#there should not be that many ee's

[kyistell]

YOUR A LOSER, BABY. A LOSER, GODDAMN BABY~~

This idea came to me while I was listening to the Annapantsu cover and I just knew, I had too. Also I'm pretty sure this is the first time those of the tumblr space are seeing my Kentucky and Tennessee designs, I've drawn them twice now but nothing actually posted here lol.

Anyway I HC that Tucky and Jersey hang out a lot, originally only talking with each other because of their shared occupation horses but then they actually started to talk about other things and found that they actually got along. It's no secret to anyone that Jersey's lil demon guy loves Tucky, plus it is just adorable so I had to draw it again.

Tucky and Tenn are technically related but it's kinda hard to see here, maybe one day I'll post the headshots for them. Also I love Tucky's design, I need to draw him more, I made him so cute gosh darn it!!

Also also, if it's hard to tell they are listen to music on the same ear buds connected to an Ipod, don't question whos Ipod it is because they have no idea at this point XD

[witchcraftingboop]

I was today years old when my grandmother finally revealed how to pronounce her name... my grandfather called her by the wrong name for 12+ years and passed the pronunciation down to his sibling, nephews, son, and granddaughters and this woman said not one word about it. I had to find out from her talking to a cashier about reward points. Good god.

[phagodyke]

i dont pay much attention to global listening stats on spotify cuz i just listen to shit i like but sometimes ill see smth and be like how tf do they have so many/few plays on this??? like my impression of how popular some artists are is so WILDLY disconnected from real life

[airbrushfather]

Fellow ex-Daffodil enjoyer here, having snooped around at yours and your mutuals blogs I would like to speak to the Everything Everything Community: I think you guys all need to sit down together and admit you all secretly want to write MPreg. Some of yall are barely hiding it at this point. I'm biased, but I say appoint Daffodil as your designated MPreg lord and saviour. It will be dope as fuck! But you all need to admit it to yourself first. (Staying on anon because I was never public on your old blog but also... Hi, I miss you! Hope you're well!)

where the fuck are you people all coming from

[morgenlich]

always interesting to run into someone who disagrees with the idea of art for art's sake

[buysomecheese]

The ship dynamic where like ugh ok so A and B were either childhood friends or young lovers and it’s Always Them even if there are other people for them it ends up being ‘A-and-B’ (i.e. Cory-and-Topanga, Wolf-and-Snake, The Bishop (Sarah Black and John Hart), Wendy-and-Tolkien) and they’ve been through their Shit and they’re established and they work so well together but then C comes along

And sometimes C has always been there, loving both of them but not being able to do anything about it because it’s ‘A-and-B and C’ and will never be ‘A-and-B-and-C’. Hell, sometimes A or B even had a thing with C in the past that didn’t work out for whatever reason so it’s over and done and C is just watching wistful from afar (Shawn, Stan)

Other times C is someone entirely new, who shakes up A-and-B’s whole world so much that they have no chance but to notice. They’re really good at the same job, or the banter is just such a new pace but one part of A-and-B just.. really appreciates it. C, however much they like both A-and-B, knows it’s never gonna include them so is very cautious about Everything relating to them (Diane, Nolan Booth)

But either way, A-and-B have a conversation- it’s more difficult for one of them than it is the other (Cory (because it’s always been there but he hasn’t been able to identify so it’s like difficult all around for him y’know he goes through the 5 stages of grief simultaneously), Snake, John Hart (similar to Cory except he’s upset about it), Tolkien) and they approach C and they are Beyond confused. They don’t believe it, this has got to be a prank or something. A-and-B are making fun of them- except C knows they would never do that, not like this. C will just have to leave, as to not disturb the peace A-and-B have created…

But A-and-B want it to be A-and-B-and-C

Of course, one part of A-and-B has more difficulty adjusting than the other (Topanga, Snake, John Hart, Tolkien)- they and C fight, they’re petty, it takes a lot of reassurance but they want this to work for their hinge (idk what else to call them I’m talking about like the Cory and Wolf characters) so them and C get to know each other one-on-one, they figure their shit out. It’s still more turbulent than just A-and-B was, but with time it becomes easier etc. etc.

AUGH it’s just so much I could talk about each individual ship So Much (especially Shawn-and-Cory-and-Topanga I’m currently watching BMW and they mean SO MUCH to me) so I think I will because this is my blog y’all get to see my opinions!!! This is just like my main/favorite hc of how it happens I Loveee playing around with timelines for angst or smut hehe

Shawn-and-Cory-and-Topanga

So ok I’ve like Not watched past s2 yet but idc I love them. I think that Topanga figured it out- watched Cory’s reactions to Shawn’s “babe” one too many times, noticed Shawn finding Cory in a room first every single time, woke up more often then she thought was normal with the taste of Shawn’s lips on hers (referencing that one ep where they kissed for some reason? Idk haven’t watched it yet but ik it happens I’ve read fanfic), felt Shawn’s hand brush against her free hand all the time in the halls. She decides enough is enough, sits Cory down- she’s smart, she’s not mad, is he in love with Shawn? Yes Topanga, of course he’s in love with Shawn, you can’t be friends with someone for this long without being in love with them. No Cory, not like that- does he love Shawn the way he loves Topanga.

And oh, the look of slow realization on Cory’s face says so many things.

He’s relaxed (this is just a fact of life for him), he’s confused (what does she mean ‘the same way’, of course he loves them the same), he’s upset (she’s not mad but he is- how could he not have realized for so long? If she doesn’t mind now then how long could he have had his wildest dreams? How long with them did he miss out on?), he��s scared (what could this mean for all of them?), he’s anxious (this is weird, what could his Shawn possible think about this?).

Topanga holds his face, calms her Cory down a bit- me too, she says, for much less time I’m sure, but me too. We can work this out, she insists, we’ll talk to him and explore our options.

And of course, when they finally sit Shawn down with them, he doesn’t- can’t- believe it. This is some sick joke, why would they want him of all people? They could literally have anyone they wanted at any time, why him and why now? But no, they just keep saying it. I love you. We love you. It’s always been you, Shawn, I just couldn’t see it- be glad Topanga only waited this long to tell me and not longer. If you don’t believe my words, Shawn, believe my dreams- do you want me to recount them right now? They’re a bit explicit for a first conversation, but I could start with- and on and on and on.

Now both of them calming him down, they come to a consensus: Shawn can think it over for as long as he needs, Cory-and-Topanga will act with him exactly as they always have until he says otherwise. Topanga is already guessing at his answer, but Cory has barely ever been more nervous in his life.

Of course, it works out for the better- Shawn comes back, he needs them in his life as much as they need him. That’s all they know and they’ll work out the intricacies later. Topanga and Shawn, who already have a sort of ‘war’ over Cory, find themselves falling into that back-and-forth sometimes still, but then one of the three starts looking sad and apprehensive and they Converse instead and make it nice (of a tad tense) for the rest of the evening, allowing them to bounce back right in the morning. Shawn has some old habits he really needs to work to kick (isolation mainly), but every time he’s feeling that way the other two know when to hold on with their whole strength and when to welcome him back with open arms.

Snake-and-Wolf-and-Diane

Ok so fully I think Snake (hc: Niraj) is a gay man but like he loves Wolf (canon: Moe) so much and they both fuck around outside of each other so it’s chill that Moe hangs out with Diane now, so often. Until Snake does find himself getting jealous, feeling pushed aside; he’s planning his escape, how he’s gonna deal with not only leaving Wolf without a word, but also the only family he’s had in years. And what really sucks is that Diane is wonderful, she’s so great for Wolf- she’s not some old jaded person, she’s Wolf’s age, full of life and love, Snake’s exact opposite. So he assumes that it’s time for him to leave, again.

He packs his bag, gets halfway to the next town before the whole gang is blowing up his phone. He can’t drive so they (Moe-and-Diane; Niraj has already accepted that his place has been taken) catch up with him fast enough. Diane’s driving; Moe is shaking so much he can barely hold his Niraj, tears streaming down his face.

“You can’t do that to us, Snake! I- we thought you were dead!”

“… just though I should get out of the way before you have to tell me to go, is all.”

It’s a whole thing, they’re both yelling at each other. Diane doesn’t know where she fits into this, so she just drives them home when they’re done yelling. She’s a bit scared, but she does love them both and she knows how much Moe needs Snake.

