#we're totally srs

[asapeveryday]

: ̗̀➛ No Light, No Armor

knight!paige.bueckers x princess!reader fantasy au

warnings: use of pet names, power imbalance(?) kinda goes both ways tbh, oral sex (r.receiving),reader is inexperienced , semi-risky sex, more plot than porn lol sorry

synopsis: you’re sheltered royalty, hidden behind vine-veiled cobblestone and powder pink gossip. being treated like a child has only made your less-than-innocent cravings more intense. it doesn't help that your new personal knight gives you more attention than you're used to. in fact, it only infatuates you more. (aka, we're kinda deprived and paige is...there.)

sierra says: i had so much fun writing this! kinda struggled w dialogue bc i wanted to go slighhhtly formal but also paige speaks pretty informally irl so i had no idea how to write her lines while making it sound like her. but its an au so its okayyyyy its not that srs.

THE CLICK OF your embroidered flats against the cool, polished castle floor are only hidden by faint giggles and the swish of fabric against bare ankles.

The two of you must be more careful. You bite your tongues and cover your upturned lips with beautiful hands to muffle the noise. A woman’s chortle holds power your father would rather die than allow you to take advantage of. No, you’re barely even allowed to grace a male with your presence, let alone slip any noises within proximity.

Still, you and your friend can’t help but squeal as you duck and scurry through the castle halls, hiding behind crevices and thick pillars to avoid being caught.

Your friend, daughter of your fathers advisor, had overheard her father and yours talking in hushed tones. Something about recruiting fresh blood, young and eager soldiers who ache to serve under the king. The best of the lot, a grand total of five extraordinary knights, were to be assessed today in the hall just north-west of your living quarters.

Naturally, both you and her decided it was only right to asses these knights yourselves. From afar. Quietly.

It’s exciting, the notion of the word fresh, meaning new. Young. Emphasis on young, most knights were—they had to be in peak condition of course—but your fathers preferred personal knights had grown older. He began to worry their temptations may precede them, that your youth may stray them from their duty.

You were wholly uninterested in the knights. They were silent creatures, just empty eyes behind sheets of armour, only opening their mouths to forbade you from freedom under daddy’s orders. If they had lingering stares that followed a gown hemmed too short, or a neckline too low, you hadn’t noticed. You tried not to notice them at all.

But still the rush of sneaking away to gawk at these new, alien beings is adrenaline racing on its own. If your father knew of your intentions, you’d be locked away till your wedding day.

“They’re tall.” Nika, your friend, smirks, head poking out from behind the wide pillar you’re both hiding behind. “Come look.”

Carefully, you shuffle over and peep your eyes just over the old marble slab that shields you. You can seem them a little ways down the curved palace hall, the five of them adorned in their shiny silver walls and guarded helmets, swords in their hilts, eyes hidden beneath metal. Alien, inhuman, a separate type of being from yours.

“How old do you think these ones are?” You whisper, and she shrugs,

“Papa said one of them was yours, so that one must be the youngest.” She mutters back, and you nod. Your father was far too paranoid to have a seasoned, older man stand guard by your room at night.

“The others may be slightly older.” Nika adds. “They’re all within marrying age, that’s for sure.”

“You want one?” You smirk, glancing at her. Her face grows pink but she shakes her head. “My wedding’s arranged already. No point in ruining it with an affair.”

“You’re not wed.” You scoff. “No such thing as an affair without a husband.”

“Not everyone can be so adventurous, princess.” Nika nudges you. “Trust me, I’d like to. But Papa would have my head on a platter served for luncheon before allowing even a rumour to float past him of my…activities.”

“Too bad.” You sigh, staring further at the knights, their perfect posture, their ridged obedience. “I believe every girl deserves to have a moment for loose behaviour.”

“Will that be your first rule as Queen?” Nika grins.

You shrug. “Pray that I find someone with enough heart to allow it.”

“A man of royalty would have you hung.” Nika snorts. “But a knight…perhaps.”

You almost gasp at the comment, eyes widening in her direction. “A knight?” You huff trying to stay quiet. “For me?”

“Why not?” She hums. “They have more heart than any royal man. One tough as nails, I’m sure. It’ll take more than…what’d you say? Loose behaviour? It’ll take more than that to shake them.”

“They’re poor.” You frown. “It’d be impossible.”

“Well I’m not saying you have to wed one.” Nika’s brows furrow. “But you could certainly bed one. And I doubt it’d be as much of a problem as any other man.”

“I guess so.” You hum, considering the sentiment. “But they’re so…distant. They never speak out of fear of my father. They rarely lift their helmets for the same reason. And when they do I’m often dissatisfied.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes.” You frown. “Too rugged, most of them. Stubbly, the kind that hurts when it grazes your cheek.”

“Princess.” Nika raises a brow. “If you want a man then the stubble is your sign of one. No man with a face bare as a baby is old enough to defend you at night, let alone take care of you.”

“Is that so?”

“Definitely.”

“Shame.” You sigh, gazing back at the knights as Nika’s dad drawls on about some Palace rules. “I figured I’d enjoy the smooth kind more.”

“No skin is smoother than a woman’s.” Nika nods solemnly. “Real men are rough as rock. Especially knights.”

The two of you watch in silence as the knights heed every word lectured to them, stances unchanging, still as statues. You wonder how a knight could possibly be your key to sin, when they’re so obedient, so loyal to the institution that imprisons you.

It’s only when your father’s advisor leaves that they become humans in the slightest, posture still straight but less stiff, heads tilting towards each other for quiet conversation.

“What do knights talk about, Nika?”

“The ones who fight in the wars are like barbarians.” She says. “All talk of their battles, their wins, their injuries. And food. And beer.”

“And those in the palace?”

“I haven’t heard them talk.” She shrugs. “Well, I have. But not enough to know of what.”

“Would you spy for me?”

“I’m not the one who has a knight posted outside their quarters from dusk to dawn.” She scoffs.

“I’ve tried.” You huff. “The last one didn’t utter one word in the years I knew him. Sometimes I wonder if father sews their mouths shut.”

“If they’re like the ones who brave the battlefield, it may be for the better.” Nika grins wickedly, and you just click your tongue.

“See those ones? They speak so softly. Look at how they cock their heads to exchange their thoughts.” You continue, eyes still on the five silver giants.

One of them turns their back to you, and you notice something slight. It shines in the sun, differently from the metal that they wear. Golden against silver, like silk. The slightest strand of blonde hair, peeking between the slices of armour left for mobility, the parting between the helmet and the backplate.

It’s not too unusual for them to have longer hair. Many men do, perhaps not that long, but long nonetheless. Even so, the pin-straight strand of hair throws you off, brings a femininity to figures you’ve only ever associated with rough edges.

You don’t mention it to Nika. You just watch the blonde knight whisper to another.

“Perhaps we have some chatterboxes in the palace for once.” Nika muses as she watches them. “Young blood breeds new tradition. Mouths can’t be sewn shut forever.”

“Indeed.” You mumble, eyes still latched onto the knight with golden hair. “They can’t.”

YOU’RE INTRODUCED TO your new guard that evening, summoned out of your quarters by a soft knock at the door. Outside waits your father and the silver-showered knight.

He’s taller up close, significantly more lanky than your last few knights. His posture is straight, confidently so. You can’t tell if he’s staring at you, or if his head is simply in your direction. His eyes are obscured by the metal grates on his helmet.

“This one is the best yet.” Your father assures you, nodding in the knights’ direction. “I know we’ve had too many changes darling, but I believe it’s best to have a consistent guard, rather than swapping them out.”

You cross your arms, uncaring of the company in front of you. “That’s only what I’ve been telling you for the past ten years. How am I supposed to form a relationship with the one who’s meant to keep me safe, when that person is constantly changing?”

“Ah, see that’s where you’re misled.” Your dad tuts. “You must trust your guard, not have a relationship with them.”

“Those things aren’t mutually exclusive.” You frown.

“Nevertheless,” He smiles, bulldozing through any opportunity for argument, “this knight is here to stay. Age will not be a problem. If all is well, you’ll be protected by this one till the end of their days.”

You glance at the knight, who doesn’t even stir.

“You may attempt to have a relationship.” Your father chuckles. “But it will be futile. I’ve given a full rundown of my instructions already. You understood well, did you not?”

Your father half-glances at the knight, who you notice is even taller than him. The knight finally shifts, nodding surely. “To the bone, your highness.” The knight says.

Your eyes narrow.

The voice. Muffled beneath the metal, it’s hard to make out. But it’s higher than you’d thought it’d be.

“Just how young is this one?” You ask.

“None of your concern.” Your father grins. “You may go back inside now. Goodnight.”

Without any room for question, the order is given. The knight turns back to the walls that surround the outside of your quarters and stands ready with one hand on the hilt of his sword. Your father gleams happily, nodding at you to go back to your room.

With a huff, you do, stepping back into your prison. You stand against the door in wait, listening for the sound of your father’s footsteps until they can’t be heard.

And then you open the door again, just slightly. The knight’s armour creaks as his head turns to glance at you from beside the door.

“You’ll be protecting me till you’re too old to move in that suit.” You smile, trying hard to spy a pair of eyes between the metal grates of the helmet with no luck. “I see no harm in knowing your name.”

The knight turns his head away, staring back ahead at the empty hall.

“Typical.” you scoff, burnt by the rejection but not surprised. “Can’t even give me something as simple as a name. What am I meant to call out when some bandit attacks me?”

There’s a little noise inside the suit of armour. An exhale, maybe even a huff.

“You thought that was funny.” You grin, and the knight goes rigid. “You’re a fool to follow every rule my father gives you. He thinks I’m meant to trust you without knowing you at all. I’m never going to call out for you if that’s the case.”

The knight says nothing. You stare at him a little longer, aching for a response of any kind like the chuckle from before. He doesn’t give you that satisfaction.

You’re about to close your bedroom door when he shuffles.

“It’s not as simple as you think it is, princess.” He says, the last word sending a shiver down your spine.

That voice again, not high like the women you know, but certainly not a man’s. It drips with confidence and oozes amusement yet also something raw beneath. Nothing like something you can place.

You look him over again, once, twice. Something glints in your vision.

A dark gold, straight as embroidery thread. It shimmers just slightly under the armour against the light of the lantern mounted on the wall. Long, blonde hair.

An idea runs through your head, a stupid, impossible reason for that shocking voice and promise of lifelong service.

You wait. The knight says nothing more. You ponder, deciding whether or not to voice your question. Then you decide against it.

You close the door.

The knight is good.

Good at being present, at standing guard and staying awake, unlike the last one who grew too old to stay up till dawn, allowing you to slip out at night. Good at hovering a safe distance behind of you, far enough to give you privacy, some semblance of freedom, while close enough to be able to intervene should context permit it.

Good at being silent. At listening, not through walls like the one you had at sixteen, but rather at the comments you drop under curtesy’s and diplomatic quips.

When a joke falls flat, or a rude comment goes unnoticed, you never fail to hear a noise from behind you. An exhale, a scoff. If you’re lucky, that low yet girlish voice will let a chuckle slip.

But the knight is also an anomaly. Sometimes the chuckles are ones that catch you off guard, that make your breath hitch at their tone.

The flecks of blonde you see between cracks of armour make your brain buzz. The way he moves is nothing like the brash, abrasive men of steel you recognize.

You try every day, to see through those metal bars in his helmet. To catch a glimpse of eyes, lips, nose, anything.

You have no luck with that matter, but you do manage to crack a code to hear that entrancing voice more often.

Though, the first time isn't an accident.

It was a dark day, the kind that often made you feel isolated and alone. The type of night that either brought insomnia or nightmares.

That night brought haunted dreams that woke you up shivering, dreams of falling forever, of being locked away till your curls grow white and wirey.

The knight is in your room before you realize you're shrieking, metal lit by the lantern he holds, one hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Princess." He says softly, voice muffled beneath his helmet. In an instant he's analyzed your state, pulling the hand from his weapon to the side of your bed. Distant, but ready to offer up his services.

"I don't wanna stay here." You breathe, chest heaving. Your face is wet with tears, chest glittering with the sheen of sweat. It doesn't even occur to you to feel exposed in your night gown, the frilly white one that sits too low past your collarbone. "I can't—I can't be here till I wither away."

"You're young." The knight reassures you, setting the lantern down and kneeling by your bedside, iron clanking. "You're still young. Your life is just beginning, and it won't be wasted away here."

