#and then i started thinking about severance. so here we are

[lermisv4]

There is a lot, and I mean a LOT going on with that scene. Others have probably said it already, but let's break this down, shall we?

Kris' background. Their parents love them but they felt like an outcast their whole lives, and their parents clearly favour Asriel. Even Susie points out there's some serious issues in the family dynamic just by seeing Kris' bedroom. The only person in that family who seems to prioritize Kris is Asriel, which of course would make Kris miss him even more.

Then there's the divorce. If we go with the theories, then there's a good chance Kris knows all the details behind the divorce, true. But what's important here isn't the reason behind the divorce, it's the way Asgore and Toriel act - especially Toriel. Toriel keeps badmouthing Asgore in front of Kris, even though the most questionable thing Asgore has done in front of Kris is asking them to deliver flowers to her. Asgore clearly adores Kris and wants to do the best by them even with his limited means, but Toriel paints him as the scum of the earth in front of her child - her incredibly lonenly, always out of place child - out of scorn. She's actively alienating them from Asgore. As for Asgore, while he is better than Toriel in this regard, as I said he keeps asking for Kris to send her flowers.

No matter how you read the above situation, it puts Kris in a messed up position. If they want their parents to get back together, then Toriel shutting down all attempts at communication has to hurt. If they don't want their parents to get back together, they're stuck going along with both Asgore and Toriel's mutually contradictory demands to keep them as happy as possible because they still want a family damnit.

Factor 3 is Sans. Aside from Toriel, nobody likes Sans. Kris doesn't, Susie doesn't, Rudy doesn't; people important to Kris who they value as family do not like Sans. And it's not hard to see why; all Sans did prior to the ending of the chapter is to troll Kris and pull some somewhat mean pranks on them while bragging about how close he got to Toriel. We should mention here he has only known Toriel for a few days. Some of his remarks towards Kris are downright uncomfortable; who the hell says "your mom told me you're a glutton for chocolate"? Imagine being a teenager and a stranger just straight up walks up and tells you this unprompted. Most of his on-screen time is him - an adult - being lowkey a dick towards a couple of teenagers.

All this brings us to chapter 4. Let's disregard the whole thing where Kris and Susie thought Toriel was in danger and let's focus on Toriel's actions.

She cancelled choir practice because of the rain, went to the grocery store, met Sans, and then, in an unknown order, they start partying, SHE gets drunk (not him, only she), and she brings him to her house. While in the house she even says how she met up with Sans and well he was so funny and who gives a fuck about choir practice.

Let's unpack all that.

First of all, she did not bother to call Kris. She did not even think about calling Kris. It's already implied several times in the game that Toriel is not all that attentive as a parent; she treats Kris disappearing for hours on end at random points as just "something Kris does" which contradicts her other behaviours like telling Susie to stay over during the tire slash incident. She comes off as either overly protective or neglectful, and this changes at the drop of a hat.

Now excuse me for thinking this is common sense and basic courtesy, but when something gets cancelled, like classes or a meeting or whatever, don't you usually just... text the person? Put up an announcement? Something? Couldn't she have spared 30 seconds to call or text Kris that class is cancelled? Write a note and stick it to the door of the church where someone coming in could see it? All it would have taken is 30 seconds, and there she would have fulfilled her barebones duty as a parent. And what about the other kids, Kris can't be the only member of the choir. Did she inform the others? Or did she neglect to tell everyone? I'm not sure which scenario is worse: neglecting your duties as an educator, or forgetting your kid in particular.

After that, she goes to the grocery store and meets up with Sans. We don't know the exact timeline of the following events, but we have the outcome; she brings him to her house, while she's drunk.

Red flag #1: what did she go to the store for? "To get groceries" you may say, but are we sure? Or did she go there only to meet up with Sans? What if she really went to get groceries but forgot about her chores because she and Sans were having too much fun? What if she bought them and brought Sans home with her?

Red flag #2: She brought him to her house. Toriel has only known Sans for a few days by this point. Now, I don't know how the dating scene works beyond r/RelationshipAdvice but bringing to your house someone you've only known for a couple of days is just irresponsible and a good way in real life to get robbed. And she doesn't live alone, she has a kid. If anything happens in the house, the kid will also have to deal with the consequences of it.

Red flag #3: She's drunk. What time did she start drinking? Where was she when she started drinking? Why is she so comfortable drinking around strangers? She could have been going for hours by the time Kris finds her. Rudy says in chapter 2 that Toriel was a party animal, but given what American party culture is like, this could be a thinly disguised statement she has a drinking problem. Not to mention, Kris and Susie see her drunk. Did she think Kris would not be home that night? Is she okay with Kris seeing her drunk like that? Did it completely slip her mind? This doesn't exactly teach Kris how to have a healthy relationship with alcohol, you know. And Susie is supremely uncomfortable around this scene, which has some nasty implications considering all the hints she has a bad home life. We already know she's really good at reading the room, and she does NOT like what she sees here.

Red flag #4: ONLY SHE is drunk. Sans looks prefectly sober, there's no indication he's been drinking. A guy who literally just met the girl being alone with her in her house while she's drunk...? This screams "girl run". Except that Toriel was sober when she met up with Sans, what the hell was she thinking? Maybe "a drink or two" and it escalated to this?

Now let's look at Sans' behaviour.

First of all, everything about red flag number 4. To get that out of the way.

Second, he's strongly implied to have abandoned work to hang out with Toriel, which doesn't exactly paint him as responsible.

Third, he treats this place like his own house already. He ate the food Toriel left for Kris without Toriel knowing, which would be a nope even if he was part of the family; then he leaves his personal belongings in the fridge like he lives here. He's know her for a few days at this point.

Now let's get to how Sans and Toriel react to Kris and Susie when they return.

Once again, Toriel shows minimal care for Kris. She left food for them, sure, but she doesn't point out how it's past midnight when Kris and Susie arrive home. If I was out of the house by the time it was 11 my mom would be calling me to get home as soon as I can. And she doesn't even express any curiosity over what they were doing. She doesn't know Kris was risking their life, but couldn't she ask if "you kids had fun in your hangout?" Or "I hope you didn't get caught up in the rain?"

Then, she invites Susie to stay over... while Sans is there. He's a stranger! And that's one of the students in your school! Who as far as Toriel is concerned, has parents who worry about her?

Then there's Sans. He completely brushes off Toriel's worry about Susie's behaviour, and acts like Kris isn't even there. That's Toriel's kid. He's acting like the first stage of those people who get into a relationship with someone who has kids and hope to get rid of the kids in some way to have the partner all to themselves. He shows absolutely no respect or consideration for the fact there's another person in the house trying to sleep. It's like his mere presence is pushing Kris out of their house.

So to summarise, Toriel tries to push Kris away from a father who loves them, while bringing to the house a stranger who's completely inconsiderate, while throwing a bunch of responsibilities to the wind.

Even without the whole "Kris just fought a Titan while looking for her", this is very uncomfortable and a long series of red flags.

Holy fuck, that ending... it really hammers home just how alone Kris truly is.

They went to save their mother from the church, thinking she was in danger... and after everything, after facing down an honest to goodness TITAN and winning... she was drunk off her ass with a strange new man, partying away while her child withers before her very eyes.

I... really felt for Kris, seeing that. Not to say that I've never felt for them before, but... fuck. I've been there. And it's... not a pleasant experience. Even when you aren't being manipulated from the shadows.

Sometimes, it's the smallest cuts that hurt the most.

[goomyloid]

After reading the Noelle kissing Kris manga, I just had to talk about the tearjerking and heart-warming moments about it all.

I found it adorable yet also pretty telling that it took Noelle several attempts to get the kiss right with Susie with all the preparations, and the environment being perfectly set up for them to do it, but she nailed it perfectly on her first attempt to kiss Kris in that moment, with no prior build up. I also liked what compelled Noelle to kiss Kris, was them expressing their happiness for Noelle and Susie, while also seemingly intentionally excluding themselves from the equation altogether. Which leads me to talk about tearjerking moments.

When I read it all, from the look on Kris's face, it really did feel like they were genuinely trying to exclude themselves from Noelle and Susie's happiness, while trying to do everything they could to ensure they were both happy. It's like they had a face where they were genuinely happy for Noelle and Susie, talking about how great a pair they were, but also putting up a front to hide the pain of thinking, they'd be better of if they weren't part of the dynamic, which I think Noelle pick up on.

When I look at Noelle kissing Kris I think of it as a twofold kind of thing. Noelle says she was just in a kissing mood, but I genuinely do believe she acted on her subconscious desire to show Kris that level of affection when the opportunity presented itself, especially considering she wanted to kiss them again under the impression that she didn't do it right, and also appeared to want to tell them something but stopped upon seeing Kris's blushing face.

Whereas Kris has now been made aware that Noelle does in fact have deep feelings towards them, and doesn't know how to handle the revelation. Honestly I think it's pretty awesome that for all of Kris's talk about them Noelle and Susie being great pair, and getting closer, Noelle just expressed, unintentionally or not, that she also wants to get closer to them in the same manner.

this was AWESOME to read, i felt like you put into words everything subtle i tried to convey with that comic… its perfect

i enjoy the idea that like, as much as kriselle feels like It Shouldnt Be Happening (with suselle being the obvious endgame, probably) (or just the fact that it’s “obvious” at all) it simultaneously feels like its fated or meant to be. it’s not what the story is pushing towards, but realistically, it seems like the most viable option long-term (imo). underneath all the baggage, kris and noelle are super comfortable with each other, shes the only non-family member to really understand them, and vice versa, they dont have to put up any fronts. i suppose that kind of ties into susie and noelle’s “messy highschool romance” kiss vs. kris’s and noelle’s “accidental this-has-awakened-something-in-me weirdly perfect” kiss. just the fact that noelle turns around and kisses kris after susie feels like “it shouldnt be happening” (i know we all want polycule here but lets pretend they’ve barely entertained that idea yet) and makes things needlessly complicated, but suddenly, this seems like the more interesting path…

“forbidden” romance not in the sense that theres something actually wrong with it, but instead its simply not the path that the narrative is pushing towards (something something the forbidden path starts with ice magic…)

noelle choosing to kiss kris in that moment also kind of reflects what it is she likes about them, like you said. a tag i got a really long time ago on a reblog was “noelle’s image of kris in her mind is a kind one.” underneath all the pranks and goofs, they always mean well in the end. but when kris expresses that kindness by saying noelle and susie would make a good pair, noelle, who knows them so well, can still see past their words — more as a gut feeling than anything else — because the mere gesture of trying to hide their feelings to maintain her happiness is ALSO kind of them.

