#writing in the most ridiculously small handwriting

[fingertipsmp3]

If I don’t get offered this job I am never filling in a handwritten application form again fr

[euthymiya]

Starting an internship at the company Satoru’s father owns but you don’t know who he is just yet.

He’s annoying. He always comes back from lunch late, lets his phone ring at his desk (that’s conveniently placed next to yours) past the three ring policy, writes emails with silly and immature sign-offs, cracks jokes during meetings, and somehow, despite always finishing his paperwork late, he never manages to lose his damn job.

You try to mind your own business. But you can’t help but feel him slowly grate at your nerves as he acts so unprofessional and for some weird reason, not one person seems to care.

He seems pretty intrigued with you, too, if matters couldn’t get worse.

“Hey,” he grins. You try to ignore the tilt of his lips in amusement as you just barely fight off rolling your eyes.

“Can I help you with something?” You sigh, “I’m currently in the middle of something that requires my full attention, but maybe we could—”

“You really love your office jargon,” he hums, cutting you off with a wider grin, “so dedicated.”

“Oh, my apologies,” you smile tightly. He seems to straighten a little, some sick, twisted form of excitement rushing through his system at the way he seems to get under your skin. “Allow me to use simpler language for you to understand: go away, I’m busy.”

Someone has to stand up to this prick, you think. He puts in half the effort, and somehow, you’re pretty sure your boss has a soft spot for him. You don’t understand it, and quite frankly, you’ll be damned if a lazy, lackluster man snags a promotion before your hardworking self.

“Oh wow,” he snorts, “breaking your strictly professional streak, are you? You must be really occupied. I guess I’ll borrow your stapler later.”

Gritting your teeth, you give him yet another tight lipped smile before grabbing the stapler off your desk and handing it to him. (A small part of you resists the urge to throw it square at his face. Maybe the image of him on the floor with a bloodied nose would make your day a little easier, but then you’re sure you’d be jobless).

“Here you go,” you say with as much kindness as you can muster. (It’s not a lot). “Please do bring it back when you’re done. Some of us actually complete paper work, so the stapler is a necessity.”

“Oh yeah?” He tilts his head, eyes sparkling with mischief, “don’t worry, I won’t hold your stapler hostage for too long. I wouldn’t want to disrupt the flow of your productivity.”

You watch with wary eyes as he walks back to his desk, stapling some small, tiny note of sorts before walking right back, handing the paper and the stapler to you.

“What’s this?” You raise a brow.

“Some paper work for you to fill out,” he grins, the vagueness of his answer making a vein all but pop in your forehead.

Before you even have a chance to tell him that you most certainly will not be entertaining whatever silly prank he’s playing, he walks right off, sagging into his chair as he does an obnoxious little spin and goes back to typing at his computer. Probably yet another email with a ridiculous ending, you think to yourself.

Against your better judgement, you stare at the note, eyeing the small flap he’s stapled over an index card. You lift it up, quickly scanning over his scribbled writing.

Want to grab coffee during lunch? Check your answer:

▢ yes! ▢ absolutely! ▢ most definitely!

Your eye twitches.

Grabbing a pen, you quickly add a box underneath his (very confident) options, checking it off and writing in neat, pristine handwriting:

▣ not a chance!

You stand, walking over to his desk and ignoring his perked up, excited little smile as you drop the note back on the table and head back to your own desk. A tiny wave of satisfaction weaves through your body when you notice him read over your response and deflate, a small pout forming over his lips.

Regretfully, a small part of you can’t help but acknowledge that he’s actually…kind of cute when his lips are curled like that. But a larger part of you shakes that thought away and cringes internally. It’s a shame his personality ruins the genetic blessings he seems to have been bestowed with.

And you think that’s the end of it—but of course, with someone like Satoru in the office, there’s never the end of anything.

You watch as an email pops up on your screen, opening it only to stare blankly at his name and roll your eyes at the subject line:

────────────────────────

Follow-Up on Submitted Paperwork

Greetings office neighbor,

Thank you for submitting the paperwork. Unfortunately, I couldn’t help but notice that it does not fully align with the outlined guidelines. Could you please provide clarification or revise the submission accordingly?

Thanks a million,

Gojo Satoru :)

────────────────────────

And there he goes again with those obnoxious sign-offs, you think bitterly. Instantly, you’re clicking away at your keyboard as you type back an agitated response. Of course, you really shouldn’t entertain his ridiculous schemes, but something about him gets under your skin enough that you simply can’t help yourself.

You huff in approval at your response as you read it over before hitting send.

Instantly, as if he was waiting, you see his hand reach for his mouse and click on his screen to open your email as his eyes scan over your reply:

────────────────────────

Thank you for reaching out,

Unfortunately, I was unable to fully adhere to the outlined guidelines, as they are not viable in this situation. To address this, I adjusted the submission to align more effectively with a more practical outcome.

Hope that helps!

Your office neighbor :)

────────────────────────

Just when you think he’s given up, he rolls his chair over to your desk, causing a couple of annoyed heads to tilt up and glare at him for the noise before turning their attention back to their work. You pinch your nose as his chair rolls to a stop in front of your desk.

“Yes?” You grit through your teeth.

“Hey, office neighbor,” he hums, “just wanted to clarify your most recent email with you. I’m a bit confused.”

“Which part confused you?” You bat your lashes in faux charm, sarcastically smiling at him as he hums, grabbing a piece of candy from your little bowl of sweets at your desk and helping himself.

Your eye twitches a little at the gesture. Those are for you to enjoy throughout a miserable work day.

“Um…” he trails off as he pretends to think, “I’d say all of it.”

“I see,” you nod slowly, fighting every bone in your body not to snap at him with a colorful choice of words. “Essentially, the options in your original document did not highlight a plausible set of deliverables, so I corrected them for you with a more realistic one. Make sense?”

“Not really,” he sighs dramatically, pretending to scratch his head in confusion. You want nothing more than to grab those snowy locks and slam his face into your paper shredder. “Could you go over it one more time? I’m still lost.”

You’re just about to lose your patience with him when suddenly, the entire office seems to collectively take in a sharp breath, everyone scrambling to look as productive as possible while a tall, older looking man with suspiciously familiar white hair and blue eyes walks through the office. Something in your brain sets off alarm bells, but you can’t quite completely piece it together what it is about him seems so….recognizable.

“Who’s that?” You frown, scrunching your nose in confusion as everyone straightens up.

“That would be the final boss,” he snorts. You roll your eyes at his word choice before blinking and straightening up yourself.

“Oh my god,” you gasp, voice a panicked whisper as you ask, “you mean the owner of this company?”

“Yeah,” he drawls, raising a brow at you in amusement. “Never seen him before?”

“No,” you hiss, “I’m just the intern! Now go back to your desk before he thinks we’re goofing off, I’d like to keep my job, please.”

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” he hums.

You send him a nasty glare, just about at your wits end as you whisper-yell, “I am going to throw my stapler right at your—”

“Satoru, I need you in my office,” comes a stern, deep voice, interrupting you as you quickly shut your mouth.

“You got it, old man,” he salutes in mock seriousness. Suddenly, your spine goes rigid and your eyes widen. The man walks off with a firm nod as Satoru stands, giving you an innocent smile.

Suddenly, it dawns on you just why he looked so strikingly familiar.

“Did you just call him old man?” You blink, mouth agape.

“Yup,” he winks, walking backwards as his eyes stay trained on you while he heads for the elevator. “I’ll put in a good word for you when he’s in a better mood at home tonight. I think we can discuss the specifics over coffee during our lunch hour, yeah?”

[sweetkpopmusings]

stray kids soulmate aus | l. minho <3

a/n: minho is for real the love of my life...that gent is so peculiar and he means everything to me <333 i really had to collect myself while writing this because eeeeeeeee my minho feels have been so strong :,,,-) i can't believe the skz soulmate au series is complete now ! i hope they have brought you lots of joy, and thank you for all the kind words you've shared <3333 pics not mine~

content: fluff, soulmate au | wc: 2.3k | warnings: none really! | pairing: soulmate!minho x gn!reader | requests: open

♡ chan | minho | changbin | hyunjin | jisung | felix | seungmin | jeongin ♡

until you meet your soulmate, you receive one object per year that is a clue to who they are.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

minho’s favorite day of the year was always the day he received his clue about you.

from a young age, minho fell in love with the puzzle of it all. slowly but surely, he developed a ritual for unpacking each clue. he paid attention to every detail, taking thorough notes and letting his mind run wild with theories, no matter how ridiculous they seemed. he recorded everything in a notebook, which was one of his most prized possessions. it chronicled every thought he had about his soulmate, and, whenever he felt sentimental, he’d flip through the pages, smiling fondly as he watched his love turn from something childish into something solid, like the love he felt in his heart now.

minho’s love grew steadily over time, spiking when he received certain clues that were so clearly tied to his soulmate’s personality. once, during his middle school years, the clue was a polaroid you had taken. even though he wasn’t sure what it was of–maybe your bedroom wall or somewhere you spent a lot of time at–minho knew that the image was of a place near and dear to your heart. today, minho flipped through the pages, sighing happily when his eyes rested on that very polaroid. he memorized every centimeter of the image long ago.

unboxing today’s clue felt no different from all the unboxings before. after turning the pages forward to a blank one, minho settled into his chair. butterflies filled his stomach when he held a new clue for the first time because he felt as though he were one step closer to holding his soulmate. inhaling briefly to steady his excitement, he deftly unwrapped the package, surprised to hold a planner in his hands.

“huh,” minho chuckled, “let’s see what you’re getting up to.”

he couldn’t believe his clue would be so blatant about his soulmate’s identity. it felt entirely lucky that, just beyond the cover of this planner, would be details to his soulmate’s life, to you, whoever you were. minho smiled as he flipped through the pages, running his fingertips over your handwriting. he didn’t want to intrude too much, but he reveled in learning about the life his soulmate led. this must be it, the final clue. 

minho’s suspicion–or, rather, hope–was confirmed when he returned to the front of the planner. on the corner of the front page, he read the most beautiful words he’d ever encountered: if lost, please return to y/n l/n. thank you!

beneath your name was your phone number. not wanting to break his ritual, minho scribbled his observations into his notebook. while he didn’t need to theorize your name, he entertained himself by theorizing about the grocery store you went to and what your favorite takeout restaurant smelled like. admittedly, now that he had your name, he also started a list of potential nicknames for you. once he was satisfied with his entry, he picked up his phone. finally, he had the opportunity to test his theories against someone real.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

your yearly clue arrived earlier than you expected. glancing at the clock, you decided to risk being late to work. how could you resist the opportunity to start your day with something connected to your soulmate?

rather than a full package, your clue was sent to you in a small envelope, no bigger than a postcard. inside was a piece of paper with faded designs on the border. it was hard to make out exactly what the images were, but you could tell it was stationary that was popular when you were a young child. it was also apparent that the handwriting on the page belonged to a kid, maybe an elementary school student. your heart jumped when it clicked that this was your soulmate’s writing, these words a special glimpse in their mind as a child. 

hi!

today was very sunny. the weather was cool like spring. is it also spring for you? i guess you wouldn’t live that far away from me. i think it would be fun if you were from a place all the way across the world. maybe we could meet while traveling! or while doing something boring, like going to the store, haha. if we meet at the store, i should buy you something, right? i hope we like the same things. i’ll still buy you want you want, even if it’s gross.

anyways, i am writing this letter because my teacher said we had to practice our new vocabulary words with someone close to us. i used two already. here are the rest: bleak, chilly, windy, humid, falling leaves, summertime, spring day, downpour, foggy. our vocabulary unit was on the weather. i hope you had good weather today too, not weather that was bleak. 

love your soulmate, lee minho♡  

you were so incredibly heartwarmed that you didn’t know whether to smile or cry. when you saw the time, you realized there wasn’t room for either emotional activity. you floated on the street as you made your way to work, feeling invincible from the sweetness of your soulmate’s words. your soulmate, lee minho. 

nothing could ruin your good mood today. not spilling some coffee onto your hand, not misplacing your planner, not even the stranger bumping into you as you exited the elevator. today was perfect because you learned your soulmate’s name, which meant that you could probably figure out who they were. you also learned that, when they were a child, thay considered you as someone close, even though you had never met yet.

daydreams about what your soulmate would write to you in a letter today were interrupted by your phone going off. at first, you were relieved to see the message about your planner being found. your brow furrowed, however, when the message with the time and place to meet was followed up by a message declaring that you would meet your soulmate when you picked up your planner. 

wanting to avoid a potential scam or prank, you decided to ask a question that would confirm their identity. you almost forgot that you didn’t have to dig into the recesses of your memory for specific clues. thankfully, the childhood letter was fresh in your mind, so you asked a simple who are you?

anxiety was replaced by excitement when they replied i’m your soulmate, lee minho.

just like you had this morning, you checked the clock to see how much time you had until you needed to leave for your next destination. leaving early felt silly, but, seeing as your soulmate would be there and expecting you, you didn’t feel like waiting any longer. 

