#we're also just about the right heights to do that cute couple thing where one person lays their chin on the other's head

[justsomeweirdbandkid]

Ok no I LIED I'm going to rant about him lovingly in the tags even more

[diagonal-queen]

dia entirely forgot it was thungo thursday until mayoi reminded her and she dropped everything to watch the ep. here are all her thoughts, live-documented, in chronological order (apologies for this):

NOT RANPO CHILLING LIKE SHIT'S SWEET WHEN THE CAR HE WAS IN JUST FUCKING CRASHED LMAOOOOO

ranpo is so small next to minoura. he's so tiny and cute i just wanna cuddle him sm (and yes i am a little taller than him- height means nothing to me. we all know where the rest of his inches went YKNOW WHAT IM SAYIN YA FEEL ME)

'the police of this nation are idiots' yes minoura you're absolutely correct but consider this: the police of every nation on god's green earth are idiots

isn't it amazing how it was written in this magical reality-bending book that nobody would believe in the agency's innocence and in a couple minutes worth of running his mouth, ranpo just...undid it?? for like hundreds of police officers??? the sheer power of this man

god i forgot just how fucking fantastic this intro is. tbh this is probably my favourite intro of all of them. the colours and imagery and the chaos of it all MWAH (also kishow voice mm)

bones. was this panel too hard to animate properly?? did you read the fucking manga bones?? do you HATE US BONES??????

i could listen to ranpo talk for HOURS. literally hours, in a language i don't even speak, about anything he wanted, for hours, and i wouldn't get bored. his voice just...*kicks feet and giggles*

i missed you tecchou <3 please keep cooking for fukuchi. you're doing great sweaty xx

some loser: 'when do you suppose a life ends?' even bigger loser: 'when it becomes unable to adapt to change' fukuchi on his celestia ludenberg arc ok

IT'S BEEN LIKE ONE FUCKING WEEK AND THE UN IS ALREADY MAKING AN ANTI-TERRORIST GROUP??? THEY'RE FULLY READY TO FIND AND EXECUTE THE AGENCY MEMBERS IN UNDER A WEEK?? THE ICC LEGALLY CAN'T EVEN DETAIN CRIMINALS ON THEIR OWN IRL

i wish people reacted to seeing my posts on their dash the same way that the united nations reacted when fukuchi appeared onstage

congressmen will excuse mass shootings of gay ppl and then have shirtless fukuchi posters hanging above their beds where they half-heartedly fuck their wives and go to sleep before the thought of helping her also cum even crosses their mind

wait. *pauses and zooms in*. WAIT. YOU'RE TEL

YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT

TH

THAT ABRAHAM STOKER WAS THICC?????? THAT HE HAD A DUMPY???? THAT HE HAD SOME JUNK IN THAT TRUNK???? ALL THAT ASS INSIDE THOSE JEANS???? CURSE YOU FUKUCHI OUCHI FOR RIDDING THE WORLD OF BRAM'S CAKES

thinking about it, doesn't the decay of angels sound like a really cool name for an operatic metal band??

fukuchi: *enters room* ranpo: YOOOOOO STEPDAD GUESS WHO'S AN ENEMY OF STATE :DDDDDDD

fukuchi really is like 'you havent changed at all, boy' ranpo is literally eight years older than me. if he's a boy i'm primordial soup

fukuchi also said that ranpo's title of 'excellent detective' is self claimed. the thousands of people whose lives ranpo's probably saved must all be like 'say sike rn'

ranpo trusting fukuchi solely because the president said he trusts him. crying screaming throwing up ranpo GIVE ME ONE CHANCE (that's right guys we're back to this again)

fukuchi thinks he's hot shit cus he can jump high?? well my ocs can also do that fukuchi. sucks to be basic huh

IT'S NOT RANPO'S FAULT HE WAS BORN LATER AND THUS MET FUKUZAWA LATER??????? FUCK OFF FUKUCHI (also i love the way they're sitting they're all so silly mwehehehe)

omg ranpo also commented on the 'boy' thing lmaooo he and i are so good for each other <3 if only he'd give me a chance... </3

i wonder what portion of atsushi's budget goes towards emergency ramune. also imagine someone caring enough about you that they always keep one of your favourite snacks on you in case you get hungry or something. that's so cute i can't <3333

imagine coming up with a complex plan, twelve or so years in the making, to end the world, all because u asked ur friend out like thirty years ago and he said no T-T

fukuchi: *tilts neck* *minecraft skelly noise*

oh atsushi. i know other people won't like me saying this but you're so hot and i want to do the sex with you <3333333

wow bones. you've outdone yourself. this has to be the best fisheye yet- maybe even beating lucy's fisheye for how terrifying it is. i'm genuinely speechless

AKUTAGAWA

omg atsushi's speech on how loneliness is his biggest fear and how much he cares about his loved ones (kinnie moment), and the one thing he needs, truly needs right now is someone to fight alongside him to save all that he has to lose and the world as he knows it, and then akutagawa appears? soulmates. i mean it's not even like this is a surprise to me as someone who read the manga but, like, it's different when i'm watching it. soulmates. soulmates soulmates soulmates

and that's a wrap for tonight's edition of dia's thungo thursdays!! be sure to tune in for next week and see them cry tears of hopelessness and despair!!

[rogue-durin-16]

MATCHUP FOR

@littlelilbun

can I have male stranger things matchup please? i’m a girl, aries, enfp, my pronouns are she/her. i could be really shy sometimes due to my bad anxiety, but mostly i’m very sweet and bubbly person, i deeply care about my friends, and i’m super affectionate with people who i love. also, my love language is physical touch!!! i’m also very sensitive and emotional person, but i’m fully open with my feelings only with close people in my life. my height is 5’5, i have a petite figure, long brown hair and green eyes, i would describe my style as a hyperfeminine, but i also love to dress cozy! i’m polyglot and i speak 6 languages, and i’m studying linguistics in uni. my other passions are makeup, cinematography and music ofc! i’m obsessed with rabbits and bunnies and all the bunny-themed items! i love cute things, such as clothes, accessories, makeup, stuffies and etc. my ideal partner is someone tall and protective, who would take care of me and be attentive to me and my feelings! and also someone who would cuddle me a lot <3

From Stranger Things I Ship You With:

Eddie Munson

Ship Dynamic:

Mutual Pining™

Quote:

«I'm still afraid to be there, among the hounds of love, and feel your arms surround me; I've always been a coward.»

When I started to read your description I was like "Eddie?" Because yes, Aries and ENFP? And then I was like yeah no but... You'd make a bomb couple.

I was tempted to ship you with Steve (he's being extra hard to match) but something about your vibe made me keep gravitating towards Eddie so here we are.

We're just gonna assume Steve would initially feel attracted to you, but Eddie fully falls hard like the touch-starved, lovesick puppy he is.

I feel like he would misjudge you at first because he tends to do that a lot. First it was a defense mechanism and now he's stuck with that.

I'm gonna put myself in Eddie's shoes and say he'd probably think you're just another airhead girly girl. Boy is he wrong.

He immediately realizes he's wrong too and goes from aloof to eager to know every bit of you.

You have in common just the right amount of things for this relationship to be tandem. A little more would make it boring, and a little less would make it way too explosive.

You're the one who confesses and Eddie loses his shit. He thinks he's so cynical and detached, and here you come wearing your heart on your sleeve and he just wants to run away.

But oh my god he's so in love so he can't.

I just KNOW he's a linguistics nerd (hello fellow Tolkienian), but school's learning methods are just not for him, so you would ALSO mistakenly judge him about this probably.

He asks you to teach him at least one language. It's actually super fun for him and he knows it's fun because of you.

No one, and I mean NO ONE, fucks with you when Eddie Munson is around.

I genuinely don't think he can fight (I literally went through this in one of my fics) but I DO think that he's one scary, obnoxious motherfucker with a bizarre reputation.

I also think he'd do crazy things for the people he loves so if he has to get full on protective he will.

I feel like you'd be super protective of him too in your own way.

He definitely got a pet bunny after learning about your love for rabbits just so you would spend more time at his place. He is THAT extra.

Constant cuddles. You two are so touchy with each other, it's kinda cute but also kinda weird.

I'm not talking about romantic or sexual touch, I'm talking about just touch. Holding hands, his arm over your shoulders, head on the other's lap, leaning on each other absentmindedly etc.

Eddie lets you put makeup on him before he goes out. I don't wanna hear anyone go against this statement because y'all just would be wrong.

He spends an embarrassing amount of money on buying you pretty things to the point where you literally have to scold him for doing so.

You'd see him every weekend even if you're in college and he's not, because he'd drive all the way to see you.

Oh my god you know that one Conan Gray lyric, "They met in class for metaphysical philosophy. He tells his friends, 'I like her 'cause she's so much smarter than me'. They're having talks about their futures until 4:00 a.m." GIRL THAT'S YOU TWO.

Okay okay I'm done, but you'd make a super cute ship just saying.

[parksprout]

Sprout Journal 11/15/24

Good morning Tumblr!!! I'm at work right now typing up my journal for yesterday! I'm gonna continue writing it as though I was writing it yesterday, though, and use the tenses and all that as if it's from int he moment laksjdhfklasdf not that I need to explain myself... this is literally me journaling.... it ain't for you! Hey! You! On the other side of the screen! This is for me not you! Stop reading immediately unless you're someone I explicitly think is very cute then continue I guess,,, nosy,,,

Honestly yesterday was a good, but simple day! I was feeling good all day yesterday even despite what the journal entry in the morning might've conveyed. It was a very simple school day! Spanish class was easy, though I'd be remiss to mention the fact that I absolutely hate that class. There's still only a few of us so each class period is stressful; the main way we're graded is by participation, so we're expected to speak Spanish for the entire class period but that can be very tiresome!! Especially considering a normal class is 20+ students, so the need to speak would be spread out much more widely than what I experience in this class. Plus my classmates don't really put much effort in. Creative writing class was fun! I feel bad though, I have fallen soooo far behind when I was previously the star student of the class. I just lost my passion with schoolwork lately and that course in particular has such a high demand for my time; we've had to read five whole novels, write weekly responses to them while also writing our own personal writing project + structuring a performance for said project at the end of the semester!! It's all just... a lot. I haven't read the previous book at all, and I'm barely 50 pages into the current one that we're expected to finish this weekend. It's just a lot, ugh. At least Anthropology + Archaeology are both going well!! There's really nothing to note from either of them other than that in Anthropology we were discussing how race is a fabrication and that certain groups in Africa are more genetically dissimilar from each other than those groups are from Europeans or Asians. To help discuss genetic variation we did an activity where we lined up allllll around the classroom from shortest to tallest; I was almost perfectly in the middle lkajsdhfkajsdf which is really fun. I'm at such a middling height. Anyways there was nothing else that really happened at school yesterday!!

