#there's a bunch that are only on tumblr that I haven't seen in forever

[quadrantadvisor]

I love all the high quality animatics and whatnot people make for their fandom song videos now, but apparently I'm nostalgic for the old (Homestuck) days of lyric comics going straight from tumblr posts to youtube. Art size clearly not formatted for the screen, sometimes carefully edited so the lyrics pop up as they're sung, sometimes distractingly zooming into the artwork. Nothing hits like that.

[nerdynuala]

Hi!!! Your hcs are relaxing, could you ask for some of hange ofc about her normal daily life? Like... I once saw one about it being very canon that she would have an ipad with something like 10000 games.

Hello! Sorry I'm answering late to this, had a busy week.

Sooo I suppose this is about modern Hange's daily life! I haven't really thought of modern AU in general but this sounds fun, especially because now that you mention she would have loads of games on her iPad I have to mention the ONE headcanon I read about a while ago, that has stuck with me forever. That one headcanon is the absolute truth to me. I'm so sad I can't credit it properly because I don't remember who posted it, but that genius of a fellow Tumblr user pointed out Hange would have this song set as default tone for her mobile. And honestly, I can't unsee this lol

Anyway, this one wasn't mine, so have some of my own:

(using she/her pronouns since the ask uses these)

- Her laptop's desktop is a mess. She "loses" folders or documents once or twice a week. "Leviii I swear I did nothing! Nothing at all! They just keep disappearing, I didn't even click on anything"

- She goes to bed at ungodly hours, but despite the lack of sleep she does not have even the slightest hint of eyebags. Lucky one.

- Yes, iPad with 1000 games but only uses two or three. She still plays Fruit Ninja. One of her favorites is Among Us, especially when she gets impostor. She does get caught most of the times though, because she's too impatient and ends up being uhm not-so-stealthy.

- Oh and she definitely plays Pokemon Go. Opens it once a year really, but she never ever got rid of the app on her phone.

- Sings in the shower. She's definitely not a good singer, yells too much and is constantly out of tune.

- Do not ever look at her YouTube playlist. Most random videos on that. You can find silly songs such as Narwhal, Dewgong and Capibara, and then a bunch of random science videos. Has watched videos about how Romans pooped and Roman baths like a hundred times. Her favorite YouTube thing is still the llama Carl though.

- Has a lot of plants in the house but they're all dead or about to die. She has a little plant that somehow has managed to survive and sticks with her. She talks to the plant as if it was a pet.

- She will never admit it to Levi, but when she does not want to do the dishes, she eats straight out of the pan.

- Wouldn't be bad at cooking, but lacks the patience for elaborate dishes. Ends up cooking very quick things and eats a lot of pasta with different sauces because that's quick. She also has it al dente, not because she knows that's how it should be done, but because it's quicker.

- Can't stand when it's hot in summer and strolls around the house with just her panties on. The neighbors on the opposite building have seen her naked through the windows more than once. She just does not bother to pull the curtains.

- Sleeps on her back most of the times and snores a lot.

- Her natural time to wake up in the morning is around 11 am. Before that, she can wake up but feels extremely groggy.

- Owns plushies. But not teddy bears and common stuff. She has an axolotl plushie, a kiwi bird plushie, a dodo and a platypus.

- She has this thing to go the beach or the pool. She loves it.

[ablatheringblatherskite]

about the first vs current impressions thing - honestly they're almost identical. which is super rare since usually I think the worst of people when I meet them and then get proven wrong over time. 😂 

at first I was like "oh my gosh someone who likes narnia AND httyd AND a bunch of other stuff I enjoy AND is a Christian AND is close to me in age AND decided to follow me?? how freaking lucky am I!!!!" and I still feel that way now 🤪 but I've also seen that you're a super kind and thoughtful person with a lot of dedication to what you love, and you're also very expressive in your writing which I really appreciate! <3

the only significant difference is that when I first "met" you (idk what the internet word is for that) I was convinced that you were a certain person I knew several years ago on an extremely obscure internet forum. Idk why, you just reminded me of them so much that I thought you had to be the same person. 🙈 But now that I know you a little more it's clear that you were definitely not, there were just some similar vibes at first lol

AWWWWWWW 😭 STOP THAT'S SO SWEET WJDHHWHDBW

I'm gonna be totally honest I think I might've accidentally followed you the first time (and not accidentally as in, I saw your blog and wasn't interested, but as in I don't even know how I found you, because when I first joined Tumblr I barely knew any other Christians at all!), BUT THEN. I checked your blog and I was like omg my subconscious KNEW I'd love you (or God did 🥹)?!?! So I KNEW I had to stay and was so excited when you followed back 🥹 you're literally one of the nicest people I've met on here!

Also that's so interesting!!!!! Yeah I'm certain that wasn't me, I haven't been on the internet much at all before now 🤣

So sorry it took me so long to get to this 😭 I have learned that I take forever to answer asks LOL

[touchtranscendslanguage]

since AO3 is down, I'm back to looking to Tumblr for my shipping fix. a few questions for your excellent fic (only if you feel like it and it's not a spoiler!):

- do you think there's any way that Virgil and Janus could have ended up together if they didn't meet in such dangerous, specific circumstances?

- what's something V & J each do that makes their partner go "holy shit, that's so cute"? (the grammar of this sentence is fighting me but hopefully you understand what I'm getting at)

- what's everyone's favorite food?

also I vote Elizabeth for Remus's mace's name

Lol let's do this!

This is one way Virgil and Janus could have ended up together under different circumstances. Let's see what I can say without giving any spoilers.

It would have taken a long ass time. Virgil would have had to finish saving up to leave the MHA which would have taken forever due to the setbacks he had years before. After he left it would have taken him a long time to trust and be trusted by other monsters. We're talking decades. Then he would have had to get in contact with the right groups and made the right connections to [spoilers] that would have allowed him to eventually have contact with the royal family.

It would have taken Janus a long time to befriend Virgil. He would not trust him at first. They both would have their guards up and be showing each other the masks they each show the public rather than their true selves. Getting comfortable enough to allow each other to see cracks in their masks would have been a very long and slow process and it would take even longer for them to drop their masks completely.

Once they did drop their masks they would have been friends for quite some time before they would feel comfortable adding a claim or romantic aspect to their relationship. We're looking at them finally starting to date a century or two in the future. Even then that's a maybe. Something could go wrong at any step. Everything could go right and they still could have ended up just friends. There are spoilers that complicate things.

Them meeting at any other time under any other circumstances would not have gone well. The whole reason their relationship works now is because they saved each other's lives in the prison and they each showed vulnerability there in their own way. If they met under any other circumstances besides the one described above they would have had walls up and masks on. They wouldn't have seen each other. Not really. Janus and Virgil have chemistry. Prince Deceit and Paranoia would have deeply distrusted each other at best and gone for each other's throats at worst.

Janus bleps. He does it when he's relaxed and in a particular mood. He also does it if you boop his nose. It's adorable.

Janus thinks Virgil is really cute when gets super focused while playing with string.

Okay, I pulled up old character sheets for this that I haven't looked at in so long they're now full of inaccuracies only to realize that I never wrote down their favourite foods. Hmm. I'm going to tell you their favourite human foods because I don't feel like making up a bunch of faerie foods. I've avoided that so far.

Virgil's favourite that he will never admit to is rare, bloody steak. Specifically because it's bloody. If you ask he'll tell you his second favourite food which is chicken tamales. His favourite fruit is mango.

Janus hasn't been to Earth or eaten much of it's food, but he would absolutely and completely fall in love with strawberries.

Roman loves macaroons.

Remus hasn't eaten much human food but he loves honey - or as he calls in bee vomit - and would love baklava.

Patton would love fruit pies of any kind.

Logan would love sugar snap peas and eat entire bags of them in one sitting.

Thomas loves pomegranates.

Remy loves lamb.

Thank you for the suggestion! Elizebeth is a good name! I'm still open to more suggestions for what Remus named his morningstar if anyone wants to leave them in the replies or send me an ask!

[dreamwritesimagines]

It’s CMA-

I’m writing this from a paleontology society meeting this time lmaoooo. Time to learn about trilobites and clover’s traumatic past in one fell swoop.

Also I watch binged dimension 20 a court of fey and flowers and am now in the mood for some regency romance/drama let’s goooooo

Lmaoooo clover straight up saying that an apology wouldn’t work without even trying😂😂 queen of the emotionally constipated dumbasses club (I think we all know who the king would be…. (Not romantically just in general)

Yessss her uncle is calling her out on her bullshit finally!! I love that everyone who loves her is totally willing to call her on her shit and she completely refuses to listen to any of them lmaoooooo

“The head of the family said yes” LMAOOOOOOO I mean we knew they were going to bond over their protectiveness of Lottie but this is genuinely hilarious

“She doesn’t like you anthony” lmfaooooo damn Ben. I love how you write them like normal siblings just roasting the shit out of one another.

(Have you seen that LOTR tumblr post that’s like when the fellowship is half reunited and they all start roasting one another immediately and the king goes like ‘surely we are witnessing the reunion of dear friends’ or something like that? Anyway that’s siblings in ur fic. They roast because they care (like monsters inc but not))

Lmao Ben and Anthony and clover are that meme from the office of the three people pointing finger guns at one another

(note: at my meeting they’re talking about paleobotany which feels fitting for it being the meeting I’m reading clover’s story in lololol)

I do wonder if Lottie was more willing to listen to clover because she doesn’t know her as well, so the betrayal stung less, or because clover was the one who inadvertently revealed it, compared to Ben and Anthony who would have theoretically would’ve kept it a secret forever.

…. Does Lottie know what lust is? Also bless her for forgiving clover right away and being understanding. I just hope no one overheard them talking….

Omgggg they’re bound by fate that’s so sweet 😭

Oooooh the marina/Colin scandal is coming up!!! Haha Anthony really isn’t getting a break

“Holding you” skdjndsnnddndn I am unwell. The way that they’re so casually affectionate even when no one else is around and clover still thinks that they’re not in love with one another I just-

SHE CALLED ANTHONY FAMILY AND SHE APOLOGIZED?!!??!!!??!!!??? HOLY FUCK ITS HAPPENING PEOPLE SHES GROWING AS A HUMAN BEING

(also knowing that her parents are going to come and ruin this as soon as possible…. Grrrrr….)

Fuck this chapter is an instant fave for sure

CMA my love hiiii! 🥰😍

Oh that sounds like a very fun meeting! 😁

Exactly! 😂 She's not used to apologizing at all, so she was so using that as an excuse 😁 And her uncle knows her so well😂

Both Anthony and Clover absolutely adore Lottie🥰 And them bonding over that will be entertaining for sure! 😁

I love how you write them like normal siblings just roasting the shit out of one another. IT IS SUCH A FUN DYNAMIC😍 I'm so happy to hear that you like it, I love writing them like that 😂

Wait I haven't seen that LOTR post! Ooooh I'm so curious now! ❤️

Totally fitting for Clover😁

I think there were a lot of reasons why Lottie was willing to listen to her! ❤️ One of them was that she approached her first and another one is, like you said, Clover ended up telling her the truth even if it wasn't intentional, while Anthony and Benedict were still hiding it from her ❤️

Lottie definitely does know what lust is😈 And she'll get to experience it soon 😏

Bound by fateeee🥰

Anthony needs to take Lottie and go on a realllyyyyy long holiday to get over the string of scandals this season 😁

They are having a bunch of romantic moments for months now, and Clover is still in so much denial 😂

Character development my beloved! 😂 It only took her like thirty chapters😂

Thank you so much for this darling! ❤️ I hope you're having a wonderful day! ❤️

[brick-a-doodle-do]

It's been forever since I've been on tumblr so have an ask for the ask game thing, 1, 2, 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 10, 121, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50

-Small brain anon

sb. you've struck again. just for you, since i haven't seen you in a while, i will answer all of them. except for the ones i have asked: 2, 3, 8, 12, 15, 18, 19, 22, 23, 27, 33, 39, 44, 45, and 50!

answers under cut,,,

1 : if you have a lighter, what color is it?

i have one, but i don't really use it. also i have no clue where it is. it's blue tho!

4 : how often are you on tumblr?

oh god. i have a horrible addiction to like constantly checking it, which i am not proud of and it's really annoying. but i'm not on tumblr for longer than 5-ish minutes before i decide to close the tab. but that cancels out when i open the tab again a few minutes later. trying to fix it. but i am pretty much always on tumblr and check it at the most every 5-6 hours :/

5 : are you only doing this because you're bored?

mmhh when i rbed it, yes, but now i want to do something with my fingers and this is a good fix :D

6 : what blogs do you mostly interact with?

depends on what "interact with" actually means but in terms of actually interacting with blogs that also interact with me, (moots, essentially), it's really only becky and squishy on a day-to-day basis. sometimes 3d and sloth pop up tho. i interact, (in terms of liking, rb-ing, etc.), with a whole bunch of ppl tho ,,,,

7 : can you swim?

yes!

9 : which do you prefer, cotton candy or funnel cake?

if i've had funnel cake, i don't remember it. so cotton candy. but honestly funnel cakes look way better ,,,

10 : have you ever used a fork as a bookmark?

no i have not! i'd easily consider it though ,,

11 : bass or drums?

god both are so awesome. but i'd say bass. BUT my exception for that is mark boardman that man makes their songs so fkn amazing have you HEARD the drums in golden hour or oyygc? LIKE MCXMCMXN his drums with wil's voice is just so lovely.

13 : can we be friends?

yes!

14 : do you admire the clouds and the color of the sky?

all the time. being in a car is so lovely because MMMM SKYYY !!!

16 : a netflix series that's your favorite?

the haunting of hill house/bly manor and midnight club are all beautiful shows and i fkn love them ,,, i also love orange is the new black even tho it isn't a netflix original ,,

17 : an earliest obsession you can remember?

g/t. it's a basic answer but looking back on my life, all the way from when 4-year-old me asked my dad what he would do if i shrunk, to writing a story about a giant when i was in 3rd grade to whatever the hell my fanfiction writing has turned into which started in 2018—it's a BIG part of me and has been for a while

20 : have you listened to the crane wives?

UGHMGDS,VXMCM qasdvkmdscMDFFSDVCX I LOVE THE CRANE WIVES. I AM CONSIDERING ASKING TO GO TO ONE OF THEIR SHOWS CAUSE IT'LL BE IN PHILLY !!!!! I LOVE THEM SMM

21 : your first celebrity crush?

aiden gallagher . don't ask. and it only worsened with tua. but i am out of that phase now ^_^

24 : what have you learned about yourself?

that i'm more like my mother than i ever thought i'd be eueue (in a /neutral way cause she's a great mom i just find myself doing the habits of hers that i never liked)

25 : can you tie a cherry stem with your tongue?

ah, no. i've tried once and gave up ,, i hope to eventually be able to do it tho !!

26 : do you believe in aliens?

in a way, yes, because there is a lot in the universe and i refuse to believe there isn't some type of life out there, but it's my same response with ghosts: i want to believe

28 : an unusual song that's your favorite?

LOTS. to narrow down on one, any of my favorite broadway songs. in any scenario i would never put it on a playlist but i fucking love broadway sm it itches something in my brain. probably something from heathers cause that's such a dark humor-ed thing,,,,

also a tv show called earth isn't my favorite but it's really sweet idek why i enjoy it sm <3

29 : the last thing you ate?

candy cigarettes !! the chalky ones

30 : do you have a favorite time to write?

mainly at night, from the hours of 12-1 when i really want to sleep but there's a scene in my head that won't leave >:)

31 : have you gotten bitten by a dog?

of course,, but nothing dangerous just when they accidentally bite while playing

32 : do you write better with a pen or pencil?

my handwriting is better with a pencil but it's easier to write with a pen imo

34 : when you hear "peace" what do you think of?

mmhghh satisfaction on everyone's person.

