#OK I NEED TO TALK ABOUT MY CHARACTER CHOICES QUICKLY

[vidavidee]

little guys from the past couple weeks.. i hit em with the deltarune beam

[ordowrites]

When You Are Sick

because i am sick, i am gonna be self indulgent with this.

cw: fluff, mostly. afab reader but no pronouns are used, some pet names (precious, my fire). mdni, minors dni. purely self indulgent. i want diluc to fret over me ok

characters: diluc & arlecchino

diluc

he's worried, needless to say - you spikes a fever pretty quickly and he's trying to remain calm and stoic. hay fever is common or perhaps, it's the flu or something else. either way, he starts to worry when you reject food offered to you and he considers calling all the best doctors he can. whatever you wish at this point, it will he his command. medications, tea, softer blankets. anything to make sure you're comfortable and on the track to recovery.

"diluc," you mumble as you crack open an eye, his pacing giving you a worse headache. you cough a bit. he freezes, looks at you, probably mentally preparing for the worst. "if you want to help, stop... moving around in here." you roll over and sigh, coughing again and groaning.

"is there something i can get you? perhaps i can fetch a medic? run you a bath? my fire, please tell me what you need."

you let out a breath. a groan.

"can you cuddle with me?" you finally ask. he runs warm and right now, you feel cold. "play with my hair. anything to get you to stop pacing."

he thinks for a moment - you two have shared a bed many times but he still hesitates. but he finally climbs in, and you sigh, relaxing in his warmth as his fingers softly start to stroke your hair and rub your back. he revels in your soft hair, always finding new ways to think of you as perfect.

"how's this, my flame?"

"mm, perfect. as always."

ever the one to please you, he continues until he hears you breathing deeply - finally asleep, although fitful.

arlecchino

to say she is unhappy is incorrect - displeased? you're not sure. you can't read her, but her hand is cold against your clammy skin and she clicks her tongue.

"how do you feel, precious?"

"...horrible."

she sits down at the side of the bed, weight causing some movement. "unfortunate. i suppose we'll have to put our dinner plans on hold until further notice."

"'m sorry." you mumble, too tired to actually care. you sigh and lean in when she rubs her thumb on your cheek. "really. this is stupid."

"we all get sick, no need to fret." alrecchino says and your eyes slide shut briefly. you're awoken later to a smell and you groan, sitting up. she's back in your guys room with some soup. "can you sit up, precious? you need to eat."

oh, you'd actually fallen asleep. it's darker than before - save for some lit candles.

when you do sit up - hit by dizziness and nausea - you consider laying back down. you don't protest as she chooses to feed you, savoring each bite. afterwards, she makes you take a sip of some water and tells you to rest again. she'll be back in a little bit.

so you do, grateful for arlecchino's pampering and coddling. you think, briefly, that she's kissed you on the lips but brush it off as a feverish haze.

"we'll talk about your silly choice to be outside in the rain without being properly dressed when you feel better." she says before she leaves.

maybe you can play up being sick for a few extra days when you start to recover.

[infamous-if]

This is more of a writing question as I really admire your work and I’m trying to write my own IF but am kind of stuck. I’ve done a lot of the character drafting and plot drafting, but when it comes down to actually sitting down and WRITING the story (even just a small portion) I just get stuck.

So I guess my question is, is how did you start writing the actual story of Infamous? How do you get about moving the story along?

Thank you and OK! This is going to be long because I'll share my beat sheet for the first act of Infamous!

So I've talked about this very briefly, but I will never stop championing beat sheets. I get so many questions every day asking me how I write so much and so quickly, and it's because I already have a layout planned that's basically just holding my hand. I'm not a magical wizard with a writing wand (though I wish...)

This is a traditional novel system and my only background is writing traditional novels. Infamous is my first IF, and I did have to tweak how I approach writing because they're just not the same. IFs are different because they're essentially multiple novels in one. One route can look completely different to another route, but the basics at least helps you with narrative plotting.

Once you recognize the building blocks of a story, it'll become easier to write it. For example, here's the beat sheet for Hunger Games. It is known that Hunger Games follows a beat sheet beat by beat and does it very well.

I will give you my beat sheet for Infamous

MC has a dream of the final goal of the band. It's meant to mirror what the end goal of the story is supposed to be. Ruining it by wakening up is meant to hook the reader by making them realize it's not true yet. Set up the story conflict: the tour. I introduce the characters and their dynamics (orion getting angry at MC for sleeping, Rowan joking around with Orion, Iris and Devyn etc.) I foreshadow a few things and I set up the stakes of the tour and how much the band needs this. (They talk about their gigs and how they want to do more.)

The inciting incident for INFAMOUS is winning the audition and finally getting on tour. That's what incites the story! The first dilemma is getting into a fight at the party due to cheating allegations. Now the reader is aware that this isn't all sunshine and daisies. We're all just fucked, basically. j/

Well. This is pretty obvious. Having to make a choice on the bus. It helps that the tour hasn't started yet and both options deal with characters that have conflict with MC and the band (Seven and UWB) so now it's like: this decision will impact the rest of the tour, and makes it much bigger than just choosing to ride with a band every other week.

obviously this is all spoilery but your goal is basically: how do i make my MC suffer as much as i can? conflict is fun to read, it's what drives people to continue watching/reading/ investing. For IFs it goes beyond that, because people like making decisions on how to fix conflict or make it worse!

I love talking technical writing on my personal @amyreads I don't talk about it much here because it can get boring. But yeah! If you have more questions you can swing by there :)

That's all! I hope it helps a bit! <3

[desceros]

pls, wise one, when you have time, share with your children how you structure and word your writing so, so beautifully! cause you have me in a choke hold and my soul hooked to a chain with all your writings! especially your Tea fic :) I strive to become as good as you <3

oh man. this is a tough one. i kinda, uh. just do it at this point without really thinking?? so hold my hand and maybe we can figure it out together LMAO i'll use an example blurb and try and break it down as coherently as i can.

so first you want to have a pretty clear picture of what you want to convey to your reader. the more defined it is in your head, the more easily you can communicate things to your readers. eventually you'll get a feel for how much detail to go into as you describe it. you really don't need to describe the placement of every limb at every moment... but also, the placement of a hand can tell you so much about what's going on in a character's mind, so it's good to know where it is. there's a fine line between purple prose and effective set dressing.

i was just whining about not writing enough soft donnie so let's do that. he's on the couch staring at you. let's write that really quickly:

notice i don't talk about his entire body placement, but the looseness of his limbs is important. it gives a picture of his mental state without overwhelming you with too much detail.

next: i like to start with big, grand statements, then slowly pluck them apart into the minutia. things like. he looks comfortable. ok; what does that look like? what shape does he take in your head? for me, it's that he's reclining. propping himself up casually. i emphasize the 'soft. relaxed.' by having them be their own short sentences.

on that note, mixing your sentence length is very important and guides the flow of things. longer sentences are like water, bringing your reader down the river you've crafted for them. short sentences have a lot of power, because they're a lot more percussive. you want to use them sparingly so you don't overuse that and retain that feel. mix where you put your independent and dependent phrases, but also know when to mirror yourself. parallel structure can invite your reader to compare ideas or generate momentum. for example, continuing this blurb a bit:

every sentence begins the same, going from long to medium to short in a way that makes the flow of the paragraph feel a bit like a snowball rolling down a hill, like your thoughts are rushing, so that by the end you can land on a thought that's monumental and feels a little breathless. this is possible because of the parallel structure of the sentences ("like ____. like ____. like _____.") pushing the reader forward. you can of course do it in the opposite direction as well, for when you want to slow a reader down and force them to linger in a moment.

word choice is very important. i'm pretty particular about the words i use for certain things, and i really love using similes and metaphors to create abstract imagery that catches the light more than a flat statement. but it's also important to know when to use those flat statements for a high-impact statement. let's try:

this kind of falls into my philosophy on the whole 'show don't tell' thing. i'm obsessed with showing. but sometimes, it's more impactful if you tell. like... here you have a very evocative description of him. it includes little things like a reference to a red string of fate (showing it's a romantic moment for you, not platonic), wanting to keep the image in your head permanently, pretty words that mirror what your POV character feels. at the end, you can land on just. he's beautiful. because really that's all that needs to be said, right? but it feels more weighty a thing to say after what came before.

one of the best things i ever did for my prose writing was study poetry. that gave me an appreciation for the weight of a word, and how to use it effectively. the right word or phrase can really change a sentence both melodically and emotionally.

consider the difference between these:

does he want something? or does he covet it? is he unable to look away from your smile? or is he ensorcelled?

a writer's vernacular is an incredibly powerful tool, so i recommend highly that you expand your vocabulary. make sure to focus on not just the explicit definitions, but also the implicit. some words are largely interchangeable (a touch that slides vs one that glides), but some very much are not even though at first glance they seem they should (a haunting kiss vs a lingering kiss).

anyway i hope that helped a little! this kind of minutia-crafting is like, a passion of mine so i probably went way overboard OOPS but hey if it helps even a little i WIN

[feizon]

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

warnings: none - !sfw

summary: y/n is a volleyball star who's teammate happens to be obsessed with a certain team's striker. For her friends birthday, she decides to get her a signed jersey but ends up trending because of a specific "encounter".

note: fem!reader x nagi seishiro / (f/v) = favorite vehicle / not proofread

'I can't believe I'm fucking doing this...'

Yet here I was, driving myself in my (F/V) to a football stadium which I swore I would never step foot in since the age of 12.

Despite my better judgement, I didn't really have a choice since I already had a #11 football jersey that need to be signed and a bought ticket which is probably worth my rent right now. I wish I was joking.

"Holy crap- there's barely any parking."

I step out of my vehicle with my (F/C) sweatshirt, sunglasses and black biker shorts as well as my (F/C) sneakers to match. My hood and sunglasses where on to hide as much of my identity as possible, the last thing I need was my face trending all over twitter about me going to a football stadium despite my open dislike for the sport.

I walk in, submit my ticket, enter the actual stadium and finally take my seat in the best row possible. The jersey was in my leather, black backpack which had a volley ball charm and random cartoon character keychains and stickers all over it from carnival prizes. I sit with my arms crossed as I wait for the players to make their entrance. A large cup of (F/D) and a bucket of popcorn by my side to numb my misery for the next 90 mins, it's not like I hate the sport with every fibre of my being, It's actually the fans. If you ask me basketball is definitely superior, second to volleyball, but that's not a conversation people will ever be ready to talk about.

The football players start to walk into he field as the stadium gets noisier by the second. People cheering and chanting as I simply sit down and munch on my buttered popcorn.

'Thank goodness that these people aren't in my line of vision.'

Amongst the teams fileing in, I notice a tall (like really tall) white haired man make their way onto the pitch. I lift my sunglass up slightly and narrow my eyes just to make sure I'm seeing things clearly. He has large gray eyes that you would expect to be full of expression but hold literally not a hint of interest in them. I look down at his uniform and notice the #11 written in large on the back of his jersey, my mouth drops as I realize that my friend might actually be on to something.

