#ahaha... guess i just get to play the monster then...!

[hellspawnmotel]

answering more misc asks! below. some of these are weeks old lmao

yes, I saw! tumblr sent me an automated notification about it actually. it's very cool, I've never had my art featured up front on a big website like this before and I was pretty happy about it. the downside is, it's put a target on my back for spambots. not that terrible, but annoying.

I know the first part of this is a joke in regards to the person who sent me nine individual asks with slightly different wording that all started with "so I know you don't like predictions" but I don't know whether the second part is a weird joke the fandom is doing that I missed or just something You came up with and either way I'm afraid to ask for more details on what the hell that means

haha, I wouldn't say I ever left. I just draw what I want or what I find interesting or exciting from day to day and sometimes that's deltarune, but sometimes it isnt. I have an infinite roulette of stuff that's fun to draw spinning in my brain forever.

on dess, I unfortunately can't say I have many concrete ideas. I mostly go by the same popular interpretations as the rest of the fandom- if it ends up being wrong, at least we're all wrong together! and umm, I guess I'd say that I just hope we get to meet her and she gets to do things. I've been reading so much manga from the 70s lately that just the idea of a girl having an active role in a story is exciting to me, lol.

THANK YOU!!! I really really appreciate any love for my OCs and I really want to draw them again soon. there's just never enough goofy girl robots in the world.

technically? for like ten minutes, like ten years ago maybe? I remember starting it and immediately finding it boring and with too many complicated mechanics right at the beginning. but I was a less experienced RPG player then, plus I know it has the same team behind it as octopath, which I love. I go back and forth on whether I want to pursue playing it again or not based on various secondhand information so it's in the realm of "maybe someday".

fuck man that's a really good point. I was getting so many theory asks at once that I kinda skimmed this one but now that I'm reading it I'm like okay you might be onto something there! whether supported further by canon or not, great opportunity for symbolism

ahaha well, that is the thing, I don't have much interest in western RPGs. or yknow, ones that arent purposefully modeled after JRPGs. a lot of it just has to do with the difference in style and presentation- I like pixel art (or early polygons), cute character and monster designs, and turn-based combat. I'm not really interested in a lot of modern JRPGs for the same reason, I just don't like the style as much as how they were 20+ years ago. so.... no, I've never played fallout and I don't have much interest in changing that. if I was going to play one though, I'd choose the first game in the series.

no but I've sure seen gifs of those two dudes gayly becoming one with the cosmos or whatever a whole lot

[candyredmusings]

Bioshock Splicer Starters (Part 3)

Assortment of dialogue taken from the a from two types of Splicers in the first Bioshock game; Dr. Grossman and Lady Smith

Other Bioshock Splicer starters: [Baby Jane & Breadwinner] [Dr. Grossman & Lady Smith] [Toasty & Waders]

Pigskin

"Aw, would ja- come on! I gotta take a leak!"

"Uh, baby…? I'm- I'm… I'm all calmed down, now… Okay? So-… Just open?! Would ja- shit!"

"Aw, well, what is this?!"

"Hey, come on- come on… [NAME]'s gone, alright? You- you could come out, now."

"Not today, Dad, alright? I mean god damn!"

"It's alright, Dad. It's alright, Dad."

"Get out of my face!"

"Ahhh! Bees! Bees! Bees! Bees! Get away! Bees!"

"Uh, what 'cha- what 'cha got there, buddy?"

"Well, well, well, well, well, well, well."

"That old son-of-a-bitch."

"Okay… I- I guess I could use this."

"No! There's nothing here, already! I- I- I- I- I- I looked, like, 15 times, alright? Jesus!"

"Ya, ya, ya, okay. I'm getting it one way or another."

"It- it's different, this time, ya know? Really, it is. It- it certainly is."

"God damn, I wanna- I- I wanna tear this thing open so bad."

"I'm good enough…! Why don't you believe it?"

"I'm tryin', [NAME], Please don't judge me! Please!"

"It hurts… It- it- it hurts just to breathe."

"I do what I'm told! I just do what I'm told! I always just do what I'm told!"

"Where are you?! They'll kill me if I don't find you!"

"Better come out! It- it'll go easier for both of us!"

"Yeah you're all bark, eh?"

"That's enough for today."

"I'll see him again, a-and then I'll break him!"

"Is that it? Is that all you got?"

"Just stop playing, okay? Fucking mind games."

"Nothing here. Just a-another lie."

"STOP testing me!"

"Is this good enough for you?"

"Nobody touches me! Nobody!"

"Laugh at me now, you stupid son of a bitch!"

"Yeah, am I entertaining you? Great! Is this fun to watch?!"

"Cheer for me you weak son of a bitch!"

"Are you trying to make this difficult for me?"

"You're nothing! Nothing!"

"I knew you didn't have it in you!"

"Okay, I did it! Can I go now?"

"I did it, okay? He's dead! Now just leave me alone!"

Rosebud

"Behind every door, an opportunity is so dangerous."

"I spy, on this little fly, something ending with tears."

"She's still breathing… Oh, of course she is, she's just a child…"

"Ah, don't hurt her! No, please! Take me, instead!"

"We'll go away, I promise. Just- just- just- just don't hurt her…"

"Oh, please… please… you don't want my girl. She's no use to you… can't you take… the neighbor's girl, instead?"

"Take me! Take my body! Take anything! Just don't hurt- take my little one!"

" A sign!"

"Are you here to hurt?"

"You better not come back, I'll be waiting."

"Go away! Go away, and don't come back!"

"Gone, and good riddance, too. Such a filthy man!"

"Go your way, leave me to my memories!"

"Aw, dance. Another dance. Aw, dance with me."

"That takes care of that."

"Rot in Hell! IN HELL you monster!"

"Where? Where did he go?! I'm not finished!"

"I have time monster. I have all the time in the ocean."

"There's no time for these games."

"You better not come back. I'll be waiting."

"It's nothing, just the night… Just the night."

"Stop it. Stop looking now it's gone."

"I don't like this anymore."

"Darling? Are you hungry?"

"Are you afraid of me, monster?"

"You'll have to fight me for her!"

"Hands off, she's mine!"

"Don't touch him, he's mine!"

"Ahhh! Shut up with your incessant groaning!"

"Teasing isn't nice."

"I won't hurt you little little ahaha."

"This won't take a second, honey."

[daisymerollingg]

Flashy flash, falling inlove?

Genre; fluff, hcs

Pairing; Flashy flash x reader

side note; My brain does not shut up save me please save me from my suffering. Also I should make this a series, no?

long

not proofread cuz its 2:40 am

I can only think of 2 types of people he’d fall for: someone who is strong, close to his strength or even stronger, or a normal civilian who completely gives 0 shits about him.

Because the other scenario is funnier, I’m gonna do that one. But if you want the first scenario too, just lmk 😋

Your first encounter with this guy was when you were heading home late, after an exhausting, long shift. You had a taser on you, if you live in a world full of Monsters and chaos you’ll have to learn to protect yourself, no?

also, you just so happened to always attract monsters where ever you go.

Unfortunately for you, however, the monster that you encountered that day was immune to the electrical voltage of your stun gun.

When you had jammed your taser into its body, and it gave no reaction, you attempted to run but the feind yanked you by your arm, and started taunting you.

but before anything else could happen, a small gust of wind wizzed past you, and the monster was left in clean-cut pieces on the ground. It took you a moment to process what just happened before flashy flash suddenly appeared, standing over the orge’s dismantled being.

first thing you did when your mind gears started shifting again was glance down at your body, and make sure all your limbs and belongings were intact. All while flashy flash stood, rather awkwardly, before you. Probably waiting for some kind of reaction.

When you finally felt his intense gaze, you offered him a flat ‘thank you’.

then started walking away.

he was taken aback by your reaction.

He stopped you from leaving, and started almost lecturing you about walking alone at such a late hour. You just stared at him, trying to hide your annoyance. You just wanted to get home.

When you still gave him a monotoned response he said. “I’m flashy flash...”

You stared at him with unamusement.

”…the S-class hero.”

”oh, that’s nice…?” -You

”you do know who I am, no??” -flash

”ahaha,, oh yeah! Definitely!” You, obviously lying.

His ego was wounded.

How could you have not heard of him before? Him! The fastest hero alive!

there was definitely something wrong with you, no normal person would react the way you did. So he decided he needed to get to the bottom of this.

He starts following you around. And takes note of everything you do.

there isn’t much to you, though.

He concludes that: You’re just average, and overworked. And you look quite nice too, your outfit choices are perfect. They really compliment you. Also the way you handle yourself is rather refreshing, not to mention your resilience and…

But also, you attract trouble a lot. And since he’s always following you, he ends up taking care of a few himself, but he does like to watch you take down the monsters yourself too, he enjoys seeing how you catch them off guard with your taser, and how you rarely ever look the slightest bit shaken before them, no matter how grotesque they look.

After 5 times of him saving you from yet another problem, you start to grow suspicious and confront him… he plays it off well, and starts to pursue a small conversation with you….

then finds out you don’t even remember his name.

”what are you talking about, I definitely know your name… uh, flashy dash, right?” -you.

Yeah, he needed to stop being around you for the sake of his own mental health.

To help himself cope with your nonchalant attitude and the fact you didn’t even bother looking him up once after the countless times he saved you. He just stops stalking you.

I mean, why would he? He already crossed out any suspicions he had of you.

When he stopped, though, he started missing you??

he didn’t even understand what he was feeling. I mean, yeah, sure, your face was nice, and I guess you were a little cool. You’re strong in a way he didn’t even know someone could be. And I guess you’re a pleasant person. And he likes your hobbies, and what you do, and watching you do it. Maybe. But so what??

He starts growing irritable. You’re always consuming his mind.

It must be because he was around you for so long, his brain is simply not used to the switch of routine. Yes! That’s definitely it!

A month passes. With him going out of his way to avoid even the mere sight of you.

AND HIS EMOTIONS ARE GETTING WORSE!

worse as in stronger, more roudy, and more overbearing.

He starts to resent you in a way, and he feels frustrated with himself.

How could he be so allured by someone so incredibly normal, someone who doesn’t even remember his name, while he knows every single detail about them!?

