#urban expedition au

[sinclairstarz]

i be having the dumbest most random aus ever because as soon as i find a hobby or hyperspecific situation i think is cool its like okay but what if this was stranger things. fuck you mean stranger things modern au except all thats changed is the party is really into skating.

[deputiized]

pressure AU version of one of my ocs........ the brainrot is strong and i love an excuse to research biology for one aspect or another

condensed tl;dr for anyone who's curious, she's an urban explorer (part of her original non-au backstory,) but she ends up getting caught up in a structural collapse that kills everyone inside (oopsies!) and she promptly gets arrested for it LMAO... one thing turns into another, urbanshade takes her in, and they turn her into a shrimp so she can adequately boss around their expeditions. normal tuesday

[discordiansamba]

thinking thoughts about the supernatural AU tonight.

Hunk and Romelle start to piece together the truth before anyone else. It's the little things- how when Allura rolls out a map she's been keeping of the druid's activity in Plaht City, a lot of it matches up with the hand-drawn map in Keith's notebook. He says they're all urban exploring spots. It's not weird. They both know that's his hobby.

How one of the places they fight a quintessence enhanced poltergeist at is the same place they tagged along with Keith on one of his expeditions because they knew it was crazy haunted. It's weird. They didn't run into a single ghost while they were there, even though they could sense them. So where did this poltergeist come from? It had to be here already, otherwise it would have been aggravated by the rift.

It's the way his expression goes dark sometimes when he thinks nobody is looking. But Hunk and Romelle are always looking, because Keith's their friend, and they care about him. They know he's going through some troubled stuff at home, so they worry about him, you know?

The way he always shows up with scrapes and bruises after they have a fight with the druid. Allura managed to get a really solid hit on it the other day, and now Keith's trying to hide a limp. He's really good at it.

It's the little pieces. But they don't want to piece it together. Because who wants to think their best friend is trying to destroy the world? Keith's not a bad person. They know the way he smiles when they do something nice for him unexpectedly (to Keith it's always unexpectedly). They saw him drape a blanket over Pidge when she fell asleep going over her research. He carried Hunk all the way back to his house after he sprained his ankle while fighting a creature corrupted by the rift's energy. Saw how flustered he got when Hunk's family proceeded to dote over him.

Then one day, the druid's mask breaks, and an all too familiar face lies underneath it. The first thing he does is look at them. The second thing he does is look at Shiro.

The next thing he does is flee.

[addictedtostorytelling]

Hi AJ! I’m sorry if you’ve been asked this before but I couldn’t find anything like this 😅 as an old GSR fan I’ve always thought their ending in 9.10 was perfect, even if I missed them on the show, it just felt so right. So I was a little upset when Sara returned sans Grissom and I tend to ignore the divorce thing and all that came with it because imo the two of them in Costa Rica after everything they went through just made so much sense to me. So I was wondering what you think would have been their ultimate ending, like if Sara hadn’t returned and they stayed together around the globe until, idk, they both returned for the show’s finale together. Like what would life have been for them then? I know that’s way AU but it’s honestly how I sometimes want to think of them, even if I loved the finale and their return in CSI Vegas. Sorry for the lengthy question 😳 thank you so much for all your writing and meta, I’m a huge fan too! 🤍

hi, anon!

thank you for your kind words! i'm so glad you enjoy my stuff.

re: your question:

i'm very much with you in feeling like the reunion in episode 09x10 "one to go" was the natural conclusion to the gsr canon storyline.

while of course i don't begrudge jorja fox returning to work on the show—her career, her call—from a storytelling perspective, i also, like you, wish grissom and sara could have remained together off-screen for the duration of the show, only returning for the series finale.

there is no part of sara's or gsr's story from episode 09x10 "one to go" on that i would lament the loss of could we swap it out for them getting to keep their happy ending in the rainforest (and never having to go through that godawful, nonsensical divorce).

that said, i will admit: i honestly have never given much thought to imagining what might have happened had sara never returned to the lab in s10.

my personal "ignoring the later seasons of show canon" happy place au actually starts a bit earlier, in s8, based on the premise of "what if sara never left vegas to begin with?" so that's where i spend most of my daydreaming hours.

that so, i'm afraid i don't have a particularly well thought-out or cogent answer to your question.

there are probably lots of ways that scenario could play out satisfactorily.

to offer a few:

they could stay in costa rica, continuing with whatever scientific research work sara was doing there at the time that grissom joined her. could be there for however many years. eventually, they could retire. live on the beach. become that eccentric old american couple with a house full of curios, insects, and animals. grissom could wear hawaiian shirts. sara could learn spanish. they could come back to vegas for the series finale tanned (in grissom's case) and freckled (in sara's), with windswept hair and deep, deep smile lines, grissom spouting off dichos and sara with photos of sea turtles in their "front yard" saved on her phone.

they could essentially do what in canon they do between "immortality" and csi: vegas s1: i.e., globetrotting as they engage in some kind of scientific research. both of them are wired such that they want to make positive contributions to the world they live in, so they could end up having "second careers" in conservation work (whether it were with a "save the bees" initiative or a sea shepherd expedition or something else related to ecology) in order to scratch that itch. maybe they could live on a boat like the ishmael and sail the seas. conversely, maybe they could be more landbound but move around taking part in various projects, like setting up urban apiaries or tracking butterfly migratory routes. when they came back to vegas for the series finale, they could have all sorts of stories about the places they'd been and the work they were doing. invite greg to come and join them the next time they were in the amazon. tell catherine if she ever wanted to catch the whale stopover in baja, she could always crash on their couch.

or, in a slightly different spin on the above idea, maybe they could become wildlife photographers or national geographic explorers.

they could also go on the lecture circuit, traveling around to offer seminars at different criminalistics conferences and law enforcement training programs around the world. after all, between them they have almost forty combined years of experience in the field and share a wealth of knowledge, which they could use to educate the "rising generation" of forensic scientists. they've both always been excellent teachers, too. and it would be a fun little callback to the way they met, right? maybe in the finale, some new lvpd hire could recognize them from a panel they attended in grad school; admit to having a secret crush on sara ("she was just so knowledgeable about everything, up there with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, talking about how you can't always trust your first blush—").

alternatively, they could settle down someplace, whether abroad or back in the states (maybe in california, to be close to grissom's mother?). perhaps grissom could take work at a university, teaching and conducting research, and sara could assist him. she could also pursue some kind of work of her own—maybe with a nonprofit project. (she's so multitalented and highly educated; there are a million and one things she'd be good at!) she could also potentially go back to school to pursue a phd so that she and grissom could eventually be spousal hires at the same institution. rock back to vegas in the finale as "dr. sidle" or "dr. grissom."