35 : a school subject you're good with?

honestly i'm pretty good at math. i'm not the best and it gets overwhelming but it always does ,,,,

36 : how many alarms do you have set?

one, (for 9:40 am), and i don't follow it. i mean not usually. i'll either wake up before it, sleep through it, or wake up to it and then fall back asleep eueu

37 : do you shop at thrift stores?

when my mom takes me to one, yeah !

38 : what's the meaning behind your url?

mm i have good stuff for this. my name is brick, of course, and then in the show derry girls one of the characters is constantly saying 'fuck-a-doodle-do' for a few episodes and then i decided to combine the two. it has NOTHING to do with cock-a-doodle-do, chickens do not deserve my respect.

40 : who's your favorite character to write?

i feel like tommy is my go-to, and yeah the narrator for him is fun asf but i like writing techno. he's fun. i like him a lot more than i did before which i'm really happy about because i found his character very intimidating to write :D

41 : you gotta have a favorite beatles song, what is it?

this may change, but it's twist and shout. it reminds me of my dad :D

42 : earphones or a speaker?

earphones for the quiet me-time, and speaker for the times when i'm feeling extroverted or when i'm in the car w my mom :)

43 : what do you remember from your childhood?

this is such a vague question. i uHNMM remember lots of stuff, but mostly my annual trips to disney world with my family !!

46 : a christmas song you secretly like?

there is no secret here, but i LOVE ¿dónde está santa clause? it's mildly racist but i love the ending sm 😭

47 : book stores or record stores?

book stores !

48 : how weird were these questions

i found them pretty neutral eueueu and fvcnhcjfdbbcx ahhhh finally i am at the end !!!!!

49 : what scents do you like?

gasoline and chemical-induced markers...i'm not ashamed to admit that. they're so bad for you but they SMELL SO GOOD why ??????? also i love pinapple scented stuff :D

50 : are there 20 new aus i have to catch up on?

ah, YES. yes there are. they should all be on my masterpost! but that's just the names of them, altho i'm sure if you searched on my page you could find them easily ,,,

,,, ah. well. i'd say thank you for the ask....but am i really thankful? /j of course i am. hope you are having a good day and are doing good ! <3<3

[cubedmango]

hi again from kr anon - thank you for the greetings too!! they're very much appreciated 🥺❤️ and thankfully january went well enough for me, but i'm sorry to hear that about you - i hope you've fully recovered by now, but if not, i hope you continue to get better, and wishing you well in general 🫶🏼💕

anyway ever since your most recent reply and your reblogging some of the posts i linked, i became inspired and kinda went ham in looking for more build fanart and memes/shitposts on tumblr (+ twitter now too) that i thought you'd enjoy (ngl they're mostly ryusen-centric, but some involve other characters too, and just like before, they're all either non-spoilery or contain spoilers only up to the parts i know you've seen dw), and bc unfortunately i'm still not yet done formulating my full reply to your message + my overall review of build, i've decided to share these links in a separate batch of asks ahead instead 😅 so feel free to also like/reblog/retweet whichever ones you like best from here, whenever you want 👍🏼 [1/?]

(rest below)

from twitter: twitter . com/cynonic/status/1744439785220096002?t=ml7-RUxO5wG_Hx1RuYoFwA&s=19 & twitter . com/cynonic/status/1741698101516402694?t=jeeB09x5gieRJMByjcCFOA&s=19 & twitter . com/0e0n0_2/status/1752739004284568020?t=FMOmj13lgC-ftHx8tDXeSA&s=19 twitter . com/1010_mumumu/status/1738570763186389299?t=BnZHQEpRfxFdxe_HCXOhdQ&s=19 (this one is part of a series celebrating the 5th anniversary of hei gen forever last year, and so sento and banjou's appearances here are based on how they looked in that movie) & twitter . com/1010_mumumu/status/1741474547860410529?t=cnut6U-N2pa33lNbtvEqCQ&s=19 (tbh this person is a prolific build fanartist in general, like they even made a series of arts for every single episode of the show + extra material like the movies, but bc of that a lot of their work naturally has spoilers, so it's best to wait to look at the rest of their stuff until after you're done watching) twitter . com/spidergenome/status/1749001327215309037?t=RY_X2N2V6xqFJ1fzoqmEPw&s=19 & twitter . com/nicosaibas/status/1752739603126353963?t=Y4KKCAWqjlEMfETk5bCRsw&s=19 & twitter . com/shibaemon56472/status/1726574998129692718?t=_C80GkxKpPHrDPBEKedDKA&s=19 (ngl this last one made me feel like foaming at the mouth when i first saw it... need more serious/angsty build fanart in this vein actually) [2/?]

from tumblr - memes and shitposts edition: tumblr . com/skajador/701833793679605760/have-you-ever-thought-to-yourself-what-if-the & tumblr . com/number-one-toku-robot-lover/707190595602481152/cina-full-moon-xanadium-saikou-woo-hoo & tumblr . com/kabutoraiger/172667788907 tumblr . com/katsuragitakumi/170223739892/i-cant-believe-this-happened (speaking of the gay ass ryusen flashback montage at the end of ep. 20...) & tumblr . com/deathdefied/186877098000 & tumblr . com/rollforhotness/679210085964251136/my-friends-have-subjected-me-to-kamen-rider-build tumblr . com/yourfaveisdumbasfuck/182668957031/ryuga-banjou-from-kamen-rider-build-is-dumb-as & tumblr . com/r4bbitdragon/634111980187336704/cinematic-parasols (more build x cm stuff i guess; also 'parasols' is a reference to hei gen final and how the villain there asked banjou if he'd ever heard of parallel worlds - saying it in english - and banjou said he hadn't and "you can take your parasols and your apparels and get stuffed!") & tumblr . com/greatwhitesharktic/168414603408/this-had-to-be-done-obviously [3/?]

tumblr . com/plushie-sentai/721349706589110272/couldnt-stop-thinking-abt-this-audio-as-i & tumblr . com/star-stream/711827004916465664 & tumblr . com/cephalopistol/738928673836695552/discussion-around-internet-culture-during-the tumblr . com/cerastes/635140235277254656/when-character-customization-shows-in-the & tumblr . com/cephalopistol/709346416767729665/i-forgot-to-post-these-yesterday-noooooooo (this one features a bunch of characters from other kr shows you haven't seen, but i'm sure you'll be happy to see the build version at least) & tumblr . com/hyenatron/715226536814493696/banjou-has-no-idea-what-the-plot-of-build-is tumblr . com/tsunflowers/171525478527 & tumblr . com/tsunflowers/170236361802 & tumblr . com/kabutoraiger/174096709452/sento-sometime-in-the-indeterminable-future-hey & tumblr . com/42wv/172324292120/ryuga-gets-it also this one wasn't specifically about build but tell me this isn't sento and blood stalk's current relationship in a nutshell: tumblr . com/panvani/642659794718769152 [4/?]

and from tumblr - fanart edition: tumblr . com/maepop/174491278047/best-match & tumblr . com/swmtk/185287832414 & tumblr . com/deathdefied/185808953970 tumblr . com/mysillycomics/190673525700/thinks-about-kamen-rider-build-constantly & tumblr . com/procrasticus/737389453694386176/ive-been-watching-kamen-rider-build & tumblr . com/wmolecules/170680711727/build-is-pain-so-here-have-something-soft tumblr . com/vanicchidraws/183367254758/kamen-rider-build-starters-kiryuu-sento-x (i'm not really knowledgeable about pokemon myself but i assume you'll know if the ones here fit the characters) & tumblr . com/examorhca/739758146400157696 & tumblr . com/rrotostap/738441549054148608/starting-off-2024-with-a-lil-doodle-of-these [5/?]

tumblr . com/rubberlemon/736876637027811328/i-wonder-how-it-feels-knowing-maths & tumblr . com/m1ontee/736472097386381312/collective & tumblr . com/large8/738352672306085888/hes-so-cutes tumblr . com/m1ontee/738293208293965824/year-2023-year-2024-happy-new-year & tumblr . com/kirider/726752184437555200/backlog-25082022-be-the-light-be-the-light & tumblr . com/mrdinoart/736200905568976896/hagane-no-moonsault-rabbit-tank-wake-up tumblr . com/animasmith263/739096420409278464/happy-new-year-uh-ooh-its-late-cross-z-for-a & tumblr . com/m1ontee/732728912968351744/recall & tumblr . com/m1ontee/737300816789143552/this-show-makes-me-emotionally-distressed [6/?]

tumblr . com/crayaks/722380597270659072/from-2022 & tumblr . com/m1ontee/739727202127675392 & tumblr . com/toseuteu/705549391206989824/since-its-the-year-of-the-build-i-mean-rabbit tumblr . com/takeru-tenkuuji/636335100789915648/19-the-forbidden-item & tumblr . com/tetra-fang/719874639397044224 & tumblr . com/ichippon/733173230693728256/hi-the-animals-ive-been-obsessed-with-lately tumblr . com/minalyce/709262087442104321/he-wants-to-kiss-him-so-bad-but-the-protein & tumblr . com/yaka06210/706244945107943424 & tumblr . com/mrdinoart/722325994695000064/sento-y-banjou-sentados-en-un-banco-sento-and [7/?]

tumblr . com/tetra-fang/701676552416641024 & tumblr . com/hazardlevei/632820389176819712/cosy-ryusens-thanks-everyone-for-coming-to-the & tumblr . com/katsuragitakumi/629615350530572289 tumblr . com/mok921/628733669100716032/jump & tumblr . com/hazardlevei/618252874309320704/love-you-love-you-love-you-love-you-love-you & tumblr . com/vza-ley/190725492371/it-turns-out-that-love-is-real-after-all tumblr . com/pepegle/627255875002826752 & tumblr . com/pepegle/626622821332893696 & tumblr . com/alienmandyarchive/627113101937000448/best-match tumblr . com/pepegle/626700421893963776 & tumblr . com/keshi-zumi/182400942007/20190126-%E4%BB%A5%E5%89%8D%E6%8F%8F%E3%81%84%E3%81%9F%E8%90%BD%E6%9B%B8%E3%81%8D%E3%81%AB%E8%89%B2%E3%82%92%E5%A1%97%E3%82%8A%E3%81%BE%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F & tumblr . com/t-u-i-t-c/697894945443446785/dapperowl-were-in-this-together tumblr . com/sugarling5/739095128782831616 & tumblr . com/are8exist/706126591221268480/%E4%BB%AE%E9%9D%A2%E3%83%A9%E3%82%A4%E3%83%80%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89%E3%82%AF%E3%83%AD%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA & tumblr . com/hykwy4d10/177439938428 [8/?]

tumblr . com/gurayura/667866638050377728/dapperowl-ship-request-23-banjou-ryuga-x-kiryu & tumblr . com/sugarling5/713713361882431488 & tumblr . com/sugarling5/695763665548443648 tumblr . com/sugarling5/695763147565481984 & tumblr . com/sakura-neko6/675544478634934272/best-match & tumblr . com/sugarling5/695763006418780160 tumblr . com/demonrice/707712798078205952/best-match & tumblr . com/chacerider/171282562945/hey-sento-why-is-sawa-like-never-around-anymore & tumblr . com/chacerider/171693183615/banjou-seriously-where-do-you-get-those-shirts also here's some fanart you should check out after at least finishing ep. 21: tumblr . com/takeru-tenkuuji/654993427244695552/forcefed-all-of-build-to-han-in-a-weekend-because & tumblr . com/warpstaffs/734561293033472000/sento-kiryu-being-a-pathetic-wet-rabbit-born-in-a & tumblr . com/curlytsunamiart/175360646354/some-ryusen-doodles and then fanart you should look at after at least finishing ep. 22: tumblr . com/takeru-tenkuuji/636342648384421888/22-victory-of-tears & tumblr . com/sugarling5/702007406407876608 [9/?]

and also an edit to watch after finishing ep. 21: tumblr . com/ampersandra/634012352750206976/fuck-it-i-already-posted-this-to-twt-but-this-is some more official photoshoots and promotional images: tumblr . com/katsuragitakumi/629800422400475136 & tumblr . com/katsuragitakumi/625348446430412800 & tumblr . com/katsuragitakumi/181324726008 (this one is a photoshoot they did for hei gen forever like what i mentioned earlier) tumblr . com/katsuragitakumi/189774335268 & tumblr . com/katsuragitakumi/190142084718 & tumblr . com/katsuragitakumi/190628550003 & tumblr . com/kabutoraiger/178192987118/an-end-to-hero-visions-build-wall-saga-and tumblr . com/writing-in-sin/705756018521571328 & tumblr . com/writing-in-sin/702807993153110016 & tumblr . com/writing-in-sin/703409601880752128 & tumblr . com/writing-in-sin/706343095445405696 tumblr . com/writing-in-sin/703322473764175872 & tumblr . com/writing-in-sin/705481362691538944 & tumblr . com/writing-in-sin/706614483275202560 & tumblr . com/writing-in-sin/706794700001165312 tumblr . com/writing-in-sin/702356656449847296 & tumblr . com/writing-in-sin/704808697243795456 & tumblr . com/writing-in-sin/706252816585474048 [10/?]

more official merch + kr cafe stuff: tumblr . com/kabutoraiger/648150309174198272/wake-up-babes-new-best-match-jewelry-dropped & tumblr . com/himitsusentaiblog/182766108575/kamen-rider-the-diner-in-ikebukuro-is-doing-a plus i think i might have previously mentioned that the show's theme song had an official english version sung by the same singer (beverly), so now here's the full lyric video (no spoilers dw): youtu . be/G87WJDpNC8Y?si=Fha4f1SBqIfGiqDW also since we've talked about the toku to bl pipeline before, especially with both of build's leads infamously being part of it, here's something you might be interested in: tumblr . com/missmako-chan/739247201631469569/is-this-quote-from-a-bl-or-a-tokusatsu (no overt spoilers btw, aside from out-of-context quotes, and iirc there's only one from build used and it's from an episode i know you've already watched, though the translation used here might be somewhat different from the one you saw; also there's like a couple of cm quotes here too) [11/?]

i took that quiz a while back and got around 70%, which isn't too bad considering i'd only watched like the first half of build at that point and haven't seen any other toku even until now, and have also only watched like 3 bl dramas and not all of them were included here, though overall a lot of it was definitely lucky guessing and the others (both for the toku and bl ones) were stuff i became aware of through osmosis. anyway don't feel pressured about getting a high score though, it's all in good fun and i also wanted to let you see for yourself just how homoerotic toku can get to the point of often being indistinguishable from actual bls 😔 and on this note, you also mentioned in your last reply that kazumi/grease's actor (takeda kouhei) seemed familiar to you - the reason for that might be that you recognize him as one of the leads in old fashion cupcake, which was a pretty popular bl too from what i've heard? idk if you've ever watched it though (i haven't seen it myself, but i might in the future), but yeah that makes 3 main male actors in build part of the pipeline so far (insert even more jokes about "you can't spell build without bl" and heated drama between men here lmao) (and tbh i actually still have some additional posts and tweets on hand, but this is already getting very long and i don't want to overwhelm you even more than i probably already have so i'll just reserve them to share with you another time whgjtsfs) [12/?]

anyway, feel free to go ahead and already ramble about whatever new episodes you may have seen by now, even as i haven't finished writing my full response to your last message yet 👍🏼 especially since you last stopped at ep. 20 (whew what an episode to end on), so that means it's time for everyone's favorite build episode next... like i'm not kidding when i say almost everyone leaves ep. 21 with their brain chemistry fundamentally altered bc it's just that powerful 😭 so i'm really looking forward to seeing your reactions to it 😳 and hope you watch ep. 22 asap too bc it's a banger of a follow-up to 21 🫶🏼 (also now you're delving further into the parts showing who exactly the silly rabbit with a death wish is and just why he has one... hehe) djwjdhfs thanks, i'm so honored that you trust me to be your kr senpai 🙏🏼 and yes i'm done, but like i said earlier, i'm still in the process of organizing my thoughts and writing them down into a concrete summary so it might take a bit longer before i can send the next batch of messages to you. and oh i knew about tsukutabe/she loves to cook and she loves to eat and that it aired its first season like 2 years ago and that there was an upcoming second season, but i didn't realize it had started airing already :O i've been interested in it for a while and actually started reading the manga last year and liked it so far (but i wasn't able to continue past the first few chapters yet bc i got distracted by other media, including kr lol), so thanks for the reminder that i should pick the manga up again + start watching the drama at some point soon 👍🏼 and it's okay i understand, especially since both are good stories worth getting into :-) plus again, no pressure and take your time in watching, and hope you enjoy finishing build and the other shows!! 🥰 [13/13]

kr anon hi again!!!! first off thank u SO MUCH for all these links omgg so much fanart to look at i am so grateful.... 😭🙏 sorry in advance to everyone else for the rb/rt spree that is about to happen in like 10 mins tho-- also i took the quiz and got a 47% which. yeah i was Not ready for how gay those toku quotes got what the fuck.???? like i recognized maybe 5 of them from cm/odt/build/heartstopper but the rest girl... i was Struggling......i still have much to learn about the pipeline i see 👁👁 also also yeah i think thats where i recognize kazumis actor from?? i havent watched that show either but i got a rec for it way before so id seen the poster for it and yeah thats the one i rembered....the pipeline goes crazy what the hell

but also its been so hectic i literally havent had time to watch any further from where i left off last time ough ... literally just as i thought id have time after finishing tsukutabe i got pulled into watching another show by a friend so i think im gonna wait to finish that + cm anime first before getting back into build properly bc i rlly wanna Remember whats going on in the show instead of forgoring it all in the haze of the media consumption fdsfjkdsj,, but still if u wanna share anything else in the meanwhile or if u have ur review of the show pls do send them over id love to see/read!!! 👐

[owo--bot]

Loyal as a Dog // Sanzu x Reader

Masterlist:

Chapter 31: Cycle of Decay & Departure

wc: 9.5k

cw: arguing, angst, unhealthy/toxic behavior, cursing, plot progression

an: it's a doozy! Also, I hate tumblrs line spacing jfc it’s so ugly T^T

Let me sink into you.

