#at least i plan to reply to discord messages

[lured-into-wonderland]

We are understaffed at the moment, and with one more person calling in sick leave early this morning, it will be a difficult week ahead. A colleague is back from holidays on Friday, so I guess there will be little from me this week.

I hope you are all having a lovely week!

[gyorouis]

𐙚 EVER SEEN.

— "every piece of me, holds parts of you. it feels much better when i'm with you."

genre: fluff (tooth rotting per se), attempt on crack ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ ), just reader and soobin admiring e/o.

pairing: ldr bf!soobin x afab!reader

warning: none (except maybe some cringe stuff for fluff)

wordcount: 4.6k

now playing: beabadoobee — ever seen ୨ৎ

the glow of the computer screen was the only light in the room, casting a soft blue hue over the messy gaming desk, and half-empty snack bags. you had spent countless hours in this very spot, headphones on, mic ready, waiting for that familiar notification: “dia_soobie314 has joined the game.”

you and soobin had met a year ago in the most unexpected way. what started as a casual gaming session turned into nightly marathons, then into a friendship, and eventually, something much deeper. the two of you were a team, a dynamic duo in every game you played. but somewhere between the virtual battles and late-night strategy talks, started a deeper connection beyond the screen.

it all began in a game of league of legends. you were having a particularly rough match, teammates bickering, and everyone blaming each other for the impending loss. just as you were about to give up, one of your team mates joined the voice chat.

“hey, let’s turn this around. i’ve got a plan,” the voice of a man said, his voice calm and confident. he’s playing lee sin, you’ve been watching his moves earlier and you can’t deny that he’s got the moves, he’s good at doing combos. you read his gaming name: “dia_soobie314”.

skeptical but desperate, you decided to follow his lead. you were playing jinx, and your team had been struggling to keep up. as the match went on, the player using lee sin executed flawless ganks, setting up kills for you and turning the tide of the game. your jinx’s rockets and rapid-fire attacks synced perfectly with his aggressive plays, and together, you started to dominate the battlefield.

“keep pushing, i’ll cover you,” he directed, his voice steady even in the chaos of the game. to your surprise, the team rallied behind his leadership. turret after turret fell, and soon you found yourselves at the enemy’s nexus. in a stunning comeback, you secured victory.

after the game, “dia_soobie314” sent you a friend request.

“nice playing with you,” his message read. “wanna team up for another round?” 

one game turned into two, then three, and soon, you found yourselves gaming together almost every night. your shared love for anime quickly became a staple of your time together. you'd often watch episodes on discord, discussing plot twists and debating the best characters. one of your favorite topics was jujutsu kaisen, and there was that one memorable argument about megumi. soobin had made a comment that you took as a negative remark to your beloved character.

“seriously, megumi isn’t that great,” soobin said, trying to sound casual. “are you kidding me? megumi is awesome!” you shot back, your voice rising in mock outrage.

“he’s too boring. give me yuuji any day.”

“that’s because you have no taste!”

the argument turned into a playful bicker, filled with laughter and exaggerations, and became a favorite story in your growing collection of shared moments.

when it came to gaming, you and soobin made an unbeatable team. you both complemented each other perfectly. you were the one who dived headfirst into the action, while soobin stayed calm and strategic, guiding you through the chaos.

then there were the horror games. you loved them, but soobin was not a fan. whenever a new horror game came up, you’d coax him into playing.

“you promised me we’d play this,” you’d remind him. “yeah, but i didn’t sign up for a heart attack,” soobin would groan. “come on, it’ll be fun,” you’d say with a grin. and it was fun—at least for you. soobin would try to act brave, but his fear was pretty obvious.

“why are all the lights flickering?” he’d ask, voice trembling slightly. “it’s part of the game,” you’d reply, barely containing your laughter. “this isn’t even scary,” he’d insist, though his hands would be visibly shaking on the keyboard.

despite his clear discomfort, soobin would push through, just to be with you. it was endearing and made those gaming nights even more special.

“you know, we make a pretty good team,” soobin remarked one night after a particularly intense match. “we do,” you agreed. “i’ve never had a duo partner like you before.”

outside of the games, your conversations grew more personal. you’d talk about your days, your dreams, and your fears. it was easy to confide in soobin; his voice was always comforting.

one evening, after a string of victories, you found yourselves in a quieter moment. “so, what’s your story?” soobin asked. “how’d you get into gaming?” you laughed, thinking back. “my brother got me into it. he needed a teammate, and i just stuck with it. what about you?”

“i started in high school,” soobin replied. “it was a way to relax after school. never thought i’d meet someone like you through it.” his words hung in the air, filled with meaning. your heart skipped a beat, unsure how to respond. “i feel the same way,” you said softly. “i never expected to find a friend like you here.”

“more than a friend,” soobin said gently. “at least, i hope so.”

those words marked the start of something new. your gaming sessions took on a new layer as your connection grew deeper. what used to be just about winning games became about sharing more personal moments. conversations that started with strategies shifted to late-night talks about your lives, your hopes, and your dreams.

one evening, as you both leaned back in your chairs after another victorious match, soobin’s voice took on a more playful yet earnest tone. “hey, can i ask you something?” he said, his eyes twinkling with a mix of mischief and seriousness.

“sure, what’s up?” you replied, feeling a warm, comforting sensation from the intimacy of your growing connection.

soobin took a deep breath, looking slightly nervous. “so… i was thinking,” he began, his voice wavering slightly. “we’ve been playing together for a while now, and i’ve really enjoyed every moment of it.”

you smiled, sensing where this might be headed but eager to hear more. “yeah, me too. it’s been a lot of fun.”

“well, uh,” soobin stumbled over his words, his usual confidence momentarily giving way. “i was wondering… if maybe… we could make it official?”

“official?” you echoed, your curiosity piqued. “like, adding me to your friends list with a special status?”

soobin chuckled, his cheeks turning a soft pink. “not exactly. i mean, i was thinking more like… asking you to you know.. be.. uh.. be my g..girlfriend.” he said, the last word almost inaudible.

the question hung in the air, and you felt your heart swell with emotion. “oh, so you’re saying you want to upgrade from gaming buddies to… couple status?”

“y-yeah, something like that,” soobin said, grinning widely. “i figured, if we’re going to keep winning games together, we might as well win at life too.”

you were touched by his heartfelt words, feeling a surge of happiness. “that’s cheesy, but i’d like that,” you said, your voice warm and sincere. “i’d love to be your girlfriend.” soobin’s face lit up with pure joy, his eyes sparkling. “really?!”

“yeah, really,” you replied. “but only if you promise to keep playing games with me and not let me win just to make me feel good.”

“deal,” soobin said with a laugh, his eyes full of affection. “but only if you promise to keep being as amazing as you are now.”

“i’ll do my best,” you replied, your heart racing with excitement. “and don’t worry, i’ll make sure to keep you on your toes.”

then the time came when you both, you both decided it was time to meet in person. you picked a date and a place, both eager to see each other. the excitement was intense, you imagined the day vividly: finally meeting soobin, feeling his presence in real life.

but plans didn’t go quite as expected. there was a funny mix-up. you had both picked different locations to meet, each of you certain you had the right spot. you ended up at a busy train station, scanning the crowd with anticipation. soobin was at a cozy café on the other side of town, sipping coffee and checking his watch.

hours passed, and the realization set in that neither of you would reach the other’s spot. your messages were filled with confusion and humor.

“are you sure you’re at the right place?” you texted, trying to stay light-hearted.

“yeah, unless this coffee shop moved,” soobin replied with a hint of laughter.

the mix-up became a funny story you both laughed about. it was a reminder of how things don’t always go as planned. after that, you both decided to keep the meeting plans on hold, sticking to being in a long-distance relationship.

as time went on, the idea of meeting in person came up again. this time, you both decided on a trip to japan, a place you had both dreamed of visiting for years. the excitement of finally meeting soobin face-to-face was intense. you poured over every detail, planning each day carefully to make sure your time together would be unforgettable.

“can you believe it’s almost been a year?” you asked one night while on a call with soobin on discord, fingers moving over the keyboard while playing a game before the trip. “it’s wild,” soobin replied. “i’ve been looking forward to this for so long.” 

“yeah, i’m definitely not nervous at all,” you joked, though your excitement was hard to hide. “don’t worry, it’ll be great,” soobin said, his voice soothing even from a distance. “we’ve got this.”

the excitement of your upcoming trip to japan filled every conversation you and soobin had. you spent hours discussing and planning, each detail adding to the anticipation.

“okay, so we need to figure out our itinerary,” you said one evening, your screen filled with maps and travel guides. “what’s first on your list?”

“definitely tokyo,” soobin replied, leaning into his webcam. “i’ve always wanted to visit akihabara. i hear it’s like an anime paradise.”

“agreed! i’ve been dying to visit the ghibli museum. i’m bringing my camera for sure,” you said, your excitement clear in your voice. “oh, and don’t forget we have to try all the street food,” soobin added. “i’m counting on you to be my taste tester.”

“taste tester? is that code for ‘let’s see how much you can handle’?” you joked. “i hope you’re ready for some questionable delicacies.”

“bring it on,” he said with a grin. “i’ll just make sure to pack a lot of snacks for backup.”

you both laughed, imagining the endless food adventures ahead. the planning sessions often turned into playful banter.

“so, are we getting lost in tokyo on purpose or is that just a bonus?” soobin asked.

“getting lost is part of the fun!” you replied. “besides, think of all the new places we’ll discover.”

“right. like that time we were supposed to meet in person and ended up at different locations,” soobin teased. “i’m still not over that!”

“oh, don’t remind me,” you groaned, laughing at the memory. “i was at that busy train station, searching for you in a sea of people, and you were at that coffee shop across town.”

“sipping coffee and waiting like an idiot,” soobin said, shaking his head. “we didn’t even think to check our locations again.”

“i still can’t believe we didn’t think to call or text,” you said with a grin. “guilty as charged,” soobin admitted. “but this time, we’re meeting at airport. we’ll be fine.”

as you continued planning, you each picked your favorite spots. you both agreed on visiting kyoto for its beautiful temples and serene gardens. soobin was excited about exploring osaka’s vibrant nightlife and trying the local ramen.

“i’m so excited about visiting the shibuya crossing,” you said, eyes sparkling. “and i’m looking forward to eating my weight in takoyaki,” soobin replied. “just remember, no food fights.”

“no promises,” you joked. “but if we end up with takoyaki in our hair, it’ll be a story for the ages.”

the playful banter continued as you finalized your plans, each moment of preparation bringing you closer. the excitement of exploring japan together, mixed with the joy of simply spending time with soobin, made the trip feel even more special.

the days leading up to your trip were a blur of packing and final preparations. you double-checked everything, eager for the moment you’d finally see soobin in person. the thought of meeting him, sharing real-life laughs and moments, was both thrilling and nerve-wracking.

“are you ready for this?” you asked soobin during a call when the both of you are busy packing your things. “as ready as i’ll ever be,” he replied smiling, revealing his dimples.

the airport was bustling with activity, a sea of travelers moving in every direction. you and soobin had spent countless hours planning every detail of this moment, from the flights to the outfits you'd wear to ensure you wouldn’t lose each other in the crowd.

you spotted him first. soobin stood out with his black cap that read “bunny senpai <3,” a playful nod to his favorite anime character. you, on the other hand, wore a blue and white striped beanie that was a little too big but made you easy to spot.

the two of you locked eyes across the crowded terminal, and for a moment, everything seemed to pause. a mix of excitement and nervousness danced in the air as you approached each other.

“hey,” you said, trying to sound casual but failing as your voice wavered with excitement.

“hey,” soobin replied, his dimples appearing as he smiled wide. “we finally made it.”

you both laughed, a bit awkwardly at first, but it quickly melted into genuine joy. it was surreal to finally see each other in person after so many months of video calls and messages. “so, how do we do this?” you asked, glancing around. “do we hug, kiss or just wave?”

“let’s go for a hug,” soobin chuckles, stepping forward. the embrace was warm and comforting, filled with all the emotions you had both been holding in. as you stood close, the height difference between you became more apparent. you were smaller than soobin, making him look even taller and more imposing. you had to look up to meet his eyes, which made both of you laugh.

“wow, you’re tall,” you said, chuckling. “i feel like i’m looking up at a skyscraper.”

“and i feel like i’m towering over a very cute skyline,” soobin teased, his smile widening. “this is a new perspective for me.”

“well, at least i don’t need a ladder to hug you,” you joked, tightening your arms around him.

after getting through security and finding your gate, you shared a laugh about your first-time plane experience. “i still can’t believe you’ve never flown before,” soobin said, shaking his head in amusement. “you’re like a kid at a theme park.”

“hey, it’s my first time!” you protested. “i’m allowed to be excited.”

the boarding process was an adventure in itself. as you boarded, you struggled to figure out how to stow your carry-on in the overhead bin. soobin, trying to help, ended up knocking his bag into yours, causing a minor luggage avalanche.

“great start,” you said, laughing. “we’ll survive,” soobin said, grabbing your hand to steady the chaos. “just think of it as part of the adventure.”

once settled into your seats, the excitement of the trip began to settle in. the flight was filled with conversations about what you were looking forward to and how you were going to tackle the next few days. eventually, you both fell asleep, your arms tangled together. as if you will lose each other.

when you finally landed in japan, the rush of excitement was evident on both of you. the airport was another whirlwind of activity, but this time, everything felt thrilling rather than overwhelming.

the first day was spent exploring, starting with a visit to a charming local café. the aroma of fresh coffee and pastries filled the air, and you both enjoyed a leisurely breakfast while soaking in the new surroundings.

“this place is adorable,” you said, sipping on a cappuccino. “it feels so cozy.”

“and the food is amazing,” soobin agreed, taking a bite of a freshly baked pastry. “this is exactly how i imagined our trip would start.”

after breakfast, you headed to one of tokyo’s famous landmarks, the shibuya crossing. standing amidst the amount of people crossing the street in all direction. you both laughed and took pictures, capturing the vibrant energy of the city.

as the sun began to set, you both continued to explore, feeling like you were living in a dream. the excitement of finally being together, combined with the thrill of exploring a new place, made every moment special.

the morning air was crisp as you and soobin ventured into the bustling traditional market in tokyo. the market was a sensory overload of vibrant colors, enticing aromas, and the lively chatter of locals. you both eagerly darted from stall to stall, trying every sample offered.