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

minho sat at a table outside the convenience store with a few beverage options in front of him. he wanted to offer you something when you arrived, so he picked the items he thought suited your taste, based on his instinct and clue investigations. a smile graced his lips when the reality of your nearing presence hit him. while he waited, minho wondered what clue you received that revealed his name. as far as he could tell, he wasn’t missing any identifiable documents. maybe a nametag or souvenir of his ended up in your hands, or maybe it was just a piece of paper with his name on it. regardless, minho wasn’t one to question fate’s methods if it meant that he’d finally meet his soulmate tonight.

minho had texted you a description of what he wore–black pants paired with a white button-down and a beret–but you knew who he was before you even registered his outfit. there was something about the feeling you got when you looked at the man sitting outside the convenience store, your favorite drinks neatly placed in front of him. before you could get too stunned by his beauty, his eyes met yours. he smiled and waved for you to join him. knees weak, you happily accepted the invitation.

“hi, y/n,” minho grinned, “i believe this belongs to you.”

you giggled at the way he smirked when he handed the planner over to you and blushed at the way he said your name. his confident and relaxed energy dissipated your nerves. as cliché as it sounded, being near minho made you feel at home.

“thank you, minho. i would be lost without this thing,” you sighed and placed it in your bag, “it’s also nice to meet you.” 

“likewise,” he gestured to the drinks between you two, “i wasn’t sure which one you’d like best, so i bought a few options. it felt rude to meet at a store and not buy you something.”

you bit the inside of your cheek, thinking back to the childhood letter making the same claim, and then grabbed one of the items, “this one is actually my favorite! how did you know?”

minho was clearly proud, and his eyes gleamed with playfulness, “i used my amazing detective work.”

you laughed, “ah, so i see the clues came in handy for my drink preferences.”

“mhm,” he nodded, “that and other things.”

you raised your eyebrows, “should i be scared of what you know?”

he shrugged, “probably.”

a hand went over your mouth as you laughed, nearly spitting out your drink. minho giggled, reaching into his bag while you regained your composure.

“i have this for you,” he slid a notebook across the table to you.

“for me?”

he nodded. you carefully picked it up, surprised by its weight. when you opened the notebook and saw that it was full of different items, you understood why it was heavier than it appeared. on the first page, you recognized the same childish handwriting from today’s clue. you smiled and looked up at minho.

“what’s in here?”

“every clue i’ve gotten about you.”

his tone was nonchalant, but you were so touched by the gesture you thought you could melt right then and there. he had kept every single clue and wrote entries for each one. now, he was giving that collection to you. you knew from that letter that he was sweet. this, however, was more sentimentality than you could have ever imagined.

“wow, minho, this is…” you held his gaze, so he knew your sincerity, “thank you. i love it.”

he smiled, turning his head to the side in shyness, which made the red tips of his ears apparent, “i’m happy you like it.”

you two smiled at each other for a moment, reveling in your shared space.

“ah! that reminds me. what was your clue today? mine obviously brought us together, but i can’t imagine i’d be the only one to have such a straightforward clue today. was it how you knew my name?”

you grinned at both his playful bragging and the thought of your clue, “it was a letter you wrote me when you were a kid. you told me some of your new vocabulary words about the weather. you also signed it with ‘love your soulmate, lee minho.’ your handwriting was adorable!”

if you thought his ears were red before, now there was no doubt in your mind that he was blushing. minho even stuttered a little out of shyness when he replied.

“i see…was the letter any good?”

“yes, i think you used your vocabulary words well,” you teased, “it was very sweet. i was surprised that you said i was someone close to you, though, given that you were so young and didn’t even know me. why did you choose to write it to me instead of someone like a parent or friend?”

minho hummed, genuinely thinking back to his childhood logic, “honestly? it was never a mystery to me whether i’d love you or not.”

now you were the one blushing, smiling, and struggling to find the right words. it didn’t help that minho looked downright smug at your reaction to his comment. clearly, you were in for quite the ride with your soulmate. you figured you needed to get used to your heart fluttering if you were going to spend the rest of your life with him.

minho sighed, standing up from his seat, “well, y/n, i unfortunately have to go. get home safely, and study well! we should make plans to meet again this week, if you’re free.”

“wait, i have to study before i see you again?” you tilted your head in confusion, causing a smile to grace minho’s face.

“yes, you need to study the book i gave you. there will be a pop quiz on the information next time we meet.”

you eyes darted to the notebook in your hand and then back to your ridiculous soulmate. the proud, mischievous look on his face convinced you that he wasn’t lying about the quiz. 

“what do i get if i ace it?”

“hmm,” minho tapped his finger on the side of his head, “my eternal love and affection.”

you smiled, quickly changing your expression to a playful one, “i thought i already had that? at least, that���s what your letter implies.”

minho chuckled, ears turning red again, “huh, i guess you’re right. i’ll buy you dinner then. but only if you ace it.”

you laughed at the seriousness in his voice, “it’s a date!” 

minho grinned, “it’s a date.” 

he paused to savor the way those words sounded, to relish in the moment of promising to see each other soon. yet again, you felt yourself blushing, flustered by the sweet intensity of his love.

“see you soon, and let me know when you’re home safe, my dear, y/n.”

minho cooed your name, and you giggled. he smiled that proud smile again, fondness reflecting in his eyes. you promised to text him the second you were home and asked that he did the same, so you knew when you could call him. after several more tries, you two finally said a goodbye that sounded a lot more like i can’t wait to see you again soon because i love you!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

[veespee]

Are you comfortable with writing a few headcanons about firebrand with a partner? This is about your comfort, and if your not comfortable with that,maybe some general headcanons for Sean from whispered faith? Only if your okay with that, though!

i'm not the best with romance, but i can try :)!

(I'll make a separate post for Sean in the future as well, as he's one of my favs.)

Firebrand partner headcanons

(plus a small moodboard for funsies)

-Definitely would write poetry for his partner. Like the most romantic, caring words ever. He would send them somehow with mail, or would get someone to deliver it, since he is stuck in the Collective realm. His handwriting would he very fancy and neat, some words probably wouldn't even be clear from his calligraphy, and he would also put some small gifts in there. Nothing too fancy, maybe a flower, or really anything he can find from the Collective Realm. (i'm not really sure how much freedom he has in there, so I'll just assume)

-If his partner struggled financially, he would not hesitate to send over a bunch of money. Like a ridiculous amount. If he got asked where he even got that, he would not elaborate.

-As for nicknames, he would probably use classic and sweet words, like darling, honey, dear, etc., but most of the time he would use his partner's full name. He'd probably be embarrassed that a god is calling a normal human these things, so he'd only do it when they would be alone.

-Gets in a lot of fights with Observer. They never really had a good relationship to begin with, but if Observer started stalking his partner and being weird around them... all hell would break loose. He would probably monitor Observer 24/7, and if he tried to mess with his partner, especially with electronic devices, Firebrand would quickly shut all signal off. He would basically do anything in his power to protect his partner from Observer.

-I feel like he's just a general masochist. Not in a weird sexual way, more in a 'i want to experience what it's like to be human and feel emotions and pain' way? Pain would just gives him a rush, as Firebrand is mostly emotionless in his life, and pretty miserable too. So i think he really wouldn't mind being a punching bag of sorts. (also a cool HC is that he has high pain tolerance, and can't feel his burnt skin much) Basically, if his partner was angry, he wouldn't mind taking a few punches on the chest. Or if his partner was a smoker, he wouldn't mind getting a cigarette crushed on him. (not in an abusive way, of course, he would consent to it and have clear boundaries)

-I think he'd be pretty scared to show his face for the first time. And when his partner saw his face, and actually thought he looked beautiful, he'd just be like "oh." and get embarrassed that he was so worried. Also i think he's pretty blushy, and would honestly get flustered easily despite his very stoic and stern personality.

-Lastly, I'll just sum up what i think he'd be like in a relationship. I feel he'd be very passionate, like his partner is the light of his life. He doesn't have much light in his life anyway, and being stuck in his god-like form and in that realm, having his partner would make him feel alive. I don't think he'd be the most romantic amd affectionate person ever, as i think he'd be more reserved and would take time to actually be soft and show vulnerability. There wouldn't be any extravagant gifts or surprises, just gentle and passionate love between two different beings that found each other.

thank you reading and thank you for the request!🖤

[rudnitskaia]

Im desperately withholding the urge to ask like 13 questions for romauncebut ive narrowed it down to 3, 6, 18 and 19

Hey-hey, Edd! ✨

Thank you for your wonderful ask again! I'm very grateful for the inspiration and the opportunity you gave me to reveal more of the RoMaunce story. 💖

I decided to write and post the ficlets for the remaining part of your ask all at once. I remember you wanted a drawing for № 18, and I will certainly do it in the end of May / beginning of June (only from Rocky's perspective and containing that bonus part of the question), but now I want to cover it at least with a short story. :3

So, here they are, the ficlets for questions № 3, № 6 and № 18 from that list in the chronological (for the characters) order.

№ 18 - Who leaves little notes in the other’s one lunch? (Bonus: what does it usually say?)

A Real Unicorn

“Oh, Rocky, what a—” Ivy stopped short when she noticed that the pieces of paper she had picked up from the floor beneath the table where Calvin and Rocky had been sitting just a moment ago weren't trash, but… notes.

A pile of small, tightly crumpled notebook sheets, all neatly handwritten in pencil. It was unlikely that anyone had ever given Rocky an assignment on paper, and Calvin also had no reason to write so often to the cousin whom he saw every day. Maybe Rocky wrote down poetry that way? Though it would have been a bit of a stretch to assume that he was that meticulous. Ivy stroked the sheets with her fingers. Were they really valuable, since Rocky kept them with him, or did he just put them in his pocket and then forget to throw them away? It wasn't that important, actually. It was better to just return the loss… but curiosity eventually got the better of Ivy.

Forgetting about the plates and cups, she began to read the lines, puzzled to find a strange list of orders from the cafeteria. Pizzas, pastas, salads, coffee… no, Ivy didn't see anything surprising in the fact that Rocky might have dined somewhere else besides Little Daisy, but why did he keep the notes that the waitresses usually made for the kitchen?

She wondered about that until she accidentally turned over one of the sheets.

What she saw was hard to comprehend. With each new word, Ivy's gaze grew more excited. Her heart beat more frequently. Her eyebrows arched in surprise.

She didn't stop until she had read them all, from beginning to end, but even then she couldn't believe it. Ivy sat back in the chair and stared at the wall.

What was more likely? That Rocky had completely lost his mind and over and over again was writing himself tender endearments and, for some reason, wishes of bon appétit, in the same thin handwriting that listed the orders on the back side of the sheets, or that he had a… no, it couldn't be. It seemed ridiculous to even try to imagine.

After all, if somewhere in the world there existed a woman who willingly writes such words to Rocky Rickaby, then somewhere in St. Louis might as well live a real unicorn.

№ 3 - Most common argument?

The Chains That Are Too Short

“Someday I'll steal you away for more than a couple hours, and then we'll get really entertained,” Rocky chuckled, helping Mau roll up the blanket. Another night under the stars in St. Louis was coming to an end.

“Really? Are you planning something for a whole three hours?” quipped Maura at him.

“I was rather hoping for something between fifty years and forever,” Rocky shrugged, picking up his violin case. “And then it is as it goes. You know, all that happily ever after, but… livelier. With a bit of sparks here and there.”

“Hmm. So, you’re going to take me, like a princess, away on a white horse to your sugar castle in the kingdom beyond the clouds, and we'll live in love and harmony, become exemplary neighbors, start paying our taxes, have a bunch of obnoxious kids and die the same day.”

“Why not?” Rocky seemed not to notice her sarcasm. “Yes, the script is old-fashioned, but it's proven by both time and folklore. It's almost a guide to action, if you know how to apply folk wisdom properly. And if we dig deeper into the poetry of feudal Europe, we can probably find a couple or three good tips even about paying taxes.”

“Maybe so, but unfortunately, happy fairytales are now left only as an exception and only on the stages of theaters. And you and I don't have enough for a single ticket even together,” Mau started to walk toward the fire escape, but Rocky caught up with her and took her by the arm. Her words, or rather what was clearly between the lines, made his heart feel totally uneasy.

“Mau… I can get some money. I…”

“It's not about money, Roark,” she sighed. “Or rather, it's not just about them. You know it well already…” she took only a step before Rocky stopped her again.

“Come with me,” he blurted out anxiously.

“Where to?”

“In general! Now! We could live together…”

“You sleep in a car. Which isn't even yours.”

“If I rearrange a few things, we both could fit in there. And I could give the cactus to Freckle…”

“Roark…”

“And… and! And I could also ask Miss M. about a job for you. Sooner or later things will get better at Lackadaisy, and… what if we could rent a room together?”

“That's the very problem. I can't be seen anywhere in criminal circles. My father and I are being chased, and rumors will definitely spread if I show up in the underground, and then… then my father and I will have to run away again, and if anyone finds out that you and I are together… Dio mio, don't you realize they'll kill you?”

Rocky quietly groaned and started pacing back and forth. He was almost shaking from nerves. Mau, meanwhile, continued, oblivious to the need to speak in a low voice:

“These thugs are not going to stop at anything to get us. It's bad enough that you're at odds with the locals, so I pray every night that you'll at least stay alive after your ventures, and I don't want to bring the New York Mafia down on you too! This is madness, Roark! I told you many times, I can't be seen with you while you're in the bootlegging business. Maybe we could rent a shabby little room somewhere if you were just a musician, but you ain't, and you ain't going to be!”

In despair, Rocky flailed his arms.