After school I went straight to the gym and worked my ass off. I'm feeling really good about my accomplishments there, I'm losing weight, gaining muscle, and generally feeling better! I wish I had started this a couple of years ago, I'd probably have already hit my body goals but whatever :) it's never too late to fix myself. I didn't do a full set of exercises because I had plans afterwards that I needed to go home, shower, and get dressed for so I called it after doing my running and some weight lifting. I ran for 4.6 miles on the elliptical!!! I've even been raising the difficulty settings somewhat nowadays too. It's such good cardio and I always feel really accomplished afterwards!!!

I did a couple more lil things too! I worked on my pixel art for a bit today and started setting up a YouTube channel. I kinda wanna start recording gaming videos once I have my gaming PC! That and map making videos, maybe some art stuff too. Really I just think it'd be nice to capture myself having fun and creating things, especially to share them with the Bnuuy - I always wanted to be able to stream games to them while I played but time almost never worked out in our favor, so maybe if we can't do that right now I can record stuff for both them and I :) and maybe it could become a hobby!! A fun one!!

After I got home from the gym I took a super fast shower, took progress pics (my arms and shoulders keep looking better teehee I'm gonna be so hot someday ... ) and then got dressed!! My friend came and picked me up and we went up to a restaurant to sit and eat :3 I got dinner actually but they didn't alksjdfhasdf they ate taco bell beforehand because they got sick of waiting for me to get home from the gym! We just sat around and talked about creative stuff we're both doing. I talked about my DnD campaign ideas (I have a session on the 16th!) and they talked about their OC's! It was so good seeing them, I think I would've been a lil lonely last night if they hadn't hung out with me! But honestly after that I didn't do much, just chores when I got home and then sleep :) Yesterday was a good day!

I think I've decided I'm gonna include my thoughts about my relationship situation friendship thingie after what I did each day. It's what's typically the most pressing thing on my mind mentally and it's important to get my thoughts out there I think!!

Yesterday was a really good day for me mentally actually. I think that I'm getting a little bit better about being realistic with my interactions and expectations of The Bnuuy. Don't get my wrong, I still want to be theirs again desperately, but I think I'm starting to understand how to behave in our situation a bit better. They really are my best friend. They were my best friend before we broke up, too, but I see it especially clearly now. There's no one I've ever felt so comfortable talking to regardless of what it's about. Yesterday we talked for hours before they went to work and... it felt so natural. I thought about that all day long afterwards, honestly I really hope that we can keep having more days like that. I'd rather have days like that than days with the big serious conversations </3 I know that.. those big talks are so important, but they get exhausting and we never return to our natural flow afterwards. We talked a lot and I had a bunch of fun, but it's... so bittersweet everytime we have a good conversation together. I haven't told them this, but I still get butterflies when they send me messages. I blush before sending them selfies and I think "did they like that?" so often. I'm hopelessly in love with them still even though it's been weeks now. I'm feeling a little bit of longing while writing this, though. I haven't seen their face in a few days and... I really miss it. I miss being allowed to ask to see their face, and... I miss when they called me pretty when they saw mine. Sometimes I wonder if they still think I'm pretty despite us not being partners right now. I really want to record them voice messages, play video games together, make plans for the future, send them every single silly instagram reel talking about couples, send them every picture of purple and yellow together and say "us" afterwards. I miss the little bits of affection. I miss dating them a lot, even if I love being their best friend still.

After this picture is me being kinda longing and stupid </3 I'm slightly ashamed of what I wrote there, even if it's kinda mundane stuff at the end of the day. This is a good stopping point if you're not into yearnposting alkjsdfhaksjdfh

I wanted to ask them out yesterday as scary as it sounds. I didn't because I know it's too soon and that it'd only make things worse for both of us ... but god the impulse is there so often. I know I would be a better partner today than I was at any other point in our relationship, but I also know that ... it's too early to try again. We're both still learning too much about ourselves. I'm not ready to be the partner they need yet, and... they aren't ready to let me back into their heart. It hurts to admit that I know they'd reject me if I tried. I'm not ashamed for wanting it though. I wrote a little note in the notes app on my phone, it went something like "Hey, I know it's really early and that it's ultimately not my choice whether or not we start again, but I've always promised to be honest with you about my feelings. I look at the way we talk, the way we laugh, the way we comforted each other through the difficulty that was the start of this month and I see a spark that... we didn't even capture during the end of our last try. I can see an us that would be stronger than before, more loving, more patient and more free than we have been and... I wanted to know if you'd give me the honor of trying again, better than before. I respect your decision either way, and... even if it's a no, I would still like to be in your life to keep showing you who I am."

It would've been the wrong thing to do. It also just doesn't feel like the right time, yet. Maybe someday it will feel like the right moment. Maybe someday I'll be brave and feel okay enough to ask them out. Last time it was them who confessed to me, and them who initiated us dating. I think that... if we start something new? It's my turn to ask, and their turn to decide. I'm not ready yet even if I want to be. That's about it, though. Yesterday was the first time I didn't have a moment of panic, a moment where I cried at least a lil, a moment where I didn't just freeze up from the pain of heartbreak since this all started, but it wasn't because I'm giving up quite yet. Either way, I'm happy to be getting past those moments. Maybe with this growing clarity I can see a better me, and keep chipping away until I achieve them. This whole entry is kinda written badly lkajsdhfkasdf my thoughts are super disjointed atm because I'm at work and it's wayyyy too loud here, so I hope if anyone reads it I make sense!!! I write like an elementary school student sometimes askldjfhasdf

[rattyoakenbitch]

❝𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲❞ ─ 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝

but when he loves me i feel like i'm floating

when he calls me pretty i feel like somebody

❥ content ; little gn reader, sfw agere, corpse is a cg, mostly fluff with a smidge of angst

❥ warnings ; daddy issues, childhood trauma, hints of emotional & verbal abuse and of course age regression if ur uncomfy w that stuff. also pet names and the use of the word "daddy" but not in a sexual/smutty context!!! agere is not a kink!!!

❥ synopsis ; you age regress to cope and corpse takes care of you through it all

❥ a/n ; i got a request to write this agere fic a couple months ago on my wattpad! i myself used to be a part of the agere community but it has been years so i forgot a lot of what i learned. however, unlike age play and cgl, agere is just a coping mechanism and totally nonsexual!! pls do ur research before u attack members of the agere community (: ur coping mechanisms are valid!!!

With a frustrated groan, you push yourself away from your desk, now spinning slowly on your little office type chair.

You had procrastinated and hadn't done any of your work, and even when you did try to finish it, you were easily distracted or discouraged by intrustive thoughts.

Your mind would never fail to drift back to memories of when you were younger. However, those memories weren't exactly fond or anything you'd even want to remember.

Yet they were there, either popping up unexpectedly or lingering in the back of your unconcious mind.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when you felt two strong arms wrap around you, causing you to nearly jump out of your seat.

Corpse hummed. "Are you done with your work yet, darling?"

"Can't finish it.. My brain doesn't wanna co-operate with me today, or ever," you whine, feeling angry tears begin to form behind your waterline.

Corpse sensed the anxiety and frustration in your voice and immediately knew the cause.

"You're not a failure, Y/N. Your father was wrong, and you know it."

"Yeah, but hearing his words in my head don't exactly help when I'm trying to work."

"I know, baby, I know," Still not letting you free from his embrace, Corpse held your significantly smaller hands in his. "But he's not here. It's just me, doll. You're safe."

He knew what he was doing. And he knew that you knew.

You pulled away from his hold, now standing up to face him. He as well stood up to his full height, looking down at you with soft, comforting eyes.

"A-Are you sure I can..?" You ask timidly, looking down at the floor to avoid his gaze. He nods encouragingly.

"Of course, doll. I'll take care of you."

He brings his hand to caress your face and tilts it upwards so your eyes met.

Your eyes dart across the room, looking anywhere but into Corpse's own eyes.

"Tsk, eyes on me, baby."

You hesitantly bring your eyes back to meet his, prompting Corpse to praise you. You feel the blood rush to your cheeks at this.

"You promise?? I don't wanna be a distraction, I-"

Wordlessly, Corpse brushes his thumb on your bottom lip, causing you to quiet down immediately.

"What are you saying? I always have time for you. Now c'mon."

You giggle as Corpse lifts you up into his arms bridal style and takes you to the living room.

You end up watching a Studio Ghibli movie together, tucked underneath blankets and with you snuggled up into Corpse's chest.

At some point during the movie, you unwrap one of Corpse's arms around you and take his hand. This causes Corpse to unconciously hold your hand in his big, calloused ones, adorned with metal rings.

You both look down to where he held you.

"Awe, now would you look at that. Your hand looks so cute, the way it fits in mine," he coos, causing you to sink further into your blankets, hiding your blush.

"Mm stop," you pout, only making Corpse chuckle some more.

"You're hiding because you're blushing?"

"Yes!! Now stop laughing, you big meanie."

Corpse only responds by lifting you back onto his lap, resting his chin on your head.

"Aww, you really are blushing like a rose," Corpse fawns. "Aren't you just a pretty little thing?"

You decide not to sass back and instead accept the praise.

As you both refocused your attention on the screen, Corpse lets go of your hand and instead runs his fingers through your hair. You hum in satisfaction, leaning into his touch. Corpse continues to do this all while he whispers sweet nothings and praises in your ear until you drift off into a blissful sleep.

After what feels like an hour later, but was really just thirty minutes, Corpse's phone chimes, his screen lighting up to reveal a text notification.

As softly as he can, Corpse reaches over to the side table to grab his phone. Despite his efforts, you wake up from the movement and the sudden lack of warmth that was once wrapped around your body.

You huff in annoyance.

"I thought you said you weren't busyyy."

"I know, little one. Sean wants me to join a game with the others. If you want, you can watch us play. We won't be streaming."

You nod in agreement, and once again, Corpse carries you into the studio, setting you down on his lap soon as he sits down.

You hear a little beep, followed by a variety of voices, all talking above one another. It comes to a stop, though, and you're relieved of the overstimulation as soon as they realize Corpse had joined the call.

"Hey, Corpse is here!"

"What's up, Corpse?"

"Hey guys," Corpse greets them. "I hope you don't mind that Y/N's with me right now. They're little again and I promised I'd spend time with them."

You heard some 'aww's' in the back as voices overlapped again.

"Oh, no, yeah of course we're okay with that."

"That's really sweet!"

"All right, guys, no cursing or excessive yelling! If you scare Y/N, you're gonna have me to answer to!"

Though they couldn't see you, you still shyly huddled closer into Corpse's chest. Corpse's friends, being your friends as well, knew that you were an age regressor and were fully supportive and accepting. So this wasn't the only occassion where they'd played with little you around to watch.

"Thank you," you mumbled sleepily into the mic before yawning and laying back down into Corpse.

He gives you a kiss on the top of your head before he goes back to chatting and playing with his friends. An hour passes, and then it's night. The cold nighttime air seeps in through the windows, causing goosebumps to form on your exposed skin.

