#theres two answers technically

[three-bunnies-in-a-trenchcoat]

oh so I was incorrect we're straight up still in act 2 lol

the acts are much longer than I assumed

Yeah a couple of them are pretty long!

[puphoods]

oc most likely to rob a gas station?

will you forgive me if the answer is a character ive never drawn and dont have a name for. they have superpowers and are a minor villain in their setting only after joining up with another group. before that they just did mostly petty theft and robberies

[zend-pixie]

good time for a little reminder that this was a thing from an official interview if i'm not mistaken <3

Warning! Long ramble about Rex ahead!

I've been doing a lot of thinking about this scene. I'll try my best to organize my thoughts!

(heads up: This is operating under the assumption that (basically) everything that happens in the movies is real.)

To begin with, we gotta address the irony of this line... Like, Rex, you do realize that you're just a piece of plastic too, right? And so is Emmet?

But before I look at that, I wanna touch on the line he says right after that,

"You still wanna go back to the Matrix when you know the truth???"

Now, I haven't seen The Matrix, I'll admit to that. But because it's ingrained in pop culture, I know the gist of it.

But anyway, one obvious truth from it is that once you're aware the world is a simulation, you can never really go back completely, not without sacrifice, because you know it's not real.

Now, call me captain obvious, but by his line there, he clearly can't be referring to his time on Undar--because Emmet hadn't experienced that, nor had he understood when Rex told him about it. I'm convinced he has to be referring to the first movie, and their experience in the Realm of the Man Upstairs.

While he was there in the first movie Emmet saw his world for what it was. He saw Finn playing with Benny's spaceship, hinting at the kind of control Finn had over his world. but Emmet himself interacts with Finn himself.

As far as Emmet knows... He's different. He's not under Finn's control. All of his friends? Things made up by a giant unknown creature. But not him.

He knows the nature of his world, but is still happy to rejoin it, so long as he has a place in it...

But then came Undar.

On Undar he sees, yet again, the absolute lack of control his world has. The moment Finn leaves the picture and Bianca takes over, it's as if he never existed in the first place. He doesn't recognize his friends, because the personalities he'd come to know, literally, the people he knew, were completely gone.

It's there that he realizes that they truly are pieces of plastic.

I can't imagine how fucking lonely that must have felt. To see how little your life truly mattered in the universe, that you could be warped and changed without recognition and be none the wiser, to know who you were was as inconsequential as a thought.

As far as Rex knows, he and Emmet are the only Real ones in existence. The only ones that can retain who they are.

Rather ironic, again, when we see how much Rex changes himself.

So when he says "You still wanna go back to The Matrix?" it's more so incredulity that he, as Emmet, ever wanted to go back, that he ever put any value into the world that was nothing but an illusion.

This could also explain why Rex was so quick to turn on Emmet in Undar. Once he saw Emmet wasn't going to change, was never going to give up on his fantasy world, he had no problem seeking to destroy him. In the Realm of the Man Upstairs, knew he would live on, since he's Real. He could get rid of this failure, further cementing himself as Rex, and move on to the next timeline to try again.

It's when Lucy enters the picture and brings back Imagination that things go to shit for Rex. Outside of the Realm of the Man Upstairs they're under the giant beings' control again. What happens here is out of Rex's ability to change.

And, sure enough, Finn has him disappear.

It's just... So, so fucking sad. Can you just imagine how many nights Emmet must have lain awake during those five years, bearing the weight of his knowledge of the entire world on his shoulders? Knowing everything was an illusion?? His home, his friends, Lucy, all just the product of a child's imagination???

No wonder Emmet was able to move on so easily once Rex disappeared.

It really was easier for him to forget the nature of The Matrix and just rejoin it and be happy. Having to deal with the weight of it would crush and mangle him, the way it had Rex.

[smittenmeraki]

There are too mamy itches in my brain. Andreil. Its a peaceful Saturday morning and they're sleeping in, sun just barely filtering through the window as they cuddle together. Neil's pressed against Andrews side and Andrew has an arm around him laying on his back. The phone rings waking them both and Andrew goes to turn it off but its a call from Aaron, a FaceTime. So he answers, groggy and half asleep. He wakes up more after noticing that Aarons been crying.

"You're still in bed" chuckles from the other end of the phone

"Its the weekend, you're crying?" Andrew cuts the small talk and Neil peaks open an eye out of curiosity.

"We have some news" Katelyn wiggles her way onto the screen standing behind Aaron. "We're pregnant" she give a small happy dance. Andrew stares blankly for a moment.

"Youre going to be an uncle." Aaron says, clearly a bit nervous but mostly proud.

"How long?" Is the only response he can think of.

"I'm currently eight weeks, so give or take another 32 weeks, but theres more."

"More?" Andrew sits up a bit dragging Neil with him.

"Twins" Aaron finishes. Neil muffles a laugh into Andrew's shoulder.

"Good luck with that. If they are anything like you, your hands will be full."

"Shut up" Andrew and Aaron say in sync. Neil just laughs again with a shrug.

"You're not saying much." Aaron presses, fiddling with a pen.

"He's excited" Neil says, looking up at him. Andrew scoff and pushes his face away "he's got that look in his eyes, he happy" Andrew shoves Neil off of him.

"If you ever need anything," Andrew mumbles grumpily to which Aaron nods.

"We will be posting updates on our socials, but we wanted you to know first" katelyn says before disappearing off screen.

"Yeah okay." They talk a bit more before hanging up. Andrew stares at the black screen, processing everything.

"Whats on your mind?" Neil whispers crawling back over to him.

"I'm going to be an uncle. He wants me to be apart of it. Of their lives."

"Of course he does, you're his brother."

"A year ago, I would have never gotten that phone call." He drops the phone on his chest, letting it lay face down. Neil lets him be lost in thought for a moment, then reaches out and brushes the hair from his face.

"You two fixed your relationship. Of course he wants you to know his kids."

"Have you ever thought about it?" Andrew picks at his nails, not looking at Neil.

"About what? Drew, what are you asking?"

"Kids. Have you thought about it?"

"I think I'd make a terrible father. I didn't think you were the type to want kids"

"We dont have to be parents. We could foster. Its just an idea, i dont know." Andrew sits up, tossing his legs over the bed. "I don't even think kids would like me." Neil sits up too, watching Andrew's back.

"Do you want to foster children?" Andrew just shrugs at the question, not facing him.

"We could, it would be one more good house in all of the bad ones. Kids might not like us but theyd have their own room. A warm bed and a safe place to be." His words are quiet, contemplating. "Its just a thought."

"We can always look into it. I wouldn't mind."

"An uncle. He wants me to be an uncle." Andrews thoughts go full circle and Neil cant help but smile. Their future seems bright, and possibly filled with young laughter and toys. Neil inches his way to him and whispers "yes or no" a mumbled yes and Neil trails little kisses down Andrews neck, hugging his back to him.

"This also technically makes me an uncle, think Aarons upset about that yet?" Andrew rolls his eyes at him, earning another laugh.

[thecosmiccrow]

ok im boutta yap about something for a bit because i feel theres a lot of misunderstanding surrounding some of the stuff that i do, so i wanna talk about it and explain some reasoning

NOT nsfw but if you want to avoid the topic of casual / nonsexual nudity, thats what im talking about here. LOT of rambling about stuff that does not matter.

So like, of course I know Reddit, Twitter, Pinterest, and TikTok comments are a cesspool. They suck, and I know they do. However, despite that, I feel like people wayyyyy overreact to the kind of stuff I make / post.

The problem is, everyone sees it as sexual or scandalous or whatever. Just when I draw the robots without clothes. They have no genitals, technically nothing to hide, but people screech and shriek whenever I draw em like this.

For example:

(#4 is literally a scar reference so anyone getting mad over that is stupid, thankfully people were chill on the bottom two)

Peopl had a hissy fit over the first two pictures, the little comic I made. They got upset over the robots not wearing clothes.

And I’m sitting here like. What kind of puritan-ass sanitized view do these people have of the world.

Because I do this. I sleep without clothes (bc sensory issues) and will sometimes walk around my own home like that. Who the hell cares. It is literally just my body.

I think that because I’m so used to just casually seeing / experiencing it that I don’t find it as big of a deal as other people seem to. That’s why I include it in a decent amount of art, because I literally just see it as a part of life and not too big of a thing. People have bodies. Everyone does.

I have N and Uzi clothesless in the comic because they like sleeping like that, and feeling each other’s warmth and presence without the fabrics in the way. Nyx does it sometimes too, for sensory issues, like me, though a lot less commonly than I do. In that third picture, she’s upset and has shrugged her clothes off because she’s in a bad mental state and the feeling of them on her body is overstimulating for her. That fourth is a reference sheet, so I hope that doesn’t require much explanation.

There’s also the fact that I just like drawing their anatomy. I’ve spent enough time drawing drone bodies to become more accustomed to it than any other kind, and sometimes I get sad having to cover up nice anatomy. So I’ll just do a change of plans sometimes to be able to show off the anatomy that I actually like, which was especially the case for THIS:

this was originally just me drawing them in this reference pose, because I just wanted to draw cute Nuzi art and needed ideas. I liked the anatomy enough to just not draw them with clothes on, even if that was the original intention. Because I LIKE drawing their anatomy and I also like showing off their scars. They’re in a suggestive pose, I get it. From my POV though, it literally just looks like she’s about to lean in and kiss him. Scandalous.

anyways. i probably forgot a few things. stupid rant over, if you have questions i’ll try and answer em or whatever

[crims0nwritess]

The cat rule

___________________________________________

Peter Parker x Male!Reader

___________________________________________

Summary: Tony needs Peter for a mission, unfortunately he cant go

Warnings: None

Word count: 393

___________________________________________

You were currently asleep, arms thrown around Peters neck and head resting on his chest, Peters arms were wrapped around your torso and his hands were slung up so he could run his fingers through your hair, your legs were tangled together as Peter softly pet your head and listened to your soft snores.

After a while of this, you two relaxing together quietly, Peters phone rang, in an attempt to not wake you up, Peter, in a moment of quick thinking, grabbed one of his web shooters from his nightstand and webbed his phone, that was sitting on a desk on the other side of the room, pulling it towards him and catching it expertly.

"Hello?" He asked quietly as he answered the phone.

"Hey kid, you busy?" Tony asked.

Peter looked down at the sleeping boy on his chest, he pulled the phone back up to his ear and responded.

"Not technically, why?"

"Great, I need you for a mission, me and the old man are in the city and theres a situation, a spidey situation, so get on your suit and meet me at the bank" Tony explained.

"Oooh, no can do" Peter said.

"Excuse me? I thought you said you weren't busy" Tony asked.

"Im not, but, theres another thing, Y/N is currently asleep on top of me, soooo yeah, ask someone else, pretty sure Wandas not doing anything right now" Peter said.

"I asked YOU, Y/N being asleep is not an excuse, now get your goddamn suit on and come here, now" Tony said.

"Hey, lemme ask you a question, do you know the cat rule?" Peter asked.

"The what?" Tony asked.

"The cat rule, if a cat falls asleep on you you're not allowed to move" Peter explained.

"You see, Y/N is like a cat, he hates mondays, likes cuddles, and knocks stuff off of tables, both on accident and on purpose, so, I apply the cat rule to him as well, so, legally, I cant get up and wake him up, which means, I cant help you, sorry old man"

"Peter that is not-"

"Yeah? Uh huh, sorry cant hear you, bye!" Peter said.

"PETER DO NO-" Tony said, cut off as Peter hung up and carefully set his phone on the nightstand, running his hands through Y/N's hair and smiling smugly.

[hminnj]

Have My Heart

gojo satoru/reader

cw: fluff, angst that isnt angst, comfort, gojo satoru is his own warning, not fully proofread or edited, short maybe bad writing, more experimental than anything

an: wrote this with have my heart by maverick city in mind (its christian music, just in case you decide to look at it), no religious themes in the fic tho dw

-

Satoru loves with no reservation.

It's clear in the way that he answers to your beck and call- his whole body attentive to every word and every movement of your lips. He doesn't look away once, carefully observing and picking out the gems of information you give him about yourself- about your day, what you like, your family. He treasures them like a historian's sacred relics, cataloging everything properly so nothing is forgotten, and making sure they're kept clean, as neat and tidy as can be. It's something he's always done, and you see it with Suguru and Shoko as well, it's sweet of him to do so.

.

Satoru loves with no reservation.

You're late one day, it's raining, and you promised Satoru you'd meet up with him early today. You're expect some sort of whining or complaint from him, some sort of pettiness. But he doesn't do anything but grin when you're finally there. Offering up a greeting and then turning, expecting you to follow him. An apology starts to come out but he stops you before you can get any further. Giving you a smile and telling you its alright, that he'll forgive you, and he always will. You don't believe him that day, but now the countless times he's given you grace proves it to be true.

