#this song gives me Feelings about shiro

[moonkoiluv]

Do you ever think Lance gets insecure about being "too much"?

Too loud, too excited, too passionate, too - everything? People are constantly telling him to quiet down and relax, that he's being too much and just needs to stop. Eventually, he starts to quiet down and reel it in a bit but constantly feels sad he has to cover it up.

Then there's Keith who's haunted by the quiet. After his Dad died it was just always quiet. People didn't talk much around him, left him alone, kids didn't play with him. There was always just an uncomfortable quietness around him.

Now they're in space, trapped together in the castle of lions, which really isn't that big once you've been pacing for weeks, months.

Lance wanders off on his own after Pidge kicks him out of the lab and Hunk kicks him out of the kitchen. He walks for hours just talking to himself and being loud since there's no one around to see. No one to tell him he's too much.

Keith also wanders off on his own. Everyone on the castle-ship thinks he just likes to be quiet, so they usually leave him alone. Shiro is a bit of an exception, but there's only so much time he can spend with Keith before he needs to do something important for the war effort or whatever. So Keith wanders. He ends up stealing a pair of headphones from Pidge and listening to music while he walks, it's one of the only times he let's his guard down because it's the castle-ship. It's so big there's no one around to see him or judge him, he can just exist.

One day, Lance walks along, laughing to himself about some alien pun he made (that really isn't that funny). He decides to take a different turn today. Why not? After a while he hears something, a slight twang of an old country guitar and a deep voice. He goes to investigate because who would be out here and who would listen to that?

He rounds the corner, and there's Keith, headphones blaring, eyes closed, walking in time with the twang of the guitar. Lance hides back behind the wall, scared that Keith would see him.

Keith's completely in his own world, the voices of Jane Carter and Johnny Cash ringing in his ears. Jackson is a great song, he hums along every time it plays. One of Keith's favorites from his Dad's old records, it's a miracle that he could get it digitized and out here in space. He lets his eyes drift open as he rounds the corner, and suddenly, he's face to face with Lance.

"AHH- Lance, what the hell?!" He shouts, why was Lance out here? He's walked this hall a hundred times before and never heard the other boy.

"I didn't do anything! Don't yell at me mullet-" Lance leans into Keith's face with a scowl, "I have every right to be here is that a problem?"

Keith frowns for a second and pauses his music, his mood spoiled anyways. "No that's not a problem. You can be anywhere I don't care, just why here? No one ever walks here."

"I just decided to go for a stroll. What do you OWN this hallway?" Lance leans back but his face is still in a fixed frown. It seems that's the only face he ever gives Keith.

"No Lance I-" He sighs, "you were hiding around the corner. Why were you hiding?"

Lance stutters over his words for a second before answering, "I just heard something and thought the castle could be haunted again-"

Keith scowls, "Lance that-" he sighs again "nevermind." He puts the headphones around his neck, the phone in his pocket and turns to leave.

"WAIT!" Keith turns around, "what uh- what were you listening to? I didn't know you listened to anything other than the sounds of- of- ... emo-ness" he looks so proud of himself while Keith just rolls his eyes.

"Johnny Cash."

"Johnny who?"

Keith pauses for a second. Lance could make fun of him, laugh and leave him on his own again but Keith knew deep down the other boy wouldn't do that. Out of everyone, Lance was the only one who actively sought him out to talk. It may be mostly teasing and half-assed insults but it took away that heavy quiet.

So Keith hands over the headphones for Lance to listen. That's how it all starts. The next day they happen to bump into eachother again, Keith shows Lance a new song and Lance talks about the music he grew up with. Every day they have a routine, they bump into eachother and walk together.

Lance hops around from topic to topic, and Keith opens up about things a little bit at a time. Lance was never too much for Keith, and Lance took away that quiet.

They take walks every day together on the far end of the castle-ship while they're in space. Just to pass the time. No matter what the team sees or thinks, Lance and Keith are a lot closer than they know.

They're never too much for eachother, it's never too quiet or too loud. It's just right.

.

Note: this ended up being SO MUCH longer than I thought it'd be 😅 please let me know if you like this and want more cause I actually enjoyed writing this 👍

[missaturn1]

Not sure if this is the best way to post comics on tumblr but here it goes!

I’m usually very unsure about making and posting comics so I sat on it for a bit, but this is not the first time I have a Taylor Swift song in my mind that just gives me Sheith feels, and if you don’t think this man was indeed on his Vigilante Shit when he decided to explode some shit to sneak into a military quarantine facility for Shiro,,, then I shall change your mind uwu

We all know Keith would do anything for Shiro right ;) hope you guys like the intense stares and the fan service hehe

[torahoes]

(IDOLiSH7) Minami Natsume - 16PRODUCERS Rabbit Chat

Please note that I am not a professional translator. If you come across any mistakes, feel free to let me know and I will make the necessary corrections.

Touma Inumaru: Good work, everyone! 😄

Touma Inumaru: Wait, maybe I got here too early? We're all separated today so I'm bored 🤔

Touma Inumaru: The "Ź" in ŹOOĻ stands for "Zealously always singing together!"~

Touma Inumaru: The first "O" in ŹOOĻ stands for "Outstanding and unrivaled!"~

Touma Inumaru: The second "O" in ŹOOĻ

Touma Inumaru: stands for "Oh, I can't think of anything!"~

Minami Natsume: Aren't you giving up too quickly?

Touma Inumaru: Mina!! You were watching? lololol

Minami Natsume: Yes. From the very beginning.

Touma Inumaru: The heck? You should've said something then! I wouldn't have wasted my time with that nonsense! 😂 lolol

Minami Natsume: I was waiting to see when you'd get lonely and call my name, but you started talking about ŹOOĻ instead. It was amusing so I couldn't help but observe you silently.

Touma Inumaru: Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself 😂 Are you done with your magazine shoot?

Minami Natsume: Yes, it went smoothly. Good work completing your variety show recording as well, Inumaru-san.

Touma Inumaru: Thanks! I'm on my way to the next location now 🚘 Is Utsugi-san going to join us after his meeting? Hope he'll be able to make it on time

Minami Natsume: I'm sure he'll make it no matter what. I believe he's a man who always keeps his word.

Touma Inumaru: That's true 😄‼️ Where are you now, Mina?

Minami Natsume: I had some free time, so I came to a café. It's wonderful here.

Touma Inumaru: Wonderful?

Minami Natsume: They're playing "ZONE OF OVERLAP" inside the café right now.

Touma Inumaru: Seriously!? That's a pretty hardcore café! 😆 lolol

Minami Natsume: Oh, the customers around me are getting excited, saying they love this song

Minami Natsume: I'm happy.

Touma Inumaru: Really...!? That's awesome. It's fulfilling to know that our songs are a natural part of our fans' daily lives

Touma Inumaru: Let's keep working hard, Mina!

Minami Natsume: Yes, of course.

Shiro Utsugi: Good work today! I'm dying to know what the "Ļ" in ŹOOĻ stands for!

Touma Inumaru: Ah, Utsugi-san, you too! I hadn't thought about that lolol

Touma Inumaru: Umm, the "Ļ" in ŹOOĻ is for "Lovely ŹOOĻ"~ 👍‼️

Shiro Utsugi: That's perfect! I'll make sure we'll be able to sing this at after-parties and such.

Minami Natsume: Good work, Utsugi-san. I'm glad you were able to make it.

Shiro Utsugi: I made it just in time, somehow!

Shiro Utsugi: Incidentally, "Sasagero" was playing on the radio this morning while I was driving. For a moment, I was genuinely startled, thinking Inumaru-san had called me.

Touma Inumaru: No way! Really? I've gotten a bit hesitant about what to say when I call people now LOL

Minami Natsume: Oh, so that’s why you always start so politely with, “Hello, this is Touma speaking.”

Touma Inumaru: I know they can see my name on their screens, but I still feel the need to say it 😅 Wait, it's time, isn't it? My bad!

Shiro Utsugi: Yes! Alright, let's begin then. I'm sorry that we have to conduct it remotely this time. 🙇‍♂️

Shiro Utsugi: Let me explain it once more. We've been asked to show your usual interactions in a friendly, dinner-table-like atmosphere, so we opted to have a conversation in this format using Rabbit Chat.

Shiro Utsugi: Natsume-san, how did you feel when you found out Inumaru-san would be your producer?

Minami Natsume: I was very excited. Composing a song is a lot like writing a love letter, as the lyrics and melody convey how the composer feels about the singer.

Minami Natsume: So I was curious what Inumaru-san would write about me. After all, I'm the one always writing love letters to them.

Touma Inumaru: A love letter! That’s our Mina; you know exactly how to put it! You're right, I do love you! 😊

Minami Natsume: You say it so casually

Touma Inumaru: No, I'm serious! You were on my mind so much, you even showed up in my dream 👍

Minami Natsume: In your dream…?

Touma Inumaru: That's right! We did stuff like attempting to break the record for eating the most fried rice and cycling across Japan together 😂

Minami Natsume: Is that so? You had quite a naughty dream, I see.

Touma Inumaru: Must've been because I watched a show about that before going to bed 😂

Minami Natsume: Well, I suppose it's fine. I’ll gladly accept it.

Touma Inumaru: Seriously, my mind was completely consumed by thoughts of you! I couldn't give anything less than my absolute best to ŹOOĻ's composer, after all. And above all, I really wanted you to like the song.