i keep saying that kris is the kind of person to run from their feelings all the time because i really believe it’s the case. theres only so many ways you can achieve that kind of stoicism lol. they hide and repress and keep those feelings locked away (both good feelings and bad ones) because they dont want to be a burden and mess things up for everyone. i think this was definitely a product of their home life, too — things get so chaotic that no one has the time or energy to pay more than surface-level attention to you (with asriel being the one genuine exception i think). it eventually just becomes easier to shut up and cut off all the emotions that might make you dare to Feel Real Things out of fear of rocking the boat. all of this is to say that how kris feels about noelle is just another thing they have sealed away, eventually just internalizing as genuine care for her wellbeing, with Something Else still hidden deep inside. and noelle kissing them undid all of their many many years of careful feelings-control because “oh shit oh god noelle no you cant kiss me havent you considered the Consequences??? the ramifications?? noelle the rammies. Tje consequences ive made up in my head”

and again like you said everything is incredibly subconscious on noelle’s end and she barely notices it. part of it could be from genuine Lol That’s Kris thats My Friend! without taking 5 seconds to think deeper about everything and unpack her own feelings. she Feels her feelings but is too mentally preoccupied to understand what they mean. i actually made this diagram just last night to convey basically exactly this

ultimately the whole shoujo romance thing makes the stakes way lower so now things are like, Oh no someone’s feelings might get hurt rather than Oh no the entire world is actually going to end. (maybe part of why i internally set it to take place multiple years in the future where they’re all in college or something and the dark world stuff is behind them LOL)

im gonna stop myself before this post gets too disgustingly long but man i have so many thoughts about them. sometimes i fear i treat them more like ocs so i have to realign myself and think “ok this still lines up with canon right.” but everything ive said is just what “feels right” to me i guess

[batsandbirdbrains]

Another one inspired by this anon who asked abt fics where Dick turns out to be younger than everyone thinks and the recs that were given:

Can be pretty much any setting I suppose, sometime when Nightwing is supposed to be 21. His friends all threw a big party for him. Dick Grayson had a special gala hosted by Bruce Wayne and everything. He’s been drinking (well, he’d been drinking illegally for years now with his friends, but that’s beside the point). Fact of the matter is, Dick is supposed to be 21 and he’s done things that wouldn’t otherwise be legal for someone under 21. He had a whole phase where he needed a cigarette every time he had to deal with Batman (Camels, the best cigarettes, either Blue or Gold, because Dick has Good Taste). That phase may have started before he turned 21 because Roy gave him one after a particularly bad fight with Bruce and then couldn’t say no whenever Dick asked for another.

But really, he hadn’t actually been eight when Bruce took him in. His parents and the circus changed his age on paper all the time so he’d meet the minimum age requirement to perform with them. In Gotham, that minimum age was eight.

In reality, Dick was five. They said he was short because he was a gymnast. It wasn’t totally unbelievable.

But then he forgot to tell Bruce about it until it was several months after living with him and being Robin, and Dick was scared that if he told him the truth, that he’d lied about his age, that Bruce wouldn’t want him anymore.

So he never told anyone. And he was able to convince Bruce to let him be homeschooled the first year or two, and Alfred was a rigorous teacher. He was all caught up with his supposed age group by the time he started at Gotham Academy. Then, he overcompensated so much that by the time we was supposed to be 13, it was recommended he go into high school instead of 8th grade.

It was a lot. It was a stressful time. Dick was a ten year old freshman and also Robin on the side. Bruce really shouldn’t have given him such shit for not wanting to go to college, he was so burned out. But he couldn’t tell him why. It was exhausting. Besides, Dick gets plenty of college credits by doing the random online class here and there. Dick actually managed to get a degree, he just never told anyone. One day, he’s going to whip it out during an argument with Bruce just to prove a point and spite him. He has it all planned out.

But now, there’s some magic shenanigans going on, and everyone on the planet over the age of 20 is separated from those under 20.

And Nightwing is with everyone under 20.

No one says anything at first, Nightwing is the obvious leader of those on his side of things, and they coordinate with the JL on the other side via Captain Marvel going back and forth to relay messages.

But as soon as the threat is dealt with and everything is back to normal, Batman is standing with one of his hands gripping Nightwing’s arm so tight, there isn’t a doubt in Dick’s mind that it’s going to leave a bruise.

“Hey B,” Nightwing says, chuckling nervously. “Good to have you back.”

“Tell me why you were on the side with everyone under 20.”

“Well, you see, that’s a funny story-”

“I’m not laughing, Nightwing.”

Everyone else is very clearly eavesdropping, they’re all obviously just as curious. And Dick feels like he’s under a microscope. He can feel himself starting to hyperventilate, and he pushes all the panic down and sends his most charming smile to Bruce.

“Can we talk about this at home?” he asks, his voice strained. “Please?”

Batman squeezes his arm a little tighter, then loosens his grip. But he keeps hold of Nightwing’s arm, then drags him to the transport room to take him back to the Batcave without saying a word.

“Please don’t be mad,” Dick begs once they’re back at the Batcave. “It wasn’t - I didn’t do it in purpose! I just, it always changed, everything was happening so fast, and then you brought me home, and you were really nice to me and Alfie was really nice to me and I didn’t want to leave and I was scared you wouldn’t want me anymore and-”

“Dick, Dick you need to breathe,” Bruce tells him, pushing the cowl down and guiding Dick to sit near the Batcomputer. He peels Dick’s mask off slowly, gently, then cups Dick’s cheek in his hand. “Just tell me what’s going on. Please.”

“You have to promise you won’t hate me,” Dick begs, and he’s so mad that he can feel tears starting to form in his eyes, that his vision is starting to blur a little bit.

“I could never hate you.”

“Could’ve fooled me!”

Dick’s voice is strangled, scared. And it breaks Bruce’s heart. Sure, they’ve had their disagreements. And sure, Bruce may have told him to stay with his friends for a while so Bruce could cool down between arguments. But he loves Dick. He’s always loved Dick.

“Please just tell me what’s going on,” Bruce begs. “Because you have no idea how scared I was when I realized you weren’t with us. I thought I’d lost you, that the spell must have made some people disappear entirely. Please, Dickie, just tell me.”

Dick looks at him for a moment, both of them quiet. But then Dick is closing his eyes and tears are falling down his cheeks and he lets out a muffled sob as he holds a fist over his mouth.

“It’s not how I wanted you to find out,” he whines, not opening his eyes. “I didn’t know how to tell you, I didn’t know what to do!”

“You don’t have to know,” Bruce says gently. “Nothing in this family ever seems to go how we originally plan, does it?”

Bruce laughs a little, his smile feeling a little less forced when Dick lets out a wet huff of a laugh.

“They changed the documents all the time so I could perform,” Dick says quickly. “Different cities and countries have different rules, different age minimums. For insurance or something, I dunno. People changed their ages all the time in the circus, I thought it was normal.”

Bruce feels his stomach drop, but he moves to hold Dick’s hands and squeeze them tight.

“How old were you when you came to Gotham?”

“They told me I was eight in Gotham,” he says, but then he opens his eyes. “But they were good parents! It wasn’t anything bad, it was so we could perform together, so we could be a family!”

“I don’t think they were bad parents,” Bruce says quickly. “Not at all. But Dickie, I need to know how old you were, how old you are now. Please.”

“I forgot, at first,” Dick explains. “When you took me in. I just forgot, I swear, I didn’t keep it a secret on purpose. But then my birthday was coming up and you thought I was turning nine and I remembered I wasn’t and I got so scared and I didn’t want you to get rid of me.”

“I would never get rid of you,” Bruce assures him. “And I’m not going to be mad, I promise.”

Dick is quiet for a moment, and he doesn’t say anything until his breathing has evened out, until he’s calmed down and not panicking.

Then he admits in a quiet voice, “I was turning six.”

“So you were five?” Bruce gasps. He’d been kneeling in front of Dick’s seat, and he falls back to sit on his feet, feeling like he had the wind knocked out of him. “Oh God, you were five.”

Dick doesn’t say anything, but he nods his head. Bruce feels like he’s just had ice dumped over his head.

“You’re eighteen right now?” Bruce asks.

“Yeah.”

“Jason is older than you?”

“Barely!” Dick huffs. “Only a few months! You can’t tell him, don’t tell him!”

Bruce smiles then, because leave it to the sibling rivalry to be what gets Dick to snap out of his panic.

“We have to tell them, chum,” he says gently. “You can’t keep it a secret anymore.”

“Why not!”

“Dick,” Bruce sighs. “Do you really want to keep it a secret now? Now that you’ve told me?”

Dick is quiet for a while, but he doesn’t pull his hands away from Bruce.

“And you’re not drinking again until you’re actually 21.”

“That’s not fair!”

“I think it’s plenty fair.”

“You’re being totally lame!” Dick whines. But whatever. Dick will just drink behind his back with his friends like he did before he turned fake-21.

[mareastrorum]

This is only half a thought so far, but maybe other people want to chime in.

I’m doing Watch Machina (currently at episode 15) and Nein Again (currently at episode 21) while I also keep up with current Critical Role content (Age of Umbra episode 4) and something that bothers me a little is Matt’s current method of narration.

In C1, Matt’s style is very informal with regard to the narration. There’s little added drama via his tone, pace, or choice of words. “Toothy maw” became a meme pretty quickly, but the point of every description was to efficiently set the scene so the players could start their RP and choose what to do. There wasn’t as much precision with his descriptions, and of course that is a talent that takes a long time to hone when you’re describing lots of different things over the course of several hours. However, the narration was far less formal and calculated than his NPC dialogue, so (in combination with voice acting) it was very easy to determine when Matt was in character or not. It wasn’t a bad thing; Matt’s very casual narration and formal dialogue leading up to the Chroma Conclave’s attack on Emon was excellent because it was so sudden, leading the players and the audience to experience the exact same shock the NPCs would have. It’s not a bad way to narrate. If anything, it made the heartfelt moments so poignant, especially at the end of the campaign. That description of snow drops would not have been nearly as impactful if Matt had narrated that way all the time.

In C2, Matt started getting more descriptive and slowed down his narration to match. As Aabria would put it, he “paints a word picture” and includes more environmental storytelling for the setting itself, not just things for the characters to expressly interact with. I think this is part of what led to the Nein interacting with the set dressing more: Matt mentioned it, so it must be important! This led to some fun hijinks as time went on, and it gave Wildemount a different feeling than Tal’dorei. I couldn’t tell you that Emon had a particular vibe to it other than it being a big city, but howdy do we know that Berleben is full of nosy, bored people in a smelly swamp, and we sure know that Zadash is a bustling city with stark class segregation while Nicodranas is a beautiful trade hub with a mixture of different cultures. I think part of that may have come from working on the source books (they have similar language for the plot hooks and location entries). However, that method of narration was mostly limited to first descriptions of a new place or events (“cutscenes” like the attack in Zadash). Within a scene, Matt was still fairly casual in his discussions with the players.