.

Satoru loves with no reservation.

He doesn't ask or expect perfection in anyone. (except himself but in his defense he's already perfect. You, Suguru, and Shoko argue otherwise, however you all agreed the infinity keeps anything from getting into his head). Satoru sees you for the first time that day, you've come back from a visit to your family not long ago. Sitting outside quietly, letting the breeze blow over your features, but everything feels so stagnant. He approaches with light steps, placing himself gently on the bench, and he stays quiet.

His presence is comforting, its peaceful, and you think he'll ruin it when he opens his mouth in about three seconds, likely teasing you about the look on your face and how exhausted you are, but he doesn't. It feels like a breath of fresh wind, blowing away your countless thoughts. You don't know how he does it, but it's nice.

.

Satoru loves with no reservation.

Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College is quiet today. The loud one enabler (Suguru) is out on a mission and as are you, which leaves Satoru and Shoko. Shoko doesn't provide him enough entertainment, and neither you nor Suguru text him throughout the day, which leaves Satoru with two options; bother Yaga or simmer in his glorious thoughts and ideas, he chooses the latter.

You arrive back to your dorm late into the night fully prepared to crash but lo and behold, your bathroom light is on, there's more bags than you can count on your desk of what you think is mostly food, and Satoru has his left foot in the sink under the running water.

You ignore him for your sanity, skimming through the bags to find not just food but surprisingly a few pieces of jewelry and other miscellaneous items. Satoru recieves a raised eyebrow when he comes out of the bathroom with a water trail behind him (a slug, you think), shrugging in response with an "I missed you" that just free-falls from his lips and then immediately going through the bags to show what he bought for you. His behavior is akin to a cat bringing back its finest catch to proudly show their owner. You don't think you'll ever get used to this.

.

Satoru loves with no reservation.

You're talking with Shoko in the classroom about something that Suguru did the other day; a small mess up, which is strange for the black-haired male, but makes for a good conversation nevertheless. Your phone buzzes and theres a reminder you accidently snoozed earlier about your non-sorcerer friends performance, you apologize to Shoko and dash out in a hurry, calculating how late you might be until Satoru stops you right at the door of the building, a questioning look on his face.

After you explain he immediately offers to take (teleport) you but your refusal comes with the fact that you wont have a way back. So he says he'll stay the entire time and leaves you no room for arguing as he hugs you tightly and you're suddenly at the concert hall. The white haired teen smiles at you, getting you back home safely after the few hours the performance is and the extra time you spent with your friend even though you know he has work to do.

.

Satoru loves with no reservation.

Affection practically spills from him, you think he's overflowing with enough of it to fill more than two Earths full. Even in his banter with any of your fellow students it escapes, and especially Suguru. They yell at each other but from Satoru's end you can see the fondness seeping through his words and actions.

You can tell in his sleep as well, unguarded, comfortable, and digging into your side; attempting to mold his body to yours as a movie runs in the background. Suguru is usually the victim for Satoru's "cuddles", but he sits at the table, pleased with the lack of the roach this movie night. From the other side of the couch, Shoko looks over ever so often amusedly to see you get more and more entangled with the six foot being, and she can only offer her "condolences". Eventually you find a somewhat comfy position and play with his limbs and hair, unable to do anything else being physically restricted. It's cute how he subconsciously leans in to your touch.

.

Satoru loves with reservation once.

Its only been two days since then but it feels like an eternity, and the sunlight blaring down on the school isn't helping anyone. You've never seen Satoru like this, silent with a permanent frown, and maybe this is the only time you can say there's something that shines brighter than he does.

It doesn't take you long to follow your feet that lead you to Shoko; she's doing paperwork, and you know she's only doing it to distract herself. That's why you're here after all.

The buzz of the infirmary and the shuffling of papers fills your ears. It's like that for a few minutes until she speaks up.

"You should go talk to him." Of course that's what she says.

"I thought he wasn't willing to converse with anyone." Talking about Satoru doesn't help with the hoarseness of your throat, it just makes you think even harder.

"He isn't but you're... you know." You turn to her confused, and she gives you a look. She's probably messing with you, but she seems so sure of something.

You cave eventually. It takes a lot out of you to stand up, but you do, dragging your feet and your heart in the direction of a dimming sun.

Satoru's on the same bench when you find him, and just like last time it's a breezy, sunny day. You copy his actions, walking over, gently setting yourself down, and quietly observing. He looks so tired. But you don't say it, you know he wouldn't either.

It hurts to look at Satoru in this state. He's less than half a meter away but it feels like there's an infinite distance between the two of you.

He's quiet, too quiet.

It's strange, but you can't think or bring yourself to say anything to fill in the gaps he's left.

Instead, your body moves on its own, shifting closer and gently taking his glasses off, not making eye contact because you know it's the last thing he wants. Then you pull him close and cradle him tightly, he doesn't object. His body lays against yours limply like he's dead weight, and Satoru feels like he should be dead right now. He doesn't hug back, you don't expect him to.

The only thing you do is stay with him like this, until the second-brightest star in your life begins to fade.

.

Satoru loves with no reservation.

He's given you his entire heart and being by now and still attempts to give you more even if after his being there isn't much left to give. The students see it more than ever, with how their sensei brightens (more than he already is) when you show up, words of endearment flowing out of his mouth so easily (his current favorite is wifey), and the overbearing physical affection that you'd have to be blind and deaf to miss.

It's maybe your favorite thing about him, said male would say otherwise, but a sweet smile can't help but reach your face when he talks about his students' daily meanderings to you. Treating them like close family, with the same type of love he's shown you.

-

thank you if you read <3, likes, reblogs, and comments are greatly appreciated

gojo is hard to write for ngl ughh

[kvothe-kingkiller]

I'm not the best writer when it comes to writing convincing essays or whatever, but I'm going to give this a go because it's something that I've thought for a long time that I've never seen anyone really acknowledge unless I bring it up first. (also I am sick and don't really want to do much editing here, just rambles, so good luck)

I think that when most (not all, but most) people get salty about 'modern art', they are not salty about the things people think they are salty about. When they say "this isn't art", theres an important bit that they're not articulating. What I think most of them mean is "this isn't art that should be in a museum." "this isn't art that should cost this much" "this isn't art that should be getting this kind of recognition". And there is a huge difference between that and just saying "this isn't art"

Firstly, all of the arguments about why modern art is in fact art straight up....don't apply. They don't address the problem, they don't answer the question. This isn't really anyone's fault per se, given that it is addressing the literal statement, it's just I think most people aren't actually thinking that literal statement.

So then what do they really mean? Like I said, I think they're trying to articulate why they're frustrated that this art is in a museum when "they could do it". So when you say "okay then, you do it" that doesn't address the core issue, which is "but why is this getting recognition for it, and I would get none" because yes, unless they are famous, they would get Zero recognition for it. Nobody would be lining up to buy their art, no one would ask to put it in a museum. Best place they can hope to have this displayed is a fridge door.

When you look at a piece of fine art, most can see the amount of effort put into it. They see how much training it took to get there, they see how much time it took to put those strokes on that canvas and they can go "yeah, that took skill, that took effort, not everyone can do that. it deserves recognition". And a lot of modern art does take skill, it's just skill that isn't easily noticeable to the average viewer, such as rothko's color fields, they do take a lot of skill and effort, you just can't see it if you don't know. But a lot of modern art that people complain about isn't something that has skill that's not recognized, it just requires very little technical skill at all (not a condemnation, btw).

When you're talking about something 'anyone can do' that piece's value is often not a recognition of skill, or even of the message, it's a recognition of a name. It's similar to having a gucci bag because it's a gucci bag, not because you care remotely about the bag. Yes, art isn't displayed because of how much effort went into it, but it's a huge industry that many many people are making money through from sheer name recognition alone.

Like that one painting of that one artist's (I forget which artist and my cursory google isnt finding it, but also its just an example) where it got replicated and sold to a bunch of people for a large amount of money so they could all have something that had a small chance of being a genuine painting by the artist, that's an excellent example of the fact that a lot of the gallery-level art world is Entirely about the name, not about the piece itself. If someone just made that painting but didn't say it could be from the artist, then who cares?

If you go to ringo starr's art website (https://www.ringostarrart.com/) then you can see that some of his work, especially his older work, is of that category of stuff that many people would say "I could do that" to. For instance, these two? 1,400 and 6,000 pounds respectively for a PRINT of these from his website

....okay this one I kinda enjoy.

but still. 2,000 pounds for a print.

All of this is possible because he's ringo fucking starr, he can sell his paintings for whatever he wants. If I tried to sell those for that much, I'd be laughed out of the room. All of it is just clout, it's just how big your name is and how much you can use that as leverage.

This is not to say that other forms of art don't also have this issue, they do, especially with people devaluing creative works so much today. But you could probably get a few commissions if you sell realistic art or do commissions of people's characters, while you Cannot get any money trying to sell stuff like ringos art unless you already have an audience who will buy it.

This does somewhat lead into a discussion of how art curators pick which artists are 'good' somewhat arbitrarily, but that's a whole other post.

Doing art for 'yourself' vs for other people or money is also a whole other post, one which I've actually seen quite a lot on here. But suffice to say if your response to all of this is 'just make art for yourself! Why do you need recognition?' then maybe go find some of those posts. It's not bad to want recognition, and it's not bad to question why that guy is getting much more recognition for the exact same thing you're doing just because he has a bunch of rich friends who are able to host fancy parties and go 'hmm. yes this is good art.' (not that all modern artists had rich friends, but they did almost all get Extremely lucky in some shape or another that led to them now being widely accepted as good artists).

You cannot make a living off modern art unless you're well known, and if you happen to be well known already, you could likely make a living off modern art without having any experience, and that's what a lot of people hate about modern art, even if they don't articulate it. While some would, most wouldn't say "my five year old could do that" to someone's personal piece that they made themselves and hung up in their home, or that their friend made and gave to them. They say that about the pieces bought for thousands of dollars or millions of dollars.

And I don't want people to think that I do hate modern art, I don't (though this is tumblr, so I'm pissing on the poor just by writing this). I don't hate any of the famous modern artists, I don't think modern art isn't art. I do hate the industry that says their art is suddenly worth something just because some rich fuckers somewhere decided they should be, and anything I tried to do in a similar vein, original or not, would be better suited to sit in a coffee shop and continuously marked down and never sold.

So next time you say "so why don't you make it", maybe ask yourself if you would buy it.

[theetherealraphael]

sometimes you just sit down and write around 500 words of rambling about your new family!

featuring @darthpastry, @nanochittle, @gibbish-anon-from-gell, @shakespeare-official-account, @thesmallestclown, @i-bless-your-heart, and two others who i dont know the url of!

uh yeah theres not an awful lot of dialogue but eh whtvr!

When Raphael (also known as Ralph, and occasionally as Rafe) woke up that morning, he was one of the few people awake, as per usual. It made sense, since everyone had such conflicting schedules, and as such there were people living in the house Raphael had never even met, but that didn't make it any easier to be nearly alone in the giant house. It didn't help that he was still relatively new compared to everyone else, but whatever.

"Good morning guys!" As usual, the only on up and at home was Darth, who waved. Nano was probably awake, but at school, and Gibbish was heading to bed around now. Other than that, Starbucks normally awoke in about an hour, and then everyone else would wake up in their own time.

"Good morning!" Darth responded from the sofa, and Raphael sat down nearby after getting breakfast - after all, it is the most important meal of the day - and he scrolled through Tumblr for the next hour or so.

"Morning," Starbucks said, stretching as she did so.

"Good morning!"

And the morning continued like that, with Clown appearing randomly mid morning (did they ever go to sleep? Raphael wasn't entirely sure the answer was yes) and Starbucks heading off to school around the same time.

After that was afternoon, when the majority of people would really wake up. Occasionally people like Bing would pop in around this time, but generally it was the same six or so people all afternoon.

Shakespeare woke up around this time, and would pop in randomly and act all sappy with Clown before disappearing for anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, and Vivaldi, also known as Ipod Nano, would get up around mid-afternoon. Nano would also make their appearance and start interacting with people regularly, and as usual they were... Well, just look.

"HELLO EVERYONE!" Nano burst through the door around the same time as Gibbish woke up, and startled Raphael so badly he fell out of his chair.

"Hi Nano!" Darth responded, and the others copied suit.

"HELLO DARTH! AND CLOWN! AND GIB! AND RALPH! AND SHAKESPEARE! AND EVERYONE ELSE!!!" Nano ran around, being affectionate to everyone currently up, and somehow people who weren't.

It was a few more hours before Blessie would wake up, but when she did everyone got excited all over again, with Gibbish and Nano being the loudest of all, as usual, and Raphael and Darth being the quietest.