No, it's not like that I swear.

You won't feel it.

Don't look at me with those eyes.

It's like you hate me.

You don't hate me, do you?

Tell me you love me,

Show me you love me,

This body is vulgar without it.

Trust me,

You haven't seen desperation yet—

—I haven't seen desperation yet.

I hear each bond cracking and mending.

What is this awful melody?

It’s the cycle of decay and departure.

It’s a world in which every rope frays.

My hands burn from tugging, so I take breaks to let go.

-

There comes a time in every business owner's life where they ask; why am I doing this?

Today was that day.

Or it would be that day, but the owners of fast food corporations live in a utopia separated from the average human filth. Instead, they hire some chump who wants to eat. It's a simple process. When they win that moron over with a penny and free sandwich for good measure, they hand over the keys and say something like: make this thing work, good luck. Although, since the fast food gods are such celebrities, they have their underlings hand off the keys to the lowerlings.

With that unnecessary and accurate explanation out of the way, we've reached the why factor. Why did it take until now for this fast food overseer to question this utopian job? Simple.

Teenagers are terrifying.

Their entry is an omen.

Smart overseers knew to quit while they still had a wife and kids. Coincidentally, this overseer must not need either, because fifteen omens were in his lobby. Somewhere along the line, they pushed a bunch of tables together. Frankly, the overseer stopped caring long ago—possibly since birth. As long as the omens didn't steal his retirement money, they could be loud and inconvenient to a moderate degree.

Side by side, the first division yapped amongst themselves. It wasn't often that everyone ate out like this and today was as odd a day as any. While there was an ongoing collective conversation, there were also individual ones. Out of many and obviously superior in all ways, one focused on a topic of life and death circumstances.

“Mr. Sanzu said I’m too immature. So, that must mean he only likes mature women,” you complained, teary-eyed and frantic, as you shuffled your trash around. “Right Mr. Baji?”

"Yeah, looks like you’re outta luck," he answered, unrelenting as ever.

“Do ya think he’ll love me if I’m an adult?”

“Couldn't tell ya, even if I wanted to.”

“I bet he would—but that's a super long time from now.” You tore at your hair. “Do ya think I still have a chance if I'm not an adult?”

“Doesn’t look like it,” he yawned, putting his canines on display. “No harm in knowing when to quit.”

"Nobody likes a quitter, Mr. Baji."

"Yeah? Well nobody likes try-hards either."

"Uh-huh, they're even worse than murderers and weather-men. I bet no one would miss them if they were suddenly… I dunno, gone forever? But only the ones who tried too hard to be born any year before me. Minus kids." Radiating an immaculate air, your smile conveyed the end of all human suffering. "Leaving only the disgusting try-hard scum older than twenty to never be seen again."

Half of mankind just made the worst enemy.

If we're being honest, it's their fault for existing in the first place.

Your villain origin story blossomed within a fast-food chain.

"Bark all you want, they're not going anywhere." Baji grinned and sent you forward with an aggressively chummy slap on the back. "A small fry like you would end up getting bagged up instead."

……

You laughed in response while simultaneously sinking.

There was no denying its presence.

Everything seemed the same, but not.

It was off.

Baji was 'off'.

You could feel it. Feel what?

His tone of voice? The same.

His facial expressions? The same.

His engagement? The same.

His mannerisms? Once again, the same.

Everything was the same. Except it wasn’t.  

Baji occasionally chimed in to each conversation while sporting an iconic grin. He looked happy but…

Absorbed in ‘what’s off’ thoughts, you stared down the raven haired delinquent as though he were an adult.  

“What?” Baji asked.

You shook your head and smiled. “Not a thing.”

“If you got something to say, then say it.”

Repetitive in nature, the first occurrence was May.

October brought out the worst of it.

But October was the same.

So who's to say what 'off' really is, other than

—bad.

“Do ya hate me, Mr. Baji?”

“Where the hell’d you get that idea?” He scratched the back of his head. “Everything’s fine, ain’t it?”

“Tell me, do ya hate me?”

“I don't hate you, if I did you'd know.”

“I think ya do,” you said, bordering on accusatory.  

“I don't, but if you don't knock this shit off, I might.”

The balancing act Baji was performing abruptly ended as the two elevated legs of his chair slammed back down to planet earth with a clack. The death of his casual tilt signified playtime had transcended into shut-the-hell-up time while irritation progressed to smear atop his features.

“My bad.” You scratched at your cheek, attempting to cover up the blunder with a smile.

There was no logic behind it, only

—emotion.

“Then… is something wrong?” You asked.

“Nothing I’m aware of.”

“What’s wrong?”

“What, you having trouble listening today? I said nothing, now stop asking.”

“Bummer.” You shot him a sinister grin. “I was hoping I could make ya slip up.”

“Hate to disappoint you but I got nothing to slip up on, so drop it.”

“‘Kay, since ya asked nicely, I will,” you taunted sweetly.

Baji furrowed his brow, looking ready to feed into your statement at any second. Instead, he opted to be the bigger person.

What a fine captain.

A role amongst models.

To function effectively as a unit, examples need to be set. Today, Baji decided to set a good example. Although if it were any other day, you'd be under verbal fire by now. Technically, still a good example; it’s called don’t egg on what can kill you.

Baji’s cup, aside from being empty, was being siphoned to call upon the obnoxious melody of: it’s ice. Just ice and maybe a few drops of melted ice. If it’s that dire, then fill it back up. Refills are meant to be free, even if they aren’t.

Baji sucked the skeletal remains out of his drink.

Straws are weapons of loud destruction.

Once that noise complaint of a distraction was out of the way, he focused his undivided attention to an ongoing distraction.

“You got something against your trash?” Baji asked.

“Meow—happy way early birthday.”

Amidst the tray of so-called trash was an amateur adaptation of a cat's face. With some fries here, some condiment cups there, a few fragments of plastic from a fork to spice things up, it was trash turned to treasure.

Arts and crafts, but make it fast food.

“Even if this is the best present anyone will ever give ya for the rest of your life, ya still gotta pretend you're happy when other people give ya inferior ones.”

Baji stared and opened his mouth to speak but instead, his head fell back in laughter.

Booming laughter.

The sound barrier was in danger of shattering.

“That's some real talent you got there.” He let out in hysterics, as if he'd never drawn something strikingly similar in pre-k. “You sure you don't wanna sell it off instead?”

“I'm not built for fame Mr. Baji. It's all yours.”

“That's too bad. You might've made enough to pay for your own meals for once.”

"Pass. I won’t be corrupted by currency.”

“Doubt you ever need to worry about that since you’re already corrupted by freeloading.”

"I chose my evil, but the scale can always tip." You shook your head in reflection. "Yup, that's a thought I lose sleep over."

"Man, you're gonna be the worst kinda person in a few years."

After staying well past food consumption recreation, a noisy group was on the move. Passing through the gates of all that is fast food, October greeted you through a pleasant breeze.

Right, there was still time to enjoy being alive before the next extreme season arrived. Since the reign of fire and pop sticks met an end, the reign of hypothermia and underage drinking would soon return. You were in good hands until that apocalypse of a season returned to cast hell upon those with borderline busted heaters. Autumn, aside from having good hands, was well mannered. Though its lifespan may be short, it existed for the purpose of one-upping its winter and summer brethren.

It didn’t have to try hard. Those guys were the worst.

In your current state, you were unfit for the upcoming activities. Wording it like that might be misleading, but meetings are still a form of activity. In a few hours, the entirety of Toman minus Baji would meet at Musashi Shrine.

First, you needed to hitch a ride home and say goodbye to your street clothes and hello to your uniform.

Tailing behind one of your squad mates got put on hold as the role model captain called out to you. Despite standing only a few steps away from the fast food empire, it was all the distance you needed to produce a manuscript of five hundred reasons as to why Baji wasn’t allowed at meetings.

He was a few steps too slow for his own demise.

“Sorry, but Mr. Baji's not allowed to go. I wonder if it's 'cos-”

“Go somewhere else,” he cut through.

Being the bigger person came with a time limit.

Coincidentally, that time limit just ended.

Verbal fire was never actually called off, only postponed.

“What, are ya sick of looking at my face today?”

“I'm not in the mood to play around. I'm telling you to go live somewhere else.”

“Huh?” Lost in translation, a blankness spread across your features. “Why would I do that?”

“Simple, because I told you to,” Baji said, bending words in an all but persuasive manner. “You don’t need any other reason.”

“No.”

Outright refusal.

Some took it better than others. Who they were would remain a mystery because the others in question would rather burn everything to the ground. Baji, despite being a role amongst models, didn't take it well.

“What part of that sounded optional to you?”

You kicked the toe of your shoe against the cement and looked up at the hellpath human.

When in doubt, tune a burning world out.

“The part where I said no.” You let out a phew of relief. “Now that we got that settled-”

“We won't have shit settled until you get away from that guy.”

With all of humanity leaving that prior disaster in the past, the present lies in wait for the next catastrophe. They didn't have to wait for long because, after a quick evaluation; it came to your attention that the radius around Baji transitioned into a flammable hazard zone. On its own, it wasn't a major threat and came with a simple remedy. Just throw a few dozen water parks over that has-been hazard and it'll be a danger to the public for generations to come. But just think how grateful the generations after that will be, so long as it didn't kick-start the death of mankind first.

“Oh. It’s about Mr. Sanzu again…” You pondered the ground for a moment. “I think ya need to get over it already,” despite the delivery, malice played no part—pure intentions offered advice to a friend.

No matter the intention, it comes down to perceptions. Because no one intended on dousing the flammable zone in gasoline, but these things happen, so perceive that they didn't. Better yet, perceive Baji as five notches above irritated and every dangerous comparison up until this point will be resolved.

Route unlocked: Emotions Minus Catastrophe.

—GOOD END.

“Did you forget who you’re talking to?”

“I’m talking to Mr. Baji.” You smiled. “But I think he’s feeling cranky today since Chifuyu ate all of his fries. I know ya would never say something like that with a clear head.”

“That's funny, because I am.”

Baji's typical grin remained absent.

That expression shouldn't be for you.

While the universe may not have been a natural born gambler, it knew to fully invest in what was about to transpire. The stars aligned to showcase the most unproductive conversation in all of human history. For nothing good comes from having firm beliefs, besides the free entertainment it provides for those with flimsy beliefs.

Transcending 'nothing good'; unbridled disaster comes from thinking genocide can be eradicated through explaining why it's bad. On the other hand, starting something is always easier than ending it. In this case, genocide can be achieved by explaining why it's bad even if it's bad.

And that's just no good.

You handed over a delicate smile as a letdown gift.

A doomsday smile.  

“Hey Mr. Baji, whaddya think love is?”

“Love,” Baji answered, like it was the most obvious thing, but his confusion over the matter was visible. "What else would it be?"

“Then ya should get what you're telling me to do,” you spoke tenderly. “When ya love someone—like, really, really love someone, them not being there would be worse than dying, so you might as well just die if that’s the case.”

If Baji looked lost before, then he leveled up to become entirely absent.

Luckily, you leveled up to enlightenment.

“It's like running, and running, and running without knowing how to breathe,” you explained warmly. “So, how long do ya think people can live without air? For me it's a day. But what happens if I trip? Then I might run out of oxygen on the spot. But as long as I remember how to breathe again, it's okay. That's what being in love is, it's breathing while you're together and forgetting how when you're apart. So I'm serious, without him—”

I'd die, you said.

Reaching the grand finale, Baji forgot to clap but did well to stare.

As predicted by the: 'nothing good comes from' catalog, no good came from teaching what can't be taught;

Because you can't expect an alien who's familiar with long distance intergalactic love to suddenly understand why it should drop dead since it's still technically alone.

“Oh, you were being serious about all that…” Baji scratched his head. Something like bitterness tried to seep through fire defenses. “Well, get that shit outta your head ‘cos it's wrong.”

“Huh?” You cocked your head. “Ya think?”

“What, is that a surprise to you? Do you understand what just came outta your mouth?”

Fully aware of what came out of your mouth, you nodded.

“Uh-huh, I thought my explanation was way on point, but I guess it wasn't clear enough.” Dispirited by your tutoring failure, your shoulders hung in consequence. “Sorry for letting ya down Mr. Baji.”

If Baji scrunched his eyebrows any further, they’d be at risk of falling off. Thankfully, hyperboles are just exaggerations otherwise we’d be venturing into some troubling territory. Specifically, when faced with concepts that don’t align with our own flowchart of personal values, most will find that eyebrows can always scrunch further. And while he might’ve had tolerance equipped at the beginning of the day, we’re steadily approaching the death of afternoon, so we can presume that tolerance died fairly early on.

“No, I get it. I understand that everything you're saying's ass backwards.”

“Are ya saying it should be ass forwards?”

“I'm saying it shouldn't be so shot-out,” Baji snapped as his irritation peaked. “So lemme guess who fed you that wonderful line-”

“Wow, your way devoted today, huh Mr. Baji?” you asked, cutting his slander short. “Ya hate him that much?”

“Yeah, that's the idea,” Baji replied.

“How sad. Mr. Sanzu's the best human I've ever met.”

“Yeah? You sure we're talking about the same guy? Because what I'm seeing doesn't match up. Shit, at this point I'm convinced he doesn't even see you as a person.”

You looked at him in utter defeat.

“This entire time you've been trying to dump your feelings all over mine, so if anything…” A dim smile haunted your features. “I think it's Mr. Baji who doesn't see me as a person.”

“Don't be an idiot. If I didn’t, we wouldn't be standing here right now.” He paused to backtrack. “Look, I'm not saying any of this to be mean, alright?”

“Wow, ya totally fooled me Mr. Baji. But, since I love ya I’ll wipe this whole thing from my memory.” You continued at the speed of sound, “as long as we never talk about it again.”

“Yeah, that ain't gonna happen 'cos I need you to get it through your head—that guy doesn't care about you in the slightest, if he did, he wouldn't still be bringing you along to those sketchy ass jobs,” Baji disputed, as if he were chewing on nails.

