#crop over 2017

[roseband]

...

[aquamarine-oceanfront]

The Amazing Digital Circus is receiving a manga adaptation in CoroCoro!

Rough translation, from right to left:

Large text on right: "Where is the exit?" Smaller text on right: "The show everyone's talking about, with over 400 million views on YouTube!!" Large text on left: "The world-renowned dark comedy cartoon, fully adapted to comics!"

A few hours ago, the official Japanese TADC Twitter account revealed that a manga adaptation of the series would begin running in the December issue of CoroCoro Ichiban! (to be released on October 21st, 2024). It will also be published simultaneously in the online edition of Weekly CoroCoro Comic - despite the magazine's name, it will still be on a monthly schedule.

So what'll it be like? Well, while every magazine under the CoroCoro brand is generally targeted towards grade schoolers, CoroCoro Ichiban! in particular skews even younger, frequently featuring gag comedies. Furthermore, the author - known mononymously as "Sakura" (咲良) - has experience in that genre, having adapted Nintendo's ARMS into ARMS: Skillful Gag Fight! (ARMS スゴウデギャグファイト！) for the magazine between 2017 and 2018.

However, I'm reasonably confident this adaptation will retain the bleaker edges of the original series. Not only does the above promotional image explicitly call it a "dark comedy" (and further implies it'll be a faithful adaptation by using "完全," translated above as "full"), but this is the page they chose to release as a preview:

Rough translation, again:

(The bit above the logo just means "New series!") [Why is this girl running...?] Gotta hide, gotta hide, gotta hide,

(As a side note: I should mention that the above two images were both taken from the artist's later tweet about the manga, since they were higher quality. They're cropped a little more, but not enough to really infringe on their contents.)

Looking over the QRTs, both Japanese and English responses were equally surprised to learn about this. A couple of Japanese Twitter users were specifically bewildered that it was running in the especially child-focused Ichiban! - here's one as an example:

Very roughly translated:

"A Digital Circus series will run in Weekly CoroCoro Comic!" 👆 Huh?!?! Well, if it's in Weekly CoroCoro, I guess I'll check it out… "Also running in CoroCoro Ichiban! (mag for young children)!" 👆 HUH????!!!!???!!!????!!!!!!!!!?!

Finally, for completeness's sake, here's the last promotional image from the announcement:

[gatheringbones]

[“This all makes me wonder, as a teacher, whether consent can ever really be taught in a mandatory class. No, for real. Because I can teach the content, but the practice is elusive. When I lob a question out there into the classroom, I am an authority that is demanding an answer. And often those who reply are the ones conditioned to comply. When I throw a question into the classroom, it sometimes hangs there, uncomfortably waiting to be answered, until someone speaks up— often a woman, clearly uncomfortable with the silence.

I find myself, as a feminist teacher, wanting to hear more women’s voices in the classroom and yet also wanting to teach women agency by teaching them they don’t have to answer the call of authority. I employ tricks to get around being in the position of nakedly requiring a specific student to answer and to try to get different people to speak. I assign student-led discussions, and I go around the room to have people share their ideas, allowing people to pass if they must. I try to repeat that every voice is valuable. But, in a way, I keep coming back to the idea that our culture is saturated with the concept of obedience, and to truly teach consent we have to rethink almost everything about the way power dynamics are taught. A lot will have to get thrown on the scrap heap. Even some stuff we love.

Like… Green Eggs and Ham. A number of years ago I wrote a sassy little S and M spoof of Green Eggs and Ham, and a friend drew an illustration of it that hangs proudly in my living room. It shows Sam I Am—now Dom I Am—proudly wielding a crop behind that other character—you know, the one who has no name?—who is bent over with a worried look on his face. Studying this picture over the years I have come to realize that Green Eggs and Ham is profoundly fucked up. It’s rape culture! No, really! The phallic Sam I Am insisting on his ego and his pleasure and emotionally coercing the poor nameless character with a ceaseless barrage of questions: Would you like it with a house? Would you like it with a mouse? The other guy, identity erased and unimportant, is subjected to harassment until he gives in and “likes” it.

NO MEANS NO, SAM I AM!

People don’t magically like foods after they’ve been harassed into trying them. It’s time to start looking at the underlying messages about consent that we are teaching when we read children’s books, and as much as I enjoyed the book at the time, I think Green Eggs and Ham needs to go on the trash heap of history. It’s okay. We can still have The Lorax and The Sneetches.

There are all kinds of things we need to be aware of when we have power over others. Whether that power is as a teacher or a parent, we should always think about how we are teaching agency. This means that we not make children kiss relatives they don’t want to kiss, or wear scratchy ugly pink nightgowns just because their grandparents gave them to them for Christmas. It may be that there are times when we as adults do need to exert power over children’s bodies for their own good: to insist that they hold still while we clean a wound or to wear a coat when it’s cold outside. But a sharp delineation needs to be made between control over their bodies for their own sake and for ours. If we do make a child do something, we should be ready and willing to answer their question of why—to give them that trade-off of agency. They deserve an answer to their question and for it to be a good one, so that they do not automatically yield their control over their body to anyone who presumes to have power over them.”]

cherry zonkowski, from the green eggs and ham scam, from ask: building consent culture, edited by kitty stryker, 2017

[etherealyoungk]

the boy next door | choi seungcheol

✩ seventeen as romantic tropes series ✩ masterlist ✩

PAIRING: seungcheol x reader

THEMES: boy next door trope, mutual pining, fluff, pinch of angst

WARNINGS: kissing, shirtless cheol-

WORDCOUNT: 2017

A/N: enjoy <3

choi seungcheol, he had always been the boy next door. ever since you moved into the neighbourhood four years ago, you got to know him and his family. it was like there was just a spontaneous spark between your family and his and they bonded immediately. you'd gone to the same school as seungcheol, become good friends with him, and graduated highschool together. and now here you were going to his family's beach house for a little summer vacation before college started.

"are you packing to move to the beach permanently?", seungcheol questions when he sees the way you're sitting on your suitcase and trying to close it, because it won't seem to zip close otherwise, not with the way you've stuffed it full.

"shut up if you're not going to be of any help", you tell, frustrated, struggling even more.

seungcheol wordlessly bends down the same moment you slide off the suitcase. he pushes it down with one hand, his ridiculously big bicep flexing as his other hand finds the zip and he manages to close it with ease and grace, unlike you.

he looks at you, proud and you give him a thumbs up. "are you excited?", he asks you. "very, gotta use the last of my freedom before college starts", you tell as you sit on the floor.

"well, i'll see you tomorrow, i should head back, mom's been after me because i still haven't packed", he says, getting up and ruffling your hair in the process before he leaves.

your and seungcheol's dynamic was like close friends. you two had grown close over the years, sharing countless memories and inside jokes. but this year felt different somehow as if there was an unspoken shift in the air and you couldn't help but feel something, something that tugged at your heartstrings.

the next day you bid your parents goodbye for the next two weeks and you're sitting in the car, seungcheol beside you as you head to his family's beach house. you were more than excited and ready for this vacation. you fall asleep in the middle of the journey, resting your head on seungcheol's shoulder as you doze off. after a while you feel someone softly shake you awake and your eyes flutter open.

"wake up sleepyhead, we've reached", seungcheol says as you lift your head up, still sleepy. he proceeds to clutch his shoulder dramatically, telling you how inconvenienced he was and you smack him, annoyed, but you can tell by the way he laughs and smiles stupidly that he was teasing you he like he did.

that day you don't really do much other than settling in the small room you had and helping his mom with preparing dinner while seungcheol was off on a side quest his dad had sent him.

the next day, the sun was already high in the sky as you made your way towards the beach, the salty breeze teasing your skin and tousling your hair. you're wearing shorts and a crop top and you felt the warmth of the sun against your bare arms, a sense of freedom washing over you with every step.

you're halfway to the beach when you hear seungcheol call out for you. you turn around and your jaw almost drops to the ground. why?

because seungcheol was shirtless, his bare chest basking in the sunlight. his toned body and physique was on full display. it was like a scene from a movie and for a moment, you found yourself frozen in awe as you stared at him. "wait up", he says as he jogs towards you with an easy smile, catching up to you. you can feel your heart rate quicken as he closes the distance, his presence commanding attention with every step. you have to pry your gaze away from his sculpted form, and you focus on the ground beneath your feet, willing yourself to regain composure.

together, you continued towards the beach, the sound of the crashing waves growing louder with each passing moment. despite your best efforts to maintain a casual demeanour, the image of seungcheol's shirtless figure lingered in your mind, sending a flurry of butterflies dancing in your stomach as you tried to keep your eyes straight and not dart towards his side.

you walk towards the water and sigh as the cool water envelops your feet, a contented sigh escapes your lips, the sensation of the wet sand between your toes grounding you in the moment. you close your eyes, feeling the breeze tangle in your hair. but your tranquillity was short-lived as a sudden splash of water jolts you from your moment, drawing your gaze to the mischievous grin of none other than seungcheol.