Seriously, how were Darth and Raphael the two most normal people here?

Shakespeare had disappeared off again, so for some reason Clown was... being weird with Gibbish? The incest in this family is insane, honestly!

(Although Raphael hadn't exactly made it better, considering Gibbish was also his kid... Although technically that was his spouse's fault! Raphael hadn't adopted Gibbish!)

Anyway, Clown was clowning on Gibbish, and everyone else was kinda just watching, so Raphael decided to go literally anywhere else.

"I'm gonna go to bed now, good night!" Darth said, heading upstairs, and Raphael figured he should probably head up as well.

After saying his goodnight's, he went to bed, and prepared to do this all over tomorrow.

[tea-and-secrets]

i may be hallucinating and/or misremembering this, but when polls first became a thing on here, i remember that one of the first ones i saw was "would you rather find one thousand cockroaches in your attic, or a human being?" with just those two answers, no nuance. and the results of the poll itself were almost unanimously "one thousand cockroaches" but all of the reblogs/replies/tags were like, weirdly bad-good faith arguments? idk how to describe it. everyone in the reblogs/replies/tags was like "*gasp* if i found a person in my attic i would think they were a dispossessed waif, and i would feed and clothe them" and "how could you be so heartless as to not care for the human being in need in your attic????" like it was a kind of virtue signaling that ive never seen before or since. it may have been a bad dream. or maybe it was real and people will think im evil for sending this. or maybe i just need to cultivate my dash differently. because im technically all for squatters rights and that shit but like im sorry. if you own a private home and presumably keep track of who enters/exits it in SOME vague way even, like the person in the attic is more disturbing than the cockroaches. there is a genuine reason people woould prefer the coockroaches. or even if you live an apartment with an attic (for some reason) like you dont want there to be a person up there. if its a SHARED attic maybe but like. i can promise you if you found a person in your attic, who should not have a way to access it but has somehow accessed it anyway, you are not going to be cool about it. like i promise you. its all fun and games and mutual aid until youre in a position where someone is in your space in a way they shouldnt be. its like holding a party and everyone leaves and then you find someone sleeping in your bed. like yeah maybe you end up helping them because thats the situation but youre gonna be mad about it. and if its a stranger? like i dont fucking think so. i genuinely hope i dreamed that poll because it was so fucking stupid to me. like i dont care who the fuck you are and what kind of nonviolent communication youve been taught. if you wake up in the middle of the night and theres a human being in a place they shouldnt be able to access, youre gonna be more troubled by that than one thousand cockroaches.

[crazylittlejester]

You mentioned the modern heroes having different body types than canon due to different lifestyles, so how has it affected everyone? (This is a free invitation to yap about their different body types and like lifestyle writings if you'd like to /gen)

Also, since everyone is suffering with them, how do the boys deal with exams? Does the stress make Sky's epilepsy worse, and if so how do Twi and Wars help him deal with it?

Answering your second question first because it’s shorter alskkdkd (also my bad for spelling errors or weird grammar mistakes my brain is friend from finals)

Yes, exams make Sky more likely to have a seizure because one of his triggers is stress, but over the years he’s gotten somewhat better about not letting everything stack up and overwhelm him. Its not the easiest thing in the world to get Sky to stop and take a break, because if he thinks he’s being treated like glass he’ll get snappy towards people (he knows War and Twi don’t treat him ANY differently but years of teachers being like “why don’t we take a deep breath honey?” in a real condescending way have kinda just made him likely to lash out when people try to help him), but War is a good buddy for him during exams because they keep each other on track and well cared for. Apart from being friends throughout high school, they were roommates those first two years of college in the dorms before they got the apartment with Twi, so War is JUST as familiar with Sky’s epilepsy as Sky is with War’s anxiety attacks (which is the whole reason he has his cats, they were therapist recommended emotional support animals). They keep each other from getting too overwhelmed, and Sky is more likely to let War drag him away from studying to take a break and a lap around their block than he is Twi because Sky knows War most definitely needs the break too. These days they can get through exams with one anxiety attack from War and only a couple more seizures than normal from Sky

As for the others: Wind is the least bothered by exams (he’s in high school still), Four isn’t at their university technically, Wild gets so far past the point of stressed that it loops back around to being COMPLETELY calm and he sometimes needs reminders to even do his work at all, Legend wait till the last minute and then has 2-5 days where he just doesn’t leave his room because he has so many projects to wrap up, and Hyrule is in the same boat as Twi where he’s stressin’ but he’s making it out okay

NOW FOR BODY TYPE DIFFERENCES:

Time is the BIGGEST difference. In LU i hc him to be roughly 5’10 and 170lbs, a fairly big and muscular guy, but my modern au he’s 5’10 (just barely) and around 135lbs. He’s got a few chronic health issues that make it a bit harder for him to gain and keep weight, but he’s by no means weak and he’s within a healthy weight range. Malon is the one lifting and carrying shit around the ranch more often than not (with Twilight helping as well whenever he’s over), and Time can still help her carry heavier things but Malon IS stronger than him and more often than not its HER helping HIM, so he focuses more on feeding and caring for the animals

Twilight is 5’10 (closer to 5’11) and around 180lbs. He lives in the city now because he’s moved in with Sky and War to be closer to his college, but even though he’s not doing ranch work he still works out a good few times a week. He doesn’t have clearly defined muscle like i hc LU Twi would, he’s got a bit more body fat on him, but he’s very fit and he’s the friend people call to help them move shit

Warriors probably has the most similar body type to his LU counterpart (and that fact is literally the reason this whole au came about because that man has a dancer’s build and well. here we are aldkdkd), though he too is a little taller. Theres a running joke that he can’t admit he’s not taller than Twilight, which started from the fact that freshman year of high school, he WAS taller than Twilight. It’s painfully obvious now, because even with War at 5’8, Twilight is almost 3 inches taller than his ass, but Warriors has never said out loud Twilight is taller so theres a whole joke about him still being in denial. Like my hc for him in LU, modern au War has incredibly low body fat, he is mostly muscle and bone. His weight is usually around 120-125lbs and he spends nearly every waking moment basically working out. On week days he wakes up, has a protein shake, hits the skating rink for two hours, eats more for a real breakfast at 8 on his way to class, spends most of his day dancing and takes breaks for snacks and lunch, has dinner, goes to dance rehearsal, has another snack, and then goes to bed and does it all again. Even on weekends he spends like 8 hours dancing and skating, he’s CONSTANTLY moving and running around (he really needs to take a break, one of these days Sky is going to tape him to the couch)

speaking of, Sky is around 5’5 and 140lbs, his epilepsy meds mess with his weight which made him really upset when he first started taking his current medication, and he’s significantly less muscular than his LU counterpart. He runs sometimes (when Twi bullies him to), and he does love going on walks, but his version of working out is NOT hitting the gym. He goes for strolls with his gf in the park and they have a very lovely time

Hyrule is 5’4 (a bit taller than i hc him to be in LU) and around 115lbs with a small but solid frame, he spends his days running around looking for rocks and hiking. People who don’t know him or what he does in his free time are genuinely shocked when they discover he has a decent amount of muscle because he spends so much time climbing things (both trees and also the climbing wall in the gym)

Legend is 5’2 bless his heart and around the same size as Hyrule, which would be nice if they had the same clothing style because then they could share but they most certainly do Not. He has a lot of issues with chronic pain so he’s not someone who can always get up and work out or even just walk around easily, so he is usually asking Twi to come down a floor and help him move the new trinket shelf he’s bought

Wild is significantly less muscular than i hc him to be in LU, and also a bit taller (5’4). He can’t work out super easily because of his hip and he lost a lot of muscle when he had to quit skating, and he now weighs around the same as War (Which makes War’s ability to lift him when they mess around skating on Wild’s good days really impressive because War does not look like he’d be able to lift 120 so easily but he sure can)

Four is 4’11 and a liar, because you will never hear him say he’s anything other than 5’1. The others know he’s not but they let him have it because he’s the shortest so it’s not like he’s lying to be taller than someone else aldkdkkd 😭 he’s around 110 lbs and has a decent amount of muscle in his arms from being a blacksmith’s apprentice. he doesn’t really work out much, he’ll mess around and play games with Wind that require running but that’s about it

Wind is pretty similar to how I hc him in LU, (though he’s an inch taller at 5’3). He isn’t done growing and he’s a bit thin for his height currently (at around 100lbs) because he hit a growth spurt and hasn’t had the time to adjust to suddenly being taller. He’s INCREDIBLY active, he plays soccer, he begs War to take him skating and play ice hockey with him, he will go on runs with Ayrll, he LOVES going fast and just moving around CONSTANTLY. He won’t get too much taller (he’ll stop at 5’5) and he’ll grow into his height in the next few years

[stevie-petey]

what about a fun silly little mindless blurb w steve robin and bug at scoops before ch 1? like what was the first time bug stopped in to visit steve like ? did robin instantly take to her ? i need to see my precious babies bond

we technically already see bugs first time meeting robin in chapter 9 of season 2, buuuuut i love em and will extend the scene a bit <3

enjoy !

"slow down! youre running so fast and i just biked here!" you try your best to keep with robin as she drags you through the newly built mall.

"keep up, slowpoke!" robin only tugs at your hand and all you can do is follow.

youve known the girl for all of five minutes and already shes become your new favorite person.

robin drags you to an area close to the entrance where theres a fancy fountain. seemingly content with where shes dragged you to, she finally drops your hand and sits against the fountains ledge. scrunching her face, she looks disapprovingly at the statue. "how come hawkins had enough money for this crap but not for new uniforms for the band kids?"

"youre in band?" you ask the girl as you sit next to her.

"yup," robin nods at you, curious to see what your reaction will be. shes heard a lot about you, everyone in hawkins has. youre the towns sweetheart, and robin knows at least three people in her band group that you helped one way or another throughout the years.

you gasp. "dude, i wouldve done band, but jonathan wanted to do choir instead."

"why didnt you just do what you wanted?" robin asks you, though she knows the answer already.

"band wouldnt have been fun without him, and i do like to sing." you shrug, not really regretful over the decision.

robin stares at you, a slight frown on her face. she seems to almost study you. "youre fascinating, you know that?"

"what do you mean?" you wrap your arms around yourself, suddenly feeling very small.

seeing this, robin is quick to correct herself. shes always been horrible talking to other people; shes the worst at making new friends, and she really, really wants to be your friend. "no! i didnt, uh, mean it in a bad way! i just-well, i mean. shit."

robins panic only makes you forget your anxiety and you nudge your shoulder against hers. "hey, breathe. im not going to like, dunk you into the fountain water."

"thank god," robin exhales, relieved that you dont seem too angry with her. taking a deep breath, she tries again to explain herself. "what i meant was: you took choir for jonathan byers, and yet youre here now with steve harrington. the douchebag."

you frown at robins words. you forget sometimes that so few people see steve how you do. hes far from the boy he used to be, but you know that sometimes its harder to heal wounds from cruel words said during your youth. "i know you dont believe me, but steve isnt so bad."

"hes a dick."

"he used to be, but now he isnt."

robin huffs. "and im just expected to believe you?"

"no," you shrug. "while i understand that steve has changed since you last saw him, i also understand that this change isnt mine to force you to accept."

your words leave robin speechless. its almost annoying how rational youre being about this. how you can balance both steves feelings and hers without making either of them feel lesser for it.

youre a goddamn saint and robin truly has no idea how jonathan or steve have managed to snag you for themselves.

its unfair.

"i..." robin tries to think of something to retaliate with, but she cant. youre right and she hates it. "thats a very frustratingly mature way to look at things."

you shrug again. "it sucks being so mature, i'll admit."

then steve runs up to the two of you and hes panting with exhaustion. "christ," he wheezes out, clutching at his knees as he bends down to try an catch his breath. "you two are fast."

"youre an athlete, harrington." you tug at steves hair and cause him to topple onto the ground, which robin cant help but giggle at. "keep up."

"why do i always end up on the ground when youre around?" steve doesnt even bother to get up.

"because im clearly bigger and stronger than you."

robin pokes your cheek, mollified by your conversation from earlier and by the fact that you just knocked steve harrington to the ground for fun. "dont forget more mature, y/n."

"oh, so much more mature." you agree, smiling at her.

steve sighs from the ground. "this is gonna be a long summer."

"get used to it, dingus," robin nudges the boy with her sneaker and he flinches away, displeased, but this only makes you and robin giggle even more together.

