#a quick fun (to avoid real work xd)

[zu-is-here]

alternate beginning

[thelunarfairy]

sometimes I wonder why the yugi twins aren't together when they are amazing there he continues with his duties and has fun with his friends but when tsukasa is mentioned in front of him he can't help but he sad he even knows about his actions but does nothing for him are they considered tow apposing forces that would be dongerous to bring together ?? What do you think??

Hanako reacts as if he suffers from Post Traumatic Disorder (it's nothing confirmed, it's just a comparison) and it seems that Amane's trauma is directly related to Tsukasa, so he has crises when he sees his brother, he is always in shock (even if sometimes it's quick) when he sees Tsukasa. He is petrified and his eyes are frozen.

Over time, Hanako got used to his presence. See that while he reacts like that when he sees Tsukasa, they still hug right after.

Hanako is very good at hiding how he's feeling, even in cases as strong as this. He can't be around Tsukasa anymore without feeling sad or uncomfortable.

Maybe this happens because of Tsukasa, or because of the creature, or because of the whole situation that caused Tsukasa's death, or because of the guilt he feels. He doesn't like to remember the past, and Tsukasa is part of it, in fact Tsukasa is directly linked to the sin he committed.

The one who avoids contact is Hanako, he interacts with Tsukasa when they eventually meet unintentionally, but he prefers to escape the situation. If it were up to Tsukasa, they would continue to be the way they were before, he would even ask him to play, like they did before.

It's sad, but Hanako can't deal with Tsukasa and the past yet. Despite this, Hanako still shows that he loves Tsukasa, just the fact that he is his yorishiro says a lot how much Hanako loves him.

Despite this, they seem to be working together towards the same goal, but the relationship between them is "broken". We don't know if yorishiro is the real person/object or is a representation. If it's a representation, Hanako runs away from him because he would remember that his real brother is dead.

It's sad, but until we know what happened between them, we will never understand exactly how Hanako truly feels about his brother.

About them being mysterious forces to come together is a possibility. This image here of the anime's ending theme

It shows the two becoming one and that "spectre" below is huge compared to the joudais. Maybe if these two come together they can become that God? It's an interesting hypothesis, if the two come together in this animation, this spectrum appears in the dark part, we know that the red part is after death, and the black part?

Look at this image, they kiss in the "red area" that is, on the far shore. And that's not what happened? They kissed on the far shore, at the end you see Yashiro crossing from the white part to the red part.

We've been receiving spoilers this whole time at the end theme of the anime XD

So, it could be that the union of the two is problematic too, they both seem to have that dark spot on their chest, so, the same creature?

Interesting, isn't it?

[lunariamv]

addressing the allegations (read until end :U)

((pic unrelated LOL))

i didn't think i'd have to write about this, but i will just to be sure and for future visitors to my page

these aren't serious allegations; i'm joking but

there was a person who was spamming me on my accounts (and threatening me? lol); they accused me of plagiarism, which is not true

plagiarism is to steal and pass off ideas/words without crediting or acknowledging the source.

definitions used below:

but in all of my stuff i always credit charon is my inspiration; i am not passing off the inspiration as my own

therefore, since i am acknowledging and crediting the original work, it is not plagiarism.

Even then, i draw my own art, i write the dialogue and stuff myself (occasionally i make references to the original but for the most part it is my own words). The assets used for the maps and the music are free to use, and have been used by other rpg maker games not made by charon.

examples:

>the crooked man (uses same map assets)

>the sandman (uses same map assets)

>the original mad father (uses the same music)

>the original misao (uses same map assets)

are these games plagiarizing each other? no

As for the writing/plot; i'm under the belief that in 2024, it's possible everything has been done before;; and since everything has been done before; its not really about being original or not anymore; to me it's about putting things together to make something interesting or entertaining for yourself and other people to enjoy;

kinda like palworld, it's got characters like pokemon but the gameplay is like arc; say what you want about it, but it did really well because people found it fun

you're free to disagree; that's just how i think media is now; lots of shows/games/books take inspiration from each other, and i don't think there's anything wrong with that;;

>the creators of persona 4 like death note, so they borrowed ideas from death note

>league of legends skins take inspiration from anime and video games all the time

>valorant is basically the same game as cs:go and overwatch is pretty much tf2

are these considered plagiarism? i don't think so, and i personally don't care if they are similar; people enjoy them and it brings no real world harm

what i've done is more like a retelling, where it has similar story beats to the original but goes somewhere different similar elements, but overall different enough not to take away from the original

i just felt like addressing this because people nowadays are very quick to judge and spread misinformation, without listening to the other side or doing research

it's depressing, really

i'm not that upset over it because the person who said this completely ignored all of my points when i calmly explained it to them; i have nothing to prove to people who are unreasonable and not willing to listen

you are free to disagree with my perspective, but at least look at the evidence and do diligent research first before accusing people of serious things

and even then if it upsets you, you are free to ignore me; i am a small creator with only like 100 followers on most of my socials; it seems like a waste of time to attack/harass a nobody like me xD

i will take the criticism in stride tho. As i have said before, it is not my intention to replace charon or anything, and eventually i will be diverting my work to be more different

the only similarity will be menhera/yandere stuff, but i focus more on female protagonists and male love interests instead of charon who does the opposite;; so my target audience is different; i wouldn't be affecting charon's bottom line or whatever

so if you are a fan of charon and you want exact same as charon stuff; please dont expect!! the style is similar but i just wanna make horror otome games for the girls LOL

that being said i do understand and i've altered a bit of things so it's more inspiration and looks less similar

(i've changed the ui a bit and i've lessened references for the next game)

please respect my opinion and make your judgement after reading;; you can unfollow/block if you are annoyed or something, it's okay with me; but ty for understanding and taking the time to hear me out

*if someone says something similar, ill just link them this, and if they dont read it; they gettin ignored :U

[random-introverted-blog]

Read your answer the second you posted it basically! I meant to answer but mulled over nicknames. Used a thing to make your account name  Anagrams. It’s in the end.  This has been living in my head rent free. 

Shadowheart def deserved more cute assist lines. Yeah, they all deserve causal flirting. Wyll and Karlach are the cutest! 

Post game definitely works for them. Slowwwwburrrrrrrrn. A lot of stuff goes ‘lemme go back to a previous save real quick, bae.’ XD

Bending things for canon is really so entertaining. 

AA would really be an ass bout it but would take you back. He does say he misses Tav in epilogue. He is still pretty obsessed. Also there was another thing that says he thinks about Tav a lot but is too prideful to seek them out: 

Asty and SH having Tav as a shared ex would be so crazy. Them being like ‘We’re so happy without Tav’ (at first. Pettiness) . Then them being ‘surprise pikachu face’ when they actually do get over Tav and fall for each other.

I have so many work in progress fics. SH deserves more fics l! 

I just adore chatting with you! You’re so fun and sweet. Might actually just dm you one day but let’s see!

Get you a couple that can do all three! I love the random funny bits that can ensue. They think they’re all that but would do cringey and funny stuff too.

The ‘I mentally plotted and planned a lot but didn’t see this coming at all’ is so funny to think about. 

Asty would be like why did this happen again (his track record of accidentally falling for Tav before). He’d be extremely possessive and extra. Definitely would be like ‘You won’t be getting rid of me ever, Jen.’.

Both are will try and avoid making the same mistakes.

Batstarion shenanigans and him just being even more chaotic and silly and just trying to accompany her ‘undercover’ though it’s like it’s a dead giveaway and everyone’s ‘that’s your vampire boo isn’t it?’. 

Also the trying to be suave and being silly and caught off. 

Astarion would have a rivalry with Shar in a way ngl. He’s like that’s my girl just so we’re clear. Vampire Bride! Dark Justiciar! SH would be soooo extra. SH would find a way to keep power over him too somehow. A and SH would have a super back and forth, push and pull dynamic. They’d really have a long game. Super powerful both of them. Accidental equals and evil power couple.

The possibilities are truly endless. It’s great to speculate and indulge in what ifs! You’re very inspiring.

A song that suits both of em is ‘Can’t fight the moonlight’ by LeAnn Rimes. 

‘Can’t remember to forget you’ by Shakira suits em too (plus the players who can’t get over em. It’s like let’s do a new route! Gravitates towards Asty and SH still. Shame you can’t poly with them together. But I get it would be a lot of work and that’s why). 

That’s so nice of you. To be like ‘the stories I want aren’t out there’s gotta make them and cater to other fans too’. Your ideas are so fun and smart. Your writing style is so engaging. The angst and  potential and exploring stuff is everything.

Congrats on the followers and you deserve even more! It’s so cool to think bout! 30 people is a lot! 

For the nickname, I settled on Wenona!

I hope you don’t mind it? Hawthorne, Arya, Honey, Heather, Wendy, Dorothy, Howard, Shanon, Anthony, Reyna, Thea, Ashton, Rosanna, Rowena, Sandra, Sherwood were the other options. All of them are so posh! 

- bloodmoon anon

Always a pleasure to hear from you, bloodmoon!

I'm flattered you put so much effort into coming up with a name! I'm used to the only flattery coming from my partner, but they're biased. I could write the equivalent of Mirkons story when you save him and they'd still say "that's beautiful, my love" yes I'm calling you out, babe, I know you're reading this.

THAT SAID.

The lack of cute/sassy assist lines is part of why I wrote Deny Me Not Your Heart. The other part is I see all this hurt/comfort/injury stuff and no one is writing these for Shadowheart SHES THE HEALER GUYS, THINK ABOUT IT.