a playful glint dances in his eyes as he launches another playful splash at you, the droplets of water peppering your skin. "oh you're asking for it aren't you", you tell with a teasing grin of your own, bending down to scoop some water in your hands and retaliating with a splash of your own. you both walk a little deeper into the water and he splashes you again. his hands grab your waist as he captures you in his grip and you've been utterly defeated. you let out a laugh as he loosens his grip on you and you turn around, looking at him. his hands linger on your waist and you gulp as you try to calm your racing heart.

the next week goes by and you're having fun and having a great time relaxing, spending time with seungcheol's family and having some wind-down time for yourself as well. the only thing that seemed to really affect you and your brain chemistry? the fact that seungcheol was practically walking around shirtless the entire time. you swear it was like he hadn't even packed any shirts because you don't think you'd seen one on him apart from once.

as the days went on, the realisation that you liked seungcheol crept up to you like the tide rolling in and you couldn't shake the nagging feeling that your feelings for seungcheol were evolving into something more than mere friendship. it was starting to make you feel restless and uneasy.

you found yourself lying awake in bed, thinking about seungcheol. despite spending every day together, it was never enough. there was a craving for more, a desire for more of his company, more of his laughter, more of him. so you decide to create some distance between you and seungcheol because that was the only way you could think of to deal with your complicated emotions.

seungcheol notices on the second day. he notices the subtle changes in your behaviour, the way you're not spending time with him like you were, somehow always being holed up in your room more often than before. the way you would make excuses to stay back whenever he was going to the local market or on an errand his dad sent him on instead of tagging along like you always did. just the way you were keeping a distance from him, talking less, not your usual self had him worried and the distance started to eat away at his heart. had he done something wrong?

the next day he decides to do something about it. so he climbs up your balcony late into the cool night and knocks on your window, startling you.

"seungcheol what the hell?", you nearly shout when you see him balancing on your balcony with that stupid grin that made you heart somersault. thankfully he was wearing a shirt otherwise you would have sworn you'd have gone insane otherwise.

"i want to show you something", he tells, offering his hand to you.

"i'm tired, later okay", you tell, making an excuse. seungcheol's smile falters a but his determination does not.

"please, you can only see it today", he says, reaching for your hand anyway, not willing to let you get away this time.

you glare at him but give in and seungcheol beckons you to climb out the window and follow him.

"what-i am not climbing the roof seungcheol what is wrong with you?", you whisper yell because it's late into the night and you don't want to wake his parents up.

"trust me okay", he tells, taking your hand, holding it firmly and helping you climb onto the roof. you're gripping onto seungcheol's hand so tight once you get on the roof, scared and the sudden height makes you dizzy, making you stand closer to him. his arm finds your waist to help steady and ground you and he guides you to a small portion of the roof. he sits down and so do you.

"care to explain why we're here?", you prompt, looking at seungcheol.

"look up, see that constellation over there?", he says, pointing out to it. your eyes search the night sky for the constellation he was pointing at, expecting something extraordinary but it was only the same old one you see every day.

"but i see that every day", you tell, giving him an unbelievable look.

"exactly, just like you see me everyday. so why are you suddenly avoiding me?", he asks with a raise of his brow as he looks deepy into your eyes.

"i-i'm not avoiding you", you tell, lying but seungcheol can see right through you.

"seriously yn? you expect me to believe that?", he asks, giving you another look as he runs a hand through his hair. "what's going on? you can tell me", he assures, looking at you and waiting for you to speak, giving you that space.

you sigh and look ahead, watching the beach, the water mostly still apart from small waves. the salty breeze tangles into your hair and the night is chilly, stars peppering the deep blue night sky. how could tell seungcheol you liked him?

"it's stupid okay and not important", you tell, dismissing the topic and your feelings. "it's not stupid if it's bothering you", he says, looking at you with those big, sweet, brown eyes that you can't help but fall for deeper.

you gulp. "i think i like you", you tell so softly after a few moments of silence. your words are so soft that seungcheol would have missed it if he wasn't listening so carefully and you see the small wave of emotion that ripples through his face and eyes.

"i told you it's stupid, just forget i said anything", you tell, moving to get up but seungcheol doesn't let you, holding you back down.

"don't i get a say in this?", he asks, and the tone of his voice makes you sit up straighter somehow.

"no? it'll be embarrassing if you're going to reject me, it's better if we stay friends anyway", you tell, already feeling nervous.

"i think i like you too", he says, his words cutting into the tense air between you both and you can only blink at him as he gazes at you.

"you know when we went to prom together because no other guy asked you out and i took you since you were so excited and wanted to go? that's the moment i realised i liked you, liked you more than friends. you were glowing that night", he fills in, his words making your breath catch.

and you both continue to look at each other until you break eye contact, nervous and a little overwhelmed.

"we shouldn't", you tell softly. "why not?", he asks, moving closer his hand coming to cup your cheek and you steal a glance at his lips. he leans in slowly and you do too until his lips meet yours and he leaves a soft kiss on your lips. he pulls away, looking at you, only to be pulled back as you grab his shirt, kissing him again.

he kisses you back, slowly moving his lips against yours and you sigh into the kiss because no matter how many times you had imagined this moment, nothing would compare to the real one right now.

seungcheol kisses you sweetly under the moonlight and star-speckled sky and all you can do is kiss him back because nothing could have prepared you for how hard you would fall for the boy next door.

taglist: @biboramp3 @naaaaafla @weird-bookworm @icyminghao @blue-jisungs @wootify @n4mj00nvq @itsveronicaxxx @fallingforshua29 @joshuaahong @frankenstein852 @lvlystars @mirxzii @wheeboo @fairyhaos @kikohao @rubywonu @odxrilove @writingmeraki @asasilentreader @kwonshiho @belladaises @graybaeismytae @mykpopficblog @seunghancore @emotionalsupportbrat @moodays @avaaahuang @foxinnie8 @wonvsmile

[earthmoonz]

💖MAX KYLE 💖| style eras✨[click for hq]

in honour of wifey's 2nd birthday & inspired by @armoricaroyalty's amazing wardrobe analysis series, I thought I'd do a little look back at max from early adulthood until where they currently are in the story. (lena’s style has not changed nearly as much lol) costume design is one of my fav aspects of character development and I put a lot of effort into dressing my sim babies so I wanted to yap about it! (yapping under the cut!)

fresh faced! [2015] -  for much of max's adolescence they embrace a pretty standard uniform of graphic tees, skinny jeans + trainers. this doesn't really change for their first year of uni. in their youth they tended to value comfort over style (just autizzy things) but now they're experimenting with colour despite and beginning to emerge from their shell. having two mums means that max's own sexuality isn't a huge deal to them, but navigating the social aspect of it a different story entirely...

alt academic! [2016/17] - having made some friends (hello cleo! - not pictured), max is not immune to the goth-lite trends of the mid tens. they're hitting their stride academically and getting used parties and clubs. this is their first attempt at really exploring their femininity and soon they'll start to wonder if traditional womanhood is truly for them.

soft masc baby! [2017-19] - these years are where the more significant changes in max's style take place. 2017 is a big year for them. just as they begin exploring their gender identity, they meet their first ever girlfriend* (more on that later) and dressing more masc feels safe and exciting! they love how they're able to transform and their gf keeps saying how much hotter they look, but at as time goes on, max struggles with how they see their body under the baggier clothing. they're face with a question 'am I dressing like this for me or because of how others want me to be?'

chaos femme! [2019-20] - having graduated uni and endured their first big break up, max moves to san myshuno eager to reinvent themself. working as strip club bartender they begin dressing femme again, but this time with a sharper, moodier point of view. it's a lot of very high heels, mini skirts and c*nty wigs. almost every pic they post goes viral and they're fast becoming a fixture in san my's queer nightlife scene. this is max's single & chaotic era + this is also when they enter into a short -live but toxic romance with jade. they're working hard, partying harder but of course this lifestyle becomes hard to sustain and it's only a matter of time before it wears max out.

gay casual! [2020-23] - settled in san my, max has moved on from the dollhouse and found a literal home at the 'old salt bar' - an lgbtq hotspot both day and night. they've got a solid group of friends and are truly doing well for what feels like the first time in years. naturally their clothing returns to a brighter colour palette and this is where see them fall into their usual style of cropped tops, baggy trousers and chunky trainers. max's gender expression has more fluidity now and they start experimenting with a more fun, artsy style of make up with brightly dyed hair to match. it's clear now that max tends to mirror the environment they're in and it's clear that they're finally in an environment that feels right for them. unfortunately, they've little idea about the storm heading their way.

flux! [2023-] - this is the max we meet at wifey's beginning. they're in throes of grief but trying to bury it deep. their gender expression remains fluid but their overall style becomes less significant as more pressing matters take hold. this version of max is headed down a darkening path and when out in the world, they're more likely to dress to project confidence and intimidation which to them means a moodier colour palette. only time will tell if they're able to reconcile the innocence of their old self with the truth of their current one...