A lot of talking, a lot of compromise, a lot of reassurance from Moe. Diane offers to step out multiple times but they keep her there, because as much as it’s about Niraj-and-Moe it’s also about Diane. Etc. etc. this ship especially is a slow go, takes a long time to become functional again, but it is so worth it once they get there. (Snake is a big believer of ‘a hole’s a hole’ and also Diane is big on pegging so it does work out sexually even if outside of that they’re just really good friends who share a boyfriend but tbh it just like clockwork with how good everything is ugh I love this movie tremendously. Also Diana and Webs definitely flirt more than ‘friends joking’ and the whole lot of them are a bit polyamorous/anarchist in their relationships)

John Hart-and-Sarah Black-and-Nolan Booth

They like Have a canon ‘hey let’s try this throuple thing out’ scene it’s where Nolan is on their boat and is like ‘you guys fuck so loud you weren’t the only ones crying’ and Sarah is like ‘you’re eating raw pork rn’ and they’re all so silly and then John and Sarah have their ‘do you trust me?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Do you love me?’ ‘Always.’ ‘Then that’s all we need’ scene and that’s literally Sarah going ‘her babe you literally want to have sex with him so bad just give the romance part a try. I think you guys would be so cute together and also I think he’s really sweet and cute and I kinda want to kiss him as well let’s try this out please.’ And John begrudgingly agrees and the procession of events is so funny after that (to viewers)

John doesn’t think he’s attracted to men so he’s Incredibly confused about all of this. Nolan is confused as to why he feels like this couple- the hottest couple to exist, by the way, his words and you can quote him on it- seems to be.. coming onto him? Sarah is having so much fun scheming about this she is loving this.

Nolan and Sarah bond over Taylor Swift music. John slowly gains respect for Nolan during different heists they pull, and Nolan becomes less scared of John with every small compliment (or rather, lack of a critique). It actually does cause some rifts between John and Sarah but they’ve overcome everything before, them liking some guy isn’t gonna stop them now. So when Sarah finally kisses John and then kisses Nolan, followed immediately by John kissing Nolan, poor Booth feels just a bit lost. John passed him his glass of wine and they talk it out. Takes a while, and it doesn’t definitely get physical for them on the first night, but hey! That’s that and that works for them

And then they commit heists and Sarah has hate sex with Inspector Daz at least once and they live forever after this movie is so. I’m so excited for the sequels you actually have no idea

Tolkien-and-Wendy-and-Stan

So obviously Wendy and Stan had been Wendy-and-Stan- forever ago. Back in elementary school. It’s been Tolkien-and-Wendy since like 8th grade, going strong to senior year. Stan wouldn’t lie and say he’s not jealous, but he would also never admit that he was- Tolkien was his neighbor and actually they do get along really well, and he knows that Kyle and Wendy and Tolkien are close friends individually and he’s been able to be at the very least acquaintances with Wendy recently so he really does not want to ruin that. So he’s just chilling, pining a bit, even if he’s not exactly sure as to who for.

Wendy-and-Tolkien do have a very healthy sex life for two high schoolers, and are very comfortable with one another- when Wendy asks Tolkien (really casually, over lunch) “if you were to sleep with a guy, who would it be?” and he answers “Stan” almost on instinct, Wendy knows exactly how she can work with this. Purely planning for just a sort of sexual arrangement, she gets a bit closer to Stan to assess his mental health and availability and then the three of them have a Long conversation. Tolkien ends up driving them all into Denver to get tested for STDs and they’re all clean (surprisingly on Stan’s part, until they realize just how much he’s actually just been wanting the two of them), they have the sex, and then Stan.. stays the night.

On accident, of course, but he wakes up earlier and better rested than he has since maybe early elementary school, so he makes them all breakfast. He knows how Wendy used to eat and he knows what Tolkien does like so he makes a little spread in the Testaburger kitchen and when the other two wake up they are beyond surprised- not unpleasantly so.

This becomes somewhat of a regular thing- every few weeks, they’ll invite Stan over, and he’ll just end up staying over. He sort of fits into them perfectly, and ends up not just staying over night but in their minds as well. Clearly he’s a lot more grown-up than he was in 4th grade, and they all get along as friends, and Tolkien-and-Wendy decide it’s time for another Long conversation, inviting Stan in as an always fixture to their relationship. Immediately he jumps on board with that idea, and Tolkien-and-Wendy become Tolkien-and-Wendy-and-Stan

The conflict comes mainly from Wendy’s side here- she’s not embarrassed of Stan, she swears, she’s just embarrassed to tell her friends that she’s seeing him again. Tolkien’s a bit worried about telling people the polyamorous part, and Stan is overall a bit offended because he told Kenny and Kyle and Eric the first time Tolkien and Wendy invited him over. This issue mainly resolves itself with time and comfort and then they’re chilling and it’s good. Until Wendy asks Stan the same question she had asked Tolkien…

I had a lot more feelings about this one but uh I cared about South Park for like a month or so and then my brain decided we were tired of it so I have nothing else to offer I just think they’re all a lot more chill and communicative in high school idk

[diejager]

Omfg pervy roommate König!!! And his poor little roommate is none the wiser to how he abuses her poor cunt every night. He does such a good job fucking his load into her that she confides in him as a friend that she’s pregnant and is super shocked!! But that’s okay, he’ll always be there for her. Now she’ll never be able to leave him. <3

Cw: forced pregnancy, NON-CON/CUB-CON, DARKFIC, pervy!önig, perverted behaviour, somnophilia, dacryphilia, breeding kink, possessive behaviour, pregnancy, drugging, tell me if I missed any.

You’re blissfully unaware of his advances, or his nightly excursions into, pumping his cum into your already filled womb and putting a baby into you. He liked how disoriented and confused you look the day after, waking up pantieless, your bedsheets crusty and dried cum sticking to your thighs. You always come to him for advice, wanting to know why you came all over yourself, leaving you covered in your own slick and cheeks burning with shame when you told him, oblivious of his gleeful eyes narrowed down at you with a hidden grin.

It goes on for a while, he feeds sleeping pills - the ones from his prescribed-bottle for his insomnia - breaking half a pill down to a fine powder and spike your bedtime drink, waiting for you to doze off, sleeping so deeply that even an earthquake wouldn’t wake you up, and he fucks you. He, sometimes, takes his time, thrusting slowly, enjoying the slow and romantic pace, feeling you wrapped around him. Other times, he goes feral, pounding and bruising you, hands manhandling you into the prettiest position to let him fuck you deeper, the head of his red, angry cock kissing your cervix brutally.

You don’t take pills or any contraceptives, letting your monthly cycle roll over and deal with the cramps with painkillers. So he’s not surprised when you come crying to him about being pregnant after going to see your doctor about your daily nausea and stomach pains. He expected you to be pregnant after so many nights of filling you up, pushing load after load of fertile cum - he takes supplements to make him more virile - into your young womb, what he didn’t put into account was the long time it took to finally knock you up, the months he spent waiting and biting the skin off his thumb until it bled to have you round and plump with his child.

You had the prettiest face when you cried, eyes puffy and lips pouty, it made his cock stir, throbbing in his pants. It drove him wild, seeing you cry and whine about not being ready to be a mother, still so young and oblivious to who the father was —you didn’t even remember the last time you fucked anyone. König spent the day comforting you, wiping your swollen eyes with high-quality cashmere tissues he bought just for you, whispering sweet lullabies to you until your tears stop - much to his chagrin - and cradled you in his lap, fingers thumbing the soft fat of your thighs, running soothing circles with his calloused thumb.

He’ll wait until the baby’s born to tell you he’s the father, he might not be patient enough to sit around and wait, but he is patient enough to know when he should and when he shouldn’t wait. He’ll care of you until you come to term. He has the money to buy you whatever you need, KorTac is the best paying PMC and he was a colonel in the past, racking up a large sum of money before he signed a contract. Your cravings, your needs, your wants and whatever else you ask, your roommate - your soon-to-be-husband - König will take care of everything.

What a nice roommate you have, no?

Taglist: @hiraya1802 @tess0288 @elichisstuff @emodanoriddler @kenz-ee @bunnyclaire @akenosimp167 @havoc973 @death8match @yourliebling @allicsirp00 @cross-axis @hereforhotbitches @delulu4ghost @monster-in-paradise @nordicvsp @madi0987 @sae1kie @yeoldedumbslut @tallmanlover @distracteddragoness @vxnilla-hxrddrugs @konigsblog @223princess @im-making-an-effort @daisychainsinknots @0alk0msan @danielle143 @dont-mind-me-just-existing-sadly @tuttifuckinfruttifriday

[isuggestforcefem]

hey i have this guy friend i really like. he’s willingly worn skirts MANY times before and liked it. i keep trying to (poorly) flirt with him but saying he’d be a good girlfriend. he’s said we should play Russian roulette but instead of getting shot with a bullet you get injected with estrogen. he pronounces “estrogen” and “ee-strogen.” Is there anything you suggest

Talk to her. You can save her

[yougavemeyourheartyouknow]

Alludes to Miguel bring depressed, usage of alcohol.