“But I can't! I can't leave Miss M.! I can't—”

“I know,” Mau interrupted him. “And I'm not asking you to. But you can't tease me with a bright future either… It's too much even for me. We're alive, and we have each other, here and now, and that's more than I could ever hope for. Please, just be with me while it's possible…”

Rocky still couldn't calm down. He was breathing erratically, heavily… when Mau stepped closer to him and gently embraced him, he pulled her against him so tightly that she involuntarily sighed. He was sickened by how right she was. His entire being was rebelling against that rightness, wanting to burn that truth to the ground and recreate his own, happy truth from the ashes, whatever risks it took. The seconds lingered… Rocky didn't unclench his hands. Anything to keep Mau in his arms now… anything to avoid going back into the night alone.

But the chains bound to them were too short to allow them to reach the morning.

Interesting fact: The question № 3 was the hardest for me to explore, because for me Rocky and Mau are not the couple that has many constant, repetitive topics to argue about. At first I thought to write about Rocky ignoring his health issues, because that definitely would've got Maura's nerves, but that topic becomes a 'constant argument' only in the distant future from the Lackadaisy current timeline. But finally, I found the topic that is definitely difficult for them both and may cause repetitive uneasy discussions. I hope it covered the question.

№ 6 - What is their favorite feature of their partner’s?

The Serenity in You

The Epigraph: When stars drown in the night and the storm fills your mind, it's important to find the safe haven to hide…

The summer heat in the car was becoming unbearable. Rocky felt as if he was drowning in the dense air, almost as much as in his own thoughts. Whenever he was able to doze off, fears and memories began to flood his mind, to crash over him in suffocating waves. Carefully, so as not to wake her, Rocky found Maura's hand, gently intertwining their fingers together. Even back then, when he hadn't had the courage to tell her about his feelings, she had taken his hand in hers so often that it had become almost a sacred act for Rocky. She didn't even seem to realize how every time they were sitting or standing in front of each other she began to stroke the back of his hand… and how much peace, serenity even, that gentle touch brought him.

Suddenly he heard a whisper:

“What are you thinking about?”

Rocky slightly shivered from tension. What he was thinking about… he wished he didn't know himself. Keeping his eyes shut, he mumbled:

“Ah, it's nothing. You know, there's a pesky streetlight out there, and its reflection in the window keeps me awake…”

Mau was silent for a while, and only turned slightly on her side, resting her head on his chest.

“I love hearing your voice, Roark. Falling asleep listening to the tune you hum and the sound of your heartbeat. It's soothing… almost like the sound of the rain outside the window, only… much warmer. Dearer. But when your heart beats like this… like how it beats now… I want to know what makes it so heavy.”

Once again, the nightmares that had haunted him became clearer in his mind. He hesitated; he was uncomfortable with these ugly thoughts himself, and the last thing he wanted to do was to make Mau sink into them, too. But when she gently, yet confidently squeezed his hand in hers again, his doubts receded. She was here, right next to him. And as long as she touched his fingers with hers, they would not drown in this boundless sea. So finally, gently leaning his cheek against the top of Maura's head, Rocky began to speak.

[lonelychicago]

do you have any interesting 911 headcanons?

i'm just gonna write some of my favorite hcs and you decide if they're interesting jajsjhdk <33

(they're not all buddie hcs @ice-sculptures but some of these are 👀 )

buck and maddie have a small tattoo on their pinky promise finger and it's a d in each other's handwriting to have daniel always be with them.

when buck gets reallyyy drunk, he gets this awful and hilarious british accent that everyone finds ridiculous. (except eddie, eddie finds it incredibly hot but only bc he's pathetically in love with buck and it's embarrassing honestly)

hen, chimney, buck and eddie have a movie night all together once a month. buck and eddie usually fall asleep and hen and chim take pics of them, tease them and every now and then play a prank on two.

buck is actually friends with eddie's sisters. it started at his firefighter ceremony where they met and then they made a group chat with him to keep in touch. sometimes eddie struggles with texting and keeping his sisters updated so buck always sends pics of eddie cooking or at the firehouse or with chris at the beach or on their weekly movie nights. sophia and adriana also tease him endlessly about eddie (bc they know how their brother really feels for buck) but buck just takes it as a joke.

eddie and hen are the most nosy ppl in the station. they're always gossiping while stocking the ambulance and they know everything and anything about everyone.

buck goes to pts meetings when eddie can't make it and half the moms thinks they're married, the other half think they're divorced and a small amount want to jump his bones either way.

eddie steals buck's clothes. it started probably after the well incident— buck lent him his hoodie on the way home bc eddie could not stop shaking and he wanted to keep him warm. and then... eddie just forgot to give it back (on purpose but shhh) and every chance he gets he takes one of buck's tshirts or hoodies. they're just softer than his and they smell nice and no one has to know, okay?

these are just some but i can probably think of more kshsjsjs

sleepover weekend! 💌

[stevenblueniverse]

Bellow selkie au chapter 13!

Chapter 13 a big suprise

White diamond woke up in her large expensive bed, she was currently staying in one of her many beach houses across the world, this one was in Ireland. She put on a long black, expensive dress, with a ridiculous cape and a slit showing her legs, three pearl necklaces, one long one and two shorter ones, made sure her makeup was as perfect as ever, always using black makeup to make her nearly completely white eyes and skin stand out. She stepped outside her beach house, ready to write another letter to her daughter and sit in the sun, eventhough no one would be seeing her she never left the house without being dressed well and with her jewellery and makeup.

When white opened the door she was shocked, all around her, lay seals. "What are you doing here selkies?", she asked them, one female seal, larger and older than the others came to her and transformed into her human form, she bowed down to her, kissing her feet. "White diamond! We saw a truly shocking sight!", she told her, "and that is?", white replied, raising an eyebrow, she wasnt very found of the selkies appearing to her in such an unexpected way. "We saw a human who had eyes just like you! She was also very strong! Able to pick up one of us as a seal and pull her away from us!", another selkie interrupted the conversation, saying, "and the one she pulled away knew her and said she was her friend!". "Hmmm" white crossed her arms, "what did this human look like?", she asked, suddenly all the selkies called out the same word in unison, "LEMON!!", to her, White's eyes widened, "y-yellow??", she asked, trembling, "ALL YELLOW!", they yelled back.

Yellow diamond waited for her ship to arrive, she was waiting on the docks, holding her belongings and the album she got blue in two suitcases that where too small for it all and nearly bursting open. Blue stood next to her, holding her coat in one hand, she was wearing a blue dress yellow bought for her. Yellow looked at her, trying not to cry, "I'm so sorry I have to leave, I'm leaving you and your sister", she wiped her eyes, she couldn't controll the tears.

"It's fine", blue told her, putting her hand on her cheek and wiping away some tears, "also you left this here at the hotel", she took a letter from her pocket and gave it to yellow, "I think it's from your mother". Yellow took the letter and looked down to her "URGENT!", was written in big, red letters, it was unmistakably her mother's handwriting. She opened it and all that was written in it was "WHAT DID YOU DO", in the same red letters, a feeling of dread took over yellow, "what does it say?", blue asked, yellow stuffed it back into her pocket, ignoring blue and turned away, looking over to see her ship approaching.

"Oi banana head! Get on!", one of yellow's crew members called to her, waving their arms at her. "banana face?", blue asked, "it's nothing, don't say it", yellow wiped away her tears and got on the boat. "Who was the lady you where talking to?", the crew member asked, smirking at her, "no one, is talking to people that foreign to you, melchizedek?", melchizedek went bright red and stormed off as yellow smirked, she looked out to see blue and waved to her as the boat turned away from her, "ILL RETURN HERE ONE DAY! I PROMISE!", she called to blue, watching her until she couldn't see the Dock anymore. When blue couldn't see yellow anymore she put on her coat and jumped into the sea, transforming and following after the boat as she promised.

It was now night and most of the crew where either asleep or smoking on the top deck, yellow went down the stairs to one of the smallest rooms at the very bottom of the ship, she didn't want to sleep yet but wanted some time alone. This room was a make shift prayer room, with a small desk coming out the wall and Holy icons decorating the walls, it was once a bedroom of a crew member everyone hated, so they kicked him out and turned it into a prayer room to mock him as he was an atheist. Yellow knelt down and rested her hands on the desk, she thought about blue and looked up to the icons, they reminded her of her childhood going to church, she never did that now, she Barely even understood it, she never did.

"Ive travelled all over the world and met so many different types of people, thanks to them I found out there are so many different gods people all around here believe in, there may even be some real gods out there we don't know of", yellow thought to herself, reminiscing on all the years she spend travelling, she looked up to the icons. "any of those gods, if they're real, please listen to me! I want to make a vow to the being who may be listening to me! I have to confess something, I am in love, this love is something I have never felt before and I can't let it leave me", yellow bowed her head, she couldn't look at the icons as she confessed, she felt guilty for even thinking these things. "I barely know this person but I've already decided I want to spend my whole life with them, even beyond, maybe we can live other lives together after these ones pass", yellow began to blush as she imagined other incarnations of her and blue "maybe as animals, bats are cute how about as bats! We can hang upside down together and kiss! Maybe we'll live as beings not even on this planet I won't care how different it is as long as we are together!", yellow laughed at that one, she saw a space comic a couple years ago and must've got it from that, she probably looked so crazy right now.

"What are you doing yellow?", a familar voice asked, yellow frantically turned around, it was blue, she was standing there and smiling, she was wearing her coat and her hair was wet. "B-blue!?", yellow studdered, backing into the wall and nearly knocking over the icons, blue approached, "I followed you, as I promised", she said, water dripping off her coat, she had just jumped onto the boat and had been watching her pray this whole time.

[rainbowsandwhumperflies]

Do you do all your writing on one doc, or do you have a bunch of different ones?

I Suck at organizing, especially when trying to put a story together, so I am always trying to find (and stick to!) ways to organize my stuff

<3

you've caught me at kind of an awkward time, I'm in the middle of transferring stuff from one app to another with different formatting in each 😭 but I will do my best to explain my process of putting things together! warning this is a ridiculously long explanation

So the current main thing that I organize The Winged Servant into is a google doc, but it isn't the place that has the most of it. My current number of typed words for that story is about 83 thousand, but I actually have a deep hatred for typing and love for pencils and paper. If I were to guess the amount of ws that was written somewhere, I'd say probably about twice as much.

I do have notebooks specifically for writing in. I don't use most of them.

Where I mostly write is actually my yearly planner! I get planners that give me like two pages each week, and my handwriting is very small. So after I use the planner part, there's a lot of leftover space, and I put a lot of things in the empty past space. I also have the ADHD curse of never opening planners, so I put literally every single thing in the past space so I'm forced to open it. It's my writing and my school notes and song lyrics that get stuck in my head and so much other stuff. I don't think I can explain without a visual? So here's a wretched wretched visual.

[ID: I'm so sorry if you rely on image descriptions. This is an image of a piece of paper with like eight different topics scribbled all over it, with editing that is desperately trying to make it seem less chaotic than it is. This editing is doing it by labeling different areas with "this whole green bar is repetitive spanish vocab for memorization" "it''s stats notes the whole way down" "song lyrics that were stuck in my head" "when the math teacher was like 'use scrap paper'" "vampire fanfic if I remember correctly" "things that were written in the planner as plans" and "tiktok audios I wanted to animate to (so that I didn't have to keep listening to it every five seconds)" /end ID]

so yeah that's what my planners look like. I put pretty much everything in there. this is one of the tamer pages. the reason the right side handwriting is so much worse is because I wrote it with my left hand to practice to become ambidextrous!

That's where the majority of The Winged Servant is written. That is where the majority of everything I write is written. I've been getting the same planner for the past three years and doing this every year. I have no organization system within the notebook, I just write whatever sounds appealing that day. And once in a while if I want to write but have no energy, I start typing wherever I left off. Right now I'm a few pages into the second notebook!

Okay enough about the pencil paper writing. Once it gets typed, it does currently go into one google doc. I do love love love the new tab feature of google docs though! It's really convenient to be able to just have multiple google docs inside a google doc. This is what the tabs of ws look like.

[ID: tabs in a google doc, reading: Outline, Preplot Kieran, Arien era, Captivity era, Actual story ?!?! and Ask games etc etc. /end ID]

There used to be two more, which were pre-whump royalty and pre-whump angels. Those are currently inside of the outline tab, because I'm trying to condense all of them into one tab while keeping headings intact so that I can export the document eventually.

The reason I'm exporting is to move to ellipsus ! It doesn't have all the features of google docs that I wish it did but it doesn't scrape original work for ai. It is all around a much more ethical company so I'm moving over there. Also most of the features I want have been requested and the ellipsus team is really nice about listening to feedback so I'm not worried.

Anyway. This is what inside the tabs looks like.

[ID: Inside of the tab reading "Actual story ?!?!" there are subcategories, titles Chapter 1 (Posted), Chapter 2 (Posted), Chapter 3 (Posted), Chapter 4 (Posted), and Chapter 5 (Posted) /end ID]

Each chapter title also has a description (the same descriptions that I use in the masterlist lmao) and I can see them if I hover. Since they're chapters instead of concepts, they are all the same level of subcategory, but in the other tabs they're not chapters and not the same level.