I think a post-game slow burn is the only solid way for an Ast and SH fic, at least for me. I'm sure you or others are more creative in that regard than me.

You don't want to know how many saves I have stacked up on my PS5 only to do it all over again to my Xbox now lmao.

Bending canon is what makes us fanfiction writers, and never let anyone tell you otherwise. It's an art of balancing canon and the characters to what your vision is. A well done fanfiction is one that is almost indistinguishable from the actual story. That blurs the lines between canon and fan content. I wrote a whole speech that I had to cut to keep this from getting too long but short version, yes it is very fun bending canon!

I heard about the too prideful thing but I believe that was a cut epilogue card so whether it's canon is up for debate. But yes, he is pretty obsessed and I'm here for it.

A story with Tav as a shared ex would be very interesting! That's sort of the concept behind my longfic but instead of falling in love with each other, Ascended and Dark Justiciar end up having a Yandere 1v1 over their ex. But for the sake of discussion, let's say Astarion and Shadowheart end up fake dating to spite Tav but end up falling in love together instead. Sounds like an interesting prompt!

I'm more of a Tav shipper myself, if my content is anything to go by. But I agree, Shadowheart deserves more content!

Aw, I enjoy chatting with you too! My DM's are open if you or anyone feels like hitting me up and discussing fanfic, if you'd rather not send it as an ask that gets posted to over 30 followers. I'm getting busier lately, so my responses may be slower but I'm always trying to respond to things asap! So if you or anyone else wants a more private conversation to discuss bg3 ideas or some such, don't hesitate! I'll bounce ideas back as best I can. I will say my ideas/concepts are primarily Astarion and Shadowheart though.

Ascended and Dark Justiciar accidentally falling in love due to not planning for the outcome is hilarious and, for Astarion, very much in character! It's established several times that intelligent as he is, he's not the greatest at planning ahead so him catching feelings for Sharran Shadowheart after manipulating her into a tactical alliance (spongebob fish anchor voice: when will he learn?) rings of...

And after losing Tav, he definitely would be way worse in the possessive department of Shadowheart.

"Is that your vampire fiancee, Mother Superior? He's quite adorable!"

Angry chirping translation: ADORABLE? NO, I AM VENGENCE! I AM DOMINATION INCARNATE! I COMMAND THE NIGHT!

Shadowheart: he is, isn't he? And he's all mine.

More angry chirping: YOURE MINE! MINE, I SAID! MINE!

So with Shadowheart having access to memory magic, she would need to subdue him, tie him up and laser guide amnesia his ass. You can even manipulate or modify his existing memories, if you go by Shadowheart initially believing the Sharrans saved her from that wolf and didn't abduct her from her loving parents.

Aww, I'm so glad I'm inspiring you guys! This is the reason I started this little blog and to see it helping people in any way is what keeps me going! Thank you so much for your support, I really am beyond words for how grateful I am for you and the others!

I discovered many years ago that if there's a story you want to see, sometimes you have to create it yourself! And if you want it, other people do too! So you sort of bring together your own little club of likeminded people! Case and point, us and this blog! It's always reassuring to hear my writing is engaging, I'm one of countless writers who always feels inadequate and insufficient, especially after I read other people's work.

You can call me whatever you want within reason, of course. So long as it's nothing malicious, harassing or bullying. My partner may have some choice words about people calling me honey though 🤔 Wenona and Hawthorne are nice too! But really, it's whatever you want. My blog is to serve. Not the other way around.

And if I take a little while replying to your asks please don't think I'm ignoring you. I try to set aside enough time to fully read and respond whatever I see posted/replied somewhere when it feels appropriate!

Think I replied to everything in your ask... Sorry if I missed something!

-newly named Wenona/Hawthorne/Whatever else you wanna call me! ❤️

[learning-code-ficusoft]

Micro-Interactions: How Small Details Enhance User Experience

Micro-Interactions: How Small Details Enhance User Experience

Micro-interactions are subtle animations and feedback mechanisms that make digital experiences more engaging, intuitive, and user-friendly. These small details significantly impact usability, engagement, and delight without overwhelming users.

1. What Are Micro-Interactions?

A micro-interaction is a small, functional animation that occurs in response to a user’s action. They guide users, provide feedback, and improve the overall UX.

🔹 Examples: ✅ A “like” button that animates when clicked ❤️ ✅ A password strength meter while typing 🔒 ✅ A loading spinner when fetching data ⏳

💡 Micro-interactions improve UX by making interfaces feel alive, intuitive, and responsive.

2. Key Components of Micro-Interactions

Every micro-interaction consists of four key parts:

1️⃣ Trigger — The user action or system event that initiates the micro-interaction. 2️⃣ Rules — Define what happens once the interaction starts. 3️⃣ Feedback — Provides real-time response (e.g., animation, vibration). 4️⃣ Loop & Mode — Determines if the interaction repeats or adapts based on context.

🔹 Example: Toggle Button Animation

Trigger: User taps the toggle switch.

Rules: The toggle state changes from “Off” to “On.”

Feedback: The switch smoothly slides and changes color.

Loop & Mode: The toggle remains in its new state until changed.

3. Why Micro-Interactions Matter in UX Design

✅ Enhance User Engagement: Makes the UI more interactive and fun. ✅ Provide Instant Feedback: Shows the result of an action in real time. ✅ Improve Usability: Helps guide users intuitively. ✅ Add Personality to a Brand: Creates a more human and relatable experience.

4. Common Micro-Interaction Examples

🔹 Loading Animations

🔄 Prevent frustration by keeping users informed. Instead of a boring “Loading…” message, a creative animation can improve perceived performance.

✅ Example:

Spinning loader (⏳)

Skeleton screens (gradually load content)

Progress bars (indicate completion)

🔹 Button Feedback & Hover Effects

📍 Enhances interactions and confirms user actions.

✅ Example:

Buttons change color or size when hovered.

A ripple effect when clicking a button.

cssCopyEditbutton:active { transform: scale(0.95); }

🔹 Form Validations & Input Feedback

✍️ Makes form-filling easier and error-free.

✅ Example:

Inline validation messages (✅ or ❌).

Password strength indicators.

Shake animation for incorrect input.

javascriptif (password.length < 6) { inputField.classList.add("shake"); }

🔹 Like, Share, & Favorite Animations

❤️ Encourages engagement and interaction.

✅ Example:

Clicking a heart icon makes it pop & change color.

Social media reactions (e.g., Facebook’s Like button).

javascriptheartIcon.addEventListener("click", () => { heartIcon.classList.add("animate-heart"); });

🔹 Toggle Switch & Dark Mode

🌗 Smooth transitions improve experience.

✅ Example:

A toggle switch animates when switching between light and dark modes.

Background and elements smoothly transition between themes.

javascripttoggleButton.addEventListener("click", () => { document.body.classList.toggle("dark-mode"); });

5. Best Practices for Designing Micro-Interactions

🎯 Keep it Simple — Subtle animations work best; avoid overuse. ⚡ Make it Fast — Animations should be quick (0.2–0.5s). 🎨 Match the Brand Personality — Ensure animations align with the app’s tone. 🎯 Provide Feedback — Always let users know what’s happening. 📱 Ensure Accessibility — Avoid relying only on color; support screen readers.

6. Tools to Create Micro-Interactions

🚀 For UI Designers:

Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch — For prototyping animations.

Lottie (Airbnb) — Lightweight animated SVGs & JSON-based animations.

💻 For Developers:

CSS Animations & Transitions — For simple hover and click effects.

JavaScript & GSAP — For dynamic and interactive animations.

Framer Motion (React) — For smooth UI animations.

7. Conclusion

Micro-interactions may seem small, but they greatly enhance user experience by making interfaces more engaging, intuitive, and fun. When used effectively, they improve usability, reduce friction, and add a human touch to digital products.

WEBSITE: https://www.ficusoft.in/web-designing-training-in-chennai/

[tonguetiedraven]

Hi, I was just wondering if you have any headcanons for Blue Exorcist?

I'm not sure why, but my mind went entirely blank when I saw this ask xD I've managed to mostly rally my brain cells back together and come up with a few for the exwires and a few general ones :) Rin

ADHD and Dyslexia. (Are those really still head canons or are they considered canon at this point?)

Really sensitive to textures and gets easily distracted and upset if he’s wearing scratchy things.

Loves cuddling. Platonic or romantic is fine. He just likes cuddling.

He has one of Shirou’s rosaries and keeps it with him at all times.

Always chewing on things. Pencils, pens, food, gum, fingernails, sticks, sleeves, anything he can get hold of.

Run’s warmer than most people but is always cold.

Bi. Boy is very bi and still realizing it about himself.

Never really gets sick, even before the demon thing. When he does he’s very quiet about it and tries to hide it until he can’t.

Likes shopping, and doesn’t really care what he’s shopping for. Anything is fun.

Loves kids and is really good with them. Wants some whenever he gets older.

Yukio

Always cold (it’s the depression.)

Loves sweets and never allows himself them.

Thinks slapstick is one of the greatest forms of comedy.

Adores puns and is quick to think of them.

Addicted to caffeine.

Knows Latin

Chose to get the Doctor Meister because Rin’s optimistic belief in him made him want to be a doctor.

Demisexual.

Shadow demons terrified him as a child, and it still makes him afraid of the dark even though he’ll never admit it.

Anal about having his books/manga in a certain order and gets really annoyed if they’re moved.

Ryuuji

Needs glasses and hates them so he bought himself contacts the minute he could.

He gets the migraine from his mother and they’re always aggravated by skipping meals. He carries protein bars around to help avoid missing meals.

