#thanks for the questions pal!

[psychopacifist-rm]

You design is so great I'm on my knees, you gave me motivation to draw Dealer fanarts in the first place 😭😭😭

I want to bite your version of him so much just grgrgrgrgrgrgrgrgr/pos

[ink-and-dagger]

hello, irl, do you think silco would be British, american? Or another nationality?

Hello!

I mean, he's British to me by default because that's how Shitsack voiced him albeit patchily. But I also love that Fortiche imbued his character with an insane amount of French debonair.

I honestly think Silco could be any nationality. However, my personal headcanon is that, whatever language he's speaking, his accent is carefully cultivated to mimic that of a higher society. Basically, he's faking it. It makes sense to me that his 'mother tongue' would be more of a regional sound, perhaps something stereotypically associated with the working classes, and that over the years he's adopted a 'posher' accent. (I have theories as to why, but I'm getting eepy and literally just had to look up the word 'associated' because I forgot it so maybe that's something else for another day).

[good-beanswrites]

What are the executions in LCSYS like? How is Es fooled?

Ahh so I’ve actually thought of this a lot! I didn’t want to include anything specific in the fic yet because I wanted to wait for more canon setup, but that certainly hasn’t stopped me from playing through scenarios in my mind all the time asdfdsf…

Most realistically, in a break between trial three and final verdicts, each of the prisoners records a video of them in an electric chair. Since the prisoners aren’t trained actors well versed in death scenes, it gives them several takes and director’s comments to come up with convincing fear, pleading, and cries of pain. Add in some flashing lights and electricity buzzing, and it can cover up any sign of acting. Of course real electric chairs aren’t flashy like that, but I doubt a fifteen year old who is rapidly realizing they just killed someone is going to be considering that the lights and sounds are just for show (plus being in Milgram where so many things are done with odd theatrics). Es makes their decision from a little room by themself, and must watch on a "live security feed" as the prisoners are led into the room "next door" to face their fate.

Since they can’t be 100% sure who Es will forgive, everyone must film one. A few of the prisoners hang around the tiny recording room, offering support and encouragement, and watching the final product back to compliment the actor, but some are too disturbed to stay long / specific friends are too much to handle. Yuno is perfectly composed during everyone else’s, but hearing Mahiru scream shakes her. Fuuta teases Kotoko nonstop about hers, but doesn’t show up on her filming day. Muu is the one telling everybody this type of acting is no different from the mv acting, and ends up breaking down during Haruka’s. Everyone shows up to Amane’s to give her support, but hers really gets to all of them.

The extra angst version (which is a bit harder to swing in my mind because of the prisoners’ lack of acting training) is the same except Es really is in the room with them, able to talk a bit first. They announce the verdict and get the prisoner's live reaction, whatever it may be. It’s way more personal because the prisoners are able to address/accuse/plead with them directly, and this time Es is forced to throw the electric switch with their own hands.

Though the au overall is heavy on the fluff and fix-it, this is the moment where I let myself lean into the angst. The prisoners know how cruel it is to put Es through this, but they must finish the experiment or it will all be for nothing. They have to justify to themselves why it's alright to make Es face such a deeply traumatizing lie, or they try to convince themself that they'll be forgiven no matter what, so there's no lie involved. They study Es' reaction to their deaths, going through a million emotions -- anger than Es would kill them, peace that the reaction proves how much Es cared, but above all, immense guilt that they're putting Es through all this pain.

[iwoszareba]

Sorry if it’s a weird question, but how does Aqil reconcile his chaotic-ness with his devotion/dedication to his clan, god, and role?

Not weird at all! Chaotic neutral is an alignment usually associated with very specific archetypes and it did cross my mind that Aqil must seem a little unusual in that context, considering that faithfulness and dedication are some of his main traits.

The big part of the explanation is the kind of god he follows. 

Nethys fascinates me because he a) lands in neutral by combining both good and evil aspects b) rarely communicates with his faithful and that fact is celebrated c) even his holy text is described as full of contradictions putting the task of finding the answers on the person who studies it rather just granting them.

Aqil is chaotic neutral in a very philosophical sense. He believes in the need for balance of different elements but also in cycles and never-ending changes. And he applies these principles to individuals as well as entire societies. He will butt heads with very lawful types not because trying to establish any kind of order is bad but because holding onto it too tightly is unhealthy and ultimately futile because change will come no matter how hard you try to stop it.