[ID: Inside the tab "Ask games etc etc" there's a subcategory titled "In-character writing asks" . Inside of that, there are more subcategories titled Ryan's asks, Onyx's asks, and Asks for multiple characters /end ID]

so. yeah. that's about it. my organization system is Fuck Around And Find Out. it's a miracle I've ever posted anything coherent and I'm sorry if you were hoping for a genuinely helpful answer. but I hope this answered any questions of yours!

[silversiren1101]

[A letter in a night blue envelope with a golden seal, showing the stylized A of Daeran and Salvadore Arendae. It’s written in two handwritings, both neat and entwined, one wide and spirited, the other tighter with sharp edges.] My dear Minovae,

a most joyous Valentine’s Day to you and Regill too!

This special little gift of yours is a pure delight and made my given task almost too easy. Salvadore tried a piece of the chocolate you sent and apparently enjoyed it so much that he started glowing. Literally! Assuming, he won’t attempt to continue working in this extraordinary state, I’ll have him all to myself for the rest of the day. I’ll abduct him to the pleasures I have planned for him a few hours early thanks to you! Paralictor, in the assumption that you will read this letter too but refused to take my valuable suggestions on how to make this day unforgettable for your wife, we sent you a book with instructions instead. Daerest Minovae,

your letter was a true delight. I’ll follow your cherished advice and give in to Daeran’s attempts to abduct me from my working place. I have a surprise for him as well but can’t tell you more, he’s looking over my shoulder right now. But after the chocolate incident, it will include feeding him the rest of those bon-bons you sent. In my next letter, you will get the full report of the effects of course. I hope you are just as successful in convincing your husband of a romantic, pleasurable time today. Maybe an order will work? Or the book we send as a gift and Daeran mentioned above. It doesn't include any instructions, don't worry, but exciting little stories. – Some of which even you may find intriguing and inspiring, Regill, should you read along. Of course, we expect a full report on how successful it went as well. I wish you both a most pleasurable day. Love, Salvadore And an even more pleasurable night. Love, Daeran

[A simple letter letter in plain envelope, with nary an embellishment save for the neat, even writing of someone used to writing much reports and a small stamp below it in turquoise ink - same as the wax seal. Both have the same pattern: that of long feather.]

"Sal and Dae,

A tandem letter seems oddly chaotic from the two of you but it was honestly hilarious to read. You have always managed to make me smile in the strangest ways.

The chocolates did what now? I really have to shake Woljif down for wherever the hell he got them and what they are actually intended for. Did you make you actually glow? And, everywhere? I'm morbidly curious what the rest of them do, hells.

As for the book, Regill picked it up and put it down just as fast - but don't you worry I made sure he appreciated it with all the fine oratory skills my old bard days gave me. A night by the fire with some whiskey, and me reading the most bawdry smut I've ever seen in my life. Where did you even come across this? Please don't tell me you wrote it yourself. It was so ridiculous in places that we reached a new level of red in the tips of Regill's ears from some of them, though he tried to play it off. Not sure which made him flushed more - the words I was saying or the ones I couldn't say because I was laughing so hard.

He won't say it, but he, at the very least, appreciated that the book gave us a nice night, though it was more from my enjoyment of it than the contents itself. Before you ask: no we didn't try anything from the book. Given I'm sure it was written by someone who hasn't had sex ever in their life, most if not all of it seemed impossible.

Not like it killed the mood entirely though, but that might have been the alcohol and the fits of laughter.

-Much love, Minovae"

[x0401x]

Jinpine Radio #4

Translation of the radio segment from Jin’s official YouTube channel. Original video here. Done on commission!

The livestream starts in total silence this time, with eventual clicking and rustling. You’d think Jin hasn’t realized that he’s on, but in fact, he and Inpine seemed to be getting ready for this time’s skit.

Yes, instead of Inpine making a fool of himself alone, this time, they’re being fools together.

So this time the skit is being done with full-on acting. There’s no background music and their voices are echoing. It comes without any warning, and they take it very seriously until close to the end.

Inpine: *pants* This is it. The underground cathedral. Finally got here. I haven’t had anything to drink or eat for... three days now. *pants* What... is this place? I already...

Jin: [agonized noises]

Inpine: Ah! Jin-kun!

Jin: Ouch... Ugh!

Inpine: Are you okay?!

Jin: I screwed up...! Ugh...!

Inpine: What happened?! What’s wrong?! *gasps* You’re injured...!

Jin: It was over there! That thing! That thing... bit... b-bit me...!!

Inpine: [disgusted grunts] W-What’s that?! Go away! You... thing! Be gone!

Jin: Uuugh...!

Inpine: You hand’s bleeding!

Jin: It’s numb...! Uh, uuugh...!

Inpine: T-This is...! What an awful color!

Jin: Ugh...

Inpine:It’s poison! We gotta get it out of you! [sucking noises]

Jin: *losing his shit* Uuugh...! I-It’s not working at all!

Inpine: *laughs*

Jin: It didn’t have any effect! *laughs*

Inpine: Ah, no good, huh?

Jin: Yep, no good.

Inpine: Agh, your hand... It looks like it’s about to rot off!

Jin: Aaah...! At least in the end... aah, I wanted to watch... a nice movie or something...

Inpine: Dammit! If only... we had some great artist’s artworks in times like these...! *gasps* There’s a light over there!

Jin: Eh? Ah, that’s...!

There’s a moment of silence and then another click. Their voices go back to normal as Jin thanks the listeners for humoring their ridiculousness. He was unsure at first whether they had or not managed to stream it (the whole thing was apparently pre-recorded and played during the stream, which is why we can hear clicks right before it starts and right after it ends), but Jin’s staff sent comments affirming that it was indeed streamed.

After the confirmation, Jin and Inpine finally greet the listeners, adding the usual “we still don’t have any idea why we’re doing this, though”. Then, they introduce the very first guest of their streams: Sayuki. Yes, the illustrator of the Children Record Reboot MV, the most recent short comics of KagePro and Jin’s other manga, Nirvana. A white board shows up in the middle of the video, which is showing Sayuki’s screen. He clumsily writes “Hello, this is Sayuki” on it and Jin and Inpine proceed to lose it over how small and cute his handwriting is. Sayuki also ends up laughing.

Of course, his entry begins with him apologizing for his awkwardness and the other two dismissing it. Inpine jokes that he and Jin had already warmed up the crowd with their bullshit earlier. They welcome Sayuki with applause, introduce him to the listeners and thank him for his participation. Jin notes that he’d been working with Sayuki for five years, but it was the first time they were doing something like this, because Sayuki is your usual shy Japanese illustrator who doesn’t show up anywhere ever. Sayuki says there was no way he wouldn’t come to this livestream after Jin asked him to join.

Jin and Inpine proceed to explain how they usually do things. They know that Sayuki knows the ropes, since he listens to all their livestreams, but this was their first time with a guest, so things were going to be a little different – they wanted Saiyuki to be the focus of this episode. Therefore, they were going to include Sayuki in the reading of the fanmail, which was going to be about Vtubers this time. Jin and Inpine comment that they’re often involved with Vtubers due to work.

They begin with reading the normal, non-themed fanmail while Sayuki draws random characters on-screen.

Neko no Hige (Cat Whiskers): “Jin-san, Inpine-san and Sayuki-san, good evening. I’ve been eagerly waiting for a guest episode till this day! I enrolled into high school this April and finally got used to the classes and subjects, but I used to think that I passed off a certain kind of image, and sometimes, it turns out that I don’t! Jin-san, Inpine-san and Sayuki-san, do any of you have a side of yourselves that was unexpected to the other two? If you ever happened to think that there’s anything surprising about each other, I’d like you to tell us. I’m supporting the works of you all!”

The answer is Sayuki. He’s basically the only one in the group who has surprised the other two, which I guess is predictable enough, given that Jin and Inpine are childhood friends. Jin says he’s known Sayuki for 8 years now, and his first impression of Sayuki is that he’s a very gentle person. What’s surprising about him is that, despite being so mild-tempered, he has an unyielding will. He really cherishes the things he places value upon. As for Inpine, the first time he met Sayuki, he also thought Sayuki was a rather soft person. The first time he saw Sayuki making art, however, he felt like Sayuki was enveloped by something hot.

In the end, rather than Sayuki being different from what the two of them had initially thought, their initial image of him only deepened. And that image, in Jin’s words, is of a “kindhearted Sayan whose heart is wide-open”. Sayuki says that’s not really true, as he does have a bad side. Jin doesn’t believe this one bit.

Another thing that surprised Jin about Sayuki is that, although Sayuki makes a lot of action and battle-related art, he loves cute things. Jin jokes that Sayuki “has a maiden living in his heart”, adding that “he has many sides” and “is a wonderful person with a lot of depth to him”.

Inpine then brings up the topic of how quickly Sayuki draws. Even though he’s doing it live, it’s “as fast as the devil”.

Engai: “Good evening. I have a question for Sayuki-san. Sayuki-san, what is it that made you start drawing? I want to know!”

It was in grade school that Sayuki started drawing. He’d always been sketching stuff up. It’s pretty hard for him to pinpoint whether or not there was a trigger for him to start drawing, though. He doesn’t have much recollection of that – before he realized it, he was making art. As an extension of this, he began reading manga, and it went on from there. He started off drawing characters, and in the beginning, he found it very difficult to draw anything other than people (mostly because he had no interest in anything else). It was finally once he started reading manga that he began drawing backgrounds. Even now, he still isn’t very good with backgrounds, and if he doesn’t need to draw it, he prefers not to.

Jin takes that opportunity to say he wants to draw like Sayuki and to praise Inpine, who makes very good backgrounds. Sayuki agrees, saying he’d throw all backgrounds onto Inpine if he could. Inpine laughs but says they could do that.

After this, they talk about fellow musicians and illustrators for a while, and then go back to the fanmail.

VVV-kaa-san (VVV Mum): “Jin-san, Inpine-san and Sayuki-san, good evening. I’d been looking forward to the fourth episode of the Jinpine Radio, eagerly waiting for this livestream where the guest is Sayuki-san, who has created and been entrusted with several works! As for what Vtuber I recommend, although their stance is the realistic type, my recommendation is Akatsuki Yuni-san. Their calm voice and way of talking are quite addictive. Jin-san, Inpine-san and Sayuki-san, if there’s any Vtuber or artist that you hope will be around for a long time, please tell us about them.”

Inpine is the one who answers first. Turns out that he also loves Akatsuki Yuni. He also is a fan of Mochizuki Himawari, who is from the same office as himself. She introduces video games in her channel, and although they’re not Inpine’s type, she’s so excited when talking about them that he can’t stop watching. Both he and Jin have met her in real life. Jin says she’s unhinged.

Sayuki suddenly starts drawing another character, distracting the other two completely. Neither has any idea what he’s really doing and he plays dumb, refusing to tell them.

Matsuri: “Jin-san, Inpine-san, good evening! My heart is racing because Sayuki-san is a guest this time around. Regarding what Jin-san said in the last livestream, that ‘getting hit by cars is what life is about’, it sounded to me like nothing other than a line from someone who got hit by a car and incarnated into an alternative world. Even now, I feel like laughing every time I recall this. Everyone, do you have any isekai reincarnation story that you like? I believe it’s a very popular genre nowadays in manga, anime and whatnot. If there’s any such series, I’d love to hear about it.”

Jin doesn’t remember having said that at all. Inpine jokes that he hit his head and forgot about it completely.

About the isekai question, Inpine likes “Youjo Senki”. Jin also thinks it’s pretty good, although he doesn’t like the idea of the protagonists being little kids. Sayuki likes “KonoSuba”. He explains that it gave him personal support in a time when he needed some. Jin and Inpine also like that one. Jin spends a lot of time thinking, and in the end, his answer is the manga “Ninkyou Tensei”. He takes the opportunity to comment that their answers are all very much like them. Inpine does give the impression that he’d enjoy stuff like “Youjo Senki” and Sayuki that he’d enjoy stuff like “KonoSuba”.

Ashiya: “Jin-san, Inpine-san, good evening. Congratulations on your first guest episode. I heard the guest would be Sayuki-san and it automatically made me think of ‘Gojitsudan’. Ever since ‘Gojitsudan’ was released last year, I’ve listened to it while watching the MV over and over. It’s obvious enough that Jin-san’s song, sung by Jin-san himself, is the absolute best, but I also love Sayuki-san’s MV matching the melody. I watched the MV of ‘Children Record Re:boot’ as well, and it felt almost like being at the border between reality and fiction. The worldbuilding of that song really drew me in. How did you make this wonderful MV? Also, if there’s anything that Sayuki-san or Inpine-san are particular about when making MVs, I’d like to hear it. I’ll be supporting your activities from now on too.”

Jin praises this message by saying it’s textbook-perfect and very nice. Inpine and Sayuki agree.

Inpine’s way of making MV’s goes roughly as follows:

1.       He sends a storyboard to the original creator.

2.       Based on what gets approved, he pieces together the elements that the video will consist of.

3.       He pitches the proposal to the animator, who, in this case, was Sayuki.

Usually, Inpine adds some ideas and twists to the video as it comes together, and Sayuki also offers his own, which he found to be extremely cool. They keep adding things even as the production is about to reach its end, and sometimes, it’s very last-minute. Some things are decided on the very day that the shot is supposed to be finished and they have no idea how to go on about it up until the previous day. Their work together has a very “let’s just try it out” kind of approach to it.