Minami Natsume: Thank you very much. It’s become one of my favorite songs.

Minami Natsume: Unlike ŹOOĻ's usual songs, the melody really complemented my singing voice. I could tell you put an incredible amount of thought into it.

Touma Inumaru: Really!? That makes me so happy!! Your voice is so sweet and delicate when you sing; I wanted to make sure it shone, so I worked closely with the composer!

Shiro Utsugi: It has such a pleasant rhythm and a trendy feel to it! Please tell us more about the creation process!

Touma Inumaru: Mina may be younger but he's the #2 Sexiest Man Alive so he's got that sex appeal, right? I figured fans would love it if I brought that out more!

Touma Inumaru: But I didn't want it to be too mellow either. I wanted to capture the lightness of Mina's dancing in the song 👍

Touma Inumaru: And, honestly, I just really wanted to hear Mina sing a love song!

Minami Natsume: Why?

Touma Inumaru: Because you're so affectionate, Mina. You're super observant, strong-willed, and dedicated to your work.

Minami Natsume: Are you sure? I'm someone who ran away once, you know.

Touma Inumaru: It’s because you cherish everything so much that you wanted to run away. If it didn’t matter, you would have just quit. But you didn’t give up on music or this job, did you?

Touma Inumaru: Remember the whole thing with Tora and his stunt a while back? You told us you understood how he felt. That was when I realized that you probably always face everything head-on, one thing at a time, just like this.

Shiro Utsugi: Inumaru-san…....

Touma Inumaru: Haha, this is a bit embarrassing!

Shiro Utsugi: Can I hug you?

Touma Inumaru: Huh!?

Minami Natsume: Why would you hug him!?

Shiro Utsugi: I apologize! I got carried away thinking about how great ŹOOĻ is.

Minami Natsume: Well, naturally. It's ŹOOĻ we're talking about.

Minami Natsume: Inumaru-san, thank you for sharing the story behind "FANTASY." I will cherish this song for the rest of my life.

Minami Natsume: There's no need to run away anymore. I won't be tied down by anyone’s feelings. The sounds surrounding me give me confidence. "Guided by the never-ending melody, let's take off and fly."

Touma Inumaru: Oh, those are the lyrics! The music you make always gives me confidence too, Mina.

Touma Inumaru: "There's a sight beyond the starry sky that I want to see someday," so let’s keep singing together — the four of us. ‼️😄

Touma Inumaru:

Minami Natsume:

Minami Natsume: Feeling good. Maybe I’ll order two cakes

Touma Inumaru: Sounds nice! All I have with me right now are some gummies. Guess I'll just eat those!

Shiro Utsugi: In that case, I’ll have the candy I got from Isumi-san yesterday!

Minami Natsume: Both of you are adorable. Next time, all five of us should go out to eat together.

Shiro Utsugi: That’s perfect for Lovely ŹOOĻ! 🐾 Please tell us about the outfits and photoshoot too!

Minami Natsume: I was curious about that as well. I was surprised that someone like Inumaru-san who prefers rugged materials would come up with these outfits.

Touma Inumaru: They were awesome, weren't they?

Minami Natsume: Yes, I honestly really loved them.

Touma Inumaru: I'm glad! 😆😆 I agonized over it a lot, you know! Our tastes are probably very different

Touma Inumaru: You're sophisticated, mature, but then suddenly you're cool and tough. You've got so many different sides to you, it's amazing. So I figured anything would suit you.

Touma Inumaru: I went for a nightclub-like vibe, with colors reminiscent of the night sky that I thought would complement your fair skin. I also used lots of soft, flowy materials and elements to accentuate your dance moves! ✨

Minami Natsume: I’m happy. I took a screenshot

Minami Natsume: The silk fabric felt great against my skin. And the delicate yet commanding accessories were also perfect.

Minami Natsume: So that's the reason why only my outfit used the chic colors. You wanted it to complement my skin tone.

Shiro Utsugi: Inumaru-san, you must be incredibly popular with the ladies.

Touma Inumaru: What!? Where'd that come from!?

Minami Natsume:

Minami Natsume: For better or worse, you’re a very straightforward person. I don’t dislike it.

Touma Inumaru: I can't tell if that’s a compliment or not, but thanks!? lolol

Shiro Utsugi: Was the night pool for the photoshoot chosen because of the nightclub vibe you mentioned?

Touma Inumaru: That's right! Like I mentioned, Mina has this night-time feel to him. It suits him. But I thought a pool with soft lighting would fit him better than an overly flashy club 😆

Minami Natsume: Inumaru-san, you mentioned during the shoot that the four lights reflecting on the water were like ŹOOĻ.

Minami Natsume: Each light may be faint on its own, but when they come together, they shine brightly, illuminating each other and creating a large, warm and enveloping light.

Shiro Utsugi: You’re definitely popular, aren't you?

Touma Inumaru: Not in the slightest lololol

Minami Natsume: My, at the very least, your words did make my heart skip a beat. I'm moved by how romantically you described our relationship.

Touma Inumaru:

Touma Inumaru: I’m usually not that great with my words but being your producer kinda made me feel like a better man as well, I guess 😂‼️

Minami Natsume: Because I'm a great man?

Touma Inumaru: Exactly! Isn't that obvious 😄👍

Minami Natsume: Thank you very much. I'm sure the fans will love "FANTASY", which is sung by two great men.

Shiro Utsugi: Sounds wonderful! Please keep bringing us incredible music as ŹOOĻ! 🐾 Lastly, do you have any message for your fans?

Touma Inumaru: Mina, the composer of ŹOOĻ and the #2 Sexiest Man Alive, has many sides. I wanted to create a song that highlights his delicate, loving nature and expansive vocal range.

Touma Inumaru: Be sure to give Mina's love song plenty of listens, alright? If you do, I'm sure you’ll fall in love with him even more! 😄

Minami Natsume: I have always been in search for people who would put their soul into my songs and sing them with all their heart. Laughing at and scorning the world, while hoping that someday... I'd find such people.

Minami Natsume: Meeting ŹOOĻ and being able to create the best music was already a blessing for me, but I never imagined that one day they would make music just for me like this.

Minami Natsume: However, this is not something to take for granted. It's all thanks to the support from our seniors and the staff.

Minami Natsume: So, just for tonight, following the lyrics of "FANTASY," I want to try being a bit more honest.

Minami Natsume: I love you all. As long as I live, I will never let go. Let's stay connected forever.

Touma Inumaru: So cool…

Shiro Utsugi: You both are the best! Super handsome!

Minami Natsume: Thank you. Next time we meet, you’ll hug me along with Inumaru-san, won't you, Utsugi-san?

Shiro Utsugi: What!? Is that really okay…!?

Touma Inumaru: Can I join too!? I'll join! I’m totally joining! Let’s get Haru and Tora too! 🤗🤗

Minami Natsume: My, it's starting to sound like we’re forming a huddle.

Touma Inumaru: True LOL but I'm sure it’ll be fun with the four of us!

Minami Natsume: Yes, I think so too.

The End.

[lillypad910]

Can I request a oneshot where reader gives Keith a spoon full of salt (like this https://youtube.com/shorts/cWHPVXMZdBQ?feature=share4 ) as a prank, but he just say that everything is ok just because he doesn't want to hurt reader feelings? And then even If this was just a silly prank reader realizes that Keith loves and cares about them so much?

Thank you for my first request!! I hope I did this justice! I knew exactly what the spoon of salt prank was before even looking at the clip and I’m so happy to get to write it with a character! You didn’t specify a gender so I didn’t use any pronouns so it’s completely gender neutral! Thank you again!!

Keith Kogane x Gn!Reader

Word count: 463

Short but sweet!

You were in the kitchen on the Castle of Lions, Hunk stood next to you as you both prepared the meal for the rest of the paladins. You had gotten tired of that green food goo a while ago, so you and Hunk decided to try something new, to experiment a bit.

As you stirred the bowl of soup in the pot, an idea struck you. “Hunk,” you turn towards your larger friend, “hear me out.”

It took no time at all once your shared your devious prank with Hunk, before the spoon was covered in salt and dipped into the soup to cover the evidence.

Walking out of the kitchen with a spoon in hand, carefully, you made your way into the lounge area where the other paladins were sitting. Lance, Allura, and Pidge were all grouped together, talking about who knows what, voices giggling to themselves as they minded their own business.

Keith and Shiro were sitting on the other side, talking about the black lion. You walk over a bright smile on your face. “Keith?” You stop by the two and Keith looks up at you. “Yeah?” He looks at you, eyes happy to see you. “Would you try this for me? I’m trying to decide if it’s good.” You give him your best sing song voice, eyes glittering with hope.

Without batting an eye, Keith nods, “Sure,” he opens his mouth and you put the spoon closer to him for him to swallow the scoop. Almost instantly a reaction occurs as his nose slightly scrunches up. “Is it good?” You ask, trying not to laugh and break your cover. His lips pinch as he swallows, eyes twitching. “Yeah, babe, it’s-“ He smacks his lips, obviously struggling from the sudden lack of water in his mouth, “it’s good.”

“Do you think it’s needs more salt?” “No!” He practically cuts you off before correcting himself, “no, babe, it’s perfect just how it is. I’m sure everyone will like it.” He smiles at you, just happy to see your cute little smile get bigger.