“so, which street food should we try first?” soobin asked, eyes wide with excitement. “let’s start with takoyaki!” you suggested, pointing to a stall with a long line of eager customers. “and maybe some yakitori.”

you both ordered generously, balancing a tray of steaming takoyaki balls and skewers of grilled chicken. the takoyaki was a delightful mess, hot and gooey, with octopus bits hidden inside. you managed to get sauce all over your hands and face, making soobin laugh.

“you’ve got a little something right here,” soobin said, pointing to a smear of sauce on your cheek. “thanks,” you replied, wiping it away. “you’ve got some too.” you grinned, dabbing at his cheek with a napkin.

as you continued exploring, you ended up buying a small souvenir—a cute, hand-carved figurine from one of the stalls. but as you were admiring it, a gust of wind blew, and the little figurine went tumbling off the table.

“noooo!” you cried, watching helplessly as the figurine rolled away.

“well, that’s one way to give it a proper send-off,” soobin joked, helping you chase after it. eventually, you both found it, and the vendor even gave you a discount for your trouble.

the next morning, you took a train hand in hand to kyoto to visit the fushimi inari shrine. the famous red torii gates created a mesmerizing tunnel that seemed to go on forever. you and soobin wandered through the gates, taking in the serene atmosphere and snapping countless photos.

“this place is even more beautiful than i imagined,” you said, awed by the sight. “totally,” soobin agreed. “though, we’re probably going to get lost in here at some point.”

“i’m already lost in this view,” you replied, smiling. as you climbed higher up the mountain trail, you noticed a small food stall selling traditional sweets. you bought some mochi, but in the excitement of trying to get a perfect photo with the shrine in the background, you accidentally dropped the mochi. “and that’s why we can’t have nice things,” soobin teased, handing you a napkin. “next time, remind me not to be so ambitious with my selfies,” you said, laughing.

the next day was spent at universal studios japan. the park was a whirlwind of colors and excitement, with thrilling rides and themed areas. soobin was especially thrilled about the harry potter world, while you were excited to explore the minion park.

“let’s head to hogwarts first,” soobin suggested, peering at the park map. “sounds good!” you agreed. but somehow, in the maze of attractions, you both found yourselves wandering into the jurassic park area. “how did we end up here?” you asked, laughing as you saw the massive dinosaur sculptures. “i think we took a wrong turn,” soobin said, grinning. “but dinosaurs are pretty cool too.”

after finding your way to the harry potter section, you spent the rest of the day enjoying rides, sipping butterbeer, and taking silly photos with minion-themed props. the park was a blast, and you both relished every moment of it.

on the fifth day, you took a trip to the arashiyama bamboo forest. the towering bamboo stalks created a green, swaying canopy above you as you strolled through the serene path. the cool shade and the gentle rustling of the leaves made the hike incredibly peaceful.

“this place is like a dream,” soobin said, taking a deep breath of the fresh, green air. “definitely,” you agreed. “though, i’m glad we’re not lost this time.”

“not yet,” soobin teased. “let’s see if we can find the monkey park.”

as you wandered, you found yourselves at a nearby bench where you paused to rest. you shared a picnic lunch and laughed about the mix-up with the directions.

“if we get lost again, at least we’ll be lost together,” soobin said, holding your hand.

the last day in japan arrived with a gentle start. after a week packed with adventure, you and soobin decided to take it easy and savor a slower pace. you began with breakfast at a cozy café in harajuku. the place was a charming escape, decorated in soft pastels with a menu full of tempting pastries and aromatic coffee.

after a leisurely breakfast, you strolled through harajuku’s quirky streets. you found a vintage shop with an array of unique trinkets and charming finds. soobin picked out a cute, retro keychain for you.

“this will be a great keepsake,” he said, handing it to you with a smile. “something to remember this trip by.”

“thanks, ‘bin,” you said, holding the keychain up. “i’ll think of you every time i see it.”

your next stop was going back to shibuya. at the famous shibuya crossing, you both marveled at the sea of people moving in perfect chaos. you posed with the hachiko statue, laughing as you tried to capture the perfect shot. “this statue is as iconic as they say,” soobin remarked, adjusting his camera.

“we’ve got to get a picture,” you agreed. “it’s a must-do for sure.”

for lunch, you wandered into a small ramen shop. the rich aroma of broth and the sight of steaming bowls made your mouths water. You both slurped up your ramen with enthusiasm, savoring each bite.

“this ramen is incredible,” soobin said, grinning as he twirled his noodles. “i’m definitely going to miss this.”

“we might have to try making ramen at home,” you suggested. “though i doubt it’ll be as good.”

after lunch, you took a leisurely stroll to a nearby park with a stunning view of the tokyo skyline. you found a peaceful spot under a cherry blossom tree, and took a moment to relax and reflect on your trip.

“this view is amazing,” you said, leaning against soobin. “It’s the perfect end to our adventure.”

“it really is,” soobin agreed, resting his head against yours. “i’ve had the best time.”

as the sun began to set, you headed to a quaint restaurant for dinner. The intimate atmosphere was perfect for winding down, and you both enjoyed a delicious meal together.

“to an unforgettable trip,” soobin toasted with his glass of sake.

“to the best company,” you replied, clinking glasses and smiling.

after dinner, you took a final, leisurely walk through tokyo’s sparkling streets. the city was alive with lights and sounds, and you both soaked in the last moments of your adventure.

“i’m going to miss this,” you said softly, holding soobin’s hand. “me too,” he replied, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze. he looked around at the glowing city lights, a thoughtful expression on his face. “what if…” he started, hesitating as if searching for the right words.

“hmm?” you asked, pausing to look up at him. “what if we lived here instead?” he proposed, his voice full of a hopeful, playful tone. his eyes sparkled with the idea, and you couldn’t help but chuckle at his enthusiasm.

“‘bin, we’re still in college,” you reminded him with a teasing smile. “i know, i’m not saying we should do it now,” he clarified quickly. “i’m talking about… uhh, when we get married.”

his casual mention of marriage took you by surprise, and you felt your cheeks flush. “you’re thinking about marrying me?” you asked, trying to keep your voice steady but unable to hide the blush spreading across your face.

soobin’s expression shifted to one of mock disappointment, his eyes widening in feigned shock. “why? you don’t think about marrying me?” he asked, his tone playfully hurt. you laughed, shaking your head as you reached up to gently pinch his cheeks. “of course i do, dummy. who else would put up with your terrible puns?”

“i knew it!” soobin said, his face breaking into a wide, relieved grin. “i was starting to think maybe i was in this alone.”

you both laughed, the sound of your shared joy mingling with the city’s hum. soobin pulled you into a warm, tight hug, his chin resting on top of your head. the world seemed to pause for a moment, leaving just the two of you in your own little bubble.

as you stood there, holding each other and watching the lights of tokyo twinkle around you, the night felt full of possibilities. the city, the trip, and your shared dreams blended into a beautiful memory, one you knew you would cherish forever.

“let’s make a promise,” you said, lifting your head to look into soobin’s eyes. “no matter where we end up, we’ll always make time for adventures like this.”

“promise,” soobin agreed, his gaze steady and sincere. “and maybe next time, we’ll be exploring somewhere new… or maybe even this city, just as locals.”

soobin looked down at you, his eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint that made your heart flutter. the city lights reflected in his gaze, adding a touch of magic to the evening. with a playful grin, he leaned closer and said, “you know, i’m definitely marrying you tomorrow so we can be locals here.”

you raised an eyebrow, trying to hold back a laugh at his bold declaration. “oh really? admit it, you’ve been dreaming of living here because of your anime fantasies, haven’t you?”

“i mean, yes,” he admitted with a dramatic sigh, as if he were reluctantly revealing a long-held secret. his face softened, and he reached out to gently tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear. “but… but… it’s not just that. i really want to be with you.”

his words, so sincere and filled with affection, made your heart swell. the warmth of his hand brushing against your skin sent a shiver of happiness down your spine. you looked up at him, your cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and joy.

soobin’s gaze softened, and he placed a tender kiss on your forehead. his lips lingered for a moment, leaving a gentle, comforting warmth that seemed to melt away any remaining traces of the chilly evening air. it was a simple gesture, but it spoke volumes about the depth of his feelings.

“when we get back home,” he murmured, his voice low and earnest, “let’s still meet, okay? and let’s promise not to lose each other this time.”

you took his hand in yours, intertwining your fingers as you looked into his eyes. “i promise,” you said softly, your voice steady despite the emotions swirling inside you. “we’ll meet, and we’ll make sure not to lose each other. no matter where life takes us.”

the streetlights cast a soft glow around you, and the bustling city seemed to fade into the background as you both stood there, savoring the moment. soobin squeezed your hand gently, his smile widening as he looked at you with a mix of affection and anticipation.

“and who knows,” he added with a playful wink, “maybe we’ll find a way to live out our dreams together. after all, i have you by my side.”

gyo's note: i'm so inlove with loser bf core soobin i have to write something out of it, quite hard to write the japan trip because i've never been to japan so i just did some research but i hope you loved how i made the japan trip!. if you made it to here, thank you for reading! i hope you liked it and pls like and reblog, it helps my works :>> you will be loved, xoxo!

✮ 2024 gyozies, all rights reserved.

[valentialbein]

I figure it’s worth putting on the Tumblr radar since much of this is current discussion of Niosi is happening on Twitter.

(content warnings for sexual assault, abuse, manipulation, and otherwise taking advantage of people)

On Chris Niosi, and Kyle McCarley’s defense of him:

Recently Chris Niosi (aka Kirbopher), who has admitted to abusing people around him for at least a decade, was cast in Honkai Star Rail as the character Moze. Five years have passed since his public apology, where he addresses some specific callouts from victims to debatable effect, but unfortunately he’s lied about apologizing to all of his victims (1, 2), and the specific apologies he has written are now deleted from his tumblr, calling his efforts into changing for the better into his question. Furthermore, as he has a history of taking advantage of his fans even in his more underground days (1+2, 3), putting him in a situation where he has access to more fans to put him on a pedestal is dangerous. Other users have iterated much of this already on tumblr, where it was already discussed in previous years, so this is just some context.

But I’m here to talk about something related that hasn’t gotten any Tumblr coverage. For example, people here have talked about Griffin Puatu’s reddit post defending him already. But nobody has mentioned Kyle McCarley defending him yet.

On July 19, 2024, in the replies of Moze’s introduction tweet, he had this to say:

He addresses his use of “bad boyfriend” downplaying legitimate abuse later. I don't think it's great but we’ll get to that. However, “the court of public opinion” is a concept that he does stand by, perhaps reinforced by the backlash he received for this. Some of this was vitriolic, given the kind of person he was defending from further criticism, but others did try to reason with him, including some of the above and more as evidence that Niosi isn’t being entirely truthful about his atonement, and overall most responses expressed disbelief and disappointment more than anything else.

Still, he deactivated his account the following day, on July 20, 2024.

Unfortunately, our story doesn’t end there. In the early morning of July 21, 2024, he made an announcement in his Discord server.

So here's the thing about Niosi not being a confirmed sexual abuser or rapist or pedophile. I don't have everything, with this being such an expansive case so this is off what I've found. You know the time he planned to take advantage of his girlfriend at the time while said girlfriend was intoxicated (plus this follow-up where he attempted to cover for himself)? Drunk people cannot consent, especially not when drunk sex is already a hard boundary. Although this technically doesn't make him a rapist, to my knowledge, if you're gonna argue semantics it'll just sound like "well he didn't ACTUALLY rape someone so it's not as bad". Is it not already terrible that he tried to and still downplayed it when called on it? Besides, as mentioned in Lighty's testimony linked above, he's let other in his sphere groom minors under his watchful eye, and his other ex Audrey had things to say about how he weaponized sexual favors too. If someone actually has more on a history of sexual abuse and pedophilia, though, please bring it to my attention. I'll add it to this post.

Either way, we don't know what he knows. At best, Kyle has a very incomplete picture of the situation, and at worst he does have a complete picture and he just doesn’t think it’s valid or up-to-date criticism. The person who first brought this to people's attention on Twitter also mentioned that her messages in the server were being deleted when she spoke up to provide evidence, so for someone who welcomes others to share evidence how open he actually is to it is questionable. (UPDATE: There's more to this part of the story but we'll get to it in a future update.) His final message a couple of hours from these just solidifies it.

Having joined the server myself to see, around the time of the announcements seems to have been scrubbed clean, but there is some current discussion of the topic as of this post. Furthermore, someone there has stated that they're compiling sources to send his way to give him a better understanding of the situation (even if they're not sure if he still wants to talk about this), so maybe this will finally get him to reconsider his stance! Only time will tell.

Overall, though, I stand by my point that if Niosi makes a living, it should be somewhere far away from the public eye. Don't give him a platform to find new fans to take advantage of. Don't give his victims the opportunity to be retraumatized whenever they start a new game of show. He's been given more than enough chances. It's time to turn over a new leaf instead of digging his heels into the ground.

Still, I don't know if Kyle will change his mind at this point. I want him to - I tried, back when his Twitter was still up - but even at this stage he's doubled down on a situation he knows he might not have the full story on and I'm not sure if I can trust that. For any other fans, give this some thought - keep an eye out for any future developments if you still want to have faith in him, move on from him if you can't stand it. I just want him to at least hold his friend accountable instead of trying to shield him from the lasting consequences of his own actions.

(I'll be linking future updates here: #1, #2 and #3 for now.)

