#Ah well I'm nothing if not predictable at least

[lzaisv]

monsieur Neuvillette, your guidance counselor and his way of disciplining you. ♡ AFAB!READER . . !!

Your guidance counselor, Neuvillette, has a weird way of disciplining you.

This is your 3rd time being sent to his office for skipping classes, and you knew damn well you were doing it on purpose just to see him, and to be fucked dumb by him once more.

So, just as you predicted, you're sprawled out on his desk, your pretty face facing him as he thrusted his cock inside your warm pussy. “ah─ i'm convinced you're doing this on purpose.” he scoffs, his hand trailing up to your breasts, cupping them and pinching your nipples, earning a gasp from you. “getting yourself trouble just to be fucked, hm?” he queries, and you gave him an eager nod in return.

“if only you could see how pretty you are right now, darling.” he hums, continuing to pound inside you. His cock was so big, it created a bulge on your tummy, your moans and whines echoed through his office, and you were at risk of being caught, however, Neuvillette didn't shut you up. He loved hearing you moan, he loved hearing you beg for more. It was music to his ears. “monsieur─ mppfh!! 'm gonna─ ah! gonna cum!” you voiced out, wrapping your arms around him.

Your pussy clamped down on his cock, so tight as if it never wanted to let go. Neuvillette softly smiled at your action, as he went faster. You could tell he was close too, his actions were getting sloppier. “please please please inside me! Mngh─ inside..!” you begged, wanting nothing but him to fill your pussy up. “if that's what you wish for, chèrie.” he responded to your pleas, and before you knew it, his hot seed filled your insides.

He came too much inside you, more than the last time you two ever did it. Your back arched, and your head threw back on itself as you cried out, feeling your own orgasm come. You absolutely lost it, and Neuvillette felt your walls tightening up on him, as if it never ever wanted to let go of his cock. But if he could, he would never want to pull out of your cunt.

You gasped for air as he was still inside you, your mind processing what just happened. You sat up as neuvillette let his dick slip out of you, he managed to get a view of his cum overflowing out of your pussy, and gosh, it was a view to die for, at least, that's what Neuvillette thinks. “I suppose I'll be seeing you again tomorrow, yes?”

© lzaisv . do not copy/steal, translate, modify my work.

[seventeenytiny]

Traffic jam

Smut: MDNI

Warnings: Piss kink, omorashi, slight humiliation, Word Count: 1076 Summary: You and Jisung are stuck in traffic and poor Jisung really has to use the bathroom Authors Note: If you don't like how it sounds don't read it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Jisung had to go, he had to go so bad, but he couldn't. Traffic was at a standstill, and unexpected construction halted your travels. Jisung wiggled uncomfortably in the passenger seat, regretting the coffee he had chugged before getting in the car.

"Are you feeling okay love?" You ask him, patting his thigh from the driver's side. A rosy red color was spreading on your boyfriend's cheeks.

"Ah I'm fine... Just need to use the bathroom is all."

"Are you sure you can hold it with the traffic?"

"Well I have to, don't I?" He lets out a nervous chuckle.

You smile sympathetically at him, "I guess so, I just cleaned out the car too so I don't even have a bottle you could use if you get desperate."

Jisung did his best to hide his disappointment from you. His face dropped ever so slightly hearing that his only backup plan was ruined if things got to that point.

You grab his hand, "Don't worry I think it'll clear up soon, after that we can get off at the next exit."

You were in fact lying and you knew it. The both of you were still hardly moving and your GPS predicted a 40-minute slowdown.

You put some music on, trying to distract your boyfriend from the growing pressure in his bladder. And it worked, at least for the first three songs, then he winced from the discomfort again, awkwardly shifting.

"Are you sure you don't have any spare bottles in here?" He sighs in despair.

"I'm sorry love, I really don't think so but you can check."

He swiftly takes off his seatbelt, removing some of the pressure that was pushing against his full bladder. He climbs in the back seat, looking all around in every cup holder and under all the seats. All he can find is his hoodie that you stole from him.

You hear him whine out in frustration, "There really is nothing..."

He climbs back up to the front seat, flinching as he puts his seat belt back on.

"Hey, what's that in your hands?"

"This? Its the hoodie you stole from me."

You have an idea and you know he won't like it, but for whatever reason, it excited you ever so slightly. "Well, if it comes down to it, I mean, I know you don't want it to, but maybe you could just use the hoodie.."

Jisung's eyes get big, he doesn't want to believe what you just said. "What do you mean use the hoodie?!"

"Well... it's pretty thick so it's gotta be somewhat absorbent right?"

"I guess you're right, I suppose it's better than my pants..."

You can't lie to yourself, at this point, you're a bit turned on by the whole situation. Your hot boyfriend is holding his crotch, shifting every second, doing his best not to piss himself. Poor Jisung is getting so desperate his actually considering pissing in his own hoodie.

The two of you go silent, the radio now off and the only sound filling the car is Jisung's shaky breaths, his hand holding his crotch doing his best to not leak everywhere. You recheck the GPS, but there are still 30 more minutes of slowdowns.

"Jisung? Baby? I want you to know if you do have an accident it's not a big deal. Neither of us knew we'd get stuck like this. And... it might actually be kinda hot."

That's when his eyes really get big, bigger than you've ever seen, before squinting in discomfort. "Hot? You think me pissing myself would be hot?"

"Well... yeah, there's something about seeing you so desperate that's driving me kinda crazy. Maybe I have a piss kink, I don't know."

At this point, he's too desperate to piss that he can't even comprehend the fact that you admitted to having a piss kink. What he did hear though, was that you wouldn't be too mad at him for ruining your car.

He swallows hard, he keeps his grip tight on his dick as he unbuttons his pants, taking some of the pressure off his bladder.

10 more uncomfortable minutes pass, he's sweating now, the pain just about intolerable. You see him tighten his grip on his crotch, the smallest dark patch appears on his pants.

"Jisung you're going to hurt yourself just piss into the hoodie."

"I have to go so bad I don't think I can even move..." his eyes are glassy, tears threatening to fall. You grab the hoodie, placing it in his lap. Next, you undo his pants the rest of the way, reaching in and pulling his cock out of his damp underwear. You wrap the hoodie around his member, "Jisung, baby, can you lean forward a little bit? Just to help make nothing gets on your pants."

He groans, taking the hoodie from your hands. He moves forward ever so slightly, he can already feel his hot piss starting to escape. You pat his back, "Just let go Jisung, you'll feel so much better."

Your words destroy any chance of him being able to hold it in. His piss comes out fast, turning his gray hoodie dark. The hissing sound of him filling the hoodie echoes in your ears, as well as sends a tingling sensation straight to your core. "That's good baby, let it all out."

He's practically crying at this point, part of it from embarrassment but mainly from the intense relief he is feeling. He turns the hoodie with his hands, doing his best to not let his piss overflow and leak through. The poor piece of clothing can't hold much more though. His bladder is nearly empty but the hoodie is now fully saturated.

His stream lightens up finally, the final bit of his piss drips onto the floor mats of your car. He takes some deep breaths, finally feeling like he can properly breathe again. His cheeks are red from the shame, and his hands are unsure of what to do with the soiled clothing.

"Just place it on the floor mat Jisung, if they're weather proof I'm sure they're peeproof."

"I'm really sorry Y/N, you must think I'm so disgusting..."

"Disgusting?! Jisung that was so hot, as soon as we get out of this traffic and get home I want you to fuck me every single way you can."

His face lightens up for the first time since you got stuck in traffic.

[fatuismooches]

I see the angst you're about to drop on the next instalment and I'm about to cope by throwing in a cute scenario ( ＞Д＜；)

So fragile reader's hands tremor, without going into the full details of it - in some cases tremors may worsen either temporarily or permanently

Sometimes, the tremoring only happens on one hand! (But that has very *very* serious implications in reality, so for the sake of keeping things fluffy let's just say that it was just a weird day for fragile reader)

So, reader one day wakes up, and during the check ups they notice that, oh hey! Their left hand isn't tremoring for once, they're getting better! Then they raise their right— it's really wobbly

Segment, thinking that the tremoring is gone for now because of that one steady hand and is now trying to clip a monitor on Reader's right hand to check their blood oxygen (pulse oximeter): "Do keep still, there are a few more tests I must run."

Reader: "I'm not shaking it."

Segment: "..."

Reader: "It's erm... yeah."

Understandably, the Segment checking up on them is low-key freaking out because: why is that happening?? What's causing that?!

Meanwhile, reader who is also freaking out but is batting it away with humour, looking at their severely quacking hand: "Hm... I kinda need that... Ah, well, I guess I have an organic stipple pen now... that *is* what they're called, right?"

Then for the rest of the day (while the segments and prime are trying to find the root cause of that abnormality) reader is coping by joking around with said hand.

Reader: *picks up a test tube with shaking hand, the hand swirls the contents with minimal effort* "Oh! Wait— that sorta works? That's very convenient, actually."

Zandik, stressed: "My dear, get back on the gurney before I place you there myself." (Is worried that they might spontaneously collapse)

Shaky hands were nothing that new to you, having lived with them for a while due to your illness and all the stress that came with it. In the beginning, you tried to ignore them, but after a few accidents, you came to terms with the fact it'd be easier for everyone if you let the segments deal with your tasks. Especially on days when it seemed to be worse than others. But of course, there are times when no one can predict how bad it can get. This being one such moment.. Sometimes it gets to the point where ironically enough the Harbinger outwardly shows more concern for your wellbeing rather than you. (Although he's gotten used to you coping with jokes, he can easily see through that. He doesn't want you to put up a front around him but perhaps this makes you feel better? Unfortunately, the only one who laughs at your jokes is yourself... The others are too busy with their nose in some of your records or a machine.) And although they can't exactly make the tremors go away, the least they can do is make sure you don't need to do anything strenuous. Yes, their almost forceful instructions seem restricting, but they always say it's for the best.

[notfreetoday]

MPW Language Analysis Part 2

Segasaki x Yoh: Shifts in Emotion and Acknowledging Roles

Masterlist || Language Analysis Part 1 || The Importance of Amae ||

In Japanese, one cannot utter a sentence without communicating at least two things: (1) the actual content of the message itself, the referential meaning; and (2) a metamessage about the relationship between the speaker and the listener, an indexical meaning. A striking feature about Japanese is that it is the latter message that most often assumes greater importance.

From: Creating an Ideal Self: Theories of Selfhood and Pedagogy at a Japanese Ethics Retreat by Dorinne K. Kondo

Every sentence that Segasaki and Yoh say to each other carries 2 meanings - the one we read in the subtitles, and too often, the one that never travels across the screen. The "miscommunication" that many perceive to be happening isn't always just about "using actions vs words" (though there is much to be said about that too) - the words are being used, but it's hard to hear them when said words are in Japanese and packed with information English is simply not designed to carry.