"He's actually beautiful, wtf."

I mumble low enough so no one else could here. I quickly snap out of my trance as the voices of the crowd screaming snap me back to reality. A sudden pit of nervousness could be felt in my stomach as my eyes continue to follow his every move. For a split second, I notice him looking towards my direction as I pull the drawstrings of my hoodie to hide myself from embarrassment.

'Ok.. so maybe this might be A LOT harder to do than I thought. Should of just bought a signed jersey on Amazon.'

The match finally ends with the screaming of fans from my side of the stadium as the counter finally hits 90:00. My mouth dropped, TO. THE. GROUND. As I try to process wtf just happened. A specific athlete managed to score the winning goal within the last 3 min, made 4 goals beforehand and manages to look as if what he did was normal. Anyone could tell that I was visibly shaking from all the adrenaline coursing through my veins simply by watching.

'THAT WAS SO- THAT WAS SO-'

I didn't know if it was my speechlessness or the running of a bunch of fans, trying to get a closer look at the winning team, that caused me to stutter so much. I blink a few times before I grab all my things and run just as quickly as them towards the same direction. The set up was like the one you would see in concerts, silver railing that reached just above my torso and many others to prevent fans from getting any closer.

I quickly grab the jersey from the safety of my backpack as I noticed a specific player about to enter my line of sight.

'I will get this signature, EVEN IF ITS KILLS ME!!'

But as if my motivation was some sort of sin, one of the many fans begins to constantly nudge me in the shoulder with her elbow as another does the same on the other side of where I stood. I lightly curse to myself as I begin to nudge them back. The nudging escalated until I was shoved forward harshly, causing the cheap railing to break, my hood and glasses falling off in the process as well. I close my eyes shut as I await to be greeted by the cold, hard floor. But to my surprise, (probably not yours lol) I don't. And it scares the shit out of me more.

I quickly cling to the piece of fabric shielding my face from a very toned chest as I feel a gentle set of arms wrap around my shoulders. I internally shudder at the sudden context as I mentally curse myself out, the grip on the jersey long gone as I finally find the courage to look up at the person who saved me from becoming the next meme of the month.

I'm met with a pair of gorgeous grey eyes, opened wide probably because of the sudden reveal of my identity or the quality of the railing.

'Kill me now.'

I give him a nervous close-eyed smile as his eyes casts over to the now wrinkled #11 jersey on the floor, his brows furrowed in the process.

"Haha, you wouldn't mind signing that right? It for a friend yk..."

@feizon

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

"The Bad Batch" Season 3 episodes 1-3 review

guys, I woke up at the crack of dawn to watch this because I couldn't sleep (although tbf, my room's heater was way too much and distracting my peaceful slumber anyway). Overall, I really enjoyed the start to the final season. I thought the character directions were good, animation was always beautiful, music was great, and the action was fun. There were a few surprises and somethings I wish they changed, but I'm happy.

spoilers not necessary, but it's fair to say that Hemlock has cemented himself as a truly sinister and twisted villain. Everything about him from his VA's performance to actions are perfection. His theme is also very chilling. We've never seen a villain like him in Star Wars.

Spoilers below

Omega and Crosshair right away steal the show for me. Her upbeat attitude even in the darkest of times is enough to breakthrough Crosshair's darkness. And honestly, that's one of my favorite things about Omega: her hope. Although she's a kid and separated from her family, she still finds ways to keep going. She finds companionship in Batcher (who is adorable), talks with Crosshair, makes a straw Lula, and constantly searches for a way out. I love her dearly. There's something about her pluckiness that's so endearing. Side note: isn't it eerie she kinda resembles Emerie with her hairstyle? I think it was intentional and she's a mirror to her.

Then there's Crosshair. He's my favorite character so of course I was excited to see him. I am a big fan of the direction they're taking him in. He's at his lowest and right now, he has to slowly pick himself back up. Although I can see his transition from "there's no escape" to trusting Omega as a bit rushed, I think it works. They've been stuck for months and I like to think that in the time between episode 1 and 3, her visits kept him going. And that's very important. It's implied that she constantly visits him when she can. His body language also speaks volumes. I could talk for a while about that. Crosshair's words hold a sharp bite to them; he doesn't like being emotionally vulnerable. However, his body language says differently. He does trust Omega's direction, he smiles when thinking of Tech, he readily helps Omega up, and he's surprised when Omega tells him he doesn't deserve to be stuck on Tantiss. Crosshair clearly cares about her and his family even though his words try to shield that. AND HE FINALLY SAID OMEGA'S NAME!!! I am not ok with this.

The other thing about Crosshair I want to talk about is his hands. He either has nerve damage from Barton IV, the torture is getting to him, or he has psychosomatic symptoms from his mental anguish. One of the things that's quickly established about him is that he's a sharpshooter. Crosshair is shown repeatedly to make these incredible shots and never miss. And yet, now he keeps missing because his hands shake. I think it's an interesting choice to make. Aside from forcing Crosshair to fight physically and show how cool he is, this choice does emphasizes how fractured his identity has become. When he joined the Empire, he lost his Batcher identity. The Empire stripped him of his humanity. Then, he lost his soldier identity when taken to Tantiss. Now, the only other thing he has, which are his skills, are gone. He needs to slowly put himself back together and I'm excited to see his journey.

Moving on to Hunter and Wrecker. They need hugs so much. One of the things I noticed was that Wrecker was more subdued and quiet. He's always let his inner child out, but knows when it's time to be serious. I really appreciated the mature approach to both characters. Hunter is struggling with Tech and Omega's loss and it's evident. He secludes himself and the pain is felt in his words and body language. Even their armor design shows the mental toll that last season's events have taken on them. Overall, I'm intrigued to see how their journeys progress. They're both kinda stuck and hopefully that will change as they get closer and closer to finding Omega (and Crosshair).

In terms of story, I did really enjoy that we got in the first few episodes. The clone cadet mini arc in episode 2 was really cool to watch as it finally explains what happens to the younger clones. It shows how they adapt with losing everything they know, especially since they're kids. On top of that, we get the start of the "find Omega" mission. Both stories mesh well together and I enjoyed it a lot. The story with Omega and Crosshair was particularly interesting. The monotony of the Empire is on full scale, as is Hemlock's cruelty. My crack theory is that Palpatine is trying to make force sensitive clones. But I think the mystery behind Project Necromancer is really fascinating and spooky. Both Emerie and Nala Se are interesting in because both feel conflicted about their loyalty to Omega and their jobs. I think Emerie will choose Omega in the end though, just like Nala Se did. Overall, I think both stories are intriguing and will hopefully have some great payoffs in the end.

Of course, not everything is perfect. I didn't expect the time-jump or the escape from Tantiss to be that fast. Honestly, I think we could've waited an episode before jumping right into it. It makes me wonder what's next for Cross and Omega since they left so quickly. I also really wish that we got Crosshair's reaction to finding out about Tech. It's implied Omega told him based on what she says at the crashed shuttle. Still, I would've loved to find out his reaction. That's his brother. I think it's fair to say that Crosshair would've felt very guilty. In the time since episode 1, he's probably made peace with it, but I think it should've been included nonetheless.

Those are my overall thoughts. I hope you all enjoyed the episodes as well and I'm so excited for next week. Until then Bad Batch friends! May the Force be with you!

(also, i hope we see Echo next week!)

[iwantasquaresbar]

9-1-1 thoughts and predictions because I need to get them out

——————————————————————

Ok so firstly can’t even begin to express my excitement over 7x04 accept omfg thank fuck abc took over shout out to Tim and Oliver for wanting to fucking go for this story and also shout out to the intimacy coordinator for that phenomenal kiss like insane I screamed.

Ok now I got that out I need to get out my very rough thoughts over what I think might happen over the rest of season 7 specifically focusing on buck, Tommy and Eddie.

Firstly I think that buck’s storyline is going to be beautiful and clumsy and all about rediscovering romance and relationships. I think he’s going to mess up and need to work on redefining what he thinks he needs to be in a relationship all with the help of Tommy. Honestly I already ship them even if I truly believe buddie will end up together I can’t wait to watch buck grow more comfortable and confident in himself and his sexuality. Also just wanna quickly gush about how much I love that Tommy calls him Evan ah just amazing choice that name symbolises so much for that character it’s just *chefs kiss*. It’s all just so special and such an important story to tell I could cry again.

Anyway I think their relationship will be pretty exploratory, filled with nerves, excitement and new firsts. I think Tommy is going to be there hold bucks hand though it all but he also isn’t gonna put up with any nonsense which I think will be really fun to see.

However I do think ultimately later in the season Tommy will break off their relationship I think it will be amicable but buck will be rather upset about. However unlike bucks last relationship I think Tommy will actually care and listen to buck and even though it might be over between them I feel like he will reassure buck that it’s not because he’s exhausting or unloveable. It will just be that they aren’t meant for each other (weather that’s because they want different things or that he sees that buck might want someone else who knows) and I think they will probably stay in contact and eventually become friends down the road.

Ok that was long but that’s where I think buck will be at the end of the season. I think he’ll be openly out as bi to the whole of the main cast, will be comfortable and confident in his sexuality. However he will also be a little heartbroken over Tommy but not destroyed by and maybe considering opening himself up to new opportunities.

Then over to Eddie now while I think Eddies story will have him leaning on buck at times I think it will be very introspective and family oriented. We know that in 7x05 Eddie is going to be reevaluating his relationship with Marisol. What I think is going to happen is that him and Marisol are going to reach a similar point in their relationship to when he was with Anna where things are going to start getting more serious and there’s going to be talks of the future and commitment. I think he might freak out again although this time he’ll be aware of it, because of this he will talk to others (Buck? Bobby? Hen?) and will basically ask why he can’t make it work with her when she’s “perfect” etc. I think these conversations will lead to Eddie having to reevaluate why he’s choose these women? Why he’s dating? What does he want? Why does he want that? Etc.

I think would also be really interesting if there was a conversation with Chris about all this about how he doesn’t want Eddie to find him a new mum or “fix” what they have. Ultimately I think by the end of the season Eddie and Marisol will have broken up and Eddie will start a long journey of self discovery and figuring out what he actually wants. Because unlike Buck who’s always searching for the missing pieces or what he wants, Eddie shies away from searching or reflection and chooses instead to pursue the truths he’s set in place for himself what he needs.

Ultimately I think by the end of season 7 Buck will be out and proud, a little heartbroken but ready to start a new chapter and Eddie will be starting some serious self reflection with the help of his family and possibly Frank. Then maybe in season 8 they will come to terms with that they’re are searching for each other but knows.

Anyway thanks to anyone who read this I really just needed it out I haven’t stopped thinking since the episode came out.

[butterrats]

ATTENTION 2012 TMNT FANBASE I HAVE A PSA

I love 2012 Donnie

I severely dislike 2012 April, one could say I hate her.

I am allowed to have my own opinions on these not-real-people characters because it. Is. A. Cartoon.

