren wrong, especially now that he basically challenged him.

“Nah, too lazy to pay attention. There’s something else distracting me. Or someone, more like it.” he winked, the smiled not leaving his face. He still wasn’t fully comfortable saying things like that, but well, he can’t lose the challenge Ren gave him. 

Doc shook his head. “Grian, come on, what do you want?”

Grian blinked twice, the smile slightly fading for a moment. It was a perfect opportunity to mess with Doc a little more, but he had to think about it for a split second. He decided to screw it. “Oh, I don’t know. You, maybe?”

Doc furrowed his brows and shook the redstone off of his hands. He didn’t understand what’s going on with Grian, maybe the weird mushrooms that grow around the hippie camp got to him? Unless… Oh. Oh. He smiled. He understood what’s going on now, and no matter that every single part of him told him to not do it, he decided to join Grian’s game.

“Oh, okay.” he smiled widely, leaning back and looking Grian in the eyes, making the shorter guy shift his weight. Perfect. “My rates start at a hundred diamonds per hour, depending what you need done it will probably go up. Also, let me know what it is, I have policies on what’s not acceptable.”

Grian laughed. That wasn’t quite the response he expected. He pushed himself off the wall and took few steps forwards. “Well, inform me on what your offer is first?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

“Well.” Doc started, acting like he’s thinking heavily and also stepped towards Grian, opening up the top of his coat slightly, makign it look like an accident. Two can play that game, he thought. “The offers pretty wide, so I’m pretty sure whatever your needs are I’ll be able to give you satisfaction.”

Against his will, Grian carefully watched Doc’s fingers play with the buttons of his clothes. He swallowed heavily. Crap. Not what I expected. He couldn’t complain, though. He had to get over his feelings. “Soo…” he said, playing with his hair. “You guys wearing suits now, huh?”

Doc laughed. “What, you wanted to see me in it for long?”

“Not really, no.” Grian said and looked Doc down from head to toe, stopping his gaze in stragetical places for just a split second too long to be considered casual and stepped even closer. He was just outside the Area 77 border, leaning forwardson his elbows on the barrier. “Would prefer you without it.” 

Walking even closer to Grian, he leaned on the barrier from the other side. “Well, I don’t think that’s impossible to arrange.” he said, smirking.

“Oh.” Grian let out on accident. He considered bailing, abandoning the mission, telling Ren he couldn’t, but he didn’t. He’s come this far, he might as well dig his grave even deeper. He walked under the barrier and stood right in front of Doc and looked up to see his face. “Let’s make the arrangement, then.” 

Grian could see Doc looking around, and he thought he took it too far. But then he heard Doc say “Oh, fuck it.”, and then he felt Doc’s hand on the back of his head grabbing his hair oh so very lightly, and then Doc’s lips were on his, and he was too taken aback to kiss back, and then it was over. 

“I’m, uh-” Doc stumbled on his words and straightened up. “I’m sorry-”

“No.” Grian interrupted. “No sorries.” he said, standing on his tip toes to reach Doc and kiss him back. “No sorries.” he repeated.

Doc laughed awkwardly. “We really shouldn’t be doing this, should we?” 

“Oh, who cares.” Grian said. “So…” he looked up at Doc with the best attempt at puppy eyes he could do. “About the Area info?”

Grian felt Doc’s hand in his hair again, this time ruffling it up. “God, you really need to get what you want, don’t you?”

Grian smiled widely. “What can I say, I’m kind of a needy guy.” 

—-

When he came back, he saw Ren sitting near the campfire. 

“Took you long enough, huh?” Ren said, his eyes sparkling. “Did you at least get any info?”

Grian smiled. “Yup. I did.” he sat next to Ren. “Also, you might’ve been right.”

“Oh?” Ren raised his eyebrow. “What was it this time?”

“Shut up.” Grian punched him in the arm and chuckled. “Uhm, there might be some love going around.”

“Wow.” Ren said, making the “o” long. “Who could’ve ever guessed.”

Grian rolled his eyes in response; he couldn’t give Ren the satisfaction of being right, now, could he? 

send me a song/prompt + a ship!!