#The Mind Sweeper

[lauraagrace]

It's time to gush and fangirl in my new video about those AMAZING male shoujo leads who are incredible bookish boyfriends! 😍😍😍

Definitely get ready to squeal with me! 🤭😍

[unma]

Trash Disposal

You should have been more cautious. More scared.

Everyone spoke of the sweepers as an inevitability. Only the strongest—or the luckiest—could face the waves and survive. Those who didn't were returned to nothingness; they were nought but the whispers on the street for the next night, before yet another wave would arrive and take with it even the idea of you.

And here you were, as the rumbling made itself painfully apparent. They said it was too late by the time the little pebbles by your feet started to shake. If you could hear them? Well, one would pray you could pray—the sweepers didn't allow even that.

The first thought on your mind was that they certainly lived up to the hype.

It felt less like an army and more like a wave. They were a force of nature, a blur of colors that tore through the streets. A mass of noise arose from them, their unintelligible speech melding into a cacophony of vaguely pleasant sound. One could almost call it music, if not for the fear that would overtake one at such a sight.

Your colleague—the one who held the title of your office's leader and had insisted on pushing through with this mission despite the risks—was the first to be devoured. You weren't even sure what happened; the wave simply overtook him and his screams were gone before you even registered he was screaming.

You snapped out of it barely fast enough to block the incoming sickles with your spear. The shock of the weapons against yours seemed to be enough to get the gears in your head moving, as well as the gears of your remaining colleagues, as the streets immediately erupted into battle.

You were surrounded on all sides. The sweepers, those that weren't interested in the small fries that were your group, parted around the battle, forming an inescapable wave that would surely carry and erase anyone who sought to part the sea as a means of escape. It was fight or die. There was no winning, only surviving.

And you did decently too. You weren't sure if it was luck or pure experience, but the sweepers were proving to be equally matched to you. You took a nick here, a gash there, but you'd managed to put three down yourself before you heard it.

Another scream, followed by the squelch of flesh under a blade, over and over again. Before you knew it, whoever it had been was mush.

A quick glance around and you know who it was that perished. Another dear colleague, a name soon to be forgotten. Yet you couldn't even utter it before yet another sweeper demanded your urgent attention.

That single death seemed to break the floodgates, however, as one by one the others followed. They'd barely been holding out, you'd noticed from your previous glances, but now one by one they were dropped, turned into fuel for the endless wave. You didn't dare look, focusing on keeping yourself. Putting the sweepers down one after the other was the only way out.

You didn't need to look. A head came rolling your way as you put a spear through a sweeper's chest.

The sounds of blade clashing had since died down. You were the last of them, it seemed. It was only you left.

You couldn't let it get to you. Faltering for even the slightest moment would get you killed.

But you could feel the pressure building up as they all focused on you. A hit here and there was no longer all, you were being assailed by the full might of just a few sweepers, and you couldn't keep up at all.

Surely you could hold out. Surely if you just pushed through, if you just killed one more, it would be over.

Your spear ripped through a sweeper's heart as you swung with renewed vengeance. You would make it out of this, even if it cost you an arm and a leg. Even if you were battered and bruised, and barely alive. Even if it cost you every—

You were on the floor before you could even process what was happening. A sweeper, the one with your spear through its chest.

It raised its sickle.

The last thing you felt was the ripping of its blades through flesh as it tore through you over and over and over. It felt like an eternity of pain, utter hopelessness enveloping you as you watched yourself get torn to shreds.

Then it was over, all too fast, as if all it had taken was a few seconds, a few swings, to extinguish the little flame that was your life.

Mere minutes later and there was nothing left of you, not even the memory of a fool who didn't listen to his own cautions. Yet another nameless fixer, another existence lost to the wave.

[caifanes]

“you hate a woman being sexy or desiring sex.” it’s trite and lacks the eroticism it tries to evoke. like more than anything it’s so inauthentic, i fucking LAUGHED when i saw it bc it’s such a failure at being hot

[its-that-kattt]

Late game One piece watching is a dangerous game to play 😭

[kunoichi-of--destiny]

Kyutarou Horikita, the ML that you are, what a chad.

[gremio0]

old-ish art but in light of the Canto VIII trailer coming out I have decided to share my Wang Xifeng design in hopes that she shows up. like at all. in the Canto itself

I had originally designed her with a modernized qizhuang back in Canto VII when the only other Jia family design we had was Xichun. but after the sweeper intervallo I made the unilateral executive decision that if they’re going to flip flop between time periods for the designs anyway then I should just be allowed indulge myself a little and just choose my favorite dynasty, so I went with Tang/Wu Zhou inspired instead of Qing

I’ve felt vindicated by every Canto VIII crumb we’ve gotten ever since I drew this in like March because they’re going further away from the modern look they gave to Xichun so I don’t feel like this design is that much of a long shot anymore. although mind you it’s coming from someone who hasn’t read the book and only had the time to watch 12 episodes of the 2010 cdrama

Wang Xifeng will be in Canto VIII Wang Xifeng will be in Canto VIII Wang Xifeng will be in Canto VIII Wang Xifeng will be in Canto VIII Wang Xifeng will be

[xuchiya]

"cute manager" || song mingi ||

| genre: non!idol mingi. fluff. vballplayer! mingi | mentions: competition.

 you heard the same sound of the shoes squeaking on the marble, wax floor of the gym at your school as you near the place with bottles of gatorade inside a black plastic bag.

pushing the sliding door to the side, you can feel the sound of smacking of skin on the surface of the balls. you flinch at first then you shake your head knowing you have to get used to it.

Get used to it since you're the next manager of the team after your senior graduates and you will be the next one to handle the team. you place the drinks down, turning to your coach before he nodded and blew his whistle, "okay break in 15!"

ateez. the owl of the night, fukurodani team. You have known this team for a long time, being one of them your brother in his school year before he graduated and since then, you have been monitoring their gameplays. The players each passing year greet you with a sense of respect because of your brother, who had taken the name of the school to the nationals.

and because you are also part of the volleyball team, you took your team to the nationals.

"here you go." you gave the last bottle to the last member, "thank you." still breathless from his spike-warmups before winking at you. your squirm underneath his gaze, your cheeks flaring to a red hue.

"Stop flirting with her, mangi." Wooyoung, the libero, spoke smacking his leg on the back of his legs. mingi yelp, "i am certainly not ... Did I make you feel uncomfortable?"

sometimes you were confused with his duality. One minute is a beast and fired up inside the court that every opposing team was scared to face this team because of what people say is his, "owl preying eyes".

but right when his footsteps outside the line of the court, he resembles a baby owl who was left alone by his mother as she finds something to eat. big eyes, all bundle up on his feathers.

you shake your head, "no no ... just refrain from ... flirting." clearing your throat, you moved towards your senior to avoid more interactions with him.

That is song mingi. the outside-spiker of the team and the “Ace” . He is known to be the actual "owl" because of his platinum silver hair and the roots of his hair were slowly returning to black after not maintaining it for already a month now. His height, confidence and perfection is what attracts him, not only that but his whole team. if you were gonna be honest, ateez were full of handsome game players.

for starters, the Captain of the team, Kim Hongjoong. He is the first of the players to do a try-outs and immediately secured the place as the right side- spiker. followed by the setter or and the Vice-Captain of the team, Park Seonghwa. His eyes were sharp that he can pick up the aims of what kind or how far the toss he'll set up for his team.