Likes to draw/paint to relieve stress and keep himself loose for drawing magical circles. He likes to sketch his classmates and would be mortified if they ever saw his stuff.

Enjoys Japanese operas and has a few entirely memorized.

Gay and very private about it.

I think I have curry as his favorite food in every fic I write, lol. He strikes me as the type to feel guilty about loving something so unhealthy, and rarely allows himself the treat.

Doesn’t care for coffee at all but is addicted to green tea.

Crabby as hell if he has to stay up past his bedtime.

His prayer beads were gifted to him by his father when he was a child and just learning how to chant.

Has a hard time falling asleep without listening to chants.

Introvert and protective of his alone time. If he chooses to give it up for you, you’re important.

Konekomaru

The official bug removed. He has no fear of creepy-crawlies and has been tasked with getting rid of them since he was a kid because Renzou gets loud when there are bugs around.

Prefers reading nonfiction to anything else.

Hates getting up early but makes himself do it anyway.

Has gotten in trouble on numerous occasions for feeding stray cats around the temple.

Renzou

Thank to Rynoa’s fantastic work, I now headcanon him as disliking especially sweet things. He only eats sweets because he thinks girls likes them.

He’s extremely good at figuring out escape routes and always locates the obvious and not obvious exits whenever he goes someplace. Never know when you’re gonna need to escape.

Was scared of Yamantaka when he was little and still doesn’t fully know what to make of him.

He’s seen demons all his life and has always considered Bon and Konekomaru naive to dedicate their lives to fighting them without any real idea what they’re like.

Smart and tries very hard to hide it.

Shiemi

Extrovert but shy.

I also think she’s a demisexual.

She’s seen demons all her life, but they never scared her. She’s always assumed they were friendly unless proven otherwise.

She will prune any plant she’s near. It’s just a habit at this point.

She’ll poke around house plants and check their leaves and soil to make sure they’re happy.

Izumo

Ride or die friend. She will tease/mock you relentlessly and tear anyone apart who dares to do the same.

She knows how to knit and likes to make little dolls. She’s extremely bashful about gifting them.

She adores colorful gel pens and glitter pens.

Vegetarian

General head canons

Mephisto has the sky at True Cross rigged so the stars are visible.

Lewin is connected to Section 13, but not a full clone. I think he was a test subject as a child.

Kuro chases mice away from the dorms when he’s not hanging with Rin.

I head canon Takara is controlled entirely by the demon and in a sort of sleep paralysis state, very occasionally waking from it before the demon sends him back to sleep.

Demons sleep with their eyes partly open (Rin included) so they can keep mildly alert even while they’re asleep.

[litchihikxriclub]

Hello, is it possible for you to do your head canons on the litchi gangs' sexualities? Thank you! ^.^

Honestly, I'm of the opinion that one of the fun points of canon is that they're all stupid straight boys, and that's generally what I go with. There's a certain level of puberty-brained stupidity in them that I think is pure straight teenager energy. Yes, debatably including Jaibo. Although he's complex enough to be an essay on his own...

Despite that all, I do think that they could shift a little as they grow up. People discover things about themselves as they age, so I'm open to most headcanoning on the subject for their older selves.

To do some quick speculation/personal thoughts on what they'd be like when they're older...

Zera — Dumbass straight boy for life. The stuff with Jaibo was more of a power fantasy for him than actual attraction— while he will have physical relations with men if it benefits him, his actual attraction lies with women. Most likely gray-aro, not forming feelings easily.

Nico — He's attracted to anyone who's nice to him. Probably demi with very little preference for gender. Has some internalized homophobia, though, and has to come to terms with any crushes he gets on guys— convincing himself it's more than just loyalty.

Raizou — He likes the idea of men sometimes, but in practice, he feels safer around more feminine people. Femininity has always been more attractive to him, although he does have to sort out whether he's into someone or just envying how they present themself.

Kaneda — He also has some internalized bad feelings about it, but he does kind of like the idea of a stronger guy protecting him. Probably had a crush on Tamiya at some point that he wasn't quite aware of. Really, he's attracted to anyone who makes him feel safe.

Dentaku — Quite possibly ace-leaning. He's so preoccupied with his machinery and studies that it's hard for him to focus on real people very often. Girls are pretty and nice, but it's hard for him to picture himself actually having a relationship even when he wants to.

Dafu — Women will always be his distinct preference (and he never quits being stupid about it), but there comes a time when it dawns on him that men are really handsome too. And from there, he's the definition of a bisexual disaster. The horniness never ends with him,

Tamiya — Also mostly straight. Would consider a relationship with a guy if the chemistry was there, though. He's so go-with-the-flow that it doesn't really matter to him who he's attracted to. Doesn't think much about things like sexuality— what happens, happens.

Yakobu — Pan, most likely. He spends a long time thinking he's only into women... but has an eventual moment of realization that he usually gets along better with other guys. It realy comes down to whoever makes him happy, with sexual attraction coming second.

Jaibo — Trying to make this brief*, he's most drawn to men because of trauma reasons, but because of those same trauma reasons, it'd be easier for him to have a healthy relationship with someone who's not male. Sex doesn't mean much to him; it's just a means of control.

Kanon — Aroace. Having a robot for a lover was easier for her because she didn't have to have the attraction that people expect of her. Likes relationships and having a partner, but avoids it because she always feels pressured to return the other person's feelings.

*Seriously, I could do a whole post on how I think Jaibo's sexuality works. That'd be a good thing to ask me about. XD

[lightlycareless]

Chapter 28 - thoughts.

Hello again everyone!

Thank you for tuning in for another... behind the scene post :> This time, about this chapter over here (which I totally recommend reading to avoid spoilers!)

It was certainly a ride to write that one, and you'll get to see why in the upcoming paragraphs hehe

Warning: not proof-read, just candid stuff xd

Now, without any further a do, here are my notes 💪

Even when I already had the outline/basic idea of what I wanted to portray in this chapter, it still turned out quite hard to write, mainly because I didn’t know how much of self-realization I wanted Naoya to have.

After all, he’s the egotistical bastard we all love (to make fun of) and for him to completely fall into this realization wouldn’t be as smooth or rewarding… but at the same time, I wanted to have some progress on his character, so I guess I just made him delusional lmao.

In the sense that he knows something is wrong, he just doesn’t know what. And his poor, ignorant never-held-accountable mind made quick work of the same formula he’s always used in his life and blamed his brother for it.

I mean sure, if he didn’t see Y/N and Naoaki together before his exam he might’ve been able to focus on it. But we can easily counter that with the actual reason of y/n’s indifference, and that is, his actions.

Yet he wants to feign dementia (como que la virgen le habla para mis hispano hablantes jaja) and act as if he doesn’t know what the fuck is going on. Ok, we’ll let him do that… as he faces the partial consequences of his actions :>

Since there’s not much information regarding how the promotion exams go for higher ranks (or any that I can recall anyways) I took the liberty to… imagine how they would punish sorcerers for when they do grave mistakes in them lol punishments that don’t usually invoke killing someone you know 💀 as well as to show once again, just the entitlement Naoya has and how he still dares to act the victim 🙄

Like he was going to get banned from being a sorcerer lol but because such thing is sooooo outrageous for a heir of a prestigious clan as his, he was just suspended, for a few weeks like, might as well not punish him at all and let him do whatever he wants.

Ok sure, he didn’t kill them, but imagine if he had done so? DURING A MISSION? Nah, he should’ve gotten a worse outcome than that in my humble opinion, but who am I to fight against the intricate system of privilege?

Anyways, from there, it was very, very satisfying writing down what he’s been forced to deal with after his failure. Seeing Naoya get stripped of the things he likes was like aaaaaaahhhghhh retribution!! As well as sad because if we look at the bigger picture, Naoya really doesn’t have anyone on his side :I his family was quick to start talking badly behind his back, and in his face! There’s no shame for these people, worsening with the comment they made regarding the possibility of Y/N’s pregnancy omg ahahaha that was just foul.

But it was good for Naoya to be rattled that way, he for sure took for granted what he had, maybe this way he’ll finally wake up from his delusion :^)

But that wasn’t meant to happen, not soon anyways, as he now started to blame Naoaki—circling back to this point, this song (translation over here) popped up in my head from time to time when writing the scene he was questioning what’s up with Naoaki and Y/N. He really thinks that the pinnacle of all his misfortunes has to be with him ☹ and ngl it was kind of heart breaking to see him asking these things, but well, what can I say? What was Naoya expecting???? Y/N is literally terrified of him that even doing something good for him is enough to have her spiraling!!

This situation, as earth shattering as it was, was not good for either of them. On one hand we have Naoya suffering for his own issues, and on the other one, Y/N is suffering too!

However, the difference stands there with the people who remained behind to support her. Mariya, Haruko, and Hitomi were real ones by staying with her, and as the staff stated, they could’ve easily dropped her (way before even) but decided not to because this is not something new to them, and well, they’re good people!! Of course, they’re not going to leave Y/N alone. Meiko can whine all about it, they be sticking to her side.

Also, I want to comment on the staff: I know (eh, maybe) that they have good intentions but them going on with how Y/N is some kind of hero was like patronizing to me lol I was like: this is not the moment people!! I can only imagine the discourse that was going inside her head while hearing all of these things, that must’ve been infuriating too. I can see Mariya telling them to quiet up, at least until y/n feels better lol, Hitomi scoffing every time they pass by saying all these things, and Haruko being like… conflicted about it: she’s happy her mistress is being recognized, but it just doesn’t feel genuine, you know?