You scoff breathlessly, shooting the tin-warrior a nasty look. "Don't be a fool." You bite. "Look at me, look at everything you watch me do. Every single day I live like a child, I'm treated like a child, I'm followed like a child." Your eyes flare. Despite the fury, you still feel your bottom lip tremble, visions of your old, withered body never making it past the palace still fresh.

The knight just shifts, and you can't help but wonder if it's a shift of guilt.

"I mean honestly," you sniffle, "I'd thought when I had my first bleed I'd be womanly enough to have some freedom, but it only got worse." You chuckle sadly. "Turns out the prospect of marriage is only more reason to keep me hidden away."

"...yes." The knight mumbles carefully. "You really shouldn't discuss those matters with me."

"You're not disgusted." You say. "Are you?"

"More terrified of what the court may do to me if someone hears you." The knight says, and you can hear a slight smile.

"Why aren't you?" You ask suddenly, eyes narrowing. "Why aren't you disgusted?"

The knight shifts again, and you see another fleck of gold hair under his chest plate. "I'm more familiar with those matters than most."

That statement alone is enough to confirm any suspicions you may have had before.

Before you can poke around much further, he rises from the side of your bed, takes the lantern and nods to you stiffly. A farewell.

"Wait!" You sit up. "I'm not finished with you!"

"You're too smart for your own good, princess." The knight says. His broad back turns away, and your room grows dark as he walks out, door clicking behind him.

Something burns in your stomach at that retort. You even dream again that night, but it's not nightmarish at all.

And so, you take advantage of the next terror. A few nights later. One where you step foot off of a palace balcony and never hit the ground, cursed to eternal falling.

It's not enough to wake you in cries for help, but you do come to consciousness damply, nightgown sticking to your legs from sheer cold sweat.

You wonder if he would come if you called. Though you didn't have a name to taste for him. Perhaps that would be your goal for the night.

Instead, you opt for a few whimpers, eyes screwed shut, body scrunched tight against your pillow. It's awkward, but it works. You feel the light of the lantern against your closed lids, and you hear the clank of metal as he enters.

"Princess."

There it is again. The voice. The tightness it causes inside of you.

Slowly, you allow your eyes to open.

"Another nightmare?" The knight asks kindly.

"You'll discover I have many of those." You sigh, making your voice small, pathetic. "I'm imprisoned, even in my sleep."

"A dramatic prisoner." The knight chuckles, kneeling once again by your bed. "In another life you're a playwright."

"Don't make me mourn the idea." You scoff.

"So tonight, what is it that scares you?" The knight asks,

"A common one." You hum. "Out of questionable circumstances, I lose my footing on the balcony and fall."

"Gruesome, princess."

"Not quite." You sigh. "I never hit the ground. I just tumble down through the air. It's sickening, really. Endless torture."

"I can imagine." The knight hums. "Should we make that a new punishment for those who commit treason?"

"Perhaps." You say, smiling just a tad. Slowly, you peel your covers off of you and trail your hand gingerly from your chest to your stomach. "I wish there was something to cure this. It was only a dream, but I really am sick to my stomach."

"Careful." The knight mutters, shifting to pull the covers back up. The feeling of cold chainlink metal grazing your arm makes you shiver with delight you've never experienced before.

"I can't stay long." The knight says. "But I really am sorry that you can't get a good night's rest."

"It's not so bad anymore." You shrug. "At least I can rely on you to be there. It's nice to hear a voice other than the few I know by heart now."

"I'm going to get in trouble for talking to you so much, princess."

"I know." You frown, pouting slightly, hoping that somewhere behind that metal helmet lay eyes that catch on the plumpness of your lips. "But it's more help than anyone's ever offered. I--I don't dream so harshly after we've spoken."

The knight pauses.

"I'm glad." He settles.

"One day I'll want to call out to you." You add, trying your best to look sweet and persuasive. "I'll need a name to do that."

The knight gets up slowly. "If I could give you that, I would." He says. "But trust me when I say I'll be there before calling out even becomes an option."

You scoff, shooing the knight away playfully. Though you think about those words until sleep claims you again.

"I dreamt of you." You sigh a few weeks later. The knight is perched by your bedside again, you're turned on your side, hoping the way your breasts cling to the fabric of your nightgown catches the right eyes. The lantern light is routine now, but intimately so.

"Oh really?"

"Indeed." You sigh, breathless. "I dreamt that I had a nightmare, and a knight came running in."

The knight cocks his head.

Days with the knight were different now. You had your suspicions about the sex of whoever may lay beneath the helmet, but it didn't deter you in the slightest.

If anything, it made a sense of passion burn inside of you. You can just feel it, those possibly-feline eyes glazing over your every move. It doesn't seem as imprisoning, but rather empowering.

It certainly helps when the knight drops little comments between the hours.

"Careful, princess."

"I'll always be there."

"That look just might find you a suitor."

"If I could have my post be inside of your bedroom, without a doubt I would."

Every word set you ablaze. More than you think that metal-tease could be aware of.

"So," the voice drawls, smooth against the night. "I came to your rescue?"

"It wasn't you. I could tell, even with the armour." You continue. "Well, I thought I could. That was the problem. I had this feeling that it was someone else, but there was no concrete proof."

"No?"

"No." You frown. "You all look the same, after all. Even voices blend together after a while."

"So this scared you?"

"Of course." You say. "I trust you to comfort me, nobody else has had that pleasure."

"Aren't I lucky." The knight scoffs.

"Don't tease." You huff. "It's true. Your presence is magic. And that knight made me fear the magic was gone."

"What if it was me?"

"Well, how would I know?" You shoot back. "With no name to call for and no face to recognize, you could be a bandit in armour for all I know."

"I'm sorry for that." The knight says genuinely.

"If you are then fix it." You smile. "Give me something to recognize you by, even in my dreams.

"Not much I can give, princess." The knight says, and you can feel the smile in every word.

"I can think of plenty." You sigh, holding out a hand to touch the cool metal helmet in front of you. "But I don't want to get you into trouble."

Slowly, you run your fingers over every ridge and bump, trailing through the metal that casts shadows over the eyes. "But these could do with some uncovering." You hum. "Eyes are the window to the soul."

"You care for a mere knight's soul?"

"More than you may know." You smile.

The knight stiffens ever so slightly.

"Go ahead, then." The voice says, dangerously quiet.

You lift the hinged iron, resting it higher on the helmet, and a rectangle of skin is bared to you. Eyes, round and inquisitive, stare back at you.

Bright. And blue, like royalty from far away.

You swallow. "Beautiful."

The eyes blink. You wonder what features may lie below them. Just from seeing these eyes, you have an idea of the nature of those features. Full, soft and feminine.

"You're a woman." You breathe, finally saying it out loud.

The knight flinches, pulls back from your hand, and hastily shifts the metal slate over her eyes again. Your heart sinks as she gets up and begins to retreat from your room.

"Goodnight, princess." She says. Her voice is almost too low to hear, before you're engulfed in silence.

The knight does not speak more than a word to you from that point onward.

Days pass slowly. Routine becomes bland and boring again, there's no rush in your heart or tightness in your core at the sound of her voice anymore. Just stiff nods in your direction. Blank metal that holds no warmth, no ounce of frosted colour like it did that night.

What's worse is that your nightmares have halted, instead being replaced by a much more sinful species of dream that leaves you waking up exhilarated. Dreams that feature cold iron on your skin, blonde hair tickling your abdomen, blue eyes that stare up at you, preening, begging, giving.

Nika doesn't help.

"I can't even fathom it!" She squeals, half whispering, half yelling. You turn around to see if the knight is watching. If she is, you can't really tell. But she lingers far enough for conversation to be safe.

"No?" You respond mindlessly.

"No!" Nika huffs. "I mean, the boy has to be lying, he's only a valet after all, but servants know all kinds of things so then again—"

"Nika, calm yourself." You shush.

"I can't!" She groans. "A female knight? In what world? How is this possible? Why wasn't this made aware to me?"

"Why would it be?"

"If i'd known that was an option, I'd be on a battle field slaying enemies right now."

"You're joking."

"Dead serious." She frowns. "I'm more jealous than anything. Who is this girl and what does one have to do to trade places with her."

"You never know." You shrug. "It might not be as fun as it seems. Who says she's fighting?"

"Well, she's here, so obviously she's not." Nika rolls her eyes. "But she's got the title nonetheless, lucky bastard."

"What else did this valet say?" You whisper.

"Oh, just some foolish boy-things." Nika waves. "He claims she's gorgeous, but I don't think that's possible for a knight. All of the men are rough and rugged. I doubt a woman would be different. I can see it now, a handsome woman. Though gorgeous fits his description more."

"Gorgeous?" You quip, interested. "How so?"

"Oh, he's an idiot." Nika laughs. "Described her like she was an angel. Long blonde hair, full lips, pale skin." She hums. "Big, blue eyes."

You try not to grin to yourself at the details. "And she really is pretty?"

"Yes, princess." Nika smirks. "You gonna ask daddy what he can do to send her over? For your sake and mine?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." You shrug, straight-faced. Nika just snorts, and the rest of the stroll is silence.

Nightfall bleeds through the windows of your room as you stare at yourself in the mirror. It's well after midnight, but you feel as awake as ever.

Your heart is beating fast beneath your beautifully embroidered dress. It's one you'd had made for when the time came to start accepting suitors, in your favourite colour. Form-fitting around the bosom, enough to make your breasts pop, but flowy just below that. It glitters in the night. You've done your hair up too, not extravagantly, but just enough to look effortlessly good.

This is all moving too slow for you. You want to see how much it'll take before your knight breaks.

Slowly, you approach the door to your room and open it. Just a tad.

You see her, leaning against a pillar just in front of your room. You can't tell if she's stark and awake, or nodding off. All the better.

Careful and practiced, you slip out without a sound.

She doesn't turn.

You can't help but internally celebrate at that. All you have to do is walk behind your pillar, and hope she doesn't turn your way. If she hasn't recognized you yet, perhaps she wasn't very good after all.

You manage past the pillar with much difficulty, finally succeeding in making it to an empty corridor. Finally, you can let a breath escape your lips at the relief. She'll be in a shock if she checks on you throughout the night.

You're too busy internally celebrating in the empty hall before a firm hand wraps around your wrist, and pulls you back.

"Oomph!" You squeak, almost bumping into a full wall of metal. Looking from the hand on your wrist to the face towering above you, your heart sinks to see a knights helmet staring back.

"Going somewhere?" She says, that stupidly amused voice sending shivers down your spine.

She still holds your wrist.

"Let go of me." You grind your teeth.

She does. You wish nothing more to see what expression that angelic face holds right now, at the sight of you all prettied up and caught red handed.

"Back to your room, princess." She snorts.

You stand brave.

"I'm not going anywhere."

The knight steps forward. "Clearly you were planning on it."

"Says who?" You shuffle back.

"Nobody wears a dress like that for nothing." The knight says, sauntering forward. "How is it that you have a secret beau that I haven't known about in the months I've been your knight?"

You can hear the stint of jealousy in her voice. You hope her eyes are burning with it, the thought makes your thighs clench as you step back again.

Of course, she steps forward.

"Are you cold, princess?" She bites. "Your arms have turned into gooseflesh."

"Quite a chatterbox now." You scoff. "Did you grow tired of pretending you have no voice?"

You back up, slightly jumping when your bare back hits the cold, marble walls of the palace. The knight has you herded like prey, the height of her truly evident now.

"Does he know how often his dear princess has her knight in her quarters?" She asks innocently. "Does he know how late the hours turn?"

"Why should he be concerned?" You shoot back. "This knight has no name and no face I'm familiar with. What is there to worry about?"

"Funny, since you lack that information yet still beg for my comfort each night without fail."

Your face burns. It's worse that you can't even see hers.

"Who's the boy?" She bites.

"You won't ever know." You pout.

A gloved hand comes to tilt your chin up. Her fingers are gentle, but cold.

"Tell me." She whispers, and you almost melt. "Unless there isn't a boy after all."

Your lip trembles, and your legs even shake under your weight. You've never felt like this, only dreamt of it, fantasized about it it's a page out of your sinful, awful, dishonourable story book. So beautiful you could almost smile.

"Take the helmet off." You whisper. "And I'll tell you."

Her hand leaves your chin like a ghost, and her arms raise to meet the hard material of her helmet. In a swift motion, she pulls the helmet off.

Long, hay-coloured hair spills out from the helmet like a cascading waterfall, settling around the silver of her shoulders.