Jin used to think that Inpine made videos in complete seclusion while reflecting carefully about every detail. When he saw the realistic elements of the MV, he thought it was quite Inpine-like. Sayuki comments that he was shocked when he heard that they’d be adding real-life cuts to the MV and was confused as to where they’d put them and how. He also comments that he’s the one who drew the scene where the main character is running. Jin and Inpine shower him with compliments for it, yet he thinks it wasn’t a very good job, as it was his first time doing hand-drawn animation. And right after that cut, there’s a scene where someone is running in real life. When Sayuki saw it, he thought to himself that he’d been defeated. Jin, on the other hand, says that he could never bring himself to run again after seeing Sayuki’s animation. Yes, he was the one running in that shot. With all his might, he adds. His shoes weren’t supposed to come off back then, but they did and Inpine got it on camera, so he used it for the MV.

Jin thinks the ending of the MV was cool as hell. He left it completely to Inpine and Sayuki to do whatever they wanted. He doesn’t usually says he wants the MV to be like this or that, just leaves it up to the makers. In the initial stages, Inpine kept sending him pictures that he’d took as inspiration for the MV after listening to the song and asking, “This is probably what the song feels like, yeah?!” while in tears, to which Jin would reply, “There’s no way I can know until you make the storyboard”.

The making of this MV, according to Jin, had a clear division of labor. The three of them were each doing what they’re best at. They were already close, often phoning each other and playing video games together, but when it comes to working as a team, Jin feels that they’re in top form. It’s not that Inpine and Sayuki stick exactly to what they’re told, but they don’t betray the expectations. When it was decided that they’d be making the MV, Jin didn’t want his sound to lose to their art, although he also didn’t want to make it a trendy song.

Inpine thinks creators are a funny thing. When they’re doing whatever together, it’s all fun and games, but the moment they touch upon work, he’s reminded that, “Oh, right, this was the kind of brain that this guy had”. This makes him think that he has to do his best and that he can’t lose to them. Jin agrees with him, saying he can’t bring himself to avoid his own hurdles – he has to overcome them. Inpine totally understands, as he’s very quick to destroy the things he creates. Jin admits he does this too. His creations are all about mustering out his agony but without using the words “this is me”. He finishes this topic by saying he wants to work with them again this year. The two love the idea.

Rere: “Good evening! I watch all your livestreams. The MV of ‘ZIGI’, which came out on YouTube just recently, was fantastic. Since the theme is about a Vtuber that we recommend, I thought this would be my chance, as I love Vtubers, so here I am, sending a fanmail for the first time! My recommended Vtuber is – I believe you know her – Pmaru-sama. They recently got into TikTok. She’s so fun; I love her! What’s wonderful about P-chan is that she’s great at singing, her voice is awe-inspiring, she can draw, she plans out their own stories, she can edit videos and her talk is interesting! Although the other Vtubers mainly do livestreams, P-chan makes videos, which adds up to the quality of her content! They say that ‘God doesn’t give with both hands’, but P-chan truly possesses several talents, so I really respect her! I recommend her video titled ‘I’m sorry for finding love’, which is about when she created a couple channel three years ago. You’re sure to be soothed by this cute girl! Sayuki-san is coming as a guest for this episode, so I’m very excited! I’m looking forward to what’s going to happen! Please keep doing your best from now on too!”

The trio jokes that if this person was looking forward to the three of them having a refreshing party, she probably must be disgusted by now, ‘cause this livestream’s been anything but that. In regards to her recommendation, as expected, they all know Pmaru. They also know about the aforementioned video. They think the blatant sarcasm of it was absolutely terrifying, but it’s a pretty good example to follow (gotta admit that this one surprised me because, heck yeah, fake fans who want their idols to stay single forever can stick it).

Inpine is thoroughly amazed by Pmaru and how she manages to do everything on her own, from making and editing all her videos to handling all kinds of social media, without any staff to assist her. Jin compares himself to her as a “reverse Pmaru”, since he’s the complete opposite of her – his singing sucks, he doesn’t have a cute voice, his creations are confusing, he has no talking skills, he can’t make or edit videos without help and his art is horrible.

Sayuki is drawing the third character now.

Mentai Pasta Yamamoto: “Jin-san, Inpine-san, good evening. I’m the person who wrote to you about my grandmother’s mourning dress. I went to my hometown recently during Golden Week and visited my grandma for the first time in a while. I asked her if she remembered this story and told her that it was read publicly on a radio segment. My grandma’s been getting forgetful lately, so she was very surprised at this and asked how I knew about that story. I cackled and said that she was the one who told me. By the way, it seems she had attended a dressmaking school for about a year back in the day and could make even suits by herself. Thanks to the Inpine Radio, I have one more topic for conversation with my grandma. Thank you very much.”

Jin and Inpine are ecstatic when they see the name of the sender. They’re also impressed by the grandma once again. They say they’ve reached the peak of this radio. Nothing could top this message. There’s nothing else that they could wish for.

On the topic of grandparents, Jin muses aloud that he hasn’t had much conversation with his grandma in quite a while. Every time they call each other, she’ll either comment on how busy he is with work or compliment his clothes. No matter what he’s wearing, she’ll always say that it’s a nice color. She’s been into YouTube lately, he adds, so she might actually be watching his channel.

Inpine tips in by saying that his grandma is doing well, but she lives in an elderly home, so he hardly gets to see her. Jin says he, too, hardly ever sees his own grandma even though they talk so often, and Sayuki adds that the same is valid for the three of them. They talk and play video games with each other often, yet hardly see each other in person. Inpine says that, in his head, Sayuki is his icon. Which means that, sometimes, he’s a cute girl. He jokes that there’s a small chance that Sayuki actually is a cute girl in real life.

Jin expands on what Sayuki had said by justifying it with the fact that they simply don’t have time to see each other lately. However, once things settle down, he wants to meet up with the two of them. He and Inpine joke about the three of them doing a livestream when they finally get to hang out and each of them would show one finger on camera. They promise to do that at Sayuki’s place, far away as it might be, and perhaps they might even hold hands in front of the camera. Jin and Inpine talk about taking their computers, wi-fi routers and guitar to Sayuki’s home, to which Sayuki responds by saying that, if this is how it’s gonna be, then he’ll be the one visiting them instead, but they shoot him down.

Monomi Yuuzan: “Jin-san, Inpine-san and Sayuki-san, hello! The Vtuber that I want to recommend is someone called Kenmochi Toya, who was my number one savior during the covid pandemic – a time when I couldn’t attend university properly and was almost spiraling into depression. Ken-san is very pure-minded and both his vocabulary and his beauty are incredible, but above all, what’s incredible is the almost pro-wrestling that goes on amongst his viewers. I’d love if you watch his videos! Thank you very much!”

Jin talks about a livestream that he did with Vtuber Peanuts-kun, where the latter started singing a love song that he’d composed for Kenmochi. Although Jin wasn’t close to Kenmochi at all, he sang along. Kenmochi watched this and said it was very funny. He then invited the two to play an online game, which, according to Jin, was one hell of a fun time. Some of their fans (about eight of them) also joined. Jin is literally living the life.

Jin comments that the Vtubers from Nijisanji really love what they do, so it’s interesting to watch their stuff. Inpine agrees, saying that it’s like watching a presentation of what the other person loves. He then has a small heart attack after his screen goes blank for a split second.

Katsudansou: “It’s suddenly been getting too hot for my body to handle lately. I’ve been looking forward to summer because I love it, but I’m feeling down because I’m not a fan of the changes in weather or of the rainy season. Jin-san, Inpine-san, is there any season of the year that makes you feel depressed?”

Jin says that the current season might be it for him. The rainy season usually makes people feel sleepy and drains their energy away not just because of the volume of rain, but also because of all the shifts in temperature, air pressure and humidity. Jin also muses that, until now, he’d never realized how much this affected him.

Inpine says it usually takes him a while to notice that the seasons are changing. He starts feeling hotter and hotter every day, until he realizes that summer has arrived and stops wearing warm clothes. The more I find out about these guys, the less I can help the “bitch you live like this” thoughts.

While talking about lack of appetite and weight loss in the summer (and how Inpine almost thins out into oblivion every time summer comes around), they notice that Sayuki has put the three characters in the same layer and is now coloring them. Within a couple minutes, the art is finished. The two are impressed by the fact that the whole process took one hour and ten minutes. Sayuki thanks them for the compliments and announces that he’s done. Jin and Inpine applaud him.

They finally ask who the characters are, and Sayuki says it’s a trio from Nijisanji. That alone is enough for them to understand who it is. Sayuki reveals that he’s a big fan of them. He’s not particularly interested in Vtubers and it’s not like he watches the videos of these three separately, but he does watch all the videos where they’re together.

When asked by Jin what he thought of this livestream, Sayuki answers that although he didn’t talk much, actually being part of a livestream made him realize what it’s really like. He points out that he’d never talked much about Vtubers with either Jin or Inpine. It was Sayuki’s first time seeing this side of them and he had a lot of fun with it.

Jin and Inpine say the same about getting to see Sayuki drawing in real time. All the while, they kept thinking to themselves, “He’s so fast”. Jin adds that they should do something less distracting next time, though, because he kept finding himself hypnotized by Sayuki’s drawing skills. He could just watch Sayuki draw until the end of the livestream. Both he and Inpine think they should do something more dynamic in the next opportunity, such as playing a video game together. After promising to do so, the two thank the listeners for tuning in.

Jin casually throws in that he loves not having a set objective for their radio, as he enjoys the freedom of being able to do whatever the fuck he wants, and presumes aloud that, now they’ve had a guest come over, he and Inpine are going to feel even more underwhelming as hosts next time. Inpine suggests they take turns streaming alone for a couple episodes in order to “increase their worth as individuals”. Jin and Sayuki call him a genius for that one.

On a serious note, Jin brings back the topic of giving long livestreams a shot. Inpine proposes they stream themselves camping or going on a car ride.

The two thank Sayuki for his participation and he thanks them back. They once again thank the listeners for tuning in and say their goodbyes. This was the first livestream that ended smoothly and without ado.

Bonus: Sayuki’s screen!

“Hello, this is Sayuki.”

“I’m going to draw Vtuber-san(s).”

Green letters: “Sayuki-san is drawing at the moment.”

[indigofoxed]

OC Deep dive

Thank you for the tag @forkingbrusselsprout !

I'm greedy so I chose two of my Tavs, Ris and Nissa (pictured) as I'm writing their fics in parallel and this is a great way to get in their heads. Plus they are very different to me.

What common/uncommon fear do they have?

Ris- being alone.

Nissa - dark forests at night and accidentally hurting someone she loves.

Do they have any pet peeves?

R - people who take too long to get to the point. He's quite exuberant and doesn't have a lot of patience sometimes.

N - she hates dog-earing books. She has a collection of random stuff for bookmarks but she would never fold a page.

What are three items you can find in their bedroom?

R - a basic looking, leather handled short sword. It was given to him by his mum and made it through his adventures so he thinks it's lucky. His favourite boots, they cost a fortune and he loves them. Candles, he likes to play with the flames.

N - Books! Jewellery of some kind, and some kind of polished stone, tigers eyes maybe? She likes to hold them when she reads and rubs her thumb over them, it soothes her.

What do they notice first in person?

R - Footwear. He insists you can tell a lot about a person from their shoes. Astarion mocks him ceaselessly over it.

N - If they have magic and how strong they might be. It's a self-protection habit.

On a scale of 1-10, how high is their pain tolerance?

R - 8, he is unfortunately quite used to it.

N - 5? Pretty average, her magic tends to step in if its too bad.

Do they go into fight or flight when under pressure?

R - fight or sometimes freeze.

N - fight but defensive to start.

Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

R - He comes from a huge family, foster kids always in and out with his full sister, mum and dad. He probably wouldn't choose that for himself in the future 😅

N - Small, farming family, two older brothers and her parents. She would maybe like a small family one day but as an elf she isn't too caught up on it.

What is a smell they dislike?

R - Lavender.

N - Geraniums. She thinks they smell disgusting. Her partners only make that mistake once when they gift her flowers 😅.

Have they broken any bones?

R - A lot of them!

N - Her leg when she was younger because she fell out of a tree. The healer didn't want to risk magic on her due to her wild magic so she had to have standard healing and was stuck in her bed for weeks. That's when she developed her love for reading.

How would a stranger likely describe them?

R - Ridiculously charming (especially if he wants something)

N - Confident and thoughtful. She has quite a dark sense of humour when you know her better.

Are they a night owl or a morning lark?

R - Night owl for sure, even before he met Astarion.

N - Lark, she loves seeing the dawn.

Boom, surprise birthday party, how do they react to surprise?

R - Embarrassed but happy.

N - It's best not to surprise a wild magic sorcerer TOO much.. she would like a party thrown for her but don't jump out from behind couches....

Do they have neat or messy handwriting?

R - So so so scruffy.

N - You'd expect it to be neat but it's really cursive to the point its hard to read unless you know it well.

What are two emotions they feel the most?

R - Amusement, he's mostly quite lighthearted, and desire/craving.

N - Contentment and also interest/curiosity.

Do they have a favourite fabric?

R - Not really, he is quite a tactile person though so you'll find him absentmindedly touching stuff around him.

N - Velvet.

What kind of accent do they have?

R - I imagine it like a very light welsh accent, but the Toril equivalent. Slightly lilting and stronger when he's tired or irritated. He sounds very much like his mum then.