So, with 6 episodes of corrections made and nuances explained, it's finally time to get back to actually talking about how all of this adds to our understanding of the characters and of their relationship. In these 6 episodes, both Segasaki and Yoh have run the entire gamut of speech levels - but where Segasaki shifts consistently and with purpose, Yoh tends to shift as a reflexive, or reactionary response.

Or, what Segasaki choosing to shift up a speech level means to Yoh, and what Yoh's inconsistent shifts tells Segasaki (and us), about his emotional state. I'm kinda sorta not really sorry about this but ah, it's maybe possibly probably even longer than usual??

Quick Recap of Part 1:

We established two key aspects of their relationship:

1) They both acknowledge the power differential between them - Segasaki, by using "rougher" speech patterns, and Yoh, by tending to stick to the more polite end of the scale. 2) They both consider themselves to be from the same "in-group" - Both of them default to informal speech patterns when speaking to each other (even Yoh, despite being the junior/lower on the social hierarchy)

And now on to Part 2!

Changes in Emotion: Yoh

Yoh tends to experience his emotions rather intensely, and through his monologues we understand that he isn't always able to process these emotions immediately. As such, the shifts in his speech levels tend to happen subconsciously - there isn't an immediately obvious, predictable pattern to those shifts, because they are simply a reflection of how he's feeling in the moment.

Y: あ、いや。なんでもない…です* Y: Ah, iya, nandemonai…desu* Y: Ah, no, it's….nothing* The shift to polite form, and the awkward manner in which he does it, reflects Yoh's growing insecurity (See EP 2 for other examples).

From the moment Segasaki starts returning home late, Yoh becomes more and more unsure of where he stands with Segasaki, and this growing emotional distance is conveyed through his speech patterns becoming (awkardly) more polite than in Ep 1. He speaks hesitantly and indirectly, until he gets drunk (and even then, his insecurity still shows in how he barely switches down to rough speech during their not-argument).

In Ep 3, we again see Yoh shifting up to polite forms often, except this time, the shifts show his gratitude as well as sincerity.

Because of how ridiculously expensive the pork bun is, Yoh expresses his thanks by saying the full ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu) here as opposed to just "arigatou" or other more casual forms. In return, Segasaki acknowledges the formality Yoh pays him with a nod (and a mouthful of pork bun).

Y: すいません Y: suimasen Y: I'm sorry This is the more formal version of "I'm sorry" (textbook pronunciation is sumimasen, but textbooks are for nerds Yoh's version is very common as well and still polite)

In both these scenes, Yoh switches to suimasen as opposed to his usual, and more casual, ごめん / ごめんなさい (gomen/gomen nasai), that he also uses in this episode. As previously mentioned, "sorry" in Japanese can also be used to mean "thank you". Here Yoh is doing both - apologizing for Segasaki having to "go the extra mile" to take care of him (ie, he feels he has imposed upon Segasaki - a fear he has mentioned a few times), and at the same time also expressing his gratitude for being taken care of. However, it's the shift up to the polite version that conveys his sincerity, and carries the extra message that - despite his regret at imposing on Segasaki - Yoh still values these moments and feels touched by them.

Both times, you see Segasaki taking note of this, albeit slightly confused, and probably a little shy too (Segasaki is after all, very good at picking up on social cues - especially Yoh's - and spends the whole of Ep 3 doing just that).

Y: 漫画が　とてもだめです Y: manga ga totemo dame desu Y: (My) manga is... really bad.

Yoh spends most of Ep 5 safely ensconced in the informal speech level, switching up only twice - the above scene, and later when he attributes his recovery to Segasaki's care as a way of thanks. The switch in the bathroom is sudden, and adds a sense of certainty to his statement that reflects the intensity of the despair he feels (even though he comes across as more kicked puppy than anything). The formality is also a way to "distance" himself from the reality of it, because it does hurt to acknowledge this.

All of these instances show us that Yoh's shifts up in speech levels tend to reflect when he's feeling vulnerable in some way - when he's insecure, dejected or hurt, or when he feels that he has imposed upon Segasaki.

So then, does Yoh also shift down?

Well, yes and no.

Left (Ep 4): Y: ふざけんな [very rude] Y: Fuzakenna Y: The hell are you doing! Right (Ep 5): Y: バカにすんなよ！[slurred vowels] Y: baka ni sun na yo Y: Don't look down on me!

Even if we include (just barely) the non-argument of Ep 2, there honestly aren't many scenarios in which Yoh shifts down to a "rougher" speech pattern - and he never drops as low as Segasaki does. This has to do with both his acknowledgement of the power differential that exists between Segasaki and him, as well as his less assertive nature. In fact, even when speaking to Man-san, with whom he shares his thoughts more freely, Yoh remains casual, but not rough. (Man-san is waaaay rougher than Yoh, tbh). Hence, when Yoh does shift down, it tends to be explosive and short lived, just like his frustration or anger.

So why "yes and no"? Because being lower in the social hierarchy also introduces another, more interesting way to express yourself - by choosing not to switch up.

We see this in Ep 5, when Yoh tries to lie about going to Man-san's place. He sticks to his baseline informal speech when he announces this, whereas he previously used polite speech in Ep 4. Is it possible that Yoh was simply overcompensating and trying too hard to sound casual to hide his lie in Ep 5? Yes. But before coming to that conclusion, there is another important detail to note - that instances like this, where Yoh doesn't switch up, have gradually been increasing as the show progresses.

In Ep 5 and 6, Yoh uses the slightly less formal gomen nasai to apologize (contrast this with Ep 2's suimasen mentioned earlier). Given that Yoh himself mentions in Ep 5 that he thought Segasaki would be angry, and in Ep 6 clearly underscores his apology with a proper bow (yes, there are standards to how you should bow in Japan) - you would think that these 2 situations would be the perfect time to switch back up again. So why? Once again, the key to unlocking the metamessage is the wider context; i.e., we need to consider what Segasaki has been doing. please indulge my desire to sound cool and mysterious despite already announcing it in the title

Establishing Roles: Segasaki

In direct contrast to Yoh, Segasaki is very consistent with his speech shifts, and a clear pattern emerges. First off - when Segasaki is angry with Yoh, he drops straight down.

Left (Ep 2): S: てめぇ [very, very rude] S: temee S: You Right (Ep 5): S: 分かってねぇだろ　分かってねぇから　泊りで仕事とか言い出すんだろうが [slurred Rs, word contraction, slurred vowels] S: wakattenee daro wakattenee kara tomari de shigoto toka ii dasun darou ga S: You don't do you? You don't understand and that's why you can just say things like you'll stay out to work overnight.

Like, waaaaaaaay down. The argument in Ep 5 is the most obvious example of this, but using "temee" to address someone like he does in Ep 2 is very very rude and, together with the "haaah?!" Segasaki says before this line, also does a lot to convey that he is Not Happy.

S: 明日は仕事すんのか [word contraction] S: ashita wa shigoto sun no ka S: すんのかしないのか、どっちだよ [word contraction, informal, assertive end particle] S: sun no ka shinai no ka, docchi da yo S: Are you working tomorrow? S: Working or not, which is it?

The lines in this interaction from Ep 3 aren't really rude per se - certainly not compared to temee - but they are rougher than his usual and very direct. We've seen Segasaki do this multiple times throughout the episodes - dropping his levels when he's being assertive, and it is in response to that assertiveness, that Yoh gives the following reply:

Y: いや、ないです [plain forms, but with the addition of desu form] Y: Iya, nai desu Y: No, I don't [have anything planned]

Mixing plain forms with -desu at the end makes Yoh's reply a little more formal, and is another way in which Yoh acknowledges the power differential between them. Being higher in the social hierarchy means Segasaki enjoys a greater sense of linguistic freedom, and shifts down in speech level are therefore unsurprising, and indeed, expected.

So, if there is no real need for Segasaki to shift up, then, what does it mean when he chooses to do so?

Left: S: まあ　残念ながら　相手は大嫌いな俺ですけど S: Maa... zennen nagara aite wa daikirai na ore desukedo S: Well, unfortunately, your partner is me - who you hate so much Right: S: 好きにさせてもらうけど...な ？ S: suki ni sasete morau kedo... na? S: I'll gratefully do as I please...yea?

After an entire episode of using Yoh's own words to tease him as a way to try and get Yoh to face his own feelings, Segasaki lands his sharpest and strongest push of the day in these 2 scenes not by reinforcing the hierarchy between them, but by subverting it. Shifting up to a more formal speech level when he doesn't have to, particularly in the second scene where he uses deferential word forms, creates the illusion of elevating Yoh in the hierarchy, which is then immediately undermined by the irreverent tone in which Segasaki says them.

In other words, Segasaki only shifts up as a power play.

S: よくできました S: yoku dekimashita

We first see Segasaki use this formal way of saying "well done" at the end of Ep 3 and again in Ep 4, and it brings to mind the literal stamp of approval that teachers often give to students in school. Here, there is no teasing or subversion of the hierarchy going on. Segasaki is establishing his role in Yoh's life - to provide and care for him - through the use of polite speech, and reinforcing the power differential between them in the most straightforward way possible.

This use of polite speech allows the speaker to indirectly index their social identity - often as one who is in charge or responsible. Within the Japanese household, it also happens when a role/obligation (often parental) is being carried out - eg , a parent might switch to polite speech to indicate their role as provider when asking the rest of the family "What would you like to eat?". Similarly, we again see Segasaki underscore his role in the following:

Left (Ep 5) S: ごちそうさまでした S: Gochisousama deshita S: Thank you for the food Right (Ep 4) S: 寝るなら部屋いきな* S: neru nara heya ikina S: If you're going to sleep, then go to the room alright?

In Ep 5, Segasaki leads the saying of this standard phrase, customarily said at the end of a meal to express gratitude to everything that made the meal possible. It is the use of the full, more formal version (as opposed to just gochisousama) that indexes his role as Yoh's caregiver when he leads in saying this, and indeed he spends most of Ep 5 enjoying that role. In Ep 4, although he does not quite use the -masu form here, the imperative form "ikina" brings to mind a parent trying to coax their child to bed, the same way Segasaki is doing to a very drunk and sleepy Yoh.

This is the key we were looking for - with every episode, Segasaki consistently reinforces his role in Yoh's life, the same way he consistently responds to and encourages Yoh's amae. And with every episode, Yoh becomes a little more confident of his place with Segasaki, a little more willing to believe that maybe Segasaki might really return his feelings. It's easy to look at Yoh in Ep 2, see him push Segasaki away, and think that the same Yoh appears in Ep 5, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Because in Ep 2, a drunk Yoh barely drops to rough speech, whereas in Ep 5, a sober Yoh feels safe enough to even "curse" a little (well, as far as cursing goes in Japan at least, which admittedly is not far). In both word and action, they have both grown, and have both contributed to the strengthening of their relationship.