Angel is an understatement.

Her eyes, the one part of her that's stayed consistent in your dreams, they bore holes into your soul unlike anything you've encountered. Iced blue irises stare at you so knowingly, like they've perceived all that there is to notice.

Lips—pink, plush and full. Slightly parted, an exhale leaving through them. High cheekbones, long lashes. Mousey brown brows. Pale skin, a decent contrast to yours.

"So?" She mumbles, blinking slow. "Talk."

"Not much to say now." You mutter, genuinely awestruck. "I've gotten what I wanted."

Her expression furrows. You almost fold over.

"That's too bad princess, because I'm not satisfied." She cocks her head. "What a desperate plea for attention."

"You don't mind." You hum, glancing at the tinge of pink in her cheeks, the rush of blood to her ears. "You like this just as much as I do."

"Shouldn't royalty be more chaste than this?" She mumbles, eyes still unbreaking from yours. She begins to pull away.

"Wait!" You squeak, your hands flying out to grip her forearms, pulling her forward. She's left pinning you between each hand against the wall, your grip steady on her wrists.

Her eyes widen in suprise, the tiniest noise escaping her mouth. It's like music to your ears.

"Princess," She mutters, "what is it, exactly, that you want?"

You chew your lip, nervous in thought. Though, it does feel good to finally see her eyes follow your expressions, to catch her looking at your mouth.

"I'm naive." You whisper. "And sheltered, and unknowing of the world."

Her brows scrunch, but she listens.

"And you're a woman. And a knight." You continue. "You've probably experienced more now than I will in a lifetime."

"You're so wrapped up in your isolation." She huffs, shaking her head. "If you're so desperate to be free, make an effort to be."

"Listen." You pout, and without hesitation, she does.

"One day, my father will realize I can't be here forever." You mutter. "And then I'll be wed, and led into isolation once more. And then I'll be left confused, and unknowling, floundering around and relying on another man to teach me what there is to know."

She raises a brow.

"I know of sex." You finally say, and you swear her heartbeat quickens.

"I refuse to give my maidenhood unwillingly, to an imbecile I wouldn't have chosen, nonetheless."

Her fingers flex beside your head. "And how can I help with that?" She frowns.

"Knights are experienced." You mumble. "I want you to show me what there is to know."

She just stares at you, face unchanging, eyes piercing holes through you, undressing you between every blink.

"You want me to fuck you." She states quietly.

With batting eyelashes, you nod.

"It won't be what you think." She mumbles. You don't miss the glances at your lips, the way one hand leaves the wall to cup your face. The cool tingle of metal against your skin makes you shiver. "I don't know what fantasies you dream up in your head, but you have no idea what you want."

"It doesn't matter." You hush, almost shaking with excitement. "You're already alone with me, cornering me in the corridor this late at night. If someone were to hear of this..." You trail off, eyes glinting with the slightest bit of malice, "it'd be quite bad for you."

"Is that supposed to be encouraging?" She grunts.

"No." You hum. "But if it gets to that, you might as well make this time with me worth it. Take advantage of the situation."

"And if I don't?" She cocks a brow.

"I don't do well with rejection." You say, gazing up at her innocently.

She understands the implication. The stakes. She knows this is a huge risk, taking the princess she’d sworn to protect like an animal in heat, right here in the empty corridor. With that invigorating, false-innocent look you’re giving her, she knows there’s no winning.

Her lashes flutter, and she leans into you slowly. You feel as if you might just float on air, with the way her thumb grazes back and forth on your cheek so softly, the way her lips just barely ghost yours. You can’t help but stare at her as her nose tickles yours, as your faces slot against each other like the stones that line the wall as of the palace.

Her lashes graze your cheek, her lips part ever so slightly, and finally plant themselves on yours. Gently, with utmost care. She kisses you like a butterfly drinks nectar from a flower, fleeting and instinctual, light as a feather.

You can’t help but stand up on your tip-toes and chase after her every time she pulls away. Your first kisses with her are dreamlike, they’re a fantasy against the dim light of the hallway.

“You’re the most evil princess i’ve ever met.” She whispers against your cheek, pressing her lips against your powdered skin between each word. As she trails towards your jaw, she says, “Dressing like this in hopes of seducing me, calling me into your room each night with your nightgown too loose and your sheets thrown off.”

You shiver as she nips at your delicate skin, exhaling as her mouth trails down to your neck. “You noticed?”

She scoffs, breath warming your neck. “Of course I did. I was lucky I had that helmet, or else you would’ve had me hung for being a pervert the first day we met.”

You begin to chuckle softly, but your laughter is cut off by a soft whimper you didn’t know you were capable of. It’s not surprising, not as she presses open mouthed kisses to your collarbone and your breasts as they press against your low-cut dress. Her knee slips between yours, adding a friction you haven’t felt before in your life.

You’re ablaze, skin tight and mind buzzed as she smothers you with kisses, as her knee rocks against your groin. You can’t help but rut against her too, chasing a high you’re not even aware of.

Your hands grip her shoulders, hips jutting against her leg, before she grabs your wrists and pulls them towards the wall again.

“Stop.” She huffs.

“Wh—” you huff, the tension in your stomach drying out. “Why?”

“You’re going to finish before I’ve even done anything.” She says, smirking like she’s won a war.

You pout, face burning. “No I’m not.”

“Oh, princess.” She drawls. “You have no idea.” She says, and this time when she presses a kiss to your lips, it’s open mouthed. Her tongue ventures into your mouth before you can even register, and when she pulls away a string of saliva connecting her to you follows.

And then she pushes you flush against the wall, hands grabbing your hips, and kneels down to the ground.

The sight of her staring up at you, blue eyes wide, is a dream come true.

“You’ve been asking for a name to call out.” She licks her lips, finding the bottom of your dress and toying with the edges. “It’s Paige.” She says, and then she lifts up your dress, and ducks under.

The best you can do is slap a hand over your lips to muffle your noises as you feel her fingers graze the bare skin of your thighs, as the cold chain link metal on her arms raises every hair on your body. As her fingertips reach the hem of your undergarments and pull down.

And then you feel it, warm against your naked skin, sopping wet and needy.

“Paige.” You whine, muffled behind your palms. Her hands grip your legs, spreading them apart wider as her tongue darts out to lick at your core, sending jolts of feeling throughout your body.

You peel one hand from your face to hike up your dress, finally catching sight of her as her mouth attaches to you. You watch, intent and exhilarated, as she sucks on your clit, swirling her tongue around it circularly, dipping into your hole with every shudder of your body.

Her eyes are closed as she does it, like she’s completely devoted to your cause. You shouldn’t be surprised, she is your knight after all. How good would she be if she wasn’t devoted in all areas of her work?

And god, is she good.

She shakes her tongue back in forth, she nuzzles in closer to you like you’re seeping nectar instead of arousal. Her voice, Paige’s voice, escapes in little grunts and gasps as you preen and shake above her, as your thighs try to close before she forces them open again. She splits you open, body and soul, with her mouth alone in that empty corridor.

“Paige,” you whine, head thrown back agains the cold wall. “Fuck, I feel—I think I’m..” you trail off, swallowing another moan before someone comes to investigate the noise.

The noise is another thing, besides your voice and hers, you’ve never heard a noise so crude as the result of her fucking you with her mouth. It’s embarrassing but powerful, that in itself is enough to build you up.

Something deep in your gut is tightening like a sailors knot. She seems to notice, maintaining the perfect pace and pressure until you’re bucking and jolting against her. Her hands, her large, rugged hands, handle you like you’re just another piece of weaponry to her.

Even that thought isn’t enough to dull your high. You come hard, bursting against that wall and biting back a whine as she licks your thighs clean of anything that escapes you.

You’re left panting and fuzzy as she rises from her kneel on the ground, metal clanking, lips glistening from saliva and sweet arousal. Her eyes are open again, blue bullets that shoot with full precision. Gently, she wipes a stray tear from your cheek.

“Alright, princess?” She asks voice raspy.

You nod, eyes fluttering shut when she leans in again for a shorter, more chaste kiss that still somehow sends you reeling.

“Take me to my room, Paige.” You sigh with satisfaction.

She smiles like she’s got something up her sleeve, but you’re still surprised when she swoops you off of your feet, and carries you bridal style back to your room.

You’r even more surprised when she places you on your bed, and closes the door behind her, still inside with you.

No nightmares taunt you for the rest of the night. In fact, you barely sleep at all.

tagsˏˋ°•*⁀➷

@booposaurusrex @jujueilish @juumecca @iknowwhatyoutellyourfriends @cowboybueckers @azzisworld @tengens5thwife @ellehoops @jadasogay @idkkk343 @elleaitch22 @ilovepaige3 @gabriella-dawn @onlyhereforpazzi @stargirlbils @classicvines03 @saverdelrey @bamblebini-blog @evanpeterstoe @yailtsv @matildas123

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Boyfriend Era is a Go

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

NOV 2024 Week 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

Jack & Joker (Thai Mon IQIYI) ep 9 of 12 - I have to say it, the heist stuff is stupid and all the sidekicks are idiots to the point of annoyance. But Yin and War are truly stellar at these parts. And in general in these roles. Can’t knock 'em. It’s been a year of some very good kisses and this has to have been the best. So this show is top of the standings this week for that kiss alone. Like srs boys? I mean to say, BOYS! How dare. Breaking the internet like that.

Honestly, let's be clear, these two have had killer chemistry since the En of Love and we all expected great things. And now, here we sit, suffering great things from these kings. Thank you, Sirs, may we have another?

Love Sick 2024 (Thai Sun iQIYI) ep 8 of 15 -��I'm chronicling my experience with 2024 as compared to 2014 here. The Per Win story arc never interested me in 2014 and I’m not enjoying it now either. But Mick and Ohm are better in 2024. Nong Mick is a standout character, and a brilliant glow up in this version and he’s a confident little shit (affectionate). The mains are good too, but Phun and Noh always were great characters, and these actors are quite good. Possibly better than the original. 

Kidnap (Fri YT) ep 10 of 12 - More bf era delightful diabetes. They are the best boyfriends and the cutest family in the entire world. No exceptions. Next week is definitely doom tho. 

Every You Every Me (Thai Mon Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - Talk about making consent and communication sexy! *fans self* Whoah! That was unexpectedly great. The blatancy of the lust in this one was fun too. And the general casual switch nature of the relationship = delightful.

I like the little acting course we're getting from these tw. They are both quite good. I’m not sure I really enjoy the stories that they’re telling, but I do like how they are telling them.

Fourever You (Thai Thurs YT) ep 6 of 16 - Hill is the premier torch carrier of this year. My goodness. He sure nursed that crush. While I really like this main couple, I’m happy to have some of the others start to creep into the narrative at this juncture. Alone HillTer are a bit intentionally miscommunicative and saccharine. But the screen-time distribution amongst couples seems a little strange. That said, couple 2? No thank you. I really don't like North as a character at all. I find him incredibly unappealing. Ordinarily I'd be on his side because....... blackmail trope renders Johan automatically a complete arse. But at least this is 2 unlikable characters being jerks to each other?

Perfect 10 Liners (Thai Sun YouTube?) ep 2 of 24 - Say it with me Thailand: negging is NOT romantic. Frankly, Arc is just an asshole and a bully with anger issues. But…… Yay cute sides! PondSand they funny. (Book, to me = never very funny. I don’t think comedy is his bailiwick. Look, comedy is HARD ya’ll and usually not in that way.) 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Youth AKA Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu (Japan Tues Gaga) ep 1 of 11 - They’re doing some interesting stuff with the framing (both filming style and narrative) that makes this extremely old-fashioned feeling (like Takumi-kun level). I keep saying that this year, but it feels like BL is doing a lot of rediscovering its roots right now. This one even had a goldfish. And abuse. (The two, oddly, often go hand-in-hand in JBL ) And overall...... it’s a bit weird. Which I don’t mind from Japan. Japanese BL can get weird in a good way. Oh I like it. Bully meats smart loaner, total opposites attract, both are lonely and broken and NEED each other, and all that.

See Your Love (Taiwan Weds Gaga) ep 4 of 13 - Oh dear, our poor little rich boy is very broken indeed. The sides are utterly ridiculous.

My Damn Business (Korea Sat YT) eps 6 of 7 - I don’t normally like a love triangle, but I kind of like this one since it gave our uke a bit more depth and agency. And charm, quite frankly. So far he’s been a very dower character.