N - Nothing strong, she's quite well spoken and can get quite sharp when annoyed.

Its just for fun but tagging @casualya and @hfxgamora but anyone who wants to play along I'd love to see any OC/Tavs you have!

OC Deep Dive

Thank you for the tag @andromedaancunin ♥️

🥀Iivlin Do’Urden (Eve)🥀

What common/uncommon fear do they have?

She is afraid of losing more of her memories.

Do they have any pet peeves?

When an outfit/accessories include metals of different colours. They have to match. (Yes, this might be my personal pet peeve but Eve has a lot in common with me so there is that 🤭)

What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?

Her scimitars, a silk robe and her journal.

What do they notice first in person?

From first glance she is probably assessing how easy will it be to intimidate them.

On a scale from 1-10, how high is their pain tolerance?

She’d never admit it but she is actually quite tender. She will endure pain but it will cause her a lot of peril. So I will say 5.

Do they go into fight of flight mode when under pressure?

Fight. Always fight.

Do they come from big family/are they a family person?

All she remembers are snippets from her youth in the Underdark and those are pretty grim. Being created by the god of murder will do that to a person.

Her family is Astarion now and Bhaal’s bloodline ends with her.

What is a smell they dislike?

Smell of boiling carrots. (Don’t ask…)

Have they broken any bones?

Most likely, but she doesn’t remember it.

How would a strange likely describe them?

A mean drow.

Are they a night owl or morning bird?

Night owl (curtesy of vampire husband).

Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprise?

She’d find it amusing.

Do they have a nest or messy handwriting?

It’s a running joke with my best friend how Eve is not super academically bright. I think her handwriting is a little childish. I am not sure if she knows how to write in common actually. She likes to draw though.

What are two emotions they feel the most?

Confusion and amusement.

Do they have a favourite fabric?

Silk.

What kind of accent do they have?

I would assume Eve has a bit of undercommon/drow accent.

———————————

I’ll tag @indigofoxed, @heyiamroe and @somer-psionic if they would like to participate ♥️

[suchabadtush]

OH ALSO THE CAT FIC

Oh my gosh, and the cat fic, I wrote because a friend requested both shapeshifting and kidnapping (although probably NOT meant to be in the same fic), and I thought I was being funny making a fic where Kyo got kidnapped when he was a CAT, by CHILDREN. But I definitely had the scene where Kyo eavesdrops on the rest of the band in mind from the beginning, where Die thinks that Kyo hates him. So that, and the literal children-taking-him-home-in-a-box.

Thinking about this stuff makes me realize just how much these stories develop organically though. I almost always start at the beginning and let the story unfold naturally, even if I have scenes planned in little bullet points before I have a title. I had no idea though that it was gonna end up getting so long and so angsty, that just happened.

[hollandsangel]

we need a milf reader x tom where dads are ogling at her

pls and thank you

i was truly obsessed with this concept it was so cute and fun to write

shameless | tom holland

gif by @thollandgifs !

it’s late evening. tom had gotten off work a little later than usual, and you’d taken your time eating dinner together before wandering to the grocery store for the week's shop. 

the store is relatively empty, considering the hour, and it’s the picture of peace as you walk leisurely down the aisles with your hand in one of tom’s, the basket hanging from his other arm.

“okay,” you begin, holding up a small slip of paper littered with tom’s messy handwriting, “we’ve got the eggs, almond milk, peaches…” you’re mumbling to yourself as you check things off the list, and tom is watching you intently, smiling as he observes you. “oh! we need to get some more of those cookies, the little ones with the…the…” you snap your fingers, trying to remember.

tom quirks a brow, “the fudge ones?”

“yes! those ones.” you nod, looking over to search the shelves for the familiar box.

“i thought you didn’t like them?” his brows furrow together, reminiscing on a time when you forced the box away from you, hardly able to handle the scent.

“well i guess the baby changed their mind.” you shrug, rubbing a hand over your swollen belly with a hum.

tom looks down, admiring the action you do so absently now, without as much as a thought. he shifts the basket into the crook of his elbow to free his own hand, joining you in the soothing motion. he can’t help but grin, over taken with joy at the reminder that you’re carrying his child, that in a few more weeks, you’ll be parents. he leans in and presses his soft lips to your temple. you hum in acceptance.

down the aisle, tom catches the maundering stare of man about his age glued to your body. you’re wearing a loose knit sweater under your trench coat, but with your due date growing nearer, you show through most of your clothes. tom hardens his gaze at the man, who is shameless in his ogling of you. it makes his skin crawl.

“c’mon love,” he tugs on your hand, his eyes forward, “i think they’re in the next aisle.” he doesn’t really know, but he can’t stand the hungry look being shot at you, so he pulls you away, pressing himself closer and glaring at the bloke as you pass him. 

“are you okay?” your sweet voice pulls him back to you, expression matching your tone when he meets your eyes.

“yeah, m’ okay.” he nods, pecking your cheek to further his point.

“mmk,” you hum, “what flavour of protein bars did you want, lovie? you didn’t write it on the list…tom?”

“what the fuck?” he mutters, head turning as another man eyes your form.

“excuse me?” you remark incredulously.

“baby, we gotta go.” with a bit too much urgency, tom tugs your hand, and the waddle you have to do to keep up with him must look ridiculous.

“tom, tom, slow down, pregnant lady here.” you remind him, still as confused as ever, “what’s wrong?”

“oh, shit, sorry, love,” he seems to calm, “are you alright?” and there he is again, your attentive, loving husband.

“yes, i’m fine, are you okay?

he huffs and looks around. you’re in the health food aisle now, and it seems pretty vacant, “these men keep looking at you, darling, like they want to fucking ravish you.” he explaims in a hushed voice, seriousness crawling amongst each word.

you laugh, and tom pulls back.

“y/n,” he says sternly, “i’m serious.”

“i know,” you giggle, “that’s why it’s so funny.” with a squeeze of his hand you release it, moving yours up to his shoulder instead, “why does it matter?”

tom seems almost offended by this question, “because you’re my wife?” he says, as if the answer should be incredibly obvious, “and it’s weird to look at a pregnant woman, who is clearly in a relationship, so shamelessly??”

you can’t bite back your laugh any longer, and it tumbles out when you shake your head and pat his cheek, “you’re ridiculous and cute. go get your protein bars, doof.”

[littlemissnoname13]

Hello can I request where draco in fourth year having a crush on a hufflepuff reader but acts as arsehole cuz he doesn’t know how to show affection , leading it to her avoiding him which makes him depressed about what did he do wrong ?

Hi love. Thanks for the request.💕

I love writing Draco x hufflepuff!reader stories! I am a sucker for a slytherin x hufflepuff pairing.

I added a few extra details here and here. Hope you like it. X

Hopeful (Draco Malfoy x Hufflepuff!Reader)

Word count: 2100 sorry got a bit carried away. 😅

Warnings: None. Soft!Draco being an absolute blubbering idiot.

Draco’s thoughts are written in green

Spring had arrived. 

It could be felt in the cool and gentle zephyr that made the shiny new leaves on top of the once barren and dead trees rustle. 

Daisies were in full bloom and the wind had managed to carry some of the petals away—making them fall to the ground, acting like a harbinger of the fast approaching summer. 

Draco couldn’t be bothered if it was spring, or autumn or winter. 

In that particular moment, all he wanted to do was get away from the Slytherin common room and Pansy Parkinson. 

He had taken her to the Yule ball and things had sort of fizzled out afterwards. He couldn’t get himself to see her as anything other than a friend. 

Having ran all the way to a far and secluded area of the Hogwarts grounds, Draco leaned against a tree trunk and panted heavily in an attempt to catch his breath. 

“Are you—are you alright?” 

Your voice startled him and he quickly stood up straight to look around. 

You were sitting criss-crossed on the grass with your transfigurations textbook opened on your lap. Your shirt sleeves were rolled up and your yellow and black tie hugged very loosely around your neck. 

“Fine.” He muttered as he slowly sat down noticing a single daisy tucked behind your ears. 

After sitting there in complete silence for the next few minutes, he finally spoke up. 

“What are you even doing here anyway?” 

“Just wanted some peace and quiet to be honest.” You said, shrugging your shoulders. “It’s a beautiful day.” 

Draco just hummed in response and kept staring at the daisy in your hair that swayed lightly with the breeze. 

“What?” You asked when you noticed. 

“You have—you have a twig stuck in your hair.” 

“A daisy.” You corrected him as you closed your book and moved a bit closer to where he was sitting. “It’s a daisy.” 

“Yeah I know that. I’m not stupid.” He said quickly. “But why?” 

"Well, Daisies are essentially two flowers blended together in complete harmony." You said pulling the daisy out of your free falling hair before putting your hand forward to hand it to him. 

“And?” Draco reluctantly took the flower from you and blinked his eyes in confusion. 

“They are said to resemble innocence—true love even.”  You explained getting comfortable next to him.

“You believe in all that?” Draco scoffed, twirling the flower between his index finger and thumb. He couldn’t tell if the floral fragrance was coming from you or the air but it made him slightly queasy nonetheless. 

“Merlin. No.” You scrunched up your nose. “It just gives me hope I guess.” 

Draco gave you another hum in response. For someone who came up with snarky and sometimes witty comments on the spot, he found himself weirdly tongue tied. 

“I know you were hiding from Pansy by the way.” You remarked, making a small smile pull at his lips. 

“How come?”

“What do you mean how come?” You rolled your eyes. “Everyone can see that she is obsessed with you for some reason that I personally can't seem to comprehend.” 

~~~~~

The next day during potions class, Draco slowly opened his book and started to absently doodle on it with his quill while Snape talked about the upcoming potions essay that had to be done in pairs. 

Draco knew he should be paying attention but he just couldn’t get the interaction between you two out of his head. 

And just when he took a deep breath and decided to focus, a familiar scent started to fill his lungs up. 

Fruity, almost spicy notes of strawberry and pink grapefruit mixed with gardenias, vanilla and musk. It felt like someone had tossed a huge bouquet into the room. 

He knew it was you without even bothering to look up from my book. 

"Ah, Miss y/l/n. Late again." Snape muttered. “Five points from Hufflepuff house.” 

You quietly sat down next to your friend with your head hung low and Draco fought an unexplainable urge to give you a hug. 

"The essay must be done in pairs.." Snape said.

Great. 

"Ronald Weasley and Gregory Goyle." 

This is exactly what I needed right now. Thanks Snape. 

"Blaise Zabini and Hannah Abott." 

The last thing I need is someone weighing my essay down. 

"Draco Malfoy and y/n y/l/n." 

What? 

You turned back to look at Draco and gave him  an apologetic smile and he didn't understand why you kept smiling at him. It's not like the both of you had suddenly formed an unlikely bond with each other. 

Draco scowled at you in return and quickly raised his hand. "May I work on my essay alone?" 

"No. You may not Mr. Malfoy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You and Draco had been studying in the library for almost an hour. Because you were quietly sitting next to him, his elbows and knees slightly brushed yours every few seconds and as much as he hated to admit it, He secretly enjoyed it. 

Contrary to yesterday, Draco was trying very hard to make a conversation with you. You seemed somewhat offended that he had asked Snape to work on the essay alone. 

“I am happy to do most of the writing if you can look up all the ingredients.” You offered.

You don’t have to do all of that yourself. I am happy to help with the writing too. Is what he should have said. 

“Fine whatever.” He said instead as he reached for a copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. 

That night, Draco stayed up tossing and turning in his bed before giving up on getting any sleep for the night. 

He lethargically walked towards his dresser and put his hands in his blazer pocket pulling out the now dried and pressed daisy from the other day. 

Taking a deep breath, he put the flower in between the pages of his copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. 

You were drawing him in, undoing him, unraveling him even. 

He knew that. 

But did you?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Draco! Open up." 

His head jolted towards the door and He quickly walked over to open it. 

You stood on the other end with books tucked in your arms, wearing your denim shorts and a plain white tank top—looking like summer personified. 

The more time he spent with you, the more he started to notice your quirks. Like that the way your skin glowed as the days got warmer. 

Compliment her. Do it. It’s not Difficult. 

“Did you do something different to your hair?” 

“Uh—no why are you asking.” 

“It just looks a bit strange.” He commented wanting to slap himself. 

"Okay, well are you going to let me in?" You questioned, wondering why he was blocking the way and asking you about your hair. 

Why did you have to wear that God damned tank top-

"Sorry?" You asked stepping inside making his cheeks burn when he realized he wasn’t meaning to say that out loud. 

"Just shut up and get back to working in the essay or whatever it is that you were doing." Draco grumbled feeling embarrassed as he grabbed some fresh parchment. 

Okay. Focus. The Strengthening solution requires...

You stretched a little and pushed your hair away from your face. 

several days to mature...

"Staring is rude Draco." You suddenly interrupted his thoughts as you set your eyes on his—peering right into his soul.

Draco felt like he was giving you some sort of power over him and the possibility of you using that power and leaving him heartbroken made him feel so very vulnerable.

He couldn't take the vulnerability a second longer.

 "I don't think we should study together anymore." He blurted quickly standing up. “It's for the best.”

"Huh?" You stood up contorting your face in total confusion—wondering just what you had done to piss him off. "What's wrong Draco? Did I do something wrong?" 

"Leave. Now." He muttered with his teeth clenched. 

Please don’t go.

"Just go—leave please."

You couldn’t help but feel a sharp sting burning your insides as you gathered all the books that were on the floor and ran made your way towards hufflepuff dormitories with tears threatening to flood your eyes. 

As soon as you ran off, he punched his wall and muttered out the plethora of angry curses when the impact bruised his knuckles.