No, I am not a misogynist because I hate 2012 April. I actually love literally all five female characters they put in the show except her (Wow writers...) I'm a fucking feminist lesbian. Disliking a female character does not make you a misogynist. I honestly think a lot of her slander is undeserved, but I'd be a goddamn liar if I didn't say I kinda (ok I love it) enjoy participating in it. HOWEVER, I do not think she is a bad person. Is she snippy, rude, entitled, and kinda a brat in my eyes? Yeah, no dip. Do I think she's evil and intentionally trying to seduce every guy she sees into being her man slave? Uh no. I think she's annoying and I dislike her, but I don't want her to burn in hell. I want what I want for every character I see on a show: *clears throat* OWNING UP TO THEIR SHIT AND CHANGING FOR THE BETTER AND NOT BEING A MARY SUE AND MANY OTHER THINGS I DON'T FEEL LIKE GETTING INTO AT 11:30 PM. This goes for literally all the characters on the show. I wanna see Donnie and Casey apologize to April for being weird with her, AND I want April to apologize to them for being weird with them. THEY ALL DESERVED BETTER. They all could have developed amazingly if the writers didn't stick their heads up their asses and spew whatever shit they inhaled onto the script. I have so many other examples of this: I want Splinter to realize the generational trauma he's inflicting on his sons, Karai developing her relationships with all her brothers, Casey going into his backstory, insert other example.

No, I am not encouraging "nice guy" behavior by loving on Donnie. Oh wow, a kid with zero social interaction outside of his three brothers an strict dad gets weirdly obsessed with the first person he develops romantic feelings for? Who could've seen that coming? He should have left her alone when she wanted to be left alone and given her space, yes, but goddamn people, these characters are children. They're always making dumb choices. It's TEENAGE mutant ninja turtles. My boy never once tried to force himself on this girl. Never tried turning her no into a yes. Never wanted her to do anything she wasn't okay with. He's not a "nice guy" or an "incel" or a "stalker" he's a smart boy who made some very dumb choices. So did literally every other character in the goddamn show. You wanna talk creepy? Leo knowingly had the hots for his motherfudging sister but that's a whole 'nother can of worms I ain't touching tonight baby. I just personally think Donnie has so many more redeeming qualities to his character. Honestly, in my opinion, his apology to April was good enough for me. Not perfect by any means, but good enough. Donnie is literally one of the only characters who quickly owns up when he messes up, I think that' worth something considering the characters. Honestly, Donnie is a sweetheart, super smart, sassy, and fun to watch, and I think his qualities outweigh his flaws, unlike how I feel about April. (How I feel about her.)

My morality should not be called into question when I have an opinion on a fictional character for fuck's sake. This franchise is beloved, BELOVE IT. Have your opinions, love April, hate April, love Donnie, hate Donnie, just enjoy yourselves (except you, Tcesters, stay the fuck away from me and my son.) These characters aren't perfect, they're flawed, they're young, they're children. It's not their fault they were written like shit. They're ALL good people at the end of the day.

I hate 2012 April's guts and I love 2012 Donnie to death. But that doesn't mean you have to as well. LOVE YOUR CHARACTERS.

Holy jumping Jesus on a hoagie sandwich why did I waste an hour of my life writing this? I need to get to bed, I have work tomorrow. Anyways, hope this gets to someone who needs it, love yourself, love characters, don't fucking ship siblings, eat your homework, and enjoy your life. Love you <3

[stickandthorn]

Please write that meta on Imogen and Laudna if you want, I would love to read it.

Well anon, good news, I would love to talk about it! Bad news, it will be very rambly and mildly incoherent, as I am incredibly tired. I am keepin it below the cut for your sakes

(Disclaimer, this is not dissing anyone else’s interpretation, if you disagree that’s fine. I’m not here to say anyone is wrong for their views on the characters and their relationship. Even if I disagree with you, I don’t think you need to agree with me, because stories are filtered through the experience and analysis of the individual viewer and everyone has their own personalized interpretation etc.)

This is something I’ve believed for a long time, but Imogen and Laudna’s conversation this episode really solidified my thoughts on it. Imogen and Laudna love each other, but they don’t love each other for who the other is, they love each other for the certainty of the other’s existence in their life. They also don’t care how they exist in their life, only that they do.

I think the best one line summation of all this is when Laudna said their relationship “transcended words.” I think that’s the closest they’ve gotten to the uncomfortable truth of their relationship. Their relationship is not about communication, it isn’t about the messy work of making compatible the nitty gritty of who they are, it is about being able to have each other no matter what. No matter who each other is.

Every conversation Laudna and Imogen have had has been an almost lampshading-esque conversation about their relationship. It has always been assuaging doubt, reassuring the other that they’ll always be there, and that things will be ok. Talking about the optimistic future, comforting one another, maybe expressing a little sadness or uncertainty that they can find reassurance about. But they always very quickly drift away from any conversations that are either genuinely difficult and messy, or aren’t about the surety of their bond. The few times something genuinely difficult does come up, like the rock incident, it’s avoided till it can be moved on from without trouble and without that difficult communication.

Look at Ashton and Laudna’s conversation this episode. They were vulnerable and honest with each other about some really uncomfortable topics. It wasn’t a fun conversation, but they came out the other side of it understanding one another better, and maybe themselves as well. That is the foundation of a close, genuinely emotionally intimate relationships of any kind. That is what creates a bond that genuinely centers around who the people in it are.

But Laudna and Imogen avoid those topics. Imogen is often more emotionally honest with other people like Orym, and Laudna with Ashton, than they are with each other. That is where the true worries and flaws and truths that can’t be comforted away come out. They actually seem rather uncomfortable with emotional honesty with each other. In the conversation in question, Imogen started by saying she was fine, which she clearly wasn’t, and Laudna had to press her to get her to start being honest. Because they need their relationship to be positive, or else it might not always be there.

I don’t think this is because of denial or naivety, but because that is just not why they need each other. Laudna said so herself, she said she’d back up Imogen no matter what choice she made. The foundation of their relationship is not emotional honesty or love of who the other is as a person, but that the other was there after years of being lonely. Now that’s all there is to preserve. Purposefully avoiding or outright accepting all the negatives of the other and their relationship will always allow them to guarantee there they will never be alone again. And that’s all they need. To be blunt: the reason Imogen didn’t talk to Laudna after her resurrection, and why Laudna didn’t seem upset, was because all that matters in their relationship is that the other is there. The very act of Laudna being alive was all it took. Imogen holding Laudna after she came back was fulfilling what the relationship had been doing. It’s a very close relationship, but it is a purposefully somewhat hollow one.

This isn’t meant as invalidation of what is there. It’s an extremely important relationship to the characters, one which you can interpret any way, this is just my take on it.

[yourllocalaroace]

OOO REQUESTS AND HEADCANNONS ARE OPEN!!!!

I hc Giyu as a RUTHLESS ler. He doesn’t actually use it a lot though, unless he needs to. For example, when a certain someone with white hair and scars stabbed Nezuko, he met a terrifying man he had never met before.

that being said, may I please request one of Sanemi’s encounters with said ler Giyu? If not that’s totally ok 😊

Evil

Note: Hi Anon, I love the trope of the quiet, reserved character is actually a really evil Ler. So this was fun to write( ◠‿◠ )

Mitsuri

Gyomei

Tengen

Lee!Sanemi

Ler!Giyuu

—————————————————————————

Everyone in the Corp was aware of Shinazugawa’s temper, but no one could’ve expected him to go as far as to ignore a direct order the Master. 

‘You seriously expect me to believe that a demon that doesn’t eat humans exists?! What a joke.’ He lifted Nezuko’s box into air, before slamming it on the ground. With one foot on the box to keep it steady, he jammed his sword straight through the box, smiling when he heard the demon wail in pain.

Even Sanemi could except that what he did was wrong, but in his eyes it needed to be done, Even though he was heavily scoulded by the other hashira. 

‘Sanemi! Why would do such a horrible thing?’ 

‘Seriously. That was not flashy at all.’

‘You clearly don’t know how to act around the Master Shinazugawa. Maybe I ought to teach you.’

Great. Now they’re going to be nagging me. Whatever I don’t care.

 He sat outside his estate while eating some ohagi. Then he heard a noise. Someone was approaching. He stood up, Leaving his sweet treat on the ground. Then appeared the water hashira, Giyuu Tomioka. Sanemi rolled his eyes. 

‘If you’re here to complain about what I did, you can leave. I’ve already heard enough about it.’ 

Giyuu didn’t respond. But instead walked closer to his estate. Before Sanemi could blink he was standing in front of him. Staring at him with those blank blue eyes. ‘What do you want. And stop looking at me. It’s creepy.’

‘It really wouldn’t hurt if you just apologised.’ He finally spoke. 

‘And it really wouldn’t hurt if I didn’t. If you’re looking for sympathy I don’t have any, especially for a demon so get lost.’ 

Tomioka sighed. Short Tempered and stubborn. This wasn’t going to work. 

‘Fine. you leave me no choice.’ 

‘No choice? What’s a loner like you going to-‘ 

The black haired man had run straight at him, knocking  him to the ground. 

‘Argh! What the fuck!’ Giyuu sat on his thighs and swung an arm around him, straddling his waist and keeping pinned him to the ground.’Get off!’ 

‘Apologise.’ 

‘If there was even a chance I would’ve done it before, it’s definitely gone now! Let me go!’ 

‘Fine.But just know this is your fault.’ He dragged one finger up the length of Sanemi’s sides. 

‘Ack- stop! What are you doing!’ 

‘So you are ticklish. Great, that makes my job easier.’

‘The hell are you talking abohohommmph!’ The wind hashira slammed his hand against his mouth, refusing to let even the hint of giggle free. 

‘I couldn’t hear that? What did you say?’ Tomioka asked, scribbling against his sides with passion now.  

‘hmmmphehehehpfttmhmhm!’ Sanemi cried out behind his hand. ‘Ahahahmmmphstahaha!’ 

‘Sanemi I can’t understand what you’re saying. Take your hands away from your mouth.’

‘Nohohohohpfft! Mmphhehehfahahck yohohohou!’ One hand remanined glued to his mouth, while the other tried to swat away the attacking fingers on his sides. However this only opened more Tickle spots, which Giyuu quickly took advantage of. He moved his hands up into his armpits, there was a screech and Sanemi used both his hands and slammed them against his sides meaning the giggles were able to escape freely. 

‘Nahahahaha! Fahahaahack Giyuu Stahahahap!’ 

‘I’m honestly surprised. It’s quite ironic how someone so aggressive can have such a sweet laugh.’  

‘Shuhuhuhut uhuhup!’

‘What? It’s the truth.’ 

‘AGH! Gihihihiyuu! Nahahahaht thehehere!’ The white haired man shrieked when he felt fingers travelling up and down his back.’Stahahahahap!’ 

Not there? Then about….here?’ He made his hands into claws and curled them around  Sanemi’s ribcage. 

NoHOHOHohoho! ThahaHAHAhahahts wohohOHOHohorse! ‘GeheheHEHEHehet ohOHOohohoff!’ 

‘I’ve already told you what you need to do to get me to stop.’ 