they could write books together: on criminalistics, on entomology, on something they had researched. bonus points if some aspect of the case in the series finale touched up on the subject they'd been publishing about.

i've always liked the idea of them maybe trying out the ranch life—living out in the countryside, away from any big cities, having a few horses and chickens and dogs and cats, grissom getting to play out some of his childhood cowboy fantasies, sara maybe doing some equine therapy. they could take up insect farming. (spending so much time in nature and around animals would undoubtedly be something they'd both enjoy. good for them, too!) picture grissom making all sorts of metaphors about roping and riding in the finale. sara just beaming at him ("okay, buckaroo").

they could—maybe after some significant time spent away from the field—return, once they were no longer burnt out on the work, to criminalistics, but at another lab, away from vegas (and all its "ghosts"). maybe the finale could involve some cross-country fugitive case that required their lab to team up with the lvpd.

maybe grissom could take an early retirement and sara could work in some field of her choosing—something to do with animal advocacy or scientific consulting work (putting that ol' physics degree to good use). grissom could develop some obscure hobby, like raising heirloom vegetables or reconstructing ancient roman board games or something. baffle everyone with references to it during the finale.

one thing i think would be true across all of these scenarios is that grissom and sara would get married (probably not long after their jungle reunion).

there could be versions of this story where they have kids, either biological or fostered or adopted.

versions where it's just them and a dog.

i tend to prefer takes where they'd still remain in contact with their old friends as opposed to completely falling off the grid (as seems to be the case post-"immortality" in canon), though they could do so living far away, if needed.

of course, the main thing i would absolutely want to see would just be them together and thriving, with their happy ending intact.

anyway.

sorry i don't have a more well-thought answer for you!

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

[captainlenticular]

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[circa-specturgia]

Writeblr Intro+ WIP Masterpost

Around time I got to this isn’t it…? I promised myself I’d do a proper re-intro once I had a bit more experience with this site and I’d say 3 months is a good! So, then, let the reintro commence! Starting with the WIPs! About The Author at the bottom!

Note: All bits without a link are posts I have yet to make but plan to! Maybe I’ll open asks to have y’all chose which you’d like to hear first! We’ll see…

Circa Specturgia

The planet of Istra is a mysterious one… The further you venture from civilization, more dangerous and wild the world get, with remnants of an ancient time now long passed, and yet, still echoing…

[Actual Plot Summary In-Progress]

Aesthetics, Asks & Assorted Others

Aesthetics and Intro to Istra Cas’ Favorites + Some Aesthetics On Vælan Ships Circa Specturgia Lootbox Istran Tech Tamara’s Guns Istra Map Designs A Few Historical Figures

Characters

The Cast Intro

Specturgy

Specturgy - Brief - A TL;DR overview of the system Specturgy - Introduction Specturgy - Specters Specturgy - Jynkaturgy & Viðumancy

Races

Race - Æris Race - Væla Race - Casian Race - Vestarii Race - Jihn Race - Eh’Sheyva Race - Tessekan Race - [Remains Unnamed]

Scenes & Snippets

In a red courtyard - 1.7K Comfort - 0.2K The stars were shining - 0.8K I'll carry you... - 0.4K ...when you've fallen asleep - 0.8K It's as good as - 0.5K Fratricidium - 1.1K

Fingertips and Shadows - 4.7K (smut)

In Endowment, Servitude - 0.7K (Crossover w/ @bloodlessheirbyjacques)

You’re a terrible influence on me - 3.7K (Part I of the crossover w/ @bloodlessheirbyjacques) (smut) (Previous part of this AU by Jacques here!)

The Main Course - 2.3K (Part II of the crossover w/ @bloodlessheirbyjacques) (smut) (Previous part of this smut here!)

Lost & Found

Perception, dreams, ideas, concepts, nightmares, thoughts... These are the things that shape the world. Lily Maradona becomes aware of that on the day when a man who bends space comes for her imaginary friend.

A writing collaboration with the brilliant @agrimedena-drax! ✨ For more details on character check out her blog! ✨

Characters

Jehoel / Joel / Iahoel / יהו��ל Victor

Introduction

Memorandum

Lore & Worldbuilding

The Lost & Found Institute Overseers / Watchful Reality Bends Technology

Prometheus

46.5 Billion light years. The crew of the Prometheus II mission find themselves beyond the reaches of the Earths observable universe. Far beyond the safety of home. And yet, far from alone... Ancient alien civilizations, ancient ruins, an intergalactic mystery, ghosts and beings of the final frontier, which the seven of them must face, if they hold on to any hope of getting home.

Assorted Things

Intro to Prometheus Prometheus Lootbox

Scenes and Snippets

Prologue - Sol 180

A statue of ice stands alone in a field of silver Machine

Untitled WIP

The world has long since begun to heal. Generations have been born, and no one lives who still cries and recoils at the sight of fire. The world is green once more. Turns out the end of the world as we know it wasn't the same as the end of the world.

Assorted Posts

Brainstorming post (Ft. @jess-p-edits)

Snippets

Satellite Dishes Roofrunners Expedition

About The Author

And so, like a phoenix, I am reborn! Thoughts on the new colors y'all? But, onto the topic! I don't think I've gotten any better at this since last time, so I'll just go over the key notes:

Writing + Reading

Fantasy, from the high to the low and all of the stuff in between!

Contemporary fantasy, supernatural fiction, and urban fantasy are just great.

Anything Sci-Fi. Seriously. From the more energetic and hopeful daring explorations to the cosmic horror and soul-shaking solitude of the abyss, all of it is damn brilliant. Especially love me some science in my science fiction!

Sharing ideas! Talk about people’s WIPs, characters, and just hearing from all these brilliant and creative people! It’s just such a human experience to hear the excitement in someone voice or writing when they share things about something they put so much work and time and love into, y’know?

WORLDBUILDING. There’s just something about a world that’s well thought out with little details, or just unique, and vibrant, and creative that makes me happy, and, per what I said above? Hearing about people’s worlds is the BEST.

Mortally gray characters, Queer characters, Morally gray queer characters.

As for just general stuff:

Oversized anything, hoodies, sweaters, blankets, all of it is so cozy! Fireplaces, in snowed-in cabins in the woods are my jam.

Tea. (Currently love me some milky oolong.)

Drawing! I mainly do traditional art, pen and paper, been thinking about making a sideblog for it all...

D&D is just wild. If you write and haven’t ever played you’re missing out. If you just haven’t played in general, you’re missing out!