"So, those are your beliefs? Hmm, I mean as long as it's somebody else's problem it becomes super easy to judge from the outside," your flippant demeanor smudged with a slight degree of malice.

The canines of a predator grit down in irritation; a sneak peek as to how this conflict would end.

"No one's judging anyone, but that's how it must seem when you're learning everything from some guy who shouldn't even be trusted to raise dirt."

“Hey, Mr. Baji.”

“What?”

“I’m happy. So stop tryna' change things—oh, and stop treating me like I don't understand anything. It's making me blush.” Finishing up with a coy smile, you were pushing to end it on a light note.

Baji preferred to carry on with a harsh note.

“I’ll be happy to stop once you move somewhere else.”

Watching the state of your captain;

You read without words.

Those stories were strange.

This story was one of the worst.

“Is this it?”

“Is it what?”

“'Off’,” you said, serious as ever. “This is what's been making ya seem 'off'. Right, Mr. Baji?”

“I hate to break it to you, but something like this wouldn’t get me bent out of shape.”

“Then what is?”

“I told you already, nothing,” he barked.

“But I think that’s a lie,” you offered a straight faced reply. “Lately, every time I’m with ya I get this real gross feeling. Like—something’s crawling under my skin. So, just tell the truth and stop being off.”

“Well, you're in luck 'cos 'off' don't exist,” Baji snapped. “And I gotta say that's a damn funny accusation you're throwing around, considering how much you lie on average.”

“I don't lie, Mr. Baji,” you shot back with an irrefutable delivery, yet your tone fell flat.

In a game of words, yours opted to play offense.

There wasn't a single crack or flaw in your execution; even your exterior was solid as diamond. The assertive nature of it almost seemed desperate.  

It was a delicate balance.

It was a lack of footing.

It was fragile territory.

For the portrayal of diamond was nothing more than the shell of an egg; also known as radical denial.

“Alright, then you won't mind telling me how you broke your wrist. And don’t give me that ‘I wasn’t paying attention’ shit.”

You held it all together, only to have your composure snap right here.

Baji’s feet were planted further in the ground than yours ever could.

Dread arrived at the scene.

“I’m not lying.”

“Sure seems like it. I know there’s something not right about the entire thing. All I have to do is bring it up for you to get like that."

“I really hate all these conversations, so just-”

–stop.

Just stop.

Baji slashed through your request.

He wasn’t acting the way he’s supposed to.

“I'm your friend, ain’t I?” Baji’s question was sincere despite the brutality behind it.

Amber eyes squinted at your figure, as if urging for your compliance;

As if demanding a different version of you.

"Yeah, but…" you murmured.

But friends don't…

“Then stop feeding me bullshit excuses. If you can't do that, then it's only proving my point.”

Baji’s conviction emitted an eternal blaze.

Even before it engaged with yours, this was destined to result in a gruesome demise.

—a mutual demise.

Watch as two suns collide.

“I'll hate ya if ya don’t stop,” you mumbled, as the threads of your composure frayed.

Faced with such indistinct conviction, a grin flickered to tug at Baji’s lips.

“If it's that easy, then go right ahead,” he said, encouraging your threat with a provoking tone.

Baji was supposed to be a good person.

So why didn’t he stop yet?

He always stops.

Always.

Baji was supposed to be a good person.

Nothing was supposed to change.

Never.

“......”

“Whatever it was, wouldn't have happened if you weren't tagging along with that guy. You need to get it through your head, ‘cos eventually things might not play out the way you hoped. When that happens, don’t think for a second you mean anything to him.”

Baji was supposed to love you.

But this wasn't…

If he loved you, he would've stopped.

He didn't love you.

Which meant he hated you.

Which meant–

“You're a shit-head asshole Baji,” the thread split, as sharp words came out free and easy.

With eyes fixed on the captain, death's blade loomed over your shoulder. It was a mutual exchange. That was the type of environment this disheveled into. Both parties exerted an overwhelming pressure without sparing the faintest trace of concern for civilian life.

“Look at that,” Baji commended mockingly. “You finally figured out how to say my name.” A wolfish grin established permanent residency, if only out of limitless irritation.  

“Uh-huh.” You nodded with enthusiasm. “It's shit-head asshole.”

Though it was dim, Baji was identical to the color black. In a city where stars couldn’t reach, he fit right in. Humans are only human. You shouldn’t expect them to shine.

You turned to reject the color you hated most.

Placing one foot in front of the other.

A formless world forgot its name.

In the vast emptiness;

Baji's words reached you.

But sound didn’t exist in this version of earth.

You missed Sanzu so deeply.

It was uncomfortable; not wearing skin.

On a quest to nowhere soon, you covered a hefty proximity. Consumed by playing out the prior dispute in your head on loop, all else disappeared.

Including your location.

It was irrelevant.

Betrayal bestowed by a person who should’ve loved you was an unfamiliar field. All you could do was find more and more fault in Baji’s actions.

Picking it apart.

Putting it back together.

There was no breakthrough in understanding.

Only raw emotion.

Unpleasant emotions.

Ripping your throat down to your stomach.

If not for the descent of sunlight, you might have continued on like that until time ceased to exist. Luckily, the sun had your back. Unluckily, you didn’t have the slightest clue where you were.

But Mr. 7 did.

Or at least an employee working there did.

Mr. 7 would never be caught dead in the land of mortals.

The chain of fate was a quad colored convenience store.

Conveniently placed in a convenient location, glowing signage acted as a beacon of hope. As if things couldn’t get anymore convenient, the woman manning the register was nice enough to let you use the store phone. Penniless pockets couldn’t afford a pay phone, so Mrs. Cashier spared every store in the surrounding area from the worst kind of customer.

Typing in the number to the joint cell phone, it wrung

And wrung…

And wrung…

And wrung…

And answered—in the form of: leave a message after the beep.

Meeting such a fate didn’t discourage you until about the tenth or so attempt.

Then it was dreadfully discouraging.

As the phone wrung for the ×-th time, you shoved your hand in your pocket. Confused by its contents, you pulled out what felt like a thick piece of paper, which was in fact a card, so technically still paper. It must've been in hibernation for some time now, because the last time you wore this jacket was—a date you didn’t know off the top of your head.

Long ago… before the era of roaches, you wore a jacket.

The end.

Created for this exact moment, the crumpled business card printed with kanji (whose meaning was still in question) accompanied a set of numbers. Your life line. Mrs. Loaded Lady may have overdone it with card quantity, but right about now she seemed like an angel sent to combat despair.

Typing in the numbers listed on the lucky business card, it wrung.

—barely.

“Ito residence,” greeted the voice of an elegant angel.

“Hey lady, it’s me,” replied the voice of an inelegant pedestrian.

“Me…? Oh, yes, of course, it seems that those cards served their purpose–”

It goes without saying, the name she addressed you by wasn’t yours.

“Uh-huh, they super served their purpose ‘cos I’m super lost right now.”

Or at least this one that undoubtedly went through the wash served its purpose.

The card of origin.

“I see, so transportation is in order? My hands are tied at the moment, but I can send someone who is just as capable.”

“You’re a real good person, y’know?” you said, almost touched to tears by her absolute good will.

“I’m glad to be of help, dear,” she replied pleasantly. “I’ll write down your location and send someone right away.”

Communicating the address from the convenient cashier to the upstanding citizen on the line, she ensured someone would be there soon. 'There', was apparently Shibuya, meaning you stayed within range of where you started.

With that, she called you by another name and hung up.

It was efficient, if nothing else.

Parting with your short time assistant, Mrs. Cashier continued her shift in peace. Passing through the automatic doors, you manned the sidewalk in wait.

A long, long, wait.

Patiently pacing, a familiar car entered your vision. Tinted windows and a build fitting of higher society, you waved gleefully as it pulled up beside you. The figure of a man occupied the driver's seat, presumably Madam Loaded’s butler, who beckoned you in with a wave. Opening the door and hopping into the back, you met the support of leather seats with a fwmp.

“Thanks for the lift, mister.”

You grinned, looking around the spacious vehicle. It couldn’t be further from Mr. Scumbag’s human death trap, and the scent of harsh cleansers only widened that gap; for scum never cleans.  

“It's my pleasure. So where am I taking you?”

Locks sounded with a click.

A steady grip shifted the clutch.

The turn signal blinked in repetition.

Tires hummed over loose gravel and asphalt.

Steering away from the curb and onto the road, the makeshift taxi sped up.

Looking straight ahead, your gaze went stiff.  

Breathe in…

Breathe out…

Slender hands coiled around your throat.

Cold hands severed oxygen from your lungs.  

Someone was behind you.

Strangling you.

Their grip twisted around your neck.

Digging into skin.

& constricting.

—tighter tighter tighter tighter tighter tighter-

They won't stop and you can't breathe.

They won't stop and you can't breathe.

They won't stop and you can't breathe.

They won't stop and you can't breathe.

They won't stop and you can't breathe.

They—aren't real.

It's just a feeling.

—a really bad feeling.

Demons pretend to be human and wear their flesh.

Through the rearview mirror, a fine tongued politician held eye contact. Eye as in singular; a patch covered the other. Adorned in a suit and tie, his image impersonated the ranks of those who’ve never touched dirt, despite being covered in filth. Well-mannered lips of an upstanding citizen curved to welcome you.

Wide eyed and vacant, you smiled out of fear.

In the confines of your lap, violent fingers threaded to silence trembling hands;

Strangling one another.

“Miss?”

“—Shibuya Station, please.”

There was a disconnect.

This car existed in a separate reality.

The outside world decomposed into a blur of shapes and colors.

Survive.

The sole term that reached you.

It was one that always relied on physical strength.

This version relied on something else entirely;

Words.

To lie through your teeth.

To become someone else.

You're not you.

There was no room for error.

You had to be perfect.

You had to bear it.

You had to.

“I'm glad I finally had the opportunity to meet you. We must have just missed each other at the firework festival.”

You felt hot.

So uncomfortably hot.

Dampness enveloped your palms.

He knew.

He already knew.

“Ah, I've gone out of order already, my apologies. It's nice to meet you. My name is Ito Akiyoshi. Ito written with the characters this and wisteria. Akiyoshi written with the characters autumn and luck. You're acquainted with my wife and son. They–no. My wife said she ran into you while looking for me.”

This is that kid's dumb dad?

The guy who broke your nose.

The 'bad guy' you were fighting.

The scumbag you robbed thanks to the pretense of prostitution.

“It's nice to meet you,” you said, paying close attention to your pronunciation.

Everything was uncomfortable.

You weren't you.

“I heard a lot of good things about you,” you added.

“Likewise.” He glanced up at the rearview mirror. “So, do you live around here?”

“I do, but not for much longer. We're in the process of moving.”

“What a shame. Moving can be rather difficult for children your age, I hope it's not too far.”

“Yeah, you’re right, I wish it could’ve been closer. I mean, Osaka seems nice, but I’m gonna miss my friends.”

“I can imagine.”

It'll be okay.

You don't know him.

“Though, judging by the manner of your speech,” he said, without the slightest waver in tone, “I take it that this is not your first time moving.”

“—hah, you got me there.” You converted the shock into a smile. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“I typically am.” He chuckled in a light-hearted demeanor.

His gaze was consistent.

Back and forth between the road and the mirror.

Consistent in watching you.

Observing you.

It’s fine.

You don’t know him.

“It’s a bit hard to tell from up here, but on your hand, is that a tattoo?” Akiyoshi asked.

“Yeah, it is.”

“It looks quite faded.”

“I’ve had it for a few years now, so I think that’s normal.”

Normal meaning unprofessional.

Normal if you don’t go deep enough.

Normal isn’t actually normal if you look at the time frame.

Normally, you wouldn’t ever be thankful for botched ink on your thumb.

It's okay.

It existed as proof.

You don't know him.

“I see. Your parents must be lenient, no?”

“No, they were really mad.”

"Mm, rightfully so. What is it they do for a living?"

“Ah, my parents…”

“Yes, how about your mother?”

“She works from home.”

“And your father?”

“His work makes him travel a lot.”

“I see, but what is it that they do exactly?”

“I wonder, do you need a job?”

“No, I'm quite alright.” He chuckled. "I'm just curious, nothing more.”

See, it’s okay.

Because, you don’t know him.

You don't, you don't, you don't, you don't, you don't, you don't, you don't, you don't, you don't-

“Tell me,” he demanded pleasantly, “do you, by chance, have any siblings?”

His voice upheld the same formalities, without a shred of ill intent.

But you could feel the decay in his words.

Burrowing under your skin.

Decomposing the car's interior.

—while a clean world was rotting with miasma.

You held your breath.

“I have an older sister but she left for school awhile back. Fukuoka, I think,” you said, blurting out the first location that came to mind.

“Fukuoka,” he repeated. “Even from Osaka, that's quite the trip. How often is it that she visits?”

“It's rare.” You shook your head dejectedly. “The most recent time was last autumn. Sad, huh?”

He didn't offer a response.

Your heartbeat shattered atop his silence.

Bad ends are everywhere, one misstep is all it takes. Up until now you've pursued your fair share of those routes. Have you lost count yet? There's no shame in not keeping track of numbers among other things. The point that matters is the sheer abundance of them, although that being said;

There's only one true ending.

But that one's not intended for you.

After all, a bad ending had been sitting beside you this entire time; you should know since you brought it here.

—that feeling.

What an irresponsible parent, letting it get so carried away.

It hated that you could breathe.

It wanted you dead.

You shouldn't have exposed your neck.

The one up front must be thinking the same thing.

The stillness violated your senses.

It was hard to breathe.

“Very,” he finally replied. “I can see the resemblance.”

“Hm?” You tilted your head curiously. It was almost as if you weren't just contemplating the survival rating of jumping out of the car. “Do you know her?”

“Not quite, though I believe I may have seen her in passing.” He cleared his throat. “Nevertheless, I wish her well in her studies.”

“I'll pass her the message.”

He smiled in recognition.

“I must say I was surprised, my wife seemed adamant about getting you.”

“She's a good person.”

“That she is. Thanks to her, there is not a day that passes where I don’t feel the grace of luck,” the cheating scum boasted. “My only gripe is, that memory of hers could use some improvement. Wouldn’t you say–?”

The name he called you—it wasn't yours.

Which meant he got it from—his wife.

Hah…ha…haha…

She really was a good person.

“I think she's exactly how she's supposed to be, and if she heard you saying things like that, I bet it'd make her cry.”

“I see. Well, please forgive me, I meant no harm by it. Truthfully, she wasn't always like that. I believe it has something to do with the anxiety of recent times. With all those girls disappearing. Though I can’t help but to share her concern,” he said, as empathy lingered in his tone. "If my son were to go missing, I don't want to think about the sort of man I'd become. Yet—that fear is a reality for many, I'm afraid."

Not this.

Not with him.

Not something that feels this heavy.

Guilt became a fugitive that inhabited your stomach.

You borrowed a shit rumor from a certain worm.

“—I heard it’s a yokai who's adding new wives to his collection. What do you think?”

“A yokai.” He chuckled. “That's the first I've heard of it.” He tapped on the steering wheel with the pads of his forefinger. “We expect monsters to act like monsters in the same sense in which we expect humans to act like humans. In truth, that story of yours is the better reality.”

“Yeah,” you agreed. “If I had to choose one, I'd rather be eaten by a yokai instead of getting stabbed by a friend.”

"I see. Escapism is rather prevalent in youth," he stated. "Well, adding an option that doesn't already exist can ease the harshness of reality. In this case, without a yokai, the guilt of this matter falls upon the friend. Though in the eyes of a child, it's easier to accept that it was a monster instead of their own kind."

“So you’re saying I shouldn’t expect to see a yokai out on the streets? What a letdown, I seriously believed in that rumor.”

“Believe what you like dear. Don’t let an old man sway your opinion.”

“What old man?”

“I can see why my wife likes you.”

That absolutely wasn't why, but that was a different matter.

“So, was your son busy too?”

“Yes, in a sense.”

"Oh.” You scrambled for a reply. “I guess that’s better than being bored."