Jeong Yunho, his childhood friend, is the middle blocker. His tall frame immediately threw him in the spot as the blocker. It was his dream to be part of the fukurodani team and had to do try-outs so did Mingi. They both traveled a long way home to become part of the legendary team.

Yeosang and Jongho and San were known to be the Defensive specialist or something similar to Wooyoung— the libero. Though the three were not given the amount of attention but to other players, they were the scariest. Knowing with their sharp minds in defence and serving reception, they are free to move around to save the ball when the others can’t save it on time.

With their overflowing stamina, they win because of these three. 

As mentioned, the libero. He is the sweeper and with the amount of energy and flexibility in his body, Wooyoung is known as the Lightning. One minute, San received the ball and flew off in a different direction, Wooyoung was already chasing it and diving on the floor to retrieve it.

“One touch!” The practice game had started. You were up on the bleachers, busy writing down notes about the members, improvement and their weakness. You had wanted to help them by watching a few matches online, finding similarities to the members and the one you are watching. 

“Manager-nim look out!” When you looked up, you saw the ball flying towards you. You were in the position of processing what's happening and not aware of the ball, only instinctively closing your eyes and blocking it with your arms.

But the ball never made contact with you rather you felt a presence in front of you. Lowering your arms to peek; you were met with the number 9 on the back of their shirt, heaving and sweat dripping from his neck disappearing under his shirt.

He looked over his shoulders, “You okay manager?” you nodded, eyes darting from different places although widening when you notice his head tilting rather harshly when a ball was thrown in his direction, “Stop flirting with her, Mingi!” Yelled by his Captain. 

“Y-Yah! I wasn’t!” 

After many rounds of practice, it was time for a cool-down. You were helping a few members in stretching their body, Yeosang thank you for doing him a favor for putting weight on his back as he reaches for his toes. You ruffle his hair before walking back to the bench when you feel a tug on your wrist. 

“Can you help me too?” You nodded, even if Mingi acts way different to the others, his actions were never harmful. The boy just keeps warning him to avoid going beyond the line. You pushed his shoulders as he reached for his toes, same thing as Yeosang. 

You moved away from him as you let him rest for a few seconds before proceeding to finish the whole cool-down procedures. Each on your hands were brooms and mops, whenever practice ends it is always a duty to clean up after the mess. After all, the sweat and the shoe prints were scattered all over what used to be a sparkly floor.

You were trying to grab a bucket on top of the shelf which to your avail was out of your reach, grumbling underneath your breath. You had mentioned it to the other members to always leave the cleaning materials on the floor and to the corner. “Whoever puts this one on top will have a huge knock on their head.”

You turn around to look for the tallest member when you feel two lofty hands on your waist and lift you up. You squealed at the contact, looking down to see Mingi nodding at the bucket for you to grab. You meekly nodded, grabbing the bucket; Mingi bringing you safely back down on the ground.

“Will you knock my head then for putting it up there?” He sets a soft chuckle, leaning his head down. You stare at him, feeling your heart skipping a beat before your hands are on top of them instead. Even with the bleach on his hair, it is oddly soft underneath your palm.

“You really are so cute, manager.” His face was a few inches away from you that it startled you, dropping the bucket in the process. 

“S-Stop flirting and go back to cleaning!” You pushed a cloth on his hand before scurrying out of the storage room. You could hear him chuckling as you step out with a red hue on your cheeks.

When your coach and the faculty advisor let you all leave the premises of the court of the school, you were held back to speak about the next game against stray kids on Friday. You took down notes and were able to finish it by 23:45pm. You waved goodbye to your faculty advisor and your coach before parting ways with them.

You were walking down the archway towards the front gates of the school when you noticed a tall figure leaning on the wall beside it. Tilting your head to the side in confusion until the lamp post above shone some parts of their face and you could feel your heart racing once again, your palms were also dropping temperature as you approached Mingi.

Mingi hears footsteps and looks up, shooting you his smile before pushing himself off of the wall and walks beside you as you both walk towards the bus stop. Usually, a midnight bus goes around for those who take the graveyard shift or who come home late; like the two of you.

Although, you turn to Mingi, a confused look on your face, “Aren’t you supposed to be in the other direction with Yunho?”

Mingi only hums, shrugging as his hands were inside of his jacket, “Yeah …”

You stop walking, turn to him with a frown this time, “You should go back Mingi. You’ll miss the next bus.”

Mingi sighs, stopping too, “I know but I can’t let you walk alone most especially in this kind of time in the night.”

Your eyes widen in adoration, you have been walking alone in this kind of time everyday though nothing much happened to you yet the nagging feeling of being followed never left after you got in the bus that it disappears.

“I can’t let my manager be in danger.” 

“But you don’t have to feel obliged to send me home ,you know? I’m fine on my own and besides you have a game on friday, you need as much rest—” You were cut off when his hand were placed on top of your head, a squeak left your lips as you tilt your head up.

Above his head were a luminescent halo as he smiles softly at you, ruffling your hair gently. “You really are cute, manager.”

In that moment, you knew deep down that this is just more than just flirting. He is genuine, he is sure and most especially he is aware of his feelings towards you and it has taken a very long time for you to realize them.

[lu-is-not-ok]

sweeper intervallo finally arrived! curious on what you think about. All Of That

I have a lot of thoughts that I need to. Categorize in some way. I might have more to say if I'm asked about a specific thing but until then I might not yap a lot immediately.

But, still, here's some general overview thoughts on all of the Intervallo:

We're really in the Fraud circle now ya'll, everyone's a fucking liar here.

Of course we'd be getting so many characters be brought back to relevance in the Intervallo that introduced resurrection as a motif for the approaching Canto. Narrative Resurrection for so many characters.

On a similar topic, that was A Lot of plot threads and even random one-off lines getting payoffs. It really shows that PM is still paying attention and keeping in mind All of the shit they started and Are working towards conclusions for All Of Them.

I NEED HONG LU DEAD RIGHT FUCKING NOW

[cobaltperun]

Masterlist

I don't mind talking to people, so don't be shy, if you ever come across my page and figure you might want to tell me something, go right ahead, send a private message, or an ask, I'm happy to respond!

💙 - fluff/happy ending ❤️‍🩹 - a bit of angst 💔 - angst ☠️ - main character death 🔞 - smut ⚡- fight scenes

Smut for long stories is separated from the main stories.

Stories

Eternal Flame (Jenna Ortega x female reader) - 126.1k words, 19/19 chapters complete 💙💔⚡

Summary: For her it’s a passion, for you it’s an accident. And as she continues shining brighter and brighter with each role you are left mesmerized, drawn to her flame and cherishing every time she lets herself be vulnerable with you. (Reader takes on the roles of Lost WOTS and Genius Reader character)

Scream

Lost (Tara Carpenter x female reader) 💙💔⚡🔞

Summary: To anyone on the outside, and to Tara’s friends, you were Tara’s fierce protector, the MMA fighter who’d take anyone on for Tara. The Guard Dog, as Amber called you. You had no idea you’d have to protect her from people who claimed they loved her. It didn’t matter. As long as you and Tara had one another there was nothing you wouldn’t be able to survive.