Thinking about heartbroken baby daddy!Miguel O’Hara who spent the next week rotting in bed whenever he could, curtains drawn shut and sad music playing from his phone as he scrolled through all your old photos together. Feeling exactly how he did when you two had split 9 years ago.

Heartbroken baby daddy!Miguel who started to reply the last 12 years over and over in his head, from the moment he sat next to you during his first stats lecture to the moment he found himself in front of your front door in an attempt to ask for a second chance only to find out it’s too late form the smirk on your new boyfriend’s face. To the point of him getting distracted during everyday activities, like over serving his coffee and sitting at a greenlight until someone honked at him.

Heartbroken baby daddy!Miguel who starts to have trouble keeping up with his physical appearance. The same man who could get the asscrack of dawn to go on a run or to the gym, always clean shaved, hair always slicked back, never in his pjs unless need be, started to walk around with a 5 o'clock shadow, starts to drop off or pick his daughter up in his sweatpants and tank top he sleeps in, eyes more sunken in they they usually are.

Heartbroken baby daddy!Miguel who has a silent breakdown everytime you post something while out on a date with your new boyfriend.having to grip his phone so hard to the point his knuckles turn white to stop himself from bursting into tears while Gabriella is eating dinner in the next room.

Heartbroken baby daddy!Miguel who had a few too many drinks while Gabri was at a sleepover, calling up first his younger brother then his best friend. Rambling about how he should have seen the signs sooner, how he should have never let you go in the first place, because now you were in the arms of another man, and considering that it’s been over 3 months it looks like he’s there to stay.

Heartbroken baby daddy!Miguel who thought he was hallucinating from drinking too much when you showed up at his place at 11:30 at night

—

“I-I just, if… if I knew that I still loved-“ he interrupted himself to hiccup before continuing to speak to Peter over his phone, placing down another empty beer bottle on his living room coffee table. “I still loved her, I wouldn’t have let-let her get a new boyfriend in the first place ya know?” He slurred, hearing Peter’s response but none of the words registering. His mind calmed from the temporary haze the alcohol provided.

Knock knock.

Miguel rolled his eyes with a groan as he slowly got up from his seat on the couch. “I thought I told you I didn’t need you to come over Peter.” Miguel said as he grabbed the empty bottles and quickly placed them in the kitchen, his friend on the phone expressing his confusion as Miguel made his way to the front door with his phone between his shoulder and ear.

“Huh? I’m not at your door-“ The rest of the sentence turned into background static, not noticing Peter’s calls for him and asking if he was listening. Miguel was too busy being in shock. He blinked once, twice.

You were still there.

Bloodshot eyes, runny nose, rosey and tear stained cheeks, your shoulders shaking a bit as you hugged yourself. He didn’t even get a chance to ask what was wrong before you spoke.

“Can I come in?” You croaked, throat tense as you attempted to keep your voice from wavering.

He opened the door wider.

—

Part 4<

Part 5.5<

Not proofread.

Word count: 600

Taglist: @ginnysculture @mishaglass @wusyanamee @mangoslushcrush @queerponcho @bunnibitez @miguelzslvtz @migueloharastruelove @dahehow @sinners-98-world @othersideoftheparadise @toyfortoji @yeshajane @yvesbi @strawberryjuice9 @hanjisgf @deljojeisbackagain @safixiovi @emmalandry @maxinemus3 @lauraolar14 @aaaaslaaaan @kenz-ee @esmedelacroix @whattheshock @lauraolar14 @migueloharasoulmate @famouscattale @loser-alert @maomaimao @syler-griffin @comeonatmebruh @xwonderlandresidentx @m4dyy @mcmiracles @the-pan-liquid @lilbrababe99 @jxstanemo @badbitchhour @freehentai @sillysillygoofygoose @nj452896 @jadeloverxd @faretheeoscar @miguelsfavwife @ce3stvu @scorpihoooe @blossomofbismuths

[corseque]

As I'm replaying Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age: Inquisition, I'm going to use the conversation toolkit each time and in each area that Elven is used in the series.

I've already found several bits of elven that are not on the wiki at all. And for many of the text that never had a translation before, there are translations in the localization comments.

I did a poll on twitter asking people if they thought this was good enough evidence to update the elven wiki, and got a 99% yes answer, so I updated the dragon age elven wiki, with an explanation in the /talk section. (Anyone can open Origins dialogue tree files in the DA Toolkit and see that these translated comments are in their own version of Origins)

All of this to say, we finally can say we know the canon words for "mother" and "no" and "brother" and "sister" in elven in Dragon Age. And several new long phrases.

Ghostly Boy in the Lair of the Undead in Dragon Age: Origins

"Mamae? Mamae na mara san…" VO/Localization Comment: the young boy is crying pitifully, he asks "mah-MAY?" in a hopeful manner and then says "mah-MAY nah-MAH-rah san" hoplessly (as if saying "mother is gone")

"Mamae! Mamae, se vara sal!" VO/Localization Comment: phonetically: mah-MAY! mah-MAY! suh VAH-rah sawl! he is calling out for his mother as he says this, crying pitifully

"Mamae! Mamae! Mamae!" VO/Localization Comment: The child begins calling out in a strange language for someone. He begins to sob uncontrollably and shouts louder. "mah-MAY" = mother

shade in the Lair of the Undead in Dragon Age: Origins

"Ma halani! Se vara lassa'val! Nae mal!" VO/Localization Comment: the elf is caling for help, terrified, and then screams and calls on her gods to save her. phonetic breakdown: mah hah-LAWN-ee! suh VARE-ah luh-suh-VAHL! nay mahl! The last phrase "nay mahl" should be shrieked in terror as the elf turns and run

ghostly elf in the Lair of the Undead in Dragon Age: Origins

"Viran se lan'aan? Ir annala for ros…" VO/Localization Comment: "Who are you? I cannot see you…" veer-AHN suh lah-NAWN? Eer ah-NAH-lah fohr rohs… said hesitantly -- she cannot quite make out the player

"Nae! Ga rahn s'dael! Ga rahn!" VO/Localization Comment: "No! Get away from me! Get away!" Nay! Gah rawn suh-DALE! Gah rawn! Suddenly realizes that the player is an enemy, terrified, backed into a corner

"Ir emah'la shal! Ir emah'la shal!" VO/Localization Comment: "I will kill you! I will kill you!" eer ay-MAY-la shahl! eer ay-MAY-la shahl! she turns on the player in terror, savagely attacking him (combat begins)

[noxiatoxia]

Komaeda Nagito, and His Tendency to Use Filler Words

I've talked about this here and there, but I want to make an in-depth post with examples.

So, something that's always bothered me about the Eng release of SDR2 is the fact that Komaeda...does not use filler words as much as he should.

Let me explain.

I'm sure you know words such as "uh" "um" "ah" "er" and suchlike. When you don't know something or are thinking, you tend to say something like, "Um...yeah, so..." or "My, um, appointment is tomorrow."

These words add no "value" to the sentence, and are only placed involuntarily while speaking because you are trying to think as you speak.

Japanese has plenty of these, too. Words like えーと(etto), あの (ano), ううん (uun), ええ (ee), and so forth.

But there's other "filler" words out there. Like our earlier sentence, "Um...yeah, so..." "Um" is not the only filler word. "Yeah, so" is also a filler word, as it adds nothing to the overall sentence. It can be removed.

Really, any word can become a filler word. "You know" and "like" have real applications, but if you, like, start, like, talking like this, it's, you know, kind of repetitive, you know?

I think the vast majority of people on Earth are guilty of speaking like this in their day-to-day lives. It's just easy to do. But when it comes to media, you'll notice characters rarely stutter or repeat words. When they do, even if it's a small amount, it's noticeable because the surrounding context is that nobody else is doing it.

With all this information in mind, let's talk about Komaeda Nagito's dialogue.

実はさ、ボクは入学前に、ネットでみんなの情報を調べてきてるんだよね。

さ(sa), is a normal sentence particle in Japanese. It's used for a myriad of purposes, although many people seem to liken it to the American "Valley Girl" accent when overused, especially with another conversation particle, ね (ne).

It is a misconception that sa is "masculine". It used to be masculine way back, but nowadays it's more or less gender neutral.

This will be the topic of the post. Komaeda tends to use sa and ne in a way that is seen as "filler". These particles can be likened to "you know?" and "like" in the sense that they are real words that serve purposes, but can be repetitive.

In the sentence above, I would say the ne is not being used in a filler-like way. Sa, however, is.

"So, to be honest, before I arrived at this school, I, um, did a little research about everyone on the internet."

In this way, sa, ne, or any other particle when overused (な na is another big one, and I see Souda using it a lot) can be any filler word. Some would argue that the sentence should maybe look more like...