So! In conclusion (omg we made it to the end) we have established that:

Segasaki has a clear, predictable pattern in his shifts - he switches up to formal when establishing or reinforcing his role in Yoh's life, but when he's serious, or angry with Yoh, he drops all the way down.

Yoh is less consistent, because his shifts tend to be more subconscious and reflective of his emotional state. He's more inclined to switch up when he's in a vulnerable state, eg, feeling insecure or dejected, or when he wants to express his sincerity in apologizing or showing gratitude. When he's nervous, or in response to Segasaki either being direct with him or upset with him, he'll sort of switch up too (ie, he'll mix polite forms with informal forms, or he'll try to say things in an indirect way).

Through the use of speech level shifts, both Segasaki and Yoh indirectly reinforce and acknowledge their individual roles in each other's life, and by observing the changes in these shifts over time, we the audience are able to track the progression of their relationship as well.

In the next part, we'll look at the differences in the way they speak to others versus between themselves - looking specifically at examples from Ep 4, 6 and 7.

As always, thank you for reading, and feel free to ask any questions! (*ˊᗜˋ*)/

[beevean]

I know I keep harping on the same bullshit and I'm sick of myself as well, but it really baffles me that this is considered near perfect writing:

He's looking at Lenore as she's about to sun herself. He's talking about vampires. So let me ask: what the hell do you mean "recently".

Appreciating the beauty of vampires is all you've been doing!!

N!Hector started as a victim of abuse so alienated by his own kind that he related more with animals than humans. He's fascinated with death. He's fascinated with vampires. This is not a good thing, since it's the main reason the man thinks that turning humans into cattle would be a "merciful" compromise: he sees humans as dangerous animals that need to be controlled, but not completely eradicated, as "like any animal, I think the world would be poorer with their extinction".

You'd think that his development would be about him reconnecting with his humanity. Realizing they are people, with hopes and dreams and kindness and they deserve better than being food for vampires. Just as he, too, deserves better than being cooped up in a little house, or in a castle. You know. His literal development in canon.

It's predictable, but at least it's coherent. But eh, I guess N!Isaac stole this poignant character arc, whoops.

That line makes no sense. Not only because of what I just said, but because Hector just finished comparing vampires to parasites that do nothing but eat, so starved they are for power. For fuck's sake it's literally what triggers Lenore's suicide! That realization by all means should have been him accepting that vampires are not as wise as he thought, that at their core they're still animals and they hurt him and are harmful to the world because of it. But apparently no. He's still on his bullshit, just as his big badass moment in this season is planning to bring back Dracula even after he realized that he had lied to him to exterminate mankind in a way he didn't approve of.

Ah. But this isn't about Hector. Hector stopped being a character halfway through S2. This is about Lenore. This is him doing the closest thing to confessing his love for the woman who abused him in all sorts of ways. She's beautiful and she should have lived with him, but she chose to peace out, unwilling to withstand her own ironic fate with the man she enslaved: and he's perfectly fine with her choosing the "freedom" that she deprived him of, that forced him to multilate his fingers to gain (and even in part, as he's once again stuck in a castle with no desire to see the world).

But it's fine. She's a beautiful vampire and he'll always cherish her as such.

This writing is disgusting. This show puts vampires on an uncomfortable pedestal and does very little to make them sympathetic, so it really comes off as simply misanthropic.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Idia Shroud Bloom Birthday Personal Story: Part 3

"Happy Birthday"

(Part 1) (Part 2) Part 3

[Ignihyde Dorm – Birthday Party Venue]

Riddle: So now, here is the final question.

Riddle: “What would you like to do in the coming year?”

Idia: …Go out.

Riddle: EH!!???? I DIDN'T JUST… MISHEAR YOU THERE, RIGHT?

Idia: Nooope. Thanks for the predictable response.

Idia: Ortho gathered some data that the hamburger shop down in town was real good.

Idia: Looks like they got a limited event going on too… So I'm thinking I wanna go ASAP.

Riddle: Is it really that good? I don't really see the appeal…

Idia: Ah, how like you. Didn't expect anything else.

Idia: Also, I bet I could chill at Whistle Park near the port all day long. That is, until my energy and stamina depletes.

Riddle: You'll be outside all day long!!?? …Apologies. What would you do at Whistle Park?

Idia: I mean… Obviously I'd be gaming.

Riddle: YOU'D GO ALL THE WAY OUTSIDE JUST TO PLAY A GAME!?

Idia: YEAH, SOOOOO―!!!!!!!!

Idia: When I heard that a new game for my favorite series was going to be released, I jumped online to access their site, and…

Idia: YOU CAN'T IMAGINE THE IMMENSE DEPRESSION I FELT TO LEARN THAT IT WAS A LOCATION-BASED GAME!!

Riddle: …A-A location-based game…?

Idia: One of those games that rely on the location information from your phone. There's been a ton popping up recently trying to get everyone to get up and move around.

Riddle: Ah. So are you really going to that hamburger shop to get something to eat, or…

Idia: Obviously I'm going because it's a designated spot to get game items, and battle others, duh?

Idia: And speaking of which, Whistle Park is one of the best places on Sage's Island with a ton of those spots. It's the most efficient place to make my rounds.

Riddle: Ah, that's more like it. But for it to even drag you outdoors… That game must be particularly invigorating.

Idia: I mean, not really? It's got a pretty common gameplay, and I planned on ignoring it, 'cause it's not relevant to a shut-in like me.

Idia: But then Ortho was all, "Hey, let's play together, Nii-san!" and started looking up all the hotspots on Sage's Island…

Idia: Looked like we could have more fun with it than I thought, so I said fine, I guess…

Idia: …I guess it wouldn't be terrible to be able to adventure with Ortho while we're here for school.

Riddle: The interview has now concluded. Thank you for the interesting conversation.

Riddle: The only remaining task for you is to simply fly on the Birthday Road. Here, please take this broom.

Idia: You just say "simply fly" like it's nothing… And on top of that, I gotta use a super fancy broom like this? I'd only draw attention to myself.

Riddle: Is that bad? It looks to me to have a tranquil and classy feel about it… It suits both you and the outfit you are wearing today.

Riddle: I am certain that Ortho is impatiently waiting for you to come out, as well. You should hurry and go, at least for him.

Idia: Hiee! There's that signature Riddle-shi straightforward praise like it's nothing! I can't stand it… I'll just have to run away to the venue, I guess.

Idia: Become one with the wind, I'm becoming one with the wind, I am one with the wind… Grit my teeth, and go!!

(Part 1) (Part 2) Part 3

[linagram]

[ 𝙼𝚒𝚢𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚠𝚊 𝙰𝚔𝚒𝚘'𝚜 𝚃𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝟹 𝚅𝙳] 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝-𝙷𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝚊𝚗'𝚜 𝙱𝚎𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚢𝚊𝚕

time to judge the prisoners let's go! the first pair is akio and aimi as always. i feel like i know what akio's trial 3 verdict is going to be but when it comes to aimi.. i'm not so sure.

Warnings for Akio's VD: descriptions of murder and violence (specifically hanging), a mention of a character throwing up.

Warnings for Akio's MV: toxic relationship themes, hanging

(sounds of footsteps)

Hinode: So.. Time to interrogate the first prisoner.

Hinode: Hopefully, I'll have enough energy to interrogate all ten of them, haha.

Miki: Well, if something happens, we can rely on Eiji-san.

Hinode: Um, Miki-san.. I'm not sure when Eiji-san will be able to join us-

Miki: But he will join us, right?

Hinode: .. Y-yeah, definitely.

Miki: So we have nothing to be worried about, right?

Miki: "I just.. hope that he will forgive me for voting Kei-san innocent."

(the door opens)

Hinode: Hello, Akio-san. I hope you're ready for your interrogation.

Hinode: How are you feeling-

Akio: I'd prefer it if we could just get started already.

Hinode: .. O-okay then.

Miki: "There's a screen on the wall.. Is Eiji-san supposed to appear on it?"

Miki: "There's probably a screen like that in every single cell then.."

(sounds of Hinode and Miki sitting down)

Miki: We'll start with a few questions that aren't related to your crime, but to your life in Milgram instead.

Miki: As we.. you know.. usually do.

Miki: What can you tell us about your condition?

Akio: .. It's fine. Definitely better than what it used to be, at least.

Akio: I can read and write again, but uh..

Akio: I still need help sometimes. My head still hurts a lot too.

Akio: .. Will I always have that scar there?

Hinode: Your injury was very serious, so I wouldn't be surprised if it did stay there for a while or even for the rest of your life.

Hinode: I'm still not sure how you got treated.. From what I've seen, that injury really was bad..

Hinode: Like.. How are you still alive?

Akio: ...

Hinode: O-oh, sorry, a weird question, I know, haha..

Akio: .. I actually don't know how much I have left.

Miki: Huh?

Akio: I mean, sure, maybe I feel better at the moment, but what if you vote me guilty again this time? 

Akio: If you punish me again, I.. 

Akio: ...

Akio: Yeah, I'll die for sure.

Hinode: Well, we can just make your punishment more psychological in nature, right? Also, let's not assume your future verdict for now. It's better if we don't make any predictions until we learn more about your crime and watch your video.

Akio: Heh, like a punishment like that would be any better.

Akio: .. Will my body still be like this if I'm able to get out?

Akio: H-how will I explain this to my parents..

Miki: "I've never thought about this actually.." 

Hinode: I'm sure that you'll be able to finally get actual help if you're able to leave. Let's be more optimistic about it.

Miki: "And we still don't know who exactly treated Miyagawa-san.."

Miki: "If this place has a doctor, shouldn't we know about them? And why didn't they help us during the second trial?"

Miki: "Oh, right."

Miki: Miyagawa-san, do you remember anything about the person who treated your injury? 

Akio: Um.. I wouldn't say I was fully conscious when it happened and I couldn't open my eyes, but I think I heard someone talking.

Akio: I think it was a man's voice. Probably around, uh..

Akio: This guy's age.

Hinode: M-my name is Hinode-

Akio: Whatever.

Miki: "So, a man in his twenties.."

Miki: "It's a shame that Miyagawa-san couldn't see what he looked like, I wonder if he's actually very attractive-"

Miki: ".. This personality trait of mine is getting annoying."

Miki: Ah, do you remember what he was talking about, Miyagawa-san?

Akio: I think he was just mostly talking to himself?.. Just rambling about stuff.

Akio: He probably assumed that I was completely unconscious, so he felt like he could talk about anything he wanted.

Akio: .. I remember him saying something about the prison guards though. 

Miki: Prison guards?..

Hinode: So.. He was talking about us, huh?..