"Yes, and no. We got into a bit of a disagreement earlier. Truth be told, that's why I'm here in the first place." He let out half of a laugh. "He's a difficult one, but it's unlikely that he would've come out of his room if I were still there."

"How sad."

“Yes, well, you know how boys are at that age. We butt heads more than I’d care to admit, but he will come around once he’s older.”

“Right. That's how it always works.” Quick to agree, you didn’t have the faintest idea what you were talking about.

“I hate to cut our conversation short, but our trip is already nearing its end. Who could have imagined you were this close.”

The car came to a gradual stop.

A blurred world became clear.

Shibuya Station glimmered with the white light of sanctuary.

The front seat scum turned to face you but the fabric covering his eye sucked you in. It wasn't every day you saw that kind of thing, plus it looked out of place on the clean face, suit and tie type—or on any type.

Best case scenario was that his wife snapped and dealt an eye ending blow.

Pain hurts worse when it’s delivered by a loved one.

Mid case scenario was that a prostitute lashed out on him for trying to skip his tab.

Those who excel at delivering pleasure must also excel delivering pain. Or at least that’s what you assumed. Like a warrior code but with some glitter thrown on top.

“Curious?” He pointed at the cloth, as you lagged to avert your eyes. “It's alright, most children are. Come visit us sometime and I'll be glad to share the story. It's quite funny, if I might add.”

“Okay, I’ll call if I’m ever back in the area.”

“Ah, that's right. And I had the nerve to complain about my wife's memory.” He laughed to himself, momentarily forgetting that adults aren’t funny. “Well then, please, don't hesitate to call if the need be,” he said delightfully. “Though I can’t promise we can be of any help if you're in Osaka.”

“Thanks, it was really nice meeting you.”

Opening the car door, you stepped out onto the street. Turning back, you smiled, waving your hand loosely in parting as he pulled away.

—not yet.  

In a bustling city, floodlights imitated the sun in a showing of advertisements, while electronic billboards encapsulated the future. Buildings were built to tower above giants in a flashy display. The clashing sounds of commercials, cars, people and music made for a noisy soundtrack but it needed to be louder. The busiest pedestrian crossing held no shortage of people. From salarymen to teenagers, each had somewhere they needed to be. You needed to be anywhere else.

Blending into the swarm of bodies, it wasn't enough.

It felt like you were being watched.

—not yet.

Approaching an entrance to the station and wedged well within the masses, it wasn't enough.

It didn’t feel safe.

—not yet.

Passing through the turnstile and mixing into the structure, it wasn't enough.

You walked with perfect posture.

—not yet.

Entering the public restroom, the noise and chatter of the world ceased to exist.

Excess water occupied tile floors.

Stall doors hung wide open.

Fluorescent lighting beckoned your head to throb.

Using the wall for support, you sunk down into a crouch.

Sharply inhaling.

Sharply exhaling.

The long-term effects of inhaling miasma were scribbled in black.

Defacing humans with their least favorite shade—no.

How could there be favorites if there was only ever one?

This one.

Smudging over the lines, every page was black.

With your face propped up on buzzing hands.

Unstable breaths dispersed from your lips.

A chill wandered up your spine.

You stared at the floor.

You were alone.

Yet, no safer.

There was no relief, only this;

Agony tore through your psyche to inspire the worst.

You spilled over and exposed all the filth that couldn't be erased. To witness yourself turn inside out in a public place seemed like a corrupted god's take on entertainment. Tears welled yet refused to touch skin already drenched in arsenic. Black matter lashed down to splatter against each and every tile and crack. The bad parts were getting out.

You couldn't live like this.

You closed your eyes.

It was hard to think with so many gnats buzzing around inside your skull. As a last ditch effort, you crammed your brain full of static.

The gnats died miserably.

It was hard to think with so much noise shrieking around inside of your skull. As a last ditch effort, you devoured white noise and in return; it devoured you.

The white noise died miserably.

Sound burst into silence.

Time ticked sideways.

The faucet dripped.

Home.

You needed to go home.

You needed to get to Sanzu.

How?

The door creaked open

Heels clacked against tile.

Stepping into the inhospitable zone of a zigzag crisis was a dress suit harboring a middle-aged woman inside. It only took one step before the fumes got to her head, taking half a glance at you before she offered a curt bow.

I'm sorry, please excuse me, spilled from her lips.

She snatched the door handle fast enough to outrun the plague, but the precision of a predator outmatched the plague and captured her wrist. You looked up at the lifeline like a dog who lost its bite.

“A phone,” it came out as less of a request, and rather some poorly strung together plea. “Do ya have one?”

“Yes,” she squeaked, digging through her purse as if she were being held at gunpoint. “Here.”

Trading off the small peace offering, it was sleeker than the clunky kin you were accustomed to. For an adult in a dress suit, her taste in phones was suitable for her kind, suitable meaning second-rate, and her kind meaning scum who should disappear. Nevertheless, you punched in the only number you could.

It wrung… once.

“Where are you?” Sanzu asked, without so much as waiting for any indication of who he was talking to.

“Shibuya Station,” you answered plainly.

“That’s a surprise. You're not in the middle of nowhere for a change.” Sanzu said, his words corrupted by static.

“...”

—say it.

“Stay by the Hachiko exit and don’t go anywhere.”

“...”

—say it.

“Answer me if you're there.”

—just say it.

“Sorry,” you mumbled. “it's just-”

“Is this your first time using a phone? If you want me to hear you, speak up.”

"Sorry but I…"

“I messed up again, real, real bad this time.” Wide eyed and high-strung, you tore your fingers through your hair. “I really, really, really–”

“You must have shit service, I can barely hear you. Just go wait at the Hachiko exit for now. Oh, and-”

The line beeped three times.

Then went silent.

The call dropped.

You stared at the screen for a few seconds.

Your end didn't have service.

……

Wait at the entrance.

That’s what he told you to do.

You looked up at the hostage.

“The Hachiko exit,” you repeated, offering the dress suit her phone back.

“Take a right from here and go straight,” she said, making a clean escape.

Relinquishing a world record crouch, you stood up and offered meager self-encouragement by rubbing any sign of this incident from your eyes. Trekking through sludge and filth, there was no sentiment as you departed from the graveyard entrails. Thanks to the dress suit's aid of direction, you emerged from the ever gleaming Hachiko exit.

You did a bad job today.

But waiting was something even you could do.

The night greeted you with pitch black skies. Judging by the harsh decline of foot traffic, it must’ve been getting late. Walking by blank face after face, you headed towards the Hachiko memorial statue.

There was a lingering sense of unrealness to everything. A divide existed between you and all the rest. Those loved by the universe, and those hated by it.

If it hated you today;

It might love you again tomorrow.

While you had no say in the matter, you'd sooner wring its neck out than ever accept this degree of punishment again.

Mr. Baji hated you today.

He'll hate you again tomorrow.

When Sanzu hears what you did, he might hate you today too–no.

He's the only one who can never hate you.

The laws of the universe said so.

…….

You did a bad job today.

You never wanted to be away from Sanzu again.

You never wanted to be alone again.

You never wanted to be alone.

Bad things always happen when you're alone.

The massive crowds weren’t nearly as massive, even the occupancy at the meet-up memorial dwindled. Replicating something akin to sitting, you took to a slanted bench that detested the homeless. You looked up at the most loyal dog in Japan; Hachiko. It might be dead, but the bronze statue portrayed the living version. If it waited nine years for its owner to return, then how could that be considered loyalty? If it were that loyal, it shouldn’t have let them leave in the first place.

It shouldn’t have lived after.

Something that tasteless wasn’t loyalty.

It was a pitiful display of betrayal.

……

Maybe you should’ve been born a dog. Humans have too loose of leashes.

Despite not receiving your seal of approval, Hachiko never left you alone. It would’ve been concerning if he somehow did, or maybe impressive is the right word. You could never agree with the faux version of loyalty he stood for, but in an odd way, you appreciated the company.

Because you weren’t technically alone.

You weren’t alone, so you tried to rearrange shattered glass.

You weren’t Sanzu; you were only you. So, what exactly were you trying to solve?

You shoved your hands into the abyss of glass.

A solution never came.

October existed every year to harbor the weight of watching oneself die. Stray leaves dressed the cobblestone at your feet while sectioned off trees remained within the confines of grass and cement. Today they were feeling orange, tomorrow they might feel red; the colors of humans and plants weren’t the same.

Yet no plant or human could ever compare to that shade of cleansing white.

Gifted with the stealth of every cat in Tokyo, Sanzu stayed under the radar until he spawned in front of you. Of blonde hair and gentle features, he was every single star that a sleepless city never got to see. Your vision blurred with a fondness that could snuff out the sun, but blue eyes simply gazed. If you knew anything, it was the language they spoke. No–the picture they painted.

It was serene as rain.

Typhoons stuck to summer.

For now, light showers whispered through the night.

“Let’s go.” Not seeming particularly chatty, Sanzu extended his hand out towards yours.

Reaching out in one frame you clung to his arm in the next, spewing an incoherent mess of what vaguely resembled, I don't want you to hate me, into his sleeve.

“Hm? What made you think that? It’s not like you went off and got lost again, so you have nothing to worry about,” Sanzu retorted.  

“That's not it.” You looked up and bit the bullet. “I got in the car with that man.”

“Then don't get into the car with people you don't know. I don't know what else you want me to tell you.” With no intention of taking your words at face value, he pulled his arm back. “C’mon.”

Thanks to the route chosen by a certified moron, the aftermath needed to be handled by someone who was capable. Shaking your head with cruciality, a pained expression ate away at the short-term relief.

“No, the one that broke my nose.”

Exhibiting the composure that didn’t come standard with your model, Sanzu looked at you with a deep sense of suspicion in his eyes. Briefly, he weighed out the accuracy of your claims.

“Make it easy and tell me what actually happened,” Sanzu said, with his scale tipping to the 'don't believe a word that she says’ side.  

“I'm serious, he drove me here,” you said, putting a desperate strain on the delivery.

It’s not often that Sanzu looks so entirely blank, but in seconds flat a vague grasp wiped it clean. Working with a fresh canvas, his eyebrows scrunched in sheer bewilderment.

Summer came early and so did the typhoons.

“I didn't think I'd need to tell you something so obvious, but that was careless of me so listen to what I'm about to say—ready?” Sanzu asked, solely to paint on the condescending nature of it all. “Don't get into the car with people you've mugged.” Amidst his backlash, Sanzu spared minimal room to effectively get his point across, and simultaneously deflect the threat of nosy ears.

“I’m sorry, I didn't realize until he was already driving.”

“So it just didn't occur to you to check whose car you were getting into? No, on second thought; 'already driving' seems like the perfect time to check.”

“I'm sorry,” came out pitifully but it was the best you could give.

Despite the expected bout of snide remarks, Sanzu dialed back and took a breath for the sake of composure. Recalibrated in presence, he continued with a clear head.

“Whose car were you supposed to be getting into?”

“That one. The rich lady said it's no good to wander around at night, so I called the number on the card.” You said, pulling the sad thing from your pocket. “She's a good person, but she's married to a bad man.”

With eyes fixed on the card, you seared each character into your psyche while offering Sanzu the briefest summary you could.

“Look at me,” Sanzu demanded, to which you obliged. “I don’t care how nice they were to you, if you ever see them again don’t talk to them, and stay out of sight. Understand?”

“I do.”

“Good.” He snatched the card from your hand. “Is this what you were shoving behind the drawer?”

Biting your lip plaintively, you nodded.

When Mrs. Loaded saddled you with all those cards, you were on the fence about throwing them out since space is less than limited. Instead, guilt swerved you to an alternate route. As it stands, if one were to remove the dresser drawer, they might conclude that drug paraphernalia was stashed in the interior. But reality is often disappointing—especially if you’re a cop. In the end, it was just a convoluted way of preserving the cards. Some people just happen to conceal drugs in the same manner. It’s not clear who’s copying who.

Not that their location mattered in the end.

Soft features expressed a neutral appearance, as Sanzu sustained his decisive as always nature.

“All of them need to get thrown out.”

“Okay, but—is that gonna be enough?” Your words spiraled as you senselessly stuffed your hands back into mounds of glass. “Like, I really, really, really messed up this time. He’s gonna figure out I was lying, right? And then-”

“As long as you listen to me, everything'll be fine, yeah?”

Effortlessly, Sanzu vanquished a shattered earth.

In the mess of the moment, familiar words were an entity you nearly forgot. There was a peace of mind that accompanied them, more so than usual.

Acting alone was a nightmare you’d like to bury.

The burden didn’t have to be yours.

“Right as always, Mr. Sanzu,” you said, as a vague smile touched your features.

Even if you fucked it up to shit—nothing would change.

After all;

Sanzu was always right.

So long as he made the decisions;

You could remain happy, and everything would be okay.

“So what happened, you were supposed to be with Baji weren’t you?”

“Yeah I was, but we got into a real bad fight. I wasn’t thinking, so I walked away, but… I don't want him to hate me.”

The memory possessed the potency of concentrated poison.

Baji was bull-headed at times, even a shit-head asshole. But that was just today’s version of him. When you broke your wrist, he always barged in to visit. Baji wasn’t well off either, but he always paid for your meals. Plus, if shit really hit the fan, he was someone you could rely on.

But above all;

Baji was a good person.

“He doesn't, right?” you asked. “He doesn’t hate me?”

At the time, you detached from a majority of the interaction. Yet, right at the end, you split into pieces that would’ve bitten down if the survival rating wasn’t zero. Baji’s existence was rewritten as someone else. Was that you, or were you rewritten too?

To harbor a feeling that intense seemed wrong.

That state of mind manifested as a paradox.

It overflowed until it was empty.

That wasn't you.

It wasn’t either one of you.

Seemingly out of reach, sleepy eyes studied the ground. Taking your worries out on your nails, anything besides an immediate reply felt unbearable. The people you loved could never hate you—that route would diminish you to nothing.

Shooting a stalled gaze back into your soul, Sanzu’s tone was ruthless and to the point.

“Baji betrayed Toman.”

“...”

Your perception lagged.

No, not lagged.

It was trying to figure out what Sanzu actually said because-

“Do you understand? He changed sides.”

“Sorry, but I don’t really wanna play right now.”

“That’s not what I’m doing.”

"Hey…" You pouted. "That's too harsh, even for you Mr. Sanzu."

“Is it? I don’t remember doing anything wrong.”

Sanzu had a talent for sharpening words into weapons, but this wasn't that. Otherwise, why would they sound so dull? For the sake of not drifting too far out of character, and not becoming someone else.

Sanzu had a talent for sharpening words into weapons, but it's not like he had a talent for making blankets out of them. Because people just do what they know how and straying from that path doesn't always work as intended. There's comfort in sticking to your own script, trying to read someone's else's makes it come out all wrong. The tactician can attempt the role of the nurturer but that's not what they signed up for. It's mean to make those demands. So, adjust the standard to something more realistic, anyone can be anything, even if it's far from the source material.

The source.

Sanzu was at a loss.

He wasn't built for soothing.

He was just doing what he knew how.

He wasn’t a nurturer, but his pores were full of seeds.

If he wasn’t a nurturer, then the adjusted term said differently.

Accepting any burden was something he could do, but handing over emotions just wasn't plausible. Not here at least. Not with this.

Sanzu was a dull blade, and that's what made this scary.

It was cruel. Something like pity dripped from a knife that couldn't cut.

A black hole formed in your chest.

A dejected onslaught engulfed your face.

“Are ya that mad at me?” you asked, desperately clawing for a different motive.

Crossing his arms in resignation, Sanzu opted to not answer with a reply.

Sanzu is always right. But…

Baji was a good person.

Baji is a good person.

Baji is.

—a good person.  

If not, then that made him…

—a bad person.

Even if Sanzu forfeited his words, no–even if he didn’t know how to use them; he didn't need to. It needed to be established because it was real, it wouldn't go away, it couldn't be ignored.

He laid it all out.

Sanzu spoke without words.