"So, you see, to be honest, before I arrived at this school, I did a little research about everyone on the internet."

And this is equally as correct. It's more in-line with how sa as a particle is normally used, but when translating it as how it's being used here - as a filler word - "um" may sound more appropriate in English. Neither is incorrect however, and there's a myriad of other ways you could go about writing this.

"So, you know, to be honest..."

"So, like, to be honest..."

"...I kind of did a little research..."

"...I, well, did a little research..."

etc.

ううん、いいんだよ。複雑なのはボク自身もそうだからさ。

Here, I wouldn't describe sa as being a filler word...necessarily. It adds emphasis, but it's still completely optional. Thus, I wouldn't translate it as a word imperative to the sentence's meaning.

"No, no, I totally get it. I have pretty mixed feelings about this, too."

最初はね…恐れ多いって断ったんだよ。でも、どうしてもって言われてさ。

Here is an example of him using ne in a filler-like way. You've probably caught on that particles which stand-in as filler are used usually at the beginning of a sentence before a comma or ellipses.

Komaeda actually uses ne in this manner fairly often. One of his default voice lines is "boku wa ne..." - I am unsure how this was recorded in the English dub. Probably just "I..." but personally I'd go with "Well, I..." or "I, uh..."

And unlike earlier, I would say the sa here at the ending is indeed more filler-like (not entirely still, though. Akin to the usage above).

"Um, honestly, at first…I was humbled, but I refused. But, well, they wouldn't stop insisting on it…"

By the way, Komaeda is not putting himself down in this scene. Japanese culture emphasizes being polite in a way Western spaces do not. "I don't deserve it" is a very direct translation, but in English, it makes more sense to read it as "I humbly declined".

And all these examples are just in the first conversation you have with him! You can imagine how many more there are through the whole game.

Now, here's a big question I'm sure you're thinking: "Why was this left out?"

I don't know to be honest, because...they did it with other characters.

Such as Koizumi in the same game:

だってさ、なんだか変なヤツばっかりじゃん。天才だか超高校級だか知らないけどさ…

Although Koizumi suffers from some of the same translation choices made with Komaeda, hers appears to be more consistent.

Finally, we need to talk about Naegi Makoto. He and Komaeda share beyond a voice actor - they talk the same, too. They both use the same self pronoun and you pronoun, use the same script, and also have a habit of using ne and sa in excess...though Naegi maybe does it slightly less.

Also confusing, this sometimes gets translated, like here:

そうそう、こんな危険な学校だしさ、何があるかわからないでしょ？ だから…念の為にさ。

The only reason I can think it only happens sometimes or, in Komaeda's case, not at all, is some translators on the team either didn't feel it was important to include/didn't think about it, while other translators did. Game translation typically has more than one person at the helm. A lack of good management can lead to weird discrepancies like this.

Anyways, that's all I got for now. I hope you find it interesting, because it's one of my absolute favorite character quirks of Komaeda and I am so sad it doesn't get any love in English...

[agaypanic]

hi omg i got so excited when i saw you were doing egon spengler x reader aaaa! could you do egon and an personality opposite reader? he's all serious and deadpan while she's happy and upbeat (it'd be cool if she was the new girl in the team and had a crush on him). sort of like a "she fell first, he fell harder" situation?

The Sunlight On My Spores (Egon Spengler X Reader)

Masterlist

Request Something!

Summary: The new addition to the ghostbuster’s team is a ray of sunshine, and she has her sights on a scientist with an interest in fungi and the supernatural.

A/N: AHHHHH ive been waiting for an egon/ghostbuster request!!! since i havent written for egon before, i hope i get his character right lol also idk shit about science/paranormal jargon. and idk if eegs is spelled the way it should but it’s pronounced ee-gs, like egon but s instead of on

***

Joining the Ghostbusters definitely brought amusement and hecticness to your daily life. Although you handled more of the office work, you had seen your fair share of the paranormal action. Namely Slimer, who would get ahold of your lunch every now and then.

Ray was the first on the team that you had met, being the one to interview you. You liked to call him ‘Sun-Ray’ for his bright and positive personality.

You were pretty much hired on the spot, mainly because Janine had been complaining about the lack of extra help. But as long as you had a steady paycheck, you didn’t mind. Ray had immediately showed you around the firehouse. You met Peter and Winston on the main floor, the former being flirtatious and the latter being more polite in his welcoming. 

Then Ray took you up to the second floor, where the dining area, sleeping quarters, and lab were.

That’s where you met Egon Spengler. His tall frame was hunched over one of the lab’s many workbenches, doing some soldering work on a proton pack.

“Spengs!” Ray said with a wide grin, bringing you over to the scientist. The man in question set down the soldering iron and straightened up, adjusting his glasses as he turned around.

“What is it, Ray?” He asked in a somewhat monotone voice. He glanced at you, furrowing his brows slightly before looking back at his friend. “Who’s this?”

“This is Y/n, our new recruit!” Ray replied enthusiastically, patting you on the shoulder. 

“Ah, so you’ve filled the new receptionist position.” He said, giving you a once-over. “Janine will be happy to hear that.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Spengler.” You greeted with a smile. He outreached his hand, which you grasped firmly and gave a few shakes. His hand was slightly calloused, probably from his work, but still felt nice.

“Egon’s fine.”

“I’ve read a few of your papers on paranormal studies; I think the whole thing’s fascinating.” 

Some of his research papers weren’t the only thing of Egon’s you’ve seen. Ever since the Ghostbusters had gained some popularity, you couldn’t help but find him quite cute, spending an extra few seconds looking at him whenever a picture of the group was in your newspaper or on your television screen. 

And he was definitely even more handsome in person.

“Well then, you’ve definitely come to the right place.” Ray grinned, but your focus was still on the spectacled man before you.

“Thank you, that’s very flattering.” Although his voice was a bit monotonous, the response was genuine. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to check on my spore samples.”

“Spore samples?” You asked with curiosity.

“Yes. I collect spores, molds, and fungus.” 

“That sounds like fun!” Egon was a bit taken aback by your response. That wasn’t a reply he was used to hearing. And the fact that you sounded genuine and peppy was even more confusing to him. 

Ray, wanting to show you the rest of the firehouse, started to pull you away. You gave a quick goodbye to Egon before bounding down the stairs after Ray. Meanwhile, Egon needed to take a second to get his befuddled thoughts straight before he could tend to his samples.

***

You fell into a routine pretty quickly. The job was mainly making appointments and ensuring the boys were ready for a call, scheduled or unexpected. Occasionally, you filed paperwork or got coffee for everyone at odd hours in the day. But because the job was shared between you and Janine, you often had at least a little bit of free time.

“Got another one!” Peter announced as he stepped out of the Ecto-1 that had just rolled into the firehouse, holding up a slightly smoking trap. As Winston and Ray emerged from the car, you wondered if Peter had been wearing a poncho because he was the only one not covered at least halfway in goo. “He was a real slimy one, too.”

“I can tell.” You laughed as Ray and Winston peeled out of their uniforms with a grimace. 

“You’re back.” Egon’s voice almost made you jump; you hadn’t realized he had come down from the lab. He walked until he was standing next to you, holding his hand out towards the ghost trap. “I’ll take that, Peter. Ray, come with me, I want to discuss the containment facility with you.”

“What about it?” Ray asked as he closed his locker. Egon brushed past you to walk down to the basement, Ray close behind.

Not wanting to be caught staring at Egon’s leaving form, you whipped back around to the car. It seemed that Winston and Ray weren’t the only ones who got slimed. Poor Ecto.

“I think I’m gonna clean the car.” You thought aloud. “You guys don’t have any more calls until tomorrow.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that, Y/n,” Winston said. 

“Well, someone’s gotta do it,” Peter interjected. “We gotta ride in style, after all.”

“Really, Winston, I don’t mind.” You insisted. “I don’t have anything else to do.”

“Suit yourself.” He said with a shrug.

Patting you on the shoulder, Winston went upstairs to take a shower. While Peter hung up his jumpsuit, you looked around in a storage closet for car washing supplies.

“Y/n?” You looked towards the sound of the voice, seeing Egon peeking out of the basement entrance.

“Yeah, Eegs?”

“You, uh-” He cleared his throat, cheeks going slightly pink, and you wondered why. “You can wear my jumpsuit, if you want. So your clothes don’t get dirty.”

You grinned, straightening up from your slightly bent position. Peter raised a brow at Egon, although you couldn’t see that because you were also looking at the tall man.

“Thanks, Egon!”

He nodded once before going back downstairs, Peter hot on his tail. 

“You sweet on her or something, Spengs?” He asked quietly, not wanting to gain your attention.

“Shut up, Venkman.”