~~~~~~~~~~~

During the following week, Draco failed to show up to any of your shared classes after you had refused to talk to him after what happened. 

Even if you did manage to see him walking down the halls or walking with Crabbe and Goyle, you noticed that he looked like he hadn’t eaten or slept in days. 

On a Tuesday, Draco looked at the Hufflepuff table during breakfast and when you caught his eye, all you did was look away. 

Everyone at school had their opinions about him—most of them weren’t good opinions. 

But when you were with him under that tree, he seemed different. His smirk was more playful than condescending. It managed to charm you in a way. 

You took a final bite of your toast and gathered all your books, walking to your Potions class. 

His seat still remained empty and you shook your head, trying to snap away from the thoughts of him as you flipped open your book. 

Only it wasn’t your book. 

You didn’t remember writing on the margins and making annotations on your book. 

Running your fingertips along the pages, you flipped to the very first page of the book. 

D. Malfoy was written in ridiculously neat handwriting and you shook your head when you realized that you had grabbed his book with you that day by mistake. 

And just when you were about to put his book away, something fell from in between the pages and fell onto your desk. 

It was the daisy you had woven into your hair the other day. Even in its dried state, the petals remained intact like her had done something to keep them that way.

When class was finally over, you made a quick beeline towards the slytherin dungeons, bumping into people along the way. 

~~~~~~~~~

“Some hufflepuff girl is standing outside the dungeons asking to see you.” Theo shrugged when he saw Draco at the common room sofa. “Says it's urgent.” 

He felt terrified yet so elated as he quickly stood up and made his way outside. 

“Here’s your book.” You said taking a step towards him. “You never told me what’s wrong by the way.” 

“Thank you.” Draco quickly took his book from you and stared at the ground. 

“Why did you stop talking to me y/n?”

“You told me to go away—If I remember correctly.” You said shaking your head at him. “Tell me Draco, what’s wrong?”

“Everything.” He said quietly, meeting your gaze. 

"What do you mean?" 

"You make me feel all weak.....and smiley...and I hate it." He looked at you with agitation.

"Weak?" You ran your  fingers through your hair in confusion. 

"And your ridiculous white tank top." Draco half yelled. 

"What's wrong with my top?" You asked, raising your voice slightly as if you had had enough of this. 

"Nothing is wrong except for the fact that you look stunning in it.” He blurted involuntarily. "It is absolutely distracting when one is trying to study!." 

He watched you open your mouth in shock and close it. Before he could spend another minute trying to solve the riddle that was your expression, you grabbed him by his tie and placed your lips on his. 

His brows furrowed as he kissed you back tenderly. Tasting the sweetness of your lips—pouring out every bit of suppressed passion and adoration he felt for you with his lips.

There was something so strange and euphoric about finally kissing someone he had been longing to kiss for so long. 

Something so magical about holding the person that fits perfectly into his arms. 

Freaking Finally. 

He was slightly disappointed when you slowly backed away, but the glow on your skin and the glossy ness in your eyes made him smile. 

"I guess I'll leave before I realize the consequences of what I have just done." You said softly as you held his face and placed a small peck on his lips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, you found a tiny box and an envelope on your desk when you woke up. Your roommate let you know that Draco Malfoy had stopped by late last night when you were asleep and half begged and half threatened her to leave the box on your desk. 

You slowly opened the box and found a bedazzled and whimsical looking daisy necklace, encrusted with gems.  

A Daisy for my daisy. 

You give me hope.

- D.M

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco Taglist: @dracomalfoyisindahouse @dracomalfoys-wh0re @maybesandohnos @justfangirlthingies @desiredmalfoy @dlmmdl @trainintersection @fa-me @dracoswhore007 @paulina1998 @wh0re4blaise @marrymetheonott @quacksonsssandtea @letoof @rvaldez7569 @loloo22 @emma67 @berriemalfoy @thegaudess @itchywitch33 @louweasleymalfoy @lunar0se10 @savagelysarcasticslytherin @fleursbabe @teawineaddict @thebitchybeatle @malfoyxxdraco23 @fantasyfairysworld @trashyvicks @h0ggyw0ggyh0gwarts @l0vely-lupin @linasylveon @amwitherspoon @the-bisexual-bitch

Love you all sm. (if i was unable to tag you, please look into your privacy settings)

Fell free to send me reuests. My other stories can be found here.

Join my taglist here.

- violet-Anne

[flowerbloom-arts]

Scrapped Draft

In which a young Moominpappa and Hodgkins have a private conversation, but then it became discarded in the final version of Memoirs.

1.5k words.

🥀

A scrapped passage of writing for Moominpappa's Memoirs found in a trash bin in Moominpappa's study, found by Sniff.

~~~~~~~~~~

I saw that Hodgkins sat by the shore of our small island and drew into his notebook.

Half of what he would draw in that thing was not understandable to a mind such as mine, I couldn't understand how machines and arrows and lines which seemed like scribbles and scratches of pencil to me could make any amount of sense to him, that a drawing of a square could be much more than a square. His handwriting in his little notes next to the drawings also seem to break down into unreadable loops at times yet he could still read it to me when I couldn't understand.

He spoke his own language on his pages and that's one of the many things that always fascinated me about him. I would also like to satiate my curiosities by asking about his current work after I had made my laments.

"Hullo, Hodgkins!" I greeted him.

"Moomin," Hodgkins replied absentmindedly, not looking up from his notebook.

"Hodgkins," I said again, seriously, to reflect his tone. I sat down beside him and held my legs. "Could I speak to you about something?"

"Mphm," he hummed.

"Do you think the Hemulen ever tried to find me again?" I asked.

"Which one?" he asked back, seeing as we both have met multiple hemulens.

"The one who found me and looked over me at the orphanage," I elaborated, "Do you think she read my note and decided to look for me?"

Hodgkins halted his drawing and looked at me with an inquiring expression, as though I had asked a question that answered itself or that I said something rather concerning. Perhaps it was an expression of both, most likely.

"What?" I asked, not enjoying nor understanding the look he was giving me. "Did I say something strange?"

"I would assume yes. She'd look if she cared for you or the orphanage. Makes her rather liable," Hodgkins shrugged and tried to continue drawing.

"The thought is the possibility that she didn't," I explained. "To tell you the truth, I don't think she liked me very much. I thought that if I had left she would miss me terribly and try to find me, I was sure of it, but now looking back I'm starting to have doubts…"

"Could being across the sea have something to do with it?" he suggested.

"I'm scared that she's glad that I'm gone…" I answered with a dampened expression and faltered posture.

Hodgkins took a pause and closed the notebook, then he looked at me with sobriety. "Why would you think that?"

I could think of many reasons right then but didn't want to speak them aloud in fear of desecrating my visage of confidence for him, suddenly feeling as though my attempt at confidence with him had turned out to be a pickle I trapped myself in. I fiddled with my fingers nervously.

"Well, it's… I'm afraid… well, I know that…" I stumbled over myself trying to piece together a sentence that made myself seem dignified. I glanced up at Hodgkins and he only looked at me patiently, blinking slowly, waiting for me to simply form a sentence. My gaze jolted back down and I felt a bit of shame crawl up my fur. Finally, I managed to get out a sheepish "I'm afraid she never liked me very much…"

Hodgkins furrowed his brow and I continued so; "Of course, it's greatly ridiculous for someone to dislike such a special and charismatic Moomin such as myself, but I don't believe she saw those things in me during my time at the orphanage. I was always bombarding her with questions she didn't want to answer and she would wash me when I was perfectly fine and clean and not let me do things I would like to do — I think she would've much rather… left me somewhere else if she had done something differently. I was so miserable and she liked me so little it tricked me into disliking myself. And perhaps… I still dislike myself on some, irrational level of my subconsciousness because of her."

"I think everyone dislikes themself at least a little," replied Hodgkins.

"Do you dislike yourself, Hodgkins?" I asked out of curiosity, I'd be shocked if the answer was yes.

"Yes," he answered.

"But why?" I asked again, taken aback.

"Many things I regret, things about myself I don't prefer," he said, looking down at his closed notebook. "Perhaps my mother, too, taught me to dislike myself."

"Your mother?"

This is the first time I heard him mention anyone from his past aside from the very rare mention of his brother, he always preferred anyone to lack any knowledge of his past or his origins. I rather respected his decision, I would do much the same if I wasn't so interested in people knowing my story and talking about myself, but I would be lying if I said Hodgkins' past didn't intrigue me to some extent.

Mothers and brothers and nephews were concepts I only heard in theory in the orphanage. Well, not exactly. Numbers five and six from my orphanage were twin siblings according to the Hemulen, but I never saw them act quite differently from the other Moomin children nor did they treat each other specially as one would expect siblings to treat one another.

Anyway, what I mean is that families felt like an abstract concept to me most of the time back then, I even forgot what the word nephew meant for a moment when Hodgkins first told me about his, so I was rather starstruck to know more about his family even further.

Hodgkins glanced at my expecting eyes and looked away again. "The Hemulen was a sort of mother to you, wasn't she?" he asked.

To say the least, I was astonished by this turn of conversation, moreso by the fact it's something I've never considered before. "She's not my mother, trust me, she makes it very clear," I answered quickly as if to correct a misconception.

"Not biologically or legally. In role," Hodgkins elaborated. "She was a mother figure to you, correct?"

"That is…" I couldn't find the words to speak in my shock at this question. "That's a thing? Would she be considered as such by more people?" I asked and leaned closer to Hodgkins' arm, utterly bewitched by this idea "But mothers are meant to be kind to you and nurture you and all those things the books say about them! She can't possibly…"

"Not all mothers have to be good like they always say," Hodgkins explained "They can be cruel, try to tear you down. Make you something they want but you don't. They're people, and people are very different from one another in their kindness."

I took a pause and lowered my head to mutter "So she must really be like a mother to me… that would make me quite unlucky, then."

Hodgkins placed a paw between my ears. "It's all right, it happens," he said to me kindly and I felt a little less upset. I then had a thought;

"That thing you said… does it apply to fathers as well?"

"Yes," Hodgkins answered.

I looked up at him with a twinkle in my eye and asked in earnest "Does that mean you're like a father to me?"

Hodgkins stared at me with puzzlement for a moment before a horror washed over his expression and I could feel him freeze in place. At this I panicked thinking I unintentionally said something upsetting or confusing and tried to explain myself; "I, I meant that since you've been nothing but kind to me and I haven't felt such admiration for someone except for kings before you! In fact I started to lose respect for the Autocrat since he took you away from me and I felt nothing but miserable and abandoned without you! You always seem to know everything and make such amazing things and you let me be myself for once! I… I don't know, is this what being adopted is? Did you adopt me…?"

Hodgkins didn't reply. I felt a deep fear and as I stared into his constricted pupils and noticed his ears folding in hesitation. I was terrified that I could have scared him, that he would stop liking me because of this, this isn't how it was meant to go in my head. I touched his arm and stared back at him pleadingly. "Mr. Hodgkins…?"

I felt his thumb move on my head and then Hodgkins blinked twice and came to his senses. He took his paw off my head and it made me rather saddened, perhaps I did upset him for some strange reason.

I tried to apologize. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize - " I said before I was swiftly interrupted by him.

"Pardon. I…" he covered his face "I hadn't realized… no…"

"Is something the matter?" I asked, deeply concerned for him.