Silently, you tug at Corpse's hoodie, prompting him to look down at you. Though you've been quiet throughout the past hour, Corpse hadn't forgotten about you.

He raises a brow, confused for a second until you grab at his hoodie again with pleading eyes.

"'M cold, daddy."

"Shh, okay, baby, I got you."

Corpse pulls his sweater over his head, and on instinct, you raise your arms up as well. Corpse takes his hoodie and puts it on you, causing you to giggle in delight.

"There you go. Is that better?"

You beam, "Mhm!"

As Corpse shared this moment with you, he was still blissfully unaware that his mic was still on. That was, until he heard the choruses of "awe's" in his headphones.

[alecxaheart]

Someone's Someone | Bang Chan Oneshot (1)

✎ Genre : CEO AU, Soulmate AU, Fluff

✎ Pairings : Bang Chan X Reader

✎ Word Count : 3.5k words

✎ Synopsis : We all just wanna be someone's someone that we can't live without. At this time, Chan was looking for his. And unexpectedly, he was already tied down to someone.

✎ Warnings : Explicit Language

✎. . . I actually just played my songs on shuffle then Monsta X's Someone's Someone played so.. yeah, I'm inspired. Also, this is my first post in tumblr btw. :)

✎ Parts : 1 , 2

The relaxing sounds of nature enveloped him as a whole. His shoulders less tense and eyes closed as he sat on the cooled sand, facing the burning star and calm waters ahead. Seagulls could be heard in the distance as they caught themselves a dinner to eat. The refreshing cool wind hit his body, slightly making him shiver for a second. Waves, created by the sea and wind, kisses the shore repeatedly. For once, he was far away from worries, stress, fears and regrets. Just him, contented with the company of nature.

As he fluttered his eyes open, he was met with a stunning view of the sun meeting the ocean. The ocean reflecting the sun's visuals as well as the sky above it. Even though the reflection was blurry, it's still pleasing to the eye. Just perfectly imperfect.

However in his opinion, it wasn't stunning as it seems. This secret escapade paradise of his doesn't quite appeal to him yet. A missing piece that could be anywhere on this wide world. That thought kind of bothers him every time.

Sighing, he figured that it was time to go back. He slipped onto his slippers and headed out of his escapade paradise with a head hung low. Hopping on an enormous boulder that happened to break the wired fence and fixated there, having easier access to and from the place than climbing over the fence.

With a last glance towards his escapade, he knew he'll be coming back and that next time will be the scenery he's been looking for, hopefully.

Frustrated with the task at hand, Chan ran his fingers through his blonde locks as he leaned back on his chair and head facing upwards toward the ceiling. Taking a brief break from a whole 6 hours straight of writing and staring at the monitor. Followed by him grabbing his coffee and taking a sip, eyes boring on the monitor. He was just half finished with his paperworks at the time of nightfall, which made him more in distress and felt crammed.

His eyes then wandered around his office, landing onto the view of the opposite building of his company in the end. Where he could see the workers of the Marketing Department bidding their goodbyes to one another, closing the lights and exiting the room. Oh, how much he too wanted to leave and rest right at this moment. Although his belief of 'getting things done before going into slumber' is preventing him to do so (even though he already got a lot of things done). With a sigh, he faced back in front of his monitor and papers, determined to get everything done before tomorrow starts.

" Sunbae-nim, aren't you coming with us? We're having dinner at the Chicken & Barbecue restaurant just a block away from here. " Seungmin asked, grabbing his suitcase below his desk. You leaned back on your chair while stretching your cramping arms and a yawn escaping your mouth.

" As much as I want to, Seungmin, I can't, " You started, rubbing your temples to ease your aching head. " Because our new boss literally gave me 5 thick documents to finish before tomorrow morning without any mercy. And that's just bullshit. I don't even think I'm halfway through it! " Seungmin replied with a chuckle to your short rant, an amused expression written on his soft face. You were having another small mental breakdown as you stared at your unfinished pile of work, feeling your soul escape your body.

" I think you're overreacting. "

" Well, what if I am?! "

Laughing, Seungmin leans his side on your cubicle, looking over at your messy desk filled with sticky notes, papers and pens. " I don't think it's that much. You're lucky that your boss isn't here to hear any of your complaints, " He muttered as he took a peek at one of your documents. You scoffed, not my fault that I'm not as good as you.

" Hear what? "

Frantically, you immediately hide yourself behind your cubicle and pretend that you were focusing on your work. On the other hand, Seungmin casually brushed his navy blue coat with his palms and lifted himself off from the cubicle. Making it all seem like nothing happened.

" Oh, it's nothing, Ms. Ka- " Seungmin paused as he met the owner of the voice who wasn't the person they were expecting to be there. " M-Mr. Bang?! " He stuttered, eyes widened at the blonde headed CEO. Seeing in the corner of your eyes, Seungmin bowed ninety degrees at him as a sign of respect. Even with his heated glare on you, you continued your work like no CEO even entered. Thanks to your cute height, for sure you wouldn't be spotted.

" What are you doing here? Working hours are done. "

Seungmin stood straight and scratched the back of his head. Curiosity slowly arose in you as seconds passed - since you've never met a CEO called by your colleague as ' Mr. Bang ' - although as much as possible, you didn't let go out of hand and kept your focus on the documents silently. The least thing you wanted to happen to you right now is get caught by one of the company's CEO. " I was about to head out, Mr. Bang, " Finding an excuse, he pulled up his sleeve to check the time on his wristwatch. " Uhm.. Yeah, I'm late for dinner. Sorry, Mr. Bang, I have to leave right now. Have an great night! "

With a last bow to the CEO, Seungmin dashed his way out of the building, leaving you alone with your work. The blonde head noticed how the room was still lit up despite it being unoccupied, which he thought. Heading to the switches, everything around you darkened. The only source of light you had was the monitor, and Chan caught it in the corner of his eye.

" Is someone still there? " His voice, catching a bit of foreign accent with it, echoed in the hushed area.

Baffled as he approached that light with a few slow strides, you freaked out mentally. Swiftly but silently, you left your chair and hid yourself underneath the desk next to yours. As he neared your cubicle, you held your breath, slowly starting to feel lightheaded. You don't know what are the consequences if you get caught after working hours since you're still kind of new - got hired just 5 months ago. Dumb you overthink random shit first before even going to the thing called 'common sense' and the rules you heard just goes in one ear then out on the other.

The moment Chan was about to reach your cubicle and take a glance to his right, the sound of marimba playing a soft tune echoed in the room. Stopping in his tracks, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and grabbed it, swiping to the right to answer the call. You let out a hushed yet shaky sigh of relief, your shoulders less tense than a while ago. In your mind played a chant, thanking whoever was your savior.

Chan narrowed his eyes at the back of your cubicle while his phone is still pressed against his ear, listening to the person on the other line's complaints. " I'm on my way. Don't do anything stupid, " Not too soon you hear heels clacking against the polished marble tiles, the noise fainting as he left the room.

It took you a good couple of seconds to get out of your hiding spot (since you had to catch your breath and calm your heart down from the thrill), slightly shaking your whole body first before heading back to your seat and continuing your pile of work. Mentally groaning at yourself.

Oh. My. Gosh. These. Eyebags.

Is the first thing you thought as you looked at yourself in the mirror. The cause of it appearing badly because you obviously lacked sleep. All due to the time allotted for slumber was consumed by finishing your 5 thick documents that will be passed this morning. You could've cared less if today wasn't a work day, which fortunately for you it was still work day and these damn documents aren't gonna pass themselves to your boss this instant.

Fumbling around in your bag, you found your makeup kit and started fixing yourself. A little bit of touch ups here and there, just a little to look like it's still more natural than a lot to look like a plastic doll barbie.

Once satisfied, you smiled sweetly at yourself just to start your day nicely and exit your household. While walking on your way to the train station, incoherent mumbling leaves your mouth. A train of thoughts clouding you about your worries if you've left something important behind. In all honesty despite of your current good looks, you look stupid or crazy for talking to yourself in public. Well, at least you aren't as worse as someone yelling nonsense.

" I have all my files, identification card, phone, wallet, pocket knife 'cause anything could happen, keys- " you paused as soon as you misplaced your shoes at the edge of the last stair, falling forward. Luckily for you, you caught yourself and regained your balance. Wide eyed, you saw a kid, a giddy smile plastered on his face as he saw your commotion with a lollipop in hand. You felt embarrassed but laughed it off anyway, a light tint of pink decorating your cheeks.

You rushed towards the gates as soon as you realized the time with the card in between your fingers. Three beeps emitted from the machine when the gates opened after you placed the card on the scanner. With a few more strides, you caught up to your train ride as it was about to leave. You sighed in relief and sat down on a vacant bench, head automatically leaning back on the window. Your eyes boring at the ceiling while taking steady breaths after your short marathon on the way.

On the other hand, across you sat Chan. His right leg crossed over the other while scrolling through his phone. He wore a button up shirt, the first two still unbuttoned revealing more of his chest. His navy blue tie hung loose around his neck while his coat is still folded around his arm. His slacks were the same color as his tie and coat and wore black pointed shoes to finish the statement of his overall clothing. Blonde hair locks were scattered around his face but still managed to look stunning and attractive.

You haven't noticed his presence, so did he to you, and the fact that you both don't know each others' appearance even though you go to the same company just adds to the reason for you two's ignorance to one another's existence.

You got yourself to go back to slumber comfortably in your current position although you know when you wake up, you'll be greeted by your neck aching. Hopefully you don't miss your stop while gaining more sleep. The train swaying you lightly from time to time that you found quite relaxing, like a cradle rocking back and forth lightly to put a baby to sleep.

A child was running around the train with a joyful smile, giggling. He only stopped in his tracks when he reached in between you and Chan. His eyes glowed like there were stars decorated around his chocolate brown pupil when he eyed you two. Looking around, he spotted a roll of red thread underneath your bench and grabbed it. He thought it was just right.

With you being the closest, he starts to tie the thread around your pinky finger. You were too tired to even feel his small cold fingers run around your fingers nor the string tighten around it. Once done, he smiled to himself, his dimples appearing on either side of his cheeks and eyes forming into small crescents.

He left your side and skipped over in front of Chan, who was now too deep in thought as he gazed outside the window and his phone tucked in his pocket. Holding the other end of the thread, he wrapped it around Chan's thumb. Chan's body shook in surprise as he felt cold fingers ghosting above his hand and averted his attention to the child. He saw him knotting the red string tightly, strange that he barely even feels the string tightened around his thumb. " What are you doing? " he questioned although the child only responded with a bright smile, followed by a giggle.

The child turned and ran away from him, more giggles leaving his lips. Chan stood up and tried to chase him. But stopped as soon as he saw the child in the distance, dissolving into little particles in thin air and completely vanished in his sight. In disbelief, he rubbed his eyes and looked for the child around his area. Thinking that he was out of his mind, he sighed in defeat. There's no way anyone could do that in reality. It's either I'm insane or living in a fantasy or a chosen one blessed to see ghosts. Maybe, all of the above.