***

Music blasted as you washed the soap suds of the Ecto-1. You were pretty sure everyone was out of the building, either getting lunch or just not wanting to be in the firehouse. You had taken Egon up on his offer, his jumpsuit fitting very baggy on you. You had to roll up the sleeves and pantlegs, but you didn’t mind. Especially when seeing the patch with his last name on your chest.

Over the music and your own voice singing along to Whitney Houston, you didn’t hear Egon walking down the stairs. When he reached the bottom step, he watched as you jumped around to the beat. 

“I need a man who’ll take the chance, on a love that burns hot enough to last.” You sprayed the last of the soap off the front of the car before turning the hose off. “So when the night falls, my lonely heart calls. Ohh- Oh!” You yelped in surprise as you turned around, seeing Egon, who was still looking at you. His eyes trailed up and down your form, but it was so quick that you didn’t notice. “Hey, Eegs! I thought you’d gone out with the others.” Even after turning down the radio to hear his response, you still danced a bit. Although, your movements were a bit more subdued.

“I was up in the lab, checking on my fungi.” 

“Oh! Was the music distracting you?” You asked, already sounding apologetic. “I can keep it down if you-”

“No!” Egon answered quickly, taking the both of you by surprise. He cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses. “No, the music’s fine. I wanted a snack and found that we were out of Twinkies, so I was going to get some.” 

You nodded in understanding, moving to put away the car cleaning supplies that you were no longer using. And then you noticed that Egon hadn’t made any move to leave. You looked over your shoulder, seeing that he was standing in the same spot with eyes darting around the room, and turned back around to face him. You tilted your head with a questioning look.

“Would you, ahem, would you like to come with me?” He seemed a bit shy to ask, and it made you smile brightly. “Wouldn’t want to leave you here all alone and all.”

“Sure!” You answered enthusiastically. “Lemme just put all this away.” 

Without asking, Egon helped you gather everything and put it in the storage closet. You unrolled the limbs of Egon’s uniform, and he couldn’t help but admire you in his attire, despite how much the fabric consumed you. It was hung back up in his locker with care before you grabbed your purse from your desk and skipped over to him.

“Ready?” You nodded, and the two of you walked out of the firehouse. Without thinking, you looped your arm through his. But before you could pull away and apologize for not asking, he was already pulling you along the sidewalk, the tiniest hint of a smile on his serious face.

[megumiluvv]

A beautiful anon made an ask for a Halloween post, sooo…

You, Choso, and Yuji are trick or treating for the pink-haired kid, him not-so-sneakily eating pieces of candy. As you go door-to-door, each person handing out candy assumes your Yuji’s parents.

“Oh! How cute! A little Spider-Man!” The woman handing out candy at this house says. “And your parents are the angel and devil on your shoulders! How sweet!”

This is house fifteen that this has happened. At this point, it’s been a few too many hours of walking and hearing the same observations that you’re both too tired to care or correct them. Secretly though, Choso is ecstatic that they assume you’re together, but the matching costumes probably do most of the work. Your blush would be visible if it wasn’t so dark outside, so you just smile softly and nod along to the old woman.

“The webs work too! Wanna see?” Yuji smiles brightly under the arachnid mask.

“Yuji, you don’t have to demonstrate for every house, you’ll miss out on more candy.” Choso shakes his head in his cheesy devil costume.

“Aw, come on, Choso, let him have fun.” You smile in your matching angel costume.

“You say this at every house.”

“Because he’s a kid and should enjoy showing off his spider webs.”

“Fine.” Choso sighs and nods to Yuji, who happily demonstrates the web mechanism to the old lady.

Choso likes Halloween, he really does, but this is house fifteen that Yuji has done this with. It starts to get just a little annoying at this point. You guide Choso and Yuji to the next house and hear the familiar cheerful voice of Gojo, who is wearing a cheesy Dracula costume.

“Hello! Who is this gorgeous angel I see?” He teases and leans too close for Choso’s comfort. “Maybe I should suck their pretty blood.”

Megumi just rolls his eyes at his father’s antics and walks with Yuji to the door of the house. The little kid is dressed up as a little Jack o Lantern and can barely reach to grab the other end of his bag because of the big sphere he’s in. Gojo’s friend, who you didn’t notice at first, is in a Ghost face costume. He lifts the mask and drags his friend away from you with an apologetic smile.

“Sorry about him. I think he’s drank a bit too much ‘blood’ if you know what I mean.”

“I see.” You laugh and smile to Geto’s twins, fittingly dressed as the girls from The Shining.

After a few long hours, you finally make it back to Choso’s apartment and Yuji just won’t. Stop. Moving. Choso has seemed over it for a while so you step up and pick the kid up.

“Go get unready, I’ll get Yuji to bed.” You smile softly.

“Thank you.” Choso sighs with relief and hurries to his room.

Once in Yuji’s room, you help him into his Spider-Man pajamas and lay him down, turning on Hocus Pocus. Unfortunately, the little kid gets scared during the part where the Sanderson sisters are trying to drain Max’s life force, and clings to you for comfort. You notice and cover his eyes, gently rubbing his back with your other hand.

When the part is over, you whisper to Yuji. “Yu, the scary part’s over.”

Buuuut, when you look over, the boy is asleep soundly against your side. You smile softly and carefully pull him into your lap and cuddle the boy, exhausted from all the walking. You don’t remember falling asleep, but you indeed sleep whilst cuddling the pink-haired kid.

Choso walks in to check on the two of you, seeing the cutest sight he thinks he’s ever seen. Your arms wrapping around Yuji, the boy nuzzled into you and the credits of the movie rolling in the background. He grins and feels his heart flutter, carefully pulling the covers over the two of you and placing a gentle kiss on your foreheads. He could get used to this.

Happy Halloween!!

Masterlist

Taglist (ask to join anytime): @samaraxmorgan @cherriee-ee @auor4 @chaotic-ish @meowsannie

@mediokerrv @flooftoof @dazaisfavgf @mysteriaqueen

[hatsukeii]

Today I'm thinking about...haikyuu + other anime characters who think you're just a little too sweet for them.

warning(s): nothing LOL you're safe with me again today!!

To them, life should be lived silently, like slipping between cracks that emerge amidst the lives of others. Their presence is fleeting, manifesting as a helping hand in a crowded hallway that is never seen again, a coffee order that is forgotten after the next few customers, a glossary that is skimmed through once, then never looked at a second time. A presence that you know for certain was here once before, but have nothing to show for it. When you grace their life for the first time, maybe in a library, or a bakery, perhaps a coffee shop, it is as fleeting as a comet that zips across a night sky, your presence escaping from between the seams of their own life the way they do to others. A glance shared between the gaps of leathery bookends, the dropping of change in their hand, the calling out of their name for their black coffee order. He finds eternity in the gleam of your irises, the clink of coins as they fall from your hand, the sugar that leaks from their name in your mouth. You find solace in the darkness of their tired eyes, the wrinkles and calluses in the palm that collects change, the grainy, sultry earth that echoes in their thank yous. They return to the libraries, and bakeries, and coffee shops day after day, hoping to bask in the sweetness of whatever you do and say again, mellowing out pools of black caffeine with mugs of syrup and milk, neat whiskey with crisp ice, balancing the earthy, soiled ground with a star-studded night sky. They change their order from an Americano to your recommended latte, smile at you from the opening created between books on a shelf, treat themselves to a small cake once every so often along with their usual purchase of plain bread. And when you finally chat them up one day, a wink flashing across your face as you slide your number to them on a doodled-over sticky-note across the counter, or thread it through hardbacks on a shelf, or palm their hand sneakily as you hand them change, their presence becomes an engraving on the spine of a book, a coffee stain in a worn out mug, the lingering decadence of mousse and cake that dances on their tongue, impatient for the next taste. They are a bitter canister of brewed tea, a hollow body and soul worn down by the trials of life. You are a shot of espresso in the afternoon sun, golden daylight peeking through half-lidded blinds, honey in your veins and prosperous life in your eyes. Perhaps your sweetness could accomodate for two.

Characters: Kageyama Tobio, Tsukishima Kei, Kenma Kozume, Iwaizumi Hajime, Aone Takanobu, Akaashi Keiji, Ushijima Wakatoshi, Shirabu Kenjiro, Osamu Miya, Nanami Kento, Geto Suguru, Maki Zenin, Yuuta Okkotsu but specifically after training in Africa and coming back to Shibuya, Megumi Fushiguro, Aki Hayakawa, Kishibe, Shouta Aizawa, Hitoshi Shinso, Shouto Todoroki, Tomura Shigaraki

author's note:

be honest chat do i post like a scary amount and does it get annoying </3 i have too many ideas when i should be studying for externals in two months but i DON'T CARE i need to rest for like the next week after that trials period

i had hozier's too sweet in mind with this one and i initially wanted to do like just nanami but UGH too many characters work with this i can't DO ITTTTT so i made it a general drabble EE

anyways tags!!

