#anyway stay tuned we'll see how well it goes

[13eyond13]

Character development for my 6th year of running a Death Note blog is that I'm going to attempt to stop disliking Mello the most and find some things to enjoy about him

[madness-of-void]

The Cosplay Progress (?)

Okay...I'm doing it. I'm showing off the hot mess of progress of the possibly decent, or absolutely hot garbage, cosplay of my version of human!Ink. I do have a nice chunk of the items for the cosplay - just gotta put it together. Most of the putting together can be done in a day, and I have until July to finish it all, soooo...we'll see how this goes! ^^;

Now I'll just post updates maybe every other day, or once a week, since I do have most of it in hand. And it will all be under the cut, since it'll long as fuck. So, without further ado, let's begin, shall we?

First off, this is probably the most ambitious cosplay I've ever done. Normally I do something easy. Examples: Stiles from TW, casual Keith from VLD, and recently (for Halloween) genocide route Frisk. debating on positing what garbo pics i have of those

Flowerfell!Frisk? Probably the most complex I've done, and only because I had to have help make a flower crown, actually use fabric glue for the flowers and little heart on the shorts and flower on the mask , painted up a random prop stick I had lying around no idea why i had that , and did a little bit of faint make-up. And ended up with this:

bad pic i know but it's all i got of the full thing where i don't look like a drowned rat coz goddamn it was hot af

So after that, for some damned reason, I decided it would be a GREAT idea to do a difficulty jump and do Ink! Yaaaaay...I'm so smart. I have been looking at this as a reference for what I need mostly coz i had it saved on my phone already , which has been both motivation to get this done...but also a little intimidating. But I'm already too far into this. Can't back out now!

Anyways, enough rambling! Let's start with the first update on this silly thing!

HOODIE

So, firstly, I already had my eye on the Ink hoodie from Simakai (I'll properly tag once the whole thing is done). I already have the Underfell one that I used for my Flowerfell!Frisk cosplay. I also have the Outertale hoodie, bi pride hoodie, and ace pride hoodie all from Simakai! They are all amazing hoodies, and I actually just bought Epic's hoodie from their new shop! Definitely check them out! They're comfy, well made, and I'll admit I wear my Outertale and Underfell hoodies out sometimes.

The pic doesn't do it justice (hence all the millions of links above), but tada! The hoodie! My biggest worry is maybe tripping on the scarf, but I think I can manage. place your bets coz my ass clumsy

Also, there is a little surprise in it!

Twas quite the laughing jumpscare when I was messing with the pockets.

And that's it for update 1! Stay tuned for more. >:3

~+~

Update 2 time!

Apologies for how garbage the pics are for this part. Space was a mess at the time, and I'm too lazy to redo it. With that out of the way...let's ramble!

PANTS

So, next to the sash for the vials, this was surprisingly the hardest thing for me to find. I couldn't find anything that looked "just right". The first pair that I bought did look just right...but the color was way off. Way too bright from what was advertised. Took me a while to find another pair, and I actually bought two more. one of which i may use for a ftfo!ink Now, the next pair is the right color...but it's just a nice pair of sweats/joggers. Which is a bit of a bummer, but seeings how I cannot sew/make a full blown pair of pants (can barely sew at all), and my stepmom (who can sew) isn't that insanely skilled, they will have to do.

Here is a pic of the pants side-by-side coz for the longest time I was going to go with the first pair I bought. But after putting it together with the top...no. Just...no. Did not look good. You'll have to take my word for it.

And before you ask, yes. I will have assistance sewing on the little suspenders. That will be two separate posts on their own in the future! It won't be just plain brown pants.

So that's it for update 2! Stay tuned for more! if you want i ain't forcing ya lols

~+~

Update number 3! Wooooo!

And it is actually really boring.

Like...royally boring. sorry?

GLOVES

So these were a bit easy to get. Granted, I did buy two pairs, because I couldn't decided initially. It was only after trying them on that I could make a decision.

They are a bit long, but I can live with that. especially coz I am not planning on doing the tatts, that would end terribly And, yes, they are missing that little piece on the pinky. Just like the pants are missing the suspenders. And just like with those, I will be having assistance sewing that piece on!

I could show you want I have of that, but I'm planning on making that one big update.

Okay! That's it! Stay tuned for update 4!

~+~

Update 4! Not another exciting one again. The more exciting ones will slowly trickle in. depending on what you define as exciting

Anywho! Update 4!

SHOES

Yes. Shoes. I know our favorite souless bean doesn't wear shoes anymore...but I have to. No need to get my toes all messed up! Especially at this convention center. Walking around there can be a nightmare! Closed toed or not. 😭

Anyway!

Shoes!

They were sadly kind of expensive, but these were the closest I could find that kind of fit for what I was going for and i looked at custom ones first. Plus, I will be wearing these outside of the cosplay. So I get shoes for cosplay, and shoes for whenever I wanna wear them - a win-win.

But, one more thing! I will also I guess ruin them, in a way. How will I ruin them? Well...I was thinking of adding more splatter to them. Plus, see that pesky logo? Welp...I also had an idea for that.

And I'll just leave this update at that. >:3

~+~

Update 5! Long time coming, I know. But a lot of what I have left are bigger pieces that have a few extra things I gotta do, and I just haven't been focused on doing them. But since I'm actually going to finish this one this weekend, I decided to show the unfinished product. With that being said, here we go!

VIALS

These were actually so hard to find! I couldn't find anything that worked! And I originally started looking during the Halloween season, too! When these type of things would be more around. But everything was either way too big or just straight up decorative glass. Which...yeah. Would not do!

Eventually, after searching for ages, I found these on Etsy.

They're originally for necklaces, which, even though they are glass, they're hopefully a tad more sturdy. And, if things work out, I'll have a perfect way to keep them in the sash! We shall see.

I also found these!

Figured it would be fun to have little earrings on human!Ink.

Now, for the paints in the vials, I was having a hard idea what to do. Part of me wanted to put real paint in there. Yeaaaaah...probably not the best idea. But I finally figured it out, and I'll be working on it this weekend!

Stay tuned for the final look!

~+~

[decaydanceunredacted]

yay💞 trans ryan not!fic time. obligatory disclaimer this is not meant 2 be speculative at ALL or representative of all trans experiences etc etc its just for funzies hokay. i am crazy. but i am free

we'll do transguy ryan first. in my mind the timeline is that he starts seriously learning ab queerness sometime in high school, super burying himself online + in books all the time. tries to be a tomboy, butch, but it just doesnt rly work. so he tells spencer one summer, hey, i think im a guy. goes through senior year knowing but not telling anyone else, except for maybe a couple more friends, spencers mom. buys new clothes and keeps his hair short and his head down til the summer after graduation; doesnt even tell brendon hes trans once brendon joins the band, brendons just like alright cool youre a guy with a girly voice whatev. he does come out to him soon enough since they get pretty close but for the most part fully intends on keeping stealth, esp as the band gets bigger, bigger, and it seriously turns into a ticket outta there.

he doesnt manage to start taking t until around mid 2006 and the costumes + makeup help a lot a lot in dealing w heavy dysphoria+general discomfort around that time and with being perceived ssooo much so fast. he got top surgery around 07 and cabin era was yes in part to make a new album but also he spent it recovering. he was able to mellow out a lot in 07/08 in big part thanks to finally being comfortable in his own body. yay💖 idk if he'd ever come out publicly or stay stealth forever. maybe? anyway

tgirl ryan is a different story entirely. it starts sort of the same - finding blogs & books about queerness about halfway through high school, and it all resonates way too deep, too much. instead of coming out, she refuses to think about it and refuses to talk about it and refuses to let comments from the public, from the press, from her friends and bandmates and pete about could be pretty for a girl, and are you sure youre not gay? get to her. again, the makeup & the costumes are solace. bending and experimenting and maybe, sometimes, seeing herself in the mirror, and still being able to snap back into place: say see, dont worry, its just for show. and she doesnt really mean to ever let it slip but its 2007, theyre supposed to be making a new album but it sort of feels like theyre making a new -- something else entirely, and, well, theyre doing a lot of drugs. she asks, do you think im a girl? sort of vaguely, the ceiling is spinning and everyones quiet, too quiet, she almost thinks none of them are there and shes gonna sit up to see shes alone in her room, until jon says: i dont know, i think thats up to you. she sits up, and everyones looking at her. not judging; mostly just curious, confused.

ryan tells them, yes, she likes her name. it can be a girls name, right? she already chose it once. so they still call her ryan but they start calling her her in private, because, she says, hell no, shes not coming out to everyone. not any time soon, at least.

things are way easier, way more comfortable, just like that, for a while. being out to even just a select few is a big weight off; its easy enough to tune out everyone else. but as time goes on it becomes more and more obvious, its definitely not sustainable for the long term.

so the band falls apart. so its just her and jon. they do a couple shows and the venues are way smaller, the attention is dying down, and thats when she tells him, okay, i want to come out.

its just one interview, she tries to keep it lowkey, telling everyone in her immediate circle first and telling them yes, yes, please, call me a woman in public. dont make me do all the work.

so thats how it happens. its not easy, by any means, but she starts estrogen and lets her hair grow out and curl, smiles hard when jon refers to her easily, correctly on stage, in front of everyone, and so maybe its all worth it; to be comfortable like this, in her own skin. and maybe it pays off in ways she didnt even think of, too -- someone in the audience, one night, passing up a trans flag for her to put on the mic stand.

.

[chrysanthemumgames]

Hi Jess! Hope you're doing well and a little brief suggestions:

Arriving in PC's room by chapter 1, could you add an option like: It doesn't matter anyway, who knows where you will be next? (Hinting that PC doesn't feel it will ever be home due to Zeus & Demeter, since Zeus could do this to then once, there might be a second if Demeter really got them back, whether if it's PC's will or not)

A chance to interact with the Goddess before leaving, without wanting to stay at the party. Just a few moments for either the Goddess or PC to seek either side, for a few talk.

That's all! Thanks! And as much as I couldn't wait for chapter seven, I want you to know that please take all the time you can, and do remember to rest too! It's important!

Hey anon, thanks for the suggestions; I'll take them under advisement. I think both should be pretty simple to implement, so we'll see how it goes when I get around to editing this thing. :)

Chapter Seven is going well; finally approaching the end. Public release will definitely be happening sometime in December, so stay tuned!

[authorautumnbanks]

One Night (5)

Kagome fidgets with her fingers, trying her best to stop looking in the backseat. Koushi is sleeping. She knows this. But she can't see his face from the front passenger seat, and she really should have just climbed into the backseat and had Megumi take the front. Satoru covers her hands with his.

She stares at his hand and then relaxes. Satoru is right. Koushi is fine. She's just being antsy for no reason. Koushi is sleeping and the chances of him teleporting are slim, so long as Satoru is right there.

Still, she's about to enter unfamiliar territory and she doesn't have a bow with her.

"Is there anything I should know before we get there?" she asks, needing to break up the silent atmosphere. The car is too quiet. Maybe Satoru is afraid to talk while Koushi is sleeping, or maybe he isn't nearly as talkative as she thought he was.

"Besides that, you're mine?" He flashes her a smirk. "Well, they might say some out-of-pocket shi—crap since they're old-fashioned like that. But I think once they see Koushi and see that he has the six eyes and limitless, they'll probably sing a different tune."

Her brows bunch together. Why does that matter? A child is a child, regardless of how many extra abilities they have. They should be happy to have a grandson, period. Satoru glances at her and then back to the road.

"They're old-fashioned. In the jujutsu world, power and obedience are key, so when they realize how strong Koushi is, they'll change their tune. I got anything I wanted growing up."

"That explains a lot," Megumi quips from the backseat.

"You can get anything you want," Satoru retorts. "You're just not greedy enough."

Kagome pokes the inside of her cheek with her tongue. They don't seem to be talking about materialistic things anymore. No, not with how Satoru looks at Megumi through the rear-view mirror. She interlocks their fingers and looks out the window. Old-fashioned, huh? Annoying, but she can deal with it. Not like she didn't have to deal with that stuff when she was time-traveling. This should be a walk in the park.

"Anyway," Satoru says. "We're just introducing them to you and Koushi, so you two have more protection. We aren't staying for lunch or dinner. We get in, get out, and then stop by the hospital if you and Koushi are feeling up to it."

"I'll need to eat," Kagome points out. "I don't think this will be a get in and get out meeting like you're hoping. They'll have questions."

Satoru groans. "Questions? Ugh. Okay, we'll stop somewhere and then go to the hospital."

"Why are we going to a hospital?" Megumi questions. "Did something happen?"

"No, but Kagome may be able to help with whatever is going on with Tsumiki since it's curse related. We don't know for certain, but it doesn't hurt to try."

"Oh. That's... thank you."

"We'll also need groceries," Satoru says, tugging his hand free. He reaches for his phone in the cup holder and unlocks it. "But we can make Ijichi take care of that. He has a key to the apartment." He places the unlocked phone in her lap. "Just tell him what to get if you have any preferences."

"Now I'm doing the grocery shopping?" Kagome raises a brow.

"I thought you wanted to be a housewife?"

She sucks her teeth. There he goes again with that wife thing. He can't possibly be serious about wanting them to all live together? They barely know each other. "Sounds like you want me to be a housewife." She composes the text message to this Ijichi person and lists out some things that would be nice to have at Satoru's place.

"I mean... if you ever want to greet me just wearing an apron when I get home, I won't complain."

Kagome flushes.

"EW." Megumi grumbles from the back seat. "Can't you wait until I'm not around?"

Kagome grimaces and turns around to look back at Megumi. "Sorry, about him."

"Hey!"

"It's fine," Megumi says, turning his head towards the window. "Just not used to seeing him being anything other than an obnoxious idiot."