Story warnings: Scream violence, family issues, trauma, angst, certain sensitive topics

Request - To Never See You Again (Tara Carpenter x female Reader; She was unattainable, radiating with blinding beauty that went above and beyond her appearance. And though you knew you shouldn’t, you flew too close to the Sun, hoping one day she would look at you the way you looked at her. Set right before Scream 5) - 2.2k 💔☠️

Request - Pick Up (Tara Carpenter x Female Reader; You and Tara can't help but be silly) - 1.1k 💙

Request - Marry Me? (Tara Carpenter x female Reader; One day, while you play, you tell Tara that you want to marry her, she remembers it years later) - 1.3k 💙

Request - Jealous? Yes! (Tara Carpenter x female Reader; both you and Tara are oblivious, until Tara decides to tell you about her crush during one of your movie nights) - 1.3k A very tiny crack version 🤣 💙❤️‍🩹

Request - One Time Too Many (Tara Carpenter x female Reader; Tara keeps getting drunk, and you're the only one who can get her to stop, at least for the night.) - 2.3k 💔 Part 2 - One Last Time - 1.8k ❤️‍🩹💙

Request - Sweep 'er off Her Feet (Tara Carpenter x female Reader; Liking soccer brings Tara closer to Woodsboro high's two soccer players, the striker and the team's sweeper.) - 2.3k 💙

Request - Jerks With Hearts of Gold (Tara Carpenter x female Reader; You and Tara bicker, constantly, over the tiniest details, but little do her friends know, it isn't all as it seems.) - 4.8k 💙 Side story: Work For It - 2.7k 💙 Smut for this story - Property Damage - 2.5k 🔞

Request - A Recipe for Us (Tara Carpenter x female Reader; Tara wants a perfect date; quite frankly, you think any date with her is perfect.) - 3.5k

Request - Heartbeak Girl (Tara Carpenter x gn!Reader; Tara had her heart broken and turned to you, not knowing how you felt about her. Perhaps a song could make her realize how you feel. (no Ghostface, band au) - 2.7k 💙❤️‍🩹

Request - Heart on Sleeve (Tara Carpenter x GN!Reader; Tara was never all that interested in tattoos, aside from thinking some of them were cool, until you came along. You were proud of your tattoo, but you didn't feel like showing it off to just anyone, and then Tara came along.) - 1.8k 💙

Request - Drunk Words, Sober Thoughts (Tara Carpenter x GN!Reader; Drunk Tara is a bit flirtier than she usually is when she gets drunk, and you, as her best friend, have to deal with it) - 1.1k 💙

Request - Miss Popular (Tara Carpenter x GN!Reader; Nerd and a popular girl? Sometimes it ends well.) - 1.5k ❤️‍🩹

Request - 5 Times You Made Coffee and 1 Time You Didn't (Tara Carpenter x GN! Reader; Tara has a crush on you, a barista at a local coffee shop) - 3.1k 💙

Request - Moonlight Dance ((Smut) Bottom Tara Carpenter x top G!P Female Reader; Prom night ends with you and Tara making love for the first time) - 3.1k 🔞

Request - She's my Girlfriend! ((Very small smut) Tara Carpenter x Female Reader; Sam walks in on you and Tara having sex.) - 1.3k 🔞

(Request) Rule Breakers ((Smut) Bottom Tara Carpenter x Top G!P Female Reader; Not even getting grounded can keep Tara away from you) - 4.9k 🔞

Wednesday

Woe out the Storm (Wednesday x female Reader) 💙💔⚡

Summary: It took some time, but eventually you came to realize only Wednesday Addams could look at the raging storm of chaos and destruction and make a home out of it. Only she could listen to the cacophony of the roaring thunder and hear a melody.

Request - Her Wrath (Wednesday Addams x Female Reader; a jealousy driven prank causes you to have an epileptic seizure, incurring Wednesday's wrath) - 0.8k 💙❤️‍🩹

Request - Hiding in the Shadows (Wednesday Addams x Female Reader - After a day of sneaking around and trying to get one step closer to solving the murders all you and Wednesday need is a moment away from everything and everyone.) 1.8k

Request - The Beat of Our Hearts ((Smut) bottom Wednesday Addams x top G!P female Reader; Wednesday needs it rough, she needs it fast, just so she doesn't have to accept she loves it soft and gentle as well. Aged-up characters) - 1.7k 🔞

Miller's Girl

Genius (Cairo Sweet x female (G!P) Reader) 💙💔🔞

Summary: It was such a cliché, a reunion she didn’t expect to ever happen, let alone six years after she last saw you. It was supposed to mean nothing, a bit of nostalgia, maybe a brief catching up while waiting for class, it was supposed to be a small wave of nostalgia, not a tsunami that disrupted her entire life. You were her opposite, and as hard as she tried she couldn’t resist your pull.

Request - (Don't) Let Go (Cairo Sweet x female Reader; Following Cairo breaking up with you you turn to drinks and sex until one night Cairo sees you with your latest distraction) - 1.8k 💔

Request - No Chance ((Smut) Bottom Cairo Sweet x top female (G!P) Reader; After years of being best friends and eventually developing feelings for one another, Cairo asks you to be her first) - 3.1k 🔞

Finestkind

Love Song Requiem (Mabel x Female Reader) - Damn near everything in your life was purely business. So was this. Just go in, get the job done with the girl that's been building a reputation of her own, and that was supposed to be the end of it. And it was the end of something, you just didn't think it would be the end of a whole damn drug empire!

Next Week (Mabel x female Reader; Mabel only has eyes for you) - 1.2k 💙

Request - Sunny Day (Mabel x GN! Reader; Mabel and you spend a fun day at the beach, and certain words finally get spoken) - 0.8k 💙

X

Request - Sunset (Lorraine Day x Female Reader; Reader makes sure Lorraine still knows she is beautiful, despite her scars) - 1.5k 💔💙

Request - Puppy Trouble (Lorraine Day x GN!Reader; Lorraine and you aren’t exactly sure how to handle a puppy, but at least you’re having fun and Mr. Raindrop is very cute.) - 0.5k 💙

Request - About Time ((Smut) Bottom Lorraine Day x Top G!P Female Reader; Lorraine stays by your side when you are sick instead of going to film another movie, old feelings both of you tried to ignore end up coming to the surface) - 2.6k 💙❤️‍🩹🔞

The Fallout

Request - I Can't Lose You (Vada Cavell x female Reader; Following the incident you are struggling to move on, and Vada feels like she's losing you.) - 1.5k 💔💙

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Darkest Part (Astrid Deetz x Female Reader) - Complete (6 chapters - 30.7k) 💙❤️‍🩹 enemies to lovers

Summary: You will never, in life or afterlife, if such a thing exists, meet anyone as infuriating, rage inducing, entitled, or frankly awful, as Astrid fucking Deetz. There isn’t a single thing you’d like more than to never be around her, but as your luck would have it, you just can’t stay away from her.

MCU

The Catalyst (WandaNat x Female Reader)

Summary: A peaceful life could never be an option, especially not when backing out of a fight means leaving your loved ones to fight. It still doesn't change the fact that you hate having these powers.