Chan looked down on his thumb, following where the other end lead to. Then, he spotted your sleeping beauty state, the other end attached to your pinky finger. With the sun rising in the horizon, a ray of gold-like light shines through the window, casting a shadow on you. And he thought you looked mesmerizing like that, peaceful and lovely. At least he wasn't tied up with a bitch or a hag.

Your eyes slowly fluttered open as the sun shined upon you. Squinting at its brightness, you raised a hand above your eyes to see more, only finding a red string wrapped around your pinky finger. You examined it, wondering what prank is anyone even planning and why did it have to involve you out of all people. Before anything stupid could happen, you attempted to loose the knot, ignoring the curiosity for a while of where the other end was. Looping and tugging it, even tried to chomp on it with your teeth, but all attempts failed. Well, that's until you gave up, untying it was impossible, unbelievably there's a knot that couldn't be untied. Sounded like marriage when you think about it, but there's the annulment and divorce ruining the picture.

Tearing your gaze at the string, you caught a pair of bewitching dark brown eyes staring back at you. In that particular moment, everything just froze in place. Time has stopped just for the two of you, you thought.

You felt your heart melting, probably from the warmth emitting in your body or from the warmth his eyes give off as you saw little sparks decorating the pupil. Unfamiliar light feathers tickling the insides of your stomach is what you felt other than the heat and that thawing heart of yours. Your mind knew it well that you shouldn't feel this way towards someone who you just met but your body and heart reacted so differently. There's just something about him that made you feel so exposed and vulnerable in his eyes that you couldn't come up with a possible answer to your 'why's.

Both of you didn't notice how seconds turned into minutes, too lost into one another's orbs. That was until the train stopped, causing Chan to break the eye contact and lose his balance. Before his hands made contact on the metal floor, he took a step forward in order to regain his balance which he successfully did. A small chuckle left your lips, eyes turning into crescents as you saw the commotion. He narrowed his eyes at you as the train was back in motion.

Chan fixed his clothes first before asking, " Who are you? ". Grabbing the pole next to him to prevent him from falling again on the next stop.

" Shouldn't I be asking you that as well? " You replied with a gummy smile, which quickly faded when you remembered what's the problem.

" What is this on my finger and why is it connected to yours? What kind of trickery is anyone pulling? Why am I involved in this? " You kept firing questions at him while he stayed there unbothered. Unlike you who did some more attempts to remove the thread, silly you even tried aggressively shaking your hand in hopes of making it a little loose. But no prevail happened once again.

" Just get rid of it. I didn't want this too, you know. " Chan taps his foot impatiently as he eyed your useless attempts.

" I am trying! " You exaggerated. Deciding to bring out the best tool you have for the situation in hand, your hands fumbling in your bag. Once you felt the cool metal on your fingertips, you brought it out and flipped it open.

Chan's eyes widened at the sight of the pocket knife in your palms. " You carry that on a daily basis? Are you insane? "

You rolled your eyes in annoyance. " It's not insane when it's used for self-defense purposes. I'm too nice to be the murderer you're assuming, " You replied, head throbbing as things aren't going well with the charming blonde.

He responded just before the blade and thread were in contact, starting with a scoff. " Yeah sure, nice. Anyone can wear that façade anywhere. "

" You know what, " You started as you withdrew the pocket knife back and glared at him afterwards, pissed off. " You deal with this shit yourself, I'm done with my part and I could care less about this red thread anyway. You look like you don't need any of my help 'cause you look fancier than me and it seems like you're not taking any gratitude towards my kindness. Damn these crazy rich people. " You threw the tool towards his direction and looked away from him, arms crossed. Chan instinctively caught it without getting any cuts despite the fact it's closed, his eyes burning through your figure in fury.

" If I actually got wounded instead from your little stunt, I would've sued you this instant, " He growled, only to be ignored by you.

Irritated by your sudden change of attitude, Chan flipped it open and skillfully ran the blade through the string. Only for it to just fall through like the string never existed, ghost-like perhaps. " It's not cutting, what the hell, " Chan muttered under his breath as he tried a few more times again.

"It's just a string, how could a- " You spoke as you turned your head back to his direction, only to be cutted off as you witnessed the unusual. Mouth a little bit agape in disbelief. The thread didn't fall apart even while the blade was just sitting in between of it on air. Maybe that explains why you could barely even feel the thread wrapped securely around your finger. You could tell that this stunning blonde head was just as puzzled as you were.

" Sir, if you're having any problems that includes this woman, we can sort it out. Just withdraw the knife first please, " a man suddenly blurted out, his voice a little bit shaky. That's when you realized the commotion you both have caused, everyone around you two took steps back away. All had fear in their eyes.

" Wait, you don't see the thread we're trying to cut? " Chan questioned, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. At that, he was more misunderstood.

" There's no thread..? " With that, it got the two of us surprised. Is the crazy one here them, who couldn't see this string, or us, who could?

Chan tried to explain our situation thoroughly but when he was about to speak up, out of the blue, a voice spoke in the speakers. " Please mind the gap, " You immediately grabbed his arm, carried his belongings and dragged him out of the train. Leaving its passengers confused as they eyed us. They might be thinking that you two are idiots.

The doors just shut a second later when you two got out. You felt a bit suffocated for an unknown reason, your hand reaching for your chest where you could feel your heart beating. Panting, you shoved Chan's belongings into his chest. " Are you alright? " He asked as he tried to place a hand on your back, the least thing he could do to comfort you.

But his hand only stopped in mid-air when you took your last deep breath, replying. " Let's just part ways here, " Saying those words felt a bit disheartening at some point, yet you chose to disregard it.

You walked forwards, while Chan stayed in his position, wearing his coat and fixing his tie. Although, something stopped you. As in you couldn't go forwards as much as you force to. Well when you did force yourself, it only tugged Chan towards you. Turning around, he was already eyeing you. " What was that for?! "

Glaring at the thread, you thought out loud, " Is this string telling me, it can only stretch itself approximately at 7 meters?! "

Continue

[im-pok]

Just for fun (and to make these easier to find) I have made a compilation of JSRF quotes!

I did find the quotes from this video by RisingSonic17 on YouTube. I do suggest watching it as it gives more context to the lines:

Keep in mind that some interactions may be missing, as I have never played JSRF and may be unaware of some interactions. Characters and their quotes appear in chronological order according to the video.

Corn:

"This is the GG's Garage. Hey, where's our pizza? Huh? You're not the pizza guy? Oh, you're here to join the GG's, eh? Heh... Tell you what. Find Gum. She's the one you wanna talk to. Just get close to her and pull the 'Right Trigger'. Got it?"

"Why don't you talk to her now?"

"Now, just 'cause you're new don't mean you can act like a big baby. The police are tightening up here, especially since the Rokkaku took over the police force. I know we look crazy 'n all, but even we know to pick our fights. So don't mess things up for the rest of us, got it?"

"Roboy's training changes as your skill level changes, so be on the lookout."

"I had a feeling Poison Jam would have their hideout in the sewers beneath Rokkaku-dai Heights. This is it... looks like the time to throw down has finally come."

"Man, those Poison Jam freaks are out of control. I say we start on Chuo Street and cover everything to Rokkaku-dai Heights and 99th Street in our graffiti. Chuo Street is probably the best place to start."

"Roboy told you, right? If you find a Mystery Tape, you gotta check the GG-notebook. It'll tell you where to find the Graffiti Souls in the area."

"Where the hell is Yoyo? Maybe he freaked out and skipped town? I'm sure he's alright. But we gotta take care of those Immortals. They've been walkin' around like they own the place. We gotta go and cover up all their graffiti."

"I'll send those Immortals back to the grave as many times as I need to!"

"We'll stop those Noise Tanks!"

Gum:

"Poison Jam knows something about Yoyo. I know they do."

"Damn! Punk, I'll get you for that!"

"The fortified residential zone... that's deep in the ghetto. And it could be the fake one again..."

"Here they come. The crazies from the Golden Rhinos. Concentrate, and watch your back. These guys ain't no joke."

"We gotta protect the streets. That's not a choice. We can't let these fools just waltz in and take over."

"The real enemy is your own fear. Remember that."

"So you're the cat that wants to join us, huh? I don't know where you're from, but the streets are tough. Real tough. Let's see what you're made of. We'll start you off nice and slow. Let's see how much air you can grab. Press the "A Button" to jump."

"Dogenzaka Hill is GG territory. I heard there's some headphone wearin' freak creepin' up here. If I could just find him, I'd show him what's up...."

"You can do it, can't you?"

"There are a couple of places in Shibuya Terminal where you can get on the roof of some buildings. You can get there by jumping from a Grind. You should check it out. Who knows what you'll find up there? When you're looking for something, the best place to start is the Map. You can see it by pressing the START button."

"The area of 99th Street is built around a tower that has a bunch of places to Grind. Definitely check that place out. There are also telephone poles to Grind and billboards to Wallride... the most important thing is to just try everything out. Oh, and don't forget to check the map by pressing the START button. That should give you some helpful hints"

"We actually found Roboy in a dumpster. Corn fixed him up real nice."

"I've been lost in the severs before. Its kinda crazy in there, but as long as you keep moving up, you'll be ok."

"Yoyo just can't chill and stay out, can he? He'll be back soon, I'm sure. I heard the Immortals hang out in the skyscraper district or something..."

"Actually, they say Roboy is actually a Noise Tank prototype. Don't tell him that though, ok? We don't wanna make him cry or nothin'. In any case, we're gonna get those damn Noise Tanks."

Yoyo:

"Those tracks should connect Sky Dinosaurian Square to the edge of the skyscraper district..."

"I hear that Poison Jam's woman leader has been showin' her face in town."

"Man, the Rhinos gotta be pissed off!"

"Shibuya Terminal is in a state of panic. I really wanna stay out of this, but we gotta go over there and take care of business."

"Don't use your eyes. Just try to feel it, ya know?"

"Graffiti has the power to wake up the energy that's asleep in the streets of Tokyo. The Rokkaku Group... the police... they don't know what's up. So let's just cover this whole place in art, yo."

"Yo, you know that dude Hayashi from the Rokkaku police force? That guy is one messed up dude. He's a complete psycho. Watch out for him."

"I heard through the grapevine that some weird-lookin' girl's been hangin' out at Rokkaku-dai Heights."

"So you think Poison Jam is after us?"

"We gotta get the Doganzaka Hill goddess statue that Poison Jam took. We better hurry, or things are gonna get real ugly."

Beat:

"Anything go down while I was gone?"

"I've always thought that thing in Shibuya Terminal was nasty lookin' anyway! Let's do a little redecoration."

"Sometimes, you just gotta get moving or else nothin's gonna get done, yo.