"Megumi is the sweetest," Satoru says, completely unfazed by the insult. Kagome turns back around and studies the side of his profile. "Kagome," he warns.

"I'm not doing anything."

"You're looking at me."

"I can't look at you now?"

Satoru bites his lip. "I've been wound up since last night." He clucks his tongue. "Make that more like a year."

She squints at him. Is he saying what she thinks he is saying? "You mean you haven't..." she trails off, trying to be mindful of the company in the backseat.

"Couldn't do it." He glances down at his lap, then at her, and finally back to the road. "You should take responsibility," he says with a sigh.

Kagome snorts. "That sounds like a personal problem."

He gasps.

"And no," she adds. "That was the last thing on my mind when I was pregnant."

"Was it hard?"

Kagome blinks. "Uh...no? It wasn't a hard pregnancy, though there were some weird things that happened with the ultrasounds. I thought it was me at first, but now I think it was Koushi."

"What was wrong with the ultrasounds?" Satoru makes a left turn, and it feels like they have been driving forever.

"The equipment just never wanted to act right. Like it would suddenly malfunction. Ended up just opting to labor at home because I thought it would be easier." She shrugs. "Mama actually got to hold him first since she caught him. I got some pushback from the doctor, of course, since they wanted me to deliver in the hospital, but... I'm glad I didn't. Between the ultrasound equipment and other equipment malfunctioning every time we went in, and then the day he was born, it snowed."

"July...7th? During the Star Festival? It snowed then, which was weird."

"Yep, that's when he wanted to come out."

"He also knocked Yuji into a wall," Megumi speaks up. Kagome whips her head toward Satoru. Who is Yuji? And how did Koushi knock someone into a wall?

"Yuji is fine," Satoru stresses. "More importantly, my son caused it to snow in July."

"Is that all you got from that?" Kagome shakes her head. Does anything faze this man? "I'm not saying he did, just that there were some things that didn't add up."

"Nah, my son was flexing from the womb."

"Please don't let Koushi grow up to be like his father," Megumi pleads.

"I don't know where I went wrong with Megumi," Satoru sighs. "I tried my best. Guess that's what happens when you become a teen parent."

"You aren't my father."

"See!"

Kagome covers her mouth with her hand and looks away from Satoru. She will not laugh. The phone vibrates in her lap. "Ijichi says he dropped off the groceries."

"Good, now have him do some more errands. Whatever you need." He turns down a road and Kagome perks up at the sight of a barrier.

"Is he your assistant?"

"Basically."

"Ijichi-san is the manager for the school, not Gojo-sensei's assistant."

That clears up absolutely nothing. Kagome yawns. They've been in this car so long, her butt hurts. She gets why Satoru mentioned getting a bigger apartment in Tokyo. If his clan is this far out, then it would take way too long for her to get back to the shrine. And it is out in the middle of nowhere. The estate, because that's what it is, looks as though it hasn't changed since the feudal era.

Satoru parks the car and cuts off the engine. He looks at her as he grabs his phone from her lap. "Just remember, they may say something that might piss you off. I'll handle it if it happens."

Kagome nods. Yeah, if they say something inappropriate, she'll smack the shit out of them herself.

Satoru smiles and then gets out of the car. Kagome goes to open her door and jerks back. How did he... She scratches her head as the door opens and Satoru rests his arms on top of the door, waiting for her to get out. Is it truly that serious for him to get the door for her? She shakes her head and thanks him.

Megumi shoots them a bewildered expression and stuffs his hands in his pockets.

Is this not normal behavior for Satoru, then? Kagome mentally shrugs as she walks around the car to get Koushi out of the car seat. Satoru carries her yellow backpack with some of Koushi's stuff. Hopefully, Ayumi can drop the baby bag off today.

"I probably should have called ahead," Satoru admits, striding in front of them. "But everyone is probably here, since they don't do too many missions these days. At least the people that matter, anyway."

"Don't you have missions?" Kagome asks, cradling Koushi to her chest.

"Yeah... but things got moved around because Koushi wanted to make a grand entrance. The missions aren't going anywhere, though I might be late coming home."

Late coming home? Why would she care if he gets in late?

Oh.

"Satoru, I was going to stay at the shrine tonight."

"Even though the bed is small?"

"Who said you were sleeping with me?"

"Are you guys even together?" Megumi questions.

"No."

"Yes."

Kagome shoots Satoru a look. They'll talk about this later. For whatever reason, he seems to think taking responsibility for Koushi means he has to be in a relationship with her. He shouldn't throw away his prospects. The last thing she wants is to get used to having Satoru around, fall in love with him, and then he wakes up one day and regrets everything.

Like InuYasha.

Kagome bites the inside of her cheeks. "It's complicated," she says. Kagome takes in the old structures and how quiet the estate is. "But yes, we're together." This place gives her the creeps. "Why is this place so cold?"

"You're cold?"

She shakes her head. "No, I mean like stiff. There's no noise. It may as well be a zombie estate with how quiet it is."

Satoru blinks. "Zombie?" He smiles. "Well... they like order."

"The Zenins are like that too," Megumi says. "At least when I visit."

"All the clans are probably similar in that aspect. There is a certain level of obedience that they want. I hate it, so I don't stick around here."

"But you're the clan leader," Kagome stresses. "Can't you make it livelier?" She does not want Koushi to be raised in such an environment. This place screams sterile.

Satoru stops. "Yeah. You're right. I could do something." He resumes walking and leads them down some halls. Some people walk by and bow their heads. Some stare at Kagome when they think she doesn't notice, or maybe more when they think Satoru doesn't notice. She isn't sure, but the whispers don't pick up until they get further away.

They come to a door and instead of knocking, Satoru bursts in. "Yo!" he greets.

"Why don't you ever knock?" A man asks.

"Knock? What for? Why would I knock when I came to show you your grandson?"

"... My what?"

Satoru steps into the office and steps aside for Kagome to stand next to him. She clutches Koushi closer to her chest. Koushi squirms a bit. He'll be getting up soon. He must have used a lot of energy teleporting to his dad because he doesn't normally nap for this long. So, this is Satoru's father and Koushi's grandfather? Kagome swallows back the sigh.

These Gojo genes are strong. Even the grandfather looks just like Satoru, except with longer hair. Though his build looks more muscular, or maybe it's the traditional haori top that makes him look more muscular? Satoru's work uniform slims him. Unless he's lost muscle mass since that night.

"Kagome, this is the old geezer. But you can call him Syouma."

Syouma presses his lips into a thin line and then rises from his chair. He walks around the desk right as Koushi wakes up. Koushi blinks and turns his head. Syouma inhales.

"Is that?"

"Yep, he's got it too."

Syouma takes a step forward and Koushi reaches a hand out towards him. Kagome bites her tongue as Syouma gently takes Koushi from her arms. Every muscle in her body twitches.

It's okay. It's okay. This is Koushi's grandfather. She gnaws on her tongue.

"This is impossible," Syouma whispers. "But you're here and you're perfect." Syouma turns to Satoru, completely dismissing Kagome. "We'll have a wet nurse come to the main wing and assign him an attendant."

"Excuse me?" Kagome hisses.

Syouma looks at her and scoffs. "Why did you bring this woman here?"

"About that." Satoru rubs the back of his head. "You need to watch your mouth when you address Kagome. There will be no wet nurses for Koushi. We didn't come here to drop Koushi off. I came to let you know you have a grandson, and others may come after him because he has the six eyes and limitless." Satoru jerks a thumb at Kagome. "Or my future wife. I don't want anyone getting any wise ideas."

Future wife?

"What's all this ruckus?" A man bellows.

Kagome turns and blinks at the sight of the man. He's bulky, like one of those American wrestlers. Not at all like the sumo ones. His hair is shorter than Satoru's, but his eyes are the same shade of blue as Syouma's. She needs to see more clan members. Do their genes just win in every single round?

"Why are you so loud?" Syouma sighs.

"This is my normal voice," the man says and then he leers at Kagome. He licks his lips. "Who is this pretty little thing?"

"Another word and I'll cut your tongue out and make you choke on it," Satoru says cheerily. "Kagome, this is my uncle Ryu. But feel free to always ignore him."

Megumi sighs. Kagome frowns. Perhaps Megumi was telling the truth that he isn't Satoru's kid. He doesn't look like him and the other members don't seem to be acknowledging him.

"We got another six eyes and limitless user in the family," Syouma says. "Since you like to talk so much, go and tell everyone about Koushi." Syouma pauses. "And it appears that our clan leader is taking a wife."

Ryu blanches. "Her?" He points at Kagome. "He's taking her as a... did you say there's another six eyes user?"

Koushi reaches up and pinches Syouma's face. He blinks and then winces. "You weren't even this strong when you were a baby," Syouma says.

"You remember me as a kid?" Satoru scoffs.

Oh boy. Did she just walk into some family trauma?

Syouma ignores Satoru and instead focuses on Koushi, who continues to tug at his face. "Ryu, why are you dallying?"

"I was thinking—"

"A first," Satoru quips.

"I was thinking that we don't know if this child was born with the prized abilities because of Satoru or because he simply is a miracle child. We should test this. In fact, I know neither of you cares too much about this, so I have taken on the liberty of sorting through the marriage prospects and have narrowed it down to the finest breeders."

Breeders? Kagome rubs her temple. She peeks at Megumi, who has his arms crossed and seems unfazed by this behavior. Satoru's face is stone cold, like the expression he wore last night at the station.

"None of that is happening. I'm with Kagome."

"But why? You would risk increasing our bloodline to stay with a non-sorcerer? There is no cursed energy within her. I cannot believe you even brought her back to the estate. What good is—"

Slam. Ryu's body hits the wall, and he slides down.

Kagome blinks. She didn't even Satoru move.

"Father, you'll make the proper announcements."

Syouma nods. "Ryu is an idiot. It's clear that something is abnormal about you," the last part he directs at Kagome. "And my grandson. There's some other energy here, but it's not cursed."

Kagome tilts her head. "You mean holy energy. Has no one felt holy energy around here?"

Syouma stares. Assesses. His eyes flint back to Satoru.

"Nope. Just you and Koushi." Satoru reaches for Koushi, but Koushi squeezes Syouma's face tighter and refuses to let go. "Kind of hurting my feelings here, bud. Don't you want me?" Satoru sighs. "Oh, and this stays in this room. At least for now. The last thing we need is for a manhunt to take place."

"Why would a man hunt take place?" She doesn't get it. So, what if she has holy powers? Why would others be hunted down because of that?

"Other clans may think they can replicate the same." Satoru shrugs. "No reason for innocents to get swept into this. Or they may try to go after you and try to replicate the same. Desperate sorcerers act like curse users."

Kagome nods. So, these sorcerers are less human and more demon-like in their society. That's fine. She can work with that. "For the record, I think it was simply Koushi wanting to be born. All things considered."

Satoru beams. "My super sperm." He winks at Kagome.

"And I'm disgusted," Megumi says. "I'm going back to the car." He walks out of the office and glances down at the knocked out Ryu on his way. Megumi says something under his breath, but Kagome can't make out what.

"Will you be moving back into the estate?"

"I'm not living here," Kagome says before Satoru can answer.

Syouma blinks. He assesses her again and Kagome stands up taller. What is with this guy?

"Nah, we're gonna get a bigger apartment. Space out future kids and go from there. The estate is too far from Kagome's family, and she'll need her support system around."

Kagome bites on her tongue again. Crap. She just implied she and Satoru are going to be living together. That she wants to live with him.

Syouma frowns.

"You can always come by and see him," she says. "Just give me a head's up in case he's down for a nap."

Syouma gives her the smallest smile and nods his head. He sniffs and then coughs. Ah, Koushi must have used his diaper. Kagome takes the bag from Satoru and looks for the supplies.

"I can do it," Syouma announces it, startling Kagome. Why does it sound like he's about to go off into battle?

"You? Change a diaper?" Satoru's tone drips with skepticism, but Syouma ignores him and, with Kagome's guidance, he changes Koushi's diaper. It's clear that Syouma isn't used to doing such tasks, but Kagome can't help but smile at seeing Koushi's grandfather trying.

"We should get going," Kagome says, taking Koushi back, who immediately pats her chest. "He's hungry and I'm hungry."

Satoru stares at Koushi's hand and then finally looks at her. "He just pats your breasts and gets what he wants?"

Kagome inhales. "Satoru."

He throws up his hands in surrender. "I was just curious. Not that I was thinking about doing such things."

She shakes her head as she walks over to the black leather chair and sits down. Syouma turns his back to her and faces Satoru, giving her some privacy as she nurses Koushi. "We can just stop at a drive-in on the way to the hospital and then back to the shrine."

"And then back to the apartment?"

Kagome presses her lips together. He really wants them in his apartment? "Just leave the car again and a key to get in."

Syouma sighs. "I will let the rest of the clan know. You may not want an attendant for Koushi, but Ito is around." Syouma drops the dirty diaper on Ryu's face.

"Another time," Satoru says. "Kagome looks like she might blow if she meets any more members."

Uh yeah, because if any of them are like his uncle, she might get slap-happy. At least Syouma is relatively okay, though he was dismissive in the beginning.

"Alright," Syouma says, grabbing Ryu's leg. "I'll ensure the word is out... and I would like to see Koushi again later this week."

"You just saw—"

"I'll make us lunch," Kagome says, fixing the top part of her dress. She burps Koushi, who settles back down. He seems to be taking in his surroundings.

"I'd like that," Syouma says, as he drags Ryu's unconscious body out of the office.

"He's never like that," Satoru says after a moment. "He was barely around during my childhood and now he's suddenly changing diapers?"

"That's called being a grandparent." Kagome stands and walks over to him. "He might have regrets from yours and is just trying to do better. I wouldn't think too hard about it." She yawns. "Come on, poor Megumi has been waiting for us in the car."