@chuuya-brainrot @starlysama @catsoupki @fiannee @bailey-reeds @akaakeis @hiraethwa

ok bye bye until the next one which will be soon LMFAO love u all

[wolftarotcrafts]

This is a bit of a longer reading, so I hope you enjoy!

I have readings on my Ko-fi and just added a paid one on there about your first time with your future spouse.

If you want to leave a request for readings you want to see, you can leave a comment on this post.

Pile One

Hello pile one, starting with the month of March, I see a lot of positive and joyful energy. I see the theme of joy and creativity as the main focus. I also see a lot of healing energy. I see this being a time for keeping yourself in a happy state of mind. Some of you may be getting more in tune with your spiritual journey. I also see a sprout of creative energy and imagination running free. I think it's important to hone in on that energy and use it. Overall, March is going to be a good, happy month.

Now moving into the month of April, I actually see it being similar to March. The positive energy is going to pass into April. I see April is going to be the month of wishes and joy. I think in April it's important to pamper yourself. I think you should do a little refresh/restart in April. Clean up and get rid of things you no longer need/want, and do a little shopping for new clothes, etc. It's an out with the old, in with the new type of mindset for the month of April that will do you some good and help you keep up the good energy.

Moving onto May, the theme is to step into the unknown and out of your comfort zone. The whole purpose for March and April is to get you ready and help with your confidence, and now it's time to actually step out there and go out and take risks (while obviously being safe) and see what's out there. Many of you may be on the shy, reserved side, but I think March and April are the months when you are meant to work on that to step out of your comfort zone.

Being in a more feminine energy (regardless of gender and sex) may help you these next three months. I think you need to prioritize your health. Eating and drinking healthily, getting enough sleep, and changing your style will be really helpful. You can expect a lot of change, and I can see you becoming a more calming and centered person. 

Extra: 4, 18, 555, 888, Libra, Gemini, Taurus, Aquarius, Pisces, Virgo, Leo, major/powerful energy, wishes, surprises, Spanish, Moon/Luna, games, union, relationship, shopping, skincare, prioritizing self, new era, joy, romance, confidence, pampering, positive outlook, Lily, Will, William, Teisha, Trisha, Trishnna, Bianca, nickname like B(ee) or V, ice skating, figure skating.

Pile Two

Hey pile two for the month of March. I see some victory coming your way. If you have been working on a personal project or for work, you may be getting recognition or a promotion. You are going to be winning in the month of March, and it's going to be a very victorious month for you. If you haven't put any of your work out there, and you want to, then this is the time to do it because the spotlight is shining on you.

For the month of April, I see there being a little bit of trouble. I can see there may be something from the past returning. There could be some type of pain or wound that hasn't fully healed, and it’s making an appearance again. This could cause a lot of feelings of disappointment and feeling trapped with no escape. For some of you there is something about moving/traveling. Obviously, this is not the best message, but at least you are getting a warning before the past comes back and creeps in on you. Whatever situation you are in and whatever past influence is going to cause this pain to resurface, you should talk to the people who support you the most. A friend, family, a therapist, or anyone you feel comfortable talking to.

In May, it's going to be very similar to April, so again, I encourage you to start doing shadow work and going to therapy. There could be some depression, boredom, and just a sense of not feeling where you should be. One minute you are on top of the world, and the next you are being dragged under. Listen, I know this isn't the greatest news, but hopefully you will be able to heal, and it will all pass.

Something you need to work on is gaining the ability to let go. I think some of you may struggle with change and letting things go. I think if you keep being like this, then it's only going to keep hurting you in the end. Allow yourself to let go of what's hurting. You don't need to keep carrying it around with you. Whatever choices you made have already been made, so don’t let it keep holding you down. Be kind to yourself.

Extra: 10, 33, 39, 45, L, Leavi, P, Pen (nickname) G, Grace, Gertrude, Gretta, T, Tommy, signs pointing to yes, YES! A lot of yeses, Dutch, Africa, Spring, Brown, pink, Sagittarius, Scorpio, fire signs, Burning Down, Alex Warren ft. Joe Jonas, moving, can’t move, restricted, faith, spiritual, epiphany, “In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself.”

Pile Three

Hi pile three for the month of March. I see it's going to be a little bit of a struggle. For the month of March, you may be going through some type of loss of sorts. I see many of you could be going through some hardships financially wise. A loss of a job or something takes a jab at your expenses. You could try setting aside whatever spending money you have so you can be prepared. Some of you could have some trouble (and this moves into April) with the law in some way. A ticket, divorce, child support, etc.

Some of you will still be dealing with the loss in the month of April and could be dealing with some law enforcement issues. Others of you will be gaining the strength to get out of that hole. You could slowly start getting back into the groove of things and slowly get your structure and routines.

In the month of May, I see things being better and you being in a better place than you were in March and April. I see some joy being restored and being more fulfilled and happier. Everything will return to a balance for you. There is going to be more success for you after this loss.

 I gave the advice to pile two to talk to people for support, and I think you should do the same, but pile three, I do caution you a little about who you tell things to. There may be someone close to you praying for your downfall. Just be cautious. You also may notice that things could be going really quickly, and you could struggle with keeping up. Everything will work out in pile three.

Extra:14,24,48, 333,Q, Quincy, Money, Friend, Denial, sad, karmic, older, Influences, Feb, Deja Vu, remain positive, eye(s), a cage, reflections, write your dreams out, signs in dreams. 

I didn't get that many signs for this pile.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My newest Ko-fi reading.

It could be accessed by a one-time purchase.

Again, feel free to leave a request on this post for readings.

I hope you enjoyed this reading. Thank you for all the support.

[taelophone]

SUN MOON childhood enemy! Luigi x reader

Trigger Warnings ; bad ass kids . not entirely proofread cuz I just want this OUT of my drafts . awkward teens . google translate Italian. little Luigi speaks Italian .

taglist // masterlist

During the summer, life in Maryland was a time to enjoy the slow summer sun and the gentle kisses of the salty seaside breeze. Summer— and all her many flora and insecta children alike— brought forth comforting reminders that life gets better when you can tune out the distractions.

The sun was hot; his white and blinding rays of solar energy cast down on the little people below as they took his eternal radiance for granted. What would life be like without his overbearing and constant presence… Would it be dark? What would happen to our earth should he decide his love and life are no longer warranted in our solar system?

“Hey.”

A little voice was heard just a bit away from you while your hands caressed the green blades of grass between your fingers. Unfamiliar, but not quite authoritative…like a little boy who hadn’t yet experienced a stern talking to about tone and how to control it.

You tore your gaze away from the bright blue sky, your eyes adjusting to the bright atmosphere as you stared at the tanned boy with unruly cocoa-brown curls. He stood alone, unaccompanied by an adult or a group of young lackeys like in the Disney Channel movies.

“Hi…” you said, tilting your head at him and giving him a half-assed wave.

“What’s your name?” He asked, approaching you with a lack of caution that could only stem from precious youth.

You stared at him, scanning him with slight caution as he stood over you before telling you his name. His brows furrowed, a slight glint of disappointment in his eyes before his lips moved before he could think.

“That’s a weird name. I’m Luigi!” He said, sitting next to you on his knees.

Your brows pinched together, a brief look of shock and anger flashing at the stranger before you adopted an expression of confusion.

“Like the Mario character? That Luigi?” You asked, biting back a little giggle as he frowned at you.

“No! I’m Ee-tall-ean!” He disputed, his face scrunching up in disapproval as he shot you a glare from out the side of his eye. “Plus, my mommy says Luigi is the better brother.”

“No, he’s not…” you stated, rolling your eyes at his stupid comment.

“Yes, he is! My mommy said so!” He grumbled, pulling up patches of grass from the soil in a closed fist.

“It’s Mario. He’s the main character, plus he has a cooler mustache,” you sighed, fixing the skirt that pooled just above your knees as you took your eyes off Luigi.

“Yeah, but Luigi’s taller,” He argued, crossing his arms over his chest like he had made the best point in the world.

“Mario has all of his games…there’s not a game called Luigi,” you snickered, picking at the little ends of sticks and twigs.

He paused, evaluating your statement in his head with a rather impolite scowl. He didn’t yet know you, but your combative and dismissive nature seemed to set off bouts of anger in his stomach that left it feeling light and fluttery.

“Well, there’s Luigi’s mansion. That’s a great game!” He offered, picking up a little white dandelion and blowing its little white seeds into your face.

“Hey!” You half-shouted, rustling your hands over your head to try and clear any of the fuzzballs from your hair. “You’re mean, I’m telling!”