Eccentric Romance (Korea Weds Viki) eps 9-10 of 12 - Okay boyfriend era is a go. Goodness but they sure are adorable. 

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 7 of ? - The slow burn is really very slow. To the point of frustration. But I'm still enjoying the show, just not as much as I was.

Love is Like a Poison AKA Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (Japan Tues Netflix?) 8 of 10 eps - Even Japan is going through a bf era rn I see. How unusual.

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 2 of 10 - I’m slightly less annoyed by this one than the original (but I was VERY annoyed by that). I think mame is being tempered by a few things:

There’s so much less time spent on the back-and-forth, because this is a much shorter show, so I have less time to be frustrated by it and the utter uselessness of 75% of these characters.

Also, there's that innate Japanese awkwardness of portrayal & social interaction, which makes the unpleasantness of the characters' behavior and touch more understandable.

This, in turn, is married to the natural kink factor of JBL.

There’s a clearer Dom sub from the get go with this version, makes the blackmailing a little bit more tolerable because it's clearly Play. (negotiated or not) Simply put, daddy wants his brat to beg. And honestly? So say we all.

On a completely different note, the wardrobe for this show is terrible. Like truly bad BAD.

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days (China Sun iQIYI) eps 3-4 - Well I guess that’s that disability dealt with. Meanwhile, competitive bullying art students? I am very amused. Zoo date was cute. This is unquestionably a BL (I’m even more scared now). Still, the gay boys dealing with the straight dude’s crush was truly hilarious. So much "our gay drama doesn’t have time for your het bullshit." Classy move, I smell some Taiwan in this show.

Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo (Korea Thurs Gaga) eps 4-8 end - I was reliably informed this has an HFN end so I decided to watch. Noble and self sacrificing with both of them taking the blame.

My thoughts are...... mixed.

High school student Do Hoe lives with his brutal father who runs a Taekwondo gym. When cheerful Ju Young arrives to train, they fall in love. An unexpected incident forces them apart, they reunite over a decade years later. Essentially this is a brilliant narrative about finding love at the worst possible time, surviving chronic abuse, and the way we process mental, emotional, and physical trauma overtime. Yes it’s also a romance, but that’s not primarily what this story is actually about. I can recognize its genius, but this type of narrative is not for me. I’m reminded of bittersweet painful shows like To My Star 2, or The On1y One, or even Not Me. Is this BL tangential or is it some other genre entirely? Am I questioning my own taste because I did not like its content, or because I do not like its genre? And if it’s not BL should I even render judgment? I think I have to lean into the way I approached some of those other shows, which is to say: it is not for me but I recognize that it is of an extremely high-quality that is certainly for someone else.

Recommended, but only if you like masochistic cinema. Under those circumstances 9/10

(but know that if i were rating for my personal taste? 7/10 I’m never re-watching this, and there is a small part of me that wishes I never had) 

It's airing but......

Love for Loves Sake got some kind of special supposed to air 11/9. Not sure what, why, or where. Only the rumor that it...... is. I'll believe it when I see it...... literally.

The Hidden Moon (Sat WeTV) 10 eps - I've been reliably told not to bother, so I won't.

Bad Guy My Boss (Thai Sun Gaga) 10 eps - I DNF'd at ep 7, I couldn't make it. I am weak. Life is hard enough right now, this show is making it harder. It’s not what I want from my entertainment.

Bad to Bed (Taiwan Sat YouTube) 10 eps - This is a little too low production value even for me. And just very very odd. DNF

In case you missed it

Uncle Unknown finished its run on YT. Censored Chinese BL with paralytically bad production levels. But certainly BL. Boys reunite after a break up only to discover one of them is the step-Uncle of the other. Much to my own shock and surprise I watched all 12 episodes of this. Fortunately, each episode is about 5 minutes long. Under those circumstances is it worth it? Maybe. It’s bad. But not offensive. So that's a win. And you know me, I love a weird take on the stepbrother’s trope and incest taboos. 5/20 watch it only if you have nothing better to do

Next Week Looks Like This:

Gosh there's a lot on right now.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

November BL:

11/15 Caged Again (Thai Fri Gaga) 10 eps - Penguin escapes zoo by turning into a human. Gets trapped again and a panther falls in love with him.

11/17 Your Sky (Thai Sun iQIYI) 12 eps - A naive freshman and the campus’s popular senior agree to pretend to be a couple - but their fake deal begins to generate real feelings.

11/20 Winter Is Not The Death of Summer (Thai Weds YT) ?? eps - Criminals who meet in prison fall in love

11/20 The Heart Killers (Thai Weds YT iQIYI) 12 eps - Jojo directs FirstKhao & JoongDunk in an action romcom about assassin brothers (Khao & Joong) who meet a tattoo artist ex-booster (First) and a mechanic (Dunk). I'm highly amused that Joong plays the older brother to Khao and that we have a take on the Taming of the ShrewBL. I like that everyone is morally gray. This has all GMMTV's best chemistry in one BL and some fresh concepts that I've only seen tackled in m/m romance novels (check out Amy Lane's Racing for the Sun, thank me later). I'm excited. My only quibble is Jojo, I like his style but his characters can get unreliably messy so…... this gonna be interesting.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

The insane level of his babygirl heart eyes.

Just, have mercy.

(last week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

[ninakoll]

How do you think rinniki started dating?? Or maybe not like dating but just got together💔 I always feel like they just at some point decided that yeah maybe we’re dating now, OR they’re still convinced that they are simple friends cause friends kiss right??? Wanna hear your thoughts 🙏🏻

TBH cross my heart, and forgive me if this essay i'm about to write is totally delusional.... i think they aren't dating and won't until wayyy into their 20s if even then, and get married soon after.... rinne takes this idol thing serious enough to kind of follow the no dating rule, AND another thing he does take seriously in life is niki, at the end of the day. while rinne is chaotic he is also very strong willed and goal-oriented (to a selfish fault).

but as niki and himeru both constantly note, rinne loves breaking rules also; so that's where the occasional slip up happens - i hc rinniki being semi aware of each others feelings but also being WARY about them and kind of downplaying them as a way to protect their own hearts n goals... and that's so juicy and what makes this interesting, isn't it! yearning with the occasional crash..! they're serious enough about each other to know that this is it, this is the big love, so in a way idk if they'd be in a hurry to establish anything at all until they stop being idols. niki also knows how srs rinne is about his work so he respects it and seems pretty content with life anyway. in my experience when you've fallen in love with your best friend of years you're not really in a hurry to date bc being around them is sooo rewarding in itself, and lines between where you end and the other starts are blurry anyway...... am i resting my head on them platonically? romantically? does it matter as long as we're together?

but it's also very entertaining to think about the roundabout ways they'd be trying to establish something without saying it out loud LOL especially rinne 

so in the end i think i hc them similarly to as you do, as not being established but still kind of... merged together over time and slowly, naturally; with no big confession moment. first time they address it is an unremarkable moment in the kitchen, probably. 

thank you, this was so fun to talk about!!! i love questions like these!! thanks for reading this far. RINNIKI 🗣️🗣️🗣️🍗🐝💍🐝💐

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Bowser Castle 2 Debut: Super Mario Kart

Oh no! We didn't have a post ready for today! Well let me improvise one for you really quick. Because I love you. Don't take it too personally, though, we're not here to start parasocial relationships with our followers! Sorry. I hope you understand.

This is Bowser Castle 2, from Super Mario Kart, but if I named it I'd call it Bowser Castle POO! Because it isn't very good.

Many people consider this one of the worst courses in Mario Kart history, and many people would be right! You see, iconic Bad Guy King Morton "Bowser" Koopa Sr. wanted to prove his Bad Guy status by creating a Bad Course, and boy howdy did he! He probably feels so smug about it. Jerk.

Look at that map. This course has a dead end on it. This might be the only course in Mario Kart history to do such a thing! It's possible you can use a Feather to turn that into a shortcut, but I've never pulled it off. But also I'm not very good at this game, nor am I interested in becoming good at this game, so it might just be a skill issue on my part.

But getting past the dead end offers you no reprieve, as afterwards you have to deal with this mess! It feels like they're trying to make some sort of double-loop formation, but all the 90 degree turns combined with the bridge connecting the loops being at the top ends up making it play very awkwardly. Or something like that. Listen I'm just writing this post in a stream of conscience, I dunno how to describe what's so bad about this beyond "it's bad."

luigi enters the torment labyrinth

As you can probably expect, having "being the worst Mario Kart course ever made" on its resume hasn't done good things for SNES Bowser Castle 2. The only game it's returned in is Super Circuit, which included literally every SNES course, which is to say it was not getting any sort of special treatment. Even Mario Kart Tour, a game which literally invented new SNES courses for the sake of getting more content out of existing assets, refused to bring Bowser Castle 2 into its arms.

Is there any hope in this world for an absolute dogwater course like this one? I dunno but that's not gonna stop me from coming up with hypothetical solutions. Yes this is the kind of thing I think about in my spare time! Don't judge me!

Really, for all I've been dunking on this course in this post, I don't think it'd actually take all that much to get this into a playable state. As you can see, I've re-envisioned the dead end as a shortcut (likely blocked off with a wooden cutout so you need to use a mushroom), and I've reimagined the Torment Labyrinth as a double roundabout configuration à la Wii Rainbow Road. After that I just smoothed out some turns, added a glider ramp at the end so you have something to do during the last straightaway, and envisioned some totally awesome elevation changes that can not be displayed from a bird's-eye view like this, and bam! I created a version of this course that could potentially maybe be enjoyable.

I mean I dunno. I don't have the means to play it.

I drew this earlier this morning and it's the entire reason I've decided to make this our spur-of-the-moment post. I hope you're proud of me. For what it's worth, at least SNES Bowser Castle 2 can theoretically be made into a somewhat enjoyable course. It's not like it's stuck with a name like "Figure-8 Circuit" or something.

[mysteryshoptls]

SR Jamil Viper - Luxe Couture Vignette

"If I let this opportunity pass me by"

[Fairest City – Crystal Galleria]

Jamil: So, this is the "world's most beautiful plaza", the luxury shopping arcade Crystal Galleria.

Jamil: It's no wonder that the passage is lined with high-brand shops.

Ace: Woah! I totally dig those clothes in that shop's window! I'ma check 'em out.

Jamil: Hey, Ace! Ah man, I'll go and bring him back.

[Grim, Vil, and Azul look exasperated]

Shop Staff A: Welcome～!

Ace: Woooah! There's a ton of cool-lookin' clothes and accessories! This's so awesome!

Jamil: Hey… Don't just run off on your own. Come on, we're heading back to Vil-senpai.

Ace: It's just a little peek～ I saw somethin' I liked. Like see, like this T-shirt…

Ace: …Urk, it costs 100,000 Madol [1,000 Thaumarks]! That's waaay too expensive for me!

Jamil: That price is fairly standard for a high-brand shop… Hm?

Jamil: This stitching… It's pretty shoddy. Looks like they're using pretty low-quality cotton, too.

Jamil: Strangely, this doesn't look like the sort of thing that would be sold at this price.

Ace: Huh? Aren't T-shirts all made of the same stuff?

Jamil: Sure. But high-brand T-shirts are generally made with high-quality cotton.

Jamil: Better quality cotton is soft and have a nice feel to it.

Jamil: Not only does it not wrinkle easily, but when the cotton is made into T-shirts, it keeps its shape for longer and makes for a nice silhouette.

Jamil: The design of these other shirts isn’t too terrible… But the fabric quality is just too low.

Jamil: There's no way a shop selling at this level can have a store in the Crystal Galleria.

Jamil: Which means… They must have lowered the quality of their material after opening. Did they run into some kind of business issues?

Ace: Hey! That jacket's so rough-lookin' and cool! Excuse me, I'd like to try this on!

Shop Staff B: Ohh my, I'm sorry. I'm afraid that jacket cannot be tried on here.

Jamil: …

Ace: Huh? Really?

Shop Staff B: That's right. That is a really pricey jacket. If it is somehow dirtied or damaged, it would be on the customer to compensate the loss, wouldn't you say?

Jamil: …So essentially, he has to decide to buy it or not without trying it on?

Shop Staff B: Well, I guess that's right.

Jamil: …Would I be allowed to try these slacks on?

Shop Staff A: Unfortunately, that won't be possible either. Sorry.

Jamil: Ah, right. Thought as much.

Ace: C'mon. Isn't that a stupid rule?