Request - I'm Right Here (Natasha Romanoff x female Reader - Following a dangerous mission all Natasha needs right now is to be close to you, and you're more than happy to tend to her needs.) -2.4k

One Piece

Straw Hats take care of Sick!Reader (platonic) (The title says it all, just the Straw Hats reaction to Reader getting sick) - 0.4k 💙

Harry Potter

Move the Mountain (Hermione x Female Reader)

Incorrect quotes

MCU

At the Avengers party

Adopt, don't shop

Happy black widow

It's you

Pun

New leaf

Wednesday

Secret

Random things

Tara Carpenter issue alphabet

[just-your-average-supervillain]

Nocturnal Sweeping: Some Thoughts

I think this is the first time an Intervallo has concluded not on the bus, but instead on the field, immediately going into the start of the next Canto. Indeed, following in the tradition of SEA, it seems that the upcoming Jia Family Hierarch Selection will be the main focus of Canto 8 - specifically, the conflict between Hong Lu's disinterest in the role of Jia family head and the fact that the Limbus Company higher-ups (and likely the Elders of the Jia Family) think of him as the best choice for family head. I highly doubt this situation will end similarly to Canto 6, with Heathcliff becoming the master of an empty manor, but I can't really tell who will become clan head - Hong Lu, Xichun, the really buff Jia guy at the end, maybe even Huan or other characters we haven't met yet.

So, some disjointed thoughts.

Of course, other than the obvious focus of Hong Lu, this Intervallo gives some more focus to Outis and Ryoshu. Outis is coming more into her supposed role as aide-de-camp, giving sound advice and collaborating with Dante and Faust in demystifying the intrigue set out for them. She seems quite shocked by being compared to Qingtao, and might lean back on the bootlicking in favor of giving specific contributions. Outis and Ryoshu collaborating to ensure Dante's safety without their notice is also pretty neat; naturally, they want to secure a valuable asset. Ryoshu's also has some moments of her own, like eavesdropping on Hong Lu and Dante with Sinclair, her confusion at his further elaboration on her acronyming (could he be reading her mind? He does have telepathy in the original book...), her frustration at being weaker during the fight, or the weirdness she had with Don Quixote after the Sweepers leave.

Don also has some points of interest here; Xichun's interest in recruiting her, or her smelling something unusual in regards to the Sweepers' blood. It's also neat to point out little things about how she changed from regaining her memories, like regaining tact.

The ambush and fight to protect Dante from the Heishou assassins is pretty neat in regards to who makes it to the fight; Don, Ryoshu, Outis, Meursault, and Gregor, the four strongest Sinners plus the one noted to have bizarre potential. Plus, the Sinners noted to have died in the ambush were Sinclair, Yi Sang, and Heathcliff, the three weakest, excluding the ever-vigilant Ishmael.

Faust's oddities continue to pile up. Indeed, right after the Sweepers finish their third wave, all the Sinners are wiped... except for her, who speaks as normal. She's also more upfront about when she's consulting Gesellschaft, with her naming the group when only speaking to Dante and censoring it as "Faust's knowledge" when also speaking to Outis. She's also clearly not in on all of the Company's plans, given that she OK'd the alliance to prop up Xichun instead of Hong Lu immediately before LCA declared that Hong Lu would be the chosen candidate.

It's kind of amusing to see the difference in how well Dante can read Faust vs how well they can read Outis. They pick up on a minute eyebrow tick on Faust and extrapolate her thought process, and then see Outis's very clear counterespionage signal and completely fail to understand what she means.

So, how about that Hong Lu conversation? Indeed, just as with his comment on the pointlessness of wrath, it seems that he has fully given up on having opinions or charting his own path. His cut-off comment about being placid in the face of the suffering of himself or those he cares about also definitely makes me think something horrible happened to Lin Daiyu to break his spirit. Kind of ironic that Heathcliff was the one to interrupt.

It's a bit bizarre but also maybe expected that the Sinners (other than Outis) don't react to Hong Lu being called by another name. Then again, maybe they're inoculated by Don Quixote vs Sancho or they're just not butting their noses into his business.

Also, hell yes - the Lord of Lusciousness, the Banisher of Bristliness, and the Man of the Middle, Ricardo, has returned. It seems that, as expected from the Middle, he's becoming a reoccurring issue. I suspect that we'll probably have one, maybe two more clashes in the future, but I think that chances are that his arc will be finished by the end of Canto 9. That said, he's still annoying as hell to fight.

Absolutely awesome to get to see an actual Night in the Backstreets in-game; the waves of Sweepers rushing by us really emphasizes how if they wanted to, they could dedicate themselves and wipe us out, but the sheer territory they need to cover and diminishing returns from just a few people makes it pointless to do so. Also, a mention of how the Sweepers are at the back and call of the Head!

It's neat to see how H Corp is modeled after the Walled City of Kowloon. It really re-emphasizes the cramped urban nature of the City, and doubles down on the idea of a capitalist hellscape.

It's neat to see Dante get a little bit meaner and more vicious - getting frustrated at the Sinners for eavesdropping on a private conversation with Hong Lu, commanding the Sinners to (even as a quote to motivate them) wipe out their enemies, and deciding to use a numbers advantage to jump an enemy to beat the secrets out of them... that, plus their focus on figuring out the situation with Outis and Faust, makes me think that they're definitely becoming more like their pre-amnesia self from the start of the game.

And, of course, the details clearly meant to foreshadow Canto 8 - the Bolus's life-returning properties, or Hong Lu's little detail of fighting ten duels a day. I'm kinda interested to see how the imagery of the Bolus is used in Canto 8's storu - Canto 5 got a lot of narrative mileage out of Whale and Mermaids, Canto 4 had the idea of healing through returning to the past, Canto 6 had the idea of being haunted... the blue color of the Bolus against Hong Lu's blue eye definitely gives me the vibes of this being imagery.

I can't really think of anything else to include in specific, beyond maybe Hong Lu's specialty in dueling and being a reactive fighter (Cinq ID anyone?), and how he wasn't promised a wish by the company. I really liked this Intervallo - aside from some of the harder fights - and am really hyped for The Surrendered Witnessing to be released.

[babysukiii]

fallingforyou (3)

// lottie matthew’s does not like you. you’re annoying, preppy, and way too nice. lottie doesn’t fail to show you time after time just how much she hates you. you finally get the message and steer clear of her, until senior year, when you both get paired up for a science project. //

warnings: asshole!lottie, sweet!reader, pining, mutual pining, oblivious!reader, hints of underage drinking, lowkey jealous lottie if you squint, lottie is an idiot

(this is part 3, you can read part 2 here, and part 1 here)

on this night and in this light (i think i’m falling)

“don’t you think we should be, i don’t know, actually working?” lottie questions sardonically, and you turn your head to scowl at her from where you’re laying on the rug in your room. a new episode of sabrina the teenage witch was playing and you were excitedly watching it. “shut up! sabrina is talking!” you hiss warningly, causing the yellowjackets sweeper to roll her eyes in annoyance, while you turn your gaze back to the tv. “why didn’t you tell me you were going to be doing this the whole time? i would’ve just gone home.” it’s a blatant lie, but you don’t know that, and lottie doesn’t want to tell you otherwise.

you scoff, “yeah, sure. after the way you acted when i cancelled yesterday? you’re stuck here now.” the comment is supposed to annoy lottie, but it doesn’t. it doesn’t annoy her at all, the thought of being stuck here with you. lottie blinks rapidly, trying to shove that thought so far away, she’ll never have to deal with it again. “you don’t like sabrina?” you ask, gesturing to the tv, and lottie shakes her head. “i don’t really watch tv.” she mutters her response, making you furrow your brows and laugh lightly. “seriously? aren’t your parents loaded? i thought you’d have a huge theater where you watch all your favorite shows and movies.” you tease her, causing her to glower in your direction.