And that part where some of the members were like: yeah this is kind of when like Toji did his thing, but I mean that’s expected from him, he’s a man. Jesus, the misogyny in this people is really making them say dumb stuff just to bring down women. Writing that was so disrespectful to myself ngl hahah

But it was also just to show how… odd the perception of the staff is. Or everything about it really.

From there… NAOAKI. Omg… that scene was, oof. I was really debating whether to write it or not because I’m very aware of what it means… however, I’m no longer willing to keep them apart 😂 after building up their relationship it seems that Naoaki and Y/N are catching feelings for each other, like for real, and while I intended to write that particular scene as Y/N just wanting comfort (I just discovered she’s a hugger lol it seems that she’s given everyone hugs, as well as received from her) this is definitely leading somewhere else 😏 or might lead, who knows what dear Ranta has planned for them hahahahah

Aw, but it was so sweet that Naoaki even said that even if nothing happens between the two, he’ll always be her friend omg. 😭 Where can I get me a man like this? And Naoya still has the audacity to believe he can do something? Just how Mariah Carey said...

He and Ranta wanted to hold on to this idea that maybe what the staff was saying was like, you know, lies, intended to instigate Naoya, but after seeing Naoaki leave Y/N’s room is safe to say that they both know this is far from regular gossip.

And even then, poor Ranta still wanted to protect Naoya! He truly is… well, I’d like to say a good person, someone who Naoya definitely doesn’t deserve, with him willing going as far as trying to involve himself in their relationship in hopes to save it, but there's only so much he can do before he realizes it's doomed. (Ranta wanting to tell Naoaki to at least have the decency to not approach Y/N while Naoya is in the estate is like, wild to me. He knows there’s no stopping him, so maybe he can slow him down?)

Well, this chapter was intended to be some kind of recap of the things that happened soon after chapter 25 and as a set up for the ones to come. Show that this conflict was nothing if not detrimental to both parties involved, with Naoya seemingly losing everything he’s had, the respect of his family, his career, and his marriage, and with Y/N feeling desolate but still having the support of her ladies, and possibly someone closer than that.

Now that I write it like that, it’s as if they switched positions (but if you squint your eyes though, cause being honest Y/N is still getting the short end of the stick) and this time, Naoya is going to be the one put in the work because if I'm being completely honest, Y/N does not care for him at all.

Aghhh well I'm excited to see where the characters take me from here 🤭 will Naoya redeem himself? Or will Y/N completely fall for Naoaki? GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE :>

Thank you so much for your support! Reading your feedback about this chapter helped me overcome the insecurities I had about posting it hahah god, Naoya is such a difficult character sometimes, but he's still hella entertaining 😂

Anyways, if there's something more specific that you want to know about this chapter that wasn't covered here (since I usually just gloss over the things I considered somewhat influential in the process of writing this chapter) don't hesitate to let me know! I'll do my best to my best to answer them without spoiling anything :>

Once again, thank you so much for reading this chapter, hope you all have a wonderful week, take care, and hope to see you soon!!

[johaerys-writes]

Writing Tag Game

I was tagged by @noire-pandora @midnightprelude @mogwaei @serial-chillr @faerieavalon @pinkfadespirit @inquisitoracorn and @in-arlathan thank you so much! :)

How many works do you have on Ao3?

On my main Ao3 blog: 23! I also have a second blog where I post works set in the Dragon Age-inspired Modern AU I've been writing with @oftachancer , featuring my OC Tristan Trevelyan and her OC Aran Trevelyan, as well as a few others of our OCs. There are 5 works there at the moment. You can check them out here: jo_writes

What's your total Ao3 wordcount?

On my main blog, 516,722 words. On my second blog, 193,953 words, but the majority of it is co-written with @oftachancer .

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

High-Flying Birds: 589 kudos (TSOA)

Where Blood Roses Bloom: 467 kudos (Castlevania)

Winter's Fruit: 424 kudos (TSOA)

Like Friends Do: 410 kudos (TSOA)

Memories and Echoes: 327 kudos (TSOA)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Always!! I don't think there's a single comment I've ever received that I've left unanswered. I just love talking with my readers and screeching in my replies. I often wonder whether I come across as a tiny bit insane or overly enthusiastic, but you know what? I am both, so who cares 😂 I just appreciate every single person that has taken the time to read and comment on my works, and I want to make sure they know JUST HOW MUCH 

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

I honestly don't think that many of my stories have an angsty ending? Most of them end on a hopeful or at least bittersweet note, I think. I'm pretty sure the only ones I've written that have sad endings were those in my Hector/Carmilla series, You Always Hurt The Ones You Love (CV) which were kind of dark and depressing anyway. 

Playground Love, the fic I've written with @oftachancer featuring our OCs Tristan and Aran ends on an angsty note, but things do get better in the next installment, Never Let Me Go, so I suppose I am a little allergic to angsty endings XD

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

The Stars Will Guide Us Home (TSOA, Modern AU) has a super soft and fluffy ending, and Fall Into Your Tide (TSOA, Merman AU) will have a happy ending too.

Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you've written? 

I've written a Witcher/Dragon Age crossover, Viper In Tall Grass, where Tristan is a witcher and Dorian a Nilfgardian mage which I thoroughly enjoyed! Also, one of the first long fics I ever finished was a Witcher/Wheel of Time crossover, which I think is genuinely the most... imaginative thing I've written 😂 I never posted it and don't think I will, but I still love it to bits and I'm super proud of myself for writing it. 

Have you ever received hate on a fic? 

Kind of? It wasn't directed at me personally (I don't think) but at one of the main characters of the fic. Perhaps it was referring to the way I'd written the particular character, I truly can't say, it was a little vague. It takes a lot to offend me, but this really rubbed me the wrong way. I honestly think I would have been less offended if the person had criticised my writing rather than the character lol. I just don't take any shit when it comes to the characters I love. They're PERFECT, okay? How dare you come into my house and badmouth them 😂 RUDE

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Hell YEAH! I love writing smut, it's great. As to what kind, I think that porn with feelings describes it really well. The smut I write tends to get emotional real quick, even when I intended for it to be straight up porn, so I guess there's no hope for me, hah. 

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of. 

Have you ever had a fic translated? 

Yes, High-Flying Birds has been translated into Vietnamese.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes!! With oftachancer, two novel-length fics (Playground Love and Never Let Me Go), as well as a few other WIPs that haven't been posted yet, and I'm currently working on a multi-chap fic with my friendo @in-arlathan , featuring Dorian/Tristan and Solas with her Elenara Lavellan, which I'm so excited about! I've also brainstormed and goblined-out over a couple projects with @mogwaei !!  I love co-writing, it's so fun :)

What's your all time favourite ship?

Oooh, that's a tough one. I'm super biased in that the ships I love are those I write (both canon and OC pairings) but if you held a gun to my head and asked me to choose I would probably have to say... Dorian/Tristan and Achilles/Patroclus? AAH this is too hard ;w;

What's a WIP you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

I do plan on finishing all of the WIPs I am currently working on. I have a lot of writing ideas that I don't think I'll ever get around to, but when I actually start writing something I tend to commit till the end.

What are your writing strengths?

Descriptions, introspection and angsty/emotional scenes I think are my favourite things to write. I also enjoy writing fight scenes a little too much (and judging by the feedback I receive on them people seem to enjoy them too, heh). Lastly, I've been told that the characters I write are complex and fleshed out and that my pacing is good, and that's honestly the best praise for me.

What are you writing weaknesses?

I struggle quite a lot with self doubt and perfectionism. I worry a lot about how my work will be perceived and whether it's good enough. I often agonise over small details or paragraphs/sentences, to the point where I sometimes post just so I stop myself from going back and editing indefinitely. I have thousands upon thousands of words in deleted scenes because "they weren't quite right" or I changed a tiny bit and the rest didn't fit. So. You get the idea 😅 (Now, how I manage to read through everything multiple times before posting yet still get typos... welp)

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Hmm, I have to say that I do like it when there are foreign words interspersed through the narrative if the story isn't set in an English speaking world or if the characters speak a different language, but I'm not a huuuge fan of seeing a big chunk of dialogue in a foreign language without immediate translation or a hovering text. It kind of breaks the immersion for me and I tend to avoid it generally in my own writing.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Dragon Age, and specifically DAI! That game never gets old for me.

What's your favourite fic you've written?

It's impossible for me to pick just one so I'm going to cheat and choose a few. I absolutely love my current WIPs: High-Flying Birds, Where Blood Roses Bloom and A World With You, and the freaking epic-length fics I've written with @oftachancer . They haven't always been easy to write (especially AWWY, which has the most intricate plot & character development) but I'm so proud of them and I've learned so much while writing them. Of my finished stories, The Stars Will Guide Us Home is hands down one of my all time faves. It had been on my mind for several months before I actually wrote it, and I poured so much of my heart into it. I still get emotional when I go back to reread it, not gonna lie! Lastly, At The Water's Edge (TSOA) is very dear to me and I often go back for rereads. 

I'm tagging forth to (no pressure!): @fancytrinkets @elveny @glimmerofgold @asiriushoe @juliafied @boshtet-juggler @schattengerissen @dafan7711 @tessa1972 @fandomn00blr @pikapeppa and anyone else who would like to join!

