#this is my entry for this trend

[putosekahel]

In every universe, Liu Kang will always be Kitana's avid fan. (He sCREAMED a lot)

[hersurvival]

they told me to eat a lemon peel and wait 45 minutes, for euphoria, and what did i have to lose by biting through that bitter rind other than a lingering acrid taste on the back of my tongue, like bile in the back of my throat. low risk for the reward of activating the pineal gland, of being washed over by euphoria, opening that elusive third eye of perception.

but nothing happened.

now i am high as hell in a bed not mine, alone, after my baby brother's wedding.

still waiting for the valve to open, for the flow of that ancient greek pneuma, that breath, to tap that unassuming pinecone of an organ of excess and delirium open, calling to the goddess of strife and discord through the taste of zest, to channel this incessant rage, turn chaos into coping.

the stars are so far away, unable to be caressed as they're dying, already dead, light taking ages to fade, to blink out of existence. so far away from here, in a black sea of nothing, abysmal and freezing. poke holes in me, pinpricks, i wonder if i too can shine from within, if my void holds any light that won't be noticed when it fades.

@nosebleedclub June 29th - Lemon Rind

[madnessbypoetry]

March 07

For a long while i thought

I want to die

And sometimes i still do

But thinking about it

Maybe all i wanted was to be embraced

Even if it was by death herself

[jesseisquick]

Hi, hello, just came here to say that I love your fic "trending in Japan". I was wondering if you had headcanons regarding Kenji or Emi or interpersonal relationships and stuff. Many hugs for you.

hi hello, thank you for the encouragement and hugs! After some thought ive realized I do in fact have some hcs about some of the character dynamics in the movie as well as just kenji himself, cause hes captivated my entire brain:

Kenji & Emi

Emi does not have teeth but she does inexplicably have a teething phase. kenji is forced to hide all his (salvaged) fancy cars in the garage bc the corvette's already been chewed to hell and his heart is gonna give out if he has to watch any more classics get wrecked

he reads her bedtime stories. A lot of aesop's fables, because theyre short and fun and hes trying to raise his monster daughter with good morals. emi goes hogwild for these but its unclear if she actually understands what hes saying; kenji's pretty sure she just likes the silly voices he uses for different characters

they go flying together! they go first thing in the morning before breakfast - it helps kenji shake off the grogginess of sleep and emi gets to stretch her wings. shes not able to go very far for very long initially, but as she grows and gets those cardio gainz she almost gets to be quicker than him. they have races and play air tag :)

while she doesnt have the vocal range to speak english herself, it becomes clear that emi does understand it well. (kenji also develops an ear for her chirping/squawks, though body language & facial expressions play a big part in communication for both of them) during her (much later) rebellious phase she'll simply pretend not to know what's being said when kenji is telling her to do something she doesn't wanna do, which frustrates him to no end

Kenji

developed a pretty massive chip on his shoulder after moving to the states. it wasn't just bitterness over his dad staying behind, though that was a part of it. this is canon but he was picked on in school for "how [he talked], how [he looked] and what [he ate]." he felt like he had something to prove to both his father and the world. he threw himself into sports - specifically baseball - and his academics, and he did so well that it forced everyone to shut up about how he was different from them and focus on how he was better than them

^ playing off this: kenji had a bonkers fucking yonkers routine when he was a kid/in highschool. he'd get up hours before school started to practice his swing, go for a ~1hr run, workout, study, etc. He'd go to school, come home, and do it all again. this is exaggerated but my point is that this kid was DETERMINED and had the discipline to see that determination through to the end

didnt have many friends because of all aforementioned things. he had acquaintances, and he was invited to parties and outings and stuff (never went), but he spent most of his free time hanging out with his mom. he never really had a "parents are so embarrassing" phase. he always liked to do anything with his mother: going to the bank, going grocery shopping, watching cheesy telenovelas till ungodly hours in the morning, etc. she was his no.1 supporter, confidant, and best friend

he played for his university's baseball team and got scouted at 19. his mom forced him to finish his bachelor's first so once he graduated with his degree in kinesiology at 21, he was drafted to the dodgers