“you thought wrong.” she retorts, but there’s something in her tone that you can’t quite place. you can sense the shift in demeanor, but you don’t press the subject. lottie is like an animal you’re trying to tame. she could snap at any moment for any reason. you know lottie is like this for a reason; you can’t help but wonder if maybe her mother is just as angry as her. or perhaps her father has a temper. “well, either way… it’s been kind of nice having you over.” you start cautiously, and lottie looks over at you; her tenebrous gaze meeting yours.

“i just mean, i get lonely sometimes even though i’m here with my siblings all the time. it’s nice to have someone to spend time with.” you ramble, and lottie’s eyes seem to soften in a way you’ve never seen before. “i like being here with you too.” lottie says before she can think twice, taking not only herself by surprise, but you as well. a faint blush creeps onto your face, and lottie takes in how pretty you are. before either of you can say anything else, your older sister barges through your bedroom door, causing you to jump.

lottie looks annoyed at the intrusion, and she sends a scowl the older girls way. elise stares at you for a moment, furrowing her brows as she notices how flushed your cheeks are. she can nearly feel the tension in the room. “mom said dinners ready. she served your friend a plate.” the eighteen year old comments, flashing you a knowing look. you nod, “okay! be there in a minute.” you aimlessly respond, trying to keep your eyes away from your sisters. you do everything to stop blushing but it doesn’t seem to work. elise reluctantly leaves without saying anything else, and lottie clears her throat.

“i feel bad your mom has been setting an extra plate for me. i didn’t even ask if it was okay…” lottie trails off, insecurity laced throughout her tone. you shake your head quickly in protest, “my mom likes you! she thinks your nice, and she doesn’t mind.” you assure her, “besides, my dad always works super late so he never eats with us. there’s always an extra seat.” you ramble a bit, and lottie feels a bunch of mini starbursts in her chest; going off rapidly one by one. she swallows thickly, “thanks.” she doesn’t know what else to say and internally cringes at her response. you get up, flashing her a little grin that causes her belly to flip in an uncomfortable way.

“come on, matthew’s, before my mom gets pissed.” you taunt, waiting for her to get up from her seat on your bed. she follows you out of your room, chuckling slightly, “i can’t imagine your mom angry. she’s so tiny.” lottie makes you giggle, “trust me, she can be terrifying. have you ever heard that shorter people are more likely be evil because they’re close to hell?” your retort sounds serious, which makes it even more hilarious, and lottie can’t help but burst out laughing. you giggle as well, and you don’t even realize elise and your mother are staring at you both with inscrutable looks.

you and lottie aimlessly take a seat beside each other, and lottie smiles at your mother. “thank you, mrs. l/n. this smells delicious.” she says politely, and your mom offers her a smile. “you’re welcome, sweetheart. it’s carne asada, beans, and rice, y/n’s favorite.” she admits, and elise snickers, “basics just like her.” the older girl chimes in, and sabrina giggles while you flush. lottie looks at you, and she can’t stop thinking about how pretty you look when you blush. surely she’s notice how pretty you were before, but she can’t remember ever thinking about it. elise is the only one who is aware of the way lottie is looking at you.

“so mom… maria invited me to a get together at her sorority house. can i go after dinner?” elise asks hopefully, and your mom gets this skeptical look on her face. “a get together? at a sorority house?” she questions uncertainly, obviously not buying it. “yeah! it’s just a few of the girls! please mom?” the oldest teen asks, putting on her best puppy eyes. lisa quirks a brow challengingly, “then you wouldn’t mind taking y/n with you?” she asks, smiling in a condescending way. she obviously seems to know elise will refuse to bring you along. your eyes widen at the same time elise’s do.

“me!?”

“her!?”

you both respond to your mother at the same time, and lisa nods simply. “if it’s a get together, then you should have no problem with taking your sister. besides, when was the last time you two did anything together?” the older woman asks, and a glower etches itself onto elise’s features. “why can’t i go too!?” sabrina asks, pouting and clearly upset. “because you’re failing english, and need to study.” lisa pointedly responds, and elise huffs. “fine. i’ll take her, but she’s gonna be complaining the whole time!”

your eyebrows nearly meet your hairline, and you protest quickly. “i don’t wanna go! it’s friday night, and the last thing i wanna do is spend it with elise and a bunch of her weird friends!” you flash your mom a pair of begging eyes, “please don’t make me go.” lottie commends your mother for having the willpower to go against those eyes because damn, she feels her resolve slipping and the peculiar need to step in and protect you kicks in. “i can go with you guys. just so you’re not stuck there alone.” lottie offers, and your head turns to gaze at her.

you blink a few times, clearly confused as to why lottie matthew’s would want to spend a friday night with you. “but didn’t you get invited to becky martin’s bonfire?” you inquire, and lottie shrugs, “i wasn’t gonna go to that anyways.” she lies, but you seem to believe her because you flash her a grateful expression, “i mean if you really wanna be stuck with elise’s friends all night, then sure.” you half joke, making your older sister scoff. “my friends aren’t that bad! i mean at least i have more than three, unlike you!” she hisses, and you roll your eyes.

“ever heard of quality over quantity?” you sardonically retort, making lottie chuckle. elise narrows her eyes at you, “you’re so lucky moms forcing me to bring you.” she mutters, as she continues eating.

after dinner you and lottie head back to your room, and you’re a bit quieter than usual. “you don’t have to go just for my expense, you know? i know you were planning on being at that bonfire tonight.” you say softly, and lottie tenses up as you call her out. there’s no malice or anger in your tone, but lottie frowns. “if i wanted to go to that bonfire i would. i’m hanging with you tonight.” she responds adamantly, and the way you smile washes all of her doubts away.

“okay then, i guess i’ll start getting ready. you already look pretty, but we can stop by your house if you want to change?” you suggest and lottie shrugs, trying to ignore the sensations inside of her that she gets when you call her pretty. “i’ll just go like this. i mean, it’s just a bunch of elise’s lame friends. they’re probably just gonna talk about books and stuff.” she jokes, and you giggle, making her stomach get all knotted up again. god, she really hates that feeling.

throughout the entire way to the sorority house, lottie can’t help but occasionally steal a few glances at you. you had decided to wear a pair of tight black flare jeans, and a cropped fur coat that apparently belongs to elise. lottie wasn’t used to seeing you outside of your usual school clothes. you’d mostly wear jeans and sweaters; hiding every part of yourself. though tonight lottie had a hard time keeping her eyes off you. as soon as elise pulls into the parking lot of the campus, you can hear loud music in the distance.

your confusion only seems to grow as the music gets louder, the closer to the sorority house you all get. finally, your steps begin to falter when you realize you’re approaching a house with a few drunk students outside. someone was laying on the grass, and another person was holding her friends hair while she threw up in a bush. “elise this is not a get together! this is a frat party!” you exclaim angrily, as a large guy drunkenly stumbles past you guys. elise actually looks guilty for a moment, but the expression is quickly replaced by an angry one. “that’s why i didn’t want you to come! god, mom treats me like i’m a fucking kid! i’m eighteen; i should be allowed to have some fun.” she snaps, and you sigh.