[stariiesz]

୨⎯𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝙷𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚄𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝙰𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 ⎯୧

Chapter 3

Authors note: Satoru is actually becoming likeable! Also this isn’t proof read again hehe

Tw: Alcohol consumption

August 20th 2017

After a long summer of rest, fun, and heartbreak, it was finally time for the back-to-school season. And for you, it was time to start your first semester at Kyoto College. You were excited of course, it was a fresh start and a chance to meet new people. But somewhere in the back of your mind, you were still a little hurt about what happened at the festival but you were trying to get over it. That wouldn’t stop the thoughts about how Satoru was supposed to also be going to Kyoto College but had changed his mind a few months beforehand.

Now you think it’s better he doesn’t come. Running into him would most likely go a lot like it did at the festival. There was no universe in which he’d want to see you and potentially be friends. Those were all hopes of the past and you’ve learned to accept it. You would be lying if you didn’t say you weren’t a little mad at Satoru. I mean, after all, he hated you for no reason. He was rude and he made it clear he wanted nothing to do to you. You wish you had gotten the hint earlier in high school so you didn’t look like such a hopeless romantic. Now that you think about it, maybe Alina wasn’t the only one with an obvious crush on Satoru.

More importantly, you were moving out of the only home you’ve ever known for the year. You were dorming on campus with what you hoped would be a good roommate. You packed everything you needed for the time being. You took one last look at your room before heading out. You lived an hour and thirty minutes away from Kyoto University, so you wouldn’t be going home daily. More like once a week or two. It wasn’t too bad a schedule, but for you who aren’t used to being away from home for so long, it would be a little difficult.

Your parents helped you load up the car and you drove to the campus. After finally arriving on campus you had your parents help you load stuff in your dorm. The dorm was average-sized. Your roommate wasn’t coming until tomorrow so it gave you some time to adjust and have things the way you wanted them. You said goodbyes to your family and there you were. Sitting in your empty dorm room with boxes of stuff packed around you. You sighed and laid down on your bed staring straight up at the ceiling. Classes started tomorrow and you were taking the writing class you wanted to take. That was something to look forward to, right?

You explored the campus and got a feel of where you would be dedicating the next four years of your education. You got some ramen at a local ramen shop on campus and went back to your dorm where you would eat in silence. Your roommate decided to come a little earlier and came later that evening. So far you liked her.

Her name was Ayaka. She was 18 and was really interested in majoring in arts. She seemed like someone you could make friends with so that was good. She was super optimistic and she wore bright clothes and had bright room decor. She was the solar opposite of you but it was nice to have the company. You two talked for a while and you realized you weirdly had a lot in common. You botched like reading books, especially manga, you both strive to do good in school, and you both didn’t have any friends. You were just glad to have a good roommate and a nice person to talk to. So far college life was good, even though you hadn’t actually started classes.

So there you were the next day standing in front of your mirror wearing an outfit that wasn’t you at all. You just wanted to make a good impression on your first day, but you figured it would be better if you dressed like yourself. Wearing a mini skirt and a crop top was unlike you, so you changed to the usual hoodie and some sweats. Much better and much more comfortable.

“I like your outfit, Y/N,” Ayaka said from her top bunk as she dangled her legs and played with one of many charm bracelets. You gave her a smile and adjusted your ponytail. “Thanks.” You said putting the last notebook into your bag. Even though you hadn’t even known each other for 24 hours, you were becoming friends. You had a fresh start indeed.

You two went your separate ways as you had classes on opposite sides of the campus. You walked to your first class which was mathematics, a subject you didn’t like but you did decent in it. The class wasn’t too bad. You got to know your professor and some other nearby seatmates. After that, you had social science. You actually made good friends with a friend group consisting of three people. They were all super nice and again you had a bunch of shared interests. This college thing wasn’t so bad after all.

After three classes, you had a break for lunch where you sat with your new-found friends, including Ayaka. You talked about the professors you liked the ones you didn’t and the classes you wanted to take and the ones you didn’t. It was going great until Ayaka mentioned something that piqued your interest immediately.

“Yeah so, in my art class this morning there was this really pretty boy. He seemed popular already too! He had white hair and the prettiest shade of blue eyes you’ve ever seen. He was soo cool. He had these piercings and-” Ayakas voice faded into the background. White hair blue eyes, white hair blue eyes. Surly it couldn’t be him. You heard yourself that he was going to the University of Tokyo with Alina so why would he be here? What could have changed? Then again, maybe it’s not him. His hair could have been a super light blonde instead of white right? But those eyes, you couldn’t mistake those eyes.

Your mind was running wild with thoughts about the mystery man who was possibly Satoru. It was only confirmed when:

“Yeah he was so pretty, I think his name started with an S or something. Sawyer? No that’s stupid. Sa...Ugh, I can’t remember.” She was cut off by you mid-sentence.

“Satoru. His name was Satoru, right?” You asked. You had to be sure it was him. And even if it was, why was he here, why did he change schools last second? You had so many questions, but on top of all of that was the slight bit of hope that maybe things could be different this time.

“Yeah, yeah! That was his name, Satoru. Do you know him or something?” Ayaka said as she took another bite of her Mac and Cheese. Your stomach felt like it was making knots. So it really was him. Satoru Gojo was at your school after all, but why, and did that mean Alina was there?

“Yeah actually, we used to go to the same high school, long story.” You said snapping out of your daydreaming. Ayaka looked surprised at your comment.

“Really? I figured he was a model or something. You must have been lucky to have him at your school.” She said. The rest of your friend's conversation faded into the back as you pondered. Ok so it was confirmed to be him, but now what? There was a likely chance of running into him, but what would you do if you did? Ignore him, smile at him, hell maybe even try to talk to him? But would he even be interested in striking up a conversation with you? Probably not. It’s probably best for you to ignore him like he's done to you right?

After the lunch break ended you headed to class. This one you were pretty excited about because it was the writing class. You got there a bit early so you could get to know the professor. You may have seemed like a teacher's pet to others but you were excited for this professor's class. You took a seat in the middle row of seats and pulled out your supplies. As class officially started students started to flood in, you were looking to see if a certain white head of hair had entered but you hadn’t seen anything yet. Thank god. You weren’t sure if it would be a good or bad thing if he were to come into this class. But if he were to come, you’d try your best to avoid him.

The class filled up rather quickly and there was one seat left which was right by you. As you were waiting for the class to start, you had your head down lost in the fantasy of the book you were reading, you only looked up when you felt the presence of someone sitting next to you. You only looked up when they had dropped their pen and you grabbed it for them. That's when you locked eyes with those eyes. Those beautiful ocean eyes. His eyes. No other than Satoru Gojo sat beside you. You were shocked it really was him. He mumbled a quiet thanks before taking his pen back and looking up at the board. You closed your book and paid attention to the board, not that you were really paying attention though. You kept getting the occasional glance at Satoru and he did the same even going as far as to smile at you. It was like the first day of high school all over again.

Things felt different like he was being maybe even nice to you. Did you change that much over the summer that he couldn’t recognize you or something? The only thing you really changed about your appearance was getting bangs over the summer but unless Satoru’s blind, he would still know it’s you. Unless he was just being genuinely nice for some odd reason. You were so lost in your thoughts that you basically missed half the first lecture, but it didn’t really matter to you now.

After class, you were both packing up when your professor called you up.

“Since you two are the last ones here, can you do me a favor and clean the board and sweep the floors? There’s a board meeting in here next and I haven’t had the time to do it, I have to grab the snacks for everyone.” Your professor asked in a hurry. Normally it would have been an immediate yes, but again it wasn’t just you, it was Satoru too. But you couldn’t turn down your clearly stressed professor just because of a boy so you agreed and so did Satoru.

“Thank you both, I owe ya!” He said walking out of the class and closing the door behind him. An awkward silence fell over the room as you and Satoru stood there for a second before you took the broom and began to sweep. You didn’t care at this point. You just wanted this awkward interaction to be over with. Satoru took an eraser and ran it over the chalk writing on the board. There had been an awkward silence for a few minutes before Satoru finally broke it.

Satoru cleared his throat “So, how did you like his class?” He asked, eyes still preen on removing the chalk writing on the board.

You were silent for a second, still not completely sure he was talking to you. “Uh, I liked it, it was interesting.” You replied focusing on sweeping like it was the most important thing ever.

“Yeah.” He said. He stopped erasing and turned to look at you. You looked up at him and you two made eye contact for what felt like forever. His eyes focused on yours and the same with yours. You cleared your throat before looking back down and sweeping, but Satoru was still looking at you, you could feel it.

“Y/N, I want you to know I’m sorry for being such a douchebag in high school, you didn’t deserve that.” He said rebreaking the silence. Your mouth almost dropped to the floor. Satoru was apologizing to you? Now? Why was he doing it now? Was he dying and he wanted to make right before he passed or something? You stopped your brain from jumping to crazy and stupid conclusions like that and thought of a way to respond to all this.