“Fine!” He pouted, watching as you charged off to your mother, who sat on the far end of the park.

You told her all about the mean boy Luigi, taking note of the pale woman with curly black hair who sat next to her. She sighed and fixed the funky bangles on her wrist before patting your shoulder with a kind smile.

“That sounds like my son. I’ll talk to him, sweetie. He should know better than to be mean to a sweet girl like you!” She chuckled, setting off across the grassy park to her son, who sat just a couple of feet away blowing the dandelions away.

You couldn’t hear a lot of what they were saying— or maybe looking back, you just couldn’t understand, but you heard the pretty woman’s stern voice talking to her son as his high-pitched one argued back.

“Ma mamma, non voglio chiederti scusa!”

It sounded like English but muffled with a slight twang in their words. Either way, you clung to your mom's knee while shuffling around the stray leaves on the ground before Luigi and his mom came marching back up towards you, his mother holding his little collar like he would run away at any given opportunity.

“I’m sorry…” he pouted, his brows pinched together in resentment as he stared at you with nothing but malice.

“aggiusta il tuo viso!” The woman murmured, raising one of her thick and dark brows at her son.

His face instantly softened, his expression morphing into one of slightly exaggerated remorse as he repeated himself with a little less confidence.

“I’m sorry for being mean to you…it wasn’t nice,” he murmured, looking down at the ground before his mom released her hold on him. 

“Now hug it out,” she urged, scooting him over in your direction.

He pouted, a rather bratty sound emitting from the depths of his soul before he briefly threw his arm around your shoulder in an awkward side-hug. It wasn’t genuine by any means, but you leaned into it until he released you just as quickly.

“Don’t do it again,” she murmured, sitting back down on the bench by your mother and watching as Luigi toddled off.

That was the day you first met Luigi— the summer of two thousand and three. And since then, you had been relatively inseparable, but that wasn’t necessarily by choice or good relationship.

Your mothers had developed quite a sturdy relationship; when one of them decided to throw a little get-together, or Kathy’s husband decided to throw something on the grill, you would go visit Luigi and his two older sisters in their happy little home that always smelled like cinnamon and warm candles.

You made quick friends with his sisters, who you learned to be MariaSanta and Lucia, playing with them instead of their stupid brother. They were kind and didn’t seem to hold a deep vendetta against you for something that you didn’t do, so they proved to be better company than Luigi.

Your parents always laughed and joked about you being in love, swearing on everything that is holy that you’d grow up and have to be ripped from each other's bodies for you to do daily tasks like breathing. At seven, this was a repulsive idea.

I mean, he’s gross! He’s mean, he’s holding some stupid grudge against you because he was in a bad mood, and he’s overall just not good at playing Barbies, so you couldn’t see yourself ever entertaining the idea of him being cute.

“No, he’s kind of mean…I don’t know what I did, but he just doesn’t like me,” you sighed, sitting on Lucia’s bed while playing around with her new white Nintendo DS.

“He’s going through something…he’s not mean to me. He’s never been mean before, actually…” she said, pausing from braiding her life-sized doll's hair to pinch her brows together in silent thought. “I don’t know…he’s being weird.”

“Honestly, he’s just had beef with you for a while…he doesn’t shut up about you, and it’s annoying,” she sighed, her teenage angst setting in following her thirteenth birthday as she flicked her side bangs out of her face. 

“Maria’s been talking to him about it, he’s just having a little attitude problem. Don’t feel bad, you didn’t do anything,” she reassured, chalking the hair of her blonde Barbie with the pink Hot Huez hair chalk before tossing it somewhere around her room.

She was so effortlessly cool— in a sort of angsty, moody, deep teen kind of way. It seemed as if all the Mangiones knew how to do was be intimidating and smart, as you were sure there was not one member of the family who didn’t radiate a composed and confident aura.

Seconds later, her older sister MariaSanta came slinking into the room, typing away on her white Motorola flip with her hair clipped back.

“Ehi, Ci, mamma dice che il Lu’ vuole andare al parco. Puoi portarlo?”

You watched as they conversed around you, Maria only briefly glancing up from her phone as Lucia became more avid on refusing whatever her sister was asking of her. You watched the two bicker back and forth in Italian, slowly slipping out of Lucia’s room when they began to raise their hands and increase in volume.

It’s probably better just to let them deal with that.

You roamed the halls of the Mangione household, stopping by in the kitchen to say hi to your mom and Ms. Kathy, who was in the process of making some sweet treat that you and the rest of the children could scarf down later. She slid you a bowl of some cut-up fruit- apples, pears, mangos, kiwi, and oranges as she chatted with your mother over a glass of deep red.

You sat at the table as you watched the many Mangiones come and go through the front and back door, each one offering you their tone and pitch of a polite greeting. Each bite of citrus was punctuated by a pot clattering, a rich laugh, a thump from upstairs, and very rarely, the sound of one of the three siblings upstairs losing their minds at whatever it was they were doing at the moment.

Soon enough, Luigi came skipping down the stairs in pursuit of something to quell his festering hunger before dinner. He shot you a glare, sticking his tongue out at you before approaching his mom with a contrastingly gentle smile.

“Mamma, posso avere qualcosa da mangiare?”

“English, baby, we have guests,” she urged, standing over the stove with a large spatula stirring up a pot full of sautéed onions and garlic.

“Can I have something to eat, please?” He murmured, his little accent biting at the ends of his words as he leaned over the counter.

“I just cut up some fruit, you’ll have to share with your friend,” she chuckled, pointing to the table you sat at with a light shrug. “And be nice. Your sisters keep telling me about your little attitude problem, and if you don’t fix it, I will.”

He groaned, stomped his little foot on the porcelain tiled floor before dragging his feet every step of the way to the fruit bowl. He sat as far away from you as he could while still reaching the fruit bowl, in other words, directly in front of you.

“Hi,” he stated, his tone ice cold as he snatched the bowl of fruit from your hands.

“Hey!” You huffed, slamming your hands down on the table with a deep frown. “I want some, too!”

“Luigi!” Kathy scolded, turning around to shoot her son a stern glare.

“Sorry…” he pouted, sliding the bowl back over to you before snatching a big handful of fruit.

You huffed, walking away from the table over to the living room and seeking refuge amongst the pile of cars and pretend kitchens that hadn’t received any love since the late nineties. The best thing you could do was avoid him, just like you had done since he hugged you in that little green park.

You would bicker and battle all day, fighting over not wanting to share fruit, who had more toys, how many fries you had to share when going to McDonald’s, and many insignificant things that seemed to be the world to a couple of seven-year-olds. It was only when you grew older, when your closet grew less pastel and sparkly, that you finally noticed a shift in Luigi’s behavior.

He was no longer combative and annoyed with your presence; in fact, he was quieter,  his attitude became one of respect, and he had begun to treat you like somewhat of a family friend. When he wasn’t downstairs playing on his Xbox or talking his dear mother’s ear off about some sort of STEM program, he was holed up in his room doing whatever it was boys do.

There were no more snarls, petty sighs, or sharp eyes when you entered the same room as him. With time, you earned a quiet greeting from Luigi, usually in the form of a quiet “hey” or a brief nod.

Instead, a quiet hymn of respect slowly began to blend between the two of you, prompting you to spend just a little bit more time together than you normally would. During family trips, you’d find yourself a little more lost in his company while wordlessly wandering the wooded forests and noisy metal machinery at theme parks. 

You never spoke much; there wasn’t much to talk about. Part of it was because neither of you knew what to say after being at each other's throats for oh so many years, but another part of you longed to acknowledge the heavy blanket of unspoken tension that had rendered your nascent relationship partially mute.

When you did speak to each other, you began to notice changes in yourselves that served as an example of the childish mannerisms that you packed away with maturation; everything about him was different. It was scary– like navigating a sailboat in the pitch-black night over murky waters.

His voice had slowly begun to slip down its slippery slope of puberty, and both of your faces had begun to shed their baby features. Luigi had grown into his big, bright babydoll eyes and his awkwardly lanky build, and you finally found an even balance in your voice that had become less brittle and tremulous.

As much as it pained you to admit, basking in the presence of post-reform Luigi sent blooms of pink and red flashing through your face. You even found yourself visiting the Mangione estate more often, always mindful of the fine line between a casual visit and deliberately finding ways to snag a glimpse of him for even two seconds.

For now, your bait of choice was a metallic pink iPod Lucia had lent you earlier this summer. Life seemed so simple as you hop, skipped, and pranced your way over to Auntie Kathy’s house for what surely was the millionth time in your life.