[ibuki-loves-you]

(OC) Rumi Mizono

Warnings: Spoilers for the Tragedy (maybe idk, she sticks with Nagito for the entire thing. its only in the alias section), heavy sexism in her background

Mod Ibuki: AHHHH HI! MEET RUMI!

also!! rumi's childhood friend is rantaro and its in an au sort of thing where they all went to hope's peak before the tragedy so uh yeah

Personal Data

Name: Rumi Mizono

Alias(es): Maid (Tragedy)

Nicknames: Ruru (Rantaro and his sisters)

Gender: Female

Age: Neo World Program (17), Real time (20-22)

Birthday: October 16th

Super High School Level/Ultimate: Super High School Level Engineer (Ultimate Engineer)

Personality

General:

Rumi is an excitable person around those she trusts, but around others she's on the quieter side

She prefers to keep her friend group small

She worries about those close to her frequently, while if it is someone she doesn’t know she’ll usually let someone else take care of it

Rumi can be very witty and snarky. Around her friends and lover, it is jokingly. But if it is around someone she dislikes, she is quick to nit-pick and insult them

Rumi has a lot of insecurities due to her childhood. She was raised in a sexist household where building and videogames were for boys and dolls and makeup were for girls

Although Rumi was an only child, she considers herself to be in a brother-sister-like relationship with Rantaro Amami

Rumi is quite stubborn, which is why most people avoid arguing with her at all costs

Rumi thinks of engineering as a hobby and she is hesitant to go into the field as a job. She enjoys doing it when she wants, not when she is told. She believes it takes the fun out of it

Rumi isn’t much of a social butterfly, so she will not seek conversation with others. On the other hand, if someone starts a conversation with her, she will not turn them away.

Likes: Taking things apart, only to put them back together

Dislikes: Power tools

Hobbies: Building PC computers and playing video games

Dreams: Rumi wants to have a family when she grows up. When she does, she promised herself to raise her children differently than she was. She wants her children to feel like they can do whatever they put their mind to.

Habits: Twirling things. Whether it be a wrench, a screwdriver, or a pencil, it doesn’t matter. Usually when Rumi does this she is either bored or anxious.

Phobias/Fears: Rumi is terrified of spiders, so bad to the point where she cries if one gets too close

Relations

Guardians: Mother and Father

Rumi is an only child born in a sexist household. Due to the fact she is a female, she was often stuck cleaning, cooking, and making sure her father is appeased. Her mother was perfectly fine with her life as a “traditional female.” Rumi’s parents greatly dislike her interests in “boy activities.” Due to this, she faces a lot of degradation and mockery.

Love Interest: Nagito Komaeda

Nagito and Rumi met at Hope’s Peak High School. They were in the same class. Nagito was the first to spark a conversation. Rumi was sitting at the back of the class working on a device when Nagito asked her if she knew class had ended. Conversation between the two continued until Rumi had to go home.

From that moment on, it became tradition to meet everyday after school. Nagito watched her work, and they made small talk. Eventually, the two began dating.

Best Friend: Rantaro Amami

Enemie(s): Hiyoko Saionji

Rantaro and Rumi are childhood friends. They met in pre-school and they were best friends ever since. Rantaro often paints Rumi's nails and does her hair (she puts up a little fight sometimes but he usually ends up getting his way.) Before Rantaro lost his sisters, Rumi would also hang around them and play with the younger ones. In his household, Rumi is considered the 13th sister.

Hiyoko is a malicious person and often insults Rumi on little things like her hair, makeup, etcetera it's because she's jealous she doesn't have Rantaro doing her hair and makeup xD. The thing that drove her to despise Hiyoko was the way she treated Nagito. A day never went by where Hiyoko didn’t pick on him, which often led to Rumi getting into frequent verbal arguments with her.

Neutral: Kazuichi Soda

Kazuichi has a borderline obsession with Rumi. He is infatuated with Sonia due to her being his “dream girl.” Blonde hair, blue eyes, literal princess. On the other hand, he relates to Rumi since she is an engineer and does a lot of building and mechanics, like him. One girl he is attracted to due to looks, the other he is genuinely interested in. He is torn between picking one, so he comes to obsess over both in an unhealthy and toxic fashion.

[shijiujun]

pls give us chuyao and "kissing as a distraction to steal their wallet"

An au in which Lu Yao spent some time on the streets when he was younger after getting kidnapped by really Bad People, and had to become a thief on the streets to survive. His dad and siblings find him a year later, but some habits are hard to shake off once you’ve got them (an adrenaline junkie of sorts?), cue occasional minor thief Lu Yao who has three degrees from a major Western university XD

--

Lu Yao's fingers itch, his skin tingling in excitement.

He honestly doesn’t need the money, but he likes it. It isn’t something he does often, but occasionally, he’s struck with the urge to just steal some cash with a sleight of hand, giving in to the thrill of a successful wallet snatched without the owner of said wallet even realizing what he did.

It is a very, very bad habit, he knows that. And it isn’t like he doesn’t return the wallets! He doesn’t even take the money most of the time. Simply put, Lu Yao pickpockets and steals just to prove that he can, and if he gives in to the temptation to sneak some coins away while he’s at it, well, no one is any the wiser.

It is also often that the owners would voluntarily gift him with a small reward for ‘returning’ their wallets. Lu Yao would refuse of course, because he is a well-bred, proper gentleman who will not take advantage of others (coughs), and only at their repeated insistence does he shyly accept the money.

This keeps him out of trouble - Lu Yao is well aware that he cannot run very fast despite his long legs, so if he is caught, it would be a challenge to get himself out of hot water. Instead, he’s content with pickpocketing for fun, and if some assholes who cross Lu Yao’s path find some money missing long after Lu Yao has made his escape, well, they deserve it.

Recently, however, Lu Yao has his eye on this gorgeous man at the city’s hottest nightclub, Bai Le Men.

Qiao Chusheng comes from money, and the wallet he so callously dumps on the bar counter top every time Lu Yao sees him is stuffed full of cash, screaming at Lu Yao to just grab it. The gloss on the dark brown leather wallet is oh so shiny, and anyone with a pair of functional eyes would know just how expensive the wallet itself is.

Of course, Lu Yao doesn’t, because this is Qiao Chusheng, de-facto leader of the Green Dragon Gang, and he would like all his fingers wherever they currently are, thank you very much.

This requires some deft handling, he thinks, and so instead of outright creating an opportunity for a quick steal, Lu Yao befriends Chusheng.

Pretends to be drunk as he knocks into Chusheng on their first meeting, spilling his glass of whiskey all over Chusheng’s expensive woollen jacket. Thanking him a few days later when they meet for sending Lu Yao back home that night after dirtying his suit. And then for the weeks after, whenever Chusheng visits the bar, Lu Yao is usually seen seated right next to him, both men in deep conversations and the occasional laughs.

Once he’s sure that Chusheng is less likely to beat him up for stealing his wallet, Lu Yao tries.

He stresses once again that he doesn’t need the money. Ever since meeting Chusheng, the man pays for everything - drinks, dinners, a handful of meetings outside the nightclub in the day - without a single word, but Lu Yao just wants to steal it.

It doesn’t help that he’s had a few too many drinks for real today, which only amplifies the urge to swipe Chusheng’s wallet from his back pocket right now. He’s so sleepy too, his blurring vision full of Chusheng’s unfairly handsome face, his eyes which are all full of Lu Yao right now, and that smile... that smile, when Chusheng talks to him.

Lu Yao leans forward, reaching for Chusheng’s lips, and kisses him.

His kiss is entirely unplanned, and the moment their lips meet, Lu Yao sobers immediately, like a pail of iced water to his face. Even then, habit and rote memory has his fingers snagging the wallet and hiding it away in the span of those few seconds.

Chusheng is staring at him with wide eyes as Lu Yao straightens back, looking as shocked as he is.

What did he just...

Qiao Chusheng is going to... is going to murder him.

Blood draining out of his face, Lu Yao scrambles unsteadily to his feet, prepared to make his escape, “I’m just going... to-”

A hand encircles his elbow just as he’s about to turn and go, and Lu Yao yelps unglamorously as he’s tugged backwards, hard.

And then Chusheng is kissing him again.

This time, it’s no simple, chaste peck on the lips. Slanting his mouth over Lu Yao’s, Chusheng positively devours him. The breaths between them hot and moist against their skin as their lips and tongues collide time after time, until Lu Yao just collapses into Chusheng’s embrace, unable to feel his legs.

His face is still red a few minutes later when he lands on a soft bed to one of the private rooms sequestered away on the last floor of Bai Le Men’s building, but as articles of clothing between him and Chusheng fall to the floor one after the other, Lu Yao finds that he doesn’t have the mind to be embarrassed anymore.

That night, Chusheng takes him apart again and again, his kisses and touch leaving heat trailing across his entire body, so much so that it is branded into Lu Yao’s memory. His own hands feel their way over Chusheng’s back and his sculpted abs, his legs locking behind Chusheng’s waist to feel each thrust impossibly closer, every part of him sensitive and tender.

The crests of pleasure assaults his senses repeatedly, until all he can think of is Chusheng.

===

Lu Yao stirs at the sensation of lips pressing against his forehead, his nose, his cheeks, and wakes up fully just as he’s kissed on the mouth.

It’s warm in Chusheng’s hold, pressed skin to skin with him, and Lu Yao never wants to leave. He refuses to open his eyes though, because the memories of yesterday night are terribly clear in his head, and he remembers the way he begged for Chusheng, the way he clung to him and the embarrassing things that came out of his mouth.

As if knowing exactly what he’s thinking, Chusheng laughs, the sound rumbling through his chest into Lu Yao’s ear.

“Why’re you shy about this?” Chusheng asks, teasing.

“... you’re a monster,” Lu Yao mumbles, curling further into Chusheng’s side to hide his face. “How many times did you- Even after I told you I was tired! I can’t feel the lower half of my body anymore.”