“It’s.. ok, I guess.” That was all you said as you continued to sweep up the floor. You couldn't stop yourself from asking the next question though. “Why now are you apologizing?” You asked finally looking up from the floor again. He was looking down at you.

“Because we're in college now, there's no need to hold stupid grudges from high school, so let’s have a fresh start, yeah?” He said with a smile. The first ever genuine smile he’s given you since that day in freshman year. You were very surprised, but what he said made sense. Even though it had only been a month since you last saw him, he seemed to grow over such a short period of time. But there was another question eating at you. Where was Alina, and why did he not go to the University of Tokyo with her?

Since Satoru was being honest with you, you did the same.

“So, what happened to your girlfriend?” You asked as you set the broom down, finally being done with your small side quest. A flash of confusion crossed Satoru’s face for a moment as if he was totally unaware of having this so-called ‘girlfriend’.

“Who?” He asked as he finished wiping up the last bit of chalk on the board. Now it was your turn to be the confused one. Just a month ago, Alina had made it very clear that she was with Satoru now. It was confirmed by your own eyes when you saw them kiss in the parking lot too. So why is he now acting like he isn’t dating her? The thought that they may have broken up popped up in your mind as well.

“You know, Alina. She told me you two were together back at the festival, and I saw you guys kissing in the parking lot.” You told him as you sat and spun in the professor's chair right in front of him. Satoru giggled a bit.

“Me and Alina? No, I bet she was just pranking you, we’re not dating. And that kiss was just her trying to make some boy jealous, so I went along.” Satoru said clearing up the misunderstanding.

Maybe the kiss made sense now but you remember very vividly Alina telling you that the two of them were together. It made you a little happy to know that she tried to make you jealous but lied the whole time. And it was clear by Satoru’s tone that he saw her more as a close friend than a girlfriend. But another part of you felt a little bad for Alina. Crazy, right? But the poor girl was so desperate to keep other girls away from him that she would lie and ruin other girl’s reputations one of those being yours. Wait, maybe you don’t feel so bad after all. So they weren’t together, that was kind of a relief. You seemed to note that Satoru probably didn’t want to talk about your little confession, so you didn’t bring it up.

You two were interrupted by the professor coming back in with a tray of snacks and napkins in his hand.

“Thank you, you two. I will pay you back somehow. You can go now, I gotta set up.” He said ushering you out of his classroom. This was the last class of the day so you had nothing but time. You and Satoru awkwardly stood outside the door of the class before he spoke.

“Uh wanna head to the dorms now?” He asked rubbing his undercut. You nodded and you both headed in that direction. The dorms weren’t on the same floor due to the gender-separated dorm system, but they were in the same building. The walk there was silent, it wasn’t as awkward as it would have been before but it was quiet. You finally decide to ask him another question as you enter the building.

“So why’d you not go to the University of Tokyo with Alina?” You said as you both stood at the beginning of the stairwell which would lead to different floors. He took a long pause before speaking.

“It’s gonna seem stupid but, it’s cause my father used to go here and… I don’t know I guess I wanted to carry on his legacy and make him proud.”

Right. You had heard that Satoru’s dad had sadly passed when he was still young and it affected him greatly. He didn’t like talking about it either. So it had to mean something for him to tell you about it.

“Yeah, I thought I wanted to go to the University of Tokyo because a bunch of my friends were going there like Alina and the rest, but, I thought about it and I wanted to come here again. Alina thinks she might transfer here next year, but I don’t think she will.

That made sense now. Satoru always wanted to come here for his dad but was temporarily persuaded by his friends to join them at the University of Tokyo. You were kind of glad that he came to this school. This felt like it could be the beginning of a friendship between the two of you, or something like that.

“Oh, that’s nice I guess.” You said holding on to the straps of your bags. “Well, I’m that way.” You said pointing to your dorm level.

“And I’m that way.” He said pointing to the level of his dorm. “I guess we'll see each other another time, bye Y/N.” He said heading up to his dorm. Maybe Satoru wasn’t so bad after all. He was just misunderstood by you, and Alina didn’t help with that image. He was pretty chill, you see why people wanted to be friends with him so bad.

August 21st 2017

You were woken up bright and early by a text message on your phone. It was six am and you were staring into the bright light of your phone. What stared back at you was a notification saying that Satoru had started following you on Instagram. Your eyes widened for a brief moment as you clicked on his profile skimming through the photos. He had a very active social life, there was no doubt about that.

He had a lot of photos of himself with friends, and family, and traveling to different places. He also had a lot of photos with Alina, who was tagged in each one. You clicked on her user and checked out her page. Half of her pictures were ones with Satoru. You blocked her before hitting the ‘follow’ button on Satoru’s profile. You put your phone down and went right back to sleep.

Later that morning you woke up and started getting ready when your phone dinged again. This time it was a DM from Satoru on Instagram. You opened it and read what he had said. “I was just looking through your profile and I didn’t know you liked manga. I have a big collection myself.” He said. You smiled at that because, under his popular boy image, he was just as much as much as a nerd as you.

“Yeah, I like reading One Piece, what about you?” You texted back as you resumed getting ready.

“Same!” He said. This brought another smile to your face.

After finally getting ready, you started walking onto campus with your friends but their conversations faded to the back as you thought about things with Satoru. Things were going great so far, and it indeed seemed like the beginning of a friendship.

“Yeah, there’s a party there tonight, wanna go? Y/N?” Ayaka tapped your shoulder and you snapped out of it. “What are you pondering about?” Ayaka asked.

“Nothing, what were you asking me?” You said brushing a strand of hair out of your face.

“I was asking if you want to go to a party with me tonight! It’s for the freshman and like everyone is going. Ayaka said nudging your shoulder. You had other academic things to focus on that night so you declined.

“Nah that's ok, you guys have fun though.” You said as you pulled out your phone and checked for any DM’s. Nothing new from Satoru. You wonder if he’s going to the party, but then remember it’s Satoru, of course, he would be there with girls swarming all around him.

After classes that day, you went to a coffee shop on campus and did a little reading there. You were at the climax of the book when you felt a tap on your shoulder. You took out your headphones and turned around to see Satoru with some books in his hands.

“Can I sit here?” Here said with a few strands of his snow colored hair in his face. You nodded and he sat down. You took out your headphones and closed your book.

“So are you going to that freshman party thing tonight?” Satoru asked taking a sip of his expresso.

“No, it doesn’t really interest me.” You said playing with the rim of your novel. ��Are you going?” You asked as you stared at him. You were tempted to move those strands of hair out of his face as you paid attention to him.

“Yeah, I figured it would be a chance to get, hang out with my friends, and meet new people,” Satoru said. “You should come though, you never came to one of the high school ones so the least you can do is come to college ones.”

You sighed. He was right about that, but did you actually want to go to a party tonight? No, that was the last thing you wanted to do. But he and your new friend group were all going too. Sure you didn’t really like parties but, it was college, it was time to step out of your comfort zone for a bit.

You hesitated. ‘I’ll… think about it.” Satoru smiled at your words.

“Great, so I’ll take that as a yes!” Satoru said taking another sip of his drink. He gave you a lemon muffin which he had bought for you at the front of the coffee shop. Lemon was your favorite flavor, so it was cute how he got you a lemon muffin most likely not even knowing.

After you and Satoru left the cafe you went your separate ways and you dashed up your dorms staircase. You went to your dorm and asked Ayaka for help on what to wear, how to do your makeup, hair all of that. She laughed a bit

“Y/N, It’s not a dinner date, it’s a college party, you don’t have to dress up so much. Just wear a tight short dress, leave your hair down, and a little makeup.” She said laughing at your frantic state of panic.

“Why did you change your mind? I thought you didn’t want to come.” Ayaka said as she put her hair in a bun and ate her instant ramen from the cup. You sighed.

“Well I didn’t but now someone I like is going and he wanted me to come so, I’m coming.” You said looking through your wardrobe for anything somewhat cute. Unfortunately, you didn’t own any tight dresses, so the best outfit you could put together was a short top and a skirt. Ayaka did a light amount of makeup for you and did your hair as well. You looked good, and it didn’t feel like you were being a fake either.

You and Ayaka walked to the party which wasn’t too long a walk. You met up with a few other friends too. Now you were standing in front of the door, the sound of loud music playing in the room.

“Are you guys ready for our first college party?” Ayaka said excitedly as she opened the door and you all entered.

It was loud and smelled of booze, there were a lot of people and you kept bumping into people. It was pretty overwhelming. The whole time you were looking for Satoru as your friends went off to grab some drinks. You had never been drunk before and you didn’t want to start doing stuff like that now. Instead, you took a seat in the kitchen where it was more quiet and people would occasionally come in and out for the alcohol.

You sat at the kitchen table suddenly regretting coming to this god-awful place. You’d much rather be cozy at your dorm reading a book or watching a movie, but here you were trying to step out of your comfort zone and do something new for a change. You decided you should probably just head back to the dorms and let your friends have fun. Right before you were about to leave the kitchen a guy with long black hair, ear piercings, and sweats on entered. He dug around the fridge which indicated he probably lived there with some other roommates. You got up about to leave before he stopped you.