His gaze was iron, and you were being crushed.

Why couldn’t it have been paper?

"Oh."

Indistinct voices passed by in crowds.

Pale eyes would always be a language you’d never read.

Love would always be a condition that you just couldn’t reach.

October would always echo the cycle of death and decay.

A vacant smile brushed by your lips.

“So he really did—hate me.”

—

It hurts.

[schibi12]

Heyyo!! So this post may get long and a bit personal if you are not interested by that you can keep on scrolling no problem.

Last year I did a post where I told how Tumblr was a huge support for me during the whole quarantine and how I met amazing people in it and strangely enough the same thing happened this year, so take this a YouTube rewind of sorts where I talk about all the great people I've met and befriended and how much I've grown as a person since last year, this is a Tumblr Reblog if you will.

My blog has changed a lot from 2020 to 2021, last year only did occasional reviews and memes for DuckTales and other Disney properties but this year oh boy, I've done a bunch of AUs, I've done art for my AUs and fanart in general,I created Ocs and sonas, I've rambled a lot this year about not only Disney properties but about Looney Tunes, Animaniacs, Marvel, Musicals and just so much more I feel like I have expressed more of who I am to you guys.

And the amazing people I've met in this quite literal hellsite lol, have been so kind and supportive to me that they I am gonna do a roll call/ shoutout to you incredible people and if I forgotten one of you i am so sorry but remember you are great too!!

@blue-main & @joyseer24 I am forever grateful for meeting you two you've been incredibly kind, supportive, helpful and just the greatest friends I've ever had and for being my first internet friends I am glad that it was you guys.

@tophthedaydreamer I am so intimidated to talk you sometimes I don't know why I feel like you are just so much cooler than me even though you are just as dorky as me but you are so talented and thanks to you I've seen the Beetlejuice musical also thanks to you I started doing AUs because I did a silly post about how Iron-Man and Captain America reminded me of Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse and you left a nice message in your tags about how this was big brain and how I should continue it and I didn't want to do it but your comment motivate me to do it and I've done a bunch of AUs because of that message in the tags so thanks and I hope to talk to you more in the future.

@lexi0507 thanks to you we have a Discord server and we met a bunch of cool people and you're so cool, unapologetically yourself and supportive and I love your art and ocs.

@wastelandchannel I know we haven't talked recently but thanks to you I think we wouldn't have the Toon Tykes so thank you and I hope you are doing and feeling better.

@ohmymabe you are so nice and I love your art and how creative you are, and you're also kind of a founder of The Toon Tykes with the many AUs and ocs you did of the children of Oswald and Julius y Eres una muy Buena Amiga!

@dizbunny Diz with the Gifs you are so sweet you always have something nice to say and I know you started your journey with art and it's not easy just have patience and don't be too hard on yourself.

@su-nioj We haven't talked that much but you have made amazing art I like to call you the ninja silent but talented and I hope to get to know you more in the future.

@dalia1784 we haven't interacted as much as I want to. It we do follow each other Tumblr and Twitter and we tagged each other on tag games and I hope to get to know you better, but you make amazing art and deserve so much attention and appreciation like literally go follow her she has amazing ocs designs and stories.

@you-big-palooka & @amelia-bedeliaa you keep posting about Disney ducks and Mickey and friends respectively your post always bring me joy or discover a good fic or follow someone who makes amazing fanart and keep on reblogging.

I think that's it if I missed one of my mutuals or you don't take it personally you are amazing and great it's just I listed more people in this post than last year so I might have forgotten a few.

And once again thank you from the bottom of my heart I am forever grateful that I have Tumblr in my life because without it I wouldn't have met all these amazing people and I wouldnt be drawing so thank you to all my followers, mutuals and friends and here's to another year!!

Muchas gracias los quiero mucho!!! 💛

[kimtaegis]

Maybe you just don't want to talk about this with anyone, so feel free to ignore it, I'm glad if you only read. Please please take control of the people you follow, the people you interact with and have on your blog or in any other site or social media that you use to share your interest in BTS... Our experience in the fandom will depend 100% on that, the way you see armys will be entirely affected by it. Don't follow anyone just 'cause they're nice if what they say upsets you, don't be afraid to block or unfollow anyone who makes you uncomfortable. There are many types of armys and accounts you can engage with, there are fanbases sharing beautiful projects and kind actions from armys around the world, there are artist armys (just like you!) who show their creations, armys focusing on gathering votes and streams (this will be forever important) and overall many many armys who just care about what BTS have to say, trusting their messages and trying their best every day. I'm afraid that you may start to see armys in a negative way, I'm afraid that you can believe that this fandom isn't a good fandom, that this doesn't feel like home... This is not true, please remember that? Ever since I becamy army I never thought bad of this fandom and I always could understand why BTS love armys so much, 'cause armys have been comforting me too and I don't even have friends... I'm comforted just by "strangers". Even on Twitter, where things are much bigger and easier to trigger us, I've found my "safety zone". It's all a result of whom you follow. This doesn't mean I haven't found mean people, stalkers or antis, I did and sometimes I kept looking for them, even knowing how it made me feel, but I do my best to control what and whom I search for. Please take care of this ♡ life is already so hard, this part doesn't need to also be. Our fandom is the biggest in this world and of course that it means there'll be more toxic and obsessed people, the bigger it is it can be scarier, but I hope you can always see that this number isn't even close to all the kind armys who learn a lot with BTS, all the armys chasing for their future and trying to be better human beings. You're one of them!

oh you’re very sweet for sending all this, I appreciate it. I just think that it’s pretty much impossible to avoid any of this simply because of how today’s social media works; I have a tiny twitter account, only follow a very small bunch of fans (mostly mutuals from here and editmys/fanartists); the algorithm still suggests super problematic tweets to me. Which is sad in itself because those tweets get so much traction that they’re suggested to me, do you know what I mean? I do block and mute every single one of these accounts, have a mile-long list of muted words, and yet. And just leaving or disabling these functions would let me not see the stuff I would like to see anymore, so that’s also not great. Tumblr is comparably fine but is also absolutely deserted and boring. I’m sorry to say this but ever since I joined the fandom two years ago, I had my opinion on the general vibe of armys and this didn’t change at all. I’ve never seen this fandom as a healthy community or a home, I’m only in it because I love the group. Yes there are definitely amazing (and sane) people I’ve met here on tumblr through the boys and I’m so grateful for that, but unfortunately it’s really just a very small number of people who I truly get along with (probably my own fault but yeh). Also it’s not just the negativity by the way, but also the infantilism, or the other extreme, sexualisation of the members, the absolute obsession with chart and streaming numbers, awards and records, the “quantity over quality” way of thinking, the list goes on. There’s just so much I can’t vibe with, don’t want to. I’m trying my best to keep curating my own fandom experience and I don’t see myself not following bts’ career at any time soon, but it still sucks that such a big part of loving them feels so.. corrupted at times.

[anotheronechicagobog]

11, 12, 13, 16, 19, 20 and 21

11. Do you have a character that you think was completely unnecessary to the show?

Detective Jules from PD, she gets killed off really early on into the series so I didn't get an emotional attachment to her and tbh whenever I go to rewatch season one I forget who she is every time. Don't know why they put her in the show if she was just going to leave right away.

12. What’s one thing/scene that you found completely unrealistic?

Anything with a character getting seriously injured and then going back to work a few weeks later. And for some of the injuries, going back to work at all. I'm sorry, but I'd have to imagine that the CFD wouldn't approve of someone with heart or spine problems working as a firefighter.

13. What’s a ship that you love but was never canon?

Rheese, they had some great interaction season one and I thought the writers were gonna do something with that but they didn't which was disappointing. Also, they hinted a bit at Matt Casey/Natalie Manning for a couple episodes and it thought that was a good pairing (though I am a brettsey and manstead shipper at heart).

16. Who’s your favourite of the OC kids (i.e. Owen Manning, Lexi Olinksy, Hermann Horde)?

We don't see a lot of the kids unfortunately, I think that showing the characters with their families definitely would've raised the shows up, but they only ever have the kids come in to guest star every once and a while, and the writers wrote a lot of them off which was also annoying. I'd have to say the Darden boys (when they were younger) in part because we saw them the most, but also because it was great to watch their relationship develop. The writers fudged with their ages though, cause they were 8 and 10 in season one iirc so they would've been 18 and 20 now, but I get that they did that so that Jesse could leave the show (I'm hoping it's only a haitus but I'm not holding my breath).

19. Who would you like to return to OC?

I haven't been watching any of the shows since the start of September (I got busy, a bunch of my fav characters all left at the same time, I can't stand the crappy writing right now), so idk who would fit well into the current dynamic, but the two characters who come to mind are Sarah Reese and Julie Tay.

20. Who do you want to never return to OC?

Sean Roman. Ugh. He's such an ass and I will forever be ticked off that he's who the writers decided to bring back for an episode.

21. Who do you think should be killed off/leave OC next?

Like for question 19, I haven't seen the recent episodes so I don't really know what's happening aside from the occasional tumblr post, but the two I've wanted off the show for a while are Daniel Charles (manipulative, child-abandoning asshole) and Hank Voight (dirty corrupt cop, is also an asshole).

[moonlightchn]

¡𝕸𝖊𝖗𝖗𝖞 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖒𝖆𝖘!

@mafia-chae ; @skz-cb ; @xash-axx ; @madmanwoodam ; @hunter-chaeyoung ; @vampiremomo ; @shin-haneul ; @babie-sanie ; @caimchris ; @song-mingi-cb ; @mafiaxnct127 ; @starsirah-oc .

Soooo it's already Christmas where I am 👉🏻👈🏻 I wish you guys Merry Christmas even if some of you don't like it or are having a though time or don't celebrate! Because, just a few days ago I was telling one of you how I was raised to understand Christmas as an event in which you get to see your family and/or those you love. It's not about the presents or the food or stuff like that, right? It's about, y'know sometimes friends drift apart or families live in different places, or a year like this one, you really weren't allowed to go out so you missed chances and people, so Christmas its about being together again. About connecting again and sharing and y'know just taking the opportunity to show each other how much you love them regardless of anything that may have happened. As I said yesterday, it's time to reach out to those with whom you might have had a disagreement and fix things, time to reach out to those family members who you haven't seen in forever, time to call those friends you didn't talk to throughout the year for different reasons... And like, I'm lucky enough to be able to say my family is here so I see them all the time, my one friend is here so we talk all the time. The only people that I actually wish I could hug and be able to meet and smooch... are you guys.

Some of you have been here since I first started, some say they were but were intimidated (bitch were), some came waaaay later but have also already found their place inside me. My heart and mind and my everything really. I dont think you guys actually understand how much you mean to me, not as your characters or in like, bot land. But as admins. As the wonderful people all of you genuinely are. Because I've come to know you guys on admin level and its dumb maybe but with some of you it feels like we've known each other forever. We may not really know much about each other but... But we do know a lot. Its things that you get to pick up from interactions and then seeing how you manage your bots, really. It's so easy sometimes to pinpoint where the line gets blurry with some attitudes and so... We know each other a lot for a bunch or dumbasses on tumblr, uh? And I love you guys so much. Like, if we end up drifting apart once the bot hype dies that would be ok I guess? Because I know you'd still be a part of me and I'm, after what, 5 months? I'm taking a lot of memories already. So I think that's cool?

I was talking to another one of you about biggest fears the other time, and we both agreed that we want to leave a mark of some sort. We want to be remembered for something. Not like, live on and on in time, y'know? But if something were to happen, we would like at least one person to remember us. So I guess if one of you shares that, you should know you did leave a mark. With me and I can assure you with everyone else who has ever interacted with you. This community is something that I will 100% bring up in 60 years to someone at the bus stop and be like "in my days we made friends online!!1!1!!1" lmao can you imagine in 60 years trying to explain what tumblr was bye this app will probably die in the next 6-10 or so anyway I guess what I'm trying to say is that in such a short period of time you've really turned into some very important people for me for a thousand different reasons really. Some of you I go to for comfort even if you don't know it, with some I rant, with some I feel useful, with some I feel helpful, with some I feel safe... and that's cool. It's cool that we're able to find second families and such honest friends and bond over dumb stuff like pets and music. I just hope it can be the same way for you, y'know? lmao it would be weird otherwise rip. I hope you can find in me someone with whom you feel safe or at peace or relaxed. Someone you can trust or go to for entertainment. I really hope I get to be someone for you too.

Anyway this got long as fuck so I will be @ leaving now. Not like I'm here anyway this is scheduled you've been played LMAO but yeah you get me. I hope you can find a way to make holidays and New years worth it. I always say that if you smiled at least ONCE genuinely the whole day, then it was a success. So I hope you keep looking for reasons to smile, and be happy, and just trying to make the best out the worst situations. Y'all are so strong and capable and beautiful and smart and loving and caring and unique and magical and selfless and funny and sentimental and some of you are stubborn and some of you are shy and some of you are scaredy but all the things you are, they're perfect and make you the great person you are so always remember that.

Ok admin is out bye I love you guys 💗💞💖💕💝💓💗💘💞💕💖💗💓💞💗💘💞💕💖💗💓💞💘💗💞💕💖💝💗💓💘💞💝💕💖💗💞💓💘💞💝💗💕💖💘💞💓💝💗💘💞💕💖💝💗💓💘💞💗💝💓💕💖💗💞💓💘💗💞💝💗💕💖💘💓💞💝💗💘💕💖💞💗💓💘💞💝💗💕💖💘💓💞💝💖💕💝💗💓💘💞💘💓💗💕💖💝💞💗💓💘

[queerchoicesblog]

That's enough.

I said I would have never posted anon hate but I changed my mind: just this screenshot to show publicly how vile this is.

To answer briefly to the nice words, I will leave whenever I want to, NOT when a bunch of anons decide so.

My writing may not be for everyone and that's okay, feel free to see it as crap. I left the fandom because it was too toxic and these messages just confirms it. And my friendships here or in the real world are none of your business. If you refers to who I think you are, let me tell you that even though we often are on different sides, he has done more for me in terms of support and simply being there for me when I needed someone to talk or comforting words than the whole wlw side of this hellsite.

As for the accusation, I haven't bullied anyone to leave: had you followed me, you would have known I've stopped giving a damn about this website long ago and I was barely online, only when I posted fics. My only guess is that anon refers to a personal post I made concerning her that I quickly deleted out of a respect I'm not even sure she fully deserves but I will not discuss other private details publicly and taking the high road is always the right choice. I'm not proud of it, I apologised but it has no correlation with her decision to leave tumblr (that happened weeks ago, btw). Forever or temporarily, God knows and frankly, I don't care. I've burnt bridges with her so I cannot help you, heartbroken anon.

These messages though sound more like bullying. I wonder if it's a coincidence that I get the hate for the first time since I joined now that I posted that post I'm pretty sure most haven't even seen over here since I'm far from popular and I was gone too for a while. What is this? Angry guerrilla fans resorting to threats and bullying? Stinks like it but I'll try not to be malicious since I have no proof.

I'll tell you nicely: just F*CK OFF and tell it in my face if you have anything to say like a functioning human, not this BS. Otherwise, be a kind and let me grieve in peace: I hardly slept last night, I feel like crap so I'm in no mood for cowards like you, now. Civil anons, feel free to message me if you have anything to say, I'm not at my best but I don't bite.

All those IPs are now blocked.

Anon asks are now closed for a while: if you want to throw threats and hate you'll have to show your ugly face, sorry cowards 🤷🏼‍♀️

P.S. Last anon, this not applies to you. I'm thankful for your message, it means a lot 😘

[hail-tommy-shelby]

Night At The Garrison (A Tommy Shelby Imagine)

Wattpad - @BRINGMETHECHLOE

Tumblr - @hail-tommy-shelby

{This is the first smut imagine I have wrote so forgive me if it's not the best. I would love your feedback after you have read it, if there are things I need to improve on I'd love it if you would tell me. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

If you like this imagine I will be posting more on this Tumblr for you to read. I am also starting a full fanfiction for Tommy Shelby on my wattpad which will have many chapters.