“you should’ve just been honest with me. or snuck out like a normal person your age! now i’m stuck here!” you begin to argue with the older girl, who huffs in response. “yeah, cause being at a college frat party is every seventeen year olds worst nightmare. seriously, y/n, when was the last time you were even invited to a party?” elise sardonically asks, and you frown. “i’ve been to parties!” you internally cringe at how stupid you sound, and even lottie knows you’re lying. she’s only ever seen you at one party before, and even then you had left early.

elise shakes her head in dismay, “i bet you wouldn’t even know what to do at a place like this.” she challenges, and lottie frowns when she sees the determination on your features. “well, why don’t you put your money where your mouth is?” you provoke her back, suddenly thinking about those new shoes you’ve been wanting for a month. elise lights up, and lottie thinks it’s the first time she’s ever seen her look so excited as she talks to you. “fine. if you can get a guy or two to dance with you, and actually let loose… i’ll buy you anything you want from the mall. under a hundred and twenty bucks.” she says and you nod in agreement. “deal.” you confirm, holding your hand out for your sister to shake.

lottie gets a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach as the three of you walk into the sorority house. immediately lottie is alert and aware of how many people there are in here; how crowded and dim-lit the house is. losing you here would be easy, and it’d take lottie forever to find you. elise ditches you as soon as she sees her friends, and lottie hates that she’s thinking about what it’d be like if she didn’t come. you’d be stuck here, alone.

“at least they’re playing good music.” you comment, noticing an upbeat spanish song was playing. lottie’s cheeks turn a shade of crimson red as she flushes timidly. “i failed spanish class last year… i think i’m doing really bad in french too this year.” she reveals and you let out this tinkling laugh that causes her to stare at you. she takes in how you look under this lighting; your hair was clipped back in a half updo, but it was still curled in this carefree way that made lottie think you looked absolutely beautiful. she glances away, trying to think of anything but that.

“it’s okay, i suck at french. i only passed spanish class because it was my first language.” you tell her, and she smiles at the admission, “i don’t think i’ll ever be able to learn another language, it’s like my head just can’t grasp anything other than english. spanish is sexy though.” lottie blurts out, and you raises your eyebrows in a bit of amusement as her cheeks burn in humiliation. she has no idea why she just said that.

“here you go pretty ladies. you two look like you needed a drink.” a deep voice intervenes, as you look to see a tall frat boy handing you both cups. lottie speaks before you can even think about it, grabbing your hand, and grasping it firmly. her grip sends a jolt of electricity down your body, and you lose all train of thought as soon as she touches you. “we’re good, thanks though.” she says in that usual not-so-kind voice before pulling you away. “hey! i’m supposed to be getting guys like that to dance with me if i want to win the bet!” you argue, pouting as lottie begins to look for the drink station. she rolls her eyes, making a face of clear disdain at the fact that you’re actually going through with elise’s stupid challenge.

“you’re not seriously going to try and win that stupid bet, are you?” lottie gives you the third degree as she questions you, and you frown at her tone. you aren’t really sure why she sounds so upset. “well, yeah, i mean i want some new shoes and it’s an easy win. how hard can it be to get a few college dudes to dance with me?” you ask uncertainly, and lottie only seems more and more annoyed as you explain yourself. “these guys don’t just wanna dance with you, y/n. they’re all here looking to get laid.” she states, the contemptuousness in her voice causes something inside of your abdomen to tingle.

“obviously i’m not going to let them do that, matthew’s.” you respond as you both come to a stop at the drink station. lottie scoffs as she begins to make your drinks, refusing to answer you anymore. you frown, “you’re such an ass.” you mutter, only adding to her annoyance. she shoots daggers at you with her eyes, “me?? because i don’t want some gross college guy trying anything with you?” she sounds serious, and you can’t help but let your frustration wash away as you realize she’s just worried about you.

“if i didn’t know any better i’d think you’re actually starting to care about me.” you say carefully, as lottie hands you a cup of cranberry vodka. “yeah well, good thing you know better.” she murmurs, and before you can get another word out, an older guy approaches you both. “hey, i’m chris.” he introduces himself, flashing you a shy smile. “y/n.” you respond back, and lottie tries to hide the obvious distaste towards him while he eats you up with his eyes. “do you maybe wanna dance, y/n?” he asks hopefully and you’re about to say yes, when you remember lottie’s obvious indifference towards the bet.

“no, i’m okay. i’m here with someone else.” you simply respond, and the look of disappointment and humiliation etches itself onto his face. “oh, yeah. cool. i’m sorry. i’ll see you around then.” he quickly apologizes before rushing away in the opposite direction. lottie looks at you, visibly befuddled as to why you would turn him down. you shrug at her reaction, taking a sip of your drink, “i can always just blackmail elise into getting me the shoes. she’s not even supposed to be here, let alone have me here. moms gonna flip.” you laugh lightly and suddenly a sense of relief courses throughout the raven haired girl.

she isn’t sure why she was upset at the thought of you dancing with some other guy. the mere thought of some seedy dudes hands on you made her blood boil for reasons she didn’t understand.

it isn’t until lottie is laying in bed later that night; the image of your pretty smile and eyes are the only thing that she can see when she closes her eyes, that she realizes what this is. lottie matthew’s isn’t stupid; she’s aware of what’s happening… she just doesn’t want to admit it. because just last month lottie hated you; now she couldn’t get you out of her head. she was falling fast and she wasn’t sure if she could stop.

[fairy-writes]

Could you do Reno with falling in love with his future s/o? Such as how would he be acting and such. Idk if I am doing this right

LOOKING BACK IN TIME

Reblogs and Comments are greatly appreciated!!

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Fandom(s): Kaiju No. 8

Pairing(s): Ichikawa Reno x Reader

Word Count: 1.6k

Genre(s)/Tag(s): Gender Neutral!Reader, Civilian!Reader, Confessions, Reminiscing, Reader is implied to be shorter than Reno

Notes: Reno and Reader are in their 20s in this!

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“Hey, Reno?” You say as you look up from your various papers scattered across your desk. 

Wedding planning was a pain. 

Reno looks up from his own papers with an eyebrow raised. 

“Yes?” He asks, and you rub between your eyebrows.

“Remember when we first met?” At that, he gets up and meanders his way over to your side, where you’re looking at old photos to put up during the wedding reception. 

There are photos of your first date, photos of your engagement, and photos of your accomplishments. There are photos of Reno in his dress blues from the Defense Force, of all his service accomplishments, everything. There are photos from all points in your life, but you made sure to emphasize moments with the both of you. 

“‘Course I do. It’s a day I’ll never forget.” He said, leaning down to kiss your hairline. Ever since your engagement, his affection has grown tenfold. He was always pressing a kiss to your cheek, lips, or hand, or always had a hand in yours or on the small of your back when walking. Sleeping together at night is also filled with him holding you tight, so wiggling is pretty much futile. 

You lean back against his waist as he casually lifts you up and settles you in his lap as he sits down. 