“Hey, why are you leaving so soon?” He asked not batting an eye and pouring beer into a cup. It caught you off guard. Why did he care if you left, he looked like the type of guy to have a bunch of girls waiting for him.

“Uh, it’s not really my scene.” You said with an awkward chuckle. He closed the fridge and turned around to face you. That's when you got a good look at his face and he was hot.

“Want some?” He said holding out the red cup of beer. You politely declined before he took a seat across from you. “So if it’s not your scene, why’d you come in the first place?” He said staring at you as he started sipping some of his beer. You didn’t want to tell him that it was because of a boy, so you told him the partial truth.

“Because my friends are here and I wanted to check out the party.” You said as you sat back down. “What about you? Why are you here?” You said returning his question.

“Just came for the drinks and a few friends as well.” He said gulping down the rest of his beer. A moment of science passed before you got up.

“Well, I’m gonna head out now.” You said before you felt a strong grip on your shoulder. It was his.

“Wait, I just wanted to know your name.” He said putting his red cup on the table. You told him your name and he told you his name was Suguru.

“Have a good night.” He said walking back to the pile of drinks for his next one. You left the kitchen and navigated through the noisy party. Right before you left you heard a familiar voice call your name behind you. It was Satoru’s. You turned around and there he was with a red solo cup in his hand.

“I didn’t know if you’d come.” He said a little out of breath likely from chasing after you. “Here follow me, it’s too loud in here.” He muttered taking your hand and leading you somewhere. It was to the backyard where a few other people were, mostly the stoners. You two Sat down on the sofa and he smiled. “I’m glad you came, it was starting to get boring around here.” He said as he offered you his drink. You declined.

“Oh, I keep forgetting to ask you, can I have your number Y/N? It’s easier to text than DM on Instagram, you know?” He asked you. You were a little surprised but you gave it to him nonetheless.

“Great, now we can keep in contact.” He said as he smiled at you for the thousandth time that day. But that smile made you feel like you had butterflies in your stomach every time. “Uh so I stopped by a manga store after school and I got this one for you. I saw it was one of your favorite series and the latest volume just dropped. I hope you don’t already have it.” He said in a somewhat shy tone of voice as he rubbed the back of his head. You found it sweet that he had found one of your interests and bought it for you.

“No, actually I haven’t gotten the new volume, thanks!” You said giving him a small hug as you took the book. He smelled good was the main thing you noticed when you hugged him. Hugging him felt nice, and comforting. It was awkward when you stopped hugging and sat on opposite sides of the sofa. You tucked your hair behind your ear. It was clear Satoru was a little drunk but nothing too bad.

“Y/N, your confession didn’t mean nothing to me,” Satoru said suddenly breaking the silence. Confession? Right, you had almost forgotten that you had poured your feelings out to him before graduation because you thought he wasn’t coming to Kyoto, but now he’s here and it’s awkward.

Your eyes widened. “Oh.” That was all you managed to say as you locked eyes with him. You quickly looked down feeling the heat rush to your face. “Yeah about that-” He cut you off.

“And I think I like you too.”

Authors note: each chapter keeps getting longer and longer:p

5.0k words

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[familiarworldface]

Ill never forget being in one of my first college classes back in 2017 and getting called cute by one of the hottest girls I had ever met, and I think part of it was because she was tan with dark hair in a crop top with a happy trail and unshaved pits and loose pants.

She invited me over one night but the roads were too icy to drive and I turned it down, at least she rewired my brain 💫 Shoulda crashed my car trying!

[maykitz]

reading an article about underage prostitution in a german city that is incredibly bleak and features an interview by young trans girl who was pimped out by her family, translation under the cut. i cropped several parts but it's still a bit long. be mindful of heavy subjects ahead, ofc.

The man picks Maxi up in a Mercedes. Drives her through the night. In the middle of a forest he parks in front of a mansion, kisses Maxi on the mouth. "What's wrong?", the man asks. "I've never done this before," says Maxi. The man smiles from ear to ear.

In the bedroom he gives Maxi a glass of water. Tastes weird, Maxi thinks. The man grabs a remote, puts on a porno. Disgusting, Maxi thinks. Then the man starts undressing her. T-shirt, pants, boxershorts. "Lay down on the bed, I'm giving you a massage," the man says. Disgusting, Maxi thinks again. She's 15 years old.

[...]

Germany was nothing like Maxi expected. She grew up with a foster family in Romania. When she turned 14, her mother took her in at her home in Dortmund. She was excited to get to live with her mom and siblings for the first time. It went fine for a year- then she came out. "I said: Mom, I like boys," Maxi tells us. "She beat me up badly."

[...]

Maxi is very familiar with the [child prostitution] scene, particiapted herself for years. It all started with her outing. Her mother, Maxi says, threatened to kick her out of the house. She wasn't allowed to attend school anymore, one some days not even to eat. "Faggot," was how her siblings referred to her.

First she became an outsider to the family, then a source of income. "My mother saw me dress and move very femininely," says Maxi. "Then she had an idea: she could sell me to old men." Her mother, who had herself worked as a prostitute, explained "how it's done" and promised that bringing home money would earn her her family's love.

[...]

In 2010, a 28-year-old woman from Dortmund received a sentence for child sexual abuse, forced prostitution and human trafficking. She had approached the parents of her eventual victim, a 13-year-old girl, in Bulgaria, her country of origin. She promised to provide the girl an education and a job as a waitress.

For a child growing up in poverty, this life sounded like paradise. What actually followed was hell. From the summer of 2007 until October the woman forced the girl into prositution, selling her to male clients. Resistance was punished with beatings.

Authorities only became involved when the perpetrator's own brother helped the girl escape. Together with another young woman they were on their way to the Netherlands when a routine check at the border became suspicious of the group.

In 2017, a whole trio of pimps stood trial. Over the course of several years the three young men forced young Bulgarian women to prostitute themselves in Dortmund and Hamm. The investigation only began after one of the women, who had been forced into prostitution since 2009, contacted the police years later. When she first was made to enter the red light district, she had been 15 years old.

In 2019, a woman was sentenced for aiding in human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and for aiding in forced prostitution. In her home country of Bulgaria, she had established contact with an impoverished woman suffering from cancer. In a "woman-to-woman talk", as the ruling puts it, the defendant promised that she would find work for the ill woman's daughter in Germany. She spoke of "normal work", such as becoming a cleaner or lunchlady.

For as little as 100 €, the 15-year-old daughter was then sold to the defendant and her husband, who brought the girl to Germany in 2006. What was lined up for her there was not a well-paying job however, but a brothel. The defendant - who had herself been forced into prostitution by her husband - instructed the girl in various sexual practices. The husband, who was senteced as well, defined the prices: 30 € for sex, 20 € for oral sex and 40 € if she allowed the men to touch her during the act. On her first night she was delivered to eight different men. From then on she was made to meet with five to six Johns, every day.

The victim says she had no idea what was going on when she left her home in Bulgaria. "I didn't know what I was supposed to do in Germany. I only got into the car because my mother told me to," she testified in court. Her passport and papers were taken from her, as well as all of her payments. When she ended up getting pregnant by one of her clients, the couple sold her to him - for 400 €. All of these cases share a similarity: not once did any of the men who molested the children stand trial.

Maxi will probably never forget her first client. "I still feel his hands on me," she says. After about 5 to 10 minutes it was over. "Go shower," he said. Blood ran down her legs as she cried in the shower.

Besides this man there are two others whose faces won't leave Maxi's head. "One client noticed that something was wrong. I had bruises, acted weird. When he wanted to kiss me I closed my eyes," Maxi tells. She remembers the conversation vividly.

"He said: 'You don't want this, do you?' I replied: 'No.' He was surprised. Then he said: 'Should I take you home? I'll give you a little money so your mother won't get mad at you.' What I know is that he was a politician. Another time a police officer took me. He knew I didn't want it. It made him enjoy it more."

We're not able to vouch for whether what Maxi tells us is true. But the social workers we spoke to [the ones taking care of Maxi who facilitated this interview, I cropped this out earlier] confirm the details of her life and say that Maxi is one of many examples. They're familiar with these stories from many cases. Oftentimes boys are even younger when they're entered into prostitution. 12-year-olds, 13 or 14. Many clients are looking for those as young as possible.

How many men abused her in total, Maxi can't say. Sometimes it was six or eight per week. All of them had been very old, wealthy, and specifically searching for children and adolescents.

According to Maxi, her family turned her into a business. "Everyone knew: Grandma, uncle, just everyone. They were happy with the money they received from me." Her Johns were paying several hundred Euros for each meeting. "Everything went to my mother, every last Cent. She used it to build a house for herself in Romania."

Many of the victims of child prostitution stem from Romani families. This is not a coincidence to the social workers. Selling your body has been one of the few ways to make money for the Romani people for generations. Throughout centuries of discrimination and marginalisation they've been denied access to education and the labour market.

In Bulgaria and Romania, where the Romani people constitute about 10 % of each population, many live in slums at the edges of society. No plumbing, no heating, rarely any electricity. Money is earned from hand to mouth. Some try their luck as farmhands or panhandlers in other EU-states.

One social worker trying to offer assistance to leave prostitution visited these Romani slums in Bulgaria. She describes "unimaginable" living situations. A local organisation shared the results of a recent survey with her: "They'd found that nearly 80 % of Romani girls and boys see their future in prostitution." A paradox: The subject of sex is heavily tabooed to many Romani. Few speak about it openly.

Maxi remembers the first time her mother woke her up in the middle of the night to meet a client outside. A German man, much older than 60. Maxi barely knew any German, but understood enough of the conversation: "My mother told this guy: 800 € for a few hours with me. She didn't say I'm her son."

[...]

[A] social worker shows us the street where the boys who meet with her wait for clients. The older ones teach the younger ones where to go. Their uncles, their own brothers sometimes. "They're recruited by older ones in the community. They say: 'If you get into that guy's car, you'll make 20 €.' Many kids just go along with it. They don't know what's waiting for them."

She herself has driven up and down these streets, any time of day and night, she says. But even though she knows countless affected boys and finds that childhood prostitution is "shockingly normal" in the area, she has never once managed to see any of the Johns. "It's just so frustrating. We know it happens, but we can't stop it. The men just get away with it." [...] The boys, too, do everything in their power to not get caught. "The kids are like little foxes. They know every unmarked police car, spot them at 10 km away," she says. "The kids are gone in a flash."

[...]

After four months of being made to meet with men who raped her after paying her mother, Maxi decided she couldn't take it anymore. "I ran away from home, through the window. I just started running for my life," Maxi recalls. Eventually she reached a highway. "There was this older Polish woman. Spoke no German. I just repeated: 'Police, police!'"

She was driven to a hospital first to receive stitches for an injury left by a client. Then she told the officers everything. [...] Maxi left her mother that day, but not prostitution. She continued working on the street in Dortmund, keeping the money for herself now.

At 16, she was older than the others. "One time I met a boy who had just turned 14. He showed up with make-up on and said 'I want to make money to get away from home.' I asked him why, he said: 'My dad is an alcoholic, we have no money.' I told him where to find help, that I ran away from home too."

Maxi spends time watching the Johns. How they attempt to lure in boys with chocolate or coffee. How they photograph them, hang around for hours. "There was this guy, I told him: 'Leave him alone, he's still a child,' He just replied: 'That makes it hotter.'"

[...]

Social worker Thomas Franke has spoken with countless boys, he says. He plays with them, cooks with them. After a while, they confess the way they earn money. Some even had photos or videos showing their friends or cousins getting into older men's cars.

These situations are hard to bear for the social worker. "A child tells me: this is happening to me. But please, don't tell anyone. So what am I supposed to do now? I want to tell. But if I do, if I get someone involved, I lose their trust. It's a heavy burden."

[...]

What frustrates social workers: Prostitution is heritable. Many seem to see no way out. Many of the abused children grow into troubled adolescents and young adults struggling with addiction. To keep affording the drugs they turn to crime, continued prostitution or pimping out younger kids. "And then they're no longer seen as the abused children, but as asocial, criminal Romani."

Prostitution is a taboo topic anywhere. And a community with sexual morals as strict as the Romani has even less room to talk about it. "-but I'm not gay," is the first thing the children tell him, says Franke. The parents often react the same way. Rather than "Help, my kid was molested!" the first response tends to be "Help, is my child gay?!"

Still, the social worker sees working with the parents as the only way, trying to convince them to report to the police. He's never been successful, however.

People like Maxi share their story to lift the veil of silence on childhood prostitution. Maxi now wants to live as she really is, as a woman. She's known that she was born in the wrong body since she was 6 years old, she says. But only since cutting ties with her family can she be true to herself. Therefore we write "she" instead of "he" from this point onward. [note: the article uses male language for Maxi until here to do this reveal, I've chosen to change that because I find it pointless and obfuscating the way transmisogyny played a part beside homophobia.]

For our interview the now 20-year-old is wearing black leggings, a black T-Shirt and a black sports jacket. She's carrying a jeans purse with little rhinestones. Maxi lives in an apartment provided by the youth office, frequently visited by several social workers. She has no friends, she says. "I don't really want any. I don't want anyone getting close to me, I don't like it."

Maxi is battling depression, has attempted suicide three times in the past. She's currently "on break" from prostitution, she says. "It's not good for me." If she could imagine quitting for good? "I don't know. If I marry a rich sheikh from Dubai, maybe life will get better," she laughs. A little too loud, a little too long.

Two things are giving her hope, she says towards the end of our meeting. She's on a waiting list to receive gender confirmation surgery. And she's working on compiling information to report her mother to the police.

[writingdungeon]

SDV Bachelors reactions to birthday gifts

Forgive the rust last time i made one of these was 2017/18. Coming out of a “retirement”

Alex: You had already helped him build the man cave at the saloon, He had Gus and Emily help him confess with a beautiful dinner, now it was Alex’s birthday, and truth be told you had NOTHING. You had been focusing on the Luau and all your time and energy went into that. Walking into the kitchen to make breakfast and think, you saw it, His mother's music box proudly on the fireplace mantle. You would never touch the box due it how it had begun to age, but you did remember the song. Alex woke up to an empty bed and an empty home. Getting up he looked around for you. “Baby?” He saw you had been out because there were ingredients on the counter, but it's like you just vanished. Walking outside to see if you had gone out to get something from the farm he saw it empty, shrugging and getting ready he went about his day, knowing you would pop up. He was watering the crops and taking a break every now and again to spray the dog, your dog loved biting the water so much, it reminded him of when Dusty was a puppy. “Alex!” He heard you yell out, turning to look he smiled seeing you walk over to him, hiding something? “What is that baby?” He asked turning off the water. “I wanted to get you something, but I didn't know what.” He watched as you pulled out a pretty little box. “I had Robin and Clint's rush make it….I hope you like it.” He took the box and looked at it noticing it looked like his music box, winding the key and opening it, tears flooded his eyes, it was his music box! But the music was clearer, it wasn't dulled with age. “Farmer…” Looking at you tears running down his face he grabbed you into a hug. “I don't deserve you.”

Elliot: What do you get a person who's a living romance novel protagonist? That question racked your brain over and over, flowers? Not enough… More Ink? Not good enough…What do you get for Elliot? Looking over at his study your eyes flashed with an idea. He wasn't able to bring his piano with him when he moved in with you. Robin had no idea how to build a piano so now you are stuck biting your nails that Elliot's new piano won't be there on time for his birthday, stupid train. On his birthday it was not delivered before he woke up so plan B was in order. You spend the whole day pampering him, just caught lobster, a new duck feather pillow you definitely did not panic make two days ago, and all sorts of colored inks that you now owe Emily a few favors for. As you both were sitting at the table eating a Cappuccino Mousse Cake, you heard a loud knock at the door. “Who at this hour?” Elliot asked going to stand. “I got it, birthday boy.” Watching him sit with a smile you opened the door and peeked outside seeing the piano on dollys ready to be moved in. Looking out into the distance seeing Linus, Robin, and Willy running off you smiled making a note to pay them back for the late-night rush delivery. “Elliot, come here actually. I have one more gift.” You leaned back and opened the door wide so he could see the shiny new piano. “Oh my…My Love…I” It was the first time you had seen the smooth talker voiceless. “You truly are sent from the heavens…”

Harvey: Looking out the bus window Harvey sighed, he rarely left Pelican Town, but you had insisted he shut down the practice for a day or two, reassuring if something happened Maru knew almost as much as he did and could hold the town over for a few days. “Can I ask where we are going now?” He asked turning back to look at you. “Nope.” was all you said as you flipped a page in your book. “At least a city or the bus stop's name?” He asked blinking his eyes at you knowing he might be able to sweeten you up, looking up from your book with a small smirk on your lips all you said was “Z” Oh you were driving him crazy, he loved it, but he wanted to know! He had loved surprising you with the Hot Air Balloon Ride so this was probably just payback. An hour later Pam pulled into Zuzu City’s bus station and looked back. “I’ll see you in three days.” Your first day was just walking around looking at shops, a museum, going out to a nice dinner. “You know Farmer, this is a nice trip. Thank you for this gift.” He tilted his head confused hearing you giggle. “Oh, Harvey wait till tomorrow.” He had no idea that you had this planned, He gripped your hand tight and looked up swearing he could touch the bottom of the plane if he just reached up. “You Like your gift?” He heard you call over the roar of all the airplane engines. An airshow, you had brought him to the Zuzu city airfield to watch an air show. “Way better than the balloon….” He said stuck in child-like wonder, only to be pulled out of it by you kissing him. “Now I’d agree better than the balloon.”

Sam: You and Sam lived together now, but he hadn't seen you in a few days, and when he did you were busy hauling wood, glass, and other stuff up to Robins, something to do with the basement. He knew you were a busy Farmer, but he didn't think you were so busy you couldn't give him a kiss or a hug. He was sitting on the porch strumming his guitar, trying to figure out if he had said something? Did something? Forgot your Birthday! Wait no his birthday was coming up….His Birthday was coming up. He sat up and smiled thinking he figured it out, it had to be his birthday, it was silly, but he began to follow you around. All he saw was you cutting trees, shearing sheep, and bringing it to Robin. After a few days of playing spy and starting to wonder what was happening with Robin and your basement. One day he came home and noticed all his band equipment was gone, his heart was crushed, was he wrong about everything. “Sam? Is that you?” He heard you call from the basement. “Baby where are my drums…” He whines softly while making his way to you. “Come down here…I actually need your help…” Making his way down his heart exploded, there on the other side of the basement was a recording booth, an actual recording booth, you were sitting in the middle of his drum set all sprawled out. “I tried to set it up like you showed me….but I think I’m doing it wrong…” All Sam could do was hug you with tears in his eyes. “For me?” His head was buried in your shoulder, and you could feel the tears falling. “Sam baby, I-I’m sorry I'll get it fi-” He kissed you before you could finish. “I love you so much, Farmer.”

Sebastian: Your brain hurts staring at the screen, tabs upon tabs open. Lore about goblins, elves, healers, tanks, balancing encounters, and how to create a functioning story. Solarion Chronicles was so fun when Sebastion and Sam helped you with it, but now you are starting to think your mind will explode if you try to understand how to keep initiative in order. It paid off though a month later on Sebastian’s Birthday you had the home decked out, Sam helped you make food and drinks that are in Solarion Chronicles, and Abigail showed up for Sebastian and helped set up the map. Hearing Sebastian’s key in the door the three of you sprinted to your hiding spots, you pulled out a laser pointer and got your cat to help turn off the main light. “I’m back…You home baby?” He called out placing his helmet on the table next to the door and flicking on the light. “SURPRISE!” The three of you hopped out scaring Sebation a bit. “Holy Yoba!!! What's happ-” His voice trailed off looking around the house before his eyes landed on you three sitting around the coffee table, You behind the DM screen. “Roll for initiative, Sebby.” He smiled as he ran and hopped over the back of the couch landing next to Sam and Abigail with a soft comfy bounce, the three amigos ready for battle once again.

Shane: Shane was on the edge of the couch seat watching the Tunnelers play, it was a recording, but he loves Gridball and you loved seeing him happy. Looking over at him ready to set your plan into action, first things first get him to go to the kitchen and get “Napkins”. Reaching over to Shane to grab a slice of pizza, you ‘accidentally’ let it fall onto his shorts, you did the laundry anyway so fine with you. “Oop sorry Honey…” grabbing the remote pausing the game and pointing to the kitchen. “I ran out of paper towels but there are napkins in the top drawer, by the sink.” You said trying hard to keep an ‘I sowwy’ puppy face on. “It's alright, I would have done it if you hadn't.” He joked getting up and tossing the lost pizza towards the doggo. A grinch-like smirk crawled onto your face hearing the drawer open. “Baby there's no napkins just… Tickets?” He looked over at you like you had just told him to put shoes on his head. “Really? What kind of tickets~?” You asked letting him see your smirk. “What kind? Uhh” He looked at the tickets moving them a bit to focus his eyes. “They are….There Tunnelers Tickets!?!?” He was looking back and forth from ticket to you, ticket, you, ticket “Hold up this is next month!!?!” Back to you. “Really!! How did those get there!!” Giggles were pouring out of you now. “Why? What did I do?” He asked looking up at you. “One it's your birthday, two you have been a great help on the farm since Joja left.” Shane came back over to you pressing you into the couch and hugging you close and tight. “How did I get so lucky.”

[jechristine]

I’ll get over it eventually, but I just need to be a hater right now and I know I’m being a hater, but I’ll always love the yellow ring lore 🥲

Getting engaged before being separated for months cause of covid, the lying, that snapchat from 2017 of her filming yellow diamonds engagement rings, the yellow Valentino dress, the lying, her wearing it to every press tour, the zoomed up fuzzy cropped pictures of her wearing it, the Bvlgari of it all, the way it looked like the ring she wore to the met gala years ago, the lying, the way she only wore it on her right hand ring finger, all the sun mythology the fandom totally made up, the lying. Obviously I need to accept that maybe I was just in love with a good conspiracy, but this ring has no story… he bought it off a website and proposed at Christmas?!?!??? I’m sorry but that’s sooooooo boring and it’s kinda ugly :(

Haha I like this new ring a lot even though it has no STORY. But I’ll say that I will continue to grasp onto elements of the yellow diamond lore! (✊🏼) I don’t think the engagement just happened even if they are just now telling people outside of their inner circle. I think it’s possible it happened quite a while ago. I still think it’s possible they’re already married. I do think the yellow diamond ring played some role at some time in their relationship.

Call me delusional, I don’t care!

[bluwavez]

˗ ˋ 🌊    ARTIFICAL DRIP    ﹕   THE TENTH MINI ALBUM    !

ARTIFICIAL DRIP is the TENTH mini album by the fictional South Korean boy group DeepDive. The album was released on July 21st, 2024. The release caused quite a stir for their revealing concept teasers and the raunchy track names. With a total of five tracks, DeepDive would promote SERVE IT and POPSICLE for a total of seven weeks. They would have three special stages for the b-side "ILY2BBY".

The mini album is completely self-produced, though the boys admit that most of the songs have been collecting dust in the vault for years. "I made Sloppy in 2018," Dowon told the crowd during their premier showcase, "Its original name was 'That's Right' and the lyrics were about something else. Finn wrote the new lyrics." The crowd would then cheer and hoot loudly for the proactive lyrics, causing Finn to shrug innocently.

"I think we made 'ILY2BBY' in, like, 2016? 2017? It was one of our first songs together," Noah explained with a puzzled look. Finn looked equally confused but nodded along. "We polished it a little for this album, but other than that...We didn't change anything. I'm kind of impressed we made that at such a young age, but at the same time, no shit, we made that as teenagers." While the crowd laughed with Noah, Finn chuckled into his microphone.

TITLE TRACK ... TRACK OO1. SERVE IT

TRACK OO2. POPSICLE

TRACK OO3. SLOPPY

TRACK OO4. ILY2BBY

TRACK OO5. KISS IT BETTER

"It shocked me," Kiwoo laughs, "I didn't think any of these songs would see the light of day. I don't really get in the studio anymore, so it was interesting to see those songs I worked on so long ago on the album."

Sirens were a bit miffed when it was revealed these weren't new songs, claiming that this album was not only exploitive but also a cash grab by Mydol. Despite knowing this was a cash grab by Mydol, Sirens would still stream and mass-buy this mini-album, resulting in 18 million albums sold by the end of their promotional period.

YOU CAN GET YOUR ARTIFICAL DRIP PHOTOCARDS HERE!

OO1. First things first, these men were never fully clothed during the entire promotional period. This era is literally defined by how often either Noah or Dowon's boobs were out, like, they were TESTING the limits of how much they could show on music shows. It was a bit ridiculous but also fitting since this album was literally talking about sucking and fucking on the beach like-

OO2. The outfits often caused a stir just because I mean look at them. For some people, it was a bit; some people used it to point out double standards, and some people just enjoyed the beachy slutness of it all. There was a little something for everyone!

OO3. Kiwoo and Jisung stayed fully clothed the whole time unless it was to wear a crop top😁 The classy men duo!

OO4. There were three music videos released in this era. Serve it, Popsicle, and Sloppy. All of which caused a stir. Sirens and netizens alike were just really shocked at how...raunchy these videos were? Except for Popsicle, which was more focused on performance and a Miami Beach concept, but the other videos? Jesus Christ-

OO5. Notably, in the Serve It music video, cameos from all of the Venus members as well as Siyeon and Laila of Lunarix. Myrah, the iconic former Allume member and soloist, was in the opening sequence. They were stacked in the hot girl department! The girls were just being "beach babes" essentially and the boys were pining over them so there wasn't a lot of contact in the Serve It music video until the end when Dowon "gets the girl" and Baebi kisses his cheek.

OO6. NOW, THE SLOPPY MUSIC VIDEO?? WE GET IT! YALL HAVE SEX! GODDAMN!

OO7. But the boys had fun! You could tell they enjoyed themselves on stage and during filming. The behind-the-scenes content seemed a lot more chill than during Tax Write-Off; tensions were high for some reason during that era, probably because a lot was riding on that comeback, but now they're having fun! They enjoy each other again!

OO8. Serve It would sweep every music show the boys got nominated for. Sirens do not play when it comes to voting, guys! They ended the promotional period with 9 wins across various different music shows. However, they did catch heat for going on The Show and absolutely demolishing the lesser-known groups nominated. They got called greedy, but Mydol is greedy, so...Accurate read!