Role of Meru ties into that idea of balance and cycles. First Meru was granted power by Nethys which introduced arcane magic into their very bloodline so now each new Meru is a repayment of that initial investment. Give and take. Blessing and a burden.

Idk if it’s a silly metaphor but if you picture destiny as a river you could try to argue that struggling against its stream is the chaotic option because you detest being led anywhere against your will, but perhaps letting it carry you where you need to go can also be seen as chaotic attitude, complete freedom is an illusion anyway and you may find wisdom in the flow of things.

[dmagedgoods]

△ Eneas, do you think that anyone in your life is proud of you?

His eyes widen ever so slightly in the smallest of slips but the calm smile returns to his face so fast and smoothly as if the short moment never had been more than a trick of your senses. Gloved fingers play with the glass in front of him and draw patterns of light on the table with its entwined structures. But his eyes never leave yours. “You have me in this room, my dear, captured for a short period of time and under the effects of a remarkable truth spell that is – to my admitted surprise – powerful enough to show some impact on me. All the secret knowledge I could unveil to your liking, all the answers to your most fervent questions … And this is what you want to know?” His smile widens. He can feel the magic’s probes in the caves of his mind – similar to his very own when he sends it out to reveal and influence the thoughts and emotions of those around him. The effect is strong; strong enough his sharp invisible resistance remains without success. “Alright. There is no need for assumptions. Why would anyone be proud of me? I rarely go so far as to reveal myself. Those who might have experienced something like misguided pride confronted with my actions?” Amusement plays across his lips. “– Have been deluded by a construction or a beautiful lie.” The only one in my life proud of me is myself, he wants to add a sleek finish. But the lie refuses to leave his tongue. “I fear, my curious friend, close to no one out there knows the details of my story, where the path began and where it led. And I prefer to leave it that way. I do not aim for anyone’s approval beyond the approval that serves me for a while.”

[cctinsleybaxter]

what would your pal orson think abt naruto (the show)

I think he would've loved it if you were very patient with him and knew how to put the right spin on it (e.g. framing it as a sprawling humanist, Shakespearean tragedy), but otherwise would've been pretty dismissive. He should've been in the dub though. Here are his thoughts on voicing Unicron in the 1986 animated Transformers movie:

[angelmichelangelo]

was randomly looking at rise mikey’s wiki page and on his list of skills he’s got like. acrobatics and cooking and art obviously. but then theres ballet and mandolin playing. so either he taught himself that or splinter did but its probably the first thing so im picturing him doing little performances for the family when he was younger and its making me ooougghhh…. i love him hes so little tiny

waaiiittt stop that's adorable :(( and even more impressive because like, aren't box turtles very dense, hence why they're not very good swimmers? and being a ballerina takes some effort to very agile and nimble and light on your feet? little guy is just filled with talent, huh :D

this.. this may have evoked something within me for some baby mikey and ballet dancing... hm.

but also mandolin is so random until i was thinking. well they probably found a bunch of unused junk that someone would buy, use once and then throw out so yeah, mandolin checks out. i imagine he got it as a birthday present one time and cherished it forever and dedicated hours to learning it to perfection lol

[mightymizora]

question for glimm please :3c which of the seven deadly sins (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride) do you think she relates to the most, or that you associate her with?

Oooh this is a great question and genuinely something I have never considered! I think if I had to choose (though she has shades of pride in her work, she can be distracted by a pretty face, and she hates mornings) I’d go with envy.