It was at this moment you couldn’t stop yourself from giggling. You knew he was saying it was good just to make you feel good about it, not because he actually liked it.

His head tilts at your laughter. “Everything ok? Did I say something funny?” He asks. “No, no, you didn’t.” You try to stop your giggles before pulling him into a hug by his shoulders. “You’re too sweet, Keith.”

You knew Keith cared about you, but you didn’t know how deep that care went. If it was Lance with the spoon, he would have told him it was the grossest thing he’d ever eaten, but he didn’t. Because it was you, and that makes you happy.

[runawaycarouselhorse]

I found a new (to me--it's actually quite old!) heartwarming collection of cute, collection of fables/fairy tale-esque children's stories anime, Fukuyama Gekijou: Natsu no Himitsu [Fukuyama Theater: Summer Secret]--I found it via Pinterest because look at this adorably sweet mermaid design!!!

It's by one of my favourite artists ever, Fukuyama Keiko, who painted those touching scenes used for the end of Pikachu's Summer Vacation (yup, the first Pikachu pre-movie short!) and a lot of old Pokemon postcards! Osamu Tezuka fans will also know her as the artist of the Melmo-chan reboot manga! It's where this super cute bunny came from!!! I used to mistake it as something from Chibi Maruko-chan! It used to make the rounds on tumblr a lot.

The intro/narrative frame of little mice reading stories gives me the same so-heartwarming-it-makes-me-teary nostalgic feeling as Maple Town. (Side-note: so many punny references to Fukuyama-sensei's name everywhere!)

The rabbits' story is just bunny propoganda, poor wolf!! He's as pitiful as Tom! But I am very amused at the catchy song just trying to get kids to eat the veggies. See, the wolf is ugly because he hated carrots, but the bunnies are smart, because they love carrots, fff.

The longest story is a silly, Flintstones-esque story about cavemen living among dinosaurs, namely focusing on an aspiring artist (Henoheno), trying hard to make it big, supported by his friend (later wife ♡) Pink and dinosaur friend Shiro (Shiro also ends up a mom to many, many little dinos, but the father amusingly isn't shown, Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Short, pfft.) Also, there's a famous established artist called (Moheji.) Yes, his and the lead's names are puns on the henohenomoheji doodle. As you can tell by the disclaimer, you are not to take this anachronistic story too seriously, it's just a sweet, funny, uplifting little story!

This little punk in the End of Semester Cleaning Contest story is very funny. Cute story. I did worry it'd take a dark turn when he fell down the stairs (they even had him wonder if maybe he died whe he fell), but no, it ended nicely... even if it's a little bittersweet.

There's some shorter stories that are mostly songs (another one about rabbits sung by a kindergartener and one song about yearning for love starring a little black dog named Kuro who does find a home!), and the last story is easily my other favourite after the mermaid story, and I'm so glad it was a longer one too... it's a very poignant story.

The Origami Princess is a little like Thumbelina, but very Japanese. A little girl, with her mother's help, makes an origami princess, but before she could go to the beach, she falls sick, so sends the princess in her place, floating her on a boat-shaped leaf down the river...

The princess is amazed by the beauty of the world and befriends a telescope goldfish (Kinguro), who was accidentally flushed while his tank was being cleaned, and he aids her as she seeks the sea, even as he warns her of the danger...

There's a dignity and grace in this story that's very beautiful.

(Also, tanuki statue spotted!)

[silentwillowwhisperer]

It's Spacedad's fault.

Klance is together in this.

I don't know what this is.

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

Keith does not test well.

His mild ADHD and Autism intensify times 50 any time he takes a test.

It was useful at the garrison, when his heightened observance and fidgeting caused hi to be a more instinctual pilot.

Sitting in a silent room while filling out answers to question that have completely vacated his brain never blows over well for him.

Shiro should have expected this, he's Keith's parental figure and knows him better than anyone. So, yes. This is all his fault.

Keith taps his pencil repeatedly on the desk. Allura has moved blank white desks into the training room so that the paladins can have an 'ideal atmosphere.'

This is supposed to be a survey of their reactions in a 'mildly stressful environment' and 'assess their ability to retain information.'

Welp, Keith has already failed.

He can't do anything but stare at the first question.

If faced by a Zeaxeiks beast, what is the most logical response?

Keith can't even pronounce that. Throw him into the field with one of these, and all of his information will come flooding back.

Yeah, why don't they do that? Keith can't possibly be expected to function in a room so silent and big and empty. If there's a phobia that's the opposite of claustrophobia, he has it. He doesn't mind being in places like this when there's things going on around him, things for him to fixate on to calm his hypersensitive brain or things for him to fight, but large quiet rooms always stir unease deep in his chest.

Keith can't take it anymore. He slams his pencil down and stands abruptly. He can’t help the growl that escapes him. His chair screeches on the polished floor before crashing down onto its side.

Is is weird that Keith has the urge to apologize to it?

Everyone is staring at him as he yells, "THAT'S IT. I am REVOLTING. Do you hear me? DAMN THIS, see how well you can Voltron if I GO AN A GODDAMN STRIKE."

He realizes that the testing/training room's doors were locked as soon as the paladins entered. Now that he thinks about it, Allura most likely did that with Keith specifically in mind. Panic fills his throat and lungs. He really, really hates it in here.

He's considering climbing one of the walls and/or throwing a fit when he hears another chair grind across the ground.

Lance shoots him a wide grin before shouting at the ceiling, "YEAH! I didn't agree to being a paladin so that I can take MORE STUPID TESTS!"

Keith feels his heart warm and bubble over with affection. Only Lance would recognize his nervous fidgets. They've had long talks about this before, Keith doesn't doubt that Lance will help him climb that wall if they aren't let out soon.

They both know that there is a valid reason behind this assessment, but Keith has already accepted that he's going to get a failing grade. He hates not doing anything with himself, his body is turning to lumpy mush like a sack of potatoes after sitting for so long.

Lance starts racing around the room yelling various profanities in various languages, and Keith gives a bark of laughter before joining in.

The other paladins are smiling at them, and Pidge is the first to discard her paper.

"Ugh, fine, I guess I'm not getting anything done with all this noise. The questions are repetitive anyway. This is not as fun as I hoped it would be."

She joins in, and now Korean, Italian, and Spanish curses echo throughout the room.

They end up trashing the entire room before Allura lets them out with a glare.

Keith lowers his voice and leans over to Lance.

"Huh. I guess all we have to do to escape the Galra is piss them off."

He turns to Allura.

"Never lock me in a room again. I will not hesitate to tear down the door and start singing annoying pop songs nonstop."

Lance moves behind him and place an arm around his shoulders.

"Yep. And I'll be on a murder spree because apparently I'm not out of the overprotective boyfriend phase."

[klance-brainrot]

winter mornings

Lance wakes up because it's too bright. the sun shines through the window and he groggily wonders who he needs to punch for opening the blinds. he buries his head in the pillow and blindly reaches out to the other side of the bed. it's empty. the spot where his boyfriend is supposed to be is cold, which means that he had left the bed a while ago. Lance decides he doesn't care and goes back to sleep.

~*~

after stumbling out of the bathroom an hour later, the first thing he notices is the door to their kitchen being slightly open. he tries to stay unnoticed while sneaking a look inside. Keith is standing at the counter, wearing his pj's and a shirt which Lance is fairly sure is his, and he is kneading something in a big bowl. also, my chemical romance is playing and Keith, of course, is quietly singing along. Lance opens the door fully and goes to hug his boyfriend from the back. without looking up from the bowl, Keith smiles and says: "good morning, are you feeling better?"

Lance sighs and nuzzles his nose into Keith's hair.

"good morning, yeah - thank you for letting me sleep."

"of course. there's coffee in the pot if you want some."

Lance smiles and takes his favorite cup out of the cupboard. after filling it with the usual amount of coffee, milk and sugar - Keith often mocks him for the amount of sugar he uses -, he takes a sip and asks: "what are you making? and how can you listen to your emo songs that early?"

Keith snickers.

"it's not that early. I tried christmas music but that felt weird so I switched to my usual playlist."

he's dancing along to the song while he finishes kneading and puts the bowl with the dough into the fridge.

"I'm making cinnamon stars. you said you were sad because you couldn't eat your nonna's cookies and so I looked up recepies and took the one that seemed the easiest."

Lance melts in his chair.

"you're baking for me? really?"

"yeah."

Keith pauses.

"Hunk might have implied I would fuck up majorly if I tried making cookies. so I'm both making you happy and proving him wrong", he admits sheepishly.

Lance laughs.

"I love you, you know that?"

Keith walks over to him and gives him a kiss on the forehead.

"I love you too."

once the dough is ready, Lance is fully awake and can't wait to contribute. he bounces around the kitchen and loudly sings along to 'Last Christmas'.

"I'll get the cookie cutters and you can start rolling out the dough" , Keith says.

Lance eagerly gets to work. at first they start to make only stars in various sizes, but Lance starts to get bored of that and snatches the box with the cookie cutters.

"what do you think about a cinnamon moose? or a cinnamon angel? or -"

he pauses.

"why do you have a skull cookie cutter."

Keith ducks his head.

"Shiro got it for me when I was 14 and we made a whole baking tray of them."

Lance coos.