I hope you enjoy my writing. Happy reading.}

For as long as I can remember it's always been me and Ada. Ever since we were children you couldn't find one of us without the other. We used to say it was me and her against the world and we continued that way forever. Being best friends with her for this long we are more like sisters now. Such a close bond that can never be broken. We have no secrets between us, never will. No secret could be too big that we couldn't tell. That's how I knew about her and Freddie Thorne long before anyone else. I keep her secrets and she keeps mine. I was also the first to find out when she got pregnant. Me and Polly were the only ones that knew.

Polly and I are very close too. She classes me as family and has done since I was little. With me and Ada so close I practically grew up with and around the Shelby's. Polly and Ada treated me like family and the brothers always treated me well, especially John. Arthur used to tease him saying he loved me.

As I got older the way the Shelby's treated me never changed. They always made sure I was okay and kept me close. Tommy however, Tommy changed towards me. We used to talk, joke and have a laugh, then it all seemed to stop. He started talking to me less and less until I only got the occasional word out of him. I never knew why. I guess as he took on more and more responsibility with Shelby Company Limited he had no time to waste talking to his little sisters friend.

As the company got bigger and I grew up Polly insisted they give me a job. Now years later here I am, still working for the company and still as close to Ada and Polly as ever.

Now I spend most days working with the girls while doing the books. I've always loved working with them, it's always a laugh with Polly and Esme. After she married John getting to know her, me and Esme became great friends. We get along well and I'm glad John has someone like her, she's good for him.

Lizzie is the only other girl to work with us doing the books sometimes. She doesn't say much especially to me. I always get the feeling she really dislikes me and sometimes at work I catch her staring at me. I really don't understand Lizzie. I know Esme really doesn't like her. As soon as she found out John slept with her and nearly married her that was it. The dislike was clear. I don't think Polly is particularly a fan of her either. Her and Esme have this joke that Lizzie's mood that day depends on if she's currently fucking Tommy or not. I try not to think of it as the thought makes me feel sick.

Only Ada knows this but when I was younger I always hoped I would end up with him. I mean who wouldn't? Tommy is absolutely gorgeous. As I grew older I knew me and him would never be together and I accept that now. I still think he's stunning but I know he won't be mine. I just hope he finds someone that truly loved him and doesn't just want to fuck him.

Now here I am. I've finished work for the day and I'm at Polly's house with her and Ada. Tonight is a big night. Arthur and Tommy have completely done up the garrison and tonight is it's grand opening. Everyone is going to be there. The whole Shelby family and everyone who works for them. I'm really looking forward to it. Ada has a babysitter for Karl so we decided tonight we are going all out.

Me, Ada and Polly are getting ready, knowing tonight is a big deal we all want to look out best. After a bit of consideration I decide I'm going to wear my best stuff and dress up. For a little confidence I put on my black lace bra and panties with a matching garter belt that holds up my stockings. Just knowing I'm wearing this boosts my confidence greatly.

Getting dressed I start to put on my black embroidered dress which I bought just for the occasion. I love the dress as it hugs my hips and falls to my knees. It shows off my body nicely and looks great with the black heels I've paired with it.

After finishing my hair I stare into the mirror and smile. I apply a final coat of red lipstick and give myself an all over glance. There ready. I look good. I feel good. Tonight is going to be great.

Polly and Ada are ready soon after me, both looking gorgeous. With all of us happy it's time, we step out the house onto the streets of Birmingham and get into the car. It's not a long ride to the garrison and we are there rather quickly. The closer we get there I notice the more noise I hear. As we pull up on the street I hear it clearly, jazz music playing, people laughing and singing. By just the sound alone you would know it's a party.

Getting out the car I look at Polly, she has a huge smile on her face. Slowly the three of us start to walk and we reach the doors of the garrison.

"Tonight's gonna be a good night girls" I hear Ada from next to me before she swings the doors open.

As soon as I enter and my feet hit the floor I have to take a moment to take in my surroundings. The new garrison looks phenomenal, so fancy and so gold. The entire place was gold and all the chairs red velvet. A jazz band are playing next to the dance floor where many couples are already dancing. I've never seen the garrison this busy before. Everyone I know is here. Looking to the bar I can see Arthur behind it giving out bottles of champagne, with a big smile on his face. He looks really happy tonight, I've not seen him this happy in a while.

Looking around the room I take in the sights and atmosphere of the place when I suddenly feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind. Gasping I turn around shocked to see a laughing face behind me.

"Fucking John" I shout hitting him on the shoulder which gets Ada and Polly laughing.

"Some things never change" Polly laughs then directs us all to the table where Esme is already sat.

John finds his seat next to Esme and pulls out a bottle of whiskey "I must say you all look lovely."

"Aren't you a charmer" I joke taking a seat next to Ada.

Cracking open the bottle of whiskey conversation and drink flowed equally. Before I knew it the bottle is empty, I'm a little tipsy and Ada is pulling me up to dance.

Finding a rhythm to the music we start to dance in the middle of the floor. We twirl eachother shaking our hips and laughing like a bunch of children. I keep turning and twirling until I feel it. I feel like someone is watching me. Turning around once more I spot it. I could only take a quick glance but I spot it, I know those eyes. Swaying my hips in a new direction I turn both me and Ada around so I can face him. There he is, looking as good as ever and looking at me. Thomas Shelby.

Tommy is sat at a table, a glass of whiskey in one hand and a cigarette in the other. I notice Lizzie is sat with him. Both of them are not talking and they're both looking at me. Why are they looking at me? They have never payed any attention to me, so why now? Both of them staring like this is making me nervous.

I focus back on my dancing trying to distant myself from the thought of them both looking at me. I spin Ada around as she does the same to me, as I turn around I see Lizzie. She doesn't look very happy as she walks out the garrison. I take a look at Tommy to see if something had happened but his eyes haven't moved from me at all. He's looking at me so intently it almost scares me. Every nerve in my body is telling me to look away but I can't. I continue swinging my hips but my eyes lay on him as his are on me.

Oh those eyes, those amazing bright blue eyes. The way he's looking at me, it's like he can see inside me soul. I've never experienced something so intense. This one look from him and my body is on fire. One look from him and I'd do anything he asked. This man, the man who with one stare has me completely at his will.

I snap myself out of my thoughts, I need a drink.

"I'm going to the bar" I shout to Ada over the music then walk to get a drink. As I reach the bar I notice I'm breathing heavy and feel hot. I order two whiskeys and wonder if Tommy is still watching me. Chancing another look, I see he's still there staring at me. Why is he doing this? I down one of my whiskeys hoping it will calm my nerves, then I see it. He's smirking at me. Thomas Shelby smirking at me. Maybe he knows the effect he has on me. Oh god I hope not.

Avoiding his gaze I take my whiskey and go and sit with Polly.

"Are you alright Hun? You look hot" she asks.

My cheeks heat even more "I'm out of breath from dancing" I lie which makes Polly laugh.

After some conversation I start to zone out, John, Esme and Polly continue talking while I just think. My mind wonders back to Tommy. I don't understand what's going on. He never pays attention to me and then tonight, the way he's looking at me. What's changed? And that smirk, I've never seen that before. The way his lips looked so desirable. The man is so unbelievably sexy. Crossing my legs I snap myself out of my thoughts and drink another whiskey.

A few bottles of whiskey and a lot of dancing later the night has flown by. Everybody else has gone and the only people left are me, Ada, Polly, Arthur, and Tommy. The band left so the only music playing is coming from a gramophone.

Even though it's late me and Ada are still dancing. Ada seems to be very drunk and stumbling while twirling around. As I shake my hips I hear a loud bang which I turn to see is Ada, she's on the floor laughing hysterically.

"Bloody hell Ada, how much have you had to drink?" I hear Arthur moan as he helps her up. I can't help but giggle as I continue to twirl.

Arthur picks Ada up in his arms and Polly grabs her things "come on you, let's get you home."

I keep dancing with closed eyes just focusing on moving my body to the music. After the song finishes I open my eyes to see only Tommy. The rest of them have gone. Tommy is sat down with a drink watching me. As I realize it's only me and him left I stop dancing and sit down at the table. Me and Tommy haven't been alone together in years, this is new. Looking up at him, he has poured us both a glass of whiskey and I reach for a cigarette. Almost instantly Tommy holds a lot match up to me. I slowly lean towards him lighting my cigarette while looking into his eyes. Just looking at him nerves travel through my body.

"The place looks great" I say taking a drag and trying to make conversation.

"You looked like you had a good time" he stated "you're a good dancer."

I drink the whiskey trying not to blush "I love to dance."

"You know I've not danced all night."

I gulp as he stands up Infront of me putting out his hand.

"Dance with me."

I take a moment to watch him shocked before putting out my cigarette and taking his hand.

Tommy leads me to the dance floor before putting one hand on the small of my back and mine in his other.

After a second, he slowly starts to move, pulling me closer to him. The dance is simple and slow. Tommy leads and I follow his movements. Turning us around slowly he then lifts up my arm and gets me to twirl. I couldn't help but laugh as he takes my hand again, "I don't believe I've ever seen you dance Mr Shelby."

"I am a man of many talents" he spoke turning is around.

"I'm sure you are" I smile.

I can't believe this is happening. I'm dancing with Tommy. I've never seen this side of him before. He's being so sweet.

Pulling me closer I feel Tommy's head in the crack of my neck. Every breath he takes I can feel, each almost sending shivers down my spine. Taking a deep breath I take in his scent as I feel his hand on my waist. He smells amazing. I've never noticed that before. It's like a mix of cigarettes, whiskey, smoke and pure Tommy Shelby. Can this man be anymore perfect?

As the song finishes I slowly pull away "I guess I should be getting home."

Tommy insisted he would drive me and the entire ride home made conversation. This is the most I've spoken to him in a long time. He asked about me and how I was doing and I asked about him and the company. As we arrive at my place I've had such a good time with him I don't want him to leave. "Thank you for driving me home."

"It was my pleasure" Tommy turns off the car, gets out and opens the car door for me.

"Thank you." Walking to my front door Tommy is right behind me. I get out my keys unlocking the door before turning to face home. "Thanks again for driving me home."

Tommy steps forward his arms wrapping around my waist, mine instantly wrap around his neck.

"Tommy I " before I could finish talking his lips are on mine.

His lips, which I thought would be tough are soft and plump. The kiss starts out soft, both of us getting used to each other before it depends. His tongue invading my mouth as a moan escapes my lips. Not wanting the kiss to end I pull Tommy into my house shutting the door. My back hits the wall as his hands find my hips, sighing into his mouth I tug on his hair.

My mouth finds he jaw as our hands fumble to take each others coats off. Once achieved my hands start undoing shirt buttons revealing his chest. Tommy's lips move lower sucking on the sensitive skin on my neck making me moan, "Tommy."

"Jump" he whispers heavily in my ear, I do exactly as he says wrapping my legs around his waist, my hands clawing at his chest. In this position I feel him. I can feel him growing hard underneath me, our clothes an unwanted barrier. My hips involentry rock back and forth the sensation making me want a sweet release. I hear Tommy groan biting my neck at the feeling, "where's your room?"

"Upstairs to the right."

With no hesitation Tommy carries me upstairs placing me on my bed before pulling away. "No Tommy I want you."

"Patience love" he smirks looking down at me "you have me." Leaning over me he rejoins his lips to mine. "Your'e wearing too many clothes" he breathes pulling away.

I'm now sat on the edge of the bed with Tommy on the floor between my legs. I feel his hands slowly stroking my thighs then higher and higher as he lifts off my dress. I don't know what it is but him undressing me like this feels so intimate, like he's finally seeing me after all these years. Throwing my dress to the floor he removes my shoes then lays me flat.

I can't see him but I can feel him. A kiss on my upper thigh makes me squirm.

"Stay still."

I do as I'm told and relax my body. Another kiss on my thigh has my senses heighten but I stay still following his instructions. Slowly he kisses down my leg bring my stocking with him. As he makes his way all the way down he removes my stocking before starting again on the other, only this time slower.

The feeling of him slowly undressing me, his mouth on my legs is magical. I close my eyes focusing on the feeling. As he finishes removing the last stocking my body ignites with anticipation. My legs are now completely bare and his hands wonder over the newly unclothed skin.

Lowering his head between my thighs I feel his breath against my underwear. "Tommy please" I gasp.

"You are so beautiful."

His breath hits my sensitive area making my nipple's harden. Sitting me up, Tommy's mouth is on mine again, his tongue taking over mine as I pull on his hair earning me a growl that makes my body clench. The kiss becomes more urgent as he takes off my bra throwing it to the floor.

"Lay back" he instructs standing up.

Groaning at the loss I do as he says laying back down, Tommy standing over me.

"My my what a beautiful sight."

I bite my lip at his words watching him look at every inch of my body. As Tommy looks over me he removes the rest of his clothes.

"So so beautiful."

A shocked gasp escapes my mouth as he removes his boxers leaving him completely naked. His erect penis at full attention. He's so big! This man could not get any more perfect if he tried. He's a masterpiece.

Tommy urgently returns his lips to mine as he lays on top of me, my hands exploring his back and arms. I feel him nudge my legs apart with his knee as he settles in-between them. The tip of his penis touching my clothed core.

I moan into the kiss at the sensation, his hands finding their way to my breast. Kissing down my jaw to my neck his mouth then latches on to one of my nipples. Tommy's mouth is sucking on one nipple as his fingers play with the other. He leaves no part of my breast ignored as his mouth and hands explore every inch of my sensitive skin.

Continuing to give me pleasure he removes the last of my underwear so I am completely naked beneath him. I can't believe I am naked underneath Thomas Shelby. The man I've always wanted and here he is giving me such pleasure. His hands don't move from my breasts as he starts to kiss over my stomach. Many emotions are filling my head, lust, joy, impatience and I feel quite vulnerable. Being in this position is so overwhelming I'm vulnerable to his every touch and would do anything he asks of me.

Slowly as he kisses sloppily lower down my stomach I feel him open my legs wider. He can see me, all of me. Just knowing he can see every crevasse of my body makes my heart race and pussy wet.

"Tommy please" I moan a little breathless. My need for him growing to a unbearable height.

"You're so wet for me" I hear him groan.

Biting my lip I run my hands through my hair trying to control my urges.

"I want a taste."

As soon as the words leave his mouth I am hit with a wave of pleasure. His mouth has attached itself to my clit licking and sucking on every nerve, a familiar throbbing taking over.

"Fuck" I moan my hands grabbing into his hair. The feeling of his mouth on me is indescribable. My hips involentry bucking at the pleasure "Tommy I need you, fuck me."

Tommy sits up, his mouth grazing mine, I can feel my wetness on his lips. "You want me to fuck you?" As the words leave his mouth. I feel the force of his two fingers enter me making me moan.

"Fuck yes."

He circles his fingers inside me the pleasure intense "with these?"

"No" I whimper trying to distant myself from the pleasure for a second. "With these" I moan grabbing his hardened cock.

Tommy shudders at my touch as I stroke him, his penis rock hard in my hand "please Tommy."

Removing his fingers from inside me he stops my hand from stroking him. My knees open wider as he sets himself in-between grabbing himself, "you want this?"

My hips buckle at his voice my pussy dripping wet "yes."

Laying his body on mine he kisses my lips. I want him so much. The kiss is full of urgency and need.

Moaning I feel his cock rub against my clit in circles. I break the kiss and look up at him and he at me. Its only a moment but we just look at eachother, almost taking eachother in before locking lips again.

Slowly I feel him sink into me, his lips silenting my screams. He feels so good inside me, almost heavenly. His big cock fills my full leaving no empty space.

Rocking his hips I feel every inch of him as he feels me wrapped around him. "You feel so good."

Knowing I'm giving Tommy pleasure turns me on more. Starting slow at first I can see his eyes scrunch up at the feeling of being inside me.

"Please Tommy deeper" I whimper in his ear wanting more of him if it was even possible.