[pumpkinsy0]

I personally believe The Shepards live in a trailer just because in the 60's that's when trailer living (sadly) systematically became "the new slums" of America when they were glamorized to all hell in the 50s. And for me it makes sense that the Shepards live in one. However, since you believe they live in a house, could you describe it? Like is it 2 stories? Big kitchen? Probably not because they're in greaser territory but I don't think they have a craftsmen style home like The Curtis do.

im loving the shepards living in a trailer so ill shift mines a bit and say at some point they did live in one but that was before their mom got w their stepdad :P

ANYWHOOOOOOO DESCRIBING THEIR HOUSE!!!☝🏽

ik i described their rooms before but that was me being generous, but if i was to be SO fr heres how it is

ill start off my saying that YES, it IS two stories HOWEVER thats not to say that their house is like as wide or put together as the curtis’ is, their house is cramped, and pretty run down, they have a porch but its a lil fucked and one of the steps is just broken and hasnt been fixed in a bit, their house is kinda tall however!!!

in the home theres holes from all the objects hitting the wall in fights, its not even rlly furnished either, a few pics here n there but not many and some fucked up couches w plastic over em, maybe u can find some shards on the floor as well

kitchen is cramped, rlly only 3 ppl could b in there, but it has what u need, and the bathrooms mirror is broken, having hot water is like a blessing sent from god only some can have, in the shepard house the early bird gets the worm is unironically true here

as for bedrooms, theres only two bedrooms, curly and which is on the top floor and their parents/tims room, the thing w that room is TECHNICALLY its the parents room, however, their mom is too inebriated to rlly even get TO the bed and their stepdad aint rlly home a lot, so tim just uses it, which works for him bc he doesnt even decorate it nor does he even SLEEP in there, hes more of a napper if yknow what i mean, if his mom or stepdad IS using it tho, he just sleeps on the couch

hope this answers ur question!!!<333

[dirtbra1n]

Seigi Sunday the second—please don’t look at what day it is

(BELATEDLY LINKING THE FIRST ONE READ MY POSTS BOY)

okay so it’s Seigi saturday last-Sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday I even slept in today can we be nice to me,

discontinuing that bit. Seriously just don't look at what day it is. it was technically a sunday when I finished it. My request for today is to acquire a phoenixheadinhands image and have it on hand as we move forward. 30 image cap beat my ass There were intense budget cuts.

but anyway white text this time :) where we start:

PESSIMIST!!! 🫵🫵🫵

a comment from jeweler richard enthusiast kiri @aranarumei and more seigi under the cut

The shop's owner was one Mr. Richard Ranasinghe de Vulpian, a man so elegant he looked like he could have stepped right out of a BBC historical drama, with an impeccable command of the Japanese language. And I had no clue what he was thinking. As much as I figured it wouldn't be long before he looked at the books and decided to close up shop, I diligently did my job cleaning the place and boiling milk with tea in it. And honestly, it didn't really matter what was going on with the shop. I had to work to get paid. I was still working twice a week at the TV station, too. But in two weeks' time, my pessimistic predictions were proved very wrong.

look he also realized what a pessimist he is. this won't come back to shoot me again ever. thats a promise. I would never lie to you about this.

Now, I knew I was just a part-timer who hadn't seen the store's books or knew what the rent was, so this was just a hunch—but I really didn't think this weekend jewelry café in Ginza was Richard's main job. I was sure he had customers like Ms. Miyashita in Kobe all over Japan, if not the entire world. He probably spent the week going from house to house showing off gems and selling them. With the profit from those sales, it wouldn't really matter if this shop was here or not.

It would be a long way off before we were on comfortable enough terms for me to ask him how the business was doing. "So, what's the deal with carats? I was really shocked when I learned about it last week. It's a just a unit for measuring weight. One carat is 0.2 grams." "Indeed, it is. And what exactly is it that troubles you about this fact?" "I guess I don't get why you need another unit. Couldn't you use grams?" "...It'll make more sense to you later." Richard's attitude seemed to suggest that if I wasn't actually interested in it, there was no reason to force myself to learn about gemstones. But he would still answer my questions, and he got mad at me when I told him I'd been keeping the pink sapphire ring in my fridge because the box might get moldy, and gave me a new box and cloth for it. He must really love gemstones. [...]

[if theres space for it, :phoenixheadinhands: if not, leave this in. Who give a shit] [:phoenixheadinhands:]

It was a woman with long black hair, fair skin, and narrow eyes. She was beautiful, in her late twenties, wearing a pencil skirt and a white blouse. She must've come straight from work. She made me feel a little nervous. "Um, this is a jeweler's. The rental office is on the first floor." "...Yes, there is a sign out front. Or, what, do you only accept customers by appointment?" "Welcome. You've made no mistake. We would be happy to accept your business." She seemed momentarily overwhelmed by hearing a blond-haired, blue-eyed man speak such fluent Japanese but quickly regained her composure. Typically, women reacted in one of two ways when they met Richard for the first time. They either got this indiscreet smile on their faces, like they were about to dig into a delicious meal, or they got very quiet in an attempt to hide their embarrassment. This woman didn't fit into either category. She seemed utterly unmoved by him. Or rather, she seemed utterly devoid of any emotion at all. Like an empty husk of a human being. She seemed pretty thin, and on closer inspection, I could tell that the shoulders of her shirt didn't fit quite right. Her voice was steady but her gait wasn't. I had to wonder if she was okay. At any rate, I showed her to the seating area and started making tea. I added extra sugar in hopes of making her feel a bit better. The tea snack of the day was leaf-shaped pies that I'd picked up in the basement of department store.

SEIGI.............. big heart aside What I'm choosing to take from this is that women are wolves. watch out richard. awoooo

Heat treatment. I'd never heard of it before. Richard pulled out documents for the identification report process, explaining the costs and time involved. Ms. Akashi immediately filled out the required forms and then got up. "All right, it's in your hands now. I work during the day, so I'd appreciate it if you only contacted me after 6 p.m. I'm sorry, but I'm pressed for time, so I'll be going now. Thanks." Before I could even offer her some tea, Ms. Akashi had already left. I'd studied on how to handle a situation where a customer tried to run off with a product they hadn't paid for, but this was basically the opposite. She left something and ran off. "...Is this a new kind of scam or something? Like she'll come back and insist that we stole from her and have some scary people beat us up?"

seigi don't be cute. why's this cute. Shut up. you would literally be fine in a fight don't be CUTE. all this coming from the guy who replied But we're not total strangers and posited What if I were a swindler like Seigi can we be serious. you of all people can not talk on this

I took a closer look at the item she left behind. It was a brooch arranged around a central, pure red, oblong ruby. The metal was a polished silver. When I counted, I found there were twelve diamond-encrusted ribbons emanating from the central red stone. There were at least ten small diamonds on each ribbon. The design was elegant. "I know I'm a total amateur when it comes to this stuff, but... this is a really high-quality piece, isn't it?" "Indeed it is." It was hard to believe. Was this really the kind of thing someone would just casually drop off their first time in the shop? What would she do if she came back and it was gone? "She should take better care of it." "I don't think leaving gems in the refrigerator is a particularly good idea, either. But for better or worse, gems reflect the feelings of their owners. So perhaps it's no wonder that those sentiments come out in how they're handled." I ignored his little jab at me and drank the milk tea the customer hadn't even touched.

have I told you two already that you can't have normal fucking conversations. You are not normal

"Richard, I think this is the first time I've ever seen a ruby in person." He said he didn't mind, so I didn't hesitate to gaze at the brooch. The thing that really caught my eye was the red stone in the middle. It was probably more than twice the size of my pink sapphire. It had been about a month since I started working at Étranger—though I'd only actually worked five days so far—but in that time, numerous gems, the names of which I'd never even heard of before, had crossed my eyes. But a ruby had thus far never appeared in the box of treasures. "It really is red... Like when you find a spot of blood in raw chicken." "Was that some sort of joke? Or do you actually understand what you're saying?" "Huh? I'm not sure I follow." "Pigeon blood," Richard enunciated every last syllable. I still didn't follow. "It's a term used to describe the finest of rubies. Just as exquisitely blue sapphires are called 'cornflower blue," the vivid red of the most highly prized rubies is compared to the blood of pigeons. For you to come up with that analogy completely unawares, well, bravo."

richard is impressed because he would not have come up with the analogy himself, and he would not have come up with the analogy himself because . He really really really can't fucking cook. first bravo though :)

Bravo? That's a good thing, right? My mother, Hiromi, didn't have much time to cook, and my grandmother didn't exactly have the most sophisticated palate, so as far as I ever knew, cooking was just a survival skill. But sometimes it was more than that. Like when I'd remove the tendons from chicken thighs to make fried chicken. The real trick was to fry them at a high temperature. Which reminded me— "What's this heat treatment thing you were talking about earlier? Why would you heat up a stone?" "In the case of rubies and sapphires, heating them makes their color more vivid." "Wow! So it must be a chemical reaction, huh? Do you think the first person who thought of trying it was scared? Seems like a pretty big gamble, right? Or do the gems not get burned if you mess up?" "The process is conducted under extremely high temperatures. So if the stone can't handle the heat, it's less that you'll end up with a scorched stone and more that you'd end up with nothing at all."

"It depends on the artisan and the specific stone being worked on, but it's typically around a thousand degrees for anywhere from a few tens of seconds to several minutes. Of course, this isn't the sort of thing that can just be repeated indefinitely. Whether a piece of corundum has been heat treated or not has a significant effect on its value. Padparadscha, like in that ring of yours, is typically a name given to natural—that is, untreated—pink sapphires." "Corundum? Natural pink? Wait, I'm confused." A storm of question marks filled my head. Richard sighed and pulled out Gemstones: An Illustrated Guide. He opened it to the page on rubies. The opposite page was about sapphires. "Let's start from the basics. Do you know the difference between rubies and sapphires?" "...One's red and the other's blue?" "Indeed. That is essentially the only difference." "What?" "You could think of these two stones like siblings. Corundum is the general name for the mineral. Red corundum is called ruby, and all other colors of corundum are called sapphire." So it really was just a difference in color. But then why did they need different names? Why was pink sapphire, "sapphire" and not pink ruby?

categorically refuse to drag you all into my pit trap without making you understand that you will learn things. Please come learn things with me

actually looking back on it now given seigi's usual fare Beauty reigned supreme is subtle for real. good job seigi. You're winning

Richard slid his finger over two squares to the right, pointing to a picture of a stone that was more purple than red and not particularly clear. "If it were between this ruby, ruby A, which has not undergone heat treatment, and ruby B, a stone of a much higher grade that has, which do you think would be considered more valuable?" "Uh... Hm..." Which one would it be? The natural stone? No, it couldn't be that easy. "I think someone would prefer to wear the redder one, and a layperson wouldn't know anything about heat treatment, so I guess ruby B, the higher-grade stone that's been heat treated." "Correct again." "Ooh!"

I was going to put phoenixheadinhands here for seigi's Ooh! because I think hes cute but I need to save image slots for later and also I think you might think phoenixheadinhands is overreaction to seigi Ooh! and you're probably right. chronicling it anyway because I Like To Be Level With You .

"...What do you think her angle is? Maybe it was a gift?" "I'm generalizing here, but people typically want to know the value of something when numbers are important than feelings." Meaning when people wanted to let go of something and turn it into cash. But would someone just looking for quick cash really go out of their way to visit a jewelry shop in Ginza? Judging from her behavior when she was in here, she didn't seem very concerned about money. The more I thought about it, the more mysterious it became. Richard snapped the lid of the jewelry box shut. The very standard black box still looked brand new. "So this is your first ruby, huh? You should consider yourself lucky. You're one of the few people to ever lay eyes on a ruby of such high quality."*

*look I'm not gonna say anything. Also not going to say anything about the everythingelse Look this is a big fucking gun. it's a really big gun. just walk with me.

Richard ended the conversation by declaring it would be a fruitless endeavor. I actually liked how uncompromising he could be. Maybe he was so resolute in his opinions because he worked in an industry that involved dealing with people from all over the world, who might not share the same ideas of what constituted "common sense." It was such a simple, yet valiant attitude. He was so unreasonable that he wouldn't drink anything but water out of a plastic bottle, and he was very particular about cleaning, but he was a good guy at heart. Well, I was pretty sure he was, at least. No other customers came by after that. After we closed up shop at five and I said goodbye to Richard, I wandered around Ginza on my way home. If I were being honest, I'd never really thought much about my criteria for selecting a romantic partner. There were just two callous options: You either have a girlfriend, or you don't. And I'd never had one. Though, truthfully, I was always so busy I never really felt all that desperate to start dating. But as of this moment, I already knew where my happiness lay.

thinking about volume two gripping my head and groaning in agony. Moving on.

As a student enrolled in the economics department of Kasaba University, I couldn't help being excited for Mondays. I had my compulsory English class on Monday. The professor was brutal, especially when it came to attendance, and to make matters worse, it was in building 15—the one without an elevator. The class was harsh enough that you might even be forced to retake an exam if you didn't score high enough.