"okay so stars are boring. let's make some cinnamon skulls."

Keith grins and they get to work while occasionally stopping to dance along or kiss each other.

~*~

when Lance finished putting the cookies onto the tray, he turns around, only to find his boyfriend already looking. Keith is licking leftover dough from his hand and Lance promptly blushes. While holding eye contact, Keith slowly takes his middle finger into his mouth and licks it. Lance shakes himself out of his trance, thinks: if he can do that so can I, and licks over his palm with his whole tongue. Keith breaks the unspoken tension and snickers, which in turn makes Lance giggle too. Keith comes closer, takes lances hand and swirls his tounge around his finger. Lance's breathing stutters and he leans back against the counter. Keith stops sucking on Lance's finger with a loud pop and kisses Lance senseless.

the cookies end up tasting great.

thanks for the beta @justdissimp and @numerous-bees-in-a-skin-suit 🫶🏻

[crehador]

top 5 hypmic songs that arent by bb/mtc nor including any of their members

THIS FEELS LIKE A VERY TARGETED ATTACK but ok... hm... i have to think about this for a while

1) stella

gotta start with stella, it is truly one of the tracks of all time. there is nothing i don't love about it. the sound of it, the lyrics, the story. the lyric video is so pretty and every live performance of it has been so good. stella triangle formation forever

2) femme fatale

AN ABSOLUTE BANGER i love our women who have done nothing wrong ever uwu the newer chuuoku tracks are really good as well but femme fatale being the first holds a special spot in my heart. and i'm so thrilled reol worked on it because it means we got to have her as a guest star at one of the lives and she was!! amazing!!!

3) enishi

godddddd enishi. where do i even start with enishi. there is just a POWER to the vocals of this track that i am absolutely obsessed with. it's tough to choose a favorite track on cross a line because i love them all so much but enishi is honestly up there. the first time i heard it i was like the cat discovering the red part is the good part of the watermelon. O_O eyes activate

(prior to enishi release this spot would have belonged to osaka dreamin' night, also such a fun bop that i am eternally grateful to for introducing me to creepy nuts)

4) I CANNOT POSSIBLY CHOOSE A BAT SONG. ALL OF THEM.

listen! listen!! literally every bat group song has been a hit they do not miss. bad ass temple funky sounds. kaigen. rip. awesome fucking party <- this has a different title in translation but i cannot ever remember it and always end up calling it something like this lol (it is apparently "hella awesome banquet" i had to look this up)

i guess. I GUESS. if i had to pick one. kaigen and rip would be slightly above the others because the live version of them are just so electric. the performances of the others have been really good as well! but kaigen and rip are special. and between the two of them... um... this is Difficult

i'm going with kaigen. but really. they are all amazing. hayama (kuko cv) just has the best stage energy ever

5) ok... so i'm giving it to rivals... BUT

man eliminating all members of bb/mtc truly cuts out so many tracks lol they are all over the place. off the block party album i would probably say my favorite (excluding the ichisama solos) is get busy (but alas jiro is in that) followed by shiro to kuro (but alas jyuto is in that)

SO fifth place goes to third place off the album.. rivals! it really is just such a fun song like you can't go wrong with a track where a line of the lyrics is literally "🥺🥺🥺🥺"

ON THE OTHER HAND I AM REALLY PARTIAL TO ONCE UPON A TIME IN SHIBUYA OR YOYOYOYO AS WE LIKE TO CALL IT and also torima get on the floor... and kizuato... and shibuya ghost night... and pink love... you guys know i was once an fp stan right lol

tl;dr IT'S TOO HARD I LITERALLY LOVE THEM ALL

[thaliagrayce]

i've been talking abt my voltron playlists and @iveofficiallygonemad asked to hear them and i want to share with anybody who wants!! i know they're not perfect, i'm working on them & trying to make them better. if you have any recommendations for any of them, let me know!! there's like A Lot and i want to give a lil explanation for most of them, so i'm putting them under the cut ^-^

SO first i have my favorite one <3 it's just. all of them. it's the whole team. it's a mess and it's a bunch of different genres because it's them fighting over the aux cord on a road trip. it's them trying to make each other laugh or annoy each other or play something catchy enough it will infect everyone in the vicinity with brain worms.

Hunk: i'm pretty happy with my Hunk playlist! chill vibes. he strikes me as the kind of guy who listens to calm music to try to find his own calm, and that's what i got here :)

Pidge: this is messier and less cohesive than my usual playlist because frankly i think pidge would have a shit taste in music. all over the board. this is a mix of meme songs and 8-bit covers and vocaloid and stuff that i think pidge would genuinely connect with, and i think pidge listens to all their music on shuffle without any regards for genre or mood because they're a gremlin. nobody gives pidge sole control of the aux.

Coran hears 80's music for the first time and loses his mind. He thinks ABBA is humanity's single greatest achievement.

Lance: i have ideas about where I'm going with this but haven't really settled yet. Lance seems like the kind of boy that loves to dance (is that canon? i forgot) so most of these are Bops That Make You Move in some way or another. he likes to present an upbeat face to the world, so there's no angsting in this playlist! we are clinging to the things that make us happy with both hands until our knuckles turn white!

Keith: i'm gonna be honest. i made him a playlist but i honestly don't think he cares about music very much. it's very important to some people! he's just not one of them! i haven't cracked this playlist open in a while but i'm pretty sure it's full of songs that i think he would conceivably train/work out to.

Shiro: this playlist involves the dumbest headcanon i have for shiro that has just not left me alone since i first thought of it. most of the playlist reflects the fact that he had an emo phase in middle school (that one isn't a headcanon, you just have to look at him to know) but BUT there are a few songs on here that are on here because. little known fact. he also went through a Twilight phase that he told nobody about. (keith knows. keith was there.) he has the entire twilight soundtrack memorized. he moved past the story but the music stays forever. he used to daydream about slow dancing to Flightless Bird, American Mouth. the first time Coran mentions that they have to avoid a place because there's a supermassive black hole there, he has to bite his tongue in order to keep a straight face. do NOT ask me why i believe this so wholeheartedly.

Allura's playlist sucks right now. I think it's because in my heart of hearts i know that, were she on earth today, she would go fucking nuts for taylor swift. i have ambivalent feelings for taylor swift. i cannot do allura justice like this. if you see my vision and have recs as to what might actually fit her, PLEASE.

Klance: i haven't done it yet but i'm gonna go through this and sort it to be a sort of progression of their relationship, starting with the more combative Rivalry songs, then slipping into "oh shit oh shit" songs, then maybe ending on the more lighthearted purely romantic songs <3

(i have two songs in a shallura playlist which does not at all encapsulate how much i'm obsessed with them. the tiny cop inside my head is just constantly screaming at me that i'm going to get yelled at for liking shallura. i am going to kill the cop inside my head.)

[edenaffinity]

Lance and Keith as Taylor Swift Songs 👸🏼

This idea has been floating around in my brain for FOREVER. So I decided to finally write it all out. Idk if it makes any sense at all, but here it...

First, the most obvious:

And I’m still a believer, but I don’t know why I’ve never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try

Lance is mirrorball 🪩

mirrorball is about putting on a facade for the outside world, solely to please the people around you. But your facade is fragile and does you a disservice, as its only there to reflect the shine and brightest of others around you.

Lance feels as though he doesn't deserve to be apart of Voltron. He questions his place on team and wonders why he was chosen to defend the universe. He feels inadequate, he's insecure about his abilities, and he constantly compares himself to the rest of the team. He puts on a facade of comedy and confidence only to truly believe that he is less than. He sees himself as replaceable, instead of a integral part of the team.

Next…

And my words shoot to kill when I’m mad I have a lot of regrets about that

Keith is this is me trying 📝

I don’t care what anyone says, this was written for Keith!

They told me all of my cages were mental So I got wasted like all my potential

This boy had so many issues in school, socially speaking, but was literally TOP OF HIS CLASS! Shiro, Garrison professors, and Keith's classmates could all see that he was going places.

Was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere // Fell behind on my classmates, and I ended up here

But whatever was in store for Keith's future of ruined when Shiro went missing. the one person who'd ever really pushed him to be better AND believed that he could be better was gone. So he dropped out/got kicked out and whatever future he had as a pilot was gone.

I didn't know if you'd care if I came back I have a lot of regrets about that

There is no doubt in my mind that when he left to join The Blade, HE DIDN’T THINK ANYONE WOULD MISS HIM! Same could probably be said about him leaving the Garrison, EVEN LEAVING EARTH! He didn't believe anyone would care he left, because he didn't believe anyone cared he was there to begin with.

And it's hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound It’s hard to be anywhere these days when all I want is you

Keith missing Shiro when he goes missing? Keith lining for Lance? Either way, never met a character more "open wound" coded than Keith.

Next…

They see right through me Can you see right through me? I see right through me

Lance is The Archer 🏹 (duh)

Ah yes, a song all about being ready (or forced) to “go into battle” but hiding your insecurities behind confidence. And then you're worried that anyone will know you're secretly insecure?

That's Lance!

Lance is 100% ready to give up anything for the good of the team and the good of the universe. But he’s also incredibly insecure of his abilities and his place as a defender of the universe. The repetition of the “they see right through me” lines, as well as the “I see right through me” line, LITERALLY IS Lance speaking. Those are his words! Straight outta his brain!