"Hey, I've heard of you. You're one of the GG's, huh? Tell you what... I'll race you. If I can beat you in a race around Doganzaka Hill, then this place belongs to me. Got it?"

"Hope you won't regret that."

"Shibuya Terminal? Now that you mention it, there was this huge guy wandering around there... And fishy graffiti? That sounds familiar, but I didn't really look close enough to see if the graffiti that the fool was paintin' actually looked like a fish or nothin'."

"Hey. Is it true Poison Jam used to cause trouble in Chuo Street under a different name?"

"Rapid 99 of 99th Street. They don't show their faces in public very often. Some say Rapid 99 and Poison Jam are sworn enemies because something big went down a while back. I don't know the details, though. A friend of mine told me that the girls in Rapid 99 are real lookers. I just think he was too scared of 'em to say otherwise. In any case, it ain't gonna be easy to find 'em."

"You meet Rapid 99 yet?"

"Noise Tanks? Never heard of 'em. But we gotta find Yoyo. I'll go through the sewers and check out Kiboganoka Hill."

"Those Immortals really get on my nerves..."

"Crazy stuff is going down all over town! Looks like it's time for a little clean up... GG's style!"

Combo:

"Time to get serious."

"This kid's kinda funny."

"This time we should be able to tell if it's the real one or the fake Yoyo just by talkin' to him, right?"

"That crazy guy?! What're you talkin' about? He looks nothing like me. Besides, we don't got time to deal with that fool. Remember? The Golden Rhinos??"

"Well, they told us to come. Don't look like we got any choice."

"There are some things that you can only feel when you're out in the streets, you know?"

"What's this?! Who's been sprayin' these ugly tags on my turf?! Hmph. I'm guessin' it was you... Its on! If you loose, you're gonna be answerin' to me from now on, punk!"

"You think you can do this too? Let's see it!"

"Man, you're not all that. Here, I'll show you one more time."

"The deep end of the sewers is closed off because it's contaminated. At least, that's what I heard..."

"Hey, why you gotta go out and get a dog?! There's only one thing I hate more than dogs, and that's goldfish."

"I heard Rapid 99 used to run under a leader named Cube..."

"Thing that ticks me off most is, the Immortals ain't worth all this talk and trouble. I wonder if they got somethin' to do with Yoyo's disappearance?"

"There's a bunch of real big guys with real big attitudes causin' a big scene over on Highway Zero. Maybe they might know something about the Noise Tanks. Man, where the hell is Yoyo?!"

Rynth:

"What is UP with Yoyo, anyway?!"

"Hey, Graffiti Souls are a big commodity, right?"

"I don't care if it's a golden rhino or a blue hippo, I'll send 'em right back to the zoo where they belong."

"What's their master plan? I mean, the Golden Rhinos don't seem like their just out here to run the streets, you know what I'm sayin'?" (This quote was spelled like this in game. From my knowledge it should be "they're just out here...")

"Here comes Gouji. Let's end this."

"Did you get all the Graffiti Souls? We still got a full laundry list of things to take care of, you know."

"Hehehe... So this is your hideout."

"Poison Jam are... kinda cute!"

"Is it just me, or does Captain Hayashi not look like he eats his breakfast?"

Poison Jam:

"I don't think Yoyo's that kind of a person."

"I think hes hiding something."

"This feels like a trap. Be careful."

"Someone's after DJ-K?! You sure about that?!"

"Gouji Rokkaku is kinda interesting. But, I think he went a little too far this time..."

"I love everything about Tokyo... even the things I hate."

"Hur hur hur. You want to get rid of us, don't you? Nothing in life is free. You gotta work for it. Beat us in this race and we won't mess with you anymore."

"Har har har!! I told ya'll you were a bunch of wussies!"

Rapid 99:

"ghahah! Next thing you know, you will be all crying like a baby."

"If you can win a flag battle against us, I'll tell you where Poison Jam' s hideout is."

"Suit yourself."

Garam:

"I won't hold back."

"Hey. Keep it real."

"There's this lightning-quick girl over at Kiboganoka Hill. Dunno if she's still there. But man, I gotta say, I'm really trippin' out over Yoyo missin' and all."

"When it comes down to it, the Immortals are just dried up mummies, man. I bet they all nasty under those bandages."

Boogie:

"The Noise Tanks might look strong, but they're like cheap action figures! Just run into them and they fall apart! Oh yeah, that girl from the stadium... I heard she's been lookin' for us. You seen her yet?"

"Aww man..."

"The fortified residential zone... it's directly attached to the underground sewers. Man. I don't like that place at all."

"Is that dude in black even human? My heart's pounding... I don't know why."

"You're never as good as you can be! Don't slack off!"

"Y'all are crazy!"

Jazz:

"This doesn't look good."

"Alright. Stay cool."

"Yeah.... we were a little too laid back this time, I think."

"The fortified residential zone... hey, why don't we pick numbers to decide who goes?"

"It's about time the Rhinos brought things up a notch. We better be ready to get real serious too."

"What the hell IS that big thing, anyway? But, you better watch out for that fool in black..."

"If you get a "Jet" in the Trials, you can even use people who aren't here to take out into the streets."

"You're one of the GG's, right? Then tell this fool that they got the wrong girl! They think I'm one of you guys! So, they dragged me out here and looked what's happened to me!!"

"Hurry up! Tell him that I'm not a GG!!"

Noise Tanks:

"Hey, you're that GG that helped me out! Thanks for that man. Say... there's something that I've been wondering since then. You wanna find out who's the fastest? I KNOW I can beat you. Let's give it a shot!"

"Alright. Fine. See ya."

"I'll get 'em good no matter what!"

"The more worked up we get about this, the harder it'll be to find what we're lookin' for."

"There's somethin' not right about the way the Golden Rhino's are actin'."

"Why are those Golden Rhinos going after the Radio station? Well, make sure to be on the lookout for Captain Psychopath."

"We gotta save DJ-K! I can't stand listening to this music anymore!"

"If this town could talk, what poetry it would speak..."

"Ready?"

"Practice all you want, it will not make a difference."

"It is not over yet. Prepare yourselves."

"Heh... Go on. Fight!"

"Are you ready?"

Special interactions:

"Sometimes it just doesn't matter how much you practice."

Slate:

"Dude. I'm bored. Entertain me."

"Hmph. What a bore."

"My sources tell me that the Noise Tanks and the Rokkaku Group are in this together. Be careful."

"So is that Clutch guy in with Rokkaku too? Or is he just a little punk?"

"I'm about ready."

"The Golden Rhinos are really startin' to get on my nerves..."

"I got better things to do than play house with Gouji Rokkaku, but man, that big ugly thing has GOT to go."

"Graffiti Souls' sole purpose is to be sought out."

Clutch:

"You're looking for that kid, Yoyo, right? Tell ya what, if you go out and get some Graffiti Soul points... Hey! Wait a sec, you've already got quite a few. Lemme see those... Sucka! Thanks for the Graffiti Souls! See ya around!"

"Hah, hah! I look forward to it!"

"I dunno, but I just don't get what's going on here. Heh..."

"This Gouji Rokkaku dude is pretty funny!"

"Haaaahaha! Tokyo ain't half bad!"

Cube:

"If you can beat me at my own game, I'll leave you alone."

"Suit yourself."

"The fortified residential zone... Unless you're absolutely sure of your skills, you should stay away from that place."

"I've dealt with the Golden Rhinos once before. If you don't take them seriously, you're as good as dead."

"I can't stand even looking at that thing. Its just so... so... damn ugly!"

"Yeah. You just have to try everything with an open mind."

Beat to Corn:

"So you're the leader of the GG's? Heh... How's this sound? If I beat you in a race around Doganzaka Hill, you and your buddies have to answer to me from now on. If you beat me... well, we'll just see when it happens."

"Huuuh? You're so boooring..."

Talking to Beat in the garage before fighting the police:

"Anyway, I'm ready to rock. But what's up with that pooch, eh? Where did ya pick him up? You sure that's not the leader in disguise? Heh heh. Its only a matter of time before I become the leader of the GG's anyway."

Combo to Gum:

"What's this?! Who's been sprayin' these ugly tags on my turf?! Hmph. Was it you, princess? You've been a bad, bad girl. You've better hit me with everything you've got, 'cause I ain't gonna hold back just because you're a girl!!"

"The cue tone get you all jumpy?"

"You liked that, eh? I'll do it again for you."

Yoyo to Rynth:

"You're... like... you know... yo."

"Where'd you come from?"

Gum to Rynth:

Rynth to Beat:

"Cool. Welcome aboard."

"You kinda... smell weird."

Garam to Boogie:

"Hey. I'm next in command around here, little lady. The name's Garam,"

Combo to Boogie:

"This group is growing bigger every day. Fool just dig me, I guess."

Gum to Boogie:

"So you're the one from Kiboganoka Hill, huh? Well, this is the GG's. What you see is what you get. Just be yourself, you'll be cool."

Garam to Jazz:

"Well, um... I... uh... be cool."

"That freak who's been making all those weird tags... you think he's connected with the Golden Rhinos somehow?"

Boogie to Garam:

"Alright. Stay cool."

Jazz to Garam:

"I feel ya, but I think you should try to chill a bit. Keep it together."

Corn to Clutch:

"What a fool. But the fortified residential zone... that's deep in the ghetto. And it could be the fake one again..."

Jazz to Clutch:

"Don't push your luck."

Beat to Clutch:

"You just wanted some attention from us, right? Aww..."

Combo to Clutch:

"Man, you're such a jerk I almost like you."

Garam to Clutch:

"One of these days, I'll get you one-on-one! Just you and me, fool!"

Boogie to Clutch:

"Fine. I'll let you off just this once."

Slate to Clutch:

"Heh... Stay outta trouble."

Corn to Yoyo:

"Long time no see, bro."

Clutch to Yoyo:

"So you're that Yoyo guy, huh? Heh..."

Jazz to Yoyo:

"So, you're the real deal, huh? 'Sup. I'm Jazz."

Combo to Yoyo:

"You gonna go and try to get back into shape, huh?'

Garam to Yoyo:

"Heh... I caused enough havoc for the both of us while you were gone, bro."

Rynth to Yoyo:

"The most unbelievable stuff was happening while you were gone! Hehehe..."

Yoyo to Slate:

"Hey, sorry about all that, yo. My bad. But thanks to those fools, I'm all out of shape now. Maybe I'll go out and cause a little havoc to warm up, yo."

Yoyo to Jazz:

"Man, things have sure gotten busier sice I was last here?"

Gum to Beat:

"That fool dressed in black who's been hanging around Chuo Street... now that I think about it, you guys kinda look alike."

Clutch to Beat:

"In times like this, you won't fall as long as you look where you're going. Heh heh."

Garam to Beat:

"Hey, you know that guy everyone's been saying looks like you? Well, is it you?"