“Would you mind telling me?” You say, and he chuckles,

“Why do you like this story so much? You were there!” He teases, and you lace your hands with his against your stomach. He squeezes your entwined fingers gently.

“I like hearing you talk about what you felt. It makes me happy.” You say, and he sighs, but it isn’t unhappy. It’s almost embarrassed. 

“Well… I had just gotten hired at Monster Sweeper Inc.…”

Your name being called was what broke you from your work. 

You flip your visor up, where it’s covered in kaiju blood and ichor, and look to see your coworkers approaching you. It was still early in the morning, but Monster Sweeper Inc. was supposed to get this kaiju disposed of by the end of the week, so you had headed out early. 

“Working early now, are we? Are you trying to get overtime?” Mitsuike Ichitaka called up where you were setting down your chainsaw and heading down to meet them. 

“Of course I am! That’ll mean my paycheck is nice and fat this time. Plus, you know I’m always down for overtime.” You shoot right back and hop the last few feet off the kaiju leg onto the concrete. 

It was then that you realized there was someone new in your midst. 

He was your age, with silvery white hair and violet eyes. He looked mostly unfazed, but you could tell the smell of decomposing kaiju was slowly getting to him. It usually did for those just starting out. 

Maybe Kafka had an extra pair of nose plugs to lend him. He was typically prepared like that. 

Everyone noticed you looking at the new guy, and Ichitaka piped up again,

“This is Ichikawa Reno! He starts today!” He said and introduced Ichikawa to you by saying your name. You peeled off a glove and extended it for him to shake. 

“Nice t’ meet you!” You chirped, and he nodded, 

“I look forward to working with you.” He said formally, and you let out a loud laugh,

“No need to be so formal, Ichikawa. We’re practically the same age!”

Reno watched as you revved your heated chainsaw to cut through part of the bone of the massive kaiju before them. He had been put on intestine work and was grateful for any break he received. 

“You checking them out again?” Hibino Kafka teased, and Reno flinched in surprise. For someone so large, he was quiet when he wanted to be. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He mumbled and flinched again when Hibino threw an arm around his shoulders with a loud laugh. 

“Of course you do! C’mon, it’s your first day, and you already have a crush!” He poked at Reno’s side in jest. 

“Kafka!” You shouted from atop the monster's corpse, and the two of them froze in their bickering to look up at you. You hoisted your chainsaw up to rest against your hip, “You better not be picking on the new guy!” You chastised, and Reno watched as Hibino paled as you revved the chainsaw again and got back to work. 

He thinks that was the first time he fell in love. 

“You fell in love when I threatened Kafka with a chainsaw?” You look up at him, where he’s playing his video game. The two of you have taken a break from planning and moved to the front room. You sit in between his legs as he navigates his first-person shooter game. He hums and snipes an enemy.

“I think that’s when my crush on you first started. You looked really hot with it in hand.” He mumbles, cheeks flushing as he thinks back about it. 

You begin to giggle, reaching to pause his game before getting on your knees and turning to face him. You cup his cheeks and kiss each one, then his forehead, then his nose, before he eventually drops his controller and wraps his arms around your waist. 

“You keep missing.” He says softly and you grin before kissing him on the mouth. 

Reno is gentle, almost overly so. He kisses you fervently yet is as gentle as the snow falling outside. His hands are calloused from years of holding a weapon to defeat kaiju, and you can feel a few old scars underneath his cotton t-shirt where you’re gripping his shoulders. 

The two of you pull apart but are still close enough for his nose to brush yours. 

“Tell me more stories.” You whisper against his mouth and feel his lips twitch into a small smile. 

“What do you want to know?” He asks, and you shrug, handing him his controller as he begins to play again. 

“What made you ask me out? I remember what I felt, but I don’t know what you were feeling at the time.” You say after a moment of thought. 

That makes Reno go silent for a moment. 

“I think it was right before the Defense Force exam…”

Reno couldn’t help but scuff his sneakers against the concrete. 

You had agreed to meet him. 

The sun was setting, the work day was long over, but everyone was gathering for drinks. Or at least those who were of drinking age were. You and Reno were somewhat excluded. Instead of drinking alcohol, you had mocktails or other drinks of your choice. 

But he had asked you to meet him outside in a few moments to talk about something serious. He didn’t tell you what. Part of him wondered if you knew what he wanted to ask you. You were perceptive like that. 

“Ichikawa?” Your voice makes him duck his head as if expecting a blow. He wasn’t quite sure why. You would never hit him; at least, you wouldn’t unless it was a friendly swat on his shoulder. 

“You actually came outside.” He said, and you cock your head to the side, 

“Why wouldn’t I? You said it was serious.” You replied. Your hair is washed out in the moonlight. The noise from the pub beside you died as the two of you mutually decided to go for a walk. 

He itched to hold your hand. Itched to cradle it in his fingers to feel the callouses from the tools of your job. Or would your hand be smooth? You always wore gloves even when it wasn’t required, and he often saw you putting on lotion during breaks. 

“Ichikawa? What did you want to talk about?” You asked when you were about a block away from your coworkers and the pub. 

“Reno.” He said and saw you frown,

“Huh?”

“I—” He cut himself off and fidgeted with his fingers. “I want you to call me Reno.” He mumbled and watched as the words dawned on you. 

And then you smile brilliantly, lighting up the sky brighter than the moon. 

“I’m honored you want me to call you that. But was that all?” You said, and he shook his head.

“I also wanted to ask you something.” He said, stopped walking, turned to face you, and in a moment of boldness, took your hands in his. They were soft, softer than he thought they would be, and he caught a faint whiff of your floral lotion. 

However, the moment he grabbed your hands, his mind went blank, and he forgot everything he had planned and practiced to say. So he stood there dumbly in silence. 

At least until you spoke. 

“Might I guess what you were going to ask me?” You asked lightly, and he finally nodded. A kind smile graces your lips, and he feels his ears and cheeks burn in embarrassment. In the three months he had known you, he had come to cherish your smile. 

You finally speak after seemingly choosing your words carefully. 

“Were you going to ask me on a date?” You asked, and he froze. Were you really that perceptive?

You would’ve made an excellent Defense Force officer had you wanted to apply. But you told him you had no such inclination to do so. 

He finally nodded, and your smile grew. 

“I’d love to.” You said, squeezing his hands.

“How did you know?” Reno asks after he finishes his story, and you shrug, eyes locked on the television.

“Kafka might’ve spilled the beans. But I wanted to hear it from you, so I never said anything until you asked to talk to me.” You reply, and he huffs.

“I knew I never should’ve told him anything.” He mumbles, and you just laugh.

[leashybebes]

May I have my usual 🌈 and a snippet of 🌸please?

of course! 😘

🌈 - picking up where we left off.

He sits in the locker room with his phone in his hand after the others leave, his thumb hovering over Tommy's contact details. He can't bring himself to call, doesn't want to hear Tommy tell him what a dumbass he is. He already knows.

And anyway, like Tommy said, the LAFD is a gossip mill, he's sure everyone will know sooner rather than later about the dumbass probie who lost his mind and then his job because he was so desperate to impress a girl and feel wanted for five seconds that he stole municipal property.