Who could ever leave me, darling? But who could stay?

Lance hides behind this vail of confidence only to truly believe the worst of himself. And he believes everyone else to also have this low opinion of him. So while he can behave as though he's a flirt and sincerely wanted by many, there is no part of him that really believes that.

Next…

And I can go anywhere I want Anywhere I want, just not home

Keith is my tears ricochet 💧

Keith can literally travel the universe, but he has no real home. No family. No safe space to return to once he's finished this travels. So he literally go anywhere he wants, but he can't go home.

I didn't have it in myself to go with grace And you're the hero flying around, saving face

"I didn't have it in myself to go with grace" sounds like he was angry and said something he shouldn't have. "The hero flying around, saving face" sounds like literally any other member of the team. It makes since that he would see them as heroes and not himself.

I didn't have it in myself to go with grace 'Cause when I'd fight, you used to tell me I was brave

Definitely a line about Shiro. I mean, COME ON! "When I'd fight, you used to tell me I was brave"! Not in a physically, angrily fighting way, but in an encouraging way. In a way that only Shiro could cheer Keith on while he fights to hone his skills and make something of himself.

And finally…

I know my love should be celebrated, but you tolerate it

Lance is tolerate it 🕰️

Listen to this song once while thinking of Lance, I promise you'll get it.

I notice everything you do or don't do You're so much older and wiser

The song as a few lines about how much the speaker looks up to the subject. Lance admires a lot of the team and puts them on a higher pedestal than he puts himself.

I greet you with a battle hero's welcome I take your indiscretions all in good fun

Lmaooo sorry, these lines are about Keith. I don't make the rules, I just listen to the lyrics. Like, when he comes back from The Blade to rejoin the team? The "I don't have time for this, Lance!" scene. Yeah.

I made you my temple, my mural, my sky Now I'm begging for footnotes in the story of your life Drawing hearts in the byline Always taking up too much space or time

"Always taking up too much space or time"! FUCK! That's so Lance, it hurts. You can't tell me that he doesn't always feel like he's taking up too much space. FUCK.

Anyways, that’s all my thoughts on that. Thank you for your time <3

Klance as Taylor Swift Songs 👸🏼

Lance's playlist 💙

Keith's playlist ❤️

[torahoes]

(IDOLiSH7) Minami Natsume - An Idol's Daily Life Rabbit Chat: Part 5 - First touring experience

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Tsumugi Takanashi: Good work today, Natsume-san. I'm looking forward to IDOLiSH7 and ŹOOĻ appearing together on the music program tomorrow.

Tsumugi Takanashi: I’m excited to hear ŹOOĻ’s new song!

Minami Natsume: Good work today, Takanashi-san. Thank you for your kind greeting.

Minami Natsume: We will deliver the best performance, so please look forward to it.

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Minami Natsume: I was actually about to contact you as well.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Me?

Minami Natsume: Yes. I’m currently visiting the port town you recommended, and it’s such a wonderful place. I wanted to thank you.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Wow! So today is your touring day! The weather is perfect too. It must feel amazing.

Minami Natsume: Indeed, the scenery is beautiful. I’m glad I chose this place. Actually, Izumi-san and Nanase-san also recommended it to me recently.

Tsumugi Takanashi: I remember the three of you discussing it in the dressing room…!

Minami Natsume: At that time, Nanase-san enthusiastically showed me photos of the dishes here, saying, "You absolutely need to try this," so I decided to come here.

Minami Natsume: Izumi-san’s food review was very tempting as well.

Tsumugi Takanashi:

1) How was your first touring experience?

Minami Natsume: It was exhilarating. The feeling of cutting through the wind is very refreshing. I might get addicted to it.

2) What did you order for your meal?

Minami Natsume: Nanase-san recommended both dishes, so I ordered the sashimi set meal with a side of simmered fish. The sweet-simmered sea bream was delicious and went well with the rice, and the seasonal sashimi was fresh and exceptional.

3) What were you doing just now?

Minami Natsume: My members told me to let them know once I reached the location, so I was taking pictures of the sea. I’d love to come back here with everyone next time so we can enjoy the view together.

Tsumugi Takanashi: I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself! There are many souvenir shops, and just browsing them is fun, so please do check them out.

Minami Natsume: I did peek inside one earlier. I was thinking of getting something for the people who helped me with obtaining my license.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Wow, that sounds great! I’m sure they’ll be delighted.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Have you decided what to get?

Minami Natsume: I was thinking of seafood-based snacks, but since many of them live alone, giving them too many might be troublesome.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Choosing souvenirs can be quite the challenge > <

Minami Natsume: That’s true, but it’s also fun to think about what would make them happy.

Minami Natsume: Did Nanase-san and Izumi-san buy anything?

Tsumugi Takanashi: There were sea creature keychains, so they bought one for each member.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Yamato-san got a sea anemone one because he's good at impersonating them, and Mitsuki-san got a shrimp one because he makes delicious shrimp chili. They chose the keychains for each member based on things like that.

Minami Natsume: Indeed, Nikaido-san’s sea anemone impression is quite good. Every time I see one at an aquarium, I remember it.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Yamato-san’s unique moves really capture the essence, don’t they? He was so pleased with the keychain, saying it felt familiar, and now he carries it on his bag.

Minami Natsume: I might go with keychains too. There were ones with names on them.

Minami Natsume: Wouldn’t it be cute if everyone had a seagull keychain on their bags with “Torao” or “Shiro” written on it?

Tsumugi Takanashi: Definitely! Seeing them would make me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Tsumugi Takanashi: Especially given Utsugi-san's smart and mature image, it would be quite a contrast.

Minami Natsume: Despite how he looks, he’s surprisingly quite funny.

Minami Natsume: He once tried to sign off his Rabbit Chat messages with “From Mom,” aiming to be more motherly.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Utsugi-san did something like that...!

Minami Natsume: Yes, he also tries to lighten the mood by using a lot of paw emojis and even using teen slang like "LMAO" to make it easier for us to talk to him.

Tsumugi Takanashi: That’s such thoughtful consideration! As expected of him! I should try to learn from him as well.

Minami Natsume: Takanashi-san, you’re already very considerate. You’re also just as amusing as Utsugi-san.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Do you really think so?

Tsumugi Takanashi: If I’ve managed to entertain you even a little, I’m happy!

Minami Natsume: Yes. Have confidence in yourself.

End of Part 5.

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

A Part of You

Hitsuhina Weekend - Day 2: Stars / Morning / Zanpakuto / Teamwork

Prompts: Zanpakuto, Acceptance

Rating: T for mild themes and mentions of violence.

Setting: between the end of the Arrancar arc and the beginning of the Fullbringer arc

Synopsis: Momo puts another piece of the past to rest.

AN: I’ve wanted to write this story for a while, but seeing the prompts for the Hitsuhina Weekend and for @yearoftheotpevent's challenge finally got me to do it.

If there’s one [of many] things I think needs to be expanded upon in BLEACH universe it’s zanpakuto etiquette. We've seen Shinigami characters treat their zanpakuto differently, from some seeing it as just a weapon to others having a close bond with the spirit tied to their sword. So what happens if another person touches it or shatters it? How deeply and personally do they feel when something like that happens?

I listened to music that reminded me of water for this one, including Dying Planet by Parallel Highway, A Letter by Clem Leek, The Latter Rain Patio by Will Lewis, and Belong by The Living Sleep, so I recommend any one of these songs while reading this fic if you’re interested.

Also, Momo names a few confectionery treats here:

 Siberia cake: a sponge cake with a sweet bean jelly filling.

Chinsuko: it’s like a shortbread biscuit, made form lard and flour with a mild and sweet flavor. A friend of mine brought these back from Japan as a gift once.

Kusa mochi: a sweet mixed with the leaves of the mugwort plant. 

Botamochi: a sweet mixed with red bean paste. It’s traditionally made during spring and autumn/fall.

Ichigo daifuku: a sweet with a redbean paste filling and a strawberry stuffed in the middle.

Anyhow, hope you all enjoy this one!

___________________________

Toshiro blinks down at the box full of sweets. “You…really went all out.”

Heat rushes up to Momo's face. Had she gone overboard? “Well, ever since I left the Fourth Division, I’ve wanted to get back into baking. With the Shinigami Women’s Association bake sale, I thought it’d be a good excuse to try out a few recipes I wanted to do quite some time now.”

“Don’t they make enough money off of calendars already?”

She only gives him a pointed stare in response to his snarky comment. After a beat, she names off each sweet in the box. “This is sibera, those are chinsuko, and those are some mochi. The green ones are kusa mochi, the maroon ones are botamochi, and the white ones are ichigo daifuku.”

He only reacts to the latter, and she suspects it’s due to Ichigo Kurosaki. At his otherwise lack of a response, she sighs. “Did I go overboard? Maybe I only should have made the mochi and got Rangiku-san and Nanao-san to try the other sweets.”

He quirks up a brow. “I don’t just like mochi and amanatto.”

She can’t help but smile. “Well, you do tend to gravitate towards those, so…”

He shakes his head. “It’s fine, I’ll try all of these.”

“Thank you, Shiro-chan!”

“Call me that again and I’ll give everything a bad review.”

“You can be so mean,” she half-teases.