All pronouns are fine, lost me gender in Ye Olde Gender War, back in '69. Hovering in the general vicinity of being a bi/pan guy, so those also fit if you want.

Pretty much married to @agrimedena-drax 🖤✨

Lovely to meet y'all, new and old, and welcome to Writeblr!

[xenosaurus]

Do you have a list of your story/world building tags? I've recently discovered your stuff and it's SO good, it hits the spot of compassion/dark/funny/surreal

I have a page for my worldbuilding projects that’s a huge WIP, but in the mean time, here’s a list of the ones I can remember off the top of my head!  I’ve done my best to split these by genre, although some obviously fit in multiple categories.

UPDATE: Tumblr changed their tag system, so the links broke.  They SHOULD be working, but chronological links don’t cooperate with mobile, so I’ve made them general links.  Please add /chrono to the url if you can, a few of these are very weird out of order (looking at you, Boar’s Blood).

Urban Fantasy

Witchmouth General; comedy about a hospital in a city that is mostly monsters and aliens

Freedom Over Gold; a comedy-drama about a trio of homunculi killing their masters

Immortality and Tax Fraud; a comedy about gods who possess people and the hosts that are still resisting them (slightly NSFW)

Mundane Motherhood; a slice of life/recovery story about a woman who adopts a kid who was being raised to fight demons

The Empty City; a drama about a limbo world entered in dreams by people who compete for “days”, which give them another day of life in the real world

The Mortal Forge; an adventure story about a group of cursed people putting together an expedition to find a legendary cure

Tethered; a slice of life story in a setting where everyone has a familiar, starring two teenagers who are “tethering” their familiars, allowing them to become more physical and sentient

High Fantasy

Boar’s Blood; an adventure story about a magical society built on the grave of an undead dragon that is rapidly falling apart (NSFW)

The Phoenix Bride; an adventure story/romance about a woman exploring an ever-expanding magical tower to confess her feelings to the woman who created it

God Hunters; technically closer to magical steampunk, an all-women drama about monster hunters (NSFW)

Scales and Bonedust; in a setting where some humans live in dwellings draped over the backs of dragons, a man and a dragonling try to find their way home after their whole community is killed

Science Fiction

New Apocalyptia; a comedy about a world where all movie apocalypses happened at once (slightly NSFW)

Salt Water; an adventure story about a group trying to reach the bottom of their world’s incredibly deadly oceans, also mermaids and surfing as a death sport

Peppermint Circuits; a gay love story set in a world where everyone has a chip in their brain to influence their behavior (slightly NSFW)

Spycaller; a murder mystery about humans who interact with the intergalactic community from within mech suits

Superheroes

Superfish; a traditional coming of age superhero story about an LGBT group for college-aged sidekicks

Isaac is Okay; a very gentle story about a timetraveling superhero that traps himself in the past to raise his younger self away from their abusive father

Villain Risk; a superhero drama about an illegal hero team being arrested, told after the fact by a social worker, a kid in juvenile detention, and a shapeshifter who killed a cop and stole his life

Fate and Switch; a soulmate au fakeout about psychically linked superheroes who have been brainwashed, and their partners’ attempts to find them

Tooth and Nail; a superhero/kaiju mashup about bioengineered superheroes fighting monsters, and the protagonist’s attempts to protect his new apprentice from the horrors of their work

[witchofthesouls]

Man, I’m living for TFP Jack being a “spooky child” with a creature/magic! heritage. So what if by weird, bamboozling events, Jack and Optimus get taken by Quinsettons, they take an Interest in the boy, and shit goes so very wrong (or very right) with the process, and they end up in a different universe?

The Magic and Dimensional Hopping!AU with a tired, truck father and a deaged, amnesiac, magic bird-son:

When Jack fell deep into recharge, Optimus scanned his processor, gently probing into recent memories which are a mess between dark shadows cawing, bright red eyes, and cold hands clashing sterile grey walls and so many tools dripping and hanging from the ceiling from the Quinsetton ship.

Jack can’t remember anything. Nothing recent. Possible years. He has no recollection of the Autobots. Nor of Jasper. Optimus could pick out dense forests and urban cities in his mind.

Jack’s small. More like a bitlet than a mechling-near-adulthood. He onlines with small, chirring noises, calling out for parental comfort. Optimus hopes that some part of him subconsciously realizes who he is, but it’s more likely he’s responding to the soothing EM field coiled over him, Matrix quiet as it pulses calm towards him.

Optimus teaches Jack Neocybex and he picks it up relatively quickly. He still stumbles over Iaconic sentence structure and properly tagging subglyphs, but it’s enough to understand him.

This strange new universe has many similarities including languages, so Optimus is able to chart to different places and pick up news.

It is a different universe since there’s no response to the emergency codes, outposts that were once intact are completely gone as if never built, but drives a coldness to his spark is that the beginnings of the Civil War is far different and so much the same.

Cybertron is dark. But here the command for both Autobots and Decepticons have been lost for millions of years...

Whenever they meet other mecha, either scattered Cybertronians or other living mechanicals, they’re placated when Optimus tells them that his carrier is gone. Sparklings go a little strange when they outlive their carrier, after all...

Jack is essentially a child, a bitlet; which means he has the curiosity of one. He’s wandering off, wings fluttering and flicking as he chases after whatever catches his attention. His frame, however, has a habit of falling into complete silence, pulling his field totally inward; literally ghosting proximity sensors and motion detection.

Optimus gets so much practice on pinging after Jack since his boy likes to disappear so often. He tells himself he’s going to get a bell on that child... (He won’t, though. That habit is too useful, just in case.)

He’s very surprised how much of an animal lover little-Jack is since the teen-Jack didn’t have any pets or interests in them. (Here is something that Optimus doesn’t know, Jack still feeds the corvids that follow him over the years. They just linger outside the Autobot base. They know.)

Due to the Cybertronian civil war spreading throughout galaxies, there’s few planets willing to accept refugees from Cybertron or its colonies. They are, however, willing to accept them as crew for one-way, long-distance transports and long-term expeditions. 

Optimus keeps Jack very close whenever they board onto a new ship or venture planetside and floating settlements. Letting him ride his shoulders or attach onto his back, making sure to feel the bright pulse of his field and keep track of it.

There are many civilizations technologically advanced enough to brute force their way into sapient metal species to see how to push their advancements further. With Cybertron’s voice in the political arena silenced, many would pay top credits to catch one since war tends to rack up many KIAs and MIAs, especially the younger ones with little forms of defenses to cut and hack into and easily transportable.