But currently in Age of Umbra, and with a good chunk of C3, Matt’s narration is far more deliberate. There is a consistently slower pace compared to earlier campaigns, usually only speeding up in combat. Part of that may be for production purposes (easier for transcriptions and closed captioning), but it also impacts the pacing of the game itself. There’s also that presence of a new character: the narrator himself has a voice, and that is now part of the story. It’s extremely noticeable when the cast gets Matt to “break character” as the narrator to only be a DM. It requires a baseline level of formality for that to happen, and Matt committed to it in nearly every scene, regardless of the context of the scene. While that doesn’t feel all that strange for Age of Umbra (it fits well with the soulsborne style of game), it does make me realize that it’s part of why C3 felt incongruous. Like, sorry about the dead horse, but I was expecting C3 to be pulpy, which very much benefits from the narration style of C1 rather than the formal narration style Matt prefers currently. Punchy, informal narration sets a player expectation of “you’re here to get something done and I’ll tell you if it works,” while the current style instead lends itself to “you’re part of my story and this is the tone.” The former is great for fast-paced roleplay and the latter is suited to unhurried storytelling—which wouldn’t feel as mismatched if C3 hadn’t been a story where the PCs needed to prevent a second calamity within the course of a few weeks.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this was a mistake. Matt clearly enjoys how he narrates currently, and every DM is entitled to their preference. However, I think there’s a lesson in here that varying the narration style to match the purpose of the scene and story would benefit the players and the audience.

To be fair here, Matt is not the only DM who doesn’t mix it up very often. Brennan Lee Mulligan (Dimension 20) is far closer to the C1 style of fast, informal narration with very limited, specific instances where he would slow down for drama; there is no “narrator” character in his players’ story. D20 has a far more casual tone to its seasons than CR does in its campaigns. Luis Carazo (Tales Unrolled) narrates similarly to Matt, with a focus on instilling an emotional reaction for the players to deal with, and the players collaboratively join Luis as the narrator for their own characters; it’s a back and forth where the DM and players contribute to that additional presence. Tales Unrolled is on the opposite end of the spectrum from D20, with a clear feeling that it is a storytelling experience.

Again, choosing one narration style over another isn’t necessarily a flaw. However, I think varied narration is a tool that most DMs underutilize. If used carefully, adjusting narration styles within sessions on the fly could enhance the experience of an Actual Play campaign for everyone involved. It could be used as a signal to the players for what type of scene this will be or when a scene is shifting. It could also signal to performers in a show for pacing within an episode (hijinks are over, time for some drama; time to cool down from the tension).

But, as always, it’s easier to point stuff out like this than it is to do it in practice.

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

a beautiful little lie. [chapter 10] l Harry Castillo

Summary:  you are the personal assistant of Harry Castillo, a wealthy entrepreneur who asks you to go with him to his friend's wedding. there you meet your ex-boyfriend and things get out of hand

Warnings: we have fluff, we have kissing, we have Diane, we have alcohol, we have cold, we have ending

A/N: last chapter. if you got here - thank you. thank you for every comment, for every word. sorry for the mistakes, thank you for the time you dedicated to me. i hope you enjoyed this story. because i did.

your feedback is very important to me and I want to thank you for all the reblogs, comments and likes. I secretly hope you like this story.🖤 sorry for all the mistakes

[my masterlist] [Harry Castillo masterlist] [a beautiful little lie- series masterlist]

Harry Castillo had thought for years that he was incapable of love. Several failed relationships, Lucy and his age had convinced him more and more of it. His younger brother was already married, his parents had lived happily for so many years, and only Harry was still single. And when he was slowly starting to accept it, which was hard because he really dreamed of a relationship full of love, understanding and support, you appeared.

Loving you came naturally to him, like breathing. The friendship that had developed between you was a solid foundation on which you had built what you had now. And Harry loved every single element of it.

Your clothes next to his. Cosmetics on a separate shelf. Another bathrobe in the bathroom, trinkets scattered throughout the apartment, subtle traces of someone's existence that he had stumbled upon in the apartment that had finally become a real home. When Harry came home from a meeting and found that you had made dinner and even baked cookies, he completely lost his mind.

Loving you was so easy.

After all, he held someone in his arms when he fell asleep and woke up next to them in the morning. After all, someone was waiting for him. Someone wrote him sweet and funny messages, or at least "Milk's out, can you buy some when you get back?". Harry accepted it all and was grateful for every day. You were completely on his side, at work and in life. He couldn't have wished for anything more.

This party was really important because it was connected to the annual awards ceremony. The invitation came a month ago, but it was only recently that Harry finally convinced you to let him buy you a decent dress.

You didn't want any gifts from him, even though he kept saying it was his pleasure. So far, he had bought you a few books you had talked about and a lipstick you had once looked at while shopping. But the dress and the lingerie were something he really wanted to give you.

“You look stunning.”

You smiled, applying lipstick and looking at him in the mirror. “Are you hitting on me, Castillo?”

“Maybe.” He walked over to you and kissed your exposed shoulder tenderly, then your neck. He looked ridiculously good in his well-tailored suit and combed hair. “I think something’s missing here.”

“What?” You frowned. You really tried to look good tonight. The party was really important, even though Harry was downplaying it again.

Harry left the bathroom for a moment and came back, holding a velvet, oblong box in his hands. You guessed what he was planning, and your legs almost buckled.

“You need a subtle accessory.” he said. “Close your eyes and turn around.”

You did as he asked. Something soft brushed against your neck, then landed on your skin. It took your breath away. A sweet kiss followed, and Harry quietly whispered, “Open your eyes, love.”

A delicate necklace appeared around your neck, simple and elegant, but you couldn’t tear your eyes away from it. Harry must have noticed, because he was staring at your reflection in awe.

“Do you like it?”

“This is…” you ran your fingertips over the necklace, feeling how delicate it was. “You shouldn’t, Harry… It’s stunning. But this dress… And this…”

Strong arms wrapped around your waist as Harry rested his chin on your shoulder, “Let me spoil my girl. I know you don’t want to, but I love making you happy.”

“You do that with other things, they don’t have to be gifts.”

He smiled, sensing the other side of your statement. “And I know you’re not with me for the money, but for my charming personality.”

You turned in his arms, placing yours on his shoulders, leaning against the marble counter of the sink.

“And to your ass. You look so good in those pants.”

“Really?” Harry raised an eyebrow, barely holding back a chuckle.

“And for your broad shoulders. I think I could find a few more useful pieces.”

He shook his head in amusement before leaning down, brushing the corner of his lips against yours, careful not to smudge your lipstick. “You know I love you?”

You pouted. “You’ve mentioned it once or twice.”

“So I’ll keep reminding you of it for the rest of my life.”

The conference room of one of the most expensive hotels was filled with elegantly dressed guests. You and Harry sat at one of the tables covered in a crisp white tablecloth, surrounded by other businessmen and their partners. Conversations flowed freely, champagne was poured regularly into crystal glasses, and a band played pleasant music.

Harry's hand rested on your knee, occasionally moving to your thigh, which he squeezed lightly, and then he smiled at you like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"I hope you get an award this year, Harry." Mr. Novak sounded, and the whole table burst into laughter. "I'm not kidding! You're great at what you do, lots of innovative approaches."

Harry smiled politely. "Thank you, but I didn't do anything by myself. I have just as hardworking people around me."

You smiled, feeling a significant squeeze in your thigh. The respect Harry had from others was always a source of pride. The hard work he had put in over the years was noticeable, and now he was reaping the rewards.

"However, I heard that your last contract was taken over by Ms. Kruger-Waltz." The older woman with beautiful silver hair smiled politely at Harry. "I like her, I've always been inspired by strong women."

"Mrs. Waltz is very good at what she does, we have to admit that. I lost, but Mr. Williams will definitely be pleased, and that's the most important thing."

The entire table agreed with him, and after a moment, as if on cue, everyone looked towards the podium, where a beautiful woman stood with the host of the event.

The awards ceremony began. The guests politely applauded the winners, who treated them to short and funny speeches. You sipped your champagne, feeling Harry's warm hand on your thigh, and when no one was looking, he brushed his lips against your arm, gently tickling you. He wanted to say something, wanted to suggest that you leave the party with him, and go home where you could be alone, when suddenly someone called his name and everyone at the table started clapping vigorously.

"Congratulations!" the man sitting next to him patted him on the shoulder, showing snow-white teeth.

Harry stood up uncertainly, because everyone was looking at him. It was still a bit embarrassing for him. But he felt something. You squeezed his hand, giving him the "I'm with you" signal, and he immediately felt stronger.

He smiled at the guests, and then, instead of going straight to the podium where his award awaited him, he leaned towards you and kissed you. The room filled with cheers, but you were in your little bubble for that brief moment. And when Harry walked between the tables, you could still feel his warm kiss on your lips.

“We should get out of here.”

“You should stay here a little longer.”

“Don’t tell me you like this food.”

“I won’t, but I like your suit.”

Harry kissed your neck and smiled, hugging you tighter. A dozen or so other couples danced next to you to some old song. Your fingers played with Harry’s hair at the nape of his neck as you swayed like everyone else. It was late, but many people were still having fun. Every now and then someone would pat Harry on the shoulder and congratulate him, and he would smile politely.

“You know I’m proud of you?” you asked quietly.

“Really? Why?” he looked at you with interest.

He saw your gaze shift to the guests in the room, then back to him. “You’re the same as you were when I first met you. You’re successful, you sign contracts, you manage money that most people never even saw, and you’re still the same Harry that hired me. I’m proud that in this crazy world, you’re still you.”

He smiled as he felt your words sink in. You were his greatest prize, and the way you supported him made him feel almost invincible. All of these people around him, this whole world, didn’t matter when he held you in his arms. He only needed you.

The night was pleasantly cool as you stepped outside to wait for your car. Harry’s jacket rested on your shoulders as you stood among the lonely guests who were also waiting. In your mind, you were planning a lazy weekend for the two of you, maybe to visit the new bakery that opened nearby, maybe go to the movies…

“Harry? Congratulations. You definitely deserve this award.” a familiar voice rang out behind you.

Diane appeared in a gorgeous black dress with beautifully highlighted red lipstick. Despite the late hour, she looked phenomenal.