🌸 - this will either make no sense, or be the ah-ha moment for wtf i'm doing with this fic lol, depends entirely on if you're familiar with the source material. picks up from here

"You're one of them, aren't you?" Buck asks, his voice hoarse. "You work with Jamie."

The old man rolls his eyes, his face settling into a frown with such ease that Buck imagines it's an expression he pulls a lot. He magics up a crumpled cigarette from somewhere and a book of matches from somewhere else. He lights it and takes an annoyed puff.

"You can call me Sweeper. And Jai'mae," he says, emphasizing the pronunciation, "is getting busted back down to novitiate as we speak. Do you have any idea the damage you and that young idiot have done? Four spinners had to be completely reset, and you don't want to know the kind of paperwork that generates. The Abbot was not happy."

"I don't - " know what that means, Buck starts to say, but the old man just steamrollers right over him.

"Haven't seen the likes of it for - well, that's tricky. Haven't seen the likes of it since the glass clock, at any rate."

[zayed-gold87]

The Golden Team: A Bond Forged in Dedication

The setting sun cast its golden glow across the soccer field, a perfect reflection of our team’s identity: The Golden Team. This wasn’t just another training session. Tomorrow, we would face Team Vanguard, a squad as sharp as its name implied. Our captain, Brody, stood in the middle of the field, his voice rising above the sounds of practice.

“We don’t just play. We inspire,” he declared, his voice brimming with confidence. “We’re not just a team. We’re a family.”

I stood near the defensive line, scanning the field as always. As the team’s sweeper, my role was to read the game and turn defence into attack, something I took immense pride in. Ahead of me, Herc, our star striker, thundered through the training cones, practicing his powerful and precise shots. Beside him, Maximus and Ezan worked together, perfecting their quick passes to break through any defence.

Further back, Grayden ran agility drills, his speed a weapon that could tip the scales in any match. Our goalkeeper practiced relentlessly, leaping to deflect incoming shots with incredible focus.

Watching over it all were the Polo Drones. Once players themselves, they now dedicated their lives to making us better. Their uniform rubber polo shirts glinted faintly in the warm light. They moved with a strange synchronicity, wordlessly setting up cones, retrieving balls, and even stepping in for one-on-one challenges when needed. Their minds seemed singularly focused on one thing: our success.

“Zayed, step up!” Brody’s voice pulled me back to the moment. A ball arced toward me. With a sharp step, I intercepted it, pivoting cleanly and sending it forward with a long, precise pass to Herc.

“Nice work, Zayed!” Herc called out, a grin spreading across his face as he received the ball and fired it into the net.

As training progressed, Brody gathered us into a huddle. The Polo Drones silently moved to the sidelines, their job for now complete. Brody’s eyes swept over us, his presence commanding.

“Tomorrow isn’t just about skill,” he began, his voice low but powerful. “It’s about unity. Every move we make, we make together. Remember, the strength of The Golden Team isn’t just in our individual talent—it’s in how we lift each other up.”

We all nodded, a wave of determination washing over us. Brody clapped my shoulder. “Zayed, you’re the link between our defence and attack. I need you sharp tomorrow.”

“You can count on me, Captain,” I replied, the weight of the moment filling me with purpose.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the field basked in an amber glow. The Polo Drones resumed their silent tasks, preparing for tomorrow’s game. I stayed behind a little longer, practicing my positioning and passing.

Tomorrow, we wouldn’t just face Team Vanguard. We would prove the power of dedication, friendship, and unity. Whatever the outcome, The Golden Team would stand together as one.

Want to join the golden team? Contact @goldenherc9 @polo-drone-001 or @brodygold

[leonsliga]

i’m confused about neuller family lore now

so, thomas and manu are the head of the family

kimmich is their son

goretzka is his wife husband (would he be a wife or husband? maybe both would be the wife)

is musiala neuller’s younger son or kimmetzka’s son?

is pavlović goretzka’s brother or son?

i feel like urbig should be one of neuer’s kids too

God, I feel like I’ve been waiting for someone to ask me about this! In my mind, Bayern is really just one massive team as family trope, and we have Thomas and Manu to thank for that. So, consider this ask my take on the Neuller family tree, and bear in mind that mileage and perspectives may vary ❤️ after all, you could make a case for just about anyone in the squad being one of Manu and Thomas’ kids; I just went with the ones they tend to coparent the most and/or those who have the physical resemblance/personality of either one or both of our dearest (quin)decade partners.

So, like you said, we’ve got Manu and Thomas as the heads of the house, so to speak—the happy couple from which all of Bayern’s recent successes were born. Then there’s their eldest son Jo and their son-in-law Leon, Jo’s husband.

Honestly, Jo might be the most obvious fit of anyone I’m about to mention, simply because not only does he look like the spitting image of Manu, he also clearly inherited all of Thomas’ energy and mia san mia. Perhaps it’s for that reason that he receives the most mothering out of any of Manu’s sons. I mean, just look at him; I don’t think he’s known composure a day in his life (and I love him for that):

It’s a bit of an aside here, but I also lean towards Frans Krätzig, a former Bayern baby, being Jo and Leon’s son. The way our midfield duo looked after him was such a fun new dynamic at the time and I kinda miss it 💔

From here on out it’s probably only gonna get more complicated though, so buckle up and hold on tight 😅

I have conflicting headcanons about Jamal, and I kind of toggle between the two of them. Lately, I’ve been more in the camp of Jamal being Neuller’s son. I think it has a lot to do with Thomas acting like a proud father with him 24/7, Jamal always having glowing things to say about his papa, their joint ad campaigns, and Thomas teaching him literally everything he knows. And when it comes to Manu, well…he’s literally claimed our beloved Bambi as “his boy”. Also, with the way Manu and Thomas gentle parent him at every Oktoberfest photoshoot, it’s hard not to believe they at least had a hand in raising him. At a minimum, Jamal has definitely imprinted on them both like a baby chick, and that didn’t stop when they were all away on international duty.

In the early days of Jamal’s career at Bayern, I leaned more towards him being Gnabretzka’s (Serge and Leon’s) baby. I think that has a lot to do with them constantly trying to wrangle him to the gym 😂 and also Leon’s “die goldene Henne” comment when Jamal won an award. Or maybe it was something about the way they held him…

As far as Alex goes, I personally see him more as Leon’s younger brother (especially with the way the two are always pretending to start shit and fight with one another), but I definitely think you could make a case for him as Kimmetzka’s son as well.

Alright, now things are gonna get more clear cut again, because I definitely agree with you on Jonas; in my mind, he’s as much Manu’s son as Jo and Jamal are. Besides, I don’t think anyone can deny the resemblance. In fact, you’d be forgiven for thinking Manu gave birth to Jonas himself 😂 he’s got those same signature soft, babyfaced features, after all! And Manu’s clearly been doing a great job parenting him, because he seems poised to follow in his sweeper keeper footsteps.

So, without further ado, here’s what the Neuller family tree would look like as I see it, with the first one showing Jamal as Manu and Thomas’ son:

And the second showing Jamal as Leon and Serge’s son:

[owlmann]

I gotta talk about these new teased intervallos, first off the "regular checkup" has rodya as the only one staring right at the camera. I'm sure THAT totally doesnt mean anything. More importantly, SWEEPER CONTENT BABY LETS GOOOO GIVE ME THAT MIND HAULER AND HEALTH HAULER KJH YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO