#the correct answer is summer. btw

[neenarchive]

Hello everyone, I have been speaking with Nader and I am sharing his family's campaign with you.

Nader and his family have been displaced nine times and continue to flee the war. They have lost their homes and many loved ones along the way and are currently facing shortages of food and water, causing Nader’s little 1 year old niece Iman to suffer from malnutrition. Nader's father is also ill and has surgery in two days; the funds that you donate will also help to pay for his treatment and medicine.

The campaign is vetted here. It is number 4 on the list.

I have donated and I am reaching out to you to donate what you can. At the time of me sharing this, the total donations are at €48,068 which is almost halfway to their current goal. Even if you’re not in the position to donate right now, please help spread the word by sharing this. I am tagging some users below for reach

@darthteeth @anneemay @vampiricvenus @vympr @shesnake @onedollopofsourcream @chexcastro @mossbawn @sonata-stigmata @ohevoyev @wellwaterhysteria @annevbonny @deadhamlets @ihatelestat @honeyglazedbabe

[mothpawbs]

you get a bag of these bad boys

reblog for bigger sample size etc etc

[kabr0ztrousers]

I saw your challenge on your latest work (amazing btw) and I have the answer if the bounty is still active. Clan Hecata, formally Clan Giovanni, formerly Clan Cappadocian. Exact bloodline is more unknown since there're 4 Italian bloodlines, and you can only knock out one maybe (Not all Cappadocians wear masks).

As for my request, moving away from Kindred let's go with werewolves (or Garou if you want to stay in the World of Darkness).

Specifically a werewolf's first heat with a girlfriend/wife who is very willing to help her poor puppy out. Breeding/primal play would be appreciated but not necessary as long as there's a lot of fluff

Kabr0z Writes episode 55: Young Lovers

Find the rest of the Kabr0z Writes anthology here!

CWs: Academia mention; receiving cunnilingus and giving fellatio; contraceptive failure; implied impregnation; heat/rut cycles; knotting; enthusiastic consent

A/N: This fine fellow wound up going 3 for 3 on vampire clans, which is gratifying that people like my stuff enough to engage in the little contest! Thankfully they got the answer for episode 40 in another guess, so if you can get a correct guess (and request) in before I post it tomorrow, you'll get to skip the queue as well!

If you don't want to make a guess, you can still request near enough anything, but you might as well take a stab, that queue is getting long 😅

###################################

The July air was hot and dry. The start of a heatwave bearing down on you as you queued for your A-level results. You'd already seen you got into your reserve choice of university, even if your first choice rejected you. Not ideal, but not terrible. You weren't going until September either way, you had all summer to spend with Hugo.

You left the college, Hugo was waiting for you on the quad. As usual, he was laying shirtless on the ground, eyes closed and tail gently swishing. You used the bustle of the crowd outside the building to reach him undetected, before burying both hands into the fur of his belly. His foot started drumming on the ground as he opened his eyes and looked at you "Did well, have you?"

You laughed and let him kiss you, his arms wrapping around you, yours buried in the fur of his bare back. "I didn't get Birmingham, but Bangor said yes"

He shrugged, taking your hands in his as you released each other "Good thing I have wheels now, huh, I bet it's a nightmare to get to by train"

"Yeah" you leant on him "But that's months away, term starts at the end of September"

He pulled you into another hug "You know I don't like being apart from you. Maybe Bangor could use another mechanic"

You smiled. Given half the chance, you knew he'd move to the middle of nowhere to be with you. "Maybe, but for now let's just go home, I'm hungry"

You went back to his car, then back to your terraced house, empty but for you two. You sat on the sofa, cuddling in front of the TV. He always looked so... Statuesque. Amber eyes sparkling from his black-furred face. His fur was so thick you could bury your hands up to the wrist in it, and even when you did and his tongue came lolling out as you rubbed him he was still the most handsome man you'd ever seen. Sure, your parents were a little surprised at you falling for a lupine, but once they'd satisfied themselves that it wasn't just you lusting after a knotting, they were very welcoming to him. They sure hadn't bought any of your exes Christmas presents, but he sure managed to get one.

You smelled the air, something was funky. Not bad, but it caught your attention. A warm smell that made your mouth water. You felt hungry, but didn't want to eat

"Is it me or is it hot in here?" Hugo broke the comfortable silence

"A little, you want to open a window?"

He got up. As he moved the smell got more intense. Your chest felt tight, you couldn't tear your eyes away from his ass as he walked from the couch to the window. When he turned back, oh god when he turned back, your gaze was fixed on the bulge in the front of his jeans.

He sat back down next to you, putting an arm around you as he turned his attention back to the TV. You grabbed his muzzle, turning his head towards you as you kissed him.

He was panting. You didn't notice before, but his breath was heavy and laboured.

"You feeling it too?" One hand was on his face, the other fumbling with his fly

"Yeah... Can you smell it?" He had a hand on your thigh already

"Finally getting your rut?" You'd learned about this in sex ed, apparently it means you're probably ovulating. You remembered your teachers saying you need to be extra careful during a rut cycle... Lucky you know where Hugo keeps a condom. You pulled the wallet out of his jeans, extracting the wrapped prophylactic "Wanna do something about it?"

He tossed you onto your back. One hand shot up your sundress.

"No underwear? What a slut"

You giggled, holding his arm, keeping that paw on your pussy "A girl can hope" you weren't going to admit you'd been using a period tracker and planned ahead. At least, not until later.

His face was under your skirt next. Lupine tongues are so wide and rough in all the right ways.

He'd barely started on you before you were a whining mess, legs wrapped around his head, your cunt leaking all over the tongue working so hard to make you ready for him.

"You like that?"

"Yeah" you squeaked

"Gonna cum for me?"

"Yeah" you were

"Cum for me"

You did. Your hands joined your ankles holding that muzzle to your cunt. You felt his sharp teeth around your crotch as his tongue pressed against you, almost enough to penetrate.

The orgasm died down. You knew he was ready for you, but you wanted to taste him first.

He'd already wriggled out of his jeans. The musky smell got stronger as you tugged down his boxers, revealing the sheath. The end of his cock was peeking out, slick with precum already. You licked it, smiling as he groaned. His pre tasted so good, sweet and sticky like honey. You eased the sheath down, taking more of the shaft in your mouth. Your heart fluttered as it pulsed, sending jets of hot liquid onto your tongue.

You'd always wanted to try this. You opened the condom, putting it into your mouth. Carefully, you pinched the bubble at the end with your tongue. The bobbing of your head rolled it down his cock, coating it in protective latex. His knot wasn't inflated yet, but you knew where it would be, you knew his cock well enough by now.

You lay back on the couch, your legs open and skirt pulled up for him. You could feel yourself dripping on your dress, your cunt leaking wetness, so eager to take him.

He slid in, the lubrication on the condom adding to the spit and wetness between your legs. He filled you perfectly. You remember when he was too big for you, having to be careful and not bottom out, but you've been together for months now, and it never hurt any more. You lay there, arms around his muscular neck as he rapidly fucked into you. The force of his thrusts and the speed with which he gave them made your eyes cross. You couldn't speak but to urge him on, begging for his knot.

The fur rubbing against your clit brought you to your next release. You screwed your eyes shut and let your moans of pleasure out, pleading with your lover to just get you pregnant already.

He buried himself in you. His knot starting to inflate. You felt him twitching and pulsing. Warmth was spreading inside you, filling you up. Somewhere in the back of your mind you knew: the condom had broken.

It was much too late to worry about that now. Pump after pump, barely adult werewolf seed was getting into every crevice of you. The scent of his fur, that intoxicating musk, your head was emptying as your womb filled. His snarls and growls filling your head as he let his instincts take over. You held him down, close to you. He licked your face, a dopey look coming over him when you tensed your cunt around his sensitive knotty cock.

You pulled him towards you "I wonder if you've knocked me up"

"Would that be so bad?" He growled next to your ear

You stroked the fur of his head, scratching behind one pointed ear "No, no it wouldn't"

####################################

Hope you liked it, Hekate Anon!

I know I didn't go for a Garou, but fluffy cuddle-fucking doesn't really vibe with a ball of unstoppable rage, teeth and fur the size and speed of a Honda civic.

Not that fucking an unstoppable ball of fur, teeth and rage isn't now on the list of things to write about. Damn, I need to read Werewolf 20th ed

Tomorrow's episode is the winning guess for episode 40, though correct guesses will still get priority on the queue until it's published, so get them in 😁

PPS: for my American readers, the reader would be about 18 on A-level results day as long as she wasn't one of the youngest of her academic year.

[sidestepsam]

For all intents and purposes, I consider them highschool sweethearts. People like to fret about convoluted timelines and “fwb” or “situationship” and I really think sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one. Obviously I’m sure it wasn’t a completely smooth ride from 2017 to now. But when you’re in high school and you like someone in the way that they did, you date 🤷‍♀️ (I’m thinking of P’s tt from this summer w/the snaps she sent to her crush, which were from 2017 btw)

Girls can get away with soooo much under the guise of bffs. It was honestly probably pretty fun for them 😭 Though I do believe a lot of the girls from team USA knew because in hindsight they were NOT subtle.

I also think about how they and their families kind of moved mountains to make sure they saw each other regularly when they lived several states apart for the first 3 years of knowing each other. And the fact that their families became so entwined so early on as well.

But yeah…who knows? Maybe they’ll tell us one day.

Oh, and I agree with you by now certainly everyone even a little important in their lives definitely know, how can they not. I think the only thing preventing them from being more explicit about their relationship is that they’re currently on the same college team. And that would give media a green light to talk about them in that way during the season which I think would be a nightmare on top of everything else. So…we’ll see what happens when the season’s over.

Anon you have a way with words 🥰

I agree! Like I said in my Pazzi moments post, I think their families is the most telling “evidence” because although bffs can become close with family, what they have and have had is just a different level.

Go gays! 😄

[jommycham]

Spirit Hunter NG Radio Drama Bonus CD [Ultra Rough Translation]

[Spirit Doctor Yashiki Kazuo's Consultation Room]

An honest attempt at a translation of the bonus drama CD that came with the purchase of NG: Extreme Kaidanchi. Beware of some minor spoilers if you have not played through all the Spirit Hunter games.

Note: Only did this for fun, and I am not fluent in Japanese, so inaccuracies are expected.

Disclaimers:

This bonus CD is an edited version of Yashiki's Consultation Room that was originally broadcasted on the EXP channel. Some questions sent in by viewers have been altered. What occurs in the Consultation Room should be treated as a parallel universe to the main storyline— therefore all comments made in these sessions are NOT canon.

(btw, Yashiki's title here is "Kai Ika" (怪医家)— or literally "Strange Doctor," which is probably where the "Spirit Doctor" came from.)

✄--------------------------------------------

I did my best with my (admittedly) shoddy translation, and cleaned it up a bit to have it sound more coherent. Again, I do not speak or understand much Japanese, so despite my best attempts, portions can be wrong (though most of it should be reasonably correct). I will highlight those unsure sections accordingly. There are also very small parts I've omitted, either due to it being too difficult to understand (for me) or to smooth the flow of the translation. 🙇‍♀️Thank you very much for your understanding and putting up with my impulsive DM brain rot.

-----------------------------------------------

This CD features Yashiki and Mashita answering the audience's concerns/worries. Yashiki receives these burning questions through occult magazines. This time, however, Yashiki specifically calls Mashita in due to a request from OOPArts, much to Mashita's chagrin.

☕︎ Late for School Reader: This question is basically taken from EXP 4th Season #3 Voice Drama (where it's Yashiki, Moe, and Mashita) regarding the viewer who couldn't get up early.

Yashiki: Moe has answered this before, and I suggest rather than buying a cat, to take supplements, don't accumulate stress, go to bed early, get plenty of sleep, and have yourself plenty of coffee and sugar as soon as you wake up.

Mashita: Well, I guess that's the sort of advice you'd give. At my previous job, I'd take a shower or wash my face with cold water.

Yashiki: Even if someone else wakes me up, I still have to put in majority of the effort through the rest of the process.

➥The answers to this question are a lot more fleshed out in the actual livestream VD, such as the cat thing, the supplements being part of Mashita's answer, and Saya mention for the "someone else."

☕︎ Bug Hater Reader: Also a question taken from the above mentioned Voice Drama about a reader asking about how to handle cleaning the house while bugs are roaming during the summer.

Mashita: You're the type of person who doesn't hesitate to pick things up and put it in your bag. You (the reader) can also try hiring someone or contacting a cleaning company.

[Yashiki is concerned that Mashita also doesn't really like touching gross things and asks if he's okay.]

[Mashita explains that both of them are basically in the same line of work, so it's not like he hesitates either to touch things.]

Yashiki: That's true.

☕︎ Summer vacation is almost over, but my eldest daughter hasn't finished her homework. What should I do, Mr. Yashiki? What did you do with your homework during summer vacation?

Yashiki: The Kujo Family already finished their homework early into summer vacation. How about you, Mashita?

Mashita: Well, it's kind of a hassle, so I tried to finish it early. But I always remember not being able to finish my literature essay/book review until the last moment. It was the only part I didn't fully understand.

*TERROR SOUND EFFECT*

Yashiki: I loved reading books and I don't remember having difficulties with them. Shou doesn't do his in the first place. Moe and Tsukasa seem to be the types who get it done first thing. Suzu seems like she'd get it done unexpectedly early. Eita probably does it early, too. Ai seems the type to get it done and put the rest of her energy into her hobbies.

Mashita: If your parents are willing to help you, it might not be a bad idea to plan your hobbies and leisure activities for the latter half of your summer vacation and finish the homework by then.

Yashiki: And if you don't finish your homework...

*dramatic sound effect*

Yashiki: ... you'll die at dawn. Well, if you can imagine a curse like that/wouldn't be surprising if there was a curse like that.

Mashita: Tch, I wouldn't want that.

➥ The term Mashita uses here is "Dokusho Kanshoubun," and I am not familiar with the specifics of what summer homework consists of, so the closest thing I went with was a book review of sorts.

➥ I got kind of lost on his descriptions, so I honestly wasn't sure who was being described, so the details may be mixed up.

☕︎ I'm waking up in the middle of the night with the need to go to the bathroom. But there are times where I get scared and don't want to go. What should I do in times like these? If you have any tips or advice, please let me know!

Yashiki: Actually, come to think of it...

Mashita: Wait. Just turn on the lights, that's the answer.

Yashiki: What's the hurry, Mashita? I was just trying to...

Mashita: I'm trying to keep you from making an ill-advised comment.

Yashiki: Was it going to be that terrible?

Mashita: No doubt. With this, we're done with the question.

Mashita: Tch, who was the one who chose this question? Maybe they were half-asleep at the time. Well, off to the next one.

➥ I could not tell if Yashiki was asking if his answer was going to be that awful or he was saying "that's terrible (coming from Mashita)." I went with the former to be safe.

☕︎ One afternoon, I was taking the bus to the hospital, and the bus stopped at a bus stop. It was on a main street with only cars and a few pedestrians passing by, making it look quite deserted. The bus driver opened the doors and stared outside. I watched from the back seat as the driver repeatedly, with an impatient tone, asked someone if they were getting on or not. The driver gave up on asking and started driving off. As the bus drove away, I kept looking outside, but didn't see anyone at the bus stop or on the sidewalk of the main street. I wondered who the driver was talking to, or if he had talked to anyone in the first place.

I suddenly remembered this recently— what exactly happened, and how would you interpret it, Mr. Yashiki?

There's a section where Mashita goes into a short explanation in regards to this particular question. I am not sure if he is talking about the reader's question or their reply— but basically either this question has been submitted before (didn't make it into the actual Consultation segment) or it has been replied to, but the reply was not published. Therefore, the editorial department has requested this question be submitted/replied to again.

Yashiki: I remember this question. My original reply was that since it was the driver's actions, it's technically not a paranormal phenomenon.

Mashita: Well, if we can't be sure, we still need to interpret it from that angle (?). What do you think about the situation?

Yashiki: I think it might be someone from the future who came to your rescue, and thanks to them delaying the bus' departure, a major accident was avoided.

Mashita: You're still naive as ever, but worse. No matter who that person was, in the end, you're the one who created that anxiety. You shouldn't willingly go with their plans.

Yashiki: By interpreting the situation in a way that doesn't make me anxious, it allows me to avoid getting swallowed up by fear.

➥ The specific phrase Mashita uses is "お花畑," or "ohanabatake," which means a field of flowers. It seems to be used to describe someone who is carefree or blind.

➥ The answer sort of starts leaning into the more philosophical side towards the end? At least on the basis where my interpretation of "that person" is the imagined time traveler of Yashiki's explanation. If not, I'm terribly sorry.

☕︎ At my previous workplace, there was a tree (?) that always made a ringing noise at night. It was close to a residential area, with an apartment building and a small community center in its parking lot. For some reason, it doesn't bother me on my way to work, and I only hear it on the way home. It also doesn't bother me during early shifts, so I assume the noise only occurs at night. The sound is different every time, ranging from the metallic sound like that of gold or a sandstorm. On bad days the ringing in my ears causes headaches and anemia. I had heard from a friend that the place was haunted/visited by spirits; so I started wondering if it was a paranormal experience.

Yashiki: I answered this question at the time it was originally submitted, but it remains the same. I can't deny the possibility [of it being a paranormal event]. I'm pretty sure the advice given to you was to sing a song. There's also the option of keeping an omamori and listening to your favorite music through earphones. I don't know how effective it is, but as I have said previously— try to avoid feeling anxious as much as possible.

☕︎ I'm an idol who loves the occult, and I love reading about them. I want to consult Mr. Yashiki, as there have been many instances of paranormal sightings in H City. There are also rumors of new sightings circulating on message boards as of late. I'm a bit nervous about investigating it by myself, so can you please help me out? I wonder if the rumors are true or not...

Yashiki: I don't recommend investigating it, because there's a chance you could die.

Mashita: But I guess they can't just leave it be.

Yashiki: This is a difficult question...

Mashita: In any case, I would like to have some more information so I can do some research on this.

Yashiki: I'm sorry, but I'd appreciate it if you could send what you know to the editorial department. I recommend you never investigate matters like these alone.

Afterword

Yashiki: Alright.

Mashita: I think this is enough, about 10 minutes.

Yashiki: I’ll hand the audio recording to Moe later today.

Mashita: I'll leave it to you.

Yashiki: I hope this helps someone with their troubles.

Mashita: Perhaps.

Yashiki: Will you be willing to help out next time?

[Pause]

Mashita: ... Tch. Hm.

Yashiki: Please look after me./Thank you in advance.

➥ The phrase is "yoroshiku tanomu yo," which I've seen can be translated into "please look after —" or just used generally for requesting a favor. I was debating using "I'm counting on you" since it sort of made better sense in this context, but Yashiki ended it with "よ" which is much more casual/polite than "ぜ." I ended up opting for a more... gentler way of phrasing this? I genuinely didn’t know how to write it in a way that conveys how he spoke other than this ( ´_ゝ`).

Spirit Doctor Yashiki's Consultation Room: In addition to our regular consultations, we are also accepting everyday troubles. Please contact us here.

Thank you very much for sticking til the end here. ヾ(´ー`)ﾉ゛ I've been going through some pretty severe rot and this helped to alleviate it somewhat (despite how piss poor my efforts are). It's interesting to see different sides to characters even if it's not entirely canon.

As a lil bonus, I want to show those of you who haven't watched Nezuka Ryo's voice over for the entirety of DM1— Kawabata Yoshiaki's (Mashita's VA) introduction! The gap is... actually really cute in a way???

[burningfairytales]

...Trick or treat?

*shows up 16 days late, with Starbucks*

Okay, so this is both for you, and also for @vierann who powered through her philosophy presentation and I promised I would finish that Komi drabble as a reward.

(I blame you entirely for making me ship Komi/Saru btw.)

*🏐🏐🏐🏐*🏐🏐🏐🏐*🏐🏐🏐🏐*🏐🏐🏐🏐*🏐🏐🏐🏐*

It probably goes without saying, but Komi kind of adores Bokuto. 

That guy doesn’t have an evil bone in his body. He’s fun to be around. In fact, he’s kind of a sweetheart, really - like an oversized puppy. An owl-puppy. 

Komi snorts at the thought.

“And then, I told Akaashi- hey, Komi, you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry.” Komi grins up at him. It’s easy to smile when Bokuto’s around. “I just had a funny thought.”

“Oh! Yeah, I get it, I have those all the time! So anyway, I was telling Akaashi-”

Bokuto latches into a story of their first year summer camp, which Akaashi wouldn’t have been to because he wasn’t in High School yet, but Komi was, and Komi was there for that incident, so he doesn’t really know why Bokuto is telling it to him again, but he indulges him anyway and nods along.

(Point is, Komi was there, and Komi knows what parts are accurate and what parts Bokuto likes to edit or gloss over. Either way, Bokuto tells his stories in a way that is entirely in his favour and neither Komi nor Saru nor Washio ever correct him on it. 

Konoha does, sometimes, because Konoha likes teasing Bokuto far too much, and sometimes he can be a bit of a dick about it, but it’s never malicious, so it’s whatever. Komi likes Konoha, and he likes Bokuto, and he knows that deep down, the two of them are friends, so he’s not getting involved.)

So he lets Bokuto tell his stories his way, which isn’t always entirely accurate, even if Komi doesn’t know why he does it. For Akaashi’s sake probably.

Because, in a way, there’s something warm about how freely Bokuto spins his stories for him. Something deeper in the way Bokuto smiles when Akaashi’s name comes up.

Really, Akaashi is sort of the answer to all of Bokuto’s strange behaviour, these days. 

(But when Komi thinks about it, Akaashi’s kind of the answer to all of Bokuto’s good behaviour as well. Like how he doesn’t disappear into his own head as much as he used to, and how his hands don’t shake when he messes up anymore, which they did all the time, in their first year.)

So - Komi doesn’t have it all figured out yet, but Akaashi seems to be the answer. He just isn’t sure what the question is yet.

***

He asks Saru about it, once, during their history class. Leans to the side and pokes his upper arm with a pencil when their teacher isn’t looking. It’s just curiosity. He just wants to understand.

“Hey, Saru.”

“Hm?” Saru glances over his shoulder. Komi catches a glimpse of little doodles on his notebook: swirls cover the corner of the page, and a little volleyball is drawn at the bottom. He doesn’t mean to stare, but frankly, it’s all kinds of adorable, and his thoughts start to run away with him.

“D’you know how Bokuto sometimes tells stories about our first year?”

“You mean to Akaashi?”

Komi nods. There’s something about the way Saru listens that makes him feel, well - heard. It’s different than the others.“But like. We were there. So. He knows we know it’s not always accurate, yeah? Why do you think he’s lying?”

Saru doesn’t look up from his notebook, but his voice is calm, patient - like he’s giving Komi the time he needs to figure things out himself. “I think calling it ‘lying’ is a bit too much, Komi-yan. He just likes to embellish.”

Komi’s fingers tap the edge of his pencil, trying to think. “Yeah, okay, sure. So he embellishes. But he knows we know it’s not entirely accurate.”

“You know - I sometimes think Akaashi knows, too.”

“So why-” Komi’s brow furrows.

But before he can respond, Saru gives him a slow, soft smile – in the strangest way, it makes Komi think a little of the way the sun feels when it breaks through clouds after a long rain. He loses his train of thought.

“It can’t be helped, can it?” Saru says. “That’s just how these things are.”

That doesn’t really answer anything at all, but before he can ask for clarification, their teacher shushes them with a glare.

***

“Hey, hey, Komi!” Bokuto shouts from the school gate when he sees him that morning. “Komi, hey!”

Komi grins and waves. “Good morning, Bokuto! You’re cheerful today.”

“I’m cheerful always,” Bokuto replies. “And also I have something for you!”

Glancing at Akaashi waiting at his side, he frowns, opening his mouth and closing it again, and Akaashi holds up a hand in surrender. “As long as no one is about to get hurt, I don’t want to know.”

“Sorry, ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto says, frown deepening. “I really wanna tell you, I just-”

“Please don’t worry, Bokuto-san, I’m not upset. I will wait for you two at the gym.”

He touches Bokuto's arm, his fingers lingering perhaps a moment too long for it to be completely casual - or maybe that's just Komi's imagination. Then he nods at Komi and turns to head towards the gymnasium.

Bokuto stares after him, and that puppy imagery pops back into Komi’s mind. A sad puppy, who’s about to be left alone for the first time. Or a puppy being denied treats. 

The joke's really not as funny this time.

“What’s up, Bokuto?”

“Ah!” As if suddenly remembering that Komi is standing next to him, Bokuto turns and digs around his bag for something, until he finally pulls out a magazine. “I saw this at the convenience store this morning. Check it out!”

He flips through the pages until he finds what he’s looking for and then shoves the magazine into Komi’s hands. It’s an article about a TV show; they’ve just announced the second season, it says, and they still have a few roles that need to be filled.

Komi looks up at Bokuto.

“It’s open casting!” Bokuto declares proudly. “Anyone can go. You don’t need to be a professional actor or anything - it says that in the ad.”

“And you thought of me?” 

“Well, yeah!” Bokuto nods. “You told me once you wanted to be an actor, and I thought this could be a really cool opportunity?”

“And you didn’t want to tell Akaashi about it? I thought you told him everything. Twice, probably.” 

“I really wanted to!” Bokuto shakes his head. “I do, and it’s like, super hard to keep stuff from him, but this isn’t my thing, it’s yours. And you told me you wanted to be an actor in private, and I thought maybe you don’t want people to know, and. Yeah. So I didn’t tell him.”

If anyone were to accuse Komi of being slightly awed in that moment, well, he probably wouldn’t be able to deny it.

“Hey, big guy,” he says. “Thank you.”

“It’s this Saturday.” Bokuto points at the date printed on the page. “I’ll go with you if you don’t wanna go alone!”

“Yeah. You know what, that would be really nice.” Komi nods. “And you can tell Akaashi, if you want. I don’t mind.”

“Really?” Bokuto’s grin reaches from ear to ear. “You’re the best, Komi!”

“Yeah.” Komi laughs. “Of course, I am.”

He really kind of adores Bokuto. 

***

The waiting area they’re directed to is crowded; teenagers sit on the floor or walk up and down along the wall rehearsing their lines. 

Komi’s nerves are already starting to buzz in his chest, and he glances over at Bokuto, who is excitedly chattering about which roles he thinks Komi would be best for, which, honestly, kind of works to distract him from the fear of completely messing this up.

He’s always been that way, Bokuto. Cheering for people. 

Komi remembers that day in their first year, when he had been struggling to keep up, and he’d hung back after practice, exhausted and trying to shake off the frustration gnawing at him. How Bokuto had grinned at him, clapped his back, and told him he’d been playing great; his voice full of enthusiasm that Komi certainly hadn’t felt himself.

"Everyone’s got off days, right? But I saw you hustle out there. You really had our backs.”

Bokuto hadn’t just tried to be friendly. He’d noticed Komi’s struggling, understood, and chose to lift him up. In that moment, Komi had realised that Bokuto wasn’t just some overly energetic teammate - despite his loudness and his mood-swings, Bokuto was a good friend, too. 

And it occurs to him again, seeing him here - unfailingly supportive, even for something Bokuto probably doesn’t care about - that they’re all very lucky.

They call his name, and Komi gets up. Bokuto throws him an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “You’ll be great, Komi!” And, with an encouraging grin, he adds, “Just think of it as a volleyball match!”

***

Unfortunately, Komi isn’t great. 

In fact, he wishes it had been a volleyball match, because at least, he knows he’s good at volleyball.

Slouching into the bus seat beside Bokuto, he stares blankly at his feet, his hands jammed into his pockets. 

"So, uh…" Bokuto begins, a bit hesitantly. “How was it?”

Komi lets out a frustrated sigh. "It was horrible. I think they knew I wasn’t what they wanted as soon as I walked in." He runs a hand over his face. “I mean, I froze. I forgot my lines. It was a mess.”

Bokuto winces, but then he perks up, clapping a hand on Komi’s shoulder. 

“Hey, Komi, first times are always tough! It’s like your first volleyball game! if you’d stopped after one bad match, we never would’ve become the team we are today, right?”

Komi huffs, but a small smile sneaks through. 

“Not the same thing, Bo. It’s not like volleyball. It’s like - you’re supposed to deliver right away, no warm-up, no second tries.”

Bokuto leans back, thinking for a second, then he grins. “Still, you went out there! That’s already huge. I mean, most people wouldn’t even try! And besides, we’re just getting started. They’ll probably call you back next time!”

Komi lets out a weak laugh, shaking his head. “You don’t know that.”

“But I do!” Bokuto insists stubbornly, “You’ve got what it takes because you care. And I bet next time, they’ll see that, too. We’re not giving up.”

Komi glances over at Bokuto, who’s still beaming encouragement at him, eyes warm and honest.

("We’re not giving up.”

We.)

“Thanks, Bokuto,” he says, a bit of the disappointment lifting. 

***

They stop for ice cream on the way home, and Bokuto talks about his after practice session with Akaashi. His perfect sets (“I’m telling you, his tosses are the best!”), and his hair (“Did you ever notice how soft it looks, Komi? Do you think it feels as soft as it looks?”)

“Mh.” Komi says. Somehow, his thoughts drift to Saru, of doodled swirls in the corner of a page that look suspiciously like volleyballs. Of his Saru's fluffy hair, and his ever-patient smile.

He’s not sure what does it exactly - the ice cream, or the talking, or thoughts about his favourite wing spiker (sorry, Bo!) - but somehow, it still helps. By the time he heads home, he feels a lot better.

***

The Monday morning sunlight spills through the windows of the third-year hallway, warm and soft, but Komi feels a little heavy. 

He thought he’d processed it, the mess that was his first audition, but knowing that the others are surely going to ask about it today makes something uncomfortable settle in his gut. 

His mind keeps replaying the moment he forgot his lines, his nervousness tangling up his thoughts. The director’s polite but disappointed look… Komi isn’t really looking forward to talking about any of that. Not to any of them, but especially not to-

“Komi-yan!” Saru is already seated at his desk as he walks into his classroom, casually flipping through his notes. “Good morning.”

When their eyes meet, Saru greets him with that usual easygoing smile, but today there’s a curious gleam in his eyes. 

“Ah, Saru. Uh. Morning.”

Saru, sensing Komi’s pause, offers a soft, reassuring smile. "So, how’d it go?" His voice is warm, casual, but there’s a note of genuine care in it, a kind of open curiosity that makes Komi’s heart flutter a little.

For a moment, his mind races. He doesn’t want to disappoint Saru - doesn’t want him to think he’s incompetent or lacking. At least with volleyball, he knows he’s got their backs. He knows they know they can rely on him. 

He knows Saru knows that. It’s stupid, but he doesn’t want him to think less of him for not doing well. He wants to be someone Saru can admire, someone who doesn’t fail. 

So Komi smiles, though it feels a little strained around the edges. He drops down in his seat, trying to find the right words. "Ah, well. I don’t think I was what they were looking for," he says, leaning back a little as he shrugs nonchalantly. "You know how it is. Sometimes, it’s just not the right fit."

He doesn’t mention forgetting his lines. He doesn’t mention the awkward silence that followed. It’s not a complete lie - they certainly weren’t looking for a nervous wreck. Still, he can’t look Saru in the eye as he says it, his words stilted and awkward, because they sting.

(“I think calling it ‘lying’ is a bit too much, Komi-yan. He just likes to embellish.”)

Saru nods thoughtfully as he draws small, absent circles on his notebook. “Ah, I see,” he says, and there’s something in his eyes when he smiles - like he knows that it’s not the whole truth, but he isn’t going to push. "It’s okay, Komi-yan. First auditions are tough. You’ll do better next time. I’m sure of it."

His smile is kind, and the words are so patient that it makes Komi feel like a bit of an ass.

(“You know - I sometimes think Akaashi knows, too.”)

And then it hits him - like a lightbulb clicking on in his brain. 

He understands, finally, why Bokuto does what he does - why he embellishes his stories to Akaashi, why he spins them in a way that makes him seem braver, more accomplished, more successful than he might have been in the moment. 

He’s not trying to deceive or fool anyone - not really. Bokuto isn’t that kind of person.

It’s because no one wants the person they like to see them fail. For them, you want to be better, to be someone worth looking up to. To be someone they can admire.

Bokuto wants to be someone Akaashi can be proud of, which is funny, because Akaashi, more than anyone, is painfully aware of every single one of Bokuto’s flaws. In fact, Komi is pretty sure the guy keeps a list somewhere. 

But Akaashi, despite - or maybe because of - those flaws is also the proudest out of all of them of Bokuto.

Komi gets it now. He kind of did the same thing - he wants to be that for Saru, even if it means hiding the fact that he didn’t do well at the audition. Even if it means pretending, just for a little while, that everything went perfectly.

But maybe it’s okay if they didn’t. Maybe it’s okay if Saru sees the parts of him that aren’t perfect, because Saru’s not expecting him to be flawless. Saru just wants to see him try, just wants to see him keep going.

Komi smiles, feeling a little lighter now, as he looks back up at Saru. "Yeah, next time, I’ll do better,” he says. “Thanks, Saru.” 

Saru gives him a small, knowing smile. He reaches across the desk, lays his hand on top of Komi’s, and squeezes gently.

And sure, the pain of his failure still lingers - but it doesn’t feel as heavy now. The weight and warmth of Saru's hand on his feels like an anchor, and Komi realises that maybe, just maybe, trying can sometimes be enough.

[haliotropes]

quam amiterre ludum (losing the game) James Moriarty x OC

Chapter One: losing the game

Description: "To begin it plainly, she had loved him." This is what Anora chooses to believe, true or no, after the events at the Falls of the Reichenbach. It begins with her covertly taking her recently deceased brother's place at university and meeting Professor James Moriarty. It shifts into a web of illicit acts, crimes, and a game of shadows. How it all ends remains to be seen.

Fic rating: M | Chapter Rating: T

Fic tags: slow burn, older man/younger woman, gender issues, secret identities, secret relationship, period typical attitudes, fix-it, post-canon, canon compliant to canon divergent, stockholm syndrome, morally ambiguous character, grooming

Author Notes: does she finish SAVIOUR COMPLEX? No. Does she finish Old Country for No Men? No of course not. Does she continue If We're Lucky? Don't be silly! Obviously the correct answer is to begin an entirely new fic born of brainrot and hyperfixations. She's not sorry either. (She is me btw).

CW: mentions of scars

To begin it plainly, she had loved him.

Or, at least, that is what she believed.

It is easy to believe that one has had the wool pulled over their eyes, that the rose tint coloring their world made them into fools. That a poisonous and ruinous mixture had somehow been sneaked into them without their knowledge or consent. It is much easier, more comforting to believe this, rather than the likely truth that it had been a series of conscious choices. That a part of that person is poisonous and ruinous.

Anora still is not sure which was the reality of her life before the Reichenbach Fall.

It began with the death of her brother. Joseph had only just received a scholarship to the newly opened Queen Mary University of London, studying mathematics and chemistry. They were subjects that Anora and Joseph both found themselves fascinated by since childhood. They would spend their summers in the country digging through riverbanks for critters and fossils. It was on Joseph's twelfth birthday that their parents gave to him a chalkboard for the study. He and Anora would spend hours upon hours challenging each other with mathematical equations. Anora would have to stand on his stack of textbooks to reach his height to the board. Life remained that way- simple- until their parents died aboard a sunk passenger ship bound for Italy.

Joseph, aged thirty, was older for a student. But he had also been abroad at the time of their parents’ death, so when he returned, he applied for a scholarship. A degree at a prestigious university meant connections and almost guaranteed post graduate work. It meant money for Joseph and Anora, since their parents were no longer able to supply it.

But Joseph never got to go to school. A week after his return to London, the doctors diagnosed him with consumption- the sort that doesn't always show until it already has a person's lungs in its bloody grasp. Joseph died two days later.

For Anora, it was simple. She was built without much curve but a narrow waist and firm shoulders. She could pass as a man of thirty easily, though she was twenty-eight and would look younger regardless. But she had Joseph’s old clothes, his scholarship, a mind to match, and nothing to stop her.

So, with a thick vest, waistcoat, and short hair, Joseph Leeds began at Queen Mary University of London at the start of fall semester.

-

The church is empty when she enters, save for a sole occupant. He sits with his hands between his knees, looking up at the stained glass, his cane resting against the end of the pew.

Anora gathers herself what she can and approaches the doctor from behind. The memorial plaque catches her eye.

“My condolences.”

The doctor jumps a little at her sudden intrusion of his reverie. He speaks before he sees her fully.

“Sorry?”

Once he catches sight of her her, though, the recognition settles in and he sets a steely gaze on her.

“Detective Holmes, I mean. I'm sorry for your loss. Truly. I always thought he was a great man, perhaps even a good one.”

She sits at the pew opposite his and tries to look as earnest as she feels. But the confusion that is paired with her honesty seems to come out as well, making for an understandably wary John Watson.

“Right. I suppose propriety dictates I should offer the same sentiment to you.”

“Nothing proper about any of this,” she chuckles breathlessly. She fidgets with her nails in her lap. There's no one here to judge her for it. “I didn't want him to die.”

“Nor I your professor. Though I expect it's for different reasons.”

Anora bristles at some buried accusation. “Do you think? Because of my emotions and your sense of righteousness?”

Doctor Watson opens his mouth, then closes it. He sighs.

“It doesn't have to be this way.”

No, it doesn't, and Anora knows that. She feels it in her bones that still creak under the weight of an explosion.

“I'm sorry. I've lost so many people in so short a time. I'm alone so often that I can forget how to speak to someone. May I ask you a question?”

His eyes light with the natural curiosity of a doctor…and of a good man. “Of course.”

“Did you…I mean, I know he wasn't buried, but…”

He seems to understand. “They never found a body.”

“Did you look?”

“It was left to local authorities; I wasn't allowed near the investigation.”

Anora nods away her disappointment. “I see.”

“Why do you ask?”

She feels traitorous tears begin to prick at her eyes. “It gives me something to think about. I spend my nights alone, Doctor. Cherish that you do not.”

Watson nods. “I do cherish it.”

“Good. Oh- and I meant to say, congratulations, to you and Mrs. Watson.”

The shock of her knowledge of Mary Watson's pregnancy shows plainly on his face. “How do you-?”

“Word gets around,” she says coyly, then stands and smooths her skirt. “I want you to know that I don't resent you, though it would be dishonest to imply I don't envy you.”

He stands to match her and grabs his cane.

“I'm fortunate enough to have an enviable life,” he says and extends a hand. Anora takes it and they shake.

“Goodbye, doctor. Hopefully you'll not be troubled with me again.”

She goes. He watches her, hesitates, then says before she leaves,

“Anora? I- at the risk of sounding piteous… Would you like to join Mrs. Watson and myself for dinner?”

She turns around and regards his caring face. “You do sound piteous.”

“There's no reason for us to be enemies.”

“Nor is there reason enough for us to be friends. I wonder, sir, if you'd be so willing to extend an olive branch if I weren't a young woman. I chose to be with him. It was a job I took on willingly.”

Watson seems to think on this for a moment before settling on a response.

“The offer stands.”

He doesn't seem to play games the way his partner had. Neither of them do, really. Both matched in the fact that they could never match their counterparts in moves and countermoves. Anora comes here in sincerity and Watson responds in kind.

“A time and place, then.”

-

The time is seven in the evening the following day. The place is the Watson residence.

Earlier in the day, Anora finds herself going through her closet, attempting to find a dress that speaks formal but without too much effort. Not that she has many options. In total she has two evening gowns. Everything else is trousers and shirts and a handful of loose skirts. Any high society raised with her was abandoned the moment she became her brother.

In her shift she paces her bedroom floor. No longer in the dormitories of Queen Mary. No longer enrolled at Queen Mary, in fact. But that's in the past even now. Anora fingers the locket that hangs from her neck and sits

between her breasts. She thinks of him. Many things make her think of him.

It isn't so much that he had seeped into every aspect of her life like one might think. When you love a person like she had, it's easy to see them in the world around you.

It helps that the truth of this soothes the sting of its consequence.

She settles on a green gown that covers most of her skin. After the explosion, she doesn't like showing much. Too many scars prompt people to ask questions and she can only look at someone dumbstruck for an answer so many times. She keeps the locket on though.

The doctor and his wife have taken residence in a nice two story in a part of town removed from much of the construction. It looks to be a good place to start a family.

A maid greets her at the door and takes her jacket. It's weeks from Christmas and London is freezing. In all her dealings with the doctor and the detective, Anora never had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Mary Watson. She's very pretty, with small features and freckles coloring her face. Her pregnancy is showing under her blue frock. Though the choice of clothing is surely for comfort, it still makes Anora feel overdressed.

“Miss Leeds! I've heard so much about you,” Mary says. Anora's sure she means it well but it's too ironic an opportunity to pass.

“I'm sure,” she jokes. Mary seems to understand this immediately and turns sheepish.

The doctor comes to greet her.

“Thank you for coming, Miss Leeds. We haven't had the pleasure of entertaining guests yet.”

“Then I feel honored. It's a lovely home.”

“This way, please.”

The Watsons lead Anora to a dining room that's still in the throes of renovation, but is cleaned up enough for company. John Watson pulls a seat for Anora and pushes her in. As she adjusts her skirt and gathers her bearings, and once the Watsons have sat, she notices a fourth place setting.

“Are we expecting another?”

Mary's polite smile drops and Watson casts a look over Anora's shoulder. She follows his gaze and is honestly more surprised than she's ever been in her life. Because standing behind her, no worse than bruised up, is Detective Sherlock Holmes.

Immediately, Anora shoots up from her seat and bumps her back into the table. Though she has no real reason to fear him, it is like seeing a ghost, and Sherlock Holmes has every right to be a vengeful spirit. Doctor Watson and Mary make moves to help Anora gather herself but she's able to do it on her own and puts plenty of distance between herself and the man she believed to be dead.

“I'm flattered, Anora, truly. But I'm not here to haunt you.”

Holmes sits at the empty seat at the head of the table. John and Mary both lower themselves with hesitation, leaving only Anora standing. Her grasp on the back of her chair is so tight that it manages to absorb the tremulous shaking of her body. What began as shock has dripped its way icily into a sickening fear. Though it makes no sense for his character or sense of law, she feels certain he's going to kill her.

The cook brings out their plates. Holmes greets the dinner with a pleased “ah!” and tucks his napkin into his collar. Once she realizes no one is immediately out to hurt her, Anora eases herself back into her seat but doesn't go anywhere near her food.

They go on eating in silence for far too long. Only the awkward clattering of silverware and the snoring of a dog can be heard.

“So, Anora, how are your studies?”

Anora realizes that she's been staring holes into the patterned tablecloth when Mary pulls her attention. The bizarre nature of the question, or rather it being asked in the middle of such bizarre circumstances, leaves Anora befuddled.

“I- I'm sorry?”

“Your schooling. John tells me you transferred to the University of London. How are you liking it?”

Anora watches Mary with uncertainty until she decides the question is being asked in earnest. Instead of answering, she turns to Holmes.

“What's going on? How are you- I mean, how long have you-”

“We knew it was only a matter of time before your guilt drove you to visit my memorial, thank you, by the way, for your sympathies, so we waited for you to broach the conversation first. From there it was simple. Watson is unceasingly charming when he wants to be,” Holmes explains. Watson catches the end and looks offended.

“I'd like to think I'm charming more often than not.”

His wife puts a reassuring hand on his.

“So, is this some sort of sick joke? This doesn't make sense, I saw you die.”

And remembering so vividly that night makes Anora's chest tighten.

“You didn't, actually. Watson tells me you two didn't go to the trouble of checking we fell into the Falls in the first place. Supposed I'd grabbed onto a ledge.”

“Yes, and suppose you can breathe underwater,” Anora snaps. Holmes chuckles but she's thoroughly unamused. “It is funny to you! How dare you?” Anora pushes herself from the table again, this time throwing her napkin onto her untouched plate. “I did everything I could that night! It was you who drove me away from that balcony. I could have helped you. I could've helped him-!”

Anora stops herself with a hiccuping cough as hot tears fall down her face. She turns away from her audience and covers her mouth to muffle the embarrassing noise of her anguish.

“He never would have left with you,” Watson says. Anora grabs her napkin and dabs at her eyes with it. The audacity for the detective to be so cruel, for them to talk about him like-

Anora stills; drops the napkin. Turns back to the table shakily.

“But- if you're alive, then…”

“And now we come to the climax of the show, the reason for the facade. Miss Leeds, your beloved professor is in fact alive, and you're going to assist us in finding him.”

[akaakeis]

HEY HEY HEEEEYYYYYYY bokuto moment

HI SAV<33

first of all shut up and pretend I didn't see ur sideblog posts THE THING IS I LOVE LOVE LOVE SENDING ASKS BUT LIKE I DIDN'T KNOW IF ITD BE FREAKY TO SEND RANDOM ASS ASKS TO YOU EVEN THO I BLEAT IN UR DMS EVERY OTHER SECOND

N E WAYS HIIII im having lunch rn !! IT RAINED SO BAD SO ITS LIKE 5PM AND IM STILL IN MY UNIFORM AND STUFF i had like.. stuff planned on my schedule and stuff :cccccc

dude the way i do NAWT feel like writing at all but also im dying to get yns pov in the first chapter like PICK A FUCKING SIDE OMFG literally had to pause writing this to think

TODAY I CORRECTED THE ENGLISH TEACHERS GRAMMAR IT WAS SO FUNNY LIKE I WAS WRITING AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS HUGE ASS WHITEBOARD SO I WAS KNEELING ON THE GROUND AND SHE GOES TO CORRECT SOMEONE'S (ALREADY CORRECT) GRAMMAR AND I LOOK UP TO HER LIKE UH NO THAT'S RIGHT ACTUALLY AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN QUESTION IT JUST TOOK IT LIKE A CHAMP??? LIKE GIRL WHEN EVEN U KNOW UR WRONG????

THE SENTENCE WAS monica went to her grandmother's house for summer vacation AND SHE MADE IT WEIRDER SOUNDING "during vacation" LIKE GIRL NO??????????? sorry for ranting god im such a hater

AND LIKE THESE FUCKASS TEACHERS WONT SEE MY TEXTS (i love them) BUT THE EXACT SECOND I PULL UP TO THEM AT SCHOOL IM GETTING MY CHEEKS TUGGED AT LIKE "oh em gee alina u did such a great job we r sooo proud of u" DIE. AND IM SO SCARED CUZ IM NOT STUDYING PROPERLY OR ENOUGH I THINK AND MY SCHEDULE IS SO FREAKY AND WEIRD AND THE !! RAIN !! EW 🤮🤢🤮🤢 not that i hate the rain, it just conveniently happens NOT when im at home ready to go to school, but rather otw to school or otw home so i'm just late everywhere. also MY WATER BOTTLE DISAPPEARED?? AND THERES A GIRL W THIEVING TENDENCIES IN CLASS LIKE IM NOT POINTING FINGERS BUT BUT BUUUUUUUT um. ANWYAYS I SAW A SUBMERGED MOTORCYCLE AND ALSO MY CHEM TEACHER TAKING PICS OF THE FLOOD LIKE WTF HE WANT THEM FOR "look wife im not cheating im actually trapped in school"

dude.. biceps r so..... like... kuroo... IM LOWK A KUROO ENTHUSIAST HE IS SO YUMMY LIKE U JUST KNOW HED LET U BITE IT (my intrusive thoughts r like. if he existed irl. nom nom time) NOT EVEN IN A SEXUAL WAY BTW I JUST NEED A CHOMP

ANYWAYS I FOUND OUT LIKE RN THAT I GOT 77/90 IN PAPER 1 AND 95/110 IN PAPER 2 OF BANGLA AND I ONLY GOT AN A* BECAUSE OF THE THRESHOLD (171) LIKE WHAAAT. (I GOT 172)

ITS 5:18PM RN AND IM GNA TAKE THE FASTEST FUCKING SHOWER OF MY ENTIRE LIKE CUZ MY HAIR GREASY ASF AND ITS SO EW AND THEN ILL DO CHEM NOTES HASHTAG STUDYING TRUST ME ! ! !

ANYWAYS last anyways of the day HRU MY BABY POOKIE PIE DARLING SWEETHEART POPEYES MUFFIN CUPCAKE HONEYPIE POPSICLE POOKIEBRO HOW WAS UR SLEEP HOW WAS UR YESTERDAY HOW IS UR LIFE WHATS GOING ON AND ALSO ALSO ALSO i forget give me a sec um erm ueueue OH I GOT IT I ABSOLUTELY ADORE U FOR READING ALL OF THE THINGS I SEND U LIKE!!!!! SHIRRJSKSKSOKSKS ILY okbye!!

HEY LINA!!

yeah im gonna act like u didnt see that sideblog post bc i SAID i wasnt trying to hint at anyone... AND NO THATS NOT FREAKY?? idk man i send in asks to ness like every day bc i think its fun to talk that way!! paragraph asks are genuinely so fun to receive!! ALSO USING THE WORD BLEAT IS CRAZY YOU R NOT BLEATING IN MY DMS

omg i hope you had a good lunch!! im answering this like an hour later so i assume u already finished? idk its weird that we're 12 hrs apart 😭 AND NOOO THATS AWFUL :(( sorry to hear that love :( hopefully the rain didn't flood any area and you and your fam are all good!!

HELP THATS SUCH A REAL FEELING i was battling with that yesterday so bad omf... i feel like sometimes we can attach somewhat negative connotations w writing bc sometimes it can feel like a chore? so sometimes it's a struggle to get up and decide to write? maybe thats js me but like yeah 😓 BUT GENUINELY SO EXCITED FOR YOUR APOCALYPSE AU!! ITS BEEN AMAZING SO FAR!! AND ANYTHING IVE READ FOR IT MAKES ME WANT TO LET OUT AUDIBLE SOBS ‼️ that sounds negative but i feel like you get why i want to LIKE GOOD GRIEF anyway write whenever you feel like it!! dont force it <3

THERES NO WAY??? PLEASE THATS SO FUNNY TO ME 😭 I LOVE THAT SHE DIDNT EVEN QUESTION IT OMG? YOU PROBABLY SPEAK MUCH MORE FLUENTLY THAN HER ANYWAY LMAOAOAO BUT PROUD OF YOU!!

okay like maybe im stupid but i feel like both of those sentences make sense? like "monica went to her grandmother's house for summer vacation" makes sense but so does "monica went to her grandmother's house during vacation" it's just that it doesn't specify whether it's during summer vacation so it can sound awkward ig?? idk man ive been stuck reading old english for the last couple of days bc of the hobbit (I DESPISE THAT BOOK IT CAN GO DIE) sigh

HELP?? I MEAN IM SO HAPPY YOURE GETTING GOOD GRADES THO!! AS LONG AS YOURE ABLE TO STUDY JUST ENOUGH SO THAT YOURE CONFIDENT IN THE TOPIC THEN I THINK YOURE GOOD HONESTLY 😨 and the rain sounds like its out to get u thats wild??? PLEASE im not pointing my finger at anyone... im just agreeing here... there's a chance 😭 having classmates with tendencies to steal is such a pain in the ass tho i hope you're able to retrieve your water bottle!! AND HELP I LOVE THE WAY YOU DUBBED THAT "im not cheating im actually stuck in school" had me giggling sm

HELLO? BITING KUROO'S BICEP IS INSANE (but lowkey i would too VERY LOWKEY because i feel like im not super attracted to big biceps and stuff idk?? but just a little chomp 😋😋)

WHATATATAT AT LEAST YOU GOT A* THOUGH ‼️ GOOD JOB!!!

AAA ENJOY YOUR SHOWER! I HOPE IT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER!! AND YES WE LOVE A RESPONSIBLE STUDIOUS GIRL 😋

AND IM ACTUALLY DOING GOOD MY POOKIE WOOKIE SUGAR PLUM COOKIE BROWNIE PUMPKIN PIE HONEY LOML (i laughed an obscene amount while writing that)!! TODAY IM GONNA BE SUPER BUSY.. I HAVE SPEECH AND DEBATE AFTER MY SCHOOL DAY IS OVER AND THEN I HAVE VOLLEYBALL PRACTICE UNTIL... 7 PM???? I THINK???? GOD. AND I SLEPT SUPER DUPER WELL I WOKE UP RLY COZY IN MY BED AND IM STILL HUDDLED UP IN HERE LMAOAOAO 😭 YESTERDAY WAS GOOD!! I DIDNT HAVE ANYTHING I NEEDED TO DO SO I GOT TO CHILL AT HOME AND LISTEN TO MUSIC AND LITTLE PODCASTS (i listen to the bit my tongue podcast by nailea devora SOOO MUCH) AND AWHAGSHHA LINA!! I ADORE EVERYTHING YOU WRITE AND ANYTHING YOU SEND TO ME!! ILL ALWAYS MAKE TIME TO READ SOMETHING YOU SEND ME!! ILY!! <3

[palossssssand]

Gingull 4, 6, 7!! Love this animal. The slutch.

Love this animal!!! The slutch!! Finally getting around to answering these stray asks that have been sitting around in my inbox.

4. How easy is it to earn their trust?

Her trust is easy(ish) to gain and easy to lose(I know that "how easy is it to lose their trust is also a question but for the sake of this answer I will include it). She's someone who may have been more gullible when she was younger and was repeatedly betrayed by it, and thus has learned to become more cynical of new people. This comes from a lack of or difficulty with recognizing patterns in social cues (speaking very much from personal experience as an autistic kid growing up). She still retains a level of sympathy and optimism for gaining trust, especially when they've made a good first impression, but she tends to fall back on bad assumptions if someone's slighted her, and it's only after communicating further and patching things up that the trust is more strongly instilled. Her sense of trust can be distilled into "optimistic about potential new encounters and cynical when the encounter happens".

6. Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable?

Gingull's sense of "right and wrong" comes from her dad King, who taught her that laws can be an unfair but necessary evil, in that there's a reason for each law to be in place, but that reason won't always be the morally correct thing. King takes a more passive approach to this, but urges Gingull to take whatever action she feels is correct to do. When she was younger, she was probably more likely to be compliant with laws, and formed her own opinions on them as she grew older and encountered direct consequences of the laws. She considers "laws" to be rules set in place by someone else arbitrarily (and not an innate sense of morality)

The question is honestly a little vague and I might have to delve deeper onto what the laws of Slug City are, which would be an interesting post and thinking exercise. Like, are laws formed by one individual, suggested and voted on by the community, or a mix of both? or a secret third thing? It would be informative in structuring the city so that I have more to work with when it all falls apart.

7. What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?

I haven't thought about the specifics of Gingull's life growing up all that much, besides the fact that she's always been close with King(dad) and Alfin(sibling). I feel like it would be fitting for her to feel nostalgic for the simpler times, playing in the summer and not worrying about school or politics or other complicated feelings and things, especially after the accident that mutilated her face and being involved in the city's conflict. Part of her character development is her coming to terms with being allowed to grieve for what was lost, accepting her new life and situation, and being angry at the system that causes her new life to be very difficult. Nostalgia for Gingull comes with bitterness at the realization that not everyone was allowed to experience it, maybe a twinge of survivor's guilt, especially later on when she finds out what happens to all the other experimental accidents(answer: citywide coverup). This all fuels Gingull's eventual desire to help the other suffering citizens(and the despair with being powerless to do anything about it alone).

list of characters ask list (open all the time btw!!!! please feel free to send more of these, I love answering them and they help me think about these characters a little deeper)

[tired-biscuit]

Correct me if I'm wrong but talking about Mr.Biscuit - you basically married Kiba if he were a farmer (?), is that right? 👀

-🩸

i guess so! people on here say he is very kiba coded and tbh that only makes me all the more crazy about him……... he also shares some similarities with him when it comes to his appearance because he has dark hair and really pretty brown eyes and he gets really tan in the summer, too!

i let him have a little Q&A on my blog a while back and every ask he answered apparently made him more and more kiba-like fjdjdjddj

btw we’re not married (yet!) for now he’s just my boyfriend, but i can’t wait to call him my husband hehheh

[hydrangeapartridge]

🤩👄🟥

Thank you for the ask dear anon!

🤩 What’s the most meaningful comment you’ve ever received?

I loved and was touched by so many comments, but the most meaningful one has to be a comment on my SnK fic "Through Horus Eyes", a fic that stayed unfinished for 10 years and that I finally felt motivated to finish because someone commented they re-read the fic (amongst other JeanMarco fics) every summer (for ten years!) and still hoped one day I would complete it... the story is now complete thanks to them!

👄 Your OTP are having their first kiss. What song do you imagine is playing?

I have so many OTPs (even if you're supposed to have only one, it's basically the concept XD) ... so it depends on the pairing and the setting.

I am going to be very millenial here and since I love imagining scenes with background music, I'll say 'Accidentally in love' (yes the Shrek 2 sountrack one by Counting Crows). There was an AMV (do those still exist??) that I loved for a JeanMarco fic called 'like a drum' using that music and I loved it so much back then... (I often imagine my DnD campains romances with that song in mind too bc I have a problem... ><)

🟥How long do you spend in edits?

Obviously it depends on how long the text is. First, when I write a scene or a text, I make very little changes (I rarely delete entire paragraphs because I don't like them for example), so my edits are more or less only proof-reading.

I usually re-read what I already wrote for let's say a chapter, and correct it before I continue writing what's next (that way I also know where I stopped precisely). And so on until the chapter is finished.

Then I reread the chapter twice, on two separate days before I post it (it takes me between 30 minutes to an hour per reading for chapters between 4 and 7k I think?). And sadly mistakes and typos still get past me... I sometimes correct them again when I reread my fics and am not on my phone (btw I re-read my fics almost every year because I like them! I enjoy the stories I told and am proud of what I wrote! sometimes I rediscover sentences I wrote and am like 'damn, I wrote that?! X) )

I hope that answers your questions! :)

[rubydubydoo122]

Okokok, I gotchu, but I would also recommend going down a little comics dive (it’s a lot of material tho)

Just to preface, I’m doing this from memory, so I could be wrong, so anyone PLEASE correct me if I’m wrong

I’m assuming you know about Bruce trying to kill the Joker RIGHT after Jason dies, and the Joker ‘drowning’ and all that jazz because that was in the DITF quartet.

So right after Jason Dies TM, or like a couple weeks, Dick and the Titans come back from space (Starfire was about to get an arranged marriage btw). As soon as they come back, this annoying ass kid, whos kinda a member of the Titans, is just like ‘oh, btw, I think Robins dead’ and Dick is like ‘dude wtf?’ And rushes to the computer to pull up Jason’s files and, waddya know, he’s dead. So Dick goes straight to Gotham, Bruce blames Dick for not being there and answering Jason’s call, and then Bruce slaps Dick, and they go their separate ways.

The next important event is ‘A Lonely place to Die’ which is Tim’s introduction, six months after Jason died. Basically, Tim’s scared about Batman becoming too brutal, and starts to stage an intervention. He takes pictures of Batman being too brutal, and then he goes to Bludhaven to get Dick to become Robin again to reel Bruce back in. Dick didn’t agree, but he did agree to go back to Gotham. All you need to know is that it was more of Dick and Alfred’s idea to make Tim Robin, but it took a lot longer for Bruce to actually let Tim on the field.

(Also, around the time Tim became Robin, Jason crawled out of his grave, wandered around, and then got hit by a car and put into a coma)

Something something, the joker coming back and Bruce sending Tim and his class on a trip to Japan. But the next main event you gotta know about is Knightfall. It’s a lot, so buckle in.

So, right before I think there was the introduction of Bane, who figures out Batman’s secret identity. He kinda just wants to rule over Gotham with no one in his way, and the only way he could do that is with Batman out of the way. So Bane comes up with a plan to basically tear Batman down piece by piece. So Bane stages a massive Arkham breakout, so Batman’s hunting down all these rogues, (not letting Tim or anyone help him) running himself into the ground, and finally, when Bruce is at his lowest, Bane breaks into Wayne Manor, beats the living crap outa Bruce and breaks his back.

Bruce obviously can’t be Batman anymore, so he makes this dude, Jean-Paul Valley, Batman in his leave, and assigns Tim to keep an eye on him. JPV isn’t a bad dude, he’s just getting over some brainwashing, and that didn’t make him suitable to be Batman, cus he was lowkey kinda losing him mind. Blah blah blah, Dick beats the living crap outa JPV, Bruce’s back gets magically healed, they get JPV outa the Batman role, and Dick takes over while Bruce builds up his strength.

Bruce takes Batman back, Tim gets kidnapped by the Joker, Dick kills the joker, Bruce revives him. Now it’s been about a full year since Jason died

(I think around this time Jason wakes up from his coma and wanders around the streets of Gotham catatonic and after a couple months Talia picks him up)

I’m pretty sure that summer Donna dies, and we get introduced to Cass, but I’m gonna be honest with you, my comics knowledge is spotty here, so I’ll tell you more Jason lore cus I do know that.

Talia basically takes care of a catatonic Jason for another 6 months. Then Ras says he’ll kill Jason, more out of mercy because it seems like there isn’t a thought going through Jason’s head. Talia has grown attached to Jason and throws him in the Lazarus pit. Talia tells him he hasn’t been avenged, then Jason’s moved to a hotel and told there’s a new Robin, and Jason privately looses his shit. He then goes to Gotham and plants a bomb on the Batmobile, almost blows Bruce up, but then he doesn’t, and here he starts planning his revenge. Talia sends him to teacher after teacher, learning a bunch of skills and stuff.

I think around this time the stuff with Blockbuster was happening to Dick (he became an accomplice in murder because BB was pulling a Bane) and War Games was happening in Gotham (big earthquake, Gotham was out of control, too many mobs, Tim’s dad made him quit being Robin, Stephanie became Robin, got fired, and died)

Uhhh then Tim’s Dad dies, so Tim goes back to being Robin, I think the Hush storyline happens— I think it’s the Riddler and Clayface who team up, Clayface pretends to be an older version of Jason (Jason is there tho) but this is where the ‘Jason slits Tim’s throat’ thing comes from.

Then it’s the events of UTRH, which I’m assuming you know.

I don’t know if everything I mentioned is accurate, my memory’s a bit spotty, and I could have the timeline off, but this is my understanding of how things went down. I hope this helps, but again, I would recommend reading a couple of major comic storylines, like the ones I mentioned, also, Red Hood: Lost Days, which is Jason’s journey from death to utrh. Sometimes, looking at the wiki pages help sort out the timelines, but again, the best way to understand the material is actually reading the comics (they’re also super easy to find for free online)

I really want to get into writing batfam/Jason-centric fics, but unfortunately i really don't know all that much about like the timeline after jason dies- My knowlege is really patchy :((

If anyone is willing to explain it simply I'd appreciate it!! im pretty sure anyone who has seen my account knows I'm absolutely feral for post-resurrection Jason Head Cannons and i wanna get into fic writing as a way to kinda flesh my ideas out

[doberbutts]

It's like when I complained about horse poop on hiking trails and how it's super annoying that there's a bajillion 'clean up after your dog' signs everywhere and zero regarding cleaning up after your horse. So when it rains on the trail and the piles of horse shit turn into a lagoon of hay and sludge and it's completely impossible to walk on the trail without you/dog stepping in literal ankle deep shit puddles, it's kind of hard to hear 'you have to pick up dog shit because it's a biohazard but horse shit biodegrades much cleaner so that's why you don't have to clean it up'.

You can tell me for hours why horse poop is better for the environment than sog poop and in honesty I'm on board with it. I took animal biotech. I know how herbivore digestion works. I grew up in a farming town. Still doesn't placate me when I have to choose between turning around and going home early, going off the trail (illegal in some places!!!), and walking through shit-mud slurries with a dog that I later need to get back into my car probably covered with the stuff as it splashes.

Don't be That Asshole just because it doesn't immediately affect you or those around you. And don't tell me how it's secretly really great that you did this because it's good for xyz things when I'm the one that has to deal with everything that comes after.

[lezgaypool]

[cherrytraveller]

Hello if I'm correct you're the author of "odd man out"?? I just wanted to say i absolutely ADORE that fic so much. Future Leo makes me so fucking sad in the best way possible, I just wanna give him a hug man

You know when you're reading a fic and a character says something so OOC you're just like "he would NOT say that 🙄"? Your fic makes me feel the exact opposite way. I love how everyone is characterized and written.

Also great balance between light-hearted and angst, the angst always just grabs you out of nowhere and i love it. This fic just got me hooked from the first line (it's a great opening line btw!!)

I have a lot of favorite quotes but this is already long so I'll just leave you with my ABSOLUTE favorite:

“Your sword,” Leo’s quiet voice suddenly rips through the silence. “Mikey’s mask isn’t there.”

He swallows. “Michelangelo hasn’t worn his mask in a long time,” he replies just as quietly. There’s a loud clack from the stapler again. He doesn’t feel it anymore. All he can feel is the memory of the summer’s breeze on his face, the glowing shards of his baby brother’s body warm like sunshine as they are brushed away in the wind. “…there wasn’t anything left of him.”

HI!! idk why im always so surprised when ppl find me here like me @ myself: girl you literally have everything linked🙄

AUGH THANK YOUUUU so much for this sweet message!! im so glad you're enjoying the story – it's quite fun to write too. i adore the series so much and all the little silly dudes with their funky powers, i just couldnt resist! also. the big family aspect of the show had me hooked either way, theres no escape for me when it comes to family feels🥺

i'm happy to hear that you enjoy my writing of the characters!! i always LOVE writing teh characters the most – something something taking them apart and writing out how they act and talk and think based on their experiences is just so interesting to me.

OUGH that paragraph really had me by the throat like. i was sitting there like "oh my stars do i want to write this do i want to hurt my own feelings like this" obviously the answer was Yes but still. why am i doing this to myself JHDBBJK

thank you so much for your ask, that was a delight to read!!