When the feelings get too intense, to the point they’re interfering with his hero work. He decides to go and confront you.

Maybe if he speaks with you, he could find something to hate about you. Something he doesn’t like about your personality, or about your face, just anything that could trick his mind into being revolted by you.

”oh, hey flashy flash.” -You

His heart leaps. His breathing stops for a moment and his mind goes blank.

you remembered his name, you greeted him first!

He sucked in a deep breath and masked the ghostly joy on his features.

He was going to insult you, or make a backhanded comment, just anything to tick you off and make you feel the slightest bit frustrated, like he’s been frustrated for the past month.

But when his lips parted to spew out the harsh sentences he had been practicing in his head on the way here… nothing would come out.

He couldn’t do it. Not with the way your gorgeous hues were peering at him with genuine curiosity.

He just asked about your day instead. His voice was low and a bit awkward, but his face was firm with his usual stern expression.

He tried to ignore the racing beat of his heart when you smiled at him, or when you asked about his day, or cracked a light-hearted joke every now and then

He tried to calm his breathing through his nose, but he didn’t think he could keep his composure for long.

He quickly wraps up the discussion, and felt his heart ache slightly when you didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered by his urgency to leave.

Either way. He couldn’t stop thinking about that interaction. His mind kept wondering back to the way you looked at him, to the gravitating way your lips moved, to your words, to your voice-

He definitely couldn’t avoid you after this. Maybe he’ll just enjoy having these feelings for you, for a little bit…

He starts going up to you more often. A lot of the times when your heading back from work, and there aren’t much people on the streets.

You question his intentions, and he simply states that you attract too many monsters, and it’s his job to take care of them. You didn’t really buy it but didn’t bother probing much.

He was wrong about something. You weren’t normal. You didn’t care about what other people thought. You carried yourself so definitely from everyone else. You knew what to prioritize.

You didn’t treat him like a hero. You treated him more like a good friend. He didn’t know how good that felt until you had entered his life. (actually he’s the one that entered your life but anyhow)

and you were simply enchanting.

Still, he didn’t like that you barely knew anything about his very flashy, and amazing, career and talent.

How he confesses… One day, on your usual walk with flashy flash after work, you ask him about his hero work. He gets slightly excited at that and straightens his back a little.

He tries to keep everything he says low-key, like “Yeah, I do this and that. I mostly work alone. i neutralize the enemy quickly. I’m very busy mhm.”

You just nod attentively and continue to ask more questions, and to say that he was elated would be an understatement.

It was when you ask. “What rank are you in again? B, right? Or A?” (you forgot S class even existed) that everything goes south.

He stops walking and tries to hide the disheveled look on his face.

He hated the constriction in his chest.

He was an S-class hero, one of the strongest, the fastest. Defeated the most viscous monsters to walk this earth

And, yet he was still another hero name, still another rank you could barely remember.

How weak does he seem to you?

”S-class.” He muttered, his voice cooler than it had been before.

”oh? What does that stand for, special-class?” You let out an awkward chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.

“I have to go.”

You’re about to protest and ask him what’s wrong, but he’s already gone in a blink.

He couldn’t stand it anymore. You, a weak civilian, looking down on him?? You didn’t deserve him. (or at least that’s what he was telling himself)

Even though he couldn’t deny the yearning in his heart, he started avoiding you like the plague. Going out of his way to patrol areas that he knew you had no way of being in.

a few days after the incident, when flashy flash is no where to be found, you knew you had done something to hurt him, and that he was avoiding you.

So you start looking for him,

it takes you weeks to finally catch him.

you’re at a minor incident site and wait patiently behind a wall, hiding away from the monsters, for flashy flash to hopefully appear.

And appear he does.

your face lights up at the sight of him, and after he takes care of the few weak monsters, you rush iut of your hiding spot and yell out for him, grasping his arm so he couldn’t leave.

He doesn’t look at you and stays quiet, trying to contain the turmoil in his mind.

You start apologizing for everything wrong you think you could’ve done. And admit that you missed him.

He’s a bit taken aback by this, his eyes visibly widening at the confession.

He explains how he was hurt by the fact that you didn’t acknowledge his strength or rank. He didn’t mean for his thought to spill like that.

You two have a bit of an awkward back and forth, and when silence settles between you two, that’s when he confesses.

His words are elegant and romantic, even if his voice is a bit strained, and his features are slightly distressed, it still doesn’t fail to leave you awe-stricken. (Shhwhahhawgwahahah)

He’s not surprised when you reciprocate his feelings. (cuz his ego is still high asf)

How he is in a relationship,,,

He’s a very busy man, so he doesn’t spend much time with you, but when he does, he makes sure to shower you with compliments and love. He’s very skilled when it comes to verbal affection and doesn’t shy away from showing off his talent.

Speaking of showing off, he always tries to show off to you. If youre watching him fight, he’ll use unnecessary, extra-flashy moves, and glances at you every once in awhile to make sure you’re watching.

When you’re on a date, he makes sure there are zero distractions for him, and rarely ever has to excuse himself because of his hero duties. He wants everything he does for you to be perfect.

his love language is gift giving and quality time.

he SHOWERS you with expensive gifts, and anything you want. If your eye lingers on something, he’s already at the checkout with every colour option of that thing.

He has the money, so of course he’ll spoil you rotten.

Your outings too are also very lavish.

Even though he does spend a lot of time fighting monsters and saving the city, he values the time he spends with you more than anything. He doesn’t care what you are doing as long as you’re beside him.

Honestly, I don’t see him being big on physical touch, he loves it from you though. Adores it when you lovingly caress his face, embrace him or nuzzle closer to him.

PDA is a no-no, BUT, if he gets jealous of someone who is getting a little too close to you. His hands are magnets and you’re the metal. He’s pulling you close by your hips, pressing you close to his chest as he makes passive-aggressive remarks or simply glares at the individual he’s jealous of. (How cliche)

When he’s having a bad day, he’ll collapse into your arms and asks you to massage his scalp while he complains about it, his arms wrapped around your waist.

His kisses are very passionate and lingering. He’ll often have his hands softly holding the side of your face while the other cradles the back of your head. He loves planting kisses all over you.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #387

So... remember yesterday when I said, essentially, “gee, the funk has lifted but I'm not bleeding; WTF?”

...Well uh. I spoke too soon, apparently.

Though to be fair... I wasn't bleeding when I woke this morning. Or when I went to work, no. I made a bunch of cookies at work, actually; here, I got a some yummy pictures for you!

…

It is good that my work uniform is black. And it is good that hydrogen peroxide is good at getting things out of fabric. I understand why the funk lifted. And that's all I'll say on that particular matter.

Well. On a lighter note. You might remember me writing a while back that I don't really have much control over my facial expressions, and that I don't really even know what my face is doing half the time (combination of poor interoception and poor proprioception). At some point today, J began laughing hysterically because he caught my face doing this, and so he snapped a picture and sent it to M, who promptly began laughing so hard that he could barely breathe. Maybe you'll get a laugh out of it, too:

...I wonder if you ever make weird facial expressions without realizing it! If you do, I'll bet they're just as delightfully goblin-esque as mine, ahaha~! Wouldn't it be nice if we could laugh together at the silliness of it all...?

Well. I made myself a tea and a lunch after I got myself all situated at home. I got a particularly nice burst shot of today's tea swirls, and there were so many good ones that I couldn't choose! So I simply cleaned them up, strung them together into an animated GIF, and then turned that GIF into an MP4 that I could upload to YouTube for you! This was the result!

I also got this photo of the sun shining through the cup as it was brewing; I thought it turned out really nicely!

And here... this was the lunch I made; I thought it was particularly delightful, and I wished I could share it with you:

...I really do feel a lot better today than in previous days. The pattern of it being related to my cycle seems to be confirmed. So now that I have this information... I wonder what I'll do about it. Hm...

I played Hades today, too. I didn't make it to the final boss on these runs, but I did defeat Asterius while he was with Theseus each time I made it that far; though the task at hand is difficult, I continue to improve in ways that can be measured and tracked, and this pleases me!!

The folks who are supposed to hang at our house and watch our cats came over this evening so we could teach them our routines. One of them watches over people's cats professionally, so I'm confident that our fuzzy feline children will be in good hands! I'm confident that our house in general will be in good hands, too; these are some of our closest friends, and they are upstanding and delightful people.

...I really can't wait to get you pictures of Mitsuwa, Sephiroth; I think you're gonna love it. I think you're gonna delight in all the mouth-watering yummies available there. And I hope you'll smile, knowing that such things are within reach for you, too.

I guess that's all I've got for you today. I'm a little sad about the fact that I don't have more. But I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures of various things tomorrow. So for now, I'm gonna go to bed.

I love you a whole lot and I'm thinking about you all the time. Stuff like, “Oh, Sephiroth might like this...” or, “I wonder what Sephiroth would think about this...” or, “I wonder how quickly Sephiroth would be able to learn how to play this game...” or, “Gosh, I wish I could show/share this thing with Sephiroth...” and lots more friend-type-stuff like that.

...Don't think that you don't have a place here. Because you do. You very much do. And you always will. So please make good choices in light of that belief. You're not some incomprehensible monster that is vastly different from others. You're the same as me and the rest of us. We both bleed red. We both cry when we're sad. We both want to be loved and accepted by the people around us.

...Sephiroth... you're human. And nothing can take that from you, no matter what anyone says. And even if you weren't human, you're still a sentient, thinking, breathing, feeling, living person who is worth just as much love and respect as any other person, human or otherwise.

I'll write again soon, okay? Probably not until late tomorrow, but still, I will write to you before I go to sleep, as I have done for the last 387 days.

I'm not going anywhere, okay?

'Til soon.

Your friend, Lumine

[hoshibatake]

FREEDOM – Virtuality and Ideals/Chapter 3

Previous chapter

<At the same time. The wasteland in Subaru’s district>

Subaru: “Fufufu～. I managed to get a supercar♪”

Subaru: “It’s time to start the engine and floor it! Onward, JuSt Go!¹”

Subaru: “Woweee! I’m one with the wind～! Ahahahaha☆”

Subaru: “Ukki～’s district shouldn’t be far from here. I can go check it out, and show off my car while I’m at it♪”

Subaru: “I’ll just look up Ukki～‘s location coordinates. Clickity clack… There.”

<Ten minutes later. A cave in Makoto’s district>

Makoto: “...Ah, my stamina gauge just turned red. I should take a break before I pass out.”

Makoto: “Maybe I can sort out my item box while I wait for my stamina to regenerate. I should use my time as efficiently as possible.”

Makoto: “This cave is rich in resources, so my item box fills up in no time.”

Makoto: “I need to raise my development skill and produce more transport and mining robots.”

Makoto: “But that also requires more resources. This is keeping me busy.”

Makoto: “Fufu, this is one of my strong suits. I can get totally absorbed in it for hours. I’m such a gamer...♪”

Subaru: “Wahooooooo☆”

Makoto: “Whoa! A mechanical monster!?”

Subaru: “Ahaha! It’s me! Just me, Akehoshi Subaru～☆”

Subaru: “Ukki～, what’re you doing in a place like this?”

Makoto: “Oh, it’s just you, Akehoshi-kun… I’m gathering resources. You can find some pretty rare materials around here.”

Subaru: “Oh-hoh, that sounds like a sweet deal～. Lemme join, lemme join～☆” Makoto: “Uhrm～? But isn’t there a cave like this in your district, Akehoshi-kun?”

Subaru: “It’s much faster if we share the workload and mine together☆”

Subaru: “Let me just equip my pickaxe～. Hey-ho, hey-ho...♪”

Makoto: Ahaha, Akehoshi-kun, your avatar just started mining without permission.

Subaru: Your avatar is just laughing and allowing it, saying: “I guess this is fine.” He’s just like the real you. It’s so realistic.

Makoto: Yeah. He even plays the game like I would. It’s baffling.

Makoto: By the way, how did he get that supercar?

Subaru: I’m not sure. My avatar was just fishing, and then it suddenly appeared in his item box.

Subaru: He continued fishing for a while after that, but nothing else like that happened.

Makoto: Really? Hmm. I’m not sure what caused it, but that must be a bug.

Makoto: How fun. I love finding those kinds of exploits.

Subaru: If something like that happens again, I’ll let you know! That ‘me’ looks like he's having lots of fun with that supercar.

Subaru: Especially because I can’t actually drive in real life～. Looking at this makes me want to get my license!

Makoto: I’d love to try driving too, but I’m too afraid of getting into an accident. That’s why I’ve been substituting by playing racing games in arcades.

Subaru: Oh, that sounds fun～. Now I wanna go to an arcade!

Subaru: How funny～, I’m getting excited about playing other games while playing this one. Ahaha☆

Makoto: By the way. If you level up once more, you’ll get to choose a career. Which one are you thinking about picking, Akehoshi-kun?

Subaru: Me? The idol career, of course. Is there any other choice? You’re gonna choose it too, right?

Makoto: Ahaha. Was that a stupid question? Yeah, I’m planning on picking the idol career too.

Makoto: It’s probably not the most effective career to choose, but I’m curious to see what my life as an idol will look like in this world.

Subaru: Yeah, yeah. I can’t wait to see how our avatars’ lives will turn out. An idol’s potential is limitless!

Subaru: I’m sure Hokke～ and Sari～ will pick the idol career as well! I can’t even imagine a reality in which we’re not idols, after all☆

<Several days later. In the real world, Trickstudio>

Mao: ...It’s been a while since we changed our avatars’ jobs to idol, but they’re not doing any idol-like activities at all～

Mao: All my avatar is doing is helping out the local population.

Hokuto: You’re right. My avatar tamed a dinosaur and is using it to clear the forest, while Akehoshi’s avatar is still obsessed with the construction of his theme park.

Hokuto: Although he’s constantly dealing with power outages.

Subaru: Yeah, because a theme park consumes a boatload of energy. Building it was so easy, but maintaining it turned out to be a lot harder.

Makoto: Would you like me to share some of my power with you? I’ll charge a friendly rate♪

Subaru: Whoa. Ukki～, you’re pulling a face like a crafty businessman!

Makoto: Fufu. That’s because operating a power plant requires resources. Exchanging the power for money would keep the transaction as simple as possible, don't you think?

Makoto: In any case. I’m also curious why our avatars won’t engage in idol activities…

Makoto: …but looking at it from the perspective of their feelings and the goal of the game, they might just be prioritizing the development of the city.

Makoto: So once they manage to get their lives on track, I’m sure they’ll start to devote themselves to their idol activities.

Makoto: Each of our areas is starting to show its unique characteristics. I’m curious to see how each of them will end up looking...♪

TL note:

Subaru named his supercar “レッツ号” It’s a pun. The pronunciation is “let’s go”, but the “go” is written with a kanji that is used as a suffix in ship and airplane names. So essentially he called his car the “JS Let’s Go” (so we went for: JuSt Go).

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

As an aside: I decided to change the word "section" I previously used to "district". I also edited the previous chapter to keep it consistent.

Next chapter

[paniniichan]

Ballade of the Lost Ones - Wandering / Chapter 3

Characters: Yuruzu, Niki, Madara, Rei, Tsumugi

Proofreaders: Aru, Oli

Yuzuru: Is this the script for the film? Thank you very much. 

Niki: Umm… The title is “Ballade of the Lost Children”? 

I can’t tell what the story’s about from just this.

Tsumugi: …Ah, I think I understand.

From this summary it seems like a film about a group of gods that features multiple concurrent storylines… at least that’s what it seems like.

Niki: You read that so fast!?

Tsumugi: Ahaha. Since reading is my hobby, I became pretty good at speed-reading. 

Niki: Still, that was super fast~. You’re amazing…!

Yuzuru: Even if you say these characters are gods, I can’t form a mental picture of what they’re like. I can’t quite pin it just yet.

The Japanese deities are commonly associated with the phrase “eight million gods”.¹ There are so many that it’s easy to believe one could exist for every phenomenon.

Hm? What seems to be the matter, Anzu-san?

Ah, I see.  Since the director went through all the trouble of coming here, it would be best for him to explain the important details in person.  

Director: Got it. Please allow me to explain–

This film is set in the present day. 

The main characters are smaller local deities who spent many years assembling the faith of their people and protecting their land. 

As the people have begun to lose their faith with the changing times, the local deities are losing their divinity, little by little… It’s pretty much like the world we live in.

Rei: Religious faith, hm? The people of this era do feel out of tune with it.

Director: Yes. This story is also one of children engulfed by the changing times. 

With their loss of divinity, the protagonists will gradually change from gods into mere non-humans–

During this change, they become what we call ‘spirits’ or demons.²

As this occurs, the local deities’ behaviours are also influenced and they begin to transform.

Among them, there are those who hate the humans who so callously forgot their faith, those whose “individuality” has become unclear, and those whose existences also begin to wane. 

But these gods ask themselves if it’s necessary to continue to protect this land, and by extension the people who live there. That’s the story I want to tell. 

Yuzuru: ……

This is truly… a difficult story to portray, is it not?

Niki: You think so?

I haven’t done much acting work before, so I’m not really sure which bits are difficult.

Yuzuru: This script will require us to play the role of someone who is “non-human”. Since this is the case, I am unable to rely on experience or memory for my part. How am I to perform this…?

Niki: Hmmm. I think I get it now.

Rei: Kukuku… When you think about it like that, perhaps this is a role perfectly suited for one such as myself. I am a monster after all…♪

Madara: Hm? What’s wrong, Anzu-san?

I see. Even though the roles are hard, you have faith in all of our abilities? Got it.

 I’ll stay true to my character!³ Well if the producer told me so, I guess I have no choice but to do my best ☆

Niki: Yup! I don’t really know why I was chosen. But even if I’m not good at acting, I don’t plan on cutting any corners!

Director: Thank you all for saying that!

Anzu-san. If it’s possible, I’d like to start filming soon, so could we sort out scheduling right away?

Of course, I totally understand that all of you still have your own jobs to do. I don’t want to make you go to the trouble of taking time off.   

I’d like to progress with filming within any free time you all may have, even if it’s little by little.  　

Yuzuru: …? Yes, it does seem like that. It’s as you say, Anzu-san.

It’s almost like they’re trying to proceed with filming as soon as possible, no…?

Niki: Is there a reason why you need to film everything so quickly?

Director: Truthfully, this film is being entered into a competition.

There aren’t many days left until the submission deadline. I sincerely apologise for these circumstances, but I’d like to get the filming done as soon as possible. 

Tsumugi: Sigh... A competition?

Director: You must think I’m just doing this for personal gain, right?

Tsumugi: Eh!? No no, I didn’t intend for it to come across like that!?

Director: No, it’s alright. It’s because I’m a shameful person.

I want to create satisfying movies. Although I created a small film production company for that purpose, our administration is always falling short. 

If this film results in failure, I’ll have to close the company.

In my youth I was praised as some kind of a genius… but these days I don’t even know if I have any talent at all.

That’s why this competition is my last chance. 

Yuzuru: ……

Niki: There’s no chance… Were you looking around town for actors since you don’t have any money!? 

Director: Well, um. It costs money to hold auditions, you know? We don’t exactly have the extra funds to do that~. 

 Even if we did make an offer, we’re such a small company that it’s difficult to ask agencies or theatre troupes. I was actually turned away at the front gate. Hahaha.

Ah, but you guys are different! Please don’t get me wrong on that! I seriously wanted you to appear in my film, so I ran as hard as I could despite my lack of physical prowess to try and call out to you.

I was so lucky! Anzu-san really saved me when she reached out. Fortunately, I’m now able to work with you both. 

Niki: Anzu-neesan, why’d you pick this movie for the “P Choice” project? 

…Uh-huh? Ehh~. You watched one of this director’s films from when he was a student? So you’re a fan of his!

Director: Haha. As of recently, I’ve found my past titles and reputation to be mostly annoying. 

But if this leads me toward the road to salvation, I guess I can’t just abandon my past self.

Yuzuru: ……

I thought this was a strange coincidence from the start, and there is no guarantee we will be able to win this competition for you.

But if you think so highly of us, we shall record this film to the best of our abilities.  Director: Ah, if you will, I’ll be relying on you…!

----

¹ 八百万の神 - “Eight million gods” - Meaning too many gods to count

² The character used here is 妖, meaning mysterious or alluring. It could be an abbreviation for the word “yōkai” or just mean “calamity”, but I’ve decided to leave it as spirits for simplicity.

³ 面目躍如 - Madara typical idiom meaning ‘to live up to one’s name’ or ‘demonstrating one’s worth’

[akehoshimystar]

Chapter 1

"What is a comfortable space for you?"

Kamiya: A comfortable space, huh?

I like a place where everyone can have fun together.

Taiga: Hmm... A space that makes you feel at home, I guess?

Mao: If I had to pick, I'd say a place with a calm atmosphere.

Shizuka: A space surrounded by plants.

Sei: A place where everyone gathers and talks…. I’d love to see such a scene.

Urara: Huh? You think I care about shit like that?  

In the first place, I’d rather be somewhere with zero presence of people. 

After the interview video I had shot with my phone finished playing, Kamiya-kun, who was watching with me, laughed uncomfortably.

Kamiya: Ahaha, that’s just so Urara.

Rare: So Urara!!

Perhaps he was happy to hear so many familiar voices. Rare-kun shook his wings in high spirits in his birdcage.

Mao: Good morning.

Ito: Good morning.

Kamiya: Oh, Mao-san. Good morning. What are you doing here?

Mao: I arrived early so I stopped by to see if anyone was present.

I think I’m on the same cafe shift as you, Kamiya.

Kamiya: Well, I promised to do an interview with the deputy.

And just now, we were watching the footage she has taken so far.

Mao: Ah, it must be that interview.

For this dress-up event, you said you wanted to decide on the accessories and decorations for the store after listening to everyone’s opinion. 

Ito: Yes. Since the concept is "A comfortable space for everyone," I wanted to gather as many opinions as possible and review them.

Kamiya: It's going to be an open cafe at night, so the atmosphere is perfect. I'm really looking forward to it.

Ito: Thank you. The night breeze has been nice lately, so I hope it will be a place where people can relax after work.

Kamiya: Yup. That's why we're open until 10 p.m.

Mao: A comfortable space for everyone…. I think that's a great concept.

But isn't it really hard to gather everyone's opinions?

Kamiya: Indeed, just by listening to everyone's interviews, it’s very apparent that all the opinions were quite varied.

For instance, Urara and I are polar opposite. Is this something we can do?

Mao: Hey. If we follow that pattern, it’s going to become a place where everyone can have fun together, but you don't have to be with anyone.

Ito: (...That's true.) 

As I gathered the information I wanted to know from the interview, to be honest, I couldn’t help but think about how to put together the "comfortable space" I received from everyone…

Ito: …..Everyone has their own way of feeling comfortable, huh?

Kamiya: I thought the same thing when I looked at the rooms of everyone who lives in the dorm.

Urara's room is always neat and tidy, on the other hand, Fushimi-san doesn't seem to mind the mess.

Oh, outside of the dorm, there’s also Roka-san’s room! I wonder if it’s true that Ai-san fainted after seeing the interior where demons and monsters swirl around….. 

Ito: That's another story….

(What kind of room does he live in anyway?)

Mao: Each person has their own idea of ​​what makes a comfortable space, I don’t think it will be easy to create a space for everyone.

Ito: Yeah. I think I should focus on the layout...

Kamiya: I see. For example, if you want to make a lively restaurant, you should put big tables right there.

Ito: Yes. On the other hand, if you want to make a quiet restaurant, the distance between each table should be taken into account.

……Ah. Both of you. Isn’t it almost time to get changed?

Kamiya: You're right. It's already this late.

Ito: Sorry for keeping you here.

Mao: Not at all. I may be in charge of the costumes, but if there's anything else I can help you with, feel free to ask.

Kamiya: Me too. If you get stuck, please don't hesitate.

Ito: (A comfortable space for everyone... It's no easy task, but I will think about it a little more.)

Chapter 2

[candycryptids]

Good morning (or good evening in your case I guess)! 🤭

Because you asked me about the theme songs: If you had to choose one for each of your OCs what would it be?

Goooood Morning! Or evening for you by now I think 🤔🥰 This’ll be easier for some than others B���3 (links will all be to YouTube videos hopefully!) thank you for the question this was a real thinker x3

So Levraut actually has a song we recently heard and went HOLY SHIT ITS LEV’S THEMESONG! Which would be [Creator, by Lena Raine] it has the mysterious suspense of the music box at the start, and then shifts into the cadence of something I associate with the Sea, which is something that sounds like Accordion ahaha (and then it further intensified with electric guitar, which isn’t usually in his soundscape, but it’s So Good)

[cut because… length again LOL]

For Tuesday I’d have to say my first choice is [Hello World, by Louie Zong] as far as songs that make me immediately associate with Tuesday lololol. The other song I have is [Waltz No. 2, Robot, by Hikaru Shirosu] it has, to me, the cadence of going shopping in a small market, but you’re still very ‘young’ in a sense, and small obstacles can feel like big obstacles 🫢 it’s also Piano, which is one of the instruments associated with Keathan! Who has a very heavy influence on Tuesday’s soundscape :3

For Chuusday…. Picking just one is rly hard… hm… it’s not on EITHER of her playlists I think, but [Home Beyond The Horizon by I think Masoyashi Soken and Daiki Ishikawa] Which is a song played on a crunchy, tinny radio. She’s not patriotic, but it was too large a part of her life for it to not have had some major impacts on her, lol. For a less/more serious song (???) I’d say [Hardware Store by Weird Al Yankovic]. It’s got. The vibe. LMAO.

Tangy is also hard to pin down, but I think [Fell In Love With A Girl, by White Stripes] does a pretty good job of suiting both the vibe and at least a Lil Bit the lyrics [because the first three lines remind me of Minfilia and Tangy :/ not that I ship them explicit romantic 100% of the time, but it coulda been. It coulda.]

🎤Fell in love with a girl

I fell in love once and almost completely

She's in love with the world🎵

Otherwise my other offering is When You Look At Her and it’s just playing [Cat Cafe by Tsundere Twintails] in her whole expression.

There’s not a particular song I can think of for Mochiie yet- I’ve been fighting that gorilla for a month or so now and I’m not much closer to victory yet, lmfao. However I do offer the song from [this post] because it reminds me Thavnair, so the real answer is I have a lot of music in Urdu I need to listen to and figure out his vibe LOL. I found the song in particular after scouring the notes though! Which is ->[Mehndi Laga Ke Rhakna, sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Udit Narayan] (I also need to figure out the influence the Azim Steppe had on him 🫢)

Ishi’li is… tricky. Cos I’m also still working on their playlist BDJDNFJDJFSK and the one song I’ve heard recently that made me think of him so so hard isn’t in the soundscape I’d set for them :T but. It’s rly Ishi.

[Like or Like Like by Miniature Tigers]

🎤I watched you get undressed

I must have turned bright red

'Cause I couldn't stand to face you

'Cause I liked what I saw

And maybe we should just be friends

Tell me how you feel about me

Do you like or like, like me?

Tell me what you really feel

Do you like me? Just say you do🎵

Swydghem actually has songs because I listened to a playlist on basically endless loop while writing so even though it’s Baldurs Gate [Down By The River composed by Borislav Slavov] always makes me think of her LOL… Solkmyna gets slightly more associated with [How The Tide Rushes In by Anne Dudley] Jojoha doesn’t have a particular soundscape yet because it overlaps with Levraut regularly😅 (at least in terms of; the Dreadnaughts, which is one of the bands I listen to for him lmao.)

Colette is my monster hunter/Ffxiv cross oc and while I haven’t really given her a whole lotta thought I think [I Want It All by Arctic Monkeys] could definitely fit her vibe, lol. She’s someone else on my to-do for music thoughts, just a little further down the line from Ishi and Mochi uvu;

Bonus!!! If you were wondering [Love Like You from Steven Universe] makes me think of Tuesday/Haurchefant. :’)

I hope you enjoy the music 🫶 lord knows there’s a bunch of it SHFJRJFEKCKSKXKA hopefully the color/bolding isn’t obnoxious, it makes it easier for my eyes to not glaze over if there’s variation lmao

[hideyourautumn-milkteeth]

i have gotten my sleep :D also you got me there ... im just a simple gay who loves having a pleasant conversation with a pretty boy :3

hell yeah writers unite!! a horror film huh? i'll admit i ... have a pretty low horror tolerance ahaha. i get scared pretty easily so i dont really engage with horror media for my own good. i really wish i had more tolerance tho bc horror is so fascinating. but yeah tell me about your ideas still!!! (if i HAD to pick a horror media i like, i guess it’d be needy streamer overload. it's a psychological horror game where you help this mentally unstable girl become a successful streamer)

yeah, a good friend group can really help you get out there. also damn you got a good find! hope you have fun with filming, it sounds exciting :] i thrifted a pretty sick jacket yesterday for around $7 (im not a dollar user so this is me just converting currencies lol). too bad you cant see it for now teehee

ooooo ive only played a bit of portal 1 and played one pokemon game (it was pokemon sword lmao). im currently playing the legend of zelda: tears of the kingdom, reverse: 1999, noctilucent: before dawn, and papa's freezeria deluxe LMAO i play house flipper and slay the spire on the side though. i have more untouched games in my backlog too (i really wanna play dragon age inquisition at some point). so many games, so little time ...

- 🫀

NAAUUUR 😭😭😭 SAAAD that’s SUCH a common response tbh (to the horror thing) :,) i get it tho. There is plenty of good horror that isn’t necessarily very scary tho lmao. My favorite era of horror is the 80s, and there’s plenty of fun wacky flicks from that era that arent very high up on the scary scale.

Also fuck yeah I love thrifted jackets!! I have multiple thrifted green jackets I have plans to use for patches. Two already have patches sewn on, another is blank rn. Probably gonna get more progress on the other two before I start that one. I’m big into DIY alt stuff, like Kandi jewelry and clothing mods. It makes being alt easier since I’m poor af and buying shit is always a risk 🥴

I don’t have much of a beat by beat narrative fleshed out rn. I’m mostly in the concept stage rn. Trying to nail down my inspirations, symbolism, intent with the story, as well as what everything will represent/mean/imply in the greater message overall. I usually wouldn’t go this hard over the lil details and poetics of everything but like wheghwgw my intent w/ this film isn’t to just make a goofy lil slasher or monster flick, but a more meaty film to properly represent what I wanna convey: WHICH IIISSS lycanthropy as a representation of transmasculinity, depersonalization, alienation from society, and the effects of internal and external struggles on young trans people as they’re trying to find their place in the world. As well as how community can save victimized and alienated trans ppl. All through the lens of werewolf :] ANYWAYS SORRY THAT YAP WAS RLLY LONG I probably could’ve summarized but my brain is goo rn and I’m sleepy af :,)

[tinandabin]

please tumble for the live of God let me give paragroah breaks plsZe

Yandere Mitsuri x Reader

High school AU.

____________________

<senpai kanroji>

hey [name]!! you are coming

to school tmrw right? :))

<[name]>

yes I am! why do u

ask?

<senpai kanroji>

oh, nothing much!! just wanted

to tell u that I will bring a home-

made bento for u! <33

<[name]>

aww ty! u don't

really have to tho.

<senpai kanroji>

no no, I insist!!

<[name]>

aaa, thank u!! I will ttyl <3

senpai kanroji unsent a message

______

To be honest, you always found Kanroji Senpai weird..I mean, she was already pretty affectionate with everyone. But it was clear to see her favouritism over you..She was just always so, so, so, affectionate with you. You feel suffocated everytime you are with her.

You were looking forward to not eating lunch with her tomorrow, but it seems like that can't happen. I mean, you could've refused her offer..and you did so, not as direct, but you tried. Besides, you wouldn't want your reputation to go down in the drains because who would reject such a sweet girl and make her cry? Whosoever will do that is obviously a monster! Senpai Kanroji has everyone wrapped around her finger..thankfully, not you.

Sighing heavily, you pulled the covers over yourself and went to sleep, dreading the next day. Not only because of school but Kanroji Senpai too. Hopefully, you'll live.

_________________

"Hey [name]!!," Senpai Kanroji enthusiastically waved at you, motioning for you to come to sit beside her. "Come, sit beside me!!" She smiled at you, blushing like crazy. Like girl, have some self-control.

Nervously laughing and trying your best to ignore all the eyes staring at you, you sat beside her and tried to smile at her. Keyword: tried. "Ahaha...What's up??" You asked because you don't like awkwardness, the people staring at you also don't, no one likes awkwardness.

"Awww," Kanroji Senpai cooed at your adorableness and hugged you, tightly, and softly muttered into your neck, "You are so cute!!"

Excitedly she got off you and presented you with the bento she made for you, and honestly, the smell of the food was really fucking delicious. Gordon Ramsay approved. And to be honest, you would have snatched the bento box out of her hands had she been someone else. But she isn't. This is so sad, Alexa play despacito. All of a sudden, Alexa starts playing despacito, having somehow found her way into your mind. She starts taking control over your body, and in no time are you the one singing Despacito.

Enough BULLSHITTING.

a/n: THIS IS THE AUTHOR GETTING BACK TO WRITING, BUCKLE UP U ALL. THIS IS A WARNING BECAUSE A LOT OF ANGST IS GONNA BE COMING UP IN NEW FICS. AFTER ALL, I AM MISERABLE AND SO WILL U ALL BE TOO.

"Say aaah, [Name]-Chan!" Mitsuri told you as she held a piece of fish ( cooked, duh ) with her chopsticks.

Awkwardly, you opened your mouth and wished you could just poof out of existence, like, I CAN FEED MYSELF MITSURI. THANK YOU NOT VERY MUCH.

"Good girl!" She chirped as she practically shoved the piece of fish down your throat, too eagerly waiting for you to finish eating. Like, is this shit poisoned? ( BINGO! You guessed it. )

After a good while of Mitsuri happily watching you eat, lunch was finally fucking over. Thank God, didn't think you could bear her anymore... The way she was watching you eat! Creep. She definitely could not ever pass your vibe check.

You headed towards your class, thankful that you and Mitsuri don't share the same class.. Because she's a senior. Atleast you will have some peace.

In no time school was over and all of you were allowed to head home. You had been feeling pretty sleepy after lunch, I mean the food Mitsuri made was pretty bomb, okay? Can't really blame you.

Yawning, you tiredly grabbed your bag, as you lazily started walking towards the exit. Most of the kids were heading towards their clubs, you hadn't really chosen which club to join yet. Besides, it is optional. So, the lesser the work the better for you. Studies are hard enough as they are.

Stopping by your locker, you changed your shoes and exited the school without seeing Senpai Mitsuri, thank God. It's a good thing she is in the cooking club. You wouldn't have to deal with her.

The more you walked, the more tired you got. Your eyes started feeling heavy and your body too. Before you knew it, you couldn't even walk properly. Leaning against a wall, you sat down there. Gradually, black dots started surrounding your vision and you were knocked out cold.

a/n: I'm gonna make a part 2 HAHHAHAHA. I HAVE NO idea what to do now. happy I got this out now 💪 it's been in my drafts for months now

MASTERLIST

just so u know requests for demon slayer are closed!!!!

[chasani]

Go on then, what are your koopaling/koopakid headcanons?

Aha

Ahaha

AHAHAHHAHAHAAGAHHAHAHAHAHA-

GASP

KOOPALINGS

Morton ->

stupid little dork

Asks what song it is when they're singing 'Happy Birthday to You' at a party

Memory loss, they gave him a note pad so he could write things down but he forgot where he put it

Enjoys wearing bows and is very open about it

Takes Wendy's bows

Big Hammer Tiny Brain

Smashes things he doesn't like/understand/want/know

Doesn't know how doors work

Somehow immune to poison if he doesn't know it's poison??

Iggy ->

Completely blind without his glasses

It's legally allowed to drive but drives anyway

Owns a bunch of blond wigs

Weird obsession with sticks and bones

Hangs out in Ludwig's room to listen to him play piano (whether he was invited or not)

Has at least 20 differently themed body pillows

Hatsune Miku binder

Ludwig ->

Does not sleep

Composer at day evil maniac scientist by night

Has a better eating habit than Kooky

I will fight you if you argue with me (you don't have to like it but just don't yell at me for it) but otherwise he's trans ftm and DEFINITELY bi

Steals mirrors from Wendy so he can admire himself

Makes Ramen in the toaster at 3 am while getting a sweet glass of Orange Milk (pineapple juice + milk + coffee + shots)

Dips bread in Egg Whites + Oreo crumbs and fries it (old habit never grew out of)

Wendy ->

Her room is FULL of coins and other gold things

Has two closets, one for clothes and the other for jewelry

Will scream if you take her bows

Somehow always has a mirror on hand

Drags the boys into her room so she can practice her makeup on them

Lemmy is willing to be makeup tester

Believes in bad luck but still dresses up for Friday the 13

PINK PINK PINK

you wouldn't guess it but her favorite songs are rock and country

Larry ->

Has 51 diseases and is banned from most public spaces

Would be a carnivore if the didn't force him to eat vegetables

Throws the baby penguin from the Mario game over the side of the ice cliff

Big fan of trains

His room is full of toy trains

Somehow knows how to drive a train

Owns + Pilots a helicopter, where did he get it from?

Lemmy ->

CLOWN BABY

wanted in 50 states (and counting)

states like solid, liquid, and gas

collect weird miscellaneous objects in hopes he could use it for a performance

Probably pan

Constantly makes jokes about liking pans because he's pan

Once he was caught kissing a pan

Once found biting a pan by the handle and running around on all fours at 3 am

Roy ->

Big man

Acts all tough but also loves bows

Finger paints

Eats raw eggs

KOOPAKIDS

Big Mouth ->

dumb baby

Tries to be tough but just ends up being cute

Memory loss

Eats raw eggs as a snack

Doesn't know you have to cook certain foods

Bully ->

never takes off his shades

Wears pink, blue, and white bows (in no particular order ;])

Own at LEAST 20 different pairs of glasses and counting

Eats like 30 pounds of food a day

Cheatsy ->

trains

trans

trains

Kooky Von Koopa ->

Complete Smart-Ack Maniac

Does not sleep (except for when he completely PASSES OUT from exhaustion in which it's usually day)

Only eats junk food like candy and fried stuff

does not shower or brush his hair you have to throw him into a lake with piranhas to get him clean

Stupidly smart, mad scientist that lives in a basement making monsters

Does a little composing here and there

Knows all of Beethoven's Symphonys + Rush E from heart

Knows at least 25 different languages and counting, already multi bilingual at 1 month old (smart baby)

Probably trans and Agender or smth idk I'm not a mad scientist

Kootie Pie ->

GIRLY GIRL

GASLIGHT GATEKEEP GIRLBOSS

won't admit it but she's a fan of clowns

Literally hates all boys (wouldn't blame her, growing up in an all boy house)

Would be friends with the princess if they didn't try to kidnap her all the time

Ringsssss

Hip ->

Clown baby

can cry at a frequency only dogs can hear

will throw his ball at you if you even dare disagree with him

Bites

Probably has autism idk I'm not a koopa

Hop ->

blind without the glasses

Will eat raw meat if you give it to him un cooked

Do not give him raw meat

He will scream if you give him food before dessert

Never give him food before dessert

[leaderoffestivals]

EnStars x Merc Storia Ch 3 Pt 2: Let the Melodies Resound

Yuu: Huff, huff… That Madara-san… he really has lots of stamina… doesn’t he… …? I guess… he’s been singing and dancing… for long periods of time… …

Merc: Are you going to be alright, Yuu-san?

Yuu: Yes, I’ll be fine somehow—

—GEH! UWAH! WH—WHAT ARE YOU DOING ALL OF A SUDDEN!

Madara: HA-HA-HAA! It’s much faster this way, riiight?

Yuu: Yes, but that doesn’t mean you should carry me under your arm!

Madara: Putting that aside, with this game trail winding its way through tall trees and nary a man-made structure in sight… …, this is a bona-fide natural forest. 

Who would’ve thought there would be such a place filled with so much nature so close to the event venue?

Hmmm. With this much overgrown greenery here, it’s reeeally conducive to hide and lie in wait, though—

Yuu: … …!

Segideel: Fuwawawawa~!

Madara: Making a grand entrance, huh… …? It looks to be the same species as Segi-san, doesn’t it? 

The colour’s really different, though…

Yuu: Yes, when Segideel gets into an excited state, the colour of their body changes!

Madara: (I wonder if it’s the same phenomenon as when humans get red in the face when they’re excited?)

Segideel: 💢 FUWAWAWAAAAA~! 💢

Madara: I’m reeeally not a fan of indiscriminate attacking at all. Yuu-san, are you good to go?

Yuu: Yes! But first—PLEASE put me down! My vision is spinning around so much I feel drunk!

Madara: Whoops! That isn’t good at all. Oh myyy,  I thought I was carrying you properly but apparently I wasn’t… … 

Segideel: Fuwawaaa~! 

Madara: … … Whoops!

HA-HA-HAA! You’ll never land a hit like thaaat! 

Merc: Madara-san is dodging the attacks so effortlessly even though he’s holding onto Yuu-san like that. Madara-san, who in the world are you?

Madara: Who in the world am I, huh? Well, I’m probably not just an ordinary idol. 

… … Yuu-san. I’ll draw Segi-san’s attention away. You’ll be able to focus on your Healing technique then. 

Yuu: Yes! Got it!

Madara: Right, leave it to me. COME ON, SEGI-SAN! OVER HEEERE!

Segideel: Fuwaa~, fuwaaaa~! 

Madara: Haha~! You’re pretty good! How about this, then?

Segideel: Fuwawa~!

Madara: You managed to dodge that too! Brilliantly done! 

Merc: They look like they’re dancing… …

Madara: (It’s been dodging attacks in a set rhythm for a while now. If that’s the case, intentionally disrupting the tempo might do the job—) Yuu-san!

Yuu: Not yet… …! Segideel, listen to me! 

Segideel: … … —gh! Fuwaa~, fuwawa! 

Yuu: Ah! It took to the sky!

Madara: It must’ve sensed Yuu-san was about to do something.

(If this keeps up, we’ll be in for a protracted battle. Now then, what should we do?)

Segideel: … … ! 

~ ♪

Madara: … …Music? Is it coming from the direction of the town?

Yuu: This melody—is it one of those being used in the event?

Merc: It indeed is. The music actually managed to travel this far, huh?

Segideel: Fuwawa… …

Madara: Has its movements slowed down in response to the sound? 

Segideel: FUwaAAA~

Aira: Ahaha, he’s started to dance. It feels so healing to watch Segi-san like this, huh~... …

Madara: Ohhh, I see now. So, Segi-san loves singing and dancing, huh? 

Yuu: Ah, yes! I only just learnt about this, but Segideels appear to be monsters with a strong affinity to sound. They’ve been observed to gather in places where music is playing—

And there, they’ll dance together. 

Madara: If that’s how it is, that means it’s time for the real deal to take centre stage, riiight?

Yuu: Madara-san?

Madara: It’s the job of an idol to captivate and entertain after aaall! Come, enjoy this idol’s stage to your heart’s content! 

(Blooming World BGM plays)

~ ♪

~ ♪ ~ ♪

Yuu: ... Oh. That's... that's amazing...!

Segideel: ... Fuwawa ♪

Merc: 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸... ...

Ah! We went and got lost in the music too! Yuu-san!

Yuu: Yes! Now that its movements have stopped… …! Let it be delivered… …!

Segideel: Fuwaa~?

Fuwawawaa!

Madara: Hm? Whoops...?

Merc: It’s trying to climb onto Madara-san’s shoulders now?!

Yuu: UWAAH! What in the world are you trying to do, Segideel?!

Segideel: FUWAAAaaa!

Madara: A-HA-HAA! If this is all it wants to do, it’s no sweat to me at aaall!

Yuu: You’re way too strong!

Madara: By the way, you’re sooo affectionate, Segi-san! I’m really surprised you’re willing to come so close and cuddle like this even though you were attacking so aggressively before!

Is this the power of Healing magic? It’s really impressive, you knowww!

Yuu: Ah, that’s not it.

The reason this Segideel is so friendly towards Madara-san is not due to any effect of the Healing technique, but because of Segideel’s own free will. It is Segideel’s own earnest wish to be Madara-san’s friend. 

Monsters are just like humans; they have their own hearts. There are monsters who, even after using the Healing technique, will still fear humans and keep their distance far away from us. 

Madara: … … Heart...

Is that so… …

Segideel: Fuwawa?

Madara: I don’t know what it is you like about me, but if this is from Segi-san’s own free will, I’m reeeally happy you feel that way! 

Segideel: FuWAaa! 

(Meanwhile, back in town...)

Tatsumi: Please, do definitely make time to come down to watch ‘The Prince of The Land of Tears’. 

Mayoi: This is the last bundle of flyers, right? I think I should be able to distribute them all without collapsing somehow… …

Aira: We didn’t manage to learn anything about inter-world transfer, but the townspeople promised they would help us out, so I guess we can say we made an acceptable kind of progress after all?

Rustoa: Thank you! Thanks to all of you chipping in, you’ve really helped me out! 

? ? ?: Urm, may I please have the remaining flyers? I want to give them out to my friends and family!

Rustoa: Eh? Oh, you came to visit me!

Village Boy: Ehehe~! I heard you were distributing flyers with some cool onii-chans here. 

Mayoi: Is he an acquaintance of yours?

Rustoa: Yes. We’ve known each other since my days in the private army. He came to watch my debut performance as well!

Back then, Segi-san wasn’t with me yet, so it was a true-blue solo performance. 

Segideel: FuwaAAaa!

Village Boy: 🌸 I see. The number of friends you’ve made have increased! 🌸

I was really surprised and worried when Rustoa said he wanted to become an actor, but I think it's amazing he's working so hard towards his dream!

I'll definitely come to see your show no matter what, so be sure you get everything perfectly done, okay?

Rustoa: I promise to make it a stage you can truly enjoy with all your heart. I believe a true actor is one who can put up such a moving performance, the audience forgets about the time!

Aira: (I can feel a strong determination in every word he says. It might be presumptuous of me to think this way, but he truly reminds me of myself after all.

He’s just like the ‘me’ back then when I was so desperate to continue being an idol. That’s why when I look at Rustoa-san, I want to cheer him on!)

We'll definitely support you with everything we’ve got!

Rustoa: Thank you so much!

—————-To be continued——————-

Chapter 2 | Chapter 4

Translator’s Notes

1) I hope you enjoyed it!

2) This is unproofed, so if there’s any feedback, please DM me.

[borreloadsavagedragon]

Give Kaito essay (for the character meme)

Oh god, I’ll read more this because it’s gonna be a journey and that's also why it took so long gjdaslgk-

And the standard zexal and arc v spoilers warning message-

1. how long have i known about them A LONG time though it didn’t get to like he’s my whole world status until pandemic era-- MalindaChan did her cosplay for him back when I was still a certified Yugiboomer who entertained GX and 5DS because "lol abridged series jokes" and that’s when I first remember seeing his design? I tried watching Zexal briefly when it was actively airing but just couldn’t get far bc Boomer Brain ™, but I remember him being cool but the "Kaiba-likeness but not being Kaiba" Yugiboomer wall couldn't be overcome right away, I had to train my skills Then 2020 happened, I watched Vrains to understand Link Summoning, got SUCKED into it, and was like wow past me was dumb, ALL of the spinoffs are GREAT Zexal reached a hand back out to me when I was kinda struggling with the Vrains community and I'd decided to start writing more spinoff muses with some mutual friends and that's also when I realized I’d be subconsciously collecting Galaxy and Photon monsters since they’re pretty + space themed but also because they were inside of ALL of the Kaiba support sets(because DUH) so it was like,,, well, let’s try that again

Now I’m In Hell And It’s All His Fault Do you think I ENJOY playing Photon competitively? Well yes, but also NO. It means learning new decks is HARD because I can't look at dragons and knights in SPACE.

2. whether or not they’ve ever made me cry Moon duel? W,, what Moon duel,,, I don’t,,, remember any space dueling, ahaha, isn’t that another yugioh, the rush of the go,,,,,,, In all serious though, yes lmao The duel against Zexal when he tells you his reasoning for why he’s the Number Hunter and he looks so broken, that got a solid few tears The flashback of him trying to break Haruto out of the city got some tears  The duel with Chris is also really good show of his character at the root, the thing that gets him back to his feet is the moment Chris even considers Haruto as part of his suffering, g o d The moon duel of course. That’s. That one was brutal. Yeah. 

3. whether or not i have any merchandise/objects with them uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

There’s a wall scroll behind my work desk that sneaks into my Zoom calls, there’s a canvas print he’s on that sits at my work desk, my ita bag has a handful of charms, pins, and buttons for him(still hunting for artists who draw him with merch wink wink)

I guess my Photon tcg deck counts? The tcg is just one big merch machine if you squint enough-

My Book of Moon themed binder is literally just all of my collector Photon and Galaxy/references to Kaito cards + a small page for Miza since Tachyon is a Galaxy Eyes

Do cosplays count? Because I’ve got all but his space suit basically done + his duel disk 

4. what about their personality i like How seriously he takes himself despite literally everything else about his character 

He’s often off to the side with his arms crossed, pouting or frowning, having the cool guy edge lord behavior But also he’s screaming in the rain, jumping through a window on a kite glider he made himself that also doubles as his robo-butler, flying to the whole ass moon because a rock told him to, and beefing 14 yr olds, he’s just a legend 

I also love that he's like... very clear about himself and on how you should treat him. He straight up says he's going to hell for what he's done and just continues to be there because that's how he'll atone because atonement isn't forgiveness, like he's not ours to forgive. Love him so much.

5. what about their backstory makes me emotional Honestly, most of it

Watching Kaito slowly lose his autonomy (his brother whose been his responsibility for what could be read as since birth, his father just becoming a figure head in his life versus an actual parent, Chris walking out on him with no closure until they duel, being watched by and trained under brutal conditions by the government, failed escape attempts, getting lied to and used, etc) and then knowing one of the people who he attributes half of that loss and suffering to is someone he never gets closure against is very hard to watch

Even in Arc V, he loses his entire family in a way that makes him cut ties with every single person left in a desolate city and hunt his enemies down one by one to pay them back for his suffering, and it happened before we finally actually get to see him or hear of him for the first time so god knows the details

He really just gets put through it time and time again, yugioh be nice to that onion challenge

6. the moment of theirs that made me the saddest there was no duel on the moon in yugioh zexal

But actually, Kaito dying is tragic for a few reasons

THEY JUST LET HIS BROTHER WATCH IT HAPPEN? FAKER??? HELLO?

He was... ok with it happening-

He was killed off before the final duel and before he could reunite with Yuma and Ryouga again, and even though he came back as a spirit, it felt like a such a cop out

7. the moment of theirs that made me the happiest The pure look of joy on his face reuniting with his brother after they defeat Vector the first time, it’s so good The first time Prime Photon is summoned, goated, perfect, all boss monsters should be willed into existence like that But also Arc V, Kaito watching Dennis duel Yuya after everything with Zarc and clapping for him is so sweet omg

8. something about them that made me laugh HIS ONE LINERS, yugioh really gives the rivals the best solo lines I swear to god

Ok listen, dub and sun debate aside, I watched both because I’m a mess and need as much Kaito as I can get, but the dub has some heaters and Kaito’s got a few good ones, ESPECIALLY when he's talking to Mizael

The one to Shark, “You’re quite the romanticist”, who the fuck says that out loud to another person Kaito talking to Dennis is also a fever dream, the dub especially is so jarring, I love them

9. my favorite canon outfit of theirs White coat with the gazer tattoo, you can never go wrong with the Photon coat Numeral Hunter is also based, I know that's not like HIS look in any show, but... I HC that would be his Vrains Avatar, he could go to Vrains very easily, Solflare is an exploitable card in his deck

10. my favorite moment with them in canon UUUUGGHHHH CHOOSING ONE IS HARD

Uhhh, episode wise Shark Hunter is prooobably my favorite(for obvious reason but besides those LOL) because it’s such a tone setter for who Kaito is and also I could listen to these two bicker all day long, we really didn’t get nearly enough of their side rivalry as opposed to like Kaiba and Joey or Takeru and Ryoken

And then the Moon Duel is like my second favorite duel in the whole franchise, only outclassed by Soba and Revo in Vrains, you really get to see just how strong he is because he's half blind, still actively dying by dueling, and gets his helmet cracked in the vacuum of space, and he's still able to win

Character moment, the duel against Chris comes to mind again because it shows a lot of Kaito to his core, but also Kaito hauling ASS to get Yuma to Astral world to reunite with Astral is iconic, Kaito's always ready to take the plunge when everyone else says not to because he just KNOWS he's right

11. my favorite relationship they have with another character sweats profusely, I said it above somewhere I think- removing shipping from the equation entirely, I REALLY like all of the bff / rival dynamics across all of the shows, I love how well done they are and I fully find them more interesting than the standard protag/rival ones, even with KaiRyo having like the least amount of time dedicated to theirs comparatively. Ryouga and Kaito being treated so similarly by the hands dealt to them to where they'd understand the other one like looking in a mirror and yet they cannot stand each other, I eat that shit up. But also knowing the other person so well that they don't even have to talk and also realizing that person is their one of their only option to success? Give me MORE of that I also really love the foil between Mizael and Kaito a lot, I REALLY wish it got the time it was rumored to get, guess I gotta do everything myself In Arc V, Kaito and Shun's dynamic is really good for the little bit we're allowed the time to see it, Shun being one of the only characters who actually goes back for him after leaving so abruptly between Arc V and Zexal... tugs on the heart strings I also love that Kaito took ONE look at Edo in the safe house and decided to speed run the enemies part of the enemies to lovers arc they were going to have, I wish they could have spoken in canon more, hell GX Edo and Zexal Kaito would also be such an interesting dymamic

12. what i like about the way the fandom portrays them Everyone drawing him like >:D all of the time, keep doing that The white lab coat look too? Like not the Photon one, like a standard white lab coat? Perfect, DO NOT change that

nsfw next but also just how everyone knows he's a bottom no matter which ship it is lmao

13. what i dont like about the way the fandom portrays them that no one talks about him except in “WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE RIVAL” polls fndhxjshxbs

I’m going insane in my thoughts alone over here, I need to convert everyone to watch Zexal

14. what i liked about the way canon portrayed them Ok here we can get heated for a bit because I’ve seen an argument somewhere that Kaito didn’t develop at all from season 1 to 2 of Zexal but he 100000% did and I honestly like how it's done

Season 1 Kaito was purposefully talking to the air Astral could be in to avoid even looking at Yuma because he thought so little of him despite how much clawing to get on the same level as him Yuma did

Season 2 Kaito is jumping in to keep Mizael from killing Yuma without a second thought, he's going to the arctic despite ALL of the protests to build the bridge to Astral

His development is subtle, but it's very there, not to mention he can now stomach being in the same room as Faker, gave Chris a second chance, his dying words to Yuma are all the more apparent how important Yuma became to him Like the ONLY person we should have seen an actual conversation touching on Kaito's actions with WAS Ryouga but... be honest, Ryouga's not accepting that from Kaito, they're both very much people of action and they established their bond through the snark and bickering, that's how they communicate Plus Kaito's also outward about not being a good person, telling Yuma he sold his soul to the devil, telling the gang in the first episodes of Zexal II he's already going to hell because that's what his guilty soul deserves Ryoken and Kaito would be SUCH an interesting duo, I'm just saying

15. what i dont like about the way canon portrayed them Oh boy now here we go LOL

The duel against Mr Heartland. - This one's unbelievably bad for so many reasons, mostly because there’s no universe where Kaito struggles against Heartland of all people in a duel, but also this is the person who’s been THE symbol for most of his trauma and trials up until that point. There is no chance in hell he struggles, gets crippled by him, and has to have Yuma take over. That was and always should have been his duel to win, but Yugioh has the unfortunate "this is a story through the protag's eyes" shonen protag bug at its core (Yuma sweetie you’re lovely and wonderful, it’s literally not your fault) 

Arc V giving him literally no time for their version of Kaito to have a more satisfactory character arc because of how long and bad the Synchro Dimension/Friendship Cup arc was. Just another victim of the Synchro Arc, sighs. The dub also puts this weird and bad attempted joking line about how Kaito doesn't do family and like have you literally watched any of Zexal, you're the whole ass studio Kaito just doesn't feel very Kaito the same way in Arc V, it's very sad, lots of shit you know og Kaito wouldn't let fly that just goes by in Arc V, but different versions, dimensions, stories, etc etc, it's just such a whiplash coming from Zexal where he's just so much more

OCG Structures was a coward and didn’t want to play with dimensional physics because Kaito 110% could find a way into that timeline I haven't read the Zexal manga in full just yet because I wanna collect them all physically so that'll be later- And a little bit for the games since Konami wanted at least one of those to be canon thanks to Vrains world-

Cross Duel literally had you consider killing kids for him but honestly this one is more funny than infuriating, everyone's a worst version of themselves in Cross Duel agjdaslkgj Duel Links is usually pretty good, but since Kaito’s first launch event where he's hunting you down, he’s been very much more like an NPC for the Zexal world events, just seems weird to me, I'm sure that'll get thrown out once Chris' unlock event actually happens coming up here and when Miza gets added... then that digital world won't know WHAT to do

[kanjukucompany]

【A3! Translation】 Sky Gallery (4/11)

previous chapter / next chapter

(translation under the cut)

(glitch text ignore)

Chapter 4

Kazunari: Heh, this painting conveys a lot of love through the motif~. How catchy, easy to understand too!

Kazunari: Uwah, this piece is amazing! So moving! I'm liking this one~.

Kazunari: Which one's your fave, Tenten?

Tenma: .....Something about this one is nice. It's eye-catching.

Kazunari: I see~, so Tenten likes this kinda style! I get what you mean!

Tenma: I don't know much about art, so it's a bit difficult for me to properly understand.

Kazunari: That's okay! It's fine to perceive art in your own way, if your gut says 'I can't explain why, but I like this' or 'this one isn't that good', then that's that.

Kazunari: Just because it's a painting, it doesn't mean you're required to think super hard about it...

Kazunari: It's the same as listening to music, like how you know you enjoy a song because of the way it excites you!

Kazunari: When I draw, I try to create artwork that'll make people feel that same way.

Kazunari: It doesn't matter if it's an exhibition piece or just a doodle.

Kazunari: I always want to make something that those who see it will enjoy, even if just a little.

Kazunari: Of course, not everyone is going to feel the same.

Kazunari: ...Oops, guess I got a bit serious there.

Tenma: To me, your paintings….

Tenma: ...Nevermind, it's nothing.

Customer A: Isn't that Sumeragi Tenma?

Customer B: Oh my god, you're right!

Tenma: --.

Kazunari: It's pretty darn hot today, don't ya think, Tenten? How ‘bout we go chow down on some shaved ice?

Tenma: Huh?

Customer A: That's definitely Sumeragi Tenma.

Customer B: Should we ask him?

Tenma: ---Yer darn right! It's swelterin' out! Let's hop to it!*

Customer A: Is that not him after all?

Customer B: His accent's different.... Were we wrong?

Customer A: They look so similar~.

Tenma: That was such a bad Kansai accent.

Kazunari: Ahaha, thankfully we didn't get caught~.

Tenma: (It's been a while since I've had a day off, I'll take it easy today...)

Misumi: I got a piece of paper!

Tenma: ?

Yuki: Then let's start. We'll go clockwise.

Kumon: Oh, Tenma-san, perfect timing! Let's draw together!

Tenma: Shiritori? I'll pass, I want to relax a bit--.*

Yuki: Not confident in your art skills?

Tenma: I'm not-, why you little--!

Muku: Tenma-kun can sit here.

Izumi: Then, I'll go first.

-

Muku: Are we done with this round?

Misumi: That was hard~!

Kumon: Let's compare answers!*

Muku: Director-san's is 'curry', right.

Kumon: Yuki's is 'refrigerator'. Easy guess!

Yuki: Misumi drew a boat?

Misumi: It's 'fishing'~!*

Kumon: So, what did Tenma-san draw…?

Yuki: An evil spirit?

Tenma: That doesn’t fit the pattern.

Misumi: Monster!

Tenma: That doesn’t fit the pattern either!

Kumon: Amoeba?

Tenma: None of those fit!

Yuki: Then what is it?

Tenma: ……Cat.

Izumi: I-I see….

Kumon: A cat—!!

Kumon: How does that fit.

Misumi: 'Cause~, I've been talking to the neighborhood watch about how to feed the strays! This is how!

Izumi: It's actually gave an explanation!?

Misumi: Maybe I'll upload it to Inste later~.

Kumon: Speaking of, Sumi-san, you've gained a ton of followers!

Yuki: Maybe his guest performance had something to do with it.

Kumon: Keep this up, and you might become the popular one!

Tenma: .....

Yuki: What're you so quiet for?

Misumi: Tenma, are you tired~?

Tenma: .....Yeah, well, something like that.

Kumon: It's your day off, so you should get some rest!

Tenma: You guys roped me into this!

Kumon: Haha, sorry, sorry.

Kumon: Sumi-san's been busy with his guest role, and Tenma-san's hasn't been in the dorms for a while, so we just wanted to hang out.

Misumi: It's fun playing with everyone~!

Kumon: Though, Kazu-san is still huddled up in his room working...

Tenma: Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him.

Muku: It looks like he's in the final stages of creating his piece for the open-call exhibition. He's been at it so much he's barely even eaten.

Izumi: I'm a little worried about him.

Misumi: Let's make some onigiri and bring them to him!

Muku: Great idea!

Misumi: Kazu's favorite is basil and cheese, so let's make a ton of it~!

(door opens)

Kazunari: 'Sup guys~!

Muku: Kazu-kun!? Did you finish your artwork?

Kazunari: Yep! Thanks to Tenten's input, it came out great!

Izumi: Congrats!

Tenma: I'm glad.

Yuki: Good work.

Kumon: We were just thinking about making some onigiri and bringing it to you.

Kazunari: For reals!? Well, I am pretty hungry~.

Misumi: Then let's all have an onigiri party!

Kazunari: Hmm.....

Muku: What is it?

Kazunari: I figured I'd update my Inste, but I don't have anything to post...

Muku: Well it's fine not to update it constantly, right?

Kazunari: It is, but since I post all the time on it, it's become a habit.

Kazunari: ---Oh, I just remembered, I never uploaded that pic I took when I ran into Tenten earlier!

Muku: A photo with Tenma-kun?

Kazunari: Uh-huh! Back when the two of us walked around that gallery.

Kazunari: I took it to commemorate me running into Tenten heading home from work~.

Muku: Ah, I see. That's a pretty good idea for role-building for our play.

Kazunari: It was fun getting to find some inspo for the open-call exhibition~.

Muku: Ah, by the way, what were the results of the applications for that?

Kazunari: I actually should be hearing about that soon...

Kazunari: Oh, I've got an email.

Kazunari: I don't recognize the address... Speak of the devil!?

Muku: Uwah, my heart's racing.

Kazunari: The result is...

Kazunari & Muku: !?

*both kazu and tenma switch to kansai accents here (idk how to tl that accurately so take the country accent copout)

*game where each player draws something beginning with the last letter/kana of the thing the person before them drew (also the theme of mankai's 2021 relay blog!)

*their shiritori answers in japanese are: カレー (karē), 冷蔵庫 (reizouko) aka リーファー (rīfā), 当たり (atari), 猫 (neko). tenma thought misumi drew 船 (fune). yuki guesses tenma’s is 怨霊 (onryou)

*the more accurate tl would be bite (on a fish hook) but i felt this explained it what he meant better

[the-himawari]

A3! Chigasaki Itaru - Translation [SR] Banquet of Blooming (2/2)

*Please read disclaimer on blog; default name set as Izumi

---

Izumi: The talk show wrapped up without a hitch. Great job, everyone.

Chikage: Good work.

Itaru: Senpai, please add me as a friend later.

Masumi: He still won’t let that go?

Chikage: Well, I’ll think about it.

Itaru: That’s a promise. I heard it, alright?

Izumi: (These three are the same as always.)

Itaru: Alright then, I gotta get home quickly and grind the event. First, I’ll go change…

Izumi: Ah, Itaru-san. You still have your polaroid to take, so please wait!

Itaru: Polaroid? Ahh, the present project that Sakyo-san was talking about? Got it. We can take it on the stage, right?

Izumi: Yeah! Alright, then without further ado~.

*click*

Izumi: …Yep, it’s perfect!

Masumi: He looks shady as hell.

Chikage: Perhaps you should consider your age a little more.

Itaru: They really just say whatever they want, don’t they? How can they treat me like this?

Izumi: Ahahaha…

-pause-

Izumi: …? (What a beautiful forest… Just where in the world is this?) I’ll head forward for now… huh…) (EH!? I’m floating…!? Also, my body shrunk!)

Monster: Grrrrr…

Izumi: !? (A monster!? And he’s coming right at me…!)

Monster: GWAHH!

Izumi: (I’m done for—!)

???: AQUA SWORD!

*slash*

Izumi: …!

???: Gwen!

Izumi: Eh? (By Gwen, could he mean from KniRoun…?) (Which means that person is Lancelot… and I’m Gwen?) (I’ll just go with the flow for now.)

Lancelot: You’re not hurt, are you?

Izumi: N-no. I’m alright. Thank you very much.

Lancelot: Thank goodness… If something happened to you, Gwen, then I’d…

Izumi: Lancelot…

Lancelot: …Gwen, you’re really precious to me. I’ll never let you go again, Gwen.

Izumi: —.

-pause-

Izumi: —! (A dream…?) That was a pretty strange dream… I see, I dozed off in the middle of my task. I still have some work left, so I’ll brew some tea…

-pause-

Izumi: Huh, Itaru-san?

Itaru: Director-san? You’re still awake?

Izumi: I was in the middle of doing work, so I came to make some tea to keep myself awake.

Itaru: I also just came since I thought I’d procure some onigiri as a midnight snack.

Izumi: You don’t let go of your phone even when you're heating up the onigiri, huh?

Itaru: That’s right.

Option 1: “I’ll make tea”

Izumi: I’ll make enough tea for you too, Itaru-san.

Itaru: Are you sure? Thanks. I wanted to go back to my room and eat these once they were warmed up. But if you’re here, then maybe I’ll eat here too? I have a couple onigiri, so you can have half.

Izumi: Are you sure? Okay, I’ll have some then. But weren’t you in the middle of your game?

Itaru: Well, yeah. But once I clear this part, it’s chill. …I’d like to kick back and relax with with you. In other words, this is my friendly midnight snack time with Director-san.

Izumi: Ahaha. Midnight snack time, huh?

Option 2: “In my dream, Lancelot…”

Izumi: Actually, I dozed off earlier and in my dream, Lancelot appeared.

Itaru: Say whaaat—I’m jelly. I wanna see him too. …I wonder if I’ll be able to see him if I sleep together with Director-san?

Izumi: Uh, no, there’s no way that’s going to happen! I’m pretty sure I had that sort of dream since I saw you in your Lancelot getup.

Itaru: Eh? …So you’re telling me the Lancelot in your dream looked like me and not the one from the game?

Izumi: Yeah.

Itaru: I see. …It's a weird feeling, like I feel happy and ticklish. But I guess it's safe to think that I've become a memorable enough Lancelot for people to dream about.

Izumi: Fufu, that’s right.

Itaru: Thanks. I'll do my best to become an even cooler Lancelot if I get the chance to play him again.

Izumi: Speaking of which, did you get the reward Lancelot you were playing for?

Itaru: I’ve already gotten enough for the points bonus. Here’s the boy.

Izumi: Oh, you did. Heh… he looks amazing.

Itaru: I know, right? Wanna start the KniRoun social game too, Director-san? I’ll send you the invite code. Of course I’ll thoroughly teach you how to play. Now then, welcome to KniRoun mania.

Izumi: I feel like there’d be no turning back, so I’ll have to pass!

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previous |

[corvid-ae]

Do you have any OCs? feel free to talk about them if you do

What was the first piece of media you engaged with on the internet? Are you still interested in it?

What's something you made or did that you're proud of?

What's something that made you smile this month?

Hi, thanks for the ask! ☺️

I do have an OC. Well, more of a fursona but I’m not really engaged with the furry community (they’re cool though). Her name is Raven hence the corvid-inspired usernames on most of my social medias. I’ve had her since I was about 11 or so! She was a roleplay character of mine but she’s sort of grown into more of a general sona since I don’t roleplay anymore.

This is the first ever digital art I did of her on Illustrator in 2014.

Here’s her more recent design! Art creds to cedarmelt on Warriors Amino. Not sure if they have a tumblr or other socials 😅

Leading on from that I’m not entirely sure what the first piece of media I engaged with on the internet was. I used to play games like Club Penguin, Webkinz, Moshi Monsters, Wizard101 (still play that one) back in the early 2010s a lot. I know for sure that around 2013-2014 I was really into Warrior Cats and Doctor Who. I wasn’t a super big part of the online Who fandom back then, I mostly looked at stuff on Pinterest before I lost interest in the show around 2014, but I roleplayed Warrior Cats loads on Minecraft servers from about 2013 to 2016. Then from 2016 onwards I spent a lot of time on Warriors Amino. Those are definitely some of my earliest fandom memories! I’m not as interested in Warriors these days, but you can probably tell from my blog I’ve been an avid Whovian since 2020.

Now, something I’m proud of 🤔 I’ve never really been the kind of person to say this out loud but I guess if there’s anything I’m proud of it’s my academic results. I don’t get perfect results but they’ve always been consistently pretty good and I’m proud of that. I just got my results for my second semester of uni and I did a lot better than I was expecting so that was nice. I get a lot of imposter syndrome in my degree, especially coming into it from a public highschool when most people are from private ones, so it’s encouraging when I see that my grades are also good enough for me to be there too.

Something that’s made me smile this month is probably all the positive feedback I’ve got for my commentary videos and edits! I’m glad people like them so much and I’ve just been grinning stupidly at my phone seeing all the things people write in their reblogs/comments/retweets. I really appreciate that sort of thing, it just makes my day! 💕

Anyway thank you again for the ask and sorry for talking about myself so much ahaha