Kenji & Ami

both of them, up until meeting each other, were totally dedicated to their career (and child) so they had basically 0 time for friends. theyre both borderline losers but theyre juuust good enough at what they do for people to admire them instead of finding them sad and lowkey pathetic

kenji is way more into the idea of being friends than ami is. hes pretty enthusiastic about it; he thinks that they have a kind of rapport, since they share a similar work ethic and are both (unbeknownst to ami) single parents. he calls her to chat abt random things. ami initially isnt superrrr into it; she thinks kenji is kinda lonely and desperate for human connection, & it isnt until her mom points out that she has not spoken to anyone outside of work-related reasons in 10+ years that shes like oh shit, i am also lonely and desperate for human connection. so she grudgingly acquires a friend. theyre both really bad at it

need to clarify that in my mind their dynamic is 95% kenji yapping about work and drama in his personal life (circumventing the 8m baby kaiju hes raising) while ami goes "mhm mhm" and takes notes until kenji notices and is like What are you doing. at which point ami is like...... right . nothing. im listening. and forces herself to put the notepad away. she has a hard time disengaging from the reporter mindset and just hearing something intriguing without turning it into an article. the other 5% are the rare moments where theyre connecting super well - ami's psychoanalyzing the hell out of whatever kenji just said and hes like what are you my therapist. over time she starts opening up to him, too, and eventually theyre comfortable enough to be having philosophical discussions over breakfast just for funsies

before kenji reveals that hes ultraman, ami thinks hes in a gang. he keeps showing up to their lunch "dates" with like bruised eyes and fractured bones and gets all shifty when she tries to ask about what happened. when she eventually confronts him about it, hes so offended that she thinks hed be involved in something like that that he tells her about being ultraman

thats about all i can think of rn, though im sure ill think of more after rotating all the characters in my head for a while. thanks again for stopping in, i appreciate the support :)

[not-krys]

52. Deep in Thought [Houki, Abby, Clara, Miri]

Welcome back, it's 2025 so it's back to the 100 Themes Challenge!

For this entry, I decided to give myself a little bit of a challenge. Over on bluesky, there was a creative challenge posted where you would challenge your technical skills for your craft, like, say you normally write in third person POV, to try and see if you could write in a first person POV, to use present tense if you've only used past tense, to try digital art if you've only done traditional previously, stuff like that.

Though I won't be taking part in the challenge officially (for now, it runs through February and March), I did want to test the waters of working on some of my technical skills, namely trying out first person POV since I rarely write in that POV.

For three of these entries, I wrote in First Person while one was a return to form with Third Person. It was fun to try out a POV style I hadn't written in for a long time and a nice little exercise to get my writing muscles working.

For the prompt itself, I did: -Houki's first encounter with Mitsunari's reading trance -Abby is dragged into singing for Mozart -Nokto is helping Clara become more acclimated to the royal life by helping her get used to ordering people around, using himself as her test dummy. -Diavolo asking Miri wants as her reward to winning the Devildom Studies award.

Raw, mostly unedited writing. A lot of fluff in these entries, but there are some spoilers. Clara's entry was inspired by the Obey Me event while Miri's is inspired by the last handful of the final lessons of Obey Me. Abby's thoughts are also a little self-deprecating, she just doesn't have a lot of confidence in herself and her thoughts are reflective of that in her entry.

------

Houki

The sound of a turning page was a familiar and comforting sound to Houki, a taste of home that she was away from currently. At least books were still the same here, she thought.

Houki had been tasked by Hideyoshi to bring something for Mitsunari to eat and drink. Since it was the middle of the day and he was in the middle of work, she brought along some flavored rice crackers that Masamune had made earlier along with some cool tea to combat the summer heat.

Much as she was loathed to disturb his work, Hideyoshi had been insistent. After a few knocks, however, she wondered if she had missed him. There was no other sounds other than fluttering paper. Perhaps some books had fallen open in his room and the breeze from open window was causing that sound?

She knocked once, twice, and a third time. No answer. Hideyoshi had insisted he would be here or he'd have said something about going out, she was sure.

"Lord Mitsunari?" she called. "Are you here?"

Still no answer.

The door was slightly ajar thanks to her knocking. Maybe she could leave her snacks and he would come back later? She could also right the fallen books so that they don't get tripped on when Mitsunari returns.

"Sorry for intruding." She nudged her foot into the door, sliding it open easily.