“Oh?” Chusheng raises an eyebrow. “We can’t have that, shall I make sure the important parts are working now-”

At that, Lu Yao quickly interjects, “I’m hungry, Lao Qiao.”

“Mnn. Get me my wallet from your jacket, won’t you?”

In his haze of drowsiness and the ache that is running through his body, Lu Yao doesn’t register what Chusheng has said until he’s fished the wallet out of his own jacket, which fortunately fell right next to the bed on the floor, on Lu Yao’s side.

His eyes go impossibly wide, wallet in hand.

“... Lao Qiao,” Lu Yao swallows, trying to quickly come up with a lie, “I can explain-”

“You’re really good at it,” Chusheng cuts in with a smile, sitting up and taking the wallet from him. “You don’t repeat locations too often, but I happen to own Bai Le Men, Jin Guang Tai and Man Fu Du Cheng, and i’ve seen you around quite a lot. Don’t worry, it was only because I was looking out for you that I even noticed you were pickpocketing.”

Chusheng slips out of bed, and asks, “Do you want dumplings or jianbing? I recall you liking the jianbing from the kitchens... and some tea.”

Sitting up in bed gingerly and pulling up the blankets around him to cover his state of undress, Lu Yao gapes at Chusheng, “You knew?!”

“San Tu, you’re not very subtle,” Chusheng almost rolls his eyes. He bends down to pick up a shirt, only to see the condition of Lu Yao’s clothes on the floor. “... I ripped your shirt apart yesterday night. Sit tight, I’ll get Salim to send a new set over for you.”

“Wait, wait,” Lu Yao stops him. “What do you mean you knew? You knew that I was after your wallet and you just let me hang out around you?”

At that, Chusheng sits on the bed again, amused, “How did you think i got you to come to me? Although no one would dare to steal my wallet, I don’t really make it a habit to just toss my wallet on the tables, out in the open, you know.”

The realization that he was the one conned, in a sense, hits Lu Yao like a brick to the face.

“Alright,” Chusheng continues, sensing his anxiety. Pressing Lu Yao back down to lie down under the covers, he says, “Next time, you can take my wallet whenever you want to. Although if you’d like to take the initiative and jump into my embrace like last night, feel free to do so whenever.”

“Qiao Chusheng!”

The man avoids the pillow and swiftly bends down to sneak another kiss from Lu Yao, before heading out to find some breakfast for Lu Yao.

A few minutes later, Lu Yao sighs.

For the sake of love (and great times in bed), Lu Yao supposes he can limit himself to stealing only Chusheng’s wallet from now on.

---

~ from this list of prompts! ~

[project-paranoia]

Let’s Watch - My Roommate Is A Detective Episode One

There's this interesting thing about discovering cdramas where you watch shows from the last twenty years interchangeably and as a result I had no idea that My Roommate is a Detective came out in 2020 until I pulled it up on iQiyi.  I usually watch on youtube for no other reason than it's easy, but the youtube version doesn't have the intro and I really love the intro.

In my experience, intros in cdramas either spoil the whole show, are a feels reel, or are artistic - in the West there are any number of title sequences that try to be artistic but miss the mark because they're so highbrow they don't really mean or do anything. These intros in cdramas however stay anchored with object, characters, and scenes that actually have an impact on the story - they just make them beautiful.

On another note, a lot can and has been said about whether or not BBC Sherlock's legacy in the West in constructive or destructive in the way that it inspired drama and mystery shows.  In China however there are a number of mystery dramas which take very obvious stylish cues from BBC Sherlock, but don't fall victim to its foibles. My Roommate is a Detective is one of them, it embraces visual elements and framing, but with a much warmer palette and the titular character never looses his charm to fall into viciousness nor does he overstep anyone else's personhood - for all that he is childish.

These dramas are sleek and saturated with rich colours, every object feels polished and arranged by the art department, and the sets are gorgeous.  The show feels beautiful and young, like the inside of an old fashioned adventure novel with all the hate trimmed out and tossed away.  It's short, fun and a delight I'm excited to write about.

- The intro song is also - as the kids say - a banger.  It's young and energetic and it's just a fun song

- I always get distracted at the beginning of these watchthroughs.  I'm very easy to distract.  Spoilers below!

- The way they handle the lighting and the characters alternates between making them part of the environment which makes them feel very big and doll like which makes them feel very small which given the themes of the show is very appropriate.

- I've watched almost all of these series before if you can't tell.

- The visual gag of what is ringing is a great way to show us the set and the characters personality, as well as a funny joke.

- (The blue robe and running music already has BBC Sherlock vibes if you want examples, this isn't a compare and contrast though, so this is the last mention of it.)

- The fact he's just running from the cops is great.

- So is that framing in the arches.  Can I take take a moment to cry for this great shot?

- So is that little whistle XD

- One thing I really like about the show is the little details they add.  The extras actually have acting direction and respond to the situation instead of just Walking Past.  It makes the actors seem more outrageous and funny and makes the world seem more alive.  Most directors avoid it because it takes extra time and effort.

- Fun fact!  The director - Zhang Wei Ke - mostly does movies including The Mutant Python 2 which is exactly what you would expect, but exactly what you would expect framed and filmed well. That's the way to do it; no matter what you do, do it well.

- Even small things like hearing the police whistle, seeing Lu Yao's face, and then seeing the police.  It's small things like that which lead to the emotional buildup for funny scenes.

- Also, honey no, what is that weird snake thing, I cannot watch ;-;

- Lu Yao is a goof and makes no secret of it.

- Also "deacon of UK's freemasonry" is an amusing thing to add for a lot of reasons

- The Mystery Begins!

- Some lines for the Common Lines Drinking Game

- This show moves so fast it's hard to write for ;-;

- Lu Yao is definitely a big goof he also uses that goofiness as a smokescreen for all the nonsense he gets up to, but it's real a lot of the time

- The First Clue

- Also, if they're rude to their staff they probably deserve the murder

- I love this bathroom, it's an artpiece and it's glam

- The Murder has arrived!

- Also the face work on these three is lovely

- The quick shots are great because they both show you everything you need to see and their speed distract you from thinking they're too important

- The scene of him vandalizing the car is so good, including the first try of bouncing the rock off the window, and the reveal of the night watchman

- Ah! Bai Youning is amazing and I love her.

- When you fun away from home and you go bother your friend at work

- The emphasis made on the blood like >_>

- The way the information was communicated about the murder is so smart on the part of the murderer

- Lu Yao pulling out his detecting skill, all his reasoning works particularly well because he uses multiple clues to come to a conclusion instead of just, there's ink on your sleeve, you went to Paris last summer

- Qiao Chusheng is so nice and patient with Bai Youning, he's a man who establishes himself quickly as being morally upright (considering his past) and someone who has filial piety

- Also, like, I get who Bai Qili is, I just love him and his birds and all the interactions between him and Qiao Chusheng

- Bai Qili also just has a lot of faith and fondness in Qiao Chusheng it's a really sweet relationship

- Uh oh Qiao Chusheng, you're about to bite off more than you can chew

- He thinking, he considering

- It's not easy to switch back and forth between being a bit silly and being a serious type police man

- And I do feel bad for not having more commentary, this show moves fast

- Lu Yao accidentally found another clue in the autopsy report

- Lu Yao's little face as he found a clue but doesn't want to give away the game

- As goofy as Lu Yao is, he does have moments where you can see a lot is going on below the surface

- Oof!  The facework!  The way Qiao Chusheng's eyes moved!

- It's smart for Lu Yao to play it so close to the vest, he doesn't know much about Qiao Chusheng's personal character yet and too much information too soon is like building a castle on sand

- Qiao Chusheng plays it so cool like he knew all along.

- He gets this little smile, it's great

- And that's it!  Thank you for joining!

[gallavictorious]

For some reason that BTS of Ian and Mickey in the army pants for season 11 has me imagining them playing laser tag and the two of them being aggressively into it to the point that everyone else just gives up and leaves them to what they can only assume is very violent foreplay and right up their alley

Love the way you think, nonnie! XD If they ever play laser tag the chances of it going down exactly like that are at least 70%. Higher, probably, if it's soon after their wedding...

Let's say it happens a month or so after they got married, before corona restrictions hit. Debbie's back home with a nice new piece of plastic jewlery around her ankle and feeling pretty down about it all, but then she notices this laser tag place somewhere within the area she's allowed to move, and yeah, they're doing this. Lip maybe tries to say no when the subject is first broached, 'cause he's got a baby to look after and a house to fix, and besides he thinks that Tami won't be into it – but she surprises him by going “what the heck, Cami can look after Freddie, let's have some fun”.

(Would Debbie, as a sex offender, be banned from places where kids play? Don't have a clue, so let's just say she gets in, one way or another. Sneaking in where they're not welcome is a bit of a Gallagher specialty.)  

Thing is, I can imagine the rest of the Gallaghers – due to stress or a lack of sleep or whatever – having a notion that putting Ian and Mickey on opposite teams is actually a good idea? Ever since the wedding they've been all over each other, so if they're allowed to work side by side they're sure to end up making out in a dark corner somewhere, right?

Wrong. Or, well, probably right, actually, but it's not like splitting them up ends up making any real difference, you know? In fact, it arguably makes everything worse...

They get to the place. Lip and Tami join forces with Liam and – after a Gallavich team-up has been unwisely vetoed by everyone else – Ian, forming Team Almost Respectable (but still pretty damned deadly, because they have the combined brain power of Lip and Liam, and the sharp-shooting prowess of Ian and Tami – because, yeah, you can't tell me that Tami doesn't know how to fire a gun). That leaves Mickey with Sandy, Debbie, Carl and Franny in Team Fucking Feral & Franny, and while they won't really bother with organized team work or carefully considered strategies, they've got that rutheless talent for chaos that makes them very tought to beat. So it's an even game, yeah? And it's fun – carefree, silly fun!