Even more so with Jack, his systems a cobble between cutting edge and throw backs; military-grade silencers and advanced ventilation systems to keep his frame silent; Optimus thinks he can find hints of multiple alt-modes on his frame. Jack would be priceless if caught..

Jack had taken to his Cybertronian frame with strange ease, able to scurry up walls with claws along with magnetic plates or use thrusters in short bursts, shifting his plating to pull tight against the protoform to get into cramped places. 

Optimus also gets a lot of practice finding Jack in the strangest of places. Usually high up or hiding down low. Jack ventures off cooing over critters to come to him or playing hide-and-seek with him. (Jack’s really good at that game.)

Optimus doesn’t know if Jack has a very overactive imagination or if there’s actually something going on…

Jack enjoys feeding various wildlife, particularly in avian-like creatures. Raptors and scavengers tend to perch near or on him. Sometimes they leave little tokens. A few actually swooped down to attack someone.

A few times Jack refuses to leave Optimus’ side, terrified of a place until they leave. (Optimus sees shadows from the corner of his optics, stretching and lengthening towards them, fear freezing in his energon lines, and keeps watch until morning.)

Whenever Jack falls into recharge surrounded by light-pens and datapads full of sketches. Optimus finds their recent ventures. But he worries over the various humanoid beings -bodies in strange, off-putting contortions; faceless with too many limbs and eyes. So many red eyes and a dog on fire.

“I miss them, papa. I miss mama and Liam.”

“Who’s Liam?”

“My dog.”

There’s times he catches Jack speaking to animals and empty spaces.

Between his soft words and giggles, Optimus can hear someone else speaking...

[ihaveissuesbutthatsokay]

EREMIN URBAN FANTASY (I THINK???) AU!!!

WARNING : strong language, mention of blood, of a missing person, grief and mention of depression

The forest. That's what everyone called it. But It wasn't really a forest. 

Not a normal one, anyway.

There was something inside. Something sinister. Everyone could feel it the moment they entered. You could feel it the moment you entered, the air suddenly getting colder, shivers forming up your skin, and feeling a burning hole behind your head where you swore you could feel something, someone, watching your every step, your every movement, your every breath.

You were known as the boy who seeked freedom. 

 People tried to venture into the forest. Dreaming of exploration, dreaming to see what awaited on the other side of the forest. That's why the town folks would prepare expeditions to go outside. 

 After all, being trapped in a small town with nothing but a wide forest to keep you company, that's not freedom. It was almost as if the forest wanted to keep you tight, too afraid to let go, too afraid to watch you wither away. But you wanted to go away. You hated this small town, this confined space. 

No one came out alive in the forest. 

That's why the town stopped entering the forest altogether. It was too dangerous. Too reckless. But you were the boy who seeked freedom. You wouldn't give up. 

Why do you never give up, goddamnit!

You were reckless, naive, young. You thought the world bended at your own rules. You thought you and your friends, together, would be untouchable. 

I was wrong. 

That's right. You were wrong. 

And that's why you will always hate yourself for dragging your friends into this mess. That's why you wished you weren't the boy who seeked freedom after all. 

----

Armin couldn't sleep. Not that it was something unusual. He could barely sleep these past few years, with school work piling up, finals right around the corner, and generally just life being a complete shithole of a mess. 

He had three unfinished assignments due tomorrow. And it was already 3 am. He couldn't concentrate, couldn't focus. He could feel his eyelids closing up by themselves, his hand loosening up on his pen, his head about to drop on his desk---

He sighed in defeat, and stood up from his chair more violently than it was necessary. 

Coffee. He needed coffee. 

He made a face,just thinking about drinking it.  He hated the bitterness that crap had to offer, the sensation of his tongue being burned while he tried to chug it into one go, as he wanted to be done with it. 

He hated it, but he needed it. 

The caffeine kept him awake. 

Mikasa would always chide him about this. At how unhealthy of a coping mechanism it was, to rely on a substance to keep him awake. 

He still remembers how two years ago,  exactly 4 months after the incident, how she would constantly tell him to stop drinking that burned bean water, probably very worried at the lack of sleep Armin clearly was not getting. 

“You don't even like it.” She would frown. 

 Armin would laugh at the name Mikasa used to describe the coffee, avoiding the last statement.  “Since when did you start calling it like that?” 

Mikasa would frown again, knowing what he was doing. She didn't push him though. instead, she would just shake her head. 

“Sleep.” She would say very seriously, while giving him a sideway glance. “You need sleep.” 

Armin would look at her dead in the eyes, at the dark circles surrounding them, at the way she kept her body, the way her skin didn't have the same glow it used to have, her face hollower and emptier than it usually looked. 

“So do you.” He would softly whisper in return. She would just shrug, and the conversation would always hit a dead end there. “Besides,” he would add,  after a moment of silence, “I do like coffee. Now.” 

“Oh.” She would say. Not convinced. 

“Yeah.” He would answer. Trying to make the lie sound convincing. To whom, he didn't know. Mikasa or himself? Perhaps both. 

“Okay.” She would respond. “That's good.” She would grip her red scarf thighter, a gesture Armin noticed she would always do when she was nervous, sad or upset,  and from that,   Armin knew that she didn't believe him at all. But neither of them  commented on it. It was a comforting lie. 

Now as he was standing alone in his small kitchen, still sleep deprived, not listening to Mikasa’s advice, with  a cup of boiling hot coffee in his hand, moonlight reflecting on his windows, a single tear slipped down his eye.  It trailed all down his cheek, slowly, until it plopped into the drink he was holding with shaky hands. 

He missed him. A lot. God, he missed him so much. 

 He missed his smile, his eyes, his laugh, his everything. The way he would scream in excitement, the way he would always run at the high, high hill, always fist pumping into the air when he thought he won, only to get disappointed when he realized Mikasa was just letting him win on purpose.He missed the way he would get excited when his mom would bake him a new cake, the way he would always bring Armin a piece  afterwards, eager to see his reactions while eating it. 

“So?” He would ask, more close to a demand than a question, his tone full of youth excitement. “Do you like it?” 

“Yeah!” He said, surprising himself. Not that Eren's mom was a bad cook, not at all. But the cake flavor was coffee, and he never saw the appeal to this grown ups drink. Strangely, however, he really enjoyed this one. Thinking back at it, maybe he was just forcing himself to like it, cause he wanted to see the boy smile widen. Maybe he just wanted to love everything Eren offered him. Maybe he was just a delusional kid with a crush. Who knows. It was too late to dwell on it now.  

“Your mom is an awesome cook.” Armin commented, licking some frosting off his hands. 

The boy gloated in pride. “She said she will help me learn how to bake if I behave.” 

“I thought you weren't allowed to bake anymore,” Armin said, still chewing on the cake. “Last time we baked at your house, it was a bit of a disaster.” It wasn't as big of a disaster as they made it out to be. But they were childrens, and everything seemed a bigger deal than it was. 

He huffed in response. “That wasn't my fault! It was the oven's fault…” he murmured. Armin laughed. “I dont think your mom agrees with that.” 

The other boy shoved him playfully. “How was I supposed to know I can't just  bake coffee beans?” 

Armin sighed. “I told you it wasn't a good idea. You never listen.” 

“Whatever.” He said, plopping his legs on Armin’s lap. 

“Hey!” Armin yelped, the boy's dirty feets almost getting into Armins plate. “I'm still eating here.” 

Eren laughed. After a bit, Armin joined in. 

They laughed, and laughed, and laughed. 

Armin's laugh never quite sounded the same after he was gone. 

Neither did Mikasa’s for that matter. Probably the others too, but he lost contact with them, so he couldn't say for sure. They still all went to the same school, sure, but it was almost as if they were complete strangers, everyone collectively ignoring each other, in a desperate attempt to forget the incident. The only person he still talked to was Mikasa. And she, too, sometimes seemed so far away, like a mirage ready to dissolve right under his fingertips. 

Armin was about to take a sip from his coffee. More like chugging it down in one go, but he froze right as the cup touched his lips. 

His hands started to tremble, from fear or cold, he couldn't distinguish. Despite the heat of the beverage in his hand, he suddenly felt really cold. His arms shivered, his hands turning white as he clenched to his cup as if it could give him a sense of support. By gripping it too hard, some coffee splashed onto his hands, and he let out a hiss of pain. He put the coffee on the table, careful  not to spill anymore. 

 He started feeling feverish, his head becoming a dizzying mess. He put a hand on the counter, for support. He felt like an invisible force was pushing his lungs, pushing until he couldn't breath, until he was coughing, and coughing, he needed air, he desperately needed air, but it was as if whatever was making him feel likethis, hated air, hated it with a burning passion, and it wanted to make Armin hate air as much as it did. 

Armin felt like fainting. He probably was about to faint. He didn't know how it happened, but suddenly he was kneeling on the ground, 

This is it. He thought miserably. I am going to die, today, alone, without even knowing if he is still alive, leaving Eren behind, leaving Mikasa behind, leaving everyone behind, because im  a failure, and, and, and---

And then it stopped. His lungs could breathe again. He gasped, desperately trying to inhale as much air as possible, the burning in chest slowly fading away, even if  his head still felt like someone was smashing a rock onto it. 

But he could finally breathe again, and he could feel his pulse. He wasn't dead. He was alive. That's what mattered. He took another shaky breath, and used the chairs and the counter as support to stand up again. His legs were still shaking though, so instead of standing up, he opted to sit on the chair. 

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Those were the only thoughts going through his head, as he tried to sip his coffee again. That sensation, that feeling. There was no mistake. It was just like the incident two years ago, the same burning sensation, the same desperation to just give up, to do anything, anything, just so the pain could stop, the envy of being able to breathe---

“Ymir.” 

The cup shattered on the ground, a sharp sound echoing through the empty hallways, coffee spilling everywhere. Armin didn't even notice. He was frozen in place, hand still raised, eyes still looking in front of him. 

That voice. He couldn't make sense of anything. Except : That voice. 

That voice. I know that voice. I would know that voice everywhere. 

He turned around so quickly his chair went flying to the ground, glass splintering his bare feet from where the glass shattered. His eyes widened, tears spilling out of his ocean blue eyes like fountains. 

“Eren?” He whispered. He took a step forward, hand reaching out, trying to touch him, hug him, kiss him, just feel him under his touch but---

His hands went right through him, as if...as if he wasn't real. A look of hurt and confusion shadowed Armin's face. “Ymir.” The man in front of him said again. He sounded monotone, no emotions, no feelings, no nothing. His face didn't seem like an open book anymore, his eyes not gleaming with millions' adventure. 

 “You have to find Ymir.” 

“Eren.” That's all Armin could muster to utter, his voice shaking, his lips trembling. Was this a sick joke of his brain? The sleep deprivation finally kicking in? Making him almost pass out, and now hallucinate his missing-but-much-more-likely-his-long-lost-dead-best-friend?

“Listen to me, you have to listen to me, you need to find Ymir, or else, or else, or else.” He kept repeating the same sentence, as if he was a broken recorder. He closed his eyes, opened them again, closed them again. Armin took a step backwards. His mind was starting to creep him out. 

“Eren, is that really you, please tell me I'm not hallucinating you.” He needed to ask, even if it was probably all fake, all his mind–

“Or else.” He closed his eyes again, muttered some stuff.

“Or else?” Armin whispered. “Eren, talk to me, please.” 

“Ymir. Find. Ymir.” 

With that, Eren started to fade again.

“Wait, no!” Armin didn't want him to leave, not right after he finally got to see him again. He didn't care this might all be his head. He didn't care this might all have to do with what happened three years ago, he didn't care, he just wanted his best friend back, he just wanted to be able to laugh and mess around, and talk about the future as if they both had a clue, he just wanted Eren back. 

In his desperate attempt to reach him, Armin slipped on the spilled coffee; he could feel blood oozing from his feets, now from his hands, a stinging pain forming all around his skin. He didn't care, didn't notice. He struggled to get up again, and when he slipped again, he decided to crawl, not caring about the glass shatters on the floor, not caring about the pain, the stiffness of the floor, the red blood mixing with the brown coffee, he didn't care, he just needed to reach him, try again to touch him, maybe he imagined him fading under his touch, maybe it was a trick of the light, maybe he truly did come back, maybe, maybe, just maybe---

“Dont.” He whispered, more like a mix between a sob and a beg. “Don't go.” 

“Armin–?” He sounded surprised, shocked, relieved, happy, nothing like the creepy expression and monotone voice he had before when he was muttering all those things, the same name over and over again, what was it again---he couldn't remember in the moment, the only thing in his mind was that he recognized him, he saw him and he knew who he was, and he said his name so gentle, so quietly, as if he was uttering a precious thing he didn't want to break–

“Eren.” Armin said, reaching his arms out, knowing, just knowing, he would reach his arm to, and they would hold hands, and everything would be fine again, he would have his best friend back–

But just as suddenly as he appeared, he disappeared. 

And Armin couldn't do anything but curl up on the ground and cry, and cry, until his mind encircled him into a deep, unwanted sleep. 

[queerpyracy]

first line tag game

tagged by @mickeymagpie​

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line, then tag 10 of your favorite authors! 

i’ll get as close to 20 as i can and not in any particular order bc god help me if i can remember when i started anything. you’ll recognize some from this post. as always i love to talk about my projects so you can ask about any of them

under the cut 👇

1) the expedition of the witchbane (fantasy, maritime adventure)

The crew of the Witchbane knew exactly three things about Second Commander Ulric Helde.

2) the devil’s daughters (space western)

Rachel quietly closed the door behind her, and sat down across from her father’s desk, waiting for him to notice her.

3) meda (fantasy)

Meda watched the sea as the carriage drew near to the estate.

4) queen of fire (epic fantasy)

I was at archery in the gardens of Alameya when news arrived that my mother had died.

5) bedfellows (fantasy)

Liese and her mother are hanging out the laundry to dry when Hevris Anaan stops at their back fence.

6) idw2 pre-war starop (transformers, starscream/orion pax)

Pity things on Cybertron only seemed to get interesting the moment Starscream was away.

7) bearskin (fantasy, post apoc but like, Very Post)

The orchestra of crickets and frogs was still going strong as Ian put another log on the fire to keep the coals hot through the night.

8) saint thunder (fantasy, post apoc)

I suppose the Saints were born before Oasis was.

9) salt and steel (urban fantasy)

The storm has already rolled in by the time Inez is ready to leave her apartment.

10) the courtesan (space opera, my 2020 nanowrimo)

When I first meet Janai Tiresos, she’s ninety-three years old.

11) untitled thinly-veiled fantasy frankenstein fix-it fic

Lady could smell autumn on the air.

12) dawn star (fantasy, erotica, dead dove do not eat)

“No need to look so morose,” Yura says, his amusement evident on his face.

13) undying (modern fantasy)

Has he gotten any better?

14) shadow of the mountain (fantasy, romance)

We had no name for the land in which we lived when the others came.

15) prince of ashes (not related to queen of fire, a sports anime fantasy au with the serial numbers scrubbed off and genderbent)

“Kestrel.” Someone kicked her boot, and Kestrel groaned, pulling an arm over her face.

16) radiant sun (space opera)

Tirem had waited six weeks for their security clearance to go through.

17) salt moon (fantasy, romance)

Kirin sits very quietly, watching the other women fidgeting nervously.

18) the flowers of copernicus (sf)

Bren sets up the camera, making sure the lamp doesn’t render them blinding white on the video image.

aaaaaaaaaannnddd that’s all i got. tagging @hipsofsteel and anyone who got this far and wants to do it

[jerusalemstraycat]

So the SU/GF crossover where post-SU:F Steven ends up in Gravity Falls during GF canon is super popular right now, and @minijenn has been working for years on an AU where SU canon and GF canon take place in Gravity Falls at the same time. All permutations are valid. But in the interest of keeping the timelines aligned, may I present...my version of the crossover.

Steven is 18 and is on his road trip across America. Over the course of his trip, he becomes an urban legend and minor internet phenomenon dubbed "Pink Guy". Connie thinks it's hilarious.

Speaking of Connie, she's also 18 and a freshman at Jayhawk University somewhere in California, studying sociology and political science. She and Steven meet up every now and then, thanks to Lion and warp technology, but she's looking forward to when Steven makes his way to the west coast the usual way so they can spend more time together.

Dipper and Mabel Pines are both 21 (so this AU takes place sometime in the future, sue me) and also at Jayhawk. Dipper is studying computer science and Mabel is studying art. Both are friends with Connie. Dipper is a bit scared of Connie. Connie is a bit scared of Mabel.

The twins have been following the adventures of Pink Guy, eagerly awaiting his arrival in California, as they have figured out that he is visiting every state in the US. They are currently in the process of making an elaborate plan to meet him in person.

Connie knows they want to meet Pink Guy, but doesn't tell them she knows him, because she wants to see their reactions when they discover her boyfriend Steven and Pink Guy are one and the same.

Connie orchestrates the meeting and the payoff is marvelous. The twins go absolutely nuts and Steven gets along with them like a house on fire.

AND AS IF THAT WEREN'T ENOUGH, Stan and Ford are on an expedition to the Chesapeake Bay area following reports of bizarre, possibly anomalous, possibly extraterrestrial activity from the past year and a half. There's only so long an enclave of strange alien women can go unnoticed, especially if said aliens are integrated with the local human residents.

[raynydaystorytime]

Here are a bunch of AU settings to insert your characters into

Perfect for AUs, OCs, Prompts, or Crossovers

Non Specific/Historical:

Coffee Shop/College/High School (the classics)

Pirate/High Seas (perfect for enemies to hostages to lovers)

Survival (Characters are caught in a shipwreck/plane crash/ train wreck and are now stranded in the middle of wilderness)

Medieval/Witch (Character A is a terrifying evil witch... or are they?)

Space Opera/Sci-fi (like the pirate one but in space)

Superhero/Villain (western comic book style or japanese sentai, your pick. who’s a hero and who’s a villain? are the villains actual evil people? or just misunderstood?)

Victorian/Steampunk (self explanatory)

Youtuber/Social Media (are the characters on tumblr? twitter? discord? how does everyone type?)

Sengoku/Samurai (are your characters honorable warriors? or underhanded knaves?)

WWII (Wartime angst, so much angst)

Fighter Pilots (WWI, Steampunk, or modern/ace combat setting , your pick)

Mecha Pilots (Steampunk? sci fi? pacific rim?)

Wild West/Oregon Trail (don’t catch dysentery)

Great Expedition/Atlantis (your characters are exploring a new unknown land, what kind of threats await them? why are they exploring in the first place? do any of them have closer ties to the place being explored?)

Zombie/Robot/Alien Apocalypse (dont get bit, zapped, or exterminated)

Musician/Dance/Band (what instruments do characters play? what kind of group do they play in? orchestra? rock band?)

Circus/Acrobats (what are your characters acts in the circus? do they like being a part of the circus? is it the only place that accepts them?)

Actors/Filming (your characters are now actors in a theatre/movie/tv series, is the movie/tv series the setting/story they originally came from? what are all their quirks as actors?)

Detectives/Phantom Thieves (who’s a phantom thief and who’s trying to catch them? are they a world renowned detective? a simple security guard? or somewhere in between? what’s the phantom thief’s mundane identity? do other characters interact with them in their everyday lives?)

Urban Fantasy/Halloween (are characters vampires? werewolves? ordinary humans? are monsters being hunted? do they deserve it? or are they just trying to blend in?)