Middle-aged Man: Oh nice, this is a pretty nice shop. The prices seem pretty reasonable, too.

Shop Staff B: Oh, what an important looking customer! Welcome～! Is there something in particular you're looking for?

Middle-aged Man: I'm wanting a jacket, see… Think you have something that'll suit me?

Shop Staff A: Well, if that's the case, how about this one? It's one of our most popular designs.

Shop Staff B: I'm sure it will be perfect for you. Please, try it on!

Ace: Wha―!? But when I asked earlier, they said it wasn't allowed to be tried on!!

Shop Staff A: Students like you can't possibly buy something like that, so there's no reason for you to try it on, is there?

Shop Staff B: Please go home before you start to disturb our other customers. We don't have the free time to be dealing with you two.

Ace: Huh...!?

Jamil: …Not only are their products low-quality, but so are the staff's customer service.

Jamil: There's no reason to stick around in a shop like this. Let's go meet up with Vil-senpai and the others.

[Fairest City – Crystal Galleria]

Ace: Wha was that all about, treatin' us like dirt just 'cause we're students!? That was terrible service. That pissed me off so much!

Ace: First they shoo us out, then they play all buddy-buddy up to the rich-lookin' guy.

Jamil: I bet that since they've been rubbing elbows with the rich and famous while working at that high-brand store…

Jamil: They've completely started to think that they've improved their own social standing.

Jamil: Thinking about those sorts of folks and getting upset about it is a waste of time. Just shake it off.

Jamil: Only the best brands, in both name and reputation, will flourish here at the Crystal Galleria.

Jamil: I can't tell if they had a change in management since opening, or if they've suffered business losses…

Jamil: But from what I saw, I can't imagine that place continuing to be suitable for this passage.

Jamil: Even if we do nothing, I'm sure they'll have no choice but to close down eventually.

Ace: It could ruin a brand's rep if they got kicked out of the Crystal Galleria. That'd feel sooo good to see, though!

―The next day

Jamil: I really can't relax at all while at Vil-senpai's side. I'll have to relax as much as I can during my personal free time here.

Jamil: Maybe I'll check out the café at the far end of the Crystal Galleria.

Jamil: Hm? This shop looks… I guess I can check it out.

Clerk: Welcome! Please feel free to look around.

Jamil: …This place is completely different than the one yesterday. Now, where's that outfit I saw in the window…?

Jamil: Ah, here it is. I thought it looked like a pretty nice jacket from outside, but the pockets and lining give off a more casual feel.

Jamil: This isn't something I see often. The material is good and the sewing and embroidery is delicately done…

Clerk: Would you like to try it on? Come this way.

Jamil: Thank you.

Jamil: Yeah, the size is good and it fits well. I think this color also actually goes well with the clothes I brought with me, too…

Jamil: …How much is this jacket?

Clerk: That would be 50,000 Madol [500 Thaumarks].

Jamil: I see. Would you allow me to think on it?

Clerk: Of course! And please take your time to look at our other items.

Jamil: A 50,000 Madol jacket… That's a bit of a steep price for me… Hmm…

Jamil: The fabric's quality, the design, and the superb stitching make this very high quality…

Jamil: If I think of those factors, even 50,000 Madol is fairly cheap. Also…

Jamil: I've found this in the Crystal Galleria, of all places. If I let this opportunity pass me by, there won't be another chance to buy something like this.

Jamil: …Excuse me. Could I purchase the jacket I tried on earlier?

Clerk: Absolutely. I'll go fetch a new one for you. Please wait a moment.

Jamil: Sure.

Jamil: …I was able to buy a sensible jacket from a reasonable shop here in the Crystal Galleria.

Jamil: Yeah. I'm definitely satisfied with this. And I'm sure this'll be a great memory.

[Fairest City – Queen's Palace]

Shop Staff A: KYAAA! VIL-SAMAAA! YOU'RE SO BEAUTIFUL!!

Shop Staff B: SO BEAUTIFUL! I JUST HAVE TO GET A PICTURE OF THAT STUNNING FACE!

Jamil: Hm? I think I saw those two screaming fans over there yesterday...

Shop Staff A: Oh, look! Do you think those guys walking alongside Vil-sama are models too? Should we ask for an autograph?

Shop Staff B: EXCUSE ME!! PLEASE GIVE US YOUR AUTOGRAPH!!

Jamil: …Hahah! You sure you want my autograph?

Shop Staff B: Absolutely! …Wait, huh? I feel like I've seen him before…

Shop Staff A: Wait! Isn't he that customer that we turned away yesterday…!?

Jamil: I'm honored that a mere student like myself would stir your recollections.

Shop Staff A: Wh-Who would have thought he'd be so famous to walk the tapis rouge…? And he looks so good in that outfit!

Shop Staff B: If we had sold clothing to those boys yesterday, it might've been such good publicity!!

Shop Staff A: H-Hey! Once you're finished here, would you care to come visit our shop once more?

Shop Staff B: We have a collection of garments that would look fabulous on you! Please allow us to design your new look!

Jamil: I have to decline. Your shop does not have any article of clothing that would suit me.

Jamil: After all, just as you said yesterday, there is no need to try anything on.

Shop Staff A/B: U-Uhhh… So when we said that yesterday, uh…

Jamil: If that is all, perhaps you should head home now? Not only are you bothering others around you…

Jamil: But I also do not have the free time to be dealing with you, either.

Requested by @ordinaryanon.

[lesbianmarrow]

Unfortunately the series never really deals with the attempted rape in SR with any of the weight it deserves, neither in the immediate aftermath nor in s7, which while not surprising (they've never been good at dealing with sexual violence) is still enraging to me cause they were very deliberate in making that scene as invasive/violent as possible, so the horrible follow through is almost worse than SR itself

yeah that's what i figured 😔 it's like.........i don't want to seem like i'm of the mind that sexual violence shouldn't be represented on television, or that depictions of it need to be "softened" and palatable, but the scene is so gruesome in a way that feels totally uncalled for. and having buffy be a victim of attempted rape by someone she cares for and was very intimate with for some time is really strange to me? and to do it so late in the season, when there's no time to explore how buffy is dealing with this trauma, is really odd when they made such a point to make that scene so graphic and traumatic. like what was the point......how is this serving buffy's character......like if we're doing a story about buffy experiencing this trauma and grappling with it then we need to really do it. and the show doesn't actually seem interested in doing that?

[starstruck-sillies]

If I hear one more person say "It's just a word get over it" I'm gonna fucking scream. Why is it that every other disability/disorder gets to be rightfully choosy about which words for their disability/disorder people who don't have them can use, but it's suddenly a big fucking issue when CDD systems are?? Why's it so much bigger of a deal when we wanna be fucking choosy about words related to our disorder, than it is when we're choosy about words related to other disorders we have, huh? Why's that such a big fucking deal all of a sudden.

So it's completely and totally fine for an autistic person to tell a neurotypical person not to use the term "hyperfixation" even if said neurotypical "feels it fits better" (yknow, because that's a reasonable request and makes sense /srs) but the SECOND an anti endo CDD systems says they don't like people without CDDs using the term system it's suddenly a fucking problem?

"But it's been shared for years!!" That doesn't make it fucking okay does it. Just because they randomly started using our damn terms doesn't make it right. Them snatching the term and changing it's meaning doesn't make it theirs.

"Some professionals call them that!!" And they used to use "multiple personality disorder" and the r slur was originally a medical term, that doesn't make it fucking right.

We're allowed to be upset about it. You wouldn't tell any other disabled/disordered community not wanting people without their disability/disorder to use their words to "just get over it" because "it's just a word", so why do you do it to us??

It's almost like words do in fact have meaning, and that those meanings do in fact have impacts.

-Reesa

[rvspecter]

I loved this scene so much. This is the scene where Donna says to Harvey you're such a wuss. First of all, I'm not saying I did but I'm also not saying I didn't take a lot of personal satisfaction from Donna telling Harvey that he's a wuss. But she also gets to shush him while he waits while she's on the phone talking to Norma. So she's super in charge of this moment.

SR: What I love about it is that Gabriel brings this totally boyish side of Harvey to this blip of a scene. I mean, he comes in and sits on her desk and is cowering, scared of Norma, and we have to assume that there's all this intimacy between the two of them because there's such a lack of status at play between Harvey and Donna and this is where I needed direction.

I was like, wait, hang on. Really? You guys want me to just shush him? He's my boss? Tell him he's a wuss? That was a big step I think. It seems really tiny but it totally reframed my idea of their relationship. That she's the one who's saying, I'm talking or I'm listening to something or I'm in charge of this moment or what is wrong with you? That she's that person.

PJA: Had you not shushed him or done things like that to him before this?

SR: No. I remember because it came up in the finale when we were shooting the finale of season one in a scene that has been cut where she walks into a room and she says, what the hell is wrong with you? She walks in like that. I remember being like wow they have a history. She is not his employee. They started out in a different place if she's somebody who starts out talking to him like that.

Gabriel did so much to create that by coming in like the cowering boy who desperately needed Donna to call his mommy who was Norma and take care of it for him.

It was one of those scenes where somebody said we're just going to do this quick. I think it might get cut. This is where Gabriel really on his side of the street made Donna who she was by coming in with a strong need and with low status.

PJA: Quick reframe - you made Donna who she was. You don't need no man making Donna.

[midnight1nk]

So, this week's episode...

[Spoilers below cut]

*GASP*

....chat. wha?

(the following is my live reaction:)

Ad time? ad time.

SMG4: "You just had to call them [the girls] yucky." *wheeze* 3 really?

*helicopter explosion* ← I did tell yall I have a terrible sense of humor. ofc I would laugh at that

now we can start :)

oh Karen, what's wrong? Uh oh, don't tell me...

GODAMMIT

I knew that second teaser had to do something with Mario going after Karen and/or her kids

YEAH FUCK THE POLICE, IT'S TIME FOR A MOM TO TAKE MATTERS INTO HER OWN HANDS

PFFT the profile pic I least expected to pop up (srs, last episode she had bootleg plush 4 as pfp) when was this pic even taken???

he really is a clown 🤡 *clown horn sounds*

...huh. 3 would do that, wouldn't he?

really? "Mario waits for the bus"? you didn't even get past that starting screen

:O

WOAH WOAH ok, everyone chill out.

3, you probably could've worded that better. did you really have to go that far?

and Karen, I was wondering: where were you before this happened? Genuinely, I'm blaming you for the situation but you're usually near your kids so maybe it was just a quick errand? WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE LAST EPISODE AND THIS ONE?

BEEG4?! LET'S GOOOOO WE'RE SO BACK

dude, I seriously cheered. I mean, hey any chance to have the SMG4 kids for an episode is a win in my book

that's his boy!!!

🥹 he's so sweet oh my god

it's like he gave me hot chocolate and wrapped me up in a blanket, and this wasn't even directed at me

somehow my subcategory of fave characters fully has a "caring and supporting talk while getting a ride home from the airport" vibe

how can you hate 4? no, like seriously, how can you hate him? i don't get it

we gotta move on or else I'm gonna start chasing haters around with a bat

YES KAREN & 4 TEAM UP IS BACK (now with beeg4)

amazon? don't tell me the monopoly man is involved

they call him Uncle Mario? noooo don't do that to me

and the parenting episode came back for this *head in hands*

😦 we finally got a voice

Mario did it so Karen could relax from the stress? Hmm, while it would be something Mario would do, it still feels off. idk I just have a bad feeling something was done to Mario

yeah, it's not helpful, but aw 💙

GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO— *gets run over by a bus* OH C'MON

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! THAT TOY WAS RELEVANT?! *facepalm* omg I should've known

LET'S GO? OK TEAM UP

finally, welcome back "We Must Kill Mario"

HOLY SHIT THAT WAS TOTALLY WICKED

...ngl he kinda gives me Niles vibes

Mr. WPNZ, huh? 🤔 hmmmmmm

still don't trust any of this (probably insane)

😦 IT'S THE ORGANIZATION, IT'S THEM AND YOU CAN'T TELL ME OTHERWISE

(not that I'm Mr WPNZ is the boss, just that he's part of it)

ZACK NO

CORY NOT YOU TOO

NONONONONONONNONONO

*head in hands* I was afraid this would happen

listen, I remember clips of this shitty movie (idk how long ago), that basically these child soldiers were given VR headsets by this secret organization, being told that it's just videogame for training. The twist was that the children were actually killing real people. it's basically that here

it's going to be "oh, you thought that this was fun? wait until you do the real thing" *head in hands* Karen please get there on time

oh boy

Karen Karen, ik you're desperate and trying to find your kids but there's no need to interrogate Luigi like this

save that energy for the real deal

oh. well that was a quick scene

>:(

*sigh* It's the father. Like, I was thinking about it in the back of my mind palace and didn't want to say anything until now

Still polishing the analysis but I did suspect that the father was going to come into the picture again, in three ways to be exact: The Sacrifice, The Protector, or The Lost Cause. And it's unfortunately, that last one

it makes sense why the father would be here taking the kids. The secret organization already knows about the kids and Karen not taking any of their orders. So, they would have to take drastic measures to get Karen to do what they want, and why not send out the person related to the family? After all, they can't send out the boss with the scary voice to talk with the kids. Have a friendly and charming face, one that the kids could relate to and trust

But clearly, he's the absent father

NONONO WHERE DID HE TAKE THEM?