Once she was inside, she yelped in surprise, nearly spilling her tray on the floor.

"Lord Mitsunari!"

There he was, sitting on the floor with a book in his lap. His hand flipped casually to the next page, paying her no mind whatsoever despite her cry being anything but quiet.

Once her heart and breath had calmed, she looked at Mitsunari a second time, setting her tray on the floor.

"…Lord Mitsunari?" she said.

Even this close to him, he didn't respond. He seemed unaware of everything aside from his book.

Houki poked his shoulder with her finger. No response. She grasped his shoulder and shook it gently, as if she was trying to wake him. Nothing. She shook him a little harder, and a little harder, and a little harder until his head was bobbling. Nothing. She even pinched her own cheek to make sure she wasn't dreaming, which still hurt, so this wasn't a dream. She even pinched his and he didn't say or do anything.

How strange… and a little horrifying.

How long had he been like this? Was he sick? Should she go get someone? Lord Hideyoshi for sure! Maybe there was a doctor nearby? Lord Ieyasu? Well, he was often cantankerous around Mitsunari but surely he would help if there was something wrong with his fellow lord?

As if to answer her prayers, loud knocking against the door frame made her jump a second time.

"Yo, lass!" It was Lord Masamune, followed shortly by Lord Hideyoshi's exasperated sigh. "Heard you be here today!"

"Lord Masamune! Lord Hideyoshi!"

"Hey, what's wrong?" Hideyoshi asked, pushing past Masamune and kneeling beside the two of them.

"It's… it's Lord Mitsunari. He's not moving and he hasn't responded to me when I spoke to him."

Hideyoshi sighed a second time, more disgruntled than before.

"Not again…"

"…'Again?'"

"He sometimes gets like this when he gets too invested in what he's reading." Hideyoshi frowned. "Sorry you had to find him like this."

"So… this is …normal?"

"For him, yeah." Hideyoshi reached out and tugged on a stray strand of Mitsunari's grey hair, the other taking no notice of the action. "We haven't figured out why or how he slips into such a deep trance. He can be like this for hours."

"H-hours!?"

"Hideyoshi found him like this once when he'd also scared a few of the maids, then scolded him afterwards for not taking care of himself." Masamune grinned.

"We're trying not to encourage this behavior, especially when he worries people with it."

"Hey, Lass," Masamune ignored Hideyoshi, grabbing one of the flavored rice cakes, "wanna see a trick?"

"Masamune," Hideyoshi warned.

The Date Lord scooted closer to Mitsunari and held the little cake up to the younger lord's mouth. Houki was surprised a second time today when Mitsunari opened his mouth after a few seconds and took a bite out of the rice cake, chewed, then swallowed.

"Is he…?"

"Still out of it, I'm afraid." said Masamune, tugging on the same hair clump that Hideyoshi had, Mitsunari still not responding. "He'll eat or drink most things that's put near his mouth. Just be careful with your fingers as he might eat them too. Found that out the hard way."

"He's not a toy for your amusement." Hideyoshi said, rubbing his nose bridge.

"He'll also hold anything you put in his hand. I've seen Ieyasu stacking books on his head before, too." Masamune laughed.

"Really, all of you." Hideyoshi admonished.

"S-so!" Houki interrupted, "is there a way to… bring him back?"

"Sure there is!" Masamune said. "Take his glasses away or whatever book he's reading."

"It's really that simple?"

"It'd be real inconvenient if we couldn't bring him back, wouldn't it?" said Masamune. "Oh, when you feed him when he's like this, he knows if you try to get him to eat carrots."

"Carrots?"

"He hates them. No matter how you prepare them, he knows if you're trying to feed 'em to him. Cut up small, cooked, raw, or mushed into a paste with any spice you can throw at it, he just… knows. Me and Hideyoshi have tried it sooo many ways at this point."

"It is the strangest thing. Anything else he'll eat but carrots is where he draws the line." Hideyoshi said, putting his hand on the book Mitsunari was holding. "But you need a break."

With a swift tug, Hideyoshi pulled the book off of Mitsunari's lap and like magic, Mitsunari blinked and looked at his surroundings, as if he had been woken up from a deep sleep. His eyes scanned Hideyoshi's and Masamune's faces, finally settling on Houki's face and gently smiled.