Akio: Maybe. I have no idea, my memories are really blurry.

Akio: .. Can we talk about my murder already?

Miki: Oh, uh, s-sure, but..

Miki: .. Don't you want to talk about the other prisoners too? Like, what's your relationship with-

Akio: How is it supposed to be related to my murder? You're here to solve it, or what?

Hinode: Your current relationships can say a lot about your past, so-

Akio: Stop trying to sound smart, nobody cares. 

Hinode: O-okay.

Akio: .. My relationship with Riku is better now. That's all I'm going to say.

Miki: "He's calling him by his first name.."

Miki: "Wait, didn't he-"

Miki: ".. I should ask him about that."

Miki: Thank you for saving him, Miyagawa-san. Even though you've almost died because of what he said to you, you still saved his life. 

Miki: Hehe, you really are a good person.

Akio: Shut up.

Miki: ".. Maybe he felt guilty about his murder and that's why he tried to save someone's life?.."

Miki: What about your relationship with Hanasaki-san? Are you still close?

Akio: .. She's been acting weird lately. I do not like that.

Miki: "Weird"? What do you mean?

Akio: You know exactly what I'm talking about. I mean, she doesn't talk to anyone except you nowadays.

Akio: It's like she's obsessed with you or something.

Hinode: Just like your accomplice was obsessed with you?

Akio: !

Akio: .. So we're gonna talk about that, huh.

Akio: Okay, bring it on.

Hinode: So, if we were to tell the story of your crime..

Hinode: There were three main characters: your accomplice, Saito Arata-san, your victim, Kitami Chise-san, and well, of course, you. 

Hinode: You were in charge of all the planning when it came to the murder and you also were the one who really hated Chise-san, meanwhile Arata-san was the one who did all the dirty work. A king would never kill someone with his own hands, he needs an executioner for that, right?

Akio: .. Are you making fun of me?

Hinode: But then, something went wrong between you and Arata-san. Perhaps it was some kind of argument? Maybe one of you didn't like the plan so much? Maybe one of you suddenly felt sorry for Chise-san?

Hinode: Maybe something went wrong in the middle of the murder?

Akio: ...

Hinode: Actually, Miki-san, I'm surprised you and Eiji-san never asked Akio-san about this very important part of his murder.

Miki: Huh? What are you talking about-

Hinode: I'm talking about the murder method.

Hinode: How exactly did you plan to kill him, Akio-san?

Akio: .. I'm sure you saw something like that in my videos. I mean, they're supposed to show my murder, right?

Miki: "I remember seeing something like that in his second video.. What was it.."

Miki: ".. Oh."

Miki: Miyagawa-san, this might be a weird question, but..

Miki: .. Did Kitami-san die by hanging?

Akio: !

Akio: W-wait.. Y-you really saw it?

Miki: There was a lot of.. hanging symbolism in one of your videos. 

Hinode: Fitting for someone who saw himself as a king of his class. It's a pretty popular execution method, after all.

Akio: I-I.. I didn't think you'd actually.. see it..

Hinode: There's one thing that really bothers me though.

Hinode: Akio-san, why exactly did you go with hanging as your murder method?

Akio: ...

Akio: I thought it was.. easy to do.

Akio: Like.. we just needed a rope and a stool and that's all..

Hinode: Hmm, I'm sure there must be more to it.

Hinode: You really hated Chise-san, right? So why go easy on him?

Hinode: If you do it right, hanging is supposed to be quick, right? You know, neck snaps, ouch!.. And that's it, you're dead.

Hinode: Like, that's one of the reasons why it's such a popular execution method. Like, we're killing someone, but we're doing it so quickly, they won't realize what happened to them! We're so nice!

Hinode: .. I just don't understand why a king like you would go with an execution method like that.

Akio: .. I-

Hinode: Also, there was this scene in your second video..

Hinode: Like I've said, hanging is supposed to be quick. But..

Hinode: What did Chise-san look like, Akio-san?

Akio: Huh? Why do you need to know-

Hinode: Answer the question, please. This is an interrogation, after all.

Akio: .. Blond hair, dark pink eyes. Freckles. A stupid smile of his that always looks way too wide and annoying.

Hinode: Oh, so that's who we saw in that video.

Akio: !

Akio: Wh-

Akio: What are you-

Miki: So that boy really was Kitami-san..

Hinode: Then answer me this, Akio-san.

Hinode: If hanging is supposed to be quick and painless, why could we see so many bloody marks on his neck?

Akio: .. Ah..

Akio: I.. I-it..

Miki: Are you okay, Miyagawa-san?

Akio: I-it wasn't.. 

Akio: *stands up* IT WASN'T MY FAULT, OKAY?!

Akio: I'VE TOLD HIM THAT WE SHOULD BE CAREFUL, THAT WE SHOULD DO EVERYTHING ACCORDING TO MY PLAN, BUT HE DIDN'T LISTEN!

Akio: IT WAS ALL HIS IDEA! IT WAS HIS FAULT! HIS FAULT, HIS FAULT, HIS FAULT, HIS FAULT-

Miki: P-please calm down, Miyagawa-san, you're still injured-

Akio: ..  My head hurts. *sits down*

Hinode: So, by "his fault".. You mean Arata-san, right?

Akio: .. Yes.

Hinode: What did Arata-san do? 

Akio: .. W-we didn't just kill him.  

Akio: We, uh..

Akio: W-we tortured him.

Miki: You what??

Hinode: This boy committed murder, but you draw the line at torture?

Miki: N-no, it's just-

Akio: I-it was my idea too. Arata went along with it.

Akio: It's like he looked.. excited, even.

Akio: When Chise woke up, the rope was already on his neck. He started to panic and try to get the rope off, but then Arata made the stool shake and Chise quickly stopped.

Akio: He wasn't hanging exactly, he was just standing on it, but one wrong move could cost him his life.

Akio: A-and then I..

Akio: I-I started to taunt him and.. 

Akio: H-he never was the brightest student in class, so I just continued to ask him questions and make him solve problems and told him that if he keeps giving me the wrong answers, w-we will kill him.

Miki: ...

Miki: .. You're messed up, Miyagawa-san.

Hinode: So what happened after?

Akio: .. Arata moved the stool. Chise's neck did not break.

Akio: He continued to try to get the rope off his neck. He kept trying to say something.

Akio: .. T-this went for at least five minutes-

(sounds of Akio throwing up)

Miki: Miyagawa-san!

(sounds of Miki's footsteps)

Miki: Hinode-san, do you have anything-

Hinode: Here, you can wipe it off with this.

Hinode: So.. A botched execution, huh?

Miki: Hinode-san, thanks for helping. Now shut up, please.

Akio: T-this.. This is what I meant when I said that it never was m-my fault..

Akio: H-he told me he has experience with it.. T-that it really will be quick and painless..

Miki: "Experience with it?! So Miyagawa-san ended up here, but that guy didn't?!"

Akio: T-that's why I ran away right after w-we were done.. I-I couldn't even look at him anymore after that..

(bell rings, machinery sounds)

Miki: Miyagawa-san, before we extract your video, please answer one question. You can go and rest after this.

Akio: Wow, that's so nice of you, haha..

Miki: .. I noticed that you usually call everyone by their last names, but when it comes to people you're close with, you call them by their first names.

Miki: Like you called Hanasaki-san by her last name at first, but after she saved you, you started to call her by her first name.

Miki: So I just wanted to ask..

Miki: Why are you calling your victim "Chise" even though you claim you hated him?

Akio: ...

Akio: .. Isn't that for you to figure out?

Akio: You already got the murder method and my reaction to his death. You don't have to be a genius like me to put all these things together.

Miki: .. I see. Thank you.

Miki: Hinode-san- Ah, he's asleep.

Miki: Well then..

Miki: Prisoner 001, Akio, please sing your sins. 

42% ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░ 100%

[ Akio's Trial 3 MV: Experiment: Failed ]

The video starts with showing us that Akio is sitting in some kind of lab and working on his computer, he's even dressed up as some kind of scientist. He is going through the files he has on his computer and suddenly notices something suspicious in one of them. But before he can open it, he gets distracted because Arata walks up to him, offers him some coffee and smiles at him. He seems to be a scientist working here too. 

"I'm the one who planned this, so trust me, it's gonna be fine

I'm the expert in this field, nothing can go wrong

This is what I tell myself every morning or otherwise I'll break down

Only your smile can keep me sane, so just stay here, it's gonna be fine"

Akio just sighs and accepts the coffee and forgets about the file. 

The video cuts to Akio explaining something to Arata and writing something on a chalkboard. Arata stands up and starts writing something on it too. Akio seems to disagree with him and starts correcting him. After a playful fight, they seem to finally agree on something and they shake their hands. 

"I'm the smart one here, the "genius child", that's what they call me

You're the strong one here, nothing scares you, that's what you've told me

Let's work together, I'll do the planning, you'll do the killing-

Oh, what did I just say? Well, whatever, it's just our secret code for.."

When they walk away, we can see the chalkboard better and we see that they've actually been playing Hangman all this time. 

Arata is now the one doing all the explaining and he seems to be very passionate about it. Akio is listening to him very intently and he can't stop staring at him. 

"I know there must be something deeply wrong with you, I can see it in your eyes

But I can't help but feel curious, let me put your messed up brain in a jar

I wasn't born to solve love problems, so let's just hope the answer isn't "Break up""

When you look closer, you can notice that one of his eyes is slowly becoming more pink, meanwhile the other one is becoming more green. But it looks like Arata has some work for Akio to do and he drops a stack of papers on his desk. 

"Solve the problem! You know the answer! Good job! I love you, love you, you can do it!

I can't concentrate with those words playing in my head!

Well, whatever, I know I'll get the best grade in loving you anyway

So keep looking at me, keep saying I'm a genius, please praise me once more"

Before Akio can say anything, Arata places his hand on his chin and looks him in the eyes. Akio blushes a bit and nods reluctantly. Right after that Arata walks away from him, not even taking a single look at him. Akio has no choice but to get to work.

On the next day, it looks like Akio spent the entire night working. He wakes up because he can hear someone talking and suddenly, Arata opens the door and Akio can see that Arata is not alone. He has brought Chise with him and the blond boy looks very excited to be here and he keeps looking around. 

For some reason, Akio looks terrified, but he tries to stay calm after Chise looks at him and gives him a smile. Chise's smile seems to be very different from Arata's and it feels more warm and sincere, meanwhile Arata's is simply more polite. 

"No, why did you do this? We're not ready yet, how am I supposed to act in this situation?

You don't know the whole truth, you don't know what happened between me and-"

Akio tries to look away from him and notices the way Arata is staring at both of them. He doesn't look pleased. Akio clenches his hands and nods and Arata looks to be happy with Akio agreeing to do something. 