‘NoHOHOohoho! I’hihill neHEHEver!’ Sanemi almost couldn’t believe that the same Tomioka Giyuu who never spoke at hashira meetings and avoided the rest of them like the plague, was threatening him. 

‘Then I’m not stopping’

The way Giyuu said it in that monotone voice drove him up the wall. And he was sure that behind that blank expressionless face he was smirking slyly.

‘The fact you’re able to stay stubborn after what you did outstandes me. You disobeyed a direct order from the master, and stabbed Nezuko -a now proven innocent- demon.’

‘IhiIHIhi wahahahas juHUHUhuhst doing my job’

 ‘Since you’re insistent on being so stubborn…’ 

Tomioka reached down Sanemi’s uniform and scribbled lightly against his stomach. In response he got a loud screech from the wind hashira, he bucked his hips as loud, uncontrollable laughter spilled out of his lips 

‘GAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! GIHIHIHIHYUU STAHAHAHAHAHP!’ He cried out, attempting to kick Giyuu to get him off. 

The water hashira simply scoffed and easily dodged. ‘The only way you’re going to escape is by agreeing to apologise Sanemi, and you made it harder for yourself with your uniform. It makes it so easy to get to your worst spot.’ 

He hated Giyuu. He hated him even more than he hated demons. He could see behind those empty blue eyes that he was smirking slyly, enjoying being is his position. 

‘Are you ready to apologise?’ He still maintained that calm monotone voice, as if he wasn’t tourting  him.’

‘FAHAHAHAHAHACK, YOHOHOHOHOU’RE EHIHIHIHIHIVIL, EHIHIHIHIVIL. 

‘That’s rich coming from you.’ He dipped  a finger inside his navel and began scratching the walls of his belly button.

‘NOHOHOHOHOH STAHAHAHAHAHA- OHOHOHOHOHOKAY! OHOHOHOHOHOHOKAY! I’LL APOHOHOHOHOLOGISE!’ He finally gave in as he wanted this to be over as soon as possible. 

‘To the master AND to Nezuko?’ 

‘YEHEHEHEHEHES IHIHIHIHI WIHIHIHILL!’ 

As promised Giyuu got off him and watched him curl up  into a ball and catch his breath. 

‘I swear Giyuu Tomioka you’re dead.’ But when he looked up, he was already gone. 

He never wanted to see that side of him again. 

End

Hope you enjoyed🫧🤍

Please send in requests!( ◠‿◠ )

[bonesandthebees]

Ok, so, I've never watched any of the qsmp streams, but I read your rambling about it and read your one shots abt it, and uh do you have any advice on how to get into watching the streams? Like where do I start? How to catch up on missed lore? Stuff like that

well there are a lot of different POVs you can choose to catch up on and which one(s) you choose will definitely affect your understanding of what's going on. if you want to just catch up on the primary major story beats overall (federation lore, main egg lore) this channel on youtube has made 3 videos so far summarizing the lore as it goes on. I haven't watched these videos myself so I can't say how accurate they are or if they leave anything important out, but I've heard positive things!

now if you wanna catch up on more individual lore/character dynamics and all that then you're facing a bit more of a challenge. I believe quackity has most of his qsmp vods uploaded on his vod channel so you can definitely check those out for his story stuff. if you wanna understand my fics better wilbur has the smallest number of qsmp vods out of the cc's at least somewhat tied into the storyline so it shouldn't be too hard to catch up on his stuff. his vod from day 1 of the qsmp has one of the funniest moments from any wilbur stream ever (yes I am referring to that moment he was talking to max) but I don't think you need to watch a ton from any of the day 1 POV's after the first hour or so.

while phil is the pov I watch the most for qsmp, he's definitely less involved in the plot. but unlike what I keep seeing some people on twt and tumblr say, he DOES participate in the rp and does care about the lore. he just doesn't go out of his way to get super involved in it and likes making 4th wall breaking jokes. but yeah if you're looking for more lore based stuff, phil might not be a great pov to watch as your primary.

now bad is the english speaking cc most involved in the heavy federation lore stuff, so his vods are definitely good to check out if you're looking for an english speaking cc to watch. jaiden's also definitely tied into it and has her own very interesting plotline going on atm involving the federation, but she doesn't stream as often so there are a few more gaps with her compared to bad who's been daily streaming for months now.

now for the cc's who don't primarily speak english, it's definitely a bit more of a challenge to watch those POVs if you don't speak the cc's language, but when many cc's are in a group they'll usually switch to english since that's the most common language on the server. also there's the translator that most of them have up on their screen, but it's not super accurate and a lot of the time cc's forget to switch it between languages so I don't rely on it much. for lore stuff, cellbit is a great choice because he's been heavily involved in investigating the federation and solving puzzles and all that since he first got on the server. from the french side, baghera jumped into lore stuff pretty quickly too so I highly recommend her pov as well

again I don't know how detailed/what the summary videos do and don't include but if you see clips from certain streams on that summary video that look interesting, I definitely recommend going to the vod itself and watching at least a bit of it. the group dynamic between all the players on the island is so delightful to watch. so many great friendships have formed bc of this server and it's so much fun to watch them grow in real time.

more than anything though when you're trying to catch up, go through the tumblr tag! follow people who liveblog a lot! follow the updates accounts on twitter! I actually don't catch many streams, but I'm usually pretty up to date on the big plot stuff happening on the server at all times just from what I see on my dash. read posts and check out the tags to absorb info via dash osmosis. that's how I caught up on dsmp when I first got into it back in january 2021 lol

hope this helps :)

[mccnstruck]

hold me like you understand

(in other words, you have a parent like mafuyu's mom )

characters: akito x gn!reader

tags: hurt/comfort, not proofread, vent post, ooc, established relationship, kissing, one curse word

a/n: hi sorry for the amount of vent posts i make, im just not living laughing loving a lot anymore so um yea sorry this is really ooc

- you let a dry laugh out at your mom's joke. you didn't quite understand it, but you think it was about grades?

- you forced the corners of your mouths to turn upwards. you mom finally stopped laughing at her joke.

- "ahh, [name] how are your studies going?"

- you fought the urge to roll your eyes. of course, the only thing you want to talk to me about is grades.

- "it's fine, mama! i have a quiz tomorrow."

- she let out a hum. "make sure you study for it. i do all the work for you just so you can peacefully study, you know?"

- you clenched your jaw. "mhm!"

- silence. you don't know if your mom felt it, but the tension in the air made you feel on edge.

- "you plan on going into the field you set your classes for, right?"

- "yea, why?"

- "nothing, nothing. i just don't want you making poor choices. i was just worried because you've been doing your little hobbies, can't have you running off to them."

- your hands started to shake and grip onto itself. why was she so.... so..

- you tested the waters of her “unconditional love”. “hypothetically, if i were.... to pursue them...?"

- a confused "huh?" came from your mom. "what do you mean?"

- "what if i wanted a different career...? what then-"

- your mother let out a scoff, procceding to laugh at you as if you said something funny. you don't think you said anything funny, so why...

- "absolutely not."

- "huh? i just said-"

- "and i'm saying no. your hobbies are just hobbies. nothing more. you will spend all your life struggling when you could just have gone the better route. i know what's best for you. you are taking this career."

- "mama, i just said it as a joke-"

- "good. it will stay as a joke."

- her words latched to your mind like pests.

- it will stay as a joke. it will stay as a joke. was your true personality a joke to her?

- were you a joke to her?

- "alright mama, i'm going to my room now."

- "alright. make sure you study on your quiz or exam. i don't want to see you doing anything else."

- you rushed up the stairs and into the bathroom closest to you. tears fell from your eyes as you tried to silence your cries.

- you were an idiot, such a dumb, hopeful, idiot. you knew. you knew your mother, of course she wouldn't ever accept that!

- you hugged yourself and sat on the cold, hard tiles. you wanted to disappear, away from everything, away from everyone....

- akito.

- akito. you whispered his name in realization. quickly pulling out your phone hidden in your pocket, you typed in akito's contact and opened his messages. you checked the time. he most likely would be leaving practice.

you:

akito

akito

akito

kito <3:

wtf u want

you:

akito code red

- there was a pause in messages, before he made up for it, spamming you relentlessly.

kito <3:

what happened?

who did this to you?

do you need me to beat up anyone?

do u need me to come over? anything i should bring?

you'll be ok, just tell me what you need right now.

you:

just need you here with me

no need to beat anyone up

if you do come over, please just try to make as little conversation with her. like, smile whatever just give her a good impression of you. she's home today

- hoping he got the hint, you washed your face, quietly walked to your room and waited paitently.

- soon enough, you heard a knock downstairs. akito's polite voice (you would usually snicker everytime he used it) chimed through the house, and your mother called you downstairs. "[name], someone's here for you!"

- you wemt downstairs to find your mother and akito, who's customer service smile turned a little softer seeing you.

"this is your boyfriend, correct?"

"...yes mama."

"it's wonderful to see you! i would've loved to chat more, but i'm quite busy nowadays. surely you must be a good choice if [name] chose you."

- "mama..."

- akito smiled. "i'm very lucky to be with [name], mrs. [last name]. now, if you'll excuse us."

- your mother chuckled. "alright, alright. make sure you study for the test. you don't want to ruin your future, do you?"

- you laughed uncomfortably at her remark. she sure knows how to rub in wounds.

- “[name], i have to head off to do some errands, so make sure everything is ok while i'm gone."

- eager to leave, you nodded in response. you finally walked akito to your room and closed the door a little. keys jingled downstairs before a door closed and the lock clicked. you finally took a chance to sigh in relief.

- he sat on the bed and observed your mannerisms, worry in his face. "what happened? was it your mom?"

- tears started flowing down your cheeks and you gripped at your hair, fingers etching itself into your skin. everything turned blurry. your throat felt like the tears were closing it up. your breath was fast, deep, desperate.

- akito abruptly stood up and gently plied your hands off your hair, gently intertwining his fingers with yours. "hey, hey. [name]."

- he guided you to both sit on your bed, as he leaned his face closer to you. his olive green eyes looked into yours, and his whisper felt soft in your eardrums.

- "[name]. breathe. in and out."

- you hiccup and your words tripped over another. "my mom.... dammit! it's always my mom! i'm always trying to please her...but...she's always sets me up to be just her little trophy kid! my whole personality is just a stupid little joke to her! it hurts...akito...it hurts so much..."

- your outburst turned into a desperate, hoarse cry of hopelessness. "this isn't even the first time, 'kito. i'm so done. i put on a happy face for everyone and always pleasing others but when i want something suddenly i'm the bad guy. is this what selfishness is...?"

- akito pulled you closer to him and tightened his arms around you, one hand on your back and one on your head. your cries were the only thing heard as akito rocked you back and forth. a repeated plea of "i'm sorry, i'm sorry, i'm so sorry" was muffled as your head rested on the crook of akito's neck.

- "be as selfish as you want, [name]. we'll both be selfish. never apologize for being selfish with me."

- your cries slowly quieted down to hiccups, as akito let his lips linger on the top of your head. for the first time this night, you didn't feel so tense.