Specific Franchises:

Pokemon (Classic franchise setting. What’s everyone’s partner pokemon?)

Avatar the legend of Aang/Korra (What elements can your characters bend? are they even benders in the first place?)

Kingdom Hearts (Keyblades)

Bloodborne/Dark Souls/Demon Souls (prepare to die. hopefully it isn't permanent)

Monster Hunter (is everyone a hunter? or do some characters work for the guild? or do other kinds of work? what weapons do the hunters use?)

Stardew Valley/Harvest Moon/Animal Crossing (who just moved into town? why? what characters were living in town already?)

DnD/Tabletop Roleplaying Games (who’s DM? what’s everyone’s characters? who has the best/worst luck with the dice?)

Danganronpa (what’s everyone’s talent? or do some characters not have talents? who kills who?)

Minecraft Server (who runs the server? what’s everyone’s playstyles? do characters get into fights?)

Titanfall/Apex Legends (what’s everyone’s special equipment/ability? what titans do they pilot? are they part of the milita? IMC? Apex Predators? or a different mercenary company?)

OMORI (obligatory, kek. Character A starts having vivid dreams, why? how do their happy saccharine dreams relate to the other characters in real life?)

[morgondagar]

Merry (belated) Christmas @moonlightcrazyphoenix !! I tried really hard to get this up as early as possible, but life truly got the best of me... Hope you had a good holiday nonetheless! ❤️

Here’s a little Modern!AU Urban Fantasy ficlet for you! Hope you enjoy it ❤️ @thewitchersecretsanta

”And you are sure there are no stores that sell buttercups?”

The day was early and bright as Yennefer shook the boys awake, smiling brightly as she prompted the two to rise from bed. With a quick glare at Jaskier’s immediate groaning, both him and Geralt were quick up on their feet and scrambling for their clothes. Yennefer awaited them by the door, her thick, woollen coat draped over her and lithe hands tucked into the deep pockets. Geralt was quick to get ready, the black winter coat buttoned up and his boots on by the time Jaskier was scrambling to find his own jacket, stumbling over himself while putting his own shoes on. With a satisfied grin he announced himself ready and they trekked out into the snow, down the road from their flat and into the woods nearby.

“They do, Jaskier,” Yennefer said simply, swirling around to look at the two boys following in her footsteps. Her eyes shone a beautiful violet from the sparse sunlight reflecting off the blanket of snow, her smile deceivingly sweet as she continued. “but if I were to use regular buttercups instead of winter aconite then I will happily let you drink that concoction instead of my customer.”

Jaskier opened his mouth to talk back, only snapping it close just as quickly when he saw Geralt’s unamused expression. Don’t test her, he could hear him say. Don’t fucking test her. He knew the witcher still held a grudge from last time Jaskier had intervened in Yennefer’s potion making, the stains on their counter yet to go away fully.

What in fall was a small path cleaving the woods in two was now covered in a thick layer of snow and ice, their boots sinking down into the blanket and old sticks and bushes crackling under their weight. The sorceress knew her ways around, far better than Geralt and Jaskier did from all her expeditions for ingredients, and happily trekked on and pointed out where they could place their feet and where to avoid stepping. Before long they came into a large opening in the woods, trees lining the circular area and the sun peeping through to fill their vision with a beautiful glimmer, countless little speckles shining like diamonds on the untouched snow.

“Be careful!”

Jaskier stopped mid-step to look at their girlfriend, eyes wide like a deer in the headlights as he froze completely still. The sorceress crouched down where she was stood and brushed her hand across the ground, gently moving away the newly fallen snow to reveal a layer of yellow bloom just underneath. Picking one up to examine, Yennefer smiled and nodded to herself, placing the flower in the small satchel she carried over her shoulder.

Jaskier soon joined in at picking the flowers, the two sat down in the snow while Geralt stood like a guard dog a few paces away. As per usual he only provided the most necessary pieces of conversation as his partners chatted away, letting out a low chuckle as Yennefer scolded Jaskier for ripping the aconite out by the stem and not root.

“Well you do it then!” Jaskier pointed an accusing finger at the man, sighing as Geralt just shrugged and averted his gaze. Yennefer laughed brilliantly at the exchange, smiling to herself as she continued her work.

“There are no beasts here, Geralt, they steer away from the cities. You might as well join us.” Her voice rung clearly throughout the glade, Geralt just scoffing at her words. He said something about never being too careful as he crossed his arms over his broad chest, Jaskier rolling his eyes at it. He scooped up snow in his hands and hugged it tightly, giving Yennefer a devious look before throwing it towards the witcher. It caught him off guard, the man stumbling back a few steps while reaching for the small dagger he kept in his boots (“I don’t know if I feel safer with you carrying that around” “Say that when an owl-griffin thinks you look good for a meal”)

“Jaskier!” Geralt glared his way intensely, brushing away the snow left on his dark coat like it offended his very being. All the while Jaskier laughed loudly and formed another snowball, aiming it for a few seconds before throwing it. This time the witcher was prepared and deflected it with the back of his hand, no more amused by the second attack than the first. Jaskier kept them coming though, Geralt eventually opting for looking pleadingly at Yennefer for help.

“He’s your boyfriend as well, don’t look at me!” She smiled sweetly as she sat back on her heels, arms resting on her knees as she watched the human continuously chuck snow at the mighty witcher while the man looked more and more helpless as he deflected them. After a few more she rose to her feet alongside Jaskier and made one herself, both of them laughing at the betrayal in Geralt’s eyes when the sorceress joined in as well.

“Come on! Loosen up a little, big boy!” Jaskier moved in closer to him as he threw another one, bouncing up and down triumphantly as it hit the man. He knew Geralt wasn’t putting much effort into the whole thing, knew he let down his guard when it came to his two partners and let his mind rest for once. With a well timed lunge, Jaskier managed to knock him off his feet and the two fell into the snow, Geralt grunting as his back hit the ground and he sunk into the cold.

He protested the human’s weight upon himself, pushing at Jaskier to get off him as Yennefer approached. With a smile she sat down next to them, pulling her woollen coat down to cover her clothes from the snow before laying down on her back next to Geralt.

“Jaskier has a point,” she smiled, pressing her lips against Geralt’s. “I think you should loosen up a little.”

The two laughed at Jaskier’s faked offence as he didn’t get a kiss himself, the human straddled over the witcher’s hips with his arms crossed. He pouted and moaned until Yennefer sat up place a gentle kiss on his cheek, fingers grasping her chin to get a proper one. With a pleasant laugh, Yennefer fell back into the snow again, moving to her side so she could cuddle up against Geralt’s arm. Her cheek rested upon his shoulder, kissing at him until he caved in and smiled.