He only grumbles, but takes up a slice of the siberia. He takes a decent bite out of it and chews. She can’t help but watch him to gauge his reaction, and he makes it a point to look away to the garden in front of them. Nothing gives away his judgement as he munches on the cake. Did it always take him this long to chew his food? Was he doing this on purpose? Or had she not cooked the cake well?

Then, he swallows and makes an approving grunt. “It’s good.”

Momo grins in relief and pushes the box towards him; it's about as high a compliment as she can typically get from Toshiro with her baking. “You like it? Feel free to have some more.”

 “You’re not going to have any?” he asks before biting into his slice again.

Momo shrugs. “I might have one of the mochi later, but I want to see what you make of everything first. I don’t think I can judge what I bake very well. Can you tell me what you like about it? Just so I know what I got right.”

Toshiro opens his mouth to speak, but he’s interrupted by a knock from the door behind them. Momo gives him a questioning tilt of her head, and his response is a deepening of his frown. He lowers the remains of sibera slice down to his lap and twisted around. “Yes?”

The door slides open to reveal Minagwa, Tenth Division’s third seat, kneeling. He bows his head. “I’m sorry to interrupt sir, but the group you sent to the seventh north district have returned. They have a debrief ready for you.”

Toshiro looks back to Momo. Seeing the glimmer of guilt in his gaze, Momo smiles. “Did you need to go speak with them?”

He nods stiffly. “It’s an investigation we’ve been waiting on for a while.”

He shoves the rest of his sibera slice into his mouth and chews quickly. She can’t help but list her head fondly to one side; it made him look oddly childish and it’s typical of him to not waste anything he’s started on.

Minagawa gives Momo an apologetic look, and is about to speak up, until Toshiro turns back to him “Where are they right now?” he asks while rising from the veranda.

The third seat follows suit and stands. “Out the front, sir.”

To Momo, Toshiro says, “I’ll be back soon.”

She waves her hand. “It’s all right, take your time. Captain Hirako ordered me to take a longer break.”

“What is it with his lax orders?” he says under his breath. However, unlike other times he criticized her captain, there's no annoyance in his tone.

Toshiro and Minagawa leave, closing the door behind them. Momo stares after them for a moment, sensing Toshiro’s reiatsu get further and further away.

Eventually, she turns back to the gardens. Tenth Division always kept such small but tidy gardens, suitable for jinzen or private conversations. This one happens to be her favourite, filled with colourful flowers and tall trees that shade most of the area. Had she ever told Toshiro this was her favourite? Is that why he often brought her here for their shared lunch breaks?

As the sun spills through the parting clouds, she munches on an ichigo daifuku, more out of boredom than hunger. Despite feeling like she can’t judge her own cooking, the daifuku turned out rather good in her opinion. Chewing on the last of the sweet, she goes for a kusa mochi.

As she does, it becomes hard to ignore the glint of Hyourinmaru’s hilt in her peripheral.

She risks swallowing with a tightened throat and winces as her food goes down. Haltingly, she lifts her gaze to the zanpakuto propped against the nearest wooden beam. Now focused on it, she senses the chill thrumming from it in slow waves, just barely brushing against the side of her leg.

She knows the blade’s cold all too well. How it burned through her chest and in her veins, as if freezing her from the inside out. She grimaces at the dull throb in her chest. A remembrance, still raw enough to make her lean away from the zanpakuto, hand clutches where it had cut through her. She closes her eyes and breathes, just like how Isane taught her to.

Unlike what she’d been instructed to do however, she keeps her eyes open, unable to look away from the zanpakuto. Toshiro sometimes went to training after their lunch breaks, it’s the only reason he brings his zanpakuto along. She never told him how unnerved seeing the blade made her at times, feeling it was something she and she alone had to deal with. Why worry him with something he can’t control?

The door slides open, startling her.

“Apologies, it was important that I…” Toshiro trails off when his eyes land on her. She isn’t sure what her expression shows, but it’s enough to make him stop mid-step.

Without meaning to, she glances at Hyourinmaru. It all comes together for her childhood friend, his eyes narrowing at his zanpakuto. Momo had a feeling he knew something was wrong this whole time. Since they started having the occasional lunch break together, he would look at her for a second in a certain way, as if assessing her to make sure she was all right. Other times he'd try to obscure Hyourinmaru from her sight somehow as they ate. Even today, he'd knelt in front of his weapon, with only the hilt visible behind his head and blocking her from the cold it emitted.

She's brought out of her thoughts when Toshiro curses under his breath. He steps out from the doorway towards Hyourinmaru. “I didn’t -”

“It’s okay,” she’s quick to reassure, throwing her hands up. “Really, it’s okay.”

He’s unconvinced, not once taking his eyes off her and he comes to stand between her and his zanpakuto. He’s putting her first, making sure she doesn’t feel unsafe.

Something that makes her chest tighten. The weapon is a manifestation of his soul, a part of him. If she’s always going to be apprehensive towards his zanpakuto, then it’s not different from being fearful of him. He shouldn’t have to shield her from a part of himself.

She wills herself to calm the faint tremors. “May I…see Hyourinmaru up close?”

Toshiro’s eyes widen with a confused grunt. “What?”

She has nothing for him, unable to believe she had spoken the request out loud.  At his continued stare and lack of response, she starts to lose her nerve. “Forget it.”

His frown returns, though now it's out of confusion. He lowers himself back to a kneel on the veranda. “Why do you want to look at Hyourinmaru?”

“It’s…It’s hard to explain. I think it’ll help somehow with coming to terms with what happened.”

“Are you sure?”

It’s rare to see him so uncertain, and she hates that this is his reaction. It’s all the more reason she needs to do this.

She lifts her legs off the edge of the veranda and folds them legs underneath to fully turn to him. Her heart races, but she schools her expression to one of calm and gives him a firm nod.

His gaze lingers for several heartbeats, searching for something within her. Whether he finds what he’s looking for or not, he still twists to Hyourinmaru and clasps his sheath with both hands. He’s slow to bring the weapon out and lay it before her, as if giving her time to back out. In response, she moves the box of sweets out of the way, a space now clear to lay the weapon down between them.

The ‘clink’ the blade makes once the sword on the floorboards is the only sound to break the tense silence. This has been the closet she’s been to zanpakuto since being in the Fake Karakura Town. She bites the inside of her mouth when the memories of that day threaten to come forward.

She focuses her attention on Hyourinmaru’s details, from the four-pointed hilt guard to the dark blue scabbard. It’s always had a certain elegance to it, though not in the traditional sense like Senbonzakura or even Sode no Shiraiyuki. It came from how ancient it felt, having been honed from one wielder down to the next. Perhaps it’s why it’s as long as it is.

There was a time where she found it a little funny the blade was too long for her childhood friend to carry on his hip. In time, she came to wonder if the sword was meant for someone older. Toshiro had unlocked his potential at such a young age, she couldn’t help but wonder once if maybe he should have waited until he was a little older.

A fresh wave of cold wafts over her. With the blade this close, the chill it emits reminds her of Toshiro’s reiatsu whenever she’s next to him. It swirls around him, as gentle as a winter breeze, settling coolly on her skin and uniform. It’s never been unpleasant to her.

So drawn in by that familiar reiatsu and as in a trance, Momo reaches for the blade. At Toshiro’s confused grunt, she stills, and then snaps her hand back to her lap. “I’m sorry! I don’t, um…”

He looks at her like she’s grown a third eye.

Before she can explain herself, he tilts his head downward. It’s imperceptible, a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ moment, but she can tell he’s communicating with his zanpakuto. His eyes briefly take on a hazy quality, as if he’s fallen somewhere into the back of his mind deep in thought. Had her action disturbed Hyourinamru?

“I’m sorry,” she repeats. “I got ahead of myself without thinking.”

Toshiro seems to only half hear her, still stuck in his inner conversation with Hyourinmaru. She waits in nervous silence, fearful she may have offended the zanpakuto spirit or even Toshiro.

It differs from Shinigami to Shinigami, but zanpakuto wielders could get personal about another touching their weapon. Whether it was a fear that another would somehow damage it or because to touch it is to sense a part of the wielder’s soul, each Shinigami had their limitation for others touching their weapon.

Eventually, Toshiro lifts his head back to her. It’s as though he’s come to a heavy decision, one loaded with a lot of potential risk.

“Will it help you?” he asks. At her surprised blinking, he clarifies. “If it will help, you can touch Hyrouinmaru.”

Her shoulders drop in shock. He’d really allow this? Of all the Shinigami she knows, he is willing to let her touch his zanpakuto? She’s never had to touch Hyourinmaru or ever been tempted to, but she always imagined Toshiro would find it hurtful if someone tried to outside of combat or training.

She purses her lips, hating the uncertainty bubbling up within her. “I don’t know for certain. I just know that I can’t keep feeling this way towards Hyourinmaru.”

Toshiro's gaze softens. “You don’t have to push yourself.”

Momo had heard that so many times, from Shinigami in the Fourth Division and form all her friends. Shinji had told her a few times too, but it was only once he could see she was visibly upset by something that happened – usually to do with Aizen and remembering something from her past with him. She knows everyone means well when they tell her, but she doesn’t want to remain stagnant. She can handle more than she could before.

“If it’s truly all right with both of you…then please let me try. If not, then that’s okay too. Please don’t push yourself.”

He doesn’t react to his own words being said back him. “Hyourinmaru feels it’s only right that you do, after what happened.”

That shocks her even more. She’s left speechless for a moment, only able to look between Toshiro and Hyourinmaru. The zanpakuto spirit wants this too?

Trepidation jumps through her, making her heart race and her body want to freeze. She forces her hand forward.

The closer she reaches, the colder the chill becomes. Despite the quivering that comes more from anxiety than the cold, she isn’t deterred. With her heart racing and her eyes unblinking, she touches the scabbard.

She gasps at the freezing cold. It’s like her fingertips are dipped in the running water of a river just as the ice is starting to thaw. She can’t help but shiver, and she has to flash Toshiro a reassuring smile when he leans forward, ready to snatch the weapon away.

She stays with the cold, let’s her shaking calm with each breath she takes. It’s like the water has risen to surround her, but it doesn’t drown her. It doesn’t burn her either, like it had when the blade pierced through her chest. It’s like winter winds, the invisible waves of cold ice gives off, and the snowfall in the Junrinan. It’s harsh and soft at the same time. It’s only then she realises she’s closed her eyes.

Beyond the cold, there are swells of emotion. To her surprise, she senses she can go beneath the surface, tread further into the cold and discover how Toshiro feels in this moment and towards things happening his life. There are so few barriers in her way.

It strikes her again that Toshiro is allowing her to do this, to sense how he feels and what lies deep within his being. It’s more vulnerable than when one opens up with their words or actions, it’s truly getting to the heart of a person in its most raw form. To discover it may change how one sees the other, or it may break the person who allowed them to tread so far in.

And in understanding that vulnerability she doesn’t even entertain the idea of going further in; his feelings are his own, for him to express to her or not, and she will wait on the surface for whatever Hyourinmaru wants to convey her now.

Slowly, guilt floats up to her. It’s heavy, carrying the weight of two. So even after forgiving him when it wasn’t needed, Toshiro still feels responsible for what happened. On it’s tail is a wordless apology, as if a great force is bowing before her, asking for her forgiveness.

She shallows against the lump forming in her throat and blinks her eyes open.

It was nothing compared to what would’ve laid beneath he surface of Hyourinmaru’s connction to Toshiro, but she feels the need to make a confession of her own. “As I said before, it wasn’t your fault, you weren’t to know. It may take me a while to fully accept it, but I know I don’t have to be scared of you.” A small smile lifts the corners of her lips. “You’ve always been there for Hitsugaya-kun, since all the way back in the Junrinan. I knew he’d go to the Academy, one day, I could barely sense something within him, and that was you.”

In her peripheral, Toshiro straightens, but she doesn’t take her gaze from Hyourinmaru.

“I’ve seen the way you fight together,” she continues, “it’s inspiring to witness a connection like yours. It’s even inspired Tobiume and I to bond with each other when I was training to obtain my Shikai.” She bows her head to the sword. “Thank you for keeping Hitsugaya-kun safe.”

There’s a pulse, an like echo from a canyon. Gratitude, she realises with a widened smile. She only nods in response. Then, as slowly as she can, she curls her fingers away from the scabbard, and the connection fades. Her heart is at eases with the fading of the cold all around her.

She bows her head again, this time to Toshiro. “Thank you for letting me do that.”

He says nothing, doesn’t even shift. Perhaps it had been too much for him, for to even just graze a part of his inner self. She has an apology ready on her lips, but he speaks.

"Did it help?"

His voice is quiet, maybe even on the verge of quivering. It's like the day they reconciled, when he spoke in low tones and eventually lost the battle against the emotions raging through him. Unlike then, his gaze isn't tumultuous. There's worry, but also a calmness she hadn't seen in him for quite some time.

Following the same instinct that had led her to reaching out to Hyourinmaru in the first place, she takes on his hands and smiles. She can't give him a verbal answer, too overcome with what she'd experience, but she hopes this is enough to tell him.

She can’t forget the burning of the ice in her chest, just as she can’t forget that horrible day in its entirety. It will live on in her, but it’ll become an echo one day, of a time long gone and a pain long forgiven.

[pellaaearien]

WIP Word Search

Okay @cuubism​ AND @landwriter​ tagged me in that WIP word search game that’s going around and since they are two people I love and respect I shall oblige, despite the fact that I only have one WIP - for Sandman. And there’s currently only one unpublished chapter.

So here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to do one word from each WIP in my docs folder. Whichever one gives the best results. And you all shall see my secret shame. 

cuubism’s words were: eat, world, run, blood, glass

EAT - (ffxiv) a snippet of my oc x Aymeric that I wrote inspired by that video where a man wakes up from anesthetic and hits on his own wife

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he said, with utter sincerity. Eyn’ara could feel a flush rising to her cheeks. “How did I get so lucky?” He leaned back, sighing dreamily. Eyn’ara bit her lip to keep from laughing, torn between amusement and concern. 

“Just take it easy, love,” she soothed. “Eat your biscuit.”

Suddenly, he lifted his head again, intent. “How long have we been married?” 

Smiling helplessly, Eyn’ara shook her head. “I’ll tell you if you eat your biscuit,” she said. 

Aymeric looked at the biscuit like he’d forgotten it was there, and took a delicate bite, staring at her as he chewed expectantly. Eyn’ara’s heart swelled with love for this ridiculous man. 

“Four years,” she answered.

WORLD - (dragon age) fenhawke fic 

Fenris looked to Hawke in hope of seeing that look. Cold. Merciless. Righteous. Stealing over the face of the habitually jovial Hawke, it did not look out of place. Its rarity merely heightened its significance. It was the look he imagined an avenging Andraste might have worn. Seeing it directed at slavers reminded him why he'd sworn his blade to her. Times like these reassured him he'd made the right decision.

“Not a chance.” Hawke's voice was thin ice on a winter's day. He could feel it in his chest like a breath of frigid air. She met Fenris' eyes.

Had he not been buried wrist-deep in a slaver's spleen, the world might have melted away around him. He'd be a regular attendee of the Chantry if this was the god he was praying to.

RUN - (sandman) Another Word for Ache (you won the jackpot!)

Death sighs. “Our sibling,” she says.

That word again. “Would this be the same sibling who tried to get Dream to spill family blood?”

Her eyes widen. It’s a natural enough expression but it sits uneasily on her face and Hob gets the impression that not much shocks her.

“He told you about that?”

Hob shrugs. “I think he was trying a new tactic, trying to see how much information would get me to run away.”

“That does sound like him,” she says, shaking her head ruefully.

BLOOD - (voltron) sheith fic

If Keith was smart, he would have disengaged, tried to find some way to get through to the automaton bearing down on him, but some defensive instinct of his own has been triggered and the chance passes him by. He’s already hurtling off the edge of too far when Shiro leaves an obvious opening and Keith lunges for it, hearing the telltale hum of the Galra mechanism powering up as he does, bright purple light flashing in his periphery. 

He lands a solid hit against Shiro’s side but it’s already too late because Shiro grabs his arm with his flesh and blood left hand and twists and the next thing Keith knows he’s on his back, looking up into that implacable, beloved face, the prosthetic humming an inch from his throat.

GLASS - (doctor who) Locum Tenens

At last, she reached a door at the end of the hallway. The song in her mind swelled, and Rose could tell that behind the door was the music’s source. She pushed open the door, and walked through it into a field of deep red grass. The sky above was a burnt orange. Rose looked around herself in wonder. In the distance, a gilded city marked the horizon, shimmering under a glass dome. There were two suns in the sky.

landwriter’s words were: pale, hope, lips, ache, laugh, morning

PALE - (ffxiv) my oc x Aymeric, hurt/comfort fic

“...Very well.” The words were a sigh of defeat she tried not to read too much into. Slowly, as though the motion pained him, he uncrossed his arms, peeling back the layers he was wrapped in.

She tried to steel herself not to react, but her breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t help it. The first thing to be revealed was an angry scar across his throat, the burn of a rope pressed into his pale skin. She clenched her fingers around the pot of salve to keep them from balling into fists and held back an angry hiss. They hurt him. She abruptly wished they were all twelve — thirteen — of them alive and in front of her so that she could kill them again, slower this time.

HOPE - (lucifer) deckerstar fic

“Are you certain? You needn’t even take your eyes off the building.” 

It was indicative of the kind of week she’d had that Chloe even entertained the thought. Thought of his clever fingers dipping south, slipping beneath the button of her jeans… 

“No, Lucifer,” she said, in what she hoped was a quelling tone. 

He lazily removed his fingers from her skin, no trace of repentance in his movements or his expression. “But you considered it, for a moment. I think that’s a win.”

LIPS - (doctor who) kidfic

“Listen, Doctor. I’ve got… I’ve got something to tell you.” His lips twitched, but he remained silent, allowing her to continue. “I lied to you,” she said in a rush. She’d been waiting for so many years to say those words it was almost a rush to finally say them aloud. “On the beach, on Bad Wolf Bay, I said the baby was mum’s, but it wasn’t. It was mine.”

ACHE - surprisingly nothing, given one of my fics literally has it in the title

LAUGH - (ffxiv) my oc x Aymeric, Shadowbringers fic

He laughed louder. “No, indeed. Sometimes I long for the days when our problems were so simple.” He stretched leisurely, and Eyn’ara took the opportunity to let her eyes trace the slim length of him. “Our problems are now of the negotiating table, and though I would be the last to dismiss your labours, cannot be as summarily dealt with.”