- "feeling better?"

- you lifted your head for a moment. "a little bit.......!!!!" you noticed your tears landed on his hoodie, and you apologized repeatedly. "oh crap, akito i'm so sorry why didn't you tell me-"

- he placed his hand on your forearm and pulled you in. his lips found their place to yours, and your eyes widened before you finally melted.

- you both slowly leaned back for air and stared into the other's eyes.

- akito took your hand and gently kissed it, leaving no part of your skin without his love.

"we'll have our own little apartment." a kiss to your index knuckle.

- "and we'll have it filled with my equipment and your supplies." a kiss to your middle knuckle.

- "and we'll have little dates in the house, where we just do our own thing, but we know the other person is there and enjoying the other's company. and i'll make sure you never feel unappreciated ever again. and if someone has a problem with that, they're gonna have to go through me first." a kiss to your ring finger. you notice how his lips lingered, almost as if he was sealing a promise.

- "could we have a dog in the apartment?"

- he glared at you and almost let your hand go in disbelief. "absolutely not."

- "whyy?"

- "do you even want me in the apartment??"

- you laughed loudly, and akito eyes softened looking at you. he was finally satisfied with your smile back on your face. but, there’s one thing he forgot.

- you pointed to your last knuckle and watched as akito’s eyes furrowed in confusion before soon realizing what you wanted. he sighed, yet his smile only grew as he kissed the last one.

- “happy?”

- “very. very happy.”

- “you know what i said is true, right? i’m not one to give empty words. you know that out of all people, ya know?”

- you eyes crinkled in genuine joy as you whisper, “i know.”

- he took your hand and stood up, urging you to as well. “well, time to study then. i know damn well i’m not gonna pass this one anyways…”

- you snicker at your lover being hopeless with studying. “you complete idiot, we had so much time to study…”

- the future was always so intimidating to you, the choices of your life so dependent on what you did today. the future where your mother’s dissapointment held. you never wanted the future to come.

- but with akito by your side, you knew at least that your future wouldn’t be so bad with him.

- bring it on, future.

reposting or plagiarizing of my works is not allowed under any circumstances.

[kohakhearts]

hey taylo my bestie hello please elaborate on the goh cubone jn subtle storytelling thingy

COMING TO THIS SUPER LATE SORRY MAN SCHOOL WAS KICKING MY ASS BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING. IM SO FUCKING GLAD YOU ASKED.

ok so jn015. our intro to goh's family unit, notably his parents. goh explains his dad is a systems engineer and his mom is a programmer. they work together and run their own company (and appear to be a two-man team, when we actually see them at work). right off the bat, ash is surprised that goh has to call to warn his parents he's coming home. goh essentially says he doesn't want to be a bother to them. he's very casual about the whole thing. it apparently doesn't bug him at all. in fact, he goes out of his way to get them and his grandmother gifts and generally seems to be looking forward to seeing them.

he IS disappointed when they turn out not to be home when he gets there, but in true pokemon anime fashion, this is not dwelled on for long. he says it's fine, he doesn't want to make his parents worry, and also his parents are great and scorbunny's gonna love them. so instead of moping about it, he goes out and gets involved in his little park adventure, where he runs into a cubone being targeted by a bunch of mankey.

this is the only time in the main-line anime that cubone's dex entry is given. it is not the first time a cubone has shown up, though, which is...strange, but i'll roll with it. here's what the dex says (sourced from bulbapedia):

Cubone, the Lonely Pokémon. A Ground type. Cubone wears a skull as a helmet, concealing its face as it sheds tears for its long-lost mother. It cries loudly to express its loneliness. It also always carries a long, thick bone.

REALLY interesting choice for Pokemon Of The Day (literally bc it's also the who's that pokemon feature) for the episode where we're introduced to goh's parents.

it's also like...obviously not the only time where we see goh decide to help a pokemon, but i do think that his captures (especially early on in the series) that are framed in this way (i.e. they span over the course of an episode, wherein he befriends the mon before catching it. he doesn't have many catches like this in the series!!) seem to serve a purpose of like, really emphasizing certain traits he shares. before this, we had scorbunny - who is a bit of a loner, kind of the "odd one out," but is determined and stubborn and doesn't really want charity, either (but latches very quickly on to the first human who shows a genuine interest in it). now, we have cubone. the lonely pokemon.

i feel that the WAY he approaches cubone is...interesting? like he's sad for it. his facial expressions are very telling. and this is the first time we see him choosing to help a pokemon without ash around (something we know he never really would've done before meeting ash; and i've mentioned this before, but i do think a lot of his "well, you can't just help pokemon because you think they need it, they need to learn to be independent and help themselves" attitude stems from the fact that he was forced to be independent and help himself from a young age. so i think it's actually pretty profound that one of his first major overtures to a pokemon without ash pushing him is in a situation where he is acting more the parent to his parents than the other way around. he's literally on the way to delivering them dinner to work. and his gift for them is gloves, because it's cold). that tells me he is really affected by what he's seeing. he's empathetic to it (he also never tells it to stop crying or anything when they're looking for its bone, which honestly doesn't seem all that in-character for him at this point. just look at the way he talks to scorbunny a few episodes later when it's trying to learn ember, right?)

anyway, this being the only time it gets a dex entry is already like, kind of in your face enough imo. but then he also catches it. and at the end of the episode, when his parents are talking in the kitchen (and notably they are, again, separate from the other characters - more so onlookers than active participants in the family), his dad specifically says this

like i don't know how much more obvious than that they can get with saying they were trying to draw a parallel between goh and cubone. but lonely - anyone can feel lonely. that's just one aspect of the comparison. cubone is lonely because it misses its mother. because it's an orphan.

isn't it a little...ironic...that goh's parents would be the ones drawing the comparison in the end? but that's the point, i think. i mean, goh's not an orphan. but his parents chose to continue living a lifestyle that reinforced his loneliness and ensured a degree of separation between them. they share with each other their concerns for him, but never voice those to him. obviously there's love on both sides, but emotionally speaking - there's next to no connection there. goh idolizes and idealizes his parents, and goes out of his way to take care of them; in turn, his parents share in a secret concern for his wellbeing and compensate for their guilt at making him feel isolated by supplying him with whatever they can materially (mr six computer monitor set-up in his bedroom at age 7. what the fuck). so he's not literally an orphan...but emotionally? well. that's a whole other can of wurmples :pensive:

anyway, tl;dr he's not a real orphan. but i'll give him the honour because he does kinda have that orphan complex going for him <3

[vampiresawakenedmycravings]

CHAPTER 1

Choices in the shadows

Mention of:  suicidal thoughts, self-harm

This is my first ever fandom

I hope you enjoy

1,200 ish words

And yes the characters mentioned from the other vampire clan are different from the ones you're gonna be thinking about I just had picked a name and that ended up being what it was don't judge

~

[Y/n] wakes up in the hospital, her heart starts to race pounding loudly as she tries to figure out where she was. At that moment a handsome doctor walks into her room and smiles when he sees she's awake

"Hello [y/n] I'm Carlisle Cullen I'll be you're doctor for the duration of you're stay here"

"Where is here?" [y/n] asks looking around

"You are at forks hospital, you're parents found you in you're room passed out" he looks at [y/n], then takes a step forward toward her slowly

"Now you'll have to answer a few questions ok?" Y/n nods

"Ok" she whispers wondering what the questions will be

"How long have you had suicidal thoughts?" He asks her, sitting in a chair near her bed. Y/n looks away and ignored the question.

"Y/n I need to know so I can treat you

"I don't know awhile I guess" she mutters and looks back at him seeing him jot notes down on his notepad.

Carlisle looks back up at y/n and asks "was this you're first attempt at you're life?"

Y/n rolls her eyes "I'm here now aren't I?

Carlisle looks into her eyes "some attempts like the one you tried earlier aren't successful," he looks down at his notes for a second before looking back up at her "so was this you're first attempt"

"Yes" y/n says knowing she's lying remembering last summer when she tried to OD on ibuprofen and allergy meds, how it was failed and her parents never even found out.

Carlisle notes that and continues on with the questions,

"How long have you-" he motions to the deep wounds on her legs and upper arms.

"I've cut myself for years" she says and he notes that

"Why?" He looks back up at her with caring eyes. The simple question stumped y/n she didn't know how to answer no one had ever asked her that before.

"I-" she stutters as starts to talk "I was- I felt" she stumbles for words before giving up.

"I don't know," she mumbled

As Carlisle continued to ask Y/n questions about her struggles, a sense of trust began to form between them. His empathetic demeanor and genuine concern made Y/n feel like she could finally open up.

Carlisle, still maintaining his gentle tone, asked, "Y/n, have you ever talked to anyone about your feelings or sought help before this?"

Y/n hesitated for a moment, recalling the times she had wanted to reach out but tried and failed to find the courage. She finally admitted, "No, I've always kept it to myself. I didn't think anyone would understand."

Carlisle nodded understandingly. "I'm glad you're opening up now. It's an important so I can try to help you get better." He leaned in a bit closer, lowering his voice. "I want you to know that there are people who care about you and want to help. We can work through this together."Y/n felt a sense of relief wash over her as Carlisle's words sank in.

Y/n felt a sense of relief wash over her as Carlisle's words sank in. For the first time in a long while, she didn't feel completely alone in her struggle.

Over the next few weeks, Y/n's bond with Carlisle deepened. He became more than just her doctor; he was a confidant and a source of support. together they worked on strategies to cope with her emotions.

As Y/n's physical wounds began to heal, so did the emotional ones. She started attending support groups at the hospital, where she met others who had faced similar challenges. Their shared experiences helped her realize she wasn't alone in her battle.

One day, Carlisle asked her if she wanted to go on a walk in the forest. Y/n nodded and got dressed in normal clothes out of her hospital gown quickly excited to finally get out of the hospital

Carlisle took her took her hiking through the woods to a view over the river.

On there way back to car after they looked out at the river for awhile,Y/n turned to Carlisle and said with a faint smile, "Thank you for saving my life, not just physically, but emotionally too."

Carlisle returned her smile warmly. "You're the one who chose to fight, Y/n. I was just here to lend a helping hand. Remember, you have the strength to overcome anything."

One evening, as Y/n and Carlisle continued their walks in the forest, they stumbled upon an unusual sight. A group of people, unlike anyone Y/n had ever seen, emerged from the shadows. They had strikingly pale skin, almost like marble, and their eyes gleamed with an otherworldly light.

They looked like Carlisle except different, instead of a beautiful golden color like Carlisle they had bright red eyes, that looked almost thirsty.

Carlisle's expression tightened, and he moved protectively in front of Y/n. "Stay behind me," he whispered, his voice tense.

The group of strangers approached, and their leader, a charismatic and enigmatic woman, stepped forward. "My name is Aro," she said, her tone as smooth as silk. "We've been watching your progress, Y/n."

Y/n exchanged a confused glance with Carlisle. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

Aro's lips curled into a sly smile. "We have a unique proposition for you, Y/n. You see, we share a secret, a gift that could change your life forever."