"No one told him to go back to the car," Satoru quips, leading them out of the estate. The yellow bookbag classes with his black uniform.

"I thought it would have been more intense. Meeting everyone."

Satoru blows out a breath. "I thought about it and decided it would be better to have the old man make the announcement. I didn't want you and Koushi to feel like you're under a microscope. The Gojo elders are annoying with their so-called counsel. And they're similar to my uncle, though he's more boisterous than they are. Didn't want you to deal with that. That's why I didn't call for an official meeting."

Oh.

"And about me being your future wife..."

"Ah yeah, what's your ring size?" He turns and reaches for her left hand. "A six or a seven, maybe?"

Kagome flushes. "I don't know, and I'm not asking you to marry me."

Satoru tilts his head. "Of course not. I'll be the one to propose."

She sighs. This man is going to be the death of her.

***

A/N: Happy Easter! I've been leaning more into this being a multiverse, so Syouma is officially in this story along with Ryu.

"Did Kagome and Satoru go to a love hotel?" - Ohhhh yeah, they went to a high-end one.

"Did Satoru wear shades that night?" - Yep, Satoru wears his shades when he isn't working or picking up women. So Kagome hasn't seen him wear his blindfold, though she was side-eyeing it since Satoru never pulled it back on.

"Did the slap knock Sukuna out or was he was afraid of getting smacked again?" - Sukuna was flabbergasted that a baby hit his soul and then pissed that Yuji is so dumb that he can't even dodge an attack from a baby. I'm sure Sukuna is going to give Yuji hell the rest of the day.

"Will people know Kagome has powers?" - After she heals Tsumiki, people are going to have more questions. I don't think Satoru is gonna be able to keep people away from Kagome like he wants.

So I couldn't help myself and I went ahead start posting the original story lolol. It's up on my tumblr, scribblehub, and tapas. For my Ao3 peeps, do you want it on Ao3 as well? Updates may be a little slower since A03 doesn't have a scheduler (sad). But if you do read it, I have the most serious question...should the sword-wielding cupcake be a recurring character?

Next update will be A Thousand Days and then How To Tame. Take care! I hope you have a wonderful Sunday and I hope Monday and the rest of the week is amazing for you. Get some sun if you can and drink your water!

Side note, I really need Satoru to come back and How To Tame so I can release some of these side stories.

[shinrakotls]

#SAKAMOTODAYS143leaks

"Entry"

Pg.1

Editor's note: Slur has planted a bomb inside one of his own!! The devil's hand is closing on the JAA!! Slur: The Order will surely be by Asaki's side. In other words, if Mafuyu or Toramaru challenges the Order and get killed instantly... Slur: Then the bombs inside their body will detonate, damaging both the Order and Asaki. Carolina Reaper: Back then, I had wondered why you'd let those two brats join us. So this is the reason why..

Pg.2 (flashback)

Slur: It was a necessary move. I need pawns that haven't got their license yet, whom had never attended the JCC.. They will not be marked by the JAA. Haruma: But you know.. they'll probably die before they can get close to the Order. Gaku: They're so fuckin' weak. Slur: Yes, and that's why I need you to train them, Gaku. Train them enough to make the Order think that they're enemies worth killing. Gaku: What a pain...

Pg.3 (present)

Shin: Mafuyu! Slur is just using you! Mafuyu: ...I know. It's the bomb, right? I don't care if it blows up after I die anyway. Shin: The heck are you saying... Mafuyu: More importantly, I'm here today so that I can defeat an Order member.. And seriously, Shin-kun, can you stop getting in my way already?

Pg.4

Shin: Why are you so obsessed with the Order?! Mafuyu: ...! It's none of your business. Shin: How is it none of my business when you're on Slur's side?! Do you know how many casualties there will be?! Mafuyu: Tch! Mafuyu: Even so, I.. *Shin peeks into Mafuyu's mind and sees Mafuyu recalling a moment of him & Natsuki when they were little* Shin: !

Pg.5

Shin: Seba...? Mafuyu: ! Mafuyu: Like I said, it's none of your business! Shin: !? Guard: Don't move! You brats are the ones fighting earlier, right?! Guard 2: We got ya. We'll make you two leave the building right away.

Pg.6

*Mafuyu kicks Shin in the midsection* Shin: Grk!! Guard, to Shin: Hey! Stand up properly! *Mafuyu does a flying knee kick to the guard that's restraining Shin & then he steps on Shin's head before running off*

Pg.7

Shin: That jerk... I'll kill him!! Guard: Stay still!!! Shin: Oof!! Shin, powering up his power glove: That's it, you guys...

Pg.8

Asaki: Fantastic! It's true what they say: A great assassin is a great artist. Museum guide: I'm so glad you liked it! If the museum was closed, I'd have been able to give you a more smooth tour. Asaki: I don't like having my time restricted. I enjoy the freedom of being able to go wherever I want and whenever I want to.

Pg.9

Guide: I've heard that your personal collection runs into tens of thousands, Chairman. Which genre do you particularly like? Asaki: Well.. I don't really know. I don't remember much about my collection. Guide: Huh? Asaki: I like the added value of brands. Adding value to trashy things like this allows me to appreciate the history, life and culture of mankind. Even animals could never replicate. Guide: I... see.. Haha... Asaki: By the way...

Pg.10

Asaki: Don't you think this would look good in our office toilet? Nagumo & Shishiba (thinking): There he goes... Guide: That's a tangible cultural property that isn't for sale. Moreover, that item is currently on loan from the Tate Britain so please don't touch it with your bare hands... Jiji subordinate: ... Noted. Jiji, to Asaki: We just acquired the Tate Britain. Asaki: Thank you, Watarai. Have it delivered to my office. Watarai (jiji): Got it, Sir. Guide: ...!

Pg.11

Asaki: Oh, right! This is already old and dirty, so have someone repaint and fix the art and the picture frame. Watarai: Yes, Sir. Guide: Wha... Guide, to Asaki: This work is historically valuable! Asaki: But it's dirty.. Listen, I can't display something as dirty as this in my room, can I? Guide: Tch!! Nagumo (thinking): He's extremely selfish and does whatever he wants.. And whatever he decides on, he'll do whatever it takes to make it happen. That's Chairman Asaki of the JAA... Asaki: *happily humming a tune*

Pg.12

PA System: Announcement - "Super Lost Child Notice. Black hair, wearing a gas mask and cargo pants. Any nearby personnels are to protect them as soon as you see them." Guard 1: "Super Lost"... that's the code word for a dangerous person. Guard 2: "If found, dispose them immediately." Shishiba: They're here. Nagumo: Well then...

Pg.13

Nagumo, Shishiba & Osaragi (rock-scissors-paper): Winner goes. Shin: Hey wait up, you jerk!! I'll never forgive you!! Mafuyu: Sheesh... You're persistent.. Mafuyu, shouting: Uwaaaa! I'm so scared!! Someone's attacking me!! Shin: Huh?!! Guard: Hm?

Pg.14

*Several guards come by and restrain Shin* Shin: Hey, come on! Let go of me! That guy's- Guard: Quit struggling! *Mafuyu gets inside the elevator but as the door closes, Shin manages to pry the doors open & jumps inside* Shin: horaaaaaa!!! Shin: Yo... Finally got you cornered. Mafuyu: ...

Pg.15

*As the elevator door shuts, Mafuyu caught sight of Osaragi who was walking towards the elevator & she's staring right at him* Elevator: Going down. Shin: Hey! Don't you have something to say to me?! Mafuyu: Here she comes... Shin: Huh?

Pg.16 & 17 (double spread)

*Osaragi jumps into the elevator shaft and crashes through the top of the elevator* Shin: !!? Shin: What the- This woman is... Mafuyu: ORDER!!

Pg.18

*Mafuyu attacks Osaragi with the blade of his shoe but Osaragi dodges the attack easily*

Pg.19

Shin: What's happening?! Mafuyu: If you're scared, then scram!! Shin: Hunh?! Osaragi: Shishiba-san will scold me again for breaking so much... Editor's note: An unruly exhibition! ORDER: Osaragi enters the battle!

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Steph's Crew - Part 22: A Night I Won't Forget

cw- strong language, murder, death, grief, complicated family issues, etc.

Intro:

This is prom night part 2, basically.

Last time, the crew went to prom. They didn't go with Steph (she decided earlier on that she wouldn't want to go without her boyfriend who is currently still abroad). So today, we'll take a look at what Steph has been up to while her friends are having fun at prom! Fun!

(Spoiler alert - it isn't all fun. But good stuff does happen, so stay tuned!)

Setting off

(Stephanie is in her car, getting her sat nav ready. She's going on a drive by herself. Suddenly, her phone chimes. She reaches to the seat next to her where she left it, and she picks it up. She smiles when she sees that it's Dylan sending a video message)

Dylan: (on the video) Hey, Steph! I just thought we'd check in real quick! Sorry for the yelling, the music is super loud in here!

(Stephanie can hear the song "I Want It That Way" by Backstreet Boys playing in the background, along with many voices singing along to it. Mostly out of tune)

Alice: (coming in from behind Dylan) Whatcha doing?

Dylan: Making a video to send to Steph.

Alice: Oh, cool! I wanna be in it!

Dylan: You already are, bruv-

Alice: (takes Dylan's phone off him) Hey, girl! How are you? Prom's in full swing, and It's great here. The outfits, the food, the energy, the atmosphere... literally the only thing that's wrong with it is the fact that you ain't here.

Bret: (walking behind her, singing badly) TELL ME WHY-

Alice: And Bret's singing. Anyway, hope you're doing alright. I'll call you later!

(Alice sits down and Stephanie sees that Elise is sitting next to her)

Elise: What are you doing with Dylan's phone?

Alice: Uuuuhhm... Nothing!

Elise: Ally-

Alice: Bye, Steph! Love you!

(The video ends. Stephanie can't help but smile, despite the awkward ending. Then she sighs, mentally preparing herself for the journey ahead)

Coming home (a few hours later)

(Stephanie gets home and immediately heads to her bedroom. She flops on her bed and groans into her pillows. This is the position she remains in until she hears her doorbell about half an hour later. She goes and answers it, and is pleasantly surprised to find that it's her friends from school, who have come to pay her a visit after their prom)

Stephanie: Oh, my gosh! Hey, guys!

Alice: Hi! (hugs Stephanie)

Dylan: What's up? (hugs Stephanie)

Bret: You ok? (hugs Stephanie)

Stephanie: Yeah, I'm ok. (turns to Elise and smiles, but doesn't give her a hug) What are you party people doing here anyway? You guys all look great, by the way.

Elise: (shrugs) Prom ended not too long ago. We just thought we'd stop by and see how you were doing here by yourself, that's all.

Stephanie: Well, you didn't have to come here just 'cause everyone else did, El.

Elise: It was my idea, actually.

Stephanie: Really?

Dylan: Yeah, she insisted on it.

Bret: She was practically yelling at my aunt to drop us off here…

Elise: Oh, I wasn't yelling, B.

Alice: Yeah, you were. Don't lie.

Dylan: Nearly shattered my eardrums, she did.

Stephanie: (laughs) Aw, El. You softie.

Elise: (smiles) That's me.

(The two girls finally hug, the initial tension fading away)

Stephanie: (whispers) I love you, Ellie.

Elise: (whispers back) Love you, too.

(The two stop hugging)

Elise: How have you been tonight, Steph?

Stephanie: (sighs) Honestly, I've had better nights. But it's not too bad now that you guys are here.

Dylan: Wait, what happened?

Elise: Shall we discuss it over cake pops? (pulls out some prom snacks she had stored in her bag) I thought I'd save some food for you.

Stephanie: You're the best.

(FIVE MINUTES LATER - the crew is sitting on the floor in the living room, eating Elise's snacks and drinking Coca-Cola from Stephanie's fridge)

Stephanie: I've been trying to reach out to my old foster family for ages, now. I feel bad about how I ended things with them, you know? But tonight, I actually went out of my way to find out where they live now, and pay them a proper visit.

Alice: Well, how did that go?

Stephanie: Terrible. So fucking terrible… ugh, they got so angry at me. They kicked me out and basically disowned me. But, you know, whatever. I never really felt like I belonged there anyway.

Alice: (rolls eyes) Jerks.

Dylan: Fuck them. I don't even know them, but they already sound like they suck.

Elise: I'm so sorry, Steph. That must've been awful. (reaches for her hand)

Stephanie: It was. (takes Elise's hand) But you know what? Who even needs them? I'm great as I am. And at least I got closure. I feel like that's what I've been looking for all this time, you know? I finally got it tonight, and I'm grateful.

Bret: (puzzled) Isn't closure usually supposed to be positive, though?

Stephanie: Whatever. I got what I needed. Sometimes what you need isn't the same thing as what you want.

Bret: (nods) I guess that's a fair point…

Alice: Wow. It's crazy how we've literally been partying all night, living it up, while you basically had the worst night of your life.

Stephanie: Oh, I've been worse.

Alice: One of the worst nights of your life, then. But you know we got your back, right? We're your real family. Your chosen family. And I think that's what makes us special. Like, we found each other and chose to be friends. It's not like with a regular family.

Elise: Not that our regular families are all that bad…

Alice: No, no. That's not what I meant.

Elise: No, I get what you mean.

Dylan: And as your chosen family, it is our responsibility to make sure you had fun on prom night like everyone else.

Stephanie: Uh… little late for that, don't you think?

Dylan: Nonsense, it's only quarter past 11. We can still have a bit of fun before midnight, can't we? (stands up) Who's with me?

(Everybody smiles, and they all get up)

The After-party!