Eyn’ara snorted. “I could still try to hit them with my axe.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

MORNING - (ffxiv) my oc x Aymeric

Aymeric sipped, wishing he could be as certain. He knew Eyn’ara’s life was frequently unpredictable, and it was entirely possible that she had gotten pulled away with no time to inform him of the change in plans. It was the risk they’d taken by choosing to arrive at the event separately. Without her, the evening ahead of him stretched on interminably. Even without the noble harpies circling around him to deal with, her teasing voice that morning via linkpearl had promised him a surprise, and ever since he’d been able to think of nothing else. He was only mortal, and he missed his wife.

I’m not tagging anyone because everyone’s been tagged and I’m ashamed. Do not perceive me

[kimbapisnotsushi]

can you talk about what you like about From Up On Poppy Hill? /gen

Okay see I understand that this is genuine but also if you're wondering "why tf does this person like a movie that uses 'we found out that we might potentially share the same dad but we won't stop our feelings for each other' as a plot twist" then that is totally understandable it DOES make me seem like a bit of a weirdo I agree with that!!

But I love From Up on Poppy Hill for lots of reasons!! (Warning: this will contain spoilers!!) I admire the type of character Umi is. She's disciplined and hardworking and dedicated and, ugh, the fact that she raises the flags every day??? When it was her dad who taught her how and she kept raising them when he was gone in hopes that it would lead him back home?? And she keeps doing it even though he never will? It makes my heart ache whenever I watch it.

It's also pretty funny, even if in a simple way. I always crack up when they're hosting the student council meeting and a fight breaks out and then the one student runs to tell everyone the principal's coming and everyone's like "OH SHIT" and they IMMEDIATELY unify and start singing. Also when Shiro and Shun are having a serious conversation while they're using the restroom, and when Umi drops Shun back into the water after holding out her hand, and uhhh there's probably some that I'm missing but I can't name any more off the top of my head right now LMAO.

Also the visuals! The music!! It makes for such a beautiful atmosphere for a real-world setting. Let me tell you, listening to the Breakfast Song is a GREAT way to start your day and get in the mood about being productive and feeling good about chores.

And I really, really love how all the students came together to save the clubhouse. Call me a sentimental sap, but I think there's something really great about them working hard to clean it up and give it love and life and turning it into something to be kept, even if a lot of them never used it in the first place.

All in all, I know it might seem like a weird Ghibli movie to like, and it's not like I don't love the other ones either, but I just think From Up on Poppy Hill remains pretty unseen and deserves a lot more love. Thanks for listening, anon!!

[intothegenshinworld]

oh, ah we sharing wanderer names? i’ve got a couple. so i personally named my wanderer Indigo, since I name my characters after colors (my traveler, for instance, is named after a shade of blue). Indigo is actually my favorite color so I decided my wanderer deserved my favorite color as his name - and it fit his color scheme. my lovely girlfriend, however, named her wanderer Achilles, after the song Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths. she thought it was fitting after crying over his backstory. i was delighted by the name, since i loved greek myths.

ah, if you need something to call me i guess i could be blue anon? i’m rather shy and don’t interact much, so i likely won’t drop by often, i just like to lurk…

That's alright!! No pressure :D You're free to stop by whenever you want. Welcome to the Anon Fam blue anon!! (blue is my fav color, this makes me happy XD)

blue anon 🤝 Shiro - both naming characters after colors. It's the reason why I'm named Shiro! But most of my color-named characters are OC's, so I didn't think about naming Scara after a color XD Indigo suits him though!! And it's your fav color? He must feel special 😌

And his backstory really is sad. I personally do not feel that connected to Scara/Wanderer but DAMN did that backstory hit me in the feels TuT

Let's all give him a hug when we can </3

[black--sun]

He grins, and then he notices Shiro said doomed romantic subplot, and the expression wavers. Then he’s kind of impressed Shiro knows what a doomed romantic subplot is, and Ichigo’s not sure if he wants to finish that grin or not. He doesn’t actually know which direction to let his emotions go. Shiro is an unnerving person. Not that Ichigo is unnerved so much as his pulse is tripping a quicker beat. It’s the instant realization that he’s walking beside someone that might’ve been world changing in a different life or a different time or if his circumstances hadn’t been such shit. Shiro's already got a grip on the entire city. He didn’t even have a good start in life. He has so much potential. It’s kind of horrible that it was never fostered— or maybe they’re all better off. Ichigo’s not quite sure why all it took was that small phrase to give him such an epiphany. Maybe because he knows Shiro doesn’t have any interest in books, but Ichigo’s betting he could change his clothes and walk into a room of Ichigo’s colleagues and fake belonging there well enough to be believable. Like a chameleon. That's a very specific talent. Then again, Ichigo is so in love with the asshole, he’s probably playing it up in his head. “You’re kind of scary sometimes.” In a way that makes Ichigo itch to get his hands on him and follow him down that rabbit hole, because he’s obviously also not quite typical. He mirrors Shiro’s scoff though and backtracks. “I’ve seen you embarrassed so many times. I’ve seen you embarrassed twice in the last hour.”

That offer tugs his guts up into his throat and then heats them as they settle back into place. He’s never stopped wanting Shiro for a second. Not even back when he was trying to convince himself it was hate. “If it were that easy, I’d let you.” He gives Shiro a flat look at those words just because Shiro can be willfully oblivious when he doesn’t want to face something head on. But Ichigo is nothing if not blunt enough to cut through bullshit. “Shiro, he thinks you turned on him the last time he needed you. Do you really think he’s going to come ask for help? Do you think he would’ve anyway?” Getting Grimmjow to admit he needs anything from anyone is like pulling teeth. Actually, he thinks Grimmjow would rather lose teeth. But Shiro and Grimmjow were close once, so who even knows. “I don’t know if it’s even that personal. Do you have any idea how much of a song and dance I had to do to get him and Urahara hooked up? He still doesn’t know I had anything to do with it. If he did, he probably would’ve come after me.” Grimmjow, damn him, can still kick him around pretty good when he has it in mind. “But I’ll be sure to let him know you want to help. He can be your problem for a while.” 

He really does care about Grimmjow, but fucking hell is the guy high maintenance. Just thinking about it has Ichigo in a bad mood. But the last Ichigo heard, he was working for someone else on the side though, so this is probably old information.

Shiro’s tone leaves him feeling like he took a cheap shot. He probably did, but he also means it. He’s not always a great friend, but he doesn’t do it halfway. He sure as hell doesn’t leave them to die alone. 

Ichigo doesn’t comment, he just nods while his brain chews on that. Shiro has a lot of people’s dirty underwear in his pocket. 

Ichigo pulls into a parking space, scanning the street as he exits his car. It locks behind him as he walks toward Shiro and tries all over again to ignore that skin Shiro has on display. He’s never been here. Never even noticed this place, though he’s familiar enough with most of the city. He glances in through the window and thinks it looks exactly like the kind of place these clothes came from.

At first it was kind of difficult to imagine Ichigo sitting at a desk, writing into the early hours of the morning, hours he's usually out roaming the streets or working a very different kind of job. But the more they talk about it, the more easily the image comes to him. He never really saw Ichigo bent over his studies when they were together, but he knows that's because he was too much of a distraction. Without himself in the picture, it's a lot easier to imagine.

He scoffs, "I never do anything embarrassing." Very very not true. Ichigo makes himself so punchable sometimes. Shiro struggles not to roll his eyes, and plays along instead. "Oh, don't downplay that. It'll be the most interesting part of the whole story. Who doesn't love a doomed romantic subplot attached to the misunderstood character? Most of the criminal population probably doesn't read anyway."

Ichigo's not wrong, but damn that's kind of harsh. "Yeah but I'd say no to all of them real fuckin' fast to say yes to you instead." He'd drop everything and everyone for Ichigo. Obsessed, like Ichigo's going to write in his book. And he's glad for the confirmation that he's the hottest guy Ichigo knows, but he didn't really want to hear about whatever complicated thing is going on between Grimmjow and Ichigo. Except it shifts gears into something. Shiro blinks, then heaves an exasperated sigh. "I understand he's mad at me, but I'm literally so loaded I don't know what to do with it. All he has to do is say something. Hell he could'a just sent me his rent bill or something." What an asshole. He doubts Grimmjow wants handouts from him, "Or I could find work for him. Doesn't even have to be illegal shit. I have a lot of connections."

That scowl makes Shiro's hackles raise, but the words take most of the fight out of him. He's so twisted up about Ichigo. He sighs. "I do. I do wanna be friends." The problem is that he doesn't know how to be just friends with Ichigo. He's going to settle for it, because it's all he's going to get, but it's going to hurt.

He shrugs. "Not all of it. I move the important stuff. Politicians, celebrities. People who think they're being discrete. Only reason I never moved my own product before was because I didn't trust myself around it often." He offers up a sort of self deprecating smile. "That's not an issue anymore. But it's a lot of product, a lot of money and a lot of networking to trust to someone else, so it works out."

He watches Ichigo check his own vehicle from the driver seat, and starts rolling down the drive when he sees Ichigo climb into the car and start it. He takes them into the city, to a hole in the wall alt fashion shop that has too many items crammed into a too small of a space. It's his favorite place for clothes though.