Carlisle's grip on Y/n tightened as he stared at Aro warily. "What are you talking about?"

Aro's eyes never left Y/n's, and she continued, "We offer you the chance to join us, to become part of our family. You would have a new life, new abilities, and eternal youth. In return, you must leave behind your human life and become one of us."

Y/n's heart raced, as she shook her head no. She wasn't losing Carlisle and the trust she had placed in him and the progress she had made.

Y/n clung to Carlisle's reassuring presence, her mind swirling with disbelief at Aro's proposition. She had come so far in her journey to recovery, and the thought of leaving it all behind for this mysterious offer was daunting.

Carlisle spoke firmly, his voice unwavering. "We appreciate the offer, Aro, but Y/n's path to healing is here, with me, and the support she's found. We won't be making any rash decisions."

Aro's smile remained, but there was a glint of disappointment in her eyes. "Very well, Carlisle. The offer stands should you change your mind."

As Aro and her group retreated into the shadows, Y/n let out a shaky breath. "What was that all about?"

Carlisle's expression was grave. "Those were vampires, Y/n. Creatures of legend. They're offering you immortality, but it comes at a great cost. I'm glad you chose to stay."

Y/n interrupts Carlisle "they looked exactly like you except with red eyes," she blurts out

"Are you a vampire?"

Carlisle's expression remains composed as he replies, "Yes, I am a vampire, but I'm different from the ones you encountered. We don't drink human blood, and we try to live in harmony with humans. It's a long story, would you like to hear more?"

Y/n doesn't know what to say she stared at Carlisle with her mouth hanging open. She thinks of all the weird things like how he doesn't eat or drink and he's super strong and pale and HOT.

She shrugs, nonchalantly which surprised Carlisle.

"You're not scared?" He asks y/n

Y/n looks at Carlisle with a newfound curiosity and hints of admiration in her eyes. "Scared? Maybe a little surprised, but after everything we've been through, I've learned not to judge based on appearances. You've been there for me when I needed it most."

Carlisle smiles warmly, relieved by her understanding. "Thank you, Y/n. I promise, I'll always be here to support you, no matter what." Their bond deepens further as they continue their walk through the forest, navigating the complexities of their unique connection and the challenges that lie ahead.

After Carlisle takes her home she watches him leave and after about ten minutes she walks into the forest near her house,

"Aro!! Are you here!! I have a question for you!!" She whisper shouts into the dark tripping over a branch and falling to the forest floor. She cry's out in pain but gets up intent on finding the vampire she had seen earlier and her family

In the dim forest, Y/n's voice echoed softly, and the shadows seemed to whisper back. Suddenly, Aro materialized before her, her red eyes gleaming like rubies in the darkness.

"What question do you have, Y/n?" Aro asked, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

Y/n, undeterred by her fall and the eerie surroundings, took a deep breath. "I want to understand why you chose me to become part of you're clan why not anyone else why am I special?"

Aro regarded Y/n with a contemplative expression, her lips curling into a mysterious smile. "You have a unique resilience, Y/n. We've been watching you, and your ability to endure and find strength within yourself is exceptional. We believe you have untapped potential, the kind that could thrive in our world."

Y/n's mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions, uncertainty mixed with curiosity. "But what about Carlisle? He's been helping me so much. I can't just leave him."

Aro nodded, acknowledging the dilemma. "Carlisle is an admirable man, and his compassion is rare among our kind. It's a decision only you can make, Y/n. Whether you choose to stay with him or embrace a new life with us, your path is yours to decide."

Y/n took a moment to absorb Aro's words. The forest seemed to hold its breath, waiting for her response. With newfound determination, she spoke, "I appreciate the offer, Aro, but I've already found a family in the people who care about me. I'm not ready to leave them behind."

Aro's smile remained enigmatic, but she nodded gracefully. "Very well, Y/n. Should you ever change your mind or seek answers, you know where to find us." With that, she and the shadows enveloped her, leaving Y/n alone in the quiet forest.

As Y/n made her way back home, she couldn't help but feel a sense of closure. The encounter with the vampires had been surreal, but her heart was firmly rooted in the world she had come to know and the people who had supported her on her journey.

She thought of Carlisle and the unwavering bond they had forged. Y/n knew that her path to healing and self-discovery would continue with him by her side, and together, they would face whatever challenges lay ahead.

[otome-mondays]

Virche Evermore -ErroR:Salvation- First Impressions 🥀

This will be my first time doing a first impressions post, since I started Radiant Tale before starting my blog, so quick rundown of how this works: I play through the prologue of a game (maybe part of the common route if a prologue is too short) and give my initial thoughts of the game and any love interests that appear. These posts are going to be relatively spoiler free for most the plot, but I won’t limit myself from spoilers of what I’ve seen for those who want to play a game completely blind. I am writing as I encounter things so if it seems all over the place then haha yeah it is!

Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, murder, suicide, body horror. Please be mindful of your triggers and don’t interact with this post if you’re not in the capacity to handle such topics! I’ve put a read more for those who would like to avoid these triggers. I am not aware of all the triggering content in this game yet, so please look up a full list if you feel the need!

For Virche Evermore, I played the prologue and Chapter 1 for this post. I am trying to do these posts before the first necessary dialogue choice, but because of how short the prologue was and how you only see 3 of the 6 LIs at that point I decided to wait until a bit later. I started playing January 15, 2024.

Also, I’ll note my most anticipated and least anticipated with the respective emojis: ✨ and 💥

General Thoughts

Oh my god this starts out so wild??? The prologue portion was INCREDIBLY short and I immediately saved after and it said Act 2 so was that Act 1? No clue. Anyways, this poor girl has gone through it. I feel so bad for Ceres. I don’t like that everybody but Salome ignores her essentially. Ok so I didn’t realize we’d be taking a Piofiore route of introducing religion but that’s fun. I struggle with games addressing religion sometimes because of some personal issues so I’m anticipating this game will take me a bit to get through like Piofiore: Fated Memories.

Mathis

He seems very nice! He’s definitely one of the pretty boy characters and I have a stellar track record of picking those ones as my favorite. I did think he was wearing a dress at first and then was sad for 0.3 seconds when I discovered he wasn’t.

Lucas ✨

Oh boy another pretty guy. We’re off to an amazing start people. I was not expecting his voice but it fits, they almost always do. OH HE’S A TEACHER COOL! I am begging for at least one of these guys to have a full on dress at some point please they’d all pull it off flawlessly. Especially Lucas or Mathis. Oh he’s coughing that’s not good…I wanna fix this fictional country’s problems just to save this dude from dying he’s too pretty.

Scien

I have seen this man for 10 seconds and he is already getting on my nerves omg. Now to be fair, he is another pretty boy character…they probably all are now that I think about it. I was not expecting that voice from him though.

Yves

Ok this is the cover art guy…immediate first thought is he’s a little strange. I’m 99% sure he’s that kid who saved her in the fire. Yeah he basically instantly confirmed that, cool. Oh sweet the game confirmed it quickly on too, makes my life a lot easier. Somebody with braincells yay!

Adolphe 💥

Ok so I started my thoughts here at the first official time he makes an appearance. Interesting, I like him more than I thought I would when I was just seeing his sprite. He’s got some braincells unlike most these people so that’s a win. What’s not a win is the older brother-little sister dynamic we have here! Cute for anybody that’s not a love interest! Something from seeing his sprite enough now, does the dude wear a shirt because it doesn’t look like it?

Ankou

Oh my god he’s wild and not in a good way to start off! Ok he’s scaring me genuinely wow. But he is pretty…ok what is he even talking about. Oh and that’s it there’s the op. Well let’s see how this game goes!

[ninapi]

○●○●○●○●●○●○●○●○●●○●○●○●○●

┊┊┊✧ ⁺ ⁺╚══ Tengu clan path ╝

Premise: Staying by your bird friend's side was the most comforting path to follow. Will this one lead to a happy ending? Was this the right choice? Love can weigh you down sometimes, but it's wonderful, nonetheless.

Word Count: 5782

Note: The characters are aged up, post-time skip ages!

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Deciding what to do with your future was not as easy.

Of course you wanted to get well, get to live to an old age, share wonderful memories with your beloved friends old and new, but finding a cure seemed like a problematic route to solving this problem.

You just got here, the heights were still getting to you, their food was different, their living arrangements were too.

It wasn’t particularly uncomfortable; it was just different.

Your friend’s parents lived here, he had a family, a house; taking that away from him this quickly seemed cruel to you.

But you knew staying here would be the harshest way of living. It was granted you wouldn’t die yet as long as you didn’t leave the forest, but the disease would keep hunting you, you would never be the same, you body would remain frail for as long as it lasts, it would most definitely bring problems to others in the future, and you didn’t like that.

But your friend was first.

“(Y/N), are you sure you want to stay here? We can go visit the owls as soon as we both feel a little better, try to get them to look for a cure…” Suga was torn between the options, he wanted to stay with you, but no matter what your decision was at the end, he would support you.

“Let’s just focus on getting better, Kou. We can think about that later. How about we go look for your parents? Sawamura-san gave me a little map to their cottage.” it was pretty out of the way, you still didn’t know your away around town, let alone how to go from tree to tree, you still needed a lot of life lessons before being able to think this through.

“Ok, let’s do that tomorrow morning. Now just rest. Hinata-kun said he put in a request for a nearby cottage, whether you want to share it with me or want it for yourself. I can always stay with my parents if you find this awkward.”

It was still a pretty confusing situation. Just yesterday this handsome man in front of you was a full sized crow that couldn’t even say good morning to you. So many things have happened in the last 24 hours and your head was still throbbing in pain from the blood loss, you really needed to rest.

“For now let’s go see your parents, see what they have to say. I don’t mind sharing the cottage with you, I actually would love that, but I would also understand if you wanted to rekindle your relationship with your parents. I’ve been around you all your life, it would be selfish of me to not be whiling to share.” the soft smile on your face tugged at Suga’s heartstrings. He always knew who he was, that he had a humanoid form, that he could talk to you, hold you, take care of you, but never had the chance to let you know, until now. He was having an internal battle between reason and what he actually wanted.

He wanted you to be safe, healthy, happy, but he also wanted to be with you, always. Those things weren’t all possible and he felt like he had to choose, when in reality it was your decision the only one that mattered.

“Ok, if that makes you feel better let’s do that then. I want to meet them of course, I can barely remember my mother’s face. But like you said, I’ve lived with you all my life, my home is by your side even if they gave birth to me.” he leaned in closer to you, giving your head a soft kiss while making sure your blanket was covering all of you, it was funny how he kept doing everything he did as a bird now in the form of a human. It gave you a sense of safety, you weren’t alone in this world of fantasy, you were with the only one you could trust, your dear friend, your only family, and if this is what he wanted, so did you.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Understanding the layout of the village was a task.

Each treetop had multiple houses sharing the space, some were even two or tree stories tall, but that wasn’t all that was to see. There were shops of all kinds, clothing stores, toy shops, restaurants, bars, a bakery, sweet confectionery shops, a big town hall. There were benches all over the place decorated with the most beautiful flowers you’ve ever seen.