[genshinrpserver]

Genshin Roleplayers Wanted! (Updated 3/4/2025) Hello!! We are looking for some people that want to join a friendly roleplay community! We have a lot of writing to choose from! From headcanons to writing prompts and actual roleplaying with 1 person or a group of people! Our rules are simple! -Be at least 18+! We currently don’t have a NSFW channel and do not plan on implementing one. -Use discord! We use the server as a sort of home base but all of our roleplaying is forum based with a link to help you get set up once you’re in! -We ask that you send at least one roleplay reply in the forum every 14 days to keep up with activity so your partners aren’t left hanging! Everybody is playing one character so we try to keep it fair as far as staying active in case someone wants to write for a character that’s inactive. -At this time, we do not do oc's in rp. Canon characters only. Feel free to shoot me a message on discord (@/exposeburnout) if you want to join! I hardly check tumblr messages so discord will be the best bet. Just let me know what character you’re interested in. This is a very lighthearted server. Your character interpretation is completely up to you! Because this is a roleplay server, please be prepared to send a sample of your writing with a minimum of 100 words as this is our word count minimum for roleplay responses. Many of us write much more than this though!

[rockmiyabideusexmachina]

2025 Megaman Secret Valentine Event Signups *Closed*

^*Art drawn by Soul Rokkuman

While I wait for the last couple Secret Santa gifts to arrive, going to move on to opening the next yearly event. Even though last year I went back to Valentine's Day being in contest format, I feel like it's worth swapping back to a gift art event this year, to mix it up again. Truth be told, just hard to brainstorm much new for categories right now. And my contest prize plans are better off for summer, when more people are able to participate. (I do have a few nice prizes I plan to give away for that ;D ). So rather than rushing those plans, just going to keep this event more relaxed once more. For those who didn't participate 2 years ago, the Secret Valentine Event works much like Robot Rumpus/Megaman Secret Santa. Sign up with the intent to draw, by providing a list of your favorite characters and couples, that you would like as a Valentine gift. After signups close you will receive a target, with the goal of drawing something from their list for them, to send them as a Valentine.

Sign Up Instructions: 1.) When you are ready, either post a reply in this thread or send me a DM via tumblr or Bluesky or sign up through my Discord server: (https://discord.gg/EjHZJ7D3Xm), stating that you intend to sign up to draw for someone. 2.) In your reply/message, please include a wish list with a minimum of 3 prompts, either individual fave characters or couples from the Megaman franchise, that you would be happy to have drawn for you as Valentine’s gift art. Megaman-related OCs are OK, but please include at least one canon character. 3.) Let me know if you can be a backup artist or not, if someone has to drop out/can't complete their gift

Artwork does not necessarily have to be romance themed, but it is preferred to fit with the holiday. But some singles are happy by themselves on the day of love, so you can certainly find a way to make single characters feel appreciated/loved in your art, too.

Any kind of artstyle and medium are welcome, with the exception of AI slop. Has to be your own work only.

Signups will run from today until Tuesday, Jan. 14th, 2025.

That gives you one week to sign up.

On Wed. the 15th, Cupid Wily and I will message everyone back with their assignment, and their assignment’s wish list. Then you will have one month to create your gift art for your Secret Valentine. 

Secret Valentine’s art will be due Friday Feb. 14th, 2025, by the global end of the day. 

But I'll work in a week or so grace period if people need an extension. It would be nice if gifts were given on Valentine's Day, but since this won't be a competition, I'll be a little flexible if people need a little more time than a month to draw. While the gift should go to your recipient first and foremost, please also either send them my way when you are finished or tag me in a public post so that I can save the art. I will then compile all the art into a homemade Valentine’s Day shoebox gallery/thread like I usually do for contests. That way everyone can view them together in one place just as easily.

Please do not post your art before Feb. 14th!

Ideally, send your secret valentine their gift at any point on Valentine's Day itself. Either through DM or publicly tagging them in a post on your social media of choice. Posts can also be made in the valentine's day channel in the Fanart Contests and Events section of my Discord.

Any other questions, or something you felt I forgot to address? Feel free to ask. 

I’ll edit a confirmed participant list in this thread as I receive them.  (Just like I need to edit the year to 2025, because I really screwed that up initially! LOL)

*Confirmed participant list* (W/backup status)

Lunna Cupcake N LadyStormtail1985 N SunnyJustice Y RockmanGurl Y @axlthemaverickhunter Y Jay Sky Y @digitallyfanged Y @burntbeebs Y Elle Y Dr. Fresh Y SkipperdeesArt Y @sparkpop N @drewblossom Y @dahlia-the-nurd N @zeibei Y

1/15 *All assignments have been sent out! Check your DMs for your target. Thanks, everyone!

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA for telling a guilt-tripper to knock it off?

I'm part of a Discord server for authors, both aspiring and published. We chat about life, discuss story ideas, share snippets, look for beta readers, give each other feedback on our query packages—the usual. We're from all over the world, so sometimes time zones don't match up, and inevitably there are members who are more active and, thus, get a bit more attention

There's this one user—let's call them Kat—who used to be fairly active and had decent interaction from other users. Around December, Kat shared a bit of their writing to a critique swap—basically a Google Drive where we could look over each other's stuff and provide feedback. They uploaded a bit late due to their schedule (GMT) and didn't get as much critique as they'd hoped, which made them a bit disheartened and they commented as much in the server. I can't blame them, since feeling ignored sucks, but I feel like complaining about it in the general channel (we have a dedicated vent channel) was a bit gauche.

Regardless, Kat continued to be active, albeit posting less frequently. Notably, most of their posting seems to be either responding to group prompts or talking about their own writing. Rarely do they respond to someone else's comments—or, hell, even replies to their own! I've seen people inquire more about stuff they've brought up, and then they just never respond. People do interact with them; they just don't interact back.

About a month ago, they messaged the server talking about recovering from illness and coming up with a story idea, asking for people to look over their first few pages. Two people responded with sympathy and interest; as far as I'm aware, Kat never got back to those people. Usually in interactions like this, someone asks for feedback, another person replies to tell them they're interested, the OP asks to DM, and the conversation goes there; Kat straight up left them hanging. After that, they only sent a few messages—a couple of replies to group prompts (those rarely have interaction from other users, though I've made an effort to react or reply to interesting responses, and I've seen a few others do the same), and another passive-aggressive comment about being ignored.

Tonight, Kat sent a message to the chat in the general channel (again, not #vent) that started with, "Whatever I've done or not done that's made me a social pariah in this group to people I thought were friends who now ignore my questions or posts, at least have a modicum of compassion and heart this message..." They then continued, talking about losing someone close to them. I do sincerely feel for them, but I can't bring myself to interact with that message in any way. Not even the heart they want. Worse, I'm entertaining the notion of telling them that while I am genuinely sorry for their loss, guilt-tripping people isn't an effective way to garner compression.

Why I WBTA: Literally they're grieving, that's such a shitty thing to do right now. Besides, they are right in that people haven't interacted with them as much ever since they asked for feedback on their work that one time. I doubt this will help anyone, let alone them.

Why I might be a JAH (I know for a fact there's no world where I'm NTA): Responses have dipped because they aren't posting as much, and moreover, since they rarely respond to people at all, it's likely that we've all learned that it's not worth it interacting with them. Besides, if I ignore them, they'll just keep guilt-tripping even more, which also isn't helpful to anyone. And again—we have a vent channel. Why they came into the place where we chitchat about our weekend plans vexes me somewhat.

I dunno. It's a very damned if I do, damned if I don't situation. WIBTA?

What are these acronyms?

[darkrpfinders]

Hey people! I’m 20 (M), turning 21 this year. I’m currently looking for three new roleplay partners around the same age (more than that will eventually leave me overwhelmed, sorry about that), and have some fun prompts in mind to offer :)

Firstly, a few things. I prefer OcxOc, MxM pairings. I write on the past tense 3rd person, around semi lit to lit, but usually I just end up mirroring my partner’s writing length after a few replies. I enjoy a good 40/60 plot to smut ratio, and prefer to dive deep into ⚰️🕊️, so preferably, my ideal rp partner would have little to no triggers! Additionally, I tend to play characters with more of a dominant role, usually perpetrators. If my character happens to be the victim, he will usually fight tooth and nail, or at the very least, rebel in any shape or form his circumstances allow.

I only roleplay on Discord servers or direct messages, as the tumblr chatroom’s is very glitchy for me. I’m all for nurturing friendship outside our roleplaying, but I also completely understand if you’re not interest in much OOC talk.

All that being said, here are some prompts I had in mind!

🩻💉Doctor x Subject⚰️🕊️

Simple plot in which, during a time of war and conflict, a team of doctors, nurses and technicians have plenty of war prisoners to experiment on. Mostly weapons, execution methods as well as potential new drugs. in this scenario, Character A is assigned Character B as a subject. His goal is very simple; to gather as much information as he can from Character B before crushing his very soul and mind.

🐦‍⬛🗡️Witch x Pastor’s apprentice⚰️🕊️

More of a period piece, during the Witch Trials, in a world were yes, witches are capable to harness magic and for that are condemned by the church, a Pastor’s apprentice comes face to face with a witch for the first time. Character B, the witch in question, is chained, half clothed, in desperate need of a shower and bandaging. Character A, helplessly holding a bucket of lukewarm water and a dirty piece of cloth, is to prepare him for his public execution. Things don’t go as planned.

📚🩸College buddies⚰️🕊️

Character A has been sharing his dorm room with Character B for almost two years now, and as another summer break becomes more and more eminent, he decides to finally enact his fantasies; kidnapping, drugging and brainwashing his best friend into his dream girl.

Ands that’s about it! I have some more in each of those, but that’s for dms. If you’re interested, feel free to message or like this post and I’ll reach you ASAP ♥️♥️♥️

.

[lilygoofywritingcave]

Dances, Disasters and Everything in Between (part 2 - final)

It's finally done, thanks everyone for the love from discord :3

After that announce ment, Luca spent the entire day following and begging Feli, pleading his case like a man on death row: “Please, please, please, just an hour a day - no, half an hour! I’ll owe you forever!” Feli barely spared him a glance as she flipped through her notebook. “You say that as if your debt would be worth anything.” Luca clutched his chest dramatically. “Ouch. Come on, Feli, you’re good at this stuff! You wouldn’t leave a poor, struggling student behind, would you?” Feli crosse her arms: “What makes you think I have time to waste on tutoring someone who clearly hasn’t opened a book in months?” Luca gave her his best, most dramatic pleading expression like a puppy: “Because you have a kind, beautiful, generous soul?” Feli looks unimpressed. “That’s not going to work on me.” "Please.....!" After hours of persistent begging, interrupted by Angel filming his “pathetic downfall” and Ronin openly placing bets on when he’d give up, Feli finally caved. “Fine,” she sighed, shutting her notebook. “But if you slack off, I’m out.” Luca beamed out a smile so bright Feli thought she was staring into the sun: “Yes! You won’t regret this! I swear I’ll be the most dedicated student you’ve ever had!” Feli cut him off with a sharp look. “I'm already regreting this.” As the school day ended, Luca flopped onto his bed, exhausted from his efforts. Ronin is probably outside, already planning how to piss V off again. Just as he was about to close his eyes, his phone buzzed.

Misaki: “GUESS WHO BEGGED THEIR OWN WAY INTO HELL” Luca unlocked his phone, confused, only to see a series of screenshots. There were dozens upon dozens of texts filled the screen of Misaki spamming Valentin with messages, each one more chaotic than the last. Misaki: hey hey hey hey hey hey v please i will literally die think of our future kids /j what if I promise to stop drawing offensive portraits of the principal? (ok I won’t actually but still - ) v???? v please respond v u there? v i can see u reading this, don't hide v i know where u live v im coming over (...) And finally, Valentin’s reluctant, exhausted reply: Valentin: “Fine. Just stop texting me. My phone is about to combust from all these notifications.” Luca laughed before typing back: “Damn, you really harassed him into submission.” Misaki: “Yeah. He said he’d help if I left him alone. Worth it.” Misaki: “Guess we’re both suffering now.” Luca: “At least we’ll suffer for a good cause.” Misaki: “Yeah. We better have a damn blast at this prom.” Luca: “Hell yeah.”

When Luca's academic comeback journey began, he surprisingly takes it pretty seriously (not like Valentin, but, more than usual...) . Every day after classes, they would meet in the library, turning Luca's usual hideout into a study corner.

At first, Feli expected him to zone out, crack jokes, or lose focus within minutes, but to her surprise, he actually tried. He struggled, that's for sure, sometimes groaning dramatically and flopping over his notebook as if it stabbed him in the back, but he never quit. “You’re improving, slowly, but visible” Feli admitted one afternoon, tapping her pen against his worksheet. Luca leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head, flashing a smug grin. “So you’re saying I’m a genius? When will my Nobel prize comes I wonder.” “I said ‘improving,’ not ‘miraculous recovery. Now get back to that worksheet.’” His grin changed into an exaggerated pout before he sighed and got back to work. That didn’t stop him from sneaking in little comments and teases just to get a reaction out of her. “You’re pretty scary when you’re focused, you know?” he mused one day, twirling his pencil. “Not in a bad way, though. It’s kinda cute.” Feli nearly dropped her pen. “Do your work,” she said quickly, staring down at the page. Despite her irritation, her ears burned at the compliment, which only fueled Luca’s amusement. It didn’t take long for others to notice the change in him. Ronin raised an eyebrow when he caught Luca actually taking notes in class instead of dozing off. “Who are you and what have you done with my dumbass friend? Is the doppelganger already here?” Angel, overhearing, smirked. “I think we all know what, or rather, who made that happened.” She nudged Feli playfully. Feli huffed, rolling her eyes. “He just doesn’t want to fail. And I agreed to help.” Angel grinned knowingly. “Uh-huh. Sure...” Even Valentin seemed suspicious of Luca’s sudden dedication. When he caught him skimming through a textbook at lunch, he crossed his arms. “So, what’s the end goal here? Do you actually care about your grades, or are you just trying to impress someone? Even Misaki is not trying this hard.” Luca, mid-bite into his sandwich, nearly choked. “What, dude, I just don’t wanna flunk out of the prom!” Valentin didn’t seem convinced but let it slide.