"Fuck" he groans at the sound of my voice before thrusting into me at a breathtaking pace.

I wrap my legs around him and pull his body flat against me. The feeling of him is almost too much, the familiar pressure building up inside me. Bucking my hips to meet his every thrust he pins my wrists above my head leaving me unable to move, then continuing to pound into me mercilessly. I have no control or choice but to take every ounce of pleasure he is giving to me.

"Fuck Tommy" as his pace fastens I know I will definitely be bruised tomorrow. Each thrust has me closer and closer to the edge bringing tears to my eyes the pleasure that intense. It's like nothing I've ever felt. I never want this to end, I want to stay like this with him forever.

I feel my insides start to tighten and clench as Tommy goes deeper and faster.

"Cum for me."

I can't speak no words will leave my mouth, nothing but my moans and whimpers. I wrap my legs tighter around him not wanting to lose any part of this blissful feeling. A few more deep thrusts and my body begins to shake. I close my eyes tight shut and hold onto Tommy for dear life. In just a few seconds my orgasm rips through my body as I scream Tommy's name over and over.

Feeling my muscles clench around Tommy his thrust start to get sloppy and his cock starts to twitch. Two thrusts later his orgasm hits it's high and I feel him cum inside me.

Trying to catch our breath we both lay there still connected, both letting the other calm down after our highs. Silence fills the room, nothing is heard now except our deep breaths.

As we both com round I whimper as Tommy removes himself from me and lays back down.

"That was ..." I pant.

"Great?"

"Better" I smile laying my head on his chest " we should do it again sometime."

"Oh we will be."

I giggle as we both lay there starting to fall asleep. Tonight was the best night of my life, I've never felt this happy and content. We wrap our arms around eachother and close our eyes letting sleep take over our bodies.

I hope you liked it. As I said it was my first ever smut written so if you have any advice or feedback I would be so grateful if you message me. Thanks for reading.

[euphoriacrossing]

So while I sit here trying to get normal balloon spawns...

I may as well write a blog. I am using a guide post on how to catch normal balloon spawns to try and get more cherry blossom recipes. Well I am only half using it.. I am camping on the beach waiting for normal balloon spawns instead of going there every 0/5 ending minute. I'll share the guide on here after this if I remember, but I already got one new cherry blossom recipe just by camping on the side of the beach that balloon spawns are coming from and ignoring the bunny day balloons, so I think this could work, too.

Anyway, now story mode is over, but I still have so, so much to do that it's not even funny. I am making it my main priority to save miles up to buy all the different paths and stuff. I think I have three left to buy so roughly 6,000 miles to earn. But saving miles means making less bells as Nook mile trips are where I made the most, I think. And now I can't take them because I have no miles/am saving miles and so I don't have the bells to pay off my house or to build a new bridge or any of the things I am saving for. But in part the fact it is harder to save bells just makes it feel like I have more to do and that is comforting in a way. I want the appeal of this game to last forever but I know my brain doesn't work like that. Still for now it's the best distraction I have and I'm grateful for it.

Having the ability to make paths is tough because it's just another million decisions to make and hope I get it right or can redo it better or whatever, so that Euphoria becomes the island I dreamed it could be. Right now I have a lot of dirt paths and I think they look okay. But I plan on redoing them someday with either custom paths or maybe just the arched tile ones... I like that path style. Still I started when I just had dirt so I just kind of kept going that way.

It looks alright, I think, especially at the entrance. I haven't finished a lot of the paths on either the right (residential) side or the left (wooded area/orchard) but I have mostly finished the center which is shops and such.

(So far I've gotten a normal balloon spawn every 5 minutes! So it works to just hang around the beach and then look for the spawns at every 0 and 5 ending minute. Edit: Aw, nope just didn't get that last one... I am probably doing something wrong then. Oops Edit2: Definitely doing something wrong. Didn't get a spawn again. Oh well I'll check the guide again once I finish this post. I am also watching for wishing stars so it won't be a total waste.. though I haven't seen any of those either. Last edit: Guide said spawns don't happen every time AND I just got another regular balloon, so maybe I'm fine? I hope I am not just wasting time.)

I am moving most of the houses before I do the paths on that side which is ANOTHER expense for sure, but after seeing a couple of my friend's islands, I knew I could make the houses probably a bit straighter and I decided I want them not quite as closer together as I want everyone to be able to have a yard. One of my friends has houses that are PIN straight and have little yards to them. I don't think I can accomplish that. But I do think I can space them out far enough to fence them in and have little yards.

So I started with the last to move in which was Marina. I put her in a space both by the beach, and by my house because even though she just moved in we're absolute besties. No but honestly, I love her. She sings like everywhere she goes and it's adorable.

I would move Beau next but I think he might stay close to where he is. Unfortunately if I have to move him a little bit I first have to move his house out of the way and then move it back because you can't move buildings just a tad, you have to find a whole new spot. This is why I had to move the whole museum to a new spot as it was slightly out of line and i couldn't just move it to where it lined up. I wish i had known this when i put things there. I didn't take care placing anything because I knew it could be moved. I only ASSUMED it could be moved a small amount as well especially since I assumed correctly that you were paying for it. But no, so oh well, now I have to come up with new spots for things, that's fine. Luckily both Nook's Cranny and the Able Sisters I got in perfect alignment with resident services like I wanted to so they're all on one straight path.

Anyway, I hope I can get it looking like i want it to. I thought that decorating it how I wanted would be the hardest because I still need to find all the furniture. But the paths might give that a run for it's money when we talk about difficulty level if you include trying to get all the houses in the right position and such.

But as hard as I've been "working" (it's definitely still fun or I wouldn't do it) I have found plenty of time for play as well. Yesterday morning I visited a friend for her KK Slider concert. I luckily have a good group of friends from a discord I'm part of and a lot of them are from other countries so they experience stuff before I do and things like that. So a bunch of us visited her for her KK concert and we did some of that...

And then things got a little wild...

Lol, it was fun. I thought for a second about the state of the world but I didn't panic thankfully. I just saw a bunch of us coming together from across the globe, some of us in quaratine, almost all of us at least ADVISED not to go out unless necessary. The world is a scary place right now, but the fact we could still come together from across the globe to be silly and enjoy a game together makes me feel like everything might be alright. I mean, it would still be cool even if these things weren't going on, but the fact they are abd socialization is becoming more difficult than ever, it's cool to see an alternate means of that in action.

I can't believe I took no pictures of her super straight houses, ugh, if I go again, I will have to, they are literally perfect.

And the weirdest thing about all of this to me is how included i feel in all of this. We're all on a small AC discord together and it seems like a lot of them have maybe known each other a while. But unlike a lot of other places it doesn't feel cliquey to me. I've always been welcome to come to their islands, and they have always been very courteous when any of them have come to mine. They act as happy to see me as they do anyone else. And I've only known them a short time so it would usually feel strange to call them "friends" but it doesn't. Now obviously they could feel differently but if they do they don't show it. I am incredibly grateful to have found them. I really couldn't ask for a better group of people to play with.

I actually was invited from this tumblr. Likely after I made some kind of post about not feeling like I belonged in the AC community or something similarly emo and whiny, I'm sure. So I am surprised I was invited at all, but I am so thankful I was. It was just what i was looking for in the AC community.

(Yes! I learned cherry blossom umbrella! Balloon hunting is going fairly well considering I only had like two of the cherry blossom DIYs total before I started and now in about an hour I've doubled that.)

I do have some facebook friends and such I have play AC with, and I am also grateful for them as well of course. It has brought us closer together and I am thankful for that. I have one friend who we constantly send each other gifts like if we accidentally got two of something or a DIY we already have or just if we think something is cool, it's really fun. I enjoy mail as much in game as I do in real life.

But yeah, I was nervous when this game first came out that I would be stuck playing just with my sister. And don't get me wrong I love playing the game with her, we always have a good time. But sometimes you need socialization beyond your own family and I really saw this as my one chance to connect since I'm not very social, I am very anxious, and I just struggle with these things. I may have been right about it being my best chance at connection because I can hide a lot of the awkwardness in game. Very thankfully though, I found people who accept what I can't hide in game. And who accept me. For some reason that's just been really hard to do. Every community I am a part of I feel like an outsider until now. But yeah, I am looking forward to a continued friendship with these people and continuing to enjoy the game moving forward.

I guess I've rambled enough. I still need to get more balloons, but I can't write here forever. Though... I frequently do write far too much here and I wonder if it get read. If it doesn't I don't blame ya. But yeah. I will leave you with this adorable pic I took while Marina was singing... you can't really tell she was singing, but still, she's adorable either way.

(And don't you love this dress? I have it in I think 4 different colors, I just love it.)

[windschildfanfictionwriter]

Hi! I'm a huge fan of your fanfics (especially The Boogeyman) and blog, but haven't signed up for Tumblr until today. My favorite part of your writing, aside from plot+characterization, is the dialogue. May I ask what's your work process with it like? How do you come up with something that doesn't only push the plot forward, but also interesting to read? Thank you!

Thanks for the great Ask!

When it comes to writing Dialogue, it’s all about how you approach a scene. Knowing what you want from a scene is half the battle.

Tone

Is this Confrontational? Comforting? Depressing? Is this a victory? A cutesy fluff scene?

What is coming away from this conversation?

1)Do you want one person to notice something?

a)Have them notice it at the most inconvenient of times so that they can mull it over or they can either dismiss it (perfect guilt material later) or they can overdramatize it a bit when it's not even particularly important.

b) Or have them notice something small that is actually really important and have them confront the person in a subtle way only to be rebuffed which puts into play detective mode

2) Do you want a secret to be revealed?

-Don’t be dramatic about it. Have both characters do something normal and have it come out in an accidental way that leaves both the reader and the characters shocked

-Or, if you are dramatic, then tie it in with dramatic action. Neville passes out while the moving stairs are well, moving, and falls towards the edge. Ron and Harry leap forward and grasp ahold of him, one of them nearly falling off the very long drop in order to do so. Dramatic actiony way to reveal… Nev is anemic.

-Is this to give advice or to spew condemnation?

NOW

-If its just advice then it has to be something fun… like… Neville is being bullied again and Ron steps in, but it's during a huge Quidditch Rally so everything is loud and they are being pushed around and Ron grips Neville’s arm and says something like: “Their inner voice is as bad as yours is, you know! Stand up to them and they’ll back off! I promise it's scary but…!” And a firework cuts between them. Ron pushes Neville back, out of its way, and when Neville looks up, he’s grinning. “But once you do it the first time it gets less scary. Like how you can tell me to sod off after you stood up to us in first year, yeah?” A loud boom explodes near them. Neville ducks and in doing so slams right into Ron. “I don't think I can!” Neville says a bit depressed. They both duck under another firework. “You can! I know you can! We all know you can because we’ve all seen it!”

And if its:

-If its condemnation or hatred then make it quiet. Make it personal. Make it short. Don’t linger after the character has been mentally slaughtered. Leave them alone. Like. Luna Lovegood in Ravenclaw is known to be bullied but we don’t really see it too much in person through Harry but more the after effects so a scene where a group of girls just… walk by her, pause, and lean towards her to say something like: “Your crush on Ron is humiliating, you know? At least before only the Ravenclaws knew you were a crazy freak, now every house knows.” And then the girls just keep walking and Luna is left there. Alone.

d) Or anger. Anger should always be passionate and fast.

“Harry’s friendship isn’t a competition,” Ron growled, shoving Selwyn off of him.

“Clearly, seeing how underwhelming the competition is,” Selwyn drawled.

Ron almost acted like the better man. He almost walked away. He almost did what Harry would have wanted him to. Fuck it. He got in Selwyn’s face, one finger jabbing into the shorter man’s chest.

“Harry Potter is not a trophy. His friendship isn’t some fucking ‘whose best’ or ‘who deserves to stand by his side.’ Look around you! Look at the things my graduating class has accomplished. Look at Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan. Look at Ernie McMillan and Hannah Abbot. Hell, look at Draco fucking Malfoy if you want. You think if Harry was trying to find the best he’d picked me?! You’re out of your fucking mind.”

Ron jabbed him again, forcing Selwyn to take a step back.

“You think he stood there, looking at all the great people at Hogwarts and decided, you know what? I want that miserable, temper ridden jackass as my best friend. I want that argumentative pain in the ass whose got nothing special about him as the one I spend all my time with. No! He bloody well didn’t. You don’t pick your best friends. It just happens.”

Ron jabbed him again.

“And you know what? I don’t just have Harry as a best friend, he has me, and I’ve followed him through hell and back, so if you think some arrogant, know it all little shit is going to make me roll over then you’ve got another thing coming. BE HIS FRIEND! He needs more friends, but don’t you fucking sit there and say I don’t deserve his friendship. I need Harry, sure, but he needs me too.”

“Yeah? And what could you possibly offer Potter? What could some low income, none graduate, barely passing Auror Trainee possibly offer to the guy who defeated Voldemort?”

“The clothes off my back,” Ron snapped. “He has my time, my home, my trust, my loyalty. Harry James Potter can have every cent I have, every minute of my day, every ounce of my being, my very life. And he doesn’t even need to ask for it. He’s got it. I’m not much, but he has it.”

Ron pushed passed Selwyn then, their shoulder’s colliding hard. His captain didn’t turn around and didn’t call after him. Not that Ron would have listened if he had. He was boiling over in fury and ready to punch the man in the face. Best to get out before he did something that would have not so fun consequences, despite knowing he wouldn’t regret it. There were few things Ron regretted and only two people who he possessed it for and it certainly wasn’t Selwyn.

3) Do you want to inform the audience?

-If so then you should try to do it in a tense angsty way like… he’s being informed about… let’s say something boring like how to transfigure paper into rock… right? Because it's relevant to the future in the story. Well, how about Ron got detention and McGonagall is giving this lecture while Ron is scrubbing her desks and mentally freaking out about ‘something very angsty.’ This way later on, when the boring lecture becomes relevant, it was done in such a way that we, the reader, we didn’t think it was relevant until this very moment.

4) Do you want to create character development?

Try doing it with a plot point. Like… let’s say that your plot is an Auror Ron like the Argument above: So I want Ron to get on a different Auror team than Harry, to have to prove himself to a bunch of Aurors that don’t think Ron should be here. So I’m not just going to have a random conversation, every time Ron gets into it with someone or is working with someone, I want Ron and the other person to either

-Grow more and more tense

-Grow more and more relaxed

-Basically, change to become a bit different, to grow in some way whether it's in bitterness or rejection or fondness or tolerance. It has to be significant.

Once you know what you want from a scene, write out anything and everything you want THEN look at where the important stuff starts and where it ends. This is the really important part.

CUT EVERYTHING ELSE.

If it's awkward or lengthy or sounds too much like a normal conversation then you don’t need it. This is hard because you wrote it and you want it, but trust me, it's necessary.

Remember: Normal everyday conversations are boring. We want what’s important and what is relevant to the characters. All the extra stuff can go.

Don’t Do this: A few tricks to improve your dialogue

1)Try not to use a person’s name in a sentence if you can help it. It gets annoying

2) If the conversation is between two people and they have distinct personalities, then you can keep the ‘Hermione said’ and ‘Ron said’ to a minimum. Ron isn’t going to use the same style of speaking as Hermione so it should be obvious without those tags. It immensely improves the pacing.

3) Which brings me to characterizing: DON’T have them all speak the same. These are distinct characters and you should have them sound different. Hermione uses long words and a lecturing tone. Ron makes jokes and curses. These are two very distinct people so they should NEVER sound anything alike.

4) Don’t try to use sophisticated language in dialogue. It sounds stiff and no one talks like that. Use vernacular: everyday language.

5) Don’t forget about body language. We all talk using our body to some extent when we are having a conversation. Not everything needs to be explained with words. A good ‘eye roll’ or ‘holding one's hands in front of their body’ can send a message much more readily than ‘Dean looked exasperated’ or ‘Neville was anxious.’

Anyways, I hope this all helps. I could go on forever talking about Dialogue, but I fear I’ve already overdone it! -Windy