She has such hang ups about how people perceive her and often wonders how much easier her life would be if she were the elf people assume she is going to be (The Great Glimmergris is often assumed to be a high elf from Silverymoon.) she has a complicated relationship with her identity as a Deep Gnome. On the one hand she loves her family, she loves home, she’s proud of her mother and her influence, but on the other the culture doesn’t really allow for much beauty, for much music and celebration which is at the heart of her. She’s envious of those that don’t have that duality. Who can be who they want to be without society questioning it all the time (she’s very envious of Gale for this. And he is very oblivious to how he gets to move through the world)

[strawberrycola]

hello. i made a very long, very indulgent addition to the sam and max subreddit post earlier, and decided to make it its own post because i had way too many thoughts for a reblog. and the idea of clogging notes was eating away at my brain like mice eat a cheese. this is mostly just train of thought, so i apologise if it's complete nonsense. i've just thought a lot about sam and max's relationship, and the connection lgbt (and neurodivergent, for that matter) fans have had to the series, from my perspective since i was like 8. obviously that's gonna be tinted thru a tumblr lens, because ftmp that's where i see The Good Stuff. and i'm gay as hell, so there's bias. ok read more time kiss kiss.

anyhoozles, coincidentally i've been back on my sam and max bullshit recently, as i finally got a chance to play "this time it's virtual". and discovered vr is not my thing.

so to start, listen...i don't think sam and max's relationship is quite as cut and dry as i believe myself and perhaps many others would imagine/hope. i'm eyeing the "susan" gag from the aformentioned ttiv, in particular. but as your resident specialist in "complex and obscure knowledge of three series total or so", the question of sam and max's relationship has been here since the very beginning of the official comics. like. this has been a thing. pretending it's new is foolhardy. and wrong. obviously there's "like butch and sundance", the wedding toppers, hell, the devs of the telltale game trilogy lampshade their relationship a very decent amount, both in the game itself and in the commentary. at the end of 209, "chariot of the dogs", they directly bring it up during the final cutscene tie straightening maneuver max does. one of the devs literally gets excited about it, iirc. and one of my personal favourite examples is "do you find my warmth...alarming, sam?" from 305, "the city that dares not sleep."

that, in particular, is one of several lines directly from MR. PURCELL HIMSELF, that he gave to the devs each game as lines that must be in the game.

and speaking of season 3, i'd like to mention 305, "they stole max's brain".

(i am now holding "noir sam" so close to my chest, jsyk. that trope means the world to me. it has influenced SO much of my work, and i still use napalm's playthrough on youtube as a sleep aid. REMASTER WHEN.)

of course i and many others latched onto that shit, are you kidding me???? that whole episode was RIPE for hurt/comfort. minor spoiler warning for those that would mind, it's a roaring rampage of revenge plot. at least for the first 30 minutes or so. it's part of a long history between the two of freaking the hell out the second they're separated from each other in a way that doesn't end in like, five minutes. (305. if you know, you know. fkin brutal, man.) sam, in the second act of the game, has been affected by an alternate reality plot, and fully believes he has carried max's brain in a jar his whole LIFE and seemingly has no plans to stop doing so!! it's part of a season where the WHOLE PLOT revolves around the nature of their relationship and how it could change. you don't have to be a shipper yourself to understand how that could be incredibly compelling to the people that fancy them as a couple.

and it's a fandom that i give a lot of credit to lgbt people for revitalising in the mid 2010s~ (i was already a fan by then, and i'm still really curious as to why it blew up so much, but hey, who's complaining?), as well as in 2021~ in response to skunkape's remaster of telltale's season one "save the world" installment, and the release of ttiv. (obviously the actual demographic spread across platform to platform is a varied thing, etc. etc. i'd like to stay firmly in my lane, and i don't wanna overstate any particular demos in my discussion here, or hyperbolise too much.)

Obviously, you don't have. to be a shipper. completely fine. pretty common. Who Give A Care. and we're not even gonna get into the "not suitable" content. i can't fault anyone for not being cool with the actual sexualisation of childhood stuff they like. that's something i'm pretty "ambivalent with a leaning towards discomfort" about for quite a few things myself. and it turns out there wasn't even any "unmentionable graphic imagery" to begin with. shocking. HOWEVER. i'm fascinated but not completely surprised by the blatant homophobia and disgust towards the fanart of the ship.

like, to be nuanced about things, and it's not like the admin is extending the same courtesy here, this is clearly an older fan. like i think from around the same timeframe i was first introduced to it, give or take. maybe they missed a lot of the tumblr mid-2010s activity, or maybe that's going in to their Burning Disgust towards Yaoi Sam and Max Kissing Not Clickbait. i know the fanart had some level of cross-posting, at least on youtube as dubs iirc. OR maybe i'm a fool who is actively tricking you with my words and none of the above is true at all. however...pal. again, in my opinion, we owe those lgbt and neurodivergent kids and adults our whole rights as a fan community. you don't have to like it, but you do have to be respectful, jerkbag.

i can't be the only one who was devastated by the drought of content post "the devil's playhouse". we had a [1] singular whole webcomic to tide us over, with the occasional sketch on purcell's social medias. of course, there was a small community of fans, and some incredible stuff they made, looking at you Sam Dies At The End. i weeped. but it was slow and steady. and then, out of seemingly nowhere, people en masse suddenly REALLY CARED ABOUT THE THING THAT BROUGHT ME SO MUCH JOY AS A LITTLE GUY. like, fuck man...i first found out what autism was when i was real young because max's character description on wikipedia contained speculation as to whether or not he has it. (jury's still out, ...but we all have our little comforts. okay? also speaking of, "is max gay?" is like. one of the longest ongoing bits. like cmon dude.) now granted, by 2021 i was a little old for the new wave of shipping that sprouted up. tiktok edits are Not Always My Thing. but that's okay!!!! it doesn't need to be my thing. i'm really glad they're having fun. :] and i don't want to come across as like. infantilising in my discussion of the younger fanbase, so i apologise if my tone has come across that way. it really is simply the comforting thought that kids like me can experience what i had.

i remember how much fun my friends and i used to have when we were 16! (hi xavier, if ur reading this. miss you, buddy. :]) we got silly with it! we got angsty about season 3!! we wrote fanfiction, hell, an amazing fic my friend wrote that i beta'd is still the most kudos'd shipping fic on ao3!! the fanartists i liked had such an INCREDIBLE grasp on how to write sam and max's banter. it was a good time! and knowing these characters are giving joy to a new generation makes me giddy, dude. hell yeah! get "feral" or whatever the hell it is these days. find comfort in characters that don't really care about anyone's opinion except each other's, who get to be as weird and annoying and gross as they want all the time. that tend to punch up. that show love differently than what's seen as conventional. that end up saving the day, not even because they have to, so much as they genuinely enjoy each adventure together. max was my personal opportunity to feel comfort in all my weird freaky mannerisms i kept safe behind the polished exterior i had to wear as a kid. i found solace in the thought that those two were practically made for each other, as i stumbled through my own gender and sexuality crises. i loved how dry and dark sam was allowed to be. the banjo bits, the phone jokes, the repartee. so much of this series has influenced me, and helped me become who i am, as a creator and as a functional guy who Does Things.

so that's a small bit of why i think sam and max had, and still has, a lot of appeal to people that grew up like me. there's a lot of rough stuff i went through that made the idea of a couple of anarchist detectives completely devoted to one another that go around the seedy underbelly of america saving the day ("almost on purpose!") really, really interesting. steve purcell is unapologetic about how gross america can be, especially in the comics. at the heart of it, sam and max do what they do both because they enjoy it, and they enjoy each other. and i think, to overlook that, is to miss some of the whole point of the franchise. oh, i'm sorry, giant cockroaches literally everywhere is fine, streets crusted in various goos, totally chill, but gay kissing is the thing that Absolutely Nauseates you? plugging your ears and screaming gross seems like...kind of a weak move here, ngl. a work that doesn't shy away from how confusing and wild life can be has a decent chance to be compelling to marginalised groups, who often have to put up with the more disgusting aspects of reality anyways. at least these two odd guys are having fun with it. sam and max understand each other, each of their strengths and flaws, and choose to be with each other every day because of and in spite of them. they choose to love where they are, because of and in spite of its many, many, many flaws. they choose to be who they are because they love what they do. there's something touching there, if you like to think about such things. there are some occasions i find myself wishing sam and max's relationship was more...concrete. i wish we had an answer to Does Sam And Max Is Gay? but at the same time, being vague and obtuse is like. their whole shtick. so maybe it's just right how it is. and uh. obviously this is a fictional series. in the end, it's all how we enjoy it that matters, and it's not the end of the world. and as a final cherry on top, nothing beats turning to my husband and asking, "is sam and max queerbait", before delighting in the 3 hr conversation that follows.

and to get to the point. as the old adage unfortunately goes, it's...okay. to not like...ships. and i can even somewhat understand being frustrated by a subreddit you created being "flooded" by a thing you're not into. only somewhat, because a: we've always been here, and b: because you can. just not look at it? idk if reddit has a filtering system, but. the scroll wheel is free. to throw a tantrum and ban topics because you're personally offended people think they're gay? you might be missing out on some of the most fun you can have outside the series, and you're spitting in the face of the people who held this fandom up on their shoulders like atlas.

and you're being a dick about it.

TO CONCLUDE:

wah wah they're gay gay homosexual gay and they don't pay taxes. deal or die, fake fan.

[offsidekineticist]

△ Theo (bleachling specifically), if you could have 5 minutes of time to speak to your brother again without any other distractions or interference and he HAD to listen. What would you say to him?

Under a cut because this is like 11/10 so CW: panic attack and self-harm (intentionally aggravating an old injury as a response to anxiety)

He freezes. His expression, previously warm, goes mostly blank. Mostly, except for the ways his eyes widen and his stone gray flesh turns ashy. He opens and closes his mouth several times, and you realize he's trying to speak but nothing is coming out.

"Please...don't make me answer that," he finally chokes out, trying to hold a stoic expression but shaking nonetheless.

"You must answer. Those are the terms," the Questioner says. Theoven wraps his arms around his chest, hands tucked between his side and his arm less carefully than you would have expected, the shaking persisting.

"I...I don't think I'd be able to speak," he says, voice unsteady. "Does - does that answer the question? Please, I swear, every time I saw him - or the thing that seemed like him - in that place, I couldn't - it wouldn't - " he stops himself, and you see his shoulders bobbing up and down with every breath, each breath coming more quickly than the last. He nods in a hollow imitation of confidence. "Yes, that is my answer. I wouldn't be able to speak."

"'Without any other distractions or interference,'" the Questioner repeats. "Loss of the ability to speak would inarguably be a distraction."

"I don't want to see him!" Theoven barely gets the words out through the sob he cant hold back any longer, and now his cheeks are darkening again, and he squeezes his eyes shut trying to clear the tears. He slouches, curling in on himself, arms held so rigidly against his body that his hands must hurt terribly, and you can tell the only reason he doesnt curl up into a fetal position is theres no room for it at the table where he's seated. "I don't want to know - if he was there, I don't want to know! I don't want to hear him tell me why he - how he - I don't want to remember him like that!" His sobs are more violent now, racking his body as he struggles for breath. His breaths are sharp and loud and fast, each one sounding almost like the bark of a sick dog.

The Questioner waits.

It takes time, but slowly - painfully slowly - the sobs die down, becoming more like hiccups. They slow, coming less and less often, until he is breathing normally again.

"I would ask him to leave," Theoven finally says softly, head bowed as he stares at his lap, arms still pressing his hands painfully into his side. "I'm sorry. I know that...if he wasn't...wasn't there, there are things he deserves to hear me say but - I don't think I can say them anymore. And if he was there - " he stops. "He hated spiders. Loved chess. Every brawl I ever lost, he was there with a stern, rambling lecture and enough potions that my mentors at the library never noticed an injury. I should be allowed to remember him like that. I shouldn't have to remember - " he stops and slightly shakes his head before whispering, "I would ask him to leave."

The Questioner is satisfied.

[kindahoping4forever]

X

[veloursdor]

🛼🔪🥑🏜️

Any or all of these for the asks - no pressure - whatever strikes your fancy! 💕

hi pal!! 💕

for this ask

🛼 ⇢ describe your latest wip with five emojis

📲🍆🍑💦⁉️

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

i don't know if it's the weirdest, but one time i got obsessed with figuring out the timeline of my fic (it was canon based) that i did hours and hours on research as to when were obi-wan and anakin born (month, day, year), at what moment in time did the geonosis battle happened, how does the calendar work for the gffa... i still have those 5 handwritten pages of notes to make my timeline.

🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help?

@necrofacility 💕 we're ride or die for each other

🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

idk if you meant work work or my fics, so im gonna go with my fics. my favourite comment to receive is any comment, i love them all, but the ones i know how to answer best are the ones gushing about the fic, telling me what hit them the hardest or which part drove them the most insane (because its usually the same for me) but i love all comments

[slverblood]

CHARACTER SHEET / PRE-IMPRISONMENT.

This is an attempt at a character sheet for Aylin pre-imprisonment. This isn't, like, every detail of an actual character sheet and more the bits I think could be relevant to this setting (tumblr rp). The thought is that she was lvl 20 before being imprisoned and that imprisonment nerfed her. This does not include anything relevant to her being Selûne's daughter and Chosen. It was easier to create this as if she was a normal aasimar paladin. Adding in additional, special traits / abilities is too much of a headache, but I have laid out ideas that I consider blog canon. As for this character sheet, it's more of a thought exercise. Reference it; don't reference it; whatever floats your boat.

STATS.

RACE: Aasimar, Scourge BACKGROUND: Soldier CLASS: Paladin, Oath of Vengeance ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good LEVEL: 20 PROFICIENCY: +6 HIT POINTS: 148 ARMOR CLASS: 18

ABILITY SCORES.

STRENGTH: 19 (+4) DEXTERITY: 10 CONSTITUTION: 14 (+2) INTELLIGENCE: 11 WISDOM: 12 (+1) CHARISMA: 20 (+5)

PROFICIENCIES + FEATS.

LANGUAGES: Common; Celestial ARMOR: All armor, shields WEAPONS: Simple weapons, martial weapons TOOLS: Playing card set; vehicles (land) SAVING THROWS: Wisdom; charisma SKILLS: Athletics; insight; intimidation; religion FEATS: Great Weapon Master; Sentinel

AASIMAR, SCOURGE.

DARKVISION: Blessed with a radiant soul, your vision can easily cut through darkness. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. CELESTIAL RESISTANCE: You have resistance to necrotic damage and radiant damage. HEALING HANDS: As an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. LIGHT BEARER: You know the Light cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it. RADIANT CONSUMPTION: Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing a searing light to radiate from you, pour out of your eyes and mouth, and threaten to char you. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet, and at the end of each of your turns, you and each creature within 10 feet of you take radiant damage equal to half your level (rounded up). In addition, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra radiant damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

SOLDIER.

CONTEXT: A member of Moonhaven's militia, then knighted into the Swords of the Lady at 18 EQUIPMENT: Insignia of rank within the Swords of the Lady; a half-melted hairpin taken from a slain friend enemy; a deck of cards FEATURE: Military rank PERSONALITY TRAIT: "I can stare down a hell hound without flinching." IDEAL: "Greater Good. Our lot is to lay down our lives in defense of others." BOND: "I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves." FLAW: "I'd rather eat my armor than admit when I'm wrong."

PALADIN, OATH OF VENGEANCE.

FIGHTING STYLE: Great Weapon Fighting PASSIVE ABILITIES: Divine Health; Extra Attack; Aura of Protection; Aura of Courage; Improved Divine Smite; Soul of Vengeance ACTIVATED ABILITIES: Divine Sense; Lay on Hands; Divine Smite; Cleansing Touch; Relentless Avenger; Avenging Angel CHANNEL DIVINITY: Abjure Enemy; Vow of Enmity

SPELLS.

OATH SPELLS: Bane; Hunter's Mark; Hold Person; Misty Step; Haste; Protection from Energy; Banishment; Dimension Door; Hold Monster; Scrying PREPARED SPELLS: Compelled Duel; Detect Evil and Good; Searing Smite; Wrathful Smite; Branding Smite; Locate Object; Zone of Truth; Blinding Smite; Crusader's Mantle; Remove Curse; Death Ward; Locate Creature; Staggering Smite; Banishing Smite; Destructive Wave

[good-beanswrites]

Happy Valentine's Day @artsy-azure ! Here's your gift for the @milgram-valentines-exchange 💖

Fuuta x Minato (oc) ~ The first section takes place right after his T2 interrogation, and then skips ahead to a tiny post-milgram scene :3 I hope you enjoy!

Fuuta thought he would drown. Not sink into water or anything like that; he was worried the voices filling his mind would completely suffocate him. There were too many of them. Too many people, all of them knowing every dark corner of his mind, and shouting into it. It should have been impossible for one voice – one softer than all the rest – to reach him.

Then again, everything about that voice should have been impossible.

“Fuuta… Hey, Fuuta… Are you alright?”

He blinked. He scrambled over to the nearest wall. There were no visible openings in the cell, not a single imperfection across any of the surfaces, yet Milgram’s intercom system functioned just fine. Most days it would just deliver the ear-rattling bell to tell him the time. On bad days, it carried Es’ summons to the interrogation room for his extraction. On worse days, it carried Es’ summons to the courtroom for his verdict.

On the very best days, it would bring him the voice of Hoshizawa Minato.

(Though, seeing as he had just returned from a catastrophic extraction, he wasn’t sure what type of day it was yet.)

He tore his attention away from the chorus of judgements and insults. He pressed his shoulder against the wall, still unsure where the sound was coming from, but knowing it was nearby.

“I’m here,” he said, hushed. More than anything he wanted to yell and scream, but he would never risk it, now. Minato had gone through a hell of a lot to break into Milgram’s systems, and he wouldn’t let his big mouth ruin all that. It had already ruined just about everything else.

“How are you holding up?”

Fuuta pressed his lips together. “Any news on getting us out of here?” was all he said.

Hundreds of miles away (or perhaps next door – neither of them could really know), Minato’s fingers adjusted his headset.

“I’m still working on it. These things take time.” 

“I’m definitely gonna need it after today.” 

“Your interrogation… I know.”

Fuuta pulled his hood down tighter, tufts of ginger hair ruffling underneath. “How much did you see?” 

Minato’s eyes flicked over to another monitor. It displayed the files he’d gained access to a few hours prior. It would crush Fuuta to hear about yet another person peeking into his personal moments, so he opted for a non-answer.

“I don’t have cameras. I don’t see much at all.”

“Tch, I’m not a damn idiot, I know that! I meant, how much did you hear?”

“...Everything.” 

Fuuta squeezed his eye shut. He bit a curse back. There came silence.

Minato actually double checked some of his monitors, making sure they hadn’t been disconnected.

“So then, you know,” Fuuta said at last. “There’s no fucking way I’m getting forgiven this time around.”

“You can’t be so sure. The–”

“No one in their right mind would forgive me after that.” He winced, remembering his harsh cries at the end of the interrogation. What kind of accused murderer shouted “I’ll kill you” as their plea of innocence? When he wasn’t running his mouth with threats, he’d been pleading with Es like some kind of coward. And Minato has heard all of it. Fuuta could only imagine the horrors that the extraction held. Who could forgive him after they saw his anger, or worse, his pleasure? Who could ever look kindly on someone like that?

“I would.”

Fuuta’s eyes widened. He let himself sink further into the wall. A strangled laugh escaped him. He let his head hang down. No matter how much he wanted to protest, Minato was as honest as they come. If he said he forgave Fuuta, he meant it. 

“Yeah, like I said, no one in their right mind.”

Minato cracked a smile. 

“You don’t think I’m in my right mind?”

Fuuta scoffed. “You post pictures of clothes for a living. And in your free time, you plan impossible jailbreaks for murderers. Doesn’t sound quite sane to me.”

“Aw, come on. Do you think it’s impossible?” 

Minato was still smirking, ready for some more of their typical back and forth. Fuuta surprised him by pausing. 

“Well, it should be impossible. But…”

They’d been speaking for some time now. Whether it was quick comments when Es wasn’t around or long conversations into the night. Fuuta had seen many sides of him, and knew that he had what it took. He wasn’t like the vast majority of internet personalities – weak or needy or inexperienced. He’d proved himself time and time again. If anyone could pull this off, it would be Minato. 

“If it’s you… there’s a chance.”

“You’ve got that right. You can count on me, alright?”

Fuuta took a deep breath. The tightness of the uniform and the bandages seemed to lessen.

“Although,” Minato put on a falsely serious voice, “we’re gonna have a long talk when you get out… about that yellow jacket you own.”

“Haaah? What’s wrong with my jacket?’

“There are a hundred stylish ways to wear it and that was not one.”

“The fuck does that mean?” 

“You’ll be grateful when someone who ‘posts pictures of clothes for a living’ helps with your wardrobe.” 

Fuuta could feel his chest release even more. Minato spoke so easily about the future, as if it were something real and waiting for him. 

“As if I’d let you touch any of my outfits.”

“As if you could stop me!”

He took another breath. He smiled. No drowning today.

---

After checking the clock fourteen times, Fuuta thought once more couldn’t hurt. It was still two minutes to noon, just like the last few times he’d checked. His frequent checking hadn’t brought the train to the station any faster.

Minato had told him that he was safe. He’d said this meeting wasn’t that big of a risk. The dust had settled. He just had to relax. 

The announcement overhead signaled the next stop was his. It screeched into the station, a slight murmur rising as the doors opened onto a platform of moving people. 

Fuuta lowered his head. His eyepatch would surely draw attention to himself, so he kept his hood down and his mask up. He just needed to make it to the station entrance. 

He made his way around stiff businessmen and sticky children. He tried to shuffle around a young man, but he seemed to step further into Fuuta’s path. Giving the stranger a quick glance, he started to mumble something to squeeze past. 

“Fuuta,” the man said, gaping in surprise. “It’s me.”

He inhaled sharply.

It was only three words, but it was enough to recognize his voice from a thousand conversations. 

Fuuta’s eye widened as he took Minato in. It was strange to finally see his face. Finally, here was the person he’d spent hours talking to. The person he’d spent days passing the time with. The person he’d spent nights falling for. Here was the one who had saved his life, in more ways than he could count.

His first observation was, fuck, this guy is way outta my league. His next was, he’s shorter than I was expecting. Then, gah, I’m probably shorter than he was expecting. He was in the middle of realizing, he has the nicest smile I think I’ve ever seen, when Minato crushed him in a hug.

Fuuta returned the embrace. His arms tightened around Minato. He was real. He was here. Fuuta’s hands grasped at his clothes and his hair. He was unable to control a laugh bubbling up inside of him. 

“You did it. My god, you did it.”

He breathed into Minato’s shoulder. His chest shook with some laughter, some tears. 

For a moment wondered if people would notice the heartfelt reunion outside of the train, then he realized he didn’t care in the slightest. 

Minato was laughing along with him in that beautiful, familiar voice of his. No more crackling speakers or hidden intercoms – he spoke right into his ear, hair tickling his cheek. Fuuta could have stayed forever in his arms, just like that. All that mattered was he felt safe. At last, he felt happy.

Talk about impossible. 

[amatres]

"Layla." Siavash leans in shoulder-to-shoulder with a conspiratorial whisper. "Desnan to Desnan - what really happened with Prelate Shappok?"

Layla's face twists as if she's heard something unpleasant for a moment before she recollects herself. She leans in closer before whispering as well, letting the sound of louder conversation drown them out to any who could overhear. "I killed him, Sia. I didn't… want to kill him or anything like that. I just was too late finding Ramien to protect him from that man... And I couldn't stand by and let someone be killed for a zealot's paranoia, whether that zealot's target was a brother in faith or not." Sighing, she begins to fidget her amulet between her fingers as she continues. "I don't regret it. It was a situation where backs were against the wall and a decision had to be made before things got worse..."

She pauses a moment, considering if she should continue, before adding, "Those who should have regrets about that situation are all those who let him stay in power when he was so obviously unwell. It only hurt him and everyone in his path to let him stay there. But maybe I am in the minority in that opinion... The others seemed quite upset with me about it, at least."

[dmagedgoods]

△ Salvadore, what are your guilty pleasures?

Your question brings amusement to Salvadore’s features and the hint of a condescending smile. “I’m sure you have expectations. – Maybe even imagined what I do behind closed doors? But I fear I must disappoint you. My pleasure does not tend to cause me guilt.” He leans back, arms on the rests of the chair, legs crossed, while he looks at you with undisturbed calmness. “I never found any purpose in forbidding ourselves the things we find enjoyment in – provided that we possess enough self-control our work and duties won’t suffer. And I can guarantee that I don’t lack the necessary discipline to allow myself plenty of … entertainment, where it belongs. An exquisite glass of wine here and there, an exciting book that serves no other intent but to raise my mood – some may smile about my love for adventure stories or love poems –, long bathing, the occasional day in bed, theater and music, dancing, the luxuries I surround myself with, high-quality materials for anything I own, the intense and creative sex practices I indulge in, all those pleasures are private in nature but by no means a source of guilt or shame.”