WHAT DID I SAY? I knew they must've had advanced technology based on the walkie-talkie alone, or at least what they picked for inspiration from informants (could be the government-level or something similar???)

Now, this is going to be me full-on hating on this dude, and totally believing that this is the actual father, so if you want to skip ahead, you can. I just need to get it out of my system: Oh right, listen here you piece of shit. You better not play yourself the victim here just bc "oh the organization brainwashed me", bc guess what? you did all that willingly. You chose to stay behind instead of running away with Karen or having the guts to go against the organization. You chose to accept the mission handed to you to go after your own kids and recruit them through manipulation. You chose to see you kids only when it's convenient to you and your boss. You chose to bash Karen when never once have you been an actual father in their lives. Oh, and what's more? You're clearly insecure and jealous bc Karen was the best agent the organization had, they went for her on that hit for Marty instead of you. Count your days, you and the organization have nothing against the wrath of a mother.

*flips desk*

ok, now i'm done. let's continue

Mario, it's best if you start talking or Karen's going to get the wrong idea

OH, the walkie-talkie! it should still be here, right? near the boxes? Karen did see Mario with it on the security footage, maybe she can connect the dots!

...WHAT? the end credits?! you can't end it there! AND no end theme music either?! TEAM YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO US

Let's see, Gianni Matragrano as Mr. WPNZ? Well, that confirms several of my suspicions. Though, I'm not familiar with the VA

Huh, apparently he's a VA for Glitch's Gaslight District series. Yeah, that makes sense. Still not that familiar to me tho, I'm sure other people will recognize him.

Congrats to The_StUpid_VeLL for your art being featured at the end credits! 🎉

.・-: ✧ :--: ✧ :-・.

Ok, first off, can I say the thumbnail did not need to go this hard? Ben, you REALLY cooked.

Ben: "Drawing blood on smg4 characters is my passion :3"

Yeah, I could tell, now more so in your new AU. but I also don't like the implications we're going to get from this and no, I'll try not to bring 4's left eye into discussion.

This was a pretty cool episode, love how the Team brought back elements from the "We Must Kill Mario" and "Mario Teaches Parenting" episodes. Pacing on a few (very few) parts could've been better, like the Luigi interrogation scene felt too quick idk. But overall, pretty good! There were definitely funny parts, some were sweet. One was 3 going after Karen's neck like sheesh, that was harsh. And I know we're trying to guess who Mr. WPNZ is and how the plot's going to go, but man. The Crew cannot catch a break.

It's sad to think about Karen trying so hard to forget her past as her way to move on but that organization keeps bothering her, and now involving the kids in this. And the thing is the kids don't even know about her past, naturally they wouldn't know how bad this is going to get. Then, there's the father. From the way he's been, I'm 95% sure it's really him. I'll talk about this more in my analysis but I could tell from the captions alone. It simply makes sense. oops, all trauma!

I think the plot could lead up to the kids being used as leverage against Karen. The ultimate deal would be: the kids becoming future assassins or Karen giving herself up and returning to the organization. Them or her. Both options are bad bc either way, the organization would have the kids in their custody. Not sure how the Team's going to go with this, but I hope Karen doesn't forgive the father of her kids. Just let Karen kick their asses 😌↕️ It's all I ask.

And if I tell you this show's about all types of love, including familial?

Like I said, I'll be talking about it more in my analysis, and I'm still thinking about Marty and Karen needing a job, but this is what I have to offer for now! I'll see you all next time and remember: numbers go first!

.

.

.

.

.

.

hey Team, don't think I haven't seen that door. ever since we brought it up, it's come to haunt me every chance it gets.

fine fine, I'll work on the ref sheets. not now but soon.

[screamlet]

fic masterpost: BuckTommy Angst Week

read all on the ao3

short fics (≤500 words) written as part of @bucktommyangstweek.

if you read along this week: thank you so much! if you're just catching up: have fun! YAY ANGST!

---

total word count: 3.5k; status: complete tags: no archive warnings apply; specific cw's at each link notes: these are all standalone stories, and take place in various states of together/broken up/working on it.

---

table of contents all of the original tumblr posts can be found under the tag. links below are to the ao3 chapters.

Day 1 - Crash That Jeep

This is what he gets for asking Evan to take it slow, Tommy thinks. This is what he gets for wanting and asking for another chance.

Day 2 - Panic Attack

"It's not fair, it's not, it's not."

Over his head, Buck faintly hears someone whisper: Is he okay? Tommy shifts, maybe to make some gesture, but he also holds Buck closer. 

Day 3 - Kidnapping

Athena calls him when he's already 10 minutes from the scene.

"TikTok told me about the hot LAFD pilot in a hostage situation like a half-hour ago! When was someone gonna call me?"

Day 4 - On the Job Accident

Through the chaos at the scene, Buck sees a familiar form, gait, jawline, name on the turnouts. He doesn't realize he's making his way to Tommy until he's almost there. 

Day 5 - Missing in Action

Detective Romero asks, "But how did he go missing during a call?"

Athena replies, "It was a dog last time. By the time we're done listing the possibilities, he'll be home."

Day 6 - Bedside Vigil

Tommy's never thought much about the expression spitting mad, but goddamn if he isn't feeling it now while he and Evan sit in the ICU at Tom Kinard Sr.'s bedside.

Day 7 - Near Death Experience

"Seven years never meeting on calls, not even after breaking up, and now we're buried alive under a parking lot."

[meenatranslates]

[SR] Kazunari | Contrast Twins: Oldest

Even though it’s the same song, it sounds totally different live, streamed, or on a gramophone like this—it’s super interesting~♪ Lead Skill: An Elegant and Gentle Tone Adlib Skill: A Timid and Reserved Boy Related Scout: SCHOOL UNIFORM COLLECTION Related Event: Special Edition: A Day in the Gymnasium

__________________________

Party Mode: Sealed? - Part 1

__________________________

*Director's default name as Izumi

―(Mini Lounge Area)—

Kazunari: ...Whatcha think of that?

Taichi: Sounds good to me!

But can you keep that up, Kazu-kun?

Kazunari: Just gotta push through for the role study!

Izumi: (Role study? What’s that about?)

What are you guys talking about?

Taichi: Ah, Director-sensei!

Kazunari: I was just talking to Taicchan about my role for the Gymnasium.

Izumi: Ah, right. This time you’re acting as Taichi’s twin with a bit of a gloomy side.

Kazunari: Yup!

Izumi: (Seems like discussing just between the two of them is helping them get into character.)

Kazunari: I’ve got a little idea, so I’m gonna try it out first thing tomorrow!

Izumi: Really? What are you gonna be doing?

Kazunari: You’ll just have to wait and see tomorrow!

Taichi: Yeah! You’re gonna be totally surprised, Director-sensei!

Izumi: Fufu, alright. I’m looking forward to it.

―Next day (Room 202)―

Kazunari: Hwah~...

Muku: Good morning, Kazu-kun.

Kazunari: Good morn—.

!!

Muku: Kazu-kun?

Kazunari: ...Yeah, good morning.

Muku: Hm?

(I wonder what’s up with Kazu-kun...? He seems kinda different today...)

*Knock Knock*

Oh—coming!

Kumon: Morning! Hey, hey—everyone’s about to play Grand Millionaire, so come join us! (1)

Muku: Oh wow, that sounds like fun! Shall we go join them, Kazu-kun?

Kazunari: .....

Kumon: Huh? Kazu-san?

Kazunari: ...I think I’ll pass on the game this time.

Muku & Kumon: EH!?

Kumon: Is he busy with assignments or something...? Have you heard anything, Muku?

I don’t think he mentioned being busy lately... Actually, he’s been like this since he woke up this morning.

Kumon: Hmm... Did something happen, Kazu-san?

Kazunari: No, there’s nothing.

...Well, I do have a few things to take care of. If I finish early, is it okay if I join then?

Kumon: You don’t need to ask—just join us like you always do! Right, Muku?

Muku: Y-yeah! We’ll be waiting for you then.

Kazunari: .....

―(Lounge Room)―

Taichi: Alright! How's that!

Homare: Hmm... Alas, I've no card to put forth!

Citron: I do! Hyah! I'm one step closer to becoming the Grand Millionaire~!

Muku: Ah, Director-san.

Izumi: I could hear all the excitement from the hallway. What are you guys up to?

Muku: We're playing Grand Millionaire. Would you like to join us too?

Izumi: Sure!

As much as I'd love to jump in right away, I need to finish updating the equipment list first. Will I still make it in time for a round?

Kumon: Totally! Kazu-san should be joining us later too, so...

Izumi: Oh, you called him over too? It's going to get even livelier then!

Muku: I hope so...

Izumi: Eh?

Muku: Ah—no, I'm sure it will be! Well then, we'll be waiting for you, Director-san!

Izumi: Yup, I'll call out to you after I'm done.

(The way Muku-kun was acting just now... Did something happen to Kazu-kun?)

Citron: It's time to resume the game~!

Kazunari: .....

Izumi: Oh, hey. Good morning, Kazunari-kun.

Kazunari: Yeah, morning.

Izumi: (Huh...?)

=====NOTES=====

[1] Daifugō (大富豪, Grand Millionaire, Very Rich Man) or Daihinmin (大貧民, Grand Pauper), also known as Tycoon, is a Japanese shedding-type card game for three or more players played with a standard 52-card pack. The objective of the game is to get rid of all the cards one has as fast as possible by playing progressively stronger cards than those of the previous player. The winner is called the daifugō (the grand millionaire) earning various advantages in the next round, and the last person is called the daihinmin (the grand pauper). In that following round, winners can exchange their one or more unnecessary cards for advantageous ones that losers have. (Source: WIkipedia)

__________________________

Party Mode: Sealed? - Part 2

__________________________

Izumi: (He's not acting like his usual self... I wonder what's wrong...?)

Kazunari: Hey, what are you working on?

Izumi: Oh, this? I'm updating the equipment list.

We might end up buying things twice if I don't record what we’ve restocked.

Kazunari: I see.

...In that case, should I start by sorting the receipts by date?

Izumi: Eh!? It's okay, really—I can do this myself since it shouldn't take too long.

Everyone's waiting for you to join the game, so why don't you go there instead?

Kazunari: No, I'd rather help you first.

...Being here helping you feels more calming than being with many people.

🌸 CHOICE 1:　Did something happen...?

Izumi: Um, did something happen, Kazu-kun...? Kazunari: No, nothing at all. More importantly, won't things go faster if we work on it together? Izumi: Well, true. And if we finish early, I'd be able to join the others—That'd be nice! Kazunari: ...I see, so you just want to hurry up and go play with them. Izumi: Eh? Kazunari: Ah, nevermind. Hey, just let me know anytime if you ever need help again, okay? Izumi: S-sure, thanks... (Hmm, he really does seem different today... but I can tell he genuinely wants to help.)

🌸 CHOICE 2:　Being with me?!