"No, I can't turn back now. What's done is done, I'll do the planning, you'll do the-"

Akio continues to work on his computer meanwhile Arata seems to be testing some kind of machine on Chise and Chise doesn't mind, it actually looks like he's having fun. 

"An innocent victim? No, just a test subject, just another experiment

He's not that pure, that's what I want to believe

He'll fight back if he wants, don't let him fool you

Do whatever you want with him, I don't care at all"

Akio can't help but keep looking at them and then he remembers about the weird file and finally decides to check what's inside of it. Once he clicks on it, the computer screen suddenly goes red and the same happens to all the computers in the lab. 

"Ah, I knew this plan was a bad idea from the start

Even geniuses like me make mistakes sometimes, okay?!

I just got a bit too confident, I got lost in my pride

I beg you, don't point at me and call me an idiot"

Akio starts panicking and he runs to the machine that Arata was testing and it looks like the thing is malfunctioning. Akio tries to help Chise, but Arata puts his hand on his shoulder and once again, gives him a smile. 

"But you still tell me:

Solve the problem! You know the answer! Good job! I love you, love you, you can do it!

I can't concentrate with those words playing in my head!

Please comfort me, tell me everything's gonna be fine

I'm not going to be punished for my stupidity, right?"

Akio lets Chise's hand go and even tries to force a laugh and pretend everything is fine. 

But then, the whole "illusion" of a lab shatters and we're brought back to reality. Akio blinks and he sees that they're not in this super cool laboratory, but in a dark and creepy basement. He sees that this whole time they weren't testing a machine on Chise. They were actually trying to hang him. 

"It really was a bad idea from the start

Good boys like me aren't made for murder

Sorry for making you stain your hands like this

I'll lick all the blood off if it makes you feel better"

We can't see what happened to Chise in all the detail, but we can see his legs and his neck and there appear to be strange red marks on it. Even when most of his body can be seen, we can't make it out that well because of how dark the basement is and we can't see his face at all.

"Something went wrong, totally wrong

Something went wrong, oh so totally wrong

I admit my mistake, but don't punish me for it

It's too embarrassing for a king like me to beg for forgiveness"

Akio falls on the floor and covers his mouth with his hand and it looks like he's trying to calm himself down and pretend everything is okay again, but then he looks at Arata, hoping he can comfort him and to his horror, Arata can't stop staring at Chise's corpse and laughing. When Arata turns back to Akio, he looks way too excited for someone who just murdered an innocent person. 

"You are the problem! I know the answer! You did the job! I hate you, hate you, I can't do it!

I can't concentrate with those words playing in my head!

So let me run away from you like a coward would

Just to get obsessed with you later again"

He tries to grab Akio's hand, but Akio pushes him away and looks terrified. Akio runs away and leaves the house. It's raining outside and he keeps running until he trips and falls and sees a paper crown lying on the ground. It's in a terrible condition because of the rain and it has some dirt on it too, but Akio still reaches to grab it. It's in his hands now and Akio looks at it and smiles. It's a sad smile, but still, a smile.

"Maybe, one day, I will be noticed

Maybe, one day, I will be recognized

Maybe, one day, someone will smile at me again

Maybe, one day, I won't need anyone's praise anymore"

He continues to lie on the ground as more and more rain drops fall on the paper crown. The video ends.

[i-sveikata]

Hii :)

I discovered your vegaspete fic a while ago when you were still around chapter 13, and I think it's safe to say it has changed my life. I remember putting off everything just to catch up on all the chapters when I was about 2 paragraphs in chapter 1 realising I found gold, and I remember spending every waking moment thinking about that fic and even now I think about it at the very least once a week, it's insanely good. :D Once I caught up on the chapters I had so many question, so I used my notes app to put my questions and thoughts down. With my list of questions in hand I decided to read the whole thing again see if I missed anything. Reading the story the second time was just as good and I found I missed so many little details and nuances-and all of my questions were answered for me. You're brilliant, I could sing your praises all day if I had the words! Their characterisation is the best thing I have ever read honestly, so complex and so human!!!

I was in the middle of preparations for my final exams when chapter 16 came out then not shortly after you released chapter 17 and I swore to myself that reading those chapters would be my treat after getting through my exams. I knew that reading them before my exams would easily take up 90% of my brain capacity for weeks, so I had to make some sacrifices. Well, I'm all caught up on the chapters and I am SO VERY tempted to read the whole thing again. I thought that the story would get boring or predictable after a while but no you've proved me wrong. My jaw is on the floor and I can't even imagine how the story will continue, but I can't wait to find out.

I've been meaning to say hello and let you know I admire your work and I am very grateful that you share this masterpiece with us, but I just never really knew how to say it. :D I'm here to show my support and let you know I wish you nothing but the very best. THANK YOU :)

Oh lucky you!! It’s always great to come in at least a couple chapters in because you’ve got a good starting point already- not like the wonderful readers who’ve been in the trenches from the first chap and waiting patiently for updates ever since 😂

Omg that’s so sweet of you to say I’m so glad it left such an impression on you! Lol I totally resonate with the needing to take notes part because this badboy is LONG hahhaha (I literally have a notes page at the beginning of my word doc to keep track of all the details lol)

Ahhhh we love a reread! So fun to discover all the things that you might not have picked up on or realised they were going to be more significant than a throwaway line. Thank you! You are honestly so nice to say so the characterisation is such a core part of this fic (and tbh the focus of all my brain worms about these two dudes lol) so I’m so happy to hear you’ve enjoyed it!!

Oh of course of course having more fic chaps as a treat is honestly such a fun way to go about it I hope your exams went well and you’re happy to see the back of them!

Lol hahha very easy to stay unpredictable when these two characters are essentially batshit for one another- that’s an endless treasure trove of inspo in my opinion hahaha but thank you for the compliment! Ah thanks I do hope you like the rest it’s been such a wild and unexpected journey!!

Thank you for coming to say hello and share your thoughts (also you’ve said it all perfectly there’s no rules on what to say beyond basic human politeness with these things and I do honestly love to hear what you all think) thank you for your support it’s so meaningful to me how wonderful you all have been and you’re so welcome 💛

[haunted-xander]

Chiaki had been living with Izuru and Nagito for a couple months by the time she got a message alerting her that Kyosuke, Juzo and Chisa would be checking up on her. The other check-ups were always carried out by lower ranking members, so she found this suspicious. She had been careful to tell Izuru and Nagito in advance when people would be coming so they could conceal themselves, and Makoto and Kyoko stayed true to their promise to be quiet about it.

If they're not here for Kamukura-kun and Komaeda-kun, then what could it be? I hope it's nothing bad... ...Oh, but, this might be my chance to tell Munakata-kun about Yukizome-san. I... just hope he'll believe me. And... I'm worried about how Yukizome-san will react to me outing her... Nagito hasn't been home recently, claiming he had some work to do elsewhere, and she already told Izuru to hide, so she couldn't discuss what to do with him.

Finally, the dreaded knock on her door came. She tried to act casual as she went to open the door. "...Ah, hello, Munakata-kun, Sakakura-kun and... Yukizome-san. You're here already. ...Come in." She cordially opened the door and beckoned them all inside. "Nanami-san! It's so good to see you again! You've been so busy I've barely been able to talk to you! We really need to catch up a bit!"

"Don't get too excited now, Yukizome. We're not here to chat. We've got something more important to talk about."

"Are you saying that getting to talk with my former student isn't important? I'm hurt, Sakakura-kun! How dare you! Kyosukeeeeee, Sakakura-kun is being mean to me agaaaaaain."

"Sakakura-kun, don't be so insensitive."

"...Hmph. Whatever. Let's just get started already." Juzo glanced back at Chisa, looking at her somewhat suspiciously. ...Maybe Sakakura-kun figured it out. Or, he has an idea at least. He wasn't this hostile with her the last time I saw them. "...I apologise for their bickering. Now, you must be wondering why we came to check on you instead of the ones usual responsible for this task. Well... we have a bit of a secret mission for you."

"...A secret mission? Secret how?"

"...The Future Foundation recently got an anonymous tip about a certain group of captives being held in Towa City. These captives are people that were close to the participants of the Killing School Life, and were originally used by Junko Enoshima as a motive. Now that the Game is over, we can safely retrieve them. ...At least, that's the assumption that our leader seems to have. However, we think it may be a trap set up by one of the Remnants of Despair. It's simply too convenient. Chisa reccommended we send you as back-up to ensure the rescue mission progesses smoothly." Kyosuke spared no unnecessary chatter and got straight to the point.

Juzo looked ready to say something when Chisa swiftly cut him off. "If you go on this mission, you might run into one of the Remnants! I know you must be so worried about everyone, they were all your former classmates after all. I can't help but worry too..." Liar. You don't want to help me. Sending me on this mission is probably a trap. ...But I can't just let it be either. What to do...

"...I see. I'll need to think about. There's a chance that getting someone secretly sent is a trap, too." Kyosuke looked confused by her answer, not picking up on what she's implying. "...What do you mean? I'm sure the Remnants are expecting us to launch a simple rescue mission. No matter how calculating you are, there is a limit to what one can predict." In the back, she noticed that Chisa's smile grew colder, and Juzo tensed up. ...It seems Sakakura-kun and Yukizome-san caught it. Convincing Sakakura-kun doesn't seem like it'll be hard, but Munakata-kun...

"...Munakata-kun. What... would you think if I said there might be a Remnant hiding within the Future Foundations ranks? And... what if I told you they were very close to you?" She couldn't just say it outright. Honestly, even if she was well aware of Chisa's current condition, she didn't want to admit it. Saying it was just... too much. But she had to. "...What are you implying? Are you saying there's been a Remnant among us this entire time? One so cunning as to hid themselves completely from us?"

"...That is what I'm saying. And... I know who it is, too. ...But... you're not gonna like it. I'm sorry for not telling you all before. I haven't had the opportunity to tell anyone yet, so I was getting a little desperate. It's... only a matter of time until they make their move."

"Then who is it? Get out with it already. If there's a Remnant among us, we need to deal with them immediately." Juzo impatiently demanded she answered. ...Sakakura-kun probably already figured out who I'm talking about. "...It's Yukizome-san."

A heavy silence filled the room. Kyosuke looked at her as if she'd grown two heads. Behind him, Chisa's smile fell and she gave Chiaki a cold glare. Murderous intent was shown clearly in her eyes, making a cold shudder run up Chiaki's spine. "...What. You're saying that... Chisa's been a Remnant of Despair... this entire time? There's no way... that I can believe that. Chisa is the kindest and most caring person I know, there's no way in hell she's been working for that... that vile woman! There is no way!"

"I know it's hard to believe but-"

"No! It's not true, it can't be true! You must be mistaken! It's not Chisa, it's-"

"She's right, Munakata."