(Some time later, the crew takes off from Stephanie's flat and goes out for a bit more fun. Alice and Elise aren't wearing their prom dresses anymore - Stephanie let them both borrow some more casual outfits)

Alice: I love not having to walk in heels. Ha-ha! I'm free! I can move however I want to without killing my ankles! (stops walking and quickly does a series of graceful pirouettes to seemingly prove her point, but accidentally bumps into Elise whilst doing so)

Elise: OW!

Alice: Oopsie. Sorry, girl.

Dylan: So, where should we go first?

Stephanie: I dunno. It was your idea, bro.

Dylan: Well, yeah. But this is for you. I figured you'd have an idea or two…

Stephanie: Well, you figured incorrectly. I didn't even know that this was how tonight was going to go. (pauses) Hang on. I know the perfect place. Come on. (walks ahead)

Bret: Where are we going, Steph? (runs after her)

Stephanie: You'll see!

(She leads them to a nearby bus stop, where a bus is waiting. They board it, and eventually, it sets off. They sit on the five adjacent seats at the very back - Stephanie sits on the window seat at the far left, then Eise, then Bret, then Alice, and then Dylan on the far right)

Bret: I'm still confused.

Stephanie: You'll know where we're going once we get around to that area, Bret. Don't worry. One of you'll probably hit the stop button before I do, that's how familiar we all should be with this area.

Elise: Well, there's no need to be so cryptic, mate…

Stephanie: All will be made clear when the time comes, Ellie. But alas, that time has not yet come.

Elise: (rolls eyes) Whatever.

Stephanie: So anyway… how was prom, guys? Did you have a good time? Tell me about it! I'm dying to know.

Dylan: It was dead, man.

Stephanie: What?!

Alice: He's lying.

Dylan: Nothing happened. It was so boring!

Alice: It was actually great.

Dylan: Yeah, she's right. Of course it was great! We had a lot of fun. Well, right up until Ally almost died of alcohol poisoning.

Alice: I- ok, he's exaggerating. I drank a bit too much, and I threw up. But I'm fine now! Mostly.

Stephanie: (laughs) That's good. But just to be safe, you probably shouldn't drink any more tonight, Ally.

Alice: Wasn't planning on it.

Stephanie: (to Bret and Elise) How about you two?

Bret: Oh, it was amazing! (puts an arm around Elise) Wasn't it?

Elise: (rests her head on Bret's shoulder, smiles) Yeah, it was. We all won awards, too!

Stephanie: Really? Wow!

Bret: I won "Most Likely to Be on Jeremy Kyle!"

Stephanie: Uh… congrats?

Bret: (beaming) Thanks!

(The bus pulls up near Hampstead Heath Park, and they all rush out and immediately head to their favourite tree. On the way there, they pass some ponds, and Dylan takes a bunch of pictures of the reflection of the sky on the water)

Dylan: This place is so beautiful at night…

Alice: (pouting) Where did all the duckies go?

Bret: It's super late, they're probably sleeping.

(Stephanie and Elise are walking in a pair a little further behind Bret, Alice and Dylan)

Stephanie: I'm glad you and Bret made up.

Elise: Yeah. Me too.

Stephanie: Can we make up? Properly?

Elise: I'm not angry with you, Steph.

Stephanie: Ok, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't talk about this. I mean, you might say you're not angry anymore, but that doesn't mean-

Elise: I was never angry with you. Was I upset? Sure. Was I hurt? Absolutely. Angry, however… I don't know, it's not quite the word I'd use.

Stephanie: If you were angry about it, I wouldn't blame you. I guess that's what I'm trying to say here. Like, if I was in your position, I'd probably be angry.

Elise: Well, I guess that's the difference between me and you.

Stephanie: Um… Yeah. Right. (awkwardly pauses) Look, I have no clue what to say to convince you that there's absolutely nothing going on with Bret. We're just friends.

Elise: (sighs) I know.

Stephanie: So you have nothing to worry about as far as I'm concerned! I have zero intentions of stealing your man or anything. I promise! There are no feelings there. Nothing. Maybe a small amount of basic primal animal attraction, but nothing more. That's it! (pauses) Ok, that sounds bad. Can I start again?

Elise: Please do.

Stephanie: We didn't kiss. We nearly did, but we didn't. Nothing happened.

Elise: I mean... (pauses) You wanted to.

Stephanie: That doesn't mean I want him. I was super depressed. I wanted Ben. And Bret felt like he was ruining things with you. We were both caught up in our loneliness and I guess we were just looking for some peace away from that. Like an escape, almost.

Elise: ...So you almost cheat?

Stephanie: But we didn't! (pauses) Look, I'm sorry. Alright? That night never should've happened.

Elise: Right. Well, again, I'm not angry with you.

Stephanie: (frustrated) Will you stop saying that?

Elise: What? I'm being honest. (sighs) I think the reason hearing about you and Bret hurt me so much is because I finally understand Holly now.

Stephanie: Holly?

Elise: Oh, you know. Holly? We've mentioned her before… she's one of Bret's exes. I don't think you've ever met her, she left our school right before you joined. But she was… it was a lot. Long story.

Stephanie: Tell me.

Elise: Ok. Here goes...

The Holly Story

Elise: So, Bret and Holly got together the summer after Year 10, right? So, just before Year 11.

Stephanie: Right.

Elise: And before that, she and I were cool. Like, we weren't super close friends or anything, but we got on well. I considered her to be a solid school acquaintance. When Bret started taking a liking to her, she kind of got integrated into our group dynamic.

Stephanie: (nods) Ok. Well, then, what happened?

Elise: (sighs) Well, you know me and Bret have always been good friends.

Stephanie: Yeah.

Elise: And Holly knew that going in.

Stephanie: Of course.

Elise: But once she and Bret became a couple, she started having problems with it. And with me.

Stephanie: What?

Elise: Yeah. It started out small. You know, just the occasional rude comment. That sort of thing. And after everything I had to go through with the Adam and Grace crap, I was honestly kind of used to that treatment. So it didn't really bother me. But then, it got worse.

Stephanie: H-how so?

Elise: Her comments and general rude attitude toward me got worse. Eventually, she started spreading rumours about me, and I tried distancing myself from her and Bret for a while. Just to give them space, you know? Bret wasn't too happy about it, but I needed it. I just needed a break from Holly.

Stephanie: Hey, I get it. I need a break from Holly, and I don't even know her…

Elise: (laughs) Ok, let me finish. So, Holly and I have been avoiding each other for some time now, right? And during this time, something terrible got brought to my attention.

Stephanie: What?

Elise: Hate site.

Stephanie: (confused) What? What do you mean?

Elise: I got sent an anonymous link to a hate page dedicated to me.

Stephanie: Oh my God… but wait. Doesn't that count as cyberbullying?

Elise: Yeah. But I had no clue who it was, so it's not like I could report the bully.

Stephanie: But it's obvious!

Elise: I know, but I had no proof. Anyway, I didn't tell anybody about this at all. Not Bret, not my parents, not even Adam. I kind of just kept it to myself and tried to deal with it on my own.

Stephanie: Stupid…

Elise: I know. 15-year-old Ellie made some questionable choices.

Stephanie: So does 18-year-old Ellie.

Elise: (laughs again) Shut up, Steph!

Stephanie: (laughs as well) Go on, though. What happened next?

Elise: Um… Ok, so back in school. I missed Bret, and I wanted to patch things up with Holly. I wanted to make sure there was no bad blood, since I kind of speculated that she was responsible for the cyberbulling thing. Or at least closely connected to it.

Stephanie: Well, duh…

Elise: Right. So I tried talking to them both separately and making up with them. Bret and I went back to being buddies, and Holly agreed to put our differences to bed!

Stephanie: Yay!

Elise: Or so I thought…

Stephanie: UGH!!

Elise: I know. But what she said that day did stick with me a lot… I asked her why she didn't like me and…

Stephanie: Well, why? Genuinely curious here.

Elise: Well, she said that she didn't NOT like me. But-

Stephanie: (interrupts) Ah. I see. She's jelly.

Elise: What?

Stephanie: She was jealous of you. 'Cause of how awesome you are. That's how most bullies are, you know. Take it as a compliment!

Elise: There's more to it than that, Steph. You'd know that if you let me finish.

Stephanie: Oh, yeah. Sorry.

Elise: (sighs) She felt threatened by me. By my relationship with Bret.

Stephanie: Oh… so she was scared you'd steal her man?

Elise: Something like that, yes.

Stephanie: Well… I guess she has good instincts, then.

Elise: What do you mean?

Stephanie: I mean, you're dating Bret now!

Elise: Yeah, years later!

Stephanie: But you've always liked him, El.

Elise: I had nothing but respect for Bret's relationship with her, Steph! That's how I've been with all of his previous girlfriends. My feelings for him… I didn't think anything would happen with them. I never thought I'd end up with him. That possibility has always been the last thing on my mind! Not even-

Stephanie: I know, I know. It's just… you're terrible at acting.

Elise: Meaning?

Stephanie: It was always super obvious you were into him. In fact, it's a miracle HE didn't see it all these years. You're always so genuine about how you feel… I'd say that's the biggest thing you and Bret have in common, actually. Maybe Holly could see it, too. Maybe that's part of why she had all this rage towards you.

Elise: Hmmm. (pauses) Well, the story isn't over yet.

Stephanie: Oh?

Elise: Nope. We all seemed to get back on track once I'd talked things out with everyone, but then Dylan threw this big party when his dad was out for the weekend…

Stephanie: Kind of like that party at your place that we threw for Ben!

Elise: Yeah! Except, that was just for us. Almost everyone in our year group came to Dylan's place back then. How everyone managed to fit in that house is still a mystery to me. But anyway, I was invited, but I didn't go. I got the story from Alice the next day. Bret and Holly both went together. They left separately.

Stephanie: Oh, no…

Elise: Yeah. And then, after half term break, me and the others found out that they broke up. And that she hooked up with someone else while they were at Dylan's party.

Stephanie: Damn.

Elise: I know!

Stephanie: But what about that feud she had with you?

Elise: Oh, it wasn't a feud…

Stephanie: Her bitchiness towards you. The bullying. How did she get her comeuppance?

Elise: Right. That's a whole other thing. So, the hate page got updated every week. I tried to ignore it, but... it was really tough having to see all those hurtful words, you know? I struggled to keep it to myself, and I eventually told my brother. He told my parents, and they got the school involved. My greatest nightmare came true.

Stephanie: But at least you've got some people on your corner now!

Elise: I didn't see it that way at the time. I was too ashamed… I couldn't stand being the freak that everyone was gossiping about in the halls AGAIN. I had enough of that with the Adam and Grace ordeal. But looking back, it was the right thing to do. They got to the bottom of it and Holly got suspended along with everyone else who posted mean comments on there. And then she went to a different school for sixth form, so she's not really in any of our lives anymore. She can't get to me ever again.

Stephanie: And then she got replaced with Steph, and Elise and the crew lived happily ever after. The end!

Elise: (giggles) Exactly.

Stephanie: (shaking her head) Holly sucks. You don't need her. And neither does Bret.

Elise: She wasn't that bad, Steph. She was just… a lot. She stressed people out with her extremeness, you know? Bret changed himself a lot to make her happier, and I feel like that took a toll on him. Almost like he was always walking on eggshells with her all the time.

Stephanie: (shrugs) Sounds like she sucks to me, El!

Elise: Bret liked her a lot. She made him so happy. He just wanted to make her happy, too! There's nothing wrong with that.

Stephanie: Not at the expense of himself.

Elise: (nods) I know. I keep telling him that if he wants to change, he should do it for himself first and foremost. (pauses) I don't know, though. I kind of understand where Holly was coming from now. After hearing about your thing with Bret. I get how she felt.

Stephanie: You feel threatened by me?

Elise: Yeah. Or at least, I did. When I first found out about it.

Stephanie: You really shouldn't! I don't-

Elise: I know you don't. I know! It's just- it made me realise a few things about me.

Stephanie: Like what?

Elise: That I'm not all that different from Holly. Like... (pauses) I was friends with Bret for years before Holly got with him. I had a connection with him that she didn't have. I understood him in ways she probably didn't. I knew him better. She felt threatened by that.

Stephanie: Well, you know Bret better than I do.

Elise: I know.

Stephanie: I'd say you're closer with him than I am.

Elise: I know. But… the fact that he went to you when he was upset…

Stephanie: He literally told me that he would've gone to you if he wasn't avoiding you. You know, after the fight?

Elise: I am aware of that. But you guys did have a moment. You almost kissed.

Stephanie: Nothing happened, though.

Elise: It could have.

Stephanie: Listen-

Elise: No, Steph. You listen. Bret and I are very, very different people. You know that. We don't have all that much in common. As close as we've always been, there have always been stuff that I could never fully connect with in my relationship with him. And I feel like that kind of affects the way I handle things with him. It always has, I think.

Stephanie: …Oh.

Elise: When I found out about you and Bret, I guess my mind just went straight to the worst- you know how it is, right?

Stephanie: (nods) I do.

Elise: I just couldn't help but think that… well, when things get tough, he runs to you. Because of course he does. Not me, his girlfriend. No, he chooses you. I mean, you have more in common with him than I ever did. You can probably understand him in ways I can't. You can connect with him in ways I probably can't. Remind you of someone?

Stephanie: Holly!

Elise: No. Me. That was me to Holly. No wonder she was so mad... I now know what it's like to be in her shoes and have an Ellie in her life. Except you're Steph. You're not just the awkward book nerd, you're gorgeous and confident and talented and inspiring. You're already kind of threatening in a ton of ways…

Stephanie: Ok, stop it. You're not an awkward book nerd, El. (pauses) Well, you are, but you're so much more than just that. Give yourself some credit, girl. You're beautiful, smart, kind and an amazing friend. I mean, come on. There's a reason Bret chose to be with you.