"I took in another child and messed up," he mumbled quietly "I shouldn't have…

~~~~~~~~~~

End of scrapped passage.

[n0bamak1s]

whisper of the heart- megumi fushiguro x reader

summary: you begin to take notice of the name “megumi fushiguro” on all the tops of your library checkout cards. a semi-retelling of whisper of the heart featuring you and megumi. (genre: fluff, high school au, meet cute)

warnings: none! except maybe slightly ooc megumi

word count: 3.2k

a/n: hi everyone! ty all again for being so patient with me publishing this. i’ve been very busy with college apps lately, but i’m gonna try to keep this blog as active as i can while balancing it with school life. anyways, i had a lot of fun writing this, but i’m definitely not used to writing megumi, so feel free to leave feedback ^^ i also changed some details from the original movie and left it a bit open ended, so feel free to let me know if you want a part 2!

“who the hell is megumi fushiguro?”

your gaze was fixed on the faded ink reading the now all too familiar characters. the characters spelling out a name that managed to keep showing up on the yellow tinted checkout cards tucked into the books you borrowed.

nobara glanced over your shoulder, inspecting the piece of cardstock tucked between your fingers. wrinkling her nose in disgust, she plucked the card from you, holding it closer to her face.

“whoever it is, they have terrible handwriting.” she stuck her nose up, turning back to you with a playful smile. “i don’t know how you managed to get ‘megumi fushiguro’ out of that chicken scratch.” a face of mock distress crossed her features as she did air quotes around the name, as if she couldn’t believe such a delicate name would be given to someone with such handwriting. she’s always had a tendency to be a bit over dramatic about trivial stuff like this.

with nothing more than a huff in response, you snatched back the card, tucking it neatly back into your library book. your fingers grazed the worn down cover for a moment, gliding along the slight tears around the corners and the stiffness of the yellowing pages.

‘i wonder how many of these creases came from megumi fushiguro?’

“whoever it is, it seems like that name shows up in every book i check out in the library.”

nobara kicked a rock as she walked, leaving a small cloud of dust around her feet. “maybe you’re just imagining it. you always stay up so late doing whatever the hell it is you do in your free time that you’ve probably begun to hallucinate.” she nudged you playfully, eliciting a dead pan expression from you.

“i’m serious nobara. i mean, i’ve never really believed in fate but there’s no way it’s completely coincidental!”

she raised an eyebrow, as if to say you can’t be serious. “i think you’ve been reading too many romance novels, for all you know this person could totally be just some weird old guy with nothing better to do than visit the library.”

“hey!” you acted as if that last bit was a personal attack on you, and knowing nobara it probably was. “i’m not saying this megumi fushiguro person is my soulmate or anything, i just think it’s a very strange coincidence.” you shrugged off your backpack as you talked, putting away your book. noticing the suspiciously light weight of your bag, you rummaged your fingers around for a moment to find that your sketchbook had gone missing.

crap.

nobara turned to you, perceptive as ever of your suddenly altered demeanor. “forget something again?” it was almost annoying sometimes how well she knew you. was it really that obvious?

“just my sketchbook,” your hands rifled through your bag one final time to make sure you really didn’t have it “probably left it on the park bench or something, it’ll just be a minute to get it.” you turned to her with a sheepish smile, silently pleading her to follow you there. she stared blankly at you for a moment, probably having one of her internal monologues about how lucky you were to have her as a friend, before rolling her eyes and following suit.

“this better be quick, i have places to be you know!”

“no you don’t.” you turned around before you could meet her melodramatic glare.

behind you, you could hear her huff of dissatisfaction, though she made no move to leave, reassuming her position next to you, giving you a gentle nudge as she brushed next to you.

as you walked, the sunlight peeking between trees framing your pathway began to warm your face, highlighting the ends of your eyelashes and the tops of your cheeks with the warm glow of the first hints of summer time. for a moment, you closed your eyes, letting yourself be enveloped in it, before your fleeting thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a bike coming in your direction. you felt as if you’d jump out of your own skin in that moment, hearing a “move out of the way!” from a husky, disembodied voice.

it probably looked pretty ridiculous how you jumped out of the way, kicking up a fleeting cloud of dust as you avoided the sudden presence of the biker. grounding yourself, your eyes flickered up to the source of the voice, being met with the gaze of stormy blue eyes, framed by long, dark eyelashes that nobara would most definitely be envious of. taking in the boy’s whole figure, your eyes were drawn to the messy black hair atop his head, formed at the ends into contradictorily gentle looking spikes. the sleeves of his white button down were rolled up taut around his forearms, leading your gaze to his hands wrapped tightly around the bike handles.

oh, right. he’s still biking.

you turned your focus back to keeping to your side of the path momentarily, before the sight of your name written atop the sketchbook peeking out of his bag came into your field of vision as he continued to move past you. before you had time to think rationally, you turned to his now retreating form, breaking into a jog, kicking up a few more dust clouds as you did.

ignoring nobara’s incredulous calling of your name, you tried to call to the boy who had no intention of slowing down. “excuse me!” you cupped a hand around your mouth, hoping to project your voice louder. “hey!” the irritation in your voice was clear, but you breathed a small sigh of relief as the bike slowed to a stop, and the spike headed boy turned to your direction.

after an awkward moment of your continued jogging to him while he stood with a blank expression, you stopped in front of him, an accusatory look grazing your features.

“i think you have something of mine.” you tried your best to imitate the confident attitude you always admired from nobara, placing a hand on your hip and using the other one to point to his bag. his gaze followed the direction of where you pointed, his eyebrows raised while the rest of his face remained stagnant.

“oh, this?” he tugged the cardboard covered sketchbook out of the pocket it had been placed in, examining the cover. his eyes flickered between your name written in the top corner, and your currently annoyed looking face, as if he was playing some sort of word association game. you simply nodded in response, anticipation clear in your actions.

as he held out the sketchbook to you, he leaned down so his face was closer to you, as if to tell you a secret, voice low and eyes trained on you. “you should be more careful next time. you’re lucky i’m nice enough to not just steal this from you right now.”

you didn’t have an explanation as to why your heart began to race.

taking your silence as a response, he pushed it into your hands, his fingers brushing against yours gently. “nice drawings by the way, i recognize your friend over there from the portrait you drew of her on the first page.” his face remained stoic as he pointed at nobara, who was tapping her foot in boredom.

face warm from embarrassment, you snatched the sketchbook from where his hands lingered on it, muttering a bitter sounding “thanks” before stalking over to nobara once more, who looked relieved that she’d finally be able to go wherever it was she was going to.

“what an asshole.” you glared at him over your shoulder as he biked away, your gaze lingering a second too long for someone so insistent on hating him. nobara shook her head in response, clearly annoyed at your own obliviousness after witnessing the whole interaction.

a smug smile crossed her soft features. “maybe that’s megumi fushiguro.”

you raised a brow as you glanced at her. “as if!”

despite your insistence on your distaste for the mystery boy, he managed to have flooded your thoughts. ‘he must be using sorcery or something to keep himself on my mind, weirdo.’

still, you couldn’t deny how just a few more of your portraits were accented by ocean blue eyes, or pointed ends to the different mops of hair you sketched. how did you manage to keep attracting mystery people into your life?

when you returned to the library, you gripped a thick science fiction novel, the pages brushing your soft fingers as your marched it up to the checkout counter. as the librarian wrote the date on a small piece of cardstock, you took note of the fact that your name would be the first one there. had megumi fushiguro missed out on this one?

a pleasant smile stretched across your face as the librarian handed the book back to you. scrawling your name at the top of the checkout card, your eyes flickered to a stamp of ink beneath the slot for it.

donated by fushiguro.

of course it was.

the library door squeaked quietly as you pushed it open, one hand on the door, and the other placing your new book in your backpack. zipping it up and throwing it over your shoulder, you were met with the feeling of a dog sniffing your leg. your eyes trailed down to a dog almost akin to a small polar bear brushing its nose against your calf. reaching your hand to scratch softly against the back of his head, you coo gently at the not-so-little little guy.

“what’s got you all by yourself buddy?” an involuntary smile creeps onto your face at how he calms at your pats.

wordlessly, obviously considering this is a dog, he turns and walks a few steps forward, before pausing and tilting just his fur covered face toward you, egging you on to follow him just as you had the other day with nobara. you considered for a moment, before shrugging and giving in to his pretty minimal amount of convincing. nobara would be out getting lunch with maki today anyways, so you could use something to do today. after all, it could be fate.

it was almost as if you were one of those people who walked their dog without a lash, but in reality, it was more like the dog was walking you as it lead you down tall, sidewalk-lined hills and through parks filled with young parents having picnics with their children and couples going on walks. you wondered to yourself if this was a worthwhile excursion, was he just leading you to a dead end, or worse, was he some dog trained by a gang to lure people into danger?

after walking a few minutes more, you found out the spot you were being lead to was, in fact, even worse then both the possibilities you’d been brainstorming in your head, when you were met at the bottom of another hill with the stoic expression of that spike head. his eyes softened at the sight of the dog, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips that quickly vanished as he met your gaze, his eyes hardened in contrast with the bashfulness that shone on his cheeks.

“oh, you found him. thanks for that.” he cleared his throat awkwardly, shifting his gaze back to the dog. you shifted your weight from one foot to the other. to be fair though, what did you expect you’d do when you found where the dog was leading you?

“i should probably go.” your usually collected demeanor had been replaced with that of a puppy with its tail tucked between its legs. with a stiff wave, you took your leave, turning on your heel.

“wait.” his voice wavered, as if trying to catch himself before he spoke. “i can walk you home if you want. it’s the least i can do after you got him home.” he forced a smile onto his face, though it made him look more constipated than inviting. what happened to the snarky, aloof boy who had handed you your sketchbook just a few days ago?

still, you nodded, lips pressed into a line that you hoped resembled somewhat of a smile. surely, you should have been more worried about his sudden change in demeanor, but the relieved expression on his face seemed to soothe your nerves a bit. he assumed a spot next to you, tucking his hands in his pants pockets.

“your little buddy there lead me all over the city trying to find you, so i don’t exactly know how to get home from here, but maybe you can just lead me to the library.” you turned so you faced him, now aware of the close proximity between you two. nobara would probably laugh in your face if she could witness the moment you paused, stunned by the eye contact he made with you under his thick eyelashes. had you been perceptive enough in the moment, you may have noticed the blush creeping up his face. he nodded his head, which was already tilted down to face you fully, with eyes hazy and lips slightly parted.

“it’s just this way, i’ll show you.” he removed his hand from its pocket to point up the hill that had brought you to him in the first place. you gripped the straps of your backpack and faced in the direction he pointed to obediently, hoping to ignore the weird tension in the air. what could you talk to him about?

before you could continue your internal dilemma, he cleared his throat again. “you seem to like the library a lot, huh?”

by god was this boy terrible at small talk.

“i guess i do, but i don’t know how you came to that conclusion considering i only just brought up the library.” you cocked an eyebrow as you looked at him, probably sounding more annoyed than you’d intended.

he smiled knowingly at you, a hint of disbelief on his features as he raised his eyebrows. “i guess you wouldn’t know since your nose is always buried in a book, but i see you there like every day.”

your eyebrows furrowed so they practically touched, trying to rack your memory for seeing him in the library. “i’m sure i’d be able to recognize you if you did.” you were completely oblivious to the implications of how memorable you found him that laced your statement.

he shrugged nonchalantly. “believe it or not. i even tried sitting down in front of you a few times, but you were always too focused on your books to notice.” his smile was almost bittersweet as you waited by a stoplight. before you could respond, he continued. “it’s kind of admirable though. i think it’s nice that you’re so passionate about your books.”

you took a chance to look at him, really look at him, for the first time since you’d glared at him biking by. he held your gaze, eyes gentle. there was absolutely no way this was the same boy carrying your sketchbook in his bag from a few days ago.

“well if you think i’m so nice, what was with you trying to be all smart about my sketchbook?” ever the stubborn one, you were.

he shrugged his shoulders, shoving his hands back in his pockets. “you really should be more careful of your stuff. i was just letting you know. it’s not like i would have put in that effort for just anyone’s sketchbook. i guess i was just trying to make sure you wouldn’t lose it again. sorry if i offended you.”

the way he was blushing would have made any bypasser believe he’d just asked you to marry him.

“it’s just…” he continued “after seeing you in the library all the time, i thought you were really impressive. i thought if i tried to return your sketchbook, i could impress you too.” he kicked a rock that touched the edge of his sneaker.

“why would you wanna impress me?” your obliviousness was excruciating for the poor boy, though it was completely sincere on your end.

“you know, for someone so smart, you really are dense.” he pursed his lips, feigning annoyance. “and here i was thinking i was so obvious.”

at this point, you were nearing the library, and suddenly desperate to continue this conversation that you would have been dreading at the start of this walk.

“when it was obvious you weren’t gonna look up from your book, i tried checking out as many books as i could to get on your radar.” his smile had a weird hint of sadness behind it. you stayed silent, piecing together facts in your head.

“recognize the name megumi fushiguro?”

oh.

it pained you for a moment to know you’d have to tell nobara she was right.

“you’re megumi fushiguro?” your eyebrows shot up in surprise, mouth slightly agape. he seemed to stifle a laugh at your expression.

“i mean, what were you expecting?” he looked a little too smug for someone who was too scared to talk to you in the library.

“some weird old person, probably.” you shrugged, still with an incredulous look on your face. “i’m glad it wasn’t though.”

“oh?” he really did have a nice smile. “i guess you’re glad it was me then.” even he was unsure of this sudden confidence.

you pondered his question for a moment, but your body moved before your brain did, nodding your head slowly. he seemed to loosen up then, hands out of his pockets again, making you aware of how close you stood to him with the way his fingers brushed yours every few steps. a slight sadness filled your being as you stopped in front of those squeaky library doors that suddenly seemed so uninviting.

“i’ll tell you what then,” he started confidently, juxtaposing the bashful way he avoided eye contact with you all of a sudden “come to the library again tomorrow, and i’ll meet you there. really meet you this time, not just walking past your table. i can show you my favorites there and you can show me yours, it’ll be…fun.” he looked up almost worriedly for your reaction, slightly angry at himself for his sudden shyness, you seemed to have quite the effect on him.

there was a beat of silence, and he almost cut the tension in the air by taking back his request and booking it back home. before he could fully hatch his master escape plan, you reached over to grab his hand, his slender fingers lacing through yours. you gave it a light squeeze, and swore you could feel him jump a little at the contact.

“i’d like that a lot,” you looked in his eyes, which had gone from defensive to doe like in just your five words “megumi fushiguro.” he loved the way his name sounded coming from you. his anticipation cracked into a smile as he squeezed your hand back, and you prided yourself on getting to make him smile again.

“i’ll see you tomorrow, then.” he leaned down slightly as he said it, reminiscent of how he had scolded you about your sketchbook just a few days ago. you nodded in response, unable to stop the giddy smile stretching across your face.

tomorrow couldn’t come any faster.