There is some cutscene dialogue missing from these lines. If I can find all the cutscenes, then I'll be sure to add them.

[jaroslavlewis]

Random DCMK Things: Episode 928

I know this is a bit late so, I'll get straight to the point and just say that I absolutely love how they animated the ShinRan kiss and the whole Kyoto Arc in general. Everything was perfect from the whole big picture itself down to every little detail that it is made up of. I absolutely love how they expressed the emotions of the characters not just by conveying through the dialogue but through the nuances of the characters itself. The close up shots showing their body language, the emotional delivery of the lines and the reactions of the people around them. I've also said this before with HeiKazu in an episode where Heiji attempted to confess. I'm glad that they did this with ShinRan's most special moment as well. Congrats to the whole Detective Team!

Everything was just connected and working in a smooth-flowing harmony, not a sore thumb in sight! The whole staff did a really great job with the art and the seiiyuus were so great with their portrayal of the characters!

Okay so as I was saying, I really like how they showed every little detail of ShinRan's body language. Like here, we see Shinichi awkwardly looking away from Ran when he was being all jealous about the whole Okita thing. I love how they did two angles of this! It's just effing cute! You can clearly tell that Shinichi's so uneasy and highkey arrogant to admit that he's jealous. 😂

And here, we see Ran tiptoe-ing to reach Shinichi! Like oh my god! Whoever thought to include this shot was amazing. This reminds me of when Heiji was all fidgety with his foot when he was confessing to Kazuha! Who would've thought that foot shots could actually make a big difference in conveying the characters' emotions and actions

Anyway, here we get a grasp of ShinRan's height difference. I never really thought about it that much because on most angles the height difference doesn't seem to be too evident but here we see that Shinichi is in fact taller than Ran and it's just feels so different for him because as Conan he's so much smaller than her. This further establishes what he meant on episode 927 when he said that he feels different standing next to Ran in his original body. That he too never realized that he was taller than her. Here it sinks in that Shinichi and Ran are always together as Conan and Ran and in their daily routine Ran does get to touch Conan, like hold his hand to school or whatever but it's definitely different when Shinichi is in his normal body. Here we get a glimpse of Ran being cute and small and precious and Shinichi's just happy that this time he can actually easily reach her unlike when he's Conan. IDK if I'm making sense but we often just get to see Ran being taller than him it's no big deal but to Shinichi it definitely does. We often see Ran being motherly to Conan, protecting Conan like he's such a fragile thing. Imagine what Shinichi must've felt. For this moment, he is taller than her. Tall enough to reach her, tall enough to pull her in his arms and maybe, tall enough to protect her. This time Ran's his fragile little person to hold... And while, Ran being all mature, independent and motherly is a sight I love to see, sometimes it's just nice to see her this way. It reminds us that sometimes she needs Shinichi to depend on too.

Here, we finally see THE KISS! (in different angles just like Gosho did in the manga!) I like how Ran cut off Shinichi's rambling. I totally love how Kappei Yamaguchi did this scene especially the little startled gasp he did when Ran pulled Shinichi's tie. And the icing on top of this all is when Mai Kuraki's song fades in and this scene becomes even more beautiful than it already was. It was smoothly transitioned in the scene and it just gives more feeling to it. It was totally romantic and magical!

And when they pull away, we get a shot of Shinichi all startled and touching his cheek, where Ran kissed him. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't remember seeing a panel of this in the manga so I liked what they did here. I love how Shinichi lingered at the moment of it all. That he seemed to take time to absorbed what happened and his emotions are all over the place. Ahhh and Ran's adorable smile totally made Shinichi forget that he was jealous. Lol. Shinichi's such a sucker for that smile.

Also, look at Ran tilting her head when she asked him if it was good enough. Sometimes, because they are childhood friends I tend to forget that Ran would feel insecure about doing skinships with Shinichi. But as a couple, this shows how new it must seem to her. Here we see that this kiss was definitely a big leap for Ran to do. Yet another act of bravery done by our amazing girl!

People tend to overlook Ran's bravery in the series because she cries a lot. (Don't get me started on this one.) But if y'all look deeper Ran was never portrayed as a damsel in distress in the first place–lot's of episodes prove that but point is... Ran's one of the best characters ever seen in a shonen anime. She breaks the common leading lady in a shonen stereotype. Here she shows us that there's nothing wrong about girls doing the first move. There's nothing wrong about kissing your man instead of waiting for him to kiss you but she also needed that affirmation from him. "Was it good enough?" like, Is this okay? Did you really want me to kiss you? Is it okay if I touch you? This is new to me but I hope this shows what I feel about you. Because it's all new to her and she knows it's all new to him too. It's a big step for both of them and they would have to do this whole couple thing, one step at a time right?

And Shinichi's response is...

God sexual tension here is soooo damn intense. You can feel it in his voice especially when Kappei Yamaguchi as Shinichi said, "Dame darou! "

It was so whiny and strained in such an adorable way. IDK how to further express it but it's one of the loveliest things here in this scene. It sounded very new as Shinichi but it was still a Shinichi thing to do.

IDK if I'm making clear sense. But we're so used to a calm Kudo Shinichi. Even in Desperate Revival Arc where he got to hug Ran in a play and was so close to kissing her, he was still in control. But here, sister Shinichi snapped! We get a full grasp that here he's just tired of waiting. He has wasted so many moments, so many opportunities to show her he loves her and he's more than ready to take that big leap. And though he didn't get that kiss, it still makes me happy that he did pull her for a kiss. Because Shinichi is ready to take that step. He's done playing around. He's not gonna take her for granted anymore.

Also, I remember @detectivegeekshin saying that his hands seem bigger in this arc/in the frame where he puts his hands on Ran's shoulders. It's so weird but I kind of like that they animated it like that too. It seems a bit inconsistent with the old art but tbh, the DC art has been changing ever so constantly through time. 😂 But yeah, I like the way Shinichi's hands make Ran look a bit smaller and precious. Like this time, he's more in control now and he can hold her and she fits perfectly in his arms. I can only imagine how it would be like once they get to hold hands and do other couple-y stuff. Shinichi would be startled doing skinship with Ran because it is so much different is his normal body than when he is Conan.

Also it makes Shinichi look more manly. It's kinda hot lol. (I have a weird hand fetish honestly. Hahaha. Don't judge me. ≥﹏≤)

Overall, I'm just gushing over how this love arc is going so well. I'm happy for ShinRan and I'm really hoping that they'd get all the happiness they deserve.

[pbandjesse]

My jaw is hurting me a bunch right now. Sinus pressure I think. Which has got me bummed. But today was an excellent day. And thats really cool.

I slept alright last night. Had weird dreams. But i woke up feeling good. It was a bit to hot again. But i felt cute in my outfit and was having a good morning.

I enjoyed my morning. Just chilled for a while. I decided to go show my sculpture to the dentist but i accidently broke off one of the roots/legs of the thing so i had to fix it. But they are still really excited about it. They kept asking me if I came up with the idea and were really nice about it. It was cool.

But because it was broke and I didn't want to carry it around with me. I didn't want it to get worse. So I biked right back home to drop it off. I glued it back together while I was there so it would be dry when I got home. And then I left.

I biked down towards the Harbour. And I went to Chipotle. I got nachos and a soda. I ended up giving half of my nachos and cheese to a homeless guy outside. I rinsed off my soda cup and gave him ice water two. I felt bad giving him a spicy food if I didn't also give him a drink. And it was way too hot outside. And he was being nice holding the door for everyone who came in and out of the store. It just felt like the right thing to do.

I went back and got the bus to work. I walked in the school at 12:30 and Tiffany was getting there too. I went to get the lunches and everyone else slowly got together while we figured out where we were supposed to meet with our kids. A whole bunch of stuff went down in the interim so we ended up leaving almost a half an hour late. I have so much more sympathy for field trips now than I ever did before. Because trying to Corral 65 kids and about 20 adults was way harder than I thought it would be. And there was a teacher who holds on to some of the kids phones during school time and she wouldn't give two of my kids the phones back because it was still daytime but we're leaving the building and won't be back until almost 7 and it was just a whole thing. And then one child was approved to go but his younger sister wasn't so then he got really upset. It all ended up being fine and we all got on the bus but was very upsetting for a few minutes. I had to reassign groups because of some drama. But everybody seemed fairly happy with who they were partnered with. We got on the bus and Chelsi sat at the very back and I sat in the middle at the end of where our kids and the next group of kids started. I had Mackenzie come and sit next to me and that was perfect. Because both of us just want to listen to wear headphones and be quiet. Everyone else sat in their groups and off we went.

It was a pretty long drive out to LOL station. About an hour. But it was a nice ride. I listen to music for a bit. A little bit of a podcast. It was nice. We got there and there was confusion about where we were supposed to go in so we drove around the parking lot for a while but it was all good we got there and got inside.

My group was really good about staying together and being with their partner. I was very proud of them. The police was inside of a mall. Which is a weirdly popular thing in Baltimore or Maryland. Having big attractions in malls. But that was cool. We got there and their condition wasn't working super well so it's a little warm but not the worst thing. I was very sweaty by the end of the day but I had a really good time. It was extra good because there was no other people there. That was excellent! Because then I don't have to worry about someone kidnapping my child. Or getting lost in a crowd. It was just us. It was great.

It was decided that Mackenzie would be my buddy for the day. Because she felt like she was a little bit too mature for all the other kids. So we went on the roller coaster together. Which was really just a small spinning one on the ground but that was great.

I don't like heights anyway.

We did the bumper cars. And we did the two obstacle courses that they had. I liked the inflatable obstacle course better than the other one which was more like a ninja challenge. Because I couldn't get up the ninja challenge wall and had to go up the easier one. I still beat Mackenzie all three times. Even when I had my sock fall off in the middle of one of the races.

I prefer the inflatable one though because it had two big slides in it and I really enjoyed that. I wish I could just have done the slide part. It was still really really fun.

We had lunch a little after 3:30. We had brought sandwiches for all the kids but most of them brought money so that they could get something else as well. I bought french fries and shared some of them with my students that didn't have money. And it was really nice. Right after lunch we were allowed to use the roller skating rink. And I have never in my life used four wheel roller skates. I only ever use the inline kind when I was a kid. So this was a new experience.

And I had a blast! I first the skates I got on where to big. I didn't realize they were men sizes. So I had to go and change and get size fours. Which put me way better. And I was able to skate forwards and backwards. I was able to do a couple small tricks that I can do with figure skating. I wasn't as good at first but by the end of the half-hour I was skating around them like crazy. I hope the couple of the kids but it's hard to explain how to push on skates and a lot of them were doing the shuffle thing and it does not work very well on four wheeled skates. So there's a lot of kids on the ground. But I'm really glad that they all got to try. It was a lot of fun. But oh my God was I sweaty.

Just overwhelmingly hot. But we were finishing up and everyone got together and threw their cups away once we all have water. And then we went to get on the bus to go home.