Elise: (smiles) Eventually.

(Both girls laugh)

Stephanie: (sighs) I think get it now. I'm sorry you had to go through all that.

Elise: It's fine. It's all in the past.

Stephanie: And again, I'm really sorry about… you know.

Elise: I know. (whispers to Stephanie) That was part of what I was referring to, by the way. In case I wasn't clear.

Stephanie: (giggles) Ok. Now, come on. Let's catch up with the others.

Elise: Let's!

(They rush over to their friends walking ahead of them. They end up having a really great night together)

Coming clean (Flashback to earlier this evening)

(Stephanie knocks on the door of her old foster home. Her heart is racing with a level of anxiety she's never felt before. She contemplates leaving before the door opens, but she forces herself to stay. She knows she needs to do this)

Foster Father: (opens the door) Stephanie? Oh, my gosh! (rushes forward to give her a hug) Where the hell have you been all this time?! Wha- are you ok?

Stephanie: Yeah, yeah. I'm alright. Look, is Miranda in there, too? I have something important I've been meaning to discuss with you both.

Foster Father: Of course! Come in, come in. (leads her inside) God, Stephanie. Where the hell have you been?!

Stephanie: You asked me that already, John.

Foster Father: Why didn't you call? Leave us with some kind of message, and let us know you were ok? You know, it was bad enough losing Mel before finding out you were no longer home...

Stephanie: (teasingly) How did you know I came here to talk about Mel?

Foster Father: Did you? Oh, I didn't know that.

Stephanie: (awkwardly) Yeah. I know, John. It was meant to be a joke.

Foster Father: Miranda, love!

Foster Mother: (calling from the living room) Yes, darling?

Foster Father: You won't believe who was at the door!

(Stephanie sighs. It was going to be a looooong night...)

Stephanie: It's me, Miranda!

Foster Mother: Who?

Stephanie: Steph!

Foster Mother: Steph- what the... John, Stephanie's back?!

Foster Father: Yes! She's here!

Stephanie: It's not that big a deal, you know.

Foster Mother: (meets them in the corridor) Not that big a deal?! Sweetheart, you've been missing for ages! We were worried out of our minds! Where the hell have you been?!

Stephanie: You guys really like asking that question, huh?

Foster Mother: (sarcastically) "Not that big a deal..." (angrily) Are you serious, Stephanie?

Stephanie: Ok, maybe it is a bit of a big deal. Not as big as what I came here to tell you, though. Can we sit? (gestures to the living room)

(A short while later, Stephanie and her foster family are all seated in the living room)

Stephanie: (fidgeting with her jewellery) Ok... ok. So I have something to talk to you about.

Foster Mother: Yeah, we know.

Stephanie: It's about Melanie.

Foster Father: Our dead daughter? Yes, we remember her. Thanks for coming to the funeral, by the way. Oh, wait...

Foster Mother: She didn't go to the funeral, John.

Foster Father: I know love. I wasn't being serious.

Stephanie: Look, I'm sorry that I didn't go, but I just need to get this out, alright? You guys deserve to know this-

Foster Mother: No, dear. What we deserve to know is what you were up to all this time? Where have you been? Why haven't you called?

Stephanie: (mimicking her foster parents from before) "Where the hell have I been?" Look, I'll get to that. But first, let me just say that I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't appreciate you guys enough. I'm sorry I left without a word. I'm sorry I didn't go to the funeral. I'm sorry I never got along with Melanie. I'm sorry your daughter's dead... and it's all my fault.

Foster Father: ... Steph?

Stephanie: It's all my fault... (voice breaking slightly) I'm sorry I hated her so much that it ended up killing her.

Foster Mother: You killed Melanie?

Stephanie: It was an accident, I swear.

Foster Mother: You killed my baby...

Foster Father: Wait. (rubs his wife's arm) Stephanie, what happened?

Stephanie: (welling up with tears) I was sick of being here. I needed to leave. I had everything ready. But then your daughter came in and tried to stop me. I was furious. I was just so sick and tired of her always ruining everything for me. Standing in my way all the time. Everything. I just didn't want to be around her anymore. Or any of you...

Foster Mother: Stephanie...

Stephanie: I tried to explain that to her. She didn't get it. Which I expected, since she always was a major idiot. Anyway, we had a massive argument. Eventually, it got physical. I started pushing and shoving her, especially when she started blocking the door so I couldn't leave the room. That made me even angrier. She started to fight back, which is where I got these from (shows a bunch of scars and marks from the altercation). Not that you asked. Or acknowledged whatsoever. But now you know. After a while, I noticed her grab a knife.

Foster Mother: (whispers) Oh my God-

Stephanie: I managed to get hold of it myself. I had the upper hand at this point. It got worse. I pretty much threw her against a table where she hit her head, which knocked her out. I panicked... I didn't mean to do that. I never meant for it to go that far...

Foster Father: (clears throat) Look, Steph-

Stephanie: Then I noticed the bleeding.

Foster Mother: Bleeding?

Stephanie: Well, she'd been injured from the fight, definitely. But also... remember the knife?

Foster Mother: Oh, my God!!

Stephanie: She fell right on it. Or against it. I don't know... Anyway, it may've stabbed her.

Foster Father: May've?

Stephanie: I didn't stay long enough to check. I didn't do anything. I just left. I didn't even call for help... I left her vulnerable. Unconscious and bleeding out. Injured because of me. And I did nothing. I didn't think much of it at the time. I thought you'd do something to help her out... you guys cared about her much more than you cared about me, after all. But then I heard about her death...

Foster Mother: (tearfully) You killed her. There's no other way of saying it, Stephanie. You killed my baby.

Stephanie: (sighs) I'm so sorry. Hell, "sorry" isn't even enough-

Foster Father: Stephanie, why didn't you tell us before?

Stephanie: I don't know. I was scared, I guess. I didn't want to get into trouble. And honestly, I didn't think you guys would care. Again, you guys never really cared about me. I didn't trust the fact that you'd try to protect me. Or even be on my side at all. I didn't feel safe to tell you the truth.

Foster Father: Oh, don't give us that bullshit, Steph. Of course we cared about you! We chose to take you in and give you a home!

Stephanie: A home where I was always an outsider, John. Where I was always the "foster kid." You didn't treat me like one of your own!

Foster Mother: Because you aren't one of our own!

Stephanie: Let's not kid ourselves here, guys. I never belonged here! I never did... and now, I never will.

Foster Mother: Damn right...

Foster Father: You need to leave now, Stephanie. We can't have you here after what you've shared with us. After everything you've done...

Stephanie: (stands, wipes tears) Fine. I'll leave. But don't you dare act like you're all innocent in this. You guys are pathetic people. And pathetic parents. You never gave a shit. Certainly not about me, and arguably not enough about Melanie, your biological kid. You were just collecting a paycheck.

Foster Mother: You have a real nerve, Stephanie. Never show your face here again.

Stephanie: Fuck you. Fuck both of you. This whole fake ass family can go to hell. Good riddance!

(Stephanie storms out of the house and heads straight to her car, where she immediately breaks down and cries for a long time)

And that's all for today.

Bet you didn't see that one coming... plot twist of the year, amirite? lol

Yeah, this Melanie death mystery (Steph's involvement in particular) is the main drama throughout the series set into motion. It comes towards the end of the first instalment. 'Cause I'm a weirdo like that.

In better news, the crew is so great together, aren't they? So sweet how they all come to cheer her her up after prom (and I love how it was El's idea. She's a true friend, and I'm glad she and Steph made up. That scene where they talk about Holly was honestly one of my favourites to write!), but it also kind of sucks how Stephanie isn't giving them the full truth. I mean, it's understandable. But can she even consider these people to be her friends if she can't even be real with them? Or be her true self around them? Part of Stpehanie's arc is her realising that she actually has no idea what true friendship is. In fact, this applies to all her relationships (even with Ben, since he doesn't know the truth about Melanie either).

So, there are only 4 posts left of this dialogue series (crazy to think about, omg), but don't worry. They'll be every bit as epic as this one - maybe even more! No promises, tho lol. Plenty more drama to come, that's for sure! Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!

[pipermca]

Writing Update - April 2023

Well, don't ever say I was decisive.

After waffling this way and that, I finally signed up for the Big Bang. I had a story idea that I really liked, and I'd made some good headway on it in a relatively short amount of time.

However, I quickly realized that the story I wanted to do for the Big Bang was waaaay too big for the energy and time I had. So I shelved that idea (it may make an appearance down the road as either some disconnected Tumblr bits, or maybe I'll finish it? Who knows) and blew the mothballs off of another story idea I'd been poking at.

Now I'm committed, so hopefully you'll see a Big Bang fic from me this fall. :3

Anyway, my writing has been dominated by the BB, of course, and I expect next month will be much the same. I am hoping to have a draft finished by the end of May (fingers crossed!) or mid-June at the latest so I can focus on other stuff.

In trying to bang out two Big Bang fics, though, I wrote 9,669 words (ecin nice) in April, coming just shy of hitting that 10k mark. We'll see how next month goes. :3

Posted

Waves. 950 words. A reposted story; it was backdated to its original posting date so it didn’t appear on the “front page.”

WIPs

BB Fic. 7500 words. Apologizing in advance because this story is one of those "what if" ideas that is completely deranged.

K-9. 7400 words. This was my rejected BB fic, based on some toys I have. Now that I know I'm not doing the fic for the Big Bang, I guess I can post my photos of the toys.. And maybe the beginning of the story I had planned. Stay tuned!

[causticsunshine]

ok i'm gonna rant for a second because as a returned fan who's also a returned larrie and a big loud trans queer person, i just wanna say that the fan pov on HL as both a coupling and individuals is my favorite and most behated discourse, like—

1. half of y'all are still pulling top/bottom discourse in 2021 and trying to equate physical attributes, mannerisms, and even personal aesthetics to sexual preferences like that has any bearing over shit...did you read a bad BL like junjou romantica in middle school and just internalize all those dynamics??

2. also a lot of you in number one also think that top = dom and bottom = sub and that also is determined by physical stature and personal aesthetics, as well as dictating a person's entire personality, so i gotta ask—are you the same person in the bedroom as you are in the workplace? with friends or family? does your love for, i dunno, wearing bracelets mean you also like being dominated and handcuffed? i just wanna understand the logic??

1b. + 2b. you do know that being vers is a thing right.....that also exists....just, y'know, to take into consideration....

3. accusing people—particularly! trans and nonbinary people!—who don't believe harry is cis of being transphobic because you don't like their understanding + relatability to things he's said about gender and how he showcases himself as well as speaking over them to try and reason his 'true identity' by using your weird obsession gender binaryism as fallback reasoning is the actual transphobia, but go off i guess.

4. constantly trying to pit harry and louis against each other—and/or against the other 1d guys, other artists—and argue over who has it worse, who's choosing to stay closeted, who's more or less committed to the relationship, etc. is so vile i genuinely don't even want to talk to you.

4b. and i don't mean 'oh i'm more into louis' music/look/etc. so i pay a little more attention to him' or 'i've always felt drawn to harry for x reason so i'm more tuned into what he's doing' or any kind of normal/healthy "favoritism" that may include going back and forth between the two of them depending on what's going on at the time. i mean: picking a favorite between the two and toeing the line of toxic solo behavior by constantly putting the other one down so you can praise and baby your poor little meow meow at every turn. i hardly think you can call yourself a larrie if you're doing this.

5. too many people read portrait-of-a-you-know-what's blog for too long and internalized a lot of his thoughts in his downward spiral into a conspiracy theory-riddled anti that hates harry and thinks he's choosing to be closeted for pity or clout or what and poor louis, because i see so much of the favoritism links back to that person's reasoning for changing his mind on things + using his ""credentials"" to reason being in the right when in reality, he was literally just going off the rails by feeding into all the BS media fodder. also what credentials?? i wanna see that certificate!

6. i have a personal nitpick over the 'mommy louis' rhetoric that goes hand-in-hand with posing harry as this big dom Man and making louis into this small submissive uwu baby archetype who just wants his big strong husband to seed his curvy body's absent womb aka blouie rhetoric sorry not sorry that also dives into the momrry mindset primarily originating from harry's years-long clear adoration of pregnancy and babies rather than trying to fit him into a box related to cis womanhood + maternity—in turn satisfying gender binaryism once again!—but we'll get into that another day

anyway:

[lindwyrmrelinquished]

Do you happen to have any more stuff for John John being a ghast hybrid? Also, the fact that two of the most important people in Butler's life had nether blood in them is just- John and Billiam had just a bit more in common than Butler thought, huh? Interesting.

(One of the people that traumatized and abused them the most also had Nether blood lmao, funny things that opposites attract or however the saying goes. You remember their shoulder right)

Anyway, headcanons time <<<<<3 I will try to get something and we'll see how long this gets

Okay so. Last time I mentioned that the Bandits were the few that have seen John at his worst anger. One of them got their arm cracked cause he was holding it so tight. The reason? John wasn't giving in when they were trying to rob him, so they went for Butler instead and John was not having that under any circumstance. On of them reached for Bu, Bu flinched, and before anyone knew what was happening, this timid pacifistic kid had grabbed the bandit's arm tight enough to crack the bone, and it did. During that time, they made eye contact with John, and his eyes were black and red. Think Moondrop eyes. Not only that, the place where he touched the bandit came away burned, and when he spoke it was distorted with an odd melancholic quality, and all he said was "Leave." They did it immediately. Bu had tuned everything out from the moment the Bandits had started paying attention to him, eyes squeezed shut and ears flat against his head, so he didnt see or hear any of it. The only thing he knew of the situation was that after the vibrations of the footsteps had left, John had hugged him and was warmer than usual and asked if he was okay. His voice had echoed despite the not too great acoustics of the bar.