"Thank you," Harry replied politely, and his hand that was around your waist squeezed you lightly. A familiar signal. "It's nice to see you. You look wonderful."

Diane lit a cigarette and took a drag, looking at you carefully. "I don't think you should compliment another woman when your lady is right next to you, Harry. It's a bit tactless."

"Don't worry. My lady knows she's the most important." he smiled at you. "I'm glad you found the time to show up here. You must have a lot of work with Mr. Williams."

Diane glanced at the car that had stopped in front of her. “That’s mine,” she muttered, stubbing out her cigarette in the ashtray against the wall and giving you another look. “I think we’ll meet again. Maybe you’ll win next time.”

“I’ll try. Have a nice evening, Diane.”

She got into the car and the driver closed the door behind her and a moment later they drove off.

For a moment you both stared at the place where she had disappeared until Harry finally spoke. “You know, I feel sorry for her. And even more for you, because Diane attacked you.”

“I thought about that too. She must have been really hurt.” you replied. “She was driven by emotions, and emotions are not always good advisors.”

Harry nodded, hugging you tighter as your car pulled up onto the sidewalk. The driver got out and politely opened the door for you. You thought about Diane for a moment longer, grateful that the encounter hadn’t turned unpleasant. Harry was level-headed and calm, even though you knew the situation had upset him greatly. But maybe, if it weren’t for Diane and that rumor, you would still have tried to keep your relationship a secret? Maybe something good would have come of it?

3 months later.

A cold had confined you to bed for over a week. Harry had asked the doctor to make a house call, and he had immediately prescribed you antibiotics and told you to stay home. It took you a while to convince Harry to sleep separately.

“I don’t want you to get sick too.” You said with difficulty, because your throat was aching. “I’ll go to the guest room and turn on the air purifier.”

But he refused. He took the guest room, although he spent as much time with you as his work allowed. When the situation allowed, he tried to work from home, exchanging messages with you if you needed anything. It took you two days to take a shower, and in the meantime, he quickly changed your sheets.

Harry Castillo was the perfect caregiver, and you couldn’t remember anyone ever taking such good care of you. And when he mentioned you were sick during a conversation with his mother, she asked her cook to prepare broth for you, which was quickly delivered to her son’s apartment.

“If I hadn’t stopped her, she would have come here to take care of you.” Harry said with a smile, placing a tray of steaming soup on your bed.

"She's wonderful." You replied, your voice slightly hoarse. "But I wouldn't want her to end up like me. You're different."

"Yeah, I'm a volunteer." Harry burst out laughing.

His mother liked you from the first time you met, even though you were totally scared and tense at the time. The Castillos' house was impressive, surrounded by a beautiful garden and a tennis court, but his parents turned out to be really warm and wonderful people. They immediately invited you to visit more often, even without Harry, to which you only responded with a polite smile.

Your relationship was blossoming and it didn't interfere with your work at all, which you were a little afraid of. You were still sitting at your desk, still doing what you were doing, only in the office next door was a man you really loved and with whom you went home.

"I'm back! Dr. Phillips said I can go back to work now, so you can't keep me at home anymore." You threw your bag on the console by the wall and took off your shoes. "Harry?"

You entered the living room and stopped dead in your tracks. There were two suitcases in the middle, which confused you a little.

"Harry?" you repeated in a slightly surprised voice, he came out of the kitchen wiping his hands with a towel. "Are you going somewhere?"

"No, we're going together" he replied smiling.

You frowned. "No. Mr. McMurphy clearly invited us to his place next month. I read his email" you replied, pulling your phone out of your pocket and quickly scrolling through it. "Yes, that's exactly what he wrote".

"We're not going to Los Angeles, honey. I'm taking you somewhere else".

The confusion and disorientation on your face were so adorable that Harry wanted to kiss you. "We're going to Italy, baby, Rome to be exact".

Even more surprise. Now you were looking at him as if he had completely lost his mind. "Why?" you finally blurted out.

“Remember when we were at our favorite Italian restaurant a few weeks ago, you said it would be great to eat real pizza in Rome while watching the sunset and the Colosseum?”

"Harry... People say things like that, but that doesn't mean you have to do it right away..."

He walked past the suitcases and approached you, smiling like he thought it was a lot of fun.

"But we can. And we will. I've already taken care of everything, with Susan's help. Now you should relax somewhere warm and beautiful. Rome is perfect for that."

"But Harry..."

“No buts. We’re leaving the day after tomorrow.” He said, placing his hands on your hips and kissing your forehead. The decision had already been made, you had no say in the matter. “We have to stay until Saturday because my mom absolutely wants to see us for dinner tomorrow. She said you must look really hungry after being sick and that she’ll make your favorite dessert.”

You rolled your eyes because you knew you couldn't win with him. "Sometimes you can be insufferable, you know? You're lucky I love you."

“Yes, I’m lucky.” He mumbled, leaning down and kissing you.

You didn't know what you had done to deserve what happened to you with this guy. Harry made you want to be a better person, while knowing that who you were was enough. He brought out the best in you, and you loved him for how warm and caring he was, and how safe you felt with him.

Harry felt like he had finally found what he had been looking for for so long - he felt complete. You gave him a sense of peace and stability. You loved him the way he always wanted to be loved by a woman, and when he showed you his vulnerability, you accepted him completely, just the way he was. He couldn't have been happier.

But you didn't know that when Harry was packing that evening, a small velvet box was hidden in his suitcase, between his shirts. And what neither of you knew was that you wouldn't be coming back from this trip alone...

☆☆☆☆

If you're reading this, thank you for taking this journey with me.

☆☆☆☆

Thank you for your time.

taglist: @nrschuster30 @maried01 @lunariantears @thatesqcrush @suzysface @youkeeno @legoemma @nuo0n @sarahhxx03 @hazzzy418 @pedrofan @peepawispunk @readingiskeepingmegoing @maryfanson @anoverwhelmingdin @o-sacra-virgo-laudes-tibi @axshadows @picketniffler @underneath-the-sky-again @kaysfanficcorner @noisynightmarepoetry @xmaykeca @orcasoul @sincerelywithheartt @southernbe @chaoticfestninja @telumendilsoul @hermionelove @paleidiot @lemon-world1 @diabaroxa @scarcetti @thatoneperson38747 @pascal-mynightlyobsession @sunnytuliptime @krystal---meth @nikoanna @capuccinodoll @titlee78 @goodvibesonly421 @crlsummer @chewie-bars @dean-and-baby343 @warmdragonfly @harriedandharassed @speaktothehandpeasants @pasc4lfuzz @darkheartgatita @deesparticus @beezusvreeland @sunnytuliptime @theoraekenslover @secretlettersfromyourlove @yassspose @pinkblackbra @avengersfan25 @kakiki3

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

I personally think of it as a disorder but your brain structure is definitely different and a “divergent” one.

This information was found on online sources. Not AI

Here’s an excerpt from an article from Health Central:

How Is The Structure Of The Brain Different?

“The neuroanatomy of autism is difficult to describe,” Culotta says. So it might be easier to talk about the architecture of the brain and how the autistic brain may differ.

So what’s different in the structure of this three-pound organ? Let’s start with a quick anatomy refresher: First of all, the brain is split into two halves or hemispheres. It is these two hemispheres that we get the idea of a left brain and a right brain. In reality, our thinking and cognitive processes bounce back and forth between the two halves.

“There's a little bit of difficulty in autism communicating between the left and right hemispheres in the brain. There's not as many strong connections between the two hemispheres,” Dr. Anderson says.

In recent years, science has found that the hemispheres of ASD brains have slightly more symmetry than those of a regular brain. This small difference in asymmetry isn’t enough to diagnosis ASD, according to a report in Nature Communications. And, exactly how the symmetry may play into autism’s traits is still be researched.

The differences in the brain don’t stop there. Another quick Biology 101 review: Within each half, there are lobes: frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal. Inside these lobes are structures that are in charge of everything from movement to thinking. On top of the lobes, lies the cerebral cortex aka grey matter. This is where information processing happens. The folds in the brain add to the surface area of the cerebral cortex. The more surface area or grey matter there is, the more information that can be processed.

https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/autism/autism-brain-differences

Here’s another excerpt from Transmitter.org

Which brain regions are known to be structurally different between autistic and non-autistic people?

Studies that make use of a brain-scanning technique called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have highlighted a few brain regions that are structurally distinct in people with autism.

Children and adolescents with autism often have an enlarged hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for forming and storing memories, several studies suggest, but it is unclear if that difference persists into adolescence and adulthood1,2.

The size of the amygdala also seems to differ between people with and without autism, although researchers from different labs have turned up conflicting results. Some find that people with autism have smaller amygdalae than people without autism, or that their amygdalae are only smaller if they also have anxiety3. Others have found that autistic children have enlarged amygdalae early in development and that the difference levels off over time2,4.

Autistic people have decreased amounts of brain tissue in parts of the cerebellum, the brain structure at the base of the skull, according to a meta-analysis of 17 imaging studies5. Scientists long thought the cerebellum mostly coordinates movements, but they now understand it plays a role in cognition and social interaction as well.

On a more global level, the cortex — the brain’s outer layer — seems to have a different pattern of thickness in people with and without autism. This difference tracks with alterations to a single type of neuron during development, a 2020 study suggests.

The last excerpt is from the National Library of Medicine. Here’s an excerpt:

The constituent parts of the neural systems associated with clinical symptoms in ASD were examined by many studies. Specific core regions have been suggested to mediate clinical phenotypes of ASD such as the frontotemporal lobe, frontoparietal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, basal ganglia, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) [17]. For example, abnormalities in (1) the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG, Broca's area), superior temporal sulcus (STS), and Wernicke's area might be related to defects in social language processing and social attention [18], (2) the frontal lobe, superior temporal cortex, parietal cortex, and amygdala might mediate impairments of social behaviors [19,20] and (3) the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and caudate nucleus have been associated with RRBs of ASD [21]. Although deficits in these regions seem to be general in ASD, some findings proposed that abnormalities in these brain regions are not peculiar to ASD and seem to be common in other disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, general anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia

[l4lenthusiast]

Buttons -Spencer Reid

GirlDad!Spencer Reid x mom!reader

Warnings: Forehead kiss (I think that's it?) No use of y/n

Word count: 662

A/n This was supposed to be a short blurb but I got carried away so first real short fic!!

"No, Lottie, not in your mouth!" You took the pink crayon from your daughter and sat her on your lap. Today you and Spencer decided that crafts could be a fun idea for your freshly two year old, clearly not thinking through all the things she would try to put in her mouth.