We were leaving after 5 so there was a lot of traffic. And that was hard on some of the kids. About half of the little kids fell asleep and three or four of mind it as well. Including Mackenzie who fell asleep on me which was absolutely precious. I just lay there and listen to my podcast and enjoyed the ride.

We got back to the school at 6:30. And all of my kids got picked up and it was time to go home. Miss Elaine and Marcus give me a ride home. My bike was still at streets though so once they drop me off I walked home for a second and then walk down to get my bike and then came home. I made dinner and worked on fixing the tooth sculpture. I took a shower. Washed my hair again because I was so sweaty. And now I'm laying in bed. I'm going to go to sleep soon probably. I want to watch scary videos even though they always freaked me out. And then tomorrow I get to see James. We're going to celebrate our one-year anniversary and I'm very much looking forward to it. We have a full day planned. We're going to be disgusting and romantic and it's going to be great.

Sleep well everyone. Be safe out there.

[mminhos]

🍒Soft Bias Tag🍒

I was tagged by the lovely @pikachulein to do this tag! so thank youu hunnn 💕💕

🍒Who is your bias? 🍒

My bias is a hardworking man who I have nicknamed as 'Mango'. He's an amazing vocalist, dancer, rapper, and has probably the cutest laugh I have ever heard. He always makes me laugh and its of course, Lee Minho 😘

🍒What made you notice them?🍒

I mean, its always been Hyunjin that I've considered my main bias in Stray Kids. At first, Hyunjin was my bias but I'd always liked Minho for his dancing and singing, then i watched 'Hellevator' and his visuals hit me right in the face. I started considering him as my intense bias wrecker and it took lots of gifs from my gc to make me bias him. even though I still didn't. I don't know what happened, but one day I just said, "fuck it, he's my main bias" and here we are today.

🍒What's your favourite thing about them?🍒

e v e r y t h i n g. I do have a real soft spot for his laugh though. Like its so cute and funny and its one of those laughs that make you laugh because of it and I just find that really lovely. Its no secret that he was born to dance, and I think the passion he has for it is another thing I love about him. Minnie is so hardworking and determined and that's another thing i love about him. One thing that made me start to bias him even more is his sarcasm and sassiness. Like its really funny seeing him sass the members and, TBH, I'm kinda like that too, so that drew me into him as well. And Minsung. I cannot leave out Minsung because I think my friend would kill me lmao.

🍒Who would initiate skinship more?🍒

I mean, most probably him. Have you seen the way he is with Jisung?😂 All seriousness though, I do love hugs and if I got the chance, I think I'd non stop hug Minho. Like follow him round in a backhug, actually, I would probably just want to backhug him 24/7 because he seems really cuddly to me. Minho's also always trying to kiss the members, so if I'm behind him, he wouldn't be able to do that :).

🍒Who would hog the blankets more?🍒

I tend to roll around a lot and the blankets get caught up in my legs because they're so d a m n long and annoying, but sometime during the night, I'm going to end up basically on Minho's side, so he can take the blankets back if he wishes. Mind you, I'm a hot, temperature wise, person, so i get warm really easily, so he can have them all. Apart from in the Winter, because they're all mine then.

🍒Who would be more clingy?🍒

Hmm.... that depends. I feel like him? I'm not a naturally clingy person when it comes to anything, apart from hugs, so I feel like he'd always be trying to give kisses, like he does to Jisung. But ngl, I'll accept them anytime of day. Even if its past midnight.

🍒Who would be more flustered?🍒

Me 100000x. The boy doesn't even blush s l i g h t l y when he's trying to kiss or hug a member. I also think he likes to do secret aeygo and his American dancing. B o i , if he does his American dancing anywhere near me, I'm going red as a tomato and running out of there. Plus, I'm five years younger than him which is the age gap between my parents just saying I feel like he'd like getting me to blush because he's that type of person.

🍒What cuddling position would you two have?🍒

Well, we're the same size as each other, so I believe I'm going to permanently back hug this bean. I also really want to like play with his hair because he seems like he'd fall asleep to that and I want my boy to get rest. But then, i also like my hair getting played with, so the classic lying head on chest thing, because I fall asleep like that a lot. So basically, any cuddling position, I will not care, because its my baby mango.

🍒What colour reminds you of them and why?🍒

Pink. Not because of that video where had changed all his bedding to pink, but because he just seems so soft and and his sassiness reminds me of pink. So lets say like a light pink, because that's a good colour, and I think it matches Minho well in my opinion.

🍒Which season would you like to spend with them?🍒

Well my favourite season is Autumn and his is as well, so why not Autumn? You can go for walks in the parks and I would really like to do that with Minho tbh, and I always see cute dogs running after leaves so I'm going over to stroke them all. And then we can go to a café and order a takeaway hot chocolate and walk back through the woods and just have fun.

🍒Who would bake the cookies and who would steal the batter?🍒

I mean, I'm clumsy af, and I think Minho is as well. So, uhh, how about TRY to make the cookies. I mean, I can cook, I just burn myself a lot, so I feel like Minhi would be in the kitchen to make sure I don't burn myself and in the mean time, start eating the cookie batter, to which I throw flour at him for. Then I'd probably start eating the batter, so we ain't gonna be having cookies.

🍒Which one of you would make bad puns and how would the other react?🍒

I mean, we all saw how he reacted to "Lee Know, You Know?" and bad puns make me cringe so we'd both probably avoid them. Although, i will say one from time to time, just to annoy him. He'd probably just stare at me like he did with Chan, so I'll just walk off and do something, sniggering to myself because I'm lowkey evil.

🍒Who would want to adopt 50 dogs and cats?🍒

Minho already has two cats, and I have a cat and a dog, so probably both of us. He'd probably want the cats so I'll take the dogs and just cuddle them instead of him because I adore dogs ask anyone in my gc @uselessflower-pan

🍒Which one of you would nearly burn down the kitchen trying to microwave a poptart and who would come to the rescue?🍒

Lowkey probably anyone of us. I tried putting a plastic cup in the microwave when I was half asleep, so I'd probably try a poptart and then he comes in and is like "I don't think we do that babe" and I'm like "sure whatever , I'm going back to sleep"

🍒Who likes to lean over tall railings and who pulls them back?🍒

Well this is obviously going to be me. Minho, the poor baby, doesn't like heights while I don't actually mind them. I do have a habit of leaning over railings but I feel like he'd just pull me away because he's more scared for me than I am for myself😂

🍒What would watching a horror film with them be like?🍒

I l o v e horror movies. I can watch them all day. I feel like Minho isn't the biggest horror movie fan, but because I'm such a loving person, I'm gonna make him watch them with me. However, I am a very jumpy person, so he has to be prepared for me nearly knocking him in the face with my arms and nearly making his hand lose all blood circulation.

🍒Who would be the cheesy flirt and who would be the smooth flirt?🍒

Him for both. I can't flirt to save my life, so he's gonna be doing all the flirting. Sorry Mango

🍒Who is more competitive?🍒

I mean, both of us? I feel like we'd be competitive with each other. Also, I'm going to be doing Just Dance with him. Just saying.

🍒Who would have to be given reminders(remember to eat, don't forget your keys, etc.)?🍒

Both of us? I feel like it might just be a thing we do, like I'd remind him not to forget to eat and take breaks, he'd remind me what books I would need and that i do need to drink more than one drink a day. I guess it would just be a couple thing.

🍒Who sends memes and who sends cute things like "I miss you" texts at 3am?🍒

You see, this is where I said that me and Minho are similar, comes into play. I feel like we'd both spam each other with memes and then he'd say something like 'I miss you' and then I'd say 'I miss you too' and then its 'nah i don't actually' and then me calling him about fifty swear words and then spamming with a bunch of love hearts because I'm soft for one man, and that is Lee Minho.

So that is it, damn this was long, but i ain't lying when it comes to my special mango.💞💖💓💘💕💗💝

And Chan or Seungmin or any of you, if you're reading this, tell Minho I love him very much and am proud of him. Thank you 💗

I'm tagging: @ultrasoftstraykids @uselessflower-pan @brini144 @strawberry-jaehyun @magicaldreamfox1 @stray-kz @taetaejagiyaaa95 @bloomingfantasy @renjuncoven @junguwuz @miatsubaki23 @bndnsclf8 @dreamsaboutnct @uwu-seungminnie @yeehawnana and anyone else who wants to do this!

[shanceitup]

So basically what you're saying is that we're not allowed to be critical of anything anymore. So anyone making a racist or harmful material are allowed to get away with it because they made it for "fun". Not really a good message.

first of all I never said you’re not allowed to be critical of anything, thanks for basically ignoring my message, second of all there’s a difference between someone making Lance all “blushy” and drawing him what a couple inches shorter then his canon height and calling him a slur, making him the racist generic cuban boy trope. I’m salty at the fact that people are being so critical over such little things that aren’t even that frequent, and instead of making their content, they instead complain about and probably want “silent” supporters to back them up so artists can feel bad about what they’re drawing. 

If you post something in the shance tag, people who draw shance, who look up shance, who provide shance content are likely to see it. 

That’s literally what the posts are, make the artist/content creator feel bad because they don’t cater to canon (to their needs). It’s dumb and almost funny because a lot of shance content is fucking aus, or cute drawings of the characters in modern times, and from what I seen in the shance tag, there’s barely any “noodle feminine Lance”. 

People like you like to make assumptions about fucking cute fanart in order to jerk off to your need in being “PC” and “Right”. 

The shance community is not a fucking product, it’s not this one entity where anyone can get what they want if they just demanded. It’s a COMMUNITY, it’s a place where people put out things they love and enjoy and hope others love and enjoy, get the people to talk about it without some dickwad thinking it’s somehow toxic or racist. 

 if you really want the shance content you to be exactly how YOU WANT IT.  either pay for it through commission or make your own content, it’s not fucking rocket science Carol.

 (there’s also the topic of Lance being feminine is somehow bad? Like...making Lance “girly” or into “make-up” is somehow hurting people...okay...thanks for that toxic masculine talk Carol, I’m sure making Lance a fuck boy who likes to do SEX AND ONLY INTO GIRLS is really gonna make a difference.) 

(like....have you seen the K//eith/sh//eith folks? they will literally feminize the fuck out of keith and it wouldn’t fucking matter, but shance? naaaah we have to be moral here, even though there’s no point to it.) 

[femaleless-blog]

January Whole30 Prep

Okay, paleo people-who's planning to kick off 2019 with real, clean eats that are healthful, nomtastic, and Whole30®-compliant? It's close to the New Year, which means it's time to get ready for the January Whole30! This post is packed with tips and tricks on how to prepare for a successful Whole30!

To some degree, we're all suffering the aftereffects of falling into a monthlong series of deliciously dangerous food traps. After all that eggnog-guzzling and cookie-chomping, it's no wonder we're waking up with some bloating, achiness, splotchy skin, and just a teeeeeny bit of extra padding. I think it's about time to gear up again and get mindful about the foods we're putting in our bodies. Wanna join me?