Shouko Tanimoto. She was the same age as me and a second year in the education department: a delicate, raven-haired angel with soft curls styled into a bob. I was pretty sure her favorite color was white, since I frequently saw her wearing skirts and blouses in that color. I thought it looked very good on her.

TANIMOTO-SAAAANNNNNNNNNN hi pretty girl :)

We'd first met last month, after an information session about the different departments at the university. The crosswalk across the main street near campus was always incredibly crowded during breaks—I was pretty sure only Shibuya and Shinjuku station had crosswalks to rival it. At any rate, I was at the crosswalk when I saw a little old man walking toward me. He looked unsteady on his feet, like he could fall at any moment. That was when a short girl who'd been walking in front of me turned as she passed him, offered him her arm and asked if he was all right. She supported him as he walked, even though her bag was heavy with textbooks and she was heading in the opposite direction. I'd initially meant to just pretend I hadn't seen anything and keep walking, but I slipped over to the other side of the road, grabbed the old man by the arm, and threatened him. "Sir, I don't know how many times I've seen you cross this road today, but it's been more than a few. And you're always clinging to a different girl." The old man let out a little squeak and took off so fast in the opposite direction that it was hard to imagine he was the same person. The area was too crowded to go after him. After I'd crossed to the side I was originally headed for, I regretted what I'd done. If I hadn't said anything, the girl would have been none the wiser and wouldn't have to feel gross about the whole incident. I bowed my head and apologized, and her eyes went wide. "Why are you apologizing? You helped me. I should be thanking you." Her carefree smile made me worry, so I ended up sticking my nose in somebody else's business again. "Even if people look like they're in need of help, there are good ones and bad ones out there.* So you should be more careful." She tilted her head as she walked and smiled again. It was strange. Every time she smiled, I felt like the world got a little brighter. "You're not wrong. But I can't tell a bad person apart from someone who really does need help just by looking at them, so I'd rather help regardless. I wonder if there's a better way to go about it..." The moment she got this bashful look on her face was the moment I fell for her. It even made my own encounter with that old man on the way to class, when I'd offered to walk him to his destination and he scrambled for an excuse and ran off, seem like a sign from the universe or something. I got her name and what department she was in, and the moment I found out we had one class in common, I knew it was fate. She came in first thing in the morning, and I wanted to talk to her, so I came in early on Mondays. Tanimoto spoke slowly. There was always this gentle air about her, and only her. Her friends would tease her, calling her an airhead, but that didn’t seem to bother her at all. If Richard was a crystal clear gemstone slumbering at the bottom of a lake, Tanimoto was a powdered sugar fairy living in the ceiling of a bakery. I felt I could smell the sweets just sitting next to her. From what I could hear from the other girls, it didn't sound like she was dating anyone, either. I wanted to date her so badly. If only I could. I desperately wanted to ask her out. I wanted to walk down the street with her, holding hands. I wanted to go places with her—to the beach or the mountains, anywhere. I couldn't shake the feeling that if I brought it up out of the blue, she'd shut me down in two seconds flat. For as hot as the fire of love was burning in my heart, I had no way to put it out either.

*belatedly realized this is anotherfucking gun Anywa

"Seigi, what's that?" "Huh?" She was pointing at the reference book on minerals I had sitting next to my textbook. I'd borrowed it from the university's main library on my way in, but it was all chemical formulas and stuff—a futile effort for a liberal arts student like myself.

he's just like meee.....

"Seigi, do you like rocks?" "Huh?" Tanimoto flashed me a smile in my confusion. The way she was looking at me made it seem like she was hoping for something. Maybe, just maybe... ...Tanimoto likes gemstones? "I'm researching heat treatment right now!" I began to babble. Tanimoto's chunky bangs swayed softly as she tilted her head to listen. She squinted at me, like someone wearing glasses that weren't the right prescription. Maybe I was being too forward. Maybe I'd made the wrong call. Why the hell did I bring up heat treatment, of all things? Is that really what you talk to a girl about when you're all alone together in a classroom? I screwed up. This is it. I've messed it all up. While I was panicking, Tanimoto turned her head again and said, "Heat treatment for what kind of stone? Or are you just researching it in general?" "Huh?"

seigi how many Huh?s is that now. thats three Huh?s seigi. in so many sentences. lets regroup. do it for your angel tanimoto-san.

"Heat treatment is pretty typical in the world of gemstones. Beryl, quartz, and corundum are the obvious ones, but there are plenty of other stones that change their properties when they're heated." I was so surprised I felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room for a few seconds. Then, I was overcome with intense joy. It was like finally seeing the light break at the other end if a very long tunnel. That was the level of emotion I was at. I'd gotten through to her. The bits and pieces of things I'd picked up at my part-time job since this spring helped me get through to her. I wished for just that day—that moment—that I could be Richard. Face included.

you didn't need to bring him up... seigi....

"Yeah, I was looking into the heat treatment of rubies!" "So corundum, then. That's the scientific name for ruby and sapphire." "Right, I've heard that before! I stumbled on the term 'pigeon blood' recently, too." "...Seigi, you know that term means something very special." Tanimoto said with an impenetrable expression and smile on her face, turning into a completely different person than the one I'd known. "Pigeon blood rubies are extremely valuable. They're only found in a particular mine in Myanmar. Rubies are found elsewhere, like Thailand, Sri Lanka, and other parts of Asia, as well as Mozambique in Africa, but the highest quality rubies have always come from Myanmar." She continued, saying that due to geopolitical and supply instability, the prices of the highest quality specimens had skyrocketed. With a smile, she added that even the most beautiful of lights still cast shadows. Her tone wasn't one of half-hearted small talk—it was the tone of someone with strong opinions. So was her expression. "Did you know that rubies and sapphires are technically the same mineral, Seigi?" "I-I did, but... I still don't understand why they're different colors." "To put it simply, they have different impurities in the stone. Corundum is a kind of aluminum oxide, but if a stone has trace amounts of chromium in it, it'll be red, while iron and titanium will produce blue and purple stones. Which means there are techniques for manipulating color, too." "Wow...!" The more she talked, the faster she spoke. Her expression was stern and her voice low—there was a vague atmosphere of solemn dignity about her. She hunched over, crossed her legs, and tensed her eyes so much that it almost looked like someone had drawn a straight line in permanent marker under each of them. This was no bakery fairy standing in front of me but something else. Something more— "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Before I could put my finger on just what she reminded me of, Tanimoto stomped on the brakes. I was so startled I actually gasped. She giggled bashfully, and her face momentarily returned to her usual fairy-like state, though traces of the stern wrinkles about her eyes remained. "I, uh, just really love stones is all. Once I get going, I just can't stop. I'm really sorry."

difficult and even a bit of a narcissist Seigi hes gonna get you back for this. he will get you back. also tanimoto-san I Love You

every time seigi says something lame and econ major-like I cheer

"Good point. My boss said the same thing." "Hmm." Tanimoto let out a listless sigh, and her eyelid twitched. "...Seigi, lemme ask you something. Do you think of gemstones as assets? Or accessories?" "I think they're a little of both, but they can be more than that, too." "Why?" Why? Because I wouldn't consider my grandmother's ring an "asset" or an "accessory." But how was I supposed to explain that? I'm just a part-timer who doesn't know the first thing about gemstones. Tanimoto giggled as I got flustered. She was so cute. So damn cute. "Sorry, I guess I kinda brought the conversation to a weird place. But stones really aren't that complicated. I mean, you're not gonna die without precious gems after all, and I can't think of anyone who really hates them, you know? I think stones have a kinda, like inherit goodness to them." "Yes! Exactly! I think so, too. They might be accessories, or useful ways to bank value, but they're so much more than that... I think they have the power to connect people. And I think that's what I like about them... yeah." I didn't think my explanation was elegant enough to justify even an extremely generous comparison to Richard, but I'd said what I wanted to say. I figured as long as I got the idea across, that was good enough. While I was thinking, Tanimoto tensed her eyes up again and leaned forward—the "other" her was back. "Now I don't want you to think of this as the opinion of an amateur geologist but just as a personal, touchy-feely opinion." "Sure..." After repeating her lengthy preamble again, Tanimoto began, "Stones that are considered 'good' as assets or accessories are usually especially beautiful or rare ones. Like pigeon blood rubies. And that's why we developed the technology to find and reproduce stones of the highest standard of beauty. But there's something kind of cold and sad about chasing beauty defined only by numbers and standards." "You think it's sad?"

"Why? I wanna hear more! I wanna learn more about stones, but I have no idea where to even start. Honestly, I'm so happy right now that I don’t even know how to say it." "...You mean it?" I told her "thank you," and she flashed me a divinely sweet smile. Then she told me that she was the president of her high school geology club, and for some reason they'd given her the nickname "Golgo Tanimoto." I spent class with my head in the clouds, but afterward, we exchanged numbers. I finally, finally did it. And the cherry on top was that she invited me to join her for lunch. Campus was like an alternate dimension when we walked together. I was almost too happy. I had a hard time believing it was real. I felt like someone might throw water in my face at any moment to wake me up and tell me it was all a dream. Unfortunately, reality really did come knocking. "Excuse me, are you Mr. Seigi Nakata?" A man I'd never seen before stopped me just as we stepped out of the gate. He must've been about thirty. He had bright, childlike eyes* and wore an expensive suit. His clothes seemed suited to a more mundane job than Richard's. And, of course, I'd never met him before.

*for the sake of image count it’s not here but I annotated this ?? okay

"I am, but who are you?" "I'm sorry for dropping in on you like this, but I only need a moment of your time. It won't take long." "How did you know my name?" "I can explain, but let's go somewhere a little more private. If you don't mind." "Um, Seigi, maybe I should bow out here." "It's about the jewelry shop in Ginza. If you don't mind." The man didn't seem to pay any attention to how upset I looked. Clearly this guy didn't know what the phrase "If you don't mind," meant. Maybe Richard should give him a Japanese lesson. Painful as it was, I watched Tanimoto leave and followed the man into a local coffee shop. He ordered two coffees. Why am I here with a strange man and not Tanimoto? "...So, what do you want from me? Who are you?" "My name is Takashi Homura. I'm sorry for approaching you out of the blue like that." He handed me the second business card I'd ever received in my life. The first was, of course, Richard's. The company listed on the card was Homura Trading and the address was in Marunouchi—a business district with rents to rival Ginza's. I didn't ask, but he told me that he worked for his family business. Apparently, he was training to become assistant manager. I couldn't have cared less. He pulled a file from his leather bag and showed me a photo. It was a picture of him and a woman with long black hair. They stood in front of a fountain surrounded by tulips, awkwardly linking arms. The woman's face was familiar. She was Ms. Akashi, the woman who brought the ruby in for appraisal. "She's my fiancée. She came by the shop you work at part-time, right?" "...How do you know where I work?" "It's a long story, but I had someone investigate her recent activities. I'm sorry for scaring you." "You had 'someone' investigate her? You mean a private investigator, right? If one of my friends was dating someone like you, I'd tell her to break up with you because she could find someone better." "I can explain. You don't have to stay long, but please hear me out." He bowed deeply and began to explain. He'd met Ms. Akashi almost exactly a year ago. He fell in love with her when she started working for Homura Trading last spring, they got to know each other and eventually became engaged. The parents were on board, and they were on the verge of getting married. "But it's just not working out. She said yes, but she's been dragging her feet, and we're not getting anywhere on making arrangements. I was so excited for the ceremony, and we decided to hold it in August of this year, but there's no way it's happening at this rate. I think it's been going on way too long for it to just be anxiety about the wedding. It's driving my mother crazy... I told her she could just talk to me about it if there was some reason for all this, but she won't tell me anything. I didn't know what else to do." "Why are you coming to me about this? Your behavior is bizarre." "I'm not doing it anymore, but I had her followed for a month." "More like stalked." "During that month, the one thing she did that was different from her usual routine was visit the jewelry shop you work at." "So you decided to follow me to school?" "I'm so sorry. I'll get right to the point. If you have any idea why she was there, could you please tell me, if you don't mind? I just need some kind of clue, however small."

This was probably going to be my lunch. I really should have ordered some pasta so I wouldn't be distracted during my afternoon classes, but I didn't want to eat in front of this guy. He was so stressed I couldn't help feeling bad for him.

‘instantly’ is so funny to me seigi we were celebrating Top 20 #BITCH Moments hit after hit after hit after you were dragged away from tanimoto but NOW you ‘instantly’ feel bad. bleeding heart. bleeding heart who is also a bitch. silly guy Don’t kid yourself. also what’s the count on seigi mentioning richard apropos of anywhere from very little to literally nothing. it’s a lot right

"I don't expect you to understand. I know full well how selfish I'm being, but this was the only lead I had." "...Do you have any idea what your fiancée might have been doing in a jewelry shop?" "Last winter, I gave her a ruby. A brooch with diamond accents. She really liked it... or at least I thought she did when I gave it to her. Maybe I was wrong, though..." He trailed off. I thought so. She hadn't bought that brooch for herself. That's why she wanted to know if the stone had been heat treated and why she didn't know what it had cost. Maybe she really did intend to sell it. "Please. Not knowing is the worst thing in the world. I can't bear the thought of losing her." "Look, I'm sure Ms. Akashi has her reasons. Why can't you just accept that?" "Ms. Akashi?" Huh? The two of us referenced the photo again, and I pointed at Ms. Akashi. She did look a little less gaunt than she was when I saw her at Richard's shop, but her smile was identical—kind of stiff. "Isn't her name Mami Akashi?" "No, it's Mami Sasu." "Sasu?" The two of us exchanged confused looks. He definitely didn't look like he was lying, and he didn't have any reason to lie either. Which meant she'd used a fake name. "I wonder where she got the name 'Akashi' from. There's no one at the company with that name." "Maybe it's a relative's name?" "No, no one related to her is named that, either. Or... at least no one she introduced me to." Suddenly, he looked like an elementary schooler who'd been given the homework for someone in junior high. Funny, considering I thought he was a deplorable villain just moments ago. I thought back to Ms. Akashi storming in and out of the jewelry store. “...Sorry, I have to go. I've got class." I bowed and got up. I knew I couldn't stay there any longer. I'd probably already said something I shouldn't have. I hate this. I really hate it. I'd never shop at a place with an employee who'd sell out customers. I heard Mr. Homura say "thank you" as I left. If I were him, I wouldn't wanna thank the person secretly reporting on a person I loved. I didn't even know who the bad guy was in this situation: the man who hired a private detective to follow his girlfriend around, the woman who used a fake name to get a gemstone she was given as a gift appraised in secret, or the part-timer with loose lips? I left the coffee shop and noticed I'd gotten a text from Tanimoto. It was short, "Everything go okay? We should talk again sometime!" I was so, so happy. Too happy. I realized that if we did start dating and she started acting weird, I could see myself hiring a private investigator, too. I guessed the more you liked someone, the more it could go to your head. After I finished my afternoon classes, I made up my mind: The next time Ms. Akashi aka Ms. Sasu came to the shop, the first thing I would do was tell her what happened today and apologize. She would probably be mad, and I was sure Richard would fire me, but it was the right thing to do.

I’d never shop at a place with an employee who’d sell out customers This is a massive massive gun to me. just horribly massive gun. give it like uhhh six or seven novels? don’t remember Just trust me. anyway refer to phoenixheadinhands Anyway anyway this one was marked in place by richard-gets-slammed.png

"Hold on, Seigi." My eyes went wide at Richard's response, and the person in the leather jacket glared at me. They had on skinny jeans and combat boots. I went back down the stairs, taking a ready stance on the white cobblestone. As the assailant slowly made their way down the stairs onto the sunlight walkway, I realized why I thought my ears were playing tricks on me when they spoke—the attacker was a woman. She was much smaller than Richard, too. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail. It was blonde fading to purple at the ends. She wore bright red lipstick and had sharp eyes. “‘This your shop? Which one of you is the dirty, woman-stealing bastard?” She must've been in her twenties, and she really looked like she belonged more in Harajuku than Ginza. Why on earth was someone like that attacking Richard? Richard fixed his shirt and came downstairs. The suitcase he was never seen without was fine. It didn't seem like the assailant had been trying to steal the gems. “...Lover's quarrel?” "Don't be foolish, I've never met this woman before."

You two are sick.

Apparently, she'd come at him just as he was about to enter the shop. Bizarre. The strange woman glared at me beneath the dull shine of the overcast sky. "You wanna go? This is gonna be fun. Come at me. Underestimate me and you'll regret it." "I'm opposed to using violence against women. Please state your business.["]

💥💥💥

- another gun

["]Who is this 'woman-stealing bastard' you're so concerned about? And just who are you?" "Tatsuki Akashi. Twenty-seven years old. I'm a bassist working as a studio musician in Shibuya." Akashi? This Tatsuki Akashi opened her wallet and took out a photo to show us. It was a picture of two women, having fun in what looked like a bar. "Do you know this woman? Tell me everything you know, I don't care how minor. I've got a situation I'm dealing with." The photo was of Tatsuki Akashi, wearing a Japanese national football team uniform, with a big smile on her face and an arm around none other than Mami Sasu. Just as I was getting over the shock of that revelation, I heard someone drop something on the path behind me. It was a brown shoulder bag. And a long-haired woman was standing there. Mami Sasu. Tatsuki reacted first. Mami tried to run, but Tatsuki chased after her and grabbed her hand. "Mami! I finally found you!" "Let go of me! I don't want anything to do with you anymore!" "Do you have any idea how worried I was?! How dare you just up and disappear like that!" The two women began to grapple in the middle of the street. This was not good. Not good at all—but just as that thought crossed my mind, a black taxi pulled up in front of the building. Takashi got out, clearly panicked. "What is wrong with you?! Get away from Mami!" "Oh, are you the woman-stealing bastard? Finally, we meet. You better clench your damn teeth!" "Don't! He's my fiancé!" Mami shouted.

okay did you guys know that the very first episode of La rosa de Guadalupe is rated a 4.8/10 on imdb. I never did watch it as a kid. I’ll tell you what though if I’m remembering faces right a telenovela I DID watch as a kid before or maybe overlapping with the ncisification of our household television time was Por ella soy Eva which I’m sure had no subconscious effects on me and who I am as a person now. Anyway. mess like this would net a way higher score than 4.8/10 on imdb. this was a visual gag before but you gotta understand I'm really stretching that 30 photo maximum

There was only one location in the area that could qualify as a café and was completely free. The owner of the devastatingly handsome face shot the three quarreling adults an ice-cold glare. "I will allow you to use my shop to settle this dispute on the condition that you do not damage anything inside. Understood?" The three of them all looked in different directions and nodded.

always so beautiful to see seigi in my minds eye standing just far enough away from the epicenter of mess. so beautiful for it to not be his fault for once

[…] I hastily prepared four glasses of barley tea from our stock. I didn't really feel like they needed to be served tea like they were customers, but I figured having drinks on the table might keep things a little more in check. Admittedly, that was just for my own peace of mind. Tatsuki and Takashi were seated across from each other in the four-piece lounge set. Richard had taken off his jacket and sat down next to Tatsuki, and across from him was Mami Sasu. I didn't have a chair, so I just stood by the table. I had a good view of everyone's faces from that position. Mami's hands and face looked almost uncannily pale as she sat in the chair, staring intently at her hands clenched in her lap. "Mami and I have been seeing each other for seven years. We were even living together until the winter of the year before last." ...Why did you have to mention that now?" "Because you up and left without telling me!" "Keep your voices down. This is my place of business, not a prison visitation room." Tatsuki hung her head a bit, ashamed, before continuing. She explained that in winter of the year before last, Mami, who she'd been living with up until that point, suddenly disappeared from their apartment. Her phone number had been disconnected and all her contact information had changed, and she'd gotten rid of all her things. Tatsuki frantically searched for her, to no avail. Just as she'd concluded that she must have left the city, a colleague of hers mentioned that they'd spotted a long-haired woman who resembled Mami in Ginza. Tatsuki couldn't contain herself and rushed over. This all happened to line up today. The worst of all possible days for such a coincidence. Tatsuki said they'd been "seeing each other" for seven years. You wouldn't phrase it like that to your friend's fiancé if you were just friends and roommates. More than anything, the vibe between them definitely didn't seem to be just friendship. So it was probably exactly what it sounded like.

refer to phoenixheadinhands.

"I'm sorry for tryin' to beat your ass earlier. All the info I had to go on was that there was an 'unbelievably hot man running a strange store' and that they'd 'seen Mami go into it.' The blood just went straight to my head. You really are unbelievably hot, but there's nothing strange about this store." "I'm flattered that you think so, but I would suggest trying to use your words before you grab someone by the collar next time."

Okay richard do you wanna take this time to maybe reflect on why seigi called you narcissistic earlier

"Um, Ms. Akashi, was it? Just what are you to Mami?" Takashi threw a straight ball, though I got the sense that he probably didn't even know how to throw a curve ball. He seemed the calmest next to Richard, even if that was ultimately just a front. Tatsuki stared at him intently. "Would you be asking the same question if I were a man?" Takashi flushed and hung his head, embarrassed, as she threw a straight ball right back at him. Before she could press the topic further, Mami mumbled, "I fell in love with a man. That's why I broke up with you." An icy chill hung over the shop.

Sorry everyone but can we please stop doing this. it’s killing the vibe. is anybody even drinking seigi’s tea

Richard and I exchanged silent glances and remained focused on Tatsuki's behavior. I really wasn't in the mood to have to kick someone out for causing trouble. ...What are you talking about? You were just going to toss me aside like I mean nothing to you to be with him? Bullshit!" "I was trying to be realistic about my future." "You always did mistake pessimism for realism. You're just a coward. Or is the old, 'normal is better' Mami back again? I certainly haven't missed that side of you." "We couldn't keep living together like we were going to be young forever. I'd just found a new job and everything. It was perfect. You don't mean anything to me anymore. I want to start over. Just forget about us and move on with your life." "Let me stop you there," Richard interrupted. The more Mami spoke, the sicker she looked, and she never so much as glanced at Tatsuki through the whole thing. With wide-open eyes and through gritted teeth, Tatsuki let out a little, "I see how it is. ...So, I don't mean anything to you, huh? Fine. But you listen here, Mami, that's not even what I'm mad about. We were dating. Dating. Remember? For seven years. Why couldn't you have said one word—just one word—to me before you up and vanished? I thought you might be dead. I thought maybe you got mixed up in something crazy and were lying dead in a ditch somewhere. I went to the police. I talked to all your old friends. Awful thoughts kept me up at night. I was driving myself crazy asking myself if it was my fault." "Well, that's all on you." "Just calm down, both of you. Please." I tried to mediate in a low tone, but really, I was thinking about something entirely different. Part of Tatsuki's story didn't seem to add up. Mami met Takashi in the spring of last year. If that was also when they started dating, then Mami would have left Tatsuki's apartment the previous winter before she met Takashi. But then, why did she come into the shop using "Akashi" instead of "Sasu"? Richard must've noticed this as well but politely held his tongue. If I was going to make up for the mistake I made when Takashi caught me at school, this was my only chance. But the moment the thought crossed my mind— "Mami, why did you use the name 'Akashi' when you came here?" Takashi beat me to it.

man would it kill you to just sit quiet for once. once in your damn life.

Mami had a look of abject despair on her face. She'd gone from white as a sheet to the color of death. She glanced at Richard and then at me, grimacing. There was no way she couldn't know whose fault that was. There was probably nothing I could possibly do to earn her forgiveness at that point. Tatsuki was baffled. "What? Akashi? What's he talking about, Mami?" I couldn't say that Mami looked like she was enjoying herself in Takashi's photo from that spring, even if I was trying to be generous. But in Tatsuk's photo of her, she looked happy and healthy—almost like a different person entirely. "This situation seems to be more complicated than I thought, so let me explain my side. She and I have been engaged for a year, and the wedding is set for August. But I have a proposal." "Oh, shut up. Just get married or whatever." "Mami, I don't mind if you cheat on me," Takashi said. For a moment, I thought Takashi had lost his mind. Tatsuki seemed to have the same reaction, and the two of us just sat there in a state of wordless shock. Mami looked up, her face expressionless. Takashi smiled, like a young father trying to reassure his small child. It was a forced smile though. You could see it in his eyes. "I do feel a bit sad that you never talked to me about your past, but I know you had your reasons. But I have a suggestion: Couldn't you think of love and marriage as separate things? I love you, and that'll never change, no matter what happens. You can just marry me and keep going out with Ms. Akashi if you like. Then everything can proceed as planned." His smile sent a chill down my spine. He's proposing that his fiancée date someone else? What does marrying Mami Sasu actually mean to this man? What does he even like about her?

refer to phoenixheadinhands.

Tatsuki clicked her tongue, breaking the silence. "Who the hell is this little rich boy anyway? Gimme a damn break, do you even hear what you're saying?" "I do. I can simply think of an affair with another woman as her having a 'very good friend' rather than romance. It won't bother me." "Well, I'm sayin' it'll bother me!" "I believe Mami already said that you don't mean anything to her anymore." Tatsuki snapped. Richard intervened after Takashi took a punch to the jaw. He was about to get into it with her, and if we let him, the situation would have devolved into complete chaos from there. I got him in an armlock when he stood up, but he still fought me. Before I knew it, Mami had stood up and grabbed her bag. "Mami! Wait!" She glared at me in response and ran down the stairs. While the cat and mouse were fighting, the cheese ran away. I felt like I'd seen a cartoon like that when I was a kid.

jesus. how could this get worse, I hear you asking. Ha ha ha ha ha

"I have some idea. I'm sure I could track her down." "Please do. Let me help." "Seigi," Richard softly scolded me. My one saving grace was the fact that we had no other appointments that day. Though it was beyond too late, I confessed that I'd told Takashi her name when he ambushed me as I was leaving campus. I thought Tatsuki might hit me, too, but she was just flabbergasted. "Richard, I'm so sorry. I know you put your trust in me. Take it out of my wages for today or fire me, whatever you think is appropriate. I'll do whatever's necessary to apologize to Mami."

Tatsuki and I rushed out of the shop at the same time. When we got downstairs, she tossed a card at me. It had the logo of a bass clef on it, along with her contact information. "I'll search Shibuya. Check any place you wouldn't think twice about a young woman being alone! If Mami dies, I'm gonna kill you, that Homura guy, and your boss!" Tatsuki slipped into the parking lot behind the building and reappeared in front of the store on a motorcycle, racing down the street. I looked up at Richard's jewelry shop, brought my hands together, and bowed my head before running toward the subway station.

[BOMB] [BOMB] [GUNFIRE] [EXPLOSIONS] [WILHELM SCREAM] also étranger treated as a place to pray to Seigi I’m gonna fucking get you. I’m gonna get you.

[マヨらサーティンreference.png] <- keeping that marker in actually

There’s just something about knowing the person you like believes in you that gives you strength.

If I hadn't said anything to Takashi back then, things wouldn't have gotten this bad. I knew regretting it now wouldn't change anything, but I did desperately want a chance to make it right.

I asked people if they'd seen a woman with long black hair who seemed kind of unwell but came up empty-handed. Just as I was trying to figure out what to do next, I got a text. It was from Tatsuki.

"Asakusa Shrine. We'd go there every year for the first shrine visit of the year. If you're close, take a look around there, please. There was an accident in Sangenjaya, so the line's stopped. I won't be able to leave for a while."

Asakusa. I could get there on the Ginza Line. Takashi must've had his hands full searching Tokyo Station. I replied that I'd take the express line from Ueno and hurried down into the subway.

Asakusa was crowded with tourists going to see the Skytree on a Saturday afternoon. I slipped under the massive paper lantern. The stalls were so crowded that it looked like a theme park. Kimono shops, Ningyo-yaki stalls, candied fruit sellers.

I made it back to the main hall of Senso-ji. Immediately to its right was Asakusa Shrine.

The grounds of the shrine were so peaceful and quiet, it was hard to imagine the hustle and bustle of the shopping arcade was just a few hundred feet away. The guardian lion-dog statues seemed to be almost lounging atop the white sand—and there was a woman with long black hair sitting on a bench. She was holding something that looked like a milk carton, with her legs splayed out comfortably. She waved when she noticed me. I let out a weird sound.

"Mami!"

My feet sank into the white sand as I ran across the grounds. I couldn't even laugh about it. I sat down next to her, and Mami set the carton she'd been drinking at her feet. It had "sake" written on it and was mostly empty.

"Did Tatsuki send you here? You guys really don't know how to respect a person's privacy."

"Sorry. I mean it, I'm really sorry. This is all my fault. Richard had nothing to do with it."

"I know. I don't really care anymore." She laughed.

She looked desperate. She probably didn't want Tatsuki or Takashi to see her like that.

"This reminds me of the first shrine visit of the year. This place is always full of people. Tatsuki's family makes kimono, so every year, we'd get dressed up for our visit. People would always tell us we looked so pretty or ask if we were sisters, which would make Tatsuki a little mad, of course. She can be so funny... You know about otakiage events, right? People would bring the talismans they kept in their homes for the past year to this place to be burned and honored in a memorial service. There's always a huge pile of charms and talismans to burn…"

"I'm going to call both of them. Tatsuki and Takashi are both very worried about you."

"Just let me talk a little more. You can call them after. It doesn't really matter."

"Yes, it does matter! They're both frantically searching for you!"

"Every time I would see that pile, I'd find myself wishing someone would burn me up, too."

Mami coughed. I was about to call them when she reached out for my phone to stop me.

I knew she didn't really want to talk to me alone. She didn't really want to talk to anyone.

"...So are you just gonna sit here drinking forever?"

"That wasn't the plan at least. I wanted to finally make a decision."

She stared off into space with a dreamy look on her face as she continued. She wasn't even looking at me, "I thought I could make it work, but I guess I was wrong. In my head, I knew what I needed to do, but I couldn't make my body cooperate. I couldn't sleep. I tried to eat, but it'd all just come right back up. I started losing weight to the point that it was just disgusting. Takashi is such a nice man, too... I guess I was just never going to be capable of marrying a man. I hate myself."

"What's the big deal? You don't have to force yourself to get married! Plus, utilitarian relationships are the furthest thing in the world from romance—that's what my boss thinks at least."

"Do you think I don't know that? It doesn't matter what anyone else says, though. I don't like myself, and I'll never be happy with the way I am. I always wanted to be a normal woman who got married to a man she loves and lived happily ever after, and I've always despised myself for not being that person."

"It doesn't matter, Tatsuki..."

Mami let out another weird cough mid-sentence. She seemed unsteady.

“…I'm sorry for causing you all this trouble. This had nothing to do with you, but I didn't see any other way."

"Any other way?"

Just as I asked that, she collapsed onto the white sand. The empty paper carton toppled over without a sound, and a plastic bag full of empty pill packages fell out of her brown shoulder bag. Alcohol and pills. This was her plan from the start.

"Mami!"

I shouted at her and smacked her cheeks, but she wouldn't wake up. I don't know what to do. Make her throw it up? But how? I had no idea. Hospital. I have to get her to a hospital. Ambulance.

I started running as I called for an ambulance on my phone. I didn't see anyone in the nearby shrine office. I ran to the closest food stall, looking for help, and they told me there was a hospital in the back. The back? The back where? There were plenty of elements here designed to mourn the dead—Kaminarimon, the garden, the pagoda, the temple, the shrine. This wasn't a joke. Where the hell is the hospital?

The back wheels of the vehicle rolled up onto the white sand as the metal steed abruptly changed course.

okay richard who’s the knight in shining armor NOW?

She arrived precisely on time for her appointment: Saturday at eleven 'o clock. The royal milk tea was just the right temperature.

"We've been expecting you. Please have a seat."

Mami had cut her long hair to just below her ears.

She looked much healthier than when I first met her, but that wasn't the only reason she seemed more cheerful than before. She looked me right in the eye and smiled.

"It's been ages. Have you been well? You know, I nearly died in Asakusa last month."

"I'm well aware. That isn't very funny.["]

well to be honest with you it’s pretty funny to me. Sorry

"The stone is 3.05 carats, AAA grade, originating from Mogok in Myanmar. It has not been heat treated. Ten million yen would be a conservative valuation."

I almost dropped the tray of tea. Ten million. Ten million. The stone she so casually dumped at the shop was worth ten million yen.

Mami seemed only a little shocked by the value. She let out a half-hearted "I see," and looked at the brooch that had finally been returned to her. She looked as though she were staring in a mirror.

[…]

Her hand under the jewelry box shifted, making the pigeon blood stone glimmer in the light.

"I also read that because we've only had heat treating technology for a few decades, no one knows what will happen to the stones in a century or so. Is that true?"

"If we're talking about modern heat treatment technology, it's conceivable someone may have said that. However, rubies have undergone heat treatment for over three hundred years. The process has a long history."

"The history of the pursuit of beauty, you could say."

Mami forced an awkward smile, went silent for a moment, and then began to mutter.

"I didn't regret my decision. I always wanted to be that girl. I didn't think what I was doing was wrong. But... as the wedding got closer, I started to feel afraid of my choice for the first time. And that's why I wanted to have the ruby checked."

She explained that if the ruby turned out to be heat treated, she would go through with the wedding. But if it wasn't, she'd rethink what she was doing. I guess that's what she meant by using it to tell her fortune. What on earth?

"Don't you have that backwards? I mean, a beautiful, untreated stone is way more valuable."

"All the more reason I shouldn't marry someone who would give me something like that. If only he'd given me some cheap trinket instead..."

I was so confused, my eyebrows started to twitch. Richard didn't say a word. Mami seemed to misunderstand the reason I was frowning.

"He's not a bad person. Sure, I was surprised he hired a private investigator, but it came from a good place. He might lose his cool sometimes, but... he really is a kind person."

I still wasn't sure exactly what sort of guy Takashi was. There were plenty of things about his behavior I wasn't crazy about, but he didn't seem irredeemably horrible, either. But that was probably why she considered marrying him.

don’t worry seigi look me in my eyes. You’ll never have to think about homura-san eeeever again after this. never ever.

"You must be tired from all that talking. Please, have some tea."

Mami took a sip of the tea at Richard's behest, and her eyes went wide. She stared at me.

"This is really good. Thank you."

"I learned how to make it from my boss," I said triumphantly.

Mami forced a smile and turned to Richard, "I believe you told him something to the effect of, 'utilitarian relationships aren't love.' That's a pretty powerful sentiment."

Richard shrugged, "You actually remembered that?"

I made an awkward expression, and Mami said to me with a smile, "Thank you for saving my life. It feels strange to be able to say that now, when I've wanted to die for such a long time."

She said it again. I had to wonder if she was really all right.

refer to phoenixheadinhands.

Richard pulled out the identification report and pointed to the "client" field. Mami's eyes went wide. It said "Mami Akashi."

"Could I trouble you to correct this? I do have to ask though, why did you use a false name?"

"...I'm so sorry. I don't even know, myself. I would use that name for fun when I was living with Tatsuki. Not that I've even said it at all recently..."

Mami took another sip of the royal milk tea I'd made. I couldn't say she was completely happy and free of worry, but she did look relieved. But what do I know, really?

"Um, so I don't mind if you don't want to answer this question, but why did you think it would be a good idea to force yourself to get married to a man?"

seigi loves to start an incredibly personal question like あのう…

"Why? Because that is what's considered 'normal' to most people in the world."

I looked confused. Mami continued.

"Do any of your friends live with their same-sex partner? Probably not, right? I'm not even talking about discrimination or harassment but the constant exhaustion of knowing you're not 'normal.' It's like trying to grow vegetables in the middle of the desert. I always wondered why I had to go through all this hardship that other people didn't, but maybe that's ultimately a grass-is-always-greener kind of thing."

"I mean, there are plenty of people who never get married, too."

"I know."

Mami told us about how she was raised. Don't cause other people trouble. Don't stand out too much. Live a normal life. Go to a normal school. Get married and have kids like a normal person. Raise them like normal. Grow old like normal. She was taught that this was the most comfortable, least remarkable, most trouble-free way to live. For example, she was taught to keep herself at a standard retail size when it came to clothing. Medium. The size that most people wear.

When she was on a school trip in junior high, a massive typhoon hit. Her home was destroyed, and her entire family died. News all over the country covered it as an unfortunate incident.

"That made me stand out a lot," she said, smiling while hardly moving the rest of her face. "Tatsuki and I are polar opposites. She hates 'normal.' She's the kind of person who makes her own clothes. I found it charming when we met, but when we lived together, we were so poor. I couldn't see a future for us, so I couldn't help thinking that maybe 'normal' really was better. I wanted to have an easier life. That's why I went back to full-time work, too."

"But it wasn't easier at all, was it?"

"Sure wasn't. Deathly so."

Mami laughed. Her laugh sounded so much brighter than her desperate voice back at the shrine, but I couldn't help still feeling worried for her.

"I don't think you should try that again. There are people who might die of grief if something were to happen to you. You'll be doing them a favor by valuing yourself more. This is starting to sound like a lecture, but I really mean it. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"You're probably right, but you know, it's still pretty hard to believe. It's weird, isn't it? I'm a total stranger with no family to speak of, but there are people I hurt just by treating myself like garbage."

"It is pretty weird. But when you love someone from the bottom of your heart, it changes you. I think that's only natural. I mean, maybe that's just what love is, right?"

But there was just something about her in that moment, like she felt unbearably sad, guilty, and heartrendingly happy all at the same time.

Mami wiped her eyes and looked at me like a displeased queen. "You don't look that much younger than me. Has anyone ever told you how presumptuous you are?"

"Sounds like somebody's just being a little childish to me."

"You know, you really are insufferable. Even if you did save my life."

I smirked, and Mami let out a slightly bashful laugh. That was the first time I felt like I could understand how the people who spent that day running around Tokyo and crying over her felt.* She really was charmingly awkward.

*- guy who spent that day running around tokyo over her. seeeiiiiigiiiiiii........