Izumi: B-Being with me?! That's kind of bold coming from you, isn't it? (1) Kazunari: Really? Oh, does that bother you? Izumi: Well, no, but… I don't know, you're acting kind of strange today. Kazunari: That's not it. I just want to help you, that's all. Isn't it normal to want to do anything for someone special? Izumi: Kazunari-kun...? (He's acting so differently, it's like he's not even Kazunari-kun anymore…!)

~~~~~

Izumi: Phew, all done...! Thanks, Kazunari-kun.

Kazunari: Good work. I'm glad I could be helpful.

Citron: Still, what's going on with Kazu today? He's acting kinda different today.

Kumon: Yeah... We were wondering about that too. He doesn't seem sick or anything, but...

Muku: He's been like that ever since he woke up this morning...

Homare: Indeed, it's quite unlike him. I'd say it reminds me of how he is when he's drunk.

Citron: Maybe he's hungover?

Taichi: Hmm hmm, I see. So that's how you guys see it, huh~?

Muku: Huh? What do you mean?

Kumon: You know something, Taichi-san?!

Taichi: Hehe, you'll get it soon enough! No need to worry!

Anyway, the game's still on! Let's keep going!

Izumi: (Seems like Taichi knows something. Then I guess it's fine... Wait—now that I think about it, yesterday...)

Homare: Oh my, looks like I'll be out in the next round.

Citron: I won't let you! Taste my secret move!

Taichi: No way...!

Kumon: T-that's...!

Muku: Could it be...!

Kazunari: .....

Izumi: (He's looking over at the others...)

Muku: Oh, are you going to join in too, Kazu-kun?

Kumon: Yeah, come play with us!

Kazunari: No, I'm...

Izumi: Hey, Kazunari-kun. I'm going to join in too, so why not come with me?

Kazunari: But...

Citron: BOOM!! It's a revolution~!!

Kazunari: !!

Citron: Come on, Kazu! Look over here! You're not seriously gonna miss Citron's Revolution, are you?!

Kazunari: Ngh-!

Uwaaah~! No more! I give in! Lemme join too~!!

Kumon: Woah! Kazu-san, where'd that come from?!

Homare: It seems our usual Kazunari-kun has returned.

Muku: Fufu, I feel relieved somehow.

Citron: So what was with all the weird behaviour earlier?

Kazunari: Actually, it was for the Gymnasium event...

My role this time is super different from how I usually am, so I figured I'd try acting like the character as practice.

Izumi: (So it really was for role study...)

(So when Taichi-kun said "You'll be surprised" yesterday—he meant this.)

Kazunari: But it was just too much~! I couldn't take it anymore after watching everyone have fun!!

Taichi: Hehe, you held out pretty well though!

Citron: So you knew about it, Taichi?

Taichi: Yup, we talked it over yesterday, just the two of us. Kazu-san and I are playing twins this time after all!

Homare: Ah, so it was a secret only shared between the twins—very fitting.

Kumon: Woah! Even that feels like a role study for twins!

Kazunari: But man, I totes didn't expect everyone to be playing Grand Millionaire right now~.

Muku: Sorry for inviting you without knowing. I must've gotten in the way of your role study.

Kazunari: Nah, no worries! You couldn't have known, Muku! I was seriously holding myself back ever since you invited me!

Now that it's come to this, maybe I'll just go around peeking at everyone's cards till the game ends~!

Izumi: Ahaha, that sounds fun too.

Kazunari: Right?!

Okay then, next round, Director-chan and I are totally joining in!♪

=====NOTES=====

[1] so for the Choice 2, Kazu uses the word "kimi" to refer to Izumi and that's not what he usually calls her so she's surprised by that, but that's a pronoun exclusive in japanese and not in english, so it's not that obvious if i try to just translate as "you". i thought of taking liberty by changing it to "B-Being with me!?".

Story Clear!

[the-himawari]

A3! Miyoshi Kazunari - Translation [SR] Bright Star of Blooming (1/2)

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

---

Izumi: …Hm? (It sounds pretty rowdy in the lounge…)

-pause-

Kazunari: Ah, Director-chan!

Izumi: What are all you guys doing?

Kumon: Summer troupe’s playing pictionary relay!*

Kazunari: We were just about to match the pictures with the answers, so come join us!

Izumi: What the hell, sure...

Kazunari: The whole chain started off with “ri”… And Mukkun was the one who drew it, right?

Muku: Yes! This is… a squirrel!

Misumi: That’s a good one, Muku~!

Tenma: You can tell at a glance.

Yuki: There’s no doubt about it.

Kumon: That’s Muku for you!

Kazunari: And next was Yukki.

Yuki: I drew… a watermelon.

Misumi: Wow~. It’s a watermelon~!

Izumi: You can totally tell.

Kumon: Yep! He nailed it!

Kazunari: Then next up was yours truly. I drew… a crab!

Muku: You can see Kazu-kun’s drawing skills at work!

Misumi: You’re amazing~!

Tenma: There’s no need to worry there.

Yuki: He’s on another level. That’s his day job though, so I guess that’s to be expected.

Kazunari: And so… Tenten, what do we have here?

Tenma: …A pacific herring.

Yuki: A what?

Kumon: Uh, I can vaguely tell it’s a fish from the outline, but…

Yuki: There’s no way anyone can tell exactly what type it is.

Izumi: Wait, hold on. The word chain will come to an end if you use that word…

Tenma: AH…!

Misumi: Stay strong, Tenma~!

Kazunari: Ahaha! There’s never a dull moment with Tenten~. This was a fun break from work~!

Muku: Come to think of it, the screening party for “Sky Gallery” is just around the corner.

Kazunari: Yep! This would make a great topic to chat about, wouldn't it?

Tenma: We don’t have to talk about this!

-pause-

Kazunari: It’s been a hot minute since we’ve worn these costumes. I am SO locked in~!

Muku: Fufu. It brings back memories already.

Izumi: All of you look great.

Kazunari: You know, you could wear these costumes out as regular outfits. Don’tcha think?

Yuki: They’ll get dirty, so you better not.

Kazunari: You’re not wrong. But I totes feel Aomi’s energy when I put this costume on!

Yuki: We may be wearing the costumes, but we’re not acting as the characters today.

Kazunari: I know, I know~. I, Kazunari Miyoshi, will do my very best to entertain the audience today!

Tenma: He’s not supposed to be in character, but it’s confusing when he acts so excited with his Aomi outfit on…

Izumi: Ahaha…

-pause-

Kazunari: Heya~! We’re the members who were selected from MANKAI Company’s Summer troupe ✰

Tenma: He sure went from 0 to 100 from the very start.

Yuki: Agreed.

Muku: I love it. That's just like Kazu-kun.

Kazunari: Exactamundo! I bet everyone’s still basking in the afterglow of the screening, but we’re gonna keep it moving forward with our same energy as usual!

Muku: Let’s go ahead with the talk show! Alright, shall we jump into answering the questions we’ve received from the audience members?

Tenma: Sounds good to me.

-pause-

Kazunari: …’Kay, onto the next question!

Muku: Let me see… it says, “please tell us a memorable story you have from the performance.”

Kazunari: Ooh boy, I’ve got tons~!

Tenma: Since we're here, I think you should talk about your memories from being the lead.

Kazunari: Mm~, it’s hard to choose from so many… But I guess I’d say the time all of us drew pictures of the sky left a big impression on me.

Muku: All of us in Summer troupe were on a digital detox, so we weren’t allowed to use our phones. That’s when we decided to hold a sketching contest.

Kazunari: Yep, exactly! Even though they were drawings of the same sky, everyone’s individuality popped out. It was super duper fun to look at~.

Yuki: By the way, are you still storing those drawings?

Kazunari: Of course I am! Okay, hear me out. At times like this, like a screening party—we should place them all out on display, one-by-one, at the MANKAI Theatre. Wouldn’t it be hella fun making it like an exhibition where everyone can come take a peek at them?

Yuki: That doesn’t sound half bad.

Muku: I agree!

Tenma: …

Muku: What’s the matter, Tenma-kun?

Tenma: No, it’s just… I drew that picture not thinking anyone else would see it.

Kazunari: Huh! Your sky drawing was a real work of art though!

Yuki: Well, that one was good… our pictionary relay? Not so much.

Tenma: Hey, Yuki—!

Kazunari: Ah, should we talk about that after all? Tenten’s sense when it comes to pictionary relay sure is interesting!

Muku: I’d love to play pictionary relay in front of the audience next time.

Yuki: It'd descend into chaos for sure.

Guest A: Summer troupe’s pictionary relay…!

Guest B: I wanna see it so bad!

Kazunari: Aw, look. The audience members are totes dying to see it!

Tenma: —I swear I’m not doing it!

---

*They’re playing  “絵しりとり” (e shiritori). It's basically shiritori (word chain game), but with drawings. The game starts off with a Japanese syllable, i.e. “ri” in this case. The first person has to draw a picture of something that starts with “ri”. The next person has to draw something that starts with the last syllable of the item in the previous picture. And it goes on from there.

The chain here was: リス (risu: squirrel) > スイカ (suika: watermelon) > カニ (kani: crab) > ニシン (nishin: pacific herring).

In Japanese, no word starts with the syllable ん (“n”), so if anyone says or uses a word that ends in “n”, the game is over.

| next

[cainluvr69]

"The Master Swordsman Smiles Fearlessly" Cain SR Story - Take My Hand

Cain: (There really isn't much info on Kirsche Persche, huh.) (I guess for right now I'll see if anyone around here has anything, and then report back--)

???: What do you think you're doing?! Give me back my wallet!

Cain: !! (That voice came from…that alleyway.) Hey there, friends. Mugging someone in broad daylight, huh?

Riquet: …! Who…?

Grey-haired Man: Huhhh? Keep your nose outta our business and it'll stay atta… …! You fucker, you're Ventisca's katana expert, aren'tcha. Who'da thought I'd see your ugly mug again.

Cain: Again…? Oh, yeah, now that you mention it, I have seen you before. You two started getting rowdy in one of our shops, so I had to smash your faces into the pavement about it.

Scarred Man: D…don't say it like that! Damn, we're gonna pay you back big time for that!

Cain: You two don't learn easily, do you… Well, whatever. I'll take you both on. Hey, you. You should run while you have the chance. Just leave the rest of this mess to me.

Riquet: I--I'm not going to run! I couldn't possibly let them fight you two against one…

Grey-haired Man: Shut the fuck up already! Take this!

Cain: …jeez.

Grey-haired Man: Gwah?!

Riquet: !! He knocked that man so far back with just one swing…!

Cain: I'd rather not get violent in front of a kid, but… I figure smashing your faces against the pavement again might get the message to stick this time. So come on, feel free to come at me however you'd like.

✦✧☾✧✦

Scarred Man: Th…then how's this?! --Ghh?!

Riquet: Attacking from behind is an act of cowardice! Now repent for your sins!

Cain: Rope darts…? Hey, you know how to fight? I totally thought you were some pampered rich kid…

Riquet: I am nothing of the sort! I'm perfectly capable of fighting with these. Please leave this one to me!

Cain: Gotcha! But I wanna talk to you when we're done here, alright? Let's make this quick. Hah!

Riquet: Haah!

✦✧☾✧✦

Those Guys: Tch… R-run for it!

Cain: Whew, we're finally done… Hey, kid, you're not hurt, are you?

Riquet: No, I am not. Thank you very much for coming to my rescue, um…

Cain: My name's Cain. Good to meet you.

Riquet: Cain. My name is Riquet. Um…what are you putting your hand out for?

Cain: What, you don't know? It's for a handshake. Even if it was a brief battle, I still entrusted my back to you. I want to express my respect for you, as well as my gratitude. If you're not opposed, just grab my hand.

Riquet: Wahh, Cain, your hand is so warm…

Cain: Ahaha, I get that a lot. How about you, do you get told that your face looks like a little kid's when you're not fighting?

Riquet: Wah, n-no, I don't! Stop treating me like a kid, you're getting my hair all messy…!

Cain: Sorry, sorry. Here, I'll smooth it back out.

Riquet: Goodness gracious… You were so cool when you came to rescue me, but I see that in truth you're rather unrefined.

Cain: Am I? But, hmm, something about the way you said that… Feels oddly nostalgic for some reason.

Training Episode: Unchanging, Even In One's Dreams

Cain: The dreams you have are always so intense, Master Sage. Could you tell me more about that latest one?

Akira: Sure, I don't mind.

Cain: Let's see, it was the one where Snow was an adult, and me and Mithra were his henchmen.

Akira: Oh, yes. Riquet and I were in a different organization that was in conflict with yours, though…

Cain: By conflict, you mean I had to fight you guys? I dunno how I feel about that…

Akira: Oh, no, it never came to that! But one time you did stop me from running away when I was scared… Seeing you be so threatening gave me chills.