"Oh, hello, everyone. It's nice to see all of you."

"Good morning, lad." Masamune grinned.

"Morning? But the sun is quite high for it to be morning. Had I fallen asleep?"

"In a way." Hideyoshi said. "You got caught up in your reading again. You should apologize to Houki as she found you first."

"Oh," Mitsunari's eyes widened, "My apologies, Lady Houki. To find me in such a state."

"You did give her a right scare, lad." Masamune laughed.

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

Abby

He was behind me. He was behind me again! The silence from the music room should have been my tip that something was up, but I thought he'd given up by now!

"You." His cold voice startled me, my hands squeezing the poor broom handle to the point of choking, it felt like.

Slowly, very slowly, I turned around to face Mozart, his arms crossed and his elegant brows furrowed. I think even his mole was judging me with the way he was staring.

"Y-yes?" Why did my voice have to come out like that!?

"Music room. Now."

What have I done to deserve this!?

My shoulders shook, feebly holding up my broom taller.

"I-I have chores to-"

"Do them later." Mozart was firm! "Tell Sebastian that I needed you for something."

"Y-yes, sir." I said meekly.

Mozart turned on his heel and headed back into the music room. I followed behind him, trying to keep my movements as quiet as I could. He's told me before that he thought I was loud, and, not wanting to irritate him further, I did my best to be silent. It was easy on the carpeted floor of the hallway, but marble floor of the music room, with no rugs to muffle sound? I felt exposed in a different sort of way, the green walls even feeling intimidating.

Mozart sat at the piano bench, an elegant piece made of white wood and gold accents, flipping out his coat tails to sit more comfortably.

"Leave your broom by the door."

I nodded, setting my once close companion against the door's frame, cradling it with my hands.

"Come closer."

I shuffled closer to the piano, my steps unbearably loud in this space. Was my heart as loud in this room as it was in my ears, I wondered. It wouldn't be surprising if Mozart said I was being loud again and it was my own racing heart he was hearing.

"You were singing the other day while you were cleaning in the room next door to the music room."

He could hear that!?

"S-sorry if I disturbed-"

"It was a song I wrote. Long ago."

His fingers glided gracefully across the keys, playing a familiar melody.

"Y-yes. An Chloë. You wrote it inspired by the poem, right?"

"Correct." He continued to play, seeming getting lost in thought. "Where did you learn it?"

"My auntie." I started, but corrected myself. "Well, one of her previous girlfriends taught it to me when I was young. She always sang it beautifully and I wanted to learn it too, despite knowing no German then."

She was nice, from what I remember of her, Auntie's German girlfriend. Father didn't like her and often got into arguments with Auntie over her. I was really young at the time, so I don't remember exactly what became of her, but I didn't see her after a time and I remembered missing her when she went away.

"Sing it again."

"E-excuse me?!" Say what now?

"Sing it." He repeated, starting the melody over as if it was looping, it was that smooth of a transition.

"I-"

He glanced back my way, as if to say he's not repeating it a third time.

With a brief pause in the music to signal my cue, I took a breath and closed my eyes, praying that whatever came out didn't sound like a screeching cat.

"Wenn die Lieb' aus deinen blauen, Hellen, offnen Augen sieht…"

It was as if a spell was taking over me, remembering a simpler time with Auntie and her German girlfriend at the time. I felt calmer. I know I was butchering the German pronunciation, horribly so, I'm sure. Mozart didn't stop playing though, nor did he say anything to correct me. I tapped my fingers against my leg to keep time, to keep from intruding on the song any more than I already was.

When the song ended, the room was deathly silent.

Mozart, for the first time I've seen him doing it, closed the lid across the keys and stood up.

"Ugh, noisy."

I froze and bit my lip. He was the one who asked (okay, he demanded!) that I come with him here, so  what was the point in-

Then, I heard it.

Applause.

One set of hands at first, then two, three, four more. The more clapping I heard, the redder my cheeks became.

"You're all lurking." Mozart said, irritated. "Move."

I caught eyes with Le Comte standing in the doorway, along with Napoleon, Vincent, Theo, Arthur, Issac, Dazai, and Sebastian all gathered behind him. Le Comte was the last to stop his clapping.

"My, what a lovely performance." He said, his entrance allowing the others to come into the music room as well. I could see the ends of Leonardo's overcoat sleeves sitting just off of the door, while Jean was leaning against the far window with his arms crossed in the hallway.

"You did well, Nunuche." Napoleon squeezed my shoulder, smiling proudly.

"Well, who knew our little dove could sing like that?" Arthur tapped my other shoulder while Theo ruffled my hair.

With all of the compliments I was receiving, my desire to crawl into a pit and hide for eternity grew. Mozart huffed as he stood at the doorway.

"Should have shut the door." he grumbled as we walked down the hallway, kicking Leonardo's coat sleeve out of his way.

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

Clara

If there was one thing that I could say about Clara, it's that she was quite cute when she wanted to be stubborn. I knew I was pushing her buttons, but I'd rather it be me pushing her than some stuffy courtier that decided to correct her. Sariel and Rio were kind to her (most times, one more forgiving, the other mothering), but she needs to learn how to act like a queen as will be her status soon. She needs to learn that giving orders was part of the royal life and that the other nobles will respect her more by acting above others, no matter her personal feelings on the matter.

Yet, I couldn't help but smile at how cute she looked, trying to make up orders to throw me off her tail. She'd spend a few moments deep in thought, likely thinking of what could be the most boring, mundane activity she could make me do, as though that would deter me.

Ever since I had found the legendary rainbow wine, she had gone into panic mode, thinking I had overworked myself and had been thinking of more banal requests, like help with her chores. Admittedly, finding the wine was a very difficult task, but, as a prince, I hadn't really experienced doing mundane things like chores, so it was a treat for me, experiencing something that was so normal to her but was new to me. Airing out her books was something I hadn't thought about doing before but now it made sense why her books always smelled fresh when I visited her house. Feeding her had been delightful, watching her face going from surprise, to confusion, to denial, to finally eating from my hand. Even wiping her face was pleasurable, feeling her cheeks warm under my fingers. She really is adorable.

The real challenge came later in the evening, when I spied her carrying a towel, her night clothes, a dressing gown, and a basket with a bottle of rose water and some soap.

She also spied me looking at her. I could already feel the corners of my mouth turning up.

"My lady--"

"No."

She's onto me, of course.

"I didn't even say anything."

"I know what you were thinking. And the answer is no."

"No to what?"

"No to helping me bathe."

"You were the one to suggest it."

"I didn't think you'd take it seriously."

"Well, I am taking it seriously." I walked closer to her, "I'm at your beck and call, remember?"

"That stupid game again..." she hissed under her breath, making me internally snicker. "Look, Nokto. You've been helpful all day and thank you for all your help."

"My pleasure."

"But I'm putting my foot down here. I can bathe by myself."

"I'm aware of that." I said, still following behind her.

"So why don't you go find something else to do?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, lady."

"Why not?"

"Because I possibly can't refuse my lady when she's in need of my help."

"I. can. bathe. by. myself."

"I'm aware. I'm helping you out, however."

"And I said no and go find something else to do."

"I refuse."

"Nokto!"

I grinned.

"I'm a man of my word, my lady." I bowed. "You suggested that I help you in the bath and I'm here to do just that."

Clara flushed darkly.

"T-then, I want to give you an order."

"I'm all ears."

"I want-" she started, but was cut off by her back hitting the bathroom door.

"I didn't hear you, lady." I stood over her.

"Go and-"

I leaned in closer.

"Yes?"

She bit her lip, looking down. I brushed a loose hair behind her ear, making her visibly shiver.

"Let me help you in the bath, my lady."

She breathed in a quick breath.

"...No funny business. I really do need to wash my hair."

"Alright."

"And if I tell you to stop, you stop."

"Of course."

"Remember, nothing funny."

"None whatsoever."

She swallowed and I pulled on the doorknob, opening the door for her.

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

Miri

I saw that Miri had sunken into the couch cushions of the common room, the light from the fireplace highlighting the dark circles under her eyes. Lucifer had finally awoken after several days of recovery, I had heard, but the nights have clearly worn down the small sorcerer. It reminded me of time before she had received the Ring of Light, when the life seemed drained out of her. It might have been better to talk to her once she had returned to RAD's campus in her own time, but the Science Committee was insistent and the school year was ending soon. This couldn't be put off much longer, regretfully.