You could only go from one tree to the other using a network of woven bridges that connected different parts of the village, sidewalks were also woven connecting near by houses with common areas. It was pretty much a city in the sky beautifully decorated by all sorts of plants. There were only a couple of ladders that could take you down the tall trees strategically placed for nobody to find them, it was the perfect hidden little paradise.

You were so close to the sky, it was even more beautiful at night, not to mention sunrise and sundown. Never did you think you would be able to witness such a sight, specially not from your bedroom window.

Hinata, the son of the clan leader was very kind. You got to learn the leader was in fact a woman who lost her husband to a human threat. At first you thought you would be excluded due to your nature, but that was far from the truth. They welcomed you both into their household and they’ve been nothing but lovely with you during your stay.

This village was very different from your own. All there was left in yours was death, grief, a stark opposite to the Tengu village. They were all good neighbors, they all knew each other, shared their goods among families, helped each other out. It was such a peaceful place to live in, it was very difficult to believe it was cursed.

Visiting the Sugawaras was more taxing that you were expecting.

His parents were happy to see their son back and alive, but they weren’t thrilled to see you there. They’ve been planning his wedding ever since they heard he was back the night before. They had a very high status among the Tengu community, marrying their son to the Shimizu family would bring even more wealth and prestige to their own.

Suga was forced to keep the visit short, he could see how uncomfortable you were and he was very much disappointed on the way his parents were treating you. You were more than just the person who saved his life, you were his only friend, his best friend, the only one who truly knows him, who loves him for what he truly is even after all you’ve discovered. You were the most important person to him, and he wouldn’t allow them to talk to you that way.

So after some snacks and hugs, you both went back to the side of the village that actually wanted you there.

“So Hinata-kun told me our cottage will be ready tomorrow. It’s a little bit on the old side so they needed to patch up the roof.” you knew he was trying to change the subject, to pull you away from the mistreatment you just received, to make you feel loved.

“Oh, that’s great. Never thought it would be this fast. Are you sure that’s what you want, Kou? Seemed like your parents had your life all figured out, what if they know best? I could go with one of the other clans so you don’t have to worry about me anymore.” even if he knew you were thinking of his best interests it pissed him off, not only his parents wanted him to marry someone he doesn’t even know, but treated you like some sort of street rat. He didn’t want to have anything to do with people who didn’t value what he loved most, he met them once and was already sick of the entire thing, there was nothing he wanted more than to go back to his daily routine with you by his side.

“All I want is to be with you, (Y/N). I don’t want to marry someone just because that would make my parents rich. If I ever marry someone would be because I’m in love, not because someone wants me to. Now if you want to go with the other clans, I can go with you like I said last night. Or is it me the problem? Do you not like me in this form? Did you prefer me as a bird?” his mind was a little hazy, he didn’t even know what he was talking about. Truth was, he saw how Azumane was looking at you, he looked interested, not to mention the way you looked at the one that went by the name of Kageyama, he could literally see your eyes sparkle in awe. He didn’t know he was this insecure, never thought he would have to defend his place as the only Tengu in your life, what if you didn’t like the way he looked? He hasn’t even been able to see his own face in this form what if he was ugly? What if you didn’t want him in your life any longer?

“What are you saying, Kou.” you stopped walking, cupping his face with both of your hands gently. “You’re as beautiful as a bird as you are in this form. In fact, you are even more beautiful than I am.” your own words made you giggle, the adoration in your eyes calming the storm raging inside of him.

“Nobody is more beautiful than you are.” he held one of your hands in his, pulling you along to continue your journey back to your temporary lodge, a smile plastered delicately on his face.

He had more options in life, he could go back to his rich family, marry into a good house, possibly bring cute little children to the Tengu world, but that wasn’t what he wanted.

You had other options as well, get better, live a life back in the human world, travel around, but that wasn’t what you wanted either.

You realized you already had all you wanted, and so did Suga.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

The cottage they gave you was very cozy, it was in fact old, but it had its charm.

The roof had been repaired and was as good as new, the only problem now being…”So it only has one bedroom, but I’m sure you guys are fine with that, right?” Hinata was beaming up at the two of you, happily swaying from side to side satisfied with himself. “This was the only cottage near us, I’m so happy I was able to find one, I was about to kick out Kageyama and his family so you could stay there!” his loud laughter made you smile, you were truly grateful, everyone was doing their best to make you feel welcomed.

“We are used to sharing the same room, we’ll be fine Hinata-kun. Daichi told me something about jobs, do you know anything about it?” your face was bright red, choosing to hide behind him just a bit to cover yourself in embarrassment, it was true, you’ve shared your bed for a while now, but he was a bird, not a man, this would be the first time since he changed to officially share a room.

“OH! I know! We all have a job around here; we all help each other. Sawamura-san said he could use your help, he’s the one that keeps us safe. There are a lot of children that have been getting into accidents, they still can’t fly properly and don’t know the village as well, so we were thinking of imitating humans and the thing they call ‘school’ or something like that, basically keep the kids busy while their parents’ work. You look like someone who would be good with small children, what do you think?”

“Oh well, I’ve never taken care of children before, but it sounds fun! How about (Y/N), maybe she can help me?"

“Well for her we got quite the list of requests…” Hinata was sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, looking at you through his lashes, “So, I’m the first option. I have a lot of paperwork I have to go through since my mother made me her slave, I would love some help with that. Also, Azumane-san wanted some help with his shop, he’s been getting a lot of orders in lately and he can’t make the clothing and entertain the customers at the same time.” you were nodding, immersed in your options, the three of them sounded alright, the shop caught your eye, you were good at mending clothes, maybe you would be of better use there. “And lastly, our only bakery in town, I’m saving this one for last because they don’t really need help, Kageyama just wanted (Y/N) working with him-“

“OK GOT IT. Thank you, Hinata-kun. I honestly appreciate all your help; I think if you want me to take care of several children at once it would be better for me to have some assistance. (Y/N) and I make a good team, I would rather have her with me if you don’t mind.” Suga was almost desperate, of course every dangerous man around would throw in their coins.

“Let her decide, is what she’ll be doing for the rest of her stay here. Have you decided already if you want to go look for the owl clan? I contacted my bakeneko friend, his name is Kenma, he said he would visit us soon so you can discuss this a bit more, he might have more information about your condition.”

“Thank you, that sounds wonderful. I have decided to stay here, I really enjoy living in this village and I have Kou here, we even have a house now! Even if I don’t get to regain my health completely, I would like to spend the rest of my days here, if you’d let me.” Suga was moved beyond words, its not like you were throwing away your life, but this was a big sacrifice you were making.

“Fantastic! I’m sure Kenma will bring good news. As for your job, just choose the one you feel you’d like best. Don’t let Sugawara-san to cloud your judgement.” he wiggled his eyebrows playfully at you, he’s cute.

“Hmmm…working with Kou would be fun. But I’m not the best with children, I am good with clothes though, maybe the one at the shop is the best for me.” Suga heaved a sigh of relief, he knows the way Azumane was looking at you was in no way just friendly, but anything was better than Kageyama and your wild attraction to pretty faces, he would have to be in high alert now that he seemed interested in you as well.

“Lovely, Azumane-san is a very gentle generous person, I’m sure you guys will get along very well! I will let him know! You could always come and work for me if it doesn’t work~” he winked at you, making you chuckle.

You were finally left alone to get settled in your new home, thankfully. It had all you possibly needed already. The kitchen was fully equipped for your needs, a small table was neatly placed in the common space along with a couple of cushions to sit on and your room had a very big, comfy looking hammock.

So, it wasn’t only just one room, it was just one bed as well. You had some hopes left that there would be one more hammock somewhere, but the only other door left led you to a bathroom. In a good note the bathtub was huge, made out of wood, next to a big window with a sight to behold. This was your home now and you loved it, even if this conditions would make you share your bed with him this quickly.

Suga didn’t even say anything, he changed into his sleeping jinbei and hopped on the hammock, patiently waiting for you to come. He was really living his best life and you could see it on his face, his sheepish grin and the glint in his eyes were telltale signs of his undying happiness.

“Hurry (Y/N) I’m so tired.” he yawned, stretching his hands out at you while you let your hair down, now sporting your newly acquired sleeping gown.

Heading over to your new ‘bed’ your head was flooding with thoughts of the unknown, should you really be doing this? He’s a man now. Do you like him even more now that he’s a man? Does this mean you were in love with a bird? Wow you needed to calm down.

Once you were in close proximity, Suga tugged on your wrist, making you fall into his arms, he was as comfy as one can be, even with the big gash on his back still throbbing in pain. He missed your warmth and softness, he’s used to sleeping over your stomach, used to keep you warm. The last couple of days that he had to sleep on his own where hell, he couldn’t sleep at all, the air was too cold, the bed not soft enough, nothing can compare to sleeping on your softness.

“Hmmm…how do we do this? I can’t possibly sleep on your stomach now, I’m too big for that…How would you like to sleep (Y/N)? On my chest? Or do you want me to sleep on yours? I guess we could take turns…” he was really going at it, huh. It was still a mystery to you how he was adjusting to this so well, you shouldn’t be the only one affected by this change, he had to be a little lost too.

“Yeah, let’s take turns. You can sleep on me first, your back is still in pretty bad shape.” he nodded, quickly curling on your side, resting his head right above the softness of your belly. He really liked it there, it felt like home, like nothing had changed one beat.

Your hands came to thread down his locks, contemplating him from above, “Kou, are you hanging there alright? Is the change not a bit overwhelming for you? You’ve been a bird since birth, I bet this isn’t as easy as you make it seem.” he tended to do that, even when he was just a chick. He didn’t like troubling others, he liked to help more than to be helped.

“Hm…well it is different. But I like it more than I dislike it. I like being able to talk to the woman I love, to snuggle up on her, kiss her tummy…instead of hurting her with my beak.” he nuzzled his face on your stomach, pressing a light kiss over your bellybutton. His words caught you off guard. “Did you just say…love-?”

He hummed in thought, scooting impossibly closer to you, “Yup, the woman I love, the one who’s been always by my side, the only one to ever cherish me for who I am without questioning.” your hand was now still, your eyes filling up with tears.

“Since when-“ your voice was nothing but a whisper, his heart was racing against your side, you could feel it, it matched yours, almost like they were both beating at the same rhythm.

“Always?” he laughed, pink dusting his cheeks at his declaration, “I’ve never really seen you as just a friend if it makes sense. You’ve always been my family, you’re all I’ve always thought about, always cared for. It always bothered me not being able to talk to you, to look after you in a better way, to do something for you, knowing my true form could help me do all those things. I always dreamed of this day, the day I could be with you like this, to hold you like this. Sorry if that freaks you out, must be weird knowing a bird was in love with you all this time.” he was getting shy, your lack of words was alarming, he was terrified that he had done something terribly wrong just now.