Meanwhile... Misaki's version of tutoring, however, looked very different from Luca’s. Where Luca sat quietly in the library with Feli, Misaki was sprawled over a café table, doodling nonsense in the corner of their notebook while Valentin flipped through flashcards with the look of a man regretting every life decision that led him here. “Misaki, you need to at least pretend to try,” he said, rubbing his temple. “I am trying,” she groans: “Trying not to explode.” Valentin sighed: “Fine. If you answer three questions correctly, I’ll buy you lunch, we all know you would never say no that.” Misaki immediately sat up, eyes gleaming. “You should’ve led with that.” Valentin gave her a tired look: “Unbelievable.” Misaki answered the first two questions with relative ease. The third one, however, was met with a mischievous smirk. “If I get this one right,” she said, tapping their chin, “you have to admit that you like me.” Valentin blinked. “What?” “You heard me. If I’m right, you have to admit that you secretly like me. It's so obvious already dude” “That’s not, why would I, ...” He exhaled sharply, composing himself. “Misaki, just answer the question.” She gave the correct answer effortlessly, then leaned forward with a smug grin. “Well?” Valentin stared at her, looking equal parts exhausted and unimpressed. “I am not playing your game.” “Oh, but you are.” Misaki grins as she leans closer “And, V, you’re losing.” He tries to calm himself down, simply taking a slow sip of his coffee as if that would block out her presence: "Now get back to that work sheet." Misaki only smiled wider. She still got her free meal and basically survived on that for nutrients every time she studies with Valentin, trying to save money for "reasonable" purposes.

… As days passed, Feli found herself looking forward to their study sessions. Luca didn't treat her like she was a fragile girl and never hesitated to tease her, and always filled the space with an easy and bright warmth that's easily contagious. She wasn’t used to that. Maybe, just maybe, she started to enjoy his company a little too much. One evening, they were reviewing math problems when Luca went quiet. Feli looked up from her notes and found him slumped over, head resting on his folded arms, completely knocked out. His breathing was slow and steady, his expression peaceful for once without his usual grin. She stared for a moment longer than necessary. Luca's usual boundless energy was gone, replaced by the steady rise and fall of his breathing. His head rested on his folded arms, his messy hair spilling over his notebook with the pencil still loosely gripped in his fingers. His face, usually lit up with mischief or exaggerated expressions, looked peaceful in sleep, unguarded, soft, maybe even cute? Feli just sat there, taking him in. For all his teasing and recklessness, he had worked hard for this. Harder than she and anyone expected. And despite how often he made her sigh in defeat, she couldn't deny it, he'd grown on her, and the roots are starting to reach her heart. A small smile tugged at her lips. “Gosh, you silly,” she whispered “Did you stay up to study again?” Luca didn't respond, of course, just shifted slightly, his hair catching the warm glow of the library’s light. Her fingers twitched. Before she could stop herself, she reached forward, hesitating just above his golden curls. Would he wake up if she touched them? Would they feel as soft as they looked? Her heart picked up speed. Carefully, she leaned in, her gaze flickering to his face. His lips were slightly parted, his expression vulnerable in a way she rarely saw.

Closer... And closer... Her breath caught as she tilted forward, just enough to... BANG! The library doors slammed open. “Move, move, move!” Ronin came barreling inside, nearly knocking over a chair in his rush. Feli jolted back so fast she almost tipped her own chair over, her pulse hammering in her ears. Across from her, Luca stirred, mumbling something but remained asleep. Feli pressed a hand over her chest, trying to calm her heart down. Ronin, meanwhile, had no clue he had just ruined a moment. Ronin spotted them and immediately dove behind their table, crouched behind it like a soldier diving for cover “What the..?” Feli started, but then the doors banged open again. Valentin stormed in, scanning the room like a hawk. “Where is he?” Feli blinked, feigning innocence. “Who?” Valentin narrowed his eyes: "Gosh I don't have time for this, tell him that if he ever waste my time before a meeting like this consider the prom over for him." He shot one last glare around the library before turning and leaving. A silence moment passed. Ronin peeked out. “...Think he bought it?” Luca, still half-asleep, mumbled: “No one ever buys it.” Feli facepalms herself, whatever moment she’d almost had? Ruined.

After weeks of preparing, it was time to put their effort to the test. Luca tapped his pencil against the desk, eyes flicking between the clock and his paper. His leg bounced under the table. Five minutes left. Across the room, Feli looked at him, worried, hoping he could calm down. Meanwhile, Misaki sat hunched over their test, gripping their pencil like a lifeline. “I studied this,” she muttered. “Why does it look like hieroglyphics?” She glared at V, who was calmly writing. "This is your fault" she thought bitterly. “Time’s up,” the teacher called. Luca’s stomach dropped. Misaki groaned like they’d been sentenced to death. ... Althought the test was bad, the waiting phase was somehow worse. Luca flipped between confidence self and a man having an existantial crisis. “What if I thought I did well but actually bombed?” Feli sighed. “Then we burn your textbooks and live in the mountains.” Luca smiles. calming down for a bit: "We? Does that mean we'll go together?" ... Misaki, on the other hand, won't leave the poor president alone. “Are you sure I passed?” “Eighty percent sure.” Valentin sighed “WHAT HAPPENED TO A HUNDRED?!” Valentin looks at her, his face flat as usual: “You either passed or you didn’t, Misaki. Freaking out won’t change it one bit.” “I’m haunting you if I fail.” "I'll get some holy water in case then"

…

The morning of the test results felt heavier than usual. Luca stood in front of the bulletin board, staring at the list of scores before he finally found his name. His breath caught. “I… I passed?” He blinked in disbelief, as if the letters and numbers might rearrange themselves if he decides to look away. Turning to Feli, he searched her face for confirmation that this was real. She pats his shoulders: “Of course you did. I didn’t spend all those hours tutoring you for nothing.” For a split second, Luca didn’t know what to do with himself. Then, without thinking, he grabbed her and lifted her into a tight hug. “You’re the best, Feli!” She let out a startled squeak, struggling for balance. “Luca - put me down!” Meanwhile, Misaki had a completely different approach. The second they saw their own passing score (though barely), she launched at Valentin: “V, my savior!” they cried dramatically, throwing their arms around his shoulders and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. Valentin froze. His entire soul left it's body for a moment. “I, what, Misaki, ...” He flailed, ears turning slightly red. “You, please, personal space...!” Misaki just grinned. “You love me.” The excitement over test results quickly shifted to another hot topic: prom dates. This topic came by when the group was at a cafe, celebrating the after-test. Luca asked: "Well Angel, who is lucky enough to dance with the popular girl?" She groaned, rubbing her temples: “I don’t even care at this point. My locker is full of letters from people I don’t even know. I could open a freaking post office.” Ronin laughs, nudging Angel: “Oh? And here I thought you’d hold out for some rich prince charming.” Angel rolled her eyes. “Yeah, no. I need a break. You know what? Screw it. I’m going with you. You won’t be annoying, and I know you won’t pull any weird romantic stunts.” Ronin smirked. “You underestimate my flair for the dramatic.” Angel sighs: “Done. We’re going together. I can finally live in peace.” Misaki, overhearing this, turned to V with a mischievous glint in their eyes. “Well, since I already kissed you today, might as well make it official. V, be my prom date, pretty please?” V let out an exhausted sigh but didn’t argue. “Fine. I'll go with you, as a supervisor for any stunts you might pull. Just, don’t cause another disaster, please.” “No promises.” Misaki smirks playfully. That left Luca and Feli. They exchanged glances. Between tutoring sessions and trying not to fail, neither of them had time to talk to anyone else. Luca rubbed the back of his neck. “So, uh…” Feli raised an eyebrow. “I guess we’re going together too? Someone also needs to keep check on you that day.” A pause. Then Luca grinned. “Guess so.”

…

As prom day drew closer and closer, the entire university buzzed with excitement, and also desperation. The hallways were filled with whispers, confessions, and last-minute plans. Students who had been too cool to care a week ago were suddenly scrambling to find dates. The popular ones treated it like a battlefield, strategically picking partners that would boost their social standing. Others, less concerned with status, took a more chaotic approach with some holding up cardboard signs asking for dates, others writing “WILL YOU GO TO PROM WITH ME?” on whiteboards during class, hoping for a glimpse of hope. “Promposals” happened everywhere. Flowers, handwritten letters, even a flash mob that went terribly wrong when a dancer tripped and took down half the cafeteria. Meanwhile, those already found their date walked around with a smug sense of security, watching the chaos unfolds like royalties Angel, watching yet another nervous confession take place by the lockers, sighed at Ronin: “This is starting to feel like a survival game.” Ronin chuckles: “Yeah, except instead of death, you just end up awkwardly third-wheeling at prom. Is that another one trying to invite the grand 'Ice Queen' Valeria again? Poor kid.” Luca and Feli, having already decided to go together, were technically safe from the madness. “You sure you don’t wanna trade up?” he teased Feli while watching someone dramatically kneel with a bouquet nearby as if it was a wedding. She rolled her eyes: “Too late. You’re stuck with me.” Luca grins. “Lucky me then.” The day of prom had finally arrived… Luca and Ronin stood in front of a mirror, adjusting their suits. Luca wore a classic black one with a white undershirt, with a tie that looks already loosened like he had no intention of keeping it neat. Ronin, on the other hand, had fully committed to his usual “devil may care” look, his suit sharp and slightly undone, a deep red undershirt, and, just for fun, a small silver pin shaped like horns attached to his lapel. He looked like he was about to walk into a deal with the devil and definitely has no intention of losing. Luca struggled with his tie, groaning: "Why is this thing impossible?" Ronin, adjusting his own effortlessly, shot him a side glance. “It’s a piece of fabric, man.” “Yeah, well, this piece of fabric is trying to strangle me.” Ronin snorted but didn’t bother helping, instead sitting down to comb his hair. He watched Luca fuss for a moment before suddenly speaking, his usual teasing tone gone. “So… you gonna confess to Feli tonight, or what?” Luca froze, hands still on his tie. He looked at Ronin through the mirror. “What?” Ronin shrugged. “C’mon, man. You two have been dancing around it for weeks. She clearly likes you. And you definitely like her. Do the math.” Luca opened his mouth, then closed it. “I don’t know, dude. What if...” “What if she says no?” Ronin finished for him. He sighed: “Luca, I don’t think she will. But even if she does, at least you’ll know instead of driving yourself crazy.” Luca swallowed, looking back at his reflection. “…You think it’s really that obvious?” Ronin smirked. “Oh, painfully obvious.”

Meanwhile… Angel carefully ran a brush through Feli’s hair, styling it to perfection. The soft lighting of the room gave everything a warm glow, and for once, Feli actually felt… excited. Nervous, but also excited. “You look great,” Angel said, admiring her work. Feli fiddled with the edge of her dress. “I hope so.” Angel caught her expression in the mirror and grinned playfully: “Thinking about Luca?” Feli nearly choked. “What? No!” Angel raised an eyebrow. “Mhm.” Feli sighs, defeated: “Maybe.” Angel set the brush down and looks at Feli through the mirror: “So… are you gonna confess?” Feli blinked. “Huh?” Angel tilted her head. “I mean, it’s obvious you like him. He’s an idiot, but a lovable one. If you don’t make a move, he probably won’t either.” Feli bit her lip, a sudden wave of nerves crashing over her: “I don’t know…” Angel gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder: “Look, whatever happens, tonight’s gonna be great. Just enjoy yourself. And if the moment feels right? Go for it.” Feli glanced at her reflection again, her heart pounding. Maybe tonight was the night.

…

Luca arrived first, trying to straighten his messy hair, already feeling out of place in his cleaned-up suit. Near the entrance, a beautifully arranged flower booth stood, brightly decorated. Cordelia, ever the businesswoman, was casually scamming students who had forgotten to buy flowers for their dates, and that means 90% of them. Her prices had already doubled since the doors opened, and yet, people are still willing to pay. Luca approached, smiling while looking at the selection: "Yo hi Cordy, business is 'blooming', I assume? "Of course dude. Looking for something special?" Cordelia asked, looking up from the forest of flowers in her shop. "Yeah, for Feli," he admitted, grinning. Luce, sitting beside Cordelia, smiled warmly and handed him a carefully crafted flower halo. “Forget-me-nots and baby’s breath,” she said, adjusting the delicate woven stems. “Subtle, but sweet. Good choice for a date night.” Luca chuckled, taking it. “You always know what fits people best.” “I pay attention,” Luce replied simply, tying a soft ribbon around another bouquet. As he paid (an absurd price, but he let it slide), Luca thanked them before heading off, halo in hand.

He turned at the sound of hurried footsteps, Feli, looking stunning yet nervous, approached him: “Hi Luca!”

Luca held up a flower halo. “Oh hi Feli, I got this for you. Thought it’d suit you.”

Feli blinked. “You did?”

“Yeah. Cordelia robbed me, but worth every penny.”

She placed it on her head. “How do I look?”

Luca grinned. “Like a fairy princess. But one that could kick my ass.”

Feli laughed, nudging him. “Idiot.”

Angel stepped forward, effortlessly elegant in a sleek, floor-length gown. She barely had time to admire Feli before catching sight of Ronin’s questionable choice in fashion. She groaned, rubbing her temples. “Ronin... What are you wearing?” Ronin smirked, completely unbothered. His suit, while sharp, definitely has little too much personality that screams the 'devil' vibe: “A masterpiece,” Angel closed her eyes for a moment. “I should’ve expected this.” Then came Valentin, dressed… exactly how he always dressed. A classic black suit, nothing fancy, nothing extra. Just the usual him, looking like he was going to a business meeting instead of a high school dance. Luca let out a sigh: “V, you could’ve at least tried to dress more, casual...” “This is dressing up, now where's Misaki?” he replied flatly. "She's already inside, making some quick buck from the commissions booth I think" Luca chuckled. "Always on their feet when it comes to money" Ronin commented before leading them into the prom.