Only... Ian and Mickey are getting distracted. Or getting focused, maybe. Forgetting about their team mates, forgetting about their other opponents – forgetting about everything that isn't nailing the other. (Pun not exactly intended, but not avoided either.) They're getting careless about it too, not giving a damn who stands between them and an opportunity to give it to the other good. Carl dives to the side; Debbie pulls Franny to safety; Lip finds himself flung to the floor as Ian rushes past with wicked grin on his face.

“Maybe we should get out of here,” Liam suggests once he's clawed his way to Tami through the blood and debris. She nods dazedly; she has a kid to take care of and needs to stay alive for that, after all.

They make to the entrance, all of them and quick as they can. In the distance they can hear Ian and Mickey calling insults and issuing challenges to each other. There are occasional thuds and muffled curses followed by highly suspicious pauses and –

The Gallaghers studiously avoid the eye of the teenage employee manning the door and looking more and more agitated by the second.

“They have sex in here and get us banned I will kill them,” Debbie mutters under her breath as she helps Franny put her jacket on.

“How the fuck did you not see this coming?” Sandy asks her, half amused, half exasperated, because really... Ian, Mickey, and a bit of of the old (feigned) ultra-violence? Always gonna end the same.

“Let's just go get some pizza, yeah?” Lip says, and no one objects. They get the hell out of Laser Tag Place, leaving their inappropriate relatives to their strange mating ritual.

(Ian and Mickey stick around until their hour is up and their weapons power down. There's a lot of banter, a lot of laughter, and quite a few tugs and tackles and fouls, but Ian – because he loves Debbie and do want them to be able to return – makes sure they get out of the venue before things get properly out of control. They arrive home late that night, bruised maybe, but grinning and giddy, feeling young, and when on the next day Carl asks which team actually won, Mickey smiles widely: “Well, I came first, so.”)

[ridiasfangirlings]

1. Homra & S4 find an Otome game based off them. (Their genders have been swapped & they've got slightly altered names to avoid copyright.) The game is called Kiss Project & was created by the combined might of the Fan Clubs of Homra/S4 members working together. In it, you can date any of the Alphabet 'girls' easily. It's when you try to get with the Kings, their seconds, or third in commands that you run into problems. Mikoto/Saruhiko/Seri aren't receptive no matter what option you choose.

I'm imagining this as like having a secret Doki Doki Literature Club type twist where if you show basically any interest in Misaki at all Fushimi kills you dead in a horrible bloody Bad End XD So maybe this started as like a fun fan project by the Fushimi fan club and then some of the other splinter clubs in the other clans get in on it and they realize that they could make some bank creating an otome game based on their extremely pretty superiors. Since they plan to sell this thing they can't make it too obvious though, which is when someone gets the idea to genderswap everyone. Thus the Kiss Project otome game is born, wherein you as the player character navigate the game and woo various alphabet girls all while trying to unlock the secret routes involving getting their very oblivious superiors to hook up.

They end up selling the game at like some random doujinshi convention, which is where it gets unwittingly picked up by Enomoto. Eno was just looking at a few of the booths and he notices that the girl on the cover of this game looks oddly like Fushimi-san, which gets him curious enough to buy the game. As it happens there are Homra members manning the booth when he shows up and he's in cosplay anyway so they don't realize that they're selling the game to an actual Scepter 4 member. Enomoto buys the game and thinks maybe it could be fun to play it with the guys, the Homra and Scepter 4 alphabet squads are having like a joint party at Scepter 4 later that evening as a way of getting to know each other more (say this is post-ROK in an Everybody Lives type universe).

So that evening all the alphabet squads are just hanging out and talking and eating, and Hidaka asks if Enomoto bought a game they can play. The guys were expecting he'd buy some sort of fighting game they can all multiplayer but instead Enomoto pulls out the otome game, Hidaka's like wait you brought a girl game but then Bandou's all hey I haven't played that one let's try it out. Enomoto slips the disc in and everyone has a long '...hey wait a minute here' moment as the opening theme plays: imagine beautiful shots of like a school campus and then you see a gorgeous girl who looks just like Fushimi. She's followed by another girl running to catch up who happens to look like Yata, as they run they past sparkling senpais who look vaguely like female versions of Munakata and Mikoto. The camera pans up to a handsome boy who looks like Awashima standing in the library followed by a shot of a girl who looks like Kusanagi standing behind a bar counter winking at the boys around her. In between these shots there are quick flashes of each member of the alphabet squad, all girls, and the actual alphabet squads all exchange looks (also imagine this is a fanservice game too so not only is there the uncomfortable feeling of realizing that your comrade looks cute as a girl but also getting to see a pantyshot while you're at it).

Enomoto coughs nervously and wonders if they should keep playing this, the general consensus is they need to see where this game goes. There's some discussion over who to romance first, maybe someone jokingly suggests Yata and Enomoto decides to give it a try. He has experience with these sorts of games so he's got the player character saying all the right things to get Yata to stutter and blush and be all cute and it seems like he's certainly going to win this route...until his character is dragged into the bathroom by Fushimi and bloodily dismembered in what is way too graphic a bad end for a cute dating sim.

Maybe as they keep playing the group discovers that while the alphabet girls can be romanced, every time Enomoto tries to have the player character romance one of the Unobtainable Six it either ends with the character constantly blowing the player off or there's some kind of bad end. Finally Dewa caustically jokes that maybe Enomoto should try to get Fushimi and Yata to hook up instead, cue the entire group getting way too into the game as Enomoto has the player character become a matchmaker and they slowly get to enjoy Sarumi eventually solving all their problems and finally hooking up (bonus if they have yet to actually hook up in 'real life' and the squads have been trying to get that to happen). Everyone cheers as Game!Fushimi and Game!Yata kiss and suddenly an achievement window comes up congratulating the player on their victory. Everyone exchanges glances as they realize that maybe the 'goal' of the game is not to hook up with their superiors at all but to match make, and now they're all suddenly super invested as they proceed to work together to finally get Mikorei and Izuseri to hook up in game, while possibly taking notes for how to make this happen with their actual superiors.

[prose-for-hire]

All the better to scratch you with

Pairing: Spike x reader (platonic)

Request: A concept? Or possibly a request? Imagine Spike regularly going to a beauty salon to get his nails properly manicured and painted and he and his beautician are bickering bbfs. I just had that vision and thought you would like it XD (maybe you could write it, if you want to)

Requested by: @therapieliteratur

Warning: Mention/implication of Spuffy. Reader has a boyfriend that isn’t Spike. Mention of character death from season 5.

A/N: Set like early/mid-season 6. I made it an x reader, hope that’s okay. It was meant to be a bit shorter but I had fun. 

Spike stalked down a deserted alleyway, the pitch-black night casting shadows like spectres around him. He would have to be quick if he was going to make it. He couldn’t get caught, not like this. The wind picked up, trees making cruel faces at him and reaching as if to point out his location as he briskly stalked past.

He kept his head down, a fast-pace as he rounded the corner. He checked around him as he came closer to his destination, making sure the street really was clear. The last thing he needed was for people to see. For them to know what he truly got up to after dark.

He entered the little storefront, bell ringing, knowing that although all of the lights were off in the front it was open. Spike raised an eyebrow when he saw who was waiting at the desk for their next booking. Your nail salon was highly sought after, by all kinds of humans and demons. You grinned at him and gestured for him to follow you.

“My, what sharp nails you have” You mutter, taking his hand with a little grin.

“All the better to gouge your bloody eyes out with” He replied, but there was a little glint in his eye. His appointments with you were the highlight of his month sometimes. He didn’t come that often, depends where he managed to get his money from but he liked your company. You and he tended to gossip, between bickering, and it was enjoyable.

“Scratch would have been better – less wordy. More to the point” You offer, starting to buff after shaping the nails, “All the better to scratch you with, for example”

“Well, sometimes a poetic threat is more menacing than ‘to the point’. I hate being all fangy and ‘grr’” He explained, you knew all about vampires and such, Spike started to come to you because this was where Drusilla used to get her nails done, “Anyway what do you know about anything - you’re a sodding nail technician” You give him a look and worked in silence for a while.

“You wanna pick the colour or can I surprise you?” You smile sweetly taking out a selection of pinks you always tried to entice him with. It annoyed him sometimes, but he was fond of you so he put up with it. Plus, you did a hell of a job.

“Black, thank you” He raised his eyebrows, to emphasise his repsonse.

“Are you sure I can’t tempt you with mystery mauve? It’s real cute, look” You show your own nails off to him. He compliments them, but stubbornly sticks with his old favourite. After a while, you sigh again and he gives you a look as if to tell you to spit it out.

“I happen to be well educated, actually. Beauty is my passion - my calling if you will. Much like you and maintaining a terrible excuse for a nailbed apparently” you pulled a finger up to show him and he scowled a little but let you carry on with his nails. You sighed, shaking your head, people really liked to assume about you in the job you did. It was annoying.

“All right, love, you know you’re my favourite sodding person in this horrible little town” He offered quietly, his version of an apology, “…but tell anybody I said that and I’ll be drinking from your brainstem right quick” He hissed.

“But if you drank from my brainstem, you’d have to live with your sorry excuse of a paint-job. I’ve seen you – that time I ran into that demon and you stopped it? You hadn’t come in for months and your nails were horrible by anybody’s standards” You pulled a face at the memory, “I had nightmares, woke up screaming over the mess you had made of your fingernails” You added, shuddering at him.