With an encouraging smile and a heavy heart, I opened my arms towards her.

"Congratulations, Miri."

"Diavolo?"

"Asmodeus and Luke have informed everyone of Lucifer's recovery. I'm glad to hear that he's woken up."

"Thank you." she was quiet again, looking away.

"And I've heard that you've been declared the winner of the Devildom Studies division thanks to your efforts in redirecting the moon's course."

She was silent and I had realized my mistake too late. I cleared my throat.

"A-anyway! That's why I'm here, so we can discuss the specifics of your wish! You've earned it."

As if there wasn't anything I wouldn't do for Miri already, the human that could literally flip worlds on their heads. She's surely changed the Devildom for the better, I'm certain of that. Any wish she had I would have granted, contest or no. She has become special to everyone, an exemplary exchange student and sorcerer, a wonderful addition to RAD's student council, a precious friend, someone that I would like to-

"I… don't have a wish."

And she surprised me yet again! And with a lie, as well! She should have known better!

Hmm… perhaps she was more exhausted than I had anticipated?

"It doesn't have to be anything big, don't worry."

Maybe if I reassure her, she'll tell me? Perhaps she's embarrassed about her wish?

"Even small wishes are fine to ask for. A delicious meal? Perhaps a nice vacation to the Human Realm? You and the brothers can relax on the coast of a private island! Any book or clothing you desire?"

I would give her all those things and more even if she doesn't ask for them. She deserves to have any happiness I can give to her and more.

Still, she seemed deep in thought, her hand cradling her chin.

"What if… it wasn't a small wish?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if I… never mind…" she shook her head.

"Please, tell me, Miri."

"…It's silly."

Stepping closer to her, I knelt down so I could meet her at her eye level.

"I had already given my word that I would grant any wish that came out of this contest, big or small. You've already moved worlds with your own powers. Now, I would like to do the same for you, if you ask it of me."

She fidgeted, her small hand reaching out for mine, but stopping midway.

"You said… anything within your power, you'll do?"

"Yes."

"And… if it's outside of your scope of power?"

What was she getting at?

She released a breath.

"Remember… when everyone went to the Human Realm for a vacation?"

"I do. Fondly."

Miri had been getting her sorcerer's license at the time. I smiled as memories surfaced of amusement parks, brief kidnappings, karaoke, and haunted hotel rooms. What a time that was!

Miri wasn't smiling, however.

"It was after I had passed all my tests. We were celebrating and had all gathered together and…"

Wait, I know where this is going…

"You had said at the time that… there was still a lot of bad blood between the three realms. And I know that there's still a lot of that, even now."

Holding her elbow, she continued.

"I'll understand if it's still not within your power, but… as for my wish, I… I want to live in Devildom. Permanently."

My heart swelled and dropped at the same time. What she was asking me was in my power, of course, but as I had told her before, the bad blood between the three realms would make her wish difficult to accomplish, else I would have swept her up and kept her at the castle ages ago.

"I feel like… I belong here. My family is here." She said sincerely. "And I know that the demon nobility won't like it any more than the higher ups in the Celestial Realm will. Always have to keep things fair for everyone…"

Her tiny hands clenched tightly, her knuckles pale.

"But… I guess I'm a little tired of everyone telling me things have to be a certain way. That it has to always be a certain way."

I agreed with her. Times were changing whether the old blood liked it or not. Demons and angels weren't at war anymore. Humans were proving to be quite capable in befriending both, as Miri has proven in her time in Devildom.

Still, change was going to be hard pill to swallow for some, we both knew that.

"As I told you before, it is within my power to grant your wish. You've made me incredibly happy in wanting to make Devildom your permanent home. But your wish, as you said, will be incredibly difficult to accomplish, given the current political climate between the three realms."

"I understand."

"And I will warn you that you and the brothers might come under fire because of this decision, from both sides. Are you sure you want that to happen?"

Miri was quiet again, the frown evident. It was a little harsh but it was something to consider. I knew Miri wouldn't think twice about her own safety, but when it comes to the brothers? She wouldn't bring them under scrutiny if she could help it.

"What's this about me and my brothers coming under fire?" a deep familiar voice said in the hallway, shoes clicking as they came closer.

"Lucifer." Miri said quietly.