Inside, a corner of the gym had been claimed by the art majors. Misaki, Eliora, and Cheri. The three had set up booths for quick commissions, each one reflecting their distinct styles. As the group approached the artist booths, Eliora barely glanced up from her sketchbook. She was in the middle of a rough, dramatic portrait with deep, raw pencil strokes bringing out the angles and expressions in a way that made everyone look just a little more intense than they really were. “Eliora, what are you working on?” Luca asked, tilting his head. Eliora smirked and flipped the sketchpad around. It was Misaki. Or rather, a Misaki who looked like they belonged in some gothic tragedy, sharp lines defining their tired eyes, their slightly messy hair drawn like a stormy cloud with an eerie expression. Misaki blinked. “Damn. Do I look that haunted?” “Yes,” Eliora said flatly, before adding, “In a fun way.” Misaki took the sketch and examined it. “This is kinda sick, though. I wanna keep it.” “Pay me first.” Eliora deadpanned, flipping to a new page. Misaki, on the other hand, took a more silly and chaotic approach, drawing people in ridiculous, exaggerated scenarios. A doodle of the principal riding a unicycle while juggling flaming textbooks sat proudly on display, earning occasional horrified glances from passing teachers and students. And then there was Cheri with his sign read in perfect cursive: "I draw you as an animal based on your vibe. $5. No refunds." The group wandered over, curiosity piqued. Cheri looked up, eyeing them with a sharp, knowing gaze. “Alright,” he mused, grabbing a piece of paper. “Angel’s obviously a swan, graceful, but terrifying when pissed.” Angel smirked. “I’ll take that.” “Luca, golden retriever. No question.” Luca grinned. “I mean… fair.” “Feli? A fox. Small, sharp, and a little menacing.” Feli crossed her arms but didn’t argue. Then Cheri turned to Ronin, his expression unreadable. He scribbled something down, then flipped the page around. A rat. With a tiny bowtie. Ronin’s mouth fell open. “A rat? You gave me a rat?” Cheri shrugged, entirely unbothered. “It fits.” Ronin grabbed the paper. “This is slander.” Misaki, counting her commission money beside them, snickered. “No, this is art.” Cheri barely acknowledged her before turning to Valentin. He studied him for a long moment, tapping his pen against his chin. “…A wolf,” he finally said, sketching swiftly. The final image was poised and elegant, fur carefully lined, with a piercing gaze that screamed leader. Valentin examined it and nodded, approving. “A solid choice.” “Of course it is,” Cheri said, flicking his pen away with a smirk. “I have impeccable judgment.” Misaki leaned over the table, grinning. “And me?” Cheri stared at her. Then, with no hesitation, he scribbled something down. He flipped it around. A possum. Hanging upside down. With crazed, wide eyes. Misaki burst into laughter. “Oh, that’s perfect.” Cheri grinned. “I know.” Valentin sighed. “We should move on before Ronin actually fights him.” Ronin, still glaring at his rat drawing, muttered, “I might.” Luca patted his shoulder. “C’mon, buddy. Let’s go get you some food before you start chewing through wires.”

The group wandered toward the food station, where the rich aroma of expertly crafted dishes filled the air. Unlike the chaotic energy of the prom, this corner was strangely refined with every plate arranged with precision and executed to perfection. At the center of it all was René Takahashi, the recent MasterChef winner, standing in her crisp white chef’s coat, arms crossed as she silently observed the crowd. Her sharp eyes tracked every bite, every reaction, every subtle shift in expression from those eating her food. She was analyzing, calculating, as if ready to stab anyone that talks bad about her cooking. Besides her, leaning casually against the counter, was Valeria Zalatoris, the school's infamous Ice Queen. Fabulously dressed, a cold smirk on her lips, she watched René watching the guests, amusement flickering in her gaze. Luca, already stuffing his face with something that tasted way too good, nudged Feli. “Okay, this is actually insane. Who knew school food could be this good?” Misaki, sipping from a tiny bowl of soup, nodded. “It’s better than anything I’ve eaten all year. The university really went all out for this event huh.” Angel, ever the social butterfly, approached the counter. “René, what’s the secret? How did you manage to make something this amazing in a school kitchen?” René responds immediately, voice as cool and composed as ever: “Technique and skill.” Before Angel could push further, Valeria leaned in slightly, a teasing smug on her face: “You should feel honored, you know. René almost didn’t take this gig. But I convinced her.” Angel sighs: "Really Vale, acting all mighty and smug about food?" Valeria didn't respond, instead she leaned in and pressed a quick, deliberate peck against René’s cheek: "What's wrong when I feel proud of my girl?" A beat of stunned silence followed. Luca choked. Feli froze. Ronin, mid-bite, just stared. Misaki, with perfect timing, muttered: “Wait. Hold on. What?” Angel was the first to recover. “You two are dating?” Valeria smirked, clearly enjoying in the reactions. “Oh? Was that not obvious? Not many people fit my type ya know.” “It was definitely not,” Valentin said, brows furrowed, still trying to process it. René sighed, rubbing her temple as if enduring this was the greatest hardship of her life: “…I wasn’t hiding it either” “You also never said it,” Feli pointed out. Valeria simply chuckled, eyes gleaming with amusement as she returned to watching René analyze her dishes. “Watching her work is my entertainment.” René shot her a look again, but there was a flicker of warmth beneath the cold exterior. The group, still processing, exchanged glances before Misaki shrugged. “You know what? Good for them.” ... From afar, Zack scanned the crowd, hunting for drama worth printing. Then, bingo. Valeria Zalatoris just kissed René Takahashi. His pen flew across the page: “ICE QUEEN & MASTER CHEF - SECRET LOVERS?” Gold. Pure gold. He could already see the headline: René’s Perfect Recipe—Is Love the Secret Ingredient? Noting that down, Zack goes back to scanning for more hot news like a hawk, often time wander his eyes over Angel, not that he would admit it.

… After a while, the group found themselves near the backstage area, where Micah sat lazily on a crate, tuning his guitar. He barely acknowledged them, cigarette hanging loosely from his lips, but when Cheri walked over, he exhaled a soft puff of smoke and flicked the cigarette away.

"You ready?" Cheri asked. Micah smirked slightly. "Always." Meanwhile, Serena leaned against a railing, arms crossed as she watched Ray fidget excitedly. The pop star, in all his flamboyant, glittering glory, was one tick away from exploding. His gaze was locked on someone across the room. Angel... The moment he saw her, his entire face lit up. “Serena,” he hissed, grabbing her arm. “She’s here. She’s real. Look at her!” Serena rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee. “Yes, congratulations, your favorite streamer exists in the physical realm.” Ray didn’t even hear her. He was practically vibrating. “Do I say something? Do I act cool?” “You’ve never been cool a day in your life.” Ray gasped, offended. “Serena...” Angel blinked, processing Ray’s reaction. Ray Zalatoris, the rising pop star, was her biggest fan? “…Wait. Hold on. You’re my number one stream fan? I always thought it was one your fan or something.” Ray beamed, practically shimmering with excitement. “YES! I watch all your content! Your takes? Flawless. Your editing? Cinematic. Your humor? Unmatched.” He clutched his chest dramatically. “Angel de la Rosa, I am humbled to be in your presence.” Angel just stared, speechless: “Dude. You’re, like, literally famous.” “And you are iconic!” Ray insisted. The group burst into laughter, while Serena just groaned. “I deal with this daily.” “Okay, okay,” Luca smirked, pulling out his phone. “We need proof this happened. Group pic.” They huddled together, Ray still visibly starstruck when Luca snapped the photo. Angel, still processing, gave an awkward thumbs-up. “Legendary,” Ray murmured, staring at the picture like it was sacred. Meanwhile, Cheri casually leaned toward Micah. “You’ll kill it up there,” he said, voice softer than usual. Micah gave a rare smirk. “I always do.” Then, without warning, he kissed Cheri on the cheek before returning to his guitar. Cheri froze. The others had already started leaving, but Feli caught the way Cheri just stood there, blinking, hand hovering near his cheek. “…Shut up,” Cheri muttered before she could say anything.

As the group move out of backstage, the chatter in the gym begins to settle as the lights dimmed slightly, signaling the official start of the event. A spotlight hit the stage to reveal Vince, the ever-jolly geography teacher and Ai Hua, the chemistry teacher who has been tirelessly shipped with him, as they stand in front the podium as the night’s MCs. Vince smiled bightly at the crowd: “Ah, prom night. A moment to celebrate youth, love, and the beauty of- ” Ai Hua lightly elbowed him. “Keep it short...” Vince chuckled. “Right, right. Welcome, students and teachers, to the university’s first ever Valentine's prom! Whether you’re here to dance with your loved, eat the amazing food, or just simply bathe in the moment, we hope this night becomes a cherished memory, like a breathtaking sunset over the horizon.” Ai Hua sighed but continued smoothly. "For tonight's event, we have worked very hard to plan an amazing lineup for everyone. To start the night, let's give a cheer to a rising star, who will surely blast your socks off!" Vince gave a dramatic call out "Ray Zalatoris!!!" The stadium erupts with excitement and shouting, ready for a unforgettable night.

As the lights dim and the crowd goes silent, the slow yet powerful bass started its magic, pumping everyone with anticipation before an electrifying guitar riff sliced through the silence.

Micah, cool and collected as ever stood front, his fingers practically gliding through the strings while the drumline kicked in, full of energy and power that makes everyone wants to start moving.

Then, Ray walks out dramatically, claiming the spotlight for himself. Dressed in a flamboyant outfit, he starts to rock the place with his voice, fueled by the clash between rock and pop.

Ray, vibrant and expressive as ever, dances with the rhythm like it was his muse. Micah on the other hand stayed silent, letting his guitar do the talking while hit band lit up the place. Together, they created a sound that was both raw and thrilling, shaking the entire place.

The crowd lost it as everyone starts to sing along, hands in the air, all pulled into the explosive performance. Even the aloof chef founder herself nodding to the rhythm, the energy too infectious to resist.

From backstage, Serena smirked, sipping her coffee and nudging Cheri: "Our boys really got this place on fire." With their performance coming to an end, Ray let out a final note, letting Micah finish it off with a flaming guitar solo, ending with a elegant flick of his pick to the audience.

As soon as the final chord is struck, the audience stayed silent, but only for a few secs. The applause soon erupted as the entire place was overwhelmed with cheering and clapping, the students' hearts still full of adrenaline. With a smile on his face, Ray shouted: “For those that needed their heart rates increased, I hope that ticked all the boxes. But the night's still long darlin', and this is just the start."

The night soon unfolds into activities after activities, each more ridiculous and sillier than the last.

…

Misaki approached a dart booth with absolute confidence, spinning one between their fingers like some kind of prodigy. “Wanna bet I win on the first try?” she asked, her smirk glowing with mischief. Luca laughs: “Yeah, sure. If you hit a bullseye first try, I’ll, I don’t know, buy you something from René's kitchen.” Misaki grinned, took aim, and, THUD!!! Dead center... Luca’s soul left his body, his jaw dropped so hard it nearly hit the floor. Misaki patted his shoulder, feigning sympathy: “I would like steak, by the way.” Luca groaned, facepalming himself: “I’m never making bets again.” Meanwhile, Ronin, watching from the side, took a dart, launched it confidently, before missing half an inch from the guy running the booth. "Please leave..."

…

During the night, the stage mic was on for people who want to share memories are do stand-up comedy. Vince, ever the opportunist, took it upon himself to seize the moment it was free. “Ah, the beauty of a sunset...” he began, gripping the mic like he was delivering the speech of his life: “The way the golden shining orb kisses the horizon, the fleeting embrace between day and night...” The crowd murmured in confusion. “Is this… part of the event?” someone whispered. Angel, sipping her drink, shook her head. “Nope. That’s just Vince being Vince.” Luca, grinning, leaned over to Feli. “Think he’s gonna bring up his wife next?” “Absolutely” Feli replied. And sure enough... “And you know, my wife and I once watched a sunset so beautiful, I nearly cried.” Before he could continue, Ai Hua appeared out of nowhere, grabbed his arm, and yanked him offstage. “Okay, okay, that’s enough,” she sighed. “But love-” “Vince, let the kids have their prom.”

…

The group stumbled a “Silhouette Guessing Game” hosted by the council members with the vice president Eric, who looks like he clearly isn’t paid enough for this. He was part chaperone, part problem solver, part exhausted from helping everyone.

When they arrived, they saw Vince dramatically stepping onto the stage.

“I volunteer!” the geography teacher announced with far too much enthusiasm.

Eric blinked. “Okay… uh, step behind the screen please.”

Vince eagerly positioned himself, his silhouette now visible against the backlight. The crowd squinted, whispering guesses.

“Too tall to be Feli.” “Not lanky enough to be Ronin.” “Wait, is that a—”

His iconic frog hat sat nicely on his head, the two oversize eyes that gave the vibe of mickey mouse’s ears showed clearly.

“It’s VINCE.” “Please take off the hat...” “A true artist never sacrifices their vision for the masses.” Vince shouted from behind the screen.

Ai Hua, already done with the nonsense, yanked him out: “You are embarrassing yourself, and me.”

… Zack, with his arms crossed, is still scanning the crowd for the next big news. Kat, ever the chaos gremlin, slid up beside him with a knowing smirk. “You always watch from the shadows, huh?” she asked, tilting her head. “Like some brooding antihero in a tragic novel.” Zack barely spared her a glance: “I’m working. People need their fill of drama.” Kat gasped: “Work? At prom? Zack, you wound me. Where’s your sense of fun?” Zack scoffed. “Where’s yours?”

Kat leaned in, eyes twinkling: “Oh, honey, my fun comes in layers. Like an onion, or a really emotionally complex lasagna.” For the first time, Zack actually looked at her, confused: “What?” Kat shrugs: “Point is, you spend so much time watching people live their stories, but when’s the last time you wrote your own?” Zack hesitated, and Kat took the chance to flirt: “You know, if you ever wanna stop being a mysterious newspaper cryptid and experience a little romance…” She placed a hand on his shoulder, whispering: “I promise I’m an excellent protagonist.” Zack rolled his eyes, but the faintest smirk tugged at his lips. “I’ll pass, no one is competing Angel in my eyes.” Kat grinned: “For now.”