Spencer chuckled, putting a small basket on the living room floor with an assortment of buttons, glue sticks, and colorful paper.

"C'mere Lottie." He reached out for the pant leg of her snoopy overalls courtesy of Aunt Penelope on Lottie's second birthday last month. She was spoiled severely between gifts from the team, your family, not to forget you and Spencer, who definitely went a bit over board. Charlotte gurgled something between a "no" and a giggle when Spencer pulled her over.

"Crafts are beneficial for toddlers," Spencer started, laying out the items, giving Lottie her stuffed lamb. "they foster the development of fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and creativity." He continued, passing you a handful of buttons.

"Activities like painting, drawing, and using handheld supplies like buttons help refine dexterity and precision." He handed Lottie two buttons, one for her and one for her lamb.

"Crafts also encourage self-expression, allowing toddlers to communicate their emotions and ideas non-verbally." He finished laying out all of the craft supplies and adjusted the white bows in Lottie's pigtails you put in this morning without much of a struggle.

"Do you know what lambs say?" He asked her with interest. Lottie smiled at him before making a "baa" sound, which Spencer greatly praised.

"Okay Lottie," Spencer spoke softly, turning her around to face him. "Why don't you go sit with Mama, and then we can start. Okay?" She nodded her head, shaking her pigtails in the process, and reached out for you.

"Hi sweet girl!" You sat her on your lap and gave her her pink sippy cup half filled with apple juice from snack time earlier.

Spencer held out his hand with a selection of colored paper. "What color do you want?" He asked her, showing off the papers.

Charlotte thought and pointed at a few looking up at you for confirmation.

"There's pink Lottie!" You told her, pointing at the pink colored paper.

"Yes!" She cheered, clapping her hands together and looking at Spencer with a pleading face.

"May me?" She asked him, Spencer had been trying to teach her proper vocabulary by using "may" instead of "can."

He smiled at her, and without putting up a fight, he handed it to her, although it did take a lot to not correct her from "me" to "I."

Lottie sat on the floor next to you, starting to color and place buttons on her page, blabbering only a few words you or Spencer could understand.

"Lottie," Spencer tapped her knee lightly. "Are you done your picture?" He asked her, looking up at you with a smile.

"Need glue." She mumbled. You could tell she was getting tired. You checked your phone to read 12:54. You and Spencer usually try to get her in bed for her nap by 12:30. He gave you a knowing look and started to negotiate with your toddler.

"Okay angel, how about we glue your buttons down, then you go have a nap so your picture will be dry by the time you wake up?" He pulls her into his arms, and she rests her head on his shoulder in exhaustion.

Lottie nods against his shoulder, already half asleep. Spencer smiles at the sight and starts to rock her while picking up some of the leftover supplies.

"Here." You grabbed the crayons out of his hand. "Why don't you go put her up for a nap? I'll clean up." You told him, looking over his shoulder to see your daughter fast asleep.

He nodded back hesitantly and stood up to bring her to bed. He turned around and pressed a kiss on the top of your head, then continued walking towards the stairs to put sleepy Lottie to bed with her lamb still in her grasp.

[denial-permanente]

Hello Mrs Edge and Tom. I don't have an account here so I'm using my husband's. I am the "ebony goddess wife" of KC. You posted his message here a few weeks ago.

I want to echo what he said about your blog being so helpful to me (to both of us really). When he showed me this chastity stuff I was turned off by just about everything I saw and I really did not want to think about my husband as a sissy or abused or anything like that. I have read a lot of your answers to questions and I love how you have made chastity about your husband's devotion and not just some kinky sex thing. That is where I am hoping to bring our marriage. Also I am guessing it must be Tom who picks out the pictures but it really has been nice to see images of regular looking black women (and Asian, Indian, etc) and not images that look like cartoons. They help me feel more comfortable about seeing myself the way my husband sees me.

I did want to comment about the crazy changes that have been happening to me for the past few years. I go from feeling cold to getting hot flashes that make me want to tear off my clothes and not in a good way. And I don't "feel like myself" anymore. I want to be intimate with my husband but sometimes I can't even stand the thought of having sex.

I go from feeling guilty for keeping him locked to thinking that if I feel this bad then maybe he should too! lol I've read the questions from other women in "no penetration" marriages. I had no idea that this was a thing until recently but now I understand why. The few times I have tried are just uncomfortable and don't really do anything for me for some reason.

Sometimes when I feel like an orgasm would make me feel better I do make him worship my pussy. It also helps to keep him interested which helps make me feel less guilty about leaving him locked up all the time. I also remind him that he asked for this but I have to admit that he rarely complains.

I am happy to see that you still get pleasure from PIV and you still allow your husband to get pleasure from intercourse although I'm not sure how much pleasure he gets if he has to wear a strap on lol. But I am seriously wondering if I will ever feel like having sex again - I mean intercourse - with my husband. If you have any advice on getting through this I think it would be helpful to a lot of us! lol

Thank you for following up on your husband's post. I totally understand what you mean by you "don't feel like yourself." My change came a bit earlier than most, and it was several years of hot flashes, night sweats, cold spells, and crazy appetite swings. Nothing felt right, and I started gaining weight. My doctor says that my metabolism slowed way down, I was tired, and the last thing I wanted was my husband bothering me for intimate time. When you are not comfortable in your own skin it's just so hard to relax and enjoy intimacy.

It really did take several years for me to get past the perimenopause and have things start settling down. Yes, my husband was locked up for most of it, not that he really needed to be because sex just was not on the table (or anywhere else 😆) anyway. I don't want to say that he was "locked and forgotten" but honestly he might as well have been. A few times I did offer that he just unlock the cage and take it off, more out of sympathy or pity or something. To his credit he remained caged on his own.

When I finally started feeling better, we did get back to intercourse and foxing. Fortunately I did not get the vaginal pain that so many women get after menopause. However, things were definitely different. My lubrication was very thin, and I would get sore more easily. We went through different lubes (and now we us organic coconut butter from Trader Joes lol). Oh, and I'm a lot more prone to UTIs. I used to think it was the vixskin, but boiling and disinfecting didn't help. My gyno told me that it was a common condition, and she gave me some antibiotics which I take a dose of whenever we have sex.

Now, if you are not enjoying intercourse and your gyno can't make any suggestions, it's okay. You already keep your husband locked, so he has already learned... or is learning... how to manage his own libido and how to turn his energy into pleasing you instead of worrying about his own orgasm. This is why I tell women who message me that they do not need to feel guilty about this change in your sex life. He asked for this... to be locked and for you to take charge. This is one of those things that happen in life that you have no control over, so all you can do is control how you deal with the situation.

I am learning that there are more "no penetration" marriages than I ever would have guessed, and while a lot of them are done out of some kind of kinky game, some of them, like yours are more because Mother Nature was not kind. If this is the way you are leaning, please remember that your husband wants all the best for you. You can still reward him with your hands or by letting him rub himself on you (he must have a favorite place lol), and then lock him back up. Or you can use a vibrator to help take the pressure off of him. If you have read some of the other women's stories that have written in, some men find the idea of being denied penetration to be a turn on.

Finally, please keep an open mind. You may come out of this once again being able to enjoy intercourse, at least, when you start feeling somewhat normal... or rather, when all these things that are happening start settling down. And there are a lot of resources and articles for you to check online. You may not feel better about it but at least you'll know that you are not alone. Best of luck hon and let me know how you're doing.

[noxiatoxia]

Beta Sprites in Danganronpa File Folder Merch

So, yes, I finally got all my Danganronpa file folders scanned!

To bring everyone up to speed, some time ago, I was browsing Dangan merch in hopes to find any with beta sprites, when I came across this on the Danganronpa Wiki:

Despite its low quality, I could tell already that both Mioda and Pekoyama's sprites were...not quite right. As such, I went online to hunt down this and other similar folders to buy. Luckily, they're not super rare, and I was able to get a bundle including this and the other major one I was looking atーplus several othersーfor only ¥2500 (roughly $17 USD).

I got them a while back and just have been...really bad about scanning them XD but I finally got them professionally scanned! Here is the HD scan:

Besides just being cute, there is a lot to talk about here in regards to beta sprites.

First, though, I open with bad news: the Hinata sprite used is not a beta sprite, which really bums me out. The good news is, every other sprite is! And some I've only ever seen on this one folder!

Let's start with the most glaringly obvious one.

Not having the white sparkle in her eye is a massive tip-off to this not being the same sprite. But of course, that's not the only difference; Mioda's entire face was reworked including her mouth, chin, right eye, and nose. As well, her left eye was moved more to the center of her face.

Minor changed can also be observed, such as the detailing in her ear, her hand, her neck, and the folds on her clothes.

This is not the only time this Mioda sprite can be seen. It is used in the other file folder I'll cover, but more notably, is accidentally used in UTDP as one of her cards:

Now, truth be told, if it was just this Mioda sprite being the only beta, I probably wouldn't have bought it (oh, who am I kidding, I still would have...) because at this point in time, I already knew of her UTDP card. But what really interested me was Pekoyama's, as I had never seen a beta of that sprite before...

Now to finally have the folder in question and able to do a proper comparison, it's more different than I could have ever imagined!

Pekoyama's whole face was changed, which seems to be a bit of a running theme with a lot of Pekoyama's beta sprites. Her face used to be much wider, and in this particular sprite, her expression much more angry. Her hair was not fully detailed yet as you can tell from the lack of some line art. Her ear was also redone. As well, her bangs changed a lot. It's hard to tell with both Saionji and the palm tree blocking it, but it seems her hand was much less detailed as well.

I'm actually very in love with this beta sprite, and would love to recreate an HD version of it sometime.

In time since, I have found one other place this beta sprite can be found...albeit in much worse quality and the non-blushing version. Would you believe me if I told you it was from the game's Taiwanese manual?

Buuuut that's for another post. Don't worry, I'm already in the middle of writing it up.

For Saionji, I decided to try and help the comparison a bit by using some color-changing-magic since her changes are so small they're easy to miss. Sadly, Saionji betas are about as rare as Hinata ones. But this one I don't think I've ever seen outside of this folder! So, that's cool.

Anyways, back to the sprite. So, here are the smaller changes: it seems the bottom of both of Saionji's ears were increased a bit in volume. More noticeable is her hand; they added the wrist joint and erased some line art to her fingers. Below her hand, it looks like they increased with width of her Kimono sleeveーspecifically, the orange outside layer.

Elsewise, I don't see many other differences.

This Sonia sprite is one we've seen briefly in the original PSP version when it comes to the consent sprites. However, there, it was tightly cropped, not letting us see much outside her face. Here, we get a better look: many changes were made to her hair, from the strands that go down her shoulders to the bangs and the braid. The hair in the back is less wide in the final sprite (which I tried my best to highlight underneath since just layering the image would make it hard to distinguish).