P.O.V: John in the shower and the water makes his Ghast marks visible

No one really sees these markings unless it's one of those rare days where it rains, and hardly anyone knows they exist because John tends to just stay on the roof of his bar while it rains, away from everyone else, and Bu least of all because he stays inside during rains for obvious reasons.

Sherman gets a... feeling from John, and he doesn't know what the hell it is, but for some reason it makes him more... Affectionate? He honestly is not sure?? But for some reason John?? Feels like Home?? Like the place Sherman comes from?? And it's really confusing to him because everyone just thinks that John is a human.

Due to that, no one had a single clue what the hell happened when one of the Bandits turned up with a burn in the shape of a handprint on his forearm. The Bandits had a clue, but John is a human, right? The way his eyes looked must've just been a trick of the light, they were a little shadowed. Nevermind that the arm was fractured... it must've been adrenaline from protecting his brother. Or John just works out sometimes. Right... They choose not to try and find an explanation for his voice. They don't think they'd like the conclusion.

If he gets purely angry in pure instinct, he'd be able to summon fireballs like a Ghast, as well as hovering, and if you look closely maybe you can see some tendrils... But he's never yet gotten to that point, so you won't have to worry, right? :)

[appledotcodotuk]

why the hive fckin suck at its job: a rant

spoilers for tgwdlm ahead!

first of all, it's important to consider what exactly the hive's job is. my answer is... who the fuck knows. literally. what is the hive's aim. what do you want Paul? more like, what do you want hive? let's find out!

it kinda evolves, as the play progresses. the intial aim of the hive, and one that does actually remain consistent is the constant burning need to grow and devour and gain more and more (insert capitalism metaphor here).

however, this is distorted by the people it possess who influence that aim, as we'll see later.

also the fact it crashes into a theatre displaying Mamma Mia gives the hive the motive it need to fit the world around it to the structure of the musical. having no originality of its own, the hive instead just picks up what is given to it. kinda like an evil baby.

it wants uniformity, that is indeed its ultimate goal and desire, no duh. it thinks it can achieve that through musical theatre, shame that the hive is dead wrong. cause the hive fucking sucks at its own job / aim / ultimate purpose / one concrete goal that motivates all its actions.

can't maintain control over its subjects

okay, so, the hive wants uniformity. it wants everyone to be dancing to the beat of its own tune. right? yeah. shame it literally can't keep its own possessed subjects in line at all. at the risk of sounding like the 10th doctor waxing lyrical abt humanity for the 50th time, humans are really difficult to control cause we're not really motivated by an altruistic allegiance to one primary good. we've got icky emotions that often move us to do stupid unpredictable stuff way more. it makes me wonder if the reason the hive wanted to use musical theatre to try and persuade ppl was cause it seems to think that is how theyll get emotive humans; through emotive songs. anyways. let's look at some examples shall weeeee?

Mr Davidson:

so, Mr Davidson. funnily enough, he's the guy whose in part acting as the hive trying to figure out what it wants through his interactions w/ Paul. every person it possess gives it just a bit more humanity and curiosity abt the world it is currently taking over. at least I think so. hence why as the musical develops u get character's like possessed!Alice wondering 'why does it hurt to love?' - the change in music and mood to something much more introspective really suggests to me that the hive is beginning to question the thoughts and emotions of its human hosts.

Mr Davidson is a family man through and through, he loves his wife Carol. she's his muse, his source of light. his feelings for her are not concrete or easy to explain and solve - hence why his sudden ahem demand of her is so hilarious and also jarring. it completely clashes with the 'I want song' which is simple, and often pushes forward a wider cause. not so with Mr Davidson, he just really loves his wife man. enough to break a frickin alien possession.

tbh I think its hilarious that (at least to me) the hive has to force him to forget and continue with the song, like, he straight up is just talking to his wife in that phone call, talking, not singing. so, no possession until he reverts back into song. ergo, the hive cannot maintain the uniformity it wants. even from the get go when theoretically its control should be stronger cause it has less ppl to co-ordinate. bad. at. its. job.

Paul:

this one hurts folks. yes, I know it's generally agreed, though somewhat debated that the state of Paul by the end of the tgwdlm is not purely possessed. I agree. once again, the hive is unable to truly enforce uniformity.

at this point, the motives of Paul and the hive are kinda just mixed, neither fully human nor fully alien. hence the constant shifts between pleeing for her to get away, to hide, to stay safe: 'what if the only choice is you have to sing to survive' and just full on old style hive nastiness 'let me puke in your mouth and just open your food bin girl' (so romantic 🥰 /j).

the hive has gone away from its original aim, and become something... different. no longer stuck to just one type of genre or style of song, it's really clever to show the developing complexity of the hive by showing how it is now juggling lots of different motifs with references to all the old songs from before recontextualised in a new way - its learning. evil baby... no longer uniform.

general miscommunication:

there are several instances of the hive not fully having uniform control over its subjects. for instance, right after not your seed with the three teens having to like... calibrate. they aren't just completely connected then?? also, this is a very small thing, but uhhhh at the end of inevitable when Paul is about to say the apotheosis is upon... the chorus interrupts him with USSSSSSS. interruptions??? not very in sync of u hive.

I think this inability to exert uniformity is also shown in the contrast between genre of musical theatre. my alien abomination cannot decide whether it wants to be the more modern edgy rock musical (join us (and die), not your seed ) or super happy go lucky old style musical theatre (lah dee dah dah day, and inevitable). it tries to do both, even while trying to encourage union, and sticking to one thing. hypocrite!!!!!

2. aims are guided by the people it possess

so, I mentioned this a bit already, but the hive isn't only mutating the humans, the humans are mutating the hive right back. this is more an interesting observation than any actual analysis but let's goooo.

greenpeace girl:

I think it's very likely that greenpeace girl is one of the first to be possessed. This is probably easily debunkable but whatever this analysis is flying by the seat or its pants anywayyyyy. why? cause where else would it pick up that whole 'this planet needs fixing' thing? it's interesting too, cause it morphs from expressing the desire to join hands and sing together, unity and peace with no actual action behind it. this then goes right to the other end, with the hive going 'fine I'll do it myself' and trying to save things by enforcing a dictatorship on the world. it develops and changes, and strays from its original means of accomplishing its aims! speaking oooooof...

3. inconsistent in means of accomplishing aims

okay, ur an evil hive mind. u think musicals are the way to win over these silly humans cause they're all weak and emotive and seem to respond to them. but, wait! schwoopsie! you haven't realised that for emotional depth and growth to mean anything, you need there to be established development and well... growth. otherwise the sentiments are as vague as the ones expressed in What Do You Want, Paul?

this show has genuine emotional moments, just not really during the musical numbers WITH EXCEPTIONS. any strife is smoothed over quickly, and so the development and change that would have to go into such growth is just gone. (see, You Tied Up My Heart) all so it can achieve its own desire to grow and grow and grow, maybe a metaphor for art being killed under late stage capitalism??

what actually matters is the impact the songs have afterwards, in causing a death - because we have a bond and care abt these characters. those short scenes between Paul and Emma are actually way more resonant than any song. except... inevitable, and also not your seed a bit. at this point the hive has learnt a thing or two, and can actually twist human emotion a little. but for it to do that, it has to reject the uniformity it prizes, and be adaptable. point towards being more human than it first thought? methinks so. and yet it's just not enough...

it's also why let it out, to me, feels really ingenuine. Paul has expressed himself in much better ways already. what they're doing is clearly paining him, and hurting the guy. he's terrified bless.

you can't force someone into being emotional vulnerable, man.

it's why all the deaths for the characters who are forced to express themselves are really violent, involving them being ripped open - literally forcing them to expose themselves from the 'inside out' as Alice reflects in Not Your Seed. you can't force genuine emotional connection, it has to be fostered, shown in the much more affecting relationship of Paul and Emma. the only reason the hive actually has power over our characters is because of these genuine emotional connections, which it tries and often fails to take advantage of, resulting in just resorting to brute violence. messy hive, very messy.

at the core, the musical's a kinda attack on that toxic positivity mindst: trying to force people to reach the sort of easy solutions by sharing feelings in a way that feels pretty invasive and deciding you are instantly fixed. the problems these characters face are jarringly not really what you'd expect a character in a musical to face, cheating, a lot of it, mid-life crisis. problems that are bland, or wayyyy too real. this is purposefully done, to reveal just how silly the hive's aim to use musical theatre to solve everyone's problem is. life is more complex than that smh.

4. a human can write a much more expressive, and genuine song than they ever could lol

u know which song I'm talking abt. what more is there to say. so much for making persuasive songs to tempt people over.

5. make me sad cause they took some perfectly nice ppl and funked them up 😭

this was a stupid point lol. basically I'm just bitter that this hive took a bunch of perfectly okay ppl and gave them hive brain. screw u hive. I swear I'm gonna watch Black Friday soon, cause I'm sure it's gonna completely destroy every thought I've had so far, but whateve,,, just take this as a look at tgwdlm like it's a stand-alone piece.

these guys are supposed to all be 'individuals' on one level, but also 'appendages of a much larger organism'. there's a little too much individualism and fracturing to be cohesive enough to do that I feel. the hive to me is not an infallible, unstoppable force, in fact, every human it takes over only brings it closer to understanding us. so that's maybe a slight positive note??? idk ?! I just have lots of thoughts and feelings abt this musical even if this doesn't make sense I'm proud i wrote it down hehe.

[mytastessuck]

Gorillaz: Plastic Beach

mAh, nostalgia. This album was my high school years. I got a digital copy for my birthday from my mom and became obsessed with this album well into college. The dominance of electronica, the use of people with great voices, the expansion of the lore, Lou Reed...this album was all of music when I got it. It's my favorite Gorillaz album and it looks like it's gonna stay that way for a while. But how is it on a not even approaching semi-objective level? Let's find out.

1. Orchestral Intro

You can probably guess it by my awful taste but I'm not really into orchestra. This opening though, with the sound of waves and the mourning instruments, really tipped me off that I was in for something different. This album wasn't going to start off with something chill or even a zombie movie clip. No, at this point, Gorillaz were officially done fucking around.

10/10

2. Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach

Then we get the brass leading us into a good beat and then HOLY SHIT, SNOOP DOGG?! He leads us in like a bandleader while a chorus of women back him up Just Like That while he goes with his usual flow. He adds the needed touch of instant cool to an album that's practically frozen with the artists already on it and with this song, it feels like you're walking past the gate into Disneyland.

9/10

3. White Flag

Some nice Arabian sounding instruments on this one. Pretty cool for Gorillaz to keep engaging in world music. Anyway, this was a really cool instrumental but it's time to move on to the other son---

Huh?

Suddenly, we get beeps and mixes backing up Bashy and Kano as they kick so much ass talking about pacifism for the sake of survival. This song kicks an undisputed amount of ass and it barely even tries.

9/10

4. Rhinestone Eyes

What I like about this song is that I keep finding new things to like about it as the years go back. First, I liked the weirdly-threatening nature of the song along with the woman moaning in time with the verses. Then I liked the video (even though it was insanely shady of EMI to release that without Damon's and Jamie's permission and it ended up being the thing that led to Phase 3's premature ending and Gorillaz going on hiatus). Then I liked the continuation of the moaning that I first noticed in live performances then finally heard in the song itself. This song is like Rolexes falling from the sky.

10/10

5. Stylo

Ah, the first single from the album. I remember telling my dad about this when I first saw the video for it. I was about to write off Gorillaz as a relic of my past before I saw Murdoc and 2D get run off the road by Bruce Willis. This song has an awesome bridge by Yasiin Bey, nice crooning by Damon Albarn and incredible back-up by Bobby Womack, who manages to lift the entire song over his head using just his voice. Damn, wish he had another song that put his voice on full display. Maybe later in the album...

10/10

6. Superfast Jellyfish

Yeah, De La Soul is back! And they're singing about TV dinners! Seriously, these guys can make guessing crossword actually fun instead of a dredging experience and have Shiny Toy Guns frontman Chad Petree singing about radioactive seas brings the whole thing home. It makes you want to really go out and eat a random jellyfish but don't do that. It'll hurt.

11/10

7. Empire Ants

Okay, before I give this song its totally fair score, it should be noted this is my third favorite song of all time. I love Damon's reassuring lyrics in the beginning but the switch in the middle to a more upbeat electronic pop tune pushes this song past perfect.

Then there's Little Dragon...

This song introduced to me to Yukimi Nagano's voice and wow...I didn't think humans could sound like that, let alone an Asian woman singing soul. If you think the instruments are carrying her here, obviously there are clearly no other songs on the album that showcase her talents so I have to recommend After The Rain, Twice and Constant Surprises by Little Dragon. Seriously, this woman's voice will water your fucking crops.

500/10

8. Glitter Freeze

Where is north from here? Don't ask me, I'm not a compass. Anyway, this song has Mark E. Smith from The Fall and they use him to his fullest extent...by which I mean letting him make an absolutely evil fucking laugh somewhere near the end. The instrumentation makes it feel like you're in a storm on a shaky ship and you're definitely going to feel like you need some pills after you're finished. This stuff will put hair on your chest.

11/10

9. Some Kind of Nature

This song introduced me to Lou Reed and I'm grateful to it for that. Lou was a shitty dude but damn his voice really made things better than they should have been. Fuck, I was one of the eight defenders of Lulu for this reason. But Damon doesn't sit with his thumbs up his ass on this song. He holds his own and makes the chorus sound legitimately dreamlike. All we are is stars, indeed.

100/10

10. On Melancholy Hill

This song is awesome to chill to...unless you're escaping a cruise ship while being gunned down by fighter jets. But other than that particular example, I recommend this song for anyone trying to relax while thinking of someone special. But be careful with the last note of this song. That gong can be a real eye opener.