Preparing for #JanuaryWhole30

Once again, starting January 1, I'll be posting Whole30-friendly paleo recipes and tips EVERY DAY right here on Nom Nom Paleo! Some will be culled from my extensive archive of Paleo recipes, while others will be dishes that are brand-new to my blog. Yes, I've done versions of this in years past, so if you're too impatient to wait for this year's edition, go check out my previous collections of Whole30 support and recipes.

Stick with me this January, and I'll stuff your brain with all sorts of hacks for surviving a Whole30, and keep you on track as you figure out how different foods affect your health and well-being. In January, you won't ever be left wondering what to cook or eat next.

Here's the twist: this year, I'm going to make sure all the January recipes I share with you are CHEAP, FAST, and/or EASY. (I mean, they won't be as cheap, fast, or easy as, say, picking up a greasy bag of fast food from the local drive-thru, but that would defeat the whole point of a healthy January reset, right?)

And as always, before jumping into a January Whole30, we're going to do a little prep. Only this time, in keeping with our theme, I'm going to keep our prep as simple as possible. Ready?

What's a Whole30?

Let's start with the basics. The Whole30 is a tried-and-true 30-day dietary reset that eliminates all the foods that may keep you from your true superhero potential. Specifically, for a whole month, you commit to cutting out the bad-for-you stuff: the foods that are most commonly problematic, like sugar, dairy, grains, legumes, alcohol, and junk foods-including those made with “healthy” ingredients. Instead, you commit to eating whole, nutrient-dense foods for 30 days. For more information about the Whole30, go check out the program rules over here.

How Does Whole30 Differ From Paleo?

I know what you're thinking: Isn't the Whole30 the same as eating paleo? Well, yes…and no. Both ways of eating are similar, in that they're about prioritizing whole, unprocessed, nutrient-rich, nourishing foods. I pretty much eat according to the Whole30 rules most of the time, which is why the vast majority of the recipes on my Paleo Recipe Index are entirely Whole30-friendly.

But the Whole30 is stricter than regular old paleo. Some people think of Whole30 as paleo without the treats, but the primary distinction is that the Whole30 has specific nonnegotiable rules and guidelines that you must follow for 30 days to complete it successfully. When you're on a Whole30, certain foods that may be seen as “Paleo-friendly” are out, so don't even think about making “paleo” Bacon Pancake Sandwiches even if the individual ingredients are technically compliant. Unfortunately, that also means that my super-yummy Paleo Pot Stickers are out until at least February 1st. Good thing you can still make my Potsticker Stir-Fry in January! (See? I got options!)

I know-it can be difficult to stick to specific food rules for 30 days. And yes, depending on what you've been eating up 'til now, it may take you a couple of weeks to adjust. But believe me: you will. And you'll feel great. By Day 30, you'll feel like a brand new person-and you'll have a much better understanding of how different foods affect your personal wellness. After the Whole30, you'll be able to systematically reintroduce foods back into your diet to see how each of them makes you feel, which'll help you develop your own nutritional blueprint. Remember: you're a special snowflake (just like everyone else!), so it's important to learn what foods make you feel like the best version of you.

Prep For Success

Is the Whole30 really hard? For some, yes: Sticking 100% to the Whole30's program rules for 30 consecutive days can be a struggle. Frankly, for many folks, sticking to ANYTHING for an entire month is super-tough. But listen to Melissa Hartwig, the headmistress of Whole30:

Your only job during the Whole30 is to focus on making good food choices. You don't need to weigh or measure, you don't need to count calories, you don't need to purchase everything organic, grass-fed, pastured, or local. Just figure out how to stick to the Whole30 rules in any setting, around every special circumstance, under any amount of stress… for 30 straight days. Your only job? Eat. Good. Food.

You can do that, right? Besides, it's a Whole30, not a Whole365 or a WholeForeverAndEverAndEver. It's just 30 days, and I'll be helping you along each step of the way!

To be perfectly honest, the biggest challenge you'll face during a Whole30 is bland, boring food. If you try to tackle a Whole30 by eating nothing but boiled chicken breasts and steamed broccoli, by Week 2, you'll be waging a full-on assault on a donut shop. That would violate the Whole30's program rules (not to mention numerous laws), so instead, follow along with me this January, and I'll keep your palates tickled with dozens of easy, flavor-forward, and super satisfying recipes!

Whole30 Resources

Wanna learn more about the Whole30? Start by devouring everything on the Whole30 website. Craving even more details? Get your hands on a copy of The Whole30-the bestselling tome that lays out the science behind this awesome dietary reset.

If you're a completist and avid reader, you should also pick up the other Whole30 books, too: The Whole30 Cookbook, The Whole30 Fast & Easy Cookbook (which includes recipes by a number of contributors-including me!), and The Whole30 Slow Cooker. These recipe books are crammed with tasty, clean eats. In addition, Melissa penned the Whole30 Day by Day, a daily handbook to keep you engaged, motivated, and accountable during your month of mindful eating. And finally, Food Freedom Forever will help you develop a personal dietary template that'll last you well beyond your Whole30.

Get Inspired!

If you're starved for inspiration, chin up! It's your lucky day: I'm a walking, talking Whole30 recipe generator.

For recipe inspiration and to whet your appetite, visit my free Recipe Index, which includes tons of step-by-step Whole30-friendly recipes. (Pro tip: For a complete list of my Whole30 recipes, scroll to the bottom of my Recipe Index page, and click on the Whole30 button. Or just bookmark this page!)

While you're at it, you can subscribe to my free weekly email newsletter to stay up-to-date on new Whole30 and Paleo friendly recipes.

And definitely follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for all sorts of Whole30 goodness in January (and beyond), too! You don't have to stop being paleo on February 1st!

Next, go pick up my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans and Ready or Not! 150+ Nomtastic Make-Ahead, Make-Over and Make-Now Recipes by Nom Nom Paleo. The vast majority of the recipes in my books are entirely Whole30-friendly and 100% delicious.��My latest book, Ready or Not! even includes four weeks of Whole30-friendly dinner plans!

Oh, and if you like to check off the days of your Whole30 on a wall calendar, don't forget to pick up my One and Done! 2019 Nom Nom Paleo wall calendar-it even comes with a sheet of cute stickers to keep you cooking! Plus, all the recipes in the calendar are Whole30-friendly and can be made in just one pot or pan!

If you've got an iPhone or iPad, download my Webby Award-winning cookbook app, which contains over 200 (and counting!) step-by-step Whole30-approved recipes! Get the app here!

(Note: If you already own the app but recently updated your device or iOS, the app may act up or show only a few recipes-but there's an easy solution: Completely delete the app off your device, and re-download it for free from the App Store. If you continue to have any problems, shoot me an email so I can help you troubleshoot, 'cause I want to make sure you can get cooking!)

I'm by no means the only source for Whole30 recipe inspiration. Follow Whole30Recipes on Instagram, and check out all the wonderful Paleo recipe developers (including Teri Turner, Michelle Smith, Jenn Bumb, Alex Snodgrass, Melissa Joulwan, and Ronny Joseph) who contribute to that feed.

Buddy System FTW!

In my experience, it's infinitely better to do a Whole30 with others than to go it alone. Get your family, friends, and co-workers to join you on a monthlong challenge of healthy and adventuresome cooking and eating-and you can all help each other through it. You can coach and support your pals through the many ups and occasional downs, and best of all, you'll never get bored with your food if everyone shares their Whole30 eats. Accountability works wonders!

And if no one in your immediate circle is willing to accompany you on your January Whole30, visit the Whole30 Forum, where you'll find free support from others who are on the same journey.

Stock your Whole30 pantry!

Let's start filling your kitchen with healthy food! I gave a talk at Lawrence Livermore National Labs with lots of tips on how to paleo-ize your pantry and fridge, and you can watch me do my thing over here:

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Also, click here for my epic post on how to stock your paleo kitchen and pantry like a boss.

Stock your kitchen with tools!

My cookbooks discuss the gadgets and tools I keep in my kitchen to make super-nomtastic grub, but if you want an up-to-date list of my favorite ones, head to my Amazon shopping page. These aren't arbitrary items I'm recommending- I've bought every item on the page myself after reading extensive reviews on trusted sites.

If you have the space and extra moola, an Instant Pot, food processor, and spiralizer are useful tools to buy with your holiday gift cards!

Get in the Kitchen!

Most importantly: Cook! Trust me: It's really, really hard to try to do a Whole30 without getting acquainted with your kitchen. The point of doing a Whole30 is to learn about how different foods affect you-and how can you possibly do that if you don't know exactly what's going into your mouth? As I said in Ready or Not!:

Knowing how to prep meals from scratch doesn't just make you a more rounded individual or hearty survivalist-it makes you more mindful of the ingredients you're putting in your body. By cooking at home, I know exactly what goes into my food. I never have to guess whether my dishes were cooked with ingredients that don't sit well with me.

So crack open my cookbooks, check out some Whole30 recipes for inspiration, and get in the kitchen!

Nom Nom Paleo Meal Plans

Also, before I forget: Do you aspire to be a meal prepping maven? I have four weeks of meal plans and shopping lists in our new cookbook, Ready or Not!

If you want ultimate flexibility and customizability, subscribe to Real Plans-the most amazing meal planning program around! Seriously. It's the bee's knees. There are even add-on recipe modules by yours truly, Nom Nom Paleo, as well as the Whole30, too! Check it out here!

Leftover Makeovers FTW!

“Leftovers” is not a dirty word-especially if you know how to transform your extras into exciting new meals (a.k.a. leftover makeovers). My latest cookbook, Ready or Not!, includes a big section on leftover makeovers, so definitely grab a copy and bookmark the “Kinda Ready” chapter. Prefer to simply reheat the awesome dishes you couldn't finish last night? That works, too, and is a fantastic way to stay sane on your Whole30 without feeling like you're spending the entire month in the kitchen. So remember: don't be afraid to make extra!

Okay, enough chit-chat. It's time to gear up for an awesome January! As I've said before, keep your kitchen adventures fun and your taste buds excited, and you'll cruise through the Whole30. Aren't you excited to see which foods make you feel amazing?

Ready to go? I'm all about hand-holding, encouragement, and most importantly, PEER PRESSURE-so find a buddy to take the plunge with you, and let's do this thing! Tune in here EVERY DAY in January and I'll cheer you on!

P.S. Got questions for me or tips for your fellow Whole30 participants? Please post 'em in the comments!

A note to my Nomsters: This is one of a series of daily blog posts I'm writing in the month of January 2019 to help those doing a Whole30 to kick off the New Year. Not sure what the Whole30 is, or want info on how to get started? Read my Whole30 prep post-and then come back to Nom Nom Paleo every single day for recipes to inspire, delight, and sustain you on your Whole30!

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You'll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!

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