Many folder in her clothes were redrawn, including the cuff on her right arm. Speaking of arms, her elbow was made less sharp and more anatomically correct.

I also find it interesting to spot an error in the bow's coloring. At first, I thought the beta sprite simply had three big dots clustered together instead of two. But looking closer, it looks like some of the coloring for her hair accidentally got overlayed onto the bow!

You can see the white dot just underneath the cloud of bright gold.

What's also interesting is this "cloud of gold" seems to follow the formation of Sonia's hair halo. Overlaying the beta's bow to the final sprite's hair...

The trajectory matches! Which makes me wonder why the hair halo is appearing on the bow but not Sonia's hair in the beta sprite. I imagine the hair's coloring must have been on a higher layer than the lighting. So the layer situation might have been:

Layer 1: Hair

Layer 2: Lighting

Layer 3: Bow

When in fact, Layer 2 was supposed to be moved above Layer 1... That's what makes sense to me, at least.

As for Nanami, she has some very minor but noticeable changes. Specifically, her mouth was redrawn, and they hadn't quite sharpened the line art for her bangs yet. The two stray hairs curled by her throat were also touched up on come the final sprite.

Also, she seems to have a stray, very long eyelash on her left eye XD. Thankfully, this was fixed.

Nanami is also another example of a character who has their exact beta sprite being reused for UTDP.

Moving on...

I'm always entertained by how wonky Tsumiki's betas often look XD. For this one, her eyes got entirely realigned. When I first looked at Tsumiki's sprite here, I could tell it was off but I wasn't quite sure how. It seems the eyes are pretty different! Not only that, but her hand was made a lot smaller, including her pointer finger, while adding the wrist joint. Some folds in her clothes were redone on both shoulders, and it appears the line art for her right arm nook was decreased in length.

The only other place I know of this sprite appearing is a one-off merch line that is much harder to come by, so I'm glad we have this folder to give us a better idea.

Finally, we're down to Owari and Koizumi. Both these betas only appear on this specific folder as far as I know, which is super neat!

Don't let the stark color contrast disorient youーthere's quite a few small changes happening here.

For one, Koizumi's left eye has the bottom eyelashes fixed, whereas before they seemed to be crooked and oddly numbered. Hair wise, we can see one of the blades of hair near the tip of her left eye was sharpened instead of being left blunt. The line art in general for her hair was sharpened and extended.

Something interesting to note is that Dangan sprites will often fix the line art layer but not the color or shading layer to match the new line art. The shading will be in compliance with the old line art that was erased. With this in mind, I can't help but wonder what Koizumi's hair was supposed to look like. Look at the shading for her bangs; it looks completely wild! What the heck did the line art look like before...?

Moving on though, we can see that the folds in her clothes were largely changed, as well, seam lines were added. It also appears her tie was extended horizontally by her chest.

Finally is Owari, who I also tried to edit the colors on to make the comparison a bit easier.

A lot has changed here in ways I wouldn't have expected. Usually, clothes are largely left alone save some minor details, but it seems every major fold in Owari's clothes were redrawn, including the buttons. Her left hand was given a bit more detail, as was her neck. Sweat was added to her neck and to her breasts also.

As for her face, most notably, it seems her mouth is one solid color! Instead of a tongue and back mouth, only the color of her tongue was used to color in her mouth, which is rather odd. Otherwise, her eyes were changed ever so slightly to be less narrow and her ear was redone as well.

Also quite interesting is the fact her hair was considerably shrunk; the beta sprite has much larger hair off to the side and her ahoge was significantly decreased. Funnily, you can still see the shading from where the ahoge used to be placed on the final sprite.

As said, shading usually doesn't get updated with the line art for whatever reason.

...And that's it! Whew! What an amazing treasure trove of beta sprites in just one piece of merch. I have one more file to analyze, so I'll be back pretty soon. Once I upload that, I'll upload all these scansーas well as the scans for the regular folders that just have generic (but pretty) splash artーonto my site for all to view in HD!

Before I go, I also want to share the back of this folder because it's just as cute:

[letsdosciencetoit]

Several Sentences Sunday

Thanks @chococara25 for the tag. I've been trying to edit my 5+1 today, so here's a part of "I'm Where the Spiders Go," my S1 AU where Tommy never left the 118, so Buck was assigned to the 122 instead.

I'm Where the Spiders Go

Oscar and Maria turn their stares from Evan’s retreating form back to him.  Tommy leans back and shrugs.  They don’t comment any further and return to their conversation, so Tommy figures this sort of behaviour might be par for the course with Evan.

He turns to Sal.  “So I guess letting your probie out on calls is working out?”

Sal shrugs.  “Kid works hard, makes solid calls, and is great at improvisation.  He’s a little impulsive, but give him a little experience and he’s going to be one hell of a firefighter.”

“That’s high praise from Lieutenant Deluca,” Tommy says, mirroring his earlier words.  “That’s a far cry from wanting to get the kid fired.  I’m guessing the sexcapades are under control.”

“The kid just needed a firm hand and a little direction,” Sal explains.  “I have him training during his downtime at the station.  Giving him an outlet for his energy is doing wonders.”

Tommy huffs a laugh.  “Glad it’s working out for you.  Definitely feels like you landed on your feet with the transfer.”

Sal’s smile drops, and his eyes narrow a little.  “Don’t say this to Nash, but the transfer was probably the kindest thing he could have done for me.  I needed the kick in the ass to get my head on straight, and I’m going to make Captain soon.”

“Oh really?  With such confidence, too.”  Tommy’s eyebrows raise in response.

“Between you and I,” Sal starts in a hushed tone, “Captain Warren is retiring in about 12 months.�� I’ve already written the captain’s exams, and he’s prepping me to take over when he steps down.”

Reaching across the table, Sal grabs Tommy by the forearm. “I could use a good Lieutenant when that happens.  The 118 can’t be as much fun without me there.”

Tommy looks down at where Sal’s hand is on his arm before flicking back up to meet Sal’s eyes.  He’s ready to offer up a hundred and one reasons why it would be a bad idea.  He doesn’t want to work his way up the ranks. He doesn’t want to leave the 118.  He’d rather have Sal as a friend than a colleague.  He’s saved from providing a response by Evan returning and slamming another pitcher of beer on the table.

The force of the gesture sends Sal’s half-full pint glass tipping over, beer flooding into Sal’s arm and off the table into his lap.  Conveniently, Tommy manages to avoid the spill, and he would deny his quick reflexes had anything to do with tipping the rickety table away from him.

Evan wears a look of absolute horror on his face. 

Sal stands up with enough force to send his chair clattering behind him. 

Oscar is already up from their table flagging down a staff member for some napkins.

“Shit, Buckley!,” Sal yells, loud enough to make the bar go quiet.  “For someone so coordinated in the field you are the clumsiest mother fucker I know.  I should send you my drycleaning bill.”

Evan, to his credit, does not grab the napkins and immediately try to pat Sal down.  He hands a wad to Sal to clean himself up, and uses the rest to start mopping up the spill. 

“Like you own anything that needs drycleaning,” Gabriel calls out.  “And don’t think we haven’t caught you trying to sneak your civies into the station laundry.”

The comment brings a smile to Sal’s face, no shame at being called out.  “Fair enough.  I guess this is my sign to clear out.  Gina will be happy to have me home early, even if I do end up smelling like a brewery.”

Sal pulls his wallet out of his damp pocket and holds it up for the team to see.  “I’m going to clear our tab.  Next round is on our Probie to make up for his lack of house training.  Make sure to order something top shelf.”

Maria, Oscar and Gabriel cheer as Sal walks to the bar to pay down the tab, then grab the pitcher already on the table and split it between the three of them.  Maria holds the empty pitcher up, and shakes it at Evan. 

Evan grabs it without a word, and brings it back to the bar where Sal is standing.  He says something to Sal, but Tommy can’t hear it over the sounds of the bar.  Sal shakes his head eyes full of mirth, and whatever he says clearly puts Evan at ease, because the kid has a smile on his face once again when he comes back with another pitcher. 

Setting it down with more care this time, Evan takes a seat again next to Tommy.  Tommy knocks their legs together under the table, and offers the kid a smile.  “You know, if you wanted to get my attention there are better ways to go about it.”

I'm still wrapping my mind around tagging games, so I'm not tagging anyone back yet (it is also 1 hour until Monday here).

Tag list for I'm Where the Spiders Go: @teabroomsandbooks, @adian-ua

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷🪷 sooooo excited about both of these

Thank you!!!

72 or 500 for 💔:

---

“R-really?” Diane asks. “Worse than being trapped under a flaming garage in a bomb shelter?”

“Oh, easily,” Buck says. 

Easily and very, very recently, in fact. But if he keeps talking then he doesn’t have to think about that. 

“Like what?” Diane asks.

Fantastic question, Diane.

“Well-”

“Oh, we don’t need to go there,” Eddie interjects. 

“No!” Diane argues. “Please. I need a distraction. So, um… So either that or something else. Please.”

Eddie sighs, relenting. “Fine. Terrify her.”

Buck smiles. This is perfect. If he talks about everything but the lab, then he doesn’t have to think about the lab or how it had concrete walls reminiscent of this in places. If he talks for as long as he possibly can, they’ll either rescue them or he’ll run out of oxygen and die. Either way! 

“Would you like that chronologically or in order of severity?” Buck asks Diane. 

“I’m a history teacher,” Diane replies. “So chronologically.”

“Wonderful,” Buck says. “So in January of 2018 I almost went down in a sinking plane…”

▪️▪️▪️

Eddie spends about ten minutes being badly annoyed by Buck’s incessant storytelling and Diane’s eager appreciation of it. Like, couldn’t they all just choose to shut the fuck up and wait this out in companionable silence? Why is that so hard?

Eddie’s irritation switches to curiosity and confusion, and perhaps a bit of sadness, when he realizes a pattern. Buck is editing every single story. Even the ones where Eddie wasn’t there to experience it firsthand, he can tell. Because he’s heard them all before. Buck has shared all his mishaps and adventures with Eddie, over the years. Almost all his stories, to some degree, include Bobby.

Today, not a single one does.

It starts with the plane crash. Eddie knows that the only reason Buck was ever at risk of drowning that night was because he stayed behind, ignoring Bobby’s evacuation orders, when he noticed Bobby hadn’t evacuated. Classic Buck. Apparently even more classic Buck pre-Eddie meeting him. Today, the motivations of that story are a lot less clear. Everything is told in passive voice. Yes, Eddie remembers that term from English class, thank you very much. 

“We were told we had to evacuate the plane,” Buck explains. “But not everyone did. A passenger was still stuck. So what was I gonna do? Leave someone on our team there? No way! But yeah… The whole cabin was filling up with water and it was pretty scary for a minute there.”

Diane watches him with wide-eyed appreciation. 

“Did your whole team get out?” She asks. “Did the passenger?”

“Oh, yeah,” Buck nods. “She was rescued.” Not Bobby told them to evacuate. Not Bobby rescued the passenger.

---

66 or 500 for 🪷:

---

“Right,” Shannon whispers. “Is… Is Eddie not nearby?”

It’s hard to imagine Eddie leaving Chris in this city. She knows he never loved the idea of LA, but he had seemed to like it once he was here. Would he really go back to Texas the moment Chris hit voting age? 

“He is,” Chris answers simply. 

“Is he working?” Shannon asks. 

“I don’t think he works today,” Chris replies, still looking at his phone. One of the strange ones with no buttons. 

“Okay, uh…” Shannon tries not to sound demanding. “Can we ask him to come instead? I-I think… Well, I’d just feel better if we did that.”

Chris shakes his head, adamant. 

“No,” he says. “No, I can’t just… No. We’ll go back to my place. I’ll call him. I’ll get him to come over alone, and then… And then we’ll figure out what to do.”

Get him to come over alone. 

“Ah,” Shannon says. There’s another wife. 

Of course there is. Why wouldn’t there be? She wouldn’t want him to be alone for over a decade and a half. She is happy to hear he’s moved on. She’s not trying to get him back. She asked him for a divorce. He’s just the only person she knows. Because she doesn’t know Chris. Not like this. 

“Could I just talk to him?” Shannon asks.

Chris looks at her. 

“He’s going to freak out.”

“Yeah, I know, but-”

“You don’t,” Christopher says. “I need to… I need to make sure he’s not with…”

With his wife.

“With my sister,” Chris says eventually. 

Shannon’s shoulders slump. Oh. A sister. Eddie has another kid. Well, of course he does. And why not? He’s a great father. Hadn’t he just said he would have been happy to have another kid with Shannon? Last night? Sixteen years ago…

“Your sister,” Shannon repeats gently.

“She’s only seven,” Chris says. “I don’t… I don’t want to freak her out. So if we could please just do this in a way that… That protects her, okay? She knows who you are and what happened to you.”

Something about this strikes Shannon as interesting. She obviously doesn’t know this little girl. Maybe she’s timid and easily distressed, and Christopher’s concerns are rather straightforward. But, the truth is, Shannon is just some stranger she must have heard stories about. Someone long gone. A ghost in her older brother’s history.

[linkons-most-wanted]

My dear, I’ve been stuck in the time lock event + death and rebirth. Strap in for my rambles and get some tinfoil. Also I’m sure some of my little ideas have plot holes or inconsistencies but this is all fun speculation

I think the implications from in game and the way it’s been presented is our general “timeline” is beyond cloudfall, hunger games world, current story setting. If that’s the case, it kinda confirms Sylus did die and later reincarnated (still doesn’t disqualify him being a dragon tho 😩) then they got separated in the deepspace tunnel where things progress into the main story as we know it. In this, Sylus would regain his memories at some point. Perhaps similar to how for our current mc she’s getting it in bits and pieces. (This isn’t even touching on the conceptual eldritch horror? potential of her and what she is and him with energy because WOW my Bloodborne/Elden Ring days see cosmic beings and go “that’s scary shit right there”)

Here’s where I put on my tinfoil hat.

Sylus remembering things while mc doesn’t could very well be attributed to the very notion of energy itself. Regardless of if Sylus has multiple reincarnations or not, he always ends up remembering because energy cannot be created nor destroyed. (Thinking about where he says something akin to “to all your future crimes you’ll commit”, implying he remembers/knows lives beyond this one)

The inherent manipulation of energy makes it impossible for him to not remember as the energy itself holds echoes of the past and the forms it once existed as. While in the new story chapters we see mc witness countless deaths and rebirths ;D she’s the cycle of life and death itself it seems like. Being born, you know nothing. From the moment you exist you are learning. I think about how if you answer the ambition question “it’s like me, always searching for knowledge/truth” (paraphrase).

He remembers and protects her ambition because it’s just something so important to her… periods are hardly the first of her cycles he dealt with LOL “you think periods bother me when you consistently die and get reborn?”

Here’s MORE tinfoil for a hat to put on the hat.

Beyond cloudfall was the start of it all. Two souls defying fate so strongly they become one with the stars and space. In every lifetime, in the universe itself, they will find their way to each other.

Mc had to have a start somewhere and why not at the end of her life as an immensely powerful sorceress (dragon) knowing she was soulbound to her love that she herself cursed into perpetual existence.

So if Sylus always remembers and patiently awaits and follows wherever his soulmate goes, it’s no wonder he’s so secure with the relationship. (Not to mention his near “perfect” status skill wise ;p for his sake we’ll say that he doesn’t remember EVERYTHING, just the important-for-the-story bits.)

He says for him there are no worlds without you in it and he meant it. His patience is infinite because witnessing your brilliant soul persistently want and desire regardless of what life you take is something he craves and loves. It’s why he despises Ever so thoroughly, putting mc into a situation that forces the cycle. They took you and hurt you and ripped away the greatest parts that come with living and growing. The small details he gets to learn about while falling in love all over again are stolen several times over and that’s a debt EVER will never be able to pay in full.

If you’re a comet, shooting across the night sky, he’s the fiery trail you leave in your wake. There is no love purer than his. 🤧😩

Sorry it took me so long to reply, but I wanted to be sure my brain was online!! Because I LOVE THIS 🤩 I am STRAPPED IN

I actually have a different idea about the timeline tho! It's probably just my bias and my meta story brain, but I'd actually put the nebula gladiatorial combat first.

Because then what you get is:

Two astral children, born of universe stuff, created with the express purpose of fighting their peers so only one survives > they defy this fate somehow (we don't know how but maybe it's a teaser for Sylus's new myth this year since his team loves to foreshadow???) > they reincarnate on Philos as dragon/sorceress > this is why they're destined arch-nemeses, because the very nature of their initial existence pits them against each other in an "only one can survive" way > they defy their fate again > sorceress MC dies > adult dragon sylus reassembles and retains his continuity of memory, explaining why these are top-of-mind when he meets her in the N109 Zone

The nebula arena read as really primordial to me (eldtrich cosmic like you said!)--highly connected to MC's true nature as a force that can be reborn and absorb the planetary core of all possible branching timelines. (Which itself actually explicitly represents the power of love in its infinite incarnations and OMG I NEED to write a whole essay on this!!) It's that primordial-ness that makes me put it as the "first" of the lives.

My theory here requires the assumption that Sylus is also a similarly primordial being capable of reincarnation, and though we haven't been told that specifically, it's true of Zayne and Raf and Caleb (Xavier TBD) so I don't think it's a stretch.

Emotionally, the reason I'm drawn to this explanation is that it explains why MC always has an instinct to kill Sylus and steal his power, even/especially at the start of Beyond Cloudfall. Yeah, it can be "Just because", but the idea that the basic nature of their existence is that one of them is meant to kill the other and come out on top just adds a delicious layer to Beyond Cloudfall.

While I think the authors leave themselves options on purpose, the sequence of events from Beyond Cloudfall > space pirate > N109 Zone is so tight that I'll probably assume they're contiguous until proven otherwise (and at that point I'll cling to it in head canon).

All that said, the writers also lean into the cyclical and branching layer of things so I think that any sort of themes or feelings that arise from putting things into different orders are all intended on some level and definitely very valid!

I love the idea that Sylus is more able to access his memories due to his Evol/powers because, you know what they all that in-universe??? Consciousness energy. So I think you're really onto something!!

I totally agree with the idea that him talking about "and all the crimes you'll commit" is a reference to him knowing about the reincarnation, and I think with the teasers we've gotten of the nebula arena, we know for sure they're still going to use the reincarnation angle with Sylus's myths (as opposed to working them all into the same immortal continuity). So I'm really curious to see where they go with that! As much as I want space pirate Sylus, I think we'd have gotten hints that MC was around in those years if a version of her was, but all we know is he was searching for her all that time, so I don't think we'll get space pirate adventures with the two of them. (Thematically it's probably too similar to Beyond Cloudfall anyway, so I am DYING to see what they do with the upcoming myth. I kinda wonder if we'll get young Sylus x young MC, but the Companion would be adult Sylus so the whole myth can't be while they're young. But I'd bet money it's gonna be the gladiator thing still.)

He remembers and protects her ambition because it’s just something so important to her… periods are hardly the first of her cycles he dealt with LOL “you think periods bother me when you consistently die and get reborn?”

This had me CACKLING and yes I totally agree! Regardless of the continuity of his lifetimes (which will probably remain vague) I'm fully bought in that either his Evol and/or his journey through the Deepspace Tunnel has given him more understanding of & access to the multi-life memories than any other character.

The small details he gets to learn about while falling in love all over again are stolen several times over and that’s a debt EVER will never be able to pay in full. If you’re a comet, shooting across the night sky, he’s the fiery trail you leave in your wake. There is no love purer than his. 🤧😩

THROW A BRICK AT ME WHY DON'T YOU (ilu) 💫🥹

The meta part of my brain wants to sit down with the writing teams soooo soooo badly and, like, pick their brains. 🤣 Like, who's in charge of the main story continuity? Why is Sylus's story so much tighter across all the different types of media than the other LIs? Do the other writing teams have that option and they just don't take advantage of it? How do I learn Chinese so I can become best friends with the Sylus writing team because I just KNOW we would get along omg.

Anyway. Bring me ALL the tinfoil hat theories!! I feel like we're gonna have so much to work with after this livestream on Friday!!!!!

[i-nssomniia]

«Spoiled date»

Pairing: Hyuk x reader x Wooin

Tags: polyamorous relationships

Note: I don't know, I just want two of them. well, please

@shintaru @dzvelinaskebiyars

you look up at the sky, seeing the clouds gathering, a sure sign that it's about to rain, or more specifically, pour.

"We should hurry home if we don't want to get wet" - Hyuk takes your hand, starting to walk forward, when you feel another warm hand on your waist. Ah, Wooin.

you nod curtly as you walk between them. you were actually so upset. the two of them are so often gone for training or their part-time jobs that you rarely spend time as a three, except for the night, but that was different. and now on your shared weekend, you were able to get the two of them on a date to spend time together, but even so, it was all ruined by the weather. you're sure you checked the forecast several times in the morning and even before you left, but there was nothing about a downpour.