OO9. The physical albums were quite the hot topic because they did not include the boys on the covers but instead girls. Most notably, Baebi is front and center on the "Bay Watch" Version, which confused a lot of Sirens like...She looks great, but what is she doing here? Jisung would explain that the boys actually took the pictures used on the covers and thought they fit the aesthetic of the album better than any of the photos they took of themselves. "I took the picture of Davina on the Surfs Up version. There were pictures of us on surfboards, but the pictures we took of the girls were just so...Beachy! I think the covers are nice. The girls look beautiful in them. Plus, you still get a whole photobook of us shirtless, so-" He'd then put his hand up in a stopping motion, "Calm down. Buy the albums." This would go to highlight how much creative control and input the boys have in the album-making process.

O10. Though it never got a music video, ILY2BBY got a performance video where the boys did the choreography on the beach. Every track got some kind of promotion besides Kiss It Better which Sirens were very vocal about wanting at least a dance practice but Mydol never released one. So, you know what happened? Siren's leaked it! Real EXO-L style, no one knows how the Noah fansite did it but...She did what she had to do! Great way to end the era!

[roach-works]

Sorry that people are being needlessly mean to you again. I hope things get easier soon! ❤️

man i am feeling old as hell tonight. like. the current crop of self righteous teenagers trying to bust my chops were in fifth grade when the call-outs theyre working off of got written. fifth grade! is this what elves feel like? or dragons? is this how sauron felt when two gay little toddlers wrecked his shit? im too old for this. next year im gonna be in a nursing home and the girl scout volunteer who brings around the therapy dog is gonna hold a pillow over my dessicated mummy face. all like 'this is only somewhat because of a bunch of dead links from 2017. mostly i just really love to kill.'

anyway please jerk off and go to bed in my memory. im too damn old for this. goodnight.

[cactguy]

Cheyenne Botanic Gardens | Cheyenne, Wyoming (6000 ft elevation)

Cheyenne Botanic Gardens sits at the intersection of beauty and climate resilience. With a cold semi-arid climate (USDA Zone 5b), this high plains site faces strong winds, dramatic temperature swings, low precipitation, and a short growing season—making every successful planting feel earned.

Despite these challenges, the gardens span over nine acres with 27+ themed areas, including rose, xeric, wetland, sensory, and perennial gardens. The Grand Conservatory, powered by solar energy, anchors the space with a tropical display, cacti, and seasonal edible crops.

Rock & Crevice Garden

Just outside the conservatory lies one of the garden’s most striking features: the rock and crevice garden. Installed in 2017, it’s a rugged and artistic display of alpine and high-desert plants, artfully tucked into narrow stone fissures and gravel beds.

Here, cushion plants, penstemons, delospermas, and cold-hardy cacti and succulents thrive in a design that mimics the vertical fractures of natural mountainsides. Cheyenne’s intense sun, lean soils, and cool nights make this an ideal climate for rock garden species to shine. It’s living proof that beauty and biodiversity can flourish—even in some of the West’s most unforgiving growing conditions.

[youngfcs]

— Alina Kovalenko | DEVUSHKA S PERSIKAMI gif pack.

By clicking the source link or [ THIS LINK ], you’ll find #292 gifs of Alina Kovalenko (1992) in the show Devushka s Persikami (2017). Alina was born in ukraine and is of ukrainian descent, so please cast accordingly. All made by me from scratch, so please, don’t repost or claim them as your own! You can use them in editions, or crackships, but please credit me (@youngfcs). If using, like or reblog ❗

[ ! ] TW: car accident/running over, wheelchair (after the accident), kissing scenes, food, bruises, hospital, crying/sadness, alcohol, drinking.

[ Don’t include them in any gif hunt, don’t crop these into gif icons without my permission, don’t use them in any smut threads/rps or for taboo roleplays and don’t use to rp the celebrity itself ]

[toasty-owoasty]

oh? you made it! well welcome to

TOASTS TRICK OR TREAT SPECTACULAR!!

[plain text: big, orange text in all caps reading "Toast's Trick or Treat Spectacular" /end]

[id: an image of a front porch at night. on the porch is a chair and drawn to look as if he's sitting in the chair is my sona dressed up as hakuri sazanami from the manga kagurabachi and holding a doctor pepper. on the porch's stairs are three different PNGs of bowls of candy /end id]

come, come, don't be shy! in case you're unfamiliar with the concept, inbox trick or treat is as simple as sending and ask to someone reading "trick or treat" and receiving something in return, usually an image. I have a lot of images though, so I thought I'd cut down and sort out the options into 3 different bowls!

[id: the same image as before, but cropped to only show the candy bowls. in each of the three bowls, there is now the cover and name of an image album which will also be described later in this post, but contain (left to right) gifs, art, and manga screenshots /end]

we've got options! and those options have HUNDREDS of individual pieces in them! so when you're going trick or treating, feel free to grab from any bowl. Hell, I don't expect much action here, so feel free to pick multiple pieces from multiple bowls! (I will set a per-person limit of five though.) for instance, ask for two screenshots, two arts, and a gif and I'll roll a random number generator for each pull, then give you the images corresponding to what the RNG spits out! or, if you're feeling particular, you can choose which piece you pull! each bowl has a set number of pieces, so you can fully skip the RNG! just so you know, smaller numbers will be older and bigger numbers will be more recent ;3 pay attention to the item count in the bowl descriptions below, that tells you how high you can go when picking. I plan to run this from now until Halloween, but really it'll keep going til I stop getting trick or treaters! have fun out there nyall!! bowl descriptions are under the cut <3

Gif Bowl:

[plain text: big-ish green text reading "gif bowl" /end]

a collection of gifs I've saved over the years! at their earliest there are some from (shudders) 2017 though admittedly I'm not entirely sure if those ones still work. 285 items.

Art Bowl:

[plain: big-ish purple text reading "art bowl" /end]

this bowl contains... well not all, but MOST of the art I've ever made! from 1st grade art projects, to middle school ship art, to my more modern stuff! this is your chance to make me post it all. 493 items.

Manga Screenshot Bowl:

[plain: big-ish orange text reading "manga Screenshot bowl"]

when I read manga, I tend to read things my friends have read, and I always want to live blog to them. and if I'm reading something where I *don't* have friends that have read it, I still get the urge! this bowl contains the aftermath of those incidents, and includes screenshots from Pokemon adventures, one piece, jujutsu kaisen, golden kamuy, dungeon meshi, and others! 499 items.

[nihil10]

• Rating RE characters’ designs •

Rebecca Chambers

Desclaimer: these are my personal opinions based on how much I like the face model/outfit

——————————————————————————

Resident Evil 1996

6/10 I love the anime style of the first RE but Rebecca’s first design is lacking compared to others. Not a fan of her shoes, it’s giving Ronald McDonald- and why are her gloves green?

Resident Evil Remastered (2002)

9/10 Super cute! Really solid design overall. Her uniform looks much better than in the og.

Resident Evil 0 (2002)

8/10 While her outfit is the exact same, they changed her face, and I don’t get why. She doesn’t look bad, but there’s just something off about her. Her hair looks weird too.

Resident Evil 0 HD Wesker mode (2015)

8 maybe 8.5/10 This mode is so random but I’m vibing. Love the red eyes, but not so much the bangs. It’s not as good as Jill’s battlesuit design but the thigh-high latex socks are a nice touch. I don’t really understand how her P30 device is over her clothes, seems impractical, and possibly painful.

RE 0 Alternative costumes: Classic, STARS 1997, Sportswear, Cheerleader, Western

Classic 6/10 Once again, not a big fan.

STARS 1997 6/10 I don’t really get it. The layered shorts are more Claire’s thing imo.

Sportswear 7.5/10 The infamous basketball outfit that tainted Wesker’s reputation (jk). It’s very simple, there’s not much going for it, but I think it suits her character a lot and she looks good in it.

Cheerleader 7+/10 It’s just your standard cheerleader crop top and miniskirt combo. She’s cute though.

Western 8.5/10 Surely one of her best costumes. I really like the shorts, she looks good!

RE 0 Alternative costumes: Leather, Nurse, STARS Prototype

Leather 10/10 She’s serving cunt. Everything about this is great, I love it so much. Low waisted leather pants with the layered belts? Hell yeah. It’s not something you’d expect for Rebecca but it works so well.

Nurse 7/10 This is nice, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t know how I feel about it.

STARS Prototype 8.5 maybe 9/10 I love the white beret and the shoulder pads.

Resident Evil Vendetta (2017)

7.5/10 Can we please give Rebecca ankle length pants for once? It’s not even that bad, but it’s just so lazy. Really like the face model though, perhaps her best.

10/10 Now this is a whole different story. Amazing. I love the lace, the long sleeves- such a beautiful dress, and she wears it very nicely too.

Resident Evil Death Island (2023)

6+/10 Don’t get me wrong, she’s pretty, but her hair is so big it makes her look disproportionate. At least for once they put her in a black vest instead of a white one. Not a fan of this shade of green either. Overall, it’s okay, but there’re better versions.