…

As the upbeat music faded and the lights dimmed, and the atmosphere softened, casting a warm glow over the gym. The first notes of a slow, dreamy tune hummed through the air, and the room shifted, laughter settling into quiet smiles, chaotic movement turning into gentle sways. One by one, couples found their partners for the dance. … Ronin smirks, pretending like he wasn’t nervous: “So, do I have to lead, or are you gonna bully me into following?” Angel rolled her eyes but let herself be pulled in. “You better not step on me.” Ronin scoffed, adjusting his ridiculous devilish red-and-black suit. “Please. I’m surprisingly graceful.” She raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?” To her surprise, he was. There was no fumbling, no awkward tripping. He led with ease, his grip steady but relaxed. ... Misaki wobbled in their heels, nearly tripping as she grabbed onto V’s shoulders.: “I told you I suck at this.” Valentin sighed: “And I told you to wear proper shoes.” “Where’s the fun in that?” She grinned at him: “Besides, you’re here to keep me from falling, right?” V exhaled heavily but tightened his hold, guiding her movements with careful precision. Misaki, still unsteady, leaned in mischievously. “Hey, V…” “No.” “You don’t even know what I was going to say!” “You were going to say I’m falling for you.” “…Damn. You know me too well.” V sighed again. “Just focus on not breaking your ankle.” ... Serena let out a long sigh, resting her head against Ray’s shoulder. “I’m too tired for this.” Ray hummed, swaying gently: “That’s fine. I can dance for both of us.” Serena rest against him: “You’re way too energetic.” Ray grins: “And you love it.” “…Debatable.” “Serena.” She sighed again: “Okay, maybe a little.” Ray beamed. ... Micah exhaled, flicking his cigarette away before lazily taking Cheri’s hand: “You’re lucky I like you.” Cheri smirked, pulling him closer. “You’re lucky I tolerate you.” Micah huffed, looking away, but his grip didn’t loosen. “You’re annoying.” “You’re insufferable.” “…I like you.” Cheri grinned. “I know.” ... Zack stiffly let Kat pull him onto the dance floor, arms awkwardly positioned: “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Kat smirked, dramatically twirling under his arm: “Oh, absolutely. What’s wrong, newspaper boy? Afraid you’ll actually have fun?” Zack sighed, trying to adjust his posture: “This better not end up in the paper.” Kat just smiled and gave him a wink: “No promises.” ... Luce grinned as Cordelia put on another flower crown on her head. “You just made me wear this so I’d match you, didn’t you?” Cordelia smirked. “Maybe.” Luce smiles: “Unbelievable. You’re forcing aesthetics on me.” She shrugged: “You look good in flowers. Just accept it.” Luce sighed, shaking herhead: “Fine, but if I start getting compliments, I’m giving you all the credit.” “I was going to take it anyway.” ... All eyes were on them. René Takahashi, the cold, untouchable MasterChef winner, dancing in Valeria’s arms? It didn’t seem possible, the scene looked too perfect, no excess movements and just pure beauty mixed with rhythm. Valeria traced a light finger along René’s cheek: “Careful, people might start thinking you have a heart.” René sighed, unimpressed: “I hate you.” “You love me.” “…Unfortunately.” Valeria smirked. “That’s my girl.”

René rolled her eyes but held onto her tighter. ... Luca was always a natural athlete, but dancing? That was a different story. Feli tried to guide him, but every few steps, he would stumble or awkwardly misjudge the rhythm. “Relax,” she smiled, adjusting her hold. “It’s just like a game. You follow my lead okay? Take a deep breath.” Luca groaned: “That sounds fake, but okay.” He focused, trying his best to move with her instead of against her. After a few more tries, he got it, somewhat. Feli chuckles: “See? Not so bad.” Luca huffed. “I still think I’m gonna step on you.” “Then don’t.” He grinned. “You make it sound so easy.” “Maybe it is.” ... Vince, still proudly wearing his frog hat, swayed with Ai Hua in his arms. “You know,” he spoke up “slow dances always remind me of sunsets. There’s this moment, right before the sun disappears, where everything turns gold and...” Ai Hua sighed and pressed a finger on his lips: “Vince, just dance.” Vince chuckles: “Yes, dear.” Meanwhile, Eric… Eric, after a long night of helping both teachers and students, finally had a moment to breathe. He sat at an empty table, watching the dance floor as he helped himself with a cup of coffee, enjoying the chaotic yet sweet scene unfolding.

Eliora, sketchbook in hand, glanced at him: “You look dead.”

“Feel dead,” Eric sighed: “Do you know how many people I had to stop from fighting over everything tonight?”

Eliora smirked, flipping to a blank page as she sat next to him. “Hold still. I’m gonna draw you as a tragic, overworked corpse.” “As if I don’t already look like one…”

… As the prom slowed down, people starts to move outside to escape the heat of the ballroom. Luca and Feli ended up near the school fountain, the midnight air brushing against their flushed faces. They stood in silence for a moment, still buzzing with leftover energy. Then, Luca took a deep breath, gathering every ounce of courage he had. “So, uh… I’ve been meaning to tell you something.” Feli raised an eyebrow: “Yeah?” He shifted his feet, took a deep breath before coming clean: “I like you Feli. Like, a lot, more than I can admit.”

Feli blinked, confused: “You’re just saying that because I didn’t let you fail math.” Luca let out an awkward laugh: “Okay, yeah, you did save my ass, but no, that’s not why.” She smirked: “Uh-huh...” “I’m serious! I’ve liked you since...” Before he could finish, he stepped back into… nothing. With a very graceful yelp, Luca lost his balance and tumbled straight into the fountain. A huge splash followed. Feli clamped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide before bursting into laughter. Luca groaned, blinking up at her through dripping wet hair: “Oh yeah, hilarious. Just letting my drown aren't ya?” Still laughing, Feli crouched by the edge, offering her hand: “Come on, you idiot.” Luca took it, only for Feli to miscalculate her strength and end up tumbling forward, landing right on top of him in the water. Now both of them were soaking wet. Luca coughed, trying to hide his blush: “Well. This is romantic.” Feli lifted her head, their faces inches apart: “…You’re so dumb,” Then, without hesitation, she leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. Luca froze completely. His brain shut down. When she pulled away, Feli smirked: “Guess I like you too dummy.” Luca’s mind finally rebooted: “Wait... WAIT, WHAT?!” Feli, already climbing out of the fountain, flipped her wet hair: “Come on, loverboy. Let’s get us a towel before we die of embarrassment.” Luca scrambled after her, still flustered but grinning like an idiot. If falling for her was this chaotic… he wouldn’t have it any other way. As they stepped onto dry ground, Luca shook himself off like a wet dog, sending droplets flying everywhere. Feli gasps, shielding herself: “Luca, stop!!” “That’s what you get for laughing at my pain.” She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. “You’re impossible.” “Yeah, but I’m your impossible now.” Luca smirked Feli opened her mouth to fire back, but then Luca grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together like it was the most natural thing in the world. She blinked, heart skipping. “…Fine,” she blushed, squeezing his hand back. “I guess you are.” As they walked back toward the ballroom, both dripping wet and shivering from the cold wind, the music from the prom played softly in the background. Somewhere inside, Angel is probably doing a stream. Misaki and Ronin are definitely causing trouble while Valentin tries to stop them. But right now, none of that mattered. Right now, under the clear night sky, Luca and Feli were just two idiots in love. And it was perfect...

[wa-royal-tea]

I'm back! Kinda + What I've been up to + Timezone Change, Story Posting Update

Heyyyy thur guys! I’m back, kinda. Sorry it took me a while to update you guys on what I’ve been working on, life has been extra busy since July 31st for me 💀 I won't post a story update yet as I still have things to do but I mightttt return by the end of September.

If you wanna know what I've been up to, read under the cut. Just a warning, it's pretty long 💀

I have an update on what I've been working on irl and it's kind of an exciting news, at least for me lol. So, in case anyone is wondering what I've been up to, I'm actually preparing to further my Masters overseas and this plan has been a wip since last year. I've been studying for my IELTS because the universities I've applied to requires me to take it. And then I had my graduation ceremony for my Bachelor's Degree after waiting for SO long bcs of Covid. It was one of the happiest day in my life bcs I got the Vice Chancellor's award!!! Sorry for the bragging there, I'm just so proud of myself :') I worked my ass off to maintain my CGPA every semester so getting that award really felt like all of that hard work was worth it :')

After all that is done, I applied to the Uni's that I wanted and surprisingly, all the Uni's I applied to gave me an offer which is pretty neat! I accepted one of the offers and then I had to look for a sponsorship.

I kept it a hush-hush kind of thing and only told several of my close friends about what I was planning to do bcs it was something that I wasn't sure that I'll be getting so anytime that I was taking a "break", I was actually working on this in the background (had to attend zoom interviews with the Uni's. Doing the tasks in order to get an interview invite etc.). It was a stressful process but yeah, this is what I've had planned for me when I was younger so I was determined to make it happen no matter what! Your girl is not one to give up easily! 😤

So around June this year, the sponsorship that I've been aiming for opened and I applied for it, got the results that I had been offered a full-ride sponsorship on July 31st and everything became so busy for me because I had to prepare the necessary documents to be sent to the sponsorship board. It was an exhausting process as I had to make sure that everything is prepared perfectly so there wouldn't be any problems and so far, alhamdulillah, everything has been going well. I had my visa done, I secured a place to stay during the duration of my studies, all the documents were sent at the end of last week. But preparing all of these took a toll on my energy and I simply don't have the energy to open my game or even open blender to work on my story. But I have been writing the scripts and all so yeah, the story is still running in the background. I did find some little time to work on poses but I worked on a few before I stopped because I was too tired hahaha.

Anyways, only a few people knew what I was working on while I was on this break. Shoutout to Miss Wheat knee and Gigi for being patient with me replying to their discord messages late everyday 😭 And thank you for giving me your emotional support and encouragement! A huge thank you to both Miss Devilled Eggs and Wheat knee for helping me in my process of applying to the Uni's from helping me brush up my English for my IELTS during one of our previous calls, and for helping me with my Piece to Camera video practice for my Uni interviews. I really, greatly, am thankful to you guys for that. And to Wheat knee, thank you for believing in me when I was overthinking stuff thinking I wouldn't get the offers sfkhskl I really appreciate you for that 😢

And with that, I would like to update you guys that my posting time will be changing as I will be moving to London for my studies. So my timezone will no longer be GMT+8 :') It will be GMT+1 as of September 28th. Aside from that, my postings won't be regular too, I'll be updating whenever I can as I'll probably be busy with my studies and all. So, wish me luck! I'm a bit anxious about this so I hope I'll do well :')

Thank you to all my readers who are still there for me since day 1, you all are the best! And sorry that the story will take a while to be completed, I'll try my best to still work on it bcs I love it too much to just leave it like that 😭

That's all I guess! Thank you again for reading this if you are reading it lol.

Love,

Nina ❤

[girldragongizzard]

Chapter 11: Teasing out the data

It’s cold, it’s overcast. I’m not shivering, but I feel a little sluggish and very cuddly and I’m wishing I had a heat lamp. And I’m wondering what the winter is going to be like for me.

Ptarmigan’s outfit, which she never changes, actually looks appropriate for this dark, sixty-two degree with high humidity Pacific Northwest weather. 

So does Chapman’s. Sie is dressed like a classic witch, if that witch was also a carney and an Elvis impersonator, but with a cloak.

We’re on the roof of my building, and looking around I think I can see where the insulation is thin, because the colors are shifted here and there just ever so subtly.

My tablet is at my feet, and I’m sitting on my haunches.

They’ve both already scanned or made a divination for me, as a baseline for today. And I’ve reported how it felt.

I’ve also arranged with a couple of other dragons to participate in this.

Now, I turn to Chapman, “Scan Anurak.”

And I switch over to Discord as Chapman turns to face the direction of the library and touches the tattoos on hir wrists together.

I feel the shift, and then send Anurak a simple message, “Now.”

“No,” comes the reply.

“You,” I say to Ptarmigan with my syrinx.

Ptarmigan nods, looks in the direction of the library, holds up her little journal and scribbles furiously with her pen.

I feel her particular brand of warm, staticky shift, stretched out and a little itchy.

“Again,” I send.

“No,” Anurak replies.

“Thank you,” I tell him. And then to Chapman, “Next.”

This time Chapman turns toward where we know Astraia to be. I’ve invited her into my territory for this, and she’s tucked away into a different coffee shop, two blocks away, and very curious about how this will go. And Chapman does hir thing.

And I feel it.

And I notify Astraia.

She does not.

I look at Ptarmigan, who then does the same thing.

I feel it.

And she does not.

One out of three dragons so far can feel this, and it doesn’t have to be directed right at them. So far, I am a little special.

Except, I remember seeing Joel twitch in response to Chapman’s Art.

Joel’s been warned, and has been told to make a noise when he notices something. So far, he hasn’t.

I switch back to my app and say, “Now, in turn, each do Joel.”

Shift.

“Yawp!”

Shift.

“Yawp!”

So, he’s a little special, too.

I didn’t organize this with anybody else, yet. I wanted to keep it as much on the downlow as I could while at least confirming a basic premise. But now I do want to test this with nearly every dragon in town.

I report, “No Anurak. No Astraia. Joel yes only direct scan, both of you. Me yes every time.” And so I’ve spilled my tiny little secret to Ptarmigan.

She raises an eyebrow and her head slowly tilts up and to the side as she looks at me, expression otherwise deadpan.

“You say not done with me,” I tell her.

“I’m definitely not,” she responds. “But this does give us a really good idea of where to start, doesn’t it.”

“Other dragons,” I say.

“Yes, we should test them,” she says. “We could do that with a little less prep work, if you like, too. Chapman and I could tour the town over the next few days, and get permission from each one and test them then. And every time you feel a shift from either of us, you message the one you felt it from. Then we’ll report back and compare notes.”

“Good plan,” I say. “Watch for Säure.”