"Hey", - you feel a hot breath near your ear as thunder rumbles in the sky. You shudder slightly at the sound, and the rain is about to start. "Are you okay?" - You turn your head to look at Wooin. It's an uncharacteristic display of concern, rather than teasing or random acts of affection towards you or through Hyuk.

You nod at him curtly, trying to hide your disappointment, but even Hyuk, who does not recognize emotional signals well and does not understand other people's actions and their mood, sees that you are not okay. You can feel the small droplets of water beginning to settle on your skin and hair before a full-fledged downpour strikes, forcing you to run and seek shelter in a convenience store.

you look out the store windows, see the strong wind, and realize that you're stuck here for a long time. and it could have been a good chance to spend time as a three-piece, but your mood was so much worse and it was so stupid. you leave the two of them behind as you walk past the store shelves to grab your favorite treat, but even that doesn't have the enthusiasm you just hang in front of the shelf.

"why are you upset?", - Hyuk approaches you with his hands in his pockets, his wet hair sticking to his face, covering his forehead.

"I'm not upset, I'm just-"

"nonsense", - Wooin snorts, placing her hand on your shoulder and reaching for a pack of Poki tubes on the shelf, - "you're acting like it's someone's funeral, seriously."

You sigh, covering your face with your hands. You didn't want to tell them that you were just feeling sad about something small. After all, you spend time with them separately, you share the same apartment, have each other's belongings, and-

"because the date was ruined?" - and you just hate all of this insight from Wooin. You didn't want to look like a fool in front of them, but you just nod, running your hands through your hair, combing the wet strands back.

"We don't spend much time together, and we see each other separately, but it's different. Being on a date with you two when you both have time, but now it's just ruined, and I feel like-"

your stream of complaints is interrupted by a simple question, "why?" from Hyuk, who tilts his head to understand your train of thought. You and Wooin look at him, sighing briefly.

"why what?"

"why is the date ruined?" - he frowns in confusion, shrugging, - "we're all three together now, just like you wanted, so-"

"because it's different, damn it", - you click without even thinking to turn yourself around, - "because it's one thing to be on a date, and another thing to be locked in a store because of the weather. It's different for me. Because when tomorrow comes, everything will start over, but..."

your lower lip trembles as you bow your head down, breathing through your nose. it was so silly and you tried to stop yourself, and you knew you were starting a tantrum out of thin air as you closed your eyes to stop yourself from crying. a few moments pass when you are slapped on the cheeks, lifting your face in warm hands.

you look up, seeing Hyuk looking from Wooin, who's sitting behind you, his arms wrapped around your back now, to you and your face, his gaze skimming over your features.

"We can take a few days off"

your breath catches when you hear those words in front of you. we? a few days off? spend some time together? this is..

"let's take Wooin's car, a small house by the sea", - Hyuk shrugs, brushing your hair. you hear a soft snort behind you, but you stand there, staring at him like a deer in headlights.

"really? a vacation together?", - you receive simultaneous assent from both of them. it sounds much better than a date, to be honest..

You nod briefly, smiling softly as you bask in the arms of the two men, your eyes half-closed. You don't notice Hyuk and Wooin exchanging glances, clearly relieved that they've managed to cheer you up.

Later, you might learn from them that they've been planning this little getaway as a surprise for a while, but they had to tell you to make sure you were okay now.

because even if you spend time with them separately, it doesn't mean they don't notice how good you feel in their arms when they're both around.

MASTERLIST

[isolatednights]

"this is you picking me up. don'know about picking me," she murmurs with a sigh, taking aspects of their conversation far too seriously and others not - but that was the drunken haze. "shouldn't be surprised. no one ever picks me and my lion first." despite her state, she still manages to catch the laugh that escapes him, brow furrowing. "then i'm your type according to your logic."

"i'm just-" yawn cutting off the rest of her sentence, it takes a moment longer for her to continue, "angry because its not fair. i shouldn't be angry with you - because i'm in the same position. aslan's asleep too. keep wondering if i ought to wake him up. would i be a bad mother if i did? or if i didn't?" brows furrow as light hues try to meet dark - as if somehow whatever answer he provides might start smoothing over the rift between them. a grumbled noise escapes her as she's set down - eyelids growing heavy already. "stay?"

silas watches her for several beats cradling the mug between her fingers, and though he's tempted to prompt her to actually take a sip of it, the man simply offers a smile and satisfied nod before leading her away. "grass. and trees. flowers. pretty sure there's fruit but i can't remember if its on this floor or a different one. we'll have to explore some more." he remarks before holding up the control pad that seemed to never be far from his fingertips these days. "figured none of you had found it yet or you'd be hounding me to open it. i thought after everything we'd been through, we deserved something of home. sunlight in there is artificial. so is the breeze. but dirt, grass? smells like earth. opened it up earlier. that's originally what i was trying to find you all for."

"c'mon." stepping around her once more, the nearby doors slide open without a noise - the scent of nature immediately permeating the air. "this is my first time in here since waking up as well." glancing over his shoulder, he grins at her. "what do you think? nice little treasure just for all of us, right?"

he didn't know how long they'd have to sit there - with him murmuring soft reassurances to try and calm her down - but something deep inside him said he'd wait as long as needed. until her breathing normalized and the shaking of her hands stopped, his hands would continue the smooth trail up and down her spine.

"'s not gonna be perfect," he murmurs after a moment. "not at first. but we'll figure something out, ya? silas' got that tablet. sure we can get ourselves into any one of these suites. something real big. get into the storage and shopping areas. get what we want to decorate and what not." assumptions, all of it, but asher would do a fair amount to try and sooth the woman. to make all of this work out in the end. "don't wanna make assumptions that you and i will be together," not when he knew he wasn't a good guy - when she had people willing to sacrifice the lives and well being of others for her. "but i could probably take you on a date. figure all that out." not that he'd ever done that, but they could try, right? chuckling softly, his head tilts down to look at her. "i imagine it does. you and that other girl seem to have drunk half the bar. c'mon. i'm gonna pick you up. the med-bay'll have some IV bags that'll help with the hangover tomorrow."

"am i not picking you now? is this not me picking you?" his eyes softened. "i'm sorry, that i made you feel like you were second choice... i really just needed time to figure my head out darlin'. it wasn't you." he meant that, the way he spoke? soft and warm? that was a voice for her to melt in to, to soothe and it was utterly serious. he couldn't help the bit of laughter that escaped. "because apparently your type is me, i mean, has to be according to that test thing, right? so i'm going to take a chance that tall, dark hair, rough around the edges is your type."

"don't wanna be mean to me, but you're angry at me, so what can i do for you to not be angry at me? then we've half solved that problem right? i can't read means, wish i could, but you might have to give me a clue on what it is i could do." the noise of his door hushing opened and then closed behind them, he was setting her down on his bed as gently as he could. "there we go, easy" he'd go find a bed elsewhere, maybe the sofa so he wasn't too far, but he wanted her to be comfortable. "right, let me get you some water and something for how much your head will hate you in the morning."

eris was staring down at the mug of hot chocolate he'd as good as pushed into her hand, she didn't know what to make of it because.. how the hell did he know that she loved a hot chocolate? it was always her choice when it came to something sweet. it threw her too, the kindness of showing her this first, the normalcy of a cafe and she hadn't half been craving some form of normality the past few days. sure the androids were a little strange but at least a cafe would seem like something they'd have all done in their day to day life before this. it was such a simple pleasure, her fingers curving around the comfortable warmth of the mug.

she followed him again, looking out into such vivid greenery, and this little smile started to tug at her lips. "is that grass?" she could see so much here, so many rooms, it wasn't just boring grey either and seeing the room garden room, such vivid green it made her feel more... more normal. "why are you showing me this?" she moved to the window, clutching that mug close to herself like there was a risk someone was going to snatch it from her, the other hand on the glass pane that looked down to the garden. "can we get in to that room yet?" she was in awe of it.

maybe it was the heat of his chest, or the strong arms that she knew weren't going to stop holding around her until she was ready for it, but something about how he cradled her felt so surrounding and safe. enough that her own hands stopped gripping at herself and instead, gripping into his shirt, her hands balling the material into fists as she held to him, firm and secure and close, she was so close. she was crying, a soft sniffle as she just cried in to his chest for a little bit, because that was fine.. that was fine because he soothed it, he ushered little words of being there, that he was there.

it took a minute for her to calm, for her to breath without the rushing, without the panic in her bone, for her hands to stop their trembling but it did work.. eventually she was nodding her head a little bit because what he'd done had worked a treat. he'd given her something else to think about and focus on, making some space here, a home, how to make it cosy, how to make it feel like a home for him too so he could experience that. "i think so. i can try my best. you should get to have a home, even if it's not one with me for that- the thingy." despite calming, she didn't want to move, she wanted to stay right there. "my head feels all.. all fuzzy." she mumbles into his chest. she could stay right here and be perfectly happy. "it hurts, the fuzzy feeling i don't-" the noise she made was halfway to a hiccup. far too much to drink. "i don't like it."

[marlowe-art]

"Severance" (2022 - ) x "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead" (1990)

full quote from the movie (had to abridge it in the comic to keep the wall-of-text factor and page count within reasonable limits):

Rosencrantz: Did you ever think of yourself as actually dead, lying in a box with a lid on it?

Guildenstern: No.

Rosencrantz: Nor do I, really. It's silly to be depressed by it. I mean, one thinks of it like being alive in a box. One keeps forgetting to take into account the fact that one is dead, which should make all the difference, shouldn't it? I mean, you'd never *know* you were in a box, would you? It would be just like you were asleep in a box. Not that I'd like to sleep in a box, mind you. Not without any air. You'd wake up dead for a start, and then where would you be? In a box. That's the bit I don't like, frankly. That's why I don't think of it. Because you'd be helpless, wouldn't you? Stuffed in a box like that. I mean, you'd be in there forever, even taking into account the fact that you're dead. It isn't a pleasant thought. Especially if you're dead, really. Ask yourself, if I asked you straight off, "I'm going to stuff you in this box. Now, would you rather be alive or dead?" naturally, you'd prefer to be alive. Life in a box is better than no life at all, I expect. You'd have a chance, at least. You could lie there thinking, "Well, at least I'm not dead. In a minute somebody is going to bang on the lid, and tell me to come out."

[bangs on lid]

Rosencrantz: "Hey you! What's your name? Come out of there!"

Guildenstern: [long pause] I think I'm going to kill you.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Bonus 12: Beware the Grapes of Wrath.

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