"...Sakakura-kun...? What are you talking about...? You don't seriously...?" Juzo looked uncomfortable, feeling guilty for not speaking up sooner. "...I noticed a long time ago that Yukizome was behaving... oddly. I couldn't really put a finger on it, so I figured I was imagining it and I said nothing. Recently, thought, she started acting even weirder. Ever since Enoshima died, she began running off and doing stuff behind the Future Foundations back, being awfully secretive about it too. ...I didn't really know how to bring it up so I never mentioned it."

Kyosuke stared at him in silence, not knowing how to respond. After a few tense moments, he hesistantly spoke up, "...Sakakura-kun... You..."

...........

"...Chisa, tell me... it's not true... is it? You're not a Remnant... right? ...Say something. Please." Chisa hadn't spoken a word since Chiaki starting talking about the insider Remnant. When Kyosuke aimed his questioning at her, she gave a too-innocent smile. Chiaki began to worry she was going to try and lie herself out of it.

"Aw, you got me! That's right, I'm a Remnant of Despair. I can't believe I managed to fool you for so long!" Her saccharine smile turned cold. "You really are an idiot, Kyosuke. You were so blinded by love that you didn't notice a thing! Really, I gave you so many hints and you never caught any of them! Or... maybe you willingly ignored them. How stupid, how... despairing."

"C-Chisa...? Do you really mean...? You're..." His face showed nothing but pure shock and despair. He could barely get any words out. "Aha! And there it is! That's what I've been looking for all this time!" Chisa clapsed her hands together and smiled gleefully, despair swirling in her eyes. "That wonderful look of despair... Oh, how I've waiting so long to see you with it!"

"Fuck it, I've had enough of this shit-" Juzo ran and tackled Chisa from behind, pinning her to the ground. "Munakata! Snap out of it! We can't have you falling to despair too!" The words seemed to get through to him, as Kyosuke flinched back and shook his head. "...Your right. I... don't want to believe it, but... she admitted it. There's no way I can deny it now. ...I... need to contact Tengan-kun about this. Please excuse me" With the little dignity he had left, Kyosuke took out his phone and left the room.

Now it was only Chiaki, Juzo, and the restrained Chisa in the room. The air was thick with tension, to the point Chiaki found it hard to breathe. "...I'm... so sorry. I didn't want to do this. I-I'm so s-so sorry, for everything." She couldn't hold her tears in anymore, the gravity of what just happened, and what would later happen to her old teacher, weighing heavy on her mind. "I-it's all *sob* my f-fault that th-things end-*sob*-ended up l-like this. *sob* If O-only I'd just *sob* Took K-Komaeda-kun and r-ran then *sob* s-she wouldn't h-have had to come s-save us *sob* a-and then she-"

"God, stop your annoying crying already. What's done is done, you can't do anything about it now so who the hell cares. ...At least you told us before it was too late." Juzo cut into her guilt-fueled ranting, tired of all the sniffeling. "...Just. Go to your damn room and take a nap or something. I'll handle Yukizome here, and Munakata will handle the... other stuff. ...You did good, kid. Get some rest"

Not expecting him to try to comfort him, she gave a slight nod and got up to take that reccommended nap. Behind her back, she faintly heard him say, "...You're much braver than I am. If only I had that courage back then..."

She closed her bedroom door behind her, falling onto her bed and immediately falling asleep.

[bluebird-in-a-cagedrawing]

This is a filler part of the comic, it has nothing to do with the actually action... I made it for fun as a break...

Filler 1- Amstran the moon dancer (A nightmare in pieces)

(it will have 3 more diferent fillers with this)

Panel 1

Felix Reddison:"Be careful with that packet, we should move it to the west wing... Bring the others, this should be going to the charity donation..."

Donut:"What is going on here? Where can i put my luggage, i also have a few new things i have bought recently."

The cigarette ghost Smoky:"Maybe room 113-C would be better, let me help you move in it..."

Red the fortune teller:"Donut, it's good to see you, later we will have a show where I will predict the future and read tarrots cards, you must be there."

Donut:"This room is perfect, oh this is a huge mirror in the middle of it..."

Lumboo the light ghost:"Yes, it hasn't been occupied for at least 17 years by now...

Yan-naifu the ghost:"I got you some more new blankets, this room gets cold on night, it has always been like this."

Amstran the moon dancer:"Hi Donut, i just wanted to see the new room, um...Do you need anything else, i see there aren't any cupboards for clothes... In our room is one small that me and Hester the photo marksmen can lift it up and move it here."

Luna the moon demon:"Amstran the moon dancer watch it... It was only a rat."

Donut:"Is everything alright? I heard some strange...noises...Who is she?"

Fem Amstran the moon dancer:"Yo-yo bitches, call ma Nana*... Where is the party?"

Amstran the moon dancer:"Oh no... What have i done?"

Nana*:Why the look, ugh, smells like depression... Ah, damn, where is the beer?"

Felix Reddison:"Amstran the moon dancer, this can not continue like this... We must resolve this problem! Watch it, not the carpet..."

Lumboo the light ghost:"We have to catch your female version Amstran the moon dancer, she fried the electrical circuit at least three times already!"

Trisha the hour glass:"I sense it was a problem, new faces i see...we have to get this reflection of yours back into the mirror..."

Panel 5

Amstran the moon dancer:"The mirror i broke it..."

Le souris bonbon neige:"Oh no, that means 7 years of bad luck!"

Trisha the hour glass:"I'm afraid only the local keeper can help you now, there might be another mirror somewhere, it's sister!"

Hester the photo marksmen:"Let's not waste any more time come on...we shouldn't play with our reflections..."

Donut:"Hello, is anyone here? This place gives me such a bad vibe...and it's cold just like in the palace..."

Trisha the hour glass:"Deep breath, my dear, it will pass...This place is worst than i remember..."

Hester the photo marksmen:"Look at all these mirrors, i see my younger self in here..."

The owner of the shop:"Oh i see you found my favorite ones...Let me guess you need a replacement."

Donut:"How do you know so much about us? Do you know what every customer wants?"

Amstran the moon dancer:"Well, sir... We need the twin sister of the mirror, the one which gives you your female or male version..."

The owner of the shop:"Ah, yes... such a lovely mirror, It was bought many years ago by the grandfather of the actual motel owner. If you ask me those can be a gift or a big pain somewhere, it will be yours for 2471 z.i.o, so anything else you would like?Ialso have those lovely paintings, makes such a cute gift, half the price and no curse on them?"

Nana*:"I love those colorfull fishes, they are so free, I wish I Was a fish..."

Donut:"The fishes around here are beautiful and simple, it's a beautiful fountain... Look, i know how that feels, but it's time for you to move on..."

Luna the moon demon:"lt would be good for all of us and Amstran the moon dancer too... It was just an accident."

Amstran the moon dancer:"Come on, sister... Let's go... But before that for this to work what would you like?"

Nana*:"Wait, before you send me back, i just want something!"

Trisha the hour glass:"That would be? lt better not be something we can't afford. "

Nana*:"Well, you said yourself that i have to go with an agreement, so i want a big partyyyy, that will shake this motel!"

Felix Reddison:"Absolutely not! You already killed a room and ruin at least five carpets with who knows what drink."

Le souris bonbon neige:"Come on it can't be that bad, i will be the DJ, i have some electronic music."

Felix Reddison:"Oh, ok fine...We didn't have a party for such along time...Ok...I am in! And also to save my flowers!"

Nana*:"Drink up... What's up party peooopleee?! Make some noise!"

Luna the moon demon:"Do i really need to be here?"

Nishya the dream cat:"So we have the artistic moment where we sing each other a song, want to start it?"

Nana*:"Yeahh, i will go first... Check this out, only for you freestyle bitches... Let's make some noiiise!!"

Le souris bonbon neige:"This better be good, i did not knew my cousim Amstran the moon dancer has this hidden passion."

Panel 10

Nana*:Well, i guess this is goodbye... I am gonna miss you all. Take care... And you, Amstran the moon dancer, i am happy i was your feminine gender part."

Luna the moon demon:"Can you just already leave? Sorry, but i really don't like this tear jerk scene."

Nishya the dream cat:"That is just Luna the moon demon, you were a great girl to have around, party girl!"

Donut:"Goodbye Nana..."

Nana*:"Bye, see you later bitches!"

...

The next filler will be called İce İce mouse, so yes, if Le souris bonbon neige your favorite, join us in this filler as well...

The 29 part will be posted at 20 pm/8 pm Europe time zone + or - if you are in Europe, example for Poland and France: the time will be 7 pm/19 pm 😅 Don't know when yet 😅

Thank you for your support!

Donut belongs to @caprin-mallow

[booasaur]

Hi I know and have seen that you are making sure to keep people aware of what is going on in Israel and Palestine, and I just wanted to say thank you, it is easy to encounter a situation in which people feel that there is nothing more they can do, so they just ignore it and push it to the back of their mind to feel better. So I just wanted to thank you keeping in upfront and evident. 1/2

2/2 I just wanted to share with you and the others this trailer I found. Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Braff and Evelyne Brochu in a love triangle that doesn't seem super toxic. I can see where it's going to go but small steps and all that. French girl Official Trailer on youtube

Ah, thank you. It just feels there should be SO much more of an outcry and if people are quiet because they don't know enough or if they think the situation is too complicated then I can at least show objectively terrible things to cut through that. Because children shouldn't be killed. Journalists, hospitals, civilians shouldn't be attacked. There's no justification to starve a population. No matter how little people know of the situation, no matter what the narrative is from our government and media, those things are true. The best option for the Israeli hostages is a ceasefire and both Israel and the US have concluded Hamas will continue to exist after this, so there's literally no reason this violence should be continuing even if you think catastrophic levels of collateral loss are acceptable for October 7th (which... you shouldn't).

I'm also hoping I can convey just how dark and vicious this all has been and how it's contributing to creating generational levels of trauma and hate. The racism and disregard for brown lives needed to allow this are so apparent and so present in the West, it's really shifting whole worldviews. It isn't only seeing these atrocities, it's the West's support and tacit allowance that's really shaken people. Americans especially who want to ignore it should be ashamed already, but they should be more active if only out of self-preservation, it's going to bounce back, one way or another.

Okay, subject change.

Lol, when I first skimmed your second ask, I misread that as Zac Efron and was like, well him and Vanessa Hudgens in a movie, of course that's going to be the winning couple! But Braff, oh.

So I went and watched the trailer (after first wondering what a toxic love triangle is, exactly) and it feels like a very small step indeed!

It seems very similar to the '90s and '00s romcoms, you got your hapless Relatable loser of a lead with his perfect gf and then suddenly her perfect ex but of course hapless Relatable loser "wins" because the gf loves him, dammit.

I know various romcoms have done that, but I feel like at least a few storylines, movies and TV, have had the ex be a woman?

I suppose it's not inherently bad to be so old-fashioned or have the woman lose the love triangle but it's just... you know. The framing and predictability and going this particular way, it feels as if the whole movie is going to be the ex being better, him being jealous over it, and the gf reassuring him over it.

But that's just the trailer, and who knows, maybe they'll subvert it. I did laugh at these comments:

[zephfair]

Fic Stats Tag Game

Rules: Give us the links to your fics with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and your fic with the least amount of words.

Ah, thank you so much for tagging me @kelliealtogether because this was fascinating! I'm really shocked by how some of my stuff ranked. Thanks for making me look at the data in new ways!😘

Most Hits: Fix Me Up Good – 12,087 – When things start to go wrong in Stiles' apartment at the old Hale house, he finds out the maintenance guy is kind of hot but doesn't seem to appreciate Stiles' unique sense of humor. (omg this was just a stupid pwp I posted to prove a point to myself in the other main fandom I was in.🫣 I was going to take it down but it “took off” for me. It’s not my finest work or even my finest pwp, but it’s Teen Wolf so who cares.🤭😳)

Second Most Kudos: Will You Accept This Rose? – 796?! – When Blue is chosen as the reluctant Bachelorette, the show needs to quickly add a few contestants, just to fill out the first night's ceremony. Her new friends on the production staff are asked to help, but Ronan soon finds out he and Blue share similar taste in men. (my crack-filled baby did so well, omg, I can’t believe it! 🌹 I still re-read the scenes I loved writing the most because they make me smile.)

Third Most Comments: Bleach AU Collection – 55 – A compilation of all the Bleach fics I'm writing for the 30-Day AU Challenge on Tumblr. They're mostly fluff and humor with a dose of smut here and there between Grimmjow and Ichigo. (Ironic, really, because no one read or commented on my Bleach stuff while I was writing and posting it, so I just gave up writing for Bleach (and stopped fanfic writing for 3 years) because I’m obviously a horrible writer and/or really terrible at characterizations. So yeah. Weird that it’s gotten this many comments over the years. 🤷)

Fourth Most Bookmarks: Familiarity Breeds Contempt (and Affection) – 181 – In a world of magic, Ichigo cannot become a full mage without successfully summoning his familiar. But when it does appear, it's nothing like the lovable animal familiars everyone else bonds with. (Another Bleach fic that got almost zero interaction when I posted it.)

Fifth Most Words: Treasure in Clay Vessels – 22,003 – Pope Sixtus is so concerned with taking over Florence that he sends two spies to infiltrate the Medici family, but the new war engineer will only choose to get close to one of them. Girolamo must forget he is a Riario to play his role, but temptations threaten to steal him away for good. (Da Vinci’s Demons was the best tiny fandom ever and gave writers/creators such lovely interactions. This was one of my baby works, a real labor of love, and I’m still proud of it.😊)

Least Amount of Words: Clothes Make the Man – 2,182 – Zo's T-shirt was supposed to be a gag Christmas gift, but if he's lucky, it might predict the future. (Da Vinci’s Demons. Ha, even in a teeny, tiny fandom, I still wrote a lot of crack and weird pairings.😜)

I'm going to tag @iammistressofmyfate and @mychemicalrachel if you lovelies want to do it! No pressure!

[broken-clover]

Hmm it seems like arcade mode confirmed what I'd predicted they'd reveal about the bedframe. It really isn't a person, nor is Bedman actually piloting it from beyond the grave. It's even trying to permanently destroy itself, which breaks my heart. But Delilah clings to it desperately because yeah watching the only thing you have from your dead loved one want to annihilate itself must be AWFUL. Poor girl 😢

Yeah, completely off the mark from what I had been expecting. Ah well, I can concede when I'm wrong. At least to some extent it makes things a little less sad, there's some closure in the finality of it instead of having to desperately fight off an inevitable end. It's little more than a keepsake for Delilah, but even that comes with a whole fuckton of baggage and there's no gentle way to get through that.

However,

That is absolutely not gonna stop me in terms of writing, because aside from just ignoring canon like I have been this whole time, I'm starting to concoct new thoughts. One is the obvious one that we literally canonically have a guy who can pull 'ghosts' from the backyard so we can absolutely bullshit something out of it.

Alternatively, I'm formulating a theory that since allegedly he's some sort of multidimensional entity now, the fact that the bed exists still is the exact reason he can't do something to properly manifest. Sort of like with Axl back in XX, he can't functionally coexist in a space where there's basically a second 'him' walking around, even if it's just a programmed echo. It's absolutely just hopeful fan speculation, but now I'm imagining an alternate ending where the thing does get tragically destroyed and Delilah is distraught at one of the last remnants of her brother being ruined, but he pops right out of the broken bedframe since now there's nothing stopping him from appearing

[elibean]

well this anime season is ending with a lot less shows than i thought it would, lol

there were SO MANY "ok i'll check out the first episode at least" shows on my list this season and i dropped most of them xD

shy-- cute, but nothing particularly stood out to me. also it would've hit way harder if the classmate ACTUALLY died. oh no she was a little more injured than the rest of them. boohoo

bullbuster-- i'm a sucker for anime originals, and this is pa works, right? ah no i'm way off lol it's NUT, same ones who did...deca-dence, i think? yeah, and i loved that one that was fun. but i just generally don't care about mechas, and this wasn't doing anything to really stand out from others shows, so

shangri-la-- ok everyone was praising the HELL out of this beforehand, like they really liked the source material. the first episode was...fine? it just seems like a straightforward "guy gets really into a vr game" thing lol, like maybe sao but without the impending doom. the animation was nice, but there was nothing there to really grab me.

100 girlfriends-- again people were praising the source material here, so i thought maybe i'd enjoy it, even though i usually don't bother with harem or romance. i thought maybe this'd be different. it wasn't. some of the jokes got a snort out of me, but nothing like super amazing. and the heteronormative thing that he can only be in love with girls was annoying lol

i think that's it out of what i tried and dropped. so what i'm following, sequels notwithstanding--

telepath-- ok the premise is really dumb, what high school girl would HONESTLY make a whole dream about ~meeting aliens~. i think younger me would have been more invested in this kind of thing BUT the forehead touch was super cute, and this IS tagged under "girls' love" so i'm....hoping. please. give me like a smooch or something please

yuzuki-san-- awful subs aside, this seemed really cute and promising. nothing groundbreaking, but endearing and i love stories about families.

frieren-- i'm not gonna say it's a masterpiece but like. easily aots, no contest lol. incredible, even if predictable. the idea of her retracing her steps is really interesting, too. and it's a cool storytelling thing to have us retroactively see her journey along the way-- that's just really fun. i'm not sure how i feel about the goal of getting to talk to her dead friend again. it feels like it kind of cheapens what she's trying to do, in a way? unsure, i feel like they might be able to pull it off in a satisfying way, though. i love the idea of her trying to grow and become more empathetic-- that's really interesting. this one deserves all the praise it's getting.

aaaand that's it, again minus sequels. small season, compared to what i thought it'd be lol

[ethereousdelirious]

Knocking out 2 requests with one fill here 😁

Fandom: Sk8 the Infinity

Pairing: pre-M.atchaBl.ossom

Summary: It's been an unseasonably cold winter. Kojirou and Kaoru fall sick in turns. (Emeto warning hehe)

Words: 2,059

Notes: another one from my "writer's block curbstomp era," but a concept I hope to revisit many times in the future 😇

It had been an unusually blustery winter, so much so that Kaoru had taken to wearing additional layers on his midnight cruises with Kojirou. He retreated deeper into his cowl neck hoodie as a breeze whipped his hair back, momentarily muting the noise of his wheels. Beside him, Kojirou whooped and did a kickflip over nothing.

"You might as well bang on your chest," Kaoru muttered, but his jab was lost in the wind. As cold as it had been, Kojirou still hadn't felt the need to put on a shirt. The cold of winter did something for him that the summer did not, though the temperature difference was not so drastic. Something about the cold silver light of the moon on his skin made Kaoru want to shiver with something other than cold. This was the coldest night yet and still, he was stuck ogling the peaks and valleys of Kojirou's muscular back.

"Speak up, princess," Kojirou called without looking back. "Don't think I didn't hear you talking to yourself back there."

"I said, you should put a shirt on, you animal." Kaoru did a varial heelflip to punctuate his point, slamming Carla down decisively. "You're going to get sick at this rate."

"Aww." Kojirou slid to a stop and smirked, infuriatingly handsome in the moonlight. "I'm starting to think you're worried about me or something."

Kaoru couldn't help but take the bait, crossing his arms after powersliding to a stop. “I mean it. And then I’ll be the one stuck looking after you.”

“Tell you what, babe. If you can beat me in a game of SKATE, I’ll wear a shirt when the temperature drops below 15. Sound good?”

Kaoru huffed and rolled his eyes. He never could say no.

His prediction came true a little over a week later. Kojirou at least had the decency not to ghost him or play coy. His text message simply read ‘can’t come out tonight. Too busy puking.’

15 minutes later, Kaoru was on his doorstep with his hair up and a flask of miso soup tucked under his arm.

He almost knocked for the miniscule pleasure of making Kojirou get up and answer the door, but thought better of it and let himself in. It wasn’t fun when there was no game in it.

And there was certainly no game in this.

Kojirou was curled up on the bathroom floor, albeit with a pillow under his head and a blanket over his shoulders.

He had evidently done his best to take care of himself: a thermometer lay on the counter next to a package of anti-nausea medication. A glass of water stood within arm's reach on the floor, though it looked untouched.

Kaoru crossed his arms and scowled at Kojirou, who gave a weak grin. "Hey, gorgeous. Like what you see?" His stomach growled and the smile gave way to a wince.

"What did I tell you?" Kaoru said, unmoved.

"Mm— Ah, I believe you said 'once again, the almighty JOE has defeated me in a game of SKATE!'"

Unable to resist, Kaoru kicked Kojirou in the leg, which happened to be the nearest body part. The retort he'd been expecting never came. Kojirou only groaned like an old dog and his head fall back onto the pillow.

"When was the last time you v—" Kaoru started to asked, but broke off when Kojirou shot upright and gagged into the toilet. The subsequent noises made Kaoru's skin crawl, though it wasn't enough of a deterrent to keep him from kneeling beside Kojirou and holding his hair back. The sweat bothered him more, but he suppressed his reaction to a slight shudder and kept collecting locks of Kojirou's hair until it was all out of his face

"Ugh…" Kojirou flushed the toilet with a shaking hand and fell back against Kaoru, who had to release his hold on Kojirou's hair to keep from pulling it. "Sorry about that," Kojirou said, still wearing an infuriating grin despite the fact that his head was lolling against Kaoru's chest. "Do you still think I'm hot?"