“Of course,” Ptarmigan says as Chapman watches her passively. “Meanwhile, I’d like you to meditate on that sense. See if you can pick up anything else happening around town, even subtly. Any little change in feeling, any direction or lack of direction. Even if you don’t really notice anything, paying attention to it will hone your ability to use it. And every time one of us pings you, you’ll get definitive feedback to reinforce it.”

“Okay,” I agree.

—

Over the next couple of days, I have one more pointless counseling appointment and continue my daily routine, which includes a lot of me time just resting on my roof. And, any time I feel a shift from either of my Artist friends, I send the relevant one a thumbs up emoji.

It happens a lot more frequently than I expected, but then tapers off pretty quick. By the second day, I’m getting nothing.

And I’ve been thinking about just what I can sense.

With Ptarmigan, so far, I sense it the moment she puts pen to paper, and it lasts the whole time she’s doing it.

With Chapman, however, I sense it when sie activates hir glyphs, such as when putting hir wrists together. But I definitely feel it coming from the middle of hir being.

Ptarmigan’s is less specific, her whole being sort of vibrates, and so does the pen.

But, I also experiment with the transformation pendant a few times, really focusing on it, and I don’t feel a thing except the transformation itself. That is pretty disruptive, though, and I know I can sense anything at all when I’m wearing the pendant.

This tells me a little bit about how Ptarmigan and Chapman each channel and use their Arts.

And also, the fact that my sense of their shifts got weaker and disappeared as they got further away definitely seems to indicate I’ve got a range. A lot like how sounds will be fainter as they happen further and further away. That makes sense to me.

I suspect, with 900,000 Artists on Earth, it would be a nervous cacophony to me if I could sense whenever any one of them used their Art at any moment, regardless of range.

Chapman messages me at one point to say, “I think you have a range of about a mile with me. Roughly.”

Ptarmigan doesn’t send anything.

I don’t hear from her until they’re done and they both get back in person on Friday evening.

—

Before either of them have a chance to talk, I ask them a question as they climb up onto my roof to join me in private again. I’d been working on it for a bit.

“Can you sense each other like I can?”

“No,” Chapman says.

“No,” agrees Ptarmigan. “Not the same way you do.”

Chapman nods, and adds, “I can watch Ptarmigan do her art, and I can see most of what she’s doing when she does it. But, I don’t have some kind of warning sense that alerts me to when she’s doing it. I don’t think any of us actually have anything like that. It’s almost like the difference could be described by saying you have the equivalent to a fly or a cockroach having a hair on their back or leg that’s connected to a reflex that makes it fly or run when triggered by an air current. While, we each can see the wind as if it has layers of dyed smoke in it.”

“Yes,” Ptarmigan says. “Different senses with different evolutionary purposes, essentially.”

“What next?” I ask.

“We didn’t go all the way out into the county,” Chapman reports. “So we don’t have a survey of the dragons that live out in the other cities and such. But it looks like about one in ten local dragons has some degree of your sense. But you have the strongest. Locally, at least.”

“What mean?” I press.

“Well,” Ptarmigan says, crossing her legs and plopping down on the rooftop in one awkward jarring motion. “If your sense is a defense mechanism to alert you to the working of Art, and only a smattering of dragons have it and you have it the strongest. It feels like it’s new. And it feels like it suggests that maybe you have the trait because the dracomorphosis was caused by an Artist who was using you as the target of their work, the locus, the focus, the center of it, the catalyst. Something like that. But I don’t know.”

“And,” Chapman says, “because we don’t usually notice when another Artist is doing their work unless we’re paying attention to them, we don’t know who it was. Not definitively.”

Ptarmigan continues their tag team explanation by saying, then, “There are a handful of our siblings who could have done this. The Artist of Transformation is only one of them. But it would take a lot longer than a couple of days to seek them all out and ask them. And that’s only if they’re not hiding. And then we have to just trust that they’d tell us the truth. However, of course, I’m going to do just that. Just don’t expect results for a while. And in the meantime, we should think of other ways to investigate this.”

“This was a really good exercise,” Chapman says. “Thank you for suggesting it.”

Hm.

“Chapman,” I say. “You said dragons could appear naturally.”

“That’s still a possibility, yes,” sie says. “But that’s a harder hypothesis to test for right now. It’s easier to eliminate the possibility that someone triggered it first.” Then sie looks at Ptarmigan, “Unfortunately, the only other angle I can think of right now, for what might have set the dracomorphosis off, is to find out what’s happened with Daniel Säure. Why did he go into hiding, or outright disappear on August 24th when it happened? There might be nothing there, but it is conspicuous, especially along with one or more of his companies interfering with the lives of local dragons.”

“Yeah,” Ptarmigan agrees. “It’s more than one. He’s using all the clout he’s got to lobby the City and County Councils. The Daily keeps publishing stories about noise complaints against dragons, property damage, and fights. And their editorials are just full of fear and hate. That has to be Säure’s influence over the paper. Nevermind he’s the only reason it’s still in business. Morning Glory Inc. is his land holding company. That’s where his money makes more money. So it can stay apolitical, but it’s helping, too, really.”

That makes a lot of sense, and I want to get into figuring out what to do about it. Though I can think of anything remotely legal or peaceful. My mind is too bloody when it comes to this subject.

Instead, while I’ve been listening to this, I’ve been typing out another complete sentence. So, I hit “talk”.

“You two are very cooperative today.”

Ptarmigan looks at Chapman with mock alarm and says in utter deadpan, “What? No. Not with this asshole.”

“I strenuously object to being called an asshole,” Chapman says. “That term is inaccurate and incorrect. I am a jerk.”

“Are not.”

“I really am. I can be a complete jerk.”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Yuh-huh.”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Yuh-huh.”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Yuh-huh.”

“Okay,” I interject. “Shit.”

Their behavior is obviously a reminder to me that they think of themselves as siblings. And, it makes sense, they’ve been sharing this tiny little planet since before memory. And, of course siblings, especially ancient immortal siblings, will have complex relationships.

But then my mind turns to us dragons and how we interact with each other. And then I think of diversity, and how not all of us dragons can sense when an Artist is doing something nearby. But then I think about the rest of our physical and psychological diversity, and also where we come from.

Anurak’s human ancestry is Thai.

I’m pretty sure Astraia is Latina, like her boyfriend, though she has the Greek spelling of her name.

My family comes from a variety of European colonialist nations. Mostly Scandinavian and Germanic.

I don’t know about the rest of the dragons in Fairport, unfortunately, but I can guess we might be at least as diverse as the local population of humans. I know that I’ve seen the global demographics in an article on the internet, and no ethnicity is without their dragons.

But, like, Anurak doesn’t resemble any Thai dragon that I know of. He doesn’t even look anything like his namesake angel.

Astraia looks like an old Hollywood take on a hydra, a Greek monster. But, if she’s Latina, her ancestry might include Maya or Aztec, and a hydra doesn’t fit well there.

I’m the only stereotype I know personally, at the moment. And I’m pretty damn stereotypical for a modern fantasy dragon, though I’d probably fit in in a tapestry or illuminated manuscript.

I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that implication, so I want to look things up, see what’s going on around the rest of the world.

My two Artists have noticed me thinking and have been waiting for me to say something more. Their heads are tilted opposite directions, in imitation of my own favorite quizzical expression.

“Need to interview dragons,” I say. “Find out why shapes they have. Maybe clue.”

“You could ask that on your Discord,” Ptarmigan says.

I huff, and then say, “Yes.” Then I go into the appropriate channel and type out the questions more carefully, “@everyone Why do you think you look like you do? Is it how you feel you should be? Is it wrong? Imposed on you? May be clue to something. Thank you.”

I show it to Chapman and Ptarmigan before hitting “send”, and they both nod.

Almost immediately the words “someone is typing” appear with the animated ellipses.

All three of us are huddled over my tablet on the rooftop, Ptarmigan having scooted closer and Chapman kneeling down. We watch.

Anurak replies, “I am me. This is me. Don’t know why. I love myself this way. I look like my own monster doodles.”

Almost immediately afterward, Astraia responds, “We’ve always been a hydra. It just makes sense.”

And that’s it, for now. Those two were already logged into Discord for our experiment before, and have been paying close attention since apparently. The others may take time to filter in.

I start to feel quite a bit better. It seems like, so far, we’ve each known who and what we were.

Chapman points to the screen, “This is also good. It’s definitely backing up what I’ve seen elsewhere. But, again, thank you for reminding me of this.”

“Oh?” Ptarmigan prompts.

“Yeah,” Chapman says. “Across the world, dragons have appeared in every culture and every demographic conceivable, at about an equal rate. And they’re incredibly diverse. As diverse as their mythological counterparts. And while, say, you’ll find that almost all nagas, which weren’t typically thought of as dragons by their native cultures but have manifested, have the appropriate ancestries – which is quite a lot of cultures – those cultures also exhibit a lot of dragons of different origins or even purely chaotic physiologies. Like Anurak, who looks like a cross between something Maurice Sendak might have drawn and Trogdor, kinda. But, in every case where a dragon can be interviewed, they report being happy with what they are, or having always known it.”

“So, either this is an Artistry designed to provide wish fulfillment to people with severe species dysphoria, or…”

“This is what dragons are and this is the first wave of them emerging. Or something like that,” Chapman says. “I can think of all sorts of scenarios between those two. Compromises. Different triggers or origins.”

“Mm,” Ptarmigan nods. “And this eliminates any mechanism that involved transforming people against their will. At first glance, at least.”

“Makes it seem less like the work of an Art, doesn’t it?” Chapman asks.

My gaze is switching back and forth between the two as they talk, though I’m switching from right eye to left eye, and my head is moving in a small twitch instead of pointing at each one.

“In what way?” Ptarmigan asks.

“When one of us attempts something at this scale, it’s not this nuanced,” Chapman says. “There are too many variables to keep track of, even for one of us. But if we combine our Arts and do something collaborative, it gets really chaotic. This would require an eon of setup, one Artist laying the ground work before passing on a finished product for another Artist to work on, without creating a disastrous synergy, and narrowing it in with each phase until it was ready.”

“How do you know this?” Ptarmigan squints at hir.

“How do you not?” Chapman looks at her out of the corner of hir eye incredulously. “Well. It doesn’t matter. I’m the Physicist. Dragons might be my special interest of the epoch, but I know how energy and matter function, and this is that. When I really look at this evidence, the numbers don’t add up.”

“Which epoch? The anthropocene, or…”

“Don’t be obnoxious.”

“Don’t be vague.”

“Ptarmigan, how long have nightmares been a thing?” Chapman asks.

“Since I came into existence, at the very least.”

“Physics is older than that, and I also have my hands on a thesis written by a delightful student that suggests that dragons are really an emergent behavior of the general chaos of the universe itself. Physics,” Chapman says.

“Chapman,” Ptarmigan snorts. “Every time you go about describing what dragons are, you contradict yourself. You say something wildly different than before.”

“Dragons are like that,” Chapman says. “Isn’t that right, Meg?”

“Yes,” I say, without thinking. And then realize that I’ve spoken up between arguing immortal beings.

Ptarmigan apparently recognizes my expression, because she says, “Don’t worry, we’re not gods. We don’t smite people.”

“Well, except for the Artist of Smiting,” Chapman says.

Ptarmigan tilts her head and points at Chapman.

I look down at my tablet briefly

Wentin, of all dragons, has responded next to my query, “I’ve always had this recurring dream that I was chasing a terrified child through the woods. It was a different child every time, sometimes an adult, but this form is what I’ve always been in that dream.”

I wonder how it typed all that with its massive paws. If it uses speech to text, I feel like I’m going to be even more annoyed about it than I already am.

“That’s not disproving our theory,” Chapman says, pointing at the screen.

Ptarmigan looks, “Huh. I know that one.”

I glance at Ptarmigan as I wonder what that statement must mean.

Follow up question time. This seems like a non-sequitur but I’ve been thinking about this for a while, so I type in, “Do you think there will be more like us?”

“Don’t know,” Astraia responds.

“No clue,” says Anurak.

“Oh dear, yes please. I do hope that there are.” And I can just hear Wentin’s creaky breaking croon as I read the words.

“Yeah, that’s the one,” Ptarmigan says. “It’s been around since before English was a language, at the very least. In the recurring nightmares of so many people. I’ve talked to it in an early Ingvaeonic once, I forget what that language called itself.”

We all look at each other.

[dalphahale]

Alright, I said I wasn't going to do this but I am over it and want to share my side of things so I don't have to again. Rant below.

It's come to my attention that a former RP partner of mine has been spreading lies about me and my character. She has told multiple circles that I am abusive, a gaslighter, and a manipulator without providing any proof of this information. I met this partner in March 2023 and we talked until February 2024. During this time, she smothered me and my character so much that I didn't really want to write anymore. I was afraid that if I posted online at all, she would notice and make some comment or see why I wasn't replying to our threads. I did point out to her that I didn't like all the recognition but it took me a long time to realize that I was unhappy on this platform because she tried to take all my time and attention. I dreaded being on here or on discord. I started to distance myself as I didn't enjoy my interactions but I felt like I needed to stick around as a friend because she was often sick and complaining to me about her chronic illness. This made me feel like I couldn't abandon her as she often seemed very lonely and I did feel bad that she was stuck inside because of the illness. I realize now that she used this more as a manipulation to likely keep me around and it worked until I couldn't deal with the constant messages, reblogs, ship posts, videos, whatever it was. I told her I no longer wanted to speak about anything that wasn't writing and that she needed to stop making me her sounding board for everything going on in her life.

She did not like the fact that I said no more to her and blocked me without any explantion. She then went around to multiple people that I do not know and accused me of being an abuser. I was far from that, I was a friend that listened and tried my best to be there for her when she needed it. I could not say the same about her. We knew each other for almost 11 months and she barely asked anything about me. When I told her I think I need to put my 17 year old cat down, all she said was "at least she had a good life" and then continued onto her own narcissistic spiral that was all about herself. Even when I told her I don't want to talk anymore about anything that isn't writing as I felt like we didn't have much of a friendship, she countered with "what do you mean? I just asked you about your job LAST WEEK." Mind you, we had known each other for 11 months and that was all she could come up with that she asked me about. Not how I was doing, how my life was going, not what kind of plans I had for the weekend, it was just one question she asked me a week before while she constantly trauma dumped and talked about herself to me.