"Lucifer! Glad to see you up and about." I said, standing up.

Lucifer nodded in acknowledgement, placing a hand on Miri's shoulder, lightly squeezing it.

"I heard you two talking." he said.

"Yes, about Miri's wish. She won the Studies division of the Devildom Science Fair."

"Hmm." Lucifer said.

"She's telling me about how she wants to make the Devildom her permanent home."

"I see."

"And we were just about to get into the schematics of how to make that happen. It won't be easy, I'm sure you're aware."

"I'm aware. It's a different process compared to when my brothers and I first appeared here."

"Thank goodness for that!" I laughed.

[morelikesin]

He'd have expected pressed flora, or the gluing in with horse collagen or beeswax of an excerpt. . .but turning the pages had revealed a different medium altogether: a painting, the canvas frayed at the edges were it was torn in two and glued onto the paper. Looking at it for longer would make the assumption there were more pieces to the portrait, but its artist had removed them for what purposes he could not understand.

Oil paints, perhaps the ones they'd perused in Solitude, and natural pigments from charcoal and minerals, perhaps their own or perhaps from their time in Winterhold, blended to create the warm ambers and golds of skin, and hair, and jewelry, making up portraiture of themself. Their stylizations were intact as they were with pencil, but these struck as true studies; where their usual work was romanticized concepts of the company they've encountered, this looked much more like the effort between a muse and a mirror.

Fearful of the oil on his skin ruining the preservation of it, he made a conscious effort to not reach his fingers to touch the ambiently-cooled texture of paint, but oh, how dearly he wished to. He supposed he had them, blood and flesh, in the most favorable way, but something about the affection put into the reflection of the person he's so inconceivably tried to convince to care for themselves - yes, he supposed the draw had made sense.

. . .but the earring, painted warmly with ochre on the left, resembled that of the one they'd displayed during their time in Morthal and Labyrinthian: dangling chains and golden beads hugging peridot charms, a balancing vase that. . .carried cassia and cinnamon.

-

I know it's said that going into too much detail and focusing on the minute in your writing will make your work tiring and bore the reader - to that, I say: I write how I think, and I'm a detail-oriented person, so I find this true to life. Real life isn't only the most important parts, nor is it all we remember; write how you wish and don't feel like you have to adhere to strict rules for your art.

Following that theme, I had done portraiture of Blóðhundr only to not love how the final product looked - but separating the painting into different pieces was what I needed to do so. This will serve me better for the storytelling, anyway, so benefits all around.

[matlabimahila]

K-29

Buying books is therapy...★

[hopes-legacy]

Whoa they added Roku to the new Encyclopedia Eorzea book?

[fictionadventurer]

Top 5 books read this year, please?

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol. 1-7 by Beth Brower: These books are just so much fun. They sit perfectly in my sweet spot of historical light fiction, and there's so much humor and heart and so many good characters. Maybe they're not the best books I've read this year, but they may be the only ones tempting me to buy copies for my shelf.

Washington Square and Daisy Miller by Henry James: Two short, sad, delicately-drawn novellas that may have added another author to my list of favorite classic writers.

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin: This book started my obsession with Lincoln's Cabinet. I can't in good conscience put it lower (despite a minor qualm that prevents me from seeking out the full version). I'm also going to cheat and include Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard, which provided me my other history niche of this year about President Garfield and his assassination. And My Dear President for all the fascinating letters offering new insight into the lives of American presidents and their wives.

The Heir of Redclyffe by Charlotte Yonge: Despite some serious issues with the story, this one had some of my favorite characters of the year, and they're going to stick with me for a long time.

Desire and The Good Comrade by Una Lucy Silsberrad: Maybe objectively not the best or even my favorites--I have problems with the plot of both--but I love how she writes Edwardian women trying to make their way in the world and their relationships with men who make them rethink the way they approach the world, and she's another entry on the list of favorite authors discovered this year.

[xxrainydazexx]

SVV DTIYS🍮🍒

[chatpileroan]

pikmin bloom having me keep a pseudo diary means it has made me aware of the possibly alarming trend that ive remembered genuinely nothing about my day for the past few days at work. wuh oh haha!

[madnessbypoetry]

March 20

Feeling dysfunctional

Even while succeeding

Feeling sad

Even while dreaming

Maybe i should love myself more

Even if i hate the fact

That i am alive and breathing

[exerlin]

my life would be so much better with a 2nd non-bathroom room and a bunny rabbit

[writersdrug]

OMG OMG I JUST READ YOUR THING ABOUT BARTENDER SIMON RILEY!! I’m like actually obsessed rn like…. Imagine how that interview would go… 😳 just the reader is shitting bricks because “omg my interviewer is this tall ass beef cake who doesn’t show majority of his face”

You don’t know how much I love this concept…

YESSSS

You're sitting at a seat at a tall table, feet swinging nervously as you sit across from Simon. He's looking over your resume, one foot planted on the ground, the other hiked onto the lower bar of the chair. Your eyes are trailing his intricate tattoo sleeve as his fingers tap against the sheet of paper in his hands. The lil crease in his brow as he mulls over it, soft brown eyes going back and forth over the words.

You're caught between finding him adoringly soft and kinda scary (you're staring at his biceps, remembering that tiktok trend you saw where girls had their buff boyfriends crushing their face with their arm muscles and oh god you're dying to get a taste-)

"You've never had a waitressin' job." He says gruffly, looking at you. "Never really done anythin' customer service, either. Just bookwork."

You chew your lip and sigh. "I know- I just want something different. Rent is due and, surprisingly, data entry doesn't pay the bills." Oh my god, did you just complain about money in your interview?!

"N' you think serving pub food to sad old wankers 'll be better?"

Well, he doesn't seem to care about professionalism, either.

You nod eagerly. "Yup! Plus, you need some young appeal to this place."

"Meanin' you?"

You nod again. "I can be the life of the party if you need me to!" No, you can't, but you desperately need this job.

He huffs, standing up on his feet. Jesus, he could throw you across the bar like a ragdoll - you kinda want him to. "Fine. Be here tomorrow at eight hundred."

You slide off the chair and brush your skirt off. "I got the job?"

"We'll see. Give it a week." He says, shoulders thick and tense as he walks back to the bar. "If you're late, consider yourself fired."

[matlabimahila]

K-12

Pretty brown eyes🤎 n' a mind full of thoughts 💭

[strwbryien]

CAMERA FLIP, HEART LEAP .ᐟ

a scaramouche x fem!reader streamer au

SYNOPSIS

IN WHICH—you, although faceless, are a very famous streamer known as KUMI. you were streaming as usual, playing games and interacting with fans. but when you're about to exit the stream, you accidentally pressed the wrong button that led to you opening your cam and showing your whole face to your audience. this wasn't supposed to happen, no ! so you panicked and quickly ended the stream. numerous screenshots circulated on twitter, which broke both the fans and the internet. this reached a certain someone, SCARAMOUCHE, your rival in streaming. when the said boy saw the trending photo, he almost fell off his gaming chair. because—lo and behold! KUMI was actually [name]?! now who is this [name] in his life, if you may ask? she's the girl that scaramouche has been admiring from afar in real life! quite shocking, right? have i told you that he’s also been sending you anonymous love letters? oh well...

WARNINGS mature language, inconsistent timestamps, some grammatical errors here and there (english is not my first language and i don't want it to be iykyk)

GENRE enemies to lovers, social media au, college au

STATUS on-going

PROFILES:

S4NRYIO | 5WIRL

ENTRIES:

｢ ᝰ.ᐟ entry 01: DON'T JINX URSELF ⭑.ᐟ ｣

｢ ᝰ.ᐟ entry 02: ARE YOU ALRIGHT? ⭑.ᐟ ｣

｢ ᝰ.ᐟ entry 03: ADDRESSING THE SITUATION⭑.ᐟ ｣

｢ ᝰ.ᐟ entry 04: CRACKED THE CODE? ⭑.ᐟ ｣

｢ ᝰ.ᐟ entry 05: ARE YOU BLUSHING?⭑.ᐟ ｣

｢ ᝰ.ᐟ entry 06: ANNOYED OR JUST SHY?⭑.ᐟ ｣

｢ ᝰ.ᐟ entry 07: COLLAB STREAM ⭑.ᐟ ｣

tba...

notes ᝰ.ᐟ yo! this is actually my first time writing, so it might not be that good, but i hope you guys still have fun reading! enjoy <3