“That was cutting – really, my heart’s crushed” He put a hand against his chest to demonstrate this which made your eyes bulge.

“Nails!” you warned him, you weren’t going over any of it again, “I wasn’t trying to crush your heart, just splinter it a little” You smiled, carrying on with the job.

Spike spoke of some of his problems for a while as you listened, chipping in when you could. He never told you the name of the mystery person he was pining for, but you had your suspicions. He then asked about you, which made you sigh as you thought about another recent argument you had with your boyfriend.

“My guy’s been avoiding me again, something about a ‘busy social life’ that apparently I’m not invited to” You sighed, you were glad Spike was here - he was your favourite client and he was as good to vent to as he was to listen to.

“You’re too good for him, love, I’ve said it already”

“Well, he’s kind when he wants to be and he only shouts when I’m being a bitch to him” You replied, frowning as you thought about it.

“I’ve told you before, you need me to come and give him a good scare and I’ll do it. About bloody time somebody showed him the bumpy part of a forehead” Spike left out that he would be using the bumpy part of his forehead against the soft part of your man’s nose if he could. From what he’d picked up over the last few months, your relationship wasn’t going to last very much longer. He thinks you deserve better anyway.

“Anyway, did you see Buffy Summers recently? Her hair has never been so short, what do you think?” You said, gauging his reaction as you waited for the polish to dry. Your salon was attached to the hairdressers Buffy comes to get her hair cut in. She was friendly and you felt a bit sorry for her after her Mom died.

“I don’t think much of it” Spike said a little too quickly. You looked up, raising your eyebrows but he was looking outside, checking the sky to see if it was starting to get light out. You opened all night, offering beauty needs to the creatures of the night.

“Well, I think it’s cute, she’s got the face for it. Whereas if I went that style I would look like a potato” You say, still looking at his face. For someone that prides themselves on being scary, his heart was pretty much always on his sleeve.

“Your hair’s nice as it is. Keep it that way” He said, but you just rolled your eyes. You’d change the style every time he saw it, saying each time the newest was his favourite on you. There were some new extensions that had just come in that you were planning on styling and trying out.

Eventually, after some more bickering over the merits of acrylic nails over more natural nails, you were finished. The black looked good and you were pleased with your work, little did you know he would get in a fight on the way home and mess your beautiful work up. Spike tipped surprisingly well, which might be why it took him so long between appointments and promised to be back again soon.

“Bye, Spike!” You call as he stepped through the door, “I’m sure Buffy will really like them” you teased, not able to just let him off. You waved at him as he rolled his eyes, sticking his two polished, well-manicured fingers up at you as he left.

[bleachbleachbleach]

HELLO.

I just wanted to say that I love, love, love your tags on that character/tool post a lot! Some of my favorite shows/books involve characters that can't keep it together and just barely make it to the end of the story or make it there in an "inconvenient way" and tbh I find that usually the narratives that follow these characters don't really work away from them either--the narrative is just usually more questioning instead of fully formed.

Like, 'what if/how would', y'know? There's less of a clear meaning and more just 'what if they hadn't done that. what if they had done that. what if all that meant nothing. what if that struggle was all there was'.

But oh boy, when they DO work away from the narrative. *chefs kiss*

I mean, most of my favorite Bleach characters are narrative nightmares who either hinder or cut off lines of theme in the story entirely. And, in general, I think there are A LOT of characters in shonen--a genre known for very long narratives that can't possibly complete every thought but also can't just abandon all those characters introduced ESPECIALLY the fan favorites or personal favorites--work in the way you described.

Tbh i think your tags really highlight why so many ppl get drawn to these characters/why they're so fun to play with in fanfiction.

If you have more to add or more thoughts about this you want to lay down I am here, eagerly awaiting and ready to pick them up.

Also, who do you think in Bleach is the most fun characters who sort of drop kicked the story, in your opinion? Who's the one you like the most? And who's the one you dislike the most?

[For posterity the referenced post is this one.]

Aww, thank you! That’s really lovely to hear. I was anxious about even putting it in tags because I don’t think I presently have the capacity to explain it well—and even if I did might still sound bananas to many. Or at least the bit about negotiating with characters and how *they* feel about being subjects in stories. Because as much as that really is my practice saying it out loud takes me back to like… FFN in 2003 where every store was prefaced by extensive chat-form back-and-forths between the fic author and their character "musies" and that is not something I think fandom would benefit from bringing back in force, hahaha. But anyway.

Here’s the part where I disappoint because I don’t think I actually know Bleach well enough to speak to it in this context. WHICH SOUNDS DUMB EVEN AS I TYPE IT BECAUSE LOL WTF IS THE NAME OF THIS BLOG WE ARE CHARLATANS AND POSERS FOR CLAIMING AS OUR NAMESAKE NOT ONE BLEACH BUT THREE BLEACHES but truly, my experience of Bleach has a shallow depth of field. I feel like I have weirdly intimate knowledge of some severe rabbit holes but a non-existent to uneasy sense of the gestalt.

Like idek man, in my "slow re-read where I am actually paying attention" Ichigo hasn’t even met Byakuya and Renji yet. ToT

I'm gonna put this behind a cut because it spidered all over the place, but in summary:

characters and their capacity to produce narrative failure

the charm of longform serialized series and their invitations to imagine stuff

me attempting to talk about Hitsugaya and feeling a fool, as usual

I guess in general terms, I’m really interested in characters and their capacity to produce narrative failure. Not failure as in 'bad' but failure as in things that break form or are circuitous or are actively detrimental to a narrative arc. All my strongest examples of what I’m thinking of are from a different fandom and therefore not relevant to this blog, alas. By comparison I think anyone in Bleach can keep it together better than the characters that are immediately coming to mind, lol. But I think this idea dovetails often with trauma narratives, or depression narratives, because these things are often… non-narrative? Like, there’s no fourth or fifth for minor fall or major lift. Sometimes it’s the same thing over and over again, or maybe nothing. Maybe it’s the exact same self-sabotage narrative dictates could have been avoided. Maybe it’s some act that emanates forth but cannot be explained because it cannot be explained and will never be explained. That’s a version of what I’m talking about, in any case, though not the only version.

Your note about longform shounen definitely resonates with me, too. In my mind I don’t like long things and I prefer series that are more self-contained but whenever I have ever landed in a long-term fandom, with a piece of media I felt obliged to carve out chunks of my life for, and to interact with at that level of creative fannishness, it’s always been something stupid long and serialized by the seat of its pants. I know plot holes or dropped threads bother a lot of people (makes total sense, don’t get me wrong) but I find these things incredibly attractive. I see them as invitations to join in the fun. Especially when it’s so much a part of the form and genre to have this, as you said, lack of real expectation that every thread will be followed to its conclusion (or that it would be worthwhile to do so) and every thought completed.

There’s this piece by David Grann that was published in The New Yorker in 2004 that I really love that speaks to part of this idea, albeit in terms of fictional universes versus fictional characters. But Grann is talking about Sherlock Holmes (Doyle original) and the ways that Sherlockians would like, approach apparent lapses in narrative and then solve them according to the established rules of the universe. I just love that. There’s also the line, "Never had so much been written by so many for so few," which LOL if that ain’t fandom I don’t know what is!!

I feel like I’m actually talking about three distinct but related facets of these thoughts in this post, except all at once and without clear transition, uhhhhh.

Gah, I am broken and now can ONLY think of examples from my not-Bleach fandom, but to try a different tack and add yet another facet to this already funhouse-mirror post, my various attempts to write Hitsugaya often feel like they come up against a version of this. I think Hitsugaya has aggressive side character energy, and I find it difficult to make him the center of a story and have it feel right to me. He feels different to me than writing other minor characters, where they can be the center of their own stories even if their story is not the main story. Like, two of my fave characters in my other fandom have literally like… three lines in 350+ episodes and it feels easier to imagine THEM at the center of their story and I think what it comes down to is that Hitsugaya probably prefers what he not be written. And when he does become more narrative I think he’d prefer that none of it was happening in the fist place. But at the same time he always seems to be…around??? whether there is really a good reason for him to be present or not. XD So while, say, he and Bartleby "would prefer not to" (because THAT'S what this post needs, a Melville reference), Bartleby actually opts out and Hitsugaya out here volunteering.

He also often feels non-narrative to me because he feels very declarative, if that makes sense? Like, the coming-to-decisions or coming-to-realizations parts of existence happen pretty quick, or are approached perfunctorily. I feel like I find narrative in the "coming" part of that equation and instead Hitsugaya will be like, well, I’ve already done that part without you, and/or plan to do that part in the future and it will still be without you, the audience. Anyway, here’s the determination I’ve made, here’s what I’m going to do, and here begins the long and probably tedious process of my doing that thing (off 2 go train in a cave for a bit). I don’t think he actually believes the world is that simple, Tab A into Slot B, but I do think he’s already made that assessment and can see coming to terms with that as a horizon, if that makes sense. So even if he doesn’t know the answer to something, or is completely at a loss of what to do (what to say to Hinamori? how to productively address the number Aizen’s done on him) there’s still not necessarily a story there. Maybe the answer is you grind, and it is repetitive and boring. Maybe you just hold things. There’s not even the act of learning how to hold things, necessarily, just the practice of doing so.

Wow, that probably doesn’t sound good! I feel like I need to suffix this with the assurance that Hitsugaya is my absolute runaway character in the whole series and this was true 15 years ago and it is still true now (truer, even) and everything I just said are reasons why I love him.