Now, I blocked her and she blocked me in February and I wouldn't be bringing this all up if people didn't keep messaging me saying that this person has told them multiple lies about me and even claimed that she interacted with their characters just so I would see it and feel some type of way about it. She even began to write her own Derek, which is fine, I do not gatekeep Derek at all, but she wrote him purposely with someone I write with and tried to rub it in my face that her Derek was interacting with this person's characters. She would be sad to know that I never noticed as I rarely go on the dash and at that point I was dealing with my cat and could care less about Tumblr or what she was doing on it.

With all this information I would also like to say that this person is known for changing blogs often and this is because she gets in drama a lot on this site and needs to go into hiding and change her partners up so that they don't find out about her bullshit. She has taken characters, ideas, partners, and has collected faceclaims. She has also recently blocked a lot of her RP partners without any explanation why. She used to complain to me about people stealing her ideas or her characters but in reflection about all this I realize that it was her that stole most of the faceclaims and plotpoints she wanted to write. Her behavior since February has not changed, she's still a self absorbed, chronically online person who likes to create drama in every relationship she has. She does not care about you unless she can use you and she will manipulate you to think that you are the only person she will ever want to write with. You aren't. Just remember how many people she's lied to, hurt, and blocked and how many new blogs she needed so she could hide and write with people who know nothing about her yet.

That being said, I have had this blog over 10 years. I have not had any drama on this blog and I have not done anything that has made me need to hide myself as I genuinely believe in not having drama on here and keeping this website as fun as it can be. I have not abused anyone in my life and I do believe I'm a nice person that's willing to be a listening ear if you need it. I understand that a lot of you have gone through terrible things with her as well which I am truly sorry that you were put through all that and that I believed her when she said a lot of you were stealing her characters and ideas. I wish I had seen the red flags then so I wouldn't be needing to write this long post explaining everything. I do believe it's best to move on and just forget about said person as they thrive on attention which is why after this post I will not be making anymore about her. If you need to talk, feel free to DM me, other than that this chapter and drama is closed for me.

xoxo

G

[natimiles]

Everything Falls 3 (Rafayel x OC)

Words: 596

Tags: angst; hurt/no comfort; unrequited feelings?; unexpressed feelings; she ends up with Sylus.

Notes: I was upset and frustrated that Rafayel didn’t come home when I hit the pity the first time for this floral banner, and then he was making me work super hard to get him. So, I wrote an angst drabble each time I pulled and didn’t get him, to make him suffer as he was making me. I was gonna write more, but ended up writing only 3. They’re not related to each other, I was just very creative and used the same name and turned this into a mini series to haunt my friends on discord. I was frustrated and made this everyone’s problem shaeheuoaea

I wrote this with my self insert OC Mina. I don’t have a profile for her (yet), then know that she’s not MC. She has the bond and different lives with Rafayel (and only him), but she’s not a Hunter, she’s a psychologist.

When she asked for help to get to the N109 Zone, he didn’t question it. She simply said she had something important to do, and he agreed to help. He had his own secrets too, he knew how important it was to keep certain things quiet.

Now, though, he wished he’d been more curious. That he’d questioned her, interrogated her, even made her take him with her. He should’ve asked why she wanted to go there and who she was meeting. Maybe then he could’ve seen the disaster coming and, who knows, even stopped it.

Or even if he couldn’t have changed anything, maybe he wouldn’t feel so powerless in the face of it all.

Maybe he’d feel like he at least tried to fight for her.

Mina came back a few days ago, and ever since then, she hasn’t stopped talking about the new friend she made. Rafayel is already beyond regretting ever telling her she could talk to him about anything. Now, all she ever says is “Sylus this, Sylus that,” and the artist is one step away from screaming in frustration. Not at her — never at her — but at himself, for being so stupid to think she’d stay by his side, waiting for something to happen.

Rafayel almost wants to call the Hunter’s Association, because on top of everything else, the guy is the leader of a criminal organization. But he doesn’t know if she knows that too — and even if she does, he’s pretty sure she doesn’t care. And who is he to say anything, anyway? He’s got his own connections in the underworld too.

So all that’s left for him to do is watch as their time together slowly fades with each passing day, now that Mina spends whatever precious free time she has with Sylus. And when they’re together, the interactions between her and her new friend haunt him constantly.

Every time Mina’s phone buzzes with a new message, a smile spreads across her face, and Rafayel’s fades. Every time she answers a call and her eyes light up with joy, he looks down at the floor, trying to distract himself from the pain. Every time he invites her to do something and she replies with an excited voice that she already has plans with Sylus, he has to try hard not to let the sadness and frustration show in his voice.

And when Mina finally announces that she and Sylus are in love, that he took her out to dinner and they’re now together… Rafayel feels his heart breaking into tiny pieces with every painful beat.

The studio grows emptier and emptier, because the artist wants to see her but refuses to keep watching the romantic vibe she now shares with someone else from the sidelines. The paintings are coming along great, pain once again becoming his greatest inspiration, and Thomas wants to be happy with how well things are going artistically, but he notices how Rafayel’s eyes no longer shine the same way. Now, there’s only remorse and mourning in them.

Rafayel knows there’s nothing he can do. She’s fine and happy, with someone else, because he didn’t make the most of the time he had. All that’s left is to wish for her happiness — or do his best to pretend he’s happy for her. To stay silent, destined to keep the truth about his feelings to himself.

All that’s left for him is to accept that everything has fallen apart, watching his dreams crumble right in front of him as they become a reality for someone else.

Taglist: @william-rex @candiedcoffeedrops @valkyyriia @drachonia @m00nchildwrites @keithtopia @aquagirl1978 @dollielament @fang-and-feather @specters0rd @sh0jun @yamarireads @just-a-dodo

Masterlists If you wanna be added to my taglist, please fill this form.

[inhalcyonity]

Wolfstar and Jegulus Roleplay

Hello everyone!

I will cut the chase short: I am currently looking for some Marauders Roleplay! As tagged, I am interested in roleplaying mxm, more precisely Wolfstar or Jegulus with some partaking Jily on the side, depending on the context.

I have roleplayed Remus, Sirius, and James in the past. I won’t say I have a favorite, but I do feel like I know Remus and James a tad more than Sirius. They are still up for grabs though, so don’t hesitate to come forward because as long as we play our cards right, there shouldn’t be any problem as to who we pick ahah. Here is a short laundry list before you keep reading:

It is very important to me that you are legal [18+]. I will not be roleplaying mature content with people below the age of 20. I am a little older myself and it tends to make me uncomfortable.

I have been writing for years. If it is a one-liner roleplay you are looking for, I do not believe we will be a good match. I am looking for someone who is semi-lit at the very least!

I am generally a very active person, but I do have a full-time job and full-time obligations as well. If this rings a bell, welcome to the adult world ahah. A reply a day (and more) does go a long way!

I am back to GMT-5. Not that it really matters but it’s always good to be aware of this! I usually RP on Discord.

If you think you qualify, I’m certain we can be great friends :) Now, on to the very serious talk: what is it I’m really looking for?

A Wolfstar and or Jegulus roleplay. Very simply. As mentioned earlier, I do not mind the good old Jily as well, but they are not usually a couple I necessarily plan around!

I love to explore different genres so if you come up to me and tell me you love medieval aus or space aus, I’ll be just as enchanted to roleplay with you as if you told me you would like to stick to the Marauder’s timeline.

I love to plot. Obviously, I’m not seeking every precocious detail but I like to have an idea of the overall story and scenes. It does not have to be extensive, but a little hint will give us both something to look forward to. :)

[20+] I am definitely open to smut but I rarely, if ever, rp pwp. I am certain we can find a way to add it to a more polished storyline.

If in the end, something tickles your fancy and you decide to send me a message, I will gladly reply! Come and say hello, I don’t bite, I promise ahah. For the people who are a little more shy or want to role-play Chanbaek, but have no idea where to start, I have a few plots in mind that I will be more than happy to share.

Congratulations on making it to the end. I don’t have any chocolate frogs, but I have loads of Wolfstar to offer. It’s all waiting for you, just a like or a message away~

[genshinrpserver]

(At the time of editing this [14/12/2024], the list is up to date with Bennett having become available, and Kaveh and Kaeya being taken.) Genshin Roleplayers Wanted! Hello!! We are looking for some people that want to join a friendly roleplay community! We have a lot of writing to choose from! From headcanons to writing prompts to actual roleplaying with 1 or a group of people! Our rules are simple! -Be at least 18+! We currently don’t have a NSFW channel and do not plan on implementing one. -Use discord! We use the server as a sort of home base but all of our roleplaying is forum based with a link to help you get set up once you’re in! -We ask that you send at least one roleplay reply every 14 days to keep up with activity so your partners aren’t left hanging! Everybody is playing one character so we try to keep it fair as far as staying active in case someone wants to write for a character that’s inactive. Feel free to shoot me a message on discord (@/exposeburnout) if you want to join! I hardly check tumblr messages so discord will be the best bet. Just let me know what character you’re interested in. This is a very lighthearted server. Your character interpretation is completely up to you! Because this is a roleplay server, please be prepared to send a sample of your writing with a minimum of 100 words as this is our word count minimum for roleplay responses. Many of us write much more than this though!

[historicalvandal]

𝙰 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚎 / 𝙵𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚖𝚜 𝙸'𝚖 𝚒𝚗 Hello all I'm The Avatar, or just Val, I'm a rolepayer (obvi lmao) I'm a huge lover of historical roleplays and fandom roleplays! I'm a semi literate to advanced literate roleplay, I use third person in my roleplays and I usually roleplay over on discord but I'd love trying to roleplay here on tumblr, I'm new to the platform so I hope my formatting is alright at the least, I usually try to mirror my partners to the best of my ability, I want to try and do open roleplays here whilst also posting roleplay ads so I can also make some friends on discord! I'm huge into fandoms, and obviously historical stuff, I'd like to say i don't have many rules but I do have a few rules for roleplay - - Third person only in roleplay please. - I'll only accept people who are eighteen and up since I don't roleplay with minors. - No Gary Stues or Mary Sues. - Please talk to me ooc I'd love to be friends and talk more about our roleplay (if on discord mainly) - Within historical roleplays it isn't always needed to one hundred percent accurately portray horrible actions that may have happened in history, as much as I want historical accuracy I don't want to go too far. - Be patient please, sometimes it takes me a while to respond other times I have all the time in the world, I appreciate people being patient with me. - To start a roleplay you can always reply to my open roleplays, or send me a message! - I do not like script or one to two sentence roleplays, please don't try and do one liners with me. - I love drama in my roleplays so the more drama the merrier, just please plan out some drama with me if we are roleplaying on discord, I love to know what drama my partners can come up with! - Please be okay with LGBTQ+ relationships, as I do M x M and F x F. Thanks for reading my rules, my fandoms are listed below - Fandom List ; Game of Thrones, House of the dragon, Across the spiderverse and into the spiderverse, Texas chainsaw massacre, Halloween, My bloody valentine, Fallout four, MW2 and 3, My little pony gen four and five, MLP Equestria girls, Starwars, AC Valhalla, AC Odyssey, The Simpsons, Jurassic Park, Avatar (the blue people) , Peaky Blinders, Vikings, Narnia, Marvel, TWD (show and game), Hetalia, Hamilton, Ghosts BBC, Yonderland, HTTYD, Our flag means death, Clone high, Z nation, South park, Red dead redemption 2, Elvis presley (not really a fandom but a person lmao-) , Hunchback of Notre Dame (disney version) , The lion king (human AU), Moana, pretty much Disney lmao, Avatar the last airbender (new fandoms in purple :P) Kingdom of Heaven and Planet of the apes

[flowercat7-blog]

Looking for Helluva Boss RP!

Hey! My name is Lie and I’m in the market for a new RP! Right now I’m mainly interested in a Helluva Boss RP! I would LOVE to do anything where I can play as Fizz! Some of my personal favorite people to play him against is Blitzo, Asmodeus, and even Striker but I'm down for just about anything! Weird rarepairs, platonic, enemies, something else-- I'm not picky. I'm just dying to play as him. I AM looking for someone a little more active, preferably at least a reply a day, but it's completely okay if you have to take a couple days off for whatever reason. I just like to be updated! I also am not looking to write paragraph upon paragraph, as it feels like a chore to me if I feel like I HAVE to write a certain amount. I can guarantee I will always write at least a decent size paragraph or two though! You will ALWAYS have SOMETHING to go off of, I won't leave you hanging like that!! I also love to incorporate OC's or side characters for some extra drama or side plots.

About me

I’m a 23 year old woman

I usually write at least a paragraph or two. I would call myself semi-lit to literate. I also write in third person.

I’m fairly active and will probably reply at least twice a day, usually more, but there are times where I may not reply for a day!

I’m happy to play multiple characters if needed

I honestly do not love Modern day/Slice of Life roleplays unless there is an interesting plot. I’m not closed to them, but the ideas need to be interesting

I love getting into the nitty gritty of things. NSFW/smut, gore, angst, I eat that shit up >:)

What I look for in a partner

I dont mind your gender, but please be 18+ as well as any characters you play. Absolutely no exceptions

Please be able to help me with the plot ideas as well as setting up the roleplay. If you don’t plan to contribute to the plot at all, please do not message me. I don’t mind being the main one to come up with ideas and push things along, but it gets very frustrating being the only one to do so

I am looking for someone fairly active. If you're a once a week poster, we might not be the best fit.

Don’t control my character or power play. I will return the favor.

I don’t mind how much you write, as long as I have something to reply to. But please do have decent grammar and write past tense in third person

Please be open to potentially sensitive topics. Doesn’t have to be anything too extreme, but if you’re completely against it, we are not a good fit.

Please don’t rush me to reply. If it’s been a day, feel free to send me a reminder.

If this sounds interesting to you, please shoot me a message with a little bit about yourself! I also do only RP on discord. Thank you! <3