Cain: I can't believe the version of me in your dreams would do something like that to you. Next time you see him, be sure to chew him out for me.

Akira: Ahaha. Now that I'm awake, it just sounds funny. Besides, it wasn't like you were a super scary person in that dream or anything. Once I actually got to talk to you, it was obvious right away what a friendly, kind person you really were.

Cain: What, really?

Akira: Yes! All of the best parts of you didn't change a bit.

Cain: Ahaha. Getting complimented like that is a little embarrassing. But rather than that being kindness, I'd say it was…

Akira: Was what?

Cain: That the me inside your dream wanted to become friends with you, too. Since, hey, that was what I was thinking when you and I first met, Akira.

[hananoami]

Remarkable Hunters

Dear Deepspace Hunter, To celebrate one of our elite hunters breaking three Olympic records, and to recognize the excellent performance of all hunters across various fields, we're excited to offer the Remarkable Hunters gift pack. This gift aims to inspire every hunter to embrace the spirit of sports and enjoy a fulfilling life. Linkon City Hall 8-10

ATTACHED

1x Deepspace Wish

1x Empyrean Wish

200x ⚡️

100,000 Gold

20x Bottle of Wishes: SR (5000 exp)

500x 🍫

Huge congrats to Luo Shifang for not only winning a Gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games, but also setting THREE new Olympic records in women's weightlifting!

She lifts 107kg in the snatch, 134kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 214kg! 💪

The official LADS weibo account was seen congratulating her on a post about her win, acknowledging her momentous accomplishments. Luo Shifang will also receive a congratulatory greeting, 1,000,000 diamonds, a lifetime Aurum Pass, and a large gift pack (of official LADS merch). Thanks to her we also got the rewards above. 👏

[mysteryshoptls]

SR Grim - Apprentice Chef Vignette

"Let's keep on doing aaallll these fun things together"

[Kitchen]

Grim: It's… It's…

Grim: IT'S DONEEEE!!

Grim: Look, [Yuu]! My super special awesome cake's finished!

The cake looks like a tuna can…

Grim: Yeah! I made it look like the most delicious thing in the world. See how even the word "tuna" looks good?

Grim: As for what I put inside the cake… That's a surprise for when we eat it! MYAHA!

Grim: I bet this is gonna be the bestest thing on the table. We gotta hurry and get it back to Ramshackle!

[Ramshackle Dorm – Anniversary Party]

Grim: Slowly… Slowly…

Grim: Gently, gently… Careful…

We're almost back to the dorm, you got this!

Grim: Gah, carrying a cake so it doesn't collapse is so hard…!

Grim: …But all the guys we passed on the way here from the cafeteria said it totally looked tasty, yeah?

Grim: Y'know, maybe my genius ain't just in eatin' food, but makin' em, too.

Grim: Back when you and me took the Master Chef course, I thought all this work was a pain, but…

Grim: Now I'm thinkin' that it was good we did it. 'Cause now tasty things can be made into even tastier things!

Grim: Myahaha! Thanks to this cake, today's party's gonna be the cat's meow!

Grim: Ah! But that annoying guy Trein is gonna be there… He might get mad if I get too excited.

Grim: Maaan, he's always findin' things to nag me about. Like the other day, he tried scolding in me when I was runnin' in the halls.

Grim: It pissed me off, so I tried pokin' fun at him, but then he just came at me!

Grim: Obviously I ran, but that old man is faster than he looks…

Grim: And then he just caught me in no time, I wasn't expecting that. Just nabbed me by the neck.

Grim: "Try to be a bit more like Lucius," he said… But I ain't a cat, y'know!

Grim: Don't know if Trein snitched on me or what, but even Crewel got mad at me, saying "Stop causing problems."

Grim: But then Crewel whispered later, "If you're going to tease Trein-sensei, make sure you don't get caught."

Grim: Myahaha! Crewel might be a teacher, but sometimes he's got a wicked side. He gets me.

Grim: …Though, he can be a huge stickler if ya mess around in class or get bad grades.

Grim: I remember the other day was pretty scary. He had us all lined up in a row, and was grilling everyone on who spilled the chemicals on the table…

Grim: No one fessed up, and Ace and Deuce were silently keepin' their heads down, so I stayed quiet too.

Well, we all got held responsible, in the end.

Grim: Tch. Trein and Crewel are both way too strict!

Grim: I like Vargas's class the best. 'Cause I don't need to take difficult notes in his class!

Grim: Like the other day, he started going on and on, saying, "If you want to be a great mage, then you need to have muscles as rippling as mine!" or whatever…

Grim: I was just nodding along, and then class ended with just him talkin' about his own muscles. Myahaha, waaaay too easy～

Grim: …Hm? Wait a mo'.

Grim: Do you think… The reason that Vargas showed up here randomly one morning a few days ago to go exercise together…

Grim: DID HE THINK I WANTED TO TRAIN WITH HIM BECAUSE I WAS NODDING DURING ALL HIS BOASTING!?

Grim: The sun wasn't even up, it was still dark, so that was a real pain!!

Grim: …Man, I think I might like Crewel or Trein better after all, ‘cause they don't cause me problems.

[Ramshackle Dorm – Anniversary Party]

Grim: Y'know, now that I think about it, all the profs here are really strange… Is this school really alright?

Grim: Oh. But I think the strangest guy ain't one of the teachers, but Sam. I'm sure of it!

Grim: And that's cause… Remember the other day when I lost at rock-paper-scissors and I had to go buy snacks by myself?

Grim: Before I even got inside the store, I heard Sam talkin' with someone inside.

Grim: But… When I got inside, he was all alone.

Grim: When I asked who he was chattin' with, he said his "friends on the other side," but… WHAT DOES HE MEAN FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE!?

Grim: He wouldn't tell me no matter how many times I asked. It's so eerie. But man, he's got a ton of cool stuff for sale, so I keep going back.

Grim: I remember then, too, before I could say what I wanted, he already had out the perfect number of snacks I had money for.

Grim: Oh yeah, and Crowley came in the shop right after me. Looks like he's always shoppin' at the Mystery Shop, too.

Grim: He started braggin' to me that he gets to order whatever he wants.

Grim: So I told him I wanted some special tuna cans then, and he says, "This privilege is for teachers only!"

Grim: He just kept on bragging, he's the worst! Crowley's so useless!

We should be thankful, since he let us attend here.

Grim: THANKFUL!? He should be thanking me for gracing this school with my genius!

Grim: And I bet Crowley'd gobble down the whole feast we got prepped if I take my eye off him for even a second…

Grim: No way I'm gonna give him a single bite. This time I'll make sure he's jealous of me.

Grim: Hey, [Yuu]. You 'n me're gonna protect this cake with our lives!

Grim: I might not be able to rely on you to do everythin' yourself, so good things we also got those ghosts.

Grim: If all us Ramshackle folk work together, we could even take on two Crowleys. We'll stun him silent!

Grim: I bet the ghosts're feelin' real alive right now. They were really getting' excited for Founding Day.

Grim: They were all, "It's so wonderful everyone is throwing a party here at Ramshackle～"

Grim: They also said that everything's getting' amped up 'cause we came to Ramshackle.

Grim: Myahaha. So that means… All the fun and happy times are all thanks to me!

1. Exactly!

Grim: Yeah. So you just keep on following me, no worries. Grim: As the boss, it's my job to take care of my henchie!

2. I think you're going a little overboard there.

Grim: Myah!? Y-You… You don't get how good I am to ya, huh!? Grim: I'm always pushin' myself hard doin' things for ya. Like, uh… Uh… ALL SORTS OF THINGS!

Grim: So let's keep on doing aaallll these fun things together!

Grim: Ah. Looks like everyone's here.

Grim: Hey, [Yuu], open the gate. We gotta bring the cake in quick!

Grim: I bet everyone'll be so surprised and happy. Myahaha. I can't wait～!

Requested by @butterflyremix.

[backtothe99]

(18Trip Translation) Tao Kinouchi SR: Welcome to Prison Island - This is how you get hyperfixated

Title: Literally means 'This is the entrance to the swamp', 沼 (swamp) is also a slang term originating in the mid 2010s which means you get addicted to some kind of media and can't get out of it. So, uh, hyperfixation? lol

Part 1

Location: HAMA House West Room

Chihiro: We have tomorrow off, so TaoTao, let's play Anigun like we promised tonight!

Tao: This is my first time playing a Full Dive FPS…

Chihiro: It's pretty much the same thing as mahorova, so you don't need to worry so much. It's okies ☆

Tao: mahorova?

Chihiro: Wuzzat? You've never logged in that?

Chihiro: It's a virtual space on the net— It's probs easier to experience firsthand than explain~

Chihiro: Alrightie, first we gotta put a patch behind your ear—

Tao: Alright.

Tao: It can measure brain waves and observe movements like this? That's pretty awesome.

Tao: (Things sure have improved since the era of polygon games where you'd put a metal rod in your shoulder if your arm broke.)

Chihiro: All done with the patch? Now you gotta pick an Animal to play as! (1)

Tao: Each animal’s got its own set of abilities and skills, and also different fighting styles, right?

Chihiro: Yeah. Chii always uses the cat. The Field Trickster ☆

Tao: (So Chihiro focuses on speed… In that case, I think a type that can switch between defense and offense depending on the situation would have the advantage over him.)

Tao: (What should I do? Since it's my first playthrough, going with a balanced type and seeing how things progress would be a safe bet…)

Tao: I'll… go with this bear.

Tao: (It's power-focused with high HP stats. Seems suitable for both DPS and tanking.)

Chihiro: You chose carefully~ Nice~! Looks like I won't need to go easy on you ♪

Chihiro: Round 1! GL~ Game Start!!

[Flashing]

Tao: (The scenery's changing…)

Tao: (I'm entering the game's world—)

Part 2

[Flashing]

Tao: Ah… Damn, I lost! You really are strong, Chihiro.

Chihiro: You're strong too, TaoTao! It was your first time playing, but you did real good ♪

Chihiro: You're a gamer through and through. If we keep going at it, Chii might lose…?

Tao: Should we try this multiplayer mode next time, instead of the training grounds? We can play against other users, right?

Chihiro: OFC! Let's co-op as a duo next ♪

-

Tao: … We lost. Sorry, I wasn't much help.

Chihiro: No probs! Chii's just enjoying this without caring if we're winning or losing.

Chihiro: TaoTao… Are you having fun?

Tao: I'm having lots of fun. Actually, we should try again.

Chihiro: Okies. For hardcore gamers, the real challenge’s at the top ♪

Tao: Alright– Let's go!!

-

Tao: Ah~Damn it, we lost! One more time!

-

Tao: I totally messed up my aim… Damn. And we were so close, too… One more time!

-

Tao: O-One more time! I'm really feeling it now...!

Chihiro: W-We're still going!? It's gonna be morning soon, y’know?

Tao: Is it already that late… Sorry for dragging you with me, Chihiro. You can go to sleep, I'll go solo for a while.

Chihiro: You sure...? Chii's heading to sleep first, then. Good night~

Tao: Good night. Thanks for hanging out with me.

-

Chihiro: *yawn*~ Morning… Woah, you're still playing!?

Tao: Morning. I'm starting to get the hang of it. I don't wanna forget what this feeling's like.

Chihiro: Th-That so? I'm glad you're that into it, but still…

Chihiro: Chii's done with breakfast, so I'm going shopping.

Tao: Mhmm. Stay safe.

-

Chihiro: I’m home~

Chihiro: Y-You're still playing!?

Tao: Damn, this guy's good! I'll show you…!!

Chihiro: You've been playing all this time. Isn't it about time for a break?

Tao: I've finally gotten used to the controls, and I'm getting the hang of shooting… Eat that headshot!

Chihiro: Hey, have you eaten? Aren't you hungry?

Tao: Not at all.

[Stomach growling]

Chihiro: Nopes, your stomach's growling.

Chihiro: You gotta put something in your body… That's it!

Chihiro: I've got the tapioca drink Raitin gave me as a gift~

Chihiro: (I'll just hold it up to TaoTao's mouth—)

Chihiro: He drank it all before I could even say “Thirsty?”! Didn't even bat an eye!!

Chihiro: Is… His body seeking the nutrition!?

Tao: Anigun… Is so fun… I wanna keep playing till I die…

Chihiro: Hey TaoTao, let's take a break! Pretty please!

Tao: Shotgun secured— Oraoraora, eat lead!!

Chihiro: You'll starve and die, TaoTaoooo~~!!

NOTES: (1) this gets lost in translation, but chihiro makes to say animals in katakana as an english loanword and then corrects himself and says it in japanese, tao then repeats the japanese word. hence the difference in capitalization