9/10

11. Broken

Bummer of a song but if there's one song you absolutely NEED to learn on melodica, it's this one. Aren't we all broken? Well I am. And this song speaks to me.

10/10

12. Sweepstakes

Yasiin's back and there's gonna be trouble. He plays a carny in this track and you know that no matter how many times you listen to this song, you'll always gonna fall for his schemes. He's gone on to say that this is one of his finest achievements as a MC and I can see why.

10/10

13. Plastic Beach

Holy shit, they got the 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover guy on this track. Makes since because this, outside of Empire Ants, is my favorite song on the album. The harmony, the little imp they got for the bridge, the triangle...everything makes this song better than it has any right to be on an already awesome album. Damn, plastico indeed.

200/10

14. To Binge

Shock of all shocks, Yukimi's back! And it's a duet with Damon! And it's a song about a relationship torn apart by addiction! It's not my birthday so it must be Christmas. These two manage to drown the listen in waves of audio goodness that leaves them feeling like they spent 3 minutes and 56 seconds standing under a waterfall.

20/10

15. Cloud of Unknowing

Okay, I cried to this song. And now, with Bobby Womack's passing, I cry even harder. This song should be an anime ending with how solemn it is but you need to listen to the end to hear, "It may bring sunshine on its wings." Also, Damon covered this song live after Womack's passing. I suggest you look it up because it is tear-ripping.

50/10

16. Pirate Jet

Eh. Pretty average song compared to the others on the album but I appreciate the message. Sweet Lord, people. Turn off your shit when you're not using it. We only got one planet and I don't trust Elon Musk.

8/10

Album Score: 60.1/10

Whoo! No biases! Anyway, next week is The Fall, otherwise known as the album Albarn did on his Ipad. Otherotherwise known as the album a significant portion of the fandom has a hate-on for. Does it deserve the hate? We'll find out!

[scribbling-stiks]

Spring - IX - Comforting Nights

*Cat man Russia*

The night grows dark and Russia finds himself being pushed away. He squirms a little and America clumsily apologizes.

"Meri?" Russia asks sleepily, rubbing his eyes with his fists.

America shakes his head and stumbles to his feet. America runs into the brush and hacks up glowing blue. Texas whines.

His hands and feet feel strange, but not overly cold. His knees don't look that different, but the rest of his legs under them are shorter. His feet seeming to have lengthened to make up for the change. Everything below his elbow and knee joints is fuzzy with grey fur.

His tail cramps uncomfortably from being stuck in his pant leg. He shifts and leans against the tree America had been against. He turns and sees Texas staring down, snot and tears racing down his face as he pathetically sniffles, hugging his shoulders. His hat tilts down as if he's trying to hide under it.

'It wouldn't surprise me if he is.'

Russia reaches over and gathers him up into a tight hug. Texas flinches before leaning fully against Russia's chest. Russia gathers him up into his lap and holds him as he would with Ukraine when they were younger.

'Poor baby...'

Texas' body rocks with his cries, and he seems to give up on trying to wipe off his face. Texas sobs, hugging himself and mumbling things. Russia can only assume the words are apologizes. He isn't sure what else it would be.

Florida tightly hugs Russia's tail, and Russia rubs his face gently.

Russia takes Texas' hat off gently and lays it aside. Texas takes to hiding his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry," Texas stammers louder, his voice cracking over the syllables, "I just keep fucking things up and these stupid feelings keep getting in the way of everything but I don't know how to stop it and... and I keep God damn cryin' and  -"

"Shhh... it's okay. And it's okay to cry," Russia says comfortingly, rubbing Texas' back gently.

"but I-"

"Taz," Mississippi interjects, "you can't control emotions. Ain't that what Lulu always says?"

Texas gives a jerky nod, swiping at his face with a scowl.

"Lulu ain't wrong 'bout that kinda stuff," Alabama chimes in.

"We're gonna be okay, Tex," New Mexico comforts.

"I'm sorry I dragged y'all along. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done this. I shouldn't have left," Texas stammers, spinning around to face South Carolina.

South Carolina's face falls and he sniffles. North Carolina reaches out, laying a hand on Texas' shoulder. Mexico starts to walk over, but New Mexico growls. Mexico rolls her eyes and backs off.

Texas buries his head into his palms. Russia rubs his back.

Motion catches Russia's eyes and sees America stumbling over, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. America leans over and chokes on his breath. Russia yearns to reach up to catch him, but his arms remain around Texas.

Russia senses magic concentrating, but it's hard to pinpoint with the standing magic just buzzing in the air.

"Incoming message!" South Carolina shouts.

Russia's head pops up and he sees a swirl of brown magic growing.

Texas sniffles and snatches up his hat, positioning it to cover his face from the growing brown disk. Texas pulls off of Russia but stays tucked under his arm. Texas seems to hide in Russia's side, and Russia hugs him.

The children crowd around Russia to watch the growing image.

America glances up before sitting down, slotting himself next to Russia, leaning against him. Russia moves, wrapping one arm around Texas' shoulder, and one around America, pulling them close.

The disk solidifies to show Connecticut and Dixie sitting in a messy room. Dixie's face looks strangely swollen, but Russia doesn't see any discoloration, so he chalks it up to his vision being weird.

What he can't dismiss are the figures in the background of the message. New York and New Jersey sit on a cluttered bed side by side.

'Both seem bothered,' Russia notes, 'even New Jersey.'

New York is shaking and crying, and New Jersey sits stiffly, silently, beside him. They are holding hands, Russia notes, but New Jersey doesn't look very responsive either.

Delaware walks into frame with Virginia and West Virginia on his tail. Russia can't help but notice how Delaware nervous wrings his hands and bites his lip. Virginia looks annoyed, but worry swims in her eyes when she glances up at Dixie.

Soon, Delaware starts pacing around behind Dixie, glancing around the room, but his eyes keep trailing back to Dixie with worry and panic.

Dixie himself seems to pointedly ignore the glances in his direction.

"What happened?" Dixie asks seriously, "one moment, you're too close to the base with a giant cat, and now you're with a half-cat and you're in Virginia?!"

America starts trying to explain, but Russia finds himself tuning in to Florida's talking.

"Del looks weird," Florida says.

Russia can't help but agree.

"Dixie, you look like shit," Ohio remarks.

"Are you okay?" Kansas asks.

Delaware opens his mouth to reply, but Dixie interjects before he gets the chance.

"I'm fine! I'm fine," Dixie says, his voice strained and overly optimistic.

Delaware's mouth falls shut, a strange grimace growing on his face. New Jersey looks up from the background and quietly stares at Dixie's back, his mouth clamped shut.

'Is there something they aren't saying?'

Dixie forces a laugh and Russia flinches at the noise. It sounds wrong.

Gritty. Rough. Pained.

"What should we do now?" America asks, his voice tired.

'I wonder if he notices anything weird.'

Russia looks over and sees America blankly staring forward, a glazed-over look in his eyes. Russia shakes his head.

'Maybe not, he's exhausted.'

"Tuck, Tenny, West, and I are going to try to come and get y'all," Virginia says.

"I'm coming with," Dixie argues.

Virginia looks hesitant, but ultimately she doesn't argue.

'Why are they so hesitant?'

"We will come and find you. Try to find a road and head south for now. Call Yorky once you have cell service," Dixie says, determined, "you can dismiss the message, Netti."

Connecticut nods, but they don't wipe away the circle.

Instead, they leave it and allow Russia to watch Dixie struggle a little to his feet and limp out of the room. Dixie limps noticeably and nearly collides with a doorframe. Dixie leans against the wall as if to steady himself to open the door.

Delaware stands up quickly and walks shortly behind Dixie as if getting ready to catch him. Virginia watches, her eyes sad and her hands fidgeting in front of her.

Dixie waves him off and sways a little before steadying himself.

Russia's heart sinks.

'Is he okay?'

"Dad?" Connecticut calls.

"Yes?" America asks, sleepily.

"I..." Connecticut starts before their face falls into an unsure expression, "... never mind. I hope you get home safe. Bye. I love you."

"I love you too, kiddo. We'll be home soon."

Connecticut waves and the message fades.

"Del is panicking," Kansas comments, worried, "something is wrong. Very wrong."

"Yeah, definitely," New Mexico agrees.

"Do you think it has something to do with Dixie?" North Carolina asks.

"Well..." South Carolina starts before trailing off.

"I don't.... hmmm," South Dakota says, playing with her hands.

"He didn't look right," Florida comments.

"I don't know if we should be jumping to conclusions," North Dakota shouts, her voice just above the nature noises.

"It takes a lot to bother Del though," Ohio says.

"Where are we anyway?" Ukraine asks, his voice an active higher.

Russia's heart drops.

"We are in Virginia at the moment," America says breathlessly, "in the Appalachian Mountains. It's not safe, but it's better."

"If it goes quiet, sit against a tree and stay still. Works against monsters," Alabama chirps.

"And rabies," Mississippi adds.

"And rabies," Alabama agrees.

"So constant danger. Got it," Ukraine exclaims, throwing his arms into the air before pulling them back down, holding them tightly to his sides.

"You might want to get used to it," Finland comments.

Ukraine hugs his arms around his torso, looking nauseous.

"Rain?" Russia calls.

Ukraine's head pops up.

"Come here, okay?"

Ukraine stumbles over. America gets up and shuffles over, allowing Ukraine to take his place.

America sways, and Finland grabs him with her good arm and, with Mexico's help, they help America down. Finland pulls him into a side hug, and America leans into the affection, shaking. Mexico sits near them, offering company.

Russia moves his focus back to Ukraine. Ukraine stares at the ground, rubbing his arms and shivering.

"Rain, we're going to be okay," Russia promises, "we have people coming to get us, and we have somewhere to go. We will be okay."

Ukraine mutely nods, and Russia offers a small smile. Ukraine looks away for a moment before tackling Russia in a hug. Russia releases Texas and catches Ukraine. He wraps Ukraine into a bear hug that he knew would rival their father's.

'Must protect my little sibling.'

Texas falls into New Mexico, hiding his face from the world. New Mexico seems to be speaking, though Russia can't hear the words.

'We will find a road tomorrow. Then maybe we can make it back home.'

'And then we can figure out what's wrong.'

~

Next

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Table of Contents

[cheshiresense]

Ok so, I was reading and super enjoying your hunger!verse Tsuna thingy and I was forced afterword to go seek out more arcobaleno fic (FORCED. Pshhh). Annnnyway I did and now I'm desperately curious if we'll be seeing more of it? Maybe the first time Fon sees Tsuna eat? Will we ever find out how hard Lal Mirch smacks the Sawada Idiot? Where is Skull in all this? So curious! Anyway! Love your fic! Even when you're dragging me kicking and screaming into new fandoms:D

I’m not getting any Skull-writing-motivation atm, and Iemitsu is always a headache to write, even when he’s getting rightfully smacked. So I’ll just do a very short blurb of Fon&Tsuna interactions.

OMFG TUMBLR WHY DID YOU GET RID OF HORIZONTAL LINES-

Pinglist: @yoshifics @bewarethemandragora @runeofluna @selenedreamwalker @hypnos28 @verticallychallengedintrovert @fandommaniac2401 @lovingempress @cynthia-of-the-wallflowers @shadowsofmoonracer @pairp @warriorofbooks @charlottedabookworm @lyra689 @sheyrenawyrsabane @sora-the-empress @xadriannax @yumeniai @arrysa @lirial89-fanfiction @skysong246 @caiahat @grimreaper19 @arosethornbyanyothername @mtkiseki @kaminoko-x @nesskyru @tatarako @parklena42 @zibeth-a @aerdnanocte @timegrenades @healingmichiko @shiko-rae @soraofmelody @fandoms-make-the-world-go-round @north-peach @yannilicious @wolfsrainrules @franticchanges @tremendouslyminiaturequeen @nesomoxian @snowspine @helix-security @ciesste @skyrel @ebilangel @redshino @fabulous-as-fcuk @anaissesteighart @raz-ia @13oddballbooks​ @scribesynnox @alyss-spazz-penedo @shwamu @haikyuumon @rivertoforever @satanic-yogurt @darkened-flame 

-0-

The first time Fon witnesses it, he’s torn between a morbid sort of fascination and a revolted sense of trepidation.

“You don’t have to be here,” Tsuna tells him, not for the first time, as Viper goes to check them in and Reborn leaves to make sure there’s no one with so much as an unpaid parking ticket to their name within five miles of the hotel they’ll be staying in.

It still surprises Fon, a little, even after two months in their company, which is actually one month more than they’ve ever willingly spent with each other. But even back before they realized the kind of woman Luce really was, not even Reborn was as protective of her as he is of Tsuna. Or maybe it’s just a different kind of protective. Where there was always a respectful distance between themselves and Luce, no matter how kindly she treated them, there’s none of that between Reborn - and Viper - and Tsuna.

That’s not to say they don’t respect him of course– in a rare moment of quiet honesty when Tsuna had fallen ill - again - with a mild fever, Viper had confessed to Fon that their new Sky was a kind of strong that still utterly baffled them as much as it was worthy of their admiration as well. And Reborn hadn’t slept a wink until Tsuna got better.

But Tsuna lets them close in a way Luce never could’ve, guards their health and wellbeing in a way Luce never had, and in return, it’s easy to see how Reborn and Viper consider him beloved and friend and Sky and boss, in exactly that order too.

Devotion. That was what they lacked when it came to Luce. That was what Luce could never quite earn from them, even before they learned the terrible truth, even from Reborn. She had gathered them and charmed them and earned their trust, but she had never been able to inspire the steadfast instinctual dedication that both Reborn and Viper show Tsuna these days, so in tune with the boy that even the way they move somehow seems in tune with each other, like… well, exactly like elements woven in with their sky.