Your hand resumed its caresses as your mind finds its resolution, “It isn’t. It’s reassuring actually. I can’t say I was in love with you, you were very much a bird. But I did feel basically everything you just said. To me you’re more than a friend, you’re my family, the only one I can trust in, the only one I’ve ever cared for. I also wished you were a person before, that we could have a normal family dynamic, that we didn’t have to hide you away from all those awful people. I might be a little weird now that I think about it.” your shy laugh brought his senses ablaze, he thought he’d gross you out, that you wouldn’t let him sleep with you after coming out clean.

“I get it, it would be really weird if you were to say out of nowhere you were in love with a crow you found in the wilderness.” he laughed, getting up a bit to change positions, he wanted to hold you now, the amount of love in his heart at this very moment was taking the best of him.

“Hey, I’m not weird!” pouting, you hid your face on his chest, your eyes heavily fighting to stay open.

“You are, but that’s just one of the reasons why I like you to begin with. I might be ahead of you in the game, but let’s start from zero. Well, no, zero is too drastic, I wouldn’t want to be that low in ranks if you are going to be working with a handsome male…how about you start seeing me differently from now on? Not just as the old friend Koushi, but as a potential candidate for courtship?” he was blabbing nonsense now, not even noticing you were drifting straight up to dreamland.

“Nah…I love you already…let’s…sleep…Kou…” your little tugs on his top were causing an explosion of emotions within him, he wanted to shower you with love, with kisses, but also wanted to let you sleep, you still needed to recover, he had to as well, but you were so adorable...

“Good night my love.” suppressing his every need, he kissed the top of your head, closing his eyes to dream of a new future, hopefully a bright one ahead.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Working with Asahi was great. He was a great boss, gave you all the freedom you wanted to work in your own projects, even encouraged you when you weren’t as sure of something.

He needed someone to look after the shop, that’s why he hired you, but he never expected you to be this good at your job. You could keep up with his professional speed, also understand his ideas and designs, even shared ideas on how to solve problems that had been hunting him for months.

He ended up hiring a younger female Tengu named Yachi to help with the customers while you were in the back with him working until sundown.

It was fun, he felt like the friend you always wished to have. He understood your vision, your needs, he supported your creative side and pushed you out of your comfort zone. Picking him was a good idea.

“So you and Sugawara….are you like…you know…a thing?” Asahi was currently fitting a new kimono using you as mannequin while you chatted to pass the time.

“Hm…I think so. We do live together, there’s feelings in between too. So you could say we are.” he nodded in thought, a little disappointed but happy for you at the same time.

“How have you been feeling by the way? I’ve noticed you’ve gone paler; it worries me.” you were feeling fine until a few days ago. Your cough was back, a light fever would creep up at night. Suga was great at taking care of you, he would brew some hot tea for you, always keep you warm, but the symptoms were imminent now.

“I’ve been better, but I guess I gotta get used to this right? It’s not like there’s a cure…” Asahi could hear the sadness lacing your words, he wished he could do more to help you, but he really didn’t know how.

“I heard the bakenekos said they had a lead; are you not going to take the chance and go with them?” you shook your head, heaving a deep sigh.

“Nah, I would rather spend whatever time I have left with Kou than going with them and have it be in vain. I could die while we follow said lead, and I could never see you guys again. It’s too risky.” he gets it, he didn’t want to you to go either, he finally found a friend that understands him, someone he’s truly comfortable with, it would be a shame if you did leave, but he didn’t want to be selfish, it was a matter of life or death after all.

“Let me know if there’s anything I can do to make it easier on you. I know it must be hard to open up with Suga, you probably don’t want him to worry.” you were honestly grateful with everyone around, not just Asahi.

Hinata went to great lengths to make sure you two were comfortable, found you both a fantastic job that fit your skills to perfection, even gave you your cottage without asking for anything in return.

Yamaguchi and Tsukishima stay to themselves most of the times, but they do drop some fruits every now and then by your cottage and stay for a chat when there’s time, Yamaguchi more than Tsukishima, but you loved to see them around and support you in their own way as well.

Kageyama, even if he swears he doesn’t care, he always puts extra bread in your bag whenever you go get something from his bakery. You’ve found a bit of everything really, from bread, to sweets to even full-sized bottles of almond milk. Whenever you say something, he just shrugs it away and says it was going to go bad anyways, so you were basically his personal trashcan. The others say he’s rude, but he’s nothing but adorable to you, Suga’s daily nightmare, that’s what he is.

You knew this was the best option of the three, the most comfortable one, the one closest to home, there wasn’t much to talk about in honesty, to you it was a no-brainer.

“Asahi can I ask you something?” he hummed in acknowledgment, pinning the sleeves down to the garment.

“Why is the village cursed?” Is something that’s been bothering you since your arrival, they’re all such a nice community it wasn’t easy to see why that could have ever happened.

“Well, it’s been like that for a while now. It happened a couple of centuries back, we used to live in a different area of the forest, more protected. The village was ruled by a tyrant back then. He hated humans and he sent our armed forces to hunt them down. The head of the bird clans, the eagles from the east, casted our clan away to the nearest place to humans as a punishment for his bad behavior, not only would we have to live closer to them but we would never be able to go out of the forest again in our true form.” so that’s why not everyone sees eye to eye with you, humans were once pray just like they are now to humans in your world.

“Don’t let the others know I told you about this though, they’re a little sensitive with the subject, specially Daichi since it was one of his ancestors.” You still had one more question though, one that you were terrified to ask about for some reason.

“Asahi, if the curse was imposed by your own kind, why is it that it is forbidden to talk about the foxes?” the screech that left his throat startled you, you never even imagined the ever so kind Asahi would react that way to a simple question.

“We don’t talk about the foxes (Y/N)! Don’t ever forget that, if the wrong person hears you, poison will be served to you by the elders.” what could be even worse than a curse. This was only making you even more curious about them.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

It’s been a little over a year since you arrived at the Tengu village, your sickly state sadly never left. It wasn’t too terrible though, just like having an eternal flue. Ok, yes, it was bad, but it was better than being dead, that’s for sure.

Your relationship with Suga had evolved to say the least. You have been officially together as a couple for a good while now. He even wanted you to conceive his children, though the doctor of the village recommended against it due to how sick you were, being pregnant could tip you over the edge and take away your last flame of life remaining.

It was another regular day in your household, Suga was making some toys out of woodblocks for his students while you were cooking dinner, when someone knocked on the door, a beautiful girl with long black hair and glasses going right in, as if she was being chased right now. “Please tell me this is the home of Sugawara Koushi.” she panted beside you, holding onto her knees for support.

“Kou! Someone’s looking for you!” you dried your hands on a kitchen towel, motioning for the woman to sit around your table.

“Who is it, baby? I’m almost done with the toys.” he came out of your shared bedroom, a look of disinterest over his features in the presence of the stranger.

“My name is Shimizu Kiyoko. Look, before you say something. I know you two are together and I respect that. I don’t want to marry you either, I actually have a boyfriend and we wanted to elope, but your parents keep on harassing me, they were chasing me until just now. Hope they don’t know where you live or they will-“ the door to your house burst opened, both of his parents popping out behind it instantly.

“There you are! Why didn’t you say you just wanted to meet your fiancé? We would have taken you with us in a not so aggressive way…” his mother was patting sweat off her delicate face with a small towel, glancing around the cottage. She didn’t know you were still together, this fact making her snarl. “She’s still here, I see…”

“By 'she' you mean my girlfriend or wait no more like my wife? Of course she’s here, is her house, where else would she be. Oh, and hello to you too mother.” Suga came over to you, one of his hands coming to rest on your waist, a frown of disapproval painting his otherwise handsome face.

“Your wife is Kiyoko-san, not this…thing…Now don’t be ridiculous, we need you two to get married as soon as possible, there’s a possibility of both of our businesses to join and become something that would shake the entire Tengu community!” his mother kept on rambling about the future and how important they were for this. It was annoying, but it was mostly hurtful, they would never approve your relationship, it was your fault he was being pushed away by his parents.

“Mother, with all due respect, I already have a wonderful woman by my side. I’m sure Shimizu-san is also great, but did you know she has a boyfriend? Did you even bother asking her if she wanted to marry me? We both have our own relationships, our own chosen future, please don’t play with us like if we were on some sort of chess board, you didn’t even look for me after I fell, if it wasn’t for (Y/N) I would have died that day.” This made both of his parents to stop talking, they did look for him, just not down in the human realm, they never expected him to fall out of their reach.

“Is that true, Kiyoko-san?” his dad seemed more relaxed, more immersed in the conversation, maybe not all was lost.

“It is, sir. We’ve been forced to run away from our families just to be together. I understand the importance of our marriage for the sake of the village, but I would really appreciate if you could reconsider this based on not only my wishes but those of your own blood.” she was now on her knees pleading.

Her relationship took so long to come to fruition, she didn’t even like Ryu for most of the time they’ve known each other, but he never gave up, he always put her needs first, always did his best to please her, to make her happy. She was beautiful, that much was known, but because of that, that’s all people would see. Ryu was the only one who went as far as to try to understand her as the woman she is, the one who stole her heart after years of trial and error. She would do her part now to defend their love.

“We need to talk with your father then. Hopefully he will let us go through the business proposal without requiring the sealed marriage. I will need your help child; your father is the toughest business man I’ve ever met.” they both left with Kiyoko right behind them, it was a lovely display of love from your boyfriend, but it was also a revelation.

How long will you last with your condition? There was nobody that could answer that question for you.

“Is dinner ready, love? I kind of want to cuddle you all night, starting right now.” he kissed the top of your head, dragging you over to your room after checking the stove.

He didn’t want you to have useless thoughts, he was yours, it was all that mattered. No one could tear him away from your side.

“Kou, are you sure this is the best? Wouldn’t it be better for you to marry into the Shimizu family? Your lifespan is way larger than mine, I will die off anytime we don’t even know how long I will be here. I could always go to the owl clan, Tobio-kun said he could take me if I wanted to go…” the gasp that left Suga’s lips was the loudest you’ve ever heard coming from him.

“That sneaky little bastard!! I knew it, I just knew it! Nobody gives out free stuff just like that!” his outburst made you chuckle.

“He just said that because he’s worried about my health, it is getting worse Kou, you know that. That’s why I wouldn’t want you to waste your future away for someone who will leave you sooner rather than later.” he tackled you down on your hammock, placing soft kisses on your belly.

“I would rather spend one more day with you my love, than an eternity with someone I just met. You are my everything, always been, since the day we met you’ve been all I need.” you could hear the shakiness in his voice, he was way more affected by the situation than he’d admit.

“Same goes for me, but I want you to be happy. To live a long happy life, I don’t think I can give you that…”

“I’ll stay by your side until the end, baby girl. I promise. Nothing you or anyone says will change that. Alright?”

Your future was uncertain.

You didn’t know how long you had left.

But you didn’t regret your choice, you met wonderful people, built wonderful friendships. Got time to live with the one you love for a stretch of time.

It was worth it, it was all worth it.

But you couldn’t avoid wonder what would have happened if you had taken Kenma-san’s lead or if you’d gone up north with Tobio. Would things be any different?

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