You trekked up the many wooden stairs, leaving your invisible mark on the glossy dark oak handrail as you set off in pursuit of Lucia to return her iPod. You skipped through the empty halls, your deep black Converse thunking dully against the floor as you turned the house upside down to find the pretty woman, checking her old bedroom, closet, bathroom, and the attic before sighing to yourself.

It had been a couple of years since she moved out, but she would still lounge around in her room every now and again, and you didn’t want to ask Luigi where she was because that would just be awkward. But if you didn’t return her things, Luci would get all pissy, and then she’d breathe down everyone’s back until she found what was rightfully hers.

You learned in that moment that life wasn’t that simple, and sometimes you have to do things that would make you feel smaller than any height difference ever could. Sure, you partially came to see Luigi, but you didn’t expect you’d have to go out of your way to interact with him…a small interaction in the hallway would have sufficed.

You sucked in a deep breath through your nostrils, letting the cold air dehydrate your nose before you plucked the metallic pink iPod from your back pocket and headed toward Luigi’s room. You suddenly felt a little self-conscious as you neared the entryway, smoothing over the wrinkles in your black and blue sweater and obsessing over the way your hair laid before knocking twice on his door.

“Come in.”

His voice was raspy and muffled, like the claws of an all-black bloodhound scratching at the metal bars of his cage. It trickled down your ears like cold water, pressing against your eardrum like a boulder of vibrant emerald.

You pushed open the door cautiously, taking in the slate blue walls, Mario Kart posters, the random KISS poster, and his relatively organized black desk as he sat on the floor playing his Xbox. He didn’t bother to look who was at the door, like a part of him just knew who was there.

”Did you need something?” He asked, lying down with his elbows planted on the hardwood floors, his rather large charmander plush wedged between his chest and the floorboards to keep his chest from coming into contact with the ground.

“Have you seen Lucia? I have to give her her iPod back before she goes back to school. She said she was leaving next week, but like, I can’t find her…” you sighed, running the pad of your thumb across the smooth, glossy backside of the iPod to quell your jumpy nerves.

“Nah, she went out earlier today with Maria and mom…Do you want to leave it here? I can give it to her when she gets back,” he mumbled, the semi-loud sounds of endless bullet rounds emptying from his television screen dying out as he turned his head to look over his shoulder.

“Yeah, sure, that’s fine…” you murmured, setting the pink music player on his nightstand before pausing to look at the television. “Is that the new Grand Theft Auto?”

“Hmm?” He hummed, his brows furrowing slightly as he turned his attention back to the screen. “Oh, yeah. My mom would never let me play this, I got it from my friend Bryan…”

“Cool…can I try?” You asked, stepping further into his room while remaining mindful of the stray socks that occasionally littered the floor.

He nodded, wordlessly passing you the controller, then scooting over a little to allow you some space in front of the television. You joined him on the floor, settling yourself on your knees before driving around in a beat-up-looking blue car with bullet holes.

“So wait, what do you do…?” You asked, steering around and hitting every bystander and stationary pole in the process.

“Well, there’s story mode…you can play if you want, but I didn’t get very far. The game pretty much just glamorizes violence and burglary. Don’t play this, it’ll make you all violent and angsty,” he murmured, watching as you ran around on the beach, punching random people.

“But you’re playing it?” You challenged, raising a brow at him defiantly.

“Yeah, but that’s different…at least I acknowledge that it’s bad for me. You might say it’s just a game or I’m being too serious,” he chuckled, shaking his head while you ran from the cops by swimming in the water.

“How are you gonna say something’s bad for you then continue to play it?” You asked, handing him the controller as the screen flashed its deep red “WASTED” sign.

“Because I have no self-control.” he smiled, taking the controller from you cautiously so his fingers wouldn’t dare touch yours.

You watched as he wiggled through the virtual valleys, steering through traffic with just his thumbs like he’d been playing the game for years despite its fresh release. A blanket of silence fell over the two of you as you quietly observed the game, feeling a little bit more comfortable in his presence compared to when you first entered his room.

Gone was the snarky, petty, and grubby little child who would jeer at you for just walking past him in a social setting. The days of fighting over who got more love and attention from their parents were long over, and all the solvent had fizzled out to reveal a cloudy and light pink solute of slight affection.

The screams and shouts of pixelated players filled the room, but the sounds were deemed insignificant in your mind as you focused on the way your heartbeat thumped in your ears. Now that you had actually spent time with him, something about his quiet and respectful nature was very flustering.

Puppy love is a rather heart-breaking term. The cruelty of denying someone’s emotions, writing them off as youth, and chalking them up as temporary is a discourteous denial that’s been written in the book of parenting for many, many generations.

When Luigi was just a little six-year-old on the field, he was able to identify the meaning of beauty at a very early age. How could he not when it sat just a few feet away from him, staring at the sun?

Quiet like midnight, enchanting like the stars, and deep like the never-ending void of space. He became enthralled with your lunar aura and mysterious face, so much so that he knew no other way to express cuteness aggression besides actual aggression.

Without the sun, the moon can’t rise above and bathe the world in her white and blinding rays of energy. Without the moon, the world would be lost in an infinite void of timeless chaos.

The sun and moon need each other to function, but they’re never as close to each other as they want to be. The sun will forever miss his gaudy goddess of sleep, so he’ll stay up as late as his eyes will allow until she rises from the earth to lull him back to sleep.

“Hey, Luigi?” you asked, not taking your eyes off of the cyber-green television glow as he booted up Minecraft instead of Grand Theft— probably because he felt guilty for showing you such a terrible game in the first place.

“Yeah?” he mumbled, shuffling through his Minecraft worlds until he found the perfect one.

“Why were you so mad at me when we were kids?”

“Uhhhh...” He sighed, a single brow raising slightly as he squinted his eyes to visualize his answer.

“I don’t know, actually…you never did anything. I’m sorry, I think I just wasn’t used to talking to any girls besides my sisters,” he chuckled, a slightly self-deprecating smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. 

You nodded, shifting around on the floor to sit flat on the ground with your knees to your chest. 

“I think I used to talk to my sisters about you, actually…” he hummed, powering off his Xbox before sliding his controller somewhere under his bed. 

“Really? I would tell my mom how much I hated you,” you chuckled.

“Yeah, I’m sure…I don’t really know what my problem was,” he sighed, cracking nearly all of the knuckles and bones in his body before turning to face you again. “You can stay and help me make paper bouquets, if you want…actually, I’m gonna be honest, I just need help. I don’t know a thing about paper flowers.”

“Paper flowers? Why, you got a date you wanna humor?” you surmised, getting up off your knees to join him beside his desk.

“No!” he blurted, a little too eagerly for his liking. “Sorry, no. I don’t have a date…I just really wanna tell someone I'm sorry the right way.”

“Ohhh, so you’re just really not good with women,” you scoffed, rolling your eyes with a light smile as the jaws of jealousy nipped at the front of your brain.

“I’ve only interacted with like…four,” he admitted, taking out a fat stack of construction paper in your favorite color. “But I lowkey effed up the first time…and I still didn’t really apologize, so.”

You sat down with him at his desk, spending the rest of the day learning and perfecting eight good-sized paper flowers with a spritz of what should have been floral perfume, but when your only materials are the scents in a teenage boy's room, sometimes flowers smell like Axe Body spray.

You finished up the last petal, folding the corners of the paper to reveal an adorable lily flower with a pale yellow stamen. By the time everything was done, Luigi’s hands were riddled with paper cuts, and your fingers were all cramped up.

“Thanks,” He smiled, accepting the final flower from you and tying together the surprisingly presentable bouquet with a little piece of satin he got from god knows where, rolling them up in some old newspaper, and scribbled down a little note in his chicken scratch handwriting.

“These are for you, by the way…” he mumbled, handing you the bouquet with a cupidly tint in his cheeks while his eyes remained glued to the ceiling. “I’m sorry I was so mean…I thought about it a lot and realized it’s incredibly disrespectful that I was rude to you because you held me to a normal standard.”

If words could materialize and travel through the world, yours were long lost somewhere in the rogue waves of love and shock. After all those many years of gagging and whining when your parents joked about you falling for Luigi someday, suddenly your gag reflex was out of commission.

“Oh…Thank you! Thank you so much, this is really sweet-” you practically babbled, leaning over in your chair to give him a real hug, not a forced and awkward side one that you came to expect after every stern talking-to, but a comforting and warm one in which your arms wrapped around his shoulders before leaving a bold kiss on the side of his cheek.

And when you pulled away, the blush that spread across his face let you know that things would be different this time. No more hiding behind the excuse of coming to see Lucia who had long since run off to college, no more awkward pauses in conversations, no more running from the truth you had tried so tragically hard to discredit.

You loved Luigi.

General taglist ; @lorelaisg1lmore @flaca335 @7luvrs @fancyyanci @f4b111 @born444u