And maybe that’s why Fon assures, also not for the first time, “I understand, Tsunayoshi-kun, but so long as you do not object, I would like to stay.”

He’s self-aware enough to know where this is going, that it’s only a matter of time for him too– one of these days, he’ll have enough courage to offer his own Flames as well, it’s on the tip of his tongue already, and even the echo of remembered agony and instinctual fear isn’t going to stop him.

And considering it’s only been a little over two months since he first met Tsunayoshi, well, even Luce hadn’t tamed them all as quickly.

(Fon worries about that sometimes. It’s not natural, is it? To care about someone so fiercely, so fast. But it actually helps that Tsunayoshi’s fought him just about every step of the way; he’s a Sky who so obviously cares, and so even if it makes Fon a little uneasy, he’s also equally determined to return that care. He can’t be a Storm to a Sky - doesn’t deserve to be a Storm to a Sky, especially this Sky - if the bond between them doesn’t go both ways.)

It’s… not as terrible as Fon thought it would be, once they’re shut away in the top-floor suite and Tsuna’s lips are dyed with yellow and indigo. He looks healthier in this moment than Fon has ever seen him, cheeks less hollow, bones less brittle, skin flushed with a healthier colour. Fon pays close attention to the entire process despite some part of him screaming at him to back out of the room, and so he also notices the way neither Reborn nor Viper show any signs of hesitation or pain when they draw out their own Flames and feed them to Tsuna.

“You should eat a bit more,” Viper huffs, shoving more indigo fire at their Sky when he tries to protest. “If you insist on going days without a proper meal, at least eat your fill when we do this.”

Reborn just stares Tsuna down until the boy sighs and accepts more of the handfuls of Flames the hitman is holding out.

Later, when it’s Fon’s turn to walk Tsuna to school (they’ve worked out a schedule, just to give each of them a bit of time alone with their Sky, although it took almost two months before Reborn and Viper - with Tsuna insisting - grudgingly agreed to add Fon to the rotation), he remarks, “It does not seem to hurt them, or otherwise affect them negatively.”

Tsuna doesn’t bother playing dumb. Everything about him droops for a moment instead. “…Maybe not. I mean it definitely did at first, and I don’t know if it’s just because they’ve gotten used to it, they said it wasn’t that and I don’t think they were lying to make me feel better but…”

He shakes his head and glances away, and for a moment, it doesn’t seem like he’ll continue his train of thought. But Fon waits patiently and is rewarded a few minutes later by a near-inaudible, “I just don’t like it. They’re literally sustaining me with their souls. And all I do is… take that from them. But what do I give them?”

Ah. So that’s the crux of the problem.

Well, Fon supposes it’s not so much of a surprise, for this boy. It’s a good thing then, that Fon knows the answer already.

“You give them a home,” He says, steadily, honestly, and something in his chest floods with a warmth that tethers him to the Sky beside him. Judging by the way Tsuna’s eyes widen and his hand jumps to his chest, Fon’s not the only one who can feel the creation of their bond.

“You give us a home,” He continues. “A place to belong, something to hold us together when we would otherwise be adrift in the world. Perhaps that does not sound especially important to you, but for us who have lived for decades with no one to care about and no one who might care about us, a Sky like you is… everything.”

Tsuna does not reply for a long moment. They’re entering through the school gates when he finally speaks again, and even then, it’s a succinct answer, less question and more dawning realization. “You guys were alone. And lonely.”

Fon smiles wryly and thinks of how even with every alarm bell ringing in his head, he still hopped on the first flight to Japan after hearing about a Sky who might actually be a proper Sky. Thinks too of how Reborn approached first even though he’d arguably been burned worst, and Viper who had long decided that trust was for fools and yet had still so desperately wanted someone to be worthy of their trust.

“We were,” Fon admits in a way he knows Reborn and Viper - even to Tsuna - would be hard-pressed to do. “And sometimes, being alone is the worst thing anyone can experience.”

Tsuna nods a little as he changes his shoes. “Yeah. Yeah it is.”

-0-

After that, Tsuna is still firm about only eating their Flames once every few days, but he eases up on the protests, and when Fon offers his own Flames up the next time, Tsuna grimaces but also nods slowly without arguing. Reborn and Viper both give Fon suspicious side-eyes but since this works in their favour too, neither of them bring it up.

On his part, Fon feels the same instinctual fear swell up inside him, but he looks at Tsuna, his Sky, and his resolve is infinitely stronger. The core of his Storm Flames flare bright and fierce, and when Fon gathers a piece of it and breaks it off from the rest, there is only a brief spark of pain, like a hard pinch, and then he’s breathing easy again, and his hands burn with the wild pulse of his life-fire.

When Tsuna accepts it with reverent hands, and the red twines with Reborn’s yellow and Viper’s indigo as their Sky eats, something in Fon sits back, satisfied, and the newly forged Guardian bond inside him strengthens.

-0-

The very next morning, Fon wakes to a crash and Reborn very uncharacteristically shouting, “What the fuck-”

Fon’s barging into Tsuna’s room with a Viper who hasn’t even remembered to grab their cloak on his heels before it actually registers, and even then, it’s only because - for the first time since he was still a student at his first master’s dojo - he literally trips over his own feet.

He sits up and stares. Viper’s deathly silent behind him, and even Reborn’s fallen quiet from where he’s half-leaning against the nightstand. His hammock is ripped down the middle and hangs limply from the ceiling. Tsuna stares at all three of them from his bed, wide-eyed and stunned.

Fon looks at Reborn, whose ass is on the floor but whose head levels with the bedside table. He twists to look at Viper, who’s forgotten to float and is standing and... now seems to be about Tsuna’s height.

And then he looks down at himself, at hands that are no longer the tiny ones of his toddler self, at longer limbs that feel clumsily awkward and a heavier body that takes up more space than he’s used to. He’s nowhere near the size of his adult self, but he’s definitely now almost three times the size he was when he went to bed last night.

Reborn had the right of it.

What the fuck.

[shanie-the-toyaddict]

Shanie's Action Figure Update! 3/14/21

Top Row: Basic 51 Stephanie (First Time in Line), AEW Unrivaled Series 2 Hangman Adam Page (First Figure)

Middle Row: Elite 71 Big Show (Flashback)

Bottom Row: Elite 66 Kevin Owens (Chase), Elite 80 Kevin Owens

Well, it's that time again!

Five new figures in this batch, although you've already seen the Hangy figure. That's Adam's first figure ever, I believe. At the very least, it's his first full sized figure. Naturally I had to have it, and I intend on getting the Series 5 Hangman as well very soon. I just wish he didn't have clown feet. Stephanie was bought for a custom, but I really like her. A lot. Too much. She's much better than my battle pack Steph and is the FTiL figure. Now I don't want to use her for a custom.

That Big Show was insanely expensive and he's staying in the box until I have a place to put him on my shelf. I don't want to discuss how much I paid for him. Just know it was TOO MUCH and move on. (Note: The reason for TOO MUCH is that he's the only flashback Show we are EVER getting due to Paul Wight going All Elite. He was expensive on secondary before that announcement. Now he's just absurd. But I wanna make a corporation, so I needed him.)

As for the Kevin's, I'm trying to buy every Sami and Kevin figure there is and I'm starting with the Elites. That one on the right though needs a repaint for his hair and beard. FAR too red. The one on the left is the same KO that goes with my 2018 Sami Elite, but is the Chase Variant. They're both sitting happily on my shelf now, along with my three Sami Elites. (I have three Samis and three Kevins, plus one Basic Kevin on the shelf as well.) Anyway, right now I'm waiting for the Firefly Fun House Bray Exclusive to come back in stock so my latest figure haul can ship. I ordered a bunch of figures from RSC including a new Triple H basic for potential use as a Shane custom. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to make dress shirt Shane with a headswap and removing the suit jacket only. We'll have to see.

Anyway, that does it for this edition of Shanie's Action Figure Update! Stay tuned for another episode later this month when my haul shows up! Same shit site, same shit blog!

Shanie Out!

[btsrmono]

Trial & Error | chapter 3

Main Pairing: (jimin): student/idol x (main): foreign student

Side Pairs: main x taehyung,, main x (nct) jaehyun

PART 2

So you were wrong. Five weeks had passed and you and Jimin hardly had any interactions at all but when you guys did, they were nothing special. Unfortunately, you had grown a small disliking towards him. It wasn't strong but it was definitely somewhat there, however, you were not going to let him know that. In simple words, he was conceited and started to act like he was too good to hang around certain people. He was just kind of changing. 

 To make matters worse, Jinsoul and Jacob started dating so you had to be around him and Jimin even more, given the two boys were close friends. The one good thing about Jimin being around all the time was that he'd always bring his friend Taehyung to the hangouts. You and Taehyung connected easily and talked a lot. He quickly became your guy best friend.

 One day, as all five of you guys were hanging out at a cafe, per usual, Jacob began talking about school. Normally when they talked about school, you always had to sit this one out because you couldn't relate to anything they were saying or knew any of the people they would talk about. This time was different though.

 "Hey, did you guys check your emails?" Jacob asked as he scrolled through his phone, presumably looking at his email.

 "No, why?" Jimin wondered.

 Taehyung chuckled. "Who checks their emails anymore?”

 "It says exams are pushed back to next week due to reconstruction."

 Jinsoul's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Reconstruction? On which part of the school?"

 Jacob, still reading the email, continued, " 'As you all may know, Seoul Performing Arts is working on becoming the best school that it can be for the gifted. In order to do that, we want to provide our students with the most unique comfort and environment.'" His eyes suddenly widened. "Wait a minute, you guys, listen to this: ' As of next week, on the 18th, all students are required to begin attending Seoul's Number 1 International High School, also known as Seoul High. This will only last for three months, so don't make yourself too at home there. With best regards, your superintendent, Gong Min Hyuk.'"

 "Seoul High... isn't that y/n's school?" Taehyung asked with wonder as all heads turned to you.

  You cleared your throat, shocked by this news but kind of happy at the same time. "It is," you confirmed. "But it's also kind of small, I don't know how this is going to work out."

 "I wonder if they're gonna put us in different classes from the students already there," Jimin chimed in. "I mean, they have to, right?" You silently rolled his eyes. There he goes, thinking he’s superior to “regular” students.

 Jacob shrugged his shoulders, unsure of the answer. "I said all the email stated. I guess we'll find out sooner than later."

 Taehyung smiled at you. "If if makes you feel better, I think this'll be fun. You said you don't really talk to anyone there, right? Well, hey, you'll have us." 

 He was right, this was a plus. But at the same time, you automatically worried about the people at your school using them because they were famous or just wanted attention."You guys aren't mad?"

 "It's only for a few months," Jinsoul said. "I think we'll survive. And we'll meet new people, which I'm always excited about. We could expand our circle."

 "But I don't want new friends," you pouted, making Jimin giggle.

 "It's okay," he said. "We don't want new friends either."

 You all giggled but eventually, when their school clashed with yours, they made new friends quickly. Soon, you guys stopped having your meet ups. It had only been 2 weeks but it felt like forever. What made you feel worse was the fact that you had class with Jimin and he ignored you most of the times. The only time he really would acknowledge you is if he were asking for a favor, such as passing a note on to someone for him. You got used to it fast.

 You even started to lose Jinsoul. She became very busy with Jacob and auditions, leaving no time for you. You were sad at first but was able to brush it off after a little bit. Fortunately, Taehyung stuck around. He was the only one friend you had at that point. 

 As the school day ended one day, he suggested you two walked home instead of taking the bus. You looked at him like he was insane. "Tae, you realize that's like an hour walk, right?"

 He shrugged, his hands tucked tightly in his pant pockets. "Just meet me at the pole last bell?"

 Struggling to find the urge to deny his request, you suddenly sighed, slightly rolling your eyes. "Fine. I'll see you later." And so you did. 

 You guys mostly walked in an oddly, relaxing silence. Tae was naturally a quiet person, so you never felt the need to force a conversation. He was a comfortable person to be around, overall. 

 As you two continued your adventure home, your hand accidentally brushed across his, causing you to quickly pull away. "My bad," you mumbled. From your left, you heard Taehyung giggle, making you  look at him, a small smirk forming on your face.

 "Don't be so awkward," he laughed. "You act like we've never touched before." He was right, there were even times where you’d lay in each other's laps, not saying a word. But the difference then was you never felt some kind of way about him. Honestly, those days, you started to grow small feelings for Taehyung. He was sweet, sincere, and caring.

  You sighed, crossing your arms. "Whatever. Why'd you want to walk home anyway?"

 "Because," he simply stated.

 "Because?"

 "Because."

 "Look, Tae--"

 "Wanna go out tonight?" he cut you off.

 Shocked, you didn't say anything for a few seconds, causing Taehyung to stare. He waved his hand in your face, asking if you heard him. "Uhm, yes."

 "Yes to what?" he wondered. "Going out or hearing me?"

 Going out? He couldn't possibly mean in a date way, Taehyung definitely did not have feelings for you... Did he? "Go where?"

 A smile suddenly formed on his face as he suddenly began to blush. "You've been in Korea for how long now? Two, almost three months? I think it's time to show you a tour." 

 You chuckled at the sweet gesture. "It's the Fall," you stated, knowing it was too cold out for him to do so. "You really don't have to."

 "It's my idea, right?" he said. You automatically looked away, suddenly getting goosebumps. "I want to," he stated. "Plus, today is the only free time I'll have in a while."

 "Okay," you agreed.

A/N: Very short chapter this time lol it’s time for me to go to bed. Anyway! Tae and y/n are going on a date?? Find out next chapter! Stay tuned :) 

PART 4