My boss, who had been silently listening the whole time, nodded, took a sip of his tea, and set the cup down.

"Ms. Sasu, do you know what a carat is?"

"You mean like how this ruby is 3.05 carats?" Mami confirmed.

"Exactly," Richard nodded. Then he looked at me, "Seigi, do you still remember what carats measure?"

“...They're a unit of measure for the weight of gemstones. One carat is 0.2 grams."

He replied with a "bravo." The question made me remember the time I'd asked him why they used carats and not grams. It was the day Mami showed up in the store for the first time.

"It's said that jewelers in ancient Greece used carob seeds to measure the weight of stones. Each of those seeds weighed around 0.2 grams. In Greek, the word for carob seed is 'kerátion,' which eventually became the word carat as we know it today."

One seed. One carat. I imagined someone with curly hair and dressed in a toga, placing seeds on a scale against a gemstone. I guessed seeds and gemstones were pretty similar in scale in terms of size and weight.

"In short, the carat is a unit of measurement created by jewelers specifically for gemstones and used exclusively for gemstones. It may not have the broad utility of centimeters and kilograms, but it's still useful for weighing gems. Of course, you could convert it to grams, but personally I find a world with a variety of diverse units of measurement much more comfortable, beautiful, and rich for it."

Mami giggled, like she understood something.

"Despite your cool and collected demeanor, you're quite passionate, aren't you? Well, I hope to be someone who makes the world a richer place, too."

:)

"Everyone has their own universe, but the main difference is whether they turn their back on it or embrace it to cultivate it into a deep, bountiful sea. You mentioned using the stone to tell your fortune earlier, but the thing is, gemstones are mirrors that reflect their owners. You would have never received an answer that you didn't already desire."

“......"

"Ms. Sasu, I believe you already had your answer the moment you set foot in this shop."

“…I guess I'm the only one who didn't know that."

Richard flashed her a gentle smile that reminded me of a calm sea. I was kind of shocked to learn he could make an expression like that. Mami smiled meekly. She was a pretty impressive person to be able to ignore that face of his.

then here comes gayboy interrupting a tender moment of connection anyway #LESBIAN

"So, about the charge for the identification report. How much was it again?"

[…]

"It's on the house. I believe what you need right now isn't fine jewelry but to turn your gaze inward to your own sparkling beauty. Should the day come that you desire a gemstone that matches your own inner luster, please contact me. I promise I'll find you the perfect piece."

"Thank you. You've really gone above and beyond for me."

Mami bowed deeply, put the brooch away in her shoulder bag, and left the shop.

I was still a little worried, so after a moment, I poked my head out to watch her leave. I was greeted by the rev of a motorcycle engine as a bike with two people on it sped past.

“...You know, I've thought this ever since we were coming back from Kobe on the Shinkansen, but you really are a bleeding heart, aren't you? You care more about your customers' well-being than profit. Or are you thinking about how you sometimes have to take a loss to profit in the long run?"

"I'm not sure you'd call this a loss. I made a connection with Mr. Homura."

"With Takashi?"

"I met with him once more after the incident. His family are avid jewelry collectors. We already have plans for me to show them several pieces when next we meet."

I shouldn't have expected anything less from a globe-trotting salesman. If someone had a stone that incredible to begin with, landing them as a customer would probably be profitable in the end. He did sound a little embarrassed about it, though.

"What'd Takashi say?"

"Just that if I had any good stones, he wanted to see them. That's all."

“...Huh."

- words that won’t be of any consequence several novels from now

He was a pretty baffling person, too. I still couldn't believe he told someone he was really in love with that he didn't care if she cheated on him. Though at the same time, if you were really, painfully in love with someone who was truly hopeless... I could see how you might come to the conclusion that it didn't matter if you weren't number one in their heart, as long as you could be by their side. No matter what form that took, or how much you had to give up. I felt like I could understand that a little, at least.

But only just a little. I wasn't saying I understood pain so bad that it made you want to die.

"Prejudice isn't a question of preference but one of whether you are offering other human beings the bare minimum courtesy of treating them as human."

Richard cleared his throat when I said that was what I loved about him.

everybody do me a favor and look up 'hayao miyazaki smoking stressed'. thanks. Seigi I kind of hope you die

Richard looked at me like he was waiting for something, and I just smiled at him. "You know, you really are shockingly handsome, even when you frown."

The implication being, "test me all you like." I had reflected on my actions after that incident, after all.

STOP! ❌ ✋ 🛑 🙅 🚫 ALTO! SEIGI ヤメロ

Suddenly the displeased look left Richard's face and was replaced with a smile—like flipping a switch. It was strange, though, like a doll made of ice smiling. So beautiful it was terrifying.

"Thank you very much. I think I have a thorough understanding of where you're coming from."

"D-do you now? Well, good. You know, you're kinda… scary right now."

"We've run out of our stock of sweets. Would you run out and buy some more?"

dumb stupid idiot’s Last Ever Task. how the fuck am I gonna fit all these photos. Oh well

"This is too much. I can't buy all this. What are you thinking?"

Just as I fired off that text, another one came in. It wasn't from Richard. My heart skipped a beat the moment I saw the name "Tanimoto."

"Hi, Seigi! Is it true that you were in a sports car in Asakusa? My friend who works at a shop near the temple said the driving was incredible! Sounds like it was a really interesting game of hide-and-seek!"

What a misunderstanding. What a massive misunderstanding. And it was already being embellished in the telling.

I didn't even want to look at it. I didn't even notice that I was on a different message chain when I fired off a reply.

"Is that sports car yours, Seigi? Show it to me sometime!"

I'd sent my "got it!" in reply to Tanimoto's message.

The phrase "just deserts" came to mind.

it really should be ‘just desserts’ given our circumstances

I bought everything on the list and returned to the shop where Richard greeted me like everything was normal. He hadn't done anything wrong. Really, he hadn't.

(he had.)

It was all my own fault.

(it was.)

I'd understood the point he made but failed to put it into practice.

boy did you.

and that concludes this edition of Seigi Sunday on “The Ruby of Truth”. on this [punctual] [Sunday].

[monodramatic-cannibal]

⚠️☣️💛Pinned Post💛☣️⚠️

This is my Undertale au (Mainly Sans aus) blog, my main is @cryingbluez. Will mainly be posting my own artwork, and answer asks. I will sometimes reblog others posts too. NOT a follow4follow account. So if you only follow me looking for one back, chances are I will not.

To see if asks/requests are open look at the my bio (theres also links in both this post and bio about rules about asks/requests). You can also send me random head canons or thoughts on characters too, I'd love to hear them!

Asks will be open for both me and my characters/aus just make sure to specify who the ask is for. If no one at all is specified and its not clear who its for I will just use any character to answer lol.

I'm also super okay with unhinged asks/tags on my stuff (as long as it isn't nsfw) I'm also okay with spam likes/reblogs/asks. I'm also okay with anons wanting specific anon names e.g. an anon referring to themselves with an emoji.

Also I'm okay with fanart of my characters! :D make sure to tag me and you can even send an ask in to make sure I see it lol. And I'm also okay with your ocs interacting with mine. Either it be through asks or art.

I'm also prone to adding random bits of info in the tags, not on all my posts, but a lot of my posts have stuff in the tags too, of me talking about something lol.

(This blog will have swearing in it. So if that's something you don't like please be careful when viewing my content)

You can call me Monodrama, or just Mono for short. Heres the ref for my skelesona.

Some lore on my sona :D :

Despite the title of ‘Skelesona’ my technically not a skeleton. More so some sort of parasite controlling a puppet/doll that looks like a skeleton.

Monodrama means ‘a dramatic piece for one performer’ (Nickname "Mono"). Given me saying my skelesona he’s actually more of an oc/mascot he doesn’t fully act like me, he's more so a being I can talk through.

His eyes and the bunny features as well as the horn and tail aren’t actually his own, since he’s a sort of parasite he can consume people/monsters and can gain a feature or two that he can use whenever he wants. E.g. he ate someone who had yellow eyes, giving him yellow eye lights, he ate a rabbit monster gaining bunny features, and he ate a reptilian monster for the horns and tail. (Also it explains my blog name lol)

Does have ecto, but rarely has it active

This blog is just a place for me to shove my Undertale au/Sans au artwork, feel free to send asks or doodle requests in. I have a few undertale ocs too :D

I'm open to answering asks about myself or any au/oc stuff I do, I will try to include doodles whenever I can, so bear with me if I don't answer it quickly. If you sent a doodle request and I don't do it please don't be mad. After all it's free art, I get to choose what I want to draw.

I do utau ships, and have my own sans au that I'm working on. Main utau ship I like is CrossMare (Cross x Nightmare), I enjoy drawing Nightmare a lot so you will see a lot of artwork of him. I tend to go for either fandom versions of characters personalities or my own interpretations of them.

Some of my fav bands/artists are, Glass Animals, Vundabar, Girl in Red, Rio Romeo, TV Girl, Machine Girl, Eve, Creepy Nuts :DD

My writing style tends to be very blunt, so I try to put in emojis/emoticons. I try not to spam them, but just warning ppl that I don't mean to sound mean I just type like that D: .

I'm still trying to figure out how I wanna draw skele's, so bear with me with that, my style might change.

Some links to posts of mine that I find relevant! :D (will be adding to this as I post more)

Info/boundaries on oc/au ask stuff

Info about art requests

OC refs:

My sonas ref (I count him as an oc as well,ik his ref is above, but this is it's separate post)

Raiden's ref (Crossmare ship kid)

Nix-Ceto's ref

Tanue's ref

Yusuke's ref

??? au (No name for the au yet):

Memento Cadre (Omen's team info)

Omen's ref (Omen=Nightmare)

Orca's ref (Orca=Cross)

Cleaver's ref (Cleaver=Horror)

Alloy's ref (Alloy=Killer)

Soot's ref (Soot=Dust)

Renegade au:

Renegade info (Ut sans au)

Renegade au refs 1 (Can also look at my tag '#Renegade ref' to find refs)

Renegade au refs 2

Tags I use (will be adding to this as I post more):

#Monodrama #Monodrama rambles | These used for posts of my sona, or me answering things, or just random text posts

#Monoart #Monos art #art #digital #digital art | My art tags

#Renegade au #Renegade #Renegade!(insert character name) #Renegade info | Tags for a ut sans au of mine

#Memento Cadre | Tags for a ut sans au of mine (will add more tags when get more)

#ask #asks #doodle response #text response #anon #(insert user of who sent the ask) | tags for asks, doodle response is when I reply with a doodle, text response is when I respond with text (will probs end up using both tags since I have a feeling I will include both text and a doodle). Anon or someone's user is when either an anon sent an ask or whoever the user is that sent in the ask.

#WebFishing #WF | tags for when I'm talking about the game WEBFISHING. It's normally me posting a room/server code for people to join my game and play with me.

DNI Homopobic, Transphobic, Xenophobic, etc Racist, Sexist, Ableist, misogynistic, etc Proshipers, Pedophiles, etc Just basically all the problematic stuff. I also won't be responding much to people who try to start things with me, I will just block people. I just don't have time for it, if your polite about it I will most likely have a discussion with you.

Credits

Page divider (user @.animatedglittergraphics-n-more)

[wtfgaylittlezooid]

[AvBF AU]

WITCH MENTION!!!!!! EP21 THE WITCH MENTION!!!!!! THE "COLOUR GANG ACTING AS ANTAGONISTS (TECHNICALLY) (KINDA) (IF YOU SQUINT)" TRIO IS COMPLETE!! im sorry i am just. Very normal about that episode and the hint of Blue Angst™ that we get with it gsoadjaohsdkg

Now im thinking, how would the potions work in the AU? What would the gang be turned into? (I am not very familiar with the bug fables world so forgive me if theres a obvious answer ^^;)

Well potions are a thing in Bug Fables, just not as common. Since the Witch is a Twisted Fly parasite— I imagine she gets her shapeshifitng potions from blood of things she leeches blood from.

She has a large backlog of MANY kinds of potions, but she gets curious specifically about the color gang after being a witness to the whole fight between Chosen and Dark. Seeing Second revive his friends piqued her curiosity.

As for what everyone gets turned into… it’s a lot of things. Yellow has two weapons: the key half AND a sharpened feather from Alan. I like to imagine Blue actually takes that bit of dna and can make a REALLY short and REALLY exhausting potion to turn himself into an omega chick.

Otherwise, Blue gets turned into an amazon blue leg centipede. Green I like to imagine gets turned into a cicada, madesphy, and mothfly. Second into a bald faced hornet, acorn seedling. Yellow into a wasp mantidfly, grasshopper, and denmuki. Red into some sort of spider, and maybe some others

I’m still working out what stuff they’d all turn into but it’s very much rapid and batshit like the original episode. But instead of dye they turn into Pibu