Kaoru felt his forehead, though he really didn't need to. "I'm not one of your deranged fangirls," he said, "but you are warm."

"Well, you're as cold as ever," Kojirou said, shaking Kaoru's hand away.

Despite himself, Kaoru stuck his lip out. It was stupid to get upset when Kojirou was the one who was ill and obviously miserable. He looked around at the nest Kojirou had made for himself. "Any particular reason you haven't moved back to your bed?"

Kojirou hiccuped and swallowed hard, a fresh wave of sweat breaking out on his forehead (ugh, and dampening Kaoru's kimono— there was already a wet spot). "Give me a few minutes and I'll show you."

"No, thank you." Kaoru wrinkled his nose. "However, I do think you would be more comfortable if you moved. If you ask nicely, I may even bring the trash can to you."

"For free?" Kojirou snuggled into Kaoru's chest. "How generous."

"In this condition, I doubt very much there's anything you could give me."

"How 'bout my germs?"

Kaoru thinned his lips. Had he touched his face since coming here? Was it already too late? "I've been doing my immune system the favor of not skating around shirtless in the cold, so that should be good enough."

"Mmh…" Kojirou had closed his eyes at some point; now his mouth went slack and he slid a little, relaxing."

"No, you don't." Kaoru pushed him off and stood up, extending a hand. "Come on."

Kojirou was doing worse than his jovial manner indicated. He wobbled to his feet, nearly pulling Kaoru off balance, and had to stop for breath several times on the way to his bedroom.

"Trash can?" he asked weakly, once he had seated himself on the edge of his bed.

A small one stood in the corner of the room. Kaoru lunged for it.

Kojirou panted, glassy eyes peeking out between the locks of hair that hung in his face. His cotton T-shirt was a little too tight and his muscles jumped, straining the thin fabric.

"Gah…" Kojirou swallowed hard. "Maybe not."

"You did this to yourself," Kaoru said, determined not to pity him.

"Mm." Kojirou's chest hitched. He swallowed convulsively and his lips parted again. A choked noise jumped forth his throat and Kaoru squeezed his eyes shut.

A quiet vocalization, liquid hitting plastic, the sharp sound of Kojirou spitting.

Willing himself not to cringe, Kaoru opened his eyes. Kojirou really looked terrible, tired and ill, but no less handsome for it, somehow. Kaoru took the trash can from him and helped him lie down properly.

Kojirou shivered beneath the covers and Kaoru's anger mounted— useless anger borne of the acute knowledge of his own helplessness. Kojirou was the caretaker between the two of them, aggressively caring about everyone with open arms and an easy smile. It didn't come naturally to Kaoru. What was he supposed to do? How did he make it better?

"Kojirou," he said gravely."

"No," came the weary reply

"Kojirou," he insisted, "what can I do for you?"

Kojirou didn't open his eyes. "Stay. Talk to me."

There really wasn't anywhere good to sit, only the other side of the bed. Kaoru perched on it, his legs dangling off the side. "What should I talk about?"

"Programming. Motorcycles. Skating. Anything. Just wanna hear your voice."

Warmth bloomed in Kaoru's chest and across his cheeks. Drunk on it, he put his hand atop Kojirou's and curled his fingers in the gaps between Kojirou's own.

He started to ramble about the ins and outs of computer programming and beside him, Kojirou smiled.

—

The unusually aggressive winter did not retreat with Kojirou's symptoms. If anything, it got more aggressive as though to encourage his defiance. But, at Kaoru's insistence, he now wore a hooded T-shirt for their nighttime skates.

It was a size too small and he smiled whenever he caught Kaoru pretending not to stare.

A fervent wind whipped up the air in waves, so much so that it almost wasn't fun to bomb their favorite hill. Their hoods wouldn't stay up and Kojirou's ears stung with the whipping wind.

He slowed down with a series of strategic powerslides and found himself addressing merely the tip of Kaoru's nose where it poked out from within his cowl neck hoodie. He'd yanked the drawstrings taut.

"Let's not do that again," Kojirou said, suppressing a chuckle at the endearing sight.

"Agreed," Kaoru said, his voice muffled in the soft black of the cowl. He shivered and drew his elbows in, a few strands of petal pink hair catching and tangling in the breeze. He sighed and seemed to wilt with it, his shoulders dropping and head tilting.

That wasn't right.

Kojirou brute-forced his hand past the scrunched border of Kaoru's hood.

"Stop!" Kaoru hissed, flinching away to no avail.

Wordlessly, Kojirou wiggled his fingers past the bridge of Kaoru's nose and up to his forehead. "Kaoru, do you feel okay?"

"Of course not!" Kaoru snapped. "I'm being attacked by a feral gorilla."

If he'd really cared, he could have thrown Kojirou off and been halfway across town on his longboard by now. Kojirou would have grinned if he hadn't been so distracted. "You feel warm. Hope you didn't catch what I had."

Kaoru evidently did not think the point was worth arguing, because he only huffed and let go of his hoodie strings. After a moment, he crossed his arms. "I didn't ask for a medical exam," he said petulantly, and a painful growl rolled through his stomach.

"Home," said Kojirou.

"I want to keep skating," Kaoru said, because he refused to be anything other than his infuriating self, even if it meant potentially spilling his guts out all over downtown.

"No, you don't, stringbean." Kojirou kicked Carla out from under him and popped the board up into his hand. "Come on."

Kaoru was frighteningly pliant. It seemed he was more preoccupied with his comfort than his dignity at the moment, though he'd very obviously lost his grip on both. He'd managed to force another hoodie over the one he was already wearing, then buried himself in his duvet. He looked very small and very pink and Kojirou had to swallow down his sympathetic laughter because it would only make Kaoru upset.

"How's your stomach?" Kojirou asked.

"Give me a couple minutes and I'll show you," Kaoru growled, glaring at him.

"Very funny," Kojirou said, but he whipped around for the trash can as fast as he could. "Good thing your hair's already tied up, huh?"

"Ugh…" Kaoru huddled in on himself, something managing to look even smaller. "You should leave." He stared into the depths of the trash can and swallowed several times in succession, chin jutting forward. Sweat broke out on his forehead and his violent shivers cut off at once with a full-body shudder that curled his spine and forced his head forward. He opened his mouth in deference to it and dry-heaved, his expression pinched.

"C'mon, here." Kojirou set about untangling him from the duvet.

"Stop—" Kaoru coughed and heaved again and hid his eyes behind his hand for a moment.

"Sorry." With nothing else to do, Kojirou sat back on his heels and watched.

Loose tendrils of pink hair clung to Kaoru's pale, gleaming cheeks. His eyes were half-lidded, brows knit, mouth hanging open. Even in his misery, he was so beautiful that Kojirou ached to touch him.

Kaoru coughed again and ducked his face behind the lip of the trash can. Soft moans of discomfort punctuated the sound of his retching and Kojirou couldn't stop himself from peeling back the strands of hair stuck to his forehead and cheeks. He cupped Kaoru's forehead gently, willing back the fever, and waited.

"Don't—" Kaoru breathed, pausing. His weight pressed into Kojirou's palm. In an impossibly small, shattered voice, he said, "You don't have to touch me."

"Come here." Kojirou pulled him over, let Kaoru curl up in his lap with his head resting on Kojirou's shoulder. The duvet sat in a heap around Kaoru's legs but he didn't reach for it, only relaxed into Kojirou's embrace. "What's the name of the lullaby you like, huh?"

Kaoru mumbled it and Kojirou began to sing without a moment's hesitation.

[beevean]

Ah man i really dislike fandom's general behaviour regarding canon vs not-canon (shoutout to the ff7 fandom for not being normal abt the compilation :) ) There is this belief that canon means good or is some sort of prestige, and that's why some ppl insist so much on placing their favorite spin offs or side stories at canon level, or try to "downgrade" some canon story bc they didnt like it. And in the end canon in terms of quality means nothing! I acknowledge that, for example, metroid other m is technically more canon than the metroid prime trilogy (including how it went out of its way to make the mp games explicitly not compatible w the main canon 🙄), yet i also will say that mom sucks horribly and will ignore its mistake of an existence while the mp trilogy is Peak. Heck i personally like the lore introduced in AM2R despite it being a fan game (aka def not canon). Or for a diff example, the CoD manga could be said to be less canon than PtR, but both are beautifully written and introduce plenty of interesting elements and themes to the main CoD story (plus Hector look at Hector the he hes so- ).

Canon doesnt equals quality, but rather it means what was an actual event in a series, and is mostly relevant in terms of analisis, putting together what happened, and trying to predict what events will be mentioned again in the franchise and their influence (and also retcons exist, for good and evil). If you like canon, good! If you like an spin off, good! If you like the fanon/headcanons, good! You can try to mix up elements from both into your own version or interpretation, to do fanfics or fanart, etc. Something being canon or not is an objective (if debatable in certain cases) fact, but that doesnt means you need to like it or not

Thank you for putting it better than what I've been trying to say fdhsjhfdskhfks

Ohh boy the OM example. I would rather. Not touch that :) I am aware of the backlash after Dread dared to include an image of that game's events... (but speaking of AM2R, I really believe it shouldn't be mentioned in this conversation lol. I suppose you can say that we can accepts its ideas like headcanons!)

The CoD mangas are an interesting example. PtR was written by Ayami Kojima, who had a hand in creating at least Hector and Isaac, so it's technically a more "official" product than the MF manga which was written by a hired writer; but Kojima herself considers the MF manga more canon, likely because it's more detailed:

Although there are some restrictions on representation when accompanying a game, there is a comic in Japan that can be freely established as a story and can be thoroughly enjoyed, by Kou Sasakura ("Castlevania: Curse of Darkness'', published by Media Factory). It was written by hand, so I apologize for the inconvenience, but please read it as well. This is how I ended up with it this time, and it may be confusing for those who worry about the story. Each person's setting, interpretation, and representation are different, but I'll leave it to you as the true story... Hector is also cool and handsome! ... How should I say it? It's like the child I gave birth to as a surrogate mother (wow!) is now doing even better with their foster parents, and I'm crying tears of gratitude behind the telephone pole.

(this quote is so wholesome I wanted to share, even if badly translated <3)

So who is right? And speaking about that, how much can prequel mangas be "canon" in a videogame series? I never mentioned the Sonic promotional material, now that I think of it lol. (admittedly that's another issue, the one of accessibility for newcomers, which oh man oh man do the CoD mangas suffer from :'D)

Anyway, I have nothing smarter to add, so let me emphasize this:

Canon doesnt equals quality, but rather it means what was an actual event in a series, and is mostly relevant in terms of analisis, putting together what happened, and trying to predict what events will be mentioned again in the franchise and their influence