“Wasn’t too hard, was it?” Yennefer smiled, her free arm coming up to grip Jaskier’s shoulder. She pulled him down into the pile, all of them huddled together in the cold as the sun took an early night in the winter.

[incorrectsdkquotes]

AU--CEO AU

(Warning--Long Post!)

The ever-present CEO AU. In this one, each of the different groups (Four Emperors, Mibu Clan [Five Stars/Four Elders, etc.], Twelve Gods, Sanada Clan, Tokugawas, etc.) are all different businesses/corporations/what-have-yous.

Kyo is obviously CEO of the Four Emperors group; he didn’t even initially really want to be CEO, but the prospect of taking over other companies/etc. was too much fun to pass up--even more, he’s somehow really, really good at it, too. He has an on-going personal/hostile rivalry with the Mibu, who keep trying to do their own hostile takeover of his company/etc. Legally, there are claims that he took some of their intellectual property when he left, which is why he’s been so successful; unofficially, the CEO of the Mibu, the Crimson King, just wants Kyo to return to the Mibu as the heir. Kyo’s not about that life, though, and would rather do things his way instead of having everything handed to him on a silver platter.

Akira is his right hand man, the VP, the one who makes sure that everything in the company is running smoothly. He was recruited at a young age when he managed to impress Kyo by attempting to hack into his servers back when Kyo was still in the start-up phase of his career. Instead of backing down, even when it looked like he would go to jail, Akira merely told him that he should get better servers. Kyo agreed, hired him on the spot, and Akira has been fiercely loyal ever since. His job may technically be VP, but his roots go back to the IT dept. God help you if you’re anyone but Kyo and need tech support--he’ll maybe help you if he feels like it, but you know he’ll condescend to you the entire time. The only ones (other than Kyo) that he has trouble saying ‘no’ to are the other three members of the Upper Echelon, the Inner Circle, the Four Emperors--Bontenmaru, Akari, and Hotaru.

Bontenmaru is the company’s head of the HR department. He’s the guy you go to if you’re having personal issues and need to talk to someone about them. Depending on the seriousness of the issue, he’ll either tell you to stop acting like a baby (but with more...colorful words) or he’ll be your shoulder to cry on, the one who will fight tooth and nail for you. Admittedly, most of the complaints he gets are about the other Four Emperors, so he’s usually telling the other employees a mix of ‘suck it up’/’yeah, okay, I’ll handle it’ while yelling at his co-workers. If he happens to get into some kind of physical fight with his co-workers...well, what are they going to do? Complain to HR about him? A good guy, he’s the emotional rock holding the whole company together. He’s also the only one brave enought to talk back to Kyo and get away with it, being his oldest (in more ways than one) friend.

Akari is the CFO, or Chief Financial Officer. If you want to spend even a single unit of currency belonging to the company, you’ll first have to prepare one of the many forms explaining exactly why you want to spend Kyo’s hard earned money. She’ll most likely agree if it’s a good enough reason, but you’ll absolutely have to do a ‘favor’ for her in exchange. These ‘favors’ are nothing unsavory--Bon-chan won’t hesitate to actually do his job if they were--but usually involve telling her some new piece of office gossip. Sometimes it’s personal secrets, sometimes it’s getting her a drink from the vending machine, sometimes it’s using your personal connections to get her and Kyo a table at one of the hottest new restaurants in town. She’s also unofficially the office’s go-to nurse; because of her ‘former life’ in the medical field, she has a fully stocked first aid kit in her office, and is willing to help you with anything from a paper cut to setting a broken bone--just be prepared to ‘pay’ her extra for the service. Her favorite people to tease and extract ‘favors’ from are her fellow Four Emperors. Kyo is, of course, an exception and is always welcome in her office for anything.

Hotaru is the company enigma/cryptid/urban legend. He appears in the office frequently, though he’s just as likely to get lost either on the way to the office or even inside the office. No one’s quite sure what his official title is, if he even has one, but according to company records he’s the head of Public Relations. Originally, he was sent by the Mibu to infiltrate as a corporate spy, something he was okay with being...up until he met Kyo and the others and decided that working for them would be more fun. He doesn’t spill many Mibu secrets, largely because he never really cared for them in the first place and hardly remembers any of them, though every now and then when the topic comes up he’ll remember something and say it, usually out of context, giving the company a leg up on the Mibu. His usual ‘expeditions’, as they’ve come to be known around the office, while lost has let him meet with other people and businesses. These connections have allowed him to explain Kyo’s Business (as he calls it), bringing in more business, money, and even more connections. His ‘expeditions’ have come to be considered a business write-off, something Akari grudging allows partially because it helps Kyo and brings in money, and partly because it’s hilarious.

Benitora is one of the newest hires at the company. He’s actually the son and heir to the Tokugawa Conglomerate, something everyone but the company lawyer knows, but is allowed to stay partly because he’s a pretty fun guy and partly because he clearly wants to be here rather than working for his father. There’s the implicit understanding that he will probably have to go back to the Tokugawas eventually, but in the meantime he’s more than happy to be the office gopher (specifically Kyo’s, though he’ll help out anyone else if they ask, especially the pretty lawyer). The only one he’s not on the greatest terms with is Akira, who keeps needling him whenever Tora has frequent computer issues. Tora gives as good as he gets, leading to an...odd friendship, not that either party will admit that they’re friends. If Hotaru gets involved, the three are just as likely to accidentally (somehow) take over another, smaller company for Kyo (again) or go on a weekend bender that ends with them having to call the company lawyer to bail them out--usually by entering Akari’s debt for the bail to be paid.

Yuya is the newest hire at the company. She’s the company lawyer and the one who is constantly exasperated and pulling her hair out because of the others’ antics. Despite her complaining, she’s the best lawyer the company has ever had and has successfully managed to win several key cases against the Mibu. Her only complaint is that the CEO, Kyo, is a jackass who frequently makes passes at her. He hasn’t quite crossed the line of sexual harrassment (unlike canon), but she has frequently complained to Bontenmaru about him. Despite how crass he can seem, there’s a caring side that he seems to only show her, something that keeps her at the company instead of just leaving. She has many friends (and admirers) at the company, though no one is quite brave enough to really try anything with her considering her relationship with the CEO and his Inner Circle. She’ll frequently volunteer her work pro-bono on the weekends for causes she supports and the underprivileged--in exchange, she double bills the company for her time, something Akari allows partly because they’re good friends and partly because Yuya’s complaints to her during their talks are a gold-mine of office gossip.